heart shaped hedges

The Unraveling of Santa

2011-12-21T10:43:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like things were falling apart at the seams, and as much as you tried to hold them together, they were slipping right through your fingers? That's kind of what's going on here.

Andrew, who is now in 5th grade, and a pretty bright kid (dont all moms think their kid is super smart??)....well, he is showing signs that maybe, just maybe, his faith in Santa is waning.

This, breaks. my. heart.

You might remember, this episode, from a few years ago: Trip to the North Pole

Well, I did all I could, and thankfully, we were able to bring things together and keep the magic alive. (It did involve me searching all day for the book Santa promised Andrew, but we found it, and all was well.)

All was well, until this year.....when an Elf named Benny came to visit.

Benny was sent by Santa, after my kids wrote a letter requesting him. He is an "Elf on the Shelf"...meaning, every day we find him somewhere new.

The other day, Benny, the sweet little thing, was found head first in MY bag of mint M&Ms. Christine noted at the end of the day, that Benny had eaten most of the bag (which was full when we first discovered him there).....now, I let that go, and didnt hold it against the freeloading elf, that he had rudely eaten the Christmas candy I bought for myself (that is only made at Christmas time, so I look forward to it every year).... I let that go, figured I could just buy some more.....

But, something else about Benny has been harder to forgive. It's his clothes, or more specifically the GIANT tag on his clothes that says, "Made in Georgia"

Imagine my surprise, as we discovered Benny in my candy, when Andrew says, "Hey, why does he have a tag that says he was made in Georgia?"

TOTALLY STARTLED ME and SNAPPED ME OUT OF THE HOLIDAY MAGIC MODE

off guard, I stuttered, "Uh...well, um, uh....."

I tried to think of something quick! "Santa buys that red material for his clothes. " I asserted matter of factly....with a 'yeah, that's it!' attitude! "Santa doesnt make the MATERIAL..he buys the red material for the elf clothes, and he obviously buys it from a material manufacturer in Georgia." duh!

Whew! I waited to see if that story would hold up....and Andrew sort of pondered it...I could almost see the wheels of his mind, bending, spinning, as he contemplated the possibility.

Inside, I was TICKED OFF!!

The whole purpose of things like this Elf, and train rides to the North Pole, are to ENHANCE the magic of Santa....Enhance, as in make it stronger and more magical.....not throw a bucket of cold water on it!

It's really annoying to buy into these special things, (and I do mean BUY...this elf thing seems to be making someone a mint!) only to find that they are counter-productive, and instead of making the magic more real, they are diminishing it.

I mean, they might as well just put a big sign in that "Elf on the Shelf" box that says, "Santa's not real" (gasp!) Why put a big jumbo tag, 1/3 the size of the elf, that glaringly states he was made in Georgia?? why?? didnt somebody along the assembly line think, "hey, might not be a good idea to put a "made in Georgia" tag on the elf we are marketing as REAL." ????? anyone? not even the person that sewed that huge tag ONTO the elf? Not even the person that put him in the box? GEESH!

It's very frustrating, and now, Ill have to go into overdrive, AGAIN.....to repair the lost Santa mojo that was brought about by the very thing that was meant to enhance it.

Wish my luck, or extra Santa magic!!

S'More Pops

2011-02-20T20:14:00.001-08:00

I cant believe it's been since before Christmas since Ive posted. My kitchen is still in transition, actually our floors are gonna have to all be pulled up again, and replaced....(sigh)...so it has hampered my baking fun.

Some of you may have noticed that my latest craze is Marshmallow Pops! Cake pops are fun, but as a busy mom, I dont always have time to back the cake, add the frosting, roll the cake balls.....you know, much easier to just pop a marshmallow on a stick, dont ya think?

My friend Gina told me about a new Marshmallow Pop idea...a S'More Pop. I signed up to bring a dessert to the Boy Scout's Blue and Gold party, and so since Boy Scouts love to camp, this S'More Pop seemed the perfect treat.

You start out with a large marshmallow, on a candy stick:

Then, in typical Boy Scout style, roast your marshmallow:

It's up to you how toasty you want to make them:

Place marshmallows on parchment paper, so that they can firm up. I was able to make these 50 in just minutes:

Graham crackers are easily crunched up:

Since these were for the Boy Scouts Blue and Gold party, I thought it would be fun to add some blue sprinkles. You can add any color to make them more festive, or just use the plain graham crackers:

Dip the marshmallow into TEMPERED chocolate:

Now, you'll remember from past posts, that tempering is the process that allows the chocolate to harden up. This pop will not be messy. The chocolate will be solid, making it easy to put these into cello bags or pass out without a mess.

I use my Rev 1 tempering unit, it's the size of a shoe box, and is quick and easy to use. If you are intersted in learning more about tempering, I have other videos and step-by-step pics in my archives. It's the most fun and creative dessert tool ever, I love it!!

Dip the pop into the graham crackers, covering all the chocolate:

This is not a frilly, girly-girl pop. It's got that masculine, "I live in the wilderness and eat S'mores" kind of look, but I promise, it's super delicious!

My favorite way to serve "pops" is in a basket or container, filled with floral foam, and then covered with plastic/foil and sometimes covered with other decorative filling. It makes them easy to transport and you can have fun with the presentation:

Im looking forward to making all kinds of marshmallow pops this Spring....bunnies, lambs, so much creative fun - and easy!! What are you going to be making??

If you dont already, "like" my facebook page; Kim's Chocolatier page on Facebook and feel free to post pics of your creative desserts.

Twilight Fans enjoy...or Proud Mommy part 2

2010-05-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

I am proud of each of my children...for so many different reasons....here is just one more reason Im proud to be Andrew's mom...his continued involvement to help find a cure for pediatric cancers.

He made a PSA for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, with Twilight Actor; Peter Facinelli (who is a SUPER nice and down-to-earth guy) Here is a photo from the video shoot. And below is a link to the commercial which will be airing nationwide.

Video which should be airing nationwide soon

Proud Mommy

2010-05-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

It' almost Mother's Day, and my oldest baby is at Boy Scout Camp....I miss him.....

perfect time to show off one of the gazillion reasons why I am proud of Pooper....

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Common Sense is Boring

2010-05-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

Im a little annoyed right now, as I realize that the chaos in my life is directly, inversely proportional to the lack of common sense in others.

Ive long had a lack of tolerance of idiocracy (which is officially a word, according to me), inefficiency, and arrogance...but when combined, they equal the decision makers at our medical group, which really sets me off.

I spend hours upon hours talking round and round with bureaucrats over decisions, where people like to mince terminology and processes...HELLO, how about we just use COMMON SENSE!

Perhaps that would be too boring. First of all, it would cut out the drama in my life, significantly x 1000, and then perhaps, the busy bureaucrats wouldnt have anything to do if they couldnt push my papers all around stamping, "DENIED" all over them.

Confused? Let me explain, using a dash of common sense, for clarity;

Pooper, as a cancer survivor, is at risk for secondary cancers, including skin cancer.

Pooper sees his pediatric oncologist every 3 months, which includes complete blood work. Not only is she a pediatrician, she is also an oncologist, just for clarity sake.

Our insurance has approved these visits, you would think that means they trust the doctor.

When said SPECIALIST (pediatric oncologist) identifies suspicious growths, she requests that they be mapped and biopsied by a dermatologist (also a specialist)

That seems pretty, obvious, right? I mean, yeah....they are suspicious, he is at risk, lets have them biopsied and mapped, right?

No...of course not, that would be using some common sense, and it would reduce the red tape that is strangling me.

What would be much better is to DENY the request, and then when someone calls asking WHY? You get to say things like;

The pediatrician wants to see if it is necessary (first of all a pediatric oncologist - ie. more of an expert - already said it was necessary, and if the plain old pediatrician says its not necessary, who's opinion should I trust? AND WHY ARE WE CREATING EXTRA STEPS IN THIS GAME?)

The pediatric oncologist (not to be confused with the plain ole pediatrician) didnt make it clear that is is necessary. Hmmm, really? So, her expertise and evaluation and request WERE NOT CLEAR?

You can just appeal it Really, oh good, I was sort of looking how to spend all the free time that I have (when Im not taking my son to extra doctors visits and playing ring-around-on-the-phone with insurance folk) but that doesnt answer the question; WHY IS IT BEING DENIED IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Let's see a show of hands, who thinks it's pretty obvious that he needs to see a dermatologist?

Im not French, Im a mom!

2010-04-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

I remember the first day of French Conversation. It was college, 1983, and it started out perfectly, with the most adorable French teacher. She was here for a year, from France. She was young, maybe mid-late 20's, with big doe eyes, straight, shoulder length brown hair.

Bon Jour!

I dont remember her name. But, I sure do remember her outfit that first day. I have always loved, loved nautical stuff...and I can tell you with detail about the sailor outfit she wore, including the white tights, white pumps, navy sweater, it was tres chic.

I left that first day, excited for the semester ahead. It was a class that met 5 days a week, and with an authentic French professor, I knew I was going to really blossom with my conversation skills (it's all about the conversation, no?)

Day 2, and...ooh la la...maybe it was the college culture influencing my thought processes, but all I could think, was, "Wow, I guess she hooked up with someone and never made it home." Because, there she was, in the SAME EXACT OUTFIT. She was very demure, you know, she looked like a little French doll....never letting on that, she stays the night with people unexpectedly. Hmmmm.

Day 3 came, and there was an elephant in the room,,,, an elephant that looked like a French girl in a nautical ensemble that included white tights, white pumps, and a navy sweater. By now, her hair was greasy....I mean, she obviously had found some hot new American guy, and apparently could only pull herself away to teach this class, because she surely wasnt going home to change clothes or even take a shower.

Ill never forget day 4. Yes, same outfit, same white tights, and now, she had braids..messy braids. If she was in the midst of some hot love affair, couldnt they at least take it to the shower, because braiding your hair does not hide how greasy it has gotten, not at all.

Day 5 was like a breath of fresh air...clean hair, new outfit....and I wondered. Did she break away for the sake of hygiene? Had she been spoken to for letting her professorial responsibilities slide? Perhaps the fling was over...I wondered sadly.

Well, as the semester continued, I realized, that her appearance had less to do with a torrid love life of one night stands, and more to do with the French culture. Specifically, the cultural practice of not bathing regularly.

Yeah, I know. There went my whole ideal of this elegant language. The people dont shower (or wash their hair, or shave.)

I was 17, and the thought of going a day without a shower was not in my reality. I guess if you were stranded in an airport or something overnight, you wouldnt be able to shower, but....yuck! And, by the way, showering always included washing my hair, etc.

Fast forward to some decades later, and I might as well just pull out some white tights and braid my hair. I mean, my showering frequency, on a good week, is every 2-3 days. Seriously.

I realize Im going to lose friends with this post. It's not OC Housewives-ish to look greasy. Some of you will forego the hugs for a wave from a distance, I do know that. But it's ok. Im a mom now. I care less about what people think, and more about meeting the needs of my children...making lunches, folding laundry, taxi rides to schools and doctors appointments, lots of cuddling, and spending hours with my daughter finding all the Justin Beiber videos on youtube.

Sorry............

2010-04-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry no post today, Im busy gathering up some ingredients to make this amazing cake.

What the heck is a blog?

2010-04-22T20:49:00.001-07:00

"What is a blog?" asked my new, loud talking friend.

"It's like Seinfeld, in writing" I answered

....and that's the best answer I have, short of rambling on about the content of my favorite blogs.

I'm attracted to the intelligent writing, that can take the day-to-day happenings in life, and make them relevant, and meaningful, and funny. Brief, yet witty, impacting me, like a shot of espresso for the soul.

One of my favorite bloggers, Bossy is on a national tour, visiting cities all across the country, meeting up with her blog readers, primarily other bloggers.

I was honored to be her "host" for Orange County, and I hope she was comfortable in the non-lavish (spare room, mostly used to stash my scrapbooking projects) quarters, which have also been home-away-from-home to the famous blogger, Grandma J.

Bossy's tour is sponsored by Ford...so she gets to travel with her handsome auto (named Harrison, because, everyone needs a companion on the road, or at least it's good to pretend.) She also is sponsored by Burger King, because next to a good nights sleep, a girl needs a good breakfast sandwich....

Bossy came out in 2008, and we had a great time with friends at Las Brisas, in Laguna Beach. We met there again last night, 9 of us, and laughed, and ate, and enjoyed great company.

Part way through the night, A loud laugh bounded through the room, and then the man continued to talk in his same bellowing voice, (IMAGINE TALKING IN YOUR LOUDEST VOICE) ...well, that is what this guy did:

Recognizing great blog inspiration when I hear it, I wandered over near the mans table, hoping to maybe get a picture of the "world's loudest talking man" and as I did he shouted, "HEY, THOSE PEOPLE ALL HAVE NAMETAGS, I WONDER WHY THEY NEED NAMETAGS"

Well, this was my perfect lead-in, so I said, "Hey, we all know each other from our online blogs, and are meeting up...thus the name tags."

"Huh? What's a blog??" he said, his voice hushed with confusion.

So, we chatted about. I tried to explain blogging to the nice guy and his friends....but I dont expect non-bloggers to get it, I just dont.

For those of us that blog, reading others' blogs is enjoyable. It's a great way to get in some reading, some laughs, some inspiration. Keeping our own blog site is a great way to express our own creativity by sharing, our humor, our thoughts, our lives.

If you have a favorite blog site, share it here....and dont forget to share your own blog address too.

By the way, tonight, Bossy is meeting up with her readers in Los Angeles. I hope YOU are having fun!

AND, Im going to be posting a special give away on my Chocolate Blog, later tonight...stop by to win!

The making of an obsession

2010-04-06T22:15:00.001-07:00

Stroll back in time with me, please....to BEFORE the Haiti earthquake. For some reason, my 9 year old son, Pooper, was interested in earthquakes. He liked to read about the, "ring of fire" and look on the USGS website, monitoring the latest quakes happening along the pacific circle.

Periodically, which means, almost every day, if not hourly, he would look quizically, and run upstairs. He would return a while later, very self assured, and tell me, "I knew it, we just had a 1.2" or "yeah, that was the 3.5 in Alaska that I felt"

He wasnt nervous, he wasnt scared, he just seemed very interested in the seismic activity occuring around the globe.

Fine.

Then one night....while others were sleeping, I was watching the late night news, and heard of the major quake in Haiti.

Fan-tastic-o! NOT!~ this meant that Pooper's new passion was not going to be dying down any time soon.

and then there was Chile....and all those other international quakes which Pooper has now memorized and placed in his tectonic files.

Easter 2010 has most assuredly cemented Pooper's future as a Cal Tech Seismologist. He was sleeping when the shaking began...but it was so strong, and lasted for 1/2 of forever, that by the time it finally stopped, he was gathered together with the family, away from windows and heavy pictures on walls. When it was done, Poopers coveted bowling trophy had been knocked off a shelf....certainly this has made a life-long impact on his psyche.

And, if that all wasnt enough....

Apparently, our playroom is on a fault line.

Career Day

2010-03-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

Recently, at an elementary school, they had "career day".....where the children were asked to draw a picture of their parent at work.

One little girl turned in this.....

Yeah, I know! What is this world coming to???

Later in the week, the children were able to take their graded drawings home (in case their parents were hoarders that wanted to keep every last stitch of paper their kid had ever written/drawn/created.)

The following day, the little girl brought this note to her teacher:

Dear Ms. Davis,

I want to be perfectly clear on my child's homework illustration. It is NOT of me on a dance pole on a stage in a strip joint surrounded by male customers with money. I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm. This drawing is of me selling a shovel.

Sincerely,

Mrs. XXXXXX

Now, some of you might be saying, "HEY! I already read that story on
Grandma J's website!! "

And to that I would say....yeah, you did. One of the perks of being family, is borrowing things. Like, if Grandma J had some really cute shoes, or a big pair of 3 carat diamond earrings, it would be totally cool if I borrowed them, even without asking, because we are family, and that's how we roll.

The best invention, EVAH

2010-03-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

Not only is this the best invention, but for some reason, it's one of the funniest.

Ok, Ill admit, my humor may not always be appropriate. Heck, I took my kids to see the potty humor movie, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" tonight. And, I married a man who has an infatuation with, "Family Guy"....so, yeah, sometimes I laugh at things that might not be thought of as funny, in the classic sense.

Tonight, as we were walking out of the movies, we met a sweet lady....

we ended up chatting, she is 87, and in her day, was a probation officer in the toughest parts of Los Angeles.....and then, it happened, I noticed her many necklaces. And it caught my eye, like a bright shining jewel, my eyes were drawn to it.

I had to ask...."Is that a LIFE ALERT" necklace???

You know, Life Alert....the, "Help Ive Fallen And I Cant Get Up" necklace, that will save the life of someone who needs help, but cant reach their cell....or get to the old fashioned rotary phone.

I mean, with the exception of the Hover Round (google it, and yes, I did use it in the grocery store when I was pregnant) this has to be one of the best inventions ever....saving lives, and making me chuckle, all at the same time!

Do you know anyone that has one? Do you have any life saving stories re: this beautiful device? Do you plan on wearing one, and if so when?

Morning meltdowns....(sigh)

2010-03-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

I thought that having school uniforms would make the morning routine a breeze. And, it probably would, if I was up to date on the laundry Situation (If some orange guy from NJ can be The Situation, certainly my laundry is!)

Usually, Pooper is the source of morning drama, because he isnt a morning person, and moves slowly....(wonder where he inherited THAT gene!) But Poop was away at Cowboy Camp.

Typically, when Pooper isnt making mornings drag, Little One will take over. Whether it's her insistence on bringing her pop-up Dora tent with her in the van, or her refusal to put on shoes, she's a good back up for keeping the morning chaotic. But, not today.

Today, Beauty decided to try her hand at making us late to school.

She wanted to wear a skirt, and I was forcing her to wear the jumper. You see, I hadnt caught up on the laundry, and the only school polo that was clean, was also stained. A jumper would hide the stain, she skirt would not. So....she needed to wear the jumper. However, naturally, she wanted to wear the skirt. You follow me? It doesnt matter that both are made of the same tartan plaid, it apparently was a life or death trauma, one that included writhing on the floor and crying, even screaming...

I ended up just putting her in the car, tears a-streamin', and hoped she would pull things together on the 2 minute drive.

In the end, she made it to class, albeit late, and with a red face....but with the stain on her shirt hidden by her school uniform jumper.

I guess a good mommy would have had all the shirts cleaned. Just count this as one more chapter in the all-things-my-mommy-did-to-send-me-to-therapy diary that my children will one day write.

PS. if you havent entered yet...my chocolate giveaway ends tomorrow....enter at my chocolate blog

Why I send my kids to school

2010-03-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

My kids go to school. Private school. Nothing fancy, but, the fact is, it costs me money, and there are times I wonder if I should homeschool instead....and enjoy more financial freedom.

But it's days like today, that I am reminded, why I send them to school.

Art.

I signed up to volunteer for, "Meet the Masters", and today was my lucky day. Meet the Masters is an art program, where the children get a lecture about a certain artist, and then they go back to class to create something in that artists style, or using their particular technique. So, basically, I just help out while they are doing their craft. Not hard.

Not hard, unless chaos and unstructured activities grate against your nerves.

Today, the 1st grade class learned about Degas. And their lesson culminated with a chalk art project....

Now, chalk is messy, but imagine, that instead of drawing with the chalk, the kids were instructed to color really hard with the chalk....so hard, that they made a pile of chalk dust. THEN, they take a tissue, wrap it around their index finger (and trust me, not every first grade boy has the fine motor skills to master this task), and scoop up the chalk dust....and rub it on their picture.

I know, that probably sounds just lovely to most of you. But I promise, between the coloring hard with chalk, the wrapping the tissue around the finger, and the scooping of the chalk to rub on their paper....well, lots of chalk dust gets tossed around.

AND, add to the mix, that my half of the class had most of the boys, including a few with "attention" and "staying-on-task" issues. If you know what I mean.

Before you know it, there was chalk ALL OVER THE DESKS, ALL OVER THEIR CLOTHES, and as the teacher later pointed out to me, *I* even had chalk on my face (and I didnt use the chalk!)

This....This is why I send my kids to school. So that they can do messy art projects somewhere else. So someone else can smile patiently as antsy boys are touching and playing with chalk all over their hands. So someone elses furniture can have colored dust particles smeared on it.

As for me and my house, we'll just stick with reading.

breaking news!

2009-09-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, Jason, Im blogging again :)

I have been very busy removing hot pink nail polish from my daughters' pale pink walls, (God help me, only one more week until school starts!) but when I heard the news, I knew that informing my reader took priority.

Make sure you are sitting down, preferably with your legs crossed..... the big news is..... The Duggars are expecting child #19. Seriously.

Now, while some of you are catching your breath, I can also hear someone saying, "big deal....that is as predictable as the sun rising each day, The Duggars having another child....that's not breaking news at all."

How do you feel? How do I feel? I think the combination of "wow that is unbelievable" and "just what I expected" is an interesting convergence of emotions...and I think that is what I am feeling now....no judgement, no, "it's a vagina not a clown car" remarks from me, no sirrreeee....just amazement, and acceptance.

Each child is a gift from God, a blessing.....that's my thought and Im sticking to it.

What's yours?

the fair and the bearded lady

2009-08-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, My Honey and I had the chance to go to the fair. "had the chance" is sort of an interesting way of putting it....

I grew up going to this fair, every year, it would kill me to miss it, that was before....well, before my extroversion began to wane....now, the thought of going to the fair, being bumped into by people with no sense of personal space, waiting in lines, listening to screaming....well, it's something I could pass on.

Our church youth group was having a "child care drop off" night, and we jumped at the chance to go out without it costing us $100 (seriously, if you havent used a babysitter lately, suddenly 14 year olds are demanding 3x the minimum wage...I know, I should have majored in babysitting....) but anyways, we couldnt pass up the opportunity to get out on our own, first time in a few dozen months...

I figured we would go out to a favorite restaurant, or see a movie...perhaps check out the new "Dueling pianos" bar...but My Honey wanted to go to the fair, and I knew that going without kids was the ONLY way I would even think of going....

After walking a mile or two, we entered into the legendary world of the fair.

Taking in the neon lights and flashing bells, we were drawn like magnets to the food aisle. We were like kids in a candy store, literally, and we declared that we would have a guilt free night of fair-food tasting.

Chocolate covered bacon, grilled corn on the cob, shaved ice, ...and My Honey's favorite, the deep fried Twinkie....all entertained our sense of taste....once full, we kept walking, knowing that the exercise would help reduce the guilt.

Typical carny coersion was in full force, as the game operators tried to lure you to their booth...we played some, knowing they were rigged, knowing that even if we "won" it would take a dozen "wins" to get the actual large prize that was displayed...we'd have to collect $100 worth of trinkets to trade in for anything worth carrying.....but knowing that we played, and lost.

My Honey almost won the basketball toss, "you were soooo close!" I told him, encouraging him to pay for another shot....it's the fair, might as well make the most of it, right?

Eventually, we found ourselves in the exposition hall, where booths filled with "as seen on TV" items were being peddled. Billy Mays (may he rest in peace) and The Sham-Wow guy have a lot of up and coming imitators. Slick salesman held up their wares, trying to entice us with practically miraculous claims.

One booth caught my eye, as they demonstrated the "Smooth Away Hair Removal System".

Back in the day, I had 2-3, long, course, fast growing, but thankfully, BLONDE hairs that grew just under my chin, about an inch to the left. Not a huge deal, easy to feel when they were getting long, easy to pluck.

However, in the past decade, that patch has gotten a few new hairs, and more recently, it's become quite a little garden of annoyance.

Perhaps this "Smooth Away" thing might be just what I needed.

Now, they claim it has "fine crystals" on this little pad, and you simply buff the hairy area. The gal showed me how it worked, and then told me to try it myself. I was apparently a bit too eager, because she noticed that I had scuffed off some of the skin. "dont press so hard next time, and it will not be as irritating."

Honestly, I didnt notice MUCH irritation, I was more enamored with the smooth chin it gave me. So, I bought one, and then proceeded through the fair grounds, feeling oh so fabulous with my smooth chin.

The late night came to an end, and we eventually wound up at home after picking up the kiddos.

The next day, I kept rubbing my chin, as an abrasion was brewing, from where I rubbed off my skin. But, at least it wasnt bearded anymore!

By the end of the day, seriously, I could feel the stubble coming back! THAT was a short lived dream. Now I was gonna have stubble, AND a big scab from my skin being scraped off! And, as if that wasnt bad enough, as soon as my chin began to heal, a new problem erupted, in the form of.....ingrown hairs! That's the thing I hate about hair removal, including eyebrow waxing, is before you know it, I have big pimples from ingrown hairs...which become quite big and ugly, not to mention painful.

Now, the big dilemna, do I even bother buffing off the now well grown return of my hairy, chin-patch? or just let it be?

Is it better to have a beard? ingrown hairs? abrasions?

Maybe next year I can return, and get my own booth as the bearded lady!

When your horoscope recommends staying in bed

2009-06-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

I dont read my horoscope, but if I did, Im pretty sure today's would have advised me to stay in bed, avoid all commitments and contact....yep, Im pretty.sure!

Let me just preface this, with telling you that we are on day #2 of Little One's venture into "big girl panties". Yesterday was a huge success. Today, not so much.

We started out with Princess Jasmine panties.

Me: Princess Jasmine is HAPPY

LO: Yeah, she is happy.

Me: Make sure you put your potty in the toilet, so she can be happy.

LO: yeah, Im not gonna put potty on Princess Jasmine, that makes her SOOOO SAD!

Me: You will put your potty in the toilet, and she will be HAPPY.

I was so glad we were in agreement. I was just as happy as Princess Jasmine, that is, until, I went to load Little One into the car, and realized Princess Jasmine was either SO SAD that she was sobbing urine tears, or Little One had pee'd her panties.

Unfortunately, I was putting her into the car, because I was in a rush to drop off some yummy, decorative chocolates to church. An older woman lost her long battle with cancer, and I had agreed to bring some treats for the memorial reception.

I didnt want to be late, so I just buckled up my SAD PRINCESSES, along with Beauty and Pooper, and we were off.....

Now, the church, where the memorial was taking place.....is also the main campus of the school where my children attend. School is out for summer, but the staff were there. Anyhoo.....I pulled up, right up to the entry way (parking illegally, because I was just going to run my chocolates up to the reception....and the parking lot was pretty full due to the memorial service.)

I brought my pretty candies, and on my way back to the car, I got a FANTASTIC phone call. The President of Dove Chocolate Discoveries, was calling me, I was so excited!

So excited, that as I was entering my car (with children and a wet pair of Princess panties inside)...my car that was as close to the memorial service as possible (practically at the front doors) and my car that is right in front of the School Superintendent's office window....that car...as I was entering it, I accidentally set off the alarm. No kidding!

Ive got our President on the phone, as Im trying to keep my cool on the conversation, and fumbling to find my keys, and then to get my key in the door to turn off the alarm....fully aware that people are mourning just a few yards away....with my blaring horn going off! I almost drop the phone, the kids are screaming......

Luckily, Dove's President has a sense of humor, and was laughing with me, as I made a quick get away out of the parking lot, thankfully before people started coming out to see what MORON had their car alarm blaring in the midst of a memorial service. Nobody saw me, whew! Nobody but the school superintendant, who' was probably watching the whole thing out her office window!!

YIKES!!

Soon the day mellowed, and I took the kids home, and washed up Little One, putting her in some Ariel panties.

Me: Ok Little One, Ariel is very happy now, but we need to put our potty in the toilet so she can stay HAPPY.

LO: Ariel is HAPPY, but Princess Jasmine is SOOO SAD!!

Me; Yes, Princess Jasmine was sad you pee'd on her, but I will wash her, and make her HAPPY.

LO: She will be HAPPY and Ariel is HAPPY!!

Me: yes, so make sure you put your potty in the toilet so she can stay HAPPY!

to be continued............

so you think you can dance

2009-04-06T23:42:00.000-07:00

Im not sure why I titled this, "So you think you can dance"...because, I dont even watch that show. But, I do think I can dance, and pretty good. I also think I am pretty good at baking and making fun desserts...that is, until I tried Bakerella's cake pops. She made it all look so easy, and her cake pops looked like...well, like they belonged on the Real Housewives of the OC. Mine, on the other hand, looked like they belonged....um....(hmmm...what can I say that wont offend SOMEONE??) Well, mine looked like they had missed one too many botox appointments, if you know what I mean.

You can see just what I did, how I made them, on my Chocolate website I will show you a photo, step by step. I already have the pictures uploaded, Woo Hoo...just need to get them put on my site, will do that tomorrow. But in the meantime, here is how I spend my time.

American Idol Recap

2009-03-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ive been really looking forward to American Idol tonight, and while Im not sure he's my complete "favorite", I will say that Adam is the contestant I am really looking forward to hearing.

I think he is genius. Ring of Fire was AMAZING....sorry if the judges were too lame to realize it.

Now for tonight, I thought you all would really want to know; "What does HSH think?" LOL, not really, but Im tellin' ya anyways;

Anooop: Im not necessary all, "ANOOOOP DOG" or anything, but he had nice vocals tonight. Perhaps he could have taken more risks, etc. but it was still nice, and I was afraid he was gonna cry when the judges made their harsh comments.

Meghan: Ill be honest, my conservative self cant stop fixating on the tattoo. Every week I say to myself, "Such a pretty girl, why did she do that to herself?" And then I wonder if it's possible to get it completely removed, or will she always be scarred with it. Sad. She is cute, and her voice might do well with some songs, but she sounded super pitchy tonight, and boring. Note to Meghan, the audience WASNT feeling it! I can see her having quite a following at a coffee house, but Im not gonna buy one of her albums.

