No Name Meme

ACCENT: Well, I guess I have an accent, probably an East Coast of some kind. However, I am a native New Yorker, but most people are surprised by this and ask me where my accent is. I don't have the New Yawk sound, but certain words probably have a ring to it.

I DON’T DRINK: Straight up milk. Ick.

CHORE I HATE: Well, folks, I am sorry to say that I don't mind chores. I probably hate cleaning and washing my children's sheets and pants, since we are in potty-training/I don't want to wear my diaper at night stages. You see where that is going, so I'll stop.

PETS: No pets is my motto. For now anyway.

ESSENTIAL ELECTRONICS: Oh boy. The age of technology. I LOVE my digital camera. I LOVE my laptop. I am thinking about getting an Ipod to replace my scratched CD's and I am sure I would love that too.

PERFUME: I don't normally wear perfume. But my favorite is Clinique Happy, which I have had the trial size in my makeup drawer for a very, very long time now. I tend to go with my natural scent.

GOLD OR SILVER: I love silver, but my wedding band is gold.

INSOMNIA: I don't have trouble with insomnia. I have trouble staying awake!

JOB TITLE: Wife, mom, music teacher, executive director for the chorale

MOST ADMIRED TRAIT: Hmm, I don't really know.

KIDS: Two boys.

PHOBIA: Spiders and heights. Both make me incredibly ill.

RELIGION: Yikes, this is a sticky question, folks, but I'll answer honestly. I don't participate in organized religion, but I am studying about Buddhism and applying some of those principles into my life. I find religion to be a deeply personal and private thing, but I have much respect for people's beliefs and how they choose to participate is their own business, not mine.

SIBLINGS: None! Unless you count my brother without bones but I haven't seen him since kindergarten.

TIME I WAKE UP: Usually around 6-6:30am when Connor gets antsy. Although he slept until 8am today! Woohoo!

UNUSUAL TALENT/SKILL: Eating corn neatly

VEGETABLE: I love most vegetables, including the icky ones.

WORST HABIT: Always saying "Sorry" for silly things. Also tardiness.

X-RAYS: I don't enjoy dental x-rays. I've never really had other x-rays.

MY FAVORITE MEAL: One that I don't cook!

Some Facts About Me

Three Names You Go By:

1. Linda (the complete name, NOT shortened!)

2. Mommy

3. Pup

Three physical things you like about yourself?

1. I have a nice shade of dark hair (despite the gray)

2. I have cute toes

3. I have nice skin tone.

Three parts of your heritage?

1. Ecuadorian

2. German

3. Something else I don't remember.

Three things you can't stand?

1. Bugs

2. Sitting directly on grass or walking barefoot in grass

3. Whining.

Three things that scare you?

1. Spiders.

2. The world being a different place since growing up. That kids cannot play as safely and freely as they should be.

3. Being confrontational.

Three of your favorite shows?

1. Lost

2. The Colbert Report

3. How I Met Your Mother

Three movies you watch over and over again?

1. Not a movie- but I love Friends reruns

2. Princess Bride

3. Cars-shockingly I can still sit through the millionth time seeing it and still laugh.

Three movies you would like to watch?

1. Okay, my friend and I are going to a movie tomorrow and I am so incredibly lame that I don't even know what is out or coming out. So, I cannot answer this well.

Three of your everyday essentials?

1. Curling my eyelashes

2. My laptop and email

3. A kiss from all three boys.

Three things you are wearing now?

1. The essential black t-shirt.

2. Jeans

3. Bobby pins for my stupid bangs.

Three things you want in a relationship?

1. Love

2. Laughter

3. Compromise

Three physical things about the opposite gender that appeals to you?

1. Eyes

2. Cute backside

3. A good laugh

Three bad habits?

1. Talking too softly aka mumbling. I think I've improved though.

2. Drinking diet soda. I need to stop.

3. Saying sorry all the time. It's annoying but I cannot seem to catch myself.

Three careers you're currently considering pursuing?

1. Grant Writing

2. Music Therapy (just a class or two)

3. Being a proactive mom and a soccer mom

Three of your favorite hobbies?

1. Blogging/Writing

2. Reading

3. New hobby is practicing guitar with T. Although we need to work out the kinks so we can practice happily.

Three places you want to go on vacation?

1. Grand Tetons National Park (knocks another state off the list and it looks beautiful!)

2. Hawaii or Caribbean-WITHOUT kids (I give that a million years, maybe a retirement thing!)

3. When the kids are old enough, I want to take them to Ecuador.

Three kids name you like?

1. Oscar. I know how my family feels, but I like it still.

2. Marisol

3. Ian and Connor

Three things you want to do before you die?

1. Make sure my children have plenty of happy memories as a family

2. Climb to the top of Cotopaxi (a volcano in Ecuador)

3. Take a real vacation somewhere, anywhere.


Three things that stereotypically prove you're a girl?

1. I hate being wind-blown.

2. I wear Lip Smackers lipgloss.

3. I really hate getting dirty at all.

Three people I tag?

1. Terri

2. Stacy

3. Mamichelle

Feast One Hundred and Fifty Eight

Appetizer
Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?

Well, the easiest person is of course my husband, who just knows me better than anyone. I am probably myself more with him than anyone else. And probably in the "not my husband" category, it would have to be Suz. She is a very reciprocal conversationalist, a great listener and there is always a lot of laughter and I always feel comfortable with all my quirks when I talk to these two.

Soup

If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?

I will have to piggyback on Terri's answer here with Ancient Egypt. All of those Discovery shows about Ancient Egypt are just so fascinating. I would also love to see the Incan culture too.

Salad

What is the most exciting event you’ve ever witnessed?

The very first time seeing each of my son's ultrasounds-where they were so tiny but we saw those little heartbeats going and our hearts flip-flopped too.

Main Course
If you were a celebrity, what would you do for a publicity stunt?

I am not big into stunts of any kind. Hard to answer this question.

Dessert
What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?

Well, that truly depends on the person. I can only answer for myself. And I'll say that I certainly saw myself having children much younger than I did, as many women tend to compartmentalize life events into ages. However, having the time to complete my education, spend time with my husband as a couple and growing up a lot, I was in a good place for starting a family after 30. I have had time to see how I want to parent (and not parent) and I have never had a single regret about having my children over the age of 30. I will say that I don't think I would consider having more children as I get too much older, at least for me, it was a huge physical demand on my body to be pregnant and to recover well. I have met moms young and older who are wonderful parents, so again it depends on the woman.

Happy Birthday MOM!

Today is my mom's birthday and I just want to say how much I love her. She was given two handmade cards-one from me and one from Ian. Ian included Picasso-style drawings on his card. He also painted her a picture frame-with so many colors that it turned into a nice mix of brown. I also sent her a scrapbook of our summer vacation pictures.

