Dear Dean Letter

Cleaning out cabinets in preparation for demo/construction, Tom found a postcard given to Dean by one of the girls from the daycare who went to Kindergarten in Fall '07. Perhaps you recall the postcard that she wrote to Jack? This is Dean's:

Dean,

Thank you Dean for letting your brother be nice to me. I still love you.

T---

Kitchen Update

This is what we came home to on Thursday night. All appliances and base cabinets were removed and the kitchen was down to the sub floor. Most of the electrical work was done with the addition of 4 outlet boxes on the stove/fridge wall (seen below) and 3 outlet boxes on the sink wall.

Look at these beautiful boys amid the devastation!

Ok, then we got home on Friday night. All the electrical was complete, including 2 new outlet boxes in the dining room and 2 new phone jacks - one in the kitchen and one in the living room. Makes a big difference since we won't have to have phone line threaded all over the house! The drywall was in place and the arduous task of tape, plaster, dry, sand, repeat - had begun. The wonderboard is on the floor ready for tile. The cabinets are in place but not installed yet. It's supposed to rain this weekend so it's too risky to store the cabinets outside as we have been. So that's the latest. We have a birthday party to go to soon and then we'll go look at tile for the wall behind the stove. Jack desperately wants to clean and dust (me too) but we're making him wait until the construction is done. The work is stalled until Monday so no updates until Tuesday!

Holy Gutted Kitchen Batman!

Love is in the Air

I know a lot of people think that Valentine's Day is a fake holiday made up by Hallmark but some folks need a dedicated day to remind them to say 'hey, I love you' or something romantic like that. If you're in need of a unique or great gift for your loved one, take a look at Mighty Goods 2008 Valentine's Day Gift Guide. While you're there, check out the awesome alternatives to Hallmark Valentine's Day Cards.

One Step for Nature

When you get a chance, go read this post by Lotus of SarcasticMom. Look for my post on February 11th that will outline the contribution I intend to make to Project Support Beauty in Nature.

What will you do?

Observations and Conversations

Jack has an accent laced with an East LA inflection. He says words like 'ghostes' instead of 'ghosts', 'lello' instead of 'yellow', 'weally' instead of 'really', etc. He calls me 'ma MEEEE' with the emphasis on MEEEEE. His favorite exclamation word is 'awe SOME' with the emphasis on some. His favorite color is still red but he will wear other colors now.

Dean has a valley accent. He says 'o-kah' instead of 'okay'. He uses the word 'like' all the time. Like, all the time. His diction is otherwise perfect and includes the proper tense usage. And, in fact, sometimes includes correcting his brother. Which is always welcome (NOT). He often uses his eyebrows to emphasize his point. Furrowed = mad. Raised = inquisitive. He will not wear long sleeved shirts.

Conversation between Jack and Dean this morning:
Dean: When are we going to get to wear braces?
Jack: What are braces?
Dean: They're special teeth that you put in your mouth.

Conversation between me and Jack last night:
Jack: Well? Did you know? That there's a new baby at the daycare? And the parents? Well, they call him a bad name.
Me: Really? What's his name?
Jack: Well, they call him Gun.
Me: Oh, that's short for Gunnar.
Jack: Well, it's a bad name.

Conversation between me, Jack and Dean last night:
Dean: Did you know we have another Katie at the daycare?
Me: You do?
Jack: Yes, now we have two Katies.
Me: How old is the new Katie?
Jack: Well, Katie is 3.
Dean: Yeah, one of the Katies is 3.
Me: Is that the old Katie or the new Katie?
Dean: Well, the new Katie is 8 I think.
Jack: No! She's 7.
Dean: Yeah, right. She's 7.
Me: So, is that Katie who has a sister named Sarah?
Dean: Yeah, right.
Me: She's the Katie who came to the daycare last week?
Dean: Right.
Me: But she doesn't go to the daycare anymore. She used to go there. She was just visiting.
Jack/Dean: Yeah, right.
Me: So who's the new Katie?
Them: She's 3.
Me: The Katie who was just at Callum's birthday party last weekend?
Them: Right.
Me: So besides that Katie, is there another Katie at the daycare?
Them: NO.
Me (to myself): Glad we got that cleared up.

Dean

Just a quick note today about Dean. I feel like I've been a bit down about him lately. Only posting negative reports about him and frequently complaining about him. We actually had a very nice weekend and he was pretty good. Oh, except for Friday night . . . I'm just now remembering how he was in Target (NIGHTMARE) but otherwise, an angel. No really, some of it is our fault. We know how he is with change (not good) and we know how sensitive he is (extremely) and yet some part of us still thinks we can get away with a quick trip to Target on a Friday night at 8:30pm to buy a birthday present for Jack's best friend and have Dean be all mature and compliant. Ahem.
Saturday morning brought us a new day though of good-natured boys who were, for the most part, good to each other and well-behaved. Or maybe, this is just the view through my hindsight goggles. Whatever. I'm remembering the sweet moments with Dean. The moments when he looped his arms around my neck and his babysoft, cool hands touched my cheeks and he looked at me with those deep brown eyes that look into my soul . . . what a wonder. That boy who is by turns all piss and vinegar and then the sideways wry smile, the knock knock joke, the unprompted 'I love you mama' melts my heart and all is forgiven.

Updates and Photos

To make up for my long absence from regular posting, here are some pictures for you! My brother was in town recently for business and we managed to get together for a quick dinner. Jack was suddenly very shy but Dean warmed up immediately and proceeded to charm the heck out of Chad. One memorable comment by Dean to Chad was, "You're hilarious! How did you get so hilarious? I didn't know you were so hilarious." I think Chad thought that was, well . . . hilarious!


Here, Chad is showing Dean how to do the Rock 'n Roll handshake. At the next table were some hard core rockers with black smudges under their eyes, tattoos, black fingernail polish and brightly colored hair. We had to show 'em how hip we are!


I haven't posted a picture of Kate in a while so here she is with her absolute favorite thing: her frisbee. She's still really sweet and eager to please. I'm looking into obedience training for her to start sometime in February. The training isn't for her as much as it is for me! She already knows sit, down, and paw but I want to make sure she comes to me when I call her - especially since she takes off if an opportunity presents!


This is Dean with Kate in our kitchen before I took a sledgehammer to it. Note the brick "thing" on the left? I hated that thing.

Here's Jack in the space where that brick thing once stood. He was my big helper. I knocked that thing down and he moved every bit of mortar, pieces of brick, etc. to the wheelbarrow parked just outside. He loved when large pieces came apart. He was my biggest cheerleader, best helper and absolutely tireless. He wouldn't take a break until I took one and hardly even wanted to eat in case he missed something. Don't worry about the missing shoes in the following photos. I shop vacced that whole place and picked up every stray nail or screw. Seriously, it's cleaner now than when the linoleum was on it.

