Storytellin' Mama

You Birthed Me...

2009-09-24T00:06:00.009-07:00

Duck and Cover!

Birthday Boy and Bubbles!

Yes, she's eating broccoli folks!

Pinata Fun!

Night Swimming!

Lil' Expert had his first slumber party a couple of weeks ago and it is hard to believe another year has gone by and he is nine years old.

His big surprise present was an Nintendo DS.

Last night I was putting him to bed and he said, "I love you Mom because you bought me a DS, and you give me food, and you birthed me."

Nine year old love... it can't be beat!!!

*Photos courtesy of my friend Lauren!!

Quadruple the Fun...

2009-09-06T15:26:00.002-07:00

Sometimes parenting can be hard and exhausting. I tell you I needed this video.

To me the essence of what makes it all worth it!

Hope this renews your spirit of fun too!

The Girls Growing like Weeds...

2009-08-29T15:30:00.002-07:00

My Baby

Laughing Girl

Brown-Eyed Gal four years old and Lil' Red two years old

Adventures in Bicycling...

2009-07-09T11:30:00.004-07:00

Lil' Expert and Storytellin' Boy did a great job learning to ride their bikes a couple of weeks ago. They are both now riding completely independently.

On the first day, Lil' Expert crashed into two barrel cactus and popped his tires. His Dad stopped him in the nick of time before crashing into the drainage wash on our property.

Lil' Expert has struggled to learn to ride his bike due to his Asperger's and fine motor delays. We are so proud that he has persevered and is now riding like a pro.

The same day, Storytellin' boy crashed into his two year old sister in the driveway. Luckily, we had bought her a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads at Target because she wanted to be like her big brothers. The padding came in handy when she was sailing across the pavement. She wasn't hurt at all. Storytellin' Boy said, "I'm sorry mom, I haven't learned how to avoid yet."

A couple days after they learned to ride their bikes, cousins from California came to visit. Their cousins rode with the boys and practiced with them several times during their stay which improved the boys skills tremendously.

Here is video of their first day of bike riding:

Mount Lemmon Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-26T19:59:00.004-07:00

The girls love water!

Boys hanging out!

The whole Gang!

Stream Walking!

Me and my last little one!

On Mother's Day we got out of the heat of Tucson and headed up the mountain. The kids love walking and hiking in the streams at Mt. Lemmon and we had a great family day together.

The Pool is Now Open...

2009-05-06T08:10:00.004-07:00

One of the best things about living in Tucson is that we get the use of our pool from May until October.

The kids get lots of exercise and it is relaxing to go swimming after school and before bed.

These photos are from our first big weekend of swimming April 25-26, 2009.

Today we are supposed to hit the 100 degree mark, so there will be a lot of swimming in our future!

Future Beauty Salon Operator...

2009-05-04T20:40:00.005-07:00

Brown-eyed Gal cut her hair with her brother's blue safety scissors!

Are you talking about me?

It's not the first time we have had hair trouble around here!

An Original Storytellin' Mama...

2009-04-09T10:34:00.011-07:00

I love this Native American Storyteller. My mother-in-law gave it to me a few years ago. It honors the oral tradition of storytelling. My kids love to look at it and name which child they are in the storyteller's lap.

Storytellin' at our house

My kids all love books and I love the quiet moments before bed when we can read and laugh together!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Watch Out for What Might Come Through the Doggy Door!

2009-04-03T10:16:00.009-07:00

Scout and Bear are inside dogs. They live the good life sleeping on one of the children's beds at night, chewing plenty of forbidden toys, and driving me crazy. Like this week when Bear ate the hawaiian rolls off the counter and a whole loaf of bread on the same morning and when Scout shredded in many, many pieces a roll of paper towels in the living room... everywhere.

We recently put in a pet door through our back bathroom, we call the mud room. The dogs would have access to the backyard at all times. The dogs were used to going through a pet door to get to their food in the garage anyway.

Scout, our beagle had been waking me up every night to be let out at around 2:00 to 3:00 AM. On any given night with four kids I am likely to be woken up by a crying baby, or a child having a nightmare. The dog was not helping my issues with sleep deprivation.

Scout learned to go through the new doggy door right away and has not woken me up once since the door went in. Bear, our golden retriever still needs some reminders about the door and will often lie down outside instead of coming back in through the door.

It is so convenient because now we can go for day trips, or even be out for several hours without worrying about letting the dogs out.

A friend of mine asked me if the door was sealed and if I was worried about other desert creatures (snakes, tarantulas, scorpions) getting through the door. Luckily, it is sealed and somehow we have these invaders from time to time anyway. Part of living in the Sonoran desert.

I saw this video on my friend Jennifer's facebook page and I thought I wouldn't mind if this came through the door...

Happy Friday!!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Crossing Gender Lines in the Work Force...

2009-03-29T19:43:00.003-07:00

At the Tucson Book Fair, a booth for the local hospital was giving away nurses hats. The girls each wanted a hat.

Storytellin' Boy was very disappointed that he did not get a hat. He loved the hats so much that he got back in line to get one for himself. He wore it proudly for the rest of the festival.

Cheers for nurses both men and women!

Levitation, Shakespeare and Four Year Old Magic...

2009-03-24T09:09:00.013-07:00

Magic Show at the Tucson Festival of Books

Shakespeare appearing out of a replica of the Globe Theatre

Brown-Eyed Gal picked to levitate before the crowd.

Approaching the stage

Brown-Eyed Gal hugging a penguin at the book festival

Two weeks ago we went to the Tucson Festival of Books hosted by University of Arizona. One of the highlights of the day for the kids was a magician that taught about Shakespeare and did magic tricks.

The magician asked for a volunteer from the audience and my four year old daughter raised her hand and was picked. My daughter is a girl who usually opts to play in her room with her stuffed animals and is not always one for the lime light. I was pleased when she excitedly went up on stage. She was a little scared before the magician made her levitate so my husband went up on stage to help... therefore we didn't get a picture of the actual levitation.

Afterwards, Brown-Eyed Gal said, "Mom I got to fly like a butterfly. Did you see me flying?"

The lesson for me is that children change and grow. The characteristics we use to label them one day may not fit six months down the road. My sister's daughter has a friend who has always been very shy and she recently made one of the leads in her school production of High School Musical. Friends and family asked, "Is this the same girl?" They were amazed when they saw her awesome and spirited performance.

My daughter is also changing and growing and I celebrate her new found boldness and willingness to participate in the fun of life.

“Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Silly Monkey Stories

Chess Anyone?

2009-03-20T17:39:00.010-07:00

Ready to play

Concentration

Contemplation

I want to play too... like my big brother!

This year in 2nd grade, Lil' Expert has improved his chess playing ability tremendously. His coach tells us he has new found confidence and he has developed a swagger. He can beat almost everyone in his club at school.

March 14th and March 28 are the qualifying rounds for the Arizona State Championships. He is working to earn enough points at these tournaments to qualify.

His brother Storytellin' Boy showed an interest at the March 14th tournament and played chess with Dad in between rounds.

It is so great as a mom to see my son excel, especially because Lil' Expert has had his struggles with fine motor skills and coordination due to Asperger's. This is a great activity for him to gain confidence and have success.

Way to go!!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Storytellin' Mama Update... Finally!!

2009-03-08T14:17:00.010-07:00

It's been a while!

What has been going on in the lives of the Storytellin' Gang?

Storytellin' Mama had a hysterectomy. More difficult than I imagined. Thank you so much for all the cards and support. Thank you so much Grandma Kasey for helping me with the kids for a month. I couldn't have done it without you.

I have also gone back to work part-time and am working with adult offenders who have cognitive and mental health problems to help restore them to competency within the court system. Very challenging.

I will also be starting a new fiction writing class in April. I have moved up to the next level through The Writers Studio. I'm looking forward to it so much. My goal continues to be to finish a couple of short stories to send out for publication.

Beautiful flowers sent to me after my surgery from my friend Gina

Big Expert has been such an incredible help to us all during my surgery recovery. I really appreciate how he took the boys to the bus stop every morning and pitched in so much in the running of the household. He is doing great with his photography and is excited to buy a new camera very soon!

Daddy resting with his girls

Lil' Red who has now officially switched from a redhead to a blondie is talking up a storm. She turned two years old in December and is displaying characteristics of the ~~terrible~~ terrific twos. She has gotten quite bossy with her brothers and sister, but I figure it is survival of the fittest considering she is the youngest of four and has to fight for her place in the sibling order. The older kids love to try to get her to copy their words and they laugh hysterically when she repeats them.

Valentine's Day Breakfast

Heart Pancakes

Brown-Eyed Gal had her tonsils out and had a bout of Pneumonia. She has recovered well from both, although these last couple of months have been a rough road for her. She is enjoying pre-school and making up songs and dances that she performs for us daily. I have plans to enroll her in dance classes in the Spring. Her speech is improving and she is also blossoming socially at school.

Snow Day in Tucson

Storytellin' Boy continues to be prolific with stories, art and creations of every kind. He has started writing poems and keeping a journal with entries that keep us all laughing... a future post for sure. He has been doing well in kindergarten and started taking karate classes with his brother. He hopes to try out for his yellow belt soon. He also continues to be thoughtful and plays with his younger sisters in such a fun and caring way.

Lil' Expert has been improving his reading by leaps and bounds this year. He continues to be on the chess team at school and has two big playoff tournaments this month to try and qualify for the state championships. He is also taking karate and enjoying it. He continues to love the computer and is very excited we purchased a Mac mini this week for him and his brother to share.

I have missed blogging and I hope to be more frequent with my posts in the upcoming weeks!

Good Thing the Baby Can Sleep Anywhere Especially During Football Playoffs!

2009-01-29T21:33:00.006-07:00

By the way, I will NOT be leaving Daddy in charge this weekend to go shopping or do anything else while the Super Bowl game is on.

Go Steelers!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Bringing in the New Year... a little late!!

2009-01-10T18:57:00.015-07:00

While the rest of the States were in a bitter cold freeze over the holidays, we were fortunate enough to bring in the New Year at Moonstone Beach in California.

We returned home last weekend after almost three weeks of traveling. We have been dealing with illness in the extended family, and our own little girl had surgery on Thursday (tonsillectomy) and is now doing much better. Due to all these factors, the start of the New Year has been a little weird and tough and this blog has also been neglected.

On New Years Eve, we had a great visit with close friends. The weather at the beach was so beautiful and sunny that their kids and ours actually waded in the water and ran in the surf. It was a glorious end to the year. Looking at those six kids running in the water, I thought about the future and I realized how much is at stake for our country and for our kids who will inherit it all. My hope is for a future of small steps, wisdom, and restraint. I am especially aware of how things as you know them can change in an instant. I want to remember those kids running barefoot on the beach on the last day of 2008.

To all my friends, readers, family, and blogger buddies I have met this year... Best wishes for a blessed New Year... a little late!

The Polar Express...

