Chick Chat

5

2008-11-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

5.years.old.TODAY! Today is Lauren's 5th birthday! What a girl I have! She's gone from the squalling newborn on the left to the funny, smart, strong, goofy KID on the right. In just 5 short years. Amazing. We're having a Wall-E/gymnastics party with friends from preschool and soccer tomorrow, and a family dinner afterward to celebrate this big milestone, and she can't wait. Lauren, I am so proud of you and love you more than I ever thought possible! I love being your Mama and watching you grow up. The first 5 years have been so fulfilling and rewarding I can't wait to see what the next 5/10/15/20 and beyond will bring!

Trick Or Treat

2008-11-03T17:03:00.001-08:00

Here are my little trick or treaters, ready for Halloween. Lauren was E.T. and Nicholas was Harry Potter. My mom made that E.T. costume for my sister back in the early '80's when the movie was a new release! How great is that?! And I think Nicholas looks adorable in the Harry Potter glasses. If he ever needs to wear glasses later in his life I now know he'll be able to look cool in them. I think he wishes that wand was real so he could conjure up more candy. As if they didn't get enough... sheesh!

My cute alien and wizard!

Christmas in July

2008-11-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

It's finished! I made my niece Anna this Christmas stocking for her first birthday, which was a month ago. Don't worry, it was done by the party - I'm just late in posting about it. I started knitting it in July and it took me 2 months of working on it off and on. It wasn't too hard, just a little tedious with all the color changes, etc. I think it turned out really good! It's on the big side, which my sister noted upon opening the gift, commenting on the generosity Santa is going to have to have in order to fill the stocking in the future. Oh well. That's Santa's problem, not mine!

Overdue Update

2008-10-29T20:10:00.001-07:00

Clearly I'm bad at juggling working part-time, being mom/wife/friend, AND blogger. Sorry about that. I'm about a month into my job and I don't love it. It's OK. Very tedious, actually, and boring. But everything else about it fits into my life so well that I'm doing my best to give it a fair shake. I've talked to my boss about giving me some different sort of tasks (ANYTHING, please!) to break it up and he acknowledged that he knows I have a whole bunch of skills he's not utilizing. Things should get better - the job is mine to sculpt and it's a slow process, but I can sort of develop it, over time, into something more engaging. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the paycheck each week. And just today I was told that they will be making me an offer for employee status (am currently a contractor being payrolled by a service during my "trial, probationary period". So that's good news. Full benefits for PT employees working 20 hrs per week. Nice!

And speaking of jobs, Mr. Chick is changing jobs, too. He was recruited by a big law firm and accepted the job. It's a good move, both professionally and financially. He'll get to practice the area of law specifically that he's wanted to, and we'll get some much-needed breathing room in our finances. Finally! But he'll have to work more hours (of course) so he built in some time-off before starting: a month! This is the first week of his "vacation" and he's really enjoying the stay-at-home dad gig. He's already had lunch with Nicholas at school, picked him up vs. having him ride the bus, and is taking Lauren all-day on Tues/Thurs instead of her going to the program at her school so I can work a few hours. The kids are loving it, and so am I. But I think Mr. Chick is loving it the most. :) We're looking into taking the big plunge and going to Disneyland during this time. Can't think of a better time to do it - the kids are finally old enough and we're not sure when Mr. Chick will get time off again. So strike while the irons hot, I say! Very exciting - the kids have never been and I've waited all these years to take them.

Soccer season is over and we survived. Lauren is a little prodigy and has some really good skills. It was fun to watch her play. Nicholas, too. And speaking of Lauren, she's about to have her 5th birthday and I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around that one. 5? Already?! She's very excited. We're having a gymnastics party for her friends and then dinner with the family afterward.

I hope everyone has a fun Halloween. One of my favorite holidays. We carved our pumpkins this afternoon and have our costumes ready. Mr. Chick and I are joining in with some neighbors for a potluck and trick-or-treating. Then the next night we get to go to an adults-only halloween party. Love that! I hope all your little goblins have fun!

Work

2008-09-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

Now that Lauren is in preschool 3 days/week and nearly 5 years old (6 more weeks!), I've been increasing my search for decent part-time work. Something professional I could do while the kids are in school. Something that pays decently and has all kinds of flexibility. And since the work-from-home independent contractor thing worked out SSOOOO WELLLLL (insert sarcasm here, see post below regarding small claims suit) I want to work as an employee. Pipe dream? Well, perhaps not.

I've had a couple of interviews for just such jobs over the past couple of months. I interviewed with one company located right here in my small suburb but they offered the position to a different candidate, telling me I was a very close 2nd. I interviewed just last week with another company that would be a very cool job in a very cool office, but haven't heard anything from them yet. Well, in the meantime the local company called me to say the guy they hired was leaving to relocate to Hawaii and was I still interested? I met with them yesterday and they offered me the job - conditionally. There is to be a 4-week trial, probationary period where I am hired on as a temp, essentially, to see if I can handle the learning curve. My job will involve a lot of business development as well as some marketing. My background has been primarily marketing, but not so much business development. I'll need to "learn the ropes", so to speak, and they want assurances that I can come up to speed before making me an employee. Fair enough. I'm waiting to hear back from the staffing company to make an appointment to do all the necessary paperwork.

For some reason I'm feeling a little - what's the word I'm looking for here? - ambivalent? reluctant? about this opportunity. On paper it's PERFECT: 20 hrs/week with fairly flexible hours. It's located spitting distance from Lauren's preschool. I only need to enroll her in the extended preschool program where she already attends in order to do this job. She doesn't even need to reschedule her gymnastics class. I will work essentially 9am - 2pm 3 days/week and 10:45am - 2pm 2 days/week. And the company, which has been around a long time and is pretty stable, offers full benefits for part-time employees (assuming I become an employee after the trial month). Full medical, dental, retirement, PTO (pro-rated for part-time folks), bonuses, life insurance - the works. The hourly wage is OoooKkkkk.... low side of appropriate. I've asked if the rate could be re-negotiated/re-visited after the trial period if I'm hired on as an employee. They've said yes. (I mean, they are paying the staffing agency more per hour than I'll be getting, so there should be some wiggle room there for me to increase my rate down the road, yes?) Anyway, it's an ideal situation. Only I'm feeling... bleh. I think it's because I think I'll be bored with the work itself. It's not an exciting, fast-paced industry. I'll be doing a lot of boring research as part of the business development. Maybe I'll be happily mistaken and I'll end up loving it. Because in every other way it's a dream job for me.

And I suspect the other reason I'm so lackluster about this job is that the other job I interviewed for last week is more up my alley. Pure marketing in a fun industry in a hip, cool space. The downside? I'd have to commute into the downtown area every day and probably pay for monthly parking. I'd also have to try to rearrange Lauren's gymnastic schedule and pay more for a 2nd preschool. The pay would probably be better, but I don't know that for sure. It's just sexier, y'know? But now, a bird in the hand and all that jazz. So, wish me luck!

Reality Court

2008-09-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Some of you may or may not know that I've filed a small claims court case against the guy I was working for. I was only doing very part-time work, but he struggled to pay me in full or on time from early on. He would get me just enough money to be willing to keep going. I finally drew the line and called it quits last spring. I tried to handle getting paid myself during the summer, but to no avail. He either cannot, or will not, pay me what he owes me. And that just isn't OK with me! So I filed suit for what he owes me. He's been served and we're waiting to see what his response is: a) pay me b) request a hearing/trial, or c) ignore it and I get a default judgement.

Then I get a phone call last week from an associate producer from a new court show, Judge Pirro, asking me about my case, etc. They said if I would agree to take my case to their show, and if the defendant agrees as well, then we'd be flown out to Chicago and put up in a hotel with meal vouchers, and should I prevail in the case, they (the show) would pay me my judgement. I would be guaranteed my money instead of trying to collect from the defendant. That right there makes it appealing because at this point I doubt I'll ever see the money from him. If nothing else it was worth a good laugh at getting such a call - they've never called back. I'm guessing they couldn't convince the defendant to do it.

Then today I come home to a message on my phone. YET ANOTHER associate producer from a DIFFERENT court show, Cristina's Court, was calling me about appearing on their show! What gives?! I mean, there is nothing dramatic or exciting or sexy about my case. It's very boring and straightforward: he owes me money, he knows it, and I have proof that he's admitted it. Game over. But for some reason my little case is piquing interest. Or their desperate. Probably the latter. Regardless, the lady from Cristina's Court did tell me that they would guarantee me the money should I prevail but that the defendant wouldn't have to pay them. They just pay it on his behalf. That right there should be reason enough for him to do it! But I doubt he'll ever agree because there is no way he ends up looking good here. He's at fault, plain and simple. His business isn't generating ANY money, so why publicize it to the whole country? But, should he want the exposure and the chance to make me go away without the money coming from him, this is how to do it. And wouldn't it be sort of a fun, surreal experience to be on one of those shows? I'm sure I'd get some sort of lecture about allowing myself to work as long as I did without payment or something - gotta provide the "learning" aspect for the viewing public - but I don't think they could make me appear TOO badly. He's never once objected to any invoice I've sent him. He has paid me, intermittently, over the months. I have emails in praise of my work. I have emails promising me payment of what he owes me. I have other businesses he owes money to willing to offer their support and/or testimony. But still -it IS cheesy reality court show television, and it would be airing dirty laundry in a public forum. Would YOU do it?

Then & Now

2008-09-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

The 20 year reunion was a lot of fun! And I'm so glad it all went well and smoothly and I didn't come across any drama. Ok, just a tiny bit of drama, but quickly diffused.

I had the most fun with my friend, Carrie (hi again, Carrie!) It made my whole reunion that she could be there with me. See the picture from the post below for the "Then" picture of us, and this is us at the reunion, 20 years older and wiser. I think we're holding up quite well, thankyouverymuch!

The first night we both had some nervousness happening about the evening (seriously? I start getting crazy with the hairspray when I'm nervous. Stop already!) Carrie had shopped for and found a cute new outfit for the evening, and I wore the outfit I'd worn in Vegas that always makes me feel good about my appearance. It was a little surreal seeing everyone from high school again after 20 years, but I thought most people looked really good! Sure, the guys were balder and paunchier, but no one looked shockingly different. Except this one guy who had really long, wild, reddish hair back in high school and now wears it super short, rendering him unrecognizable. Completely. But probably because most of us never really saw his face in high school under all that hair! Anyway, we chatted with people, marveled at people, and in more than a few cases, talked with some people more that night than we ever had in high school. Which was really cool. People were willing to break out of the cliques and "comfort zones" and get to know others they never knew back then. They would "admit" to recognizing you from school, etc. but not really know you and then proceed to have a conversation. That didn't happen at the 10 year. Maturity is a beautiful thing.

The 2nd night (see picture above) was a little more dressy. Semi-formal, which is a designation I hate because it could mean anything! I tend to think of it as wedding guest attire. My sister had brought over a few dresses for me to look at and I went with the pink one you see above. I squeezed myself - literally! - into that dress but I was happy with how I looked (except my bangs need a trim - desperately!). I wore my hair up in a chignon and had some strappy black (tall!) sandals with heels. it worked. I got a lot of "OMG - you look EXACTLY the same!" comments over the course of the 2 nights. Which is nice to hear but makes me think I might need to update my look a bit.

Carrie and I had a wee bit of trouble with ex's. And both were ex's from sophomore year. Her ex wouldn't leave her alone. It was like he was stalking her! Another friend and I were shooting each other looks and feeling like we needed to rescue her or something. So we would manage to pull her away only to turn around and there he is again! Gah! My ex was my first "real" boyfriend and we did some stupid stuff that teenagers do in the flush of new romance. Some heavy stuff was dealt with and we moved on. He didn't "bother" me for the next 2 years of high school, and I didn't "bother" him. We were over it and each other. But at the reunion I heard from more than one person that, "it would make his day if you would talk to him." and "so-and-so really wants to talk to you tonight." etc. Whatever! I wasn't avoiding the guy or anything, but I wasn't seeking him out, either. I have no problem with him, but maybe he was shy or nervous about approaching me? I couldn't figure it out. So I simply walked up to him the 2nd night and gave him a hug and asked how he was doing. Like no big deal. Because it WASN'T. Turns out he's military, divorced, with 3 teenaged kids. His oldest is 17! He got started on his family YOUNG. I told him about me and what I've been doing, etc. and everything was FINE. No drama. But it was sure weird to be hearing about how an ex boyfriend was hoping to talk with you via intermediaries. The only thing missing was them passing me a note asking me to check off whether or not I'd speak with him, I swear. He didn't seem weird about me for the 2 years in high school following our breakup, but 20 years later (22, actually...) he's freaking out? Did he need closure? Reassurances? Whatever, I hope he got it from our brief, pleasant, innane conversation that touched on nothing of any importance or even hinted at the fact that we'd once gone out and all that crap that happened a million years ago. I wish him well.

And now that the reunion is over and I've strolled down memory lane, I'm back to my regular life and very grateful for the good life I have. I wouldn't go back to high school again if you paid me, and I wish I'd done a few things differently, but all in all, the experiences we've had in our past have shaped us to be who we are today, and I'm very happy about who I am and wouldn't change a thing.

20 Years

2008-09-09T09:04:00.001-07:00

This weekend I will be attending my 20 year high school reunion. Go class of 1988! My best friend from high school (seen pictured here - hi Carrie!) will be traveling from out of state to join me at the reunion. I think that's the part I'm most looking forward to - hanging with her again. Yeah, yeah - seeing everyone else we graduated with will be sort of cool, too, I suppose, but she was the person I spent the most time with in those days and sort of represents high school to me. We dealt with boyfriend dramas, parent/family dramas, were on the flagline/colorguard/marching band together, and generally had a great time together. Then we graduated and I went to one college and she went to another. I was in her wedding and she was in mine. Then she moved far away and I don't get to see her much anymore although we do try to stay in touch. And she's coming this weekend to the reunion! I think I need her memory/perspective to form a complete picture of high school life back then. She missed the 10 year and it felt like something was missing for me - HER - because she was my PERSON in high school, y'know?

How much have we changed since then?! 20 years is a lot of time. I doesn't FEEL that long, really, but when you say it out loud it sounds like an eternity. 20 years is nearly half my life! I know I'm older and wiser, and I know it must show. But I don't really feel all that different. More experienced, sure. But I'm the same ME as I was back then. And it unnerves me more that a little to realize that in many ways I haven't changed at all, especially my hair. Sure, the bangs aren't quite as big as they were back in the day (I mean seriously - check out how they curled up OVER the edge of the graduation cap and ponder just how much hairspray that represents) but they're not dramatically different. I still tend to favor a curly bob haircut (now with natural curls and not permed curls, but those are just details). I also still sort of wear my makeup the same, minus the blue mascara. Browns for eyeliner/shadow, very little in terms of foundation/concealer, light blush, and pink/mauve tones for lipstick. I need a makeover, stat! Gah!

1988 Flashback: (I found some fun lists and factoids about my era to share)

George Bush Sr. is elected President.

The greenhouse effect is discovered.

America's Most Wanted debuts.

Prozac is introduced to the public.

Sonny Bono becomes mayor of Palm Springs

Yo! MTV Raps debuts.

CD's outsell albums for the first time.

Lionel Richie's wife was arrested for assaulting Lionel and a model she found him with.

Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson get hitched.

#1 Song of The Year: Roll With It - Steve Winwood.

"She's Like The Wind" shows Patrick Swayze can sing as well as dance and act.

Salt N Pepa get their breakthrough hit with "Push It".

Julia Roberts hits the big screen in her first breakthrough role in Mystic Pizza.

Top grossing film of the year: Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Spuds Mackenzie becomes the original party animal.

Oprah Winfrey is the hottest talk show in America.

The new Suzuki Samurai gets bad reputation for flipping over when turning corners.

Penny Loafers with a penny in them and Levis with the cuffs rolled up were the fashion statements of the year.

U2 records Rattle and Hum album and then later the documentary.

Flying chair thrown by skinhead hits Geraldo in the nose on his self titled talk show.
1988 Prices
Cost of a new home: $138,300.00
Median Household Income: $27,225.00
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.22 ($0.25 as of 4/3/88)
Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $1.08
Cost of a dozen eggs: $0.89
Cost of a gallon of Milk: $2.30

Top 10 Reasons It Was Cooler To Be A Teen in the 80's than in the 90's:
10) MTV actually played videos in the 80s.
9) There was only one kind of Nike tennis shoes (White with a red swoosh) and they didn't cost $125.00.
8) A comb in your back pocket is more practical and less painful than
a ring through your nose.
7) In the 80s, playing video games actually meant going out to DO something.
6) In the 80s, when you were out partying, you didn't have to worry about your Mom calling you on your cell phone.
5) In the 80s we didn't have to worry about getting our heads blown off at school unless you put a whole pack of Pop Rocks in your mouth and drank a Coke really fast.
4) Debbie Gibson vs. Britney Spears. New Kids on the Block vs. N'Sync.
New Edition vs. Hanson. Ok, that one's a draw.
3) In the early 80s, there were kids in your high school who could buy alcohol LEGALLY.
2) Feathered hair was easier to care for than dreadlocks.
1) In the 80s you didn't have to worry about your pants falling down all the time. They were so tight, we couldn't get them off!

2nd Grade

2008-09-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

This week marked the beginning of 2nd grade for Nicholas. Hooray! He's now a veteran, no longer a lowly 1st grader. He started school all decked out in his new jeans, new shirt, new shoes, backpack and lunch sack. Doesn't he look proud? And is that a gang sign he's flashing? Maybe I should speak with the new principal about that elementary school gang problem...

This first week we walked or rode our bikes to school instead of taking the bus. The weather is just too perfect! On the first day we met his teacher (nice!) and got him all settled at his desk. He was happy to see that several friends were in his class this year. *I* was happy to see that his class size was a very manageable 21 kids. For some reason the school has only four 1st grade classes but five 2nd grade classes. The overall number of kids is roughly the same but we get a whole additional teacher/classroom for the 2nd graders, making each class much smaller than the 28+ or so from last year. I'm happy he's enjoying school, and I'm even falling into the routine of making his lunch every morning like I never stopped for summer. Strange...

Lauren's preschool doesn't start until next week so she and I have been getting some good one-on-one time while Nicholas is slaving away at school. Next week? She and I are going to the zoo to see the new baby elephant that was just born. Today we're going to Costco and the library. Good times! (totally sarcastic there. We couldn't be more boring if we tried.)

I hope everyone with kids in school is getting into the groove of things, and I hope everyone who drives remembers to SLOW DOWN in the school zones! Be safe everyone!

Football Season!

2008-08-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

I don't follow many sports, but I am an avid U of Oregon football fan. GO DUCKS! And tonight is the first game of the season! And Mr. Chick and I are both going! We play the U of Washington Huskies (boo!) and are 15+ point favorites. It's a night game, which are always fun. We have a rockin' tailgate with lots of friends from law school. The kids will be spending the night (a sleepover!) with friends since we'll be getting home so late (2 hrs drive each way, 7pm kickoff time. You do the math.)

I love fall, and I love Duck football. Can't think of a better way to spend time during the holiday weekend! I hope whatever you do this weekend is at least half as fun.

Hood To Coast

2008-08-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

I am still having trouble walking my legs are so sore from running my first Hood to Coast relay this past weekend. Seriously, I look like I'm about 90 when I walk. Going up stairs is OK but down? Ouch.

For those unfamiliar with the Hood to Coast, it's a 197-mile relay race. Yes, 197 miles. Teams of 12 people run from Mt. Hood to Seaside, Oregon. Each person on the team runs 3 times, averaging 4-5 miles per leg. This was the 27th year of Hood to Coast and teams come from all over the world to run it. There is a Portland to Coast walking version, which is 127 miles. Our team is unique in that we have 2 teams who run together. So 24 people in total. That way you run with a partner, which makes it more fun and safer for everyone. I was assigned the first leg. I ran Leg 1 , Leg 13, and Leg 25 and had the shortest overall distance of just under 14 miles all together. 14 miles isn't all that many, but when it's broken up into 3 legs and you run every 9-10 hours, it's much harder. You don't get much time to recover between runs, nor do you get much sleep. It took our team about 27 hours to run the race, and during that time you are either running or in a van with 5 or 6 other sweaty people while someone else is running. I think I got about 2 - 2.5 hrs of sleep during the race, and that was in an open field in a sleeping bag next to the van with several hundred other people. Not exactly quality sleep.... And yet, despite that, I'd do it again!

My first leg was rated "very hard" because of the elevation change. I literally ran down the mountain. It was 5.6 miles with a 2000 foot elevation change. It can be very hard on a persons knees. Thankfully, I can do downhill. Uphill? Not so much. But downhill is good for me. I had been cautioned by many people to take it easy and not jam down the hill because I'd be paying for it on my next two runs. So I held back a bit. I felt I could have gone faster, but didn't. I did my best to stay with my partner, but she simply ran slower than me. At about halfway we had to move to a single file line and I just sort of naturally moved ahead of her and started running a bit faster. It worked out because she ended up needing to pee anyway. I averaged 7:50 miles on that leg. Pretty good for me, especially considering I could have gone faster. I felt good after the leg and enjoyed cheering the rest of the team on during their legs. After our van finished we had several hours to kill while Van 2 took over. We went to a teammates house for showers, a late spaghetti dinner and to watch some Olympics. A few people tried to sleep, but I don't think anyone really did. At 10:15pm or so it was time to load back up and head into downtown Portland for the next exchange. I took over at about 11:15pm and got to run along the river in downtown Portland. It was so pretty! Then we crossed a bridge from the eastside to the westside and kept on running into an industrial section of town. My partner was struggling with some asthma so after about 2 miles of slower paced running we had to walk a bit so she could try to catch her breath. It was really hard for her. I was not about to run ahead and leave her by herself at night in the city. That's the whole point of running in pairs: safety on the course. So I walked with her, ran when she felt up to it, and just chatted. Our time for that leg wasn't very good, but it didn't matter - we're not a competitive team, and it was really pleasant to be running/walking in the city. We handed off to the next runners and the time in the van began again, cheering our runners and offering support along the way - water, gatorade, etc. It was during these middle legs that we came upon a terrible accident scene. Earlier a 18 yr old girl running on the road (with the required reflective vest and carrying a light) was hit by a car and seriously injured. The car veered into her and continued on down a pretty long embankment. We haven't heard yet what exactly happened - it wasn't like the driver was trying to turn into a driveway or street and just didn't see the runner. There was no turn to be made there - the car just struck her, tossing her up on the windshield and breaking quite a few bones in the process. Poor girl! I guess this is the first time something like that has happened in Hood to Coast history.

After everyone finished their 2nd legs we drove ahead to the next exchange point, which was a random farm in the middle of nowhere. We pulled in about 4:30am and parked among a couple of hundred other vans. We spread out a tarp next to the van, rolled out our sleeping bags, and tried to get some sleep. I got up at about 6:30am, as it turned out. I needed to pee, just like everyone else, it seemed. Long Honey Bucket lines at this place - ug! 20-30 minutes later I felt better. I ate a banana and a Cliff Bar for breakfast and got ready for my final leg. We had no cell reception in this field so we weren't quite sure if Van 2 was on schedule or not. It was estimated I'd take over at about 8:15am. I think it ended up being closer to 8:30 or 8:40 when I started my last leg. This leg was my shortest - just 3.75 miles. It had a very gradual uphill, but it was morning and the weather was cool and misty so it was easier for me to tackle the incline. I didn't feel too bad running ahead of my partner because it was daylight, and that's what happened. I was able to pass 6 or 7 people and felt pretty good once I got the lead out of my legs. They felt like bricks when I first started! I finished strong and ran 8.5 min miles, which is good for me, and really good for my last leg! I was proud of my time.

Mr. Chick's last leg was a killer. It's nicknamed Mt. Fuji because of the elevation shape of the leg when plotted on paper. It's 3 miles uphill at a pretty decent incline (by now we were running in the Coast Range), and then 2.55 miles down. It had gotten pretty hot and sunny by then and the leg has a lot of switchbacks and turns as you run up the hill. It's brutal. This leg is what makes Leg 5 one of the toughest of all the legs. You put your best runners on this one. And that was Mr. Chick. He did great! He ran up that hill and made it his bitch. He did it in under 8 min miles and with painful stomach cramps. He's a rockstar!

After everyone in our van had run their final legs it was time to head to the beach. We had rented a place for the night and we all hit the showers. After cleaning up a bit we went to find some food of substance (pizza) and then hit the beach to wait for the rest of our team to get there so we could all cross the finish line together. It's quite a party at the beach during Hood to Coast! Lots of tents, a big beer garden, a stage with live music, etc. It was a gloriously beautiful day, too. After we crossed the finish line we hit the beer garden and relaxed. Everyone was starting to get sore and many of us were tired, but it was good fun. We ran into other people we know who'd run the race, too, so that was fun to see them. Around 9pm Mr. Chick and I headed back to the beach house and I took a bath to soak my legs as they were hurting like motherf*ckers by then and walking was tricky. Mr. Chick went to the back duplex to join the rest of the team who was there enjoying a keg. I ended up feeling so tired in the bath that I just went to bed. I called it quits early, but I was not the first! Let it be known that a couple of other people had crashed out before me! I slept great but when I woke up I almost couldn't walk my legs were so sore! Other people were walking funny, too. Going down stairs is a slow, painful process. We all went to brunch and then packed up to head back home. I'm still sore today but it's getting better. I had a lot of fun doing Hood to Coast. I enjoyed the camraderie - both in the van and on the course. It feels like an accomplishment.

If you ever get a chance to join a HTC team and run the race, do it! You see the beautiful Mt. Hood, pretty Portland, and the gorgeous Oregon coast. You see some crazy characters, like the guy almost 7 feet tall who ran in nothing but a wacky wig and pink speedo. You see some inspirational people, like the team of blind runners. Or the walking team of senior citizen ladies, the oldest of whom is 91 and walked 60 miles. You meet new people - like the young (American) lady in our van who grew up in Singapore, is currently in college in Seattle, and speaks 3 languages. She ended up meeting a guy from France at one of the exchange points and was speaking with him in French. Sure, you're sore afterwards, but it's a good kind of soreness. The kind that speaks to challenge and effort and triumph. Hood to Coast is an experience I'm happy to have had.

School Supplies!

2008-08-19T13:44:00.001-07:00

I LOVE "back to school" time. Love it! I have very fond memories of going back to school shopping. My mom would drive us to the mall, hand over $200 in cold, hard CASH, and tell us to have at it but spend wisely. That money was all we would get out of our parents for clothes and the like for the entire school year (not counting Christmas - we usually could count on getting a new something from them under the tree). But that money had to stretch to cover everything down to shoes. And so you quickly discover that while $200 might seem like a lot at first it really doesn't go all that far. So my sister and I, with the money burning holes in our pockets, would descend upon the Brass Plum department of Nordstroms like tornadoes. We had a strategy: pick out everything you like to try on and we'd meet up in the dressing room to compare. My sister was just one grade below me in school, so our style and size were essentially the same. If we both picked out the same item the negotiating would begin. We were saavy enough to recognize the stupidity of both of us buying the exact same thing. So we'd strike deals. YOU buy that sweater and I'll buy this one, and we'll share them both! Which is a good plan on paper but tough in practice. "Hey! *I* was going to wear that sweater today!" or "You KNEW I was planning on wearing that today but I can't because YOU got it all scuzzy!" Oh the joys of school mornings with several adolescent girls trying to get ready at the same time....

Now that I have my own kids, I still look forward to school shopping. Thankfully they are too young to give a rats ass about the clothes they wear, but they do get excited about buying school supplies. Ah, the smell of fresh, new Crayolas... My mom has started a neat tradition with the kids where she takes them out shopping for a few new Back to School things. I arm her with their lists as well as a list of my own of what they need (Nicholas needs jeans and sneakers, Lauren needs long-sleeved shirts and a coat, for example) and Grandma gets busy. It's taken us a few attempts to get the bugs worked out - like having to explain to my mom that I don't really care for character items and would prefer to not dress the kids in head-to-toe Cars gear,no matter WHAT Lauren says. (sidenote: my kids have been overheard on several occasions saying, "Mama doesn't buy character stuff - keep walking" when in Target lately. It's working!) The shopping trip with Grandma was last week and my mom picked out really cute stuff for the kids. She has a preference for Lands End and they each got a few needed clothing items from there. Love it! Lauren picked out some adorable light blue Mary Jane's with horses on them. ("horses don't count as characters, right Mama?!" Right. Horses are OK with me.) Grandma also hooked them up with a few supplies from their lists, which is also very appreciated.

Yesterday was my day to fill in the blanks. The kids and I hit the stores to pick up a few things we still needed in order to be ready for school. I found some good sales and got Nicholas a couple of pairs of pants and a shirt. Mama even got a new shirt and skort for 75% off! Oh yeah! Lauren got a new pair of pants and both kids got sneakers. And we got every last thing on their supply lists. Gawd! I can wait a little longer before getting Lauren the winter coat she'll need or the pair of non-sneaker shoes Nicholas should probably have. Space things out a bit.

There was one situation that reminded me very forcibly of the negotiation my sister and I used to do during back to school shopping. Nicholas is into Webkinz right now and could help but notice a Webkinz school supply kit at the store. "Please Mama! I LOVE Webkinz and it's for school supplies! Can we get it? Pleeeeaaaasseee??!!" For $14.99, I don't think so. Plus, it didn't have anything in it that matched his supply list. The ruler was the wrong size. He didn't need pencils. The case was wrong, etc. I told him we'd keep looking but keep it in mind. I explained how it didn't have the right kind of supplies he'd need. "But Mom, I can just use the Webkinz supplies at home. You know, to help me do my homework?!" Nice try, kiddo. Then, at Target he spied a backpack he really liked. It was sort of a camo backpack with a spider and about a million little pockets all over it. His old backpack is in perfect condition, except it's too small. It's a "youth" size and folders and stuff get dog-earred when he zips it up. He really should have something a little bigger. So we struck a deal: he could have the new camo/spider backpack, but it would mean no Webkinz supply kit. He had think a minute before agreeing to go with the backpack as long as we could maybe keep our eyes open for Webkinz stickers (do they even MAKE Webkinz stickers??!) that he could have to use on his folders and stuff. You know, since he isn't going to get the actual Webkinz school supplies. OH the old days of negotiating at Back To School time - ! I agreed to his condition and we got the backpack, which he now claims to be his most favorite new thing for school.

And so the house is filled with the smells of new jumbo pink erasers and unsharpened pencils. And new shoes. And excitement about going back to school. Who will my teacher be? Who will be in my class? All the unanswered questions that contribute to the exciting anticipation. We won't know for another week or two. But we'll be happily spending that time, those last lazy days of summer, organizing the new school supplies, weeding out old clothes that no longer fit, and adjusting the bedtime schedule. School starts the day after Labor Day.

We're (almost ) ready. Are you?

Block Mom

2008-08-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

My summer quest has been to get my kids playing outside as much as possible. Seems simple, right? WRONG! My kids are the type that prefer to be indoors. I think it's because we get such short summers here that the majority of their lives are spent inside. You'd THINK that would only make them crave the outdoors even more, but no. I mean, there is no Wii outside. Or computers. Did you know?!? Shocking. Also, no videos! What is a kid to do?!

