Haircut week!

Both Julia and Myrah had their hair cut this week.  They had very different experiences.  Myrah had layers put in and cut her hair a bit shorter.  We had our good friend Lainie come over and cut her hair in our kitchen.  Lainie is about to graduate from beauty school and she does a great job.  Myrah got to watch TV while her hair was being cut.  

Julia on the other hand was very spoiled and got to go to the Bladerunner Day Spa to have Todd (who cuts my hair) cut her hair.  Todd has been wanting to treat Julia to the whole experience - complete with hair washing and head massage.  Julia went quite short and was able to donate her hair.

beach girls

My surfer boys

beach fun

This is what happens when two girls get bored and decide to fill their shorts with sand.

Myrah looking like the California surfer girl that she was meant to be!

White trash night.

Some of my friends and I were talking one day about our "white trash" recipes.  You know, the ones you make because they taste oh so good but are not good for you, the ones you make from cans that require very little work.  So, we decided to have a white trash party.  It was super fun.  I made pizza on Boboli bread with BBQ beef, canned corn and cheese on top.  Another friend made "bubble pizza" with Pillsbury biscuits, sauce, cheese and pepperoni.  A third friend made hot dogs with cheese surrounded by crescent rolls.  You can see my centerpiece made with Budweiser beer, spam, Velveeta, Twinkies, and ding dongs.   My sister sent me the perfect card to complement our party too.  We watched a movie outside and several kids slept in tents.  We are all suffering from a white trash hangover.  Too many preservatives and fillers for one night but so much fun!

Chemo #7 out of 12.

Yesterday was # 7.  Please say a prayer that my Dad continues to feel ok and have energy to finish this large project he is working on.  Thank you!

The three amigos

er or maybe 4 amigos?

Spongebob

as interpreted by Julia with Popsicle sticks.

Saint Theresa's Prayer

Saint Theresa's Prayer 

May today there be peace within. 

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. 

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. 

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. 

May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. 

It is there for each and every one of us. 

I like this one.

fun father's day

The kids after boogie boarding in horrific winds.  It was freezing outside at the beach and hardly anyone was out but that didn't stop these 3 determined children from getting in the water.  As they were walking out to the ocean their boogie boards were flying behind them like kites.  I don't have a picture of this because  I stayed safely in Uncle Rico while John braved the winds to watch them.  What a great Dad!  Don't they look completely happy and content?

John happy on Father's day to be driving Uncle Rico - his favorite place.

This is the mouse that Ben caught.  He loves to gently hold small animals in his mouth in hopes that they will live long enough to play with.  Myrah and Julia rescued this poor creature and put him in a cage only to have him die about 30 minutes later.  They then proceeded to make a grave complete with a headstone for it.  RIP little mouse.

Jack had a right of passage today and learned how to mow the lawn.  Good times ahead for John.

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there.  Such a huge responsibility to be a father.  We all appreciate you!  I wish I could see my own Father today but he is in my heart and I heard his voice on the phone.  John, thank you for being such a great Dad to our children.  They love you so much.  I couldn't do it without you!

Um.....

Excuse me winter -  We all love you so much but maybe it is time to take a break and let summer work for awhile.  Maybe you didn't get the memo or perhaps you are enjoying all of the attention but distance makes the heart grow fonder and we will love you all the more if we don't see you again until say..... December?

Virgin skin

Sat by the pool for a bit today watching the kids swim since I have been feeling quite under the weather and successfully attained the one thing I tried to avoid - a sunburn.  45 SPF is apparently not enough for the white skin coming out of winter. Fun.

For Sale....

The flu.  Guaranteed to hit you like a mack truck.  Comes with fever, headache, congestion, sore throat and cough.  Willing to throw in NyQuil.  Need to sell ASAP  -  No genuine offer refused.

CRAZY

My good friend Todd owns a hair salon and tonight at one of the local lounge bars there was a fashion show called "battle of the Salons".  Many local salons compete to be named the "top" salon in the area.  I went with a friend and was introduced to a whole different world of hair.  They were judged on creativity, uniqueness and the ability to adhere to the theme.  They are also judged on the complete look including make up and clothing.  Last nights theme was packaging.  Meet "Tiffany".

