tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73638225193745491532024-03-14T12:49:07.022-06:003 Men and a Ladysuburbanbrunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02358798914024512687noreply@blogger.comBlogger964125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-51212121941285404732015-04-15T22:02:00.000-06:002015-04-15T22:05:14.241-06:00The First DayYesterday was my last day as a 39-year-old. So, as the order of things goes, today I am 40. That's a big number and it makes everyone take stock. Why we do this is a mystery to me. But sure enough, I sat at the kitchen counter with my hubby last night and pondered the state of things.<br />
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I'm not melancholy about having missed out on something. Nor do I think I failed to capture my dreams or follow my passions. I've had an incredible career -- in fact many of them. Through the generosity of my dear husband I've pursued crazy, impulsive pastimes. I've hopped from occupational interest to occupational interest as I saw fit and prudent. So I'm not exactly sure why on that very last day I felt unfinished.<br />
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My kiddos are two of the most amazing boys to rule the suburbs. Really. Like all young men they are learning to learn, learning to lead, learning how they want to be loved. They are champions and scholars and I couldn't ask for better behavior. Considering who is raising them -- we are tickled pink at their stature. But they are growing up so fast. As they grow up, I know that soon they will step out. Step right out on their own and perhaps leave me behind.<br />
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So on this first day of the next decade I thought I would be a wreck. I'm not. I'm going about my day doing my usual. And I guess that is where the inventory of your life is. The importance. That which I cannot let go.<br />
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I walked my children to school in the gorgeous Colorado sun.<br />
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I watched from a safe distance as they settled into their own friend groups and giggled with their peers.<br />
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I sipped my coffee. Oh I love well-made coffee.<br />
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I answered the door to one of my favorite people of all time. A true gem of a friend.<br />
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I golfed with old friends and new friends.<br />
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I ate no less than 3 cookies before I ate anything else.<br />
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I raced to pick up the supplies for another creative project and saw the shining face of someone I really appreciate having in my life. Someone whose whereabouts on April 15, 2013, left me very concerned for her safety and well-being. I'm so grateful she's alive.<br />
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I walked my children home from school, encountering some of our favorite neighbors along the way.<br />
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I was carpool mom on the way to LAX, where I then sat high on a hill and watched my oldest son play a game I know nothing about.<br />
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I ran my car completely out of gas. Which only served to show me how loved I am. My oldest son sat with me and waited for the other half of our family to save us. It was actually really incredible.<br />
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I ate an incredible dinner, prepared by my husband and sons. The wine was good, the food was great, and the men at the table were good to me.<br />
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I wrote a little and I'll read a lot. My book and my bed are calling to me as I close this day -- this first day of the decade.<br />
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You know how you look back at pictures of your kids and you half smile? Your eyes get a little wet, and you stare in awe at the way their hair was so soft and their cheeks were so chubby. You may even point to the picture and say to them, "Gosh remember when you did that?" The zip of the years in front of you is staggering and you wish you could pause. At 40 -- this beautiful marker of a life well-started -- I realize the people who touch my life are looking back at their pictures and memories of our times together and grasping at the same passage of time. I have been fun. I have been fit. I've had long hair, short hair, gray hair (!). There was the pregnant belly, vacation sunburns, eyes glassy with drink, and a mouth wide with laughter. Not uncommon a heart broken with sorrow and a soul lifted up in good times. So yes, happy tears today because I remember when I did all that.<br />
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hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-75624926716089638302015-01-31T18:11:00.001-07:002015-01-31T23:36:35.065-07:00Adventures in Volunteering: That Time a Cherub had a Dirty Mouth<div><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I enjoy my adventures in volunteering at the local elementary school. Recently, as I walked the halls and past a bench known to be the time out zone for wiggly kids I couldn't help but pay attention to a young boy -- maybe 1st grade -- who was wailing, or yodeling, or some such nonsense that he thought was musical and appropriate. It was neither. </span></div><div><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></span></div><div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">When I got to him and knew he was looking at me I said, "You have a beautiful voice." </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I said it with sweetness and sincerity. Because while I knew it was annoying everyone, myself included, I also knew he just wanted to be noticed. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">His face instantly shaded over and he stared me down with genuine disgust. He folded his arms and crossly grumbled, "I am not a girl!"</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">So I paused for a beat, I had no idea what his reaction was meant to clarify. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">It was so shockingly rude and tart I no longer felt sure I knew his developmental acuity. In a moment I thought he might be strange enough to think that because I was a woman I was only allowed to speak to girls. But then it struck me. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I actually gasped and responded in a sorrowful simper, "Oh sweatheart, beauty does not only belong to girls." </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The more I contemplate this random and basically anonymous interaction the more it affects me. There are so many gross layers to his response.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">First, what is the environment that developed a small boy who would speak to a well-meaning adult as if I were a feral dog? </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">More disturbing still, why was he taught to associate the adjective "beauty" as feminine?</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><i>And</i> sickening in every way, what is so offensive about girls anyway?!?!? </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">When will the world get over itself? Are we not educated enough? Advanced enough? What good is our progress if we still equip our babies with gender-normative stereotypes that generate sadness? When will we learn that "beauty" does not belong to women. Just as "smart" does not belong to men. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Compliments are compliments. Please teach your children to accept kindness with kindness. Please teach your children to mind their manners. Please teach your children that men and women are valuable, and beautiful, and smart, and allowed to live alongside each other. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Beauty does not belong to girls. Beauty is not owned by anyone. Beauty sadly dissipates under the angry eyes of a misguided, fiercely misinformed 6-year-old. Beauty is both fragile <i>and</i> ready to come back with flourish. </div></div>hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-58814353224924576992015-01-19T08:07:00.001-07:002015-01-19T08:07:49.756-07:00Conversation with an Artist<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TE5k9ID3Tf0/VL0dwz1H4XI/AAAAAAAAH8s/y47RXC7EVEo/s640/blogger-image-1269004874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TE5k9ID3Tf0/VL0dwz1H4XI/AAAAAAAAH8s/y47RXC7EVEo/s640/blogger-image-1269004874.jpg"></a></div><div><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></span></div>Mom, do you ever do something that makes you feel crowded?</span><div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Did you? </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Well at indoor recess in the last 10 minutes I drew something and then everyone was at my desk. I mean everyone. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">How did that make you feel?</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Crowded.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Is that a bad feeling or a good feeling?</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">What do you mean?</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Did you like it?</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">I liked that they liked my pictures...</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">But...?</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">But I felt really crowded.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">That's confusing. But I have a feeling that the more you draw, the better you will be. And the world will want to know you and your talents. It might get crowded. Are you OK with that?</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Shrugs shoulders. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">When we have a gift, the world crowds in. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div></div>hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-91729318117116388392015-01-13T21:41:00.001-07:002015-01-13T21:48:48.004-07:00The Risks of Opening Your Mouth<div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Here's a gross thing that happened...</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Wait first let me explain what is in the top of Coop's mouth. Like so many pre-Tweens he endures the palate spreading device known in orthodontia as an expander. To parents like me, it's known as an expensive piece of metal with an interminably small keyhole placed precariously close to the soft roof of my precious child's, precious mouth. Each night I search for this infinitely small hole, then I fumble inside Cooper's mouth with a stick fitted with a pin on the end. The pin is actually a collapsible "key" that once in the hole is cranked toward the back of Cooper's mouth -- directly in line with his uvula -- in an effort to widen his mouth. It creates at once both a barrier and a small cavity in the top of his mouth. He now has a remarkable speech impediment, and can make horrible sounds and smells with the trapped air between his tongue, the metal contraption, and the roof of his mouth. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">While enjoying ourselves in the great outdoors, Coop had his beautiful mouth wide open. Perhaps he was shouting, maybe laughing, but some freaky Miller moth thought he was inviting him in. The moth flew in his mouth and then became trapped between the expander and the roof of his mouth. Fluttering and buzzing, and gagging Cooper completely out. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">If this had happened to me, I think I would have died. I base this on my reaction to the 100 Miller moths that attacked me when I freed them from the plastic house number they had hatched in. With one pop of a flathead screwdriver I unleashed a torrent of wings and freaky moth fuzz all over me. I screamed on the order of the utmost terror threat and began blindly waving my screwdriver, and arching back matrix style in an effort to escape danger. So yeah, if an effin' Miller moth flew in my mouth and then became trapped inside it, I would freak out, soil myself and just lay down and die. The heart would just explode. I would die.</div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><br></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);">Cooper just spit and kept playing. </div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-DEDnhhOuHFk/VLXzlCuQW1I/AAAAAAAAH8Y/cLktNwPlXwE/s640/blogger-image--1205887315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-DEDnhhOuHFk/VLXzlCuQW1I/AAAAAAAAH8Y/cLktNwPlXwE/s640/blogger-image--1205887315.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-26538246116666297662014-11-30T20:22:00.001-07:002015-04-15T22:04:34.445-06:00Travelogue: Remember When I Used To Do ThatIn celebration of putting the first 1835 miles on a new car, I'm going to recap our journey to Colorado from my in-law's house.<br />
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We find starbucks. Thank goodness because the boy who is 10 days short of his 10th birthday is already whining. Supposedly he is starving. Just starving and we just don't care about him. Let me tell you, I cared plenty last night when he wouldn't sit down and eat at his grandmother's 80th birthday. But this morning his drama smacks of accuracy.<br />
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Steve establishes that, of course, we have cup holder assignments. His is the one closest to us. Mine is the farthest. That makes perfect sense since I'm shorter and have shorter arms. </div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://1" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">8:07</a></div>
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To the delightful sounds of Car Talk Coop falls asleep. With a blanket over his head. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://2" x-apple-data-detectors-result="2" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">8:19</a></div>
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Another one bites the dust. Mason is out, too. Clearly the late nights with cousins have caught up with them. Which reminds me, I've got to silent their iPads. The middle of the night Words With Friends notifications are changing my world view. And it's not a pleasant one. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://3" x-apple-data-detectors-result="3" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">8:23</a></div>
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Echo exit signals the start of rainy road conditions. Hoping it doesn't turn to snow. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://4" x-apple-data-detectors-result="4" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">8:40</a></div>
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As luck would have it, snow!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://5" x-apple-data-detectors-result="5" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">8:59</a></div>
