Well, sur-prise sur-prise

The Diner Girl hath arrived...again.

Yes, ladies and gents, my honey and I, while preparing for a quiet Friday night at home, had the surprise of a lifetime with the arrival of two of our very dearest friends for the New Year's Eve weekend. They were completely unannounced. There are not very many people in our lives that this would be acceptable from, but these guys are different (nice English...).

Do you all have friends like this? People you have loved for years and years, who you know so well, who you have experienced life's pleasures and pains with? I pray you do. It's the greatest gift I have ever been given that these two people (and stray others) are still in my life, as involved as they are, and know that they can come see us at any time and that my door is open to them as I know theirs would be for us.

So, yeah, these are friends we have known forEVER. And, upon our first night together, after dinner and the kids are sleeping all snuggled in their beds, we got HAMMERED and drunk dialed as many people from our pasts as we could google, within reason. A few were kind enough to call us the next day and recount the tales of woe and hilarity. I think there's a few out there that aren't speaking to us anymore...and, if you find this blog, please know that we really had a GREAT time and just wanted you all with us. One of our friends, in particular, answered the call Friday night and was the first to recount for us, on Saturday morning, the bowels of the evening we had. As it turns out, she was QUITE involved and often gave us SUGGESTIONS on who to call.

All I can say is that, if you didn't hear from us, be glad. It wasn't pretty. We're all either 40 or close to it. At SOME point we have to know that we can't do these things anymore. But my gut tells me that WELL into old age we'll be joking around, recounting stories, and spending time together. I cannot be responsible for what happens when we do.

Anyway, Happy New Year everyone! I'll write and check in with you early into the New Year!

See the snowy mountains...

On the news...

After my post yesterday, I realized what it would take in half a day to get ready to go to the mountain today.

Aside from my snowboarding honey, not one of us has any snow-ready clothing. No pants, no boots, not enough mittens. The Peanut has a coat that's appropriate but the Bird does not. I don't have gloves appropriate and neither does the Bird. None of us has boots.

It would require some smart shopping in order to get ready.

So we plan to be smart about it and do that shopping. Just not in a span of 4 hours the afternoon before we're supposed to go.

But we've only just begun as the song says. There's lots of snow and many months left in which to enjoy it.

And if I can find some appropriate pants to fit my fat ass, we'll be on our way.

Whew...

OK, now that I'm done talking out both sides of my ass...

How was your holiday? Was it fun? Did you go on vacation? See some people you haven't seen in a while?

Today and tomorrow are the last non-holiday weekdays off before school starts again. And we have a shiny new pull-sled that was a gift (one of many) from my Aunt in NJ. I think tomorrow we may go up to the mountain and introduce the girls to snow and some sledding. See, unlike those East Coast mountains, we have tall mountains here that are sufficiently blanketed in snow.

Should be fun. Cold, but fun! If we go, I'll try to remember the camera.

Wanna come?

Cha-Ching!

The Christmas season is finally over. The post-Christmas sales have begun. I'm already seeing ads for New Year's sales...

Did I mention that I CANNOT WAIT for this "season" to be over. I'm over it. The present pressure...over it. Fighting for parking spots just about anywhere...over it. Having the Peanut out of school for the week...SO over it.

Did anyone notice how many of the commercials on TV this year wished you a "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays"? I know that most of America doesn't really give a crap because they celebrate Christmas. But aren't we supposed to be a melting pot society? Can't we at least recognize that there are also plenty of people in this country (who shop at these friggin' stores all the time) who DON'T celebrate that??

Is Wal-Mart or Target wishing their Islamic customers a peaceful Ramadan? Or their Jewish customers an easy fast on Yom Kippur? Or their atheist customers just a plain old good day?

No, my friends, because Christmas has lost it's religious roots and has become a massive buying frenzy and those stores want your asses in there to buy shit from them, as quickly as possible. And, in their Christmas spirit, they stay open as late as they can on Christmas Eve to let you get as much as you possibly can, marking down prices to make it easier on your wallet. It is, after all, Christmas.

I think I would much rather have a calmer December. Celebrate the birthdays in MY family (including me). Get gifts for them (and me) and not be bombarded with all the rest. Take a nice vacation, sleep in a little, take the kids someplace special. But instead, we rush through the birthdays, combine them with holiday lunches and dinners and get slammed near the end of the month with the biggest commercial bruhaha known to man.

Do I sound bitter? Yes. But I don't care. I don't like feeling this way. I don't like anyone I know feeling this way.

Our Christmas Day was very relaxing for the most part. It's all the crap leading up to it that needs to end.

WHEN CAN THINGS GO BACK TO NORMAL???

So, uh...what's new?

Anyone have any big plans for the weekend? Some of you celebrating a major holiday? Some of you watching movies and eating Chinese food? Some of you, like us, doing a little of both?

Personally, I enjoy the Christmas season. Mostly I enjoy the "family-ness" of the holiday. Of course, I grew up as a Jew celebrating on Christmas day with my family. Not celebrating the birth of anyone and certainly not a G-d-like figure, but celebrating the fact that, because of the Christian-ness of this country, we were usually all able to be together because all schools and offices are closed, and that was what we celebrated. Of course, we did this on other Jewish holidays too. Passover and Rosh Hashana in particular. But Christmas in New York is really beautiful. The lights, the windows, and the mood...it's elevated in the city and it's just beautiful. I always get homesick this time of year. I want to be in New York, with my family, in the city I love with all the lights and the music and the mood and the windows. I just don't want to have to TRAVEL with everyone else in the country and two small children.

Admitedly, it's nice to be home here, in Portland, during this time too because, after all, the season is stressful enough without the element of travel, and packing, and the expense of all the gifts. This way, we're home, we spend time with my honey's family, life is normal, we sleep a little more, there's no rush to be anywhere and we can control the days we have before life begins as normal after New Year's Day.

My dear friend The Diner Girl has recently blogged about how we seem to have all lost the spirit of the season. How it's become a shopping frenzy and how it has become more stressful to celebrate the holiday than not. I agree. Now with two little girls and Hanukkah being so close to Christmas, there's been a tremendous amount of pressure to have gifts galore. I also want them to understand and appreciate the miracle we celebrate in Hanukkah. The miracle of the oil that lasted for 8 days instead of one. But also the miracle that the Jews were able to, once again, defeat their oppressors and be free to live as Jews once again. Hanukkah, while a minor Jewish holiday, is a good time to teach our children these lessons and to make sure they know and appreciate who they are and where they've come from and how lucky they are to be free and be Jewish.

What I DON'T want this season to be is a competition about what gifts they can get for Hanukkah and what gifts they get for Christmas. I don't want Christmas to be something they look forward to because of all the STUFF they get. Rather, I want them to appreciate their family and the fact that we can all be together. I want Christmas to be another nice day, not a present fest. And so we, in our home at least, are trying to spread it all out so that the gift pile is appreciated throughout the season and not just for one holiday over another.

Later, I'm sure, we'll figure out a way to make sure the girls understand that this is a season of GIVING not just receiving.

Anyway...whatever you celebrate, I hope you can use this season as a time to appreciate your family and all that you have, and I hope you can take a little time to remember that there is a world full of people that don't have the freedom to do that or can't afford to.

