One Semester of Spanish Love Song...

Uno, dos, tres...

Living Vicariously Through Others...

I'm actually a frightening person. Ok, not too threatening. Just mildly psychotic. It's how I survive. My husband says I don't want real life, I want perfection. This, I suppose, explains my love for old movies and 1950's sitcoms.

When I was younger, a family friend thought I should be an actress when I grew up. When I asked her why, she said, "Because you are always pretending to be someone else." Hmmm. As a kid I had this picture on my dressing table…

…fine and dandy, except I used to pretend Clark Gable and Carole Lombard were my real parents. As a teenager I was fixated on Princess Diana and Gone with the Wind. In my early twenties, I'd walk around the track at BYU giving imaginary interviews to Barbara Walters about my "relationship" with JFK Jr. And up to a few days before my wedding, I had an ENORMOUS poster of Brad Pitt on my closet door.

But marriage and three kids have been a major reality check. In fact, nothing gets your feet on the ground faster than a mortgage, runny noses and homework deadlines. Oh, I'm still living vicariously through others. However, these days my fantasies revolve around things like a clean house, an empty laundry hamper and landscaping. I dream about developing Tanya's organizational skills, acquiring LJ's culinary sense, and I just plain covet Joan's beautiful front yard. But good things come to those who wait, right?

So, I’m not walking down the red carpet, I’m cleaning it. But real life, it turns out, suits me just fine. At the end of the day, I have three kids who wrap their arms around me and bestow the most delicious hugs. I love being a mom. And I'm pretty sure that's not just because some days I walk around pretending to be June Cleaver.

Waaaay cuter than Mr. Pitt...

Off and running...

Just like big brother and sister, fourteen months seems to be the time when my kids start to walk. He's a bit wobbly and starts off in the most hilarious crab crawl most of the time.

A Significant Birthday...

…that is what my former (notice I didn't say old) roommate is having this week. At least that is what she called it on her blog. I think it’s a handy euphemism. “significant” is much nicer than, say, “overwhelming,” “momentous,” “epic,” …you get the idea.

I, quite frankly, can’t believe she’s any older than when I last saw her. In the pictures I’ve seen, she looks exactly the same—even better. I can’t believe it’s been over 18 years. I don’t feel any older.

All those years ago, she was the mature one in the apartment. She had the full time job and the full time boyfriend. He became her full time husband in short order. I’d entertain you with some of the stories from those days, but I’d come off looking incredibly immature…and stupid.

So…HAPPY SIGNIFICANT BIRTHDAY BEC-STER! (I’ll be joining you in a few months…ahem).

After the pudding fight

(hey...do you guys still do this??)

It's the MOST wonderful time of the year...

My children's lives have been spared again by the very timely beginning of the school year. I think all of the mothers in my neighborhood gave a collective sigh of relief (really...you could hear its echo at about 9:20 on Monday morning). My neighbor across the street has been cheerfully shouting out the countdown for the past few weeks.

We had a fabulous summer...long hours spent in the sun, countless popsicles consumed, a steady stream of friends and cousins playing in the water and on the swingset. The kids did great, were great. But all good things must come to an end. And there was something in the air last week. Melt downs and arguments erupted to such a degree that I truly feared for my sanity. Then...TA DA! just in the nick-of-time...our school district delievered relief at 9:15 Monday morning! SO my kids were, literally, saved by the bell.

Eight years ago today was LABOR DAY! for Aunt Yvette.

Happy Birthday, Ari! It's great to be EIGHT!

