**
We're home again. Safe and sound and exhausted - but no lasting damage to property or person. It's been a crazy, crazy week.
Thanks to my sister and B-in-L, Jane & Dave, we had a wonderful place to stay and our girls and our dog Ollie had a great time and no stress. ("Sleep overs at Auntie Jane's are fun!" )
And thanks to Daddy Dave, our girls & Ollie were happy and well cared for and I was able to go to work (LOOOONNNGG shifts in the emergency opts center) without worrying about my family.
THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU. You all ROCK!!
And thanks for all the calls we rec'd from people who were worried about us. It was great hearing from you and I promise I will give you a call once the dust (ash) has settled.
xoxxo
**
Thursday, October 25
Monday, October 22
Evacuation Notice
**
Hi all -
It's a crazy day.
We've just rec'd our evac. orders caused by the Witch fire in Northern San Diego County. We can't see any flames but the smoke is fairly thick. We're off to my sister's house near the beach and I'm sure that we (and our house) will be fine. Hugs to all of you who are also in the midst of this fire threat.
Alex and Ron - Congrats to you and I hope you're all doing well. We've been thinking of you and your new baby w/ extra special thoughts.
**
Hi all -
It's a crazy day.
We've just rec'd our evac. orders caused by the Witch fire in Northern San Diego County. We can't see any flames but the smoke is fairly thick. We're off to my sister's house near the beach and I'm sure that we (and our house) will be fine. Hugs to all of you who are also in the midst of this fire threat.
Alex and Ron - Congrats to you and I hope you're all doing well. We've been thinking of you and your new baby w/ extra special thoughts.
**
Tuesday, October 16
Changes...
**
Because of some questionable things that have been happening with a friend's blog, I'm thinking of making this a password protected site. I'm going to include the list of friends and relatives that check out our site from time to time and some that may want to sometime.
If, by chance, you've been following along and enjoy reading what's posted here - I'll be happy to include you in that list. Please send an email to kcjunked@hotmail.com and let me know. I'll be happy to add your name to the permissions list.
What do you think? Are permissions the best way to go or ??
**
Because of some questionable things that have been happening with a friend's blog, I'm thinking of making this a password protected site. I'm going to include the list of friends and relatives that check out our site from time to time and some that may want to sometime.
If, by chance, you've been following along and enjoy reading what's posted here - I'll be happy to include you in that list. Please send an email to kcjunked@hotmail.com and let me know. I'll be happy to add your name to the permissions list.
What do you think? Are permissions the best way to go or ??
**
Monday, October 15
Things I miss...,
**
Alex crawling into bed with me at 6:00 a.m for a 30-minute snuggly snooze before joining her Daddy for breakfast.
No more lazy mornings, sleeping a little bit later, enjoying my coffee while reading email and briefly checking the net (reading my favorite blogs and news sites), finally enjoying a surprisingly relaxed shower and dressing for the day–all as the girls enjoy their morning TV time.
Our random, spontaneous daytime adventures; trips to the beach or Zoo or Sea World or Grammy'a house, anywhere.
Nap time (& sometimes sharing naps with Alex. OH - the glorious afternoon nap! How I miss that!)
Days of Our Lives and the occasional Oprah
Rachel's rumpled head when she wakes up from her nap, bleary eyed and wandering down the hall to find her juice and then crawling into my arms for an afternoon snuggle.
Being the center of their world. Now that spot is shared with sooo many others. All of which are influencing my girls, teaching them – all beyond of my protective gaze.
Every little thing . . .
*snif*
**
Alex crawling into bed with me at 6:00 a.m for a 30-minute snuggly snooze before joining her Daddy for breakfast.
No more lazy mornings, sleeping a little bit later, enjoying my coffee while reading email and briefly checking the net (reading my favorite blogs and news sites), finally enjoying a surprisingly relaxed shower and dressing for the day–all as the girls enjoy their morning TV time.
Our random, spontaneous daytime adventures; trips to the beach or Zoo or Sea World or Grammy'a house, anywhere.
Nap time (& sometimes sharing naps with Alex. OH - the glorious afternoon nap! How I miss that!)
Days of Our Lives and the occasional Oprah
Rachel's rumpled head when she wakes up from her nap, bleary eyed and wandering down the hall to find her juice and then crawling into my arms for an afternoon snuggle.
Being the center of their world. Now that spot is shared with sooo many others. All of which are influencing my girls, teaching them – all beyond of my protective gaze.
Every little thing . . .
