There's Something About a Guy...

There's something about a guy who is willing to put on a tiara and for his daughters (Cinderella and the Mermaid) while they chant "Dada the King!" There's something about a guy who will make vanilla cupcakes from the Strawberry Shortcake cookbook and will allow the little ladies to frost them, despite the mess. There's something about a guy who brings his wife tea while she continues to face the endless essays she has to grade by tomorrow. There's something about a guy who will read Dora's story book at bedtime, doing all the voices. The guy with rough hands from carpentry who still strokes his daughters' hair until their little eyelids gently close. The guy who listens with his whole heart, the guy who brings coffee to his rushed wife on hectic mornings, the guy who never gets angry, who always shows love. The guy who will four wheel drive one weekend, and fix a doll's cradle the next. There's just something about this guy...all the ladies in this house think so!

Rainy and Cozy Day

Rainy days are hard to come by lately. We've been having 80 degree weather here, so our surprise for President's Day weekend was rain. Not tropical, warm rain, but cold, bleak rain!

What are a few silly girls to do on a rainy day? Snuggle with pugs. Stay in our jammies. Look at shock and horror at Mama's bag of papers to grade. Eat tangerines. Play dollhouse. Watch Noggin on TV. Play Barbie Uno. Scrapbook with Mama and Christine. Have soup for lunch. Read lots of books under a blanket on the couch.

Although last week's sun had us thinking that we'd be at the beach over President's Day weekend, we think we like rainy days even better...at least today.

My Birds

I am a bird girl. In high school and early college , I was a vegetarian because of an argument with a fellow student who liked to shoot quail. I used to feel so sad for the little quail families who took shelter from the gun blasts under our willow tree.

Growing up, I had Alfred, a neurotic cockatiel who let me pet her but bit the heck out of anyone else who tried to touch her. (Yes...Alfred was a girl...we found this out after he/she started laying eggs!) Later, after Alfred, Jeff and I had Big Bird, a cockatiel who was actually more neurotic than Alfred. Big Bird shrieked every morning until you let her out, and then she wanted to chew up everything in site. We gave Big Bird to a bird sanctuary and called it a day...no more bird ownership. Now, however, we've made our backyard a place for birds. Jeff's mom is quite a bird person, and I guess we got the idea from her.

Our couple of bird feeders weren't getting much action until Jeff bought a bag of pure sunflower seeds.

"That won't work," I told him. "They like the little seeds in it too."

Little did I know Jeff had discovered what I now call "bird crack". The birds are addicted to the black sunflower seeds. We fill up their feeder, and it is empty the next day! We have a perfect view of them from our family room couch, and we feel better about it because they are free!

Cupcakes, Five Year Olds, and Polly Angst

Well, here are more pictures of my beautiful five year olds AND of my Martha Stewart moment (the cupcakes!). At Pre-K, the girls are studying the arctic, and I attempted to make polar bear cupcakes for their birthday. Jeff said they looked like mice, but I told him that four and five year olds would think they looked like polar bears if we told them they were polar bears. Boy, was I wrong. I guess the kids in the class thought they were rabbits! Oh well, I tried!

The individual pictures of the girls are of when I made them pose on the evening of their birthday. I also did a hilarious birthday interview on video with each of them. I asked them about all kinds of things. The funniest answers were when I asked Emma what she liked the best about Grace, and she said, "She smells like maple syrup," which is true (and very observant, I thought) since Grace loves waffles more than anything on earth. Another silly moment was when I attempted to interview patient Grace, and Emma kept busting in on the interview. (Such a bossy boots!) "No, Grace, say you like horses too..." Poor Grace. Other than smelling like waffles, the gal needs her own identity!

Currently, my curse in life are Polly Pockets. Tiny dolls with plastic outfits that rip and plastic houses that lose pieces...a million pieces... is not my idea of fun. I'm all about Barbie! Barbie has hair to brush and real cloth outfits. Barbie has a cruise ship and a dream home. New Barbies have actual FEET (not those little pointed feet, but bigger feet so they can surf and stuff!)