See that door behind Jack? That will be removed and filled in. Who needs a door in the dining room?
And the view from the dining room looking through the kitchen towards the entryway. That countertop is on it's last breath. I can't wait to take the hammer to it this weekend! Yee haw!!Doncha want to eat Jack up in that photo? He looks like a little gingerbread man to me. I just want to nibble him! He's got a few tricks up his sleeve lately. The other day he was taking a bath and he washed his hair and body by himself, let the water out of the tub, got out and dried himself and then got dressed without my even knowing it. Yesterday morning while I was in the shower he got dressed for school, dragged the chair into the kitchen so he could reach the cereal, dragged the chair to the cupboard to get a bowl, took the milk out of the fridge and poured himself a bowl of cereal with milk. At school they tell me that he's the first to wash hands and wait at the table with his hands folded, patiently waiting for all the other kids to sit down to eat. He loves to sweep and does all the sweeping at the daycare. One day a parent commented to his teacher about what a great job he was doing and his teacher replied, "He's been doing this since he was 3!" He tells me that Jack does an exceptional job and doesn't miss even a grain of sand. Jack has a best friend at school and they spend every waking moment together. He told me he wants to move in with him and be his brother. And I found out that this boy's mother packs 2 of everything in a lunch whenever they have field trips - one for him and one for Jack. It's so sweet.

Dean is still a handful of drama. He's afraid of everything - windows, doors and (I found out today) chimneys. He doesn't want to go to the bathroom by himself or even go into the kitchen by himself! It's enough to make me crazy! Jack is kind enough to point out windows, doors and chimneys, thankyouverymuchjack, and Dean cries and clings until I finally give in and hold him. I'm trying to be all rational but clearly this isn't a rational fear and I'm sure he'll grow out of it soon. I've also been concerned about Dean because he's so quick to anger and his gut reaction is to hit, bite, push, etc. Every day I remind him to be kind with his words and kind with his body and still nearly every day there is some incident that happened at school in which he had to be removed from the group for some period of time. The teachers are all very nice and they don't "punish". The worst thing they ever do is remove the child from the situation. So it's my nightly practice to check in with his teacher to see how he was that day. In our chat last night I expressed my concern that when he enters kindergarten in the fall that he's going to get in a lot of trouble. His teacher told me that he thinks he'll be better when he's with all 5 year olds and that most of the time, it's his love-hate relationship with a 3 year old boy in the daycare that gets him in trouble. The other times he gets in trouble is when he is defending one of the younger girls in the daycare! His teacher told me that all the kids love Dean and he generally picks who he wants to play with each day and they do whatever he wants them to do. He told me that Dean would be fine and that his teacher is going to love him because he's so charming.

Finally, I asked him how Jack and Dean interact at school and he said that for the most part, they don't. Usually, the only time they do is if one of them is sick or upset then the other one will comfort him. Usually, the one needing the comfort is Dean and Jack does the comforting. His teacher said he loves to watch the way they come together when they need to but are otherwise completely independent.

As always, it's busy, chaotic, demanding and frustrating here at twintales but I wouldn't change it for the world.

Demolition Girl

Sorry to be so MIA. I've been a little preoccupied. I demo'd my kitchen yesterday. Pulled up all the linoleum, steamed the wallpaper off the dining room (that was Sunday, actually), removed the tile from the countertop next to the stove, took a sledgehammer to the built-in brick thing that was next to my stove and removed the brick (yes, brick) backsplash. My hands are raw, my back is aching, my fingernails are falling apart but boy was that fun! Jack was my little assistant. He carried all the linoleum and wallpaper bits and pieces to the garbage can. He filled the wheelbarrow with broken tile, mortar and brick pieces. That kid was absolutely tireless. I'll take some pictures tonight and try to post them soon. The countertop installer comes next Wednesday to measure and do the template. Then it will be another 5-7 days before it will be installed. So, by Valentine's Day I should have a new kitchen!!

Saucy

I went to a sauce class on Tuesday night. This was the second class that I took from the gift certificate that Tom gave me for my birthday. She showed us how to make a compound butter, veloute, vinaigrette, bechamel, reduction sauce, and a creme anglais flavored with coffee beans. I went home from that class feeling totally inspired. Wednesday night I made corn chowder with crispy pancetta and golden shrimp for dinner. Okay, seriously it was so amazingly good. Then Thursday night I made cream of mushroom soup and tonight was Pasta al Forno (fancy way of saying mac and cheese). But the best was the corn chowder. Soooooo good. Here's the recipe:

1 T. canola oil
small onion, diced
1/2 C. cubed pancetta (or bacon)
3 T. butter (divided)
2 T. flour
2 C. chicken stock
16 oz. frozen white corn (w/ 1/4 c. reserved)
1 C. milk
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
Tapatio or Tabasco Sauce
salt and pepper

In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the oil, onion and pancetta. Cook until onion is translucent and pancetta is browned. Add 2 T. butter and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and sizzling (do not let it burn). Add the flour, whisking constantly until it begins to have a nutty aroma - about 3 minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock. Stir in the corn (except for 1/4 cup) and bring soup to a simmer for 5 minutes or so. Stir in the milk and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. In a separate skillet, melt 1 T. butter and cook the shrimp 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove the shrimp to a clean bowl after it turns a light pink, add the 1/4 cup reserved corn to the skillet and saute for 2 minutes. Chop the shrimp into small pieces and add with the reserved corn to the chowder. Add a couple of dashes of tapatio or tabasco and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread. Serves 2.

Dean's Five Year Check Up

The day of Dean's check up dawned early - at 5:00am when he came bounding into our room, jumped onto our bed and refused to go back to sleep. He also complained of an earache and was kind of a little pain in the you know what. The day wasn't starting off too well. But, when I picked him up at lunchtime, he seemed fine. Excited, even. Dean requested chinese food for his special lunch so we went to Panda Express. We had fried rice, chow mein, orange chicken (he ate most of it), beef with broccoli and pot stickers. Then we headed over to the doctor. Like Jack, Dean gained 5 pounds and 3.5 inches since last year but he's still 4 pounds less than Jack. Doctor S asked about Dean's eating habits. I told him Dean hasn't changed much from when he was a baby - he still doesn't want to have to stop what he's doing to eat. He's never been able to focus on food. Jack, on the other hand, focuses on food from the moment he wakes up every day. Anyway, the doc isn't concerned since he's clearly growing and is otherwise fine. A quick check in the ear did confirm that he has an ear infection but it didn't stop the vaccinations. Poor Dean. As soon as the nurse came in with the 5 syringes he started crying. And they were short staffed so they couldn't double team him like they did Jack. Soon though it was over and I gave him a shot of motrin right away. We stopped at the little cafe on the way out and Dean chose oreo cookies for his treat. Considering how upset he was, Dean did really well. Later when we got back to the daycare, his teacher told me that he was pretty anxious before I got there. Poor kid was probably worrying about those shots.

