The End of October

The end of October brought us the southern California wildfires...they were devastating. Thankfully, our little valley remained sandwiched in between all of the fire activity, but as it filled with smoke and ash, we knew that we were merely lucky that it wasn't us on the news, being evacuated, having to leave our homes, and praying to be spared by the fires. School was cancelled for two days because the air was so bad it hurt your lungs to be outside. When Jeff returned home from work the other night at 11:00, he called me out to the street in front of our house. From that vantage point, you could see the flames on the mountains south of Temecula. That REALLY freaked us out, but apparently what we were seeing was in Fallbrook, which is a safe distance to the south of us, but at night the flames looked so much closer! Luckily, the fires have been contained and our area was spared. When a tragedy of this magnitude happened so close to our house, it made all of us reflect on our blessings and how easily things of this world can be taken away. We are keeping the fire victims in our prayers. I can't imagine losing everything.

Finally, the smoke cleared, and it was time to celebrate Halloween. I loved Halloween as a kid, and my girls talk about their costumes from October to October...last night they were already talking about what they would dress up as NEXT year.

Emma dressed as Gabriella from High School Musical. She wore a brown wig and a red outfit, and refused to put on any makeup except a bit of lip gloss. Grace was Hannah Montanna (of course!) with her rock star outfit, fancy wig, and headset. Grace wore oodles of makeup and it freaked me out to look at her little face...a tiny hint of the made-up teenage face of the future. Scary.

We trick or treated with some of our teacher pals and their families, up and down our neighborhood, and then came back to inspect, eat, and pass out candy. The dogs dressed up as well: Livvy the ballerina, Sophie the Bumble Bee (again) and Marty the ladybug. (He was embarrassed...not a very manly costume!)

At one point during the evening, Megan rang the doorbell. She was with a million of her girlfriends, all dressed up to trick or treat. Some of the girls (including Meg) had dressed up as skater boys. When they left, Grandma Otti said, "Isn't it funny how the girls are so much taller than the boys?" We said, "They were all girls, Grandma!" She didn't listen to us, but proceeded to pick through each kids' Halloween candy, pulling out the really good stuff to stash in her underwear drawer. (She'd never admit it, but we all know that's where she hides the candy she doesn't want share.)

Hee heee hee.

Bedtime Story

Tonight when I was putting the girls to bed, I told them a story about a sad mama. This mama was sad because she wanted a baby more than anything else in the world. She prayed and prayed for God to give her a baby, but alas, her arms were empty. Years went by. The sad mama stopped going to church because it made her too sad to see all of the babies dressed up, or to hear the babies crying, or to watch the babies getting baptized. The sad mama cried, and prayed, and cried and prayed. "Please, God, give me a baby," she prayed. "Please, God."

Finally, after days, weeks, months, and years went by, the sad mama had given up. She didn't think that she would ever have a baby to hold and kiss and love. A giant hole filled the mama's heart...only a baby could fill it. The sad mama did other things to try to find a baby, but each time she tried to do it herself, she ended up with empty arms and enough tears to fill a bathtub (or so it seemed.) Finally, the sad mama decided to give it ALL to God. He was in charge. He knew her destiny. Whatever was meant to be would be; it was all in His plan. The sad mama vowed not to be angry at God, but to love him with all of her heart, even if she didn't get what she wanted. She went back to church. She thanked Him for everything she DID have. She prayed for a baby.

One day, everything changed.

God gave the sad mama her wish. The sad mama was no longer sad. She was the happiest mama ever! She called everybody she knew. "I'm going to have a baby! I'm going to have a baby!" After a few days, the mama went to the doctor's office, and the doctor used a special machine to see inside her belly. On the television screen next to her, the happy mama saw her baby...a round circle with a tiny, beating pulse in the middle of it. It was a beating heart! The happy mama cried tears of pure gratefulness. She had never been so happy! The doctor moved the machine a bit and suddenly the happy mama saw TWO round circles and TWO beating pulses. Two! The mama could not believe how blessed she was. She was going to have TWO babies.

