MadScientistMom

Room

2011-01-12T12:33:00.001-08:00

Room by Emma Donoghue

Absolutely chilling. This is told from the perspective of a 5 year old boy whose mother was kidnapped and kept in a 12x12 shed for 7 years. His entire world is in that room--and tv is just pretend. He doesn't understand that the world portrayed on tv exists. His mother eventually "unlies" to him and tells him that there is a world outside of room, and she hatches a plan for their escape. Amazingly well done.

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Random Acts of Culture

2010-11-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

I saw this and wanted to share it. This would have been amazing to experience in person. Apparently they brought in the largest pipe organ in the US, and there were 650 voices chiming in, not including the random shoppers who happened to know the song.

The Warded Man

2010-10-28T17:32:00.001-07:00

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm really upset that I started reading this too early. I didn't start reading the Twilight series until Breaking Dawn was nearly out--and my enthusiasm for this book is nearly the same as for that series. The problem? He just barely published the second book, and he plans on continuing the series for (if I remember the interview correctly) at least 5 books, maybe more. So, I'm stuck with this dreadful sense of anticipation for the next in the series--and it stinks that I have to wait for the author to catch me up!

This is a really interesting, post-apocalyptic world. Demons rule the night, when the sun comes up, they sink into the ground to escape. If people or animals are caught out at night, outside of warded buildings or shelters, they are demolished by the demons. Technology is non-existent, and the wards of old are lost. One boy finds himself outside of shelter, alone, at night, and faces his worst fear. He discovers that he can face down demons, and sets out to live his life without fear. As this boy grows into a man, he eventually discovers the secrets that may help human-kind defeat the demons--without and within.

The characters in this book are richly imagined, and the book explores how each character comes to make the decisions they make.

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Joy is a gift!!!

2010-10-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

Jake came home today and taught me a song he and a friend composed. The very last line was "Joy is a gift. But this isn't the box it came in." He had me laughing so hard at dinner. I don't know if he came up with that on his own or if it's from a song he knows, but that line is an absolute classic!

Jake turned 10 the weekend before my sister's wedding, so it was completely neglected. I figure, we had fairly elaborate birthday parties when I was working, including a Chuck E. Cheese birthday, a bowling party, a couple of trips to Disneyland, mom gets a free pass from the parties this year. He did get the video game he was desperately wanting, and got to have cousins come to the movies with us. We saw "The Guardians of Ga'hule" in I-max & 3-d. The movie was very good--especially for boys, and I had 4 with me. It was beautifully drawn and imagined--I think I could have the backgrounds for this movie hanging in my house. I don't see 3-d effects (I think it's because one of my eyes is stronger than the other, or I'm just lame) so most of the effects were lost on me. But, I could see my nephews and sons dodging and trying to grab things, so I think they enjoyed it.

My 10 year old boy is a middle schooler, he bikes on his own to and from school every day. He's so bright, and he has so much potential. Sometimes I look at him, and I see all the ways my BAD parenting could screw him up, but it hasn't yet, and for that I'm grateful. Joy is a gift, and that kid is a box of it, all on his own!

Money Management

2010-10-02T10:02:00.001-07:00

I was reading a great article in BYU magazin written by M. Sue Bergin, and I stumbled on this quote. "In the Book of Mormon, the Jaredites had two problems with their ships: no light and no navigation. The Lord solved the first problem by touching the 16 stones that then radiated light. He solved the second one by sending storms that blew the vessels toward the promised land. The Lord was in both the stones and in the storms. The Lord is in our storms today."

Very, very wise.

Hilarious posting from my new favorite website catalogliving.net

2010-09-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

2010-06-16T22:57:00.001-07:00

Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Eilzabeth Gilbert's treatise on marriage. She writes a very interesting history of the institute of marriage. She finds that throughout history, marriage basically sucks for women--and that there really is no good reason to get married--except for love. And that truly isn't a very good reason to marry. She does find compelling reasons to marry her longtime boyfriend, and eventually learns to trust herself.

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2010-06-16T22:45:00.001-07:00

Austenland by Shannon Hale

This was a nice quick read--brain candy really. This was the first time I ever skipped ahead to find out the ending. I loved the chapter headings listing the main characters boyfriends and what went wrong with each of the relationships--some of them were hysterical.

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2010-06-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fantastic finish to this series. This series is so well created, with believable magic systems, and interesting creatures and characters. The end was so unexpected and yet tied the book up so well.

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2010-03-11T08:18:00.001-08:00

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I very much enjoyed this book--I actually listened to it rather than read it. I think listening to it, told by Gilbert herself, you actually get a better sense of her self-deprecating humor, and her awareness that she know how very blessed she is, but it doesn't ease the suffering she feels. I don't feel the book is overly whiny--I guess I know what it feels like to be so damaged by life that that is all you can think of for a solid 2-35 years.

I especially enjoyed her spiritual journeys in India. The way she describes her mind interrupting her meditation--I so get that. I so get that she wants to be in the world, but not of it--that battle between heart and mind--and I truly love the way she finally gets them to agree. I wish I could get there from Italy, India and Bali like she did (sigh).

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Mullet Madness

2010-02-28T21:53:00.000-08:00

With baseball season upon us, my son finally decided to cut his long golden locks. (It may also have something to do with the unnecessary roughness his mother employed while combing his hair every morning). So, my talented sister came over today to do a quick cut. She talked him into letting her give him a mullet for a few minutes. I can't believe we thought these were cool--I can remember Christy McNichols in The Pirate Movie in about 1982 started this trend--I had one--but not as bad as they eventually became.

Here's my handsome boy after it all was chopped off. We had a Cub Scout function where all the boys got beads and basketball awards. My boys are lucky to have some fantastic Scout leaders. Our ward has a Tiger program thanks to a parent who wanted her younger son to have the opportunity to be in Scouts--and now our Tiger pack is larger than the Wolf pack.

Our family was blessed this past month with a new little niece. I could've sworn my niece Rachael had cured my brother and his wife of ever wanting another child, but, apparently, parental amnesia kicked in, and they took the plunge for the 4th time. This little girl is so beautiful. All their kids are--my sister had my nephew Bryce with her at the grocery store when he was about 6 months, and some lady screamed and jumped when Bryce moved. She thought my sister was carrying around a big China doll. This little girl is definitely a keeper. We all fight over who gets to hold her at church and family dinners--and her siblings and parents fight over who gets to hold her at home. I practically had to pry her from her daddy's arms today. Mary Ellen says its cause he didn't get to see her ALL NIGHT (like she did) that he wanted to hold her all morning. I'm sure glad none of us are sarcastic in our family!

Finally, an update on what I'm reading right now. I just finished The Help which was fantastic, I'm in the middle of Brandon Sanderson's final Mistborn Trilogy book, and I'm also listening to Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert which I'm really enjoying. This book made a big splash a few years back, and I can see why. The book is a series of vignettes or stories from her year of travel to Italy, India and Indonesia. But it is really her spiritual journey; her year of figuring out how to be in the world but not of the world, and of finding divinity. I like her views on spirituality and can definitely see how to apply them to my own life. I don't generally do non-fiction, but I'm glad I picked this one up.

2010-01-28T12:36:00.001-08:00

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is not your typical Disney princess type book despite the title. This is a book you might give to a daughter who doesn't really like being just a "girl."

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Some more Christmas. . .