2008-12-16T07:13:00.013-07:00

Today I am guest posting again for AVT Coach's Tuesday Tales and I am excited to present one of my favorite Christmas stories, "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg.

A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa.

It is our tradition to read this one out loud as Christmas nears and this year we were fortunate to be able take the kids to the Grand Canyon Railway and to ride the Polar Express to the North Pole. We all wore our pajamas, enjoyed singing waiters and waitresses, and received our very own reindeer bells during a visit from Santa.

Book summary and teaching ideas from

A Teacher's Guide to The Polar Express.

One Christmas Eve many years ago, a boy lies in bed, listening

hard for the bells of Santa’s sleigh, which he has been told by a

friend do not exist. Later that night he hears not bells but a very

different sound. He looks out of his window and is astounded to see

a steam engine parked in front of his house! The conductor invites

him to board the Polar Express, a train filled with children on their

way to the North Pole.The boy and his companions journey past

tiny towns and forests full of wild creatures.They travel up and

around mountains and across the Great Polar Ice Cap to the magical

city at the North Pole.The train takes the children to the center of

the city, where Santa and the elves have gathered for the giving of

the first gift of Christmas.The boy is chosen to receive this first gift.

Knowing that he can choose anything in the world, he decides on a

simple gift: one silver bell from Santa’s sleigh. Santa cuts a bell from

a reindeer’s harness and the delighted boy slips it into his bathrobe

pocket as the clock strikes midnight and the reindeer pull the

sleigh into the sky.

When the children return to the train, the boy realizes the bell

has fallen through a hole in his pocket. Heartbroken, he is returned

to his home. In the morning, his little sister finds one small box

with the boy’s name on it among the presents below the Christmas

tree. Inside is the silver bell! The boy and his sister are enchanted

by its beautiful sound, but their parents cannot hear it.The boy continues

to believe in the spirit of Christmas and is able to hear the

sweet ringing of the bell even as an adult.

Special Features of The Polar Express

The arrival of a steam engine—the Polar Express—on the boy’s

quiet street is startling and wonderful enough to make readers gasp

out loud.This book in particular captures the magic of childhood

with sensitivity and grace.The warm and vivid color pastels create

expressive characters and scenes that are very much alive.The artwork,

combined with Chris Van Allsburg’s vivid prose, creates a journey

that resonates on many levels for readers of all ages.This is a

book to return to year after year.

The vivid visual world of The Polar Express is evoked by the text

as well as by the pictures.Van Allsburg constructs a distinct sense of

place, infused with magic by his skillful use of metaphor and simile.

The train is “wrapped in an apron of steam,” and the children drink

hot cocoa “as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars.”The lights of

the North Pole appear to the boy as “the lights of an ocean liner

sailing on a frozen sea.”

Santa came early this year!

2008-12-14T16:44:00.005-07:00

"Mom, Santa's been here. Santa came."

I look at the clock, it's 3:17 AM

We love Christmas!

We did our family Christmas exchange today because next week we are headed for California and I did not want to carry the children's presents there and home again. My older son was up at 3:00 AM and 5:30 AM ready to open presents. Just a little excited.

We have a little tiny tree this year because we are going to be gone the rest of the month and we will have a big tree at Grandma's house. Now, we can relax and enjoy the Christmas spirit without an overcrowded car!

December Birthdays Are Upon Us...

2008-12-13T16:39:00.005-07:00

Six years old!

The Best Birthday Ever!

The first of our three December birthdays has arrived. Storytellin' Boy turned six on December 8th and the girls birthdays are coming later in December.

We decided to forego big parties this year and Storytellin' Boy decided a dinner at Chuckie Cheese was his wish for his birthday. At the end of the night he said, "This was my best birthday ever!" Sometimes it is nice to just be with the family.

Storytellin' Boy has had many milestones this past year. Beginning kindergarten, continuing to amuse us all with his tall tales, and spending most of his free time drawing and creating all kinds of art projects.

His cousin Jake called him to wish him on his birthday and he told him, "I've moved on from artist to inventor."

Happy Birthday Son!!

Writing Prevails...

2008-11-29T19:03:00.006-07:00

I am trying to complete a couple of short stories and I am finding it difficult to manage the kids, writing, and posting interesting and endearing things here on my beloved blog.

I have decided to take a bloggy break for a week or so... I will be back with pictures from our recent trip, and a review of The Polar Express children's book and three of our children's birthdays are in December, so I will also have lots of birthday pictures to post as well.

I wish you all a blessed December and Holiday Season!!

Laura

On Thankfulness...

2008-11-27T13:57:00.005-07:00

This past weekend we went on a family trip to experience "The Polar Express" at the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, AZ. The popular Christmas story is recreated including: singing waiters, cookies and hot chocolate, a bizillion kids and parents in their pajamas, a train ride to the North Pole and a visit from Santa who gives each child a gift of a reindeer bell.

We also visited Sedona, AZ on the way and on Monday we toured Sunset Crater National Monument and Wupatki (early Indian dwelling ruins). We hiked on volcanic cinder cones and lava fields. We explored incredible dwellings with artifacts and pottery from the 1100's.

On the drive home I asked everyone to share their favorite thing on the trip that they were most thankful for:

Lil' Expert (8 year old) was most thankful for the hike we did to the volcano crater.

Brown-eyed girl (3 year old) was most thankful for her bell she received from Santa.

Lil' Red (1 year old) was most thankful to dance with the singing waitresses on the train trip.

Big Expert (Daddy) liked checking out the Indian dwellings.

I (mommy) was happy to be away from home for a couple of days and enjoy the family time.

and last but not least...

Storytellin' Boy (5 year old) was most thankful for getting to jump on the beds in our hotel room.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your Family

Warmly,

StorytellinMama and the Gang

*Photos from our trip to come in future posts.

Behind the Scenes at the Zoo...

2008-11-25T18:59:00.007-07:00

Feeding the Zebra.

Nose to Nose with the Giraffe.

Wow, look at those Rhino horns.

Petting the Rhino.

Last Friday, at my son's kindergarten field trip, the kids interacted with the animals up close and personal.

My son, in the brown sweatshirt, enjoyed touching, feeding, and seeing the animals.

We also toured the zoo keeper's kitchen and saw all the different foods the animals are fed each day.

A great day of seeing and learning about zoo animals.

Wordless Wednesday here.

Three year Old Wisdom...

2008-11-20T08:38:00.008-07:00

I was buckling my three year old daughter into her car seat yesterday and I noticed my son had left a big mess in the back seat from his lunchbox the day before.

I said, "Oh, what a big mess"

She said, "He's so naughty."

I said,"He's not really naughty, just messy."

She said, "Well, he's a boy. A messy boy."

As if that summed it all up and that was the last word on the subject!

I'm Thankful for Our Unique Desert Beauty...

2008-11-18T18:58:00.007-07:00

Saguaro Park East

Catalina State Park

Our Backyard

Apache Lake

Sabino Canyon

We moved to Tucson, Arizona a little over four years ago from a very green Southern California and I remember how everything looked so brown and barren. It took some time, but now I appreciate the desert's beauty. It is subtle and austere and majestic.

A few of my husband's photos of desert flowers taken over the last few months at some of our favorite family hiking destinations. Our kids love the outdoors and we are fortunate to have many places close by to hike and picnic.

My kid's continue to be a little under the weather but on the mend. I thought I'd post something beautiful to deter from the stuffy noses and dreary inside time of the last few days.

As we count down the days before Thanksgiving I am so grateful that we live in an area rich with wonder and beauty.

I'm participating in Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Four Little Snifflers...

2008-11-17T17:05:00.007-07:00

Sick

by Shel Silverstein

"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay,
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash, and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is---Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

I always loved this poem as a child.

Unfortunately, I have four little ones who probably will not be going to school tomorrow. Sniffles, sore throats, fevers...

Hopefully, with a little rest and down time everyone will be well soon!!

Sunday Dinner made Easy...

2008-11-16T12:39:00.008-07:00

Like a lot of families we try to be together and have a nice meal on Sunday. Today I am making something so easy, that even though the day is hectic we can still enjoy our family time together.

Crock Pot Coca-Cola Chicken

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Ingredients:

Chicken (boneless, skinless breasts or pieces)
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 cup coke

Preparation:

Place chicken in the pot and add one cup of your favorite bbq sauce and 1 cup of coke (plain old Coca-Cola). Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. The carbonation in the coke tenderizes the meat. I also use this combination with pork chops. So good and easy. You can alter the amount of coke and barbecue sauce depending on how much chicken you cook, all chicken should be completely covered in the crock pot.

My kids like the barbecue/coca-cola sauce combination over rice along with the chicken and we serve an easy vegetable like corn or green beans.

Happy Sunday!

Saturday Evening Rerun...

2008-11-15T17:18:00.004-07:00

Well, it's been a crazy week and I don't expect the weekend is going to be calming down much, so I thought I would republish something from the past. In fact, my very first post. Back then I had about one or two readers.

Have a great weekend and I'll be back with fresh material soon...

This was originally posted on April 27, 2008

Where's the Baby?

Mother’s day is a time of mixed blessings, a day to celebrate being a mother, but it is also a day of renewal like New Year’s day. On this day, I pledge once again to be a better mother and not to lose the baby in the house…

I lost the baby in the house for a little while today. I wish I could say this was the first time.

I was at my desk completely absorbed in an article from CNN, the baby playing nearby on the floor. My friend from Peru called to say she had passed her citizenship test. I was jumping around and congratulating her. She was telling me how to make Peruvian yellow pepper sauce, and I started to unload the dishwasher. On the top rack, I saw the dog’s bowls and remembered they needed some food and water. I went out to the garage and filled both their dishes. While I was out there, I decided to check the mail. A neighbor drove by and stopped to say hello, commenting on the height of the Century plant in the front yard.

Back in the house, no crying anywhere, just the sounds of my other children playing in the backyard. Where’s the baby? I rush around to all the bathrooms. Maybe she is playing in toilet water, or worse she’s been swallowed up. I lift the closed lids. I check the pantry; she like’s to climb up on the bottom shelf.

I follow a trail of toys out of the office. Multicolored balls from her Playskool ball popper, a blue ring from her wooden stacker, and one of the twin dolls she likes to carry.

“Abbie, Abbie,” I call.

I remember other moments of forgetting the children. After our second son Michael was born I left him in the car. It was in the excitement of a real estate deal. We had put the house on the market and we had three offers in one day. I was still used to having only one child and afraid the deal might get away. I parked at the realtor’s office and ran in leaving the baby strapped in his car seat.

“Where’s your son,” the realtor asked.

“He’s at preschool,” I said.

“Don’t you have another son, a baby,” he said.

There are different ways for children to get lost. My daughter Madeline got lost in a maze of tunnels at a McDonald’s indoors playland. She’s up there somewhere on the higher levels, unable to find a way out.

“Mommy, mommy I can’t get down.”