** Side note **
Im getting confused, do they want them to pick a song that represents their style? If so, are they then going to tell them the songs are too "Safe"????

Danny: his voice sounded strained, but I totally felt the emotion, heck, wanted to cry for him. Amazing song, amazing singer!

Alison: She rocks. More importantly, the commentary....do these people not realize that criticizing the "looks" of a teen girl, in front of tons of people, is totally not cool??? What teen girl (or any girl, or anyone??) wants to be criticized? Her outfit was just fine...., and RANDY, hello? Have you ever seen the old Journey videos? The ones where FAT RANDY is wearing red, spandez pants and an afro-hawk? She rocked. 'Nuf said!

Scott: Just so you know, Im not a huge fan. Im sure his mom is bursting with pride, and I give him major props, he is an accomplished and brave young man, but Im not buying an album. e.v.e.r. That said, When he said, "Im gonna strip it down with just me and the piano." my eyes rolled back into my head. Im just not into 70's piano ballads. Not tonight. Give me Daughtry, Give me Creed, Give me Pink, not a ballad. But his haircut did look nice, too poofy, but nice. As for the judges, why did Paula have to bring up his "challenges"?? She only accentuates the pity-card when she does that.

** Side Note***
Was Paula drugged tonight? I mean, more than usual? She was a bit slurry and drippy.

Matt: Sometimes pitchy, but I liked it a lot. I love that song and he had great emotion. As for the judges...Are they kidding? Criticize that his voice wasnt at it's best, but that song was great, and perfect for him!

** Side Note **
Im liking people based on the songs, more than their voice...so people, no more ballads!

Lil: I like Lil. She is sweet. Im not a huge Celine fan. I mean, it's part of that "ballad" crowd that just makes me tip over out of boredom. But, Lil did a great job. She has an incredible voice. The hairdo looks nice on her,, but Im not a big fan of wigs, so that was distracting...but overall, nice performance. Paula gave the best critique....we dont want more "adult contemporary" music. (period. from anyone.)

**Side Note** My husband, who doesnt usually make fun of people, made jokes about her name throughout the performance. Shame!

**Another Side Note **
love how they are saving Adam til the end EVERY WEEK...they know he is what keeps many of us tuned in!

Adam: Ive been waiting to hear Adam, since he sang his final note last week. He is so filled with talent...Ok, he should have saved this for 70's night. I would have liked to hear him sing something more current...but he was amazing. His voice is phenomenal!

Kris: I think Kris is adorable. The past weeks, Ive liked him, but dont feel he has the power that some of the others bring. Tonight, he seemed much stronger and I got to hear his clear voice with plenty of emotion. Not a huge fan of the mustache, but unlike a multicolored tattoo covering an entire limb, it's removable.

My favs are probably Adam, Allison, Danny, Matt and Kris. These are the folks that have the best shot of selling me an album.

How about you? Who'd ya love? Who made you hit the zzzz's or plug your ears?

All the fun

2009-03-27T11:01:00.001-07:00

For today, all the fun is happening at my other blog....great things you wont want to miss!

www.thechocolateladyblog.blogspot.com

Mini Me

2009-03-25T14:05:00.001-07:00

Lately, Ive been starting to see a few of these around town;

These mini cars save on gas, reduce pollution, and would help make the world a greener place. And, if there were a way to strap my kids on top, perhaps with a special child-roof rack, it would be much more doable. But as it is, I dont understand how we are to fit a family with 3 children, and their regulation car seats (Im not gonna even mention friends for a play date.) But, let's suppose they work that out....and we can all fit, and it's the perfect car. Is it really the best idea to get a car like this, when so many of the other cars look like this;

And this:

It seems to me, that we cant all be on the same roads at one time, it's just not safe. It seems the auto industry needs to come to some sort of agreement re: cars and sizes and such, so that we can all drive safely together. We should either all be mini-ish, or not, but this mixed bag is scaring me.

we're breaking up

2009-03-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

You know, sometimes you think you know someone, you think you can trust them...not just "trust them" with a confidence, but that you know what they are about and that you can trust their character, their judgment. And then, there are those times, you realize, you were totally wrong, and you have quite an emotional toll to pay for it.

And, Ill just say this, it's never easy breaking up. Even when you know someone is no good, you want to hold on to what was, and what could be.... Forcing yourself to walk away is often the best plan, but the hardest to do.

But now I have kids involved, and for their sake, Im going to do whats right.

So, it's official, we are D.O.N.E. with this guy!

In case the mussed up hair is making it hard to see....or if your brain just cant register the image of this guy in this provocative pose, let me help....it's Zac Efron. Zac as in, "Troy Bolton" the guy my daughter swoons over.....the High School Musical stud that brought us great music, and a lot of fun.

He's on the beach, rolling in the sand, with a NAKED GIRL (and no, it's not his other naked girfriend, Vanessa....and, on a side note, we "forgave" Vanessa for her photo-episode, but this was planned and purposeful on Zac's part....so, no grace!)

And, I realize this picture is only of their sand covered, faces, but go ahead and google it, the real pic shows the girls BARE BOTTOM and she is topless!!

So, now that Beauty loves this guy, this "wholesome" guy, he goes and does this. I could see if eventualllly, the fame wagon took him down this road, but this was a sudden jump into the abyss. Zac commented in the accompanying article, that he wants to start taking some riskier moves. Super!

The sad part, is Beauty just saw a billboard for an upcoming Zac Efron movie, and is excited for it's release.....now, there is no way we are going. She's young, but Im gonna teach her now, to learn to walk away.

If next week we see some article, where he is crawling back to his teeny-bopper fans, with, "Im so sorry" and "I made a bad choice"...we arent gonna fall for it. We are totally walking away from this guy, lesson learned.

I wouldnt expect anything else

2009-03-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

You know, it seems that some things are just expected. Like, when my kids were set up to have their annual professional pics taken, and they got lice the week prior. It really wasnt a surprise, that something would happen to make things less than perfect.

I mean, the fact that I slathered their heads full of vaseline (to kill the lice) and then had to wash it several hundred times, on top of covering their strands with corn starch (to soak up the vaseline and make it easier - supposedly - to get the vaseline out)...that was sort of the norm, in a special sort of way. Why in the world should their hair just look normal for their pics? Why shouldnt I have to be frantic and work at it?

So, being as we have "family portraits" scheduled, family as in, even mom and dad (which hasnt been done EVER), it would be too unusual for us to just all look our best, really.

It started this morning, when Pooper came to me, realizing it was St. Baldricks (a pediatric cancer fundraising event, that takes place on St. Patricks Day, where people are sponsored to shave their heads) and told me he wanted to go to a St. Baldricks event and have his head shaved. He even had brought a handful of money to donate.

Well, how do I say, "No" ??? Normally, I could care less if he is bald....we got over that a long time ago. But, pictures are coming up. But, this is for pediatric cancer research....thankfully, the event was for such a narrow window of time (not all day) and it conflicted with swim team. He cried, I stood my ground, family pictures saved.

That was until my perfect child (and by perfect I mean so gosh darn well behaved that it frightens me) came upstairs to have her hair done. And, how odd it was, that the front of her hair didnt seem long enough to reach into the pony tail. Considering her hair is all one length, and pretty long at that, it was odd. And then, those spikey hairs by her forehead, was that new hair growth? a fresh batch of "baby hair"....No....now it's become quite crystal clear, Beauty has cut her freakin' bangs! Of course! We are having family pictures in a couple weeks, I wouldnt expect anything else!

Not our family sport

2009-03-15T21:10:00.001-07:00

I cant wait until my kids are just a bit older, so that we can start doing fun family activities together. It's not that we arent creating traditions now, like going to the yogurt shop or watching Disneyland parades...but Im looking for something more adventurous that we can do together.

You know how some families all go dirt bike riding on a regular basis, or snow skiing several times a winter....'cause it's their THING?? Well, Im looking for something like that for my family.

I can tell you right now, it's NOT going to be ice-skating.

Today we went to the "Great Park" (that's what it's called) and they had free ice-skating at a rink that they have set up. It was My Honey's idea to go, and it sounded fun to me and the kids, so off we went.

Believe it or not, they had skates tiny enough for Little One...so we were all on the ice. Holding onto the rails, unsteadily jerking around, catching the side rail, falling on our rumps....slowly and painfully, edging around the rink. Joy.

My Honey very quickly decided to sit out with Little One, because one more trip around the circle would probably have resulted in her arm being pulled out of it's socket....as she held her Daddy's hand and slipped to the ground.

I actually did ok, with short glides, able to distance myself about a foot from the rail....so brave was I! But for goodness sake, how much fun can you have when your ankles are aching and you feel as if you might split your head open at any second???

Beauty was loving it. She more or less walked around the ice, but she was confident.

Pooper...God love him. I was reminded that his osteoperosis and neuropathy limit his strength, as his ankles were much weaker than anyone else (which is pretty weak) and could barely support him. He didnt give up, he insisted on going round and round for the entire 45 minute session. Body pressed against the side wall, tightly gripping the rail, as he moved him self along. He was a real trooper.

And while we now have a "family ice skating" memory....Im sort of thinking, perhaps hoping, it's our last. I dont plan on being the family that makes a habit of ice skating together. It's not going to be our thing. It's just not.

What Im really waiting for, is for Little One to get another year or two under her belt, so we can go kayaking, snorkeling...and eventually white water rafting and scuba diving together. We will be the family that heads to the water for our annual vacations, and sneaks in mini-trips in between. Yep, it's going to be water for us, all kinds of water, as long as it's not frozen!

Where have you been?

2009-03-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, I admit, I have slipped out of bloggerville.... I have been busy doing my chocolate stuff, blah blah blah....and you dont even have to hear about it here, because I have a new blog JUST FOR CHOCOLATE, where I share my recipes, entertaining ideas, and more. You can visit it at www.thechocolateladyblog.blogspot.com or just click here.

But anyways...life goes on, and there is just so much fun stuff that I have missed out on telling you.

The kiddos have all been fantastic...

Pooper just won 1st place in his speech meet competition, and will go on to the regionals. He also is pretty enthraled with his Nintendo DS and all things Pokemon. In fact, Pooper, recognizing the need in the world for tips on how to play Pokemon on Nintendo, wanted to create his own blog... Check it out!

Beauty is her same sweet self, going through her day with joy and obedience. She is excited to go camping soon, with her Y Indian Princess tribe (father-daughter thing)...her Indian Princess name is Little Dancing Dolphin, and she and Big Laughing Shark (My Honey) will be in the San Diego area for an upcoming weekend, probably learning Pow-wow songs and stuff.

Little One is two, and I mean, she is living and breathing the twos and all things terrible that it brings; independence, resistance, insistance, refusal-to-sleep-and-then-crabby-due-to-being-tired.... but I must say, while she exudes the 2's more than my other kids ever did, she is also incredibly adorable....and honestly, I thank God for her confidence and independence, even if it's driving me crazy now.

So, that's how Ive been spending my time....what about you???

What was she thinking?

2009-02-25T09:31:00.000-08:00

Well Hello,

Long time no chat. I dont know if I could have ever really called this "chatting"...but, *I'M* chatting...so....anyways...

As you probably know, because Ive rambled on about it before, I went to the Mars Chocolate School a couple weeks ago, and let's just say, it was AMAZING. My kids squeeled when I told them there were free candy bars just lying around all over the place (true!).

I earned the trip as part of my new Dove business, Im an independent Chocolatier, and I was rewarded for my sales and team building. Dove treated me like a queen....there were 14 of us that earned the trip, and at every turn we were being given lavish gifts, taken to fancy restaurants, and the entire time we had private rooms in a swanky hotel.

But now, Ive returned to life, and life it is.

This past weekend, there has been a creepy predator in our neighborhood. He approached Pooper and his friends on Sat. evening, and on Sunday at noon he was back and tried to abduct one of the boys (Pooper was not there on Sun.) Apparently there have been other instances this past week, same guy....so our normally tranquil community has been swarming with dozens of Sheriff's deputies going door to door asking questions, and news crews have been camped out giving "live reports".

While Im glad to have the news coverage (better opportunity to catch the jerk)...Ive never understood why a TV crew would brave the LA traffic and drive all the way here (2 hours away), just to have our street in the backdrop. Is the story any different if they just report it from behind the news desk? Is it worth the gas and man power to have actual homes in the scene? Such a mystery.

Another mystery, the one that prompted my writing today, is why anyone would do THIS

And before you think this is some tribal custom...the woman is Brazillian and lives in Scotland, she's not "tribal" AND, she's a nurse, like, WHOA! Imagine waking up from a coma to see her face!

I saw the article in the news, and I just cringed. My kids already know that tattoos and piercings wont be allowed in my home (at 16 the girls can get each ear single pierced)....call me too strict, call me Duggar-ish, I dont care, it's how we roll. I cant imagine anyone enduring that much physical pain, or wanting to endure the stares and judgement (because, obviously they would get it.) What makes a person want to be considered a weird-o?

Then there is the other extreme, the plastic-barbie-I-look-perfect facade that is trademark for some folks, going so out of their way to be accepted.

(speaking of the barbie-bimbo types, did anyone see the Real Housewives of the OC last night? I dont know what is worse, having a creepy predator or an OC housewife in my neighborhood!!!)

In any case....life is strange, and it continues on...............

More fun than a Caribbean cruise!

2008-12-30T15:10:00.000-08:00

My Honey and I both love to travel. No offense to the "North Pole Express" folks, but it takes something more than a 3 mile train plod, out to the cattle fields, to satiate our vacation hunger.

With finances being pinched, we arent in a position to go anywhere...oh, we did venture to the snow last year, and there was that Make-A-Wish extravaganza to Florida a few years back.....but somehow both left us wanting on the R&R scale.

Sometimes, we talk about trips, planning them down to the detail, knowing that we arent actually going to go....but it makes us feel good to pretend we *might* go. Just for kicks, I like to go on the internet and look at the bargain prices for last minute cruises, and it makes it seem like Im almost out on the water, when I read about the itinerary and amenities on board.

The other day, I ran into a neighbor at the market. She was sharing her latest woes re: her grown children, and how they are depleting her retirement kitty. She said, "My sister has a boat and a vacation home, Ive got 3 kids!"

Earlier today, My Honey had just a tinge of envy in his voice, as he remarked that a co-worker, a childless co-worker, had an ocean view home on Newport Coast, and another residence in the mountains.

"But he doesnt have kids!" I reminded him.

"Yes, I know!" My Honey responded.

"We could be galavanting off to the South of France each Spring (or whenever it's best to go), and scuba diving in Tahiti each Fall, with ski trips to Idaho in the Winter...we could do all of that, but we have our dear children instead..." I said, as I sort of weighed things in my mind.

"Yes, I know!" said My Honey.

"And we wouldnt trade them for anything, would we? They are much more fun than a dozen vacations, arent they?" I wondered.....trying to convince myself.

"Yes" My Honey insisted, "Especially when you are wiping poop up off the floor."

By the way, we are still totally open to trying out some resort locations, and blogging about it. Yep, we are the flexible kind of folks that are fully up to "bartering" if anyone (like Beaches with Elmo) is interested.

The Real Thing

2008-12-28T20:24:00.000-08:00

After our trip to The North Pole, I had a lot of work ahead of me, if I was going to salvage any of Pooper's belief in Santa.

I realize many moms would have just let it go, the kid is 8 now, and pretty bright, so maybe it's just his time to let Santa go....

But Pooper's belief had been so strong prior to our trip, I just knew there was still some hope.

I gave up trying to rationalize why there were cows, and no snow, at the North Pole, or how we travelled through 3 countries and onto a new continent....sort of. What I did do, was take the kids to "google earth" to see if we could figure out exactly where we had went.

I pulled up the "satellite" version (as in the version that has very little snow on the ground) of North America, and asked Pooper and Beauty, to use the mouse to show me where they think we went. We all agreed, that we had gone past Canada, at least to the Northwest Territories (obviously!) After that, it became unclear.....Beauty does seem to remember passing some water, although Pooper wasnt sure. I asserted, that we had probably gone to the "border" of the North Pole area, and not to the actual "pole" itself.

Clearly, from the map, there was not snow along our route, as that seems to be reserved for the axis or "pole", but there is plenty of dirt and earthy terrain as you go from Washington, through Canada, and into the Northwest Territories, to the border of the North Pole. Pooper could clearly see this, and agreed, that we had probably just went to the "entrance"...because logically, that is where the train would stop.

AND, just like in our local mountains, the streets and stores have been cleared of snow, the train station had most likely been cleared of any snow, for safety reasons, and besides, the heat of the engine would have melted any snow, of course.

Pooper spent some time moving the mouse along the map, trying to decide which path we might have taken...and it didnt really matter....as long as he was reconciling, both mentally, visually, tactily, that we had indeed gone through Canada up to the Northern part of the world, I knew things would be ok.

I had asked Pooper, "How will you know if this guy wasnt a fraud?"

"If he gives me everything on my list" he said, matter of factly.

Usually, my kids are allowed to pick one item, but this year, Pooper had picked two. Prior to our trip, I had talked with him about it, and let him know that it wasnt right to ask for so much, and there was just no way he was going to get two big things. Not to mention, the things were; 1. a drum set, which I just wouldnt allow, due to noise and neighbors, and 2. a Nintendo DS, which was not only expensive, but violated our household rule of no electronic games (not because we are against electronic games, per se, but the free games on the computer seem just fine to me, I dont want to get sucked into an entire "system" that you need to keep feeding.) Pooper sobbed, letting me know that all his friends had the Nintendo, and they talked about it at school.....I held my ground, but it was ultimately out of my hands, as Santa didnt always listen to my advice.

Besides, Pooper reminded me, that Santa doesnt have to pay money, he makes everything for free....

On our trip to the North Pole, when Pooper was chatting with the big guy, he gave him his list, asking for the drums and Nintendo. Santa said he could have them both! Although, he said, "Im out of red drums (which Pooper had wanted) but I can get you some blue ones."

So, what a surprise Christmas morning, when the first thing Pooper saw, was blue drums....and a nintendo was under the tree too.

Additionally, there was a book, unwrapped, aside the fire place, with a note....It was the Autobiographpy of Santa Claus, the book that he had recommended to Pooper, in order to understand Santa's magic. He had left it, reminding Pooper that this was the book with the answers.

Pooper hasnt read the book, I dont think it's necessary anymore, thank goodness.

Santa is real, and Pooper knows it. Thanks to Santa's magic, and very generous grandparents!

The day Santa died........

2008-12-23T07:47:00.000-08:00

Well, first of all, he didnt really die, just his spirit seems to have evaporated in the mind of Pooper. And, maybe not even that, maybe it's just a temporary lapse......let me explain.

Pooper has been 100% on-board with Santa. It's Pooper that reminds us that Santa doesnt have to pay for the toys, so there is no limit to what we can ask for.....or about how he can magically do things....

Beauty loves Santa, but she doesnt seem as riveted by his magic, but Pooper, he is! or....was?

Several weeks ago, My Honey and I made plans to take the kids on the Polar Express. Actually, not the Grand Canyon one....but one up in Fillmore, called the, "North Pole Express." Fillmore is about 3 hours away, just north of Los Angeles. My Honey knew a colleague that had gone with her kids and she said it was fabulous. We had wanted to go for so long to the Polar Express, but it is several hours away, so this Fillmore option seemed perfect.

The kids had no idea about this surprise, and as Christmas has drawn closer, they have been concerned that we hadnt made our annual trak to the mall to chat with the old guy. They believe that if you dont tell him what you want, that you wont get everything....(this is Pooper's belief)...but that you will only get part of what you want, because you didnt make the effort to come and see Santa.

So, Pooper has been worried that he wont get his desired list....really worried. Beauty, well, she doesnt even have a list, she finally decided she wants some, "fashion", but that's it.

Yesterday, as we took our car in to get the window fixed, Pooper wondered if we would be able to squeeze in a trip to the mall to see Santa, I (always turning our outtings into ADVENTURES) told him I had called the mall, and Santa had already packed up and was headed back to the North Pole. This, naturally, upset my kids, and as soon as I saw their devastation, I quickly told them, that WE WERE GOING TO TRACK HIM DOWN! Daddy was leaving work early, and if we could get the window fixed on the car, we would drive up to an old train that would take us to see Santa.

*** Note*** I was unsure what the "story" would be on this train...would they make the claim that we were actually at the North Pole? I wasnt willing to make such promises to my kids, so I simply said, "I dont know how, but they are going to try to go as far as they can to find Santa, ON HIS WAY to the North Pole."

Pooper, naturally had lots of questions, and he was very excited at the prospect of breaking a world record! You see, he seemed to know that the youngest person to go to the Arctic was 4 years old, and this would allow Little One the new honor. He also began calculating how long it would actually take to get to the Arctic, the path to get there (he noted crossing bodies of water!) and many times throughout the day, he became filled with excitement as he would, "get to go to a new continent!"

This all spelled big trouble to me, and I reminded him, that I wasnt sure if we were going to the North Pole, or just finding Santa on his way....

In any case, I TRUSTED, that this company that had developed this fantasy had done what was necessary to make it special, and REAL. You know???

So, we left our house around 2pm....but I purposely kept saying that it was "lunch time", hoping to create an optical illusion re: the time we would travel. We stopped for "dinner" at 4pm up near Valencia, "WAY passed LA"...and then, "drove longer until it was dark" (another hour) to get to the station in Fillmore. I was proud of myself, because, with the help of a setting sun, I had made the children believe we had been driving "all day, for many hours" and Pooper now believed we had gone passed San Francisco. Yes, I had done MY PART to help authenticate this journey.

We arrived in Fillmore, a sleepy old town, which in the dark, appeared to be a migrant town for workers of the avocado farms and vineyards. There was a Santa's Village set up, with a small carousel ....funny thing about the carousel.

I was watching while My Honey rode around with the girls, and I noticed a rather large boy on a horse...well, he wasnt actually, ON the horse, as he purposely slid himself from side to side, laughing (and bumping into the "first time dad" holding his daughter on the horse next door.) Apparently, it was his grandparents standing next to me, and they gave commentary as the ride progressed:

Grandma: "JEREMY! sit still, you are kicking that man!"

Grandpa: he cant sit still, he doesnt fit on that seat, so he is cutting up to cope.

Grandma: "JEREMY! STOP THAT! Sit still!"

This went on, and I kid you not, as Jeremy passed each time, I could hear the creaking of the old wooden planks that secured his horse, they clearly seemed to be at their limit!

Anyhoo....eventually (7:20pm) we heard the whistle and boarded the old, antique train.

The company clearly asserted that we would indeed be heading all the way up to the North Pole. My kids were nearly bursting with excitement as we settled into our seats...Pooper with his face pressed against the window.

As our journey began, "Elves" came and passed out cookies, milk, ....everyone was filled with joy, except for my son, who was staring in disbelief out the window.

The train was going, approximately, 6.5 miles per hour, and Pooper turned to me and said, "We're never going to get there at this speed!"...I asked an elf if the train would start going faster soon, and she said, "No, the tracks are wet, and we need to be careful of 'slippage'"....

ok, first, what the heck is "slippage"???? The metrolink takes people up and down the state, every day, rain or shine, with no slippage. Secondly, I knew darn well, that if we never went any faster, Pooper's investment in Santa would have some serious "slippage"....

I said to the lady, in a quiet voice, "Two plus two makes four, and this one will never believe we made it to the North Pole at this rate."....and she answered loudly, "It's Santa Magic! We WILL get to the North Pole, with Santa Magic!"

Whatever...I remained hopeful, and the train plugged along......and from the window, we could see the cars, going much faster than us, on the freeway that paralleled the tracks. (really!)

At one point, Pooper turned to me and said, "I can ride my bike faster than this train!!"

He seemed genuinely upset.

During our ride, elves lead the group is boisterous rounds of Christmas carols, and read stories....and while everyone joined in, Pooper sat with his angry face pressed up to the window.

When the conductor announced that we were heading into the North POle.....everyone focused out the window, and cheered as they saw Santa waving at them. Santa was outside, in front of his stiped pole, and his little shack titled, "The North Pole."

While others cheered and hollered with glee, Pooper burst out, "That's it??!! There's not even snow!!" Clearly the Christmas songs were not enough to distract him from the farm animals, dirt, trees, and parallel roads that were clearly visible from the window.

My Honey and I went into overdrive with reasons why he had just spotted a cow, "Well, Im sure there are some families, somewhere, that are asking Santa for a cow to help with their farming, so he needs to have cows here to give to people!"

Pooper: A cow would die at the North Pole.

We told him all about Santa Magic, reminded him of the "hours and hours of all day journeying to get to this point"....I even had him believing we had gone through parts of Canada, and more..... I also threw in my motherly, "dont be so ungrateful! Many starving children would be so thankful to come on this train to see Santa!"

But his face was down, and his heart was heavy, and I didnt know if we could do anything to change it!

DANG IT!! Id rather have not come at all, then to waste all this time, just to kill his dream. If we had stayed home, he would be a full-on believer, now, thanks to POOR PLANNING ON THE PART OF THE "North Pole Express" company.....He was a serious doubter. I was kind of mad, and felt ripped off too.....I quickly multiplied the cost of the ticket, times the 500+ people that came each night (they mentioned such)....and wondered, "Could they not invest in a backdrop of snow???? or at least make some efforts to appear to be in the North Pole???"

Anyhoo... finally, we told Pooper, "I dont know these mysteries, you'll have to ask Santa." ...and he did.

After the train ride, we waited in the 30 degree winds to talk to Santa, and Pooper asked him how we got to the North Pole so quickly, when the train was driving slow...and Santa told him that there was an entire book about the magic of Santa, and told Pooper if he read it, it would answer his questions.

Pooper left, still unsure, (and now wanting that book)....he said the test will be, if he gets the items written on the list he gave to Santa.

I happen to have some insider information, and the prospect is hopeful, that the gifts under the tree will help to restore some of Santa's magic...Ill keep you posted!

How I spend my time

2008-12-22T12:13:00.001-08:00

It's been way too long since I have ranted on this blog. In the chance that there may be one reader that is still checking back to find out how the kids and I are doing...I thought I would update.

Id love to tell you all about the delicious life I lead as a Dove Chocolatier, so here goes;

Today, I spent the morning at the glass shop, for the 2nd time. Glass, as in, my passenger car window is broken, and since it's unsafe to ride around in the rain with the wind flapping against the non-see-through plastic trash bag that is afixed to my car with duct tape, and I need the glass shop to repair the window.

How might a glamour-puss, such as myself, come to find herself in need of a new passenger window? Let me answer that for you.

Over a week ago, I was at a Live Nativity, held at the park in my neighborhood. My Honey and I organize it each year, which includes renting farm animals. After the Nativity, the animal handler and her son got the donkey, goats and sheep back into the truck, and I went to my van to retrieve my checkbook, so to pay them.

Pay attention to this part: I went to my van, (obviously had my car key, as I did indeed open the van.) I then went to the animal truck, where I placed my checkbook on the passenger seat as I filled out the amount. I then tried to get back into my van, but could not find the key. Of course, the animal truck had already taken off, bound back to San Diego (an hour drive), and I didnt have their cell number.

There was an off chance, that they key was actually inside MY van. An off chance. The night sky did not allow me enough light to see in clearly, but since I didnt have a lot of choices besides putting my track skills into action and chasing down the truck with animals, I called the towing company to get them to open my van (in hopes of finding my key.)

My Honey and my 3 freezing children were waiting patiently. Ok, they werent patient at all. My Honey was upset that I had not been more responsible, and my children were hitting each other and crying and not listening to either parent. And then we waited for the tow truck guy.

He immediately tried to connect with my kids, and told my 8 year old, "My name is the same as one of your Sesame Street friends!"

Pooper: Oscar? Elmo?

Me: Bert? Ernie?

BINGO...his name was Ernie, and he was here to save the day, or else really botch it up.

After 45 minutes of failed attempts to open the van door, and just minutes shy of my children frying my last nerve, he had some success and the car alarm sounded, indicating he had opened the door.

With the alarm blaring, I searched, and searched, and there was no key! Really!

Ernie drove My Honey back to our house, and then My Honey drove back to get us in his car.

Long story short, we eventually got the key (and I do mean LONG STORY).....but for the purposes of this post, and my visit to the glass shop, you dont need to know more about the key.

What you may want to know, is that once the key was found, and I was driving in the van, it came to happen, that I rolled down the passenger side window, only to find that it would not roll back up. Instead it made some grinding noises. My mind went back to a few nights prior, to when The Muppet had thrashed around inside my passenger door with his long metal bar. Great!

So, to paraphrase: window broken, storm was coming, My Honey taped up the van with plastic bags and I looked like a real winner driving around with a Hefty duct taped to my vehicle. AND, throw in the wind, and a bag that flapped itself out of position, and you get the idea.

Now....I went to the glass shop the 1st time, and he jimmy rigged the window back into place, until the part arrived. Good!

However, last night, with a rain storm approaching, the glass slipped back down into the window, making it necessary for me to return today, to get the whole thing fixed. The part they ordered, the window motor, was in, and would just take an hour to fix.

The kids were on their best behavior, as we have an important trip to take tonight, to the Polar Express....another long story, but if they are going to see Santa, we are going to drive, and take a train, and try to see him on his last stop before Christmas. So, they are amped, anticipation is high, and it all makes for a dramatic approach to Chriatmas. But we cant go without the window on the car, so that's what we did this morning, with plans to leave on our trip to see Santa at around 1pm.

And, since it wouldnt be as exciting to just sit and wait at the glass shop, I spent some time on the phone getting the insurance to send the paperwork, so that the repair costs would be covered without making me broke.

While Im on the phone with the insurance adjuster, Little One announces with a hurried tone, "Ive gotta go poop!"

