Trick or Tweet?

This morning I overheard a conversation between two young teens:

“I’m just going to buy a bag of candy.”


“Why?! It’s Halloween! You can get FREE candy!”


“Yeah…but you have to walk all around.”

I have heard that we, as a nation, are extremely lazy…and I guess the above exchange is valid proof. Sure, the girls are getting to the age where it’s more about the social aspect of it all rather than becoming a princess for the night. But even so…the very thought that it is too much work to have to walk up and down a block to receive candy, when all you really have to do is rip open an entire bag and eat it while vicariously experiencing Halloween via Facebook and Twitter, is becoming the norm for our youth.

So, if your doorbell does not ring and you’re left with a huge cauldron of candy at the end of the night don’t fret, just log on to your computer and chomp down on your treats while you read all your tweets! Happy Halloween!

Land that I Love

On this, the 4th of July, I want to say that I love the fact that I am able to walk up and down the streets of a large and busy city and see beauty and history as I do. I have the freedom to visit places and teach my children about their world. I realize that I am fortunate to be able to do so as many others do not have such liberties. I am grateful that I live in a country whose men and women so honorably fight and sacrifice their lives for. Because of them my family was able to spend a day walking freely along sidewalks and streets marveling at all of the sights and sounds that crossed our path.

Put a Cork In It!

It's time to bid adieu to my glorious two-week vacation. When my alarm sounds tomorrow morning it will be a rude and abrupt reminder that my days of sleeping in until ten are over...as are my nights of staying up until 1 a.m. Fortunately for me tomorrow is classified as a "work day" which means only staff will be there...no kids. This translates as: I will be able to get things done! Except when I am busy catching up with all of my work family. Days like these are great because we get to actually eat a "real" lunch which lasts longer than the usual 15 minutes! I am fortunate in the fact that I truly love what I do and as far as work is concerned I have the best job in the world!! That being said, if I ever do win the lottery I will let someone else love my best job in the world pronto!

One thing that bugs the heck out of me is when people say "I wouldn't want to stay home...I'd get so bored." BORED?! ARE YOU SERIOUS PEOPLE?!? If there is 1 thing that I never am...it is bored. As a matter of fact, as a child, I was never even allowed to use the "bad" word "boring." Instead, I could only say that something was "uneventful." (Now you can probably see why I was never bor-unevented). I honestly believe that I would enjoy every last minute of being alone on an island...well...not the starvation part of it...or the survival part of it...but at least the being alone part of it. I am as much at home in solitude as I am in festivities (though I prefer the former to the latter). Being in the field of education I truly have the best of both worlds. With both of my kids in school all of us are on the same schedule so it all works out...well...everything except the laundry, the dishes, the meals, the housekeeping, the sanity.....

Anyway, I am trying to mentally prepare myself for what we in the business of educating the youth call "the long haul" (the second semester of school...many many many consecutive days of working without another day off!). Tomorrow is like a test run...a chance to ease back into the "routine" of chaos.

I am already looking forward to that glass of merlot when I come home!

Unplugged

Late last night while basking in the glow of all of the multicolored lights that I have decorated the inside of my house with I made the decision that all would be put away in the morning. Well, the morning has come and gone and my house is starting to look a little bare...but I like it. I am in a get rid of it all kind of mood these days. Every year I vow to simplify the holiday's decor but every time I look at each treasured piece of memorabilia I just can't seem to downsize. But, maybe I'd don't really need to...maybe it's all there to remind me of all that is magical and sweet. Maybe it's because these things are boxed up and stored away that make them so special to me.

Some days I want to box up everything else in the house...still keeping it all...just storing it away. Other days I want to put everything out in the open so that I can cherish it on a daily basis. Where is the balance? Lately I have been overwhelmed with stuff. I don't want to be a slave to all of my belongings. I don't want more but I can't part with what I already have. Maybe I attach too much of a memory with the things that I own. For me, everything has to tell a story...have meaning...not necessarily a purpose...but meaning.

So what is the story in all of this? Our happy holiday glow is fading? The lights are off but we're all still home? It was fun while it lasted? I'm beginning to wonder what will be plugging my outlet until next December...hmmm???

Day 1

Out with the old and in with the new---I love the idea that TODAY is our "clean slate" day. No matter what we did or did not do last year THIS year we will have a chance to redeem ourselves. One of the headlines in the San Antonio Express-News read "Never Give Up." I did not see nor read this until just this morning while flipping through the December 30th paper looking for movie show times. I had been dead set against making any firm resolutions...at least out loud...but the more that I think about it I really like this one: NEVER GIVE UP. And so, with the promise of a whole new year ahead I am choosing to take each day separately and never give up...whether it is the desire to eat healthy or the need to exercise...whether it's the chance to visit with friends or the opportunity to change...I will never give up. Sure, there will be days, weeks, even months, where I fail...but I really won't if I never give up.

