Blah, blah, blog!

Friday Five

1.  Today is supposed to be P's return to the riding arena.  Her trainer has a new lesson horse and is ready to start back.  Lucky for us, the timing is perfect.  P has been working really hard at physical therapy twice a week and her muscle testing is showing GRAND improvement! We really want her to continue with the physical therapy, because our studio is pilates-based and they are working on WAY more than just her leg strength.  P is getting a wonderful foundation in posture, alignment, breathing, stretching and body-awareness.  Wouldn't it have been wonderful if we had all had the opportunity to learn that stuff at 10 rather than at 35 or 40, and only after we had problems?

2.  I bought myself an "Atta Girl" gift this week.  After spending more than 130 hours last November writing our elementary school's application for CA Distinguished School, my small contract wage check arrived in last month.  I pinned it to my bulletin board in my office and forgot about it.  I thought about putting it in the checking account and enjoying the cushion.  I also thought about splurging on the iPod Touch.  Tuesday I got the call that Jack O' Connell, the CA Superintendent of Public Education personally called our Principal and announced that we were formally a California Distinguished School.  Yes, I realize this is old news for all of my family and friends and that you are probably sighing and muttering, "yeah, we've heard all this Carrie....would you move on...". So, for closure, I splurged.  On the much-coveted iPod Touch:

3.  Tuesday night, we got an All-Call (automated message dialed out by our school) from the Principal congratulating our Scholars and announcing a "PJ/DJ Party" at school starting at 7:30 AM with donuts, juice, and milk in the Student Union.  All Scholars and Professors were to come to school in their pajamas and grab some donuts then dance the day away in the quad.  Too much fun.  I loved seeing the kids get a big kick out of seeing their Chancellor and Dean serve them donuts in their bathrobes and slippers.  The energy was so high and so positive in that Student Union that morning.  I think we all needed that!

4.  Baseball season is in full swing (har, har).  J isn't loving it this year, but I am proud of him for keeping his commitment to the team. This is the first year the kids are pitching so you can imagine hits are hard to come by.  League rules state the games must be two hours long, so combined with the 30 minute pre-game warm-up period, and the 20 to 30 minute post-game team talk, snack, and pack up, we are at the field for three hours twice a week for games, plus practices. I think we will all be glad when the season ends next month.

5.  I've become painfully aware about how badly my photography has fallen off.  I have NO excuse.  I have a terrific camera, and above average looking kids...so what is the problem?  Losing Photoshop with my last laptop  kind of took the wind out of my sails because I just don't like what my SOOC shots look like without a little post-processing.  Workflow, that is what I need. An efficient workflow. And Time.  I need more time.  And a new Photoshop program...

OK one more:
6. 
I love this magazine.  It makes me happy and energized and full of hope.  It distracts me from the piles I see all around me.  I just wish it was published more often...and that it came with a housekeeper. 

I'm off to plug into my new iPod Touch, go on my third 3 mile walk this week, and continue listening to the audiobook Duma Key by Stephen King.  I'm really enjoying this book.

Monday holiday Limbo

Clever file folder title, no?  Today I'm feeling like I should just crawl right into that file folder, along with all of the paperwork I need to file, warranty cards I need to send in, and follow up that needs to happen.

I'm feeling a little uninspired, but not all together apathetic.  There are SO many things I want to do, but it seems like everything requires some major action before I can get to it.  I've started several projects in the first weeks of January and now I feel stalled. For example:

• I want to make pages.  That requires that I plan some pages, sort my photos, sketch (or choose a sketch) of a layout and sort and choose my paper, stamps and embellishments.  I'm finding that at that point, I just walk away and wish that I could find time to scrapbook.

• I started a major overhaul of my photo organizing system.  I have filled one huge binder with about six refill packs of pages holding 8 photos each page.  I still have three (recent years) photo boxes waiting to be filed. My photo storage has been mainly by subject over chronological. I try to keep all of the subjects and themes contained within the same year or two, but I'm finding all kinds of misplaced photos (those darn kids love to sift through photo boxes). When I find a pirate photo from 2004, mixed in with J's treasure hunt of '07, it messes me all up.
  

• My neighbor asked me to take portraits of her one-year old today.  I am happy to do it, but I need to spend some reading my camera manual, as I'm completely unfamiliar with my new set up and finding buttons to adjust, oh say, the aperature would be a good thing. I'm fully aware these low light early morning pictures suck, so just be kind and ignore that please.

• I am teaching the fourth grade an Art Masters lesson on Pieter Bruegel Thursday afternoon.  Landscape mosaic. Shepherds Pie for a "taste" of the culinary arts related to this artist. Franco-Flemish music for the creative portion of the lesson by Josquin des Pres.  I need to read and prep this lesson.

