We were home WAY before the clock struck midnight

Cinderella stopped by the local Chick-Fil-A last evening. The boys were away so the girls and I (and Christian) headed out.

Some local new company (some little girl spa-type thing) was there also to give the girls a free "manicure".

I felt a little bad for Cindy, when the Chick-Fil-A cow came out wearing a tutu and a princess hat and stole her thunder. (Maybe she got a little taste of what the step-sisters go through.)

Christian was a little ticked about having to be there. Sorry, little brother. Those are the breaks when you have two older sisters who are princess obsessed and a mom who gives into it.

Everyone brought home both of their shoes, and the rest of the night was happily ever after.

Family Prayer

(Eric and Logan are hanging out at Kelly's having an extended frat party)

Samy: "Please don't let the boys come home because they hurt Maren's feelings."



Maren: "Please bless dad to let him know that we love him even though he makes bad choices"



Um, is there something she knows that I don't? Geoff?

It took me 45 minutes...

...to shower and get ready for the day. While I was doing that, the kids got hold of the camera:











They also changed a poopy diaper. Luckily this was the only picture of that whole thing:

Then they got all jiggy with it, including putting on kangaroo and Koala sweaters in 100 degree weather:

(They really like the curls at the back of Christian's hair.)

I was oblivious to all of it. It's a good thing they are good kids, though, because if you are smart enough to take pictures of the crime scene....

Randomness

I've been having a hard time getting to blog during the summer. I have random thoughts and stories and things to share, but when the kids are finally in bed at the end of the day, and away from my computer, my brain can't remember what was for dinner let alone what I was going to write about. So, I'm just going to journal and blab about what we've been up to. We really aren't as busy as I make it sound, it's just minutia.

Summer Camps

Logan and Maren have been at a community college "Kids College" this week where they have been writing and preforming a play, making pottery, and cheer leading (not Logan) and other things. They have been in heaven. And I have been in heaven with Eric babysitting the two youngest! It's been a fun week for everyone. Well, maybe not Eric, but whatever, I have spent plenty of money on him this week, and really, that's what it's all about...

Politico

So, we're driving to the book store today and I actually had control of the radio. Worse than grown-up music, I was listening to Rush Limbaugh (funny, Eric was getting into it -- I'm working on the conservative brain washing, he has too many left leaning teachers at school). He was talking about the blatant media bias on favor of Barack Obama and all the coverage of him in the Middle East. People referring to Obama as being the 'Redeemer of Politics in America', etc... I almost had to roll down the window and lose my lunch. Then he started to play soundbites from a speech Obama made in Berlin, Germany recently. Oh my! (and I do recognize that Rush is biased the other way, and playing only what he wants us to hear and all that, but still Oh My!)

First Barack -- who wants to be the commander in Chief of the United States of America -- pretty nicely (and eloquently of coarse) bashed our country and called himself a "citizen of the world" not one country. And all that's fine and all, but it was very snide and clever the way that he pretty much went "Dixie Chick" to the Germans; pretty much apologizing for America's behavior. For me, the worst of all was when he almost echoed remarks by President Ronald Reagan about "tearing down the [invisible] wall[s]". In my opinion, you have no right to lambaste the President of the United States and the Republican party in one breath then pretty much quote a Republican former President in the next.

Okay, I know at least one reader who is going to get all up in my face about how lousy W has been for this country, but I can write what I want. It's my blog.

Anyway, I was pretty disgusted. And mind you, I am NOT a John McCain lover (or liker, really) but I actually agree with some of the things that he says and stands for. Nothing with Obama. Oh wait, I do agree with Change and Hope and 'Yes We Can', I'd just like to know what Changes there will be, what we are Hoping for and what we Can do.

So, we go into the bookstore to the children/youth section and as I browse the isles, I come upon (without looking hard at all) not one but two separate biographies of Barack Obama (remember, we are in the children's section!). Then I looked hard to find anything about John McCain or even anything about George W. Bush (positive or negative) and couldn't find a dang thing. Nothing. No bias in the media! The funniest part of all is when the mainstream media get all hot and bothered about talk radio and Fox News being too conservative biased. Whatever. At least the right side has a couple outlets. Okay. I'm done.

I'm Middle-aged

The doctor, the other day, said it was about time that I start getting mammograms. I said, okay, sure, why not. So bam!, he sent me to radiology and there it was. I'm pretty tough. I think I have Samy's pain threshold, so it wasn't as terrible as I've heard others describe it being. In fact on Good Morning America just the other day, there was a segment about the need/want to apply a local anaesthetic before a mammogram because it was that painful. I think it must be more painful for those lucky ladies who "have more to examine" (if you get my drift) than I do.

