I Believe.

I am watching “The Polar Express” and crying. I cry over and over when I watch this movie. It is the second time in 2 days that we have seen it (I breed repeat movie watchers and I love it.) The most touching part is the very end when the young boy receives the bell from Santa’s sleigh after he thought he lost it. He opens his present Christmas Morning and seeing what it represents for him just tugs at my heart.

The idea of Santa Claus is controversial among many church-going people. Many feel that the idea of Santa detracts from the reason we have Christmas in the first place. And because they don’t want that distraction, they don’t do the “Santa Thing.” In my house we didn’t have Santa. I think David might have once or twice but his family didn’t go all out.

However, in our house, we do the “Santa Thing.” Cookies and egg nog (our Santa likes Egg Nog-not warm milk, yuck) and carrots for the reindeer. I love that Nathan has something magical to believe in, to dream about. As I think about our decision more and more each year, I think that Nathan’s grasp of something magical and slightly mysterious will only make it easier for his to grasp the true “magic” of the birth of Christ-another story of mystery and wonderment.

I want Nathan to not be ashamed to believe in the unbelievable. I want him to have no doubt in his heart that the things he treasures so deeply are true. Including Santa Claus, the magic of Disneyland, believing in something so hard and so much that it will come true, wishes on stars and coins in fountains. Because as he believes in those things and continuously hears from us of the great things that God does in his life and the lives of those around him, he will easily understand something that so many adults cannot even grasp: FAITH.

And it is working. Ask my son about his thumb, he will tell you that God touched it with his Healing Hand and made it better. Want to know what a scab is? It is God’s Band Aid. What is the meaning of a rainbow? It is God’s promise that He will always take care of us. And don’t try to tell my kid any different. For as sure as the sun rises, as sure as Steve finds all three clues, as sure as we have sandwiches for lunch every day-there is a God. And He loves Nathan. (And YOU too!)





Post Script
I realize that this post could be 15 times longer as I discuss the pros and cons of teaching my children about Santa Claus. I could also discuss the good and bad of a (slightly creepy) movie like Polar Express. However, and I give you the credit for being smart enough to realie this, this was not the purpose of this post. I respect those who choose to not teach of Santa as well as not watch Polar Express, I hope that you can respect my decisions as well.

The One Where His Silliness Knows No Bounds

I got Nathan's school pictures back the other day. He looked so amazing in them! I them from his teacher and as I see his angelic face peeking through the window of the envelope. I smile and say to him, "Nathan, you said you made a funny face in your picture. This is a smiley face!"


That is when his teacher says to me, "Oh he did make a funny face--for the CLASS picture! It was so funny!"


I open the envelope and there it is.


My kid.


With 12 others


Sticking his tongue out.

NaBloPoMo 2006 Final Post!

I want to finish the story of

Love at the Roller Rink

or

How I Met Your Father

or

Just Me and DZ

but I am exhausted. I am using the last day of NaBloPoMo to take a "bi" since I posted real posts every day.
Well, almost.

So, what have we learned this month??

-I still love to write.

-I am bad luck on Halloween

-When I am called to step up, I will walk every mile!!

And finally....

-I will miss the NaBloPoMo Randomizer!!! Man, that thing was like crack and is the direct result of my November Exhaustion!

Dear Readers, I ask only one more thing of you. If just for today, just comment a hello. I would love to know who is reading, lurking and-hopefully-enjoying this journey I am on. Say hi and I promise I won't make you do it again!

Till tomorrow..........................

It's Got Four Wheels and a Stopper on the Toe

I was only a child when my best friend Michelle got married. 17 and a bridesmaid for the first time. As the big day neared, Michelle and her Looks-A-Lot-Like-Tom-Cruise fiancee decided that both sides of the wedding party needed to meet. So we took a spin.

Around the roller rink!
Monday nights we all made a regular habit of crashing the Aquarius Roll-a-rena for Christian Skate Night. We grooved the lanes to dc talk, Petra and did the chicken dance once a week.

When I was introduced to the guys on Andy's side of the aisle, they all were good looking. A couple of brothers and friends. One in particular I was told to pay extra attention to. We would be walking together down the aisle and, if I didn't screw this up, maybe one day he and I would be walking down the aisle! (Although my heart was strongly tied to someone else, I decided to give this whole thing a try. Go for a swim in uncharted waters, if you will.)

We all met in La Mesa and hellos were exchanged and although it wasn't love at first sight, this guy was the only one who wasn't taken or who was available. Everyone else was out of my league, age range, dating someone or married. He was nice, good looking, tall and funny. We all hung out that night at Aquarius and had a lot of fun.

It wasn't too long after our first meeting that the happy couple decided to set us up on a double date. Well, they had set us up by having us walk together but this time we were actually going out on a date.

He came and picked me up at my house and I was excited. I wasn't excited with the way my father was questioning this guy. "Where are you going? When will you be back? What are your prospects?" It was mortifying. We got out of there as soon as we could.

It was such a fun evening. Possibly one of the most fun of my life. We went to Coronado where they were playing "Sleepless in Seattle" out on the beach. Afterwards, we went for a walk and ended up running around the Hotel Del Coronado, opening doors we shouldn't go in, smelling the Dial Gold soap in the bathrooms and laughing-a lot.

I was home at a decent hour-he was a good boy-and I was so happy to have shared such a fun evening with my best friend.

We never really lost touch, my date and I. I saw him in a tuxedo the day of my wedding. He looked so happy and still as handsome as that first day I met him. I remember at the wedding reception he smiled at me and in front of over 200 guests, he told me that he was so happy I was marrying his best friend.


Part Two, continued tomorrow..........

The Christmas Stalker Steps Out Into the Light

So how creepy is it to use Zabasearch to look up the addresses of friends I have lost touch with but still want to send a Christmas Card??

Jingle Bells, Saywer Smells, Charlie Laid an Egg

For the fan who wants to re-enact Oceanic Flight 815
The Others not included

Public Service Announcement #427

Greetings, and thank you for your time.

