Pictures from the week

First Ballet Recital

Mia Takes a Bow

Great Granda Maude

The First Day of School...Again

First Day....Again

We made it through the first day of school. If there is anything worse than the first day of school...it's doing it twice. The second time right in the middle of the year. When there is absolutely no communication and you have no idea what is going on.

But I will try to start this post with a bit of positivity...lets see...

I joined the gym today at a place that my brother and his wife have been going to for a couple of years. I have gone as a visitor before and I do like it. Today, after not working out for almost 10 days I went to a class that was called BODY ATTACK.

That should have been my first clue. Basically, I am having troubles moving anything put my fingers at this point. And I am going back for more tomorrow.

It has only been six days since we arrived in the desert and I have already melted my favorite stick of Chapstick in the car. I have got to get back to being "heat" savvy.

Oh! I keep forgetting to mention that this weekend I experienced one of the greatest perks of living in Arizona...We don't participate in Daylight Savings Time (DST).

We've got plenty of high heat daylight thank you very much.

Well, speaking of time...it's time to go to bed.
Until next time...

La Vida Dulce!

Home

Well, we made it. After five long days in two cars, with 2 kids, and enough clothing to be comfortable with all climates we might encounter (not to mention the many visits to public bathrooms), we have arrived in the desert... just in time for the beginning of summer. Today it was in the 80's with the promise of low 90's this weekend.

Truly, the drive across the country was amazing. It was great to see the greatest country up close and personal. And now I can put on my resume: Traveled by car through all states in the Southern USA...solo. Although I wasn't alone. The Mister was behind me that whole time...making sure that my cruise control was set to a speed that would keep me out of trouble!

I have gotten a bit settled since I arrived 48 hours ago. I am systematically trying to accomplish things according to priority. I am trying to take things one thing at a time so that i don't get overwhelmed. I have gotten an AZ drivers license, registered my kids in school, visited the local Target, Costco and Starbucks, to be sure they are all convenient and safe. And, most importantly I got my hair cut and colored which was a task that I seriously considered placing at #1 on the list. I was on the verge of a major hair crises.

As a side note, I did feel slightly weird when I drove through the Starbucks line for my hot Cinnamon Dolce Latte and then drove off in my car with the air conditioner on...but such is the life when you live in the desert.

We spent this morning touring and meeting the kids and teachers at the new school. I am very excited for Austin and Grace. I am certain that they will feel welcome and continue to learn as much as they did NC. They start on Monday.

I have many pictures of our travels from across the country so I will try to post soon. I just wanted to sign on real quick and let you know that we are here and doing well. For those of you that were praying and wishing us well on our journey we thank you so much. Things are good and we look forward to this next adventure in our lives! And of, course, it will all be here on the blog!

La Vida Dulce!

PS: There are some of you back home in NC that were on our postcard list. They are on the way!!

Hello From New Mexico

We have had a good couple of days. It feels like we left North Carolina weeks ago!

Yesterday we visited the OKC Zoo and that was fun. The weather was beautiful!

Today we will visit Albuquerque and see what we can find there.

Tomorrow we will arrive in the new, but old, city we will call home!

La Vida Dulce!

The Adventure Begins

It's early and I am in the hotel business office.

Things have been going well. The weather has been good, although yesterday it was very, very windy which made for some tough driving.

Last night we ended up in Nashville and planned to stay today to visit the zoo. But have decided to travel on as the weather is predicted to be very cold. We are going to try to get more west before we stop and do something fun with the kids. It's great to see the country as we drive.

I can't type long as the kids and The Mister are awaiting my return on "researching" fun kid things in the states ahead, but I wanted to tell you a bit about our adventure yesterday. Some of you know that I have a lead foot that has earned itself a speeding ticket in each town we have lived in the past 10 years. So my one and only personal goal was to not get a ticket before we left North Carolina.

Well, before were even 3 hours away from our town I got pulled over by the sheriff!!!

But I REALLY wasn't speeding!

I have a frame (put on by the car dealership) around my license plate, and apparently that's against the law. I got a warning for "failure to properly display my license plate."

So I did manage to get out of the state without a ticket but not without a warning, and a humble reminder that I better behave!

OK...I have to run. I wish I could write about our last night in NC. It will be a memory that will be precious to me for a lifetime. I will be sure to write more later!

Until then,

La Vida Dulce (from Nashville!)

Boxes

Whew!

I have just tucked the kids into bed. Or I should say, I have made them a nest of blankets and pillows on the floor of my bedroom. They are currently watching a movie on the portable DVD while The Mister studies and I try to get in some blogging before the internet is cut off.

Today was a tough day as my tender hearted children said goodbye to their teachers and friends at school. I want to write volumes about the teachers and the fine educators at our little school, but nothing I can write describes exactly how I feel, so for now I hope they know how much I appreciate them.

I am tired. Although I have not done much in the last 48 hours but watch strangers open up my cupboards and closets and, yes, the drawers i keep my "drawers" in...which is totally weird, no matter how many times you have experienced it.

It's always very strange to live and sleep in a house that is filled with boxes. Boxes that make up your life. I always get pensive at this time...do we really need all this stuff?

Of course this morning when I went to blow dry my hair the answer was a resounding "Yes"!

I spent all of today wanting to expose my hair insecurities by telling everyone the reason my hair looked so bad was because the movers packed my dryer. I managed to have some self control and only told one person. I told her partially because her hair looked so good, and I was feeling envious, but mostly because I am certain she understands the necessity of good hair.

Not only did i have to air dry (I ended up pulling it back into a ponytail...my "style" for the next week) but my roots are completely out of control. It just isn't right. I did however manage to "tame the brows" with a good waxing. So at least I will be able to see while I drive across the country.

