A new site.....

My blog has moved.

You can find my incessant ramblings here.

Thanks!

Challenge of the day

Try explaining the devil to a 5 year old in a way you feel comfortable with, that he is capable of understanding, and will stand up to all that he will hear from the outside world.

And while you're at it remember the words representation and personification do not make sense to him.

Update: Using legos seemed to do the trick.

One of a million reasons why I love the Japanese....

A few days ago I hid our garbage cans around the corner of the house because it was super windy and everyone's garbage cans, trash included, were escaping. Then I forgot about them. 

Today I was taking out the trash and remembered yesterday was garbage day. Bummed that now I'd have to really cram my trash into the can, I removed the lid and saw that it was empty. The garbage man had went around, hunted down my garbage can, carried it out to the street to dump it, and then, as if he wasn't awesome enough, returned it where I'd left it.

I love this place.

Where am I?

Truth be told, I'm not quite sure myself. I seem to be lost amongst the sewing, cheerleading, juggling of children's activities, sickness, never-ending housework and Prop 8. 

Honestly, I only have a smidgen of writing time available these days and I've spent mine rambling to loved ones about my feelings on Prop 8, through individual emails, and a reply-to-all here and there.

So when I saw this video today on one of the blogs I frequent, it made me smile. For one reason, it's nice to know we're not alone and for another, I am in love with family dynamics. I love families. It doesn't matter if they are disagreeing, getting along, everyone agreeing and singing kumbaya around the fire, or stomping around slamming doors and in some cases hitting that "send" button with all the passion they can cram into that tiny finger on the mouse.

Because families kick ass. It's why I want 10 kids. Do I want to birth and raise 10 kids right now? 

No. 

And so I'm currently trying to figure out a way to somehow avoid that, yet still end up with 10 kids and 50 grandkids when I am old and actually have the time to bake and sew and sing kumbaya.

so for all of you whose families are driving you crazy - love them anyway, and then watch this video and know you're not alone...

My Little Diego

L's costume is finished, he looks so cute!

Go Diego Go!

A Day of Rest

Last Sunday was such a nice day. So nice, in fact, I am still thinking about it on Thursday.

I woke up in the morning with L, while the others slept in, and was surprised to see my house had fared rather well from the shenanigans the night before. I tossed L into the stroller with a pumpkin muffin, grabbed the dog, and went for a nice long walk. 

We stopped to let an adorable baby pet/bang on Murphy for a few minutes. I did my best to communicate with his mom, but really neither of us knew what the heck we were saying until we got to "bye-bye!"

As we got closer to home I looked up and saw something I haven't seen the entire time we've lived here.

Mountains!

Maybe I have been too distracted to notice them. Maybe Sunday was the clearest sunniest day we've had since moving here. Maybe they just popped up last week. Whatever the reason they have eluded me, I was very excited to see them.

And, to make myself feel better, I just checked out the window for those same mountains and they are gone again. So it's not as if they've been staring me in the face for six months. They're tricky.

I walked the rest of the way home feeling grateful. Grateful for the mountains, for being able to experience this amazing country, for my kids and my husband and an overall pretty damn good life.

What's that you say? The world's economy is in the crapper and a fairly respectable man chose some crazy lady to be his vice presidential running mate? La-la-la-la-la *fingers in ears* - I can't hear you today. Not on my perfect Sunday.

We arrived home and T made breakfast and then I grabbed a cup of coffee, a magazine and sat out on the front porch for hours. T commented that we must be getting old. I don't know, but I was able to peacefully drink coffee and read an entire magazine in just one sitting. If that's getting old, I like it!!

Then, while my oldest baby was off playing "Aliens" I sat and watched my youngest baby do this...

And then this...

And eventually, worried the inside of my home might be feeling a bit neglected and lonely since it's used to always having me around, I joined it to do this for the rest of the evening...

And it was good.

And Nothing But the Tooth!

Some may see the loss of their child's first tooth as a bittersweet moment, excited to start the tooth fairy tradition, yet sad, for it's another reminder their baby isn't quite a baby after all. 

But I say WTF First Tooth?!?! All the pain, trouble, sleepless nights, drool, tylenol, motrin, orajel, wet washcloths, teething tablets and DROOL, for what? 5 1/2 measly years? Then you're outta here? Oh I'm sorry - were you not aware, Tooth, of all our family endured during your arrival? All of the pain and the screaming while you took your sweet time coming in - and now you just skip out on us? 

Disgraceful!

What do you make of this plant?