I’m eight months pregnant, not sure I’ll fit. I burrow through the passages, my big belly dragging along the plastic walls.

“Mommy’s coming,” I yell.

But I’ve reached a dead end. I’m stuck squeezed in like an oversized sausage. A man is having lunch with his young son. He crawls up, dislodges me, and helps me turn around. A giant fat lady, I ride the slide down. I watch as a stranger sets my daughter to the ground.

After a few minutes of searching, I end up in the master bedroom. Abigail is fast asleep on the carpet, a little pink cell phone clutched in her tiny hand. She’s sleeping so peaceful, and I take a moment thankful the baby’s been found.

This Mother’s Day we will go out for brunch, the children will offer gifts, flowers, and freely given love. For the coming year, I will try to offer them a mother who is tuned in, more aware, and at the end of the day knows the whereabouts of all of her children.

*Well, this baby will be two years old next month and she doesn't get lost in the house anymore!!

Reading Buddies...

2008-11-12T08:29:00.003-07:00

Reading side by side with my littlest girl.

Today is Wordless Wednesday, more photos at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Fall Yard Shape Up...

2008-11-10T08:11:00.010-07:00

Before:

Plants overgrown after Summer Monsoons in need of pruning.

Weeds, Weeds, Weeds

After:

Looking Good

Plants have a lot more space.

A Panoramic View

The weather here in the Sonoran Desert has been just beautiful. Temperatures have been in the high seventies/low eighties and we have really been enjoying taking advantage of our large yard. We also cleaned up the backyard and the kids have been playing outside non-stop. It is great to have such a moderate fall after our warm summer.

*Click on photos for a closer view!

It's Tackle it Tuesday, projects tackled here.

Parachute Play...

2008-11-07T08:16:00.001-07:00

Up, up, and away

the parachute flies skyward

kids run undercover.

At my husband's company picnic a few weeks ago, the kids enjoyed playing with this giant parachute. My kids, in blue and brown, are the three running under the parachute in the first picture. They also loved making the balls bounce into the air by waving the parachute up and down.

More Haiku's at A Mommy's Story.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Hopes for November...

2008-11-06T09:36:00.006-07:00

Thirteen Things I Love about November...
Yesterday was the first hint of Fall weather here in the Sonoran Desert!

1. Cups of tea, hot chocolate, coffee, hot cider...
I love the feel of a warm cup in cold hands.

2. A new pair of slippers as I tromp around our tile.

3. Any kind of food involving pumpkins...
pie, cheesecake, soup, roasted pumpkin seeds.

4. The kids in footed pajamas.

5. Colorful leaves.

6. A new novel that's never been cracked
especially if I can read it in my favorite chair
after the kid's have gone to bed

7. Hot bubble baths.

8. Dinners and get together's with family and friends.

9. Sharing with the kids about things we are thankful for
and all of our blessings.

10. Inside activities- Monopoly, movie nights, and stories
read aloud.

11. Outside activities- Hiking at some of our favorite places...
Sabino Canyon, Mt. Lemmon, Madera Canyon.

12. Holiday Shopping.

13. Getting up in the morning when
it's still dark and watching the sun come up
before anyone else wakes up!

Well, October's had hectic days... economic turmoil, political tension, busy kid schedules and Halloween. My wish in this time of historical change is for a peaceful November.

This quote sums up for me the right attitude towards thankfulness...

You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing, and grace before I dip the pen in the ink. -G.K. Chesterton

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

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Gamer in Training...

2008-11-05T07:45:00.004-07:00

It's Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom

Stair Envy

2008-11-04T06:41:00.013-07:00

A few weeks ago my husband went along with my son's class on the second grade field trip to the pumpkin patch.

A new friend and my son were talking about getting together to play at each other's house for the first time.

Overheard by my husband on the way to the field trip:

Lil Expert: "Do you have stairs at your house?"

Friend: "No."

Friend: "Do you have stairs at your house?"

Lil Expert: "No."

Lil Expert: "I wish we had stairs at our house. I LOVE a house with stairs."

Friend: "So do I!"

The two boys have since played at each other's houses a few times and formed a strong new friendship even without the stairs!!

Silly Monkey Stories here!

Halloween Haunts...

2008-11-01T12:09:00.009-07:00

The boys decided to go for a scary look on Halloween night.

Trick or treating last Sunday at the Zoo.

My little Star Wars fans so enjoyed posing with these characters.

Two Jack Skelingtons, a Ghostie, and Raggedy Ann.

Raggedy Ann

Another successful year of halloween fun!!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Happy Birthday to me...

2008-10-29T14:15:00.007-07:00

Thanks to everyone who called, sang to me, sent cards and e-mailed Happy Birthday Wishes on Saturday. I wouldn't normally make it a public event, but since I survived the big 40 last year and 41 was a little more anti-climatic I wrote a poem about it for my writing class today.

Forty-One

What you remember about turning 40 is really fine.

Joke cards and black flowers and Oprah saying,

"Don't worry forty is the new twenty."

I blew out all those candles and wrote a letter to myself.

It still hangs on the mirror in the bathroom.

Girl,

Today you are forty. Time to get serious about things.

I solemnly swear I will:

Apply wrinkle cream every night before I go to sleep.

Spend more time playing with the children.

Read my digital camera manual.

Give up wearing my husband's oversized t-shirts to bed.

Wear nice underwear sometimes.

Develop inner calm.

I solemnly swear I will not:

Waste money on fancy coffee drinks at Starbucks

Spend hours surfing the internet.

Nag my husband daily.

Fantasize about life in San Francisco before the children were born.

Watch reality TV.

Throw recycling cans or bottles into the regular trash...

What? What's that? What's that you say?

I can throw my list away?

I'm turning 41 on Saturday.

**It's so nice not to have the pressure this year of beginning a new decade :)!!

Grandma's Big Girl...

2008-10-28T09:43:00.004-07:00

My Brown-Eyed Gal has been missing her Grandma K. She said a couple of days ago, "Let's go to Grandma's house right now!"

Unfortunately it is an eight hour drive, but fortunately we visit quite a few times during the year and Grandma visits us frequently too.

One of my daughter's favorite activities is cooking with Grandma K.

Brown-eyed Gal seems to resemble Grandma K more than any of the other kids.

My husband says, "It's the chipmunk cheeks." He said it, not me.

Both Grandma K and Brown-eyed Gal share similar birthdays. In fact, I went into labor on Grandma K's birthday, but my girl was born a day later.

Thanks Grandma K for all you do and we'll be seeing you soon!

Bendaroos and Retractable Awnings...

2008-10-26T22:12:00.004-07:00

Just a few of the items my five year old son thinks we need to purchase after viewing these products on TV infomercials.

He is really fascinated by bendaroo's.

"Guess what mom? You can turn an ordinary bottle into a fashion model."

Living in the desert heat we have two built in covered porches in the backyard. Regardless of this, my son is convinced we need a retractable awning- the big seller for him:

"Mom, it opens and closes in under 60 seconds"

I don't really want my kids watching a lot of TV, but it is fascinating how influential and convincing these commercials can be even to the smallest viewer, who technically isn't really even a consumer yet. These ads are featured on kids cartoon programming... funny to hear him parrot the information, but also a little scary.

Seriously, there is something really wrong about being mesmerized late at night by an ad to buy something that you don't really need that will soon be discounted at a drugstore (as seen on TV) and later be readily available at garage sales far and wide.

I guess the real question is how to responsibly introduce children to concepts of money and responsible spending in this crazy economic time. I hope to be a good role model and use these moments as learning opportunities to discuss money and what it means to spend responsibly for our family.

I remember buying an Ab Roller in the nineties which promised fabulous results and a firm stomach. I used it a few times and when it was taking up too much space later gave it to Goodwill.

Have you ever bought something from an infomercial? Did you use it? Did it live up to your expectations? Leave me a comment and let me know!

My Funny Pumpkin Heads...

2008-10-23T10:14:00.007-07:00

Lil' Expert's 2nd grade class had a field trip to Apple Annie's Pumpkin Patch and Dad was able to take the day off to go with him.

They learned about pumpkins, had a fun hayride and a picnic lunch.

They tried to find the biggest pumpkin in the patch.

After lunch they explored a giant corn maze.

Arizona's Largest Corn Maze

Cut into 18 acres of corn.
Over 6 miles of pathways.
3 levels of difficulty

**I am so thankful to have a husband who participates in our kid's special events. Thank you Big Expert. I really appreciate your commitment to our family!!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Llama Llama Mad at Mama...

2008-10-21T07:26:00.010-07:00

AVT COACH

Tuesday Tales- Llama Llama Mad at Mama

AVT Coach has asked me today to do a guest post on her Tuesday Tales, a weekly review of children’s books and I am thrilled to do so. I really enjoy reading her blog and I especially love her positive focus on how to live creatively and abundantly.

I am a family counselor and a mother of four little ones eight and under, so I understand the importance of children’s literature. My own kids are at a variety of ages and stages and they all love reading and books. Stories can also play a significant role in the emotional development of children and families as we all deal with the normal stressors and frustrations of daily life.

Autumn is a time of nature’s beauty and outside fun, but the turn of the season also signals the holiday season approaching. School is back in full swing and there are shopping trips to be taken for back to school clothes and supplies. The upcoming celebrations are not complete without shopping for holiday meals and holiday gift giving. These shopping trips can be trying for both parents and children.

The book I have chosen is Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney.

It is a great read for the upcoming holiday months and provides some much needed humor and relief to get through the holiday shopping season.

This fun and whimsical book tells the story of a mother Llama who takes her young son shopping. The little llama becomes overwhelmed and bored as the shopping trip continues and he has a major temper tantrum. The mother stays calm and emotionally responds to the needs of her little llama by encouraging him to work with her as a team. They clean up the mess he has made and finish the shopping trip. The story ends with mother and son sharing an ice cream treat together.

The tale is told in short, witty rhymes that are fun to read aloud and say together. Each page is illustrated by the author herself and has colorful and emotionally expressive drawings of the shopping trip. The faces of the characters are slightly exaggerated which makes it easy for kids to identify the emotions happening in the story.

For my complete post please visit me over at AVT COACH

My favorite part of Llama Llama Mad at Mama is hearing my kids peals of laughter at the words and pictures of this zany shopping trip. I hope you will enjoy it as well.

Happy Reading,

Storytellin’ Mama

How to Enjoy a Great Steak...

2008-10-20T09:32:00.005-07:00

My friend Genny at My Cup 2 Yours has been doing a thirty day challenge asking the question, "How would you live your life if you only had one month to live?"

In fact, she held a contest giving away a couple of copies of the bestselling book One Month to Live by Kerry and Chris Shook. I was one of the lucky winners of the book and I am really looking forward to reading it.

I have been thinking about this question a lot.

If I only had one month to live my life, the changes I would make would probably be similar to most other people. Spend more quality time with my family, children, and my husband. Try to be more present. Worry less about the details of things such as financial stressors, my son's penmanship, whether the laundry is completely up to date.

