Christmas with the Richardson's

Merry Christmas to you from The Richardson's

Chris, going to bed on Christmas Eve

re-setting the train tracks
this is the train set from Par-Ran

now, almost all of the kids have their very own LED headlamps
(I think we have 3 left to go)

Woody from Toy Story

Look, Santa assembled the train tracks when he delivered the presents!

goodies under the tree
I don't know how Mom & Dad did it with TEN kids!

One of the local farms has a spectacular light show, pony rides, Christmas antique barn, and more. Here are Mike and Chris next to Elvis!

"Family Traditions" in the Richardson household may be static...or not. We decide on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis. Some things, we love, and keep, such as mint juleps on Kentucky Derby Day; some things we take as often as we get them, such as luminarias on Christmas Eve in Albuquerque (complete with tamales, green chile, red chile, and more!), some things we change as quickly as the blink of an eye, such as what to do on vacations.

But, Christmas is a one of our favorites. The true meaning of Christmas is not lost on us, and we love to share.

Some of our traditions include:

Mike's Birthday

The lighting of the candles by Charles and Patrick

the HEAT of 47 candles = HOTNESS

I'm not sure he remembered to make a wish, it was getting so hot in the room

so dang hot, it MELTED most of the candles, some never had a chance!

2nd annual cookie exchange:

thanks to my beautiful cousin, Tina

these didn't make it to the exchange, but we made them on the same day, a family favorite: Spritz cookies

making the Snickerdoodles, Ginger Snaps and Spritz cookies at Grandma's house
one of my favorite parts of childhood...Grandma's house, farm and kitchen!
as it was and is for so many others...

after the exchange, the party at Grandma's included the girls (Tina, Ashley, Cathy), Chris and JR
JR & Chris can make some really good cookies!

Making Snowflakes from printer paper:

I've been making snowflakes since I was a teenager. Some years I've made a lot, some none at all. This year...a LOT! Sometimes they appeared on the ceilings of loved ones, sometimes they were left on desks, sometimes on walls, occasionally in the mail. On my last day of subbing for elementary school before the Christmas holidays started, I was able to teach 15 children how to make their own snowflakes. They did a great job!
We love snowflakes, especially the real ones!

Real Snowflakes: A White Christmas 2010!

Some years we are able to do, give and be exactly what we want. In recent years, we've had some "shifts" in our lifestyle and living arrangements. Not that any of that was bad, just different, and thus we adjust to match the situation. In our current apartment, we can only put up about half of our decorations, and we use a 6-ft artificial tree. When we eventually move to larger quarters, we'll shift that tree to Chris' bedroom and get a larger, live or cut tree. In years past, we've had 8 and 9-ft trees that we hunted for in the Cibola or Santa Fe Forests in NM.

Now, that was a fun tradition! Obtain a $10 permit for every family that was participating, all meet early on the Sat before Christmas, loaded up with hot chocolate, lunch and other snacks. Then, caravan to the forest and the hunting begins. Some years it was just 3 familes, other times there were up to 10. Each year was a new adventure and a blast. That's where, in the snow, that Chris got to make his first snow angel. He was 18 months old and he kept dropping to the ground and wouldn't help get himself up. We finally figured out he was copying his Papa and was making his own angel! I could write a long time on these adventures, especially on the "Charlie Brown" trees my husband would inevitably find, but that will have to wait for another time.

Christmas with a young'un sure makes things more magical. We did get him most of what he wanted on his Christmas list...oh, yes, the list he wrote back in June and then pinned to the wall until December! We did not get the PS3 gaming system. We just can't subscribe to getting children each and every gaming system. He has 2, plus the internet, and that's enough for a 7-yr old. Call us old fashioned or strict, but too much is too much. I love computer technology more than most, and I just can't do it. We grew up without ANY of these games, and we PLAYED outside! We used our imaginations and we played with our cousins and friends and others.

Apparently, also, there is more than one Pokemon DS game...who knew?! He only asked for 4 things, and I heard him telling someone that he didn't get the PS3 or a new Pokemon game, but it was ok. I asked him about the Pokemon, and that's when we found out there were multiple versions. He did get Woody and Buzz Light Year talking toys, as well as an assortment of other toys. We also got him the Mario Karts, a go-kart game for the Wii, that you can actually play with others outside of your home, including some of his out-of-town cousins.

Chris was so excited about Christmas, he kept a daily countdown. He has a custom-made Advent Calendar (proudly, it took 1st place in the St. Mary's and Calvert County Fairs this past fall) that we put goodies in for each day of the countdown. He used it every day, but didn't eat all of the goodies from each pocket. Looks like next year he'll be ready to have a new assortment of treats, including movie tickets, coins, and other fun items.

He's starting to ask more questions about Santa Claus and what's "real" and what's not. He's convinced that Papa is Santa, because he "looks like Santa" so we ask him where the suit, beard and sleigh would be, and he says it's magic.

Over the years, Santa has always paid a personal visit to Chris, in different settings and situations. When he was little, it was so easy. As he's grown, Santa has had to be a little more careful. When we lived in Albuquerque, Santa would always go to the nursing home, when our friend Gina would let her piano students perform a recital for the residents. He was quite the hit! One year, a little girl saw him walking down the hall and she kept following him until she got his attention...then she told him what she wanted and walked away quite content and smiling. I think she was about 4 years old.

Last year, Santa came by our place in the snow, and rang his bell from out by the Snowman. Chris didn't have any shoes on, so I had to carry him outside. He was pretty happy about that visit. This year...we had to be more careful.

So, after dropping the boys off at my sister's house, we headed to the storage unit to get his boots and change. When we were driving back to the house, we passed an SUV of 5 high school teen boys from the local high school. We both recognized all of them, but their names blanked on us until after it was all over. They were yelling and laughing and calling out to Santa, saying they had all been good boys, and what was he going to bring them. Santa yelled back, and it was quite fun. Imagine what they would have said if he had called out their names. So close! One was Javonte, not a common name. That would have freaked them out!

Part of our new tradition is to visit the young ones of some friends. This year, Papa Santa paid a neighborly visit to a 3- and 5-yr old of friends of ours, and they were quite surprised and excited. Last year, they were scared and not sure what to do. This time...they were expecting him! It was a fun visit for all of them.

