Adventures in Everyday Life

Lemon Bars

2012-01-19T07:50:00.003-07:00

For the records, I had deemed Lemon Bars no longer worth it. They are yummy and fairly easy to make, but the muscle power it takes to pry them loose from the pan is going to put my in the loony bin one of these days. I keep thinking "the next time it'll be easier", but yet it never is! Feel free to remind me that I said this should you ever hear me say that I'm going to make Lemon Bars again.

On Being an Older Parent

2012-01-14T09:46:00.013-07:00

A friend posted this on Facebook the other day:

"Having kids 10 years before everyone else my age has been a challenge. I missed out on a lot of things. I spent my twenties changing diapers and skipping over the whole college/travel/binge drinking phase other people experience."

This was not her whole post. The rest of it basically said that having kids young has finally paid off and now she's considered a cool mom to her 6th grade daughter and her friends. But I only focused on the first part. It amused me and also hit a nerve. Probably because I am not a young parent.

I had to laugh at her post. Really - you're a young mom here? I hadn't noticed. I've had absolutely no problem meeting people like her since moving from the bay area (where she would have been an anomaly). Moms who had children earlier on. In fact, her stats are the most common, at least in my world. My friend is 34 with a 6th and 3rd grader. I'm guessing that she had her first child right around 22, which is not really all that young in this area. Probably not in most of middle America, either (and this state is one step away from there!). She started a few years earlier than my other acquaintances here, but only a few. One of the issues I've had since moving here is that most women I know with children similar in age to my children are 7-10 years younger than I am. People here that are my age have teenagers. I don't relate to the younger parents, although our kids are the same age, and I have completely different schedules to adhere to than the people who are my age. It has been a challenge, to say the least, to find community here that I can relate to. I seem to focus on age, which is not the only factor. However, I've found it to be one of the biggest indicators of compatibility in the last 4 1/2 years. It's been rough.

When I got married, at 29, I felt too old and way too young all at the same time. Having my first child at 33, just a few months before my next birthday, was not unusual at all in Silicon Valley. I was right in the middle - not the oldest, not the youngest. I had a wide range of friends and acquaintances of all ages. I *never* felt like an older parent. We all related. Fast forward 3 1/2 years and a decision to move to another state, and all of sudden I was an older parent. I joined a MOPS group after moving to Colorado in 2007 and was shocked to find out how old I really was! I had no idea! I didn't get married in or right out of college and start trying to have kids right away! Oops - major fail! The age at which I did get married is practically old age in these parts. In all honestly, I have nothing against getting married or having children at a young age. It just didn't happen for me. I didn't want kids before I was 30 anyway (although I may have been persuaded to change my mind if I'd gotten married younger). The thought that's been bouncing around in my head since we moved here is "I'm not the only one." Other people must have had my same experiences, and yet they're elusive. As I was thinking about why it worked for me, I came up with this list:

The benefits of being an older parent:

1. College

I'm so glad I went. They weren't fun years. In fact, they were some of the most miserable years of my life. I was sick for years, and worked, and went to school. I didn't have a lot of fun in college, or do all the fun things that I hear others talk about when they were in college. However, I knew that in the long run it would pay off. The business world views you differently when you have a college degree. Trust me. All those years working in HR only reinforced that point.

2. Career

When I was a child I use to wonder what would happen to our family if my dad couldn't work. My mom had a plan B, but I still wondered. One of my goals, after college, was to establish a career. A plan. I didn't know if I would ever have anyone to support me, so I needed to get moving. I did get married, 7 years after graduating from college, and now I'm a stay-at-home-mom without a paying job. My HR career supported me when I worked for a living, and supported us during my husband's bought of unemployment. Knowing that I can go back to work should something happen to my husband, is a huge relief to me. Even if it's not in the same career path, I am familiar with the business world. I know how to handle myself and what to do. I know I can support my family if I need to.

3. Financial Stability

It's a lot easier to have financial stability when you've done the college/career thing prior to having children. Not always, but in general. Children require a lot of time, and they require money. I had more of both after establishing a career when I was younger. I'm also glad we've set up college funds for our children. If we'd had children at a younger age, I don't know that we could have afforded that. If we could have, it would have been less than what we do now.

4. Travel

I love to travel. I love to have my world view widened. I love to experience other cultures. I save my money for vacations. There's a whole wide world out there that I have yet to see. I hope I can narrow that gap in the future, not only for myself, but for my children as well. Not everyone feels the way I do, which is fine. But this is my thing.

5. Knowing who I am

I have a clearly defined sense of my own identity, and that started in my late 20's. Before that, I was not nearly as confident in who I was. I didn't really have an identity outside of my family, what I studied in college, or my job. I didn't understand myself as well - my likes and dislikes - what makes me tick. I felt a huge need to tell everyone my opinion, as if it truly mattered. Personal boundaries were not well established until I was in my early 30's, which resulted in me letting a lot of people walk all over me (and walk they did!). Now I'm not afraid to say no. I say it a lot. And most of the time it doesn't bother me. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm glad I had that time earlier on in my life to establish my own personal ground rules and beliefs, and to live by them. My understanding of the world, of cultures, of community - those are so much more solid now than they were in my younger days.

So, here I am touting the benefits of being an older parent (which I'm loosely defining as having a child in your early 30's). There are pros and cons. I'm sure I could come up with more if I sat around and thought about. Those have just been the ones that have been bouncing around in my head. I can think of a lot of pros about being a younger parent, too. Pregnancy is definitely for the young! And just think of all that energy the parents still have! You are closer in age to your children. I think of all the freedoms I missed after having kids, such as free time, the ability to go and do as I please, meeting up with friends. I do think that had I started younger, I wouldn't have missed these freedoms to the same extent because I wouldn't have had them as long. I had to allow myself to mourn my former life and move on with my new life. And younger parents get to be younger empty-nesters. How fun to have energy when your kids leave home!

As for my friend - I'm glad she found her man and established her family earlier in her life. Nothing wrong with that! They seem very happy. As for me, I ~~convulse~~ shudder to think of what would have happened if I'd married some of the guys I dated earlier in my life. Ugh! I would have been happy to marry younger than I did, but it wasn't Gods perfect timing. He didn't send Brian along until I was in my late twenties. And our family is fine. I'm okay with my age and the ages of my children. Now if I could just find a few others around here in the this "young parent" state.... well, you've heard my rants before.

Lego Karma

2012-01-13T16:10:00.004-07:00

Today, on the way home from school, one of our neighbor boys was complaining about one of the new girls on our street. He told me all about how she'd clogged the toilet at their house, then turned on the shower, and messed up his bed. He told me how his mom doesn't like her to come upstairs when she's over. This intrigued me since my kid play upstairs at their house when they're over (which isn't all that often any more). When I asked why his mom doesn't like her to be upstairs, he told me she broke his Legos. He and his mom had worked really hard on this Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull Lego set he'd gotten, and she had messed it up. Destroyed it.

Oh really?

Just like you destroyed many Lego-scapes at our house? Did she drop "bombs" on them and shatter the structures to bits? Were you unable to rebuild your set because you have no idea where all the parts went? Did you ban her from your room the way I banned you from Brandon's room for a while? Did it upset you?

Is it bad that internally I'm just a little gleeful? I should really be more adult about this, but sometimes what goes around comes around.

Half Over

2012-01-12T08:56:00.007-07:00

Wow - the "year" is half over. The school year, I mean. It also means that my last year of MOPS is half over. MOPS stands for "Mothers of Preschoolers". You can be part of a MOPS group from pregnancy/birth of your child through their kindergarten year. Caitlin's in kindergarten, so this spring is my last year. I'm glad. There isn't really another word to describe it. I have a calmness about it ending. I'm not torn. I'm not sad. I'm not even gleeful. I'm just glad.

There was a time in my life when meeting with other moms to discuss the issues of having small children was essential to me, but that time has passed. My children are no longer infants or toddlers. While the majority of my time is still spent with them and caring for them, I have some time to accomplish other things. My children don't "need" me in the same clingy, all-or-nothing, dependent way that children do when they are younger. They clothe themselves, feed themselves, buckle themselves in to their own seats in the car. They read, write, play with other kids. I'm still a very necessary component of their lives, but now I can move about the house unencumbered to take care of important things like making dinner, or paying the bills. I don't have to monitor their every move outside, or at the playground or pool.

Besides dealing with things like pre-set schedules for school and activities, homework, and weekly and daily routines, the emotions of my now older children have come more into focus. Instead of "he stole my toy", I deal with "why didn't my friend invite me to her birthday party?" Or "why won't my friend play with me?" The issues are harder, more intense, and leave a lasting imprint on their hearts. Especially if I deal with them incorrectly. Caitlin was recently devastated to find out that she hadn't been invited to a friend's party. I'm using the term "friend" loosely here, but to Caitlin, most of her "friends" are equal. Of course, there are people she's not inviting to her birthday party, but explaining those friendship differences in terms she can understand is hard. She was sad, hurt, and left wondering why this happened. In my ideal world, life would be fair for my kids, but the reality is different. There isn't really a place to discuss this in the MOPS meeting. I just have to leave it for a different time.

This year is my transition year. I'm still very busy with Caitlin at home. This half day kindergarten thing makes this year seem busy and rushed, and I'm a stay-at-home mom! I don't really know what the next stage involves. Hopefully friends with kids at a similar age (and moms at a similar age!). Community is a wonderful thing. I don't know what the next year holds for me, but I know it'll be different than this year.

Ten on Tuesday

2012-01-03T20:25:00.003-07:00

Title taken from my friend Traci. Here goes:

1) School starts tomorrow! Yay! Can you tell I'm excited? Brandon's got a regular day, and Caitlin has Kindy Crafts at 9:00. Woo hoo! 5 1/2 hours to myself! I'm not excited about getting up at 6:15, though.

2) We are halfway through the school year! Double yay!

3) Christmas has been taken down and packed up. I can see our bay window again, and our surface areas have been cleaned of 2 gingerbread houses and a lot of decorations! I felt a little guilty tossing out baby Jesus' manger bed, but the unfired clay broke down and crumbled. One of these days I'll get a real nativity set. But, if not, there's always next years crafts ....

4) I'm halfway done with my MOPS newsletter for January. Our next meeting is Monday. I always feel like it's hanging over my head. A little disciple is a good thing.

5) Tomorrow is my birthday! I love my birthday! And, as a present, the kids are going back to school (see #1).

6) The last two weeks have been all about family time. It's been great! But we must heed to call of the routine. And a little time away from each other.

7) Resolution for 2012 - eat healthier. More veggies, here we come!

8) Why does Caitlin always have more laundry than Brandon? Is it because she tries on several outfits each morning? Or because she insists on a different pair of PJ's each night?

9) I love my new Kindle Fire that Brian got me for Christmas. However, I'm coming to the conclusion that Caitlin and I, mostly "I", are playing too much Bejeweled Blitz. I dreamt about matching shapes up in pairs of 3 or more. Now that I'm home, I need to make a resolution to read the books I have on it, not just play games.

10) Happy New Year! May this years hopes and dreams become reality.

Winterfest!

2011-12-24T10:27:00.002-07:00

On December 13th Caitlin's gymnastics studio had its annual Winterfest. Winterfest is when all the kids perform their routines that they've been working so very hard on for the last few months. Caitlin's is below. She was so proud of herself for working hard and getting her routine right! She was so proud that Daddy worked from home that day so he could go! I was so proud of her for tucking her chin under before doing her tumbling! It was a good day, enjoyed by all!

Glasses!

2011-12-19T21:05:00.002-07:00

Somebody got glasses!!!

Doesn't she look thrilled?

Tomorrow we're getting a haircut!

What It's Like

2011-12-08T08:18:00.011-07:00

Yesterday I spend a lot of time on the couch. A lot of time holding my boy. A lot of time wiping away tears and talking in a soothing voice. Why? Because he's a sensitive child.

I'm sure there's some sort of official diagnosis of a highly sensitive child and I'm sure that Brandon wouldn't fit in. Any sort of clinical terminology would included being sensitive to clothing, textures, or temperature. Or having anxiety or fits. Brandon isn't like that at all. He's an introvert, but he loves to socialize as long as it's on his terms. Maybe highly emotional, at least about himself, is a better explanation. He's got the highly emotional brain, and it lacks its own "calm down" mechanism.

We usually play at the school for half an hour or so after it gets out. It's cold here right now, but the school is right in the sun. It's fun for the kids, and gets out a lot of energy. With these cold days getting darker earlier, getting out the extra is a necessity! At some point after school yesterday there was an altercation at the tether ball pole between Brandon and J, on of our neighbors. Neither one of them fully understands the rules of the game, and both were playing their own version, causing distress and misunderstandings. After we got home we noticed that part of the snow fort in our front yard had fallen down. The boys had worked hard on this all weekend. Whether it was knocked down or melted I don't know. The sun was intense yesterday, so I'm guessing it just melted on its own. But it didn't matter to Brandon, the cascade of tears started. It never got better, either. Caitlin went over to our next door neighbor's house for a while, and Brandon couldn't get a grip.

The rest of the afternoon and early evening were like this. There were tears over homework, tears over the fort, tears over tether ball, tears over not wanting to do the extra credit project (which we're not doing), and tears over his AWANA memorization homework. He opened up about school work and home work, and there were tears over the fact that he feels like he can't keep up. There were tears over friends. When J came over (at 5:10!) to play, there were tears that he was here and tears that he left. Brandon wasn't kind when J came over, so I'm not surprised he left! Every time I turned around yesterday something was wrong.

There are so many tears! Over every little thing! I'm glad Brandon opens up to me and will tell me what's wrong. But I hate the fact that he has to get all worked up over it all. We could never let him "cry it out" as a baby because he'd get himself so worked up. It's no different now. Once the cascade starts, it's up to me or Brian to calm him down. To quell the rising storm. And nothing we say is ever right. When Brandon was little, around 1, I realized I couldn't go to the park every day. Or have a friend over. We needed to be alone several days out of the week. I tried very hard not to schedule something more than every other day, with a maximum schedule of 2 days on, 1 day off (at home). He is still that same child and I operate in a similar way, but now he has to go to school every day. And he has homework. Toss AWANA and/or after school sports in there, and the mix become volatile sometimes.

Brandon's emotional meltdown don't happen every day. Sometimes they don't happen for weeks! We see emotions almost daily, but the last week and half has been hard. As the parent, I can usually see the signs. I see his tired face after school. I can hear the emotional distress in his voice. I hear the crying when something has gone wrong. If I don't get to him soon enough, the build up begins to tear him down. And it doesn't stop. Once he gets over emotional, anything and everything can set him off. He needs time alone, but doesn't really know how to ask for it. When I suggest it, he thinks I'm punishing him. Occasionally I find him up in his room reading, and that's just find with me. He craves routine, and when routines change he gets emotional. People and outside activities drain him, but he can't put words to those feelings. I tell him he doesn't have to go out and play, and I mean it. I'm lucky that this usually only happens at home, and I'm lucky it's not every day. But it's exhausting.

I limit his after-school activities to AWANA on Wednesday nights and usually one after school sport each semester so as not to overwhelm him. The end of the day and the end of week are both tiring for him. His teachers have talked about how smart and helpful he is in class, and that he's a model student. Then he cries over his homework. He's in the TAG (talented and gifted) program at school, but I recently pulled him out of the writing part of it because the TAG advisor thought it was a bit emotionally exhausting for him. His emotional state can be such a roller coaster sometimes! Brandon is always super helpful when we're around younger children and loves babies. He has this high-pitched maternal voice that he uses when talking with children under 2. It's very cute! He loves cats, but is skeptical about dogs. He fell in love with my sister's dogs during their visit over Thanksgiving, which surprised even him! He cried for days after the dogs left. The world wears him out. He loves being alone, or with just his family. We're lucky our child still finds us fun!

It's an emotional roller coaster. The ups and downs. Happy and sad. Joy and tears. Turning down activities and groups. Getting up earlier or leaving early so as not to rush him. Dealing with the funny looks because we aren't going to join you. Explaining to him what's going one, or when and why our routine is changing to avoid the storm that can arise when he isn't prepared. Always trying to be one step ahead with food, a plan B, something to say to calm the upcoming melt down. I understand this, but more than that, I'm the one who deals with most of his emotional outbursts. They're habitual and consistent, but not daily. I'm looking forward to our upcoming two week break, and the fact that we're not traveling for Christmas. I love him dearly, but I need a break, too. This is what it's like.

**One a lighter note, he was thrilled later on in the evening that he's successfully said his AWANA verse. It was long, and he'd gotten all worked up about not being able to memorize it. He was pretty happy on the way home, and bed time was easy.

