Sunday, January 27

Ollie's World

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Yeah, I'm the 'guard dog.' It's a bit boring (especially the night shift), but someone has to do it and, actually, it's a pretty cool job.

They're cutest when they're sleeping

I know. This little one pokes me in the eyes sometimes, pulls my ears, tries to ride me like I'm a pony or make me dance, but look how cute she is. Plus, she sneaks me all kinds of tasty stuff from the table when Mom and Dad aren't looking. I'm not going to let anything happen to this little meal ticket!

Opps, I've said too much. Good night, I've got to get back to my work.

**

Saturday, January 26

He is My Soft Place to Fall

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"Easy Silence"


When the calls and conversations
Accidents and accusations
Messages and misperceptions
Paralyze my mind

Busses, cars, and airplanes leaving
Burning fumes of gasoline
And everyone is running
And I come to find a refuge in the

Easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay

Monkeys on the barricades
Are warning us to back away
They form commissions trying to find
The next one they can crucify

And anger plays on every station
Answers only make more questions
I need something to believe in
Breathe in sanctuary in the

Easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay

Children lose their youth too soon
Watching war made us immune
And I've got all the world to lose
But I just want to hold on to the

Easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me

The easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay

~ Music and Lyrics By: Emily Robinson, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson ~

**

Friday, January 25

Something to Ponder

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What do you aspire to be?

Are you living the life you aspire to be living?

Are you living the life that will allow you to become what you aspire to be?

Just a little something to ponder.

**

Thursday, January 24

What do you aspire to be...,

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Wow! That's a powerful question. What do you aspire to be?

A good mom,
a good wife,
and a good friend.

Is that enough. Should I aspire to be something *GREAT* - but by whose definition? This is where everything gets muddy.

I don't aspire to be rich or famous. I don't aspire to be a high-powered, wheelin' & dealin' business woman - though at one time ...

No - I really aspire to something more simple. Less frustrating, and in my current perspective, more rewarding.

Still, is it enough?

**

Quote for the Day

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"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."

~Buddha~

**

Sunday, January 20

Imperfect Perceptions

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Today I had an Ah-Ha Moment.

I was troubled at first because it involves little Ray-Ray and the image that she may see every day of her life when she looks in the mirror.

Will she see what we see when we look at her? A beautiful little girl with bright blue eyes and a smile that lights up a room. You've seen her. She's beautiful.

But, because of a congenital syndrome called Goldenhar, she's also asymmetrical and will be more or less so throughout her life. Just ever so slightly and, at this point, it's only really noticeable when you look at her reflection, which is the way she'll see herself everyday. As her mom, I fear for her in this world of symmetrical ideals of perfection and beauty.

You may think I'm crazy to worry about something that's almost imperceptible, but a friend of mine recently had a nose job. She's a beautiful woman and always has been. But, because of what she saw in her reflection, she never believed that. She always hated her nose. So much so that she had them cut into her beautiful face to remove what she saw as an ugly, imperfection.

So, I feel a stab of sadness for my daughter. Or maybe fear is a better word. Fear that she'll look in the mirror and not see what I see: that beautiful, spirited little girl with eyes that you can get lost in and the most expressive little grin imaginable. I'm afraid she'll see and focus on the imperfection—the asymmetry of the pieces and not the beauty of the whole.

Teaching children to value the sum of the parts as greater than the individual pieces seems to be such a daunting task. Especially when it comes to self-image and perceived beauty in this nutty culture that values looks and money as though they were divine. Without one or the other, a person's intrinsic value somehow falls into question.

The relief is in the realization that none of us is able to see what others see. Knowing that and accepting that frees us, and allows us to stop trying to create perfection. Our view of our physical selves is based on that two dimensional reflection that pales in comparison to the world's three dimensional reality. Trying to create perfection in the eyes of others is an impossible endeavor because we’ll never see what they see.

My task as a mother will be to teach my daughters that they are the sum of their parts, not their nose or their hair or their bust size or the house we live in or the clothes they wear. They are all of those things and so very much more. All of which has intrinsic value – but any one aspect alone is all but worthless. It’s the entirety of the person that we love, respect and admire.

**

Saturday, January 19

Retro...,

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"HAA-BWAAHHAAAHAA!!"

"Daddy! Mommy look!! HABAAHHAAAHAA"

"What Alex?"