The only "painful" part about it was coming to the realization that I am old enough to need the exam. So, I thought about that for a minute or two; decided I couldn't get a convertible BMW to go with a mid-life crisis; and got over it. I'm done with that.

Well Helloooo Dolly!

The other day at 5 am, as hurricane Dolly rolled towards Brownsville, Texas, we were greeted by her outer bands. So, with the lightening and thunder rolling, waiting for the inevitable pitter/patter of one or two pairs of scarred little feet, I had Carol Channing stuck in my head. The only problem was that all I know is the first two lines of the song. And it kept going on in my head over and over and over again...

We ended up with only one person in our bed and got to sleep in until after seven what with the gloomy sky and all. It turned out nice.

Dolly has also produced a couple of rainy, wet days that have been great for guilt-free days spent at home watching too much TV, playing electronics, and a lot of reading. Yippee!

Pictures of Summer

Following are random pictures to go with my randomness post about what we've been doing during some of the dog days...

Check out his hands. Adorable baby is getting to be quite naughty. It's a good thing we think he is the cutest baby in the world!

Samy's current obsession is ring pops, then insisting that I take a picture of her blue mouth.

One day we were bored and hot, so we decided to go to Academy (sporting goods store) and loiter and take out our frustrations on the bag.

Now I'm tired. Hopefully it won't be another week before I get back to this. My people need to let me have more turns on my laptop!

New Addiction

I've gotten into Netflix recently and l. o. v. e. it! I've almost caught up on all the recent movies that I wanted to see in the theater and never got around to. Last night's feature was La Vie En Rose. Kelly told me not to bother with it (she knows me well), but I couldn't resist seeing the adorable girl (Marion Coutillard) that won the academy award last year, so I got it anyway.

First off, I don't have the attention span for subtitles. It is not easy for me to look at the picture and read the words at the same time. So that was the first hurdle. Next hurdle was that it is a very dark movie. Yes, dramatic and depressing-dark, but I mean literally, it was dark. How the heck are you supposed to see what's going on in the film when you can't see the people? I know it's the new 'thing' in film making (along with the bouncy, motion-sickness inducing shaky camera), and maybe it saves on the set expense, but I don't get it. So with it being dark, and me having to try to read and see the pictures at the same time, it was not an easy watch.

When it was over and I turned it off, my first thought was that it was kind of depressing. But I guess if they made a movie about an upstanding, happy, non-addicted artist who was faithful to her spouse and didn't mess up other peoples marriages, it wouldn't win many awards or make any money. It was a tragic story, and amazing what this lady came from to rise to such status among the French (and the world).

Then this morning, I looked Edith Piaf up on Wikipedia and learned a bit more about her - she was tiny (4'10" - which is why she was called the little Sparrow (Piaf)). I decided that she was kind of cool (for a really messed up chick). I also kind of liked some of her songs.

Overall, the movie - with a Wikipedia and YouTube chaser - was pretty good IF one can read and watch at the same time. The best actress Oscar for Coutillard was deserved, I thought.

Here's my new favorite Edith Piaf song (I also like checking out the pianist. Apparently this guy wrote the song. He's fun to watch - I love when he pounds out the notes.):

Should I be offended... again?!

Recently, there have been a rash of home break ins in our neighborhood. There have been muggings by the mail box (we have community mail boxes, not one in front of each house), where a person will get pushed into the thugs car and taken to an ATM to empty their account. Another tactic is for the thugs to pull their car up to a house in the middle of the day and kick in the door and grab all they can. Then there are plenty of car break ins and the usual stuff.


My theory on this has been that these homes, specifically the middle of the day break-ins, are targeted. I think the thugs know who is home or gone during the day and what it is that they are going into the house to get. I've always felt fairly secure because I don't usually have a set schedule where I am gone for an exact period of time day after day. It's pretty random around here -- especially in the summer. But I still set my house alarm and take all precautions just in case.

So, last night upon arriving home, we realized that we are total rejects.

Apparently, this family can leave the house at 3 pm, be gone until after 10 pm, leave the front door wide open and not a thug in sight saw fit to take a dang thing!

When we got home, Eric noticed the door open so we sent Geoff in to secure the area. Then I realized that two things would immediately clue me in on whether anyone had broken into our house. The flat screen TV in my bedroom, and the computer in the study. Untouched! Not even the dust was unsettled.

