Toad, Sue, Roo & Boo Radley

play by play of a summer day

2011-06-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

Oh summer you have been so good to us.

We had a great Monday. I slipped out of bed at 8:45 this morning and the girls were still snoozing. What?! Yes! They are usually elbow deep in a pint of ice cream (they have short fore arms, don't mock them) with two episodes of the Cosby Show under their belt by the time I roll out, so today, I woke up feeling like a truly successful parent. I got ready in a flash and was nothing but smiles when our neighbor-gem-of-a-babysitter Clara showed up at 9 to feed, discipline and play tag with the girls while I went to work for a bit and lunch with Tom at an upscale Subway by the juvenile detention center. When I got home the girls and our beloved Clara surprised me with a clean living room and kitchen and a bundt cake decorated with blue sprinkles and candles arranged in the shape of a 4 and a 1. I was slightly confused and hurt that they thought it was my birthday and more importantly that they thought I was 41--but hey, it's cake, so I was over it and ready for my slice when Tess explained that it was a Mavs cake and the 41 was in honor of Dirk. So we had cake and ice cream for lunch (my second lunch) and the girls detailed the fun they had without me; Skyping with Granda, Eva and Ben, working the surprise, math workbooks, candyland marathons etc... We walked Clara home and took some cake over to our other much loved neighbor Rodney and relished in the flow of an easy summer day. So good.

The rest of the afternoon was spent swimming and at music lessons. Tess learned a new song, Separate Ways by Journey. Adelle and Tess spent the evening dramatically dancing to that very same song on repeat as Tom and I cooked up some burgers and my new favorite salad copied from a restaurant we went to last Saturday (arugula, beets, oranges, and goat cheese all tossed with a lemon vinaigrette--yum). For family night, we watched God in America while playing Set. When the girls went off to bed Tom and I caught a little Daily Show and then Tom finally dozed off while I made it my mission to end the Frida Kahlo eyebrow thing I've had going on this last week.

The days are so full and so good.

summer morns

2011-06-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

Summer is on.

So happy to have relaxed mornings and random cuddles in pjs till noon.

The girls woke me up this morning begging to watch the 25th anniversary special of Les Miserable. I told them they could watch it if they made breakfast for me.

Deal.

Don't forget the bon bons!

Ms. Tess

2011-06-02T04:58:00.000-07:00

Oh today I'm a weepy mess. Tonight is Tess's "Moving On Ceremony" which is a little event for the 19 third graders leaving her school this year. She, along with all her third grade friends, will give a little speech (see Tess's speech below) and sing a little song and say goodbye to their friends and teachers and their happy little sheltered lives in this school with stained glass windows in an idyllic park setting and move on to schools with lockers and cafeterias and where there are kids going through puberty.

Tess is soo ready and I am sooo not.

Tess gets to accompany the elementary kids singing on this massive grand piano tonight. She has been busy making sweet notes for her teachers and classmates, some she has been in same class with for the last five years. It's hard to express how completely grateful I am to my little village of friends, parents and teachers that have all contributed to the growth and development of my sweet girl. I am so happy with the beautiful person she is, the respect and love she can so easily show to others because she has received that type of care from these good people. My keyboard is all soggy.

Good evening. My name is Tess. I came to Lindsley Park Community School when I was four years old. Now I am nine years old. When I was in primary, my teachers – Mrs. Maria and Mrs. Brenda – were very helpful to me when it came to math work. My favorite material in Mrs. Maria’s class was the taster. I liked it because I got to taste a lot of different things and I had to tell which one was bitter, sweet, sour, etc. I felt terrible when I had to leave Mrs. Maria’s class but my sorrows were soon to be cleared up. I was six years old when I met the wonderful teachers Mrs. Brisbon and Ms. Gabby. My first year in their class my friends were Skyla French, Wilary Ramos Lugo, Nitai Naidu, Justin Arellano, Robert Gonzalez, and Oscar Cepeda. My favorite work was the stamp game. I liked it because I got to move some stamps. One of my favorite memories from first grade was a field day we had. It was only Mrs. Brisbon’s class. We walked to a park with our lunches and we played some games. My favorite was the egg toss even though I dropped the egg. When I was in second grade all my classmates were my friends. My teachers were still Mrs. Brisbon and Mrs. Gabby. My favorite work was the grammar boxes because I had to choose which one was the adjective or the pronoun or the preposition, etc. Mrs. Brisbon gave me lots of new lessons and so did Mrs. Gabby. Some field trips I remember were the red court house, the museum of nature and science, the trinity river, and the planetarium. Then something absolutely terrible happened. Mrs. Brisbon told us that she was leaving the school. It sounded terrible. Eventually, I stopped crying but I never got over it. When I moved on to third grade my teachers were Mrs. Toni and Mrs. Gabby. I had all my classmates as my friends. My favorite work was the Racks and Tubes because I could pretend like I was a scientist. My favorite memories from third grade were the holiday parties. I would like to show my appreciation to Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Gwen, Mrs. Toni, Mrs. Gabby, my parents, my sister, my friends, and Mrs. Brisbon. Thank you very much and once again, good evening.

girl and her bike

2011-04-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Adelle learned to ride her bike in about 5 minutes without her parents while playing at a friends house.

Since then it is hard to keep her off her two wheeler. She prefers to ride bare foot and helmetless so she feel the wind in her hair. I usually do force her to wear a helmet but not when the sun is setting on her beautiful blonde hair.

Just being around this girl makes me feel free.

good saturdays

2011-04-19T00:50:00.000-07:00

The best part about this performance was when Tess dedicated her song to her Dad.

She was the first one to perform that evening and feeling a little nervous so Tom was trying some of his very Tom-esque way of calming her pre-performance nerves (a little gentle reverse psychology/sarcasm)

Tess: I'm nervous. I don't think I can do this. Can we just go?

Tom: Really? You're nervous? I guess we don't really know if you can sing well or not so that makes sense that you are nervous. We know that I sing well, but you're right we aren't sure if you do.

Tess: eyes roll, annoyance peaks, she is called up to sing

Tess had never dedicated a song before that night and gave us no indication that she was planning on it. We then heard..."testing, testing, 1, 2...Okay, I'd like to dedicate this song, to my Dad...because he can't sing."

Oh snap.

Tom was so proud.

My brothers, one in particular, provided me with a healthy dose of sarcasm my whole life which I think actually served me well (although painful at times). I am grateful to them and love them for it. Somehow in the moment of Tess's unsolicited dedication I feel extremely comforted that she was well on her way, at the early age of 9, of holding her own in any setting. She is beautifully sensitive and sharp.

today

2011-03-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

At this point, I'm not sure I even remember how to blog...regardless, I want to type a word or two for today.

It's spring break in Texas and I am savoring this extra time with my little ladies; lounging around the house and riding bikes up and down our street and on the newly finished trail to the lake. I worked on some origami with Adelle this afternoon--so happy that my girls are still in the phase where they looked at me with awe and appreciation when I presented them with my rather sad, mutilated version of the classic origami crane.

Tonight at the grocery store Tess randomly hugged me and looking up at me, smiling, she softly told me she loved me and asked if I was doing okay. Later, as we were settling down for the night, I could hear her laughing to herself as she read Shel Silverstein's "Falling Up" out loud. Adelle has mastered biking on her two wheeler in the last few days and she is rarely seen without a helmet. I love that she still wants me to read with her each night and I can never get over how easily she picks up on sarcasm or irony and how quickly and beautifully she laughs.

It's been a good day. Simple and so good.

father's day

2010-06-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

month-o-may

2010-06-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

beachy friends trip

mothers day--a lazy pj morning full of creme brulee french toast, the nyt and Young Victoria viewing.

bike riding and crashing

and of course, the eternal begging for her own room

my friend linney

2010-02-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

As the saying goes... everybody loves Linney. And on this fine day of her birth I would like to share my love for Lindsay Waters the III by posting some of my favorite pics of this good person, dear friend and "sports buddy."

Remarkably, young Linnah was able to stay humble and real despite bring raised in the upper echelons of Mapleton society...

although an occasional stylish portrait was allowed for posterity sake.

Winston served as a loyal companion. You are missed Winston.

During high school, Lindsay was able to balance the rigors of SHS's fiercely demanding academic classes and an active social calendar with ease.

Also during high school I flirted with her boyfriends (except the italian gangster) and she later kissed my would be hubby (or so he claims). Remember these offensive shirts?

There was a short hermit-ish time at USU as roommates.

Then the European motley crew.

We even tried to end all our woes with a Nutella suicide. I'm so glad we didn't succeed and I can be here to wish you a fabulous 33.

Happy Birthday good buddy!

roo

2010-02-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

wants to...

listen exclusively to David Bowie tunes

be home schooled so she can properly focus on her writing, costume designing, composing & singing

be a vegetarian (except for bacon, pepperoni and steak)

little boo

2010-02-23T06:20:00.000-08:00

thankful for...
hand-me-down cowgirl boots from good friends
bellies
dancey little girls

my valentines

2010-02-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

This weekend we celebrated...

a record amount of Dallas snow

Tess's b-day (a month and a half after the date)

6 layers of love cake

Some people have birthday cake because they have kids but I have kids so I have more excuses for birthday cake. Heidi helped me with this one, she made the two strawberry layers and the delish fresh strawberry-butter-cream-cheese frosting. I made the dark chocolate and vanilla layers and polished off a large jar of Nutella lathering between each layer.

& a valentiney-Beatles-luv-themed concert in Deep Ellum

Tess as the vocals and playing the keyboard for "She's a Woman" by the Beatles. She was especially awesome.

The final valentine's note, this weekend Tom and I were playing Catch Phrase with some friends, (boys against girls) when his teammate gave the clue "this is what your wife does to you." Tom immediately rattled off "belittle, berate, humiliate." I'm still laughing over this as his intial reaction to what I do to him...but despite the belittlement I think Tom is hot and he is my favorite valentine.

sisterly affection

2010-02-09T22:36:00.000-08:00

Nearly every evening, when it is time to turn out the lights, Tess becomes very chatty and begins reciting her reflections on the day as well as any latent fears of natural disasters, future travel plans and declarations of well know facts (e.g., jets are faster than passenger planes). While Tess lists her worries out loud, Adelle is always shouting out from across the room the unsolicited solution to whatever is vexing Tess. Last night, Tess was telling me how much she misses me in the middle of the school day and how hard it is to wait four whole hours once she is feeling that way.

me--"Ahhh I miss you too honey, but I'm so proud of how well you are doing in school and we can be together and read a book or play the wii right when school is out okay."

