Tonight after dinner, Dean started singing "It's a Wonderful World". So I found it on youtube and we sang along and danced in the kitchen. That was the kickoff! For the next 30 minutes, we found music on youtube and sang and danced. It was really fun.
Here's the playlist:
"What a Wonderful World"
Louis Armstrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzJY96m3lkg
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FBKa-bCasY&feature=fvsr
"Crocodile Rock"
Elton John
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Ta0qCG8No
"Rocket Man"
Elton John
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GAKOLOnfV4
"Tiny Dancer"
Elton John
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GAKOLOnfV4
...yes we did get on an Elton John kick...
"Born this Way" (the BEST one to dance to!!)
Lady Gaga
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GAKOLOnfV4
...and our song and dance evening ended with the boys doing an a capella version of Ise Oluwa Ko Le Baje O (video below courtesy Amasong)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym0zBQNeHYU
I'm going to make this a part of our nightly ritual as it serves 2 purposes. I can introduce them to new music and it's a great family activity. Well, maybe 3 purposes...depending on the music I play considering music is often used as a platform for education or to spark controversy. Which is great as it will ignite their curiosity and give us an opportunity to educate.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Monday, April 11, 2011
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Ice Skating in Pershing Square
We've had Tom's father here for the last 5 days. We had a great time. On his first night here we had dinner at our favorite Greek place and then toured a nearby neighborhood that always gets decked out for the holidays. Christmas Eve was spent at the Sullivans. Christmas day dawned early - I think we finished unwrapping everything by 9:00am. We had delicious duck hash and poached eggs for breakfast - courtesy of my breakfast chef husband. Christmas dinner was had at Abe's deli because we were all too tired to make anything. The next day, we went whale watching off the coast. We saw hundreds upon hundreds of dolphins. They jumped and swam alongside the boat. We saw 2 fin whales. Dinner was seafood-themed, of course, at Bubba Gump.
Sunday was spent relaxing, playing with new toys, eating too much junk food - topped off with burgers and shakes from In and Out.
And yesterday was ice skating in Pershing Square followed by lunch in Chinatown.
Good times.
Monday, September 07, 2009
Labor Day Part II
Well, look at me back in my favorite chair with my feet up on my ottoman.
It was a great day. We took Layne and Paula down to Chinatown to introduce Layne to Dim Sum. I had forgotten how they don't even wait for you to sit before they offer a tin of this and a plate of that. To the uninitiated it can be quite intimidating. But Layne rolls with the punches and soon our table was full of interesting things, mostly filled with shrimp as it would turn out. There was fried shrimp with sugar cane, rice balls filled with shrimp, spring rolls with shrimp, honeyed shrimp and walnuts, fried wontons filled with shrimp and a platter of fried prawns whose black eyes stared right through me. We also had pork bao and chicken bao and some other chicken dish which I can't begin to explain except to say that it tasted good and I wouldn't want to know which parts of the chicken were used. We used chopsticks, even the boys, and nothing went flying across the room (miraculously) though one of the chopsticks was broken in half. After we filled our bellies, we browsed the shop, marveled at the delicate plates, bowls and cups, turned our noses up at unfamiliar fare (like mung beans - what is that?), and sampled the teas until we finally felt like we'd tested fate enough with having two six year olds in a china shop, and left. On our way back to the car we bought some snap pops for Jack (little explosives that you throw onto the sidewalk) and a fan for Dean. We took the long way home and showed Paula and Layne around downtown Los Angeles. Through the industrial area, a quick (very quick) foray into East LA, circled back through the garment district, the fashion district, past the Convention Center and the Staples Center, through the jewelry district and the historic district and closed the loop back at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Then onto the freeway where we headed for Burbank to drive by my office and have some ice cream in Downtown Burbank.
They left shortly after we returned home and the rest of the evening was spent with the boys and I at the table putting together the legos (a gift from Paula and Layne). Tomorrow is the last day of summer vacation for the boys and then it's back to school. I am ready for fall, craving crisp air and crunchy leaves, sweaters and boots (though I don't know how I'd get my swollen feet into them), frost on the grass and roof tops. There's something about the transition to 'back to school' that makes me long for the fall.
Then again, I was at the beach just yesterday and already mourning the loss of summer so, there ya go.
It was a great day. We took Layne and Paula down to Chinatown to introduce Layne to Dim Sum. I had forgotten how they don't even wait for you to sit before they offer a tin of this and a plate of that. To the uninitiated it can be quite intimidating. But Layne rolls with the punches and soon our table was full of interesting things, mostly filled with shrimp as it would turn out. There was fried shrimp with sugar cane, rice balls filled with shrimp, spring rolls with shrimp, honeyed shrimp and walnuts, fried wontons filled with shrimp and a platter of fried prawns whose black eyes stared right through me. We also had pork bao and chicken bao and some other chicken dish which I can't begin to explain except to say that it tasted good and I wouldn't want to know which parts of the chicken were used. We used chopsticks, even the boys, and nothing went flying across the room (miraculously) though one of the chopsticks was broken in half. After we filled our bellies, we browsed the shop, marveled at the delicate plates, bowls and cups, turned our noses up at unfamiliar fare (like mung beans - what is that?), and sampled the teas until we finally felt like we'd tested fate enough with having two six year olds in a china shop, and left. On our way back to the car we bought some snap pops for Jack (little explosives that you throw onto the sidewalk) and a fan for Dean. We took the long way home and showed Paula and Layne around downtown Los Angeles. Through the industrial area, a quick (very quick) foray into East LA, circled back through the garment district, the fashion district, past the Convention Center and the Staples Center, through the jewelry district and the historic district and closed the loop back at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Then onto the freeway where we headed for Burbank to drive by my office and have some ice cream in Downtown Burbank.
They left shortly after we returned home and the rest of the evening was spent with the boys and I at the table putting together the legos (a gift from Paula and Layne). Tomorrow is the last day of summer vacation for the boys and then it's back to school. I am ready for fall, craving crisp air and crunchy leaves, sweaters and boots (though I don't know how I'd get my swollen feet into them), frost on the grass and roof tops. There's something about the transition to 'back to school' that makes me long for the fall.
Then again, I was at the beach just yesterday and already mourning the loss of summer so, there ya go.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
An update
Ok, this is going to be very stream of consciousness but there's a lot going on and I never seem to have time to write. So, here it is:
Jack
He's doing great in school but really looking forward to summer vacation. He asks me every few days how many days until summer vacation? Without weekends? With weekends? How many days until we go to Grandma's? Without weekends? You get it. He wants to go swimming every chance he gets. He has become so confident in the water that he can now hang with the older boys and I don't freak out. Don't worry, I still keep my eyes on him. He laid in bed last night and read "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" all by himself without any help from me. When he gets tired, he puts his book down and goes to sleep. Everywhere we go he sounds out words and more often than not, gets them right. It's amazing and thrilling and he makes me beam with pride. He's still super competitive but we're working on that by playing games just for fun, not keeping score. He can be extremely stubborn but I'm discovering that if you give him some love instead of anger, his anger just deflates. He will get himself up on a Saturday morning, close our bedroom door so we won't hear him, put on the television, make himself cereal or a peanut butter and honey sandwich, pour the milk or the juice without spilling a drop, and make breakfast for Dean, too. I have fallen in love with him all over again.
