Wet Halloween

Dinner with the bro' was nice, but chaotic. I know my kids are little maniacs at time, but OMG, the energy level of my 3 nephews is INSANE. They just tear up the place in seconds. I shudder to think what Christmas will be like in a few years. It went well, though, so I'm happy I did it.

Having a few friends over on Sunday, looking forward to it. Hope it doesn't downpour.

It was quite stormy last night and this morning. Experiencing a storm right at the edge of the coast was a trip. I listened to the wind howling and wind chimes rustling in the wind.

I just spent the morning going to Sofia's Halloween parade, getting soaked. My hair is looking mighty purty.

I think I may be coming down with something.

This morning, on the way to school, Sofia says

"MOMMY????? WHAT COLOR IS GOD'S HEART?????????????"

I did it

Ok, I did it. I am soooooo tired of spending my day off cleaning. I hate cleaning. Hate.cleaning.Hate.it.

I finally got an estimate for a housecleaner. She came in an hour and she's set for next Wednesday. I'm assuming she needs clients in this economy.

If she does a good job, I'll have her come very other Wednesday for a very reasonable amount, in my opinion. I can deal with that. It will give me some time to spend with the boys. We can go to the park or playdate without my thinking I have to clean, clean, clean. Maybe I will even have time unpack or *OMG* organize???????

I am so happy about that. Yey!

My "Day Off"

Today is my "day off." Obviously a joke because my days at work are actually my "days off," days here with the boys are long and busy.

The house is an absolute nightmare. The washing machine isn't working. I haven't had my proper intake of coffee yet.

So my brother, sister in law and 3 nephews are coming for dinner tonight in celebration of brother's 42nd bday. (I never had any appreciation for the fact that bro and I are 18 months apart until the past few years, that's for sure). My nephews are 11, 8 and 5 and they are like a tornado of energy, noise and chaos. They've mellowed slightly in their inreasing age, but still.

I just realized I have no soda in the house. Capri suns & water will have to do.

I'm making enchiladas, guacamole, the whole easy Mexican thing. I went to Costco the other night and got a garbage bag sized bag of tortilla chips, the box of shredded beef, mongo cheese. In lieu of a cake, I bought a frozen apple pie that I have to bake at some point. I realize apple pie and Mexican don't really jive, but they were on sale and they are pretty delicious.

My head is in a fog, time to go have some more coffee and get my $hit together. There are rooms to be cleaned, beds to be made, floors to be swept/mopped/vaccumed, toys to be picked up, toilets to be cleaned, clothes to be put away, things to be organized for Halloween.

Sofia, Sofia, More Sofia

S'more Sofiasms

I completely forgot, yesterday, as we drove to school, Sofia informed me that I did not need to walk her out to the play yard when we got to pre-school, that she is a big girl now and does not need me to walk her out. She said we can do hugs and kisses in the hallway.

I almost cried. Sigh. I realize this is the beginning and it makes me sad, quite frankly.

On a funnier note...

Often, when I need to be alone for *ahem* personal bathroom purposes, I won't use the main bathroom, but will go to our bedroom and use the bathroom in there (have I mentioned how nice it is to have 2 bathrooms? I have never had 2 bathrooms in my life). Anyhoo - I close the door to my bedroom, so I can have some privacy with my OK Magazine or whatever is handy.

This morning, Sofia announced that she needed to go potty, but was going to *that* bathroom. She was gone for about 5 minutes and when I went in there, she had indeed gone #2. Apparently she needed her space to do this.

Definitely made me laugh and considering this was before my morning coffee, that is no small feat.

Sofia - Overheard in the Car

Overheard in the car this morning...

"Auntie Laura said God can't come to our house for Thanksgiving because he is DEAD!"

Ohhhh...kayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

(Translation = Grandpa Dave - my dad - can't come for Thanksgiving because he is in heaven with God, or something along those lines)

Bringing Me Back

So last night, I went to visit my friend C. in the hospital. She just gave birth to her first child on Sunday evening.

Her and I used to be best friends (she was my maid of honor and I hers) but drifted apart after our weddings for reasons I can't even begin to get into here. The long and the short of it was that I wasn't fond of her boyfriend (now husband) as he has profound emotional issues & baggage. While I felt badly that she'd made this choice for herself, I didn't necessarily want to get sucked into all the drama. After my wedding, I consciously drifted away from her. She came to showers & we exchanged the occasional email, had lunch a few times, but nothing more than that.

She had a pretty hard time of things with childbirth, laboring for 18 hours before having an emergency c-section. The baby had turned into a facial presentation, from what I understand is extremely rare and very dangerous. I think the whole thing was exhausting and scary. My friend is on the frail side (chronic migraines, tired, sleeps a lot, etc) so I knew she was probably having a hard time of it. I was right.

I went to visit her yesterday and while she seemed in good spirits, she seemed to be in a bit of pain. I asked her if she was at least on some good drugs and she said just Motrin and Tylenol. Oh dear, I thought.

She had told me earlier in the day that the baby's latch was great, wasn't losing a lot of weight, yada yada. When I went to visit, they came to weigh little K. and discovered she'd dropped about 8% of her body weight and were going to "talk" to her about supplementing. I remember that talk so well. The whole thing brought back a lot of memories. Sofia lost closer to 10% of her body weight and I panicked. Supplementing is a slippery slope, but you have to do what you have to do.