I was really happy that I got some really great pictures of my mom and the boys this summer. But thanks to Stacy, my mom and I actually took some pictures together and this is one of my favorites. Of course, while we were taking the pictures, I was tickling my mom so she would smile and laugh. She is a good sport. I love you Mom.

Ian's First Soccer Practice

Ian began his first soccer practice tonight with Coach Jason and friend Trevor on his team. The excitement started this morning with the boys talking about soccer and practicing at daycare.

The boys had a great time at practice. Coach had them dribble around cones-the trick is getting them to wait...in line...and follow each other...in line. There was a bit of wandering. Then, they got to kick to a friend and practice stopping the ball (squash it like a bug!). After frequent water breaks, they also practiced Red light, Green Light game to practicing stopping and starting. They finished up by taking turns (I use that term lightly) dribbling and kicking into the goal. Between taking pictures, taking turns catching Connor and trying really hard not to repeat the Coach's directions to Ian, it was a lot of fun.

The boys got their uniforms. Ian was distressed at his original number 4 and cried and carried on until Trevor happily traded with him. So, now Trevor is 4 and Ian is number 2 and all is right with the world. Cindy and I offered to be co-Team Moms, basically organizing the end of season party. I also get to help keep the little ones who are off sides in place during the game.

The first game is September 8 and they will choose their team name next week.

I have to get myself one of the folding soccer mom chairs now.

Wonder

Doctors have come from distant cities
Just to see me
Stand over my bed, disbelieving what they're seeing

They say I must be one of the wonders
God's own creation
And as far as they see, they can offer no explanation

Newspapers ask intimate questions, want confessions
Reach into my head to steal the glory of my story

They say I must be one of the wonders
God's own creation
And as far as they see, they can offer no explanation


I believe
Fate smiled and destiny
Laughed as she came to my cradle
Know this child will be able
Laughed as my body she lifted
Know this child will be gifted
With love, with patience and with faith
He'll make his way

People see me
I'm a challenge to your balance
I'm over your heads
How I confound you
and astound you to know

I must be one of the wonders
God's own creation
And as far as I see, they can offer me
No explanation

I believe
Fate smiled and destiny
Laughed as she came to my cradle
Know this child will be able
Laughed as she came to my mother
Know this child will not suffer
Laughed as my body she lifted
Know this child will be gifted
With love, with patience and with faith
He'll make his way
He'll make his way

Natalie Merchant (with gender change by me)

Posting Break

Hi to my fellow peeps.

I am taking a posting break. I need a reprieve and I'll be back again very soon. Please don't drop me from the blog ring though!

L

Time Travel Tuesday

“You’re 21.
What’s going on in your life?
Who are you spending most of your time with?
What’s your favorite things to do? eat? hobby?"

The summer I turned 21 was a big transition for me. I changed colleges, leaving my first after two years and moving on to a state school. My aunt Suzy had invited me to spend the summer with her in Boca Raton, FL. My mom and I drove down in my Ford Escort and I got settled into my aunt's home. She had a really beautiful home with a pool, two dogs and five million birds. (she never had kids, but these birds and dogs were her children) I took a job working at an Eckerd drugstore where my uncle Chet had worked following his retirement (he died a few years earlier).

Boca Raton was a pretty hip place. As a girl from a trailer park, this was a pretty ritzy section of town. All the kids had brand-new cars with A/C, they did homework on the beach and partied at Club Boca on Friday nights with VIP passes. I made a few passing friends for the summer, the type of friendships that fade away quickly. For my 21st birthday, we went to a sports bar and I had a Long Island iced tea as my first official 21 drink. A friend took me to see Buffy the Vampire Slayer that week too. My aunt treated me to dinner at our favorite restaurant.

I spent a lot of time on the beach, relaxing, reading and tanning (bad, I know it!). I also swam in the pool each day and walked the dogs twice a day. I ended up losing about 15 pounds that summer without really trying or changing my diet much. I ate a lot of steak and seafood too.

My aunt was a bit of a card shark and liked to gamble in casinos (often making quite a bit of money). She would fly to Las Vegas while I house sat and animal sat. I'd give her 10 dollars and she would come back with a huge roll of money for me (that I ended up spending on her due to her strong guilt ethic) We played card games almost every night that summer. We played Skip-Bo most of the time, until I got on a winning streak. One day, I came home to Blackjack and she knew she would win easily due to my atrocious counting skills. She was a tough cookie-basically a her way or the highway type. She was never an easy person to get along with but she has a lot of interests and I think she enjoyed the company that summer. Unfortunately, I never saw her again after that summer. She moved to Las Vegas shortly afterward (I left a week before Hurricane Andrew hit, by the way) and wrote a few letters. However, she stopped contacting-she tended to get huffy and give the silent treatment if something didn't go her way and she rarely gave without expecting something in return-a point of contention between family members. I recall one letter was unhappy my not visiting again right away and that seems to lead to not writing to me anymore). My mom continued to send cards that were returned and we sent a wedding invitation too. I discovered recently that she died during the year that I was married.

That summer was really not a bad summer over all. There were low points and really fun times. I feel tremendously sad that my aunt decide to forgo contact to where we did not reconcile, not even enough to know that she had died. That is a sad commentary on my family and I actively tried to change that. But it is not a communicative group and we have to work hard to stay together, myself included.

And maybe that is what I learned from my 21st year.

Marimbrothers

Ian and Connor had some fun playing on Daddy's marimba. I can see Thomas really try hard to teach them the right way to play and take deep breaths when they get carried away (witness Connor with the mallets). But they love it!

Please note we are in the middle of potty training-normally Ian is wearing shorts but we are really trying to make this transition easier. Connor would be happy in his birthday suit 24/7 if allowed. Just an FYI.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?

Well, the routine is a bit random. I like to do wash on Sundays when I am home all day. I prefer washing everything all at once and folding clothes while listening to Colbert.

Soup

In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old?

Oh, boy. My honest opinion is that age is a state of mind. And while I might joke about getting old and gray, I don't want to feel old when I am not truly old. Without acting immature, I think you have to keep a young state of mind. If you are going to act old, then you are old. So, I hope I'll never be truly old. I said "old" way too many times.

Salad
What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both?

The goal I have been thinking about most in the last two days is getting out of debt. It is short-term and long-term. Now that we are back to working full time, it looks like we can get moving along toward a better, happier situation financially. We got paid yesterday, opened up new savings accounts, have a budget plan and all. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Main Course

Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately.

I cannot believe how many disastrous things are happening as of late-the miners in Utah, the bridge collapse in Minnesota, the earthquake in Peru, the helicopter crash here and on and on.

Dessert
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today?

