Ode to Joy

Adam fixed the garage door opener this past weekend!!! Ever since we have moved from CA, I have this thing about parking in the garage. It is a simple pleasure and necessity in my mind. Certainly with kids, it makes life easier in the heat, rain, sleet, snow, etc. I can't remember how long it has been broken, but it is as good as new and Aim is a happy camper!!! Joy! No wait, make that JOY!!!!!!!
Russell was "Top Exerciser" in his gym class yesterday. That's twice he's earned that award. Apparently his gym class picks a boy and a girl every day for the award and there are like 100+ students in his gym class. He's pretty funny about it; he makes a goal to get it one day and it is done. So, he is thrilled with himself and we are, of course, so proud. It is really cool to see him set a goal and achieve it.
We've got the Christmas tree up. It is such a pain to get it our fake tree ready every year, but it is so pretty once it is up. Adam is an excellent tree branch 'fluffer'. Rachel is loving the tree and all the ornaments. She'll swing an ornmament back and forth on the tree and exclaim "Wheeeeeeee!!!!" The picture ornaments seem to be her favorites. Russell is eagerly awaiting Santa's arrival and wishing everyone a "Happy Merry Christmas".
I have created a link that will let you subscribe to my blog. You just type in your email and it will email you when I have posted something new. In fact, it will just email you the new post from my blog. If you look on the right side of this page and scroll down a bit, you will find a box in which you can type your email. This blogging thing is so fancy!!! Thanks, Schell, for that tidbit of info!!!

Did you just call me the DVR Queen????

I have to admit my new obsession. We got a new computer and it has a TV tuner AND you can record TV programs AND burn them to DVD. My motivation is completely selfish. I am tired of listening and half watching the same 3 Little Einstein episodes and the same 4 Backyardigan episodes, and well basically all the DVDs that the kids have. And now I can choose which ones to record, burn them and presto - variety for my ears!!! I am so thrilled with myself! VCR???? What's THAT? Ha!
I seem to have a daily obsession these days. One was finding a used desk that I could refinish for Russell. Haven't found that yet. One was deciding what to wear for Adam's squadron xmas party. (The answer to that in short story terms a 'pre-Rachel' dress hanging in my closet that fits, thank you very much!!) Another was our annual holiday rhyme and adding a new twist, you'll have to wait for the result on that obsession.
What will be today's obsession? I think it may be making ice cream to take to Thanksgiving dinner at the Boynton's tomorrow. But, it could end up being what to do about the squirrels in our backyard. As our neighbor Ray commented the other day - the squirrels are thick this year. They have managed to outsmart the 'squirrel proof' bird feeder and are eating all the birdseed. They also come right up to the sliding glass doors and taunt the cats. How do you get rid of the squirrels???? Stop feeding them? Feed them something else so they don't eat the bird food? Let the cats out to hunt/chase them away??? Hmmm.... Ice cream, definitely focusing on ice cream today....

The Unlucky Tent

Our first Christmas as a married couple, we bought a tent. Brewster's, the local outdoors store in Napa, was going out of business so it seemed like the time to invest in a good tent. And that we did! A great little 4 person tent, not too big, not too small - a tent to last a lifetime!!! So, we've had this great tent for 8 years and this weekend was only the 2nd time we've used it.

The first time we used the tent, I went camping with Adam's mom and brothers at Tahoe. The entire drive the weather was fabulous, we got the campsite set up, the boys (who were like 6 & 8 yrs old) were excited, we were ready to camp. And then came the rain. It poured!!! We made a mad dash to the minivan, drove around and around as it continued to pour. So after several hours of constant rain and knowing that everything that wasn't in our great tent was soaked, we made the decision to pack up, (in the rain), and go home. Big fat bummer.

Between moving and having babies, we have never had the opportunity to really camp since the Tahoe Rainout of '99. But now Russell is of the age where he'd really love camping. He is so fun to do anything with, the kid loves everything! So, we make reservations for the boys only campout for this past Saturday at a local state park. We go there a lot to just use the beach; it's a popular park, with beautiful campsites on the bay. The boys pack up, get the trusty, waterproof tent ready, s'mores makings, hot dogs - they are ready for the one night trip. Check the weather - 20% chance of rain, not too bad. (You know where this going!!) They get to camp, find their perfect site, beautiful waterfront property!!! Russell has a blast playing while Adam sets up camp. Then a few drops. No big deal, right? Then the downpour!!!! So, refer to the above camping trip - drive around and around, still raining, everything is wet, except everything inside the tent!!! After seeing rivers of water race through the campgrounds and the fire pit filled with its own mini lake, the boys came home. But, since we only live about 20 min. from the park and it was pouring, they left the tent and Adam went back this morning to get it!! Another big fat bummer!!!

Next weekend the plan is to get out the tent and campout in the backyard. Well, we do need the rain....

So Bow-tiful!!

