It Don't Come Easy

For those special days when you just don't feel like blogging, but you're determined to post something every day...classic kid pictures!

Full Belly Farm, August 2010

What Is Hip

Floating tower this morning on the way to Coffee Bar.

*love*

In Five Years Time

Sigh. Five years ago, to the day. I miss these guys. Best dog ever, best awful dog ever, and best toddler ever. And best footie pajamas ever.

Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!

And then this happened:

Luckily, he totally bought my story about the Tooth Fairy retiring...that's why he/she left $20 last time. The kiddo had been the Tooth Fairy's last exchange, you see, after a long and illustrious career. So the Tooth Fairy felt it fitting to leave his/her last tooth transaction with an exceptionally generous trade. But the Tooth Fairy's replacement, of course, wasn't so flush--you know, being an entry level Tooth Fairy and all--so he shouldn't expect another big bill under his pillow next time.

It turns out that five singles under his pillow on Sunday morning was just fine. We had one happy kid on our hands; one toothless, ruthless, giant little kid on our hands.

Not this guy:

Those teeth are long gone. By the way, can someone please explain how this picture could possibly have been five years ago? Holy shit.

Tickle Me Pink

A night out! Child care! Meats on sticks! Musical performances! Smoke machines! Whimsical graffiti on bathroom stall! Too much fun to write in complete sentences!

Johnny Flynn at Rickshaw Stop last night!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Keeping warm in the frozen tundra that is the San Francisco Bay Area. It went below 50 this morning!

Skills To Pay The Bills

I learned how to do this today:

It's called tufting. It involves lots of cotton and strings:

Ring My Bell

New doorbell at work :)

Favorite Girl

It's not about playing favorites. It's simply a matter of fact that USS Ronald Reagan is the best cat ever. Period. End of sentence.

(Elvis the Girl, you're not bad either.)

These are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Continuing from Part I: Happy, Happy Birthday Baby

After breakfast, we stopped by my folks' house where I got a nice warm birthday hug from my mom--as well as the most amazing pajama pants I've ever seen, which she and Samson had made for me.

After a quick stop at BevMo to get provisions for the evening, we were off to the super-indulgent portion of the day, featuring my favorite kind of indulgence: a long, relaxing message. But it wasn't just the massage that made it so perfectly indulgent, it was also the small details like two bite brownies in the pre-massage relaxation room and the very friendly spa manager bringing us birthday champagne. Delightful!

All of that luxuriating made us hungry, so we sampled the new sandwich place nearby. My all-time favorite food, the turkey sandwich, is sadly elusive in my current low-carb lifestyle, and it was a much appreciated treat and great to sit outside in the beautiful California sun. Global warming or not, I got to eat lunch in 75 degree weather and that is wonderful.

We were ready for some much needed down time, so I cuddled with Turkey Sandwich (yes, I named my dog after my favorite food) while Max picked the boy up from school. Then we were off to the bowling alley for a few games of family bowling and air hockey. Cocktails for the adults and a slurpee for the boy and we all found our happy places pretty quickly. Just in time for dinner!

Another favorite food, Thai red curry, was supplied by our go-to Thai restaurant, Coconut Bay. Another fancy cocktail and my guys had one happy birthday girl on their hands. A full of day of sun, fun, and pampering and I was on cloud nine. We topped it off with desert: a handful of Taffy Town taffy from the sweet shop across the street, yet another of my very favorite treats! Could this day get any better? Why, yes! Yes it can!

At home, Max presented me with a gift: tickets to see Fred Eaglesmith next month at a very local venue PLUS an oil painting by Fred himself! A beautiful, thoughtful, and wonderfully surprising gift that mere words could never describe.

I am one year older and ten thousand times happier and glowier and luckier than I ever could have hoped to be. Thank you, thank you, Max, Samson, and all of my family and friends who have loved and supported me for the last 38 years. May you all experience days like this and feel even half as loved as do right now.

