My Two Sons

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2011-08-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Come over!

twolittlerockstars.wordpress.com

Time in a Bottle

2011-07-01T21:14:00.001-07:00

The only light in my kids’ room. Their little nightlight. I tried to get a picture of the fireflies we caught that are sitting on their windowsill, but it wasn’t working out.

Noel stayed up a little late and he and I watched the fireflies we caught in a jar next to his bed as he went to sleep. He gasped each time one lit up. At one point he said, “They’re happy.”

Summertime!

2011-07-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Aside from blazing hot temperatures, I love Summer. It brings out something in me that the Winter has put to rest. As soon as the sun shines and the temperatures rise, I want to head for the pool and spend time outdoors. Yet another reason I'm happy that we moved to the mid-west from Texas, is that we can spend time outside in Summer without our faces melting off. When we have to go somewhere, I don't want to cry, and I am okay with doing more than running from the house to the car, and to a destination with air conditioning. Here's a quick peek at what we've been up to:
We joined a pool in the suburbs, but our awesome 'hood also has this adorable wading pool at the park, bored lifeguard included. These photos were taken on the first day of Summer. The high that day was something like 75 and the boys were freezing, but they HAD to go swimming.
They have also been spending a good amount of time at the library. The public library has a summer reading program with incentives like a family pack of baseball tickets if you conclude the 12 hours of required reading. Noel & Lennon have earned a book bag and silly bands so far, and have 6 hours to go until they get the baseball tickets. I'm proud of my little bookworms. They love filling out their little cards each day after they've done their reading. Have I mentioned that Noel taught himself how to read? It's true: I'm sending him off to Kindergarten already knowing how to read. I'm pretty sure we've earned some bragging rights.

where does the time go?

2011-05-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

i've probably written this 8 billion times by now, but really...WHERE? these boys are just growing up so darn fast.
yesterday, we had noel's first t-ball practice with kids from his kindergarten.
as you might imagine, it was AWESOME and hilarious and adorable.
the kids and parents were great and i have a good feeling about the school and his class and the families that we will get to know this year. it all feels very right.

a few weeks ago, our neighborhood had an art festival. i got their faces painted. the next day, they wanted them done again, so i did it myself. here's how it turned out. one of the face-painters at the fair stopped me and asked if there was another face painting booth somewhere. if so, it was a renegade. they were supposed to be the only ones there. when i told her i did it myself, she said i was talented. maybe i have a future...

even though they can really go at it, these guys are pretty good buddies, and i love that. it will be weird when they lead more separate lives next year...i hope it doesn't change their relationship too much.

if there ever was a class clown...

i'm ready for summer and to have a bit more time to devote to my boys. i have a feeling that a lot of things will change next year. i feel their little-child-ness dwindling away...

Oh Yeah...

2011-03-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

Lennon Had a Birthday...

February 19th, he turned the big T-H-R-E-E. I didn't forget about it, but I've been busy working. Blah.

This is the only thing that stinks about having kids with two birthdays so close together. It's sort of like if you had a birthday right around Christmas...it might get put on the back burner just a little. It was great fun though, and he loved it when we sang "happy birthday". He's funny...he likes attention, but not too much. If he's given more than he wants, he gets shy and grumpy. He's such a silly little guy and I love him to pieces.

We even ran into a Storm Trooper at his party. Perfection.

Yesterday's Happiness

2011-03-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

sunshine.
running.
laughing.
searching for saber tooth tigers.
best friends.
big hills (even if they're called "suicide hill").

Today's Happiness-Valentine's Day Edition

2011-02-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

From my three guys.

I'm not a big ooey gooey Valentine's person, but isn't it incredible that love can make your heart just about burst?

Today's Happiness

2011-02-13T20:07:00.000-08:00

Noel said, "We look like rockstars."

I just adore my two little rockstars...

I Like To Steal Ideas, but Only Ones That Are Brilliant

2011-02-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

My friend Amy is posting something she's calling "Today's Happiness". I'm going to join her, because it's just a darn good idea. And you know, I might call my version "Yesterday's Happiness", because these were actually taken yesterday. In fact, I think one was taken two days ago...so I may not even be stealing anyone's ideas at all...

Anyway...

Yesterday, Noel read a book to me. One that he'd never seen before. He picked it up, and read it to me. I helped him with maybe 4 words. Happiness? Big time.

And he's just so silly. He makes me smile and laugh a million times a day.

What are you happy about today?

Celebrating Noel

2011-02-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

Five years ago, I was itchy, and uncomfortable, and felt horrible.

I'll be honest, I had no pregnant glow...in fact, when I was gearing up for my next visit, I was planning to ask the doctor when she thought we could talk about induction, even though I was only 35 weeks pregnant.

The day of my appointment, I saw the dip stick turn GREEN, and I knew something wasn't right. The doctor came back in, and told me to head to the hospital, where she hoped to see my liver serum tests turn around, and if they didn't, we'd be having a baby, for my safety...and we would worry about the baby when he arrived. Not the words you want to hear, even though I was so ready not to be pregnant. I immediately felt panicked and started to cry, not for me, but because I thought when Noel was born, he'd be whisked away to the NICU. A million thoughts raced through my head and I was nervous and scared. My wonderful doctor said she was pretty sure we'd see my numbers go down with a day of rest and some IV fluids, and I'd be sent home on Friday.

The numbers went up.

I was napping in my hospital bed, alone, when the nurse came in to tell me the news that they would start inducing me that afternoon. I felt so calm. I started making calls. First, to Elliott, who I told to come back to the hospital, then to my parents, who wanted to be there when the baby was born, but were 8 hours away. They got in the car and left within the hour.

The greatest team of people were with me for the next 26 hours. The nurse who started the Pitocin explained everything to me in detail, and had also been a NICU nurse. She was the most comforting person, and although I can't remember her name, I will never forget her. She just had this way about her that made us feel so good about everything. She kept saying that when Noel was born, she'd do everything in her power to make sure he didn't have to go to the NICU, and if he did, she'd see to it that she, personally, was his nurse.

That is the kind of patient care everyone should receive.

My doctor was off that weekend and her colleague was with me as I labored over the next 26 hours. She, too, made me feel incredibly secure in a situation where I normally would have been scared out of my mind.

My husband was a rock. He was calm and reassuring. We excitedly watched our son's heart beating on the monitor...We talked about our life together, and what our future would be like. He transformed that day from a husband into a dad.

After a long, long day of seeing family and friends and laboring, Noel was ready to make his entry into the world. Once he was ready, he quickly showed his adorable, tiny self...and he CRIED-the sound we hoped to hear from him. As the doctor showed him to us for the first time, I thought, "I can't believe he has blonde hair."

He was so tiny: only 4 lbs. 9 oz., but he was strong and healthy in every way. He never cried. He slept a lot. He ate a LOT. He loved to be held. He was an angel.

He grew, and grew, and grew...into the wise, wonderful, silly, fun, crazy, goofy, cool FIVE year old that we celebrate today.

Noel, YOU are simply a gem. Thank you for being you.

Date!

2011-01-27T13:45:00.001-08:00

Sorry to leave that sad post up for so long and leave it hanging there...

Tomorrow we're taking the boys to my parents for a sleepover at my parents' house and heading to Lawrence to see one of our all time favorite bands, the Old 97's. We've been going to Old 97's shows for years and years. I actually introduced Elliott to this band, which is a rarity in our relationship.

I think Rhett & Co. are bringing a little taste of Texas with them. It's a whole 43 degrees today, and it's going to stay that way through Sunday. It's sunny & I can see patches of grass. I know it's 70 or something in Texas, but 40 is not 0, so...whatever.

I've got the creepy-crawlies in my nose and head, so it better go away before tomorrow. If not, I will resort to DayQuil, and I take no responsibility for my actions.

Missing

2011-01-06T22:06:00.000-08:00

I should go visit my grandparents' gravesides.

I've never even been to my grandmother's. It's sort of like, maybe I'm a little bit in denial still, even though it's been almost 5 years. If I go, and see the marker, it will make it all real and I'll totally lose it.

She is everywhere here. And I wish like hell that she was really here.

The other day, I had the fleeting thought to pick up the phone and call her. I haven't had one of those moments in a long, long time.

Will I ever get over this?

Being home. It's wonderful. And there's there teeny weeny little part that feels completely empty without her here too.

The Clone Wars

2011-01-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

There are times when it is really really extra hard to be gracious and grateful for what you have, like just being a parent. This job is not always easy. It's not all wine and roses, not all fun and games. Some days there is whining and shouting and "I don't want to!" from everyone. There are so many times when I wish they would just. be. quiet. for 30 seconds. Just 30 seconds!!!

Then, there are those times when I'm putting them to bed, and it's just the three of us, because Elliott gets a rare night out. I still have work I need to do, and it's already 8:30, so that means it's going to be a late night (again). But, we're laying there, and they're finally settling down, and Lennon puts his arm around me and says, "You're cute. Can I hug you?" (Are you crazy? Of course you can hug me, you insanely adorable little guy.) Noel keeps asking for lotion, so I tell him that when Lennon's asleep, I'll get him some. Finally, Lennon's asleep, and I get the lotion. Noel tells me that I'm mean for not getting him the lotion sooner. I let it roll off. I say, "Am I meaner than Oscar the Grouch?" "Yes," he replies. "You're meaner than a saber tooth tiger," I tell him. And he giggles. "You're meaner than a T. Rex."

And it goes on like this, until we can think of no more mean things, and we're quietly giggling...

"You're meaner than Luke Skywalker," I say. "Hey!" he laughs. "That's because you're not mean. You're sweet and nice and I love you."

"You're meaner than C3PO."

And we say goodnight, and say that we love each other.

I go back a few minutes later to give him an extra kiss. "Goodnight Storm Trooper."

"Goodnight Clone Trooper."

And even though I still haven't started that work, this seemed more important.

The 2011 Bandwagon

2011-01-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

What are your hopes for 2011? Here are mine:

Work less. Spend more time with my family. Working from home doesn't equate to being able to spend more time with the ones you love. It also means maximizing work time so that it's all done in the most timely fashion. So, less navel-gazing while working & more working = more time with the dudes. Simple enough, right?
More time reading & writing. I figure the more I read, the better writer I become. I want to write less "OMG"s and "LOL"s and more things that are meaningful. Once again, simple enough...
Cook more meals at home.
Buy from the farmer's market as much as possible.
Go on walks. We live 1 block from a sweet walking trail. It's so easy...
More time with real folks, less time engaged in cyber-space. I want "My Two Sons" to flourish this year, but I need to spend less time on Facebook. Don't we all? Time suck. Now that we're closer to family & friends, this shouldn't be hard to do. I may need some accountability. I deleted my Twitter last year, but I want to keep Facebook. Perhaps check it once a day? When I post my link to my new blog post?
Be a great wife & mom. My patience and kindness took a major hit in 2010. I don't like it. I want to be different. I also think this is related to #6.

Tell me what your wishing for this year...

Christmas Hangover

2010-12-26T13:39:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas. Who doesn't??

As an adult without kids, I liked Christmas, but now? It's just so much better. Hearing the squeals as they open gifts. Hearing "WOW!" over something Santa knew they wanted, or "Thanks for getting that for me," or hearing little Lennon say, "Where's Santa? I wanted to give him a hug and say 'Thanks'," is something i can't put into words. These kids...

They are something else...I tell ya.

We had such a great day. I want to make every day more like Christmas. Of course, without all the hoop-la and gifts, but with the good feelings and glad tidings. Who couldn't use more joy in the every day?

Last Christmas...

2010-12-22T22:44:00.000-08:00

A year ago (well, almost), it snowed on Christmas eve, at our old house
in Texas.
It never snows in Texas.
People will talk about it for eons.
It probably snowed an entire foot-which was the biggest snowfall on record.
It was incredible...and beautiful.
And it was the perfect last Christmas for us to have there.

Even if they don't remember it, I know we'll never forget it.
And I'm so thankful for the memories we will make this year...
and for years to come.

A conversation between my two sons

2010-12-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

Lennon: "Jingle bells! Jingle bells! Jingle all the way!"

Noel: "No, Lennon, sing this one: 'Jingle bells! Batman smells! Robin laid an egg! Batmobile lost a wheel and the Joker ran away! Hey!'"

Lennon: "Jingle bells! Batman smells! Batmobile! Batmobile! Joker ran away! Hey!"

Noel: "No...Lennon...that's not right...it's not Batmobile! Batmobile!"

minutes later....

Noel: " Batmobile! Batmobile! Batmobile! Batmobile! Batmobile! Batmobile! Batmobile! Batmobile! AND THE JOKER RAN AWAY! HEY!"

Finding the Words

2010-12-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

Last night I heard something here, that I want to try and put into words of my own, but I'm not sure how just yet...

Instead, I post these pictures. And once again, just looking at them, I'm at a loss for words.

