I checked over Samuel's handwriting page from school today. The students are learning how to write their last names. I noticed that he had written his name very well the first time but the second time was illegible. I complimented him on his good handwriting for the first printing and said that I thought he could do better on the second. He looked at me like I had lost my mind and said, "That is how I write in Chinese, Mom."
P.S. When did Mommy become Mom?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Healthy Nutrition, Part 2
I was in Starbucks again -- a different one -- this morning for another vanilla latte and noticed their breakfast food case. They had the same sign reading Healthy Breakfast Destination but this sign was longer and had a short menu of sorts printed on it. It listed oatmeal, yogurt parfaits and fruit cups with their calorie counts. On a shelf above this case was the full assortment of unhealthy breakfast treats.
I think someone at the other Starbucks missed part of the corporate memo and just plastered the 'healthy' sign to the food case. Only, it didn't fit and they didn't want to change out all their food items anyway so they cut the sign and disregarded the nutritional value of all their treats.
I know which Starbucks I'll frequent more often now. And it's only partly because it's closer to work and my grocery store and the baristas are nicer. Ha!
I think someone at the other Starbucks missed part of the corporate memo and just plastered the 'healthy' sign to the food case. Only, it didn't fit and they didn't want to change out all their food items anyway so they cut the sign and disregarded the nutritional value of all their treats.
I know which Starbucks I'll frequent more often now. And it's only partly because it's closer to work and my grocery store and the baristas are nicer. Ha!
Such a Boy
Solomon has been fighting croup for the last few days. I thought he was finally over it but the barking returned last night. So he skipped school this morning and we went back to the doctor for more steroids.
His appointment wasn't until 11:00 so we had some time to kill. We went to Starbucks for a latte for me and chamomile tea for him. I squeezed some honey into his tea and he started stirring it with a wooden stir stick. Because he's Solomon, the tea and honey couldn't just mix. They had to have a war. The two substances warred until finally the honey was overtaken by the tea.
Later, we went to the grocery store and Solomon commented that the slushy, half-frozen snow and ice that falls from cars looks like poop. He said all the cars on the road are pooping a lot today. I was quite grossed out but had to agree that it does look somewhat like poop. Judge for yourself:
)
This is such a contrast from what Miriam might suppose during the same errands. To her, tea and honey would be dancing together and becoming friends. She'd tiptoe around piles of muddy snow slush and try to keep her fluffy pink boots clean. I try to make things as equal as possible between the genders in our family; the boys do play with My Little Ponies and Miriam plays with Hot Wheels tracks. But some things just don't compute.
His appointment wasn't until 11:00 so we had some time to kill. We went to Starbucks for a latte for me and chamomile tea for him. I squeezed some honey into his tea and he started stirring it with a wooden stir stick. Because he's Solomon, the tea and honey couldn't just mix. They had to have a war. The two substances warred until finally the honey was overtaken by the tea.
Later, we went to the grocery store and Solomon commented that the slushy, half-frozen snow and ice that falls from cars looks like poop. He said all the cars on the road are pooping a lot today. I was quite grossed out but had to agree that it does look somewhat like poop. Judge for yourself:
This is such a contrast from what Miriam might suppose during the same errands. To her, tea and honey would be dancing together and becoming friends. She'd tiptoe around piles of muddy snow slush and try to keep her fluffy pink boots clean. I try to make things as equal as possible between the genders in our family; the boys do play with My Little Ponies and Miriam plays with Hot Wheels tracks. But some things just don't compute.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sentimental Clothing
I was reorganizing some things today and I found the dress I wore in my uncle's wedding when I was 4. I was the flower girl and Mom made the dress. Miriam saw me refolding the dress and fell in love with it so I offered to let her play in it today. She's so petite that it fits her perfectly at age 7. It was kind of surreal to see her running around in it all afternoon.
We also found some of the baby clothes I am keeping for sentimental reasons. I discovered that I have been holding on to some clothes that weren't as meaningful as I first thought so I got rid of those. But there is a dress and bonnet set that I will never part with. Miriam fell in love with it, too and I let her put it on her Cabbage Patch doll. She couldn't believe she was ever that little. If she only knew.
We also found some of the baby clothes I am keeping for sentimental reasons. I discovered that I have been holding on to some clothes that weren't as meaningful as I first thought so I got rid of those. But there is a dress and bonnet set that I will never part with. Miriam fell in love with it, too and I let her put it on her Cabbage Patch doll. She couldn't believe she was ever that little. If she only knew.