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Coop stretches awake and before his eyes are open asks, "Was that a long time?"</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://6" x-apple-data-detectors-result="6" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">9:10</a></div>
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Conditions quickly worsening. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://7" x-apple-data-detectors-result="7" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">9:34</a></div>
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Blessed sunshine. Mason is still sleeping. And Cooper is morbidly quiet, ensconced in his headphones and staring at his iPad. I can't help but remember the road trips of even 5 years ago. The trips metrenomed by treat timers and quick potty breaks. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://8" x-apple-data-detectors-result="8" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">9:40</a></div>
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"I just took a big, long nap." Announces the dry, frank voice of my Mas. Not unlike the pronouncements he made as a toddler. </div>
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<br /></div>
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10:00</div>
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On the dot we roll through Green River. It's wet and miserable and visibility is low. What is it about being trapped in a tin can that makes my motivation soar?!?!? I've scheduled -- by text -- nearly a dozen appointments. My to-do list is growing by 10s. Can't wait to tackle it. But alas I'm destined to put this momentum on pause for another 6 hours. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Oh and I need a facial...</div>
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And then I've got to put the tree up...</div>
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When am I going to pick up my Custom signs...</div>
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Hope that special-order fabric is in...</div>
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So many jobs...</div>
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So little time....</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://9" x-apple-data-detectors-result="9" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">11:15</a></div>
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Just passed into Carbon County. Woohoo! I've started drinking iced coffee, which is to say I just took a swig of this morning's left over coffee and it's nasty. Must stop soon. We're all stir crazy and I'm singing along to I'd Lie For You by Meatloaf. Make. It. Stop. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://10" x-apple-data-detectors-result="10" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">11:44</a></div>
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Take a de-icing break. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Switch drivers and that means the updates will be very few and far between. Gratitude no. 378: the new car has XM radio. And then I quickly discover that you can not listen to comedians with kids in the car. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://11" x-apple-data-detectors-result="11" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">1:08</a></div>
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Wendy's in Laramie. I'm determined for this to be our last unhealthy meal of the year. (I'm proven wrong by the pizza we order later.) </div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-70BQX9Je0cQ/VHvn3fZoUVI/AAAAAAAAH0w/iL4fvtfkNlM/s640/blogger-image-2601710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-70BQX9Je0cQ/VHvn3fZoUVI/AAAAAAAAH0w/iL4fvtfkNlM/s640/blogger-image-2601710.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://12" x-apple-data-detectors-result="12" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">1:37</a></div>
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On our way, because the snow seems to be following us. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://13" x-apple-data-detectors-result="13" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">2:51</a></div>
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Mason asks did you guys pack my invention kit?</div>
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<br /></div>
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This sweet boy has been making small experiments with his grandpa. The invention kit is a prized possession. I'm so relieved that we packed it up. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://14" x-apple-data-detectors-result="14" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">3:50</a></div>
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Ack! Get me out of the car. And a funny story about the return of ELF. But that will have to wait. For now, I'm rolling these huge thighs out of this car and ordering greasy pizza. </div>
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hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-46380418281100311982014-10-20T14:56:00.000-06:002014-11-30T20:26:30.039-07:00Wish There Was a Costume For That<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JryN6sp8lyE/VEVxJ9gJBWI/AAAAAAAAHzE/PK2qWL5laDM/s1600/IMG_2794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JryN6sp8lyE/VEVxJ9gJBWI/AAAAAAAAHzE/PK2qWL5laDM/s1600/IMG_2794.JPG" height="320" width="213"></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have hesitated to talk about Mason’s birthday. But now
it’s been about a month and the sadness of it is either all dried up or just
dammed up and about ready to overflow all over the place. He’s 8. Eight is
great, unless you are the momma of said giant 8-year-old. Then it’s heartache
on heartache as you try to pick him up one last time, fiddle around to find a
comfy spot on the couch where you both can take a Sunday nap, or even when you
realize though he still reaches for your hand on the way to school you feel
like you’re holding a man’s hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He’s totally grown up. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His “friend” birthday party was a bit of a disaster. Though
in late September, Colorado had record temps and our planned mini golf outing
turned into a sun-baked whinefest where one boy scaled a porta-john and another
one even barfed. His “family” birthday party got upstaged by a golf tournament.
And then there were the costumes. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b7vVMcwzTfU/St_VvcM1fOI/AAAAAAAAGkw/zIOgW8sO3PU/s1600/DSC02674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b7vVMcwzTfU/St_VvcM1fOI/AAAAAAAAGkw/zIOgW8sO3PU/s1600/DSC02674.JPG" height="320" width="240"></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My children have always had a thing for dressing up. Mason
especially loved costumes that uniformed him for his imaginary travels to
space. While Coop was content in ninja digs and an occasional Power Ranger,
Mason always looked for shiny suits and oxygen packs. If his costumes failed
him, he’d just build some box armor from cardboard waiting for the recycle bin.
After a short break from dressing up – so short I didn’t even realize we were
on a break – the boys asked to dress up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They were sitting in the back of my dad’s pick-up truck – a
classic gas-guzzling vehicle meant to pull boats and snowmobiles, and climb mountains
and stuff. My boys were fascinated. Not the type of thing that a lot of people
around here own. The truck’s tailgate gave them access to the stars and they
started dreaming. Next thing I knew they were trying to squeeze themselves into
costumes that fit just a month or so ago.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can’t overstate the squeezing. The costumes were REALLY
small. My boys were REALLY big. And all I could do was stare at them,
slack-jawed, and unabashedly shocked. But I was not sad. </span><br>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X1ZI8TXUilM/SlVwSSRsKEI/AAAAAAAAGNo/AycfJBI5nlk/s1600/DSC05502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X1ZI8TXUilM/SlVwSSRsKEI/AAAAAAAAGNo/AycfJBI5nlk/s1600/DSC05502.JPG" height="320" width="213"></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following their night flying through the cosmos on the wings
of their creativity, I picked up the costumes, helmets, space packs, even a
dinosaur suit and stuffed them in a box. I can’t overstate the stuffing. With
not a single melancholy thought I drove them to the post office, slapped an
address label on them and sent them on their way to Oregon. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh those costumes are so happy now. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I am thinking about a boy with big blue eyes, feathery
soft blonde wisps of hair, pink cheeks, and the sweetest, most inquisitive look
ever possessed by a 2-year-old. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The baby who took himself so seriously, right from the start.
The boy who consoled his big brother during time outs administered for being
mean to little brother. And I’m thinking about how much he loved those
costumes. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last year at this time, I had all but given up on writing. I
haven’t explained myself, really. But someone hurt my baby. In a moment of
maladaptive behavior another student found a way to destroy my Mason’s spirit,
his confidence. When I would try to sit down and write, all I could think about
were sad things, sometimes hurtful things, things I wished I could say to
bullies – imagined and otherwise. It’s unfortunate because as a result, I don’t
have a very good record of sweet Mason’s 7<sup>th</sup> birthday, nor our
family’s recovery during 2013. </span><br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason wrote us a letter during that time. It started, “I
need your help. I have some very big problems.” Then in great detail he
recounted the ways in which he’d been tortured by a classmate. What I know now,
with it all behind us is this: Mason helped us. He has grown so much this year
and shown us the value of courage, kindness, and rising to the challenge. Per
our tradition, on the eve of his 8<sup>th</sup> birthday I tucked him in and
said good-bye to 7-year-old Mason. As it turns out, it was the most
gut-wrenching good-bye I’ve said as a parent. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following morning I left before anyone else woke up. But
first I stopped in and looked in on my beast of a boy – the 8-year-old who is
head and shoulders above all the rest. I have so much comfort in my heart as I
think about the changes in him. Well, that and a video of a new space explorer
taking the costumes for a spin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3fgf4dAnw2Y/VHvf5Hhe2FI/AAAAAAAAH0U/Yo5Wsr0jsd0/s640/blogger-image-1675232423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3fgf4dAnw2Y/VHvf5Hhe2FI/AAAAAAAAH0U/Yo5Wsr0jsd0/s640/blogger-image-1675232423.jpg"></a></div></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-24478715333882736882014-08-27T06:38:00.003-06:002014-08-27T06:38:39.998-06:00Champions<br />
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I guess swim season is over. And I should probably mention how things worked out.</div>
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If you spend any time following my Instagram pics you already know the good news: Cooper won the 50 yard Breaststroke at championships. </div>
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Yeah and high fives all around. </div>
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Can we all just <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2011/07/its-nothing-really.html" target="_blank">think back to Cooper's first year in swim team</a>? Remember when his coaches picked him to be the 3D recipient? That was cool. I was so shocked by the award that I didn't even see him get it. I was in the back chit-chatting with my friends. </div>
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Fast forward to this year. Final banquet and Cooper is up front collecting all kinds of medals and ribbons. Undefeated season in breaststroke, all-star swimmer, the list goes on. He has become such a great athlete. Then the coaches start recognizing high-point winners and I kinda checked out. You got it, I was chit-chatting in the back again. </div>
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Then they announce the 3D -- a trophy that has gotten harder to win because now they only give it to 1 girl and 1 boy, not each 1 in each age group -- and they start to describe a very determined young man. One who went to every practice, and one who they know trains when he's on vacation, too. They talked about his willingness to swim up with the 11-12s and help out the older boys. <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2014/06/everybody-in-pool.html" target="_blank">They shared how he sets goals</a>. And then they said Cooper's name! This time I got a picture (after I gasped with utter surprise). </div>
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It's fun for Coop to earn a medal for swimming fast. But as the parent, hearing your child recognized for their work ethic is amazing. </div>
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Swim team has changed our lives. I look forward to spending my summer with swim team friends who feel like family. Being in this program has been like being adopted into a family. It's not just my kid I like to cheer for. I feel so happy for so many of those athletes, and so grateful for the older athletes who have set such an extraordinary example for my Cooop. Now, we look to competitive tryouts and year-round schedules. But we will return to the Wahoos every summer.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-6390554194195305082014-08-10T19:23:00.001-06:002014-12-17T11:21:10.158-07:00Summer Wrap Up, For Tomorrow We Go To School<br />
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No summer wrap-up would be complete without explaining the growth I have seen in my youngest, quietest boy. I spend entire afternoons thinking to myself what it is like to be him in our world. Not the world like the planet. But our home and the atmosphere the four of us create. </div>
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He is a special star in our orbiting system of chaos. By him I guide many of my decisions. Because he is not loud and he does not complain I wonder if he suffers. And then sometimes he does something that rocks us back to our heels. </div>
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One such day happened in the blaze of too much sunshine in the middle of the fabulous holiday we call summer break. In fact, it was July and we were enjoying our carefully planned family vacation to one of Colorado's small, beautiful towns. Atop a mountain sits the Glenwood Springs Adventure Park. My husband researched this trip and this particular day. He was certain that our boys would love the roller coasters, an alpine slide, the zip line, the "swing". </div>
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I was pretty sure that Cooper would, and that Mason and I would sit on the sidelines taking pictures. But I really do try not to control everything. Really. </div>