So, there you go. We don't even have anything good enough to give away to crooks!

What the heck!

For the past two days (of coarse over the weekend -- a holiday weekend) Samy has been complaining that her ear hurt. This kid has an incredible pain threshold, so when she says something hurts, it really does.

**(A little history: She gets four shots, two in each thigh, and doesn't bat an eye. She cracked her head open when she tripped (on her own feet) at school and had shots put into the deep opened wound on her forehead without the nurse having to hold down her hands or legs, never shedding a tear. She is a stud.)**

Although, she will cry a river if she scraps her knee. Anyway, high pain threshold....

So, this morning, I called the doctor to get her in because she still said her ear hurt, and then said the other one did too. And she had an elevated temperature. So, doctor would see us at 2:20 pm.


We see the doctor and she checks her out only to tell me that everything looks great and she doesn't see any problems or even any fluid in her ears at all. WHAT?!?

The doctor gave me a funny look when I told Samy that she owed me $30 for the co-pay. Dang. So what the heck is wrong with her ear? The doctor said maybe swimmers ear, so try ear plugs. I didn't get any. We went swimming this afternoon. Samy was the last one out of the pool. Ears must have miraculously healed. $30!

Random photos

The following are some of the high adventure and breathtaking things we've been doing over the summer:

We got into Webkinz when Maren got one from a friend for her birthday. Logan and "Blisterz" have been hanging out and doing a lot of reading.

Maren and Samantha have been constructing. I bought a set of cheap blocks a long time ago to pull out on a day when we needed something "constructive". It worked nicely.

This photo was not staged at all. He did it himself. Christian has been into EV RY THING!

Uncle Benn just came for a visit. (The Dodgers were in town to be beaten by the Astros), and thankfully, Benn fixed the child gate so that the stairs can be blocked off again -- I guess I'm not too good at finding studs (except for you, of coarse, Geoff).

We've been visiting local museums. This is the Natural Science Museum. Not a great picture. But we had a pretty good time. We go pretty regularly, but not enough to get bored of the same things. We buy family passes to the museums for the summer because they are air conditioned outings that don't require spending any other money. (You go twice and the pass is paid for!) The kids think the gift shops are just another display room. I am letting them believe.

Maren and Samy have been in swimming lessons this past week. The lessons actually started last week, but their brainless mom was a week off. (DERRRR!)

Finally, SWIMMING. The weather has been gorgeous and not very humid. Awesome neighbors have pretty much given us free reign of their house and pool whether they are home or not. So we spend every non-rainy afternoon at their house. They really are the greatest.

It's been a tough summer (sarcasm). We have worked hard on these tans. It's rough over here.

We're gearing up for an actual family vacation (with all of us together -- and without Geoff's computer -- GEOFF?!...) at the beginning of August. It's been a while, so I'm excited. Samy is afraid to get on a plane. She has been told we are driving. We will drive. To the airport..... It will all be okay when she is told that she gets to hold and watch the protable DVD player for the duration of the flight.

He ASKED for it

Eric knew I didn't love his hair so long, but I didn't force him to do anything he didn't want to do. All I ever said to him (to him, I said) was that by the time he was passing the sacrament at the end of August, his hair would be above his shirt collar.











Apparently, Scout Camp was hot. Very hot. So Eric asked me to take him to get his hair cut. Of coarse I jumped at the opportunity! On the way over, he said that he wanted a #2 clipper on top and a #1 clipper for the back and sides. I guess I'm not too keen on what length all the clipper numbers mean, because I was thinking it would be a little longer on top and nicely combed to the side or the slightly spiked/messy look.


When he told the stylist what he wanted, she asked three times if he was sure. Then she looked at me. I just shrugged. Then she did this:










I gasped out loud, grabbed my camera,jumped up and started shooting! I was a little sick to my stomach. I kept saying in my mind: "It will grow back. It will grow back." I was worried that he would be upset because of a miscommunication or something. But nope! This is exactly what he wanted. I know I didn't like the long and unstyled hair, but I did like some hair! I was thinking something short and controlled. Not G I Joe! (In fact, thinking about it, I'm pretty sure G I Joe had more plastic hair than Eric does now.)

Talk about extremes! But, hey, it will be above the collar for passing the sacrament; there will be no argument about that.

He says that next year, he is doing this before Scout Camp.

ROTC here we come!