Anyway, you can see the gals playing with some of their new Polly Pocket "towns"...a five year old's dream, and a mommy's worst nightmare. If I have to squeeze one more little plastic leg into a purple legwarmer, I'm going to lose it! Or at least lock myself in the playroom with my old Barbie dream home! :) hee hee hee

Aloha...We're Five!

Emma and Grace's fifth birthday party was a hit. After arguing over princess parties, tea parties, and horse parties, the girls decided they would rather compromise than split their party into two separate parties. We decided to have a Luau. We had so much fun! Jeff and I grilled terriaki kabobs, my parents brought over two huge trays of fried rice, Costco provided the fruit trays and the cake, and cousin Johnette brought her famous spinach dip. Almost all of Emma and Grace's friends were there, dressed in their Hawaiian attire. They played Bingo and ran around the yard (it was a pretty nice day!)

Even though we had a fabulous time, Jeff and I were pooped! I think we're considering a Disneyland trip instead of a party next year...we'll stay in one of the fun hotels and just enjoy it. Of course, I say something like that every year, and we always end up with the girls asking, "But what about our party?" When I ask them where they want to have it, it's always the same. "At our house, of course!" This is their fourth party in this house! (Their first birthday party was at our Roma Drive house.)

I'm going to post one more blog with some more pictures of our big five-year-old girls. It's a pretty big deal around here!

~D

Because I Teach

I can't imagine having any job other than teacher. This picture was taken last year as my students and I were packing up my classroom (I was moving into my new room outside...a much better location!). I often bring costumes to school during my Shakespeare unit so that they can become another "persona" and have fun while getting through the often challenging text. For this picture, my AVID students decided to put on the costumes and act silly.

This past two weeks, being a teacher was difficult. I found out that a former student (not one seen in this picture) had committed suicide. Kenneth was one of those kids you just loved. He had an booming laugh and a great sense of humor. He could imitate "Stitch" from the movie Lilo and Stitch perfectly, and often did the voice for Emma and Grace if they saw him walking by after school. During our Shakespeare play and Renaissance Faire, he could speak in a perfect Shakespearean accent (even though he was African American who normally spoke with plenty of slang!) Whenver he would see me in the quad, he'd shout loudly, "Dawn Smith!!! Dawn Smith!!!" and I knew it was him, because no other kids call me "Dawn Smith."

Last Tuesday, I spoke at Kenneth's funeral. It was important for me to do so...to tell his mom and dad how much he made us laugh, how much joy he brought, and how much he would be missed. It was difficult, but important. After sharing about him, I read a poem written by a pilot, about "flying high, dancing gracefully in the sky, and touching the face of God." I see Kenneth doing just that.

Until now, in nine years of teaching, I have never directly lost a student. One of MINE, the kids sitting in my room, making me laugh, adding their two cents into the discussion, reciting Shakespeare. I have never lost one of my own, and I guess I've been lucky. Teaching, like loving, makes you vulnerable! In nine years, I've probably taught over one thousand students. Call it luck, I guess, that so far I've only lost one. I know that this job, this passion of mine, will make me vulernable to loss. It gives me more resolve each day to make a difference in my students' lives, to treat them with kindness and compassion, and to help them see learning as fun. This is an enormous responsibility, but oh, what a reward! Other than motherhood, I wouldn't want any other job!

Twins on Ice

Today our 85- degree luck changed and we got our first big storm. It was very windy and it rained really hard! Jeff and I decided it would be a perfect day to take the girls ice skating. At first, Emma and Grace hung on to us, because there were some big ten-year-olds hogging the ice skating bars (see photo) that are meant to help the little ones learn to skate. (Wimps!) After two or three laps, our ankles and backs were killing us since we were bending down to help the girls. Eventually, we managed to snag two ice-skating-helpin-bars. (Sorry...I'm not sure what to call them!) The girls really took off, then! Grace, as usual, was fearless (and cut a lot of people off). Emma started out a lot more cautiously, but in the end was a strong skater! In fact, by the time we were about to leave, both Emma and Grace skated from the center of the rink to the exit without their bars. (It was Emma's idea...she is sitting on my lap as I type this and wants me to make that CLEAR.)