It has come to our attention that the Christmas season is now upon us. For many of you, that Day After Thanksgiving is merely a springboard for you to allow Christmas to throw up all over your house, your life, your car, yourself (if you are of the Christmas Sweater Persuasion.) I applaud you for taking action and for getting your Christmas Lights up so fast that the rest of us feel like we have fallen behind despite the fact that it is still November.

At this time, I have an urgent matter I must bring to your attention. This Christmas season, I encourage you go through the steps of getting yourself in the "holiday spirit:" drink your red cups of coffee, bundle up in your scarves and sweaters (in 70 degree weather-gotta love Southern California!) and allow yourself to consume the holiday goodies that make the season so sweet.

However, as you go to turn on your Christmas Music, USE EXTREME CAUTION! Why? Because there is a lot of dangerous music walking around disguised as "Christmas Music" but by allowing it into your home, you could be putting your very holiday memories at risk of being ruined because of your poor choice.

Listen up people: Just because it talks about snow and things jingling, does NOT MEAN IT IS GOOD!

Be critical of your music. Beware of the tunes you allow your children to attach to their wonderful Christmas memories...if you are decorating the tree while listening to Stevie Nicks sing Silent Night, don't be surprised if they start shoving egg crate carton ornaments in their ears and running from the room screaming.

While you are driving to the mall, and "Jingle Bells" as sung by meowing cats comes on, DO NOT LAUGH! Don't turn it up and call your mother and discuss how this is possibly the funniest thing you have ever heard because it isn't. It is just sad and you, clearly, need an intervention.

May I make some suggestions? these are just a few of the Staples of Christmas Music. I do have other music I listen to but this is all a must. I have even provided the Amazon links should you find yourself lacking any of these albums.


Ella Fitzgerald-Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas
A fun and jolly way to get yourself in the mood. Recommended for shopping, tree decorating or any party held in the month of December


The Boston Pops Orchestra-Holiday Pops
Great music, performed beautifully and conducted by the always adorable Tiny Keith Lockhart

Harry Connick Jr.-Harry For the Holidays or When My Heart Finds Christmas
I am biased since I am a huge Harry fan but there is something about his selection of both traditional and religious songs that really conveys that he "gets" that it is Christmas

The Carpenters-Christmas Portrait
My parents did right by me since this is the CD that we always listened to while driving around looking at CHRISTMAS LIIIIIIIIGHTS!!!!! (Yelling was mandatory.) Enjoy the sweet harmonies of the brother and sister duo because you know that deep down inside you know all the words to "Close to You."


Vince Guaraldi-A Charlie Brown Christmas
I don't make it a point to insult my readers but if you don't have this CD, then you might as well say that you don't celebrate Christmas. They sell it at Starbucks for crying out loud, you don't have any excuse.

I hope that this list can give you a good base to good, quality Christmas music. Don't settle for second rate--immerse yourself with only the best.

And Merry Christmas

A Question for the Ages

Why do I even search for an airtight container for the stuffing.....




.............when I know it won't last long enough to see midnight?

The One With Two Sick Kids

The Plan Was:

french toast
donuts
the zoo
family time
naptime
grandma sisi time
kids stay overnight at grandma sisi's
mommy and daddy ALONE time (wink, wink)

The Plan Became:

fevers
sleepless night
hot and achy sweet boy
french toast
movietime at home
thermometers, tylenol, ear drops
naptime
more movies
add one more hot, fever kid to the bunch
bathtime
early bedtime for all


Poor Nate the Great was sick and then the Goose decided to join in the fun. Thankfully, after a doctor's appointment today, he is much better and does not have an ear infection OR pink eye like we thought. And despite our change in plans (and much like my friend Michelle) I found joy and thankfulness in the togetherness of my family.

Giving Thanks For the Little Things...

...Like the new grocery carts at my Vons.



And I am thankful for all of you as well.

May your Thanksgiving remind you of your blessings.

The One Where We Disturb All The Fishermen

Ahhh, Saturday. Day in which you loaf around on the couch, band together to fix your house or attempt the picture perfect "Family Outing." Because David and I had already met our quota for loafing that week and because fixing things sounded like too much work, we decided to opt for the Norman Rockwell Picturesque Saturday Activity.

It started out as a hike around Poway Lake but when Nathan tripped over Daddy's foot and BLOOD STARTED POURING OUT OF HIS KNEE (not really) our day was quickly turning into "How Early Can We Lay Them Down For a Nap" Day.

We decided to rent a boat with a little outboard motor and go for a ride around the lake. It was such a beautiful day! The sky was so blue, it was so peaceful out on the lake.......and then The Zabs showed up!!

The kids loved the boat, hated the fact that we were not going to be rowing for the next hour and Lucy was so excited about her "Special Boat Jacket." We loaded everyone into the boat and, miraculously, no one fell in. (Not even me!)

We drove around the lake and talked about how to be quiet and not stomp in the boat. See, Poway Lake is also a fishing lake and as we made our way to the middle of the lake, we traversed the veritable slalom course of fishermen. As we passed them, David waved at one of the fishermen who responded by turning his head and muttering something to his friend. Oops.

Nathan had fun helping David drive the boat. He was a little wary moving around on the boat at first but after while if he wasn't driving, he was lookout and telling Daddy which way to steer. Loudly.

Lucy was....well.....she was Lucy in a boat.
And when it came time to turn in the boat, she cried because she didn't want to give away her Boat Jacket. That girl really loves her accessories.

This is Mom, I have Stepped Away From the Kitchen and Laundry...Leave a Message at the Beep

It is a late night at Target.

You see her walking so slowly, almost methodically.

She has a slightly tired look on her face but you also see a passing glimpse of peace.

Most likely she has comfy tennis shoes on, jeans, cute top and a sweatshirt and probably has her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Every aisle, you see her. Up and down, up and down, looking at everything on the shelves but not quite paying attention. What is she doing? There is Tide,  Kleenex and a package of cookies in her cart. She's leaning on the cart and cruising.

You finish your shopping, crossing paths with the shopper every once in awhile. As you hurry along you can't help but stop and look at this woman. You watch her as she smiles a crooked smile at the woman down the aisle who is struggling with a 2 year old on the verge of a temper tantrum. She glides past and even sighs happily.