When done at Quarter and Zowey's house, he made an extra stop at Aunt Becky's house. He got out of the car, ran down the street and banged on the front door. Then, he opened the door, stuck his head in and gave a boisterous "Ho, Ho, Ho!"... and then ran away! He and Mama Claus were smart, so they thought, and had called ahead to request that all the boys (Chris and his cousins, Nathan and Scotty) ALL had their shoes OFF for Santa's visit. You know, Santa isn't so young anymore, and he was prepared to run away fast. Well, we all did our parts, including Aunt Becky.

But then...the neighbors saw Santa running and they said, "Hey, Santa! Can you do that for our daughter?" What could he say? He said yes, and then there he was...on their front porch, next door to the house where the boys were all playing so quietly and innocently. Next to where these same boys were all frantically looking for their boot and coats, and, apparently, a bat, bb gun, and Wii controller, to go outside and search for this Santa!

Santa, in the meantime, was talking to little 3-yr old Elaina, while she sat on his lap and her parents took pictures. The clock was ticking. Tick Tock, TICK TOCK!!! His get-away ride was waiting around the corner, to prevent any sort of recognition by the clever and quick boys, and the driver was on the phone with Aunt Becky...both wondering where the heck Santa had gotten to. Next thing I knew, the boys were on the loose, and then Santa was on the run! He made it to the car just in time, before the boys made it around the corner. They drove away laughing true belly laughs, while Santa had to attempt to get his breath back. When Aunt Becky called us, while we were "shopping" several miles away, the boys demanded evidence that we weren't around. She had told them she was talking to Uncle Charlie, and they seemed content that we weren't around. Too funny.

That's a tradition that will keep evolving. As soon as I can find the right material, I'm going to make him an old-fashioned/traditional Santa Suit, and get him a much better beard. Then, a Mrs. Claus suit for Mommy. When Chris is old enough, he'll become one of the elves, for as long as he wants to play.

We also tell Christopher about the Baby Jesus and we have nativity sets in our house, including in his bedroom. More then anything, he is taught the spirituality of the Meaning of Christmas, in taking care of others, in loving others, and in doing the right thing. He has a big heart, and I love to watch as he changes with each year and each Christmas.

And with that, Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

Love and Peace to All of You

Puppies in Harpers Ferry, WV

UPDATE: Looking for WV Buddies Rescue?
Click here for more info!

There are some things and situations in life that are blessings, and which benefit long after the fact. Taking care of rescue "puppies" (because they are not all technically "puppies" but we treat them like they are all special puppies) at WV Buddies in Harpers Ferry, WV, is one of those opportunities that I truly appreciate.

To learn more about the available pets at WV Buddies, check out this link:
WV Buddies

Sure, it's a LOT of poop picking up. And sometimes there is vomiting or worse, or administering medicines, finding the pups that may escape or get pushed off the deck (silly Joppy!). Sometimes the ones we give love to are not alive the next time around, and that's hard. Even watching them for only a few days creates a lasting bond with each of them. I'm very grateful that our little guy gets to also help take care of them, as well. We have our own dog, Maya. She's a geriatric Akita that we've had for 10 years. That makes her 11 or 12 or 13...we're not sure. She's our beautiful girl, full of personality, but definitely her "OWN" personality, lol! She doesn't run. She doesn't play. She lays around, loves to go for walks, and just recently she can be off leash sometimes. She doesn't like any other animals, except when Dean takes her and introduces her to pregnant German Shepard mommas and walks them together. But, she's ours to the end. As such, Chris never really knew what puppies could do until he's been exposed to other dogs at the houses of friends and family. The best doses of dogs has been at Dean's rescue.

Most recently, he got to play with the frisky and fun 12-wk old puppies, Jake and Elwood. He loved playing with them, and they loved to clean the food off his face, so it worked out.



(Unfortunately, I can't put up many other pictures from this visit yet, as they are all on my camera. Since someone stole the battery and charger for my camera from the public library last week, I have to wait for the replacements to arrive next week. Sigh. Some of the pups are just SO cute!)

Here are some other pictures, all taken by Dean of WV Buddies:

The last time we were there, we took care of 19 dogs, plus our own dog, Maya, and their 2 kitties, Venus and Zander. Here are a few of the bunch we got to know better:

Unfortunately, little Titan below did not make it. We fed him baby food and held him a lot, but he was just too sick and left for Rainbow Bridge a few days after our visit. He really tried, and he was so sweet. He just wanted to be cuddled, sweet little guy.

Miss Queenie, below, is pretty amazing. First, she is the one that Dean took for a walk with our old girlie, Maya. And they BOTH were great together! I wouldn't have ever bet on that, just amazing...as in TRULY amazing!!!!
Queenie came to the rescue the week of Thanksgiving, fully pregnant. During our stay, she showed that she had lied on all areas of her resume. She actually likes kids, other dogs, loves women, likes men, and is very gentle. Whenever we had her out of her crate, she took up residency on the couch between Chris and I.
She had 8 puppies about 10 days after we left town. She started the deliveries on her favorite spot: on the living room couch! Of her puppies, 5 are thriving and 1 is being nursed by a surrogate mother. Two were not as fortunate, but despite those losses, she is a great mother. We are glad this will be her last pregnancy.

five of Queenie's puppies:


If you know of anyone looking to give a dog a forever home, please get in touch with Dean at WV Buddies. If he doesn't have a dog that would work for your family, he knows someone else who does.

Peace and Love to you all!

Missing Teeth!

Chris has lost THREE teeth in the past 8 days, with one more showing as a little loose. He lost one on Sat, then at school on Wednesday then Thursday morning. Poor Tooth Fairy, she almost overlapped with Santa's scheduled visit!

On Saturday, I was leaving in the morning to work with a high school student on her classwork when Christopher stopped me. He said, “Look, Mommy, my tooth is loose!” Mind you, he has not lost a baby tooth for over a year now. I checked it and did not think it was that loose. Mike called me less than an hour later to tell me that the Tooth Fairy was coming by that night. While on the phone, Christopher walked through and asked him who he was talking to about his tooth. Being the prankster that he is, he told Chris that he was talking TO the Tooth Fairy! Of course, you can guess what happened next! Chris asked to talk to me, and was immediately handed the phone. I’m not the radio DJ in the household, I cannot just disguise my voice at will, and certainly not enough to fool a curious and determined 7-yr old. Especially a 7-yr old who is asking more and more questions about Santa! Thanks, Mike! I did my best, and think I actually pulled it off on the phone, by not saying much, and by being very squeaky. I’m just glad no one was recording or listening in at the moment, not one of my best, I assure you. It satisfied the little guy, and he was pleased that the Tooth Fairy talked to him and was going to come by that night.

