Another beautiful day in Oregon? More sun? More blue skies? This feels amazingly like summer, and I'm loving it. Of course there is a chance that it won't last. Because summer in Oregon really usually doesn't start until July 4th. But maybe Mr. Summer has made an exception and will stick around now? I would be ever so grateful.
The weekend was beautiful. Hikes, BBQs, sitting out in the cul-de-sac with all the neighbors, the kids riding their bikes... Who knew I'd be perfectly happy to play the role of suburban momma, hangin' with the neighbors? Of course I've been warned by Ogre yesterday, that by the end of the year we'll start looking for a new house. It makes sense. This is just a rental, and while we like it here, and have a nice yard, and great neighbors, we do need some more storage room... and I really want to get rid of those awful carpets and the white kitchen. Who invented white kitchens anyway? Must have been a man, who wanted to make sure, that the good little wifey never runs out of work. And in this kitchen, you never do run out of work.
Ah, before I forget... my brother is going to be a girl's daddy. Hee hee!! I will have a niece, and I couldn't be more thrilled about it. Now I just need to carefully warn Ogre, that I'm planning to go to Germany for a week in November... alone.
And finally, am I the only one who thinks that wishing a "Happy Memorial Day" seems somewhat inappropriate? Remembering and honoring fallen heroes can hardly be regarded as happy. I read this sign, driving by a church, and found it disturbing. Am I just being overly critical? And then, does anybody actually do any honoring on this day?
So, have a nice Memorial Day. I shall read a story to my children and devote the rest of the day to extreme relaxation.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Nothing compares 2 U
I just figured it out. This is my all time favorite song. Sometimes, when asked about it, I can't think of any, or I'll come up with a different answer. And then I hear this one again, and I know, there is, quite simply, no better song in the whole entire world. You may disagree... but you would be wrong. ;-) This is my blog. I'm always right.
And now I shall dream about the summer of 1990, when I dated a French boy in Southern France. A French boy with baby blue eyes, eye lashes that should be reserved for women, and the blondest hair I've ever seen on a guy (and I don't even consider myself a "blond digger" LOL). Two teens, undying love, three different languages (we spoke English, French, and German), secret hiding places... and Skinhead O'Connor (yes, the k was intended).
Enjoy this lovely little treasure.
It helps that she is so damn gorgeous.
And now I shall dream about the summer of 1990, when I dated a French boy in Southern France. A French boy with baby blue eyes, eye lashes that should be reserved for women, and the blondest hair I've ever seen on a guy (and I don't even consider myself a "blond digger" LOL). Two teens, undying love, three different languages (we spoke English, French, and German), secret hiding places... and Skinhead O'Connor (yes, the k was intended).
Enjoy this lovely little treasure.
It helps that she is so damn gorgeous.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Don't go to bed angry
You have all heard this phrase, that makes a marriage happy, right? If you're fighting with your significant other, you need to get over it by bedtime. Well, you know what? Bullshit! Sometimes I don't want to make up before bed, because I'm too friggin' pissed, and that is not just going to stop, because we decide to make up, so we can sleep peacefully. I slept quite peacefully last night, despite the fact that I fell asleep in a crappy mood.
Yes, granted, it would suck if I woke up to a dead husband, but, let's face it... chances of that happening are slim. So therefore, sometimes, I will go to bed angry, and feel good about it. There is still plenty of time to make up. And while I'm still pissed this morning (it was a huge, huge fight), I don't feel like throwing things anymore. So sleeping over it actually helped. You see? It'll all work out in the end.
Yes, granted, it would suck if I woke up to a dead husband, but, let's face it... chances of that happening are slim. So therefore, sometimes, I will go to bed angry, and feel good about it. There is still plenty of time to make up. And while I'm still pissed this morning (it was a huge, huge fight), I don't feel like throwing things anymore. So sleeping over it actually helped. You see? It'll all work out in the end.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Kids say the darndest things...
Indeed they do. :)
Recently Toothless Fairy chatted with Neighbor J., whom, for some reason she seems to adore. She told him this:
In my family it's like this... My mom and dad are the king and queen, and I am the princess.
Asked by Neighbor J., what role her brother played, she thought for a moment and then replied loudly:
He is the Butler!
It seems she has it all figured out.
Recently Toothless Fairy chatted with Neighbor J., whom, for some reason she seems to adore. She told him this:
In my family it's like this... My mom and dad are the king and queen, and I am the princess.
Asked by Neighbor J., what role her brother played, she thought for a moment and then replied loudly:
He is the Butler!
It seems she has it all figured out.
Monday, May 11, 2009
After Mother's Day...