On to things less hair related.

The update on Kona is that she and the White Haired Terrier have now become friends. Mom was a bit worried and I have to say I was worried about her. She called me last night to tell me that if the dogs (a.k.a. Kona) couldn't be nice to each other then she knew someone (who knew someone) who knows a specialist, that could teach the dogs to give the world a Coke and sing in har-mo-ny. But then when my Mom called this morning all was right in the world and the "kids" were wrestling and playing as if they had been long lost litter mates.

Seriously I am grateful for my Mom's care (and concern) for our pet and I am glad that my (sometimes not so) sweet, needy, dog is getting along just fine now with her new doggy friend...or would that be her doggy uncle? Oh y'all! it's getting late...and I am starting to scare myself.

Moving on....

This may be my last post for a couple days as we make our journey west. I hope to update and possibly get some pictures posted if we can get internet access as we travel.

Until then...
La Vida Dulce!

From Kona (The Dog)

Dear Fellow Readers,

Last time I wrote it was quite some time ago and I was in a bit of trouble with the Alpha Dog. Yesterday I thought that they had decided to get rid of me for good. Although I had done nothing to provoke such treatment!

Yes, yesterday was quite stressful for me. My sweet rescuer from the horrors of life-at-the-pound, put me in the kennel, drove me to the airport and placed me on a flight bound for the west. I was really frightened at first when I realized that I was not traveling 1st class but my fright quickly turned to annoyance when it became apparent that my problem was not the lack of a mid-flight snack but the noisy feline that was my seat mate.

After two connections (and nine hours) I arrived in a sunny place. I was again placed in another car and taken to a home where a plump white terrier has had the nerve to befriend me.

The good news about my day is that the weather was perfect so I was very comfortable during the flight. However, not nearly as comfortable as I sit right now. While I sit poolside the current temperature is a beautiful 75 degrees. I had been lying in the sun sipping some freshly squeezed orange juice (it's very important to stay hydrated in the desert) and chewing a rawhide bone, but I decided I better get in the shade, lest I invite too many of those wrinkles caused by excessive sunbathing.

The Alpha Dog and his Wife at this house are very nice. They are familiar to me, but I am not sure why. The treats here are far superior than back at home and they have a doggy door...which is very convenient.

Now all I have to do is wait for my family to make their way west so they can see how happy I am. I hope they take notice of the treatment I am getting here. I over heard the Alpha Dogs Wife telling someone over the phone that I am "starved for affection." But just between you and me, the truth is I am needy and high maintenance, but I am really, really cute.

Well, I must run. It is very hard to type when you don't have fingers and I am getting quite tired. Plus, my groomer is going to be here in a few moments and I think I may have doggy breath.

Until next time...

Love,
Kona

PS: A shout out to Truck (the Big Black Lab) in MI. I miss you big guy! ;)

one

December 2006

A Carolina Christmas.

and

DC Trip.

La Vida Dulce!

Two

November 2006

A walk in the yellow woods.

A sweet friend visits.

A Thanksgiving-Birthday Year.

Three

October 2006

The Arizona Wedding we waited so long for!

Picking pumpkins with the family.

Visiting with a dear friend on a lay over in Dallas.

My birthday.

Such a fun month!

Four

September 2006


Birthday and the Beach

Five

August 2006

The Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee

The second time.

This time, no snow.

Hornets.

Mean, mad hornets.

The good news?

The kids will always remember that trip...

Also in August,

the First Day of School.

Cleaning

Taking a quick break from frantic cleaning before our movers show up and haul everything away next week.

I just wanted to tell you that I think that Easy-Off (no fumes) oven cleaner and Mr. Clean Magic erasers are absolute M-I-R-A-C-L-E-S!!!!!

There is just something fabulous about spraying cleaner on the muck, waiting two hours, opening your oven and simply wiping away the mess....without having to scrub. If only everything in life was so easy!

La Vida Dulce!

Oh! I forgot to tell you that it is 69 degrees outside!!! I opened my window to let the fresh air in (to get rid of all those flu bugs my kids brought in this week) and guess what I felt for a few brief, delicious, moments...the hint of SPRING! Warm weather! Sweet smells! Sandals!

OK...I better go sit down.

Six

July 2006

This month brought so many fun things!

A tour of our States Capital.

Swimming in the river that runs through our town.

Experiencing the privileges that come with being a wife:
Supporting my man. In this case, getting to help put on his new shoulder boards.

Whew!
I love my man in uniform!

Chinese New Year

It's been a tough week around here.

Both kids have had fevers. But of course, not at the same time! Last night The Girl finally perked up a bit after three days of lying on the couch with what I am certain is the flu. The Mister and I decided she was finally feeling better because at the dinner table she was talking a mile a minute. Most nights at dinner we have to tell her to "Eat First, Talk Second" because she doesn't like to eat cold food but she doesn't like to stop talking either. This is difficult for us as well because, quite frankly, she says the most hilarious things at the dinner table. We had missed her since she hadn't joined us at the dinner table since Thursday.

Last night it all started when she said that last week in school she had learned how to say Happy Chinese New Year...in Spanish.

Yes. Spanish.

We had a good laugh but The Girl was insistent that she had learned how to say Happy Chinese New Year. And she proved it by saying: Gung huy fat choy.

We did explain that what she had learned was Chinese.

Amazingly enough I had just attended a baby shower for a friend whom adopted a sweet 11 month old from China last month. She had received a book on the Chinese New Year and on the back those four words were printed across the back, Gung huy fat choy. Which means, May you be prosperous.

