Mommathon

We had book club last night and have chosen The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. The author's name may sound familiar; she also wrote The Lovely Bones, which was very popular a few years ago and is a very good book if you haven't read it. The subject matter is difficult, but the story is good.

This is another book that I read that is for Battle of the Books and it is so good. It is historical fiction and the author created the main character, Grace, after seeing the picture that is on the front cover of the book. The picture, it turns out, is of a little girl whose real name was Addie and she worked in the mills from the age of eight. I felt like the book started out kind of slowly, but I am glad I stuck with it. It was a good story and even more interesting once you find out the history that inspired the story.

Very rarely do I write a blog entry, post it and then remove it. I have only done it twice that I can remember. I wrote a blog post today about a neighbor and then decided that it was not very nice and that I was being a bit judgmental. I try really hard not to judge others because I have not walked in their shoes. In retrospect, I wrote the blog posting to get something off my chest, which I accomplished by writing it. I feel much better now and can delete it.

What a good idea. In order to transition the first graders to, or get them ready for, First Reconciliation and First Communion in second grade, the church where we have Catechesis is having a Baptism Renewal Ceremony. During Catechesis tonight the first graders decorated white stoles that they will wear during the ceremony. I have no idea what they will do during the ceremony, but I just think it a great way to get them thinking about the Sacraments they will have next year...a good way to get the dialogue started. Anyways, it's not for a couple of weeks, but it will give me time to break out Liam's scrapbook so we can look at his Baptism pictures again and talk about that day, who was there and why it was special.

I was working with my first grade group this morning and got them going on their activity when they started chatting about enrollment. While they worked on their project together, a couple of them were talking about how they aren't going to be able to go to that school next year. Now, I don't know why they aren't going to go there next year, but I can imagine that economics will play a huge part in enrollment for next year. If you have one or two children, tuition is manageable-maybe, but I can't even imagine writing the check to pay for three or more kids to go there. There are scholarships available, but there is only so much scholarship money available and that money is usually set aside for families who, without a scholarship, would never be able to send their child/ren to school there. It makes me sad for the school and the families who love the school so much, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

Middlesex is the book I have been reading for my book club. It seems like I have been reading it for forever, but I am now done. It was a good book, but some of the subject matter might be a little bit too much for some people. One of my neighbor's started reading it and had to stop. She just couldn't read it. I did have to wonder, as I was reading it, where the author came up with his subject matter. I like the way it ends though-no loose ends. Hey, it won a Pulitzer, so it's gotta be good. Right?

This is a snippet of Liam's violin concert from this weekend.

Sunday-Migas with bacon and hash browns
Monday-Crockpot chicken, asparagus, bread
Tuesday-Asian Salad
Wednesday-Salmon, rice, green beans
Thursday-Cranberry Apple Pork with bread and butter
Friday-out to dinner
Saturday-Sean's company dinner

This is Colm's new favorite movie. He watched it twice this weekend and he would have watched it many more times if we would have let him and if we would have had the time. He will tell you that he likes it because it is funny and it is NOT because of the princess.

There are usually really only two times when moms really chat about school-when they are looking for one (starting preschool or kindergarten) or when they aren't happy with the one they are at. Today I was at a birthday party and there was a group of moms who are clearly not happy with the school, or at least not happy with the class their children are in. They must have talked for over an hour about all the things they are upset about. They tried to rope me into taking their complaints to the principal, but I was not going to get sucked in. I listened and offered suggestions and that is where my role ended. I am so glad that I could just sit back and listen. I am so pleased with where my kids are right now. We know where Liam will be for second grade. We know where Colm will be for kindergarten. We have found the right school for us. There is nothing to discuss. I am so glad I could just sit back and listen.

I was trying to figure out our new insurance cafeteria plan yesterday and I was reading over all of the things that it covers. It covers a lot of things, including abortions. Does that seem weird to you? They won't pay for vitamins, but they'll pay for an abortion? Another weird thing along the same lines...there is a website that I go to often to check to see if they have any part-time jobs available. It is a website that only features non-profit organizations. There was a job listed through Planned Parenthood that said one of the main duties would be to schedule abortions. Who would sign up for that job? I don't care if you are Pro-Choice or not, that just doesn't seem like a job that would have a lot of applicants. Then, on that same day, I was flipping through the radio stations and there was a woman talking about something so I thought I would listen for a while. Apparently, she used to be a nurse in an abortion clinic and she was giving some pretty graphic details as to what they do to the babies when they dispose of them. The whole point of her story was how she found Jesus, quit the abortion clinic and now runs a clinic for unwed moms and even has some unwed moms that live with her and her husband. What is the point of this post? I don't know, really, other than that after hearing that lady talk and then seeing that our insurance covers abortions and then seeing the want ad for an abortion scheduler all in one day, I was just a little freaked out.