2010-01-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you don't like the Christmas present I got you. Just kidding! This is Paul nearly 1 week after nearly breaking his neck in a surfing goof. (Begin humming the song "Wipeout" in your minds--I'll do the drum solo) My husband is generally not a complainer--his father always told him "Take what you get and make no bother" which has always served him well. Well, until now that is. Saturday before Christmas, he went surfing BFE early in the morning. Next thing I know, he's telling me he had a bit of a wipeout and he's climbing into the shower to get cleaned up. He comes and lays down and is essentially useless for the rest of the day--which is pretty much how it is when he goes surfing. I drag him to a birthday party an hour and a half away, and I make him drive there. We get home and toss the kids to bed. The next morning he says he hurts too much to go to church, so I take the boys and we leave him in peace. When we get to church, a few of the guys come up and ask "is Paul okay?" Several of the guys he regularly goes with saw the whole thing, and they were really worried about him. Our doctor friend comes said he'd come and check him out. They decided that it was just a shoulder "stinger" and he told him to just keep doing what I had him doing--800 mg of ibuprofen every 6-8 hours. The following Monday, he decides to have me drive him to work rather than riding his bike. He wakes me that morning, and I go downstairs and try to wake up completely as I'm putting my shoes on. He walks out and asks, "Honey, what's the number for that spousal abuse hotline?" I look up, and he's sporting the worst shiner I've ever seen. It is about as black as the shirt he's wearing in the picture. The good news is that it wasn't horribly swollen. The bad news, I can't look his co-workers in the eye--my husband can be very inventive with the spousal abuse stories. I truly think we narrowly avoided a broken neck with this accident--it could have been so much worse. We are truly blessed.

One other way we are blessed is that I have sleepers for children--they don't nap much, but they sleep in until 8 most weekend mornings--for you parents out there, yes, I'm bragging a bit. I have nephews who get up at the butt crack of dawn most mornings (we don't have them for sleepovers very often). So, Christmas morning started at 8 am. I was up long before they were, I was chomping at the bit to get downstairs. One of the really nice things about not having a job is time to be able to wrap presents long before Christmas eve. We actually were able to go to bed before Santa arrives (midnight). I didn't get as much baking done as I'd like, and my mother was out of town for a funeral so we didn't get ANY Christmas fudge, but I did get to bed at a decent hour Christmas eve. Santa brought a lot of Legos, and several Wii, XBox and DS games plus a few books, and assorted videos. It was a good year all around, made better by the fact that I finished my shopping (for the most part) well before the Christmas rush.

Star Wars things were also a great hit. I purchased several Christmas CDs. Josh Groban is one of my guilty pleasures--I love men who can sing--and his Noel album was fantastic. I'll admit to also purchasing David Archuletta's Christmas from the Heart CD. He can sing as well, but he has the pre-pubescent boy whiny sound that I can't stand--so I'll probably donate that one. I'll wait for him to mature a little before completely writing him off however--he does sing well. Finally, Jake and I really got into the a capella show that aired over Christmas break--I used to love BYU's Vocal Point (founded by a friend of a friend) which is still going strong 15+ years later. I picked up a CD from Straight, No Chaser and a capella group, which instantly became a hit with the entire family. It has songs like "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" and the Christmas Can Can and the 12 Days of Christmas which were hilarious and all done a cappella--they are fabulous, and I'll probably look for other Cds from them.

I just had to show a picture of Christmas at my mother's place--there is a beautiful tree behind all those presents. We Morris's know Christmas!

The one guest who didn't enjoy Christmas dinner

2010-01-10T08:52:00.001-08:00

Poor, poor Cody!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year--a gift for you. . .

2010-01-03T16:37:00.000-08:00

I have been searching for this man since I heard "Trouble" on a dog food commercial of all places. I finally figured out who it was, and then found this video, and I had to share. Enjoy!

Apology to Jake

2009-12-11T14:40:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I've had writer's block really bad for a few months. I don't know why, but I sat down to write a happy birthday post for Jake, and I just couldn't. So my sweet boy didn't get his birthday love letter. I have one amazing kid. I'm posting a few pictures from Jake's life. The cute baby pictures were taken before I went digital, so I don't have any earlier ones.

I love my boy, and I get excited watching him grow into the person he's supposed to become.

2009-11-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

My wonderful hubby shared this with me, and I tried to post it several times to facebook, only to have it freeze up. I hope this works.

That Makes it All Better & The First Day of School

2009-09-10T06:55:00.000-07:00

Let me see if I can set the scene for you. I was driving close to Old Town--that street that runs right in front of Big Lots & See's Candy--the one that's two lanes, but on a very narrow street. I'm in the right hand lane, when unexpectedly, I see something red in the corner of my eye. I turn my head to see a little red Nissan (?) sneaking up on my right side in the turning lane that DOESN'T EXIST--which the driver realizes abruptly as he nearly rear ends the car in front of me. I start cursing him nine kinds of idiot, my kids are joining in from the back seat. Suddenly, the driver side window slides down, and a very good looking Italian man, blows me a kiss in that pointer, tall one and thumb, three finger kiss that only a southern European man can pull off and not appear gay. I am woman enough to admit that this little gesture sure set me back on my heels. And, after I'd let him in, the light turned green and we drove away, I realized that makes it all better. I laughed so hard at my 30-something woman self. . .

My favorite commercial of all time is the one for Office Depot. The music starts "It's the most wonderful time of the year. . ." and you see a dad with an ecstatic smile on his face dancing down the aisle with several sullen kids stomping behind him--it cracks me up every time.

It was Porter's first day of school ever, and he was a champ. He walked into his classroom, sat down at his desk and was ready. Of course the rest of the class was sitting on the carpet for carpet time. . . Paul cried, I didn't. But when I came home all by myself for the first time in I don't know how long, I just about lost it.

Jake's in forth grade and is an old hat at this entire first day of school thing--he even has the same teachers as last year, but he still said he was nervous for this year. I just wanted to hold them both and reassure them that it's going to be okay. School is important, but it's the learning you do in life that turns out to be the most important.

We've moved on to the second book in the Olympiad series. The Sea of Monsters--it is a fantastic book for 4th + graders. Lots of action and monsters and Percy Jackson is a great hero--as is his best friend Annabeth. These are great books.

Summer's Coming to a Close. . .

2009-09-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

I'm really sad right now. I switched out my memory card on my camera en route to Sea World, and entrusted the card to my hubby. He put it (I thought) in his pocket when he dropped us off. That card had all of our photos from our grand summer adventure. We washed those pants (with the card supposedly in it) and I thought all those wonderful pictures were gone. Here's the irony though: I found that card in my car, put it into my pocket to take it upstairs to the computer--forgot about it--and my hubby washed those shorts. So I really did end up losing all those great pictures--and it's all Paul's fault!

Here's a little travelogue. The first full weekend in August we went to Flaming Gorge for a family reunion. We drove the entire way. We left Wednesday afternoon, stayed in Mesquite Wednesday night, and headed for Provo Thursday morning. (Note: if you ever stay in Mesquite, stay at the Casablanca--great rooms, very cheap prices, and it was much nicer than any of the other hotels in Mesquite.) We drove around Provo for a little while. I wanted to show my kids BYU, but we didn't get much of a chance. We did the Provo recreation center and their fabulous water slides. We stayed in Salt Lake City that night at a friends apartment--2 blocks up from temple square. We walked down and walked around temple square for a little while. The area has changed so much from when I went to school at BYU 15 years (?!)ago.

From there we headed to Flaming Gorge for camping with the family. We (San Diegans) were very worried about the heat, but we ended up having nearly perfect weather for the time we were there (aside from rain Saturday night, and really cool breezes when the sun went down). The site my sister picked ended up being perfect. It fit all the families that wanted to camp and then some. It had a great pavilion for cooking and eating together--and boy did we Morris's do that! It was so fun to see cousins that I haven't seen in ages. My uncles kids are absolutely prolific! I don't think one of his 6 kids has under 5 kids. I feel sorry for my parents--they got gypped in the grandkid department--but what we lack in quantity, we make up in personality!

