Playing "school"

Foster reading his new solar system book to Logan and Seth

And, in case I'm not on here 'til "next year" - Happy New Year to you all, and no, my resolutions will so NOT be shared!

In Da House

High School Musical is here. All well and good but they are just 6 and 3 (and 3). Hey, it's better than SpongeBob!

Happy Holidays!!!

We had fun (minus the ugly colds we all seem to have) - the kids really got into the holidays this year. We celebrated Hanukkah first - and Foster proudly used his menorah he made at Hebrew School.

We celebrated Christmas today and that was also very fun. And as seen below, our tree runneth over. Every year we say we need to scale back, and we do, but family and friends don't help "the situation". Yeah, the kids woke up at 6:30 this morning and were totally excited to see that among all the gifts and stockings, the big Red Guy also left the twins new "big boy" bikes and Foster got a telescope.

Both Laura and I (and Bubbe too) scored in the gift department (you mean that isn't what it's all about - just kidding) and we had lots of fun opening our gifts from our family - seems like we need some babysitters on stand-by so we can go out and enjoy all our restaurant gift cards.

And now, BEHOLD, our newest Christmas tradition - introducing, the Turducken - for those of you who don't know what it is, it's a turkey, stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken. And may I say - I can now claim the best cook as my very own partner. Laura out-did herself, it was excellent!!!














And now, after being off work for 5 days - tomorrow I go back - at my new (earlier) hours of 7:30 - 4:00 - yeah, great planning on my part.


Happy Everything to you all!

Our holiday card - Happy Holidays!

Blast from the past...

Okay, not sure if you'll admit to it, but who remembers this fine product??

I do.

And the sucker in me bought it tonite at our local Filipino store - just because

What else do you all remember?

Joke from a 3-year old - you gotta laugh...

Logan: Knock-knock

Me: Who's there?

Logan: Banana

Me: Banana who?

Logan: Banana shirt!!!!!

And then he falls down laughing hysterically...honestly, I didn't get the joke but I just had to laugh 'cause he was just so damn funny - oh - and very proud of himself.

Busy, busy - but always time for some pictures...

Foster wins an award at school for "Excellent Citizenship"

Foster is learning how to knit with Bubbe - he already made a scarf!
Seth at swim lessons
Logan at swim lessons
Logan jumping in

Seth going for a dive!

Is anyone else tired of recalls?

I don’t know about you but I’m so “done” with toys being recalled. I belong to a list sent out by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and not a day goes by that I don’t receive an e-mail about a toy or some other children’s item being recalled – and mostly because of lead paint. Perhaps if my kids were younger and mouthing all their toys would I worry more. The lead paint ones don’t bother me as much as some of the other ones. Like the Bumbo seat – oh come on people! Puh-leeze. Parents, wake up! If you’re gonna stick your kid in a seat up on a table you had better be right there to catch them. And if you’re not, is it the fault of the seat? But noooooooooooooooooooo, instead, order a massive recall on an item that millions of parents love (okay so maybe not a true recall but a sticker to put on your Bumbo seat) and use CORRECTLY. And if you place that sticker on your seat will it suddenly be okay to use it on a table, or a chair or some other equally inappropriate place?

Uggggg.

But yeah, the lead paint issue – I don’t believe for one second that all the major toy manufacturers didn’t know that lead paint was being used. I think they knew but didn’t do anything about it until it became a “health issue”. Then it’s like “Oops, sorry, let’s blame China”, yeah right.

I’m sorry but I have other things to worry about, like mad cow disease and bird flu.

How did December get here already?

Good grief, I blink and the month goes by.

I'm done with my one class, just have to wait for my grade and then proceed to get my certification. I'm gonna do it this time. Then of course, I have to look around for a job. Good news is that I'm solid in my current position, so I don't "have to" find another position RIGHT NOW. I can take my time and look.

I've already looked and the market seems a bit saturated - either that or school social work positions are scarce. Regardless, eventually, I'm sure, a position will open up for me - and from what I can tell, salaries are GREAT...really!

So, it's December and the official "stressing out" is in full swing. It seems lately I've been stressing about, well, just about everything. Like, I'm behind on my programs I've TiVo'd; I haven't finished my holiday shopping (well, except for Hanukkah, I'm done with that); I haven't been keeping up in my reading of the various magazines I get (don't look beside my bed); my "To Do" list is so not "T'done" - it's huge; and so on. You get the idea. I was just talking with my office-mate about how really stressed we are this year - what is it? I dunno. I just know I am.

Gotta remember to breathe!

Speaking of said office-mate, I just remembered a funny thing she told me. She has two kids, the oldest being the same age as my twins (age 3). She told me she can no longer go to Hillcrest - Hillcrest is our predominately gay part of town. And rightly so, there are tons of rainbow flags all over. She was there with her kids (she's not gay) and her 3 year old stated "Look mommy, FAGS" (meaning he couldn't quite say FLAG). Well, yeah, it's true, she was totally embarrassed, I thought it was totally funny - and NO, I was so not offended.

Out of the mouth of babes and all that...

Drumroll please...

The answer to where these 3 objects were found:

one matchbox car
one mickey mouse magnet
one tube of chapstick

was in the VCR tape slot.

Not quite as interesting as a floor vent (!) - we don't have any of those, but nonetheless still odd. Yes, we got all the items out and of course Foster blamed it one his little brothers (but honestly, I do believe him...).

Quiz - still open for answers...

Thanks so far for everyone's guess.

So far, nobody got it correct - there's still time though.

I will post the correct answer in the next day or so.

Good Luck - Oh, and BTW, we did the toilet-thing a few years ago when Foster dropped a plastic ice-cream cone down the toilet causing us to call the plumber which cost us over $50.00.

Yup, boys!!!!

Quiz for parents of kids aged 7 and under...

Q: The following 3 items were found together where (someplace they shouldn't be)?
(hint: no, NOT in a bodily cavity - ick):

one matchbox car
one mickey mouse magnet
one tube of chapstick

Please answer with your best guess.

Good Luck!

Research Time!

Somehow, and I’m not sure exactly how – we received a postcard announcing a new clinical research study currently being conducted by our local Children’s Hospital for kids with eczema. One of the twins, Logan has had a touch of eczema for quite a long time. We’ve used mostly OTC creams and such, never anything that was an Rx. Sometimes the creams worked, sometimes not. And, Logan’s case of eczema isn’t at all as bad as some other cases I’ve seen.

Regardless, he was selected to take part in a 4-week double-blind (meaning we don’t know and the doctor doesn’t know) study for a new eczema cream.

There are 4 visits he has to go to and we have to apply this cream two times per day. And then he (we!) will receive $200.00 in compensation. But, best would be if the cream really works and his eczema improves. Too bad we probably won’t find out which cream he is using.

And no, there will be no blood-draws, injections or any other painful procedures done (otherwise I probably wouldn’t have done it).

Let the testing begin!

P.S. KEEP READING - MORE NEW POSTINGS BELOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Tag-Time

I was tagged by Casey.

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself
4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

Okay then, here we go:

Thank you Casey for tagging me – here goes!

Hmmmm, 7 things about me – lets’ see.