Dean
My artist, my imagineer, my sweet and salty boy. Still full of contradictions but now there are fewer dramatics. He now sleeps so soundly that I check to make sure he's breathing. He is struggling with reading but is trying his best and is keeping his frustration in check. He is a social butterfly at school and everyone loves him. Even his teacher, though she'd really like it if he'd just do his work before socializing. He loves to play and hates to work. He tumbles into every show, every character he sees on TV and can quote lines from those shows with perfect timing, perfect pitch. He has wild hair with a wild spirit to match. He is also excited for summer vacation and can't wait to hang out with his friends James and Frank. He loves swimming but doesn't like getting his head wet so he just dog paddles around, his little face turned up to the sky. He has suddenly declared that he's big now and doesn't need us to lay down with him at night. This is a new development as of Sunday night and it is bittersweet. It's nice to have the time back but I'll miss the way he manages to squeeze his legs in between mine and bury his head in my shoulder and the way he will occasionally start talking in his sleep, his words crisp and clear but what he's saying is absolute, utter nonsense. And yes, I've fallen in love with him all over again.
Tom
What can I say about this man that I haven't already said? He continues to surprise me, he works his tail off, constantly strives to make our lives better, richer, always offers to take the boys so I can have time to myself, has infinite patience, gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. He surprises us (me and the boys) by recording new shows that he thinks we'll like or he'll find a movie that he thinks we'll like. One night at the Sullivan's we did Karaoke and I sang "All That Jazz". Weeks later, I discovered that he had recorded "All That Jazz" and "Chicago" for me. Just because he thought I'd like it. He is always thinking about places to take the boys, ways to fix up our house, ways to make more money - he never stops. And he supports me every step of the way. I fall in love with him more each day.
Me
I'm still a work in progress but I'm having a lot of fun figuring it out. I still get the crap beat out of me on a regular basis but I'm tough and I refuse to back down. I just tested for green belt last Saturday and it was awesome. I am now "halfway" to black. The techniques get harder so I'm sure the progress will slow a bit but I'm having a blast so if it takes twice as long to get through the next six belts, well that's ok. Yesterday Master D brought out the nunchucks and we just played with those for a half hour. It was so fun I bought a set for myself today! Tom thinks I'm crazy. He just shakes his head at me. I went to my friend and training partner's Black belt test today. It was inspiring. After the boys went to bed tonight I worked on my new form and hand techniques. Speaking of the boys - after dinner tonight we all ended up on the floor in the living room just cuddling and tickling with the boys and Jack asked Tom if he wanted a massage. Naturally, Tom said yes. Jack got to work pounding on his back with knife hands, rubbing underneath his shirt, scratching his back. Of course Dean wanted in on the act too so he offered to give one to me. He went to town! Rubbing my back, doing the knife hands, scratching my back - everything. Then he worked on my neck and my shoulders, my upper arms and my calves. They were so earnest and excited to be doing something for us. It was really nice. So we took them out for ice cream.
*****************************************************
I know this post is sort of haphazard and messy. I actually started it 5 days ago but couldn't finish it so it's been sitting in my drafts folder all this time. It all still applies, though. The boys are really fun right now and we're enjoying ourselves.
Tomorrow we're going to the movies to see Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. I have to video Dean saying the title because he adds a syllable to Smithsonian but I can't remember what it is. I know it's cute, though.
Jack
He's doing great in school but really looking forward to summer vacation. He asks me every few days how many days until summer vacation? Without weekends? With weekends? How many days until we go to Grandma's? Without weekends? You get it. He wants to go swimming every chance he gets. He has become so confident in the water that he can now hang with the older boys and I don't freak out. Don't worry, I still keep my eyes on him. He laid in bed last night and read "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" all by himself without any help from me. When he gets tired, he puts his book down and goes to sleep. Everywhere we go he sounds out words and more often than not, gets them right. It's amazing and thrilling and he makes me beam with pride. He's still super competitive but we're working on that by playing games just for fun, not keeping score. He can be extremely stubborn but I'm discovering that if you give him some love instead of anger, his anger just deflates. He will get himself up on a Saturday morning, close our bedroom door so we won't hear him, put on the television, make himself cereal or a peanut butter and honey sandwich, pour the milk or the juice without spilling a drop, and make breakfast for Dean, too. I have fallen in love with him all over again.
Dean
My artist, my imagineer, my sweet and salty boy. Still full of contradictions but now there are fewer dramatics. He now sleeps so soundly that I check to make sure he's breathing. He is struggling with reading but is trying his best and is keeping his frustration in check. He is a social butterfly at school and everyone loves him. Even his teacher, though she'd really like it if he'd just do his work before socializing. He loves to play and hates to work. He tumbles into every show, every character he sees on TV and can quote lines from those shows with perfect timing, perfect pitch. He has wild hair with a wild spirit to match. He is also excited for summer vacation and can't wait to hang out with his friends James and Frank. He loves swimming but doesn't like getting his head wet so he just dog paddles around, his little face turned up to the sky. He has suddenly declared that he's big now and doesn't need us to lay down with him at night. This is a new development as of Sunday night and it is bittersweet. It's nice to have the time back but I'll miss the way he manages to squeeze his legs in between mine and bury his head in my shoulder and the way he will occasionally start talking in his sleep, his words crisp and clear but what he's saying is absolute, utter nonsense. And yes, I've fallen in love with him all over again.
Tom
What can I say about this man that I haven't already said? He continues to surprise me, he works his tail off, constantly strives to make our lives better, richer, always offers to take the boys so I can have time to myself, has infinite patience, gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. He surprises us (me and the boys) by recording new shows that he thinks we'll like or he'll find a movie that he thinks we'll like. One night at the Sullivan's we did Karaoke and I sang "All That Jazz". Weeks later, I discovered that he had recorded "All That Jazz" and "Chicago" for me. Just because he thought I'd like it. He is always thinking about places to take the boys, ways to fix up our house, ways to make more money - he never stops. And he supports me every step of the way. I fall in love with him more each day.
Me
I'm still a work in progress but I'm having a lot of fun figuring it out. I still get the crap beat out of me on a regular basis but I'm tough and I refuse to back down. I just tested for green belt last Saturday and it was awesome. I am now "halfway" to black. The techniques get harder so I'm sure the progress will slow a bit but I'm having a blast so if it takes twice as long to get through the next six belts, well that's ok. Yesterday Master D brought out the nunchucks and we just played with those for a half hour. It was so fun I bought a set for myself today! Tom thinks I'm crazy. He just shakes his head at me. I went to my friend and training partner's Black belt test today. It was inspiring. After the boys went to bed tonight I worked on my new form and hand techniques. Speaking of the boys - after dinner tonight we all ended up on the floor in the living room just cuddling and tickling with the boys and Jack asked Tom if he wanted a massage. Naturally, Tom said yes. Jack got to work pounding on his back with knife hands, rubbing underneath his shirt, scratching his back. Of course Dean wanted in on the act too so he offered to give one to me. He went to town! Rubbing my back, doing the knife hands, scratching my back - everything. Then he worked on my neck and my shoulders, my upper arms and my calves. They were so earnest and excited to be doing something for us. It was really nice. So we took them out for ice cream.
*****************************************************
I know this post is sort of haphazard and messy. I actually started it 5 days ago but couldn't finish it so it's been sitting in my drafts folder all this time. It all still applies, though. The boys are really fun right now and we're enjoying ourselves.