Several years ago, I used to lead a group with seniors at The Einstein Center (a residential home for the elderly) in Sacramento, CA. It was a reminiscence group. It was one of the most popular groups at the center. We always had about twenty to thirty seniors attend the group and we were even interviewed by the local newspaper and the seniors shared some of their stories and memories.

In this group, the seniors would share detailed memories about their lives and we would laugh together and sometimes cry. Some of the stories were simple like a favorite family recipe or tradition. Some of the stories were more intense stories of survival and courage.

I remember a story of one of the men in the group who had been a young Jewish boy in Austria during the time of the Holocaust. His family was safe, but they had very little food. One snowy afternoon the mother of the family was looking out the window and saw the family cat with something in it's mouth. She ran outside and the cat was holding a big, fresh and juicy steak. It had been a long time since they had any meat, so they cooked it up and had a feast for supper. He remembers it as a very precious family meal and one of the best steaks he ever tasted.

The war was nearing an end and at some point they were out in the streets celebrating with other villagers. A neighbor was telling the story of how she had bought a steak on the black market and put it in the windowsill to air out. It had completely disappeared from the window. It was a great mystery.

I remember clearly this senior was quite advanced in age, yet he remembered this story from his boyhood vividly and in great detail. In the group, there was no sharing of the minor irritations or daily problems of life though I'm sure they were there. The stories shared were those that were meaningful and had made an impact in some way on the life of the person telling the story.

More than anything else I want to focus on connecting and engaging with others. I want to be grateful and thankful for the things in my life. I want to give up being lost in the past by what could have been, or caught in the future by what might be possible. I want to live in the present and in the now with a continual "one month to live" attitude. I want to enjoy the great "steaks" of my life and be open to the many ways of how I might receive them.

In One Month to Live each chapter opens with quotes from famous authors. Here are a few that stood out to me:

I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well. Diane Ackerman

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. it can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Melody Beattie

Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives. Alan Sachs

Apples and October Bliss...

2008-10-17T00:08:00.005-07:00

"To appreciate the wild and sharp flavors of these October fruits, it is necessary that you be breathing the sharp October or November air. What is sour in the house a bracing walk makes sweet. Some of these apples might be labeled, “To be eaten in the wind.” It takes a savage or wild taste to appreciate a wild fruit. . . The era of the Wild Apple will soon be past. It is a fruit which will probably become extinct in New England. I fear that he who walks over these fields a century hence will not know the pleasure of knocking off wild apples. Ah, poor soul, there are many pleasures which you will not know! . . . the end of it all will be that we shall be compelled to look for our apples in a barrel."
- Henry David Thoreau

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."
- Nathaniel Hawthorne

"She had only to stand in the orchard, to put her hand on a little crab tree and look up at the apples,
to make you feel the goodness of planting and tending and harvesting at last."
- Willa Cather

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

My 100th Post...

2008-10-14T08:55:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I've reached 100 blog posts. I understand that it is traditional to write 100 Things about Myself for the 100th post, but since books are my thing I decided to write a list of 100 books that have influenced me over the years. This is in no way a comprehensive list. In fact, it is a list of the books that popped into my head as I was writing this post. It might be a different post if I had written it tomorrow.

The books listed include classics, modern, contemporary, poetry, memoir, children's literature, mystery and chick Lit. Anything that has made an impact on me for one random reason or another. I have read all the books that I have included on the list. There is no particular order, or time chronology because I am too lazy to organize it in this way.

Storytellin' Mama's Top 100 Books, Part 1:

1. The Great Gatsby 2. Tender is the Night (I love the Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night may be my all time favorite.) by F. Scott Fitzgerald

3.The Accidental tourist (This book always makes me laugh and the movie was pretty funny too.) by Anne Tyler

4. The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk, 5. Palace of Desire, 6. Sugar Street (A huge undertaking, but definitely worth it for anyone that loves a good family saga.) by Naguib Mafouz

7. To Kill a Mockingbird (Classic criminal law.) by Harper Lee

8. A Wrinkle in Time (My favorite children's book and the reason I named my daughter Madeline.) by Madeleine L'Engle

9. The Transcendent Child (Evidence that there is always hope for the future.) by Lillian B. Rubin

10. The Age of Innocence 11. Ethan Frome 12. The House of Mirth (My obsession when I was in high school.) by Edith Wharton

13. The Sheltering Sky (Another world altogether and one of the best movie soundtracks ever.) by Paul Bowles

14. Bastard Out of Carolina (I cried my way through this one.) by Dorothy Allison

15. Harry Potter Series (What can I say that hasn't been said already... great boy role model, amazing rags to riches story and a female author who is still breaking records.) by J.K. Rowling

16. The Moviegoer (For anyone who as ever had it all, but still felt alienated.) by Walker Percy

17. Persuasion 18. Pride and Prejudice (Novels that stand the test of time, predating chick literature all the way back to the 1800's.) by Jane Austen

19. Bridget Jone's Diary (A hysterical and loose retelling of Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice.) by Helen Fielding

20. Failure (Won the Pulitzer Prize in poetry this year.) by Philip Schultz

21. The Bean Trees 22. Pigs in Heaven 23. Animal Dreams (I live in Tucson after all, where all these novels were written and take place.) by Barbara Kingsolver

24. Bird by Bird (A must have for any aspiring writer.) by Annie Lammot

25. Anne of Greene Gables Series (The books I reread the most as a child.) by L.M. Montgomery

26. The heart is a Lonely Hunter 27. The Member of the Wedding (Some of the most lyrical writing I've ever read.) by Carson McCuller

28. The Lovely Bones 29. Lucky (Excellent use of the first person narrator in Lovely Bones and Lucky is an interesting memoir of an often taboo topic.) by Alice Sebold

29. Reviving Ophelia (I love this book and I encourage any mother who has a daughter to read it.) by Mary Pipher

30. Anna Karenina (Really you can't go wrong with Tolstoy.) by Leo Tolstoy

31. The Kite Runner 32. A Thousand Splendid Suns (Both these books are terrific and give such a glimpse of the experience of racial tension and the complexity of relationships. I have reread the opening of the Kite Runner so many times and I think it is a masterful and flawless opening to a book.) Khaled Hosseini

33. The Chosen (A book about friendship that transcends religion, isolation, and pain. I loved this book as a teenager.) Chaim Potok

34. One Hundred years of Solitude 35. Love in a Time of Cholera (Marquez is a master at magic realism- using magic to explain real events.) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

36. The Joy Luck Club (Therapeutic in understanding mother-daughter relationships.) by Amy Tan

37. Angle of Repose 38. Crossing to Safety (These novels highlight one of the great voices of the American West.) by Wallace Stegner

39. Little Women (As a kid I was mesmerized by all of Alcott's books, but this is a favorite.) by Louisa May Alcott

40. The Glass Castle (A recent favorite. A memoir of childhood survival and endurance.)

41. The Stephanie Plum Series (Pure fun and fluff.) by Janet Evanovich

42. The Catcher in the Rye (A college must, Salinger writes really good short stories too.) by J.D. Salinger

43. The Year of Magical Thinking (Moving memoir about losing a spouse and understanding grief.) by Joan Didion

44. A Walk in the Woods (Laugh out loud funny and really educational about the Appalachian Trail) by Bill Bryson

45. Interpreter of Maladies 46. The Namesake (Both books have characters that are so engaging and engrossing.) by Jhumpra Lahiri

47. Three Junes (A moving story of family told by three members with differing perspectives.)

by Julia Glass

48. The Devil Wears Prada (A fun career girl story.) by Lauren Weisberger

49. In her Shoes (Sisterhood at its zaniest and most real.) by Jennifer Weiner

50. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (An original detective story riveting in a subtle way.) by Alexander McCall Smith

*This post has gotten really long, so I've decided to do books 51-100 for a continuing post next week.

I'm always looking for new good books to read. Leave a comment if there is a book you love that you think I might enjoy.

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!

Don't Hang the Skeleton...

2008-10-12T07:43:00.010-07:00

Halloween is a favorite holiday around here.

My kids have been in halloween mode full swing.

This last week, we have made halloween cookies, read halloween books, watched Goosebumps every night and worked on halloween word searches and mazes.

Thanks to the Wine Commonsewer my kids have also enjoyed playing Halloween Hangman. They thought it was quite hilarious. It provided an hour of quiet and entertainment which was great for Mom.

I have memories of playing hangman back in grade school and it was also a favorite game to play with my clients when I was doing play therapy back in California.

Hope you enjoy.

Happy Halloween!

A Rose for the Teacher...

2008-10-10T09:03:00.015-07:00

The Special Roses!

Hanging Out with the Teach!

Watch Me Slide!

Say Cheese!

Just Me and My Teacher!

In our school district, the teachers visit each student at home one time during the school year.

We are on a year round schedule and my kid's have been out of school for three weeks for Fall Break. My kindergartner's teacher came to visit one afternoon last week during the break.

Storytellin' Boy showed her all of his treasures on his dresser, they shared a snack of chocolate cake, they played Legos together, and she toured the backyard and watched him and his brothers and sisters play on the swings and slide.

The visit was a great success. All of my kids enjoyed meeting her. She brought a bag full of books and my son picked one about a baby penguin for his very own.

As she was about to leave, my son ran and took a long pink rose out of a vase on the table and gave it to her.

"This is for you to remember our special visit," he told her.

Awww...

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Comparing Apples...

2008-10-08T00:06:00.002-07:00

The boys apple picking at Apple Annie's Orchard.

More pictures to come.

Wordless Wednesday here.

It's Good to Laugh a Little during all this Political Tension and Financial Crisis...

2008-10-06T14:23:00.014-07:00

I have been amazed at the number of people watching YouTube, Googling, and sending around e-mails of Tina Fey impersonating Sarah Palin. Along with all the other political satire going around from Saturday Night Live and other sources.

I understand because it gets tiring listening to the ads, debates, and CNN night after night and trying to make conscientious decisions. Sometimes I wonder if my opinion matters at all. I enjoy getting a little comic relief from all the serious issues and the stress of trying to understand what is happening in our country and what it means for our future.

This past week, I have enjoyed reading Christopher Buckley's novel Boomsday. The book is a political satire that has an uncanny ability to point out the absurdity of some of the political issues of our day.

Boomsday is an especially fun read for bloggers. The zany heroine is a late night blogger who changes the world through her blog entries that are eagerly followed by her doting audience.

I doubt my "Mommy Blog" with photos of my children will ever have that kind of impact, but the idea of a female blogger changing the world through her blog is certainly fun and appealing.