Enter the nagging, annoying mom (played by yours truly) who declares that the kids MUST play outside and that there is to be no electronic interaction for the entire afternoon. Whining and pouting ensue but to no avail. The mom holds firm. Go outside. NOW. I've even taken to literally LOCKING them in the backyard just to keep them out there and prevent them from creeping back in.

And out backyard should be pretty damn fun for a kid, if I do say so myself. I mean, we have a tire swing, a slide/fort thingy, grass and trees, and I set up the badminton net. We have a deck with a basketball hoop (albeit one of those plastic ones that go only up to 5 or 6 feet tall at the most, but still - !). Every other kid who comes to our backyard loves it. My kids? You'd think it was their torture chamber.

So fine, play in the front. I've laid down the law about their boundaries (light post on one end, basketball hoop 4 doors down on the other end). The street gets very little traffic - just residents, mostly - and it has a slight slope. I've allowed Nicholas to play out front if he stays within his limits, and if he's out there with her, Lauren can play in the front, too. I check on them, but I don't feel like I have to be out there every second, hovering. The kids are really good about respecting their boundaries. They ride bikes and scooters and such, and I make sure to set out these cones we have on either end of their boundaries to make sure cars slow down and watch for kids.

But now? Now that Nicholas and Lauren are outside pretty much everyday? Now all the other neighborhood kids are flocking to my yard. Suddenly my house is the center of the social scene on my street. You guys are out playing? Ok, then I'll come play, too! Just yesterday I had my two kids, the two girls from next door, the two girls from across the street, and the kid from a few houses down in my backyard. The day before? Swap two of the kids for two different kids, all having races down the street on my kids' bikes/twist cars/scooters. The day before that? The kid from down the street essentially invited himself to dinner (a first) and when his older brother came to tell him to come home, stayed for dessert, too.

When it's just my kids playing by themselves I don't feel like I need to supervise every second. I know my kids and I know what they do (for now - in a few years? Not so much...). But when neighbor kids come over I feel like I need to be present more. Watch more closely. Held responsible. Which is fine - I truly think it's the best thing that the neighbor kids all really want to play at our house. I get to know the kids, my kids have friends to play with, and I know what everyone is doing. BUT, it makes it hard to get stuff done, you know? Instead of sitting and folding the laundry, I'm in the backyard making sure the hordes aren't using the fragile badminton racquets as tools to dig in the dirt. Or hit the trees with. Or that someone isn't trying to make a swimming pool in the far corner of the yard, generating more mud and mess than I want to know about. I'm sitting on the front steps making sure that the kids are all taking turns with the scooters. Or that they're watching for cars. Or fetching a band-aid when someone inevitably falls. I'm the street mom, I guess. The other parents are usually nowhere to be seen, trusting that I'm the one keeping an eye on things. I'm also spending my time fending off the endless, mind-numbing questions that seem to spill out of 4-6 year olds:

"Mrs. Neighbor? Can we play inside your house?" No, we're playing OUTSIDE.
"But Mrs. Neighbor! I really wanna play inside your house! My mom would say I could!!" I know she would, but we're playing outside. We're not going inside right now.

Whine. Pout.

"Miss MP, I'm hungry. Can I have a snack? I think you have popsicles in your garage - can I have one?" Not right now. If you're hungry, go get a snack from your mom.

And on it goes. I usually end up bringing out extra snacks because it wouldn't be fair to just bring something out for my kids and not everyone else. I'm going through a lot of Goldfish crackers.

And yet, I wouldn't have it any other way. Our house is the center of the social scene on our block and I think it's great. I like that other kids have fun here. I like that they like my kids. I like that they like me. Even the young teenagers are starting to hang around. They talk to me. I'm engaged and THERE. Watching. Paying attention. Keeping things going and orderly, relatively speaking. I don't want to be the referree, prefering the kids to work things out if conflicts arise, but there if they need me to intervene. I'm there to suggest a game when things get "boring" (have become a master hopscotch artist with sidewalk chalk - huzzah!). I've printed off the rules for 4-square so kids could read for themselves how to play (WHAT are they teaching kids at recess that they don't know 4-square? I swear - !) Freeze tag is big around here. I've taught the overly-sheltered girl across the street how to drink directly from the hose, a summer tradition. You're thirsty? There's the hose. That's the rule - I'm not a waitress ferrying drinks from the kitchen. You're hot? Wet down your hair and sit in the shade - take a break. Nope, we're not going inside. I'll even spray you with water to help you cool off. That's what summer is all about!

I find I'm sort of in the middle in terms of leniency. The kids down the street? Get WAAAYYY more freedom than my kids. Their just-turned 6, going-into-1st-grade son (youngest of 3 boys) knocked on my door this afternoon to invite my kids to come with him to the park. He was with a friend of the same age and they were unattended. The park is several blocks away, nearly a mile by car, shorter via walking path. There is NO WAY I'd allow my kids to go to the park by themselves at this age. NO WAY. But this kid? Apparently he can. He also rides his bike all around without a helmut. And sometimes without shoes. His parents are originally from Russia and Israel, so there may be a cultural thing happening. Regardless, he has the most freedom. He's the nicest kid and I really like him, but he gets to do stuff my kids can't do yet. However, on the other end of the spectrum is the girl across the street who is nearly 8 and who's dad claims isn't ready for a bike yet, for starters. Also, she's "unaccustomed to the heat and exertion" of the kids playing out front the other day. She was having fun with everyone, but was flush. They all were - riding scooters and bikes up and down the street, laughing, etc. dad came out to make sure she was drinking water and asked her to come back inside for a bit to cool down and "rest". Gimme a break! She was fine! She was drinking water and making friends. But at least she was allowed outside at all. Some other kids aren't allowed past their driveway. They're 5.5 and 6 and can only play in their backyard. So they cling to the fence, talking incessantly, and asking to come play in our yard. They don't have bikes, but they have tricycles they can't bring around to the front. So they can only stand and watch the fun or wait for kids to play in the backyard.

Regardless of the parental preferences, I'm spending my summer teaching my kids to make the most of summer. To have fun outdoors. To find ways to entertain themselves that don't involve electricity or batteries. To use their imaginations. To be physical and healthy. And if other kids are learning that from me, too? Even better! It's hard to measure my productivity these days as a result, but I know that my efforts will pay big dividends in years to come. I think I rather enjoy being the "block mom".

Summertime

2008-07-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

and I'm in my car - a LOT. I've turned into a veritable shuttle cab this summer, taking the kids here and there and everywhere in between. At least, that how it seems a lot of the time. Only I'm not driving my car. No. My car would be rounding week 3 in the shop. Yes, week 3. It seems we ignored that CHECK ENGINE light a wee bit too long and have now realized it was trying to tell me that perhaps the thermostat might need some tending to - or replacing - instead of just trying to annoy me with it's tempermental, constant presence on my dashboard. All urgent and "look at me!". Which we naturally ignored. Of course we did. Plus, the car seemed to be functioning normally and not at all giving hints that something might be amiss. Except for, you know, that damn check engine light.

So when my car overheated on the way to day camp it should have been no surprise to me at all. Only it was. The car wasn't running hot - I swear! Until I came to the 4-way stop and white-hot, hissing steam came pouring out of it.

After getting the kid to camp (we were practically at the camp anyway when this happened, thankfully) and calling Mr. Chick and calling a tow truck, the verdict came back: blown head gasket. Which, to my uneducated, feminine ears, meant nothing much. To my husband and most other guys it meant completely pulling the engine apart (taking the top half off?), sending it to a machine shop to fix any warped parts, and apparently waiting for weeks to get your car back. It also means lots of $$$. How many $$ is as yet unknown. I'm scared about that part, and we get a screaming deal from our mechanic who only charges us his cost for part. We don't pay for labor or anything. In exchange, Mr. Chick gives them free legal services. It's a very nice arrangement started with Mr. Chick's dad and the shop owner. Now their sons are continuing to honor it.

So I'm driving Mr. Chick's car and he's driving an old pick-up truck from the mechanic. And I'm spending a lot of time in the car. The kids have had swimming lessons, gymnastic lessons, Nicholas had a day camp at the Y, both kids did an arts and crafts camp (excellent!) and they both had a soccer camp. We've gone up to my parents lake house and are headed there again this weekend. I've enjoyed a girls weekend in Sunriver, and Mr. Chick left this morning for a few days on the east coast - he's a speaker at a conference. It's just been... busy. It's summer! We spent one whole weekend just doing yardwork - long overdue (was nice having the pick-up truck to take debris to the dump and get several loads of barkdust). There have been several birthday parties to attend.

One night I joined my sister and her kids for an all-comers track meet close to their house. Their family does them each week and they are big track and field enthusiasts. My kids were interested in trying it out, so we went. It was awesome! As a kid I did lots and lots of all-comers meets, and usually placed in every event I did. I was a natural sprinter as a kid and then, well, puberty happened and all bets were off. Nicholas and Lauren held their own in their age brackets. Lauren, when running with other 4 yr olds, took 1st place. When the group involved mixed-age, she didn't shine as brightly but still ran with a big, goofy grin on her face. Nicholas never took a blue ribbon, but placed 3rd a couple of times. This gave him tons of confidence and made him feel very proud. His 7 yr old cousin is a natural speed-demon and would take the blue, but no one expected little Nicholas to be a contender and take 3rd. He's never, ever raced before and most of the kids there had. The starter pistol made my kids flinch and they would start their race with their hands over their ears, but it all worked out once they got going. Both tried hurdles (N. placed 3rd), the 200 (L. placed 1st), the 400 (N. placed 3rd) the 4x100 relay (N's team placed 2nd - cousin was anchor and Nicholas was first runner), and Lauren did the 60-yd dash (placed 1st) and the long jump. It was a fun, fun evening and both of them are clamoring to do it again.

So you can see that I just haven't been spending much time online. And strangely, I haven't missed it too much, either. I've just been running around and trying to enjoy summer. Literally running. I have my Hood-To-Coast relay race with Mr. Chick coming up in 3-ish weeks so I've been in training, trying to increase my speed and distance. And it's working - I'm feeling stronger as a runner. But it's come at a price. A week or so ago I noticed my feet were tender. Turns out I've got a mild case of plantar fasciitis, which is inflammation of the tendon on the bottom of the foot, resulting in pain in the heel. I can't quit the team or running, so I've been running every-other-day in some discomfort. Not when I run, but afterwards. Nothing I can do about it except take ibuprofin and rest it some. Lovely. I'll try to do my best to post updates more regularly, but it's summer! You should be out doing something, not sitting in front of your computer! :)

Indigo Girls

2008-06-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the fantastic opportunity to join several of my close girlfriends and go to see the Indigo Girls in concert at the zoo. Strange venue? Maybe, unless you've seen the Oregon Zoo and the beautiful lawn ampitheater there. We each brought food and blankets/chairs to share and found a good spot on the grass. Fun!!! We killed a couple of hours snacking and talking and laughing and SWEATING (it was nearly 100 degrees that day and we had to get there at 5pm or earlier in order to get a spot on the grass. It goes without saying that I would never have braved the heat had it not been for this fun group and good music.)

And let me tell you, open air concerts provide some really good people-watching opportunities! Especially when the concert you are attending is a show by well-known, very public lesbians. It tends to draw an interesting crowd. The lesbians seemed to all behave themselves - it was the hetero couple right in front of us that squicked us out, essentially giving us all a soft-core show that made us all want to plead with them to get a room already! Geez! We had some interesting conversations while eating yummy food and drinking yummy drinks, such as pondering how many of the people with very large, visible tattoos regret them now? And just when did it become the trendy thing to do - get a tattoo? I'm all for tattoos - I have one - but I like to keep it under wraps and one would only know I had one if I choose to reveal it. Wearing shorts or tank tops doesn't automatically show my ink to the world.

Anyway, I've been to see Indigo Girls before and really enjoy them in concert. They harmonize so well it's amazing to listen to. And they both play guitar and I swear, each of them changed guitars before every song! The guitars from one song to the next looked the same to me (acoustic), so that just demonstrates my total ignorance about these things. The Girls played a lot of new stuff - they have a new album coming out - but they also played some of their more well-known songs like Closer to Fine and Galileo. Good stuff. I was really hoping they'd play Dear Mr. President, the song that recently came out with Pink, but sadly they didn't. I really like that song and it's in my Favorites playlist on my iPod. Powerful lyrics that make you think.

If you ever get a chance to hear these ladies perform live I highly recommend it!!

Lucky 7

2008-06-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

7 years ago this very minute I was experiencing my first real labor pains. In total denial that I was in labor, of course, never having had a baby before. Plus, it was a week before my due date and I was assured, repeatedly, that "all women in our family go late." uh-huh, right. Late. Which is why the personalized "my first year" calendar my sisters made for me/baby didn't even START until July. My due date was June 30, and I wasn't expected to have the baby until the first part of July. So labor on June 23? NOT POSSIBLE. Except it was.

26 hours of labor, including 3 hours of pushing, an epidural, and episiotomy, a "sunny-side up" baby, and a vacuum extraction later, Nicholas was born. All 9 lbs, 1oz of him. A full week early. So much for all of us going late with our pregnancies.

And now he's 7! (well, technically not until tomorrow, but we celebrated his birthday yesterday so as far as I'm concerned, he's 7.)

At first Nicholas wanted a bowling birthday party. Perfect! Love the idea. Bowling it is. I called the local bowling alley for pricing and availability and we were good to go. Until Mr. Chick and I went to Vegas for the weekend and Opa took the kids to the zoo, where they currently have a dinosaur exhibit. (Lauren: "Mom! They're REAL dinosaurs because all the animals at the zoo are real, right?!") And from that moment Nicholas decided he wanted a dinosaur birthday party. At home or at the park, depending on the weather. Which in Oregon in mid/late June is unpredictable and fate is sorely tempted if you dare to plan something for outdoors. But feeling reckless (and not feeling like I wanted a bunch of rowdy 7 year olds running rampant in my house), I planned the dinosaur party at our local park. Thankfully Mother Nature was feeling charitable and we were rewarded with nice weather!

Planning a party, or more accurately, planning this party, took quite a bit of time. I planned a bunch of dinosaur-themed activities for the kids, including a dino dig in the sand at the park. Thankfully there are lots of good dinosaur ideas to be found online and plenty of dinosaur stuff available in a bunch of stores. However, to collect the dino stuff we had to stop at all the stores. Seriously, I went to at least 8 different stores shopping for dinosaur items. Plenty of stores have dinosaur-related items, just not much. So getting a few things here and a few thing there was required to execute the party. My gas bill was not happy, but my kid was.

We started out the party letting the early arrivals run around like freaks with silly string. God love the Dollar Store! It didn't take long for several 7 year old boys to kill several cans of silly string. Once all the kids arrived we started playing a game of Carnivore/Herbivore, which is essentially freeze tag. You divide the kids into teams and arm the Carnivore team with dino stickers. If they can get a sticker on an Herbivore, the Herbivore is "frozen" until another Herbivore can take the sticker off and unfreeze them. Play for 5-10 minutes and then switch teams so the Carnivores from round 1 become the Herbivores. The kids love running around and the parents enjoy the kids getting a little tired out. From there we moved onto the main attraction, the Dino Dig. We'd plotted out a small-ish section of sand and buried a bunch of little plastic dinosaurs, some T-Rex claws that I'd made with this recipe, and a big dino egg (one per kid) that foams up when placed in warm water and inside are parts of a dinosaur that you get to assemble. I gave each kid a bucket with their name on it and a shovel to use for the dig. The kids loved it! Afterwards I had the kids work on a dino-themed word-find puzzle that I'd created while we filled their buckets with warm water (had to remember to bring a big coffee carafe of hot water from home!) to let their dino eggs foam up and break apart. After everyone had assembled their dinosaurs from the eggs it was time for the pinata, in the shape of a giant "7" (couldn't find a dinosaur pinata to save my life! This was the best I could do...). We used a wimpy plastic bat for the first round to help ensure each kid would get a turn to whack the pinata, then switched to a real bat, which did the trick and cracked the pinata open. The kids were all over it at that point like vultures, grabbing candy and the various stuff I'd put in there. Again, the buckets I'd given each of them came in handy to collect the goodies. From there it was time for cake, then presents. 2 hours went by pretty fast and all the kids seemed to really have a lot of fun. Smiles were everywhere. I especially liked these two smiles with the matching gap-toothed grins. Nicholas lost his other front tooth recently and now has a big hole in the front of his smile, just like his buddy. How cute are they?!! Even little sister Lauren enjoyed herself and made sure to wear her dinosaur shirt to get into the spirit of the party. (I'd convinced her to let me put her hair in a ponytail because it made her look like she had short hair "like a boy", something she really wants right now, as well as telling her it's how all the soccer kids wear their hair. She was agreeable for about 2 hours and then pulled it out. Progress, right??). The kids all left with little goody bags containing a different form of hatching dino egg, some dinosaur "magic towels", misc. gum and plastic dinosaur toys, etc. Plus the buckets/shovels. Nice, right? You totally want to come to the next birthday party I throw/host, don't you?! I worked my ass off on that party and was happy with how well it went. Nicholas had a fantastic time, as did his friends. Complete success - the most I could ask for.

When we got home from the party we met Opa and let Nicholas open his BIG present: a Wii! From us and grandparents. He FLIPPED OUT with excitement and threw himself on me in the tightest hug he's given me in quite some time. It was awesome! He's been begging for a Wii for ages now. He visits the Wii website. He plays whenever he goes to my sisters house or the neighbors who have one. He plays so hard he gets sweaty. It's a big deal for us to get it for him, but we figured it would be something we could ALL play. So we gave Lauren the other controller as a way of emphasizing that the Wii is not solely Nicholas's. He understands and couldn't wait to get it set up. And promptly gave us all lessons on how to play. He and Mr. Chick played boxing and Nicholas worked up a sweat beating Daddy. What fun! It was quite a day.

Happy Birthday, Nicholas! You're the coolest 7 year old I know!

Mad Catch-up

2008-06-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hi hi hi.. hello! Yes, still here, just busy with life and whatnot. Thanks to everyone who shared condolences about my dad. He's ok. Really - he's doing fine. He's considering his options and is now leaning towards surgery. Whatever treatment he chooses I'm confident the outcome will be good. I just feel it.

Last weekend was my dragonboat race and what a fun weekend experience it was! My team, the Tsunami Sisters, did really well. The first day, Saturday, you race for time. We raced in two heats and achieved times that were really fast for us, beating plenty of teams who race competitively year 'round. Despite that, we were placed in the "B" division, which pissed me off, frankly, but oh well. On Sunday, amid rumors of intentionally thrown races by one or two year round teams, we raced again. This time, you need to place 1st or 2nd in your race or you're done. Our first race was a huge win - first place by more than a boat length. THAT was invigorating! Second race was also a big win by just under a boat length. We were now racing in the finals. 4 teams in the final race - 2 year round teams (1 of which were the rumored cheaters) and 2 "seasonal" teams that only do dragonboats for Rose Festival (my team). Oh boy, the race was close! We thought we had it for a bit, but lost by a close margin to a year round team and beat the pants off the suspected cheaters. 2nd in our division - not bad! Especially when you consider that half the paddlers on our team were first-timers like me. Strong women, all, and it was a fun experience. :)

The same weekend was Nicholas' ballet recital. That kid was scheduled to perform 4 TIMES in 2 days, which is a LOT for a kid that age. And he did beautifully, I'm told! Sadly, I wasn't able to see him perform, but I got to peek during the dress rehearsal so I had a good idea what it was like. SO CUTE!

My crazy mother-in-law flew in for the weekend, and man, is THAT a story for another post. Let's just say she's still nuts and I was happy to spend the majority of 2 whole days down at the waterfront, leaving Mr. Chick to deal with her. We made it through, and that's saying a lot.

The last day of school for Nicholas was yesterday - officially a 2nd grader now. Wow - time flies. And so summer begins.... and between swimming lessons, gymnastics, and a couple of half-day summer camps it seems we'll have plenty to do, and yet have plenty of "down" time left intentionally open for play and even boredom. Because that's what summer is all about, right? I'm kicking off summer by starting my training for Hood To Coast, the 197-mile relay I'll be running with Mr. Chick at the end of August. I need to improve both my speed and endurance as I'm only able to go about 3-4 miles now at a mid-9 minute mile pace. I want to be in the 8 min. mile range and able to go 6 miles. I have a couple of months to get there.

So now I'll return to getting ready to host Bunco tonight. Silly, I know - Bunco. But it's a good excuse to get some friends together and it's my turn to host. So I've spent my morning going a little crazy making earrings. I started to make a single pair as the gift to give the person holding the fuzzy dice at the end of the game, but I got on a roll, as I tend to do when it comes to crafts, and made 5 pairs of earrings - all different - for each of the category winners. why not? I just raided my "stash" and had all the materials on hand. No biggie, and it's fun for me to make them. Even if each pair is only worn once, good enough in my book! Next up: making the hot archichoke and bacon dip for snacks, and finishing the frozen peanut butter pie I made last night (just need to "embellish" it with shaved chocolate and crushed nuts). And oh yeah, finish tidying up the house. THAT job never ends, does it?!

Now you're caught up!

The C-Word

2008-06-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

So Mr. Chick and I were in Las Vegas this past weekend celebrating a decade of marital bliss. We had a really fun time, great weather, a beautiful hotel (really, I recommend the Palazzo if you're headed to Vegas anytime soon! You can find some great deals online since they've only been open a short while. Gorgeous!!) We did lots of sight-seeing (driving and walking style), ate at more than one buffet, partied at a few clubs (memory a bit fuzzy after a certain point in the evening... ) saw a show (Zumanity - a Cirque du Soleil show at New York, New York. Rique in that it's a T&A show in true Vegas style), lounged pool side, shopped, and soaked up lots of time together. Made a few good memories (but you know the saying... what happens in Vegas and all... so I'm not sharing THOSE stories!). It was really nice to get away together and long overdue. The kids were with my sister and her family for one night, and then Mr. Chick's dad drove up to take the kids for a couple of days. We're very lucky to have willing family for these kinds of things. Opa totally did great with the kids and spoiled them rotten in true grandparent fashion. :)

And then reality came crashing down. Hard.

My dad called me last night. It's not good news. He'd had a routine physical several weeks ago and the doctor noted a hard lump on/near his prostate. He was referred to a urologist for further testing. The urologist did a biopsy. It took nearly 2 weeks for them to finally call him with the results - more than a week AFTER they'd told him they'd get back to him. Assholes. And yes, they found cancer. My dad has prostate cancer. I don't know whether to scream or cry. Or both. He's taking it quite well and isn't getting his feathers too ruffled. My mom has been in Cambridge helping move my sister for grad school, so he's completely by himself. He was driving when they finally called to give him the news. Again, assholes. I guess there is some sort of 1 - 5 scale for prostate cancer, with 1 being essentially cancer-free (highly differentiated) and 5 being the worst. My dad is a 3. Top of the bell-curve - most common. Caught fairly early, but he's had it awhile. I guess prostate cancer doesn't move/grow very fast. My mom gets home tomorrow and then they're meeting with the doctor to discuss this whole thing and start reviewing treatment options. My dad is 64.

According to what my dad said the doctors told him, if a man lives long enough he's bound to get prostate cancer. I've heard that, too. Something like by the age of 80-85, 90% of men have or have had it. More men die with it than from it. So it sort of felt inevitable, I suppose, to my dad. He's known several friends/acquaintances who've gone through this already. It sounds like he'll have some options, and some time to fully consider them. There is no huge rush, I'm told. But still - MY DAD HAS CANCER! AAAaaahhhhh!!!

Reality Bites.

PS - I officially "fired" my client last week due to repeated non/late payment issues and have a phone interview with a different company this afternoon. As an employee, not independent contractor. My heart/head is NOT in it and I'll probably blow it. Plus, I'm not sure they fully understand I'm only interested in part-time work. We'll see.

Not Loving It

2008-05-24T14:12:00.001-07:00

First off, I want to thank everyone who rang in on their thoughts of which haircut I should get. Mostly it seemed as if Martina was the preference followed closely by Heather. Mandy seemed out due to "high maintenance" issues. I totally agree. My mother, when asked her opinion (big mistake!), said, "it's about time you got a haircut! You've got waaayyy too much going on. I don't like it this long. Shorter is much better on you." She's never liked long hair - on anyone.

So I went to the appointment yesterday with high hopes of a new sassy, hip style. Mostly I wanted the overwhelming bulk of my hair taken down some to move away from the triangle shape I was flirting with. I went in with hair like this:

Longer than shoulder-length and thick.

I've never had my hair cut in quite this manner before. The stylist looks at a head of curly hair "like a sculpture" and addresses each head uniquely. She cuts the hair dry so that essentially each curl can be cut individually for maximum results. We talked about what I was looking for, seemed to reach agreement, and she started. Lifting my hair in little sections and cutting. Twirling and snipping the tiniest bits, it seemed. And then in a blink the bulk was gone and the weight of my hair was lifted from below the chin level to above. The triangle was gone and my curls were bouncing. Literally. And there was a fat load of my hair on the floor all around the chair. Then, after the dry cut, she took me to the sink for a wash and then revisited my hair, cutting any random long strands previously missed. Then she used a diffuser to semi-dry my hair and sent me on my way, damp-headed.

It wasn't until I got home that I saw the full effect of the cut. And hated it.

It was much longer in the back than the sides. I'm not a fan of the angling down to the middle of the back of the head look. It just looked really random. As my hair was drying the curls were shrinking, as they tend to do, and it was looking really poufy. I didn't cry, but tears were threatening to leak out at any second. And to make matters worse I was expecting a friend and her kids over for an after-school playdate, so I had very little time to try to remedy the situation. To this date I have NEVER had a hairstylist style my hair at the salon in a way that I love. I usually hate the way my hair looks when I leave. They do funny things to my bangs, or I'm all frizzed out, or something. It's my common practice to have to come home and start-over, styling my hair myself to get a good idea of how it will end up looking. This cut? Sucked.

So I did what any self-respecting curly-headed girl would do: grab the scissors and get to work fixing it. Curls hide a lot of sins, and my hair is never cut straight anyway. So I got down to the business of taking SEVERAL INCHES off the back. The back! By myself! With just a hand mirror and my own sense of touch to guide me. Don't worry, I've done this before. I think I should have an honorary beauticians license by now. So I snipped here and I hacked there. I checked, double-checked, and cut some more. I was cutting chunks of my own hair! When I saw how short she'd cut my bangs I nearly lost it. No help there other than time, sadly. My bathroom counter is all fuzzy with the evidence of my self-cut. Really, I cut a lot. But it's better now than it was, if you can believe it.

This morning I had dragon boat practice so I had to wait to completely wet my hair and style it until afterwards. I was eager to jump into the shower and get a clean slate, so to speak, on my hair. I dried it using my hairdryer and diffuser. And used the products I like to use on it. I know what works for me. It needed a little more snip snipping to catch a few random spots I had missed yesterday, but that was about it. And because everyone requested "after" pictures, here they are. And like the title of this post, I'm not loving it. It's back to chin length again, essentially, and my bangs are too short/layered. There is very little movement in my hair anymore it's so textured. It's hard to put it in a ponytail because it is so textured. I have a lot more "playing' to do to figure out a cute way to wear it up/back. I miss my old hair and regret going for this cut. I needed something done to my hair, but this was not what I was after. Boo-hoo!

The cut. New look. Change is hard. I have to get used to this. My mother will really like it, but she might be the only one. I'd say it's easily 5 inches shorter than it was.

Side view on the side I part my hair (messy part). If/when I tuck my hair behind an ear, this is the side that gets tucked.

Other side - "thicker" because it's the non-part side. I like this side of my hair better than the other, generally. Strange how two sides of the same head can look so different.... Notice how the length in the back is not essentially the same as the sides? Yeah, I did that. Before it was a good 2-3 inches longer in the back.

Back view. Not much to see here but a mess of curls, although I will say it looks pretty even and pat myself on the back for THAT skill. Any suggestions out there about what I could do with my hair now to make it cuter? I feel like this cut makes me look less sophisticated than before, and there are definitely fewer styling options. I probably just need to get used to it and suck it up, but this is just so NOT what I was expecting! I think it looks "sensible" when I was hoping for chic. More "soccer mom" and less "MILF".

Hair Crisis - Input Needed!

2008-05-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not know, for what feels like forever I've been growing my hair. It got pretty long - nearly hitting bra strap mid back when wet (curls tend to shrink some when dry...). It was the longest I'd ever had my hair - ever. For as long as I can remember I've tended to keep my hair chin length, give or take, thinking/assuming it was the most flattering for my narrow-ish face. But for a change I figured I'd give longer a try. And I got/get a lot of compliments and truly like the flexibility of just being able to put it back. I like how I look with my hair off my face. So you know what that means: lots of ponytails.

I've been going to the same hairdresser for a number of years. She's a friend of mine and gives me a pretty good deal on the cost of cuts and colorings. And all in all I think she does a good job. But, lately, with my hair getting longer and all, I think I need a change. I've asked around and got the name of a stylist whose getting a reputation for being really good with curly hair. I've made an appointment for this Friday. And while I feel a bit guilty for "cheating" on my friend/hairdresser, I think getting the perspective of someone different from time to time can be a good thing. And my style needs a LOT of help. That's where you come in.

I love Whoorl and have scoured her site for ideas and images. I found 3 that might apply to me and I really want anyone who reads this to chime in and give me your opinion as which cut, if any, I should get. You've seen the (horrible) picture of me at the top of this post (I'm super-critical of all pictures of myself - gah!) My hair is color treated to hide gray, very thick and curly/wavy (spiral, ringlet-type curls underneath, looser wavy curls on the top/outside layer. I have long layers but am flirting dangerously with the dreaded triangle shape. Yuck. My hair tends to frizz. It's too thick and curly to blow-dry straight/flat iron with any sort of regularity, so I try to just go with the curls and not fight it. I look better with bangs. Trust me, I've tried growing them out and look nasty. So, with all of that in mind, here are the 3 hairstyles that I like and think might work for me. What do you think?? So you like Martina, Heather, or Mandy? Please, I really am looking for outside opinions here! Thanks in advance! I'll try to post a picture of how my hair turns out after it's cut on Friday.

It's All Who You Know

2008-05-15T09:55:00.001-07:00

It's an old cliche, but it's true: It's all who you know. For a long time I've been musing about how fun and cool it would be if I could teach a knitting and crocheting class. I've noticed that my local YMCA (where I happen to work very part-time) offers a fee-based knitting class, but I've never gone because it's never appealed to me. I don't want to have to pay to sit with a bunch of people I don't know and knit or crochet in a stuffy room. No thanks. But on the other hand, there is a group of people at the Y that is vastly underserved: the 'tweens (and teens, to a certain extent). I've thought about teaching these kids to knit and crochet and donate the items we make to charity. A win-win! They learn a new skill/craft, we serve the community by charitable giving, and the Y has another offering for these kids. Well, it's hard to get things done at the Y. Lots of deaf ears. But that's about to change.