It's growing behind the fence in our yard. At first we thought it was a weed, and then it turned into this - which still could be a weed. Who knows?

An American in Paris Japan

Hmm.... what could possibly have those Japanese kids so intrigued?

I don't know, but it's gotta be good. They're moving in for a closer look! Is it a monster? A freak of nature? An adorable kitten? (they really like adorable kittens out here)

Oh! There's a break in the crowd and it's........

my SON!

Who is actually quite scared of kids in general and eventually shut down and played dead. I'm not kidding. When he gets freaked out, he drops to the ground and plays possum. It's kinda funny really. 

find a happy place! find a happy place!

Poor L! He was the hottest exhibit that day at the aquarium. We're talking hair stroking, skin poking, hands on learning! It must be rough being blonde and blue-eyed. T finally rescued him, but not before we had a good laugh and a few photos.

Parents of the Year, I tell ya!

Seriously?

Every year I sew the boys' Halloween costumes. My mom made mine and I swore I would do the same for my children. It's definitely not about saving money - that's for sure. It's about making memories, and lots and lots of cuteness. However, since letting M take control over the great Halloween Costume Decision things have really gotten crazy.  

First, I have to take you back to the good ol' days, the days when I got to choose, and could stick to something I knew I could pull off. 

Remember this adorableness?

Okay, so I don't know if adorableness is actually a word, but it pretty much sums up my cutie-pie. Here's year two (mommy was still in charge)...

And then, the third Halloween, when I most reluctantly released control of the costume decision making. The year of the Dinosaur! And not just any dinosaur. A Stegosaurus. One whose plates had to be just so - and the spikes, just right! I had birthed a perfectionist, who insisted on complete accuracy - and it was rough!

2006 was Pirate year. A pirate Captain! I must admit I enjoyed making this one. I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't caring for a brand new baby and a 3 year old all by myself, while trying to sew this fabulous costume, while my husband relaxed on vacation was tdy. But I digress.

We are all aware of M's deep, unshakeable love of Transformers. We all knew what was coming. I started my research early and together M & I came up with this!  I'm pretty sure it almost killed me. We're talking multiple prototypes, duct tape, spray paint and of course, sewing.  I was working late into the night on October 30th. Certainly nothing could ever be as difficult as this one...

And now...this????

Wha? Sonic the Hedgehog? You mean, the blue guy with spikes coming out the back of his head and along his back? 

Let me reiterate - Giant. Blue. Spikes. Coming out the back of his head!!!!!

Why does my son hate me? Why do I let him do this to me?

It's gotta be that adorableness thing...

He's using it against me.

Why are we doing this to our children?

At Kiddie Disco they play this terrible, awful game called Pass the Present. All of the kids are forced to sit in a circle and pass around 2 or so presents while the music plays. When the music stops the child is then forced to pass the present one more time and watch their neighbor remove one layer of wrapping paper. Then the music starts again. This goes on and on until the present is finally revealed and "won" by the child who removed the last layer of paper. They do this twice in 3 hours. It's a good "lesson" for the kids the DJ says.

That, along with Bingo and two rounds of musical chairs had T and me wondering, "Where is the play? Where is the fun?" All I saw was competition - and a whole lot of losing. 

Why are we forcing disappointment and loss on our kids in order to educate them? Does life itself not provide enough of that on its own? Rejection, loss, failure, embarrassment - it's on the playground, in our homes, in our heads. It will find our children, that is something we can be certain of.

Whatever happened to just running, playing, dancing? Freedom. Innocence. 

Whatever happened to living life - and learning from it? I know in M & L's future there will be plenty of sitting. There will be plenty of waiting their turn. There will be plenty of working hard for something they want and not getting it. There will be plenty of pain, hurt, and tears.

I am not trying to shelter my children from any of that.

It's just...the sweet, true bliss of childhood is so brief. And I don't know, maybe we're all trying to prepare our children for that simple fact. One day they will have to grow up. 

But in doing that, doesn't anyone see...

We're rushing it.

L turns 2!

Amen! You said it sister! Or brother! Or whoever!

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, cocktail in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, 'Woo Hoo, what a ride!'" -unknown

I saw this quote again today, I'm sure I saw it first at D Street Mercantile or something like that. But at second glance, a little older and more used up than I was in the days I could roam through D St. Merc. without screaming, "Stop! Don't touch that!" a thousand times, the days when I actually had enough time to stop and read something with that many words on it, it means so much more...

M. says... (quotes from my 5 year old)

"How come everything that's good for you tastes, like, not so good, and everything that is bad for you tastes... delicious?"

