Jeannie
“I Got a Nikon Camera…”
“I love to take a photograph.”
That’s the Paul Simon song that I’ve had in my head ever since we purchased this little beauty (an early Christmas present):
The Nikon D5100. I’m in love. Now you will see random, meaningless pictures show up on blog posts just because I’m practicing. Like this one:
It’s the handle of the orange tree planter we inherited from friends that just moved to Utah. (Thanks again, Nicole and Ryan! We miss you guys.)
Needless to say, I have much to learn about this camera. But I can’t wait to get started.
“Mama don’t take my Kodachrome away…”
{Hopefully, the song is sufficiently stuck in your head now, too.}
P.S. A special shout out of thanks to Mary Karlee for babysitting at the last minute so we could go buy this new toy and go see a movie at the theater!
How the Marathon Passed Me By
Ten months ago I set the goal to run the Santa Barbara Marathon. That’s 26.2 miles, folks, that I was hoping to conquer. Those of you who know me and my history with the sport know it’s quite the leap from my last race completion. But running this distance became a “bucket list” item that I dreamed of completing, just because it is so difficult. I could have set my sights on the half marathon, to start, but why not just go for it, right?
A national organization dedicated to fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society called Team in Training caught my attention last spring, thanks to another parent in Warren’s kindergarten class, and inspired me to persue my goal. They train you completely and you collect donations for cancer research. It’s win-win in my book.
The Santa Barbara Marathon is perfect because not only do I live here, making it pretty easy to show up, but it’s also held on Saturday, unlike so many others which would require me to break the Sabbath to enter.
I was excited at the prospect of obtaining a goal that, 2 years ago even, I would have never had the guts to set. I told friends and family that I was going to do it. Everyone encouraged me and I felt like it was something within my grasp.
The race was yesterday and I did not run.
I didn’t even train. Because of some serious health issues (explanatory post to follow), I never felt up to running or really any exercise at all. For the last 7 months I have watched the calendar flip forward knowing that I would not be able to do what I said I was going to do.
And that’s the worst part. If I had never even mentioned it to anyone, I may have let it go and not felt like such a failure. But since I opened my mouth and told the world my plans, I felt like the girl who is all talk and no action. The one who says she’s going to do something and then just doesn’t.
That’s what I felt this past week each time I drove by the road signs reminding the community of the upcoming event. Just a big orange sign screaming at me that I did not complete what I said I’d do.
In the end I know it’s not my fault. I know I’m being a bit harsh. My health has taken the goal right out of my hands, at least for the time being. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s just my life circumstances at this moment. Hopefully, it won’t be forever. I want to believe I’ll try for it another time.
I had several friends that ran the marathon and half marathon yesterday, some for the first time. I thought about them many times throughout the morning, wondering how they were feeling and hoping they were completing the race they way they had planned. They all finished, and I couldn’t be happier for each one.
Way to go Rebecca, Esther, Nicole, Annie, and Cherry!! I wish I could have ran there with you. (Well, behind you, really, because I would have never been able to keep your pace!) But I was with you in spirit, I promise.
The Art of Storytelling
Warren and I went on a mother-son date. I love these opportunities to be one-on-one with this funny kid who loves to talk. We stopped at Starbucks and grabbed a hot chocolate (complete with whipped cream and mini chocolate chips) and a caramel apple cider and then headed to the local public library for a storyteller’s rendition of The Adventures of Pinocchio.
Warren and I sat on the floor together among the throng of wiggly children as we watched the performer’s rendition of the classic version of the story. We were all captivated by his grand, animated gestures and silly voices. He was hilarious and knew how to work the audience.
I love that we went to this event. Warren and I had a great time together. We were happy to support this form of entertainment. The library is wise to provide the opportunities.
Storytelling is an underappreciated art form. As the storyteller stated, no one is still enough to listen anymore. We’re all so distracted by so many media that we aren’t able to pay attention to a story. Such a shame because a good storyteller is almost magical to hear.
