Robots are taking over

In case you're wondering, the robots are taking over the planet. But they'll be wearing gloves. Yes, gloves.

Halloween 2010

Dragging in here, but Happy Halloween from the Phipps clan! Ian dressed up as Pikachu (a Pokemon), Sam as Colt McCoy (Hook 'Em Longhorns!), Miss Lucy was a bumblebee, and Max was a brain eating Zombie (who didn't scare his little sister!).

This year, for the first time, well, ever, Tom and I dressed up. We braved the cold temps to don our coolest costumes ever. If you don't already know, Tom dressed up as Waldo of Where's Waldo fame, and I hung out in a costume that showed my true roots (not the pink, the hippie!) and was a 70's Go-Go dancer.

I think that we pegged ourselves perfectly this year, so it's going to be a tough task to top ourselves next year. We did have loads of fun dressing up though, so I know well do it again!

Making S'mores

Stealing candy from Aunt Brooke's stash

Nicholas

Lucy having S'mores

And last but not least - Lucy really did get how to Trick or Treat:

Sailed right through Black Friday

Yes, you read that right - we sailed right through Black Friday without purchasing a thing. Then we hit Saturday and realized that we didn't have a single gift for anyone for the holidays. Not a one. So, in the span of about 12 hours, we fixed that problem. A quick trip to Target (a date really but didn't want to get into that right now), and a few clicks online, and we're almost done! Found some cool things for the family gift exchange, grabbed a few things for the boys and the little miss, and stumbled on a new microwave in the process. Didn't know we needed a new microwave, but at $33, who could pass it up???!!!

It's a cute little 700 watt microwave that will supplement our other workhorse (and will cover us temporarily if it craps out). Up until the past year we've always had two microwaves. When we moved into this house there wasn't one installed, and at first we thought we'd be fine with it. Then we saw the $33 option and thought that it would make a great addition to our family. So I guess we did partake of Black Friday totally on a whim (and the shocker - it was Tom's whim!).

Lucy and Max - November 2010

Can't believe the fairytale is coming to an end

Disney getting out of the Fairytale business? Really? After a wide variety of princesses and princes venturing out to conquer love, forbidden romance, their sworn and unknown enemies, and even their own hair, it seems that Disney is done with them. Tangled will be the last fairytale they conquer. According to this article in the LA Times, kids today just aren't all about the princesses and princes, well, at least not after they turn 5 years old. And those 3 and 4 year olds? Well, they aren't so much about driving to the movie theaters - at least mine weren't. While it makes sense with the increase in popular tween and older kid programing that Disney wraps this one up, it still makes me sad. Cinderella is my absolute favorite. Not because of who she was or what she did, just because she's Cinderella. She's dreamy, slightly quirky and unassuming, independent, and of course she wore a pretty blue dress. Even at my age I still smile when I see her at the parks - makes me feel like a kid again. It's a shame to imagine that there won't be any more Cinderella's, in the near future at least, coming out of Disney studios.

That said, I did have the chance to see Tangled with the boys and not only did I enjoy it but they got a kick out of it too! Check out my review of Tangled here.

Pure Joy

Take a minute to watch this - the kids went nuts when they saw it!

Don't know him, but we love him and his little dancing shoes!

LOVED IT!!!

Don't know why they didn't have a show like this before, but Glee is really hitting on all cylinders. Loved the Empire State of Mind in the first episode of this current season, and now this:

which I'll say might be even better than the original, and I simply adore Katy Perry. And yes, Darren Criss is dreamy too.

In remembrance

Thank you to all of those who have served or are serving now.

Day 103 will always be remembered.

Fantastic picture from: A Lego a Day for one year...again Blog

*If you haven't already been reading his blog you need to start now!

Things I learned this week

A brief list of things I've learned this week:

1. If you are my kid, you will inevitably, before you turn four, find and draw with a pen/pencil/Sharpie on the walls/floors/cribs/washer/whatever. It's just the way it is in this family.

2. I can't stop myself from eating Halloween candy, even if I tell myself that I won't. Just have to get it out of the house.

3. Sometimes grown ups act like they are entitled to the world, and that it's your fault that their day isn't going well. (Actually, one of my volunteers learned this the really hard way this week, but I witnessed it.)

4. If your phone doesn't do what you want it to do, buy a new one that does and stop complaining. You'll feel so much better.

5. When you do good for others, people notice.

Thanks goodness it's over!