This conversation led The Boy to tell us about how his class had looked up their birth years to find out which animal their year represented on the Chinese calendar.

The Boy was born in the year of the Ox. I remembered this because he was born the same month and year that our sweet Chinese niece came home from China. They are only 10 days apart in age.

The Girl was born in the year of the Dragon.

The Mister was born in the year of the Monkey (which totally makes me giggle.)

I was a little disappointed with my animal. Not knowing what the other animals were, or even why the Chinese do this, I was hoping for a gazelle, or a giraffe. Perhaps a cute little panda or something soft and cozy. But no.......

Rat.

I was born in the year of the Rat. I can think of absolutely nothing redeeming about a rat. They aren't strong and useful like an Ox. Nor are they beautiful and mysterious like the dragon. Even Monkeys lend, at the very least, humor to the world. But a Rat? They are scary, dirty, creatures.

So I think I will change my animal to the Chinchilla. It's mouse-like, but they are still very, very soft and cuddly. I am not sure what they are useful for, except maybe a good fur coat...which makes me happy because y'all know how I like to keep warm.

OK. There. I feel much better now.

So, Feliz Chino Año Nuevo!

La Vida Dulce

Seven

June - 2006

Last year we spent most of June and half of July in Arizona.

The first picture is the Lilly that grows in our front yard.
The pictures on the lake are of The Girl and her Daddy in the kayak.

The rest of the pictures are from our summer trip.

And soon those sunsets, "little" brothers (middle picture), cousins, and Paw will be enjoyed much more often!

The Kayak? We might not get much use out of it in the desert.
But we're taking it anyway!

Eight

May

Swimming for the first time.
Graduation at work.
Critters of all kinds.
Strawberries.
Fun.

Nine

April 2007

Last night I had a late "goodbye" dessert with Elisa who is pictured in the bottom left hand corner. She is my sweet friend and running partner. She is also a reminder of the power of prayer.

She was the first person I met here. We had been here about 48 hours and we were staying in this really awful hotel (the only one in town that allowed pets) while we waited to close on our new home.

I had prayed on a Wednesday night that I would find just one sweet friend. Just one. The next morning, through God's providence, we found ourselves both at a city park with our kids... and the rest is history.

The picture above is when she spoke at a Women's Ministry event at our church. We actually ran in a race together last April but the pictures are far less flattering than this one. It's amazing how well we clean up when it isn't 6 in the morning with running clothes and ponytails!

Ten

There is nothing more beautiful than the Carolina's in March. All of these pictures were taken from our yard with the exception of the bottom left corner. That is from our first adventure in the Great Smokey Mountains. Often times I would lie awake at night anticipating what bloom and blossom I would wake up to see the next morning. This was the month Grace came down with the "disease she caught from a chicken" and the beginning of many days spent outside!

Oh Spring! I will miss you this year!

Eleven

Here is number eleven in the countdown of days until we will be leaving this beautiful Southern State. These are pictures of February 2006. The kids saw snow flurries, the grass was starting to come back to life, and Becky, one of my Texas Girls, was here just in time for the Women's Ministry Valentine's Tea at our church. My twin, K2 was also at the tea. We do look alike...except I am the younger one.

Also, the answer to yesterdays TriBond question was: Entertainers who changed their names. (Elton John, John Denver, Marilyn Monroe)

Good Job Mom, on answering correctly! For your prize? Max, the kids (don't forget Kona!) and I will all be coming to live in your home for an indefinite period of time. Tell Dad he better lock up his stuff...the sock and sweatshirt thief is coming home!

PS: You should be able to click on the picture to make it bigger.

Twelve Days

Posting twice in one day is insane. But I have had this idea in my head for the longest time. And it occurred to me that it has to start today or I won't have time to do what I want to do. In twelve days the movers start packing and then access to the computer will be cut off for awhile.

This week we started what I call the "Time of Goodbyes". This is the part of moving that I dread and love all at the same time.

I wanted to go through my pictures of the last year and pick a few that shows the beauty of this wonderful little town we have had the pleasure to live in. This is fun because it gives me some material to put on the old blog, and will also be fun for the family to look at later-when we want to remember the short time that we could talk with southern accents, catch lightnin' bugs, eat biscuits and drink sweet tea.
Each day there should be a new post. And today we will start with January 2006.

Max

I like nicknames. And if you've known me for awhile than chances are I've got some sort of nickname for you. It's not something I purposely sit down and think about. It just happens. Like hiccups and sneezes.

It might be a part of your name like my friend, Jen with one N. Or it could be your entire first name with your last initial. Or it could be some random word that reminds me of you. For example I call my niece Mia Mouse which is a combination of the nickname her parents have given her, and the nickname i have given her(the 'Mouse' part is mine.)

Anyway, I have a special nickname for The Mister.

As some of you know my sweet husband is an active duty officer assigned to areas of high security. As a result he has asked that I not use our last name, nor use his name, show his face or the specific area in which we live. This makes it sound like he is a top international spy doesn't it? Actually it's not that glamorous, but he prefers to remain anonymous. Honestly, even if he didn't have to worry about safety issues, he's the most humble man I know. He kind of likes to be incognito, but I digress.

All that to say I was uncertain what to call him on the blog because I wanted to express my love for him and yet maintain the playful relationship he and I have shared long before there was a romantic notion between the two of us.

Several years ago he told me this story of when he was a boy. He had written a book about a little boy named Super Max. Super Max could do anything. He could leap buildings, he could save people. He was the strongest and he was the best. As a boy The Mister decided he would no longer answer to his given name but was adamant that he should be called Max.

