No man is an island

One thing that I know that I am good at is making the effort to keep in touch with friends. Being a Navy Junior (my Dad hates it when I say "brat") and a nomad as an adult, I have friends strewn across the globe. I try to keep them close with communication AND if ever I'm in their 'neck of the woods', I'll make the time and effort to see them. This trip to DC has epitomized this concept. I've seen a childhood friend, some high school friends, some college friends, and friends my husband and I have made. These visits give me energy that I see as a necessity for my feeling connected. I am feeling 'recharged' at the moment. I've always said that I'd love to buy an island and have all of my close friends as neighbors...that is assuming that everyone would get along. I think they would because as the saying goes "any friend of mine is a friend of yours"....so, come join my island commune of 'love, happiness and sunshine (and moonshine thrown in for good measure)'...meanies are NOT WELCOME.

Sticks and stones

Today I got my first anonymous "not-so-nice" comment. It says "wow dude...your blog totally sucks".

I keep trying to say that it doesn't bother me, which it really doesn't at my core, but the fact that I'm even giving mention to it shows that it had some effect. Oh well. I don't mind constructive criticism, in fact I actually like it, but those words are not constructive, they're hurtful. If you are going to make such a comment, at least have the guts to identify yourself (and say it "to my face"), otherwise you look like a coward who is providing no value to my life....happiness and sunshine, happiness and sunshine, happiness and moonshine (I'm about to grab my evening glass of wine and share a nice evening with my parents). So...Mr. Anonymous...take your comments and shove them where the sun-don't-shine. There, I'm better now. Love, me!

My Epitaph

Today I attended a memorial service for our dear friend's mother. I went into it thinking that since it wasn't my mom, I wouldn't be crying...that was a dumb thought. How can you not cry when you see a family coming to terms with loss? This was my first time that I realized that my parents will some day die too, it made it very real to see my friend's sister who is exactly my age, have to stand up to honor her mother. The tears did flow and luckily I was offered a tissue. The oldest son did a wonderful job recapping his mother's life and wove the theme of what the phrase on her tombstone would read "Loving wife and mother" and how she epitomized both of those roles.

This got me to thinking what my own epitaph would read...right now I'm not 100% sure, but I do want to find the word(s) and then attempt to exceed my own expectations. At one point Party Animal might have been the phrase, but I'm not sure that fits anymore. If anyone wants to offer suggestions, I'm open!

Dancing Queen

We were all dancing queens last night at my cousin's wedding. My children displayed their awesome "talents" on the dance floor. My daughter ended the night early because my spiky heel made its way directly on her toe and somehow DRAMA QUEEN came to visit. Then my break dancing son ended with a 'rug burn' on his chest from the dance floor. I LOVE dancing at weddings and my evening was cut short by my balls and chains. All other members of my extended family enjoyed the whole evening (yes I'm envious). The trip was well worth it nonetheless. I got to see all kinds of family I hadn't seen in ages.

There was an unauthorized photo (at least in my mind) splattered on a huge screen of our whole family circa 1992...I happened to turn my head JUST as it popped up...horror of all horrors I looked hideous with my long hair that wasn't long enough at the time...I really was trying for longer...and now with age and wisdom, I ask why? I was pasty white due to the fact that I'd been sequestered away at Grad School in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (yes there is a place called Oshkosh and now you can say b'gosh because I know you want to).

A snippet from our long journey home from Kentucky to Maryland, "Mom?", "yes Monkey", "Do you know that it is hard to Riverdance when you squat your knees?", "No, really?", "Yeah I tried it last night and it is way harder than it looks". That is just a very small sampling of the many revelations my six year old son revealed on the 9 (plus) hour journey home...it is so cute to see inside his 'wide open' mind....I hope he keeps sharing his thoughts!

Gratitude X 10 (my normal Sunday topic)...thank goodness the car ride is over (times 10).

Roadtrip

When I wrote the title "Roadtrip", in my mind I'm back in college with a group of friends yelling ROADTRIP...cramming in the car and heading to anywhere, to do anything, with anybody. That is almost the exact opposite journey I'm about to embark on. I will be driving with 2 "old people" (my parents, one of whom is injured) and three young kids in a minivan. We are headed to Lexington, KY for a weekend wedding. It is a family reunion of sorts. The whole clan will be there minus a few (sadly my brother and my cousin's wife are both otherwise engaged...in Afghanistan). Anyhow, the roadtrips of yesteryear are merely a memory...but I can daydream as I hit the open road. ROCK ON!