The elections are behind us now, which means that the phone that sits behind me that I don't even know the number for will stop ringing. Yes, in the past week I received calls from both Al Gore and Barack Obama. Who knew that I was so popular! Not even the Republican candidate for Senate knew that. Yeah, he called me twice for some unknown reason - once on election day to remind me to vote. Thanks! I voted and did my part. It didn't turn out quite the way I would have wanted it to, but we'll move forward and press on! Always fighting the good fight.

Her dog ran away!

When you adopt a pet on your phone and you fail to feed it, play with it, or clean up after it, it runs away. But when you are two you don't really care...

And when all THREE of your pets run away (DOGGIE, bunny, and rock all left within three days of one another) then you still don't care but can't figure out where all of your friends went!

Fortunately your mom knows where to get some new ones and you are back on track neglecting the needs of your favorite pets once again.

(If you know of an iPhone App that acts like a "raise your pet" app but doesn't require actual work on the part of the person that owns the pet, please let me know. Lucy doesn't care but she does get bummed when her pets don't do what she wants them to do - oh - and when they disappear.)

Walking the Dog

Having fun outdoors

Having fun in the back yard means rolling in the grass. Well, when you have curly girly hair the grass pretty much stays in your hair, and it hangs out there until it's washed, or until your mom picks all of it out piece by piece. Yeah, playing in the backyard is lots of fun!

Cows That Type!

In an attempt NOT to purchase any more library books for my daughter (you know they make you pay for them when your two year old destroys them), we tried something different today. Instead of getting her a book that I had to watch like a hawk for two weeks, we checked out a video. And it wasn't just ANY video, it was Click Clack Moo Cows That Type! It's one of our favorites books, and a few minutes into it I got a cool surprise. The story was narrated by one of my favorite country singers - Randy Travis! If you get the chance read the book - it's really cool. But if you have a wee one then definitely take a peek at the video - it might even be available at the local library!

Stormy Weather

Cool storm clouds that rolled in with a front a few days back

Mi s ng lett rs

What the heck are you supposed to do when the letters on your favorite keyboard rub off? Yes, they are slowly but surely disappearing. And to make it worse, as long as I've been typing and as fast as I type, I still look at the keys to see where the letters are (and use the spell check a LOT). As you can see the letters right next to the P are gone completely, but without typing a letter or two I'm not honestly sure which one is which. and on the other end my A and S are also almost completely gone. At what point am I supposed to buy a new keyboard - replacing the one that I love. I love it so much because of the feel of the keys and the sound it makes when I type - full, authoritative. So while I really don't want to replace my favorite typing buddy, I'm not sure that just any replacement will suffice. It's worse than trying to find a hairdresser (and I'm really picky about that one).

Things Kids Say #863

Sam: Mommy, have you ever hear of caramel?

Me: Yes, it's the squishy yummy candy stuff. I love caramels.

Sam: No, not that caramel. The kind that when you do good things, good things happen to you.

Yeah. Karma, Sam, Karma.

Dear Cancer

Check out this letter writing campaign (http://www.varian.com/dearcancer/) - they are donating money to the American Cancer Society to help fight cancer. You can write your own, but here's mine:

Suzie P.

10/7/10

Letter ID: 3654
Dear Cancer, You suck - you REALLY suck. You took my mom well before I was done with her, and you are actively attacking a close friend of mine. But, I have another close friend that kicked YOUR butt, so HAH! I hope never to see you again, and although I know that in my lifetime I probably will, you should know that we are a lot tougher than you are. So piss off cancer - I want you gone for good.

My little band groupie!

Lucy loves Rocknoceros - even more when she can sneak right up to the stage and watch! Yes, those are her pigtails in the middle of the picture snugged right up to the stage! All the rest of the blurs are kiddos dancing and spinning and hopping around. Loads of fun and great music to boot!

Chilean Miner Rescue

I am sitting here watching the miners in Chile come up from thousands of feet underground one by one - they are being rescued and are being returned back to their loved ones. It is striking me in an odd way - tension for those remaining, grief that they lost these past two and a half months and have had to endure such an event, and relief that at least three of them have been rescued. I can't even begin to imagine what they have gone through, what their families have gone through, or how this profound event will change their lives. I understand only a tiny bit of what the rescuers are discussing in Spanish - what they are sending back down as they prepare the capsule for the next descent into the cave that these miners have called home for 68 days. But what I do understand is how far we've come from writing these men off year ago - trapped so far underground. Technology has allowed us to not only rescue them, but discover that they were alive in the first place, then communicate with them from the get go. This has allowed professionals to help them at each and every step of the way, assessing and building plans for their safe return to the surface. This has allowed their family members to communicate with them as they are trapped down there, giving them hope. And this has allowed all of us to watch and wait and participate in a way that we never could before.