The End is Near

I just got in from a 2 mile walk...that's right...count 'em...2 miles baby!!! I figured that I better make good on my '08 resolution to walk/exercise this year...and...since it is still 2008 I thought I better fit that one in real quick. I am the ultimate procrastinator...and pretty damn proud of it!! To help give me a leg up on the inevitable "I'm going to eat more fruits and veggies and exercise regularly and get 8 hours of sleep and drink 8 glasses of water and write more and read more and keep up with the dishes and the laundry more" routine of making a new year's list of resolutions (perhaps I should actually print out a master copy of my list (which has been unchanged since 1982) and simply change the date at the top of it) I went ahead and purchased a bag full of yoga pants and tank tops. (No, I don't do yoga...and No, I won't wear the tank without a zippered jacket over it)...but nothing spurs girls on than new clothes!



Having stayed up past midnight for two nights in a row I am curious to see if it can be done tonight...the night it is supposed to be done. We have plans to go over to the neighbor's house so at least we won't be going far. This means that a nap is in high order! Besides that the walk flat out wore me out!!!

Life is Good

With the boys out of the house our home turned into an all girls' retreat last night. I was surrounded by my daughter, a friend, my sister-in-law, and my niece. I love being around women who love you back. After a day spent with my daughter at the movies, in the stores, and in a restaurant I ended up at my sister-in-law's house eating a delicious pizza she made just for us. After our meal we all walked over to my house--homemade brownies and Blue Bell's Coffee Ice Cream in tow. Our flashlights led the way as Snickers dashed in and out of our path. I threw down as many comforters as I could find and we all changed into our comfy-cozy pajamas and settled in to watch Mama Mia. After we had our fill of laughter and tears we headed to the kitchen and scooped balls of ice cream into our brownie-filled bowls and poured on the syrup...Life is Good!

While the Cat's Away the Mice Will Play

While some of us were nestled in our warm and cozy beds dreaming of far away places, others of us were jumping out of bed ready to face the day. My son is so excited to be able to go on a hunt down in South Texas with his dad, grandfather, uncle, and cousin, that he was dressed and ready to go by the time I stumbled out of bed. If I had not set an alarm he would have left without me ever knowing it....sons. I sat down at the kitchen table with him while he ate a bowl of cereal and I diligently took notes on what I needed to do to take care of his chickens in his absence. I loved seeing him eager and happy.

With all the guys out of the house for at least a day and a half-maybe two-My daughter and I will have some quiet time together. What to do? What to do? Later on this evening we have a girls' night planned at the house. We are going to watch Mama Mia and paint our nails. We might even pop some good old fashioned Jiffy Pop Popcorn. The fridge is stocked with mini Cokes and Sunny Delight...life is good! There's a chance she and I may make our way into S.A. to do a little bumming around--just because we can. But until the stores open their doors, and while she's still asleep, I think I may just enjoy a quiet cup of coffee and watch the Today Show...celebrating the first day of my vacation that I got out of bed before 10:00!!!

Horsing Around

Thanks to an invite from a friend my kids and I were able to enjoy being outdoors atop Raider-a beautiful thoroughbred. Just being able to sit in the saddle listening to the give of the leather beneath you makes one believe she is capable. Knowing that you have got to love and respect an animal enough to surrender to it while at the same time trying to convince it that you are in charge can be quite humbling. The power beneath you combined with the power within you makes for both an exhilerating and contented day. Being able to watch your children-so small and fragile-straddle such a large animal and trot off into the sunset stirred nothing but pleasant feelings inside of me. I did not have any feelings of fear as I watched them learn to assert themselves. I did not feel dread when the pace quickened. Both my son and daughter have a deep love and respect for animals and I am grateful for the opportunity that they had today thanks to the invite of a friend.

Seasonings Greetings

This is as close to a Christmas card as you'll get from me. I hate to be such a hypocrite as I absolutely love it when I get Christmas cards in the mail...especially the photo cards. I enjoy seeing the faces of people I don't get to see otherwise. I love the pictures of families with kids-tracking their growth through the seasons. I love my family too and would really like to show them off...but that involves not only planning, but preplanning...something I simply do not do. I am much more likely to, on a whim, send out a photo card on, say, April 14th--for no other reason than it was either a good hair day, or all the stars were aligned and our clothes were washed.

I am quite fearful as to what my "traditions" will be when I am the grandma. Right now I am lobbying for a silver airstream trailer with a swivel-hipped hula girl on the dash. I'll get me a computer with a skype cam and send my kids/grandkids on something like "The Amazing Race" with getting to see me if they can find me as the grand prize.