With my cell phone pressed up to my ear, I scan the room for a bathroom, and see NONE. I finally get a worker who points me in the direction across the warehouse, and Beauty, Little One and myself all scoot across to the restroom. Once inside, I realize the light and fan are on the same wall switch, and I cant quite hear the adjuster on the phone when Im in the bathroom.

So, I step outside, and somehow, in the 2 minutes I was out of the bathroom, Little One manages to get poop all over herself and the toilet, not to mention, I need a new Pull Up.

Im still on the phone with the insurance gal, who is trying to get the paperwork together to send to the glass guy. She is asking me questions, and I try to answer, as I balance the cell phone against my shoulder, while wiping poop off my child.

I am ever mindful, that the paper towels being used to wipe the poop, will most likely clog the toilet, which will only add to the hilarity of the situation.

As Im trying to get the poop under control, I really cant even hear the lady on the phone, because of the loud fan, however, if I turn off the fan, and the light, I cant really see the poop well enough to clean. And, oh, did I mention Little One was crying?

Another long story shortened, we cleaned the poop up, we got the insurance issue handled, and drove away in our van with the new window motor.

Now, we will scurry up to the North Pole, making a last ditch effort to see Santa before Christmas.....

Can you see, why I havent had a lot of time to post? or, has the last reader left, and Im writing this to myself? If you write a post on blogspot, and nobody reads it, is it really there?

Merry Christmas!

Boogie Fever

2008-11-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

Does anyone remember that song, Boogie Fever? I love that song, and that catchy line in the chorus, "I think it's going around and around and around."

Yeah, well, just as *catchy*, yet not quite as enjoyable, is lice. Lice, as in little crabs that hatch in your hair and crawl around biting your scalp, drinking your blood and making your head itch. Those lice.

Last week, I got the ol' letter..."someone has lice, please check your child, blah blah blah blah blah."

Now, to regress to an older post, another random fact about me, Im a lice officianado. Truly. My years at the orphanage were good for many things, and one was for making me an expert in lice. I can spot them like nobody else, and have spent (undoubtedly) hundreds of hours plucking them from the hairs of children.

Interesting tid bit (interesting being a questionable term).....when children are removed from home and made wards of the court...the court is the child's guardian. The court makes all decisions; medical, educational, where the child will live, etc. etc. But the one thing the court cant do (and I think it is the one and only thing, besides taking the child out of state - and even that can be done with some paperwork), is cut the child's hair. No kidding.

So, when a child comes in, with lots of hair, and super-lice are jumping off their head like flies on poop, we cant cut that child's hair. Even considering that the child will be housed with tens of other children, in close living quarters (where they all sleep in the same room)....you still cant cut the hair.

You can put the hair into many little pony tails and try to keep it from blowing in the wind, but you cant cut it.

So, that's a scenario that was pretty common, and it gave me great experience in identifying lice, and trying to treat it with all the shampoos, etc.

Fast forward, the note that got sent home from school with the kids.

Unlike many moms, lice doesnt freak me out much, Ive had it a bunch (thanks to hairy children who are wards of the court) and I know it's not a huge big deal.

After I got the letter from school, I checked Beauty and Pooper's hair, and they were fine. As it turns out, 2 girls in Pooper's class have them, but he was clear, so no big deal.

UNTIL TODAY.

I took the girls to get their hair cut (monday is that time of year - family Christmas photo time!) Everything was fine, they looked cute, and as we were leaving, I saw a friend, and so I stuck around and chatted a while. I say this, because the hairdresser continued to cut the next person, she did not act freaked out, or super-sterilize her station.

When I finally went to go home, I put Little One into her car seat, and immediately noticed the ashen colored nats moving about her fair scalp. UM, TOTALLY LICE!

I looked some more, and saw another. OMG. WE. HAVE. LICE.

Surely, the hairdresser must have seen them. She washed, cut, and then parted Little One's hair, making those cute little twistie tie, pony tails....there is no way she would have missed them, they are clear as day on Little One's fair hair. However, Im also wondering, if Elise picked them up there? WHO KNOWS?

Now, I said it wasnt a big deal, and it's not....when you are single. But with 3 kids and a hubby, it equates to incredible amounts of laundry, etc., At the orphanage, we just threw our dirty clothes in a cart that got rolled down to the laundry room....it wasnt my job (thank goodness!)....but now it is!! (I should be fired!)

I immediately checked everyone's hair when we got home, and never found any on anyone but Little One. BUT, how did she get them?? She could have got them from Pooper...but then he would have them too. Some of the kids from school also go to our church (although the 2 girls that have it do not.) but there is the chance that it has gone beyond those 2 girls, and Little One got it from a sibling at church. Or was it from the hairdresser? Is that why she didnt say anything??

I may never know, so I just have to treat the whole family.

I know that the "medicated" shampoos are not very effective, not to mention, they have chemicals that can cause leukemia....and while Ill take lice over leukemia, I had to get one good shampooing in. After that, the only real way to get rid of them is to pick them out, one by one. seriously. The combs are not that good, you just have to hunt them down and use your fingernails. I know gross.

One little trick, is to slather your head in vaseline, as it smothers the lice.

So, after stripping everyone down, and doing the pesticidal shampooing (careful not to go blind), I smeared petroleum jelly throughout everyone's head. This is great, except for the fact that it takes about a week of daily shampooing to get all the grease out. Which, doesnt bode well for family pictures on Monday (that can not be rescheduled.)

So....long story short......I read that putting corn starch in the hair, and using a clarifying shampoo.....is the best way to get rid of the vaseline. Tomorrow morning, (because we cant go to church looking like grease heads)....I will try to shampoo everyone's vaseline out, and then sit and look for bugs to pull out with my fingernails, one at a time.

And, if that doesnt make you want to get up and do the Buggie Fever, I mean, Boogie Fever, I dont know what else would!

I've been tagged!

2008-11-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't been "tagged" much lately. Ive been sort of on the sidelines of blogville, busy getting incredibly misquoted in magazines like THIS ONE (although Im thankful for ANY exposure!)

But the other day, my friend KJ tagged me, with the simple task of listing, "7 random things about myself." Easy enough, except, what's considered random?

I cant list about my conservative politics, because, that's not really random. Ive never kept my opinions secret, so you all already know about THAT.

I dont think there is much about my kids that is random, their faces and embarassing moments have been plastered across the information superhighway.

So, let me try to find some things that are R. an D. Om

1. The joint on my foot, near my big toe, protrudes a bit, and my sister-in-law says I have a, "hammer toe" (nice!)

2. When I was single, I wore a diamond ring on my wedding finger, to allow myself the freedom to go out dancing without having guys try to pick up on me (as if, there was such a rush....but I did like to have fun in peace....not that all guys respect a ring on that finger anyways!) now...that I am married, and no longer go out dancing.....I dont wear a ring on that finger. My finger got to fat for my wedding ring, so I am ringless. Oh the irony.

3. My kindergarten teacher, now teaches at the school my children attend.

4. I never liked the Michael Jackson, Thriller album.

5. The only cooked vegetable I like, is corn. (did you already know that?)

6. Im afraid to go to sleep if Im the only adult in the house. Not that My Honey is much protection....if you wake him when he's sleeping (to let him know about a possible intruder, for example) he is so disoriented and loud (ie. "HUH? WHAT? HUH? ) that it's not really very protective in the case of a real intruder anyway.

7. I am the smartest person in my family (again, probably not a big secret, but Im checking to see who reads here :) )

So, there you have it. 7 RAndoM things about me.

Who shall I tag? Ill think about that and tag them in the next post.

What if the gift horse pees on your leg?

2008-10-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

Im feeling stuck. Emotionally, Im torn between being excited and annoyed. Happy and disappointed. It's like my limbic system is on a seasaw or something.

Recently, I did a phone interview with a popular, community magazine. The man asked me questions about my Dove Chocolate business (I know, what else, right?) I noticed during our conversation, that he quite frequently repeated things back to me INACCURATELY. I would gently correct him, and even asked if I would get to read the article before going to print, so that I could make sure the info was right.

Writer: Oh dont worry, a "Fact Checker" will call you and go over the entire article, and make sure all the details are correct.

Me: Ok, super!

Well, I knew the magazine was going to be distributed tomorrow morning. And, as of yet, I havent received contact from any, "Fact Checker". I wondered if perhaps, the article was postponed for another issue....and that bummed me out.

Tonight, I decided to search the magazine website, and guess what, Im in this issue!! Woo Hoo! And guess what else? I couldnt get past the first paragraph without stumbling through one error after another.

For example, In his introduction, he describes me as a "physical therapist" (Im a psychotherapist)...and he says I teach at my children's school (actually, Im a mommy helper that volunteers a few hours a week.)

I realize I should be grateful for the exposure, and I am, but, GEESH!

The writer goes on to say we have "heart shaped chocolate"....Im not sure if he got confused about our "heart shaped fondue pot" or how we have decorative heart designs you can imprint onto chocolate candies.

It doesnt help, that My Honey read it, and made a face. Not a happy, smiley face either! I was hoping he would say, "wow, that's a great article, dont worry about the little inaccuracies, they dont mean anything." Instead I got THAT FACE, and a mumbling about how poorly written it was.

By the way, a photographer even came to one of my Tasting Parties to take my picture. He stayed over an hour, snap, snap, snapping away. Nice guy. Imagine my glee when I see that the picture they chose to publish looks like I am lecturing about the dangers of Hamas or something. I dont look happy or fun! Was that really his best picture? Of the hundreds he snapped, that was the one they chose?!

I guess it doesnt matter, does it? I feel guilty even being annoyed, because, I shouldnt look a gift horse in the mouth, or whatever, right? But what if the gift horse gallops in the wrong direction or pees on my leg?

Tomorrow morning, I will call Dove's corporate office and let them know about the article. They like to be make aware any time we are in the media. Im hoping the company President, a darling lady named Betty, likes it, even if she's referred to as BETH!

glimpses into a 43rd birthday

2008-10-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

I think it was meant to be a gift, that My Honey left for work without waking me, I think.

My kids didnt mind waking me, not with birthday wishes, but with their typical morning loudness and climbing into my bed. I asked my daughter if there daddy had left anything special for me, like FLOWERS or something, she said NO. I pressed her, thinking she might have been covering for a surprise, but she assured me, there was nothing waiting for me. She remembered it was my birthday though, and then she and Pooper ran downstairs.....

I knew they were up to something, so I did what a good mom does, and checked my email. Periodically, Beauty would come up and chit chat, and remind me that nothing was going on downstairs, but gave me strict orders to stay in my room.

I poked my head out of my room, asking for permission to take a shower, and they got QUITE UPSET, thinking I might be coming out.....I assured them, I would just be in my shower, and they said, OK.

Midway through my shower, Beauty came up to tell me that if I heard a weird noise, they had it under control. At that point, honestly, it didnt matter...I was enjoying probably the only 45 seconds of serenity that I would get for the entire day, and was in no hurry to find out about noises.

Not long after coming out of the shower, I was greeted by my darlings. Beauty carried a tray (a special thing to grill veggies on the BBQ) that had a 1/2 eaten, left-over McDonalds Hot Fudge Sundae; an apple, some spice-gum drops, a bowl of freshly popped popcorn, and a nutri-grain bar. WOW! As she handed it to me, with her proud smile, Pooper threw home-made confetti at me, It was a party!

We all sat on the bed and ate breakfast together. Little One had dibs on the ice cream sundae, and nobody dared interfere.

They had made me a card, with glitter pens and plastic rhinestones, it's beautiful.

Pooper and Beauty sang their new favorite Bday song....which Pooper's heard for the first time from his teacher, just days ago, at his own Bday...and then it was sung again at Disneyland:

Here is your birthday song
It isnt very long.

That's it!! That was my birthday song...so fun!!

The day was marked by a Field Trip to the Fire Dept. I was a chapperone for Beauty's class, and we had fun holding hands most of the time.

After housework, chocolate work, and taking the kids to swim practice, I called My Honey to figure out what he wanted to do for dinner. He was going to be working late, so the kids and I had Del Taco. Hurray!

I ended the night by passing out Yes On Prop 4 signs..... I had the gift of a birthday, the least I could do is pass that on to the unborn.

Thanks for the birthday wishes.....My best birthday present was 8 years ago, when I took Pooper home on my bday. Every year since is a precious gift, God healed his cancer and each year that he is here for my bday, is amazing. I was lucky to spend my bday with all of my kids. No need for fancy restaurants or jewelry..... I have the most precious things a mom could want!

Warning Signs

2008-10-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, Im a total blogging flake, Im sorry........

Now that I have that out of the way, I figured I should write SOMETHING, since Grandma J has linked folks here.

For those of you that are younger than me, I thought I would just warn you about a few things that lie ahead;

1. Your personality might change. As a professional in the psychology field, we were always taught that certain personality characteristics never change, one of them being introversion/extroversion. I have always been a 10+ on the Myers-Briggs, as a full on extrovert. Being in crowds was such a thrill, I love concerts, Fairs, chaos and people....it was an adrenaline rush. The idea of being, for example, in Time Square at midnight, sounded SO.EXCITING. But guess what, at least for me, this has all changed. Im now about a 4 on the scale, at best. I no longer like crowds or even noise. Take for example, our recent trip to Disneyland. It bugged me to all heck to have people breathing on me in line, or with their knees poking into my back as we waited on Main Street for the parade. We found a spot on the parade route 2 hours early, for the express reason of getting a large area. I spread myself, my things, my children, the stroller, etc. to make sure that we have ample room. My Honey does not understand why I take up so much room, and I remind him that if we give people an inch of space, they will take it, and we need A BUFFER! Sure enough, by the time the parade starts, people are touching me and pushing on me, I DIDNT GET THERE 2 HOURS EARLY TO HAVE MY BOUNDARIES VIOLATED PEOPLE! Even in the movies, I can not stand people being directly behind me, because they will inevitably talk, kick the seat, and....CHEW LOUDLY! I no longer like to go to crowded places, but prefer to just sit on my fat rear watching events on TV. Im telling you people, personalities do change, people do get old and crochety, Im living proof!

2. Wrinkles happen. I vividly remember looking in the mirror when I was 28 and being so troubled by my first crows feet. Hello, now, I think of that day and shake my head. Because that was nothing compared to today. I now have deep trenches and valleys etched across my forehead, and I appear to be a smoker, thanks to my mouth wrinkles (even though I am a staunch anti-smoker!) Somehow, over time, the wrinkles happened, slowly, slyly, and it would take a lot of botox to even begin to make things better.....but Im not ruling it out....

3. Which leads me to another thing that happens....if you are one of those people who adamantly opposes plastic surgery and stuff....dont go making any costly bets that you'll never do it. Trust me people, it stinks to have wrinkles, bags, dark circles and sun damage. Not to mention, a lap band wouldnt hurt. So, personalities change, and so do opinions on plastic surgery.

4. Even if you feel like you could dance on the table, dont do it, your back will hurt in the morning, if you dont fall of the table first and break an ankle.

5. If you join the Fan Club of a certain HOT BAND (INXS), you have now become like the blue haired, Wayne Newton fans. Even if you feel like a teen, you arent.

These are just some of the things that happen when you age....in case you were wondering.

Aye Maties!

2008-10-05T21:53:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been awhile....

but let's cut right to the chase, there are PIRATES off the coast of Somalia, holding a Russian boat, and it's crew...demanding a $20 Million ransom.

This has been going on for days now, and while the US and Russia close in, it's turned into a stand off.

I kind of thought, that since we were a major super power, that we could just wipe a Pirate Ship right out of the seas, apparently, not that easy, especially with hostages on board.

In any case, it's keeping my kids highly entertained, they are excited (if not a tad bit nervous) to know that Pirates exist.

any other interesting tidbits in the news? share them here, and give my reader something to do, since Ive been so behind in blogging. :)

Life Interrupted

2008-09-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

It's funny, that as the kids scooted off to school (great 1st day pics, which will be up when my IT guy uploads them...), my life slowed down. Suddenly, it was just me, and Little One (who is napping for 3-4 hours of the day), and you would have thought I would have started a blogging frenzy.

Instead, I decided to spend my free time cleaning my house. All my baseboards are dust free, the laundry room floor is visible, and....ERrrrr.....sorry, I didnt mean to lie, I was just caught up in a dream.

Actually, I have had more free time, but it has been poured into my little chocolate business.

I know it sounds frivolous, and silly, and unimportant, but I really believe that God is going to use this to help us crawl out of all the medical debt.

Today marks my 3 month anniversary with Dove Chocolates, and did you know that last week they announced our standing in a new incentive program, and guess who has the most points in the country?? go ahead, guess? It's me!!

Dove chocolates is not new, Mars. Inc is the parent company..makers of M&Ms and Snickers, and they have been around FOREVER. But the "at-home party" line, is new, and honestly, to be at the beginning of a new direct-sales company, is a blessing.

So, I have been busy building my team, and having "chocolate tasting parties", and it's left me too pooped to blog. I mean, I still find time to do the important things, like leave snarky comments on Grandma J's blog , but too tired to journal on my own.

Plus, most of what has been going on has been excitement about my new endeavor, and I figured you all didnt want to hear about THAT....

Id have put up some fun pictures of my kids with their new baby cousin Sophia, or Baby Preston (who is almost 1 year old!!)....but my IT guy has been busy.

As for Pooper's tests....he hasnt had any yet! He feels and looks fine, and Im sure he is, and Ill let you know when the tests are done so we can just confirm that he his well.

Funny thing...Pooper and I had just laid down to take a nap, and he said,

Pooper: Am I average?

Me: (thinking of all the ways he is exceptional)...Um, yeah, you are avarage.

Pooper: Are YOU average?

Me: (thinking of all the ways that *I* am exceptional, lol) Sure, Im average.

Pooper: Oh, good, then just close your eyes, because I read that if the average person closes their eyes and keeps them shut for 7 minutes, they will fall asleep.

All those sleepless nights, apparently, I just needed to close my eyes!

**be back soon ;)

you asked for it

2008-09-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, some of my two readers have asked me to put up pictures, wondering what I look like. So, I put up one of the only pics that I have....which is now my official HSH picture...see it? The one Grandma J calls my, "Pineapple Princess" picture....because it was taken with one of the floral crowns on my head.

There was a time in my life, when I wore cute clothes and shopped at the Liz Claiborne store...now, thanks to an increased size, compliments of Marble Slab Creamery, I usually can be seen wearing my old maternity clothes....as you can imagine, that doesnt make me want to jump in front of the camera. So, there are few pictures of me....

HOWEVER, on Friday, you may get to see me, in my finest. Finest meaning, I took Pooper to do a video clip for the Stand Up 2 Cancer benefit (airing on all major networks this Friday)....and I had laryngitis, and my voice sounded like a tranny smoker (no offense to transvestites or smokers, or those who are both.) And, while he was doing his interview, and recounting his journey, and listing off all of his friends in Heaven, I began to cry, just a bit. And then, the directors asked me to come stand in front of the cameras....

Normally, I would have been all hammy and got on my soapbox and told them about childhood cancer, and how the kids are usually left out of research dollars, blah blah blah.

But, I was off track, crying, and trying to say very little, as my voice was totally gone...and when your voice is gone, and your crying, trust me, you sound hideous.

But, it's not about me...I realize that, so, Im encouraging you watch, to have fun laughing at me, to be touched by the many stories of bravery and loss, for you to say, "wow, Pooper is so handsome!"....just watch!

And if you would join our team, I would be grateful. We are one of the largest, and the top teams will be recognized during the broadcast. Just go to www.su2c.org When you join our team, you can put "kids with cancer" in the search engine. The bald boy with the feeding tube....that's Pooper, just a few years ago. Please join us.

And for those wondering...those heading up SU2C heard us, and pediatric organizations are now represented!!

If you can also donate, I would be very appreciative. I know times are tough, but you can only imagine how tough it is for kids fighting cancer. If you can give big, please do. If you cant, please consider giving up something...a latte, a lunch, turn your computer off for a day and donate the reduction in your electric bill (LOL, sorry, I realize that would be 1/2 a cent.)....Clean out your car or between the cushions of your furniture...and donate the change. Do I sound desperate for donations? In all reality, these kids are desperate for donations. Really.

Thanks.

The Birthday Girl

2008-08-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

She was born in the tiniest state, and moved to Southern California. She learned to surf, sneak out her window, and is a very good dancer.

She is smart, works hard, and has a lot of fun with life. She is an avid volunteer, always giving back to others.

She is a good mom, and an even better Grandma (hello, I dont remember getting to eat marshmallows for dinner and ice cream for breakfast as a child.)

Please join me in saying, "Happy Birthday Grandma J"

Adventures in mothering, Part 2

2008-08-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

Ok....where did I leave off????

My kids were gone. They were not at "Nathan's" although they had been at another neighbors, but left an hour prior. So, they were last seen walking straight towards our house, about 6 houses from our own, an hour ago.....

I got Little One, and drove around, stopping at every house with a child, to see if my kids had stopped by to play...my kids are social like that, so you never know what new friends might have been made. Nobody had seen them.

I kept mulling over in my head....that they were last seen, just 6 houses from mine, walking straight towards my house.....they were on their way home ...what could have stopped them from making it home?

I really didnt think they were kidnapped, really. For a split second, I wondered if they were at the pool. They were not at the park....the pool is inside a gate. There was always the chance that when walking home, they came upon some friends that were going to the pool, and went inside with them, but I know my kids, they would have run home and said, "Can we get on our bathing suits and going swimming with Jimmy?" They would never have been content to sit at the pool, in their clothes, and watch others swim...so I didnt even bother checking out the pool.

We have some neighbor girls 2 doors down, but nobody answered when I knocked. I actually went back to that house 3 times, thinking maybe nobody heard me knock...so I knocked loudly, and rang the doorbell a bunch...no answer.

Well, crud. After an hour, I had checked every place I could think of.

I didnt want to call the Sheriff, because I knew hey were just playing somewhere. All a sheriff would do, would make a list of friends and neighbors and go recheck everyone....I could do that myself. Oh wait, I already did do that, a couple of times. I decided to call the sheriff.

One neighbor remarked that I seemed very calm, and she would have called a while ago. That made me feel "bad"...but really, if someone had nabbed my kids, I would have heard them scream. But, I couldnt find them, and that one bazillion chance was still a chance....so I called.

I was driving back to my house, from the neighbors a block over (yes, I drove, it was 98 degrees, and Little One was with me, and I wasnt about to walk around for an hour, carrying her, in the heat.)

I was giving the sheriff the description of Beauty:

Me: Curly-wavy blonde hair

Sheriff: Curly or wavy?

Me: Wavy

Sheriff: What did she have on

Me: A pink and white floral outfit, tank top and skort

Just then, as my car pulled into the driveway, I saw my kids, my smiling kids, walking over from the NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS HOUSE.

No kidding.

They had been at the house next door, right next door...no houses in between us....they were playing next door.

The people next door are very nice, but they keep to themselves. They have a daughter who is Beauty's age (or a year older) and a son that is 2 years older than Pooper. But they are never, ever outside, and my kids have never, ever played with them, EVER.

We have lived next door 5 years, and they have never played together. I didnt think they would be there.

So, I told the Sheriff......they were home, she was glad, so was I.

I gave the kids the ole, "Where were you?? I went to Nathan's and you werent there....and Luke's mom said you were at their house, but left to come home. You need to tell me when you leave one persons house and go to another, I had no idea where you were, AND I WAS JUST ON THE PHONE WITH 911 BECAUSE I COULDNT FIND YOU."

My kids just looked at me, like, Wha???? we were right next door!

Pooper ran back to the next door neighbor's house, as he had forgotten his Pokemon cards...and when he came back, the neighbor mom was with him.

Her: You called 911? (laughing)

Me: (also laughing) I know, I could not find them, they werent where they said, and I looked all around and just couldnt find them.

Her: I bet you didnt think to look here, the kids have never played together in 5 years.

Me: yeah, exactly. Who'd have thunk it???

So, today is another day, and there is exactly one week left until school starts...I have a feeling this isnt the last chapter on this saga!

BTW, still waiting for the urine analysis, will keep you posted.

Adventures in mothering

2008-08-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

Well, hmmm, where should I start in recounting this glorious day....

First, I was on the horn to supervisor, "Judy" at the Post Office...before I could say I word, she sternly reminded me that, "Ill talk to your mail carrier this morning, I havent had a chance, Ill call you later today." and I let her know that I had more info that might help in this "mystery"....the yellow "not at this address/do not forward" sticker that was being put on my mail, as recently as 8/22/08 (the day after my first call about my mail.)

LONG, BUREAUCRATIC story later....my mail man told her I hadnt picked up my mail in 3 weeks, so he assumed I was gone, and put in the order.

Really???

First, I have mail sitting right on my counter that has postmarked dates from throughout the month....it wasnt until last week (when our regular mail man went on vacation) that this problem began.

Second....when I called those mornings, and talked to Judy the Supervisor, or when I saw the temp. mailman at the mailbox and spoke with him.....why didnt they tell me that their was a forwarding order in?? They both said, "we checked this and we checked that, and it's just been a slow mail week for you." They assured me, over and over, and in fact, both got quite testy with me when I persisted - not believing the "slow mail week theory". Wouldnt they have been able to see that this forwarding order was in place?

Well, Judy got quite snippy....and, if there is anything HSH has learned in her 42.75 years of life, DONT BOTHER TALKING TO THE PIONS, GO STRAIGHT TO THE TOP.

So, I asked to speak to her supervisor, and soon, "Lydia" was on the phone. Let's just say, I totally get why people "go postal" and can see that Lydia has set the tone for her little team. She was so grumpy, and I then asked to speak to her supervisor.

Lydia did what many people do, it's something that I actually find hilarious...when I asked to speak to her supervisor, she told me SHE WAS THE SUPERVISOR....um, yes, but I would like to speak to YOUR BOSS, I said...and then she told me that she didnt have one, she is the head person.

That is so funny....how special I must be to be talking to the Federally appointed Post Master General...and, what a treat for the folks at our local post office to have a visit from this leader. How "down to earth" of her to roll up her sleeves and answer the phone. I mean... really????

Lydia, I know you have a boss....I am asking for you to direct me to your supervisor. She refused, so I was left with no other choice, but to call the darned 800 number and get to the bottom of things.

I talked to a very nice gal.....told her my story.....she said she would call me back. When she did, she said, "I see what you mean about the attitudes at that place, they had poor customer service habits with ME, I can only imagine how they treated YOU." Thank you. She handled it, I think, and problem solved. I think. Let's see if I start getting mail now...especially since I was inundated with calls from people who thought we had like, fled the country or died. Andrew's agent, My Dove business corporate office, our church, etc. all called telling me of returned mail today.

Anyhoo....besides THAT riff raff....I have been emailing the head oncologist a bit, wondering when to worry about Andrew's "tentacle".

For some background info.....leukemia is cancer of the blood....most chemos do not cross the blood/brain barrier...which means the blood in the spinal chord, around the brain, and (for boys) in the testicles, does not get the chemo coverage that the rest of the body receives. These places are known as "sanctuary sites"....(not like San Francisco)....and the cancer often hides there. For that reason, the spinal chord and the testicles are where you often see a relapse. This is why Andrew had radiation to his brain, and chemo injected into his spinal chord...however, that stil l leaves the tentacles susceptible.

Typically, a relapse in the testicle will not have pain, and will have a mass. But, there are no other symptoms, and the only way to check is to biopsy the testicle. It's not going to show in the blood work, or via ultrasound.....eventually, a relapse will spread, but when it's in the testicle alone, the only way to tell is a biopsy.

I dont want to do a biopsy when he doesnt have a mass, but I would like to know why one tentacle hurts. We are still awaiting the urine analysis, to see about the blood in there....my plan is to wait and see. If all else is negative, and it still hurts next week...then I will probably press more on the relapse issue...but am praying he just squished it somehow (he claims he didnt injure it)...and that he is feeling better soon.

Now, on to other things, because, worrying about a relapse of cancer, and haggling with one of the governments most frustrating institutions (this is why I dont want government run healthcare!) ...well, those just werent enough. And it wasnt enough that we visited the ER last night, no....there must be more excitement...something to blog about.....

So, my kids got lost today.

We live in a area where there are a few streets, sort of set apart ...in a little area. Our larger community is pretty safe, suburban...and then our little "square" is even more secluded.

I let Pooper go to friends in this area. He doesnt have a lot of kids to play with up here, and the few he has are on streets next to us, adjacent to us, etc. Maybe 6-15 houses away...not far, but not within eye shot. I let him go to friends, and I let Beauty go if she is with him...they must stay together, I feel pretty secure in this plan.

Today, they told me they were going to "Nathan's"....now typically, when they go to someone's house, if that friend is not home, they will come and tell me, and then tell me who's house they will try next. Today however, I never heard back after they left for Nathan's, at about 11:30am. I told them to come home for lunch (they are usually home by 1, if they get hungry.)

By 2:30, they werent home, and I had to go to the grocery store. I went by Nathan's, and there was no answer....another neighbor told me they had gone on vacation. Hmmmm. So, I went to another friend's house, and they said that the kids had been there, but left to go home for lunch at around 1:30.

That was about an hour ago.

The house they had been at, is directly across from ours....within eye shot.....but you have to walk down a street....a street with 7 houses on one side, and a park/pool on the other. The mom said my kids walked down that straight, headed straight towards my house.

Hmmm......

Now, Ill be honest, Im not paranoid about "child abductions"...while it's every mother's fear....it is not that common, especially since my house is off the beat and path, pretty well insulated from major streets, etc.

I really thought, that the kids were playing at someone's house.

Besides, my windows were open, and I can hear when they are fighting with each other outside...even several houses away.....if someone tried to nab them, I would have heard them scream.