Yet there are 30 men still down there, and it will take hours, even days until we see them all emerge. I guess the feeling is a little overwhelming - technology has brought us right up to the rescue site and we will all sit and wait now to see the safe return of all of these men - these total strangers who have become a part of our lives. Safe journeys to all of you.

It's so random.

My kids LOVE the word "random" these days. They use it all the time, and I've yet to hear them use it correctly.

"I've randomly decided that I want to go outside."

"I just randomly picked out a book."

"That was so random."

Yeah, random. It's coming out of their mouths on a regular basis and I think it's driving my darling husband nuts.

Lucy's Lost Pet

Apparently when you don't feed your pet rock/bunny/dog/cat/penguin it runs away. when knew? Lucy found out the hard way when her mom didn't feed her pet rock/bunny/dog/cat/penguin for the span of a week and her pet disappeared. But this nice iPhone App let me get her another pet rock/bunny/dog/cat/penguin and she was happy once again.

Sadly, you are not a monster.

My heart is all aflutter for Grover:



And this isn't the first time. I dunno. Isaiah Mustafa, you have some competition. and Go Sesame Street for staying on the ball! (And thanks to the folks at Chuck for realizing what a good fit Mr. Mustafa is for your show!)

United State of Pop 2009 Mash-Up

I always appreciate a good mash-up, and this one is great:

Important Women’s Health Issue

LOVE this! It's been going around for a long while, but a friend just sent it to me a few days ago and I think that ALL women need to take heed:

Important Women’s Health Issue

Do you have feelings of inadequacy?

Do you suffer from shyness?

Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Margaritas.

Margaritas are the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions.

Margaritas can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the worldthat you’re ready and willing to do just about anything.

You will notice the benefits of Margaritas almost immediately and with aregimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent youfrom living the life you want to live.

Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discovermany talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living, withMargaritas.

Margaritas may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursingshould not use Margaritas. However, women who wouldn’t mind nursing orbecoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include:

Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration

Loss of motor control

Loss of clothing

Loss of money

Table dancing

Headache

Dehydration

Dry mouth

And a desire to sing Karaoke

WARNING: The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

WARNING: The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

WARNING: The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to think you can sing.

WARNING: The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

Please share this with other women who may need Margaritas. Thank you.

Meet the Cake Pops Lady!!!

I have been following this blog for a while, and now she's got a book out!. Bakerella makes THE MOST CREATIVE little baked goods I've ever seen. Check out this video for a glimpse at how she works her magic, then definitely check out her blog. These cute cupcake pops might even bring me out of baking retirement!

Might even go so far as to say that I'd like to be her when I grow up! See those cute little cake pops and you'll understand why I'm so smitten.

We No Speak Americano

So take THAT traditional Irish Dancing!

You have to check these guys out: Up and Over It

Breakfast Club - A Classic??!!??

No way that it's been 25 years since this came out:

"But what we found out that each of us is a brain

...and an athlete

...and a basket case

...a princess

...and a criminal."

What a fantastic movie.

Lucy's latest reading material

Piles and Smiles!

Ever wonder where dollies and animals and blankets go when little girls get their hands on a bunch of them? Well, they get piled up on the couch and the little girl proceeds to climb atop her pile of animals and blankets and dollies and grin. Oh, and in the process she buries mom and dad under the dollies and blankets and animals, insisting that each one have a certain place of honor. Thank goodness for older brothers who can snap pictures as our pile grew so large that it held us down - and Lucy wasn't budging!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today my mom would have been 64 years old. What a strange thought. She passed away in 2006 at the age of 59, so she'll never see her 60's, or 70's for that matter. In the picture below she is only 34 years old - a little younger than I am now (and yes, it was 1980, so we were still almost stuck in the 70's but moving on to the 80's).

So Mom, hope that you are having one hell of a great party today wherever you are - you always did know how to throw a big bash! Happy Birthday!

And so another soccer season begins!

Sam

Ian

Max

And we're off!

First day of second and fifth grades!

This year is Max's last year in elementary school. He's the big guy on campus, he rules the school, and he's the boss (well, not really any of those but it is cool to be in fifth grade)! Ian and Sam are moving up in the world and have started second grade, and they are enjoying not being the youngest in school but square on in the middle. So off we sent our three boys to their first day of school - no haircuts, no new clothes, old ratty shoes, and very excited (both us and them) at the prospect of a new year full of new adventures!

