Boy Bowls into his Sixth Year

Boy's sixth birthday was a bowling bash at his request. A fun time was had by all of the little people and some of the big people too. Even Dad decided to fling a rock down the lane.
Mom actually bowled pretty well for not having done it in such a long time. The big guy had some trouble since as you know if you are a bowler... it just isn't quite right if you can't grip the ball well.
The party was a resounding success and we were bombarded with Legos.
Girl is now planning her party..........

Interim correspondent
Daddy

The Sweetest!

Though it is not an "official" Valentine's Day photo, is this NOT the cutest pair you have ever seen? Okay, okay.... I'm a bit biased, but still??????????

It's been a euphoric few weeks, coming off the Super Bowl win of the "house" team and with the news that my "sister" will be returning stateside very soon.

I've been frantically busy with CHN Legal matters. Will someone give me a good reason why public school districts think they OWN our kids? Okay, don't give me the argument "because they DO", because I will shout a resounding BS! on that play. The issues with the public school districts have been that somehow, once the children are turned over to the public institutions, the only rights the parents have is the right to be pulled into school like their children when the PARENTS aren't behaving as the SCHOOLS think they should. This way of thinking is totally amazing to me. Today's kids are spoiled, bratty, snotty, undisciplined, whiny, unmotivated, watch too much television, don't get enough exercise, go to bed when they "feel like it" and have never felt the sting of discipline on the seat of their "Versace Young" jeans. Holy Guacamole! I've never paid $300 for an outfit (except my wedding dress) and I saw a "dance" outfit on a website somewhere for this amount. I saw three kids at the mall the other day wearing the exact same outfit. They weren't knock-offs.

We live in an affluent, Hollywood bedroom community. One of the local High Schools has so many students, many of them park on the street. Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Escalade, Hummer--I even saw a Maserati in the upper parking lot one day! (I wanted to know what the parking lot contained if the STREET contained so much "cheap" chop-shop bait). There is so much PC jostling that we have lost sight of the goal. My husband and I are raising children who are responsible leaders who can think for themselves. And yes, it sucks when they assert their little wills at 2-1/2 years old and refuse to go to their rooms when they have thrown something across the room in frustration. I pick my daughter up and place her in her room if her feet won't move her there. As a result, my son is outgoing, articulate, talkative and wise. My daughter is following in his footsteps. Why, because we spend TIME with our children rather. We teach them how to go out in the world and find a way to EARN what they want. We don't give them the world.

Most of the children I encounter will claim that they are "entitled" to have the GameBoys, in-car DVD players (on on across town trips), computers and telephones in their room and many of today's parents will give in. That, my friends, feeds the monster.When will it stop?

Thank you to those who are reading this and know who you are, for the feedback you give us, even though you lives thousand of miles away. We love you and are proud to be raising the next generation of your family.

By the way, if you are reading this blog and you don't KNOW me, keep your opposing opinions to yourself. I don't care if you were a straight A student. You'll wind up working for the Bill Gates of the world. And you will probably think you have "earned" the right to his lifestyle.

Think again.

~~Mama

CHAMPIONS!

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Super Bowl XL - Now the Steelers are Livin' Large in Detroit and moving the party back to Pittsburgh.

Wow. Excellent game played by BOTH teams. Of course, our house is very HAPPY with the results. We had a great Super Bowl party with our closest friends (residing in the states).
I received some good news today, a friend who decided to live abroad for a year is returning early. I'm glad. I've missed her very much.

Daddy took a Super Bowl Holiday off from work tomorrow. Yay! I'm off to bed. It's been a long day.

Congratulations, Bill Cowher, the Rooney Family and most importantly the players of the Pittsburgh Steeler team. You guys are AWESOME!!!!!

~~Mama

~~Melissa

1. Take Two Kids and Two Ballooons and you have an afternoon of fun and frolicking.
2. Take a friend I haven't seen in awhile (even though she lives down the street) and add my two adorable kids and we have a KandKid photo op.
3. The two kids having a good moment of love and non-bickering.

We played with the video camera today and got some great shots of "homeschooling" in action.

~~Mama

AF Champs on to SuperBowl XL

CONGRATULATIONS PITTSBURGH STEELERS!

Extra Large? That's how I felt when the Steelers won the AFC Championship. I can only imagine how the TEAM feels.

Second year QB, Ben Rothelisberger (photo top right) took them this far (with a broken thumb, no less) and looks to be able to take them ALL. THE. WAY. It was be a great achievement as long as I've been a fan. They went to the SB in 1996, but didn't win. Coach Cowher deserves a ring. I believe he is a phenomenal leader and mentor. The team is a TEAM. Not collection of Marquee players or smack-talking-nothing-to-back-it-up boneheads.

My favorite player is Hines Ward #86. (Photo top left) The man NEVER stops smiling! He enjoys the game so much and I enjoy watching him enjoy the game. See him up there! I have looked at TONS of online images of Ward. He SMILES in every single shot. He's PLAYING the game!