At the close of his performance, he mentioned a website I’d never heard of before that has free stories for all ages told by professional storytellers. Plus, he has his own weekly Saturday morning radio show at 7:30AM (Pacific) that you can hear online. I have yet to check out either one but at least I know that there are some interesting options, that don’t involve television, when the kids are looking for something to do.
Halloween Additions
You’d think the need to add to my Halloween collection would decrease at some point. You’d be wrong.
But I did much better at controlling the addiction this year. I actually stayed clear of Michael’s this time, so I’d call that an improvement. Some items that I added were really tacked on to the end of last Halloween, and (by generous donation) at no cost to me. So you can’t come down too hard on me.
For instance, Julianna’s sister, Tara, has a delightful boutique that carries all kinds of treasures, including Halloween decor items. This spiderweb chandelier is just one of the many fun things you can find in her shop.
This haunted house table runner, with glow-in-the-dark polka dots, no less, was another piece that Julianna so graciously passed on to me.
{Thanks again, Jules. Love them both!}
But there were some DIY decor items that I felt compelled to create. I added these potions/specimen jars to the apothecary display.
I used some empty food jars lying around the house, added drugstore-purchased plastic bugs and skulls, as well as some things found in nature, and poured in water tinted by food coloring. Nice and creepy. I thought about adding some descriptive labels for authenticity, but I didn’t want to be tied down to a certain item per jar. Each year might bring something different to display.
I wanted to add some subway art to my faux mantle, so I created this Boo! print, which you can download here as a 4×6.
And I found this cute poem on Pinterest.com:
We also put some cut out jack-o-lantern faces on the windows facing the street.
Plus some ghosts in a graveyard, also made out of paper. It’s always fun to come up with some silly epitaph to complete the look.
Very fun, all of it. I’m sure I’ll have more to add next year.
Cruel Shoes
Perhaps you saw my outfit from Jackie’s wedding? I needed something to give my black and white ensemble some pizazz. I love shoes, so naturally I turned to adding color to my feet. I found some red heels that seemed perfect. Peep toe, shiny, and overall eye-catching.
There was only one problem with them: they were THE CRUEL SHOES.
Anna knew She had to have a new pair of shoes today, and Carlo had helped her try on every pair in the store. Carlo spoke wearily, “Well, that’s it. That’s every pair of shoes in the place.”
“Oh, you must have one more pair….”
“No, not one more… . Well, we have the cruel shoes, but no one would want to try…
“Yes, let me see the cruel shoes!”
“No, you don’t understand, you see, the cruel shoes are…’
“Get them!”
Carlo disappeared into the back room for a moment, and then reappeared carrying an ordinary shoebox. He took off the lid and re-moved a hideous pair of black and white pumps. But this was not an ordinary pair of black and white pumps; both were left feet, one had a right angle turn with separate compartments that pointed the toes in impossible directions. The other shoe was six inches long and was curved inward like a rocking chair with a vise and razor blades to hold the foot in place.
Carlo spoke hesitantly, “… Now you see… they’ re not fit for humans…”
“Put them on me.”
“But… ”
“Put them on me!”
Carlo knew all arguments were useless. He knelt down before her and forced the feet into the shoes.
The screams were incredible.
Anna crawled over to the mirror and held her bloody feet up where she could see.
“I like them.”
She paid Carlo and crawled out of the store into the street.
Later that day, Carlo was overheard saying to a new customer, “Well, that’s it. That’s every pair of shoes in the place. Unless, of course, you’d like to try the cruel shoes.”
And they were that painful. Almost. Considering, only 20 minutes into the event, I was wincing with every step I took, the top of the “peep toe” area was cutting into my right big toe leaving a visible mark, and I took them off as soon as I was seated from walking Maddie the Flower Girl down the aisle, I’d call that more than uncomfortable.