So, I proceeded to get in my car, with Little One, and drive around our area...knocking on the doors of every kid I knew...making all of their moms wonder what kind of horrible mom I am that I didnt know where my kids actually were.

** Im realizing this is turning into a bit of a lengthy one......so, Ill write more later, I promise Im not going to turn it into a 35 page, 1 page at a time, chapter book. promise.

through rain and sleet and snow and stuff

2008-08-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

Last week, I had hardly anything in my mail box... a couple of ads, and that was it. The odd thing, was that I hadnt checked my mail for 3 days, and so much more was expected.

The next day. Nothing.

I called the post office to check and find out why I wasnt getting all my mail. A few ads for nearly a week is not normal, AND, I had some things I was expecting that should have arrived.

The US Post Office Supervisor, Judy, told me that there was no mail waiting for me, no orders in holding my mail, it wasnt in the neighbors box (same street number, adjoining street....often gets my mail and is out of the country for the summer....thought maybe it was put in their "hold" box.) Nope. It was just a slow mail week, Judy explained.

The next day, I made a point to be at the box when the mailman arrived. You see, I had spent a bit of time on the phone the day before, and sure as I thought, some important things had been sent...but I never received them. I confirmed with Dove Chocolates that they had sent me a special letter the week prior, also, a friend had sent me a personal letter....not to mention the never-ending bills.....

So, I told the mail man that I was concerned, and he became very defensive!

I said, Look, Im not blaming you, but I have a right to wonder where my mail is!

He was only a temperary mail guy, as our regular postman was on vacation (probably Beaches, with Elmo, just to make me jealous)....he was defensive because Judy the Supervisor had accused him of losing my mail.....but anyways, he assured me all was fine, just a slow mail week.

I wasnt buying it, but what could I do.

The next day, my dentist calls, asking if we were ok.

Me: Yeah, we're fine, why?

Dentist: Well, your statement was returned to us with one of those yellow stickers that says, "Return to Sender, Unable to Forward"

WHAT???? I KNEW IT!!

This explains why I havent gotten any mail.....but now, the mystery thickens, because, why is my mail getting those yellow stickers, and more importantly, why didnt Judy or the sub-mailman know that my mail was getting stickers????

My dentist emailed me a copy of the returned envelope....And, get this, they yellow sticker was dated 8/22/08. 8/22/08 as in Thursday....as in the day after and the day of, my conversations with the post office folks. It wasnt like the yellow sticker was put on a week ago...It was put on Thursday...my discussions with Judy and the mailman started on Wed (and Thursday)...so, what the heck is going on??????

So, today, because I was trying to find an excuse to get out of the laundry, Im going to gather my small children and go to the post office, because, how much fun is that? To deal with postal beauracracies, especially with 3 small children, who undoubtedly will become restless and whine and maybe cry or get into squirmishes with each other?

And, who is easier to deal with than a postal supervisor, except for maybe someone at the DMV? Really, should be a real treat.

Wish me luck.

And...say a little prayer for Pooper...it's probably nothing, but his "tentacle" is hurting...we took him to the ER to make sure it hadnt gotten all twisted up, and the ultrasound was fine. However, that doesnt answer why it is hurting.....leukemia is known to relapse in the testicle, but it typically doesnt have pain (which he has)..it has a mass (which he doesnt have)...so, that is good news, but still has us a little nervous.

thanks.

The great emotional conflict that is "back to school" time

2008-08-22T23:21:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year....the time when I wonder how in God's green earth homeschooling mothers survive, because they dont have "back to school" to save them. The time when I am so ready to drop me kids off at the front door of their new class rooms, because they have worn my last nerve into a tired fray (not sure what a tired fray really is, but in my mind, it's like a piece of ribbon that has all the little threads coming apart...get it?? that's my nerves!!)

To be honest, Beauty is nothing but a beauty. Yesterday, in Grande Grandma J style, I declared to the children that it was "clean the van" day. Pooper immediately went into a melt-down. Beauty smiled and said, "ok." Talk about two different worlds. It's like Pooper heard, "you will live in a dungeon and never see friends, tv, computer or pokemon again, and your only food will be brussel sprouts." and Beauty heard, "You are the world's most amazing daughter and I love you more than all the flowers ever made." Truly, I said one thing, and they both reacted so differently.

So, Beauty and I spent 4+ hours cleaning out the van. No, we didnt do deep cleaning of the seats, or even attempt to rid the mats of crusted in bananas or fruit roll up. It simply took that long to take out all the crap. And when we were done, the large, trash can was 3/4 full (it started empty) and there was at least 4 loads of laundry (that's what you get when you dress and undress from swim team in the car.) There were plenty of happy meal toys, princess shoes and sippy cups......all of which Beauty happily put where they belong in the house.

Periodically, the king of complaining would come down to see if we were done...and when he saw there was still work to be done, he retreated far away, to his room.

When we finished, I stared at the trash can, and the pile of clothes, and imagined that it had all been dumped into the 3 x 4 space that is the inside of my van....Im sure if Oprah had ever seen my van, she would have done an intervention, people would have cried, a team of experts would have saved me....really!

But we did it, and as a reward, I told Beauty to grab her piggy bank, which she filled with all the loose change found during the clean up. She also was rewarded with staying up 1/2 hour later tonight, to watch the new Cheetah Girls movie. She was happy. :)

Anyways..not sure why I got off on that tangent about the van...but, what Im trying to say, is soon it will be time for my kids to go back to school. And I will miss them. And I feel guilty that I dont want to be with them every single, solitary second, because I do....but, while my heart wants to hold them close, it's my nerves, my nerves that cant quite take it.

This morning, at 7:23 am, Pooper approached me, with his velvet, magicians, top hat on his head, and his magic card trick in his hand.

Pooper: Mom, you know how a lot of people walk by our house in the morning? (lots of morning dog walkers around these parts, and we are close to a trail and the dog park.)

Me: yeah

Pooper: Well, Im going to do some magic tricks when they walk by

Me: (giving him a once over look, in his magicians get-up, and trying not to giggle) sure honey, great idea, they'll all love it!

Pooper: So, Im gonna go walk around outside now, to do some magic for people.

Me: Not NOW, it's only 7:23 am....you need to wait.....

Pooper: (interupting me with hysterical drama) YOU ARE RUINING MY LIFE! EVERYONE IS WALKING OUTSIDE NOW AND IF I HAVE TO WAIT ILL MISS THEM

Me: (my brain seizing up, unable to handle the contention so early in the day) FINE GO!

Later, I went and checked on him, him with his tall black, velvet, top hat. He was standing with his cards, and my plastic mixing bowl...which was labelled, "Tips, $5 or less"....AWWWW, what a sweetie, he didnt want people to go broke watching his show, so he said "or less" ...such a caring boy. His bowl was empty, but his imagination and his tender heart, both so full.

Ill miss my kids this year...both of them.....but it's the best thing, for all of us, for all of my nerves....God bless "back to school" time!

The nerve of people!

2008-08-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, Im sure you have all heard the flap about Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimming phenom, being featured on the box of Frosted Flakes cereal, right?

Now, when I was a child, Frosted Flakes was my favorite cereal. And, not to rat anyone out, but, yes, we were allowed to eat junk food for breakfast when I was a kid...junk like, sugary Frosted Flakes.

Personally, Im not as nice of a mother as Grandma J and I dont allow my kids to eat sugary cereals, not even Frosted Flakes. Even though Pooper and Beauty swim for an hour each day, I try to make sure they refuel with "healthy" snacks....and I tell them all about the building blocks their muscles need, like proteins, etc. The exception, is once a week, is "snack day" on the swim team, and mothers bring all kinds of junk....their is no avoiding it, so I let them have it, but as a rule, I dont have junk in the house, even for busy swimmers.

THAT SAID.....who in the heck is the lady that thinks she can call out Michael Phelps for promoting Frosted Flakes?? Rebecca Solomon, a Nutrionist at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, has been all up in a ta-hizzle about Michael Phelps promoting a sugary cereal. She has been on talk shows, (cough,cough, attention-hog!) and basically bad mouthing this American Hero.

I might be annoyed if he were promoting, let's say, (Jamie Lynn) Teen Pregnancy, or, heroin use, or cigarettes.....because, Id be upset if my kids were involved in any of that, and I dont like people promoting it.

But for someone to say he is a bad example for eating a sugared cereal....well, Im pretty sure from the looks of his abs, and the fact that he just didnt go belly up when he hit the water, that the guy is A-OK in the "healthy lifestyle" dept. I realize that with his intensive workout, he gets to eat 12,000 calories a day, but Im gonna go out on a limb and guess that he doesnt eat it all in ice cream and big macs....for the record, when training for a triathlon, I thought I could eat all the ice cream I wanted, because, well, I was training and all...and guess what, it all turned to fat. But if Michael Phelps was leading an "on-the-verge-of-diabetes-life-style" he wouldnt have that body, and he wouldnt cut through the water at high speeds.

So, Id like to know, for the record, just what has Rebecca Solomon done to promote good health? I mean, what does she do personally, ...slamming Michael Phelps all over the media doesnt count.....

For example, is she breaking world records in athletic events to help promote fitness in children?????

Is SHE on the cover of the box of Fiber One????? (I bet she'd LOVE that!)

Would it be ok to follow her around, and the first time that she bites into something with more than a gram of sugar, we sound some alarms and bells and call her a FATTY FATTY 2 X 4???

Again, Im not a promoter of the sugared cereals, but this is a guy who has done quite a bit to promote fitness, discipline, dedication, exercise, and healthy living to our children, the last thing we need is some haggard windbag criticizing him.

So, Rebecca....let me know when you beat Michael's swim times, or when your body fat matches his....until then, go shove a bunch of bon bons in your mouth, and leave the guy alone!

My new makeover

2008-08-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

If you've met me in person, or seen one of the rare photos, you'll know, Im not into "makeovers". I dont want to get caught up in botox and arm tucks and fake implants in my bottom, because really, once you start that stuff, where does it end? Have you seen "Cat Woman"?? How about when fancy, rich, blonde woman, in their 50's all start to look alike, because their surgeons used the same pattern on their face???

Lately though, Ive noticed a wave of reformation taking place among bloggers. It started (or at least, I first noticed) when The Pioneer Woman did a complete revamp, and went uber-commercial. To be honest, I was a faithful, daily reader, and as soon as her blog changed, and she had a bunch of "tabs" and "sections" and such, I lost interest. It wasnt a conscientious thing....I just found it all too tedious to hunt around for the daily post.

Others bloggers have updated too....but I was happy with my blue header, with the house scrunched onto half of it, with the HEART SHAPED HEDGES that took 9.45 hours to create. Really, I couldnt have been more pleased with my "look."

But then, my own mother went all high tech. Not that it was a surprise, I dont think we hold the same views on "rejuvenation" so....you know, and besides, I really liked it, I was impressed. And, then Pumpkin Delight got all glammed out, and I was like, WOWEE, this might not be a bad idea! Yesterday, my very own, siamese-twin-separated-at-birth gave her blog a new look, and it is SOOOO CUTE.

So, I caved, and I decided to go check things out. I'll admit I was hesitant about how to do it. Grandma J is a whiz at this stuff, but I cant do all of that techno-art. But, with all the others, I thought, just maybe I could do it.

The templates that I saw were incredible, It made me have overwhelming urges to scrapbook and get all artsy. The directions said it would be easy, just copy and past this little code...blah, blah, blah.

After convincing myself to go ahead, and, Ill admit, actually being excited and looking forward to my new "look"....even if it wasnt going to take out the deep, canyons on my forehead.....I did it. I changed my blog.

I clicked save. And "View Blog", and .........yeah, you're looking at it. The darn thing didnt work.

This is my luck with makovers, and quite honestly, it's the very reason I dont even bother with botox. Because I KNOW, that Ill be the one that has some allergic reaction, or gets an infected batch, and winds up with "elephant man" syndrome on my forehead (no offense to those with EMS.)

Sharpies and Chihuahuas

2008-08-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

We have been busy here, with the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the new school year.

The other day, we had, "Let's get ready for school day"....which included immunizations and school supply shopping.

My kids are WAY behind on immunizations, for a few reasons, including;

A. I only do their shots 2 at a time, I dont see the need to overwhelm their bodies with foriegn invaders.

B. I skip some shots altogether, like Hep B. It's passed via bodily fluids, so I figure if my kids want to grow up and be prostitutes and IV drug users, they can add Hep B to their list of possible consequences, but since they arent engaging in that behavior now, Im not putting that into their system.

C. When Pooper was sick, vaccines were off limits for everyone, due to his fragile immune system, and we have only recently been given the green light to restart the process.

So, we made an appt. for Beauty and Little One to resume their shots. If Pooper is the epitome of bravery, Beauty is the epitome of non-bravery. When she had blood tests last year, she ran around the doctors office screaming, and eventually crawled under a chair and could not be pulled out....she ended up grasping for things, and tore things apart. yeah, fun times.

We talked about the upcoming shots, Pooper even gave her a lesson in how to get through...and I told her she could scream and cry all she wanted, but she was not aloud to run, or move at all, because it is dangerous to do when a needle is involved.

When it came time for the immunizations, I gave Beauty the choice of going 1st or 2nd. She wanted to go 1st. I told her the only thing about going 1st, was the Little One would be watching...and if she acted too upset, it would frighten Little One and make her upset too. Beauty assured me she was ready to be brave, and wanted to go first. Fine.

Sure enough, as we sat down to get them, she went into hysterics, kicking and screaming and trying to escape. I held her with all my might, so that her arm wouldnt move, and soon the torture was over (although the hysterical "horror-film" type screams went on for quite some time, only calming down when we entered TARGET.)

You see, we were off to Target to shop for school supplies. Each kid's class has a "list"...with VERY specific required items....things like, "10 count, crayola washable markers, classic colors." There are about 15 items, and all of them are idenitified in this similar manner.

Now, as you can imagine, I can find the 8 pack of classic colors, washable......the 10 packs I find are in "bright colors" .....or, non-washable.

The 24 pack of #2 pencils have to be the Ticonderoga brand (really?? why???) and, naturally, there are 5 other brands, but not Ticonderoga....so, we do this shopping task, which takes f.o.r.e.v.e.r. and with 3 kids, 2 of whom just had shots, 1 of whom is way past her nap time, and they other 2 approaching nap time...well....it's not long before the crying and whining sets in.

We did pretty good though, getting most items, although we never did find the Crayola 24 packs of crayons that both kids had on their list.

I promised Beauty, that if she got her shots (without destroying persons or property) that she would get some new "fancy" shoes. She wears a uniform, so her shoes are the one area where she can sort of let her fashion sense shine through. I was going to get her some sensible shoes, but also let her pick out an extra pair. She went with some rubber soled, sketchers, with lots of pink and black and glittery ribbons criscrossing the slip on. Very pretty.

So, it ws a busy day, and the week has continued on in a similar vein.

Just today, as we were preparing to leave for church, Little One (who can now reach the counter tops!) had a black sharpie pen, as in a PERMANENT MARKER. It was all over her, all over her dress (which is a pretty sundress, that matches Beauty's)...and.....all over (and I do mean, a large, central area) our hard wood floors! We havent figured out how to get it off without taking off the finish...so, if you have helpful hints, please pass them along.

We finally got out the door and were driving to church when Pooper said, "When I grow up, I want to get a red bug car, and a chihuahua."

it was at that point, that My Honey put his head in his hands, and wondered how much more difficult fatherhood was going to be.

No offense, but....Im just sayin'.........

2008-08-13T22:11:00.001-07:00

Tonight was the magical summation of all that my little swimmers have accomplished this summer. It was the Swim Team Banquet.

Last year, Pooper got a medal (not this year, because he is in a higher age bracket...so swimming with older kids now.) This year, no medals, but fear not! every child get's a trophy (at least they did last year.)

So, the banquet is held at a community park...there is a playground, a few tables (to hold the food), the necessary public restrooms, and a large grassy area where everyone gathers round with blanket and chairs and umbrellas.

First things first...we have a new "pop up" thingy. Those things that you sit under to block the sun. We got one for 4th of July, because, hello....not sure how we ever survived any of the previous Independence Day bashes without one...especially 2 years ago in the smoking heat when I was just a few weeks away from deliving Little One, and could barely walk....but I digress.....

We put up the "pop up", and realized that it only works between noon and 12:30. because, if the sun is anywhere besides directly overhead, it doesnt do much to block it.

Take tonight, it began at 5pm. Here in S. CA, we have the sun in full bloom til 8pm. however, it's not overhead, and the pop-up is pretty much worthless. So, after putting it up, and scooting it here and there, hoping to create a patch of shade to sit in, we gave up. And, we sweated a bit in the sunshine....it was in the low 80's and felt about 1 degree warmer than it actually was (according to weather.com) but it was also humid, and, Im not into that.

Then, the kids got their "trophys" which, this year, were medals. They were really cool, and engraved, and my kids love them so much that they are sleeping with them on....but, later on, they wanted to know when they were gonna get their trophy.

Um...you have it on. The medal is instead of a trophy. The both looked at me puzzled, and I went on about the Olympics and gold medals, etc. and they smiled and ran off with friends.

Now, typically, we eat....and then the awards are given, coaches gifts are passed out, etc. culminating with a slide show at sunset.

Tonight, however, there was a change up.

You see, the "taco guy" , as he came to be known, was a bit "late".....

By 5:30, he still wasnt there, and our coach decided to go ahead and start with the awards, and eat later. Fine.

After the awards, there was a lot of mumbling about the "taco guy" ...and, apparently he was coming from Los Angeles and was stuck in traffic.

Now, this was curious to me. Ok, not curious, it was more like, "HUH???? LOS ANGELES?????"

We had this guy last year, and the tacos and trimmings were FANTASTIC. BUT, we live in Southern California...and besides being a good 2 hours from Los Angeles (maybe 3 or 4 during rush hour)....we have tons of delicious, inexpensive Mexican restaurants and catering joints....many within a few miles. Seriously. Why did we hire a company hours away? I could have guessed he would be late.

So, anyways, the kids played, and the parents chatted....and the coaches gifts were given out, and the mumblings about the "taco guy" continued, like, "Where in the heck is that taco guy???"

People began to talk.........Some people had heard that we had already paid him $400, and the check had already cleared....maybe he had taken off with the money. Or, maybe he was broken down on the side of the road (and all I could think of, was some guys sitting on the freeway shoulder, EATING TACOS.) Apparently, he must be the one guy in the USA who doesnt have a cell phone to call us, because nobody had heard from him.

7pm came and went, and we were starving (ok, not STARVING as in our Colombian Family "starving"...but, you know what I mean.....)and we decided to join the other 3/4 of the swim families and call it a night....by going and getting some food elsewhere!

The coach felt bad, the banquet-organizing-ladies felt bad.....but, hungry is hungry, and we just didnt want to hold out any longer.

As a "plan B" they ordered pizza....but, how long would that take...both to arrive, and to get through the line of families?? So we left.

So, If you are reading this coach....or banquet-organizing ladies....I dont mean any offense, it was a great banquet (minus the food)....but, maybe next year we can get our food from someone that lives closer to home, like, less than 100 miles from home (since, we dont live in Minnesota or anything).....Im just sayin'.

Bursting with pride

2008-08-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

Please excuse any splatter or spray, but I am bursting with pride and I cant contain it.

Yesterday was Swim Championships. That's where all the kids from the county compete...it's a gigantic (and a bit chaotic) event...and the top performers move onto finals, held next week.

Beauty and Pooper both swam 25 yard backstroke, and 25 yard freestyle (Beauty actually did a 25 yard freestyle twice, because she was also in a "free relay")

Beauty is one of the only 5 year olds on our team, I think our team has 150 or 200 kids....she is tiny, and slow....but, let's face it, how many 5 year olds can even make it on to a swim team and do the workouts?

The best thing, is Beauty L.O.V.E.S swim team, with pink puffy hearts. And, she has no idea that she is the slowest, she thinks she is the SUPERSTAR, and after every race, she is beaming with joy, and says, "Did I get first place???"

For her backstroke, her previous best time was 52 seconds.....and her time at Champs was 45!! That is huge to drop so much time...really. She was first place in her heat (they have 3 heats)....and she was so proud of herself and as she walked back from the pool to our little "hang out" (we bring a pop-up and relax in the shade...we arrive at 7:30 am to warm up, and the meet doesnt end til 2pm)...but walking back, all the families from our team were cheering and telling her what a great job she did. She had the widest smile, I was so proud of her.

Then Pooper had his backstroke. His previous best was 29 flat, and he did 29.13. Again, I was so overjoyed. While it wasnt his "best" and he just missed going on to finals ....his time of 29 is new (last year he was at 34 and got a medal)...so, I was glad he swam at his best, even if he didnt go a bit lower.

Next up was the 25 freestyle, and Beauty didnt let me down. Her previous best time was 58, and brace yourselves....she got a 42!! Seriously!! She has swam at meets all summer, and she is always in the high 50's at best....Her 42 was phenomenal, and I was just to pleased.

Then, Pooper's 25 free was up...and it happened so fast, I missed it!! I could scream, I was poolside, and I turned to figure out what event was up, and the next thing I know, I missed it. My Honey came running up to me, in huge disbelief, and said, "did you see him go! He got 2nd place" UGH. I waited for the results to be published...his previous best time had been 30 seconds....and his new time, 25!!! WOWEEEE.

Then, Beauty was in a relay, where 4 kids each do a 25 free.....and she did a 42 again! The fact that she was able to keep her time, especially because this was the last event of the day....we had been there all day (no naps) ....in the 94 degree heat...and she did another 42...that was fabulous!

Just a bit of info....there are usually several heats, so even when my kids get 1st or 2nd in their heat...once scores from all the heats are combined, their standing is different.

The kids were a bit bummed, that they didnt win any medals, and arent going on to finals..but I explained to them, that Beauty swims in a 5-6 year old group. She is only 5 and most of the kids are 6...in fact, there are kids from Andrew's grade swimming...who turn 7 this month. So, being the youngest is tough. It's the same thing for Andrew, he is in the 7-8 group, and there are kids who are about to turn 9 in that group.

Next year, my kids will be the older ones in their group, and it will be medals and finals galore, I am sure :)

I am so proud of my kids. They worked hard, swimming every day, practicing is not always fun, it's hard work, but they do it and it's exciting to see if pay off in such fast times.

BTW, Beauty's "free relay"...she was the final leg.....and her team was last place....and as she climbed out of the pool (she was the last kid out)..she looked around and said, in typical Beauty style, "oh mom, I dont see any other kids getting out, I think I got first place!"

I am loved

2008-08-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

I may not be getting any pettipoint chairs, antique beds, or other family heirlooms from Grandma J , but I do have, at least, two people that love me enough to pass something along.

Thank you Pumpkin Delight for realizing that it's not just the middle child that is forgotten....and for including me in your friendly game of tag. You are a cool chick and who knew that it would take blogs to introduce us to such fun friends, who dont even live far away?????

Pumpkin's game of tag requires that I list 6 of my quirks, so here we go.....

1. I hand wash all my dishes THOROUGHLY before putting them into the dishwasher. Ive never trusted a dishwasher, because, Ive never seen hands and a scrubber in there. So, I hand wash everything, and then use the dishwasher as a "sterilizer", using a short cycle.

2. I am very organized, to a fault. Like Grandma J, at my previous jobs, my desk was always clean, with everything in it's place. My expectations for my home are the same, however, I never have the time to keep up with my expectations.....the clothes in my closet are organized by color...but if I dont have the time to put clean clothes away correctly, they dont get put away at all. Hence the laundry pile up. If I dont have the time to wash all my dishes correctly, then they sit in the sink. I would rather things not get done, than to do it poorly....that goes for cleaning my floors (must be done by hand)....Im sure if I relaxed my standards, my house would be cleaner, strange.

3. I am the world's pickiest eater. I dont like ANY cooked vegetables, except corn, which has virtually no nutritional value, so it's not like a healthy vegetable and it does me no benefit to like it, but I do. I do like some raw vegetables, SOME, but not many. I wont eat ANY type of seafood, and dont ask me to try it and tell me it's not fishy, I wont try it. I wont try any food I dont like, because Ill gag. And this food aversion goes to anything with cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, blue cheese, and so on.

4. I am determined to have children that are NOT picky eaters. While they eat plenty of junk....I dont buy any for them at home. At home, they only drink water or milk (juice is high in sugar.) I dont have processed "snack foods" for them, instead they can have cheese, yogurt, fruit, veggies, or whole grain cereals for snack. Beauty is known to have a baggie of broccoli for her snack. I rotate through vegetables and fruit, having 2 different types of each, each day, so that they have a wide variety. I dont let them use sauces and condiments, because A. they are too messy and B. I want them to learn to like the food, not just cover up the taste. I provide balanced healthy meals (when we arent eating junky drive thru.)....So, yes they eat crap, but not at home, so that they are accustomed to eating a variety of healthy foods and it has worked, they really like everything (except for Pooper....thanks to the chemo thrashing his taste buds, but he USED TO like everything, and we are having success at getting him back to that place.) And, while I dont force them to eat anything, the only options at my house are healthy. At dinner, they need to just take one bite of everything....nothing is forced, but if they are hungry they will eat what is served, and Im happy with the success of this plan.

5. I feel quite strongly, that people should respect the sleep of others. It makes me angry when people wake me up, or when they are loud and inconsiderate when others are sleeping. It's just rude. Friends that slam cupboards or talk loudly when others are sleeping, were never fit for roommates. I carefully judged people by their consideration-of-others-while-sleeping habits. Standing at the top of the stairs, in front of someones bedroom, and yelling down for something, is just not acceptable, although, in my lifetime, Ive known several that do that...and it's rude!

6. Im a multi-tasker, even while driving. I can drive a stick shift, and get dressed, and eat a taco, and talk on the phone, and put on mascara, and sing to the radio, all at the same time, and I do it safely. The new California law, requiring that you use a hands-free phone device is silly. (and I havent bought a hands-free device yet.) What's the big deal if your hands are free....if you are using them to apply make up and eat lunch? Dumb law.

My second thoughtful friend, is KJ at Travel Girl Since she may be my future in-law (when Little One marries So-So) her "tag" may be the closest thing I ever get to having something passed down from family.

KJ's game involved completing the following timeline:

20 years ago I...............

1. Was enjoying my first year after college
2. Was involved in a serious car accident, when I was hit by a big rig truck on the freeway, and was thrown into a ditch on the other side of the road.
3. Began my career as a counselor with abused children
4. Loved to go dancing at Chesters

10 years ago I...............

1. Was living in AZ, otherwise known as "hell"
2. Was dating My Honey
3. Was still working as a counselor, this time in juvenile hall
4. Was eating a lot of ice cream and staying out of the sun

5 years ago I..............

1. Was told my 2 year old, Pooper, had cancer
2. Was also the mother to an infant girl, Beauty
3. Moved into our current home
4. Was still in my 30's.

3 years ago I.........

1. Was still in the midst of my son's battle with cancer
2. Had given up on having a 3rd child, after some miscarriages
3. Made an attempt at re-entering the counseling field (the overhead is just too high for part time work.)
4. Had completed an olympic distance triathlon

1 year ago I............

1. Had a new daugher who made me smile
2. Was sending Beauty off to her second year of preschool
3. Was rejoicing that Pooper was off chemo treatments
4. Spent my days at the pool for Pooper's swim team practices

So far this year...........

1. I have spent more time at the pool, as Beauty and Pooper are both on swim team
2. I enjoyed time with my children, who are all doing well.
3. I have become a Dove Chocolatier
4. have started a new blog (and made some great friends.)

Yesterday..........

1. I promoted to a Team Leader with Dove
2. I went to the pool :)
3. I took the kids for frozen yogurt
4. I didnt clean one bit of my house

Today................

1. I spent a lot of time on the phone
2. I took the kids to the pool
3. I talked to my dear friend S
4. I finally gave my future daughter-in-law her birthday gift

Tomorrow............

1. The kids will have swim championships
2. Ill get hot and cranky
3. The kids will get hot and cranky
4. I hope we all stay off each others nerves and appreciate the victories of their swimming

Next Year...........

1. I will earn a great family vacation with my Dove Chocolate business
2. I wiil have 2 kids in school from 8:30-3
3. I will have lots of time to do special things with Little One
4. I will continue to thank God for all the miracles, blessings and mercy He has given our family.

Now....TAG! You're it! Rebeckah at Life with Kaishon Tell us all about you.....quirks, timeline.....it could be therapeutic to focus on you after all the hard work helping others :)

Ola, Como Esta?

2008-08-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

Pooper came up to me, holding a large book, which was opened up with his pen and paper tucked inside.

Mom, I cant find "pizza" or "pasta" in this Spanish Dictionary, can you help me?

Me: Those words are Italian, and they probably say them the same way in Spanish, why do you want to know how to say them?

Pooper: Well, Dad said that we are probably gonna go to Mexico next year, and so I am putting together some useful things to say, so that I know how to speak Spanish when we go there.

Me: Oh, well, what are some of the other things you have written there?

Pooper: Es su surpiente dorado?

Me: And what does that mean?

Pooper: Is your snake Gold?

Me: Sounds like your ready to go, World Traveler!

** we later found out from a friend, that "oro" is the correct word for gold, and I looked up and saw that "dorado" actually means gilded.

I later called My Honey, to inquire about this upcoming trip.

Me: Hey, Pooper's here obsessing about a trip to Mexico that you told him was happening next year.....

My Honey: Oh, yeah....uh....

Me: All I want to know, is this going to be a lets-help-out-the-poor-and-build-a-house-or-visit-an-orphanage kind of trip to Mexico, or a tropical-vacation-to-Cabo-or-Cancun kind of trip to Mexico? Because, while I'm not a drinker, your kids have me seriously considering a Margarita!

The day that changed my world

2008-08-06T11:49:00.001-07:00

Today, we will go to the pool, just like we did exactly 5 years ago.