Tomorrow we're going to the movies to see Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. I have to video Dean saying the title because he adds a syllable to Smithsonian but I can't remember what it is. I know it's cute, though.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
A Long Rambling Update
My goodness but it's been a long time. Lots of goings on since the great tonsillectomy of 2009.
***
Chad and his family came for a visit at the end of April. It was the first time the cousins had seen each other since the summer of 2007. They had a great time with the three oldest boys getting along famously and Charlie tagging along good naturedly. Oh that Charlie is just pure sweetness. In the days leading up to the visit, Jack was working out the sleeping arrangements:
Jack: I'll sleep in the middle and Charlie can sleep next to me in case he gets scared. Miles can sleep on the other side and Dean can sleep on the end. Dean? Are you going to be scared?
Dean: Well, I might be a little bit scared.
Jack: Hmm, I wish we didn't have 3 kids because I only have 2 arms.
It turned out that Jack couldn't fall asleep with three kids gabbing around him and wound up in our bed, at least for the beginning of the night. Still, considering how excited they all were about playing together and slumber partying, they all did really well.
We went to the observatory and the park on one day and then went for a hike in the Angeles forest the next day. Those activities were great but really, the best hours were spent in freeplay throwing the football at the park, climbing on the playhouse in our backyard and playing with the hose. It was a great weekend to reconnect and we're especially looking forward to our midwest trip this summer when we'll get to spend even more time together.
***
We went to San Diego last weekend to reward the boys with a trip to Legoland. They've been earning points for good behavior and we told them that when they got enough points, we'd go to Legoland. I have to admit that there were whole weeks when we didn't record any points - not because their behavior didn't warrant it, but because it's just one more thing to keep up with.
We stayed at a lovely hotel near the park and they shuttled us back and forth. Legoland is the perfect amusement park for 6 year olds. Every ride is designed for their age group so they can go on practically everything, sometimes accompanied by an adult, sometimes not. There are also several open play places with rope ladders, ramps, climbing nets and slides where the kids can just cut loose. We also lucked out with weather, there was rain in the forecast which seemed to keep the locals away but it stayed dry so it turned out to be a perfect day. Even kids get tired of an amusement park after 5 hours though, so we headed back to the hotel in the late afternoon. The pool at the hotel was heated to a lovely 85 degrees and the kids spent an hour and a half frollicking in it. When we suddenly realized that it was 7:00 and the kids' fingers were shriveled and pickled, we thought it best to get dressed and find some dinner. The boys were exhausted though and we didn't make it through dinner without Jack falling asleep and Dean almost melting down. Back to the hotel we went to get lost in crisp white linen and the luxury of king sized beds. The boys love hotels.
We were blessed with light traffic on the way home (on the way down, too but that's so 3 days ago) so we were home in plenty of time for me to do some laundry and the grocery shopping.
Dean wasn't feeling very well on Sunday. He was slightly feverish and complaining of a sore throat. It suddenly dawned on us (me and Tom) that he was a little cranky and whiny at Legoland the day before and of course, that's how he always gets in the day or two before he comes down with something. When will we ever learn? The next morning he seemed better but Jack woke up early and in a thick voice told me he didn't feel well. Sure enough, his glands were the size of golf balls. I kept them both home, the last thing I need is the school to think they have the swine flu! Later Monday morning I was advised by Dean's teacher that he is Student of the month! How exciting! Luckily, he felt better today and was looking forward to being honored at the school assembly this morning. He dressed in all black, wearing his new black converse shoes - one laced with a black lace and the other laced with white. He's a trendsetter that boy.
Jack is still sick today but has no fever. He slept until 8:15 - highly unusual. Tom and I were talking last night about how they even get sick differently - Dean always gets cranky and whiny at least a day before he shows any symptoms of being sick and we always wonder what in the heck is wrong with him, then ohhhhhh, he's sick, of course. Jack just becomes quiet and lethargic, content to lay on the couch and watch tv - something he rarely is when he's healthy.
***
And now. That pretty much brings you up to the present. Except that I haven't written about how hard the last few weeks have been. How I've lost my patience. I beat myself up, guilty of letting my worst self out rather than my best. And this is the worst part of motherhood. The expectations we place on ourselves to be perfect, the expectations that are put on us. I have gone over and over in my mind how I could have been better. Could I have done something different? Of course, I know what I could have done. Looking back without the emotion of the moment there are lots of better options I can see. Hindsight, you know. I went into the weekend in San Diego with the idea of it being the reset button. There were no timetables, no expectations, no work to be done. Just fun, just going where we wanted, when we wanted. The weekend of yes, sure, why not instead of not right now, maybe later, no. We need more weekends like that. I'm going to do my best to make that happen.
***
In case anyone's interested, I'm a purple stripe belt now - the 6th color belt. And yes, I still love it. I broke a board with my spear hand the other day. Awesome.
***
I'll try to write more so there won't be these long, rambling posts once a month. But no promises. I don't do well with promises.
***
One final note: Jack is sitting on the arm of the chair next to me as I type, absentmindedly running his fingers through my hair as he watches Spirited Away. I don't ever want to forget the sweetness of that.
***
Chad and his family came for a visit at the end of April. It was the first time the cousins had seen each other since the summer of 2007. They had a great time with the three oldest boys getting along famously and Charlie tagging along good naturedly. Oh that Charlie is just pure sweetness. In the days leading up to the visit, Jack was working out the sleeping arrangements:
Jack: I'll sleep in the middle and Charlie can sleep next to me in case he gets scared. Miles can sleep on the other side and Dean can sleep on the end. Dean? Are you going to be scared?
Dean: Well, I might be a little bit scared.
Jack: Hmm, I wish we didn't have 3 kids because I only have 2 arms.
It turned out that Jack couldn't fall asleep with three kids gabbing around him and wound up in our bed, at least for the beginning of the night. Still, considering how excited they all were about playing together and slumber partying, they all did really well.
We went to the observatory and the park on one day and then went for a hike in the Angeles forest the next day. Those activities were great but really, the best hours were spent in freeplay throwing the football at the park, climbing on the playhouse in our backyard and playing with the hose. It was a great weekend to reconnect and we're especially looking forward to our midwest trip this summer when we'll get to spend even more time together.
***
We went to San Diego last weekend to reward the boys with a trip to Legoland. They've been earning points for good behavior and we told them that when they got enough points, we'd go to Legoland. I have to admit that there were whole weeks when we didn't record any points - not because their behavior didn't warrant it, but because it's just one more thing to keep up with.
We stayed at a lovely hotel near the park and they shuttled us back and forth. Legoland is the perfect amusement park for 6 year olds. Every ride is designed for their age group so they can go on practically everything, sometimes accompanied by an adult, sometimes not. There are also several open play places with rope ladders, ramps, climbing nets and slides where the kids can just cut loose. We also lucked out with weather, there was rain in the forecast which seemed to keep the locals away but it stayed dry so it turned out to be a perfect day. Even kids get tired of an amusement park after 5 hours though, so we headed back to the hotel in the late afternoon. The pool at the hotel was heated to a lovely 85 degrees and the kids spent an hour and a half frollicking in it. When we suddenly realized that it was 7:00 and the kids' fingers were shriveled and pickled, we thought it best to get dressed and find some dinner. The boys were exhausted though and we didn't make it through dinner without Jack falling asleep and Dean almost melting down. Back to the hotel we went to get lost in crisp white linen and the luxury of king sized beds. The boys love hotels.