While making your way to your car, you are two steps behind her. As you watch her unlock her SUV, minivan or 4 door car, the light inside turns on revealing two car seats.

Suddenly you understand what you have been observing all evening.......

A mother, shopping without her children.
Ahhhhhhh...............

Colorado...Through the Eyes of Nate the Great

The kid has a pretty good eye!
(Ignore the fact that Colorado looks a little "Blair Witch Project-y" through the lens of a $5 camera.)

"I do my level best to keep a clear concience before God." Acts 24:16-The Message

Every step we take as mothers, as wives directly effects our family.

Each decision we make, what we have for breakfast, when we get up n the morning, what we decide to do with our days ripples down to the lives of our husband and children.

So when we make decisions that glorify God and honor Him, our family benefits from the blessings that come with that.

However, when we choose to go in the wrong direction, our family will also walk those consequences with us.

Remember this with each step you take in your walk with God each day.

Retraction. Blog Retraction.

Remember how I disowned James Bond?

Yeah, well, I am taking it back.

David and I got to go on a date last night (hooray!!) and we even went to a movie (whoopie!!) and on opening weekend of said movie (hip hip hooray!!) 007, we were ready to watch with an intensely critical eye.

You see, we have strong ties with James Bond. We had a tradition of getting together with our friends, friends and more friends and worked our way backwards through the series, 1 movie at a time. We were each in charge of snacks (how did we eat all that food??) involving some form of melted cheese (queso or molten lava), guacamole (when avocados were in season), and I was always in charge of the "sweet." I'd make cupcakes or we'd have cookies spelling out the movie we were seeing and blood red icing to dip it in. I often prepared a dossier with information about the movie and we would settle in for the delicious acting and riveting dialogue.


Some of us liked to talk during the movie (me, Scott) and some of us liked to actually WATCH the movie (Susie the Shusher! Hee hee) but no matter what, we had fun. It took two years of getting together once a month and it was unforgettable fun. We found that when we hit the Roger Moore years that a little liquor was needed to make it past the lips that would reach round the world. And we didn't absolutely hate George Lazenby.

We were even experts at the Nintendo 64 Game. Susie played it true to Bond and was a fan of the PP7, the guys could rotate through the weapons with ease, Michelle found that the more she played, the more she dreamt about it at night and I would just grab the biggest gun I could, choose the smallest villain (Oddjob) and just run around shooting people.

So when we heard about the new Bond, the blonde Bond, the possibly not handsome crinkly faced Bond, we were not pleased. E-mails flew on whether or not we would see the movie or even endorse it. We mostly agreed that we would hold a "wait and see" view so we could fully form our opinion.

Opinion formed.
I loved the movie.
I love the new Bond.

He spends a lot of the movie with his shirt off: this is a good thing. I could watch him run all day (and I think he could if he needed to.) And he made me laugh.

This Bond film showed him achieving his 007 status, making mistakes and how he became the charming but hard hearted man we all know and love.

If the Broccoli family had tried to make a move like this with my beloved Pierce Brosnan, it would not have worked. It would have been too much like watching my Dad play cards and kill people. Daniel Craig is NOT my Dad. And that is good.

So, check it out for yourself. Enjoy the Bond-ness of Daniel Craig. Bask in the M-nicity of Dame Judi Dench. Miss the Q-tastic gadgets. (My only complaint about the movie although it does make sense with the story line.)

Oh, and one last thing: DON'T SIT IN FRONT OF THE OLD COUPLE WHO NARRATED THE ENTIRE MOVIE AT FULL VOLUME!!

Confession.

I had a brownie for breakfast today.
This is NOT a part of my eating plan.

The Perfect Day

I want to sleep in, not break up fights.

Come downstairs after a long shower and eat some really cold cottage cheese...
Watch a little TV, go for a walk.

Eat some lunch and watch more TV with my feet up--
then take a nap .

Get a pedi and then have dinner at Mimi's all by myself.

After that I will wander in Barnes and Noble and find the next perfect book.

Go home, pop the cork on a bottle of wine and read my new perfect book outside with a glass of wine and a nice cigar.

Take a bath and then go to bed.



Ahhhhhhhhhhh. I am relaxed just from typing all that out.

Duh Duh Duh Dun, Duh Duh Duh Dun, Punch Punch

One of my favorite parts of the day is naptime.

Duh, Blogging Genius.

Shut up.

I love naptime because it is when I indulge in one of my mostest favorite Guilty TV Pleasures ever:

I am watching it with two other friends and every day as we all catch up, we MySpace each other all about what is going on. (Oh yeah, we are all Moms. We should really know better but indulge me in my juvenile behavior.) Some of my favorite realiations:

I am so in love with Steve Sanders right now.

I like Dylan and Kelly together more than I thought I did.

Donna kisses like a big sucker fish (credit to Jordan)

and

I am going to be so sad when this show is over.

The series is almost done! What will I watch? What will my girls and I talk about?? I have been trying to think of other shows we could watch. Saved By the Bell? Melrose Place?

Suggestions anyone??

Ten on Tuesday

1. Nathan had school pictures today and he won't give me a straight answer when I ask him if he made a smiley face or a silly face. That's what I get when we talk the whole 12 minute drive about different kinds of silly faces.

2. Icy/Hot is the nectar of the gods.

3. So is Advil.

4. I need yooooooooooooooogurt.

5. I miss Project Runway.

6. This made me laugh and this contained the phrase "bizarrely mentally handicapped half-handlebarred mustache cowboy looking creature" which also made me laugh so hard that it hurt. If you don't regularly read this guy, start.

7. I am an aunt to a dog. He is the sweetest dog and his name is Topper but David nicknamed him Topper T which fits so well that I can't imagine NOT calling him Topper T. Now if I can only teach him how to balance things on his head like Former Congressman Chuck.

8. I can't stop dreaming about walking. It is like when you spend the day at the beach or on a boat and when you hit dry land you can still feel the rocking of the sea.