I found it very odd that her husband was not there. He apparently wasn't feeling well and was at home. (Seriously? At home? Now I remember why I don't like this guy) I got the sense that he was just overwhelmed from "all the stress." Oh boy! A lot of help he's going to be. Red flag! Secretly, I guess was glad he wasn't there (as his presence is off-putting to me) but sad for her.

My friend is a GRADE A Control Freak and Know It All, which at times is incredibly helpful, at other times, not so much. There was a moment when the baby was fussing quite a bit and she was holding her, trying to get her to calm down and she looked at me for guidance. It's so out of character for her, it really threw me off, although I guess it would make sense.

She looked a bit panic stricken, like "What do I do now?" and I was a bit thrown. "Oh...uh...she probably needs to burp...or be swaddled...or maybe nurse some more..." I offered. I distinctly remember being in the hospital on the second night and having Sofia wailing and not being able to stop her. I started crying and the nurse came in, swaddled her tight and she immediately stopped. I remember at that moment being so thankful that I was staying for 4 days as if I'd gone home that night, I'm not sure I would have known what to do at all.

All of this brings back memories of those early days with Sofia. Those were some good times.

Pure Bliss here



Pure Exhaustion here



Pure Perfection Here

I Need Some Motivation

I don't know what is wrong with me.

I used to be able to lose weight. I lost 80 lbs in 1989 and kept it off for 13 years. I knew about discipline and hard work. I knew about getting up at 5 a.m. to work out, every single day. I knew how to go walk for an hour, even in the rain, because, quite frankly, I knew it was the main thing keeping the weight off and staying thin was so vital to my physical and emotional well-being, I was willing to do whatever it took.

I gained a little bit when I met Steve. Nothing too major, just the standard 15 lb cushion one gains when they are in a safe, comfortable relationship. The workouts went from 2 hrs a day, 6 days a week to a half hour every 3-4 days. We were eating out a lot, sleeping in, traveling, doing what you do.

Then, we got engaged. I joined Weight Watchers and started counting points like a madwoman. I had 9 months to look good in a wedding dress and I was driven. When we went shopping for dresses, I was adamant that I was going to lose at least 40 lbs by the wedding, so we had to keep that in mind. The salespeople's eyes rolled so far back in their head they practically tipped over. I'm sure they hear that from every bride. But I wasn't just any bride. I'm a Taurus, after all. So, they somehow got the fear of god into me and I ordered a dress in a very large size. Fast forward 6 months and I'd lost the 40 lbs. Every time I went for a fitting, they had to keep taking the dress in. The reality was, it had started out so big, no amount of tailoring was going to make it fit right. But I lost the weight and felt GREAT and had an amazing wedding. We went to Hawaii and I was tan and thin and happy.

...And then I started on the whole TTC roller coaster. 3 kids in 2 years does not lend itself to a flat tummy, not that I ever had one to begin with. I started my twin pregnancy already over 200 lbs. I didn't gain an ungodly amount of weight with them (about 30) but I've had a difficult time getting this weight off. When I was hospitalized with pneumonia (1 month post partum with the twins) I lost about 20 lbs in 10 days and was down to the lowest weight I'd been in 5 years. Then, I came home and started to feel better, but was so stressed out that I turned to eating again & gained it back in a few months. And there was no time or motivation to work out. I was in survival mode. I am still in survival mode.

But honestly, here I sit, probably 60 lbs overweight (more if you go by the "charts") and I can't seem to get it off. Not that I've been killing myself trying, but I haven't been eating that much, I've been going for the occasional walk. It's just not happening. I have this permanent 20 week pregnant belly that has become like another limb. I know people think I'm pregnant all the time, I can see it in their eyes. "Is she pregnant again?"

The final nail in the coffin? At the bridal shower on Friday, someone came in who I hadn't seen in a while. She asked who the shower was for, then got the "Awwwww" look on her face and started moving in for a hug. I was mortified. I laughed it off, but boy, nothing like someone actually trying to congratulate you on your pregnancy to light a fire under your ass.

I'm considering buying a treadmill as we have room in the garage and the rain is going to start soon. I have to do something. I see photos of myself and I'm like "Who the hell is that fat chick?"

Maybe looking at my wedding photo will inspire me. I'm just waiting for Sofia to say "Who is that lady with Daddy?"

Pancakes and Neuroses

Words cannot describe what a wreck I have been for the past 10 days.

Not to be dramatic or anything, but 10 days ago I went for my screening mammogram and have been an absolute, neurotic mess since then.

The boob squooshing was bad enough. Honestly, boobs weren’t meant to be flattened like a pancake. My boobs have grown considerably (along with the rest of my girth) since I had my first mammogram (diagnostic – age 29 – false alarm) and second baseline mammogram (age 38), so you would think that would make the procedure easier, but it seemed to hurt more. I have to wonder how they do this procedure on women with small breasts? Seriously, how do they manipulate the small breast that’s high on the chest into that god awful contraption? I guess this is where it comes in handy to have big, saggy boobs, getting saggier every day.

As we finished up and the technician and I exchanged pleasantries, she handed me a piece of paper and told me I could expect my results within 30 days. 30 DAYS? I exclaimed bordering on hysteria. “You can’t be serious.”

She looked a bit pained as she raised her eyebrows and said “They’re really busy upstairs.”