Snow Dayz!

2011-12-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

It's been cold here, with lows just below zero, and highs ranging from 10 to 35. Doesn't seem to matter, though, as the kids bundle up and head out to play! It snowed twice last week, and the cold temps have kept that snow around for a while. I hear it's suppose to get up to 40 on Saturday! Woo hoo! It might melt the snow, but I'm okay with that. I love having a real winter!

Brandon and his beloved snow fort. All the neighborhood kids helped build it.

Thankful for a Garage

2011-12-01T08:43:00.004-07:00

Woke up to 4 or 5 inches of snow this morning. I knew it was coming, but yet it seems strange. Probably because it was 60 degrees yesterday! Our neighbor takes her son and Brandon to school in the mornings, and we got down there just as they had started clearing the snow of their cars. It's days like this that make me glad we park in the garage. I'm glad that Brian and I have managed to pare down our things, and install shelves and hooks in the garage, all in order to park two cars there. It's a tight squeeze, and we still have way too much stuff, but both cars fit! If I worked a little harder at it, I'm sure I could get rid of more. Between icy cold and snow in the winter, and hail storms in the summer, garage parking is a must in the Colorado suburbs!

Keeping My Name!

2011-11-23T08:57:00.001-07:00

Caitlin has been telling us that when she gets married she's not going to change her last name. And she doesn't want to be called "Mrs.". I don't really care if she changes her last name or not - but why is she so concerned with this at the ripe old age of 5 and a half?

A Little of This... A Little of That....

2011-11-05T10:26:00.015-06:00

What did we do in September? You know, on top of our regularly scheduled life? Here's a look:

In September, Brandon played soccer. Games were on Friday nights instead of Saturday mornings (yay!). This all ended a few weeks ago in mid-October, right before it got really cold (another yay!).

We rented a condo up in Winter Park over Labor Day weekend, and had a fun time with our little family. Our condo was near a train track (which I did not hear at all at night! Great windows!). It was a coal and freight train from the nearby mountain mines. We explored the train tracks, and found many squished coins on the rails. We rode on the Alpine Slide at the Winter Park ski resort- multiple times!

Brandon also joined a Sunday afternoon baseball league. There we no weekly practices, just a small practice and a game on Sunday afternoon. He's really been into baseball this last year, and has expressed some interest in doing little league in the spring. We thought it might be good for him to actually play a few real games before joining. Little league and Brandon's beloved spring soccer run concurrently, so who knows if he'll be doing little league at all this coming spring. We'll just have to see.

Brandon turned 8 in September. On his actual birthday we went to a Rockies vs Giant's game. It was fan appreciation night, so we were treated to a spectacular fireworks display after the game. The next day we had his birthday party. The day after that Brandon went to another baseball game for his friend's birthday. That was an exhausting weekend!

(And, yes, this picture is fairly representative of the entire birthday party!)

Caitlin attended a taekwondo class with her friend Sam (pictured in front of Caitlin). She loved it! I just wish it wasn't so far away! It would be challenging to get to it twice a week with any regularity. It was also on the same night as Brandon's soccer practice, so it wouldn't have worked out in September. Right now Caitlin is happy with her gymnastics class. We'll reevaluate where we are during Christmas break, and see what we can fit in next spring.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T21:50:00.007-06:00

Yes, I know that Halloween was a few days ago. You're getting these pictures today because I had to take them after Halloween. In another great moment in parenting, I did not take a single picture of my children in costume, ready to go trick-or-treating on Halloween Day. Nothing. Not one. I didn't even realized that I hadn't taken any pictures until after the kids were snug in their beds, sleeping off their sugar high and trick-or-treating buzz. Luckily, they humored me the next day and agreed to dress up in costume, after school only (their request), and let me take a few pictures.

Caitlin was a rubber ducky, and Brandon was Darth Vader. He wants you to all know that he did *not* smile for these pictures because he did not have to.

Caitlin's costume took a little research to put together, but Brandon's was a quick buy at the local store! Yes! I had to do another costume for Caitlin's Nursery Rhyme festival at school, which took place on the 31st as well. Three costumes. I was glad that one was really easy!

Caitlin's rhyme to memorize for her Nursery Rhyme Festival was "Hickory Dickory Dock". Both my kids are good at memorizing, so that one was a breeze for Caitlin. She memorized it weeks before and would say it loudly and proudly at home, but barely whispered it in her class. For all her antics and drama moments, an audience can throw her sometimes. Here she is in her cute costume. It was so much easier to come up with an idea for this one (unlike Brandon's costume for his Nursery Rhyme Festival).

Caitlin and her class in their costumes

Brandon had a class party, too. He wanted me to stop by. I was one of only a few parents who came by (and most of them were volunteers running the party!). Maybe third grade is when the parents stop attending school functions. Here is hanging out at his desk.

Funny Peculiar

2011-11-03T20:56:00.002-06:00

Am I the only one who finds it funny that this store put the Halloween candy on the same aisle as the weight management products?

Cash for Candy?

2011-10-27T06:43:00.004-06:00

I got this e-mail last night from our local school:

Bring your extra and unwanted Halloween candy to school Nov. 1 - 4.

The candy will be sent to our troops serving overseas and our PTA will receive $1 for every pound of candy we collect! Last year we earned over $300!!! Let's see if we can top that total this year. The school with the biggest turnout gets a $1000 donation!

Dear school:

for one, if my kids give you their candy, they will want the money. They don't really care about the PTA or the school getting it.

Secondly, with all the e-mails we get per day/per week from the PTA, I should also get extra money to compensate for the headache caused from all the clutter in my in-box.

The conclusion of this story is ..... I don't think my kids will go for this one! Sorry PTA! I think it's going to be up to us parents to regulate the candy this time!

Wacky

2011-10-24T07:56:00.005-06:00

Welcome to another week of wacky Colorado weather. Good think I found the snowboots over the weekend, and that I haven't packed up the sandals!

Classy!

2011-10-15T20:02:00.002-06:00

Last week, after many agonizing weeks of Brandon crying during his homework time, I made behavior/chore charts for the kids. Along with things like "put clothes in your hamper," I had "homework without tears" for Brandon, and "no whining or fits" for Caitlin. Brandon has only shown a passing interest in doing anything on the charts, even though there's a prize at the end. Caitlin, on the other had, has shown GREAT interest in the charts, driving me to distraction with her endless cleaning and asking about stars on the chart. Obviously, getting a gold star is a love language with her.

Today she asked me if we could change up the categories for next week. She suggested the following:

No picking your nose

No laughing at your farts

Gots me one classy girl, I do!

Anybody Out There?

2011-10-12T15:42:00.003-06:00

Hellooooo...........

Hello out there......

I'm dusting off this blog! I didn't make a single blog entry in September!! Shame on me! I didn't update you on Brandon's party, or our trip to Winter Park over Labor Day. Or my trip to Las Vegas. Or anything. Needless to say, I have not adjusted well to my new schedule. Caitlin having kindergarten 2 and a half hours a day is not really enough time for me to get to most of things that I've traditionally done during my kid-free time. Maybe by December I'll have it down. That's how I felt about kindergarten and first grade with Brandon.

I have to write to day. I have a milestone to celebrate! Four years ago today we moved into our current house. Four years! This is the longest I've ever lived in the same house in my entire life! I wrote about what I thought was the longest time I'd ever lived in the same house, but was later corrected. I guess we lived in another place/house for 3 years and 10 months. But now, at 4 years, this is the one. And.... I have the urge to move. I don't want to move (it's such a hassle), but I feel the urge to purge the closets and rooms. Kind of like what one has to do when one moves.

So, here's to milestones. To four years. To getting back to the blog.

I'll update you on the last 6 weeks pretty soon. This month. I promise!

Wise Words

2011-08-31T17:31:00.006-06:00

I noticed large white blobs floating around in the bathtub when I went in to wash Caitlin's hair. After a few minutes (and after seeing a gnarled, squeezed tube) I realized that she'd opened up my hair conditioner and squeezed it in the bathtub. The following conversation ensued:

Me: Caitlin, did you get into my conditioner and squeeze it all over the bathtub?
C: I just wanted to see what it would do!

Me: You need to leave my stuff alone. (A common lament of mine)

C: Come on Mom! Why don't you just put your stuff up so I can't get it?

Wise words, Caitlin. Wise words.... Unfortunately, I've tried that and I hasn't worked. You still find my stuff and still get into it!!!! I've found lip gloss in her bed, my shirts in her closet, and my shoes in her backpack. Where on earth am I going to put my hair conditioner if I can't leave it in my own bathroom? Thanks girl, for being wise and driving me to the end of my rope constantly.

Photos

2011-08-26T13:33:00.002-06:00

I finally put up our photos from vacation (cue collective gasp!) Yes, I know it's been a while since I've posted new photos, but if you click on the "Photos" link on the right hand side of this blog, you'll go to our Picasa site. I'm sure I still need to edit them down and add some captions, but that'll have to wait. My eyes need a break from the screen. But they're up!

Gymnastics!

2011-08-23T16:54:00.004-06:00

Just over a year ago, Caitlin announced that she wanted to play soccer. Her older brother loved it, and she wanted to join in on the fun. The trouble is that it wasn't fun for her at all. She liked the concept, but not the actual games. It was all fine and good as long as the sun was up and the day was warm. But if we had weather issues (major or minor), Caitlin was not at all in the game! Most of the time it was a chore to make her play. She wouldn't run after the ball after about 10 minutes. The whole idea of playing soccer just wore her out.

After much hemming and hawing from us (and sniveling and crying from her), and me swearing up and down that I was *never* ever going to enroll her in soccer again, we had her choose another activity that she wanted to do. And she chose gymnastics. I enrolled her in a gym close to home, and our first day was today! Yay! She woke up at 7:00 am and got dressed, she was so excited. It didn't start until 10:30, so she very impatiently waited around until it was time to go . She had a great time! I'm so excited she liked it!

The only bad thing about the day... the train. Right after leaving the class, we were stopped at a rail road crossing by a 100 car coal train. We had absolutely no options to go elsewhere, and just had to sit there. For 11 minutes (which is an eternity when you don't have a lot of time). Have I gone off yet about the "joys" of living on the edge of a rural area? 'Cause I can! Really! Coal trains are one of those "joys" ..... long, slow, and completely unpredictable. Luckily Caitlin's teacher was talking to a concerned parent and the door was still open, otherwise we would have been tardy on the 4th day of kindergarten through no fault of our own. Caitlin has agreed to run out of the studio right after class, and change in the car in the parking lot at school in order to avoid the train again. Have I mentioned how much I love our tinted windows? Can't see a thing!

First Week of School

2011-08-22T15:21:00.001-06:00

Now that school's been in session around here for *over* a week, I should get a blog post up. Or some pictures. Or something. Getting a woozy head cold was not part of the plan. Or unexpectedly falling asleep on the couch in the middle of the day for an hour. Or having the A/C go out in Brian's car last week (still under warranty, thankfully!) in the middle of a hot summer. Or being overly bombarded by stressed-out MOPS coordinator about new members. Besides getting the kids off to school and the necessary stuff done, I'm a little behind.

Brandon started school on Monday, August 15th, at 7:54 am. Really, now, we didn't need to start any earlier than last year. I seriously think the school board has it in for us. We start earlier, and get out at 2:00 on Thursday. Really? 2:30 is a little early to be out of school, but 2:00? Getting out the door in the early morning is not quite the struggle that it use to be, but a little extra sleep for the kids would be nice.

Caitlin didn't start school officially until Thursday, the 18th. Talk about a long drawn out process for the kindergartners. Monday and Tuesday were assessments for the incoming kids (80 in all). On Wednesday, half the kindergartners went to class. On Thursday the other half went to class without the first half (Caitlin fell into this category). And then, on Friday, they finally all went in together! Amazing. It was agonizing for Caitlin, and for me. I haven't played this many games of Candyland in long time! To pass the time during the week we:

Went to Sweet Tomatoes (Caitlin's choice for her "day before kindergarten" lunch).

Went to Target (where Caitlin achieved her goal of standing on one of the big balls outside).

And, finally, she went to school!!!! (Cue the hallelujah chorus!) Caitlin even woke up before 7:00 to go. Unfortunately for her, it didn't start until 11:30. It was a v.e.r.y. long morning.
She looked a little nervous in line to enter the kindergarten room, or maybe she was just squinting in the oh-so-bright Colorado sun, but was otherwise fine. She's only been waiting for this most of her life (or, since she was 19 months old!). Finally! Finally, she's at the same school as her brother! Not in preschool! She's a happy camper!
At some point in the near future Mommy will start enjoying her time without children. I have already gone grocery shopping alone, and not at night. Even though Caitlin's in school every day now, and school is just down the road, my time alone is the same as I had when she was in preschool 3 days a week (and less per day, since the hours are spread over 5 days instead of 3). Although it's nothing to complain about, I'm still not use to the schedule. It'll take a while. I'm use to Caitlin being gone in the morning, when I'm most productive. Not the case this year. Half day kindergarten makes everything feel very rushed (at least it did during Brandon's kindergarten year). But school is a good thing. Now if I could just ditch this head cold, I'd be fine!

How I've Spent Most of My Summer

2011-08-06T07:43:00.005-06:00

Crazy as it sounds, I'm starting to think my summer involved mostly water and children. Wonder where I got that idea?

Repeat

2011-07-21T20:27:00.003-06:00

Pete & Repeat go into a store. Pete leaves. Who is left?"
"Repeat."
"Pete & Repeat go into a store. Pete leaves. Who is left?"
"Repeat."
"Pete and Repeat go into ...... "

Welcome to my life of 3rd grade boy jokes! Brandon's got tons of them, and is humored endlessly by them. Oy!

Home

2011-07-07T08:22:00.008-06:00

We've returned. Returned from vacation, from the beach, from family and friends. Back to our home in Colorado. I took a lot of pictures, and I'll get those up at some point. Right now I'm enjoying the cool of the morning. I'm trying to enjoy it as Colorado is rarely cool in the summer. At least, not when you compare it to living near the coast! I'd rather be sleeping, but the constant, bright sun woke me up early, as did the barking dogs. I miss the ocean noises and cool breezes. One thing I dislike about our neighbors, about suburbia in general, is their dogs! I don't dislike dogs, I just hate that these neighbor dogs are frequently outside during my sleeping hours, and that they bark constantly! The tag line around here is "if the dogs aren't barking, they're not outside." It's gotten better, but they're outside all.the.time. Sleeping here is not easy for me, and those dang dogs are no help at all! I wish they were inside more.

The post-vacation recovery is going as expected. I've cleaned out the old food from the refrigerator and stocked it with new foods. I've become increasing worried by the ingredients in supermarket foods, so I'm trying to be better. That's not hard to do in this part of Colorado, but it did require lots of shopping right after returning. The kids have been intrigued again by their toys, especially the Lego's. I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder. As does LegoLand. I'm intrigued by my closet. We travel fairly light for a family of 4, which makes my closet seem all more wonderful when I return. Woo hoo - I have more than 4 things to wear! Mt. Laundry has been tackled and conquered (although some has remained in dryer wonderland. Guess I should go get that ..... ). Brian has returned to work. The kids keep asking where he is when they wake up. They got use to having him around! Once again the neighborhood kids are showing up at our doorstep. It's funny how Brandon likes to play with them, but does it whenever they show up. He rarely seeks them out. He's a lot like his mom. I love to be with people, but I'm bad at asking. We've gone swimming (Caitlin's favorite thing to do), and have our first kindergarten playgroup this morning with other afternooners. The mail has been sorted (or, getting there), and now I'm figuring out what errands I need to run tomorrow morning before Brian disappears for yet another week-long business trip. My kids, Caitlin especially, have never been good in stores, so I prefer to head out without them. That's hard to do in the summer.

So, I'm enjoying the morning cool. Right now I'm enjoying the chirping birds, too. I'm not their biggest fan at 4:30, when they begin the day with an hour or so of frenzied chirping! I can hear the lawnmowers starting up, which is going to ruin the quiet. Thursday is the day the town mows the walking path behind the house. That, plus the cacophony of other lawnmowers (a constant here over the summer) means the day is starting. I should wake the kids so we can enjoy a leisurely morning before heading to the school to meet the other kids. Such is a day in the life in suburbia!

VBS

2011-06-17T16:12:00.007-06:00

This week was VBS at Caitlin's preschool's church. We were pretty excited it was this week because we've been unable to attend VBS due to travel. Last year all the VBS's took place on the same week in June - which was the week we were gone! This year it's much the same. Most of the places holding a VBS this summer are holding during our vacation. But this year we had an exception. The kids were happy they could attend (can you see Caitlin there on the left? She's the one at the far end).