9. I am so in love with my son that I can hardly stand it:
After the walk, I was standing around after closing ceremonies with my family and a few friends. Nathan came over and I picked him up.
He said, "Mommy I missed you."
And I said, "Really? You did?"
He stopped. cocked his head one bit to the side and looked so deeply into my eyes as if that was all I had to do to see the answer to the question. I don't think I will ever doubt him again.

10. I think I might turn on "Dancing With the Stars" tonight just for the Mario Lopez-ness of it all.

"Thank You For Your Support" -Bethany

Have you ever wondered what walking in a sea of pink would be like? Or how many times you would laugh at breast puns? Or even if it is possible to walk 20 miles, sleep in a tent and then wake up to do it all over again?

It is. And let me tell you, it is amazing.

My participation in the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk in San Diego November 10-12 began on a January evening when my friend Amy said she had signed up and would be walking for her mom. My mind went to those I loved who had fought breast cancer and won and a few who had lost their battle: specifically my godmother Susan Armstrong who I loved so very deeply as well as my father’s mother who also put up quite the fight when cancer hit her body. “I don’t want to rust out, I want to wear out.” I was in.

That is when I started bugging all of you for money. I also started training-walking weekly with my friend and wondering if the 3-Day was going to live up to all it’s hype.

As I gathered supplies and my support came in, I was amazed by the number of you who accompanied your donation with a note telling me of the people you knew who had battled breast cancer. It is hard to find someone who has not been directly affected by this disease! It encouraged me to know how many of you believed in me enough to put up your own money to get me to the starting line.

The 3 days of walking are ones I will never forget. They will be with me forever for so many reasons. I had moments of strength as I faced the largest hills I have ever had to physically climb and MADE IT! I crumbled at times under the pain of twisted ankles and tired lungs. But I flourished when I had day after day of victory of returning to camp on Day One and Two and then crossing the finish line on Day Three.

The conversation between walkers was often the same. We talked about if it was our first or fifth 3-Day walk, if we were from out of town and then, finally, who it was we were walking in honor or remembrance of. It was hard to listen to the stories sometimes but always inspiring because all of us sitting at the breakfast table or waiting in line for the showers knew we were DOING something. Not letting something happen to us or those we love.

On Day Three, we were walking the streets of Hillcrest. Passing posh shops and shaking hands with people who were happy to see us there. At a stoplight while we waited for a “walk” sign, a city bus pulled over and the (big and burly) driver jumped out. He approached one of the walkers, said something her and then gave her a big bear hug. I caught up with her to find out what happened. She told me that he said his mother died from breast cancer just the month before and he said “Thank you for walking for her.” He was quickly back in his driver’s seat and a buzz among the walkers passed as we all shared the story with the people we were standing near. I looked back and saw this man wiping the tears from his eyes.

As I continued walking, I realized that I wanted to change my answer to the question, “Who are you walking for?” I realized that I signed up for this walk and raised the money in honor of my grandmother and my godmother. But I took each step, I walked 60 miles for people like that bus driver. To let them know their loved ones are not forgotten and will not be forgotten. To give them hope that we may live in a world without cancer. That I will never have to worry about my daughter, my son’s wife or their children suffering from the effects of cancer.

So it is on behalf of the bus driver that I send you this thank you letter. It is on behalf of my friend Amy’s mom who is a survivor and on behalf of the friends I have who have survived because of the money raised in walks like these. I thank you on behalf of the children of America who will have their moms, grandmothers and aunts with them longer because of the research your very dollars will help to advance.

I also thank you, on a more personal level, for the personal journey I was able to go on through this walk. I have emerged with a stronger love for myself and an admiration for what one person can do. I appreciate all of my friends and family more and feel such a love from all of you that I could never fully express it. So please read this letter between the lines. Read my appreciation and know that I hold all of you in a class of those who think above and beyond your own worlds. That you could see how-no matter the amount-your money and time spent praying went to serve the greater good of this world.

On the final day, all the walkers walked a Victory Walk and passed all our friends and family cheering us. It was hard not to cry when I saw my friends, my husband, I even grabbed Lucy and kept her with me. I didn’t want to let her go. We walked into a cul-de-sac and that is when they released the Survivors. Those that had walked both the 3-Day and the journey of Breast Cancer marched down the street, hand in hand. When they all gathered, I saw the other walkers all taking one shoe off and lifting it up. We all took a shoe off and lifted it high as a salute to those who were so brave and so heroic.


And today, I lift my shoe to you.
Thank you.

Bethany Zabrosky

See Jeff. See Jeff Jump. See Jeff Fall.

You heard about my neighbor falling down.
Now, see it!
(It is super short and a little dark but it made us laugh when it happened!!)


Now cheer for me! I finish walking 60 miles today!!

I'll Take Another One With Curly Hair and Don't Forget the Skippy

My kids are very scheduled. In general, we do the same thing every day at the same time each day. They love it.

Strike that.

I love it. (But I am working on it, right Amy??)

One of the parts of our days-we call it lunch-possesses little or no variety.
Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches (sometimes mustard-ew.)
String Cheese
Fruit Snacks (My attempt at getting my children's teeth to fall out one by one. That way we don't have to pay for braces later.)
And some sort of cracker: Goldfish, Cheez-its, whatever we may have.

I had yummy Peanut Butter filled pretzels for them one day. I put some in a bowl with a spoon for Nate the Great (don't ask-he is a weird 3-year old) and dumped a handful on Lucy's high chair tray. I had to do a little bit of work on my laptop so I sat on the couch and we all watched Little Bear together. I had my back to the kids and kept hearing a funny sound. When I got up to check it out, I had to laugh.

See, I had given Lucy these:

Can you see their yummy goodness? Oh the pretzel! Oh the peanut butter!
I have decided that almost anything that has peanut butter in the middle makes it complete perfection. In fact, I am going to order my next baby peanut butter filled. I think that is what my two current models are lacking.


When I got over to Lucy's tray, I found this:

Peanut Butter Sucking Vampire Baby!
I don't know how she did it but she cracked open each Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel like an egg and got the peanut butter out of it.

She is such a Funny Little Goose.

