Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Man she cracks me up. I was NOT this smart at 7 years old.

Hannah: Hey Mommy! Look! There's a bat. It obviously doesn't know it's not quite dark yet.

Me: Bats are actually blind. They can't see. Do you know how they fly if they can't see?

Hannah: No. But I know how they find bugs and stuff to eat.

Me: Oh yeah? How?

Hannah: Echo location.

Me: (laughing) Yes, that's one way to describe it.

And then she proceeded to tell me exactly how echo location works.

What a beauty!

Last night I took Hannah in for a haircut at the salon that I go to. She has school pictures on Wednesday and her hair is a mess. Usually I just take her to a walk-in place like Snip-its or Fantastic Sam's and they just don't know how to deal with her hair. She has thick hair but it's kind of funky in the fact that the top and bottom layers are pretty heavy and straight but the middle layer can be pretty wavy. It's weird. Someone who had layered her hair awhile back did a horrible butcher job and no one that I've gone to since then has done much to fix it. So I decided to put out the big bucks last night and go to a nice salon. The lady did a FANTASTIC job and Hannah's hair looks unbelievable. I can't wait to see how school pictures turn out.

His curls are gone!

Jake went in for a MUCH needed haircut last night and the lady cut off all his curls! She went a little shorter than I would have liked but I have hope that the curls will be there again once it grows out a little bit.

Monday, September 29, 2008

HSM3

High School Musical 3 is coming out in October. October 24th to be exact. Today is September 29th. Tickets are already on sale. That is INSANE! What do you think the chances are of getting in to see that movie anytime before Christmas?

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Small Town America

I love coming back to visit Iowa. It's a place that really is sort of stuck in time and I mean that in the best possible way. It's a slower more peaceful way of life where things are easier and certainly simple. When we got to Elma the other day my Dad took us out to the Mennonite Auction. Apparently this is an auction that takes place 3 times a week. Farmers, both Mennonite and non-Mennonite, bring in pick-up truck and tractor wagons full of produce to be auctioned off. There is everything from tomatoes, pumpkins, and squash to huge potted mums. You have to buy things in huge bulk lots but they go for super cheap. On one side of the building you see tractors and pick-ups lined up. On the other side of the building you see big semi trucks just waiting to load up the veggies and truck them to various grocery stores and restaurants. It's actually a really neat process to watch. Here are a bunch of photos that I took from my camera phone. I was really bummed that I left my camera at home but these pictures turned out better than I thought they would.



Friday, September 26, 2008

R.I.P. Grandma Lentz

Grandma Lentz was buried today in Elma, Iowa. As we pulled up to the cemetery my father told me that the land in that part of the cemetery actually used to be owned by his parents and was part of the Lentz Family Farm. So basically Grandma and Grandpa are buried on the land they and their kids worked together for years. I thought that was pretty neat.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Today sucks

Grandma's death hasn't really hit me. It wasn't a terribly big surprise and my biggest moment of sadness before today was just thinking about my dad and how bad he must feel. I really just wanted to get back here and give him a hug. Even being at Grandma's house yesterday wasn't bad. But today is a different story. Today is her wake. Today is the day that I'll see her in her casket. I hate open caskets. I hate looking at a loved one as though I'm walking through Madame Tussard's Wax Museum. I'm very sad today.

And daycare called me this morning because they didn't realize I'm out of town. Jake has a bad rash on his face and neck. My in-laws went to pick him up and he may or may not have poison ivy. Of course I'd love to be with my son but instead I have to try and reach Lincoln or my in-laws to be with him instead.

It just was icing on the cake of a really bad day already. I can't imagine how much worse it's going to get. It's not even noon yet here in Iowa. The wake is at 4 p.m. and the family viewing is at 3 p.m. Ugh.

One of the many reasons I love the midwest

Last night we went to Wal-mart in Decorah and I bought two things that typically run on the expensive side - make up and alcohol.

I bought eyeliner, mascara, a 6-pack of Leinie's, and a bottle of red wine for a total of $22.41.