We returned home Sunday. We stayed in Mesquite again, but this time at the Virgin Rivers Motel--skip it if you can! We took a little detour and went to stay with my friend Diana and her family. Her husband is stationed at 29 Palms. Paul was there about 15 years ago, and nothing is the same he says. Her husband took us over to Joshua Tree National Park and to an area called Hidden Valley--Porter said we should take some veggies so we could dip them. We climbed rocks for a hour or so and returned home for dinner. The weather was actually quite comfortable--hot, but dry. We had so much fun while we were there, it was difficult to leave. The Hidden Valley area looked like the set of an old Western movie--everything was so perfect.

When we returned, we hung out with my cousin and her family. This included a trip to Legoland, and several trips to the beach. Diana and her family came down for their last hurrah before school started for them, and we did Sea World with them. I also got a call from my college friend Kirstin and they were in town--and we did Sea World with them as well. Wooh! It was a crazy week, but sure fun.

We did the Cabrillo Monument open house this past Tuesday. It is one of 2 days where they allow people to go all the way to the top of the lighthouse and look out. Its absolutely one of the best things to do in all of San Diego. (The next open day is November 15, 2009 btw). It was really windy on top of the tower as you can see from Jake and Porter's windblown look. . .

They have volunteers in full costume--Captain Israel and his wife, and they tell the story of the lighthouse. Porter has since been asking all sorts of questions, like how people in the old times got around, how they turned on the lights, and how they got water. I think that is a successful tour, if it got my 5 year old thinking about how tough it was in the "old days."

I got a great shot of a Coast Guard helicopter with (unbeknownst to me, a great shot of the Hotel Del).

This was a long post, but a quick highlight of our summer activities. I just wanted to give some praise where it is due. Our Nintendo Wii broke shortly after Christmas this past year--and I tried all sorts of things to get it running. I finally broke down, and called Nintendo--Not only was I able to talk to a human person very quickly (no voicemail hell), I found out that our warranty had expired December 2 of 2008. But, for $85 which they discounted down to $50, I could send in our unit, have it fixed, and it would restart our warranty. I was told 10-14 working days. I got it back in less than a week, and we are up and running again. That kind of customer service is rare, and I didn't mind the $50--we didn't have to purchase a new one!

Anyway--it's time to get back in the pool. It's too darn hot right now--muggy as all get out. The pool is the only place to be--if you can't be in an air conditioned office.

Memorial Day Weekend photos

2009-07-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Here's some great pictures from our Memorial Day camping trip out in the desert. James and Mary Ellen got a great RV a few months ago, so they had a great place to stay. Their po' relatives (us) brought a an air mattress and sleeping bags. Unfortunately, it was too windy to put the tent up, and in a strange twist of fate, James and Mary Ellen got ALL the kids in the RV, while Paul and I slept in relative peace in the back of James' truck. The only problem with that scenario was that our wonderful air mattress didn't hold air. I laid there most of the night, listening to the wind whip around the truck, and the air mattress slowly leaking air. I could feel myself ever so slowly get closer and closer to the ground. I was so sleepy the next day, but not too sleepy for some great pictures.

A Very Busy Fourth of July

2009-07-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

My husband decided not to do our annual trip north to his hometown, Redding, this year. So for the first time since Jake was a baby, we were in town for the best 4th of July celebrations. In the morning, we had the annual Boy Scout breakfast fundraiser--my Dad does his famous sourdough waffles every year. Let me mention that he has had the starter culture for these waffles since my parents took their honeymoon in San Francisco in 1969. I don't know how he did it, but he persuaded a famous chef to give him a bit of his start--and he taught my Dad how to maintain it--which he has for going on 40 years! I read an interesting articles in the Journal of Food Science (yes there is one!) that sourdough cultures have 100s of organisms that make them up. They have a unique blend of yeasts and bacteria that give them their distinct flavors. There is a specific lactobacillis (sanfranciscan) that is unique to cultures in the San Francisco area. I'm sure that several other organisms have been added over the years and the several places my parents have lived, and now my Dad's start culture is completely unique. It makes waffles exactly the way I like them--sourdough tart, crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. They are more substantial than other waffles--I'm raxing whapsodic. . .

After breakfast was done (I was stuffed to the gills) we hurried to a birthday party for a friend's son. My friend Martha is from Mexico City, and she is a fantastic cook. She had a friend from Japan come make California rolls for the party in addition to the Mexican food Martha made. I love having such international friends--good eats from everywhere! Martha's homemade beans are some of the best I've ever tasted! The kids had a blast at the party--they played so hard they were sweating buckets. From there it was off to pick up my sister and her best friend and her best friend's hubby and to the pool in my complex. We swam for a few hours, then, back over to my mom's for dinner with family and friends. Dinner was a 2 fully-loaded table potluck feast.

When the sun went down, we walked down to the OB pier to watch the fireworks. It was the 30th anniversary this year. I remember when they first started doing 4th of July fireworks in OB, they were very small. Somewhere between that first year, and more recent history, a very interesting tradition sprung up. The famous, OB Marshmallow Melee! Now, generally people wait until the fireworks are over before unleashing, but this year, I was getting pelted almost from the start (it really sucks being a wide target!). Once the fireworks were over, it was ON! I haven't giggled so hard in a really long time. I was getting pelted left and right, but I was also pelting complete strangers. This is such lighthearted harmless fun--so OB in so many ways, I couldn't help but thinking that I absolutely love my neighborhood. Next year, we will join the Surfriders Foundation for the cleanup--there were marshmallows EVERYWHERE.

Some Evil Genius found these marshmallows that were fist size--and I must say, they actually sting a little when you get hit with them, but, not too bad. My sister and I definitely appreciated the thought put into these, and we'd really like to know where to get some for next year! Notice how marked up her shirt is in the picture--that's not a design, that's marshmallow dust!

My son Porter kept finding the most gorgeous 20 somethings to play with. At first he started targeting a pretty girl with marshmallows and she laughingly was playing along. Then her very cute boyfriend got involved. It was so funny because they were taking it so easy on him, but, he'd wind up and throw the marshmallow at them with all he had. What he lacked in accuracy, he made up for in ferocity! They tossed marshmallows and wrestled for about 20 minutes. Next, he picked one of the cutest surfers on the beach. My sister definitely wanted in on the wrestling match!

The pictures don't do justice. It was such a fun night. Porter was so exhausted that he fell asleep in the tub as I was washing his hair. It was a little awkward pulling him out, he's getting so big now. But we got him all tucked in. I don't know if we'll be doing the Redding trip over the 4th anymore. . .

On a separate note, Jake, Porter and I are reading The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan. Jake likes it a lot so far--and he's even reading ahead of us--which is unusual for Jake. I struggle getting him to read--he really liked the Tales of Drippingfang Forest, but we haven't found anything that has really captured his imagination enough to read completely on his own. He's also liked Diary of a Wimpy Kid--he likes that blend of text and pictures. They definitely need more of these.

2009-06-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Okay, another Smilebox post, but the reason I haven't been updating regularly is just that I've been so gosh darn busy! We had a great day at closing ceremonies. They do a great job every year for this, jumpy thing, dunktank, great food and good friends. The kids had a blast--I didn't see them just about the entire time, they were playing so hard! It was a glorious sunny day, and everyone had a great time.

On another note, I'm reading Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels. LOVE them! I'm anxiously waiting for my sister or brother to hook a sista up with books 6-9. I can't wait! The only problem is, I only have 3 left to finish the series (at least as many as she's written so far). I know I'm going to hate finishing the last one. My sister lent me the TrueBlood HBO series which was terrific too. I got my husband hooked on those--he's even wondering if we couldn't get HBO so we can watch season 2. I think we'll wait til my sister springs for season 2 on DVD so we can barrow them again.

Porter's first five years

2009-06-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I can't believe my baby is five years old. I sure love this kid!

Hello from Disneyland!

2009-05-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

Sheesh! It's been over a month since I've last posted. I know, too long.