Here is a little snippet about the book from Publisher's Weekly:

Reviewed by Jessica Cutler: It's the end of the world as we know it, especially if bloggers are setting the national agenda. In his latest novel, Buckley imagines a not-so-distant future when America teeters on the brink of economic disaster as the baby boomers start retiring. Buckley takes on such pressing (however boring) topics as Social Security reform and fiscal solvency, as does his protagonist. And get this: she's a blogger. Buckley's heroine is "a morally superior twenty-nine-year-old PR chick" who blogs at night about the impending Boomsday budget crisis. Of course, "she was young, she was pretty, she was blonde, she had something to say." She has a large, doting audience that eagerly awaits her every blog entry. And her name? Cassandra. And the name of her blog? Also Cassandra. Of course, Buckley doesn't let his allusion get by us:"She was a goddess of something," another character struggles to remember, which gives his heroine the opportunity to educate us about the significance of her namesake."Daughter of the king of Troy. She warned that the city would fall to the Greeks," she explains. "Cassandra is sort of a metaphor for catastrophe prediction. This is me. It's what I do." So Cassandra, doing what she does, starts by calling for "an economic Bastille Day" and her minions take to destroying golf courses in protest. Cassandra grabs headlines and magazine covers, and the president starts wringing his hands over what she might blog about next..."

The book is definitely irreverent and even offensive at times, but if you can take it tongue in cheek like the Tina Fey depictions of Sarah Palin then it is a fun romp through the political landscape of our time.

Here is a link to the New York times Book Review of Boomsday.

Happy Reading!

Storytime...

2008-10-02T14:21:00.008-07:00

Reading our stories

Bath time finished smelling sweet

in pink pajamas.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Haiku Friday here!

Walking with Dinosaurs...

2008-09-29T12:42:00.008-07:00

This year for Lil' Expert's birthday we decided to forego the large birthday party and instead he invited one friend to go to Phoenix and see the live show "Walking with Dinosaurs."

The show has been touring across the country and it is definitely worth the investment. Both of my boys loved it.

During the show, my five year old was jumping up and down with excitement and the two older boys were completely enthralled with the large dinosaurs coming to life.

Here is a little snippet of the T-Rex, a crowd favorite.

It was great timing because the next week my son's kindergarten class started a unit on dinosaurs. He was still excited about the live show and really participated well in the class discussions and assignments.

The show is very educational and entertaining. It presented a lot of scientific facts about dinosaurs.

I would definitely recommend it for kids and adults of all ages!

Wonder Twin Powers Activate...

2008-09-26T00:03:00.003-07:00

My twin sister and I in 1972.

My mom and her twin brother in 1948.

My mom is in town visiting while the kids are on fall break from school. It is great to have her here. She has been helping me so much.

My mom has a twin brother. She was first born and is older by three minutes.

I know how important these three minutes are because I am also a twin. I have an identical twin sister and I beat her into the world by two minutes. I reminded her throughout our childhood that I was the older sister.

Anyway, we have a lot of twins running through our family. I always wanted to have twins, or at least maybe hoped that one of my siblings might have them. No such luck. I guess since my mom was a twin and then had twins, we were the generation to skip.

In honor of my mom, I salute the twin experience. It was so fun and zany growing up and I can't really imagine life as a singleton without my partner in crime.

Through the years, people have mixed us up, called us the wrong names and asked us funny questions about being twins.

My favorite recurring question has got to be, "How do you tell yourselves apart?"

My grandmother always told us not to look in the mirror at the same time because one of us might be disappointed. We thought this was so funny and we would turn to each other when we were getting ready and brushing our hair and say, "Are you disappointed?"

My mom didn't know she was pregnant with twins and she kept telling the doctor that this baby has too many arms and legs, but the doctor assured her that what she was feeling was normal. When we were born, the story goes that the last thing my mom remembers hearing was the doctor saying, "Oh my god there is another one," before she passed out. That was our grand entry into the world, me two minutes ahead of my "younger sister!"

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Faces... I Love those Mugs!

2008-09-24T00:08:00.006-07:00

Happy

Silly

Sad...

Can you please put away the camera and just let a guy have a moment?!

Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom

September Birthdays...

2008-09-18T08:35:00.001-07:00

This was recorded for Cousin Katie, but we want to extend

the sentiment to all of our September Family Birthdays!

Cousin Katie

Cousin Kelly

Cousin Chris

Uncle Ted

Aunt Linda

Grandma Anna

Lil' Expert

Ruth

We wish you all a Happy Birthday!

We're not going to be the Jackson 5, Osmond Family, or Jonas Brothers...

But we sincerely extend best wishes from us to you!!

Note: The howling child was having her foot stomped on by her brother during this fabulous birthday rendition. Adds to the charm, don't you think?

Reaching New Heights...

2008-09-16T12:21:00.010-07:00

Big Girl!

Sisters!

I'm so Strong!

Triple the Trouble!

Lil' Red has learned to climb.

She's climbing into the sink and onto the countertops.

She's climbing up to the top bunk bed and up on the barstools.

She's climbing the ladder of the play structure and sliding.

She is most proud about sliding...

She loves sliding!

*More Silly Monkey Stories here!

*Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom

Kids Understanding the World

2008-09-15T08:35:00.003-07:00

It is amazing to see the world through my children's eyes. At times they have such complex questions and such astute observations.

As a grown up, it can be hard enough to make sense of the world sometimes... hearing my kids fresh viewpoints and their innocent ideas is so bittersweet, but gives me hope for the future.

The other day, my husband had forgotten something he needed for work. I picked up my kindergartner from the bus and we headed for my husband's work to drop it by. On the way, we passed a weathered looking man selling newspapers. I rolled down my window and gave him a dollar for a newspaper.

My son was interested in the exchange.

"Mom, does that man have a home?"

"I'm not sure, but I think he camps in the trees."

"How does he get clean?"

"Well, he probably doesn't get to take a shower as often as we do."

"Oh, I know he has to get clean outside when it rains."

"Does he have any money?"

"He gets a little money from selling newspapers."

"Oh, I know when money is blowing around he can run and catch it and then he will have more money."

"Well, I don't think money blows around too much."

(My son has been studying Johnny Appleseed in class.)

"I know, next time we drive by we can give him some of our apples and then he can plant the seeds and grow some apple trees and he will have more food."

"Mom, will we ever see that man again? Can we buy another newspaper from him the next time..."

Happy 8th Birthday Son!

2008-09-12T07:03:00.010-07:00

Really, I tried for a different picture.

One with my child smiling and sane,

but this picture seems to capture

his goofy eight year old spirit!

This morning Lil' Expert was up before 6:00 AM.

"Mom is it official? Am I officially eight years old?"

I rubbed my eyes and tried to focus. "Yes, honey it's official."

Lil' Expert did an early morning birthday dance.

He informed me it was going to be one of the "best days ever!"

And so it will be.

It's PhotoStory Friday

Remembering 9/11...

2008-09-11T08:37:00.016-07:00

Seven years ago we were a small family of three.

We were looking forward to our son's first birthday which happened to fall on September 12, 2001. The day after the horrible terrorist attack on our country, but at the time we were unaware of what was to come.

We were busy making plans for the happy occasion. His first little cake. Celebrating his first steps. Our family joined together to marvel at what a big boy our little baby had become.

On that crazy 9/11 day, I remember holding my small son close and watching T.V. along with the rest of the country. All thoughts of my son's birthday chased away by events that I could hardly understand, or comprehend.

Seven years later, our family has grown from three to six. We have four rambunctious kids and tomorrow our son will turn eight years old.

Life is completely different than it was on that day, but the memory of it will be forever etched and entwined with the celebration of our son's birthday. A bittersweet occasion to remember the great losses individual families in this country have experienced and endured. A day also to celebrate and watch my first son grow up.

Here are other stories from the past at Sincerely 'Fro Me to You

Too Many Cooks in the kitchen...

2008-09-10T07:20:00.006-07:00

Top Chef!

Best Assistant!

Top Tasters!

I Wanna Help too!

Mmmm... That's Good!

It's wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom

My First Bloggy Art Exhibit...

2008-09-08T07:33:00.001-07:00

Shark Dive

Birthday Bear

Hot Air Balloons over Mt. Lemmon

Knight with the Kingdom

Lighthouse of Light in Charcoal

Olympic Mascots

My five year old Storytellin' Boy just completed his first session of KidzArt an after school activity program.

My budding artist loves to draw and really enjoys art.

"When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her I worked at the college- that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared back at me, incredulous, and said, "You mean they forget?"

~ Howard Ikemoto

Chess Update

2008-09-07T15:30:00.008-07:00

Lil' Expert played four rounds of Chess yesterday.

He lost the first round and tied the next three rounds (which is called a draw.)

He moved up this year from the Kindergarten/1st grade division to playing opponents all the way up to 8th grade. He is currently in 2nd grade.

Each draw counts as a 1/2 of a point so he ended up with 1.5 points for the tournament. The points add up throughout the year and figure into a player's over all ranking.

He was excited to get a ribbon and happy to tie three of his rounds considering the harder competition!

Way to go Lil' Expert.

I've got all the moves!

2008-09-06T08:01:00.010-07:00

Concentration!

Focus!

Today is Lil' Expert's first chess tournament of the year. An all day tournament at the Raddison hotel.

He continues to enjoy being part of the team at his elementary school. His skills are improving as he gains confidence and maturity.

We are so proud of you. Good luck today son!!

More positive stories to make you smile here!

More Pets?

2008-09-05T22:20:00.009-07:00

A large furry friend.

Hello there, Mr Spider!

Did you come to play?

Yikes, he moves so quick!

Big eyes when he comes too close.

Will he crawl on me?

Tarantula, eek!

My little boys think he's cool!

Mommy's not so sure!

Of course, there's this guy.

Lives in our aquarium.

A big wolf spider.

What about this one?

Tarantula? Wolf spider?

I am not sure which!

I love Arizona living, except for the creepy crawlers that share our land. What's a mom to do? This is my buggy life. We found all three of these eight-legged friends in our yard this week!

I remember in graduate school, I had some little tiny bugs in my apartment in San Francisco from construction going on in the neighborhood. I called the owner several times and I was freaking out... If only I knew then what I know now, those bugs were nothing. All these spiders are probably some kind of bad karma due to me driving my landlord crazy!

I try not to analyze it too much, or think about what else might be out there...

Haiku Friday! See more poems at A Mommy Story

More pictures PhotoStory Friday

Go ahead and click on the photos it you want a closer look at these new pets!

Are you going to put that on your Blob?

2008-09-03T07:46:00.012-07:00

"Mom, Mom there's a tarantula in the yard. You've got to get a picture of it so you can put it on your blob."

"What?"

"It will be really cool to put it on your blob."

"You mean to put it on my blog."

"Yeah, yeah- that's what I said."

I'm glad my kids are taking an interest in my ~~blob~~ blog hobby.

Tarantula pictures coming soon...

Sonoita Rodeo Days

2008-09-02T07:36:00.011-07:00

My Little Buckaroos!

A boy and his ~~horse~~ dog!

Ride em' Cowboy!

Lasso em' Lassie!

Way to ride!

Who's riding who?

Hold on now Pardner!

