spurlock!

Imago Dei guy interviewing Mr. Spurlock about his new movie (that I totally missed! mewl!)


and the trailer to the movie.

options make me freeze

I had it all made up in my mind what fabric I wanted to make curtains out of.
It looked something like this:


But then I saw all these options and now I'm having a creative [curtain] crisis.




Aaa!

I can't calculate all the possible the design consequences of committing to a pattern!

Those who have seen my bedroom, feel free to vote.


I was (graciously) given an Amazon.com gift card which is slowly undoing me. I have been compiling a wishlist over the last week in order to narrow down my selections to two or three items.
I have 36 items in my list as of 11:41pm,
including a Totoro kleenex box cover, a squirrel print dog bed, and a book about the history of the color blue. Options are a dangerous thing.
If I had to pick now, I'd buy the starburst mirror, the tissue cover, and 5 yards of one of those farbics for curtains.

It's midnight. Yep, I'm coming undone. Damn you spend-orphins!

I cheat on my church

It's true.
I wish I lived in Portland, just so I could go to Imago Dei Community.
Seriously, I've pre-decided that if we have to move away from Sockswithsandalsland, I want to live in Portland, just because of them.

Blue Like Jazz was the book that directed me to it, because the author attends it.

It turns out that my two undercover loves (the other being NPR) have merged, albeit briefly in a 9 minute segment.

It's more moving to listen to Rick's weekly podcast, but listening to him and his wife talk about their "Advent Conspiracy" was very inspiring. (I've just listened to both on my laptop here at Barefoot Coffee, my place of zen)

I hope to muster the guts to join their conspiracy next year.

Baby Tuesday

Merry Christmas. Baby Tuesday's better late than tomorrow, right?

We're a little worn out. The babies are in bed. They got tucked in early because it was a non-nap day, all around.

I'll be honest, I just took these photos and videos this morning and I've barely looked at them. They are in random order. Me sleepy.


Mom, that red, white and blue horsey book was probably his favorite toy today. That is, if you're not counting empty boxes and crumpled paper. Those can't be beat when you're a baby.


He looks a little sweaty, doesn't he?


Can you tell I let her eat some (alot of) chocolate out of her stocking?
Like the bunny slippers? I bought those at the drug store.


Gigi got Baby C some good stuff. That Sesame camp out thing was so fun that all four of us wanted to play with it.


Thank you Auntie RoRo for the water table!
They have no idea that it'll be more fun with water in it.


Yes, he has a tie on, and it's on the side. 'Like he's had a rough day and he just kicked off his shoes and loosened his tie.(His neck was a little too far for the shirt to close at the top.)
Look at them, so cute.



This wasn't the look I wanted him to have in his "baby's 1st Christmas" photos-- the heather grey football T-shirt and giant drool stain. But it was a little hectic keeping everything on track this morning. He's lucky he has a shirt on at all.


Look! He claps! Everytime he does it I make everyone stop what they're doing to look at him and praise him. Cute little puppy, he is.


"You mean, my food belongs on a plate? That's what this is? Well alright."


Excellent choice, Mom. She loves the book.

BTW, Sandi, she wore her pink furry sweater you gave her for the rest of the day, but I forgot to take photos.










This ieo was taken a few days ago. Kevin cracks up when Baby R does this and insisted I film him. I call it "the goldfish move."


This was a couple of days ago too. I order to keep her focused on eating her breakfast, instead of wandering around, I suggested that we give her bunny breakfast too. Before I started filming it was much cuter, and she was very pleased to help her bunny eat his baby carrot.

on the 10th day of Christmas

On Sunday, all four of us drove down through the mountains. It was a little adventure I had concocted. Because in all my years of traveling by the "Santa's Village Road" exit on Hwy 17, I had never taken that exit.
I had to know what was at the end of that road. And the middle of December seemed like the perfect time to find out.
Sure I could have looked it up online, or on Google Maps, and saved Kevin the horrible torture of going with the (my) flow.
To say I was dissappointed would be an understatement.

It goes nowhere!

It goes less than nowhere! It's a frontage road to Electronic Data Systems! I couldn't imagine anything less santa's village-y. If it weren't for the mountains and the pine trees, there would be absolutely no association whatsoever.

Jerks.