LOVED You in the Fast and the Furious, But Did You Have to Make THIS Movie??

I DVR'd "The Pacifier" the other day. You know, the one with Vin Diesel as the Manny? I kind of have a thing for Vin. He is mostly cute but it is his voice that really attracts me. I have a thing for guys with low voices.

Look, it's Vin chasing after bratty kids!

Hey, there's Vin diving in a sewer full of poop!

Is that Vin Diesel doing a silly Panda Dance? It sure is!!

Awwwww, touching Vin Diesel moment when he makes a connection with the kid he is caring for and takes of the production of "Sound of Music!" (I am SO not making that one up.)

Let me save you the 90 minutes of pain....skip this one.

(Although I will give it props for the great montage scene..."We're gonna need a montage...Always fade out in a montage")

**Thanks to the hubby who is posting in my absence today.
Today is Day One of my Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk!!**

Oh Sweet (Not My Husband) Dave

I'm sorry, I am watching opera on David Letterman because........


Were the Foo Fighters-Fighters of Foo-not available??


Go back to Dave and Paul getting drunk on Jamie Oliver's wine, olive oil and cooking cream.


I am probably not counting this as a blog for today. I just needed to air my puzzlement.
(I will always love you Dave.)

Colorado Part Four: Hi-jinks and Happiness

And you thought I forgot about blogging about Colorado!!!

Welcome to Grand Junction, Colorado!

By the time we hit the hotel, kids and parents were equally exhausted. My family hit the Wendy's next to the hotel and after eating and running around the hotel room a bit, we quickly put the kids to bed. Ahhhhh. David decided to lay down with Nathan to help him settle in a room where his sister was yelling, "Nate! Nate! Nate! Nate!" and once David's head hit the pillow, I didn't see him until the next morning.

After everyone was settled, Emmy had to go on a search for a non-ugly (as opposed to serious ugly) bathing suit.
In October.
In Colorado.
It seemed like a Holy Grail mission, but I am ALWAYS up for an adventure! We drove around Grand Junction looking for Ricky Schroeder-no, that was just me-looking for some sort of a store that might have something one could call a bathing suit for not a gazillion dollars. And oh yeah, we started this whole adventure at 9:15pm. On a Saturday night.

Hello K-Mart! Land of fun toys for our kids (walkie talkies for Nathan and Alexis) and presents for our friends (Amy, do you still sleep with Johnny Depp in your bed?) and Things-Your-Husband-Wants-You-to-Pick-Up-But-That-Really-Should-Be-HIS-Responsibility-to-Remember-to-Pack-if-He-Doesn't-Want-to-Have-Another-Baby.
But no non-ugly Bathing suits.

Ahhhh, Target. Why didn't we come to you sooner??
We stormed the gates, split up, shopped and shut. the place. down. Emmy found her non-ugly bathing suit. We were happy. (Well, our hubbies weren't all that happy because we kinda hit Cold Stone before we went home and didn't bring any home.)

Once we got to our cabins in Colorado (and by cabins I mean apartments with logs on the outside) we had the opportunity one night to go to the Swim Spa. We put the kids down to sleep, pooled all of our baby monitors in one cabin and asked Damon's dad, Larry to sit and listen for any signs of escape. All 6 of us hiked up to Swim Spa.

It was late. It was fun. And we even got in TROUBLE! David and I were later than the others because our two kiddos did NOT feel like going to sleep when we decided they should so by the time we got there, Chris and Kristen and Damon and Emmy were already extremely pruny. They hung around for a little bit but Kristen was getting tired (it was well past 10pm) so she and Chris got ready to leave-dreading the 40 degree weather and the semi long walk back to the aparbin. (Apartment+cabin=aparbin! OK fine, I won't use that again.)

At some point a dare was brought forth. To Chris. And if Chris had passed, then this whole post would be about what a wuss Chris is. But, much to your delight, Christ accepted the offer.
$20 from the Cooks
$10 fromt the Zabs
And Chris runs naked back to the cabin.

David and Damon supervised to be sure that he followed through and even Emmy and I made sure we saw a little cheek. His trunks were handed to his wife (who was almost to tired to be embarrassed) and he was off. Emmy and I were laughing so hard. The guys were cheering him on!

When he got back to his cabin, Damon's dad had decided to step outside for some fresh air right as Chris rounded the corner. He jumped into a nearby bush as Kristen came up to the door. He had to wait outside until she said goodbye to Larry, thanked him for coming and could then bring him a robe so he could finally enter the house.

Back at the enclosed Swim Spa area, we were still laughing. Our joy had risen a couple of decibels so when he first walked up, we didn't hear him.

The door slammed open.
Caught unawares, Emmy and I screamed.
There stood a man in his own bathrobe, white hair on his head and face.
And he was mad. Really really mad.
"It is after 10pm and you woke me up! Quiet down!" (I don't have enough exclamation points to convey how angry he was)
It took about 3 words into the yelling before we realized he wasn't kidding. I mean, we are adults (never mind that we weren't acting like them) was he really talking to us like this?
He finished the verbal smackdown and slammed the door to leave.

I remembered where I had seen him. He wasn't a guest at the place we were staying but a caretaker/manager. When I first saw him as we checked in, I remember thinking he looked a lot like Santa Claus. I smelled cookies, wondered if he knew elves and if he would make the kids a little toy boat.

Yeah, not so much anymore.

Candy Talk...and a Mini Sermon

For crying out loud, if you don't do ANYTHING else today...if you don't have time to shower, eat lunch or paint your toenails, find the time to GET OUT AND VOTE! I have friends that are overseas who represent the very organizations that bring you the freedom to vote and then gripe when your guy doesn't get elected.

I subscribe to a very basic principle: Vote and then you can whine all you want. Don't vote? Then SHUT UP.

On to the blog..........

I had a Baby Ruth candy bar for the first time yesterday. (Read: All the other Halloween Candy I like is gone and now I am bottom feeding on the stuff I don't really like.)

I have always skipped over them, feeling that the ratio of peanuts to yummy goodness was too high on the peanut side. If I want peanuts, I will ingest them in their more pure form: Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter.