The voice inside my head screamed, “Well, get them on the horn and let’s put a rush on mine, you can code it NEUROTIC FREAK for all I care!!” This thing is digital now, I assumed that would speed things up. Apparently not. I guess coming in October, Breast Cancer Awareness month, wouldn’t lend itself to speedy results.

I think the woman saw how distraught I was by this nugget of info, so as I left, she whispered sheepishly, “I…I think it’s more like 10 days…”

So, that night, I drove home, swearing to myself on how ridiculous it was that it would take a month to get back results and obsessing on how I was going to get through the next month without having a nervous breakdown. Kind of hard to forget about it when you are prone to hypochondria (that's right - I own it) and it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. Pink items everywhere. Grocery checkers asking if you’d like to donate. Huge spreads in magazines about celebrities who are survivors (which helped immensely, actually).

I don’t mean to be dramatic, but I’ve been so distracted by all of it. Do I have risk factors for breast cancer? Not really. I’m 40 and overweight, but no family history and minimal birth control pill usage (scant evidence of connection there). Still.

“Negative,” was what I heard this morning. Long pause. “That’s a good report, “ the lady added.

A more beautiful word has never been uttered. Have I mentioned how much I don't enjoy being 40????

That's not to say that I don't think everyone shouldn't go out and get screened. If you are over 40, you should most definitely get screened. If you have a family history, you should try to get tested for the gene mutations and start screening early. No question. But unless this is CSI and we're doing harcore DNA testing, a person should not have to wait more than 48 hours for test results of any kind. It's just cruel. (Diagnostic results are immediate, for the record)

Solid as Barack

I find it kind of cute that the general population is now watching SNL again. The Palin stuff has been great, Tina Fey is great, all the players are, but other than the political stuff and weekend update, this season has been inconsistent at best. I have watched SNL for over 30 years, through the good years and the bad. Last night's episode with John Hamm (Mad Men) hosting (be still my heart) was probably the most consistent of the season. It was great to see Maya Rudolph again and congrats to Amy Poehler (she will be missed) on the birth of her son, Archie.

This clip just rocked it out for me. When I see Darell Hammond "do" Bill Clinton, I practically pee my pants...every time.

What....a Whirlwind

Yesterday.

8 a.m. to noon - Running around doing last minute errands in preparation for co-worker's "going away/last minute bridal shower" that afternoon.

Noon - 1 p.m. Try to answer emails and voicemails, do a little bit of "work."

1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Take newly engaged bride and 3 other staff members out for "goodbye lunch" at local eatery.

2:45-5 p.m. Shower for co-worker.

5 p.m. Run out the door to pick up Sofia from pre-school.

5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. - Sit in hellacious traffic which is partly caused by people heading to the coast to enjoy the off the charts, gorgeous weather and partly typical pumpkin season congestion.

6:15 - 6:45 - Change clothes, freshen up, feed twins and Sofia.

7:00 p.m. Friends pick me up for night of drinking and eating. Do lots of it until close to midnight.

Close to 1 a.m. - Fall asleep.

7 a.m. Up and at 'em.

7 a.m. - 8 a.m. Get dressed, all the 3 kids dressed and fed.

8 a.m. Leave house with Sofia to meet Dianna at our old house.

9:00 a.m. Head to breakfast with Dianna, my friend Genna and her little boy.

10:30 Head to San Jose to Disney on Ice.

11:30-1:30 Enjoy the show.

2:00 p.m. Stop at Ikea and spend way too much time in awe of all the fun stuff.

3:30 drop Dianna off.

4:00 Head over the mountain and once again, get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.

5:00 p.m. Arrive home.

I'm exhausted.

Chicken Nuggets

The boys and I had fun today. Well, I would have had more fun if I hadn't woken them up 45 minutes into their nap, but once I just let go of them going back to sleep, there were good times ahead.

A few of my co-workers are picking me up here tomorrow evening for a girl's night out, so I spent the entire day cleaning, organizing, putting finishing touches on the house, etc.

I'm now watching Cheaters and I really need to get to sleep. But not before I post some pics of my little chicken nuggets...

My Little Charmers





Both boys having a moment



William trying to use his toy key to open the front door





David having a "moment"





David kissing his Mickey (awwwwwww)

Pumpkins...'Cause You Know it's Like...October and Such

Sofia's pumpkin





Sofia at the Pumpkin Festival

Just a Little Vent about Mundane Stuff

I just realized another quirk this afternoon.

I like to bag my own groceries. Maybe it's my ever increasing age, but I have no patience for finding my ground beef, tampons and pasta pickups in the same bag. Or reach for my bags to find that they've filled every single heavy item in the same bag, enough to sprain my wrist when I attempt to carry it.

It is a HUGE pet peeve of mine that grocery checkers and baggers seem to have no concept of how to properly bag groceries. Maybe it's because my grandmother was a grocery checker and I like to fancy myself knowledeable on this subject (some claim to fame, I know), but I just don't understand why they don't have proper training in this area. Every time I go grocery shopping, I have to rearrange all of my items in their bags.

I am a control freak, I'll give you that. Still, I don't think it's too much to expect that refrigerated items go with refrigerated items, dry items with dry items, dairy together, heavy stuff at the bottom, frozen items together, soaps and cleansers separate from food - basic stuff here. Grocery bagging 101.