And visit she did. She almost forgot, given that Mommy and Papa were TIRED. But, the switch-a-roo was performed, replaced with a dollar bill, several quarters and at least one or two of the other coins. The idea was to have him count it up. Now that he’s in 2^nd grade, he’s able to add and count up bigger numbers, and is getting pretty good at recognizing and counting coins.

In the morning, he climbed into bed with us, not remembering about his tooth. Then, when I asked him how his mouth was feeling where his tooth used to be, he jumped up and raced out of the room. We heard him excitedly exclaim that, “The Tooth Fairy was here!” “She left me some money!” Then we didn’t see him again for a little while, as he turned on the TV and played some cartoons. When we later asked him how much he got for his tooth, he said, “Oh, it was a dollar and some coins.” “Really, well, how much? Didn’t you count it?” “No, I put it in my bank already.” So Mike asked him if he could remember how much he got, and he repeated it was the dollar and a quarter and a few dimes. “That’s probably about it.”

He’s rather diligent about putting all of his money in his piggy bank. He’s a chip off the old Par-Ran block, his grandfather in California!

So, days go past, and he comes home on Wednesday with a miniature blue treasure chest that measured less than an inch wide and tall, and less than a half inch deep. Safely inside was his 2^nd loose tooth that came out while at school. A tradition at his elementary school is to go to the nurse, get tissue to stop the bleeding, get a treasure chest, then get your name put on the Missing Tooth Hall of Fame. Now, he has his own name on a tooth sticker on the wall. I never even knew this wall existed until by chance another student was admiring his own name on it just a week earlier. Now, the tooth fairy ALMOST forgot to stop by on this night, having gone to bed too late, and being tired to start with. Good thing she woke up at around 4 AM and resolved the problem.

Again, Chris climbs into bed with us around 6 am and goes back to sleep. When he wakes up around 8 am, he remembered that his tooth had fallen out, so off he hurries back to his bedroom. He counted his money this time, telling us right away that he got $1.78! And then, clunk, clunk, it goes into his piggy bank right away! No playing around for this little guy!

Christmas break has begun, so there’s no school from Thursday until January 3^rd. Before we know it, Chris has come back into our bedroom and said, “Mommy, I had my finger in my mouth, and saw another tooth was loose. Look, it also fell out!”

Now, this child brushes his teeth at least twice a day. He’s very diligent about his responsibilities, and is somewhat of a germ-a-phobe. I know he’s not loosening his teeth on purpose, it’s just a coincidence that they all loosened at the same time, especially after a very long hiatus since the last tooth. The three teeth that came out are all in the same place on either side of his mouth, just to the right and left of his top and bottom front 4 teeth. I checked the last of the quad, only to find that it, too, is also loosening. Not as loose at the last one I checked, but I won’t be surprised if it also comes out in the next week or so.

The Tooth Fairy now has a well traveled path to our door now, and she gladly came by to leave a small gift for Chris, in exchange for his 3^rd tooth. She left in, like all the others, in a plastic baggie. She also, apparently, put a few presents under the tree that had arrived during the day through various venues. They were presents from friends to Chris. He was already getting more and more hyped up in anticipation for Christmas Eve, for when Santa would be here. When he woke up to find new things under the tree, he was beside himself and kept asking us if he could open them up. We told him he could open them on Christmas Eve, but not at that time.

His money from the Tooth Fairy…is STILL under his pillow. We asked him what he got, because he had checked and did tell us that morning that she had come by. He was so distracted by the presents, that he either forgot to go back and check his treasure, or he made a decision to let it sit there for awhile. I checked this morning, and it is still there, all rolled up, under his pillow. In his defense, we did go out all day on the 24^th and 25^th, and he was up way past his bedtimes for the past 3 days. That is something he has a hard time with, changes in his routine. So, we’ll let him leave his money there until he’s ready to go get it. What’s he going to do with it, anyway? I’m guessing…put it in his piggy bank!

Now when we were kids…we used to get a quarter, dime, nickel and some pennies for each of our teeth. And that kind of big change wore a hole in our pockets!

Sigh, each day and each adventure, he makes us shift our paradigms.
We love our little guy, Chris! Pretty special and unique, that’s for sure!

Crabbing with chicken necks

On a whim and a chance invitation, we joined my sister Becky and her family to go crabbing off a Down County pier, using chicken necks, string, and crab nets. I haven't gone crabbing in forever, it seems, and this was Christopher's first time. We caught 12 total keepers, not mentioning the fiesty and bold little ones that held on for dear life since they knew they got a free toss back into the river. Of the dozen, Chris caught 4! He was very proud of himself!

When we were all done, we cleaned up and the guys all decided that they were coming over to our house to cook the crabs and eat them, including another nephew that had joined us half way through. Now, our place is on the tiny side for now, so it was interesting how we managed to fit everyone in AND find room to put a table that was covered and ready for crabs! But, we did, and it was GOOD!

I would like to write more, such as how excited Chris was as he learned by trial and error just how hard to pull on the string so he didn't lose the crab, and more, but it's way past my bedtime! Will write more later.

In the meantime, it's bedtime for sure. We're embarking on a road trip half way across the country in the morning, to visit Grandma Nick, who just turned 90. And also, for a family reunion on Sunday. It promises to be a lot of fun, to visit with Dad's side of the family, and we are looking forward to the trip. We are almost ready to leave, with only 3 more chores that need to be done in the morning. One of which, is vanity-driven (not even gonna talk about my hair, y'all!) but a necessity at this point, so we will likely leave closer to 10 instead of the original plan of 6 am. It's all good. We're stopping half way to visit my first roommate, and awesome friend, Sherry. Unfortunately, her family won't be there on the way out, but we'll still have fun.

Oh, and we counted...it's only 45 more days until school starts back! Where did the past 3 weeks go so quickly? And for those of you shopping for supplies, the back to school specials started this week. Time to stock up on glue, crayons, etc., for a fraction of the costs for later in the year. Hmmm, 20 cents for a pack of crayons now, or $1.99 later on? I'll do the 20 cents, thank you very much!