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We started the morning with all the Amish, who were also visiting the park, on a gondola ride from the base to the top of the mountain. The gondola had Mason grasping for safe ledges to hang on to. I worried that this was a pretty clear sign that he had no interest in riding the roller coaster and began silently to devise plan B.</div>
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First, we went on a cave tour. As luck would have it, the cave tour drops tourists out on a ledge looking down into the canyon and at the most terrifying ride of the park. Down below us we could see what the tour guide described as a 210-degree swing on the edge of a cliff that could pull more Gs than most astronauts experience in training. I thought to myself, "Honey bunches of no, this girl ain't got time for that." </div>
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That's exactly when our family started walking toward the swing. Hubby nonchalantly asked, "Who's ready for the swing?" Mason shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'll do it." </div>
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What?!?!!? </div>
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If you could only know the details of the past year. Of the trials. Of the fears. All the crying and failed attempts at courageous feats. </div>
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Not going to lie, I just started crying. I frankly thought it was too much for a child to do. I wouldn't do it. Way too scary. Cooper and Mason marched up to the ride attendant, got themselves strapped in, and off they went. </div>
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Well, after that both boys raced to the roller coaster -- touted as being at higher altitude than any other. A few times on that and they decided it was time for the alpine slide, the zip line, the [insert yawn] laser tag. Everything, they tried everything. </div>
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I learned: today could be the day. We try and we try. We learn a little. We fail a lot. We get beat. Come in second. Whatever. But one day, it is the day. The day we win. The day we can. The day that courage comes to play.</div>
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hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-85692218547823757882014-06-23T16:43:00.002-06:002014-06-23T16:44:05.795-06:00Grit<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I observed something in my oldest this weekend. Something I liked, but can't really describe. But I think it was grit.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He is such a good little breaststroke swimmer. Really. This is not me bragging. He is good at it. He's a natural. His body was made for it. He loves it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other strokes are just warm up for what he considers the big race. Because the Indiviual Medley -- or IM -- includes the breaststroke he likes that one too. Saturday, however, he DQd in the IM. After absolutely improving in every way on butterfly, he settled into a questionable pace for backstroke and then -- and this will be all swimmer-y and technical -- he flipped an illegal turn on the back to breast transition. Guh. And he knew it. So the rest of the race was just painful for him.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Out of the water he put on a good face. I actually thought to myself, "Oh I guess Coop IS a 9-year-old who swims for fun. This doesn't bother him at all." Plus, I'd like to point out, he caught up his first relay team to ensure a win, won the breaststroke, placed in the 100-meter freestyle, and swam up with the 11-12-year-olds in the 4x50-meter freestyle relay to win. This one DQ out of five very successful races seemed like peanuts.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then Sunday rolled around and we went about our business. A family walk cut short by a going-away party at the swimming pool. None of the other kids are swim team kids. So I knew Coop would get in some relaxing play in the water.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I showed up to take him home, I found him away from the group and in the lap pool. The kid was swimming his turn over and over and over, again. I had to tell him he was wonderful. Get out. Rest.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of us have this. This drive to practice so much that we not only do something perfectly, we never do anything but perfect. Some of us don't. Coop has two gifts. He was given great turn-out and a body for breastroke. But he also has the gift of grit. It's the second I admire.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Swim team friends are fun friends!</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-32867893907605103872014-06-07T23:01:00.000-06:002014-06-07T23:07:59.538-06:00Everybody In The Pool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm always shocked my sons swim. Something I made from scratch can swim. I can't even pretend I'm a proficient swimmer. So, I brag on the first dive of every season. Especially since the season starts with three days of cancelations due to snow -- it's an outdoor pool. On the fourth day, 51 degrees and partly cloudy, Coop jumped in with the rest of them. He's a beast. A scrawny, 60 lb, size 24 jammer, and zero body fat, but he is a beast. </div>
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That is why I am totally confused. On the last day of school my Coop came home carrying a lime green pillowcase filled with the junk of his desk. You can imagine the contents: chewed pencils, unfinished homework, graded papers, toilet paper roll totem pole, and a memory book. I paid particular attention to the memory book seeing as I've forgotten so much lately.</div>
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Flipping through the pages there were a few expected assignments -- all teachers give them -- and a few surprises. </div>
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Expected assignment: a visual representation of words that describe Cooper. He has dreamed them up himself and colored the pictures in bright colors. Phrases he uses to describe himself include: I'm a good at swimming. I'm not good at hula hoops. I like playing with my brother. I want to be an amazing swimmer. I do not want to be a mean man. I feel excited when I win a race. I do not like cats!</div>
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Unexpected assignment: a New Year's Resolution. Actually, the assignment itself did not surprise me. What surprised me is what he wrote. (Let me reiterate, this was completed in the classroom. This was not a home assignment. My hands and eyes did not touch this document until 6 months after it was written. It read, "My New Years resolution is to make it to the All stars. I will complete my goal by going to every practice. I will also complete this goal by not goofing around during practices. The last thing I will need to do to accomplish my goal is listening to what my coaches and parents say. As you can see I've got a lot to do, but I am definitely going to reach my goal!!!"</div>
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"Interesting," I thought to myself. Later that night I told him I had read his goal and that I would help him any way I could. This is about the same time I ordered new jammers for the season, cleaned out the swim bag, and moved all the pool towels down to the laundry room for a freshen up. </div>
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Then the boy asked to see All Star times. I swear it. This turned into a whole conversation in which he realized that now he would have to swim 50- and 100-meters races to compete as a 9-10 boy. Very funny stuff. </div>
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After that, I was catching up with an old friend, also a swim mom. I told her the story of Coop asking about times and he stood there and denied it. </div>
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I'm new at this tween parenting thing. Did I embarrass him? He put the monster goal out there. He asked to see the times. But only I can know?!?!? Weird times at this swim fan's house.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mason often gets the pool to himself during night practices because all the swim team kids go to the lap pool. And everyone else goes home. He loves it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pictures shows how far ahead Coop got his relay team -- you can't even see the other competitors!</td></tr>
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hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-68494487071829663402014-05-26T17:22:00.001-06:002014-05-26T17:22:05.736-06:00MemoryI messed something up.<br />
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I didn't realize it, of course, until I sat down to do something else.<br />
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That's right, let's start peeling back the onion of everything I do inefficiently. First, I used to make a yearly scrapbook for myself, my in-laws, and my parents for Christmas. It had a year of pictures and then a few captions in it. To make my life easier -- this is basically my mantra as I'm in the action of making my life harder -- I would look back at my blog and refresh my memory with my own stories of what had happened in the past year. Let me tell you, the years run together after age 30.<br />
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Today of all days, Memorial Day, I was looking for a picture of my grandpa that I wanted to use here and to show my kids how amazingly young he was when he entered service. I sat down and after one project turned into another and an hour turned into 8 I drew a blank. Couldn't tell you when school started, who was on what team, what lessons we took, who visited us, if we went anywhere. True and legitimate debacle. Plus I can't find the picture of my grandpa which really chaps my hide!<br />
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After fiddling with the pictures for something like 27 days, I opened up my old blog. Only three months in 2013 had been captured -- and rather shabbily at that. But the stories I read made me cry. I wasn't emotional because of the quality of work. I was so sad that I would have otherwise forgotten some fairly precious moments with my babies.<br />
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So, now I'm in a pickle. I don't have babies anymore. In fact, they both have feet nearly as big as mine. And no, I'm not one of those pixie people with dainty feet. I'm trying to remember back to when they still wore zippy PJs and held my hand on the way to school. Damn it, I can't. It's not alzheimer's. It's the speed of life.<br />
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The blog is a kindness to myself. I have enough critics, so I'm giving this to myself. Be it selfish desires, I still think it's a worthy cause. Now, if I can just get those kids to do April 2013-May 2014, again. And seriously where is that picture of my grandpa?hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-33190847973160554752014-05-19T15:16:00.000-06:002014-05-19T15:16:39.793-06:00Feats of Strength<br />
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We had a fairly big weekend. In terms of living in the suburbs, you could say it was a heavy hardware weekend. The Coop played in the Lacrosse Championships of his league/division/small corner of the world and won. Then the following day he endured the chaos of a kid triathlon. Both adventures earned him a medal. He's kinda a big deal.</div>
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What we didn't expect, was to have our Mason recognized, too. Following the lacrosse game it was parent paparazzi everywhere. I got some amazing pictures of Cooper. But what I missed with my lens and must capture here is what Cooper's coach did for Mason. He gave him a medal for his support! Indeed Mason went to every practice and every game. He was Cooper's no. 1 fan. He has his own stick and was Coop's practice partner in the backyard. Coach will never know the significance of this to me. </div>
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After the excitement of the day blew over and we were watching TV, Mason started nonchalantly doing sit ups. Then he moved on to push ups. Before we knew it he was working the tricep-dip on the stairs and holding a wall-sit for an eternity. We sat up, we noticed. Like it was nothing, he lunged past us on the couch and asked if we could think of any hard exercises for him. The night continued on with us thinking of truly difficult feats of strength for Mason. Anything and everything we invented, he tried. If you know Mason, you know this is a thing. I can't help but think he was boosted by his hard-earned hardware. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oGbjrsuCg5M/U3pywD5blzI/AAAAAAAAHsA/laNAoeFvBX0/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oGbjrsuCg5M/U3pywD5blzI/AAAAAAAAHsA/laNAoeFvBX0/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't wait for high school track when I see that kick!</td></tr>
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hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-5707826119636689342014-05-18T21:18:00.000-06:002014-05-18T21:18:41.779-06:00Reasons<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDb7maJumiM/U3l3s5Ig_MI/AAAAAAAAHrI/YwxBgH2d05U/s1600/IMG_2193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDb7maJumiM/U3l3s5Ig_MI/AAAAAAAAHrI/YwxBgH2d05U/s1600/IMG_2193.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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We all have reasons.</div>
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But I've taken 425 days to review mine. This might seem like an exaggeration. But you clearly don't know me. Perhaps you would like to ask me how shopping for a new dishwasher went?</div>
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Anyways. </div>
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The reasons for not writing a blog are pretty clear: </div>
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People will think you are stupid. </div>
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People will say you're not an expert.</div>
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People will make fun of blogs in general because in general blogs are about things no one really cares about.</div>
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People will say you are not a writer. </div>
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A few reasons to write a blog:</div>
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People say that they read it -- and they have their reasons, who are you to argue.</div>
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People will say you are a writer. </div>
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People don't matter. What you really need to accomplish is remembering what happened at the speed of life, once upon a time when your kids were little. </div>
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I accidentally quit this blog. There was no profound moment when I threw up my hands and declared, "This is the end." It just happened. </div>