Tess--"Can you get a job at the school and be my teacher? Then you could be there when I need you, the other kids wouldn't make fun of me or bother me if you were there.

Adelle--(laying in her bed, causally) "Tess just tell 'em to go to hell...(turning over on her side, back towards me and Tess, yawning) that's where they're going anyways if they make fun of you."

me-- (mouth open staring at the back of Adelle's head)

Tess--(continues, as usual, ignores her little sister's advice) I've tried to be friends with everyone they just don't like me.

Adelle--(sits up in her bed, one hand gesturing towards Tess) Teeeessssss! There is always hope Tess...there is always hope.

They wanted their own beds sooo much but most nights I find them cuddled up in one

chocolate

2010-02-09T08:57:00.001-08:00

Adelle's been making a lot of potions lately, which means she gets in the cupboard and spice jars and mixes whatever with whatever until her potion bottle is good and muddy. Yesterday I found her shoulder deep in the unsweetened cocoa powder rubbing it all over her arms and legs...

me--"Adelle! What are you doing?!"

Deli-- "Mom, don't you looove how chocolate feels on your skin?! It's sooo soft. I know I made a mess but I love it, it feels sooo good!"

I teared up realizing just how mother-and-daugthery we are.

whatz up

2009-12-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo list of what's been happening in our lives...

the pLaY

both the girls are in the play of the Best Christmas Pageant Ever

at Dallas Children's Theatre

with 18 performances and separate cast call times, it's confirmed, I am truly nuts

and even though you might find Adelle looking bored and picking her nose on stage they both seem to love it

the girls with their thespian buddy Ava

also we've been...

drinking loads of hot chocolate (it's been so cold lately)

swimming

posing

loosing multiple teeth

receiving annoying letters from the tooth fairy who is conveniently on our side of the I-want-my-own-room debate

welcoming long awaited grandma visits

rockin' out at Tess's piano concert... she was pretty totally awesome

and yes I have ridiculous over-scheduling issues

a day home from schoolio

2009-11-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

Parent teacher conferences gave us a much needed day of chillin' out.

French toast with whipped cream and syrup, hot chocolate with chocolate to dip in the hot chocolate, pajamas, books and getting cozy all day!

fall afternoons

2009-11-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

swinging

dressing up

chalk boarding

what have I done

2009-08-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

I start teaching dance to Tess and Adelle's classes at their school today. I'm a little nervous to teach 24 1st-3rd graders. I just have to keep reminding myself how good I am at making a fool of myself, then I feel much more calm about everything. Adelle's class will be all 5 year olds and there should only be about 12 of them. Phheeewww! Here are some pics from this summers dance class taken by the fabulous Granda.

small

2009-08-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

The online magazine Small has long been a source of creative inspiration for me. A few months ago my friend Candace introduced me to another cool Dallasite, Christine. While we were all getting to know each other, Candance casually mentioned that Christine was the creator and co-editor of Small. I tried to act cool, like I meet creative superstars everyday, but the nervousness made my tongue and brain swell so I ended up mumbling inept attempts at flattery until Christine had to politely excuse herself from the incoherent conversation. Anyway, I love Small and I am so excited about this gem of an article.

And this fun little nugget on page 82.

my daily dose of drama

2009-08-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

Tess's dream...

an upstairs and her own room.

The hate mail I receive when she is casually denied her dreams.

if I could do it again...

2009-08-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

this is how I would like to redo my wedding.

Come ON! Oh the happiness! Tell me you are not chair dancin' right now.

oh so beachy

2009-07-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

If you step out my door and drive a short 4.5 hours in a south east-ish direction you might run into a little "village" called Surfside. Don't tell anyone about it--a small, unhurried, and relaxing beachy marvel. We got our summer ON in this simple place. I want to run away there at least 15 times a year and make multiple week-long stays in the summer.

we stayed in A-frame #4

with these fun people

Margret, Candace, Johnathon (and Lydia not pictured...yet)

we brought home 853 of these

discussed Nietzche and U2 in the sunset

practiced the ancient art of sand texting

exfoliated my Skousen legs...similar to females in Lake Wobegon, Skousen women are strong and their legs come in a nice uni-sex, one-size-fits-all-man size

used the ocean breeze to fly a kite (this is Lydia)

competed in inter tube kite flying

braved the waves

hunted for crabs

and found one

rehearsed a watery death (Tess and Lydia, inspired by Anne of Green Gables/Tennyson)

snoozed with Harry Potter

and did all thing summer in just three fabulous days

you are the daughter of the sea

you are the daughter of the sea, oregano's first cousin. Swimmer, your body is pure as the water; cook, your blood is quick as the soil. Everything you do is full of flowers, rich with the earth. Your eyes go out toward the water, and the waves rise; your hands go out to the earth and the seeds swell; you know the deep essence of water and the earth, conjoined in you like a formula for clay.
--Pablo Neruda

*now taking reservations for friends and family beach visits

and Deli turned five... a few months ago

2009-05-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

first five photos by Candace Moss

photo by Candace Moss

today

2009-01-06T23:03:00.000-08:00

After spending 8 hours in a courtroom waiting to testify for a case with my shiny new job, I was told I had to return yet another day. I came home with a thick Texas accent (long discussions with fellow Texan witnesses started to rub off on me) and a serious longing for someone to nag or whine at me. I was left wanting...instead Delberd came running up to me with the largest hug she could manage and a "why do you have to work so much, we never get to be with you anymore." Tess was busy in her room doing a lyrical dance to a Chronicles of Narnia CD so I snuck in and surprised her. She jumped in my arms all smiley and kissey and told me that she missed me too. Oh happy day. My mom had taken the girls along with the dog walking and everyone was in a perfectly mellow mood. We had a little dinner and read some books and then Tess slipped off into the dinning room and instructed me not to follow her. So I read Adelle some ancient anonymous poem about manners and she whispered, mostly breathed, in my ear something about wanting to put a sign up at her birthday party that says "people who don't have good manners, who pick their ears or their nostrils will be thrown out." I reminded her that she may be disqualifying herself from her own party and she laughed like I was really funny (which always makes me feel great about myself, thank you Adelle). This is when Tess snuck in and told me I could not go into the dining room for any reason until tomorrow. Anyone who knows the vastness of my house knows it's difficult to go anywhere in the house without going through the dining room so I eventually cheated and went to check out her surprise.

When Tom finally got home from work, he disappeared temporarily in the house and then reemerged with the concern that I go talk to Tess and Adelle immediately. When I got into the girl's room he had brought me a dinner plate sized spelt brownie and put and big white taper candle in the middle of it. The girls were sitting up in bed holding it and chanting "Make a wish! Make a wish!"

I love birthday eves.

While typing this Tom is sleeping behind me. All the sudden I hear a snapping sound...it's Tom and he is sleep snapping. He then sits up in bed and asks me to pull his toe. The request is quickly followed with a sleepily napoleon-dynamite "never mind!" and then he lays back down and continues sleeping. Ahhh, the sweet random moments of life.

Here are some pics from my b-day.

Typically, for my birthday, I force loved ones to take a picture with me--some handle it better then others.

birthday love

2009-01-03T00:25:00.001-08:00

hit the road jack

2008-12-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

I figured out how to cure my head cold...

with rock n' roll and pure happiness.

introducing Tess's band
Tess and the Tipettes
wwaaaahhhooooooooaah!

My pride grew three sizes that day.

wwaaaahhhooooooooaah!

up hill both ways, an ode to Tess

2008-10-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

What a sweetheart. Honestly there couldn't be anything better then picking Tess up from school with the scooters.

Here is my new favorite video of Tess.

This clip demonstrates the joy of being with her when she hasn't had her after school snack yet.

This girl is too much fun!

the natural state

2008-10-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we buzzed up to Arkansas.

Anxious for some fall foliage, I quickly spotted something bright and beautiful that I have never seen anywhere else...

red velvet Twinkies.

I still can't believe it. In Arkansas, they have red velvet twinkies.

They are delicious.

Anyway, we stayed at this little place called Hawkins Ranch just outside Mena Arkansas. When I say little, I mean little, not much more then the famed Skousen tumble-weed Ranch in Delta Utah. But we did have...

this view,

a cabin with a metal roof and bunk beds,

(I wanted to take that wire deer silhouette home)

a hill to run down,

smooth rocks with a creek to skip them in and,

(Tom's snobbery is unbridled when it comes to rock skipping. Please, someone challenge him--I have fully disappointed him as competition for his elitist sport.)

horses to startle as we drove through their field on our way to the cabin.

We left Friday morning and managed to do all this,

and still make it back in time for Saturday night's Halloween carnival at our church.

Adelle was so tired she almost swallowed her tongue.

I LOVE road trips!!!

Finally,

2008-10-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

it's time for...

sweaters, jackets and boots oh my!

visits with harry potter

hot baths and being easily amused with soap

and doing EVERYTHING outdoors!

Heat and humidity you have no power over us now!*

*until July

how to celebrate fall

2008-10-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

make fudge

be beautiful

wear layers

cozy up with hand-made grandma love

pick up your six year old from school
in costume

share a carmeled apple with someone
you love

or eat most of it yourself

count pumkins

put too many chocolate chips
in your muffins

be sweet

have a red crush toast to your health

give yourself allergies

hone your spidy skills with a friend

forest gump a field or two

make a dog pillow

ooohhh Austin, don't you cry for me

2008-10-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

If Tom and the girls were fed up with my domestic, maternal and spousal stumblings and they decided to trade me in for one of those hot, mail-order Russian brides, what would I do?

The answer is so clear...trucking.

I'd be a truck driver, or maybe a greyhound bus driver, whatever... as long as it involved the open road.

But luckily, my family adores my faults and my girls are excellent road trippers. So, not only do I get to keep my day job, but I get to take occasional long drives to satisfy the latent trucker in me.