Happy, Happy Birthday Baby

PART I

Yesterday, for the first time, I woke up as a 38 year old. And let me tell you folks, 38 is pretty freaking awesome. If we're friends on Facebook, chances are you got to watch the whole thing unfold as I updated my status in real time throughout the day. For everyone else, prepare to fall in love with my husband.

Here's how it went down. I woke up a few minutes before my alarm went off (thank you kitty cat wrestle mania). As I sat up to get out of bed, Max said nope, not going to work today--sleep in. "But...I...work..." It was dark and I was confused. Max gave me a kiss and told me that I would not be going to work today and that he had already cleared it with my boss. Readers, you have never seen a smile as big as the one on my face at 6:20 yesterday morning, and you probably never will.

We took the kiddo to school, which was such a treat. After taking him to kindergarten nearly every day last year--not to mention two years of pre-school--it's been strange not taking him to school at all this year. My job starts at 8am, so Max has been on drop off duty all year. It was neat to see old friends and such, a great way to start the day.

Best. Husband. Ever.

I've been reminiscing a ton lately about Ireland and the year we spent living there. Max made a great call with our next stop: Fiddler's Green in San Francisco, which is one of the only places in the Bay Area where the full Irish breakfast includes both white and black puddings (the only way to go, IMHO). This plate had it all: puddings, sausages, rasher, mushrooms...perfection. Best birthday breakfast ever.

Full Irish with brown bread and coffee.

Tomorrow in Part II: These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

MoneyGrabber

He started the day like this:

And ended it like this:

It went down like this: the boy lost his third tooth yesterday, and I--being the undisputed champion of mothers--I completely screwed up and FORGOT TO TRADE HIS TOOTH OUT FOR CASH. This is for sure the worst fuck up I've had in a while, and when my kid came to my bed at 4:36 this morning to plainly state, "Mommy, the tooth fairy did not come. She didn't trade out my tooth." well I just about lost it. In a stroke of luck, he decided to go potty so I jumped into action and lightning quick grabbed my wallet, pulled out a $5 bill and exchanged it with the tiny tooth under his pillow. I got back in bed, and 15 seconds later he ran into my room and excitedly reported that the tooth fairy had come!

And she brought him a $20 bill!

Palm, meet forehead.

Pop Music

Date: New Year's Eve, 2013
Time: Way too late for a six year old to be awake
Because: Why the hell not?

How many pop rocks can my boy hold in his mouth before he either chokes or spits them out all over the party host's dining room? Almost an entire package. Most impressive.

Bohemian Rhapsody

For your Sunday evening enjoyment: pictures of stuff we found inside a sofa that we are reupholstering at the shop!

Signed by the original upholsterer in 1934

Signed by a worker boy in 1961.

Good luck with that, Andrea!

Reflektor

It's a great song, but boy is it long. How long? Long enough that we've started measuring time by how many times you could play Reflektor. For instance:

"I think there's something wrong with the hot water heater. It took almost two reflektors to get hot water in the kitchen sink."

"Mommy, how many reflektors do I have to be in the bath tub for?"

"Will you go check on the dog? She's been out back for three and half reflektors already."

"How long should I roast the vegetables for?" "Oh, I'd say about four or five reflektors ought to do it."

Groovin'

Things That I Saw Written On The Sidewalk When I Walked The Two Blocks From The Shop To The Post Office Today

Eat the rich
Kenneth my Ninja!
Metro PCS is the Devil
Mexico is everywhere
2 + 2 = 7
Woof y'all!

Just One Night

Oh, what a difference a night out makes! Here's the arithmetic:

one good friend from out of town + one handsome hub + a couple of awesome folks who I should be spending more time with + one super fancy cocktail with CARDAMOM (yes! cardamom!) in it + warm olives = fun fun fun!

Sure, I got home after the boy went to bed, and sure, I left for work today before he woke up...and yes I'll be out again tonight. So I guess I have to adjust the equation slightly:

- goodnight hugs - kid-sized kisses being blown to me from the second story window as I leave for work at the crack of dawn - any sort of conversation about Minecraft for TWO FULL DAYS = an "aw, man" sort of disappointment. But still totally worth it.

