Sleepless Mornings

Getting out of Debt

2012-01-26T13:36:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned in the past that I'm making continuous efforts to save money and live within my means, but I haven't shared my latest and greatest ventures in penny pinching in a while. I think it's worth sharing one very important thing:

Since August 2011 I am credit card free!!

How did I get the credit cards to a zero balance? That's another part of the story. See, I had felt like I was living within my means, but there were costs coming up that I couldn't always foresee, such as car repairs and vet bills and LIFE. Instead of planning for those and budgeting carefully, I was just using a credit card to make up the difference. Slowly but surely, I accumulated more debt than I ever imagined I would, and I was drowning in worry every month.

Finally, last summer, I decided to take action. First, I got hold of my finances, figured out where I was, and put together a full workbook of spreadsheets to balance my budget and give myself a clear picture of where my money was going.

Without great detail, because I'm cautious that way, let's just say I had access to a sum of money that would pay off the credit cards and give me just one thing to pay back with lower interest each month. I was able to pay both cards in full, which felt great, and haven't used them since.

Now the fun part -- KEEPING myself from using them.

Actually that's not so hard, but it does require me to watch every penny, as well as account for where the money is all going before the next paycheck. Each month I typically have to "borrow" from savings to make the house payment, but within 2 days I always pay it back and am able to maintain an emergency fund in my savings account. (Per Dave Ramsey's advice -- I love that guy!) Granted it's not always fun to be down to the bare bones, and sometimes the kids and I daydream about being able to take a trip or go out to dinner at a great place, but for the most part we're making it work. In the midst of paying the bills and paying off the loan, we manage to enjoy a few meals out at less expensive places, and I've still been able to buy them winter clothes, too. Nobodies starving or freezing!

I admit there are times when I catch myself thinking I could use a card "just this once." But I always slap myself out of it and haven't made that mistake once. If I can't pay cash for it, I don't need it!

One thing to note: I do pretty well financially, and all of my money concerns point at one thing -- childcare. I've done the math, and nearly a quarter of my after tax income goes to childcare for my wonderful kids. And that's okay! It's totally worth it! But it's nice to know that they'll get older, and eventually that part of my budget will change, and I won't have quite the worries that I do now. There is a light at the end of the poor tunnel!

What I look forward to is the day I can call Dave Ramsey on Debt Free Friday and yell, "I'M DEBT FREE!!"

Happy Hollandaise

2012-01-04T23:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

The holidays aren't worth reliving, so I'm just jumping into 2012. I'm just happy to say we all survived, and so far, everyone is healthy.

My update on the kidney front is that I've been ousted as a possible donor for my mother. Heartbreaking and unfair, in my humble opinion, but with my cysts and our family history they don't think that "cutting my kidney function in half" is a good idea. So there you have it. I continue to be of no use to anyone!

On to last night...
I don't think I've mentioned this, but Noelle and I are absolutely in love with the movie "Julie & Julia." Partly for the adorable Amy Adams. Partly for the incredible Stanley Tucci. Partly because Meryl absolutely brings Julia to LIFE. Partly because I love that Julia was tall. And MOSTLY because the food in that movie makes us hungry every single time we watch it!

So far we'd only attempted the bruchetta that Julie and her husband devour one evening -- just watching them enjoy it made us want it that much more! We weren't able to get the right kinds of tomatoes, and in the end our bread didn't seem nearly as delectable, but we did use fresh tomatoes and fresh basil, and we did thoroughly enjoy the meal. So much so that my son is still asking when we're going to make it again! I call that a success.

Last night I attempted something I've never made: Hollandaise sauce! Not that it was oh so hard, nor was it anything nobodies ever made, but it was my first time and I had fun with it. Granted, anything that includes an entire stick of butter can't be all that bad, right?

We wanted to make it for the artichokes that Noelle's been dying for me to buy. (She finally tried one at a friend's house and now she "loooves them!" Never mind that I have made them before...)

The sauce was delicious, and I loved the flavor of the two together. I was in heaven. Meanwhile, Noelle took one taste and decided on ranch for her dipping. Fine by me! I was only too happy to enjoy it by myself, since Charlie wouldn't have anything to do with it, either. Tonight I swung by Trader Joe's and picked up a little broccolini, which I steamed and then drowned in the last of the hollandaise. It was just as wonderful warmed up, and I had to stop myself from licking the bowl afterwards.

I've been scouring my local antique shops for a copy of Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but I think perhaps there are a few other people out there who, like me, have seen the movie and wanted to pick up a copy. Thanks to the Internet, I'm sure I can find most recipes I'm looking for. Just Google "Julie & Julia" and you'll be amazed at what you'll find.

I'm off to sleep now, to dream of rich, creamy sauces. Yum.

Five Things

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop to the inspirational rescue!

List 5 things we don't know about you
1. My signature scent is the original Vanilla from The Body Shop -- I've been wearing it for years and years. If they ever stop making it, I'm going to clean out every store on the west coast. When I'm not wearing the vanilla, my favorite backup is Joop!

2. I was born on my actual due date of 11/11, which coincidentally was 9 months and 2 days after my father returned from a year of service in Korea. I'll bet they're glad I wasn't early!

3. I own every single book LaVyrle Spencer ever wrote, and I re-read each of them every several years. My favorites are Years, Sweet Memories and Separate Beds. I don't care much for any other romance writers, but she's from Minnesota and often sets the book in the 1800's or early 1900's. I love that.

4. I've been keeping a journal since high school, and I now have a drawer full of them from over the years. Mostly I'm embarrassed to know me when I read through them, so I've started a journal of simple stories from my life that my children can read later. Hopefully it will give them a bit of insight of who I was.

5. Nothing makes me laugh harder then texts from Autocorrect.com or Whenparentstext.com. NOTHING. I literally cry. If you haven't been there, drop everything and start reading.

ME: Mom, did I see you last night? Sorry I came home a little hammered…

MOM: Um, yes. You did.

ME: Uh oh. What happened?

MOM: I reminded you to change your clocks and you burst into tears. I’ll remember it’s a sensitive subject from now on.

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

Dad: What are you doing?

Me: I’m at Grandma’s house. What do you need?

Dad: I want cookies. Chocolate chip. Get them for me. I will pay.

Me: Ask mom.

Dad: I did. She won’t. Says no. Get cookies please.

Me: I will on my way home.

(10 minutes later)

Dad: Nevermind. Mom found texts. NO COOKIES! ABORT MISSION!

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

DAD: big poppa is back!!

ME: who’s big poppa?

DAD: the big turkey in the backyard, i named him big pappa.

(5 minutes later)

DAD: THROW YOUR HANDS IN THE AYEA IF YOUSE A TRUE PLAYA!

List 5 things you're knowledgeable about
1. Anne of Green Gables. I've read every book, some of them more than 20 times, and I absolutely love Ann (with an e) Shirley. My favorite book is Anne of Ingleside, which is mostly about her children. Their antics and adventures make me laugh or smile endlessly. I can't wait for Noelle to read them.

2. Marie Antoinette. I was obsessed a couple of years ago and read many books about her life. FYI, it's not a happy ending.

3. Mormonism. I happened to have studied it a lot a few years back, and I have a few too many books on the subject.

4. Baking. Thanks to my mom I feel like I can tackle just about anything in the baking world and have a clue about what I'm doing. She was a wonderful teacher when I was growing up -- very patient and consistent. I hear her in myself when I'm baking with Noelle.

5. Amy Grant's music. I tried not to mention her, but let's be honest -- there's little about her and her life and her history that I don't know. What can I say? She intrigues me!

List 5 things you know nothing about
1. Playing an instrument. I can still do scales on my flute, but that's the extent of it. I've always been interested in the piano and guitar, but who has the time? Or a piano?

2. How to keep any sort of reptile alive. I live in fear of the kids getting a turtle or lizard some day.

3. Changing the oil in my car. I could save a lot of money if I knew, but I take it to a shop and tell someone what I want and then browse at a store nearby while they mysteriously change my oil.

4. I love Indian food, but I don't have a clue as to how it's made or even the name of most dishes. In most restaurants I am lucky enough to be with someone who has a clue, or I go to my usual little place where they know me and the food is exactly the same every time. Otherwise I'm completely intimidated. This is something I would like to rectify. I do not feel that way about the reptiles.

5. How to color hair. I've never had mine colored, though the grey that's popping up has me thinking about buying a box. But I'm totally intimidated and will probably make a friend or my mom do it on the first attempt. Good luck to them.

List 5 things you believe
1. I believe there is love in store for me again -- I just don't have any idea of when it will be. Soon or many years from now. No matter what, I refuse to give up on the idea of romance in my future!

2. I believe people who stir up problems for other people deliberately (and with pleasure) should all be sent to an island to live together so that the rest of us can live in peace.

3. I believe I came from a family filled with strong women, and I hope they look down on me and feel that I measure up. There are so many of them that I want to make proud.

4. I believe the last 15 minutes of "You've Got Mail" make me feel good, no matter what life is handing me. That's probably where #1 stems from.

5. I believe I am the luckiest girl in the world to have the parents that I have. Just imagine -- two people who think I'm wonderful and are there for me whenever I need them. And I've needed them a lot the last few years! I only hope I can someday do anything for them that comes even close to what they've done for me. Plus, it turns out my dad is a great garage organizer, so there's that! (I love you, Dad.)

It's a Thanksgiving Miracle

2011-11-29T21:32:00.000-08:00

Still no word from the doctor -- is that good or bad? I'm trying not to analyze it to death.

Thanksgiving was a smashing success, which I'm still a little surprised to be saying. Remember me? The girl who hates Thanksgiving? I know, I know.

Our Packers were on at 9:30am, during which we prepped the turkey and got it in the oven. I'm embarrassed to tell you that this was my first time EVER getting a turkey ready for stuffing. I cleaned it, pulled out the goodies and salted it. I should be too ashamed to tell you that, but it's true. In 36 years, I think it's safe to say this was the first time I was actually a help to my mother in the kitchen. (On Thanksgiving, that is.)

While the Packers literally kicked the Lions' butts, I got a lot of help from Noelle with the peeling of potatoes and buttering of the cooking turkey. It's looking good that she'll be a better daughter than me in the years to come.

After the Packers proved themselves to be the greatest team ever, once again, I threw together the green bean casserole with onions that a million people have made before me but I never have. Remember, I'm a hater.

When the meal was ready we all settled into my dining room -- Noelle with sparkling cider and Charlie with chocolate milk -- and feasted on the most delicious Thanksgiving dinner in the history of the world.

Okay, maybe not, but how about in the history of my 36 years? Maybe it's because I cooked more of the meal than I ever have. Maybe it's because I'm appreciating having my mom around more than ever. Or maybe I just finally grew up and got over myself. Whatever the reason, I'm happy. And I'll take happy over grumpy any day of the week.

November recap!

2011-11-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

Where have I been?

EVERYWHERE!

At least that's what it feels like. Not one, but two trips to San Francisco later, I have had every test under the sun and had 19 vials of blood taken to see if I'm a potential kidney donor for my mom. First there were the "is she a match" tests, and after those there were the "hey what's that thing on your kidney" tests. Yes, a bit of a scare there with the surgeon calling to say he saw "something" that could be a cyst but might not be a cyst. 22 days later I'm still waiting for the official phone call from him letting me know the final decision.

The hardest part about waiting is that we do know one very key thing.

I am a MATCH! I am, as it turns out, a perfect kidney donor for the woman I call Mom.

Isn't that amazing? Yet there could be bad news on the other end of the phone when the surgeon calls me, which according to the nurse, should be any time now. There could be some utterly annoying reason that could stop them from letting me give her my perfect kidney. And that will KILL me. To sit by and watch my mom start dialysis and know that I can't prevent it. Kills me.

On another November note...
I had a birthday. And it was a cool one. 11/11/11. How often does that happen?? (Okay, every 100 years, but the odds are not looking good for me seeing 11/11/2111.)

I turned a very uninteresting 36 that Friday. But there were highlights. On my way to work, I told the Starbucks barista that it was my birthday, and she gave me my mocha for free -- sweet! This was me celebrating on the drive with my very first cake pop.

That day my co-worker Pete, who is a wonderful guy, brought me flowers and put up a sign and even brought it the yummiest tiramasu cake you've ever tasted. Pete made my day!

That evening I celebrated with my best friends who came over for much dinner and laughter and fun. We stayed up way too late and then played musical beds with everyone sleeping somewhere random. At least everyone finally slept! Noelle was the first to fall asleep, but we didn't put her underwear in the freezer. We just moved her to the floor in a sleeping bag. Nice, right?

This week is Thanksgiving, and despite my previous complaints about this holiday, I'm really looking forward to having my family here. Tonight the 'rents arrive, tomorrow I get off of work early, Thursday we cook and eat way too much good food while our Packers win, and Friday we visit some family in Monterey. I think it's going to be a good week.

If only the phone would ring, and it would be good news....

2011-11-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

This just made me happy this morning. Welcome back, Peppermint Mocha. You were missed.

Halloween At Sleepless Mornings 2011

2011-11-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

I promised my favorite mom that I'd post some pictures of the kids on Halloween. This year we're in super-ultra-tight budget mode, so I was grateful to Charlie for wanting to do a Harry Potter sequel with all the goodies I spent too much money on last year. He was in a much better mood for pictures and hammed it up happily. (Maybe he really is my child!)

Noelle, on the other hand, had the more frightening costume/make-up, and kept creeping me out with her zombie-like qualities. Here, for your viewing pleasure, are my kids.

A tale of two kidneys

2011-09-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

I'm on a rather interesting trek right now that could lead to an even more interesting journey. I'm excited and nervous and emotional about it, and I think writing about it will be good. Sharing it with the blog universe, and anyone else out there who enjoys keeping up with me and my little life.

Last summer we found out that my mother had a kidney disease and was at the beginning stages of what would eventually be kidney failure. Our family has a history with this unfortunate ordeal -- my maternal grandmother and my mother's brother both died of kidney failure, though both for different reasons. We've been through the world of dialysis and we know how not fun it can be.

Fast forward to this summer when my mother started having to look at dialysis options. It was incredible to find out that she had options beyond what we knew 12 years ago. Her dialysis of choice will actually not involve blood, and will be something she can do at home every single night -- while she sleeps! This is a great example of why technology moving forward is good.

Of course the best option for someone in need of a healthy kidney is to receive one from a living donor. They really pump that idea into the patients, wanting them to reach out and see if anyone they know (or anyone those people know) would like to be a donor. Despite some interest and lovely thoughts, so far nobody has been the proper blood type for mom, which is a key factor.

Until now.

I guess it's silly that at 35 I never knew what type I was, but I honestly had no clue. Without mentioning it to my family, I got my blood tested and waited impatiently for results last week. When the call came in, the poor nurse had no idea that she was giving me good news, and I hollered in her ear a bit. As it turns out, I not only got my mother's voice, hair and face, I also got her blood type.

I could tell my mom wasn't sure what to do with that news -- she'd been telling me all along that she didn't want me to be a donor because I have kids, etc. But I also have a mom, and I happen to like her a lot, and if something like this is meant to be, then who am I to argue with it? Being the same blood type is only a small step in the process -- I now have to have a whirlwind of tests to find out if I not only match her in many other ways, but if my kidneys are even good enough for her. (With our family history, it will be interesting to find out.)

In a month I spend a day and a half in San Francisco finding all this out, before which I have to do a few tests of my own. (I'll just say it -- I'm not excited about the 24 hour collection of urine. How does that sound like fun for anyone? Could make for an interesting post!)

So there you are -- my little trek is beginning, and it will be an adventure to find out where it will end. Follow along!

Rivers and Berries and Camping - Oh my!

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

As you may know, every year my favorite August tradition is to spend a weekend at my parent's place in the country. We go to the river, barbeque, pick berries and make jam. I cherish these times and am glad I can continue to enjoy them for as long as my parents will live there.

And when they don't, perhaps I'll go up there anyway and pick berries until someome throws me off the property. Some traditions are meant to be kept!

This year the kids and I brought along one of my oldest and dearest friends, Michael. (He's not old -- I've just known him for 20 years.) He's one of my most favorite people in the world to be around -- he brings a sense of peace and joy that I don't usually have, so I try to have him around as much as possible. Amazingly, he hasn't run for his life yet.

My camera battery died after just a few shots, so thanks to Michael and his camera, there are some wonderful pictures to be seen from our weekend. Here are my favorites!

Swimming at the river -- the kids never got out except to eat and sustain their energy. They were WIPED OUT that night!

Mom and I managed to find a bit of shade to hide in. Thanks to Michael hanging out with the kids, we were able to get a nice visit in -- just the two of us.

I love this of me and my crew heading back from the water.

That night we celebrated Charlie's 10th birthday with some yummy cupcakes and ice cream sundaes. Nobody was more pleased than this guy.

The next morning it was time to turn all the berries we picked into jam. The kids enjoyed helping -- especially the part where we have to "shmoosh" the berries.

Halfway through our trip we took off for the Malakoff Diggins State Park up near Nevada City for an overnight camping trip.

Best. Time. Ever.

Here was our no-frills cabin that was absolutely perfect.

We couldn't have picked a better weekend. The weather was just right -- not too warm or too cold. We hiked around a bit, and the three of them even explored some of the mining tunnels that still exist. The views were spectacular and absolutely worth seeing in person.

For dinner the kids and I made our favorite taco salad, which was promptly followed by s'mores. After we got the kids to sleep that night, we managed to enjoy my favorite bottle of Hollywood Red (thanks Jen!) and a fire under the full moon. It was a perfect night of talking and enjoying being with one of my best friends.

Insert picture of said best friends.

Malakoff Diggins may shut down after this coming Labor day due to lack of state funding, which just kills us. Our hope is that it will stay open and we can go back again and again to enjoy all that it has to offer.

Mahvelous!

2011-08-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Something I’ve always loved about my immediate family is how much we all love a good laugh.

When I was growing up we spent a lot of time in the car on road trips, often going to visit family, or just on an outing to see some part of the world around us. While we were in the car, we managed to find things to keep us entertained as a family.

Two favorite artists that kept us in stitches were Billy Crystal and Ray Stevens.

One Christmas, somewhere around 1985, my brother received this comedy album as a gift.

As a family, we listened to it so many times that we memorized most of it. Billy’s humor is wide reaching, with some things that I got, and some that went right over my 10 year old head. Like when he suggests he could feel liver spots bursting right out on his hands when his daughter asked him, “Dad, is it true Paul McCartney was in another band before Wings?” That one took me a few more years.

My favorites, however, are when we can insert a simple couple of words into conversation that nobody else understands, but gives any one of us a chuckle at any moment. The best example I will share here today – if you know who Howard Cosell was, you’ll appreciate his “interview” with various famous boxers of the past. And you’ll also understand why any one of us will laugh out loud if you say the words

I like eggs.

What I'll Do for Respect

2011-08-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Heather, who was inspired by Darcie, I feel inspired to touch on a topic that I agree wholeheartedly needs to be touched on more.

Respect.

In particular, respect of other people and their space and property when you’re out in public. And more specifically, how willing are you to speak up when you feel an injustice is being committed?

Darcie has found a great method for getting people to take her seriously – you’ll have to read her post to see. I’m not sure that I have a specific method, but I have had my moments. One in particular happened in a movie theater. There was a family a few rows down with a child that was a tad young for the particular movie we were seeing. Over time he began getting a little louder, and his parents were trying to quiet him. (Let it be noted that there was a mother, a father, a grandmother and maybe even an aunt.) He was clearly not handling the movie well, and I couldn’t say I blamed him. But what got me was when their shushing turned physical. Out of nowhere he was being shaken by the father, who was now trying to drag him out of the theater. It was immediately clear that the little boy was scared and was trying to hang onto his mother, which only made the father angrier, which led to further physical harm.

I couldn’t take it. I could feel something like the child’s fear welling up inside me, and just when I couldn’t take it anymore, I started yelling, “Stop it! Stop it!” They all turned around and looked at me, and I simply said, “He’s not bothering us. You don’t have to do that.” That’s when the grandmother got up and walked out with the little boy, and the father hightailed it out, too. The boy didn’t look afraid of the grandmother, so I fretted less, but part of me wondered if the father would be waiting for me when we exited the theater. (He wasn’t – whew.)

That kind of confrontation isn’t something I do often, so a few minutes later I was crying in my seat, trying to calm down. I felt surprised that nobody else spoke up, and at the same time, surprise that I had. I’ve spoken up before when someone dared to use a racial slur in my house, but to raise my voice to strangers in a room full of more strangers? Somewhat daunting! Nevertheless, I would do it again.