G'nite all, and happy July!

Thinking of you, Mom

Today is the 3rd anniversary of when you left your physical body to live in the bliss of your spiritual self. Three years, I can't believe I am sitting here saying the words to myself.

Lots of things have happened in the past 3 years, and yet I find myself marking time by July 9, 2007. It's strange how we edit our lives and milestones and arrange counting of events. For example, I know that Grandma is 83 years old this month...because she turned 80 and her party was exactly one week after your funeral. It's been 3 years since I finished my bachelor's degree...because that was the last day of my last class when Theresa called me and time stood still. Three years since I knew for certain that I hate police scanners, well, because that's how your mother found out that her daughter had died. Darryl is 32 years old this year, now that was a hard one for me, back in 2007, when your baby turned 30. I think I was more emotional about it than he was. The first of many milestones that we felt you'd be missing in our lives.

For, our Mom's are supposed to always be there. We take you for granted, knowing you're always there. And then you checked out and left us all alone in this world. This sounds so melodramatic, and so be it. Lots of emotions, discoveries, epiphanies, realizations, and more have passed through me and others by the mere experience of each new day, but with more emphasis as we all get used to you "not being there".

As you well know, I am fully aware that you "ARE THERE" for us and around us. All of us. I feel you and your love and presence in many ways that I was blind to prior to your transition. What a gift for us to be able to realize how blessed we truly are each and every day. A gift that many of us continue to ignore and/or neglect.

I know that you have helped me and countless others from "the other side" and I want to tell you that I appreciate your presence. I appreciate your sense of humor. I appreciate that you helped me with the first 43 years of my life, and taught me more things than I could possibly give you due credit for. For example, I had fun canning peach jam this week with Tina...and during that and each time I put up jars in canning, it reminds me so much of the times we canned together, or when you did all the work when we were too little to help. And let me tell the world, you canned a LOT of jars each year! Each time I use the peeling knife I got from your stash, it makes me think of you. Christopher remembers you in his prayers each night. From time to time he tells me that he misses you and wishes he could go visit you. I tell him he can talk to you anytime, anywhere. He likes that.

The family has gone through changes in the past 3 years, many in ways I could never have predicted. Some changes are better, some were unexpected and difficult, and some continue to surprise me. The difference now is that I am not scared of how any of that will play out anymore. "Que sera, sera" Which also reminds me of you...the kiddie records you'd stack up and play for us when were little. That was one of my favorite songs. I was very excited to hear a newer version of it a couple of years ago, by a band called Pink Martini. Very beautiful rendition.

Two weeks ago I ran over a large frog as I drove home. It was unintentional, but darn it, when it rains, the frogs just come hopping out like crazy critters! Then, the thought occurred to me that perhaps you wanted a frog to play with, so this one chose me to run over it and send it your way. Brought a feeling of comfort and a smile to me.

I think I have changed a lot in the past 3 years also, due to many circumstances, but the most pivotal one being "your day" of July 9th. Weird things have happened, and, of course, not much of what we had planned has worked out according to plan. But, it's okay. The feelings of comfort and content in knowing that the present and future are all okay is what keeps me going. I'm sure that you play a role in helping me and anyone else who is open to your energy, to make it to the next step on a daily basis.

So, I want to thank you for this day, and for the many more to come. This may have sounded like a rambling, for I have to be honest, there is a lot more on my mind, but suffice it to say that I appreciate and love you, and am glad that you are my Mom. I'm glad we had the time we did, and I look forward to continuing our relationship.

Dear Santa...Oops, we're 6 months too early!

It's exactly 6 months until Christmas, and our little guy decided tonight to start his letter to Santa!
It took him several tries, because, well, the "rules have changed now...you're going to be in 2nd grade in 62 days". He started with "Dear Santa, I want..."

So, we let him know that it is not nice to start letters with "I want" for anything. Be polite, interesting, ask about something you want to know about, or something that interests the other person. So he tried again, and had to go back. Not without a little fussing, it seems that he had already made 7 tries so far with the latest edition he gave us. Back to the drawing board, and then next he came back with "Dear Santa, I think Mommy wants a Barby" and more about how are the reindeer and phonetic spellings for how he's putting out carrots for them. Then another letter to Santa for Papa, asking for a paint gun for him. Mind you, all of these requests are on the drawing paper from his easel, pulled out long and folded.

When it was time for bed, I had to laugh when I entered his room. You could see where he had been sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, with all the papers, pens, and discards all around him in a circle. The camera is in the car, so it'll have to wait till the morning, but that was amusing for me. Considering that he is a bonafide neat freak, it's fun to see him in an artistic mode where the neatness is forfeited for the moment.

And what does Chris want from Santa? Oh, not much, just: a Playstation 3 and games to go with it, Pokemon game for his DS system, and both a Buzz Lightyear and Woody figures from the new Toy Story 3. He recently saw the 1 and 2 versions of the movie, so he's anxious to see #3. He doesn't usually ask us for toys, and usually finds a few favorites to play with, and is easy to deal with for sharing with his cousins. In fact, in the almost 7 years he's been with us, we can count on our hands the number of times he's ever asked us for specific toys.

But now the rules have changed for Santa. We almost feel guilty in advance about "Santa" except I have to say that I will Aways Believe in Santa, so we'll help him transition when the time comes. In the meantime, he'll have to practice his letter-writing techniques, since he's insisting on starting his list exactly 6 months early. He did take his best version and post it on the wall in our living room, so we see it each time we pass by to our bedroom...now that is funny to me. Not so subtle, but funny!

Now, about the movies. Sigh. We "used" to go to the movies in Albuquerque on a regular basis. See, there's a "dollar movie" theater there where you can see new movies that have been out for about 6 months up on the big screen for a whopping $1 to $1.50 per person! The theater is clean, popcorn is regular priced but good, and it was convenient. Now, where we live not...not so much. The theater is old, sometimes clean, not open during the week during the school year, and pricey. Sorry, but not going to pay $50 for 3 of us to go to the movies a couple of times a month under these conditions. So we don't go, we are now on the cycle where movies we haven't seen are not hitting the DVDs and Netflix.