1. I freely admit to being totally directionally challenged. I mean honestly, I get lost everywhere – in my own neighborhood, at work – anywhere. I’ve given up beating myself up about it. That’s the way my brain works – it doesn’t get North, South, East and West – mostly when I’m driving. Thank goodness for Mapquest – before this wonderful invention, I studied my Thomas Guide and had to hand-write out my exact directions, including going and returning with turns and I had to list the street before my turn – oh it was not fun. Laura and I joke that I couldn’t find my way out of a paper bag…with the light on…and a GPS…and the end of the bag open… It’s sad really.

2. I also freely admit to being a collector of pens, pencils, note pads, clips – well, in general…all office supplies. Long Live Staples!!! I must always buy a pen whenever we travel someplace – hey, it’s functional and cheap. Are you going on vacation to some exotic locale and wondering what to bring me back? A pen (even the free hotel ones) would make me very happy.

3. I’m a gadget hoarder. I love ‘em. My newest “toy” is a hand-held label-making machine. I’m dangerous with that. Laura may come home one day to a house full of labeled power cords, kitchen items, folders, etc.

4. Speaking of kitchen items, I hate cooking. Honestly, I don’t like it. I don’t find much enjoyment in making meals. I’ve done it and can follow a recipe but it takes me too long to figure out everything and that just makes me frustrated. See #1, I can’t find my way around a kitchen for “no money”. In fact, when I moved into my own apartment many moons ago by myself, I was forced to buy myself a basic cookbook – the title was “Help, my apartment has a kitchen!”

5. I’m in love with my TiVo. We've had one now for about 2 years. I resisted it for a while but man, once we got that thing hooked up – I realized how easy it was to really make “watching TV easier” – as if it needed to be easy. More like less frustrating to figure out programming my VCR. Now when I watch something “TiVo’d” I watch it faster and easier. I’m sold.

6. Going along with #2, I love trying out new “bath and body” type things. I’ve been a member of the “Bath and Body Works Research Team” and have tested so many new scents I couldn’t count them all. Every few months they send me a batch of “new” scents I need to use and comment on. It’s kinda fun to be in on the new stuff and to experience it before it reaches the stores. I’ve also tested coffee, laundry detergent, fabric softener, toilet paper, etc.

7. Guilt. I feel it every time I look at my digital pictures on my computer. I had every intention to create digital scrapbooks of the kids. I have the computer program and the books but with the amount of pictures I have stored on the computer and discs it’s overwhelming to think about how to start. Well, maybe one day – hey, maybe I can use that as my New Year’s Resolution? I just need the extra time in the day to do it. Perhaps I should stop my TiVo watching and start scrap booking!

Okay, this was hard to decide but I’m tagging:
Veronica
Laura
Sonya
Anita
Gabrielle
Wendy
Holly

Have fun!

Spa-ahhhhhhh

I forgot to mention our wonderful day on Monday - holiday for Laura and I. Foster went to his before and after-school program (all day) and the twins' daycare was open. So, Laura and I took advantage of a "free" day together without kidlets and went to this local Spa and we each had an 80 minute Swedish massage.

We used the Jacuzzi and steam room and sauna. What a great day! We also went out to lunch and to Costco (again, without kids).

What I want to know is this:
How can an 80 minute massage go by in the blink of an eye...BUT, just an hour-long meeting at work seems to drag on, and on, and on, and on, and on.........

Going Global?

Every once in a while I check my stats to see "who" is visiting me and from where. In the beginning of my blogging experience I used to check regularly but now I don't. I decided to check today and in just the past 3 days, I've gotten my usual hits...but these as well:



Oceania/Australasia (Guam)

Pakistan

Moscow City, Moscow

Vitria, Brazil

Jawa Barat, Jakarta (Indonesia)

Campania, Naples and Verona - Italy

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Helsinki, Finland



I only went back a few days - it's like the "Amazing Race" - (Heck, YES, I'm rooting for Kate and Pat you go girls! and I'm also oddly attracted to Kynt and Vyxsin (the Goth couple)) on my blog. Interesting.

You know you're a true San Diegan if....

1. Your high school had a surf team

2. You know who Biff and Skippy were

3. You can correctly pronounce Tierrasanta, La Jolla , Rancho Penasquitos, San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Jamacha, Jamul, Cuyamaca, and El Cajon

4. There are four distinct seasons: Summer, Not Quite Summer, Almost Summer, and Oh Hey Look Its Summer Again

5. Your house is worth more than some small countries

6. You know what MB, OB, and PB stand for

7. Every street name is either in Spanish or Spanish related, and you're surprised when other areas don't have this

8. You see weather forecasts for four different climate zones in the same county, and aren't remotely surprised. The Micro Climate Weather

9. You've gone to Mt. Helix in July and known you still need a jacket

10. You've tailgated at Qualcomm Stadium, and for bonus points, also tailgated when it was Jack Murphy Stadium

11. You have a favorite- the WAP or the Zoo

12. You been on a MB/PB pub crawl on St. Patrick's Day (you think)

13. You've been on a field trip to see an Imax movie at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

14. You still call it the Del Mar Fair

15. You say "I'm going to the track" and people know what you mean

16. You understand what May-Gray and June-Gloom are

17. A famous skateboarder/surfer lives in your town

18. There's a North County, a South County, and an East County but no Central County

19. You know what it means when a girl in a short skirt is walking on El Cajon Blvd

20. You've gotten stuck in the Horton Plaza parking structure traffic after a Padres game

21. You know what "The Merge" is, and will plan your entire day around not being on it during rush hour

22. You've been to Belmont Park

23. You remember when the roller coaster was a dilapidated piece of junk that didn't run for years

24. You've taken the Coaster and laughed at people sitting in traffic on the I-5

25. You know the difference between Clairemont Mesa, Kearny Mesa, and Mira Mesa and maybe you remember Serra Mesa, too!

26. You've gone to Sea World on a warm day and sat in the first few rows at the Shamu Show to get cooled off

27. You've been delayed at the Border Checkpoints on the 5 & 15

28. Your house doesn't have air conditioning, and doesn't need it

29. You know it's San Diegan, not San Diegoan, or San Diegoite

30. Everyone has their favorite beach

31. No matter what the weather is, there is always someone walking around in a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops

32. You have family and or friends that have moved to Arizona

33. You used to, and sometimes still do ride the carousel at Seaport Village

34. You know someone who doesn't own pants, and have a neighbor who doesn't seem to own a shirt

35. You know what Santa Ana's are, and that they have literally nothing to do with the city of Santa Ana

36. If the menu doesn't have California burritos on it, forget it, its not real Mexican food

37. You remember when the admission to the fair included the headlining band!


**Since I'm not a "native" San Diegan, I will grade myself on this and say that since I can relate to just about every single one of these, then I'm a true San Diegan!

Happy Halloween!!!

Logan as Skeleton, Seth the "race car driver" (with an attitude) and Foster, the "dark" Spiderman.

First stop, Gina's house!!!

We enjoyed the suger rush!

NOT...

the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Well, almost. You know the days.......let's see.