Happy Holidays to you and yours. With love from the PDXBlogmommy.

O Hanukkah, O Hanukkah...

Last night we attended a splendiforous, kid-friendly Hanukkah party (because after all, isn't it pretty much about the kids?).

All the children were, for the most part, in two separate age groups - the four year olds and the one year olds. Granted, there were a few stragglers on either side of those ages but that's generally how it broke down.

The four year olds had a WILD AND CRAZY time, running around, playing and in general just enjoying themselves. The one year olds were held, fed, let down to play on occasion and very happy!

The Bird, after her initial shyness spell, walked through that party (like she was in a forest of redwoods) like she owned the place. She was happy with the spoon and the other thing which rotated through her hands the whole night. She laughed at herself, fell a few times, got up and kept going. She flirted and played and had a great time.

The Peanut had a great time too! (she always does). Hanging out with her buddies, running through the house and, best of all, the kids got a visit from a favorite teacher at school who did a special Hanukkah puppet show for them. This teacher really knows these kids and what they like and they gave her their utmost attention for the show. Then she made THEM into puppets and that was filled with giggles and squirms and all around good fun.

I know it was a very special night for the kids. :-)

I have some memories like that from when I was a kid. Pieces and parts of memories from certain holiday parties and birthday parties. The Peanut is four so I know she'll be remembering these things now which is really great and very special.

Thanks to our wonderful hosts - The Latke King and the Hostess with the Mostess. We love you guys!

Party on...

Venus......Oh Venus......

That must be you that I see up there in the sky with the rest of the stars...at 4:50Am.....because I'm up....and blogging.....dammit.

Seriously, what the hell is it that I can't turn off the brain enough to sleep during sleeping hours? I lie in bed "working". Trying to get comfortable. One side. Then the other. Then on the back. Then with no pillow. I considered going into another bed but I truly just think - FUCK IT - I'm up. Might as well get online. Read some news. Blog. So here I am.

I looked outside, there's a crust of frost on everything. A little thicker than just frost since there's so much WET out there. Nevertheless, should make morning driving fun..not that I have anywhere to BE per se.

Some random comments because it's now 4:55AM:

I am struck by how creative my mother is when doing projects with the Peanut. They made some lovely art projects while she was here. Nothing major, no huge creations, but fun things that were interesting in shape and color and the Peanut was SO excited for the attention and the chance to just cut and glue and hang out with Gramma.

I realize in seeing this pile of "creation" that unless it's 4:58AM, I don't have time to do those things with her. Not only do I feel I'm just so busy all the time with the Bird and trying to keep her away from scissors, or from ruining towers or from eating polly pocket pieces, but that my BRAIN just doesn't work all that creatively anymore.

Every now and then I think of something to do. I prep it in about 5 minutes and it keeps her occupied for about 5 minutes. Beyond that, I just don't have it in me. Maybe if I was a bit more organized I'd be able to make a "Creation Station" here at home like she has at school. Where there's a pile of fun objects to create with and she can make whatever she likes whenever she wants to do it. I'll have to work on that because I know she'd love it. But I'll need to donate about half the crap in this playroom before that happens. Anyway...notice how it's HER creativity we fall back on here. What have I got to offer?

I think some moms get stripped of brainpower once the children come. We work in a different mode than we used to. Not that there isn't some brain power in there, it just takes a lot more stimulation and A LOT more motivation to reach it.

Ugh...I have to work on something creative for Federation this weekend. Maybe since I'm up I'll work on it now.

So nighty night. Or should I say good morning? Top o' the mornin' to ya? Whatever...gotta get cracking. Hey, thanks for being there for me. TTFN.

Wherefore art thou, O PDXblogmommy?

Yes, yes, I know it's been a long time since my last posting but it's not like this is a relaxing time of year or anything.

My mother's visit was short but very sweet. She enjoyed the girls, and the girls enjoyed her. Never has the Peanut or my mother played "Barbie" so much in either of their lives. I, personally, *HATE* playing Barbie, so the Peanut was in heaven getting indulged by her grandmother.

My honey and I had a night out thanks to Gramma too, though, aside from a lovely drink with my BIL and SIL, the night was less than we hoped it would be and we didn't feel like we had a fair shot at it. Hopefully it won't be long before we can snatch a little time together again. We'll be smarter with our approach next time.

The rest of the week which included my birthday was less than stellar. The weather being WINTER and all puts a damper on everything including everyone's mood. But there were some bright spots too!

My honey got us some dinner and cake on Monday night and we had a nice family dinner and my honey and the Peanut sang me "Happy Birthday" which was lovely even though I apparently look like a monkey and smell like one too. Nevertheless, it was a nice ending to a day I wished was over as soon as it began.

The next night I had a surprise dinner out with some friends. It was wonderful, and fun, and relaxed, and perfect. I am EXTREMELY grateful for any chance I have to spend with these women without our children around. I felt great and am so glad we all got together.

We had an unbelievable wind storm last night. We never lost power but a lot of people did and so today there's a lot of clean up going on all over the city. The Peanut has no school so I think we'll do a little last minute shopping for Hanukkah.

Forgive me if it takes a little while to check in again. There's lots to do and no time to do it. But I suspect you're all in the same mode and so maybe you won't even be reading??

Uh, wait, it's DECEMBER already?

OK, no one told me it was the middle of December already.

I have this really cute box of cards waiting to be filled out and already I'm late. Hell, I feel like I'm still cleaning up from Thanksgiving!

But those cards are laying there in that cabinet, glowing and emitting some horrible noise that only I can hear. A constant reminder of what I haven't gotten around to yet which is greeting all of you for the holidays. And here we are, just one week before Hanukkah. Think I can get them all out this week? Well, no, never. But I may just concentrate on the Jewish families on my list and get cards out to them this week or next and then the rest of you Xmas celebraters can get yours a little later. I have some time. They don't overlap this year, thankfully.

CTGramma is coming for a visit this weekend. The Peanut woke up at 6AM and told me promptly that she cannot wait for Grandma to come. Can we just go get her? Sadly, no Peanut. She'll be here soon enough.

It's a very short trip this time around with really only two and a half days of visiting. None of us feel this is enough time for a good visit, but we'll take what we can get. I am grateful that my parents come as often as they do and that my brother makes it once a year. With them coming in this direction, we have more quality time together. When we make the trip back to NY it's chaos. So much to do and so many people to see and even two weeks time seems like it's not enough. In this direction, at least, the time is concentrated and together. No one is getting only half or some other fraction of a visit. So even two days, while too short, is better than what we could likely ever accomplish when we make it to the East Coast.

Anyway, with my limited time this morning, I need to go feed the hungry children and dogs. And maybe get together those cards and some addresses.

In case they don't get to you in time, please know we're thinking about you this holiday season. And we have two really cute kids who you may or may not get a photo of at some point.

It's frickin' freezing in here...

OK, so last winter we had mild, mild, and more mild weather. No real snow, the ski slopes were begging for snow and it was slow on the mountain for sure.

So far, it not even being winter yet, we're in for a doozy. It's SO damn cold that it even feels colder than it is! It's so cold that you get cold and then, even though you're inside, you're still cold. Blanket? Not helping. Sweaters? Not helping. It's a cold from within you. I think it's because it's also so dry here right now.