I volunteered to work in the crafts room this year, being that it's the first time both kids have been able to attend. With Brian gone all week, I'm not really sure what I was thinking. 3 non-stop hours of children was a bit grueling (there were 110 in attendance, with about half under the age of 5). I kept telling myself "it's only 3 hours", but I'm wiped out! I'm not sure I'd make it as a preschool teacher! With the feet and leg problems I now have, my legs get really stiff at the end of the day when I'm on them for an extended period of time. In all reality, I don't know what I would have done with all that time to myself, but one day would have been nice! Live and learn, I guess.

I was amazed at the church volunteers, too. Most of the VBS staff was made up of church attenders and the preschool teachers. The parent volunteers probably made up about a quarter of the staff. The church skews older, so I'm sure the kids felt like they were hanging out with their grandparents. In the middle of the week I overheard one of the volunteers say "I keep waiting for that second wind to kick in, and it never does!" That phrase kept reverberating in my head for the rest of the week. I haven't been this truly exhausted in a long time. The birds waking me daily around 4:30-5:00 weren't much help, either. I tried to bribe the kids into going out to lunch yesterday, but they were so tired they just wanted to go home. When has your kid ever turned down eating out?

We all had a good time, though. Along with VBS, we've done two play dates, soccer, and a afternoon at the pool. I'm tired! They're tired! But they loved it. They even asked if it was going to happen again this year. Maybe after vacation? Ha ha! They don't want to wait!

A Milestone of Sorts

2011-06-13T17:26:00.006-06:00

In the busyness of the last few months, I forgot to mention something. We've lived in our house for over 3 1/2 years. Our move in date was October 12th or 13th, and we passed the 3 years and six months mark in April of this year. It's now June. We've been here 3 years and 8 months! This is no big deal to most people, but it does mark the longest time I have ever lived in the same house. In my whole life. In all my 41 years. The last time I even got close to this amount of time in one house was when we lived near Santa Cruz in junior high - which was around 3 years and 4 months. We were almost at 3 years in our last house in California, with no aspects of moving around in the bay area anytime soon. Until, you know, we decided to move to another state.

I've been going through my closets lately. Kind of strange because I did a big purge a few months ago - mostly outgrown kids toys, outgrown kids clothes and things I no longer love. The MOPS garage sale made a lot off of me! I brought out the kids summer clothes and stored the winter things to keep. I thought I'd done a good job, but then again, not so much. This whole 3 years and 8 months thing - it's the longest I've ever gone without a move of some sort! I feel so disorganized and overwhelmed with the amount of stuff we have, and the upkeep required to make our house clean. Of course, if the kids would just take care of their own stuff..... I do keep stumbling across items, wondering how they made it all the way out to Colorado. Right now I'm deeply in touch with the side of me that can let go of stuff. I'm trying to do as much as I can before I temporarily lose touch with her again. Or get to busy. You never know when either one of those scenarios will happen!

A Boy and His Boat

2011-06-13T15:56:00.009-06:00

Somehow, Brandon managed to spot his remote control boat waaayyyy up in his closet a few weeks ago. I thought I hid it well behind his little suitcase, but his questions told me the my hiding skills were sorely lacking. After failing to remember to buy a 9 volt battery on about 10 shopping trips, I finally remembered! The heavens opened up, angels sang, and mommy and daddy and the kids headed to the great outdoors (otherwise known as Boulder) for a remote control adventure!

The inlet Brian had found near his office was clogged with cottonwood dander. A couple of days earlier it had been fine, but Saturday it was debris ridden. We stayed there for a little while, but the boat wasn't working all that well and Brian had to constantly clean out the cottonwood and algae from the propeller. Caitlin was not very entertained by the boat experience (then again, she never got to hold the remote), so she entertained herself by blowing bubbles and hanging with mommy.

After a while, Caitlin and I headed out on a better water scouting expedition. We found a place that looked like it had clearer water and relatively easy water access, but we had to drive there. Oddly enough, the nice clear water was behind the Waste Management headquarters. There were lots of garbage trucks and other vehicles going in and out. Dump day, maybe? We parked and went behind the administrative offices. There were many, many, many Canadian geese there. Unlike the rude Californian Canadian geese by our old house that take over your space and charge towards you if you get too close, these Coloradan Canadian geese were not happy with our presence and kindly all went for a swim. We had the water all to ourselves! The water was cleaner and clearer and not clogged with debris. There was a little spillway near our second destination that could have taken the boat, but Brandon managed to keep it away from that area. Although the front range didn't get much snow, the mountains had well over 200% of normal. Many rivers and streams are cresting and flooding, but not here. We had a nice remote control boat afternoon after all.

Keeping Up

2011-05-26T07:44:00.007-06:00

Keeping up with the end of the school year is always a hard one for me. While most of my regular weekly meetings have ended, the kids are still going strong. This year my events didn't end until after May started. In previous years they've ended prior to the end of April. Although I had a lot of wrapping up to do for our meetings at the beginning of the month, I think it was easier this year because I didn't have to entertain Caitlin the few days that she's home. The last two weeks have involved end of the year projects, school functions, too many kids injures to name, and having Caitlin home more than usual. They've also involved a lot of rainy days, which lead to crabby, crazy, energetic and unexercised children! But today - it's all done! One more function for Brandon (last day picnic) and one more function for Caitlin (art show and preschool graduation)! Whew! Life is tough for a stay-at-home mom, you know.

I've also failed to update you on Brandon's tooth loss! He lost two teeth the week before Easter, and then another one last week. Luckily the tooth fairy stocked up on gold coins last month. She should be good for a little while. He is still small when compared to most kids in second grade, but growing up right before my eyes.

It's easy to tell that the kids are tired. Brandon isn't waking up to his alarm clock anymore. He stumbled downstairs yesterday after I woke him up and exclaimed that there was only one more day of early rising left! He was crabby in the morning, and very crabby in the afternoon after school. He wanted to quit going to Wednesday night AWANA soccer. Of course, after soccer he happily said he wanted to go for the next few scheduled weeks. Caitlin slept in until 9:30 yesterday, and still managed to throw in a crying fit when I told her she couldn't paint until after Brandon's class party. I, for one, am looking forward to turning off the alarm clocks for a while. I'm looking forward to my kids getting enough sleep. We get them to bed between 8:00 and 8:30, but it's still hard when little ones have to get up so early for school. 7:55 is just too early to be at school.

Hispanic Professionals Join Here....

2011-05-12T07:28:00.000-06:00

Linkedin thinks I should join the following groups:

The Hispanic Student and Professionals Network
The Estate Managers and Domestic Staff Network

Once again, I am reminded how having a web presence doesn't necessarily tell anything about you. 75% of the recommendations I get from most internet sites are completely worthless. But if I ever decide to become a Hispanic student or professional, I'll let you know.

Ultimate Dog Tease

2011-05-04T20:58:00.001-06:00

Yes, this made me laugh. The kids loved it, too.

When Mommy's Away, The Kids Will Play....

2011-05-03T09:02:00.006-06:00

My kids have joined legions of others in the time-honored tradition of cutting their own hair. *Sigh* In our case, it's the brother and the sister cutting the sister's hair. I think. I'm not completely sure at this point, since I discovered this after Brandon had left for school. He hasn't been formally charged but, knowing Brandon, the guilty look on his face when I ask will tell me all I need to know.

I was at a meeting last night, and didn't get home until after the kids were in bed. The story I got is that last night during clean-up time, both kids joined in to chop about an inch (squared) of Caitlin's hair. It's not horrible. The girl does have short hair after all! But still! I've always trusted them with scissors. I've never had this happen. I know it'll grow out. I guess she'll just have a very short haircut this summer after we get it all evened out. This does explain the bits of hair I found laying around the house this morning. I thought I'd just been lax on my cleaning.

Angry Birds

2011-05-03T07:44:00.007-06:00

Spring is here. Buds and leaves are appearing on the trees. Flowers are (kinda sorta) starting to bloom. The landscape is greening up, and we look like we live on earth instead of being trapped in some sort of gnarled tree, Tim Burtonesque movie set. Above all of that there is the sound of possibly.... the angriest birds ever! That, or we have a bird sorority living above our heads. The constant chatter every morning is a bit daunting and very loud. Usually it doesn't bother me. I'm even happy to hear it after a winter of silence. But our lack of winter meant a lack of birds. There was no missing them last winter. It seems as the bird population has significantly increased the year, and are taking advantage of their well developed vocal cords. Even Brandon noticed it on the way to school this morning. The constant fly-overs by the nest-building crew, along with the crazy early morning chirping, is getting a little old. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike birds. I just feel like I'm in a war zone every time I'm outside!

It's been a struggle to get the birds to nest in crazy places like, say, the tree, instead of the eves of roof, right above the kid's bedrooms. I'm not sure I can handle another year of nasty bird poop all over the kid's bedroom windows and screens (so unsanitary), or picking the dead birds off the yard after their flying lessons went wrong. Bleah! The kids have also voice their opinion on the subject, and would like to join me as I stand on the roof blasting water under the eves. This needs to be fixed or I'm going to get a call from CPS wondering why my kids are on the roof! On the bright side, I got to sleep in until 6:15 this morning. The reason - no birds woke me up at 5:00 am with their incessant chirping. I'm happy about that!

"Worst Soccer Morning" Award!

2011-04-23T21:34:00.004-06:00

This morning won. It won the title of "Worst Soccer Morning Ever!" Last spring was cold. Almost every game day we froze. On top the cold weather was the wind. It's so useless to have so much wind here, but Colorado is a windy, windy place. I've often felt sorry for friends in California who have to stand in the rain on a regular basis to watch their kid's soccer games. Today, though, we had them beat.

It was suppose to be cold. We knew that. It is, after all, only April. The sight of snow when we woke up wasn't welcome. If you know Brian and me, this is an unusual sentiment. Although it was a wet snow and cold outside, the snow wasn't sticking. We assumed it would let up by 10:00 am. Wrong! Brian and Brandon left for Brandon's game a little before 10:00. Caitlin and I were going to walk down the park around 10:30 so I could watch some of Brandon's game before watching hers (practice for half an hour at 11:00 - game at 11:30). I thought about driving since the snow had gotten worse (Brian even called to ask me to bring gloves and a hat for Brandon), but Caitlin was so exited about riding her scooter that the idea of driving was preposterous (!) - to her, anyway. The walk in the 35 degree driving wet snow, coupled with 10-20 MPH sideways winds was no good. Walking...? Wrong again!

When we got to the park, a mere half mile away, Caitlin was cold, wet and sniffling. Brian was wet, and Brandon was so bundled up he was almost unrecognizable as goalie (he and his team mates were troopers, though, and played well despite the inclement weather). Then Caitlin started crying. She was cold, so she cried..... And she cried..... She continued to cry for an hour. She swore off all soccer, saying she never wanted to play again (which she later recanted and said she meant that she never wanted to play in the cold again). Since some of her soccer team had showed up, along with the other team, Caitlin's team played a short game before the other coach called a forfeit so we could all go home. It was hard for Caitlin to run or even keep up with her team mates since she couldn't see through her tears or breath through her clogged nose. The boys ran home after Brandon's game to change out of their soaking clothes, and we we headed out to lunch. Caitlin shocked us all by falling asleep right after ordering, and proceeded to sleep through lunch. I can't remember the last time she did that! Her lunch at that point became her dinner.

We had some bad spring soccer days last year. It was damp and windy during most of them. Even practices on Thursday evenings weren't fun. But today took the cake. It now has the title of "Worst Soccer Morning Ever". Let's hope we don't have to clarify it with a year sometime in the future

Worms

2011-04-21T19:51:00.005-06:00

Caitlin just told me about the worms that she and her friends found at preschool today. It was a damp, rainy morning - which is rare in these parts. Worms are a hot commodity. These were the names her worms had:

fatty
grandma
grandpa
longy
mediumy
smally

Smally was the sweetest one. He didn't bite.

First Day of Soccer

2011-04-02T13:57:00.011-06:00

Today was the first day of soccer for both kids. Unlike last spring, when Brandon played soccer for the first time, todays game was played in a warm 75 degrees. Last spring was freezing, wet, muddy and usually windy. Our warm, dry "winter that never was" has lead to a warm, dry spring, making for an enjoyable opening weekend. It's suppose to snow tomorrow, so who knows what the rest of the season will be like, but today was nice. Brandon requested the same coach again this season, so he's back on Mr. B's team with a lot of the same kids as in the last two seasons. They're playing really well together, and today they played exceptionally well. They won their first game, 5 to zero, with Brandon scoring the first goal of the season!

Brandon getting kudos from his coach for scoring the first goal

Going for the kick!

After Brandon's fun filled winning game, we hopped in the car to meet up with Caitlin back in town. She also had her first game of the season, and her coach is none other that her friend's father! It was a life saver for me today. Brian's out of town on business for a week, and Brandon's game was about 9 miles away. Seeing that I couldn't be two places at once, I was able to drop Caitlin off at her friend's house and them meet up with her as soon as I could after Brandon's game was finished. Caitlin's team this year is named The Cheetos, and she's so excited about that. It goes well with the flaming orange team shirt!

Caitlin and Mattie

C and M, as co-forwards, going after the ball

So now our Saturdays are gone for a while. I was reminded of that this morning when the alarm roused me from a deep sleep and a really nice dream. I'm okay with it - for now. The kids and I are looking forward to a lazy weekend for the rest of the time. All neighbors are out of town, and daddy's traveling. Now that the soccer games are over for the weekend, I'm looking forward to just being at home.

Brandon as the Babe

2011-04-01T16:17:00.005-06:00

Brandon's class did their Living History Museum today. In preparation, Brandon read a biography on Babe Ruth and wrote a speech. His speech is a little hard to hear due to the background noise. I'm so proud of him! He's so good at memorization that we didn't even worry that he wouldn't be able to do this short little speech. I mean, this is the same kid who has already memorized his way through two AWANA books in 7 months (the norm is one book per year/9 months), and can recall all the verses when given the name and chapter. He had a very definite idea of what he should look like, which kept Mommy busy trying to get a costume ready that was both authentic and affordable. Enjoy!

Why Having A Toddler is Like Living in Poltergeist

2011-03-31T16:58:00.002-06:00

Why Having A Toddler is Like Living in Poltergeist

Taken from Suburban Snapshots.com. I take no credit for this, but it made me laugh!

If Poltergeist isn't one of your all-time family classics, well, your family is probably a little more balanced than mine. But really, who doesn't enjoy possessed trees, evil clowns, and angry, decomposing Native Americans? That's got quality time written all over it.

10. Items reappear out of place mere seconds after you've put them away.
9. In the dark, you sense an unwelcome presence in your room.
8. You frequently resist the urge to run screaming from your own home.
7. You're never really alone.
6. You can't escape the voices calling your name.
5. You could have sworn you just turned that light off.
4. The TV has more power over your child than you do.
3. You're often terrified by what you find under the bed.
2. A very small person keeps telling you what to do, and strangely, you keep listening.
1. You know that the only way you'll get any peace is a hotel room clear across town.

Instead of Blogging....

2011-03-28T14:02:00.010-06:00

Ten things I did over the last 5 days instead of blogging:

Took my family to the airport and sent them off to California for 5 days.

Went to bed when I was tired. Didn't wake up until I'd had enough sleep.

Slept in the middle of the bed.
Had a long and argumentative conversation with God. Asked Him to show me a few things I had questions on. Still waiting for confirmation.
Came to an complete understanding of what other mothers meant when they talked about spring break and summer and how hard of a transition it was having the kids home. Several years ago, when I was a stay-at-home mom of young children, I had no context for these discussions. At that time, everyday was just about the same, except the weekends or holidays when daddy was home. Now I get it. It's different to have time with family, time with kids, time alone during the week, and complete and utter time to yourself for a few days. All are needed. All are necessary.

Washed, folded and put away only my own laundry.

Stained our coffee table. Messed up. Wiped it all off. Stained it again. Coated it with a protective coating. Thought I messed up again, but took a deep breath (without getting light headed) and let it dry overnight. Much to my surprise, it all worked out. You can still see the places where the veneer was scraped off, but they're less noticeable, almost the same color as the table, and not divots anymore.
Cleaned the house. Marveled at the fact it remained clean for 5 days.
Had a long lunch with a good friend who's in a rough spot.
Painted the fire place grate from gold to black. Now I only have one gold light fixture and a bunch of gold doorknobs to replace.

Oh wait.... one more....

Did I mention that I went to bed when I felt like it, and didn't get up in the morning until I'd gotten enough sleep?