Uptown Girl

Sitting at the desk at the shop where I've worked for nearly 4 months now, listening to Belle & Sebastian. A little old, a little new. It's the first time I've been here in the dark, and the first time I get to show my peeps around this magnificent place where I spend many (many many) hours. Max got a quick peek once, but this time I get to show off the chickadee!

Two Tickets to Paradise

It's hard to blog when your keyboard is speckled with cat drool.

Turkey Sandwich is on squirrel patrol in the backyard, and the girls are taking advantage of her absence to wrestle on the bed and wreak havoc in general. USS Ronald Reagan and Elvis the Girl are without question the awesome cats I've ever lived with. There have been some special cats in my life, but these ladies take the cake.

 

Hello, I Love You

The Sutro Tower is standing in a sea of fog right now, poking out through the top and blinking.

Blink. Blink. Blink.

I miss living near the tower. I miss the giant all-seeing, all-knowing ladder of metal and electricity. I miss the foggy soup. I miss the blinking.

Blink. Blink. Blink.

Now, my tower is a giant eucalyptus tree that stands in my backyard. Now, my tower sheds giants pieces of bark on to the Japanese maple that resides below it. Now, my tower has roots so massively thick and strong that they are pushing the bricks and pavement up, out, and away, disrupting the ground around it. Now, my tower has created a new terrain and when the wind blows, it cre-e-e-e-eaks.

Blink. Blink. Blink.

Love is a Battlefield

Epic battle tonight in the living room: Playmobile vs. Legos!

Paradise by the Dashboard Light

Continuing our family tradition of watching borderline appropriate movies on Sunday evening, we are sitting on the sofa with the kiddo watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

What? You don't let your six-year-old watch movies with dead bodies and monkey brains? It's how our family bonds, don't judge.

OK, in the time that it took me write that last bit, Max switched the movie to Pirates of Penzance, so you can all quit being so shocked. Can you hear Samson's eyes rolling with boredom? A MUSICAL?! MUSICALS DON'T HAVE MONKEY BRAINS. No worries kiddos, I'll be sure to comment about that on Gilbert & Sullivan's Facebook page.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Is it time to make changes? Isn't it always time to make changes? Max says we need to challenge ourselves. He says that if something is hard to do or makes you uncomfortable, then it's probably the thing that you should be doing.

Max is right.

Change is many things, and "hard to do" and "uncomfortable" definitely top the list of things that fit that description. So I spent a year changing what I eat and how I look at food. I spent months exploring how I could find personal satisfaction in my job--what that meant and whether it was an achievable goal, and then how to make it happen. I'm constantly working on how to change my view of my son, trying to understand that he is more than my baby, more than a helpless child. I need to change my own perspective of myself--survivor, fighter, victim, spoiled brat, lottery winner. I suppose it comes down to how I feel about any given situation at any given time, but one thing never changes. And that is the fact that everything is always changing.

Shout at the Devil

2013. The year that sucked, then didn't for a while, and then totally did again at the end.

Pros:
Awesome new job
Four clean MRIs with no tumor growth
Wonderful trips to San Diego, Israel, New York, Seattle, and Minneapolis
Fun and heartwarming visits from out-of-town family and friends

And you know what? I'm not even going to write a list of cons. I'm far too busy being in the moment to look into the past in search of sadness or disappointment. Or, at least that's what I'll be saying once I've achieved my new year's goal of reaching spiritual enlightenment. I plan to be checking that sucker off of the big ol' to-do list by mid March. Along with not rushing so much and chilling the fuck out.

To end 2013 and begin 2014, let me just say this: if you are considering letting your six-year-old stay up until midnight on new year's eve next year, I strongly advise against it.

Arctic Blast

It's so freaking cold here! But lots of fun. Sledding, live music, good friends...

Preparing for the freeze

The kiddo is very excited about our upcoming trip to Minneapolis. He thinks the snow suits are great for playing ninja, which they are. Hopefully they'll also be great for keeping us alive in 0 degree weather.