On that day, August 6, 2003, we went from splashing in the water, to driving to the hospital, in a matter of hours.

In the morning, I was in the midst of happy, laughing children, by nightfall, we were surrounded by dying children.

I will never forget my first phone call with the oncologist, confirming that Pooper had cancer, telling me it was aggressive and that he needed to be admitted immediately.

We were told to plan to stay for at least 2 weeks, maybe a month. I had no idea what I would do with Beauty. She was only 6 months old, still nursing, and she couldn’t stay with us in the hospital.

All the things that mattered in my life, were cast aside, all things except trying to save Pooper.

It’s a different world. Pediatric cancer is consuming, in many ways. The treatments are all experimental. Nobody can tell you exactly what to do, what will work, it’s a matter of finding our way, trying things, adjusting medications, monitoring for the life threatening side effects, it’s a literal tight rope of killing cells and saving cells, with no guarantees.

We were thrust into a world of total isolation, the fragile immune system of a child with cancer kept us from being around people. No more grocery stores, church (as much as you desperately need it) or other public places, our only other human contact was with the other children, bald children, frail children, children fighting similar battles, and the caring medical staff.

Nothing prepares you for the constant nausea your child will endure, the intense stomach cramping as the chemo eats away at their bodies, the burns on their bottom from the chemo in their stool and urine. To watch a healthy child wither, become weak, cry out in pain, wears on your spirit.

You go through the needles, the tests, the constant trips back and forth from the cancer clinic, the hospital and home. It’s impossible to schedule appts and times, as lab results dictate each step, when to take more, when to pull back, and Pooper’s body would be constantly fighting off infections, resulting in frequent fevers.

Each fever would mean an immediate trip to the hospital with a minimum impatient stay of 48 hours. Pooper was at risk for sepsis, a bacterial infection that could spread quickly through his body, and often led to death. Any fever required that we rush up to the emergency room.

On a whim, his temperature would rise, and I would need to find someone to care for Beauty. It was usually Grandma J, who would put everything aside, so that I could stay in the hospital with Pooper.

While my mommy friends were spending their days at gym class and playdates, I was assessing lab results and watching my child in a hospital bed.

Friends drift away, between the isolation and the depressing routine of your life, very few are able to stay by your side. But new friends are made, mostly nurses, other cancer mommies, and caring prayer warriors.

The vision of a little girl being carried into the cancer clinic, dead in her parent’s arms. Sounds of “code white” being echoed through the halls, watching crowds gather outside a hospital room to tell a child a final “goodbye”, the smell of rubbing alcohol, used to sterilize the site of a needle draw, all remain etched in my memory. My most vivid memory, is when our oncologist told us the treatment was not working, that Andrew’s prognosis was very poor. I remember looking at him on the bed, he still had his full head of blonde hair, and the thought of having to let him go was devastating.

This was our world, for more than 3 years. Even though treatment ended, the fear and anguish never completely go away.

We still have regular blood tests, a constant reminder that the cancer can come back. The visits to a plethora of specialists don’t let you forget that the effects of the chemo can go on for years. We have no guarantees, the risks are high, and we spend a lot of time keeping them in check.

We are grateful to God for healing Pooper, for restoring him, for protecting him, for allowing him to run and play again.

By all outward appearances, Pooper is perfect. Nobody would even guess that he spent much of his childhood fighting for his life. One would not imagine the incredible pain and suffering that this young boy has endured. The many scars on his chest, from 5 surgeries, are reminders of his confrontation with a formidable foe. We have not forgotten, nor can we, as the treatment that saved his life, has put him at risk for future cancers.

But we have made it to 5 years, for that we are thankful. In all honesty, we did not think we would see this day with Andrew. We never imagined that he would be here, swimming, reading, playing, laughing, driving us crazy sometimes. He has overcome so much, and we know that it was through God’s healing that we can celebrate this 5 year milestone.

And while nothing will ever be the same, many things are better because of cancer. There is little I want to miss in the lives of my children. It is not a burden to volunteer in their class, help organize their team sports, or spend time creating new experiences. These are precious gifts, memories being made that might not have been. Each birthday is a celebration of God’s mercy, each one will be special, each one is cherished.

I can go to the gym and clean my house later, but there are no guarantees on the time I have with my children.

Ill end this blog, as I have a competitive swimmer, who goes to championships this weekend, and he needs me to cheer him on at practice, oh, will I cheer!

In celebration of Pooper’s achievement of reaching this 5 year milestone, and in memory of the many friends lost…whose mommy’s can not write this post, whose mommy’s can not sit by a pool and watch their child splash and play….please consider having a virtual glass of lemonade, the link is on the side of the page…the money will be used to fund pediatric cancer research, thanks.

The Green Eyed Monster

2008-08-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Beauty had one of her most dramatic melt-downs EVER.

My Honey was kind enough to take the kids out for a fast-food lunch. Not only that, but Mr. Nice Guy took them each to their own drive thru. Yeah...Pooper wanted Der Weinerschnitzel, so, that's where they went, and in addition to his dog, daddy let him get chili cheese fries too. Then Beauty wanted El Pollo Loco, so, My Honey drove on over to that place and got her lunch, and A CHURRO. He also ordered a churro for Pooper, because, he's the world's greatest dad.

Now,let me just say...the fact that they got to pick their own fast-food joint, AND got to eat chili cheese fries and churros, well, those were special things.

So, I would have expected my kids to come home just beaming with joy and gratefulness, really.

But, Beauty, instead, went into a crying, body-heaving, screaming, gasping for air, nobody-can-even-understand-what-she-is-saying meltdown. 500 degrees fahrenheit, meltdown.

My Honey was dumbfounded, he couldnt figure out why in the world she was upset. He had given her exactly what she asked for, above and beyond the norm, and she was not happy.

I explained to him, this thing called being spoiled. being jealous. never being satisfied.

I called Beauty over, and tried to understand her words through the gasping for air and tears. It seems, that she was troubled, that Pooper got a "special" food at his restaurant "chili cheese fries"....and.....

and...Daddy said, You got a special thing too, I got you a churro.

yes, but daddy also got Pooper a churro....from Beauty's restaurant, and he didnt get anything special for Beauty from Pooper's restaurant.

Are you following me? It's pathetic!

I took her churro away, determined that she would not have it, unless she could be thankful (*I* never buy them churros...this was a treat!)

I went through the whole she-bang about being grateful, a few times. She did a time out in her room to "think about it"....a couple time outs. Finally, we thought she got it.

Wrong-O!

I gave her back her churro, and as she walked away, she mumbled....through a re-emergence of tears and whining, "Pooper got a churro AND cheese fries!"

And that, was the end of my patience. I then went into my spiel on our Colombian family, who AT BEST, get to eat churro crumbs (from someone else) off the sidewalk, and there was no way I was going to let her eat a churro, for which, she was so ungrateful.

And then, being a good mother, ready to teach every possible honorable lesson, I ate the churro.

This morning, it wasnt churros, or chili cheese fries, no, it was SMENCILS.

My kids attended one of life's most-fun birthday parties yesterday. It was the birthday of one of Pooper's wives. The daughter of my "anonymous" neighbor, Jane

It was at a neighborhood swimming pool, with an Olympic theme, because, you see, my one-day-daughter-in-law is of Olympic Swimming caliber, and at the ripe old age of, Just turned 7, she already has serious aspirations to make it to the games. and she probably will. she is THAT good!

Anyhoo...so, swimming, water balloons, fun relay races, food, etc. and the cherry on top....the gift bag.

The gift bag contained, amongst other goodies, a SMENCIL.

For those out of the loop, a Smencil is a pencil that smells.

This morning, I thought we were having a home-invasion-robbery, what with all the screaming and commotion, but in actuality, it was just Pooper and Beauty arguing over a smencil.

Beauty had the chocolate scented pencil in her bag, Pooper had grape. and they TRADED. And then, naturally, Beauty wanted to trade back.

This caused Pooper great distress, because, as he put it, Beauty had allowed Little One to hold the smencil (in a plastic container) and Little One had "slobbered all over it"...so now, he didnt want it back.

The truth is, Little One held it, within it's protective container, and their was no slobbering, no moisture, nothing. He just didnt want to trade back.

And, while I normally wouldnt allow "trade backs"....I actually dont even allow "trades" AT ALL (can you see why??) and so I simply nullified the illegal trade.

Well, Pooper became incensed (pun intended) and went on the crazy rampage, OVER A SMENCIL.

I pulled him close, and said as calmly as possibe;

Son, you are losing your mind over a fruity smelling pencil. A PENCIL. A PENCIL!

I want you to think just for a minute, about your Colombian brother. Can you imagine him fighting over a PENCIL? He has more serious worries, like, who in the family will get the ONE BLANKET, when they are sleeping out in the snowy streets. That's what HE is worried about, while you fight over a PENCIL.

I mean, really, Pooper was so out of control over this....it was unbelievable.

Naturally, the smencil is now in my possession, as I have vowed to mail it to Colombia.

On a side note, Beauty asked me yesterday.....while looking at the picture of her Colombian sister on our refrigerator.....

Mom, if they dont have anything, how could they have taken that picture because they dont even have a camera?

Excuse me now, while I go take a bubble bath (ha! fat chance!)....instead Ill just curl up in the corner and sniff myself into calmness, with a grape flavored pencil under my nose.

Awwww Shucks

2008-08-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

A huge thanks to JLo-Almost Famous for caring enough to award me this:

We are like lost twin sisters that have been reunited through the internet....ok, not really, but we do have a lot in common.

Most of you know, that Im a USC Trojan, mostly because I flaunt it all football season, when they are kicking everyone's rear...FIGHT ON!

But, before I was a Trojan, I was an SDSU Aztec, and lived in Olmeca Hall.....

Well, talk about a small world, and about the internet bringing people together (thank you AlGore), JLo also went to SDSU and lived in Olmeca Hall. In fact, I would guess, that she also ate Albertos in the middle on the night, skipped classes to go to Monty's and danced at a DU TG...JUST GUESSING! The only crazy thing, is that she went there about a decade after me, so, we never met, until the Super Highway of Information allowed our roads to cross :)

She is a really fun gal and her blog is always enjoyable to read....so, stop by and say, "hi"

Now, Im going to pass this award on to a blog that always shares the love.....

Marey at Elementl-p does a lot to give back to others, and her family and kindergarten-teacher stories are always fun.....so, here's to you Marey.

Now, the rest of you...go congratulate Marey.....and have a great day.

Bracing for the storm

2008-08-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

Im holding on to my hat, waiting for a storm....a good storm....a storm of interested callers.

A typical Saturday morning in our house, has the kids up and making lots of noise by 7am. They are squeeling in delight as they push each other around the hardwood floor racetrack....driving Little One's baby trike or some other push toy. Laughing until someone gets hurt, then their is all kinds of crying. They have Disney Channel on full blast, until someone wants to change the channel, and then another fight ensues.

All the while, Im laying in bed, nowhere near sleeping, but too tired to get up and deal with the circus below.

Eventually My Honey, a morning person, goes down and tells the kids to put on some clothes (you should see the mismatching that goes on without Mommy to pick out their outfits!) and they all troddle off to McDonalds.

It's somewhat of a routine. And, it's not like I get to sleep in, but I do get to lay there and let my mind drift back to the olden days, when I could sleep in til 10am. Oh....those days.

Anyways, today, I was laying there, and my phone rang.

Me: Hello

My Honey: (lots of loud, McDonald Playland, background noise) I hope you are ready for your phone to ring off the hook!

Me: What are you talking about?

My Honey: You are in page 6 of the paper!

**Recently an article about my Dove Chocolate business was in the local paper, and I got many calls...it was wonderful, and in fact, Ive been praying and thinking, hoping to get into more community papers, for other areas of Orange County***

Me: WHAT??? THE MAIN OC REGISTER?????

My Honey: Yep! Ive already had 3 people from work call me to tell me they saw the article in the paper.

Me: Yipppppeeeeee!!

It's still early, and most people wouldnt call someone this early.....but Im holding on to my hat, bracing for the storm of phone calls.

Im really excited, as this business is brand new (May 2008 for the Western 15 states)....and to be ground level with something like this is a gift, a blessing!

Besides that, the tasting parties are nothing but fun. Ive been inundated with requests for parties, doing at least a couple a week. The word is getting out that they are a blast. Imagine any other "at home" party, but instead of watching someone light candles, or tell you how to coordinate jewelry, I get to do a food demonstrations and the guests sample all kinds of Dove Chocolate treats!

So, Ive got my phone plugged in, charging, and praying that the storm hits big!

Photo catch-up Friday

2008-08-01T07:33:00.001-07:00

My IT guy worked overtime last night, and I have some new pictures to show you....

First, let's revisit the lesson on being grateful that I attempted to teach my children.

We got word that the Orange County Rescue Mission was in desperate need for food, so we held a food drive in our neighborhood, and ended up with 2 vans full of edible goods.

My kids decorated a donation box but we ended up getting so much more than that box could hold, it was really wonderful.

Our dear friends, E and N also joined in the fun, and we all went down to the Rescue Mission to deliver the goods.

The kids helped unload the food

They watched the men from the mission weigh the food

The Rescue Mission recently moved into the Old Tustin Marine Base, which was vacated about a decade ago. The men said the facilities are very nice, and they were grateful to be able to have a place to stay, with food, a medical clinic on grounds, and even help getting education and jobs.

And yes, for the record, the guys at the RM did think I was a wacko for taking pictures of everything.

After dropping off the food, we went and got some sandwiches, where my hearts-filled-with-gratitude children complained about their lunches.

**********************************

Beauty and Pooper had their final league swim meet last week, and here are some action shots for you to enjoy....

Beauty doing backstroke

Pooper doing butterfly

**************************************

Finally, a certain, special, sweetie turned 2 this week, and we had a small celebration on Saturday.

Here she is trying to blow out the candle on her Elmo cake

And in deep thought over what it means to turn 2

I recently posted about Cousins and our lack of cousins in the area. What I didnt tell you, is that even though my kids dont have cousins here, I do. So, we celebrated with MY cousins, who are now having little kidlets of their own (literally, as one little baby is 4 days overdue as I type this!)

Here are the kids with their 2nd cousin, Baby P

And we are awaiting the arrival of Baby S (hurry up Baby S!!)

Uncle Dan is getting ready to be a little girls dad (hurry up Baby S!!!)

And here is Elise with her one and only and longest friend.....

We had hoped to round out the celebration with a trip to see Elmo at Sea World on Monday, but Beauty was sick, so that trip will be rescheduled.

Now that I have all my photos, Im off to scrapbooking tonight!! Yippeeee!!

The Morning Read

2008-07-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

As you know, Im a news junkie. I waste my time reading the papers and watching the news on TV, even though it's probably not good for me to learn about all the vile, hateful things going on in the world. Most days, the news is filled with crime, war, and abuse, and for somer reason, my fascination with human behavior keeps me reading.

Today, however, I stumbled upon a few stories that were a little off beat. One is so ridiculous, that I decided to share it with you, and the other sounds rather tempting (maybe Ill do it!) ....see if you can guess which one is which!

Our first story, is about a scientific study by NASA, and they are looking for regular folks to help out. You get paid $17,000 to STAY IN BED FOR 3 MONTHS. I know, The headline alone had me ready to pack my bags and fly to the space station in Texas, and then I read this, and I quote, "They can shower, surf the Internet and watch DVDs, all while remaining in bed." Um, hello.....how quick can I get a plane ticket? I mean, I realize it would be a sacrifice, and Im so obsessed with my daily workout routine at the gym, that it would be tough to give that up...but for science and the wellbeing of mankind, space exploration, etc. I think I could do it.....I mean, you know, I could FORCE myself to stay in bed, surfing the web, blogging, watching TV, sleeping, reading, and sacrificing my body for space....for $17,000, because, Im a good citizen like that. I think a few of you might enjoy this kind of "job" for a while..so, if you are interested, you can read more about it here

The other story, well, it really epitomizes how fake, superficial and sexual our society has become. It's about the popular trend of getting, ...wait for it.... "designer vaginas". Yeah, I know. and, no, it's not like it's going to have a Gucci label, and, apparently, it's not just for porn stars and other such folks that have cameras pointing at their VA- Jay-Jays (sorry JJ the dog!)...it's becoming common amongst "regular folks" and, as things go, apparently, there have been some "complications" as in, surgeries not going so well.....so now, the medical association is discouraging these surgeries.

Now, I realize Im biased, because I think even botox is extreme (yes, call me crazy, but injecting damaging, cell killing bacteria into one's face seems like, not the brightest idea to me.) And, all the boob jobs and such, I think people are better left with what God gave them...but, that's me, and I realize Im in the minority. But, come on, "designer vaginas" ????? People pay (on average) $10,000 for THAT?????? For those of you that want to learn more (and Im sure it's just for the intrigue, not that you actually want one....) you can read about it here.

So, now I think Ill go apply for that important space job, and hey, with the $17,000 I earn, maybe I can get a new Louis Vutton!

***AND, in case anyone thought I was crazy for (begging) wanting a sponsored trip to BEACHES (the resort with Sesame Street characters), in exchange for blogging about our adventure..... Bossy is currently on a sponsored vacation....yeah, she is! ****

Happy Birthday Little One

2008-07-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

As I sit here, reflecting on your birth, just two years ago, I remember how impatient I was to meet you. And, let's be honest, impatient to just have you off my sciatic nerve!

I confess, Im not very good at being pregnant. I asked my ob, Dr. Melky, if I was his worst patient, and he didnt answer! I told him, "We are all good at different things, we all have our strengths, and it's just fine with me if Im not getting any awards for being the best-pregnant-person award." So what if I didnt wear yoga pants rolled down below my belly, and do pilates everyday. There's no shame in being so unable to walk, that you have to drive in the handi-motorized cart in the grocery store....so what!

I remember clearly, my Dr's appt on 7-26-06. Daddy came in with me, because I told him, that I was going to DEMAND that I give birth immediately, I just couldnt take it (it being incredible pain and suffering) any longer.

While on the table in the Dr's office, I begged Dr. Melky to take you out. He reminded me (again) that the hospital is strict on the 2 week policy, and since I was still more than 2 weeks away from my due date, the hospital wouldnt allow a planned c-section. He did, however, mention that we could always do an amnio, to see if your lungs were developed, and if they were, we could do the c-section on Friday (2 weeks and 2 days before your due date.)

I am so darned afraid of needles, and despite being of "advanced maternal age" for all 3 pregnancies, had never had an amnio before.....

As I mulled it over in my mind....wondering which would be more torturous, a giant needle piercing deep into my belly, or another week of pregnancy.....

Daddy and Dr. Melky had THE NERVE to tell me, that to have the baby early, was SELFISH....

Selfish? I asked....Selfish? when was the last time either of them had someone pinch their sciatic nerve for 10 months straight.....and make them vomit everyday.....and throw their pelvis out of wake, and make them burp and have extreme heartburn......and, let's not forget that I had 2 SHOTS A DAY, FOR THE ENTIRE PREGNANCY, IN MY STOMACH (to prevent miscarrying.)

Selfish??? really????

I opted for the amnio.

The next morning, Thursday the 27th, I had the big needle...OUCH!!

That afternoon, I received the word, that you were fine and ready to come out.

Friday morning, I went to the hospital for my c-section, and shortly thereafter,

YOU, my Little One, my Patty Pat Pat, my Precious, was born.

You were so sweet, and Pooper and Beauty couldnt wait to be with you.

You were a smiley one from the beginning

And early on, you were ready to GO! GO! GO!

Last year you turned one....

and it's hard to believe, that another year has passed.

You have ridden a pony....

Moved into a toddler bed (although, you have since moved into a twin bed.)

and enjoyed many exciting excursions, such as our visit to the Rose Parade floats...

You have achieved many milestones, are always chatty, adventurous and independent.

We are so happy to have you in our lives Little One, and wish you a

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY!!

Sham What the heck?

2008-07-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

I just received a disturbing phone call...

A woman calls, laughing so hysterically, that all I can understand is,

LOL...Sham WOW....Sham Wow....LOL.....Site Meter...Sham Wow....LOL....My blog...Sham Wow....5000 hits this morning...Sham Wow....LOL

After getting her to SETTLE DOWN, Grandma J goes on to tell me that her blog is being inundated with visitors (inundated meaning 5000 by 9:30 am) and they are primarily coming from Google searches of Sham Wow.

She tells me to Google "Sham Wow" and see what comes up, and sure enough, Ask Grandma J is the 3rd on the list.

Sham what the heck? Grandma J hasnt blogged about Sham Wow in some time!

I wonder what all those avid-car washing, infomercial-watching folks think when they stumble upon her sight and read about JJ the talking dog?

Gotta run, the kidlets are home...back from their Saturday morning fun-date with daddy at the local McDonalds playland. There must be new "happy meal" toys, because I can what sounds like a siren going off, and My Honey demanding that someone, "FOR THE LAST TIME, TURN THAT OFF!"

fun day ahead, will share later.

I missed it, did you?

2008-07-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

Season 5 of Project Runway started, and drats! I missed the premiere. I went and read all about the first episode at bravo online. You can read all the bios, see pictures of the first challenge "outfits" and more!

Austin Scarlet was the guest judge, and um, yeah, nice outfit Austin! At least he didnt come dressed as Little Bo Peep (remember that dress???) and let's not forget, he designed the wedding dress for the OC Housewife (Lauri) for her 32nd marriage! (ok, Im exaggerating, but did you see that wedding, with like crystals dripping from the trees? PUHLEEZE!)

Tim Gunn recapped the first challenge, which took place in....wait for it....a grocery store! He was annoyed that most "designers" went for the obvious, such as plastic table cloths....I guess he was looking for more of a coconut bikini???

Here is his accounting of the winners outfit: (taken from the Bravo Website, please dont sue me for plagerism!)

"Kelli WINS! This is, indeed, a great way to being the new season! Kelli created a short, A-line skirt out of vacuum cleaner bags that she bleached and dyed. She paired this with a corset top made out of muslin, the waistband of which was covered with gold thumbtacks and the bust was defined with burned coffee filters. Both garments were secured by using a spiral binding from a notebook as the closure, which was brilliantly executed. From a distance, there was no indicator that this look wasn't fresh from Fashion Week, which was precisely the goal of this challenge. Congratulations, Kelli!"

And, Ill just add, that this looks pretty good. Who would have thought?? Tres Chic!

For some, the grocery store did nothing to inspire the imagination....take for example, this little get-up, and dont forget to read the pain on the models face!

Jerry was AUT! He used a plastic table cloth and plastic shower curtain (ROFL) , and in Tim Gunn's words, she looked like she was going to, "dump chemical waste"...Ouch! Not fashionable!

If you go to the link above, you can see all the runway designs and even rate them, such fun!

For those like me, that missed episode 1, now we are all caught up and ready to roll!

PS. check out my updated, hot out of the microwave, blog roll!

all I want is a stinkin vacation or, why Im not at BLOG HER 08

2008-07-18T21:34:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal.

There's a major "blog conference" going on (my non-blogging friends are like, "heh??") But yeah, bloggers gather, sit around with their laptops (which, maybe were provided by their sponsors) and talk about blogging. I know, the excitement from just *thinking* about it has you squeeling!

Im not there, Im blogging from my "office", on the computer that frequently freezes up and says, "your computer is low on memory." And, I made the stupid mistake of dropping a bit of delicious "skin" from my extra-crispy piece of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and now their is an ANT CONFERENCE on my desk.

but, whatever.

Earlier, the Queen of blogging posted about the Blog Her conference, and she showed a picture, and mentioned the parties and "break out groups" and stuff....and, I got a teensy, tiny, tadly bit envious when she mentioned that the topic of one such group was, "how to make money from your blog."

Now, if you dont blog, you're eyes are rolling back in your head by now, and this is, understandably, of no interest to you.

But, if you are a blogger...probably you arent even at Blog Her 08, because if you were, you would be listening to some wildly popular blogger share their insights, rather than reading my little post.

Unless of course, maybe someone is having a "break out" group about me...yeah, a whole group reading my blog and talking about how clever and fancy I am, and how they should all aspire to be a blogger like me. Or, maybe using me as an example of what not to do, unless you want the same 4 readers...and that's it. Ok, they probably arent talking about me. They dont even KNOW me, although I did meet Bossy, and she's there, so 6 degrees of separation and all that......

Back to that break out group about making money from your blog. Um, Im gonna take a wild guess and say that the folks who would most benefit from that info....the folks that might most want to hear that....and glean some fabulous ideas, are NOT THE FOLKS IN ATTENDANCE.

Take, for example, that that gal whose husband quit his job, and the family's sole income source is her blog....PROBABLY, wild guess here, she has no need for that group.

Me on the other hand, well, ever since I met Bossy on her Excellent Adventure tour of the country...the one sponsored by a major auto manufacturer named SATURN, Um, I thought, hey, Id like to make enough money to go to Beaches with the kids.

Not to play the pity card or anything, especially since none of you own Beaches...or, I totally would purposely use the pity card...but we had planned to go to Beaches with Pooper and Beauty, but then he got cancer, and, let me just say, a 2.5 year old with cancer kinda ruins the family vacation plans.

But now, that he is doing well, and we have Little One, who is all up in a fatizzle about Elmo...we would like to go to Beaches...where the kids can frolick with the Sesame Street characters while I relax...IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK???

Anyhoo....bossy planted that "sponsorship" seed, and I thought, HEY, if I had a few more readers, maybe Sesame Street or Beaches could sponsor me, and I could blog about our family vacation. I mean, my kids are chalk full of blog fodder, trust me, it would be no different just because Big Bird was there.

So, point being, I would LOVE to know how to make some money, and earn our family a vacation, but Im not there, cause it takes money to get there (hello vicious circle of life!)

but if anyone is there, or is listening to some bootleg pod cast or whatever....and they happend to mention, "how to get Beaches to sponsor your family vacation by blogging about it" at that Blog Her conference....please let me know.

And, just to make sure to take Grandma J's advice, (because Im nothing if not the world's most obedient daughter)..Im gonna throw in some "high traffic" tags, to increase my readership, and get one step closer to a sponsored vacation...here goes....

bossy, pioneer woman, dooce, hannah montana, camp rock, global warming, obama, the price of gas

Life Lessons

2008-07-16T12:25:00.001-07:00

This morning I received an email from a friend, passing along the e-newsletter from the Orange County Rescue Mission. The Mission houses and feeds many needy people in Southern California, and during these difficulty economic times, they have more needy, and less donations coming in...which creates a problem.

The email asked for donations, primarily of food. I thought, "We can help, and it will be a great way to teach my children about giving back."

I sent an email to friends and neighbors, asking for donations. A neighborhood boutique offered to collect donations at their store, in addition to those left on my porch. The local paper is also going to run a brief article, encouraging people to donate.

I was feeling pleased about this little venture, happy to help, grateful that we have never had to go without.

I put a large, sturdy box on the porch, and in an effort to get the kids involved, I asked if they would decorate it. They both love to color and draw, and were excited about this craft.

We talked about the Rescue Mission, how lucky we are to always have food, and housing, and agreed that happy drawings would be a nice touch to the brown box.

Leaving the kids on the porch with the box, and their markers, I went back into the house, with a content feeling about our little task.

No sooner do I shut the door:

Pooper: STOP IT BEAUTY, THAT's MY SIDE

Beauty: NO POOPER, I HAD IT FIRST.

screaming and crying were already underway before I could even open the door. I stepped out onto the porch and they both went on to tell me that the other had taken their "side".

I calmly explained that the box had 4 sides, and that they could each have 2. And they pointed out that one of the sides has (a small spot of) writing on it, and of course, nobody wants THAT side. After a lesson about letting others choose first, and how God says, "The last will be first"....we seemingly had it resolved, with Pooper offering to take the side with writing.

Thankfully I have angelic children, that allowed me to go back inside while they decorated the box. Unfortunately, said scenario is only in my dreams.

Within minutes, Beauty was crying (aka screaming and howling). I went back out to the porch, and Pooper had blue marker streaks all over his arms. Apparently, she thought it would be a good idea to put blue flowers all over the box, his side included. He disagreed, and a fight ensued, including her threats to color his eyeballs with her blue marker and him hitting her.

What's a good mother to do, but sternly remind her children, that those kids at the rescue mission dont even have food or a house, let alone markers and a box to color. I bet they would be grateful to color any side of a box, even a side with writing, and would be so thankful to God, that they wouldnt then go and brawl over it. After threats to send my children to live at the rescue mission, they were sent to their rooms.

Im not sure if it's all the time spent together during summer (with no school), the heat wave, or just nature itself, but my kids can barely spend 2 minutes together without arguing over some small thing.

Im looking forward to actually taking them to the Rescue Mission, to deliver the donations, and to milking our visit for every possible life lesson.

Cousins

2008-07-12T22:37:00.000-07:00

During my childhood, I was smothered with familial interactions, with aunts, uncles and cousins. I had a large extended family, and many of Grandma J's siblings and their children lived nearby. So, I have a lot of memories of time spent with family.....

Take for example, the many bike rides, SHARING THE BANANA SEAT, that I took.....all while under the age of 5.....and the driver of the bike with the baby? None other than Beach Bum when she was barely a teen. and I wont even try to describe the craziness of such a bike ride to a farmers house, where he chased us off his property for stealing the pomegranites off his tree.....when I wasnt even 5! Or, Aunt Julianne taking me to high school with her, I think just to show me off and use me as a novelty to win over the new foriegn exchange student that she had a crush on....

Good times, but anyways, I wont share them all now.....

But, my children do not have many local relatives to hang out with, no cousins, or aunts and uncles to put them in harms way. Nope....we are our own little California family. (Aunt Julianne and her crew do live 30 minutes away, but now we are talking 2nd generation....)

