Techno-nerd

I want an iPhone. No I really, really want an iPhone. Really. A lot.

They are over $500 so it isn't likely, but I can dream. I always have loved the gadgets that utilize new technology in ways that amaze and astound- it's like modern magic. I don't really care how it does it- well that's not true- I sooo want to know how our new library can check out 5 books at a time just by stacking them up on the innocuous looking electromagnetic force field pad thingy.

I also want this brand new technology for my living room (click here)

Now if I could just find a pillow that would straighten my hair while I sleep...

Independence Day

Independence Day

Today is the 4^th of July and I can hear my neighbors out with their friends and families, while me and mine stay tucked in our house, watching The Cat in the Hat, Dick and Independence Day. Shawn is brewing beer and I am sorting digital photos. Grace is helping him (interspersed with checking in on the kittens, eating watermelon & blueberries with cool whip, and tinting sugar cookie dough with red & blue to make stars). We are just about to grill up our share of the 150 million hot dogs that will be eaten today.

Shawn mentions he feels a bit guilty for not going to any of the friendly backyard BBQs we were invited to (did you know there were 74 million Americans who participated in one last year?). We are enjoying our solitude. Later we will quietly acknowledging the bombs bursting in air, and huddle closer as Will Smith saves the planet from aliens with a computer virus. We will still count ourselves in the number of those who participate in a BBQ, but this year it’s just “we three”.

I feel a pang of sadness as I think, “Grace would love to be somewhere racing around with other kids,” but then she comes up to me, placing her hand on my arm as I hear a little boys voice fill the air with “You Say It’s Your Birthday” and she tells me she has turned on her Kids Beatles CD, “so we can get the party started”. Off she dances and I smile to myself, admiring her independent spirit.

There are plenty of other days when we share ourselves with the world at large, days when I don’t feel like socializing and she does, times when Daddy really wants us to go to a party, evenings when I have to drag them both out to a park for a picnic. But for the most part we tend to agree with Dorothy: there is no place like home… in this land of the free!

Happy Birthday America!

Beating the Heat

Yesterday we enjoyed a visit with friends and Grace went for a swim in their pool. She is fascinated with seeing under water. She borrowed her friend's goggles and has barely stopped talking about it since! I need to take her on one of those glass-bottomed boat tours!

Today we slept in, so we decided to go to the afternoon library program (at the other, older library several miles further away). We left around noon:thirty and it was 108 degrees when we got there! The had canceled the afternoon session, because the air conditioner was down. We completely understood. But when we got back to our house I noticed it was only 100 degrees- just 10 minutes later. It really is cooler in our little windy canyon.

While Shawn and Grace played in the pool this evening, I planted some basil, oregano and cantaloupe. I also mixed some soil from old pots and added in some of the compost we started in the spring. It could use a good sifting, we left way too many big twigs in it, but other than that it is perfect. I pulled a bunch of weeds in the garden bed yesterday and I wanted to plant some corn- although it a little late, luckily it SoCal! But alas I was hot, so I just took pictures instead!



I have been trying to acclimate myself to the heat- Shawn read another article about air conditioning being another factor to our heavier society. Our bodies used to work to cool us, and now we let machines do all the work. We are lucky that our house stays so fairly cool. By staying outside more and keeping the windows and blinds drawn during the day then opening everything up when the afternoon winds whip through we believe we can make it through the summer without using the air conditioner.

But I AM realistic, it's only July 3 and I'm only 3 months pregnant- check back in two months and I may be singing the praises of our modern conveniences. It seems another one is making it's way back into our family as we prepare to welcome broadcast television back into our lives, albeit with the added convenience of the modern miracle TiVo.

Entry for July 01, 2007

The fireworks from Pechanga were visible out our bedroom window last night, and they were truly spectacular. I wasn't feeling so well, and I wanted to lay down so I told Grace I'd been watching fireworks for 30 years so there wasn't anything new.

How sad is that? And I was wrong- she held me close and wouldn't let me go and I saw some beautiful displays - stars, Saturn type spheres with rings around them, lots of multicolor pyrotechnics! She oohed and aahed, almost as if to encourage my joy!

She then colored me a picture of fireworks before she went to bed- aren't children wonderful?

Oh I posted a new blog on myhomeschoolplace too- visible only to friends, since it's got a great shot of Grace in her new bathing suit.

What helps you?

I've started a list of things that "help"- whatever the need may be, taking a few minutes to do one of these activities helps me.