After I heard the story I began to occasionally refer to him as Max. Then it led to sending emails and notes addressed to Max. I really wanted to suggest that I call him Max on this blog, but this was a special name for the two of us and I wasn't certain that he would like me using my special name for him so publicly. So I never brought it up.

I had asked him several times over the last year what name I should give him and he had mentioned that perhaps I could use the trail name given to him by his back packing buddies: Tex. Which, obviously has roots to our Texas days. But it just didn't feel right to me.

Last night we had put the kids to bed, pulled out a great board game called TriBond, and laid it out across our bed (because Cookie had been heating up and it made for cozy goodness.) We had just finished the game (I won, but I think he let me win since it was Valentine's and all...and he wanted to keep the peace), when he said " I've been thinking," (uh oh!) " And I think that you should call me Max on the blog. I think your calling me The Mister is cute but somehow it stops the flow of your writing. I like it when you call me Max and I think it would be better."

Is he not the best!!!???

So, it is on this day, that I officially announce that:

I am going to keep him. I am going to hug him, and squeeze him, and call him MAX!

La Vida Dulce!

PS: Here is a TriBond question. I will give you 3 clues that have a common bond. You can post your answer in the comments section. I'll post the answer tomorrow.
Here are you clues.

Reginald Dwight - John Deutschendorf - Norma Jean Baker

Sounds Cheesy, and Sappy, But it's Oh! So True

Happy Valentines Day!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

The Mister and I love Valentines Day. And we love this scripture above.

You have heard it a thousand times. Whether you read the bible or not. You've heard it at almost every wedding and seen it hanging on walls in framed pictures or in a beautiful hand made needlepoint by your old Aunt Ida.

It's familiar.

Perhaps too familiar.

I had an un-married friend say years ago that Valentines Day should really be called "Singles Awareness Day". At the time I thought it was funny. After all she was "sort of" joking. But then again I could laugh, Valentine's Day hadn't ever been a struggle for me since I met The Mister before I turned 21.


Back then my young mind respected the definition of love from the scripture above. It seemed simple enough. I wanted to be all those things for The Mister. Certainly he wanted to be those things for me. How hard could it be?

Somehow I equated "Love is kind, love is patient" for "love is easy." Oh yeah, and how 'bout "love is pain free".

But today I can look at the familiar passage in 1 Corinthians 13 and be thankful that The Mister doesn't have to place his trust in me to meet all that love requires. It is in Christ that we fully fill up on love. Perfect Love. And in turn we may love others with the love He has given us.

By God's grace he freely gives us His love: which is patient and kind.

As individuals we can daily seek the love of God through reading His love letters to us (The Bible) and fill up on it, so we can lavishly love those around us.

I know that there are times that I will unintentionally fail The Mister. When my words come out less than gentle. When I am feeling impatient because things aren't going my way. When it is Valentines Day and I saved shopping for The Mister until the day of...and the kids woke up with a fever. (Yikes!)

This love of Christ isn't just for old married couples.

It's for singles.

It's for the young.

It's for the old.

It's for you.

You may have heard it shouted on a street corner or seen people on TV that try to make the love of Christ feel cheesy or cliche, maybe, just maybe, even make it feel wrong.

It isn't a box of chocolates, or beautiful jewelry, or a dinner date tonight.

Oh no! It's so much better than those impersonal things, because the Love of Christ is real and it perseveres. It's relational , as close and personal as the sweetest Valentine. It's deep and fulfilling and will satisfy you better than any date or thing ever will. And when you fill up on His love, then everything else is overflow.

So go on! Fill up! And then, for heavens sake, go eat some chocolate! It is Valentines day!

La Vida Dulce!

Now I've Heard It All

This morning as a pre-Valentine's treat I accidentally decided to try the new Cinnamon Dolce Latte at Starbucks.

It was good. Very Good.

Normally I would order a Non-fat Vanilla Latte, but today I got distracted. The woman in front of me ordered a Vanilla Latte, half caf, no foam, non fat, one pump, (and this I had never heard before): Tall, in a Grande cup.

What?

Tall, in a Grande cup? Is that allowed?

And why? Why would she do such a thing?

I sat there pondering this great dilemma: Will it confuse the barrista to receive a Grande cup but have to make a Tall? How does she know know when to stop pouring? Does this customer get just a bit more? Does the extra space allow for quicker cooling? Allows the coffee to breath? Is it because she likes the feel of the Grande in the hand, but can't handle all the caffeine? She ordered non fat, perhaps she is on a diet and is trying fool herself....she really wants a Grande but is practicing portion control? Or is it the cost? Does she add cream and so she needs the extra room?

Maybe, just maybe, she's on to something I don't know. Maybe the latte tastes better in a larger cup?

I was so curious to know why she had made such a crazy request that I forgot it was my turn. When the Starbucks guy looked at me I quickly said "Grande, non fat Cinnamon Dolce Latte, please" and surprised myself.

La Vida Dulce!

Celebrity Look a Likes

Today I found a website where you can upload a picture of your face and they will find your celebrity look a like.

Consider yourself tagged! If you have a blog, You can click on the picture below and sign up to have your celebrity look a like pictures done too. Then post them. If you don't have a blog then let me know who it said you looked like.

I don't know who half these women are. And I am trying to let go of the fact that the computer generated program linked me with Nancy Kerrigan. But then again I always did want to be a ice skater. But I just couldn't get past the you-have-to-be-cold to skate on ice thing.

Have fun!

On Being Seven

I may have found someone who enjoys her birthday more than I enjoy mine.

At 5:15 a.m. I felt a little tap on my shoulder.