Good Luck, Bill Cowher and the Pittsburgh Steelers. I hope they retain their offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt after the Bowl. It would be horrible if he went to the Oakland Raiders as is rumored.

Hey, Oakland! Nothing is going to save you!

~~Mama

New Kidlet Photos

I really don't have much to tell about them that wouldn't bore you to tears or make you gag from the sweetness. So, I'll just post a bunch of photos. The last one is just another shot of the Orcas, but I love the color of the ocean in this one.

~~Mama

Thar She Blows!!!!

Boy and I went on a whale watching expedition on Monday, January 16. Our homeschool group got together for this very fun trip. We left out of Ventura Harbor toward Anacapa (photo here) and Santa Cruz, two of the Channel Islands. (Anyone remember the book "Island of the Blue Dolphins"?) It was quite choppy at first and it took a few minutes for Boy and I to get our sea-legs. Boy looked pretty terrified, hanging onto the rail toward the stern (rear) of the boat. I kept asking him if he was okay, (he said that he was!) and the little trooper rode it out until he stopped being dizzy and was able to enjoy the ride. Here he is with his friend, L.


The first creatures we encountered were a pod of Orcas (Killer Whales). These beautiful creatures are so playful and amazing. One was right next to the boat, turned belly up and swam under the boat. Peotry in motion! As we moved off to find other creatures, we realized that several seals were following the pod of Orcas. Now, Orcas like to eat seals, so either they had a death wish or realized that the Orcas were not hungry and better to keep an eye on the enemy than become lunch before one's time!

We were treated to the rare and wonderful sight of a female Pacific Gray whale with a newborn calf! Rare, because these whales are migrating to the warm waters off of Baja California from Alaska to give birth in the saline lagoons and feed. It takes them several months to undertake the journey. Our Captain told us that the mother was very nervous as she was alone and with her baby. Plus, the Orcas were relatively close by and they are a natural predator of juvenile whales. I could not get a good picture because the Grays were so elusive, but it was absolutely breathtaking. We followed them for a bit and then moved off to return to shore.

As we were returning with the sun low in the sky and the b.r.e.e.z.e. (okay, it felt much colder to me than it probably was) blowing in our hair, we encountered a HUGE school of common dolphin. They were playing around the boat and there was a TON of them! They were clicking and calling, surfing our wake and it was magical. This is the only photo I was able to get--The End.

~~Mama

Rain, Rain, Mud and Snow (in the Mountains)

Winter returned with a vengence this weekend. "Winter" in Southern California being defined as "tremendous volumes of rain and mudslides". It rained and rained and rained and rained and rained and rained for two straight days! Now, this may not seem like a lot, but for a place where 1/4" is a lot, it's a wonder SoCal isn't floating halfway to Hawaii. Fortunately for us, there were no mudslides nearby. The fires over the summer weakened the flora and it's root system, but so far, all has stayed in place. And I must say our lawn is now looking rather like a jungle. Tomorrow or the next day I will be forced to mow it! The kids had fun going outside in their "wellies" and splashing around in the puddles. Daddy and I enjoyed watching our grass grow. He was off of work for two weeks and it was very tough for him to go back to work today. It was quite difficult for me, too. I got used to someone else being around. The kids didn't like it much either. I spent much of the morning telling them that Dad was at "stinky job".


WARNING--> I have to go on a Political Rant.

I keep listening to NPR when I am alone in the car. It's the only time I can actually LISTEN to something other than Disney songs. NPR stretches my brain and sure does get my blood boiling. Also, reading my friend "Bly"'s blog isn't helping me remain ignorant either. She has such a way with words.

What is going on in this country where the government controls the people rather than the other way around? I read that there is a probe into who leaked the information regarding illegal spying on American citizens. Uh, EXCUSE ME???? But, don't we want to know WHY this is being allowed before we give a rat's fanny about WHO leaked it?

Okay, yes, find out who did it and GIVE THEM A REWARD. I don't believe that we should allow our Mr. Baby Bush to usurp the laws that WE, the People, law down for HIM, our notorious leader. He truly does believe that Jesus died to make him God, doesn't he? In addition to his personal religious values which he insists on cramming down our throats being illegal and unconstitutional, he's an arrogant, ignorant ASS to "cowboy"boot.

Now that I'm sure I just wound up on some government "watch" list somewhere. Good! I hope Laura or Jenna or someone else close to him bought him a good phonics dictionary for Christmas. He'd best start practicing how to pronounce "Impeachment" correctly.

~~Mama

The Weather Outside Was Frightful...

actually, it was .... dum-dee-dum-delightful.