I tried putting my items on the conveyer in the "proper" order, hoping it would hint to them that I wanted it bagged in a certain order. Not so much. I've now just taken to bagging the groceries myself. I can tell some of the checkers don't like it so much, much like I don't like it when some of the clients we deal with want to micromanage the agents or the staff. I am not a perfectionist, by any stretch. Just a busy mom who can use every spare minute she can get - If jumping in and bagging myself means I can get home and unpack the items in 5 minutes instead of a 15 minute flurry of un-mixing up all the groceries, so be it!

Quirks 'R' Us

I've been tagged with this lovely meme - to name 6 quirky things about yourself.

My first response was "Well, I'm not really that quirky" but then I realized, I had plenty of material.

1. I love the smell of gasoline and chlorine. Yeah, that's right. I like to breathe in carcinogens. Sue me.

2. I love everything Disney. I am a total sucker for the Magical Kingdom and anything related to it. I am also fascinated with Walt Disney history. I have done a bit of reading on him and realize there is much to know about him (mostly bad - which draws me in even more), behind his well known persona.

3. I am a total freak for astronomy. Were it not for my complete lack of academic prowess with math and science, I may have gone into astronomy as a field. In fact, I think underneath the surface, I may be a closet science geek. Have I mentioned how clear the stars are living out here on the coast? Very few street lights, it's like we're camping - the sky is pitch black. It's probably my favorite part of living here.

4. I'm deathly afraid of some benign things, primarily goldfish. I have tried to analyze why this is for years and the only thing that makes any sense is that I'm frightened by their fragility. I have vague memories of having goldfish as a child (Donny and Marie) and watching them flop on the floor, too scared to pick them up, then watching them die. (I also am not fond of the kamakaze suicide move they do, jumping out of the bowl to their death) I am not cut out for animals that die that easily. Not a big gerbil or bird fan, either, now that I think about it. Suffice it to say, Sofia won't be having any of those animals. Oh and let's not forget my irrational fear of snails. David picked one up recently (thinking it was a rock) and I screamed like a baby. Give me spiders or bugs any day, but get a snail near me and I'm a quivering freak.

5. I love the History Channel, Frontline and Nova. Along with Rock of Love, The Hills and Dancing with the Stars. What.....a dichotomy.

6. I'm painfully prompt. BK (before kids) I was always early. Now, I am merely on time. I am rarely late. I think this comes from a deep seated fear of missing out on something or getting in trouble.

**************

For the meme, here are the rules:

Link the person who tagged you
Mention rules on your blog
Tell about 6 quirks of yours
Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same
Leave a comment to let them know
Here is who I have tagged...

1. Shelli
2. Fern
3. Heather
4. Melissa from Tennesse

I know it's only 4, but honestly, these are the only people I "know" well enough to tag.

Secrets

I did something kind of major today, something I've been wanting to do for some time.

I emailed my cousin and asked if she would give me her mother's email (my aunt, my mother's sister). I've been thinking of my mother a lot lately, as I examine the mother/daughter relationship between Sofia and I. It dawned on me that this woman is the only connection I have to my mom at this point. I'm hoping she can tell me more about my mother's childhood, memories, etc.

Backstory...

My mom came from a prominent Bay Area family...she was schizophrenic and a drug addict (to self medicate, no doubt) and my parents divorced when I was 3 months old. She abused both my brother and I and we were taken away from her on my 3rd birthday. We were wards of the court until I was about 11 (with my grandmother having physical custody) and then my dad received custody, but we stilled live with grandma (sometimes dad moved in for a bit).

I hadn't seen my mother since I was 6 when she moved to Hawaii. She mothered 3 other children who were also taken away from her. They are out there somewhere. She died a few years ago, homeless in a bus station in Hawaii...

Heavy, I know.

I know it sounds harsh, but she was like nothing to me, like a biological mother of an adoptee. I know nothing about her, other than letters (both that she sent to my brother and I as kids and letters we found to my dad after he died) and that she liked to write and was artistic. Her family was pretty f'ed up and basically embaressed by her illness, so that is why they shipped her off to Hawaii. They supported her financially but wanted her far, far away.

My aunt and I have never been close, but I did see her a few years ago and I think this is a positive thing.

Be Still My Middle-Aged Heart

Sofia's pre-school photos *gush *gush*

Some Fun 80's Stuff - Class of 1986

I wish I had my high school picture to post here, complete with flashdance inspired cut sweatshirt, long-sleeved hoodie, stoner-feathered hair and neon aqua high heeled shoe earrings. Oh yes - and let's not forget the pale pink lipstick, blue mascara and blue eyeliner, lined inside the eye for maximum freakish looking effect (or like you had a serious case of conjunctivitis - all the better to hide your stoned-ness - oops! Did I say that?).

Shelly over at Bagmomma,my comprade in having turned 40 this year has inspired me to do this cute 80's Meme. I will just preface this by saying I grew up in an area where disco, hip hop and R&B and heavy metal ruled the populous. You were either into one or the other, or you were into "new wave." I wavered between hip hop girl and rocker girl. Most of my girlfriends were into the hip hop thing, but my older brother was a heavy metal, "Joe Six Pack" kind of guy with lots of friends. I guess I sort of had an identity crisis, but I digress...

If you'd like to do it, go to Music Outfitters and type in the year you graduated in the search field. Bold the songs you like, strike through the songs you really hated.

Class of 1986 - Good times ahead.