Since the fires here in Southern CA, the school's have been closed. They were also closed today. That meant that Foster's before and after-school pgm. was closed today, BUT, another pgm. at a nearby school was open and taking kids from all the other schools that had closed programs. So, we decided that since I'm still on jury duty and Laura needed to go to work, we'd enroll him for the day at the nearby day program. Well, Foster was onboard with the change in his schedule until we (meaning ME) got there. As I was signing him in he was getting more and more hysterical. He didn't want to stay, he didn't know anybody he said (not true), he didn't like it, why couldn't he come with me, he didn't want to stay, etc. I helped him hang-up his backpack, all the while he was saying he didn't want to stay - note, this is his M.O., he gets really upset with big changes like this and I guess when you're six, this is a big change.

So, as I'm peeling him off me as I try to leave (already running a bit late to drive downtown to park for jury duty) he grabs onto the back of my shirt and wouldn't you know it? He rips the bottom of it - about 6 inches or so. Damn. I'm not a happy camper. I calmly tell him to "have a good day and I'll see you later" and I left. I get to my car and try to decide if I have enough time to go home to change before court. I decided I couldn't go the whole day with a torn shirt so I drive home and change.

Get on the freeway, eat my bagel and cream cheese (pay attention, this is an important point). Get to my usual parking lot only to be greeted by a big blue sign politely informing me that the lot is full. Double Damn. There is no parking here for jurors, you either take public transportation or pay $10/day (or more) to park. Many people take the trolley or bus but I don't. I roll down my window and ask the lot attendant if it's "really, really full or just 'maybe' possibly full". I need a damn spot. He lets me in "at my own risk". I realize that the two HUGE Carnival Cruise ships sitting at the docks are the main reason the lot is full. All those lucky people are relaxing on the ships (having already been parked and loaded onto the ship) and now I have to find a spot among their parked cars. Eventually I do find a spot but not without a million scenes running thru my brain (namely a bench warrant for my arrest since I didn't make jury duty).

Then - were you paying attention? I go to take my backpack out of the passenger side door only to find the straps are covered with cream cheese. So, then I have to dig around to find a baby wipe and proceed to clean those. Quickly, because I don't have much time.

Walking to the courthouse, I thought that yeah, my day isn't turning out so great - better watch where I cross the street, wouldn't want to get hit by the trolley - 'cause ya know, that would REALLY ruin my day.

Get to the courthouse entrance and stand in line to go thru the metal detectors. I put my backpack up on the conveyor belt only for the Sheriff demand I put it back thru again. She asks me "do I have a pocket knife in there"? Ummmm - no I don't lady. She puts it back thru again. They open it, search it and sure enough, in a little tiny pouch I threw in at the last moment (had some Tums in there) there WAS a pocket knife. Okay, running late now. I decided to just give them the knife but miraculously it was "okay for me to bring in since it was so small". Ahhhh. Good thing to know that mad jurors runing late are allowed to bring pocket knives in, but of course, only if they are really, really tiny.

Get up to the fourth floor with a few moments to spare.

We started deliberations today to my surprise. But in a room that at noon was freezing. Now, anyone that knows me, knows that if I'm actually uncomfortably cold, it's really cold in there. I'm wearing short-sleeves - the "new" shirt I put on when I returned home this morning after dropping Foster off.

We break for lunch so I decide to go to Horton Plaza which is a mall about 4 blocks away to buy a jacket or sweater. So I run there and buy a jacket. Scarf down some lunch I picked up at the Starbucks and run back up to the deliberation room. Yeah, guess what I found out? They upped the heat, it's hot in there. Good thing I didn't rip off the price tags! I will return it tomorrow (one good thing - I bought myself a nice watch while I was at Macy*s - gotta feed my watch addiction you know).

We ended at 4:00. I picked up Foster from the day program, only to find out he had a great day afterall and calmed down within 5 minutes of me leaving this morning. Okay - well, at least that's good.

Then of course, the usual dinner chaos which I won't get into now but trust me, same old, same old.

Things were going a bit better - Laura was getting ready to go return my video to the store at 9:00 pm that was due today, only to find out that yeah, it WAS due... at NOON (I highly dislike Blockbuster).

I'd call for a do-over for today, but frankly, I don't want to.

It can only get better from here, right??

Just a "few" pics to entertain you...

My three boys!

Logan and his favorite baby "Cameron"

Seth and his favorite t-shirt

All's well here...

What a stressful few days here in San Diego.

Instead of sending out multiple e-mails to family and friends I decided to just post here.

First off, we are fine. We were "thisclose" to being evacuated though, just a few miles south (as the crow flies). We did pack the cars - just in case. We went thru this exactly (and I mean EXACTLY) four years ago.

We experienced lots and lots of falling ash and debris. The fires here were huge. About one million people were displaced but San Diego is an awesome city and they all pulled together to get thru this. I can't think of another city as well prepared as we are. We've (and I mean the collective "we" the county "we") have been preparing for situations just like this since the Cedar Fires 4 years ago. We get regular "Disaster Training" at work.

Foster is off school this entire week due to the fires. This means I get to play "stay at home mom" tomorrow. If we get all our home chores done, I have an outing planned. The outside air quality is really unhealthy though.

So, for now, things look good for us. But, in reality, the county suffered greatly. The fire that affected us mostly where Laura and I live (the Witch fire) is still only 20% contained. For those of you who slept thru math, that means a considerable amount, 80% of it, is still NOT contained and remains burning. They don't expect full containment of all the fires (there are multiple ones still burning in the county) for another few weeks. Then, all the rebuilding takes place.

I work for the county and therefore I am a "public servant" (that really is what we are called) and can therefore be called out to help out at any shelter or at any office in the future. But, since the courts are closed this week, my jury duty was postponed 'til next week. I plan to return to jury duty on Monday if all is still well.

Thanks to all who took the time to send a quick e-mail to check on us (and those who kept us in their thoughts - you know who you are) - we really appreciated it.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Yup, again, but this time the whole thing.

I posted this video before but I realize some of the beginning was missing - almost a minute. I'm sure you've all heard this mom "tell it like it is" and here's the whole thing - again. If you're like me, you can easily listen to this again.

The lyrics are under the video.




Get up now,
get up now
Get up out of bed
Wash your face
Brush your teeth
Comb your sleepy head
Here’s your clothes
And your shoes
Hear the words I said
Get up now
Get up and make your bed
Are you hot?
Are you cold?
Are you wearing that?
Where’s your books and your lunch and your homework at?
Grab your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat
Don’t forget you gotta to feed the cat
Eat your breakfast
The experts tell us it’s the most important meal of all
Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall
Please remember the orthodontist will be seeing you at three today?
Don’t forget your piano lesson is this afternoon
So you must play
Don’t shovel
Chew slowly
But hurry
The bus is here
Be careful
Come back here
Did you wash behind your ears?
Play outside
Don’t play rough
Would you just play fair?
Be polite
Make a friend
Don’t forget to share
Work it out
Wait your turn
Never take a dare
Get along
Don’t make me come down there
Clean your room
Fold your clothes
Put your stuff away
Make your bed
Do it now
Do we have all day?
Were you born in a barn?
Would you like some hay
Can you even hear a word I say?
Answer the phone
Get Off the phone
Don’t sit so close
Turn it down
No texting at the table
No more computer time tonight
Your iPod’s my iPod if you don’t listen up
Where you going and with whom and what time do you think you’re coming home?
Saying thank you, please, excuse me
Makes you welcome everywhere you roam
You’ll appreciate my wisdom
Someday when you’re older and you’re grown
Can’t wait ‘til you have a couple little children of your own
You’ll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly
But right now
I thank you NOT to roll your eyes at me
Close your mouth when you chew
Would appreciate
Take a bite
Maybe two
Of the stuff you hate
Use your fork
Do not you burp
Or I’ll set you straight
Eat the food I put upon your plate
Get an A,
Get the door
Don’t get smart with me
Get a Grip
Get up here or I’ll count to 3
Get a job
Get a life
Get a PhD
Get a dose of…
I don’t care who started it
You’re grounded until you're 36
Get your story straight
And tell the truth for once for heaven’s sake
And if all your friends jumped off a cliff
Would you jump too?
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said at least a thousand times before that
You’re too old to act this way
It must be your father’s DNA
Look at me when I am talking
Stand up straighter when you walk
A place for everything
And everything must be in place
Stop crying or I’ll give you something real to cry about
Oh!
Brush your teeth
Wash your face
Get your PJs on
Get in bed
Get a hug
Say a prayer with Mom
Don’t forget
I love you
**KISS**
And tomorrow we will do this all again because a mom’s work never ends
You don’t need the reason why
Because
Because
Because
Because
I said so
I said so
I said so
I said so
I’m the Mom
The mom
The mom
The mom
The mom
Ta-da