Sweet!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

A fitting tribute


1914-2008


Well we made it back to Elma. I flew out at 6:00 a.m. this morning and met Debbie and Mark at the airport in Minneapolis before we drove down to Iowa. It is surprisingly not depressing...at least not yet. Her death wasn't terribly unexpected - she was 94 after all. And we had a week or so to process that this could happen. I thought I'd really lose it when I walked into her house because I've never gone into her house without her shuffling out to give me a hug. It was sad but the house was so full of people that it wasn't that bad. I know that the wake tomorrow and the funeral on Friday will be terrible but so far everyone is hanging in there.

The picture up above is the sign that hangs outside her front door in Elma. I thought it a fitting tribute for today since we've all been hanging around her house sharing memories of her and looking at old photos. Even though she's not here in body I know she's still there in spirit.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Yet another reason why I love my husband

Most of my friends have trouble getting their husbands to make dinner even when the husband is the only one home. But not me. Lincoln just called me and said "how does baked chicken breasts with parmesan garlic crust sound for dinner tonight". And yes, he's doing the cooking.

Grandma Lentz

My grandma passed away last night. She had two minor strokes last week and then went into a coma. She passed away with all 8 of her children by her side. That would be quite moving no matter what but her children are spread all over the country - Washington, New Mexico, Illinois, North Carolina. I'm just glad they all made it back in time.

I'm flying out tomorrow morning for the funeral. Lincoln and the kids will be staying home. Poor Lincoln. He's getting a taste of single parenting that I'm sure he wasn't looking for. Between the four days in New Orleans and this trip I will have been home only 1 day out of 9. Luckily we had a nice snuggle session in bed with the kids this morning so I'm recharged. I do miss them terribly though when I am gone.

Postings may be few and far between in the next few days. Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you.

Monday, September 22, 2008

We're back!

Well we survived New Orleans. Thanks to all our scrambling on Thursday we managed to throw Tracy off the scent of New Orleans. By the time we headed to the airport she was convinced we were going anywhere BUT New Orleans. And believe it or not we managed to keep it a secret from her all the way to the gate....even through security!

By the time we got to the gate the boarding process had already begun and the people that we were meeting at the airport were already on the plane. She discovered her other friends when we walked down the aisle and Tanya jumped out of her seat and said: "Who is going to New Orleans?" Tracy started jumping up and down in the aisle and screaming. I'm sure the other passengers on the 8 a.m. flight were not too terribly happy with us.

And after that "What Happens in New Orleans, Stays in New Orleans". I will tell you we had an unbelievable time and that I broke my toe in a strip club on Bourbon Street but other than that my lips are sealed.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

And we're off!

Today is the day. I am writing this post the night before our trip because I have to leave at 5 a.m. to pick up Denise and Tracy. Lincoln is going to publish it for me once we're safely on our way.

I lied through my teeth on the blog in my recent post. We really are going to New Orleans. I wasn't smart enough to really tell people different locations of our possible trip but I was smart enough to tell Tracy in August that I had done that just in case someone did spill the beans. After I got the email about the slip-up I did a mad scramble to have people say to Tracy "that's not where Diane told me you were going". At this point I think I actually have her convinced we're going anywhere BUT New Orleans.

I'm really excited for this trip. Not only is the location a surprise to Tracy but she also doesn't realize who is going on this trip. In addition to Tracy, myself, and Denise we are going to "run into" some of her other friends at the airport who are actually going with us that she is not aware of. On top of that, once we get there a good friend of hers from high school, who now lives in Biloxi, Mississippi, will also be there. She also doesn't know what delightful plans we have once we get there. I worked a wonderful deal with the Ritz Carlton and that is where we're staying. When we arrive tomorrow we're spending FIVE hours in the spa being pampered.

I have to say this has been an incredibly stressful time. I realize that we got such great airline and hotel deals because this is hurricane season but I was really gambling that Louisiana wouldn't get hit this year. Watching Gustav and Ike has been brutal.

I think we're good to go though for our trip. We're going to have a blast and whatever details I can reveal to the public-at-large will be told next week. You will have no more new posts from me until next Tuesday.

Lincoln is home with the kids this weekend so maybe if he gets inspired by something he will do a guest post or two.

Otherwise, have a great weekend and I'll be back to chat with you on Tuesday!

Maybe having your phone number on the side of your truck is not a good thing

Lincoln has his phone number on the side of his work truck. Today he said he was driving down the road and was right next to this U-Haul when it started veering into his lane. Lincoln started cussing at the guy and sped up to get out of the guy's way. A little farther down the road his phone starts ringing. It was the guy in the U-Haul who was moving his office and needed his phones set up and was calling Lincoln for a quote.