Thank you, Rebekah.

Around 6 years ago, at my baby shower, we passed around a journal for all the women I love and admire to share their parenting wisdom. There were a lot of things that moved me, but today I'll write about just one. My lovely cousin-in-law, from the perspective of a daughter with wonderful parents, wrote something I hold dear to my heart. I wish I could quote it directly for you because she writes so beautifully but I have the journal tucked away in storage, stateside. Summed up, she said one of the things most important to her while growing up is that her mother stayed home with them, and was always there when she needed her.

People can argue the working mom/stay-at-home mom issue until they're blue in the face, pass out from lack of oxygen and eventually die from sheer frustration. It's a hot-button issue that's best to avoid, lest you face the wrath of a mom in defense of how she raises her children. Between the guilt and the love, the shame and the pride, we walk a razor thin emotional line.

My mom, and most of my family, always said I would grow up to "be somebody" -that I was so bright, so creative, really "going places." And then, well, I didn't go much farther than they did really. Yes, I've lived in and experienced two amazing countries, but that's just geography. When I see my friends and old classmates successful and happy in their careers I begin to question my decision.

Did I fail? 

Then, there are Rebekah's words. 

And I am so grateful for those words because this week my beautiful, funny, smart, amazing 5 year old ditched me forever started kindergarten.

The last five and a half years have defined me more as a person and a woman than I could have ever expected. And they have been fun. Exhausting and fun. I am so glad I didn't miss a minute of him. 

There's always time for more college and a career later. 

And if there is no later, if there is no more time, I know for certain I have spent mine wisely. Because I did become somebody. I'm Mommy. 

It's the greatest title I'll ever have.

Let the battle begin!!

Oh, it's on mold. You're going down!

Armed with my bleach and Tilex (which I had to search for because the shelves were empty as I apparently am not alone in my battle) I am officially taking back this house!

As of right now, I am on a break because my trusty bleach sidekick is burning my retinas out, or something like that. A piece of advice here, don't create your bleach solution when you are currently disgusted and fed up with whatever situation you are trying to dissolve. Because as you watch the bleach flow from the bottle into the bucket and that smell, the glorious smell of clean moldlessness, rises into your nostrils you go all mad scientist on the thing and start really dumping it in there, laughing your wicked, take over the world laugh. I think it goes something like this.....

muah ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

I'm pretty sure I'm working at about 75% bleach, 25% water. Hey, let's all just be grateful I didn't just open the bottle and start sloshing the stuff around full strength - the thought crossed my mind more than once.

Yeah, yeah, I know the the danger of bleach, and mixing it and all that. I mean, why do you think I didn't start bleaching the house sooner? Because under normal circumstances I don't even let it in my house. I actually had to go buy it. Chlorine is awful stuff, and just plain terrible for our environment. Normally, I hardly use any household cleaners at all. Water works fine in place of windex, just dry the darn mirror off with a towel you're good to go. Thank you Hippie Mom for teaching me that one (T's mom has just officially been renamed) And there are many eco-friendly cleaning alternatives on the market that will serve you just fine. Normally.

But this isn't normal. Oh no. This is a case of poor California Girl who has never experienced any real true humidity in her life moving to the humidity capital of the world, all ignorant and naive along with her husband, California Boy.

"Oh honey, my Seventh Generation Shower Cleaner will work just fine! It always has!"

"Sure dear," says California Boy, "and let's just close the doors to these other rooms we don't use when we turn on the air conditioner, to save electricity and all. No need to cool rooms we don't use."

And there, right there was our major, major downfall. For those poor, cut-off rooms are coming back to haunt me. Don't you worry toy room, guest room, guest bath, boy's bath and master bath, I shall never, never neglect you again - no matter if I have to sacrifice this planet in order to do so!!!!

Okay, so that's a little overdramatic - but c'mon, my nose hairs are singed, my clothes are bleach spotty, my eyes are on fire and I'm high on chlorine. What'd you expect?

Yuck! Yuckity-Yuck! Yuckity-Yuck-Yuck-Yuck!

Remember this day?

Well, as if that wasn't bad enough, what to you get when you cross a soaking wet house with a few innocent moldy spores floating around like they always do, looking for a party?

You get this damn it!!!!Oh! You thought it was a wicked space grass producing meteorite that turned Stephen King into a walking weed? Oh no. It was the humidity - the humidity I tell ya!