Jack's Five Year Checkup

This year, I decided to do their annual exams separately. I did that because last year when I did them at the same time I almost couldn't hold Jack down long enough to get his one required vaccination. He was all ambivalent about the shot until Dean started crying and there was no way in hell Jack was going to volunteer for that. Jack's exam was today and I picked him up early so we could have lunch together, just the two of us. He wanted pancakes so we went to IHOP. I let him have hot chocolate and a miniature Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity (my arteries clog just typing it). It sort of seems like the last meal of a doomed man, right? Right.

Jack wasn't nervous or anything and he seemed happy just to have some one on one time with me, even if it meant he'd have to have a shot. He has gained 5 pounds since his 4 year (normal is 5-7) and grew 3.5 inches (normal is 2). His vision is excellent, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, etc. - all normal. Doc is pleased and proud - what a success, what luck. Hard to believe he started out at 3 lbs 5 oz and 16 inches.

As I said, last year I almost couldn't hold him down long enough for his shot (singular, one shot). This year, he had to have 4 shots and a TB test. He had a nurse on each arm and they did two shots each in rapid succession.

The kid barely made a sound.

I bought him an ice cream sandwich. Told him he deserved it.

Always with the Questions

Dear Internet,

Jack has lots of questions and it's wearing me out. He's making a list of things that you can make such as, glass (melt sand) and wood (comes from trees) but there are so many other things he wonders about and his mother isn't any help. So, that's where you come in:

1. How do you make gold? Dean thinks you make it by twisting threads together but Jack told him he's wrong.
2. What is the street made out of? And asphalt isn't good enough.
3. How do you make wires?
4. How do you make water? Oh, and don't think you can just answer Hydrogen and Oxygen. Amateur.
5. What else do you know how to do besides cooking? Oh, sorry this was a direct question to me, his mother. But I honestly couldn't think of a thing.

So? Whatcha got?

Lessons from the Weekend

1. Don’t underestimate the power of Chuck E. Cheese’s to entertain the kids for 2 hours thus allowing you the opportunity to talk to your spouse with few interruptions.
2. 4:00pm on a rainy Saturday turns out to be the perfect time to go to Chuck E. Cheese’s. It’s between birthday parties and before the dinner crowd.
3. When your child wants to try to put the K’NEX windmill together by himself and insists he can follow the directions, let him try. He learns nothing from watching you do it for him whereas when he tries to do it himself, what he gains is much bigger than just a windmill.
4. When you go to the roller skating party, don’t be surprised by the number of times your kids fall down. Do be surprised when the one who is usually less physically coordinated, and more likely to get frustrated and give up, turns out to be the better skater.
5. When you lay down with your kids at night and one doesn’t fall asleep soon enough for you, don’t get frustrated and stomp out of the room. But, if you do, take a deep breath, take a sippy cup with water back into the room, give it to the still-awake child and ask him to scoot over. Wrap your arms around him while he sips and tell him how proud of him you are. You will never, ever regret the time you took to let him know how much he is loved.

Memories

I was in the waiting room at the doctor's office this afternoon. As I waited, I leafed through TIME magazine with particular interest in the article on birth order - not surprisingly, it doesn't mention how birth order affects twins. In the chair opposite mine sat an elderly man with a weathered, lined face, his oxygen tank hissing rhythmically. Shh . . shh . . shh . .
He paid no attention to me but I sat across from him deliberately.
He could have been someone else, not in looks but in manner.
A cell phone began to ring and I was surprised that it was his. Why am I surprised?! Why shouldn't he have a cell phone? I don't mean to eavesdrop but I hear him say that he's at the doctor and should be done soon. "What are you doing" he asks and then "can I buy you a sandwich?".
Suddenly, the waiting room goes into soft focus and I remember sitting at McDonald's, having a cup of coffee. I see us sitting at a table, a younger me and Grandpa Jack. I remember the day distinctly. He was still driving then and he drove me around Lafayette and showed me the new construction. He talked about my Grandma and told me how much he missed her. He told me how proud of my Mom he was and of all his grandkids. Then he bought me a cup of coffee.
Then I was back to the present day and my elderly friend was called into the office. I went back to my magazine.
Still, time stopped for a moment and that memory filled me with warmth.

A New Year

I can't believe it's 2008 already. I don't have a long list of resolutions per se, but there is a lot that I want to do this year. I have several books waiting for me like "The Art of Power" which was given to me by my friend Priscilla and two books by Pema Chodron "Start Where You Are" and "Don't Bite the Hook" - all of which I look forward to reading. Naturally, I want to be more disciplined about exercise - that's a perpetual resolution. I told my friend Peter the other day that I plan to practice meditation every day and take 15 minutes every afternoon to enjoy a cup of tea. He kind of laughed and said good luck with that. He's right, I'm afraid. I'll be really good about it for a week or so and then I'll get busy at work and won't take the time. Still, I'll give it a shot. I also plan to write more on this here blog. I've been playing around on another hosting site, too - it seems to have more flexibility when posting pictures - so I'll probably move over there. I'll post the link when I'm ready to unveil the new site.

Tom, being the adventurous one, wants to do some fun things this year. He wants to go whale watching and go up to the mountains so we can do some sledding with the boys. We also talked last night about signing the boys up for soccer or Tball this summer. They may need it more after they start school since I'm not sure how much physical education they'll get. In any case, they're ready for it this year.

Dean's resolutions are: he wants to go to the new park a lot and he wants to collect leaves.

Jack's resolutions are: he wants to collect rocks and crystals. So he can kill the bad guys.

Here's to a New Year!

Random Bits

When Jack rides on his scooter he peddles with his left foot and his right foot is on the scooter. Dean peddles with his right foot. It’s as automatic as the sunrise.

When dealing with a Lego kit, Jack wants to put it together exactly as directed. Dean claims he wants to help but really only wants to make off with little pieces to build his own thing. Once it’s done, Jack isn’t so interested in playing with it. For him, the entertainment is in the building. Dean wants to play with the completed project but will often take it apart and redesign it to fit his own vision.

As I have mentioned before, Jack loves to help me cook. Last evening, after I had chopped some fresh basil and fresh oregano Jack leaned down to smell the oregano and then got this beatific expression on his face, sighed and said, “mmmm, it’s minty”. I leaned down for a sniff and sure enough, it has a minty scent. Is it possible I have a budding chef on my hands? Oh, that would be amazing.

The other day Dean said to me, “I know how you can tell me and Jack apart. Jack’s eyes are like circles and mine are like almonds.” Really. Where does he get this stuff?

We had a babysitter last night so we could go to our friends’ house for a little after dinner party of appetizers and karaoke. I got forced into singing “Achy Breaky Heart” of all the ridiculous things. I love to sing but get embarrassed doing it in front of people I don’t know. It’s silly but I still care too much what other people think. It’s something else Jack and I have in common.