But today...we offered to Chris to take him to the movies to see Toy Story 3 in LIEU of going to see his little cousins in No. VA tomorrow. He said, "no thanks. I want to go play with my cousins." Now, that might have been mean to make him decide, but we already knew the answer, he wasn't about to miss going to see his girl, Skye! She is turning 3 this month, and is, hands down, his favorite! He's been saving a barbie doll for her from our toy box for almost 2 years now, since we forgot to take it to her the last time. On the Wii, he created an avatar for her. He made her "little" because she's just a little girl. Whenever we play baseball, well, there goes Skye! He hasn't made an avatar for anyone else, just her. Today, when we went shopping for her birthday present, he knew he wanted to get her something pink, her favorite color. He found a pink etch-a-sketch, and that was the end of searching. I tried to get him to look at other options, and he was determined that she would love the etch-a-sketch. Well, who wouldn't? And a pink one! On the way home from the store, he did suggest that we go to the movies tonight, since we didn't have time tomorrow. How considerate, to be thinking of alternatives. Maybe we'll drive to one of the malls next week and attend a matinee. In the air conditioning, because I gotta tell you, it's been HOT this month!

In the meantime, I have to go finish cutting cucumbers for refrigerator pickles for a bbq tomorrow at his cousin's house. I'm making homemade hamburger rolls for the first time for this set of relatives, so that will be fun. Mike is marinating baby back ribs, and has already made his own NC-style bbq sauce, which is Great! The folks who will be attending are a lot of fun, so we're looking forward to the day. Gonna drive up in the am and then plan to return at night.

And now, I'll try to get up early enough to take a picture of Chris' room before he cleans it up.

Happy Summer 2010
May it be awesome for you and for all of us!

Only 65 days left until school starts back up

Want to know how we know this?
It's not what you think! No, we're not trying to rush through the summer. Not trying to get our little guy back in school so he won't be with us. He's not having a bad time, or trying to get away from us.

He's a 2nd grader now! He CAN'T wait to be an official 2nd grader...which, to a "literal man" means that you have to go to a classroom and start doing 2nd grade work.

He has asked us every day since school got out last Thursday about "when do I go back to school?" We thought he was having trouble with the concept of the month, even though he does know days, weeks, and months, as in understanding how long they last. He wants to be a 2nd grader.

Oh, and today...is the First Day of Summer!
Summer Starts Today!
It's The Longest Day of the Year!

We love our Literal Man.

And now, please excuse me as I go and make a summer calendar of activities so he has other activities to look forward to, besides just going back to school again.
Please, let's enjoy as much of the next 65 days as possible, let these days be productive and educational, in a fun way.

Happy First Day of Summer!

Happy Father's Day to all you Dads!

Happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there! I hope this finds you all enjoying your day and your weekend. Really, each and every day is a father's day, where you can celebrate the reason(s) you can this your day. Whenever I look at our little guy, I remember all the reasons why I love being a mommy (yes, even on the challenging days/moments) and I imagine that there are those moments for all you guys, as well.

Remembering those little fingers and little toes. Feedings and diaper changings at all times of the day and night. Toddling to running, and then taking the bus the first day of school. Okay, I get it, the women typically get more choked up at the changes in milestones, the events that make our little people grow up on us. But, tell the truth, I'm sure that you guys also get a little emotional at times.

Then, today, our little guy brought in his Papa's 7th Father's Day by picking up a book that he put on hold at the public library (on his own, mind you. I found out it was on hold when I got the email notice that it had arrived), and then by reading almost the entire book in one day. "The Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is apparently not on the shelf of his school library, perhaps because it uses the words "dumb", "stupid", "idiot" and more, that are not allowed in schools. On the way back from the Farmer's Market, he started to read his book. While we started to build scarecrows at our shared/family garden, he sat in the chair and read it for almost 2 hours. In the car on the way home after dinner with my brother and his girlfriend, he turned on the overhead light and read some more. Then, once home and changed into his pajamas, he read some more. Made it to page 151 before we told him he had to put it down and go to bed. He's had books in the past that he didn't want to stop reading, but this is his first book on his own that he just couldn't put down. Not sure how many more actual pages he has left to go, but he's about 2/3 of the way done now. What a nice gift for his Papa, the love of reading!

For his actual present to Mike, well that's a funny story. Mike bought himself a new watch about a month ago, to replace his several broken ones that have seen better days. He left it under Chris' pillow that day, with a note that basically said that Chris could decide to keep the watch for himself, or he could save it for his dad for Father's Day. He found the note and watch under his pillow when he was getting in bed in his top bunk for the night. He read the note, and without hesitation, he decided to save it for Father's Day. He slept on top of the packaged watch and note for several days before he would agree to move it to a new location, which was a bin with clothes in it. We put it on the bottom, so it would be hidden. Mike had entered the room to help Chris change his bedsheets that day, and Chris almost got caught with the present under his pillow. He told Mike he had to leave the room for a few minutes, and when Mike asked "why?" he told him "It's none of your business!" I think he panicked and couldn't think of what to say, which if funny, because he's never at a loss of words. Well, that's when we moved the present to a bin. Which brings us to tonight. He's going to bed and I remind him that tomorrow is Father's Day, so he'll need to give Papa his present in the morning, after we wrap it. He says it's still hiding, and that's when he tells me that he had moved the present awhile ago! Hmmm, I wonder where, so I ask him. He peeks over the top end of his bunk bed, and says, "down there, under the air mattress." We have a queen-sized air mattress in the corner of his room, only there because it has a leak and we need to inflate it back up this week so we can repair the leak. He apparently put the watch package under the bottom layer of the mattress. This wouldn't normally be a problem...but Mike and I both have stepped on the mattress to help make up his bed! I quickly grabbed the watch package and found it was a little banged up, but fortunately, no broken watch face or band! How lucky!

Father's Day will be fun for us, because we are going to take it easy and enjoy the entire day. Might go out, might not. Not sure. Might go fishing, maybe a softball game, not sure.

May you all enjoy your Father's Day and each and every day!

