A HISTORIC DAY

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

We are getting tired of all the rain. Not to complain, mind you. It's better than sideways snow and a coat of ice on the windshield as thick as the glass... uggggh shudder. But still, it has not rained quite so much in San Diego since we started this landscaping. Our yard is a mudpile. And when it's not a mudpile, it's crawling with workers. We had to get out.

So we went to the San Diego Natural History Museum! Something about looking at very old things is really neat-o.

Land shark!......................................Global warming map. We are screwed.

5 YEARS

Saturday, January 19, 2008

As of Christmas 2007, Becca has been with us for 5 years. I did this chronological compilation video today. When I finished, I opened up my email to find all sorts of photos and an update from Becca's birth family in Russia, courtesy of Becca's sister and brother in Seattle and their family. In life's exquisite timing, another chapter opens just as the old ones are documented.

Get out the Kleenex...


Music: Hold My Hand by Hootie & The Blowfish

LISTMANIA

Monday, January 14, 2008

This was our grocery list the other day. You can read my writing, can't you? Who wouldn't know that a+hx3 was Arm & Hammer, 3 boxes? And also Don had trouble with "lettuce." He thought I had written 6A~C.

OK I have to confess it isn't my finest work. I think maybe other parts of my brain are being used more heavily than the handwriting synapses.

FREEBIRD!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Yesterday we made the kids take naps in the afternoon and they stayed up late so we could go to see the Blue Man Group. Here's a clip for you - in which the Blue Men realize they have to inpsire their own band into playing with them. OK so the Blue Men are a little weird and mime-like, and they did sell-out for the Intel Pentium 4 chip, which was perhaps a mistake. But they are so innovative and fun. Becca dug it the most - she waved my cell phone around (modern version of lighters) and did all the audience participation moves. And then both kids crashed in the car on the way home. Nice.

SO HOW WAS YOUR DAY?

Thursday, January 10, 2008

WINTER BREAK CAMP

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Finally figured out my movie issues... so here's the compilation from Florida! Thanks to my sister for many great pix. Enjoy... and I apologize in advance for the music. Sarah's pick.

Music: Makes Me Happy by Drew Bell

GIRL POWER

Not only did Hilary take New Hampshire, she did it with such a gorgeous jacket, don't you think?

Though we could may well have a girl president next year, when you Google "Hilary", you still come up with Hilary Duff before Mrs. Clinton. The people have spoken.

HAPPY BTS (NOT)

Monday, January 07, 2008

So everyone went back to school today, but The System promptly returned Becca to us. She has impetigo! I thought at first that she had a beautiful spotted horse, but alas, that is an Appaloosa. Becca got antibiotics and another day off. Sigh.

SO THAT'S WHERE MY (____) WAS!

Sunday, January 06, 2008

Well I am having many frustrations with Microsoft Movie Maker. I have something cool for you from Florida but I can't get it to convert to the right format. I shall persevere.

Meanwhile, it's been a rainy wet weekend here in San Diego. Perfect time to do a little organizing. I started to become weary of the mass of toys I was picking up every night and suspecting that most of the kids' toys had become complete shit.

Here is a photo of the typical pile of toy shit. This particular pile has Monopoly money, mismatched Barbie shoes, pieces of a jacks game, a puzzle piece, a fishing rod from a fishing game, some legos... essentially, it's JUNK!

At the end of it all, many of the Barbie shoes have mates, the puzzles are reasonably in one spot, the games are together... and the garbage man took a good bit of it away.

Of course, as I was cleaning, the same children who got us into this mess looked at the junkpile and said things like, "Oh Mommy! I've been looking for that for such a long time!" And "So THAT's where my boa/snake ring/eyepatch/fake throwup went!"

I even found a full pair of Puma gym shoes (Becca's), 3 pairs of socks (Sarah's), and half a bag of fruit snacks (nobody would confess to it being theirs).

LEH LEH LEH LEHHHH!

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

There are rarely things that really give me the willies, but I have to say, a foot long catfish flopping around at my feet is one of them. And it made me say "leh leh leh lehhhh!" at one point. The girls were absolutely thrilled though. Pleh I still don't like to watch this video.



Music: Fishing by DJ SpAX

FLORIDA LIVIN'

OK here is the first of many posts about Florida... so be sure and read any older posts you've missed because I'll be posting a lot today and probably tonight.

My mom and Lew have a very active social life. In the evening, this often involves going out to dinner with other couples and then inevitably someone at the end of the night will say "boy it would be nice to go and play tiles." So my mom keeps a freezerfull of desserts in the house just in case everyone winds up at her house until 2 a.m.

Yes... being retired means going out to dinner at 5:30 or 6 to avoid the crowds, and then being up till 2 playing Mexican Train. You may think this is crazy, but Mexican Train sort of sucks you in. We played nearly every night to the point where Sarah had some dark circles going. OK we were not up till 2, but the 10 year old's version of 2 (10:30 p.m.).

Here is a video of us learning. And believe me, it didn't get much quieter than what you see here. I think we were told to shut up several times by my sister who was trying to get her 4-year-old Zach to stay sleeping.

Music: The Marionette, played by Two Star Symphony