We were blessed with light traffic on the way home (on the way down, too but that's so 3 days ago) so we were home in plenty of time for me to do some laundry and the grocery shopping.
Dean wasn't feeling very well on Sunday. He was slightly feverish and complaining of a sore throat. It suddenly dawned on us (me and Tom) that he was a little cranky and whiny at Legoland the day before and of course, that's how he always gets in the day or two before he comes down with something. When will we ever learn? The next morning he seemed better but Jack woke up early and in a thick voice told me he didn't feel well. Sure enough, his glands were the size of golf balls. I kept them both home, the last thing I need is the school to think they have the swine flu! Later Monday morning I was advised by Dean's teacher that he is Student of the month! How exciting! Luckily, he felt better today and was looking forward to being honored at the school assembly this morning. He dressed in all black, wearing his new black converse shoes - one laced with a black lace and the other laced with white. He's a trendsetter that boy.
Jack is still sick today but has no fever. He slept until 8:15 - highly unusual. Tom and I were talking last night about how they even get sick differently - Dean always gets cranky and whiny at least a day before he shows any symptoms of being sick and we always wonder what in the heck is wrong with him, then ohhhhhh, he's sick, of course. Jack just becomes quiet and lethargic, content to lay on the couch and watch tv - something he rarely is when he's healthy.
***
And now. That pretty much brings you up to the present. Except that I haven't written about how hard the last few weeks have been. How I've lost my patience. I beat myself up, guilty of letting my worst self out rather than my best. And this is the worst part of motherhood. The expectations we place on ourselves to be perfect, the expectations that are put on us. I have gone over and over in my mind how I could have been better. Could I have done something different? Of course, I know what I could have done. Looking back without the emotion of the moment there are lots of better options I can see. Hindsight, you know. I went into the weekend in San Diego with the idea of it being the reset button. There were no timetables, no expectations, no work to be done. Just fun, just going where we wanted, when we wanted. The weekend of yes, sure, why not instead of not right now, maybe later, no. We need more weekends like that. I'm going to do my best to make that happen.
***
In case anyone's interested, I'm a purple stripe belt now - the 6th color belt. And yes, I still love it. I broke a board with my spear hand the other day. Awesome.
***
I'll try to write more so there won't be these long, rambling posts once a month. But no promises. I don't do well with promises.
***
One final note: Jack is sitting on the arm of the chair next to me as I type, absentmindedly running his fingers through my hair as he watches Spirited Away. I don't ever want to forget the sweetness of that.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tonight
Tonight I didn't mind spending an hour working on homework.
Tonight I had the patience to work with Jack when he got angry and with Dean when he got frustrated.
Tonight I relished the simple act of laying down with my boys, listening to their breathing change as they fell asleep.
Tonight I am blessed, so very blessed.
Tonight I had the patience to work with Jack when he got angry and with Dean when he got frustrated.
Tonight I relished the simple act of laying down with my boys, listening to their breathing change as they fell asleep.
Tonight I am blessed, so very blessed.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A New Habit
We've started a new habit here at casa de twins and that is to publish a weekly dinner menu for the family. This means that every weekend (usually on Saturday) Tom and I choose the menu for the week and then I do the shopping. The goal is to get our grocery bill down to $150 per week (we're almost there) and to throw away less food every week. We only buy for the menu and for lunches for the boys. We started it a few weeks ago and the result has been much less stress each night, yummy food and less waste. A success any way you look at it.
So, our menu for this week is:
Mon - Chicken Marsala (recipe at the end) with mashed potatoes and salad
Tues - Tortilla soup with tomato and avocado salad
Wed - Leftovers
Thurs - Cauliflower soup and salad
Fri - Sandwich night
I made the Chicken Marsala and the tortilla soup on Sunday afternoon. Monday night I just had to reheat the chicken, boil and mash the potatoes and toss the salad.
Cauliflower soup is really quick and easy and I'm going to garnish it with crispy bacon. I'll cook extra bacon so we can have bacon and egg sandwiches on Friday night. Easy menu, inexpensive ingredients and quick to prepare.
Chicken Marsala
olive oil
8 chicken thighs (can be bone in or not, skinless or not)
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
marsala wine
white wine
1 8oz package of cremini mushrooms (white buttons are fine if it's all you have), sliced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Swirl a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven, add chicken thighs and cook until browned. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Pour off the excess fat. Add the sliced onions to the pot and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds or so. Deglaze the pot with 2 cups of marsala wine scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add a 1/2 to 1 cup of white wine and let simmer for 10 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms and add the chicken back to the pot along with the accumulated juices. Put it in the oven and let it cook for 30 minutes.
The chicken will be super tender, there will be a sweet and earthy sauce, and the mushrooms and onions will taste divine. Served over creamy mashed potatoes, this will become one of your favorite comfort foods.
So, our menu for this week is:
Mon - Chicken Marsala (recipe at the end) with mashed potatoes and salad
Tues - Tortilla soup with tomato and avocado salad
Wed - Leftovers
Thurs - Cauliflower soup and salad
Fri - Sandwich night
I made the Chicken Marsala and the tortilla soup on Sunday afternoon. Monday night I just had to reheat the chicken, boil and mash the potatoes and toss the salad.
Cauliflower soup is really quick and easy and I'm going to garnish it with crispy bacon. I'll cook extra bacon so we can have bacon and egg sandwiches on Friday night. Easy menu, inexpensive ingredients and quick to prepare.
Chicken Marsala
olive oil
8 chicken thighs (can be bone in or not, skinless or not)
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
marsala wine
white wine
1 8oz package of cremini mushrooms (white buttons are fine if it's all you have), sliced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Swirl a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven, add chicken thighs and cook until browned. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Pour off the excess fat. Add the sliced onions to the pot and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds or so. Deglaze the pot with 2 cups of marsala wine scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add a 1/2 to 1 cup of white wine and let simmer for 10 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms and add the chicken back to the pot along with the accumulated juices. Put it in the oven and let it cook for 30 minutes.
The chicken will be super tender, there will be a sweet and earthy sauce, and the mushrooms and onions will taste divine. Served over creamy mashed potatoes, this will become one of your favorite comfort foods.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
On my mind
It has been busy, busy, busy at work and I haven't had a second to think about what to get the boys for their birthday. Nor have I had a minute to think about food for their party, or order a cake, or decorations. Maybe tomorrow. . .
We had a delicious dinner tonight: crisp green beans tossed with chicken apple sausage and carmelized onions accompanied by mashed sweet potatoes. Mmmm, sweet and savory. I discovered a new web-based meal planner today called relish! and I already signed up for a 3 month subscription. I'm looking forward to seeing how well I follow it next week.
Monday is the birthday so I've gotta make cupcakes this weekend. I also signed up to do snack every day next week for Jack's class so I expect this weekend will be a busy one. Thankfully, I'm feeling better and coughing less. Even discontinued the cough syrup with codeine. That's for the best - I was having a hard time waking up in the morning.
I'm going to keep writing what I'm grateful for. It reminds me to think positively and helps me to remember what is truly important.
Today I'm grateful:
We had a delicious dinner tonight: crisp green beans tossed with chicken apple sausage and carmelized onions accompanied by mashed sweet potatoes. Mmmm, sweet and savory. I discovered a new web-based meal planner today called relish! and I already signed up for a 3 month subscription. I'm looking forward to seeing how well I follow it next week.
