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!