1. Washing my face

2. Pulling weeds

3. Laying in the grass

4. Walking my dog

5. An extra long hug

6. Smelling a kitten

7. Drinking a big glass of water

8. Prepping fresh produce so it's handy for myself and my family

9. Smelling one of the herbs growing in the garden- (basil & cilantro are current faves)

10. Completing a job worth doing- especially if it's challenging!

I plan on adding to this list- that is unless I forget or can't find it...

Birthday Weekend & Earth Day

Every day is earth day to me... today is the day we celebrate it!

Not every weekend is the one before my 35th birthday. (Today is also my grandma's and my brother's birthday but they don't read my blog so I'll have to actually call them or something...

This year I want to learn three things... http://learningbarefoot.wordpress.com/

I have been having fun playing with my new find http://www.pageflakes.com/tiffanybellah

Grace had a blast last night at the Parent's Night Out held by her gymnastics academy. She has mentioned it repeatedly today.

Shawn is playing the guitar today.

I need to plan a composting session since I offered it to my homeschool group. Ours is doing nicely...

Pinky is lost again...

Mothers Acting Up

Dear friends and family; I just declared myself a Mother Acting Up because it's time mothers* use our voices, votes and dollars to ensure policies are measured by how they impact children. To join this movement and/or find out more about MAU, visit www.mothersactingup.org.

The revolution is building; in all its colorful, beautiful, strong and sassy splendor!

Yours in Spirited Partnership,

Tiffany

* mothers and others, on stilts or off, who exercise protective care over someone smaller

Happy Anniversary to the people who made me!

My parents have been married 36 years today. One year and 21 days later I was born and greeted my brother who had turned 6 only 3 days prior to my birth. They have always been a terrific example of how a marriage should work, especially in their honesty with how things can be rough sometimes- I grew up knowing that marriage takes work, but the love, laughter and longevity shared by committed partners (and a healthy sex life!) makes the scary parts of life feel more like a thrilling ride and the fun parts so much more enjoyable, because they are shared with someone you can let loose and be your truest self with. I remember right after Shawn and I eloped just over 10 years ago they told us the secret to their long marriage- always put the other first. This isn't so easy to do, but remembering to try is the important part.

April is a busy month for my family. And now- yet another April occasion, my mother-in-law's birthday on the 18th, has fascinated Grace because she just discovered that the last digit of Bernie's and my age is the same as Grace's age. She just turned 5, I'll be 35 and Grandma Bernie 55- neat, huh? My mom is very into numerology and I think Grace is following in her footsteps.

Best wishes to the best parents I ever had!!

Busy as a Spring Bee!

We are wrapping up our studies on the coral reefs of the world (we watched a terrific DVD called Coral Reef Adventure- link ; I am excited that Blockbuster Online is carrying more of this type of educational stuff- we are anxiously awaiting one specifically about seahorses)- and I guess I got too into it, because I think I have an ear infection, without ever even making a dive! LOL

Grace held my computer hostage for 2 hours today playing Reader Rabbit- she finished it about a year ago and now she wants to do it all over again. We are really kicking this reading thing into high gear. She is doing so great!

Oh well- I only thought I finally had a free moment to blog- now Shawn is beckoning and off we must go!

Good Quote

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may
be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons
than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty
may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but
those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end,
for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. -- C. S. Lewis

Like a good steak...

Your Personality is Very Rare (INFP)

Your personality type is dreamy, romantic, elegant, and expressive. Only about 5% of all people have your personality, including 6% of all women and 4% of all men You are Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

I suppose I haven't really changed that much in 15 years- a much longer version of this test in college returned the exact same results.

I liked the one I took at one of my jobs- the predictive index survey- it said I was an Adventurer- Discoverer (four categories- adventurer, builder, catalyst and discoverer) each person is zipped into their top 2 categories and a then the company "knows how to use it's most valuable resource"- anyway I liked the title I was dubbed with (one of only 3 AD's in the training department- I just love feeling rare and special!) and have been attempting to live up to my predicted index ever since!

Entry for March 05, 2007

HELP!! My computer has been hijacked by a pink bear and his 5 year old girl who loves BrainPOPjr! If I get another chance to steal the keyboard away I look forward to catching up with all of you!!

Kindy

After Grace's first day of "kindy" (see Pinky's Blog for details) we made orange banana muffins and played Clue Jr. Then while I was searching for ideas for our ever changing homeschool program, I stumbled on this site- we played together for an hour or so and she played alone for another hour- it is a very engaging site.