This weekend we attended the Sonoita Rodeo, a Labor Day tradition. The kids enjoyed the Jr. Rodeo and were amazed to see kindergartners through 3rd graders riding sheep, racing horses, and getting bucked of lil' steers and calves.

My husband took these great shots of the days events. See more of his photography here.

It was a fun weekend and nice to get out of the heat and to visit Sonoita.

One of our favorite places in Southern Arizona.

A Princess Tea...

2008-08-30T16:43:00.012-07:00

Brown Eyed Gal went to her first birthday party last weekend "A Princess Tea." A little girl in the neighborhood was turning three. She enjoyed decorating her wand and princess hat with stickers and sequins. She had a cup of tea (sherbet punch) and she watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A fun time was had by all the little princesses!

Learning from Each Other

2008-08-29T09:39:00.009-07:00

Labor day weekend and many children are going back to school next week. My boys are in a year round school and they have been in session since the week after the Fourth of July. It is amazing to see the changing dynamics of their relationship, now that they are both in school.

My second grader loves to quiz his Kindergartner brother as we drive around in the car.

"What's 2+2?" "What's 4+4?"

"4" and "8"

"Right... What's 20+20?" "What's 40+40?"

He goes through all the addition facts coaching his brother about how to add by tens.

The other day I noticed them sitting together at the kitchen table and my older son was doing alphabetizing of his spelling words and he was showing his brother how you look to the second letter if two words start with the same letter- (like acrobat, applause).

He seems to love to be in the expert teaching mode... and then the tables turned.

I had put them to bed and my older son called to me.

"Mom, my brother learned something at school and I don't know if it's true or not."

His kindergartner brother had learned in a book that a baby fish is called a fry.

"Let's look it up," I said.

We found a table on the internet that listed all the animal names and what their babies are called. We found out that a fish is called a fry, or a fingerling.

My kindergartner was beaming because he had taught his older brother a fact that he didn't know.

The next morning at the breakfast table, my second grader was practicing his spelling words and he was having a little trouble getting "appreciate" right.

His kindergartner brother piped up, "You just need to stretch it out A-P-P-R-E-C-I-A-T-E."

"Take the attitude of a student, never too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new" Og Mandino

Photo Story Friday here.

This Mom's Grassroots Campaign!

2008-08-28T23:58:00.001-07:00

It's Haiku Friday!

Presidential Year

Vote for me, I'll set you free!

Mama Mania

Having a big extended family with diverse political views, I usually try to stay quiet about my own leanings... but with four kids, the price of gas, and mortgages tanking everywhere, war, candidates bashing one another... What's a mom to do?

I decided to take action.

Vote for me if you want the voice of a real mom struggling with today's challenging family issues.

Storytellin' Mama Election 2008!!!

Key issues:

-Starbucks vouchers

-Naps for moms

-Redistribution household labor

-More spa days

It's WFMW over at Rocks in My Dryer. (Post originally published on Wednesday 8/27)

What works for me is to take a political breather and joke a little about the intensity of an election year. I realize it's no joking matter and that things will be heating up soon enough.

Tip of the hat to the Wine Commonsewer for the fun presidential link.

I'm republishing for Haiku Friday to get a little more fun out of this post!

Disclaimer: This is not a job I am remotely qualified for, or would ever want! I admire any person who would sacrifice and give their best effort to serve this country in such an amazing and huge capacity!

Best Legs in a Kilt Contest...

2008-08-26T12:29:00.016-07:00

My husband hamming it up!

My husband's co-worker and friend!

Showing a little leg!

Fancy moves!

And the winner is... this guy!!

My husband wins 2nd place!

A motley crew!

The bagpipes, of course!

2nd place and 1st place winners!!

My husband continues to embrace his Scottish and Irish heritage. Our local Irish store, Flanagan's Celtic Corner had a "Best Legs in a Kilt" contest Saturday night. My husband, the second place winner received a $25 gift certificate for the store and enjoyed the fun and company of some other displaced cronies!

*Photos courtesy of Tony Graber.

*More Ruby Red pictures go here!

*More Silly monkey stories here!

A Moment of Quiet...

2008-08-23T08:03:00.005-07:00

Last night was movie night at our kid's elementary school and my husband decided to take the boys. Both my girls were asleep by 7:45 PM. The dogs were lazy and sleeping.

The T.V. was turned off. There were no blaring video games. The phone did not ring.

The house was completely quiet. I realize how much I miss the quiet.

My life is mostly on sound overload. Our main room is tiled and sound reverberates off the tile. Children laughing and crying. Our beagle baying.

The television, the radio, the Wii game system and the computer competing to fill the room with sound.

I usually catch my quiet moments in the bathroom, but this is not guaranteed as a child may bust in at any time, or sometimes driving in the car when one child or another has fallen asleep in between drop offs and pick ups.

I can hardly remember a moment recently when it has been quiet in the house.

I sat on the couch and enjoyed the moment of quiet. I drank a cup of tea alone in the quiet.

I read a magazine and a book I had started a while ago with no interruptions. No stops and starts.

A blissful night to be remembered full of moments of quiet.

And then the moment was over...

The gang arrived home, the boys full of stories about the movie and the friends they had met.

The dogs decided to wrestle and growl in celebration.

My husband began to practice his Piping Chanter (he's learning to play the bagpipes).

The quiet transitioned into a noisy night full of the many sounds of this lovely family.

Also to be remembered.

For more stories that make you smile go here.

The Buggy Love continues...

2008-08-22T12:03:00.014-07:00

Today Storytellin' Boy found a new bug we had never seen before.

Conversation as follows:

"Mom, Look at this bug I found. Isn't he cute? I think he's just a baby."

"You better be careful about picking up new bugs, it might bite you."

"This one doesn't bite, and I know what kind of bug he is."

"Really, what kind?"

"He's a Tickle Hopper. When he walks on you it tickles, but when he hops it doesn't. He's called a Tickle Hopper. Isn't he adorable?"

"Yeah, adorable."

"Do you know what Tickle Hoppers eat?"

"No, I don't"

"They eat giggles. Someone giggles and the bug breathes in the giggle and then his tummy is full. Can we keep him?"

Why not. Last week it was two Praying Mantis, some Flying Green beetles, and about a bizillion caterpillars. I guess we could add one little Tickle Hopper to the mix!

Splish Splash I'm having a Blast!

2008-08-20T09:36:00.005-07:00

While my brothers and sister swim...

I have my own personal pool...

My water play table is just the right size for me!

For more Wordless Wednesday go to 5 Minutes for Mom!

It's Bad Poetry Day...

2008-08-18T17:49:00.011-07:00

No, I didn't make that up... Today is a very minor holiday- Bad Poetry Day

In celebration here is one of my own poems:

Ode to a Library Book

Transporter. Personal Time Machine. Thick pages of story.

Narrating me away from stripped hearts and accusations.

You travel past the dingy hall, yellowed by a smoker's haze

Improviser of the written word, you are chosen from many.

Words read aloud reverberate against a wall of silence,

surprising the little me who picked you from a tattered shelf.

My small self in a crumpled dress, library card in hand.

A Wrinkle in time, The boxcar Children, Anne of Greene Gables.

Your worn pages transport me towards childhood's passage.

I hide under a pillow with a flashlight and M&M's.

Living among horses, Indians, and carriages.

Loud voices, empty eyes, but bravery and time travel fill mine.

Father has bloodied mum's lip, but I'm already gone.

Lost in battles of fables, myth and legend.

flying alongside dragons, I make order out of chaos.

It's another August evening, the warmth of families in the air,

but I never want to come home. Hide me in a small corner.

Surround me, soothing voice of fibber, fabricator, reciter of tales.

I wrote this for my writing class. It is a work in progress and I plan to revise it. Reading has always served me as an escape, especially from a tough childhood.

In the Fall, I will be taking my third class at The Writers Studio.

This upcoming session, I plan to concentrate on writing poetry. This has always been an interest of mine and I'm excited to have a chance to focus on language and imagery in a more compressed way. I hope it will give me a chance to explore poetry more in depth, as well as enhance my fiction writing.

A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.

-W. H. Auden

Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.

-Rita Dove

My Bug Loving Boys...

2008-08-15T08:52:00.012-07:00

My Bug Loving boys

Butterfly, Caterpillar

Praying Mantis too!

Backyard Wonderland

Imagination Alive

A Bug Catching Dream!

Storytellin' Boy and Lil' Expert have been spending every spare minute out in the backyard catching a variety of bugs in their large butterfly catcher. They have collected five or six caterpillars, a giant praying mantis, and a variety of beautiful moths and butterflies. We keep them for a few hours and then we release them back to the yard.

The above book they received for Christmas last year, Take Along Guide Caterpillars, Bugs and Butterflies by Mel Boring. Both boys have been pouring over it to identify the critters we've found in our yard. It has great illustrations and a lot of fun facts about different insects. For each bug the book identifies what the insect looks like, where to find it, and what it eats.

A couple of days ago, Storytellin' Boy found a butterfly that was beautiful and perfectly intact, but no longer alive. He found it in the parking lot of his sister's preschool.

He brought it in the car and he said, "Aw... Poor little thing. I'm going to take him home and put him in a butterfly graveyard."

He placed the butterfly carefully on a napkin. He questioned me about what had happened to the "poor little guy." He continued to talk about the colors of the butterfly wings, they were a vibrant blue and black. He wondered if the butterfly's family might be missing him. I believe he may have even shed a few tears in the back of the car for this little butterfly.

It sounds a little dramatic, it's all part of nature and the life cycle after all, but it was moving to see my son's respect and care for nature and his sensitive side. He decided to keep the little black and blue butterfly and placed it on his dresser where he keeps his most important treasures.

A long time ago, William Wordsworth captured the mood of my kids chasing bugs and butterflies:

Oh! pleasant, pleasant were the days,
The time, when, in our childish plays,
My sister Emmeline and I
Together chased the butterfly!
A very hunter did I rush
Upon the prey--with leaps and springs
I followed on from brake to bush;
But she, God love her, feared to brush
The dust from off its wings.

By William Wordsworth, 1801

It's Haiku Friday! More poems here and here!!

Sitting Pretty!

2008-08-12T14:41:00.014-07:00

These red hand chairs were part of the decor of our modern hotel!

A great friend and a kid-free weekend in Palm Springs!

Thank you so much to my husband and his mother for watching the kids. I felt so refreshed, relaxed and ready to tackle the world after my weekend away. It's been over a week and I'm still feeling good. I hope to make taking a break with a friend a yearly tradition!!

For more red pictures go to Ruby Tuesday!

When Grandma Comes to Town...

2008-08-11T08:28:00.010-07:00

Grandma and the Gang!

Grandma and the Girls!

My husband's mother, Grandma K has been in town for two weeks. We've had a great time and a definite highlight for my kids are Grandma's Chocolate Chip Pancakes. A treat they look forward to whenever she visits. She made them Saturday for breakfast and Sunday night for dinner. The kids were in pancake heaven!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Aunt Jemima Original Pancake Mix

3 cups mix

2 1/4 cups milk

three eggs

3 tbsp. oil

pour batter hot grill 350-400 degrees

sprinkle with chocolate chips

serve up with whip cream or powdered sugar

Bad Hair Day!