1. That's What Friends Are For, Dionne Warwick, Elton John, and Gladys Knight
2. Say You, Say Me, Lionel Richie
3. I Miss You, Klymaxx
4. On My Own , Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald
5. Broken Wings, Mr. Mister
6. How Will I Know, Whitney Houston(This was when she was at her best, still pulling for her)
7. Party All The Time, Eddie Murphy (embaressingly enough, I really liked this song)
8. Burning Heart, Survivor
9. Kyrie, Mr. Mister
10. Addicted To Love, Robert Palmer
11. Greatest Love Of All, Whitney Houston
12. Secret Lovers, Atlantic Starr
13. Friends And Lovers, Carl Anderson and Gloria Loring (This was the Days of Our Lives gal, correct?)
14. Glory Of Love, Peter Cetera
15. West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys
16. There'll Be Sad Songs, Billy Ocean
17. Alive And Kicking, Simple Minds
18. Never, Heart
19. Kiss, Prince and The Revolution
20. Higher Love, Steve Winwood
21. Stuck With You, Huey Lewis and The News (Filmed in Santa Cruz, one of my fave videos - saw them in concert a few times)
22. Holding Back The Years, Simply Red
23. Sledgehammer, Peter Gabriel
24. Sara, Starship
25. Human, Human League
26. I Can't Wait, Nu Shooz
27. Take My Breath Away, Berlin (Come on, Top Gun!)
28. Rock Me Amadeus, Falco
29. Papa Don't Preach, Madonna (Fond memories of Dance Party, U.S.A. Hey, Shelli, you're from NJ, did you watch this? It was filmed in Phillie with local teens and featured Kelly Ripa in her early teenybopper days! If you tell me you were on the show, I will.die.right.here.and.now)
30. You Give Love A Bad Name, Bon Jovi (saw them in concert this year)
31. When The Going Gets Tough, Billy Ocean
32. When I Think Of You, Janet Jackson
33. These Dreams, Heart
34. Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone), Glass Tiger
35. Live To Tell, Madonna
36. Mad About You, Belinda Carlisle
37. Something About You, Level 42
38. Venus, Bananarama (More Dance Party, U.S.A. memories, here - "Goddess on the Mountain Top!")
39. Dancing On The Ceiling, Lionel Richie
40. Conga, Miami Sound Machine
41. True Colors, Cyndi Lauper
42. Danger Zone, Kenny Loggins (Again, Top Gun)
43. What Have You Done For Me Lately, Janet Jackson
44. No One Is To Blame, Howard Jones
45. Let's Go All The Way, Sly Fox
46. I Didn't Mean To Turn You On, Robert Palmer(Oh god! Those anorexic mannequins!)
47. Words Get In The Way, Miami Sound Machine
48. Manic Monday, Bangles
49. Walk Of Life, Dire Straits<
50. Amanda, Boston
51. Two Of Hearts, Stacey Q(I had the extended LP of this - SCARY!)
52. Crush On You, Jets (What ever happened to THEM?)
53. If You Leave, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
54. Invisible Touch, Genesis
55. The Sweetest Taboo, Sade
56. What You Need, INXS
57. Talk To Me, Stevie Nicks
58. Nasty, Janet Jackson
59. Take Me Home Tonight, Eddie Money
60. We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off, Jermaine Stewart
61. All Cried Out, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam With Full Force (I loved me some Lisa Lisa back in the day)
62. Your Love, Outfield
63. I'm Your Man, Wham! I also loved me some Wham!
64. Perfect Way, Scritti Politti
65. Living In America, James Brown
66. R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A., John Cougar Mellencamp
67. Who's Johnny, El Debarge
68. Word Up, Cameo
69. Why Can't This Be Love, Van Halen
70. Silent Running, Mike + The Mechanics
71. Typical Male, Tina Turner
72. Small Town, John Cougar Mellencamp
73. Tarzan Boy, Baltimora
74. All I Need Is A Miracle, Mike + The Mechanics
75. Sweet Freedom, Michael McDonald
76. True Blue, Madonna
77. Rumors, Timex Social Club
78. Life In A Northern Town, Dream Academy
79. Bad Boy, Miami Sound Machine
80. Sleeping Bag, ZZ Top
81. Tonight She Comes, Cars
82. Love Touch, Rod Stewart
83. A Love Bizarre, Sheila E.
84. Throwing It All Away, Genesis
85. Baby Love, Regina
86. Election Day, Arcadia
87. Nikita, Elton John
88. Take Me Home, Phil Collins
89. Walk This Way, Run-D.M.C. (Saw them in concert that year)
90. Sweet Love, Anita Baker
91. Your Wildest Dreams, Moody Blues
92. Spies Like Us, Paul McCartney
93. Object Of My Desire, Starpoint
94. Dreamtime, Daryl Hall
95. Tender Love, Force M.D.'s (Awwwww yeahhhh....)
96. King For A Day, Thompson Twins
97. Love Will Conquer All, Lionel Richie
98. A Different Corner, George Michael
99. I'll Be Over You, Toto
100. Go Home, Stevie Wonder

The Prius Capital of the World? Perhaps...

So this is an ode to Half Moon Bay, my new home.

I think I made it clear I was not an "ocean" person when I moved there 2 months ago. Let me clarify.