While dredging the basket of candy and squinting from the rays of brilliant light streaming down from heaven in the glory of our amazing haul, I saw the shiny silver wrapper. A 3 Musketeers Bar? No. (Drat!) Hmmmm, I thought Baby Ruth bars were white? Oh well, I was sitting on the comfy couch, watching 90210 (and loving every minute now that Janet and Steve are together) and I decide to branch out my candy tastes.

Delicious Baby Ruth--where have you been all of my life?

Possibly the Last Breast Cancer 3-Day Blog Until AFTER My Walk!!!!

Been wondering where you can go to cheer me on when I do the Breast Cancer 3-Day this weekend? Well, let me tell you!!

I would LOVE to see ANY of you with signs or just your smiles. Just reply to me and I will send you the cheering station locations.

If you have been meaning to donate but just keep forgetting, I only need about $80 more to reach my goal! Click Here to be my hero!

For those of you who have already donated-your gift means so much to me for so so so many reasons. But mostly because I am getting the feeling that you might actually believe in me!! And that is the greatest gift you could give me.

Whether or not you have donated, I covet your prayers. Prayer for strength and endurance. Prayers that I might be able to use 3 days of walking as a time to spent a little mental time with God. I am praying that He uses this time of no internet, no cell phones (while I am walking), no music as a time to speak to me. Sometimes when He whispers, I don't hear Him. Also that I can be inspired and motivated by the others around me. Those who will be walking despite being in the middle of chemo for breast cancer. I can do this walk for them.

Love to all of you and your amazing support of me on this trip.
I start walking Friday Morning!!

Viva La Health!

7-Up (now 100% natural!!)
+ potato soup
+ bananas
+ Amazing Race (Go home Rob and Kimberly!!) =
Your devoted blogger's medicine to feel better.

My stomach is apparently calling a strike on me today. And my head is staging a revolt. All in all, I am hoping to all goes away. (The revolt and strike...I need my head.)

I Now Pronounce You....

Mr. and Mrs. David Valley, Shari Valley, Mrs. Valley
Shari's Married!!!

Some of the highlights:

Shari in Her Wedding Dress
She looked so beautiful! So radiant!


Goofing Off With Russell Before the Event Started
"What do you think would happen if you turned this whole church upside-down and put it in the water?"




My Kids. Walking Down the Aisle.
Or, if you were The Goose, running and giggling and stumbling down the aisle.


Old Friends.
Specifically Liz.



Explaining to Nathan Why "Action Fingers" Aren't Appropriate When Standing On Stage in a Wedding.
Never mind the fact that he was standing in the middle of the stage and running said Action Fingers up the sleeve of the groom.

And finally........

This Picture.
Because it makes me laugh.
And because it's not MY kid.

Here are a couple more pictures....

Look Out Alexis, the Boy Likes to Dress for Dinner!

My son is upstairs crying himself to sleep right now. He is so tired and he needs his nap but..........he wants his "tuxeeeeeeeeeeeeeddooooooooooo shooooooooooooooeeeesssssss!"

I'm sorry, did you not understand? He said Tuxedo Shoes.

Nate the Great is the ring bearer in Auntie Shari's wedding and is SO SO excited to wear his tuxedo. He was sad the day we fitted him for it, "Why can't I take it home with me?" He was sad the next two days waiting for it to be the day when he COULD take his tuxedo home, "Mommy, is it Tuxedo Day yet?"


This morning he woke me up around 6-something to tell me that it was TUXEDO DAY!!! I made it clear to him that if he wanted to live to see a day OTHER than Tuxedo Day, he'd better clear out for another 30 minutes or so.

Well, the fitting went well. My kid is such a delicious blend of charm and beauty. And you can't help but smile when he keeps saying that he looks like Daddy.

I am thrilled he is happy to wear his tuxedo tomorrow...I am having a hard time explaining to the kid who has been wearing his astronaut costume every day since Halloween why he can't wear his tuxedo to bed for his nap. He kept bargaining pieces, we got down to just the bow tie and the shoes when I just finally made him head upstairs and go to bed. Hence the wailing for his shoes.

I think after the wedding I will let him wear it to church. He will be the best dressed toddler at VGCC.

Preferring Tricks Over Treats

I am a little sad that Halloween is over-I had big plans to do some awesome things but my life got a little bit ahead of me. Oh well.

We did have fun with our neighbors though. Our friend Jeff rigged himself up in a tree with a full body harness and a false noose around his neck. He was dressed in his cowboy gear and his wife and I sat on the lawn. When kids would walk up, he would say, “Hey, let me see that candy” and the kids would walk over and he’d jump off the chair he was standing on and “hang himself.” We made one kid pull the chair out from under Jeff if the kid wanted candy and it scared the crap out of him. Best scare of the night was a group of about 10 Middle Schoolers-mostly girls. Jeff was completely quiet and the kids were talking about whether or not he was real when he all of a sudden jumped off and they screamed bloody murder. It was great. We even had one group come back with their cameras.

I decided that we needed Jeff on tape jumping and hanging himself. I got my video camera and selected “night vision” to add to the creepiness. Jeff got ready, jumped……..and kept falling. KEPT FALLING!!! He fell about 3-4 feet, landed on the grass and lay down for about 10 minutes moaning and muttering expletives. They took a quick trip to the ER and thankfully his shoulder wasn’t dislocated like it first appeared. What I love about my neighbor is how even though he was in pain and on his way to the docs, he still had to see the video of him falling. It is oddly funny.

I have had a couple of weird Halloweens in days past.

3 years ago, while taking my newly walking firstborn greaser son (slicked back hair, jeans rolled up, white t-shirt and "I heart Mom" tattoo) from my mother to my father's house, I got a call from my sister. My brother in law had gone to the store and was walking home when he was hit by a car. they had been married for about 1.8 months. Totally scary. We all went to the ER-with all the rest of San Diego-and were happy to see that he was mostly unscratched. He stuck around to be assessed and then spent a couple of days at home healing. Yikes. It was an introduction into The Life of my brother in law and many more interesting phone calls from my sister, "Don't worry but he hurt his........"