If you want to listen to what's got me so tongue-tied, you can listen to it here. I hope it touches you too.

Move Over, Williams-Sonoma

2010-12-19T05:09:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for a new holiday goody to share with my family & give away to friends. I love to bake, but cookies can become a bit of a chore and a mess (although they are FUN). Candy and fudge need thermometers and that gets tricky when you have small people that want to "help". Measuring temperatures while two kids fight for real-estate in the Learning Tower and arguing over who gets to stir and pour the lava-like concoction can get a little taxing.

This year, I decided to go with Peppermint Bark, which seemed like something everyone could participate in pretty safely, and it just sounded good. My old blogging friend Sarah started my wheels turning with this picture, and last night I went to work on my test batch. We'll be making more for gifts today, because, y'all...it's friggin' amazing. The recipe is from Bon Appetit, December 1998, and can be found in detail here. This is all you will need:

17 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped

30 red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed (about 6 ounces)

7 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 tablespoons whipping cream

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Folks, this is so easy. And so much less and so much better than what you will buy at a store. Not to mention, you can package it up nice & pretty your very own self and make it your own. Nothing says Christmas and holiday spirit like a home-made, hand-packaged gift. That is, if it makes it to the intended parties and not into your tum...

Alexander

2010-12-18T09:50:00.000-08:00

Today, we're headed down to the Coterie Theatre to see a live version of Judith Viorst's classic, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day". We're all very excited. In 7th or 8th grade, I memorized this book for a speech contest, where I completely bombed. And I mean bombed. However, I still LOVE this book. Noel & Lennon do too. There's also a cute HBO Storybook musical version that they dig, and Lennon likes to walk around singing, "I've had a TERRIBLE! I've had a HORRIBLE! I've had a TERRIBLE! HORRIBLE! NO GOOD! VERY BAD! DAYYYYYY," which I need to catch on video. I hope the live version lives up to the book and musical versions with which we're already familiar. I've heard good things. I'm hopeful everyone will enjoy themselves.

I've also got chicken pot pies in the oven, and my mom is bringing over apple crisp...somehow I don't think this is going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

The New City & Christmastime

2010-12-17T04:18:00.000-08:00

Growing up, I considered Kansas City a one-horse town and could not wait to bail on it as soon as I could. I flew the coop to college and headed straight for Manhattan...KANSAS. So, of course, my skin still crawled for more "stuff to do". After college, I headed for the "big" metroplex of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now, I can't complain too much about the place that I called home for 12 years, although I wasn't immediately taken with the city. Texas really is a world of it's own, and the people there, particularly the ones that were born and raised there, are crazy in love with the state. Now, there's nothing wrong with a little loyalty, and after 10 years or so, I'd given in to this loyalty a little and sipped the Kool-Aid. Texas ain't bad, but Dallas and Fort Worth, I found, really had no more to offer than Kansas City.

And I missed home.

And every time we visited, we wondered, "Why aren't we here?"

And guess what? THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO. I'm not all that familiar with the dream and idea behind the city, but the way it is laid out, especially where we live, is so conducive to walking places. Our neighborhood, within blocks, has tons of restaurants, 2 grocery stores, coffee shops, even a five and dime. And there are lots of neighborhoods just like this, close by. There was nothing like these neighborhoods where we lived before anywhere, unless it was some lame shopping center with the same stores as the one down the street. You know the ones...the Kohls, the Chili's, and of course, the Starbucks.

With the boys not being in school right now (they'll start at a pre-K in January!), we're constantly on the prowl for activities. We're able to find something to do almost every day, despite the cold weather. Even just a trip to our OUTSTANDING branch of the library is an exciting event. It has it's own ART ROOM for kids. Just sitting there for your use. Free. There are incredible art galleries, historical buildings that have been restored and now contain museums, children's museums, outdoor ice skating rinks, farms with petting zoos...and these are all things we can do without even getting on the highway.

During the holidays, this city turns into nothing short of magic. It's like everyone is infected with the spirit. The Plaza lights seem to inspire everyone to decorate their homes to the nines. The weather is chilly, there's usually snow on the ground, as everyone prepares to celebrate this season with their families. There are Christmas tree lightings to attend all over the city, holiday concerts on every corner. Last night, the boys and I walked home from the grocery store and decided to take a different street to see the lights. I love the creative, outlandish, and simple ways people choose to decorate their homes. I wanted to come home and get crazy on the front yard, but we just don't have enough lights. It would be pretty pathetic compared to some of our neighbors. And speaking of my neighborhood, did I mention that the boys' picture was in the Kansas City Star?!?

Perhaps the stars will fall from my eyes one day again, and I will once again think of Kansas City as a one-horse town, but I hope they don't.

Whirlwind

2010-12-02T08:52:00.000-08:00

We're in a new city...well, it's not new to me, but to the rest of my people, it's new. It's colder here, but we're enjoying the prospect of seasons, something we didn't really have in Texas much. We're also enjoying our new house with a pretty front door.

We loved dressing up for Halloween and going trick or treating in our really cool new neighborhood with it's cute shops that gave out candy. Everything is so accessible and we enjoy walking to the coffee shop and childrens' bookshop and the restaurants. There's also a school right across the street with a play ground and a big area to ride bikes and trikes. Grandparents are a mile away. If we take the car to their house, we can't even finish a whole song by the time we're there.

We have a front porch. And the trees turn all sorts of beautiful colors, and the leaves fall in droves, and we throw them. We have friends that are my old friends with kids who have kids and now they're friends with my kids. These metamorphases are pretty amazing and wonderful.

We spent Thanksgiving with some of our favorite family and it was divine. The boys had their first sleepover with their Neena and Grandpa. They didn't miss us a bit.

We've put up our tree, the stockings our hung. Markle is quietly keeping tabs and making sure two little lads mind their p's and q's. We look outside for snow, and we wait to see the quiet blanket so we can rush out and enjoy it...I think we are home.

The Tour of Brotherly Love

2010-10-17T19:24:00.001-07:00

The past couple of times Noel & Lennon have trotted out the instruments, I've taken out the camera and started snapping photos. All of them but this one are candid. They had both been placing the pick on their eyes, and I thought it would make a good picture. Noel would not oblige once I asked them to take one together. Still, a good future album cover shot.

I am going to make a habit of taking these pictures while they play. They aren't really playing anything at this point, but it is fascinating to see them study the guitar and bass and see the different sounds they can create as they turn knobs, flip switches, use the picks to discover sounds on the strings: up, down, sideways...they don't just make noise. They are discovering. I am seeing young musicians as they teach themselves their craft.

Don't be afraid to let your kids play around with your things...teach them respect for them, but let them learn from them. You will be amazed.

I also love this picture because they are doing the exact same thing, the exact opposite way, which pretty much sums up them to a T.

Another insert in a future album cover, right? They look like they are so deep in conversation, discussing the recording of their latest song. Mark my words...

Just because it's hilarious.

2010-07-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure you could write a book just based on the characters in this picture.

The Babes

2010-07-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

They aren't babies anymore, but they are still and will always be my babies. I held Lennon in my lap today before his nap and smelled his hair. He still smells like a baby bunny. I swear.

Their favorite new game is ET. We love to play ET hide, in which Noel pretends to be ET hiding in the stuffed animals.

We've been spending lots and lots of time at the YMCA swimming. Neither have fully mastered swimming, but we're going to put them in lessons in August and continue to swim this year at the indoor pool when the weather changes. I fully expect them to be little dolphins by next summer.

Isn't the little swim robe the cutest? Costco, of course. Goggles too. They are both under the impression that goggles are the coolest.

Can you feel the love?

2010-06-08T18:32:00.001-07:00

They're a Big Deal

2010-04-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm a mom.

These big boys...they're my children. My children. Do you know how weird that is for me to say, still? I am a mom. with. children. It's still a lot to wrap my head around.

Know why?

Because these two...they're a big deal. I'm responsible for them.

I'm an adult, who has been given two human beings...to take care of until they can take care of themselves.

That's huge.

Noel & I Discuss The Beatles.

2010-03-20T13:04:00.001-07:00

Noel, the Future Drummist

2010-03-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Random Thoughts on a Saturday...

2010-03-06T13:30:00.000-08:00

(aka: i haven't posted in a really long time and i really don't know where to even start).

So, my kids are now 2 & 4. I thought 2 & 4 would start out differently. For a while, it was kind of...chaotic. Somehow it's getting un-chaotic. The boys are getting along WELL a majority of the time. There is calm some of the time. Everyone sleeps at night. No one is coughing or throwing up. It is a good time.

Today we sat and did "cravs" for a long time. We hit Hobby Lobby and got some new supplies. We got scissors for Lennon. We got everyone their own gluestick. Ok, I was even on top of things enough that I bought the Easter eggs and baskets and stuff to decorate them for a school party that isn't for three whole weeks. I am mad on top of things. My breathing is easy. My demeanor is calm. I like it in this place.

I want to sit and stay for a while...

I'm planning to start writing here again, because I like it. And I miss it.

I'm also going to start writing over at Disco Fries and Pop. I'm headed over there in a minute to write about the Mod Podge I created today with a People's "Year's Greatest" from 1979. The parallels from that year and today are stunning. Really.

I just posted some new pics of my big boys. Take a peek.

They Take My Breath Away

2010-03-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

Their beauty.

Their innocence.

The newness of life. One that I get to experience again through their eyes.

What a gift to be present for joy like this.

The Rockstar Toddler and The Modster Boy

2010-03-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

Two Years Old. February 19, 2010

He looks up to him in every way.

Spending a sunny day at the zoo.

Boys Will Be Boys?

2009-11-24T20:52:00.000-08:00

It used to drive me NUTS when someone would say "He's ALL BOY."

So, it still drives me nuts, but Lennon, if I were to put this kind of label on him...Well, let's just say it fits him to a T. He sort of reminds me of Fred Armisen in this picture.

Lennon has sort of been like a bat to the gut from which I am starting to recover. He's a great kid. He has always had a sort of glimmer in his eye that tells me he is always looking for a little bit of trouble. He is talkative, funny, adorable, sweet, and will hug and kiss you when you ask... That being said, his disposition and nature are quite different from Noel. Noel has always been fairly serene. I'm chalking Lennon's personality up to being the 2nd child. I am used to him being louder, wilder, and more boyish (I'm "ugh-ing" at myself)...because sometimes along with those hugs and kisses, he'll try to bite a chunk of your face off while giving you a kiss...then laugh when you howl.
Yeah, it's ADORABLE. :-

Here's the sweetness that he's had to try and live up to. I'll tell you...they don't come much sweeter than Noel.

But then, couldn't you just gobble him up? He is so, so, so, so loveable.

I should add the disclaimer that he thew up about 20 minutes after I took these pictures...

I am so thankful for them.

Watching their new favorite show "Thunderbirds". No comment.

For Anissa

2009-11-22T17:56:00.000-08:00

This past week, a fellow blogger and friend to many, Anissa Mayhew, had a major stroke and is currently in the hospital. Anissa is a young wife & mother of three. If you’ve been following #prayersforanissa this week on Twitter, you’ve also noticed that she’s touched many lives far and wide. She is a presence in life and in the blogosphere to be reckoned with, and I’ve seen why as I’ve followed her husband and friends through this trial.

Although I’m not close friends with Anissa, we’ve exchanged tweets and I’ve always found her to be a nice and very funny lady. Little did I know that she is way more than a nice gal. Anissa, I can tell, is the kind of friend that makes you feel like the most important person in the world. She’ll help you to believe you can do anything. She will make you feel stronger when you are at your weakest. I believe the reason Anissa has this way about her is because she’s a survivor. She’s a talented, smart, wickedly funny person that has overcome a previous stroke and her daughter’s fight with cancer.

If you’d like to follow Anissa’s story, please visit hope4peyton.org, follow @aiminglow on Twitter, and follow @anissamayhew as well-she WILL be back, folks. If you’d like to help her family, please go here and find out how you can help. Please keep Anissa and her family in your thoughts as they take this day by day, minute by minute.

Starting on Monday, December 7, a group of bloggers will be working together to promote an event entitled, Blog 4 Good. By hosting a series of auctions, our hope is to raise money on behalf of bloggers who need our support. All proceeds raised during the three day auction will benefit the Liz Logelin Foundation <http://thelizlogelinfoundation.org/>, a non-profit organization working to help families who have lost a spouse, life-partner, or parent, as well as Anissa Mayhew <http://www.hope4peyton.org/>, a 35 year old blogger who recently suffered a stroke.

I’m pleased to tell you that The Space Monkey Shop will be auctioning an archival paper print, and every penny earned will go toward these wonderful causes.