• I need to finish 13 paint cans for Miss Martha's preschool in time for Valentines Day.  I know they will be cute, but I just can't muster the interest to finish these.  Today.  I will finish them after I finish sorting photos, planning pages, reading my camera manual, shooting portraits, and prepping my Art Masters lesson....Today!

• Speaking of Valentines Day....I will be departing for the much anticipated Scrapbowl '08 on 2/14! Four days of creating, learning, inspiration, girlfriends, coffee, shopping, and laughing until our stomachs hurt.  I can't wait.  Oh, that reminds me...I've got to pull 40 themed photos, and gather black embellishments for my SJ class.

• Thursday is the day! P's final set of casts will be removed Thursday morning and she will be fitted with her AFOs! Her AFOs (leg braces) will cover as much area as her casts have, but will be much thinner and allow tennis shoes to be worn over them. She will be recognized at a special achievement dinner at school Thursday night and is a little nervous about walking down the red carpet. She doesn't want her braces to show but I don't think she'll be wearing them all day at first. I am hoping she can wear normal shoes, but I"m not quite sure what those will be yet.  Another thing on my list: go buy P new tennis shoes a size bigger to fit her AFOs and buy her shoes for the award ceremony for Thursday. Crap! How am I going to fit in the Art Masters lesson too? 

Happy Martin Luther King Day!  Thank goodness my kids are watching the MLK biography on the history channel right now. I was thinking about how to explain why we have today off of school and why he is so important to our country.  Thank you History Channel. You've freed up at least one task for me today!

Stop with the pumpkin photos already!

Oh just stop it already, would ya?
I am just surrounded with fall pressure.  Every blog seems to have newly captured photos of kids frolicking through the pumpkin patch.  I've seen unbelievably vibrant shots of trees in a rainbow parade on a lake in Indiana (obviouly photoshopped....trees are a sick grey-green this time of year, aren't they??)  Every magazine has homemade crafts and decor ideas using fall "stuff" you are supposed to gather from the yard (I have a few tumbleweeds handy) and the recipes, soups, stews, chili...look divine.

It was in the high 90's yesterday.  Hot, hot, and yuck.  Enjoy your pumpkins, crisp fall weather and amazing foliage everyone...send me a photo.  Fall just hasn't quite hit here yet. 

Word has it that I am supposed to be hosting a neighborhood pumpkin carving party Saturday night.  That will put us in the spirit, but I haven't had time to make those yard mummies I have had planned for two months....oh well, maybe next year.

In evacuee news: I'm so proud of the emergency response, outpouring of volunteerism and the sheer optimism of my fellow Californians.  There is a long road ahead for thousands of people here, but in these early days, much has been done to make the best out of a very bad situation.  I'm hearing stories of volunteer teachers outnumbering kids in the refugee stadium three to one, of coffee carts and free massage, yoga and acupuncture services for those in need.  People are offering and doing what they can to help other people.  Man, what a lesson in service!

Talk Radio is having a field day with the happenings at Qualcomm Stadium.  I tuned in to hear one shock jock say, "We hear FEMA is being disbatched....OH GOD NOT FEMA!!!  California is kind of its own planet in a way and we do things a little differently out here....thanks anyway FEMA, but we'll handle it".   I have no idea how much FEMA has actually contributed to the emergency response, but I am so glad to see the evacuees being cared for and so many people coming together to offer and do what they can.  I hope we can all learn from this and pay it forward.

What I learned on summer vacation, part 1

I thought I'd share two new things that are working for me:

Question:  What is the only bad side of a wonderful day at the beach?  (Besides sitting on the 91 Parking Lot to get home?)

Answer: All of that sand!  Sticky, messy, never-ending sand that, despite fighting for a spray of public beach shower, refuses to unstick from the skin of our sweet sand castle contractors.  Ugggh...what a mess.  And don't even get me started on what it does to the car. 

Solution: A bottle of Baby Powder and a dry hand towel.  Seriously.  I witnessed the amazing sand-releasing powers a sprinkle of baby powder on sandy legs and feet with a quick wipe down with the hand towel for myself yesterday.  Amazing.  From now on, I'll be packing a bottle of Johnson & Johnson along with my sunscreen.

Disclaimer: Make sure the kids don't take "one last run" into the ocean before you are ready to pack it up.  The baby powder trick only works on DRY sandy skin.  Try it!

Next:  Do you ever feel like this?

I do.  And more often than I have patience for.

Solution: Zipfizz Liquid Shot to the rescue!

I was cruising down the aisle of Costco a few days ago and happened upon a demo of this stuff.  The rep mentioned that this little 4oz shot has 41,667% of the U.S. Daily Recommended Allowance of B-12.  For anyone who has ever attempted a medically surpervised weight loss program, B-12 injections are given, according to the Mayo Clinic site  to "improve the general well being and happiness of patients complaining of fatigue".  Well being, happiness, reduced fatigue, more energy?  I'll take a case please.