Random Observation
The last three characters of my license plate are RSY. For some reason I started paying attention to other license plates around here and I see quite a few others with RSY as the last three characters. They all expire in March like mine.
Friday, January 23, 2009
So Cozy
It's something like 20F outside with some fresh snow on the ground. We are warm inside with pajamas and bathrobes. There's a pretty glow from our Christmas tree -- yes, it's still up and I like it, so there. The kids are bundled up with their comforters watching a movie. I'm sitting here with some brandied hot chocolate and looking forward to watching hilarious tv on Hulu. I'm pretty sure our picture belongs in Merriam-Webster under cozy and its synonyms.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Happy Inauguration Day!
Cheers, all!
I am watching history -- History, with a capital 'H'. I can tell my grandchildren that I watched the inauguration of the first black president of this country. What a moment this is.
Congratulations, President Obama!
I am watching history -- History, with a capital 'H'. I can tell my grandchildren that I watched the inauguration of the first black president of this country. What a moment this is.
Congratulations, President Obama!
Healthy Nutrition
I was at Starbucks this morning to order a Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte. As I waited for the barista to prepare my coffee, I noticed the breakfast food case. At the top is a sign that reads Healthy Breakfast Destination. I have eaten a food item from Starbucks exactly twice and neither time did the choices available strike me as healthy. I stepped closer to look at the choices, thinking that they had revamped their menu. But they haven't. The case was filled with croissants, frosted scones, iced cupcakes and doughnuts. What is healthy about any of these? I'd really like to know because maybe I've been depriving myself needlessly.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Free Rice
Over a year ago, I discovered the Free Rice Vocabulary Game. I e-mailed family and friends about it, told people at work about it and played it quite a bit. Then, as with most things, I forgot about it for a while.
On a whim, I clicked on my Free Rice bookmark tonight and went over to play. After a while, I noticed a link to Change Subjects so I clicked there and found whole new worlds of Free Rice games! They have added chemistry, math, grammar, art and foreign languages. It's a true nerd paradise!
This is exactly what I've been looking for. I can play games on the internet and I don't have to feel guilty about not doing anything for humanity or turning my brain to mush. I actually learned some stuff tonight and I earned over 10,000 grains of rice for hungry people. Woot!
On a whim, I clicked on my Free Rice bookmark tonight and went over to play. After a while, I noticed a link to Change Subjects so I clicked there and found whole new worlds of Free Rice games! They have added chemistry, math, grammar, art and foreign languages. It's a true nerd paradise!
This is exactly what I've been looking for. I can play games on the internet and I don't have to feel guilty about not doing anything for humanity or turning my brain to mush. I actually learned some stuff tonight and I earned over 10,000 grains of rice for hungry people. Woot!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Wanna Hear About My Day?
Well, it started at 1:00 AM when I awoke to a stabbing pain in my left eye. Tears poured from it and I couldn't open it. I forced it open and flooded it with saline over the bathroom sink. That helped a very slight bit but I still couldn't sleep. I dozed off and woke repeatedly all night. Finally, around 6:30 I took a shower in the dark with both eyes closed because I couldn't stand the light.
I eased into opening my eye with the hall light on while waking the kids in their mostly darkened room. We went through the morning routine. I set the trash outside so I could take it to the dumpster on the way to the car and that is when I saw that there were 5 inches of snow on the ground. Magically, we were 20 minutes behind schedule.
I hurried the kids through the rest of their breakfast and stomped downstairs to dump the trash and shovel out the car. I also looked for Samuel's snow boots in the back of the car because I had found only Solomon and Miriam's when unpacking their Albuquerque things. Samuel's boots were not in the car which means they are in Albuquerque. When we all got outside, I carried Samuel to the car. This gets harder every week and it's nearly impossible when we are both wearing massive coats and the ground is slippery.
There was a traffic jam in the school parking lot. Someone bumped into someone else and with only one moving lane, the rest of us were stuck. I put on David Sedaris' When You Are Engulfed in Flames, CD 4 and made the best of it. Driving to work under normal circumstances takes 7 minutes, tops. Today it was a long, slow, skidding 25 minute drive, during which I tried to keep my windshield from re-freezing.