- Discovering earth worms
- Playing in the sand box
- The spontaneous, daily teaching moments
- Rediscovering crayons, play dough, finger painting and more through the eyes of my kids
- Knowing every little thing about them and their lives (that I miss A LOT)
*snif*
**
Saturday, October 13
Want the REAL story - Talk to a Teenager
**
Forget the media stories about how the world has gone crazy and all our children are headed for a pre-teen and adolescent life filled with indiscriminate sex, drug and alcohol addiction, mean girls and bullies the likes of which we 'old folks' can't even begin to imagine.
No. If you want the real story, I discovered today quite by accident, go talk to one of THEM. Talk to a teenager. NOT your teenager and NOT one of your teenager's friends or one of your friends’ teenagers. Talk to a teenager who has no vested interest in your opinion of him or her and you're likely to get the real scoop.
Like I did today.
"D" is a 19-year-old young man in his first year at a junior college. He graduated from our local high school and is now working at the rec. center where my girls take Saturday morning ballet. “D” and I spent about an hour talking about parents, siblings, drugs, sex, school pressure, and adolescent life in today’s world. Surprisingly, this frank and honest conversation did a lot to allay my fears about my girls’ future in this big, scary, cruel world.
Rampant, indiscriminate sex at younger and younger ages? No, according to “D.” There are a few kids who do that but the kids who are doing it in middle school are pretty much the same ones that are sleeping around in high school. "D" said there were maybe 5 - 10 'sluts' (my word) in his high school graduating class of 3000. Boyfriend/girlfriend sex isn't uncommon, but its not indiscriminate sleeping around.
Drugs are around and available. Some kids get into it and some kids get hooked. Most don't, though pretty much all the kids are drinking alcohol w/ probably one fatal accident a year at his high school.
This all sounds pretty much like the adolescent world of my youth.
The one striking difference was the prevalence of oral sex as an incredibly acceptable practice. No 'slut' label for this activity and it's 'often' used to entice a boy into a relationship. Though, according to "D," it's rarely successful.
"D" was pretty clear that the girls who were sleeping around, and the boys who were getting in trouble, were from homes that were rough or empty or 'just not what a kid should have.'
So, again, not horribly different from the world of my teen years. And not nearly as scary as the media would have you believe.
Whew.
So. If you want the REAL story - talk to a teenager.
**
Forget the media stories about how the world has gone crazy and all our children are headed for a pre-teen and adolescent life filled with indiscriminate sex, drug and alcohol addiction, mean girls and bullies the likes of which we 'old folks' can't even begin to imagine.
No. If you want the real story, I discovered today quite by accident, go talk to one of THEM. Talk to a teenager. NOT your teenager and NOT one of your teenager's friends or one of your friends’ teenagers. Talk to a teenager who has no vested interest in your opinion of him or her and you're likely to get the real scoop.
Like I did today.
"D" is a 19-year-old young man in his first year at a junior college. He graduated from our local high school and is now working at the rec. center where my girls take Saturday morning ballet. “D” and I spent about an hour talking about parents, siblings, drugs, sex, school pressure, and adolescent life in today’s world. Surprisingly, this frank and honest conversation did a lot to allay my fears about my girls’ future in this big, scary, cruel world.
Rampant, indiscriminate sex at younger and younger ages? No, according to “D.” There are a few kids who do that but the kids who are doing it in middle school are pretty much the same ones that are sleeping around in high school. "D" said there were maybe 5 - 10 'sluts' (my word) in his high school graduating class of 3000. Boyfriend/girlfriend sex isn't uncommon, but its not indiscriminate sleeping around.
Drugs are around and available. Some kids get into it and some kids get hooked. Most don't, though pretty much all the kids are drinking alcohol w/ probably one fatal accident a year at his high school.
This all sounds pretty much like the adolescent world of my youth.
The one striking difference was the prevalence of oral sex as an incredibly acceptable practice. No 'slut' label for this activity and it's 'often' used to entice a boy into a relationship. Though, according to "D," it's rarely successful.
"D" was pretty clear that the girls who were sleeping around, and the boys who were getting in trouble, were from homes that were rough or empty or 'just not what a kid should have.'
So, again, not horribly different from the world of my teen years. And not nearly as scary as the media would have you believe.
Whew.
So. If you want the REAL story - talk to a teenager.
**
Friday, October 12
Quote for the Day...
**
"...[Bush] has worked to turn Washington, D.C., into an evidence-free zone where facts are subordinate to ideology."
- HC -
**
"...[Bush] has worked to turn Washington, D.C., into an evidence-free zone where facts are subordinate to ideology."