The cool ladies hosting this event are:

Jill from Scary Mommy <http://www.scarymommy.com/>
Kacey and Francesca from Mayhem and Moxie <http://mayhemandmoxie.com/>
Mama Kat from Mama’s Losin It <http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/>
Angie from 7 Clown Circus <http://angiescircus.blogspot.com/>
Jen from Buried with Children <http://www.buriedwithchildren.com/>
Heather from The Extraordinary
Ordinary<http://theextraordinaryordinary.blogspot.com/>

We’ll post more as we have more information on what is sure to be awesome & give hope to many.

Thank you, friends!

Crossposted at MumsTheWurd

The Milestones that Matter

2009-11-17T21:22:00.000-08:00

I've been stewing over what I'm going to post for my 10,oooth tweet. As I was showering tonight (don't you always have the best "a-ha!" moments there?), I realized that I was overdramatizing this "milestone" just a bit.

I've spent the better part of 10 years with this man. In 10 years with him, I have come 10,000 miles. Before we met, I was lost. I did not know who I was, or who I wanted to be. He has been my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, my soulmate...the father of my two most precious accomplishments.

For almost two years, I have been his mom.

Four 1/2 years ago, the realization of him made us a family.

For almost 2 years, I have witnessed this brotherhood and friendship blossom and grow. It's buds are still small, but they will one day be a beautiful, even if imperfect, flower.

As much as I love Twitter & the online community, there's nothing that compares to the milestones I've accomplished in this tangible, beautiful life.

I Dreamt of Her

2009-11-09T21:02:00.000-08:00

I miss her.

Last night I had a dream about her. She had the best smile.

She loved us. She didn't want to leave us.

My children will never know her. I can't believe they won't ever know her.

I can tell them about her. How fun she was. How she loved McDonald's and shopping and ice cream and having us over. How much she loved us. How she was the matriarch of our little family, and how good she was at it.

I wish she could have lived forever. Sometimes I still can't believe she's actually gone.

I'm glad she visits me in my dreams...I only wish it was real.

I Want to Manage More Than a Couple Posts a Month, Really.

2009-11-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Oh, it has been quite a few weeks. All I can say is "Whew," take a deep breath, and go to bed. It's been tiring. Soooo, so tiring. The tired has been worth it though...lots of good things have happened and it makes me really look forward to our future. It has been a long road. These past couple of years have been full of challenges, but I think we're at a point where we can relax and look forward to what's ahead. I can't wait. I'm not sure how quickly any changes will occur, but I'm pleased to think about it. I see Jack Stack in our future...and Groucho Marx.

These glasses have been passed down a generation. My family played with them often when I was a kid. See? Nostalgia is in my blood.

Here are a few pictures from the past couple of weeks. My whole family has finally recovered from a coughy, hacky, runny-nosey something that "wasn't the flu", when Noel was tested for it. We've all still got residual coughs, but the fever and listlessness is finally gone. I'm grateful, because although it means they are much more active, both boys can go to their 2 mornings of parents day out, and we can actually get some things done around the house.

The wee sick children.

The Terror also Known as Lennon.
You figure this one out.

Yesterday, I passed an accreditation exam for my job. This will allow me to be able to work from home very, very soon. This has been something I've wanted since going in to this profession...and it is going to happen. I still can't believe it. :D

This pumpkin did not even place at my work contest. Clearly, the judges were lame.

I'm well aware that this post is totally random. My brain hurts. Please forgive.

Oh, Mama.

2009-10-25T12:46:00.001-07:00

When you're sick, there's nothing better than having your mom around. My kids feel the same way. Do women instinctively understand how to care for a sick child in ways that men don't? Not that my husband isn't an awesome caretaker, but he's more hesitant to go get in bed with the sick kids, probably for fear of catching whatever illness they have or getting puked on...who knows? Everyone just seems to defer to me when they are ill. Perhaps it's my characteristically Cancer nurturing that they all, my husband included, sense.

I've noticed during this October illness month, my kids only want me when they don't feel good. I'm the one who has to force the medicine, take the temperatures, hold their heads over the toilet, and make them shower to clean up said "toilet incident". You'd think they'd run for the hills when they see me coming. Instead, Noel, my 3 1/2 year old, independent little boy wanted me to carry him around Target today, willingly held my hand, and says, "Stay," when he senses, from a dead sleep, that I'm about to get out of bed. When Lennon is sick, he will sit still for hours with me just holding him. I can't pass him off, or he's inconsolable.

I sort of like taking care of everyone when they're sick, to tell you the truth. The boys aren't always willing to sit still and be held, have their backs rubbed, have their heads kissed incessantly. When they are sick, I seem to understand how small and vulnerable they are...and I'm going to hold on to that memory, even when they're back to their old selves, running away from me, squirming out of a hug, and just being kids. They do need me, even if they don't always show it.

Noel Does His Best Larry David

2009-10-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Elliott, Noel loves to say "Prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay good."

It's the Great Pumpkin (Patch), Charlie Brown

2009-10-20T18:16:00.001-07:00

Because I'm still in love with you

I want to see you dance again

Because I'm still in love with you

On this harvest moon...

I 100% stole the Neil Young song lyrics idea from Stephanie. Because of her, I've had this song in my head for days...but it's beautiful, and is a favorite, especially during this time of year.

20 months later...

2009-10-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

My baby turned 20 months old today. He is a toddler. He knows what he wants. He's got attitude. He's got sass. He is also snuggly and sweet and funny. He loves to pick his nose.

Something hit me today, and it's taken me a long, long time to realize it. I had a lot of expectations that were never met when I had Lennon. I think my biggest was thinking that Noel would have an insta-friend & insta-playmate. No dice. I thought, if it didn't happen immediately, it would happen in time. It has happened, to an extent, but my children are at ages where they both need more parental attention and guidance. Three 1/2 and 1 1/2 are tricky ages. One is becoming a child, and less needy, but is also testing boundaries & becoming independent...which means he doesn't always want a playmate. He especially doesn't want a playmate that is taking what he wants, or has what he thinks he wants right then. Lennon is growing out of babyhood and into toddler-hood. He wants what he wants, when he wants it. Although he might look like a Precious Moments doll, he is 100% ornery, and knows exactly how to push Noel's buttons.

When they play together, it usually breaks down into "That's MINE!" pretty quickly, unless they're playing together with one of us. This is where I admit my epic failure. I have pushed this brotherhood and friendship, basically so I could rest on my laurels and hang out in the background and watch my children get along like Dick & Jane, sitting quietly next to each other, playing and laughing. It doesn't work that way, at least not at this time.

Today, I played with both of them. I left the iPhone and the computer aside, and hung out with them, together. Guess what? They got along beautifully, and I saw myself for the first time in way too long, not frowning or feeling full of anxiety. I could beat myself up about this, because, well, I've let this go on...It's affected me, my husband, and most importantly, it's affected my children...but I'm going to swallow this realization like a spoon full of sugar, and move upward from here. I saw today that my two precious boys are not going to constantly fight and bicker. They didn't today...and it was because I helped them along throughout the day. I guided them. I parented them. I acted like the mom I knew I was capable of being.

And it looks like I learned something too.

Fun Family Fact #3: The Name of the Game

2009-10-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

My children are named for rock n' roll royalty. Noel was named before children were even something we were thinking about. When Elliott & I started talking about having children "down the road", we knew if our first child was a boy, he'd be named after the god that is Noel Gallagher. If you're not familiar with Oasis, well, shame on you. :) Noel Gallagher is a brilliant songwriter and musician, and the founder of this incredible Brit rock band that we adore. This name was a given. Much like his namesake, Noel is already showing a lot of musical talent. He is GREAT on drums. He also loves to make up goofy rhymes, and the brother Gallagher is notorious for his ridiculous, but appropriate lyrics. He is aptly named, indeed.

Lennon, obviously, was named for probably the biggest rock legend of all time, John Lennon. We knew we needed another rock name, but we weren't 100% sold on Lennon at first. We wondered if it was too much, but our choices were limited: Mick, Marc, Paul, Bowie...none just fit as well as Lennon. If you didn't already know, John Lennon was notoriously silly, funny, and a "trickster"...well, so is our Lennon. His name, like his brother's, fits him perfectly.

As for Elliott & I, well, I don't think our names have as much of a story. Elliott is a III, which I think is totally cool. He's sort of a IV, but his great grandfather had a different middle name. My name, Laura, is just something my parents liked. My biggest pet peeve is when I get called "Lara" or "Laurie", but otherwise, I like my name. What I like about our family's names, is that they all include the letter L. Goofy, I know.

Fun Family Fact #2: We Love the San Antonio Spurs

2009-10-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

When Elliott and I first met, I must admit, I had little interest in sports. There was a time when we first met that I pretended to be interested in the Spurs so I could hang out with him and watch basketball. Well, after 10 years of watching NBA basketball, I have become almost as big of a fan as Elliott, who has followed the spurs for almost 30 years (old man!). Elliott and his dad spent many evenings of his youth attending Spurs games. You know San Antonio is a true blue basketball city when they die-heartedly support a team that pretty much stunk for about 20 years. My husband and father-in-law are two of those lifetime fans that stuck with the team through the "lean years".

We've seen them lose to devils in LA Lakers clothing, and seen them clench 3 NBA titles. Two of these titles were achieved the years that our boys were conceived. :)

Tim, Manu, Tony, and David are common names in our household. I'm sure that Noel & Lennon will grow to be big fans of the Spurs and probably attend some games with their dad & grandad.

Fun Family Fact!

2009-10-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

My friend Anna had this idea, and I thought I'd try it too, in the hopes of getting myself blogging every day. So, without further aideu...
Fun Family Fact #1!
We are collectors. My husband and I basically fell in love over our mutual affection for The Brady Bunch. He had a collection of Brady items: the lunch box, the TV Guide, and coloring books, among other things. Over the years, our Brady collection has expanded to include other things (like the board game), and we've also managed to amass more lunch boxes, collectible toys, old board games, and movie posters. We've sold a few things over the years that we just didn't need, and to make room for our expanding family, but we'll always love to collect 70s items.

They Love the Beatles

2009-09-13T05:41:00.000-07:00

Make It True

2009-09-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

We did no laboring...just a lot of yelling and having fun. And it was good. It was very, very good.

The Bowl

2009-08-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

Noel is a little negotiator. "Just ONE more minute."
"Maybe after I eat my dinner I can have just a little piece of pie."
"Maybe when we go to Costco, I can get a churro."
"You should put Lennon to bed so I can play this big boy game."
Last night he read me a sentence. "This says 'Things'. This says 'that'. This says 'go'." "Things that go."
He makes jokes.
His relationship with his dad is the sweetest, most loving father/son relationship I shall ever witness (until Lennon gets a little older, and they become a trio).
He likes to play puppies. His name is "Woof Woof". I'm "Frannie". Lennon is "Big Blue".
He likes cars, and diggers, and trucks. He greets every car he sees. "Hi, Whitey." "Hi, Silvery." and my personal favorite, "Hi, Blacky."
When putting him to bed, he will give you kisses so you'll stay. He'll hug you around the neck so you "Don't leave!"
He is a good brother, a good son, and I couldn't be happier that he is my little boy. The Bowl is 3 1/2.

I'm A Stinker

2009-08-26T20:01:00.001-07:00

And I know it.

I love this kid. He's such a little smartie. He knows what he wants, and he will tell you...LOUDLY. He mimics his big brother. He adores him. He is ready to be a Big Boy, just like Noel.
He is 26 lbs. of pure trouble. He's long and lean, and he has a big head to encase that big brain. He says a million words, and he babbles pretend sentences. He can't wait to really join in on the conversation. He likes to "PEE!" on the toilet, and brush his teeth while he goes. He likes to take a bath and pour water on his brother's head. He likes to laugh when you tell him "no" and run away from you (laughing).
He will lay his head on your shoulder when you hug him. He wants to be "Uppa! Uppa!", in your arms. If you're sitting down, he will come sit in your lap. He has the sweetest giggle, and a toothy, adorable grin that will melt your heart.
Lennon, Lemon Juice, Lennon Spa-chem-an (Spaceman), Jucifer is 1 1/2.

Making the Best of an Unfortunate Situation

2009-08-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get wrangled into things I shouldn't...and I always regret it later. Without going into detail, I was involved in a review blog that went sour. What do you do when you've got sour milk? Can you make something with it? I don't know...Can you use it as buttermilk? Well, from this sour milk, I got Anna-my buttermilk. Anna is a fellow mum, and a terrific friend. She would bend over backwards and do cartwheels, flips, and an entire gymnastic routine for you, if you asked her too. She is one of the most giving and loving people that I know.
There are times when I am sure that Anna and I were separated at birth. We both love music, hanging with our families, LOST, cooking, and share a similar sense of humor. She is the real deal. She is awesomesauce.
I've not had the pleasure of meeting Anna and her super-duper family yet, but I see it in our future. Elliott loves all things American history, and the Holler's happen to live in Philadelphia, just a few blocks from the Liberty Bell! The Holler's have also been considering a move to Hawaii, and well, duh, when we have the money to do some traveling, we'll be there with bells on. Bells, whistles, kazoos, and harmonicas-we'll be throwing a parade all the way to the Holler doorstep, where ever that might be.

