And a visit from our cousin, Sophie!
8.25.2007
of bats and men
Rowyn's GS troop worked on their Bronze Award this summer, completing three (and one more to come) bat houses for our area! I've been working with them on bat conservation and how they can make a difference! Great job, girls!
To create your own bat house, we loved these simple instructions: http://www.batmanagement.com/Batcentral/boxbuild/Small1.html
To create your own bat house, we loved these simple instructions: http://www.batmanagement.com/Batcentral/boxbuild/Small1.html
Go GO Speed Racer!
Syenna took to race car driving like a...well, like a 10yr old race car driver. She tore up the track!
8.11.2007
Feeling moddy
How fun is this? I was named the new Children's Forum co-mod for Absolute Write, one of the most respected writer's boards on the net! I highly recommend this board for anyone even thinking of writing; it covers nearly every genre and can help with everything from getting started to celebrating your first novel. Come on over and say howdy!
8.10.2007
Who me? Write a book?
Yep. Call me a late bloomer. After nearly fifteen years of Bryan bugging me to write a book so he can retire in style, I've started a ghost story. Now I've written ghost stories before but not with this much spirit. ba dum dum.
Check back here for updates, I'm on chapter six of Beyond the Pale!
Check back here for updates, I'm on chapter six of Beyond the Pale!
8.07.2007
I'm a Rockin' Mama!
How fun is this? I was asked by a fellow AWer to be her first in a series of Rockin' Mamas at sheknows.com! The link is up today so go check it out. I'm talking about Wynter's birth, how the girls all had "y"s in their names and why I'm a bad-ass mama. Ok, not really the last one but it's my blog and I'll shake my bad thang if I want to. :P
Check it out before I'm going tomorrow!
Check it out before I'm going tomorrow!
8.05.2007
Up in the air, Junior Birdman
Rowyn and her cousin, Sophie, have left for Space Camp this week, courtesy of their grandparents. All the Tang they can drink and vomit on the whirl-a-girl for six days! This is Rowyn's first plane trip without an adult along so we were both a little nervous, so much for being the cool mom. I only tried once to get onboard with them...
The house is coming along swimmingly, just waiting for the last bit of ductwork to come in before we bring in the contractors for drywall et al. School starts in three weeks, eh, who needs a toilet?
The house is coming along swimmingly, just waiting for the last bit of ductwork to come in before we bring in the contractors for drywall et al. School starts in three weeks, eh, who needs a toilet?
7.22.2007
Vyolette loves Gene
Who knew?
I always suspected one of my children would be a rock groupie but at 16 months? Tonight, while her teething kept her up, Vyolette saw for the first time her true love: Gene Simmons of KISS. She howled when she saw him in full costume and clapped as he tried to lick the camera.
I shudder to think of her at sixteen. Gene, you dirty old man. My door is on the left. ;)
7.19.2007
8 Random things about me
Grrrrrr. I hate these things but here goes!
1. I am able to pick up almost anything with my toes.
2. I turned down graduate school to spend one more term at OSU and pick up a second major (history), then met my husband a month before I graduated and never went back to school.
3. I was once stranded in the middle of a river while tubing with my brother as teenagers. It took hours to get me back across.
4. I quit college at 18 and moved to NYC with no money (or brains) then returned to college after I figured out I couldn't make it without an education. Duh.
5. I can't stand many blonde actresses and most female singers make my skin crawl.
6. I found an ancient knife point while on a dig in Scotland, right in front of US tourists. Perfect timing. ;)
7. The first ghost I ever saw was my dog, Jake, a month after he'd passed.
8. I like to eat cottage cheese on my hot dogs. Wha?
1. I am able to pick up almost anything with my toes.
2. I turned down graduate school to spend one more term at OSU and pick up a second major (history), then met my husband a month before I graduated and never went back to school.
3. I was once stranded in the middle of a river while tubing with my brother as teenagers. It took hours to get me back across.
4. I quit college at 18 and moved to NYC with no money (or brains) then returned to college after I figured out I couldn't make it without an education. Duh.
5. I can't stand many blonde actresses and most female singers make my skin crawl.
6. I found an ancient knife point while on a dig in Scotland, right in front of US tourists. Perfect timing. ;)
7. The first ghost I ever saw was my dog, Jake, a month after he'd passed.
8. I like to eat cottage cheese on my hot dogs. Wha?
7.13.2007
Camp
I hate camp.