Dry, yes dry. You all have the rain/snow/ice we already had so we deserve some dry, dammit.

This weekend we finally put away the folding chairs and table from Thanksgiving. We have our living room back. There's nothing worse than having something alien in your house that sticks out like a sore arm (not just a thumb). You walk around it, trip over it, slam into it, but there it is because there's no time to get rid of it. Well, we finally did and I am so glad. At least there's a little bit of normal in the house again.

Last night we went to see "Zoo Lights" at the Oregon Zoo not too far from here. The Peanut and her friend RAN and RAN and RAN. They had so much fun. By the time we got the kids back to the car, they were both in breakdown mode (The Peanut and The Bird) and it was a HELLISH time getting back to the house. Bonus? They both fell asleep before we got here.

We had two children in bed and sleeping by 7:30PM.

I don't think that's happened ever.

My honey and I had dinner, some wine, and rented "Prairie Home Companion". It was a quiet and restful evening which we deserved after the hell of that car ride home.

What did you all do this weekend? Make it good so I can live vicariously through you.

RAH - If you're reading this (which I doubt), say hello to Keith and let me know how it is in the homeland.

R.I.P. The Wiggles as we know them

Today it was announced that Greg Page, aka the Yellow Wiggle, is stepping down from the Wiggles due to health reasons. He has some rare disorder that makes him dizzy and nauseated and he cannot perform any longer. He's backing down and handing over the yellow shirt to one of their back up singers that's been with them for years.

Murray, aka the Red Wiggle, in trying to look on the bright side, mentioned that as long as kids see someone up there in a yellow skivvy with dark hair, they'll not notice a real difference. Do any of you parents out there with Wiggle fanatic children TRULY believe this to be true??

Personally, I've never seen them perform live which is sad because the Peanut loves them. Now they won't be the same and if they come through again, would the same crowds go? Greg is a very popular Wiggle!

Well, it's a sad day in the Wiggles world and in ours.

We send our best wishes to Greg and his family for learning to cope with all of this change in their lives. And of course, we thank him for helping to plant every single one of those songs in our heads over the years.

Good on ya, Greg! (Is that the right way to use that phrase?)

Because I Love You

Because I love you, I write this blog.

Because I love you, I often refer you to my dear friend The Diner Girl and her blog.

Because she loves us, she linked, today, to this other blog.

And it is good. G-d is good.

May the Blair Be With You.

Das Zeppelin Hoffen

OK, I don't know about you, but for me, Thanksgiving lasts for about a week with all the leftovers and family still in town and the eating out and the running around (but not literally). It's a CRAZY time but at least the food is good.

Seriously, I am amazed at how CRAPPY I feel. I mean, I'm satisfied because my family is/was here. I made a great meal, everyone was thrilled, everyone is talking about it, and that's good! But DAMN! Does it have to go on and on and on? We're finally on the last of our leftovers and mostly because we've had certain leftovers once and tossed the rest because the idea of eating it YET AGAIN is painful. I can wait another year to eat the pearl onions, and the yams with little marshmallows and even the stuffing. The bird will have to be repeated before then though.

I feel like I need to spend the next three months on a treadmill just to work off this weekend. It's not that it was glutenous necessarily, it's just that I am eating more and more regularly than I usually do in my frantic days as taxi driver/translator/butt wiper. Ugh. Blech. Ouch.

I'd REALLY like to say that feeling this way will motivate me to be better to myself. To work out regularly, get the occasional manicure, have regular date nights...but mostly to ENJOY working out. I know people can enjoy it. I know that I enjoy how I feel afterwards but getting and having the motivation to do it on my own with only ME to encourage me? Seriously, people, if I could do that, don't you think I would have by now?

So HOW CAN THAT CHANGE? Well, I have my usual once a week blessing that is Jodie, my trainer. She's small....maybe I can get some special suspenders and just carry her around with me. Kind of like having that little voice inside your head except that she'd be outside my head, watching my every move from her special perch in my suspenders and saying "You can't eat that. Just THINK of how long I'll have to beat your ass to make up for eating that." There's a huge part of me that KNOWS I'd eat it anyway and suffer through the pain. But I guess that's what normal people do that don't have eating disorders. They eat what they want and then work it off because those people LIKE TO WORK OUT.

My honey is one of those people now. I'd like to carry him in my suspenders too but for very different reasons.

Oh anyway...denial is a very long river in Africa. Maybe I'll work out this week on the treadmill at home. Gotta start somewhere right?

Anyone still hungry?

I mean I KNOW people out there are hungry. But humor me.

We had the MOST AWESOME of awesome turkeys. It was a gorgeously prepared bird if I do say so myself. Everyone loved it. Ooohed and Aaahed over it. It was spectacular and I was PROUD! :-)

We had a really wonderful night and I think the best part was how calm and prepared I was which is a miracle in and of itself. I don't remember enjoying last year so much. But this year was relaxed and happy and easy and fun! Good crowd, minus a few we would have loved to have with us, but I think I got around the room and had a chance to chat with almost everyone.

And let me just say that my sister-in-laws ROCK. So THANK YOU to D and D for all the washing and drying and thanks to everyone who helped clear and put things away. And thanks to my honey for all his help and patience in preparing for the holiday and thanks to Dad for the groceries that fed us all.

Everyone was very generous! :-)

Today, as is our tradition, we visited wine country and had some yummy wine from the glorious Willamette Valley. What a great day! Such nice wines! Some GREAT, some good, some yucky. We took home lots of goodies and we'll share it with you when you come over. The kids (The Peanut and her sidekick cousin The Cottonball), while wild and rambunctious at times, did really well with it all and were patient with us for the most part. It's a GREAT tradition! We even branched out and tried a new winery!

And happy news from yesterday! The Diner Girl's brother and his wife are expecting a baby! WAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm so excited for them all and am thrilled for my Diner Girl who will be the GREATEST aunt. :-) Yay! Love you honey!

OK, that's all for now. How was YOUR Turkey Day? Did you watch the parade?

Happy Thanksgiving!

6:30AM - Thanksgiving Morning
I'm awake. The turkey's not quite ready to come out of the brine and I don't want to cook right this moment, so I'm taking the temporary moment of solitude to give thanks:

Thanks for the things I have;
for the friends and family that surround me;
for the beautiful home my honey and I have worked so hard to have;
for the beautiful children with whom we share our lives;
for the food that is filling this house;
for the knowledge that others need food and basic things and the opportunity to give those things;
for visiting family and friends who have shlepped all the way out here for this holiday and otherwise;
for my health today and that of my loved ones;
for this ROCKIN' cup of coffee (had to put that in there...)
for you, my faithful readers, who put up with my blog

It's easy to live every day at the speed of light going on as we usually do. I am thankful for this moment of solitude before the race begins today to tell you all how much I love and appreciate you and how lucky I am for the people and things in my life. You have made me who I am, the good and the bad, the wacky and the serious, the woman, the mother, the wife, the daughter, the sister, the aunt, the friend, the philanthropist...

On this day and every day, let's take a moment or two or ten to remember that while we often gripe about our daily lives, there are people - in this city, this nation, this world - who have nothing. If we just think about them, that is the first step towards helping them. If we remember them, perhaps we will remember to try to help them over the course of the year. If we actually DO something to help, they will never forget your generosity.