Christmas was a blast. With just the tree of us around, we were able to create some new traditions, like dim sum and a movie.

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and that you continue to enjoy your winter breaks and such. Let's make this next week the best last week of 2013 ever!

Auto Awesome Indeed

It may not be awesome to go 6 days without blogging (for no good reason), but these gifs are pretty dang awesome! Clearly, I've been far too busy having fun with no time in the world to write a post about how much fun I'm having. WRITE a post? Oh, please. That's so 8 months ago. I'll let Google + SHOW you how much fun I've been having, not blogging. Exclamation mark!

Look at THIS love connection! Siempre Verde with Turkey Sandwich

Fancy dinner at The Van's

Hola! My salad has a cherry on top!

Leopard Class, kicking some vinyl ass.

Brain Bling

I went to the dentist last week for my bi-annual check up. In between lectures about flossing and crown replacement, they took some xrays. One was a panoramic, camera-circles-your-head-for-30-seconds kind of xray, nothing out of the ordinary. Until...later on, the dentist was going over the xray with me, pointing out the fractured post of an old root canal (yikes), and she asked what was up with the "flowery tattoo thing" on the scan up above my sinuses. Check it out (and don't judge me for having so many fillings. I like candy.)! It must be some kind of something that was put there to hold my skull in place after my craniotomy! Unless of course it's some sort of government tracking device so the CIA can read my thoughts. And why wouldn't they? I have some pretty amazing thoughts. They mostly go like this: "mmmmmmmm salty caramel." Either way, it was a surprise to me, to say the least--that whole craniotomy period of time is a bit fuzzy--and I can't stop looking at it. It's hypnotic, but in a good way. It's sort of calming and mantra-y.

Kempo Master

He's not waxing on or painting a fence yet, but he has memorized some crazy amount of positions and combinations and will be eligable to test for a yellow belt in February.

Did you hear my jaw hit the ground just then?

Kid's got skills, that does not surprise me. It's the thought of him being able to focus and pay attention long enough--TO ANYTHING--that blows me away. Our three month experiment seems to have proven successful, as far as I'm concerned. On to more classes! Hooray fir kempo!

Nothing much

I am pooped. I'm exhausted and emotionally running on fumes. I need to think of a good way to refresh myself, other than sleep--which, of course, is what I crave. Sleep and chocolate.

How about you? How do you hit the reset button on your soul? What is your emotional equivalent to a breath of fresh air? Please don't say exercise or vegetables.

Feeling OK

I'm starting to feel better than I have in a few weeks. The dust is settling. I can breathe a bit better, and I'm starting to think about ways to fix things in my life that feel like they aren't functioning properly. Trying to, anyways. I've gotten hooked on a TV show on Netflix called Scandal, and the main character is a fixer, a professional problem solver (but I like her better in this). The other day on the way to work, I thought about a problem I was having--a long distance friendship that had been suffering from neglect--and instead of feeling complainy and sorry for myself, I fixed it. I sent my friend an email to sort of let them know I was still there and making sure they were, too. Maybe not fixed completely, but definitely a step in the right direction.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is things are looking up. Today.

Hurt Feelings

You know who you are.

One more rumination over my status in life

I've got to say, I really appreciate everyone's support over the last few days. My posts have been more raw than usual, and I've shared a side of the pain and fear that I feel, a part of my life that I'm usually trying to camouflage. Snark and perceived fearlessness will only get you so far; sometimes, you just need to cry and scream and hit things and write mean and ugly words on a blog for everyone to read. And honestly, the candid nature of these last few posts has felt REALLY  REALLY GOOD.

Of course, I wouldn't be me without also feeling guilty. Here, I'll use a list to count some of the wonderful and factual things that I have in my life that so many other people do not have, therefore causing me to feel guilty about having any complaints at all.

Some of the Wonderful and Factual Things That I Have in My Life that So Many Other People Do Not Have

1. Two healthy, living, nearby parents.

2. A healthy and committed marriage.

3. A healthy and perfect six year old son.

4. Full and complete use of my arms, legs, mouth, and brain-- a variety of things that most GBM survivors I know do not have.