Dean has a remarkable singing voice, full of emotion and vibrato. I love listening to him sing but he gets self conscious if I ask him to sing and then he uses a baby voice or a silly voice. So, I just have to enjoy his singing when it comes naturally and make sure not to let him know I heard him. I vividly remember singing in the back seat when I was not much older than Dean - I’m sure it was loud and off key - and my dad turned the volume down suddenly and it was just my voice. I still remember how embarrassed I got. I don’t want Dean to feel like I’m trying to catch him or embarrass him. I just want him to sing. Not that I think my dad was trying to embarrass me - it’s just how I felt.

The boys are playing well together this morning. Finally. I love sitting here watching them with their heads bent toward each other, talking about how they’re going to play, what the game is. “And then, you pretend like you fell off the boat? And I’ll come to save you?” It’s so beautiful when it’s real.

A Long Overdue Christmas Post

Buche de Noel

Brotherly love

Ready, set, unwrap! Note the time in the upper left corner.

We cleaned up as we went otherwise you couldn't see the boys.

Leapstering.

Jack tells me that his favorite present was the Leapster and Dean's favorite is his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle "Donatello" and the weapons that accompanied it. His favorite weapon is the ninja stick. He demonstrated how it's used and in his sweet, sweet voice told me how you use it to "choke" someone. Nice.

The day began at roughly 6:01am. We forced them to wait until we at least got the coffee brewing. We just aren't civilized until we've had a cup 'o joe. But oh, it was magical. Their exclamations of surprise that Santa ate the cookies and drank the special Christmas milk (eggnog) and the reindeer ate the carrots! And all the presents! They covered the floor under the tree, blocking the path from the living room to the dining room.

After that, it was pretty much one big adrenaline rush that hasn't really ended. They haven't napped in days - except for Dean. He finally was so tired yesterday that he fell asleep in the shopping cart and slept for over 2 hours. They've been mostly at each other's throats with brief moments of affection and I am sort of looking forward to going back to work. Except, I don't really want to go back to work - I just want them to go back to school!!

And now, I'm thinking about 2008 and my hopes and goals for the year. But that will have to wait until later as the morning is getting away from me and I'm late for the shower.

Christmas Eve Conversation

Dean: Daddy, did you see this? (Shows him 2 feathers each with a heart strung onto them)
Daddy: No, they're very nice. Where did you get them?
Dean: I made them. One is for me and one is for Mommy. Do you know why it has a heart on it?
Daddy: No, why?
Dean: Because I love Mommy. She's all the Christmas I need.

Southern California Snow

First we dump the 'snow' on the boys.
Then they make snow angels.

Dean takes a break.

Flurries.

Jack takes a leap.

Spidey makes an unexpected appearance.

Spidey and Robin take a tumble.

Jack and Dean in the box.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Unexpected Gifts

I received a call today from a friend of mine whose son went to the daycare with the boys. She told me that her son wondered if we'd like to drop off Jack and Dean at their house to play for a couple of hours so Tom and I could have some alone time together.
Why, yes Frank thanks for asking!

So, we dropped off the boys and we went to the movies! We haven't been to a movie together since the late 1900s so this was a great gift. We saw "Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street".

What's black and white and red all over? Sweeney Todd. I love me some Johnny Depp and he didn't disappoint. The production design was amazing - black, oily London filled with corrupt characters, the only color the splash of red when Todd works his blade on his unsuspecting customers. Helena Bonham Carter was equally good and Alan Rickman plays a perfect bad guy as the judge who ruins Todd's life.

Three hours later, we were picking up the boys (to their disappointment) and heading home. I'm glad we took them up on the offer and that all our shopping, cleaning and laundry was already done. I'm not very good at taking advantage of these kind of opportunities. Even today, my first impulse was to say no. But with no pressing chores nagging at me, what reason was there to say no?

As we drove to the theater, I felt almost giddy. I am so excited about Christmas this year, thrilled to be done with all the shopping and wrapping but looking forward to seeing the boys' faces as they open their gifts. I feel so lucky.

Helpers

Last night Jack came into the kitchen and offered to help me make dinner. As he scampered off to wash his hands, I thought about how he could help. When he returned, I told him he could slice the mushrooms. I cleaned them for him and he sliced them using one of these:





When he was done, he asked what else could he do? I told him he could chop the onion and garlic using one of these:







Then, I handed him the cleaned green beans and showed him how to trim them. He trimmed the ends and snapped them in half (except for the long ones, he wanted them to stay long). While he did that Dean stirred the onions and garlic in the pan. And added salt. Pinch after pinch of salt. Until I realized what he was doing and moved the salt. I must have caught him in time because it was fine but I wonder how much salt he would have added if I hadn't?

It was really nice having them help me. Jack asks a lot of questions "why do you pound the pork chops", "why do you put the onions in", "why do onions make you cry" but more amazingly, he remembers what I tell him. When Tom got home Jack told him what he helped with and explained that onions get really sweet when they cook for a long time. Dinner was delicious and we had great family time at the same time. By the way, my new favorite food is Israeli Couscous:




It's creamy and delicious, especially when cooked in chicken broth.

Mind over matter

Due to what I believe was a simple miscommunication, I found myself stuffing bottles of wine into festive bags for distribution to various staff members. The bottles weren't from me but a simple offer to help turned into something much bigger and, once offered, help isn't something to be rescinded. So, I stuffed while I quietly fumed. Every few moments I would remind myself that this is not a big deal, that I'm being a good team member, that good deeds do not go unnoticed. I maintained a calm serenity despite my initial frustration.

I returned to my desk many cases later and clicked on my Buddhist meditation of the day (kindly distributed to me by my home page Google). It said "Turn your mind away from things which are not permanent."

How perfect.

Cooker Girl

I love to cook and recently I've been recording cooking shows to give me new ideas. One of my favorites is Everyday Italian with Giada DeLaurentiis. Sometimes Jack watches with me. If you don't know who Giada is (where the heck have you been?), just google her.

Or - here's a picture:She's pretty. Sometimes Daddy likes to watch with me, too.

Anyway, so the other night Tom was tucking the boys into bed and he later told me about the following conversation that he had with Jack:

Daddy: You're so lucky to have such a nice mommy. She's nice and pretty and she's such a good cook.

Jack: Well, she's not the best cook in the whole world.

Daddy: Well, maybe not the best in the whole world but she's right up there.

Jack: She's not as good as cooker girl.


It's true, you know. I'm not as good as cooker girl.

Unforgettable

Back in September, Tom gave me a gift certificate good for 2 cooking classes at this quaint little place. My first class, on tamale making, was tonight. It was really fun and I came home with a dozen tamales. But that's not what this post is about.

