Thirty Seven

I love the house I live in. I love the family that lives in it with me. Down to the fish named Sammy who lives in the bathroom. The back patio is inviting and the little lawn of green grass is maintained by someone else. The other fish- Puff the Dragon, Peachy Cleany Meany, Scaredy Catty, Charlie & Lola live in the heart of the home, looking out on this outdoor living area complete with comfy patio furniture.

Green onions, parsley, and two types of tomatoes in 4 inch pots stand at attention ready to join the other horticulture in the happy scene.

A birdhouse sits keeping time in a plum tree that went from twigs while we looked to white blossoms  during the move and is now full of lucious leaves in glorious green. Twinkle lights now adorn the covering, and a shiny grill sits ready to make mouthwatering the marinated meats of the man. 

A subtle whistle sounds as the train rumbles through town just to the west of us. At just the right moment of the day you hear the mission bells ring just prior...

A large bluebird visits daily. He is curious about us and keeps his distance, but is boldly building a nest from twigs plucked out of the gated garden guarding the front door. Filled with purple daisies, magenta blossomed topiaries and mini allium- can't wait to see what color!

Children fill the neighborhood with shreiks and screams as they ride the thrill of "the hill" on their scooters and attempt to sell their spoils (rocks, bark, flowers & sticks) to the parents who frequently peek out their screened entrances. 

The towering trees to the east tell of the time that people have inhabited this historic area, the bells ring from a tower built in 1776, the year of our country's independence.

This is where I begin my 37th year. Happy Saturday.

So much to tell

Shawn got a job (yes, again!) he found out just as we were leaving to celebrate our 12th anniversary, he starts at NettSolutions next week... I am working part-time in a Starbucks with an ocean view near Laguna Beach...

We celebrated both girls birthdays... photos coming soon! G is doing a lot with the homeschool group and working on charting her learning achievements... J is learning baby sign language and fingerplays- she loves music.

We hope to move by my birthday and I am developing an idea to take my love of writing, social net-working, public speaking and homeschooling to a new level by next fall.

We are busy Bellah bees! I have updated both girls pictorial blogs A Joy A Day & Everybody Needs a Little Grace.

October updates

Our field trip out to Julian was a fun-filled family day- G really enjoyed herself, and Joy was very content the whole time. "Miss Gina" and "Rowdy Ryan" added a theatrical flair to the hands on activities the kids participated in- sluicing, sifting, panning for gold and stones; candle dipping, farm animal feeding and care, game playing, cider pressing and hay riding. Pictures to come as soon as I find the cord...

We were all covered in dust and so was our lunch!! I wore Joy in the sling for the first half of the day and nursed her freely amongst the happy homeschooling group we were with. Grace re-connected with a few friends but mostly enjoyed the experience with her daddy, sister and me.

My district manager called Friday, saying that I sufficiently impressed the DM I interviewed with and that they would be promoting me to ASM in 2 weeks- 2 months, depending on the needs of the stores in the district. I am so eager to find out where I will be and start settling into a bit of a regular routine. Although I do hope to get through the RMT training program as quickly as possible and get my own store in 6-8 months. We'll see what the universe has in store for me.

Shawn is still waiting to hear from WebVisible... he is very interested in this job. We pretty much ignored his birthday, poor guy. Things have just been rough and just like on my birthday it seemed better to just sorta get through it... sad, I know.

Joy is 9 months old today- boy is she getting big! Eating like a lumberjack and crawling all over the place. She loves her mama so much, and I wince every time she reaches for me as I crawl from the bed at 3:30 in the morning to go to work. I am just grateful that she has had this time with her daddy.

Grace's homeschool enrichment academy is having an open house on Sunday- I am excited to see what they have been learning, she had been enjoying it quite a bit and I am impressed with what I see her doing so far. She is in Spanish, guitar, wind ensemble, hip hop and tap- quite the little Rennaisance girl!!

Best of Both Worlds

Today's hot topic- Miley Cyrus' Vanity Fair photo shoot; here's an AP New Story link which quotes carefully crafted comments from publicists who are doing their jobs well, in creating these curiousity quenching headlines for their clients. As the parent of a soaking sponge of a 6 year old, I am seeing Miley's appeal seeping into my own set of circumstances.

Miley and the character she plays on TV are poised between two worlds, both the girl and her sitcom caricature innocently unfolding with mature confidence and an easy going smile. She balances out the Cyrus family name's blips on the radar of fame- her explosion countering (and reviving) her one-hit wonder dad, Billy's achy breaky 60 seconds. Young Ms Cyrus' stance, in this sensationalized situation is respectable, the fact that it is happening- completely expectable. She is getting older and the fans keep getting younger, because there are always new recruits to the army of Hannabees, a Disney "attraction" aimed at a specific demographic. G is on the youngest side of the fanbase of an aging act. In my role as mommy I am pulled to monitor and (attempt to) control the influence of G's exposure.

Watching an aspect of Miley's entrance into adulthood on the great stage of fame, I connect with her- I empathize with the vulnerability that she shows in the offending portrait. As an occasional reader of Vanity Fair, I am drawn to the story and I find myself siding with VF's desire to capture and portray Miley's moment of perfect balance- between adolescence and adulthood. Balance and the best of both worlds is what we all seek as we experience the life that happens while pursuing happiness. I want to see what Annie Liebowitz saw through her lens and digitally depicted. In my role as woman I am drawn to run out and get this magazine as soon as it hits the stands (consumer that I am) and read all about it!