5. A great job that I love and look forward to every day.

6. A warm home and plentiful pets.

I worry that the kind of person who can have this list and still complain about anything in their life is fundamentally broken, and, frankly, reprehensible. I know it's who I am; it's part of my personality and character to feel bad about feeling bad, but I do get nervous that I'll never inherently allow myself to enjoy the bounty that is my life, and that I'm doomed to always gravitate back to the cancer, every four months, as the primary definition of who I've become, in spite of the list of wonders above.

Now, I promise to do my best to return to our regular programing--although it's immeasurably comforting to know I can be as honest I might need to occasionally be here.

Sitting at UCSF

After every MRI, I meet with two sets of Neuro-oncologists, one at Stanford where I receive my standard ontological care and one at UCSF where I participated in a few trials during my treatment. Today I am at UCSF, finishing up my week of cancer check-ins. Hopefully, this will serve as some sort of mental closure to this particularly gruesome (emotionally speaking) MRI cycle. You win some, you loose some, and while I've physiologically won the grand bonus prize with another clean MRI, my emotional score this quarter was far below par and not what many of expect of me.

I appreciate the kind and thoughtful comments, the hugs from those I see and the stress relieving help that I get from my family. I have a caring and compassionate husband who tries his hardest, and an abundance of positive energy running toward me in the form of a six year old boy. I have all of this, and then some. And sometimes, it's just not enough. Sometimes, in spite if all the goodness that surrounds me, I feel encased in sadness, loss and gloom.

Please don't be afraid for me. Don't worry or feel that you need to be on eggshells around me. The way I feel right now is a natural part of a life-long grieving process that I have come to accept as a part of my life. The MRIs, the anxiety and emotional response serve as a reminder of how my life has changed. Forever. And there's absolutely nothing that I can do about it. I am thankful for my health and continued stability, but I am simultaneously enraged that something like brain cancer came along and changed my life irrevocably, without any sort or warning or negotiation or compensation. I'm not blind, I'm not stupid--I know I am doing incredibly well, much, much better than most people with Glioblastoma Multiforme IV. And I am grateful for that truth. But I am perfectly within my rights to feel robbed of the full, plump, shining life of NORMALCY that I had until September 2009.

So don't freak out when I write posts like this. It's part of my process and it will help me in the long run.

Last MRI of 2013

My neuro oncologist is starting to sound like a broken record. "Your scan looks great. No change or tumor regrowth. We expect you to live a long life. See you in four months."

You may now commence with the appropriate post-MRI celebrations. It takes me a while to shake off the pre-MRI anxiety, and it takes me even longer to figure out how to be happy about those words. "We expect you to live a long life." A long life is good, but a long life of regularly scheduled anxiety and unexpected bouts of depression is hard to take sometimes. And it turns out that I am totally one to look a gift horse right in the mouth. This gift I've been given, this gift of not succumbing to the brain cancer, of not dying in the 18-24 months that is statistically more likely than living even the four years that I have since my diagnosis, this gift is sometimes a horse with very bad teeth, one that needs a Costco size tube of Crest toothpaste and a dentist with a magic wand in the form of a giant, never-ending bottle of Ativan.

It's not that I'm not thankful for what I have. I really, truly am. Sometimes, it is so hard to see past the glaring absence of the parts of my life that will always be missing--things like piece of mind and normalcy. Yes, I get to keep my life and I get to keep on living it, but it's broken. I'm broken. And I don't know how to fix myself right now.

I wish I could celebrate with you today. I wish I could simply say to myself, well that was nice. Everything is exactly how it should be. But I feel scattered and lost and afraid and confused today, and all of those things put together add up to angry and sad. 

Still here, silently judging

Don't mistake my silence this past week for a lack of blog fodder. I have plenty to say, I'm just trying extremely hard to push out the jive and bring in the love. It's tough these days, my heart is so dang full of jive. I'm not going to get into it, but here's a top five list of the few things saving me from giving into my rage and anger right now.