Here are two links to two organizations to whom I will shortly be giving some of my time and money:

The Oregon Food Bank
The Jewish Federation of Portland

Helping people here and across the globe. I am SO thankful that we can give what little we may have to give and that we are not in need of those services today.

Please try to find an organization that can mean something to you and give the gift of your time, your efforts, or your money to help other people in need. Whatever motivates you...hunger, disease, education...let it motivate you to help those who are not as fortunate as perhaps we are.

Have a lovely, warm, delicious Thanksgiving. LOVE your loved ones.

Fun Night!

We went to a friend's house for Shabbat dinner last night and there were a total of four families...all with "little" girls, ranging in age from 1 (The Bird) to 12 I think! Whew!

It was casual and fun and lovely. And it was easy...easy conversation, relaxed atmosphere. Really, just a great night. I hope we all get to do it again soon because I really really like these people and we can't seem to get it together to see each other that often. I hope, maybe now, that'll change.

Maybe I'll host the next one and get everyone over here. But WAY after Thanksgiving. I have to get through that first.

Anyway, it was a great night and it was the perfect thing to help me forget the crap from the day before. At least for a little while.

What did you guys do last night? Hope it was nice and whatever you wanted it to be.

Oh F@#K!!

Not again.

Identity theft rears it's ugly head once again with a RANDOM call from someone in UPS Security that he has in his hot little hands a CHECKBOOK from our bank and a change of address letter trying to change the address on our account (from our original problem back in September).

Apparently the shithead in Louisville that I SWEAR must work for the frickin' bank where we have this account, was trying to SEND my checks to his/her buddy in Newark NJ. When UPS couldn't make the delivery they tried to return the package. When they couldn't do that either, they opened it.

I could go on and on about how long I've been on the phone and how many people I've talked to and what police department will do what...blah blah blah.

But I'm tired, and angry - really pissed off - that this has happened and I want to rip the head off of the scumbag who started it all.

Will we ever find that guy? Not likely...

Just be glad this isn't happening to you.

I feel better...

I had a busy morning this morning. Starting out with a much dreaded "Book Fair" meeting. Since I was SO dreading it, it could only have gone well, right? It did. Thank G-d for that too because I think my head would have exploded.

As it turns out, some volunteers DID show up and I was thrilled to see them. And we had a beloved school staff member there too who knew a lot and was willing to help and offer more staff to help too. I wasn't expecting this and so what seemed insurmountable to me is now quite organized and we should be good to go.

Whew. Panic attack over.

I made more pumpkin bread today since I brought the other ones to school with GREAT success.

That stuff is killer.

Come on, you KNOW you want some...

The Rise of Inactivism, Pumpkin Bread, and Murder, He Wrote

My mother told me today that I'm a "doer" and thank goodness for that! But we "doers" tend to do too much and that part sucks.

How is it that other well-meaning parents can easily sit back and let the other parents do all the work in a school environment? Sending your child to school means, on some level, that you have a responsibility to be a member of that"community of parents". We all have a common bond which is sending our kids to the same school. So how is it that I can feel a sense of responsibilty on some level and others cannot?

I eagerly volunteered to be a part of the parent teacher group after a year of complete inactivity. Sensing that it would be GOOD for us if we had a parent group and that the school felt support from this group of parents, I offered to help lead a group of willing volunteers.

Aside from the handful, and I do mean handful, of willing volunteer participants, the entire parenthood of the school is, for the most part, inactive. Completely uninvested.

But the show must go on. And on it does, with the same cast of characters over and over again. It's really a shame because it would be a hell of a lot more fun if we met some people and felt like we were accomplishing something. Now I'm just BUSY and overwhelmed. Busier than I would have liked.

I realize that this isn't everyone's "thing". I also realize we're not a co-op and lots of parents may have chosen the school for that reason (it was a consideration for me too!) so I'm not necessarily MAD at these folks. Just disappointed. Disappointed that there's only a handful of us "doers".

Separate from this, is the realization that it's PUMPKIN BREAD TIME! YAY!!

For years, my entire family has been using the same pumpkin bread recipe. We all have it and we all make it through December. It's SOO good. But we all O.D. on it and put it away for a year until we can make tons of it again and eat it again, get sick of it again and put it away until next November.

I don't know if anyone has messed with it at all over the years but I know it's foolproof. You can't mess it up unless you bake it to death.

If you want it you need to let me know. I MIGHT share it with you.

Lastly, go out an buy Murder, He Wrote by Donald Bain, my stepfather. He is an EXCELLENT writer and this is his autobiography. He's a very interesting man, of course, and a hell of a lot of fun to be with. We have had many raucous, hysterical dinners over the years. He's led an amazing life which continues to be amazing with all sorts of new opportunities these days. It's a great read into a very cool guy. You'll like it. Buy it. And then tell me how much you enjoyed it. :-)

Ins-Mom-Nia

Everyone has those nights, weeks, years when sleep was slow to come or never came at all. But I think, when you're a mom, that sleep begins to elude you for longer and longer periods of time. Now, I completely understand that drugs (and no, I do not mean the recreational kind) play a big role in both keeping people awake (like the poor steroid-inflicted Diner Girl) and helping people to sleep (ie. Lunesta, Ambien, Tylenol PM). But sometimes, in a generally normal existence, sleep is difficult and ESPECIALLY when you have small children.

I, for one, became an exceptionally light sleeper once the Peanut was born. I swear that I knew I could hear her breathing if I just paid attention. And so I would lie there in the dark, monitor on, listening with every fiber of my being. And I had it on loud enough that I knew whether she was breathing, what direction she was lying in, whether or not she was covered, on her back, playing with something. Every nuance of that "quiet" was interpreted in my brain. It wasn't until she got LOUD as a toddler that I turned off the monitor and basically knew that I could hear her at the drop of a hat if she needed me.

As the Peanut got older, she started to talk in her sleep a little and I awoke each time especially while our rooms were so close. Once in the new house I used a monitor for a while but she started to sleep better and then eventually came to GET me when she needed me.

But at this point, I was a goner. Once I'm up in the middle of the night for any reason, I'm UP and for a while. I used to come get online, read in the bathroom, go downstairs and watch TV, or try to go sleep in another room. I try everything because nothing is worse than WANTING to sleep and not being able to.

More than anything, it's my brain keeping me awake. When I worked I would lie in bed and think of work - something I didn't finish, a deadline I forgot about, a team member I was annoyed with. But with the kids, I think of everything all the time. I'm out of diapers or I need new sippy cups or I have to buy a birthday present for someone or I need to mention something to the teacher or blah blah blah. Worse than all of this are the songs I sing, in my head, over and over. Not whole songs but pieces of songs. Like the one sentence from one theme song that I know without knowing the rest of the words. Nothing is more annoying.

So I ask you...what do YOU do with your insomnia? What are your tricks of the trade? How do you ever get back to sleep?

My little Diner Girl...

Tonight, my dear friend The Diner Girl wrote in her blog about crazy-assed "Blair" Lisa Welchel. So, in case you didn't know, she's a total born-again and she blogs regularly and is, in my humble opinion, a l-o-o-n-e-y.