Where to start? I've now hit my--what I'm calling my eternal birthday--because I've officially stopped counting. My sister convinced me to do Disneyland for the big day, and it was, bar none, my favorite birthday ever!

First, my dearest friend, after declining to accompany us, offered us the use of her mini-van--that was the best way to go! We had Looney Toones playing in the DVD player all the way up, and my kids, and my silly sister laughed the entire way up. When we got there, my sister jumps out to exchange vouchers for tickets, and by the time the rest of us parked and got to the front of the park, had put my mother in a wheelchair. My Mom's having problems with hip pointers and nerve pain that cause her feet to feel like they're on fire. So, for $12 additional to the free admission, we got to skip nearly all the lines for the rides. We managed to do all the major rides twice! We had a fantastic day. I kept telling my sister "I love the way your evil little mind works," every time we shaved off an hour wait. My poor mom had to suck up the pride, and put up with both me and Paul grunting as we pushed her up the slight inclines that don't seem too bad on foot, but when pushing a loaded wheel chair was akin to Mount Everest! I'll admit to a little dramatizing here, but it was too funny listening to my Mom swear she was going on a diet on Monday. We had lots of good laughs at her expense. My boys were absolute troopers. Porter got to go on all the rides but the Indian Jones ride. I couldn't believe he did Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain--no problem. Jake, we practically had to drag onto the ride. It scared him the last time. It wasn't too bad for him this time, but he took some convincing.

My brother and sister-in-law that live in Perris came for a little while, but their 7 mo. old daughter Bella scratched her eye as they were loading her in her car seat, and son, Jackson, was not feeling well. They came anyway, and it was so good to see them for my special day. I did get pictures of my sister and my mom, unfortunately, I can't post them. I got the funniest picture of them while we were on Autopia. I caught my sister just as she realized she was about to rear end us, which is forbidden on the ride. Her look of surprise is hilarious, but it also makes her look like she's got more chins than China. So I'm not posting it. I should also mention that she has one of me that is just as bad--it's not so much the number of chins, but the girth of said chins that makes the picture cringe-worthy. We're not publishing these pictures and calling it professional courtesy.

I'll put a plug in for my new favorite shoes here--I got Fitflops at Nordstrom's Rack, and, I was the only one at the end of the day who did not have sore feet. Also, as advertised, my rear was sore the next day because they give your glutes and hamstrings an extra work out. I love these shoes! They are completely worth the $40 I paid.

I'm reading a hilarious book right now. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett. I'm absolutely belly laughing while reading it. It's about and angel and a demon who are trying to prevent Armageddon because they rather like earth and mankind. I bet the writers laughed out loud while they were writing it. It is full of dry British humor and I love it!

Jake Moments

2009-03-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

So, the other night, I'm heading upstairs to put some laundry away. Jake is just getting out of the shower; and as I'm walking up the stairs I hear him making his usual sound effects. He's incredibly good at making light saber noises, and can mimic that odd light saber on light saber noise from the movies. So I round the corner, and this is what I see. . .

He says, "Mom, I'm Toga Jedi Ninja."

Boys. . .

Opening Day and a Day Spent in the Hospital

2009-03-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

It's been quite an eventful few days for me. Saturday was opening day for the boys baseball and t-ball season. We got the uniforms just before the ceremonies began.

Porter was so excited to have his first uniform of his very own. He's been wearing Jake's old uniforms for forever, so having his own is fantastic. His team is the "Grasshoppers." We've struggled to find things that actually fit. The belts are all ridiculously too big, so we didn't get one, as are the green socks. His wonderful coach bought the entire team long sleeve jerseys for underneath the uniform, but it reaches Porter's knees. It was too hot on Saturday (imagine me saying that in March!), but I'm sure it will come in handy in the future!

Jake got on the same team he was on last year--with the same coach! Coach Paul apologized and said he hoped it was okay--okay? The Redwings nearly took first last year. Plus, we didn't need to buy much. Jake was excited to have a bunch of friends he knew on his team again. We did run out right after opening ceremonies and before Jake's first game, to buy him the "athletic supporter" he was told to buy. Jake was so excited about this--he's actually been asking to wear it to school!

Jake played against his cousin Tyler and a friend Skyler for his first game. Jake's team won by a single point--it was a very close and exciting game. Coach Paul is such an easy going guy, he really does a great job with the boys. It has been really fun watching Jake progress.

Now onto my adventure at the hospital. I was home playing with my son, niece and Porter's "shock brother," Chase on Monday morning. My sis-in-law had picked up my niece when my Grandpa calls and asks, "Are you busy?" Well, I've still got the 2 boys, but, something about the way he was asking made me say "Of course not. What's up?" Well, his heartbeat is doing that funny thing again, and he thinks he should probably head to the hospital. I agree! The last time this happened, my husband took him at about 3 in the morning, and they had to "reboot" him. Stop and restart his heart with paddles. I called Diana to come get the boys, she was there in a few minutes. (I'm so glad I have friends and family I can call and just ask to come get them!) At 11:30, I went to get Grandpa--visions of those paddles floating through my mind! When I got to his house, I loaded him up and we headed off. I let him off at the front entrance then went to park. I called my hubby to let him know where I was, and headed in to find Grandpa. Surprisingly, he wasn't admitted right away. I guess if he's there under his own power, even with heart problems, he doesn't get to the front of the line. We waited for about 10-15 minutes then got called back. The admitting nurse was cute. She saw the Grandpa was 90 and still sharp and active, and she asked if she could set him up with her mother--I told her my Grandma would probably have something to say about that! She turned around and said "I forgot you were there!" His heart rate was hovering around 160 bpm which is what I shoot for when I'm doing heavy cardio, so they got him a bed. The doctor diagnosed atrial fibrillation which isn't as serious as ventral fibrillation, but still pretty scary. They slowed his heart rate down with medication, but they were worried about blood clotting. So they've given him anti clotting medication which he'll have to take for the rest of his life.

We were pretty much done by 2:30, and that's where this gets frustrating. So, all we need is a check out consult with a nurse. The duty nurse called her, and she came down and started in on walkers, and driving, then started noticing that Grandpa doesn't have a walker and is still pretty independent. She goes out to yell at the duty nurse for having her give the wrong consult, at which point I intervene and say he needs an exit consult because he has to have the anti-clotting injection for the next week. She's supposed to tell us how it's done. She storms off saying something about getting the right paperwork, and we never see her again. The duty nurse goes back and does more paper work for us, and an hour later, he comes back. So it's now close to four, Diana had said she would pick up Jake if she hadn't heard from me--which was a good thing because they block cell phone reception in there--so I'm not too worried about my kids--but we should have been able to leave at least an hour ago, and it's frustrating to watch how ineptly handled this all seems to be. Thank heavens I brought a book--I finished a 400+ page novel in the time it took to calm down my Grandpa's heart rate and administer a single dose of cumadin.

Thankfully, my Mother showed up. When Paul couldn't reach me on my cell phone, he started calling the entire family. Mom figured out where I was, if not why I was there, and she came to relieve me. It was really only a matter of waiting for the medicine to be made up by the pharmacy, and to actually checkout. I was going to wait because I was worried something would get missed if I didn't stay. Mom reassured me, and I went and got my kids, picked up my husband and dinner, and spent the rest of the evening waiting for my mother to get back at my Granparent's house with my worried Grandmother. I think my Grandad will be okay, but I was sure not happy with how long everything took!

Ready for Sunday!

2009-02-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

I realized Sunday morning that I hadn't taken my kids' picture in a while, so I got the camera out and shot a few before we left for church. We were all ready to go. Church starts at 9:00. It was 8:50--which would mean we would make it in time (notice is used the word "would"). My husband announced he had to use the bathroom right as we were heading down to the car. 20 minutes later. . .we nearly missed Sacrament. What is it with husbands? They are nearly as bad as kids!