I grew up about one mile from the beach on the coast, just south of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is by far the foggiest area on the Northern California coast. Fog so thick you literally cannot see in front of you, so wet you are sopping by the time you arrive the 2 blocks to school. All your cars rust up, your houses always have a faint mold smell, no matter how fastidious you are about cleaning. The early Italian settlers (my ancestors) discovered that the verdant soil and moist air made perfect farmland. Dairy and pig farms, artichoke and cabbage crops populated the terrain.

This is all well and good, but for this girl growing up there in the 1980's, all it meant was cloudy, depressing days. If I did visit the beach, it was with a thick heavy coat and at the risk of getting windburn from the relentless, biting wind. The trees surrounding the coastline are permanently bent in the shape of the wind, from the persistent, unwielding elements. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, my only dream in life was to move somewhere where I was likely to see the sun. I wasn't asking a lot, just some Vitamin D and non frizzed out hair once in a while.

You can see why I may be a little less than enthiused to move to a coastal town. I'm not nearly as neurotic about my hair these days, but you know, I do have those tendencies, I am not going to lie.

But I'm here to say, Half Moon Bay is growing on me. It's nothing like my hometown. Granted, it can be overcast quite a bit, but it's also sunny quite a bit and nowhere near as overwhelmingly depressing as where I grew up. There is a relaxed, friendly vibe from everyone you meet and it's hard not to let it grow on you.

Besides it's small town charm, salty breezes and stunning coastline, Half Moon Bay has many historic feathers under its collective hat. Once a grazing land for the cattle, oxen and horses of the Mission Dolores, it was settled by Italian and Portugese farmers in the mid 1800's. It's primary local industries include farming, fishing and tourism. There's a sense of isolation living there, with a 20 minute (without traffic) drive over a mountain road to the peninsula (to the East) and a 25 minute drive north up a windy coastal highway to San Francisco. There is one big grocery store, no movie theater, no Target (say it isn't so!) The locals love the sense of isolation and strive to keep it that way. Today, the population is a diverse mix of hippies, millionaires, yuppies and rural farm workers and their families. To say the coast is eclectic doesn't even do it justice.

Besides being home to the annual Pumpkin Festival and the great Maverick's surf contest, I just discovered that it was the filming location for "Harold and Maude." Who knew?

And just based on anecdotal evidence, I am going to go out on a limb and say that Half Moon Bay might very possibly be the Prius capital of the world. I have never in my life seen so many Prius.' In fact, as I walked along the beach path, thinking about what I'd blog about, trying to count in my head how many Prius' I seen on a daily basis...a Prius drove by. I kid you not!

I think I am starting to like this coastal living thing. For now. Just wait until the rains start, I'm sure I'll have lots to whine about then.

Our First Pumpkin Festival

So today we took on the crowds of the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival.This is a big, big deal for the community and people flood in to our small, eclectic coastal enclave from all parts of the Bay Area to soak up some ocean air and all sorts of pumpkin inspired food, music, art, you name it. People drive 3 hours in bumper to bumper traffic to get "over the hill" that normally takes 15 minutes from the peninsula. It's a great event for the community and I was excited to go, although I had been warned that "they pack 'em in like sardines"

We decided we'd get an early start. I had intended to leave at 8, of course, we left at 10 a.m. We had to park and walk a pretty long way, but the kids were troopers (thanks to a diaper bag full of graham crackers). It was good practice for Disneyland, I think. In fact, this was probably way more crowded than DL will be. (yeah, keep telling yourself that, right?)

2 hours later, after making a candle with Sofia, letting her play in the kid area, listening to some music and having some pumpkin cookies, it was starting to become unmanageably crowded, so we headed out. I'm glad we went early, that's all I can say. There were many booths I wanted to investigate further, but with an anxious man waiting for you, it kind of loses the fun factor.

At certain moments, I watched the freewheeling, single-type women (hair perfect, stylish clothes) walking around with Mimosas and wine at 11 a.m. and remember when that used to be part of my Festival Repertoire. Alas, no longer. I was lucky I looked presentable, let alone stylish. If I had a Mimosa, I'd be useless for the rest of the day and unable to perform my Super Mom Resonsibilities. But boy, I sure was tempted to get one.

Pre-Halloween Dress Up

So today we did some pre-Halloween dress up. Fortunately, the costumes I got the boys from Old Navy online fit them perfectly! They were relatively inexpensive ($15) and I got free shipping, so yey on that. Sofia's Belle dress, on the other hand, was a disappointment. It wasn't a *real* Belle dress, mind you, but at $10 version I got at Longs. It's too small!! So, looks like I may have to buy a *real* Belle dress after all. Oh well, at least they are 40% off at Disney.com.

It's near impossible to get any sort of photo of the 3 kids looking cute, so here's my best effort today.

Guilty Pleasures

Project Runway tonight. Woo hoo! I am starting to think that Leanne may win. I sort of want Korto to win, but dunno, they have really been liking Leanne's simple elegance and she may.just.sneak.in.under.the.radar.

How sad that my days are highlighted by my favorite shows. Sad, but true.

Sunday - Mad Men, Charm School 2 (haven't started watching yet!)

Monday -- Dancing with the Stars, The Hills

Tuesday -- DWTS again, Frontline

Wednesday -- Project Runway (almost over), The Island

Thursday -- The Office, 30 Rock

Friday -- Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) What will I do when my free HBO goes away?

Saturday -- Saturday Night Live (watched on Sunday via DVR, I do *not* stay up that late )

I also DVR the View every day, watch when I have time or there's someone interesting on...

