smileface

a knight's tale

man, time sure does fly. back in february, during our month long excursion to los angeles, we had the opportunity to visit a medieval castle. did you know that there is a medieval castle in buena park, orange county? it's true.

this is before star wars took a strangle-hold over the boy's life, and he was still interested in other things like knights and pirates.

front-row, where the action is!

this mesh is meant to protect you from dust and horse excrement while you are enjoying a dinner of turkey legs. and judging by said turkey legs, the animal in question probably stood about 4 feet tall, i'm not kidding. also, everything is eaten sans dining utensils. i'm led to believe that this is the medieval experience.

my strawberry daiquiri was served in a mammoth chalice the size of a child's head.

some very excited participants.

our knight in shining flannel armor. THE GREEEEEEEEEEN KNIIIIIIIIGHT!!!! (he actually won the tournament to our giddy amusement.)

sir caleb and the victor. a great time was had by all. (my cousin lisa is curiously absent from all these pictures. i'm so sorry, lis!)

be yourself, everyone else is already taken

grossly paraphrased- the immortal words of sir oscar wilde

my poor husband just left for a 10:50 hockey game. 

me, i'm watching ina make a white pizza with lemony arugula followed by fudge cake topped with chocolate buttercream for dessert. (holy mother.)

men and women are so very different, aren't they?

i was really attempting to participate in NaBloPoMo this year, but kev took off to vegas this past weekend, kidnapping my computer in the process. mission failed. really, i was planning on an exercise in discipline. turns out, i'm not programmed that way.

nothing can peel me from my couch at this hour, let alone a hockey game. that is, unless ina were waiting for me on the other end with pizza and fudge cake, in which case, i might actually consider it for a second before concluding with an empathic no, gracias.

i feel sorry for my sorry-ass sometimes. geez!

the doldrums

i am so excited about winter. it's been nonstop activity and travel since the year began, and i'm ready to welcome the next few months of quiet. peace. tranquility. (but that hardly means i'm going to laze around on my bum!)

the plan:

- to read the omnivore's dilemma by michael pollen; 

- to perfect one very complicated recipe. not sure what.

- to make a giant quilt out of the kids' old clothes

- to be darned sure that i make a dent on this list

- to teach the kiddos how to sew

- to learn how to play yahtzee and backgammon

- to bake 5 things out of scratch

- to clean and organize my crazy closet

- to get the kids their own library cards

- to fool around with kev's digital SLR, get some practice

(on a slightly somber note: the kids' hamster passed on to the afterlife yesterday. RIP dear little rhino. you were a sweet critter, and we loved you.)

book launch party

behold, the star wars lego visual dictionary. we had to be there, no question.

that's han solo. (i know, it's a crying shame.)

the first 50 to buy the book that day were rewarded with a limited edition darth vader figurine. so cool.

prize creations were on display.

costumes, mutually admired.

sabers, in proud formation.

this lady leia went uncontested in the adult category for costumes and took the prize. (the storm troopers are employees.)

do you see my angel in there? just another face in a sea of anakins.

little cutie was the only contestant cheering on his fellow competitors- what a sweetheart. (the prize went to darth maul, however. well-deserved, i might add.)

the playing field was much narrower in the girls' category, as you can see.

can you guess who won? (adult size XL t-shirt and commemorative button.) good times.

post-hallows eve

man, i was so incredibly unproductive today- it was awesome.

both my kids were suffering from what i'm refusing to believe was H1N1, but it very well could have been. i'm just glad its over, because there's only so much whine one can take before trying to crawl into a hole forever. if that's not how parenting has ever been described to you before, you need to wake up and smell the cheese!

i'm finally at the tail-end of a book it's taken me the better half of 6 months to finish. animal, vegetable, miracle by barbara kingsolver.

it's a nonfictional and autobiographical account of how she and her family committed to an entire year of eating locally produced, sustainably farmed foods. they grew probably about 80% (or more?) of their meals themselves. it's such an inspiring and informative read. two thumbs up.

have you read anything interesting lately? suggestions? i'd love to hear them!

to the farm!

our first (and maybe last?) pumpkin patch trip of the year. liepold farms in boring, oregon (remember last year?). i organized a visit for our homeschool group a couple weeks back, and of course, it was just all kinds of awesomeness. see for yourselves.