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In fact the last time I thought, "Hmmm I should write a blog entry," I sat down and wrote a long list of all the topics I wanted to cover. The really important stuff like what my favorite mascara is. That's when I realized, actually, I shouldn't blog. </div>
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In my mind there is a difference between writing and blogging. In the beginning, blogging was fun. It was a record. It was fairly personal. It gave my introvert brain a chance to mull over everything I'd seen in a day and chit chat with myself about it. </div>
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Then it became a thing. Like an audience thing. And people around me had blogs. Fancy blogs that had relevant information. They tracked their visitors, and recruited sponsors, and became like an overnight sensation. Made books deals!</div>
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I never wanted that. Never had that. Never tried to have that. </div>
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This is just a little group of essays on daily life. Just me missing my craft. Wait, that's a little overstated. I'm not like a world-renowned basketweaver or anything. So I don't really have a craft per se. But I am never short on opinions. I listen to people -- particularly my kids -- and I write down what they say. I make a fair amount of grammatical errors much to the dismay of one of my favorite teachers. But even she Facebook-liked (that's a verb, right?) the idea of a resurrection. </div>
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And just like that, I'm back. </div>
hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-34782696420835919472013-03-30T22:53:00.003-06:002013-03-30T23:14:44.627-06:00Shutterbabies <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kiFD0J0MD_c/UVfFhV6Hx2I/AAAAAAAAHmU/b8TC2UwS1Zs/s1600/IMG_9778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kiFD0J0MD_c/UVfFhV6Hx2I/AAAAAAAAHmU/b8TC2UwS1Zs/s320/IMG_9778.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As our children mature around us there are times when I take a step back and feel confused. It's like I realize they've gotten to a place that's a bit more grown up and I know that they have reached the next stage but I didn't really feel it go by. Well, we're there, again.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aEKXJ2aja8Y/UVfFhFV8AkI/AAAAAAAAHmQ/V_tL5Wb7ctg/s1600/IMG_9785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aEKXJ2aja8Y/UVfFhFV8AkI/AAAAAAAAHmQ/V_tL5Wb7ctg/s320/IMG_9785.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past week has been Spring Break in these parts. You might imagine that we would escape to warmer climes. So did we. But in reality we stayed really close to home and had a great time. One of our adventures was entering a photocontest that the kids noticed in a flyer that came home from school.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j9vcOFsGudg/UVfFcZ-NrnI/AAAAAAAAHl8/mEKSC6chii0/s1600/IMG_9718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j9vcOFsGudg/UVfFcZ-NrnI/AAAAAAAAHl8/mEKSC6chii0/s320/IMG_9718.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It honored Ansel Adams' 111th birthday. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I explained to the boys what good 'ol Ansel was famous for and the images that really set him apart from other nature photographers they actually understood. And that is how I found myself hiking one of my favorite running trails with both boys and a camera. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xd8FuVn1440/UVfFcHNeNeI/AAAAAAAAHl0/MlKMC-hA3sw/s1600/IMG_9731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xd8FuVn1440/UVfFcHNeNeI/AAAAAAAAHl0/MlKMC-hA3sw/s320/IMG_9731.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They were both excited to use my camera. But they approached the project completely differently. Mason had remembered the trail from a hike we took about one year ago. He was determined to get to the view he was remembering and he would have none of the "views exploration" which Cooper and I were doing. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4nW1e6qJ2_w/UVfFboaE5II/AAAAAAAAHlw/N3Rerd3qqDo/s1600/IMG_9724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4nW1e6qJ2_w/UVfFboaE5II/AAAAAAAAHlw/N3Rerd3qqDo/s320/IMG_9724.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, as I said, Cooper was stopping every 30 steps saying, "Oh this is a great view Mom." Until finally I had to crush his artistic heart and say, "NO, no it is not." This is how we stopped and started up the hill to find our artistic voice. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2m1PcKwYTzo/UVfFfgdayCI/AAAAAAAAHmI/CyAi23qaNBo/s1600/IMG_9781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2m1PcKwYTzo/UVfFfgdayCI/AAAAAAAAHmI/CyAi23qaNBo/s320/IMG_9781.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Someone took this one of me, not sure which one. Not my best side. But hey, can't take yourself too seriously at my age. </span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here are their entries:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ubwA1M6xjf8/UVfA1ACI-AI/AAAAAAAAHlg/5tQPmyZLptI/s400/IMG_9774.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">MASON, age 6</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ubwA1M6xjf8/UVfA1ACI-AI/AAAAAAAAHlg/5tQPmyZLptI/s1600/IMG_9774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0bnX8KTYss/UVfA1lfy5wI/AAAAAAAAHlo/gLYOSKeqR1g/s400/IMG_9743.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">COOPER, age 8</span></td></tr>
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hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-83478833886724479622013-03-13T16:19:00.001-06:002013-03-15T21:23:31.159-06:00We All Need Someone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-98c4TcUI1Yw/UUD7euvuMdI/AAAAAAAAHlQ/sx0oU-4RCOQ/s640/blogger-image-762969522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-98c4TcUI1Yw/UUD7euvuMdI/AAAAAAAAHlQ/sx0oU-4RCOQ/s400/blogger-image-762969522.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Mom, when you were little did you have an imaginary friend?<br />
<br />
Absolutely.<br />
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What was his name?<br />
<br />
Mr. Fox.<br />
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Was he a boy or a girl?<br />
<br />
MISTER Fox was a boy.<br />
<br />
What did he look like?<br />
<br />
I think he was like a fox that walked like a grown up.<br />
So do you have an imaginary friend?<br />
<br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
What does he look like?<br />
<br />
He has like skinny arms and he is yellow.<br />
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Like Sponge Bob?<br />
<br />
No, like a little fluff ball with crazy eyes.<br />
<br />
like The Lorax?<br />
<br />
No, that guy has a mustache and my friend just has a really nice smile. He always listens to me.<br />
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<br />hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-44489350198694217902013-02-26T11:48:00.000-07:002013-02-26T14:36:04.821-07:00Science Is Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfgob6arLK8/US0AuXsWmRI/AAAAAAAAHjs/66Yx8XgZKg4/s1600/IMG_9455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfgob6arLK8/US0AuXsWmRI/AAAAAAAAHjs/66Yx8XgZKg4/s320/IMG_9455.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you know what makes science fun? Vinegar. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PMcP6ZwFGD8/US0AufHIp1I/AAAAAAAAHjw/7GWKdMcpzno/s1600/IMG_9456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PMcP6ZwFGD8/US0AufHIp1I/AAAAAAAAHjw/7GWKdMcpzno/s320/IMG_9456.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's a little known fact. With enough eggs and vinegar you can pull together enough pictures and observation notes to create an excellent science fair project. You can also make your house smell really ... really ... really like a second grader's basketball uniform after it's been worn for both a practice and game on the same weekend without washing it. Also, if you stuff a dirty washcloth in the bottom of a laundry basket and forget about it for 5-7 days, it kinda smells like that, too. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, they don't call it the smell fair.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Should you think the discomfort of preparation for this event was limited to an odiferous acid, let me also describe for you the contents of a birds' nest that we found in our yard and preserved for 8 months. Did you know, for instance, that baby birds actually crap all over the inside of the nest for approximately 30 days? As it turns out, 8 months in a sealed plastic bag turned that little bowl of sticks into a scientific marvel all its own replete with spiders. That my friends IS science.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I myself have never been a presenter or contestant in a science fair. That is why I am so particularly proud of these two. They had to go head-to-head with the judges. No mommies standing in the wings, no daddies helping with answers. Frankly, they really did know the concept of the scientific method and explained their hypothesis and conclusion on their own. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The boys did it. They loved it. And they did great. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YO3_uTScmm8/US0HDaqIoHI/AAAAAAAAHkQ/mfrxAr1pn7o/s1600/IMG_9411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YO3_uTScmm8/US0HDaqIoHI/AAAAAAAAHkQ/mfrxAr1pn7o/s320/IMG_9411.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this picture. Also, did I mention we tried to set fire to eggs? Mason wrote in his notes, "Burned Eggs Stink!" </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N52vyK2suV0/US0prGXpEvI/AAAAAAAAHks/SiIdBsJg5oE/s1600/DSC07097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N52vyK2suV0/US0prGXpEvI/AAAAAAAAHks/SiIdBsJg5oE/s320/DSC07097.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is Mason explaining his experiment to a friend. Read into his body language anything you want. You are probably spot on.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0WKtTjZUweY/US0qR-y6sgI/AAAAAAAAHk0/WzAg2DMgRdM/s1600/DSC07101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0WKtTjZUweY/US0qR-y6sgI/AAAAAAAAHk0/WzAg2DMgRdM/s320/DSC07101.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning of science fair.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All I did was finance the poster boards, binders, folders, picture reprints, about a dozen eggs, two gallons of vinegar, and button-down shirts. Well, as long as we're patting ourselves on the back, I did a pretty good job as Mrs. Moneybags. Where's my medal? </span>hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-43364226310272899712013-02-22T10:36:00.001-07:002013-02-22T10:37:18.531-07:00Best Vacation Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's face it, our kids have a way of romanticizing family vacations to the point of unbelievability. But it's nice to bask in their superlatives. Our short sojourn to Steamboat Springs was a success, even if we didn't ski the slopes. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the close of our long weekend, Mason and I waited patiently in the warm car while Steve and The Coop ran inside to checkout of the condo and grab a donut. Mason murmured, "Sometimes it's hard to say goodbye." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His voice was so sweet and on the verge of emotional and I asked him why he felt this was true. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Because I had so much fun." he explained. I reached back with my Amazonian arms and patted his knee then realized it was the leg that was hurting after a day of sledding and playing rough in the snow so I said, "I'm sorry your leg hurts."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He replied while blinking back tears, "Maybe it's sad to leave, too."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some pictures from the trip: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-74660701771014303582013-01-30T15:15:00.004-07:002013-01-30T15:16:31.244-07:00Diary of a ReaderSometime this past fall The Coop stumbled upon the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. These are insanely popular with the 2nd grade boys. In fact, I believe Cooper's first desire to read them came from wanting to fit in. Whatever it takes to get them reading, is fine by me. After he zipped through the first book his competitive spirit kicked in and he asked for the next one. I complied. Frankly, I bought the entire series right then and there because I had previously never seen him so into reading. What is interesting is what has happened to the cast offs -- the books he finished that he tossed aside, lost under his bed, or just left in a rumpled stack on his nightstand.<br />
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Mason picked up the first one on the way to Thanksgiving in Utah. And now he has read them all. I share this not to brag, but to start in on a one-sided conversation on how difficult it is to find captivating, age-appropriate reading material for an advanced reader who is a BOY.<br />
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When I realized he how fast he was reading the series, understanding the series, and perhaps comprehending it at a level that even his older brother was not I started to look for other books. First I checked out the Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present. There are some seriously good books on this list. Seriously.<br />
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Before you get all judgey, please understand that I'm not suggesting that these books should be written differently. I'm just trying to paint for you the picture of my current challenge: to imagine my sweet, lovely, naive, 6-year-old reading these novels.<br />
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A Few Examples with Snide Commentary from a Concerned Mother.<br />
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I thought I'd have the greatest amount of luck by going WAY back to a simpler time. You know, a time before school shootings, porn stars, and childhood obesity. I examined 1924's winner: The Dark Frigate. First, I should tell you that I had to look up what a frigate is. So for starters, this book is about an English orphan who signs up to sail across the ocean for Newfoundland to avoid being hanged. Off to a great start, eh? As I read the reviews online I was thinking back to the day when I took my sweet boys to see the pirate exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and there was an actual shin bone from the youngest pirate in history on display. Their faces were pricelessly terrified and gobstopped. Anyway, the orphan joins a group of pirates on their murderous expeditions. Needless to say, I thought bloody battles on the sea were a bit much. Though, the more I think of it, maybe Mason would love it. <br />