Christmas Eve we spent at M and S's home. The H family swept us into their warm family circle and Christmas Eve tradition. Brother B was visiting from Atlanta (he's the one wearing the red nose). We played fun games that M and S cooked up and ate a fabulous meatless lasagna (Thanks again, S, for the special no-peppers one for me!). Girl left the party early. She was so excited to see Umby Bumby and Aunt Lo that she fooled me into thinking she was napping. We learned later (the hard way) that she had NOT napped. Just after she left, the boys were washing their hands in the powder room and placed the used towel on top of the beautiful tea light holder on the bathroom sink. M remarked "if you smell smoke, don't worry, the fire is out". So, not much harm done except a charred and smoldering hand towel.

Christmas day was just about as non-boring. Boy was awake at 4:00am and then at 5:00am and I finally convinced him to sleep in until 6:15. He ran into our room to tell us that there was a gift under his bed .... "Santa must have dressed invisible and chucked it in there". He ran back out to roust his sister who discovered a giant stuffed "Uniqua" sitting on her chair. She and Umby Bumby were teasing each other calling it "My-Niqua". B and Ls arrived early and L (bless her in her beautiful skirt) gamely parked her self on Boy's floor to help him assemble the Viking ship.

We headed over to Lady and Smuff's for a bite of lunch. L and I sat at the kids table to keep the chaos in some semblence of order. Boy's stomach rebelled at my attempts at getting him to clean his plate. Sooo.......I was finished with my lunch rather early and cleaning up the boy and the table. After some great quality family time with the wonderfully generous family, we returned to our house to have dinner (and wine!) with B and L and we had a great evening of discussion and sharing.

Santa brought a video camera and a great sound system for my iPod. We are having fun using both of these fun gifts. Our greatest blessings of this Season were the moments spent with our wonderful family and friends. We love you ALL!

God/dess Bless us, everyone! -- Tiny Tim in Santa Susanna Repertory Theather production of Dicken's A Christmas Carol December 2005

Happy 2006! (Enjoy that extra second of 2005!)

~~Mama

Gratitude. Let's Have a Serving

This is Girl during a recent haircut. She let A curl her hair. I was at the office so A snapped this photo with her camera phone. My Beautiful Baby with Curls!

It's the height of the Silly Season here in Hollywierd; the week before the REAL insanity begins. Everyone is trying to outdo everyone else with the decorating. There are icicles galore and booty-shaking snowmen, moving deer, large globes with air blown "snow" inside, Santa and a million reindeer cavorting on rooftoops. Where Lady and Smuff live there is a "candy cane lane" where all the houses on the cul de sac decorate to the NINES each house with a theme (M&M's, salsa penguins, the Grinch, Disney, etc....) except for one, dark house in the middle. It is a reminder that not all celebrate the Season of Silliness in the same way.

Our family celebrates ALL of the light festivals, specifically the Winter Solstice and Christmas. At least we do in Spirit and are really working to do so in Wallet, too. It's so tough not getting caught up on all the craziness of the most DOMINANT "celebrations" of $MONEY$--Ka-CHING!!!
Everyone is crabby, rushed, stressed, overspent, overworked, overfed, over hung (take that in any way you want) and I wonder.....WHY do we always do this? So far, I haven't found any answer that makes any sense.

My mantra right now is "Gratitude". I got something about it in an email from my good friend Pat and it's been a wonderful, beautiful gift. Like a good shot of caffeine, it's a "feel good" substance, so I try to have a little bit every day. Today it is for the beauty of frost on the clay rooftiles and the smile on Girl's face as she says she's a "Steeler Girl". That is what the real meaning of the season is about--Peace On Earth and doing everything with a Grateful Heart, no matter what book you read or in whichever god/dess you Trust..

Last year we and three other families did an all night vigil on the Longest Night (Winter Solstice for those not familiar with the Ancient Feasts). The kids stayed awake up until they were delirious and passed out. The adults stayed awake all night and were just delirious. Just before dawn, it was time to hike up the hill and greet the Sun. It was fun and special, but I don't think we have it in us this year. We will spend special time with friends and family to remember really, what Winter is about--hibernating, being lazy and preparing for Spring to arrive--after a nice long nap.

But, we still have to get through the Silliness!!! I have been online shopping and everything got screwed up. After one whole day spent on the phone everything is fine now. I should have just STARTED on the phone. It seems that most sites were completely unprepared for the frenzy of the online shopping and out of stock for EVERYTHING. I'm glad that there wasn't THE one BIG HOT Furby-like toy this year. Though, trying to find a child's Easel seems to be a major hassle.

The kids are very excited for the arrival of the BIG RED ONE, and all his treasures. However, I doubt we will get Girl anywhere near him. Speaking of BIG GUYS....What is UP with Howard Stern? That is ALL I have been hearing about today. Is it seriously going to make Headline News if he decides to moonlight as Santa? There are definitely more important things to discuss other than him! Oops! The other "him" isn't talking.

It reminds me of the steriod controversy in MLB. It was the Feds way of saying "LOOK at this SHINY OBJECT over here to make you forget ALL ABOUT what we are (or aren't) DOING OVER THERE".