Picture is from a Bunko party...white trash was the theme. I was SO PROUD of my hair that night because it looked EXACTLY as I did in the 80s! I'm awesome

This is only a test....beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Technology has delayed posts. I've written two posts that have been eaten by the internet...so, hold that thought....I'll post again today HOPEFULLY. Fingers crossed that this works.

Gratitude X 10

1. Non eventful flights to DC
2. Sleeping kids on flight
3. Lorzapam (to deal with fear of flying)
4. Country Club pool to escape heat and humidity (thanks grandma and grandpa)
5. J-Man turned 9 years old
6. A night away without kids
7. A great evening with college friends
8. Belgian French fries for dinner at Brasserie Beck
9. Air conditioning
10. Ice cold water on a HOT

Make New Friends but Keep the Old

Who's old?! Nothing beats an old friend according to many a Hallmark card. They should make a card for the day I've had with my "old" friends Chief and Aimster. But how can you make a pithy, quipy card that captures the essence of three cool chicks and rapid fire dialogue about the purple pill, the blue pill but not that blue pill (!), Britney and K-Fed, 'uplifting' bra shopping, kidney stones, Brangelina, darling offspring, Lewisburg's dire need for better shopping, soul searching, moisturizer, hats and the environment.

You don't capture that in words. You capture it in your heart.

And then you critique other old friends pictures on Facebook. Because we're still us and we're most definitely not old.

Chief's Guest Blogger Friend - Verde

Oh the humanity

Really I mean oh the humidity. "Out West" it isn't at all as humid and so 80 degrees means something totally different. I went for a walk with my mother-in-law this morning to get some exercise while also doing it before the 'real' heat and humidity began...yeah right? I was a big pool of sweat by the end of my short 1.5 mile walk. We didn't even go that far. This humidity thing won't stop me, just making an observation.

No picture for this post...the computer I'm on has a pop up blocker...and I am not tech savvy enough to switch it...so imagine me as a big sweaty mess...appetizing right?

Let the fun begin

Thanks to some happy pills (Lorzapam), a cranberry cocktail, good kids and smooth flights, we made it to Baltimore on time, unharmed and VERY TIRED. The adventure begins with a nap, a pool visit and a home cooked meal. All is good!

I hope to post regularly, but please don't hold me to it.

Fast forward this part

Tonight at 10:10pm the kids and I start our journey "back East" for our month-long adventure. Today is going to be a looooong day. The kids have been so excited for this trip and so I'm sure the day will drag for them, AND THEN, we get to take the red eye AND we have to change planes in Detroit at 6am, AND I'm traveling alone with the kids AND I am not the best flier (just call me Nervous Nelly). So it would be so convenient to be Barbara Eden today.

The other day Monkey asked, "Mommy, how does the plane make our eye red and which eye is it?". He has been full of these types of questions. About three weeks ago he asked why Pirates wear a patch on one eye. I really didn't know so I just said that they probably got them poked out in fights. Well, coincidentally (I'm having many coincidences lately), in a book I'm reading for my coaching class, Martha Beck describes why pirates wear patches. It is because in a fight on a ship they are often required to fight outside in the daylight and then move inside the boat and it takes time for eyes to adjust to the dark, so they always have one eye ready for the darkness...who knew?

On a totally different note, whenever I say "back East" it gets me to wondering. Why do people who have never lived on the East coast still call it "back East"...they wouldn't be 'back' if they hadn't even been. Maybe its a throw back from Lewis and Clark? Just curious that's all! Off to pack for a month...thank goodness for washing machines.

This one goes out...

My brother starts his journey BACK to his temporary digs in Afghanistan. He was able to enjoy 2 weeks home with his family and friends. He also was able to take a family trip to Puerto Rico which, from the pictures, looks like they had fun...even his 16 year old daughter had a few smiles in the picture. The journey back to whence he came seems to be very involved, lengthy, and uncertain...in that he doesn't know when the next 'flight out' is when he gets closer to his destination. So, I wish him speedy, safe and uneventful (unless the events are cool like meeting a celebrity) travels.