This post is also not about driving home from tamale class in the rain through towns with which I am unfamiliar. Suffice to say, the older I get the more I want to stay within a small circle near my house. But, that's not what this is about.

Here is what this post is about. I walked through the door tonight, trying to be quiet so I didn't disturb the boys, and as I walked past their room, Tom gestured for me to go in. Dean looked at me and said in the sweetest voice, "I wrote your name" and handed an envelope to me with my name on it. "Open it", he said. Carefully, so as not to rip the paper, I opened the envelope. Inside, resting between the folds of blue felt was a pair of earrings, long ones made of a dozen sparkly hearts all lined up in a shimmery row. "Do you know why there are so many hearts", he asked. No, I said. "It's because that's how much I love you", he said.

I don't ever want to forget that moment.

NaBloPoMo Recap

So, yeah we couldn't get our wireless router to work on Friday night and that's why I had to phone in the haiku. But c'mon, at least it was a Haiku! I mean, doesn't that prove I was thinking?

I was disappointed. Not that I had anything particularly brilliant to write; I was probably just going to recap the month (yawn) and write about what I would do differently. Some of the other blogs I read had themes! Themes! That's smart. I wish I had done a theme. Like Twin Tuesday or Wonderful Wednesday? Or Thinking Thursday. Snapshot Saturday?

I had other big plans too like publishing a reading list but the only thing I managed was the link to Shelfari and then I couldn't even remember all the books that I've read. I also planned on doing a recipe each week but I didn't pick a day to do that so I had to do it randomly and then I'd forget.

I liked the challenge of having to post every day but I don't think the discipline made my posts any more creative or inspiring. Instead, I just kinda felt like I was late for my assignment and oh crap what am I going to do? I'll just toss this photo up on the web and write a cute tagline for it. Then I felt guilty.

That said, I'm glad I did it and I will sign up for it again next year with a little more structure.

Right now, I'm enjoying not having a deadline.

A Haiku for the final

A Haiku for the final day:

Internet is down
On NaBloPoMo's last day
Disappoints blogger.

Memories

Ever notice how you can be just minding your own business and suddenly, something comes along and triggers a memory? Maybe it's a song that you hear on the radio or a scent that wafts near you and then, without realizing it you're reliving an event or just a period in your life. Hopefully, it's a happy period.
I'm thinking about this because of my previous post with the recipe card for Calamari Sauce. It was written 15 years ago by my friend Mary Beth and her handwriting took me back in time, when I was struggling . . . struggling to find myself, to figure out what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. It was a time in which I desperately wanted my relationship with Tom to work but I didn't know how to be me because I wasn't sure who I was. Looking back, she seems like another girl - someone I knew once who was fun and nice but a little insecure and needy. At some times I was just the kind of friend you needed, the kind who will drop everything and help you move and take you out to get your mind off your sadness. At other times, I was the wrong kind of honest and probably hurt my friends because of it. I'm not proud of her.
My evolution has taken years and still, I'm not done yet.
Meanwhile, I marvel at the way memories come flooding back - the writing on a recipe card that reminds me of old friends, old ways.

Calamari Sauce

Once upon a time I was a waitress in an Italian restaurant which is where I met my friend Geri. We spent a lot of time complaining about bad tippers, sneaking looks at the good looking boys, and disappearing into the alley to have smoke breaks at every available opportunity. One year the owners decided to bring in a new chef and revamp the menu. Geri fell in love with the new sauce that came with the Fried Calamari. An obsession was born! The recipe is below along with an excerpt from the email that accompanied it. Enjoy!

I just had to scan the actual recipe card for you. Because you know a recipe with a provenance is always more interesting. So this recipe originally came from Mi P____ Mary Beth wrote it down for me, probably about the time I was living in the "fishing cabin" in Pasadena. From there it came with me to Silverlake. and then I lost track of it. I moved to Alhambra. Then last year I moved to San Diego and there in a box full of kitchen gadgets, I found it.....dusty, coffee stained, yellowed, Hallelujah! and now it has a place of honor, magnetized to the refrigerator. The actual card has been around almost 15 years. The recipe doesn't give directions on how to prepare the ingredients so I'll just say "Chop everything up finely and mix it together" Voila!
I remember being just MAD about his sauce so consequently found out its also good on fish or chicken or with shrimp as an alternative to cocktail sauce. Also you can mix it with black beans, corn and tomatoes for a light side dish/salad AND THEN, if you have a little left over you can add mayo to it and it becomes a completely different (but still delicious) sauce, or dip for veggies or chips etc.
Geez good thing I got over this obsession huh? Hee hee.
Love,
Geri

Jack's First Love Letter

I found this in Jack's cubby at school. It's from a girl who went on to kindergarten this year and this was her parting note. It is written on a postcard from The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the picture is "Apples and Grapes" by Claude Monet.

Jack -
I will remember you forever and I will miss you. I love you Jack. Thank you for everyday for holding the swing. You're the best buddy ever. I hope one day I can have a play date with you. If not I will still love you forever.
T---

Overheard this morning

Dean: What's an emeny?
Jack: Well, if you were a good guy and somebody else was a bad guy? Well, then you're anemone.

Meet Kate

The newest addition to our family . . .

She joined us today. She's a purebred, AKC registered Border Collie. She is gorgeous and very, very sweet. Her owner couldn't keep her anymore and we just happened to see her ad on craigslist right after she posted it. Lucky us.

Besides being super sweet, she's also really affectionate and very smart. She fetches and can catch a frisbee. She loves to play. She also did fine by herself while we went to Uncle Peter's and Uncle Julian's for dinner.

We're pretty happy.

Twist and Shout

This has been such a nice weekend that I'm actually disappointed that tomorrow is our last day. In the past, 4 days off in a row might have made me a little crazy. But this time, even with all the whining and bickering, I am really enjoying our time off together. Maybe it's because I am letting the chores go a little. Yes, I have noticed that the floor needs sweeping and mopping - I just don't care about it right now. I would much rather spend that time playing a game with Jack or watching a movie with Dean.

I played Twister with the boys today. Nothing will tell you you're getting old like a good old fashioned game of Twister. Really.

We spent a lot of the day in the backyard kicking the soccer ball around and watching them climb the peach tree. They also helped Tom trim the lemon tree and gather oranges from the orange tree. Then Jack made orange juice.

We cut Tom's hair, then Dean's and Jack's. For some reason, despite Jack telling me yesterday that he needed a hair cut, they did NOT want to get their hair cut. They each turned out really cute, in spite of themselves.

We had a very late lunch today so when Tom left this evening for a basketball game, we just ate cereal for dinner. Then we settled in to watch March of the Penguins. Jack was asleep almost instantly and after I put him in bed, Dean and I curled up on the couch and fell asleep.

I know, this post is all over the place but I'm in a little sleepy haze so, to me? it makes sense.