 

 

 

 

longest post ever! sheesh! happy halloween. :)

and then they were one

as promised: tuscan-inspired wedding. calistoga, ca. september 13, 2009.

breathtaking.

i will, henceforth, simply refer to these babies as amazeballs. i'm just the teensiest bit obsessed with them. AMAZE! BALLS! i die.

no detail spared.

i die.

the ceremony was forced indoors due to uncooperative weather,

but there was no raining on this parade.

there are zero pictures of the exquisite napa valley spread, because i was much too busy EATING IT. though i vaguely recall a bountiful amount of cheeses, figs, nuts, pastas, fish, meats, pies, cakes, wines...it was endless. and oh so goooooood. you'll just have to take my word for it.

amazeballs, n'est-ce pas? congratulations, michelle & jeremy!

i want to go there

- actually, this time tomorrow, i will be there! tulum, mexico for the surprise of a lifetime. my sister and husband planned a tropical retreat in celebration of my 30th back in february. grace and i are finally making it down there (mayan riviera in the yucatan peninsula- sounds so exotic, doesn't it?), 8 months after the fact (long story, i'll fill you in soon). what a lucky girl i am. see that structure up there? that's an actual and factual mayan ruin. i am going there. holy cow.

much happening in my neck of the woods. haven't been around much, have you noticed?

- homeschooling going smashingly. update coming soon.

- breathtakingly gorgeous tuscan-inspired wedding in the napa valley. also soon.

- my mother-in-law's 60th birthday celebration in san diego. coming. soon.

- girlfriends' getaway to seattle, land of glorious tax-free shopping (oregon resident, wootwoot!). on the way soon.

- babies galore. soon, soon, soon.

i have to wake up in 4 hours for an early morning flight. see ya when i see ya! i've missed you guys!

seems so long ago...

these are from the end of last school year when my firstborn successfully completed kindy and his teacher hosted a celebration.

lobby and library. we were to gather in the library for a performance of songs they had learned over the course of the year.

the child couldn't stop waving to his sister!! he was soooooooooooo excited to see us there.

see anything peculiar?

anything amiss? (and i'm not talking about the boy on the left taking his shirt off, although, i have to admit, that was pretty hilarious).

don't ask.

this one. trying to steal the spotlight, as usual.

there he goes again...

too cute, too cute...

afterwards, the parents were given memory books of their child's artwork. PRICELESS!!

the day after we got together for more celebrating.

ice cream!

oh, sweet mrs. nelson...

can't believe my boy's a big first grader now! (we're homeschooling this year, have you heard? more on that next time...)

welcome, homecome

welcome to earth, brady ahn! 6 weeks early to boot, he just couldn't wait any longer.

born to proud parents,

unaware sister,

and delighted auntie.

we love you, angel.

dear sassafras

oh girl,

i am behind. i am really, really behind. the point of writing you birthday letters is to capture a moment in time so that i can read my words on a later day and the memories will flood back in a warm rush of vivid color and detail.

so that when you pierce your noise and tattoo your lower back, i can go back to these letters and cry quietly to myself on days gone by. that's what this is for, you know.

too bad my mommy brain gets exponentially worse by the day and sitting here, 6 months after the fact, trying to remember what you were like on your 3rd birthday, i've drawn a blank.

the memories are vague.

i remember that at 3, you loved curious george. what a great expense of time and energy it was that you loved that curious little monkey so much. when you are older you will realize that the curious george books are unbearably long and only a saint like your father would put up with reading 4 of them verbatim before tucking you into bed for the night. mommy'd just flip through the pages and make you name all the objects one by one...

balloon, good.

pancakes, good.

yellow hat, very good.

daddy is your favorite.

at 3 you got your first bike. you stopped eating mushrooms. you'd carry stuffed animals everywhere. you moved into your own room. your favorite foods included banana yogurt, noodles, beans, and celery. you were a genius at puzzles, not to mention a rather skilled whiner. you loved to whisk eggs. singing and dancing were a favorite pastime. your brother was simultaneously your hero and nemesis. you loved scooby-doo. you always had to wear socks. you'd ask me 10 times a day for potato chips. you had your first dental appointment and subsequent filling. blue was your favorite color. and you'd wake up every stinking day at 7:30 on the dot no matter how late you'd slept the night before.

little girl, i really miss you at 3.

only a week from now, you will be starting preschool. officially one step closer to the day the chapel bells toll my heartbreak and you take another name. (please take your time and never settle. explore europe. learn how to surf. get a master's in romance languages. spend a summer volunteering in south america. you can DO ANYTHING. fighting!) when i strap on your backpack and send you off with a turkey sandwich, please don't forget what i've told you, promise? and sneak me a hug every once in a while why don't cha.