I am pretty happy, probably a 8 of 10. I felt a little bad after promising Ian a trip to the toy store tonight. He had some garage sale money and he also had an excellent potty training day, so he got to choose a toy. After many mind changes, deliberations and testing, he chose a Lightning McQueen remote control car. This crazy car never stops moving once it's switched on. There is no brake or stop button. Ian was a little frustrated in how to steer it. Finally, he told us that he didn't want the toy, it was too hard to work. Somehow, I managed to open the box carefully enough that I could put it back in the box. So, we'll see if we can exchange it for something else tomorrow.

I was very happy with the quality of Prima Pizza tonight-Delicious!

Family Ties

About your Family Quiz:

Okay, the fonts and spaces were messed up on this entry. I tried to fix it but I am just too spacey to work on it tonight.

1. Who’s the smartest person in your family? Me? Ha, ha, ha. Not a chance, folks! I would probably go with Michael or Chris.
   
2. What is your dad really good at? My dad is a hard worker. He is also really great at drawing and woodworking. I think he is very creative in that respect.
   
3. What can you do better than dad? I can play instruments, I don't know that my dad can play an instrument. But he can sing-that I've heard.
   
4. How are you like mom? We like music, we like to read mysteries, we don't call people on the phone very often. She likes to give cooking advice, I like to take cooking advice.
   
5. How are you different from mom? I like doing inventory at ZB, she doesn't. I tend to talk a lot more than she does. She likes watching TV, doing a crossword puzzle and sleeping all at the same time. It drives me bonkers to have the TV on and no one paying attention to it. We have that little discussion every single time we get together-right, Mom??
   
6. How old is mom? Well, I am tactful enough to not say. Also because I don't really know. I can never remember it.
   
7. How tall is dad? I don't know my dad's height. I know that he is tall by Ecuadorian standards and all of his family are rather tall.
   
8. What one thing mom always says to you? I can only pick one?? No, no. I will pick a few classics that somehow I find myself saying.
   -Sew buttons on ice cream (if you say "so?")

-It's your own stupid fault. That is classic Mom.
-If you don't like what's served, cook it yourself.
- If you moved back East....fill in appropriate "then" response. This is a favorite of my mother in law as well. :) They make a formidable team on this subject, btw.
-no supper, no dessert. (I say no dinner, no treats, a variation)
- son of a gun - I loved when my mom said this. I don't know why.
- Come on! (Ian likes to repeat this one)

1. What did you and dad do together that you’ll always remember? Okay, my dad loves airplanes. I don't think he likes to actually fly in them, but he likes them. We used to get Carvel ice cream cones and drive over to the Dutchess County airport and watch the planes take off and land. One time, we went to Stewart airport. I think I will always remember that. My other favorite time was going to Ecuador with just him and me as a adult. He's pretty funny in his element and I love to hear him speak Spanish.
   
2. How do you know that mom and dad love you? Well, I don't talk to either of my parents very often. We just aren't phone callers and we don't even email often. We also live across the country from everyone. My blog is the update for them really. But, I know that when we visit in person and have to leave, it is very hard to see the tears. And when we do talk, they wonder about us moving back East and hope that we will. And I know that they miss me and love me in their own way. And while they might not like it, they are teaching me an important lesson in learning to let go with love. I know someday I will have to watch my boys disappear into the big world and you have to learn to love from afar, no matter how hard that is and I think it is very, very hard.
   

Sick and Tired

And tired always followed sick ..... Bill Cosby routine. Anyway....

August seems so early for daycare merry-go-round of illnesses. Although, out here in Arizona, it is monsoon season. With that comes humidity, cloudiness, some rain and a lot of dust. So, with all the crud kicking about in the air, it shouldn't be too surprising. I have had a cold for two weeks now. A few of the kids have been coming down with stomach bugs, fevers and strep. For a short moment, I thought my boys had dodged the bullet, until this evening. Connor came home flushed and looking pretty subdued. The major clue to Connor not feeling well-he doesn't want to eat. Then we KNOW his little world is askew. Ian, however, was bouncing around, a little crabby at times. He seemed to have boundless energy and he ate some of his dinner.

Connor was running a temp and laid quietly on the floor or on my shoulder for most of the evening. Ian jumped from couch to couch, made a pillow fort, raced about the hallway and didn't seem under the weather. Until I actually touched his back and felt heat radiating from his skin. I checked his temp at 103.3. Later, he said his tummy felt "wobbly" but gratefully so far, nothing has come of that.

This, of course, means one of us needs to take time off tomorrow. It will probably be Thomas tomorrow, but the sad thing is that we haven't worked a full month to earn a day off yet. So, we'll probably be docked for taking a family sick day. Sure, we probably should have one saved up from last year-but when you have kids, those sick days fly by. I don't have any so far, starting in a new district. Plus, I have to reserve two days to be able to fly to New York on a holiday weekend so I don't get docked then. It is a weird little system.

Anyway, this week has presented a lot of Chorale work for me. Tomorrow is a meeting with the Mesa Arts Center to discuss the affiliates. Thursday is the first rehearsal back for the fall, so I get to go and introduce myself again and help with gathering member information from the members. Then, I am working on a project to find a graphic designer to redesign the logo, plus another project to gather volunteers for arts promotion at an expo, rewriting the mission statement and writing an extended contract with our Paradise Valley venue.

On a note of relief, none of our Diego toys have fallen into the recall and we don't own any of the toys from the Mattel recall. Good grief. We did have a few of the Thomas trains that were recalled and they sent us a new train as an interim waiting gift.

Off to read my Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich-almost done!

Time Travel Tuesdays

This week's entry is about your memory of the first day of school.

Honestly, I don't really recall many of my first days of school. I was such a shy kid that I probably blocked out much of meeting new people.

I do know that this year, I had to call a classroom teacher to have a child removed from my class. He was so exhausted in the first day of all-day kindergarten. He was being a little goofy so I spoke to him gently and quietly to the side. He then proceeded to scream and wail so loudly that we could not sing or talk over him. The teacher came and took him out. In all of my years of teaching, I have never had a child removed from the class on the first day. Yikes! On a better note, he seems to be adjusting much better in the past two classes.

Not a very exciting entry-sorry!

Friday's Feast One Hundred Sixty

Friday's Feast One Hundred Sixty

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of pie?
I am not a huge pie fan, but I like all the usuals: apple, pecan, peach


Soup
Name something that made you smile this week.