Lincoln told me tonight, "I really hope the guy couldn't read my lips."

Hopefully it will pan out. Lincoln has been doing a lot of work subcontracting for other people but is slowly building up his own clientele. I'm very proud of how much he's busting his ass. I've got me a good man....even if he has a wee bit of road rage. LOL.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Okay, so I'm a little bit of a hypocrite

Lincoln pointed out to me that in my post about Grandma Lentz I said that I wasn't a very religious person but that every time I wrote "Him" I capitalized the "H". He's right. That was a very conscious decision on my part. I think it's a little bit silly that "Him" is capitalized when speaking about God. And often when I say "thank god" I don't even bother to capitalize the "G" and that's a proper name. Although I suppose that is another religious debate for another day - is "God" his name, his title, or a descriptive term? Or all 3?

But last night when I was worrying about Grandma Lentz I figured that while I doubt my turning to prayer now would make much of a difference it wouldn't hurt to throw in a little extra respect just in case.

It's a good thing I'm such a suspicious person

I got a frantic email from someone this morning saying that she had slipped up and told Tracy where we are going this weekend. The good news is that since we started planning this trip in May I've lived in fear of just this thing happening so I basically told every person who is not actually going on the trip a different location.

So, Tracy, I wouldn't break out the Mardi Gras beads and the Hurricane glasses just yet. That's not where we're going.

Could it be one of these places?

http://www.box.net/shared/llfshqtohe

http://www.box.net/shared/jpl67vgpuz

Everyone will know tomorrow. Tomorrow is the big day!

Sad topic

A very, very close friend of mine miscarried her baby today. It was her first baby and she was SO excited. She called me at 7 a.m. this morning to tell me the news. As many of you know, between Hannah and Jake I miscarried a baby. This morning when she called it absolutely broke my heart. I know what she's going through. I know that there is absolutely NOTHING I can say that is going to make her feel better. I know that she has a long road ahead of her where she will think "I would have been able to feel the baby by now", "I would have been showing by now", "I would have been a mother by now". And it sucks. There is no getting around that.

The thing that drove me batty when I miscarried is that everyone says "It's for the best", "There was something wrong with the baby", "It was God's will". Screw that. It was still my baby damn it. And now that I have Jake people say "Jake was the one you were meant to have" or "If you hadn't miscarried you wouldn't have Jake". That's right. I wouldn't. But I wouldn't know that I didn't have him. I wouldn't know what I was missing. Just like right now I don't know what that baby would have been like. I love Jake. He is the light of my life even when he's being a bully and I'm pulling out my hair because he's almost 4 and still not potty trained. That doesn't mean I don't miss that other baby. That I don't wonder if it was a boy or a girl. Or what it would have grown up to be like. And that's okay. That's normal.

Miscarrying sucks. There is no disputing that. But for my friend, I'm here for you. I may not say what you want to hear. Or what you need to hear. But my heart is in the right place and I love you very much. Hang in there. You're not alone.

The brainwashing is complete

Lincoln is a geek. He's a huge Star Wars fan. Me...not so much. I actually haven't seen any Star Wars episode in its entirety and the only parts I've seen have usually been when I've been coming and going from the room while Lincoln watches the movies. In the last month or so Lincoln has gotten both kids very excited about not only the movies but the video game. Jake wants to dress up as a Star Wars character for Halloween.

This conversation took place tonight:

Lincoln: Well, the brainwashing is complete. Check out what your daughter brought home from the library yesterday.

(he tosses a "Star Wars: The Last of the Jedi" chapter book in my lap)

Lincoln: Nice try with your Top Model and Project Runway but she's a geek!

He is so proud.

#2 is #1 around here

Jake has a "favorite" pencil that he likes to draw with. Since we can never find anything in our house this could be a huge problem. The good news is that his favorite pencil is "the yellow one with the pointy tip and the red end". Thank God we bought that big box of standard #2 pencils at the beginning of the school year!

Happy Travels!