Well, not really. This past Sunday, the big girls went off to girl scout resident camp for a week and I had no idea how used to complete chaos I was. Two tiny girls could never compete with three cranky, goofy, popsicle-munching pre-teens.
Rowyn and Syenna went south about three hours. I kept having flashbacks to The Haunting where Mrs. Dudley kept saying, "no one could hear you scream. You're alone. In the dark." Real comforting.
Wynter was closer but the 100 degree heat put a real damper on the fun I was imagining her having. Hopefully they stuck all the girls in the pool and sprayed them with hoses.
I received two postcards from Syenna today:
"I had seven mosquitos in my cabin on the first night! We do lots of things at the beach. Sorry Dad, we had no choice, I have to do crafts."
"I want to go to day camp instead. The days are so fun , we are going swimming in a lake and rock climbing and hiking, it's real fun! I would like to do this as a day camp instead. That would be best. I miss you. I want to come back."
Er. No guilt here. She'll see me in therapy, I'm sure.
Well, not really. This past Sunday, the big girls went off to girl scout resident camp for a week and I had no idea how used to complete chaos I was. Two tiny girls could never compete with three cranky, goofy, popsicle-munching pre-teens.
Rowyn and Syenna went south about three hours. I kept having flashbacks to The Haunting where Mrs. Dudley kept saying, "no one could hear you scream. You're alone. In the dark." Real comforting.
Wynter was closer but the 100 degree heat put a real damper on the fun I was imagining her having. Hopefully they stuck all the girls in the pool and sprayed them with hoses.
I received two postcards from Syenna today:
"I had seven mosquitos in my cabin on the first night! We do lots of things at the beach. Sorry Dad, we had no choice, I have to do crafts."
"I want to go to day camp instead. The days are so fun , we are going swimming in a lake and rock climbing and hiking, it's real fun! I would like to do this as a day camp instead. That would be best. I miss you. I want to come back."
Er. No guilt here. She'll see me in therapy, I'm sure.
7.07.2007
Trevor Luckman photography
MySpace works in weird and wonderful ways. Yesterday I was hit up to be the friend of Trevor Luckman, who lists himself as a photographer in Oregon. Being of the webbed feeted variety, I had to check out his work and discovered that he's from my home town area! No, we're not related.
He does lovely work in Grants Pass, OR. Please check out his site and say hello!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5111231
He does lovely work in Grants Pass, OR. Please check out his site and say hello!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5111231
7.04.2007
Happy Independence Day!
Somehow Independence Day gets me into some kind of trouble. I'm usually minding my own business when WHAM - the car I'm in slams into the truck in front. At a stop sign no less. Just decided to hit the gas before the truck ahead moved. ????
Another year, Bryan and I sold ice cream off the back of our truck in downtown Portland, Oregon. We made enough to live off of for a month that day.
One year, I was in California visiting my sister and decided I absolutely needed to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show. RIGHT THEN. You can imagine how that went over. TOAST!
This year we had a quiet (for a family with five small kids) and boring 4th of July -- until the tornado warning. Aside from it being a normal muggy crappy DC day, I didn't even see this one coming. No storm, no warnings then WHAMMO - tornado warning, get the ribs off the bbq, we're going into the basement. Rightttttttt after I finish this cocktail... Needless to say, all is well and though we skipped being evacuated at the National Mall (though that would have been fun too) we celebrated by researching Revolutionary era ghosts and playing with sparklers & morning glories. My dad would be proud. Of course, that's a whole other story...
Another year, Bryan and I sold ice cream off the back of our truck in downtown Portland, Oregon. We made enough to live off of for a month that day.
One year, I was in California visiting my sister and decided I absolutely needed to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show. RIGHT THEN. You can imagine how that went over. TOAST!
This year we had a quiet (for a family with five small kids) and boring 4th of July -- until the tornado warning. Aside from it being a normal muggy crappy DC day, I didn't even see this one coming. No storm, no warnings then WHAMMO - tornado warning, get the ribs off the bbq, we're going into the basement. Rightttttttt after I finish this cocktail... Needless to say, all is well and though we skipped being evacuated at the National Mall (though that would have been fun too) we celebrated by researching Revolutionary era ghosts and playing with sparklers & morning glories. My dad would be proud. Of course, that's a whole other story...