i miss you already, kid.

love, mom

oh a camping we will (did) go...

ah, the great outdoors. our annual trip to florence, oregon occurred just a couple days after my return from the big city and the juxtaposition, lemme tell you, was stark. (but in a good way, i swear).

the orange tent adjacent to ours was home to jenn and andy. hi, neighbors! i can't tell you how much i love having them (her) with us in portland. jenn and i are soul-sisters, it's pretty clear.

the nice thing about an annual camping trip is that (1) it's only annual and (2) it gives us a chance to reconnect with nature and (3) it's only annual (did i say that already?) and we are forced to remember how blessed we are to have luxurious shelter, reliable plumbing, and central air/heat. amen.

our contribution to the mass stash of junk food provided by all the church members in attendance. i wish i had the capacity to eat without remorse, but no, i always kick myself afterwards. that s'mores was the death of me. sigh.

in year's past i distinctly remember WALKING to the beach. since when do we get a leisurely ride in the bed of a giant truck? we just ate 5 bags of smokies, people!

guilty as charged- yeah, i'm talkin' to y-o-u!

i never seem to know where this guy is when we're on trips. does he run away or am i conveniently oblivious to the fact that i have children? hmm...

view from the front.

from the side.

from the back.

if i remember correctly, i have 2 children. i think.

where there is sand, there are, inevitably, some buried bodies. wanna see the cutest thing?

how 'bout a buried dog? the sweetest, gentlest dog in the world- ruby chang! what a cutie.

you can't tell from the looks of things, but THE WIND, THE WIND! it was nuts. not to mention butt-cold. that's an actual term, look it up.

see?

that's better.

he slays me! so cute.

who invented these things?! they-don't-MOVE!

here's lloyd rescuing his son from peril. before i could finish screaming "LLLLLOOOOYYYYDDD!" he was already crashing into the water. wow, so manly.

aw man, i wish i got a shot of emerson in his aviator shades! you shoulda seen him.

the boys' club.

the not-so-lady-like ladies.

and this is only half of 'em, i swear. we just LOVE to procreate up here.

close-up on these two troublemakers. yoom, you ready for their teen years?

sneaky peeky

church camping trip to honeyman state park in florence, oregon.

** sniff, sniff **

here we are at the end of the road. balthazar's again for brunch.

i'm dying to stay longer, but all signs point home. with only 2 hours remaining, i decide that i must pay respects to the mothership before i leave-

i'll be back, mister.

it takes a mammoth amount of mental strength to tear myself from 5th & madison aves. and back on the trail towards my hotel. 

pretty apartments on the upper east side (this is me walking back to the bentley to collect my bags).

this is what public school looks like for city kids (still walking).

after grabbing my luggage i decide hey, i've walked this far, i might a well keep going. another mile later, and severely dehydrated, i seek shelter in this cute little bakeshop.

good idea.

right on time, i've made it. goodbye, manhattan...

and the tour continues...

why hello there, gorgeous! irene woke me up at 8:30 am with the news that she was already waiting downstairs in the lobby.

irene is an unabashed, unapologetic tourist and her must-sees included famed haunts serendipity (closed) and dylan's candy bar, which is basically a sweet factory on steroids.

people did not hesitate to eat from this fountain at 9 in the morning. me, i still had sleep in my eyes and sour on my breath. no, thank you.

next stop- the plaza! surely there are some delectable croissants au chocolat and frothy cappuccino inside this famed luxury hotel. there are not.

we settled for second-rate scones and iced coffees at a nearby deli and hopped onto a horse and buggy for a tour of central park.

the buggies have their own lanes.

we explored a bit on foot as well.

this used to be a dairy. now it is an information center, which makes perfect sense. (it does not).

the glass steps leading down to the underground apple store supposedly give people vertigo.

lookie who's here! jess (straight from the airport/hotel) met us up during our lunchbreak across rockefeller center. she was supposed to be accompanied by elena, who was also an unfortunate last-minute cancellation. elena, i missed you so much.

judy and her boyfriend john digging into their onion tart. the wild mushroom pappardelle was most excellent.

judy, you were a wonderful hostess, and i can't wait to see you again- thank you!

starting to miss home a little bit? shyeah right!!!

time square was just beyond. a virtual sea of human beings.

what we got tickets for. what we should have gotten tickets for. yet another rookie mistake.

we were very excited about riding this taxi. wow.