Okay, I'm babbling and wandering onto dangerous soapboxes. I thought I had all this interesting stuff to say, and actually I do. But, I fear it's only interesting to me. Though, my wee Irish-living bookworm friend and I could kill a few pints in such a discussion. As I sit here in front of the screen, I realize that most of what I have to say is probably a tad too liberal for most of my family, even though they all know that I am a Bleeding Heart, Tree-Hugging, Moon-Worshipping, Freaky Homeschooling Alternative Witchy Liberal Mom.

Let's just leave it at that.

Oh, Happy Christmas!--John Lennon

Holy Guacamole, Beginning Batman (--a great movie! and a subject for another day--), I can't believe I just quoted John Lennon--My Mom will be so proud!

~~Mama

LET THE SILLY SEASON BEGIN

Top image: Girl and Mama. Girl DOES have pigtails in her hair. She kept them in most of the day.
Middle Image: Boy and Girl (with a look that looks very strangely like one my mother has once in awhile when she's trying not to look guilty of some sort of mischief).
Bottom image: Eating ice cream just outside our front door. The day was a balmy 85 degrees. Ah, California-- warm in the winter, blistering hot in the summer. Snow in the mountains and perfect surf at the ocean.....paradise under the "HOLLYWOOD" sign....

Well, we survived Thanksgiving. Rather excellently, I might add. Our dinner gathering was wonderful. We met "Phantom Matt", of the Clan Schmidt and stuffed ourselves silly on G'Ma Pat's turkey, harvest veggies and apple pie, pumpkin pie, Guiness, and then more pie.

Good Lord and Lady, now it's time for what I call the "Silly Season". It is rather difficult to keep in mind "Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward Men" when some gentle person comes out of nowhere to slide into the parking space, located 20 miles from the mall, that you have been waiting ever-so-patiently for over 10 minutes and then flips you the "Partridge in the Pear Tree" when you attempt to draw his attention to his faux pas (actually more like 'faux off'.)

There is something great to be said about shopping online. No waiting for a parking space in the upper atmosphere, then having some FOOL rudely abscond with it; shopping any hour of any day and in your pajamas (or less) no less. The only reason I even go to the mall now is for RECON missions. Then I don't have to stand in line and deal with rude checkout clerks who have never even heard the term "Customer Service".

I broke down and ordered holiday photos. I couldn't resist! I snapped the cutest photo of the kids in front of the Christmas Tree, so I had to do it. Besides, we got our first Holiday card yesterday and I'm feeling very sentimental.

Yeah, I'm a big ole' sappy goofball. Oh, there's my cue....Doris Day signs a beautiful classic Holiday tune. I can't identify it because of the loud battle for a blanket the kids are currently having (like we don't have a dozen they could choose from). For such small people, they could compete easily with 5 Gigaton dynamite blast.

This is BLISS...................

~~Mama

Serenity...

This photo, courtesy of Corbis.com, reminds me of the book "Misty of Chincoteague" which we borrowed from the library recently. The blue sky and earthy scent of horses reminds me of being a young girl.

Saturday was Boy's final soccer game and post-season pizza party. The Sharks tied their last game 1-1. Boy, H and O made some tremendous plays and the Stingers were a challenging team! Congrats to this years Region 9 AYSO teams. See you next year!

On Sunday, we hung out with Smuffy and Lady and their kids and just relaxed. It was great. We watched a bit of football, and the final NASCAR race of the season, sorted Lego's, and then built various modes of air transport wit them, played cards, played Porsche 911, fed the kids and us when it seemed appropriate and had a giant slumber party. It was grand!

What a weekend! The previous week was break-neck pace, so the slowness and the consciousness of not having to DO anything in particular was wonderful. Thanks to the H-family for being awesome hosts and letting us crash overnight.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

~~Mama

I'm in Hog Heaven....

Oh, boy. I'm in a bad state today.... I seriously want another Harley.

I had one, briefly, when I lived in Hawaii. But gave it up in an amicable division of assets before I moved back East in 1991. Since it was January in New Hampshire, I thought it best I have the vehicle with doors, windows and a heater. My half of the 883 Sportster (actually both halves) were best suited to living in a warmer climate.

My cousin and 11 of his cronies are in California for the week. They came out last Thursday for the 22nd Annual Love Ride (Jay Leno and other celebs usually ride, too) on November 13, 2005, from Glendale to Lake Castaic. It looked like fun (Chris showed me photos), though I suppose that 25,000 bikers strong doesn't make for a very "peace"ful ride. Maybe that's why they call it the "Love Ride". You have to LOVE riding to gang up with that many Harleys. I'm surprised I didn't hear them going up the 5 from way over here!