Monday is the birthday so I've gotta make cupcakes this weekend. I also signed up to do snack every day next week for Jack's class so I expect this weekend will be a busy one. Thankfully, I'm feeling better and coughing less. Even discontinued the cough syrup with codeine. That's for the best - I was having a hard time waking up in the morning.
I'm going to keep writing what I'm grateful for. It reminds me to think positively and helps me to remember what is truly important.
Today I'm grateful:
- that Tom put an audio book on the power of positive thinking on my ipod so I could listen on my way to work
- at how well the boys shared their candy tonight after dinner
- that Tom gave them their baths
- that I live in a nice neighborhood with friendly neighbors
- for my health
- that Jack is healing well following the biopsy of his two moles (it's ok, just being extra cautious and having them biopsied - results next week)
- for the after care program at school with teachers who are caring and energetic
- that Tom put the boys to bed which gives me a little quiet time to write
- for my coworkers who support me, respect me, challenge me and, best of all, make me laugh
- for the courage to try new things and venture beyond my comfort zone
Sunday, November 02, 2008
An Accounting and Gratitude
Well the month of October passed by with very little action on my little blog with the exception of a few polarizing, political posts. I will be so glad when this election is over. These last few weeks I've struggled with writing. I've started new posts many times and then I just don't finish them. I was bored with my own writing so I could only imagine how my readers were feeling. Yawn. Plus, I really missed reading. A book, not a blog. I resisted it for a while. I told myself I didn't have time and tried to satisfy the yearning with blogs. It worked for a week or so and then I finally, desperately, looked at my stack of books on the night stand (most of which are heavy, difficult reading - not what I was looking for) and picked up "Peyton Place". I fell into it immediately and for a week I couldn't put it down. Funny enough, just a couple days after I finally gave into my craving for a good read my friend Caroline gave me "Eat, Pray, Love", my friend Kathleen gave me 2 great magazines and a book on Buddhism, my friend Paul gave me the script his sister wrote, and my friend Tanja gave me a glossy food magazine she brought back from London. Thus, a stack of unexplored reading material just waiting for me to have a moment to spare. Funny how the universe gives you what you need, just when you need it.
Anyway, looking back over what I've written here lately I feel like I've been whiny, tired, uninspired, ungrateful, even a little angry. Yesterday, I kept thinking of things that I was thankful for - it wasn't something I planned to do, it was completely spontaneous and when I wrote them all down here, I felt so good afterwards. It reminded me that it is so important to give thanks, to appreciate everything - all the small things, the sweet things, to be grateful for what refreshes us, invigorates us, emboldens us, inspires us. I hope I can keep it up.
Today I am grateful for:
Anyway, looking back over what I've written here lately I feel like I've been whiny, tired, uninspired, ungrateful, even a little angry. Yesterday, I kept thinking of things that I was thankful for - it wasn't something I planned to do, it was completely spontaneous and when I wrote them all down here, I felt so good afterwards. It reminded me that it is so important to give thanks, to appreciate everything - all the small things, the sweet things, to be grateful for what refreshes us, invigorates us, emboldens us, inspires us. I hope I can keep it up.
Today I am grateful for:
- daylight savings time which allowed me to stay up late last night to watch "All About Eve"
- to Jack and Dean for managing to stay in bed until 6:30am (adjusted for dst)
- a playdate with Sophia and Bianca and a delicious brunch prepared by their parents
- my voice, raspy but still there despite all the coughing, coughing, coughing
- a rousing soccer practice with Dean and Jack in which Dean scored many goals and went straight for the ball!
- a clean living room and semi-clean kitchen
- daylight savings time again which means the boys will fall asleep early (Jack's gone already)
- more rain that fell during the night that cleaned the streets and freshened the air
- my patience which nearly ran its course tonight after dinner but didn't
- my temper which stayed in check all weekend, despite being tested repeatedly
- Jack who wanted to help me sweep, cook and clean and who never hesitates to ask for more candy
- Dean who got along so well with his friends today and who showed me more sweet than fiery this weekend
- that this is the last night of solo parenting - Tom will be home tomorrow (YAY)
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Grateful Part 2
More things I'm grateful for today:
- my patience which came in really handy when the boys' good behavior finally came to an end (come on, you knew it would happen - I jinxed myself with my earlier post)
- my voice which I really expected to lose after the coughing and the cheering and the yelling to be heard over the fighting
- my writing which came in handy when I wrote a rebuttal to a posting on our neighborhood message board which was written by our neighborhood busybody (I just don't know why some people spend so much energy being hateful)
- my neighbors who chimed in after my posting with unexpected support
- thunder and lighting which made a very rare appearance in so cal today - Jack and Dean were big eyed at the rumbling
- rain, rain and more rain which we desperately need and which made for an especially cozy and relaxing Saturday
- The Nightmare before Christmas which is playing now and has both boys snuggled securely on either side of me
- a stack of unread books and magazines waiting patiently for me to have time to open them
- two sweet smelling, if a bit phlegmy, boys
Grateful
Today I'm grateful for:
- waking up with two little blond heads nestled snugly under each arm
- the smell of rain
- a cough that is finally getting productive
- a hot, uninterrupted shower
- toweling off with a freshly laundered towel
- a hard rain which miraculously ceased just long enough for the soccer game
- two no-shows for the soccer game which meant that Dean had to play the entire game - it did wonders for his confidence
- a goal scored by Jack
- the other mom who showed up who brought with her a gigantic umbrella and bought donuts for the boys
- thinking ahead when I bought my car to the days in which I'd have two wet, muddy soccer players climbing into the backseat
- not really caring that I have mud all over the backseat
- that the sky cleared up long enough to have a backyard game of kickball
- that Jack can now do word seek games by himself
- that Dean can entertain himself with blank paper and markers
- the chicken tortilla soup that Tom bought last week when I was sick that will serve as our lunch today
- Jack and Dean who are being really good kids today
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
The Small Stuff
We had a great night tonight. Jack finally lost that tooth today during school after weeks of daily updates on it's looseness. He was so proud of that first lost tooth, so proud that he saved it, so excited about what the tooth fairy would bring. Then we forgot to put it under his pillow. Bummer. We'll have to make a big deal of it tomorrow night.
We had a final doctor appointment yesterday to check Dean's arm and got the great news that he was cleared for all activity with no restrictions. He'll get to play in his first soccer game on Saturday and he can't wait. He was really sweet tonight. He heaped loads of praise and love on all of us tonight. At one point during dinner he started playing a little game.
Dean - Whoever is in Ms. R's class, raise your hand! (Jack raises his hand)
Dean - Whoever works in Hollywood, raise your hand! (Tom raises his hand)
Dean - Whoever sets up offices, raise your hand! (I raise my hand)
And then declared that he has the best parents in the world, the best brother. And he's so proud of Jack and his lost tooth.
They each asked if we could celebrate this weekend. Jack wants to celebrate his lost tooth and Dean wants to celebrate his healed arm. I told them that we certainly should and would celebrate this weekend.
We ended the night with a little ice cream and then a couple of books.
It was a good night.
We had a final doctor appointment yesterday to check Dean's arm and got the great news that he was cleared for all activity with no restrictions. He'll get to play in his first soccer game on Saturday and he can't wait. He was really sweet tonight. He heaped loads of praise and love on all of us tonight. At one point during dinner he started playing a little game.