On Thursday last week, I was cutting Porter's fingernails. He was squirming, and shrieking at me that it HURT! and I suddenly had a flashback. I was about the same age, and wiggling my fingers and screaming at my Mother, and I realized I had come full circle. My Mother was never one for the dramatic "When you have kids, I hope you have one just like you!" she was too dignified for that; but I'm sure she thought it. Yes, my friends, any sin you committed as a child, you can be sure, will come back to haunt you. I'm just REALLY glad I don't have a girl. . .

On that same note, my Mom and I were talking during choir practice. Z was giving us an update on the choir rehearsal schedule. I guess Stake Conference will be on May 17th this year. And I whispered to my Mom (knowing it would bug her) "Yay, a vacation from church!" She leaned over and whispered back "I've seen that look you have on your face right now on both your children!" It's not my fault my kids look like they're being naughty, even when they are being angels, is it?

25 Random Things About Me

2009-01-29T21:20:00.000-08:00

1. I have a terrible genetic disease called packratitis.
2. I played the flute in the 7th and 8th grade.
3. I'm extremely shy.
4. I can act like I'm not shy and fool just about anyone.
5. I left a job I loved for one I hated because I wanted a new challenge.
6. 2008 was the first year I got Christmas cards out since I've been married (1998).
7. I have three stories fermenting in my brain that I hope to write on paper in the near future.
8. I can type 80 wpm if the winds are right, and the sky is clear.
9. My skin is so dry people tell me I need lotion after I shake their hands.
10. I have an MBA. I got it because I wanted my company to pay for it (which they did) not because I actually wanted it. I hate greed.
11. I have a problem with authority of any kind, which has gotten me into trouble.
12. I didn't play much with toys when I was a kid. My parents once got me a "Baby Alive" doll for Christmas, because I begged them, but I never played with it.
13. The more I learn about science, the more obvious the existence of God becomes.
14. I can quote "Princess Bride" from start to finish.
15. I really enjoy figuring out what bugs people and using it against them.
16. I can remember just about anything anyone has ever told me--unless it's important.
17. I can never remember the rules for using its and it's.
18. My Hollywood crush is Russell Crow. I once spent an entire morning hiding out in a back room at work so I could listen to him on the radio. I don't know why, but I've always had a thing for bad boys.
19. My tear ducts are hardwired to my emotions--happy, sad, startled whatever, I cry.
20. I'm extremely embarrassed by 19, which usually makes me cry harder.
21. I'm passive-aggressive which makes me mad, but I won't do anything about it.
22. I once argued with an old roommate that I wasn't argumentative.
23. I believe in Karma.
24. I love my family more than anything, and I count my siblings as my best friends. This can make it hard to develop outside friendships.
25. I'm a reader-whore. I love to read anything, anywhere (including the bathroom), but my favorite stories always involve a little romance.

Two Funny Porter Stories

2009-01-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

Say fork 10 times; now spell it three times; now spell it backwards; now say it 10 times. Quick what do you eat your soup with? Jake had heard this joke on TV, and decided to twist it a little and use it on his little brother.

Jake, "Porter, say spoon 10 times; now spell it three times (we had to help with this one a little); now say it again 10 times. Now what do you eat your spaghetti with?"

Porter, "MEATBALLS!"

We laughed so hard! He is such a funny kid!

The next one. . . Well, let's just say Porter is about the quickest undresser I know--especially at inopportune moments. This kid can get down to his skivvies in 2.2 seconds, and worse, he can generally convince the kids around him this is a good idea too. Note the 2 pictures below. One was at the baseball field while we were watching Jake practice with his team, the second, was at Christmas. Both pictures attest to my youngest's fondness for inappropriate nudity.

On to the story. . .I am hauling laundry downstairs as my husband, who rides his bicycle everyday to work is coming upstairs. I set the basket down to have a conversation with him, and he strips off his sweaty stuff and puts in in the basket as we are catching up on our days. I get the clever idea of pulling out the 2 $5 bills I have in my pocket (having any money is a very rare occurrence for me) and laughingly stuff them into his shorts, in appreciation for the striptease I just had. Paul starts laughing and begins dancing in earnest, at which point, Porter, already stripped to undies, comes to join the show. The really awful thing? He wasn't half bad.

This is the child my mother cursed me with, when she said, "Someday, I hope you have a child just like you." It's called KARMA.

Chance meeting at the library to zoo date!

2009-01-23T20:34:00.000-08:00

So I was racing home from Jake's school when I suddenly remembered the library e-mail saying Jake's book was in. We hung a quick left and hurried in to get the book about 10 minutes before closing. As I walked in, I glanced up at a family just leaving. "As I live and breathe it's Annika Criddle!" She looked up, "Nesha? My goodness is that Jake?!" We had attended church together several years (4?) ago when her husband was doing a law clerkship for the Federal DA in San Diego. They stayed about a year, and then moved to NYC. She was back in town for a few days accompanying her husband at a law conference.

I didn't know her that well while she was here, we only really started chatting right before she moved away, but our conversations had a profound effect on me. I don't know if I've ever met a woman more powerful in her motherhood, and I don't say that lightly. I aspire to that.

Anyway, I invited myself and Porter along on her zoo trip, and we happily met up the next day. We have a membership there, but I really don't get there often enough, so it was a nice opportunity to renew our friendship, and see a place I love.

This is Isaac Criddle, he and Jake were in nursery and Sunbeams together. I didn't bring Jake because we was in school. I really should have just taken him out early that day, because we had a great day at the zoo.

My ham child Porter posed for some great pictures. He loves being able to freely climb on things and not get in trouble, like he does at home. Annika commented that she's been to a lot of amazing zoos, but San Diego is truly the best zoo in the US. The animals and their enclosures are amazing, but I think people don't really appreciate the horticulture of the place.

I'm kicking myself because I didn't bring my telephoto lens with me. While we were walking down (Tiger Trail?) Porter had run up ahead. The golden leaf tree visible at the top left corner of the picture was raining down golden leaves, and Porter was dancing in them. It was so beautiful it was almost surreal.

This whole experience made me wish I had more time to keep in touch with old friends. I wish I was a better friend to the ones I have locally. Shoot, I feel a resolution coming on!!!!

Free Tuesday!

2009-01-14T07:54:00.000-08:00

I love living in San Diego. Yes, it's mid January and the temperature is hovering near 80F. My kids don't really fathom snow and ice, let alone rain. We're spoiled an we know it. We have some really beautiful parks here that we can go to year round. The biggest and best is Balboa Park. It's right next door to the zoo, and has some pretty great museums, and, they have free Tuesdays. http://www.balboapark.org/calendar/detail.php?EventID=370 Last Tuesday it was the Natural History Museum, the Reuben H. Fleet Center and the Model Railroad Museum. A friend of mine and I took our kids to the RHFC and train museum. They have science toys in the RHFC and upstairs is a "Kid City" where kids can play grocery store and a lot of other things.

As we were walking back to the car, the weather was perfect, there were children running around the fountain, and I was just struck by how great we have it.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it is a little past New Year, but I'm seriously just catching my breath. Whew, what a holiday season. Christmas was fantastic, I still have my kids shouts of excitement at their presents ringing in my ears. Jake got a new BMX bike, a Nintendo DS and a set of scriptures; Porter got a lot of really cool Star Wars gear including the Captain Rex helmet he's been asking for since August, and the Clone Wars AT-TE he really wanted.

The hits? Well, the Nintendo DS has been fantastic. Porter loves the Leapster Clone Wars game we got him. That darn AT-TE I wanted to throw out nearly from the get go--it has cool "articulated" legs for different "poses." Those same articulated legs break off under the minutest of pressure, causing a great deal of frustration for Porter, and his mom & dad.
Anyway, it's a cool toy, but it is very frustrating!