Written and performed by Anita Renfroe (copyright 2007 BluebonnetHills Music/BMI)http://www.anitarenfroe.com/

New addition to my sidebar

I keep thinking of things I want to do with the kids so I went thru my online list and added them over there, off to the right, on the sidebar.

As we complete them, I'll remove them.

I hope one day to have a whole new list (meaning we did everything on the old list).

I'm in, Laura's not...

I got selected for jury duty, Laura didn't. After I had gotten there and got into the court-room, I actually 'wanted' to get picked. Once I heard what the case is about (no, I'm not telling...yet) I wanted to get picked so I could find out how it ended up. Well, I got my wish, I'm in, and the case is expected to last thru Wednesday.

Laura didn't get selected. She never even left the Jury Lounge (her name never came up). Here in San Diego, the law is "One Day, One Trial". So you show up one day, if you get selected for a trial, you finish up that trial. If you don't get selected and you sit in the jury lounge for the day, you're done. The difference is that if I finish this trial, I can be excused from jury duty for 3 years. Laura can be summoned again in as little as one year.

The best part of the day was lunch. We met and walked over to a wonderful nearby hotel where we had a wonderful (read, quite pricy) lunch together. Kinda like we actually had a date! It was very fun indeed.

So, I report in tomorrow at 9am and I hope to end the days by 4:30 or so.

How romantic is this?

Tomorrow...


Laura and I....


are going to go....




TO JURY DUTY TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!

Heeheehee - yeah, ain't it the truth?

“I mean, think about it. Other than the war in Iraq, the Katrina disaster, the deficit, the CIA leak, torture, stopping stem cell research, homeland security, global warming, and undercutting science, we’ve yet to really feel the negative effects of the Bush administration.”
~ Bill Moyers

The Run-Down on Palm Springs and Picture link

Palm Springs was FUN! We left San Diego just after 1:00pm on Friday, picking up Foster from school early. All 3 kids conked out early on in the drive so it was nice and quiet. We arrived at our hotel just after 3:30 and checked in. We met up with some cyber-friends and settled into our room which was in a perfect location just next to the pool. Unfortunately that afternoon and evening, Palm Springs was hit by some pretty strong wind. We did go into the pool but with the wind, it was quite chilly. Dinner (family-style with all the families there) was fun as well. We ended the day with me sleeping in one bed with Seth and Laura sleeping in the other bed with Logan because they couldn’t seem to NOT bug each other in the same bed. Foster slept on a cot. I didn’t sleep well that night as I would wake up every time Seth rolled over panicked that he’d fall out of the bed – which I might add was very NOT low to the ground and the floor was tile. I think I caught him no less than a dozen times during the night “thisclose” to the edge of the bed.

Saturday morning brought us to breakfast in the hotel lobby. We then decided to forgo some of the activities and we went to the Palm Springs Ariel Tramway. We took the kids to the top where it was a chilly 38 degrees. Seth (AKA: Mr. No Body Fat) got chilled within a few minutes of being outside. We did have fun letting the kids crawl over the rocks and explore the area. We knew we wouldn’t make it back to the hotel in time for lunch so we ate “at the top of the mountain”. Damn, they are expensive up there but the view is breath-taking ---- literally. I felt it a bit harder to catch my breath being so far up but felt much better when we took the tram back down. We got back to the hotel just in time for “Family Tie-Dying” – that was super-fun. We “tie-dyed” shirts and socks. It was fun to know that we can do that and NOT be responsible for cleaning up the mess afterwards. We then spent some time in the pool and got to relax for about 10 minutes.

On Saturday evening two large “cruise” buses arrived at the hotel to take everyone to a private house a few miles away. Well, “house” doesn’t do justice. It was an estate. The couple (Tom Bombadier and John Fowler) who own the house hosted an amazing event for the families that evening. They actually rolled out the “red carpet” (you can see it in the pictures) for us when we arrived. They set up tables upon tables on the tennis courts. Around the perimeter were the food stations and they thought of everything – including an OPEN BAR. They had all kid-friendly food – mini pizzas, chicken fingers, hot dogs and burgers. They had a “Make your own Sundae bar” and a “Candy Bar” where they had all these huge glass jars filled to the top with various candies and you got to fill as many bags as you wanted with whatever candy you wanted to take with you. The President of Family Pride gave a speech and they had a fund-raiser and the hosts were going to donate $25,000.00 if all the rest of us donated that much. Within 15 minutes of fund-raising (filling out promise cards) they raised close to $70,000.00!!!! Excellent. Then they handed out glow sticks to all the kids and showed a private screening of “Shrek II”. Foster, Logan and Seth did really well and we all enjoyed the movie. Then the buses came back and shuttled us all back to the hotel where we crashed – but best part yet, Logan and Seth slept in the same bed! Yay!

Sunday morning we went to the hotel lobby again to have breakfast and then a dip in the pool and then Laura packed the room while I tried to entice the kids to go for a walk – they did. We were supposed to meet back up with some of our cyber-buds but time ran out as we had to check-out by noon. We made even better time back to San Diego, less than 2 hours, and again, all 3 kids slept most of the way. We arrived home just in time to put in 3 loads of laundry.

Fun trip – we can’t wait to do it again next year!!!!!

Enjoy the pictures here:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AZs2bNu0ZNGaq&emid=sharshar&linkid=link3

Yes, the pictures are coming...

We had an awesome time in Palm Springs. Wait 'til you see the pictures of the private house that hosted a party for us. It was probably one of the biggest high-lights of the weekend. Well, that and meeting up with my cyber-friends...sorry we didn't have more time...didn't the weekend just fly by?

Anyway, I promise pic's are coming and a run-down of the weekend.

But first, I'm oddly attracted to "Kid Nation" - both on a personal level and a professional one. Hmmm, it starts now, so I'm gonna watch it and then concentrate on getting the pic's up on Shutterfly.

Mini-Vacation --- HERE we come!