Dean - Whoever is in Ms. R's class, raise your hand! (Jack raises his hand)
Dean - Whoever works in Hollywood, raise your hand! (Tom raises his hand)
Dean - Whoever sets up offices, raise your hand! (I raise my hand)
And then declared that he has the best parents in the world, the best brother. And he's so proud of Jack and his lost tooth.
They each asked if we could celebrate this weekend. Jack wants to celebrate his lost tooth and Dean wants to celebrate his healed arm. I told them that we certainly should and would celebrate this weekend.
We ended the night with a little ice cream and then a couple of books.
It was a good night.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Weekend so far
School is exhausting. The boys have been tired, whiny and complainy every night but they are having a good time. Every night that I've picked them up they've gotten mad that it was time to go already so that's a good sign. Doesn't make it easier on us but that's ok.
We have a special visitor this week - Grandfather came into town on Tuesday. We haven't been able do much with the boys in school so all our hopes were pinned on the weekend. Then the birthday party that we were supposed to go to on Saturday night got cancelled. So we decided we'd try to get tickets to the Hollywood Bowl for Saturday night but the computer wasn't working Friday night so we couldn't get online to get tickets. No problem though, we figured we'd just get tickets Saturday morning. A little after midnight, Jack stood next to my bed and complained that he was hot. I lifted my head off the pillow and then he threw up on it. The pillow, not my head. Thank God. I ushered him into the bathroom with him throwing up on the floor and in his hands along the way. I got him cleaned up while Tom worked on the mess in the bedroom and I went into Grandfather's room to get Jack some clean boxers. Dean was sleeping with Grandfather and he heard me come in. He climbed out of bed and started complaining that his stomach hurt. I walked him into the bathroom and to the toilet where he proceeded to throw up. Whew - disaster narrowly averted with him. The two of them sat on the side of the tub looking a little green and I wondered who was next. I'll spare the suspense and just tell you - Tom. Tom was next. But thankfully, he was also last. We got everyone cleaned up and settled down and I decided to leave all the sickees in my room and I camped out on the couch. I didn't sleep well because I was just sure I would be next and I hate getting sick. Luckily, aside from a little heartburn and slight nausea, I felt ok.
Surprisingly, the boys woke up Saturday morning feeling fine. They put on their soccer clothes and we headed off to the game. After a brief practice session which Dean got to participate in, they started the game. We played the "sharks" and I began to get a little worried when I heard their coach say "Sharks - ATTACK" just before kick off. Attack? They're 5! I needn't have worried though. Jack sat out the first quarter but our team scored anyway. In the second quarter Jack and his teammate each scored a goal. Then we scored another goal in the third. Coach told the kids to stop trying to score when we were up 4-1 so when his son was about to score again he suddenly turned the ball around and ran it the other way, accidentally scoring for the other team! But it didn't matter because it was the end of the game. Even though there is never a winner declared, the kids know the score. Each team did a cheer for the other and then they shook hands and said 'good game'. Dean dribbled the ball all the way back to the car.
After all the excitement of the previous night and the early morning game, we were all pretty beat. We ran a few errands and then went home to take naps and veg in front of the tv. The boys didn't take naps but they played fairly quietly so the rest of us could. Jack opened his rock store and Grandfather and I each bought some rocks. I went out to Target to treat myself to a new pillow and while I was at it, I decided to treat myself to some new sheets, too. I thought I deserved a treat.
Grandfather is leaving tomorrow and we haven't shown him much of a time. But we've had a nice visit with him and the boys are really going to miss him.
We have a special visitor this week - Grandfather came into town on Tuesday. We haven't been able do much with the boys in school so all our hopes were pinned on the weekend. Then the birthday party that we were supposed to go to on Saturday night got cancelled. So we decided we'd try to get tickets to the Hollywood Bowl for Saturday night but the computer wasn't working Friday night so we couldn't get online to get tickets. No problem though, we figured we'd just get tickets Saturday morning. A little after midnight, Jack stood next to my bed and complained that he was hot. I lifted my head off the pillow and then he threw up on it. The pillow, not my head. Thank God. I ushered him into the bathroom with him throwing up on the floor and in his hands along the way. I got him cleaned up while Tom worked on the mess in the bedroom and I went into Grandfather's room to get Jack some clean boxers. Dean was sleeping with Grandfather and he heard me come in. He climbed out of bed and started complaining that his stomach hurt. I walked him into the bathroom and to the toilet where he proceeded to throw up. Whew - disaster narrowly averted with him. The two of them sat on the side of the tub looking a little green and I wondered who was next. I'll spare the suspense and just tell you - Tom. Tom was next. But thankfully, he was also last. We got everyone cleaned up and settled down and I decided to leave all the sickees in my room and I camped out on the couch. I didn't sleep well because I was just sure I would be next and I hate getting sick. Luckily, aside from a little heartburn and slight nausea, I felt ok.
Surprisingly, the boys woke up Saturday morning feeling fine. They put on their soccer clothes and we headed off to the game. After a brief practice session which Dean got to participate in, they started the game. We played the "sharks" and I began to get a little worried when I heard their coach say "Sharks - ATTACK" just before kick off. Attack? They're 5! I needn't have worried though. Jack sat out the first quarter but our team scored anyway. In the second quarter Jack and his teammate each scored a goal. Then we scored another goal in the third. Coach told the kids to stop trying to score when we were up 4-1 so when his son was about to score again he suddenly turned the ball around and ran it the other way, accidentally scoring for the other team! But it didn't matter because it was the end of the game. Even though there is never a winner declared, the kids know the score. Each team did a cheer for the other and then they shook hands and said 'good game'. Dean dribbled the ball all the way back to the car.
After all the excitement of the previous night and the early morning game, we were all pretty beat. We ran a few errands and then went home to take naps and veg in front of the tv. The boys didn't take naps but they played fairly quietly so the rest of us could. Jack opened his rock store and Grandfather and I each bought some rocks. I went out to Target to treat myself to a new pillow and while I was at it, I decided to treat myself to some new sheets, too. I thought I deserved a treat.
Grandfather is leaving tomorrow and we haven't shown him much of a time. But we've had a nice visit with him and the boys are really going to miss him.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Weekend Update
Last week I complained to Tom that there was a spot right between my shoulder blades that didn't feel right. He started pushing around there with his all-knowing fingers and announced that I had a rib out and should go to the chiropractor. Yes, I nodded, took a muscle relaxer and went to bed. I followed up that advice with two nights of carrying sleeping children from car to bed and a trip to Costco. A trip to Costco which included about 40 pounds of meat.
I imagine the formula goes something like this:
2(35) + 2(35) + 40 = MY BACK IS KILLING ME!!!!
I have a 3:30 appointment with the chiropractor.
**************
Remember when I casually mentioned last week that 5 years old was kicking my butt? Well, it still is. Saturday was especially rough. Tom went into work and it was just me and them. They apparently don't want to be siblings anymore because they repeatedly tried to kill each other. However, they must not have wanted it badly enough because they didn't move from the couch when I commanded them to go to the middle of the living room and beat each other up so we could just get it over with already.
C'mon, I'm just kidding.
Or, am I?
Luckily, their friend Callum desperately wanted them for a playdate and his mother generously suggested that Tom and I make a run for it. We didn't even ask, really, are you sure?
We went shopping which is so much more fun when you don't have to mediate arguments between children. We even managed to find curtains for the living room (FINALLY!) and new decorative pillows! And, thanks to a heads up by Kelly Clarke (thanks Kelly) we saved $50 because of the friends and family coupon! Or, the pessimist might say we spent $300 that we wouldn't have spent otherwise (thanks Kelly). In any case, I'm very excited to put up my new curtains just as soon as I can lift my arms above my head.