Okay, a long response here. I teach a K-6 Special Education class every three school days. First of all, there are about 15-18 kids in the class, which is a big class. There are several aides who attend and help throughout the class (including a retired former music teacher-he has a great voice too!). Five of the children are in wheelchairs with minimal verbal and motor skills. The rest are mobile, some higher-functioning and with a dose of energy. One aide told me that one of the girls loves music. She is in a wheelchair, looking at the ceiling much of the time, no eye contact or change of expression. It was really hard for me to tell how to know if she was even hearing you or not. Anyway, this aide raved about how much she loves the music we sing. At the end of class, I walked around and let each child strum my guitar once. At her turn, the aide manipulated her arms and fingers so she could make a sound. And I watched her little face and somehow she brightened without changing much at all. It looked like she was trying to smile and it brought me such a happy reward. These children love music. I know they'll never learn the concepts like a regular class, but they have brightened my day each time I see them, including today.

Salad
What do you do to cool off when the weather is hot and humid?

I hate humidity-blah! It is actually very hot and humid here in AZ. It is 107 plus with 30-35% humidity. Ick. We stay in the A/C. We become nocturnal. Run in the sprinkler with the boys. Wash the car and spray each other. Tonight, we did "indoor park" instead of the real park, which is removing all the couch cushions and jumping, rolling, somersaulting, etc to get the energy out.

Main Course
You receive $1,000 in the mail with a letter that says you can only use the money to redecorate one room in your home. Which room do you pick, and what do you buy to spruce it up?

Okay-while every room in my house could use a spruce, I would pick the kitchen. And I would buy a nice, new kitchen table with matching chairs that are clean and not falling apart. I would also refacing the cabinets to look nicer. If any money was left, I would replace the countertop with granite or something really nice. $1000 doesn't go very far anymore!

Dessert
Fill in the blank: My ________ says __________, but I __________.

My floors say "Clean Me" but I say "Surf now, clean later!"

Time Travel Tuesdays

I found Time Travel Tuesdays via Jodi's blog and it looks really interesting. Of course, this week is childbirth-so hold on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen.

My first pregnancy was really easy, no morning sickness, no real complaints, except I was really tired. Once my due date of May 7 had come and gone, anticipation was turning to frustration. You're huge, you're tired, let's get the show on the road. Dr. Sodoma didn't seem too concerned and wanted me to wait another week to see how things progressed. Finally on a Thursday evening, I was feeling some mild contractions through the night. Thomas and I joked how his birthday was the next day and wouldn't that be funny if our son was born on his birthday and so on. On Friday morning, we called the doctor and while the contractions were still mild, she asked us to stop at the hospital to be checked. The worst case scenario would be being sent home. I remember listening to Evanensce (how DO you spell that?) in the car and thinking it was very profound. It was "My Immortal" and most of the song didn't fit the situation, but the chorus seemed to make me cry. Oh, those hormones.

We arrived around 10am. I was strapped to blood pressure and contraction monitors. The nurse was really nice, but she informed me that I was not really far along at all. After checking the monitors, she said she needed to call the doctor as the baby's heartbeat was dipping a bit on contraction. I never got up from the bed again. Instead, I was strapped and IV'ed to a million different things-Pitocin drip, oxygen, monitors, eventually a fetal scalp monitor. The baby was losing oxygen on contraction, so it was becoming very intense. It was horrendous once the labor pains kicked in only because I could not move or change position. My poor husband tried to take a quick nap, but I kept calling him back over with each contraction. By 4pm, he was hungry and was about to head off to grab dinner. The nurse advised him that the baby would be arriving and he needed to stay put. The doctor was called (she was at the hospital all day and wasn't anticipating me delivering until 10pm or so-surprise!). I had received an epidural and at first, I could feel the contraction without pain. I didn't mind that because it felt like I was a participant. Suddenly, I was completely numb and unable to move my lower half or even feeling like I was pushing. That was disconcerting. And the Lamaze breathing-Thomas tried but it was my way or the highway.

Now, throughout my pregnancy, the doctor estimated an average sized baby, maybe 6 or 7 lbs since both Thomas and I were about 5 lbs at birth. The doctor announced that I had a bruiser and I remember thinking "hmmm, that doesn't seem right."

And the moment I saw my son, I felt shock. As if I were floating and not sure if this was reality. I don't think we said anything except "oh.". He was huge, hanging upside down in front of me and his cry was vigorous. And the scale tipped over 8lbs and this robust little boy was waiting for us to show him the way.

Jesse and Tewlyn were the first visitors and our official hospital photographers. They knew Ian before he was Ian. They mercifully brought us Wendy's (I ate my dinner AND Wendy's after ice chips all day long). They took a picture of the sunset setting on Ian's first few hours. They were our family for all of that time and the three of us were blessed by friends who will always be tethered to us (like it or not). Aunt Suz was the first one to hear the official "his name is Ian". And the down to the second debate on his middle name before I wrote "Michael" and that was it.

With my second pregnancy, I discovered the real meaning of exhaustion. I had a toddler. I was working full time. During the last month of my pregnancy with Connor, he planted himself on a nerve that made it impossible for me to lie down without excruciating pain. Walking was okay, but I will never forget that pain. I spent most nights sleeping upright in the recliner or propped against a million pillows.

I also discovered that my children like to hang out in the womb as long as possible. Connor was also a week late and the doctor invited me to be induced on a Wednesday evening. We agreed because it didn't appear like anything was going to happen in the near future and I was worried Ian might start college before I delivered this one. I also had to have antibiotics administered because I was positive for strep. So, we left Ian with my mom (who came and waited anxiously all week with us as nothing happened) and we headed to the hospital about 9:30pm. No mood-affecting pop song this time. My husband was given a cozy cot near my bed, where I was again attached to IV's and monitors.

At 4am, the Pitocin drip was started and I fell back to sleep. At 6am, I woke up, feeling a contraction here and there. There was some panic because this should be working already. By 6:45-7am, I was in full labor and ready for epidural. They allowed me to sit up a bit, which helped, but I could not believe how strong and fast the contractions were coming. The epidural lady (anethesiologist -sp) talked SLOWLY about the epidural and all the necessary talk they have to give. It felt like an eternity but I couldn't talk at all to tell them LET'S GO ALREADY! She asked if there were questions, and wouldn't you know that my sweet, adorable husband pipes up with a bunch of questions, to which the lady responded ever so slowly. Now, my husband insisted he was caring for my well-being and I believe that. But he should also know that in my mind, he was being cursed out and if I could have zapped him with something....but I love him. He had no idea.

So the blessed epidural came and with that, it was time to push. Connor was vacuumed out at 8:08am, after what felt like a whirlwind of labor. The nurse announced he was 9lbs, 4 oz and I felt my eyes pop out of my head at that moment. A second bruiser, more bruisier than the first!

I love my children. Connor was beautiful and weird-looking at the same time. He was beet red with a shock of black hair that stood up mohawk-style. His little face was crunched from sitting upside down (on my nerve) and he had a Yoda look about him, with ears sticking out. He was cute in a motley way. I couldn't help thinking I had given birth to a Muppet.