Leggo my Legos

Hey you know what? Legos are really fun. I'm not even being sarcastic right now, which is rare for me. The boys got 3 different lego kits for their birthdays. The first one I put together for them was a Star Wars Startrooper ship. Then I put together a fire truck and fire helicopter. Tom caught me this morning putting together the fire helicopter. The boys kept asking me why I wasn't letting them help me. Truth is, I was having fun doing it all by myself. I'm a little disappointed that they only got 3 kits - only because I wanted to put more together.

Of course, Dean has already taken apart the Startrooper ship because he's way more interested in making his own creations. He makes very intricate ships with a lot of detail. Jack builds solid, square structures, tongue hanging out of his mouth while he concentrates.

It's a beautiful, sunny day with temps in the mid-70s. I'm listening to the Ditty Bops and the sound of Legos rattling in their plastic bin.

Another great day.

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm sitting on my couch in a triptophanic coma - I just made up that word and I like it.

We had a great day. We spent the day at the Sullivan's. The kids played really well together, Colleen and I cooked, and the men watched the game and smoked cigars.

I'm too tired to be clever.

I will write more tomorrow.

Recharging

To say I was tired last night is an understatement. It's a good thing I posted when I did because I was doing a little surfing after that and I was dozing off then! I laid down with the boys when they went to bed - me spooning Dean and Jack spooning me. Next thing I knew, Tom came in when he got home and I got up. My intention was to chat with him a few minutes so I followed him into our bedroom where he was changing clothes. But after snuggling up with those two little boys, I was a little cold so I slipped into bed just so I could warm up a bit.

I woke up at 5:00 this morning. Makeup still on, hadn't brushed my teeth, still in my clothes. It took me a minute to figure out what had happened. My foggy brain finally figured it out and I looked over to see that the alarm hadn't been set. I turned it on and dozed for a few more minutes then got up and met my friend for a run.

I really needed that sleep. And that run even if we only did a few miles, it was nice being outside in the early morning fog. So peaceful. I can breathe today.

At My Age

Well, after trying for several years to lower my cholesterol level to a more acceptable number, my Doctor and I finally came to the conclusion that I can't do it consistently without going on medication. Hello, my name is Kelsi and I am now an official member of the crestor family.

Why do all the cholesterol medications end in -OR-?

Anyway, despite my best efforts at eating a diet low in fat and exercising regularly, my numbers prefer camping out in the 240 range and my Doctor said that AT MY AGE I need to go on medication to bring the numbers down.

At my age, you can't be too careful.

Disneyland

I was planning to write about the surprise AAA guest to the boys' birthday party but instead I think I'll write about how fun it is to take two brand new 5 year olds to Disneyland 3 days before the Thanksgiving holiday. We went on a Monday because, you know, it's less crowded.

HA!

We left at 7:00am because we wanted to beat the traffic. Luckily, it being a holiday week and all, traffic was lighter than usual. But, oh it was crowded at the park. Despite having snacks in the car, the boys were still starving and I had a caffeine withdrawal headache so we stopped in at the bakery. I insisted that the boys eat their chocolate chocolate chip muffin and some of the cinnamon roll before they could have their Mickey Mouse cookie. you know, 'cause I want to make sure they're eating right. After we got them hopped up on sugar, we went to Tomorrowland and went on the rocket ship ride, which ended up being Jack's favorite ride. Then onto Fantasyland and the Mad Hatters Tea Party which was Dean's favorite.

After that, we went into Toon Town and let the boys play in Goofy's house and Chip 'N Dale's treehouse. They had a ball.

We left the park before the parade because I wanted to miss the traffic (still took us 2 hours to get home!).

Jack fell asleep at dinner and Dean fell asleep on the way home from the restaurant.

I think it's safe to say they had fun.

Grandma goes home tomorrow and I know the boys are going to miss her very much.

So am I.

Grumblers

After the boys opened a few presents yesterday morning, I spent the next 2 hours preparing sandwiches for the party. I managed a 5 minute shower and then packed the car while Tom was out buying balloons and party favors. We headed over to the park to meet the bounce house guy with 70+ cupcakes, bags of chips, cases of soda, water, juice, a helium tank, balloons, balls, vegetable platters, fruit plates, pinatas, and, of course, plates and napkins. I had my permit from the city, just in case. Mom was in charge of bathing the boys, getting them dressed and bringing them to the party.

We got to the party and there was the sign on Section 2 with my name on it. There was also the Persian mafia camped out on the best picnic tables in the area. Immediately, my blood starting boiling. I paid for this park. First, Tom and I just walked around the picnic tables, looking around and glancing over at the squatters every now and then. Eventually, we approached them and told them that we had rented the section and that they would need to leave. And then they just said oh, we're so sorry, we didn't know and they packed up their stuff and left.

Yeah, right.

Of course they argued! Despite the permit I held in my sweaty hand, despite the sign which clearly proclaimed that I, Kelsi ...... had rented the section and that all picnic tables (all 30 of them) were for the exclusive use of my group from 7:00am until dusk. They still argued and puffed their cigarettes and the more they argued, the more my blood boiled and I so just wanted to call the park ranger or my friend the cop and kick them out. But, my husband is good cop and above all, wanted to quit wasting time on this and get our party set up. And, he's generous so he told them that they could stay, even though we had exclusive right to the entire area, we would allow them to have their gathering but they had to move from the best picnic tables. They grumbled a bit and spoke to each other in a language I don't understand, and then I said to Tom, so, should I call the city? And they looked at us and grumbled some more and then Tom said, well we need to set up our party so I'm going to move your stuff for you while you figure out what area you're going to set up in. And they grumbled and puffed on their cigarettes and spoke their language and I got on the phone with my friend Peter and went over to my car and made a big show of being pissed off while I carried supplies over to the tables. One of the grumblers left in a smoky huff, one of the grumblers good-naturedly helped Tom, and the one with the red tattoo of a cross on his forehead glowered at us while he puffed away.

They eventually ended up at the far end of the picnic area which was just perfect for me.

It didn't stop their bratty kids from trying to get in my bounce house while they cast sidelong glances in my direction. I didn't have to worry about it, though.

The kids just told them they weren't invited.

FIVE

The house is a mess. We have 40 cupcakes left over, 5 huge bags of chips and a case of soda. I am beyond tired - we all are.

The party was a success and I have a few stories to tell like about the Persian mafia and why AAA was a sudden party guest but it will have to wait until tomorrow when my mind is more clear.

For now, let me just say that my precious little babies are now five years old.

Last day of 4

Next year, I'm ordering the sandwiches from Gelsons . . .