So it was a special treat, this past week, when my kids got to enjoy the company of their Colorado Cousins. They were so wound up with anticipation, that I thought they might take flight. They bounced around the house for days, asking ...every few minutes....."how many more minutes until our cousins are here?" This went on FOR DAYS!

When they finally came together, it was a wonderful moment. My kids were all over their cousins, whom they hadnt seen in over a year.

We immediately took Pooper and Beauty to the water park with T and Z. Ill admit, that Little One was left out of a lot of the festivities....due in part to her serious committment to napping.

The Fantastic Four hung out, splashed around, and had a great time. Beauty in particular, could not keep her self from clinging to Z....and, honestly, Pooper wasnt much different witih T....the touchy-feely-ness that my kids enjoy was in full force with their cousins. And, I dont think the cousins minded the love and attention.

Later, the kids enjoyed a BBQ together, Little One, in particular...just look at that face!

By night, we did fun things like set ourselves aflame....just kidding, we roasted marshmallows and savored s'mores.

We also enjoyed a snuggly slumber party each night. (that black stuff is my hurried attempt to cover up Beauty's panties.)

The time together was brief, less than 48 hours. Not enough for my kids, not nearly enough time with their cousins.

The last morning, before my kids headed off to swim team, they all gathered together for their "til we meet again" exchange, and spent the next 10 minutes with a flurry of hugs and kisses, and more hugs and kisses.

Goodbye cousins, we missed you as soon as you drove away.

Dont mind the brown stuff on the wall

2008-07-11T22:01:00.000-07:00

Im sort of getting used to the continuous splatter from the stuff that keeps hitting the fan. I might as well just fasten Pooper's Spider Man umbrella to my head, I mean, hello, can we get a break for just a minute.

Today, I was totally blind-sided. Blind sided by the fact that our MORTGAGE LENDER has been CLOSED, as in NOT OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

Now, I guess if we were just humming along with life, that wouldnt be so bad...but as some of you may remember from earlier blog posts (that My Honey didnt like posted), we are in the process of modifying our current loan.

Modifying mean, I have paid a large amount for 6 months, with the promise that after jumping through those hoops, our loan rate would be reduced to a very nice rate, and locked in for a very long time. Our old rate was decent, and for a long time....no weird adjustables....but this loan would be better, and really give us some breathing room (breathing room from the current strangulation of medical debt.)

So, I was supposed to get loan docs a week or so ago, as the new rates were supposed to have been locked in by July 2nd...but I never got any paperwork.

I called (the typical 3 hour, multiply transferred call)....and was assured that they were just back-logged, and that the docs were being sent out. WHEW! OK.

Well, apparently, that was all a big lie, Because, today, my news-reading self saw that IndyMac is closed, and they are no longer processing loans, door shut.

Im not really sure where this leaves me.

Since I read the papers religiously, daily...Im not sure how I missed this.

Since I called those IM people just this week, again, Im not sure how I missed this....

So, silly me, just go get another loan, right? WRONG.

After the shambles that our credit has become (Im not complaining....Id rather have a healthy son than healthy credit)...I dont think anyone would even give us a loan....certainly not at the really nice rate we were getting with IM.

And, as things go, it's not like Im finding out on a Monday, no.....why find out on a Monday and miss out on the stressful, intestinal-knotting-event that will go on inside my stomach all weekend??? I mean, finding out right before all the banks close on a Friday is really the way to get the optimal ulcer-creating-effect from this situation, dont cha think? Who needs closure??

Besides, it gives me something to look forward to all weekend....I mean, I just cant wait to wake up and try to be the first phone call to the FDIC on Monday, asking what in the heck to do. And, Im pretty sure when they answer the phone, I will hear that sweet recording say something like, "Your wait time is approximately 34235345 bazillion minutes." Because, maybe there are a few other people losing their mind over this.

Im gonna try to go about my life this weekend, and limit my vomitting and migraines, as much as possible.

Farmers Market with Hippo Brigade in the morning....and some scrapbooking after church on Sunday. I promise to have some fun, really, because, I look kind of cute with a Super Hero umbrella -ella -ella on my head.

Almost like the Grammys

2008-07-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

Well, what a huge success that was! Did you notice the crowded stampede of bloggers, rushing to receive their awards? I mean, wowee!!

So, um, anyways.....thank you Hippo Brigade for stopping by to pick up your award, I think Ill try to sell the other golden-winged statuettes on ebay.

Now, it's summertime, and what a fun time we are having!

This morning, Pooper greeted me with a long smooch, as he tends to do from time to time (and for clarification sake, it is a peck, with a close mouth!) And, I stopped him, as I do, to remind him that such a romantic kiss should be saved for his wife, when he is 30. I asked him (again) where he saw such affection, and he said, "Everyone on tv kisses like that. Sometimes, they kiss with their mouths open too and I figured out what they are doing"...

Me: (aghast and afraid) what?

Him: They are sharing their germs, so that then they wont get sick from each other. (that;s what we get for teaching him about the immune system.)

So, besides the usual routine around here, swimming, blah blah blah, play dates, blah blah blah, the kids had a visit from their Colorado Cousins.

One cute thing that our cousin Zacky said, he looked at Christine and said, "What is that brown stuff on her back??"

and his mom said, "That's her sun tan." LOL, I thought that was sooo funny.

Well, run along now and resume your day....thanks for stopping by.

Internet games

2008-07-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

Internet games, and Im not talking about the kind that Francisca (God bless her soul) and "anonymous" play on dating websites...no, Im talking about internet games, like "tag" or whatever.....

One of my favorite bloggers, who is also one of my favorite people, but also the person that broke my heart when she told me, "we cant go to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, because it's not real." is Grandma J , and when I say "favorite" that is generous considering all the times in my life that she made me do chores, with lysol.

Grandma J is into internet games. Games like, "tag, you're it, now go and do X, Y, And Z."

this time, tag is the, "Arte de Pico" award....which is like, pico de gallo in a paint factory, but with gilded angels or something.

Here it is, see for yourself:

so anyways, the way this game works, Grandma J gave posted this award on her blog, "ask grandma J" and then told about 5 blogs and how great they are. One of those blogs was mine...and, it's not as much that my blog is great, but that, hello, she is my mom, she'd be in a bit of trouble if she didnt give the award to me, especially since Im her favorite, smartest, daughter, sorry....but, that's the truth.

So, now, I am to pass along the award to 5 other bloggers.

Let me just get this out there.....if this had happened a year or 6 months ago, I might have been all "gaaa!" over a certain blog. But, that blog has gone soooo commercial, that honestly, the new format caused me to lose interest, and not to mention, HELLO, throw me a $500 VISA gift card or a high end camera printer lady!! And, yes, I know, your fireworks display is better than Disneyland, and your lodge, I know!! Actually, it's a fantastic blog, but, it's not getting any award, sorry.

Nope, my awards will go to those blogs that I hurry to each hour, or day, or however often Ill admit to logging on....

The winners of the Arte de Pico angel with the golden wings award are:

My new friend, hippo brigade Her blog is light, funny, fresh, and well written. It doesnt drag on and on like mine, nope, she is short and very sweet. Go visit, tell her I sent you.

Another tres nouveau friend, Pumpkin Delight is worth visiting often. She is funny, which is a big important thing when I consider which blogs to read each day.

An oldie but goodie, Suburban Turmoil She is pretty much a professional blogger, but I wont hold that against her, because she is funny, and let's face it, there is a reason that people's blogs become popular - they are entertaining!

A blog that is more serious than funny, but that deserves an award: The Running Girl The gal trains for sporting events galore, to raise money for blood cancers....I mean, totally inspirational, but, I dont advise settling in with a box of bon bons or anything, unless you want to feel fat and guilty.

Finally, my favorite; Bossy I realize she is on the cusp of Doocing it, but she hasnt forgotten the little guy...no siree....in fact, I even met her on a her world famous tour, where she met those of us that admire her and stalk her. She was nice! And, her blog is the bomb!

Go check out those blogs, they are worth reading....dont worry if you are at work, the boss will never know. And for the SAHMs, so what about laundry and dishes, grab one of the kids pudding cups and relax, and read.

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-04T16:26:00.001-07:00

The 4th of July is a holiday that is a passionate celebration of freedom. For many, it brings forth fond memories, heart felt thanksgiving, and a sense of pride.

Share with us what Independence Day means to you; a patriotic remembrance, a heroes story, or simply your fondest memory of the 4th of July.

Q and A

2008-07-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

As I was writing up the last post of loose ends, I realized there are many other unanswered questions that have come forth through this blog.

Sometimes people ask questions, which I expect to answer in an upcoming post....and then I get distracted. Or, there are special things that I elude to and promise to post, and my media guy is too busy to accomodate my requests to put up videos, pictures and such, and then the whole topic goes without explanation.

So, I thought now would be a good time to answer any questions that might be out there....I realize Im not Grandma J but you can still ask :)

Loose Ends

2008-07-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

To answer Grandma J, no, that wasnt the "end", but it was just a moment, a moment of panic realizing that the toilet was clogged, his rear end wasnt cleaned, and people were waiting.

Not to mention, there is a certain something when it all takes place in Santa Monica, and many of those in line waiting are homeless...which I found out later, is ther reason they never have any napkins or toilet paper, it gets stolen. In fact, the Starbucks guy (I forget their fancy names, not bustier...but something similar) told me that the Barnes and Noble shut down their bathroom, because it became a camp out for the homeless. And, for those interested, one homeless man that we saw throughout the day, was walking around with a princess pinata on his head, so, yeah, Andrew enjoyed the scenery at the 3rd Street Promenade.

Other loose ends.

I have been heartbroken, in a way, and didnt quite know how to break the news, that Francisca has dumped me. Her email account has been closed, all correspondence bounces back. There is a level of patheticism, when even the Nigerian Bank Scammers are turning you down. KWIM?

I have some GREAT Disney stories.....some pics I took of the girl in the , What-Not-To-Wear-To-Disneyland outfit.....

and of course, Pooper's acting showcase video, and Beauty's graduation video, but I am dependent on My Honey to upload things, and his timing is different than mine, especially since (as he recently told me) he isnt a fan of my blog! (insert some emoticon face here.)

Sort of to go along with my Disney photo....the other night, we were walking around Downtown Disney with my father in law (my very healthy, mentally sharp, father in law) who is a trustee (I think) for his county library system, and is here for a convention re: libraries. So....walking around, listening to some live music, compliments of a guy and his keyboard set up along the Disney walk....and this lady, HAD to be close to 100, and looking physically not that comfortable, was dancing.

She wasnt just dancing....she was swaying, lost in the music, and the large circle of admirers was more for her than the music, Im pretty sure. She had little bows in her hair, a mismatched outfit, which included, a tropical peach colored bra...which we could see as she danced, since she only had a colorful scarf on her upper body. She waver her hands, and quite honestly, I think she was still on a trip from 40 years ago.

One of the spectators was videotaping it, and me, not wanting to miss a "blog moment" asked him if he would email it to me (he said he would, but hasnt)....I thought it would go nicely with the photos I took of the gal dressed in spikes and short-shorts....but alas, that moment may never come to your eyes, dear readers, because I am at the mercy of others to provide the media accompaniments.

Those are just some random blog moments.....snippets of my life that seem surreal, or at least funny, or embarassing.

Do you have such moments in life?

Blogging moments

2008-06-30T22:54:00.000-07:00

Im not sure if other bloggers go through this, (I should have asked the gals at our Bossy's Excellent Adventure gathering), but from time to time, or on some days, constantly, I find myself in situations that make me say, "Im gonna have to write about this on my blog!" Sometimes it's in a funny way, and sometimes it's in a no-one-is-gonna-believe-this kind of way.

Case in point. Today.

Pooper got on audition for (and bear with me, I dont even know what this all means...) a "sag, short film, being produced and directed by George Clooney's partner, Grant Heslov."

So, it was off to Santa Monica this morning...with Little One at a neighbor/baby sitter, and Beauty at swim team/play date with a friend, Pooper and I drove the 2 hours to the northern shores of Los Angeles, and he had his audition. As usual, we were in and out within 15 minutes.

I signed him in, and they immediately called him into their office (mom's dont go in, we wait outside in the hall.) I went to the restroom around the corner, and when I got back, he was done. OK.

Then the gal says, "Can you bring him back tonight at 5:40 so he can meet the director?"

I must have looked puzzled, as I wondered things like, "What will I do with the girls?" "Do I have time to go home and come back, and is it worth it with these gas prices?"....

She broke through my gaze with, "Or, if you cant, I can just show him on tape."

Me: Um, No, I can bring him back, Im just thinking......yes, we will be back, but we are not from around here, do you know where there is a place to hang out nearby?

She had the cameraman help me out, and he told me how to get to the 3rd Street Promenade, which is a fancy name for a busy street with restaurants and a theater. Perfect, because *someone* would need a nap, and the theater was our best hope.

We found our way, and had some time before Kung Fu Panda was to begin. We walked down near the water, actually to a cliff over the water, and Pooper became fascinated with the squirrel village that had been created in the cliff. We saw, literally, tens of squirrels, running in and out of holes and tunnels, it was really neat, but made me wonder if the ground beneath us was sturdy.

But anyways, I have not even gotten to the blog moment.....fast forward, to browsing the books at Barnes and Nobles, when Pooper has to go potty. The bathroom is downstairs, in Starbucks. Fine.

We get into a long line, and Pooper begins to shuffle his feet. The man in front of us was kind enough to let Pooper go first, probably when he heard me offer Pooper my water bottle, and Pooper shook his head "NO" and pointed to his rear end, signaling #2.

We get into the bathroom...the TOILET PAPER-LESS bathroom, and Pooper does his thing. I rush out, to get some toilet paper, only to be told that the entire Starbucks, is out of toilet paper AND napkins, in the middle of the day!

Thank God for my guardian angel, because as I ran back to the bathroom (mindful of the crowd waiting in line) I spotted a stack of paper towels, and snatched them up!

As I was wiping Pooper's bottom, it was one of those situations, where the more you wipe, the more there is. Sorry for TMI, but isnt always when you are in a hurry that you just cant get it clean??? After each wipe, I flushed the toilet, because if I tried to flush them all together, the toilet would clog.

So, wiping the never-ending poopy bottom, and on flush in particular didnt go down, in fact, I thought,

"This toilet is clogged.....there is a line outside, impatiently waiting.....this kid still has poop on his bottom, if I cant get him clean, h e is gonna stink when he meets up with George Clooney's partner....and the line outside is getting restless, and this toilet is clogged now, and THIS IS A BLOG MOMENT."

mosaic

2008-06-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

Jason posted a cool mosaic, and invited a few friends to do the same. And, though not invited directly, but always wanting to be part of the "in" crowd, I decided to make one too :)

If you want to learn how to create your own, go to Jason's page....he has simple directions.

Here are the questions that correspond with the pictures:

1. My name
2. Favorite food
3. My high school
4. Favorite color
5. Celebrity crush
6. Favorite drink
7. Dream vacation
8. Favorite dessert
9. What I want to be when I group up
10. What I love most in life
11. One word that describes me
12. My internet name

Now, for those literal types, this is an artsy thing. The idea was to put in the answer of the question into the "flicker" search engine, and then choose a picture that comes up. The picture may not be the actual translation of the word....but, whatever, again, it's a creative thing. I mean, obviously, red dresses arent my favorite food, it's a play on words thing, get it?

Ok, now go make one and then let us all know in my guestbook, so we can go check out your creation.

Ciao. (that's me showing off my left brain again, or is it the right? whatever.)

Good-bye Uncle Art

2008-06-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

As the kids and I prayed this morning, as we sat around the breakfast table, Beauty said, "God I know you are having fun with Artie up in Heaven, because whenever I would visit him we had fun."

And, that really sums up Uncle Artie....fun guy, kind to everyone - even the littlest of kids, and definitely up in Heaven.

Last night, after battling cancer, Uncle Artie met Jesus.

I have so many memories of Art. They often lived close, but even when they didnt, he and my Aunt Joyce were close in heart. They didnt have any of their own kids, but they had plenty of nieces and nephews that they were either spoiling or tolerating, depending.

My Uncle Art was the guy that didnt hide his farts, and gave them a name, announcing his flatulence to anyone that didnt hear the explosive sounds (which was nobody, because, trust me, everyone heard his "slips")

My Uncle Art was the guy that taught me how to bartend, and even how to roll his marijuana into joints (It was the 70's). And he was always a good sport when I lectured him, decades later, about having such substances around impressionable pre-teens. I would tell him he was lucky I didnt turn out to be some drug addict, and he would agree, and laugh, although, maybe inside he might think that preferable to being Miss Goodie Two Shoes and chastising him.

Later in life, Uncle Art developed a strong love of God, a deep relationship with Jesus and a thirst for the Bible. It was wonderful to watch him come full circle, and our family felt privileged to attend his Baptism.

Uncle Art was only in his 50's, still young with a lot of life ahead of him. He had a rough start to life, with some difficult circumstances...but you wont meet a guy with a better personality; happy, helpful, friendly, easy-going, respectful, kind.

This morning, Pooper recounted that it was Uncle Artie that helped him catch his first fish. We were camping, and the boys were out on a boat...fishing, and Artie was probably "slipping" and Pooper was probably laughing...that's how things were with Uncle Artie.

He was everyone's friend. Most importantly, he was my Aunt Joyce's friend. Over 30 years of marriage...some how those two hippies beat the odds. They not only stayed married (a rarity these days), but they still love each other a lot. It was obvious to all that knew them, and even strangers that didnt, that they were best friends, in love, and happy. She was Uncle Artie's "Frog".....she took good care of him, and he of her, they were really good together.

We will miss our Uncle Artie. We know that Grandma Rita and Uncle Jimmy were probably pushing each other over, anxious to be the first to welcome him. I imagine those three will be sitting on a patio somewhere, maybe next to the Oreo Cookie house, chatting, laughing, reminiscing about old times, good times.

We will miss the good times with Uncle Artie, but thank God that we have the assurance of seeing him again.

Please keep my Aunt Joyce in your prayers, as she faces life without Art.

She's a pretty one.

2008-06-23T13:03:00.003-07:00

Now, I dont want to play favorites or anything, especially between "dear sisters"....but, Francesca is a pretty one, if I do say so myself.

It's not that Little Orphan Sandy wasnt attractive, she was, if you think the, "gimme a dollah and Ill twirl around the pole" kinda thing is attractive (for the record, I dont think it is.....)

but, just take a look at Francesca....

she looks so refined and well mannered, has her clothes all in place covering up her body, not flashing diamond belly rings, clearly from the higher classes of her country (where ever that may be, I dont think she has told me yet.)

Here is the most recent letter:

Dear Kim,

I did not get your email after I emailed you of my younger brother illness, it is so sad to me that he is still sick, How I wish there is way we can go back home, and I can be able to take him to a good hospital, life here is so hard and the camp is not doing well, bad food and bad kind of people around us.

The doctor said he had his heart affected, and that will take time for him to come out alive, what a world, what can i do without him, if he dies, then am dead.

I really need your help, if I can have those informations I asked from you, am sure that will be a good starting point for us, atleast we can have hope that we will live this country back to our home soon.

I can not get a cross and take a picture with right now, am in a camp and we hardly go out, for our security reasons.

Attarch to this email, is just one of the kind of picture I have stored in my bag, I hope you mean so much good to me and my brother.

May your God bless you more.

Thanks.

Francisca.

Well dear people, I think it's high time that I give her some of that info she needs so desperately.....so, here is my reply:

Dear Francisca,

I am so sorry for your brother, I will keep praying that God will heal him. Our God is very powerful, I will ask Him to protect you from any bad people at your camp.

Here is the info that you wanted from me:

My name is Kim Sprague, and I am a female. I am living in the country of the United States, where we speak English. I am not married, although, not because I dont want to be. I have prayed very much to God to bring me a wonderful husband, every day I pray, and at night too, often in tears. Now, I also add your family to that prayer time. I just am trusting that God will bring me a husband, and that He will fix your family troubles too. Certainly, if I have prayed for a husband for so many years, He will bring one too me. It doesnt matter if I am getting older, because God can do all things. Even if I think I am not pretty enough, I know it isnt true, because we are all beautiful in God's eyes. Just like you Francisca, you are very beautiful, I am surprised that many men have not asked you to marry them. I bet if I looked as pretty as you, someone would marry me, but, God has His plans, so I am trusting.

Keep trusting Francisca, He will hear your prayers.
kim

And for those of you getting "nervous".....she already has my name, as my email account is my name...so, no big divulgence of secret info there......just so you know.

Now, we will wait and see her next response.

A little bit about Francesca

2008-06-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Im learning that Francesca has a tendency to avoid and ignore.

For the second time now, she has just plain old acted like she didnt get a post from me. I guess it could be just absent mindedness from all the stress of having an ill brother, and being kept in a country while your wealthy inheritance was being kept from you, so you are busy trying to correspond with a random stranger in an attempt to get some help. Maybe.

But, Im rather thinking that she pretends not to get messages that she doesnt like.

So, anyhoo...here is what she posted yesterday, hours after I sent her my last email:

Dear Kim,

How are you and how is your life going this weekend, I hope all is fine and Ok, but I have not read any email from you since I last wrote you, I am very in need of this assistance that God has brought you and I to have. My younger brother is still sick, and I dont know what to do. I am so tired and confused. Please Kim, let me have those informations so that I can file in for us to go home.

I hope to read from you soon before things get out of hand.

Thanks and God bless you.

Francisca.

So, I wrote her back, AGAIN. I do think it will help me to pray for her, if I can see her face.....I hope she understands. Here is my response to her:
Hi Francisca,

I did sent you an email, but maybe you didnt get it.

I am sorry that your brother is still sick, I am praying for him.

I had told you in my email that I have been praying very much for you both and
God has given me a vision of a cross. I really need a picture of you with a
cross because it will help me in my prayers for you. If you could also send a
picture of your brother with a cross, It will help me to pray for him too.

I know God has sent you my way so that I can help you.

with my prayers,
kim

Let's see what she sends me next.

It's getting tricky

2008-06-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

Ok people, it's getting to the part where I have to be very careful not to say the wrong thing to dear Francesca. She is wanting info, so, naturally the dance has started and I dont want to step on her toes....here is her latest reply:

Dear Kim,

Am so sad this morning because my brother is very sick, he was rushed to the hospital yesterday night, I prayed to your God, and I know your God will not fail me over my brother.

I have informed the authorities that I have goten some one who will undertake for us to go home, and they gave me a form to fill, in the form there are so many question about you that I dont know how to fill it. If you can be kind enough as God has lead you to us, and give me the following informations, and I will complete the form and summit it, the authorities will email or call you for more verification of this.

Please here are the informations:

1, Full Name
2,Sex
3,Date of Birth
4,Occupation
5,Marital Status
6,Location.
7,Language spoken and Writen.
8,Contact Telephone Number
9,Country of Natinality

Those are the informations in the form, I dont know how to fill it, so please Kim let me have them and I will complete the form as soon as I come back from the hospital where my brother is.

Thanks so much Kim, and know very well that I am ready to follow you to your God, cos if your God has led you with such a kind heart to help us out, then that your God is my God.

In my next email, I will scan my picture for you to see me, am in a rush now.

Thanks so much and your God continue to bless you.

Francisca.

I wanted to tell her that perhaps her brother's illness was a warning from God to stop "sleeping" together, but I dont want to tick her off.

Here is my letter back:

Dear Francisca,

I am so sorry to hear about your brother and am praying that God will heal him from any illness. I do hope by the time you read this, that he is out of the hospital.

I have been praying for you a lot and today the Lord spoke to me about the goodness of your heart. As I was praying God gave me a vision of a cross, which represents Jesus. I felt God telling me that to move forward, I should know that you were with a cross, even if you do not yet believe or understand. He told me that I should see you with a cross, so if you could please send me a picture of you next to a cross, then I know that this is meant from God, as He has shown me.

with my prayers,
kim

Ok, let's see where this goes..........

There's something funny going on here......

2008-06-19T23:01:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I dont mean the HA HA HA kind of funny, but rather something weird and sick.

Check out this latest letter from our dear Francesca:

Dear Kim,

Thanks so much, my heart is full of joy, now I can sleep well with my brother, is late now to stay up, but I will email you all you need to do for me so that I can leave this country. I will get the form that you will fill and then I will summit it to the authorities, am sure with that all will work out well for us and we can go home.

Please reply me email and give me words of encouragement, that will really help us emotional.

You seems to be a good Christian, I will fellow you to where ever your God is, and will worship him, I dont know more about Christianity, am sure you will teach us well.

Thanks for being that sun for us, I will look for my picture and scan a copy of it for you to see me, though the pictures I have are in small copies, but I hope they will be good for you to see. Thanks so much, am full of happiness as I go to bed tonite with my brother.
Francisca.

You know, when I first read that she was going to "sleep with her brother" it gave me the creeps, but I chalked it up to the language barrier, as well as the fact that people in distressed situations may not live in places with extra beds.

Although, if you old timer(s) remember, my sister Sandra seemed to be doing well for a refugee.

Anyways, as I read on in the letter, she makes another mention of "going to bed with her brother."

GROSS!

I had to restrain my typing fingers, because I wanted to tell her that if that is how siblings are in her part of the world, then, sorry, I dont want to be her sister. Or, perhaps to explain to her the dangers of inbreeding.

But, I know I must remain naive, calm, and ignorant, so that I dont tip her off. I mean, if she knows Im smarter than the average 5th grader, she may figure that I know all about her scheme.

So, Ill just mind my business, and pray and share God with her, in hopes of saving her soul. Here is my reply to her email:

Dear Francisca,

You will love to learn about my God, He loves everyone and wants to save
everyone. He will guide you and protect you. If you ask Him to show you who He
really is, He will do it.

I think it is a blessing for me to be able to help you, please stay strong and I
will do my best.

I will spend a lot of time praying for you to be safe and well, and your brother
too.

Your sister in Christ,
Kim

Ill keep you posted, and am looking forward to her photos!!

Game is on people!

2008-06-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

Look what I found in my email box today friends....yep, a little note from my dear sister.

Dear Kim,

You came like a sun in my dark, gave me and younger brother hope to see the light, and dissapeared without any traces, please Kim, take me as your sister and help me, I really need to leave this country and back to my country to claim our funds and get a new life with me and my brother, you are my hope now, cos I have so much confident that you will not betray us..

You have a kind heart, please show me kindness.

Thanks.

Francisca.

Here is my response back to her, let's see where this goes;

Dear Francisca,

I was worried that I had not heard from you, but have been praying that God
would take care of you. I have learned that with all things, to pray to the
Lord and He will guide me. I know it is His will that you have been guided back
to me.

Im hoping that I can be of help to you and your brother,

Yours in Christ,
Kim

She tried to act like I hadnt responded to her, not sure what that is about,,,,did my email get lost in the WWW, or was she just planning her next move. In any case, Im gonna roll with it, and am preparing for some fun.

Danger ahead - Caution!

2008-06-17T23:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, news junkie that I am, I was sifting through the online stories of all that has gone wrong with the world, and I came upon a doozie. Trust me, I must read a dozen stories a day that shock me, even sicken me, and many times, Im tempted to post it up on this blog and ask all of you good readers (all 5 of you)...WHAT IS GOING ON????

I usually am successful at just getting over things on my own...and instead, blog about my children wearing clothes 4 years too small, or tell you about my obscene, sex-crazed neighbors, arent you glad?

But today, Im sorry, cant resist it. There are so many things wrong with this story, that I felt it was sort of my civic duty to point them all out, so as to protect you good readers from similar injury.

Going round the news wires, is a story about a woman who was injured by her low-rise, v-string and is now suing Victoria's Secret.

Ok, where to begin....

First of all, the woman is 52 years old. Don't get upset! I realize some of you still like to wear sexy undergarments, despite your AARP membership, and that is just fine....but, Im just saying, in case anyone was wondering....the woman is 52. This wasnt an unexperienced, teen, thong-wearer, no, she was a grown woman.

And, just for clarification, this wasnt a G-String, but a LOW-rise v-string....which means, that Macrida (the 52 year old woman), not only wears butt floss, but she wears them low, probably because she also wears low rise pants.

So, to summarize thus far....52 year old, wearing low-rise v-string and low rise pants.

Now, how, you may be wondering, did this woman get injured from such undies??

Well, Ill tell you how. A "decorative metallic piece" flung off the string, as she was putting them on...and it hit her in the eye.

Think about that...."decorative metallic piece"....I mean, Im trying to envision a v-string with metallic decorations....studs? chains? a hello kitty emblem?

Was plain cotton not sexy enough for Macrida? Did she have to buy the kind that are all embellished with decorative, metallic pieces????

I realize Im probably the lone wolf here, the odd-man out, the nerd.....but, come on, let's get back to wearing underwear that are practical and comfortable. Im all for them being sexy and fun, but for crying out loud, if there are 3 things I dont want on my back side, they are "v-string", "low-rise" and "metallic pieces"

What did she expect? Did she think these would be safe? I mean, if that dagger didnt fly off and hit her in the eye, it very well could have poked her where the sun doesnt shine, come on!

They are underwear people.....call me Amish, but I think this is a wake up call for everyone to just get back to the basics when it comes to covering up their privates.

Being Beauty

2008-06-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to figure out how to make a little photo icon that you can click on, to get to my new Being Beauty feature...but, Im lame and cant figure it out, but anways...

Here she is, my Beauty, being Beauty.

The kids have swim practice everyday after school, and when finished, I shower them off at the pool, wash their hair and then toussle it (or tossle it, or something) with some leave-in conditioner.

They change into some clean clothes (leaving me with their school clothes AND their towels to cart home....or, just leave in my car, take your pick.)