Go DC United????

I'm a big fan of personalized plates, and clever plates really make me smile. But every once in a while I see a plate that perplexes me. It took me a few minutes to get this one - and that's after I picked my jaw up off the floor after seeing this plate and NOT getting the whole DC United part:

You know what I was reading on that plate, and that's why my jaw hit the ground. Wonder how that one got past the DMV censors???!!!

See...it's not just me saying it. Drivers here are terrible.

Washington drivers: The worst in the nation

You think the guy in the rear view mirror is about to rear end you? You think the lady in the next is about to wack you from the side? You think that clown is going to run the stop sign and t-bone you?
If you drive in Washington, there's a better than average chance that you're right.
In fact, the chance is 95.5 percent better than average, according to a report from the Allstate Insurance Company, which collects crash data from across the nation. Washington ranks dead last, behind 192 other cities..
The good news is that Washington was at the bottom of the list last year, and it's been near the worst for many years, so those who have escaped being in a collision probably are the best drivers in the country. The bad news is that Washington drivers get into crashes an average of every 5.1 years, so your number may be up. By contrast, the best drivers in the land are in Fort Collins, Co., where they get into collisions 31.2 percent less frequently that the national average and go an average of 14.5 years between them.
If fear of collision causes you to flee the streets of the District, don't bother going to Baltimore. It ranks just above Washington at the bottom of the list.

From Washington Post.com
By Ashley Halsey | September 3, 2010; 1:54 PM ET

Ian's New Specs

Ian is the destroyer of glasses, so it was only a matter of time that he'd end up in something much more durable than those cute little wire framed glasses. We not only got him Rec Specs, but Rec Specs with Transition lenses. This means that he's got cool glasses, PLUS Cool Guy Shades! And now he's going to lose his official title of Destroyer of Glasses.

#3 Passed his swim test too!

Now we have three crazy swimming fools in our house, and a little girl that's well on here way. Sam was the last of the boys to pass his swim test at our pool, which allows you to go off the board, down the slide, and swim in the deep end.

Ian got in on the diving board action too:

Bouncie kids

Max and Lucy

Tik-Spock!

If you've ever enjoyed an episode of Star Trek, you HAVE to watch this:

Snow in August?

From weather.com yesterday:

Cloudy

Temperature:

72°F

Feels Like: 72°

Details:

Cooler than yesterday at this time.

Past 24-hr:

Precip: 0.01 in (est.)
Snow: 0 in

SNOW???!! Really? Come on now, it's AUGUST. It's been over 100 degrees recently. And yes, the temps have dropped, but it's still AUGUST.

Thomas the Tank Engine!

Seems the Thomas addiction has struck yet another member of our family:

And so it begins.

The Napmeister Strikes Again!

One of these days Ian is going to find out I've been posting pictures of him over the years sleeping. And he's not going to be happy about it. hopefully he'll be old enough to think that it's cute, but until then let's keep it between you and me. ;)

Camp Pics

When I asked the boys what they wanted to do this summer, one said "I want to play tennis." A second said "I want to play golf." Yeah. Tennis and golf camp? Not likely. But hey, the boys got their wish and spent a week in Tennis and Putt Putt Camp - the perfect combination of tennis and golf for the shorter set.

But it was hot, so they were wrapped in their karate style ice dipped cloths. And they had a TON of fun every day, worn out at the end and happy as clams. Good camp choice boys!

Swim lessons

So very proud

Today I took all four kids to the mall (no cracks or sanity checks - we were rained out again today from outside stuff). You know, the dreaded big huge mall with all of the great (cool, neat, whatever) stores to buy stuff from. And today, my kids made me proud. They took their allowances, made smart purchases, and didn't whine or complain about what they ended up with (or in one case didn't end up with).

Max has a ton of money (by his standards) from his birthday, but he chose to buy things he really wanted and spent that money wisely. He considered saving up to buy a big ticket item, but realized that he really wanted something in particular, so he bought it. He also went in on a deal with Ian that saved them both some money - buying in bulk will do that for you.

Ian, on the other hand, had limited funds. He was the one that initially asked to go to the mall - for Silly Bandz. He heard rumor of a store there JUST for Silly Bandz. Well, turned out that it was a kiosk not a store, but still - very cool in 7 year old terms. But Ian only had $9 or so, not really enough to get the good deal on all of the packs he wanted. So, Ian picked out the one pack that he really wanted, spent some of his money (going in with max to get a better deal) and he was set. He got the exact bands that he was looking for in the first place, so he was quite pleased with himself.

