What's a Mother To Do?

I've never been the type of parent to do my kids' homework for them. There are some parents who love to get their hands on every science experiment, PowerPoint presentation, or art project that their kid produces, but not me.

Until now.

Last week, my son was assigned to write a report on a certain musical decade and besides giving a background on fashion and current events, he is to detail the growth and popularity of a particular rock and roll group.

Can you just guess which decade and group he picked?

C'mon, I know you can. I'll give you three hints:

1. It's a decade with which I am very familiar
2. The band is NOT Van Halen
3. The artist is NOT John Mellencamp.

If you guessed the 1980s and U2, you would be correct.

Sigh.

Guess who wants to work on this project day and night?

Yeah.

Who knew I'd love homework so much?

Only three weeks left in this school year.....

Manic Monday - Warm

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We had a surprisingly mild, warm-but-not-hot, start to our weekend here. The reason this was particularly noteworthy was because this past weekend was the annual Spring Festival at my parish, our biggest fundraiser of the year. My family traditionally sits and eats and drinks on Friday night as we torture ourselves by observing our friends and fellow parishioners make fools of themselves at karaoke. Saturday is reserved for more eating, drinking, riding the rides, and listening to a great cover band that comes each year. Sunday is spent working a volunteer shift at one of the booths.

Saturday morning started out extremely breezy with the occasional strong wind blast. Bonnie Lass had just finished eating her Indian fry bread with confectioner's sugar when the paper plate covered with sugar was lifted by a gust of wind. You can see the results of it hitting her square in the forehead.



(Sorry, but no food photos to share this weekend. I can tell you that our appetites were quite satisfied with the gyros, Philippine barbecue pork, brick oven pizza, Indian fry bread, french fries, nachos, and ice cream that were consumed this weekend!)

We took a break during the afternoon to watch The Lass play a basketball doubleheader (one forfeit by the opponents who didn't show up, one heartbreaking defeat due to an opponent's three pointer at the final buzzer). We listened to the band, and then a final pose along the midway as we made our way to the car.



All in all, a wonderfully fun and festive time spent with good friends. Until next year!

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Breakfast With My Peers

I've been writing this blog long enough now that I figure most of you, who have been with me for a while, have a handle on the basics of my life. There exists, however, the possibility that some of you don't know even the basic things, and I think I even have one or two new readers (and lurkers) that are still getting to know me. So, let's refresh:

1. I am a stay-at-home mom of 13-year-old Bonnie Lass and 9-year-old Little Man Warrior. The Lass in finishing up the seventh grade; Little Man is nearly done with fourth grade. They attend the local public school located a mile from the house.
2. I have been married to The Engineer (formerly known as Land Warrior) for nearly 18 years. I was previously married to a Marine with whom I still maintain some contact.
3. Born in Indianapolis, I lived there until I was 11 when my family moved to West Palm Beach, FL. I lived there until I was almost 21; then I went back to Indianapolis where I earned my bachelor's degree from Butler University. I am the youngest of five daughters born to parents originally from Indonesia (then a Dutch colony) who fled to The Netherlands before immigrating to the United States in 1961.
   
4. I lived for a stint in Washington State while I was a Marine Corps wife, but returned to Indiana when we divorced.
5. The Engineer and I met in Indiana and moved to the Desert Southwest in 1990.
   
6. I was diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (0r PH) in 2005. I've been in and out of the hospital several times over the last four years, but still I persevere.
7. I am a practicing Roman Catholic and sing in my church choir, which I have done for about 11 years.
8. I regularly volunteer in the copy room and front office at my kids' school two-three times per week.

Okay, now we've re-established those facts, so we can proceed.

At this point in my life, I fully expected to be back to my career, at least working part-time at something that I really liked. While returning to a corporate environment is now impossible, I'm still investigating the possibilities of doing some freelance writing from home, something that wouldn't be too taxing physically.

So, for now, I sing when I can, and I volunteer at school when I can. Yesterday mornings was one of those times when I didn't have to DO: no driving, no cajoling, no cooking, no homework tutoring, no copying, no filing, no NOTHING. Yesterday morning, for a brief time, my fellow school volunteers and I were treated to a Volunteer Appreciation breakfast.

Wow.

It's amazing how a small token of appreciation can be so cherished; in the scheme of things, this was a very large token. The entire teaching and administrative staff cooked or donated food items such as egg bakes, breakfast burritos, fresh fruit salads, bagels and cream cheese, pastries, juices, and coffee in order to recognize and thank us for our contributions to making our school a safe and academically excelling environment.