Anyway, I needed something nice. I had a disgruntled husband and Baby C and I were hungry. We kept having to turn around, there was chaos in the front seat, I was getting upset. I was trying not to cry.
Then we settled on a restaurant, parked the car, and then found that there was a waiting list.
Two babies? Wait? No, we had to find somewhere else.
We walked to the Chinese place a few doors down-- closed.
Fine, Starbucks? Big big line.
'Still trying hold it together. I was in public after all.

I scurried back to the original cafe, and asked how long for a table. And the girl said "right now" and smiled. They all smiled at me, everyone near the front register.

The babies and I sat down while Kevin went to go get cash, since they didn't take credit cards.
A woman from another table popped her head into my view and said "You are so blessed." My off guard reaction, was to say, with tremble in my voice "I know" and smile. I mean, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say. I wholly agreed with her, but I felt dumb at the way I responded.
The ladies at her table and at some other tables, smiled and waved at the babies all during the time we ate. Baby R and C were well behaved for the most part, but as anyone who's had tots in a restaurant knows, it's a tense situation. My stomach muscles were taught the entire time I'm sure.

Another woman, a friend of the former, said goodbye to us as they were leaving and told us that "[we] already had our Christmas presents (motioning to C and R) and [we] were in for a wonderful holiday."
Again, since I was on the emotional-edge, I got a lump in my throat, but tried to play it cool, and thank her for being so nice and tell her to have a good day.
Shortly after they left, our waitress came over and told us that the first woman who talked to us had paid for our entire lunch. She said that it was because they enjoyed watching our family.
Flood gates open!!
That was it, I could hold it together anymore.
I started to sob and then I quickly made Kevin tell me about the latest football games and the statistics of the teams heading for the playoffs. That helped.

I thought that gift was so appropriate for Christmas.
We didn't know who she was, we hardly talked to her at all.
But she did that knowing we could never thank her or repay her.
I have to fight back tears typing about it now.

So, nice lady and friends in Scotts Valley:
Thank you.
You put everything in perspective.

Baby Tuesday

Good tidings to you, to you and your friends. It's a holly dandied Baby Tuesday.
Thanks to my unexpected industriousness last week and Christmas in the Park (and a banana happening), there's plenty of produce here to pick from. Fresh from the fields.

Okay let's talk about this first.
People, look at this monstrosity.

I mean, I wanted drums in his room, but I didn't want DRUMS in his room.
The insanity had gone on long enough.
I consulted some drummy people that gave me some advice. And then I got to work!
This was the splendid result:

Oh gosh, just looking at it makes me breathe a sigh of relief.
Now there are just 3 drums, nice and tidy and appropriate for the "little people."

I moved master R's crib from beneath the attic furnace, because no matter how much Kevin assures me that the entire house would have to fall down in order for the furance to come through the ceiling, I'm not taking any chances.


Sigh, that's better. I added some perky little IKEA lights in collaboration with my nifty Danish Jonah and the whale mobile that Sister Celtic gave Baby C.
Can you see the crib bumper I made? It's there, and thank goodness for it, because Baby R already gave himself a black eye in his crib somehow, I guess trying to stand up(?). Who knows how many bruises he would have without it.

Look at them enjoying the new space!
I've stopped telling Baby C to get off that chest. Forget it, I gotta pick my battles.

And now Christmas in the Park:






These antlers were a hit!
Some kids that were there that seemed bored otherwise at the animatronic bears and elves, would yell, "Mommy look! A baby reindeer!!"
He had no clue that anything was on his head.


"Pardon me, did you say I look like a reindeer?"


Mmm park kiosk snacks.


I couldn't persuade Baby C to get out and walk. Not that I really wanted her to, but I wanted her to have fun and I thought walking might help? Guess not.


She did however plead with me to let her out of the stroller to play on the corporate art, after we left the park and were walking back to the car.
Yeah sure, someone might as well have fun on the big granite planter.


A nice Indian dad offred to take our photo after he spotted me trying to take our photo with the timer on the camera.
Thank goodness.
As awkward as this photo is of me (forshortening my legs into tree trunks) I assure you that the one I took with the timer was absolutely disasterous. Braces, nostrils, kids turning to the side, etc. It's bad enough that I'm wearing brown and salmon and furry green boots, right?



My mornings often look something like this, but often Baby R is also in the picture. He slept in this morning.


I love this video. I love her weird expressions and odd comments. I love it because she's like me, and I love me. So I love us.