Colin joked that my feet might just be in the cruel shoes and I believe he’s right. Now every time I put them on I have Steve Martin’s reading of his story in my head.
But fashion before function, right? They did look great!
So, aside from the pain factor, the fact that they have a burnt cigarette mixed with BBQ smell from the cheap patent leather that forces me to store them in the garage, and the clumsy way I feel walking in such tall heels, I love these shoes!
Birthday Cake Swap
Mary Karlee and I made a brilliant arrangement this summer. It was her idea, actually. I just went along with what I recognized to be a good plan. We decided to swap the responsibility of making birthday cakes for one another. That way, we wouldn’t have to prepare our own treat or expect our completely capable, yet busy husbands to create a time-consuming dessert for our special days. (Seriously, we know you guys could do it, but why stress you out any more than necessary?)
She made me this chocolate cake on my birthday. What a treat to have a delicious cake delivered to your door by a good friend!
I completed my end of the deal this week. She asked me to prepare this recipe for a citrus cake with berries on top.
I sampled a bit using the leftover cut cake tops and scraping the frosting bowl and it seemed quite tasty to me. Hopefully, MK was pleased with the results.
I have to say, I’m thinking this is the beginning of a long tradition. Mary Karlee, now you just have to agree to hold out living here longer than most graduate student families do and we’re good.
To Buy Or Not to Buy
My friend, Cami, did a spending fast one month last year, meaning she didn’t buy anything but the absolute essentials (mostly fresh food) for 30 days. I was impressed by her restraint. The main thing she learned from her experience was that making a list of what she wanted helped her stick to her goals since it gave her time to ponder if she really needed an item. Most of the time she found she didn’t want it after all.
I’m not much of a shopper, but I soon realized that the concept of not buying could be quite a challenge to undertake. This was evident by my response to the recent opening of Ross Dress for Less in our town deprived of bargain shopping. I admit I was hungry for an opportunity to check out the glorious shelves of marked-down items.
One morning I found my excuse to visit the new store. I was only going to window shop because I didn’t have much time before I had to run another errand nor did I really have the money to spend. I dragged the kids inside telling them it would only take a minute.
Before I even knew what happened, I had placed three items in my cart and was still scouring the racks. There was no list of “needed things” I was consulting; I was simply impulse buying and, I admit, it felt a little thrilling.
Warren, eyes wide from viewing the new toy display, begged for a monster truck. He said he had half the amount in allowance money back home and could I please make up the difference so he could by it right then. I agreed to credit his purchase and placed it the cart with the other non-essentials.
The whole time I kept thinking that I shouldn’t be buying any of those things. But I started rationalizing. A childrens’ read-along cd/book combo. That was noble, right? A collection of nursery rhymes and fairy tales. The kids need to have that strong literary foundation, no? I rationalized all the way up to the front of the line and then realized I had forgotten my wallet.
Irked, I restocked my contraband items and rushed the kids out of the store and into the car to go home and get my bank card. I hurried more than usual so that we could return and buy them before someone else snatched them from the shelf. But something happened along the way. Removed from the lure of the florescent lighting and fancy displays, I decided that I didn’t need those four items. They seemed less important. Before I reached the garage, I decided I wasn’t going to go back.
Warren took it better than I thought when I told him we were done. Surprisingly, there was little whining about what he was going to be missing. Turns out, he didn’t have enough allowance money anyway. I didn’t want to teach him that going into debt for something trivial was the way to go through life. I guess I needed that reminder, as well.
But just in case you (like me) need a little more reassurance once in awhile, here is one of my favorite Saturday Night Live skits to explain it more clearly:
And by the way, Cami decided for the Year 2011 she would try not to purchase anything new. Just reused, recycled, or created items for her family. Yeah, she’s pretty much my frugal hero.
Movie Under the Stars
Friends from Warren’s school invited us to a movie party at their house Friday night. But instead of gathering on their living room floor, we all brought sleeping bags and beach chairs and watched the flick outside in their backyard, under the stars. The movie: “Gnomeo and Juliet.” Absolutely silly and ridiculous and just perfect for a bunch of kiddos up way past their bedtimes.