She hadn't slept well. She couldn't stop thinking about her birthday. Could she wake everybody up so we could get this party started?

I made her wait until 7:30. Then I just couldn't take it anymore. I had been hiding that Easy Bake Oven my Mom sent to her for over a week. I just had to see her open it.

Yes, the big excitement this year. A child's toy that involves packaged treats and cooks with a light bulb. Ah! Nostalgia!

Actually, now-a-days the Easy Bake Oven has an actual heating element tucked inside it's pink and purple plastic casing. Which makes it considerably smaller than the one i had as a child. But the cookies taste the same.

Exactly. The. Same.

As I mentioned, this was a purchase by Grannie-the-Spoiler. And she didn't stop with just the oven, but chose the oven with more cookie/cake/brownie mixes to feed several third world countries.

I feel slightly guilty because The Girl decided that she should make cookies for our neighbor. I hate to do that to her. She has two college aged daughters so she has already lived through the Easy Bake years.

Sweet Bee,

I love celebrating your birthday and I promise to do exactly what Grannie did all those years ago...eat all those delicious treats you make with a smile. Like it's the best thing (cooked with a light bulb) I have ever tasted.

Random Poll - February

Last month while my friend, we'll call her K2, was coloring my hair we had a short conversation that was completely thought provoking.

I was sitting in the middle of her kitchen letting my hair "process" and she was tidying up a bit from our lunch. She went to reach over to her paper towel holder and found that the only one left was the last towel. You know, the one the paper towel makers glue to the cardboard tube so it won't slip off.

She pulled that tube out of the holder and said she'd be right back, she needed to go grab a new roll. She said she didn't ever use the last one because of the glue. And asked 'What do you do?'

I told her I hadn't really thought about it but, no, I usually didn't use that one unless I needed to wipe the counters or something. But then she added that she didn't want any of the glue to be left on things she might wipe down. So she just throws the whole thing away.

This got me to thinking...and now i also throw the last gluey paper towel away too.

But then this led to another thought...what about the last sheet on the toilet paper? I don't use that either.

Which reminded me of this funny story...

Many years ago when the Hubby and I were newly married we were invited to a Christmas Party. When i went to use the restroom I realized, too late, that there wasn't any toilet paper left. I reached across the sink to open the cabinets and found nothing there but some soap and cleaner. I then realized that sitting on the back of the commode was a box of tissues. Ahhh! No drip and dry here!

So I finished up and put myself together and went to the sink to wash. By this time things weren't feeling quite right but I wasn't sure what the problem was? Was this the beginning of a bladder infection?

Soon I realized that I had a serious issue and I was very uncomfortable. I suddenly became concerned about the tissues I had just used and picked up the box to find what I was afraid of: Menthol. The tissues were loaded with menthol to clear out the old sinuses. Definitely not a good alternative for TP.

With that said: Here is the Random Poll for the month:

Do you use the last gluey towel/sheet on the roll?

Mia's Mittens...and Other random Things

This was yesterday at work. They actually pay me to get up in front of 100 preschoolers and their teachers and sing and be silly.

It is cold here and I am trying to enjoy since I will soon be dwelling in the desert. The only problem is that last week it snowed there too.

It so rarely snows in the desert that there was an 11 year old quoted in local newspaper that has made me laugh all week. He had never seen snow and his quote was: "It's real cold, and it tastes like water!" Now, you might think he's not the sharpest tack on the board. But the reality is that snow rarely ever happens in the land of cactus.

As a matter of fact I was laughing at my brother who had slipped my sweet nieces hands into tube socks and then put plastic over them, and it was all held up with elastic hair ties. He was quite proud of the mock-mittens when he sent me the picture below.

My first thought was, where are that girls mittens! My second thought was, you learned that from Dad. My third was, Hey! where were our mittens as kids? But then I remembered, We lived in the desert!! No one has mittens in the desert!

The day after it snowed in AZ it snowed here. That's when I had also figured out that mittens are highly overrated. It only took a few minutes before the mittens were wet, their hands were cold, and the kids were complaining. What did I do? I found some socks!

But I didn't feel like walking upstairs to get some hair elastics, so I just fastened them the old fashioned way...

I duct taped them...just like Dad.



Snow in the desert. (and on the golf course!)



Mia's Mittens


La Vida Dulce!

I Am Not a Writer, But I Play One on the Blog

This afternoon I felt a rare bloggers spark that generated from the depths of the small place inside my brain that's called "creative", and I made a bee-line to the computer.

I am not a writer, but I do enjoy writing. I have a large box of journals that I have kept since I was probably about 10 years old. What i have noticed about writing is that it tends to come in waves of creativity that I cannot predict. One minute I might be folding socks and suddenly something will inspire me and, if i can get to pen or paper (or in this case keyboard), than all is happy and I can ride a wave that is fulfilling and fun.

Sometimes, if I know something is due, like the Christmas card letter or a piece I am working on for other projects like speaking to groups or whatever, then I might think about them and have spurts of creativity that allow for the piecing together of thoughts over time. But this is a rare thing.

Usually, when I have a stroke of writers luck I am running on the treadmill, or standing at the kitchen sink with my hands full of soapy water, or sitting at the intersection on the north side of town that has the longest red light in the United States (and I am not exaggerating!) And usually the "good-writing" thoughts don't come in the first 4 minutes before the light turns green but about 30 seconds before....long enough only to grab the pencil that fell in between the seats to the floor, along with three petrified french fries and that tube of lipstick I lost last year. But then you have to have paper.

I tried having pads of paper everywhere so I could jot down ideas or thoughts but that can be scary in many, many ways...have you ever tried to write and run?