I'm now about to head out to the airport to retrieve the family members. Tomorrow and the next day I will attempt to get back on track with the schedule imposed on me by society. But I'm grateful for the rest, relaxation and alone time I just had. I'm also grateful that my family is coming back into town. Our house is too big and quiet for just me.

The Winter That Never Was

2011-03-22T16:05:00.010-06:00

The wind is shaking the house. I'm not sure what the wind speed is, but the weather reporter on the morning news said we should expect 50-60 MPH gusts for most of the day and night. Although the windows are shaking and rattling, I don't wonder if they're going to blow out until the wind gets up to 75 MPH. Here in the front range of Colorado, that's not uncommon. You don't hear much about windows blowing out, but the crazy wind is the reason there's a lot of fence and tree damage in our neighborhood. Maybe also the reason there aren't a lot of natural trees on the flat lands. Last week the winds were so high and at just the right trajectory that I was worried our bedroom windows might blow, or at least crack. The winds woke me up at 4:00 am that morning, heralding in yet another sleepy day. Sleep was again elusive last night as the winds woke me up on a constant basis. I'm getting use to not having enough energy to get through the day.

It's now officially spring as of yesterday. It's as if the lilac bush outside got the memo, because this morning it had already started to sprout little green leaves. With our complete lack of any moisture this winter, I'm not sure where the bush is getting any nourishment to start the process. I'm calling this last winter of 2010-2011 "the winter that never was". "The winter that never was" got about a foot of snow. That's it. Winter snow in Colorado is dry. We get almost no moisture from it at all. When it snows just a little you can blow it away. It's like a down comforter exploded and the feathers are the snow. But just a foot of snow all winter? Combine that with our one, maybe two thunderstorms over the summer, and we've gotten no rain or snow since last April. Can you say "drought"?

"The winter that never was" has also been very warm. Except for a few weeks here and there of cold or extremely cold weather (below zero), it's been balmy. I bought a new coat in September - one I could wear in public without embarrassment - and haven't worn it all that much. I'm not even tired of it yet, and by the end of winter here I usually hate all the clothing that weighs me down! I did buy a couple of sweatshirts, as it's been cold enough to warrant the wearing of them. The high country has been buried in snow, which I'm sure is great for our water tables and tourism. Skiers everywhere are rejoicing about the great powder in the Colorado mountains! But we've gotten none of it down here. I sweep or vacuum more than normal because of all the dry grass and tanbark from the dry school playground that is tracked into our house daily. Most of the Coloradoans marvel at the warm temperatures. I'm just sad about it. I'm trying not to complain, but it's hard. One of the great things about winter is that it makes me look forward to summer. I hadn't looked forward to summer in years before we moved here. I practically dreaded it. While I'm not currently dreading the upcoming summer, I haven't had one iota of desire for it to start. Except for the greenery. I love, love, love all the blooming trees, flowers, and the greening of the grass of late spring. Summer's one of the few pretty, green seasons here. Without snow, the winter landscape just looks dead and barren.

So now "The winter that never was" is over. It's like we had an extended fall. It's weird. It falls into the whole weird weather in Colorado category that Coloradoans are so proud of. The saying is if you don't like the weather in Colorado, wait 10 minutes and it'll change. It's true that it can change quickly, but I doubt I'm going to get any rain in 10 minutes. Maybe this summer. Maybe.

Even Though....

2011-03-19T10:00:00.018-06:00

Yesterday at Brandon's school, I got called crazy. Not the exact word, but still - crazy. The reason? I put my son in school even though his birthday is near the Colorado school grade cut-off date of September 30th. Even though he was going to be the youngest in his class. Even though.... it's a theme around these here parts.

Caitlin was playing with two little boys in the school playground. They were getting along well, and I asked the woman in charge how old they were. We only know a couple of kids going into kindergarten at the same time as Caitlin next year, so I guess I'm always scouting around to see who might be in her class next year. Anyway, both boys are 4 1/2, and both had birthdays in September. The woman said that one boy, the one who wasn't hers, was going into kindergarten next year, even though his birthday was September 22nd (emphasis hers), because his mother believed that was the right thing to do. The other boy, who was hers, also had a September birthday, was not going until the following year. I mentioned that my son was a September birthday, and that he was young in school. She, the mom, pointed out with (again) added emphasis that she did not believe in putting a child into school if the child's birthday was after May. They just can't, she concluded, keep up with their classmates at such a young age. She was worried about the second child because of this.

She obviously doesn't know my son.

Brandon does really well in school. He reads a grade level ahead of where he should be at for second grade. He excels in math and science. We're pretty sure his teacher gives him extra math homework, and we know she gives him math challenges in class. Yes, his handwriting is messy, and he usually only wants to do his math homework. Really, though, does any kid want to do homework? After I got home from school yesterday, I had an e-mail from his teacher saying that he had just tested into the TAG program (Talented and Gifted) at his school, and that we would look at the options after spring break. I had inquired about the TAG program early last year, but decided not to do it because Brandon often doesn't want to tell you about or interpret what he's read. Brandon's teacher encouraged us to test him because she said it would put him on the right track for math. We were all for that, so he tested last week and passed. He got a 99% and 97% in the non-verbal categories (math is part of that), and 89% in the verbal (interpretation is part of that). Kids need to score 95% or higher in 2 of the 3 categories to qualify. Yeah, Brandon!

So, back to being the crazy mom. The other mother said that she didn't think younger children could keep up with their classmates. Brandon disproves that theory! We thought about this decision a lot. It was not made lightly. The conclusion has always been that he was ready for school. No doubt.

The biggest thing I've noticed with this trend of holding back kids (or, "redshirting" as it's now called), is that many kids are bored in class. Many are a lot bigger than the other kids. Some are mean. I wonder if it's hard for the teachers to teach a class of kids with up to an 18 month difference in ages instead of a 12 month difference? That alone can be huge. Yes, there are children who aren't ready for school. They aren't ready socially, emotionally, or academically - or a combination of all of those! If their parents don't think they are ready to go, so be it. I'm all for looking at each child on a child-by-child basis and making those decisions as they apply to each child. But not enrolling your child in school when they are eligible and ready doesn't make a lot of sense to me when there's no good reason. I'm not sure what these parents are hoping to gain by not putting their kids in school during the child's eligible year. Do they presume that it'll give their child an edge on maturity? Are they trying to prolong childhood and delay adulthood? Will the child be bigger? Is this all about sports? I know for some people it is, but our lives are not all about sports. Will these kids wonder why they are the oldest one in the graduating class? Will they wonder why their parents made these decisions? I just don't now. All I know is that Brandon was ready. We knew it early on in his life. Of course, when we made this decision his birthday was 3 months from the school cut-off. It was only when we moved states that we were faced with this even though decision that has been repeatedly tossed into my face in the past few years.

So, lady who will have the older kids in the class, please don't call me crazy because my child is a younger student. I don't understand your reasoning, and I didn't call you crazy with my tone of voice and choice of words. My child was more than ready to go to school when the time came. He's also doing just fine! I'm not worried about his academic future. Things may happen. Things may change. But right now he's right where he should be, and doing well!

Meet the Finklestones

2011-03-10T21:15:00.001-07:00

Tonight Caitlin requested to watch "The Finklestones". Having absolutely *no idea* what she was talking about, I gave her a blank stare. Brandon then said, "Do you mean 'The Flintstones'?"

Oooohhhhh!!!

It's amazing how she managed to change the entire show in my mind with one little mistake.

Dark Vader

2011-03-09T13:00:00.003-07:00

Caitlin is currently upstairs fighting an unknown enemy with a lightsaber. Despite all my attempts to correct her, she keeps yelling "I'm Dark Vader!"

The Toothless Wonder

2011-03-04T16:12:00.006-07:00

The toothless wonder strikes again!

It's been almost a year since he lost his first and second tooth (tooths?). Now, in 2011, we're on to #3, and on to the top teeth. He was very proud that it came out at school (when he bit into his PB and honey sandwich). I guess it's some sort of badge of honor for the second grade set. For the kid who got 6 teeth in 6 weeks, starting at 6 months old, he's pretty slow at having them come out. And, once again, the adult tooth is already poking through.

Glow in the Dark Mini Golf!

2011-02-21T16:37:00.005-07:00

Caitlin's in yellow sweats. Brandon's in light jeans and a white shirt. They knew what they were doing this time and dressed appropriately. Caitlin can't putt a golf ball to save her life, but we had a good time.

breathing

2011-02-08T12:54:00.002-07:00

I had the most amazing, colossal, knee-shaking, scary asthma attack this morning. Coughing strong enough to bring me to my knees. Gasping for breath. Shaking all over. All from shoveling the front walkway. The walkway! That little, no more than 3 foot long cement path that runs from our driveway to the front door. It took 5 minutes! I'm not sure if it was the cold air (3 degrees), the dryness of the air, or the fact that I'm not over this illness yet. Whatever the cause, it was scary. I was grateful for the inhaler that the doctor gave me last week, and I could feel it opening my lungs. Except for the fact that I had to go upstairs to get it, I was grateful.

Now I'm wondering - should I get on a regular prescription for this stuff? Maybe at least until winter's over? Should I shovel the sidewalk? It is the law around here (and the town newspaper and all the media make sure we know that we're legally liable to clear our sidewalks of snow). Brian's gone for a few days, so it's all up to me. Should I worry that my loud cough didn't wake up Caitlin? Really. She slept through the whole thing. This cough seems loud enough to wake the dead. Would she come to my rescue if I passed out? Hmmmm....

I'm not use to this. My asthma only comes into play when I do sports like soccer, or cross country. Anything that involves running and heavy breathing. So I just don't do things like that, and I have no problems. But this..... this is hard. I'm still sick. I'm having a hard time breathing, and the dry air makes it worse. Maybe no snow shoveling for this girl this week. As much as I love winter and snow, I'm looking forward to the temps in the mid-40's by the end of the week. I want to breathe easier.

Oh My, What a Week!I

2011-02-05T21:45:00.003-07:00

I'm writing this before I take my narcotics infused cough syrup for the evening. Why? Because I'm afraid that after I take the lovely elixir of sleep, I'll be unable to type a coherent sentence (or stay awake to see if it posted!). Oh my, what a week it's been! Everyone home, all at the same time, for two extra days. I don't know that I'm cut out to be one of those women who is suppose to be home with her family 24/7. Yet another reason home schooling is not for me.

The week started out normally. We hosted small group on Sunday, which isn't small. Making dinner for 20 people is always a challenge. The kids were so excited that people were coming to our house that they waited outside for 15 minutes for people to show up. You'd think we never had people over! We were okay with them being outside and running around, as the weather forecast showed bitter cold moving in soon. Might be the last time they'd get out for a few days.

Monday was a free morning for me, so Caitlin and I had a relaxing mommy/daughter morning. We're busy most mornings, so this one was a rare treat. We get one Monday a month together. I'd heard about possible school cancellations on Tuesday, so we hit the stores with stealth, stocking up on everything we needed for a few days. By noon it was bitterly cold outside Temperatures had fallen by at least 20 degrees since I'd woken up. By school pick-up it was blowing snow. My fingers were going numb in my gloves as I waited for the boys to get out of class. By 3:15 the notice had gone out that school would be cancelled Tuesday due to extreme cold. Fun.

By Tuesday, I was coughing - hard. No fun. Brian worked from home, and the kids were both home with me. Although it was cold, everything was open, so the kids and I headed out for lunch and play time at the mall. They're too big for the mall play area, but it's heaven when the high for the day is 1 below zero. The roads were steamy from the sun and melting snow, and the sidewalks sparkled with cold beauty. But by Tuesday night, I was miserable.

On Wednesday, school was closed. Again. Below zero. Again. The news treated this arctic blast as if it was the coldest snap we've ever had here. Not so. It's been colder before and there were no school closures. The high was somewhere around zero again. I was deep in the throes of a cold. I barked like a seal. I was sure my head was coming loose from my body whenever I coughed. If I'd had a paying job, I would have taken a sick day and stayed in bed. But I don't get that option. Instead, I managed kids and tried to stay upright. It was just kind of wimpy that school was closed again. I spent a lot of time on the couch. I was able to get in and see a doctor, who said I had inflamed lungs and put my on steroids. Brian was nice enough to make dinner (it was the only way he'd eat!), which freed me up to lay around some more. At this point I was sure I was turning into an old lady. My whole body ached. I had a hard time opening my hands, or even gripping anything. I felt like I had arthritis all over. I'm not sure how much of this was due to my illness or to the cold weather.

Thursday - school was open! Yay! I almost danced, but due to cold weather induced arthritis like symptoms, much coughing and lack of sleep, I decided against it. My joy was short lived when Caitlin came downstairs crying. She was running a 99.5 degree fever and was miserable. Brandon went to school, but Caitlin and I stayed home. We did a lot of laying around together. My cold got progressively worse. The high for the day got up to 27, which was downright balmy compared to zero.

Then came Friday.... the least fun day of all. My cough was so extreme that I was up all night, sure I was going to lose my dinner. By Friday morning I was shaking and crying for no reason. For 4 hours. So, so tired. So achy. So run down. I called my doctors office first thing, and by 3:00 pm I had secured a prescription for some powerful cough syrup. The kind you can only take at night. And some antibiotics. Why does the doctor think I need antibiotics for a cold? She never gave me a good explanation. I'm not planning on taking them. Caitlin was home again with me again, still running a fever. Poor thing! She cried and cried when I told her she couldn't go to school. It was a sad, sad morning here, complete with two crying females. Bet Brian was glad to go into the office! We did what we were good at - more laying around and napping - which alleviated some of the shaking. I can't tell you how excited I was to go to bed that night. And I slept!!!! Yay!!!

So here we are at Saturday. I felt all charged up from sleeping! After three nights of not sleeping well, or at all, I felt like I could take on the world! I was quickly brought back to reality after having to recover from taking a shower, and changed my mind on that. Nope, still not recovered. Not even a little. The kids are back on track. Not sick. No fevers. Just a little cough. And waayyyyy too much energy.

I'm really hoping for a more normal week next week. And I'm hoping this pesky, powerful, persistent cough will be gone. But now.... on to that cough syrup....

Dreaming....

2011-02-01T11:19:00.003-07:00

I watched about 20 minutes of "New Moon" last night. For all the hype, I thought the special effects would have been better. I guess they were good enough, since I spent most of the night having dreams about werewolves. Man, I'm tired today!!

On Turning 5

2011-01-28T14:51:00.006-07:00

It's been over a week, and I haven't even written about Caitlin's birthday! Probably because it's taken me until now to recover from it all! I'm not sure why I agreed to letting Caitlin have a sleep-over, even if it was with only 3 other friends. Probably because her older brother got to have one for his birthday. I'm not sure why I agreed to Brandon's request to have his friend J spend the night during Caitlin's party. Probably because on of Brandon's friends came a long distance for his sleep-over in September, so I added in the friend's little sister (a friend of Caitlin's as well) to sweeten the deal. But I do know why I was exhausted..... too many kids!!! :-)

So, as you know, Caitlin requested a sleep-over for her birthday. It was more of a requirement, actually. She came up one day and announced the names of the friends she wanted to invite to her sleep-over. Excuse me? We're having a sleep-over? In the end we agreed, and managed to whittle her list down from just about everyone in her school to 3 close friends.

We did the party the Friday before her birthday. My preference would have been doing it the weekend after her birthday, but I was gone that weekend, so that wouldn't work. Doing it when we did meant jumping into birthday planning with both feet right after returning from our holiday trip. Nothing like sending out a birthday Evite a week an a half before the event! Crazy at it all was, it went pretty well. We are all aware of the bossy friend, and the quiet friend, and the rambunctious friend. I now know which of Caitlin's friends doesn't do well staying overnight, and which ones will eventually go to sleep if Brian plants himself on the couch at 10:00 pm. I even managed to plan a menu that worked well with nut and dairy allergies. Go me! I sometime think we're the only family around without any food allergy issues. I also know that having a friend over for the other sibling isn't necessary, just fair. But now we're all even, so I don't need to do this for a loooonnngggg time.

Caitlin's sleep-over was a success, and I brought snack to her school the day before her birthday. We were all set to bring snacks to AWANA on the night of her actual birthday, but the crazy, fast, windy, blowing snow got all evening events cancelled. We did managed to celebrate her birthday with Daddy after he arrived home almost 3 hours after leaving work. I'm sure his co-workers were thrilled with the 3 dozen frosted cupcakes he brought to work the next day. I was happy to see them leave.

I'm also happy that I don't have to do another birthday party for 9 months. Yay!

Roar!!!!