Oh...one more thing. Jeff and I had a little friendly husband/wife competition going about who was the best skater. I figured that since I was the roller skating QUEEN growing up, I would be, and I was right. My sweet husband fell TWICE (and at 6'5", Jeff falling was like watching timber falling in the forest!) I think I take the Smith family ice skating title for 2006.

Here are some pictures of Christmas night at my mom and dad's house. Mom and Dad posed with all of their grandkids. (Megan (11) and Ian (7), and the gals.) My family finally sat together for a picture, but getting all of us looking photogenic was nearly impossible. I'm posting one of the only decent ones!

Christmas Eve: 85 Degrees but Still Spirited

Christmas was a warm 85 degrees in Southern California!!! The view is of our neighborhood and surrounding hills from our front porch. Although a part of me misses Bishop at Christmastime (when snow would fall), a bigger part of me is just grateful to have my family so close, as well as my two healthy, beautiful girls. We got all dressed up for church on Christmas Eve. It was a lovely, candlelight service, and although Grace held her candle up high like the statue of liberty, we didn't light anything on fire.

My Christmas table went unused this year because we ate chicken tortilla cassarole (a Zakar tradition) at my mom's. We played games and cracked up until the girls were chanting "San-ta, San-ta" and we had to go home. (A quick walk four houses down, and we were there!)

The Pets

These are the pets. Truthfully, they are like people to us. Ace (the fawn pug) is almost nine years old, Sophie (the black pug) is one and a half, and Priss is two.

I counted the other day, and growing up I had up to nine animals at one time. I remember going away to college petless and feeling so empty. I'm just an animal person, I guess. As expensive and annoying as the pets can get, I love them like they are my kids.

A Christmas Dinner

Here is a picture of a group of our friends from Murrieta Valley High School. Most of us in the picture are teachers or counselors at the high school. The weekend before school got out for Christmas break, we left the kids at my house with Christmas crafts and three (!) sitters. We started at Erika's house for appetizers (Erika and her husband Mark are seated in the white and blue. Mark just returned from Iraq!)Next, we went to dinner at a new winery in town. (It's pretty handy livin' in wine country!) After dinner, we went to John and Mary's house for dessert. (They are standing on the far right in the red and black.) John was the choir director at the high school until this past year, when he accepted a job at Riverside Community College. This came in handy too, since during dessert he played piano, breaking out all of the hits of the '80's and Christmas songs for Erika and I to belt out. Finally, we came back to my house. The kids and the sitters were happy, and there had been no disasters...the only ones who had passed out were Emma and Grace. :) It was just a wonderful evening. I'm thankful for my friends. Jeff and I have been very lucky in Murrieta. There are just a lot of really nice people here!

Christmas Cookies and Outfit Changes

There's nothing like a good girlfriend and a ton of sugary sweets. Yesterday was cookie day at our house. Emma and Grace's pal Kylie came over with her mom Diane and new brother Sawyer. The kitchen was an explosion of flour, sugar, food coloring, and frosting. The cookies...well, let's just say that Martha Stewart's cookies look perfect because she doesn't let four year olds REALLY help.

Emma and Grace have known their pal Kylie since....well, since before they were born. I met Kylie's mom Diane when we were both pregnant. I remember knowing when I met Diane that we'd be friends. It was a "kindred spirit" thing, I guess! We had our first peaceful lunch together at Ruby's in Carlsbad. We sat in the booth with our adorable pregnant bellies and chatted and chatted. The NEXT time we went to lunch was quite different. We attempted to take the girls (who were about 3 or 4 months old) to the mall. We couldn't walk three steps without someone asking us if they were triplets. On top of that, we ended up with the three of them sceaming in a Chinese restaurant. We exited as quickly as possible, dumping out the food. Memories of our peaceful chat at Rubies were becoming faint.