Months went by, and the happy mama's belly grew bigger and bigger. She went to the doctor again, and this time he used his machine to show mama if she was having boys, girls, or one of each. Secretly, the happy mama wished for at least ONE girl, but she felt guilty even thinking it, because she was so grateful just to have babies in her tummy (not just one...two!) She didn't want to be selfish about her wish. The doctor moved the machine over one of the babies and said, "Congratulations, you're having a girl!" The happy mama became even more happy. She wanted to jump for joy, but instead, she allowed the doctor to move his machine to see the other baby. "Thank you, God," the happy mama whispered. When the doctor moved his machine over the second baby, once again, he saw a baby girl. TWO babies! TWO girls! The happy mama wanted to run into the streets (hospital gown and all) and yell and shout! She wanted to kiss the doctor, and the nurses, and the people in the waiting room. She wanted to sing at the top of her lungs. To keep her dignity, and not to embarrass her husband, the happy mama didn't do any of these things.

Instead, the happy mama said a long prayer, thanking God for knowing the desires of her heart and for blessing her with the greatest gift she would ever receive on earth. She vowed to raise her beautiful baby girls with all of the joy and love she'd felt in that hospital room.

Now, sometimes after a long day, when the happy mama is walking up to the front porch with her two six-year-olds in front of her (they are arguing over who is going to open the screen door first) the happy mama thinks, "Two, God! Two!" The happy mama says a big thank you to God for the beautiful ladies who make her life full. Nothing on earth is more precious to her than them.

Art Shows, Princess Girls, and Royal Pugs

The other night, Grace decided to have an "art show" in the hallway. She set up her easel and got out various stools, art supplies, and pictures. She set up a chair for the "audience"- Emma, the pugs, and me. She gave us a whole presentation about her drawings. "This drawing is made out of glitter. When I made it, I realized it needed something shiny. This drawing is of the sun. I colored it orange and yellow. That is the color of the sun."

On another recent evening, Emma and Grace decided to play "princess and horse." Emma took Grace into my bathroom and did her make-up. Grace came out with pale white eyebrows and smeared red lips, along with her princess attire. Emma was Princess Grace's horse. She whinnied and galloped around the house with Grace on her back, and even held the royal pillow. Sooner or later, Sophie and Olivia joined in the royal event, each donning the princess crown for a short while.

I love all of the estrogen in this house! Shiny tiaras, art shows, and crowned pugs...all of these things make me incredibly happy.

The Mission Inn for Brunch

(Almost) the whole family met at the Mission Inn in Riverside on Sunday for brunch to celebrate my mom's birthday. It was such a beautiful day, and we ate in the courtyard outside. The brunch was delicious--just the dessert bar alone was like a scene out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! There were pastries that looked like little wrapped presents, pies, cakes, and scrumptious bread pudding. Our eyes were taking it all in as we planned eating strategies, but our stomaches were full after just two trips. (All except Ian...he ate continuously throughout the brunch!)

I'm glad we stopped on the way out to have this picture taken...we're only missing my poor Jeff, who had to work for the evil corporate empire instead of enjoying his family (and poor Jeff missed the food...he wouldn't have let a single morsel go to waste!)

The girls and I drove Grandma Otti to the brunch since my mom met us there from Bishop and Danielle and Jason's car was full. On the way, Grandma kept falling asleep. She was sitting in the passenger seat of my truck, and when she'd nod off, her jaw would open wide and her head would drop...I kept trying to get her to wake up so that people driving next to me wouldn't think I was transporting a grandmother who was no longer living! That woman can sleep ANYWHERE, I tell you! Not even the girls and I rocking out to Hannah Montana music stirred her from her slumber. When you're 90, I guess that's one of the perks. Swiping dessert from your great grandchildren's plates...another perk. Still another: swatting your grandchildren on their bottoms with your cane when you're feeling feisty. A day out with Otti is rather entertaining. A day out with (almost) the whole family? Priceless.

(Click picture to make it bigger...and to see the dreaded cane!)

The Emma Spotlight (Along with First Grade Firsts)

The first day of first grade arrived already, and I can hardly believe it.

A cute story from the first day:

The girls started out in separate classes. (They are now in the same class...but that's a long story. It was more because of a teacher thing than a kid/separation issue thing.)

Anyway, in Kindertgarten, parents walk to their child's room and pick them up every day, but in first grade, the bell rings, and kids scatter throughout the school to wait at one of the entrances. The girls and I planned on a place to meet, but I was skeptical about them being able to find it in all of the chaos.