rest stop- thomas keller's bouchon bakery in the time warner center. delicious blueberry macaron. yum.

showtime!

we left the show at intermission, because it was that good and we were starving, ha! late dinner @ risotterria in the west village. risotto is one of my all-time favorite foods, we had to go. the mozzerella/portabello/truffle oil combo- oh yum. we sat next to this guy and one of these guys (i don't know which). it was too hard to stare because they were so close! gelato @ grom pictured above.

washington square park. the passerby who snapped this photo fully believed he was capturing the essence of the arch. i'm serious.

empire state building beyond? i think? 

the day's damage- faux fur from zara. and that concludes day 2.

i love you, manhattan

i don't know where to begin. there was so much. here is a view of the sunrise as my plane made its decent into JFK on friday morning (my flight buddy esther couldn't make it at the last minute- i missed you, girlfriend!). my belly was all nerves and butterflies. oh, the anticipation!!

it was 9:30 by the time i made it to my hotel on the upper east side. by 10 i was out the door. no time to waste!

met my friend judy for breakfast at balthazar's in soho. the eggs benedict was SUPERB!! (i should mention that on the way to meet her i got on the wrong train and ended up in brooklyn, hehe, what a rookie).

i should also mention that i was so overwhelmed by the newness and grandiosity of everything that i kept forgetting to take pictures. DOH! 

here we are at uniqlo, which is basically the japanese version of the gap. one of many stores that are exclusive to nyc. lucky punks.

here we are at ground zero. a giant void in the middle of the bustling city. it's hard to imagine what it must have been like that day...

we also took a short walk on the beautiful brooklyn bridge, but the high temperatures and humidity forced us to seek immediate shelter.

voile, century 21- where the AC was blasting and the designer discounts were beckoning. well, sort of. there was a mob of people inside, which made it difficult to filter through all the wreckage. it wasn't easy unearthing the hidden treasures (but of course i did!). gryson @ 75% off. cha-ching!

afterwards we wandered into chinatown, because i wanted to experience the secret backrooms filled with illegal counterfeit merchandise. i have a feeling all the drama is staged for the tourists though. i felt like i was being had!

here's the very art deco-inspired bloomingdale's just right off the train near my hotel. after parting ways with judy i caught my second wind and did some power shopping before calling it a night. chloe @ 60% off. i love new york.

after resting my weary feet for a bit, i took a few-blocks stroll and ended up catching a movie. popcorn & diet coke sounded like a good dinner at the time, but it was $12 down the drain. why didn't i go to morimoto's or something!? oh yeah, i was butt tired! what a day!

my humble abode:

gorgeous river-view. that's the queensboro bridge.

the day's damage- aforementioned sandals and bag plus tees for the kiddos and necklace from madewell. not too shabby. tomorrow is another day, after all...

lego my eggo

i will start with the cupcakes.

because they were just PHENOMENAL. i sent jocelyn at bakery bar a photo of hello, naomi's brilliant creation, and she duplicated them to perfection. PERFECTION, don't you think?

remember this cake? jocelyn, you're simply the best!

per usual, i went overboard and had so many ideas i was too busy during the party to capture any of the best moments. i really have to stop that. if it wasn't for susie, i wouldn't have a single picture to my name. susie, your photos are priceless. thank you from the bottom of my heart.

our theme was lego racer. all of the boy's buddies got to build their own cars to race on the totally tubular ramp (see above) best-dad-in-the-world build with his bare, very muscular, hands.

then they got to mark how far their cars flew off the ramp. not sure who won, but there were colored flags all over our lawn. it was great.

i admit to going a little flag crazy at this party.

the little ones had other things on their minds.

here's kev prepping the diet coke/mentos volcano, which was a huuuuge hit!

awesome.

also a huge hit. the chocolate fountain. very messy, but totally worth it.

yum. 

here's my sister with the bruschetta, and also, a glimpse of the hundreds of flags it took me an unspeakably long time to hang all over the house. i won't be doing that again.

goodie bags. there is a beautiful sign hanging above these bags that my sister-in-law handmade and mailed to us for the occasion. there is, sadly, no existing photograph of it, shame.on.me. one of these days i am going to reassemble it just to show you. i must!

my firstborn. i can hardly believe you are 6 years old already. happy birthday to you.

and by soon i mean next week...

- heading off to NYC tomorrow night, it feels unreal! my first time to the big apple. i've been waiting 30 years for this... i welcome any and all recommendations.