Among many other things, like Lushie Poo Lee, The Diner Girl has a love/hate/mostly hate relationship with "Blair" and her blog. Tonight she writes about "Blair" being too busy to blog so her 12 year old daughter offered up a fictional "report" she did for school (which is around her kitchen table - she's home schooled by "Blair". I mean why not send her to private school with Charlotte Rae and Tooty?) about her grandmother dying a tragic death in Las Vegas.

Yeah, you read that right.

I'm betting she's SO proud.

Read it here. And then scroll down to see the results of The Diner Girl's allergy test because I need to share that with you. :-)

And so it goes...

Since winter (in my mind) is officially here in Stumptown, I could write about rain every day. But I won't (Barak), so instead I'll write about what this weather makes me seek:

1. A grande, two percent, no-foam, one-pump Gingerbread, Gingerbread Latte

2. A comfortable bed (so, NOT mine) and some quiet in which to enjoy it both with and without my honey

3. Prozac (or some other anti-depressant)

4. Indoor activities to engage BOTH of my children that does NOT have to be lead by me

5. A good book (and enough quiet in which to enjoy it)

6. Warm bread and a good bowl of soup (either my own or some other deserving cook's efforts)

7. A view of the storm coming in

8. A good raincoat and rainshoes (does ANYONE have this? Wait, you must be older than 6 to answer that question)

9. Heated Front Seats (I do not have them)

10. Good, warm, fuzzy inside slippers

11. A hired hand to dry off the dogs each time they come in from outside (frivilous, I know)

I think that's enough. Oh, a million dollars wouldn't hurt either.

Rain Rain Go Away

We were lucky out here to have a really mostly beautiful October. But November came with a vengence. Winter.

I was at the beach Friday night for a little retreat and the lovely house where I was staying had a wall of enormous windows facing the pacific which was A-N-G-R-Y.

I have never seen or heard rain like this in my life. And I have lived here almost 10 years!

When storms come off the Pacific, there's nothing to stop the wind and rain from slamming into the shores. The weather then needs to pass over the coast mountain range and is kind if filtered along the way so we get rain here but rarely anything so raging.

But it was SO cool! It's weather like that that had the hundreds of cars racing TO the coast on Saturday as we left. People out here like to watch the storms come in and it's both fascinating and scary and, if you're in a nice place to watch, cozy. Had I not been with 15 other women and if it had been my house (if ever...) I would have planted my ass on the sofa with a blanket and a pillow and a book and let the storm wash over the house. No one goes anywhere when it's storming like that.

I think I'll have to try that with my honey sometime.

Semi Homemade Crap with Sandra "Lushie Poo" Lee

OK, so the Food Network is my "go to" channel when there's nothing else to watch. And I have only ever had the courage to sit through "Semi Homemade with Sandra Lee" a few times. But my dear friend The Diner Girl has a strange love/hate/mostly hate relationship with that show and told me about a few things this week that I just HAD to see, for they are the most ridiculous, far-fetched things I have ever heard.

"No!", I said. "There's NO WAY they would ever air that." I mentioned incredulously.

And thus, today, the proof arrived in my inbox and so I will share with you two trinkets of my disbelief.

1. The Hanukkah Cake

There's so much that is unbelievable about what I've heard about this segment on her show. Not the least of which is this cake which looks like something that might be sold at a bake sale at Hebrew school (made by the kids). Except it WOULDN'T be, you see, because it's made of Angel Food cake stuffed with MARSHMALLOWS. I think we all know that they're not kosher(gelatin). But EVEN if you didn't, the best part, I hear, is that in her haze of drunken "respect" for the holiday, she put it on her tablescape next to a HAM and a Menorah. Did I mention that she had a HAM on the table? Perhaps she had the Menorah next to the bacon-wrapped scallops (which I know many Jews eat, but that's NOT the point). G-d love her. She's pathetic and sad and so misguided.

2. The Kwanzaa Cake

Um, yeah...as I just responded to The Diner Girl in an email (because she left this morning, boo!), it looks literally like someone barfed on a strange birthday cake with corn nuts in their hand at the time.

Would YOU eat that? How is that not completely offensive?? Now, I admit, I did NOT see these episodes, but I'm guessing the Kwanzaa cake was on a tablescape with some watermelon and fried chicken.

Does someone at the Food Network have a little *thing* on the side with this woman? Can we not each think of a handful of regular people that we know who would do a better job? I know I would do a better job.

You'll never look at Angel Food cake the same way again, will you?

Cat Eats Child...

Be on the lookout for a cat calling itself "Marie".

It claims to be a peaceful cat, but upon closer inspection we've discovered that it eats small children.

Be afraid...be very afraid.

Halloween '06

This year, as we do every year, we go to the home of our dear friends and spend the evening over there. It's not that we're avoiding trick or treaters at our house, it's just that over there, we are MORE than guaranteed to actually see some! Plus, they have a great neighborhood with sidewalks and cul-de-sacs. Infinitely more fun than our four house street.

The Peanut was a black cat like Dora the Explorer was in the Halloween episode. Except the Peanut wore a winter hat and mittens since it was FREEZING outside. The Birdie was nothing but a miserable and tired baby girl. We'll make up for it somehow next year when I try to cram her into her sister's old Yellow Care Bear costume. Hopefully she'll get a nap in before that happens.

But the Bird played enough tonight that she got excited about standing and actually took 7 steps towards The Diner Girl (who has been wonderful with BOTH children this week). 7 steps! She's doing so well and really enjoys seeing how excited we are at her accomplishments!

The Peanut had a swell time with her friend who was also a cat. A White cat named Marie of the Disney Aristocats fame. They were cute together. Her Marie costume looked more like Marie was eating the head of a smalll girl since the Marie head gets perched on top like a hood! The photos are funny. :-)

Altogether we had a mass of 6 kids and various parents and friends walking with them. Not too shabby! Of course, the crowds weren't so big this year due to the cold. We'll see what happens next year.

I have eaten my fair share of Almond Joy knowing no kid in their right mind will want that out of our candy stash. It was my civic duty to care for the neighborhood kids in this way. How was your Halloween?

Fsh....

Le Diner Girl est arrive!

And within 10 minutes in the car I was laughing so hard I was crying and blinded. It's ok though...we were going about 5 miles an hour.

Ah...great old friends are like nothing in this world (not that she's old, unless you consider ME old and then piss off if you do). We have known each other since our first day in college in 1986 and have been friends ever since (with the very briefest of a hiatus in 1987 I think). I have laughed my hardest *ever* with this woman and so it is SUCH a treat to have her here.

Not that you townies I hang out with aren't funny. You are wonderful and I love you all...well, MOST of you ;-)

But she and I have forty million stupid jokes and shared memories that you'd think we'd get tired of repeating over and over again. But to us it NEVER gets old. And it's just damn fun to be able to see each other in person and giggle like idiots. I hope all of you reading this have a friend or two like that. I am lucky to have a few, in fact, and it's nice to have this one in my house with me this week.

Oh, and what do you call a fish with no "eye"?

Date Night

Everyone should have one.

We haven't had one in a long time, my honey and I. But we had a surprise date night thanks to my mother-in-law. And it was fabulous.

When you have small children, having adult conversation is rare. You might have time to talk after the kids go to bed but mostly we are two vegetables in front of the TV or cleaning the kitchen, or reading one of the many magazines piling up. Adult conversation about matters of importance? Well, it just doesn't happen.