Recently my kids and I have taken to sometimes watching, “What Would You Do?” on Friday nights. It’s an incredible show that gives you the opportunity to think about how you would handle being witness to things like racism, lying or bullying. My hope is that it will instill in my kids a sense of justice and the desire to do the right thing. The last thing I would ever want them to do is stand idly by while someone is being bullied.

My direction for this topic took a bit of a turn from what I think I was originally intending, but I like where I ended up. If you get a chance, watch What Would You Do? and ask yourself the same questions we did. I know I certainly don’t want to end up on camera as one of the people that looked disgusted but then walked away. That’s an episode nobody is proud to say they were on – “Hey, Betty, check out the part where someone was trying to steal a bike in broad daylight. Watch as I help the person cut the lock!” Good times.

The Roller Coaster is Slowing Down

2011-08-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

Just a few days have passed and MUCH is sorted out.

First, Charlie got a fabulous new bike over the weekend thanks to Gramma, Grampa, his dad and me. I’ll have to snap some pictures of him whirring by on it. The fun part about the bike purchase was finding out how tall my boy is now. He’s an inch shy of five feet! Look out, Gramma – he’s closing in on you! According to WebMD he’s guesstimated to be 6’2” as an adult. I love it! (My dream has always been that he be taller than me. Who wants to be shorter than their mom??)

Now for the irony. We found out that Charlie didn’t get into the school that’s close by – instead he made it into his first choice, which is super far away. No riding his bike to school this year!

Oh well – I’m of the belief that every kid should have a bike. It’s a part of being a kid! No regrets in buying it.

Charlie’s hair has been cut, his backpack and lunchbox purchased and a birthday invite has been put out.

Noelle’s haircut has been scheduled and she is sufficiently prepared with her new Harajuku mini messenger bag and lunchbox. That’s right, Gwen Stefani has a line for girls now at Target, and we LOVE it. How cute is this?

I love that my girl is a Gwen girl. Inside it says Nerds Rule!

What’s left? Possibly some new school clothes for my boy, a decent pair of sandals for my girl, and of course a GREAT first day.

As for child care – that was last thing really plaguing me, but things are falling into place and I am happy to say it’s nearly settled. The highlight for me? My boss okayed the idea of me taking the kids to school myself after working from home a bit in the mornings, which means no early run out the door and nobody else taking them to school – just me. We all needed that and I’m very grateful to her for the flexibility.

’11-’12 school year – here we come!!

End of Summer Approaches

2011-08-04T16:17:00.001-07:00

I haven’t been blogging lately, because frankly, I’ve been a little down.

Summer has been a lot of fun, but already it’s winding down with school starting in just a few weeks. I’m spending less time thinking of fun things to do on the weekend, and more time getting ready for the scramble that is the start of a new school year.

Charlie needs a haircut.

Noelle needs a haircut.

They both need new backpacks and lunchboxes.

They both need new school clothes and school supplies.

We’re trying to get Charlie into a new school, but haven’t heard yet if he’s in.

If he gets into the school we want, he can ride his bike to and from.

In order to ride his bike, I need to BUY him a new bike for his birthday.

To ride his new bike to school, he needs to learn the route to the new school, which we still don’t know if he’s gotten into yet.

And then there’s the agony of SHOULD he be allowed to ride his bike to/from school?

Did I mention he’s about to have a birthday??

Okay, maybe I’m not down. Maybe I’m just tired! And possibly overwhelmed. This whole “single parent” thing fluctuates daily. Sometimes hourly. There are times when the kids and I have a great routine and we feel like a team, and then there are times when they’re on one side of the fence, I’m on the other, and we’re both declaring war.

Ultimately, the hardest part of this venture is having to make all the decisions by myself. When things are good it’s easy to make choices and get things done, but for the tougher stuff – I miss having that other person to bounce ideas off of, or to shoulder some of the responsibility. I can live with taking on all the laundry and the bills and the shopping and the cooking, but when it’s all on me to choose every last thing, I get weary from worry over whether or not I made the right choice. I don’t mean the little stuff – more like decisions about child care and what’s best for these two little people that I am trying to raise in a loving and nurturing environment. Nope, no pressure there!

And then there are weeks like these. I know we’ll get through to the other side, but in the meantime, there’s a mountain of a checklist that I need to get through before the resident 3rd and 5th graders start their year.

I love roller coasters, but for now, I’m ready to exit this one!

I Heart Summer

2011-06-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

I decided a few weeks back -- right around the time school got out for the summer -- that I was going to enjoy every single moment of this summer that I possibly could. I'm pleased to report, so far so good!

Never mind the fact that it's June 28th and pouring rain outside in the Bay Area of California. Thankfully, it's a "work in the office/can't play outside" day.

I have been dragging Charlie and Noelle all over the place and they've handled it beautifully. That's saying a lot if you've ever seen my son refuse to go anywhere, which is quite possible if you've ever laid eyes on him. What can I say? He's a home body!

So far these last few weekends have included a trip to my parent's house, time at the Beach Boardwalk, a hike in the Redwoods and quality time with cousins in Monterey. I have absolutely no complaints!

The highlight of all these for me was the day in the Redwoods. I am amazed at how beautiful and incredible they are. It doesn't matter how many times I've been around them -- I'm in awe every time.

We picked the perfect day -- not too warm, not too cold. One thing I really learned is how much I want my kids to grow up respecting nature. They didn't really "get" that you don't walk or climb on whatever you want. The paths are there for a reason, and that's where you walk. In my mind, I've likened the concept to the idea that you treat nature the way you'd want someone to treat your own home. Essentually, this is God's backyard you're playing in, so mind your manners!

For this picture we let them stand on a tree trunk -- between this and climbing into the John C Fremont tree, they had their fill of "tree climbing."

The "we" in this scenario includes one of my oldest friends, Michael. We've known each other since mid high school and we love having him along with us for any and all adventures. The kids have taken a real shine to him, and he's wonderfully patient with them. That's worth gold for this tired single mom.

Here's Noelle holding his hand climbing a hill. She also won't ride rides at the Boardwalk with anyone else.

Later that day, and after a little shopping at a nearby mall, we finally saw "X-Men First Class." WOW!! We all loved it, though Noelle was a bit bored and fast asleep by the end. I think the creators did a great job with the characters we know and love -- nothing felt out of place. It made me want to run out and see the other movies all over again.

And there you have it -- my summer thus far. We plan on many further adventures, so stay tuned!

2011-06-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

I'm testing out my new ability to blog via email. Something tells me this will be a great way to up my postings!

The kids and I recently joined the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for the season and I anticipate many more pictures like this in my future!

The Beginnings of Teen Angst

2011-06-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

I’ve discovered something un-fun.

I now know what my mom was going through when I thought she was the stupidest and most repetitive person on earth. I know because my daughter officially seems to feel that way about me.

Lately I get a lot of, “OkAY, you don’t have to rePEAT yourself 80 times!” Or, “I KNOW, Mom, you’ve told me that like a million times!” Let it be known she doesn’t get to say this to me a second time – that first time typically gets her into hot water.

Where did my sweet little girl go??

Thankfully she’s not fully gone – I still get lots of hugs and kisses and cuddles, which get me through the week a lot of the time. And she is still my sidekick when there are treks to be taken and laughs to be had. But there’s also this sass that shows me that, at seven years old, she’s already starting to grow away from me, and that I’m in for a tough set of years ahead.

A perfect hilarious example would be the two voice mails I currently have saved on my iPhone. One is from a few weeks back after she’d had a play date at a dear friend’s house where they had made cupcakes together. Here’s the call I got the next day – imagine a soft sweet voice as you read.

“Hi Mommy, It’s me, Noelle. I was just going to ask you something. And, well, I don’t want Daddy to hear it, so I’m going to go in your room…. Well, I just wanted to ask you if it would be okay if Daddy could have one of the cupcakes that I made with Kathleen. And I just wanted to ask you that. Well, anyway, love you Mommy – bye!”

She knew that Daddy having a cupcake meant I couldn’t, and she wanted to get my blessing. Who could say no to that??

Now on to the message from last Friday.

Imagine a not so soft or sweet voice. And just know that she and I had decided the week before to not do a load of laundry for her because she needed to wear some of her clean things to justify that. (I didn’t buy her cute dresses so they could hang in her closet for a month!)

“Hi Mom, it’s me, Noelle. I just wanted to tell you, RIGHT when you get home, I want you to DO my LAUNDRY. I don’t care if you have anything else to do. I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care. You’re just doing my laundry. Okay? (Sullenly) Bye, I love you.”

That’s my sweet little angel.

Thankfully the conversation that followed gave her the opportunity to apologize and feel a fairly sufficient amount of guilt. And she’s also going to be learning how to handle more of her own laundry.

Ask, and you shall receive.

P.S. Mom, I'm really sorry.

Dessert Night!

2011-05-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

I've discovered something wonderful. Something I had forgotten about for years and years.

When I was in junior high, my sociopathic next door neighbor and I would ride our bikes downtown nearly every single day to get ourselves a bowl of that something wonderful: frozen yogurt. I could always afford it because I babysat, but I can remember her digging through her stepfather's change to put together enough quarters to cover a serving. (With topping of course -- they kept a bowl of cold Reeses Peanut Butter Cup pieces that we always chose.)

I remember getting yogurt with my cousin the few times we were in Bakersfield at a place that I think was called CeCe's. A favorite memory there would be when her younger brother was getting on my nerves, and I called him stupid, and my cousin immediately ratted me out. "Moooom, Merrie just called T stupid!" Brat.

As I've gotten older I've shied away from frozen yogurt. Partly for living in a small town without options, and partly for the Baskin Robbins that has my favorite ice cream ever made. (You won't be shocked that it's Chocolate Peanut Butter, will you?)

This brings us to last weekend.

The kids and I were in the big city to the north of us for my dear friend's graduation. We ended up walking around the local mall and getting some random lunch, when it occurred to me that there was a frozen yogurt shop somewhere in town that my kids had told me about recently. My brother/their uncle had taken them and they couldn't stop telling me about the wonder of this place where you self serve any flavor and topping you want. (WHY didn't I think of that? I could have been the frozen yogurt queen if I had just thought of that!)

Anyway, we google mapped the nearest location, and off we went.

Welcome to Yogurt Land!

It's amazing. UH. MAY. ZING!

It's a perfect world of self serve yogurt with all the toppings you can think of, including fresh fruit! I swear, I'm not telling you this because they pay me or are giving me free yogurt or any such thing. I am simply mezmerized and a little bit in love.

I've tried a few flavors -- we all like the dutch chocolate, and Noelle loves the peanut butter. As for me? My heart belongs to this one.

Devil's Food Cupcake Batter

It's delicious. And I can't wait to go back for more.

In the mean time, the kids and I were delighted to discover ~~the next day~~ later that our local ice cream shop has frozen yogurt...with many flavors...and self serve toppings! Did I mention it's walking distance from our house? And that they have a red velvet cake batter flavor?

Yeah, I think the warm weather tonight warrants a walk.

Simply Bags – Personalized Tote Bags

2011-03-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Readers!

I was recently the recipient of a fabulous new tote bag that I have been dying to use for more than just every day toting. This weekend I finally got my chance to do just that!

First, the tote bag!

It came from a great online store called Simply Bags.

Simply Bags is a specialty monogram and embroidery shop offering personalized tote bags. Beautiful, personal and useful gifts. Colorful and bright combinations. Creative gift ideas ... unique laptop totes for women, couples wine tote, fashionable travel totes, monogrammed boat totes for the beach and so much more. Finished with fine detailing and professional embroidered monogramming.

They do personalizations for every kind of bag you can think of, from beach to cosmetic to diaper to travel to wine -- and all in fantastic designs and colors. My bag is their Classic Tote bag that I needed for overnight trips. I have a big rolling suitcase that is great for long trips, but I needed something simpler for a quick getaway.

Here is my bag with my initials in gold. I love it!!

It's the perfect size to hold a change of clothes, pajamas, an iPad, a curling iron, a make up bag, a giant can of hair spray and a brush. Not to mention a phone charger in the side pocket. I could have packed more, but what else do you need for an overnighter with your kids? They have their own suitcases, but I think I'm going to hit up Simply Bags and get them each their own getaway duffle bag. They have a great assortment of kids bags here.

And in case there's any confusion as to who the MLM tote belongs to, here is me sitting next to my tote. We can thank Noelle for her picture taking abilities.

Our reason for a getaway was perfect -- the Monterey Bay Aquarium was having a Member Appreciation Night that we decided we needed to go to and be appreciated. So we got a room at an Inn we'd never stayed at (and ended up LOVING) and made an entire weekend out of it. Here's Noelle, soaking up the room atmosphere.

She's a sucker for all things vacation -- just like the rest of us!

I hope you'll take a look at all the various bags and totes and purses that Simply Bags has to offer. I know there's something there for everyone!

Getting Prepared

2011-03-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

The devastation in Japan has been weighing heavily on me, just like everyone else, I'm sure.

The footage of the Tsunami rolling through the streets, devastating homes and livelihoods, is overwhelming. Even watching the waters wreck our docks here in nearby Santa Cruz was shocking, just because it hit so close to home. I am aching for the people over there, and of course I can't help but think about what I would do if something as awful happened here.

The one thing I really realized is how unprepared I am for a major earthquake, and I LIVE ON the San Andreas Fault! What is wrong with me?? I have two kids and two dogs and a snarky cat who would depend on me if we couldn't get fresh groceries or water for a period of time, and I'm sitting around on my butt doing what?

So here's the plan.

I think this weekend I'm finally rejoining Costco. I always loved belonging there but gave it up when I was closely watching my budget. That's not to say I'm no longer watching my budget, but I think this is a matter of putting our best interests first. Obviously I won't be buying out the store on the first trip, but why not stock up on canned and dry goods and water over a period of time? I just recently read a fictional book about a family going through a bird flu crisis, and it really struck me on how difficult it would be to take care of your family without easy access to a store or supplies. The things we come to depend on and take for granted are a real luxury. I don't want to be the one caught in the dark because I didn't plan ahead at least a little bit.

I have a cousin who recently pointed out that even in a devastating situation, eventually you'll see the good in it. It might take months or years, but someday, you'll see it. If what comes from Japan's heartbreak is that I am ready for the unexpected somewhere down the road, I'll take it. I hope you'll do the same.

I hate my alarm clock

2011-03-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

I lack enthusiasm in the mornings lately. And it's not just because of the time change -- this has been going on for months. Granted, my dream is to be a home maker, and not a single full time working mom who has to rush her kids out the door by 7am to get them to a sitter so that I can commute for an hour and get to work at a decent time and spend my day working hard for others so that I can leave at the end of the day and drive another hour to come home and pick them up and feed and bathe them and attempt quality time before the three of us fall into bed exhausted.

*whew*

My plan for countering this highlight in my life is to be constantly planning for things that bring me joy.

For instance, I love spending time in Monterey, as do the kids. So we regularly plan treks over there for various reasons. Time with my cousins, time at the aquarium (which we belong to for now), time on Cannery Row, and of course a hotel stay a few times a year turns it into a weekend getaway, which we love.

I also love spending time with friends, so every chance I get I'm going out to dinner with a group or having people over or making plans to spend time in Monterey with them. All of this costs money, but it's money worth spending if it means I'm smiling and enjoying life during the hours I'm not at work. I don't have expensive tastes or hobbies or interests -- I can afford a few meals or hotel rooms here and there.

Our plan for this year is to have Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk season passes so that we can go whenever we feel like it, day or night, and ride some rides or play on the beach. That's been the best part of belonging to the aquarium -- there's no pressure to get your money's worth, because you can come and go all you want. I highly recommend this!

Now if I could just inject some of this happiness into my mornings...

Pepileptic Dog

2011-03-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

This is Marley.

He is the dog we've been fostering since last fall that I've never blogged about. Poor neglected Marley.

He's a sweet little guy and has been Noelle's sidekick since he joined us. We do plan to adopt him, but haven't officially done so yet. We were told originally that his eye was hurt so they removed it, but we found out last night that he just had an odd eye that they thought would keep people from wanting to adopt him, so they just removed it. Weird? I guess it worked, but what got me was his write up that said he was great with kids and other dogs.

He doesn't bark much, but when he does, he sounds like he's 3x bigger than he is. That doesn't bother me! When he whines, he sounds like a bird singing. No really -- people think we have a bird.

Anyway, a few weeks ago Marley started having seizures. Our Husky has them now and then, too, but his are somehow lighter and last longer, whereas Marely's are short and fierce. One was so bad that he bit his tongue terribly and you can imagine how fun that was to clean up at 4 in the morning. After he has them he's scared for the better part of an hour, following me around and tweeting. When I told my co-worker about it, he turned me on to something that I'd never heard of before: Flight of the Conchords. HOW did I miss this??

It didn't take long for my buddy to send me this you tube video, which I will share in all good humor about our sweet dog. Currently, Marley is at a vet being observed so we can figure all this out and treat him for it. I'll be so happy when he no longer has to suffer!

My Family and Shakespeare -- we go way back

2011-02-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

It was a perfect President's day weekend! Thank you to Mr. Washington and Mr. Lincoln for being the celebrated Presidents they were so that we could have a long weekend. We also had Friday off, which was a treat, making it an exceptional four days free.

Various things made it the perfect weekend, like spending time with my cousin, my friend Michael and my kids, but there was a highlight that I'd like to share that made it particularly unique.

While I was browsing through the bookstore on Saturday, waiting for my friend Michael to arrive, I came across a book about the Mayflower. I don't know that I've ever mentioned it before, but I had an ancestor on the Mayflower, who we trace back from my mother's father's side. I picked up the book and looked for the familiar name in the glossary. Not surprised to find several references, I started thumbing through them to see what I could find.

You can't believe what I found!

It turns out that there's more to Stephen Hopkins (my ancestor) than I realized. It seems that years before the Mayflower sailed, in 1609, he was on another excursion to the New World with a group of nine boats. Towards the end of the trip, it seems a bad storm (or hurricane) caused the boat he was on to shipwreck on what is now Bermuda. They were thought to be lost, but everyone on the boat survived, and spent the next nine months building two new boats to escape on. During those nine months there was a lot of debate about who was in charge, and it seems ol' Stephen led a bit of a mutiny to overthrow the leader. Apparently he was not successful, and in fact was sentenced to death for his actions, but was able to talk his way out of it for the sake of his family. They let him live and he made it out with the others, where they went first to Jamestown, and then eventually back to England.

Some time later a gentleman by the name of William Strachey chronicled the happenings of the shipwreck and everything that followed. Somehow this letter made it into the hands of William Shakespeare, who soon after turned this shipwreck story into "The Tempest."

A fantastic website I found, amidst all my research, has a great write up of everything and said this:

Strachey was no stranger to the theater people who met regularly at the Mermaid Tavern, so it's probable that Shakespeare was among those who got a preview of the work. Some believe he used it as the basis for his farewell play, The Tempest, which relates the story of a shipwrecked group stranded on an enchanted island. In a play to be performed for the King, a rebel could only be shown as a clown or a villain, so Shakespeare created a drunken, mutinous butler (or bottler) with delusions of grandeur who he named Stephano.

Hodges writes, "To have provided some of the fabric for Shakespeare's vision of The Tempest and to appear in the play, even in the absurd disguise as Stephano, this in itself is a kind of immortality for Stephen Hopkins."

How incredible is that?! All this time I've been a lover of Shakespeare, and I had no idea that there was this unique connection between us. If only it wasn't because my ancestor was kind of a fool when he was young, but who among us wasn't? I'm proud to say he grew wiser as he grew older, and was quite involved in the entire Plymouth history until his death. You can read a great deal about Stephen Hopkins at the above website if you want to delve deeper into his history. Or maybe that's only interesting to me. Either way, I'm glad I got to share my history with you.

Wordy Wednesday - Carmel style

2011-02-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I visited my beloved cousin L, who I have considered one of my best friends since we were little girls, begging our moms to let us sleep over at her Gramma's house so that we could have a few more blessed hours together before going our separate ways again. They almost always said yes, leaving me with bountiful memories of staying up too late, talking ourselves to death and scheming over plans of being old enough to finally get together on our own withOUT our dorky moms, who embarassed us and would actually wear jeans to the beach. Jeans!!

L now lives in Monterey, which is one of my favorite places on earth. For the first time in what we think is 11 years (since before her daughter was born) we got to spend an afternoon together KID FREE. We almost didn't know what to do with ourselves.