The longing for Austin friends coupled with an unavoidable road trip itch lead us to Austin for a few days. Also Heidi was down in San Marcos (just south of Austin) for a job training week and I've gotten in the habit of following her around, so we really had to head south. I wanted to make sure Heidi had the appropriate amount of fun and I was excited about the fact that her employer had set her up in a posh hotel which we could stay in for free with unlimited Bravo viewing. What better way to celebrate looming economic crisis than a trip on the cheap. I'm sure Heidi regrets inviting Thing 1, 2 & 3 to her quite, tidy hotel but we loved being with her and can't wait to join her for her company retreat in Houston at the end of the month.

The girls and I had breakfast at one of our favorite spots...Magnolia Cafe. This place is cool. The waiters all look like those cool punk kids that work in Urban Outfitters but they aren't snobby and look at you like, "so where is yooour body piercing?....Get out!"

I had a cheese omelet with tasty salsita and a whole wheat buttermilk pancake with pecans baked in and buttery butter melted all over it. Tess had french toast with peanut butter and eggs and Deli had a whole wheat pancake with eggs.

Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!

The best part about Magnolia, not only is it cool and yummy, it's cheap--0ne huge breakfast there and your meals are covered for the day.

friends! friends! friends! friends!

Vienna, Kaleb, Maya, Caleb, Tess, Adelle, Grace, & Chloe

We had a great time being with all our friends. Just as we were getting ready to leave we were sucked in by the National Night Out party at our beloved Brackenridge apartments that we lived in for three years. This was a painful reminder of how life should be. People from all over the world hanging out having tofu hot dogs and chips. There were pony rides, a bounce house and live music on the same stage were we used to do our creative dance performances. I ran into some old friends and neighbors that I haven't seen for years. Some little girls that I used to teach dance to ran up and hugged me and all the sudden I was leaving Austin all over again. I had to call Tom for emotional support. I didn't regain my composure until my friend Nevy picked me up, carried me over to the hot dog tent and fed me.

The car ride home was full of conversations about change.
Tess wailing: "Why did we have to leave Austin? Why, when I get happy, do things have to change?" This led to a comprehensive discussion that included subjects such as, death, divorce, ice cream, fairies, and Florida.

It was nice to come home to Dallas to our wonderful friends here and enjoy a day of tag in the park.

Some things in life are constant, nothing makes you feel as good as...

a nice hair cut and

a sister that has decided (at least for today) you are her best friend.

the deep fat fried texas state fair

2008-10-04T23:56:00.000-07:00

Each year around this time Tom and I apply for a small loan so we can take the girls to the Texas State Fair--the only place on earth you can see a 1212 pound pig and then eat your way into a similar condition, all in one expensive day. Although the state fair activities don't rise much above stupid animal tricks, life threatening carny rides, and food limited to something that is either eaten off a stick or triple fried or both, there is something unmissable about it.

This year Heidi and I took the girls and unlike the last year we did not feel compelled to try all things fried. The list of this year's fair food is included at the end of the post so you can know some of the items that tempted us. Keep in mind, this is not a complete list...just a taste.

Heidi and Delberd on the mini roller coaster. Adelle is finally outgrowing some of her vertigo issues that plagued our Walt Disney World trip last January.

I, on the other hand, not only struggled fitting my J-Lo-ness into the kiddie sized molded seats, but also needed Tess to hold my hand on the up-n-drop kid ride.

The corny dogs are the state fair classic (and Adelle's favorite).

Tess loved the climbing wall. After her first attempt she came down and said with a stomp, "I'm not proud of myself!" She gave it another go, and after climbing much higher came down with a big smile. She was pretty intense about the whole thing so I let her try a third climb, after which she admitted she had regained her pride and dignity.

the Pee-Wee Stampede

After the disappointing Pee-Wee Stampede, Tess was fully annoyed with her little sister. The rub just got worst as Adelle decided to star in her own Celtic rock dance. Her dancing landed her a job as the new Red Bull girl for pre-K promotions--we are so proud.

We did get a few people complimenting us on Deli's dancing ability. I was quick to mention that I have two daughters that are great dancers, one chose to sit it out today.

Chicken Fried Bacon – Thick and peppery bacon is seasoned, double-dipped in a special batter and breading and deep-fried. Served with a creamy side of ranch or honey mustard sauce.
Fried Banana Split – A mixture of banana and honey peanut butter is rolled in balls, battered and deep-fried and topped with assorted, delicious fixings, including powdered sugar, caramel and chocolate syrups, chopped peanuts, whipped cream and banana split flavored ice cream bites then fittingly crowned with the traditional cherry
Fernie’s All-American Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich – An American classic with a State Fair twist. Two slices of white bread filled with a blend of American and cheddar cheeses, dipped in an egg and milk batter and lightly coated with panko bread crumbs for extra crispness. Served with a side of shoestring potato sticks, a pickle spear and tomato soup dipping sauce. The All American Meal!
Texas Fried Jelly Belly Beans – Jelly Belly Beans are rolled in funnel cake batter and fried to a crunch. People can share the treat with friends and try to guess the flavors before biting down.

Deep Fried S’mores – Marshmallow cream and chocolate chips are sandwiched between two graham crackers, dipped in a feather-light batter and fried to a golden brown. The campfire-inspired treats are dusted in powdered sugar.
Fried Chocolate Truffles – A silky-smooth, handmade, dark chocolate truffle is rolled in cocoa powder before being battered and deep-fried. The melting chocolate goodness is dusted in cinnamon, sugar and cocoa powder.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Waffle Balls – Plump fresh strawberries covered in a thick chocolate shell are dipped in a sweet, waffle batter and deep-fried. Dusted with powdered sugar and served on a stick.
Fried Pop Rocks Fundae Blast - Ignite your senses with this explosion of Tastes. Fried Ice Cream covered in Hershey’s Syrup and Pop Rocks. Your fuse is a Twizzler rolled in Pop Rocks. While you disarm it, you’ll find an Atomic Fireball inside . . .“Fire in the Bowl”!
Fried Dinner Roll – A savory dinner roll lusciously filled with cream cheese and covered with a sweet batter, placed on a stick and deep fried to perfection.
Fried Cake on a Stick – A delicious, chocolate covered white cake filled with strawberry jelly and cream, dipped in sweet batter and deep fried until golden brown and served on a stick!
Green Bean Fries - Fresh Green Beans lightly battered, deep fried, and served with a side of cucumber ranch dressing for dipping!
“Jalapeno” Deep Fried Gorditas - Jalapeno flavored gordita cooked on the grill and then deep fried, stuffed with beef, chicken, or bean & cheese, and finally topped with lettuce, tomato, guacamole, and cheese
Fried Apple iPie – A warm, delicious crispy fried apple pie with just a hint of cinnamon, is smothered in rich vanilla ice cream and topped with an edible iPod “like” mp3 player and whipped cream. Real working souvenir “ear-bud” earphones complete this tasty iPie experience
Fried Snowballs – Fresh from the fryer! A lightly battered Snowball (cupcake) dusted with powdered sugar!
Fried Honey Bun – A lightly battered Honey Bun, served fresh from the fryer with a light dusting of powdered sugar! .
Mini Chicken Fried Steak Slider - A miniature crispy chicken fried steak patty served on a mini bun with a side of cream gravy
Ignited Moon Pie - The Original Moon Pie, lightly battered and deep fried, then gently sprinkled with powdered sugar!
Beefy Fried Queso Bites – Queso mixed with taco meat, breaded in a zesty batter and deep fried.
Chick-a-Mole Bites – Guacamole mixed with a taco-flavor shredded chicken and cheddar/Monterey jack cheese, breaded in a zesty batter and deep fried.
Crispy Fried Cantaloupe Pie – Diced cantaloupe seasoned with brown sugar, cinnamon and coconut milk, rolled in a flaky pie pastry, and then deep fried. Topped with powdered sugar and whip cream.

Harold Spencer Budge

2008-09-21T19:57:00.001-07:00

October 19, 1931 - September 21, 2008

We are thinking of you and missing you Grandpa.

We love you and Grandma so much!

new old pics

2008-09-18T07:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this last spring and summer that I haven't posted yet.

upward, ever upward

Isn't it fun when you get a glimpse of what your four year old may look like when she's eighty three. (click on the picture for more detail)

soft grandma-made blankets,
bowl full of strawberries,
green leaves and grass...
summer happiness

I have a whole collection of these sleeping pictures. At the end of the day the girls usually end up fighting over whose leg or arm goes where. This argument ends with them on opposite sides of the bed as they settle down to sleep. Yet, when I go into check on them after everything is quiet, I'm most likely to find them some how intertwined.

family night

2008-09-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, Tom and I saw a terrifying independent film called "Thirteen." Briefly, the film follows the deterioration of a fun, interesting, confident twelve year old into an insecure, popular, media driven thirteen year old. As soon as the film was over, Tom turned to me and said, "We are having family night* every night." We were motivated for a month or two and then Project Runaway happened. The next spur to action was when we were having a discussion over dinner about something gospel-related and every reply the girls gave us was either "read your scriptures" or "say your prayers." (Disclaimer: I'm not saying those are not good answers--in fact, they are often right--we just don't want the girls to become intellectually or spiritually lazy like their folks.) We were stirred to action once again until Mythbusters started. For about three months now, we have had consistent, interesting and fun family nights thanks to a little gem I stumbled upon, "Little Big Minds." Our discussion on responsibility last night involved the following poem:

The Summer Day
by Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass,
how to kneel down in the grass,how to be idle and blessed,
how to stroll through the fields,which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Most of the evening, Tess complained that we were only asking her 4-year old questions, which is insulting to her. According to Tess, she is ready for 8-year old level questions.

Here are a few of the girls favorite responsibilities:

- Get enough sleep so you aren't a pill; and

- Always look your best when cleaning the chalk boards.

*family night is a LDS tradition where one night a week you force yourself to do something besides watching reality television after dinner. Instead, you attempt to teach your offspring something wholesome and then eat something unwholesome, like a four-layer brownie and pint of Godiva ice cream. It's fun.

dog days

2008-09-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

I love putting Adelle in charge of things. She either feels delighted and empowered or crumbles to the floor wailing about being like Cinderella (a trick that her sister taught her). So I was pleased when she jumped at the chance to fill the bath tub and get the dog shampoo, washcloths, towel, special dog brush thing and dog perfume--all by herself.