After our shopping excursion, we decided to really take advantage of our free time and went to see The Dark Knight. It was really good but it might have contributed to the back issue because it was so intense that I kept having to sink down in my seat, cover my eyes and grasp Tom's arm firmly - only to sit back up again when things lightened up a little. I walked out of that theater with shaky knees and not just because of the way Christian Bale fills out that batman suit.
Finally, we headed back to Callum's house to pick up the boys. Lucky for us (and future free, I mean, playdates), the report was that the boys were really easy, had a great time and it was almost easier having the 3 of them than it would have been to have just Callum. It looks like we have more "playdates" in our future.
The next day, with the exception of a few minutes in Costco, the boys were really good.
This is a phase, right? When they turn 6 they'll be lots of fun again, right?
I imagine the formula goes something like this:
2(35) + 2(35) + 40 = MY BACK IS KILLING ME!!!!
I have a 3:30 appointment with the chiropractor.
**************
Remember when I casually mentioned last week that 5 years old was kicking my butt? Well, it still is. Saturday was especially rough. Tom went into work and it was just me and them. They apparently don't want to be siblings anymore because they repeatedly tried to kill each other. However, they must not have wanted it badly enough because they didn't move from the couch when I commanded them to go to the middle of the living room and beat each other up so we could just get it over with already.
C'mon, I'm just kidding.
Or, am I?
Luckily, their friend Callum desperately wanted them for a playdate and his mother generously suggested that Tom and I make a run for it. We didn't even ask, really, are you sure?
We went shopping which is so much more fun when you don't have to mediate arguments between children. We even managed to find curtains for the living room (FINALLY!) and new decorative pillows! And, thanks to a heads up by Kelly Clarke (thanks Kelly) we saved $50 because of the friends and family coupon! Or, the pessimist might say we spent $300 that we wouldn't have spent otherwise (thanks Kelly). In any case, I'm very excited to put up my new curtains just as soon as I can lift my arms above my head.
After our shopping excursion, we decided to really take advantage of our free time and went to see The Dark Knight. It was really good but it might have contributed to the back issue because it was so intense that I kept having to sink down in my seat, cover my eyes and grasp Tom's arm firmly - only to sit back up again when things lightened up a little. I walked out of that theater with shaky knees and not just because of the way Christian Bale fills out that batman suit.
Finally, we headed back to Callum's house to pick up the boys. Lucky for us (and future free, I mean, playdates), the report was that the boys were really easy, had a great time and it was almost easier having the 3 of them than it would have been to have just Callum. It looks like we have more "playdates" in our future.
The next day, with the exception of a few minutes in Costco, the boys were really good.
This is a phase, right? When they turn 6 they'll be lots of fun again, right?
Friday, June 13, 2008
Balloon Festival
Here are some shots from our weekend at the balloon festival.
Jack watches the balloon get fired up from a safe distance.
Dean gets a lift from his dad.
The girls get in the balloon.
Tom lends a hand.
Sunday we went to a local lake and rented a little fishing boat.
Dean did his share of driving.
Not surprisingly, Jack loved to drive.
In other news, the boys got into the elementary school that I was hoping for (yippee!) so that's one less thing to worry about.
Don't worry, I'll find something else to fixate on soon.
The boys get in one of the baskets.
Jack watches the balloon get fired up from a safe distance.
Dean gets a lift from his dad.
The girls get in the balloon.
Tom lends a hand.
Sunday we went to a local lake and rented a little fishing boat.Dean did his share of driving.
Not surprisingly, Jack loved to drive.
In other news, the boys got into the elementary school that I was hoping for (yippee!) so that's one less thing to worry about.
Don't worry, I'll find something else to fixate on soon.
Kate Update
She is recovering well. She came home on Saturday, picked up by my friend and neighbor Kelly while we were at the hot air balloon festival. She takes her oral medication like a champ. My old dog Max was never fooled by mozzarella cheese or peanut butter and I'd always find his pill lying in a slobbery puddle on the floor. Kate, on the other hand, loves people food of every variety and is so excited to eat it that she couldn't care less about what you try to sneak by her.
I've been adding some wet food to her dry and she gobbles it up voraciously. It seems she had been suffering from this disease for a long time and we thought she was just a picky eater.
I brushed her last night while the boys watched the basketball game (Go Celtics!) and she was so happy.
Speaking of the boys, I can't tell you how amazing it is to be sitting in my backyard in the darkening twilight brushing my sweet, devoted dog and hear these sudden bursts of emotion and cheer ringing out of the living room. It's how I'd always hoped my life would be.
Sweet and simple, full of love.
I've been adding some wet food to her dry and she gobbles it up voraciously. It seems she had been suffering from this disease for a long time and we thought she was just a picky eater.
I brushed her last night while the boys watched the basketball game (Go Celtics!) and she was so happy.
Speaking of the boys, I can't tell you how amazing it is to be sitting in my backyard in the darkening twilight brushing my sweet, devoted dog and hear these sudden bursts of emotion and cheer ringing out of the living room. It's how I'd always hoped my life would be.
Sweet and simple, full of love.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Weekend Wrap Up
We went to a festival last weekend. You wouldn't know it from the looks on their faces but the boys were really excited to go on this ride.
See? 
It was really hard to get a good shot of them on this one.
It was a festival to celebrate the Parks and Recreation centers. It was held at a big park with tons of vendors, three stages with bands and other performers, booths of merchandise and arts/crafts. We thought we'd be there for an hour or so.
This picture was taken about 5 hours after that:
In case you can't tell by the lighting - it was nighttime. Almost an hour past their bedtime. But, there were fireworks to be seen and that last batch of tickets to be spent. They had a great time.
The next day was spent in our backyard playing with water and climbing trees (and I played with my camera).
Dean sticks out his tongue when he's hard at work. He had just looked up when I took this.
Doesn't Jack resemble Peter Pan?
Jack still loves climbing the peach tree and can get pretty high now. I try not to watch when he goes too high.
This is Kate. She is waiting for Jack to throw the ball. She will not take her eyes off him until that ball flies.
And when it flies, she catches it almost every single time.
This is what she does when she's ready for a break. She lays down by the shed with her toy in front of her. She is still a sweet, smart dog and we are continually amazed at our good fortune.
This is just one peach-laden branch on our peach tree. We are going to be swimming in peaches in just a few weeks. I'm collecting all recipes for cobblers, crumbles, jams, and pies so if you have one that's fabulous, send it my way.
In other news, the boys will not be performing in High School Musical. They were so miserably unhappy at rehearsal that we finally decided that it's just not their thing. So, no future actors in our midst.
We are going to a hot air balloon festival with the Sullivans this weekend and then Tom's cousin visits from Pennsylvania next weekend so June is really busy for us.
We find out on Friday if the boys got into the elementary school that we're hoping for. Fingers crossed please.
See?
It was really hard to get a good shot of them on this one.
It was a festival to celebrate the Parks and Recreation centers. It was held at a big park with tons of vendors, three stages with bands and other performers, booths of merchandise and arts/crafts. We thought we'd be there for an hour or so.
This picture was taken about 5 hours after that:
In case you can't tell by the lighting - it was nighttime. Almost an hour past their bedtime. But, there were fireworks to be seen and that last batch of tickets to be spent. They had a great time. The next day was spent in our backyard playing with water and climbing trees (and I played with my camera).
