{winners + losers}

i'm a winner!

and i didn't even know it!

i got a message today

from a local radio station

saying if i didn't claim

said prize, won in feb,

by this friday,

i would forfeit the loot!

clearly, they don't know me!

if i had known i won,

the prize would not still be there!

as it turns out, an entry i submitted

online was read over the air,

winning me this sweet necklace!

the contest asked listeners

to describe the perfect valentine's day

or something like that...cannot remember!

but here is my entry,

{which they made a copy of for me...i couldn't remember all that i wrote!}

my perfect valentine's story starts with an awful valentine's day! i left my emotionally abusive marriage on valentine's day. happy to be leaving, but not an ideal valentine's day! less than 5 months later, i accidentally met the man i would marry, the love of my life, when our phone lines were crossed! i consider that a redo of the crappy valentine's day earlier in the year! here we are, 7 years later, and valentine's day has a whole new meaning for me!

and onto the losers:
pistachios!




we have upwards of 5 pounds
of the damn nuts
on the counter
i have been eating
on one bag for a week now
until today...salmonella?
can the farm responsible
reimburse me for these
useless nuts now?
i hate to throw them away
but i think i'd hate
salmonella even more!
might be a good weight loss program though!

winners and losers...
got any to share?

"let's go to the movies"

{title to be read to the tune of the song from annie}

today we celebrated

liv's birthday at the movies

with her friends

we saw

while noshing on popcorn,

we all agreed

it is a great movie!

very well done

as far as 3-D goes

and very much enjoyed

by adults and kids...

go see it!

while at the movies,

we got a tour of the

projection room,

i am not sure who

enjoyed it more...

the adults or kids!

after the movie we had

and

and opened a few gifts!

a great way to celebrate

a little movie lovers

birthday!