Grab your pen and paper. One of today's selections will be providing LOTS of options for our trip this weekend.

http://www.box.net/shared/hotrmhgr8o

http://www.box.net/shared/g7nul2ue3j

Happy traveling!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Flu Season

Flu season is here and in full swing. A virus has been whipping through the school, and the entire town, for the last few weeks. Jake threw up twice Saturday night and I was sick yesterday. Today it's Hannah's turn and she seems to be getting it the worst. She has thrown up about 5 times in the past few hours. Hopefully Lincoln won't get it and hopefully what I had yesterday will keep me from being sick this coming weekend. Keep your fingers crossed everyone.

Grandma Lentz

Both of my grandmothers are 94 years old. Grandma B will turn 95 this weekend and Grandma Lentz will turn 95 in January. They are amazing women who never seem to be sick and who are as independent as they come. Unfortunately yesterday and today my Grandma Lentz suffered two minor strokes. I'm not a religious person. I'm just as likely to believe in Zeus and the Fates as I am to believe in God so I won't be a hypocrite and start praying to Him now expecting Him to bump me the top of his list. If you are a praying person, however, and you have an in with Him, please keep Grandma Lentz in your prayers.

Thank you.

Melissa gives the GREATEST birthday presents EVER!!!!

My co-worker Melissa is a fabulous gift giver. I have to take away serious points for the fact that at a bare minimum she always gives me my gift a month late but when she does finally give it to me it is well worth the wait.

Today, one month and 4 days past my birthday, she just came into my office with my gift. She gave me two bars of soap - MADE FROM LEINENKUGEL'S BEER! - and the greatest apron ever. It's a Leinie's apron that has a thermos lined pocket for holding a cold bottle of beer, a pocket for a Leinie's oven mitt - which it came with - and an attached bottle opener on a retractable cord. Like I said.....GREATEST GIFT EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And it's a gift for Lincoln too because now I actually want to cook dinner tonight!!!!!!

Today's songs

Here you go Tracy.....

http://www.box.net/shared/30lb2nt0qf

http://www.box.net/shared/gk0ytr5xxq

For all of you that are new to this game, I have been teasing Tracy with possible places we could be taking her for her birthday weekend. She knows we're going somewhere...she just doesn't know where. Buried somewhere in these 17 songs (a few posted each day) is the answer to where we're going.

Sometimes I think Hannah is just humoring me

Last week when Hannah started bringing home her spelling words I told her we'd sit down and look them all up in the dictionary each week so that not only would she learn to spell the words but she'd improve her vocabulary.

Today we sat down to do the first 5 words for this week and we got to the word finally. Her dictionary is a children's dictionary and it doesn't exactly have everything in there so some of the words we look up in an online dictionary. As I got up to go look it up online she said to me: "We looked up the definition at school and it means 'something coming up or happening in the end".

She quoted it just like that. "Something coming up or happening in the end." I looked at her and said "why didn't you tell me you look up the definitions of all these words at school?" She just looked and me and said, "Well, we don't look up all the words."

I swear to God she's just humoring me and silently thinking to herself: "Isn't it cute how Mommy has me look up all these words. I just won't tell her I already know what everything means. It will make her feel important to try and teach me something."

God that kid makes me laugh sometimes.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Action hero

Jake: I'm going to get lots of bad guys.

Me: Are you going to be a cop when you grow up?

Jake: No. I'm going to do this.... (he starts karate chopping the air and imitating martial arts)

Me: Ahhh, you're going to be Jackie Chan.

Lincoln: Looks like Owen Wilson....fights like Jackie Chan.

Happy Birthday Tracy!

Today is the day that Tracy actually turns 29.....for the 12th time. As my gift to her she gets THREE songs today of possible locations for our mystery trip next weekend. She's dying to figure out where we're going and is having a terrible time packing but I refuse to give her any hints other than these songs (which obviously aren't terribly helpful). She'll find out soon enough this Friday......when we arrive at the airport.

http://www.box.net/shared/2ti76i3toa

http://www.box.net/shared/8bmg2plgbr

http://www.box.net/shared/smuzpkzk1a

Enjoy!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Surprise!

We just got back from a surprise party for Tracy. Her husband Cliff had decided to throw her a surprise party and my job was to get her out of the house. The problem with that was getting her out of the house on a Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. in full hair and make-up. She would kill him if she came home to a house full of people in her sweat pants. The idea I came up with was to take her for Mother/Son portraits at a local photographer. It worked wonderfully and the pictures turned out great. They'll be a wonderful memento of her birthday.