Cuz's gang headed up to Monterey on Monday and back down the Coast Road where they will wind up the week on the Santa Monica Pier. The kids and I met up with Cuz in Santa Barbara at the Hotel Mar Monte last evening (Tuesday). The hotel is on Cabrillo Blvd, just across the road from the Pacific Ocean (Cuz's room had an ocean view) and it's a stone's throw from the Santa Barbara Zoo. Our family holds a membership to that Zoo. So, while waiting for Cuz to arrive in SB, the kids and I spent the end of the day and "feeding time" at the Zoo. We checked out some new exhibits (the most interesting being a Blue-Tongued Skink) and played by the farm animals who were annoyed that we didn't bring them any food. When the zoo was closing, we went over to the Hotel and just in time. The guys were checking in. I don't think I have ever met such a great group of bikers. (Gus is in the top photo worried about Girl falling off the back of his red bike). The kids were saying "Peace, Dude!".

The guys were friendly, respectful, generous, funny and very entertaining! Boy shared french fries with Sully and Mark kept us all well-supplied with drinks (lemonade for the kids). I got to meet Chuck and Jeff and Doug and the others whose names I can't remember now. All, exceptional men. I heard stories of the trek down through Big Sur and one person's reluctance to cross Bixby Bridge, a well-known California landmark. (You may have seen it in a car company advertisement, Chevrolet, I think, featuring a white bridge over the ocean. NOT for the altitude-shy!) I also heard about one of their own who was tragically killed in a riding accident earlier this year. I did not hear his name, but I know he is incredibly missed. I feel deeply for this group of gruff-looking, yet so wonderful, gentlemen.

I am so glad that the stigmata of bikers is changing into something much more positive than the day's of the Hell's Angels and such. There is no way I could ever think of Cuz in the same light as the Hell's Angels of the '60's and '70's, "Easy Rider" time. Before we headed out, the kids and I checked out the local Harley-Davidson Establishment (literally down the street from my house). I found a tank for myself and Boy INSISTED that we get Cuz a black T-shirt with a babe in a blue outfit. Girl screaming bloody hell because I wouldn't let her sit on the bikes for sale. She's going to give me a heart-attack and we'll be fighting over who gets to ride the family Harley. :) She was VERY happy sitting on Gus' bike in the top photo up there ^^^^.

Cuz and I share the exact same birthdate. We were born hours (and several states) apart. Spending the summers together growing up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire was a lot of fun. We jumped into the icy cold Swift River and slid down the natural rock slides, caught bunches of small trout to bring home for Cuz's mother, my mom's cousin, to fry up for breakfast. My grandmother even liked to eat the heads! (Ewww!) Once we were a certain age, we would have to outmaneuver the National Forest Service rangers, getting picky about fishing licenses and all that. I recalled, with amusement, the time that I flipped a trout right into the bushes behind me, I was so excited to get it's teeny-tiny bite. Yes, Gram ate that one, too, head and all. (Yuck!)

I also recall learning how to ride snow machines (by hanging off the back of them) with all my cousins at Buddy's house in North Conway. It is miraculous no one was hurt.

Maybe next year Cuz will come out again and I'll rent a Harley and ride with him. :)

In the meantime, I'm off with the screaming kids to the indoor playground and a large dose of real time.

~~Mama (imagining the wind in my hair and the road in front of me as I steer a sleek, purple , chrome and black H-D onto ... "Ventura Highway in the Sunshine/Where the Days are longer/the nights are stronger than moonshine" ).

Victory!!!!

It was a dark and stormy night...
No wait... wrong story. Ok it was a California chilly morning. The sun was casting its rays upon the field of battle where powerful forces would soon collide to decide the difference between victory and defeat.
In other words... Soccer. The game was at 10:00 this morning and the Sharks had their full team present and ready for action. They changed up their usual practice and did some drills where they played offense and defense against each other. Gone were the kids who look at the birds... these kids were swarming defenders and aggressive goal scoring machines.
Gametime...
(Image blurring.. thinking back) The Dragons were the first team that we were to play... that day they outscored us 7-0. (Image returning... to the present)

The Dragons set up to start the game. They had their wingers spread out and were in a 3-1-1 formation (only 5 kids on the field at a time). The sharks were two groups of huddled kids.. 3 up front and 2 in the back.

The Dragons came out kicking and started to move the ball to the Sharks end. Now this is where the comment on the practice becomes significant, because our team charged the ball and repelled attack after attack.
As the game wore on (about 5 minutes later), the Sharks pushed the Dragons back, by a great defensive clear by Boy Z. He took a tumble and a foot to the head, but got right back up!! After the throw in, BoyZ got the ball to Ry who broke free!! Score Sharks!!
Later in the game..
A dragon 1-1 ended up in a score for them tying the game. The Sharks, however, would not go quietly into the mid morning this time. Pressing attack after attack, the Sharks controlled the ball for most of the game. There were a few close shots taken by O and J, but both wide of the target. With about 5 minutes left in the game, out of the scrum came the ball and Ry!! Cruising ahead of the defenders, he shoots, he SCORES!!!
The Sharks kept up the tempo and at the whistle, the Sharks defeated the Dragons 2-1 for their first victory of the year!! (but who's counting).
The boys played with gusto, confidence and fervor.
It's so great to see when learning and fun start to sink in....
Especially if you're a slightly sometimes competitive Dad...