As luck would have it, I've befriended a woman at Lauren's speech therapy class. Her son is in the same class and we sit and chat for the hour the kids are in therapy. I learned that her best friend is a mom I would see at the Y from my time in child watch. Connections made. I also learned that this friend was on the board of directors at the Y. Who knew? So for all these months I've been chatting with my friend at speech therapy, knitting and crocheting away. I mentioned my idea for teaching to the the 'tweens and teens and making it a charity thing, blah blah blah, and wouldn't you know, she mentioned it recently to her friend on the board. Bingo! So I'm headed into the Y the other night to work my shift and the friend pulls me aside to say that she's taking my idea to the board of directors and could I please put together a proposal for her? Um, hell yeah!

So yesterday I spent quite a bit of time crafting my proposal. I summarized the various benefits to knitting and crocheting, beyond the obvious. How it is often equated to yoga for the stress-relieving benefits. And how it helps with manual dexterity, patience, math, and design. And how knitting for charity fosters a sense of community and purpose. It's intergenerational, etc. I also highlighted a charitable grassroots organization called Warm Up America! that gathers and joins 7"x 9" rectangles of knitting or crocheting to make blankets for distribution to various shelters, charities, hospitals, etc. I did a start-up cost analysis to bottom line a budget (cheap!) and provided pictures of projects I've done to give them an idea of my skill level. I even spoke with a family member who used to own her own yarn and knitting store in another state for ideas. She told me that when you are leading a group to do things for charity you can often receive donated yarn and supplies. If we could get that rolling it would really help the budget. Also, I plan to make knitting needles from wooden dowels that the kids can make and decorate themselves for them to keep. It's just $1.99 for 10 dowels / 5 pairs of needles. I made a pair just last night - it's super-easy, fun, and they work pretty well! Pretty cost-effective, I'd say.

Anyway, I just submitted my proposal this morning. The board meeting is next week. Keep your fingers crossed that it gets approved and I get the green-light to get this class started. How much fun would that be?! It wouldn't pay much of anything - just my regular low hourly rate I'm earning now at the YMCA, but I'd enjoy my work/time there so much more! I can't wait!

A Decade

2008-05-09T08:43:00.001-07:00

Scene 1: May 9, 1998. MP and Mr. Chick at the church, surrounded by friends and family. Vows are repeated, promises are made. Everyone is smiling, happy, and in love.

Scene 2: May 9, 2008. MP and Mr. Chick are a bit older and wiser, surrounded by two kids. Vows have been honored, promises kept. Everyone is smiling, happy, and still in love. 10 years have gone by in a blink.

Today is our wedding anniversary. I've been a married lady for 10 whole years. Marrying Mr. Chick was the best decision I ever made, hands down. For the past couple of days we've been having a lot of fun talking about our anniversary. Text flirting, if you will. Like the one I sent him yesterday saying that 10 yrs ago from this very minute I was nervously, excitedly rehearsing for the wedding and how I still smile when I think about seeing him later that day. And he emailed me the picture of the floorplan of the pimpy suite we've booked for our anniversary trip to Vegas at the end of the month. We've been acting all goofy and teenager-y lately, mooning at each other. I love it.

I love how Mr. Chick told me about how he happened to mention that today was our 10 yr anniversary to a law school buddy because he was proud of it (and he likes to shock friends who we didn't know 10 years ago and are younger than us and are surprised we are as old as we are and have been together as long as we have (10 yrs married, 16+ yrs together)).

I love how we check on the kids together at night before we go to bed.

I love that, on most nights, we go to bed together.

I love that we both observe the little courtesies that make such a difference (like how he'll make the coffee for me in the morning, even if he isn't having any himself. Or how he calls me when he's about to leave the office and ask if I need him to stop at the store for anything. Or how he always remembers to pull the curtain across the doorway to our closet/bathroom so the light doesn't shine in my eyes. Or how he'll reach to hold my hand when we're driving in the car together.)

I love that hearing of the breakup of other peoples' marriages makes us sad and want to cling to ours more fiercely. (that reads funny - we're NEVER happy or love to hear about couples breaking up. I just appreciate how it brings us closer together instead of making either of us contemplate the upside of divorce.)

I love how being with him makes me a better person. Not a day goes by that I don't have this thought. Sometimes I feel lazy about housework, for example, and the kitchen is a mess with dishes piled up in the sink and general untidiness abounds. And then I'll think about Mr. Chick and how hard he works for us, and how he doesn't deserve to come home to this, and I want to keep up my end - for him if not for me. And so I'll pull my act together and clean things up so he can come home to peace and calm. I know he appreciates it.

I think that's the essence to keeping things good in a marriage: keeping each other top of mind and finding ways to make the other persons day just a little bit better somehow. Like making the coffee or keeping the house nice. Trivial, little things that make all the difference. Treat your man well and he'll treat you like a queen! I do that, and I get that. And I wouldn't trade it for the world!

How am I being treated like a queen, literally? You should SEE the suite Mr. Chick booked for us for our anniversary trip to Vegas. OMG - !! We're staying for 3 nights in the newest 5-star tower on the strip (part of the Venetian) called The Palazzo. It looks AMAZING! It's only been open a few months, so it's brand new. Mr. Chick insisted that if we were going to celebrate this milestone of an anniversary we were going to do it in style (see? a queen!). We're both so excited - we may never leave the room! I've been to Las Vegas several times, and Mr. Chick has been to Vegas several times, but we've never been together. There is so much to see and do that it's a given we'll have a fantastic time - we've always traveled well together. See what 10 years of mutual love and devotion gets you? :)

Next She'll Be Asking To Borrow The Car

2008-05-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the Pac NW. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and Lauren was being a pain in the ass. Well, maybe that's too harsh. She was being tempermental. She had her new gymnastics class in the morning and I had her all dressed and at the class on time, only to have her stubbornly refuse to participate. Very unlike her. She was clingy, shy and even a little weepy. I couldn't figure it out. None of my usual tricks were working. Threats of "if we have to go home and you didn't do your class, it means no TV and no computer" weren't working. She meant business. So we left and she was crying and I wasn't happy - I just LOVE wasting my time and money like that. Anyway, that was the morning and we all got over it.

Flash forward to the afternoon and the beautiful day and a very bored Lauren. I take her outside and we practice riding a 2-wheeler bicycle without training wheels. She's been working on it, little by little, for a week or so. But yesterday it clicked for her and she was off! So good that I decided to have her ride the bike (Nicholas's bike, mind you, with the seat lowered) all the way to the elementary school so we could pick up Nicholas and ride/scooter home together. She had to stop many times on the way to school, but that's OK. She never fell. If she felt wobbly or unsteady she mastered braking (at least a little bit) and then dropping her feet to the ground. Turns still give her trouble, but she's getting better with each attempt. We made it to school, surprised Nicholas, and headed home. On the way back Lauren was much stronger - going for whole blocks before stopping at each corner (per my instructions). It was very exciting for me to see her do this! She learned a whole year earlier than Nicholas, which I understand to be pretty typical. Little sibling in a fat hurry to catch up to big sibling and all that. And Nicholas was cool about letting her ride his bike and him riding the scooter home instead. I like when they're nice to each other and share without whining about it. He was even encouraging her and giving big praise for how well she was doing. :)

I'm looking forward to being able to take family bike rides this summer, and having Lauren ride her bike next to me when I go for a run** (I've never liked pushing a kid or two in the jog stroller - ug!) This feels like freedom, her being able to ride a bike. A last hurdle we made it over in leaving the "little kid" hindrances behind. We're past diapers, naps, and now training wheels. Woot!

** Speaking of running, I've just agreed to join a Hood to Coast relay team with Mr. Chick. I've done a similar race years ago, but this will be my first Hood to Coast. It's a 12-person, 196-mile relay from Mt. Hood to the Oregon Coast. Each runner runs 3 legs of the race, and each leg varies between 3-7 miles. Sometimes you end up running in the middle of the night, depending. It's a lot of fun, but will be a lot of work getting ready. But I find I need a "goal" to keep me motivated to do stuff, so this fits the bill. I've been running, mostly on treadmills, for ages now as we've had crappy weather for such a long time. Now I'll need to adjust to running on the streets again, which is very different. Time for some new running shoes!

Of My Own Design

2008-05-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

Now that Lauren is in preschool she's been receiving many more invitations to birthday parties, which is a good thing. The most recent was this past weekend for a girl in her class. We didn't get much advance notice about the party, but I still got the crazy idea that I could make the present for the birthday girl. As anyone who reads this blog knows, I prefer to make gifts whenever possible. So, with just 2 days to do it, I got started on the gift. I must have been crazy to tackle this, but sometimes inspiration strikes and I decide to go for it. I had all the materials on hand so at least I spared myself a trip or two to the craft store if nothing else.

My gift was a knit purse with the birthday girls' name on one side and hearts on the other. I didn't know this little girl (turning 4) very well and didn't have a clue as to what kinds of toys or activities she liked, so a purse was a sweet, generic sort of thing to give her. Every girl needs a purse or some sort of bag in which to carry your treasures, right? And so I got started designing it.

First I did some searching online to find patterns for the letters. I had never knit letters into anything before - no time like the present (ha ha - pun intended!) I've done some stranding / fair isle knitting before (and I need more practice!), so I felt OK tackling such a technique. I found a pattern for letters but felt they were too "thick" for a small-ish purse. So, I printed some grid paper and modified the pattern. I also found a pattern for little hearts I thought would be cute on the other side of the purse. I prefer to knit in the round vs. flat knitting whenever possible, so I did some quick counting and figured out how many stitches to cast on, etc. to knit the purse in the round. It took me a day and a half to knit the purse and the rest of the time to finish it with a scalloped crochet edging along the top and on both sides of the strap. And to sew the liner.

Speaking of the liner... yikes. I didn't think ahead too much on that one. Making the liner was simple enough and I thought I would simply sew it into the purse and save me the time of weaving in the various ends and such since all the madness of the fair isle knitting would be hidden inside the liner. Well, good in theory. When it came time to actually attempt to sew the liner to the knitted piece it was too thick or something for my machine to handle and it wasn't being fed properly. Crap! That meant I had to stitch the liner to the knit purse by hand. Which actually worked out for the best as I was better able to hide the thread within the yarn, but still - what a pain. My hand-stitching leaves much to be desired....

Ultimately the purse turned out pretty much as I had envisioned it, minus a small miscalculation with the centering of the 3 hearts on the back of the purse. But all in all I was pleased with how it turned out and enjoyed giving it to Lauren's friend. It was met with lots of "ooh's" and "ahh's" and raised eyebrows in surprise when they found out I had made it myself. Not many of the preschool moms knew I could knit and crochet and were therefore impressed I had created the gift myself. Me? I was just glad I got the thing done in time!

Strong

2008-04-29T14:24:00.001-07:00

Lauren has always been a strong child. Physically strong. Not freakishly strong, but stronger-than-average. Mostly I've always thought she was in a fat hurry to catch up to her brother, but I don't think that anymore as her physical abilities are her own and not a mimicry of him. Unless you're talking about Pokemon, and then it's completely about mimicking him. He's into it = she's into it. Down to every last detail. But that's another story for another time.

Lauren has been taking gymnastics since preschool began for her this past fall. Just one 45 minute class each week, immediately after her preschool ends (her preschool is located within the same building as a competitive gymnastics and cheer facility and they give discounts to preschool families. Love that! Very symbiotic.) Anyway, Lauren really liked gymnastics and seemed to have a natural aptitude for it. She's strong and fearless, and takes direction/correction well. And once she figured out the hand/feet correlation for a proper cartwheel, well, there was no stopping her. And then, some gymnastic competition in connection somehow with the road to the Olympics was on TV a month or so ago and Lauren was hooked. She watched, mesmerized by the gymnasts and convinced she could do what they were doing (until she saw them doing flips on the balance beam and conceded she couldn't do that yet - but soon!). And ever since, she's been turned on by gymnastics even more, expressing to me that she wants to be "just like the girls on TV!". She told her gymnastics teacher all about it, and started focusing even more during class, trying harder and determined to improve. She's 4.

But her natural determination and physical abilities have paid off because her gymnastics teacher asked the head teacher at the facility to come watch Lauren and evaluate whether she could move up into her teacher-approved class. She "passed" and was approved for this instructor-approved class. She was the only kid in her class to be promoted so far.

Her new class was yesterday and she was so excited! She kept saying she couldn't wait for her harder class and she was so proud of herself for getting in. Again, she's 4! She has a definite goal in mind and the ambition to pursue it. She melded into this new class as if she had been part of it from the start. It wasn't as "hard" as I thought it might be and the class actually did a lot of the same stuff her previous class had been doing, but the kids doing it were just better at it. But even though these kids had been in this more advanced class longer than Lauren, the new girl, she kept up with them. In fact, she had the best cartwheel in the bunch! And could do a better pencil-hang, too. I even saw Lauren execute a nearly perfect handstand - until she couldn't hold herself perfectly upright and flopped over. Hopefully it won't be long until she can learn to cover that error and turn it into a walkover or something. And yes, I'm totally bragging on my kid. I'm proud of her! She was giddy when the class was over and had so much fun. I checked in with the new teacher and she said Lauren had fit right in. Lauren heard that and just beamed, and told several people later in the day how happy she was that she "fit in" without giving said people further context about what she meant. It was pretty funny to hear her.

I think if she keeps up her enthusiasm and her teachers/coaches agree, we might need to consider adding additional classes for her this summer. Start giving her more time to practice, learn, and improve. And maybe, just maybe, someday you'll be watching my little gymnast on TV when she ends up "just like those girls" she saw back when she was only 4 years old. A future Olympic gymnast? Why not?!

Aging Ain't For Sissies

2008-04-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

I don't feel old. I don't think I look old. But apparently, I'm getting old. Aging sucks. I like the wisdom and confidence part that comes with getting older, but the actual aging part? Yeah - not so much.

I'm 38. I'm OK with being 38 and saying out loud that I'm 38. People usually don't place my age that high if they didn't know already and had to guess. Most usually would put me 5 years younger than I am. I'll take that compliment, thankyouverymuch. But even at the tender age of just 38, I think I'm starting to experience the first signs of menopause. Gasp! I said it - the M word. Actually, perimenopause is the correct term. The transition time preceding menopause.

My symptoms are very mild still, but yet I've taken notice. Mostly I've noticed that my cycles are becoming shorter. I used to be a textbook 28-29 day cycle. Like clockwork. But over the past 6-12 months they're coming a bit faster than usual. What used to be the first week of the month became the mid-month, then the end of the month, etc. With Mr. Chick having undergone the Big Snip, I'm not really actively tracking such things anymore, but in the back of my head I became aware of this. Also? I'm feeling a bit more tired than usual, yet despite that I'm finding myself waking up at various points during the night. Brief periods of wakefulness in the wee hours. It's like I can't sleep for long stretches of continual hours consistently. I wouldn't say I have insomnia exactly, but I'm just not getting the deep, restful sleep I used to. That's bumming me out.

I don't want to mention my ever-graying hair, but I can't hide from it. I have more gray hair than any of my friends, and any of my sisters when I was their age. I would estimate I am 5%-10% gray if I didn't color it, but it can be hard to tell because I DO color it.

All this points to a changing hormonal balance in the old gal. Great.

But the other thing that freaks me out just a bit about facing my advancing age? Today I had to buy a fiber supplement. Like an old person. On doctors orders. You see, I've been experiencing some rectal trouble, to try to put it delicately, but not of the constipation variety. Something else entirely. Something a little alarming, if I'm being honest. So I made an appointment and saw my doctor today. And had the joy of experiencing Dr. Jellyfinger AND a rectal scope. Fun times! My doctor saw a minor area of concern and said we need to "rest" the area and told me I needed to take the fiber supplement everyday for 2 months to see if things don't improve. Uh-huh. So now when I drink my tea in the afternoon and/or evening, it'll be loaded with added fiber! Bonus! Even though I'm NOT constipated I must take this fiber, for months, just to make sure I crap several times a day without any effort, so my colon can "rest". I don't know - crapping twice+ a day doesn't sound like a lot of rest to me, but whatever. Dr's orders. If after all the extra fiber and rest I'm still having trouble then I get the joy of scheduling a colonoscopy! The fun never ends!

Aging Ain't For Sissies, that's for damn sure!

Biting The Hand That Feeds You

2008-04-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Whew! Sorry for the long absence. Mr. Chick went on a business trip, Nicholas was sick and missed a day of school, followed by a "No School" day, all during said business trip. So I have been up to my eyeballs in entertaining, cooking, cleaning and spending quality time with BOTH KIDS, all by myself, for days. I was just a tad busy. Plus I've been attending thrice-weekly dragonboat practices, which are fun and exhausting. I've been at it for 2 full weeks now (this week = start of week 3) and so far I've been able to also maintain my regular workouts as well. So for the past couple of weeks I've been diligently exercising 4-5 times per week instead of the usual 2-3. So far the scale is not showing any difference, but I still have hope. The reunion is just 5 months away....

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. As you may know, Nicholas is taking ballet classes at a top-notch academy here in town. He takes two classes a week: a co-ed "curriculum" class (pre-ballet), and a boys-only class (mens ballet 1). In the spring the school has a spring recital performance for all the kids. The kids had to sign commitment cards that they would make every effort to attend all their classes to learn and perfect the routine for the performance, and that they would perform at ALL the performances (there are 3 over 1 weekend). Nicholas signed the card, agreeing to work hard for the recital.

I took him to class on Saturday and learned something that I find disturbing. THE SCHOOL IS CHARGING $10 PER PERSON TO COME TO THE RECITAL. EVEN PARENTS. I already pay what feels like a lot of money for Nicholas to take ballet here, but now I have to pay to see what he's learned??! Classes are closed - I am not allowed to watch. I can only peek in the outside windows - from a distance as to not be distracting. But, it's been winter and now spring. In Portland. IT RAINS HERE - A LOT - and I'm not about to stand in the rain to try to see what Nicholas is doing in class when I can't hear anything anyway. Music, instruction, all mute to the outside viewer. And even if we could hear faint strains of the music, it would soon be drowned out by the loud traffic noises coming from the busy street just 20 feet from the window. There is a large intersection there and also a bus stop. And a high school. It's not a quiet, serene location. So no, I haven't spent a lot of time at the outside window, watching. I figured I'd see it all come together at the spring recital.

Only now, the recitals are scheduled for the very same weekend I have my dragonboat races, which means I can't anticipate if I'll even be able to COME to a performance because my schedule is completely dependent on how my team does at each race/heat. It's completely unpredictable. That bummed me out enough, but then to learn they are going to CHARGE ADMISSION to see my own child perform, well, I'm pissed, frankly. We've told grandparents about coming to see Nicholas' recital, not knowing that they'll need to fork over cash to do it. For Mr. Chick, Lauren, and the grandparents to watch Nicholas it will cost $50. If I get to go it's another $10. And it's not like Nicholas is performing a solo. He's part of the class - the GROUP is performing. And it's not swan lake. It's a short little exhibition of the young kids.

I'm feeling like the school is being greedy. Is it just me? I think if it's a question of space and having a limited number of seats available, then they should limit the number of tickets each child gets. need more tickets? Then you gotta pay for them. Or offer additional performances. But to charge us roughly $700/yr for classes, and then charge us even more to SEE our child demonstrate what you've taught him, is ridiculous. I think performing for parents/family should be automatic and INCLUDED. I'm hoping Mr. Chick can videotape the recital in case I'm not able to be there. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if there was a fee to him to do so.

It's only $10/ticket, but this has really left a bad taste in my mouth.

Spring Break Hangover

2008-03-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

All hail the return to school - spring break is over! Hip hip hooray! Actually, I enjoyed spring break this year. I enjoyed hanging with my kids and doing fun things. We didn't travel anywhere (we usually don't - the last time I really traveled for spring break was back in 1992, when I met Mr. Chick), but for what I spent this past week, we could have. Geez!

The week started by hosting a dinner party for 10. Mostly friends from law school. Back in November, when turkeys were cheap, we bought several and have had them in our deep freeze. We decided to invite friends over to help us eat one of those big turkeys, and I ended up hosting a full Thanksgiving dinner all over again. Mr. Chick smoked the turkey all day and I handled the sides: mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, salad, and dessert (bought, not homemade. Hey, a girl needs help sometimes!) Most of the people who came for dinner were singles with dates. They're young and hip, as contrasted to us (old with kids and living in the 'burbs). But I think everyone had a good time. In true old-fogey, 'burb fashion we busted out the games after dinner. Guesstures and Balderdash, baby. Good times!

During the week I took the kids to lunch and OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) with friends, went to lunch and bowling with other friends, took in a matinee of Horton Hears A Who, and hosted yet another (smaller) dinner party. I think we even squeezed in a physical therapy appointment for Nicholas for his tight tendons/muscles from being a toe-walker. Thankfully, my client for whom I do very part-time work (and who is now current with what he owes me - hooray!), was on vacation all week and I didn't have any work to do. I got to play with my kids and go broke doing it. Good times, good times. But trust me, it's nice now that we're back to "normal" and we're back in our usual routine.

Although, the routine is changing starting tonight when I have my first Dragon Boat practice. I'm excited to do this, but not about the weather conditions I'm facing (an hour on the river during sporadic rain, wind and chilling temps. Brrr!!) We'll be practicing 3x/week until early June when the big race weekend takes place. That's a lot of time to be in wet, miserable weather so I made a trip to REI this weekend to pick up some gear. Gloves and neoprene water socks, most specifically. I have a feeling I'll be happy I have them.....

I think our spring break was fun for everyone. Mr. Chick and I are saving our travel time for our 10 year anniversary coming up in about 6 weeks. Right now we're planning what to do for this milestone, and we're considering a night or two at the coast, central Oregon, or maybe even Vegas. Both Mr. Chick and I have been to Vegas several times, but never together. I think it would be a lot of fun, as does he, so that's our first choice if we can make it happen (thank you, tax refund, and/or the stupid George Bush stimulus money).

How was your spring break? Do anything fun or exciting? Or, were you like us and made your own fun at home?

News Of The Weird

2008-03-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

By now this is old news, and it's not even a first, but the pregnant trans-gendered man all over the news is from my state. Thomas Beatie was born female but identifies as a male. S/he underwent a double mastectomy about 10 years ago, started testosterone injections, and legally changed his name and his gender. He is legally male, but kept his/her female reproductive organs. He is also married to a woman, Nancy. Years go by and Thomas and Nancy decide they want to have a child. Nancy had had a hysterectomy, so Thomas stopped taking testosterone and his menstrual cycle returned after a few months. He became pregnant via artificial insemination and is said to be about 5 months along. After the child is born, Thomas will be filling the role of father and Nancy will be the mother.

It seems lots of people are up in arms about this, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps the novelty? A "legal" male giving birth? Is it the legality that's upsetting? Because lesbian couples have children and no one is writing articles about it anymore. And once upon a time, people got all nuts about a baby conceived in a test-tube, and now in-vitro is a fairly common fertility treatment. I'm sure the fervor surrounding this particular situation will die down soon and people will realize that families take on all different dynamics. I'm more "comfortable" (not exactly the right word, but I've only had one cup of coffee this morning - forgive me) with Thomas and Nancy as parents - two loving parents who have a seeming stable relationship in which to raise a child - than with some people who intentionally have a child as a single parent, denying the child - on purpose (I'm not talking about single parents as a result of divorce or death) a father (in most cases). I think we need to cut Thomas a break and try to find the joy and happiness in their situation and family. Weird as it is. Who said weird was bad, anyway? We're ALL weird in some way!

Kiss My Irish A$$ For Luck!

2008-03-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day, laddies! St. Patrick's Day has always been a fun "holiday" for me. As a kid I woke up every St. P's Day to the sounds of really crappy Irish folk music that my parents would play on the stereo LOUDLY. For years they continued this tradition by calling us on the phone, early, to play the music for us. (in fact, I'm sorta waiting to see if they'll call again this year. They've moved and might not have the turntable set up anymore.....) My mom would tint our milk green and we would have corned beef for dinner (I'm NOT a fan of corned beef and haven't chosen to continue THAT tradition as an adult).

So this fine, misty, gray Pacific NW morning (so like Ireland in that respect) I made sure we were all dressed in something appropriately green and Irish. I tinted the kids' milk green at breakfast. I was planning on making green eggs, too, but Mr. Chick, unaware of my plans, started breakfast for the kids with bagels. So, I improvised and tinted the margarine green. I know - ! Gross, but kinda cool. They enjoyed it and seemed blown away that green butter and green milk didn't taste any different than the regular stuff. I made Nicholas' lunch, as usual, but made sure his sandwich was pesto ham (one of the few sandwich choices that he'll eat - pesto. He loves it!), and included a fat green pickle in his lunch, too. I would have tinted his applesauce green but didn't want to open the container and put it in a small tupperware container for fear that it wouldn't make it back home. So, regular applesauce today - bummer.

As for me, I walk around 365 days a year with Irish all over me. Well, maybe not ALL over - just my butt. Yes, my ass is very Irish. You see, when I was a wee 23 I got the notion that it would be cool to get a tattoo. I didn't want anything big or showy. In fact, I didn't want anyone to even know I had a tattoo - unless I chose to tell/show you. So placement was key. Girls from college were getting tats in places like their ankles, or hip bones. I wasn't down with that, thinking ahead in my life to eventual pregnancy. That angelfish tats on your lower abdomen/hip bone would someday turn into a distorted blowfish. No thanks. So I went for upper left butt cheek. Lower than pants/waistline so it wouldn't be seen by random people, even in a swimsuit. But what should the image be? Something personal and timeless. No fads. For me the perfect image was a lucky 4-leaf shamrock leaf. A 4-leaf clover!

Behold: It's about the size of a quarter. It's held up pretty well over the years, considering it's 15 years old already. I figured I had the most control over the size/spread of my ass as the years march on (this picture, taken hastily this morning, makes it look like the tattoo is on my back, but rest assured I had to pull my jeans down a bit to reveal it for the camera. I just didn't want to take a picture of anything else, if you know what I mean, and artfully arranged my Shamrock Run sweatshirt accordingly. When I sit down you can't even see the tattoo - it lives lower than my beltline.)

And so I proudly display my Irishness on this very Irish of days. And I wish you all a very fun and festive St. Patrick's Day. Or, if you celebrated over the weekend like Mr. Chick, I wish you freedom from the hangover by today!

Spring Conferences - Ouch!

2008-03-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

Last night Mr. Chick and I had our spring conference with Nicholas' 1st grade teacher, Mrs. V. Nicholas got off to a rough start in 1st grade, being emotionally young and sensitive as he is, but he has made really great progress as the year has gone on and I've been really happy with how he's been doing. We've always known he's a bright kid, but struggled with his "emotional thin skin", so to speak. Hence the special treatment/program for his spelling test every Friday (he demonstrated some test anxiety going into the spelling tests and would freak the fuck out, which I think surprised the teachers A LOT, so they scaled it back for him from 10 words to just 5 to take the pressure off him a bit. It's working and he's been pulling perfect test scores ever since.) But since we've dealt with that issue and he's doing well (even choosing - himself - to tackle all 10 words for the past 2 weeks and getting them all correct), he's rockin' at school. I anticipated a good report from his teacher at the conference.

And that's what she gave us - about Nicholas. About us, not so much.

Mr. Chick and I are pretty involved parents. We're hands-on. We make sure homework is done, check the work, ensure things that need to go back to school are, in fact, going back, etc. I think the majority of parents do this - in my experience - so it's not unusual. When Mrs. V gave us the report card for Nicholas last night, we were reviewing it and noting that he showed improvement in a few areas that we had specifically focused on (i.e. spelling and handwriting). I was pleased and said so. Mr. Chick was pleased, too. But this grading system is new for the school and new for us, as parents with a 1st grader. There are two ways to assign a "grade" on this report card. Numerically (1-4) and with symbols (O,-,+,*) We've loosely associated them against the A,B,C,D scale since that's how the explanations of the grading system seems to lend itself. Nicholas pulled nearly all 3's and +'s, with a few 2's and -'s scattered about. We're thinking he's doing well and getting mostly B's. So we ask some questions. Mr. Chick wants to know how he's doing compared to the other kids in his class. Oh boy - that did it. I think it's a valid question - how is my kid doing relative to the others? Is he tracking normally? Falling behind? Essentially, it's hard to know what these grades mean in a vacuum - how do his grades stack up? Are there places he needs additional support from us at home? Are a bunch of kids getting 4's and *'s while our kid is struggling with 3's? THAT'S what we meant with the question.

Mrs. V thought otherwise.

She called us to the mat and expressed her concern that we're putting too much undo pressure on Nicholas. That we need to back off a bit. That given his sensitive nature, and his desire to please, we need to give him more space and just be happy with how he's performed.

We felt slapped.

She cited an example that happened in the fall before the first grades came out - months ago - when Mr. Chick had told Nicholas on the morning of a spelling test that if he got all of them correct (and based on all the drills and practicing we'd done all week long, he knew the words cold and should have blew through the test with no sweat) we would go out for ice cream that night to celebrate. Bad move. Nicholas freaked out during the test, got confused, couldn't remember how to spell a word, and started bawling and carrying on. It ruined the rest of his day because now it meant he wouldn't get to go out for ice cream that night. Yeah, bad call on our part and we haven't repeated it, but it wasn't meant to put pressure on Nicholas but to inspire him. We didn't know he'd react that way - maybe we should have. But we've learned not to do that again, and we haven't. I think you try different things as a parent in your quest to help your kid and do what works. So it WAS a mistake on our part, but an honest one. Anyway, she brought it up to us again as an example of how we maybe put too much pressure on Nicholas. She said that he's doing VERY well and we should be happy with it. That most parents would kill for a report card like this. That it's nearly impossible to get 4's and *'s, so really, he's at the top of his game. WHY couldn't you just say that in the first place? The part about hardly ANYONE scoring a 4 or a *, so we'd have an idea of just HOW WELL he really is doing? Without the blame and accusations.

I actually was impressed that Mrs. V had the balls to say something to us if she really was concerned. She comes across as very quiet when dealing with parents. So from that standpoint, I respect her for it. Mr. Chick does, too, but her comments were directed more at him than at me so he feels more stung by them. He KNOWS he intense sometimes, but he's been trying so hard so deal more sensitively with Nicholas - something we both struggle with sometimes because Nicholas' nature is just so different from our own. I think that Mr. Chick and I are doing a great job with him, actually. The proof is in the pudding, as they say. His report card is stellar. He's one of the top readers in 1st grade and pulling top marks in math, too. His writing is improving. He's happy. He's well-liked. He's involved in a couple of fun extra-curricular activities (ballet, Mad Science, soccer). He's showing signs of improved emotional maturity - he's coping better, freaking out a LOT less, and "recovering" quicker when he does. I think we're in a very good place with Nicholas and I'm very proud of him and all his hard work. And I tell him that FREQUENTLY. Mostly, I'm thrilled to hear him say he's proud of HIMSELF. That's where it should ultimately come from - himself. Mr. Chick and I do have high expectations of our kids where school is concerned. I think it's OK to set the bar high - most kids will rise to the level. We're trying to instill the knowledge that school is important and we expect the kid to try their best. That they need to work hard at school. The social stuff is critical, too, of course, as is the emotional side of a child. We're addressing all of that. Knowing how bright Nicholas is, we expect him to be a solid student. I don't think that's unreasonable. It's how we motivate him that matters, and we've learned a lot this year as parents on the best way to do that for Nicholas.