I have learned that:
1. walks with kids can be fun, when the kids have their friends with them,
2. motherhood is even more challenging than I thought in the past few weeks,
3. Tequila gets better with each shot,
4. I can stand with my back to the wall, bend over backwards and walk my hands down the wall, almost all the way to the ground,
5. I have amazing flexibility thanks to sticking to my stretching routine, no matter what,
6. 6'7'' guys should not ride tiny little scooters, because they WILL crash,
7. bad news sometimes reach you at times you don't want them (not that we ever do want them),
8. the Bohemian Rhapsody can follow you and your kids and your husband and your friends around for a long time after it's over,
9. girl drama can have one positive effect: Tequila shots "To Motherhood"
10. my friends are indeed the coolest friends any woman can ask for.
Yes, yes... I believe I shall do this again next year. I love parties.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day?
On this lovely Mother's Day I woke up at the usual time, 6:32am, to the sound of my husband working in the kitchen and to three creepy crawly ants running around my desk to find something, anything. My desk is in the bedroom on the second floor. One wonders why ants would go through the trouble of crawling up a two story building to end up on a desk full of paper, a computer, a laptop and a bunch of batteries. Last time I checked those items were not an ant's menu. So I squished them. Yes, indeed, I murdered three innocent ants.
Then I got dressed and got on my stationary bike to preventively burn off the calories I will stuff into my body during our Mother's Day BBQ in my backyard, and then my husband made his famous strawberry crepes with whip cream, and I thought I should probably get on the bike again right after breakfast to burn off the decadent breakfast calories. And then I remembered.... I don't diet! Why do I keep forgetting this?
Of course then I had to get trapped in discussion about the pay gap between men and women and got pissed at my husband, because he just doesn't get it. ;) I was so angry I cleaned the entire friggin' kitchen, only to realize that on Mother's Day I don't do such low jobs. And then I remembered.... we will have the house full of people in a few short hours.
That's when panic set in. Must clean bathrooms. No, really, those bathrooms did need it. There is no way I was going to let me guests use them "like that". So cleaned the downstairs bathroom and the upstairs bathroom. And then I remembered.... I still haven't bought the main ingredient for my dish this afternoon. My husband has disappeared in his office a long time ago. I'm making a shopping list, and I will head out to the store in a few minutes.
Then I will make my dish and force my husband to vacuum downstairs.
On the bright side... Blue Eyed Boy walked into my room half asleep this morning, said with a scratchy throat, "Happy Mother's Day, Mommy. I have something for you." He handed me a card he made by himself in his Young Adventurers class at Village Home. He never said a word to anyone, not even his dad. On the back of the card is a drawing of me and my boy, and he's throwing confetti. And I'm telling you it's all worth it.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you lovely moms out there!
Then I got dressed and got on my stationary bike to preventively burn off the calories I will stuff into my body during our Mother's Day BBQ in my backyard, and then my husband made his famous strawberry crepes with whip cream, and I thought I should probably get on the bike again right after breakfast to burn off the decadent breakfast calories. And then I remembered.... I don't diet! Why do I keep forgetting this?
Of course then I had to get trapped in discussion about the pay gap between men and women and got pissed at my husband, because he just doesn't get it. ;) I was so angry I cleaned the entire friggin' kitchen, only to realize that on Mother's Day I don't do such low jobs. And then I remembered.... we will have the house full of people in a few short hours.
That's when panic set in. Must clean bathrooms. No, really, those bathrooms did need it. There is no way I was going to let me guests use them "like that". So cleaned the downstairs bathroom and the upstairs bathroom. And then I remembered.... I still haven't bought the main ingredient for my dish this afternoon. My husband has disappeared in his office a long time ago. I'm making a shopping list, and I will head out to the store in a few minutes.
Then I will make my dish and force my husband to vacuum downstairs.
On the bright side... Blue Eyed Boy walked into my room half asleep this morning, said with a scratchy throat, "Happy Mother's Day, Mommy. I have something for you." He handed me a card he made by himself in his Young Adventurers class at Village Home. He never said a word to anyone, not even his dad. On the back of the card is a drawing of me and my boy, and he's throwing confetti. And I'm telling you it's all worth it.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you lovely moms out there!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Life is a rollercoaster...
You can get your heart broken in the morning, sink really low, and then realize that you have the nicest friend ever, and climb up from out of the dump. It's been one of those days. I believe I shall have a glass of wine now and then go to bed and dream of a new and wonderful day.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Want some rambling?
Here ya go:
1. My ears are still bugging me, and it's getting really, really old.
2. I have three books I want to read, I NEED to read, and I have no idea which one to start with. It's a daunting task, because I'm not sure which I want the most. So I read nothing.