Top Five List of Things Saving Me From Giving In To My Rage and Anger Right Now

1. Selective over-played hit songs on the radio.

2. The zero percent existence of dog pee on my carpet. More on that later.

3. My six year old son in a blazer and tie. Every chance he gets.

4. Waiting for results that will come on Wednesday from my Sunday morning MRI.

5. Before bedtime, the kiddo suggested we "initiate cuddle sequence."

Thanks A Lot

Top Five Things I Am Thankful For

1. My brother is taking the kiddo to Children's Faryland tomorrow.

2. There's a four-day weekend just around the bend.

3. Costco pumpkin pie.

4. A big, comfy bed with a warm, soft duvet.

5. Spotify. When it works.

Know When to Fold 'Em

Know when to walk away. Know when to run.

It's one thing to know WHEN, it's another thing to know HOW. Letting go--of anger, a grudge, regret, whatever--is a skill I do not have. I've never had it, and I doubt that I ever will. There are many things in my life that I have every right to be angry about, or to be sad about, or to hold a grudge against, and I perform that job expertly. Now if someone could just send me the Cliff Notes on letting go and doing the right thing even when you really really really don't want to...that would be very helpful.

Some say that mindfulness meditation will teach me how to let go of all of the shit that's gunking up my emotional pipes. Other say a cleanse of the body works as a cleanse of the soul. There are those that would suggest that I drown my anger and sadness in liquor. They are probably all partially right.

I know that right now is one of those time where I need to lay my cards face down on the table, stand up, and haul ass out of there. Guess I better go put my running shoes on.

Zombie is the New Black

The kiddo has moved on from the youthful simplicity of tablet games like Angry Birds and Where's My Water, and left me way behind in the technological dust. Plants vs. Zombies is the game du jour and I am lost, lost, lost. Luckily, Max seems to get the basic strategy and appears to have schooled my boy in the ways of pea shooters and walnuts, so at least he can play on his own. But this is one obsessive habit that I will have to pass on. From what I can tell (not much), you need to defend your home from the constantly attacking cartoon zombies by using a variety of vegetables and plants with various levels of zombie-killing skills. And there's something about sunflowers. All I know is that the kid gets pretty frustrated when he wants me to play with him and I clearly don't get it.

Me: "Why don't you use that guy? He looks like he could stop a zombie invasion."

Him: "Seriously Mommy? You hafta put the freeze pods down first. The zombies will just eat those."

Me: "Put more sunflowers. They have smiley faces."

Him: (eyes rolling) "Jeeze Mommy, I already have five of those and that's more than enough. I need more shooters."

Me: "..."

Him: "Are you even going to play?"

Me: "..."

Him: "Isn't this the coolest game ever?"

Now I know how my mom felt when I would get so pissed at her if she got the name of my My Little Pony wrong. "No, THAT is Starburst! THIS is Moonstone! Seriously!"

Ant Rant

Pretty much all of my allotted blogging time for this evening has been usurped by ants. In the time it took me to spray the line of tiny horribleness with Raid, clean the cat food/water area they had invaded, clean up the Raid, replenish the cat fixins, and then repeat the whole process because it turns out they were coming in from two places, I could have written a very nice blog post. Hell, I could have written a weeks worth of very nice blog posts. But instead you get an angry and tired blog post, and with that, I bid you goodnight.

Better than a Butterball

This time of year--well, most times of year--when people think turkey, they think roasted, basted, and filled with stuffing.

Some people, the ones with excellent taste in food, think thinly sliced, peppered or honey roasted, layered on a dutch crunch roll with plenty of mayo.

I also think of Turkey Sandwich, but mine doesn't have mayo on it (usually), because mine is a 55 pound shepherd mix who likes to put her whole head in my hand and loves to give kisses.

Turkey Sandwich is an amazing friend and wonderful member of our family, and I am extremely thankful that she is my dog.

And someday, I hope she learns to drop the damn ball so I can throw it again.