Connor became Connor after my husband badgered me (and he knows it) about the name until I was too tired to argue and I had no convincing alternatives except Oscar (which in hindsight, might have worked well with the whole Muppet thing). We gave him the name Connor and I added James as a middle name. We again went through the whole middle name dispute, but I won since he got the first name.

At this point, we don't think we'll have more children. Dr. Sodoma was clear that the next child would be probably 10 lbs at least and because I am a small person in stature, holding that large a child would mean a C-section and probably a lot more discomfort physically. It's worth it in the end, of course, but I am physically tired. I cannot do anymore. We are financially tired too. Many people ask if I am happy with two boys and no girls and the answer is YES. I have been given what I have been given. There are no regrets, no what if's and I don't need to proceed to see what having a girl would be like. Sure, girl clothes are cute. I'll give everyone that much. And that's it.

I also suffered postpartum depression following Connor's birth, which many people don't know about me. While I have managed depression before my children were ever a sparkle in the eye, this one eluded me for many months. Going from one child to two was a difficult transition. Realizing that Connor was not following the same patterns as Ian was honestly maddening. I had to have surgery in September, which was a serious low point. The house was (is) a clutter magnet and I could not keep up. Thomas was working many jobs and many hours to keep us going and I was going it alone much of the time with both boys. (not his fault at all, btw) Finally, when putting up the Christmas tree didn't go exactly to plan, I lost it. I cried, it was irrational but nothing was going according to what I needed. I made an appointment the next day with my regular doctor, who has a faithful patient in me now. I walked in wheeling a double stroller, including crying infant and toddler. It didn't take a doctor to figure out my problem, but he basically talked me through the birth up to the present moment. His deduction was that I had postpartum depression for several months. He talked to me for almost an hour. I was on Lexapro and then Wellbutrin for awhile. I am weaned off now and feeling well again. But depression haunts me quite often and I have to be proactive to recognize its return. I write this not because I really want to share my emotional state with the world. It's only because I healed from reading other people's stories. The medicine helped smooth the edges, but finding solace in other people's sharing made all the difference. From hearing that, while no one story is the same, we have similar challenges. I really tried to go it alone, not accept help and be a supermom. And the truth is that it just makes you lonely to go about it that way. And I write this, because it is part of the childbirth process. It can happen to some women right at birth. It was part of my story.

Thomas said once that it is impossible to imagine what your children will look like when you don't have them or know them yet. Then, once they arrive, you cannot imagine them looking like anything else. What a wise old man he is turning out to be. I cannot imagine life without my boys, even though I know what life was like without them. It's like I've been renewed.

Random Wednesday....on Monday!

Random Wednesday... (or random Monday)

I am borrowing this after blogsurfing on the SBA ring tonight.

Q: How many beds did you lay in yesterday?
A: two-my own and my son's to make goodnight wishes.
Q: What color shirt are you wearing?
A: Rusty orange
Q: Name one thing that you use everyday?
A: lip smackers-I love them
Q: Whats the color of your bedroom walls?
A: An earthy red that we plan to change (sorry, Terri)
Q: How much cash do you have on you right now?
A : I had a bunch of garage sale singles, but after Rubio's dollar fish taco night-not sure.
Q: Whats your favorite sport?
A: I love watching baseball. I am not really a sporty person in general as far as participation goes. I do like yoga though!
Q: I can't wait till..?
A: I get my first paycheck!!
Q: When was the last time you saw your dad?
A: this past July
Q: What did you have for dinner last night?
A: I made Cindy's awesome chicken with sauce, corn, peas and rice.
Q: Look to your left. Whats there?
A: A pile of chorale work and my date book.
Q: Whats the last piece of clothing you borrowed from someone?
A: Hmmm, I don't know. Probably a jacket at Michael's house.
Q: Do you have plants in your room?
A: Well, I have a bunch of dead succulent plants. That doesn't say much for my green thumb.
Q: Does anything hurt on your body right now?
A: My vocal cords! I have bronchitis and my voice is really hoarse.
Q: What city was your last taxicab ride in?
A: Had to be NYC. Where else would you ride a taxi?
Q: Do you own a picture phone?
A: Yes, I begged for one and then I forget that I have it most of the time.
Q: Whats your favorite starbucks drink?
A: Thanks to my brother-in-law hooking me on Starbucks, I enjoy frappucinos, vanilla lattes and hot chai tea.

Last..
1. Person you saw: Thomas. He is in the next room.
2. Hugged: Thomas. Also Connor and Ian.
3. Shopped with? Cindy at Target. We refrained from buying more Cars cars.
4. IM: Again, Cindy. She is my go-to person today!
5. Song you listened to: The instrumental music to "Cars" as requested by Ian. He likes the tractor tipping music.

Today..
1. What are you doing now: blogging and getting ready to watch some Colbert or 70's show.
2. What are you doing tonight: I will be watching tv and drinking some hot tea.
3. What are you going to eat for lunch: I ate lunch-a salad with turkey, jicama, red pepper, provolone cheese. No dressing.

Tomorrow..
1. Is: Tuesday!
2. Got any plans: Try to bike in the morning, then school, then hang with the boys.
3. Goal: to do some form of exercise!
4. Do you have to work: Yes, school plus I have a chorale board report to write.
Currently:
1. Love someone: yes
2. Like someone: yes
3. Have a boyfriend/girlfriend: Just my dear sweet hubby!
4. Does someone like you?: Ian says he likes me quite often, so I do have one fan.
5. Missing someone?: I miss my NY /CA peeps and I miss J&T like crazy.

The Quotable Ian

Ian has some cute little phrases that always give me a chuckle.

Today included:

"Mommy, I DO love you." as I was kissing him goodbye this morning

"I'm just a medium boy. Not small, not big. Just medium."

"Mommy, are you racing?" on our way home from daycare (I was driving rather slowly in traffic!)

In rehearsing his name and phone number: "My name is Ian Ice Cream!"

For awhile, I was keeping a list of the little things he was saying. I need to go back and add to it and then put them in his scrapbook.

Connor's quotes are intelligible mostly only to him (we are still learning
Connor-speak).

We say "ready, set" and he says "GO!"

He will sing "Row, row, row, row" when I sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat".

Occasionally says "Mama, mama" while clinging to my leg or crying for food and drink.

And then there is Connor's "talking", which has cadence and inflection, but sounds vaguely like he is learning language from a completely different country like Japan or maybe outer space. He certainly has a lot to say.

The best (and worst) is listening to them after they have been put to bed. They carry on conversations and have a grand time. (until I have to go in and be the meanie. Then Ian pretends to be asleep and Connor ends up wailing)

I give permission for Terri to give me a kickstart on doing the quote pages in their scrapbooks. I know she will be checking them during her visit in September.