3. Instead of reading, I've spent a lot of time knitting, and watching Golden Girls. Yes, shame on me. I LOVE the Golden Girls.
4. Has anyone ever wondered why on Earth there are only three chairs around their kitchen table, when there are four women? Yes, granted, one of them would be sitting with her back to the camera. But heck, there's a household with 4 people. They need 4 chairs.
5. Can you believe it took me three days until I realized who Bea Arthur was? I'm so sad she died.
6. I'm absolutely amazed by my son's ability to addition. Only recently he couldn't even count to 20 without leaving out 16 every time. Now he can figure out what 51+6 is. We did not practice that. He simply gets it. Wow!
7. He reads too.
8. I got my new passport 1.5 years after applying for it. I can travel now. Yippeee!
9. We don't have the swine flu. How on Earth did we manage to stay healthy??? ;)
10. I'm totally fine with the government reading my private stuff. Just stay out of my underwear drawer.
11. I'm feeling generally out of balance these days, and I'm hoping this too shall pass.
Happy Monday, all.
1. My ears are still bugging me, and it's getting really, really old.
2. I have three books I want to read, I NEED to read, and I have no idea which one to start with. It's a daunting task, because I'm not sure which I want the most. So I read nothing.
3. Instead of reading, I've spent a lot of time knitting, and watching Golden Girls. Yes, shame on me. I LOVE the Golden Girls.
4. Has anyone ever wondered why on Earth there are only three chairs around their kitchen table, when there are four women? Yes, granted, one of them would be sitting with her back to the camera. But heck, there's a household with 4 people. They need 4 chairs.
5. Can you believe it took me three days until I realized who Bea Arthur was? I'm so sad she died.
6. I'm absolutely amazed by my son's ability to addition. Only recently he couldn't even count to 20 without leaving out 16 every time. Now he can figure out what 51+6 is. We did not practice that. He simply gets it. Wow!
7. He reads too.
8. I got my new passport 1.5 years after applying for it. I can travel now. Yippeee!
9. We don't have the swine flu. How on Earth did we manage to stay healthy??? ;)
10. I'm totally fine with the government reading my private stuff. Just stay out of my underwear drawer.
11. I'm feeling generally out of balance these days, and I'm hoping this too shall pass.
Happy Monday, all.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Volunteering
So, I'm pretty sure we all agree, that volunteering is a good thing. Good things happen, when volunteers put their heads together. I have met some of the greatest people in volunteering. People who spend a lot of their own valuable time to make organizations, companies, museums etc work.
And then I've seen volunteers who are not volunteers. At Village Home, where my kids and I take classes... the place I call my home away from home, I've seen them both. Those who work and work and work, because they believe in this cause. And then I've seen those, who are volunteering, because their classes will be cheaper that way. And while some religiously do their jobs and record them, a good bunch of them simply won't do a thing, but at the end of the term will still record their time. I am so sick of this. This system is obviously not working. And the word volunteer is obviously mis-used in this situation.
After all a volunteer is a person who "volunteers" out of the goodness of their heart, NOT to get cheaper classes. Hence the question, should we rename the volunteer jobs at Village Home? And if so, what would we call them? And then, how do I keep track of people doing their jobs? (Oh, I'm the volunteer coordinator) We used to have this volunteer sign up book. In an effort to make things easier for our members, everything went online. Well, everything is now more difficult, and I'd like my volunteer sign up book back. I think I need to have a chat with the boss, who, might I add, is one of the most brilliant people I've ever met. It is simply a privilege to know this woman.
Rant off. Thanks for reading.
And then I've seen volunteers who are not volunteers. At Village Home, where my kids and I take classes... the place I call my home away from home, I've seen them both. Those who work and work and work, because they believe in this cause. And then I've seen those, who are volunteering, because their classes will be cheaper that way. And while some religiously do their jobs and record them, a good bunch of them simply won't do a thing, but at the end of the term will still record their time. I am so sick of this. This system is obviously not working. And the word volunteer is obviously mis-used in this situation.
After all a volunteer is a person who "volunteers" out of the goodness of their heart, NOT to get cheaper classes. Hence the question, should we rename the volunteer jobs at Village Home? And if so, what would we call them? And then, how do I keep track of people doing their jobs? (Oh, I'm the volunteer coordinator) We used to have this volunteer sign up book. In an effort to make things easier for our members, everything went online. Well, everything is now more difficult, and I'd like my volunteer sign up book back. I think I need to have a chat with the boss, who, might I add, is one of the most brilliant people I've ever met. It is simply a privilege to know this woman.
Rant off. Thanks for reading.
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