Into the Fray

The other day my darling boy “Cappa” celebrated his ninth birthday. It was a good day.

I do things slightly different than the norm for birthdays; when the birthday child attains a certain age, they get a myriad of choices as to how they want that particular day to go down. They can either give me a list of things they would like, and I’ll go and get some of them (or all, depending on a. the length of the list and b. the budget) or they can go shopping and spend up the one hundred smackers on whatever their little heart’s desire or I can surprise them. The older they get, the more they want to go shopping. Go figure.

They get a to choose WHATEVER THEY WANT for dinner. I emphasize the whatever they want part because, if I can make it, they can have it. Their tastes range. I have made all kinds of things for bday dinners, from BBQ to spaghetti to crock pot dishes… like I said, whatever they want!

And in lieu of birthday cake, they get whatever birthday dessert they want. I have come to discover that you can stick candles in nigh near anything. Some years they want a cake, but I have made pudding, pies, cupcakes, even birthday cookies for the dessert.

This year, Cappa wanted a new Gameboy DS for his birthday. His other one was slowly but surely crapping out on him. Even though the DS is slightly more than the usual one hundred bucks I delegate for birthdays, I decided that I could go ahead and make that happen. Well. THEN The Man discovered that Nintendo was making a new DS… the DSi. Ok, this thing is really, really, reallyreallyreallyreally cool. Expensive, but cool.

Expensive.

Cool.

Expensive.

Cool.

I totally bought it for him. Yes, I know. I am a total sucker.

He requested breakfast for dinner, and so we dined on pancakes, bacon, and eggs. He wanted a chocolate cake with strawberries. So I made him one. It was DELISH.

And here he is, that gorgeous kidlet of mine :) He is getting too big too fast. Damn. But at the same time, yay! Seems like it was just a few months ago that he was my little bitty frog boy. I remember when I could carry him around in one arm. He used to be so attached to me… he loves me of course, but these days, he’s too busy to really sit and snuggle anymore. SIGH. I love it, but at the same time *sniff sniff* I miss it. Know what I mean?

And that’s that, as the saying goes…

Oh, and here’s what I’m currently grooving to these days. Well, “grooving” is really the wrong word. More like, here’s my new favorite song. Take a minute, listen to it. It’s so good, but sad, and the subject matter, unfortunately, touches too many of us these days.

I can’t help it, this song brings me to tears every time I hear it.

Books: try The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.
Or, Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. Can’t go wrong with either one.

Peace!

 

The Nontitle Title

Seems it’s been a week since I last wrote anything. Not surprising… ah, well. Such is life.

So, I’m supposed to be taking a break from my elife. Do you have any idea how hard it is to take a break from my elife? I am hard core ejunky. I love the social networks. Some of my closest friends live inside my computer. I talk to them every single day. Tell me, how am I supposed to take a break from that?

The thing is, school is winding down, and I have several projects coming up. A ten page paper to write for history, then a debate for my final. I have my last speech to give, the longest one to date, and worth the most points. Then the final for THAT class. I have one more history exam left, then the final. And math… still slogging along with a B in that one. And the final is just around the corner.

Not to mention the things that my kids are doing in school! I swear, the projects they have to do… urg, I say (and I say “urg” is too a word, neener neener neener). The “urg” is because the projects are REALLY for the parents, you know. Because the first time I went through second, third, fourth and fifth grade was not good enough. And… wait for it… here it comes… URG I have to do this every year with a different kid. Because there are four of them. Because I just HAD to have four.

Oh, and check this out (totally changing the subject now). My oldest daughter, “Miss Alpha”, shaved. For the first time in her life. She is shaving now. That.

is.

so.

WEIRD!

I mean, I know. I’m not the first mother to trip over how big her kids are getting, and trip over the milestones, but dude. She’s shaving. HOW is it possible that I am old enough to have a child that shaves? When did this happen and why did no one tell me?

(another subject change) So the other day, my husband did THE coolest thing. Ever. No, not THAT, get your minds out of the gutters! What he did was buy me something that I reallyreallyreallyreally wanted.