"Look at his funny, spikey hair!!"

Oh - just try and guess what she was watching. Who had, arguably, the most ridiculous hair of all time? I'll give you a hint. One hit wonders of the 80s - Big group of birds that hang out at the beach.

**

A: sllugaes o kcolf

NO!

**

"No! No Ziggy! NO!" Rachel commanded. "N.O. spells no."

Yeah. Did I mention she's three?

**

Tuesday, January 15

Did I mention, She's a genius?

**

OK - I do my best to keep the gushing mom-bit to a minimum, but sometimes it's just got to get out.

Teacher parent conferences (hysterical concept for preschoolers) were last night and both girls received extremely positive 'reports.' Especially Rachel, who, as you've heard, is in LOVE with her teacher.

But, did I also mention that she's a G*E*N*I*U*S? Oh yes - she is. And this has nothing to do with the conferences.

While coloring with Ray tonight, I drew a little teddy bear cartoon, wrote Teddy Bear across the top of the paper, and then I left the room to answer the phone. This is what she did while I was out of the room...


Oh yes - that's 3-year old genius! Proof positive.

And, quite possibly our worst fears realized? Dave's brains and my personality.

T*R*O*U*B*L*E

**

Monday, January 14

More Tidbits O' Kidlets

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"Mom?"

"hmm?"

"I can't think of who I'm going to marry."

As I turned to Dave, staring at him in disbelief, she added, "Can I marry another girl?"

OK - the 1st part of that sentence was far more troubling than the latter.

"Let's not start thinking about grown-up things yet! You're four!! Change. Subject. Need. New. Subject... Where is your bunny?!?!" is what was inside my head. But what I said was, "Yes. You can marry another girl, but you don't have to decide any of that just yet."

And, hopefully, when the time comes, if Alex or Rachel choose that path, the issue of girls marrying girls will no longer be an issue.

**

"Momma?"

"What, hon?"

"The elves did good."

"What?"

"The elves did good. They made me a good camera."

"Yes they did - the elves made you a very nice camera for Christmas."

"How did they do that? How can they make a camera?"

"The same way they..."

"Outsourcing."

Globalization at work - per DH.

**

Friday, January 11

Flowers in January

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Happy Birthday to Me,




From the man that I love.

**

Thursday, January 10

Three POUNDS o' Skittles...

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Three pounds of Skittles, outlining every service in my office. Every thing from my desk and bookshelves to the tops of picture frames and bulletin boards, even my light switch!

How great is that!!

From my crazy team.

Gotta love'm.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

**

Sunday, January 6

Rain in Southern California

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In spite of all the rumors, it actually does rain in Southern California. And, when it does, the locals lose their collective minds! Everything from multiple car accidents to huddling indoors to complaining about our terrible, soggy suffering.

All in all -- we're wusses.

But who are the one's hit with a gutteral, panic-attack inducing, nauseating fear? Who is up all night, sweating and pacing the floors?

Southern California parents facing the prospect of two days trapped indoors with preschoolers, that's who.

"What the hell are we going to do INDOORS for 2 DAYS - IN A ROW? How can we entertain (at best), keep from strangling (at worst), our kids??"

The first resource - DVDs. But after a couple hours - the kids are getting bored and it's time to pull out the rainy day bag o' tricks - or call a friend to beg, borrow or steal their bag.

We avoided melt downs with some a-typical fun, crafts and activities:

$3.50 = Tons of super simple bath time fun.


With a little bubble bath and a package of food coloring, Rachel can have almost an hour of hysterical, experimental fun!!

While Rachel and I were playing with colors in the bath tub,
Daddy and Alex took the pups for a walk in the rain.

And then a little girly-girl time w/ Mommy.

And a quick, very, extra-special trip for a little of America's favorite indulgence.
The girls got cocoa and Mommy and Daddy had lattes.

A few errands and nap time, followed by craft time;
Homemade beads.
Daddy helped and the girls had a ball.

Dinner & baths and end of Day 1

Day 2 started with a walk and a search for rainy-day, slimy, slithery creatures.

My girls will pick up ANYTHING!

Some special friends spent the rest
of the rainy morning with us.

After nap - craft time again and we
painted our homemade beads.

Followed by...

We were all happily wiped out after a long, and busy weekend.
No melt downs, no throttling -- it was all good.

And the sun will come out tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow...

**