- HC -
**
Wednesday, October 10
Parenting: A Huge Leap of Faith
**
There is no way to protect the people we love from EVERY possible danger. I can’t bubble wrap my kids and keep them indoors until...
well, forever.
On some level we all have to trust in the basic goodness of the world, and then step out and live and thrive in that world.
All we can do is our best to guide them and protect them. It's not possible to do more and it's unthinkable to do less.
We can only do our best. Somehow that realization is simultaneously comforting and terrifying.
**
There is no way to protect the people we love from EVERY possible danger. I can’t bubble wrap my kids and keep them indoors until...
well, forever.
On some level we all have to trust in the basic goodness of the world, and then step out and live and thrive in that world.
All we can do is our best to guide them and protect them. It's not possible to do more and it's unthinkable to do less.
We can only do our best. Somehow that realization is simultaneously comforting and terrifying.
**
Saturday, October 6
Three Year Old Wisdom...
**
"I just want to be myself when I grow up," Rachel told me today.
So simple - but wise beyond her years.
**
"I just want to be myself when I grow up," Rachel told me today.
So simple - but wise beyond her years.
**
Monday, October 1
Quote for the Day
**
"When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself."
Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief
**
"When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself."
Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief
**
Saturday, September 29
What a week!
**
OK - so we knew that my returning to work after 5+ years would be an enormous adjustment. But, seriously, this week was NUTS!! Aside from the expected adjustments and normal disruptions, we were hit with several unanticipated anomalies that sent us into a bit of tailspin.
The Summary:
First, I BUMPED into another car's fender at the end of my very 1st day on the job. This wouldn't have been so bad had the other driver not decided to commit insurance fraud and claim that my little bump caused almost $2,000 damage to her bumper and trunk lid! So now I'm in the middle of an investigation with HER insurance company on my side of things. (Ooohhh - she's in trouble!)
The next crisis was work related. K was in the midst of a major PR/member issue involving media, the law, and the public. Because I'm new I did little more than observe from the sidelines. It got a little nuts and my first week was anything but normal as my boss and the executives worked to address the issues, deal with the media and potential legal issues. It was an impressive show of team work and tenacity that, in the end, paid off.
& most important and worrisome of all. My babies. Both Rachel and Alex came down with a VERY nasty cold. Dave stayed home with Ray-Ray on Tuesday and 1/2 day on Friday. But Saturday night I found myself rushing off to the emergency room with our youngest. She was alternating between the chills and fevers as high as 104.7. It was a long and scary night. Diagnosis? Rachel had developed a minor case of pneumonia and Alex 'suffered' with a raging ear infection. (I swear that child has no nerve endings in her ears!)
Well - both girls are on the mend and life is starting to return to "normal." Whatever that is. We're hoping for, and looking forward to settling into a new routine - one that is lot less intense than this past week.
**
OK - so we knew that my returning to work after 5+ years would be an enormous adjustment. But, seriously, this week was NUTS!! Aside from the expected adjustments and normal disruptions, we were hit with several unanticipated anomalies that sent us into a bit of tailspin.
The Summary:
- A fender bender and insurance fraud,
- a once-in-a-decade crisis at the office,
- two very sick kids,
- and a trip to the emergency room.
First, I BUMPED into another car's fender at the end of my very 1st day on the job. This wouldn't have been so bad had the other driver not decided to commit insurance fraud and claim that my little bump caused almost $2,000 damage to her bumper and trunk lid! So now I'm in the middle of an investigation with HER insurance company on my side of things. (Ooohhh - she's in trouble!)
The next crisis was work related. K was in the midst of a major PR/member issue involving media, the law, and the public. Because I'm new I did little more than observe from the sidelines. It got a little nuts and my first week was anything but normal as my boss and the executives worked to address the issues, deal with the media and potential legal issues. It was an impressive show of team work and tenacity that, in the end, paid off.
& most important and worrisome of all. My babies. Both Rachel and Alex came down with a VERY nasty cold. Dave stayed home with Ray-Ray on Tuesday and 1/2 day on Friday. But Saturday night I found myself rushing off to the emergency room with our youngest. She was alternating between the chills and fevers as high as 104.7. It was a long and scary night. Diagnosis? Rachel had developed a minor case of pneumonia and Alex 'suffered' with a raging ear infection. (I swear that child has no nerve endings in her ears!)
Well - both girls are on the mend and life is starting to return to "normal." Whatever that is. We're hoping for, and looking forward to settling into a new routine - one that is lot less intense than this past week.
**
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