As so many of us do I also get to balance my two worlds- currently that means being a socially productive worker and a fun fabulous family mommy. I am looking forward to an adventure with my daughter as we go to the library to gawk at and peruse the glossy pages together (sharing her exposure, but not shielding her from it!) AND I get to feel like a responsible adult for saving a little room in the landfills (and my-working-girl-self a few dollars). I guess I'll have to buy something useful and necessary that is advertised on the pages of Vanity Fair to balance it all out, so all the publicists involved in the photo spread that is focused on Miley Cyrus' bare back will be happy. I do feel a bit manipulated by this whole circus and all the media's "reporting" (read: "advertising") ...

I do get the best of both worlds.

Turn on your speakers if you are viewing my blogsite directly a balanced selection of the progression of Miley's sensational singing should be playing now. Country with dad, Disney's Hannah and the song I felt she was way too sexy performing on AI Gives Back a couple weeks ago. (here's a link to that playlist, current music has been changed!)

Babywearing, Coffee Loving, Homeschool Mom

This morning I went on an interview at the Starbucks down the street- my new ;do making me feel a little more put together than I have been, (thanks, Bernie!!). My SIL manages one a few blocks away and was telling me about what a great place it is to work. She used to manage a California Pizza Kitchen, but wanted to spend more time with my adorable niece. I start next week, part time.

Grandma Bernie watched the girls, then I took them to park day in Orange. The park is great and the moms were welcoming- Grace liked playing with the kids, Joy did her nurse, sleep, repeat routine- first in a borrowed beach chair, and again in the borrowed sling of Casey- a mom I met a couple years ago (remember the one I always told you about, Suzanne? With the little dog, Gypsy, and the beautiful free-spirited girls?) The group is a well established, diverse and casual- we also ran in to our old friends, Indy & Army **waves to Michelle!**)

I am excited to have found a great Yahoo Group as I search for the perfect garment to help Joy and I to share Grace's homeschool journey- sling, rebozo, carrier... I've been researching them all- even styled my own from the beautiful red/black sarong I got in Mexico. It's a bit small, so I really would love to get a Moby, and some sort of ring sling- a Maya, a Gypsy Mama or perhaps make my own? The women of the group are generous and knowledgeable, they also seem to be quite the crafty bunch, I look forward to meeting them in person...

Tomorrow we are off to a west OC parkday in Huntington Beach. We attended last week and Grace made a friend- named Casey, also, actually. This time our old friends who are back from Colorado **grins, Steph** will be coming also... Grace is excited to see Nick, because he makes her laugh. I sure wish I already had one of those baby carriers...

Yesterday I had dinner with my mom and dad- she got KFC, where I had my first job. It made me feel light hearted and youthful. It was great to see Grace sharing Webkinz World with her "Gaga", because my mom actually gets into it with her playing games and showing genuine excitement over the things Grace had done to elliot's room. **hugs, mom**

I finally unpacked Joy's baby blanket and it is calling me to get it finished it now, reminding me that I am eager to see the ladies of my Knit-Tea-ing circle for this month's gathering.

As I quickly read over my post, I realized that I am surrounded by women, who make me feel supported and confidant. It's very nice during this time of transition.

Family Night

I made a delicious London Broil, with homemade mashed potatoes (with chunks of yams) and spinach salad for dinner tonight. We did have to move the puzzle of Da Vinci's The Last Supper that we are doing, but after a slight delay involving a convenience store and steak sauce, we all three ate at the table - at the same time- and we left the TV off!!

After dinner I rinsed the dishes (and actually scrubbed the broiling pan instead of soaking it- I think I am growing up!) while Grace prepared a ballet show (she had come to the dinner table dressed in tights and skirted leo) and Shawn fed the wild things- ahem, beloved pets.

Grace's performance was beautiful, she has great "musicality"! The "ice skating" portion was especially riveting- oh the fun of tile floors! Her twirling, whirling and skirt swirling was as adorable as her new bouncy bob and I was reminded that I NEED to get her into dance class, or at least back into gymnastics.

Before bed we played a couple games of Zingo- Grace's favorite game; Shawn won the first one and Grace the second- but in my heart, I know I am the true winner. I have such a beautiful family and blessed life. Shawn's day wasn't that great (no new trials); Grace and I vegged on the 'puter or in front of the TV for most of the afternoon... but I'm not feeling bad about that. I'm not beating myself up that we only had one green food today (the spinach salad was good with the London Broil). And I'm okay with the fact that I have to drive the Golf to our Girls Club meeting tomorrow- at least I get to go.

Sometimes in worrying over trying to do all the "right" things, I know that I miss the moments that make our life so wonderful. But not tonight. It wasn't a scheduled, planned Family Night, everything just sort of happened, and we enjoyed each other - and that's why it was perfect.

Friday Family Fun Night

We all got into making something I hadn't made in years- I don't know where the inspiration (or memory of how to even do it) came from, but we all had a great time. I never did finish my creation - a jack-o-lantern - I was too busy cutting squares of tissue for my beloveds!

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

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!