And now here is the next possible hint of where we're going next weekend. http://www.box.net/shared/inje09zbn1

Happy Birthday Eve Tracy!

Continuing on our journey across the country here is another song for your listening pleasure.
http://www.box.net/shared/vxvk5ici6o

Geography Lesson

Tonight Tracy, Denise and I went out to celebrate Denise's birthday which was yesterday. While we were having drinks Tracy was grilling us on where we are taking her next weekend. In our effort to throw her off the scent we were tossing out all sorts of U.S. cities where we could be taking her.

Me: You know, you're going to be really shocked if we take you to Omaha.

Tracy: I hear Utah is actually very pretty.

Me: Um....Omaha is in Nebraska.

Did I tell you Tracy is blonde?

Did I also tell you that Tracy is our PTO President and at Wednesday night's meeting she actually said Play Groin instead of Playground?........twice!......in front of the principal!......and the dean of students!.......Ha ha!

Friday, September 12, 2008

At our wit's end

For seven years Lincoln and I have prided ourselves on the successful parenting of Hannah. She has been a fairly easy child despite her recent insistence on dressing herself and wearing knee high socks with capri pants. She is fairly easy to discipline because she hates to disappoint us. While she has certainly gotten into trouble over the years for the most part all we have to do is tell her "Hannah, you've really disappointed us" and she never does it again.

Jake is another story. Nothing gets through to this kid and right now he is really pushing the limits. We are trying to potty train him and he's not handling it very well. Jake doesn't like change. Every spring it's a battle to get him into sandals and out of his boots. In the fall it's a battle to get him out of his sandals and into his boots. Same goes with winter coats vs. lighter jackets. Buy him a new pair of shoes and it's a nightmare getting him to wear them but once you do, they are his absolute favorites and if you try to buy him a new pair he will pitch a fit. Maybe that's why this potty training thing isn't going so well. It's a big change.

This past week has been the worst. Three days a week he goes to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Apparently Jake got so bad by Wednesday that he was pitching a fit every time Grandma asked him to try and go potty. Every time she'd ask him he'd sit down and pee or poop in his pants. After that Lincoln and I decided we'd try a different approach and do less disciplining about accidents and more of the "coddling" style parenting. Yesterday was a good day. He stayed dry pretty much all day (until an unavoidable accident at the playground where there was no bathroom) and he didn't pitch any fits. I thought the new softer approach to parenting might be working.

And then today happened. Today he went to daycare and got sent home with a note that not only had he pushed a kid off the slide, he slapped another kid across the face. WHAT? Or as the note said, "Jacob had a very difficult day today. He was very aggressive with his friends."

Obviously we've been spoiled by Hannah. Lincoln and I don't know what to do. We've tried time-outs. We've tried taking away his favorite things. We've tried spanking. Nothing seems to get through to this kid. I know we'll get through this. We just have to figure out the best path through, over, under, or around this obstacle.

Either way, I am totally saving this note from school and putting it in his scrapbook. If he grows up to be some sweet, sensitive man we can say "look how you were as a kid". If he grows up to be a convict we can enter it into evidence during his first trial.

Continuing with our cross country journey...

Here you go Tracy. Possible hints # 3 and 4.

http://www.box.net/shared/83zikl5bu8 and http://www.box.net/shared/by3m9ilmyb

And the germs begin....

Every year when school starts the germs start to come out again. Or actually they just get passed around a lot faster. Hannah is home from school today and is actually a little bummed she's missing her first spelling test. She has them all mastered and is excited to show Mrs. Bomba.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Hint # 2

Tracy has informed me that she has begun a list of every city and state listed in song # 1. She is obsessed with figuring this out. For those of you playing along at home, there are a total of 17 songs. Since we leave on our trip next Friday I will be posting two songs each day between now and next Thursday. One day will have 3 songs.

Here's # 2: http://www.box.net/shared/9h4xfqfjm7

Tracy's Birthday Surprise

Tracy's birthday is coming up this weekend and Denise and I have planned a surprise trip for her the following weekend. Tracy knows that we're going on a trip - she just doesn't know where we're going. My awesome friend and co-worker Melissa has put together a CD of songs that list places in the U.S. that we might be going for this trip. For the next few days I will be uploading songs (hopefully I can get this to work) to tease Tracy with all the possible places we could be going. Any song or state that is mentioned in one of these songs is fair game.

