A Conversation with Noah, Natalie and David...in the Car, of Course.

N2: Stop that, you're annoying me.

N1: Stop what? I'm not doing anything.

N2: Yes you are! You just moved your drink closer to me and I don't like that!

N1: I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't do anything.

Dad: You know you did something. Your brother has asked you to stop and has told you what he doesn't like about your actions. You need to respect that.

N:1 I didn't do anything.

N:2 Yes you did!

Dad: Look, just ignore her; she's trying to get your goat.

N:2 Goat? I don't even have a goat! How can she be trying to get my goat?

N:1 Goat? That's hilarious! What am I going to do with a goat?

Dad: (shakes his head)

25 Random Things About Me

A blogging friend of mine tagged me for this - so in no particular order here it is...

1. Random thoughts - I'm all about them.

2. Instead of writing this about myself, I asked my friends and family to 'fess up and offer their insight. My brother said I was lazy, hence the reason why I asked others to write it.

3. I was featured in a news story in the Orlando Sentinel when I was 2 years old.

4. After being teased that I had a boy's name (Jamie), I changed the spelling of my name to be just like the Bionic Woman - Jaime Sommers. I was 8 years old.

5. I've have driven across the US four times (not including road trips up and down the east coast) and have lived in over 10 states, including Alaska.

6. I can sing the names of all 50 states in alphabetical order.

7. I od'd on orange flavored baby aspirin when I was 2 years old. No child proof caps back then.

8. I talk way too much and I can never limit my writing to just a few lines.

9. I have an amazing memory for the most obscure details of other people lives.

10. I know the local cop who pulls cars over for speeding. He's cute, and yes, I've been pulled over a few too many times.

11. I'm always late.

12. I've cut dairy and wheat from my diet - most of the time.

13. After one year of making a serious effort to lose weight, I can finally fit into my favorite dress that I haven't been able to wear in over 12 years. I'm so proud of my accomplishment!

14. I love the old standards and melt whenever I listen to them, especially to a live orchestra.

15. After 40 years of curly hair, I'm finally appreciating it. Amazing what a great hair cut, excellent hair products and the Instyler can do to make a difference.

16. I'm really quite shy and HATE being the center of attention.

17. I have really great Parking Karma.

18. My secret fantasy is to sing and dance on Broadway, or be a Radio City Rockette.

19. I'm very attached to music. It evokes deep emotion and memories.

20. My other secret fantasy is wishing that my husband could dance like Fred Astaire and would take me out for ballroom dancing to a live orchestra every chance we could we find.

21. I'm a very passionate person who wants to save the world. I have a million ideas for the many non-profits I want to create and wish I could do each and every one of them.

22. I am not a big ice cream fan however I love Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk, but really, only for the smoosh-ins. Mmmm!

23. I'm a leather snob - I will only buy purses, belts and shoes with real leather.

24. I love to explore off the beaten path.

25. I will be 42 in a few months and I'm loving life.

Send a Smile to Israeli Soldiers

http://www.honestreporting.com/a/smilecampaign.html

A Movie, Smores, and Stargazing

and now finally, bedtime. And speaking of bedtime, this evening, after anxiously waiting for over a month for it to be released, the whole family ventured out and saw Adam Sandler's Bedtime Stories. What a delightful treat. Simply adorable.

One of the scenes have them roasting marshmellows and making smores - which gave me the idea to finally take advantage of our outdoor fire pit upon getting home. The weather wasn't too cold and David was able to get a roaring fire going. We had the marshmellows and graham crackers but no chocolate bars, so I did the next best thing and melted bakers chocolate and had the kids dribble ok pour the chocolate over the marshmellows and soon we all were very happy with our smores.

Boy were they delicious and of course what are smores without chocolate and roasted marshmellows all over the children's faces and hands. I tried to take pictures, but it was a little too dark.

Next we put on Chanukah music, turned off the lights inside and on the porch and sat under our blankets, stargazing.

These moments are what memories are made of.

They Grow Up So Fast

Ever noticed that you only seem old when you look at OTHER friends' children and how they have grown? It's natural to not to noticed your own children's growth, I get that, but I always feel like a ton of bricks just fell down on me, whenever my friends' children age is brought up, or see recent pictures, or just hearing about their life.

Of course it makes sense to know that Sandy's daughter is 14 - duh, she was five years old when my daughter was an infant, afterall Natalie is 9 1/2 years old now, but the shock value is still there. I don't feel like I've have changed all that much, but in these children's life, so much has - their body, their personalities, their experiences and outlook.

Whenever I do look at pictures, or see a friend's child who in a blink of an eye, now has the body of an adult instead of a child, I always make a mental note to stop and really enjoy my children, in the present, before, they too, grow up before my eyes.

I did that the other evening with my daughter, and I was blown away by how tall, how curvy, how beautiful and how awesome she truly is.

Parents Guilt

How many of us are guilty of doing this to our children?




Sometimes is never quite enough
If you're flawless, then you'll win my love
Don't forget to win first place
Don't forget to keep that smile on your face
Be a good boy
Try a little harder
You've got to measure up
And make me prouder
How long before you screw it up
How many times do I have to tell you to hurry up
With everything I do for you
The least you can do is keep quiet
Be a good girl
You've gotta try a little harder
That simply wasn't good enough
To make us proud
I'll live for you
I'll make you what I never was
If you're the best, then maybe so am I
Compared to him compared to her
I'm doing this for your own damn good
You'll make up for what I blew
What's the problem ...... why are you crying
Be a good boy
Push a little farther now
That wasn't fast enough
To make us happy
We'll love you just the way you are if you're perfect

Noah's thoughts

Some recent thoughts by Noah -

We are now entering into new territory - what does "Gay" mean? I am assuming this word has been tossed around at school lately and not in a good way. He thought Natalie called him "gay" and he got upset. When I asked him what it meant, he "forgot" but knew it was something gross. I was dishearten by this comment, though I know he really doesn't understand it's meaning and only know of it as an insult - so naturally he would be upset if called that. So, David and I tried to explain what it means. David must have mentioned about couples (2 men) living together, because Noah then asked, "Like the show 2 1/2 men". So we had to be even more clear by what we meant, even when we said, 2 men who love each other. So we said, like the way Mommy and Daddy love/like each other. Then he got bored and ran off to play with his paper airplanes that he is having fun building.

In other news, Noah told us that when he grows up, he wants to be an artist (pause) .... a good one. That was really cool to hear from him.

He also just got his report card and is not only doing 2nd grade math but is in top honors for it (he's only in 1st grade.) His reading is also in the outstanding level. Starting this next marking period, the first graders will now be graded on punctuation, capitalization and spelling. GO MCPS!!!