Our Moment

2009-08-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

We've embarked on something new in our parenting journey. We call it The Very, Insanely Willful Child. Literally, there are times when I say "Put your arms up!" to change his jammies, and he'll put them down and give me a dirty look. Oh my...to be 3 1/2 again...or not. This evening, he was being very good, and even though he cried when we left Rosa's (Taco Tuesday, baby) because we wouldn't get sopapillas, on the whole, it was a good night.

After Lennon went to bed, we had Noel's "Special Time", a 15 minute window of hanging out with just Elliott and me. Tonight I introduced him to one of my very favorite records of all time, The Point. Nilsson was a genius. Noel loves music, and his taste rivals his father's. I can see many future arguments which might go something like "No! Exile on Main Street is infinitely better than Let it Bleed". The other day, he asked me to play "Johnny Thunder" by The Kinks. Whoa.

Needless to say, I was a little nervous that he wouldn't like this album and story that is so dear to my heart. I put it on, and he immediately started air drumming, and the look on his face actually got me choked up. He looked awestruck. It was so adorable. We sat, listened to the music and the story, and looked through the comic-like book that came with the album (yes, as in LP). It was one of those moments as a parent that I thought "I hope I remember this forever."

The Point is something that has always been in my life. I used to listen to it with my parents, and sing every word with my mom. I remember how excited we were when we found the video tape at the video store, and how happy I was when I rediscovered it and found it on Amazon 10 years ago. Then, I had no idea that 10 years later, I would share a special moment with my own child, listening to the same record that is so dear to me.

Isn't it cool that we have access to movies, music, shows, toys and games that we loved as children, and now have the ability to share them with our own? We are probably the first generation to have the massive library of "stuff" to pass on and enjoy with our kids. That is just so cool to me.

What's something special from your childhood that you have shared with your children?

The Good List

2009-08-16T18:35:00.001-07:00

Being a "mom-blogger" is certainly a mixed bag. There are good impressions, and not-so-good impressions left on the rest of the world, blogging or otherwise. Just like any community, there are people you hang with, and people you make sure you give a wide berth. I thought I'd fill you in on some of the neato kids that I meet on the smoking patio (even though I don't think any of us actually smoke...)

This list must start with all of my super-awesome Mums pals, Naomi (@superdumb), Anna (@annaholler), and Amy (@amysphere)(now of ParentSphere), and Lisa (who doesn't work with us anymore, and doesn't blog much, but is still a total stud).

I also love these fine people. When I read their words, I get something from it. None of them are rude or looking for a fight. They are just moms who write & do it well. They are kind, funny, sweet & cool, and I think you should love them all too: The Charlie, Stephanie, Beth, Sarah, Erin, Erin (apparently people named Erin are groovy), Meagan Francis, Diane (who will be a mama one day), Ashlee (who also doesn't blog much, but is "the awesome"), and Erika.

I am sure that I am missing people, but I'm trying to do this in a hurry, because Elliott wants to watch "Moving Target"...uh, help me. :) If I have forgotten you, please call me a jerk & tell me, please!

I hope you'll find these folks as pleasant, readable, and lovable as I do.

What a Wild Duet!

2009-08-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

My boys are different.

Here's Lennon. He's almost 1 1/2 years old. You can tell he's up to something. He's had this look on his face since he was about 4 months old. He will be the one we have to worry about.
You can see Noel's face to the left. This is some "art" that he made while we were at lunch. He made sure to tell us all "Don't touch it!" Had Lennon been able to reach his masterpiece, it would have been on the floor, and two of the utensils would have been used for drumsticks.

They are so different, and I love seeing their individual personalities blossom. I hope that even with their differences, they will continue to grow together, rely on each other, be best friends, and always be able to lean on each other throughout their lives...

Homeschooling: What's the Big Deal?

2009-08-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of mixed responses when I tell someone that we plan to home-school our kids. Since both of my kids stay home with Elliott, they are already home-schooled, in an unstructured fashion. We have not decided with 100% certainty that we will take this path, but I’d say we’re 99.99% sure. That being said, I’m not opposed to looking into other avenues, and I, personally, don’t care where you send or plan to send your kids to school. As long as your children feel happy and safe, do what feels right for you.

Both of my kids, while I am quite sure they will be talented in many areas, already seem to show more interest in the arts. We all know that most public schools are sorely lacking in these areas. I also know there are many charter, private, and magnet schools that focus on the arts, and I’m not opposed at all to looking into them, especially as our kids get older and might need more specialized attention in certain areas. But, what I am really curious about is why there is such a guttural reaction when you mention casually, “We are planning to home-school.”

I’ll admit, there was a time when I was not 100% on board, but after lots of talks with my husband, and some input from some good friends, I realized quickly that there are many ways to receive a great education, even if it’s not “traditional”. I went to private school all of my life, and I had mixed experiences. I had great friends, and I received a top-notch education. I would not trade it today. However, life at Catholic, all-girls school came with it’s downside-cattiness & cliques aside, school just didn’t hold a lot of interest for me, especially in areas that I didn’t like or appreciate. Sitting through any math and science class was equal to water-boarding in my 14 year-old mind. ”What’s the point? I’ll never use this!” was a conversation I had many times with my parents, particularly if I brought home an average grade.

I’ve always prided myself on being “unique”, which doesn’t always gel well with other school aged kids. In retrospect, I’m sure I was always considered a weirdo. I did have a great group of friends, but I always felt out of place & awkward, which led me down some self-destructive paths, so that I could feel more confident and self-assured…and I probably came off looking like an even bigger bozo. I know that kids will be kids, in any setting, but I don’t want my kids to ever feel that they have to hide their uniqueness to try and fit in with a group because someone, somewhere decided that kids that turn this age on this date belong with kids that have similar birthdays. I also want them to be able to explore and grow in the areas that they will excel in for the rest of their lives. I want them to have a real chance to succeed in those areas. I believe that through homeschooling and co-ops through homeschooling, this will be better accomplished than if they were in traditional school. As I said, this may be a temporary solution to our situation, and it may not. We would love to, as a family, travel & see the United States and North America. Homeschooling would allow us to do this whenever we choose.

Noel turns 5 in 1 1/2 years, so we have lots of time to research and decide what exactly it is we’re going to do, as far as school is concerned. There are a lot of options, even in the homeschooling world. Thankfully, there are so many resources, groups, books, friends, and parents out there that can help us discover the answers. Our friends at The ZRecs Network just began homeschooling their daughter, and it’s really excited me for our future. Jenni is a walking encyclopedia of information in many arenas, but homeschooling is certainly one of her specialties. Zella will be a great role model as we start our home-school journey.

A couple of years ago, Elliott asked Jenni how she became interested in homeschooling Z, and her answers really struck a cord with me. I’m sharing them with you, just to give you food for thought.

My desire [to home-school] has only grown greater since Zella has been born. She’s a very bright kid but she resists being “taught” things. She likes to discover things on her own and the moment she suspects that you want her to “perform” (she can do x thing but refuses to do so on cue) she shuts down. She can be very engaged in a particular activity and be reluctant to leave it for another one just because - homeschooling is better for that because there isn’t a requirement to get in math, science, social studies, etc, each day - so she can be as involved and go into as much depth as she wants to in any particular subject and will cycle to other things eventually. It just seems that with homeschooling you can follow more natural rhythms of learning that you can’t in school.

Other reasons:

none of us (including Zella) like to get up very early in the morning
no wasted time doing “busy-work”
no wasted time checking roll, finding seats, changing classes, with disruptive students
learning at her pace instead of faster or slower than other kids (allows for advanced learning in certain areas and/or slower learning in other areas - not an “all gifted classes” or “all normal classes” approach)
more time with her
can travel (day trips or longer trips) without having to get “approval” from the school
more time outdoors
more time for physical activity or rest as needs change
more time for art, music, crafts, gardening, and animals
no selling crap for the school district
no grades (we try to have learning and/or behavior be because of internal motivation rather than external rewards )see Alfie Kohn)
less peer pressure

As I already said, I have no qualms with how anyone chooses to educate their children. All I ask, is that the idea of homeschooling quit being met with such disdain and negativity. There are many reasons why some families choose to home-school. More than likely, their children will turn out just fine, just as educated, and just as well rounded as the rest of them…and possibly even more-so…

The Lost Art of Friendship

2009-08-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

It used to be that in order to make a friend, you actually had to meet someone face-to-face. Those early meetings probably happened in the school yard, or you got set up with your mom's friend's kid (the way I met my oldest & bestest friend). At the very least, if you wanted to meet someone you'd actually never seen, you had to write Archie Comics and ask for a pen pal. When I was in high school, we had one computer hooked up to the outside world, where, if you used some code or something, you could find other people to talk to through the computer. I tried it a couple of times and didn't really see the appeal. In college, although I had some sort of email account, I had to go through linux or some crazy thing to actually send and receive emails. It was in a DOS program. I had a friend in college that had her very own modem, and would sit in her dorm room for days, chain-smoke, and chat with people. I thought to myself, "Why on Earth are you holed up in this cement room talking to people you don't know when you are at a campus with 20,000 students?" The whole thing seemed insane.
A few years ago, I had a desk job that required about 10 minutes of actual work during the day. I had opened a Yahoo Messenger account so I could talk to my friend, Molly, who was also bored out of her mind at work. One day, she announced that she had started a blog. What? I thought only people who fancied themselves political wrote on such things. Soon, my friend Lisa started her own blog too, and introduced me to some of her friends that were writing on their own blogs. "Wow, they'll give a blog to just about anybody!" I thought. Reading the blog of my friend and her friends, I suddenly realized that should start a blog of my own. I say funny things, so surely, I could write funny things. Soon, I had my own little "blog group", mainly comprised of Lisa's friends and their friends and relatives. All these years, I had laughed at the dorks that met people online...and now...I was meeting friends online.
I started my first blog in 2004, when Facebook was still only for college kids, and Twitter didn't exist. Your group of blog friends was limited...and the best way of finding new blogs was to hit the "Next Blog" button on Blogger. After several years of blogging, my "blog group" blew up. There were still the old standbys that I'd been with from the beginning, but now the list of blogs that I visited on a daily basis had grown by leaps and bounds. So many blogs, so many chats, so little time...and then, on the other side of this screen lies real life. I got married, I bought a house, I had a baby, I got a new job, I had another baby...We are human, and can only spread ourselves so thin.
First and foremost, I want to always "be here now". I want to be in the present for my real life, my family, my heart. I want to be there for my "real life" friends. Those that have known me for almost my entire life. My oldest friend and I have been besties since we were 3 years old. My 2nd oldest friend, I met when we were 8. These relationships were, and continue to be some of the most important in my life. These "real-lifers" have seen me at my best, and at my worst. They have seen me laugh, act like an idiot, ugly cry, act silly, treat people horribly, and pick them up when they have been down. We have actually held each other up, and been there in the best of times, and the worst. In other words, they know exactly who I am, and regardless of the chinks in my armor, they continue to love me.
When we make friends over the internet, regardless of how those people come to be our friend, they see mainly our best side. From behind this screen, we can choose to be whomever we want. We see people who are almost always putting their best foot forward. Until we actually start to dig deeper, we really hardly know each other at all. Some people choose to write about the trials and hardships on their blogs, along with the funny story of their kid barfing on the lady in front of them at the check out line. These honest, real posts are hard, because we know that with them, we risk judgement or scorn, and God-forbid, not everyone might agree with your choices, or not every single person that reads your words will like you!!! AHH! We tend to forget that in real life, we aren't friends with every single person we encounter. We don't agree with everyone, all the time...in fact, sometimes, we are real-life friends, and then we grow apart, or that friendship becomes less necessary and important. And you know what? That's ok. We don't have to be "BFF" with every single solitary person on this planet.
With the advent of Facebook & Twitter, friendship has been reduced to a mere click of your mouse. As my friend Dan put it, some of the most important relationships of our lives have become a verb: I'll "friend" you tomorrow (Dan, by the way, is an internet success story friendship of mine). We "friend" people we barely know, hardly remember from our past, or really don't know at all. An algorithm thinks that we may, in some way, know a particular person. In some cases, these friendship suggestions connect us with a childhood sweetheart, or an old friend we haven't seen since 6th grade. In other cases, it brings together people that have never met, and creates some of the most important relationships that you will ever have. There are good aspects, certainly, but it also makes it very easy to put a lot of faith into one click. I have made great friends though the internet, best friends, even...and I have made friends with people who I'd later deem "cyberpsychos". I'm eternally grateful, in many ways, for the internet, to have the opportunity to meet amazing people, and become close friends with people that I would have otherwise never met. I am also careful to not put too much of my heart & soul into these friendships, until I have really had the opportunity to get to know the real person behind the blog, the Facebook account, or the Twitter @. While I want to befriend and get to know lots of people, I only have so much time to invest in these outlets, and I want to continue to make the most of them.