On that first day, traffic was a nightmare. First, I had to leave my high school and get through all the yucky first day of school mess, and then I had to drive a mile to the elementary school which was also backed up down the block. I finally parked and made it to the pick up spot, and all around me, thousands of kids were running every which way. (OK...not thousands. The school doesn't have that many. But lots, especially to a mom relying on two six-year-olds to navigate their way through. I saw more High School Musical backpacks than I have ever seen in my life!) Looking through the horde of kids, I realized that Emma and Grace were nowhere to be found and I started getting nervous...then, I spotted them. They were holding hands, walking through the crowd, as if they were each other's life preservers. It was the sweetest thing I've ever seen. Emma had walked to Grace's class and "picked her up," and then they had walked with locked hands the whole way through the school to the gate.

I know I just wrote a whole synopsis of my wild child Grace, but my Emma deserves an entry of her own. She is sensitive, sweet, empathetic, smart (oh my gosh...really smart!) and curious about everything. She is a first grade superstar, and even though she was off to a bit of a rough start with her teacher, she is taking it well and has even expressed concern that she's "hurt her old teacher's feelings" by leaving her class. I am very proud of my beautiful daughter, and yet I know from experience that FEELING your emotions that deeply can be really tough! It's what poets and writers are made of...their hearts on platters for the world to see. I wouldn't change it about myself...I think it makes me the mother I am, the teacher I am, and the person I am. It's what makes me sit and think and write these blogs (more for ME than for anyone else, even though it's fun to get a comment once in a while.) Emma's heart will break over dogs at the pound, kids who are bullied, and a teacher's hurt feelings. She will get her feelings hurt a little too easily sometimes, and she will cry as though God has the hose ready to turn on right behind her little eyelids. Surely she will find a profession where she can give of herself enough to make it all worthwhile...she may not save the world, but those who are touched by Emma will be lucky. :)

Gracie Girl, Flower Child

These pictures are a little montage of Gracie through the years.

One of my first entries of this blog (in 2005?) was about my free spirit, Grace. Grace is a groovy girl. When she dances, it reminds me of my experience at a Grateful Dead concert watching those fluttering, hippy women with bangles on their ankles and butterflies in their hair. She lets the music move her rather than moving to the music.

I went through a MAJOR hippy phase in high school. I wanted to get a dancing bear tattoo on my ankle (thank GOD I never followed through with it!),wore birkenstocks, went veggie (which I am again as of recently), and wore sundresses. There are very few pictures of me from my senior year when I'm not flashing a peace sign. Later, I discovered The Descendents and fell in love with punk rock. Apparantly, the flower child inside my heart decided not to go away quietly, and instead made a reappearance in my darling Grace.

I adore it when Grace comes out dressed for school in the morning. The ensembles she puts together are creative, original, and do NOT take into account want any other kid might think. Grace will start trends rather than follow them. She LOVES Hannah Montanna, so she started wearing her hair long and straight like Hannah's. She also noticed that Hannah likes layering outfits, so Grace often comes out in the morning with pants on under a skirt, pink cowgirl boots, and a funky hat.

Tonight, Grace said, "Mama, I wish I wore glasses. I look REALLY good in glasses. I'd want pink ones."

She discos. She boogies. She shimmies. She does the worm. She hopscotches, jumpropes, spins and smiles and sings...not a thread of self-conciousness or worry. I hope she never questions who she is and conforms to "normal."

Man, I adore her!

Gettin' the Heck out of Dodge

....I mean Murrieta...

Our vacation this summer was to the Central Coast. It's one of my all time favorite places. In 1990, I moved from Bishop to San Luis Obsipo to go to college, and fell in love with the area. It was so different from the Eastern Sierras where I grew up. The sagebrush, mountain ranges, lakes, and bristlecone of my home town were replaced with coastal dunes, rolling green hills, beaches, and oak trees. Life on the central coast was never dull. There was always farmer's market on Thursday nights, where I'd buy dried flowers and a plate dripping with BBQ. There were all of the adorable shops downtown, crammed together just waiting to be explored. On any given break, my friends and I would explore Cambria (the haunted graveyard was the best!), Morro Bay, Avila, and Highway 1. We would journey to San Francisco at a moment's notice, or hit Santa Barbara for a show. Although it was time to leave San Luis Obsipo when I did, I still have a heart for such a lovely place, and going back there provided a memory around every corner!

Jeff and I decided to stay in our trailer at a campground outside of Solvang so that we could be central to everything. We spent the first two days in Solvang eating and shopping. Solvang is known for its Aebleskivers, so of course we partook in the round, donut-like treats...the homemade raspberry jelly was phenominal (and I'm not even a jelly person!) We rode a surrey around Solvang as well (the crazy, four-seater bike that you peddle.) Jeff Smith proved to be a wild driver and we blew through quite a number of stop signs in order to gain momentum. Jeff found it hilarious that even though my steering wheel had no control (it was "fake"), I steered the entire time we rode the surrey (just like the kids in the fake car carts at the grocery store.) We also visited a miniature horse ranch (I want 90 of them!) and an Ostrich and Emu farm.

