My Soul is Filling.....

At the end of May this year, I was laid off of work. This wasn't the type of layoff that one would expect to be called back from, so I'm not sure why they call it a layoff....I guess that's to cushion the blow. Anyway, I was stunned. Knew it was coming, but my emotional self took over for several hours. And then, I was ok. Really, ok.

I felt ok. I got my ducks in a row. I started applying for jobs immediately. I made a list of all the good things that might come of having this time to be home and I must say that helped me not to panic. I'm a silver lining girl all the way.  I know many people who are out of work right now. I hold each of their stories in my heart and root for them to get back to work, too. I feel guilty that I am making the best of this time off. I don't make light of anyone's situation and I feel the pain, my friends. But I want to share my list. My good things list. My silver lining list.

1. I've accomplished stuff. My hall closet is clean and functional!
2. I've enjoyed whole days and not worried about having enough time to do things.
3. I've finished reading one book (Freakonomics) and have two more cued up - 1. Fiction-The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood and 2. Non-Fiction - I Love it When You Talk Retro - both of which I found for 89 cents at Goodwill (see #6).
4. I've made my yard lovely again - with the help of my sister, her hubby and my dear, Invisibob.
5. I've been the "driving mom" for the first time in many years. And I've been happy to do it.
6. I've wandered around the Goodwill stores in my neighborhood, finding treasures. Don't scoff, my money supports their mission and the treasures look great in my yard!
7. I let my kids have sleepovers - heck, I don't have to get up for work in the morning, why not?
8. I've gone to Thursday morning matinees with my dear, IB. (See #4, Bob is known as Invisibob because 1. He does not appear in photographs willingly, and 2. He didn't start appearing at family functions until we'd been together for a while. My dad dubbed him "Invisibob" as a joke, and it stuck.)
9. I've stopped eating fast food and started cooking again -can't say that I don't have the time to cook!
10. I've taught Matt to cook English muffin pizzas (at least I'll know he can make something!)

11. Ana and I pulled out the food processor and made a cantaloupe granita this week- yum!

We're also growing our own herbs: lots of basil for pestos and pizzas, cilantro, parsley, and dill. And, our cucumber plants are coming along nicely.
12. I've indulged myself in art and music - something I haven't had time for in a long time.

13. I had a picnic in my backyard for the first time in the 7 years I've lived here. Ok, I kind of had to force the kids to join me, but it was a good time, nonetheless.

I'm so thankful that I have a family who is there to help me out and be supportive as I look for a job. I have a second interview with the same company next week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm ready to go back - my soul is filled up again.

Oh...Ma...Shu.....or Why we Love the Last Airbender

I'm going to admit something.

I don't want you to think differently of me.

Promise you'll love me, anyway?

I'm a little bit obsessed with a TV show. Not just any TV show, a kid's show. A cartoon. The BEST show....EVER....Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Now I was trying to keep this under my hat, so to speak, but I've let a few people in on the secret, and I fear they think I'm a little nuts.  I need to assure them that, although I've gotten a little silly over this show, it's going to be ok. I know you have your little obsessions, too. I'm talking to you, Leanne....and you, too, dear reader.

So, here's what's happened. The kids and I, and my guy (because we sucked him into our madness), have bonded over this little show that ran for just 3 seasons on Nickelodeon, since it's being re-run, like, ALL the time on NickToons this past month, in anticipation of the release of the live action 3D movie on July 2nd.

OMG....should I get our tickets now? What if it's sold out?

To plead our case, Ana, Matt, and I came up with our TOP TEN reasons why Avatar: The Last Airbender is the best show EVER!!!!