But still - being reprimanded on our parenting by the teacher took me back to being a kid again and feeling like I got in trouble. Something that almost never happened - I was a "pleaser", too, like Nicholas. I felt ashamed.

Mr. Chick and I talked about it when we got home. It was uncomfortable for both of us and we felt defensive. Still do. But it made us both reflect on our own progress this year as parents and we both feel really good about our own report card. We like that his teacher is an advocate for him, too, and is looking out for him as a "whole child", not just from a school/academic side. So all in all, it was an enlightening, educational conference. Nicholas is kicking ass and taking names. I couldn't be more proud of him.

And us as parents? There is always room for improvement, but I think we're kicking ass, too. I would totally give us 3's and +'s on our report card.

Has anyone else had their parenting called into question from a teacher? Is it just us? What about expectations and academic achievement? How do you handle that and where do you set the bar? I'd love to hear from you on this!

Sisterly Pride

2008-03-13T11:40:00.001-07:00

I'm so proud of my sister I could burst! You see, she was just accepted into a very prestigious school for a dual masters degree program. In June of 2010 - just two years from now - she'll graduate from M.I.T. with a masters degree in mechanical engineering AND an MBA. And guess how much she'll have paid in tuition? Go on - guess. (playing the theme song to Jeopardy! in my head...) If you guessed anything above $0 you'd have guessed too high. That's right, my friends, her program is a corporate-sponsored program which covers her tuition in full. She'll be responsible only for her living expenses for those two years. How amazing is that??!! Just brilliant! So now my smarty-pants sister will be quitting her manager job at Intel, making arrangements for her house (aka finding renters), figuring out what to do with all her stuff (sell it? Move it back east to Massachusettes? Rent the house furnished? Put it in storage? I told her I would "store" her dining room furniture for her - it's pretty and I don't have a decent set, as I've already lamented about before. Plus, she stored my hand-me-down living room couches for me while Mr. Chick was in law school - nearly 4 yrs! It's the least I could do...) and getting ready to be a student again.

My sister is living proof that sometimes you just need to roll the dice and take a chance on that brass ring. Sometimes you get it even when it's a long shot. Sometimes dreams do come true. Right now I'm just basking in sisterly pride for her. I'll miss her while she's gone and hope her future career brings her back home. But I'm just so happy for her and this next fun chapter in her life. Who knows what her future holds? Good things, I predict. Only good things.

Newest Creation

2008-03-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

I finally finished it - the sweater I knit for myself. I was so excited about it, but now that it's done, not so much. It's oookkkkaayyyy. I like the color and I like the style, but the fitted part didn't turn out quite as fitted as I was led to believe it would. I followed the directions to a T, but still - it's a little bulkier (wider) at the bustline than I wanted. I might do some additional adjusting to improve the fit.

This sweater is seamless and was done on circular and double-point needles. That's what I like about it. It was SO EASY to do - just time consuming. It takes a lot longer to knit something for a grown-up than for a baby or child! I like the detail at the arms with the peek-a-boo stitches, and I added a little crochet trim along the neckline and cuffs for detail. But I'm frustrated at the way it's fitting a little sloppy under the arms! To fix it I would have to add seams, something that's NOT there already. Grrr! Does anybody have a suggestion or two for how I might do this well? The sweater looks OK on - really - but it's supposed to be a snugger, more figure-flattering fit. It's a cotton yarn and it drapes well, which is good, but I'm thinking I want to take it in a bit along the sides to improve the contouring. Thoughts?

My Heart

2008-03-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

...melted just a little when I saw Mr. Chick and Lauren crashed on the couch together. Lauren had been sick and was running a fever and had gotten out of bed to come find us. She just wanted to be held and comforted, feeling as crappy as she did. Mr. Chick let her snuggle right up with him, giving me a small break from having her sickness all over me the way it had been for most of that day. I think it might have been the hour, combined with having such a warm (hot), pliable body curled up next to (on) him, that Mr. Chick fell asleep - maybe even before Lauren did.

Can you see how Lauren's eyelids look purple? No, that's not eyeshadow. It's illness. And how there are bright spots of pink blooming on her cheeks? Yep - fever. She got it bad. But the detail of this picture that I'm so happy to have captured is the way Lauren is clutching her blankie. Can you see that little corner she's holding in her hand? That's what she calls her "spot", and it's a very particular corner of her blankie. She will hold that spot in her hand, just as you see her doing here in her sleep, and stroke it on her lips. She's brush her lips, back and forth, up and down, with that corner spot. It's what feels good to her. A big ol blankie and she reduces it down to a tiny spot. Which, I'm sad to say, has started to literally unravel in the past week or so. It can't be fixed - I've tried. It's a hand-knit blanket, loved very well.

Thankfully, Lauren feels better now. The fever is long gone, but the clingy-ness remains. She's very eager to sit on my lap, pretty much all day. She wants me to carry her as much as possible. She doesn't sit NEXT to me on the couch, she sits ON me. It's like she wants to crawl inside my skin and take up residence there for awhile. And I must admit to indulging her just a bit because she's getting so big and won't fit on me for much longer. And she's just such a charmer it's hard to say no. So for now you'll see me with my newest accessory: Lauren. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Religion Poll

2008-02-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

Over the past couple of days my local newspaper, The Oregonian, has published the findings from one or two religious polls taken recently. In today's paper was a small summary of where Oregonians fall within the larger poll.

In a nutshell:

The Winner: the unaffiliated. 16.1% of those surveyed say they are not affiliated with any religion, more than double the number who say they grew up in an unaffiliated household. (in other words, people are "quitting" the religion of their childhoods.) This group includes atheist (1.6%), agnostic (2.4%) and what the survey called "nothing in particular" (12.1%, although 5.8% say religion is important to them.) 25% of those ages 18-29 are unaffiliated.

The Non-Winner: the Catholic Church. More people leave Catholicism as they age than any other major religion, with one-third of those raised Catholic no longer being Catholic. While the overall percentage of Catholics held steady (25%), that was because of the large number of Catholic immigrants (1 in 3 US Catholics are Latino, as are 45% of Catholics under 30).

The Aging: Protestant denominations. 6 in 10 age 70 and older are Protestant, but that falls to 4 in 10 for those 18-29.

I find this so interesting!! See, these numbers reflect me personally. I was raised in a Catholic family, but no longer consider myself Catholic. AND, as an added bonus, I would say I now fall squarely into "unaffiliated", going so far as to say the term agnostic applies to me. It seems I am not alone.

I feel sort of bad about pulling away from that common thread of Catholicism with my family. We went to church pretty much every Sunday when I was a kid. I hated it, of course, but had to go. I pretty much just went to see who else I knew was there. I people watched. I checked out what people were wearing. I looked forward to the donuts afterward. I didn't listen to the sermon, or sing the songs, or anything. I never felt comfortable in church. Not ever. So when I was a grown up, do you think I continued attending services voluntarily? HELL NO. But, to keep the peace with the family I got married in the Catholic church, minus the communion part. Mr. Chick didn't grow up with religion and we didn't want to highlight that fact by offering communion. Plus, that just made the ceremony longer. And, we had the kids baptized. Which I think is total bullshit, but it couldn't hurt, right?

I think I declared my independence (freedom?) from religion and church in general when we didn't go to Mass on Christmas Eve. That raised a few eyebrows in my family. But I stuck to my guns, said we would just meet everyone for dinner after they got back from church, and didn't elaborate further about how I felt that attending services is a slow form of torture for me. How it makes me feel very hypocritical to go. How I struggle to understand how seemingly bright, educated, intelligent people can really believe that a supposed virgin had a divine child, celebrated in December when it's unclear if that is even the "real" birthday of Jesus (many speculate he was actually born in the summer months, but when the church was sweeping across the lands, forcing conversion, they made a few changes to better accommodate the pagens and help make their conversion easier by better matching up ceremonies, etc.). I don't buy it. Not one little bit. So going to church is clearly out of the question for me.

I prefer to tell my kids that Jesus was a very good, important man in history and Christmas is about celebrating his birthday. More of a footnote to the much more exciting elements of Christmas, like Santa. And really, the connection between celebrating Jesus' birthday and Santa never made sense to me. I like Santa better. And I'll do the same with Easter. We'll leave the religion out of it and focus on celebrating spring. Easter eggs and the Easter bunny. The fun stuff. Not the bit about celebrating that a guy dead 3 days and left in a cave suddenly came to life again and rose to heaven. No, not that. Anything but that. I have more chance of believing there really is an Easter bunny, Santa Claus, and a tooth fairy than that. The Bible reads like fictional mythology to me (not that I've ever read the whole bible - full disclosure. I attempted it once but didn't get far. But I heard the various readings during years of forced church attendance to have gotten a good taste of it, when I paid attention or was bored enough to read ahead in the missle.) Good stories and valuable lessons, but not fact.

Somehow my personal evolution (de-volution?) where religion is concerned has happened in the past few years. Slowly but surely I started really thinking about it (having kids will do this to you) and further solidified my take on it. It hasn't been easy "admitting" to this position since it so obviously goes against the grain - not only of my family (who are not fanatical Catholics, just your garden-variety, go to church on Sunday types) but of the American society at large. Not being Christian is like a fish swimming upstream. But if I'm being truly honest with myself, I'm not Catholic and I'm not even generic Christian. I'm not Jewish. I'm nothing when it comes to religion. Unaffiliated. And since I can't even say whether I believe there is a god or not, I'm even further astray by flirting with agnostic or even atheist. Can someone believe in Mother Nature? In science? That all life on this planet evolved from the primordial soup, and will continue to change and evolve long after we're gone? That when we die, we just die? We don't "go" anywhere for judgment? Oh, the horror - ! What I wish is that there didn't need to be a label for your personal views and beliefs. Why do I have to fall within one camp or the other? I know that this is a very unpopular view/stance to take. To not affiliate, even in title only, with a religion can mean isolation from the larger group. But I think it's more important to be true to yourself than to profess beliefs that you aren't completely down with, just to fit in to the larger group and feel "connected" that way.

I don't begrudge others their views and beliefs. You believe in god? Good for you! I'm glad you find happiness there. We can still be friends. Our kids can play together and we can all be cool. I don't discuss my non-beliefs with my friends - at least, I don't bring it up. If someone asked me, I would share my thoughts. But I'm not out to convert or convince others to think the way I do. To each their own. I hope we can all still play nicely in the sandbox together, even though I'm not religious and you might be. If these polls and surveys are to be trusted, I am not alone and I'm part of a growing group. I do take some satisfaction in that.

Obsessive?

2008-02-25T08:57:00.001-08:00

I can't explain it. There's no rational logic behind it. It's silly and a time waster. But I just.can't.stop! What is it, you ask? Something important? Something ultimately productive? Oh no no no. It's craigslist. I'm addicted and I just can't stop browsing every.damn.day.

Specifically, I'm scouring the listings in my area for dining room furniture. Silly, right? But I can't help myself. I've always loved dining rooms. I think it goes back to my parents dining room - I loved it. It was formal and pretty and special. It represented occasions. Holidays. Good times. Events involving gifts, usually. I always told my mom I wanted her dining room when she died (nice, huh?). Well, my love affair with the dining room continues to this day.
I have a "formal" dining room in my house. It's a small-ish space that can't accommodate a large table and hutch. Which is good, really, when you think about it, because a formal dining room simply isn't used very often. At least not in our house - we have a more "casual" eating space off the kitchen we use for daily meals. At yet, my longing for a nice, formal dining room persists. That's where craigslist comes into play. I check the listing for "used" dining room furniture to see if I can find something that would fit my space, appeal to me personally, and not cost much. There is a definite disconnect between what I like and what I can afford. And I'm finding that the dining room styles I'm initially drawn to aren't the ones that would work well in my space.

Back before kids, Mr. Chick and I found a china hutch at an estate sale. They were asking something like $500 for it but it was late in the day on the first day of the sale. All items were being reduced 50% the next day. So we put in a bid/offer on the hutch for $300 - just slightly more than the 50% off price to increase our chances of getting the hutch. It worked - we got it. I really wanted something to put our fine china and crystal in, so this was a good thing for us to get (see, the china, silver and crystal go hand-in-hand with my love of dining rooms. I love all that stuff!) The hutch we bought wasn't "fussy" - it was an oak buffet/hutch - 2 piece unit - with leaded glass doors. It can hold a lot of stuff! I don't love oak, but our house at the time had a lot of oak accents, so it worked. It was supposed to be a "placeholder" until we eventually got a complete dining room set.

Fast-forward nearly 10 years. We've moved a couple of times, had a couple of kids, but still have that hutch. And it "works" in this house we have now because, like before, it has a lot of "honey oak" accents (all kitchen cabinets, moldings, doors, etc.) It's the perfect size for our dining room. And the style is about right, too, because our house has a more contemporary feel than traditional, and that hutch isn't a formal, traditional style hutch. BUT, when I look at dining room furniture I'm drawn to the more traditional styles. Queen Anne, Duncan Phyfe, cherry wood, etc. What we should get in the long run, if I'm being practical, is an oak table and chair set to match the hutch and the style of the home (late-70's / early 80's contemporary with vaulted ceilings and sunken living rooms). But finding something like THAT is harder to do than you might think. Most of the oak tables are round/oval claw foot styles. That isn't what I want - I don't want antique like that. Or, the oak tables are cheesy with castered, rolling upholstered chairs. High on ick factor. I like a cleaner, timeless look. Chairs and tables without a lot of unnecessary embellishments and carvings and such. I'm not wild about rush seats or caned backs. I like the lighter wood tables, which are easier to find, but fear they wouldn't match up well with the medium golden oak of the hutch. And I want at least 6 chairs, not 4. 8 would be great, but I don't have the space for 8. But I'd like a leaf or two for the table so we could expand it when we entertain at the holidays. See? A conundrum. And so I look - everyday - obsessively. Which is just so damn SILLY of me because it's the LAST thing I should be spending money on. Even just a few hundred dollars. We should be saving it, or investing it, or ear-marking it for a 10-year anniversary getaway. Anything but a frivolous dining room set. But I.can't.stop.looking!! I seriously need help.

Does anyone else find themselves coveting something very unnecessary but can't stop despite their better judgment? Is it just me?

House of Sick

2008-02-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

Now with more fever! Last week it was Nicholas who was down for the count, missing the first 3 days of school to stay in bed with a fever and feel miserable. Lauren teased us with a day or so of slight fever, but seemed to rebound quickly, never really getting too slammed by it. So we went to play at my parents lake house over the weekend with some friends. Good fun, except for the brief period in the middle of the night when their middle kid woke up all hot and feverish. Seemed to be but a blip and he was right as rain the next morning. No worries. And the first part of this week was relatively normal. Sure, a few runny noses, etc., but nothing alarming. Clear snot does not alarm me.

On Tuesday morning Lauren's preschool teacher called me (ME! I got the call!) to come help in the classroom that morning because she had hurt her knee and couldn't walk. OK! I'd LOVE to help out! I was eager-beaver about it and looked forward to spending the morning with Lauren at preschool. To get to observe her in her "natural environment", so to speak. Oh my, but the range of kids in that class - ! All levels of ability, behavior, and colors of snot in their noses. I mean really - colored snot = stay home! I think I personally wiped a dozen noses and went through at least 1/2 a bottle of sanitizing gel. So it was no surprise to me when Lauren asked to snuggle with me the next afternoon (Wed) and promptly fell asleep only to wake up really hot. Fever hot. Bright blooms of pink flushing her cheeks. Cccrrraaaappppp! Lauren does NOT nap - ever - so that my first big clue that she was coming down with something. Waking up with a hot fever only confirmed what I already knew was coming. So she was home with me all day yesterday, had a rough night of frequent wakings last night, and continues to be hot today, albeit not quite as hot (just 100.4 vs. 102.something). She wants to be ON me - a LOT - which I'm happy to allow when she's sick. Except that it means nothing else gets done. The house is a wreck and we have a friend coming over for dinner. The fridge is bare and I MUST go to the store in order to feed said friend. Nevermind ourselves. But I hate dragging a sick child out and about. She's a trouper and all, but still - it has to suck when you want to be snuggled in your bed watching Clifford videos and your mom makes you put on clothes, sit in cold car all the way to the store, and then ride around in the cart because you mom says she can't carry you (all 44 lbs of you!) and shop at the same time. Being sick sucks, and being the mom of a sick kid sucks, too. It's the house of sick suckage. Not to mention that I'm extremely tired. Sleeping with a hot, sick child does not allow for much restful sleep. Every time she stirs, she wakes, which is frequent. If she feels too hot, I'm on alert watching her and have had to do fever-reducing stuff in the middle of the night, which leads to tears (hers and almost mine). There is bed hopping involved. I slept in HER bed - a twin - WITH HER - last night from about 4:45am until 7am to spare Mr. Chick the constant restlessness that was going on in our bed. (aka: "I want to sleep next to Daddy." A few hours go by, then we're awakened to her climbing over Daddy claiming, "I want to sleep in the middle", followed yet again by "I wanna sleep next to you, Mama". sigh. It gets exhausting) So now I have this dull throbbing ache in my head, my eyes feel gritty, I'm feeling a bit short-tempered, and I have to get ready to shop, clean and cook today. And oh yeah, be a human Kleenex and lovey to my sick daughter. No problem! Lauren, on the other hand, besides still running a low-grade fever, is on the mend and fairly chipper. The tide has turned, but now *I* need to recover!

Ok, thanks for letting me vent. I'm just hoping I don't catch it because Sunday is the Oscars and that means I'm getting together with some girlfriends for our annual Oscar party (I'm not hosting this year, thank god) and some time away from the kids. I haven't done any "research" yet, but I'm hoping that this year will be MY year for winning the ballot competition we do. Oh yeah!

Valentine's Baby

2008-02-14T13:58:00.000-08:00

I'm not very big on Valentine's Day. Or any other "made up" holidays. Mr. Chick sees to it that I'm well-aware of his feelings for me on a regular basis, so I don't need a certain day to make sure that happens. It happens all year long. A lot. I'm a lucky girl.

But it IS Valentine's Day, after all, and I AM a lucky girl. And it's been a long week chock-full of sick kids. Nicholas missed 3 days of school this week and stayed home with a fever. He was very, very worried he'd miss school today and the Valentine's Day class party. He'd worked hard writing out his valentines - all 28 of them - and then he got sick. Mama to the rescue: I inserted all the stickers that came with the Harry Potter valentines into the pre-perforated (at least, most of them were...) slots and taped on the heart-shaped chocolate treat to each of the cards. He was ready. And when I was taking his temperature this morning it was to the background chanting of Nicholas' desperate plea: "PLEASE be under 100 degrees so I can go to school! PLEASE be under 100 degrees so I can go to school!" And it was! And he did! Which left me with just Lauren today, who seems to have the same fever Nicholas just had, plus a lovely cough to go along with it. No valentine's day class party for this preschooler. We dropped off her valentines cards instead, which she also filled out herself. Later we picked up the ones given to her by her classmates, which she is gleefully going through this very minute.

In between the valentines drop off and pick up at the preschool, Lauren and I ventured downtown to see Daddy. A surprise - he wasn't expecting us. I had a card for Mr. Chick and had Lauren deliver it to his office while I waited outside the door. It was an invitation to lunch. He loved that we came to see him. We had a quickie lunch together - the three of us - which was nice. And cool that it was just with Lauren, for she is our valentines day baby. Conceived, not delivered (Nov. 8th - you do the math). I don't think Mr. Chick even remembers this little detail, but I do. So sitting there at lunch with my husband and daughter was a nice way to spend the afternoon. He got lunch with his girls, Lauren got some unusual one-on-one time with her parents - no brother in sight - and I got to remember how this man and I made this precious girl 5 years ago on this day. Cheesy, I know, but nice nonetheless.

And as a total sidenote: I've re-entered the 21st century and finally got a cell phone again. Yes, I was THAT person who didn't have a cell phone. We got rid of them when Mr. Chick went to law school and were in no hurry to get one again. We were out of the habit of having one, and didn't relish the expense when it wasn't really necessary. But, the kids are both in school and have more activities, and I'm working. So having a cell phone makes more sense now, and I can have my home phone and business phone forwarded to my cell phone when I'm out and about. Plus, it came with free Bluetooth, which the ONLY way I'll even CONSIDER taking a phone call while I'm driving. Cell phones in cars are dangerous and I'm not down with that. In fact, my phone rang today on the way to see Mr. Chick and even with the Bluetooth I could tell that I was distracted. I had to pull over to finish my conversation - it made me too nervous. We'll see if I keep the phone - I have one more week to decide risk-free. I know many people can't understand not having a cell, but for me, it's hard to justify the expense. I don't like talking on the phone in public - rude, mostly - and don't like talking while driving. So it's more for emergencies, I guess, but even then, is it worth $40/mo?? Still trying to weigh the pro and cons.

Wonders Never Cease

2008-02-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

No, that's not an altered picture: Lauren really DOES have pigtails in her hair! I KNOW! Amazing. So amazing, in fact, that I had to be an utter dork and take her picture just to prove it. It only took two cookies to bribe her into letting me do this (one for each pigtail). A ploy I've tried before but failed every time. Maybe these cookies were extra good? Regardless, I seized my chance and ran with it, baby.

What's better? SHE KEPT THEM IN MOST OF THE DAY! Through preschool and gymnastics. Even at home. My daughter, who has shunned all manner of hair clips or bands for nearly two years now, willingly kept pigtails in her hair. The next thing you know she's going to be asking for vegetables or chicken for dinner. I don't think my frail mother's heart could take it.

Next time we'll set the alarm

2008-01-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

There is nothing quite like the delicious feeling of waking up slowly in the warm, cozy comfort of your bed to the soft, filtered light of morning, feeling very rested and ready to tackle the day. Feeling like you slept well.

And then noticing the clock says it's already 8am and it's a school day and your kid has already missed the bus.

So much for Nicholas and Lauren ALWAYS, without fail, waking up at 7am, no matter what. Welcome to my day.

Whistleblower

2008-01-28T16:11:00.001-08:00

So you may remember my post about my sketchy neighbor with the criminal history? The one who has, at last count, between 5-8 cars/vans/truck cluttering up their garage, driveway, and curb? Real beater, junky cars - unsightly to say the least. Well, Mr. Chick researched our city's ordinances and found the applicable municipal code pertaining to parked cars. Apparently people within the city limits can't park cars (storage on the street) for more than 72 hours. If convicted it's a $500 fine, per citation. These people park at least one car, pretty much permanently, on the city street.

As do the people directly across from me. You might remember them, too. They're the ones who called the school bus company to complain when Nicholas' kindergarten bus driver would occasionally beep the horn as they stopped at our house. You know, as a courtesy to let me know they were there. A friendly little "beep beep" from time to time as they arrived. And yet, she complained. She also complained about the smoke coming from our chimney when we burned a fire in our fireplace literally smoking them out of their house. Anyway, I'm not a huge fan of hers, but her husband? He's a nice enough guy. However, there are 4 cars and one boat between just the two of them. They keep them in meticulous condition, but the cars they rarely use (a minivan and a pickup truck) are parked permanently in front of their house, directly opposite my driveway. Which means it can be tricky for me to back out of my own driveway for fear that I might hit one of their cars. They keep her car in the garage, so nothing usually gets parked in their driveway so she can have full access to the garage as she comes and goes each day. All they need to do is park their "daily use" cars on the street and the cars they rarely use in the garage/driveway and it's no problem. Less convenient, yes, but not in violation of the city municipal code.

So I blew the whistle and called to complain about all the permanently parked cars on my street. It's a hazard! If/when the kids go out to play, other cars can't always see them because of the parked cars obstructing their view. It makes me very nervous, especially since Nicholas likes to ride his bike. And the sketchy people 2 doors down? Sometimes they have so many cars stacked in their driveway that they extend out into the sidewalk as it crosses their driveway, making it hard for people to walk or kids to ride bikes without going into the street.

The city responded immediately! Like, within an hour the lady I spoke with on the phone was there, issuing warnings on the parked cars. Amazing! And, even better, she told me she checked the tags on the cars stacked in sketchy neighbors driveway and they're all expired. That means they're now "junk" and there is a code violation there as well. The lady is all over it! She's going to hit them with the parked car on the street violation first (and really, where can they put it? Their driveway and garage are already full of cars, and if they don't drive the car regularly it's still a violation. Just moving it to a new parking spot isn't good enough, apparently. She checks mileage. I love this lady.). After the parking issue she's going to warn them about the "junk/debris" violation. Hopefully they'll clean up their act and put the cars into storage somewhere or get rid of them.

But for everything good there has to be a downside, right? In this case it's the neighbors across the street from me. As I said, I like these people. I don't like their cars cluttering the street, true, but I like them. However, when I call to complain about sketchy neighbor, their cars get tagged, too. I can't simply cherry-pick which neighbors to complain about if the violation applies elsewhere.

Nor could I remain anonymous - someone who receives a warning could call and find out who complained. The lady across the street is just the sort to call.

So on Mr. Chick's advice I went over - before the city arrived with their warning notices - to give them a heads-up and let them know that I'd called to complain about sketchy neighbors, not them, but that their cars might get tagged, too - just a heads-up. I didn't want them to think that I'd called to complain about them specifically.

I think I pissed him off.

He let me know that having to rotate the cars and keep the overflow vehicles parked on their driveway instead of the street is a real inconvenience. Blah blah blah. I feel bad, but not bad enough to put up with sketchy neighbor and his car junkyard (aka driveway), and really, he IS in violation. His problem, not mine. But still - I feel bad about him getting warned, too.

I've already let the other neighbors who have expressed concern and dismay about sketchy neighbor and the car situation (and, if I'm being honest, they usually include across the street neighbor when they're discussing all the parked cars on the street and how it sucks.) know who to contact at the city to register a complaint. The more people who call, the more the city will stay on top of it.

I hope they do and we get several other households to be whistleblowers, not just me. I don't like feeling like the resident bitch of the street when I'm not the only one who doesn't like it.

Please don't let any disgruntled neighbor retaliate!

Star Struck

2008-01-26T10:14:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I was invited to attend an awards luncheon with the web design company who I'll be working with doing some part-time project management and marketing communications work. They were finalists for Business Of The Year from the Better Business Bureau in our area, and they asked me to be at their table during the event. It was a huge honor for them to be nominated, and I was flattered to be included.

The keynote speaker for the event was Bill Rancic. Anyone recognize that name? Any Apprentice fans out there? Bill Rancic was the Season 1 winner of The Apprentice and went to work for Donald Trump following his victory. He recently got married to Giuliana DePandi, who does E! News and various red carpet stuff for E! Entertainment. Anyway, he's an entrepreneur first and foremost, and it was in that vein that he directed his speech to the audience at this event.

I have to admit to being a little star struck. I watched him on the Apprentice and he was my favorite to win the whole time. I think he's very handsome and smart, and that's definitely my type. His talk was very interesting to hear as it was essentially the story of his career through winning The Apprentice. How he was successful in business from a young age (he started a business - a cigar-of-the-month type of thing - with a friend/partner when he was just 23. It's now publicly traded and worth many millions. He's on the Board of that company still. Anyway, as someone who has always had an interest in business (hey! my degree is in business administration - marketing and management, baby!) I listened with rapt attention. I have always flirted with starting my own business. I have an idea of what I'd like to do business-wise, but can't quite convince myself it's a viable-enough money maker to take the risk.

That's what separates me from successful entrepreneurs: FEAR.

Bill (yes, we're on a first-name basis now. Shut up.) talked about this. He made some comparisons between various captains of industry, and they all share a few similar traits. One is a willing to take the risk. In other words, not letting fear of failure stop them. Fear of failure is totally stopping me. I'm too risk-adverse, at least, at this point in my life I am. Perhaps down the road....

After the awards luncheon my hosts were eager to meet Bill and shake his hand. Get a picture with him, etc, which they did. He was very generous with his time and interested in speaking with them about their business. He specifically asked them for a business card because he's currently having a little trouble with a website and said he might give them a call for their help. How cool would THAT be? I wasted no time in telling my host/client/employer I'd be MORE than happy to be the project manager on that account! Ain't gonna happen, but it would be sweet if it did. :)

I totally wimped out and didn't introduce myself to Bill. I hovered in the background like a lame groupie (along with quite a few other lame groupies - I was not alone), but never had the balls to approach him and shake his hand. I always feel like the famous/semi-famous people must get so SICK of that routine that I wanted to stand out by NOT doing it. Not that he noticed me, but still - I didn't want to appear lame and star-struck, as I clearly was. God, I suck sometimes! I missed my opportunity, but that's OK. I was happy to admire him from afar and prevent myself from morphing into a babbling pile of incoherent mush in his presence.

But if he calls the web company and tosses some business our way, you can be sure I'll find a way to speak to him on the phone! That's a promise!

From The Mouths Of Babes

2008-01-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

What Lauren asked me as I was making dinner last night:

"Mama, is Santa as fat as Grandma?"

Good thing my mother wasn't there to hear her! Yes, my mother is fat. Not just "big", but downright fat. Obese, even. She's battled her weight her whole life, it's seemed to me, but never with much success. She's in total denial about just how much or how badly she really eats. She goes out for a lot of meals. She's doesn't really exercise much. She walks from time to time, but doesn't like to break a sweat. She's strong and has endurance to spare, but she's fat. She's reached a point where she seems to sort of embrace the whole fat image, saying things like, "I can't get up from this couch easily - I'm too fat!" and laughing at herself. In a way, she's made peace with being heavy. She could stand to lose 100+ pounds, and I worry about that. If it wouldn't offend her terribly I'd submit her as a candidate for The Biggest Loser. She's mostly-retired and could easily be gone from her normal life for a few months. She clearly can't do it on her own and would need something like that to get the weight off. I fear she'll end up taking the easy route and get gastric by-pass surgery or something. Which is serious business. But she's a nurse and a fan of all things medical, so I wouldn't put it past her.

I think my mom's weight is part of my motivation to exercise regularly and eat well. I fear ending up fat like her and have resolved not to. I'm down 15 lbs in 2007, want to lose 15 more before my 20th high school reunion this fall (which would put me at right about my high school weight - yay!) and I'm comfortably wearing size 10 pants and medium tops. I'm content with my size - it's not gnawing at me. I think I look pretty good, actually. Healthy, shapely and strong. But my reunion is motivating me to drop a few more and look damn good when everyone sees me again after 20 years!

Just Because

2008-01-23T09:24:00.001-08:00

For no other reason than I love this man. He is kind and funny and a great husband to me and a fantastic father to the kids. He takes good care of us, and I try to do the same for him. We're good together, y'know? It's rare I like any photograph of me, but I thought this one was cute of the two of us, taken this past weekend at my father-in-law's 60th birthday bash (even though Mr. Chick's eyes are a little squinty and he looks like he's stoned, which he was not).

Lovin' you, Babe!