Now, each time we see Diane and Kylie, it gets easier and easier. The girls have a close friend for life! Yesterday, Diane and I heard what we thought was arguing from the back yard. Were the girls having their first fight? No...they were playing Cinderella and the evil stepsisters, and the rough tones we heard were Kylie and Grace bossing Emma, the sad Cinderella. Hilarious.

Miss Emma Claire

I chose to post this picture of Emma because she is at the Wild Animal Park, a place she'd live if it were up to her. She adores (almost) all living things, especially horses and dogs. The only thing she hates are scary sea creatures, but that's because over the summer we spent a lot of time at the beach, and we had two nasty run-ins. One was in Encinitas, where an eel washed ashore. It was the ugliest thing I have ever seen. (Remember the bad eels from Little Mermaid? Now I know why they were the villians.) This eel had razor teeth and mean little eyes. Emma was appalled. Later over the summer, it was attack of the jellyfish. When one washed ashore right in front of us, we looked in wonder at its pulsating tentacles...and Emma didn't forget. She's pretty sure that any body of water could be dangerous, especially the toilet! She likes me to wait in the hall when she uses the restroom just in case a jellyfish tries to bite her in the bum! Poor girl! Other than some nasty sea creatures, Emma believes the world is full of animals meant for her to adore. Her career ambitions include vet, horse trainer, and dog walker. She rides with my mom (Grandma Toni), and amazingly she rides Boquet, the horse I rode growing up (also the horse I fell from, fed carrots to, rode bareback, bathed, etc.) Boquet is 35 1/2 years old and still loves kids.

I'm so glad my daughters love animals. I grew up with four dogs, two cats, three horses, and various birds, not to mention a chicken I "won" at the rodeo (though that was short lived!) I'm grateful to have passed this adoration on to the girls, especially to Emma. Look her up in about 25 years at Emma's Animal Sanctuary. :)

To the Beat of a Different Drummer...

My Grace is a wild child. If it were the '60's, Grace would be dancin' at Woodstock with daisies in her hair. If it were the '70's, she's be a roller disco queen. In the '80's , Grace would be Molly Ringwald's best friend. In 2005, Grace marches along to her own music.

Grace loves writing her name. I find pieces of paper all over the house: "Grace Grace Grace Grace Grace Grace." Sometimes she rushes her name, and then puts, "Garce." I tell her "That says Garce, not Grace," and she laughs and laughs. When she laughs, an enormous dimple pops up on her left cheek. I notice these wonderful details because I'm her mom and that's my job!

Graces hates it when I miss church. We've missed church for about a month, and she's been really mad at me. The girl has a one-on-one line to Jesus. She talks to Him a lot. It's a part of her creative style. I don't doubt that she'll savor a strong spirituality her entire life. That's how she is. She reminds me of how I need to stop and be thankful. "Momma, did Jesus make the Chritmas lights?" or "Momma, Jesus didn't make the smokers. Smokers are gross."

The other day I pulled out a photo album and was looking at pictures from my childhood. Five or six of them looked exactly like Grace. The funny thing about having children is that there are bits and pieces of you in them, but they still come out as separate, unique, important little people. The joy is figuring out who they are.

My Christmas Angels

These are my Christmas angels. Five years ago, I was as big as a house (or at least I felt like it!) and waiting for their arrival. Now, these vivacious little ladies are the center of my world. Each day they entertain me with their silly thoughts. An example...Today, they got all dressed up in their princess costumes and came into my closet (where I was getting dressed.)

"We have a Christmas show for you, Mama," they said. They began to sing "Felice Navidad," but instead of saying it correctly, they sang, "Maleese Mateeda! Maleese Mateeda." They twirled and spun and sang....I just wanted to stretch that precious moment out. I know that someday, when they're teenagers, I'll remember their little voices singing the wrong words of a Spanish Christmas song..."Maleese Mateeda!"

Just Starting This

This is a test. I don't know what the heck I'm doing, but I would like to post my mind's ramblings on this blog. So far it's pretty confusing. Hopefully I'll get better at it!