iPad goes on a field trip

Today I went on the first grade field trip. Boy, what a day we all had. Me and 60 first graders! Well, a few teachers & parents went along too. We started out with a bus trip to travel town. The bus ride was a lot of fun. Everybody was so excited about all the adventures ahead. Travel town was a lot of fun. We explored & climbed all over some vintage steam trains. I just love trains. This was so cool. We ate our lunches there at the picnic tables and got to ride the small scale train.

Next we were back to the buses and off to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. This was my first time in a big city and boy it is big. The train station was neat. We got to see the subway and all the people busily wandering around the station. There were tons of people and it was really loud.

For the next portion of our trip we boarded a metrolink train on the ventura line and headed on down the track. This was my first train ride too. Did I mention how much I love trains? Once we settled in on the train I got to come out of my carrier for a little game time. Once again I attracted quite a crowd and I think someone actually drooled on me! Oh well, it was fun. I also got to see one of my brothers. He was on the field trip too. This is the first sibling I've seen since leaving the apple store. Who would have ever thought it would be a two iPad field trip? Anyway, I digress...with game time the train trip went by rather quickly. And I almost got motion sick from being passed around to so many little hands. Even with all of that this was the best field trip ever! Okay, okay, so it was my first ever field trip so I wouldn't know any different...but I am telling you it was absolutely the best ever!! iPad signing off from the first grade field trip.

book report from a first grader...i'm proud

My son recently started writing book reports for his first grade homework. I just love this one.

Duckling Days by Karen Walker

I like when the duckling grow up. There was a mother duck that had six little duckling. The baby duckling lost his mother. Then the baby duckling found his mother.

How cute!!

handmade jammies are best....especially vintage ones

My Dad happens to be in the hospital right now and he is wearing pajamas my Mom handmade for him......get this....40+ years ago! He was going to have a surgery when I was a baby...before I could walk. He asked her to make him some jammies. She went home that night with myself (not walking yet) and my 6 year old brother, whipped up two pairs of jammies, and brought them to him the next day. Remember this was 1968! When he returned home my Mom washed them and hung them in his closet. Flash forward nearly 42 years...my Dad is admitted to the hospital to eradicate an infection and he asks my Mom to bring him some jammies. She goes to the closet and takes the jammies out that she hung there over 40 years ago. She washes them and then the next day returns to the hospital with them. They both say he never wore them again after that hospital stay 40+ years ago....that is until today. 40+ years ago they were handmade with love....today they are not only handmade with love but vintage!

then and now...the handsome couple

Today I was on my Dad's new mac and found this photo (that I don't remember seeing before.) And now I realize it is from the night they were engaged...my Mom's prom night! It is awesome. I just had to have it for myself and to share. This is my parents 50 years ago just before they were married in 1960. So if you figured it out...that means they will be married 50 years this April. Then I remembered this recent photo of the handsome couple at the Marine Corps Ball at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (they go every year). I think they go together perfectly...the pictures that is. You may think that is rather mean of me to say but if you know my parents then you know it would be a stretch to say they go together perfectly. But they've made it fifty years so...while not a perfect fit...they must be a good fit nonetheless. So here is to the handsome couple....congratulations on the 50 years...and thank you for everything you've done for my brother, myself, and our families. We all love you!

perspective....

It is funny how one week you can be in a fabulous mood and life is so very sweet....and then the next everything is falling in around you. What changed? Many times things do dramatically change but then other times the only thing that really changes is....perspective. Our moods, how we feel, how we respond, and how we see the world is driven so much by our perspective. It reminds me just how important it is to make the conscious decision to be happy. So for today I have decided to be happy....life truly is so very sweet.

spring cleaning....is it spring yet?

I spent the morning spring cleaning, that is cleaning out my children's bedroom. When everything doesn't fit in their room anymore without living all over the floor I start getting really anxious and grumpy. When I got up this morning I was motivated to finally do something about it. It is usually easier to do it when the kids are out of the house but the motivation to deep clean doesn't visit me all that often. So I started. I usually start in the closet so I have some place to put the things we decide to keep. This turned out to be a success since all the kids shoes now have a spot to live inside the closet instead of in front of the door. And you can now walk up to and open the closet door without stepping, kicking, and/or tripping on any number of items living on the floor in front of it. While the room is in no way done it still begins to put my mind and nerves at ease. That coupled with getting tired overcame the motivation and now I am done....at least for today. Now I just have a suburban full of bags that I will take to goodwill in the next few days. It's a good thing.

ponytail for kids

Yesterday I finally had my hair cut and I am now in a position to help a child who has lost their hair due to illness. The cut was a long time coming. The last time I had my hair cut it must have been well over a year ago. I am a busy mom with a lot to get done everyday. Spending time styling hair or regularly going to the salon is just not me. I usually simply wash my hair, brush it, and then put it in a ponytail. No muss, no fuss. It needs little during the day, doesn't get hot or in the way. I usually only make a trip to the salon when it starts violating one of the basic fundamentals of my routine.

It was late this last summer when I noticed that my ponytail was so long it was on the back of my neck and starting to annoy. At that moment I thought I should do something helpful with it...like donate it for children who need wigs due to illness. So rather than go to the salon at that point I decided to just put it in a looping ponytail to shorten it an let it grow awhile longer. I continued on with daily family life. Then this week I noticed that I was spending a lot of time each morning brushing the knots out of all that hair. It was time...enough was enough. I made the appointment. I made one for my son too although he didn't yet NEED one....I'm busy and this was very efficient.

Anyway, yesterday morning around 9:30 am I put my hair up in a ponytail one last time (more on that later) and showed my friend and hair stylist where to cut. The result...a 13 inch long ponytail that is off to locks of love and a new short and sassy haircut for me. Later that night I started feeling my hair weighing me down so I scooped up what I have left and got most of it into a ponytail. My family was snickering because it was really more like the stub of a ponytail but nonetheless I was comfortable so no worries.

The best part and reason for this blog entry is that now my ponytail is off to help make a wig for a child who has lost her own hair to illness. If you have long hair and are considering a shorter do please check them out. It is a great cause.

http://www.locksoflove.org/