I need to get my care package skills back up to par. I think we'll have to send him some sand and salt water from our Beachweek in Bethany...oh but wait, he'll have enough sand. Oh yeah, and they always ask if there is anything 'liquid' in the package...hmmm, maybe we'll just send salt water taffy. My daughter will miss her Uncle's help in playing poker (yes she is 8 and likes poker), Monkey will miss his big arms to help him navigate the waves of the ocean, and I of course will miss hanging with my brother (if this could be tear stained...it would be). We love you man!

Sleep Eludes

I think I slept from 10pm - 2am on my couch (a naughty, naughty habit)...then 'boing' wide awake. I've actually been quite productive but fear that I'll crash hard at an inopportune time tomorrow. I have had this one 'project' for the PTA that I had been procrastinating on...now I am done. My only worry is that when I sent it to the person who needed it, it looks like my whole document was a blank...either operator error caused me to see a blank document OR all my efforts were for naught which will then be followed by an audible yell on my part, hold your ears! I am off to the gym at "O Dark Thirty" as my dad always says (military jargon). Might as well make use of this time I have on my hands.

Gratitude X 10

1. Swimming laps at the pool (see picture)
2. 3 more days until we go 'back East'
3. Exercised most days this week
4. Found a new 'dive bar' on our date last night
5. Bike ride to local fair with the kids
6. Not spending too much money at the fair
7. Daughter playing Sandy and May in Annie
8. Monkey's awesome day with dad playing golf outside and on XBox
9. Homework almost done for my Martha Beck program
10. Sunshine (but maybe we could turn the dial down a notch)

Hades

We will be living in a sauna for the next 3 or so days. Forecast for the near future is hot as blazes. I know that other places have higher temps but we have NO AC...I am gearing up for multiple days of avoiding the 'hot spots' in our house and outside. To top it off, I'm working at our local 'fair' today helping to 'man a booth' for our school. I'll be putting tattoos on kids for many hours in the day....do I sound like I'm whinging?....right-o chap.

Random

Nothing titillating to write about today. My mind is a blank except for all of the things to do today. Princess will be performing her orphan and dog routine at their culminating show at her camp. We've invited some neighborhood friends along. I found the movie Annie at Target so we had the friends over for a sleepover to get a "preview" of the show. Princess has LOVED this camp and is quite excited. I need to charge my camera and hope that I can video some of it. I might be able to upload to the blog??

My other items for my day are trying to squeeze in a workout, perhaps an outdoor activity for the kids, and a meeting at 7pm for PTA (fun!). I have been putting off a lot of little tasks for PTA which I don't feel guilty about, but I now need to start focusing and I cannot seem to...my motto is "I've fallen and I can't get up". I need a life alert system to get me back on track.

The picture is a reflection picture from my collection of 'random' pictures that I've taken since I've moved here. I love to take pictures out a bus or car window and see what I get. This is one of them.

Busted

Princess just showed me a note from HER to the tooth fairy AND her tooth in a bag that must have fallen out of my closet when I was reorganizing it. How do you explain that one? She seems to have an Eagle Eye for finding the one thing that she shouldn't. If ever I buy a treat and am trying desperately to hide it, she finds it within seconds of me hiding it. For her 3rd Christmas she had asked for Princess castle thingy. I bought it and asked my husband to put it in the 'walk in' attic area. In my mind I would assume he would hide it too. He did not cover the thing up....so one day Princess watched me go into the attic to find something and lo and behold she sees the darn thing. I had to stand on my head telling all kinds of lies about the box NOT being what she thinks it is. "Why would Santa bring something before Christmas?". So here I go telling yet another lie which I'm sure she already suspects (or knows) that the tooth fairy isn't real. I just said, "that's weird, I've not seen that before, I wonder if the tooth fairy dropped it a long time ago and we never found it". She didn't continue the conversation BUT she did ask if she could put it under her bed again....I said no!

On a totally different note: I had another random coincidence. I just wrote about the word FRINGE in my blog yesterday and then last night I saw an ad new sci fi series called....drum roll....FRINGE. Just a little twilight zone, that's all. I picked the word from the dictionary, I didn't make it come from my head (which then could be rationalized that I somehow have seen the commercial and it is in my brain).