Signing off and still flying high!!
~~DaddyMan

... To Be Determined

Are they related or what????? Boy is playing in a play hut that our neighbors gave us. It takes up the entire "Great Room", but it's worth it to see how much fun they are having. They dragged every item imaginable into the tent. Blankets, pillows and clothes included! They are having a ton of fun with it. <Thanks Singer Family!>

Girl is well on her way to making this family "All Steelers - All The Time". Boy seems to be a "fair weather fan". Whatever team is showing on television on game day, he likes. We are trying to convince him to let go of his "Raider Envy". In the stores, the most predominant NFL team gear have San Francisco 49ers or Oakland Raiders logos. Both of which, um, in a word......STINK!!!!! See? All the other stuff has been snapped up by the hordes of "other" fans! Or maybe I just don't notice display of another teams insignia or name??? .....

Nah! The California teams are yucky. The Steelers have the MOST and the BEST fans, Terrible Towels down! Go #86 - Hines Ward-- three passes away from breaking the all-time Steeler record for passes currently held by John Stallworth. (My husband will be so proud that I remember this statistic; we just won't worry about the fact that I originally thought the record held by Lynn Swann!)

Hhmm....So, "What's new?" you ask?? Let's see.... I started a part-time job with the Law Office. Hey, J left to move to Ireland on a grand adventure and that left an opening in the firm! It is my duty to see that the place is held for her eventual return to the "States". Actually, it has been fun so far (one day). I was tossed right into the deep end of the pool. Fortunately, I can see the bottom and I'm a great swimmer! I'm glad to have joined the Team.

Yesterday, one of my oldest (meaning person I've known the longest; not in terms of solar age) N, had a birthday. I met her on her birthday about 30 years ago in Mrs. Morgenthaler's 4th grade class at John Fitch Elementary School. Wow. That's a long time ago. I haven't talked to her in awhile. I'm sure she's been busy with her beautiful daughter who should be about 4 years old. But, I wish her well in whatever she is doing. Today, one of my newest (met her fairly recently) but definitely one of my dearest friends, Lady, had a birthday. Her mother, MZMax, ad a birthday yesterday, too. What is with all the November birthdays?!? We are supposed to be in the malls shopping for the Winter Holidays and freaking out about our Holiday Cards getting into the mail on time after Thanksgiving when we are stuffed to the gills with whatever we will be eating on that day. Birthdays!smirthdays.

In all seriousness....Happy Birthday N and Lady (and MzMax!).

Yesterday was election day in many states across the country. Here in California, we voters spent the day voting down a bunch of propositions that were put on the ballot for our special election. So, there I was, arranging for an absentee ballot and then going over the summary and the laws packet, popping out my little chads and making sure none were "hanging" and then finding a place to deliver said ballot. Thanks, Gova-nator! >:( Personally, I can think of a million other more productive uses with that total time. I'm rereading the Outlander series so that I can catch up to J. We are forming the MalaMoor IrishCa Book Club. First meeting: whenever we can coordinate child care/sleeping/working schedules. This whole "time zone" thing is gnarly.

I have to close now. I have a date with yon Sheamus (Jamie) Fraser-->900 more pages to read.......

~~Mama

BOO!!!

Yikes! Is it the fact that there is a spider on N's lap or something S sees outside, like ...
the guys building the wall in our backyard ARE STILL HERE!?!?!?!?!

I'm thinking the last one. Sheesh! How long is it supposed to take? They originally said three days. It's DAY TEN and it still isn't finished. It's not the Great Wall of China, for crying out loud!

Okay, enough complaining. Life really is spectacular right now. Boy is enjoying soccer and he's doing so great! He runs like the wind and kick the ball HARD when he gets it. I'm such a proud Mama.

I have great news! I'm re-entering the working world! I will be working part-time for my friend D who is also a fabulous Trust and Estates Attorney. She needs the help in her office, I have huge interest in legal matters and it will give me something "adult" to do. It ought to be interesting. If my very good friend J was here, we'd be working together. She is off on her own having a whirlwind adventure on the Emerald Isle and I can't wait to see her. Daddy and I are going to take the kids to Ireland next year! I'm so excited!

***NOTE: When reading the following paragraphs, you may learn something new and possibly surprising. Though I (Mama) do not purposely hide this part of myself, some may be a bit startled at my revelations here. As you read, please keep in mind what you know of me personally. ***

Happy Hallows! Otherwise known as Hallowe'en, Hallows Eve, or sometimes Samhain (pronounced SOW-en). This is my personal New Year's Day. After Trick-or-Treating and the whirlwind of parties this evening, I will build an altar in the West, (the direction of Autumn, the Ocean and Her creatures, tears and emotion), reflecting on the past year and let go of what is no longer needed. Also in the West, I will honor my ancestors, especially those who have died this year and sit quietly for a time or meditate or using a candle flame or bowl of water (called "scrying") to reconnect with those who have passed to the Summerland. In the East, (the direction of Spring, new beginnings and flying creatures) I will build another altar welcoming in the babies who have been born this year the new ideas and projects that may come and plan my own personal new year resolutions. I will cast a magic circle and call upon those spiritual entities I have come to know, my personal gods and goddesses. I will ask them to guide me in my growth.