Oh, who am I kidding -- we TOTALLY knew what to do with ourselves!

Three words: Blood Orange Margaritas.

That's how we started, and it only got better from there. L was kind enough to take me to her two favorite places in Carmel, where I immediately spent money on fun little things that I knew I couldn't live without.

Here we are sassing it up in front of Anthropologie at the Carmel Plaza.

Definitely not dorky. There's no way we would have mocked our mothers for doing something like this. Not at all.

Also, I was not wearing jeans in this picture. I swear.

Okay, confession time. L and I talked about it, and we've come to realize something. Sometimes it's friggin' cold at the beach, so jeans just make sense. Why would you want to freeze?? There's absolutely nothing wrong with jeans on a chilly coastal day. Thankfully, our daughters think we're perfect and will never make fun of us when they get older.

Right?

Post Valentine Sweets Haze

2011-02-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

Things did and did not go as planned last night.

As usual, within moments of picking up the kids at the sitter's house, they went from charming little humans to raving lunatics in the amount of time it takes to put on a seatbelt. I don't know what that's about, but it happens 70% of the time, and I grow weary of it.

By the time we got home I might have been telling Charlie to go to his room for the rest of the night. He'd managed to hurt my feelings sufficiently and I was feeling done with him. Thankfully, he apologized and we hugged it out. It turns out I'm not the worst mom in the world and he doesn't love the sitter more than me. Whew!

Dinner was a success -- we all enjoyed our home made pizzas, and we watched the Valentine episode of The Middle together. No complaints here!

After dinner I found out that Noelle and her young unexperienced pallate hadn't cared for her Sprinkles cupcake, and that she had brought it home for me. It seems red velvet and cream cheese isn't her thing.

As it turns out, it IS my thing! Holy Frijoles!! This cupcake was amazing! And even though I wasn't a bit hungry, I ate the whole. entire. thing. It was perfect -- the right amount of sweet and creamy and moist without being overhwhelming. I was extremely impressed!

Beyond the cupcake, there might have been some chocolate consumed, and I know I got a little nauseous just watching Noelle eat Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip. How did I ever like those? I'm cringing as I type.

Thanks to the sugar intake I did not sleep well, so I'm looking forward to a veggie filled evening followed by much sleep. At least, that's the dream.

Valentines Day -- It's what you make of it!

2011-02-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

This year my kids are my Valentines (again) and I don't think they mind. They don't know it yet, but tonight we're having heart shaped home made pizza for dinner, and they're both getting a little throw blanket and heart shaped cookie from me. Because I'm super fun mom who doesn't want to sit and cry in her wine that she doesn't have a Valentine. (That's for after they go to bed and I'm alone with The Bachelor.)

Yuk yuk -- I'm mostly kidding. ;)

Actually, I have had quite a few Valentines this year already.

First there was my friend Kim, who gave me a little heart shaped box o' chocolates and a home made cd of mix music. (Thanks Kim!) I've already partaken of one chocolate and it was gooood.

Then there was the card from my parents, who reminded me that I'm their sweet thing. Yup, nothing seals up Valentines perfection like a pity card from your mom and dad. That's okay, though -- I took the pity money and bought myself something fun in Carmel, so thanks Mom and Dad!

Lastly, there will be whatever I receive from Noelle tonight. She and her class have apparently been working very hard on something for their parents, and she's beyond excited to give it to me. I can hardly wait to see what it is! Her teacher is very thoughtful and loves to spoil her class. Today they're having actual cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes. You've heard of them -- the founder is Candace Nelson who is a judge on Cupcake Wars, a favorite show at our house. I can't wait to hear from Noelle how they were.

Perhaps next year will be my year to receive flowers at work and be taken out for a romantic dinner by someone special. For now, I'll take the love of family and friends. That feels pretty wonderful, too.

Have a Happy Valentines Day everybody!!

Redirection

2011-02-10T05:38:00.000-08:00

I did a lot of thinking the last 24 hours about my post a few days ago. While I was aiming for humor in why things didnt work out with the gentleman from southern CA, in retrospect, my commennts were rather thoughtless and would be very hurtful if ever viewed by this person. The truth is he's a good person that deserves happiness with someone that shares his common interests. It just happens that this person is not me.

What am I looking for? I suppose there's no perfect package wrapped up with a bow that defines it perfectly. In terms of the more shallow stuff, which I touched on in the deleted post, I definitely would love to meet someone who enjoys good wine, has a similar taste in music and can kick back to watch a good movie, etc. More importantly, I'd like someone in my life with similar values, ideals and faith. And as it turns out I don't want someone so conservative that they lose sight of people in their quest for "what's right and what's wrong". Can't we all just get along?

Anyway, these are my thoughts on an early sleepless Thursday morning.

iPhone HEAVEN!

2011-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

FINALLY!!

FINALLY!!

FINALLY!!

After all the years the iPhone has been out, I am FINALLY the proud owner of one!!

What stopped me? How about AT&T's sucky coverage? I was never willing to give up my Verizon coverage for the likes of that! All the talk over the last few years about Verizon getting the iPhone eventually gave me hope, and I was oh so very patient. Finally, my day has come!

As a current customer with an upgradable plan, I was able to order it last Thursday, and Monday it arrived. Sweet heaven in a box.

Of course you can't activate it until you have your iTunes account in front of you, and wouldn't you know my iTunes is on my home laptop. I honestly don't know how I got through Monday.

It took a few hours to get that thing up and running -- the biggest irritation being the hour and a half it took to transfer 1129 songs onto it. But finally I got it done and the first person I called was my cousin in Monterey. The call was clear as a bell and I could not be more impressed with the screen! I guess my first generation iPod Touch is showing its age -- the kids are pretty excited that it will now be theirs. I am, too.

I haven't made a Face Time call just yet, but I'm hoping I'll have one today. This is what it should look like once my friend Lisa gets hers up and running.

As for all you iPhone lovers out there -- do you have any apps that you just can't live without? Share!!

2011 is turning out to be my favorite year!

2011-01-25T11:10:00.000-08:00

Ahem.

Anyone out there?

It's been so long since I even looked at the blogging world, that I barely know where to start! Post an update? Read up on my favorite bloggers? Respond to emails I've received about my blog? It's a little overwhelming.

I'll keep it as simple as possible.

Thanksgiving was lots of fun at my mom and dad's house.
My divorce was final at the same time, which surprised me since I'd been led to believe it would be much sooner. Oh well! Signed, sealed, delivered!
Transitioned over to a new company via my old company.
Had a nice Christmas with my family at home.

2011 is definitely starting off with a bang!

And now to get caught up on my favorite blogs. What have all you people been up to....?

Santa Claus is coming to town -- I think.

2010-11-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

Unfortunate news.

Charlie no longer believes in Santa Claus.

Worse than that -- he's taken it upon himself to make sure his sister knows that, too. Blurg!!

I've been explaining to him (quietly) that it's not fair for him to take away his sister's enjoyment. Sometimes he agrees, and sometimes he (loudly) points out that I'm suggesting that he's right about the less than real St. Nick. Other times I take a less than quiet tone, and suggest that those who don't believe in Santa don't get presents from him on Christmas morning. He never cares for that idea, but it never lasts long. Next thing you know we're out somewhere, see a Santa, and all of a sudden he's back to destroying his sister's hopes and dreams.

I don't remember when I stopped believing, but I do remember being her age and looking out the window with my brother. We were living in Germany at the time, and from the third floor of our building we had a pretty decent view of the sky. I have a clear memory of my brother pointing to a moving red light and telling me that's probably Santa's sleigh. I clearly remember humoring him and agreeing, wanting him to feel good about it. I was seven and he was twelve, so it wasn't about him believing -- it was about him believing I believed. This makes me wonder just where Noelle stands.

The other day she asked me, "Mom, do you wake up in the middle of the night and put presents out and eat the cookies and carrots?" I very honestly answered no. Because I don't do it in the middle of the night. I do it right after she falls asleep. (I should have been a lawyer.)

I think we'll still be putting out cookies and milk this year. And carrots for the reindeer. Maybe we won't all believe that Santa is coming in during the night and leaving presents for good little boys and girls, but he'll still live in our hearts. Hopefully for a long time to come.

30 Day Challenge - I'm a little behind!

2010-11-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

My pal Mere at The Babblings of Mere is doing a 30 day challenge on her blog. She has a list of 30 miscellaneous topics that she can write about each day. While I don’t think I will do all of them (because I don’t think I’m capable of writing about my 3 favorite colors), I do want to try some of them.

Anything to help lead me back into the world of habitual blogging!!

I started this post on Monday but had some trouble with pictures, so I'm playing a little catch up.

#1 Your middle name, and how you feel about it

I happen to like my middle name very much. It’s simple, it’s short, and it came from my father.

It’s Lee!

Lee is my father’s middle name, and the only story I ever heard was that it came from someone who saved or impacted my grandfather’s life in some way. That might be true. Or it might have been a little story someone made up to make me feel like my name was somehow more special. Not that they needed to – I’ve always liked that part of my name comes from my Dad. It’s something that we share that’s unique to anyone else in the family.

#2 Talk about your piercings or tattoos, if you have any

I don't happen to have any tattoos, and my piercings are pretty standard -- two in each ear. Originally I had my ears pierced as a little girl, I think when I was in 3rd or 4th grade, but unfortunately I wasn't so good at taking care of them and eventually we let them heal up. We gave it a whirl again in jr. high, and this time I figured it out. Later, during my sophomore year, I was at the mall with my friend Candie and we decided I should get double piercings. I remember worrying a little that maybe I should be okaying this with my mom first, but I also knew she wasn't the type to think this was a bad idea. Sure enough, she didn't really care. Because it also happened to be the day that my parents went to "back to school" night and met my teachers -- who told them I wasn't doing so well in school -- and I was subsequently grounded for the rest of my life.

Good day -- bad day.

#3 Your favorite television program

I'm torn!! There are so many good shows out right now that I love for different reasons! So let me give three. Because it's my blog and I can if I want to!

For laugh out loud hilarious when I need a smile there's Modern Family. Does it get any better than this??

For family time to laugh with my kids it's The Middle for this family. My kids and I imitate Brick on a regular basis, and they think Axel is completely hilarious because he's always in his underwear. And what can you say about poor Sue?

For more drama when the kids are asleep, I love The Good Wife. Great writing, great characters, great stories. I love this show! And I swear it's not just because Mr. Big is on it. (Though it doesn't hurt.)

There, I'm caught up to day 3 of the challenge. If you join in, be sure to comment here so that I can go and read yours!
Happy Wednesday!

Sleepless Halloween

2010-10-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hey look -- Sleepless Mornings Merrie is still alive!!

Don't hate, ya'll. Life hasn't been worth blogging about -- mostly a lot of unhappiness or craziness, and I don't want to be that blogger. You know the one I'm talking about -- complains about everything, whines a lot, loves to share drama. I don't want that to be me!

So for the sake of my parents, who love keeping up with us online, and thankfully refuse to facebook, I shall try to be more on top of it.

In the meantime, here is a little of our Halloween hoopla. I think you can figure out two things from these pictures.

1. What the kids dressed up as.
2. Who likes having their photo taken, and who does NOT. You be the judge.

Need another hint? Here you go...

Despite the faces, there was much happiness had and my son had so much fun that he actually fell asleep in my arms tonight. I can not remember the last time he did that, but I know I won't forget again.

Happy Halloween!!

10 Reasons Why I'm Glad it's Fall!

2010-09-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

Mama Kat and her Writer's Workshop to the rescue!

1. Here in the Bay Area of California we finally start seeing beautiful weather in late September/early October. Yesterday it was in the upper 90’s! I welcome this time of year before it cools down.

2. When it finally cools down, I love snuggling on the couch with my slippers and a cozy blanket.

3. Warm fires in the fireplace, which goes hand in hand with #2.

4. I have several scarves that I love to wear, so with the cooler weather comes the opportunity to wear them.

5. Let’s be honest – I have the whitest legs you’ve ever seen. We’re talking baby butt white. As if they had never seen the sun in their lives. Never mind the wearing of shorts all summer long – nothing does the trick! I don’t mind getting back to tights with skirts and pants all week long. I don’t blind people in those!

6. Say it with me: Starbuck’s Peppermint Mocha!

7. Halloween! Its fun planning the costumes and decorating the house and seeing the kids so excited about it all. I look forward to that every year.

8. Fall colors are something I enjoy. Not so much outdoors, because here in CA we go from brown to green to brown, but I love the oranges and browns and reds that come with the decorations and the clothing and the season. In my mind, when I think of fall, everything is tinged with these shades of autumn.

9. I’m a fan of good quality beer, and for some reason I shy away from the darker browns that I love during the summer. Summer seems like a Corona with lime kind of season, whereas fall brings back the Newcastle that I love.

10. Last, but not least, fall is the time that I plan most of my Scrapbooking event that takes place in January. Just this week I started working on it, and the event planner in me is overjoyed. (The tired Mom in me is less than thrilled, but I can usually shut her up with a little Excel spreadsheet time.) Making plans and seeing it all come together after the holidays – exhausting, but oh so fulfilling!

Happy Autumn Everyone!

I'm back -- no, really!

2010-09-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Why haven't I been blogging?

I'm happy to say it's because I've been so busy!

The last 3 weekends we've traveled a bit, here and there. Over Labor Day the kids and I took off for Monterey and spent an overnighter with my old school/high school best friends. We love mixing it up and trying a new hotel whenever we're there, so this trip we hit the Hotel Pacific. Everything about it turned out great except for the fact that the floors in the rooms are mostly wood. This means the people below you can hear waaay too many things, including happy delighted children running around. We weren't being outlandishly loud when we got "the call." You know the one -- they're really nice about it, but truly they're trying to convey one thing only: please shut up! After that we made the kids practically tiptoe, which saved us any further humiliation.

Beyond that, it was a fantastic hotel with spacious rooms, flat screen tv's, cozy beds and a fireplace. I give it two thumbs up. *insert cheesy picture of me giving two thumbs up here*

Last weekend we traveled to my parents' place in the mountains to celebrate Miss Noelle's upcoming 7th birthday. She cleaned up in the gift department with Gramma and Grampa, but did make one unfortunate choice: Chevy's for her birthday dinner. Noelle is still in the difficult about food stage, and if it's not nuggets or corn dogs, she's not particularly open to it. Usually she loves tacos, but her version of a taco is shell, meat and cheese. At Chevy's they attempt to make their tacos more interesting than Taco Bell (go figure) and that means additional things added into their meat mixture. She took one look at that and was turned off, despite the flavor. Because we all know it's about what food looks like -- not the taste. *insert eye rolling picture here*

She survived while we all enjoyed the heck out of our meals. Charlie impressed me with his order of tamale and enchilada, and I tried their Chipotle Chicken enchiladas. Uh-May-Zing. If you haven't tried them, please do and thank me later. Noelle enjoyed the singing and depositing of a hat on her head at the end of the evening, and slept heavily on the drive home. Next weekend is her actual birthday and we'll be having a little sleepover with a puppy theme -- today I actually bought a puppy pinata that I'm sorry to say we'll be beating the crap out of with a bat on Saturday. Poor thing.

I'm excited that the fall season of television is upon us this week -- I enjoy trying out new shows to see what actually interests me and will be lucky enough to make it into my small circle of shows. I have hope for Molly and Mike, but mostly I can't wait to see the return of Modern Family and The Middle. (Middle.) <-- If you watch it, you know what I just did.

And now on to your regularly scheduled week. Good luck to us all!!

The Great School Clothes Shopping Dilemma!

2010-08-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have finally solved one of the world’s greatest dilemmas.

Yes, me.

If you have a child like my son, you’ll appreciate the following tips.

Does your son/daughter hate shopping for clothes? I don’t just mean hate, like they hate but begrudgingly eat their vegetables. I’m talking about the kind of hate that leads to a complete loss of all good sense, where you find yourself offering to sell your child to any random gypsy walking down the street. When you’ve lost your patience and your tone of voice has gone sonic – you know you’ve gone over to the bad place.

That was my experience last year. I wanted to tear my hair (or Charlie’s) right out of my head and throw myself on the floor kicking and screaming. In public. Humiliation be damned.

Thankfully, I put some real thought into this year’s excursion, and we had a true success thanks to my savvy planning. Here’s what I did.

1. Know your child’s weaknesses. What form of bribery will get their little heart’s pumping so that they’ll fall under your woven spell and submit to the dreaded activity?

2. Broach the topic with said child in a way that you know they’ll respond positively to. With Charlie I brought up the fact that he was going to need new clothes for school, but that I wanted to have a better day than last year, and to accomplish that, I was going to make it fun for him.

3. Be clear with your expectations – make sure everyone knows going in what the plan is, and then by God STICK TO IT!

4. Weave together an outing that includes something fun before hand and again afterwards. Our plan of attack happened to fall on the day we were celebrating Charlie’s birthday with family, so making it a day “all about him” was easy.

a. First, we let him choose the restaurant of his choice for lunch. This happened to be IHOP for us – he loves breakfast for lunch or dinner. Protein never hurts, either.

b. Next up, the shopping. Noelle and my mom went to the girl’s section to have a fabulous time while I joined Charlie in the boys department. I had been very clear in advance that we would pick various pants so that I could find his size. Once his size is known, he knows he will be free to browse the funny shirts and won’t have to darken the dressing room doorway again. Knowing this, his attitude was great and he never even flinched when he had to try on clothes. I think he might have even laughed a few times.

c. As long as the shopping was a success, Charlie knew there would be a final stop at the local chain store with a toy section. This was going to be his big chance to pick out his gift from Gramma and Grampa – he spent the entire week before scheming about what his choice would be. In the end, a great shopping trip led to a great Lego set, which he absolutely loves. (Noelle may have walked away with a new Barbie and puppy set. Thanks to Gramma, she also walked away with a fabulous new school wardrobe. Thank you Gramma!)

My final warning circles back to point number 3 – stick to the plan!! Right after the clothes shopping and before heading to the toy store, we got caught up in all the success and made the suggestion that we stop in at the shoe store next door and pick up some new shoes, too. You could actually see a physical reaction in Charlie. His body’s ease and flow became riddled with anxiety at a change in the agenda, and his attitude became one of someone who had just had the rug pulled out from under him with everyone standing around saying, “What?” You just can’t mess with a kid like that. We quickly discovered our error and started backpedaling – he recovered fast and on we went to the toy shopping.

Whew! That was close.

Perhaps bribery shouldn’t always have to be a part of going through the necessary motions of life, but I know I can get through doing something I don’t enjoy a lot easier if I know there’s something to look forward to. Whether 9 years old or 34 – a little incentive never hurts. And who knows? Maybe we’ve started a fun tradition of school shopping that will go on for years. I wouldn’t mind that at all.

Ruin is the road to transformation

2010-08-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Last night I finally saw a movie that I’ve known I was meant to see the first time I saw a preview.

“Eat Pray Love”

I’m still surprised that I haven’t read it, being the avid reader that I am, but in a way I’m glad I went into the movie without any true idea of what was coming. I only knew that the character, Liz, was newly divorced and planning a year of travel through Italy, India and Bali to find herself.

Let’s see – I’m soon to be divorced and, I confess, absolutely in a daze about where my life is. This concept of finding balance and happiness couldn’t have come at a better time!

If you haven’t yet seen the movie, perhaps you should stop reading now. I don’t want to hold back on my thoughts and I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. Just bookmark this blog post and come back later.

As for the rest of you…

I don’t know if it’s just me and my precarious situation, but this film really spoke to me. While Liz’s reasons for divorce were different from mine (she didn’t want to be married while it broke my heart to file), what came after was still the same. Feelings of despair and sadness mingled with what feels like a void instead of a future. Everything I had planned on or hoped for is out the window. There’s a giant question mark where my hopes and dreams used to be. Sure, none of us knows for sure what’s going to happen, but when you’re with someone for more than a third of your life, you develop a sense of where this is going. Without my partner in life I feel like I’ve fallen off the path without a map. This is nothing less than scary.

I envy Liz’s place in life that she could up and travel for a year to find balance. As a mom and a sole provider for my family, I don’t have such a luxury. If I want to find balance, I’m going to have to do it between 6-10pm on weekdays (somewhere between dinner, clean up, laundry, bedtime routine and possibly some fun or cuddle time with my kids), or in my spare time on the weekends.

Coincidentally, as I am typing this, Nine Inch Nails is on my iPod with “Every day is exactly the same.”

