Tuesday, April 27, 2010

My girl, she's got her house IN order

Recently, GIRL decided she wanted to create her own AM daily task chart. And, so she drew the pictograph above. She has herself performing various tasks: washing, dressing, eating breakfast, etc. The top image is of her saying, "Good Morning." I love the little lines indicating that she is speaking. She picks it up every morning, and carries it with her, ensuring that she remembers everything on her list.

She also decided to start a quarter collection for each State. She got the idea from her Pre-K teacher, who told the class that her elementary school daughter was doing this project.

I never cease to be amazed by my children. GIRL has amazing initiative. My girl, she's got her house IN order. Waaay....ahead of me. I think I'm going to hire her to create a pictograph chart for me...


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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Sometimes, you have to ask people to pack up their hate toys and go home...

Facebook has been a wonderful resource for finding long lost friends and reconnecting. It creates the illusion of a smaller community in a world that can overwhelm us with its vastness and speed. In the FB world, you can wave from your window to your neighbor across the street...in Africa. But, it also enables us to peer into people's rooms that we may not want to enter. It can be eye-opening and disappointing, even devastating, to read a post on a friend's wall that diverges so off-course from our own lives that it sits like bile in the pit of our stomachs.

When I first joined, I was caught up in the joy and wonder of connecting with friends. As time has gone on, I've made decisions on who I welcome onto my page, and who I turn away. It is not an entirely comfortable feeling, yet I feel protective, of myself.

It took me a while, but several years ago I realized that I don't have to be friends with everyone. I'm a grown-up, and I can choose who has my heart, who gets to hug me, and who I want to hang out with. Even online.

As is our human nature, we tend to gravitate toward those who think like us, who have mutual interests, shared pasts, or who make us feel good. But, like any delicious dessert, sometimes you take a bite and realize... you just don't want any.

Yesterday was such a day. A friend on Facebook posted this on her wall:

DEAR LORD, THIS YEAR YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTOR, PATRICK SWAYZIE. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTRESS, FARAH FAWCETT. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE SINGER, MICHAEL JACKSON. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PRESIDENT IS BARACK OBAMA. AMEN

It both angered and shocked me. The friend is not someone I know all that well. Yet, we share a recent past having spent a lot of time together in a prenatal class during our pregnancies. And, it seemed a natural choice to be Facebook friends, an easy way to share silly stories and pictures of our children. Now I'm not so sure...

Everyone is entitled to post what they want on their FB wall. But, that kind of hate mongering is foreign to me. And, I don't want it in my news feed dipping into my consciousness, messing with my good mojo, that I work so hard to keep on a daily basis. Just reading it, knowing that a friend posted it, makes me feel slimy and unclean.

So, for today, I'm going to take a big breath. And...let it out. Step outside. Take a moment to feel the crisp, clean air on my face that blew in overnight. Later, I will give my children extra hugs. And someday soon, I will tell them that sometimes, you have to ask people to pack up their hate toys and go home...


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Saturday, April 17, 2010

BOY ruminates on his millions


BOY: Mommy?


JCK: mmmm?


BOY: Someday! I'm going to be a millionaire. And, then...I'm going to take a big milk bath, because I can drink it up!


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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Our Spring Break 2010 in pictures...

The time was full this year. BOY climbed as high as he could...


GIRL had her face painted...



We spent the day at the ocean...
Enjoying the surf...
We collected hermit crabs...

And watched the birds...


There were daily creations from BOY...


And gifts from the garden to match GIRL's rosy cheeks...


Lots of wonderful memories to treasure...


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Thursday, April 8, 2010

JCK will never give up chocolate & whiskey for Lent...again

Having given up alcohol for Lent, JCK was cautious in accepting a glistening, salt rimmed margarita on Easter Sunday. Why not? Lent was over. Someone made it for her. It looked refreshing, seemingly weak. She had 2.


Yet, the headache that assaulted JCK the next day was so severe... you'd think she was back in the 80s, having survived another night of tequila shots and dancing on the bar at Wilson's restaurant on the upper west side.

It's not fair this aging business. Not fair, and painful to boot.

To add insult to injury, while valiantly giving up chocolate & whiskey for Lent, JCK inhaled so many carbohydrates that she believes her legs and arms have become their very own risotto.

JCK will never give up chocolate & whiskey for Lent...again. Not if she know what's good for her... Small things like Jack and chocolate caramels make her blood sing.

So, what's next for JCK?

Ushering in JackO'Clock to celebrate Daylight Savings? Yes... But, there's more! JCK's plan includes: Low starch. Moderate chocolate. Minor alcohol. After all, JCK believes in balancing all the food groups...


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Photo courtesy of Google Images.


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Tuesday, April 6, 2010

GIRL's Inspiration

Today was one of those unbelievable California days. Where the wide blue, cloudless sky meets the verdant green mountains, and the warm sunshine drapes you in goodness.

A friend and I took the children to a local canyon, a couple of miles from here, and hiked a bit down to the river bed. BOY & his friend played for hours in the mud and water, building dams, floating boats, catching worms...and doing what they love best - being in nature.

My friend and I took pleasure in sitting on the warm rocks and watching our children. The two girls played in and around the water. While the younger girl concentrated on filling up her shoes with river silt, GIRL took handfuls and rubbed them on her shirt with glee.

After we had been there a while, I said to GIRL that I wondered what time it was. She asked why we couldn't make a sundial to tell the time. So, I took a straight stick, held it over a flat rock, and guessed that it was somewhere near 1pm. I showed her where the line fell, and where it would be for 3pm and 6pm. A few minutes later, I asked BOY's friend what time it was. And it was 1:17pm! I was impressed with GIRL's inspiration. I am continually struck with how much I learn from my children.

Before we left, I couldn't resist a little sassy wiggly bottom dance mid-way across the stream in my new hiking/river sandals.... MRAWR.... OOH, baby.
They may not pair with fishnets, but they feel divine...



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Images courtesy of Google Images. Sandal by Keen.


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Thursday, April 1, 2010

What if it was really windy and you threw olive oil at God?

Yesterday was one for the books. Measured out in those sentences that you just couldn't make up. MY children. In their own words...

A conversation overheard...


GIRL: Did you go to work last night, BOY?

BOY: Yes.

GIRL: Are you going to work on Friday?

BOY: I can't. I have astronaut practice.

***********************************************

GIRL got a ride home from preschool, with a friend, who had the following conversation, while passing a McDonald's....

GIRL: Why is that AMBULANCE in front of McDonald's?

The Mom: Well, maybe the ambulance driver is eating inside.

GIRL: OR....maybe, SOMEONE had TOO MUCH junk food!

**************************************

And then the day finished off with this...


BOY: Mom... What if it was really windy and you threw olive oil at God?



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