The Monkey Wants YOU

2009-08-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Some people have asked me, “So, what exactly IS Space Monkey? What are you selling?” Well, The Space Monkey Shop offers 12″ x 12″ canvas artwork that comes ready to hang for children’s rooms. Custom sizes are also available. Just contact us for pricing on larger or smaller items. Imagine this as a 36″ x 36″ print. Cool, eh? The prints are as clear and swell looking in person as they are on our website. Our artists have worked together for over 25 years, creating animation, graphic design, and film productions, so you can rest assured that your purchase from Space Monkey will be of the utmost quality. You know that little mouse known as Chuck E. Cheese? THEY DESIGNED HIM! They also create kitschy artwork for adults too. You can find the big kid’s stuff here.

As you can see, we only have a few series up right now, but Dan & Charlie are busy creating more art for you and your children to enjoy…

We want to know what you’d like to see in The Space Monkey Shop! And that’s not all…we’re hosting a contest to get the idea wheels turning! Here’s how it works:

Become a Fan of Space Monkey on Facebook, and post your ideas for a series or a design that you would like to see available in our online shop, or follow us on Twitter & DM us your idea. We’ll pick one, make it available in the store, and GIVE YOU ONE 12 x 12 limited edition signed/numbered print on archival art paper FREE.

Yes, your idea will be rendered, you will get one of your very own, and your idea will remain in our store. Who knows, we migh even name it after you! No idea is too far-out (as long as it’s family friendly): We are SPACE MONKEYS, after all! Now, conjure up some cool ideas and tell them to us! The deadline to enter is August 20th, 2009. Go to our Facebook Fan Page or Twitter us & enter!

I'm Going to Talk About Breastfeeding. I Warned You.

2009-08-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

This week is World Breastfeeding Week. Until a few years ago, I had no idea that such a week existed. Breastfeeding is always a hot topic, particularly amongst, well, moms...the people that do the breastfeeding. I used to not really think much of it, until it was my turn to be a mom. With Noel, I decided early on that I wasn't going to breastfeed him, but bottle feed him breast milk. When he was born 4 1/2 weeks early, I became more comfortable with this decision, as he was so sleepy and small that he never really caught on to latching. Since he never spent time in the NICU, he wasn't treated as a preemie while we were in the hospital, and we never got the hang of "real" breastfeeding. In retrospect, had we tried a little more, we probably could have done it...but that's neither here nor there. I gave him pumped milk, and that was that. I produced LOTS and LOTS of milk from the very beginning, and he had plenty to eat. That little baby that weighed only 4 lbs. 9 oz. at birth, quickly turned into Babyzilla and fattened up with all that creamy stuff. The only problem was, I could not stave off the dreaded breast infections. I got mastitis 6 times in the 7 months that I pumped.

I went to the doctor to see if there was ANYTHING I could do to avoid more infections...in a word, she told me "no". She said that women that have had mastitis more than once usually continue to get it. She thought it was hormone induced. I started my period about 6 weeks after Noel was born, and that's when the infections began. Subsequently, every time I started again, I got another infection. LUCKY ME. As I sat there crying, she quietly told me, "It's ok for you to stop." That was all the encouragement I needed. That day, I started weaning off the pump, and by the time Noel was 8 months old, he was drinking formula. I struggled mightily with this decision, but I also could not deal with one more infection. If you've ever had mastitis, you know why I couldn't take it anymore. If you haven't, consider yourself lucky. It's no fun.

When I got pregnant with Lennon, I was determined that we were going to breastfeed. Really, actually nurse. And we did...for a little over a year. The first 3ish months of breastfeeding him were torture. Yes, TORTURE. The child came out of the womb sucking on his hands. He had a mighty latch, and my sensitive skin got pretty abused the first few days of his life. It got to the point where I would cringe when he'd cry, because I knew what was coming: PAIN. I perservered, and continued to nurse him through the agony. I was determined to do this. After the wounds healed (yes, wounds, as in open sores), things got much easier, and I actually enjoyed nursing. I even got brave and did it discreetly in public and in front of people a few times! It was very liberating for me, as I'm pretty private about my body. Nursing just felt different. I never felt like I was being scandalous. I was feeding my baby...using my breasts the way God intended for them to be used. For the first time ever in my life, I was comfortable with my body.

I still pumped, but I didn't have to do it day and night. It was much easier this time around, save the first 12 weeks of his life. Right around the time he turned 13 months, I could tell that he just wasn't into it anymore...screaming and crying are pretty indicititve of "just not that into it". Truthfully, I didn't think that it would end so abruptly, but it did, and that was that.

If you are breastfeeding, or want to breastfeed, and you are struggling, reach out for support. I am so thankful for my husband who was 100% behind my decision. Call friends, find breastfeeding moms on Twitter & through blogs. Locally, look for a La Leche Leauge in your area, or area hospitals that have lacation consultants, and there are resources like KellyMom.com and La Leche Leauge on the web.

You want to know the truth? I am really proud of myself for giving both of my kids breastmilk. Breastfeeding is not easy for everyone. I was one of those people that struggled. I am stubborn, and it's the only reason that I continued to do it. I has set out with a goal, and I'd be damned if I wasn't going to accomplish it. Both of my children have been so healthy, and I attribute it first and foremost to them drinking exactly what they needed: the milk that only I could give them.

Five Years, Stuck on My Eyes

2009-08-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

First of all, name that tune. Naomi, I pretty much expect you to be the only one to get this...

Five years ago today, Elliott and I boarded a plane to Kauai, Hawaii. We were leaving to get married in paradise, just the two of us. It was the best trip and one of the happiest times of my life. If you get the chance to go to Kauai, take it and run. It is unreal.

Monday, we will have been married for 5 years. In this time, we bought a home and had two babies. WOW. These have been the biggest and best changes for us both. We both grappled with whether or not we wanted children. Today, even with a 3 1/2 yr. old with a mind of his own, and a 1 1/2 year old who "has a lot of energy", we'd both give this life we've built two big thumbs up. If I had more thumbs, they'd be up too.

I know that we will celebrate many more milestones together: birthdays, anniversaries, life, death, and whatever else the world decides to throw our way. We're definitely committed to spending this crazy life right beside one another.

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

I Want My Mommy

2009-07-31T18:51:00.001-07:00

My parents don't live here...and we don't live there.

Sometimes, I enjoy the distance, because I feel like I can sort of have my own, grown-up life. I am a big, adult girl, afterall...

But most of the time, I hate it.

All things considered, I had a really great upbringing. I love my parents to death. They are still married, & they have a mutual love & respect for each other. They are happy people, they are great parents, and good people. Everyone LOVES them, and although I thought it was super annoying when I was younger, I now think it's really cool. I like them too. They are smart, interesting, and fun. The thing I like best about them is that they are wonderful grandparents, and it saddens me that my kids don't get to spend more time with them live and in person. Thankfully, they love to come & visit, and my children think that they are the bee's knees (probably because they are). I hope that someday we will be closer to them in real life...oh, how I hope.

I miss them. Just one week ago, we were all sitting right here where I'm typing. I wish they were still here.

My kids and I spend a lot of time hanging out in this sculpture, so we thought we'd show it to The Neen & Grandpa.
I took the parents to my new favorite place in all of Fort Worth, The Modern. This is the Vortex. My favorite sculpture ever. The acoustics are. totally. amazing.

Awwwww....They love them so much.

A gratuitous shot of the gorgeous reflection pool at The Modern. My little boy is getting so big.

I WAS NOT AT BLOGHER! and I got Way More Than a Lousy T-Shirt

2009-07-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

I think I am the only person alive that wasn't at BlogHer...at least from what I saw on Twitter. My parents were visiting, and we celebrated my 33rd birthday. My parents graciously stayed with the boys while we went out with friends. We stayed out until MIDNIGHT *gasp*! From what I've read, I think I had a way, way, way, WAY better time spending 3 days off with my whole family, and not in Chicago. Although I would have LOVED to go to Chicago to visit many wonderful friends, I feel like I didn't miss much as far as the conference. I've never been to a BlogHer, and I doubt I will ever go, truthfully. I just don't feel like it's my cup of tea. I'd much rather just plan a family trip to visit real life friends and blogging friends. I swear, I'm really fun...but I'm not the kind of person that's going to plan my outfits on my blog. I'll be the person in the Old Navy clothes (cute "little black dress" there for $15, and get the second 1/2 off, by the way...), with my hair up. I may or may not have on any makeup -*even lipstick*. My legs probably won't be shaved, but my pits will. I will encourage everyone to get dessert & use butter. I will act silly & make jokes that might or might not be 100% appropriate. If it's inappropriate, that means I am comfortable with you and we'll probably be friends for life. Don't take me too seriously, because I don't take myself seriously. My motto is "Just be cool, man. Be cool." We're all just trying to get one foot in front of the other, and try to succeed at life. There's a real life going on behind this computer screen, ya know? Let's try to remember that...Be nice. Be cool. It does not matter to me if you're sponsored a brand, or if you've received a major award for being a blogger. I like YOU for YOU.

Does that make sense?

Enough of the serious stuff. Here's what good times we had at my Trader Vic's Birthday Party!

An interesting tidbit about Trader Vic's: When the restaurant closed it's doors in Dallas, they kept EVERYTHING as it was, and when they reopened, they left it just the same. It's FREAKING AWESOME. We sat in the Elvis booth, where he sat when he visited. RAD.

Elliott and one of our Space Monkey comrades, Charlie.
Normally, Sarah is watching the boys while Elliott and I go out. After 3 1/2 years, we finally get to have a childless night out with Sarah again!
A drink with rock candy. Loco.
Good times!

Tomorrow, I'll post a few of the whole fam and our weekend.

The Two.

2009-07-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Would you like 2 boys with a side of total, utter adorableness? I love them so much. I wish they'd let me squeeze them and hold them all day long. That is, if they'd, like, ever sit still long enough for anything like that. They are busy boys, that love to jump, and slide (Lennon says "EEEEE!" as he goes down), and make messes, and play hide and seek, and run, and spin in circles, and act crazy, and get dirty, and play in sand and dirt and mud, and play cars, and play drums, and draw, and eat crayons (ahem, one of them...), and play with and sneak bites of home made play-dough and, and, and...I'm starting to sound like Noel...

I love them so much. They make me want to scream and pull my hair out at times...but then I see their innocence, captured in a moment, where they are so sweet and small and perfect...and it can't help but make my heart burst.

33 (& 1/3...but not really)

2009-07-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, my husband gave me this card. It was the first card he ever gave me. It was for my 23rd birthday. I remember each word written in it, because I probably read it somewhere around 56,903,142 times.

I'm every bit as smitten with him now as I was then. He still makes me giggle like a school girl. I can't believe that we started this journey a decade ago. What an amazing, beautiful ride it's been.

Peep, Peep, Peep...Talk a Lot...

2009-07-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

Noel loves to ask questions...like, ALLTHEFREAKINGTIME. I love the inquisitiveness, and his curiosity, but it can get tiring. Here's an example of a conversation we had a few minutes ago:

Noel: Can you get the leaves out of the sandbox?

Me: Sure.

Noel: Why are there leaves in the sandbox?

Me: Because they blew in there from the tree {right above the sandbox}.

Noel: Why did they blow in there?

Me: Because it was rainy and windy the other night.

Noel: Why did it rain?

Me: It just did.

Noel: Why?

Me: I don't know.

Most of our Q & A's end with me saying "I don't know," or "That's just the way it is." Anyone have any ideas of how to actually answer these questions? It's almost like at that point, I'm just saying it out of defeat, hoping the interrogation will end.

Oh, the Heat.

2009-07-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, on a 104 degree day, our air conditioner decided it wanted to die.

I can't really blame the air conditioner. It has been a trusty sidekick since we've lived in the house, but it gets cranky in summer, just like me. It doesn't get a break. I can relate to the air conditioner. My husband can too, more-so than I. This summer has been SO HOT and by the end of the day, we are all drained and cranky and tired.

This Friday, we'll be going out without the kids, which is a rarity. We don't trust just anyone with our children. In fact, they've had one babysitter, ever, and she's one of our best friends. I cook her dinner in exchange for her sitting in our house while my kids sleep. Yeah, we don't leave until after they're in bed either. I am sure we'll eventually lighten up about this, but right now that's how we roll, and that's ok.

On Monday, Noel will begin his four week Summer session at Parent's Day Out. If all goes well, Lennon will join him in the Fall (there were no spots for his age in the Summer session). It's 2 days a week, for 5 hours a day.

And we're nervous wrecks about it.