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So, I tried books from the 50s. What did Donna Reed let her boys read? I found The Door in the Wall set in plague-ridden London. Ummm... this makes me nervous. Then I find out the main character is basically abandoned while his father is at war and his mother is serving the Queen. He's taken in by a friar who makes him live in a monastery. Enough, that doesn't work for a 6-year-old living in the suburbs.<br />
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What about what won the Newbery the year I was Mason's age. That is how I came to read about Jacob Have I Loved. I already knew this was a "girl" book. But maybe. Then I figured out it was about sisters, one of which lives in the shadow of the other and I was like, "Ummmm NO."<br />
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In a last ditch effort to find something on the Newbery list I looked at books that had won after Mason was born. One immediately screamed at me, because I have read it and loved it -- The Graveyard Book. Here's the thing, it starts with a toddler surviving the grisly murder of his entire family. Then the boy is raised by ghosts, in a graveyard. It is so good. You should read it. I'm just not sure my 6-year-old should. But I haven't ruled it out. <br />
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On to the next idea. I also perused genres for "boys" books. Here's a trend, lots of stories of professional athletes (Mason is NOT interested), and strangely just as many stories of boys who were either slaves or fought in wars. Whether you pick up Swords of Steel, Johnny Tremain, Amos Fortune, Free Man, or Rifles for Watie, you are asking to do a lot of explaining when the reader is 6. I'm just saying, until Martin Luther King Jr. day this past month, my 6-year-old didn't even realize there was a time in our history of inequality based on race. (PS -- I know it's still unequal but my children don't.)<br />
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Fast forward to the current century and you find books like James Patterson's Middle School books, Rick Riordan's heroes and olympians series, The Captain Underpants mess of books (don't get me started), and 39 Clues. These are all fine. But, I was hoping for something that was redeeming, intellectual, maybe even didactic. Riordan's books are perhaps the closest to what I was hoping for.<br />
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What I settled on were a few of my favorites and I'm still wishing there was an American Girl series for boys. He started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Even though Harry is an orphan living with an awful foster family he's about to live in a magical world in a magical school and fly on a broom. So, the fantasy can comfort even if the adventures are intense. It is probably a weak copout to say that being able to shut the book and say, "It's just pretend." is good enough. But for now, it is.<br />
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In the meantime I'm going to be reading a lot of youth books to find something that I can safely give this voracious reader. Open to suggestions.<br />
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Also, how happy am I that my boys read??!?!?!?<br />
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<br />hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-29707312265711501132012-12-29T20:14:00.000-07:002012-12-29T21:02:36.031-07:00The Cooperbowl<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My son’s 8<sup>th</sup> birthday was planned to fix all the
ways in which he’d been disappointed at recess.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Picked last. Not picked at all. Rarely getting to try
quarterback. Teammates making intentionally bad snaps when he finally got to
try being the quarterback. Kids suck.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly hearing about it in snips and bits over the past few
weeks was really bothering me. Him, too. But <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2008/12/tucked-in.html" target="_blank">The Coop really does let things roll</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m a bear. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so that is how we came to rent a full indoor football
field, name ourselves the commissioners of The Cooperbowl, and host what boiled
down to an extended recess. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh did he have fun. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was the first time we had planned to host our December
baby’s party after Christmas, nearly three weeks after his actual big day. That
might have been a mistake. But it was a nice change of pace. Or rather, the
pace of the chaos in our house three weeks ago really didn’t afford the time
for a birthday party. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the running, and jumping, and sweating – my do boys
stink – they sat down for some good ‘ol fashioned concessions and a quiz.
That’s right, the Who-Knows-Coop-Best Quiz. Questions and answers that I’d like
to keep:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who is Cooper’s favorite football team? Broncos (it was the
Jets until the 27<sup>th</sup> of December). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What belt has Cooper earned in karate? Orange</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is Cooper’s favorite color? Green</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other than football, what is Cooper’s favorite sport?
Swimming – though he first answered soccer (?!?!?!!?). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who is Cooper’s favorite football player? Peyton Manning –
though I know he loves Tim Tebow. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is Cooper’s favorite special? P.E.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is Cooper’s favorite book? Diary of a Wimpy Kid</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were some <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2012/06/bucket-list.html" target="_blank">other questions I wanted to ask Coop</a>. You know, my usual birthday interview. But it seems that all questions are answered with “butt cheeks”, “fart head”, or “I dunno”. I gave up. </span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Planning a Party? <a href="http://handmadebyhooli.blogspot.com/2012/12/birthday-party-cooperbowl.html" target="_blank">Visit my sewing blog for resources</a>. </span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-57960939907748128872012-12-10T21:01:00.000-07:002012-12-29T21:03:03.000-07:00Smooth-ish<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was going to skip<a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2012/11/to-other-side-of-world.html" target="_blank"> the recap</a> of
Thanksgiving and the drive home. There was trip laundry and the crushing
disappointment of coming home to unfinished stairs. But then, the boys brought
home the homework folders this past week and I found that they had recapped the
whole affair and I thought it would be funny to compare notes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exhibit A: Cooper’s essay – which I
will refer to as fiction, but he would call non-fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-rUHLwiCV0/UMatDS-w1QI/AAAAAAAAHc8/9Yi0Jg9LypA/s1600/SCAN0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-rUHLwiCV0/UMatDS-w1QI/AAAAAAAAHc8/9Yi0Jg9LypA/s320/SCAN0013.JPG" width="246" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exhibit B: Mason’s Thanksgiving
picto-essay, clearly unclear on the meaning of thankful as we don’t have a dog
and he hates riding his bike.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exhibit C: Mother’s last word on the
matter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First let me say, I found having
hubby in the car certainly changed the dynamic. Also being exhausted and on the
tail end of a binge of good eats and late nights was a factor. Our kids were
still good, but they were rambunctious. Here’s how we survived it:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6:01 a.m.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Depart with arms and car loaded with
birthday gifts Christmas surprises. Also, plentiful hugs and safe travel
wishes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s only 33 degrees in Salt Lake
this morning, so we’re grumpy and chattery-teethy. But we fill up our car with
gasoline and look for the nearest Starbucks. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason’s the first one to break the
silence, “Mama, will we be making it back home in time for school?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6:27 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Starbucks has hot happiness on
tap and we gladly order as much of it as we can carry. Then we actually get on the
freeway and speed into the dark horizon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6:40 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Mommy the sun us coming up,” notices
Cooper.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes and it will rise over these mountains
and be so pretty.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With zero interest in my
romanticizing of nature’s gift called daybreak he says, “Then we can play the
license plate game.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6:53 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason is humming jingle bells, which
I actually expect. What I don’t expect is that Steve and Cooper will start wondering
why there is both a Fahrenheit and Celsius measurement. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6:59 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason: Remember the guy who ate
deer craps? (Reference to Duck Dynasty, our favorite reality TV show.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7:05 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason: It looks like an elephant! (Points
to Echo Lake)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7:11 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason: That looks like a pterodactyl!
(Random mountain we are passing.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7:38 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After silence from the backseat we
look back to see Mason has pulled his blanket over his head and is sleeping<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First prize timer, which Mason sleeps
through. Coop is ipad-ing, Steve and I have reviewed all our political
conversations from the past week and have decided that unless you lived in
Colorado – a truly purple state -- during the 2012 election cycle you cannot
possible understand how OVER it we are. Any talk of any politics, any
politician, or any political rhetoric of any kind makes us feel a mix of
tearing up and nausea. Consider yourself warned.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8:19 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drive past Wyoming’s middle of the
nowhere Little America.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3zQFSU1u1o/UMauZzIEC_I/AAAAAAAAHdo/MiU8ssCbGcE/s1600/IMG_20121125_075210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3zQFSU1u1o/UMauZzIEC_I/AAAAAAAAHdo/MiU8ssCbGcE/s320/IMG_20121125_075210.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8:33 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drive through Green River and pick
out the warehouse that belongs to the parent company of Steve's employer. We
tell Cooper we could live here (here as in the town of Green River). He looks
around and says, “And do what?” Good point.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8:58 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason finally wakes up. <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2011/04/wherever-you-go.html" target="_blank">Cooper is clearly happy for that</a>. They banter and play with each other in peace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9:05 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason is humming Tao Cruz songs when
Cooper spots a British Columbia plate!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9:14 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now all the I states are
accounted for.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JLvzP3RT5n4/UMatnVhJHPI/AAAAAAAAHdU/kOLHbFSdwsE/s1600/SCAN0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JLvzP3RT5n4/UMatnVhJHPI/AAAAAAAAHdU/kOLHbFSdwsE/s320/SCAN0020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9:20 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason: Cooper this globe (my
husband’s childhood globe gifted to him by his grandpa) is going to be in my
room. But you can still play with it. Just knock on my door and come see it. Or
just ask to play with it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9:21 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The prize timer beeps and I’m excited
because I’m giving the boys a travel version of their favorite game: Blokus to
go! They are both really exited to play a game together, and start putting it
together immediately<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9:24 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my sisters-in-law texts us to
show me that <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2010/12/photobooth-friday-family-christmas-card.html" target="_blank">Operation Family Pictures</a> is a wild success! Now that I think
about it, I need to follow up on those proofs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cXzuP1HwZ1Q/UMauKTYd0NI/AAAAAAAAHdg/XZTaQCaAVts/s1600/IMG_8452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cXzuP1HwZ1Q/UMauKTYd0NI/AAAAAAAAHdg/XZTaQCaAVts/s320/IMG_8452.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9:46 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stop in Wamsutter for gas, and
courtesy the bathroom stalls I get to add another gem to my treasure chest of Mason-isms.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taking children into a truck
station for a bathroom break is always a challenge. At this point in their
lives, the boys venture into the men’s room by themselves while I wait in the
hallway just outside the door internally counting and monitoring the sort that
walk into the bathroom after them. Once they are finished they come out and
start cruising the aisles for candy. Excitedly Mason tells us what he has seen
in the bathroom. From what he is describing, and what I know of bathrooms, I’m
pretty sure what he saw is rated R. But anyways, he describes in fairly enthusiastic
and accurate detail the line drawings of a lewd act involving “butt cheeks” and
then shouts with absolutely no compunction for the meaning of that word, “It
said F*** ME!” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a surprisingly crowded gas
station. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10:06 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason is now humming the <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2009/01/webheads.html" target="_blank">Spiderman</a>
theme<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10:26 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason: Oh there’s a red sign. I
always believe the red signs. (WTH?!?!?!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11:37 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason: Mama are we close to home?