Birthday Waffle: The Secret Ingredient is Tears

An outtake reel from the kiddo's birthday breakfast, in which he was shot by one of his parents with the Nerf gun he had just received as his gift. Which parent would do such a thing? Does it really matter? I wouldn't dream of being petty or putting the blame on just one parent--Max and I, we parent as a TEAM.

But it wasn't me.

Initial impact.

Oh, the agony!

The face of sad.

Grey Clouds Rolling Over the Hills

Can't get this song out. Of. My. Head.

And now you can't, either.

I'm unsure about whether it makes me feel sad or hopeful. I guess it makes me feel soapful.

Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love

I've had some cats in my time, but these girls take the cake. Elvis the Girl (aka Fat Elvis, aka The Chunker) is the first cat I've ever had who shows her belly--WILLINGLY--and not with the intent to attack your arm and slice open the fleshy part, either (I'm looking at you, Milhouse). She just wants to roll and purr and get some belly rubbins. She is rad.

Too Tired to Type

It was a busy day at the shop. I didn't sleep all that well last night either, and these two things led to the creation of the following list.

List of Ways I Misspelled My Own Name at Work Today

1. Deborha

2. Debirah

3. Debrah

A Very Very Very Fine House

During a unit at school regarding homes, this happened:

Rubber Band Mayhem

It would appear that rubber band jewelry is this generation's friendship bracelet. It doesn't have the DMC beauty of the bracelets of my youth, and you probably can't tie one end to your toe to use as an anchor (genius!), but kept my kid quiet and entertained at the restaurant tonight. So its got that going for it.

Kitchen Science

We're all loving up on the kiddo's birthday presents these days. This weekend, there were plaster molds, numerous volcanoes, and baking soda & vinegar rocket blasters!

There's nothing like science to bring out the big-eyed kid in all of us. SCIENCE!

Next up on the kitchen science list: making rock candy! Again, I say SCIENCE!

Fall is Upon Us

You can tell that's it's autumn because I'm wearing rust-colored corduroy pants and a hearty brown sweater. Also, the maples in our backyard look like this:

Nature is my all-time favorite fashion designer!

Destined to Fail

How could post number 1001 ever live up to the hype of its predecessor, post number 1000? It couldn't, that's how. In fact, it won't even try. Here, watch some cute kittens instead:

That's Elvis the Girl on the left, and US Ronald Reagan on the right.

That's like 27 in blog years

You are currently reading the Extra Super Fantastic blog post number 1000. I know, right? For reals this time! Kind of nutty! Granted, some of those posts were very short. Some were less short, one might even say long.  Many were about music. Most of the early ones contain broken links or missing photos (hey, pobody's nerfect). But there were reports from Babyville! Posts about my dogs! And oh, so many lists of things!

Happy one thousandth blog post to me--and big ups to those of you who have supported me on this journey. It's been beyond therapeutic for me, and I gather that it's been somewhat pleasant at times for you alls as well. May it continue to be as such for many more years...until computers become obsolete and we all have special chips implanted in our brains and there's no need for blogging because we can all read each other's minds...hrrrrrmmmmmm.

Astute Observation

Says the kiddo: "You know mommy, let me tell you something about Legos. They're making the instructions a bit harder these days."

His awesome friends got him a ton of Lego sets for his birthday, and he's been systematically starting (and in some cases, finishing) each set. ON. HIS. OWN. I'm proud, duh, but really excited because it means I have to spend way less time on the floor which I am far too old to be doing comfortably. But, I get to spend just enough time examining his progress to see awesome displays of Legotry.

Angry Wolverine:

Even angrier Wolverine:

The Party That Enveloped My Entire Weekend

Man, throwing a birthday party for a six year old is almost as exhausting as giving birth to the kid himself all those many (many many many) years ago. Every year we do it, and every year we turn to each other and say "NEVER. AGAIN." And then we see our happy kid, his happy friends, everyone covered in chocolate and various remnents of fun...

See you next year!

Sweet Kitty Saturday

I love my kitty girls and I LOVE Google instant awesome motion!