If A Door Closes, A Window May Be Opening

2008-01-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

A quick update about my job: I'm on a temporary (?) hiatus until the guy I've been working for can pay me what he owes me. I asked him to pay me before Christmas, and he was able to get me a check for my October (that's right, OCTOBER) wages right before the holiday. I called the bank to verify funds (he bounced a couple of checks to the web designers, if you recall, and I thought it might be prudent to verify the check would clear) and the bank told me the weren't sufficient funds. Great. So I called my client to tell him and he assured me that he had just made an ATM deposit that likely wasn't being reflected by the bank yet and that my check was good. So I deposited it based on his assurances. It took about a week, but then it came: the notice from my bank that the check bounced and I was assessed a $15 fee. As a result, a big check I had written to my credit card wasn't fully covered and my credit line was tapped (I pay off my credit card in full each month and I don't carry a balance on my credit line - it's just there to protect against just this sort of situation). Of course I called my client again to inform him. He told me he was meeting with his bank to clear things up. Whatever. After the meeting a few days later he told me he would be able to send me a check for a little less than the full amount for October, and the following week another check of the same amount would be sent, which would then cover October and some of November. I got the first check and again called to verify funds and yep, you guessed it, the bank said the check wouldn't clear. At this point I've about had it. I called my client to share this bit of information and he was quite snippy when he said that the check would be covered by his credit line and to go ahead and deposit it - it's good. Not trusting him, I drove all the way to his bank - quite a distance, actually - so I could cash the damn thing. I got to the bank and presented the check for cashing and YET AGAIN they tell me there are insufficient funds and they can't cash the check for me. Not even from his credit line. Now I'm pissed. I call my client from the bank and he acts pissed and asks to speak to the manager. They talk and she agrees to cash the check for me. The teller and the manager are all giving me signals that this is typical for this account. I'm encouraged to require cashiers checks for my payments from him. By this point I'd already sent him an email informing him that I would prefer cashiers checks at this point and that I would no longer accrue hours on his behalf until I could be brought current. He owes me just over $2k. After I was able to cash the first check that total is now down to just over $1500. Remember he said I'd get two checks, one right away and the other the following week? Well, the "following week" was this week - it's Friday and I have no check. It's total bullshit. Mr. Chick, my in-house attorney, is ready to file suit suing him for the money he owes me. I'm not quite ready for that step yet, but I'm certainly no longer working for him until I'm paid in full.

In the meantime, the web designers I worked with and who hired me for a small freelance writing job have invited me for a lunch meeting so we can "chat" today. They're so cool they've even specifically told me I could bring Lauren along. I'm very curious about what they want to chat about. I'm hoping it's more part-time freelancing type projects. After we made the lunch date they called me to invite me to another event - they're finalists as Business Of The Year and the award presentation is happening next week at a luncheon in downtown Portland. Bill Rancic - the first Apprentice from Trump's show - is the keynote speaker. I was invited to join the web designers at their table at this event. I feel very flattered to be invited and have already made arrangements for childcare so I can attend. What an opportunity to network! So, today at lunch should be very revealing, I hope, as to what all this wining & dining is about. At least, I feel like I'm being wined and dined. Hopefully this turns into a great opportunity for me.

Where one door closes (see first paragraph), a window usually opens (see last paragraph). Good things may be brewing. We'll see. In the meantime, wish me luck in collecting on my outstanding wages.

Sketchy

2008-01-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

My neighborhood is all a-buzz. A neighbor of mine received some unsettling information about another neighbor who just moved in this past summer - 2 doors down from me. Not wanting to rely on gossip, I've been doing my own due diligence.

It's not good news.

Turns out, my new neighbor (who has generally annoyed all the other neighbors on my end of the street with their collection of junky cars clogging up their driveway and curb) is a convicted rapist. Nice, huh? Rape 1. Which is the worst one. Rape 1 is when the victim was forcibly assaulted with sexual intercourse (vs. fondling, for example) and the victim was either physically or mentally disadvantaged (like drugged or asleep or mentally challenged), or the victim was under 16 yrs of age. I don't know which it was with this guy, but I aim to find out. It was at least 20 years ago and he's kept his nose clean since then - at least according to our court/legal system - but still.... not exactly a flattering tidbit. He is not considered predatory and was under "supervision" by the county until 2 years ago. Another neighbor will be trying to contact his former parole officer to find out more.

There is nothing we can do about this other than be armed with the knowledge that this guy is a dirtbag and keep our eye on him. Granted, a potentially rehabilitated dirtbag, but regardless, this is not an individual I'm going to seek out for neighborly interaction. I have kids to protect, not to mention myself. I am going to make sure that every neighbor on this street with children is aware of this guy. Of that you can be sure.

My friend/neighbor has a brother who is a detective and confirmed the information I received from my DA brother-in-law. This is fact. Her brother, the cop, said that the only thing that can be done is to make his life unpleasant by calling the cops each time he is in violation of some city ordinance regarding the plethora of crappy cars stacked 2 deep in his driveway and garage, and the curb. The cops have already been to his house a couple of times regarding something to do with papers (restraining order? subpoena?). The police wouldn't share the details - rightfully so. But the fact remains that they've been here. Might be nothing, might be something. But now given this new insight into his past, I'm inclined to think the worst. Right or wrong, that's where my mind goes.

This is a VERY quiet, pleasant suburban neighborhood and street. Nice people, lots of families, good schools. And not a single sex offender within a mile of my house (according to the state online database). And really, very few scumbags that I've seen or noticed in the nearly 2 years I've lived and interacted in this community. Low crime, big-time community involvement - nice. The kind of place you seek out in which to raise your family. People stay put here - not a very transitory type of place. Mostly owner-occupied homes. And the one convicted rapist in the area moves in 2 doors down from me. Of all the luck - !

So, I'll have one eye on my kids when they play outside, and one eye on this house, making sure they keep their distance from us. Benefit of the doubt? I'm willing to consider it, but I'm of the mindset "better safe than sorry."

Crafty Christmas

2007-12-18T09:10:00.001-08:00

As I do each year, I've made (or am making - not quite finished yet...) a portion of the gifts I'm giving for Christmas. For Mr. Chick's goddaughter I knit a dress. It's taken me months to finish (because of this work-from-home time suck I've gotten myself into I don't have the same time to knit as before) but it's now done and ready to give. I made it using 100% cotton yarn. The skirt was knit in the round, and the bodice was knit on straight needles in a lattice pattern. It was my first attempt to do such a pattern with knitting, and it turned out pretty well. A few mistakes here and there... oh well - it's what makes it unique.

For my mother and sisters I'm making sets of beaded napkin rings by crocheting with wire. This is so simple - ! The hardest part (well, not hard per se, but a royal pain) is stringing on all the tiny seed beads onto the wire before starting. There are seed beads rolling around all over my floor since it's so easy to drop the suckers as you string them. Gah! But using the colored craft wire and coordinating beads makes these napkin rings pretty (it's hard to see the beads on the wire in these pictures because they are so small and blend in with the color of the wire, but they're there, intertwined among all the wire loops and such.) I'm giving them cloth napkins inside the rings, too. And, to top off my "entertaining" theme for the gifts, I'm making each of them a serving set with wire wrapped beads on the handles. It's simple and dresses up any serving piece. Voila! I only have a few more to do and I'm done. I was able to find the various serving sets at places like Marshalls and Tuesday Morning pretty inexpensively. Things like ladles and serving spoons, cake servers and the like. No worries about buying something that will fit - this is one size fits all!

And except for my dad and three little stocking stuffers, my shopping is done. I'll be headed out today - my long day without the kids - to finish it all up. I'm nearly ready for the holiday - yay! Are you? Is anyone else making some of their gifts this year? Please share your creations - I'd love to see them!

On a completely unrelated note, I finished the copywriting project I was hired to do as a freelancer over the weekend. I wasn't supposed to spend more than 2-3 hrs on it, and I was able to complete it in the given time. I was hugely complimented when I learned that my first draft didn't really require any edits at all and was sent to the client pretty much as-is. I think that's fairly unusual, and I felt very good about my efforts in that light. I did a damn fine job, if I do say so myself. I'm not charging enough for my time, however, and in 2008 will be making adjustments to my hourly bill rate. As an independent contractor I have to pay self-employment taxes, which are very high. So I need to up my rates to make this worth the effort. As for my *other* gig, the guy is back from the big event, has bounced a couple of checks to the web design company (the people who hired me separately for the copywriting job) and still owes me nearly $2000. He assures me he'll be able to get me some money by Christmas and was going to be asking for a loan from a family member to see him through this cash crisis, but I have my doubts. If he doesn't pay me what he owes me, when he said he would, then I'm done. I will no longer accumulate hours on his behalf if he can't pay me for my time. Mr. Chick is ready to file suit if the guy doesn't pay up - it can be nice to have a lawyer in the family! I doubt it will come to that, but I'm covered if it does. He has until Friday, my birthday. It would be a very nice birthday for me if I got my money and the check was good. If that happens I'll have to reevaluate continuing my association with him. If I do, I'll need better assurances for timely payment and perhaps a different system of billing - every two weeks? Weekly? And a big long discussion about how many hours I'm willing to work before payment is due. Because this billing monthly and then waiting additional months for the money blows. Hard. Can't keep doing it. Won't. So, that's where things stand on that front. Everybody is now updated.

Opportunity

2007-12-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

Since my last post I've had a whole week off from work. The guy I work for has been out of town at this big event causing a majority of the stress, so I've had the time off. It's been very nice and has allowed me to get more into the holiday spirit and prepare for the holiday. I'm feeling better and more grounded as a result, so that's good.

The web design firm I was working with has given me a very big compliment - a freelance gig! They so enjoyed working with me, despite my boss/client, that they've sought me out and asked if I would help them with a copywriting project. Yay! In my line of work (marketing communications, mostly) I've done a fair amount of writing. But I've never officially been a "copywriter", so I'm eager for the opportunity and challenge. And the gig is for a personal friend of the web designers, a philanthropist, so it's an even nicer compliment to me that they would think highly enough of my skills to give me the job. It should only take a few hours of time, but it's a good stepping stone. And they've already told me that they will be sharing with their friend/client who actually did the work (me) and promote me as available for other jobs that might come up. Huzzah! A very good opportunity indeed! It just goes to show that you never know when or where opportunity will strike.....

Now if I could just get past my writers block on my holiday card/letter I would have more confidence in my ability to do this job well!

Stressing

2007-12-06T13:58:00.000-08:00

So this whole work from home thing? Right now, it SUCKS. I generally like the content of my job, LOVE the flexibility, am even OK with my hourly bill rate. And most of the time, I like the guy I work for.

BUT...

What I don't like? I don't like waiting 2+ months to get paid. Consistently. For the 2nd time now, I've billed out 2 months worth of hours and am into the 3rd month before I can strong-arm a check from this guy. I'm now in my 5th month, stressed out with our huge event that kicks off TONIGHT, and I've only gotten 2 checks in total. Through September. October and now November are outstanding. And Christmas is right around the corner and I NEED that money.

The other thing I don't like? When he engages a professional company to do a job for us, asks me to manage the project, and then can't pay the people as we go, expecting them to just extend him credit, which they won't, and then he gets pissy and mad and thinks it's THEM, when it's HIM, and I'm in the middle. I'm trying to deliver a kick-ass website for the guy, but when he can't pay for it and yet still expects it, what am I to do? He's pointing fingers at them, they're saying "fuck off, we don't need you. We have clients who will PAY us," and I'm still expected to smooth things over and get the damn website. With no time or money. Like TONIGHT. He made it impossible to do this. Not paying was just one aspect. He also wouldn't allow the web designers (who have done an excellent job, in my opinion) to actually have direct communication with the guy who will be hosting the site. Who bent over backwards for my boss last year, which earned him this loyalty, but who CAN'T act as webmaster because he doesn't code in the language of the new site. Beautiful. What a colossal cluster fuck. So we have radio stations banging down the door demanding the links to the shows they'll be broadcasting, but we don't have them yet because of this mess. We have an excellent web company doing their best for us, but unwilling to extend credit per policy, so I doubt we can finish the job. We have a hosting company trying to help work out the kinks, but in a coding language he doesn't understand. Yeah, I'm stressed. And I blame my boss.

I haven't had time to even THINK about getting ready for the holidays. Again this year I'm making some of the gifts, but I haven't had a lot of time to do so because this job has now sucked up all my available free time. I don't even have the money I was expecting as a result of this job to go buy gifts. I'm wondering why I'm even bothering anymore - it doesn't seem worth it. Except that I take pride in my work and work ethic and can't leave him in a bind. I'm still trying to problem-solve and make it happen by some miracle. But I tell you, it's really not fun right now. And the worst part? I'm expected to be available on a moment's notice at this point, but my "wait by the phone/computer time"? NOT BILLABLE. Well, at least up until now it's been unbillable. I might very well charge him for this time, since I feel like I'm on the clock, even if I'm just waiting around for the next call. I only wonder if I'll actually see the money I'm charging for this time. So far, his track record for getting me paid is crap.

Anyway, that's my vent. I know it's nothing new or unusual for a lot of people out there. And it's a unique time for my boss, too, who is under a lot of pressure and experiencing a huge cash flow problem. I just get annoyed when someone expects other people to behave a certain way, and extend certain courtesies to him on his schedule, but seems unable or unwilling to be cool about it when the same is expected of him. He's all "do as I say, not as I do." You owe me money, pay now! But when he owes someone, it's all wait wait wait. And HE gets pissed when they won't do his bidding on his word. Utterly frustrating. It's like he doesn't seem to understand that people aren't clamoring to work with him at any cost. That the world doesn't, in fact, revolve around him. Big ego. Big ego who is over-extended, tapped out, and taking a bath in business. Why do I work here again?

Scenes From A Holiday

2007-11-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

Yeah, my posting has really dropped off in regularity since starting my job. Sorry about that. I miss it, but I often feel as if I have nothing really to say.

I hosted my family for Thanksgiving this year. I've done a mini-Thanksgiving once before, right after Lauren was born, for some law school refugees and my one single sister. But otherwise, I've never had the opportunity to host the holiday. This was my year, and I was looking forward to it. There was going to be 7 adults and 5 kids - not a very big group - just my immediate family. Of course, I stressed because I don't have a table big enough to seat everyone. Nor enough chairs. Nor enough bank to go out and buy something, but I do confess to scouring craigslist for dining room tables in the days leading up to the event. But I made due with moving the slightly larger table that we use for our everyday eating off the kitchen into the dining room, and moving that table - a small (only seats 4) antique-y table into the kitchen area. Then I set up our card table on one end, which was several inches shorter than the table, but gave us enough room to seat the 7 adults at one table. The kids would eat in the kitchen. I borrowed 4 folding chairs from my parents, and that worked. It wasn't gorgeous, but it got the job done.

To make this hodge-podge pretty, I used my best linens given to me by my mother from Italy. I have several tablecloths, but none big enough for a "large" table for 8. So I had to use two tablecloths - my prettiest one on the main table and a different one for the card table portion. It looked ok. I made the centerpiece with a trip to Michaels and some faux berry branches around a couple of simple white taper candles. I made the napkin rings to match. Festive! I used the leftover materials to add some color to the light above the table. I set the table with my china, silver and crystal we received from our wedding. I LOVE that sort of thing. I polished all the silver pieces - candlesticks, bowls, a pitcher, a serving piece (that's some dirty work, polishing silver!) Even though the table itself wasn't ideal, it ended up looking pretty.

Mr. Chick was in charge of the turkey and cocktails - pretty much the two most important elements to any holiday gathering. He smoked the turkey. He put it in a brine the night before and put it in the smoker really early on Thanksgiving. It turned out perfectly! As chef, he gets top honors. As bartender, he hit it out of the park, too, by making Sidecars for everyone. Yummy! We'd never had Sidecars before, but they are delicious. I like offering a special cocktail when I entertain, so this was great.

For the rest of the meal, my mom and sisters all brought something, so the burden wasn't completely on me. That's how we do it in our family, and I like it that way. I decided to change it up a bit this year and make a soup. We've never done a soup on Thanksgiving, but I wanted to. I found a great, simple recipe on City Mama's blog and made it with a few slight moderations (like using half pumpkin, half butternut squash), and it was delicious! Very subtle in flavor and good. I also did the green beans, cranberry and appetizer. Mostly I got my house in order, cleaning windows, vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing, you name it. I feel like I live in a fairly tidy/clean house, but when you have people coming over - even family? It needs a DEEP clean to get ready for that. I felt like I was preparing for days.

And then I got sick with a cold. Still have it today. So does Nicholas, who is home for the 2nd day in a row from school. Love that. But I digress....

During family holidays we like to play games. It's something to do together and we always have fun. This year was no different. We played some old-school games we hadn't played in a long time. Before dinner it was Outburst. After dinner it was Guesstures (you know, like charades?) Hilarious! It was girls vs. boys, and it was a tight game. Whenever my sisters and I get together there is always laughter, and this time we were laughing so hard we were crying. GOOD kind of laughter. Something about watching my dad try to do charades under a time pressure makes for lots of laughs. Even the kids got in on the action and attempted to take a turn or two. They did pretty well! Even my 4 yr old niece got a couple. Family fun.

I don't know exactly how the wigs came into play, but at some point we were all trying on these two wigs. I think one of my sisters needed to borrow a wig for a party she was going to, and I had two for her to choose from, and they all got passed around. One is a short-hair wig - a real wig - that my dad used when he did an Elvis impersonation years and years ago. I'm not sure how I ended up with it. The other is an obnoxious red wig we got for Lauren this year at Halloween for her Little Mermaid costume. So more giggles bubbled forth as everyone wore these wigs and hammed it up. We're a crazy bunch, I tell you.

So the day went well, the food was good and in abundance, and everyone had fun. I call that a success! I'm not quite ready for Christmas, and can't fathom decorating for Christmas a month early, but in another couple of weeks I'll be breaking out the stuff for that holiday and getting ready for Round 2 of family entertaining. I look forward to it.

4

2007-11-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Lauren's 4th birthday! She had a little party at her preschool, complete with a zoo-themed cake and birthday crown, and we'll be having a family party for her tomorrow - pizza, cake and ice cream. And presents, of course - can't forget the presents. I'd show you a picture of my birthday girl, but my USB ports are acting up and I can't download any pictures from my camera. Or connect to my printer, but that's a different story....

Wanna hear something weird? On the day Lauren was born my water broke. I was sleeping and something woke me up just seconds before heard/felt a small pop and then felt the trickle of water. This happened somewhere between 4-5am, I got up, determined it was my water that had broken (vs. peeing...), called the doctor, called some friends to come stay with sleeping Nicholas, and then made our way to the hospital by 6:30am. Lauren was born at 8am. Well, yesterday morning, 4 years to the HOUR, I woke up from a deep sleep in the 4-5am hour because I felt a trickle. Just like when my water broke. I wasn't dreaming about water, lakes or toilets, but for some reason, I almost started peeing. In bed. For no reason. I immediately woke up and used the bathroom (not even a very full bladder!). And then I noted the time and it struck me that it was about the same time I had woken up to the same sensation 4 years prior. The day Lauren was born. It hadn't happened to me before (I haven't wet the bed since I was a young child, but don't worry, I didn't wet the bed yesterday - just came close), but for some reason my body had a similar response to that day. Strange, huh?

My charming, adorable, stubborn-as-hell, smart daughter is 4. And it just keeps getting better and better. Happy Birthday, Pumpkin! We love you!

Showing My "O" Face

2007-11-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

The Chick family are big UO Duck fans, and right now our Ducks are kicking ass! We just beat the previously unbeaten ASU Sun Devils in a home game yesterday that put us at the top of the Pac-10 Conference, and should place us at #3 in the BCS standings (thanks to Boston College losing yesterday and making it possible for the Ducks to move up.) Our remaining games - Arizona, UCLA & Oregon State - are not slam-dunks, but there is no reason the Ducks shouldn't win each of them. The teams we've beaten so far all have better records than our remaining 3 opponents. Visions of Pac-10 championships and national titles are running rampant among all Duck fans. It's contagious and at fever pitch.

Between us, Mr. Chick and I have 1 season ticket to the Duck games. That means that we don't get to go to the games together and instead take turns. Unless we trade, of course, which we were able to do for one of the games. But going to the games is an all day experience. It's nearly 2 hrs to drive to Autzen Stadium, each way. Plus the time to tailgate, the game itself, and dealing with all the traffic and parking issues. Yesterday, ESPN College Gameday was in Eugene for the game, and Mr. Chick and our fellow tailgating friends left home at 6:30am in order to get there in time for some of that Gameday fun, tailgate, and go to the game. Which didn't start until 3:45pm. That's a LOT of tailgating, people. We're part of a group of people from law school who go in together for a bunch of tickets. Thanks to one of our friends and his rather large trust-fund that makes a sizable donation each year, our tickets are good ones. And our tailgate spot is awesome because we have two premium parking spaces very close to the stadium. And at Autzen Stadium, you can drink in the parking lots. So we're not relegated to the outer lots, away from the stadium, to tailgate. We get an optimum location. It's awesome. And to be there for home games is stunning and overwhelming. Autzen is one of the toughest stadiums to play in for opposing teams. It's known for it's noise levels. I don't know about yesterdays game, but at last weeks game against USC, at which I was present, they measured the volume inside Autzen at 127 decibels, which is louder, I'm told, than a jet engine taking off. I pretty much screamed myself hoarse at that game and loved every minute of it. I'm sure yesterday was much the same.

Right now is a really fun time to be a Duck fan! Go Ducks!

A Breakthrough

2007-10-26T21:09:00.001-07:00

Albeit a minor one, I had a breakthrough with Nicholas last night. About something as simple as holding a pencil correctly. Silly, right? Actually, no - it's a Big Deal in 1st grade. You see, ever since Nicholas first started grasping at crayons he either held him in his fist caveman-style, or gripped them awkwardly, using 4 or 5 of his fingers to pinch-grip the pencil. Which makes writing difficult, to say the least, and look atrocious. Plus his whole insistence on writing the letters from the bottom up instead of top down. They've really been working a lot on writing in 1st grade so far, which is a very good thing, but still he struggles. And at the parent-teacher conference a few weeks ago we were told that he's a very bright kid in the top reading group, but that he needs work on his fine-motor skills - penmanship, specifically - and he's a bit emotionally immature. None of this was news to us.

Whenever we've tried to sit down and teach Nicholas anything we're met with resistance. Claims of petulant, "I KNOW how to do it!" erupt from him in fits of crabbiness and are usually accompanied by something getting thrown. It's really unpleasant. Mr. Know-It-All. I hate that. And I've been trying to get him to fix how he holds his pencil for years, to no avail. When I mentioned this to his teacher, she nodded knowingly and said it's going to be hard to break that habit. Great.

But last night I tried. Nicholas had a good week at school - has been on a really good streak for weeks now, actually. A small rough patch after ballet, when his foul temper reared it's ugly head and a visit to the Naughty Corner and a demand for an apology seemed to turn things around, didn't sway me from trying to work with him. And surprisingly, he was very receptive. I made a bunch of lines like they use in school - upper and lower boundaries for the letters with a dashed line in the middle. I wrote in my grammar-school best penmanship "I will hold my pencil correctly." and asked Nicholas to copy the words, holding his pencil the right way. I showed him the right way. And he did it! He didn't bark at me when I reminded him - many times - to form him letters from the top down. Or when he'd erase something and initially grab his pencil incorrectly, falling back on old habits. Instead, he laughed and kept it light. It was working! This teaching your kid something was great! Then, after practicing, we tackled his homework. And it took a long time to unscramble and re-write 4 simple sentences, but we did it together. Mr. Chick helped out by entertaining Lauren and leaving us to our work, uninterrupted. And his writing really was vastly improved with a little attention and effort. He was very proud to turn that homework in this morning.

This whole teaching thing felt very cool. It was special that Nicholas allowed me to show him something, and was open to intentional learning from me. I know it sounds silly, but it was very rewarding to sit there and help my son with his homework. I felt like more than just someone who makes the food and cleans up after him. I felt like a parent. And there is nothing cooler than that.

Hello Again

2007-10-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

Testing, Testing - this thing on? Yes? Oh, well - hello again! It's been awhile. How are you? Good? Yes? Good! Me, too. What's going on, you ask? Nothing much. Just, you know, busy with life. Same 'ol, same 'ol. We're in a good routine, hitting our stride, and the days are just sort of flying by. Work is fine, other than the fact that my "boss" is behind in getting a check or two to me. Oh well, right? No biggie - I LIKE working for free. Really! And, of course, there's that thing with Lauren these days. You know, the whole "being almost 4 phase". Yeah, that one. She's pretty much living on my last nerve these days, but we'll get through it. She's just so stubborn and behaving like a world-class brat. Plus the whole constant movement thing and being just so physical all the time, it wears me down. She's constantly hanging off something, or climbing on something, or jumping on or off something (often both). And being just a little destructive, which is new and not very welcome. It's a good thing she's cute or I think I'd kill her. Did I tell you about the comforter art? No? Oh - this is a good one. 10 days ago or so I was working away and Lauren was playing quietly in her room. Big warning sign right there that I completely missed, this phase being relatively new and all. Friends were coming over later and it was time to pull the place together. I checked in on Lauren and discovered, to my horror, that she had taken one of my black felt-tip marker pens - the kind I like to use for work - and had scribbled all over her lavender comforter. Both sides. That's right. Mostly just random scribbles, but there were a few stick people drawn on there, too. I think I saw red I was so mad. She claims she was just trying to make her bed more pretty. Uh-huh. Pretty. Right. I didn't want the ink to set but there was no time to go to a laundromat before our friends arrived. So I stuffed the comforter into my machine, which was technically too small to handle something that big. I made Lauren sit on the naughty step, which is right near the laundry room, for the duration of the washing machine cycle to clean it. 35 minutes is a LONG time for a 3.5 yr old to sit on the step, but she did. She knew she was busted. The ink didn't come completely out, but good enough. She'll have to live with that "enhancement" for awhile because I'm not going to be buying her a new comforter, and it'll be awhile before I can muster up the gumption to make a duvet cover for it. That episode with Lauren was a real joy, I tell you. Between that, her continually locking the dog in her room, and her refusal to eat most of the foods I prepare for dinner, she's making me nuts. But, she's too adorable to stay mad at for long. Which is a good thing for her, I tell you. Nicholas is doing well and seems to be fully adjusted to school now. We have our parent-teacher conference tomorrow night. He no longer needs me to pick him up from school everyday and is back to riding the bus home, which is so much easier for us all. Soccer is going well, and he's loving his ballet classes. We're in a good stretch with him. Thankfully the kids seem to take turns in trying us.

So that's us. Nothing major, nothing serious. Just life in a good way. But not much to write about as I'm seriously lacking inspiration these days. Anyway, tell me how you are, what you have going for Halloween and all that. Let's catch up, shall we? I do miss you.

Pulling Up Another Chair

2007-10-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

Toll the bells and sound the alarm! Make room for another one! My sister - my baby sister - had her first baby last night! A girl, yet unnamed (still deciding between two names, I'm told, but we haven't even heard what the final two choices are) who shares a birthday with my dad, her grandpa. Baby is weighing in in the mid-8 lb range. Nice and healthy all around. And by all reports, my sister is a champ at giving birth. Things progressed semi-quickly, her water broke, and 1.5 hrs later she delivered her daughter. Which is how it should be done, unlike my other sister and my own first baby childbirth experiences of over 24 hrs of labor, face-up babies requiring vacuum extractors, many hours of pushing, and lots of tearing. This? This sounds like how they tell you it's going to go. So I'm very, very happy for my sister and her husband and the new baby girl in our extended family. A niece! A new cousin!

This is grandchild #6 for my parents: 3 boys and 3 girls. My sister delivered a few days early when everyone expected her to be late. My mother missed this birth (my sister and her husband live in California) - the first birth of a grandchild she hasn't been there for. My mother caught a flight out last night, but missed the delivery anyway. She was due to fly out today in order to be there in time - early - and help my sister get the last minute stuff ready. Oh well. Babies come when they're ready, and this little girl was ready. And I have to confess to feeling a tiny bit vindicated that she delivered early. *I* was early with Nicholas, but everyone expected me to be late. My mother was late with all of us, my sister (who had her first two babies before I had Nicholas) was late. But I went a full week early with Nicholas and I had told my sister that you never know - she could be early, too. I said the same thing on Sunday at my Dad's birthday dinner. But I was dismissed with confident claims of, "no way - she'll be late". Uh-huh, guess who wasn't late.

Nicholas and Lauren are already making plans on how they will "help" with the baby and how they will play with her when they see her. Which is sweet. But I think they're envisioning a ready-made playmate like their existing cousins. We won't get to see this baby in person until Christmas, but it's going to be a very special holiday. We'll just pull up another chair - there is always room for another.

A Couple Of Losses

2007-10-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

What an exciting weekend we had! Mr. Chick became Mr. Mom and I got most of the weekend off from my usual duties. I joined a couple of girlfriends out for dinner and cocktails on Friday night - always fun. But before that there was quite the event that happened: Nicholas lost his first tooth! Oh boy, was he jazzed about it finally happening. He'd had a wiggly tooth since school started, but it took nearly the whole month before it was ready to come out. I think it was biting into an apple a couple of days prior that really did the trick. Then he just worked it. By the time he was home from school on Friday it was just hanging by a thread and was uncomfortable. He didn't want me touching it. I told him to keep wiggling it, and with each push and pull, go just a bit further each time and it would likely come out. That's all he needed to hear. He went to work on that tooth and amid just a few tears, he pulled/popped it out. All by himself! Man, the squeals he emitted were piercing! Then there was much flurry to find his tooth fairy pillow and ceremoniously deposit the tooth into the pocket amid speculation over how much the tooth fairy would be leaving for him (the tooth fairy left him $2 for his first tooth). Nicholas is excited to "show and tell" about losing his tooth in school today and having his name moved from the "No Lost Teeth" column to the "1 tooth lost" column on the chart they have in his class. This is a big deal.

It's amazing to me how things change. When your children are born, all gummy and toothless, you wait eagerly for their first teeth to emerge. And then you dread more coming because let's face it: teething sucks. But their faces are forever changed when their first teeth appear on the scene. And then a few years go by and suddenly you find yourself getting all excited for those same precious teeth to fall out. It's funny to think about. And their faces start changing all over again as their permanent teeth start growing in, much too big for their faces still, and likely crowded or crooked or both. Thankfully Nicholas has really generous spacing between his baby teeth so we're hoping there is plenty of room for his permanent teeth. Both Mr. Chick and I wore braces for several years and we're assuming our children will have inherited our jacked-up teeth, but we can still hope it'll be better for them.

One quick note about a non-loss this weekend: Nicholas scored 2 goals in his soccer game on Saturday. Woo-hoo! He was so thrilled to finally score in a game. He's settling into soccer now and we haven't had any upsets or bad attitudes about soccer in quite a few weeks. Nicholas is developing into a decent player - it's really fun to watch.

The other loss of the weekend was the Oregon Duck football team. Boo hoo! They played Cal here at home. I got to go to this game because Mr. Chick got to go to Michigan. ESPN GameDay was there, so the crowds were even more amped than usual. And crowds at Autzen Stadium are notoriously amped. It's the loudest stadium - or, at least one of the loudest - in the nation and other teams know it's hard to play at Autzen. Huge home-court advantage. I love Autzen Stadium! Anyway, I got to go to the game and tailgate with friends from law school, watch the game, cheer for my team, and have a great time. Eugene in nearly 2 hours away from where we live, so it's a full day to go to a game. I left at 8:30am and didn't get back home until about 8:30pm. Here's a picture of Lauren and I showing our "O" faces before I left. Go Ducks! Too bad we lost - we almost had it. We'll get 'em next game vs. WSU!