- just returned from an impromptu trip to seattle, and i feel the urge to turn around and go back just for one more turn around lake washington. oh, lake washington. why does home have so little appeal in the summertime?

- i think i've developed an allergy to cheese. i know for sure that i've become more and more lactose intolerant with age, but i think cheese has the most adverse effect of all. i've been breaking out in random hives ever since my return from turks. it's all very strange. my google research indicates that this might all be related to stress. hmm.

- the school season lurks quietly around the corner, and i've been waking up in a cold sweat with the dreaded realization that i've committed to homeschooling my children for at least the coming year. a whole year. what have i done?

- these things and much more on my mind these days. i need this weekend to rejuvenate my spirits and bring me back to center. see you in few.

coming soon...

the boy's 6th birthday extravaganza- stay tuned.

photodump time

remember memorial day weekend?

our neighbors have a cabin near mt. hood, and we lucky punks got to hang out with them there for a day.

where the sandy and zig zag rivers meet. it's majestic and grand. i love it.

that's morgan, who is an 8 year old trapped in a 12 year old's body (just about my height, if you're wondering).

these jokers ran around barefoot for 8 hours straight and ended up with countless cuts and scrapes.

good thing i'm raising my children to be impervious to pain. less hassle for me, you understand.

the cabin.

view from the cabin. couldn't you just stare at that all day?

here we are waiting for the bats, which are supposed to surface at dusk. after 2 hours, we realized they weren't gonna show. oh well! (obviously our neighbors are from a behemoth scandinavian strand of peoples. scott used to play college football.) thank you for a great day, yons!

what feels like so long ago

so it seems our lovely vacay to turks is coming to a close at long last...

i really do miss the water.

i sure do miss our friends & family.

where we going next year, guys?

miscellaneous

and just because i don't think you've seen enough of him yet..........

goodbye, turks & caicos! thank you!!!

sunset photo shoot

the color coordination going on in this photograph was no mistake, my friends.

activities-planner saesim made sure to get our group together for a sunset photoshoot.

the kids were more interested in the sand, though.

it was coming down quick! we had to mobilize.

family 1.

family 2.

family 3.

family 4.

family 5? heehee. just kidding, tommy!

cute!!!

of course, the requisite beach-jumping photos.

notice how utterly ridiculous the guys look, though. why?

sunset-in-hawaii prom 2009.

the parade

(doesn't that look like rihanna circa 2005?)

poolside outtakes

we sure did a lot of swimming.

that is his father's child.

and that lil' one hamming it up is definitely mine.

swimming lessons paying off.

christine, you're so right about getting these hats wet! one time use only, too bad.

our one character sighting on the grounds. what a moment.

here's ry gettin' fresh.

here's danny wrangling all the big kids while the rest of us enjoy brunch onshore. thanks, danny!

lots of fruity beverage was had.

that's some good stuff.

this may have been the day i was suffering from a horrendous case of heatrash and was forced to stay indoors in air conditioning reading back to back issues of us weekly and ok! magazine. (i am not complaining, fyi). 

heehee.

life is good.

baking w/cookie monster

the kiddies got to bake cookies with monseiur cookie monster himself!

i was elsewhere getting my 90 minute tropical bliss massage, ahem, but their dad was good enough to take time off from his busy chest-exposing schedule to make a visit to the cookie monster bakery.

i missed all the fun.

not that i regret spending 90 minutes in tropical bliss.

not at all.

the only negative side to my being gone, i'd have to say, was leaving all the photographing of the children of mine loins to their father.

i mean, really, is it that hard?

sigh.

the grounds

hey, see that? this is the sesame street resort! it says so right there!

too bad this sign is a lie. it is outright lying to you. it is saying, "you think this is the sesame street resort, but you are wrong, because i am lying." just sayin'.

they have giant chess though. that's pretty cool, i guess.

if it wasn't 95 degrees with 100% humidity, i would'a been able to show kev wassup.

'cause all i did in high school was smoke cloves, drink buckets of black coffee, and play chess.