This weekend we're joining lots and lots of other GLBT families for the 5th Annual Family Pride in the Desert. Both Laura and I are taking off work on Friday and we'll be sneaking in to pick up Foster early from school (probably right after lunch) and Logan and Seth from Gina's to "get the show on the road" early. Dinner is served at 6.

The weekend looks like so much fun! Lots of activities - swimming, family games, movies, tye-dyeing, a little sight-seeing and best of all --- all the food is included! Yay!

They sold out the hotel we're staying at - this is the main hotel for all the activities so I was very happy to get us a suite. We'll be here - the Shilo Inn has two swimming pools and from what I understand, all the rooms kind of face the middle courtyard and the pools.

We'll be meeting up with some friends we've met before and some we only know via the internet.

Foster is beyond excited about his "vacation" and sleeping for two nights in a HOTEL.

I really am looking forward to it - we need a mini-break!

P.S. keep reading, more below

So why CAN’T the kids come with a parenting manual?

Sheesh, I ask myself that several times per week. Now, being the good little readers that Laura and I are, I know that the parenting books, videos, magazines, etc. out there are plentiful – and believe me, we’ve read many. But, I usually think to myself “Well, who made Dr. Sears or the “Love and Logic” people the experts – better yet, the experts on MY kids”. Sure, maybe their parenting tips worked for THEM but are they working for me? It would just be easier if I intuitively knew what to do in any given situation.

Let me paint you a picture of a typical dinnertime meal:
There’s child #1, Foster, stating he’s “starving, when’s dinner?” Children #2 and #3 Logan and Seth are typically getting in each other’s things and someone is usually screeching at this point. Laura is busy preparing the meal (after basically just walking in 20 minutes prior) and I’m trying to make sure nobody gets a limb caught in something, breaking up a squabble, or cleaning up kids preparing them for dinner.

Foster is still whining that he’s starving and the twins are still fighting over a piece of lint they found under the sofa.

Finally we all sit down to dinner and automatically Foster doesn’t want whatever is in front of him – well, sometimes he does.

Logan is climbing onto his chair all the while making sure his favorite baby doll is right next to him (or some other item).

Seth is dragging his heels coming into the dining room, and typically dragging some toy or truck or book or free McDonald’s toy to the table and then immediately starts removing anything green from his plate.

About 45 seconds later, and the precise moment Laura and I sit down, someone needs something – water, ketchup, a spoon or fork (‘cause they just tossed theirs on the floor). So we get that. Then about 2 minutes later Foster is done eating and asking for dessert (he usually gets to pick out 2 pieces of candy from the candy bowl). Of course then Logan demands to be done, followed by Seth who has eaten nothing. Logan’s chair and the surrounding floor are covered in crumbs, Foster is trying to pick out a Spongebob episode off of TiVo and Seth is wandering into the living room.

Then we eat – quickly because soon it’s time for bath, shower and bed for three kids. All the while Laura and I look at each other and wonder – what have we done wrong, why aren’t our kids all sitting quietly, elbows off the table, napkin tucked neatly on their lap eating their food WITH utensils (what a concept), proudly exclaiming “Mum, this food is absolutely delicious, you both are the best mums in the world and we love you – thank you for providing us with the most nutritious meal and taking such good care of us!” Then, I am quickly snapped back to reality when I hear the water running in the bathroom (WHO is in there?), see Logan running around stark nekkid wanting his bath NOW and hearing the kids yell at each other to “Move, you’re standing right in front of the TV – MOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!”

Well, okay, sometimes it isn’t that bad but really, a manual designed for our kids, for our family would be greatly appreciated.

Sometimes when we’re out and about I watch other parents and their kids – and sometimes I think “Hey, they’re dealing with the same crap we are” and sometimes I see parents deftly handle any issue that crops up. I sure hope sometimes WE are the parents that other parents wonder “How do they handle those 3 adorable boys?” because yes, sometimes they are very well-behaved in public, even in restaurants (!!) and I feel very lucky indeed. Well, I always feel very lucky and blessed, but sometimes I just want the parenting answers inserted into my brain. Either that or Super Nanny – please come for a visit – we’ll feed you!

Why can’t I just get a job selling mattresses?

So here I am, totally exhausted on Tuesday nights after working a full day at my job and then taking my evening class (for my School Social Work Credential). This past Tuesday, I was driving home after the class at about 9:50pm with a monster headache that started at 1pm that day after a 2.5 hour Union Meeting.

Off the side of the freeway there is a mattress store. As I’m driving home, one hand on the wheel, one hand on my head, I think to myself, “Self, what are you doing?” Is it all worth it? The FT job, the class at night, missing my kids, etc.

I pass by the mattress store and think, how hard could that job be? I mean really, nobody’s life is at stake, angry parents aren’t clogging up your voice-mail with their messages that they need you to call them back AT THAT INSTANT, co-workers who haven’t got a clue wouldn’t be bugging you for information, supervisors wouldn’t have much to complain about, you’d do your job and then go home – ON-TIME --- so then it hit me. Why can’t I just have a job like that??? Huh?? Is that asking too much?

Okay, seriously, then about 2 miles down the freeway I come to my senses. NO, I didn’t go to graduate school and get my Master’s Degree in Social Work to sell mattresses. I haven’t worked my butt off for the past 12+ years in the public sector to sell you a mattress making a fifth of what I make now (plus excellent benefits). I know I’m a capable social worker, and hopefully after this class is done (this December) I’ll have a credential that will open more doors for me – and hopefully will lead to even bigger and better things. That will give me more options to teach my children that yeah, if you work hard, you can make it too.

So, if you DO sell mattresses and you’re reading this – I salute you. Your job sounds like a fine way to spend the day, and maybe you do deal with lots of crap and “tired” (no pun intended) customers, but after considering it, I think I’ll stick with my current job – at least for now…

Because I needed to know...

It's fun working for the county. We get answers to all kinds of things that people ask.

Check this out:


6) Is it true that California is going to fall into the Pacific Ocean?


No. The portion of California west of the San Andreas Fault is firmly attached to the Pacific Plate and the portion east is firmly attached to the North American Plate. San Diego is moving north towards Los Angeles at the rate of about 2 inches per year and is in no danger of falling into the ocean. The Los Angeles City Hall is 10 feet closer to San Francisco than when it was built in 1924. In about 500,000 years San Diego could be an island off the coast of San Francisco.


***You know you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.
****It's a good thing we're looking to buy property here in San Diego, I've always wanted a beach-front home.
*****Keep reading, more fun posts below!

Coming up next...

...why can't I work selling mattresses?

...why CAN'T the kids come with a parenting manual?

...I've had a headache now for 3 days, why?

...Also, my allergies (or whatever you want to call it) has kicked into high-gear, why?

Stay tuned! Fun times ahead!!!

My 3 boys (and Seth the toothless wonder)

I couldn't resist posting this picture. I never realized how hard it would be to get 3 boys to all smile on cue. I think Logan was looking at my wildly waving hand vs. the camera, but it's still cute. At least I think so... ;-)

Lost a tooth, and not who you would think!

No, not Foster. He doesn't even have ONE loose tooth - perhaps because he was a toothless yearling (we felt his first tooth starting to pop in just a day after his first birthday). He started getting teeth late so I assume he'll start to loose them late.