2011-01-26T16:11:00.001-07:00

I finally got it scanned! This is what we did over Thanksgiving. Crazy, huh?

What About the Big Yellow Chicken?

2011-01-25T15:52:00.002-07:00

Obviously my children did not watch enough "Sesame Street" during their formative years. Caitlin was doing a maze in a Sesame Street writing skills tablet during homework time today. She turned to me and said "Hey Mom, am I suppose to get this big yellow chicken from here to there?" Big yellow chicken? She knows who Elmo and Oscar the Grouch are, but Big Bird has apparently not made much of an impression.

Trapped in the Body of An Office Woker

2011-01-13T15:01:00.006-07:00

I had a massage today. It was wonderful. Then again, is a massage ever not wonderful? I woke up in the middle of the night last week with my lower back in pain. I must have done something to it, but I don't know what that was. All I know is that I woke up in a lot of pain. Enough pain to get up and turn on the closet light in the middle of the night to look for my heating pad, knowing full well that I might wake up Brian in the process. That kind of pain.

Although the back is slooooowly getting better, I'm still in daily pain, and a massage was in order. So I made an appointment at a place nearby. The woman was great - I'm sure I'll go back. And, she does mostly massage therapy, which works better on my neck (and back) than massage for pure relaxation. About half way through the massage, at the turning point from front to back, she asked me how many hours I spent at work in front of the computer. When I told her I didn't work, she seemed surprised. She said that the muscles of my shoulders, back and neck feel like those of someone who sits and works a full time job, usually one in front of a computer.

Great. So, I'm a stay-at-home mom trapped in the body of an office worker? How fun for me. I've been working hard at home to get sore muscles and a tight back. I've tried hard to get sick, to stay up late and not get enough sleep, and to not exercise. It's been rough work the last few weeks to get me into this condition. Maybe now I can trade in the mom jeans and over sized sweatshirts and get me some office clothes. Anything to look like the person whose body I have. Bleah. Maybe next week, after Caitlin's birthday/slumber party is finished, I can get back to the mom routine I had prior to the Christmas break. Things are starting up again. School's back in session. Things are looking up.

Way to be Prepared!

2011-01-12T07:45:00.004-07:00

Caitlin went through her school backpack yesterday and pulled out her extra set of clothes for school. These are emergency clothes. The kind you only use if you accidentally wet your pants, or spill a vat of paint all over yourself. Those kind. In the year and a half that she's been in preschool, she's never used them. However, I like to be prepared. Obviously I'm not, since this is what she pulled out:

Lovely. A size 4 t-shirt and some size 3 leggings. She's a tall girl, and has been almost completely out of size 4's for a couple of months now. And size 3 leggings? Geez!! Good going, Mom! Way to be prepared! Good think she hasn't needed these in the last month. Seeing that it's currently a whopping 8 degrees outside right now, there are 4 inches of frozen snow everywhere, and we had a high of 15 yesterday (for a whole 20 minutes, I think), I think I should dig through her winter clothes and come up with a few we can put in the extra clothes bag. These ones wouldn't cut it in the snow and ice we've had the last few days.

Lights, Lights and more Lights

2010-12-22T21:00:00.010-07:00

Going out and looking at Christmas lights is a tradition in our little family. Brian and I have been doing this since we got married. We lived in a highly immigrant neighborhood back then, and very few people decorated their houses with lights. At the time we were in an apartment, and couldn't really do much with lights and decorations outside of our home. We drove down to the Willow Glen area to look at all the beautiful lights on all the beautiful houses. Now that we live in Colorado, which has a far more homogeneous population than California, we don't have to drive as far to see all the beautiful lights that people display on and around their houses.

We braved the dry, 25 degree weather tonight to go look at some impressive light displays. The kids didn't even put on sweatshirts, so they were a little cold. Luckily I had some extra clothing in the car for them to wear. We went to a beautifully decorated house whose owners had this type of display in mind when they designed and built the place. The kids were fascinated by the trains both inside and outside the house, and the fact that Santa (not real) was inside sitting at the table. The pictures are somewhat blurry, as I kept the flash off to see the effects of the lights, but are pretty nonetheless.

So, What About the Talking?

2010-12-21T08:07:00.003-07:00

For a couple of years now, Brandon has been our bedtime talker. He'll be pretty quiet about the day's events, but suddenly opens up at night after reading and tells us all sorts of things. Sometimes they're worth hearing about, sometimes not. Either way, we try not to discourage him from telling us what's on his mind. Caitlin has recently picked up on this, and now wants to "talk" at night, too. The problem is, she has nothing left to talk about. Caitlin talks all day long, all the time. She talks to us, to herself, to her friends, and to anyone who will listen. In fact, one of things we ask her to do the most is to stop talking!

Last night, after I'd read to Brandon, he asked me a few questions about something. It was so random and mundane that a mere 12 hours later, I can't remember what it was. After I'd answered his questions and tucked him in, I headed next door to Caitlin's room. We talked for a few minutes. I changed her CD and tucked her in. Then she put her hands behind her head (elbows out), and said, "So, what about the talking?" When I asked her what she meant, she said it was now time to talk. No subject matter, mind you, just words. Let's just spew forth words. I had to laugh! She's such a girl! She wants to wear dresses even though she's the most unladylike thing you've ever seen. She likes play dates at friend's houses, and tells me that it was fun "because I've never seen the inside of her house before!" And now she wants to randomly talk right before bed, because it's what your suppose to do. I must say, it's a privilege to have a boy and a girl. It's so fun to see how they are wired. No boy ever says "So, let's just talk." But not Caitlin. No doubt about her girly wiring there.

About the Pageant

2010-12-17T18:08:00.006-07:00

Caitlin's Christmas pageant was the other night. We were a little better prepared this year. The weather helped. It was a warm day that turned into a cold, but not frigid or icy, evening. I managed to get the kids fed and out the door on time. It didn't seem as crowded at the church for the Wednesday service as it had last year. Maybe because it wasn't as difficult to get to without the snow and ice.

Caitlin has been preparing for this big event for nearly a month now. She's mangled many a lyric, and yet somehow managed to get them all correct and even wrap her mouth around the word "triumph", which isn't an easy word for the preschool crowd. She was so proud as she walked up the aisle. The amount of time and energy she has put into her performance this year as opposed to last year, when she was just 3, was impressive. She cared so much more about getting all the hand motions correct, and really practiced all her songs. We didn't get a great seat for her performance (who knew the angels would be sequestered to one side?), but we did get a few good pictures.

Her halo fell down at the very end, right before exiting the stage. Somehow, I'm not surprised.
Practicing her Miss America wave to the fam

Fireplace Reading

2010-12-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

This is where I found Caitlin this morning. Should I tell her that it's suppose to be a record-breaking 70 degrees today, and not the cold, snowy December that we're use to?

AWANAS

2010-12-07T19:00:00.001-07:00

We decided to put the kids in AWANA this year. So far so good. Sometimes I think I'm crazy, since it goes from 6:30 - 8:20 on Wednesday nights, and is in a neighboring town some 8 miles away, but the kids love it. It does make for late nights, though. Brian and I get a date night (provided he's in a town) for those two hours, which makes us feel like a young couple again, and not old, worn out parents. Here are the kids studying their verses for the Sparks class (Brandon) and the Cubbies class (Caitlin).

The Saga of the Washer and Dryer

2010-11-29T19:27:00.008-07:00

You know you're an adult when you buy a washer and dryer on Black Friday. No sweaters. No cute shoes. No electronics. Just a washer and dryer. That was our exciting, and only, purchase of the day. It was Black Friday. And it was a good deal. Half price.

I'm now the proud owner of a front loader HE washing machine. I've only washed a few loads of clothes, and have discovered something already - I'm kind of a slob when it comes to washing. Things fall out of the laundry basket on the way down the stairs. Caitlin's socks reside all over the house, and I am not good at collecting them all. I forget things. I find clothes behind the kids hampers 10 minutes after starting a load of laundry. I'm going to have to come up with a new system, because you can't just re-open the front loading machine when you realized you've forgotten something (or, in Caitlin's case, suddenly spotted a sock under the sofa). I use to be able to do this, long ago, when I had to walk to other buildings, or down several flights of stairs to find a laundry room (hoping there was a machine available). But then again, I was only washing my own clothes. Maybe over time I'll get better, but we have a lot of kids socks whose mate is still hiding somewhere.

It is nice to have a dryer that just works. With the exception of the 5 months in our rental house in Colorado, I haven't had a reliable dryer for almost 7 years. In 2002 we rented a duplex with a very nice washer and dryer. Brand new. After years and years of apartment living, laundromats, and sharing washers and dryers, we felt so spoiled. We moved from that place in the spring of 2004, and I've had to monitor the dryer ever since. The next dryer cooled down so drastically after the machine reached a certain stage - which was about half an hour into the cycle - that I had to reset the machine back in order to get dry clothes. Half and hour later I had to manually set it on cool down. The dryer that came with our current house had no buttons when we first moved in. The cycles were controlled by a vice-grip set of pliers that you used to move to turn the dryer on and off. Right after I bought new knobs, the timer went out. My clothes dried, but only if I monitored the time of the cycle. And manually set it on cool down. So now, almost 7 years later, I don't have to worry about how long the dryer has been on. It turns itself off! I don't have to set a timer. I don't have to panic that I forgot to turn off the dryer after leaving the house (and then turn around and drive home to double check that the dryer is off). The other night I had clothes in dryer, and went to bed before they were dry, because I could! In all reality, I have so little room to complain. I haven't had to share a dryer for years. And my clothes always dried. So it was good. But when you do all the laundry for 4 people, it's nice to not have to always monitor the dryer.

So now we are officially adults. It had nothing to do with age, I guess, but with lifestyle choices. We own a home. We are no longer nomadic. Now we'll have to decide whether or not we want to move them whenever our time here is done. I'm a little sad that everything we own no longer fits into the small to mid-sized U-Haul. We have too much stuff. We've grown up. But what about all those other adults that really don't grown-ups who don't qualify as adults. They still revel in their child-like living? Maybe they should own a washer and dryer.

Yo Ho Yo Ho

2010-11-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Caitlin's singing her Christmas songs again. This time it's "We Three Kings." She's singing the line that goes "oh, oh, star of wonder, star of light" as "yo, ho, star of wonder...." It's a pirate's life for me.

More Lyrics to Kill

2010-11-26T15:04:00.004-07:00

Caitlin's moved on from "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." Now she's massacring the lyrics to "Joy to the World". Her lyrics are:

"Let earth receive her king!

Let every heart prepare to hurt!" (instead of "prepare him room")a

And, she's singing it all at the top of her lungs in the store. Lovely.

Even More Lyrics

2010-11-24T23:02:00.004-07:00

Today - yet more new lyrics for "Hark the Herald Angels Sing":

Joyful all the nations rise,

Join the tramp above the skies!

With all jelly all day long!

Christ is born in Bethlehem.

I'm starting to think she's changing the words because we laugh. However, many, many people at Target, and at the mall in general, were amused by the constant singing and improvised lyrics. Really. They told me so.

Tramp... Triumph...Who Cares?

2010-11-23T17:53:00.004-07:00

The lyrics to "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" have changed in the last few hours. Now the line "Join the triumph of the skies" is now "Join the tramp up in the skies." At some point we are hoping that Caitlin will be able to say the word "triumph". Before the church preschool Christmas pageant would be nice.

Join the Trip Above the Skies

2010-11-23T11:09:00.002-07:00

Caitlin is currently rehearsing "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" in the bathtub. Her lyrics go something like this:

"Joyful all the nations rise,

Join the trip above the skies! (Join the triumph of the skies)

With all jelly hosts proclaim, (With the angelic hosts proclaim)

Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

I'm worried about the jellied hosts, but the trip above the skies sounds pretty good to me.

Swimming in the Garage

2010-11-19T10:10:00.003-07:00

As I was pulling the car out of the garage this morning on the way to preschool, Caitlin said she would like to go swimming. I gently reminded her that the pools in town are closed from September to June. She then told me that she wanted me to set up the blow-up pool in the garage and fill it with water. Ha! That's so wrong on so many levels. First there's the concussion problem we'd have if she flopped into the pool while it's on a cement floor. Then there's the weather now that we've entered the time of year in Colorado known as "it won't be warm for the next 6 months". Brrrr. Might reach 60 today. Who knows?

I guess it's time to tell Caitlin that we'll be heading down to Colorado Springs in a few days. We're staying a hotel with an indoor pool. Although we won't be at the pool all the time, as Caitlin would like, I'm sure it will be enough to make her happy for a while.

The Absentee Blogger

2010-11-18T13:13:00.004-07:00

I'm an absentee blogger lately. Sorry. Brandon got sick the weekend of Halloween, and I followed suit. He recovered quite a bit quicker than I did. For a head cold, this one really wiped me out. The head and stomach hurt, and I spent a few days eating only saltines (although the scale is not reflecting my drastic cut in calories). After a week, I was up and down. I'd feel good one day, and be up. The next day I'd feel horrible, and be down on the couch. Top it all off with trouble hearing out of one ear, a sensitive stomach, busy kids and a traveling husband and well, the blog lay silent. I'm now on the road to recovery, thanks to some antibiotics and steroid spray to clear up the non-draining sinus (which should lead to being able to hear again someday!), so I thought I'd catch you up on what we've been up to:

Halloween-

Thank God it's over! Is it just me, or does it get crazier every year until you kids go to college? Brandon was Juice Box and Caitlin was Tinkerbell. Caitlin spotted a cute Tinkerbell outfit in the thrift store when I was looking for a miners hat for Brandon (not even for Halloween - for Constitution Day. Heck - why not add another costume to October?). Yay! Before that she wanted to be Clifford. That would have been labor intensive.

AWANA-

we signed the kids up for AWANA on Wednesday nights. There is very little close by where we live, so it's a 7 mile drive to the church where they meet. Initially it was very chaotic, but we now understand what we're doing, so it's good. The kids love it, and are very good at verse memorization. Brian and I have made it "date night" for us, since we have a 2 hour window kid-free (!!!). Every other week we meet up with another couple whose kids are also in AWANA. It's a nice change. The only downside is that we don't get home until almost 9:00. That's late for our kiddos to get into bed. But they're learning God's word, which makes it all worth it.

Brandon -

He loves school. We had a parent-teacher meeting a while back, and found out he's reading at an early 3rd grade level. Go Brandon! He loves math and science, and seems to be doing well in his class. His teacher got him into a handwriting workshop that meets twice a week for just under half an hour. I'm glad he's getting help at school with his handwriting. We butt heads on this one at home. It's the one area I almost can't help him with.

Caitlin-

Also loves school. She's in preschool 3 days a week, and is so happy. She has been writing a lot, and attempting to read. Every day when Brandon does his homework she drags out her "homework" so they can do it together. Parenting her "4 Going on 14" attitude is another story. Her favorite phrase is, quite literally, "Just let me do what I want to do!" What she wants to do is wear shorts and flip-flops in the snow, forgo underwear and socks, cut her hair off, and listen to her CD player loudly at all times. So far, I've let her cut her hair short. I've hidden all forms of sandals and flip-flops, and have absolutely no issues going through her drawers if she can't wear appropriate clothing. Luckily, the weather here get cold enough that eventually even the most stubborn of children will at least wear something warm.

Me -

I've been doing publicity for my MOPS group, a Bible study on Revelation, and meeting with a group of women on Thursday mornings. Other than that I'm a full time mother to two children.

Brian-

He's been doing a new job within the same company for a couple of months now. It seems to be going well. You'd have to ask him for more details.

I think that's about it from our little family. At some point I'm going to put more pictures up on the picture site, but that's for another day. Maybe the Thanksgiving holiday. Maybe.

Brandon's Rules

2010-11-18T13:01:00.004-07:00

Sign found in Brandon's room this morning. Spelling and rules written just as they appear:

Rules in hear:

1) No snapping (as in snapping your fingers)

2) No wisiling

3) No jumping on the bed

4) No hiding anything

5) No playing with anything unless I say

6) No fiting (fighting)

7) No stomping

8) No annoying

Now you know the rules of Brandon's room for next time. Don't say you weren't warned!