Poe was sufficiently subdued as Adelle lathered her up for about 15 minutes.

Tess--"Poe is the most beautiful thing in my life"

Also...

The girls started their Chinese class today. Here they are with their friends Ava and Sophia before class. They loved their class, and we are grateful to Aunt Tian Tian for sparkling (chinglish) their interest.

PS these are pictures of apartments I want to sublet in Barcelona this summer. Since it is difficult to inspire visits to Dallas in the summer I thought I would try parking it in Spain for a month next year. Any takers? I don't really want to go but the girls need to learn Spanish too, so I have volunteered.

afternoons with delanor

2008-09-08T01:20:00.000-07:00

labor day weekend

2008-09-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

I knew labor day weekend was going to be a good one when Tom and I both got to sleep in Saturday morning and woke up to this...

The girls had dressed themselves appropriately for a holiday weekend brunch and were content with parent-less conversation and chips for breakfast.

Saturday night we held an exciting, award winning runway show with friends.

Contestants were given vintage, year-old, clydesdale, running medals for fashion effort and bravery.

Sophia and Adelle

With Heidi being out of town, we struggled to entertain ourselves Sunday night. Tom and I decided to play along when the girls asked us to dress up in something fancy enough to attend the restaurant they had set up in the family room. Tess was creating a mood for the restaurant with some music when things went disturbingly awry for her.

I can't decide if my favorite line is "You don't deserve any food!" or "You don't respect me!"

Monday

We headed back to Burgers Lake to share in the goodness with Tom.

The girls were happy to finally swim with their Dad this summer and I was happy to get some much anticipated trapeze time. Tom failed to master the point-&-shootness of our automatic camera so unfortunately, I don't have any action shots. At least we have this picture of the awesome structure and my new trapeze outfit. Every credible trapeze artist needs a cape.

The weekend's happiness even spilled over into Tuesday's back to school routine.

Who wouldn't want to walk these girls to school?

Happy Birthday Grant & Dona

2008-08-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

& on the 7th day...we did a whole lotta nothing

2008-08-24T21:16:00.001-07:00

Some days in Texas it is just too hot to get out of your pajamas.

Tom talked the girls into watching Meet the Press with him,

and luckily it took a good hour or two to work through a bowl of peanuts so the girls lasted the whole show.

I can't tell you how happy I was to get this shot. Very few people outside of Tom's family get to see his goofy side. Animals and small children do tend to bring it out in him more easily. Just in case you thought I married Toad because of good looks or sizable skull now you can know the real reason--he makes me laugh, a lot.

school day mornings

2008-08-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

first day of school morning
5:00am I'm up and I'm hyper, painted half of our little hall between the kitchen and the dining room
5:30am running with friends
6:30am finish painting hall/shower
7:00am get the girls up (they hop out of bed happily), make steel cut oats w/ agave, and green smoothies with fresh OJ, frozen blueberries, & collard greens
7:15am girls lap up the practically perfect healthy goodness
7:30am Tess practices her piano while Adelle feeds the dog
7:45am leash on Poe and walk the 1/2 mile to the girls school
8:00am girls are right on time
8:15am head to our favorite local breakfast diner for an exciting kid-free breakfast
9:00am-11:30am kiss Tom good-bye, hurry back home to shower, clean, read, web surf and enjoy the quietness

2nd, 3rd and 4th day of school mornings
7:39am I’m up and back to my regular sluggish self
7:40am drag tired, ornery kids out of bed, pop-tarts for breakfast
8:10am drive girls to school—they are tardy and mad

This is of course a cautionary tale: never set expectations while watching the Olympics. Let's just hope I can make it through to labor day without doping.

the traditional TGIF after school kiss

Here is a video of what I've been missing in the morning.

back to school

2008-08-20T08:07:00.001-07:00

the final count down....nah nah nah... nah nah nah nah

2008-08-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

We are down to one week until school and although there are days I look forward to actually getting stuff done, I'm not feeling quite ready to have the girls gone. The summer has slipped by too fast. Of course I've had my numerous maxed out moments but overall I love being with my girls. What can I say, they crack me up. Also, Tom and I crack up ourselves up making fun of them. I know that sounds cruel but I just read a credible parenting book that said it's good for kids to go through trials so I figure we are just building character.

So to help me cope with the upcoming separation I've somewhat planned an exciting countdown week.

ps Arrested Development fans will appreciate my blog title

Sunday -- The Kimbell

We took the girls over to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth to see a fabuloso impressionist exhibit the museum is hosting.

This sculpture is entitled "woman speaking publicly"

While walking around looking at the artwork I tried to sound smart by pointing out to Tess the basic info that I could read next to the paintings.

Me: Tess this is a Monet.
Tess: I know mom.
Me: Really? How did you know that?
Tess: I'm a wizard, I told you.

These pics were taken in a large metal sculpture outside the Modern (right next to the Kimbell). We had fun with the acoustics of this place--every clap, stomp, or hoot was very loud.

For family night Adelle and I tried to get Tess to smile.

Monday -- Olympics

The Olympics have inspired a flurry of activity; hall sprints, table dismounts, wall handstands, etc... The best is probably the commentary from the girls. Whatever we are watching Adelle asks within the first 2 seconds, "How do you win this one Mom?" Tess loves to comment on her ability to match whatever we are viewing and if she realizes she can't quite make her case she just comes up with arbitrary reasons why the Olympians can do things she can't.

For example, while we were watching the Chinese men do their floor routines I was saying something like "Wow! Isn't that amazing? How do they do so many flips and twists?"

Tess replied, "Mom, they are wearing socks, it is much easier when you are wearing socks. I don't have any socks like that, so...." (pending little white bootie socks, Tess can perform triple back twists--but you have to come visit us to see it)

Tuesday-- nothing fun

Wednesday-- Burger's Lake

We headed back over to our sister city to the sandy beaches and fresh spring water of Burger's Lake. The rusty-super-springy-diving boards and the"you might die going down this slide, we are not responsible" sign takes me back to a simpler time. Our summer party included my friend Cynthia, her three boys, myself , my girls and two more friends. I wish I had Cynthia take a pic of me going off the TRAPEZE. That's right, they had a trapeze! It swung out onto the lake with about a ten foot drop. I was the annoying parent/friend who left Cynthia to watch all 15 kids so I could discuss trapeze technique with the other 9 and 10 year olds waiting in the trapeze line. And yes I was the only adult vulgerly yelling at her kids and their friends "WATCH ME, WATCH MEEEEEE!" each time before I fell into the water with my toes perfectly pointed.

Tess

Adelle

Grant

Dante

Dante off the high dive. This kid is hilarious, each time after he jumped he would bob up and breathlessly say "that was scary!" I love this picture of him.

Adelle with Tess hanging below

Cynthia and the kids

Tess

Izzi

This is Austin, he was pretty much done with swimming when I took this picture. Imagine a city so great that once people have lived there they name their cute kids after it.

I LOVE burger's lake. This was the first time we had gone thanks to a tip from a savvy Dallasite, our very own Heidi. I'm going back by myself so I can have more uninterrupted trapeze time.

FINALLY a reason to visit Texas in August!

Thursday-- School clothes shopping (never again with kids)

ummm

Friday-- no funness

ummm

Saturday-- Clone wars with Dad

According to Tom, barely bearable "Lucas has lost his mind."

ummm

Sunday--Cedar Hill State Park & the "would you rather" game

We ventured the 20 minute drive to stroll around a state park because...

it was 80 degrees!

In august!

In TEXAS!

Unbelievable, we had to be outside to celebrate.

ummm

Almost every time we are in the car we have started playing this new simple "would you rather" game my friend introduced me to. It started innocently enough ,"Adelle, would you rather go swimming or play soccer?" but was morphed by Tom into a more gruesome sport, "Tess, would you rather eat lizard guts or fish eyes?" The girls love the new unwholesome version. When it was Adelle's turn her alternatives were, "Dad, would you rather cry olives or sweat fire?" That's a tough one. I can't remember all the choices after that. I know there was one about eating monkey brains and another "would you rather sweat cheese or cry pickles..." We take our cues from the Adam's Family. Quality family time is important to us.

America is great and so am I

2008-07-05T00:30:00.000-07:00

4th of July festivities

oh the happiness

2008-07-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

WDW highlights

2008-01-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

Continuing on the birthday theme, we went to Walt Disney World with Grandma as part of the festivities. The sheer management of the place is amazing; it really is HUGE. We were fortunate enough to be there during the week and not during a holiday so the park was fairly uncrowded. That made all the difference to me seeing that I hate crowds, lines and most princesses.

I got the biggest kick out of watching the childless vacationers--adults in their mid-40's wearing suspenders speckled with Disney-themed pin buttons and Mickey mouse ears happily climbing onto the Peter Pan ride. I affectionally call these folks cornballers. I loved being able to be there with my girls and I enjoyed it a few years back in high school when I went with some of my nieces and nephews when they were little and bratty too. I'm not sure I'd make WDW a destination if I wasn't going with someone I had to help go potty.

Tess, as an average to tall six year old, was the perfect WDW candidate. She was tall enough and brave enough to ride the big rides yet still young enough to get red-faced and lose all language ability when anyone wearing poofy taffeta floated by singing something about clouds, princes and the joys of cleaning up after little men. If you have an emotionally secure, well-adjusted almost 4 year old without vertigo, claustrophobia or blossoming OCD issues, maybe WDW is the spot for you. Unfortunately, Adelle is no such child. She produced only a fraction of the joy and happiness that was promised to us in our resort brochures.

As for me, even I shed a tear during the parade when Mickey convinced Daffy Duck that "dreams really do come true" and found myself eagerly chanting that little aphorism with all the adult cornballers standing next to me. What can I say, my heart grew three sizes that day. Over all, we had a great time. The fireworks, the food and all the way-too-happy people (myself included) made it a more than memorable trip.

Riding in a faux pot'o honey can be terrifing...

What if I get sticky? What if Pooh-bear eats me?
AAAAAHHHHHHHH! I wanna go home! I wanna go home!