Anyway, Sunday night as we were getting the kids ready for a shower, Seth lets out a piercing scream. He said Logan hit him with his head like this (he shows me). It was completely an accident - the kids were jumping all over the couch and each other. I cautiously peer into his mouth and there is lots of blood. We put ice on it. I keep thinking - I sure hope he didn't knock a tooth loose. I look again. The bleeding is slowing down and I gently touch the top front tooth that looks, well, a little different now. Sure enough, it moved when I touched it. My stomach dropped into the floor. This is the kid that doesn't eat enough as it is! I thought at that moment that this will make his eating worse! AND, this isn't the first tooth gone. At about a 18 mos. or so, he had an "extra" tooth removed, one that was growing in between those top two teeth.

Damn. We called the doctor and dentist Sunday night and made an appt. for first thing Monday morning. We went to the dentist and sure enough, the root was snapped in half and the tooth had to be removed. My poor baby! Laura stayed with him this time (I did the first tooth removal at 18 mos.), I couldn't do it.

They gave him Valium, nitrous oxide and Novocaine. They said he'd probably conk out the minute he got in the car to go home. Obviously they don't know my Seth. He feel asleep about half a mile from the house, for about 2 minutes. He pretty much cried all the way home. We gave him some Motrin and about 20 minutes later you wouldn't have known anything was wrong. The boy who doesn't eat, suddenly inhaled two scrambled eggs with cheese, two pieces of very soft toast and then another hard-boiled egg. Then after 3 episodes of "Caillou", I couldn't take it anymore and asked him if he wanted to go to the store (99 cent store) to pick out a toy (not counting the three goodie bags the dentist gave him) just to get out of the house. He eagerly agreed.

My mother and I drove for a while to the 99-cent store where he proceeded to demand to walk thru the store and NOT sit in his stroller. Okaaaaaaaaay. He was cleaning up the aisles as we walked around. He picked out a toy calculator and two dinosaurs that were "just the bones". He did sit in his stroller when we went into another store and then was wide awake all the way home.

He did tell Logan that he wasn't mad at him. Whew! I'm sure there will be more bumps, bruises, and broken body parts but man, I wasn't planning on this yesterday.

Now, we will probably get him a partial because it will be another good 3 years before his permanent tooth comes in and I bet he'd want that front tooth there for school. But honestly, he sure is cute with that missing tooth and it just makes him look so much older than his 3 years.

Our two minutes of "fame"...

Recently, we (mostly me) were interviewed by a student journalist taking part in the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Convention which was here in San Diego. "Our" journalist focused on being Lesbian and Jewish. Here is our family's showcase presentation!!!

While all the stories are quite interesting (there's only about 8 minutes of footage total), if you want to jump to "our" family we are the last story (HEY, save the best for last right?) at about the 6:01 minute mark.

Enjoy!

Oh sure, nothing going on here...

Why oh why can't I find any time to post?

Let's see...

Changed jobs.

Started "new" old job - again.

Started new graduate school class on Tuesday nights for two hours and 40 long minutes (to get my credential to apply to be a school social worker - just need that one class).

All 3 kids started swim lessons - if you were at the "Y" last weekend, nope, that wasn't me with the 3 screaming kids (a cute blonde 6 year old and adorable 3 year old twins) that I seriously thought should be sold to the highest bidder - nope, that wasn't me, really, nope.

Oldest started first grade - let's just say it didn't go as well as I had hoped but things are looking better and now they are afraid of us 'cause we are "THOSE" parents (more another time).

House is on the market and every day we have to make sure it's "Ready to Sell".

Looking, looking, looking for a new place to call home.

Oldest also re-started Hebrew School on Sundays.

Big 'ole garage sale happing at our place this Saturday and holy sh*t we have lots to get rid of (and that means getting it all out of storage and priced and out the door by 7am Saturday morning).

I get to take those adorably, cute 3 kids to swim class again ALONE (okay so my mother is coming with me, but it ain't the same w/o Laura) this Saturday because said garage sale is happening at about the same time - help!

Did I mention our house is on the market and we're looking for another?

So, nope, nothing at all going on here - nada.

If you're looking for an e-mail from me, it's coming, don't worry...I still have yours in my "Mail to Answer" inbox.

I feel ill...

The pictures don't lie...

Top picture is of Foster's first day of first grade. Happy guy eh?
Bottom picture is of Foster's first day of Kindergarten last year.

Methinks he doesn't appreciate photos on the first day.

More later!

Yeah, well, so, it WAS my last day

Whew! But working for the county - they (read: CPS) can still find me - that's what they do best eh?

I started my new, old job today. Same old, same old. Same office, same desk, heck, even some of my same files were still there!

Got me a brand, spankin' new 'puter though - so that helps.

Oh well, gotta remember that I do have a method to my madness. Class every Tuesday nite 'til December. Then I'll be on the look-out. Good thing is that I don't "HAVE TO" find another job right away, I'll be looking while working.

But yeah, you know, administration is the same B.S. no matter where you go. There will always be "those people" who seem to exist to make your life difficult. Altho, I do have to admit, I did receive a very nice welcome from all my old co-workers and my supervisor. That was nice.

Other news placeholder:

***a journalist from ABC news interviewed us last night in our home (in regards to being an LGBT family and me being Jewish) - link will be posted soon if it's not 'too' embarrasing.

***Laura will start her new job/promotion as a program manager (supervisor) - it's a good thing.

***Foster turns 6 on Sunday. That means 6 years ago tomorrow, I went into labor - how did my baby boy become a first grader.

***Speaking of which, Foster starts first grade on Tuesday but we have NO idea who his teacher will be, what classroom he'll be in, etc. because the school will have it ready - on Tuesday, the first day of school. Ummmm, yeah, that makes perfect sense. Okay - we did receive a recorded msg. at home "welcoming us back to school" - oh how personal is that? (smirk).

Tomorrow 'should' be/better be my last day...

...but you know the county and all...

So, tomorrow (Thursday) should be my last day at my CPS job. Then Friday (first day of a new payperiod) should be my first day at my new old job - following me?

You never know who is reading this so some things I can't delve into here on this public blog but suffice it to say that when you wait and wait and wait to review someone's work until they have less than 10 hours of available work time left - issues will come up. I mean come on now people, I put in my transfer request about 10 (TEN) weeks ago. Here we are one work day left and NOW you're bringing things to my attention? Ugggg. No wonder this place can't hold onto the people they have.

But, I have a method to my madness...

Last night I started my one graduate-level class I need to get my credential so that I can apply for school social work positions. Yeah, I was one of "those" people who graduated with my Master's degree 12 years ago and I was on the school social work credential track when I - for some stupid reason I can't really figure out - didn't follow thru on one last item and therefore didn't get my credential. 12 years later, I finally decided to finish it and luckily for me, I kept all my old final papers and exams and they were accepted as valid. So, just one class to take - it meets Tuesday evenings for 2 hours and 40 minutes and then come December when I pass the class I'll get my credential and then I can look around for other opportunities in the school district. I just kinda like the idea of summers off!

Anyway, things have changed so much since I went to school 12 years ago. For one thing, the internet as we know it today, didn't exist "back then". So now, I needed to get my new student ID # so I can access a web portal that will bring me to a virtual black board that has required readings on it. Sheesh. Like I don't have enough reading to do in the FOUR required text books. But, it is kinda fun to be back on campus, being a student, learning new things and opening up my world to new opportunities.