Some might call it being over-protective. I ask those people if there is really such a thing, when you're taking care of two beings that you love more than life itself.

Still, there are times when we, like the mother ****ing, *** ****ed air conditioner, need a break. And that's ok.

So Just Tonight...

2009-07-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

I opened an online store.

I talked all about it here.

OH MY GOD!

For My Friend

2009-07-09T18:19:00.001-07:00

I have never met Amy, although she is one of my dearest and closest friends.

Amy was one of my first “blog friends” (I think Charlie was the first). I used to be of the mindset that you couldn’t make good friends over the computer, but I was wrong. I met her at the insistence of her husband, who has a music blog. I commented about what our unborn baby (Noel) had been listening to in-utero, after he’d written a post about their new baby’s favorite songs. He emailed me with her information, and I’m pretty sure by that afternoon, we were on Yahoo IM, chatting about music and babies. We were “insta-friends”. She sent me lists of the baby gear I would need. We would exchange links all day, swooning over companies like Black Wagon, Vincent Shoes, Boon and Zutano. We’d dream about the endless amounts of wonderful things we’d buy for our babies, if only we had a money tree. We talked about music and email each other songs. We talked about our lives, our husbands, our babies, born & unborn.

Amy encouraged me to go to the doctor when my hands and feet started itching uncontrollably toward the end of my pregnancy (and it turned out I had HELLP syndrome). She was there for me when my baby was born 4 ½ weeks premature. She & Eric had been in my shoes with Hailey, who was also premature. Hailey had looked like a turtle when she was born, and Noel looked like a frog. We decided that they would one day get married. Our bond was strong, particularly after having similar pregnancies and births. Once Noel was born, we grew even closer. Our first children were only 4 months apart. We’d become friends when Hailey was just a few weeks old, and I was still pregnant. She was my first “mom friend”. I remember Hailey’s first word (Oliver) and when she learned to walk. I am sure that Amy remembers all of Noel’s milestones too.

When I got pregnant with Lennon, Amy and Eric were trying for another baby too. They waited, and waited…and waited. And yesterday, Teagan was born. Having known for years how much her family has longed for her, I am absolutely filled with joy about her birth.

Almost 4 years later, I can’t believe everything that has changed in our lives. The turtle and frog are now 3 ½, and two of the cutest and funniest little kids you’d ever want to meet (they’ve had a few web-cam dates already). It’s unreal that the first few months of our friendship, we would chat one handed while holding our only babies. We’ve shared joys and heartaches - new pregnancies, miscarriages, death, life, and exciting ventures. We’ve had a lot of laughs, and good times. Still, we’ve never physically met. I can’t wait until we do. I can imagine there will be lots of hugs, and tears, and kids screaming and playing and having fun, and lots of music and mayhem.

Welcome, Teagan!

2009-07-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Amy just had a baby. She twittered it.

Tomorrow, I'm going to tell you about how Amy, although I've never met her, was my first mom friend. She is a great lady, and a cool mama, and I'm so happy for her, Eric, and Hailey.

Welcome to the world, Teagan!

The Missing Piece

2009-07-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

Of all the relatives that have died over my lifetime, I miss my Grandma Logan (Neena) the most. I think it is because of her really strong, yet loving personality. She was the matriarch. Her husband, my beloved Grandpa Logan (known also as BoBa), was the quiet strong type, and he was amazing too...but she held the reigns. I feel like it was her that really gave our family it's sense of how important family is to us.

Her and my Grandpa set a great example, and extending open arms to their three favorite little ladies. My favorite memories of childhood almost always include my grandparents. There was something special about them. Something I hope Noel and Lennon see in their grandparents.

It makes me sad that we aren't with them more, which is why I am so thankful for this amazing internet. Really. What a great way to stay connected to the people I love and miss. I loved spending every holiday with them. I loved how we all just knew that either of the Logan's or Beaty's would have everyone over for every important time. It was something really special, and something I want to continue. I am so thankful for the Neen and how much more she made you all to me.

Thursday Is the New Friday

2009-07-02T19:44:00.001-07:00

We are going to have a little fun in the sun over this three day weekend.

Jumping in the "PEWWWWL".

He was saying his usual, "CHEEEEEEE!"

I Love You, But Don't Forget to Read the Fine Print

2009-07-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

You know, I've thought very little about how I would react if my children "came out" to me. In fact, it's completely a non-issue, as it should be. I look at my two small boys, and I see life. I see beauty. I see wisdom that we can't hold on to as adults. I see innocence.

I look at my children, who don't know or understand what it is to be heterosexual, or homosexual. When they look at a person, whether or not that person is gay, straight, black, white, so on and so forth...they see a person. I see my own children as little people, who will one day be grown up people, who have learned most of what they know from me & my family. I don't want my children marred by prejudices given to them by me or anyone else.

Several years ago, I had a part time job at a bookstore. I was working with a guy that was in his first year of college, and working part time to help pay for his car & such. He came out while we were working together, and his parents found out. Before he could tell them, someone else did. His parents sent him to their pastor, and monitored his phone calls, and who he was seeing at all times. He eventually got "caught" hanging out with a guy, and was kicked out of his home. His parents stopped helping him with college, and gave him no more money. They told him that as long as he was gay, he was not their son. I was appalled and disgusted by this young man's treatment by his own family. Now that I have two sons that I adore and love more than anything in this world, I am even more appalled and disgusted by his family's actions.

I will always, unconditionally love my children. Period.

I Am Really Glad It's a 4 Day Work Week.

2009-06-29T19:09:00.001-07:00

You know those days when you wake up and just know it's not going to be terrible, but it's going to be sort of a drag? I felt that way when I woke up, and the 6th sense was right. It was just sort of an off day. Noel has been sort of in a "mood" lately. I feel like he's stir crazy, but it's just too hot to do much. I mean, going on a car ride is unpleasant. It takes the car about 5 years to cool down.

Tomorrow, we're going to interview the creator of Gustafer Yellowgold, Morgan Taylor. We'll post about it here, and at MumsTheWurd. We're really excited to find out more about the brains behind the ray of sun, Gustafer. I'm going to get a good night of shut-eye so I'm all fresh for our big interview.

If you want to read something sad, but at the same time hilarious? Go here.

Here Comes the Sun

2009-06-28T10:48:00.001-07:00

It's hot here. Like, it's been 100 for a week or something like that. It's insane, and dry, and hot. So hot.

If we must be outside for any length of time, we must be submersed in water. I got the boys (and myself) this 6" pool at the grocery store, for about $12. It will save my sanity, and is totally worth every cent. My "setting up the pool" skills leave something to be desired (one portion of the pool is sort of in a yard pit-oops), but hey, it serves it's purpose. When we hang out in the pool for a couple of hours, the little children are tuckered out when bedtime rolls around. Multi-purpose...

Today Was Good, Today Was Fun. Tomorrow Is Another One. -Dr. Seuss

2009-06-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

I really hope this video works.

We went to an instore at the best local record store (yes, there is still one). We saw Gustafer Yellowgold's creators, Morgan & Rachel, perform songs from Gustafer Yellowgold's three albums. You guys...this is good music. I love this stuff. Forget all you know about children's music. It does not apply to Gustafer Yellowgold. CHECK THEM OUT NOW!!!!!

Ok, now let me tell you a little about our day. We have had a tough couple of days, with good reason. So, I was a lot nervous about how this day would go. Well, it really couldn't have gone better. Dallas is about a 45 minute drive, which, some of you know is not an easy haul with a 3 & 1 year old, but we took our chances and went. We had the best afternoon. We got to go see the show, which only lasted about an hour (perfect time for our age group) & go out to dinner. We were in Dallas, pretty much sitting or being in a chair for approximately 5 hours, and our children were complete and total angels. It was unbelievable!!!!!!!!!! Our great friends and partners in Space Monkey surprised us by meeting us at Good Records. The whole afternoon was just really a lot better than I thought it would be, and I love it when that happens. Today was great, and I think tomorrow will be even better. Yay, us.

Noel & Lennon at Good Records watching Gustafer Yellowgold.

You saw it here first. Lennon sat for more than 3 seconds!

The benefits of having a crappy old cell phone: kids can play with them at long dinners!
We got to sit under a tin palm tree at Chuy's.
They are holding hands; they are laughing. This is a perfect day.

One more thing about Gustafer Yellowgold reaaaaaal quickly: they are hosting a camp this week in Irving, TX, which sounds abosolutely amazing. At the end of the week, the campers & Gustafer will present a show, which we are attending!!! I'm so psyched to see what this is like. I'll definitely get video and pictures, because this will be one of a kind. Oh, did I mention, we're going to interview them on Tuesday, at 5:15?? Isn't that COOL!?!

The 100 Greatest List: Also Known as One of Those Things You Do Just To Say You've Done It.

2009-06-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here’s the official list of 100 greatest novels written in the English language. The ones highlighted are ones that I have read, and I’m embarrassed that I’ve only read 15 of them. Of those 15, I read all but 1 of them at least 14 years ago. *Hanging my head in nerd shame*

Here’s my dilemma. This is the official list, but there’s one that is more of a reader’s choice, and I think would include books that I’d enjoy more, like Infinite Jest. This one includes a lot of people that honestly, I find mind-numbingly boring. That being said, I was 17 or younger when I HAD to read Dreiser, Faulkner, and by far my LEAST favorites, Thomas Hardy & Joseph Conrad. So, I don’t really know if I would enjoy these authors more now, or if I would still find them tedious and dull. I guess I won’t know until I try, right? If I extend the time I want to dedicate to this project, I suppose it could include both lists…Wow. I’m feeling kind of overwhelmed right now. I think I need to lie down.

1. *ULYSSES* by James Joyce

2. *THE GREAT GATSBY* by F. Scott Fitzgerald

3. *A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN* by James Joyce

4. *LOLITA* by Vladimir Nabokov

5. *BRAVE NEW WORLD* by Aldous Huxley

6. *THE SOUND AND THE FURY* by William Faulkner

7. *CATCH-22*

8. *DARKNESS AT NOON* by Arthur Koestler

9. *SONS AND LOVERS* by D.H. Lawrence

10. *THE GRAPES OF WRATH* by John Steinbeck

11. *UNDER THE VOLCANO* by Malcolm Lowry

12. *THE WAY OF ALL FLESH* by Samuel Butler

13. *1984* by George Orwell

14. *I, CLAUDIUS* by Robert Graves

15. *TO THE LIGHTHOUSE* by Virginia Woolf

16. *AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY* by Theodore Dreiser

17. *THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER* by Carson McCullers

18. *SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE* by Kurt Vonnegut

19. *INVISIBLE MAN* by Ralph Ellison

20. *NATIVE SON* by Richard Wright

21. *HENDERSON THE RAIN KING* by Saul Bellow

22. *APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA* by John O'Hara

23. *U.S.A. (trilogy)* by John Dos Passos

24. *WINESBURG, OHIO* by Sherwood Anderson

25. *A PASSAGE TO INDIA* by E.M. Forster

26. *THE WINGS OF THE DOVE* by Henry James

27. *THE AMBASSADORS* by Henry James

28. *TENDER IS THE NIGHT* by F. Scott Fitzgerald

29. *THE STUDS LONIGAN TRILOGY* by James T. Farrell

30. *THE GOOD SOLDIER* by Ford Madox Ford

31. *ANIMAL FARM* by George Orwell

32. *THE GOLDEN BOWL* by Henry James

33. *SISTER CARRIE* by Theodore Dreiser

34. *A HANDFUL OF DUST* by Evelyn Waugh

35. *AS I LAY DYING* by William Faulkner

36. *ALL THE KING'S MEN* by Robert Penn Warren

37. *THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY* by Thornton Wilder

38. *HOWARDS END* by E.M. Forster

39. *GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN* by James Baldwin

40. *THE HEART OF THE MATTER* by Graham Greene

41. *LORD OF THE FLIES* by William Golding

42. *DELIVERANCE* by James Dickey

43. *A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME (series)* by Anthony Powell