'cause i was cool like that.

i could'a shown kev that chess is my thang. that i rule at chess.

but it was just too dang hot. oh well.

the pirates island waterpark

the waterpark was a kiddie favorite, that's for certain.

just the right size for our tots, and the lazy river was a welcome change of pace for the grown-ups too.

here's kev assuming the position. someone please remind this man that we are at a family resort.

here's the lil' one.

there's my big boy.

here's a very rare glimpse of paul's skin actually coming in contact with water.

group shot.

how lucky is our little casey to have all these handsome gents around to protect her from harm?

what a lucky gal.

though she likes to remind me that she can take care of herself, thank you very much.

it sure is nice though. just in case.

sesame street breakfast

scheduling an activity at 8 a.m. while on vacation probably isn't the brightest idea i've ever had... (as you can see, we rushed out of our room so quickly the boy was shoeless. nice.)

even at merely 8 a.m. it was hot as blazes. think these poor guys in their giant character suits are well-compensated? i certainly hope so!

bert was just insanely tall. this picture does absolutely no justice. i completely understand brendan's reaction here.

and the lil' girl's reaction here.

abby-cadabby. never heard of her.

grover must've been overwhelmed by all the tiny asian people. he kept raising his hands like, "what do i do? what do i do?" his handlers kept trying to get this one adopted chinese girl to join our group in the photos. it was so chaotic and confusing. "SHE'S NOT WITH US WE SAID!!!!!!!!" poor family.

elmo was definitely the superstar of the group. "ELMO!!ELMO!!ELLLLMOOOOO!!!!!" mass hysteria.

zoe. never heard of her. what happened to big bird? must've had the day off... (if you're wondering why kev's chest is exposed so provocatively at a children's breakfast, you're not alone.)

nobody ate any breakfast as i recall. and it was all over in 20 minutes, but the kids had a memorable time, and that's always enough. good times.

adults only

we did actually manage a couple nights of grown-up time, believe it or not.

since the children's club was universally declared by our group as inadequate for animals, let alone our precious children, we opted for private childcare in our rooms.

and because the squeaky wheel always gets the grease, all nanny fees were eventually comped. remember this lesson, boys and girls.

here is activities-coordinator saesim showing us how he has mapped out our pubcrawl to maximize efficiency and fluidity of movement.

who's that?

mamacitas.

anybody who can get kev to button his shirt has got my mad props.

after which i lose track and give up documentation.

we walked into club liquid only to realize that everyone was literally a third our age and officially repulsed by our presence. good times.

mas manana...

more tomorrow...

the beach: day 1

a little overzealous with the sunblock SPF 100 on the first day.

sang-mi looking like she enjoys sand.

she does not.

the watermelon is wholly acceptable, however.

and gomo is a close second.

all-inclusive water sports.

fo & i went paddle-boating. we look relaxed, but we were seriously huffing and puffing. ha!

paul showing off his newly-acquired physique. thank you for skipping the weigh-in, boys, i owe you one!

the first day was slightly overcast and cool, which we would come to realize was hugely taken for granted.

he's going to kill me, but oh well! so sekshi.

the digs

the italian village @ beaches turks. why the villages are named for random countries, we will never know.

our cabana, second from the left. the very same that mr. boozer and family occupied our day of departure. just missed him! and apparently shaq was there the week before us. poor timing.

room, middle archways on top. not bad.

ocean view?

a little better on the entry-side. hmph.

master.

living.

kids.

pool cabana.

i believe this is supposed to be a person.

well, thank you.

beach cabana.

how may i assist you, mr. and mrs. amh? and that concludes this portion of turks 2009: the digs.

PDX - ATL - PLS

10:35 pm/ on time for delayed departure on delta red-eye to atlanta. the boy is made honorary TSA agent. response unfavorable as kev repeatedly refers to him as agent shim in loud, obnoxious voice while people in terminals attempt sleep.

11:00 pm/ getting ready to board. little one in la-la land. that is her father's nose, for the record. i remain blameless.

6:45 am/ arrival ATL. breakfast and terminal time.

9:00 am/ look who's here?!

1:25 pm/ arrival PLS, providenciales, turks & caicos. the humidity is suffocating, can you see it?

1:50 pm/ shuttle to resort. hallelujah, we made it in one piece!

carlos boozer

teaser

i swear i'm coming back soon!

general disconnect

i finished watching revolutionary road a couple hours ago, and now, i can't sleep. and i have a bad taste in my mouth. i am deeply disturbed. why, exactly, do filmmakers feel like they haven't succeeded unless they've deeply disturbed you in some way? what happened to happy endings?

the lil' girl has been waking up in a terror in the middle of the night for several weeks now. i wonder what is disturbing her precious sleep. her cries curdle my blood and my goosebumps stand at attention. frozen, i wonder if i should go to her or if she will quiet herself back to bed.