The hardest part is that often the creative spark fizzles out almost as quickly as it starts. Sometimes you can work through distractions. Meaning that people could be talking to you, or waiting for you, or jumping on your toes and you would still manage to get your thoughts out. But more often you can be filled with inspiration and blink the wrong way and it gets jostled around somewhere in the brain, never to be found again.

But I digress.

Today I was ready to blog. I wasn't exactly sure what I would write about but I was going to look at the handful of posts that I had started and saved as drafts and attempt to finish one of those. I was ready to take care of those silly photos that refused to be seen in the last entry.I was going to get things on the old blog cleaned up a bit.

Then I was going to write about my last full week of work before this chapter of life closes. I was ready to tell you about my last Chapel Day at the preschool, and how I had held it together through all my favorite songs, until one the teachers came up and hugged me and I dissolved into tears. Right there on the stage. In front of all those sweet children. I don't much like crying in front of poeple and I am almost always surprised when it happens.

I was ready to write.

But Blogger was shut down for maintenance and my creative balloon deflated.

Snow Angels

Yesterday we finally got snow. After waiting and waiting we can say we have seen every season in this beautiful state in full!How fun it was to wake up yesterday a bit before 6 in the morning and see that it was steadily snowing! It was all I good do to wait until 7 to wake up the kids.

Random Poll - January

I'm procrastinating.

I have done some major overhauling on our house in the last 10 days and I think I may have hit my peak. The motivation by excitement and pressure is slowly starting to fade and now it comes down to pure "gotta do it" attitude and the pleasure of crossing things of my ever growing list.

Moving. It's a lot of work.

You know what is really funny? We have a formal living room that we call the Yellow room because we don't formal-ly live in there. It is home to my treadmill and piano and currently is the room that is used for weight lifting, martial arts practice, and light saber fighting.

True confession: When we moved here 22 months ago I was uncertain where I should hang all of our portraits. There are about seven or eight large portraits of the kids at various ages. Since we weren't going to be in that room much I wasn't sure where to hang them after I unpacked them from the move so I stacked them neatly on the piano in hopes to get to them soon. I never got back over to that stack to organize and hang them up.

This weekend, I picked them up, dusted them off, wrapped them back up in movers paper and put them back into a moving box.

Our house should be on the market by the end of the week and when that is done I will feel better...mostly because by then I should be done organizing and deep cleaning.

But on to other things...

Did you make a New Years Resolution?

I resolved to eat more chocolate and to have the pictures I just re-packed hanging on a wall in my house-in-the-desert sometime before December 31, 2007.

We'll see what happens.

My New Years resolution track record is not really very good.

Airplane blog

Several weeks ago I made a weekend trip to Texas. On 12/14, while in flight I suddenly had a need to write. These are some of my observations while in flight. I kept forgetting to post so here it is. Happy reading!

________________________________________________

I'm ready. I've got my big hair and blue jeans and the captain has just come over the intercom announcing that our flight will arrive in just over an hour.

Texas! Don't Mess with It!

I'm flying solo for a much anticipated wedding and to visit my girlfriends. But the next time I go I won't be alone. This is my second visit since we moved and next time, if I don't take my kids to see their state of birth, they may sue me for independence.

Right now I am sitting in seat 11A. A window seat. There is a college aged girl sitting next to me who is studying from a text that must weigh as much as her and I combined. She looks young to me, probably in her early twenty's. I probably look incredibly old. Why do I say that? Because when I was twenty-two I thought thirty-four was older than dirt.

She is reading Homer's The Illiad. IN an attempt to make conversation I asked her if she was reading it for school. She said, no. I was actually very surprised. I had asked the question expecting an obvious response. Who, I ask you, reads The Illiad when it isn't expected of you? She told me that she had never read it and thought that perhaps it was one that she should read. This is when, practicing my best Texan drawl, I told her that there are these beautiful little inventions called Cliff Notes for such things.

She laughed in a charitable kind of way and hasn't spoken to me since.

I offered her some gum and she declined. She probably thinks that a middle aged woman with a Texas cheerleader drawl and big hair who reads Cliff Notes in lieu of real literature might not be the greatest conversationalist. Or she may just not like peppermint gum. But then again trying to balance that towering textbook might have her mind a bit occupied.

I, on the other hand, gave up reading on this flight because I kept reading the same paragraph over and over again. I wonder if my seat mate had noticed that I hadn't actually turned a page. I am currently reading a book called A Girls Best Friend by K. Billerbeck. It's an excellent read, but I am far too excited about seeing my best friends, and sitting so close to this gal is distracting.

Wait! She just got up to use the powder room and the text she is reading is sitting in the chair next to me. It is a very large Accounting Book....Huh. Maybe she will balance my checkbook for me while we are sitting here... But anyway, as I was saying, she is reading fine literature and learning to push numbers, and I am just trying to get through my latest chik lit book. It's a shame really. Here I have three full hours (four since my flight was delayed) of uninterrupted reading time but I just can't do it peacefully and contentedly sitting next to strangers.

Speaking of time, isn't time weird when you are traveling? It's like the minute you step into an airport "time" as we know it ceases to exist. Traveling long distances seems to make time feel weird...i don't know, maybe I'm just dehydrated and feeling "heady" from all the hair product I'm wearing.

When I started to write this there was a baby of about eighteen months sitting in 10E with her mom. The baby was crying for quite some time while her parents desperately tried to comfort her and make her quiet. I found myself caught between two feelings.

1. Compassion.

2. Annoyance.

On one hand, I want to reach over and tell her that I can't blame her sweet bundle of joy because I, a thirty-four year old woman, would also like to scream because I am tired of sitting in this cramped space near Smarty-Girl.