Word Association: Fringe

Fringe caught my eye and made me think of London. Although we share the same common language with the Brits, there are some distinct idioms (and words) that are different. One is fringe. We call the hair that is on our forehead above our eyes bangs, they call it fringe which makes it sound like curtains or something. I don't use that term here in the states because it doesn't get me very far (and at the moment I don't have any fringe). I'll list 10 other words/phrases that I remember. I'm sure I know more, but don't want to hurt my brain.

1. Loo = bathroom (which they don't use they call it the toilet)
2. Queue up = line up
3. Bap and salad = sandwich with cucumbers
4. Lift = elevator (our first 'flat' had one directly to our place...it was slow but it was a lift)
5. Flat = apartment
6. Whinging = whining (I'd love to use this word more here in the state, but it causes confusion)
7. Half Six = 6:30 (or any other time on the half hour)
8. Elevensies = snack time at 11am (tea and cookies where I worked in London)
9. Trousers = pants (pants are actually underwear in England)
10. Fanny = a woman's nether region (I don't like hearing that word here in the US for that reason)
11. Nappy = diapers (I'm so glad I'm still not using those)

Wow...I was able to add a bonus one...maybe I'll stave of Alzheimer's for one extra month down the road.

A note about the picture. This was taken as part of a Father's Day gift I made for my husband in 2004. Princess had fringe for a while when she was a youngun'. I had intended to never cut bangs for her because I know how long (and hard) a process it is to grow them out. When she was about 18 months old I decided to take the plunge ONLY BECAUSE every old lady at the park would declare that my child would go blind because her hair was in her eyes. You see, Princess had no interest in hair clips and her hair was as thin and straight and blond as it comes. Instead of fighting with the hair contraptions (and her) I let her walk around with a nice little cover over her eyes. Her first haircut wasn't painful (ie she didn't cry), but boy did they do a bad job (you get what you pay for). She DID cry right after the haircut when she had to sit on Santa's lap. My favorite Christmas picture is of Santa with a 3 week old in his hands (Monkey), Princess with a full on red faced cry and me sitting next to her trying to make her feel better (I had not intended to be in the picture). In those days, life WAS complicated for me but I've made it through.

The Sun'll Come Out

Yesterday was a fun day for Princess. I put her in a week long mini drama camp. The theme of her camp is Annie. The kids are cast in several parts and they essentially act out the whole play. Well, my daughter chose May (an orphan) and a very non speaking part, Sandy (the dog). Although I know she is having fun being the dog AND she has a lot of stage time...Sandy doesn't get to sing or talk that much (really not at all except a few barks). I know she is loving the camp but I had hoped she'd do more singing and speaking (to try it on for size). Its all fun and games in the end.

The day ended with an awesome water fight and dip in our frog pool (a.k.a kiddie pool we recently purchased).

Goals

My mind is goal oriented lately and here are two goals set for the summer.

1. Read 10 books before Sept 1 (one book down 9 to go)


2. Achieve 200 miles by Sept 1 (I'm currently at 172). I am shooting for 190 by July 16 which is when I leave for DC.

Gratitude X 10

1. Fireworks on the 4th
2. Monkey loves reading
3. Tuesday beach fun with friends
4. 3 week break from PTA (it will start again this week)
5. Energy to clean the house today
6. 2 gym visits
7. Movie night with Princess (saw the American Girl movie)
8. Lunch date with Monkey (don't tell princess, but I love my morning hugs with him)
9. Starting to read again (its about time)
10. Flowers still blooming in yard.

The Power of Yes

The other day I only had Monkey with me because Princess was on a playdate. I told him that I would take him to lunch as a special date. We had been enjoying our time together and chatting and such. As we were walking into the restaurant Monkey looked up at me and said, "Mommy, why do you keep saying yes to everything for me today?"....I hadn't even noticed that I had been saying yes, but I guess he surely did. It made me think "do I say NO that often?", "should I be more conscious of what I say yes and no to?", "maybe more one on one time with this precious boy is what is needed"....anyway, it was a sweet moment. It made me realize, once again, that I need to be more 'present' with my kids when I am with them...I often fall into the mmm-hmmms, maybes, just a minutes; only 'half listening' just to get from one task to the next. I guess they take notice of those moments more than I realize and I need to be more "aware". I know on the whole I'm doing a great job with AND FOR the kids, but sometimes a little reality check is needed.