Updated: we slept in -- YAY!!!!
then, Chris brought Papa his gifts he had been hiding and making
while I was doing dishes, Christopher finished his book he had just gotten yesterday. as he says, "it has 217 pages and I read all of them in one day!" I'm amazed, and also excited that he loves to read.
called a few folks, including my Dad, to wish them a good day.
then headed out to a softball game / bbq with the brothers and sisters and some friends at a nice public park from about 2 until almost 7 pm. it was nice to play softball again, and to watch Christopher try to hit a softball for the first time ever. I even hit the ball a few times, which made me happy since it's been Years since I played on the co-ed team in Alexandria, VA.
went back home in time to catch the recorded interviews and coverage from the previous weekend's demolition derby, as showed on "Weekend Sports" on channel 50. they showed most of the guys, including our nephew, Patrick, who is a new driver. I had never seen a demo derby until last Spring. it's not "my thing" but I will say it was entertaining, especially since they guys usually don't get hurt.

and now, time for bed.
I think Mike had a good day, too!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to All the Mom's Out There!

We celebrate all weekend, what fun! Today we got up early, got some plants from a plant swap, and then did yard work with Marti. Mike and Chris played t-ball, as Chris practiced hitting and even tried to hit left-handed. I love how he likes to play outside and that he likes to play with Mike so much.

I took a nap, which was welcomed and long overdue, but especially appreciated today. Feeling more than a little uncomfortable and exhausted, due to cramps I woke up feeling so much better. Mike then went to the store and picked up a charcoal grill and cooked steaks, asparagus, and portabello mushrooms, as potatoes with onions and garlic baked in olive oil in the oven. Christopher stayed outside with Mike while he was cooking, and we all enjoyed talking and hanging out around the grill and having dinner. Chris said he was a little cold, so he got a blanket and wrapped it around himself while he was waiting patiently. After dinner, he asked me if he could cuddle up in my lap, which made my heart sing. I have come to realize that I can no longer pick him up and carry him around, as he's gotten too big...it makes me happy how he's growing, but sad how I have to let go of one more "baby" thing. He often sits next to me to cuddle, but it was extra special that he wanted to get in my lap while we were outside. And then, he fell asleep. Awww. That almost never happens these days, that he falls asleep before being sent to bed. How nice it happened this way for my weekend with the guys. Truly makes my heart sing!

Chris made me something at school for Mother's Day, but he's been very good a keeping his secret after his initial disclosure this week. We have a rule in the family: "there are no secrets in our family" and since he is "Literal Man" he almost let the cat out of the bad earlier. I had asked him how his day went, and what did he do in school, so he told me that his class made something for all the moms. "It's a ...." he started to say, so I told him that he's supposed to tell me that it's a secret, which is when he reminded me about how we have no secrets in our house. So, there I was explaining to him the difference between a secret for a surprise, vs. a secret that is inappropriate. I tell you, every day is a learning experience with this little guy, I love it!

After we sat outside and talked for awhile, listening to music, Mike took him and put him in his top bunk. He was able to say most of his evening prayers before he drifted back to his solid slumber. Before he fell asleep earlier, he asked me where his backpack was, because he wanted to be sure to get his special present out first thing in the morning. I'm not even going to peek in his backpack! What fun it will be in the morning!

As for this weekend being a special day, I have to say, it's nice to have a day of our own, but it's really not just "our" day. There are so many levels of relationships out there, so many women who deserve to be honored, so many who have had an impact on each of us...how can we squish it all into one day? We celebrate for the whole weekend, and we make it a family even in our house. I also like to call several others to tell them Happy Mother's Day...my grandmothers, a couple of friends, my sisters, and several others.

Besides feeling emotional all week due to PMS (sorry, guys, I know this subject is considered TMI, but dammit, it hurts, it's uncomfortable, it's predictable, it makes some of us crazy), it's also the 3rd year without Mom in person. I know she's still around me, I know I can talk to her, but I do really miss her some days so much it makes me emotional and then I remember the good times. It's easier to meet the milestone days, birthday holidays and anniversary days, especially with a growing appreciation of all that is and all that will be...but it still hurts. Sigh.
And now, time for bed so I can sleep in tomorrow and continue this awesome weekend.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!
And to all the Mom's out there!

More Serendipity, Lovin' It!

A wonderful anniversary...Adoption Day!

Our little guy is quite the flirt, and he found this beauty walking around at the courthouse, waiting for her turn for her legal adoption. Before we knew it, he had grabbed her hand and wanted to walk her up and down the hallway for quite awhile. That's her mom on the left, and his attorney, Sheila, on the right. He had just learned to walk a month or so before, and was quite good at it, but he had on his new cowboy boots and had a hard time not slipping in them on the tiled floor. Otherwise, we are convinced he would have been walking with his new friend without any adult support, lol!

So, we celebrated our little guy's adoption day by taking him to the only Mexican restaurant in town, and he loved it! We do something special with him each year, and will likely make it bigger each year as he understands more and more how much he means to us and how we love having him in our family.

When we got home, Mike put on his nightly show, Jeopardy, from a recording earlier. It's celebrity week, so some of the questions are a little easier for the rest of us non-fast thinkers. Well, on this special day, we had several personal references from the answers on Jeopardy tonight, including:

Senator Diane Feinstein of California is the aunt of the judge who signed our adoption papers, Judge Feinstein! On the day of his adoption, we had commented on her relationship to the senator, and used that as our way to remember the name of the judge who helped change our lives on this monumental, ceremonial day.

under the category of "yellow" was the New Mexico flag -- where we have lived the longest with our son (4 yrs for him, 15 for us)

Neil Patrick Harris was one of the contestants, a native of NM, and he is the one who answered the flag question

We've been talking about and picking one of my favorite local flowers....the buttercup. In fact, I just gave a bunch of buttercups to both Mike and Chris about a week ago. Not only was the picture of the buttercup easily identified by Chris, but it was not correctly answered by any of the 2 contestants

Now, we don't live our lives according to what happens on Jeopardy, that would be dumb. It is rather odd and amusing, since we do watch the show every day, that on two particular days in the past month, the answers on the show are randomly and yet very closely related to something not as pertinent to the day as it was by showing up today.

It was a good day!

Science in Schools

This, fresh in from Facebook. A recent entry by my sister-in-law's 8th grade daughter, Bailey:

"Today was so cool in science! We got to disect owl throw up. My partner saw animal bones like shrews and birds and that kind of stuff. It felt wierd to touch the bones. So gross!"

What can I say (besides "eww!") but that's some funny, funny stuff....

A Serendipitous Day

Perhaps it happens more than we notice, but a Serendipitous Day is just a fun day, no matter how you look at it. It happened mostly around me, but I was glad to get to be a witness to the fun.