I would shop on-line more, but I just refuse to pay shipping. It just seems like such a waste of money. So, I was very proud of myself when I got free shipping yesterday and today!!! I saved over twenty bucks! I love it.

How awesome is it that our kids aren't even phased that Barack Obama is President and that he is African American? It's not a big deal to them. Who cares? I love that it is not a big deal to them. As far as they are concerned he isn't any different than any other person who could have been up at that podium being sworn in today. I was torn as to whether I should even mention it. Should I press upon them the importance of today? That would mean explaining to them at least a little about racism and the ugliness that goes with it. I decided that I wasn't going to say anything but then Liam watched it in school today and he came home telling us that he was part of a historical moment because he had witnessed the first African American President being sworn into office. So, I guess the school kind of did it for me. I am glad they watched it and discussed and I am glad he knows that he was witnessing history. He doesn't fully grasp why it's important, but I guess that's not important right now. Someday when he is older he might get it a little bit, but unless you have lived as an African American I doubt you can fully understand what today means. You can appreciate it, but I don't think you can truly, truly grasp it.

As I was thinking about this historical day today I started to think about other historical events that have taken place in my lifetime and I realized that I spent and am still spending an awful lot of time in various schools. I was in second grade when someone tried to assassinate President Reagan. I remember the teachers wheeling out the TVs and we watched it over and over again. Really, how many times do eight-year olds need to see someone get shot? When the space shuttle blew up I was in gym class. We were square dancing and our principal came on over the intercom to tell us. My last day of student teaching was the day the O.J. Simpson verdict was read. Most of the teachers were standing outside the teachers' lounge watching them read the verdict. I think we left the kids to fend for themselves for a few minutes. I was reading The Three Little Wolves and the Big, Bad Pig to my class of fourth graders when we learned that something was going on in New York on 9/11. That was the day I was going to tell my class I was expecting, but I couldn't. I was too busy trying to explain to them, without breaking down into tears, what I had seen on TV in the teachers' workroom while they were in the library. And today I was serving nachos, apples and carrots to a bunch of Catholic school kids while the lunch lady and the other mom that was volunteering watched what we could of it on the little TV they had brought in for the three of us so we wouldn't miss it. Thank you to Mrs. Roberts for bringing in the TV and thank you to the custodian who brought in the very long extension cord.

Sunday-Chicken Enchiladas
Monday-Chicken Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust and Salad
Tuesday-Spaghetti with Italian Sausage
Wednesday-BBQ chicken, potato salad, corn
Thursday-dinner at the in-laws
Friday-Chicken Noodle Soup with some really good bread from the bakery
Saturday-out to eat?

Between two five-year olds:

Cissy: We can read, can't we?
Isaac: Yeh, we can.
Cissy: Have you ever heard of Hooked on Phonics?
Isaac: No.
Cissy: It's really good.

Sitting here watching Barack Obama come out of church on this Inauguration Day and watching the reaction of the people waiting for the Inauguration to begin who are watching his every move this morning on the large screens set up on the Mall makes me nervous for him. He is more than a president; he is a rock star. When he came out of church this morning the crowd went wild-WILD. I know I haven't watched too many inaugurations, but I think most people would agree that this day is different. There is so much hope and emotion surrounding this day. There is so much expected of him and so much that needs to be done both here and abroad. There are people waiting for him to fail so they can say I told you so. There are even more people who want him to succeed, to deliver on all of those promises he made during his campaign. They want their lives to be better and they want hope not only for today but for the future. I wish him the best for a thousand different reasons, but I do not envy him.

Can someone please explain this to me? Why is it that the ONE DAY that Colm doesn't have school he decided he needed to wake up at the crack of dawn? Usually it is a very choreographed dance of orange juice and cajoling that gets him out of bed each morning, but the one day he has off he prances into our room before the sun has come up and is asking me about Easter eggs. Now, I must admit that my mom would tell a similar tale. I remember school day mornings not being the happiest of times in our house. I was not so easy to get up. However, on Saturdays I was always up in time to catch all the cartoons. I think I am getting a little of what I gave. Karma!!!!

Colm went through a stage not too long ago where pretty much all he wanted us to read were Curious George books. I don't think there is a Curious George book out there that we haven't read. Then, magically, he forgot all about George and moved on to other books. Well, much to my dismay, George is back. Don't get me wrong. I love George as much as the next person...but in moderation...Colm doesn't see it that way.