10. Katara's hair loopies....a fashion statement native to the Water Tribe.
9. Random characters: The Cabbage Merchant, The Singing Nomads, and the Guru. Foaming Mouth Guy, Bosco the Bear, and King Bumi.
8. All the animals are combo animals: Lion Turtles, BadgerMoles, Boar-Q-Pines, Buzzard Wasps, Catgator, Cat Owl, Goat Gorilla, Rabiroo and the Saber-tooth Moose-lion.
7. Appa, the flying bison, and Aang's best friend and Momo, the last flying lemur.
6. The Kung Fu scenes are all based on actual Kung Fu. (Yeah, we all like Kung Fu.)
5. Bending - the magnificent manipulation of elements...you have your main ones: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, but also Metalbending and Sandbending, which fall under Earthbending, Bloodbending and Swampbending, which are other forms of Waterbending and Lighteningbending.
4. Toph - the sassy, snarky blind Earthbending master who sees with her feet...and is only a kid.
3. The love stories....Aang and Katara, Sokka and Suki, and Zuko and Mai.
2. The Avatar State. Aang can go into the Avatar state and fight with the knowledge and power of every Avatar there ever was. There can only be one Avatar at a time, and Aang was frozen for 100 years and then brought back to find the world at war. If he's killed in the Avatar state, all Avatar's will cease to exist. The Avatar can master all the elements.
1. SECRET TUNNEL....the best song. From the episode, Cave of Two Lovers. The kids and I sing this at the top of our lungs...um...everywhere. Care to sing along with us????

There. I've said it.

What are you obsessed with lately?

Photo from here: http://www.airbender.net/graphics/wallpaper/site31.jpg

The Colorful Days

When the kids were young (that sounds funny, since they are still young)....in November of 2004 (Matt was 3 and Ana was 8), we had a series of "color" days, where we ate food of one specific color. Now, yes, I know that you shouldn't eat only one color food....no nutritional bashing, ok. I just wanted to do something fun with the kiddos - and at that time, I was still hoping to be an elementary school teacher, so I had a "teacherly" thing still going on. After the success of the first day - the Green Day - I invited my niece and nephew to join us on these days. I look back on these and get a kick at how the all just let me do what I wanted and they cheerfully went along with it. Most times, they still go along with my program, and I'm dreading the day they say, "Mom/Auntie Cindi/Didi, that's just weird!" Oh, and naturally, I scrapped the events, too (pages to follow in a later post since you're already going to mad at how many pictures are here!).

Here's Green Day...starring Shrek, broccoli with dinner, and mint ice cream in a green cone.

And Yellow Day...scrambled eggs, mac-n-cheese, and egg nog.

And Red Day...starring Elmo and Clifford and spaghetti, red jello, apples, and red cream soda.

And Black and White Day....starring Mickey Mouse and.....mmmm....black cows!!!!

No....Ana didn't drink the Diet Coke!

Thanks for the memories, kiddos, and thank you for visiting.....I'll post the scrapbook pages in another post!

The Party Animal's Lament or that's what DVRs are for

A bit of advice...When your children ask you to let them stay up late, late, late on Saturday to watch multiple episodes of  iCarly...expect them to be sleepy, sleepy, sleepy in church on Sunday morning. Expect them to give you "the look"... the one that says, "Are you seriously going to make me get dressed and drag me out in the cold? I'm cold, I'm tired. I'm JUST a kid." But, sweeties, that's part of the deal....stay up late, no trouble in the morning...oh, and tonight, bedtime is 8pm.

How Bob Newhart Saved My Sanity

In my house, the main family area has but one couch. Woe is me - my little house can only fit a single seating area in front of the TV. Usually, the whole gang piles on the couch - me, my guy, daughter, and son, with a cat squeezed in somewhere. If someone gets off the couch, you can bet Jack the dog will keep your seat warm until you get back and he resumes his place on the floor at your feet. This makes for oodles of togetherness, which is lovely....usually. But occasionally, I yearn to stretch out, by myself, on the couch.

I've just discovered a foolproof way to get the couch to myself. You may want to try this sometime. Here's how it goes....I put on The Bob Newhart Show. Yep, the one from the 70's, where Bob is a psychologist, and shares the office with Jerry the dentist!

Put this on and the children scatter. Couch=mine! I just hope my kids don't notice that Marcia Wallace (Carol the receptionist) is the voice of Spongebob's teacher, Mrs. Puff - they may come back!