He bought me this:

Is that an orange iPod nano, you ask? Why, yes, it is! And he bought me one!! Why? Because he lalalaloves me. And because, as he put it, “You deserve it, honey. And you never would have bought it for yourself. So I bought it for you,”

And the color? Yeah, well, see… several months ago when I was lusting over the iPods, I noticed that they came in cool new colors, too. And I just HAD to have the orange one. Of all of them, I liked that one the best. He remembered that was the one I wanted, and he went out and found one for me! Either it’s a popular color, or no one likes the orange, because he said he had a hard time finding a place that sold the orange ones.

Is that not the sweetest thing?

That guy is really cool.

(i’m totally listening to it right now, too)

So where was I? Oh yeah. My break from elife. Still with me? Good.

Anyway, I’m taking this break because of all the stuff going on in my life. Just for a month or so. Then I’ll be back. But I don’t think I can totally stay away. It is really hard. I have no willpower. What can I say? It is one of my weaknesses, cyberland.

Alright. I suppose that’s enough rambling from me. I should go and do some of that homework.

Oh, check it out, before I go. THIS is what I have currently been grooving on. *word to the wise, the following video is NOT kid friendly* For whatever reason, this song makes me wanna shake my groove thang.

And that’s all she wrote!

peace.

I Sip the Wine

Today was a busy day. First, I woke up. Wow, was that something. Then I got up. Yeah, had to give it a few tries. Finally got my feet on the floor. Whew. Contemplated standing, decided not to. Eventually had to. Nature calls and all that.

In case you cannot tell, I am not what they call a morning person.

But once I get underway, I usually get going with a vengeance. Ok, not really. I just like saying that.

Today was actually really a busy day. I had to run some errands this morning. Then teach my eldest son how to make eggs (next week, we’re going to go over WASHING OUT THE FRYING PAN after making said eggs instead of leaving it for me). Then I had school.

I have to leave for school an hour before my first class starts because the parking is soooo crappy, it takes ten to thirty minutes to find a spot. Today, however, I completely, completely lucked out. Princess Parking smiled ‘pon me, she did. I got a spot right by the stairs that leads to the building closest to my first class. SCORE!

But then my car alarm wouldn’t stop… alarming. It kept going off. I think it was the wind, setting it off. Today was a very, very windy day. Anyway, I wound up just locking the car but not setting the alarm.

Ok, so. I made it to class without further incident. Took a math quiz. Did well. Then I learned some more math. I think I got it. Received several new assignments. Fine with me!

I had an hour and half between classes, so I sat and did my history homework. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE history?

Made it to my English class. Turned in my paper. She released us early after a small lecture on what was to come. I stayed after to ask her a few questions on our upcoming research paper, and then took off.

Got The Man from work. Picked up Extreme Teen. Came home, made a killer dinner involving chicken, bell peppers, rice, and orange juice. It was a HUGE hit all around.

After dinner, I worked some on my speech. The speech I’m delivering to my class tomorrow evening. However, I have been sipping the vino, and yeah… think I’m going to take a wee break from the homework! It’s all good, though. I’m on top of it.

And that is my day.

Peace.

I No Do Work

It’s Spring Break, and so far today, I have done nothing. Nottadamnthing. I’m still in my pajamas and bathrobe. My socks don’t match and I don’t care. I have no makeup on and my hair is a mess and that’s ok with me. I still haven’t showered (I will, but later).

Tuesdays are generally my deep cleaning days. I have it off from school, so I do all of my sweeping and mopping and toilet scrubbing on that day. My plans were not going to alter just because I’m enjoying Spring Break, I had decided earlier, but so far today I still haven’t so much as rinsed a dish and put it in the dishwasher. Normally I’m just finishing up my cleaning right about now and getting ready to jump in the shower. Today, though… not so much.

Usually I have homework to do, so I do my cleaning in the mornings, have a shower and then some lunch, go pick the kidlets up, then do some homework. However, since I don’t have anything to do but just chill, cleaning is very low on the totem pole of Things That Need to Get Done. I’m sure I’ll get to it… eventually. Just not right now.

I still have some boxes to unpack from the move, and my goal was to get all of that done by this weekend. And actually, yesterday I did four of the seven remaining boxes. I planned on doing the other three today. But now… eh. They can wait for another day. I’m just not feelin’ it.