Here we go:

Last night I was flipping through a book about the Amish community, and came across a picture of a group of folks who were watching the filming of the movie "Witness" -- in a town called "Intercourse, PA". I just thought it amusing to see all the folks, a combination of Amish and non-Amish, looking on in a town with such an unusual name. Particularly since the Amish are known for their simple living, a contradiction to the name of the town. I turned to show the picture to Mike, and read the description to him. He was putting away his cell phone, plugging it in before we went to sleep, when he noticed he had received a message from a friend who had just visited us on Sunday from San Diego, CA. Ira was now in Pennsylvania and had sent Mike a picture message -- with the town sign of "Intercourse, PA" and "Intercourse Community Park". How Funny and what odd timing. In all these years, I don't think I ever noticed there was a town called Intercourse, and yet here it appeared 2x, from 2 separate sources, in less than a minute apart.

Next,
In the morning, Mike woke up to tell me that he had just had "really weird dreams last night." He said he dreamed about The Beatles, except Paul McCartney was the only one missing. They were all just jamming to music. He rarely tells me about his dreams, as he says he usually doesn't remember them in the morning. Mike was headed to Waldorf for a class he currently teaches. After that, he headed to the Leonardtown HS to hopefully pickup books for a home teaching student. When he arrived at the counselor's office...he found her walls covered with posters of The Beatles!

Mike and Chris went home before me, and I stopped by the grocery store to get something for dinner and a few other items. He asked me to get something to go in the oven, preferably a pizza or two. The store I was in had limited options, so I picked up a DiGiornio, as well as two other smaller pizzas, labeled "Mystic Pizza". My cousin at the checkout line mentioned the movie by Julia Roberts called "Mystic Pizza", but I don't remember ever seeing it. It's a movie from the early 80's. Well, while we were sitting down enjoying the first pizza, Mike also mentioned the movie and insisted that I've seen it before. Despite how I can't always remember the names of movies I have seen, that one did not sound familiar. So, he did a search on the cable system, and found that the movie was playing AT the Moment we were discussing it, it had just started about 15 minutes before.

Finally,
When I put the first and second pizzas in the oven, I had asked Mike to set his timer on his phone. His phone allows him to choose various ring tones, so he chose the lyrics from Prince's song "1999" as the alarm. Well, on Jeopardy, there was a category for interesting or odd Prime numbers...where the answer to one of the questions was the same selection of lyrics that Mike had chosen for the alarm, just a mere 10 or so minutes prior to the viewing of Jeopardy.

Now, I'd have to say that this has been one heck of a Serendipitous Day, if I ever saw one!
Too cool!

New Days, new beginnings

Everyday brings new surprises.
Much of the past two years...more junk than good.
But, Finally...a breath of fresh air!

Here's to good choices, good people, good days, the best of everything.
I'm optimistic, and I know in my heart that things are finally turning around.

It's about time.

You're Be-autiful!

Today, I had about 45 "free" minutes to myself...so I splurged and went to Starbucks! Splurged...cause it just costs too dang much for the drinks there. And, I don't drink coffee (don't like it, never have, in fact -- never even drank a cup of it my entire life!), so what the heck! Truth is, they have this awesome Chai Tea Frappachino that I really, really like. So much so, that I think I've finally figured out how to duplicate it at home. Use evaporated milk, honey not sugar, brewed chai tea, and ice, all in the blender. Or just iced. Topped with cinnamon, and whipped cream, if you have it.

After I ordered my drink, I went to wash my hands. Okay, besides just wanting clean hands, I'd spent the previous several hours with little guys in elementary school. Hmmm, sticky hands all over mine. Fun kids, but sticky little kindergartners!

On my way out of the single-room restroom at Starbucks, when I was greeted by a little 4-yr old girl and her 10-ish yr old sister. The little one looked up at me and smiled big, and said, "You're Be-autiful!" What could I say? I had to laugh and smiled back at her and tole her that she was beautiful, and have a fun day. Now, you gotta laugh. I'm not fishing here, and I'm not going to "go there" but I will say that this was the first time ever in my life to have had this unique and spontaneous experience by such a young child. Her smile was so bright, how could it not just make my day!

And I have to say...I kind of needed something nice to happen.
This was just perfect!

Message from Mom

Okay, I do believe that those who go before us can and do communicate with us. And one of the ways they can use is through electricity (anything electric), including the telephone. I had one other incident in 2006 where this happened after the death of a friend, a triple occurrence with my cell phone that time (trust me, it was an odd enough incident that never happened prior, and never since, accompanied that weekend by 3 other very odd occurrences. I'll write about them sometime).

This time...

I got a voice message from my google telephone number. Any calls to this number generate two types of messages: a voice message that is saved in my email mailbox, and a text message that attempts to transcribe the message.

Here is what I got from a Virginia area code phone number on Tuesday:

"Hi. This is Mom. We're here. I was just calling to find out what channel lifetime is on. That's it."

Now, I was able to figure out where the call was coming from, later on that evening, and it was from my brother's home phone, and the caller was his mother-in-law. In the 10+ years that he has known these really nice folks, Mrs. Gehman has never once had a reason or occasion to call me at my home, and likely does not have the number. He did try calling me over last weekend from his home, but this week he is out of town and the in-laws are at Liz & Darryl's house to help out with the kids. I'm guessing she somehow did a re-dial to me by accident.

But, I'm sorry...the timing of this particular message, at this particular time, after my posting the night before...all I have to say is, Thanks, Mom!

And Pat, and Gramps, and all the other loved ones she's up there hanging out with.
It's a beautiful thing!

Well, the deed is done!

I am finally done with this school program, and I am glad! My hubby's glad! My little guy is probably the happiest! I promised him we'd play games after school tomorrow, "no more homework for Mommy at night" and he was glad to hear that part.

Got my final paper (21 pages) turned in with 10 minutes to spare (the clock is on Phoenix, AZ time). Could have spent another few hours on fixing stuff on it, but it's too late now.

The only thing I wish were different is...I really, really miss my Mom.

How appropriate that the music playing on the TV was "Hallelujah" from the ending credits for a movie Mike was watching. It was a modern and beautiful version.

Today's the Day!

...and see me doing the Happy Dance!....

working on the final report to submit by midnight, and then I Am Done with this program

October 2007 -- February 2010 = a long haul, interesting journey, approximately 2,400 invested hours, but glad it's coming to an end!

woo hoo!