On Saturday, Rachel picked out her entire outfit from head to toe! After she got dressed, she really wanted a bow. We put one in and she said"cuuuuute!" And then she wanted another bow. We put in on and she said "prrrrrreeeeettyyyyy!" We repeated this over and over again until there were no bows left. She was so thrilled with herself. We thought - we'll see how long this lasts. Well, it lasted all day. We ran errands all over town, we played outside, we took a nap and kept all our bows on our head!

(This picture posting is a little weird on blogger. I wish you had more control on placement, size, etc. My only complaint about Blogger thus far!)

Treats and Tricks...

Well, it is no secret, the kids (Dora and pirate) had a great Halloween. And, I actually was able to take a picture of them together! Usually I can't seem to get them facing forward or close enough together. Rachel visited about 5 houses with Russ and then she headed home with Adam to hand out candy. Russell and I took on the rest of the neighborhood. Rachel could have cared less about getting candy - she just wanted to run after Russell and go inside the neighbors' houses. Russ was all about the candy, and what 5 yr old isn't??? This year he had a hard time saying "Trick or Treat". Instead he would say something like "I like treats.... I don't like tricks." The neighbors loved it!! Handfuls of candy were given to the gracious pirate. After saying thank you, he'd tell me somehting like "Oh, I love that woman" or "I LOVED that house" or "That was a nice woman / man". Too funny! He was such a treat to take out and about! Just his running commentary and observations while walking the neighborhood was so fun to listen to. He was so genuine in his excitement and joy, trick or treating might have been more fun for me.

And the winner of the most original costume goes to...

Come on vamanos! Everybody let's go..... Dora and Boots (oo-oo-EE-EE)!!!! Ha! Well, what can we say, we're inspired by our current surroundings!!

On Saturday, Adam and I went to a "groan-up" costume party and had a great time! Needless to say, we were the only Dora and Boots there. After we had secured a babysitter, Adam suggested that he might go as Dora. After some thought, it seemed easy enough - a wig, red shorts, pink shirt, yellow socks and Rachel's Dora Backpack (and excellent idea - it saved me from carrying a purse!!). Now, Boots was a little harder to put together. That tail is really loneg - I almost ran out of hot glue sticks!! And the boots, ugh! You have to understand how limited the shopping is here. I had found a pair of rain boots that were black and I had thought I could spray paint them red. Yes, a logical idea. I started on the project, it seemed to be working, the paint was drying; Boots would not be barefoot! Then, the humidity came and the paint on the boots became un-dry so to speak. Since, I didn't want to track red paint all over the carpets of one of Adam's bosses, I made a mad dash around town and (insert Dora's da da da da daaaaa) I found some red suede boots at Payless.
We all got to vote on best costume, etc. Adam got a vote for scariest costume, which he does look like a transvestite Dora. We won "Most Original" costumes. There was a great couple (btw from Santa Rosa, CA) and they were dressed as Jack and Jill after they tumbled down the hill. They had make up on that looked like they had tumbled down the hill, she had twigs and leaves in her hair and he wore a paper crown that was broken. Too funny! Bat girl made an appearance too - although she was like 45 years old (but looked like 60+, let's just say sun damage!!) and her gigantic boobs came down to her crotch! Remember the old campfire song "Do your ears hang low?" Well, we used to insert "boobs" instetad of "ears" and every time I looked at bat girl, I couldn't help but think of that song. Someone voted her for "Best Pair" costume. hahaha....

Just in case you don't know the song -
Do your ears hang low?
Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot?
Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them over your shoulder like a Continental soldier?
Do your ears hang low?

I think hers hung low enough to throw over her shoulder....

The first entry - I caught a lizard!!

Well, here it is, the first blog, how exciting!

Okay, so I caught a lizard last week - phew! It was the 3rd lizard (that I know about) that was in the house. We have a lot of little gecko type lizard things in our yard, on the house, and on the screens. So when Russ was saying he saw a lizard on the wall I really didn't think much of it. Then I realized he was looking behind the couch and the lizard on the wall was actually inside, on the wall. Now, I don't do bugs in the house and consequently I don't do critters either! So, we watched the lizard run under the couch. I looked for him, tried to scare him out, but that didn't work. So, I thought this can wait for Adam to get home and he can catch the lizard. But then I started imagining sitting on the couch and the lizard coming out and crawling on me, near me, ON ME!!! Needless to say, this was not going to wait for Adam to come home. To make a long story short - it took about 30 minutes, a shoebox, a piece of turkey meat and a broomstick, but I caught that lizard!! (Yea me!!) By the way, the lizard had no interest in the turkey, but the cats did and were more interested in that than the lizard, (lizard #2 apparently lost its life to the cats - totally gross but thankfully stayed on the tile and not the carpet!). So, once the lizard was secure in the box, (sheer luck, I assure you!), I caught my breath and we released the lizard into the flower bed where he found refuge in a blooming mum. Did I say PHEW!!!????