I had planned on reading, too. I did read a lot yesterday, but not so much today. I talked to my friend Sam on the phone for a good three hours, and later my girl Shanna the Bean is going to call me up, and I may write another blog on my other site, but so far… yeah. Sittin’ here, reading random blogs and not reading the book I am determined to finish before the week is over.

I do have a little homework that needs to be seen to, but again… la-ter!

I’m going to call my friend Becky this week, too. I haven’t had a good sit down with her in far, far too long, and I misses her.

So basically, I’m blogging about what a lazy sucker I am today. Even my music is lazy. It’s this slow, rhythmic drums and wind instruments and it’s pretty low key. Love it.

Alright. Must go now.

Peace.

My A$$; Shopped it Right Off

Ok, not literally. Although I could stand to lose a bit (more than a bit) of it… and if I had a choice, I would much rather shop off my stomach rather than my ass.

But I digress.

So I have a bunch of kids. And those kids grow. And they seem to all grow at the same frickin time. Ok, such is life. That’s what happens when you have a bunch of kids, right? Right.

Anyway, they all are growing out of their clothes, and it’s time to get some new ones. Alpha is so tall, her belly is starting to show beneath the hem of her shirts and her pants are too tight. All the kids’ pants are getting a little high water. Not gonna make it til the end of the year, and every day is another day that they seem to grow more.

Fortunately we live in sunny Southern California, so I can go ahead and get their summer clothes and it’s perfect weather for it.

The thing was, I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to swing four new wardrobes.

And then a really cool thing happened. We got some cashola from an unexpected source, and it was enough to get them a good chunk of their summer wardrobes AND The Man and I some new threads, as well!

I haven’t bought new clothes in… um. Over a year. Just seems like I always have a good reason to not. And the kids need stuff all. the. time. If it’s not new clothes it’s new shoes. Or new clothes. Or new shoes.

You get the idea.

Times that by four… and yeah. CHA-CHING! and not the cool kind of cha-ching.

So that is what we did today. Headed to this outlet center where they have all kinds of stores and shopped. It was a lot of fun, and I’ll definitely go back. It was my first visit there.

And now I am tired. It’s been a long day. A good day, but a long one!

Peace :)

Let There Be Lots To Speak About!

So I just got home from my most fun class: public speaking. Funny that I was seriously thinking of putting off this class for a semester or two… I am SO GLAD I didn’t. This class is so cool. And you know what? I’m good at it. Surprisingly. When I get up there, and have to speak? Yeah. Totally in my element.

Tonite we did an activity on eye contact. There were about 19 of us in there, I think. We had to give a little impromptu speech on what our plans were for upcoming Spring Break, but the catch was that we had to make eye contact with each person in the room for five seconds. Sounds easy, right? Well, it’s not. I mean, it is… but at the same time… not. Five seconds is a long time when you’re trying to keep speaking and look at each other.

My husband asked me if we sat and stared at each other, and the answer is, no, not exactly. Everyone had to stand up by there desks (we were in a semi-circle) and when the person speaking had their five seconds of eye contact, the other person would sit down. Each person had to speak until they went through everyone in the class.

It was interesting. And it was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed this particular class tonite… we did a lot of other fun things, too. But that class is always fun, and I really like it.

Of course my instructor makes the class. Prof G is very good at what she does, and she teaches in such an easy going manner you can’t help but REALLY like her. You can’t help but engage.

I kinda wish I could take it again…

It makes me wonder if I might like to teach communication. I mean, I want to teach, and I’ve bounced from history to English and back to history again, but now I wonder if I might be good at this, too.

Decisions, decisions…

I better not mention this to The Man. He tells me, you LOVE history (and he’s right) so stick with that. I say, yeah, I do. And when I go to my history class, I want to know MORE. I want to know EVERYTHING. I just really, really like it.

But now… hmmmm…

Of course, tomorrow I do have my history class, and once I leave there, I will be enamored once again, and certain of my course. Until I go to my English class. And then public speaking.

The only subject I am absolutely 100 PERCENT positive that I DON’T want to teach is MATH. I think one of the requirements is that you actually have to be good at it, and yeah… not so much!

Alright. To bed with me. It is late. I have a lot of stuff to do tomorrow in preparation for SPRING BREAK!!! (which is to say not really a lot to do, I just think that sounds better than saying yeah, nothing to do).

Peace.