Finally something Adelle could handle

chowing down with the princesses

Checkin' out Belle's dental work

Oh the happiness . . . .

We were in WDW for two days and then we rented a car and headed to the beach for a picnic and some cold swimming

Thanks to a fabulous Grandama who did an excellent job of pretending that her daughter and grandchildren are delightful people to travel with.

birthday girls and boy

2008-01-02T00:28:00.000-08:00

In case your wondering the best way to gain 30 lbs after Christmas each year here's how...

--first, be born a few days after Christmas

--next, marry someone who was born a few days after Christmas

--then, have a baby a few days after Christmas

(this 30 lbs pound thing is contingent on being the kind of person that believes each birthday boy or girl deserves their own big, buttery cake and a week long eating festival celebration...we are those kind of people)

International Relater

2007-12-29T17:21:00.000-08:00

finally found something I can do with my valuable B.S. in international relations. Enjoy

Christmas morn

2007-12-25T23:09:00.000-08:00

So the big Christmas present this year was .........

(last year was a trampoline, next year will be a maid for me)

and other than a christmas orange........

introducing Pozole aka Po

(for people not in the exclusive Spanish club, Pozole is kind of traditional mexican soup that is the around the same color as Po's hair)

endearing pseudonyms include: poski, stink, po-licious, posker, po bo and po diddy

She's a bitch but we love her already. As an 8 month old beagle/retriever she confuses herself mostly, daily pondering which breed she is going to manifest--sleep like a beagle or run like a retriever, talk about bi-polar.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!--we send our love and best holiday wishes (and maybe next year we'll even send a card)

why me?

2007-12-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

I'm running a marathon in nine hours. I'm little nervous. I just finished packing my wet wipes into my handy running belt--since it is not a question of whether I'll poop my pants, it just a question of when. I think doing embarassing things is my comfort zone. Pics and painful stories to come.

this pic is from my last running fiasco in Bryce Canyon this summer in July with good brother Grant

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T20:30:00.000-08:00

Tess and her cute cousin Elle decided to write a Thanksgiving speech and give out Thanksgiving presents.

For all the Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunts and Uncles, cousins and friends we missed today. Happy Thanksgiving!

this is halloween, this is halloween

2007-10-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

The girls and their makeup artist, Heiderhead. The redneck on the left is their dad...sweet mullet huh

Happy Halloween from Sally (from "nightmare before christmas") and a witch (as per request for the third year in a row)

heading to our church's halloween party

Notice the dunking booth in the background. Tess spent all night trying to dunk her friends' dads-- she succeeded twice.

This is a pic of her throwing, obviously she took this activity pretty seriously.

the trunk or treat

no losers here...that's right, that's RIGHT!
we won the spookiest halloween costumes award. Walk tall you true spirit of halloweeners, in a sea of princesses you are scary! YES!

living waters

2007-10-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

While Tess was playing at my friend Catherine's house last week, Catherine decided to serve the kidos some soybeans. As she was dishing out the green goodness she started telling them how great they are for your body and how our bodies are like sponges--we soak up all the nutrients and good stuff and whatever we don't need, all the yucky stuff, our bodies eliminate when we pee or poop etc.....

Here's the conversation that followed.

Tess: "Does Jesus pee?"

Catherine : "I don't know...I don't think so....He has a perfect resurrected body, I don't think he eats anything, so I guess he doesn't have to pee."

Tess: "Jesus takes the sacrament, so he does eat bread and water"

Catherine: "That's true, you're right Tess he does take the sacrament...I guess he must pee."

Just in case you've never pondered the digestive tract of resurrected beings, Tess is on it--always thinking about the weightier matters of the law. This is hopefully a question that never comes up in your gospel doctrine class discussions.

I guess we are raising some super righteous kids--I don't mean to brag but apparently it's true.

hello again

2007-10-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

so....I'm back, atleast for today. My excuse for not blogging is simple--exercise. For the first time since high schooly I've been exercising consistently for 6 weeks now, but that's only b/c my running buddy Amy is forcing me to run a marathon with her. I know millions of normal people exercise regularly and live balanced lives but running makes me really hungry and lots of food makes me happy and sleepy. So that's been my pattern for the last few weeks--run, eat, smile, sleep, eat, smile, eat, smile sleep, repeat. There are so many things I want to blog about, our summer trip, Heidi's arrival, my whole blogging fam, my funky girls etc... I'm just going to have to work my way back slowly and more consistently. Thanks to all those who have been checking while I've been out.

how to brainwash the kiddies

2007-10-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

I think I've finally got a handle on this parenting thing.

Maybe it's a little premature to say, but ever since I started brainwashing the girls parenting has become relatively easy and stress free. I can't be certain until the girls are full-grown, but I believe my method will take care of any problems we face in the future as well. Maybe I've discovered the parenting "secret." It'd be great if I ended up making millions by writing a long-winded book and making a cheesey video about my new found tactics. I'm pretty sure Einstein, Homer Simpson, and Galileo used some of the same methods on their children. But before I hit up Simon and Schuster with my big idea I thought I'd throw out a blog to see if other parents have used brainwashing and if they find it effective.

So here are my brainwashing 101 basics:

1st--SPY
Spy on your kido. Listen in on a conversation. Talk to one of their friend's parents or their teacher. Find out something that they don't know you know.

2nd--REVEAL
Hold on to your little precious nugget of info until the context is right. It's best to pick a moment when the child is happily telling you about something that has something to do with your piece of info. The goal is to get your child to say, "How did YOU know that?"

3rd--SEIZE and MOLD
Here's the crucial moment. After the, "How did YOU know that?" you have to calmly and confidently say, "sweety, your mother knows everything and she always will." I think the key is finding as many situations as possible where you get to reinforce your omniscience. So repeat steps 1 through 3 as many times as possible.

It's so easy and fun, every parent should try it.

What brainwashed children look like...

birthday fun

2007-08-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

So, I'm terrible at b-day stuff. Not as bad as my dad, but I'm certainly a disappointment compared to my mom. She produces small off-Broadway musicals for each family member on their big day. But since my sister Dona and brother Grant share the same b-day (with a six year age difference) it's easy to remember.

Look how nice they were to me. They both really are some of my favorite people and they have always been so good to me. But for the few times they weren't so nice to me, I've decided for their birthdays, to forgive them. Dona I forgive you for shaving the sides of my head when I already an extremely awkward looking 2nd grader. Grant I forgive you for repeatedly fracturing my ribs when you thought you were just tickling me. Anyway, I hope you both have a great day! I love you!

And since Grant is soooo old today, he gets an extra birthday treat. About a month ago when I was in Utah I got to run a 1/2 marathon, mostly behind my speedy, 17 years-older-than-me, brother.

If Grants looks more energetic then me that is because he waited and rested for 25 minutes before jumping back in at the finish line to run with me for our photo opt.

So my second birthday treat to you Grant is an admission that...even at your age, you are faster than me...putting all my geriatic intestinal issues aside.

Hiking around outside of Bryce Canyon after the race. Look at those cool purple shades, you are so John Lennon. Peace brother.

happy birthday!

are you going to miss me?

2007-08-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

School is on. This is a warm up week. Normally Roo will go to school all day and Boo in the mornings, but this week is different. Roo is going only in the mornings and Delnard is going only in the afternoons for an hour and a half. It's a nice way to let the kids adjust. Anyway last week the girls were getting ready for school by asking each other repeatedly, "are you going to miss me?" Tess has also been staging her arrival welcome..."Deli you will stand back in the kitchen and run with your arms open to me, and say 'Teeeeeeeeeeeeeessssss I missed you soooo much!' and then you will hug me and I will pick you up and tell you about my day."

one of four final hugs before Roo heads out the door on day #1
"I will wait for you right here Tess" --Deli

"Did you know that I'm 5 and a HALF!"--Tess

Delanor with her plant to take care of for her class

Deli bounced off to class as Tess cried, "I don't want to leave Deli!"

Right after Roo was done with school she decided to take a whack at her hair for the first time in her life. She cut her bangs to a stubble and then took a chunk off one side to about chin length.

When I told her she was making her beautiful hair ugly by cutting it she marched right off to her room to write me some hate mail. That's me with the x slashed across my face.

Supercuts tried to hide the hacks without removing any length (as per Tess's instruction)

So here she is in her first ever 80's rocker Tess Mullet

Tess did finally come to her senses and realized what a fabulous Madre I am. She wrote me this sweet "sorry" note to make up for the previous hate mail.

The first day of school proved to be yet another day to explore a range of emotions and dramatic endeavors. Something that I will probably strangely miss until about 3pm Monday-Friday.

you talkin' to me.....

2007-08-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

give it up for Cinderfella in the middle

I wonder if any of the Princesses in Disneyland need a 5 year old bouncer.

outta town

2007-08-04T00:49:00.000-07:00

oh my gosh, oh my gosh!
I just realized that two of my favorite funny people have links to my blog from their blogs. I feel so special. I mean it.

heidier head (endearing nickname from childhood bestowed by my hubby. If you happen to read the post about the sister-in-law with the excellent french accent, that's me....just in case you were wondering)
&
metal ho (endearing nickname self-bestowed by an earnest runner who will do anything to win any kind of metal from any kind of race--if it means slipping mineral oil into the other racers gatorade, so be it--she's that bad)

Anyway, I'm out of town visiting family and friends for three weeks and although I'm taking a break from blogging I will be back in force soon with excellent material from my travels.

o beautiful for spacious skies

2007-07-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

Finally the rain has stopped! Now I can quit trying to overdose with brownies and chocolate Oreo milkshakes w/ extra Oreos. Weeks of rainy weather have convinced me that living in Seattle--or any other mostly cloudy place--would be the wrong move for me. So since the sun is out and all is right in my little world, I thought I'd catch everyone up on our 4th of July activities. We did as little as possible, which means it was a perfect holiday.

First the kids missed the neighborhood parade, we slept right through it. As any good parent would, we foresaw the likelihood of our sleeping late and we purposely didn't tell the girls about the parade. If anyone tried to bring up the subject around Tess and Adelle we broke out in show tunes, thereby avoiding any possible disappointment. Quality parenting, what can I say.

when going to the pool seemed too taxing we whipped out the white-trash of water sports, the slip-n-slide.

we had two options for the fireworks...