I loved so many things about the experiences in the movie – the food and friendship in Italy, and the Italian concept of finding joy in doing nothing. (I felt disappointed for her when she first moved on to India!) In India I appreciated her frustration at first in the Ashram, and how it was realistic for her to need time to find the quiet place within her that allowed her to finally…let go.

The most difficult part of the movie for me was her conversation with Richard, her friend at the Ashram, about what he had done to his own life. The very day before seeing the movie I had a poignant conversation with someone about me letting go of any feelings of responsibility I keep having for my husband’s well being. He has made the choices he has made, and just like we would tell our children, there are consequences for those actions. He’s going to have to take care of himself, just like I would expect me or any other adult to do, with whatever events that come his way. Interestingly, I was sorry for Richard and what he had been through, but I had no sympathy for him. My sympathy was for the family he had hurt, and subsequently lost.

In the end the movie left me with hope – hope that I will have love in my life again. While I’m trying to make the best out of the life I’m currently leading, I do have hope for another love that will give me the comfort and joy that I once had in sharing my life with someone. I even think I’d be better at it this time around thanks to being a bit older and wiser.

In the mean time, I’m going to keep searching for the balance I need, and keep healing. Grieving through a divorce is similar to grieving a death, and I don’t expect that process to be easy or fast. What I can do is look for joy in my life and perhaps the quietness that I long for. I realized this last weekend that I am truly craving peace, and it’s up to me to find it!

Someone's turning nine!

2010-08-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

I’ve got an eight year old boy in my house that’s getting ready to turn nine. In two days!

We started a tradition when the kids were little that they could each have a bigger party every other year. Their birthdays are a month apart, and also happen to take place at the beginning of the school year. It’s all I can do to keep up with the new clothes and backpacks and teacher wish lists for the classroom! Thank goodness I have wonderful parents that went in on the clothes with me, or Noelle would be looking a little shabby this week. (School began yesterday. I forgot my camera. Just imagine Noelle in a cute pink dress with a scarf, and Charlie in an orange and blue striped shirt with a collar. Go Gators.)

This year the bigger party is Charlie’s. I’m still keeping it on the low side of guests because money is still scarce, but I’m determined to do everything I can and make sure he feels like this was a good one. You only turn nine once, right?

When he turned one we had a Blues Clues party. I found blue paw print post its and put them all over the walls for decoration. He had such a good time!

A few others are full of fond memories.

His 4th, which finally brought on Legos. They continue to stand the test of time and be his favorite toy!

He also had a little shindig at Chuck E Cheese with some pals that day.

His 5th…another trip to CEC after his first day of Kinder!

Sixth…Backyard pool party! It was a hit, despite the fact that our pool is blow up. ;)

The seventh was the last “big one”. We rented our first (and only at this point) jump house. He was in hog heaven.

Last year he had a slumber party as well, but we kept it low key and made homemade pizza and played the Wii. This year I’m going to crank up the fun a little with some games and prizes, Dominos pizza, decorate your own cupcake and who knows what else I’ll come up with in the next 48 hours. I’m also going to move all the couches in the family room to the very edges of the room and lay down blankets all over the family room floor to make an eating/playing space for them. Eventually they’ll lay down their sleeping bags and hopefully quietly watch a movie until they fall asleep at 9pm.

What…why are you laughing?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Tooth Fairy was here...

...and someone is getting richer by the minute!!

Topic of the day

2010-08-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

I’m a big fan of “The Office” on NBC, so when Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight Schrute) began a website called Soul Pancake, I took interest. For the most part they send out weekly emails that are full of unique ideas and are supposed to get you thinking. I confess I mostly read them and move along, but I began to realize that there are some great blog topics in there that perhaps I could ~~steal~~ expand on.

So with all credit to Soul Pancake, here is a topic from a few weeks back.

What do you want to lose in the fire?

We spend a great deal of time thinking about what we would dread losing in a fire, don’t we? Family albums, special pieces of jewelry, love letters from a first flame. We always think about what isn’t replaceable.

But what about something you’d be glad to lose?

A few years ago I would have jumped right in and said I’d be glad to lose the carpeting in my entire house! However, thanks to Charlie and another natural disaster, I like our floors now. (Which reminds me -- that will have to be another blog post!)

I don’t think I have any deep meaningful answers to that question.

But I can think of all the things I wouldn’t miss.

Like my husband’s German Beer Stein collection that he “inherited” from him father. And by “inherited” I mean that “nobody else would take them.”

Or how about the giant over sized stuffed animals that the kids have been given over the years that take up so much space? What do we do with a two foot tall Care Bear that nobody plays with? It just sits on a shelf in Noelle’s room and complains about how neglected it is.

What about the clothes in my closet that I hang onto for sentimental reasons? I recently did a true exorcism of that closet and definitely purged plenty. But I confess I’ve held onto the dress I met my husband in, the dress I went to my senior prom in, etc. Why do I torture myself with less space in my closet?

There’s also that corner in my dining room that is just…stuff. I would absolutely love to see the corner of that room again for the first time in about seven years.

I don’t know about you, but this post is getting me motivated to go home and do some more clearing out. How about you?

They taste better dunked in milk!!

2010-07-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

We've had a bit of a repeat situation going on in our house this week.

I'm not proud of it.

You can basically read about it here, only this time, I'm the villain. I keep bringing this problem into my house, and I keep perpetuating it by partaking late at night after the children are asleep.

Hello, my name is Merrie, and I'm an Oreo Addict.

Writers Workshop: Is this age appropriate?

2010-07-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

Another Writers Workshop from Mama Kat!

A movie you probably should have previewed before letting your kids watch.

Off the top of my head nothing is jumping right out at me. I’m pretty particular about what they can see at what age, and I don’t think I’ve had any horrifying moments. No, I wasn’t delighted a few times during “Transformers 2,” which Charlie and I saw in theaters, but the only thing he seemed to take away from it was how it wasn’t as good as the first movie. That and they said “bad words.” We also took both kids to see Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but luckily at a key scary moment Noelle was asleep, so we didn’t have much to worry about.

No, I think a better topic for this post would be “A movie you probably should have had a say in before your neighbor let your kids watch it.”

You see, we have this neighbor.

And she has a tendency to be less than concerned with what her children watch.

I can understand where the lack of concern comes from – she has children that are about 7 years apart in age, and she seems to lean towards letting everyone see whatever is age appropriate for the older child. Doesn’t make sense to you? Me either.

My first clue came when both kids came home from their house one day and told me all about seeing “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” Remember this part?

There’s just something about my 4 year old and 6 year old watching a beating heart get ripped out of a guys chest that makes me…uneasy. Charlie talked about it for a while – you could tell it bothered him. I was not happy but let it go. It’s not as if it could be undone – I would just monitor their activities a little better and move on.

I learned my lesson the 2nd time around, instead.

Noelle came home all excited last year and said they’d watched this little movie.

It’s a PG13 flick about a girl who goes from living in the Playboy mansion to a college sorority house. If there aren’t enough words in that last sentence to fully explain to you why I wasn’t happy, you apparently need to spend less time with my neighbor.

It was after lesson #2 that I finally shut down the trips down the street. Outdoor play times are fine, but let’s keep you where I can see you.

I’ve recently learned that these neighbors no longer like me or my kids. I’m not sure what any of us could have done to bring that on, but I’m thinking it’s for the best. Perhaps our constant showing of G rated movies was crossing the line.

Wii Family Fitness Game Giveaway WINNER!

2010-07-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

We have a winner!

True Random Number GeneratorResult: 10

This Daddy said...

I think the Adventure Island looks cool and I think my 6 yr old and 5 yr old would love that game.
The games look pretty cool
July 12, 2010 7:36 AM

Congratulations This Daddy! Check your email for details on how to receive your game.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Tahoe Joe's Steakhouse Review!

2010-07-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

Last week my lack of blogging can be blamed on one thing -- I was on vacation!!

Yes, I took a full ten days off from work, and it was heavenly.

No alarm clocks.
No set schedule.
No "have to" moments.
Nobody bossing me around.

I. Loved. It.

We took various day trips here and there, but the highlight for the kids was our trip to Roseville, CA. We departed early in the morning on a Monday and drove up to spend the day at Sunsplash.

The best part about this place was the kid area -- it was filled with more things to do and little slides to go down for kids and grownups alike that we spent most of our day there. The big slides were great, but even on a Monday some of the lines took an HOUR. We definitely got our money's worth and were exhausted by the end of the afternoon. Plus, thanks to some amazing SPF 70, we left with the same skin color we came in with.

That night we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn that is literally across the street from the water park. VERY nice hotel -- new, clean, spacious and you can't knock fresh cookies in the lobby. The other highlight about this hotel is that it shares a parking lot with a wonderful restaurant. We simply walked over for an amazing dinner at Tahoe Joe's Steakhouse!

Right off the bat I knew this was a great family place for one obvious reason -- instead of crayons and a piece of paper for the kiddies, the server handed each child an Etch-a-Sketch!

This kept them amused for quite some time, and off an on during the meal they had a blast with it. I, too, might have sketched a little magic...

Remember how I mentioned that we walked to the restaurant? Thanks to this little fact, I didn't feel shy about partaking of a delicious drink. I decided early on that I would go with one of my favorites -- a Bloody Mary! Believe me when I say it tasted as good as it looked! Absolutely the perfect blend of spiciness that I love in a Bloody Mary -- I couldn't have enjoyed it more.

It wasn't hard to decide on an appetizer. Charlie and I are big fans of Buffalo Wings, and that sounded fantastic to us after all the running around we did. We were hungry! We told our wonderful waitress, Samantha, that Noelle was hesitant about the sauce because she doesn't typically like wing sauce. Samantha suggested we have the sauce on the side, which worked out well. We definitely didn't have any trouble eating the entire plate!

The kids ordered from the kid menu (which is awesome) and the appetizer menu, but my dinner came with a choice of soup or salad. When I heard the soup choice was potato cheese, I didn't have a doubt in my mind that this was the choice for me. It was creamy and delicious and cheesy -- I loved it!

Noelle opted for the hot dog from the kids menu, but she unfortunately wouldn't eat it because it had been char-grilled and had black lines on it. Most of us know this is not a bad thing, but there was no telling my very tired six year old this. She chomped on some french fries and basically tried not to fall asleep on her plate. Charlie, on the other hand, was eager to have the nachos for his dinner, and was more than a little happy when they arrived and looked like this.

Can you say cheesy? In the end he was too full to eat much, so these were heated up all over again the next day in our hotel microwave. They were almost as yummy reheated and we devoured them!

My dinner of choice was the Whiskey Peppercorn Sirloin.

What can I say?? It was AMAZING! The meat was so tender I could cut it with the edge of my fork, and the green beans were crisp, crunchy and full of flavor. The red mashed potatoes were perfect -- exactly how I want my mashed potatoes to be. They couldn't have done better with my dinner!

Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse restaurants are located in various parts of California -- hopefully somewhere near you! Visit their website like I did, decide what you absolutely have to try, and get yourself over there for dinner soon. You won't be sorry!

Thank you Tahoe Joe's!!

Jumpstart Family Fitness Wii Game Review and GIVEAWAY!

2010-07-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

I was contacted recently by the folks at Jumpstart and offered the opportunity to review a copy of their new Family Fitness game for the Wii. I jumped at the chance for two reasons -- we love Jumpstart games at our house (Charlie started out on their preschool games oh so many years ago), and we love the Wii at our house! I figured the combination of the two was a perfect fit for us.

"As you know, for years, JumpStart has been creating the best learning games for kids. Now, with Get Moving Family Fitness, JumpStart is making fitness fun too! Discover the ultimate family sports game with fitness expert and mom of 4, Brooke Burke. With more than 15 sports challenges in 11 exotic arenas, Get Moving is the fun, new way to keep your family active!

Some key features in our new Wii game make it all the more exciting! You can design your own character to race and play, build customized routines for extra challenge, compete head to head or play solo, play underwater, on a farm, in Egypt of 8 other exotic locations, and access expert tips for more ways to stay healthy!"

When you first get started you get to create your character, which can be fun since the options are a little wilder and different from the standard Mii. We each tried out a different set of games and each had some success and some failures.

Charlie's favorite was the Football Tire Run. Every time he played he beat his last score and felt great about it.

Another hit with Charlie was the running. With all the backgrounds to choose from, he did something different every time and got a kick out of two player mode.

I tried out the pinball machine and didn't do too badly. Then Charlie swooped in and wiped my scores OUT.

Once I figured out Volleyball bumping, I wasn't bad at it. I still hold the high score for THAT one!

One game that was not a success with us was shooting hoops at Basketball. Noelle tried and failed, and then even I tried and failed. Neither of us was able to figure out how best to aim, but perhaps we're just not basketball savvy at our house.

Jumpstart's Get Moving Family Fitness game is available in stores now, having come out on June 15th, and is sold for $29.99. It's rated E for Everyone with Comic Mischief by the ESRB.

I'm happy to share that one lucky winner gets to receive a copy of this game for the Wii!

-------------------------

To Enter:

MAIN ENTRY--This is your first and main entry, it's a must in order to include any bonus entries!

Visit the Jumpstart website and find out what you like most about the Jumpstart games! Once you do, let me know in your first comment.

-->Bonus Entries (leave a separate comment for each entry)

*1 entry* Follow @sleeplessmerrie and TWEET this giveaway, copy and paste this:

Sleepless Mornings @sleeplessmerrie is giving away a Jumpstart Get Moving Family Fitness Wii Game!
and comment with your tweetlink (you may enter once a day)

*1 entry* Follow this blog and comment that you did.

*5 entries* Blog about this giveaway with a link back to my site.

-->Contest ends 7/18. You must include your email address or your entries will not be counted. Open to US only. Winner will be contacted and have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen.

I was sent this Jumpstart Wii game to facilitate this review. The opinions are our tried-and-true experience and were not influenced by any source.

Are you a Winner??

2010-06-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I ~~dragged~~ took the children grocery shopping. I had promised Charlie he could pick out one box of cereal for the week because the current types we have at home aren’t high on his list of enjoyable foods. This is one area I am willing to be easy about – if you have to start your day off with food you hate, things are just bound to spiral downward from there.

When we got to the cereal aisle, Charlie started his hunt. This is where the timeless lesson of “be specific” came back to bite me again. I never told him it had to be a box on sale – I just assumed he’d remember that this is a rule I live by every time we shop. I refuse to pay more than $3 for a box of cereal, so it’s all about what’s on sale. I tried to thwart his attempts at a full price box, at which time he pointed out what I hadn’t said. We compromised with a cereal that was marked down a hair, but it was still over $4 – ACK!

His champion breakfast of choice ended up being Apple Jacks, which I think he partly chose because of the current promotion they have. Apparently some lucky winners will win a Nintendo DSi while most people will end up with points they can use towards DSi games, etc. As we finished shopping we discussed the likelihood that he did not pick a prize winning box – that in fact our store/town probably doesn’t even have one in it! Still, I think the little guy was still hopeful, and first thing this morning he tore into the box with excitement.

“Sorry, you are not a winner.”

He wasn’t too surprised and handled it very maturely. He wondered aloud if anyone ever actually does win any of these promised goods, and I said I didn’t know. Think about it – there are giveaways and prizes everywhere! Gogurt, fruit roll ups, cereal boxes, mnm bags, soda bottles. You name it, and there’s a good chance that product is giving one lucky winner $50,000! Do you ever read about or meet any of the winners? I told him I’d never won anything, and he pointed out our $1 on the fridge.

Ah yes, the dollar. When I was in elementary school, Cheerios did one of these big giveaways. You might remember it – they put one million dollars in one million boxes. Our family found one, sealed up in plastic, and it was proudly placed on the front of the fridge. All these years later it is still in its plastic, still on the front of my fridge. I’ve often worried one of the kids will open it to give money to the ice cream man, but they seem to get the uniqueness about it and have never touched it.

I imagine some day it will be on one of their fridges, and they’ll get to tell the story we’ve been telling for years.

As for other winners – have any of you out there ever been one or known someone who won big? I’d love to hear a story about someone who opened up their Apple Jacks to find a “Congratulations!!”

P.S. I did check to be sure our box wasn't one of the recalled -- we're good!

The Beginnings of a Bedroom Makeover

2010-06-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you've been following along with the bouncing ball that is my life, you may recall I had some gift cards to use thanks to Admin day back in April. I've always been like this about money and gift cards -- I can't bear to regret a purchase, so I take my sweet time and think things through a million times before I make a move.

In the end I had narrowed it down to either new bedding or some various kitchen appliances. (Did you know there's a little egg cooker that you can tell your wishes to and they all come true? Well, as long as the wish is "I want soft boiled eggs, please." I am incapable of remembering how long to boil an egg to get it soft boiled, so I rarely eat them. This little gadget would be a dream come true!)

Here's what I finally did:

When I saw it at the store (and online before that) it caught my eye for how bright and light it was. I went back and forth for days because I worried that it was too "young" for me somehow. But my old comforter set was a dark rich green that I have been tired of for a while now. I was more than ready for something fresh, and this design really hit the spot. It lightens up the entire room, and now it's a place I want to spend time.

See that black framed picture on the nightstand? It's one of the sweetest and most thoughtful gifts I've received in a while, and mainly because it was so unexpected. One of my girls surprised me with it when we were in Monterey a few weeks ago for our Girls Only/Sex and the City 2 weekend. It's a picture of the full moon that she had taken for me months ago with her much-better-than-mine camera, and below the picture there's a quote that says May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door. Thank you, Lisa, for making me feel so cared about and loved. I really needed that.

I'm enjoying making my room a little oasis of my own.

Kickball Review!

2010-06-22T14:12:00.001-07:00

I never did share how the Kickball for Charity tournament went.

I arrived that day and worried that I was at the wrong place, as there wasn’t another person in sight that I knew. Thankfully they knew who I was and I was given my lime green tee shirt, a bag of Kaiser commercial stuff, and a waiver to sign should anything “happen to me.”

Our team did all show up shortly after, and we happily partook of the yummy BBQ lunch they had set up for everyone. It was during lunch that I realized how much smaller our group was compared to everyone else. Most teams sported about 12-16 players, and we were just nine. It turns out that nine is the minimum, which meant we all had to play ALL of the time! No breaks, no rests – five games in a row, nonstop! I was feeling that by game two.

Everyone who played was fantastic – several people on our team I knew, but there were a few I did not, and I was glad for a chance to get to know them. Oh, who am I kidding – we bonded! There is no better way to get to know people than when you’re thrown into a situation where you’re cheering each other on and celebrating each victory! We were all about the shout outs and the high fives and lifting one another up. I loved it! I had forgotten how good it feels to be a part of something bigger than myself. I don’t think I’ve had that since back in high school when our theater group was more like a family.

In the end we didn’t win big – out of eight teams we tied for 5th place with another team. (Shame on them, they actually cheated (yes, cheated!) at the end to tie with us. Who cheats in a charity game??) Next year we’re going to get our game on during the few weeks before and really be ready. It took us a few games to really get into a groove with each other, so it’d be nice to be in that zone beforehand.

The other thing I’ll do differently next year? Be in better physical shape! Holy Frijoles, was I sore!! I could barely walk for three days afterwards, and it took a week before I didn’t cry when I used the muscles in my upper thigh. My kicking leg was hard hit – it took the brunt of the workout. I’ve promised my leg that it won’t happen again – I guess I’d better keep that promise or I’m bound to get an ass kicking from myself next year.

Catch up!

2010-06-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

I've been blog slacking and I don't feel good about it. On the upside, my house has been a bit cleaner, my kids are a little less neglected, and we've all been enjoying the sunshine. I guess life is all about give and take.

We had a decent week at Sleepless Mornings -- the highlight for me was having the girls over last week to watch The Bachelorette together. Anyone who watches remembers (with a cringe) how awkward last week was with all the singing going on. I'd just like to give a little tip to all the prospective bachelors: when Ali is looking uncomfortable as you serenade her, she's not thinking about how talented or amazing you are. She's planning the fastest escape route away from you. Please, for the love of God, STOP SINGING.

None of us takes this show seriously -- we just have a fantastic time watching the train wreck that it is. And it's way more fun to do that with your girlfriends because it just leads to fun and laughter. Best medicine, right?