(We’ve just seen our first sign for 287.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11:55 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mason begins a long dialogue with
himself, but clearly directed at me concerning the length of time we have left
in the car versus how much time it will take us to get home. Basically he’s
hoping that the prize timer will sound before we cross the stateline. I’ll also
add that they are getting pretty rowdy and I’m not sure I can stand to be in
car much longer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11:43<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stop in Fort Collins for philly
cheesesteaks. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1:13 p.m.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back on the road and we finally hear
from the disgruntled but quiet Cooper, “We <i>need</i> to get out of the car!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2:32 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Home. I’d like to say it was a joyous reunion. But due to
some construction headaches, it was tearful and tragic and frustrating.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-18747876985728456342012-11-24T22:50:00.000-07:002012-11-25T20:50:14.746-07:00To The Other Side of the World<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">An account of how one momma drove her two boys 8 hours and 40 minutes toward a turkey dinner:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First I will tell you that my husband had business in Utah earlier in the week, so he flew out and planned for us to join him in a couple of days. The joining him part was my job.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was also my job to schedule the floor guys for a final coat while we were away and ensure all scheduling of contractors and house checkers was done. (This was futile as it turns out because we came home to find that they had not done anything. I'll rant more about this later.)</span></span></div>
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4 a.m. </div>
<div>
Go ahead, blink a few more times and read that purported time, again. I woke up at 4 a.m., without an alarm, after sleeping for a full 7 hours. Tylenol P.M. is the bomb. People who know me well will truly be shocked by my waking up and functioning this early in the morning. Hell, people who know me really well will assume this is both a guest blog entry and a guest driver. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Now that my boys weigh 50 pounds a piece there was not a chance that I would be carrying their slumbering bodies up a flight of stairs, through the door, down the garage steps, out to my death-by-incline driveway and buckling them into car seats. Instead I shook them awake from their camped-out positions on the sofa and ordered them to get dressed and get in the car. </div>
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<br /></div>
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While they giggled and squealed like it was Christmas morning I loaded two sacks of sewing orders into my car and the last of the bags and coats into the back. Once they loaded up I locked all the doors and said farewell to my little house on the corner. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
4:40 a.m.</div>
<div>
Make clandestine delivery to <a href="http://www.cutiepetutieoriginals.com/" target="_blank">Cutie Petutie's</a> warehouse before hitting the freeway, all the while Mason is chittin' and chattering about our adventure. </div>
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<div>
"Mama, is Utah close to the other side of the world?"</div>
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"No; it's just on the other side of Wyoming."</div>
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"Oh, that's not that close."</div>
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A mere moment of silence -- I think just enough for him to take a breath.</div>
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"Mama, just a reminder, are you going to set the timers?" This is in reference to the prize timer that I set on long road trips. Basically at timed intervals if my children have played quietly in the backseat and not fought with each other they both earn a prize. Usually a LEGO minifig or theater-sized box of candy. I tell them the interval is 1 hour, but it is actually 1:20. Will this ruin them for life?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
"Hey mama, have you ever seen me shiver and fall asleep?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Nope. But I would really like to see that."</div>
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"Hey mama, I wish you wouldn't have told me we were going on vacation because then I couldn't sleep. Next time just wake me up and then tell me we are leaving right now," suggests Mason.</div>
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<div>
4:52 a.m.</div>
<div>
We are actually on the freeway, now. Mason has momentarily stopped chatting and is humming four measures of "Deck the Halls" over and over again. I haven't had any coffee, yet.</div>
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Cooper says, "It's kinda fun to be the only people who are awake because you don't get stuck in traffic." City boy.</div>
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"Hey mama," interrupts Mason, "Do you know that when I get woken up by someone I talk a lot?"</div>
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4:56 a.m.</div>
<div>
"I think I know why I heard someone say, 'Reset the alarm.' on the walkie talkie." This is a reference to our IKEA evacuation earlier this week. But before I can ask why he says:</div>
<div>
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<div>
"Hey mama did you know the moon is the lightest thing at nighttime?</div>
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<br /></div>
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"I think you mean it appears to be the brightest."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
"Yeah, that."</div>
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4:58 a.m.</div>
<div>
Mason asks, "Hey mama I don't remember, did you remember to set the timer?"</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
"I did."</div>
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"OK if we are asleep and we don't wake up for the timer, will you save our prizes for when we wake up?"</div>
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5 a.m.</div>
<div>
The alarm on my watch goes off. Both kids sit straight up. I attempt to calm them, "Stand down, that's the alarm to wake up. We're just ahead of schedule." </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Cooper resigns himself for waiting another 40 minutes for the prize timer, "I'm going to open my backpack." This is followed by Ooooohs and aaaahs! And an, "Awesome!"" (I hid new coloring books and a Wimpy Kid Diary in there.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Say, 'Thank You Mommy'."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Both,"Thank You, Mommy."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
5:05 a.m.</div>
<div>
"Hey mama have you ever had a song mash up?" asks Mason and before I answer follows with, "I was singing Batman and then all of a sudden I was like singing Black Eyed Peas. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">And, I didn't notice so then I was singing Put Your Hands Up in The Air." </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">5:08 a.m.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Excitedly Cooper gasps, "Look! It's the Broncos' stadium."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Mason dryly responds, "Go Broncos."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">5:20 a.m. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">You may think this represents 12 minutes of silence. Don't be fooled.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">In fact, after 12 minutes of enthusiastic humming he has stopped and I think Mason actually fell asleep for a second. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">5:33 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">First McDonald's stop/drive through for the day. Among other indulgences I order both a small coffee and a large coffee and neither are intended for Mason. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">5:59 a.m. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Mama how do you spell Plymouth?" asks Cooper and I believe this might be the start of our first holiday relevant conversation.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"P-L-Y-M-O-U-T-H."</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Where is it?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Hmmmm... I think it's actually a rock on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean right by Massachusetts." And this is where I start to panic because I realize I'm one of the historically illiterate that my idol David McCullough pities.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Is that where they built their houses?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Pretty sure they just docked their ships there. Then they kinda spread out to build their houses in the woods." Oh jeez I'm botching this.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"What happens on the 4th Thursday?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"That's Thanksgiving." Then I realize I don't actually know FOR SURE if it's always the fourth Thursday or the third Thursday and I wish he would just ask me about Duck Dynasty.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Why do they call it that?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"If you count all the Thursdays that happen in November it's the fourth one, so they call it the fourth Thursday. Wait, did you mean, why do they call it Thanksgiving?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">6:16 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I realized about 4 minutes ago that I forgot to inject Lovenox -- an anticoagulant that I must use on long road trips and flights -- so I start looking for a safe and well-lit gas station. I settle on a dive in Fort Collins just in time for the first prize timer. When we pull up to the pumps Cooper sees a woman filling up her car while smoking. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">He growls, "Get in your car and never come back." </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Mason pleads, "I'm too little to die." </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">This gas station only has an outside bathroom that is approximately 26 degrees, so I elect to inject myself in front of my kids in the car. I hate doing this because they get really scared for no other reason than they don't realize not all injections feel like immunizations. So they cry and I hurry and fumble with the sharp in the dark. Super annoying and cause for a little more bruising than usual. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I fill up the car with gas and ask if anyone wants to use the restroom. Both boys decline.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">6:30 a.m. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We're back on the road, the sun is up and it is 2 degrees warmer. (balmy 28)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">6:42 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Mason, "Whoa, look at the sky!"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Coop, "I need to pee." </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Because 12 minutes ago you didn't?!?!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">6:49 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We pull over at the only gas station I see on 287. We don't need gas, so we rush in the Shell station for a restroom, gum, and another coffee (don't judge). The gas station attendant is so cheerful and nice to everyone in her station. She's simultaneously listening to some old farmer's drama, running a credit card for something like $400 worth of gas, being sweet to my boys, and encouraging me for my long road ahead. Let it be said, I'm thankful for people like her. Sunbeams shined from her face. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VTX0wGbkIpw/ULKyPnhOMRI/AAAAAAAAHb4/fytOMsc2SX4/s1600/IMG_20121121_064230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VTX0wGbkIpw/ULKyPnhOMRI/AAAAAAAAHb4/fytOMsc2SX4/s400/IMG_20121121_064230.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">6:56 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Now that it is light enough to see, we start playing the license plate game. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Also, in my hand-written notes I wrote something followed by an exclamation point. This is rare. So I suspect this was super funny. But I can't read my handwriting and I was really tired so I don't remember what it said or what happened. That's a bummer. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Oh wait, I think I pointed out it was 33 degrees! That wasn't worthy of an exclamation point. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">7:16 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We cross the state line into Wyoming.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">7:23 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Mason begins to experiment with tempo. Which is to say he hums the theme of Harry Potter in a staccato rush of notes and then draws out each note so long I can hardly recognize the song. This experiment isn't appreciated by everyone in the car.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Cooper is chomping on one of the apples I brought. I need to say they are the best tasting, crispiest apples I have ever tasted. I bought them at Target. Best ever. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">My phone says this part of the drive is called Granite Canyon, Wyoming. And I think it also says, "It's freaking cold here, turn around and go home!"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">7:42 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Both boys are reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Silence.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">7:46 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Mason sternly asks, "Is there anything I can do?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Color in your Angry Birds coloring book?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Naw, I'll just count to 36, sixty times."</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">7:58 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I see a huge bald eagle sitting on a fence post! A-MAZ-ING!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">8:10 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Our first Idaho license plate sighting followed by Cooper shouting,"That's where we are going!" </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