{and here is a pic of the invite and goody box we put together!}

opening day

opening day

tee ball

2009

~~~~~

accessorize!

opening day

7 years old!

the picture says it all...

{birthday party pics coming tomorrow!}

to the big girl...

today is a big day

you have counted

down the days

for over a month now

and here it is

you are 7 today!

but you are more

than your number

of years on earth:

you are me...

strong willed

a dreamer

a pretender

a reader

you are your dad...

smart

a perfectionist

an analyzer

a go-getter

but mostly, you are you!

you light up the room

with your toothy smile

and infectious laughter

you are a doting big sister

you are an aspiring artist

with a sharp eye for detail

you are an attentive student

greedily absorbing new ideas

you are an articulate orator

who loves her gift of gab

you are an amazing

daughter

granddaughter

cousin

friend

you are you...and we love you!

saturday::salvaged

saturday

we slept in

well, not the kids,

just us

but boy when we rose

we made swift plans for the day!

with breakfast,

personal hygiene,

and dressing

accomplished in

near record time

we were on the road

starbucks in hand

a fun little plan

and then

"what the hell was that?"

for some reason,

a reason which neither

one of us can pinpoint,

we took the elder of our two

vehicles

maybe cause she just got

shiny new tires

and brakes

but this didn't seem to matter

when she completely died halfway

to our destination

which, did i mention,

is in the foothills,

and we were 30 miles

from everything

but a barn and a 1000 cows.

she started right back up

but the glaring engine light

told us to turn around

so home we went

we pottied

refilled our snacks

and took our numero uno

vehicle.

it was like the movie

groundhog day

except we did not stop

at starbucks again

i promise.

so off we go

same path

kids very confused at this point

we finally make it to our destination:

nothing like a good street festival!

and of course we ate our way through it!

i swear, there really was a potato under there!

we waited in line for the
obligatory face painting

more like camped out in line,

mercy what we do for these kids!

we even avoided car-tastrophe number 2

when the little big guy

popped the brake on this

little ditty

and sent it rolling backwards

down the incline it was parked on!

so after taking in all things irish

and not so irish...

we made our way to the

vineyard down the road

unbeknownst to us,

it was daffodil day there

the sight of spring flowers

made my heart swell with the promise

of new life that spring brings!

{all the while trying to figure a way

to wrestle a few barrels of spring flowers

into our truck...there were so many

just calling my name...but they were not for sale!}



we perused our first ever flower show

who knew so many people were vying

for the best daffodil?!

and who can stop at a vineyard

and not taste the wares?

and what do the kids do whilst

we sip some vino you ask?

why read books and play with toys of course!

a winery after the hearts of parents!

a great day...long, but fun!

and i leave you with a few funny quotes from the day:

the little big guy, as we zoom over tummy tickling hills:

"these hills make my privates tingle!" {tmi son!}

and i overheard this gem...

a woman behind me exclaims:

"are you biting your nipple?"

{speaking to a baby in a stroller}

but her tipsy friends respond with crass comments

not suited for my blog! hee hee!

this and that

wednesday

i do love this day of the week

i get one whole hour

to myself every

wednesday

i know, big deal!

but it is.

it is just me

one hour

all mine.

i love it.

today i spent it

at the consignment shop

spring is almost here

and the kids are growing

so how is this for a bargain:

10 items

2 shorts

for the little big guy

1 dress and 2 tops

for the big girl

3 shirts

and

2 pants

for moi

all for spring

all for 50 bucks!

and i shopped alone!

perhaps the best part!

~

last night

the little big guy

helped daddy

in the yard

and the poor guy paid for it!

despite having his allergy med

before going out

we awoke this morning

to a snot machine!

and now he has a fever

and now hubs doesn't feel well

so the big girl

and i

saw this as an opening

we left the infirmary

and went out to dinner

her choice

just us

good times

she will be 7 next week

and even though

i hate how the time is flying,

i love the little girl

she is

growing up to be!

we sat and chatted

she is so articulate

and so funny

she's my big girl!

{birthday post coming soon}

{also a tee ball post...

nothing funnier than 4 year olds paying tee ball!}

annoying

this weekend
we had date night
while at dinner
we had the misfortune
of being seated by this
woman.
i knew from the second
i sat down
she would annoy me
she.never.shut.up.
you know, the kind
of talking that every
table around her has
no choice but to listen to
b/c she is so loud
hubs and i are sitting
side by side
taking in the view
chatting here and there
trying to enjoy a quiet
dinner
but instead of having
chatterboxes at our table
the chatterbox was beside us!
then i hear it!
she says, to the guy she is with,
"i'd hate to be a married couple
like them with nothing to talk about!"
and since the woman sitting beside
them was alone, i assume she meant us!

so to the rude woman at dinner:
perhaps if you shut your trap
long enough
a man might stick around,
as i have heard from your convo
with the poor guy sitting next to you,
your relationships tend to be
dysfunctional!
and perhaps
one day you will know
that in any good relationship
comfortable silence is okay!
really, try it sometime!
you might like a break from
your own annoying voice!
i know the peeps around you would!

what a week!

monday
my least fave
day of the week
daughter comes home with
an invitation...
to a sleep over.
did i mention she is only
in the
first grade???
i don't get this!
of course the answer is no
and i thought it would be harder
to make her understand why
but she got it.
does anyone else think this is a little young???

tuesday
well, we all know how tuesday went
just check out my previous post...
that is all i have to say about that

wednesday
the daughter got her glasses
she is elated
may the novelty of the specs
never wear off!
{will post pic soon}

thursday
kindergarten reg today
for the little big guy
cannot believe he is
going to k next year!
where has the time gone?
and let me just address something here:
why do people have such a hard time
following directions?
for a month or more
the community has been
informed of what is needed for
registration
yet when i get there,
the line is being held up
by the peeps who don't bother
to bring it all with them!
why should their unpreparedness
be my inconvenience?
does this annoy anyone else?
~~
in other news
the big girl lost her second tooth
at school
she got kicked
it fell out
lots of blood
did i mention that
this is the only way she loses teeth?
on accident?
they are loose as can be
she hangs on to them
until she gets popped in the mouth!
she refuses to try and work them out
annoying...she has more teeth than
any kid should have!
make that one less today!
crap...note to self...get a dollar for tonight!
~~
and, the icing on the cake for today
i copied a math worksheet for my class
the page had a post it on it
marking the page
i left it on while copying...
i pass the paper out...
the kids point out that there is something amiss...
the post it perfectly covered the c and the l
of the word class
on the top of the page
oops!
not classy!

friday
although not here yet,
it will look something like this
school
kajukembo
family out to dinner
home to watch a movie
and fall asleep midway through it!

what will your friday look like???

when life hands you pink lemons

updated...see bottom of post

today is a day i have been
dreading
for a week now.