Today has been exhausting. Up early to get some laundry done, off to the grocery store to get the food for tomorrow's party, then home to put away and have lunch, then off to the party store to buy the pinatas, then dropped off kids and grandma so I could get my hair cut. Thankfully, Mom made the cupcakes while I was getting my hair done. That really helped. Once I got home, we headed off to the park where I was supposed to meet a woman who is looking for a home for her 2 dogs but she never showed. Then we went out to dinner. The service was terrible but the kids were good and it was nice to sit down even if my dinner of eggs, sausage and toast came out as 3 courses. Jack was so tired he fell asleep on my lap.

Now it's 11:15 and just Mom and I are still up. We iced the cupcakes and packed them up. We wrapped the presents and finally, we can go to bed. But of course, I had to post first.

5 years ago today, my doctor came into my hospital room and expressed her amazement that my contractions had slowed, finally after 2 months of total bedrest and magnesium sulfate. It was one of the best days I had in the hospital. She seemed relieved to have gotten me through the scariest weeks of my pregnancy. She told me that she'd get me to 34 weeks and then wean me off the mag. We'll schedule your c-section around Christmastime, she said confidently.

That night, Tom stayed in the room with me. He had demo'd our bathroom that week (after all, babies weren't coming until Christmas) and the dust was too much for him. I remember going to bed that night feeling like I'd done my job. I tolerated the mag, the catheter, the complete bedrest, no showers, no baths, lying flat on my left side with 3 monitors strapped to my belly, getting blood taken every 8 hours - for the safety of my babies, I did that. I fell asleep easily that night.

'Course, I didn't make it to Christmas, did I.

But here we are, 5 years later and I can't imagine my life without them in it.

Busy day & no time

Busy day & no time 4 a proper post. I will have a nice long one 2morrow 2 make up 4 it.

Comfort Food

I promised I'd post the recipe for the homemade Mac 'n Cheese so here it is:

Ingredients:
8 T. butter (reserve 2 T. for topping)
6 T. all-purpose flour
3 3/4 C. warm milk
salt and pepper
4 C. shredded cheese (I used 2 cups fontina, 1 cup parmeggiano reggiano, 1 cup aged monterey jack but sharp cheddar works, too)
1 lb. cooked macaroni
1 sleeve Ritz Crackers

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 6 T. butter over medium-low heat in a large pot. Add the flour and stir constantly for about 4 minutes. It should look foamy; that will ensure that the flour gets cooked. Whisking constantly, add the warm milk about 1/2 cup at a time. Add a pinch of salt and some fresh ground pepper. Add 2 cups of the cheese and stir until completely melted. In a large pot or bowl, combine the cooked pasta and the cheese sauce and toss. In a buttered casserole dish, alternate pasta and sauce with reserved shredded cheese in 3-4 layers. Top with crumbled Ritz crackers and dot with reserved 2 T. butter. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and brown on top.

Enjoy!

I'm Sorry

First of all, let me apologize for the half-hearted, lame post of yesterday. I know I disappointed my most loyal readers (Eddie) and for that, I am genuinely sorry.

Let me make it up to you today by showing you this:



That's Daddy's "Special Hat" lovingly made by Dean. In the last picture, Dean is singing to him. It goes a little something like this:

Daddy has a special hat
special hat
special hat
Daddy has a special hat
'cuz he's a special guy.

He wore the hat last night as he ate dinner and promised Dean that he would wear it today on the train. My kingdom for a picture of that!

Anyway, I have no excuse for last night's lame post other than it got late and so I phoned it in - literally. And, I accidentally sent before I was done. So, what I meant to say last night was . . .
the boys are completely oblivious to the fact that their Grandma is at this very moment flying across the great plains and due to arrive around 4pm. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces!

I also wanted to mention our new tradition. I've mentioned before that Dean's giving us a little run for our money. It's all or nothing with him - he's either 100% sweetness and light or 100% dark spirit. He's committed, I'll give him that. Lately, he's been a little mean. Quick to anger and lash out without trying to resolve conflict by talking it through or asking for help. I realize some of this is due to his age and that, to some degree, this behavior is normal. However, he's quick to use his fists and quick to call people names and that is completely unacceptable. So, I've really been focusing on getting him to use his words, giving him examples, explaining to him how hurtful it is to say "I don't like you" instead of "I didn't like what you did". Still, it's a constant battle. My adult brain just doesn't understand why I have to keep repeating this over and over. It's teaching me patience all right but he's the one that needs the lesson most, I think. Back to our new tradition - last night at dinner I suggested that when we're gathered together we should go around the table and say what we like about each person at the table. I went first.
Dean, I really like the way you sing.
Jack, I really like the way you whistle.

Then it was Dean's turn.
Mom, I really like when you buy me yogurt.
Jack, I really like the way you share.

Then, Jack's turn.
Mom, I really like when you buy me yogurt. (Original, that one)
Dean, I really like your stories.

So, you see what I bring to the table. Clearly, they're only keeping me around for the dairy products. Some things never change.

Shh... Boys don't know that

Shh... Boys don't know that gma is coming 2morrow. Tonight, a new tradition - saying something nice about ppl @ d

In Which Our Heroine Realizes She's Not the Only One

As we returned home from a birthday party today, my cell phone rang. Remembering my momentary lapse in reason from the other night I simply answered "hello". To my surprise, it was the same parent from the other night. I recognized the British accent immediately.

Oh, didn't I mention that? Yeah, besides all the other reasons why she couldn't be my Grandma (2 time zones away, after midnight, etc. etc.) --- she's also British.

My Grandma's not British.

Anyway, so this other mom calls to tell me that they went to the park for our party and no one was there and then she looked at the invitation and realized it was yesterday and she was so sorry that they missed it and her son was so disappointed.

I said "hey, the party's next Saturday! You're not a day late, you're six days early!"

And then I did a little happy dance that I'm not the only Mom who's just trying to make it by the skin of her teeth.

In Which Our Heroine Almost Messes Up Again

The countdown began as soon as I got up this morning, at around 7:00. Get up, put a tv show on for the boys, make the coffee, get a load of laundry in the washer, wrap a birthday present, empty the dishwasher, make the oatmeal, back to the laundry room - you get the drift. That's my typical Saturday but I was especially mindful of the time because we had to leave at 9:30 for a birthday party and I wanted to get as much done as possible before we left.

I was about to get into the shower when I thought maybe I should check the invitation one more time just to make sure it was from 10-noon and that's when I discovered that yes, indeed it is from 10-noon. ON THE ELEVENTH! Sigh.

The boys were a little disappointed. But they rallied. We ran some errands and then spent an hour at the park. The good news is the present is wrapped and ready for tomorrow and most of the weekend chores are done. Tom and I went through the cabinets in the kitchen tonight and threw a bunch of stuff away and then reorganized the cabinets. It looks so much nicer.
I made homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner. It was amazing. I'll post the recipe tomorrow. I got the basic recipe from a Saveur cookbook but instead of using sharp cheddar, I used a combination of fontina, parmesan reggiano, and a dry monterey jack that was super-aged so it has almost a sweet flavor. Absolutely decadent.