We were greeted at the door by our principal, and inside the multi-purpose room, the entire teaching staff was standing by the food in order to greet us. We each received a homemade card, signed by our children's teachers, and a certificate. The staff came around to the tables and thanked us personally, and some volunteers received flowers from their children's teachers.

Nothing was ever done like this in the past, and while I don't volunteer in order to receive recognition, it's nice to know that others are thankful for the small things volunteer contribute to an organization.

I'm so proud of our school and how far we have come, especially in the last year. Our kids have worked diligently, our teachers have really stepped up, and our administrative team has lead all with a firm, fair, and empowering hand. This year, our school has received several accolades that in previous years were just a dream.

Finally, FINALLY, my children are attending a school that I believe will propel them to a bright tomorrow.

And I am humbled to be a part, however small, of that success.

Manic Monday - Plant

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Today's word is PLANT. To tell you the truth, I got nothing. I don't like plants, plants don't like me, I don't garden, and I don't even take care of the landscaping that we DO have; we have a landscaping crew who diligently takes care of my plants and grass.

So for today, instead of my vegetation, you get to see what has been planted in the prayer garden at my parish. I took this Easter Sunday morning; if you look carefully, you can see a raindrop that was a holdover from the rainstorm the day before.



Hope your week goes smoothly, and don't forget to stop and smell the flowering plants!

Later daze...

Rest Assuredly

As a follow up to my post of Thursday, I know only this: the mother with the two young kids and her husband arrived at her sister's house safely the day after they left the East Coast. I'm not sure what time they arrived, or if they had ever bothered to call her sister, but I know that they all arrived safely.

I believe they are driving back home to the East Coast today, Sunday the 19th. Oy Carumba.

Only God knows what will happen to them on the return trip, but they are known for not being the most organized travelers.

Sigh.

That is the curse of being a family - you get the fruits and nuts along with the chocolate.

Imagine This...

...you are a mother of two young children, a five-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl. You, your husband, and children are driving from a large East Coast city to the Midwest. You finally leave home sometime in the late afternoon/early evening hours for the eight hour drive.

You are driving to your sister's house in the Midwest, and you know that your sister and her husband are waiting up late to greet you, in spite of the fact that they both have to work the next morning. They have no idea what time you left home because you didn't call them to let them know when you left or what time to expect you.

You have forgotten your cell phone back at home, it's now about 11:00 p.m., and it's clear that you need to stop for the night because the kids are getting tired and you're nowhere NEAR your sister's city.

What should you do?

Should you check into your hotel, call your sister collect, and explain the situation?

Should you call your parents who are vacationing out west where it is only 8:00 p.m., and tell them the situation because you're afraid of calling your sister and waking her? Figuring, of course, that THEY will pass on the information to your sister and brother-in-law.

No...wait.....I know what to do!

You take your laptop and log into your e-mail account using the hotel's wi-fi service. You send an e-mail to your sister telling her that you're stopping for the night and that you'll see her some time tomorrow. You're not sure when you'll arrive, but you'll get there when you get there. You hope your sister checks her e-mail sometime before she leaves for work. Never mind that your sister probably didn't get much sleep worrying about you all night.

Because we all know when we travel, there's no one who cares about when or if we'll arrive, right?

Right?

Maybe it's just me, but is there something wrong with this picture?

Manic Monday - Taste

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Regular readers of my blog will remember that I mentioned my in-laws are in town visiting. No, that's not a bad thing; in fact, it's a wonderful thing. I adore my husband's parents, and I am thrilled when we get to spend time with them. It's been a bit of a disappointment this time around, though, because the first week and a half of their three week visit saw first my MIL getting ill and then my FIL taking ill with stomach flu. Just as they were stating to feel better, it seems as if time as flown by; they return home to OH tomorrow.

The real challenge has been in finding restaurants for us to take them to visit that suit their tastes. My FIL insists the food be very hot (temperature wise) or he's just not happy. My MIL insists on bland food; the only spice she likes is salt.

We struck out with lunch the first day at Pei Wei; nothing on the menu looked good to them, so they settled for two tiny spring rolls...to share.

Take out dinner the next night at a local Mexican place was not satisfactory because the food didn't arrive steaming hot.

Dinner at our favorite local seafood place was hot and not spicy; Mom really liked her seafood pasta salad, and Dad's fish was very hot and not heavily seasoned. But...it wasn't quite like the place they were used to going that uses processed fish; they like that (whereas the place we love and to which took them uses fresh catch of the day flown in daily from California).

