RANDOM POST

This pic. is a dedication to my niece and all the random teens out there who take funky posed pictures. It really cracks me up the faces they make. No gangsta signs from me, just HANG LOOSE.

In the spirit of my anniversary, a (clean) list of five things I've learned from my husband.
1) Sushi isn't disgusting; it's actually quite yummy.
2) Craps (after many, many hours it makes your back hurt)
3) Snow skiing is best taught by someone OTHER than your spouse (although he is very good instructor; I was not a good student)
4) He IS the master of the grill and I don't even need to attempt to compete
5) I am more competitive than I ever dreamed (especially with board games like Risk).

This pictures is technically from last week when we went to a wedding, but you get the idea.

Today is our 12th anniversary! A roller coaster of craziness for sure with four kids; a dog; and a cat. If someone would have asked me on the day of my wedding where do you think you'll be in 12 yrs., I don't think I would have said 'four kids' but all in all LIFE IS GOOD -- we are blessed. Happy Anniversary to my dh (husband, Dad, hard-working business man, and football coach [just a few of the many ways to describe him])

(pic. from Sunday evening)


So the good news is that the fire(s) aren't anywhere near to damaging us structurally.

The bad news is that we haven't been able to be outside since Sunday night. The kids have been at school, but are completely indoors for everything. SoCal IS NOT set up for this -- we don't have cafeterias or gymnasiums. (In other climates, worse case scenario if it's snowing, you can buddle up and go out. If it's raining, you grab some rain boots and go jump. WELL, if ash is covering everything and the air is smoke, you do NOTHING). I think the ash is more of a problem than earlier in the week b/c we no longer have the scary wind to blow it away. Ash covers everything that sits still for more than a few seconds. It's like a scene from a creepy movie; the sun is amber too. And now, the district has cancelled school for today. I think I'm going to declare it moviefest and let the kids veg on movies & popcorn.

Nothing like a little ash to make you appreciate and wish for good ole' SoCal smog.

Maggie had her bridging ceremony for Girl Scouts last week. She is officially a Junior Girl Scout. I wasn't sure if she was going to continue with scouting, but she opted for another year. Junior level has lots of opportunities that the younger girls just aren't ready for. We've already done Destination Unknown (a follow-the-clues/scavengur hunt to a mystery location -- we got to see the Angels win the AL West!) and the girls already have a plan for which badges they will work toward. We have such a nice group and meeting once a month fits our schedule nicely. Next up for Maggie (& Amanda) is auditioning for Christmas with Scrooge at our local community theatre.

EXHALE..............

Had my follow-up Mammogram today to check out something mysterious on my left side. ALL CLEAR! The extra smoosh pics. apparently revealed that I simply have 'thick' breast tissue. OK, I'll take that.

Now get out there and get your Mammogram done. A few moments of discomfort and a LOT of peace of mind.

Football is in full swing. I'm happy to report that Sean is doing really well. He plays quarterback and running back when on offense and linebacker when on defense. He really 'gets' the game and is learning so much. He is really getting into watching football on TV (Go LSU Tigers & Go Saints!) too. It's amazing the things that he notices and is picking up on. He is looking forward to playing tackle already; I'm not sure that I'm ready. It's a good thing I have a long time to prepare.

Everyone join the party celebrating Amanda's SIXTH birthday

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I didn't have any pics. on disk from before Fall 2004 but you can still get the jist of how insanely cute she is. No one can quite put their finger on it but many people just say 'there is just something about her'. Smart, sweet, stubborn, independent, witty and precious -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!

DON'T ASK....b/c I don't have an explanation. Yes, Ian asked me to put duct tape on his arm pits. I laughed so hard and told him it would hurt to pull off, but he INSISTED. [shrug] So being the good mother, I obliged. Hilarity ensued. After a few minutes, he wanted it off. With a mixture of 'ow,ow,ow' and snorts of laughter, he survived with no skin damage. These are the moments that keep me sane.


Ergh, mateys. I be Capt'n Jack Sparrow.
Seriously -- the boy kills me. He is simply funny. When he's not driving me bats, he is making me crack up.

Eh, I'm not soooooo bad..........
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