But we had a GLORIOUS dinner last night with a nice bottle of wine and we talked for three hours. It was wonderful. It's always nice to be reminded of WHY you got married in the first place. Not that we ever doubted why, but still it's nice that "we still got it".

Thank you Memamma!

I Got Two...

Yes, I know the song is "I Got Six...That's All There Is.", but I got two.

Eyes, yes.
Ears, yes.
Arms, yes.
Hands, yes.
Thumbs, yes.
Legs, yes.
With two knees? Yes.
Two feet? Yes!

But two LEFT feet!

Yes my friends, yesterday afternoon I tripped, fell, and skinned my knee. What am I? 4 or something? When was the last time YOU fell and skinned your knee??(Mom, you're not allowed to comment here because I know you're a bit accident prone.) Can't remember can you? Me either.

Must have looked really pretty going down too.

Oh, I also realized yesterday that I have two children who BARF when they get *really* upset and cry. The Peanut has been known to do this. Not very often but more than 3 times in her life and that's enough for me. Well, yesterday I discovered that the Bird does that too now. Not that she learned it from the Peanut or anything, but it's something innate in both of them. This is NOT something I was ever known to do. Maybe my honey did this as a child. Though I think I would have heard about that by now.

Anyway, thankfully, she's still small enough not to make TOO much of a mess. But I did have to change my shirt and her entire outfit. I guess that's mess enough.

Can't wait until she's two and that REALLY kicks in! Boy, THAT'll be fun!

What do you have two of? If you're going to comment, please make it interesting and/or funny. Don't comment and say "Well, I have two cats." Can't imagine anything that would make this blog MORE boring, but that might do it. :-)

Naughty Naughty...

Alright fine...so I promised I was back and I lied. Forgive me. I'm a very busy woman!

So I'm not a million dollars richer this week and thus have not worked out since last Thursday. And likely won't until THIS Thursday when my savior, Jodie, comes to help whip my sorry ass into shape.

I've been so busy volunteering my time all over the place (both to two separate organizations and to my kids) that I barely have a moment to clean up the mess that is my kitchen.

I need a life makeover. A million dollars and a life makeover.

Actually what I really need to do is to somehow make better use of my time and use it for myself. Does anyone with little kids manage to do that? Can you help me figure that out? You know, with that million dollars I could keep Jodie at least five days a week AND hire a great nanny for the kids so that I could leave them with someone I trust and go work out for an hour each day.

And hell yes, I KNOW, I am making excuses. 38 years of making excuses. You can't just shut that off. But I'm working on it...I think.

Come On Everybody Do Your Exercise...

I remember way back when I was a child that there was this great (well, frankly, it likely sucked but I was a child so what did I know?) show on TV called Wonderama. I have no idea if it was a local show or not. But they had this song on it called "Exercise" and they sang it while kids were doing jumping jacks on the stage. See? Even back then they wanted kids to get up and get exercise. But alas, it was, in fact, a TV show and most of us just sat there and watched the other kids exercise.

Skip ahead 30 years or so and I am struggling to work out more than the one time a week I do it.

It feels good, gives me energy, brightens my mood. Of course, I curse the world while I do it, but it's good for me and makes me feel good. So why can't I just get it done more than one time a week?

It's because one time a week I have someone standing over me, counting reps, telling me to tighten my gluts, work my shoulders, slow down, stretch and drink water. Of course she tells me other things too, but the point is - she's here, she's making sure it gets done.

I am the type of person who will only do what's good for me when other people force me to do it. If I had a lot of money, I'd make sure she was with me at least 5 times a week. To top off this greatness, I work out in my playroom/office so the Birdie can play while I work out. She is often excellent entertainment to boot.

So can someone please give me a million or so dollars so I can pay my trainer to come as much as I need her to until the part of my brain kicks in that says "I can do this on my own, at least PART of the week".

Yeah, a million dollars would be nice. Or you know, two. Two million would be nicer.

Nothing better...

It's so nice to be in the playroom/office with the Bird who has discovered the music button on her little walk/ride toy. You know, it's one of those things she can either sit on or walk behind. It has all sorts of buttons and lights and MUSIC.

She has discovered this music button which she will press over and over until she gets to the song she likes. With each press of the button comes a tune she either really likes or only sort of likes and I can judge this by the enthusiasm in the dancing she does to the music.

The ABC song gets a slow rocking. Some other ditty I've never heard just gets more button pressing in order to get her to the next one which is a tune I've heard but cannot name. This tune, however, is her favorite and she sways and moves her head and neck. That movement along with the drooly smile she gets makes my heart melt. She enjoys it so much and so do I. I could sit in here for hours with her doing this over and over and never get tired of it.

The Peanut did this as a baby too. Only her toy had like 6 songs in various sounds (ie. bird, frog, duck, dog, phone etc.). And while I got the same joy from her playing at the time, it took only a minute or two to make my head want to explode as that toy (which miraculously is STILL in this room) has no on/off switch and no volume control. So I don't remember those lovely moments with the same fondness. But that's ok. There are SO MANY other moments in the Peanut's life that we remember with big smiles.

Off to the daily grind...Bon Weekend!

Freakin' Murphy

Please. Will someone please tell me why Murphy's Law decided that at the precise moment you are laying a TOUGH-TO-GET-TO-SLEEP baby down for a nap, that baby's older sibling MUST find mommy at that moment? Why does this happen? Is it just me and MY children this happens to?

Why is it that when I very plainly state, "Honey, I'm going to put the baby down. I'll be out as soon as I can." that my elder child decides that she needs something from me while I'm in there and walks in and WAKES the almost sleeping baby and then not just leave but ROUSE the almost sleeping baby.

Murphy's Law puts these practices into place as birth control and reminders of why we don't just continue to procreate at will until we're dead.

I didn't ask for the ANAL probe!

Yes, the AP is reporting that Ryan O'Neal accompanied Farah Fawcett to a chemotherapy treatment for Anal Cancer. Not cancer of the large intestine or lower intestine. Anal Cancer.

Now, mind you, the news wasn't that she HAD cancer (this WAS news to me), but that Ryan O'Neal was by her side for Chemo.

Oh the drama.

Hello my lovelies...

Yes, ok, I know, it's been a few days since my last confession...er, uh, I mean blog.

Can't a girl catch a break? It was a busy weekend and to top it off, the Peanut and I had a little stomach virus, complete with the pukes, so gimme a little wiggle room here. I'm still not at 100% but dems da breaks.

We had Shabbat/Sukkot dinner last Friday with some very dear friends, complete with alcoholic beverages (Sabra...that stuff I always saw at my grandparent's house) and silly songs. It was a very fun and very relaxed evening. We were commenting today how nice it was to just let the kids play and the babies crawl around and not worry that they'll get into anything they shouldn't. This makes for an easier evening on Mommy and Daddy. It was really a lot of fun and we are very grateful.

We also had a lovely Sukkot party at a friend's house this Sunday. The idea was to make the Sukkah all beautiful with crafts made by the kids (with a little help of course), but it poured and the kids just wanted to play inside (and outside in the rain too) so the decorations never got made. Oh well. Lovely Sukkah too. Just a little bald. Perhaps we'll try again next year.