Happy guessing Tracy!

And for everyone else, enjoy the ride! Here is the link for the first possibility. Just click on the link and then click on "Play" next to the song title. http://www.box.net/shared/614v8nnpc7

Taskmaster Mommy

So this is the first year in school that Hannah has had spelling lists. Each Monday she'll be bringing home a list of 15 words that she will be tested on each Friday. I had to laugh because the list ranges from "easy" with words like if, zip, and milk to "hard" with assistant, amazement, and patient.

But because I want Hannah to grow up with a far better vocabulary than I have, I've added an extra component to her assignment. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night we take 5 words each and put them on index cards. Then she looks up the words in the dictionary and reads me the definition while I write it down. After that she's tested on how to spell the words not only by saying "spell milk" but also by saying "spell the word that means a white liquid produced by mammals as a nutrient". Thursday night is review night.

I would feel bad about it but I know she loves to learn. It's actually kind of frustrating to sit down with her and a dictionary because while she's searching for a word she'll stop and read along the way if she sees a word that intrigues her. And I actually caught her reading her dictionary in bed one night "for fun" so like I said, I don't feel too bad.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Gender Roles

This morning Hannah and Jake were building towers from large Lego blocks. Hannah had run out of pieces and asked Jake if she could use his. He said no. Hannah promptly got the sad, watery-eyed look of a girl about to cry and Jake rushed right over to her side to give her a hug and tell her not to be sad. Guys are such suckers. But Jake made me proud. He stood his ground and didn't give up his pieces but still treated her very nicely and told her not to be sad.

While I was proud to see Hannah start to feel out the powers of feminine persuasion I am glad she learned crying is not the "go-to" way to get what you want. Instead she negotiated with him and now they're happily playing together building an entire city instead of separate towers.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Hannah's first assignment

Awhile back I posted Hannah's "Dictionary of Nature" that she made from leaves and flowers in her grandparent's yard. The first week of school she had to take in a show and tell item of something that represented what she did this summer. Apparently it was also their writing assignment. You can see below what Hannah wrote as well as the teacher's comments.



It reads: My summer object is important because I made it and my mom treasures it. I love it and so does my mom.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Capris are banished from our house

Hannah is in this "I know what looks good and you don't" phase and I have to say, some days it drives me crazy. Like today. Today she was wearing denim capris that came just below her knees. But she also had to wear socks and tennis shoes because today she had gym class. Here is where we have an issue. She INSISTS on always pulling her socks up as far as they will go. She will NOT scrunch them down. So basically her socks come up to just below her knee, there is about 1/2 inch of space, and then her pants start. She looks like a doofus.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

"If he wants to be a man in the dark, he has to be a man in the light of day"

I am currently watching, for the 730th time, the made for TV movie "For the Very First Time". I LOVE this movie. Whatever happened to Corin "Corky" Nemec a.k.a "Parker Lewis Can't Lose"?

And yes, I am watching this on VHS. How weird is that?

Love vs. Like

This conversation took place right after Jake had an accident in his big boy underpants and Lincoln changed him:

Jake: I love Daddy.

Mommy: If you really loved Daddy you wouldn't pee and poop in your pants.

(pause)

Jake: But I still LIKE Daddy.

Oh no.....we have an important team player out of the game

And no, I'm not talking about the fact that Tom Brady was injured during the first regular season Patriots game. I'm talking about the fact that John, our favorite cook down at the Rose Garden, the one who takes care of the PTO even more than Betty and Mike (who are just as wonderful to us) is out of the game. His arm is in a cast. Please keep him in your thoughts as we kick our season, the PTO season, into high gear.

Jake's new weapon of choice

Jake and Hannah have been looking through a children's catalog of toys and Jake found a "Surefire Compound Bow" that he really, really, REALLY wants. I told him he's not allowed to have it because he doesn't need anything that promotes his violent tendencies.

Jake: Why can he have it? (pointing to the boy in the picture)

Me: Because he's older. (pause). And likely doesn't have any homicidal tendencies.

Cue laughter from Lincoln from across the room.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Hannah is my crossword queen

Apparently I am too old for the People Magazine Puzzler crossword. I just had to ask Hannah what was a three letter title of a Jonas Brothers hit single. She quickly responded: S.O.S.