Uhhhhhhhh.</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">8:23 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Prize time, squeals of delight for the mini LEGO batmobiles I found at Target. (Yes, I'm telling you I love Target today.)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">8:37 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We pass <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-was-your-weekend.html" target="_blank">Wolcott</a> and my stomach does a little flip. I lecture to the boys, "Do you remember when we had to stop there because the road was closed for a wreck and the gas station was closed because this town is lame and it was super cold because Wyoming has wicked weather and we forgot to bring blankets?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">They both nod yes.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I continue, "The lesson here is that we always take blankets, even if it is warm when we leave."</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">They both nod yes. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">On second thought maybe they were just looking down at their LEGOs. Either way, I capitalized on my opportunity to teach road trip safety. Yes I did.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">9 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We cross the continental divide and receive a phone call from husband. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">9:26 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We spot our first international plate -- Ontario. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">9:43 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Prize time.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">10:05 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We see our first Wisconsin plate and send good thoughts to <a href="http://adamandclaudiasworld.blogspot.com/2012/11/carving.html" target="_blank">our very own cheeseheads</a>. Also, I switch to iced coffee. Which is to say that all my hot coffee is now cold and I'm drinking it anyway.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">10:17 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Stop for gas in Rock Springs. The gas station attendant calls me, Hon. She doesn't know me, so I'm not sure why she does this. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">10:32 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Back on the road after extensive candy aisle contemplation. I also try to fill their garbage cans with all our car trash. In process drop my already chewed gum on my floor mat. I'm mad at myself.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yXYzEcTdzTc/ULKyTaSU4TI/AAAAAAAAHcA/Dq_V8KyVfio/s1600/IMG_20121121_104331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yXYzEcTdzTc/ULKyTaSU4TI/AAAAAAAAHcA/Dq_V8KyVfio/s400/IMG_20121121_104331.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">10:48</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We pass through the Green River Tunnel and Mason points out a rock formation to us and says, "That looks like a statue of a girl tied up." Has he ever seen a girl tied up?</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">11:01 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Mason, "When are we going to be in Idaho?" </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Uhhhhhh.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">11:04 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">After an interminably long time of Jazz (the genre, not the basketball team) radio followed by Country radio followed by lots of static stations, we find "I Will Wait for You" by Mumford and Sons and I am cheered knowing that with good music you can make yourself do just about anything. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Also, the song puts me in such a good mood I declare prize time. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">11:51 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Cooper sighs, "Are we in Idaho, yet?</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Uhhhhhh.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">11:56 a.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We cross over into Utah. This is met with no reaction from the back seat. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">12:08 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Mason says, "Mama, when we get there will you play LEGO with me?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Of course."</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Cooper clarifies, "Yeah, because me and daddy and grandpa and grandma and June are going to play dummy rummy. We've been planning that."</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">12:14 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Look at that mountain, Cooper!" shouts Mason. I almost wreck my car in surprise.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Oh, that's where vampires live," explains Cooper with no surprise at either Mason's loudness or that vampires might live in the mountains of Utah.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">12:19 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">We drive above Echo Lake (actually I don't know which lake it is). Coop starts getting ideas about it's entertainment value, "Can you fish in there?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"I think."</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Can you survive swimming in there?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Not right now!" (it's only 48 degrees)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">12:24 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Mama are we almost there?" asks Mason</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Yup."</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"How many minutes?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Uhhhhhh.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">12:25 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"Wow!" says Cooper. "Are those sheep!?!?? l love sheep." </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Mason adds, "And then the big bad wolf comes..."</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">12:39 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">As we get deeper into the canyons that feed into the Wasatch Front the radio signal gets worse and the music gets questionable. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Cooper says, "Why doesn't Idaho's music sound like ours?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Uhhhhhh.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">12:43 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">With clear disappointment Mason asks, "Hey, why is it so snowy here?"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">12:45 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">The first complaints about butt pain.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">12:53 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">"I know this!" says Mason with confidence. "I can't believe we finished our trip in one day!"</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">1:04 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Oh I missed the exit to my in-laws' house. Now we are lost somewhere on highland drive. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">1:15 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">My kids start talking about people and their ages and I don't really pay attention because I'm lost. But my ears perk up when Cooper says that he thinks I am 99! I correct him and he says, "I think you're as skinny as a grown up should be." Now that's consolation for an old comment. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">1:23 p.m.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">After 2 panicked phone calls to husband, license plates from 25 different states and countries, across 3 states in 8 hours and 40 minutes we find our way to the driveway of our destination. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span>
Editor's Note: I would like to apologize for periods of time in which this entry was published without photos and in draft form, and then with huge formatting issues. I tried to write and post this while traveling with my iPad. Frankly it didn't work very well. If anyone has a mobile app for iPad that they like for blogging, please suggest.</div>
</span></span>hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-7509794344601042022012-11-20T20:21:00.001-07:002012-11-25T17:07:53.330-07:00Phew, Oh and That Other Funny Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U5jDHEUgTjU/UKxICaPwteI/AAAAAAAAHbU/M8u2X3HtJkw/s1600/IMG_8052_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U5jDHEUgTjU/UKxICaPwteI/AAAAAAAAHbU/M8u2X3HtJkw/s320/IMG_8052_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Congrats to our orange belt! (That's a Shotokan Karate orange belt, to those of you who know the difference.) Huge sigh of relief! The Sensei is really quite rigid. The students test one week and don't find out the results until the following week. And really, there is no way of knowing if you past the test. Real nail biter. So, tonight, when we showed up we didn't know what would happen. For reals. Then just as I could tell Cooper had given up hope that he had passed the test his Sensei called out his name. Visible ton of bricks fell off Coop's shoulders. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2NffkXCMkfs/UKxH8LqAAWI/AAAAAAAAHbA/hlYLZmhQ_gY/s1600/IMG_8044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2NffkXCMkfs/UKxH8LqAAWI/AAAAAAAAHbA/hlYLZmhQ_gY/s320/IMG_8044.JPG" width="256" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These pictures are from the night he tested -- that's why he's still wearing his yellow belt. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been waiting to tell a funny story until I had a good karate photo of him. While these aren't the best, please note the hands of one of his Senseis on his shoulders. This is not the main man in the dojo. It's his helper -- who is something ridiculous like 86 years old. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One day, after lesson Cooper said, "Oh mom you know that Sensei that's missing an ear?" I was like, "Yeah, I know the guy with no ear." Now, let's pause and reflect for a little bit. This in of itself is not something you hear everyday. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Well, he has a wooden foot." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Cooper, he doesn't have a wooden foot. I can see his bare feet."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Seriously mama! It's wooden."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Why do you say that?"</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"He touched my foot with his foot and it was wooden, I could tell."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2012/05/like-mother-like-son.html" target="_blank">what we have to look forward to</a> in our old age. This man, though spry as a ninja, had such dry, crusty old feet that my child thought they were made of wood. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lesson we should learn is this: put lotion on your feet -- just not between the toes. Have a good Thanksgiving, also. </span>hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-77001422383244361272012-11-03T22:47:00.003-06:002012-11-25T17:08:27.338-07:00FBSG: The Quest for Costumes<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before Halloween is a far too distant memory I should tell you that the hunt for our costumes was one of the prime activities over <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2012/10/fall-break-10-day-guide-to-survival.html" target="_blank">Fall Break</a>. The boys knew what they wanted to be pretty early on, like maybe back in May. Despite what you're thinking -- procrastination -- I was scrambling right up to the end to put them together. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did not procrastinate this year. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pk2JIrUsomQ/UJXyBNy2bBI/AAAAAAAAHaE/31JCan6pjOo/s1600/IMG_7899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pk2JIrUsomQ/UJXyBNy2bBI/AAAAAAAAHaE/31JCan6pjOo/s320/IMG_7899.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Mason's rendition of Tin Tin and Snowy I looked in every store, and every online venue I could think of for a blue sweater. No where to be found. I was thorough and unsuccessful. In the end we just used a thermal shirt that was in the closet. We also had a hard time finding a plain white dog stuffed animal. The one he carried was a kitten. He recycled his Indiana Jones satchel and wore some women's knee socks to complete his ensemble. The day after Halloween, guess what popped up at H&M?!??! The dang blue sweater.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Cooper announced he wanted to be Mickey Mouse I was taken by surprise. He's never been to a Disney theme park and most of his friends were picking persona like minecraft characters, zombies, and Harry Potter. He was a cute Mickey and it took little to no preparation. I glued felt strips on the back of knit gloves (sold for 97 cents in a two pack) and tacked a couple big white buttons on a pair of shorts. We borrowed the ears and completed his look with a pair of thick black tights from the little girls' department. Such an inexpensive costume. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8JRBG3lA8M8/UJXxS62lmsI/AAAAAAAAHZg/PerV-Aw8RHo/s1600/IMG_7895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8JRBG3lA8M8/UJXxS62lmsI/AAAAAAAAHZg/PerV-Aw8RHo/s320/IMG_7895.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steve and I were challenged this year. We could not agree on anything (we wanted to dress as a couple) and when we finally decided on something we couldn't find the right items to complete the look. Frustrating. Then in a random trip to the costume store over Fall Break we had a breakthrough.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Morticia and Gomez Addams. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gaQ9BATgTQ4/UJXxZX6TWcI/AAAAAAAAHZw/Ss_7gpR63wM/s1600/IMG_7901_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gaQ9BATgTQ4/UJXxZX6TWcI/AAAAAAAAHZw/Ss_7gpR63wM/s320/IMG_7901_2.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of all things, Steve wore the suit he wore on our wedding day and I wore a skimpy little black dress from Forever 21. I have no business shopping at Forever 21. We both wore eyeliner, without it Steve looked a little too much like the 1%. I also asked my stylist to go a little darker with my hair for the occasion. I am, if nothing else, committed. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steve's commitment was more of the press-on mustache variety. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe my dress might have frightened our sweet babysitter. When we asked her to take a picture she managed to crop out all the skimpiness of it and Steve and I look like we're on our way to a funeral. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oH8ar68n6O0/UJX2V7rv5uI/AAAAAAAAHac/5eYhb7J-nC0/s1600/IMG_7893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oH8ar68n6O0/UJX2V7rv5uI/AAAAAAAAHac/5eYhb7J-nC0/s320/IMG_7893.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this weird?</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a volunteer in the classroom I have occasion to dream up two costumes. This year the challenge was to become something a little more clothed. I opted for an all black modge podge of clothes, purple and black striped tights, pointy black shoes, and a large praying mantis in my hair. Also, I had three plastic snakes weaved in there. I didn't take a picture of this number because on this day I also had to carry 40 fruit cups, a tablecloth, pin the face on the pumpkin game, prizes for pin the face on the pumpkin game, 24 bags of sliced apples, 24 cups of caramel dip, 30 spoons, 30 paper plates, a heavy metal cauldron, the camera and an extra lens, and my purse into the school. I kinda broke a sweat. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, this is the get-up I wore while discussing stain choices with the hardwood floor guy. He was concerned, I could tell. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In related news, I acquired three costumes today. One was actually 67 cents!</span><br />