But, our hostess, who shall remain nameless for this moment, has a wicked sense of humor, thank G-d, and introduced me to the concept of "Shake 'ems" or "Jowling". Sounds like a really sick thing to do. It doesn't involve any bodily fluids or anything but I suspect that if you were inibriated, just a bit, this would be a lot more fun to do. Basically, you get together with some friends for a good time, get a little raucous, get out the camera, shake your head as fast as you can from side to side and snap some photos of your face while it's shaking... If you click the link above, you'll see why these folks are called Jowlers.

Our hostess has three brothers. They are excellent Jowlers. She showed me photographic evidence. These are men I must meet someday.

Any, I'm back....mit eine vengence. Ja schlugen hoffen.

Kernals...

I don't have any ONE topic to write about today. Just bits and pieces, if you will, from the past day or so.

First, let me say how happy I am that I "reminded" all of you to read my blog. It isn't offered out to the general public. Just you guys and whomever you send it on to (which is fine). So it's been wonderful getting all the comments from you all. It puts a HUGE smile on my face!

I am up here in the playroom/office with the Peanut and the Bird who are both coloring. Well, the Peanut is coloring...the bird is eating colored pencils. I have in my posession a beautiful picture of the Peanut under a big rainbow standing on some grass with a bush, a rock and a lovely flower. This is the artistic theme lately. Rainbows. Rainbows as a topic and rainbow as a "color". I'd better not introduce her to rainbow sherbert (sherbet?).

Last night I had one of those "duck" moments. You know the ones. The ones where there is so much getting thrown at you that you seem to just glaze over and have everything run off of you like a duck in the rain (water off a duck's back).

The baby was starving and had lost her binky. Of course, we were in the car and it was getting late. We were on our way home after picking up some pizza. The crying was intense and loud and then Abigail began to whine about the crying. Loudly. It was every mother's dream to see her kids in this state. I'm lucky I didn't drive off the road. Thankfully, I kept repeating the mantra "I'm a duck, I'm a duck..." and somehow kept sane (angry but sane) all the way home, safely, thanks to the powers that be.

Today has been a well-deserved lazy and lovely day. A pajama day for the Peanut and slow for the rest of us too (well, me and the Bird. Hopefully not too bad for my honey either). Tonight begins Sukkot which we will celebrate with very dear friends tonight and on Sunday as well. Fun for all, good food, good friends, a reminder or two of where we came from and who we are and blessings for the harvest, and all that we have, and that we are here to celebrate it all.

Despite all that's happening in this world, I am more than thankful for what I have. A wonderful, warm, loving family both near and far, friends all over this country whom I count on and love and every day, a community where I am welcomed and loved and respected, the gift of my children (at all times), and a best friend whom I share all this with. He is the biggest gift of all.

Damn....now what will I write about at Thanksgiving?

Sudoku, Shmudoku...

I have discovered crossword puzzles.

Now mind you, I am no great scholar. I don't know clever words with difficult meanings, I am not a history buff and I know very little about authors and literature (other than the occasional People Magazine and New York Magazine).

But in all the time I have been reading New York Magazine, I never once looked to do the puzzle in back. Until last night.

With a few exceptions, I did the whole thing. I DID have to Google a few references but I completed the puzzle and started another. I'm a new addict. What fun!

I have no designs on doing the Times crossword or anything more difficult as I have trouble enough with this one. But it's fun and it gets my brain working.

Please pass no judgement. I would do the one in People Magazine too but it comes to me after 3 other readers and someone else does them all.

What are you all working on to keep your aging brains working?

I Have To Speak Up.

This spree of school shootings obviously has me concerned. The most recent, in Amish country in Pennsylvania, is especially difficult to bear since the Amish are such a peaceful people (not that others aren't peaceful).

As parents, we have a responsibility to our children to do what is right for them and for our families. We educate them the best we can whether it's in a private school, a public school, home school etc. How can we ever guarantee their safety in what we have always know to be a safe environment?

School safety is a major issue everywhere in the United States, but how much response is enough? Where do we draw the lines? Metal detectors? Armed guards? We have heard of schools with this kind of coverage but must it be everywhere? Is ANYWHERE safe anymore?

We are always asked to just go on living our lives. We cannot live in fear of the terrorists at all turns or else that "lets them win", we cannot live in fear of the crazed individuals who see things happen in other towns and then turn around and do it in their own town as a "copycat" crime. So when is it ok to worry? Is it possible that someone could put our fears to rest? Will this create a major uptick in home schooling? Will public schools become a battleground?

When my children are ready for school, public or private, in the coming years, will I feel safe leaving them there? Will I want to sit with them in school all day? Even if I did, could I protect them then?

I want to know, do parenting fears ever subside? Do all parents feel this way or is it just me? Am I overreacting? Overemotional?

Where do I need to move to have a serene life, uninterrupted by fear and crazy people? If it's not the crazies, it's "natural disaster".

What a freakin' choice.

My heart and my prayers go out to the people in small and large communities who have suffered this week with the killing of their children in school.

May I never EVER experience anything even remotely close to that kind of sadness...

What a day!

HE DID IT!

He ran the whole marathon with the exception of a mile or two (that he walked)! He's awesome! We are SO proud! I will upload or link to the photo once it's posted.

We raced out to meet him between mile 21 and mile 22 which is where the Portland Fit Cheering Station was. Folks who were cheering on their friends or family who participated in that program were all directed to this area of the course (in a beautiful neighborhood). They trained up to 21 miles so most of the runners and walkers in that program really wanted/needed the encouragement to go the extra 5 miles or so.

It was a great experience to stand there and cheer on the runners coming through. Some looked great, some pained, some determined, some desperate. There were some in hiking boots, one barefoot who apparently went through the course twice, a man in a tutu, a man in a tuxedo...it was quite a show.

Once my honey came through, we cheered, put our posters up high so he could see us, and we yelled and whistled and clapped and then, in a flash, he was gone. At that point we got in the car and raced downtown to see him at the end of the race. While we didn't make it to the finish line, we did find him after he came out the chute of food, blankets, and water. He was limping a bit and sore but he looked GREAT!!!

It was such an exciting experience! I hope he loved it and I hope it's the first of many. WHAT A RUSH!

Marathon Man

Tomorrow, my honey runs his first marathon. The Portland Marathon. He's been training through a wonderful program called Portland Fit and is ready to do it tomorrow.

He's nervous about it but I know he'll be fine. Of course the Peanut, the Bird, and I will all be there to cheer him on, home made posters and all. I suspect that he'll really enjoy it and that this will just be the beginning for him. I think he'd really enjoy doing others and running in new places. Who knows?

I'll be SURE to log on tomorrow and tell you all about it. Wish him luck! He'll be great!

Laugh it up, fuzz ball!

For the second time in less than a week, I went out with some girlfriends for dinner and drinks. And for a little more than FOUR hours, we sat in a booth at this restaurant in the Pearl and talked like talk was going to be outlawed. Not one silent awkward moment where no one knew what to say. It was constant banter and ridiculous cackling.

Since we are all moms, we covered the kids, the school, our care of the kids, our stepping on our children in our high heels (so therefore our LACK of care for our kids), our kids using inappropriate words at inopportune times, all glorious subjects.