And to my boys-keep 'em coming!

Reaching New Heights

Ahh, my son Connor. You have to love him. You have to watch him like a hawk. I stepped out of the room for a moment and returned to my youngest sitting atop the kitchen table, acting as if this is a normal place for him to be. Sometimes with Connor, I am not sure whether to laugh or scold. I did get my camera, so perhaps he will find this to be okay, however he was removed shortly thereafter.

He is full of sweetness, hugs and kisses. He is also full of mischief and focus. The child knows what he wants. Knows what he doesn't want and doesn't mind letting you know. We are now beginning the harder discipline with him and he is not happy when the word "no" is directed toward him.

So, I imagine Connor's persistence will find him up on the table a few more times. But I have to love his little spirit, he never ceases to amaze me at his tender age.

Feast One Hundred and Fifty Four

Feast One Hundred & Fifty Four
August 03, 2007

Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how polite are you? Wow, I don't know. I'd like to think I am polite, especially to people I don't know. Probably an 8? I don't know.

Soup
What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud? Tom and I are watching "That 70's Show" on Netflix and several of the episodes have been cracking us up. I also loved Stephen Colbert's opener while he and the entire audience were reading Harry Potter.

Salad
Who is your favorite cartoon character? SNOOPY

Main Course
Tell about the funniest teacher you ever had. Funny? Well, in my freshman year, I had a music professor who had a very dry and sarcastic sense of humor. He was my favorite teacher in college, but I cannot say any one story, it was a package deal. One of his favorite things to do was to have the little peons taking beginning piano sit at the keyboards playing for class while he would sit at a different piano and play the same song in a key half step up (for musicians, this is most irritating). Then he would tell us to keep going and force us to focus on what we were doing.

Dessert
Complete this sentence: I strongly believe that ______________________. we need to focus on the present and not dwell on the past.

Budding Artist in Action

My Budding Artist

With both of us heading back to work, I have been considering a routine for the boys that will help Ian learn more reading and letter skills and get Connor interested in wanting to read with us at all. So tonight, I figured Ian and I would practice drawing letters on the chalkboard. That went well, until Ian started -honestly- what I thought was just scribble scrabble. However, as he was reflecting on his work, he told me it was a kitty. I looked closely and thought "hmmm". Then he drew eyes and a mouth. And then I saw it. And I called for Tom and jumped for the camera. So, look closely at picture one and see if you see the kitty face. Connor also helped with the "fur".

This is the first time I have seen Ian draw an actual picture. So, he erased the board and we asked him to draw a face. He made a circle, two eyes, a mouth and a dot for a nose. Then he added a leg and two arms. Then he began adding many, many arms.

My friend Hilary is an art teacher and this blog entry is dedicated to her because she always encouraged Ian to draw and always helps me understand the art skills that he will develop. It is amazing how something like this can make you so excited!

It's A Small World

Here's a funny tale from today: I was taking role in one of my fifth grade classes and introducing myself to the class as Mrs. Murphy. One girl raised her hand and asked, "Why are all music teachers named Murphy? I had Mr. Murphy, now a Mrs. Murphy, what is going on?" I asked her which school she was coming from and surprise! It was Thomas! So I said, "Yes, that's my husband" and she seemed very surprised, but that seemed to make more sense to her. Later, she asked me to say to Mr. Murphy for her. It was pretty cute.

I am tagging myself

Stacy had this on her blog and while I was not tagged, I am tagging myself! I would love to see mamichelle and Stacy K add these to their blogs. :)

1. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Hmm. By nature, I really am neither. I fall asleep early, sometimes I stay up with Thomas watching tv. Night time is the time to get things done around here. But, I am up early every morning with my early bird Connor, not always by choice. Ideally, I like sleeping until about 7:30am. Longer than that and I feel groggy. I do love reading quietly in bed in the morning. I also have set routines when I get up for work and I really don't like to talk a lot or have my routine disrupted.

2. You have a free, uninterrupted afternoon. What do you do? Read a book! Surf the Net! Take a nap! Rejoice!

3. If you could return to a certain stage in your life, what would it be and why?

I would love to go back to when I first started working and consider making better decisions at the start of my career. I would love to start over knowing what I know now.

4. What do you think of a woman being President of the USA? This is a hard question for me. My views on the presidency are skewed, because while part of me feels a woman should have the opportunity, part of me feels old-fashioned in that I feel men might be better in that role. I don't know why. But, anything has to be better than what we have now. I want someone competent, respectable, fair and one that allows us freedom to have different beliefs.

5. What’s your favorite dessert? (Feel free to include a recipe!) I will not include a recipe because I don't make good desserts- I buy them. Let's see, I think I would probably choose a really great ice cream over some fancy dessert. I also love, love, love ice cream cake!

Back to School!

Sunday was a day of frantic preparation for teaching on Monday. Thomas fielded the boys for much of the day while I sorted through and dusted off my lesson plans. Then I had to make charts, find puppets, instruments, etc. But, I am proud to say that I completed lesson plans for two entire weeks. (and did some of Thomas' lessons too, I am sure)

I put Ian to bed Sunday night and he talked about going to play mini golf and he wanted to ride the merry-go-round the next day. I explained that Mommy had to go to school, but Daddy would be hanging out with him all day. This didn't go over well. He started to cry and tell me that he wanted to go to school. I asked him what kids do in school and he said, "Mommy, we draw letters and point to them. Lots of letters!" Then I explained that Mommy's job was to go to school and teach the kids. He said that he could come with me and teach the kids too because he knows how to draw the letter H, a circle, a square, the letter T, the letter I, etc. In some ways, I was thankful he was still asleep when I left for work this morning because it is hard to suffer a broken heart on your first day back to work. For some reason, he is going through some separation anxiety with both Tom and me, so we are wondering how things will go when we both have to work on Wednesday.

Connor is in a growth spurt and is ready to eat us out of house and home. He is eating what appears to be every hour. He doesn't seem too interested in my going to work. I gave him a hug and distracted him from playing with his cars, which incited wriggling and crying to get back to those cars. Those cars are stiff competition.

So my first day was a series of surprises, some go with the flow types and some unpleasant ones. According to my schedule, I was expecting to teach 3rd grade as my first class. Upon arriving at the school and getting my class lists, the secretary reminded me it was a Day 1. And surprise-I had Special Education, not 3rd grade. I dashed for the car, got out my Spec. Ed plans and set up quickly. This is the largest Special Education class I have ever taught. They have combined two classes, so there are about 18 children. 5 are in wheelchairs and several are unresponsive and have aides. The rest of the children are mobile, a few Down Syndrome children, some autistic, the gamut really. Plus, the grade levels are a mix of K through 6 grade. It went better than I thought and thankfully in my experience, special ed children really love music. The higher functioning kids were participating well and I gave all of the kids a turn on a drum I had brought in and they loved that. But, I have a lot to consider in planning their class now that I have seen them and know what I am dealing with. The aides were terrific-singing along, helping the kids play instruments and handling discipline too. Honestly, I really like teaching Special Ed kids, I always have.