Hope your weekend was great!

Packin' A Piece

2007-09-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

I got a slightly uncomfortable call this morning. From Nicholas' teacher. Asking me if everything was OK at home. "um, yes, thank you. Everything is just fine and normal here at home. Why do you ask?" Well, it seems she felt the need to call and ask because Nicholas has been "sad" a few times at school and she wanted to make sure. She asked if he's said anything about school that is making him sad or upset that she doesn't know about. "No, he leads me to believe everything is fine at school." We both think he's still getting adjusted.

But Friday was a complete disaster.

My FIL arrived for a visit on Thursday afternoon and was there when Nicholas got off the bus. Nicholas was so excited to see his Opa that he took a picture of Opa to school that day for Show & Tell. Opa went with us to his ballet class and then we all went out to dinner. It was fun and exciting for the kids. Opa spent the night and saw Nicholas off at the bus stop. Then, as a surprise, Lauren, Opa and I all went to school so we could join Nicholas for lunch. He didn't know we were coming and was happy to see us. We sat with Nicholas, met a few kids from his class, said hello to old friends from Kindergarten, and had a lovely visit. When lunch was over we all went out to the playground for recess. Opa sat on a bench and watched as I was led around by Lauren from one play structure to the other, and we both kept an eye on Nicholas, who was running all over the place having a grand time with his friends. Towards the end of recess Nicholas asked me to talk with him through this pipe thingy on one of the structures. We were talking when the bell rung, signaling the end of recess. Nicholas, being very rule-bound, immediately started running toward the place the kids line up to return to school. I gathered up Lauren and walked back to the bench and Opa. We then proceeded around the school to the front so we could check out at the office and head home. All was well, or so we thought....

5 minutes after we walked back in the house the phone rang. It was the school secretary. Nicholas was there in the office with her, crying, and she said she'd told him he could call me. He was upset and bawling, saying he missed me and was sad he didn't get to say good-bye to us - (?). So I talked with him, trying to keep it upbeat, and Opa talked with him, telling what a great time he had with him at lunch and recess, and then I got back on the phone. He was still miserable, poor kid. Poor dramatic kid. He wanted me to come get him that very second. I told him no - he needed to finish the school day and I would see him afterwards. We compromised and I agreed to pick up him up from school rather than have him take the bus home. That way he could see me sooner. Which I did, and he was all chipper and in good spirits. I took the kids for Slurpees as a treat because Nicholas had had such a rough day. By then you'd never know he'd been upset enough to have to go to the office and beg to call home.

So his teacher, who was out on Friday, heard about this from the notes left by the substitute. And she called, as she should. And I reassured her that everything was fine at home and at school, as far as I knew. 6 yr olds aren't always terribly forthcoming with details about school. She had a good suggestion for us to try: let him bring a small - very small - special toy or something to keep in his pocket. When she heard he had a VERY special blankie she suggested cutting a corner from the blankie so he could carry that to school. Her niece had to do this as a kidlet. When I asked Nicholas about this idea, he was horrified at the thought of cutting blankie. NO WAY! He vehemently declared. When I suggested he take a piece of Blue Blankie - his backup - he was more open to the idea. So out of his eyesight, I cut a small corner from Blue Blankie for him. I told him he could keep it in his pocket and if he ever felt sad at school he could simply hold a piece of Blue Blankie and that would help him feel better. I kissed the piece of blanket and gave it to him for his pocket. He liked this idea. We talked more about it all the way to the bus stop. About how he could keep the piece during the school day, but that maybe he could tuck it into his desk when it's time to come home so it'll always be at school and he won't forget it the next day. He's going to give it a try.

Nicholas has always been emotionally fragile. Thin-skinned. Prone to crying easily. This is not new for him. Sometimes the littlest things can set him off big. And sometimes, big stuff just rolls off him. He's hard to figure out that way. He's a mama's boy - very attached to me. Lauren is more into Daddy right now, so we have a balance. But Nicholas is also very quick to smile and laugh. His highs are high and his lows are low, and his emotions are right there on the surface. I want him to enjoy school, and so far, he seems to be. But it's a big adjustment for him still. He's not accustomed to being away from home for the majority of the day consistently. Today, we're having a friend come home with him after school to play a bit. A good friend from Kindergarten who also rides his bus. I'm hoping this helps him reconnect with pals from last year who aren't in his 1st grade class (his two best pals are in the same class together, but Nicholas is in a different class. They see each other at recess. These two aren't in his reading group, either, which just got assigned on Friday). I'm hoping that packing a piece of blankie in his pocket helps him, too. Reminds him that he's loved and is ok and will see me/us soon.

Hot Off The Needles

2007-09-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Well, it took me much longer than it should have to finish (working a PT job from home really sucks up a lot of hobby time!), but it's done and ready to be mailed off. I knit this sweater for the new baby of some dear friends - a boy - their 2nd child - named Jackson. And not a minute too soon, either, because Jackson decided to arrive early. Like 6.5 weeks early. By crash emergency c-section. But he's doing really well, given his early start. He weighed 5.5 lbs at just under 34 weeks gestation, and was breathing fine on his own almost from the start. He's nursing well, and should be coming home from the NICU this week. Yay! So I had to hurry up and finish the sweater this past weekend so I could ship it off to them. He won't be able to wear it right away, but come next fall, when they're living in Wisconsin, it'll be nice to have.

I made it using Cotton-Ease, which is the first time I've used this brand. I liked it! Good weight and feel. It was a simple pattern with a pretty little design at the hem and cuffs. It was all straight, flat knitting except for the sleeves, which were done with double-point needles. No seams - the body was done in one piece, flat - front and back together plus hood.

I have no idea what my next project will be - I've finished everything for all the babies in my world this year (4 baby projects and counting!). I'll probably start setting my sights towards Christmas gifts now... hmmm...

Enjoy your hobbies!

Only A Little Drama

2007-09-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

Mr. Chick and Nicholas had a nice time visiting family and going to the big game in Michigan (Go Ducks! UO spanked UM - woot!) Everyone behaved themselves and it was a good trip overall. Except for the drama Nicholas invoked on Friday night, that is.

My boys were out there to see Mr. Chicks grandmother (we call her Gigi). As it turns out, Mr. Chick's mother also went out for a visit. She went to accompany Gigi to a wedding a few hours away as well as to see Mr. Chick and Nicholas. Fine. My mother-in-law has many, many issues, but I wasn't there, so whatever. I just let Mr. Chick know he was NOT to let her watch Nicholas alone, or to drive anywhere with him. Mr. Chick agreed. So when he decided to join his law school pals out and about on Friday night he left Nicholas with both Gigi and his mother. I'm OK with this since Gigi has it together and would really be the one looking after Nicholas.

My girlfriends came over to my house Friday night for wine and dessert. It was fun to have them all over, laughing and chatting the way we do. Until the phone rang, that is. It was Nicholas, sobbing, telling me his throat hurt and he couldn't sleep and he just wanted to come home. I had to excuse myself from my friends and talk with Nicholas - or try to - and get him to calm down. When he gets all worked up he becomes completely irrational. It took a bit of "mommying", but he was feeling better. I spoke with Gigi and everything seemed OK.

And then he called again an hour or so later. This time, he told me, "Mama, Granny's (MIL) is in my bed sleeping and I don't know what to do!". I had visions of MIL being passed out in his bed in a drunken stupor (has happened before). I couldn't imagine WHY she was in Nicholas' bed. She has a small, yappy dog, Cassie, that goes everywhere with her, and this stupid dog stays on the bed where MIL is sleeping and then barks at anyone who comes in the room. This was freaking Nicholas out. He said he couldn't find Gigi, that Granny was in his bed and Cassie was guarding it, and he was all by himself and didn't know what to do. NOT a fun call to receive where there is nothing I could really do to help the situation. I tried to get Nicholas to go into Gigi's room to wake her up, but he got freaked out because he couldn't find the switch for the light and couldn't see anything. He was crying really loudly, it seemed to me, and I just couldn't imagine how it was possible that NO ONE was waking up to this. I tried to get Nicholas to go lay down on the couch in the living room, but he really wanted his blanket and it was in his room, and when he went to get it the fucking dog would bark at him, causing him to freak out even more. Gah! It was about midnight in Michigan when all this is going on, and my son has not been to bed yet. I would have called Mr. Chick and told him to get back home to help Nicholas, but we don't have cell phones and I had no idea how to reach him. I felt very, very helpless. Here is my son, freaking out and crying, alone in the middle of the night 2000 miles away from me. Eventually I got him calmed down and plugged into our portable DVD player. I gave him permission to suck his thumb. I figured he would crash in the chair watching the movie. Gigi FINALLY woke up (she wears hearing aids and I guess she simply didn't hear Nicholas) and we chatted briefly. When I hung up the phone I had the most unsettled feeling. I went back to my guests.

The phone rang a 3rd time, now nearly 2am in Michigan. "Mama, what do I do when the movie is over??!" wailed Nicholas. Who was clearly still awake and still a bit agitated. I asked him if he was ready to go to bed - NO! - and then suggested he just put in another movie and wait for Daddy to get home (how much longer could he possibly stay out?!). "But Mama, the other movies are in my room, and Cassie is guarding them!" Great. Back to the fucking dog. Thankfully, Gigi slept with her hearing aids in this time and got up to help Nicholas quickly. Mr. Chick arrived home shortly thereafter and took Nicholas down to the basement where there was another bed and they crashed out together.

I was still puzzled by the whole "Granny is sleeping in my bed" part and asked Mr. Chick about it the next time we spoke. I had forgotten how much sleeping medication she takes (damn near toxic levels), so when she's asleep, she's O-U-T for the count. Nothing wakes her. She had gone in to lay down with Nicholas in an attempt to calm him down, but it backfired. She crashed out and he stayed awake and then panicked, leaving him with no bed, no blanket, and feeling like he had nowhere to go. Plus the whole dog element. It was a mess. I felt horrible for Nicholas, and I felt horrible for Gigi, who is in her mid-80's and having to deal with this when she should be sleeping and getting her rest. It wasn't Mr. Chick's fault, but never before have I wished we had cell phones. Thankfully, Nicholas slept in the next morning and recovered well. He and Mr. Chick had a great time at the game watching the Ducks kick Michigan's ass. And Nicholas didn't seem to hold it against either Gigi or Granny and resumed his normal, cheerful disposition for the remainder of the visit.

I was proud of Nicholas for taking the initiative to call me, all by himself, when he needed me. I'm so glad he knew our phone number! Other than freaking out, which was expected, he handled himself very well. He did what he needed to do. He was very responsible in solving the problem, as we've drilled into him. So as "big boy" as he was, he seemed so little and vulnerable to me over the phone, so far away, and scared. I wanted to reach through the phone and hold him. I wanted to just BE THERE to make it all better. To kick Granny out of his bed so he could go to sleep. To drop-kick the stupid dog. To make him feel safe and not alone. Thankfully, in a small way I was able to do that with just my voice over the phone, but it's not the same.

But now he's home again and everything is all better. I like knowing that.

When The Boys Are Away...

2007-09-07T08:21:00.001-07:00

...the girls will play! Mr. Chick and Nicholas left yesterday for 5 nights in Michigan. Bad timing in terms of Nicholas having just started school (hey! at least he got to go to the first day before ditching class for the next week....), having his first soccer game AND pictures this weekend, but whatever. You see, the big Oregon vs. Michigan game is this weekend and a bunch of friends are flying out to go. It was a good excuse for Mr. Chick to check in on his grandmother, who was widowed back in January. So it's a 2-fer trip: check up with Grandma and go to the Big Game (Go Ducks!!). I miss my boys.

But perhaps not quite as much as Lauren does.

Lauren is not overly dramatic or emotional, as a rule. It's just not her. Nicholas, yes. But Lauren? No, not usually. Sure she has her moments when she gets hurt, or Nicholas teases her a bit too much, and she comes unglued. But she can generally pull it together rather quickly. So it was shocking and surprising to me to see Lauren lose it after we dropped Daddy and Nicholas off at the airport. She seemed fine as we said our good-byes and gave hugs and kisses. She was cool. I had promised her we could go play at the Ikea play area, since it's essentially right there at the airport. When I parked the car I turned around and watched in slow motion Lauren's face go from stoic to sad to completely crumbled with tears shooting out of her eyes. She was a mess, sobbing about, "I just miss them! I miss Daddy and Nicholas!" There was no making her feel better. I got out of the car and just held her right there in the parking lot. She took quite a long time to ratchet down the hysterics, which is so unusual for her. I was desperate to make her feel better, offering treats and promises of fun, but she wasn't hearing me, lost in her own misery.

Eventually she calmed down, but remained sad. She claimed she was ready for a treat so we went to the restaurant in Ikea and got a cinnamon roll to share, a chocolate milk for her and a coffee for me. That helped. The play area was already at capacity at 10:15am with a 40 min wait, so Lauren hung with me as we wandered around Ikea. Agreeing to buy her a $.49 tiny stuffed elephant toy is what ultimately got her over her sadness for the day. She named the elephant "Nicholas" and I think he's a stand-in for her beloved brother while he's gone. Whatever helps. Lauren had a sleep-over in my bed last night and we're all better today.

Which is a good thing because tonight my girls are coming over for wine and dessert! Yeah! I think there are 6 girlfriends converging at my house later tonight for some fun and rich treats. Lauren will have to go to bed shortly after they get here, but she's excited that we're "having a party!". And tomorrow, our neighbors are having a BBQ party to celebrate his 40th birthday. Lauren loves to play with their two daughters, so she's excited for that, too. Parties everywhere! And maybe a trip to the zoo on Sunday or Monday. Why not?

In the meantime, we're going to watch the football game tomorrow and scan the crowds for Daddy and Nicholas. It should be pretty easy to spot them in a crowd of 100,000, right? Right!

Big Day

2007-09-05T09:34:00.001-07:00

It's a very exciting day around here: FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE! Can I get a "hell yeah!" ? Man, these last few weeks, while busy, have been looonggg. The kids have been grousing and being downright mean to each other. Tempers flare, tears flow, and school couldn't start soon enough. And today was the day. We were ALL ready.

Nicholas only attended a 1/2 day kindergarten program, so this will be a big change for him. He's most excited about taking and eating lunch at school. Picking out his lunchbox was serious business - he finally settled on Cars. And he gets his very own thermos for milk that has a cup on top into which he can pour his own milk - wow! This wasn't a tough sell, but I was ready to had it been necessary because I wasn't too keen on paying $.50 for a milk everyday. After just a few days of that he could have bought a whole gallon, so it's way more economical to buy a little thermos and tote your own milk to school. Like a big boy with a cheap mom. The way I had to as a kid. But I *am* being nicer than my mom had been by allowing Nicholas to buy a hot lunch at school 2-3 times per month. We'll probably hit once a week before too long. But those run $2.25, which isn't too bad all things considered, but I can make one for a lot less and it would be healthier to boot. Although, I'm giving props to our school because they're offering things like brown rice and fresh fruit and not a lot of sugary items. Hence feeling better about buying hot lunches on occasion. Nicholas has already scoured the menu for September and selected the lunches he wishes to buy. He's the kind of kid that must have that all figured out in advance. He's also mega-amped about figuring out his school clothes for the week and putting them into the hanging shelf thingy in his closet, arranged by day. My child, he loves organization.

I didn't cry or get emotional about this big day. Mostly I think I was excited - for him and me. He was excited about starting school and I was excited to have him gone for the majority of the day. Does that sound bad? He's a great kid and I love him to pieces, but he's high maintenance/needy and I'm ready for a break. I'm ready to look forward to seeing him when school lets out instead of feeling exasperated about him hanging off me all day long. Lauren and I walked him to school today and got him settled into his classroom. He has his very own desk and we figured out where to put his backpack and lunchbox. These are big deals and he only feels comfortable when he knows the rules. I must confess to peeking into the window - from a distance - to make sure all was well. And it was. He's off and running as a first grader - yay! I'm going to pick him up after school and we're going to drive behind the bus so he'll learn the route and see where his new bus stop is. It used to be at our driveway (kindergarteners get door-to-door service), but now it's about 2 blocks away. And his morning bus stop is different from his afternoon stop because there is a morning kindergartener on our street just a few houses away. But that won't be his stop after school, so we'll "practice" today.

Oh how I wish we had year-round school!

In My Next Life I'm Coming Back As A Billionaire's Dog

2007-08-30T08:36:00.001-07:00

I'm sure most everyone who keeps up with crappy pop culture (like me) knows by now that Leona Helmsley, the "Queen of Mean", left $12 million to her dog. Her DOG! And completely shunned 2 of her grandchildren. Which, fine: maybe those grandkids were horrible in her eyes and didn't deserve any cash. I get that. And I know she left the bulk of her billions to charity.

But still - a freakin' dog inherits $12 million??!!?? What could a dog possibly do with money? And, more importantly, what will happen to the cash after the dog bites it? Who was her crazy-assed lawyer who drew up this will and didn't question the whole "being of sound mind" part? Perhaps this was her passive-aggressive way of making some sort of point, although from what I've heard about this lady, there wasn't much "passive" about her.

If you were one of her family members, how pissed would you be? I'd rather have seen her donate every last red cent to charity, where it will be put to good use, than see her give millions to an animal. An animal shelter, yes, but a specific animal? NO.WAY. I just hope that's where the money goes once this dog, Trouble" kicks it.

Leona Helmsley was one crazy bitch.

Childhood Obesity

2007-08-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

I'm certain my local paper, The Oregonian, isn't the only paper to have reported on this, so it can't be news to everyone, but just in case....

Did you read about the report that links gestational diabetes with childhood obesity? No? Here it is:
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/base/living/1188269737268160.xml&coll=7

We all know by now that childhood obesity - actually, obesity in general - is a growing trend. Some would even say epidemic. So a study was conducted and they found a strong, powerful link between mothers who had untreated gestational diabetes and the resulting children becoming obese by age 7. The figure the article/study quoted is 82%. Children of mothers who went untreated for gestational diabetes during their pregnancy were 82% more likely to be obese by age 7. They were 89% more likely to be overweight. That's huge!

The good news is that the study also discovered that that the children born to mothers who were treated for their gestational diabetes were no more likely to be overweight or obese than other children. Treatment/management is the key. The lead researcher says that the study points to some change in the womb that alters the body's feast and famine triggers that regulate whether someone feels full or not. That causes the metabolism to slow down as the body stores fat. If the mother is treated, however, by eating a diabetic diet, exercise, and/or take insulin if necessary, the damage may be reversed.

The article claims that each year, roughly 4% of pregnant women get diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Given how fast our nation is reaching obesity levels, I'd say that likely means a whole lotta mothers are going untreated. The article says it's a vicious circle - we're getting fatter in general, which means there is more gestational diabetes as result, and more gestational diabetes means more predispositions to obesity, and so on. But knowing how critical it is to manage gestational diabetes and what the future health impact it could have on the child, this could go a long way in helping to curb or reduce childhood obesity.

That's good - whatever can be done should be done to prevent kids from getting fat. Of course, ensuring your children eat healthy foods, stay active, and don't overeat after they are born goes a long way to contributing to their overall health and well being, and preventing them from becoming overweight or obese. Good parenting starts in the womb.

Childhood Rite Of Passage

2007-08-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

While I busy trying to finish up the painting job in our living room (see post below), the kids were out front doing their best impression of being entrepreneurs. Nicholas begged me to have a lemonade stand, so I finally let him. Only we didn't have lemonade and had to substitute juice. Strawberry Kiwi juice, to be specific. Which I personally prefer to lemonade, unless it's a Mike's Hard Lemonade, of course. So Nicholas got busy making signs and I set up the table and made the juice. He made sure he was able to make change, just in case, and then waited for his first customer. And waited. And waited. And waited some more. We don't get that much traffic on our street. Which was a really appealing factor when deciding to buy the house, but it's a liability when you're trying to turn a profit by selling juice. Thank God for nice neighbors! Nicholas sold 4 cups to our next door neighbors in one fell swoop (a whole dollar!) and another cup to the neighbor across the street (25 more cents!). He was proud of himself for pouring the cups without spilling a drop, was happy with his earnings ($1.25) and wants to do it again. It was a nice time suck, so I'm pretty sure I'll let him.

The sign Nicholas made for his juice stand. "Juice. 25 cents per cup. Yummy". His penmanship is atrocious and I'm hoping 1st grade will improve that... writing is NOT his strong suit. Nor is spelling. I had to write out what he wanted the sign to say so he could then copy it. And he still made mistakes! :)

We made a bigger sign using chalk on the pavement. I wrote the "juice" part and Nicholas took command of making the arrows and the "25 cents" part you can't see here....

Business was a little slow....

Before & After

2007-08-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

I spent a fair number of hours up and down really tall ladders on Friday and got the painting job DONE! What a great feeling it is to have that project behind us. It only took us a week.... It was a royal pain in my tush, but we saved a bunch of money doing it ourselves and it turned out looking really great. What a HUGE difference! We liked the space before, but now? Now we love it!

We went from this: BORING and utterly lacking color and style.

To this: WARM and INVITING. Much better, yes? Well, I think so. Now I just need to change out the lights and get some drapes and I'll be set. Can you see that we left the pillars the soft white color? They go all the way up to the big beam that bisects the ceiling at the pinnacle of the vault - they're structural and are weight-bearing. The beam is painted the same white as the pillars and ceiling, so if we'd painted the pillars to match the walls - as they had been before, we'd have to paint the beam, too, which would have looked funky having a big gold beam bisecting the white ceiling. This way, it's a nice accent color, like the red. It's the same color as the walls that go up the stairs to the kids bedrooms, which you can see from the living room, as well as the color of the stairs going down to the playroom and garage. It's not completely random. And it matches the white couches, so it works.

Next up? Who knows. Probably the main hall bathroom, which is the kids' bathroom since it's the only one with a tub. It's small and ugly. And while I can't do much about the small part, the ugly I can fix. But probably not for a few more months yet.

Trying To Reserve Judgement

2007-08-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

You can't blame the kid. The kid is not the one at fault here. But yet... I'm getting a creepy feeling about this particular kid and I'm not sure how to handle it.

Ok, here's the backstory: A few weeks ago this strange (read: unknown) kid started to randomly knock on our door asking if there was a boy here to play with. He's older than Nicholas, and Nicholas didn't know this kid. He was hard to talk to, tended to mumble, and gave off a generally strange vibe. I made introductions and let the kids play together out front with me right there, supervising like a hawk. Everything seemed ok, except for the weird things this kid would say. Like he's homeschooled (which, fine - whatever. Would explain why we haven't seen him around. Come to find out, he's NOT homeschooled... or saying he doesn't have a helmet but then I see him wearing one the next day.) Or not knowing exactly where he lived ("um, it's down there around the corner. No, I don't know what street....") and wanting to do things like check out the stuff in our garage and asking to go in our house. And asking Nicholas if he wanted to come for a sleep-over. Strange. Then he came over and wordlessly handed us a small scrap of orange paper with his name and phone number printed - as in off a printer - on it. The next time he came by was with a little notebook and all he wanted was our name, address and phone number. Weird, right? The whole time I'm being nice and trying to engage him in conversation, but it's tricky. When he calls, he's hard to understand on the phone due to the soft speaking and mumbling thing - he's terrible. I guess I'm just used to Nicholas on the phone, who speaks very clearly and articulately. Anyway, this kid calls and invites Nicholas over to his house to play. I ask to speak with his mother. We chat, I get their address, and tell them that Nicholas can play for just a short time and I walk him over. I want to meet this mother and know where my kid is before I just send him over blindly - unlike this kids' mother, who clearly doesn't know us or where her kid is. (btw, when this kid kept repeatedly asking to go play inside our house I wouldn't let him, thinking if the situation was reversed I wouldn't want my child to be going into a strange house. I felt a better level of comfort between everyone was needed first.) So we met and the mother expressed her bewilderment over her son wanting to befriend Nicholas because this kid is 8 and going into the 3rd grade and didn't know at first that Nicholas was just a young 6 and going into 1st grade. I guess this kid has a younger brother, age 5 and going into Kindergarten. Nicholas would make a better playmate for the younger brother. I agree. But whatever.

So the kids play and I return in about 45 min. to get Nicholas. It's at this point I get to talk more with the mother. Turns out she's divorced and is living with her parents. Her older son spent last year with his father in Utah and just returned here in July. He's desperate for kids to play with because he can't stand his younger brother (so he goes out and finds a kid nearly the same age as the detested younger brother? Hmmm...). Mom was in school to be a medical assistant and was happy to only have one kid to deal with last year. But I guess the dad didn't want to send the older kid home, so the mom and her father got the authorities involved and took him back. So the kid is being jerked around, moving to new places every year, and really doesn't know his brother all that well having been gone for a year. The mom, while seemingly nice enough, is not someone I'll be seeking out in the neighborhood. We're just very different. She parents very differently than I do ("yeah, I'm going to have to look into the after-school classes and programs. I'm not sure what to do with the kids. Maybe they can just come home together - my dad is here most of the time.... although I can't afford the all-day kinder and they wouldn't let me transfer him into the school nearly with all-day for free, so I'll have to figure something else out." School starts in 2 weeks. Time to get figurin'!)

I'm anxious for school to start so this kid will meet others his own age. He just plays with stuff very differently than my kids do. He's more destructive. He's pouty. He'll jump on top of stuff, or throw things as part of play, and my kids just don't do that (until they see him doing it, and they copy him.) I made the kids go outside with me the other day and busted out the sidewalk chalk. This kid didn't like it and kept asking to go back inside to play. "No, we're outside right now." says I, the adult. "but I'm hot! and I don't like chalk!" as he squats in the shade off by himself across the yard while my kids draw pictures on the pavement. "Fine, L, but we're outside at our house right now. If you want to be inside, you'll have to go home." met with an ugly stare and a "hrumph!" And when the neighbor girl from across the street (also a young 6) comes over to partake in the sidewalk chalk, this kid wordlessly gets up, gets on his bike, and starts to ride away. I have to shout at him to ask him where he's going - that he can't just leave without telling me, etc. "I'm going home!" he pouts.

I don't know - is it me? I know this kid is just trying to find playmates. I know his home life is fucked up (at least it sounds like it is based on what his mother shared), and my neighbor won't let him play with her daughter because she gets the same odd vibe that I do and she's not comfortable with her just-turned-6 daughter playing with an 8 yr old boy. Why would he want to? She's VERY girl. At least half the time he comes by I tell him it's not a good day to play. He's here right now - Nicholas really seems to enjoy him for some reason (big boy crush?), so I let them play from time to time - but it makes me nervous. However, Nicholas never asks to play with this kid, he just goes along with it when he calls or knocks on our door.

Am I just being over-protective? How has anyone else handled the kid you wouldn't pick out as a friend for you kid if it were up to you (which I KNOW it isn't, but still - this feels weird to me.)

Scenes From A Weekend

2007-08-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

How was your weekend? Ours was very fun and productive, thankyouverymuch. I love it when that happens, don't you? Saturday started out with me going to get my hair done - cut and color. Well, just a trim. But LOTS of color - it had been waaayyy too long since getting a much-needed touch-up and covering up my multiplying grays. yuck. And now? Fresh and new! And I'm not sure what my friend/hairdresser did with the trim, but my curls have responded fantastically! In fact, that night Mr. Chick and I got a sitter and went to a friends' 40th birthday party and more than a few people came up to me with a look of surprise on their face, exclaiming how they didn't recognize me and that it was something about my hair.... So, um, yeah. My hair and the fact that I actually got all dressed up with make-up and perfume and cute hair and looked hot vs. my normal schlumpy-frumpy appearance of no make-up and my hair in a ponytail. Perhaps THAT was the difference more than anything else? Hmmm..

After my hair appointment I was able to meet the family at the dance studio where Nicholas was having his first dance class of this mini-session. He wasn't the only boy - there was one other in the class - and he loved it. No fussing or complaining or freaking out going into it, as he is wont to do at the first of anything. Nope. Instead he just hovered close to Mr. Chick as the class was coming together and then just joined in, big smile on his face, and was fine. Parents weren't allowed in the room but you could occasionally peek in from an outside window, which we did to make sure he was doing ok. And he was - every time. He seemed to enjoy the barre and being able to watch himself and the others in the mirror. At one point they were galloping around the room to the music and he loved it. The teacher commented to us afterwards that he did great and was quite musical. So that's good. And after seeing the prices for ongoing classes there it's a good thing I took on this part-time job. Wow.

I already mentioned our evening out on Saturday. It was fun and I won rock/paper/scissors so I was able to have as many cocktails as I wanted and Mr. Chick was the driver. Good system. Most of the people there were folks I only knew as loose acquaintances at best except for my good friend Jen, and she had the cocktail pass, too. So we hung out together the whole night, enjoying our drinks and laughing. We don't get to connect often enough, so this was good for my girlfriend soul. Fun Fun Fun. Towards the end of the evening there was some dancing and even some karaoke, but I wasn't buzzed enough for either. Although I may have consented to running some of the Hood To Coast next weekend... (gulp) Mr. Chick has run it many times and was asked to run it again this year. Now he tells me the teams (there are two with this particular group) are down 2 runners and would I like to do it? Um, yes because it's fun and it would be cool to do it together (at least be in the same van), but it's next weekend and I'm not ready! Not to mention not having childcare set up for the 2 nights we'd be gone (my mother is having knee surgery that weekend and couldn't take the kids). But then it was suggested that perhaps I just take one of the legs - during the stretch in Portland - and help out that way. In my buzzed fog, I think I may have said yes to this plan. Which would be fun, I admit, but I worry I'm not a strong enough runner yet. They have the whole spectrum of runners on these teams - one chick who runs in the 6-min mile range - to others who are closer to 10-min milers. I'm probably in the low 9-min mile range. When I run on the treadmill I'm usually in the 8's, but that's a treadmill and it's easier than running on pavement. But my endurance isn't there for a whole HTC leg. I'm only doing 3 - 3.5 miles right now. Some of the legs go 6+. So, there's that. Which is why just running 1 of the 3 legs could actually be doable. We'll see what happens this week and if they'll need me.

Before the party, Mr. Chick and I started prepping the living room and dining room for paint. I taped off all the trim and he got to work filling holes and trying to improve a few places where there was some shoddy dry-walling and texturing. Lots of mud and sanding were involved (read: dust). But we got ourselves ready and on Sunday, we started.

It's a big space we're painting. We spent the majority of the day on Sunday painting, and we're still not done with the first coat. There is still the high vaults to do, and then we get to do it all over again with a 2nd coat. I did the rolling, Mr. Chick did the cutting-in. The color makes such a huge difference! It takes some getting used to. It's darker than I envisioned, but that's ok. The best way to describe it is a rich golden camel color. But adding color to the space better defines it and gives it dimension. Before, it was nearly the color of the ceilings. And with the vaults, they sort of blended in together. Now with the color you can really get a sense of the height, which is cool. We got the kids in on the act - they soooo wanted to help paint! but only just a bit because, well, they're not exactly professional painters or anything and their techniques need some work. As does their level of detail. But they liked helping out. And when they weren't painting or watching us paint, they were playing with the Giga ball. Which I blew up for them on Friday. And it gave me such a headache to do, not realizing how enormous this thing this. But they love it. It should be played with outdoors in the backyard, but we have it in the playroom for now. And it takes up all the available space in there, I swear. But they love it.