the boy made the birdhouse pictured. it survived an afternoon, and to my knowledge, was home to no bird during that time. nonetheless, i was profoundly touched and filled with motherly pride when he showed me his handiwork. upon closer inspection, however, i noticed several markings on the dilapidated structure, including what appeared to be a cross.

tell me, do even birds need houses of prayer these days? what is this world coming to?

it's all very ironic and correlational, my thoughts today. very disturbing, indeed.

running in place

sneak peek from our memorial day weekend. did you enjoy yours?

it is 12:59 a.m. the hamster runs dutifully on his squeaky wheel. it almost sounds as if someone is running a nail over and over on a piece of glass. kind of creepy, especially at this hour. he is resilient. unceasing. perhaps serving to remind me that summer approaches at warp speed. time to get on the wheel myself. in exactly one month i will be in the caribbean, knock on wood.

the boy's 6th birthday will be celebrated in grand fashion this weekend. it's busy around here. like a dutiful hamster i will unveil the minutiae when i return in a few days. have a fabulous week/end. ciao!

when sharpies attack

first you cut your own hair...

then you set your hamster loose and he took a 20 minute vacation...

and now your hand is going to be a vile green for the rest of the month.

and that was just this week. what am i going to do with you?

goings-on

- the sun. it's here. after 200 straight days without it, it has come to us. i cannot begin to describe how orgasmic sunshine and breeze makes me feel.

- yesterday i wore shorts for the first time since last summer. it was not good.

- there is a giant rodent living in my laundry room as of last night. a good friend gave us a hamster she described to me as "small". i realize, now, that terms of measurement are vastly relative.

- i think i'm going to take up gardening. 

- i think i'm going to take up hockey.

- i think i average about 7 loads of laundry a week. this seems absurdly much. is it normal?

- watched the movie adaptation of doubt over the weekend and was completely bowled over by meryl streep. she is one scary biznatch. i'm a believer.

- patiently awaiting the release of public enemies. come to mama, johnny.

- someone asked me the other day if my eyebrows are tattooed. it sounded like a compliment, but...

- it's like the time a greasy dude at goodwill volunteered to be my man. it's not all that complimentary, sorry.

- nothing like baby raybans to put a spring back into my step, though.

it ain't broke

ok, so, let's just forget about yesterday. it was a total false alarm.

well, not total, but... it's just too early to tell. let's not jump the gun here.

for the record- we are not trying. you just don't mess with a good thing. though i gotta say, it could be fun, no?

@ l.a. zoo, feb 2009

close call

yes?

no?

going with the no.

status update 1:04 a.m. PST

Sonia is

... savoring the silence.

... craving homemade bread with butter.

... wondering where all these zits are coming from.

... regretting having over-tweezed my brows. again.

... missing her mom.

... wishing i didn't have to get out of bed to pee right now.

... cursing this frigid pacific northwestern weather.

... reading to combat seasonal depression.

... dreaming of blue skies and tranquil seas. turks in 39 days.

... holy mother, TURKS IN THIRTY-NINE DAYS.

... forcing her ass to the gym in a few hours. damn.

... contemplating ways to get out of going to the gym in a few hours. none.

... hitting the hay after realizing futility. goodnight.

40 days + 40 nights

how come nothing's happening?

my favorite time of year

it's that time of year again.

spring dress time.

we kinda look forward to spring dress time.

hello?... ladies?... would it be too much to ask for just one picture together?

hello?

hello?

hmph.

happenings...musings...of the day

- if i never see a another drop of rain it'll be too soon...

- to homeschool or not to homeschool?

- highlight of the day: the big box from amazon. korean language workbook and distar method book included. geek alert!

- my SIL and niece alyssa arrive this afternoon.

- my CILBM (cousin-in-law-by-marriage?) arrives a few days afterward.

- i want a ukulele.

- i want to learn how to play a ukulele.

- i have resolved to buy myself flowers on occasion. worth every penny.

- casseroles = yum

- to kill a mockingbird was so good.

- did anyone else notice that the protagonist in where the red fern grows is crying every other page? get over yourself!

- without having ever read the two aforementioned books, i majored an english and walked away with a degree to boot. the american school system, i tell ya.

- going on three months vegetarian. i like it.

- the kids want a rabbit. i don't think so.

- i had my hair chopped and dyed blacker than black.