It was only a few years before that when my new kitten, Zoe, was playing with a towel on the counter and she pulled down the glass blender on her teeny tiny furry foot. She was only a few months old, she had only been a Zab for 1 month and I got to take her to the vet. As I waited to hear from them, I went to my Parents' house. I walked up and saw a bat on the screen. "How cute, Mom decorated for Halloween! Wait a minute, Mom NEVER decorates for Halloween!" I took a few steps closer and realized that the bat decoration was, in fact, a REAL bat. A tiny fruit bat. Clinging to the screen of my parents' front door. I chose the BACK door and when I told my mom about the bat, it took a little while for her to believe me!

We called animal control, got the work number of "The Bat Guy" who was a computer programmer for a local company and he said we had to just wait it out. The bat should leave at dusk. Unable to use the front door, we thought that a bat on the screen door of a local house in Tierrasanta might make for an interesting news story. Mom picked up the phone and started dialing.

NBC 7/39 hung up on us.
KUSI transferred us into some sort of weird voice mail hell.
10 News laughed and said thanks but that was all.
Channel 8 was nice enough to listen to us and even to shine us on with a story that they would come by if they were in the area. Thanks for keeping it real, Channel 8!

When I told my neighbor all of these stories as he was down on our front lawn in total and complete pain, he sat up halfway and said, "See! It's all YOUR fault!!"

Happy Halloween!!

Our Little Alien

The Astronaut that Caught Her

The Posse We Ran With

The Getaway Driver

Our haul was quite tremendous...I love Halloween, possibly for the candy alone. Now excuse me, I am going to make myself a Resees, Skittles and carmel omlette.

Post Every Day You Will

So I am gonna do this in November. Post once a day. Every day. For the whole month. I can do it. And YOU can too.

Interested in joining me and a bunch of other bloggers? Sign up here*. And be sure to let me know if you are in!





*This site's language is rated PG-13.

A Good Crime Deterrent

When we moved into our house, one of my favorite things about it was how we didn't have to do anything to it. (Much unlike my friend Anglea is doing to her current house.) The walls were painted in colors I liked-mostly. We had new counter tops, new kitchen cabinets and new fixtures all throughout the house. Everything from lighting to new faucets. It was glorious. (And made it so I could forget how much I hate our carpet.)

The two bathrooms upstairs have new toilet paper roll dispensers too. They are the kid with just a post so you can slide the TP roll on and off with great efficiency. It is perfect for the lazy TP Roll changer. The downstairs bathroom has a traditional toilet paper dispenser. The kind where you have to take the middle cylinder out and slide the empty roll off and then the full roll back on and then replace the whole thing without dropping the TP Roll on the floor because that's gross.

Yesterday I figured out why we have two different kinds of toilet paper roll dispensers upstairs and downstairs.

Toilet Paper Theft.

By putting the TP dispensers that require a little extra work in the guest bathroom, now my guests can't grab the roll and run.

So don't even try it.

Because Sometimes You Just Need to Laugh...

Lucy...eating a lemon...Mommy and Daddy are so mean! :)

..>

Colorado Part Three: In the Beauty of His Holiness

Day Two of driving…..are the kids driving us crazy yet?
Surprisingly, no! We had (cue the music from heaven) in car DVD players. And we also had (add angels with trumpets and extra bright light) The Curious George Movie on DVD!!! It was like driving miles and miles all by ourselves. J

For this leg of the drive we saw a whole LOT of nothing. And a whole lot of nothing. And nothing.
But don’t think we were bored; we had Mr. Trivia leading the way!
That’s right; give Damon a topic, say, clouds.
Mr. Trivia would ask the question, “What is the name of the cloud pattern we are driving under right now.”
Who was fastest on the radio button? Me? Kristen? David with some sort of smart aleck remark?

Besides learning totally random facts, I also learned:

Damon. Knows. Everything.
Seriously, everything.

Right before the rest of us threw ourselves at the feet of Mr. Trivia for even trying to walk around with our heads so empty without knowledge, we turned a corner in the road and entered Utah.
It was overwhelming.

We drove by these deep red dirt mountains. Rocks that were piled high on each other like the hills themselves were trying to touch God. There was even a feel of Dr. Seuss in the hills. I was amazed. I saw the sedimentary layers of the earth cut open by the road we were driving on that dated back to Noah and The Flood. It was like driving by a secret history.

The drive continues and we entered Colorado. It was there that I was humbled. Humbled by the beauty of God’s creation. Damon kept asking, “What do you think?” And I ran out of adjectives.

We were driving down the freeway beside the Colorado River. The trees leading up into the mountains were alive with reds, yellows and greens- it was nothing I had seen before. As we drove through tunnel after tunnel, I taught Nathan how you hold your breath and arms and feet in the air when passing through the tunnels. We drove around each gentle curve of the mountain and felt almost a part of the nature surrounding us. Around one of the curves, we came upon a small town nestled at the foot of the ash tree covered mountains. This was the perfect place to pull over.

When we got out of our cars, I wanted to take a million of pictures, laugh, fall to my knees in worship of the Lord and His Beauty and sing at the top of my lungs all at the same time. Instead I cried. I stood on the side of a mountain, overlooking a sleepy town, with some of my dearest friends around me and cried because I knew my wildest imagination couldn’t create such beauty, such perfection. If we had to turn around right then and go home, I would have been happy. I cried because I felt this moment was only the beginning of many moments to come all throughout the week.

Colorado, Part Two: Hoe-and-tel Number 1

When we pulled up to the hotel in Mesquite, NV, we were all SO SO happy to see a nice hotel. I was also kind of excited to see the WalMart Supercenter down the street-I had always heard of this magical place and its discount groceries but never actually visited one. Quick, Bethany, what did you forget???

We checked in our three separate rooms and we all discovered the same thing at the same time:

Toddlers LOVE hotel rooms! They have beds to jump on, there is TV, a fridge just their size and since Mom and Dad are so distracted bringing bags up to the room, they can enter and exit on a whim.

Even if you are Lucy.
Even if both parents are in the room.
Even when the (defective) top lock has been done.