Seriously, the energy in this liquid shot is delivered from vitamins, NOT from caffeine (although a small amount of caffeine via green tea leaf is present).  I happen to love the stuff.  And the fact that this product was created in response to long haul truck drivers needing a quick energy shot in a convienent no-mix package makes it too good not to try.

Its been awhile....

Blogging has been on my To Do list all week.  That, and washing my floors.  It is almost midnight and I just finished washing my floors, so that gives you an idea of what my week has been like!

We had a fabu Memorial weekend.  We hosted some neighbors on Sunday for a BBQ and game night and ended up with two extra kids sleeping over.  J was so patient, but really begged to see POTC: AWE all weekend long.  By Sunday he was panicked, thinking we might just take him back to school without seeing it.  I told him to go to sleep Sunday night and to wake up and get right dressed into his pirate costume Monday morning.  Sure enough, I had a little pirate standing  at my bedside Monday morning.  We got to the theater by 9:30am with five kids and double shot lattes in hand.  Totally worth it.  We loved it and it made J so happy!

The end of the school year rush is upon us and I have been busy trying to plan field days and parties, looking forward to baseball wrapping up and getting P back to horse lessons (her trainers horse was out with an injury for the past five weeks).  J will be a ring bearer in a neighbor's wedding on Saturday and we will miss his school Open House tomorrow night to attend the rehearsal and dinner.  Remind me to get his haircut and pick up an ecru dress shirt to go with is new pinstripe suit, would ya?

In other news: I browsed the aisles of Target until 10pm last night.  Funny what pulls me in when I'm so tired I have no business being out...but I did find something good:

Boots Cosmetics have come to Target!!  I chose two items last night and am so happy with them, I think I may just go back for more! 

I absolutely love this Calming color correcting make up base.  I've always had too much pink in my chin nose area.  This sheer green tinted base color corrects me and balances my undertones very well.  Boots also offers a warming base that would work well for those with more sallow issues.

Here's another winner: The No 7 Line's True Identity.  It is a sheer cream coverage make up base that applies with almost a velvet powdery quality.  I was torn between this one and the tinted moisturizer (which I may try next).  I am very happy with the way True Identity covers and self-corrects to match my skin tone.  The combination of the Calming base and this sheer coverage is perfect for my daily wear.

I also picked up an Intensive Daily Moisturizer in the No 7 line and a $3 jar of Vaseline.  With all of the interent hype made over Tyra Banks' spoof of Oprah, jumping up and down and giving her audience jars of Vaseline, I've read so much praise of this beauty bargain.  At night I wash my face with Dermalogica's Special Cleanser, then apply Dermalogica's Skin Smoothing Cream and Eye Care, then apply a thin layer of Vaseline around my eye area and mouth.  Can't hurt to try it and I do think my skin is softer for it.  In the  a.m. I wash well with cleanser again.

Finally, I haven't blogged all week because all of my computer time has been spent trying to figure out Bluetooth and iSync and the LG enV vs the Motorola KRZR.  I had the enV for about five days and wanted to pull my hair out with the Mac incompatibility. I had high hopes of being one of those PDA-slinging moms who could manage everyones schedules while sitting in the carpool pick up killing time entering contacts into my cell while dialing numbers.  I couldn't make that happen and now I'm back to a plain 'ol cell phone.  But it's a purdy one.  I returned the enV and now am the proud owner of a pearl white KRZR.  I still haven't figured out how to sync my calendar into my cell phone, but I'm working on it.

And so....how way your week?

You know.....Mothers Day IS coming....

Check this thing out....it is a full out mobile store, complete with a satellite dish, electric awnings and check out counters. 

Look at these sliding panels full of product.  Clever design!

Can you imagine rolling up in this thing through suburban neighborhoods?  You could have a catchy theme song and the women would come running out of their homes like kids chasing the ice cream truck.

Want one?  You can find IT on Ebay!  Happy bidding!

Playing tag

Jeanette tagged me, asking me to share seven RANDOM facts/habits (aka: idiosyncracies) about myself.  Here goes:

• I think food is an art form.  I love cooking and sharing meals.  I love the color and smell and the right music and wine with food.  I HATE, however, the sound of food being eaten.  Can't stand it.  Crunching, munching and slurping can absolutely ruin a meal for me.  I've been known to get up and leave the room when the food sounds get to be too much.  I play music at dinner so we don't have to hear each other eat.  Blech.

• I'll watch any movie starring Mark Wahlberg.  Marky Mark and his Funky Bunch just entertain the heck out of me and I'm a big fan.  Saw Shooter two weeks ago.  Way too violent, but MM was pure eye candy.