Why I Shop There

2010-11-08T13:02:00.003-07:00

Why do I shop at King Soopers? I complain about it a lot. The stores are poorly laid out. The cashiers are slower than molasses. But, this is my latest receipt:

It's the sales. Granted, the prices are better than most grocery stores, but it's still a grocery store. But this week was the "mega event" (really - that's what they're called) "buy 10, get $5 off" promotion. I didn't need to go shopping last week. This whole trip was stock-up shopping on sale items. On this trip I bought 10 boxes of Annie's organic mac-n-cheese, 2 quarts of organic chicken broth, 5 cans of other chicken broth, 2 bags of Ricola, coffee creamer, dividers for my binder, and 3 Halloween pumpkin buckets for the backyard. 24 items in total. By combining store savings, specials and coupons, I bought $47 worth of food stuff for $10. There's more this week, too, so I'll be back. I don't think I've ever gotten a 79% savings before. It's so much better, too, when you can get great deals on organics. They're usually so expensive!

I wish Safeway did this with items I actually use (I'll be skipping the fruit roll-ups and Count Chocula cereals, thank you). It's so much closer, too. King Soopers is by Caitlin's school - a full 8 miles away - so I doubt I'll shop there very often after she is out of preschool. Maybe I'll make special trips out for these great deals. Might be worth the gas money. Since my daily/weekly schedule will completely change yet again next year with Caitlin in kindergarten, I don't know how things will fall into place. But if I can keep shopping like this, we'll have more money to do fun stuff!

Costumes

2010-11-06T22:32:00.006-06:00

Okay, I'm a little late on this one. Brandon was sick the weekend of Halloween, but was able to go out for a while to go trick or treating. Combine that with a busy week, Mommy catching Brandon's cold, and Daddy being gone on a business trip, and well... there was very little getting done.

We had a juice box and Tinkerbell around for Halloween. Here's the picture to prove it.

Once I figure out this new computer, I might get a few more pictures up on the Picassa site. Good luck to me.

Bleah! Spider!

2010-10-19T15:27:00.004-06:00

Look at the amazingly big spider I found in the basement yesterday!

It was quite icky. I was kneeling down to check on the furnace, and almost put my knee on it. While I think I would have won, it wouldn't have been pleasant. The kids were proud of the fact I caught it, and even found a place in the backyard to put it. Bleah! Glad it's gone!

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-18T15:51:00.007-06:00

Summer has gone on for what feels like forever around here, but the forecast is saying fall might really be here to stay this week. The leaves are turning and the hillsides are taking on a golden hue. In taking advantage of the warm weather, we decided to brave the Colorado pumpkin patches last weekend. It was a breeze! Unlike last year, the pumpkin crop was a good one. The evenings have been above freezing so far (just barely last night), we've had no snow yet, and almost no rain all summer. Really, there weren't any reasons that the pumpkin patch should be a muddy, yucky mess this time around!

We headed out right after soccer (which explains Caitlin's shirt). It was warm and dry, and not cold. Last year we looked at several hundred pumpkins (no exaggeration there) in order to find a few that weren't rotten. This year the good ones outnumbered the rotten ones by a wide margin. What a nice difference. We still got a little dirty. That one seems hard not do around these parts. But we came home with two nice pumpkins, and two happy children. I'm hoping that now Caitlin will stop asking to get a pumpkin every time she sees one at the store.

Last Day of Soccer (!!!)

2010-10-16T16:23:00.004-06:00

Oh yes, it's the last day of soccer, and we are happy! The kids aren't thrilled, but mom and dad are looking forward to having our Saturday's back for a while. Mom is also looking forward to not hanging out at the park every Thursday night from 5:30-6:30, sweating while the sun's up and then freezing for 15-20 minutes because the sun has gone behind the Flatirons and, once again, she forgot a sweater.

Today was payback for last weekend, when we only had one game. At 11:00 am. It was a leisurely morning. Today was not the same story. Both kids had games at 9:00 am. It was cold, and the fields were very wet. Fall has arrived, and we could feel it today. On the bright side, we had the whole day available to us after 10:00! It was a very.long.day.

The kids have had a great soccer season. Both want to do it again in the spring. I'm all for signing them up again. But I'm reclaiming Saturdays for a while!

Above - Caitlin demonstrating the pack mentality of playing soccer that is so prevalent in the Little Kickers division.

Over Analysing the Doctor

2010-10-13T15:32:00.004-06:00

I read The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess to Caitlin this afternoon. Her choice, not mine. It's not my favorite book. At least it's an easy read. But now, as a parent, I find it a little odder than I did as a kid. I know it's just a book, but I find it strange that in the book there are two little kids left at home all afternoon. Now I'm also worried that the fish is the voice of reason. Maybe I should just read, and not analyse.

Tired

2010-10-12T08:54:00.004-06:00

I knew I was tired yesterday. MOPS mornings always wear me out. Maybe it's the early hours, or helping clear things up after the meeting, but I felt drained. Brian was in Seattle most of last week, meaning I was more tired than usual. Our neighbor was gone to California for 5 days, meaning I needed to take and pick up Brandon from school (which, although not exhausting, takes up some extra time in the morning). Caitlin's school was closed for three days last week due to a Lutheran teachers conference, taking away 8 hours that I usually have to myself to do things. I spend a good chunk of the weekend working on the MOPS newsletter because of that. Last night I went to a women's event at church. But it was early this morning, when I put on my glasses and realized the world had gone from clear to blurry, I really knew I was tired.

I don't even know the last time I didn't take my contacts out at night because I forgot. Maybe I never have. I use to have the kind you wore at night, but they bothered my eyes so much when I wore them overnight that I eventually started taking them out in the evenings. In Colorado it's so amazingly dry, especially in the winter, that there are days I can't wear them past 4:00 or 5:00 in the evening. I was so confused this morning when I put on my glasses and everything went blurry. I hadn't been awake long enough to register how clear I was seeing. I didn't want to wake up, so I hadn't turned a light on at all. So much for finally being use to my 6:00 am mornings.

It's funny how it's the little things that wear you down. There was no big event going on. Nothing major happened to me last week. Brian was gone most of the week, and single parenting is always tiring. I wonder if single parents ever get use to it? Our neighbor was gone for 5 days, so I took Brandon to school. Not only does that mean getting Caitlin up early, but then there's the exhaustion of pulling her away from the swings after the bell rings for class. With Caitlin's school closed for several days and no available play dates (trust me, I tried!), I spent more time than usual entertaining her when I needed to get other things done. The weekend included soccer, dinner at a friend's house, finishing the MOPS newsletter, our small group, and a newcomers lunch. You'd think I would have gotten enough sleep due to oversleeping by an hour on Sunday! Saturday morning wasn't so bad, either. But a bunch of little things combined are enough to wear a person down. I'm still feeling tired, and it's 9:00 am! Obviously I should get off the computer and get my rear in gear.

I'm grateful for the cold, rainy weather today. Fall is here. Playing outside after school is limited, which means homework and AWANA memorization is done earlier. The kids bedtimes come earlier. And from how this post sounds, I should make mine a little earlier, too.

Outpouring

2010-10-02T19:51:00.016-06:00

A few months ago we left our church and left our LifeGroup. You know the stories. We sent e-mails to different people in our group to tell them we were leaving, and heard nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Silence.

We signed the kids up for AWANA at a nearby church this fall, and ran into a couple from our LifeGroup that had also signed their girls up for AWANA. Since we're there every Wednesday, we've decided to meet up every few weeks for dinner for the two hours our kids are in AWANA. We had dinner with them a couple of weeks ago. They were curious why we had packed up and left our old church and our LifeGroup. We truthfully (but nicely) answered their questions about why we left and what we were up to. The next week, all of a sudden, and after complaining here about our e-mails being unanswered, there was a sudden outpouring of love. The phone wouldn't stop ringing. So many "So sorry I haven't called you back." And, "We'd love to do dinner with your family." How sweet.

But I guess I'm a cynic. Someone talked. I'm not mad about that. I'm perturbed that all this outpouring from our former group members was only because they were informed about how hurtful their silence was. Wouldn't you know that? Or am I expecting too much?

I have made so many gestures in our LifeGroup and was met with emptiness. It stung a little when we found out that the other couples were getting together with each other over the summer (when we were still very much involved with this group). We had opened up our house almost every week this last summer to friends, and they were all invited (in fact, our house was bustling every week!). I did a scent check to make sure I was smelly. I looked in the mirror to make sure I hadn't turned into a hag without knowing it. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. What was wrong with us, or our family. What made us so unworthy of close friendships? I got tired of the whispers that went on behind my back. Especially from those who were group leaders in our church. Aren't they mature enough to know better? Horrible as it sounds, I feel like I've closed off the "trying anymore" part of me. And now.... now after all this... now there's an outpouring of love? A "miss you" in my e-mail? It all just seems to be too little too late.

The cynic in me wants to stop trying, but my personality doesn't allow that to happen with any real speed. I have "over tried" since we moved here. Tried to fit in. Tried to be nice. Tried to not be the square peg in the round hole. Tried to find community. Tried to overcome whatever it is about me/us that's so different here. And I'm still me. I'm still different. I still don't fit in. But I keep trying. This should be an uplifting post, but yet I still feel ambivalent and apathetic to whole situation. This outpouring seems less than authentic to me. Yes, I realize I'm being selfish here, but would it ever have happened if we hadn't said anything? Would anyone have realized something was wrong? Would anyone have contacted us? I'm not so sure. The lack of response did help us along. It affirmed our decision to leave and find something else. But the fact that we felt we had to move on still smarts a bit. It isn't easy to be the odd one out.

Right now I'm trying to push the cynic inside of me into the corner. To quiet her voice. She'll always be there - sometimes as the voice of reason - but she needs to be quiet right now. She needs to let me get over this an move on. Maybe reaching out again will help. We'll see. I'll just try to keep being optimistic about the future here.

Punk

2010-10-02T13:23:00.002-06:00

Caitlin got her hair spray painted at Brandon's school's fundraiser event last week. Doesn't she look a little punk?

How to Not Be a Dragon

2010-09-24T16:21:00.004-06:00

This is how it's suppose to be worn.
After all, it's a size 12 months.

This is how it was being worn the other day.

I just hope it isn't all stretched out.

Brandon Stats - Age 7

2010-09-21T21:23:00.004-06:00

Brandon had his 7 year check-up today. All is well in Brandon-land. He is now up to a whopping almost 4 feet tall, and weighs in at just over 47 pounds. Brian was busy today, so only Brandon and I went to the pediatrician's office. I can't remember the last time that happened! It's so much calmer with just one child.

Height - 47 3/4 inches (50th percentile)
Weight - 47 1/4 pounds (25th percentile)

He's back in the 25th percentile in weight. It doesn't seem to matter how much he eats. Caitlin has a much more varied palate as far as food is concerned, but Brandon eats better. He eats more, and we don't usually have to get on him to eat a decent amount at each meal. This year he has discovered the joys of hot dogs (okay - it's a mystery meat. I get that. But at least it's something he can eat at a picnic or BBQ) and granola bars. He's still growing, and I'm still struggling with finding clothes that fit him, and least girth-wise. He is widening his circle of friends at school. He's always been on the shy side, so this is a good sign.

Other things Brandon is up to:

Playing soccer again, for the fall season. We're much warmer this time around.
Making new friends.
Reading at the top of his class
Wrapping his mind all around math and science. At this rate, we aren't going to be able to keep up with him in a few more years.
Swims all by himself, thanks to a week in Florida.
Waters his Daddy's tomato and rosemary plants.
Exploring "Star Wars" (but not yet obsessed with it!)
Can be very sensitive and caring with others. This is displayed especially well in his tenderness towards our neighbor's little baby (born in January), and his niceness to her older brother, who is 3.
Acting in all other ways like a 7 year old. Compared with the other boys he hangs out with, he seems much more mature. Time will tell, I guess, but that's what I see.

Fall

2010-09-21T16:34:00.003-06:00

Around 4:00 am, in the early morning hours, I got cold. My sheet and quilt, which have been far too many covers for most of this summer, were not enough. I tried to snuggle up to Brian, but he was already cocooned in the bedding, leaving little warmth for me to glean from him. I got up, finally, and shut the window.

Cold.

I haven't felt that for a while.

Summer came early this year. It was hot in May. Early May was cool. We even had snow on the 12th. But after that, it was hot, and it stayed hot. My May pictures show children running through sprinklers. Children in bathing suits. The town pools were not yet open, and we were hot! Summer was hot, too. Not as hot as parts of California can get, but hot. Air conditioners running. Cool showers. At least a third of the summer days were in the mid 90's, and didn't cool down in the evenings. 75 is not a nighttime cool down in my opinion. The issue you run into in Colorado is that the sun is intense. That's great in the winter, when you crave the warmth of the sun. In the summer, though, it makes your skin crawl. I seek shade so that my arms don't hurt. Summer isn't my favorite season. My allergies get worse the hotter it gets. I have headaches that last for days. I don't sleep well. I try to appreciate it here, as it's the only time Colorado is green and looks alive.

But now..... it's cool.

Brian noted that it was suddenly cold last night. I smiled. I am so looking forward to fall. I am looking forward to the busyness of the season. The busyness of routine. School, events, soccer, activities. Some is old and much is new. I'm looking forward to fall colors - even though they lead to the barrenness of winter in these parts. Fire reds, hot pinks, brilliant oranges, muted browns. So beautiful. I'm looking forward to sleeping with my windows closed. Silence. Snuggling under the down comforter. Fireplace. Cool days. Open windows during the day. Happy children. Being able to bake again. I am looking forward to the big, fluffy clouds that have been absent (along with the rain) this summer. I look forward to the possibilities that recent changes will bring. It's a new start. A new season. Cool, crisp air to breath in and breath out.

On Having a 7 Year Old

2010-09-16T17:20:00.000-06:00

I have a 7 year old. It's wonderful. He gets up (most of the time) to his alarm clock. He can get dressed all by himself. He reads, he writes, he's independent and friendly. He walks to school. He plays soccer. He divides numbers in his head, and has a theory for how everything works.

He also waits patiently by his presents until it's time to open them.

Happy Birthday Brandon!!!

School Celebration

2010-09-15T17:58:00.003-06:00

Since there's no school tomorrow, Brandon's class celebrated his birthday today. I didn't manage to catch all their birthday song, but what I got is cute. Brandon loved being celebrated!

Unanswered

2010-09-13T16:00:00.017-06:00

We joined a small group at our new church. Last night was our first meeting, and everyone seemed pretty low-key and normal. I didn't really have an opinion one way or another, but I did get a positive vibe from the experience. We'll be heading back in the near future to meet up with them again and see if this is the right small group for us.

But that's not the point of this post. For a few months now, we've been in the process of "moving on" from our previous church to a new church. Joining the new small group was just one piece of trying to make this puzzle. Prior to joining FCC, we weren't thinking about leaving our LifeGroup. At least not yet. But the new small group met on the same day, same time as our previous LifeGroup, and we can't be two places at once. Deciding to be pro-active about the situation (since we'd never heard anything one way or another about our old LifeGroup starting back up again this fall), Brian sent an e-mail to the leader last week, on Sunday. He explained that we'd left CBC and joined another church over the summer, and that we were joining a small group there. Coincidentally, but for another reason, I had sent an e-mail to another member of the group explaining the same thing. Our e-mails were polite and nice. We read each other's messages. No edge at all. It's been over a week, and we have never heard anything back.

Nothing.

Not even the polite sort of "sorry to see you go" response. The kind you send even if you aren't sorry to see someone go. Just... nothing.

Crickets chirping can be so loud.

We're not really all that surprised to have heard nothing. Brian decided last night that we need to stop feeling sad or offended about it, and keep pushing forward. Maybe, he said, God is using their lack of response to our leaving the group as a means to reinforce the reasons we're leaving and moving on.

I've tried not to take this lack of connecting in a meaningful way personally, which is very, very hard for me not to do. I read a quote today that said "It doesn't take long to realize that if you're just passing through, people will only give you passing interest." It resonated with me, but not quite in the way the author intended. We are not just passing through here. We are trying to be part of this big, rather unfriendly place. We are trying to enmesh ourselves in community, choosing to be with people and live as believers. It's not as if we were just passing through at our church, either. We were there for several years. When we came to the realization sometime around Christmas that we were still outside, we had to make some hard decisions. And the main decision was that we needed to go elsewhere. At that point I started to withdraw myself from the the communities I was part of. I stopped attending MOPS, and finished out the semester of my Bible study small group on Wednesday mornings. We attended church as long as our LifeGroup met, and stopped when it ended for the summer. Now we are somewhere else. Colorado is fine, but has so far proven to be a tough nut to crack. I have to believe that God has good things in store for our future, but I have no idea what they are or where they'll take place. Who knows how we'll feel in another year. The same? I hope not.

**On a side note, I need to stop writing about this. I've come to the conclusion that I'm a complainer at heart, which is something I need to change. And, at this point, I'm just complaining. It's taken over a week for me to push the "publish" button. Sorry for one more post on this subject, but I have to get it out.**

Soccer, Soccer and More Soccer

2010-09-11T14:36:00.005-06:00

Two kids in soccer is just, well, crazy.