- i miss vania.

we've got a loose tooth, people! wonder what the tooth fairy's got in store for this ol' chap. (what's the going rate these days anyway?) i slaved over this wonky pillow trying to make it look half as nice as this gorgeous one here. hand skills, people, hand skills. this is what separates the geniuses from us mere mortals. i bow down. 

years and years ago, my dad would go hiking at griffith park on sundays, and occasionally, my sister and i would join him. griffith park, to me, is the observatory and the greek theater. imagine my surprise in discovering a little gem known as train town nestled on the other side of the where i used to spend many childhood days. there since 1948- i had no idea!

adjacent to train town is the real crowning glory- the pony rides.

this is not your typical ponies-tied-to-a-may-pole pony ride. at griffith park there is an actual track, the size you might find at your local public school. $3 gets you two times around. it's great!

an additional perk is that there are 3 different speeds of pony available. slow, medium, and FAAAAAST. unfortunately you have to be 7 years old to ride the latter. my kids did one turn at the slowest speed and quickly realized that slow is for the birds. medium it was!

as you can see, the boy had a hard time appreciating the smells commonly associated with these poor creatures. the girl, on the other hand, we all know that she is somewhat...how do you say...nasally challenged. pony poo smell? no problem!

 
stop shaking your head, kev. he got over it eventually! and this would probably be a good time to tell you that my husband once came to this pony ride when he was a child some 20+ years ago. the very same! only he was such a 'fraidy cat he cried the entire time, and his dad had to rescue him from those big, bad, scary 3-foot ponies.

ah, memories...

i really don't know where to begin, so we'll just make our way to the beach.

this is santa monica. a tad on the chilly side that day, but the kids couldn't resist frolicking in the waves. all fun and games until auntie grace spotted a dark, looming mass in the water! which is precisely when they all scrambled back to shore, of course! the rest of the afternoon was spent trying to determine what the mysterious mass could have been. verdict- killer whale.

i love these little jokers.

that seagull you see right there though? what a first class as*hole. he tormented me for 2 hours straight. pecking my belongings and searching in vain for nonexistent cracker crumbs on my shoes. i wanted to kick his bony little bird butt. at one point he took a crap an inch from my blanket just to prove what an as*hole he is. i will never forget that maniacal face...

grrrrr... you almost ruined my day you nasty bird.

almost.

wiggly wobbly

we've got a loose tooth, people! wonder what the tooth fairy's got in store for this ol' chap. (what's the going rate these days anyway?) i slaved over this wonky pillow trying to make it look half as nice as this gorgeous one here. hand skills, people, hand skills. this is what separates the geniuses from us mere mortals. i bow down. 

ride 'em

years and years ago, my dad would go hiking at griffith park on sundays, and occasionally, my sister and i would join him. griffith park, to me, is the observatory and the greek theater. imagine my surprise in discovering a little gem known as train town nestled on the other side of the where i used to spend many childhood days. there since 1948- i had no idea!

adjacent to train town is the real crowning glory- the pony rides.

this is not your typical ponies-tied-to-a-may-pole pony ride. at griffith park there is an actual track, the size you might find at your local public school. $3 gets you two times around. it's great!

an additional perk is that there are 3 different speeds of pony available. slow, medium, and FAAAAAST. unfortunately you have to be 7 years old to ride the latter. my kids did one turn at the slowest speed and quickly realized that slow is for the birds. medium it was!

as you can see, the boy had a hard time appreciating the smells commonly associated with these poor creatures. the girl, on the other hand, we all know that she is somewhat...how do you say...nasally challenged. pony poo smell? no problem!

 
stop shaking your head, kev. he got over it eventually! and this would probably be a good time to tell you that my husband once came to this pony ride when he was a child some 20+ years ago. the very same! only he was such a 'fraidy cat he cried the entire time, and his dad had to rescue him from those big, bad, scary 3-foot ponies.

ah, memories...

ah, los angeles

i really don't know where to begin, so we'll just make our way to the beach.

this is santa monica. a tad on the chilly side that day, but the kids couldn't resist frolicking in the waves. all fun and games until auntie grace spotted a dark, looming mass in the water! which is precisely when they all scrambled back to shore, of course! the rest of the afternoon was spent trying to determine what the mysterious mass could have been. verdict- killer whale.

i love these little jokers.

that seagull you see right there though? what a first class as*hole. he tormented me for 2 hours straight. pecking my belongings and searching in vain for nonexistent cracker crumbs on my shoes. i wanted to kick his bony little bird butt. at one point he took a crap an inch from my blanket just to prove what an as*hole he is. i will never forget that maniacal face...

grrrrr... you almost ruined my day you nasty bird.

almost.