And speaking of peeking in on my routine, watch this last video.
I filmed the little night owl in the wee hours when he decided it was "morning" since it was A.M.

do you know the way to san jose?

I made a travel brochure for my friend who's coming out to visit me next month.
I'm gonna send it n the mail to her, along with 3 mix music/comedy CD's I burned to last her entire flight from Dallas.
I wanted to build the anticipation, as well as give her something to look forward to, in a post holiday relaxation kind of way.

It's silly, but I know she'll appreciate my silliness and I think it was worth staying up until 1:30AM to finish.
I can't take credit for the main mage on the cover, that's by a really great illustrator. But since I'm not selling it, I used it. :)

take that, Capital One!

In my anti-clutter book, the author gives out the following urls so that I, the reader, can go online and tell junk mail mailers and credit card offerers to stop sending me crap.
They aren't petitions, they are lists, like the "do not call" list.

Here they are, because it's the season of giving (and not receiving!)

No more credit card offers

No more promo junk mail


"What's in your shredder?!"

motor friend?

I usually think Ford is dumb.
Dumb and lame, and out to take my money, destroy the earth and cause me to die in a fiery crash.

but

They are coming out with an SUV that looks like something I would drive.

But they aren't releasing "specs" on it yet, even though it comes out in a few months.
Suspicious!
I want it to have good gas mileage and good crash test ratings, and I get the feeling it's not going to have either.
It is called the "Flex" but I don't think that means flex-fuel. It probably means, the door panels flex when your kid hits them with a softball bat.

sigh

I will wait and hope.

Ford, convince me you don't suck. Please.

add this to my list, Santa

Fair trade llamas!

I'm combative

I get defensive when people tell me how to design something or create art.

I shouldn't get defensive, after all I am an artist, right?

I mean, if I were, say, a plumber and some housewife tried to tell me how to solder a pipe in her house, I would just think "ok crazy lady, thanks." I would just write her off, because I'm a professional.

But I think, getting my hackles all raised up, is my insecurity coming through.
I jump to the conclusion that they know
that I only have a studio arts practice degree, and not a B.F.A.
And that I hate to draw.
And that during college I worked for a Chiropractor during college, not a gallery or a studio.
Or that I don't know how to make a vector, or a website.
And maybe that's why I bristle when someone who's a butcher, a baker or a candlestick maker says "I think it should be this way," etc.

If I wasn't unsure of myself, I would just talk right over them.
Hmm, maybe I should have taken a class of that in college "How to Ignore Other People and Get the Job Done 101"

This concept carries over to being a mom too. Like it's showing that I'm not as organized as a kindergarten teacher with a maid and a nanny. I get defensive there too for the same reasons.

Baby Tuesday

I made Baby R's stocking (to match Baby C's that I made 2 years ago) so everyone's sock is hung up. I had to reattach the "r" in Baby C's name after I let her play with it. Now she must obsess about the candy that will go in it from afar.
I think maybe in a couple of years I'll redo everyone's including the pets' but for now we're merry with what we've got.

Baby R's looks like it's blue on blue, but it's blue on brown, btw, like you care.

He has a new little baby friend as of yesterday morning, Baby L. Congrats Jon and Bree.
8.6 lbs, breech, one week early and all natural. I think that she should receive a big gold trophy for that performance.




Daddy took these videos while I was away. Baby R loves the cat, so does Baby C actually. I think it's her scarcity...and possibly her lack of smelliness, compared to the dogs.

helping you, helping me

I've been reading this book: It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff.

Which made me sort through our book collection again, and weed out some books that I know we're never going to read [again].

So please, buy the books! :)

I didn't put any crappy ones up for sale. They all have their merit.
They just need to have their merit somewhere outside of our house from now on.
**UPDATE** I just sold and shipped one of the books already! In like, 15 minutes!

I swear, I'm not a hoarder. I just love simplification and organization, both of which don't come naturally.

Next task, weed the toys!...

when can I pet it?

click for here for amazing new zoological footage of the Long-Eared Jerboa.

seriously, it's real...and terribly cute.

5000 feet

snow

zen in Rancho Cordova

Ladies and gentlemen, I am wireless on my laptop in a Starbucks.
I'm very modern.

And slightly disheveled.