I headed to my next school and heated up my lunch, which was tilapia and corn salsa from the night before. After teaching 5th and 6th grade here, I got in the car to head over to my last school of the day. In the car, I took a quick drink of diet soda and started off. A few moments later, I was feeling nauseated to the point where I was breathing and gulping air to calm myself down. I pulled into a grocery parking lot and ended up barfing all of my lunch into a bag I had in the car. It was horrible. I popped a million mints and tried to shake it off. Got to the next school and seemed to feel better but clammy.

Kindergarten classes are really challenging at the beginning of the year. And having them at the last part of the day adds to the mayhem. They are tired, hungry, cranky and their capacity for listening quietly has been depleted by then. One child was making arm noises, then putting his feet on the wall. I quietly spoke to him and asked him to stop making noises and to sit nicely. He seemed to understand and sat back down. And then proceeded to scream hysterically, to the point where nothing could be heard over him. I ended up calling the teacher to remove him. She didn't seem surprised at all. The rest of the class was relieved because they wanted to sing the song without earsplitting drama. The next Kindergarten class came in, carrying backpacks for dismissal. They took a huge amount of time to put the packs down and sit in a circle. We sang two songs and the teacher returned early, saying they need to be dismissed now. So, that class will be shortened each time, but I had no idea, so they missed most of the lesson.

I came home with an enormous headache, feeling icky about eating or drinking anything. The boys were napping so I took a two hour nap myself before dinner. I feel better tonight so we think the fish might not have been good or not kept well in my lunchbox.

The hours of this job are nice. I didn't have to leave until 8:30am this morning and I was home by 3:45pm. Tomorrow I have to leave home at 7:45am but I finish at 12:45pm on Tuesdays. Most of my days are 5 classes. It is a lot of traveling from my home to the initial school, but the rest of the schools are close to each other. So, the nice part is that I can still have Tuesdays to work on chorale work so I can keep my hand in the non-profit area. I did let go of one of my non-profit jobs and I will hold on to do the grants only for now.

Off to read and relax for a bit before bed.

Feast 153

Feast One Hundred & Fifty Three
July 27, 2007

Appetizer
Describe a toy you remember from your childhood. Okay, I will tell of two toys I remember well, especially since neither belonged to me. The first was a Blueberry Muffin doll (remember those with the scented hair?) and I only had Strawberry Shortcake. However, my friend Julie had Blueberry Muffin, which I pilfered and later passed off as my own. Until my mom heard Julie was missing Blueberry Muffin and I had mysteriously acquired one...

The second toy was a Big Wheels that I again "borrowed" but I cannot recall how I got it. Anyway, I buried it each night in the leaf pile in the back of our house. I remember the kids on my street would race the Big Wheels in the winter on the icy street and pulling the brake to spin out. It was great.

And so I had some klepto tendencies. My youngest son also does because apparently today at the mall playground, he found a cell phone, a shoe and tonight he tried to walk off with a girl's slice of pizza at the golf place.

Soup

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how observant are you? I am definitely on the high end of observancy, probably a 9 or 10. I was always very quiet but I listened and took in everything.

Salad
Where would you rather be at this very moment? I would love to be swimming in a swimming pool! It is really hot and surprisingly humid for AZ.

Main Course
When was the last time you learned something new? I learn something new each day. I learned today that in mini golf, the person with the ball closest to the hole takes their turn first. I always thought you took your turns in the order you started in. My husband informed me of that rule (which I said "pschaw, that's not right!") until he found the written rule on the scorecard. And yes, folks, he was RIGHT.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have ____________ but I haven’t ____________. A job, but I haven't done any lesson plans! Time to get crackin'!

A Happy Birthday

Yesterday was my 3*th birthday and it was a nice, quiet day-the best part was sleeping in and reading my Harry Potter book while Thomas handled the boys for the morning. We had planned to go to the space museum but as it turned out.....Chandler schools gave me a full time position starting this coming Monday.

We had our traditional ice cream cake, which Ian got to help choose. He actually wanted to have birthday cake starting right after breakfast, but we held off until after dinner. I even let Thomas take my picture (a rare moment anymore!) with the boys. Then Tom and I watched a "That 70's Show" disc for a few hours, which is our new favorite TV rental from Netflix.

Today, we finally did head over to the Challenger Space Center, which didn't have a lot of hands-on stuff but Ian liked riding in the elevator and playing Flight Simulator.
Tomorrow, I will be meeting the various music teachers and principals at my schools and figuring out where I'll teach on the campuses. Tonight, I am aiming to finish Harry Potter so Thomas can finally read it.

Feast

My apologies to my friendly blog ring pals, I haven't commented much (but I have been reading!) but I aspire read and comment this week and get back in the groove. I copied the feast so here is my version:

Feast One Hundred & Fifty Two
July 20, 2007

Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how much do enjoy watching sports on television? I only really love watching baseball and occasionally soccer and they would be 8.

Soup
If you could completely memorize any one work of fiction, which one would you pick? Oh boy. That is some question. My favorite book is "To Kill a Mockingbird", so maybe that one. Honestly, I am horrible at memorizing books, so I am fairly certain this will not happen in this lifetime.

Salad
What is your favorite breakfast food? I love a great homemade breakfast. Terri makes some really great pancakes on all of our visits. But, the truth is that I really only eat cereal in the mornings. And a fun fact, I usually eat a high fiber cereal each day, my favorite being All Bran with the yogurt bites.

Main Course
Name something fun you can do for less than $10.00. We love the library (usually have a few dollars in fines anyway) bringing pizza to the park, getting fish tacos at Rubios for a buck each, getting ice cream cones, going to one of the state parks for a bike ride or hike, going to the bookstore to read books and maybe get a cup of coffee or stay home and have a popoorn/movie night! (wow, so many of these involve food!)

Dessert
How long does it usually take you to fall asleep? Well, apparently, I fell asleep in Harry Potter 10 times the other night. I always read in bed and like a Pavlovian response, I always fall sound asleep no matter how great the book. It is very rare that I have trouble sleeping or getting to sleep.

Little Thoughts

Back in Phoenix, we are experiencing some turbulent sibling rivalry. The boys are having some turf wars and general brother bouts that are making Tom and me a little crazy. It's difficult to come back to less of an audience. The boys don't have a houseful of folk to get attention, just Mommy and Daddy. Our pediatrician assured us that the fighting will not cease anytime soon, so we have to figure out some new action plans.