Another highlight was seeing Toy Story 3 on Saturday with my kids. It didn't start out that way thanks to lack of food in their bellies as we were finding our seats. I think all us moms know the secret to happy kids -- PROTEIN! At least that's how my kids roll. Empty tummies = crabby kids. Thankfully the nice gentleman sitting near us helped us settle in with our popcorn and hot dogs and nachos and drinks. The only fatality was one lemonade, which the theater was kind enough to replace. It's so awkward to be getting settled with kids that are complaining and whining and you can't yell at them because 57 people are watching you and thinking they're glad those aren't their kids! (I say "kids" but really it was Noelle -- she was the one acting up, and thankfully Charlie was being pretty helpful.) When we were finally seated I got the hot dog in her hands quick so that she could start the protein intake. Sure enough, within about ten minutes her head stopped spinning and she was truly excited about the movie.

Oh yeah, the movie!

It. Was. AWESOME. Everything I could have asked for in the final (I assume) Toy Story trilogy. All the favorite characters were there and the new ones were fantastic as well. We laughed, I cried and we all felt good about the ending. If you're on the fence at all, I am giving you my stamp of total approval -- see it! You won't be sorry.

As for this week, I'm determined to have another decent one, though I know work is going to steamroll me a bit. Hopefully I'll find some time to blog.
Happy Monday!

Kickball? Really?

2010-06-11T10:47:00.001-07:00

I’m off to play kickball this afternoon.

I know, what am I, eleven?

My company is having a charity event that raises funds for school programs that benefit kids, and I signed up. At first I was enthusiastic because I’m not as intimidated by kickball. It’s basically baseball but with a big red rubber ball. I can’t bring myself to join the company softball team because I can’t handle the pressure! If I’m in the outfield and I look like I’m concentrating, the truth is that the entire time I’m just praying the ball doesn’t come my way. Because I live in fear that I’ll drop it and let everyone down.

I know what letting everyone down feels like when it’s my turn to bat! Back in the day when I used to play with my brother I wasn’t terrible and could hit sometimes, but that was just with my brother. That was not with a large group of people counting on me to do it well enough to at least make it to a base. My heart starts racing and the pit in my stomach turns into a giant, manic butterfly, trying to get out.

Can you tell I participated in a lot of team sports back in the day?

I was a theater nerd on the opposite side of campus.

Back to this kickball business – I’m starting to feel nervous. It turns out we’re going to be divided into corporate teams and vying to win “the silver cup.” Odds are I am not going to be the hero that people put up on their shoulders and carry off the field. I think what we’re looking at here is people whispering to one another, “Who’s the uncoordinated tall girl over there? Who said she could play? I can’t even tell what she tripped over before she fell flat on her face.”

Maybe it won’t be as bad as all that. Maybe I’ll get a few good kicks in and won’t utterly humiliate myself or my co-workers. In the end, it’s for charity, right? I’ll keep telling myself that tonight when I’m putting ice on my bruises.

Friday Fragments!

2010-06-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Half-Past Kissin’ Time for the inspiration today!

Schools out! The kids are officially on summer break as of today. As they like to tell me, “Mom, we don’t have to go to school for two months, but you have to go to work for like 12,000 more days!” Thanks sweethearts. I needed to hear that.

By the way, that works out to be over 32 years. I have a ways to go.

My work life has had its ups and downs. An up would be a fantastic lunch out with my favorite boss on Thursday – it’s so nice to feel appreciated! A down would be being snapped at several times by another boss. I’m going with the forgiving tone of “he’s under a lot of pressure right now” and putting my best foot forward. This attitude comes with the help of afore mentioned favorite boss.

Last weekend we got to enjoy a family gathering at my cousin’s house near Santa Cruz. She happens to be one of my favorite cousins, so she could host a house cleaning and I’d show up with mop in hand. They were wonderful enough to heat their pool in advance, so my kids swam for 4.2 of the 5 hours we were there, emerging from the water only to eat and then jump back in. I took advantage of their being busy to enjoy catching up with some other family that I hadn’t seen in a while. One unfortunate bit of news was that a beloved older cousin from my grandmother’s generation just discovered she has cancer. This just kills me because I adore her and her husband, and can’t imagine losing either of them. I’m going to do everything I can to see more of them than usual in the coming weeks and months.

On a happier note, I am still trying to decide how to spend my $150 gift cards from Macy’s. One friend was clever and asked if ours had a spa. I wish! Other thoughts are: new bedding for my bed…new towels to replace a bunch of the old ones…a pretty set of dishes (because you can’t have enough dishes!) If it didn’t cost so darn much, I would SO consider getting this.

My cousin had it at her party and it was a HUGE hit! I know, shocking.

This coming weekend is going to be a bit of a whirlwind with a trip out of town and a visit from somebody wonderful. I’m sure I’ll be sharing highlights next week. Have a great weekend – I know I will!!

Oh, and a Happy Birthday shout out to the Blue Knight!

A Thousand Words Thursday

2010-06-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

A Thousand Words Thursday

These are the kids on their first days of preschool. Today they are each graduating from 3rd and 1st. Where does the time go??

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

Writer's Workshop!

2010-05-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you Mama Kat for today’s inspiration, which wasn’t hard to find as soon as I read Writer’s Workshop idea #2.

2.) If you could do your wedding over, how would you do it?

Where do I start?!

Regardless of your marital status, I don’t think there are too many people out there who wouldn’t look back ten years later and have a few things they would do differently – am I right?

For me I think the downfall of all the things I look back on and cringe at can be summed up in a few key words.

I WAS YOUNG

I was a whopping 23 years old when I got engaged and started planning the biggest event of my life to date, and I was still 23 when that day came. Some of you out there might feel that at 23 you had all the knowledge and life experience necessary to plan the wedding of your dreams – good for you! I was not one of those people. I was young, unprepared and too willing to let other people tell me what I wanted.

Here is what I would do differently!

- I would consider my mom’s suggestion about having an outdoor wedding. I didn’t consider it at the time because I wanted a traditional church wedding. I’m sorry now that the pictures show a ginormous sanctuary with the ugliest orange carpeting that was too big for my small wedding. If I get to do it again, my first choices are either barefoot on the beach or in a prettier church that fits the crowd. (I do love this picture for my friend Sherie, though!)

- The first time around I didn’t fight for my very best friend Mark to be in the wedding. It had taken some effort to get my brother in there, so I didn’t make a big deal again, and I’ve always regretted it. He offered to wear a dress for goodness sake! To heck with traditions -- the first thing I’m doing next time is asking that man to be my best man.

- I would have pretty fresh flowers that are REAL. No paper flowers in sight. I don’t care if they’re going to die; I want them to smell good! I didn’t like the fake the first time around, and I wouldn’t do it the second. (This is an example of one of those things where I felt railroaded.)

- I would take a honeymoon! We decided we shouldn’t spend the money because we were buying a house that needed furniture, etc. We were going to take our honeymoon a little later. And then we never did. Two and a half days in Carmel does not a true honeymoon make, unless you love antique shops and art shops. I didn’t care for either.

There are other things I would do differently just because my tastes have changed.

- No yellow gold jewelry
- Live music at the reception
- Brighter reception space, more light, brighter colors

What wouldn’t I change? Marrying the man I loved, who was (and still is) a good man, despite the things that have happened to us along the way. We aren’t where we thought we’d be, but I don’t regret what we wanted or the life we created.

Pinching Pennies!

2010-05-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

Lately I’ve been fretting ~~a lot~~ here and there about finances. These days I’m the sole income for my family, which is not new, but being the only grown up in the house brings added pressure to stay one step ahead of everything. If anything gets missed, guess whose fault it is?

No, we can’t blame him. He’s too cute.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not going on spending sprees, eating out four nights a week and shopping online whenever I feel like it. That kind of freedom would be fabulous, but that’s not my life.

I shop with a grocery list.

I cook at home nearly every night.

I make lunches for all of us every morning.

You get the idea – we're careful!

One thing I love is insight from other people about how they balance their budgets, or where they cut costs, etc. Once I realized I had more going out every month than coming in, I knew that I needed to start making some changes, and quickly! So what did I do? I put the word out on Facebook that I am trying to tighten my budget, and asked for ideas from anyone who had one. I figured I’d get a few comments back – maybe five?

Try 21!

It turns out I’m not the only one out there watching her every penny – go figure!

I received a lot of great suggestions on how to cut spending, and here are a few I've done so far.

Contacted my waste management company and traded in my larger garbage can for a smaller one. That cut my bill in half, reducing it by over $16 per month.
Contacted DirecTV and pleaded with them to help me find a better deal. Amazingly, the guy on the phone actually tried to talk me into more expensive packages! We talked for quite a while, and when I finally said I was going to have to terminate my account, he suddenly came up with a family package they have (but don't advertise) for half of what I was paying before. Done! This meant giving up a LOT of channels and pretty much just keeping all the kid friendly stations, but I can live with that.
The kids and I have been keeping the lights off as long as we can in the evenings, and sometimes we even use candles for a little while instead of turning them on. We've unplugged everything we can when we're not using it -- I've got them so well trained that Noelle couldn't figure out why the toaster didn't work this morning. She didn't catch that Charlie had unplugged it as soon as his waffles were cooked! We had a pretty good laugh over that.
Feel cold? Don't touch that thermostat -- put on a sweater and some slippers!

I'm still finding ways to save here and there, including stretching our grocery budget as far as I can every week. If you have anything clever to share that you've done to help save your family some money, leave a comment and share it!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

When in doubt (and far behind on your blog) post some pictures! There's no problem that a little time at the beach can't help cure...

My Mother's Day Experience

2010-05-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

6:45 a.m.
I'm awoken out of a deep sleep by the sound of dishes clanging together close to the bed. I open my eyes and see Charlie setting a tray on the bed. Noelle is still asleep next to me -- apparently he took Mother's day breakfast into his lone hands on this special-for-me morning.

I wish the first words out of my mouth were, "Thank you!" Instead I think I mumbled something about how it was 6:45 in the morning. He pointed out that I could eat it later and he was just leaving it for me, but I saw that there was cereal involved, and I think we know what happens to cereal when it sits in a bowl of milk for too long. I set myself straight, sat up, and proceeded to thank him for putting this together. As it turns out there wasn't just cereal. The big bowl was Chocolate Cheerios with milk. Next to that was a mug of chocolate milk. And next to that was a bowl of Gardetto's snack mix leftover from my crop yesterday.

Interesting.

He explained later that he chose all of my favorites that he could see. Isn't that thoughtful? Like a good mother I did the only thing I could -- thanked him and ate every single bite.

They each had classroom made gifts to give me, which I think are my favorite part of the day every year. Charlie had the sweetest card with this poem called My Mom. My mom is very special / My mom is very kind / My mom tells me I'm special / She's always on my mind. It came with an I Love You bookmark with his picture on it. Love it! Noelle gave me a place mat that has her picture, a drawn picture of me and a little list of her favorite things about me. The highlight, though, was the card. The teachers give them the first words of a sentence and the kids fill the rest in.

Mom you are pretty a lot. (But not always, right?)
Mom you smell like a butterfly. (This really could have gone badly.)
I love when you cook hole made ice cream. (Yes, we make it in a hole.)
You love to take me on a date. (This is true -- love the mommy daughter dates.)
You look pretty when you are in make-up. (Because look out when I'm not!)

I think the teachers do this on purpose. And I love it. See two years ago here.

The next hour and a half I just lounged and watched a few episodes of 30 Rock from the tivo list. I could have gone on like that for a while, but decided to take a shower. My privacy and peace lasted all of five minutes, at which time Noelle came in crying about having been called stupid, not once, but TWICE! I pointed out to her that I was in the shower and there wasn't a lot I could do. Apparently this didn't satisfy her need for justice in this travesty, and I was treated to some more drama as I lathered, rinsed and repeated. In the end I believe I managed to get Charlie's attention with a little banging on the wall, got him to apologize and they went back to their morning. All this while I conditioned.

The rest of my Mother's Day was fairly simple. We watched "Enchanted" with popcorn. They played in the garage while I napped a bit. (Does that sound bad? Their father was here, so I could relax for a little while.) The weather was rather depressing but that didn't stop Noelle from spending as much time outside as she could. She's taken a sudden interest in basketball and wants to dribble nonstop. It's fun teaching her what little I know about it.

Overall, a decent Mother's Day, though next year I hope to make some actual plans out of the house. I wouldn't hate being away at a hotel where the room service could deliver the Cheerios and snack mix at a slightly later hour.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

2010-05-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

2010 is turning out to be a very trying year for our family. It’s not that I didn’t see it coming, what with a divorce and all, but you don’t really know how hard it’s going to be until you’re in the thick of it. I wish I could say that the hardest thing for me is being on an emotional roller coaster – one minute I’m up, the next I’m down, and I don’t see it coming until I’m there. Frequently in the fetal position – sometimes physically, often mentally.

Unfortunately, the worst is seeing how hard things have been for my kids. They have their own roller coasters to deal with, and each of them has different ways of showing it. We’re all taking turns showing our Mr. Hyde side. Thankfully it’s usually on different days or hours (or minutes) than the others.

To make things worse my son has been dealing with bullies at school, and it’s really getting out of control. The school is aware of it, and Charlie knows he can go to the vice principal about anything, but I fear that, as time has gone by, he’s being seen as more of a tattle tale than a troubled kid. Frankly, I encourage him going to the VP, because taking it into his own hands could lead to much worse things. The last thing any of us needs is for him to punch these kids in the nose, though I confess that’s exactly what I would like to do. Oops, did I just type that out loud?

The point of this story, my dear children, is to help you appreciate on a more intimate level why it is that Charlie needed a boost this weekend.

Our town has a very active theater group that puts on musicals through the year. A great deal of them are kids only, and it’s a great way for families to get involved in something together. I am hopeful that our little family can join in sometime in the future – drama was a huge part of my life in high school and I miss it!

This last weekend held the final two shows of Willy Wonka, which featured about a dozen leads and 42 Oompa Loompas. Thanks to a friend of mine whose daughter played Mrs. Gloop we got tickets for the Saturday night finale. The kids and I are big fans of both movies and got a kick out of seeing the show live. The actors were wonderful, the set was clever and the action was lively.

The highlight of each of the eight performances was tied in with a local candy factory we have in our town. They teamed up with the show and offered a golden ticket to be hidden and sold each night with their candy. When we stepped out into the concession area at intermission, we went straight for that table to take our chance. When it was our turn, I told Charlie to pick a box of the chocolate covered toffees, and he did. As we walked back to our seats, he glanced inside the box. I asked him if he saw anything, which he didn’t. I reminded him that we knew it was unlikely that we would win, but it was fun to try. He was great with that.

Back at our seats, he pulled out the bag of toffees and was trying to tear into them in an odd way. I asked him what he was doing, and he held up the bag for me to see. That’s when I saw it – attached to the back of the bag was a white slip of paper that said “WINNER.”

Are you kidding me??

I not so subtly grabbed the bag from Charlie and worked the paper out of the plastic it was in. Inside was an actual folded up golden Wonka ticket!!

Charlie was absolutely over the moon! I don’t know the last time he smiled this much – I think he was actually glowing a little. We got the attention of one of the producers, who came over and congratulated Charlie. Better still, he was thrilled to hear that our boy’s name was Charlie and that he’d won the last golden ticket. How fantastic is that?!

People came over to congratulate him during the rest of intermission as news spread that the little boy in the red shirt named Charlie had won. When the show started up again, they brought him on stage to recognize him, which he handled well by not looking at the audience. (Stage fright.) It was fantastic watching him feel so good about something – nobody in that theater needed it more.

As the winner, Charlie is going to get a tour of the candy factory with all of the other winners, a gift basket of goodies and a one in eight chance to win a year’s supply of chocolate. Just like the real Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, he only gets to bring one guest, and do you know how he chose? He said, and I quote,” Mom, you got to be there when I won the ticket, so I think I should bring Dad to the factory so he can enjoy the chocolatiness.”

Be still my heart.

Temptation Thursday: Bake Me a Wish! Cake Review and GIVEAWAY! Ended

2010-04-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

I'm the luckiest girl I know this week!

Well, one of the three luckiest girls. Myself, along with Jen from The Mom Reviews and Jessi from Jabbering Jessi, are all participating in Temptation Thursday and giving lots of people the opportunity to win an amazing cake from Bake Me a Wish!

Let's get right down to the important stuff -- the cake!!

The folks at Bake Me a Wish! have an amazing selection of gourmet cakes for every occasion. You name it -- they probably have it! Red velvet...Carrot...Peanut Butter Mousse...Mississippi Mud...Tiramisu...S'more Brownie...Cookies and Cream. Did you think I was kidding? Just check out their website and you'll see what I mean. They also customize them for any occasion with a yummy chocolate

We were the lucky family that received their Chocolate Mousse Torte Cake!

Two chocolate layers filled with luscious chocolate whipped cream mousse, then covered with milk chocolate frosting and a dark chocolate glaze. Garnished with fudge rosettes and dark chocolate shaves.

It was absolutely incredible! I happened to have some of my friends over that evening and each of them was willing to take part in ~~devouring~~ eating a slice. After one look at it I didn't exactly have to twist their arms. The greatest part, aside from the amazing flavor and how moist the cake was, was how not overwhelming the chocolate was. You would think, from looking at it, that it might be too rich to finish, but each of us was able to finish our piece and not feel a sugar punch to the gut. I really appreciated that. Not to mention it paired very well with red wine!

I managed to miss out on taking any pictures of us enjoying this scrumptious treat, so I'm happy that I get to share some of this experience with several lucky winners!

Here are all of the places you get to enter:
Sleepless Mornings
The Mom Reviews
Jabbering Jessi
Bake Me a Wish! Facebook/Blog Contest
Bonus Blog Post Chance to win, see below in my bonus entries!!

Also, enter my giveaway where one lucky reader of Sleepless Mornings will get a choice of their favorite cake!
-------------------------
To Enter:

MAIN ENTRY--This is your first and main entry, it's a must in order to include any bonus entries!

Do one of the following: "Like" Bake Me a Wish on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, subscribe to their blog (through networked blogs) or sign up for their newsletter at their website. Once you do one (or all) let me know in your first comment.

-->Bonus Entries (leave a separate comment for each entry)

*1 entry* Follow @sleeplessmerrie and TWEET this giveaway, copy and paste this:

Sleepless Mornings, @sleeplessmerrie is giving away a Bake Me a Wish! Cake @bakemeawish #temptationthursday

and comment with your tweetlink (you may enter once a day)

*1 entry* Enter at Jabbering Jessi's contest and leave me a comment you did!

*1 entry* Enter at The Mom Reviews' contest and leave me a comment you did!

*5 entries* Blog about this giveaway with a link back to my site. Bake Me a Wish! will choose one blogger's post to win a bonus cake!!

-->Contest ends 5/9. You must include your email address or your entries will not be counted. Open to US only. Winners will be contacted and have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen.

We were sent a cake to facilitate this review. The opinions are our tried-and-true experience and were not influenced by any source.

Sunday Recap

2010-04-19T15:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was one of those perfect Sundays.

I didn’t get to sleep in, but I did get to wake up to a smiling little girl next to me. (She spends most of the 3-7 a.m. shift sleeping with me.)

Breakfast was nothing special, but at least I got to enjoy my bowl of Fiber One in my sunshine filled living room with previously mentioned smiler.

Charlie had a play date with one of our favorite friends, and they had a fabulous time doing a little bit of everything. Wii games…Lego building…fort building…bike riding – does life get any better for two little boys? Actually, it did, because I felt like baking and threw together some chocolate chip cookies with mnm’s on top. They were in heaven.

I’ve discovered that baking and cooking is much more fun in a clean and neat kitchen – did it really take me 34 years to figure that out? I was motivated to cook up a linguine dish that includes brie, tomatoes and fresh basil, and it was much more fun to do in a bright and clutter-free kitchen. That’s my new daily goal – keep that place clean so I can continue to enjoy my time there. Because let’s be honest – I’m always going to spend time in there, whether I’m in the mood or not! That’s one of the joys of single parenthood – if I don’t cook, they don’t eat.

By the way, dinner was delicious, even if the kids did cringe after one bite. I knew going in that I am the brie lover of the family, and that they would probably not love the taste, but I took a shot. I was kind and allowed them to cook up some waffles instead. I wasn’t upset – that just means more leftovers for me! And guess what I enjoyed for lunch today?

The end of the day wound down with no arguing or complaining from the crew. They showered, bathed, brushed and combed without a fuss. Everyone went to sleep feeling happy and loved – even me. We definitely needed that.

Giveaway Winner!

2010-04-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

We have a winner!