But on the other merciless hand, I want to give her that "I've-been-a-mother-for-more-years-than-you" speech that goes something like this: I know you are young. And your daughter is quite precious. But are you aware that there is a marvelous invention (and beautiful gift to Motherhood really) called Children's Benadryl? It's a miracle worker!

But it's not my style to give unsolicited advice to strangers. So I will do the same thing today that I do every time I am on a flight with a crying baby. I'll wink at the mom and tell her she did a good job, and that I have been there before. Only because that is what some kind lady said to me once a long time ago. And I have never forgotten it.

Well I should wrap up and try to read.

La Vida Dulce - from somewhere over Texas!

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I took a bloggers break over the holidays. It has been awesome to have the entire week with the kids and The Mister (aka: The Hubby.)

We celebrated Christmas with lots of food and presents and some of the traditions we have made as a little family unit. We made cookies and drank hot chocolate. We read the Christmas story in the Gospel of Luke. We wore our matching Christmas Pj's and laid around a lot on Christmas Day. It felt great to relax and rest and appreciate the Holy Day.

After all the R & R, we decided to go visit the nations capital since we are now operating in "crunch time" here on the east coast.

We weren't allowed inside the Capital as they were preparing for the state funeral of President Ford. We did pretty well for a whirlwind 48 hour trip with two kids in tow. We used Metro to get around so the kids experienced their first subway ride. Grace loved it. As a matter of fact I think it was her favorite part of the whole trip. We visited the Natl Aquarium, the White House, the Vietnam, Lincoln, Korean, Washington and WWII Memorials the first afternoon. Then we came home and collapsed. On Thursday we went to the Natural Science and History Museum, walked around the outside of the Capital, walked to Union Station for lunch and then took the Metro to the Zoo. We had tentatively decided to visit the Aerospace Museum on Friday but when we woke up that morning we were all ready for less people and our own bed. So we went home.

The following pictures are from our trip. And, as usual, given The Misters request to not be named or pictured he is not shown, but he was there.

La Vida Dulce!

Look kids! The White House!

Inside the Lincoln Memorial

Vietnam Memorial

Inside the Rotunda of the

Natural Science and History Museum

The Korean Memorial

At the National Zoo

Uno Loser

One of the great things about having school aged children is their ability to play board and card games without our help. Now that they both can read we can actually play with them instead of playing for them.

Several weeks ago we had told the kids that if they got their evening "stuff" done (brushing teeth, pj's on, etc) in a timely manner and without being goof balls then we would play a couple rounds of Uno. Since then we have played just about every evening. It has been really fun except for one small thing...

I never win.

At first I was OK with it. But night after night I began to get paranoid. Were they hiding cards? Were they not shuffling properly? Was The Mister in on the plot?

After awhile I began to take it personally every time one of them would hit me with a Draw 2 card, or worse, the dreaded Draw 4. I can't even talk about the skip cards.

One night, after losing to a 6 year old three times in a row I couldn't take it anymore. I cracked. I crossed my arms and began to talk more smack than any 34 year old stay-at-home-mom should be allowed to do. The Mister put his arm around me, looked at me with love in his eyes, and gently told me that in one night I had ruined years of teaching on how to be a good loser. He also said that talking smack is usually done when one is undefeated or has even a remote chance of winning.

That night I was determined to win. I wanted to play "just one more", but the kids were begging to go to bed.

The kids think this is hilarious. I, of course, am so glad to bring joy in their lives. They love to bring it up when we are driving to school, or standing in line at the grocery store. They look at me in an impish way and say, "Mom, that was so fun last night when we were playing Uno and you kept losing." They were keeping track, but now the number of losses is so great that would need a scientific calculator to keep track of them.

Actually it was pretty cute the other night when I had visited Loser-ville for the billionth time and The Boy looked at me and said "Mom, I still think think your a winner."

Thank goodness for soft hearted boys.

Random Poll- December....or

Do you like Gritty Fudge?

OK, I tried really hard not to bring this up this year, but The Hubby and I had the same discussion we always have around this time of year and so it can't be avoided.

If you have known me for more than one Christmas you have heard this before...but hold on a minute, I need your help.

The topic for this Poll is:

Christmas Fudge.
The Hubby and I agree on so many things but this is one that we just don't see eye to eye.
When I told him that I was going to make it it a random poll on the blog he said that I rig the random polls so the outcome will turn out in my favor. Which is totally not true. For example, the M&M Poll. But anyway...

Last night I had made a double batch of fudge. I love making candy at Christmas time and giving it away to people. For the record, I like eating it too. Especially fudge. This year I was especially hopeful when making my Christmas fudge because I had gone out and bought a candy thermometer. In all the years of baking I have never used one, but two years ago when we bought this house it came with an electric stove which made making candy a bit tricky. When you cook fudge too long it isn't happy. After cooking with gas for over 8 years I had years of successful fudge making. What makes fudge a "success"? Glad you asked.

Successful fudge is fudge that is firm, and yet creamy. It melts in your mouth and you shouldn't think about anything else while you are eating it. Nothing makes me more crazy than when I overcook my fudge and it comes out gritty. It happened last year and this year I thought I would solve the problem by having a thermometer and cooking it precisely to the right temperature.

This year the fudge was better but still a little gritty. I hate it when you bite into fudge and you can feel the grit on your teeth. It's like nails on a chalkboard for me.

I have always teased The Hubby 'cause he prefers gritty fudge. Or what I like to call "sub-standard" fudge. Not to influence you or anything. He actually thinks that that is how fudge should best be enjoyed and I, quite frankly, completely disagree.