School meeting begin next week for us, so we are lamenting the end of summer fun. I decided to apply to a teaching position here in town to help our lagging finances. After dropping off my file with the district, HR called to say the position was filled. My former principal, who works for the district, personally called HR on my behalf to recommend me. The district rep called me back this afternoon with a travel position covering overload classes and offered an interview tomorrow. I am not sure if the position is full or part time (it sounds part time), but if they can offer me more hours, that will help.

It's bittersweet, of course. Trying to get out of teaching is like trying to get crazy glue off of your hands, it feels stuck to me. I'll keep the chorale job and keep working on grants and let the rest go. I have the internship with the arts commission, but that might have to go. I feel responsible for how things are going and it's one thing to move on. It's another to not pay bills or feel like you are swimming with your head held high. So, my plan is to keep taking my little classes, keep finding small projects and hopefully we'll make enough to pay a few things off and get to a better place.

On the up side, I am working on choosing my summer collage photo frame and what pictures I want to use. Actually, I have two summer vacations to work on, last year's and this year's, so that will keep me happy for the week. So that is going to be my birthday present from me. Although I have some serious photoshopping on a few pictures (Chris, Kristen and the trash cans as a prime example) so I am considering pooling some of my birthday money for Photoshop Elements.

My husband had asked me what I wanted for my birthday last month and my answer was the Harry Potter book. Which I am proud to say that I am on chapter 5. He told me yesterday that he feels badly that the book is my present because he really wants to read it too. (he is not allowed to read it before me, because if he knows what happens, he is very likely to talk about it in some way, as much as I love him). The better part of the present is actually having some quiet time to read the book. Now that's what I call a gift!

Two More Photo Challenges Checked Off

First is my self-reflection shot, which was fun. Although, I am not sure that Thomas likes such a huge closeup on his face.

The second is the feet challenge that I think Stacy asked me to take. Thomas and I have a long history of feet photos, but this is our most recent. I do need to try and take a photo including Ian and Connor's feet. Now that will be a challenge.

Beach/Sunset Photos

I took a walk alone on the beach at sunset and fulfilled a few of my photo challenges:
-sunset photos
-beach photos
-photos of people I don't know

I discovered this week that I like taking photographs of people the most. Landscapes are pretty, but I don't think I have the best eye for landscape photos. Capturing expressions and candid moments are my favorite. Although, I have not mastered taking candid photos of people who know I am there taking their photos. I try to be unobtrusive, but it is challenging. The families in this picture were far off and they probably figured I was just shooting the sunset and not them.

Atlantis Marine World Aquarium

Today's adventure took Grandma Sheila, the boys, me, Aunt Marilyn and her two grandsons, Christina and her son,Bobby to the aquarium. After noticing three school buses unloading children at the entrance, we should have suspected a large crowd. Ian wanted to be held and carried for most of the trip; Connor also wanted to be held. One of Aunt Marilyn's grandsons kept disappearing and it took us quite awhile to get through the first floor.

After the boys ate a solid lunch, we went on to the nine-minute sea lion show, followed by a few more exhibits and a stop for ice cream. The only uneventful moment of the visit was the underwater sea lion viewing, where all the boys were screaming and jumping around. (except Connor, who was strapped in the stroller)

I found taking photos in the aquarium a difficult challenge. After reading an article about it, I still wasn't really happy with my photos. However, I didn't really take a lot of pictures to have a bunch to choose from. Here are the better ones.


I liked how the boys had their hands on the glass.


Waiting for the nine-minute sea lion show. I think we waited a longer time than the show actually lasted.
I could have taken pictures of the sea lions, but it was more fun to watch the boys looking into the tank.

Montauk Point

Michael, Terri, Suzie, Jeff, my mom and I took a ride out to Montauk Point to visit the Montauk Lighthouse. It was foggy and it was impossible to take any decent photos of the lighthouse until the fog burned off. We walked up 139 steps into the top of the lighthouse (I am not too comfortable walking up narrow steps or going up high, but it was really nice). And because we can learn something while on vacation, we took a tour that gave us the history of the lighthouse. I've been to the lighthouse three times now and I would suggest it to anyone visiting the east end of the island. It is the oldest operating lighthouse in the United States.

Beach Boys

Michael and Terri rented a beach house in Hampton Bays, NY for the entire family to stay and play for a week. The boys have enjoyed playing by the beach and swimming in the bay.

My mom drove down to babysit the boys while we head off to a wedding this evening. We took a walk to the beach, which was a bit crowded for a Sunday afternoon. Ian swam out with Daddy while Mom took Connor in the water.









Connor has a taste for the inedible. He crunched on shells and dumped his Goldfish crackers in the sand and then proceeded to eat them. He didn't seemed fazed by the sandy flavor.

Another Feast

Feast Sixty Seven

Appetizer
Do you button shirts top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top? I am pretty sure top-to-bottom, but I had to really visualize that one.

Soup
What is your favorite sandwich? I love a good peanut butter and jelly, heavy on the pb and very light on the jelly. I also love turkey with the yummy jalapeno mustard my sister-in-law introduced me to, along with guacamole or plain avocados.

Salad
What was a family project you helped work on as a child? I am not sure that I had any family projects. I helped work a little on my dollhouse, but not much.

Main Course
When have you acted phony? Usually around people that I find trying but I try to act kindly.

Dessert
Do you write letters or postcards? If so, to whom? I write letters on email exclusively now!

Tagged!

Becky Kay tagged me and I love playing tag!

"If you had the opportunity to do a 1-year internship in a company or field completely unrelated to your current career or specialty, what would be your top 5 choices?"

1. Writer (non-fiction)
2. Photographer
3. Graphic Design
4. Organizer
5. Interpreter (Spanish)

Now, I'm going to tag:
Stacy K.
anyone who decide to comment!

Feast

Appetizer
How many pieces of jewelry do you wear most days?
I always wear earrings. Every day. Usually a pair of silver hoops that my husband bought me that I love so much. I also like beaded necklaces but I have two young boys, so I don't usually wear my necklaces unless I am going somewhere special.

Soup
What is your favorite instrumental song?
I love the Sunday Morning Overcast, which is a classical guitar song on my son's lullaby CD. I also love anything my husband plays on marimba.

Salad
Who has a last name that you like?
Well, I like both of my own last names, maiden and married.


Main Course
Name a popular movie you’ve never seen.
I am with Michelle, I never go to the movies. I haven't seen Shrek 3 or Ocean's 13 or any of the super hero movies. I am pretty lame when it comes to movies.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: Nothing makes me ___________ like ____________.
happier than a good night's sleep!