We had some wonderful guests for Christmas, Tommy, Katrina and their little addition;

and my girlfriend Roni and her cutie Koji. My brother is playing peak-a-boo with him here. He was so cute--we got several giggles and belly laughs from this game. I really loved having all my friends and family around for Christmas day. My brother the chef cooked the ham and roast "beast" for Christmas dinner, and it was fantastic. We also swooped in to see Paul's brother and sister-in-law for the afternoon. I was really struck by how blessed we are to have so much family in the area, and that we need to take more advantage of that. Tom and Paul told stories and memories of their Dad, who passed before I met Paul, so the kids don't even know him. It was great hearing their stories. I now know that Jake comes by his pickiness genetically. Tom said he remembers Grandpa Z picking up Tim (the 3rd oldest) and shoving food in his mouth when he refused to eat (not gently either). I do swear there are times we feel like this too!

We had some great quiet moments that day too. I love this shot with Rachael and baby Bella, my little bother Joel's latest addition and the "other" girl in the family.

We are so blessed!

Christmas Spirit

2008-12-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

A friend gave an incredibly powerful talk in church on Sunday. She spoke about the spirit of Christmas. She talked about how on her mission she struggled to help people feel the Spirit, and realized recently that all she needed to tell them was that the Spirit is the same as the spirit of Christmas. She gave such a powerful testimony, my bones practically rang with it. The spirit of Christmas touches you in the oddest places. . .

This morning at the gym, I was on my usual machine, and I was trying to finish a book I had been reading. (I don't usually read while working out because I do cardio in intervals and watch the clock to do them. The book is a Steven King novel that I've discovered I CAN'T read at night, so I took it to the gym with me this morning.) The pages kept flipping around, and it was a bit of a struggle. Suddenly, a lady that I had never seen before, came up and put a hair clip on my book, pinching the pages down, so I could easily read. She simply explained, "I like to read too. You can just give it back when you're done." and she pointed over to the weight area. I was just starting my hour tho, so I figured, I'd give it back when she left. About a 30 minutes later, she comes back and says, "You know, between my daughter and I, we have tons of those things, you keep that one." I asked if she was sure, and, here's what did it for me, she said, "Merry Christmas," and she left. The value of what she gave me was probably nothing to her, but, to me was priceless. "Merry Christmas," not "happy holidays" or any of the other things people say to wash away the real meaning, the Spirit, of the season.

Merry Christmas!

Favorite Things

2008-12-14T14:48:00.000-08:00

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. . ." No, although they're very nice. I thought I'd write a quick note on my favorite things.

1. Nexxus Therappe hair products. I've tried tons of the premiums shampoos (my sister is a cosmetologist extraordinaire and keeps me well supplied) and I keep coming back to this line. Nothing leaves my hair as manageable and frizz-free as these products. Word of warning for gals lucky enough to have naturally oily hair-stay far, far away. These products are great for people with naturally curly, naturally dry hair. You can and should get them from Costco.

2. Curel body lotion. Again, for those lucky enough to have oily skin, this is probably not necessary for you. But, the Intensive Moisture Therapy product (red label) is the only lotion that I can apply once, and not have to reapply--all day. Love, love, love this stuff--and it's unscented, so anybody with sensitive skin should be okay with it.

3. Costco generic loratadine--hmmm, 300 pills of loratadine for $12 or $35 for 80 Claritin pills. Same medicine, same amount of medicine--this is a no brainer. We were spending a lot on medication for my son who suffers from allergies pretty much year round. When we were on vacation this July at my sister-in-law's house, I forgot our Claritin, and my son had rubbed his face in their cat's bed. They offered the Costco stuff, it worked great on my son's allergy flare up, and I haven't made that mistake again. Bless you (and curse you) Costco for making the things I need (and don't need) in large quantities.

4. Trader Joe's. Okay, I'll be honest here. I used to roll my eyes at my friends at work who spoke with slavish fanaticism at the stuff they got from their local Trader Joe's. It was, and is, a supremely yuppie place to shop. That said, the prices on milk, sour cream, eggs and other dairy aisle items are lower than any of the larger grocery chains, and our local non-chain grocery store I frequent. Their convenience items are also not expensive--broccoli chopped and ready to steam 2 lb for $1.99 (to the chagrin of my kids)! The Joe Joes are better than Oreos, and right now they have some with real candy canes in the frosting goodness that is the filling. And, if you haven't tried the kettle corn--you are missing a real treat.

5. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Myer. Stay-at-home-mom of three fits writing 600+ page best-selling novels in between potty-training and church callings and all the other stuff that moms do during the day. Inspirational! I was introduced to these by a good friend, and I in turn bought them for my very self, and loaned them to other friends--all of which at one point or another have called at odd hours of the day begging me to spoil the plot for them. Eng, no reading the last chapter, you'll only ruin for yourself!!!! I enjoy these so much, I re-read when I don't have anything new. It's a true guilty pleasure--one of many, but I'll leave those for another entry.

Procrastination!

2008-12-12T14:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas cards, photos to be hung on a wall, paperwork for insurance next year, choir cantata programs to be printed, desserts for various parties, IRS forms (not scary ones), Christmas presents, job hunting, EDD paperwork, car registrations, household chores--the question for the day is how many things can one woman having looming over her before she cracks? The really big problem is the I have the attention span of a gnat at the moment. If I could just sit down and focus on one thing from start to finish--I'd be able to knock most of this stuff out. But focus has never been a strong point of mine. You need only to have a conversation with me for longer than 10 minutes to realize how tangential my thinking is.

I swear its not old age either--I have been this way since I was a child! I'll walk into a room with the intention of plugging my cell phone in--I go to plug it in, realize that the counter is dirty, start cleaning it off, as I'm putting something away, realize that I have laundry that needs to be changed out, get down to the laundry and realize that my garage needs cleaning, put something from my dirty car upstairs in my room, sit down and try to get bills paid, pay my cell phone bill, realize that it's not yet plugged in, go down and plug it in and realize that the counter is still dirty. . .and the entire cycle starts over again. And at the end of the day, I have a dirty counter, dirty laundry, dirty garage and an uncharged cell phone! Is this normal, or do I need some serious drugs?!

I'm posting a collage of Porter a friend of mine did. It's quite good. I have such talented friends around me--Eng is an amazing photographer, my sister does everything she puts her hands to well, my mother can prepare lessons for church that make everyone better people. Me, I can't even clean my house.

Twilight, The Movie

2008-11-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

So, my sister called me early last week and said, "You and me, Twilight, next Saturday. Is it a date?" No hesitation on my part--of course. I've been anticipating this movie since I saw the trailer at the last movie I saw--which I can't even remember because it has been so long. I hadn't even read the books yet, but the movie looked intriguing.

Well, a dear friend of mine gave me the first 2 books, and told me to apologize to my family before I started to read them. I said okay a little skeptically, and took them home. I started to read the first Sunday. And bless her heart, my dear friend Susan was appallingly correct. I neglected everything and everyone in my life for the next week while I finished the first 2 books. She didn't have the 3rd or 4th, which had just come out, so I tried to settle into a long wait til I could get them. Let's just say, I held out for about a day. I bought books 3 and 4, then when I finished those, I went back and bought 1 & 2 so I could read them again. Which I have numerous times. I also loaned the books to a friend I thought would enjoy them. She's since called me and cursed me out a few times--her family has also been neglected thoroughly.

So, I was turned into one of those rabid fans that I roll my eyes at when I come across them.

When Saturday finally arrived, my sister, girlfriend and I met up at the movies (Mission Valley 20, Fashion 18 is always sold out). My girlfriend and I left our neglected families behind and drove in together. We had pre-purchased our tickets, so we grabbed take out to stand in line. We sat and waited for the movie to start--there are quite a few movies coming out that look really funny (Confessions of a Shopoholic may be another girl's night out). I was surprised at the number of men in line--I wouldn't want my hubby around--no harshing my mellow. . .