Crazy

Y'all, I'm tired and I have one of those coughs - you know the kind where you're compelled to cough even though you aren't producing anything. I hate those. Both Tom and I have this cough which is no surprise considering the boys have had it off and on for 2 weeks now. And, I have to admit, it's making me a little loopy.
For instance, last evening I sat on the couch and sleepily surfed the net while Tom put the boys to bed. When my cell phone rang, I didn't recognize the number but could tell it was local. As I was answering it I thought to myself that it was probably one of the parents calling to rsvp to the boys' birthday party. I answered and the person on the other line said my name. And do you know what I did next?
I said "Grandma?"
No, of course it wasn't my Grandma. She lives 2 time zones away and it was midnight her time and it was a local area code.
So, that's what I mean. I'm a little out of it.
Who was it? Oh, it was one of the parents calling to rsvp to the boys' party. Imagine that.

Pumpkin Dessert

With Thanksgiving approaching faster than you can say Holy Turkey Batman!, I thought it would be nice to share a Pumpkin Dessert recipe courtesy of my Momma. Enjoy!

I don't have a name for this dessert but it's a great alternative to pumpkin pie. It's quick and easy and people absolutely rave about it.

Can of Pumpkin (29 oz)
3 eggs
12 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 1/2 C. Sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t. ground clove

Blend above ingredients, pour into 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam.

1 box Yellow Cake Mix
1 C. melted butter (or margarine)
1 C. chopped pecans

Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin mixture followed by nuts. Then drizzle melted butter over entire mixture.

Bake 50-55 min. (or until slightly browned) in 350 oven.

Of course serve with whipped cream: Cool Whip or Redi-Whip is acceptable but I prefer the real thing.

1 lg. carton Heavy Whipping Cream (dairy section)
1 t. vanilla flavoring
Sugar to taste

First whip cream until thickened in chilled glass or stainless bowl using chilled beaters.
Add vanilla and sugar, continue whipping to desired thickness. From high peaks to clotted cream - your choice.

Enjoy!

Momma

An Interview with Jack

What's your favorite movie?
I don't know. (later, when I asked Dean and he answered "Dumbo", Jack answered that it was his favorite, too)

What's your favorite color?
All of them.

What's your favorite TV show?
Spongebob.

What is your favorite food?
Mashed potatoes. And yogurt. But not mixed up.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A superhero.

Follow up question: Which superhero?
Shooting Star Power Man.

What's your favorite book?
Little Bear

What's your favorite treat?
Cake with icing but not the stuff under it, just the icing.

Who is your best friend?
Mommy. (kissing up for sure!)

A ball, crayons, hersheys kiss,

A ball, crayons, hersheys kiss, paper, emergen-c, spirograph ruler, lipstick. What do they have in common?

A rant on Day 6

I was going to post about how I've been thinking I need to be more "in the moment". I have a tendency to toss off "How are you" as I'm passing someone without waiting to hear their response and it's something I want to change in myself. So, I had this plan to write this feel-good kind of that would be the impetus for me to live in the moment, to stop and listen when I'm talking to people.

But first I had to call Cigna to make sure the tests that I'm supposed to have tomorrow morning are covered by my insurance. I do this even though my Doctor's office assured me that I didn't have to call. You see, I know my insurance carrier quite well. Despite numerous assurances, I may still get stuck with the bill. I don't want to risk it. This is what I pay $70 a week for - so I can do all the legwork.

After waiting 10 minutes to get through their lovely "automated" help menu, I was told that they couldn't assure me that I wouldn't have to pay because it wasn't a contracted facility. Even after I explained that my husband had the exact same tests done at the exact same facility and Cigna paid, they couldn't assure me of anything. They asked for the date of service which, not surprisingly, I didn't have at my fingertips.

I called the medical facility and asked how they planned to bill it because if they bill through the contracted physician, then Cigna will pay. But, if they just bill through the facility, then Cigna won't pay.

Does this make any sense?

I found out Tom's date of service and called Cigna back. All they could tell me then was that they paid the physician on that date of service but they couldn't tell me what they paid for - the actual testing or the consultation with the physician.

Still, I received no assurance that my insurance company will pay. After 40 minutes of phone calls.

My "in the moment" feeling right now is not very healthy so I'm going to try being very OUT OF THE MOMENT!!!!

Deep, calming, cleansing breaths later . . .

Day 6 of NaBloPoMo.

Pictures and Clarification

As promised, a cool picture. We went to Newport Beach yesterday, spent the day on the boardwalk, went to a great steakhouse for dinner (boys were amazingly well-behaved), then back to our hotel room where we fell asleep early. Well, the boys fell asleep late and me and the daddy fell asleep early.
This morning after breakfast, we went back to the beach so the boys could play some more.

They were soaked and covered in sand but boy did they have fun.

Also, I set up mobile blogging (from my cell phone) so I can blog a bit when I'm on the go. So there's truly no excuse to miss a day, right? Anyway, the cryptic messages from yesterday were sent from my cell phone. I went to Santa Monica in the morning yesterday to have my running gait (form) analyzed. Then, the trainer gave me some changes to incorporate into my regular running routine. The changes should minimize my risk of injury and make me a more efficient runner. Not likely that I'll break any records, though.

We r in newportbeach ab

We r in newportbeach ab out 2 have dinner. Got some great pics today which i will post tomorrow when iget back.

In santa monica 4 running

In santa monica 4 running gait analysis. ~sent while on the go

Interview with Dean

Dean, what is your favorite color?

Brown and violet. Mixed together. It makes sulfur.

What is your favorite movie?

Mike Mulligan.

What is your favorite food?

Indian. Remember when we went to that Indian restaurant? It was so good.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A chef. So you can come to my restaurant and I will cook dinner for you. And when I see you walk through the doors then I will say HI MOM.

And my table will be ready for me?

(Nods) And it will be rainbow colored and no one else can sit there.

I love you Dean.

I love you so much Mommy.

Top Ten List

Top Ten Worst Things to Hand Out on Halloween:

1. Crackers. I don't care if they are in the shape of bones, it's still lame.
2. Make your own Balloons! Right. Or just put the sticky stuff in another kid's hair. Great.
3. Toothbrushes. I know you're a dentist but if you handed out candy maybe you'd drum up some more business?
4. Pencils. Same as toothbrushes except handed out by teachers.
5. Clackers. Don't do this. Violators will find me standing in front of their houses at 2:00am clacking. Get my drift?
6. Pretzels. Unless they're chocolate covered and filled with peanut butter.
7. Candy bracelets/necklaces. There's something a little gross about eating candy off of skin, even if it's your own.
8. Gum. This is just a safety hazard. Also, see number 2.
9. Whistles. See number 5. And the worst thing to hand out on Halloween?
   
10. Gift Certificates to Hometown Buffet. Seriously.