Sick kids

All three kids are feeling a bit under the weather so today they had a quiet day coloring.  They are hoping to win the Trader Joes coloring contest.

Lunch and barn

Fun day today at the barn and lunch.  Here are a few pics

Wisdom

John's uncle Vince asked me today if I had any wisdom to share pre-40th birthday (he of course was filming me and asking me this question).  I could not think of anything at that moment but later thought - we are never as wise as we think we are.  I remember thinking I knew everything about life when I was 22 - I thought I knew it all again when I was 31.  The older I get the more I realize I know nothing.  I think what I am realizing is that I don't need to know it all and there is peace that.

Recipe for fun

This is what happens when you mix children, a swimming pool, a nice day and balloons all together.  They figured out if they attached balloons to their bodies they would float in the water.

Last day of School!

Today was the last day of school.  I now have a 6th grader and a 3rd grader.  They could not wait for this day.  The last few weeks have been brutal waking them up.  It has been harder and harder to get them out the door and today was no different.  After school Jack said "it doesn't feel like summer yet".  I told him he would feel it on Monday when he could sleep in and be lazy all day long.  I am very proud of both of my kids.  They had great report cards and worked hard all year.  They are very upset with me because I am going to make them work this summer (like I did last summer) and do some school work everyday to keep their minds full.  I am also requiring them to read everyday too..... torture!  I am so mean ;)  Now if the weather would just get the memo that it is summertime everything would be good!

Booooorrrrrriiiiinnnnngggggg!

Yes I am writing Thursdays post on Monday morning.....  I guess what it boils down to is that life has been a bit boring.  I don't mean to say that I am bored - quite the opposite.  My life is boring to you.  The things that occupy my day lately are of no interest to others but quite interesting to me.  I guess if you were to categorize this time I would definitely put it in the "good times" category.  When nothing much is happening and everyone is healthy and your biggest decision is what to make for dinner.  These are good times.   I remember after my first grandparent passed away.  He was the first person I actually knew who died.  I was a little bit older than Jack and it was then that I realized that there were "good times" and "bad times".  The good times were a nice bit if life when  mortality, safety and health were not in the forefront of your thoughts simply because they were all good.  I feel I am in a "good times" stage of life right now.  Everyone I love seems to be doing alright.  I am trying to embrace and enjoy these days.  Be thankful for these times and hold them in a special place in my heart to be used at a later time when things might not seem so good.

Chemo #6

HALF WAY!!!!!  Right now  I am hoping that my Dad is sitting in his family room recovering from #6.   Courage and strength....... that is all I have to say.

Basketball

OK so the Lakers are in the finals and I have to admit I am hooked.  I never thought I would be interested in basketball.  The best part is that I really only need to watch the last quarter (call me whatever you want).  If it is a close game (like it was tonight) it all comes down to the last few minutes (2:24 to be exact).  I love these close games - the excitement that happens in the last minute is a huge adrenalin rush.  Forget about the games where they are ahead by 30 points - yawn.  I like the roller coaster ride that lasts a couple of minutes and you walk away feeling re-energized - win or lose.  Not to mention - Kobe is absolutely beautiful to watch ;) 

Myrah is coming!

This Saturday my niece Myrah is coming to stay with us for a month.  We are all very excited.  It will be great for Jack and Julia, having her here right after school is out, so they can get used to just playing and enjoying the summer without me hearing "I'm bored" all of the time.  We have big plans of going to the beach, taking hikes, swimming in the neighbors pool, going to the beach (oh did I say that already?).  Yes the lazy days of summer.  I wish I could impress upon my kids the importance of enjoying free time.  I don't think they understand that their lives are about to get very busy and full - do any of us realize that as children?  Jack is just on the brink of adolescence and a part if me aches to keep him right where he is.  I don't want to let him go yet and I can already see his little wings beginning to form.  I need to remember to look out the window and record in my mind the three of them running around and playing - making up games - and getting dirty.  I need to remember the sweet "I love yous" and long embraces before they become few and far between.  Before long there will be graduations and weddings and maybe if I am lucky grandchildren.  Life is so beautiful.

Yes man.