Caitlin and her buddy, Mia. They go to preschool together, carpool together, and love playing together.

Moving On.........

2010-09-05T16:42:00.012-06:00

I've been part of a large women's Bible study at our old church in Boulder for 3 years now. You all know how much I loved it (not). You're all aware of how I was told by my two small group leaders that I had anger management issues, and that is (their reasoning) why I was catching so many colds over the winter. What you may not know is that one of those leaders now leads the entire women's group, which has been hard for me. I'm not into listening to all her "pearls of wisdom" each Wednesday morning. I've built up a wall, I guess. I'd like to just show up late to the larger group to avoid her "teaching", but feel guilty taking Caitlin to the child care rooms an hour after class has begun. I've also been having an aversion to people using the words "lovely ladies" and "precious" in every other sentence. Thanks to only a few people, my time with this group wasn't precious. It was hard.

So, last year I spent many hours searching for other women's groups, or mom's groups, anywhere in a 10 mile radius of my house. The population gets bigger as you head south towards Denver, so I thought that a group wouldn't be hard to find. I was wrong. Days were wrong, hours were off, studies were extremely involved (I'm not there yet). I found a lot that met in the evenings, but with no childcare, I was out. Brian travels too much for that. I felt stuck. Not wanting to stay home alone all the time, I went back to my regular women's group, but wasn't a big fan of the larger group aspect - or the group leaders, for that matter. One is the former group leader mentioned above, the other is someone who acts so friendly in public, but no where else. It's so fake with her that even Brian's noticed (and he thinks it's rude). I was so undecided that I didn't make the decision to return until the day before the group began. But return I did. My desire to not be alone all the time once again won out. My small group was wonderful, but the larger group didn't thrill me as much. I was torn again this summer - do I return, do I not bother - until another option came up. Our new church! Last week I signed up for a women's Bible study. Gasp! You're all shocked, I know. Ro made a decision! Same day of the week, same time, new church. I don't know anyone, and that's fine right now.

I had pondered returning to CBC for the women's group all summer. We were attending RCC for three months. It had a Bible study coming up in fall, but when I was told how many hours per day it involved at home each week, I wasn't thrilled. Even with my few hours per week to myself, I'm still a stay-at-home mom with young kids. Also, it was on a day that I have preschool carpool duty, so that would always be a factor on how long I could stay. I decided, reluctantly, with some pain, that I would probably go back to CBC on Wednesday mornings. *sigh* But now I have another option. Once I signed up at FCC, I had a sad little thought of all the people that I knew that I'd be leaving behind. I sighed internally, and felt a little forlorn, even though I'm the one doing the leaving. But then I realized this - I'm not leaving behind any great friendships. Not even any budding friendships (if they haven't budded in the last few years, they're probably not going to). I'm only leaving behind acquaintances and familiarity. It's not like I saw any of these people over the summer. Of course, I never called, either.

In all reality, much of this is my fault. After opening myself up, being vulnerable, and then being harshly criticized, I shut down. I stopped letting people in. I complained a lot (mostly to myself, God and Brian, but still...). I regret staying with my first small group and not trying out something different. By doing this I think I just simmered in my mad juices for too long. And while I don't consider myself a quitter, I have come to a point in my life in which I will quit something I view as futile. If it has an end date, I will usually continue until that end, and then stop. But either way, I quit. In this case, I guess I should consider it "moving on" instead of quiting. In as much as I'm a fan of familiarity, there's nothing to be sad about here. I have no idea what this new group is like, and I'm not out to make fast friends this time,(although I wouldn't push them away) and I'm okay with all of that. The study, at least, seems promising. It's fresh. It's new. If nothing else, it's something that's moving me in the right direction. "Moving on....."

Howler

2010-08-23T19:04:00.008-06:00

My child is weird. In case you were unaware of that fact, here's the video to prove it:

She didn't know we were watching her until the end. It appears that she is a feral child. What does that say about us?

First Day of School

2010-08-17T21:25:00.012-06:00

Today was the first day of school for both kids. Talk about a crazy morning! Brian woke up early and just couldn't go back to sleep. He left for work at 6:00 am, leaving me to get myself and two children up and ready for school in the morning. Now, I've done this before more times than I can remember, but it's been a few months. It was a little stressful. It wasn't until after I got home from Caitlin's school that I discovered my coffee cup - still 3/4 full. It's a rare occasion that I forget about my coffee. Anyway, although Brandon has been so excited about school starting up again, he was not happy about getting up early. Nor was he happy about the slightly cold temperature of the house (it was 69 inside), which lead to many a shed tear. Caitlin was completely conked out, and didn't wake up even when her door was left wide open. This girl usually wakes up when someone breathes anywhere near her room! Luckily for me, she's the easy one in the morning. She wakes up happy, which is good because I had to scramble this morning to get everyone up and ready on time! Brandon, on the other hand, wakes up moody, and is also my cuddly, snugly boy. I get him up earlier in the morning than most of his friends get up so that so he gets all the snuggle time he needs before getting ready for school. Caitlin likes her snuggle time and all, but she can deal with it if it has to end a little earlier than normal. Brandon can't.

After many tears, getting dressed, and breakfast, we headed out. It's chaotic at the school on the first day. In many cases, entire families come the school. Moms, dads, grandparents........ Maybe this is normal everywhere, but my kids haven't done school in other places, so I don't know. Although we'd talked with his teacher for a whole 20 seconds on Monday, I still couldn't find the art door or the chair with her name on it (signaling where the kids should line up). Other parents seemed to know where to go, so I followed them. Brandon couldn't see it, and was close to tears. "What if I can't find my teacher?" Using my super-mommy powers, I managed to quell the tears and get him calmed down. The scene at the school was noisy and crowded. Mommy can deal. Brandon can't.

Finally all the second graders walked into the school building at 7:55. We were free! Caitlin and I had half an hour, so we headed back home to grab her lunch and her "All About Me" poster before heading off to her school in Boulder. It was all calm and serene this time around. The preschoolers were all so happy to be in school. With only two classrooms, there was not the mob of children we had previously experienced. Caitlin was thrilled to see all her friends in the same place again. I managed to say my goodbyes and leave her without so much as a sniffle. Such a difference! First days of school are hard, but I have a feeling Caitlin won't be as worked up as Brandon is when she isn't completely in control.

Meet The Teacher

2010-08-16T15:44:00.005-06:00

Let me first say this - whoever thought it would be a good idea for all 600 students at Brandon's school to meet their new teacher and bring in school supplies on Monday, from 2:00-2:30, should be shot. Half an hour? All the students? Maybe I'm just crazy for assuming that I should go, but go we did.

We decided not to drive. Although we only live half a mile from the school, all the road construction in our area this summer has made walking difficult. Sidewalks and walking paths have been closed for months, and there has been no bike lane, and there are cones and pillons all over the place - so this was a big decision. Caitlin assured me that she could ride her bike up the hills. She does at home and I've witnessed it, so I believed her. She lied. Other families also not driving managed to take up the entire sidewalk, making it hard to go past. Caitlin almost took out a couple of families! One entire side of the street was closed, crowding us all on to one sidewalk. Caitlin couldn't get on her bike fast enough to be with us when it was time to cross the street, so she'd end up not crossing when we crossed........ It was so much more of a nightmare than I could have imagined. I think riding bikes to school is not in my future. At least not my immediate future.

Even with all the chaos, I'm still glad we decided not to drive, as the school and all surrounding streets were inundated with cars. The school really only has enough parking for the teachers. Maybe they assume everyone will walk. It is Colorado, after all. There are only about 50 spaces available, which makes the days we need to drive to school (like, when it's snowing, or 10 degrees below zero) very difficult. We managed to crowd into the school and find Brandon's classroom. I had labeled almost everything (just like we had to in first grade), and yet most of it was put into big bins. I guess everyone will know what I bought. Brandon's classroom had a cozy, warm ambiance to it, which was nice. One other classroom felt this way, but the other two were stark. His teacher seemed very nice, and we got to see which classmates we already knew.

I am very much looking forward to school starting. The kids are starting to go stir-crazy, and are driving me crazy in the process. Brandon starts tomorrow at 7:55, and Caitlin starts at 8:30. I'm sure I'll be busy getting everything ready tonight. Tomorrow, at 8:45 am, it will all be worth it!

Yay! School!

2010-08-16T09:37:00.003-06:00

School starts tomorrow! I'm not sure who is more excited - me or the kids. I'm so excited to have breathing room during the week, and the ability to work on some stuff for my new MOPS group. Brandon's happy to meet his new teacher today, and excited to start the school year learning and studying cycle again. But Caitlin woke up this morning just hoping desperately that it was the first day of school. She might be the most excited. Tomorrow, honey, tomorrow.

New Church?

2010-08-16T08:12:00.018-06:00

Our search for a new church home and community is no secret here. It's been well documented in this blog. We left our church in Boulder after almost 3 years and set out this summer to find a new one. Although we like the pastor, worship, and in general think the people of CBC are friendly enough, we weren't connecting. I've done a small group, playgroups, get togethers, MOPS, Bible study, Sunday classes, and church, and still leave there without chatting about anything more substantial than the weather. After 3 years of striving to connect and getting nowhere, it's frankly just gotten old. We're suppose to want to be with God's people, aren't we? Seriously- we're not not looking for people to share our deep, dark secrets with. We just want to connect and have community. I feel like a piece of me is missing by not having this. We've tried a few churches, and didn't get excited about them. We settled on RCC, a small, local church in the hopes that the location of not only the church, but also the attendees, would be a good thing. We like the pastor. But we're now 3 months in, and no vibes. No one talks to us. It feels like we've crashed someone else's party. If I hadn't been part of 6-week women's Bible study this summer, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't know anyone's name.

So, yesterday we tried a new church. Although we were going to re-evaluate our situation in the fall, I'm not sure what really spurred us on this soon. Possibly the fact that it really looked interesting from the website, or not feeling at all connected at RCC after 3 months, or the false friendliness we encountered by someone from CBC that we see quite regularly? Is it because I'm at the three year mark in this area, and I tend to re-evaluate at three years. I tend to want to move, also, which is another post altogether. Whatever it was, it was enough to turn our hearts toward trying something new. And..........

We liked it.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We found a church online last week that looked promising. We headed 10 miles south this time, instead of the same distance north, and found the whole experience to be positive. The drive isn't bad (and you have to drive, drive, drive around here). The church is housed in a set of theatres - an older movie theatre complex in a strip mall. The sanctuary is a large theatre, with the kids stuff being housed in other, smaller theatres or some of the neighboring strip mall units. It's quite amazing what they've done with it all. Our old church in California met in the theatre of a high school, with the classes being scattered amongst the classrooms and other buildings. I felt oddly at home yesterday in the middle of the chaos, theatre-style seating and distance between the classes. I liked that fact that the church was large, with at least 300 people in the service - and we went to the second service. I liked the worship - it was wonderful! So much more to our liking and not painful or hard to sing along. Brian really liked the worship leader, which is always good, and we both liked the sermon. It left me thinking, not lacking. The kids seemed to enjoy their respective classes as well. Brandon's class had a "game room", which opens 20 minutes before class starts. I hope he doesn't like his class just because it had Mario Kart for the Wii and an enormous blow-up slide! (Both are in the game room, which is only open between services)

It's hard to gauge from one attendance how the future will look. The people seemed nice, casual, and had a wide age range. Although we're just looking for a place to attend right now, I also want to find a place where we fit in and a place to serve. I think it's important for me and important to model service for my children. I suffered from some serious service burn-out before after moving here, but feel like that's behind me now.

We'll try it again next week and see what we think. We've tried a boat load of places, and haven't been this interested in returning to a place for a while. Well, really since we went to CBC three years ago. So, we'll see how it goes this time around. Brandon and Caitlin both showed more interest in their classes than they have in a long time, although Caitlin really missed her teacher at CBC (I had to convince her that she would be moving to a different class anyway this year). It could be the place we've been looking for.

On Scammers

2010-08-09T17:09:00.005-06:00

I got my first "relay call" for a Craiglist item today. The relay service is when someone who has a hearing problem types their questions/responses to a relay operator, and that operator talks to the hearing person on the other end. I thought it was strange that he called, since anyone who is interested in my Craigslist items can just e-mail the advertisement. It was also a San Diego number - I'm in Colorado (could have been a cell phone. One never knows). The third red flag was the fact that he'd seen my "advert" on Craigslist. Advert? So I'm getting calls from a deaf British person who hasn't changed his cell phone to a local number? I mean, it is possible. I live near a university which educates students from all over the world. But, then again, no.

He was interested in my tricycle. It's a nice tricycle. Caitlin's had a great time with it for the last few years. But this guy was really interested in it. Very excited! After I gave him one of my e-mail addresses through the relay service, he send me a note. His hold on the English language was loose, at best. His e-mail was full of typos and didn't pluralize most words that needed it. For example, he lived "many state away". Hmmm..... On top of it all, he wanted to send me a cashier's check or money order and have me ship it to Massachusetts. To sweeted the deal, he'd add an extra $10, along with the shipping costs. Wow! $10. I don't sell things on Craigslist because I'm desperate for cash. I sell them because we no longer need them. The cash is nice, too.

I sold two other items on Craigslist today. Both were local moms looking for a good deal on a used toy. One had a local number, the other did not. Both set up times to stop by and pick up what I was selling. The one who e-mailed me didn't have typos in her e-mail, and seemed to have a good handle on the English language. No red flags there. This is my typical type of sale - to local who stops by to pick up the item, or I meet them in a public place. I know scammers are everywhere. You hear about them on the news or talk shows, and read about it online. I just can't figure out who would fall for one like this. Did he do a relay call so I wouldn't hear his voice? Why didn't he just e-mail me? Is he dumb? Obviously, I didn't ship the trike. I was polite in my refusal e-mail, and didn't respond further. He send me a couple more, begging me to send the trike again, but stopped after that. I'm still curious as to why he wanted to scam me using a tricycle ad? I guess scammers want my money. No from this girl. Sorry.

Overcast

2010-08-09T07:37:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I complained silently to God that I was tired of being hot. I'm not ready for snow and ice, but ready for the high heat to subside. I was also missing foggy, overcast mornings. The sun in Colorado can be a bit much sometimes.

Today I woke up to a nice, cool, overcast mornings. Complete with sleeping children. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for reminding me that you're there, and that you do listen.

Full Summer Soon Ending

2010-07-30T16:03:00.003-06:00

I just enrolled both kids in soccer this fall through the YMCA (Caitlin was a little miffed that we didn't enroll her last spring, so I remedied that!) And I accepted the Publicity Coordinator position in the MOPS group I'll be attending this fall If you don't see or hear from me until Christmas, this will be why! The fall is looking pretty busy for this stay-at-home mom type. Brandon will be in 2nd grade. Caitlin will be in Pre-K 3 mornings a week. Along with MOPS and Bible study, and all the other stuff I randomly do, I'll have most days full. It will be a good change from summer, where I am with kids all day, every day.

I'm craving the structure of the school year, although I can't say I'm looking forward to school starting in a mere 2 1/2 weeks! We've had a full summer. It's been a lot better than last summer, which was just weirder than weird. California with one set of grandparents, Florida for vacation, VBS sports camp, preschool day camp, grandparents coming......all good things this summer. But even with the ability to sleep in some days, the days I'm home are full days trying to keep the kids entertained. I've threatened to string the kids up by their toenails if I hear "Mom, I'm bored!" one more time (Brandon doesn't take me seriously, but Caitlin holds her toes when she's not sure what to do). Soon it will be all over, and I'll be back to my 6:00 am mornings - wailing plaintively about how I miss summer. Such is the cycle of the year, I guess. Even Brandon told me recently that he misses school. Yay! Caitlin definitely misses her friends, although I'm not sure she misses learning. I'm glad the kids are looking forward to school starting, too. It'll make mid-August a lot easier to take.

Almost

2010-07-20T19:43:00.007-06:00

I almost became a Coloradoan yesterday. Almost.

It happened as I was taking Caitlin to day camp, and Brandon to VBS soccer camp. We left at 8:15 in the morning. During the school year that's positively late for us, but it's pretty early in the morning these days. The road I drive to Caitlin's school cuts through a shopping center with a Target, Michael's, Whole Foods, etc., and the speed limit raises up to a normal speed as you pass Costco at the end of the center. I was tootling along past Costco, quite happy at my slow shopping center speed, when I noticed a few cars seemly piling up behind me. I'd already passed the raised speed limit, and could go 50 MPH, but instead was still meandering at 35 MPH. I quickly raised my speed, and happily continued the 5 or so miles to school. Even though we're on a country road (with a gorgeous view of the Rockies, I might add), you really can't pass other cars. I don't want to be that person slowing everyone down. It's frustrating to be stuck behind a slow driver - a scenario I know all too well!