I am hurting today

Ever since senior year of college I've had trouble with my joints off and on over the years. Today is a very bad day. I don't know if it's because of the terribly rainy weather or what but my feet and hands are killing me.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Stand Up 2 Cancer

I just finished watching the Stand Up 2 Cancer special that was aired on all 3 major networks tonight. It was an hour long, commercial free event where celebrities got together to plead for money to be donated to cancer research.

During the first 30 minutes of the show I probably teared up about 100 times. As these telethons are designed to be, it was very moving and tugged at your heartstrings in an effort to get people to loosen their purse strings.

But it was probably about 30-40 minutes into the show that my heart broke in two and the tears started to flow as I choked on them trying to breathe. What set me off? Four celebrities -Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner, Casey Affleck, and Forest Whitaker - sat on stools and told the stories of various individuals. Some of these individuals are still fighting and some have lost the battle. It was the story that Forest told that broke my heart.

Right now Jake is obsessed with age. Ever since Hannah turned 7 last month he asks on a daily basis when he is going to get to be "4, then 5, then 6". He wants to be a year old more than anything. It has actually turned into a good counting game for him although last night he skipped the age of 13 and tried to jump from being 12 to being 14. (And really, what 12 year old wouldn't want to skip 13 and become 14 right away?)

The story that Forest Whitaker told was from the perspective of a mother whose 4 1/2 year old son died of cancer. She felt his last heartbeats as she placed her hand on his chest. While I was certainly crying through the entire story it was when Forest Whitaker said the following words that I actually gasped out loud as Jake's beautiful smiling face flashed before my eyes:

"More than anything he wanted to be 5."

Please. Please give to Stand Up 2 Cancer so that parents never have to wish their children could have seen another birthday. And another and another. You can donate in a VERY quick process at www.StandUp2Cancer.org.

When I was a kid we still used Pony Express

In school Hannah has a different "specialty" class each day. Monday is gym, Tuesday is Library, Wednesday is Music and Thursday is Art. Now that she is in 2nd grade they have Technology on Friday. Today is the first Friday since the year started and she is VERY excited to have Technology today.

Hannah: Yay! Today is Technology. I am so excited.

Me: Well, have fun and listen to Mrs. Burke. I wonder why kind of stuff you're going to do in Technology.

Hannah: You've never had Technology?

Me: No, we didn't have Technology when I was a kid. . .Or at least not enough to make a class out of it.

Politics

So apparently my husband reads this blog. Go figure. Tonight, because I think he is secretly a Republican masquerading in an Independent's body, he asked me if a small part of me supported McCain/Palin because Governor Palin is a woman. The answer to that would be: "No!" His devil's advocate reply was "but you were talking about being a part of history in your blog earlier today." My response: "Hitler was also a part of history". While I am NOT saying that Governor Palin is equivalent to Hitler, I do not vote with my ovaries any more than Lincoln votes with his penis. Just because something will make history does not make it great. But I will admit if a more qualified woman was elected as VP it would probably have made me a tiny bit proud.

I am a Democrat. I will openly admit that to anyone who asks. For the most part I will vote along party lines but I am open to a good moderate Republican as a lesser of two evils (the bigger of two evils being someone along the lines of George W. Bush). I had no major problems with McCain until last week. While I want Obama to win, and I certainly plan to vote for him, I would not have been as desperate to move to Canada as I was with the past two elections. I could have lived with the decision. Until now. I am a woman. I am a PTO mother. I live in a town only slightly smaller than the town that Sarah Palin was mayor of. I do NOT think that qualifies her to be "a heartbeat away from the Presidency". And that statement is true in this situation more than it ever was before. Senator McCain is a four (or five?) time cancer survivor. If elected he will be the oldest President ever. There is a fair to middlin' chance that he could die in the next four to eight years. Do you really want an individual who has run a state for less than 18 months, and that is smaller than a number of U.S. cities, running our country during a time of war, recession, and energy crisis?

Okay, enough of standing on my soap box for today, but just humor me and watch this clip from the Jon Stewart show. What impresses me about the Republican party is that no matter what they said the month before, they can turn around and say the opposite the following month with a straight face and an honest belief that you'll believe what they say.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

While I'm on my green soapbox

Check out this website. www.greenfeet.com. I'm loving their "Teenie Weenie Greenie" water bottles for kids.