John and I watched this moving the other day and it has had me thinking.  Isn't it funny how most of the time when we really should be saying yes our immediate response is to say no?  It is for me anyway, when that homeless person on the corner is looking at me I immediately want to look away and when my kids ask me to take them to the park my response (without even thinking I might add) most of time is "maybe a little later".   How about those moments when you know you should say no and everything in you wants to say yes.  Like skirting your responsibilities to go to lunch or buying another tshirt because it is on sale (even though you don't need it).  What is that?Why is it so hard to be good?  Shouldn't that be the easy part?  Then you bring faith into the mix and that should make it easier but it doesn't - it makes it harder.  Now you really know when you are doing the wrong thing - you get consumed with guilt and remorse - but somehow we do it anyway.   I guess this is the human condition - it fascinates me.  I am glad God has patience beyond my comprehension because if I were in charge I think I would have given up a long time ago.

The meeting

Today we brought Bugsy into the house to hop around in Jack's room.  We thought it would be fun to see what he would do.   He was very curious and had a lot of fun sniffing all of Jack's things and checking the place out.  We then decided to let our two pets meet each other.  With me holding the rabbit and John with a firm grip on Ben's collar we let them smell each other.   Both were curious but the bunny's heart started racing about double the speed it normally does.  Ben was rather funny.  It was almost like he was saying "so this is what you have been making a big deal about?".  He was pretty matter of fact and just wanted John to go and play with him.   I am sure things would be different if they met without human supervision but the fact that Ben decided to NOT put the rabbits whole head in his mouth says something.

Bartending

So for the last week I have been helping Stephen plan the food end of his grand opening for his new store.  I have never done anything like this before so it was a bit nerve wracking trying to figure out how much food was needed.  When it was all said and done it turned out beautifully thanks to some really good friends of mine who helped me out.  When we arrived we all happened to be wearing black and Stephen asked if I would mix drinks for the party......"um.....OK" I said.  Something else I have never done before.  My girlfriends helped me out and we were the fabulous 3 behind the bar.  It came a bit to easily for me.  I mean how hard can it be giving someone something they desire....  I loved chatting with all of the guests and observing everyone from the comfort of my post.  My biggest complaint at the end of the night was that my feet were killing me from wearing almost 4" heels all night long (yes if you are doing the math that makes me 6'2" and very intimidating).  Next time you are having a party I am offering my services as a bartender as long as the drink list isn't too long (not sure if I can remember how to make a long island iced tea) and the tip jar is big ;)

Gross!

This is about as white trash as I can ever imagine - Men's briefs with the crotch cut out to make a tank top........seriously.

I wish.....

I wish the cut off age for "So you think you can dance" was not under 30.  I wish I had realized my love for dancing earlier.  I don't want to go back - I love my life - but my body at 39 can't handle what I think I would have done to it at 25 had I realized this passion.  I think it is funny how our souls are put into these physical shapes.  I think it is funny how I am this massive being and when I dance, in my head, I am petite and perfect.  In my head the shape that I take up disappears and it just becomes energy moving around to emotion.  What an amazing gift that most of us don't even use to express ourselves.  Physical movement.  I wish we were all more at ease to move freely.  I wish that when all of the stresses of daily life get overwhelming we could all just jump in the air and kick and flail our arms around and feel better - instead of just holding it all in.

Poor Shhhickins :(

Our dear neighbors had some very sad new today.  They have raised 6 chickens from the time they were newborn chicks and we have all watched them grow and grow and grow.  They have a wonderful coup at the bottom of the hill and we always like to go down there  for a visit.  Last night coyotes came and broke through two very secure fences and killed all of their chickens.  We are all very sad.  The worst part is that their eldest son went down in the morning and saw the last coyote with a chicken in its mouth.  I have decide once and for all that I don't like coyotes.

Up

Last night we saw the movie "Up".  It is a Disney/pixar movie and we were all very excited because the reviews have been terrific.   Julia was expecting it to be a fun adventure story and yes there was adventure but I am not sure how fun it was.  It was rather deep and I found myself welling up with tears a couple of times (yes I cry at animated movies and almost never cry about life).  If you see it be sure to let me know what you think.  The graphics were amazing and even though we did not see it in 3D I am sure that version is quite thrilling.