An LCD projector pointed at a large wall, a can of bug spray, and a gigantic bowl of popcorn is all it takes to make summertime memories like these. What a fun night!
Family Pictures 2011
I had been bugging Colin for the longest time about taking family pictures together. The last one we had was two years old and showed how uncooperative Warren was being at that moment. I wanted something that we could hang up on the wall that included all of our children. I knew that I wanted Tami to take the pictures, but since she lives so far away, I thought it was a hopeless idea.
And then she decided to take a mini vacation to visit us! And she was willing to photograph us while she was here, too! It was literally a dream come true.
I could not be more please with how they came out. There was much bribery, I assure you. But it was entirely worth every scoop of ice cream promised to get the shots that she was able to coax out of my four distracted children. See for yourself.
I love them all! So much! There are many more, but I don’t want to bore you. Plus I need to save some for the Christmas cards.
I wish I could show you my favorite one, but since we still cannot post pictures of Jake and Joe, you’ll just have to wait. There’s a good story too, but it would lose something in translation if I posted it with the question mark over Jake’s face. Trust me. If you know me personally and are friends with me on FaceBook, you can see it there.
Tami, you are an amazingly talented photographer! I feel so grateful that you would take the time to capture these priceless images of our family.
Outing to Target
Yes, in order to go shopping at Target we must make it a full-blown outing. The nearest store is 55 minutes away without traffic.
Despite being a sizable community (we’re not out in the boonies, for crying out loud!) we have very few large-scale retailers here in town. No Target, no Wal-Mart, no Sam’s Club within a 50 mile radius. Thankfully, we do have a Costco just over the freeway and we recently added a Ross Dress For Less to the list which made people salivate the moment rumors of its opening began to spread. We’re that desperate for accessible value.
Back to our Saturday outing. We were all in need of some article of clothing or another, so we decided to spend one of our precious 3-day weekend holiday days and make the trek down to Camarillo. Not only does this town have a Target but it is also home to a large outlet mall with a plethora of stores. And guess who was having a 50% off Fourth of July sale? Everyone! Our timing could not have been more perfect.
Except for the fact that all other shoppers had the same timing. It was pretty packed at the malls and at Target. Surprisingly, though, all four kids did well. Warren and Maddie enjoyed hiding in the clothing racks and Jake and Joe tried to fend off the many adoring onlookers who constantly stopped to tell them how cute they were in their red jogging stroller and coordinating outfits. Twins get A LOT of attention, in case you didn’t know.
Plus we let the big kids run amok in the large fountain since it was a particularly warm day.
We ate our Panera Bread lunch by the water and soaked in the July sunshine.
They even got a chance to ride the $.50 kiddie helicopter and Snoopy doghouse coin-op machines. Happiness is a gently rocking metal seat.
We walked away from the stores with almost everything on our list. A successful shopping day! We patted ourselves on the back that we could accomplish our goal and still drive home during nap time. We pictured at least 3 sleeping children in the back of the car.
Instead we hit major traffic the entire way home. And then the melt-downs began. Joey was screaming from the middle seat while Maddie asked incessantly for a drink of milk. When she wasn’t asking, “Can I like some milk, please?” she was requesting the same for food over and over and over again. We knew after 45 minutes of driving and 25 more miles to go that we would need to stop for dinner.
When we pulled up to The Grill at Padaro we realized that in the 5 minutes we had made the decision to stop Maddie had fallen asleep and the babies were on the verge. Only Warren–the only child we didn’t want to nap– had crashed despite the ruckus.
No matter. We woke up the crew and dragged them out to enjoy a dinner at one of the best spots in Carpinteria. Outside dining and a sandpit playground in the middle of the venue. What more could a tired family ask for?
It was the perfect end to a long outing.
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