With that said here is the poll: Are you a smooth and creamy fudge eater? Or a gritty fudge eater? Wait. Perhaps I should say overcooked fudge, so as not to influence you or make you feel bad.

Don't be shy...I won't hold it against you.

Big Mistake

I have just sent out 75 Christmas cards with the wrong blog address. So now, those people with whom I communicate only through Christmas cards are going to go to www.coffeegirl.blogspot.com (I'm coffeegal) and see some weird person who hasn't posted since August 2005.

If you happen to know someone who gets my Christmas card, casually bring it up in conversation. Because i know y'all have nothing else to do with your busy lives than sit around and talk about my blog.

I am uncertain what to do about this little problem other than to wait until I send out my next batch of cards in the Spring which will be : NEWSFLASH: Change of address cards.

Yes, we are moving and I have yet to mention it on the blog because I wanted it to be official, and if you got my Christmas card you will certainly be in the know soon. But you will never find me at this blog, because I sent you the wrong address.

i just hope that coffeegirl doesn't suddenly get into nudity or something bizarre...because she's about to have 75 hits to her site.

Oh well....La Vida Dulce!

Not So Much

Lately my favorite Snack/lunch/dinner has been Wheat Thins, an apple (thinly sliced) and a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter smeared on a plate.

This tasty combination all happened accidentally. Being a huge fan of the apple dipped in peanut butter I decided, one day, that I needed something more. Bread. No... to much trouble. Chips. Not really my thing. But there was a box of Wheat Thins and I thought to myself: Wheat Thins are carbs much like bread. So I went with it. Plus it was quick and easy. Which seems to be what i go for the most these days.

One afternoon, while making my way to the table to eat, my crackers slid into the peanut butter and I found an enjoyable sweet salty type meal/snack that I enjoy several times a week.

Last week I ran out of Wheat Thins. So this weekend while I ran into the store I found that there were Reduced Fat Wheat Thins. On Sale.

Being temporarily seduced with $1.50 price tag, which led to temporary insanity I began to think thoughts that buying the reduced fat version of my favorite cracker would be a great idea. Especially since I am looking forward to taking in a few extra "holiday" treats....Cause, you know, those extra 10 calories you save by consuming crackers made to taste like pieces of cardboard can allow one to feel so much better about oneself while eating her weight in Christmas fudge.

Anyway, it isn't often that I buy Reduced Fat items anymore. There once was a day that you couldn't find Crisco in my house that hadn't had part of it's fat removed. That's not so much the case anymore. I'd like to tell you it's because I am not one iota concerned about my waistline, the truth is I was tired of eating bland cardboard and pretending to be happy.

So, back to the point. Reduced Fat Wheat Thins are stupid. And they taste bad too.

Luckily I i have been making my kids eat through this box with me so that we can be done and start over with a new Full Fat box because quite frankly, my Peanut butter, sliced apple and Wheat Thin lunches/snacks/dinners have been lacking this week and it makes me grumpy.

Although today I had a little bit of PB left over and I also had a couple of mini Hershey's bars that were calling from the kitchen...

So maybe it all works out in the wash.

La Vida Dulce

Sweat Shop

I am desperately trying to get my nieces and nephews gifts out on time. I am hopeful to get these things out by Wednesday but at this point I am uncertain.

Pictured are my projects for the gang.

I am am very excited to see my Texas Peeps in 72 short hours...which adds to my need to finish this project on time.

I am hoping that my cold that I have had for 9 days now is soon to go away...The rumor is that it lasts 10 days...so I have one more day.

OK...I've had a little break. Now i have to lock myself back in my sweatshop to finish up!

La Vida Dulce!

Cookie and Me

Just a quick post to let youknow that when I woke up this morning at 6 a.m. it was 16 degrees.

Yes, you read that right....16 degrees!!!

How is that possible?

I want to tell you that I have spent my day hanging out in Cookie- the blue heating blanket. But the truth is that I have been busy, busy busy, feeding my Christmas card paper through our ridiculous printer...one at a time, by hand. It took me 2 hours just to get the cards printed. I also wrapped some gifts and finished the sewing part of 9 dolls I am making for nieces. And strted addresses the afomentioned Christmas Cards.

I found the cutest robot pattern that I ordered through the mail...It has yet to arrive and I am starting to panic because all this sewing, baking and happy Christmas joy has to be finished and mailed off by next Wednesday or it will have to wait until the new year....which isn't any fun.

Have I mentioned it's cold outside?

Hey! The Hubby just came in with the mail and my pattern has arrived!

Gotta Go!

Gift

I went shopping about a week ago with my friend KHB. We were looking at the sale rack at Ross. I was trying to find some cute little items for my secret santa recipient at work, when KHB approaches me with a look of serious disbelief. In her hand she carries a little plate with cute little penguins bedecked with santa hats.

Cute, i say.

To which she turns it over.

$1.49.

VERY CUTE, I say.

But it's not the price she is showing me.

It's the sentence in tiny black lettering that says:

Serving foods on this plate may poison them.

Well then.

Maybe not so cute after all.

Random poll - Christmas Style

A dear friend of mine called yesterday and said she had a question for the blog. I think it was her way of saying "You haven't posted in so long that I am feeling the need to give you some inspiration." Which I totally love since i have had a bit of bloggers block.

So here is the random poll:

What is a good White Elephant gift for $10 dollars or less?

And while we're at it:

What is the funniest thing you have ever seen/got at a White Elephant gift exchange in Christmas' past?

Comment away...the Christmas parties are starting!