So yeah, method to my madness. I need to take a step backwards (by going back to my old position) so that I can get out and take 2 steps forward - by having the luxury of taking an evening class and devoting more time to studying - something I just couldn't do with a job with CPS. The uncertainty of the position with CPS would make taking an evening class almost impossible.

So - I hope to able to say "I'm done here" at 4:30 pm tomorrow.

Wish me luck.

No Cavities!!!!

That was the good news of today for Logan and Seth's first real dental appointment! Everything looked great and both did well (well, Logan more than Seth as expected).

WHOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We don't have to go back for another 6 months!

Foster learned how to ride his two-wheel bike in under TWO hours without his training wheels.
Just like everything else in his life, he waits until he is sure he can do it and then he just does it. He'll be 6 on Sept. 2nd.
Yay!!

New old job...

So, I've been a CPS social worker for what, 6 months now and I've been trying to get back to my previous position for 2 months. Uggggg.

Me no like.

No, I highly dislike it!

Doing the investigations are actually interesting, today I got to go to Juvenile Hall. Tomorrow, a possible drug raid. But the uncertainty of the hours is a killer. I work from 8am to 4:30 and at 4pm I could get an emergency call and possibly not get home 'til who knows when.

B.C. (Before Children) I wouldn't have cared much, especially when all I had to worry about was myself. Hell, I would have willingly worked overtime. But now, A.C. (After Children) it's a different story. I need to be home at a regular time. I need to know that when my work day ends at 5pm I'm done.

So, part of the beauty of working for the county is that if you transfer to a new position, during that whole first year, you can go back to the job you held previously, no questions asked.

So, I've got my fingers and toes crossed that by next Friday I'll be sitting in my new old cubicle doing my new old job. But at least I'll know I'm done when I'm done and not have to worry about any 4pm surprises.

Next post = I'm going back to school!!!

It's kinda odd, bizarre and weird, but the kids love it...

Aren't they the cutest? So what if I'm biased...

Drumroll please...

The winner is Sonya with her excellent guess of a boy in a laundry bag.

Close.

That's Foster inside his PILLOW CASE. And yes, head to the left, feet to the right. Some days I wish "I" can crawl up inside my pillow case...

What is it???

Bragging rights to the first person to guess correctly!

I want, no NEED a vacation...

I'd love to do Family Pride in the Desert this year in October. I think we're gonna try and make it happen. It's at the Shilo Inn Suites in Palm Springs this year. Looks great - two pools, steam room, sauna - and all the LGBTQ families in the area.

How fun!

I've been thinking lately that it's time to start making some more fun memories for the kids. I mean yeah, we do fun stuff all the time like the Zoo, beach, parties - but I want some other memories for them as well and the icing is that it's with all the other lesbian and gay families that are so much fun to hang out with. That is the main reason for getting together that weekend. I want my kids to know that there are soooo many other families out there that are "just like theirs" and boy, do we know how to have a great time!

WhoHoo!!!!!!!!!!!

Sadie

Sadie

1992 - 2007

(yeah, it can be kinda cheesy, but I like it and it's my blog and I can put it here)

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…
– Author Unknown

And now, first grade shopping list - DONE

I took Foster today to go "back to school shopping". Being that he's in a "year-round" school, he gets "only" 6 weeks off for summer until school starts on Sept. 4th. Thought I may as well get the stuff while I can. First we went to Big Lots. SCORE!!!

We got:
washable markers
glue sticks
pocket folders (with 3-hole brads)
backpack
lunch bag

Of course, no "back to school shopping" journey would be complete without a trip to Target. We picked up the plastic folder and a box of tissues there.

At home, I found the rest of the goods:
pencils
colored pencils
crayons
pencil top erasers
scissors (must be Fiskars)
pencil box


Whew! That's done. I think I was more excited to do this last year for Kindergarten but it was still fun. I love school supplies and, well, office supplies in general. If you know me, you know my obsession with pens and pencils. Whenever we visit somewhere new (like tourist-y places) I try to get a pen. Hey, it's cheap and useful.


Perhaps I should just quit my job and work at Staples.

Anyway, the backpack from Big Lots was $8 and the lunch bag was $5. What Foster does to a backpack and lunch bag is beyond me. I swear he must drag it around all day. He really needed a new backpack and really, REALLY needed a new lunch bag. The same items at Target were 3 times as much. And thankfully, this year, he actually selected a backpack that "I" would carry. No superheroes, no turtles, no pirates......just a plain red and grey one. But, Batman won out for the lunch bag.

Cool.

Foster's Kindergarten Graduation

Click below for Foster's Kindergarten Graduation pictures. Our baby is all "growed" up.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AZs2bNu0ZNGYz&notag=1

Happy Birthday Logan and Seth

Follow this link to see pictures from Logan and Seth's 3rd Birthday Party!



http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AZs2bNu0ZNGYi&notag=1

Listen to this mom tell it like it is...

It finally happened...

We received public praise for our children's behavior in a restaurant.

I'm hoping it will happen again soon...because then we may re-think going out to eat more often.

Whew! Finally...

And tomorrow I "went" into labor........

Hard to believe but almost 3 years ago, Logan and Seth were born. I went into labor on July 14th and they were born in the wee hours of July 15.


Logan was born first and Seth lingered on, enjoying his warm home by himself for an hour and a half before he was vacuumed out!

Party tomorrow and of course, pictures to follow.

My babies are full-fleged boys, no longer babies.

The verdict is...

...ANOTHER root canal.


Need I say any more.


Ouch.

That's #2 in about 2 months. I've reached the maximum on my dental insurance to make it even better.


Uggggggg.

Teeth....

I hate mine. I really do. They hurt. They hurt when I eat something cold, something hot, something spicy, something sweet - okay, not all of them just the ones screaming at me from the right side.

I just went thru one root canal and during that process, the dentist put in a "deep filling that we'll have to watch" he says.

Yeah, well, here we are about 3 weeks later and motrin ain't cuttin' it.

Damn.

I hate my teeth. That's why I have yet another dentist appointment this coming Monday at 9:30 (he's on vacation this week, no doubt someplace fancy living off all the money I've given hime) to see if yet another root canal is in order. I'm leaning towards yes.

And I'll go thru with it if it stops the throbbing pain that's been waking me the past few nights.

Seriously, I really adore my dentist and have NO plans to change. I fought hard to get him back and changed insurances to do just that. I had a few years in there that I went to - well, let's just say, less qualified dentists that I had to report to the Dental Board.

I'm glad to have Dr. G. back on my side.

Yes, I can go to his "alternate" this week but I'd rather wait it out 'til Monday.

Now, off to take some more motrin.

A scary event but it all turns out okay...

I just have to relate something that happened last weekend in the hopes it raises awareness. And so that I have it here on the blog and I don't forget it.

Laura and I went to the pool and she was off swimming with Foster (who can swim) and I was near the pool steps playing catch with a ball with the twins who are almost 3 (and can't swim). They were both sitting on the first few steps happily splashing. I turned my head half-way to coax Logan to "jump" to me from the 3rd step (really, just fall to me). I think my attention was turned towards him for approx. 20 - 30 SECONDS as I caught him and was bringing him back to the steps when I turned to where I last saw Seth.....he was face down floating in the water. He wasn't moving at all, wasn't flailing, just silent.