44. *POINT COUNTER POINT* by Aldous Huxley

45. *THE SUN ALSO RISES* by Ernest Hemingway

46. *THE SECRET AGENT* by Joseph Conrad

47. *NOSTROMO* by Joseph Conrad

48. *THE RAINBOW* by D.H. Lawrence

49. *WOMEN IN LOVE* by D.H. Lawrence

50. *TROPIC OF CANCER* by Henry Miller

51. *THE NAKED AND THE DEAD* by Norman Mailer

52. *PORTNOY'S COMPLAINT* by Philip Roth

53. *PALE FIRE* by Vladimir Nabokov

54. *LIGHT IN AUGUST* by William Faulkner

55. *ON THE ROAD* by Jack Kerouac

56. *THE MALTESE FALCON* by Dashiell Hammett

57. *PARADE'S END* by Ford Madox Ford

58. *THE AGE OF INNOCENCE* by Edith Wharton

59. *ZULEIKA DOBSON* by Max Beerbohm

60. *THE MOVIEGOER* by Walker Percy

61. *DEATH COMES FOR THE ARCHBISHOP* by Willa Cather

62. *FROM HERE TO ETERNITY* by James Jones

63. *THE WAPSHOT CHRONICLES* by John Cheever

64. *THE CATCHER IN THE RYE* by J.D. Salinger

65. *A CLOCKWORK ORANGE* by Anthony Burgess

66. *OF HUMAN BONDAGE* by W. Somerset Maugham

67. *HEART OF DARKNESS* by Joseph Conrad

68. *MAIN STREET* by Sinclair Lewis

69. *THE HOUSE OF MIRTH* by Edith Wharton

70. *THE ALEXANDRIA QUARTET* by Lawrence Durell

71. *A HIGH WIND IN JAMAICA* by Richard Hughes

72. *A HOUSE FOR MR BISWAS* by V.S. Naipaul

73. *THE DAY OF THE LOCUST* by Nathanael West

74. *A FAREWELL TO ARMS* by Ernest Hemingway

75. *SCOOP* by Evelyn Waugh

76. *THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE* by Muriel Spark

77. *FINNEGANS WAKE* by James Joyce

78. *KIM* by Rudyard Kipling

79. *A ROOM WITH A VIEW* by E.M. Forster

80. *BRIDESHEAD REVISITED* by Evelyn Waugh

81. *THE ADVENTURES OF AUGIE MARCH* by Saul Bellow

82. *ANGLE OF REPOSE* by Wallace Stegner

83. *A BEND IN THE RIVER* by V.S. Naipaul

84. *THE DEATH OF THE HEART* by Elizabeth Bowen

85. *LORD JIM* by Joseph Conrad

86. *RAGTIME* by E.L. Doctorow

87. *THE OLD WIVES' TALE* by Arnold Bennett

88. *THE CALL OF THE WILD* by Jack London

89. *LOVING* by Henry Green

90. *MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN* by Salman Rushdie

91. *TOBACCO ROAD* by Erskine Caldwell

92. *IRONWEED* by William Kennedy

93. *THE MAGUS* by John Fowles

94. *WIDE SARGASSO SEA* by Jean Rhys

95. *UNDER THE NET* by Iris Murdoch

96. *SOPHIE'S CHOICE* by William Styron

97. *THE SHELTERING SKY* by Paul Bowles

98. *THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE* by James M. Cain

99. *THE GINGER MAN* by J.P. Donleavy

100. *THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS* by Booth Tarkington

Just an aside: Thomas Hardy is not even on this list. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, AP English Lit teacher, Peg Borden!

I Don't Really Know What to Say Now.

2009-06-25T18:26:00.001-07:00

I had a post in mind earlier today, about Farrah Fawcett. Farrah wasn't a huge influence on my life, truthfully, until fairly recently. Elliott, the 70s television aficionado that he is, really got me in to Charlie's Angels back earlier this century. We have watched lots of Jill Munroe episodes, and here are a few things that 70s Farrah has...great hair, perfect (perfect) teeth, and she could wear a bikini at 29, and that makes me jealous. AND...Charlie's Angels is an awesome show. If you haven't seen it, I am sure TV Land will be running a marathon soon. Oh, and The Burning Bed. She really was great in that movie...

It's really the Farrah that I saw in the show on a few weeks ago, about her living with anal cancer that truly made me respect this woman. I have known personally only one person that has lived a slow, painful death with prostate cancer. He held on as long as he could because he loved his family. Watching him die, although I didn't see it on a daily basis, was almost unbearable. Farrah made it her personal mission, after being diagnosed with this horrible disease, to educate anyone and everyone, first and foremost, herself, about this type of cancer. She want ed it video taped, and as painful and horrible as it was to watch, I can't imagine what she was going through. She didn't want it hidden away. She wanted people to know what this is like, and I admire her beyond imagination. She is a true fighter. She wanted so much to survive, and she tried her hardest.

Farrah should, of course, be seen as a great icon, but now, we should see her as a true warrior. She was a FIGHTER, and I hope she is remembered most for that.

And Michael Jackson...I suppose I will tackle this mind f*** tomorrow...

Reading, Writing, 'Rithmitic

2009-06-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to realize that my 3 year old can read. Now, he’s not sitting down with a copy of War & Peace, mind you, but he can read simple words and spell them. This is very exciting for me. It’s such a wonder to watch a child learn and grow. I never imagined that he would read at this age, but I’m thrilled that it’s happening. I love sitting down with him and see him recognize words, read them, and trace the letters with his little toddler fingers, as if tracing them will help him recall the letter.

Over at MumsTheWurd, we’re participating in a summer ambassadorship with LeapFrog, which is quite generously creating summer reading packets for libraries and at home day cares. I’ll be telling you more about the LeapFrog program there, but the short version is that LeapFrog is giving these places sets of LeapFrog Tag & Tag Jr’s, and books. I can’t even begin to explain how great the Tag system is. Noel goes back and forth between using both the Tag & Jr, and Lennon is quite dexterous with the Jr. These systems are fun, entertaining, and above all, encourage reading, spelling, recall, math, and more. I can’t wait to see the results of this ambassadorship, and I’m very glad to be a part of it.

I would love to sit down some time this summer and map out a plan for home schooling. Both of my kids, thanks to my husband’s diligence, are already being home schooled, but I think it would be good to have some loose structure, and to keep track of their progress as the days and months go on. We’re most interested in a secular curriculum. What resources are available on the web? Which are the best? I’d love suggestions.

I’ve taken on a goal for myself too, other than the ones that I mapped out yesterday. I’m attempting to read the official list of the 100 best books in American literature. Two that I have read so far, Roots & Sophie’s Choice, have helped me to see how important education, and particularly literacy, is. I want to instill this passion for reading in my family. Not only “just because” it’s important, but education is a crucial step in bettering yourself and overcoming obstacles throughout your life. Would you agree?

Something Old, Something New

2009-06-23T19:27:00.001-07:00

I’m less than 1 month from being 33. While that’s not really that old, it does bring me that much closer to “middle age”. With the advent of this birthday, I feel like making some positive changes, starting now. This is the personality I’ve been dealt: Put everything off until the last possible minute & do the least amount of work to accomplish a task. Humph. There are times when I’ve actually enjoyed these characteristics, but lately they’ve been getting on my nerves. So, what do I do? I’ll try to change my behavior.

Let’s start with the basics. I’m a lazy loafer by nature. I’ve come a long way, but I am far from being “perky” or a “go getter”. Here’s what I want to do every day that I don’t currently do:

Pick up after myself and my children (with their help). Don’t leave it for someone else (ahem, don’t leave it for my husband).
Put on make-up and brush my hair (that’s right, friends, I don’t brush my hair every day).
Exercise using the Wii Fit 30 minutes a day. Every day is the only way I can do it, because otherwise, I will excuse myself if I’m doing it “every other day”. This will quickly turn in to “every two days”, “every three days”, and then become never. So, every day, it is.

These are all quite doable. These are easy. I can do this, right? Should I blog my progress? Will it hold me accountable? Oh, I guess I should add another bullet:

Maintain this blog every day

Heh.

By the time I’m 34, here’s what I hope to accomplish, along with keeping up with the above daily schedule:

A career that I love, and enjoy doing, and am able to do from home. I want to work with people that respect me, are smart, and are aligned with me. I see this coming down the pike, and it’s so exciting!!!
Saving money and paying down debt. Money stresses me out, and I don’t like to be stressed. Enough said.
Having our home fixed up and everything in perfect working condition. There are only small improvements that need to be made right now-horray!
Possibly living in a different home.

I know this probably seems simple, and most of you probably already do all these things. Hopefully I will join you.

Sleep is for the Weak

2009-06-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

Last night was a long. Let me begin by saying that both Noel & Lennon are decent sleepers. They may get up earlier than I'd like, but they both sleep through the night with little, if any interruption...but last night, like some nights are, was exceptional.

During the normal 7-7:30 PM bedtime ritual, Lennon was distraught. He didn't want to go to bed. Knowing he was tired, as he kept falling asleep in my arms, I finally had to put him down and let him cry until he fell asleep. Maybe he was overtired. Usually he'll go to bed awake without any problem. Then, at 1:15 AM, he awoke screaming. I got him milk and took him into the den, where he drank the milk, and then cried, and cried, and cried...he would only stop if I was holding him STANDING UP. If I sat down, even if he was asleep, SCREAMING, CRYING, AND FLAILING would occur. About 2:30 AM, he was finally asleep, in his own bed, and I went back to bed...until 4:30 AM, when Noel woke up screaming.

If Noel wakes up screaming, there's usually a problem. The kid can sleep, and he'll do it as much as possible. If you go into his room at night and accidentally awake him, he'll say "It's nighttime!!! I'm sleeping!" So, something was wrong. He had thrown up, and was dry heaving and belching when I got to him. After getting him de-robed and getting us new blankets (he managed to miss sheets and pillows!!), I got him settled back down, and we both slept. He threw up again this morning, and is currently laying on the floor, wrapped in a blanket, watching Curious George, in case you were wondering.

Lennon got up at 5:30 AM (he usually wakes up about 6:30 AM), and Elliott graciously got up with him and kept him entertained until Noel & I got up at 7:30 AM. I'm going in to work late, because, well...I can't imagine sitting at my desk without falling into a deep coma.

Sleep is for the weak.

This Is Ridiculous

2009-06-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

I've commanded myself to start blogging again. Every DAY. YES. EVERY FREAKING DAY.

Guess when I started blogging? At the end of 2004. Yeah, unfortunately, for one reason or another, that blog is no longer being maintained, but it sure was a lot of fun...Since then, I have written here and there on one variation of my original blog, but it just never was right. I started My Two Sons with the best of intentions, but then, well, I had 2 kids to take care of, and I was tired. I'm still tired, but I want to write again, because I like it, and I need to practice at it, and I want to be even better at it. I don't care really what I start writing about...I'm just going to do it.

I got inspired because I realized that this blog has been linked to twice recently, and uh, my last post was in February (I named the last picture "The Princess & Her Peas"). I guess like any diary I've ever started...well, you know how it goes, if you're anything like me...That being said, I want to chronicle life with these guys, and I want to have a place to go back and look, and laugh, and relive the moments that I think are important enough to capture here.

If you care to see what I've been up to more recently, you can check out my other site, where I talk about things I like for kids, and where I sometimes talk about my kids, MumsTheWurd! OH! And do me a favor, will ya? If you can't see anything except the header there, email me, and take your ad blocker off, and you should be able to see it...

Annnnnnnddddd...In a few weeks, my husband and our business partners will be opening up a children's art store, Space Monkey: Quality Art for Children's Spaces. We'll be offering the coolest 12" x 12" canvases you'll ever lay eyes on & your kids will think you're the coolest parents EVER for getting them such groovy artwork.

I'm back...again.

It's Almost THAT Time of Year...

2009-02-01T04:28:00.000-08:00

How on earth I managed to have two children, two years apart, born in the same month, I will never know...but believe me, it was meant to be. I am not someone who plans extravagant parties or outings or get-togethers. I'm always flying by the seat of my pants and rarely have any kind of plan. All that being said, it is a blessing that until my children are old enough to plan their own birthday parties, I need only plan ONE...and it's coming up here in just a couple weeks.

Noel's birthday is Wednesday. He'll be 3, and he's already showing many of the "fun" characteristics of a 3 year old. He's got a bad case of the "It's Mine"s and "I Want It!"s, and if you ask him if he'd like to try out his Diego potty he loudly says, "NO!" Just so you know, 75-85% of the time, he is darling and sweet, but since he no longer naps, by the end of the day, he's pretty much a bear. Thankfully, they go to bed at 7 PM.

Lennon will be 1 on the 19th. I am sure this is common, but I feel like he aged a lot more than Noel did in the first year. He's been saying words and babbling for about 7 months already, is starting to walk (and took his first steps almost a month ago!), and he's TOUGH. It's been quite a year for him (and us)-getting used to two kids, having a big brother to contend with, etc. I'm pretty sure at this point Noel has less than 10 lbs. on him, and once he starts walking, I've got a feeling there will be lots more wrestling and roughhousing. Lennon is sweet, curious, cuddly, and wonderful.

For their birthdays, we're going to The Great Wolf Lodge for a couple of days of indoor water park fun. I'll be live blogging this over at MumsTheWurd! I'm sure there will be some funny moments, so be sure to check in, or check my Twitter stream for updates...

How did this happen? How did I get here? When did I become a mother of TWO boys? Although there are days when I complain, and days that I yell, and days that we all cry, I would not trade this for the world. I would give up anything for this cute little family of mine. My family. OUR family. I can't believe this is my life, and I'm beyond lucky that it is.