At work, I unveiled my freakish eye and everyone recoiled in horror. It was decided that the doctor I work with would give me some pontocaine and fluorescein, look at my eye under a black light and see if anything was still stuck in my eye or if this was just the effect of whatever was in my eye last night.
Only we were out of pontocaine because it expired 2 months ago. My nurse manager called the hospital pharmacies to see if we could order some and neither of them had any. Finally, the doctor called another pediatrician's office and told them about me. They agreed to administer some pontocaine if I walked over. So I did. Across the parking lot in 6 inches of snow, with my injured eye cupped behind my glove.
It was worth it, though. Within 3 seconds of that glorious drop contacing my eyeball, I was transported back to my former self. No more pain, no more squinting and avoiding light. I didn't even care that my eye was bright orange and yellow tears were now falling from my eye. I practically skipped back to our office.
In our treatment room, the doctor confirmed that there is, indeed a scratch just below my pupil. So he applied some antibiotic ointment and an eye patch. Yes, I look like a pirate. A pirate with glasses that are only affecting one eye.
After an hour or so, the pontocaine wore off and my eye began throbbing again. I answered a few phone calls, did my Monday control tests and wussed out. Everyone agreed that it would be fine for me to go home. After all, would you want someone with an eye patch and altered depth perception giving your child shots? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Only I couldn't go home yet. Samuel was still without snow boots. I removed my eye patch and proceeded to the store while alternately squinting and attempting to look normal. The sun reflecting off the snow was bad enough without already having eye pain so I stuck my sunglasses on over my real glasses. Perfect. I bought new snow boots as quickly as I could and came home.
I have since been reclining on the couch with a new eye patch and the remaining David Sedaris CDs. It's almost time to go pick up the kids but I've just gotten used to this patch again and hate to take it off. I think I'll walk to the school and loot it for treasure.
I eased into opening my eye with the hall light on while waking the kids in their mostly darkened room. We went through the morning routine. I set the trash outside so I could take it to the dumpster on the way to the car and that is when I saw that there were 5 inches of snow on the ground. Magically, we were 20 minutes behind schedule.
I hurried the kids through the rest of their breakfast and stomped downstairs to dump the trash and shovel out the car. I also looked for Samuel's snow boots in the back of the car because I had found only Solomon and Miriam's when unpacking their Albuquerque things. Samuel's boots were not in the car which means they are in Albuquerque. When we all got outside, I carried Samuel to the car. This gets harder every week and it's nearly impossible when we are both wearing massive coats and the ground is slippery.
There was a traffic jam in the school parking lot. Someone bumped into someone else and with only one moving lane, the rest of us were stuck. I put on David Sedaris' When You Are Engulfed in Flames, CD 4 and made the best of it. Driving to work under normal circumstances takes 7 minutes, tops. Today it was a long, slow, skidding 25 minute drive, during which I tried to keep my windshield from re-freezing.
At work, I unveiled my freakish eye and everyone recoiled in horror. It was decided that the doctor I work with would give me some pontocaine and fluorescein, look at my eye under a black light and see if anything was still stuck in my eye or if this was just the effect of whatever was in my eye last night.
Only we were out of pontocaine because it expired 2 months ago. My nurse manager called the hospital pharmacies to see if we could order some and neither of them had any. Finally, the doctor called another pediatrician's office and told them about me. They agreed to administer some pontocaine if I walked over. So I did. Across the parking lot in 6 inches of snow, with my injured eye cupped behind my glove.
It was worth it, though. Within 3 seconds of that glorious drop contacing my eyeball, I was transported back to my former self. No more pain, no more squinting and avoiding light. I didn't even care that my eye was bright orange and yellow tears were now falling from my eye. I practically skipped back to our office.
In our treatment room, the doctor confirmed that there is, indeed a scratch just below my pupil. So he applied some antibiotic ointment and an eye patch. Yes, I look like a pirate. A pirate with glasses that are only affecting one eye.
After an hour or so, the pontocaine wore off and my eye began throbbing again. I answered a few phone calls, did my Monday control tests and wussed out. Everyone agreed that it would be fine for me to go home. After all, would you want someone with an eye patch and altered depth perception giving your child shots? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Only I couldn't go home yet. Samuel was still without snow boots. I removed my eye patch and proceeded to the store while alternately squinting and attempting to look normal. The sun reflecting off the snow was bad enough without already having eye pain so I stuck my sunglasses on over my real glasses. Perfect. I bought new snow boots as quickly as I could and came home.