#1 We could drive 10 miles to a free firework and symphony show. Then, because of parking, be forced to walk a mile with two tired-from-the-slip-n-slide-fest kids. Then stand in line for the over used up-johns at least 4 times due to watermelon consumption.
OR
#2 We could walk two houses down from us, sit on out neighbor's lawn chairs, eat our neighbor's watermelon and fresh picked blueberries, watch our girls play with our neighbor's sparklers, and enjoy the fireworks in peace while our girls sit on our neighbor's laps.
I'm sure you can guess what we did.

By the way, we have a new addition to the family. Above is our sweet 10 year old neighbor who is Tess and Adelle's new big sister. She has been staying with us every Tuesday this summer while her parents--who are some of my favorite people in the world--are at work. We've loved it!

At about 11 pm that night I realized I hadn't made or cooked anything for the 4th. I should have made an apple pie. Then I remembered, I had made cookies on Monday and that should count, although I was too lazy to attempt icing or sprinkles.

Even if my festive domesticity turned out more Napoleon Dynamite than Martha Stewart, the semi-festive cookies did get gobbled up and I even let Tom and the girls have some too.

the end is nigh

2007-07-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend tearing down the garage so we could use the wood to build an ark. Not really, but I thought about it. It dumped all last week and this week is supposed to be a little of the same.

Atleast Tess knows how to dress for a flood.

good brother Gerry

2007-06-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that we have been graced with another sibling visit from my side of the family. My brother Gerry flew into town to take us out to eat before he had to drive to Oklahoma City for some business. It was a short visit but we'll count it. Unfortunately I'm short on pics from the visit which really works out better for everyone because I can use some old photos of Gerry to illustrate this post. And I'm happy to take this opportunity to make fun of him like he has so lovingly made fun of me my whole life.

oouuuuuuhhhhhh! Check it out! This is back in the glory days, Gerry could barely keep the women at bay. I mean seriously who wouldn't want to make out with a guy in tight jeans and a rainbow sweater, riding a sexy black motorcycle. Way to work it Gerry! hot.

You can't really see it in this picture, but my left arm is in a cast from a break that occurred when I fell out of a tree. Unfortunately, going to the doctor conflicted with Gerry's intramural football playoff game. Since he was in charge of me at the time I was forced to go to the game, watch, learn and "be a man" about my pain. Although it was difficult as an 8 year old to appreciate this learning moment, I'm glad I toughed it out. I can now thank Gerry for the character I was able to develop as I tried to sleep that night with my un-casted broken arm. Thanks good brother.

Here's another good one. Gerry's wearing a nice flannel, not-as-tight jeans, and some cowboy boots even though he is not...

living on a farm/ranch,

visiting a farm/ranch,

country dancing, or cow tipping

once again....hot.

Not to much to make fun of here. Gerry really has been an attentive, sweet, involved and caring brother. Oh, I thought of one...here is a photo back when Gerry was taller then me (okay, we're the same height). Love through sarcasm, one of many good things you've taught me.

I love you!

The girls loved getting to play the piano and dance with uncle Gerry!

Thanks for the visit!

Happy Father's Day!

2007-06-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

me and my Dad--by Tess

Dellanor Delphinium

2007-06-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

Today was Roo's last day of school which marks the end of my days alone with Deli. Sure it's going to be good to have the girls back together again, but I'm going to miss all the attention Delberd demanded from me. Now her constant stream of conversion will most likely be aimed at Tess instead of me. Will she ask to go to Target everyday like she would after we left Tess at school? Or demand that we eat breakfast together and that we eat the exact same thing? What if she doesn't need me anymore? What if Tess is already a better mother than me. Summer is just beginning and I'm full of anxiety. Any way, here are some pictures and a video with a bunch of random moments of Boo Radley.

Deli's first babysitting job was to watch Tess's school teacher's new born baby for two days.

accessorizing

why paint on paper?

Adelle with tea, toast and Delphiniums from the garden

Some of my favorite Dellanorisms:

setting: breakfast in the kitchen

me: "Look Adelle, there's something behind your head!" (I was trying to steal a bite of her cereal)
Deli: "What? What? Wait.......is it my Christmas stocking?" (this is in May)

setting: taking out the trash

me: "Look Adelle a cockroach! What should we name it?"
Deli: "Bush, hello Bushy"

setting: picking up Tess from School

Deli: Tess...I'm sorry but Mom and I went to Target today without you and I got a bagel but we didn't get you one. I'm so sorry Tess. (in a not-really-sorry tone)

setting: TJMaxx, quickly trying to buy socks for Tom when Adelle spots a must-have Dora shirt

Deli: Mom can I get this for my birthday? (This is the standard question for any desirable object in a store)
me: maybe, but your birthday is in March, remember?
Deli: No Maaahhm! My TODAY birthday!
me: nope
Deli: please. please, please, please, please, please Mom please. If you let me have the shirt then I will invite you to "Kids Club" (a magical place without parents and all you can eat brownies that she and Tess have made up and try to threaten to uninvite Tom and I to when we don't respond to their liking) but if you don't let me get the Dora shirt then you will have to have a consequence (at this point we had a small audience)
me: let's put the shirt in the basket for now (This was deceptive of me, I know. When we got to the check out I just handed the clerk her shirt and asked him to put it back for us.)
---later that day, just as Tess gets into the car from school---
Deli: Guess what Tessy....Mom and I went to the store and guess whhhaaat....I got a new Dora shirt but I'm sorry you didn't. I'm sorry Tess.
me: Deli, we didn't get the Dora shirt, you were much too fussy in the store.
Deli: WHAT! Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!

setting: me sitting at the computer

Deli: Mom, I want to sit on your lap because it's squishy

setting: getting the house picked up

Deli: Mom, can I watch Lion King because it is my favorite?
me: no Deli, we have work to do, you need to do your spoon drawer (emptying the silverware) and clean your room
Deli: (after stomping her foot and bouncing her body off every piece of our furniture) but Maaaahhm, it's my very very favorite!
me: sorry babe, not until we finish our work
Deli: But Maaaaaaammmaaaa
me: no Adelle
Deli: FINE! (with a final stomp of her foot) I WILL do my spoon drawer and THEN I'll clean room
me: good idea

setting: at the checkout at Walgreens

Deli: hey Mom, can we get some gum? Gum is my favorite, I will chew it. I know when I was 2 I would swallow it but I'm 3 now and I will chew it pleeeeeeeeeaaaaase.
me: no
Deli: but Mom I mean it. I mean it! I WILL chew it! I will chew like this (munch, munch)......I will NOT swallow it. Look, thus gum is blue and look....this gum is pink and this gum is red and this gum is GREEEEEEN. Ooohhhhh I like green gum, I had green gum one time. Mom can we get this greeeeeeeen gum because I LOVE IT!
checkout lady: WOW! She talks a lot! Does she always talk this much?
me: yup.

randomness...a specialty of mine

2007-06-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

So I was talking to my running mentor and friend, who happens to be what I would call a power blogger (a person who equates "put new post on the blog" with "wake-up" on their daily to-do list) about our different blogging styles. Basically she write really interesting, funny things and doesn't necessary rely heavily on photos, especially photos of the kidos to try to sponge some attention--which would essentially describe my style. But most recently my friend has ventured more into utilizing cute baby pics to draw in the online crowds so I thought I’d give it a go at a picture-less kid-less post. Prepare yourself to be rocked by randomness, click away while you still can.

First of all, Tom and I have been in love lately and that feels good, so we decided to celebrate our love by……..
buying some CD’s (something we haven’t done for sooo long). Saturday night we took advantage of some free babysitting and hit the town. Although we had planned to go out to eat together, we skipped dinner to justify our purchases.

purchase #1 Pacha Massive – Hot Spanglish disco techno rap (usually at this point I would put pics of the girls break dancing, but I won’t)
Here’s one of their songs, my favorite is “oye mira” but I couldn’t find it

purchase#2 History Boys Soundtrack-- What a movie! The screenplay is perfect, taken from an even better play I hear. The Soundtrack includes the Cure, the Smiths, the Pretenders, the Clash etc. Normally I would talk about how the girls believe the chorus from the Clash song sings "rockin' the Deathstar," and I'd put a video of them grooving in the backseat and singing the chorus as loud as they can, but I'll stop myself.

purchase#3 Tracy Thorn, out of the woods

Music I still would like to get someday, Nick Drake and Texas--but Tom won't let me b/c then he would have to admit that I can pick out good music all by myself.

Second only to dancing around in Barnes & Noble and embarrassing Tom, I love to spend my weekends reading the New York Times. I try to force myself to read the entire Week in Review section before I rush into the Sunday Styles but I can hardly stop myself from heading straight to the most entertaining section of all--at the very end of the Sunday Style lies the Wedding Announcements or what David Brooks calls the "mergers and acquistions." Here are my top four from the last two Sundays. These select few are chosen based on 3 criteria;

1-- unbelievable perfection (i.e. She's a 25 year old M.D. graduating from Yale with a masters in astrophysics from Harvard and he is a 27 year old J.D. from Columbia with a Ph.d in bio-engineering from Stanford and MFA in french horn performance from Juilliard)
2-- Shameless exploitation of career based lineage (i.e. the bride is the great-great-god-niece of Herbert Boufee, a noble prize nominee in 1874)
3-- unadulterated corniness (this stuff is my favorite, you got to read it to believe it)

So read on and cast your vote for your favorite. Please remember to sit up straight, cross your legs, and turn side to side while you clap soflty and repeat "good match, good match indeed" in your best british accent when you finish reading each announcement.

Fola Popoola and Alvin May II catagory 1

Julia Taft & Christof Putzel catagory 2

Catherine Bennett & Sophien Bennaceur catagory 3

Jennifer Openshaw and Randy Schwimmer catagory 3--I love the pic with this one, ya kinda gotta feel bad for the chauffeur in a monkey suit

2,753 feet above mean sea level

2007-05-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

YES! We did it! We broke free, whole famn damily style! We made it out of Dallas on a Memorial weekend quest for higher elevation.

