The Girl's Library
The Boy's Library
Stuff
July 02, 2009
June 30, 2009
FUNKY WEATHER
You know it's a tough summer when not only does your mom force you to do workbooks every single day, but, the weather has barely touched into the 70's. In Southern California, this is enough to make a native throw their hands up and lose all hope of ever enjoying your time off school.
Seriously? We don't usually get clouds like this in the winter, much less all through June.
And the rain? It has been sprinkling off and on for two months now. Even I, who loves the rainy weather has been tiring of all the clouds. They held off opening the local pools.
The Summer was shot.
Until last week...
The sun finally burst out and we were able to join The Littlest Nephew for his first swim! It was a happy, happy day.
Now we're all wondering why it had to go from 64 degrees to 104?
I think I'll just hang out inside. In the a/c.
Oh, and just for the record, there is absolutely nothing as good as when you enter a room and a baby recognizes you and jumps for joy.
Nothing.
June 29, 2009
CHERRY OVERLOAD
Our recent cherry picking adventure garnered us more cherries than we could get through in a timely manner. Yet, not enough to justify a jam making session. What to do?
Surf the internet of course.
Find someone evil enough to have come up with a brilliantly decadent recipe using up all our leftover cherries.
Instead of an overload of cherries, now we have an overload of cherry muffins.
I am loving this new site I found, all the recipes look absolutely fattening and tasty. Why do the two always seem to go hand in hand?
I have been putting off baking anything from Bunny's Warm Oven because we really don't need any more fat in this house. Really, we don't.
I made an exception this one time. It seemed a shame and utterly wasteful to let the cherries mold and fade away. An unfitting end to the joyful time we had picking them.
They are especially tasty warm and smothered in butter.
The bigger problem was that it also produced this.
And after eating all those muffins, I couldn't really move enough to clean it.
Any of you want to come clean my kitchen for me?
We still have plenty of muffins...
June 28, 2009
THEY LET US BABYSIT AGAIN. FOOLS!
The Aunt and The Uncle will have no one but themselves to blame when The Littlest Nephew turns out a little odd.
It's not like they haven't watched us rear our children into the unusual creatures that they are. We love them dearly, but normal does not describe The Boy or The Girl.
I felt like titling this one, look who's coming to dinner. Or, what to serve for Sunday potluck.
Even diaper changes aren't safe anymore. Poor kiddo. It's got to be hard to be so well loved.
June 27, 2009
June 22, 2009
GRADUATION PRESENT
The Girl was forced to patiently await the arrival of her graduation present.
A texting phone, like all good teen girls, or soon to be teen girls, need. Like, totally NEED.
Now she can text until her fingers callous over.
I'm sure she will.
June 21, 2009
WINE IN THE PINES
The Dad is one of the toughest people to buy presents for. His interests are so specialized that I find myself wimping out in the gift giving category of our lives.
Coffee related items are easy, clothing he is always in need of, and sometimes, I have called upon friends and family to help me find the right item. More often, I just ask him straight out what he wants and have even gone so far as to have him purchase said item so that I can wrap and tag it.
Cheesy right?
Well, this year, I rocked his Father's Day.
I found out that a semi-local community holds an annual Wine in The Pines festival. Wine tasting and good food for an exceptionally low price. It is also very convenient that The Girl is now of babysitting age and is completely mostly trustworthy.
Since I am not an enjoyer of wine, I invited TGFFMom and Dad to join us. I believe that this made the event much more enjoyable and it was nice to have an adult play date. No kids allowed.
It wouldn't have been an outing with TGFFMom if she hadn't done something embarrassing, so here she goes!
I innocently pointed out that there was a slide.
She had to go down it. At this point, the two kind ladies behind the slide informed us that this was their church's playground. We sinned in a church playground.
We were able to find our dream home. Sadly, I don't think it will work out for all of us. TGFFMom, as usual, hogged all the good stuff.
The view made up for her hogginess.
Happy Father's Day to all of you Daddy's out there. Young, old, big, or small, old-time papa, or newbie father. Enjoy.
You rock.
June 20, 2009
IT'S CHERRY TIME
We ventured out to the Cherry Orchards last weekend and have found that our yearly family tradition is lovingly expanding. A few years ago, The Best Man started joining us, or using us for slave labor, and this year, most of TheGoodFriendsFamily joined us.
The Best Man, who is single by the way, is gorgeous and loving and funny as heck. Oh wait, he'll probably kill me for this. Anyway, he enjoys making some fruit wine. It is mostly delicious. He also enjoys forced labor, as he needed to pick 80 lbs. of cherries.
The Boys were troopers, until they were done. Then they just up and walked back to the car. I'm surprised they didn't give The Best Man a piece of their minds. They returned to the land of the DS.
The Girls, being much more docile creatures, continued working until the job was done. Although, I think I heard quite a bit of gossiping going on in the orchard.
I can't swear to it but it really seemed that they were having fun. Fun? Being forced to labor for free?
Even I was getting to feel a bit oppressed.
As always though, The Dad picked up my slack and covered for me. Have I mentioned lately how much I love him?
After we successfully picked 80+ lbs. of cherries, we celebrated with song and dance at The Best Man's Bronco.
The Best Man and I sang a beautiful rendition of Stand By Your Man, which I will kindly spare you all from and we moved out to the diviest dive I've ever eaten at, but a Diner that has become an integral part of our tradition.
Where The Best Man promptly paid All Of The Children their wages, one quarter each, for the gumball machine. Although, I think TGFFBoy saved his. He always bucks the rules that one.
Of course, no outing with TGFF is complete without some sort of rudeness out of TGFFMom.
Which promptly sent The Best Man on his way. Fully restored Bronco and all.
Can't wait until next year. Now to make sure all our cherries get used.
June 19, 2009
HIS BELT, IT IS GREEN
The Boy was all focus as we made our way to the studio for testing night. He had his eye on that green belt. He's fallen a little behind his compadres since he also does other sports. Sometimes, these other sports interfere with his Jeet Kun Do schedule.
He recently told both The Dad and I that Jeet Kun Do was his favorite sport and that he may want to take a break from his other sports to focus on that. No baseball? I almost fainted. No soccer? We threw a party.
Jeet Kun Do, more than other sports he plays, shows me how far he's come from being a little kid. His movements are becoming fluid, his body is trimming down, and his speed and agility are increasing. His confidence is soaring. All things we parents want for our children right?
Then why am I just a little sad that he's growing up so well?
The Boy, in the blue helmet, is now learning the give and take of sparring. His partner is usually a younger fellow whose enthusiasm carries him much further than The Boy would like. The Boy has learned to temper his strength and defend himself. To get the upper hand without causing unecessary harm. He is learning how to fight. A skill all men, and women, should have. A skill he is learning how to avoid using unless there is no other choice to be made.
We have managed to surround him by good men, fathers, husbands, and friends, who know that being a man is more than drinking beer and discussing sports. Although, there is a place for that as well. We have found a place for him to learn that women are just as capable of kicking butt as men, sometimes more so. Women can be role models and protectors as well. Even for a bunch of smelly boys.
We have found him a family outside of his family. A place he can hang as a teen and young adult. A place where people are genuinely interested in helping to grow him into a good human. A place where he has expectations as stringent as at home. A place that expects more than just showing up twice a week.
We are blessed.