DVR Conan and Jimmy Kimmel, Oprah, skim through to make sure I don't miss someone interesting...

Watch Hannity and Combes, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow and Keith Obermann pretty much every day (as I cook dinner, do baths, etc.)

I think that's it! Talk about TMI!

And yes, I know, I watch too much TV! (If you're thinking "when does she find time?" I would just say that everything is DVR'ed and watched when I have a moment. I don't always watch things the day they are on. The boys are asleep by 7 p.m., Sofia by 8...)

Sofia's new buddy

Conversation with Sofia driving to school this morning.

Sidenote: Sofia and Mango have become hardcore buddies as of late - he sleeps with her and cuddles with her - it's beyond cute. Trixie - Mango's skittish litter mate who has effectively been hiding in the closet for 3 years, no exaggeration - tries to get in on the action at times, but remains majorly spastic & distant for the most part.

Anyhooties -- she was saying she had a "Trixie Tango and a Mango Tango and a Kiki Bella Tango!" and I pointed out that she was so very lucky to have 3 cats, that some people had no cats at all.

"They only have 2?" was her response.

Ahhhhh, that girl. I find it so sweet that she just assumes that all people have pets. It's usually one of the first things she tells people (I have 2 brothers! I have 3 cats! Do you have any cats?) I love the relationship that is forming between her and Mango. I have felt semi bad about the complete lack of attention the cats have received since Sofia's birth in 2005, but now, seeing them bonding, I am feeling much better.

(A photo of Sofia and Mango would be appropriate right now, but I don't have any uploaded, so this pic of sweet Mango will have to do)

The County Line

I would just like to give a plug to The County Line- an amazing BBQ place in Austin, Texas. You can sit outside if you like and it could have not been more gorgeous, nestled along Lake Austin. Sofia even got to feed turtles who greedily swim right up to the shore. There was live music and the BBQ was borderline amazing. When my dinner companion's meal came, I joked that it looked like half a dinosaur, a la Fred Flintstone. Just like everything else in Texas, the portions here were hearty.

Some other things about Texas? Huge street signs. The writing is pumped up to the massive font, unlike anywhere I've ever been. (which is great for us nearsighted folks) When you go out and order a large soda, it's the size of a pitcher. People are not kidding when they say everything is bigger in Texas.

Where is my Sweet Little Girl?

Still going through a rough patch with Sofia. She is just defiant to the 1500th power. Everything is "No!" and she is just one big, walking attitude. At 3!! She continues to be extremely bossy and overbearing with the boys, no matter what I do. I've tried positive reinforcement, time outs, sticker charts for good behavior, giving the victim of her bullying the attention, you name it, we've tried it, nothing seems to curb her fierce rivalry and independent streak.

I have spent the past week with her (every day) and I can't remember the last time I did that and while I hate to admit it, there are times right now when I really don't like to be around her that much. To make things worse, she is now telling me she doesn't like my hair up, only down and then telling me what she wants me to wear, like a little diva.

Now, she is going around saying her foot hurts, that it's swollen, that she needs a boot like mine, only in pink. Yesterday, she wanted to go for a bike ride and I said Daddy would take her because of my foot. She then proceeded to insist that we could drive to the path and that I could wear my "black thing" and I'd be fine.

Honestly, I shudder to think what she'll be like at 5, let alone 13.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Friendship

Do you remember who your best friend was when you were 3.5? I don't. I mean, I sort of do, in the murky recesses of my brain, but it seems like a dream. That was the year I was taken away from my mother, so mostly I remember being with my brother and my cousin.

I wonder if the girls will remember these times they spend together. I suppose if they didn't live cross country from each other, there'd be a chance they'd grow up together, but for now, there's always air travel and new memories to look forward to.

Good times...



Girls just want to have fuh-uhn...

I think Sofia likes it here

I just asked Sofia if she missed her Daddy. She shook her head "no" and then said "I don't want to go home!" (I won't mention that to Steve) She asked if we could come back. I said yes.

Then she said, "I want to live in this Austin..."

BFF's forever

Princess Sofia

So today we went on a tour of Austin via Duck Adventures. It was really fun and interesting, although not sure the girls kind of lost interest towards the end. Austin is certainly scenic, eclectic and fun, everything that people had told me it would be.

The girls have been playing dress up for most of the day, it's really fun to watch them together. My BFF and I have been playing catch up, which of course just reminds me how much I miss having her around. Honestly, I don't have a female friend like that who I talk to every day anymore and I miss it. But whaddyagonnado? Austin is just a plane ride away...

Sofia slept in this morning (her and Bella slept together, thank god) and took a nice, loooooong nap, so she's been much more pleasant to be around today. My friend went to a meeting for a volunteer group she is working with and I'm about to have a Mike's Hard Lemonade, awaiting take-out from Macaroni Grill while the girls watch a Dora movie. Good times. (Sidenote - you know you are a mommy when you think this is something that qualifies as "good times.")

Defcon 5

So I'm here, in Austin. It's much greener than I expected and lots of rolling hills, also unexpected. I'm going on 3 hours sleep and it's been a long day, but it's been awesome catching up with my friend. Seeing the girls together has been incredibly fun, it's like the last 6 months didn't even happen, they are thick as thieves again.