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<a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2007/10/no-monsters-please.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halloween 2007</span></a><br />
<a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2008/10/costumes-check.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halloween 2008</span></a><br />
<a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2009/10/were-ready.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halloween 2009</span></a><br />
<a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2010/10/sigh-of-relief.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halloween 2010</span></a><br />
<a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2011/10/tights-and-tinfoil.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halloween 2011</span></a><br />
<br />hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-69428054739435178212012-10-31T10:39:00.000-06:002012-11-25T17:09:11.441-07:00FBSG: The Crafts<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FxyQhwt2RxA/UJFSPrSR5fI/AAAAAAAAHYg/AoTBJdcsBXA/s1600/IMG_7695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FxyQhwt2RxA/UJFSPrSR5fI/AAAAAAAAHYg/AoTBJdcsBXA/s400/IMG_7695.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">please note hair and clothing during FB.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our home is always a flurry of fake productivity in the form
of crafts. In our kitchen roughly a quarter of our pantry space is dedicated to
paper, pens, coloring books, googly eyes, glue sticks, markers, crayons (melted
and otherwise), foam mosaics, wooden figures, plaster bobbleheads, and the
like. Then in the basement – which we recently finished – there is a “guest”
room that is roughly the size of two bedrooms and has two closets, a sewing
table, two sewing machines, a work table overflowing with computers and files
and project ideas, an ironing board, and the remnants and preparations of
thousands of craft ideas that I have either cooked up and never finished or
tried and abandoned with little to no success. It’s safe to say that any break
from school<a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-you-have-room-to-grow.html" target="_blank"> includes a crafternoon</a>, or two,maybe three. It’s also likely that
said crafts will be ambitious, messy, overwhelming to the entire house, and
somewhat popular with the littles. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2012/10/fall-break-10-day-guide-to-survival.html" target="_blank">Fall Break</a> I had my hidden craft surprises and one that
I let the children choose. The second half of that statement actually reflects
the extent to which I will go when I am bribing my children in a fabric store. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our surprise crafts were the frosting and chocolate cookie
haunted house, the wood bead spooky creatures, and a foam haunted house. These
came out of The Halloween Box. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But on a frenzied afternoon at JoAnn’s I happened upon a 99
cent pattern sale that I had to look through. Had to. So, I told the boys to
also look through the patterns and find a craft they might like to make during
Fall Break. They picked Simplicity 5310, McCall’s 6052, and McCall’s 6481. I
did say ambitious, right?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I bought all three patterns but when the rubber hit the road
and I actually made the boys cut their own patterns and hunt for their own
fabric scraps (in my scrap bag that is daunting) they narrowed their scope of
work to McCall’s 6481. This pattern aids in the creation of a zoo of stuffed
toys that look an awful lot like Angry Birds, thus the appeal. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The wood bead craft took only an hour. I like crafts to take
at least two hours because you spend a half hour preparing and another half
hour cleaning up. So, you better get the most out of your Fall Break, right? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the Angry Birds took all night long. The boys
cut their own pattern pieces and selected their own fabric. I had some concerns
about Mason’s choices at first. But you know what, he has an artist's eye and it
all worked out famously. This pattern is a bit fiddly for a novice sewist. It
was hard for my children to do much more than the body pieces and the stuffing.
I was left to close the birds and sew details like the eyes. I would recommend
making this in fleece or felt. My kids just used what I had which made for some
tricky materials to run through the machine. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The two boys attacked the project differently. Cooper's was the most ambitious. He got the cutting done much faster than Mason. Mason took at least an hour deciding what fabric scraps to use and then chatted the entire time he was stuffing the bird. Topic? What to name it. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t understand why this pattern made such small
animals. The scale could be bumped up probably 50% and make for a really great
pillow or stuffed animal. Were I to make these again, I would absolutely take
the pattern to a copy store and ask for an enlargement.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for my sewing during Fall Break, I prepared for the
holiday rush season for <a href="http://www.cutiepetutieoriginals.com/" target="_blank">Cutie Petutie Originals http://www.cutiepetutieoriginals.com/</a>
and then sewed Vogue 1261, New Look 6977, and two of Simplicity 2911. For
reals, that’s a lot of sewing. I’ll be writing about all these patterns and
showing pictures of the finished awesomeness on <a href="http://handmadebyhooli.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my sewing blog</a>. </span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363822519374549153.post-82576962006507730732012-10-26T13:23:00.000-06:002012-11-25T17:10:10.799-07:00FBSG: The Field Trips<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2012/10/fall-break-10-day-guide-to-survival.html" target="_blank">Fall Break adventure</a> should be sprinkled with field
trip. That is not to say you should take your children somewhere new every day
they are on break. This will exhaust them. It also sets you up for disaster
once summer comes. Those little brains of theirs remember that load of activity
and will expect it all. Summer. Long. Do yourself a favor and be mediocre
during Fall Break.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had 5 <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2011/10/first-field-trip-ii.html" target="_blank">trips a field</a>. This sounds like a lot over 10 days,
but two of the trips were actually repeat locations. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Trip No. 1: The Zoo</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had the pleasure of being invited to join some other
mothers and their sons <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2010/03/idaho-via-zoo.html" target="_blank">to the zoo</a> on the first day of break. This was a herd of
2<sup>nd</sup> grade-kindergarten boys and four moms. There were a lot of boys.
As is our lot in life, we live 17 miles away from the zoo. Once boys were
loaded, we’d driven the 30 minutes, and found a parking spot, and renewed our
zoo membership to the tune of $100, the sky – which had been forecast to be 70
degrees and sunny – turned cloudy and black. We even felt a few drops.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I’d like to say we are usually very prepared for this
type of thing, the only coat in the car was mine. So, I marched myself right
into the gift shop and bought sweatshirts for everyone. I then got sucked into
buying huge stuffed animals. It was like a whole thing. Blah!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-394tbLrO-bs/UIrhVZFp5-I/AAAAAAAAHXo/jyjNRdO6dQ0/s1600/IMG_7669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-394tbLrO-bs/UIrhVZFp5-I/AAAAAAAAHXo/jyjNRdO6dQ0/s320/IMG_7669.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please note how large my kindergartner is (on left end).</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next few hours were enjoyable. The boys were with their
friends. I was with mine. And we didn’t loose anyone. Have you ever noticed
there is a time limit on such peace? Someone in the group of 8 starts to whine
a little bit and complain of hunger, the lead dogs start to stray a little
farther from the group, the pensive observers start to linger a little longer
at each exhibit and you can tell the end is near. This is when I decided to
call it quits. Call me a party pooper but I can tell when I’m about to yell at
my kids and I don’t want to do that in front of people, so I left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone should know when to leave.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Trip No 2: Haunted Party Shop</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of the <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2008/11/its-halloween-for-infinity-and-beyond.html" target="_blank">costumes</a> in our house were decided but we were missing
some parts and pieces. Before I plunged into trying to sew something before
Halloween we decided to visit a costume shop in Old Towne Littleton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was super creepy. Mason’s heart rate
soared and he was trembling and he had to be carried in. (Yes, we’re those
parents.) Once inside he relaxed and cozied up to the deli case filled with
body parts. My husband and I jumped our original costume ship and decided on
new ones on the spot. Then we procured a few of the small things we needed for
the kids’ costumes. I’m totally looking forward to showing off those pictures
next week. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Trip No 3: Lifetime Fitness Swimming Pool</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m always in favor of killing two birds with one stone.
Remember the <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2008/08/waterlog.html" target="_blank">request to go swimming</a>? When another mom friend of mine asked what
our plans for Fall Break were (I think she was trolling for ideas) I confessed
that our plans were modest, just the swimming pool. Then she saved my day. She
offered up her club’s pool and decided to join us. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Off we traveled to Lifetime Fitness. I signed in which was a
total cluster and the kids jumped in the pool. Then a lifeguard approached me
and informed me that if I didn’t plan on getting in the pool my kids would have
to take a swim test. Part of me laughed inside because I was like, “Yeah, my
son wants your job.” The other part of me was like, “Oh, I wonder if my other
son will have performance anxiety about this.” But I offered them up he pulled
them aside -- to another pool in fact -- and told them to swim a lap without
stopping, touching the wall or rope, or needing help of any kind. Cooper jumped
in, swam his lap, and started back toward the other pool. Mason started a
negotiation. Then he methodically slipped into the pool and started swimming.
Without a struggle he swam the full lap, climbed out of the pool then looked up
at the guy (goggles still on) and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “Is that
all you got?”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Proud of those two. We may get Mason to do swim team, yet. </span></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also want to say, this is a brilliant system and I sincerely think more pools should have this rule. </span></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Trip No 4: A Traffic Jam</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of our field trips was to the city. Yes, I said it.
We’ve become that suburban. Wanting to see our friends who had recently moved
closer to downtown from the burbs we planned a dinner date at their house – two
moms, five boys. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But something, I don’t know what, had traffic all snarly. A
drive that literally takes 30 minutes turned into 90 minutes! Let’s review.
Trapped in a tin can with two small boys. Dinner time. 90 minutes of snail pace
movement. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was an extraordinary reminder that <a href="http://suburbanbrunette.blogspot.com/2008/12/enough.html" target="_blank">I don’t like commuting</a>
at all. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Trip No 5: The Zoo, II</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK. I know what you’re thinking. Why? Because it is never
the same. We met some friends and the weather was much better. We didn’t stay
as long, but we saw more. It was great. Well, except for the part when the boy
elephant let it all hang out – if you know what I mean. That was so
uncomfortable. My boys couldn’t even laugh, they were horrified into
silence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh did I mention we were
with friends, girl friends?!?!?!? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most exciting part of the second zoo adventure was our license
plate hunt. This is a game we play pretty much non-stop everywhere we go. But
for some reason early in the trip we could tell we were going to have a record
day. The object of the game is to find as many different states’ plates as
possible. I don’t mean vanity plates or one state’s multiple versions. I mean
different states. We saw 28! Also, there are a lot of Texans here.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->hoolihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552220724353071705noreply@blogger.com1