2008-08-06T12:50:00.011-07:00

This morning Lil' Red found a jar of vaseline left out on the counter.

After two shampoos her hair still looks like this!

*For more Wordless Wednesday pictures go to 5 Minutes for Mom

It's Not Dancing With the Stars, but it's Pretty Darn Cute!

2008-08-05T00:03:00.001-07:00

Kids dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music.

- William Stafford

Go here for more Silly Monkey Stories!!

I've Cleaned Out My Purse and I'm Headed For The Price is Right!

2008-08-02T22:25:00.017-07:00

I'm on a Palm Springs weekend getaway with my best friend from high school and I decided it was time to buy a real purse.

I found a great black purse at the Palm Springs Outlet Mall.

Back at the hotel I decided I had to clean out my old purse/diaper bag and don the new purse for a fun night out.

For several years now my diaper bag has also served as my purse. Besides the usual purse contents, I found some surprising items as well... one baby sock, playing cards, outdated invitations, restaurant towelettes, pictures of my children, and the list goes on.

My friend thought I would be a great candidate for The Price is Right since I found so many strange and unusual things in my purse. In the original show, Bob Barker was always pulling ladies from the audience and giving them 100$ if they happened to dig in their purses and find the objects he requested.

I love my new purse and I am so happy to now be organized and have a lighter load!!

Bloggy Giveaway Winners...

2008-08-01T17:42:00.005-07:00

It was a lot of fun participating in the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival.

It was great to here about the wonderful and diverse books that you are all reading.

The Novel Winners are:

Kite Runner- Claire from The Roach Chronicles

The Bean Trees- Jaime C.

Lovely Bones- Kyra from The Adventures of Me

Thank you for playing along and visit me again!!

Break Time!

2008-07-29T07:47:00.006-07:00

My seven year old Lil' Expert is always telling his brother in the middle of a game or playing, "Break time. Time to take a break."

He will then do whatever he wants to do. Get a snack or go to the bathroom. Next, he will yell at his brother, "Break times over!"

Yesterday in the pool, I heard my five year old son Storytellin' Boy saying to his three year old sister Brown-eyed Gal, "Get in the spa. It's break time!"

After a few minutes he said, "Back in the pool. Break times over!"

It all trickles down to the little ones and there is definitely a hierarchy of who's bossing who!

For more Silly Monkey stories go here!

I am giving away books. Check out my giveaway here!

Storytellin' Mama is Giving Away Books...

2008-07-28T09:01:00.006-07:00

I love to read and I love books.

Summertime is my favorite time to read. There is something about reading by the pool with a big glass of iced tea while the kids swim and play.

I am holding my first bloggy giveaway as part of the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival

I am giving away three books I love.

Kite Runner

Lovely Bones

The Bean Trees

If this is your first time to visit my site, please feel free to get to know me by checking out Mama's Top Posts or Mama's Pages on my sidebar.

Please leave a comment and let me know about a favorite book you have read recently. In your comment specify which book you would most love to win! Please make sure I can contact you through e-mail, or your site. You do not have to have a blog to enter just leave your contact information in the comment section!

The contest will end Friday August 1st 12:00 noon and I will hold a random drawing to determine three book winners.

To check out more cool bloggy giveaways go here!

The Best Deal on Swim Lessons Ever!!

2008-07-26T08:51:00.009-07:00

The Teacher

The Student

This summer, my five year old son has taken it upon himself to teach his three year old sister to swim.

Storytellin' Boy says, "It's time for your swim lesson."

Brown-eyed Gal has actually gone from wearing floaties, or a life jacket to swimming completely free like a little fish all over the pool.

First, he taught her to swim from one step to the next step, then he taught her to swim across the length of the pool. He swims right next to her and gives her pointers. He always stays by her side.

He taught her to jump off the rocks holding hands and swim to the side.

One day recently my daughter said to me, "I'm late for my swim lesson." My son said, "Yeah Mom, can we go swimming? I still have to teach her diving..."

First Words...

2008-07-24T07:06:00.007-07:00

Thirteen things from Storytellin' MamaEdition #2
Our baby Lil' Red is starting to talk!!
Here are Lil' Red's first thirteen words:

1. Mama
2. Dada
3. Scout (our beagle)
4. BearBear (our golden retriever)
5. cracker
6. ball
7. bubble
8. backpack
9. Grandma
10. shoes
11. bye-bye
12. hi
13. baba (for bottle)

The other kids are so excited to hear
Lil' Red talk and they are keeping track
of all her new words!!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participantsand here!

Wiggle Time!

2008-07-21T08:24:00.006-07:00

Last year in first grade, Lil' Expert had a special chair for wiggle time. He was often quickly done with his work, mostly due to rushing and partly because the work came easy for him. Having Aspergers, he was restless and wiggly. His teacher gave him a special chair he could go to and look at books when he needed a break or was done with his work.

This helped him decompress and also prevented him from disturbing the other children. He loved this quiet spot, and it worked well to help him have a terrific first grade year.

This year in second grade, he doesn't have a wiggly chair. My husband was asking him about it.

He said, "Sometimes my teacher's phone rings, or she's working on her computer. I get some wiggling in when she's busy and not looking."

I really appreciate his adaptability and creativity to get his needs met in his own way!! We've only had one week of second grade, but so far, so good...

First Day of School!

2008-07-18T14:15:00.008-07:00

My son is so big

First day of kindergarten

Very exciting!

I met my teacher

I will learn lots of new things

Reading and numbers!

I am a pro now

Second grade is really cool

I'm ready to learn!

Two brothers we are

We'll ride the bus together

We're growing so fast!

It's Haiku Friday. More poems here!

School Daze...

2008-07-16T13:56:00.016-07:00

This mama has gone from one child in school to now having three kids in school. It's been a little crazy this week. My blog as well as my usual activities have taken a back seat, but we are all starting to adjust to the new routine. I think the kids are adjusting a little more quickly than me, but I am working on it!

It goes like this:

7:04 AM drive 2nd grader and Kindergartner to bus stop
10:40 AM pick up Kindergartner from school
11:30 drop three year old at preschool
2:50 meet 2nd grader at bus stop
3:10 meet preschooler at bus stop

My 2nd grader is a professional by now and has taken great pride in showing his younger brother the ropes on the bus and at school. He's off to a good start this year with a strict and challenging teacher.

He's not to excited about his new bus driver this year. This is what he had to say about her:

"She's been a bus driver for twenty years and she knows all our tricks. She knows every trick in the book. Did you know there was a book about it? She won't let us trade Pokemon cards, or play rock, paper, scissors. She knows about switching seats. She's really strict."

I asked my kindergartner if he had a good day after the first day of school and he raised his little fist in the air and said, "I didn't have a good day, I had an awesome day."

My three year old is going to a special speech preschool and she has never really been away from me. On the first day, she cried and tried to escape several times to come find me. The teacher's put a guard at the door to make sure she didn't run out of the classroom. She settled down about half way through the class.

She is riding the bus home because her class is at the district office and I wouldn't be able to get to her in time to get back to pick up my second grader from the bus. The first day I was nervous about her riding the bus and I was anxiously awaiting at 3:10 for it to come. The driver was new and got lost several times bringing the children on his route home. He did not get her home until 4:30. What a hard day.

I was worried about day number two, but on the way to school my sweet little girl said, "Mommy, I'm a big girl. I stay with Ms. Heidi today." She marched in happy as could be and started her day!

I have been waiting and excited to have a break for a few hours with the kids in school, but I was surprised at how emotional I was to see the two of them off to kindergarten and preschool. I shed a few tears and really missed them while they were at school.

The kids are doing great. I'm still a little dazed... but excited about this new school journey in the life of our kids.

This is what works for me, to keep breathing, be thankful, and to savor each moment with these little people because they are growing and changing so fast.

My husband took some great pictures of them on the first day of school which I will soon post.

Happy WFMW!

Brotherly Love and My First Bloggy Love...

2008-07-12T21:40:00.017-07:00

Lil' Expert, our seven year old has been playing a game on the Wii this summer that works better with two players. He has been excited about the game and wants his brother to play it with him. Storytellin' Boy, our five year old is not as video game oriented and often says no when his brother asks him to play.

Yesterday, Lil' Expert wrote up a contract that said, "My brother agrees to play the Wii game with me." He wrote sign here and then told his brother to sign his name on the line.

Our five year old starts Kindergarten on Monday and just learned to write his name. He signed his name proudly on the line. Lil' Expert then told him that now, "he has to play the game, or he would be breaking the contract." He said, "Breaking a contract is illegal and against the law."

It kind of worked for Lil' Expert. He got his brother to play the game with him for part of the afternoon yesterday. I don't know, maybe a future politician or a lawyer?

*********************************************************

On other news fronts, I was presented with my first blog award from Karen at 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires

Thank you so much. I am really excited that you honored me. I am so new to blogging and I appreciate your support and readership!! I enjoy your blog as well!

If you would like to pass this award on to a favorite blogger, see button on my side bar or visit Karen's blog.

Monsoon Moments...

2008-07-11T00:06:00.001-07:00

Rain, rain go away.

Come again another day.

My girl wants to play.

The summer rains are upon us. My three year old has been incessantly singing this song all week long. Thunder and lightning, cooling rain and the smell of Creosote trees in the air, all really lovely.

I remember the first summer we lived in the house, the kids had never seen lightning before, or heard the sound of loud thunder. During a particularly booming storm, I opened the blinds wide and we all climbed into our King size bed, hiding under the covers and watching Nature's show. The lightning was particularly glorious and gave us all a perspective on the power of an electrical storm. During a monsoon rain, we can get a different view of lightning from different parts of the house. We all run around shouting, "Look at the lightning through the office window." or "In here. Come to the breakfast room, the lightning's amazing." It's a 360 degree performance!

Now, my kids are old pros. When a storm starts, I hear Storytellin' Boy running outside and yelling, "Shelter. Shelter. I need shelter." But really, the kids love to be out in the rain, it seems to energize them. Sometimes it rains so hard that it rocks the house.

All the roads around us have dips and certain areas become flooded. A few times we have been stranded and had to wait near a wash. We sit in the car and watch the water rise. We have a "stupid motorist Law" and if you drive into a part of the road that is flooding and your car starts to float away, or fill with water, you are responsible for the cost of rescue. I thought this was so funny when we first lived here, but every year there are local rescues on the news of cars that tried to go through deep water.

Here's a video of how quickly the water rises:

Of course, the roads near our home are back roads and do not have the bridges to protect motorists from the rising water!!

Unlike the little song my daughter sings, I wish for the rain and lightning to stay for a few more days...

More Haiku Friday poems here and here!