For now, though, I am simply grateful for turtle-paced days and empty agendas. I don't know the headlines of the day nor the forecasts for tomorrow. I eat when I'm hungry, sleep when I'm tired, and read when I want to. I am spending time with time itself and we are quite compatible. It's as if I feel the need to roll around in and absorb myself with all 24 hours of each day. I want to build up a reservoir of time so that when I have not a minute to spare I can reach deep down into my time bank. Of course, it does not really work that way, and, sadly, I know that. Nevertheless I try every day to do as much and as little as possible in an effort to utilize and stretch the gift of time I have received this holiday season.

Oh The Weather Outside

What a gorgeous day we had yesterday---the temps were in the upper 70s!! It's days like these that have me seriously contemplating running away to the equator to live out the rest of my days! When I was much younger and oh so much dumber I thought it all wrong to spend Christmas on the beach??!!! WHAT were "those people" thinking?! NOW I know! Even though the weather was delightful I managed to stay inside nestled in the crook of my chair-then my bed-then my couch-reading the day away...it was glorious!!! My family played outside, and for that I am extremely grateful...for their sake as well as my sanity!! At one point in the afternoon all of the boys loaded up in the jeep and drove down to the creek. The younger boys went swimming! The day after Christmas!! My kids had a great day as their cousins had their cousins over from out of town so there were plenty of kids around! At one point I made myself get OUT so I grabbed my book, a Coke, and sat out on the porch with Roo and Snickers. I was so glad that I did because everytime I sit in nature I become so inspired. The air was crisp and the breeze was pleasant. It was as if all was well in the world. As I type these words the sky is turning a dark, steely, grey and the wind is picking up. Days like these are welcome too because they force my home into cozy mode; candles burning, lights twinkling, hot tea brewing. (Okay...before I finished that last sentence it became seriously dark and blustery....maybe we'll get a genuine storm soon!).

Coming Down

After all the hype and excitement; the stress and the tension; the anticipation and the overindulgence...it's time to lay around and just be. I refuse to let it all end just because the calendar reads "26th." Tomorrow I'll get back in the groove...tomorrow I'll really get started on all of those reorganizing tasks I said I'd do "when I'm off"...tomorrow I'll start making plans to make plans.

TODAY, however, I am going to stay in my pajamas, watch the Mama Mia DVD my daughter gave to me, and eat a bowl of Blue Bell Ice Cream. TODAY I'm going to relish in the fact that I am not "out there" waiting in long lines to exchange unwanted gifts...or staring at the brake lights of the long lines of cars in front of me.

...And To All A Goodnight!

There are only thirty minutes left and then Christmas will officially be over. I have been sleepy since 3:15 this afternoon. Now that we are back home I am fighting sleep so as to take it all in...the sense that something special took place here early this morning. The feeling that the wait was worth it. The cluttered home that can only be defined as "a good mess." Both of my kids are tucked into their beds-each content. My daughter has on just about every article of clothing received while my son is reading through a book on the history of Texas A&M that I gave him. There is nothing like falling asleep with a smile on your face and happiness in your heart. For me, I have both for I have witnessed these things while in the presence of my kids.

Merry Christmas!

Now that it is a little past noon I'm ready for a nap! Christmas morning came about 6:00 a.m. ... a mere 6 hours after my eyes shut for the night. And while I crave sleep and detest being roused from my slumber I do give exception to such a morning as this. My daughter was the first to pounce on my side of the bed insisting that "It's Time!"

Now that the kids are a little bit older I'm never really sure what to expect. Are they going to sleep until 9:00? Are they going to set their alarms for 4:00 a.m.?

It's fun to see and hear them still as excited as when they were 5 and 6 years old. This year the number of gifts beneath the tree was significantly less than previous years, but the total cost has remained the same. The items on their lists involved items such as ipods and video cameras. I justified such purchases by preparing the answers to the interview questions I was sure to be asked once my son became the next Steven Spielberg and my daughter the next Taylor Swift!

After the floor was littered with crinkled wrapping paper and opened boxes we all set to work reading our instruction manuals. I soon found myself being videotaped in all my bed-head/no-makeup morning glory...my rants forever captured and contained within an 8 gig memory card. We played the game of LIFE for 2 hours and we downloaded our favorite songs. We reluctantly got out of our new, cozy, pajamas, and prepared for Round 3...last night was spent at my parents' house-this morning at our house-today will be spent at my husband's parents'. The kids are happy...and so am I!

Merry Christmas to All!!!

Christmas Eve

It's Chrismtas Eve...finally! It's time to relax and be with family. It's too late to do anything else except wait so you might as well enjoy it! Even now my tummy is fluttering at the very thought of going to my Mom and Dad's---this is when I revert to the expectant child...and I LOVE it!!! It's so fun to be all things wrapped up in one: a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a wife, a mother...I get to be right there in the middle of it all and yet I have the benefit of being able to step away and view it all from a distance. The smiles on my parents' faces as they enjoy their role as grandparents; nothing makes them happier than making their children and grandchildren smile. Getting to see and hear shouts of elation as my kids receive the good stuff...just what they wanted all wrapped up in the love of the givers.