So now the week begins and we're back to our normal routine. I have to decide if I'm up to painting a 2nd coat of paint by myself during the day or if I'll wait to work on it in the evenings with Mr. Chick. My hands - they are beginning to blister. Plus, I probably have some work to do with my job today and I don't want to pawn off the kids too much. And I should probably go for a run at some point, too, just in case I'm called into action.

More House Projects

2007-08-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

Like many people, we have a long list of projects we want to do to our house. Mostly of a cosmetic improvement / updating nature. Our house is a classic 70's tri-level, but there have been two additions to the house - the kitchen in 1980 and the bonus room (downstairs at garage level) new master suite (upstairs above bonus room) in 1990. That was a big one - a 2-story addition off the back of the house. We've already done a lot of painting since moving in almost 17 months ago: the entire exterior, staining the 2 decks, the family room, the kitchen (and new floor, faucet and lighting), and both kids' rooms. Next up? The living room/dining room.

When the house went on the market it was re-painted entirely in cream. Bland bland bland vanilla with no inspiration whatsoever. Plus light tan carpets. More bland. Put them together and toss in a few light cream/white couches and you have a whole big area of ZERO COLOR. I've hated it for quite some time but have been unable to decide on a plan for that space. It's a big space - tall vaulted ceilings over the living room, which is sunken one step, and a small-ish formal dining area that shares a big wall with the living room area (hence, it must all be the same color), and the hall/stairway down to the garage and bonus room. All must be the same color since they share walls. It's the center of the house. Where you enter our home. It's the first impression and I want it to be a good one. Warm, inviting, tasteful. And since it's vaulted and sunken and big, a total bitch to paint. I only want to do it once, so I MUST get the color right the first time.

I think I found a color. I got a quart of it and painted small sections on various walls so I could see how it would look with the varying light, etc. We have a bizarre portion of a wall in the dining room that is recessed for some reason. Only an inch or two, but recessed and we don't know why. We have a pretty mirror hung in that section, but we're thinking it would be cool to make that part an accent wall. I mean, if you can't fix it, feature it! Good motto. Both Mr. Chick and I like these colors and are going to start painting this weekend. The names of the paint colors are "Pumpkin Butter" and "Spicy Cayenne". Here, have a look-see for yourselves and tell me what you think. The main color is the pumpkin butter - a warm-tone gold color. I was sort of trying to match with the pillow that sits on the chair in the picture. (please excuse the ugly light fixture - we're planning on changing it after we paint... plus, the chairs will ultimately be re-covered as well. I'm not wild about the floral print...) The red is the color for the weird recessed part of the dining room wall. The picture doesn't show it well, but the border of the recessed portion is just where the edge of the picture is. Above that the wall goes up high to the vaulted ceiling, so just the inset part would be the red color and the rest would be the gold. Can you envision it? I like it - I think the warm gold tones blend well with the hardwood floors and will add a nice contrast to the white-ish furniture and boring carpet (all our trim is wood, fyi) So, am I making a huge mistake here? Am I the only one who likes this?

And while we're on the subject of home improvement.... now that I'm working from home a few hours every week I needed to do something about my office space. It's horrible. It's the worst room in the house as we've been terribly unorganized in this room and it's become a gigantic dumping ground. Loose papers that needed to be filed were everywhere. The kids would drag in a toy or two while they played on the computer and the toys would stay in here, scattered and cluttered. It was awful and I hated it. I still don't love it, but I at least finally got around to organizing my shit and making the space functional. I made a run to the container store and picked up a grid system for the wall so I could have space to put my work stuff (files, DVD's, office supplies, etc.) The furniture in this room is atrocious: my and Mr. Chick's childhood desks shoved together. No joke. A chair, some file cabinets, a bookcase. Nothing matches. Nothing feels adult or grown-up. But it's all we have and it's what I have to make the best of. Here, take a look at my newly organized work space. It's where I am when I'm on the computer doing things like drafting posts to my blog. Hi! See the new wall organizing thing? Now I can see the tops of the desks. Note the two phones on the left of the desk: one for home, one for work. I have my multi-function machine, my computer (my screen is in the corner behind the desk sitting on a leftover small table, otherwise I wouldn't have room for a keyboard and mouse on the desk. It's that small and cramped. Sucks. The bookcase is to the left on the wall with the diplomas, but it's mostly filled with Mr. Chick's various law books and former work stuff of his that he feels he needs to hang on to. So this is my little corner of productivity. It's not pretty, but at least it's now functional.

Baby steps, baby steps. Every little thing we do around here only makes it nicer, right? Next up after painting the living room? Updating the kids hall bathroom! Oh joy.

Crossroads Edited

2007-08-15T08:43:00.001-07:00

After a fun, glorious day with my kids, my sister and her brood at the beach yesterday, I hit a snag. A horrible, unpleasant, repeated experience with Nicholas that has me confused about which way to go. I'm talking about team sports.

Nicholas played soccer last fall as a kindergartener. It was a so-so experience. Some days he enjoyed it and did well, and others, well, they sucked. He'd cry about something, want to quit, you name it. But we got through it. Then, in the spring, he played t-ball. It went much the same as soccer had. Some days were great, some weren't. He liked being with his friends, but didn't seem to love the sport. Crying and carrying-on were involved numerous times.

Nicholas has always been a sensitive boy. He's prone to melt-downs and crying when things get hard for him. He has a bit of a perfectionist streak, too, which only compounds the problem. If he can't do something perfectly the first time he gets upset. And he doesn't cope with being upset well. He cries. He screams. He makes an ass of himself by causing a gigantic scene. And then he becomes irrational. He'll say stuff like, "but I don't know what the coach wants me to do!!" with tears streaming down his face, clutching at my shirt like a 2-yr old. So I'll say, "well, how can we solve this problem? I don't know what you're supposed to be doing, either, so let's go talk to your coach and ask him. I'll even go with you." Reasonable, right? WRONG! If you're Nicholas, that message didn't sink in. He'll then default to, "but I don't know what you MEAN! Wah!" Huh?!? What about "lets go talk to your coach and find out what you're supposed to be doing" didn't you understand?? So I'll re-phrase. And he'll still say he doesn't know what I mean. I think it's a defense mechanism on his part. He feels scared and overwhelmed and inadequate - or something - and this is his way out.

It's sooo hard for me to deal with. Admitting to my own parenting short-comings, I have very little tolerance for this behavior. Every.Damn.Time I have to pump him up. I have to talk him off the ledge. I have to deal with his freak-outs and the (mostly compassionate) stares, looks, glances from the other parents. Who are mostly thinking they're glad it's my kid and not theirs behaving this way. I hate it. I try to be encouraging, with lots of, "you can do it!", and "well, let's take a quick break and just watch for awhile and see what they're working on" comments. When those fail and he's still acting like a petulant 2-yr old I go to the tough-talk. The "this is ridiculous! Why are you over here crying like this? You're doing fine! Now get back in there and try, try again! I'm not listening to you when you're crying and freaking out for no good reason." type of commentary. Usually, I can get him to go back and finish the practice, but it sucks, plain and simple. I'm so beyond sick and tired of this song and dance we seem to have to do each and every goddamn time. I know he's just this way and try to just deal with it, but it's hard. None of the other kids, by age 6, seem to do this the way he does. He's quickly getting a reputation as the big cry-baby, I'm sure. He doesn't seem to mind freaking the fuck out in front of everyone yet. When does that kick in?

Which brings me to yesterday. Nicholas did great at the beach with his cousins. He played in the sand, jumped the waves, laughed - it was wonderful. There wasn't a tear or a whine all day long. Beautiful day. We get home and move into dinner mode so we can get to soccer practice. We're a bit crunched for time so instead of walking to the park we drive. Nicholas seems fine as I put on his shin-guards and shoes. He's not starting to whine and complain as I hand him his water bottle. He gets in the car and we go. And then it starts. The, "I HATE soccer!" and "MooOOMmMMM, I don't want to go to practice!" whining. We park the car and I pull out the chair and Lauren's tricycle. I'm urging the kids to hurry up and get out of the car so we can get to practice. Look! I see the other kids! Let's go! I hold Nicholas's hand reassuringly and we walk to the practice field. We realize we forgot his ball. I say to the coach, so Nicholas can hear, "Coach, it's my fault that Nicholas doesn't have his ball for practice - I forgot it at home. Could he use an extra one of yours tonight?" Sure, he says, and gets a ball for Nicholas. I set up the chair, make sure Lauren is OK happily riding her tricycle along the path right behind me, and settle in. WITHIN 5 MINUTES Nicholas starts up. He was reluctant to join the practice and something about the stretching tweaked him out and he came running over to me, face crumpling and tears shooting out of his eyes. I have to take a deep breath. The coach is behind him, telling him it's ok and telling me he doesn't know what upset him. He tells Nicholas to come back to practice whenever he's ready. He's a really nice coach. Nicholas is really upset, grabbing my shirt and burying his face into my chest, howling, but not able to tell me what's wrong. I calm him down blabbering some nonsense and tell him he needs to get back to practice, his team is waiting for him and counting on him. Same crap as always. He's unsure, but willing. I walk him to the edge of the field, find him his ball, and return to my seat. He just stands there on the sideline. A parent, someone he knows, squats down next to him and says something encouraging, nudging the ball towards him. Nicholas becomes unglued and rushes back to me, crying. Again. And I'm done.

I stand up, pissed off, and tell him we're done and we're going home. I'm done playing this game with him and won't put up with it anymore. This ups the ante and he's mad. No longer sad, he starts screaming, "NOOO!! We're NOT going home! I WANT TO PLAY!" wah wah wah. He was really making a big spectacle of himself. I mean big. People way across the park started looking over. I simply ignore him and march back to the car to load up the chair and tricycle. Nicholas is still standing in the same place, screaming and crying and making a giant ass of himself. Lauren, bless her, is just sort of confused but doesn't add to my stress. She's so easy. She calmly comes to the car and gets in her seat. Nicholas, on the other hand, is now threatening to hit me. Between choking sobs he's demanding to stay and saying he's going to hit me. I tell him he'll regret it if he hits me. He does anyway - a pathetic bitch-slap on my arm. And he knows he's pushed it too far and immediately starts to run away from me. Homey don't play that, so I catch him in under 10 steps and have to physically carry him back to the car and put him in his seat. Never have I wanted to spank so badly. I didn't, but I really, really wanted to. I'm grim. I'm embarrassed by the ugly scene we've just caused. I'm really angry.

I tell Nicholas that we're going home, he's getting in the shower, and then going immediately to his room for the rest of the night. That I don't want to talk or see him for the rest of the evening. That his behavior was completely unacceptable and he needs to think about it by himself for awhile. He's practically barfing he's screaming and crying so hard.

Of course I can't NOT say something to him. I felt myself being super harsh and then the softer, mommy instinct kicked in and I wanted to help him. I wanted to make it better. He knew he blew it and was trying to be really nice to me as he was getting undressed for his shower. Lots of "thank you, Mama's" and "please's" were forthcoming. After his shower, as I was helping dry him off, I told him how much I loved him. That I would always love him, no matter what. That I didn't think he was a bad kid - he was a great kid - but that sometimes the way he behaved was bad. It was very rational and parental-like. He was no longer crying, but still had that jagged, broken breath you get after a really hard cry. Then Mr. Chick came home.

He'd gone straight to the soccer field from work. Another parent filled him in on what happened and he came home (this mom suggested he bring me flowers, having witnessed my level of pissyness first-hand). He took Nicholas down to the playroom to have a talk with him, man to man. Mr. Chick is just as sick as I am with this type of behavior from Nicholas. His immediate default to crying at every practice. After he sent Nicholas, crying again, to his room for the night we sat down and talked it over between us. I told him I was giving serious thought to withdrawing him from soccer and sports altogether. Clearly it's not something he enjoys enough to continue if this is how he continues to behave. When he's in a good mood, he's great. He plays and tries hard and has fun. It a joy to see. But if he's even a little bit tired or off, G-A-M-E O-V-E-R. We don't want to torture him - sports are supposed to be fun. A good way to learning teamwork, plus the sport itself, and a way to connect with and make friends the other players. And that's how it seems to be for the other kids. But not Nicholas. At least, not every time. So it's tricky. We want to teach him responsibility and commitment. He committed to this team and said he wanted to play. He needs to see it through and try his best for the team - they're counting on him, blah blah blah. But on the other hand, we don't want to scar him and make him hate sports too early. Maybe he's just too young. He's not overly athletic and isn't driven to compete naturally (not that the sports he does at this age are really competitive - they're not. But he doesn't "lose" well). It's just not in his nature. I'm not sure it ever will be. He's just young and taking longer than most to embrace this. It's hard on Mr. Chick, who IS athletic and loves soccer. He grew up playing it. He coaches it. It's his sport of choice. I think he was hoping Nicholas would be a player, too, and it could be something they could do together. A father-son bonding thing. Mr. Chick will take the kids to the backyard to to a field around the corner to kick the ball around on the weekends. Lauren loves it, Nicholas not so much.

So, we need to decide what to do. Do we pull him and leave our team a player short? Keep in mind there are only 6 kids on the team, so losing one has a big impact. Or, do we continue to encourage and prop up Nicholas for the season and hope he comes to develop a level of enjoyment for the game and team over time? Is it worse to force him to continue, or let him quit? These are the questions we're wrestling with and there are no clear answers for us. A big part of me feels that we need to expose our kids to a variety of stuff so they can figure out what they like and enjoy and want to do more of. How can you know if you like something or are good at it if you don't try it? Nicholas is registered for a trial dance (ballet) class starting this Saturday with a very good dance academy. They're recruiting young boys and girls and offer a free 4-week trial for the kids - every Saturday for an hour for 4 weeks. We let Nicholas decide if he wanted to try it, and he thought about it for a day or so and said he did. He's nervous he'll be the only boy - a distinct possibility - but wants to do it anyway. I'm more than happy to let him, as is Mr. Chick. I don't know - maybe dance will click for him. Or maybe he'll pull another freakout meltdown in the middle of the studio. It could go either way.

So I'm asking: does/has/did your kid do this stuff? Should we push Nicholas to stay in soccer this season and see it though, or do we pull him (let him quit) and re-visit team sports in another year or more? What would you do?? Gah - parenting can be so HARD!

** EDITED**
Just wanted to give a quick update for those of you following along at home. After the Big Meltdown '07, we had ourselves several long conversations about where to go from here. Resolution is/was hard to find, but for now we're thinking (and so far, Nicholas is in agreement) that we'll see this season out because we said we would. I want to teach and reinforce commitment and the honoring of obligations. I told Nicholas he didn't have to like it, but he had to do his best to get through it with a good attitude. And hey! Maybe, just maybe, he'd have some fun along the way (keeping fingers crossed here). But that once this season is over we wouldn't sign him up for another sport if he didn't want us to. We could take a break for awhile. He's down with this plan. So, last night was another soccer practice (2x/week schedule). I felt like I spent the entire day subtly prepping him. We had some stuff to do during the day, but I kept it low key. I noticed he was yawning in the car and forced some "quiet time" in the afternoon - in his bed - where I laid down with him and rubbed his back and blessedly he fell asleep and stayed down for a hour. Good power nap. We ate dinner a little earlier than usual so as to not be rushed before practice. All that stuff, which is good to do but gah! makes me feel like I'm walking on eggshells anticipating another "scene". Like our whole day revolved around him and his delicate moods. But whatever - it must have worked because that practice was worlds away better than the previous one. He did fantastic. He was chipper and engaged. He smiled and kept at it. He even scored the first goal in the scrimmage. I did make him apologize to his coach for his behavior - I felt it important that he acknowledge it and make amends - and he did. Good boy. Then he cheerfully set about doing the drills and practices and whatnot. I got lots of thumbs-up's from across the field. The other parents offered lots of praise to him throughout the practice, which he thrives on for reassurance and confidence. It sort of seemed a little to ass-kissy to me, but again, I just went with it. One mother, the one who had told Mr. Chick what had happened when he showed up last practice, actually complimented me on how I'd handled it on Tuesday, claiming to be impressed with how consistent I was in the face of his tantrum. That blew me away because here I was thinking I just looked like a giant asshole the whole time. So anyway, it was a really great soccer practice and we really gave him good, positive strokes for handling it so well and doing such a great job. I told him that he needed to try to do that at every practice from now on and life would be golden. We'll see....

Miscellany

2007-08-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

Wow - I'm really starting to suck at this. My plate feels very full these days and I'm finding I just don't have the time to blog like I used to. And not that I really spent all that much time blogging in the first place. But in addition to not taking the time to post much I'm also finding my blog reading time diminished as well, and that is a hard pill to swallow. I love reading blogs! . It's hard when life gets in the way sometimes.

I have so many things I want to mention that I'm not sure where to start or how to make this post seem thoughtful, creative and organized vs. chaotic and jumbled. I fear it's just going to be a giant brain dump, messy as that will be. Topics like our recent weekend at the beach, an article I recently read about MS, going to court, my job, the kids, marital questions to ask, etc. See? Messy.

OK, first things first: my job. It's going well, I think. I've been at it a month now. I billed my first month of time last week and the payday will be nice. Over $700 for the month of part-time work from home. I like my boss - he seems like a straight-forward guy who peppers his phone conversations with me with bits of humor, so it's pleasant working for him. I've hired a "mother's helper" last week to help me with the kids during the 2 hours or so that I need to be at the computer uninterrupted. It worked out very well! She's 11 and babysitter certified, and has a disabled younger sister that she looks after for short periods, so I feel she's well trained to tackle my two rugrats. She lives down the block from us. Plus, she's very polite and cheerful and cheap: $4/hr for mothers helper. Hell yeah! Sadly she's on a 2-week vacation with her family and I'll have to muddle through without her until she's back. In the meantime I hope to have to lean on Mr. Chick's 15 yr old cousin (male) who lives about 1.5 miles away when he's with his mother and gets bored in their apartment by himself all day. He'd rather hang out with us and play with my kids than be alone with nothing to do. For food and company in exchange for entertaining kids here and there, it works out. When I don't have help, which is the vast majority of the time, we've been making more frequent trips to the library to get videos and books for the kids. Yes, I'm using the electronic babysitter in my family room so I can get some work done. I feel guilty about letting the kids have that much TV time (and extra hour or so while I work), but I try to make up for it by planning something fun and active for the afternoons to off-set any slothiness that might have taken root. So far, no-harm-no-foul. I think. It could be a lot worse - I only work maybe 2 hours per day, on average, broken up into smaller chunks of time, so I'm not putting them on "ignore" for super-long stretches. I've brought up the subject of working out "office hours" with my boss so I could set up more of a predictable schedule for myself where work was concerned, but so far I don't have such a thing. I check in with him every morning and get a feel for what he'll need from me that day, and then tackle it right away. I feel like I want to make myself available whenever something needs to be done, and that's just not efficient for the rest of my life. In another month or so I think I'll naturally develop a work schedule around the kids' school schedule, but until then, I'm winging it.

Topic 2: soccer. HOLY BURNOUT, BATMAN! Oh my holy hell - practices for FALL soccer have already started for Nicholas. That's right, you read that correctly. He now has soccer practice 2x per week for an hour. The first game isn't until mid-September, but practices have begun in earnest. For 1st graders! 6 kids per team! This is not uber-competitive soccer - this is supposed to be fun! Yikes! It seems like overkill to me. Especially when you figure Nicholas is going to a week-long (mornings only) soccer camp this week. He's going to have soccer coming out of his ears by the time school starts.

Topic 3: traffic court. Something like 6 months ago I was cited for a traffic violation: failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Or something like that. I thought it was crap, as did Mr. Chick, so I plead Not Guilty and requested a hearing, with my attorney representing me (aka Mr. Chick). The first scheduled hearing got pushed back because the officer who cited me couldn't make that date, so now the hearing is this afternoon. Mr. Chick has a whole folder prepared for my "trial" - it's pretty funny. But finally all those years of law school are paying off for me! :) See, the officer cited me under an old, repealed statute that's no longer on the books. By like 4 years. Right there I should be let off the hook because of that technicality. But if they decide to re-cite me under current statute, then Mr. Chick has more weapons in his arsenal. For example, the fact that the pedestrian wasn't IN the crosswalk (an un-regulated crosswalk - no traffic light controls it), he was standing ON the sidewalk. Also, he was wearing a construction-worker vest and I thought he was doing some work there (there had been quite a bit of construction in the area). The motorcycle cop had stopped in the opposing lane of traffic to let this guy cross, but me and the car in front of me didn't read him as a pedestrian and kept on driving down the road. The officer pulled a u-turn and got me, the unlucky last car in that string. Mr. Chick is pointing out that even the officer couldn't tell if that guy even crossed the street because of how quickly the cop came after me and when he pulled me over you couldn't see the crosswalk anymore. So was he really a pedestrian trying to cross the interesection?? I love it. Mr. Chick and his cross-examination questions. AND, even better, the cop who got me is the same cop who actually wrote an article which came out in our local newsletter telling about the new traffic laws pertaining to pedestrians, yet he cited me incorrectly. Under the new law, a pedestrian must be IN the crosswalk. This guy wasn't. Slam-dunk - I'm not guilty. At least, I shouldn't be found guilty. And at a minimum the gigantic fine such a citation charges should be dramatically reduced just for showing up to court, right? I mean, initially it's nearly $300! Even if everything goes against us, it should be at least cut in half, right? Wish us luck!

Topic 4: MS. I've mentioned that one of my sisters has Multiple Sclerosis, haven't I? Thankfully, it's not dramatically affecting her at this point and she's only had 2 "episodes" of difficulty since her diagnosis 4 years ago. As you know, there is no cure for MS. No one really even knows what causes it. It's most common in women, and usually strikes between the ages of 20-40. I know several people with it - it sucks. Early last week I was reading the paper and came across an article about MS and how researchers may have found a gene that increases the likelihood of getting MS. This finding may make it more possible to come up with better treatments and hopefully, a cure, for this horrible disease. I was so thrilled when I read that article. As a sister, I worry for my sister and feel so badly that she has to deal with this. But I also have a nagging worry that it's perhaps genetic and my chances of getting it have now increased. No one knows for sure if it's genetic - they've never been able to prove it. But now they've identified this gene. So, I guess it IS genetic to a point. But - BUT - now they're onto something to make it better. And that hope is wonderful. It would be the greatest thing if she could lick this before something really bad happens.

Topic 5: Beach Weekend. This past weekend we went to the Oregon coast with some friends. Our two families are similar and it was good fun for all. The house we stayed in is owned by our friends' parents. The same people who own the place in Palm Springs I went to last fall. Yeah, they do quite well for themselves - it must be nice. They live very well. On Saturday we took the kids down to the beach (the house is beach-front) to play. At one point Mr. Chick decides the 4 of us should walk to the place he'd found earlier on his run that was a goldmine for finding whole, intact sand dollars. So we went, and it was a glorious walk with the kids. We were completely unencumbered and content. Everyone was in a good mood - no cranky kids, no whining. Just fun. We ran and skipped and chased waves. We found sticks and dragged them in the sand. I marveled at how free and perfect our kids are. How happy. I was enjoying just watching them in all their golden, childhood glory. Just running on the beach without a care in the world, completely living in the moment. And, as a bonus, we did find 5 or 6 perfect sand dollars. The beach was littered with their broken remains, but we unearthed a few and protected our treasures all the way back. I couldn't have scripted a better hour. The night before we had a wonderful bonfire on the beach so we could roast marshmallows and make s'mores. Yum! I think Nicholas ate 3, at least. The last day (yesterday) we went to a different beach and this time immersed ourselves in making sand castles. Only we'd forgotten our buckets and shovels in the car. So we improvised and in doing so, taught our children to be innovative. We found rocks to help us dig. We used our hands. Nicholas found a discarded bottle and after he admonished whoever left it on the beach for littering, set about using it as a tool. We created a "good" castle, complete with moat and lookout tower and bridge and wall, and the neighboring "bad" castle, more forbidding. We envisioned elaborate attacks and came up with defenses. At one point Mr. Chick, who was the lead architect of the evil empire, had Nicholas out scouting for a suitable disco ball. Because what bad castle would be complete without a disco ball??! He nicknamed the bad castle the "Palace of Pimp" (just between us, of course) and elaborated on that theme. He ended up with satellite dishes and a disco ball and all sorts of embellishments that the "good" castle went without. I gave my compound such things as gardens and protective walls made from rocks and pebbles. The bottle upended became the lookout tower that doubled as the prison for the bad guys. I was more era-specific in my imaginings whereas Mr. Chick was quite contemporary. And the kids ate it up and we consumed a nice chunk of time with our industry. The kids completely forgot that we didn't have any sand toys after 5 minutes. I savored the imagination and creativity.

Last topic: A marital question. At one point during the weekend Mr. Chick and I got into a heated discussion. It didn't help that he'd had a few drinks more than me, or that I'm pre-menstrual and feeling hormonal and extra-emotional. A lethal combination. Mr. Chick asked me to identify what I do specifically for him to show my love and affection. What gestures to I make to show him that? He told me that he feels he does a lot for me - unexpected backrubs and foot massages if we're sitting on the couch, for example, whereas I don't seem to do ANYTHING for him and he was feeling pissy about it. And lately he's started making me my coffee in the morning before I get up. Which is lovely and I appreciate it and have told him so numerous times. But of course talking about all of this got me on the defensive immediately. And I can't think straight when that happens. Unlike a lot of women, I can't recall a damn thing when we get in a disagreement. My mind goes blank. It took me a bit to play catch-up and start to identify all the little ways I try to show him that I'm thinking about him and love him, etc. But his argument was that the stuff *I* do also benefits me and/or the kids as well. I don't do anything JUST for him - just to make HIM feel good. The only example he could come up with was massages. My take-away was that I needed to offer more spontaneous foot rubs when we're sitting on the couch watching television. Sexual stuff doesn't count, according to him. That topic was off the table. He mentioned it would be nice if I programmed the coffee pot so there was coffee for HIM in the morning, but just this morning I asked him if he wanted a cup of coffee to-go and he said no, like he always does, which I know, so what would be the point of ensuring he had some before work?? So, I'm asking anyone who reads this - what do YOU do for your spouse or special someone to show them that you love them? I'd love to hear about it so I could generate some new ideas - I'm fresh out and apparently need to up my game.

So that's it for now. Sorry if your brain feels scrambled after reading all this mess from mine. I need to get in a bit of work before it's time to go pick up Nicholas from soccer camp and then get dressed and ready for court. And hit Costco at some point. Geez - it never ends, does it?!

Harry Potter!

2007-07-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well friends, I've not died or gone into hiding or anything. Nothing exciting or anything to worry about. I've just been hit with two different rounds of house-guests, each staying 2+ nights (right in the middle of a 3 night/4 day stay of my friend and her 3 kids, all bunking in my basement as they are between closing and vacating their house and taking possession of their new home and needed a way-station for a few days. I'm it.), working (which, wow - takes some getting used to!), and devouring the newest (and last - wah!) Harry Potter novel. Yes, I was a geek and bought it the day it came out, but I didn't have to stand in line all night in order to purchase it at midnight. I'm a fan, but not fanatical... I just had to hit the store for something else entirely and a whole pallet of books were just sitting there, no lines, so I got one. First one I've bought - I've read the rest through the library. In fact, I put my name on the hold list for this book at my library, but there were nearly 800 people on the list already. Figured I probably wouldn't get my hands on it that way until Christmas. And that's just too long.

Anyway, when I come up for air and have more time to actually blog again, I will. And I'll be talking about Harry because it's just.so.good!! J.K. Rowling is a genius, pure and simple. If you want to comment on the book, feel free to do so here - no spoiling because I've already finished it!

Where I Beg For A/C

2007-07-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

Air conditioning, that is. God, it's going to be a scorcher today - over 100 - and we don't have central air. Or window air. Or any air to help make one cool except for a crappy fan that used to belong to my parents in the 80's. ONE FAN. Ok, that single used-to-ocillate-but-broke-and-now-faces-permanently-off-to-the-side fan and two ceiling fans: one in the master bedroom and one in the room we use as an office. And that, my friends, constitutes my arsenal for combating the heat in my house. My house that has 3 different levels of living space and over 2600 square feet. Wanna come over and bake cookies? On my floor? It's that hot.

And oh yeah, no curtains or shades on the main floor! Whee! I'm the woman lying prone on the floor in the semi-basement playroom using a puzzle as a pillow and trying to make dinner using the kids play kitchen.

My dining area and family room face due east, which means that the intense morning sun beats down into that room. There are two big windows from the French doors, and then two wide windows on the same wall. Target had a sale recently (I love Target!) on bamboo roman shades (cheap!) and I got some for the doors. They don't block the light, just filter it, but it helps a little bit. But those windows - ! I rummaged through my linen closet for some old sheets - anything - I could use to block the sun. I unearthed two old window swags from about 3 houses ago. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I bought them because they're really ugly. Very thick fabric and dark, dark hunter green with - wait for it - best part - fringe. The kind of fringe you'd expect to see on Grandma's couch along the bottom. From back in the day. You know that fringe? Well, these swags were edged with it. And I bought them anyway. I KNOW. I hope my taste has improved since then.

Anyway, these ugly quasi-curtains would definitely help block the sun that's turning my house into a slow-cooker except for one thing: no curtain rods. But! Wait! I am creative! And desperate! I have a bunch of T-pins left over from my days of working in a cubicle and those were the only things you could use to hang stuff on the soft, gray, padded fake "walls" in cubicle-land. And they were hard to come by, for some reason, where I worked so I hoarded them. And then took them with me when they laid me off because HA! THAT'LL SHOW THEM! And for the last 6 years those precious T-pins have been carefully tucked away in my sewing box because you just never know when you'll need to pin up a hem and be forced to use T-pins or something. But now? T-PINS SAVE THE DAY! With merely 12 T-pins I am able to impale the ugly curtains and tack them to the top of the window molding! Voila! T-pins are mighty strong. And versatile. Who knew? I knew I'd kept them all these years for a reason. Ha!

So now my family room is a cave. There is NO LIGHT WHATSOEVER penetrating those windows. And now our family lives like trolls, in the dark, in the middle of a sunny summer day. We have to turn on a light to even distinguish between the remote controls because it's so damn dark in there. But if it helps keep the house a few degrees cooler it's worth having to see those ugly curtains pinned to the windows as the focal point of the room.

And the towel that's tucked into the top of the window in the master bath to shade things in there. Need a window blocked from sun? CALL ME!

WAHM

2007-07-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

It's official: I was offered and have accepted a part-time, work-from-home job. Yay me! I had to jump through quite a few hoops and pass a couple of "tests" to get the gig, but the offer just came through today.