This was a tough one for Random.org! To have to pick a number between one and three? The options are limitless!! (This is where my son would say, “Sarcasm.”)

And the winner is….

#2 Ali from Home of the Lazy Dog

Congratulations to my fellow Husky owner – I know you will enjoy this new CD from Amy Grant as much as I have. Send me an email with your mailing address so that EMI can send you a copy.

Thanks to everyone who read and participated in this giveaway! I may not have had a lot of entries, but there were a LOT of hits. I guess all those readers already had their copy and didn’t want to crowd those who still need it. Good for all of you.

Uh oh. Sarcasm again.

Giveaway Amy Grant CD!

2010-04-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

I’ve spent a lot of this last week listening to Amy Grant’s newest album, “Somewhere Down the Road.” Each day I find something new or fresh about it that I didn’t find before, and each day I love the album that much more.

Thanks to a few connections I now have the opportunity to share my review with you, and thanks to Amy’s label, EMI, one of you lucky readers will have the opportunity to win a copy!

First, the review!

Overall, this album is what Amy calls “a collection of songs about the journey of life; the roads we take, the lessons we learn, the mysteries we’ll never understand.” Most specifically, it really touches on the heart of a woman as a mother, a daughter and a believer, sometimes rejoicing and other times suffering. I think there is something for everyone on this album, wherever you are in your journey through life.

One very interesting aspect of “Somewhere Down the Road” is the variety of songs that were chosen. Many of them are new, but a few have been selected from previous albums, another one is a previously unreleased song, and yet another is a new version of a song from many years back. Having followed Amy’s career for as many years as I have, it was a journey in itself for me to see which songs she chose and from what part of her life they came from.

Right off the bat the record kicks off with the first new single, “Better than a Hallelujah.” The lyrics are a great lesson in how prayer doesn’t have to be presented to God in any special package – what comes from your heart is all you need. “God loves a lullaby in a mother’s tears in the dead of night / Better than a Hallelujah sometimes / God loves a drunkard’s cry, the soldier’s plea not to let him die / Better than a Hallelujah sometimes. We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody / Beautiful the mess we are, the honest cries, of breaking hearts / Are better than a Hallelujah.”

“Overnight” is especially touching because it is a duet with Amy’s middle daughter, Sarah Cannon (named after Minnie Pearl) Chapman. I admit I was knocked out by Sarah’s voice. She has a deep and rich sound that is very similar to her dad’s, Gary Chapman, and it flows beautifully with her mother’s. The song itself carries a simple message about appreciating the things that come your way more when they don’t come to you overnight.

“Unafraid” brought feelings of gratitude to Amy as she wrote this one with the ever talented Wayne Kirkpatrick. What a gift we have when we have love, whatever form it comes in. I’m most impressed by how she honors both her husband, Vince Gill, and her mother in this song.

The song that could have been written about me right now is “Hard Times.” The first half of the song takes me right to an image of my parents. “I smile when I remember all the things we did / The worlds we discovered when I was a kid / Sitting on your shoulders I was riding high / All of life before me. I could see for miles / You gave me a life to love / Showed me the dreams I was dreaming of / Told me love was enough.” The latter half of the song brings my own kids to mind, making me want to “give them a life to love.” Heady stuff.

Possibly the most powerful song on the album is “Third World Woman.” The sound and the lyrics and the rhythm all blend together in a way that speak to me and make me want to step out and make a difference in this world. “What if I were that mother starting from my TV / What if that were my brown-eyed baby / Hungry as she could be / What if that were my family / What if that was my world / Waiting on water waiting on a vaccine / Waiting on someone to bring me a bag of beans / Lord have mercy on me.”

“Come Into My World” was a great reminder to me that I should always take the time to look in on the people I love. I have a very dear friend that I know struggles with various feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness that stem from a problem she had a long time ago. Knowing this about her, I know I sometimes need to go to her door and just knock. “Come into my world / Come crashing through the ceiling / And find the messy rooms, the scattered pearls / If you are brave then come into my world / Come into my world / So lovely from the outside / So dark in here the demons dance and twirl / And find their pleasures frightening this girl / If you are brave then come into my world.”

Amy’s faith sings loud and clear throughout this album, on songs I’ve mentioned and plenty I haven’t. Her music has such a real and honest feel to it, which I’d like to share with one lucky reader!

Would you like to win a copy of “Somewhere Down the Road”? Here are your many chances to enter!

    1. Leave a comment

    2. Blog about this review and leave a comment with the link

    3. Twitter about this review and leave a comment that you did

On Monday, April 12 at 8:00 p.m. PDT I will randomly select a winner who will receive a copy of the album directly from EMI!

Good luck!

A History of Easters

2010-04-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Easter 2003

Easter 2004

Easter 2005

Easter 2006

Easter 2007

Easter 2008

We wish you a Happy Easter with your loved ones!

Love Merrie, Charlie, Noelle and Simba!

Bubba Gumps? It's a Household Name!

2010-03-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Recently the kids and I were fortunate enough to join the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and we wanted to plan our first outing there to coincide with the opening of their most recent exhibit. To make this the perfect Monterey experience, we decided we would add a few factors in to bring it all home.

First came the best friends! Mark, Lisa and Julian were invited to join us so that we could celebrate Mark's birthday together. They took us up on it and the ~~plotting~~ planning began!

Next came the hotel choice. I was leaning toward some places further from the aquarium, but Mark was smart enough to suggest the one closest to EVERYTHING we love on Cannery Row. So, the Intercontinental it was! Their rooms are wonderful (we enjoyed the cozy fireplace) and best of all it's right next door to the final perfect part of our weekend!

That's right! Bubba Gump Shrimp Company! There is no better place for shrimp and ambiance in Monterey.

To begin with, right out front they have a market where you can purchase just about anything with the Bubba Gump logo on it, which is handy while you're waiting for a table. The restaurant is also nestled back next to some Cannery Row shops where you can wander until your name is called. Best of all, they have a bench outside where very often this fine gentleman is awaiting a chance to introduce himself.

Except for Tom Hanks, there is no better Forrest Gump than this gentleman. He was perfectly in character and the kids couldn't have been more comfortable with him. Not to mention he had a "box of chocolates" that he offered up. Who says no to chocolate? In the event that he's not there, the bench is still a perfect photo op with runnin' shoes and a suitcase available all of the time.

As soon as our table was ready, in we went. The inside of the restaurant is so much fun! The place is really hopping and has various Forrest Gump items all over the place, amidst all the other decor, and of course they have the movie showing on several televisions around the room. Charlie was particularly intrigued by a post that was completely covered in license plates. He wondered how they managed to bend them all! :)

The manager of Bubba Gumps is a great guy -- very personable and helpful, and he was happy to show us to our table that had this incredible view.

Not too shabby! My two kids comandeered the two window seats, but the rest of us had no trouble seeing the entire Monterey Bay coastline. Our waitress Amy introduced herself immediately and went over some various menu suggestions. She also hit us up with some fun Forrest Gump trivia that was both kid and adult level. Did you know that the running Forrest in the movie was actually played by Tom Hanks' brother? I did not! Speaking of running Forrest, this was Charlie's favorite decoration.

Alright, enough about the decor -- it was time to order some drinks! They offer a pretty wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, both of which we partook of. Amy recommended the Lemon Ups for the kids -- kind of a lemonade/orange/mango slushy that Charlie absolutely LOVED.

Noelle was less intrigued by the flavor and opted to switch to a plain lemonade. Still, she was thrilled to get the take home light up glass that the drink comes with -- nothing says fun like a glass that sparkles!

I decided I wouldn't be offended by a drink with a little bit more of a twist, so I ordered their Lava Flow -- a creamy Pina Colada erupting with strawberry flow. DELICIOUS! Mark tried their Big Easy, which came in a schmancy hurricane glass that he got to take home, and was adorned with some mardi gras beads. He and Julian took turns wearing those.

Now for an appetizer -- Mark made the best call and requested the Shrimpers Net Catch. This peel and eat shrimp is steamed in beer (beer!) and you get to choose between a garlic or cajun spice. Mark chose the cajun and when it arrives, they dump it out of the bucket onto a platter for your enjoyment.

Let me tell you -- we ate every last one. And the shocker was the Charlie tried it and LOVED it! (Am I in trouble? I think this is why my parents fed us hot dogs every time they had crab -- they didn't want us dumb kids developing a taste for the finer things!)

Finally it was time for some dinner! Lisa opted for the Dumb Luck Coconut Shrimp and said it was fantastic. Mark, our BBQ lover, stepped away from the shrimp menu and ordered the Dixie Style Baby Back Ribs. He couldn't get enough of them, they were so good!

I chose Mama Blue's Southern Charmed Fried Shrimp -- I never get to have fried shrimp, but I had to take the opportunity to indulge. The shrimp was absolutely perfect -- not greasy, nice and firm and just the right size to get two good bites out of each one. I savored and enjoyed each and every one of them!

I convinced Charlie to choose something from the main menu instead of the kids menu, which wasn't hard after he read the description for the All American Burger. He also finished every last bite, but this is not shocking for the kid who practically inhales his food.

Interestingly, he didn't touch the coleslaw.... ;)

Finally, there was Noelle's dinner. She did opt for the kids meal, which she loved, partly for the food and partly for what the food was served in.

Charlie actually took this with him when he left, and four days later it is still sitting in his room. I don't think he believes me yet that it won't last long if he actually puts it in the water.

In the end we didn't have dessert because we were STUFFED. However, the staff did know it was Mark's birthday and wow do they put on a show when it's time to sing! They brought him out a yummy dessert and sang and clapped for us, which I think Julian enjoyed more than anyone!

And that was our Bubba Gump experience! Thank you to our server Amy and the manager Mike for making this a night to remember! I highly recommend their restaurant, though be aware that if you go during peak hours, there can be quite a wait. They have locations all over the world, which you can seek out at their website. It's perfect for families, especially if your children can be as loud as mine. If you get the opportunity, go and enjoy!

A New Direction

2010-03-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

You know it’s a good day in my little world when Amy Grant has a new album out. I hit Target up early this morning (just ask Kim – hi Kim!) and bought what appeared to be their last copy on the shelf.

I listened to it on my hour long drive to work, and for the most part, I love it! This album is a collection of songs all about the journey of life. Some are older songs, most are newer songs, and one is even a remake of a song from twenty something years ago! Amy always manages to capture her thoughts on life in music, making all of her albums captivating to me, and this one does no less. One song, called “Overnight,” is a duet with her 17 year old daughter Sarah. I am blown away by Sarah’s voice, so different from Amy’s but no less beautiful.

As always, when I get a new album, there seems to be a song that touches on some part of my life in the present. In 2003 I was stunned by how a song called “Looking for You” captured exactly the words I wanted to say to my daughter, who I was 8 months pregnant with. I sang that song for a month (and another week) to my belly, and it was the first song I sang to her when I first held her in my arms.

This time around a song touched on something I’ve been feeling recently.

There’ve been some unkind things said about me (and to me) during the last few months that have been hurtful. Certain people have made certain assumptions about me that make it clear they think I am a cruel person who goes out of her way to hurt others. All of these assumptions caught me off guard, and were also completely wrong, but they leave a wound. Worse still, some of my friends have been treated poorly, and their only mis-step was in continuing to be my friend. To support me and be there for me during a difficult time. To answer when I called out, “Please…please help me.” I am so blessed to have such friends right now.

Because the truth is, right now I’m at the beginning of a divorce.

The last few years have been difficult and painful, and the direction of my life is not one that I wanted.

I do not WANT to get divorced! I do not WANT to end my ten year marriage! But there are variables in this situation (which I will keep private) that make it impossible for my kids and me to go forward with my husband. So we are going forward in a new direction and doing our best to create a healthy and happy life for ourselves.

So to those people (including me) who sometimes make awful assumptions or criticisms about other people, or hurt someone out of pure selfishness and thoughtlessness…perhaps we could take a lesson from these lyrics and stop spending time looking for the bad in one another. Because we’re going to find it.

Every. Single. Time.

Find What You’re Looking For

There’s so much good in the worst of us
So much bad in the best of us
It never makes sense for any of us
To criticize the rest of us
We’ll just find what we’re looking for
We’ll find it and so much more

Haven’t we all learned the best life lessons
By falling, and falling down hard
If we’re looking for somebody’s failures
We won’t have to look very far.

Let's Cool Things Down

2010-03-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the episode of Friends where, when Joey gets scared of a book he’s reading, he puts it in the freezer? Apparently he did that with “The Shining,” which in this episode he has lent to Rachel, and she has lent him “Little Women.” (He asks her if they’re ‘scary little.’)

As Joey approaches an intense part of “Little Women,” he and Rachel have a conversation that goes like this.

Joey: Beth is really, really sick. Jo's there, but I don't think there's anything she can do.
Rachel: Joey?
Joey: Yeah?
Rachel: You want to put the book in the freezer?

That scene came to mind because that’s exactly how I’m feeling right now.

I’m in the last few chapters of “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” and I SO want to put it in the freezer. Not only are we careening towards something climactic and sad, but it’s also ending. I don’t want the book to be over! This is why I love books that come in a series – if they’re good, you know you get to just go right along into the next one and see what happens next. You get to see how the characters fair, or what comes next in their lives. The only downside of the Twilight series for me was that the last book was my favorite, and I was sorry to see it end.

It’s lunch time right now – normally I would be reading until I absolutely HAD to put the book down and get back to work. Instead I’m blogging. The book may not be in the freezer, but it IS back in my desk, and it will not be opened again until tomorrow.

I think.

Love After Love

2010-03-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend turned out pretty well, with a trip to Casa de Fruta for Noelle and I on Saturday. As previously assumed, Charlie wanted nothing to do with a trip that would tear him away from his precious buddy next door. Noelle and I never mind a girl date, so off we went.

If you’ve never been, this place is right off of a highway not too far from our town, and has lots of fun things to do.

We rode Casa de Choo Choo.

We bought candy at Casa de Sweets.

We bought fruit at the fruit stand and wine from their vineyards.

Noelle very proudly made it halfway across the monkey bars on the playground.

She even got to pan for gold while I nibbled on some grapes in the warm sun.

Perfection.

The rest of the weekend I was either doing laundry, riding bikes with ~~Lance~~ Noelle or reading more of my book. I can’t put it down! I finally did watch the movie and have had to stop myself from watching it again. (I’m holding out until Easter weekend when I’ll be watching it with my mom.) If you haven’t been inspired yet to read or see “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” let me share with you a poem from the very first page of the book that I have gone back and re-read about 20 times. It expresses perfectly how I’ve always wanted/hoped to feel about myself.

Love After Love

The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart.
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

- Derek Walcott

Perks!

2010-03-19T12:21:00.001-07:00

There are perks to being an Executive Assistant.

This week I’ve spent some time sorting our A’s and Giants Season Tickets. Knowing I’ll get to go to a few games this year with family and friends – perk!

The catering company we have an account with is so happy that I’m using them again that they’re offering me a free box lunch when I place an order or refer them. Today I’m trying their chicken sandwich with a goat cheese spread, pecans and cranberries – perk!

My boss will be leaving just after lunch today to head to a meeting, and odds are he’ll tell me to take off early, too. He’s the President of the company, so what he says, goes – perk!

Tomorrow is my four year anniversary with the company, and thanks to the sly dogs in our IT department, my picture is currently posted on the intranet wishing me a Happy Anniversary! I’ve been getting all kinds of congratulatory emails and comments today, which I don’t mind at all. I’m so glad that I work here and that I support the people I do. Despite the circumstances that brought me back into the work world, I couldn’t feel more grateful that I landed where I did.

This upcoming weekend doesn’t hold anything amazing in it, though I do consider time at home with my kids pretty wonderful. I’m feeling inspired to do some organizing, which is always a good thing. I recently turned our “junk drawers” into a miracle of neatness, so my next project is to go through some of our under cabinets and either toss what we never use or get it put in some order that makes more sense. I bought a large basket that is meant to hold all of our various Tupperware pieces in all shapes and sizes. Wouldn’t it be nice to have easy access to them every time I have leftovers to put away? I’m giddy just thinking about it.

Sad, but true.

I may also take the kids on a little side trip to a nearby park that has a fruit center, playground, train ride, animals, candy shop, etc. The weather has been so fantastic that I don’t want to stay inside much. I also foresee much bike riding in our future as Noelle is obsessed with riding as much as she can. (Thanks Jamey for the bike that she is mad for!) She squeezes out every single drop of daylight that she possibly can before being forced back into the house from the dark. Thankfully, Charlie and I don’t mind humoring her by joining her on our bikes, too.

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

P.S. My lunch just arrived and it is Uh-May-Zing.

Have a great weekend!

A Day to Relive?

2010-03-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Mama Kat does it again with her Writers Workshop.

“If you had to relive a day in your life, what day would it be?”

The tough thing here is to decide one of two things.

Am I choosing a day that I want to relive because it was wonderful and I want a second chance at experiencing it?

Or, am I choosing a day that I want to relive because I want to change the outcome of some event? And if that outcome is something that would impact my life and change it completely, what does that say about the life I live now? Do I regret it? Would I want to NOT be where I am today, and therefore not have Charlie and Noelle?

Heavy stuff.

There are so many moments I would redo.

Like, I would be brave and kiss that boy I was in love with in the moment I should have – who knows what might have happened, but at least I would have taken a chance.

I could do-over one of the many moments when I put my big size 10 foot in my mouth – I still cringe when I think of those.

Or wouldn’t it be nice to go back and take back a hurt that I caused someone? Just erase it all together?

I would love that.

But I choose to accept the life I’ve been given – the paths I have chosen – and be blessed by the two wonderful creatures that have come into my life because of that.

Instead I would pick the happy day.

But which one??

I can’t bear to pick a day one of my children was born because I don’t think reliving all of that pain sounds appealing. It’s tempting to pick a day from high school – one where we either had a play and a cast party in the evening, or perhaps one where we hiked up in Sunol and then ate at Bob’s Giant Burgers afterwards. Those were pretty great days.

In the end I think I would pick a Christmas. One where both of my maternal grandparents are alive and we’re celebrating with them at their house. A day like that would probably start with my brother and I running around outside, playing with all the ice that froze overnight in various places around the property. Then we’d have a big breakfast where the scrambled eggs have bits of bacon in them, the way my grandmother used to make them. The day would just flow together – meals, family, presents, movies. Best of all, I’d get to hug both of my grandparents again, and talk to them, and hear their voices.

For me, that would be a day worth reliving.

The Time Traveler's Wife

2010-03-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

When I went to Texas last September, and surprised my best friend Debbie with a visit, we did a lot of family things together that included her husband and kids. While we enjoyed those times, we also relished a few getaway moments for ourselves, where we got to re-live our “Mer Deb Dates” that we so loved when she was in California.

One such afternoon included a trip to the movies. Now, I don’t know what you like to eat at the movies, but Debbie has completely ruined me when it comes to theater popcorn. I am no longer able to simply eat it alone -- it must be paired with these:

The two together make a perfect combination of sweet and salty that is To. Die. For. Please, if you haven’t tried it – do it. You can thank me later. Preferably with MnMs.

On this particular afternoon movie trip we were actually saving our appetites for dinner, so I don’t think we partook of our usual treat. We knew her husband would be throwing dinner together for us that evening, and we wanted to save room. See, we do have self control!

The movie we saw – I absolutely fell in love with it.

Sure, it has Eric Bana, and sure, you get to see him without clothes an awful lot. But that wasn’t all I loved! I truly fell in love with the love story and how it came along from beginning to end. I loved it so much that a few weeks ago I bought the book, and I’ve been doing with it what I now tend to do with books I enjoy – devouring it slowly. I used to read at every free moment I could and would burn through books so fast that my library card could barely keep up. But nowadays I tend to savor them; appreciate them longer. Most of the time I intentionally leave a book at work so that I can’t read again until lunch the next day. If 34 year old me could time travel back and tell 15 year old me such a thing, the 15 year old me would be horrified. I’d probably call it book lover blasphemy and kick myself in the knee.

Still, there’s something to be said for enjoying a book for as long as possible. And perhaps a part of me wants the story I first saw with Debbie to last that much longer. She’s a part of this book with me, a memory that turns up every few pages or so.

Last night I bought the movie. I wonder just how long it will take me to let myself watch it…

This and That

2010-03-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

Here I am again -- playing catch up!

Sometime this weekend I'll post a more heavy update on life around here, but for now, I thought I'd share a little bit of this and that.