I know this picture is totally unrelated to the topic, but I wanted to share a photo from last night's fireworks...it was a really great evening, and none of my children were frightened (but maybe a little nervous at times).

Tradition

At our house we only have one Independence Day tradition so far. We've moved so often that we've not found the 'small town' parade to frequent, or a bbq tradition in the neighborhood. We do have a tradition that is transportable. For the past 4 years we've made a 'semi healthy' treat (as seen in the picture). We layer the bottom with whipped cream (I bought fat free) and then make the flag out of berries. This is the first year that I did NOT help at all. Whenever I let the kids participate in the kitchen I tend to micro manage, SO, I just left the room with the ingredients available and a verbal instruction NOT TO LICK YOUR FINGERS or SPOONS UNTIL YOU'RE DONE. I think the results are fabulous and as the saying goes "it all looks the same in your stomach". We are hoping to find fireworks tonight and have an evening dinner picnic on a lawn somewhere....OR we'll watch on TV. I'm crossing my fingers that this is the year the Princess does NOT get insanely frightened of the fireworks...8 times is the charm, right?

Help Wanted: Piano Teacher

Every morning at about 8:30 my daughter decides that it is time to serenade me with one of her only songs she knows, Heart and Soul. I think I might need to 'learn her' another song because its starting to get old. I love that she is taking an interest and I think in the Fall, I'll find someone, but until then...

I think this is one of those universal paybacks handed down from parent to child...because I tortured my parents with Fur Elise. I'm certain there are two people with an evil satisfaction at the moment...aka my mom and dad.

Cracking the code

I decided to get a little tutoring session for Monkey to bone up on his reading skills. This is with one of his favorite 1st grade teachers whom he might have next year. He had such a good time with her that when we went to the library he checked out a ton of books, came home and really tried hard to read them all. Right before I walked out of the room after tucking him in last night, he said, "Mommy, I really can read now!" This might be the best money ever spent.

Word Association: Stein

OK so I had to 'scan' the dictionary a few times to find a word the 'resonated' with me. Well surprise, surprise, the word "stein" resonates (maybe too much). I do like beer, I've definitely held a stein and I'm sure I could come up a story or two about both. Where to begin? Well, I have a gold charm bracelet with a beer stein on it. When my husband and I lived in London, we took several side trips to Europe and beyond. One of our first trips was to meet our great friends (and partners in crime) in Germany. We did all of the touristy stuff including going to a Hoffbraus Haus where we drank BIG glasses of beer. So, that is why I have my stein charm to represent our trip to Germany (the lid actually opens...I've never filled it with beer though...hmmmm).

That was not my first visit to a Hoffbraus Haus. I was actually a senior in High School and was elected to go to the Science Symposium in Heidelberg. I was in AP Biology and my project testing the E Coli (yum!) in the water in our local housing development in Naples, Italy got me a 'ticket' to the Symposium. Luckily my project wasn't good enough to display or speak because that would have been nerve racking and I wouldn't have had as much fun. Going to Heidelberg with several of my classmates was my first 'college style' experience. We stayed together in dorm rooms, we had more freedom than we probably should have AND it was legal to have drinks in Germany at age 18...so, we did. I think we somehow ditched our 'guardian' because I'm certain that that was not really allowed. I do have to say that even though I DID 'go with the crowd' on this one, I didn't feel that comfortable doing it but obviously not enough to 'just say no'. Anyway, it was somewhat harmless what we did. At the Hoffbraus Haus, 1 huge stein lasted me a long time I'm sure. Anyway, I remember feeling a bit tipsy and went to the bathroom. That is where I got 'lost in the mirror'. I kept looking at my face for some reason and it was then that I realized that my eyes were asymmetrical (and I believe that everybody's are). I kept noticing that one eye was slightly larger than the other, that one eyelid was different and on and on. I'm sure my friends thought I had fallen in. To this day I remember that mirror experience when I'm really looking at my face....what a funny memory (and fun too).

Another thing about stein. My best friend in college had a very long complicated last name, Goulstone. Well, over time, her name became Goulstein, then just Stein...so there is another memory.

On my charm bracelet picture above you can see a crown (for Princess) and a monkey sandwiching my beer stein. Could it be the 3 things I love most? NOOOOOO...just kidding, it is just the order in which the jeweler put them on. By the way, if times get tough, this charm bracelet will come in handy; $$$$$.