I'm not sure what was going on with me. Maybe I was still in vacation mode. Maybe (more likely) I was tired. Either way, it was a shock to me that I was driving so slow. I'm not the speed demon I use to be, but I still take the speed limit as just that - the speed you can attain in good weather. Not merely a suggestion of how fast you could go if you really wanted to.

Today I was back to my normal self. Out there, gettin' frustrated, yet again, with the Colorado drivers who think that the numbers on the speed limit sign are waayyyy too high. Frustrated with the drivers who have no idea about fast and slow lanes. Frustrated and talking (in my car, mind you) to the other drivers that yellow does not mean stop. Wondering why so many large trucks drive through Boulder instead of taking I-25 through the state. And still frustrated that there is no efficient way to get through Boulder (it's been a couple of months since I had to drive through the town with a time limit to meet). I was almost gone, but I'm back now. Hello!

Anna Maria

2010-07-12T15:34:00.004-06:00

Greetings from Anna Maria Island in Florida! On Saturday we trekked out to the airport and made our way from the middle of the country to a coastal section of the country. It's good to be by the beach again.

So far, so good. We are loving the beauty of Florida. The colors are lovely, especially the amazing variations in the water. Blues, whites, greens, teals - all surrounded by green flora and amazingly white sand. And the sand here..... it's as soft as powdered sugar! The shells and bits of ground up shells make it much more rough, but the sand itself is lovely! The gulf coast beach water is as warm as bath water. It's so completely different from the Pacific ocean. You actually want to be in the water here, and your feet don't slowly succumb to hypothermia.

We rented a little bungalow in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island. We are two blocks from the ocean one way, and I think it's 3 in the other direction. Our place has a pool in the back yard, which has officially transformed us into the best parents ever, according to the kids. They are having so much fun. It's much easier to watch them and swim with them in a private pool versus the public pools in our town (not to mention we don't have to deal with all the nasty chlorine). Not having the life jackets has also been good, as the kids' confidence and swimming abilities have improved. Brandon especially. Caitlin is our fish, but Brandon has taken to jumping off one end of the pool and swimming underwater as much as he can to to the other side of the pool. They just love having a pool. We've noticed that Caitlin gets all whiny when we take her away from the water, either the pool or the beach. We've also noticed she's exhausted at the end of the day and is asleep almost as soon as her head hits the pillow. Score!

Now that we've lived in Colorado, land of no moisture, for 3 years, my ability to handle humidity has gone waaayyyy downhill. The almost 70% humidity levels we're experiencing here make the mild 85 degree weather feel 7-10 degrees hotter. We notice that the heat rises as we leave the island, and we feel hotter and stickier away from the beach breezes. I've heard it's better for my skin, though, and I don't feel the need to slather on lotion all the time. Floridians must just get use to the weather eventually. I mean, my parents aren't nearly as bothered by the central valley heat as I am, so one can only conclude that you get use to weather you live in. Eventually. I'm glad we have A/C in our rental house. I'm not sure I'd last a whole week here without it. This might be the most humid place I've ever been. It feels the same in the water as it does out of the water. And it's can feel hard to take a deep breath at times, despite the higher amounts of oxygen here than what we're use to.

Brian is cooking a yummy dinner, so I'm going to sign off now and get to setting the table. I'm sure we'll either head out to the beach after dinner, or head back into the pool. I'll post pictures after we get home so you can share in the beautiful sights of Florida.

Knife Sharpening - Colorado Style

2010-06-29T14:38:00.022-06:00

I meant to drop my knives off before I left for California. Really! I did! The last time I got them sharpened was in summer of 2007, and they've needed a resharpening for a while now! Unfortunately, the knife sharpening place at our local mall (complete with a staff sporting mohawks and *a lot* of piercings) closed in early 2008. Every other local place I've looked into (read - not Denver) requires leaving your knives with them for a week! Not over night. Not even two nights. But an entire week! I cook almost every day. Not having my knives for a week is a handicap. Hence, wanting to drop them off before I left for my parent's house.

Fast forward to the present time. Brian's gone all week, and I don't do much cooking when he's gone. I meant to drop the knives off in Boulder on Friday when I was there, and forgot yet again (!!!). Guess I'm not in the habit of carrying my knives with me when I head into town. I was talking to a neighbor about dropping my knives off a for a week, and how I couldn't remember, and he mentioned some guy out in Lafayette who sharpens knives. Although my neighbor hadn't used him, he came highly recommended. So yesterday I made the call. Today after Bible study I drove out to his farm.

Yes.... his farm.

He'd given me good directions, like "after turning on ______ road, just keep on driving until it ends, " and "after you get there, just wander around 'til you find me." After driving to what seemed like the middle of Colorado, I found him. Here, in this setting.........

Here was the view on the other side of all those luscious trees..

I wandered around until I found him out by one of the barns, repairing the engine on his riding mower. His wife was hacking at the weeds with what looked like a machete. Our expert jack of all trades sharpened most of the knives in his mobile sharpening van (which I found out he takes to the Boulder Farmer's Market on the weekends), while doing the serrated edged knives on a different piece of equipment in the barn.

I felt like I'd entered some sort of alternate, "Good Eats" universe. There I was, in the country, getting my knives expertly sharpened on different grinding stones, while my kids played on the farm. The trees overhead were old and lush, a rare gem anywhere in Colorado, but even more so on the plains. Clouds drifted by overhead, and in the distance one could still see snow on the higher Rocky Mountain peaks. I talked with the knife sharpener's wife while the kids chased dragonflies out by the pond and played in the trees. It's almost like I was leading someone else's life. To top it all off, all 7 of my knives were done in just over half an hour, and the cost was only $30. Can't beat that! Now even my straight edged knives will cut through a tomato with no problems at all. Maybe I'll broil some tomatoes with pesto sauce out on the grill tonight.

The downsides of heading out the farm for knife sharpening -- bugs and dirt. Caitlin got a bug bite on her face, and her cheek is swollen. The poor girl's a bug magnet - and a sensitive one at that. The kids are also quite filthy! They had a blast, but the amount of dirt they attracted in the short period of time we were there was massive. They had fun on the tractors and chasing the dragonflies. Good thing they're due for a bath tonight.

Positive Vibes

2010-06-28T13:40:00.004-06:00

I saw this article in Sunday's Boulder Daily Camera:

Positive Vibes Sent to Gulf Shore Coast

"It began and ended with the ringing of a bell.

In between, 32 people -- mostly strangers -- linked hands on the shores of Boulder Reservoir and sent their most positive thoughts 1,400 miles to the southeast, where oil continued to wash up on beaches of the Gulf Coast....

"I was so inspired by people coming together with positive intentions focused on the water," said Katerina Seas, who helped organize the gathering via e-mail, Facebook, and word of mouth just 10 days ago. [...]"

Seriously? Positive Vibes? What does that mean, exactly? Acquaintances on Facebook ask for it. People I know who term themselves "spiritual" people (but are very secular) both send and receive these positive vibes. And now it's in the paper. So, what are "positive vibes" to these people? Is it the equivalent of prayer? Sound waves? Is their intentional thinking about the gulf coast going to solve the problem? Will the vibes travel from here to there and make the people and animals of the gulf happy? I've had very intentional thoughts about losing weight, but so far I haven't had any luck. Without God to move the mountains, they aren't moving, people!

I'm all for standing in solidarity with the affected communities. I have nothing against vigils or outpourings of support. But to think that this will help....? I can't imagine that send these vibes did any good whatsoever. A few people drove some distance to get to this gathering. Their money, I'm sure, could have been put to better use had they donated it to a gulf relief fund.

Good luck with your vibes. For the sake of the gulf, I do hope they work. Those people and animals could use some good luck. As for me, I'll continue to use prayer as my medium. I know it's being heard, and can be answered.

Checking Out

2010-06-24T15:26:00.017-06:00

Dear King Soopers -
I don't normally write letters to stores. In fact, I've never written to a store (and it's not likely this letter will ever reach you). But seriously, King Soopers, you need another check-out alternative. The choices of having the cashier scan the items in your basket or using the self-check line are just not cutting it! It's been a few weeks since I shopped at your store. It's near my daughter's preschool and not near my house, so I shop there when school's in session. Today was a special preschool camp, so I headed over to your store with a happy heart this morning. I like your store. I like your produce. I like your natural and organic food aisles. I like your sales (was there too much emphasis there?). Unlike Safeway, which is nearby, it's your sales that are very heavily documented in all the couponing blogs in Colorado. So I shop at your store.

But I digress......this is a post about checking out.

With a happy heart I headed to your store today. At 8:30 in the morning. Not a heavy shopping time, based on my experience. But you wouldn't know that at your store. I shopped for a mere 15 minutes, and then spent the same amount of time at the check-out! Out of necessity, I used the self-check line. The only 2 cashiers in the front had lines of 3 or more people with full carts. No loss, as the cashiers are slow as molasses. Maybe slower. I've taken to mental head banging to pass the time. The self-check lines are only marginally faster. The machines are slow. There must be magical, specific ways to operate them which only fairies know, because I can't figure them out. I don't have this problem at other stores. But at your store, and only your store, the cashier overseeing the machines must come and assist me. Eventually. Mostly with words like "you can't scan it that way", and "why did you bring your own bags?"

I realize that this cashier situation is a state-wide problem. I've struggled with not screaming or tearing my hair out at grocery stores since I moved here (and I come from a state with 36 million more people!). I worked as a cashier for many years, and speed and accuracy were pounded into my skull early on. You had to be fast and accurate, or you didn't last. Not so here. Being quick is not required. At all. I have been late to pick up my daughter from school after being in line to check-out for 20 minutes with only one person in front of me (who did not, by the way, have an over flowing cart). My daughter's school is only 1 mile away. Being late never should have happened. I have left partially full carts and walked out because it was obvious that the 20 minutes I allotted myself for checking out was not enough. The invention of the wonderful self-check machine means that there are never enough cashiers at the stores that employ them. One local big box store near my house has 24 cash registers, with only 2 or 3 ever open during the weekdays. They sometimes get crazy, and open up to 6 (gasp! 6!) on the weekends. I'm not sure why they have so many. The main reason I make returns at another nationwide chain (besides things falling apart upon opening the package) is because I'm routinely charged twice for the same item. I don't shop there much anymore. Fast and accurate? Not longer necessary.

With a sad heart, I left your store. Yes, I will shop there again because your sales are good. But I will also visit other local stores. Stores that understand that while their customers must stand in line to pay for their items, they don't want that to be half of their time spent in their store.

Nothing for Lunch

2010-06-24T13:25:00.006-06:00

Caitlin had her first day of day camp at her preschool today. This is the third time I've set my alarm for a weekday wake-up in 3 weeks! So nice. I packed her a sandwich and some Teddy Grahams. I had just enough left for a snack.

When I picked her up this afternoon, she gave me a funny look and said she didn't eat her lunch. And was quick to add that she didn't want to, either (she has to eat it at home if she doesn't eat it at school). She didn't like her sandwich, and she didn't like her Cheetos. Cheetos? I looked down at her lunch box, and noticed immediately that it wasn't hers. Even though it's the same kind, down to the smaller details, this one was more worn, and didn't have her name on. I opened it up to find food that wasn't from our house. A quick trip back inside the preschool got the right lunch box back, but all the lunch was gone. One of the teachers did think it was funny when the other girl got soooo excited about the Teddy Grahams! Stuff like that is often forbidden in lunches in Boulder. I'm only partially kidding.

On the way home Caitlin proceeded to tell me about her horrible wrong lunch, and how it had a salami and cheese sandwich on buttered bread. It must have been terribly disgusting for her, since she wrinkled up her nose the whole time she told me about it. The Cheetos must have been some sort of healthy alternative, since Caitlin has never once turned her nose up at Cheetos. Or any chip, for that matter. She's never snubbed the healthy alternatives, either, so who knows what those icky Cheetos were made of! The teachers were extremely sorry that this happened, so I'm sure she'll get her correct lunch tomorrow. Caitlin requested her favorite lunch of pickles, cheese and crackers, plus grapes, when we got home. All is well in Caitlin's world.

How Tired Am I?

2010-06-16T00:15:00.003-06:00

After an early morning, two flights, and a 3 hour layover in LAX, I'm standing in the bathroom brushing my teeth. But instead of brushing my teeth, I'm waiting for the electric toothbrush to start up. It's never going to start up, being that it's in Colorado and I'm in California, and have a regular, manual toothbrush in my mouth. I've now realized it's not going to brush my teeth unless I move it. I've been up for over 18 hours, and I'm tired.

How tired am I? I forgot to push the "publish" button for a few days.

A Chilly Reception

2010-06-11T15:46:00.008-06:00

Due to impending thunderstorms and our predicted 55 degrees and raining weekend, going to the outdoor swimming pool (our usual hangout) was out of the question today. I asked the kids what fun thing we should do on this chilly day (it's not even 65 degrees currently), and the vote was to head out to Chick-Fil-A for lunch. It was wildly crowded at CFA when we got there. More so than any day, even a Saturday, that I've seen. We did manage to get the last spot in the overflow parking lot, though!

Once inside, the kids went to the play area while I ordered. A few minutes later, they came back to tell me they'd secured a table, and also to tell me that one of my friends said hi to them. We do live in a very small town, so it's not unusual to see someone I know when I'm out and about. I scanned the area, but didn't see anyone I knew. A few minutes later I saw someone I use to know emerge from the play area. She was part of a MOPS group I use belonged to, but I haven't seen her for about a year. She was gathering up her kids to go, so I went over to say a quick "hi" before she left. I mean, she already knew I was there, so I didn't want to be rude! She was sweet, we talked for a few minutes about our growing kids (her littlest was only 6 months old last time I saw him). Her best friend, who had been the leader of our MOPS group, was there as well. Not to be rude, I also said "hi" to her friend.

Her response? Something akin to "Hurrumph!"

In her defense, she might have said "hi", or "hello". We were in a loud, crazy restaurant. However, it came out as if she was a crotchety old man in a sitcom who wasn't happy that the teenagers came home.

I should have been offended, I guess, but instead I was amused. I tried not to laugh out loud at her gruff response. Apparently I'm *not* her favorite person! It's funny, because she was exceptionally friendly and warm when I met her in early 2008. She made me feel welcomed when I visited her MOPS group. She asked me to be on steering and I accepted. That's when it all changed (cue up music from horror movies). We had our retreat and first meeting, and my opinion of her was never the same. She went from a warm and sweet woman to a rather blunt and tactless leader to our group. In unpublished posts, I described her as "rude and pushy". She was brusque and abrupt all the time. It got to the point that I could only handle in small doses. She was the reason I took my blog link off my Facebook page (when I got her friend request, which was a shock, I decided I really didn't want her to have that much access to how I feel). When Caitlin broke the car windshield with her head, thus making me late to our first steering meeting, she was mad at me for being late. Seriously? My daughter could have had a concussion, and she was angry I was late. A few months into it, I was mentally just done with that group. I wanted to quit early, and she was one the main reasons why. I had only committed for one year, so I did my one year and was out of there. I have never looked back, and I haven't missed it, either. I needed to leave for my own well-being. Honestly, I think I've just reached a point in my life where I'm unwilling to put up with people like her. With the exception of one person, the only reason I'm ever contacted by members of that group is for "purchasing events" (i.e. "Come to my Shaklee event - just to look at products! No presentation!" "Come to my Pampered Chef party!" "Come to my open house for the books I sell from home!" "Buy all your Christmas presents at our auction, bizarre!", "buy from me!", etc.) It was a long year, the year I was with that group of women. I call that my year of trying too hard.

I'm still laughing at her reaction. It did surprise me. I certainly don't hate the woman. She's usually very nice on a casual level. Her leadership skills, though, leave a lot to be desired. Although I had my own opinion about her and how she treated me, I'm not exactly sure what I did to her. Was I extremely transparent? Was she mad that I was late that one time? Maybe she was upset about my leaving her group? I'm not sure, but I won't be losing any sleep over it. Most of us can almost always be nice for short periods to someone we don't particularly like. We can smile, or say "hi". We can fake it. Guess she can't. What a chilly reception! In retrospect, my decision to leave that group was a good one. This whole area has a small-town feel, so I'm bound to run into to people from that group. And I'll still say hello and smile. But maybe I won't smile quite as big to her.