I'll be working for a small-but-growing multimedia production company that focuses primarily on the Western lifestyle. Think rodeos, cowboys, and the like. The guy - the talent and my boss - does a syndicated radio show on rodeos and has another one focusing on horses. He's in pre-production for a new 30-minute Western cooking show that will air on local cable. I'll be helping with the marketing and sales. I'm the detail person to his Big Picture, creative side. I think it will be fun. And best of all, I can do it from home. He's estimating 10-12 hrs per week. Perfect for me and our family. I'll have to juggle just a bit this summer, but come fall, I can work while Nicholas is at school and Lauren attends her preschool. They shouldn't be too impacted by this job, and that was the goal.

And, he's paying me what I wanted. A fair rate for this job. I'm working as a 1099, Independent Contractor, so I'll have to cover my own payroll taxes, etc. Hence the need for a bit more per hour to make up for that. Plus, no benefits. But that's ok - we don't need employer-sponsored benefits (aka health insurance) right now. The kids and I have a private policy and Mr. Chick is covered by his employers. We're good there. Having a retirement plan would be nice, but this operation is small and it's just not something in the mix. My hope is that our family can continue to live off Mr. Chick's income and my little income can be put towards savings, investments, vacation, life insurance, and/or other such things. Just a little extra breathing room. I mean, at this point I think I'll be bringing in an extra $4500 (pre-tax, mind you) this year. Not much, but every little bit helps, right? And, I'm keeping my single weekly shift at the YMCA to boot. Can't pass up that free membership!

I'm excited. I was ready for something like this. Something a little more professional. I've not worked since Nicholas was born - 6 years - and haven't regretted being home with the kids. But now that Lauren is on the cusp of preschool, the time is right for something like this. And this ultra-part-time kind of opportunity doesn't come around very often. So I'm grabbing it and hoping to make the best of it. I will still be able to be MOM when the kids are home, and I'll have the flexibility to take them to their activities, get them from school if they're sick, volunteer in their classrooms, and generally do what I've already been doing. Plus make some money to help our family. A win-win, and I'm very pleased.

And maybe, just maybe, I can manage to get some tickets to a rodeo or two along the way. Or maybe an opportunity for kids to ride horses someday.

I'm proud of myself for landing this. I worked hard for it and I'm excited to have the opportunity to contribute financially to our family and still put my kids first. It just couldn't have worked out better. So far, that is.

I probably won't be blogging about my work as that is just too fraught with risk and danger (think: Dooce), but wanted to share my good news and let everyone know what's happening with me. I'll still be blogging, however, I enjoy it too much!

Fingers Crossed

2007-06-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

Every so often I scan the job listings on craigslist. I like to keep my eyes open for the perfect opportunity as well as keeping current with the going rates for wages, etc. On the wage front I'm sorely, deeply discouraged when perusing the part-time listings. It seems that finding a professional position with flexible, part time hours that pays more than $10/hr is as rare as finding a photo of a celeb with underwear on. In other words, nearly impossible. The part-time jobs all seem to be entry-level positions that require very little experience or education. The jobs that sound intriguing all seem to be full-time with some travel required. In other words, not family-friendly. What's a mom to do?

My job at the YMCA is essentially minimum wage. I make a whopping $7.80/hr caring for the kids who come to the Child Watch center. I don't keep the job because of the wages, I keep it because it gives me my membership for free as well as discounts on all the programs for the kids. And it's a good thing, because I don't know how ANYONE survives on wages that low. I really don't. (sidenote: recently finished reading the book Nickle and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich about this very subject. Very interesting look into the world of minimum wage workers. Recommended.) But for me, I work the least amount of hours possible in order to still be considered an employee and qualify for the discount. That means I work 3-4 hours per week. 1 shift. A ridiculously low amount of hours, I know. But I don't mind because I really don't want to work more than that - not there, at least. It's hard work taking care of kids. That's no surprise. But I really put a lot into making sure the kids have FUN while they're in my care. I get down with them and play. I build towers and color pictures. I read stories. I comfort the kids who are upset. I organize activities. I shoot hoops and work puzzles. I also discipline when it's necessary and praise when it's earned. I also pay attention and find something positive to share with the parents, who always like hearing something good about their child. "Johnny did a really good job sharing the train toys today." I engage. Which, trust me, not every employee does.

But, having said that, I'm not a fan of my job. I'm keeping it for the perks, but without them I'd be outta there. But it would be nice to have some extra money for our household. Earning $35-$43 every 2 weeks isn't exactly contributing enough to make a difference. Shoot, it's not even enough to pay for a whole tank of gas! We're living lean and I'm doing everything I can to save and cut back. No cell phones. No satellite TV and no DVR. I work at the Y to eliminate the membership dues and get the discounts on swimming lessons. We don't really go out to eat. Or to the movies. We're frugal because we have to be. And frankly, it's not always fun. Having more breathing room would sure be nice. But at the same time, I'm not willing to give up being home with the kids at this point. So I keep my eyes open for something that would allow me the opportunity to earn a few extra dollars without putting a big compromise on my family.

I may have found something.

I seem to be a serious contender for a sales and marketing position that is very part-time. And from home. 10-12 hrs per week. FROM HOME - did I already mention that part? And it's not some cheesy telemarketing or customer service, answering ads or data entry job. It's for a small media production company who is ramping up for a new show on cable to compliment their existing syndicated radio show with an internet component. They need help with sponsorship materials, some PR stuff, some sales, etc. Sort of a Jack of All Trades marketing position. It's a bit more admin than I'd like, from what I can tell, but it sounds better than most other work-from-home jobs. My resume bubbled to the top amid over 50 applicants. I was 1 of 8 "finalists", I was told. I had a phone interview and seemed to make the cut. I was asked for a writing sample - a sales pitch for a fictitious product - which I did. It seems it was well received. I've had another brief telephone conversation during which I learned I am going to be e-mailed some actual marketing material and asked for my feedback. After assurances that none of my "work" would be used without my permission should I not be offered, and accept, the job, I'll have this weekend to review, edit and possibly re-write a few pieces. So far, it's looking good.

Of course, there are always catches, right? The biggest is still don't know what the pay will be. It was listed as "negotiable". I believe it would be as an independent contractor, which to me says I would need to earn more per hour than as a company employee as I would need to cover my taxes myself. I don't even know if the pay range I'm thinking of is anywhere close to what this guy is considering. I've already spent two+ hours creating and writing my fictional sales pitch (which was a good mixture of solid business writing with a touch of humor, if I do say so myself. I created a sales pitch for "Pudgie Budgie", a complete, nutritional feeding system for overweight pet birds. Funny, right? But also completely possible and serious.), and now I'm going to invest even more time reviewing and editing more pieces. All without knowing if the pay would be acceptable. The way this guy is talking, it sounds like the job is mine to lose, but you never know. I will be disappointed and frustrated if this doesn't work out. Because a part-time, work-from-home, quasi-professional job? Is rare indeed. And, I could still do my one shift per week at the Y plus this. Without really impacting my family. Perfect, right?

Keep your fingers crossed that this works out and I'm not wasting my time or being taken advantage of. I don't think so, but you just never know. I might be returning, in small baby steps, to the working world. Actually, forget baby steps. That's a huge leap for me. It's been 6 years and I'm getting gun shy.

Funny I should mention guns - this is for a rodeo, ranching, cowboy type of company. Giddyup!

Scrabble

2007-06-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Has anyone seen the movie "Akeelah and the Bee"? It's been out for several years now, but Mr. Chick and I only recently rented it and watched it at home. Very cute, inspirational movie about a young girl, living in the ghetto, who has a gift for words and spelling and makes it all the way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Anyway, one small part of the movie has the game Scrabble in it. Apparently the girls' now-deceased father was a fan of the game, and the kids played it competitively as part of their spelling bee training. I have always loved that game.

I have a fairly decent vocabulary. I attribute that to the fact that I'm always reading. Always. I consume books and there is nary a day when I don't spend some time reading - usually before bed. Mr. Chick also has a good vocabulary, but mine is better. Despite the fact that he holds a J.D. degree and I only have a lowly bachelors, my command of the English language pretty much kicks his ass.

Except he always kicks mine in Scrabble. And this has been a long-standing annoyance to me. I never beat him! Why? Because I can't help myself and try to lay down impressive words that use the most tiles I can, and he plays for points. Points trump cool words every time.

We go on Scrabble kicks where it seems we play often, and then we'll put the game away and not bring it out again for a long time. Right now, we're back to playing. This past week we've played twice. And twice I've beat him! The first beat was only by a single point. One.measly.point. A squeaker, that game. I get all tense and competitive and focused in my efforts to win. After that game, I was exhausted. I'm finally catching on and playing for points, not just to make an obscure word.

But this last game? Last night? Was a resounding victory! I didn't just beat him, I smoked him. He was annihilated! I had him by 19 points and we'd used up every single tile. But what makes my win even sweeter was the fact that in addition to playing strategically and to maximize point values, I managed to eke out a few cool words. Even a legal term, which impressed the hell out of Mr. Chick: usury. On a triple word score, no less. I also managed a triple word play for the first time ever. Sure, I've done a few doubles, but a triple?! That was cause to rub it in a little. I played "cowl" vertically, which built off the "w" in whim (also one of mine). Then I placed a "n" 2 tiles over horizontally from the "L" and under the "i" in whim, which made the word "line" (the "e" was already on the board from another word). And, since the "n" was under the "i", I got the 3rd word, "in". Somewhere in there was a Double Word Score to boot. That play was pure magic and secured my championship status.

Mr. Chick and I rarely challenge each other on words. We don't want to take the risk unless we're sure. Last night I played "nigh" and he almost challenged me, but didn't. Good thing, because "nigh"? Totally in the dictionary. Then he made a cheap play and put a "R" on the end of the existing word "PRICE". "Pricer?" I ask. "Yes! Duh! You know, like a job. Could you play "cook"? yes. Or "checker"? So, "pricer". 12 points. Your turn." I wavered. It sounded fishy to me. Pricer? But at this point I felt sort of bad for him because I was kicking his ass pretty hard and let it slide. Stupid stupid stupid! Pricer? NOT in the dictionary. "Nigh" totally is, btw. I stewed on it all night and pulled out the dictionary this morning to investigate after the fact.

And I promptly had to announce my findings to Mr. Chick as he was in the shower this morning and alert him to his good fortune that I didn't challenge his crappy word and that he was lucky he didn't challenge "nigh" like he almost did, because that word was good as gold.

I'm a good winner like that.

I feel a re-match coming. Soon. I'm not going to get completely obsessive and start studying the dictionary like Akeelah or anything, but now that I've wised up and play to win, it's Game On. Any other Scrabble players out there?

And Now He's 6

2007-06-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Nicholas is 6! Wow. The Big Birthday Weekend is behind us - whew! Overall I'd say his birthday was a big success. One minor glitch, but otherwise it all came together nicely. Mr. Chick and I weren't thinking clearly when we invited some neighbors over for cocktails on Friday night, which meant the kids stayed up later than normal. Usually this would be no big deal - I mean, it's summer! Who cares! Stay up late! Except... it was the night before Nicholas' party, which meant he was excited and woke up early the next morning because OMG! Today's my party! I'm so excited! Who can sleep when my party is today! So... yeah. He was overstimulated and tired which equated to minor meltdown during the party (see "glitch" mentioned above). Kicked off by stubbing his toe in the locker room (after swimming, thank god), which turned his mood sour and morphed him into a whiny 2-yr-old instead of a strapping 6 yr old, who ended up crying when it was time to blow out his candle. But then he rallied and it all ended nicely. And then he napped. Which made the rest of the day tolerable for the rest of us.

The next day, Sunday, was his actual birthday. And because he was now rested with the excitement of the party behind him, the day was a really, really good one. Mr. Chick let him decide what to have for breakfast and donuts were quickly decided upon. He took the kids to the local favorite donut shop while I wrapped his presents. Then I took Lauren with me to hang with some friends while Mr. Chick and Nicholas went strawberry picking. Fun for us all. Then I took the kids to Red Robin for a special birthday lunch which Mr. Chick went to the gym. Nicholas worked very hard reading 10 books and listing them on a Red Robin-sponsored reading list which then gives the child a free Kid Meal when it's completed. Nicholas was so excited to get his free meal for reading those books! He even went online to the Red Robin website to read the Kid's Menu and decide in advance what he was going to order for his lunch (spaghetti, in case you were wondering). And because it was his birthday he got a free sundae and several waiters sang to him. And balloon. Always balloons. He was in heaven.

That evening we had some family over for a BBQ to celebrate. Mr. Chick grilled up some steaks while my kids played with their cousins. Once everyone had arrived we let Nicholas open The Big Gift: his Gameboy. Talk about excitement - ! He was over the moon when he saw what the package contained. Squeals of delight bubbled out of him and he couldn't rip into that package fast enough. And good news! The Gameboy was already charged up and ready to play! Like, now! Nicholas sat down immediately and started playing it like a pro. After dinner he got to open the rest of his gifts. Man, what a fortunate kid. Any concern I had about cheating him of gifts by doing a gift exchange at his party? Gone. He got PLENTY of gifts - no worries. In addition to the GameBoy from us he got 5 games and a backpack carrier from his Opa. That should keep him occupied for a long, long, LONG time. From my sister he got a new bike helmet and bell. From Mr. Chick's mother he received a kid digital camera (the toy one she gave him at Christmas has already crapped out. This one is better.) From another aunt he got a cool puzzle. From his Opa's wife he got....wait for it..... a huge Easy Bake oven. Yes, Nicholas has been wanting an Easy Bake for almost as long as he's wanted a GameBoy. And didya know it makes REAL food!? That kids can make! By themselves! Like, right now! That thing came with all the tools and gear and packets of powdered mixes to make Nicholas' head spin. He immediately decided he wanted to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies and my sister helped him set up. They plugged in, preheated, mixed and baked with Nicholas assuming the Head Chef spot. And those 4 teeny, tiny cookies were delicious, let me tell you. He ate one, split one for the two little girls (Lauren and cousin Elizabeth), and then gave one each to his boy-cousins. He'd put the cookies on a plate and handed them out like they were expensive crudites or caviar meant to be savored. I was cracking up at just how serious he was about the whole thing. And right now, this very minute, he and Lauren are downstairs doing their very best to cook up a batch of macaroni and cheese in the Easy Bake oven for their morning snack. They keep coming up here (or rather, should I say, Lauren keeps coming up here, sent on various errands by Nicholas the Boss, to get my help in acquiring such things as a mixing bowl or the 1/3 measuring cup or requests for cooking spray). He can't decide what to do first: play the Gameboy or cook something. He'll probably play the GameBoy AS he cooks something. And all before 10am. Aren't birthdays great?!?! Even Lauren picked up a few gifts as generous relatives didn't want to leave her out despite the fact that the day had nothing to do with her. She got an adorable Little Mermaid CD player and new CD to play in it, complete with headphones. Plus a new Dora puzzle, which she took no time to put together and master in seconds - all 24 pieces.

And now for th e visuals:

And So It Begins

2007-06-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

Summer, that is. It's here and we're still adjusting. First at bat: swimming lessons. I've signed the kids up for swimming lessons the first two weeks of summer. They go everyday for 2 weeks. Sort of an intense, immersion style as opposed to what we did before, which was twice a week for a month or so. This will be Day 4, and so far it's going well. Nicholas is *almost* over his disappointment that he has to repeat his level, Starfish, strictly due to his age. You see, Starfish is the top level for kids 3-5 yrs. He passed Starfish after the last session, but because he wasn't 6 when this round of lessons started (his birthday is exactly halfway through the session - this Sunday - but that wasn't close enough for the schedule nazi at our Y. That would be my boss, by the way....) they wouldn't let me enroll him in the next higher level. Lauren, on the other hand, also passed her level last time and has progressed from Pike to Eel. The fact that SHE got enrolled in the higher level when he did not pissed him off to no end. I've had to endure numerous rounds of "no fair!" and "why does SHE get to move up and I don't??" leading up to the start of swimming lessons.

But then they started, and all was OK in the pool. New teachers, you see, who do things differently. And therefore, teach different stuff. For as much as I like my YMCA, I notice rather large differences in what is taught in various classes depending on the teacher. And what's more, there seems to be no standardization or training of the instructors, really. So, what is deemed "starfish" level by one teacher is not even close to what another teacher might decide is appropriate Starfish swimming. The teacher Nicholas has this time is really working with him on technique, and that's a good thing. She's been focusing on back stroke and using the floating "noodles" to really get the kids to work on their arms and/or kicks. I'm noticing big improvements already, despite the fact that Nicholas technically passed this level last time. And Lauren, who is just happy to be in the water, is working hard, too. I wasn't sure she was really ready for Eel, but Pike was all full through July, so Eel it is! She's keeping up, mostly, and having fun. Thankfully, she has no fear of the water and will willingly put her face (and whole head) in the water and come back up smiling. It's her cheerful temperament that sees her through life. If you were to ask Lauren if she can swim she'll immediately answer, "yes, I can! Except in the deep water. You need to hold my hand in the deep water." Her goal is to be able to slide down the slide into the deep water and swim to the side of the pool, just like Nicholas.

And speaking of swimming, Nicholas is having a swimming party for his 6th birthday. The festivities are on Saturday. He's beside himself with excitement. He counts down the number of days until his party, and the number of days until we can make his cake. He's like a little yappy dog that can't sit still and bounces all around your legs. Because we're having a "big" party for him (i.e. he got to invite more friends that the number of years old he's turning) I made an executive decision that he's not happy about. There will be 8 friends coming to his party, plus his sister. I feel that that's just too many presents when you factor in all the family gifts he'll be getting as well. Gluttonous. A ridiculous amounts of gifts. And so, on his invitation, I said that instead of bringing a gift just for Nicholas, please bring something small and unisex (under $10) for a gift exchange game with all the kids. That way, every kid will get a semi-decent gift, we'll have a fun activity, and Nicholas will still get one "friend" present. And, I won't have to do gift bags for all the kids, which I personally hate. I really hate gift bags and all the cheap crap they contain. I don't like that junk in the house and feel it's a huge waste of money.

But Nicholas isn't as sold on the gift exchange idea as I am (and most of the other parents). We recently attended a party for some twins in his class. They went to a very popular party place and there were 24 kids in attendance. 24. For twins. Which meant twice as many gifts. It was so over-the-top! There were nearly 50 gifts that had to be opened. Nicholas' eyes about bulged out of his head at the sight of it all. Seeing all that made him whine and moan even harder about only getting one friend gift when these two friends got so many - each! I just don't think my child needs that kind of quantity - each item then loses it's specialness and value. I'd rather he remember each gift he receives and focus on enjoying his friends' company at the party instead of all the gifts. And what Nicholas doesn't know is that Mr. Chick and I have caved completely and gotten him a GameBoy for his birthday. His grandfather is getting credit for getting him 5 games (he sent me a check and I went shopping on his behalf). Everything is reconditioned, but in beautiful shape that you'd never know it wasn't brand new. He's been wanting a handheld game for literally years. He's sort of outgrowing the child watch center at the YMCA, and he could bring his game along with him when we go there. Also, in the car on trips. And, my only rationale, is that by giving him the GameBoy I also reserve the right to take away the GameBoy if he misbehaves. THAT'S one helluva bargaining chip. So Nicholas will be having a smashing birthday, even if his mother is being stingy and only letting him receive one measly friend gift instead of 8.

What do you think? Is my gift exchange idea mean and cruel, or do you agree that it's one way of reigning in the gluttony. Am I being a buzz-kill, or teaching an appropriate values lesson?

Last Day!

2007-06-14T13:29:00.001-07:00

Today was the last day of school for Nicholas. They had a little graduation ceremony in his classroom, which was adorable. The kids sang some songs and each stood up and told everyone their favorite Kindergarten memory. Nicholas said his was the Valentine's day party. What can I say? He's a lover, not a fighter. They showed a slide show of various pictures that were taken of the kids throughout the year - it was very nicely done. Lauren was in more than a few of the pictures - honorary kindergartener that she (thinks) she is (she was able to come with me each time I voluteered in the classroom). Each of the kids were presented with "diplomas" and told they were ready for First Grade. Nicholas is pretty excited to be a First Grader because that is a Big Deal. I'm pretty excited, too, because now he'll attend school ALL DAY. We're both ready for that.

At the little party Nicholas asked me to take several pictures of him with some of his friends. I hope he remembers each of them as the years go by. It was a very good year for him and he made many nice friends. We have no idea yet who will be in his first grade class with him, but I hope that at least a few of his closer friends will be in his class. There are a few friendships I'd like to see continue into next year and beyond. Good kids.

The school sent home the various testing they'd done with the kids throughout the year. I'd seen most of it at one time or another. I was happy to see good progress with reading and writing this year. Spelling is not a strong suit of Nicholas' but I hope it will come in time. He seems to do well with math, but I don't think it was very emphasized in kindergarten. Very, very simple math was touched on. I worked with him on math at home and he's learned more from my rudimentary lessons than anything he got from school. But I think reading is where he really excelled, which makes me so happy. He's always been a strong reader, and it was something his teacher continued to work with him on and gave him increasingly difficult reading and writing assignments throughout the year. I noticed on one of the more recent reading assessments that he's reading at a 3rd-4th grade level already. Chapter books are what he prefers now, and he's reading silently to himself before bed each night. I love it! HE pushed ME to get him signed up for the Summer Reading Program through our local library and set a lofty goal for himself: 12 chapter books. I'm very proud of him.

Now, we just have to make it through the summer in one piece.

NOT My Idea of Resort Living

2007-06-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the first of two family graduations. This one was a high school graduation, and next weekend will be a college graduation. Very exciting and worthy celebrations for two of Mr. Chick's cousins.

For this first one, we had to travel, by car, nearly 5 hours to our destination. And while there is a certain part of me that loathes the idea of plying children with even MORE mind-numbing pursuits (aka portable DVD machine with car adapter!), the bigger part of me who appreciates a smooth car ride with young children wants to adopt that technology and make it mine, or perhaps make mad, passionate love to it. We rolled into town around 4pm, all just a little restless and stir-crazy from the drive.

My father-in-law lives in this town. It's a small-ish town (city? is it officially a city?) that is home to a large number of Mr. Chick's extended family. He has many aunts, uncles and cousins living there. Thankfully, he's not from there himself and therefore has no desire to ever call it home. One bright spot in this hell-hole is a nice resort. They are attempting to make it a "destination resort" in that it has a pretty nice Arnold Palmer-designed golf course. There are lots you can buy and build your dream home as well as a nice hotel and spa. My father-in-law booked us a room in this hotel.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner, went swimming, and made s'mores (courtesy of the hotel - all-you-can-eat s'mores for $1 per person!), and then figured it was time to get the kids down to bed. Let the fun and games commence!

We had a room with 2 queen beds. The kids staked out the "kids bed" right away and claimed their respective sides with their blankies. Jammies were unpacked and teeth were brushed. It was about 8:30pm. The kids got into bed and immediately started fussing about each other. "he's touching me!" and "gimme back my blankie!" and the like. Mr. Chick and I wordlessly and mutually decided on the Ignore Them strategy, thinking it best not to feed the flames. Plus, too, we were both enthralled with the various home renovation shows they have on cable and didn't want to risk missing the big reveal or any of the various dramas that inevitably happen when one is trying to flip that house in under 4 weeks time. But the TV was proving to be a distraction for our now very over-tired children, so we switched to Divide and Conquer. I brought Lauren into bed with me and Mr. Chick moved over to the other bed with Nicholas. Girls and boys, separated. This worked for Nicholas, who fell asleep soon afterwards. Lauren, however, my stubborn girl-child, was unwilling to allow herself to sleep and was instead trying to engage me in peek-a-boo and other fun games. Eventually, though, she crashed and Mr. Chick moved her back to the kids bed. By now I was almost asleep myself and all seemed well with the world.

Until...

2:30am and I'm jolted awake by the sound of the door opening. This freaked me out as I immediately wondered who in the hell could be coming into my room??!! It took me a second to realize that Mr. Chick was not next to me in bed and it was him, in fact, who was coming back into the room. But the adrenaline shot to my system now had me wide awake. And I was not happy about it. It seems his allergies were bad and Mr. Chick woke up from them and needed to go get some meds from our car. The leaving didn't wake me, but the coming back in sure did. And then, wouldn't you know, *my* allergies seemed annoyingly present so I took a pill as well. I was just getting re-settled into my bed, preparing to go right back to sleep as it wasn't yet 3am, when Mr. Chick, no shit, turned the television on. What the - ??! "sorry babe, I can't sleep." Well, um, now *I* can't sleep, either, with the flicking light of that screen illuminating the dark. And you'd better hope it doesn't wake up the kids or you will be very sorry, mister. As luck would have it, it was yet another home re-do show (are those things on 24/7??) so we laid in bed, in the middle of the godforsaken night, watching TV. NOW I know why we don't have a TV in our room at home. It took me at least an hour to drift off to sleep again.

Fast forward less than 3 measly hours to 6:30am and Nicholas, who has no sense of his own volume, announcing he's awake which means we need to call Opa RIGHT.NOW. and tell him we're ready for breakfast. Um, HELL NO, kid - go back to sleep! Sadly, this strategy doesn't work on him anymore so we allowed cartoons on low, low, LOW volume. But just like the night before, the two of them started getting into it over who would sit where, who was blocking the view, and who was touching whom. God. My eyes, they were scratchy from fatigue. We all went swimming before breakfast, hoping the water would revive us all. It helped - some.

The day of graduation was nice and it was good to see the various relatives we don't get to see very often. That family, being so large, spans the entire socio-economic scale. There are those who didn't do much with their lives and flirted with disaster and criminal activity, to high school drop-outs, to successful, country-club types living large and getting their boobs done. It's an interesting experience to get all of them in one room.

And we'll do it again next weekend at the 2nd graduation. The only saving grace in that scenario is that we can drive down and back in one day and don't have to endure another night in a hotel with the kids. I don't think I'd survive it. I sure as hell know they wouldn't - I'd end up killing them first.

Our Inner White Trash

2007-06-01T12:36:00.001-07:00

Lauren, my stubborn, charming 3.5 yr old daughter, had me in giggles the other day. You see, we've been having a week of very warm temperatures (80's and 90's) and earlier this week we went to the big fountain in our community to cool off. Afterwards, back at home, the kids weren't ready to call it quits with water-play so I set up the sprinkler in the backyard for them. Lauren, already dry from the fountain, decided she needed to change her clothes and take off her swimsuit. In the middle of this clothing change she heard her brother squealing with delight in the sprinkler and abandoned her clothing change efforts in order to immediately participate in the sprinkler. So this is how she ended up: ratty striped t-shirt, a current fave of hers that I can't stand anymore, thick training panties pulled from the back of her drawer, and rain boots.

Say it with me: white trash! Could she look more ghetto? But adorable white trash, if I do say so myself. When I caught sight of her I started laughing and just had to grab my camera to capture this look. I figure I can blackmail her with these photos in the coming years. Won't her future boyfriends get a kick out of them?

On a separate note, but still Lauren-related, I took her to get her hair trimmed for the summer. Just a trim. I asked for an inch or so be taken off and bring her length back to chin level. Well, the lady must have gotten a bit carried away because she ended up taking closer to 2 inches off, bringing her length to just past mid-cheek (a very short bob - barely any length past her hairline in back), and she hacked her bangs so short! OMG! I usually like her bangs to be just above her eyebrows, not mid-forehead! This new 'do makes her face look even rounder and chubbier than it is. I'm not wild about it. But, it's just hair and the shortness will be fine for summer. But it's taking some getting used to, that's for sure. I don't think Lauren notices or even cares - when I asked her about getting her hair cut she said, "sure, like a boys!" She'd like nothing more than to have her hair look like Nicholas'. I like her hair on the shorter side, but that's a bit too short, even for me. I know she's a tomboy, but I want to retain just a little bit of girlie in her. Can't help it.

Hodge Podge

2007-05-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been much exciting stuff happening to blog about [cue crickets chirping]. Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been in a knitting frenzy trying to finish up my most recent project in time for the baby shower at which it will be given, and I'm finally done as of this morning. Cute, yes? It has a front zipper, which was sort of a challenge for me to put in, not being skilled in the sewing arts. The collar is a court-jester style, which is sort of fun. It's for my friend and neighbor, who is having her 3rd baby - a boy. She already has 2 girls, so this will be quite a change for their family. Next (as in this afternoon) I'll be starting a crocheted baby blanket for my youngest sister who is pregnant with her first child. Very exciting indeed. HER shower is near the end of July, so I need to get busy. I've made this particular blanket before, and I LOVE the finished product, but making it can be somewhat grueling. It's not difficult to make, but it's tedious and endless. It's the same two stitches repeated for an eternity, and that repetition gets to a person. No shaping, no color changes, no excitement. But it's beautiful when it's completed, so it's worth it.

On another random note (remember, this is the Hodge Podge post), I snuck away this past weekend to the Oregon coast for a girls weekend with some friends. The same friend I traveled to Palm Springs with last fall and her playgroup. My friends' in-laws own not only the place in Palm Springs, but a gorgeous place at the beach to boot. They live quite well. It was a fun getaway and I got to know some nice ladies over the course of the weekend. One of whom has many similarities to me (according to the others) and it was sort of tripping them out. Apparently many of our mannerisms, speech patterns, and overall personalities are very alike. Also, we have similar hair color and complexions. Our kids are the same age, and they are currently living in another town a few hours away for a few years, much like Mr. Chick and I did for law school. They'll hopefully be back in less than a year. Turns out she only lives a few miles from me. We even wore similar outfits (unplanned!) to dinner, which sort of sealed the deal on our long-lost twin status. One whole day of the weekend was spent doing various crafts. Scrapbooking, mostly. These ladies are master scrapbookers and the sheer volume of supplies they each brought was staggering. But the pages they created were beautiful. Not being much of a scrapbooker myself, I brought my knitting (naturally). I got to sit and knit for hours, chatting away and sipping cocktails the whole time. A perfect way to spend a day if you ask me.

The last day of the weekend, Mr. Chick and the kids came to pick me up instead of me driving back home. His aunt and uncle happened to be visiting the Oregon coast so we met up with them for lunch. Here is what it is like at the Oregon Coast in spring: Note the lovely shade of gray. The mist. The general sense of dampness. The need for coats and hoods. THAT'S the Oregon coast (Cannon Beach - see Haystack Rock?) for 10 mos out of the year. Of course, the wetness didn't stop the kids from wanting to jump the waves and splash about in the freezing water. Which, naturally, got them soaked from head to toe. And sandy. And Mr. Chick was in charge of packing for the day. Which meant he brought their swimsuits. Like the kids would be prancing about on the beach in their swimsuits in 58 degree rainy weather. Uh-huh - NO. To his credit, he did remember a change of pants for each of them - not anything that matched their shirts, but a change nonetheless. But no towel. Nothing with which to actually dry them off and de-sand their feet, etc. Lunch was a tad uncomfortable, to say the least. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

Last random note of this post: I'm still being (mostly) diligent with my diet and I'm down nearly 8 lbs. I put on a pair of jeans I hadn't worn in awhile - for no particular reason - and I could tell they fit looser than before. So all my hard work is starting to pay off. If I stick to it I just might hit my goal of being down 15lbs by Nicholas' birthday, which is a month away. THAT would be a great way to usher in summer: 15lbs lighter and celebrating my sons' 6th birthday. I might not even feel guilty about having more than one piece of birthday cake!