Day at the Park

2008-07-09T08:23:00.008-07:00

At the park, I love to run and play and have space to be free.

*View today's Wordless Wednesday photos at 5 Minutes for Mom

*Wordless Wednesday headquarters

Celebrating his Scottish Roots...

2008-07-08T00:20:00.006-07:00

This past week was my husband's 39th birthday. My mother-in-law recently traveled to Scotland and brought my husband a MacDonald Clan kilt and my father-in-law gave him a pipe chanter for learning to play the bagpipes. My husband loved these gifts and was so excited that he wore his new kilt to our 4th of July festivities.

Although a Scotsman usually gets his first kilt when he comes of age, my husband is way beyond that, but this is a cute anecdote nonetheless:

In Scotland, the most important time for a young lad is when he "comes of age" and is allowed to purchase and wear his first kilt.

A couple of weeks before, his important birthday, a young lad went to a tailor shop and found the material he wanted for his first kilt. He took the material to the tailor and said, "I'd like ye to make me a kilt with this material here and, if ye don't mind, I'd like ye to make me a pair of matching underwear for it. I hear it gets a might drafty up dem tings!"

So the tailor took the material and promised to call the young lad when the order was completed.

A few days later, the tailor called the lad back to the shop. "Here's ye kilt, and here's ye matching underwear, and here's five yards of the material left over. Ye might want to take it home and keep it in case you want anything else made of it."

So the lad rushed home with his order, threw the material in his room, and donned his kilt. In his excitement, he decided to run to his girlfriend's house to show off his new purchase.

Unfortunately, in his excitement, he forgot to don his underwear.

When his girlfriend answered the door, he pointed to his kilt and said, "well, what'd ye think?"

"Ah, but dat's a fine looking kilt," she exclaimed.

"Aye, and if ye like it, ye'll really like what's underneath," he stated as he lifted his kilt to show her.

"Oh, but dat's a dandy," his girlfriend shouted admiringly.

Still not realizing that he didn't have his underwear on he exclaimed quite proudly, "aye, and if ye like it, I've got five more yards of it at home!"

*My husband looked great in his new kilt and we had a terrific 4th of July with his sister and her family, his dad and wife, and his mom. Even if it was a wee bit drafty!!

It's Ruby Tuesday, celebrate with red photos!

Apache Lake

2008-07-02T07:24:00.020-07:00

Look Mom, I'm driving!

Dr. Seuss trees!

Cactus Country!

Wheeeee, this is fun!

Peek-a-boo!

The sisters!

Kicking back on the lake!

A shoreline view!

Our family vacation at beautiful Apache Lake in Arizona.

Wordless Wednesday here

Storytime!

2008-07-01T07:52:00.009-07:00

Reading an all time favorite Goodnight Gorilla.

Relaxing after a busy day of fun!

I like the one about the Big Red Dog!

I am always a big fan of kid's reading. It was a real treat for my kids to have one of their older cousins read stories to them over our vacation. They loved it and even the dog got in on the act!

Howdy Pardner!

2008-06-30T09:15:00.012-07:00

The kids had a great vacation with their cousins. The last stop Sunday, was a visit to "the town too tough to die" Tombstone, AZ.

Rowdy bunch of outlaws!

Dressing up at Big Nose Kates an Old Wild West Tavern

Is there a sheriff in this town?

Truly a Historical American Landmark, Tombstone is America's best example of our 1880 western heritage, which is well preserved with original 1880's buildings and artifacts featured in numerous museums.

The kids love to see the horses and carriages, watch gun fights, and most of all shop for souvenirs! It has been a yearly tradition to visit for the past three or four years. A good time was had by all!

Vacation Here We Come...

2008-06-25T14:27:00.007-07:00

We are leaving early tomorrow morning to go to Apache Lake. We have rented a pontoon boat for the day with my sister and her family. We are then onto a hotel in Phoenix with a 9 acre water park for the kids.

As much as I love my computer, I probably won't take it on the lake or to the water park, but I will post some cute pictures of the kids and family after the trip.

My kids will get some quality time with their cousins. We are also traveling over the 4th of July to Southern California to see more cousins, grandparents, and family. After these two trips it will be back to the grind for everyone as school starts on July 14th!

I am busy packing for the trip.

I am trying to avoid the car looking like this:

Not an easy task with four kids in tow!

“A vacation frequently means that the family goes away for a rest, accompanied by a mother who sees that the others get it.”

-Marcelene Cox

“Those that say you can't take it with you never saw a car packed for a vacation trip.”

-Unknown Author

I heard it on T.V.

2008-06-24T09:05:00.007-07:00

A couple of weeks ago all of my kids were having tummy trouble.

In the midst of everyone being sick, my older son Lil' Expert said "Mom, I think I'm lactose intolerant."

I said, "Where did you here that?"

He said, "I heard it on T.V. and when I ate a piece of cheese it went right through me!"

In a day or so he was fine, no more lactose intolerance. I thought it was so funny my seven year old was now self diagnosing based on what he saw on a T.V. commercial. The amazing thing was he remembered the word and used it mostly in the right context.

It is incredible what kids pick up, and a good reminder to be aware of the influences all around them. They really are little sponges.

For some more cute kid stories go here.

Life's a Balancing Act

2008-06-23T09:16:00.015-07:00

Do you ever feel like this guy?

Sometimes I do.

This week my writing class starts again on Wednesday evening. I have been taking classes through the Writers Studio out of New York. There is a small satellite school here in Tucson. It is a great program, and unlike an MFA program it is manageable with four kids. The founder Phillip Schultz just won the Pulitzer Prize this Spring for his book of poetry Failure.

We have had a month break from classes and I haven't done as much writing as I would have liked. The discipline to write at night after the kids are in bed continues to be a struggle, but I've done okay this week and have worked on my stories two different nights.

My sister and her family are coming to visit on Thursday. We are going to California over the Fourth of July, and the new school year starts for the kids July 14th. We have been reorganizing the house. New carpet, changing the play room into a guest room, reorganizing the kids bedrooms, and revamping our master bedroom.

Life truly is a balancing act...

Here are some things that help me along the way:

Coffee. I don't know how I managed all these years without it when I was pregnant or nursing, but now I am happily dependent on it again. It helps a lot. I love coffee!
My husband bought me this new writing program called Scrivener and it manages all my projects, outlines, and ideas. It is fantastic and reasonably priced too!
I know that this time with my little children is going by so fast. I'm trying to embrace and celebrate the time with them now.
Keeping organized. When the house is chaotic and I'm searching for things all the time it is much more overwhelming to get things accomplished.
Trust God. Pray. Meditate. These things help me to regroup and recharge.

I am working on three short stories right now. My goal is to get them complete and ready to send out to literary journals and magazines during this next ten week class. For my fortieth birthday year, I want to get a short story published. I have four months to go. The writing itself is fulfilling and the publishing part is secondary, but I am more motivated if I have a goal in front of me. I am entering a couple of literary contests for new writers and I have some other publications in mind.

Here is an excerpt from one of my works in progress:

Watering Holes

The ugly shack behind the house is where you’ll find the Fishing Grandpa. He sits in his weathered, tin workshop among scattered tools, loaded firearms, cheap vodka, and gallons of apple juice in glass jugs.

Up before sunrise, he looks through the makeshift doors, towards his neighbor’s tree farm. Grandpa watches the Red fir, Norway spruce, and Sequoia marching along in the wind. Their conical shapes, shiny dark branches, and bluish green needles with silver tips shine in the morning air. The fresh, woodsy fragrances mingle with the smoke from his open fire.

Spitting his tobacco in the early morning light, he readies the poles. A simple set up for his granddaughter, just the rod and line. His hands shake a little, and he drinks to steady them.

No longer able to stay inside, his granddaughter Tessie runs for the shack. Still early, she warms her hands by the fire. She fidgets and squirms ready for her first worm.

“Grandpa’s making moonshine, don’t tell your mom,” he says.

“Moonshine, Moonshine, Moonshine,” she sings.

“Grandpa, will we catch a rainbow fish today?”

She remembers their best day ever, last summer when she caught a fish on the American River. Grandpa had gone to the ice chest. The line started pulling and bobbing, the pole rising and falling toward the river.

“I got a bite. I got a bite,” she called.

She reeled it in. Grandpa came to the edge of the black river, and his big, rough hands moved over the fish.

“Look at these colors, a rainbow trout. This means you’re a lucky girl,” he said.

Today they hike through a stream from watering hole to watering hole, over here to a point and now to a weedy area with some inside and outside curves. They stop in an inlet where the creek flows into the lake. He relies on the elements to catch fish, his creel brimming with bass and trout.

Noble fir and Scotch pine line the moving water. He points out the strong, wide-spaced branches protecting the smaller orange and red bark of the Manzanita and the cream-white Elderberry trees. As they walk, he notices the native grasses waving gracefully in the cool breeze and watches the animals take cover, scattered throughout the openings between the islands of woody shrubs. She is ahead collecting stones along the shallow river. He pauses, raising his bottle before the next fishing hole…

I keep trying to stick to this mantra, writer's write!

I'm not 40, I'm eighteen with 22 years experience. ~ Author Unknown

Life begins at forty. ~ W.B. Pitkin

We don't understand life any better at forty than at twenty, but we know it and admit it. ~ Jules Renard

Mama's New Furniture

2008-06-21T15:37:00.008-07:00

For nearly 10 years, we have been using our $99 Ikea dressers and a mattress just on the rails. Our bedroom has always been the least decorated room in the house. The kids are getting older and last weekend we finally moved the baby's crib out of our room. We decided to splurge and buy new bedroom furniture for ourselves.

I am so excited. It looks like someone else's bedroom. I love it. Here are some pictures of our new bedroom:

Last night, my husband was so comfortable on the new mattress that he snored louder than he has in a long time. I kept waking him up to turn over so I could get a little sleep!

We still have to add some photos and a few homey touches, but it is fun to see our room transformed!

Here comes Peter Cottontail...

2008-06-19T22:49:00.026-07:00

Cottontail Rabbit

Eating Creosote bushes

Living in our yard

Kids call you Whitetail

Watch you play through the window

Hop, hopping along.

We have a resident cottontail, just a baby, living in our front yard. The kids and the dogs have been watching the little rabbit through the window for a few weeks.

The cottontail comes right up to the front window to nibble on flowers. My kids are always checking to see if Whitetail is around throughout the day. They call him our pet. This is the kind of pet I like, considering we have many high maintenance pets already!

Beatrix Potter wrote the story of Peter Rabbit as a letter to a four year old boy Noel Moore in 1893. Like Whitetail, Peter goes into a garden to help himself to a snack. He gets himself into big trouble. My kids have been enjoying the story since we have our own little mischievous bunny in the yard. The story is timeless, and is just as appealing to children today. Go here

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends, they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot

Regardless of other activities, the best predictor of summer loss or summer gain is whether or not a child reads during the summer!

Haiku Friday! View more poems here and here.