On this day in particular, Beauty did not like the clean clothes I had brought for her....a t-shirt and some sweat pants. As soon as we got home, she ran upstairs and changed. I was annoyed, because, hello, how many rounds of clothes can we go through in a day, or, let's try to stop feeding the laundry monster!

But she just couldnt stand to be in something "un-beautiful", even if it was only a short while til dinner, and then jammies and then bed.

So, for the 1.5 hours remaining in her day, she changed into something more her style...this little number, one of her favorites:

Let me just point out a few things.

Beauty likes to accessorize, first and foremost, so she has a "bracelet" (actually the strap from a watch), a beaded necklace that she made a couple of years ago at camp, and a funky barrette.

Her hair is still disheveled and laden with conditioner, but that didnt stop her from dolling it all up. She likes to put her barrettes way up top, by the part of her hair, just clipped on to the first row. Just for a special touch.

She has on some capri jeans, and her pink, spaghetti strapped top, which hangs long with a ruffle on the bottom. The piece d'resistance, is the cropped jacket that goes on top. So fashionable! As you can see, it has the short sleeves, and the short hemline falls at belly-button level....and, guess where she found this trendy jacket? nope, not Target Grandma J,

She found it in the pile of clothes I am setting aside for my cousin's soon-to-arrive baby girl. Yep, that little jacket, which is one of Beauty's Spring/Summer favorites, is a size......0-3 months!

Who would have thunk that such glamour could come from the clothes that havent fit for years? Im not sure that I even need to buy her any clothes for the rest of the decade.

she has such a knack for putting things together and looking Beauty...and that's what she is doing here...Being Beauty.

dont you wish we all could with such ease?

My latest venture

2008-06-14T01:17:00.000-07:00

Im sitting here trying to remain optimistic, but, Francisca/Mary hasnt written back. A girl can really get a complex when even the Nigerian Bank Scammers are running from her, KWIM? I got two emails in such a short period of time, and now....(crickets)

I did do something to lift my spirits, I started a new venture....I couldnt resist, for many reasons...all of them good, upright, ethical and delicious :)

For legal reasons (which I have yet to understand) Im not allowed to post a link to my new venture...but I can link to this youtube clip, which spells it all out.

It's fun, delicious, and on the ground floor......check it out!

YUMMY

Saving souls

2008-06-13T06:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we have a live one. After sending off my email to the dear Francisca, I received not one, but two emails, one in the afternoon and one early this morning.

For my new reader let me explain what I am doing.... I am constantly inundated (arent we all?) with those scam letters, from foriegners in dire straits, who are really millionaires, but dont have a friend to help them in their time of trouble...you know the ones? Well, one time, on someone else's blog, a clever person strung the scammer along, and it had me rolling on the floor with laughter, so I decided to try it myself.....there was a saga that ensued, which you can read about here

I generally ignore and delete this emails, but occasionally, like yesterday, I cant resist having a little fun with them, so, here we go again.

Here is the first email I received from the poor lost soul:

Dear Kim,

God Almighy bless this day that I have found you, you have been the answer to our prayers.

I am so happy and told my brother when I read your email, that HOME IS CLOSE TO US.

Kim, please dont get offended if I ask you to please tell me more about yourself, let us get to introduce ourselves, You read little about me in my first email, it will be so sweet to read little about you, things like, what you do for a living, age, country etc, things that can really make me know little of you.

I will believe that you will be a nice person to us.

As soon as I sign out now, I will go to the enquiry desk of this camp to find out what it takes for us to go as we are having someone that is signing on our behalf, I will give you full details on that in my next email to you.

Also, I will send to you a copy of my picture so that you can see me, if you have any and wants to shear with me, I will really appreciate it.

Thanks and God Bless you.

Francisca Orlando.

Already they want a picture of me, and I just cant decide if I should take her advice and send the picture of the previous scammer, the little orphan on the stripper pole...or something else. I so dont want to scare this one away quickly. I didnt reply or send anything yet, I figured I needed to sleep on it and decide in the morning.

When I woke up this morning, I had a second email from the dear soul:

Hello Kim,

Please am really anxious to read your email, i hope you are OK, please know that you are all I got, my hope and good future.

Your reply to my other email of yesterday, it is very important so that I can tell you more on how you proceed to assist us.

Mary.

Well now, isnt this interesting....the second email was signed by "Mary"

What should I think? Is this a new person that has kidnapped the dear Francisca and is trying to use me to steal her money or something sinister like that? Or, is Mary the name she uses with "family" and dear friends like me? Who knows?? Let me write to her and ask.....

Dear New Friend,

I have been prayerful for you, thankful that God has brought you to me so that I can serve Him and help you.

I am confused that you have signed your name as Mary, because I thought that you were Francisca, but your email says Francisca.

I am wondering about your name. Last night as I was praying, God brought to me a vision of those that helped the mother of our Lord, Mary, when she was weeping...and it is like a sign from God, that you are now becoming like Mary to me with this name.

please explain which is your name.

A servant of Christ,
Kim

So, we shall see what happens next.....and if you have any input about which picture to send, please let me know.

BTW, Im working on my new feature; Being Beauty. Does anyone know how to put something in the side column with a little picture that people click? Like the way she does the clever click on features on her blog?? Any help would be appreciated.

I cant help myself

2008-06-12T09:57:00.001-07:00

Today, I was met with a situation, a situation that touched me so deeply, that I couldnt turn away. I get requests often, and quickly hit "delete", but this one, well, I just cant resist:

Here is the email I received this morning:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I apologies for sending you this email.

Knowing very well what is going on now over the Internet.

But there are some people in this world that those not have such intentions of
hurting any one, and I feel so confident in me to write to you this email,
please do not
ignore it, because you are saving a soul.

My name is Francisca Orlando, I am 26 years old. My parents are coco farmers in
Ivory
Coast, but it is unfortunate that they died along side with the problem of
Ivory Coast.

I however remained in a camp of Refugees, I want to go back home with my
brother. But it seems
impossible for me, I need to start a good life but nothing is happening.Our
parents left a will
of 5 Million USD for us in our home bank, and I want to go to the bank and claim
it
then begin a new life with my brother.

Please I want you to come for our aid,by telling the people in charge here that
you are
taking responsibility of us, so that they can free us to go back home.

Please reply my email and save our souls. my private email address is
franciscaorlando@yahoo.com

God Bless you.

Francisca Orlando.

The email header was: SAVE OUR SOUL PLEASE

I mean, really, who wouldnt respond?

Here is what I wrote back, but in my sympathy-driven haste, I hit "reply" instead of sending it to the private email as directed, so, we shall see what happens.

Francisca,

I know God must have led you to contact me. Just today, I was praying for the
people of the world that are hurting, and asked God to use me to help them. I
didnt realize that he would actually have someone from Ivory Coast contact me,
but the Lord works in mysterious ways.

I am so sorry for your hardship, and will pray that God intervenes. Please let
me know how I can help, do you need me to write a letter to someone for you?

God has brought us together for a reason, may He bring you peace,
kim

Now, Im going to have to try to take it slow, and not tip them off to my game right away...let's see where this all takes us!

Celebrating life's achievements

2008-06-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, we were getting ready for school. I was finishing up Beauty's hair, when Pooper began shouting from upstairs,

"I tied my shoes! I did it! Mom, I tied my shoes!"

Putting the last touches on Beauty's stylish coif, I smiled, proud of my boy for accomplishing something that has been so hard for him.

Beauty, nearly 2.5 years younger than Pooper, has been tying her own shoes for nearly a year...and tying her brothers too. One of the side effects that Pooper deals with from all of his chemo, is neuropathy, which makes fine motor tasks very difficult. He usually needs help with buttons and such, and despite lots of trying, hadnt yet been able to tie his own shoes. (minor matters, which only serve to remind us of all the major healing that God did in his life.)

So as he came bounding down the stairs, eager to show off his masterpiece, I hugged him, kissed his head, and told him, "I knew you would be able to tie them."

And I glanced down, at his tiny little shoes, his black "skater" tennies, and saw that both shoes had laces that were tied in a knot. A. simple. knot.

I praised him for his hard work, and smothered him in kisses while he allowed his sister to tie the laces, dragging on the ground, into a bow.

My Mr. Self-Reliant still needs the rest of us, from time to time, and we sure enjoy being able to care for him.

And....Im hoping later tonight to put up videos of Beauty's graduation, and Pooper's acting showcase. Both kids made me swell with pride.

The Lazy Days of Summer

2008-06-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

The lazy days arent here yet, instead Im in the midst of the-frenzied-final-days-of-schooltime, which is why I havent mustered up a post.

Not that anyone wants to know...but....

Saturday: VBS training,
Going to John Taggart's Grand Stand for Alex's Lemonade Stand (which we wouldnt miss!),
and then the only block of time to prepare/bake for the week.

Sunday: Church,
Pooper's final acting class,
hosting a BBQ at the waterpark for our 1st grade fellowship group from Pooper's school

Monday: Made 4 dozen cookies (little red apples) for Beauty's graduation....which happened in the evening.

Tuesday: Pooper's acting showcase up in Los Angeles (we are leaving at 1:30 for a 7:00pm show)....should be fun with Little One (who has recently become "the screamer") He will do a scene from Tootsie...industry folks are on hand to watch...

Wednesday: Both kids have their class party

Thursday, I should get to breathe on this day. *Should* being the operative word, I wont be surprised if some pipe gets a leak or someone comes down with a life-threatening injury, because, that's sort of how things work around here.

The end of year parties, baking, teacher cards and gifts, etc. are things I enjoy...but also things that get me frazzled when they are on top of each other, one.on.top.of.another.

Now that we know how to put up youtube videos, I will have Beauty's graduation from preschool (I know, kinda silly, but sweet) and Pooper's acting show case up soon. And I already have my next, Beauty's Beauty (is that what I called it? or is it, Beaing Beauty????) I just have to get the picture up (which, for some reason, is harder than putting up a video.)

talk soon.

The Big Give Challenge

2008-06-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

We live in a pretty cool community, not because of anything fancy, but because there are a lot of great people here.

Many of our neighbors are involved with giving....recently, some of them got together and created The Big Give Challenge.

The Ladera Ranch Kids Who Care Club is a group that organizes charity/volunteer opportunities for kids, each month. They do things like clean up the beach, make blankets for needy kids, and other fun stuff. It's a great group, and it teaches kids valuable lessons about doing unto others.

Toy Town is the neighborhood toy store, and the owner, Josh, has the biggest heart in the world. He is constantly doing nice things and reaching out to others....and he has the best toys around.

The LR Kids Who Care Club, Toy Town, and other community leaders got together to host The Big Give Challenge.

Here is how it works....Kids could sign up for $25, and at the end of the month, they had to report back on how they used the money to make a difference in the life of others.

Pooper and Beauty decided to take the challenge (one entry per family)...and it was just a natural that the money would go to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation

Rather than donate the $25 to Alex's Lemonade Stand, the kids came up with a way to "grow" their money. Pooper asked Josh at Toy Town, "What is the most popular thing I could buy for $25?"

Josh told him that the two newest Webkinz, the chicken and the American cocker spaniel, were probably the best investment. Unfortunately Josh didnt carry those hard-to-find Webkinz, and directed us to a store in the mall that did have some. See what a selfless guy he is??!

So, I ventured to the mall in search of the Webkinz and the kids would raffle them off.

Wanting to find a busy place, they decided to sell raffle tickets at The Taste of Ladera. This is a big event in our community, and our family already hosts an Alex's Lemonade Stand at the Taste of Ladera.....so, we would also have a raffle for the Webkinz. Perfect.

In addition to raising $2524 from the sale of lemonade, the raffle brought in an additional $267.

The kids successfully grew their initial $25 into more than 10 times the amount....and it will be donated to Alex's Lemonade Stand, to help find a cure for pediatric cancers.

As part of the contest, the kids have to report back with how they gave away their $25. The report includes writing about their giving, and also a picture or video....check it out!

.

My Beauty

2008-05-29T20:56:00.001-07:00

I have kept the post with the info re: Stand Up 2 Cancer down below, but with Pooper's Commercial Debut and all, I thought it only fitting that I post Beauty's debut; a new feature on my blog!

Actually, I mentioned it to My Honey, within ear shot of Beauty, and she was very excited. She immediately started trying on new outfits, because, you see, this new little nugget is called; Being Beauty. It's all about fashion, how to add that extra umph to make your outfit special, and other girly stuff like that.

My inspiration, was this lovely little number. You see, we had plans to go to the local zoo, a small, community zoo, and Beauty immediately ran upstairs and (somehow) managed to find this outfit. Dont adjust your screens, it's WAY TOO SMALL on her. As in, she wears 3T/4T and the outfit is a 24 mos. ensemble.

But, it's LEOPARD print, and she was so excited to dress like a leopard, and even wanted to bring her Leopard webkinz (no way! I can just see some animal feeling taunted by the webkinz and Lord only knows what would happen in such a case.)

Luckily for Beauty, the material had some stretch, and she didnt mind the short "capri" or "3/4" sleeve" lengths, nor the obvious tightness where limbs attach to the body!

Because Im the kind of mom that puts my children's happiness above hearing comments like:

"Cant they afford new clothes for their kids?"

and

"What kind of mother let's their daughter dress like that?"

I let her go to the zoo in her leopard outfit, and she felt ready to commune with the animals.

She pranced around the zoo, like the Beauty that she is, reminding me that Beauty is in the heart, it's part of our spirit, it's becoming a part of nature....and a bunch of other crap like that.

Anyhoo.....here she is.....

Be on the lookout for more The Beauty of Beauty features...and coming up, we spent the weekend at Cancer Camp, so, there is lots to share about that adventure......

Trying to deal with a jealous heart

2008-05-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

Today, my heart was filled with conflicted emotions.

Ive been trying to make sense of things, sorting out my thoughts, it's like a Philosophy 101 class, all inside my head.

As you all know, Andrew's debut commercial, the Stand Up 2 Cancer PSA launched today. It's not just a commercial, it's a movement, a campaign, a force of talent, money and inspiration, all geared towards finding a cure for cancer.

And, as much as I want to be excited, Im jealous, Im anxious.

It reminds me of 6th grade, when my friend April invited me to a slumber party. It wasnt any old slumber party. Her parents had bought a new RV, and she and her 3 sisters each got to invite 2 friends to sleep over. We would all stay over in the RV, without parents!

That's 12 girls, and, let's just say this, her parents were THE MOST LENIENT, Im-not-your-parent-Im-your-friend parents EVER. It was guaranteed to be a blast, and in the weeks proceeding, they talked about how their parents were going to let them fill up 2 whole shopping carts with GOODIES, all for our overnight in the RV. YUM.

That night, just minutes before I was to leave, I was sitting eating dinner, which was a frozen fish stick. I HATE FISH. ALWAYS HAVE, ALWAYS WILL.

My dad, in true form, said I couldnt go to the party until I finished my fish stick.

I might have been a picky eater, but I was no dumby, and trust me, by 6th grade you learn a few tricks, like, putting the whole dang fish stick into the garbage disposal (I didnt turn it on, of course, that would be noisy.) See how smart! So, if my dad looked in the trash, it would be empty, and I would go to the party.

I went into the other room, where my dad was watching TV to happily tell him I was done, and say, "good-bye"......and then he got up, went into the kitchen, bypassed the trash, and looked straight into the garbage disposal, reached in and pulled out my FISH STICK.

He then announced, that I was grounded.

I was overwhelmed with the feeling of, "missing out"....that's the best way to describe it. Im sure I had a tantrum, begged, cried and pleaded, because I wanted so badly to be a part of the big RV Celebration.

I feel like that today.

I want so bad to be a part of this Stand Up 2 Cancer campaign. I want to celebrate our push for the cure, but Im feeling left out.

The Stand Up 2 Cancer initiative has brought together, what appears to be, every possible cancer research organization, everyone from the American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, all of them, except those focused on pediatric cancers.

Some of you may not know, so, let me pull out my soapbox, and tell you that kids are left out when it comes to cancer research. The American Cancer Society, that loves to march kids around in the Relay for Life, gives approx. 1% of their funds to pediatric cancers.

Why does this matter? Because, kids cancers are different. They have different causes, different treatments.

Kids are so far behind adults, when it comes to knowing what chemos work, what cells mutations are involved, etc.

Kids get MORE CHEMOS, for LONGER PERIODS of time, AT HIGHER DOSES, than adults.....reread that, it's true.

You wont see an adult get 3.5 years of 10+ chemos, for frontline treatment of leukemia.

More than 90% of kids are on experimental trials, it is much less for adults, I think I read it was in the teens.

They just dont know what works for kids, so they bombard them with high doses of chemos.

My point, kids need the research too. So many have gone to heaven too soon, and those that survive face a life of increased risk of cancer and serious long term side effects. The damage done to little developing bodies is still unknown.

So, I hope you can see why I am having that "missing out" feeling. Im jealous that the kids arent included in the Stand Up 2 Cancer campaign.

Im pretty sure it was just an oversight. I am sure people think that the major cancer research organizations are involved in finding a cure for pediatric cancers. They probably didnt realize the importance of including organizations that focus on the kids.

I have written some emails, made some calls, posted some comments on blogs....and hope that someone listens. Our kids have important stories, they are crying out for a cure too, and I hope someone will hear them.

One way you can help....join our team, "Kids with Cancer" on the Stand Up 2 Cancer website. You dont need to donate, just join. We are currently one of the biggest teams, only a handful of the Major League Baseball teams are larger. Im hoping that if we can be the biggest team, we will be seen, we will be heard, we will be included in the fight for a cure.

check it out!!

2008-05-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

Check out Andrew's commercial.

Now, after that long saga, you wont believe the end product. It's very cool, but, when I think of all the retakes, and turning this way, stand up a little sooner, etc. and in the end, did it really matter?

I dont think you can even see either of us in them....pool scene, dodger stadium.....

Stand Up 2 Cancer

it's on the home page (click on the box of the actress, the PSA)

the whole initiative looks really neat.....lots of info to explore on the website.

Also, I started a team, "Kids with Cancer"... obviously, you dont need to be a kid, but it's emphasis is to bring awareness to the kids that get cancer. Also, you can donate, but you dont need to donate....please join, I think there will be fun things over the summer re: the team concept (just dont know what those are yet.)

ok, enjoy.

Come on, where are the cameras, I know they must be here.....

2008-05-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

Im pretty sure Im in the midst of a hilarious episode of Candid Camera, or, maybe now that Pooper and I have made a commercial, we are celebrity enough to be "Punked" (that MTV show by Ashton Kucher where he plays practical jokes on the famous.) Im really praying this is all a joke, but Im afraid it's not, in which case, this becomes not so hilarious, but rather HIGHLY IRRITATING.

You see, Im on HOLD with my mortgage company (AGAIN!) Im not gonna bother to link you to my previous posts about the blunders they have made re: our loan, because, those posts are a bit shameful (so I have been told)....but dont worry, we are doing fine, paid up, Im just trying to get them to clear up their errors.

Let me tell you about the Circle of Life that is a phone call with my mortgage company;

I called this morning, and waited 65 minutes to talk to a "representative". After taking a few minutes to ask me "security" questions and verify who I am, I went on to ask for a Supervisor, because I know (from previous, similar calls) that only a supervisor can clear up out situation.

but, as usual, the representative does not want me to talk to a supervisor, "Let me see if I can help you"...they say, and I tell them I know they cant, but they insist and refuse to get a supervisor....it's policy, so anyways.

I tell them my whole, complicated story, which half of them cant follow, so I talk slowly, and reference the dates, and say things like,

"can you see that on your (computer) screen? can you see where I called on that date?"

When we get to the end, and THEY DECIDE that Ill need to talk to a supervisor, usually after about 15 minutes of talking to me, they put me on hold.

And I wait.

And then the phone line get's disconnected.

IM NOT KIDDING.

This happens 99% of the time when I call my mortgage company.

Im holding, listening to the recorded voice say:

"your call is important to us" and other lies like that...........

or, taunting me with phrases like, "Thanks for waiting, someone will be with you shortly"...because, I KNOW BETTER, that "shortly" doesnt mean and hour to anyone else but this lady.

In reality, my call isnt that important, and I wont talk to anyone shortly, because, the line gets disconnected.

I really think, that there is a guy at the call center, and everyone once in a while, he says, "CLEAR" and he disconnects the lines and all of the representatives get a short break and then start over again. Because, talking to people about their mortgage issues is a tough racket these days, and heck, everyone now and again, it just feels good to clear the switchboard and make everyone call back and start over.f

So, now, Im starting over, calling again, holding again, for probably another hour, to talk to a new representative.

And, since I cant find where I put the heroin, Im just gonna suck all of the whipped cream out of this can that I found in the fridge, and postpone doing the laundry or dishes, for one more day.

Pooper's first commercial, Part 6 - the FINALE

2008-05-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

So, just to recap, we are in the midst of filming, one section of Dodger Stadium at a time.

We film a section, and then when given direction, we move over to the next section. The director told us that when we see this on TV we will be amazed. It should like a stadium filled with people, with all the sections spliced together.

The stadium was empty, other than us. There was no baseball game, although Im sure when it becomes a commercial, there will in fact, be a team on the field.

Once seated into our section, it was important to be quiet, until our cue to pretend we are at the game, at which time, people made small talk with their neighbor, stared or pointed out onto the field. Some people would clap and cheer, but it seemed odd to have us all doing different things, I mean in real life, if there were some great play, or a homerun, the entire crowd would cheer, not just one person, but anyways.

During this one particular section, we had met back up with Sam and his mom. We filmed a few sections with them, always careful to mix up our seating (sometimes kids next to each other, sometimes moms next to each other), and all of a sudden, during a time when it was supposed to be quiet, we saw a man in the stands below us, the seating section directly behind home plate.

He carefully set up two small (2ft x 1 ft) speakers, and similarly sized topiarys. And within minutes a strange, very Scottish song began blaring out of the speakers. I thought for sure this would bother the director, and maybe it did, but he just kept on with our shoots.

As the Scottish song continued, well dressed folks began to enter the seating area below us, and soon there was, what can only be described as "circus music" being played. Formal wearing people continued to enter the bottom area, and Sam's mom and I just looked at each other and laughed.

It became apparent, that perhaps a small wedding was going to take place in that section. Not a wedding on the field, but in the section behind homeplate. Each new song played, was more bizarre than the previous, and there didnt seem to be any sort of theme or cohesiveness to the music list. After about 15 minutes of mismatched songs, the bride and groom came out, beautiful wedding dress, tux, all accented with flowers in "Dodger Blue"

Maybe it was the 100+ degree temperatures that had been baking our brains, or the fatigue, or the headache, or the personalities of some of the "extras", or the crazy music selection, but the whole wedding thing seemed incredibly bizarre.

We continued on, filming section by section of the stadium. Sometimes, we would take the two flights of stairs up to the next level, film a few sections up there, and then come back down, film a few sections below, walk back up...there was no rhyme or reason, but eventually, we worked our way through each section of ths stadium.

When we did the final few sections, which were right next to the camera location. We were given props; foam "#1" fingers, lemonade, and popcorn. Pooper received a bucket of popcorn, and he devoured it pretty quickly. I made sure that he stayed hydrated, pushing bottled water on him, against his desires, but trying to make sure he didnt wind up with the headache that I was experiencing.

It was one of our final shoots. It was now after 7pm, and the sun was leaving view of the stadium. All of a sudden, at a time that we were supposed to be "quiet", I heard someone screaming a couple of rows behind me,

"dont call me a faggot, you are a faggot, dont tell me Im a faggot! You always do this to me, whispering things in my ear and spitting on me!"

This twenty-something, long haired girl, continued to rant and rave, and now the entire group of us were turned staring at her. She didnt seem to notice us. She was screaming at the little lady behind her. The lady seemed surprised by the rant, and just sat their sweetly, quietly.

The young girl looked like a lunatic, and she continued to scream and ramble, and people started to motion for production staff to come and take care of things. It seemed as if the girl was losing her mind, yelling at the older woman who sat quietly. People were beginning to whisper for "security" and the girl was so worked up, that I think we all were expecting her to go ballistic and get physical.

The man in front of me said, "It's not her fault, the woman behind her is crazy, and she likes to set people off."

Me: "yeah, I know, she was screaming at me earlier."

Man: "yeah, she is a regular extra, I see her almost everyday, and she is always starting problems."

sure enough, the sweet woman, sitting behind the raging girl, was none other than Rose.

Apparently, she had whispered mean things to the girl, throughout the shoot, and the girl finally hit breaking point.

Rose got up and left the area, at the girl's threatening insistance, and the girl eventually calmed down.

Shortly thereafter, our "celebrity" arrived. It was none other than Tobey Maguire. I had heard whispers that Jodi Foster would be in our commercial, and who knows, maybe she'll be edited in (similar to what I expect with Gabrielle Reese in the morning commercial.)

Tobey sat in the final section, close to the camera. I could barely see him, but everyone was excited and talking about him.

Once things, "wrapped", we gathered up our things, said, "good-bye" to our friends, and headed out to the car.

Pooper and I talked about how we are looking forward to seeing the commercial, and about how the end result will look. If we pause the tv when the commercial is on, we should be able to find ourselves, dozens of times, sitting in the stadium.

I asked him which commercial was the most fun to make, and the "pool party" was the easy winner. It was too bad that the weather was hot and we were a bit tired, but even still, I think the Dodger Stadium commercial was interesting, and it will be fun to look for ourselves in 2 commercials this summer.

When all is said and done, Pooper had fun, and I am proud of him for being selected for the "pool party" and also for pushing through the long day and heat to complete the stadium commercial.

We are looking forward to the campaign for Stand Up 2 Cancer. All we really know is that it is an initiative put on by the entertainment industry, to make a serious attempt to find a cure. From what I understand, it will air throughout the summer, on tv and in movie theaters (before the movies), and will lead to some sort of event or telethon at the end of Summer. I dont know how much of that is accurate, but I sure cant wait to see them, and even more, I cant wait to find a cure!

THE END

Pooper's First Commercial, Part 5

2008-05-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

With our friend, Rose, seated and finally quiet, the group sat and listened to the director. He explained that we would be filming, one section at a time, and eventually the film would be spliced together, to look like a full stadium.

The camera was located, roughly, behind the section just past 3rd base. The crew were all gathered around, and in fact, there were tens of folks sitting on those folding directors chairs, watching all of the little tv screens that had been set up.

As we sat in our section, with no seats left vacant, we were told that he would cue us to the film starting, and at that time, we should just act as if we were watching a baseball game. About 10 or so seconds into it, he would yell, "stand" and we were to stand, but not all at once, and turn and look at the camera, just staring into it until the scene ended.

For the few of us that had been in the "pool party" shoot, the concept was understandable, heck, we had practiced it all morning.

For this new group of extras, well, frankly, some of them were a little slow to get the concept. The director and his assistants went over it and over it, and we practiced, a lot, and reminders were hollered, to STAGGER the standing/looking at the camera, that he absolutely didnt want everyone standing up at once.

They even tried cutesy little things, like, those born between Jan. and June stand up first, ....things eventually worked out, but it never seemed to have the precision and finesse that the small group executed earlier in the day. I guess, however, that when you are looking at hundreds, heck, thousands of people in a commerical, you dont really need the polish that a small group requires.

So, we took several shoots in our section, and then were directed, to move to the section directly next to us.

Now, please, try to picture this. We are all sitting in a stadium section. We are then instructed to move to the section to the right, again, filling every seat. But there is a catch, he doesnt want us sitting in the same place.....so, as everyone begins walking, going to the section adjacent to us, some of us try to go up or down a bit, so as to mix things up, as directed.

This is the time, that those who didnt feel like they were in "camera view" inevitably tried to jockey for an aisle seat (sound familiar?) or move up higher or lower. All of that is fine, but we were constantly told to hurry, sit, hurry, sit. There really wasnt time for the strategizing that some seemed to be doing. The whole thing ended up being like a 300 person version of musical chairs, minus groovy music. People shifted sections, tried to get a different seat, sit next to different people, and when things started to settle, there was typically people left standing without a seat, and seats left open, without people. This is when the production assistants would direct those standing to come and fill the open seats....and sometimes this is when people would get annoyed, as if they truly had lost the game of musical chairs, ticked that they didnt really like their new seat.

We took several shots in each section, and did about 20 sections in the middle, and about 20 sections in the lower level. With the constand switch up of where we sat, it gave Pooper and I opportunity to meet a lot of really nice people.

Several people told us about their life as a professional "extra", many people suggested that Andrew should do that, as it paid about $50 a pop, and there was a high need for "extra" kids. One guy, told us that he does about 2-3 jobs a day, and is a "regular" audience member of Deal or No Deal, Late Late Show with Collin Ferguson, and The Price is Right.

Now, Ill just digress, briefly, to tell you that when I was on The Price is Right, there were no paid extras, because tourists were waiting to get in. But when I was on the Leeza Gibbons Show, it was the "off season" and the audience was bare. In fact, it was a rainy day, and eventually, someone from the staff went out to the streets, where there are a lot of homeless folks, and encouraged them to come inside, to be in the warm, dry audience. So, I guess it all just depends, but I do know they like the audience to be full, and apparently, sometimes they even pay actors to do the job.

As we moved along, section by section, watching the game, and standing, we were kind of having fun. I mean, there was definitely a part of me that thought we should have just left after the morning commercial, because we were very tired, it was hot, and nobody would really notice us in the commercial anyways. But I remembered that we were there for a good cause, to Stand Up 2 Cancer, and standing up to cancer is never easy, but it was necessary. Besides, it was good for Pooper to see that acting wasnt always super fun. We did enjoy ourselves, and meet lots of fun people, and would have one more commercial to look for on the TV this summer.

Then, something started happening below us, everyone's eyes diverted to the area behind homebase, all of us wondering about the activity down below.