i knew it was coming,
i am glad i have had time
to digest it
before it really happens,
but there is no avoiding this reality
i am getting a
pink slip
it sucks.
i never thought that 11 years into
teaching
this is where i would be.
let me rewind a bit:
we moved our little family
3 years ago
from the midwest to california
it took me over a year
to get my ca credential
and then a job
and when i got this job,
it just all came together
the month i was hired was the
same month our
mortgage assistance ended
{provided for by hubs company for relocating}
the.same.exact.month.
talk about down to the wire
i have never been more thankful
to have a job
i realized that i had not given that
much thought before.
i always just had a job
i am sure i was thankful for that,
but not as thankful as i was
after not having a job
for a period of time.
so here i am
second year of teaching
in ca
and i am so aware
of how lucky i am
to have a job
and then
bam
the dreaded cut.
it does not feel good
i love my job
this is all i know
and over the last few days
i have also come to know this:
we will be okay
it is what it is.
nothing i can do about it.
no amount of stressing will
reverse this.
we have always managed to work things out
this time should be no different.

i just want to get through today
i just want to make pink lemonade!


updated...
today one of the teachers
at school
brought in an abundance
of lemons,
fresh picked...
he/she had no way of knowing
about this post!
how'd they know i posted about
lemons????
did i bring some home?
you betcha!
i just may have some
lemonade tonight!
a chaser for the margarita
i stopped to guzzle on the way home!

swappy goodness

i participated in mamarazzi's
favorite things swap for the second time
and loved it once again!

i was partnered up with
janie
a gal that somehow knows just what i like!

her package came on a day
which needed some sunshine
and she delivered!

everything was wrapped
and so cute, i didn't want to open...
but that lasted only a minute!

i swear janie snuck in my house

and took stock of what i like!

a sweet animal print bracelet

lipstick and mascara

moonlight path bath and body lotion

a beautiful cross magnet

a pedi kit

a sleep mask

a menu planner and grocery list tablet

and an incredible vintage cookbook!

~

she could not have known

that i own many, many bracelets

and am always looking for cute ones to add to the mix

or that

i have been on a new makeup kick lately

or that

i love that particular scent of lotion

or that

all the magnets on my fridge have special meaning

or that

i love giving myself pedis to save money

or that

hubs brought home a sleep mask from a trip

and would not let me have it!

or that

the tablet on which i used to do menu planning/grocery list

just ran out!

or that

i collect cookbooks!

~

what an awesome swap!

thanks janie!

{now head on over to check out her goodies!}

that's what they said!

time for a little game of he said/she said:

mason's take on all things mommy:

1. What is something mom always says to you? "you're my cuddle-bug"
2. What makes mom happy? "when i kiss you"
3. What makes mom sad? "when i fight"
4. How does your mom make you laugh? "when i do silly things"
5. What was your mom like as a child? "the same like me"
6. How old is your mom? "i don't know...10?"
7. How tall is your mom? "..." (he put his hand on my head and said this big!)
8. What is her favorite thing to do? "play at the park"
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? "sleep" (coached from daddy!)
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? "jewelry" (???)
11. What is your mom really good at? "drawing"
12. What is your mom not very good at? "not doing stuff" (???)
13. What does your mom do for a job? "hammer stuff" (i feel like it!)
14.What is your mom's favorite food? "chicken nuggets"
15.What makes you proud of your mom? "cuddling"
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? "jason" (???)
17. What do you and your mom do together? "play at the park"
18. How are you and your mom the same? "having the same color shirt and pants"
19. How are you and your mom different? "socks"
20. How do you know your mom loves you? "cause you eat my eyeball" (must be a term of endearment?)
21. What does your mom like most about your dad? "kissing and marrying him"
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? "to the park"

and liv's take on things...

1. What is something mom always says to you? "just a minute" (oiy!)
2. What makes mom happy? "being together"
3. What makes mom sad? "not being together"
4. How does your mom make you laugh? "by doing silly things"
5. What was your mom like as a child? "smart"
6. How old is your mom? "30?" (thanks sweetie!)
7. How tall is your mom? "this big"
8. What is her favorite thing to do? "be together"
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? "schoolwork"
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? "singing"
11. What is your mom really good at? "singing funny songs"
12. What is your mom not very good at? "now that is hard...taking pictures while driving" (random!)
13. What does your mom do for a job? "a teacher"
14.What is your mom's favorite food? "burgers"
15.What makes you proud of your mom? "working hard at school"
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? "sandy on spongebob"
17. What do you and your mom do together? "have fun"
18. How are you and your mom the same? "both girls"
19. How are you and your mom different? "wearing different clothes"
20. How do you know your mom loves you? "when i go to bed you say love you, have a good night"
21. What does your mom like most about your dad? "he loves you"
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? "beach"

i see some common themes going on here!
when i interviewed liv, mason was in the other room yelling,
"how 'bout break a leg" for every answer!

let me know if you do this so i can come see!

she's come undone

{wally lamb had no idea he could have written about me!}
spiders
where do i begin?
i.do.not.like.them.
understatement
i hate them!
if they are outside
they are okay,
inside?
i lose my damn mind!
something comes over me
i become insane at the sight of one
my insides start to shudder
i cannot stand it
and if one happens to get on me?
fuggedaboutit!
i go into hysterics!
i liken it to convulsing...
not pretty.
i come undone!
i am a pretty rational person otherwise
i sooooo get that this is silly
i do
i see my kids act this way
when they see a spider
and i think,
'get a hold of your crazy self!'
in fact i am sure i have said that!
{yes, i have dutifully passed this on!}
i try very hard to keep my wits
about me when the kids are around
and i see an arachnid
i do
but last night:
kids are in bed
hubs in the bedroom
and i am alone
in the living room
i see it
something scurries across the floor
i freeze
{and simultaneously pause the drama i was wrapped up in on the tv!}
i yell for hubs
he does not come
i grab my cell phone
and yes, i called him!
i calmly say,
'come take care of the
tarantula in our living room!'
he takes his sweet old time
but my eyes never left the spider
and yes, it was so small
he had to LOOK for it when he came in!
i know, this is pitiful...
and i am sure i will suffer
with this affliction
forever
because i cannot stand to think
what an intervention
for being arachnophobic would be like!
no thanks!
i will take the momentary insanity!

what makes you come undone???
{i had a picture to post, but couldn't bring myself to do it! ick!}

all the right moves

the little big guy
has his own way
of getting from
point A to point B
it is rarely walking
it is leaping
bounding
scooting
dancing
flipping
anything but walking
that would be boring!
so tonight
during a journey
from the kitchen
to the living room
i marveled at how
he gets around
and hubs said,
"it takes a lot of moves"
and the little big guy says,
"and i've got a lot of them!"