There will be food and there will be games; there will be laughter and picture taking sessions. There will be anticipation and there will be relaxation. The magic of Christmas is sprinkling down on us all...may it fall on you.

How Lovely Are Your Branches!

Look closely and you'll see Snickers, our cat, nestled inside our Christmas tree! This reminds me of the scene in E.T. when E.T. is hiding amongst all of the other stuffed animals in Gertie's closet!

All I Want For Christmas

Why is it that when things are at their busiest time often stands still? By that I mean we, as a family, despite all of the unfinished tasks, were able to stop for a while and watch A Christmas Story. A couple of days ago my husband and the kids presented me with an early Christmas present: the DVD of A Christmas Story. We watched this classic last year and laughed all throughout. This year was no exception, and as the kids get older and older they really seem to “get it"…from every angle.

I am always touched by the ending when it is evident that one of the true magical moments of Christmas morning is seeing your children receive something that they really wanted more than anything else. That moment in time has to be one of the great rewards of parenting. Christmas morning memories stay with you no matter how old you get. It seems that we can all remember the sheer joy we felt when our wishes were granted.


I can remember bountiful Christmases and I can remember slim Christmases. Both kinds brought me happiness. The love was there beneath the tree in both cases. As I prepare for our Christmas morning magic I can’t help but to return to my childhood and want nothing more than for my kids to have that happy feeling burn within. I pray that they know they are loved unconditionally and that out of love they are not given every single thing that they want. I hope that their Christmas morning memories will travel with them wherever they go, and I can’t wait for them to each smile when they unwrap the very thing that they wanted more than anything else.

That's A Wrap!

I've made hot chocolate with marshmallows; I've maintained traditions such as "Secret Angels" (this is something we do every year: the week before Christmas we each draw names and for the next week we have to secretly do nice things for the person we drew. The big reveal is on Christmas Eve. This has everyone thinking about someone other than themselves and it keeps us all guessing who our secret angel is); I've wrapped gifts (first year to do so with a cat in the house...not so easy). We've played Yahtzee; we've watched James Bond marathons; we've stayed in our pajamas for 48 hours straight. Now all there is to do is last for one more day and then it will be the day before Christmas: Christmas Eve. The buildup and the anticipation are huge...no matter whether you are the child or the adult. I am very fortunate that I still get to be both.

Heart Matters

Upon leaving the funeral home after attending a visitation for one of my parents’ friends, my dad, mom, and I were talking on the way to our vehicles. Dad made the comment, “Man! There sure were a lot of old people in there!” He seemed to have an added bounce in his step and a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. I detect a sense of giddiness whenever I am around him. I can actually feel his genuine joy at simply being alive.
This Christmas will be the second one I will have been blessed to spend with my dad since his devastating heart attack in 2007. Just the other day--the day of the visitation as a matter of fact--my dad went in for his 6 month check up. He told me that his doctor remarked that he just can’t understand my dad. He said that every time he looks at my dad’s heart it is so damaged and dead that he simply cannot believe that my dad is here…that he is alive. And not only that, but my dad looks fantastic! Dr. Art, as my dad calls him, said that Dad’s heart is comparable to driving down the highway with all of these shiny, fast, new luxury cars speeding ahead…and there, in the distance, is this smoking and shaking rusted out old jalopy—sputtering hard to try to keep up.
This got me thinking that it is not so much about his heart condition as it is about the condition of his heart. His heart is and always has been in the right place. His heart is so filled with love … and love conquers all…faith, hope, and love…the greatest of these is love….that’s my dad.

A Day of Rest

Today is Sunday-A Day of Rest-and so I did...until NOON!!! Finally, I feel somewhat caught up on my sleep...at least for now. The past week had been a tough one for me. Between stomach bugs and children bugs--late nights and sad nights--the bags beneath my eyes were beginning to look like they were packed to leave the country. The irritability scale had been topped and my steam had all but run out. But today, ah today...I feel great. But I don't think it has so much to do with the rest I received as much as it has to do with the knowlege that I do not have to report to duty tomorrow...or the next day...or the next...

While I still harbor the guilt for not taking my family to church on this Sunday before Christmas, I am grateful for the time at home. Yes, there is still cleaning that has to be done, but it is not magnified and it is manageable. The if it doesn't get done I'll do it tomorrow mentality always helps! The countdown is on and the anticipation is starting to build. The Wizard of Oz was watched last night and the presents will be wrapped today. The wind is blowing and the heaters are on. The kids are cleaning their rooms and the pets are frisky. We are on vacation and Christmas is coming!