The men in the movie are exquisite--I think that the casting was about the best I've seen for a movie adaptation of a beloved book. My sister's friends warned her about the screaming--not from fright, but, when Edward first comes on screen. Robert Pattinson was exactly the Edward in my mind. I read later that a bunch of rabid fans had actually signed a petition for them NOT to cast him, and he received a bunch of hate mail. Those fans were dead wrong. Pattinson brought something to the role that wasn't in the book. He actually made me see Edward's point of view better--how tortuous it was to be around his own personal brand of heroin, and not partaking. He caught the awkwardness of a boy falling for a girl for the first time--and knowing that he could kill her if he lost control.

That said, I came out of the movie a little disappointed. I couldn't quite put my finger on why until I thought it over. I was disappointed that they had spent so little on special effects. Movie audiences have become very spoiled at the sophistication of special effects in movies these days--they are nearly seamless in most movies. But, you could practically see the wires for some of the effects. The one scene where they had to get it right, Edward showing Bella what he looked like in sunlight, was so hokey, people in the theater laughed. The movie did not spend enough time developing the relationship between Edward and Bella either. She figures out what he is, then suddenly, they're in love. People who've read the book could buy it, but, people who hadn't read the book would miss it entirely. I don't know if this was a script/screenwriter problem, or an editing problem.

The director, Catherine Hardwicke, captured exactly the moodiness of the scenery. She captured the awkwardness between teenager Bella and the father she hardly knows. The audience got started knowing the Cullen family, and Bella's friends from school and her relationship with Jacob Black was introduced. The cast was phenomenal. At the end of the movie, they showed Victoria, part of the evil coven hunting Bella, watching Edward and Bella at prom. This makes me wonder if the studio will somehow skip book 2 and go directly to book 3, or mix bits and pieces of the 2 books for the second movie. It will be interesting to see.

This movie made over $70 million in the opening, the highest opening weekend for any female director. Summit has announced plans to film the next book. I just hope that they'll invest a bit more money for special effects in the next film.

Playing Catch Up!

2008-10-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

I'm going to play catch up here, since it has been so long since I've written. We had some really fun activities over the summer, including several trips to Sea World. They've updated the kids play area--can you believe it was "Captain Kidd's" world when I was a kid. I think they had better things to play on when I was a kid--but of course they'd be too dangerous for kids these days. Here's a picture or two of Jake and Porter enjoying themselves in the water.

We had some great days at the beach. Jake discovered Boogey boarding and has since taken up surfing. Dad is completely stoked about it. He finally has someone to go out with him. My mother is a little worried about starting him so early. But, I figure everyone needs a passion, and if surfing is his--that is great. There's no better way to stay in shape and find your center than surfing. I'm sure his Aunt Shannon would love to come down and take him out now and then too!

Jake got into GATE seminar--which is the Gifted and Talented Education class. He is loving his teachers--he has 2--and the projects they've done so far have really kept him interested in school. He's always been the "enthusiastic learner" a teacher euphemism for "loud" but he has always loved school. This class has just been icing on the cake for him. The first day of school they did an architecture project where they took tightly rolled up newspapers and made a structure. Jake's group did a very cool pyramid looking thing with a free swinging star floating from the top of the pyramid. One of his teachers plays guitar, and he came home completely enthused about singing in class--Blue Suede Shoes.

About half way into September, I decided I was going to replace the old yucky vinyl tiles in our kitchen. A lot of them were coming up off the floor, and most of them were cracked and damaged. I went and bought some new vinyl tiles, then started in on the removal process. To my dismay, most pulled easily from the floor because they were completely waterlogged. I had that horrible sinking feeling one gets before bad news hits. When Paul got home, he took one look at what I had started (and I'm sure got the sinking feeling as well) and said we'd need to replace the entire floor--possibly even the studs. The first layer was bad--the wood was completely rotten. The next layer, was the cheapest particle board on the market, was completely disintegrated. Luckily, the next layer wasn't too bad. We laid down the new subfloor, and decided to go with ceramic tile rather than vinyl tiles. Boy, that was a ton of work, but the results are phenomenal, and I can say that we did it ourselves. The best part of all, my husband is still talking to me after this project.

Aside from this 3 week project, Porter and I have been keeping busy. We're working on our letters, he's starting to try and write for himself--we've been sorting M&Ms and other candy to work on our math skills, and we make elaborate projects with construction paper. A few weeks ago it was a big hat from a Costco box. Two weeks ago it was a jack-o-lantern card for his best buddies Chase and Ashley, and last week it was a rocket--with a paper towel roll. He's very creative--this is all in between making clone trooper or stormtrooper helmets out of any and everything.

Well, my internet link keeps timing out, so my pictures are going to go missing for a little bit. I'll try again in the morning. . .

Marriage, addictions and other musings

2008-08-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

Jake, Porter and I were driving home from Costco today when Jake commented that he had a lot of friends with parents divorcing. He actually had five. We talked a little about why. I told him that I figured a lot of people get disappointed with marriage--or with their partner. They didn't have their expectations met. Jake then asked what "expectations" were. To put it into terms he knows, I said something along the lines of wanting something really bad for Christmas. And in the case of a bad marriage, not getting that Christmas present. I believe it's never too early to start marriage education. I'll fill him with my ideas, hopefully his Dad will fill him with his ideas, and he'll start to have a little picture of what it takes to be married.

My theory on marriage? My spouse in not responsible for my happiness, I AM. My spouse provides a launching pad, a safe haven for me finding my own happiness. Parenting, I think, is rather the same, but with a lot more training up front. You can try and train your spouse, but I think that is a bit like banging your head against a wall repeatedly. Like it or not, spouses are already trained (?) when you get them--especially when you marry older as I did.

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The purpose of this Costco trip was to get Dad some Dr. Pepper (or as Porter has called it from the time he could speak--DADDY Pepper). Dad had been grouchy all weekend after not having any on Saturday or Sunday. Jake mused that Dad hadn't had Dr. Pepper yesterday, but he was fine when they went to work on their soapbox car for Scouts. Jake then said, "I think Dad just needs a hobby. . ."

Out of the mouths of babes.

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Finally, Paul sent me an article on food scientists.

http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/04/food-scientists-on-the-decline-worldwide

I love product developing, and I love working for companies that do research to end world hunger. Figuring out how to make crops grow with not a lot of water, with out much pesticide and still produce nutritionally sound food that is where we need more research done.

How the MAD Scientist became a sahm

2008-07-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Why mad scientist you ask? Well, I'm a little angry right now. I was laid off at the end of March 2008--the very last day of the month, and at the very end of the workday. I was in the lunchroom when my smarmy smiling boss came in and told me to come up around 3 to hear about some changes to R&D--and to send up everyone in 15 minute increments. He walked off, and I promptly threw my lunch away, as all appetite had fled. I was hurrying to get a particularly large order out, and when I looked up at three--I noticed all my coworkers had vacated the lab. Apparently they had been given different orders than I. I walked upstairs--knowing what was coming. Smarmy boss-man told there wasn't enough work to justify my existence and then told me to give back my cell phone and laptop--neither of which had ever been granted to me, and to clear out my desk by the end of the day. It was 3 and, as I arrived at work at 7, was fairly close to the end of my work day. I went back to my desk to clear off a few photos I had stored on the computer, I got up to trash some files I didn't think they'd need, and by the time I got back to my desk, I had been locked out of my computer.

I went back downstairs to finish that order, and clean up my bench--then I trashed my notebook--a no-no in the science world, and left. As I was leaving, one of my coworkers had returned, and I explained what was going on. She was one of my favorites, and I actually felt more sorry for her for having to stay. As I drove off, I flipped that company the biggest mental bird I could. They have done through 4, count 'em, 4 R&D directors in about 3 years. I managed to hang on the longest. What really makes me mad about the entire thing was that I found out about their track record a few hours after giving my notice at my old job. It was truly unfortunate timing.