I love this picture of Dean. He looks so grown up.
Dean sticks out his tongue when he's hard at work. He had just looked up when I took this.
Doesn't Jack resemble Peter Pan?
Jack still loves climbing the peach tree and can get pretty high now. I try not to watch when he goes too high.
This is Kate. She is waiting for Jack to throw the ball. She will not take her eyes off him until that ball flies.
And when it flies, she catches it almost every single time.
This is what she does when she's ready for a break. She lays down by the shed with her toy in front of her. She is still a sweet, smart dog and we are continually amazed at our good fortune.
This is just one peach-laden branch on our peach tree. We are going to be swimming in peaches in just a few weeks. I'm collecting all recipes for cobblers, crumbles, jams, and pies so if you have one that's fabulous, send it my way.
In other news, the boys will not be performing in High School Musical. They were so miserably unhappy at rehearsal that we finally decided that it's just not their thing. So, no future actors in our midst.
We are going to a hot air balloon festival with the Sullivans this weekend and then Tom's cousin visits from Pennsylvania next weekend so June is really busy for us.
We find out on Friday if the boys got into the elementary school that we're hoping for. Fingers crossed please.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Knock Knock
HI! I've had a beer so I'm silly!
Tonight was one of those nights wherein the children think everything is hilarious and I'm a boring adult who just thinks they're being a little to loud for the car, or, you know, earth. It's all potty talk and knock knock jokes lately and it's a rare occasion when they're actually funny. And if I could just get over myself for half a second I would realize how breathtaking the sound of their giggles is. But, I'm too busy being a boring adult. So, I drank a beer with dinner and suddenly became a bit more laid back. Hey if I had any rescue remedy I would have taken that but beer was in the fridge and handy and besides, it's just fermented wheat, right? It's practically a health food.
Um, so where was I?
Swimming lessons! The boys are doing amazingly well. Tonight Jack swam from the steps to the other side of the pool, stopping once for a breath. Dean's stroke has gotten much more coordinated and strong - quite a difference from a year ago when he cried most of the time. Even the teacher said to him the other day, "Remember when you used to cry and say you didn't want to do it? And now look at you! Do you love it?" - and he just smiled and said he loved it.
Ok, beer is making me sleepy now.
Oh, one more thing. I have almost 500 pictures sitting on my new camera just begging to be downloaded but I haven't had time. I'm taking loads of pictures so I can practice all the settings. It's really fun but I have a lot of pics to wade through.
Oh wait, still one more thing. I'm trying to determine where the boys will go to kindergarten in the fall and it's overwhelming. I'm in the process of filling out open enrollment applications for all the schools, navigating policies about permits with child care, permits with transportation, work permits, etc. Work permits require a most recent paystub and naturally our system at work is down so I can't print a stub. And, I'm on call for jury duty this week. It's practically a sitcom episode.
Seriously.
Tonight was one of those nights wherein the children think everything is hilarious and I'm a boring adult who just thinks they're being a little to loud for the car, or, you know, earth. It's all potty talk and knock knock jokes lately and it's a rare occasion when they're actually funny. And if I could just get over myself for half a second I would realize how breathtaking the sound of their giggles is. But, I'm too busy being a boring adult. So, I drank a beer with dinner and suddenly became a bit more laid back. Hey if I had any rescue remedy I would have taken that but beer was in the fridge and handy and besides, it's just fermented wheat, right? It's practically a health food.
Um, so where was I?
Swimming lessons! The boys are doing amazingly well. Tonight Jack swam from the steps to the other side of the pool, stopping once for a breath. Dean's stroke has gotten much more coordinated and strong - quite a difference from a year ago when he cried most of the time. Even the teacher said to him the other day, "Remember when you used to cry and say you didn't want to do it? And now look at you! Do you love it?" - and he just smiled and said he loved it.
Ok, beer is making me sleepy now.
Oh, one more thing. I have almost 500 pictures sitting on my new camera just begging to be downloaded but I haven't had time. I'm taking loads of pictures so I can practice all the settings. It's really fun but I have a lot of pics to wade through.
Oh wait, still one more thing. I'm trying to determine where the boys will go to kindergarten in the fall and it's overwhelming. I'm in the process of filling out open enrollment applications for all the schools, navigating policies about permits with child care, permits with transportation, work permits, etc. Work permits require a most recent paystub and naturally our system at work is down so I can't print a stub. And, I'm on call for jury duty this week. It's practically a sitcom episode.
Seriously.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Weekend Wrap Up
What a weekend! Friday night we went out for dinner at a nice little Italian place and then to the bookstore to buy a birthday present for a friend of the boys. Saturday morning we went to the birthday party, then hung out at home for a while. Our friend Roxann came over in the late afternoon to babysit the boys so Tom and I could go to Fish and Brooksie's baby shower - which was lovely.
But today! Whew! Cousin Jamie is reading "Flat Stanley" in kindergarten. Flat Stanley is about a boy who gets flattened when a bulletin board falls on him. He doesn't get too upset because he realizes that if he's flat he can mail himself anywhere he wants to go! So, Cousin Jamie made his own Flat Stanley and mailed him to us so we could show him around a bit and then send him home. So, after we did our Sunday morning marketing at the Farmer's Market, we picked up Flat Stanley and went to the Griffith Observatory. It was a beautiful day, sunny but not too hot. After we toured the observatory and took a few pictures, we drove down to Hollywood Blvd. so we could take a picture of Flat Stanley at one of the stars on the Walk of Fame. Then, we headed north to Universal Studios and Citywalk. We took more pictures and then had dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp. Finally, we came home for baths and playtime before bedtime. It was a fun day.
But today! Whew! Cousin Jamie is reading "Flat Stanley" in kindergarten. Flat Stanley is about a boy who gets flattened when a bulletin board falls on him. He doesn't get too upset because he realizes that if he's flat he can mail himself anywhere he wants to go! So, Cousin Jamie made his own Flat Stanley and mailed him to us so we could show him around a bit and then send him home. So, after we did our Sunday morning marketing at the Farmer's Market, we picked up Flat Stanley and went to the Griffith Observatory. It was a beautiful day, sunny but not too hot. After we toured the observatory and took a few pictures, we drove down to Hollywood Blvd. so we could take a picture of Flat Stanley at one of the stars on the Walk of Fame. Then, we headed north to Universal Studios and Citywalk. We took more pictures and then had dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp. Finally, we came home for baths and playtime before bedtime. It was a fun day.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
All in the Family
Hey Everyone,
My sister in law just started a blog! Go give her some love and see my beautiful nephews!
We went out to dinner tonight at our favorite sushi restaurant. Dean didn't really like anything but the rice and edamame but Jack! Jack ate spicy tuna, yellowtail sushi, salmon sushi, shrimp, and an eel/avocado roll. Wow. He ate almost as much as me.
Afterward we went to Cold Stone for ice cream. And now, I'm feeling full and sleepy.
Good night!
My sister in law just started a blog! Go give her some love and see my beautiful nephews!
We went out to dinner tonight at our favorite sushi restaurant. Dean didn't really like anything but the rice and edamame but Jack! Jack ate spicy tuna, yellowtail sushi, salmon sushi, shrimp, and an eel/avocado roll. Wow. He ate almost as much as me.
Afterward we went to Cold Stone for ice cream. And now, I'm feeling full and sleepy.
Good night!
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