Thankfully, though, we had so much more to talk about too and it just went on and on. I only first looked at my watch (or my cellphone) somewhere in the middle of hour 4-5 and realized that it was time to leave.

Besides, the crowd was getting just a slight bit skankier and we were too good for them so we HAD to leave.

My friend Jonshea would have been proud of all the laughter tears I had to wipe away. Finger after finger after finger of wiping away the tears from all the laughing. That just felt SO good.

The only "unfortunate" portion of the evening is when one friend told a story about herself that gave the other two friends a vision that will never die. But it was worth about a million laughs and that vision will undoubtedly rear it's head from time to time so that it should never be forgotten.

Ah friendship...

None of that "sissy" crap

My very dear friend, S.G., the "Super Grouper", sent this poem to me in an email because this personifies who we are together. I laughed out loud and had to share it with you, of course, because, well, I surround myself with people who can appreciate humor like this. So, I know you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

And now, the poem:

"A Friendship Poem"

Are you tired of those sissy "friendship" poems that always sound good, but never actually come close to reality? Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship. You will see no cutesy little smiley faces here. Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad -- I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you sad.
2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.
3. When you smile -- I will know you finally got laid.
4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.
5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining.
6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.
7. When you are sick -- Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don't want to catch whatever you have.
8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.
9. This is my oath..... I pledge it to the end. "Why?" you may ask; " because you are my friend".

Friendship is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth.

And remember...when life hands you Lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over.

Does this not speak the truth? Oh, and this last line here about the lemons? Yeah, that's the best part.

Dinner with friends.

Last night I had dinner with two good friends. Kind of a VERY tame girls night out. We had dinner, some wine, and good conversation. I believe all Moms need this. Dads too, but women do it better and smarter.

We did NOT spend the whole time talking about our kids and our husbands (which is the worry, actually, upon embarking on these evenings). We talked about wine and travel and underwear. We even talked about some serious things but quickly got ourselves off those topics as all eyes began to well up at the table.

It was refreshing not to spend an evening talking about school, or what the kids did that day/week, or issues with husbands. We were ladies having a night out. We discussed future plans, day trips we could take and, dare I even mention, a potential overnight away.

We asked each other if we were crazy because we thought about certain things, about the way we're changing and our attitude towards certain situations that are different now than they would have been, say, 10 years ago.

We have all changed, of course. Our brains (and brain function) are different, our clothes, our shoes, our bodies. Some have fared better than others (me faring worst, of course). None of us were completely happy with our shapes, and the changes keep on coming.

It's hard when you realize what childbirth has done to you permanently. Never mind the obvious love for your child and how that changes you blah blah blah. That's a given. But the changes in your body are disturbing and what's more disturbing is the realization that it's twice or even three times harder now to get back what you originally had and you'll never really get that close without additional aid. Undoubtedly, age plays a big role in this. Diet isn't enough. Maybe diet and exercise isn't enough. Maybe plastic surgery is the best route. Who knows, but that's the killer. WHO KNOWS? It's a trip we're all taking down middle age lane. Bigger feet and loose brains in tow.

Regardless, though, Amy, your knockers are looking like they are where they should be. You must have a great bra. Does that come in my size?

Ah...the 80's

My dear friend, The Diner Girl, sent me a link to 1500 videos from the 80's. Just going through the list was making me happy. The site is currently having technical difficulties which is just as well, as I'm in the playroom with Birdie and The Peanut and if that site were to be working right now, I'd be torturing them both with reliving my high school days, musically. These videos were the WORST by today's standards and yet, I am SO anxious to see them, to remember them, to hear songs I haven't heard in ages, let alone see the videos for them. Besides...these were the days when MTV played actual music videos. Music Television (MTV), get it? They've recently lost focus, wouldn't you say?

I am reminded of the concerts I saw, the friends I had, the clothes I wore, the HAIR I had...all of it. What fun the 80's were! So we were afraid of nuclear holocaust. Are things really that different now? And, of course, I met The Diner Girl in the mid-80's. Many of those songs and crazy memories are reminiscent of our early college days together. We saw Paul Young together on the stage at the Smith Center at GWU. We were in the front basically looking up his nostrils. He was hot. Damn, he was hot. The opening band, who are NOWHERE now I'm sure, were pretty smokin' too.

These memories make me feel young and old at the same time. Young, because I don't feel so far from it. Old, because my life is so DRASTICALLY different now than it was then. Not bad, obviously, but just very different. When you're a mom, or a business person, or just involved in your work, whatever that may be, it's hard to remember the piece of you that was so much younger and carefree. We don't often get to feel that way anymore. Though, I suspect that we didn't feel so carefree in those days either.

So, if you're like me, and you want a little risk-free walk down memory lane, check out some of those videos and "disappear" for a while.

Of course, the web site would have to be working first...

Urinetown (and other drippy fluids...)

We have a fun house. A GREAT playroom, lots of open space for kids to play, dress up clothes for little girls to enjoy and overall tons of kid-like toys and playthings. So inevitably, we have lots of kids come to play over here and the Peanut loves to entertain (as do mommy and daddy). This, in the last week, has forced several of the Peanut's friends to get so busy in their play that their bladder pressure doesn't give them a big signal to head to the loo. Instead, they pee their pants (or my floor) and tell mommy and daddy afterwards.

I think the only solution for this is to do what preschool does. Schedule bathroom time. Every half hour. This will make all visiting little ones and their parents happy I think. I'll try it out and let you know how it goes.

Aside from that, I have a wicked bad cold (props to S.G.) which is now settling into my chest (what fun). So bad, that last night I dreamt about feeling very congested in my chest. Like I couldn't take a deep breath without coughing and I spent the better part of those uncomfortable dreams searching for cold medicine. I dunno...you tell me...anyone else have dreams like that? Nothing exciting like sex or adventure or even the tornado dreams I used to have. No, I dreamt about finding cold medicine. Oh joy.

Last night we celebrated the ROSH with some good friends and their kids. 12 adults, 4 4-year olds and 5 one-year olds. It was a little zoo-ish but fun nevertheless. We only have dinners like that three times a year. Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving and usually Passover. It was a lot of work but a good time was had by all and it's nice to feel a sense of accomplishment and that I fed my friends well. What Jewish mom doesn't love that?

Jewish or not, I hope that you and your families have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. I'll say it again in December for the "regular" calendar New Year.

Happy New Year

OK, alright, I know, I never posted last night. But I was tired and up late marinating chicken that I still now need to go turn in the juices. I got to sleep close to midnight and was up all night with insomnia. I should have gone downstairs and kept going.

Today was nuts. My cell phone died early in the day. I had to go to the Peanut's school for her birthday celebration and Shabbat, then pickup, then out to the DEQ (car registration etc) for an hour or more, then to pick up the challah for the holiday then home. The dogs were cross-legged upon our arrival, poor things.

There's more to do, of course, but I'm tired and I have a cold and I need my down-brain time. 10 minutes more and I'll get down there and start chopping in preparation for making everything tomorrow.

Thank goodness a friend is having us over tonight for dinner. I don't think we'd eat if it were left up to me. Bed is sounding good right about now...

Off I go...likely more later. Oh, Happy New Year! I hope it's a happy and healthy one for us all!