I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but I was hoping for later, or never. Our neighbor who lives behind us works for a local phone company that is notorious for laying people off. (I am sure you can make a wild guess and figure it out.) He has been waiting and waiting to see if his name will come up or not and they keep toying with him about when they will actually find out if they are on the chopping block or not. This has been going on for over a year. So, they decided to be proactive and find a job instead of just sitting around waiting. Now, I know neighbors come and neighbors go, but this just isn't ANY neighbor, this is Liam's ~best~ friend. This is the boy with whom Liam had his first sleepover (and many more after that) and had his first lemonade stand. He lives right behind us and they can just go back and forth between houses. They both love video games, Pokemon cards and Legos. Not only am I sad about Liam having to experience that loss, but I am sad because it is such a great family. They treat Liam like one of the family and he is always welcome and vice versa. I know Liam will find another friend and life will go on, but I am still sad. They are not leaving until April though, so we have plenty of time to have sleepovers and playdates, to share birthdays and to play at recess.

I read this book to help out the librarian at Colm's school (yes, I said Colm's school..that topic deserves a whole other post) so that she would be ready for Battle of the Books in a few months. She asked me to read the book and write about 20-25 questions about the book. This book is geared towards fourth through sixth graders (I think) and it was really good. It takes place in the mid-1800's and tells the story of a Bostonian family who is forced to move to rural Maine after the dad loses his high paying banking job in the city. I like how the title of the book ends up in the story, too.

They were arguing tonight about how to make a proper "nanny nanny boo boo" face. It was hilarious. One would make what he thought was the proper face and then the other one would say "ugh ugh" THIS is how you do it. It went on and on like that while I laughed hysterically in the background.

I was told that I should no longer keep my dongle in the car. I should take it inside and that perhaps the reason I have been having car trouble lately is because I keep my purse in the car at night which, of course, has my dongle in it. Are you asking yourself, what in the %(*&% is a dongle? I know I was. Evidently, a dongle is the technical term for the thing that locks and unlocks the doors of your keyless entry car. I had heard the term keyfob before (which I think is another ridiculous word), but I had never heard the word dongle before and, quite frankly, the word dongle sounds a little like slang for manparts to me.

The boys had a blast at the beach. It was too cold to actually get in, but that didn't stop them from getting their toes wet.

From December 2008

I am not sure what they are doing in this picture. I think they are bracing for the wave to come in.

From December 2008

This is before Colm fell down and got his pants and half of his shirt soaked.

From December 2008

Making a car to race

From December 2008

We were in this racing room for FOREVER!!!

From December 2008

I just thought this was funny

From December 2008

New Year's Eve Party

From December 2008

Instead of having a ball drop, they had a big Lego and instead of it dropping at midnight, it dropped at 6p.m.

From December 2008

Okay, technically we were in Anaheim, but we figured if we had traveled that far, we might as well go to Disneyland while we were at it.

View during the day

From December 2008

Colm LOVES his Mickey in Fantasia hat...he did not take it off all day.

From December 2008

You have to ride the teacups

From December 2008

It's a small world...

From December 2008

It took three tries for us to get Goofy's autograph...third times a charm!

From December 2008

View at night

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From December 2008

Meerkats...the boys' all time favorite.

From December 2008

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From December 2008

I LOVED Legoland and so did the rest of the family. I would happily take the boys here again and again. They had great rides, the lines weren't too long and it was just a lot of fun.

From December 2008

Made entirely of Legos

From December 2008

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You can't go to Legoland and not build something out of Legos.

From December 2008

This was a really fun ride. I couldn't take any pictures of us doing it in case my camera got wet, but here are some other people demonstrating how fun it is.

From December 2008

Again, all Legos...and this is only a very small section of Miniland.

From December 2008

Bionicles...if you don't know what they are, then you don't have a 6-10 year old boy.

From December 2008

The Atlantis is the boys' favorite ride of all times anywhere. They have it at the Sea World in San Antonio, too, so when they saw it here they about lost it. We rode it twice even though it was a little bit too chilly to be riding a ride that WILL get you wet.

From December 2008

From December 2008

From December 2008

See the "snow penguin"?

From December 2008

A cute show we watched with trained dogs, pigs, ducks and cats.

From December 2008

This day was a travel day. We missed our connecting and the connecting after that and the connecting after that. No worries. Liam did his crosswords and Colm colored while Sean figured out how to get us to San Diego. All the waiting and running from one place to another (after they told us the wrong gate in Phoenix) tuckered Colm out. He had a very nice nap on the plane though.

From December 2008

From December 2008