OMG, my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. I was literally one arms-length away from him. I was holding Logan and I took one step and grabbed Seth with my other arm and scooped him out of the water. I didn't even have time to say a prayer and he was out of the water and crying. I wasn't 3 feet from the side of the pool and I stood up and put them both up there and tried to calm Seth down. Thank God he was crying. I knew I had to be calm for him so I just held him (I was still in the pool but by that time Laura got to the edge of the pool and took care of Logan). I can't tell you what went thru my mind in that, what, maybe 1 minute of time. I can't even bear to type what I first thought when I first saw him face down. Thinking of it now brings chills down my spine. He was fine, he was crying, he didn't even spit out any water which makes me think he instinctively held his breath. But I was never as happy to hear him cry before. Now, I'm not one to take water safety lightly. I am always within arms reach of my kids. They all must take professional swim lessons. I'm usually so attentive to them, and this was literally less than 30 seconds that I took my eyes off him. I will NEVER, EVER do that again. EVER. NEVER.

All you parents out there that ever did something in panic-mode knows what I mean when I say that for those few seconds until I got him out of the water, I didn't hear anything else, I didn't hear the other kids in the pool, I didn't see anything but my kid in the water, I didn't feel my sprained ankle, I felt like I was moving in slow motion but I heard absolutely NOTHING else. The world went quiet, only to be broken by that sweet cry.

A lesson learned!

Happy Anniversary!!!!

Today (July 4th) is our 8th anniversary. Whew!!!

What a wild ride it's been.

8 years, THREE kids, one dog, one house (soon hopefully it will be a different house), many trips, vacations and car-rides, illness and wellness and everything that happens in-between.

I'm already planning our 10th anniversary - just two more years and I really, really, really want to take a "Rosie" cruise, yes, with the kids of course......or, a little vacation in the South of France could be fine too.

Actually, anything together is a really good thing.

Love YOU!!!

Pictures!!!

Follow this link to see our newest pictures!

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AZs2bNu0ZNGYA&notag=1

A little side note though on the pictures. The Amazing Race ones were a birthday party we did for a friend. It was mostly fun until I (Ivy) took a nasty fall resulting in a sprained ankle and a busted knee that landed me on crutches for a week. Other than that, we had lots of fun.

Enjoy.

Oh and another post below, be sure to read to your heart's content....

Empty Nest Syndrome - literally

Baby bird in white circle
Getting bigger....

Last picture taken before they all flew away...

Because it's funny and pretty much true and I have no time to create an original post, but I will soon...Oh, and I am a union steward too!

Somebody needs a UNION---


OFFICE MEMO*To all Employees:**Effective on 20th June, 2007.
**Dress Code
*1. It is advised that you come to work dressed. According to your salary if we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a pay raise.
2. If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a pay raise.
3. If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a pay raise.

*Sick Days
We will no longer accept a doctor's certificate as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

*Holiday Days
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year.They are called Saturday and Sunday.

*Compassionate Leave
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend to the arrangements. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch break and subsequently leave one hour early.

*Toilet Use
1. Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet. There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the stalls.
2. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open, and your picture will be taken.
3. After your second offence, your picture will be posted on the company notice board under the "Chronic Offenders" category.
4. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sanctioned under the company's mental health policy.

*Lunch Break
1. Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more so that they can look healthy.
2. Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.
3. Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.

Thank you for your loyalty to our company. Remember we are an employer of choice and we are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.

Seth-ism

A week or so ago I was trying to get Seth to calm down. He was screeching something about something, I'm not sure what.

Anyway, I said to Seth (our almost 3 year old) - "Seth, STOP screeching!"

To which he replied "I'm NOT screeching, I'm whining!"

Yeah, well, can't argue with that...

We have BEAKS!!!

I'm proud to say (like I had a part in this) that we now have some baby birds in the nest. You can't see them from this picture but that is the nest in our carport.

Today, Laura went out to throw something away and heard the baby birds, then of course I had to check and sure enough I heard their tiny squawks. So being the city-girl I am, I convinced Laura to rig-up a mirror attached to the Swiffer handle and we checked and sure enough, there were at least 2 or 3 babies in the nest. I saw one head and a beak, the other(s) were curled around towards the back of the nest.

Next on the agenda is to figure out a way to take a picture of the babies without startling them or worse! Mama bird now just stares at me as I get into and out of my car, she no longer tries to kill me - or peck my eyes out.

Some new photos from today

So much to blog, so little time to do it.

My plan to blog about:

My job.

Our "goings-on".

New pic's.

House stuff.

Soon, soon, soon...

This is for Blogging for LGBT Families Day!!!!

Whew! I was hoping to be able to get this in today - on the day it's supposed to be in!

Not really sure what to blog about but I decided to try to make it positive. Let's see...as an LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Family now with 3 kids we half-expected to be exposed to much more homophobia than we have, in fact, I really can't remember even one incident that we experienced. It was pretty much a non-issue when it was just Laura and I and no kids. Our friends and family knew we were a couple - whoever didn't like it - or didn't support us didn't make it known to us, and even if they did, I doubt it would have mattered much anyway. We are a couple, we are partners. Laura isn't my "roommate" or my "special friend" or even just "friend", we are partners in life. We were (still are) a couple and that's that.

Then we added kids to the mix and I expected some homophobia or stupid comments. Didn't get any, at least not to our faces. Our friends have been amazing (you know who you are!) since the birth of our kids. When our oldest son spends the night at his best friend's house, we feel 100% positive that they will treat him as their own and that they like us for who we are not what we are. The professionals we've met and dealt with including doctors, daycare providers, public school officials, etc. have been equally supportive. I recall meeting with our pediatrician before Foster was even born (our interview with her) and she stated she had no problems with us being a two-mom family - score! Not that we EXPECTED there to be an issue, but we were still relieved that there were none. And since then, every time we have come-out as a two-mom family to just about anyone, we've been met with nothing but acceptance. AGAIN, if there wasn't any acceptance, then it wasn't made clear to us.

Here in CA, both Laura and I are both the legal parents. Period. Therefore if something happened to me, the law is on Laura's side, as if we were opposite sex parents. There is NOBODY else on the planet that I'd want to parent our children more than my own partner if I wasn't around. NOBODY. They are OUR kids - plain and simple. She's been there since conception (okay, even before) and each and every day afterwards. And of course, I know that our kids wouldn't want ANYONE else than their own mommies to care for them. I feel protected here in this state - protected in the eyes of the law. Other states have to get with the program and extend the same protections to their same sex families that we enjoy here.

Anyway, where was I going with this? Oh yeah, homophobia - I know it exists, but in our personal lives we haven't experienced it in regards to our kids and isn't that what this day is all about -blogging for FAMILIES DAY. We are a family. One we made ourselves with a conscious effort. We didn't get pregnant by accident. It was planned every step of the way. I think that Laura and I have the responsibility to raise our children with the skills they need to start making some changes in the world - because I know there exists lots of homophobia in the world that they may be exposed to. That's an awesome responsibility. I hope to prepare them adequately. There needs to be change, both on the local and federal level. I have hopes that it will change - and one day ALL families - regardless of family make-up will be honored as such.