First stop... Hot Springs Arkansas (4 hour drive from the Big D)

We stayed there Saturday night and hiked around in Hot Springs National Park on Sunday morning.

The girls loved hiking and collecting rocks and pinecones

J Lo hiking with my girls

Downtown Hot Springs is beautiful and the national park is the heart of it. Tom and I loved this old Art Deco hotel (above) and the old bath houses on main street (below).

For all the national park junkies, did you know....

Hot Springs Reservation, the first designation of Hot Springs National Park, was set aside by Congress in 1832. This makes Hot Springs National Park the oldest unit in the national park system, 40 years older than Yellowstone National Park.

Next stop... Mount Magazine state park

Finally... some elevation! Mount Magazine is Arkansas's highest point at 2,753 feet and coming from Dallas, we enjoyed every foot of it.

"I'm sailing I'm sailing!"

J Lo with the girls...again

That's a ring pop on Tess's finger, excellent ammo for road trips!

We hiked the North Rim Trail, 2.2 miles, and other than the massive rain storm that started at about mile 1.5, the girls did great.

Hiking with Deli

Stop #3... Devil's Den State Park

We stay in one of the state park's one bedroom cabins

makin' smores

smores for dinner

trying to recover from suger overload

Trip Stats:

number of Spinach Capitals of the World visited = 1 (Alma Arkansas)

number of Magnolia Capitals visited = 1 (Durant, Oklahoma)

number of times Deli fell and bloodied herself while hiking = 5
number of times Tess fell and bloodied herself while hiking = 2
number of times Deli asked to go home during the rain

storm on the hike = 57
number of Sonic shakes consumed (primarily chocolate oreo

with extra oreo) = 8
number of DQ blizzards consumed (primarily chocolate oreo

with extra oreo) = 3
number of Sonics visited total = 5

number of Sonic car hops with braces and blonde ponytails that

said "OOOhhh, y'ALL have like the cUUUtest little fAAAmily"= 1

number of mosquito bites = 437
number of times watching Star Wars episode 4 = 1

number of times asking to watch Star Wars episode 4 = 32

number of happy, unbeaten children = 2

number of happy, marriages remaining = 1

tess babe

2007-05-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Okay this post is aimed primarily at the Grandmas, I am going to be guilty of a lot of annoying parental "gushing"--be forewarned. Tess is really enjoying the whole piano thing. She freaks out if we skip a practice. In addition to practicing she climbs up to the piano on her own three or four times a day and teaches herself songs from her book or, most recently, makes up her own songs. When I got back from Utah she brought me the above drawing and told me she had written a song, a "scary" song for me while I was gone. I videoed her playing it because I love anything she makes up on her own and obviously I think she is fantastic. Below there are two versions, I need to post both b/c the first is mostly a showcase of Deli's feet as she entertains herself by moving them around in the lower left corner and the second version has a better illustration of the dramatic tone Tess adds to her piano playing as well as almost every aspect of her life.
1

2

Thank you for enduring my gush.

last week

2007-05-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Last week was a busy week

tuesday
we played in the rain

wednesday
free art class at the Dallas Museum of Art

check out the concentration

thursday
The girls ran in the Katy Trail .5K kids dash. It was a struggle. Adelle turfed it in her first two steps and took out an innocent 4 year old bystander. Tess got discouraged when all the 2nd graders passed her up. But they did finish and the event included an incredible spread of food (chocolate ice cream, cookies and pizza) that helped make the whole thing a positive experience....I hope.

the weekend
Tess had her piano awards ceremony and recital.

Tess did such a great job! It's hard to explain what I was feeling as I watched her play and thought of all the nights practicing together. She wasn't nervous at all to play. She just seemed so comfortable, calm and independent of me it was one of those moments when time catches up with you and you realize how quickly life moves.

Tess and her wonderful teacher Ms. Eva (pronounced Ava) she is Polish and has a beautiful accent

After the recital we were all feeling pretty good and off to celebrate with dinner and chocolate cake.

Tess with her "trophy" a head of the composer Bartok

my big news

I ran a 1/2 marathon kinda last minute, out of peer pressure from my excellent running friend Amy. Anyway I could only keep up with her for the first 4 miles and then I was on my own slow pace the rest of the time. Somehow, even though she finished 20 whole minutes before me, we were able to place 1st and 2nd in the Clydesdale division (for those that don't know, the Clydesdale division is a distinguish rank for those that weigh 150 lbs or more) . I honestly can't tell you how shocked and excited I was when we both got our medals--I'm pretty sure I embarrassed Amy with my hoots and shrieks. In hindsight I guess it is kinda like winning the miss congeniality or most improved player award but I swear if I never win anything else in my life I will feel complete.

napoleon dynamite is a texan

2007-05-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

check out what I found taped to my front door--it made my day

happy birthday sylvianator raider

2007-05-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

so the real excuse for poor blogging can now be told....for the last few months my siblings and I have been planning a surprise b-day party for my Mom's 70th. I flew out to Utah, solo, to celebrate the event on the 5th of this month. My contribution to the gala was the above invitation, which anyone who knows me knows that I find mailing anything a serious challenge. I'm feeling pretty good about the fact that I was able to complete the invitations and mail them on time. Shocking, I know. Anyway, I think the night was a success and I am so thankful that everyone in my family pulled together to make this happen and also I am so grateful to all the friends and family that came and helped make the evening special for all of us. Oh, and of course thanks to a wonderful Mom who deserves 70 years of celebrations but must settle for this one night. So here are some fabulous pics, thanks to Jennifer Grig g photogragy

Surprise!
The next six pics capture her initial reaction.
Notice my wonderful sister-in-law Keri's great face on the left, love it!

my brother Gerry, we are the same height

me and my Mom

My mom and her brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Loretta

my cousins Darrel, Shannon and Susan

my beautiful niece Samantha

Me with Tom's beautiful sister and Mom, Heidi and Pam--I'm so glad they came!

my other beautiful niece Nicole, she masterminded the video production recapping briefly mom's 70 years

My brother-in-law Scott and my nephews Jake and Caleb

My other beautiful sister-in-law Michelle

More nephews, clockwise starting with the blue tie: Donny, Jared, John and Josh

Me and my nieces Syndee and Lecy. Syndee's birthday was the same day as the party. Happy Birthday Syndee!

More fabulous nieces: Amanda and Hannah above,
Sydnee, Lecy, Autumn and Siera below

the birthday cake

the quilt my amazing sister Dona pieced together and hand embroidered all in a week while still being a mother of 8.

Mom and Autumn

my other brother Grant, we look so much alike sometimes he get mistaken for my father

the fan dam: Grant, me, Mom, Dona and Gerry

It has taken me two weeks of napping coupled with two or three before-noon-diet-cokes to recover from that whirlwind of a weekend. I think I slept a total of 10 hours in 3 days--something I used to be able to do in my youth bu,t as Tom always reminds me, I'm an old woman now. Anyway, I had a great time and my girls ate out all weekend with Tom. They hardly noticed I was gone.

okay...bear with me

2007-04-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since I blogged--I told myself tonight is the night, I am going sit down and catch up before our blog ends up like our wedding thank-you cards and so many other undone things. So here is a speedy review of the last month and a half.

First of all I had a fabulous girls weekend March 16th-17th with some of my dearly missed Austin friends. We met in Seabrook, Texas on Friday night and went out to eat, had a sleepover, ran a 1/2 marathon and caught a movie before driving the four hours back to Dallas on Saturday.
before the race, 6:30 am

Emily and I ran together the whole way (except the last 1/4 of mile when I opted to walk) Katharine's adrenaline was pumpin' and within the first 1/2 mile she was off and ahead of us for the remainder of the race. Rachel was our much appreciated support and photographer.

this is my favorite pic of Katharine

so happy to be finished

Next... much adored visitors

My Dad and step-mom came out to visit us. Their visit coincided with Deli's b-day, so we went out for Mexican food to celebrate.

Unfortunately, during my Dad's visit, Tom was a non-existent zombie. He was in the middle of a two week working streak that required him to work every night until at least 1 am with a couple 3 ams, 4ams and an all-nighter thrown in. Notwithstanding his absence, I remained sane enough to enjoy the visit. We are thankful for all of the help around the house and in the yard! Our neighbors keep talking about that gregarious young man who so cheerfully mowed and edged our front lawn. My neighbor Ross has since told me at least 5 times how much my dad is just the sort of person he likes to talk to (and Ross is no stranger to gab).

Then...miracle of all miracles,...a Skousen sibling visit. Good brother Grant came out for Easter weekend. We feed him kettle chips and home-made cookies and the girls even allowed him out of their sight long enough for Grant to run around the lake.

At Church, our sunday school president introduced Grant to the class as my father. Grant responded "ohhh........thanks" then began moaning and recoiled into a fetal-like position--too bad running 40 plus miles a week couldn't keep such vibrant red hair from fading (I'm sure that is the only reason my otherwise ever so youthful 40 something brother could be mistaken for a 30 year old's father). Anyway, I took him to the Nasher Sculpture Center to cheer him up.

The girls love Uncle Grant. He jumped on the trampoline, applauded their dramatic creative dance interpretations, read Fancy Nancy to them multiple times and then complemented them on their "fanciness." It was evident that a home life full of 3 teenagers had increased Grant's capacity to enjoy the younger generation and we are happier for it. When Grant drove away Adelle squeezed my face and told me "Uncle Grant is my favorite." Thanks for fixing our computer Grant, sorry we didn't get to the Kimball or the Modern...next time. We miss you!

hanging out at the Dallas Arboretum

Next... Tom and Pam, Tom's parents, were just with us last weekend. We had such a great, relaxing time--at least it was relaxing for me. Tom and his dad stayed busy planting flowers and powerwashing/staining the deck. I got to talk to Pam and play with the girls but most importantly I got to kick back and watch the girls loving their time with Granda and Papa. Thank you Tom and Pam for a wonderful weekend, we are all so glad you could come.

I love this picture

we headed over to enjoy the arboretum together

Pam brought us three plants from their garden: a forsythia, some lavender, and a type of black-eyed susan. I hope that these plants can survive our summers. I am so excited about having a little piece of familial Utah garden love right here in our own piece of Texas. This leads right into my most recent distraction and justification for negligent blogging...our yard and garden. It feels like you can grow anything here and I'm loving it.