I have since been reclining on the couch with a new eye patch and the remaining David Sedaris CDs. It's almost time to go pick up the kids but I've just gotten used to this patch again and hate to take it off. I think I'll walk to the school and loot it for treasure.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Kids' Eye View
Samuel calls Goodwill, "the old, broken toy store." I love the frankness of this child.
Marc Broussard
It was everything I dreamt of and more -- no exaggeration. Last night ranks in the Top 5 Evenings in my life. Delicious dinner, fun friends, excellent music. It doesn't get any better than that, really.
We went to Sushi Basho first. In case you didn't guess, it's a Japanese restaurant, including some sushi. I didn't particularly like sushi the first time I had it months ago but I actually liked everything I ate last night. We all had some good laughs.
Then we went to the tavern and heard parts of the opening acts: Josh Hoge and Jessie Baylin. Josh Hoge is pretty good. Jessie Baylin has a great voice but she doesn't have much variety in her repertoire. They were enjoyable, but mostly because of the anticipation of waiting for the main event.
And then ... then Mr. Broussard himself took the stage. I was blown away. His music is moving enough just listening on a CD or the laptop. In person, there are no words to describe it. Really. You should have been there.
We went to Sushi Basho first. In case you didn't guess, it's a Japanese restaurant, including some sushi. I didn't particularly like sushi the first time I had it months ago but I actually liked everything I ate last night. We all had some good laughs.
Then we went to the tavern and heard parts of the opening acts: Josh Hoge and Jessie Baylin. Josh Hoge is pretty good. Jessie Baylin has a great voice but she doesn't have much variety in her repertoire. They were enjoyable, but mostly because of the anticipation of waiting for the main event.
And then ... then Mr. Broussard himself took the stage. I was blown away. His music is moving enough just listening on a CD or the laptop. In person, there are no words to describe it. Really. You should have been there.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Saturday Night
Get this. Marc Broussard will be in Littleton on Saturday night. And I will be there. Yep. I am in shock.
P.S. If you don't know who Marc Broussard is, you should. He's on my music playlist. He's awesome. Awe-some.
P.S. If you don't know who Marc Broussard is, you should. He's on my music playlist. He's awesome. Awe-some.
Friday, January 2, 2009
People Who Have the Power to Influence
I learned this morning that a family friend passed away last week. This wasn't a man I was close to; I hadn't seen him in years. He was just a man who was sort of always around. He and his wife were friends of my grandparents before I was born. He was involved in the church where I did most of my growing up. The couple were at church camps and conferences. I saw his name in newsletters and had fond memories of his smile and his soft-spoken manner. He was one of those genuinely nice people that adds a bit of brightness to the world. And now that he is gone, that brightness is fading.
He will be missed by many -- and by many that feel his loss infinitely more acutely than do I. My thoughts are with them now.
He will be missed by many -- and by many that feel his loss infinitely more acutely than do I. My thoughts are with them now.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
So Bigfoot Lives Upstairs, Right?
Well, now I have Terribly Thoughtless Downstairs Neighbors. It started this summer when they moved in and it's become progressively worse. I used to mildly dislike Terribly Thoughtless Downstairs Neighbors. Now I intensely dislike Terribly Thoughtless Downstairs Neighbors.
See, I like to keep my windows and patio door open in the summer to let the nice, dry, cool Colorado breezes blow through my apartment. But Terribly Thoughtless Downstairs Neighbors like to throw big parties and smoke cigarettes and Other Stuff on their patio. This precludes my opening doors and windows unless I want my apartment to smell like a bar in Texas. (I said 'bar in Texas' because you can smoke in bars in Texas but you can't smoke in bars in Colorado.)
And then there was never being able to park on this side of the building because Terribly Thoughtless Downstairs Neighbors' -- hence forth known as TTDN -- friends were taking up all the spots. TTDN must be very popular because there were always new people over. And the cars taking up all the good spots were different every day.
About two months ago, there was a drug bust for Other Stuff. That was freaky. I heard police outside yelling and banging on the door. Then things were very quiet downstairs for a couple of weeks. There wasn't so much of the Texas bar odor (But by then, who could tell? It was October and my doors and windows were shut.) and I could park in a decent spot. But TTDN's friends all returned eventually. I'm parking at the front of the building now and walking through the breeze way.