So, after giving them the mental bird, and driving off, I phoned my husband, promptly burst into tears and started shaking. I have not been unemployed in over 16 years--especially not with 2 children and a mortgage. I'm still feeling rudderless--and stressed with the economy tanking the way it is. But, I remember part way through the long drive (did I mention I drove 45 miles each way) feeling elated, and freed from the crappiest employer EVER. My kids reactions were priceless when I told them about the job. Jake said "YESSSS!" and Porter just hugged me tight. Here we are 3 months later, and I love the stay-at-home scene. I just don't know if we can make it work. We love San Diego, but, affordable it isn't.

"Luckily" a week after I lost my job, some drunk driver took out my husband's (paid for) Chevy Silverado when it was parked on the street. We were paid fairly generously for the loss. This means that we no longer have a gas guzzler and are down to one pretty old car. My husband is getting in great shape riding his bike to work, and we are learning to walk and ride bikes for our outings as well. I heard some movie director say that getting fired was "God's way of telling you to do something else." I'm looking into it--but I sure haven't been inspired by the prospects at the moment. It's a scary world out there, I just hope I can find a place in it.

Say What?!

2008-07-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

What do you tell your 7 and 4 year old about bad language? A few days ago, luckily out of earshot of dad (who would immediately blame me), Porter asked, "Mom, what does sombitch mean?" Just like that. My immediate reaction was to have to stifle a very loud chortle--something that foul coming from such a sweet, innocent face. Then, bafflement as I struggled to think when I last said that (I blame myself for their foul language too). But that particular word is not in my repertoire of things to say when stubbing a toe, or dropping a hot pan of pasta sauce on my clean kitchen floor. So, I'm completely baffled as to where he got that one.

I've found that I have to separate what words can be said in what location. I don't want to invest importance into silly words--crap, fart, poop are not a bad words, especially when only said in the bathroom. Likewise, dipstick is fine in the garage. But when you use these words to make someone feel bad, that is bad. I'm trying to teach them that the words themselves are not bad, but the intention behind the use of the word is.

So imagine my horror when my 7 year old asked (after playing with Tigger at his cousin's house), "Mom, what does n----r mean?" This did not make me laugh at all--where on earth did he hear this one?! To me, that word is the ultimate in mean words--the intention of that word is to demean. I tried calmly to explain that to my son--we don't ever use that word, it is only a mean word. He said it a few more times, rephrasing the original question, I think to just get it out of his system.

I read a story in the Redding paper last week when we were visiting. The story talks about two moms taking their 3 early readers to the playground. The slide made a great microphone so the moms could hear everything their kids were saying. They were laughing at some of the fun comments they were making up until the 2 boys started swearing like sailors. The girls mom looked at the boy's mother accusingly, and she could not figure out where they'd heard these words. Then, the girl said, "Mother-father. . .ha! they spelled father wrong!" The moms realized that the kids were reading the graffiti off the inside of the slide.

Home from Vacation!

2008-07-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

My car is currently a pungent potpouri of Ranch Pringles, McDonalds French Fries, Tropical Skittles, bbq pistachios, Dr. Pepper with a little 2% milk thrown in. Yes, we defied current wisdom and took a driving vacation this year. With gas prices as high as $4.75 in Bishop, CA and as low as $4.05 in Carson City, NV this may not have been as wise as the trendy "staycation," but we sure had a blast.

We started out Tuesday, July 2, leaving San Diego at Paul's predicted 2 pm. I guess I'm more of an optimist than I thought, I predicted 12. We drove to Livermore, CA and stayed with Paul's wonderful and very hospitable sister Pat. We love staying with her because she has a beautiful house, with a terrific garden. And, if we time it right, her fab husband will cook for us. Alas, we did not time this one right. We decided, belatedly, to hit Yosemite on Wednesday. Of course, we were tired from the journey the day before, so we didn't leave Livermore until 11:30. The last time Paul and I made this trip, we left from Ripon (an hour closer) and we had my cute little Miata. Needless to say, we didn't arrive in Yosemite Valley until 3, a good hour and a half later than we'd hoped. Yosemite was beautiful though, and worth the time. We hiked to lower Yosemite Falls, then decided to hike to the top of Vernal Falls. Porter stayed on Paul's shoulders for most of the hike, but Jake, courageous adventurer he is, did it on his own. We couldn't be more proud! We didn't leave Yosemite until 8 that night, so we completely missed out on dinner with the Bayons.

We left Livermore the following day, after a fun lunch with Pat and Brent. The journey to Redding was uneventful (did we mention we have a portable DVD system that makes travelling with kids a breeze?). We stayed with Tim and Kathleen this time around. Mom Z has not been feeling all that well, and relinquished her exclusive rights to host us. Unfortunately, there were no fireworks in Redding due to that half of the state being ON FIRE! The day we arrived was the first day the people of Redding could see the surrounding mountains. We decided to do the Redding Aquatic Center which was an absolute blast. They have 2 enormous pools split into separate sections. A diving section with a high dive and standard diving board. Jake DOVE from the high dive for me--he's incredibly intrepid! They have a great water slide, and in the other pool, a very shallow area with a play structure for toddlers--with 3 small water slides. All this for the bargain price of $3.50 for adults and $3.00 for kids. If you're in the area, I highly recommend this place. http://reddingrecreation.org/

The 5th of July, we went to Brandycreek. It was beautiful and clear when we arrived, but got smokier and smokier as the day progressed. Jake and Paul had a great time swimming to the raft in the middle of the swimming area. There is a shallow sand bar on the other side of the raft that you can stand on and walk. It was a great day all around.

We left the following day for Alturas. We passed through a bunch of very small towns on our way there, as well as some incredibly picturesque country. When we arrived, we were instructed to hit the Holiday Market and get directions from the cute tall blonde checker there. Boy, was she cute, and tall and blonde!!! Our niece, Danielle, was working that day. She gave us directions to her mother's after taking our money for the ice cream we couldn't resist. We polished off our cold treats and took off for Ann's house. We spent a few days visiting them--swimming in the community pool and taking in the sights. That is gorgeous country. I wish we had more time to do the camping and fishing the area is so rich in.

From there, it was on to Lori's in Reno, NV. I went to high school in the area, so I was somewhat familiar with the territory. But boy has Reno grown. I scarcely recognized South Reno at all. Lori's girls had just had to switch to year-round school, and had started school two days before. But, as we don't get to see them that often, she pulled them out of school the next day so we could play. We decided to do Lake Tahoe. We chose Sand Harbor which was absolutely stunning that day. It was clear and wonderful when we arrived, but as the day progressed the smoke we were trying to escape in Redding made it's appearance. By the end of the day, we could no longer see the mountains surrounding the lake and ash covered our cars. The kids love looking for crawdads on the rocks, and they even managed to catch a big one. We managed to have a wonderful day, and got only slightly sunburned.

All to soon, we had to bid the Strang's goodbye, and get home. Porter had woken up the night before wondering where he was at. Who could blame him? We have been in no less than 4 different beds--all terrific, but confusing for a 4 year old. Paul pulled Porter into bed with us and we slept well for the rest of the night. We passed through my old stomping grounds on the way home--stopping in at Russel's Mercantile in Minden, NV. My former next-door-neighbors run the place--if you have a chance to stop in, I highly recommend them. They have fantastic sandwiches and salads--not to mention the baked goodies. It was great to catch up with the Russel and Denna families and see how great they are doing. http://nevadamagazine.com/index.php/issues/read/nevada_gift_ideas/

From there, it was back home to San Diego. The weather is perfect and my kids get to sleep in their own beds. I think it's likely Porter will still crawl in bed with us--I bet the confusion won't wear off for a while, but I think this was a vacation they will never forget.