About 2 months ago we had a gal come out from the local nursery to help us identify our existing plants and give us a heads up on gardening in Texas. Per her instructions, we spent two Saturdays pruning, weeding and cleaning up in general. Next, we had 3 cubic yards of compost and 3 cubic yards of mulch delivered by dump truck and spent a few days spreading compost on everything, including the lawn. We then mulched the beds and under the swing in back. I found some kids size shovels and rakes for the girls and they worked with us and ran around outside finding bugs and naming them (all caterpillars are named Sylvia). I am sooo caught up in this beautiful season and living it with my girls.

Deli in the garden

I think our oak leaf hydrangea is my current favorite plant, just getting ready to break out

the girls pick at least one rose off this climber everyday.

sun drops--great hardy perennial that will bloom bright all summer into the fall

clematis

spiderwort

my favorite shade loving vine that I pruned back to life. I love pruning! Joe, I finally understand your addictive habit.

our much loved Japanese Maple

mulch land under the swing

Tess in some roses at the arboretum

spring ice cream festival

2007-03-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

This last week we've been celebrating spring by planting flowers and having daily ice cream cones at random places.

Click here for our ode to spring video

The weather has put me in such a good mood, I even made dinner for Tom. The girls helped by setting the table out on the deck.

more swinging

2007-02-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

March is such a lovely time to visit Texas :-)

Paris Texas

2007-02-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

Another fab find in the big D. The Dallas Museum of Art (one of the top ten MOAs in the country for kidos) has a wonderful kids area and we just happened to hit it on a day and time when no one else was there, so we had the whole place to ourselves.

Right outside the kids area is this incredible courtyard that was abandoned as well that day, so the girls played hide and seek while I pretended I was in Paris. I'm genetically disposed to creating my own realities, so if I can find an appropiate place that I can imagine myself frolicking in Paris with my two babes, I'm almost there.

spring cleaning...my mania parte dos

2007-02-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

So I didn't paint the bathroom last week, I have the paint and everything--I just lack the courage. Instead I decided to go ballistic on the garage and hauled all this stuff to the curb for big bulk trash pickup day. My studio is almost up and running. I'm careful not to bump the walls while I'm working so that the whole thing doesn't cave in on me.

and this is what Deli did the whole time I slaved away

chocolat

2007-02-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

I recently had the best chocolate of my life so I thought I'd share the good news. I've never tasted anything like this milk chocolate, absolute perfection. The dark chocolate is like eating earth--that my not sound appetizing at first but image you are Adam or Eve walking around with your fig leaves the day after everything was created and you pick up a piece of soil, the dark kind of earth that is so rich you could grow anything in it--that is what this chocolate is like. Don't let the name fool you, it is made in Berkley CA. I've never felt so strongly about a piece of chocolate I just had to tell everyone I love about it (no I am not selling it--but maybe I should).

There is a story behind this chocolate. On Valentines day Tom called me to see if my v-day present had arrived, it hadn't, so he told me what it was over the phone. I was so shocked by the perfect gift he had chosen for me that in my awe I became speechless which Tom unfortunately interpreted as disappointment. So we hung up and the next time he calls it is 8:30pm and he is at Central Market (a high end grocery store, with mountains of sinfully yummy stuff), because his "bus took a wrong turn"--Central Market is nowhere by his bus route--and he needs a ride home. We go and pick him up and when we get to him he is meekly holding a variety of chocolates in hands. Come to find out, once he got of the phone with me and thought I was disappointed by his fabulous gift he took a cab to Central Market to get me some chocolate--so sweet--the funny part is that he asked the cab driver to wait for him while he shopped, which he didn't, and when he tried to call me on his cell phone to get a ride, the battery went dead, which presented another problem--Tom would have to remember his own phone number, which he couldn't. Luckily he did remember how to spell his last name and the phone book came in handy for that. And this story is what made it my best valentines day ever. Thank you Toad

my mania

2007-02-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

So I've been driving myself crazy with a billion little home projects/ideas pinging around in my head and finally this week I completed a minor thing and hung something on our living room walls.

I love these pics of the googles and having this one little nook of the house done has brought me at least a days worth of peace.

Also presenting an original Ansel Grant Adams Skousen in the kitchen. I love love this photo Grant, and who knows with all the people in high places I have roaming through my kitchen and this fine blog, you are sure to be a famous photoman in no time.

and happy day, we finally got the swing up--Roo loves it, Delberd....not so much. Check out the video here

This week I plan to paint a bathroom and hang some more photos in the hall. Also we decided since it will be awhile until we can tear down the garage, I'm going to make a play house out of the side room and turn the garage part into a studio. I'll do some before and after pics soon.

Here are some shots of the girls favorite part of the house, the hall. They love getting all garbed up and being chased down the hall by anyone, but especially their dad.

Luke and Lea here--Roo has convinced Deli to enthusiastically play her male cross dressing counterpart in any and all pretend sequences. Delnard hops about in her gowns yelling "I'm Luke," "I'm Wesley," "I'm Jafar," or "I'm Micheal"

piano recital

2007-02-18T19:18:00.000-08:00

Roo had her first piano recital today. We played a duet, the "First Waltz" by somebody Meir with three other parent/child couples. Roo played fabulously and made some new friends from Cambodia.
Here is the video ...sort of... you'll see

a toast...to 30 years of Leslie

2007-01-31T07:29:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LESLIE!

(Me and Les taking a nursing break on the way up Wheeler mountain)

Years and years ago before I headed off to London and Les off to Russia, Leslie made me the most wonderful book of quotes to take with me. Each page is designed differently, made perfect with Les's great handwriting, one hundred quotes in all. Each quote was like a little piece of this great friend I got to take with me wherever I went over the years. I can't tell you how many times I used one of these quotes to try to comfort or inspire someone but most of all myself. Leslie is one of those people in my life that liberates me, she is so true to herself and always has been. She has such a great heart and the uncommon courage to follow it.

To celebrate 30 years of Leslie I picked four quotes from the book of quotes she gave me that most remind me of my fearless, loving friend and sister. I love you!

We also have two songs to dedicate to you one from Deli and one from me and also a "hey big spender" past blast

I wish I had more scandalous pictures to post but they're all back in Utah next year I will get you back Les!

Les helping Tom and me with our engagement photos, she suggested that I pose standing on Tom's shoulders

Les and fam at the Shakespeare festival

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LESLIE!

Happy Birthday Joe!

2007-01-26T22:13:00.000-08:00

Joe is the optimist on the left.

My brother Joe turned 31 today (or rather, yesterday, depending on the time zone). As I set out thinking about how best to commemorate his birthday, literary artifacts that reminded me of him for one reason or another kept popping into my head. Under a heavy dose of nostalgia, I had started collecting quotes and lyrics for a big brother birthday montage when it occurred to me that to truly honor a fellow who has been deeper in the Grand Canyon than anyone I know, I ought to make a contest of it. What’s more I ought to tip the scales in his favor so that he wouldn’t have to cheat in order maintain the supremacy of the first born. So while I invite all to compete in this game of “Who wrote it?” be forewarned that you are not only up against one of the greatest name droppers of his generation but the birthday boy muse himself. Now, the rules: no googling or checking the comments in advance and only one guess per quote. Note that there are a number of freebies, so Eva can play too.

1) Upon the hearth the fire is red, Beneath the roof there is a bed, But not yet weary are our feet, Still round the corner we may meet: A sudden tree or standing stone That none have seen but we alone.

2) All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

3) If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself.

4) . . . . [W]hen I fall into the abyss, I go straight into it, head down and heels up, and I’m even pleased that I’m falling in such a humiliating position, and for me I find it beautiful. And so in that very shame I suddenly begin a hymn. Let me be cursed, let me be base and vile, but let me also kiss the hem of that garment in which my God is clothed; let me be following the devil at the same time, but still I am also your son, Lord, and I love you, and I feel a joy without which the world cannot stand and be.

5) No Christian and, indeed, no historian could accept the epigram which defines religion as 'what a man does with his solitude.

6) Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer.

7) Sail on silvergirl,Sail on by.

8) How I do love to hear the wolves howl!

9) Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds.

10) Riu, riu, chiu.

11) ….[S]ometimes two hale young men, with big pipes blazing, no overcoats and wind blown scarfs, would trudge, unspeaking, down to the forlorn sea, to work up an appetite, to blow away the fumes, who knows, to walk into the waves until nothing of them was left but the two furling smoke clouds of their inextinguishable briars

12) And I feel fine anytime she's around me now, she's around me now almost about all the time.

13) So do all who live to face such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

14) There was never any more inception than there is now, Nor any more youth or age than there is now, And will never be any more perfection than there is now, Nor any more heaven or hell than there is now.

15) Even David will be forsaken at the end, for in death, we are all cut off from God’s care. What purpose then in serving Him. He wrestles with man for the nighttime of his life, but at daybreak, He is gone.

16) Every day's an endless dream of cigarettes and magazines

17) Eggs and toast … tsts..ts…tsts..ts

18) Farm out. Right arm. Out of state.

19) And for a bonus point, name the witch in the following picture:

Happy Birthday, Joe!

Happy Birthday Tess and Tommy

2007-01-02T07:01:00.000-08:00

I asked Tess, "what is your favorite thing about Tommy?" She said "That he was born on the same day as me."

Last year they got to spend their b-day together and have birthday cake at Mozarts in Austin

I told Tess she was the best birthday present I've ever had. She looked at me for a second and then said "yes... and you were the box"

29 and the painful week ahead

2006-12-31T19:37:00.000-08:00

Toad is 29 and now begins the long week (my last week of being 29) where he complains daily of being so old... "How can you stand being so old?" and "it's hard to be this old" etc...

For Tom's b-day I drug him--against his will--to Oklahoma's state park, Beavers Bend (2 and a 1/2 hour drive), our closest set of "mountains". I think eventually he did have fun. We stayed at the Lakeview Lodge, hiked around the lake and ate some local catfish. Thanks again to my wonderful mother who watched and even fed our girls so we could get away.

here is the view from our room, those hills in the distance are our lofty peaks
the "little smokies"

the back roads of Oklahoma were like a foreign country