Sofia had a Stage 5 meltdown at the airport this morning. (I had to wake her up at 3:30 a.m. to leave for the airport - for future reference, not a good idea at all). It was right before boarding the plane, so the entire airport watched her have a tantrum, my dragging her off to a corner so I could attempt to regain control of the situation, etc. This was no ordinary tantrum, this was DEFCON 5 level, crawling on the ground, going limp, body stiffening, shreaking, sobbing, hitting, screaming tantrum. I was near tears myself as I literally was not able to control her and she was lashing out. I knew it was from sheer exhaustion, but all the people staring at me didn't know that. All of a sudden, I was the parent of *that* kid and it was not a good feeling. I was hoping she would sleep on the plane...she didn't. So all day, she was on the verge of - for lack of a better term - manic behavior.

Her and her BFF are now sleeping together, like two peas in a pod. I'm hoping tomorrow I will get my sweet girl back.

We're Leaving on a Jet Plane...

So, all the bags are packed. A car is picking us up at 4 a.m. for our one hour trip to the airport and then on to our adventure in Austin. Words cannot describe how much I am looking forward to seeing my good friend and having some Mommy-Sofia bonding time. Away from the office, away from the chaos that is my day to day life. Life with just one child at a time, if only for a few days. I will miss my boys terribly, but their auntie and Daddy will take good care of them and I know the time will go by much too fast.

I was able to get in to see a podiatrist this afternoon, thanks to my doctor. It's amazing how they can squeeze you in ASAP after being told their next opening is late November. Funny how that works. This doctor was older (we like that), thorough and thoughtful. He investigated my swollen foot, looked at the xray quite closely and then decided he needed more films as these were not taken bearing weight on the foot. Fast forward about a half hour and we have 3 new xrays of my foot and the image is on the screen, blown up to massive proportions and it's confirmed. I do, in fact, have a fracture. Why this was not discovered in the initial film is beyond me, but confirms my belief that whenever possible, seeing a specialist is the way to go.

He said it was in a very odd place (natch) and looks like it goes into the joint (not.exactly.sure.what.that.means) I was given a boot to wear and a Rx for some pain meds (sweet!) I return in 3 weeks to have another xray and see if its healing properly. As it's been 6 weeks since the initial fracture, I suspect this is just one of those things that will take time. In the meantime, at least I know I wasn't imagining things when I felt that crunch 6 weeks ago.

I can't wait to go work my way through the airport wearing this sweet accessory, 3 year old in tow. Good times.

Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch yesterday. I was quite happily surprised to see someone I hadn't seen since Sofia was a toddler. We were in playgroup together for a few months, right before my dad passed away and then I got pregnant with the twins and everything just kind of went to hell. I was still so excited to run into her that I almost didn't notice the next woman come driving by waving, someone who'd been in the same playgroup with us. I do see her from time to time (she has twins) but still was shaking my head at the coincidence.

Imagine my surprise when I entered the pumpkin patch to see a huge banner welcoming my local mother's club gathering. Yeahhhh, it was the day my mom's club went to the pumpkin patch. If I checked that email account once in a while, I would have known that. As it was, there were way too many people for 10 a.m. and I am not much for crowds. They had a play area with jumpies, etc. and that occupied the kids for a bit, but after that, it was getting hot, dusty and crowded, so we called it a day.

When we returned home, we ran into our neighbor, "J" - the mayor of "XYZ" street. He was wearing overalls (a scarecrow costume) on his way to work as a docent at a local lighthouse, and it called for a photo. I have to admit, it's kind of cool to live next door to someone who is a docent at a lighthouse. And yea, this was one of probably 3 times I have ever dressed the boys alike. And oh yeah, Sofia begged for that lollypop and acted like it was crack. I had to practically surgically remove it from her hands...

Weekend Fluff

On a lighter note, some fluffage from the weekend...

Miss Thang posing outside



I'm Gonna Get Ya!!



The boys, caught in the act of sneaking Sofia's snacks



Mr. Handsome (a.k.a. William)



William multi tasking, taking his temperature and trying to open the closet door at the same time

Sofia Writes Her Name...Sort of

Must show off Sofia's *mad* writing skills She can now sort of write her name. Typically, she just writes the letter wherever it fits on the page, but this time I encouraged her to write the letters left to right. And uh yeah, that's hers on the bottom, mine on the top.

A Good Coiff Goes a Long Way

At the risk of getting all Political and whatnot (for the record, I'm a HDWPOVO - Hillary Democrat Who Plans On Voting Obama), I will just say a few words about the debate. I should also preface this by saying I am married to a card carrying, proud conservative, god love him. Palin is his *girl*

I thought Miss. P. did what she needed to do and that exceeded expectations, I suppose. As a woman, I didn't necessarily want to see her get slaughtered. Of course, she completely avoided many questions or details of substance and resorted to hokey, rehearsed, beauty pageant speak that no doubt appeals to many, but irritated the F&*K out of me. I guess the whole point of this debate was not for her to wow us with her mad debate skills, but to show us she could sort of hold her own. I...guess she did that. She was feisty, but I don't think it's "ok" to just blatantly not answer the question in a debate format, but hey, her hair looked borderline amazing. If the contest was based solely on hair, she would have won it, hands down.

OTOH, Joe certainly did what he needed to do, but yeesh, BORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRINNNNNNNNG. He just looked like one, big, grey splotch on the screen. He definitely knows his stuff, but he just didn't do much for me.