6.27.2007
NYC for the weekend!
Click on the photos for a bigger look.
I and five other brave mothers took our hormone-crazed, pre-teens into the big bad city of New York last weekend! After a lingering look at the Naked Cowboy in Times Square, we had a fabulous time at the Statue of Liberty, Mary Poppins on Broadway, shopping, the wax museum and popping in on the Today Show audience. Rowyn and I will never forget it!
I and five other brave mothers took our hormone-crazed, pre-teens into the big bad city of New York last weekend! After a lingering look at the Naked Cowboy in Times Square, we had a fabulous time at the Statue of Liberty, Mary Poppins on Broadway, shopping, the wax museum and popping in on the Today Show audience. Rowyn and I will never forget it!
6.20.2007
Movin' on up to kindergarten
Lily's headed to kindergarten! Voted "Most Energetic" by her preschool, they have NO idea what's in store for them next year. ;)
6.13.2007
Oddpodz
What a crazy week! Last week, a t-shirt company I'd sent some slogans off the cuff for sent an email telling me I had been chosen as one of their top 50 in their contest. When I sent in the slogans, there was no mention of a contest, lol. Anywho, in my spam filter was an email saying in case I didn't get the first message (?) I was now in the running and I'd better hustle up some votes. So I did. A lot of them. Never underestimate the power of MySpace and a writer's board.
In their newsletter today, I discovered I was the winner of this week (yay!) and will move onto the finals. My great friend, Suzan Weiner, is also a finalist so please vote for her this week!
I'll keep you posted!
In their newsletter today, I discovered I was the winner of this week (yay!) and will move onto the finals. My great friend, Suzan Weiner, is also a finalist so please vote for her this week!
I'll keep you posted!
6.01.2007
As pointed out delicately by my friend, Aly, I've neglected to update the world about the doings of the monkeys.
Softball is finally ending, we've finished last in 12U and middle-of-the-pack for 10U. Let's just say this wasn't our year. Rowy is headed off to Volleyball camp after school gets out, it'll be good to get out of the dust and hot sun.
Wynter had her author chat today at school. Her fabulous teacher makes a point of binding their creative writing and having a formal chat complete with luncheon for the class/parents afterwards. We are going to miss the faculty at this school enormously, they've all been incredible!
I'm busy submitting and writing. Buttercup's Giant Pumpkin headed off to Highlights yesterday, I'm shopping around some publishers in case it's rejected. One Little Goblin is trying to find a home, I can't decide where it's going! I'll be having my own author's chat in Wynter's classroom next week to test-drive them on the second grade.
Syenna, Lily and Vyolette are busy growing and attacking the sprinklers after school. Who needs a dog when I can have things ripped up by them? At least the girls don't poop on the carpet. Anymore.
Bry's busy as a wee bee on the house - projected move in date - July!
Softball is finally ending, we've finished last in 12U and middle-of-the-pack for 10U. Let's just say this wasn't our year. Rowy is headed off to Volleyball camp after school gets out, it'll be good to get out of the dust and hot sun.
Wynter had her author chat today at school. Her fabulous teacher makes a point of binding their creative writing and having a formal chat complete with luncheon for the class/parents afterwards. We are going to miss the faculty at this school enormously, they've all been incredible!
I'm busy submitting and writing. Buttercup's Giant Pumpkin headed off to Highlights yesterday, I'm shopping around some publishers in case it's rejected. One Little Goblin is trying to find a home, I can't decide where it's going! I'll be having my own author's chat in Wynter's classroom next week to test-drive them on the second grade.
Syenna, Lily and Vyolette are busy growing and attacking the sprinklers after school. Who needs a dog when I can have things ripped up by them? At least the girls don't poop on the carpet. Anymore.
Bry's busy as a wee bee on the house - projected move in date - July!
4.28.2007
Rub a dub dub
Before the angry emails come flooding in, the dish brush was freshly out of the dishwasher! ;)
Hula Hoopers!
Top picture: Syenna - Kate - Astrid
Bottom: Kate - Syenna - Astrid
The hoopers tore up the Talent Show last night, next year: FLAMING BATONS!
Karmic Twist magazine
YAY me! I have a gig at the new online magazine, Karmic Twist! I'm writing the history/origins column -- In the Beginning... so come over the first of each month and have a gander. :)
http://karmictwist.com
http://karmictwist.com
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