This was the first year we took the kids out Trick or Treating. So much fun.  Lots of great homes really decorated all out.  Sidewalks crowded with kids young and old.  Lots of fun.

Thought I'd recap the costumes in the past 3 years:
2007 - octopi
2008 - Holly Hobbie and a farmer
2009 - a lion and a kitty cat



  

I am a horrible person.  I said something mean to a 4-year old at my son's daycare.

When picking up the kids yesterday Zachary was playing with several boys from the various age groups.  An older kid took the car Zachary was playing with a wouldn't give it back.  Zachary asked him to share.  The kid said no.  Since I was standing right there, I suggested "Why don't you share the car with Zachary?"  The little snot sneered contemptuously  "I don't share with babies."  We were leaving anyway so I told Zachary to help me get his stuff from the cubby.  I turned to the kid and said meanly  "Only babies like you don't know how to share their toys."  And I felt bad the instant I said it.  The kid didn't react, and I surely hope I didn't hurt his feeling, but his bullying ways aroused the mama bear in me.  Plus I know the books suggest that kids need to learn to resolve such situations themselves.  I solved nothing by saying it.  I think I am the only one traumatized by the event LOL.  So bad.

I have totally resisted Facebook.  I like LJ.  I keep track of my friends in other ways (email, phone, real life).  And I swear there always seems to be an article each week about privacy abuses or invasive behavior from the Facebook sfotware.  Or how there is a new scam involving Facebook (i.e. "I'm stranded in London - wire me $800??").  So many of my friends and my sister keep bugging me to join.  And just when I think that maybe I am being too critical and ridiculous and probably should join... I get a flurry of emails today that seem to indicate that there is now a Facebook address with my email associated with it.  Maybe.  I can't tell.  I am afraid to click any of the links in these emails.  But they specially mention my email address and the friends have comments attached that a computer probably couldn't have made up.  But then again it is Facebook - it probably already knows what color underwear I am wearing.

Edit: These are different than the usual "Susie Jones has joined Facebook - You should too" emails.  But more "Susie Jones has added you as a friend" with a note that somehow references fun high school stuff Susie and I did together.

The kids were sick this past weekend, and now I am like the walking dead this week.  Since I had a vacation all last week, I feel particularly crappy asking for more days off, so I do my zombie shuffle to and from work...

Anyway a weird theme of topics today: LIFE and DEATH.

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of Mom's death.  God I love her and miss her so much.  She was the greatest grandma.  The kids hadn't hit their their first birthday when she was diagnosed.  They will never know her.  And she hardly got to enjoy them.  And dammit I miss my mommy. /sob  So many times I want to talk to her.  Share stories with the kids with her.  She would totally love the way they've grown. 

I found out today at work that my friend who was not in today a) was apparently pregant, just entering her second trimester, and b) when they went in to the ultrasound appt. last week bringing their son to hear the heartbeat for the firs time... there was nothing.  No heart beat.  I think what makes this particularly sad for me is that before the birth of their son, their first pregnancy was a tragedy.  Around the late 2nd trimester they got the horrible news that the pregnancy has gone horribly worng.  I can't remember what, but one of those deals where it would be impossible for the baby to live outside the womb.  Their choice: terminate now, or carry the pregnancy to the end (with really no hope.) What a horrible, horrible choice.  My heart bleeds for her today.

And because I live so close to where the Manson family ranch used to be, the news that Squeaky Fromme will be let go is interesting.  I think I am okay with it because she was not involved in the Tate/LaBianca murders, and the gun she had when she saw President Ford didn't have a bullet.  Then I hear the interview on NPR today with director John Waters pleading his case that Leslie Van Houten (sp?) who did do the horrible murders, deserves to be set free because she is a model citizen in jail.  Nope.  I don't think she deserves it.  I am glad she has reformed; but seriously no one involved with those murders should be let out.

Moral of the story?  ... I am hopped up on NyQuil so you will get nothing profound from me.  I probably should go to sleep. :)

The raised vegetable bed has been built.  Chicken wire underneath to (hopefully!!) thwart the gophers.

I cannot make up the odd things my children say: "Baby Jesus is not an egg."  Um... I guess that's one way of describing Him. LOL

Yay me.  At my mid-year review my boss said I was basically perfect.

Just read "Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff, Jesus' Childhood Pal" by Christopher Moore.  I laughed out loud while reading it.

This may be the first time a Harry Potter movie comes out and we don't see it the first day. :(

I haven't posted about the twins lately.  They are over 2 years old (28 months?  29 months? LOL I am starting to lose track of months as they
get older!).  Such big kids.  They LOVE LOVE LOVE their new tricycles.  And these things are really nifty with a tall handle on the back that
allows us to reach out and grab them if we need to in a hurry.  Going to a walk with them while they bike is just a blast. 

Potty training hasn't been too successful yet.  Every time I think they are ready, they seem to fight it.  When I give no pressure, they are
totally anxious to do it.  ::sigh::  Hopefully we'll have some successes in this soon.  I will admit this has been the one area of parenthood
that has been surprisingly difficult.  I know they will become potty trained eventually; you never see 28 year olds still unable to control
themselves!  In the meantime I am just doing what the books advise: be patient, be supportive, make the potty fun, watch and listen for signs that they are ready, etc. etc. etc. 

A new trick they started is holding each other's hands.  It is very precious.  When I took them to day care this morning, they were standing
in the chaotic classroom holding hands, looking unsure of what they should do just then. 

They are loving animals.  We got the annual pass to the Zoo and it has been worth every penny.  We started putting some pictures of animals on the wall and they talk to them all the time.  "Good morning, Rhino." "Good bye, Monkey. *kiss* "  And while they are great at discerning different animals, all bugs, insects and spiders fall under the name "ladybug".  So I dread what I will find when they hold their hand out to give me something while saying "Ladybug!"  It is never pleasant.  And it is never a ladybug. 

Some of the flowers have been growing and the kids are noticing them.  I look forward to when we start the vegetable garden (see previous post - no, we haven't started yet!) because I think the kids will love it!

I saw the news story about the kids who was suspended from his religious high school because he went to his girlfriend's public high school prom.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30669405/

I was surprised that the boy involved is surprised that his school reacted the way they did.  It is a Baptist school.  It is not like they made up the rules (no matter how silly they may seem) at that moment just to thwart him.  It is like those people who move right next to the airport, and then complain to the city about the noise.  Seriously, how did they expect the school would react?  And why is this news?  I went to high school 50 billion years ago.  And Faith Baptist was nearby and had similar rules.  Every year there was a kid who did the same thing about a dance or a concert or whatever, and is somehow shocked that the school comes down on them.

If the kid feels that strongly that the rules are wrong, then I applaud his efforts to do what is in his heart, but then he also needs to accept the consequences.

I need help. I’ve been itching to build a vegetable garden. Especially since the kids were born. But I feel overwhelmed when I look at my big sunny empty backyard and I think about the vegetable garden I want to build. I mention “empty” because we’ve never done any landscaping in the back. It is still the raw land from when we built the house a few years ago. So even though I know I am thinking about at first just a single raised bed of veggies, I think the large size of the yard is overwhelming me.

( My angst and my action plan... )

Fun weekend. Great seeing my sister and dad. As promised, pictures of the infamous sirek... [Edit: ugh too tired to resize. sorry!]
( Read more... )