I'm sure your kids are saints during church on Sunday. Mine need a little coaxing in that department. Below are some links that save me on a weekly basis. The Highlights page has printable hidden pictures...my kids love 'em. The Family Fun site has mazes, word searches and puzzles that are good for kids that can read.

www.highlightskids.com

http://familyfun.go.com/printables/games/

http://www.free-online-word-search-puzzles.com/kids.htm

A couple of days ago I unearthed a box of old video tapes--old movies I had taped years and years and years ago. I was kind of excited. So last night I popped one in. My husband was in the same room on the computer, deeply involved in what surely must have been an intellectually challenging game of hearts. About 10 minutes into the movie, he stopped playing and swung around in the chair to watch. After a few more minutes I heard kind of a grunty, "Hmm." He kept watching. After a few more minutes he said, "Hey, this seems like it has quality. What's this called again?" Boom Town. Pretty soon he'd moved over to sit next to me on the couch, remarking on the cleverness of the dialogue.

I like old movies, especially comedies from the 1940's and 50's. There is clever dialogue and innuendo that relies on skillful writing and timing rather than bare skin and marathon lip locks. And the people are just so beautiful. One of my absolute favorites is The Philadelphia Story, starring Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn--which combines all the elements listed above.

Anyway--we enjoyed the movie and it brought my husband out of his computer induced coma.

On My Soap Box Again...

I've cooled down a bit. I started composing a fire-and-brimstone-pulpit-pounding post about the evils of the media after hearing that the major television networks released a statement in opposition to ALL indecency laws (oh, I can feel the fire rising again!). So instead of lecturing you, I'll just direct you to the website for the Parents Television Council...an excellent resource for any thinking person who doesn't want an electronic box in the family room teaching your kids values. Their website contains great information and very easy ways to contact your legislative representatives, network presidents and ADVERTISING executives (you know...those folks who fund the garbage on TV--if you are still watching).

Warning: this information is useless unless you use it. Yes...that is a challenge.

www.parentstv.org
(their link is to the right if you want to just click and go)

I came upstairs the other day and heard the rustling of pages and Katie intermittently muttering words like, "Hmmm...Ewww!...Ick...Mmmm." I turned the corner to find her kicking back on our bed with her nose in a cook book. It was Ina Garten: Barefoot Contessa Parties! Maybe I'm raising a foodie! This was the conversation we had...

Me: What are you doing?

Katie: Planning my birthday party.

Me: Really? What are we having?

Katie: This...(furrows her brow) Mom, what is this?

Me (looking at the page): Rugelach (I'm sure I slaughtered the pronunciation)

Katie: Not cim-a-nun rolls?

Me: Nope. They're called Rugelach.

Katie stopped to think for a minute.

Kate: Mom... I think you're wrong.

What else is new?

RUGELACH!

A Pox upon YE, er, me

It started with a little pink dot on his neck. Then there were two. Then there were five. In my mother’s zeal I ripped apart Josh’s room and attacked it with Ortho’s Home Defense. I was intent on annihilating the offending spider that had the nerve to bite my baby. The next morning, Josh had a few more bites. I tore apart his bed, turned the mattress and washed everything in hot water…twice. After a restless night, where I more or less shared a twin bed with him, Josh woke up covered in angry red spots and I had none. Bug bites? Nope. Saturday morning we got the diagnoses. My little guy has the chicken pox!

We’ve been stymied as to how he could have contracted it. Jared and Katie have been immunized…isn’t everybody these days? Then Saturday evening we were talking. About a month ago I tore apart Jared’s room, intent on annihilating the offending spider that had the nerve to bite my boy. A few more bites showed up and I washed everything in hot water…twice. Hmm, I’m seeing a pattern here. We figure Jared must have had them first at the beginning of July. Josh has been incubating ever since. Jared’s case was very mild and everything cleared up quickly. Josh hasn’t had his immunization yet and is covered head to toe.

He’s doing ok, all things considered. He’s as active as ever (why does God program kids that way? Doesn’t He know mom’s need some down time—especially when kids are sick?) but a little grouchy and clingy thanks to what must be very itchy skin. His fever is down and some of the dots are starting to fade. He looks fabulous in calamine lotion and sleeps pretty well after those midnight shots of benadryl. Ain't motherhood grand?

Ummm…my apologies to all the cousins we've likely exposed to the chicken pox at both of our family reunions this summer.

War Paint