Some weird facts about me

I was just looking out the boys bedroom window.  I like to open it wide and observe the outside late at night.   I like to watch and listen.  I've seen some weird things at night.  Teens making out and smoking in the park across the street.  An attempted car burglary.  Spouses arguing.  Not that I live in a bad neighborhood or anything, it's just that those things stand out.  And it's not because I'm a voyeur.  I'm doing it for the safety of my culdesac and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Tonight it's calm.  You can see the stars amongst a few pillowy clouds. Up in the sky tonight I saw a submarine, shark and a turtle, they were floating northeast.  It appeared the sub was in the lead.  I also heard the trains from the tide flats of Tacoma.  I LOVE the faint sound of a train whistle.  It reminds me of 1) as a kid, lying in bed at night and listening to the sound of the trains rise up from the Kent valley and 2) when I lived alone in Tacoma, I'd lock myself in my room.  I'd hear every peep in that house, and the trains from Tacoma.

When I have the kids with me and I hear a train, we stop and listen.  If we drive by a moving train or are stopped at the train tracks, down go the windows...and we listen, to the metal wheels spinning on the tracks and if we are lucky, a loud whistle.  I'm weird that way.

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As I may have shared, I can't remember and I'm too lazy to look, I'm working on a Yesterday and Today album about ME through Big Picture classes from Ali Edwards.  Something I KNOW I've shared, is my  love for Ali.  She inspires me every day!  After my last birthday I also shared my list of "45 things to do before I turn 45", one of which was to create my story, an album about me.  So when Ali shared this class, I thought it would be perfect.  I'm on week 5, which focuses on sharing facts and information about me.  I think the train qualifies for a good fact, don't you?

And here's another factoid about ME.  While working on week 4, I pulled six childhood memories to document.  In the process of looking through old photos I realized something else about me.  Smell.  Nearly every picture from my childhood I can relate a smell too.  I find it funny as my dad always teases me about my sensitive nose.  When I was younger I did not like it when he cooked anything stinky in the house.  I did not want my clothes or hair to smell like fried bacon and eggs or tacos.  He even bought an electric burner so he could cook his menudo and tripe (the inner lining of a pig's stomach) outside.  Even now, I love certain smells (good and bad) as they stir memories from my past.

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Lying next to me is my sweet Sofikarina.  She's twisting and squirming as she sleeps.  Poor baby has an earache.  I hate those.  It's always the debate, do you get antibiotics or dose her with aspirin/ibuprofen and hope she gets over it.  I've done the latter for tonight, added a heating pad and am keeping her close. When my babies are sick, they get to sleep with me.  I need to hear every sound, sniffle, cough and ache when they sleep, to make sure they are okay.  I'm weird that way.

My Friday Ten

listening: to Alex's whistle while he sleeps and the hum of the dishwasher
drinking: water
wearing: grey jeans, black shirt and gray sweater.
feeling: melancholy
weather: cold with a full moon
wanting: to lock myself in my yellow room for about a week
needing: groceries and a bed
thinking: thank God I made it through yesterday
enjoying: that I have the next three days off
wondering: when my income tax return will be deposited

Happy February 14th

Alex is the only one who did not do Valentine's this year.  He had thought he'd make some for three girls, but in the end he didn't.

Sofia's works of art are the most time consuming.  Hmmm, I wonder who she gets that from?

JH is taking little boxes of Sweethearts.

Lilia is taking Barbie Valentine's.  She was worried though that the boys in her class wouldn't like them.

The house was filled with lovely LOVE reminders.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Big Changes

She's growing up.
Fixing her own hair.
Reading, yes reading!!!
She loves to make her own lunch.
She uses HOT toothpaste, Colgate, regular.
She snaps her fingers.
She's attempting to tie her shoes.

She's 5 1/2.
I can see the shift.  She is no longer my baby.  She is growing up to be an independent little girl.  And I adore her.

xo

Stay out of the woods

Maybe JH will listen this time.

2.5 hours at ER isn't fun, even when you have your mom's iPhone with games.

We played tick-tac-toe.
We talked about all his friends.
We played I-spy.

We wrote notes back and forth.
We devised an escape plan, I'd have his back while he ran out the back door.
We laughed.

After x-rays and an hour waiting in the actual room, he was seen.  He didn't cry.  He didn't squirm.  I did.  Digging with a needle in a puncture wound caused by stepping on something in the woods, in the dark.

Ugg.

Maybe he will listen and not go back into the woods.
Maybe not.
We didn't have to cut off a limb.
That's a good thing.

 

LOVE

I can't believe it's February.  A whole month of 2011 has gone by like a blink of the eye.  Crazy.

Thank goodness I love February.  You guessed it.  Because it's the month of LOVE.  It's the month of hearts, red and pink.  Makes me warm inside.  It's also a short month, the weather is pleasant, cold and crisp.  On sunny days, such as today, I can get home at 5:30 and it's still light out.  Makes my heart pitter patter.

I love when JH get's a "high 5" in basketball practice from his teammates.
I love hearing Sofia tell stories to Lilia in bed at night.
I love when JH and Alex go to bed and talk (no fighting) about life and plans.
I love when I click "end workout" on my "couch to 5K" app.
I love that my mom and dad are always there to help.
I love that I have amazing women in my life that help guide me and are always there to listen.
I love that Sofia gives 100% in anything she does.
I love that Alex walks/runs with me, we have great conversation.
I love that my kids are getting older, but in a moment, they are my babies still.
I love when my kids hold hands and say grace before a meal.
I love that my neighbors care and love my children.
I love when mornings and evenings are seamless transitions.

What do you love?

Life is busy.  I have to remind myself that a busy life doesn't make it meaningful (as reminded by Tara).  I'm working to reflect and CHANGE even though the status quo can be so comfortable.

t.

Random

My kids are off tomorrow.

I have to work.

The plan is to get out the door early so that I can get off early and head to the mountains for A&S snowboarding lessons.  That's the plan.

It's semi-quiet in the house.  Teeth are brushed, jammies on and Jackie Chan is on the tv.  I love JC.  Sofia went to Syl's house.  

After a restless night, with not much sleep, I took a little snooze on the couch for a bit earlier.  That's a good and bad thing.  Good, because I was obviously tired.  Bad, I feel my 2nd wind coming on.  I HAVE to get to bed.

I noticed that January is my slowest picture taking month.  After the camera being stuck to me for a month, I haven't felt the need or urge.  But I need to get it out.  I need to document.  I need to tell stories.

We babysat Tux for a few days this summer.  Here he is with Lilia coloring.  He's a good dog and Lilia adores him.

Mud patty to go.

I can't wait for hot summers and long days.

I look forward to a weekend with a short errand list.  I want to work on my Yesterday and Today project and get caught up on my OLW too.  I'm way behind.  I'll share more later.