- The Biggest Loser challenge at work continues to go well. People are eating so healthy at the office it's insane. I've lost 15 pounds thus far, but I don't imagine I'm in the lead. Still, there's another five or six weeks to go, so we'll see how it goes. Next week we're doing a halfway mark weigh in, which will hopefully tell us where we stand.

- Someone hit my Camry in a parking lot! I didn't even discover it until I was home a few evenings ago. What is wrong with people? If you know darn well (and this person knew darn well) that you've hit a parked car, leave a note! (Preferably a note that has your contact info and insurance company -- haven't we all heard about the note that says, "I'm leaving this so that the people who saw me hit you will think I'm leaving you my contact information.") I'll find out soon how much will be involved with getting my front end fixed and my logo reattached.

- Today was Dr. Suess' birthday, which means the kids wore pajamas to school and had a "read in." Noelle was deeply disappointed to learn that she didn't bring her blanket and pillow like all the other kids in class. Apparently those directions were given out when she was home sick yesterday. She's feeling better -- and now I have it. We share at our house. Hopefully Charlie will remain the pillar of health that he has been.

- I have a new cell phone and I love it. I copied my brother and got a LG Env Touch. Thanks to the data plan it comes with I can now get email wherever I am. I was talking to a co-worker today about just how connnected we are so much of the time, and I confess -- I don't mind it one bit. There's something about being able to send a text or email or play a game of scrabble with someone even when I'm standing in line at Panera or suffering through a meeting. It's comforting in a way. I never feel alone or disconnected from the world. And it's not as if I can't ever be disconnected. All I have to do is turn off my phone or my iPod or my computer and there I am -- surrounded by silence. The choices are endless.

- Tomorrow is Friday -- you know what that means? I get to wear jeans to work. Isn't my life exciting?

Good morning, class

2010-02-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

We've got a teacher in our midst.

The other morning I heard Noelle chattering away in our living room, so I poked my head in to see what was going on.

She had lined up all of her Littlest Pet Shop animals in a row on my grandmother's hope chest, and had seated herself in front of them. She was holding some paper and a pen, and was apparently taking attendance. The sweetest part was that she was referring to herself by her own teacher's name.

"Good morning, Pink Puppy."

"Good morning, Mrs. S."

"Good morning, Parrot."

"Good morning, Mrs. S."

I really think that says a lot for the teacher that Noelle was proud to be her and teach like her. I only wish we could keep the kids in the same classrooms forever -- they're both blessed right now with amazing teachers that are perfect for them. It's funny to me that while the teachers are all counting down the days until summer vacation, I'm wishing that time would slow down so that the kids could be with them that much longer.

To all you teachers out there who love what you do and are a wonderful influence to your kids -- THANK YOU!

To my first grade teacher, Miss Hess -- here's a tip for you: when you're upset with your students, don't grab them by the face and squeeze their cheeks and jaw. I assure you none of us were going home and pretending to be YOU.

Valentine's Day is a Comin'!

2010-02-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

I'm escaping this weekend.

The kids and I are taking off for my parents' place up in the mountains. My brother is joining us and we're going to enjoy a weekend with my mom and dad, who will probably enjoy spoiling their children just a little bit. And I don't mind that. Someone else doing the cooking? Okay! Champagne brunch on Valentines Day? Sure!

I've had fun buying a few fun things for the kids on Valentines Day. One of my favorite V-day memories was in Novato when my brother and I woke up to little goodies awaiting us at our breakfast table, so I'm doing the same for Charlie and Noelle this Sunday. Big heart shaped pillows...decorated place mats...mnm candies. Thank you Target! And thank you Mom for the idea that it would be fun for them to wake up to presents on the table this Sunday morning.

Today was wonderful -- I had a free day, so I volunteered in both classrooms at the kid's school. Noelle's teacher was great about putting me to work and having me sort papers, give tests and quiz the kids on their sight words. Then, after lunch, I spent a few hours in Charlie's class and had so much fun with him and his classmates. I got to help a bunch of them finish their "dream boards," where they put pictures up of what they want to have or be when they grow up. The funniest pictures to find and print were ones of money, houses and fancy cars. Better still were their hopes for how much money they would make -- nobody had less than "$30 dollars a week" or "$40 dollars a month", which was hilarious next to pictures of ferraris and mansions. Kid concepts of money crack me up.

I hope you all enjoy your long weekend and have a loving Valentine's day. I know I will!

Weekend Bliss

2010-02-08T15:26:00.000-08:00

This last weekend was one of the best I’ve had in a long time.

First, there was Saturday!

My beloved friend Jen was having a birthday, and she decided the thing she wanted most was to have a few friends gather together and take a wine tour through our local wineries.

When she decides to do something, Jen does it right.

Our Chariot…

Our Birthday girl and her wonderful husband…

Jen isn’t just beloved by me – there are a lot of us who feel blessed to know her and grateful to have her in our lives. I personally have had some of the best conversations of my life with her, and am so glad to have her on my side. That’s why it was no shock to anyone (but her) that two of our friends who live more than four hours from us made the trip to be there to celebrate her.

Jen was shocked when we surprised her with an iPod Touch! How could we not get her one when she’s been raving about her daughter’s? No mother of an eleven year old should be without one – at least, not if we had anything to say about it.

We hit a total of four wineries and spent over an hour at each! We took our time tasting, devoured the yummy appetizers we all brought to share, and just enjoyed one another’s company. The only sad moment was saying goodbye to everyone at the end of the day.

Then came Sunday, and it was practically perfect in every way.

My bike is finally working, so I rode up and down our court a million times with the kids. I didn’t realize how novel it would be to them, seeing me on a bike! Noelle just had her training wheels removed a few days ago, so she’s over the moon on her new found talent. I think she rode for about five hours that day!

Noelle and I did our usual grocery store routine, which she is a trooper about. We love spending time together, and I’ll take it as long as I can get it. We might have also stopped in at Target where I might have bought another book, too.

The best part of the day? Not watching even one MINUTE of the Superbowl! I have decided I am done watching any sport of any kind unless I feel like it. And typically I only feel like it if it’s live. Baseball, football, hockey – bring it on if I can be right there, watching the action. But on my television? Nah!

As the weather slowly begins to improve I plan to have more and more great weekends like this one. Beach trips will be on the horizon, as well as the new Disney Museum that has apparently opened up in San Francisco. For now, I’m happy to follow the mad crazy two-wheel rider that is my daughter.

Entering the Cost Plus Zone

2010-02-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

I don’t know about you, but I can get absolutely LOST in Cost Plus.

I went there on my lunch hour today to pick up some delectable chocolates to take on a wine tasting tour this Saturday. My dear friend Jen decided this is how she wanted to spend her birthday, and I was only too happy to say yes when invited. Everyone is bringing an appetizer to share, so my contribution will include veggies (to help me stick to my biggest loser challenge) and a variety of creamy chocolates. Because you just can’t thoroughly enjoy good red wine without a piece of chocolate now and then!

Back to my original point – I entered the abyss that is Cost Plus.

I found the perfect thing to give someone at a housewarming party, but of course I don’t know anyone having a housewarming party anytime soon. In case you do, they have the cutest guest soaps in a little rack that I know I would love to receive if I had a nice guest bathroom that isn’t always covered with toothpaste thanks to the resident children.

Whilst picking out chocolates I was extremely tempted by all of the various fun candies and goodies they have that are either foreign or old fashioned. Remember these?

They always make me think of my Grampa.

I nearly bought some, but I was trying to stick to the task at hand. That, however, did not stop me from buying a big bag of these.

What I actually got was a bag full of mini-bags that I can put in my candy jar at work. I haven’t seen the mini’s since I used to enjoy them at my friend Lorie’s house in the 5th grade!

Chocolate – much chocolate – was purchased, but I continued shopping. I love their dishes and their baking section, but it’s the Japanese cook and serve ware that makes me want to make my own sushi every single night! But I held it together and moved along.

At the last turn before the checkout, I happened across something in a wine section that I’ve never seen before. Chocovine!

Seriously – red wine and chocolate put together in a drink? Umm, OKAY! I bought a bottle and can’t wait to try it tonight. The Chocovine website (yes, there’s a website) has various recipes you can try with it, but some bloggers have said it’s even yummy chilled and served over ice. I’ll be sure to let you know how that goes.

In the mean time, I’m off to enjoy some gummi bears.

Romans 8:38-39

2010-02-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

This morning was not one of my favorite mornings.

I spent it attending the funeral of a very good man.

A man who should not have died so young. A man who still had a lot of life left in him. A man who had a beautiful wife and two children that were the light of his eyes.

Nobody understands what happened. It was so sudden and so unexpected that people are reeling from this tragedy. We stood and watched as his seven year old son joined a group of large men and helped carry the casket of his father into the church and later into the cemetery. That image will be burned into me forever.

An image that I don’t ever want to have of my own son.

The service was especially touching because the priest knew the family personally. He even said that he would not stand there and preach theologies or talk about how the departed was happier now. No, he talked about how we shouldn’t shy away from grief or sorrow, but instead should feel them and be there for his family as they feel it, too.

I don’t pretend to have known this good man really well like plenty of others crowded into the church did. I was not surprised that it was standing room only by the time it ended. I was lucky enough to know him because I used to babysit his kids back when mine were little. He was often the one that picked them up, and I was always glad to see him. He was one of those people that just lit up a room with his cheerful presence. Over the years I’d see him at various functions – parties, t-ball, etc, and always it was the same joyful man that greeted me.

Some people pass through your life without ever leaving much of a mark.

Not Mike.

He will be remembered by all of us who were blessed to know him.

Bits & Pieces

2010-01-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

My life has been a series of random events lately, but apparently one of them is not blogging! How’s about a little catch up on the current events of my life?

* * * * * * * * * *

Some people at my company decided to start up a Biggest Loser challenge for anyone who’d like to participate. It ended up being such a big turnout that the company got behind it and has even tossed in a prize option to the biggest loser. 45 of us have teamed up, contributed some cash, and are vying to be the winner of most of the money plus the choice of either a big screen television or a one year gym membership. (2nd place gets part of the money.)

I’m excited to be participating and have already lost some poundage (not to mention I feel great and my skin is healthier!), but I don’t think I stand an actual chance at winning. There are several men in the challenge that have already lost 10+ pounds, which is typical since men tend to lose faster. My only hope is that they’ll burn out faster than slow but steady me.

There’s also the factor that apparently people were bulking up and drinking lots of water in the days and hours before the first weigh in. That hardly seems fair to me. They say it’s not cheating, but what about those of us who stuck to our usual routine and didn’t pull any such stunts? If one of them wins, I’ll at least be smart enough not to join again.

* * * * * * * * * *

We found out just over a week ago that our son was being harassed at school by some kids, and that it had been going on for some time. Unbeknownst to me he’d been bearing the brunt of it until finally he broke down and it all spilled out. As his mom, not only was my heart breaking to see him so beaten down, but I also felt like showing up at the school the next morning to crack some eight year old skulls together.

Would that have been wrong?

I decided to go the “grown up” route *sigh* and contacted the teacher and vice principal. They were shocked by what had been going on and took immediate action. Not only did those kids get called in and lose a few privileges, but they had to call their own parents and tell them what they had been doing. I admit I did a little fist pump when the VP told me this on the phone. Charlie has never been on the giving end of bullying, but he has done more than his share of foolish things, as well as some hitting, and I think it was important for him to see that the adults are there to protect him as much as they are to reprimand him. The harassment had been going on long enough that he thought nobody cared.

* * * * * * * * * *

I enjoyed a girl’s night out this week with a few of my closest friends. We gabbed while we ate Chinese food. We gabbed while we went to a local coffee house. And we gabbed at Starbucks after the local place (surprisingly) closed their doors at 8:30 p.m.! Apparently it doesn’t take much to make us happy. Just being together is what we all needed and welcomed – I love it when that happens.

* * * * * * * * * *

Outside of my little world there is a lot going on in the lives of other people. Specifically in Haiti. I had been feeling sick about what’s happening over there but also helpless because there’s very little I can do to help. Sure, I can text a code and it donates $10, but I wanted to be able to do more. Unfortunately, extra money is not in the cards these days now that I’m back to one income again. After some thought I finally had what I hope was a good idea.

I sent out an email to my scrapbooking customers and told them that any orders placed on a certain date next week will have 100% of the profits donated to Mercy Corps by me. Better still, my company is currently matching any donations made to Mercy Corps, so every dollar I send will be doubled. How incredible is that?! I’m excited for next week to come to see what we end up with. No matter how small the number, I know that every little bit will help, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do it.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Retreat!

2010-01-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

Last weekend’s scrapbooking retreat was a phenomenal success!

91 of us traveled up to the mountains for a weekend of solitude, delicious food and (yes, you guessed it) scrapbooking. Sleep is always an interesting thing to obtain when we’re there. Some of us feel compelled to stay up and crop as late as possible, while a few others are happy to get caught up on the sleep they’ve been missing at home. I was the fool who stayed up visiting on the last night, and before I knew it, I was going to bed at 3:45 a.m.! This was not a smart move for someone who then has to lug all of her product and gear and personal items down a hill to a van the next day. My legs and back were not happy with me.

Of course, the massage helped a bit with that. I loved it! Partly for how good it felt, but mostly for how wonderfully relaxed and comfortable I was. Our masseuse that we bring in has a knack for setting just the right atmosphere, and I couldn't have felt more at ease. We ended up talking about some really personal things happening in our lives, and I appreciated her insight on a particular situation that I'm dealing with. That entire hour of my life couldn't have gone better.

The only downside of the weekend was that the severe storm we had for three days finally knocked out the power at 9:15 a.m. on Monday. Thankfully that was our last day, and nobody was too miserable about the idea of going home early, but then the roads got closed and all of that changed. Suddenly people were in a bit of a panic to get in touch with their families to let them know they wouldn’t be…home hours early? I didn’t completely get that, but was as happy as everyone else when we found out the roads were clear at noon. We high tailed it home, and from what I hear, most of us crashed pretty hard for the rest of the day.

Now I'm in the midst of closing out last year and starting to plan next year. I needed a few days to give my brain a rest, but I feel ready now.

Time to head out the door and take Charlie to his afternoon playdate. He's had a rough week at school and I'm trying to make sure he has a fun weekend surrounded by people that like him. Meanwhile, Noelle is having her playdate here and I have two six year old girls rocking out to Myley Cyrus and Taylor Swift right in front of me. For microphones they are using a hairbrush and blush brush. This is so taking me back!

Happy Saturday!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

Isn't she yummy?

Busy New Year

2010-01-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

Life continues to never be boring for me! I can recall days in my life when I wished I had more to do, but for the last few years I’ve mostly just wished for more time to do nothing. Or, if not nothing, at least more time to do the things that need doing.

I wish I could say my life is a series of adventures to foreign countries and new places – that’s my dream. To see the actual world outside of California’s Bay Area. I used to live in that world – I used to move every one to three years and loved the excitement, even if I was a kid!

But now I feel stuck.

Planted.

Rooted.

Someone pluck me!!

Back to my point – even if I’m stuck in the same place, at least it isn’t boring.

Next weekend is my annual scrapbooking retreat up in the mountains with 89 other women. I love facilitating this event every year, despite all the work, because in the end we have a fantastic time together. Who doesn’t want to go up to the beautiful lush green mountains above the ocean and be disconnected from the real world for a while? That’s right, I said disconnected! Cell phones don’t work up there and there certainly isn’t any wifi, so there will be no texting or chatting or twittering or facebooking for this gal. And I couldn’t be happier about it.

Best of all – I’m getting my first massage EVER.

*thump*

That was some of you hitting the floor in shock.

I know, it’s a travesty that I’ve never had one before. At least, that’s what I hear. The most I’ve ever had is a hand and arm massage with hot rocks during a manicure years ago (which in itself was heavenly), and of course a foot and leg massage that comes with a pedicure. I think what’s stopped me in the past is the idea of a stranger giving it, as well as the modesty factor. Apparently I’m over that.

Everything appears to be going smoothly. The prizes have been ordered thanks to my amazing friend Lisa, the gifts were delivered today, and I have six other amazing consultants working hard to bring the rest of the details together. I couldn’t be more blessed by each and every one of them.

When this retreat is over I’ll still have plenty to do, but at least I won’t have 89 women counting on me to get it done right.

2010 Begins!

2010-01-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

New Years was mostly a success, though for reasons I can't really get into, there was definitely some...awkwardness. I try to keep my blog fairly light and free of real life drama, but eventually I will fill you in on what is happening and all the changes that will be taking place. In the mean time, here are some fun pictures of my three favorite kids.

After a delicious dinner, a great visit and a good night's sleep at a hotel, we headed back towards home. On the way we got a wild hair about the idea of stopping at the Winchester Mystery House. Shockingly, the kids loved the sound of it and insisted we go. This NEVER happens. We are forever trying to talk them into doing ANYthing outside of the house!

So we dropped in at Winchester and did the tour. The history of the house is a unique one -- read about it here. After the tour inside that completely intrigued the children, we walked around the grounds where they had fun exploring the gardens and additional buildings. It was genuinely nice to see them enjoying something outside of their comfort zone. I hope this becomes a trend.

That really is a door that Sarah Winchester had built. Amongst other oddities, there is a staircase that just goes up to the ceiling, a room with one entrance and three exits, a window in the floor and a shower that only works for someone who is four feet ten inches tall -- the height of Sarah Winchester.

The kids were also happy to partake of some goods at the gift shop.

And so begins Twenty-Ten. It's not going to be an easy year, but I have hope that it will be better than the last one.

New Years Eve

2009-12-31T11:08:00.000-08:00

I love our New Years Eve tradition. Growing up, we didn't have one. We spent it wherever we spent it, and my best memories come from celebrating with friends. Once I was at my friend Kim's house down the street, and was rather surprised that her parents didn't even stay up until midnight. I was rather disappointed. At least at our house we all stayed up, threw some confetti and hugged when the ball dropped.

Through high school I spent most of them with my best friends, a group of four guys from my drama crowd. Once we were in Bear Valley at my boyfriend's family cabin. Once we were at my house with my grandmother, who couldn't get off the couch because she was only wearing a shirt and didn't want the boys to know she was in her underwear. (Sorry Gramma.) She was happy to celebrate with us, though!

Our new tradition rocks. Since ringing in 2001, my best friends Mark and Lisa, whom I've known since high school, have been celebrating every new year with us. (Mark happens to be one of the four guys in my drama crowd -- ha!) Here's us back then:

He met Lisa and we all just...clicked! We attended the senior ball together, Lisa with Mark and me with my high school beau. This is my favorite picture from that evening.

After their graduation we spent the best summer together, practically inseperable for three months. We went to movies, the beach, explored new places and of course enjoyed plenty of date nights. It was one of those perfect summers before you have to be a grown up, but you have more privelages than a kid. Looking back, it was one of the happiest of my life.

These days my former beau is married to another nice lady, but Mark and Lisa got married in 2004 with me by their side. We all have kids now, but theirs is the littlest at 19 months, so we're celebrating at their house this year. It's going to be a fun/friend/food/Wii fest with possibly a movie thrown in somewhere. Who knows -- every year is different! The one thing that remains the same is that we always have a fanTAStic time.

Happy New Year to you and yours!!

The Loot!

2009-12-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

None of us did too badly yesterday, bad economy and all. Thanks to my company giving us a cash bonus back on Halloween, I was able to provide the kids (and possibly myself) with a nice but not over the top Christmas. Here are my personal favorites.

Thanks Mom, for knowing me so well.

Charlie clearly knows me just as well.

I think this apron almost brings me up to Mama Kat status. Maybe just a little? No? Yeah, okay. But at least I'll be cute when I'm cooking.

Another highlight is receiving something I didn't even know I was missing until now. No, it's not the mouse pad -- it's the WIRELESS mouse! What a serious convenience this miracle is, especially as I drag my laptop all over the house.

The funniest part about the next gift is that I had just recently thought one of these would be great at the office. A few weeks ago my boss brought in one that he'd bought for his wife, but after learning she didn't want it, he asked me to get it up and running for him at his desk. Happy to! I figured it all out and then told him all he needed to do was bring me some pictures on a disk or flash drive. His stunned deer in the headlights look told me he wasn't too sure how that would work. I asked him if he could email me some pictures, and he asked me if I was being sarcastic. His gift still sits on my desk, but now I have my own!

Lastly, the one thing that I bought for myself with my bonus money. I think a girl can use a new one of these every two years, and thanks to how well made they are, it'll last for years to come!