BrainPOP Jr. - Science, Health, Social Studies, Math, Reading, and Writing Animated Movies for grades K-3

Tonight I really need to enter the contacts from the book fair we did this past weekend, the Chino Family Festival of Books. I was once again reminded of why I love Barefoot Books as I shared them with other families who love reading. They must put something in the water there- everyone was so friendly and genuine. My mom and Grace came along and Shawn too- it was a fun event.

But I am also drawn to doing more research and preparing more for our new little schoolroom. I did Pilates again, 7th time in 2 weeks. My green binder is still working well for my organizational system. It's good for me to take time to note the things I feel positive about. This blog has begun to serve as a time marker; when we wonder "when?" about things we often search back to reference a date or event to refresh our memory and it's such a nice reminder of the good times- it seems I, like most people probably, tend to blog about happy events- sort of like distilling life into memories and moments that I want define us.

And 24 (S3D2) is distracting me in the background.

Well I guess it is official that I have been overdoing it for too long. Yesterday I started feeling nauseous and achy- by evening I felt just exhausted, but I needed to get ready for the fair I was planning on going to with my Barefoot Books today. Plus we painted signs for the garage sale Shawn and Grace were going to do while I was gone. So I stayed up and got everything ready. I went to bed around midnight and Grace came in around 1:40am, and climbed in our bed, not feeling so good herself and I just couldn't get back to sleep, then suddenly I felt "winded", I could barely breathe, and I was sticky hot.

Apparently I experienced a "panic attack"; I should be fine after some rest and possible changes to my "diet & exercise routine"- which always confuses me- which is it rest or exercise? There has been talk of medication, something light, they say- but I just can't seem to bring myself to that yet. I want to try to naturally lower my stress (oh and blood pressure); it's also reccomended that I lose weight (duh!) - maybe I'll find a way to put some Tai Chi back in my schedule, that always helped with the stress and the weight.

It sure is scary getting older- it seems to just happen all the sudden. At least for me- not that I am old, but I miss that feeling in your body of almost invulnerability- being able to stay up all night to cram (or party) and still be fine the next day, being able to eat and drink pretty much whatever with only small weight gain - or none at all if I was exercising. These are things you just don't realize will slip away as quickly as they do.

The worst part is that I let other people down because I didn't take care of myself (if either of you are reading this- I am really sorry!) The old admonition about putting the oxygen mask on yourself first is so true- you are no good to anyone if you don't take care of yourself. And lately I have been no good to anyone, including myself- I could sense that it was coming. I know that if I was in better shape I could handle the stress better, especially because my inability to handle stress generally leads to even more! It's such a vicious cycle.

Shawn went ahead and did the garage sale (partly because we really needed the money, partly because he had put the signs out last night, so there were a few cars in our cul-de-sac when we got home!) And even though he did start much later than we planned- it still went well! And now that we have sold most of the baby stuff, and I am going to be taking it easy and eating better, I will probably finally get pregnant- just when I had decided I was more than happy with just my Grace. But we'll see... we always said it would be a matter of time not numbers, however many kiddos we had between my 29th - 39th birthday was the idea.

Positive healing energy and understanding of my anxiety born "flakiness" lately would be appreciated by all!

Entry for February 14, 2007

While we were working on part 2 of the "cleaning out the garage" saga we came across a bat and ball.

Irony

Funny thing about my devotion to Studio 60 is that we don't even have TV. Our entertainment is derived entirely from Blockbuster Online and the Internet. It is amazing to me how much we have integrated the computer into our living room now that we have one there. We have been either downloading television episodes or comedy clips online or adding it to our Queue. As for Studio 60 we have also been lucky enough to have Shawn's brother Tivo and burn them for us! We discovered this show about producing a television show that is similar to SNL when we had a free night at Harrahs, and a babysitter. They upgraded us to a suite and we ended up staying in the room half the night watching "That 70's Show" and- the second episode of Studio 60. We were hooked.

On Christmas Eve Scott brought us 4 episodes we hadn't seen. After everyone left, while we wrapped Grace's gifts, we watched all of them- staying up until almost 4:00- even though we had family coming for brunch! We are both just in love with the writing and concept. And Matthew Perry's portrayal of "Matt" almost completely eradicates Chandler from your mind immediately. We just realized that the Studio Chairman is the guy from Wings- classic all time favorite of mine. Okay I know for someone who doesn't have TV I sure am a junkie... I guess I just prefer my entertainment sans marketing!