So Lucy got to know the hallway of our hotel really well and we only really lost her once.

It was time to swim. Lets see, we packed swimsuits for ourselves but forgot them for the kids so Lucy got to go in just her swim diaper and Nathan went in the pair of shorts he wore in the car that day. Couple that with the generally rumpled look David and I were sporting and we had a nice cross country redneck family look going.

We had a good swim, knocked the chunks off in the outdoor shower and left the daddies to get the kids cleaned up so the mommies could go get some dinner. The guys planned to hit the buffet across the street for dinner so the rest of us were staying "home" with the kids so we "HAD" to go to Wal-Mart Super Center to get food for ourselves and the kids. It was everything I had imagined and MORE!

(For those of you keeping score at home, you can mark this moment as the moment that we officially stopped kidding ourselves that we could feed our kids healthy food while on a road trip.)

Once the food was purchased and kids fed, the 3 Mommies each tackled putting kids to sleep in a hotel in their own manner. Emmy used the straight on approach of laying Sophia down and then laying down with Alexis until she fell asleep. Kristen used the begging method of "Please, please, please Ben, go to sleep." I went with the tried and true method of hiding out in the bathroom with my laptop playing Spider Solitaire. After about 20 minutes of this, I got a text message from Kristen. Our texting conversation went something like this.

Kristen: I miss Chris

Me: Yeah, I kind of miss David…I just don't like sitting here in the bathroom

Kristen: I think mine is asleep, are yours?

Me: Yeah-mine are out. Hey, meet me in the hallway.

And that is how Kristen and Emmy and I ended up in the hallway of the Falcon Ridge Hotel in Mesquite, Nevada with coloring books and crayons in our pajamas. I would like to state, for the record, that Emmy is an amazing color-er! She used smudging and blending techniques that my Thomas the Tank Engine Coloring Book has never seen before. By the time the guys got back-and got over seeing their wives sitting out in the hallway of a hotel-we were slap happy but ready to sleep. Our bellies full of microwave oven dinners and our hubbies-smelling like smoke from the casino buffet!! Yuck.

Stay tuned for tomorrow installment of "Colorado Part Three" or "This Leg of the Trip Has Been Brought to You by the Curious George Movie!"

Colorado, Part One

Welcome Home to me.

We went to Colorado-Estes Park-with Kristen and Emmy and all our families. So if you do the math, that is 3 Daddies, 3 Mommies, 2 three and a half year olds, 1 two and a half year old, 1 one and a half year old and 1 one year old. All in 3 SUVs. But the great thing? I would do it again in a heart beat. I am so blessed with amazing friends all across the board. These friends especially are great. We all love each other equally, our hubbies love each other, we love each other's spouses....none of that, "If only he wouldn't bring his wife along" you know?

I haven't been on a vacation this size in 5 years when David and I went to Hawaii before kids and even then, we flew and had to pack very little clothes (hee hee, for more than one reason.) It was quite an ordeal getting ready for this vacation but now I am a pro at getting my kids to fall asleep in a hotel room, hacking into the hotel's wireless internet and feeding my children a full meal from the menu at a Texaco Food Mart. (Where is the QuickTrip when I need it Liz!?)

We left Friday Morning from Poway and about 10 minutes into the trip Nate the Great wanted to know if we were at our cabin in Colorado yet. (Poor kid and his warped sense of time: he thinks each day is actually two days when he takes a nap. So if he naps, and, upon waking up in the afternoon, tells you about what he did at school that day, he will tell you that he went to school yesterday, not today. He is living 730 days a year instead of the standard 365.) We tried to explain that it was going to take a few days to get there and we would be staying at 2 hotels (or a “hoe-and-tell” as he says it) before we got there.

We had radios lent to us by our neighbors so the three cars could communicate. That was fun. After many inappropriate discussions and odd trivia from Emmy’s husband Damon, we decided that the radios release any inhibitions you may possess that might prevent you to have such odd, disgusting-yet-hilarious conversations with each other. Regardless, the radios helped the trip move along quickly.

We hit Mesquite, Nevada that evening after a good number of hours on the road. We did a quick inventory:

2 kids
2 parents
45 hairs out of place
10 decibels of hearing loss (actually less than we expected)
192 crevices in the car filled with Cheez It crumbs, papaya snacks and Breakfast Bites
3 Cars full of happy, vacationing families.
1 Hotel Swimming Pool calling our names.

……………………Part 2 to soon follow……………………….

Rejoice in Tortillas Always and Again I Say Rejoice!

Members of the church of "Filling the Price Club Comment Box With Complaints About The New Stupid Rubio’s Tortillas Until They Wise Up and Bring Back Porkyland" we can rejoice. For when I visited my local Price Club, the tortillas of the Devil were nowhere to be seen.

Instead, I saw......

You may now return to your regular tortillas eating ways and this period in our short lived religion will be referred to-officially-as "The Dark Period."

Speaking of going dark, this blogger will be on a little vacation having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have. Of course, I will have to suffer baptism by fire (also known as 2 days of caravan-ing with 2 other families and 5 toddlers under the age of 3 1/2) before I reach my Promised Land (also known as Colorado) but this is a small price to pay for so much fun.

While I am gone, I leave you with 2 challenges (following in the footsteps of my Beloved AC.)

1. Hubby and I are looking for a name for our photography business. We would like it to be interesting and have maybe a second-and deeper-meaning. Since you all are deep people (I mean, you wouldn't call me your favorite blogger if you weren't. And I AM your favorite, RIGHT?!?!?) I thought maybe I would open the comments to some suggestions for a name. Please also explain the meaning. Whoever suggests one that we end up using will get a free photo session with yours truly (your favorite blogger, remember?)
2. I love haiku. It is an odd family obsession. My favorite kind of haiku is when it is about an unexpected subject. So that is your challenge...write an unexpected haiku. You may follow the standard 5-7-5 syllable format or-if you are feeling especially brave-try the 3-5-3 syllable format. For example:

Can of Diet Coke
Sitting here on my counter
Why are you empty?

So there you go! Let the fun begin!!