Easter dinner was spent at a regional chain Mexican place that we like. We thought it would be a nice change from the mass produced crap that they eat at Taco Hell...er Bell. Mom liked her enchilada and her taco; it wasn't hot and spicy, and she was pleased. Dad ordered a beef burrito which is served dry with shredded beef inside and with lettuce, pico de gallo, and refried beans on the side. He didn't like it; he deemed it "dry" because it didn't have "stuff" on the inside like Taco Hell. I told him that the Mexican restaurants around here usually serve the lettuce and pico on the side, and that getting it "wet" with a sauce is called "enchilada style." He sorta "humphed" and said, "Oh."

Sigh.

Well, maybe we'll have better luck next time. It sure is hard to please some people; taste is a very personal thing. Maybe if we'd had a Bob Evans nearby...

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Mid-Week/End of Week Laugh

I've been fairly busy this week, so no time to post. Thought I would share this funny with you, courtesy of my pal, Karen.

Laugh, hug your loved ones, and have a great week!

Later daze...

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The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food The other dishes are mine and contain my food Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don't. (2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture. (3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people. (4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they (1) eat less, (2) don't ask for money all the time, (3) are easier to train, (4) normally come when called, (5) never ask to drive the car, (6) don't hang out w ith drug-using people; (7) don't smoke or drink, (8) don't want to wear your clothes, (9) don't have to buy the latest fashions, (10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and (11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children ..

Manic Monday - Trip

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I took a trip down Procrastination Lane (which is my normal path of travel) and am finally getting around to posting something about today's word, TRIP.

Hmmmm......lesssee......I already mentioned that we're making our now seemingly annual trip to our favorite beach haunt Coronado, California. So.....

Let's take a trip down Memory Lane...

When I was a kid, my parents (rich in love but not-so-rich in money) were big into family driving trips around the state. We'd frequently drive to various state parks, even in winter, and grill, picnic, and hike. If there was a lake, and it was summer, we'd go swimming. I loved these family trips; my sisters would come home from college, and we'd make it a big ordeal with lots of food, laughter, and games of badminton.

Nowadays, my own family takes road trips, but we head west to SoCal, and the best part about our family time is that we all like to spend time here:



Toes-in-sand are a must, and vodka and lemonade in the cooler for Mama are essential.

(Notice how I whipped that post back around to the beach? *giggle, giggle*)

Ooooo, I think I see some shirtless Naval and/or Marine pilots coming. Later daze....

Miss Me Much?

Apparently not, judging by the few comments I received during my absence! I must say, it was a bit lonely to wake up each morning and not see comments waiting for me in my inbox. Sigh. Oh well, I'm slowly making a return.

It's been a....um..."challenging" last few months, most particularly the last six weeks or so. I think I'm finally emerging from the dark tunnel and have made a few tentative steps in the light. It feels good to be out and about.

I won't go into detail as to what the last few weeks/months have been like for me, but I will publicly say with vigor and pride, my husband and my kids are the best family anyone could have. My kids really stepped up to the plate time and time again, and they hit a home run nearly every time. My husband? A rock, a big friggin' boulder with shoulders that are as big as the world and ever present. Steady, loyal, confident, and loving. He is my biggest cheerleader and staunchest defender, especially from myself. I remember every day why I married him nearly 18 years ago. I could NOT have gotten through these past few months without the love and support of my family. And my friends? Wow. I have more admiration for my friend Laura than I ever did before; she is a savior and an angel, and I thank God I have her in my life. Karen has been wonderful, too, and always good for a laugh just when I need it.

Some of you may have noticed that I've been making rounds today and actually made some comments. All week I've been reading, but it's only been today that I felt I could make my presence felt again. Thanks, Mary, for acknowleding me and welcoming me back.

My mood has lifted considerably by the knowledge that we'll be making a return visit to one of our favorite vacation destinations on the West Coast. Yup, that's right, ladies and gentlemen, next month we will spend a glorious five nights in Coronado, California again, where I can sit and gaze at the beach for hours and tell the world to kiss my fat ass. It's my vacation; back off!

The rest of the summer will be filled with more tae kwon do lessons, basketball camp, and voice camp for the Lass. That and lots of relaxation and plenty of vodka and lemonade.

Can't forget the vodka.

Have a great weekend, y'all. Have fun, hug a loved one, and party on.

Later daze........