• The Associated Press and Chicago Style Guides are on my Amazon wishlist.  I listen to Grammar Girl's  podcast regularly and realize I really need to polish my writing skills.

• I absolutely cannot sit still and talk on the phone.  This unnerves my husband.  I often use a headset during long phone calls and I will unload the dishwasher, fold laundry, organize shoes and closets and even clean mirrors and dust.  I love talking on the phone.  It really makes my housework go by easier.

• I crave sushi almost every day.  I don't eat it that often, but if lunch out is up for discussion, I always try to convince the kids we should have sushi.  Smoothies are big with us too.

• I'm not a vegetarian, but if I stop and consider animal rights, I think they way chickens are raised is very inhumane.  Poor things spend their lives in tiny cages where they can't even turn around.  Artificial lights are kept on all night so they can't sleep and so they will keep laying.  Their waste piles up under their cages for months.  Filthy, rotten conditions.  I know this because I grew up next door to a chicken ranch.  If I ever move to a place with a little land, I'm going to raise my own chickens in a big 'ol henhouse with a yard to roam.

• I hate Chick Lit. Hate it.  They few books I've read that were so highly praised (Jemima J, The Devil Wears Prada, Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood) were such a complete disappointment and waste of my time.  I have little patience for whiney, sappy, weak female characters and these books made me frustrated for them.  I felt the same way with Memoirs of a Geisha.  I was given The Mists of Avalon in 1990.  My mom said it was the best book she has ever read.  I've carried that copy with me to Ecuador and back, to and from my years in Oregon and to each home along the way.  It is sitting in my reading room, waiting.  Someone please tell me it isn't Chick Lit, or I won't ever be able to read it.

Next to share are: Tommiea, Stacy, Korie, Karen, Kathy, Msdramateacherlady, and LA !   

U-G-L-Y you ain't got no alibi

you ugly!  Yeah, yeah, you ugly!

But oh so comfortable!  I resisted and refused the dreaded Crocs for a long time. I picked up fake Crocs (fauxocs?) for the kids a few months ago and they are addicted.  P has two pair and begs for more.  D has two and J has them in black.  He wants to wear them every day. 

I mentioned that I started kickboxing again last week.  I love it, but my feet, ankles and hips are back to aching on my hardwood floors.  I'm hobbling and limping again, but I refuse to quit kickboxing.  I took the kids shopping and slipped on a pair in the store and my feet started singing with the cushy relief.

I bought these first:

The pink and brown flip flops are cute and comfy, but really can't compare to the uber-comfort of those ugly clogs.  So I relented and picked up a pair of the classic Fauxroc clogs in navy blue. I treat them like house slippers. In fact, I'm quite a vision coming downstairs at 5:45am, half asleep with my big puffy pink bathrobe, Medusa hair and navy blue crocs.  I could swear I heard my husband chanting as he left for work, "U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi..."

Busy little spring bees

More invitation crafting parties...this time at my house.  Look how cute we designed Monica's invitation:

P absolutely loves juicing.  Her favorite is fresh apple carrot. 

I've even spring cleaned our refridgerator.   I'm no Aby Garvey, but the Post-Its are a huge improvement.  Finally, I can find the ginger!

We took the girls out this morning to attempt a photo shoot.  I need to head out and find fun locations more often.  So much more fun than my driveway.




For more from today's shoot, visit my Photoblog.  Happy April Fool's Day!

Meanwhile....back at the ranch...

My grandpa used to always say that.

This is the ranch.  His ranch.  Our ranch.  The ranch where I had Sunday dinner every single Sunday night of my life until I moved away from home.  The ranch were my brother and I would run to the top of the hill to the base of the water tower and then run down and pretend we were the Ingalls kids from Little House on the Prairie.  The ranch were my husband I lived when we were first married and the first home to which we brought our first baby girl.  This is the ranch for which my first born child is named.

Yesterday my family attended the Grand Opening ceremony for the new 40-acre community park with four state-of-the-art baseball fields, complete with artificial turf, lamp lights and biking trails that line the hills.  As you exit this new mulit-million dollar community park, you face "the back 40" of our ranch.  Our rusted out farm equipment, grain silos, feeding mangers and Grandpa's old outhouse in all it's glory. 

The front of the new community park is slated for high-density townhomes.  Who knows what this ranch will look like in the near future. 

My favorite thing about this ranch is the great afternoon breeze and the huge trees that surround the little house on the front of the property.  I have a feeling that I'd better go enjoy that breeze and take as many photos as I can before the loud hum of earth movers and cheering baseball fans fill the quiet calm of the country.

How wierd it will be when we can no longer say, "Meanwhile, back at the ranch...."