I've decided that ostriches are the strangest creatures I've ever encountered. I'd never given them much thought (other than a funny incident with Matthew when he was little and we were driving to Bishop for our wedding...more on that another time.) Seeing an ostrich up close is SO random! They are prehistoric! Their necks are loooooong, which makes their heads look rather small, other than these huge eyes, with thick, fancy lashes. Their feathers are puffy and elaborate, and then stretching down to the ground are these gigantic, dinosaur-looking bird legs with crazy dinosaur bird feat. They are mad for food...aggressive. I was obsessed with touching one even though the sign said they bite, so I tricked it into eating out of the dish and stealthily moved my hand around its head to stroke its neck. The ostrich didn't seem to care as long as it was stuffing its beak with FOOD. Although not as fancy or interesting looking, the emus were much more gentle and easy for the girls to feed. My assessment was that the ostriches were of very low intelligence and very high self regard, like some people. :) It made for an interesting visit.

The rest of our trip consisted of clam chowder at the Pismo Pier, walking and shopping in San Luis Obsipo (along with a driving tour of all my old haunts), and a trip to Santa Barbara for Mexican food and shopping on State Street. (Note: Carlito's Cantina in Santa Barbara across from the theater on State Street has awesome food. Jeff and I considered eating both lunch AND dinner, but thought otherwise when the girls said if they ate one more bean and cheese burrito they would DIE.) We had Split Pea Soup at Andersons (not as yucky as we remembered it from years ago...very cheesy/touristy, but the girls loved it.) Nicki and Kit, the American Girl dolls, got dressed up and accompanied the girls on many dinner dates and excursions.

I asked Grace to sum up our trip in one sentence, so here it is:

"We saw the gum wall and we shopped and we saw the emus...I was scared of the ostriches....and we went to the park at the campground but there were mean kids there, and my favorite thing was that we saw goats."

Summer Madness

Summer madness at our house consists of all the neighborhood kids putting on a lemonade stand (they tried to sell cookies too but ate them all instead), cousin swim parties, and one crazy dad.

Our schools start EARLY in August (the 13th) so that we can have extended vacations throughout the middle of the year. This is nice during Christmas vacation when we're off for 3 1/2 weeks, or during spring break, when we have 2 weeks and Thanksgiving when we get a full week. But still...August 13th! I'm not in school shopping mode. My big first grade girls are going to go to school looking quite summery, at least until November-ish! It's too hot to wear "official" school clothes yet! We went and bought backpacks and cute pencils, but other than that...we're going to be coming home from school and hopping into the pool!

Jeff is going to adjust to not being the stay-at-home-in-the-day dad who works nights...his little gals are going to be in school ALL day. What a trip.

Slumber Parties, Pool Resorts, and Peace...Sort Of

We just adore Kylie. We met my good friend Diane, her daughter Kylie, and Kylie's little brother Sawyer, at a resort that Kylie's family has a membership to that is located half way between our two cities. The resort was awesome- it had a water park, a water slide, two pools, and a spa. It also had really comfy lounge chairs that I got to enjoy, but Diane didn't since she was busy chasing Sawyer (who is SO cute!) The girls ended up back at Kylie's for an official slumber party. (Anyone taking on my girls for a sleep over is very brave...inviting twins immediately qualifies as a slumber party.)

What did I do without my six-year-olds following me around? I went to Barnes and Noble and wandered aimlessly and blissfully for almost two hours. Then I hit a bunch of quick errands that would have taken me forever with the girls. Then I came home, collapsed in peace, and watched television without anyone talking to me..."Mama, why is that guy running? Mama! Look at my hair! Mama...Grace is sticking her tongue out at me! Mamaaaaaa....Emma looked at me funny!" Instead, the house was oddly quiet and lonely. I'd rather answer a billion questions and put out fires than to live in a house without the echoes of their little feet. Having a break was nice, but I am so thankful to be a mom.

Just as I am writing this, Emma is tapping my shoulder to show me her dance moves from Vacation Bible School...tap, tap, tap.....and Grace is on my other side, explaining that next Sunday there is a NEW Hannah Montanna, and Lily is going to join a karaoke challenge.

It's never boring around here.