Ice Day!

2009-01-28T13:35:00.001-08:00

No, it wasn't a snow day...it was an ice day. It was deceiving. It looked white, like snow, but when we went out, it was clear that there would be no snow angels, no snowmen, and probably not even snowballs. We were able to break "icicles" off of the patio furniture and swingset. Gotta love Texas-the city shuts down for an ice storm. Eh, that's ok, I got the day off!

writing this from our wii

2009-01-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

just need a keyboard, baby!!!

Merry Christmas To All...

2008-12-24T08:29:00.003-08:00

and to all a good night...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Like My New Banner?

2008-12-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

My friend, Charlie, has great design sensibilities. She knows my style, because it's very much like her own (see her groovy Christmas Card). She just made my new banner, literally in about 10 minutes. Isn't she awesome??

People are Passionate About Radishes

2008-12-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

Last night Elliott and I were discussing how much we dislike radishes. I nonchalantly posted on Twitter about our distaste for the veggie. Twitter also updates my Facebook page...here's the ensuing string of comments from the peanut, er...radish (?) gallery:

Laura my husband and i both agree: radishes SUCK.via Twitter -9:40pm - 19 Comments

Melissa Allen White at 9:45pm December 18

i'd have to agree as well

Niki Jorgenson at 9:56pm December 18

oh, i would have to politely disagree. i love the radishes. i like to eat them as a snack.

Melanie E Boyd at 10:01pm December 18

Spicy, colorful, and nearly no calories. What's not to love?!

Shelly Doyle Shuey at 11:31pm December 18

I'm a fan. Wouldn't want them in my birthday cake or anything, but I like 'em.

Joe Fay at 11:32pm December 18

Yeah, but the band Radish rocked a little. Oh, young Ben Kweller, we hardly knew ye.

Elliott Seymour at 7:27am December 19

Well, after a lot of thought, I have decided that the reason that I don't like radishes is that they taste like sh*t.

Melissa Allen White at 7:56am December 19

I just don't like them..probably one of the only veggies I don't like~ personally don't know what sh*t tastes like..but I will take your word for it. ;-)

Elliott Seymour at 8:00am December 19

Hey Melissa, you know what sh*t tastes like? Radishes.

Melissa Allen White at 8:00am December 19

OH yeah..it's early I wasn't thinking clearly!

Laura Beaty Seymour at 8:09am December 19

little did i know that the great radish debate would unfold right here on my facebook page...

Elliott Seymour at 8:24am December 19

Radish memories: I remember getting my first taste of the cursed radish. It was in a salad - that's how they slip them to you, ya know. Anyhow, I thought I had bit into a rotting onion...or a rat carcass. To this day, I still hate rat carcasses. And radishes.

Joe Fay at 9:37am December 19

I think the difference between sh*t and radishes is that sh*t actually has a taste. Radishes "taste" like drywall. And by the way, why do people put f*cking cabbage in lettuce for salads!!?? It has no taste, either. And restaurants that offer a "fruit cup" that's 90% canteloupe and green melon, the cheapest and most tasteless fruits on the market. THANKS FOR THE HALF STRAWBERRY AND TWO GRAPES AND 17 SLICES OF MELON IN MY FRUIT CUP! STOP USING CHEAP FILLER MATERIAL IN OUR FOODS, A**HOLES!

Laura Beaty Seymour at 9:49am December 19

note to self: keep radishes, cabbage, and melon away from joe fay.

Elliott Seymour at 10:08am December 19

I like the increasing use of profanity in this post about radishes.

Elliott Seymour at 10:09am December 19

...d*mn it.

Melissa Allen White at 12:24pm December 19

f@ckers! ;-) This post made my day!

Jill Marie Sullins at 3:00pm December 19

I think radishes are f-ing gross and I wouldn't eat them if they were the last thing on this damn earth. Why? Because they taste like nothing. They are almost as bad as water chestnuts. Don't get me started on water chestnuts.

Elliott Seymour at 3:27pm December 19

Amen, Jill, Amen.

Laura Beaty Seymour at 7:31pm December 19

this is maybe the best comment string EVER.

They Hold the Key

2008-12-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

My Boy Painted a Tree Today

2008-11-28T17:52:00.001-08:00

There are "things I should be doing 'online', but I'm just having too much fun with these guys:

Noel and Lennon are being super-cute fun together - MOST of the time...there are still the moments where I find Noel in the prolonged "hug" (read: strangle hold), or Lennon with a size 10 Toddler shoe in his face, but a lot of the time, it's good, and I think it only gets better.

Today Noel painted a tree. I'm impressed.

Noel (who introduces himself as "Noel Bowl"), age 2 yrs. 9 mo.

Tyler, We Want to Meet You!

2008-11-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

When I first moved out on my own, I could not cook. A gourmet meal to me was hummus and Wheat Thins. A few years back, I worked from home. Well, working from home for me, meant sitting in front of the TV with my laptop, working. It was the life! However, even with 200 channels (thank you, DirecTV), there were times when there wasn't much on TV. I came across Food Network during one of these days, and it happened to be around Christmas time. Tyler Florence, who was then the host of Food 911 (RIP), was helping someone make restaurant quality steaks. I was hooked.

We began to DVR episodes of Food 911 and Tyler's Ultimate religiously. We tried a LOT of Tyler's meals. We watch Tyler's Ultimate still, today, on pins and needles, wondering what amazing, incredible dish Tyler's going to show us how to make this week (sloppy joe's with squash slaw!?!) To be quite frank, Elliott and I love Tyler. We feel like he's our long lost brother. He's the kind of guy you'd want to make you dinner, then hope that he'll sit down and eat with you. We're pretty sure we'd get along with this guy like peanut butter and jelly (speaking of...).

So yesterday, I was checking Twitter, and I remebered a Fellow Twit had mentioned meeting him at the Food & Wine Festival in NYC. I wanted to follow up and see how it was. I confessed to her that he is my cooking inspiration...and the die was cast! She gave me the idea to publicly ask for Tyler to come give my husband and I a cooking lesson. In fact, I thought of an even better idea for Tyler's time with us! I am a good cook, but my kitchen is insanely disorganized. I'd love for him to help us get organized so we can cook his fab meals without feeling overwhelmed by our kitchen...and then, of course, we would use our new found skills to cook an insanely good meal together and eat it with him in our living room while we watch The Brady Kids cartoons or Scooby Doo. That's not too much to ask, is it?!?

Help me, my friends...get Tyler to come over!!! Leave me a comment-I'll use it as a "petition". Word is out on Twitter for anyone that knows Tyler, and I am guessing that with the power of social networking, we can get this to happen (ya know, if Tyler WANTS to *please!!*). Thanks, everyone!!!

From the E$

2008-11-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

I just really like this picture, don't you? My husband took it.

Who's Who?

2008-11-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

Can you tell? I had one where they looked even more alike, but Lennon had his hand in his face, so I went with this one. They are the exactly the same age in these pictures. Lennon is doing great...he's a little bruiser & totally fearless. He's got someone he wants to keep up with, so he's ready to go. He still centipedes through the house, but now he just goes about 100 mph. He can pull himself up and has started working his way around tables and such. He loves his big brother, and his big bro is starting to love him back. It's pretty nice to have these two playing together. The past 8 months haven't been easy, but this makes up for it in spades. I love to see them smiling in each other's faces, and I reaaaaaaally love to see Noel give Lennon hugs and kisses. It's been a long time coming.

Peace

2008-10-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

My youngest child has been quite disgruntled his entire life. He just never seems comfortable, unless we are right by his side. If he is awake, he wants to be around people. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is just different from our first experience with Noel. Noel was laid back, even as a baby. We think it was because he was premature-he just took a few more months to sleep and keep growing, and it just made for a really calm babyhood for him. I often wonder if Lennon would be a more relaxed child had he been born first...but he was born into a world of banging pots and pans together to make cymbals, and noisy toys and Yo Gabba Gabba. He doesn't really have too many opportunities to just chill, like Noel did.

This afternoon, I got home from work early. When I noticed Lennon getting tired, I took him in our room and nursed him. Just us. Him & me, there in the quiet room, with nothing but the white noise of the fan. I had the opportunity to look at him, and study him, and just be still. He was more relaxed than I think he has ever been. I held him. With his head on my chest, he just laid there quietly, his eyes open, content. At Peace. Now, after almost 8 months, I think I finally understand this child (I'm slow to read people). He needs a time to be calm, and still, and quiet. He showed me something today, about myself that I just realized-I, too, need this quiet.

A few minutes of calm during the chaos of life is important for all of us. We are so wired these days to never take one single second away from tv, or music, or twitter, or facebook, or wii...I could go on and on...We can learn so much by listening to our children, who don't have to have all these distractions to be happy or fulfilled. All they need is you. All they need is you.

Good Times in October

2008-10-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged. No excuses though, we'll just get on with the good stuff.

We think perhaps we should enter him in a mini-Brian Wilson look-alike contest. What do you think?

He's a little cuddler, especially at 4:00 AM. That's right, almost 8 months old, and still not sleeping through the night. Thoughts, ideas, tips?

On the BIG BOY playground. So exciting!

He knows he's adorable.

Amy & Laura are in a Hula Hoop Contest!

2008-10-12T05:40:00.001-07:00

Amy, my MumsTheWurd! partner & friend, and I are Wii-ing it up together. Today will mark my 5th day using the Wii Fit. I don't know if I can explain in a blog post how much I despise exercising. Perhaps this is why the Wii Fit called me a weakling and a couch potato...but anyway...

The Wii Fit is FUN! It's exercise, but you can do things like Hula Hooping, Yoga, Strength Training with a trainer, etc. It's something I can see myself doing every day for 30 minutes, at least. Elliott & I are both love the sports disc too, which includes things like tennis, boxing, and bowling.

The most interesting thing about the Wii Fit, is that it does a body test when you first plug it in, and tells you what you weigh, your BMI, sets goals, etc. I was amazed! I fell into a category I was ok with, but I know it could be better. I'm pretty excited to see what happens over the next couple of weeks Wii-ing with Amy!

Over 4 days, I've done the Wii Fit for at least 25 minutes, done other games on the sports package (a workout too!), and done outside activities (like walking for 1 1/2 hrs. at the zoo)...and I gained 2 lbs., as of last night. We'll see if that's different today, because I'd just had dinner when I did the body test last night.

Amy & I will be logging our "activities" over the next couple of weeks to keep each other honest. Right now, I think we both love the Hula Hoop most-Amy caught 5 hoops at once! My highest was 3, but geesh, who knew hula hooping was such a freaking workout? I have been feeling the effects of the workouts-I am SORE!!!

My Big, Fat Identity Crisis

2008-09-15T17:54:00.001-07:00

I'm having one of those times where I feel busy over my head and have too many things I want to do, and it becomes too much and instead of doing even ONE of those things, I instead want to fall asleep on the couch in peace...ahhh...it feels good to get that out. I feel overwhelmed, and excited, and busy. I have never thrived on "busy". I like to hang out in our house and watch TV, or listen to music, or play, or read. Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by the computer. I think it makes me unnecessarily "busy"...but then there's the part of me that likes my computer life. It involves my husband, we sort of have a little group we "tweet" with...I don't know...it's all very new and foreign to me. I'm still trying to accept sometimes that I have a life on the computer, that actually keeps me busy, doing work that I one day hope to make a living from. Life will take place, as I "work" here, with my living room as my background. Does anyone else have a difficult time accepting this "lifestyle"-of having a life on the computer? Surely I am not the only one who has this identity crisis.

Once again...

2008-09-06T17:10:00.001-07:00

It's time for compare & contrast:

Noel, around 7 months.

Lennon, 6 1/2 months.

There are definite differences, but they also look so much alike. I really am excited to see what they'll look like in another 6 months. I'm thinking they'll look the same with different colored hair. Although, Noel's hair's looking pretty brown here, and now he's a total blondie. Whatever, they are both friggin' darling.

Lennon had his 6 month appointment yesterday. He's 19 lbs. 14 oz. and 28 in. long. Once again, his head was at 100% on the scale. Today, he's been army crawling, crawling, and sitting up for minutes at a time. All of a sudden, he's not as helpless.

In other news, Noel had his first recording session with mom & dad. I'll be sure to post the song when it's complete. All I can say is that we had great fun, and he's a natural. Can't wait to see what our family band will accomplish in the next few years. :)

2 1/2 & 6 months

2008-08-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

Here they are, looking brotherly. Noel is standing because they were sitting next to each other and Lennon *gasp!* touched him...so, he got away. Still, I love this pic, and Noel is warming up to him more & more. Yeah, it's only taken 6 months. Lennon loves to eat carrots and rice cereal and he's sitting up pretty well without assitance. Noel got some drums. He loves them. Lennon loves to watch Noel do anything. They are both sweet and wonderful. My heart is full.