Living History

Over the last however many years I've always been a recycler. Particularly paper. Lincoln has always been a huge recycler of EVERYTHING and my mom always laughs when she comes to visit and accidently throws out something that you can recycle and Lincoln will pull it out of the trash. I'm happy to say that while I don't go through our trash I do now recycle every possible item.

At work I've been in charge of setting up various Green Initiatives including the fact that we now recycle plastic, metal, and glass as well as paper. We also compost and use biodegradable plates, bowls, and silverware made from corn.

Hannah has told me that she wants to start a club at school to clean up the environment and this year at her school the 2nd grade class will be doing composting in the classrooms as part of an education grant that two of the teachers applied for and were awarded.

While driving around Cambridge and the surrounding towns it is not unusual to see a "Clean Air Cab" which are hybrid vehicles sponsored by Whole Foods. Cambridge is also offering grant money to taxi companies who convert their current vehicles to ones of the hybrid variety. Additionally, I occasionally see vehicles, like the one I followed back from lunch today, that say "fueled by biodiesel" or something similar.

Today I received an email from someone in my Upton Moms email group about the website www.OurRenewableNation.org which is a fantastic project run by a New England family. They make great short videos about energy saving and renewable resources. The videos are narrated by their 9 year old son.

All of this rambling is to say that it seems like we're on the cusp of something new and exciting. I realize that recycling and energy saving and renewable resource discussions have been around for a long time but it just seems like the tipping point has finally been reached. It seems like people are really embracing this new way of life and I couldn't be happier.

As a history major in college I would always look at different time periods and think "Wow, I wonder what it was like to live in that time." I feel like this may be one of those times. The world is changing and I for one am really glad to be right in the middle of it.

I obviously came into the office WAY too early this morning

When I got in my car and started to drive my GPS system was still in "night mode". That means I got up way too early today. Luckily it kicked over to "day mode" after only a few miles.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

I take back what I just said about Jen

If she hadn't already left she would be SO fired! LOL. She forgot to have me order more labels for my label maker and now I'm out. Man, I was really in the zone this morning with my organizing.

God Bless Jennifer

Last week during her final days as my employee Jennifer camped out in my office with me and forced me to get through all of my filing. The two of us went through a HUGE box of back filing and got everything current. This morning I'm in the office early and it is such a relief to have everything filed and easily accessible while I plow through all the other crap on my desk. I love that girl. And I miss her terribly.

Monday, September 1, 2008

I hate Verizon Wireless

I would rather buy a car from a used car salesman every day of the week than deal with Verizon Wireless once a year. About a year and a half ago Lincoln and I bought new phones and I walked out of there feeling dirtier than a 10 cent whore. Today I had my phone as we went into lunch and it was working fine. Tracy called me on it as we were going into the restaurant. My phone sat on the table during the meal and when we went out it was broken. It just kept cycling over and over trying to reboot. Of course I have until April 2009 before my contract is up so I can't really do much about it. They tell me I'll have a new one delivered to me by Wednesday morning but they said the same thing when Link's phone went out last month and it took until about Friday to get the new one.

I firmly believe that Verizon Wireless sets their phones up to crap out after 18 months so that you never get to the 2 year "New Every Two" deal where they give you $100 towards a new phone.

I hate Verizon Wireless.

I knew letting video games into the house was a bad idea

Even though I was obsessed with Nintendo when I was younger I was optimistically planning on avoiding that whole video game thing with my kids. I knew eventually they'd start playing them, if nothing else they'd play at a friends house. But then Rachel came out here in May and we started playing Super Mario Brothers while reminiscing about childhood and it has all been down hill from there. We then bought Super Mario Brothers 3 and now Lincoln has taken to stopping in at Game Stop and picking up a game or two here and there. We have a PlayStation 2 but we don't (or didn't) actually have any games for it other than Guitar Hero which I lent to someone and haven't gotten back.

Anyway, this morning I came downstairs and Hannah is dusting the living room, Jake is playing with Magnetix and using his imagination to create things and Lincoln is sitting unshowered and unshaven with the blinds drawn playing video games. This is the down hill slope I was afraid of. I was just afraid that the children would be the ones sucked in....not Lincoln.