I'm in Rancho Cordova, CA the famous home of Blue Cross billing and account management.
'Sitting and waiting for Aurora's plane to arrive in Sac-town, just me myself and I.

The drive up was beautiful. It's amazing how good the East Bay can look with some low lying fog and fall foliage. I thought I'd taken a wrong turn and wound up in Austria.
Despite the new oily-rainy-roads I tried not to white-knuckle it the whole way here. But if I've learned anything from Mythbusters, it's that semi-trucks can and will kill you.
To enhance my interstate travel alertness, I've had inordinate amount of caffeine, which is causing me to feel like I need to hurry off to somewhere--- but I don't!

It's bizarre listening to an interview of a Starbucks employee, a couple of tables away. I imagine she is interviewing for a managerial position, because she's already wearing a green apron and seems to know more than I do about beans and what beans do. I wonder if there's going to be a question about whether the i comes before or after the e in caffeine.
They've discussed the serious matter of muffins more than once, so nothing is out of the realm of possibilities.
--oh-- there was a big round of a applause... I think she got the job...

...speaking of that- A big round of applause for Kevin, in whose capable hands I left our two lovely children. May peace also be with you.
Thanks so much.

My braces are on, and together with my acne, I now look 10 years younger.
No makeup required!

This may be the last unphotoshopped photo of my teeth for the next two years.
They are ugly, but it's okay, I've accepted it.

Over and out!

speaking of eel-y pouty things

I found one in my hallway this morning.
It seems he wandered in looking for shelter.


Okay, honestly can you believe my chi-weenie managed to do this on his own?
Because he did.
I really did find him like this when I opened our bedroom door and it totally freaked me out. I didn't know what it was, but it was moving.
He stuffed his head into the arm of Baby R's new hoodie that was laying outside his door in the hallway, because he accidentally got locked out of his bathroom blanket nest last night.

Mojito takes pathetic to a whole new level.

you'd better not

Tonight Kevin and I were playing Word Racer (like Boggle, but free and online).
After the timer was up on one of our puzzles, the computer told us that one of the possible words that could have been found in the puzzle was

eelpout, pout n.(marine eellike mostly bottom-dwelling fishes of northern seas)

Indeed.
I can't believe I didn't see it.

Why it was just today, I was discussing the difference between cusks, eelpouts and lota lotas with the woman standing behind me in the checkout lane.

good plus good equals goodgood

I love eBay.
I love Christian Children's Fund.

And lookie, now they have come together:

CCF Auction Page!

Baby Tuesday

Yes, just one photo this week.
But look how much it tells you.
-Baby R is very big
-Baby C got a new pink hoodie
-We have our tree and decorations up
-The tree-tent is finally a success this year.
-Baby C is capable of making the psycho 2 yr old face.
-Baby R has top teeth now (not pictured)

Later on in the week I sewed the rest of the little red puffball trim onto the other side of the table tent, and shzooshzed the top part up so you can't see the ugly plastic tree holder underneath.

Baby C went with me to get our tree, at the local nursery, just like I used to do with my mom. It's not sentimental, but it worked. And the tree guys there were very friendly helpful and shoved it through the sunroof of the Audi for me.

Grandma and Papa Thayer, however, took Baby C for the *real* Christmas tree experience up in Santa Cruz Mountains. I don't think I need to tell you that it was like Christmas Disneyland for her. There were horses and cocoa, need I say more?
She's still talking about it.

Baby C's been learning all about Christmas through some toddler textbooks I bought her on the subject: Biscuit's Scratch and Sniff Christmas, What is Christmas, etc.
None of them are heavy on the Santa Claus part and that's fine with me. I'm avoiding the subject as long as possible. Most of what she knows about St. Nick is from local suburban lawn decor. So far, snowmen have beat out Santa, 2:1.

stupid fruit

I bought the wrong kind of persimmon.
I have concluded that if there ever was such a thing as a stupid fruit, this is it.
The right kind of persimmons, you can eat like an apple.
They taste good.
You can eat them
.
But Hachiya persimmons are like the monarch butterfly of tree fruits.
It does not want to be eaten.

So if you bite into it, "it is [as] if you just drank six cups of extra strength tea."

I'm so annoyed with them.
Apparently you can either wait until they get soft as a water balloon or you can freeze and thaw them, to get rid of the tannins.
I think I'll choose the latter, just to punish them for being disorderly.
Also because the former sounds disgusting.