Thank you family for being so thoughtful! In what has been the most difficult year of my life, I feel grateful to have ended it in such a fun way.

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-25T17:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a lovely Christmas. My family joined us for the traditions of eating too much and opening lots of presents -- traditions we've enjoyed for years.

Noelle enjoyed dressing up for Christmas eve in her party dress and fancy shoes. Her first high heels -- she could not love them more.

Dinner consisted of spiral ham, spinach salad, beans and a delicious potato dish that I found in Taste of Home. (The salad came from there as well.) I love how recipes from that magazine can be counted on to be amazing the very first time you make them.

Santa was kind enough to drop by during the night and leave some goodies for the children. Charlie came in to wake us up at 5am this morning to tell us, but we just growled at him and went back to sleep. I was much more keen on the news at 6:30 when he tried again.

Before the total destruction of all wrapping paper, we enjoyed some cinnamon rolls and coffee by the tree. My brother was good enough to get this picture of us in my pre-disaster living room.

I especially like this part of the picture -- three generations of Lake girls.

One family gift we received was also a hit. Unfortunately we can't use it until we get to a store that's open and buy some kernals. It's going to be a fun movie night...tomorrow!

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Christmas Booty Continued...

2009-12-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

Yes, the gift giving has continued, and I'm still enjoying some office love. To date I have now been lucky to receive:
- One Marie Callendars pie
- One bottle of Cider with a fancy opener with our company logo
- One bag of fancy almonds
- One Nordstrom gift card

That is certainly sufficient and I would be happy with less, but I suspect there could be more to come tomorrow. I only wish it would be this.

But that just doesn't seem too likely. Sure, I dropped hints. Sure, my bosses know I want one desperately. Sure, it would seem easy for them to team up and buy it together to give me from all of them as an amazing and wonderful gift to their favorite assistant EVER!

More than likely I'm looking at another gift card to a store I can't afford in the real world. But it's the thought that counts, right? Surely I jest -- kind of.

We had our company Christmas party today. There was a delicious meal provided by both the company and the employees, and then Santa put in his appearance after much humor as we tried to get him on the phone. Both kids received a gift that they were thrilled with -- especially Charlie. Amazingly, the new popular toy at school is no longer Bakugans, Legos or Pokemon cards. Nope -- the new hit is this:

Marbles! Charlie comes home every day with a whole new set after many games of "Keepsies" at school. He never seems disappointed even when he loses some of the most amazing marbles I've ever seen. Honestly, I think it bothers me more than it does him when he trades away beautiful ones that I'd have trouble letting go of.

Two more days until Christmas Eve -- I'm hosting everything at our house this year so I spent a few hours this afternoon getting the Christmas Eve menu planned and purchased. I know it won't hit some people's expectations of what Christmas "feels like," but I'm going to do the best I can to give my kids one to remember.

The Receiving End

2009-12-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

This hasn’t been the best week ever. On a scale of one to ten, I’d say this one has been a three. The upside of my bad week is that it’s happening during the week before Christmas. Do you know what that means? It means right in the midst of my unhappiness, people are giving me presents.

Seriously, it’s the perfect way to go through a bad week.

Being an Executive Assistant to a number of generous people means I am blessed with lots of year end ~~liquor~~ treats right before everyone takes off for their Hawaiian or Tahoe vacations.

To date, my booty includes:

- 3 bottles of fabulous and unique red wine

- 1 box of Assorted Chocolates from See’s

- 1 box of Nuts and Chews from See’s (my favorite!)

- 1 box of beautiful note cards

I was also treated last night to an evening out with my favorite team. My boss had the idea to take us all out for a holiday dinner now that there are so many of us. (For quite a while it was just him and me – sometimes I miss that, but usually I enjoy the larger team.) Dinner itself was at Benihana, which is the perfect large group place to go. I ended up sitting next to a new member of our team that I finally got a chance to know better, and it turns out he’s a great guy. The food was incredible and the entertainment was just as good. Afterwards we went bowling! We teamed up five on five and had the best time completely razzing and trash talking each other. Every team had a few good players and a few not so good players, so it was nicely evened out. I’m proud to say that on my team I had the 2nd highest score in the first game and the highest in the second game. Someone else got the nickname of “One Pin,” but it was all in good fun.

I wish I could say I’m giving everyone a fabulous gift right back, but I’m so completely not. This is going to have to be one of those light years where I’m a grateful receiver only. While I’m falling short at work, I have managed to successfully give a gift to all three of my children’s teachers. They deserve it more than anyone!

This weekend we have our family Christmas party at my cousin’s house, and for the first time in a while, I’m really looking forward to it. I think family is a good thing right now, as long as nobody says anything hateful that gets back to me later. That happened earlier this year and it SO puts a blemish on the idea that family should love us no matter what. If nothing else, let’s all try to be a little less judgmental this time of year, right?

Me included!

Need a smile?

2009-12-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

Anyone else need a feel good moment on this Monday morning? Because I sure did, and my father provided that with one of his ~~many~~ few emails that he sends me every ~~day~~ now and then. If you're offended by any use of foul language here and there...well, get over it.

This is an incredible story!

In 1986, Peter Davies was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University.

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air.

The elephant seemed distressed, so Peter approached it very carefully.

He got down on one knee, inspected the elephant’s foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.

As carefully and as gently as he could, Peter worked the wood out with his knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.

Peter stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled.

Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.

Peter never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Peter was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenage son.

As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Peter and his son Cameron were standing.

The large bull elephant stared at Peter, lifted its front foot off the ground, and then put it down.

The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Peter could not help wondering if this was the same elephant.

Peter summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing, and made his way into the enclosure.

He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.

The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Peter legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

Probably wasn't the same fucking elephant.

Giving Back and Loving it!

2009-12-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

Opportunities to give back have been offering themselves up to us like crazy! I realize it’s the time of year when they do, but being on the lookout for them has made them all the more obvious to me. It also doesn't hurt to work for a company that is all about giving back.

First, my company is in the midst of our annual food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank. We make it all the more fun in two ways:

- To begin, they divide us up into 3 groups (I’m a Pumpkin Pie) and we all compete to be the group that gives the most. The winners receive a pizza party, and currently the leaders are the Pumpkin Pies! (Hey, a little incentive never hurt anyone!)

- Second, my generous company matches all donations, so Second Harvest is easily looking at over $12,000 from us to help feed people this holiday season. Isn’t that fantastic?

In case you’re interested, here are a few facts from Second Harvest. If you feel so led, you can go to their site here and make a donation.

Second Harvest
Our goals for this year's Holiday Food and Fund Drive are to collect $10 million and 1.9 million pounds of food.

Even as the economy begins to recover, the requests for help continue to grow since joblessness is still on the rise. Last year our multi-lingual Food Connection hotline received more than 40,000 calls, a 44% increase over the previous year. Currently, more than two thirds of requests are from first time callers who have never before needed food assistance.

In addition to the increase in people coming to us for help, the Food Bank is also struggling with a decrease in canned food and shelf stable donations. The majority of the food we distribute is donated food and as large manufacturers and retailers tighten their belts, the Food Bank has to turn to the community and other sources to make up those lost donations. We are in need of high-quality, high-protein items such as tuna, soups and chili, as well as canned fruit and canned vegetables.

SF Food Bank
In San Francisco, 150,000 people struggle each day to feed themselves and their families. Hunger manifests itself as a consistent lack of enough food to meet nutritional requirements. It can mean fewer meals each day and poor-quality food that is calorie-rich but nutrient-poor.

150,000 is the number of people who live at or below 150% of the federal poverty line: $27,465 per year for a family of three. Very often, these families lack the resources to provide enough food to consistently nourish themselves.

60% of the households who receive weekly groceries through the Food Bank include at least one working adult, while 18% of our clients are homeless. Hunger frequently strikes the most vulnerable people in our communities: 1 in 4 children and 1 in 4 seniors do not have access to enough food to meet their nutritional needs on a regular basis.

Our next opportunity to give back came from our Giving tree at work. Just ask me how much I love my company. I picked three recipients for our family to purchase gifts for. Specifically, a little girl who wants dress up clothes, a little boy who wants Legos and an older boy who wants “anything football.” Hmmm….I just described Noelle, Charlie and Rick! We’re excited about our trip to Target this weekend to fulfill their Christmas wishes!

Lastly, my company (yet again!) encourages us to take time off every quarter to donate our time to a charity, and they even help us by creating those opportunities for us. Later this month Charlie and I will be spending a couple of hours at a Family Giving Tree warehouse doing whatever needs doing. Sorting gifts, itemizing gifts, wrapping gifts, delivering gifts – we won’t know until we get there, but it’ll be fun to do some volunteering with my son. I hope to make this a common trend for he and I, and eventually my daughter, as she gets older.

There you have it – the season of giving is here, and it feels great to be giving!

Merry Christmas!

Give and Take

2009-12-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

My last post left me with a few unsettled feelings afterwards.

Something I didn’t mention about this last weekend was the big blow up family fight we had on Saturday evening. Maybe it was all of the running around…maybe we were all tired…maybe we’d just had enough of one another. I don’t know! But I do know it left us all feeling like we’d been punched in the stomach.

In a quick summation of events: We wanted to take the kids out for dinner – the kids were on board until Charlie had a meltdown and didn’t want to go – somehow we still made it to the restaurant 20 minutes away, but within one minute of sitting down the kids were punching each other – Rick got up and left – we followed – the drive home included two screaming children who suddenly wanted to go back. Both kids were in bed by 6pm that night (after we pulled a sleeping Noelle out of her closet where she had cried herself to sleep!) and Rick and I barely spoke until Sunday. Good times!

What I really got out of that entire fiasco was that my children have no sense of other people’s feelings at all. Never mind that Dad and Mom want to go out to dinner and have a nice family evening – if it’s not what they want, they don’t care! I realize that things like sympathy and empathy and consideration come from age and life experience, etc, but at some point I would like them to step out of their bubble and see that the world is not all about them!

I took some real time to think on this late that night and came up with what I think were some good plans. First off, I sat both kids down individually and talked to them about what it means to be a part of a family. I pointed out that we don’t function well if we don’t work together as a team. I then told them that, essentially, the buck stops here. The attitude from the night before is no longer acceptable, and it’s time they start doing their part. I then came up with various chores for them to do on Sunday morning, and was completely amazed when they both stepped up without one complaint. Not one! They emptied the dishwasher together and then each cleaned out one of our cars. (It’s amazing the stuff they leave on the floors!) After that Noelle helped me fold sheets and put them away while Charlie scooped up dog whatsits in the backyard.

I think we’ve found a new and wonderful routine that I love for weekend mornings!

Lastly, I told Charlie that I want him to do some volunteer work with me this month. I think we would both benefit from some time at a shelter or soup kitchen, helping others. He needs his eyes opened that life at Sleepless Mornings Lane isn’t so bad! (I’m not including Noelle because I think one kid at a time will be better for both me and the kid, and Charlie is the most influential right now.)

This leads to why I felt disconcerted about my last post.

While I’m happy to buy Christmas presents for my children, and I do look forward to seeing the joy on their faces as they open them, I am also really conscious, more than ever, of what they’re learning in terms of giving and receiving. They need to learn that it’s a two way street, and that sometimes you just give.

Thanksgiving '09!

2009-12-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2009 has come and gone, and in the end, I thought it was pretty great. We trekked up to my parent’s house early Thursday morning – just in time to miss out on most of the cooking. Shucks!

My mother’s turkey and stuffing and potatoes and asparagus and cranberry jelly were all fantastic – even Charlie had seconds on the stuffing! The only thing I turn my nose up at is the giblet gravy, which I don’t think my mom should take personally. There are plenty of people in the world that would welcome my dish of fresh-from-a-package gravy mix after hearing the words “giblet” and “gravy” used together. Nobody in my family, of course, but plenty of people! Right?

After the delicious dinner, we all did the usual laying around and pie eating that follows. Between pumpkin, cherry and chocolate cream, we were absolutely STUFFED.

On Friday morning, my mom and I did our usual participating in the Black Friday events. What amuses me every year is how many people out there are so anti-Black Friday. They seem to think that all of us are as nutty as the people that camp out in tents all night, or who are pushing and shoving their way into a store to get one of only 10 items marked down.

Those descriptions do NOT fit my mother and me. Over the last seven or eight years we’ve perfected our game.

First of all, we typically don’t get up that morning at any special time. This year I simply told Mom, “When you wake up, knock on my door.” This year that meant a departure time of 6:30 a.m. The few times we’ve hit a store at its opening, there has rarely been a crowd, and it’s never been a store where the deals make people foam at the mouth. We’ve gotten our fair share of early shopper giveaways, most of which include the tiny Mickey and Minnie snow globes from JC Penny’s, but what we’re really interested in are the sales.

This year we limited our stores to one: Target. Nearly everything my kids have asked for this Christmas can be purchased there, and some of it was even on sale. The highlight was that I spent just over $100, thereby earning a $10 gift card, which I then used to run back in and buy the last item on Charlie’s wish list. I’m actually done shopping for my kids! That’s a pretty nice feeling, though I confess they’re the easiest to shop for. I have to physically stop myself from over-buying for them.

Now to figure out what gift will be from Santa…

I heart Jacob

2009-11-24T11:25:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I picked up a Starbucks latte and took my new hair out for a morning on the town.

And then I saw it! I met my friend Jen, stood in line for a bit, and saw what I was hoping I wouldn't have to wait too long to see.

Lots of shirtless young men...lots of drama...lots of emo. But I'll tell you what -- I never wanted to be a wolf so much in my life. This movie was all Jacob, and it was done well. I definitely liked this movie better than the first, though as far as books go, neither compares to the fourth in the series. That's the movie I'm REALLY looking forward to. That's the one I'd stand in line to get tickets for, and attend a midnight showing. If the effects are as good as this movie, I'd be the first in line!

Thanksgiving is just a few days away. We're gearing up for family, food and hopefully fun. Noelle is most thankful for getting to see CJ, my parent's dog. I think Charlie is most thankful for just being with his grandparents who love him endlessly, and he knows it. I'm feeling thankful for everyone's health and that it's almost time to decorate for Christmas! Rick is probably still just thankful to be working this holiday season -- the first in a lot of years.

What are you feeling thankful for?

Writers Workshop

2009-11-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

From Mama Kat’s Writers Workshop…

Describe in 1000 words or less a time when something happened and you knew that life would never be the same.

I grew up feeling ever so close to my maternal grandparents, despite the fact that we lived in various states and countries in my early years. Thanks to my ~~grandfather~~ Grampa working for United Airlines, they could travel to be with us almost anytime, anywhere.

In the last 10 years of his life, my Grampa had serious heart problems, brought on by both a bout of scarlet fever at a young age and an untreated heart attack in his later years. These two things damaged his heart for life, and he spent his mid 50’s to mid 60’s trying to keep that heart ticking.

All the while he was in and out of hospitals, trying different medications (one of which turned his face blue), he was also the best Grampa there ever was. He laid out a concrete sidewalk on their property and let us kids put our hands and names in it, which is still there to this day. He let us play with wood and chisels in his amazing workshop, making funny sentimental signs for our parents. He would always let us “get something” when we rode with him to the market. And he always had little treats in his truck for us – candy orange slices, Wrigley gum or even Clove gum. Despite the fact that I adored my Gramma as well, when we called them up on the phone, she would inevitably hear, “Hi Gramma…is Grampa there?”

Fast forward to October of 1988. I was an 8th grader, almost 13 years old.

One morning I got up to enjoy some cereal before school. As I sat at our dining room table, I realized, somewhat distantly, that my mom was crying in the bar/alcove around the corner. I knew she was on the phone, but for whatever reason that I’ll never understand, it never occurred to me that I should be concerned. I heard her say, “Mama,” at some point, so I gathered she was talking to her mother, but this still didn’t seem to alarm me.

When she finally did hang up and came into the dining room, she had the red nosed, cried out look of someone whose heart had just been broken beyond repair. Mid-spoonful of cereal, she told me that my beloved Grampa had died this morning.

I’ll never forget the first words out my mouth.

“I don’t want to go to school.”

Really? That’s all I had? Surely I said some words of concern or comfort shortly after, but that’s what I do remember. I also remember Mom telling me I was going anyway.

I remember that day at school vividly, and I know the reason I wanted to stay home. I knew that I would be pretty useless, and I couldn’t see going about my normal routine when something so tragic had just occurred. But go about it I did, and wouldn’t you know that this was the day that we created family trees in English? I don’t know how I survived it. I found out later that my brother had gone home ~~sick~~ sad from his high school, but I managed to finish out the day.

We all packed our bags that afternoon and left for the north country where my grandparents had retired. My brother and I loved it up there, but this particular trip was different. I was too young to really grasp what my mother must have been going through, but it must have been one of the worst days of her life. The one thing that brought us all comfort in the midst of tragedy was knowing that my Grampa hadn’t suffered at the end. He wasn’t in the hospital or in pain or having paddles used on him, yet again. He had been at home…asleep…and his heart had just stopped. My Gramma told me later that he had such a peaceful look on his face that it took a while to realize he was gone.

That night we had a full house of aunts, uncles and grandkids, so I was delegated to sleep on one of the couches in the family room. My Gramma slept on another of the three couches every night because she had a bad back and needed lots of random pillows to be comfortable. When we finally put out the lights, with only the orange glow of the fireplace illuminating the big room, I started to go to sleep.

And then I heard something.

Across the room, my grandmother was quietly weeping.

I had never heard my grandmother cry like this before. I didn’t know what to do. What could a 12 year old girl possibly say to comfort someone who had just lost their partner of nearly 50 years? Their high school sweetheart? Instead, I got down from the couch, crawled across the floor and put my hand on her shoulder. I think I told her I loved her. She did most of the comforting, telling me she was alright…she just missed him so much it hurt. I crawled back to my couch and eventually we slept.

My grandmother survived this loss, somehow. She kept putting one foot in front of the other every day, and she did so for another thirteen years. She saw me grow up, get married and have my first child. She was there at the hospital the night that Charlie was born, getting to hold him when he was less than an hour old. She may not have driven an old blue truck filled with candy orange slices or Clove gum, but she was amazing in her own way, and thanks to all of the stories we heard, she kept Grampa alive for us every day.

Not so strange, but fun!

2009-11-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

I'm stealing a meme! I haven't done one in a while, and after getting a kick out of Ali's answers, I decided to do follow her lead. Thanks Ali!

The Strange Question Meme: 1-10

1.What is the color of your toothbrush?
I use whatever toothbrush my dentist has given me. The most recent one is clear with a hint of blue. I'm looking forward to my new one next week.

2. Name one person who made you smile today.
Simba. Lately, he's taken to sleeping in the dirty clothes basket that is in our closet. Perhaps he likes the scent of Rick close by -- I don't know. I do know that it's hilarious to see a Husky curled up inside there every morning.

3. What were you doing at 8 a.m. this morning?
Sitting in the Starbucks drive thru, wondering why it was so insanely long and slow. When I finally got to the ordering area, the guy had the hardest time understanding my order. I wanted the new latte that came out today, and finally he said, "OH, you mean the Caramel Brulee Latte? You were saying "creme" brulee." Hmm...was that really such a stretch?

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Giving my boss the run down on a meeting he has in two hours. And making sure he'd had lunch since he came from the airport and ran right into meetings. A good Executive Assistant finds out these details and feeds these people!

5. What is your favorite candy bar?
Lately, Twix. And I eat the caramel off the top before eating the delicious cookie inside. Isn't there an entire Seinfeld episode about the Twix?

6. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Eegads, NO, and don't ever want to. They just seem so depressing!

7. What is the last thing you said aloud?
"That's class right there." After my boss told me that the really nice hotel he stayed in the last few days also had a "murphy bed," which is apparently the term for a bed that folds up into the wall. You don't usually see that in a high priced hotel. I was amused.

8. What is your favorite ice cream?
I'm forever torn between two: Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, and Baskin Robbin's Peanut Butter Chocolate. You really can't go wrong with either!

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Coca Cola Zero. I'm risking the caffeine today after a major caffeine induced, heart racing, panic attack yesterday. But I had to do it! The migraine I needed to kill was killing me!

10. Do you like your wallet?
No. I do not like my wallet. I LOVE my wallet! I bought it for myself after collecting enough gift cards from one of my bosses, who is under the impression I love Nordstrom. I don't, but with enough money to spend, I don't hate it. I have enjoyed this wallet since the minute he I purchased it, and will continue to love it until the day it falls apart.

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Giveaway Amy Grant CD!