It's Mold Wars '08. And a few friends have already succumbed to the battle. A rug, some baskets...shoes. They fought the good fight but there was nothing that could be done. All we (read I) can do now is clean and dry, and clean and dry, and bleach, and air condition, and dehumidify and hope to minimize our losses.

Jenny & Rob - Does your business service the Misawa area?

I've been spending my days trying to get this all taken care of before T's mom gets here. Partly because I just want to be able to relax and enjoy the visit, and partly because I can't send her back to Cali looking like THIS:Ha! Damn I loved that movie!

On a positive note, I guess another Creepshow is in the works!

M. says... (quotes from my 5 year old)

"My friend says there's this guy in Texas with a chainsaw, and the only things he cuts down is HUMANS! So don't go to Texas."

The other side of the disco.

Over 12 years ago I started my first job as a DJ, for TSPDJ (TS Productions back then). Although I loved the job, being the youngest, newest DJ - and probably because I was the girl - I always, always got stuck doing "Kiddie Disco" out at Beale AFB.

I am not a kid person. Yeah, I know, I have two of them. Even when I was little I preferred hanging out with the grown ups, sitting on their laps, bugging them, trying to be a part of the conversation. I've never been the roll-around-on-the-floor, silly, crazy one that all the kids gravitate toward. Trying to do that always felt fake, and you know, kids see right through that crap, so why bother?

So sticking me on "Kiddie Disco" was probably the worst decision Steve could have ever made, and quite possibly the most challenging thing I've ever done. Standing up on a stage and running around the room with 50 kids, trying to entertain them and send them home exhausted, was, well, exhausting - more mentally than physically.

Seeing the cuteness behind the high pitched screaming, same question repeating, hip poking, hey, hey, hey lady, hey, hey lady, ketchup-faced ragamuffin was never my forte. I like to think I'm better at it these days. A little. Sort of. But back then, every Wednesday from 5pm-8pm was the bane of my existence.

I was in Locomotion Limbo Hokey Pokey Hell.

Fast-forward to last night. What's a mom to do when her husband is in Denver and she's searching for something to entertain and exhaust her own high-pitched screaming, organic-ketchup-faced ragamuffins?

Kiddie Disco!

And dare I say, it was actually fun! Rolling around on the floor, balloon sword fighting, hokey-pokey heaven! Because there truly is nothing better, or more fun, than watching your children get down and boogie - except doing it with them.

Sure the times have changed a bit, and Kiddie Disco has evolved since those days. But so have I. Now I am the parent, the grown-up. When once all of the moms were running out to join their kids for the Macarena, now we're all rushing out to dance floor for the Cupid Shuffle:



Which was kind of weird with the kids since the last time I did that dance I was less than sober...

But anyway...

The strange reality that the 16 year old DJ was now the 28 year old mom chasing her kid around was not lost on me. And I have to admit it was kind of an emotional moment. All that I have done, experienced, and endured to get to this place - the other side of the Disco. No longer a teenager faking her way through three hours a week, but a parent, exchanging knowing glances with the mom digging the stepped-on floor cookie out of her toddler's mouth. And I have to say, I like this place a lot better. It's hard. It's exhilarating. It's frustrating. It's worth it.

This my friends, is not fake. This is as real as it gets.

hmmpf! Men!

I'm changing L's diaper and M. says, "I hope I never ever have to change a diaper."

Me: "Well, someday you'll probably have to change your kid's diaper."

M.: (long pause) "No...my wife will."

M. says... (quotes from my five year old)

fishing on the lake...

"Mom, did you see that cast? That was a BAD ASS cast!"

Umm, yeah son, definitely bad ass...hmm....
Well, we can thank T. for that one, and he knows it. He says if M. would have gotten it from me it would have been something more like, "hey mom, did you see that f**kin' cast?"

Me? Never.

How cute is this guy?

Fun with glow sticks and shutter speed

Pure 5 year old bliss....

anonymous butt blog

This is a blatant, flat-out advertisement for mosquito repellent. Not that I believe it's healthy in any way, but neither is this....

Now we all know this isn't my skinny butt (praise the Lord!) but I did snap this photo. Well, first I screamed and oh my gawd-ed all over the place and finally came to my senses and realized this was a moment that must be documented, after first receiving permission of course.

It's a perfect example of not following sage camping advice. When they say to wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, and about a gallon or so of mosquito repellent, you darn well better do it! This is what happens to tight-black-pant-wearing, unprotected souls who sit in mesh camping chairs.