In the time between Hallows and Winter Solstice, I will journal, dream and plan out that I wish to accomplish in the coming year. Like January first to most of the rest of the world, I make those resolutions to work toward better physical fitness, healthier eating, reading more books, laugh more, be grumpy less, be a better parent, wife, mother, sister, friend, daughter, etc.

So, are y'all freaked out now? ....

~Mama

Sunshine....what is that?

This photo was supposed to be in anticipation for a cute family holiday photo. "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" (or Igg and Ook as they are sometimes known--Hudson Hawk anyone?) were less than cooperative. But, I look good!!!! And that's all that counts, right?

My friend and "sister", J. has been in Ireland for a few weeks. She'll be there until....whenever. All this past week and weekend, it's been overcast and cloudy, even a bit rainy during the night hours. She doesn't know what she's missing....wait a second...it's similar weather over there! Maybe the sun moved, too? You can read her blog by clicking the link over there on the right ------>. It's the one that says something about Ireland.

We finally contacted a lawyer to get our Estate Plan worked out and starting Trusts for the kids. Guardianship is an agonizing thing to think about. But, with two kids and family across the country, we have been worrying about it for awhile. What really set things into motion was the case of Terri Schiavo case and the fight between her parents and her husband. Heart-wrenching and awful to watch or think about, Terri's case had wide-reaching impact. Making those types of plans seems so strange to someone in their 30's. But, with little kids, it is so very necessary. Choosing Guardians has been the most difficult thing to do. But, we finally figured it out (right after we met with the attorney). I feel so much better like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Funny, that meeting also brought an offer from the firm to work part-time, possibly as a paralegal. The idea does appeal to me very much. Hubby seems to be in agreement and willing to give it a try-out. It would give me large blocks of time out the world of adults, using my brain for more than Dr. Seuss or potty training. Not that those things are not important. But, two-on-one is draining much of the time. Bouncing back and forth like a ping-pong ball between them and then suddenly remembering at 4:00pm that I never ate breakfast (or anything else all day) is the ultimate Yo-Yo Diet!

I think fondly of the tribal times when the whole village would take the responsibility of raising each child, so no one person had to bear the full burden all or most of the time. Elders with their wisdom and knowing were strong in their convictions and body. No such thing as a nursing home back then. The children of the village kept them young in spirit. Can you tell I've been reading historical fiction?????

What else....the Steelers had a particularly impressive game yesterday against the Cinncinati Bengals. Did I get to see it? No. But we saw the highlights. It would have been a game to see. Darn the black out rules!!!!

One of my oldest friends, Ann, finally told off her buttinsky mother-in-law, Trish, who basically treats her like something icky and squishy on the bottom of her shoe. Ann, and her husband, Donald, have been together since we were all in high school (20 years ago. Ewww.....) Anyway, from day one, Trish has disliked Ann and made no secret of saying as much to anyone within hearing range (including Ann the day before she got married). Tacky Trish had the audacity to tell Donald (right in front of Ann!) that she thought that Yours Truly was such a nice girl and he should have married me instead. Well, not only was that an awful thing to say in Ann's presence, but it made me want to punch Trish's lights out. Now, I'm not sure where I was at the time. I was around somewhere for the wedding, but I didn't hear about that until after the fact. Oh, I remember, I think I was chasing around after the best man! :) I've wanted to punch Trish's lights out (okay, figuratively) just about every time I've seen her in the 15 years or so since Ann and Donald's wedding. It's always torqued me that I seem to be nowhere nearby when something like this has been said. I miss the perfect opportunities for weenie roasting! Anyway, I was so proud of Ann. She told me the story and I was laughing so hard from trying to picture the two of them shouting at each other in the restroom of a public restaurant. It's like something out of a movie, and a long time coming. I giggled for about another hour after I went to bed. I so wish I had been a fly on the wall. I hope Trish remembers that Ann is strong in her own right and she'd best take heed or risk seeing her only grandchild. It sucks that Ann has to play it that way, but she is undermining the relationship of the child and it's parents. THAT is just not acceptable.

Hallows is next week and it's a new moon. The perfect time to celebrate my personal New Year's Day. I'm really looking forward to it. In the meantime, there are parties, parties and more parties. Sweet! It's SO good to be popular.

Catch y'all later. Until then, tell me what's happening in your world? Leave some comments so I'll know you have been here.

~~Mama

Read In Rain Bows

Finally! We get some rain. This is the extent of the flooding here.

