Goin' to California

Tonight I fly to San Diego and will spend the next four days driving up the CA coast with coworkers looking at flowers, talking shop and gossiping about the industry. A business trip for sure, but the conversation alone makes it worth it. I had hoped to stretch out the trip a bit and visit my glamorous 40licious friend in LA, (sorry V, never had a chance to tell you about that idea!) but I'm stretching it being gone this long already. Maybe she'll take me in next Spring.

Anyway, off to pack and write well meaning notes for my husband about the kids.

Jello

Every night I check on my kids before they go to sleep. It's my nightime ritual of making sure everything is okay. I cover up any bare feet with a blanket, make sure the room temperature is just right, and look at them. My daughter is always in the same position: stuffed animal under her tummy, head turned to the side, breathing softly. I love to rest my hand on her back to feel her breathing. My son is in perpetual motion, even in sleep--lying on his side, one leg crossed over the other, ready to spring up, arms outstretched catching an imaginary ball.

Seeing them like this, in this precious state of sleep, it doesn't matter that today the carpet was peed on, the cat got squished, toys were broken. All that matters is that soft little belly peeking out under a pajama shirt, a wisp of hair curling around an earlobe, faces in repose, breath sweet from fruit flavored baby toothpaste and the jello that is your heart.

Four Days of Fun

Our 9 year old granddaughter came to visit last Thursday. I had grandiose plans of letting her take over my blog for a couple days: change the colors, post photos, go a little crazy, but we never touched the computer....which is probably a good thing. Instead, we just had an old fashioned good time.

Celtic Thunder

Hubby walked in the door the other day, "You're watching this again?"

"Um, the kids like it."

"Uh huh."

I guess he's on to me.

What better time than St. Patrick's day than to talk about my latest obsession...Celtic Thunder. When I first saw the name I laughed to myself, it seemed hokey, so public television-ish, something my grandmother would like. Then I saw a few clips here and there-- men in kilts singing catchy tunes, tearful ballads, the wistful Irish flute, floating green mist. Did I say men in kilts? Other than a couple songs that don't really fit (Desperado & Nights in White Satin sung in an Irish accent don't quite do it for me), it's actually pretty good. Now I find myself humming Mull of Kintyre, Boo & Bear stomp their feet to the drums and we press play again & again. Love the TiVo.

Our Pack of Four Minus Two

Boston, Zeus, Paulo & Dune after a walk

Boston, Dune, Zeus (he always had to wear the cone for some reason or another) & Paulo in younger days.

On March 3rd, my stepdaughter had to unexpectedly put down her 10 year old yellow lab, Zeus. A traumatic event to say the least. It was almost a year ago that we lost his sister, Boston to a similar ailment (a large tumor that lurked inside them until it was too late). It is the beginning of the end of an era for our family. Now only Zeus & Boston's brother, Dune, and my german shepherd, Paulo remain, sleeping soundly as I type. These dogs have shared so much with us over the past decade: meeting and marrying my husband, the birth of our children, along with the every day adventures of chewed shoes, beautiful beach walks, muddy footprints, never ending dog hair and emergency weekend trips to the vet.

They've brought special people into our lives: friends with pups from the same litter, friends we've met on walks and others who don't blink when you tell them how much you plunked down at the emergency clinic to "unflip" your dog's stomach .

So a salute to our pack of two and the other two running on the big beach in the sky. Our lives are forever changed because of you.

A Quiet "Hooray!"

It's 6:25 a.m. I'm showered and dressed. I've had coffee. I even moussed and round brushed my hair...it actually looks pretty good!

All this because the kids are still asleep. Celebrate the small stuff.

Educational TV

You learn something every day...

What's On Your Ipod?

I'll show you mine, if you show me yours. Can we let down our cool exteriors and come clean, if just for a moment? We all have at least one or two...or ten on our ipods: those deeply unhip songs or playlists that give us secret pleasure. Songs you would never be caught dead grooving to at a stoplight.

Here's a peek at my inner nerd. To retain a little dignity , let me just say that I don't listen to these regularly--like PEZ, they're best as an occasional treat.

• You Make my Dreams Come True: Hall & Oates, a real arm flopper
• The Grease Soundtrack--c'mon, it's Danny & Sandy!
• A playlist called Devo Workout--I know, it's a scary thought to imagine. What's even scarier is that I've actually done it! (In my living room with the drapes tightly drawn.)
• Eye of the Tiger--another sorry attempt at exercise
• Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy - Big & Rich (but I swear, there's barely ANY country on my pod, I got this from a friend!

Amazingly, there's no Duran Duran on there...yet. (They were my true highschool sweethearts).

Okay, now it's your turn.