Last week TTDN started learning the guitar. You'd think that a novice guitar player would practice on an unplugged guitar first, or at least turn the amp way down. You know, to get the basics down? But TTDN must also be Completely Unembarrassed Downstairs Neighbor also because they don't care if everyone hears the missed chords and out-of-tune strumming that comes from them.
But now. Now TTDN has a dog. A very large, very loud, very persistent dog. I've never seen this dog because TTDN is thoughtless through and through and never walks this dog. But I've heard this dog. Oh, yes. Lots and lots and lots. It's why I bought ear plugs last week. And why I'm considering making up completely bogus, outrageous complaints against TTDN to take to the apartment manager and hoping to get them thrown out of the complex. :crosses fingers, toes, eyes and ears:
I'm just kidding. I'd never make up stuff about people. I don't think. But I would allow mychildren monkeys to jump and run and wrestle more than is usually allowed when we live in an upstairs apartment. You know, just to even out the terribly thoughtless actions occurring in both mine and TTDN's apartments.
See, I like to keep my windows and patio door open in the summer to let the nice, dry, cool Colorado breezes blow through my apartment. But Terribly Thoughtless Downstairs Neighbors like to throw big parties and smoke cigarettes and Other Stuff on their patio. This precludes my opening doors and windows unless I want my apartment to smell like a bar in Texas. (I said 'bar in Texas' because you can smoke in bars in Texas but you can't smoke in bars in Colorado.)
And then there was never being able to park on this side of the building because Terribly Thoughtless Downstairs Neighbors' -- hence forth known as TTDN -- friends were taking up all the spots. TTDN must be very popular because there were always new people over. And the cars taking up all the good spots were different every day.
About two months ago, there was a drug bust for Other Stuff. That was freaky. I heard police outside yelling and banging on the door. Then things were very quiet downstairs for a couple of weeks. There wasn't so much of the Texas bar odor (But by then, who could tell? It was October and my doors and windows were shut.) and I could park in a decent spot. But TTDN's friends all returned eventually. I'm parking at the front of the building now and walking through the breeze way.
Last week TTDN started learning the guitar. You'd think that a novice guitar player would practice on an unplugged guitar first, or at least turn the amp way down. You know, to get the basics down? But TTDN must also be Completely Unembarrassed Downstairs Neighbor also because they don't care if everyone hears the missed chords and out-of-tune strumming that comes from them.
But now. Now TTDN has a dog. A very large, very loud, very persistent dog. I've never seen this dog because TTDN is thoughtless through and through and never walks this dog. But I've heard this dog. Oh, yes. Lots and lots and lots. It's why I bought ear plugs last week. And why I'm considering making up completely bogus, outrageous complaints against TTDN to take to the apartment manager and hoping to get them thrown out of the complex. :crosses fingers, toes, eyes and ears:
I'm just kidding. I'd never make up stuff about people. I don't think. But I would allow my
Happy Birthday, Blog!
Happy birthday, to you!
Happy birthday, to you!
Happy birthday, dear Blo-og!
Happy birthday, to you!
Ahem. Thank you for indulging that moment of dorkiness. Really though, I am proud of my blog. It's been my creative outlet for one year now. I've recorded a lot of moments here. And I've stuck with it! That was one of my 2008 New Year's resolutions. Yay, me!
Speaking of New Year's resolutions ... my #1 resolution this year it to keep up with correspondence better than I have in the past. I am going to make a concerted effort to e-mail or write and send pictures more regularly. I'm a little apprehensive about posting this publicly because most of you that read my blog are family that I need to stay in touch with better. You all will have a front row seat to my progress on this. So, I will be strong and I will prevail! I will, I will, I will.
Love and best wishes to you all!
Happy birthday, to you!
Happy birthday, dear Blo-og!
Happy birthday, to you!
Ahem. Thank you for indulging that moment of dorkiness. Really though, I am proud of my blog. It's been my creative outlet for one year now. I've recorded a lot of moments here. And I've stuck with it! That was one of my 2008 New Year's resolutions. Yay, me!
Speaking of New Year's resolutions ... my #1 resolution this year it to keep up with correspondence better than I have in the past. I am going to make a concerted effort to e-mail or write and send pictures more regularly. I'm a little apprehensive about posting this publicly because most of you that read my blog are family that I need to stay in touch with better. You all will have a front row seat to my progress on this. So, I will be strong and I will prevail! I will, I will, I will.
Love and best wishes to you all!
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