THE FINALE WILL BE POSTED LATER THIS EVENING.

Pooper's first commercial, part 4

2008-05-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

We pulled into the parking lot at Dodger Stadium, which was relatively empty. We joined a cluster of parked cars, and immediately, I spotted some crew members who were also just arriving.

While Sam and his mom happily got out of the car, I held my breath, in an attempt to soothe the angry beast of frustration that I wanted to unleash upon Pooper. I told him to get undressed, and I pulled out another outfit, thankful that we had packed several for our shoot. (note, after the pool party, I had him change into a cute outfit that I thought was perfect for the baseball shooting, but now that it was soaked in bubble gum ice cream, I tossed him sweat shorts and a t-shirt, which had been intended as a backup, or a comfy outfit for the long ride home.)

I then grabbed some handy baby-wipes and scrubbed down his sticky face, arms and hands. I reminded him, that he isnt his own parent, and that listening to his mom (the woman God gave him to help guide his life) would be in his best interest.

I grabbed my backpack, which had a second copy of, "Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand." I had brought two copies, one for David Fincher, and an extra, because I knew with the crew volunteering their time, there would be some other special person that we would want to share it with.

After the first shoot, Pooper and I agreed that Paul, the assistant whose wife was a breast cancer survivor, should also get a copy of the book. They didnt have children, yet, because his wife's treatment had left her infertile, but he told us that they wanted children. The book would be a wonderful story for any child's library, but it also is great for adults, and one of my personal favorites. Andrew autographed it for Paul, thanking him for his work to find a cure. And, by the way, if you dont have this book, consider getting your own copy of, Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand

We walked with our new friends, waiting out front of the stadium, in the line to check in. Unlike our intimate, "pool party" shoot, there would be hundreds of people in this commercial.

The handful of us in the earlier filming had "auditioned" and been selected from hundreds of "actors." But now, they were using hundreds of "extras", people that are paid to fill in scenes, crowds, passers-by in movies.

There are agencies that handle "extras" ....and I learned quite a bit about their craft, from the many people we met throughout this project.

While everyone else was volunteering their time for this event, the extras were paid. I think between $40-$80, for their afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

So, after we checked in, we sat and waited for things to start, we sat with our friend Sam, his mom, and another boy and his dad, who had also been in our pool scene (this boy and his dad were also VERY nice. They were the ones that flew down from N. CA, and I will say that the boy was not only handsome, but very well behaved.)

With about a half hour to kill, before the shoot was to get underway, I couldnt help but people watch. Sitting in the baking sun, while the 3 boys played, I noticed the throngs of extras, aspiring stars, many of whom stood out like brilliant, bright lights, (like the 20 something gal with magenta, kinky-curly hair, think Bozo, and daisy-duke shorts, and 4 inched heals that laced up to her knees) and then quite a few others, that reminded me that stars are really a mass of gas.

Our director guy (I know he isnt THE DIRECTOR, David Fincher, but he is the guy that was the head at the pool party,I dont know his name), he now had a bullhorn, and was directing everyone to line up.

I dont remember what the issue was, but as we started to line up, Pooper began to do something disobedient. Again, I cant even remember what....but as I was trying to get him to listen and follow me in line, he was doing something else. I knew he wanted to sit with his friends, and I grabbed his arm and whispered firmly into his ear, to follow me and pay attention. He fought me on it, with an angry tone, wrestling out of my grasp to do whatever it was he had been intent on doing.

Long and short of it, by the time he got in line with me, his friends had gone far ahead.

Now he was on the cusp of a full meltdown, starting to cry because he wanted to sit with his friends. I told him if he had listened to me and followed directions, he would be with his friends, but since he had been rebellious, he had lost our spot in line. I promised to do my best to get back with the other families we knew, not because I wanted to give in to his spoiled demands, but because I knew it would make the whole situation much more calm.

In the meantime, we are supposed to be quiet, not just quiet, but SILENT, as the director is giving us instructions. Crying and whining in a disrespectful tone, to your mother, is not synonomous with SILENCE, in case you were wondering.

I was in full "stage-mom" glory, as I held Pooper's arm and advised him to be quiet, while he flailed and complained.

I got a few cross looks from some "extras"....mind you, Pooper was one of a few kids out of the 300+ actors, and he was sticking out like a sore thumb, a sore thumb that had just been slammed in a car door.

He eventually settled down, and the single file line of actors was told to file into a section of the stadium seating. The director and his assistants repeated MANY TIMES, to go single file, one after another, fill every seat, do not skip seats, keep going, etc. etc.

We were going to fill up one entire section, no more, no less, but one section of the stadium, so we were all kept in line to fill the seats, in an orderly fashion, to ensure that each one was filled.

There would be no way to sit with our friends now, but I promised Pooper we would try to work things out. At this time, for all we knew, this would be our permanent seat for the day. As it turned out, it wasnt, but at the time, it seemed like it would be.

Despite the directors clear instruction, there were many "shining masses of gas" that wanted to skip a seat, or go to a different row, or who stood up, slowing the line as they strategically planned where they would sit (probably in connection to the angle of the camera) and the director had to remind them A LOT, to just keep moving, single file, on after another, fill every seat.

There was an older (70's) woman in front of us, Ill call her Rose, because to call her the "psycho woman" would not be nice. Pooper had finally acquiesced to the plan, and was obediently walking with me, hand in hand, behind Rose.

Now, as we went down the stairs, and approached our "row", Rose decided that she wanted an aisle seat, so she pulled herself away and allowed Pooper and I to go in front of her. We didnt want to go in front of her, because the director was still sternly reminding everyone to keep walking, dont leave gaps, just go to the next seat, etc. and, well, I didnt like being part of Rose's rebellion, perhaps because Pooper still had me in my "follow the darned directions!" mood.

But, not wanting to make a stir, Pooper and I followed into the row, while Rose stood on the aisle. And as those in front of us sat down, and Pooper and I sat down, it turns out, that Pooper was in the aisle seat (with me to his right.) Rose started to protest, telling him to get up, that it was her seat.

So, Pooper stands up, and Rose proceeds to yell at him to move. I told Rose that we were "together" (DUH!) and that he wasnt moving. So, now Rose is standing up, making a spectacle of herself, yelling at Pooper and I, while the director was yelling at all of us to be quiet. So, I sat, ignoring Rose, while she called me names, right up to my face, until finally, one of the production assistants came over and got her to move along.

I had no preference for that seat.....and would have been happy to give it to Rose, but to get up, and try to move, and interrupt the marching of soldiers who were moving row by row into the seating, would have just caused a lot of disruption, and I wasnt in the mood to tick off the director.

Rose eventually found another seat, but she screamed and hollored at us as she walked away.

Apparently, Pooper wasnt the only one who missed his nap, and now, thanks to Rose, the hot sun, and a weary Pooper, I was developing a migraine.

Pooper's first commercial, Part 3 OR another hit off the crack pipe for Cortney

2008-05-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

We were going to have lunch with Sam and his mom. They were very nice and Pooper and Sam got along great.

Sam and his mom moved to LA from the midwest, just 6 months ago. The dad was still back home, waiting for their house to sell. Both parents are professional, grad-school educated, and gave up extended family and careers to pursue Hollywood.

Now, you would expect, or at least *I* would expect, that such a mom would be all "stage-momish" but she wasnt at all. The two of them seemed to have fun, and it was just that, fun with no pressure.

Anyways, we had agreed to first go to Dodger Stadium, and then find a place to eat nearby, because to do it any other way, would risk getting tied up in traffic and being late for the shoot.

We needed to get gas (which is about $4.15 a gallon these days, for those who are curious), and we stopped at a station.

As I pulled up to the gas pump, an older, black gentleman, wearing a dress shirt and slacks, but very grungy dress shirt and slacks, approached me as I got out of my car...

Man: Can I pump your gas

Me: (had a quick 'lightbulb' moment, remembering that we are in a big city now, and it's not uncommon for people to pan handle) No thanks (I said with a smile, while I made an effort to go about my business without stopping what I was doing.)

As I pumped, the man stood a few feet away, kindly offering to pump the gas of everyone that pulled up. There were no takers.

When I got back in the car, Pooper told me that the guy seemed suspicious. I told Pooper that he was there trying to get some money, by pumping people's gas. Not unlike the guys I have seen that rush up to cars at red lights, with spray bottles and window washer squeegees (sp?) and quickly wash your car wind sheild, and then ask you for money since they cleaned your window.

We drove onward towards the stadium, and Pooper made other comments, about how he noticed all the "drawings" and "scribblings" and "writings" on the walls and benches and signs.

Yeah, kind of what you would expect from a 2 year old. Apparently there is a whole group of people that didnt get spanked when they colored on their mommies walls, but that's just my opinion.

As we approached the entrance to Dodger Stadium, our friends were waiting near the entrance, in their car. The mommy said that, according to her fancy GPS system, the LA Farmers Market was only 6.7 miles away, and we decided to go there for a bite to eat. I think it was now 12:45, and we were due to return at 3:00, ample time to get some food.

The LA Farmer's Market, is a whole outdoor shopping area, with little stores, food joints, and probably more, but I dont know the market that well. Although, it's next to the CBS studios, of which I am quite familiar (thank you Rock Star INXS and The Price Is Right, posts for another day.)

Unfortunately, thanks to the irrational transportation system known as LA TRAFFIC, it took 50 minutes to get to our destination, and Im not lying, 50 minutes to go less than 7 miles. So, we arrived at approximately 1:35.

We parked, and meandered through the crowds, smelling the aromas of a variety of ethnic foods. My Honey and Beauty would have had a field day, as they are much more daring when it comes to trying different kinds of foods. Pooper and I, we keep it simple, and usually keep it Mexican, we both LOVE salsa.

Our friends went to the Chinese (or some type of Asian cuisine) and we went to get tacos. Although, once Pooper saw the tacos displayed in the window, he opted for a hot dog (which they did not have on display.)

We all got our food and met back at a table, thankfully in the shade, on this hot day.

Pooper took one look at his hotdog, and before he could start screaming, I said:

Me; I know this hot dog might not look normal to you, but I promise it tastes like a regular hot dog.

Pooper: (staring at it, with fierce injustice seething from his eyes) It's GREEN!

The other mommy, the kindler-gentler "this is all just a fun adventure" mommy, saved the day by explaining that the color is just from how they cook it, and it's really how the cowboys eat their hotdogs, and made the whole thing seem safe and kind of fun.

Pooper bought it, either that, or he knew the WRATH OF MOMMY would be upon him if he had a meltdown in the middle of the Farmers Market, (my guess is the first one, because as you read on, you will see, he does not fear my wrath.)

We ate, and then decided to grab some ice cream to go.

Sam got a cone. I encouraged Pooper to get a cup, or a cone with a cup, but he only wanted a cone. I tried to be all loving and positive, reminding him that in 150 degree heat, cones melt quickly, and the Stand Up 2 Cancer folks probably didnt want him showing up with ice cream dripped all over his shirt, but he only wanted a cone.

I knew not to push him, as he was tired, and we nearly averted a meltdown over the green hotdog. I was trying to pick my battles, so I cautioned him as I gave him a giant wad of napkins, and we headed back to the car. It was 2:10, and we didnt want to press our luck on being late, so we scooted back to Dodger Stadium. I was concerned that we had never got a nap in, but hopeful that he would get a second gust of wind upon arriving at Dodger Stadium.

We were about half way there, bumper to bumpering our way through the maze of people and cars, when Pooper got all in a fit in the back.

Me: What's wrong dear (in my best Carol Brady voice)

Pooper: MY ICE CREAM DRIPPED ALL OVER MY SHIRT

Me; (*&)^%$# I told you that would happen! (in my alien that pops out of Sigourney Weaver's stomach voice)

**More to come, stay tune ***

I am woman (or in this case, a little girl) hear me roar

2008-05-21T11:13:00.001-07:00

Little One is becoming such a little person. She has her own thoughts, ideas and plans, and as she shows them more and more, we are charmed by her.

Here are a couple of things that happened yesterday...I think they are so cute, in a she's-my-child-so-even-when-she-poops-it's-cute sort of way.

Each night at dinner, we say prayers. We all hold hands, and someone usually volunteers to say the prayer. The general rule, is that you dont start eating until we have said prayers.

Until recently, Little One just ate, and didnt participate in prayers. Every now and again, we would try to include her, but she didnt want to hold hands, and certainly couldnt keep from eating if food was on her plate.

But lately, she has been joining in, grasping our hands during the dinnertime prayer.

This past week, she even likes to add in her own petitions, mumbling and then giving a loud, "Aben" when she is done.

So, last night, we started to dig in after prayer, and Little One shouted, "HANDS!" with her own little palms reaching out to us. My Honey and I (who sit on either side of her) clasped our hands in hers, and she bowed her head and said some mumble jumble, "Aben!"

Oh, how cute! We thought it was adorable. Even after the 6th time, it was soooo cute.

But then, I was kinda getting hungry, and was growing weary of the continued demand to put my fork down to pray.

"shermena mommy hubata daddy inamina "bee" (Beauty) agacha "ow ow" (Pooper) Aben!"

"ohhhh, she is praying for me, she said my name!" Beauty cried out. Yes, it's very sweet, isnt it, but, enough already, I was thinking.

Little One continued, and with each prayer there was more gibberish, and always a big smiling "Aben!" at th end.

Ok, time to eat now! We all laughed and tried to get bites in between the prayer warriors insistance of "hands!", trying to walk the fine line of setting limits to her demands and not squashing her new found interest in prayer and independence.

Another new little thing, that Little One likes to demonstrate, is calling us into place with a pointing of the finger. For example, I was at the top of the stairs, she at the bottom, and she wanted me to come down, pronto! She said, "MOMMY!" as she fiercely took her pointed finger from up in the air and cast it down, pointing to the spot right in front of her.

"oh, Im being beckoned!" I told My Honey.

Later in the evening, she wanted to do a dance on the brick "stage" in front of the fireplace, and apparently, she wanted her siblings as front row spectators, "Bee" "Ow Ow" she called, while firmly pointing for them to sit down in front of her.

And while it is such a delight to see her blossom, there is one new ritual that I need to eradicate. Her morning revele, wake-up routine.

She has been getting up at around 5:30 or 6, which is at least an hour before I am ready. She climbs into our bed, which is a good 3 feet high, and then becomes very demanding.

"Daddy Dora!" she repeats incessantly, while clobbering him with the remote control, urging him to put on her favorite show.

Daddy, being the sound sleeper that he is, ignores her, and eventually Mommy hollers,

"Dora night night! Little One go night night!"

This goes on and on, she'll grab our faces to get our attention, pulling our chins to look at her, "Dora!"

"Dora night night! Mommy night night!"

This will go on and on, until 7am, when we can put on Dora, or one of us wakes enough to take Little One downstairs and get her some food, a distraction until the show comes on.

She is no longer a passive little baby. She is individuating, which is a beautiful and necessary part of development, if not a cause of psychosis-by-sleep-deprivation-in-parents.

Pooper's first commercial, Part 2

2008-05-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

I jokingly told the production assistant, Paul, that it might just be time for a little powder-freshen-up from the make-up gal, but I wasnt kidding.

It was a scorcher, as we call 'em around here, and when the Director sent an assistant to close the umbrella at the picnic table....the umbrella I was sitting under, the umbrella protecting me from the brightly burning sun, well, it got pretty hot.

Paul chuckled at my remark, and I smiled back, wiping the sweat off my upper lip.

Just a tid-bit of info...Paul was the guy in charge of myself and the few adults at the patio table. After each take, he would come over and tell us that we did great, and often directed so-and-so to stand up sooner, or asked one of us to move to the left, look to the right, stand back, etc. etc. He was always encouraging and sweet.

At one point, I asked something about what Pooper was doing, a few feet below us at the poolside, and he said, "Oh, I dont know, this is my area here." as he motioned to the patio table I was sitting at. Hmmm...so, each area had there own person monitoring the "acting"...kinda cool.

The whole project "wrapped" shortly thereafter, after a solid 2.5 hours of our "pool party."

Suddenly, the crew swooped down, and were in a hurry to move the kids out of the backyard. We had a bit of unfinished business, but they shuffled us over to the house next door (the house where the front yard was set up with the food truck and linen covered tables.)

In a hurried fashion, we grabbed our bags and the wardrobe gals collected up all of the loaner clothes.

There seemed to be a bit of urgency to get the kids off the site, and I heard someone mention the 'work hours'. Im too new to know what the parameters are, but I do know that there are strict laws re: how long the kids can be on set. The youngest boy was just 6 and I think we must have been coming up to a time limit.

All joking aside, all of the staff were incredibly nice, patient, kind and funny. They were a great bunch, and Pooper had a great time.

I know the Director for the project is David Fincher, of Fight Club, Seven and Panic Room fame. Pooper had brought along an autographed (by Pooper), "Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand" book, for Mr. Fincher, thanking him for, "making lemonade" (he is volunteering his time, and recruiting a lot of celebrities, for the Stand Up 2 Cancer campaign.)

The problem, as we were quickly leaving the backyard, was that I didnt have a clue which of the 50 crew members was actually David Fincher. I asked Jeff, the teacher, if David Fincher was there, and he said, "Yeah, the guy in the blue hat." I could find nobody in a blue hat. Many of the folks were standing behind the cameras, lights and those big screens (that filter light or block sun or something)....so, hard to find anyone.

We left the property, and as we were getting info for the next shoot, I asked the assistant, Paul, if Pooper could give the book to Mr. Fincher. He said, "Yes, but it might be easier at the Dodger Stadium shoot, because they are trying to finish up here." I asked him if he would give it to David for us. The important thing, wasnt to have Andrew meet David Fincher, although that would be nice, it was to give the book to Mr. Fincher. I shared with Paul, that Andrew was a survivor, and he just wanted to show his appreciation to David for supporting the fight for a cure. Paul, who was probably in his early 30's, told me that cause was near to his heart too, as his wife had recently completed treatment for breast cancer. As I grabbed our bag, Paul was thumbing through the book, and as Pooper and I left, he gave me a hug.

It was around noon, and we were due back at Dodger Stadium at 3pm. It was probably about 10-15 miles away, but with the zoo that is LA traffic, it might take longer. In any case, we would have at least a couple of hours to kill. Ideally, I would liked to have found a theater, a theater with air-conditioning, and comfy, nap-able seats. Pooper tires easily, and I knew he would do best to sleep awhile before we did the next Public Service Announcement.

Only two of the kids from our pool party were continuing to the Dodger Stadium filming. We decided to grab some lunch with one of them. We agreed to go to Dodger Stadium, and then find somewhere in that area to eat.

Stay tuned, part 3 to follow!!

Pooper's first commercial, Part 1

2008-05-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

Pooper slept all the way home. I had a screaming headache, was exhausted, but the high intensity of the L.A. freeways kept me alert. By the time we rolled into our driveway, it was nearly 8:30pm.

Our journey began at the crack of dawn, and we started with a quick stop to the neighborhood Starbucks for special treat for Pooper on his big day, a strawberry frappuccino. Actually, we selfishly went for me. Im not used to being on the road at 6am, and the coffee frap was needed to help wake me up.

The information from Pooper’s agent stated that we were to be in Alta Dena by 8am. For those out of the area, that is the NE portion of Los Angeles, and even on a Saturday morning, it took us 90 minutes to get there.

I was sort of confused, as we pulled into the parking area of the mausoleum. Our paperwork had directed us to this fancy cemetery, but Pooper’s scene was of kids swimming in a pool. This was a high-end part of town, but a swimming pool at a cemetery?

As we came up to the property, there were large trucks (wardrobe, props, etc.), security, some trailers…..I rolled down the window and the officer at the gate directed me to the parking area.

Immediately, Pooper began squealing, as he spotted it,,,,,,,,,,THE BUFFET

There were 2 catering trucks, and they were taking orders for omelets and the like. There was also a table set up with muffins, fresh sliced fruit, and other morning fare.

Pooper was in his glory, perusing the food table, even though he wasn’t hungry. I know it made him feel like a big shot.

After checking in, they gave us a number (“us” because, I was in this gig too), and took our pictures. We were told to sit and wait, that this location was a holding area, and that we would be transported to the actual filming site.

We sat and waited in the shade, trying to escape the heat that was already starting to simmer things. We are in the midst of a heat wave, 100+ temps, and the locale is in a warmer part of the southland, far from the beaches.

There were a few other kids waiting with their parents, and eventually we all sat around, introducing ourselves while the kids played. Pooper had a grand ole time taunting a fire ant with some other boys; I had fun meeting their moms and dads.

All in all, there were 6 of us adults, and I *think 8 or 9 kids.

Being new to this scene, I was interested to hear about the other children, to learn about what fun projects they had been in. I found that one family lives in Northern California, and flies down for auditions (about an hour by plane.) They had flown in that morning for this particular shoot. Two of the other families were from out of state, and had recently transplanted to L.A. to try and make a focused “go” at Hollywood. All of the families were friendly, kind, and their children very sweet. Andrew really hit it off with the other boys especially.

Around 9am, a couple of vans came by and took us to a private home a few blocks away. The whole street had been reconnoitered, with large trucks and cars lined up along the curb, porta-potties down near the corner, even the house next-door had been set up with tables and another catering truck and buffet (but that was for later, and not for us.)

We were taken to the backyard, and there were about 50 “crew members”, I met the medic, who made sure the kids had sunscreen, the teacher, who was sort of in charge of the kids, the hair guy, the make-up lady (although, I never saw anyone get make-up, and Elle is the only one that got her hair brushed), there were a few young gals doing wardrobe, going over what options we had brought for our kids (you are told to pack a few outfits) and also going through their own rack of kids clothes, the fire inspector, a variety of directing assistants and production assistants. People moving plants, adding props such as the lemonade on the table (which, naturally, Pooper wanted to drink…but it was just for show.)

The home was beautiful and the backyard was perfect. Lush gardens surrounded the brick patio, which led down a few steps to the pool and grassy area. The entire yard was private with a canopy of trees.

I sat up top with a few parents, chit chatting at the table while the kids played in the pool below. In reality, the bushes blocked my view of Pooper, so I could only hope that he was following the directions given.

Now, this is was all for a Public Service Announcement for a new initiative called, “Stand up 2 Cancer” I know very little about it. I do know that there are a ton of famous folks involved, and that there will be some sort of telethon or fundraisers, and that the many PSA’s will play nationwide, on TV and in theaters, I believe throughout the summer.

Each commercial has a celebrity. On this particular shoot, we had Elle Fanning, Dakota’s little sister. She was sort of quiet and didn’t really interact with anyone that I saw. She was down by the pool with the kids, but she was off to the side, dressed in clothes, sitting on the grass. The rest of the kids were in bathing suits, and either in or around the pool. Pooper initially sat on the side, dangling his feet, but eventually the director had him in the water, splashing around, and Pooper was thrilled.

We kept hearing the director referring to “Gabriella”….”When Gabriella stands….” “Gabriella this” “Gabriella that”…and all I could think of was the gal from High School Musical, and I thought, “WHOA! Pooper is gonna go nutso if that gal is here!” But, it turned out to be Gabriella Reese (professional volleyball player)…and the odd thing, she showed up, and then stood with the other bazillion crew members in the back, but I never actually saw her “in” our commercial. So, not sure if they changed their mind, or if she will be edited in, or whatever….shall see when it airs, I guess.

The commercial starts with the adults talking, kids playing in the pool, and then Elle stands up. We are all cued to slowly, curiously, notice that Elle is standing and then one by one we all stand up to, staring into the camera the entire time. The commercial ends with all of us standing, including the kids that are now on the sides of the pool, and we are all staring into the camera.

With the exception of a few breaks for water and fruit (Ill get to that), and some wardrobe changes on the kids, we just repeated this numerous times, for about 2 hours.

At one point, they passed around a tray of fruit for the kids. It was so hot, they didn’t want the kids to get dehydrated, and they told them to quickly grab a piece. I wandered down, and sure enough, I see Pooper asking an assistant if he could have a plate. Everyone else was just taking a piece, as the director was waiting.

Not my Pooper, he wanted to pile up a plate, and as he was directing the assistant to get him some cantaloupe, watermelon….I interrupted and told him to take one piece, quickly eat it, and get back in the pool. Geesh!

He actually did very well, paying attention, doing what was asked, but he was really enjoying the splashing around in the pool between takes. In fact, one of the other moms was kind enough to tell me (since I couldn’t see what Pooper was doing from my view) that she was concerned, as he kept trying to “ride” the GIGANTIC, practically life-sized, blow up, Shamu pool toy, and she was worried he would fall off and hit his head on the side of the pool.

I had to “pssst!” him and say, “Hey, this isn’t your birthday party, it’s a job, get off the toys and pay attention!”

**Gotta run…will write more later, our day in TV land is far from over……..

A raisin in the sun

2008-05-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned, because, Ive just got so much to tell you about yesterday's PSA shooting.

We filmed two different spots, ....

First one, was the kids pool party, it was a great time, intimate group (9 kids, 6 adults)...Met some really nice folks, and I cant wait to tell you about it.

Second one, filmed in the afternoon at Dodgers Stadium in the 100+ heat, with about 300 extras....did you know some people make their living doing "extra work"....fascinating, and, um, you've never "people watched" until you have spent 4+ hours with a couple hundred extras....

Honestly, Im still exhausted, and it's time to get ready for church....

but I promise a mini-series on our day in front of the cameras.

Hooray for Hollywood

2008-05-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

Great news!

Pooper went on an audition a week ago, and we go the news that he got the part.

The casting call was for kids ages 5-13, and they must be able to swim. Well, Pooper's resume lists his "competetive swimming" as a skill, and he was selected to audition. (his agent said he was the only kid that she submitted from their agency, to even get picked for the audition.)

So, he went to the audition, as did a ton of other kids...and he got the job.

The few things I know about this job:

* It is a Public Service Announcement for "Stand Up 2 Cancer"....

* It's being produced or directed (or whatever) by David Fincher who did Fight Club, Seven, Panic Room and other famous stuff (of which I havent seen any, but, anyhoo.)

on a side note....I looked up that organization, Stand Up 2 Cancer, and dabbled around online, and found that it is a new effort to eradicate cancer....with lots of celebrities onboard. Everything else seems to be kinda hush hush, but when I know more, God knows Ill post it here. So, kinda cool!

*The ad he is doing is a "pool party" scene...he needs to wear his bathing suit.

Now, here's the bad news...I know, I know, but Im a glass-half-empty person.

When we were at the audition, the casting gal asked if I was going to audition...

Me: uh, no, Im just here with my son.

Her: Well, we'd like you to audition too.

Me: Um, well, this isnt really my thing.

Her: We are looking for parents too.

Me: if I dont, will it hurt my son's chances?

Her: No, but it's pretty easy, just fill this out (hands me paperwork, clearly not taking "no" for an answer)

So, Pooper and I went in together, and they filmed us answering questions. Then I saw my self on their tv screen and had one of those moments, where, like, I had forgotten what I looked like, and was not happy with the size of myself on screen.

When his agent called to tell me he got the part, she said:

her: Did they ask you to audition too?

Me: Um, oh, yeah.

her: Well, you got the part too.

Me: ohferkryingoutlowd, I dont want to do a pool party scene! Im not wearing a bathing suit, and I dont have any cute "resort wear"....I hope they have a plus-size wardrobe department, and do airbrushing and stuff....

Well, I really didnt say all that, but I sure thought it!

Ill get all the details tomorrow, and of course, will post all about it after we do the shoot on Saturday (if Im allowed...of course.)

In the meantime, go to Pooper's agency website, and click on "bookings" to see his announcement :) He is very excited.

Youth Talent Connection

I want my MTV

2008-05-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

I was just getting ready to blog about our Colombian Family. Lately, my kids, have been so ungrateful about what they have in life. There's a mini-meltdown likely to be had any time things dont go their way.

Pooper is a really good kid, but he, in particular, has been particularly demanding, throwing a fit anytime he doesnt get what he wants.

I've had to play the Colombian Family card a few times, and I was even thinking of using my not-yet-deposited-economic-stimulus-check to finance his way to Colombia, to spend the summer with one of his South American siblings, and learn what true hardship really looks like.

Recently, I bought him new shoes, but he complains when I tie them as they are, "too tight" (they arent tight at all, he just doesnt like any pressure on his feet, but he needs the ankle support.)

Me: Do you know that your Colombian brother doesnt even have shoes? He walks around with cuts and sores on his feet, as he walks the miles and miles to get water and wood for the family each day....He would be soooo grateful to wear these new shoes!

Or....re: the food of the day that he complains about.....

Me: Your Colombian sister doesnt even get to eat every day...she is lucky if she can find some bugs on the ground to eat...and she doesnt complain, she is thankful for those bugs, Im pretty sure she would say, "Thank you so much Jesus!" If she got a McDonald's hamburger, even if they did forget the ketchup.

The usefulness of our Colombian Family has been maximized lately, and the thing that is so odd, is that I think MTV has been eaves dropping on my brain!

The other night, while watching the Hills finale, I saw a preview of Exiled, the new MTV series.

Remember that "Sweet 16" series, with the spoiled brats that had over the top birthday parties...where they cried if they got a white Bentley instead of a black one? or, cussed out their parents for not getting the right band to entertain the guests? You know, the parties that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars?

Well, get this, now those spoiled kids are being taught a lesson, being sent to impoverished countries, to live with teens their age, for a week (my plan was for a summer, which I think would be much more effective.)

Aside from the fact that they stole my idea, I just love this concept...because, well, it was mine!

Im thinking I can probably save myself the funds, and rather then send Pooper to Colombia, I can just have him watch this show with me (imagine, encouraging my son to watch MTV!!) I cant wait for the programs to air....stay tuned, as Im sure I will have some blog posts to follow about these educational shows and their impact on my kids.