Four. More. Days!

Ahhh, I can almost taste it! Four more days until I'm done with this program. Until I have my MBA, which, I have to say, has meant a lot more invested time than I had originally anticipated.

And then...we're gonna have to do something to celebrate, to mark the beginning of a new journey in life. I love learning new things, and especially in actually finishing a project to the end, but I'm quite done with the pressure of learning teams, deadlines for research and papers, and so on. It will be nice to have a weekend where the only thing I have to worry about is whether Christopher has homework or if he wants to play Monopoly, Connect Four, or Waterworks.

I think I have to do a reality check on the new journey, which has already been in process for awhile. Looking for a job "in my field" in my hometown has proven to be a little more challenging than I have ever experienced before in my life. Today I was turned down for a job that I am fully qualified for, and not even being considered for the interviews, because they are interviewing "candidates who more closely match our qualification requirements". I wouldn't have taken the time to apply if I wasn't qualified, perhaps this is an oversight or a mistake, but it's frustrating! Further, I have a friend who is first on my reference list, that I've known for over 30 years now, and who holds a high position at this company...and still I wasn't called for an interview.

Of course, I know I can go pay them a visit to find out what exactly is wrong with my resume, letter, experience, or otherwise, so I can "fix" it on my next application elsewhere, or I can ask my friend to find out. It's embarrassing and frustrating. I am more qualified to do many of the jobs that I have applied for than most folks who could be applying, and I can't even get an interview. I don't say that in a conceited way, it's just the truth that there are good workers and there are excellent workers, and I've never been anything but the best at my jobs wherever I've gone along the years. Put it all together, and you'd think that an employer would want a skilled, talented, and dedicated employee.

Then there's the part about where I took off 6 years to be a stay-at-home mom, and to finally finish my schooling that I had started when I was 17. Two excellent reasons to make a break in a long career, and now no one will let me back in. Sure, I substitute teach, and I home teach a student. Both positions have their rewards (that have absolutely nothing to do with the pay rates), and I'd even considering doing them for a longer time if they did pay a decent wage. For substituting, I get to interact with my son's school from the "inside" and not just as a parent, and I also get to see the inner workings of the high school system up close and personal. It's more fun for me, because I also get to see many of our nieces, nephews, cousins, and other young friends of those kids. As the other students are more exposed to me in classrooms their levels of "abuse to the substitute" have finally started to subside a little. For home teaching, I get to re-learn 9th grade algebra, english, us history (we're in the 20's now, moving into prohibition times and bootlegging!), fine arts, business technology, and earth science. Most of it is entertaining and interesting, and my student is pretty bright, so it's rewarding on a good level.

And that brings me back to tonight. I have to finish a paper tonight that was due on Monday. Then tomorrow, need to work on the next paper that is due on Sat and in final on Sun. Then on Sun finish up the biggest paper of all, a 5,000-7,000 strategic plan for a company, due on Monday. And-Then-I'm-Done!

On a positive note, at least Chris got his Valentines all written up tonight so he can exchange them with all his little friends in 1st grade on Friday (with help from his Aunt Becky)! Sure, it's February 19th and past the 14th, but the little ones just love that holiday so much, the chance to give and receive their cute valentines and candies.

So, back to focus on homework again for me. A little trouble here staying focused on the deadline, but almost there....

Happy Birthday, Gramps!

Thinking of you, missing you!

Happy #86!

We love you!

Happy New Year!

A new year, time to let all the SH** from last year go by the wayside for the last time!
A good time for new year resolutions. Whoever makes resolutions they keep, for real? I have, and will again. Maybe this year will be a fun one for resolutions.

Did I mention how it's a GREAT time to let go of the junk from 2009? I have to say, of all the years in my life...that one takes the cake for the most challenging, the most enlightening, the most demanding. And that's an observation, not a complaint.

I get daily inspirational notes from the website of Esther and Jerry Hicks. Esther is a channel for a group of spirits named "Abraham", for those of you interested. Yes, I believe in spirits, and yes, I believe people can channel them. Of all that I know in this life, I do know the "spirit" world is the most real of anything we have or do or can connect with. Most of us choose to be blinded by what is often thought to be reality, when in fact, reality is the biggest illusion of all.

Anyway, here is the quote for 01/01/10:

"Complaining about anything, holds you in the place of refusing to receive the things you've been asking for. Justifying about anything holds you in the place of refusing to let in the very things that you've been asking for. Blaming someone, holds you in the place of refusing to let in the things that you've been asking for. Feeling guilty, feeling angry, it doesn't matter what you call it, it is a refusal, not a conscious one. You're asking; you can't help but ask. The Universe is yielding; it must yield. It's a big question, folks: why aren't you letting it in?-- Abraham"

How appropriate for me personally to get this message. Following a week of sitting on the verge of depression, of happiness, of trepidation, of anticipation, of contemplation. And more. I believe I actually said the words, "I hate (the name of someone who I thought caused me grief this year)!" this past week. It's easy to blame, even when it appears that another person did make a significant contribution to the deliberate discomfort of another/others. In fact, she is not to blame for any of this. Rather, I should be grateful that I no longer have to deal with her negativity in any possible way. In the name of the law of attraction, nothing about her lifestyle, attitude, morals, intentions, etc., has any match to any part of me or my life, or my family. And, poof, that quickly...gone from our lives. Proof that the law of attraction works, albeit in a rather odd and unusual way for me and my family. I am thankful for the appreciation and knowing that "if" she were to ever re-enter our lives, it will be in a modified way, or it won't work. And that applies to her, and to several other significant relationships who have moved away from me in the past year or so. I'm not referring to those near and dear to our hearts, that are away due to our moves, but to those who have pulled away. There's a reason to pull away from someone else, and I'm grateful for all those who have...for it means the shift in my life is Working.

And she/that situation was just one of many odd occurrences from 2009.

So, for 2010, here is what I ask:

• a healthy and happy family
• a rewarding, fruitful, well-paying job in one of my areas of interest
• financial relief, and then some
• healthy relationships with my awesome friends
• healthy relationships with extended family, at the levels in which they are able to participate
• inspirations to come on a daily basis
• spiritual growth and awareness
  
• lots of love
• more love

(and, I'm not going to curse anymore)

May you find all that you love and want!
hugs and kisses!