I know I am getting absolutely no sympathy from everyone on the East Coast. I have heard from JiJi and Babci and Papa and all say that areas that were peaceful, meandering creeks have turned into raging waters. Thank the gods, everyone is doing okay.

Today, though, I just want to curl up and finish reading my book. I'm so tempted to leave the TV on all day for the kids. It's one of the rainy, cool, fall days, cloudy, damp and chilly. If I knew anything about my fireplace (it IS or WAS gas) I would have a fire going. I really, really miss New England in Autumn.

Last night, as I was contemplating the Full Hunter's Moon during Her fleeting glimpses, I got to thinking about how different our society was less than 250 years ago. Back then, there was much more of a tribal feel to families and villages even though there was so much wilderness in between settled areas. Today, in 2005, there are more people crowded into smaller and smaller areas, so much on top of each other so that it is impossible to ignore one another. Yet, we manage to close ourselves into little boxes that all have cell phones and other wireless gadgets. In our effort to globally connect, we are missing the immediate connection we can have with the person at the next table, if all we did was smile and say "Hello".

I used to read romance novels all the time. Not those goofy Harlequin Romances that always seem the same, just change the time period and the names of the main characters. I would read Danielle Steel who I found much more interesting in the strengths of her characters and stories. There was a time when I didn't read much of anything. However, for the past 15 years, I have been reading thriller/mystery, science fiction/fantasy, Tolkien and now the classics, Louis L'Amour, Jane Austen, Steinbeck.... anything homeschooling related and lots of non-fiction books on a wide variety of topics. Daddy and I love to read.

So, recently, a friend slobbered all over herself telling me of young James Fraser and his wife, Claire, a triage nurse who served in WWII (thats right, the math doesn't add up) in a book she lent me, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It is the first in a series (of six) that follows the meeting and life paths of the two main characters. It weaves time-travel, Scottish and English History, The Stuart Uprising, piracy and the years in the American colonies just before the Revolution into a book that was impossible for me to put down. Since time travel has always been something I have been interested in, I quickly finished that one and moved on to the others (in order), Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, The Drums of Autumn and The Firey Cross. When I traveled back East a few weeks ago, I brought The Firey Cross which is 1,443 pages in paperback. I was traveling alone and had 12 hours of uninterrupted time total plane flights. I finished it as my plane touched back down in Los Angeles. A few days later the latest book was published, A Breath of Snow and Ashes. I made myself wait a few days before I bought it in hardback. Not a small thing at 979 pages. I'm about 1/2 way through so far. The story is fiction, but the history is rich and wonderful. I warn you, if you are ANY kind of romantic, this story which spans 30 years or so, could be one of the best you may have ever read. If you are looking for a story to get lost in, this is a good one.

As I'm writing this I received an email with a phone number from my friend Jenni who moved to Ireland earlier this month. I'm going to go figure out how to call her.

~~Mama

The Wind Doth Blow....

If it isn't fire...it's wind. The mighty Santa Ana winds that have fueled the brush fires around these parts for the past few weeks did more damage to the compartmentalization of Southern California. Portions of the fences on both sides of the yard came tumbling down.... No one was hurt, but Boy decided he wanted to be in the picture. There are three young girls that live next door and the kids all play together on the weekends. They found great delight in this new (and simpler) way to access both yards. Alas, it's only temporary, but luckily we all like each other so there is no rush to fix anything.

The neighbors on the other side have an "Aspen" (a mutt) and he likes to saunter over. I woke up in the middle of the night recently to scratching on the sliding glass door in our bedroom. I didn't have my glasses on and just saw this canine shape. I am told that coyotes jump the fences to get the good morsels in the yards (quail, roadrunner, rabbits....).

It took a few moments to realize it was Aspen and I was relieved, but it took me a while to get back to sleep. About an hour later, I awoke again to Aspen barking. This time at a pack of coyotes who were yipping and howling in celebration of the capture of some sort of prey.

I just learned that one of the neighborhood cats is missing.......Sheesh.....

~~Mama

It's Quiet Today

This is a picture that Boy did online at the NASA website last year. It's he, the Astronaut, on Mars. :)

Most of the fires that are anywhere near us are finally out. The sky is much clearer today than yesterday. Of coure, the Santa Ana's are blowing up again today, so that is one reason things are so clear. They may also touch off some more fires. 'Tis the season!

It's "quiet time" in the house right now. Baby Girl went right down for a nap after screaming her head off that she wasn't tired. Yeah....

Mr. Man is playing with legos and listening to a book on CD. I am trying to figure out what to do with MY quiet time! Oh! The luxury of it.....

Things have been totally nutty for two weeks. My friend, J, moved out of her house and is leaving for Ireland next week. She's in NoCal until then and I miss her a lot. I just read her blog update and I'm all emotional about it. I have thought about how hard it is for those of us staying behind to have said goodbye. It seems much more difficult to be the one leaving. (B-Family, We love you!)

~~Mama