Seriously, I would have loved to have seen this action close up - a fly on the butt, so to speak. I mean, how could something like this have happened? Was it just five or so greedy, gluttonous mosquitoes feasting on her behind, or were we all sitting there, happily enjoying our s'mores, oblivious to the massive swarm performing such evil on this poor girl's tush?

One may never know.

Just remember, if you're going camping, either wear the right clothes and bug repellent, or bring a friend you can sacrifice to the mosquito Gods - because if every mosquito at the lake is eating your friend's butt, they won't be eating yours!

Random thought for the day...

Bambi should be rated R.

M. says... (quotes from my 5 year old)

"For a small guy, I'm a big know-er..."

Get the TV! GET THE TEEEEVEEEEE < insert dramatic slow motion voice here

Picture this:

It's 12:30 am, you're fast asleep in your oh so comfy bed and the ground starts to move and things start rattling around. You reach out and touch your husband.

"I feel it too."

Earthquakes are common in this new country you live in, so you lay in bed for a second, waiting it out. The shaking gains in intensity a bit and you think to yourself - oh this must be the peak, it should be dying down right about n- HOLY SHIT!

Suddenly your house sounds like it's splitting in two, things are falling around everywhere while you run/fall into your children's room. You grab the oldest out of bed and throw him on the floor in the doorway. Then you run to get your baby - who is almost two but darn it, he's still the baby! Amidst all the cracking and crashing and noise, you remember your brand new, very expensive television perched ever so precariously on that damn skinny entertainment center you just had to have.

You shout to your husband to save the tv while he's stumbling around in a sleep-induced stupor, being attacked by falling ironing boards. Okay, it was just one ironing board, but I bet in the dark, in the middle of an earthquake, it felt like two or three at least. He makes it to the doorway with you and the kids by the time the earthquake starts to die down.

"We lost the tv" you say. Which may sound petty and ridiculous in the grand scheme of things, but seriously - you JUST bought the thing.

"I bet we did," says your husband, and now that he's come to his senses he heads down the hall to survey the damage. You stay on the floor, shaking with adrenaline while your oldest cries and your baby sits there, very confused about the whole thing.

But no, the tv is okay, in perfect shape! Sure your entertainment center moved about eight or so inches, along with your sofa, refrigerator, and other things - but the tv is good to go! Why? Because unbeknownst to you, your husband actually did attach the handy dandy strap that came with the tv to keep it from tipping over.

So you put the kids in your bed and join your husband to see just how much broke. Which wasn't that much really. A tall shoe cabinet fell over, a few things fell out of the tops of the closets, a shelf in the bookcase came loose and fell down, but nothing broke, except the iron.

Your husband goes to comfort the kids in bed and you run to the computer to find out where the epicenter was and just how bad things were at this handy website:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/

And the earthquake isn't up yet. So you hit refresh. Nothing. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh.

There it is.

Turns out a 6.8 hit about 65 miles south of your town. Crazy! You check outside to make sure the Japanese aren't running around hysterically in the streets, because if they are, then you darn well better be too! But they're not. And you see your Japanese neighbor through the window, calm, replacing things that had fallen on the shelf. And you hear your American neighbors sweeping up glass. A few minutes later you hear a car driving around with some chime/siren type thing on it. You assume it's telling you that all is well, and not -

"Everybody run we're all going to die!"

You head back to bed. Wait for the aftershocks. Nothing. You put the kids back in their own bed and try to relax enough to fall asleep, unaware of all the little messes you'll have to clean up tomorrow, like the Tylenol and other things currently floating around your toilet.

Wet Wet Wet

For full effect, click on the video.....



You see, right now, as I type this, it is 80 degrees - with 90% humidity. What does this mean, really? Well, I like to think that I am only 10% away from my house raining on me.

My walls are wet, my doors are wet, the floor is wet, the mirrors in the bathroom are foggy, the cabinets have beads of water running down them. I went to grab a few Little People toys to join L. for naptime and all of those are wet. Blech!

I think it's time to try and figure out how to make the air conditioner work before my house turns into a giant mass of mold. A dehumidifier is definitely in our future.

Sing it with me...

I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
Love The wet is all around me
And so the feeling grows
It's written on the wind
It's everywhere I go
Oh yes it is
So if you really love me
come on and let it show buy me a dehumidifier or two.....

Tanesashi Coast

There are no words to describe how peaceful and gorgeous this place is so I'll do it in pictures. The sprawling grass lawn is natural, and the soft cream (ice cream) is delish!

Here's T. - still as hot as the day I married him - 10 years ago, aack!!

Cheryl, these are for you...