Now, Sam, well, Sam had no money. Actually, he had a little under $2. It wasn't enough to buy a pack of Silly Bandz ($2.50), not enough for the Puffle ($14.99), and certainly not enough to get the Lego Star Wars ship he really wants ($54 ish). But instead of pouting and feeling defeated, Sam soldiered on, enjoying the trip and enjoying trading Silly Bandz with his brothers. He was surprised by how much things cost, and after a quick pull aside where I explained that $2 was really NOT enough to buy anything that we were looking at today, he got it, and he moved on. He stopped looking at prices and began looking at the actual items. He stopped being frantic about not getting something, and relaxed into the trip itself. He enjoyed helping Lucy pick out some Silly Bandz, and he watched as his brothers bought theirs - not complaining once.

So, today I was once again proud of my kids, which after all these years shouldn't surprise me, but it still does. They continue to grow and learn and they are really turning into cool little men.

Stepping out of the job market and being punished for it

Apparently when I took leave form my career just over 10 years ago, I permanently damaged not only my chance for re-entry, but also my earnings potential. And apparently the longer I stay out, the worse it gets. Not sure how I feel about that now, but certainly time off from work to raise children, whether it's your decision or you are forced to do so by family circumstances, should NOT be a punishment. I should NOT take a hit in earnings, I should NOT have doors closed because I have not worked in X number of years. And for me it gets worse. I now have TEN YEARS on my resume that are blank.

But in those ten years I've stepped up and grown. I've become a better employee. I've matured and am more confident. I've learned how to play politics and how to deal with pretty much anyone. I've learned how to manage expectations - mine and those around me. And I've got nothing to fill in the blank on my resume. PTA this and MOMS Club that doesn't cut it anymore. Women today who walk away from careers, for even brief periods of time are told that they are not welcome back in the same capacity as before. Funny part is, I'm guessing I'd be a significantly better employee than I was ten years ago fresh out of grad school, and I was a damn good employee then.

So thanks again Elena Kagan for stepping up and joining one of the oldest boys's clubs in the county. But one of these days a mom will follow in your footsteps and we'll all be prouder.

OOPS.

The one thing that absolutely terrifies my husband is having a daughter. OOOPS. Too late for that. I guess the second thing that absolutely terrifies him is my hippy bippy upbringing. OOOPS. Too late for that too. While my dad says that I wasn't raised as a hippy, enough of my mom rubbed off on me that I can't shed my flower-child ways. And so, my daughter goes into the pool with a swim diaper. Hey, it was a swim diaper, after all, and she was in the baby pool. But yeah, that's the third thing that terrifies him - mostly nekkid kids running around out in public. Seems that it doesn't bother me at all, nor does it bother any of my young 'ens. ;) Sorry hunny.

Free to be you and me!

I absolutely LOVE this song, and now Target, of all corporations, is using it an ad!

Thanks for the flashback Target!

Reflection on turning 38

Actually, not many reflections. My 38th birthday was just like any other day, but with cake. And what a cake it was! A mango heaven type cake - you know - the kind that gives you a sugar rush AS you are eating it. That, and the wishes of all kinds of friend on Facebook. Hugs and kisses from the family, and a great day was had. Turning 38 isn't so bad after all (that's the one reflection that I have to offer) and I can't complain about much of anything. I guess with age really does come wisdom.

The death of a dragonfly

We are mourning the loss of a family friend - the giant dragonfly that Max made in Second Grade. Not a real dragonfly, mind you, but he's going in to fifth grade, so the dragonfly has been with us for almost three years now. This dragonfly was magnificent. It was larger than life, brightly colored, and it was made by Max. He kept that dragonfly in his room for several years, never wanting to toss it. Until today.

Max came into my room this morning at 7:15am (yes, AM - silly boy waking me up like that!), crying. He told me that Ian left some Tic-Tacs near his dragonfly and the bugs were all over his dragonfly because of the Tic-Tacs. At 7:15 in the AM not much gets me out of bed, but this did - bugs in the house will do that to me. Anyway, went in there to discover that not only were there little bugs in there, but there had been for a while and it appeared that they were EATING his dragonfly. It was a veritable feast for those little bugs.

Well, I haven't yet shared what Max made this big old dragonfly out of, but at this point in the story I'm sure you can guess. His dragonfly was paper mache. You know - paper mache - made out of flour and water paste? (Are you getting the gist here yet?) Yeah, apparently little bugs decided that Max's dragonfly was dinner (and breakfast and lunch for a while) and had moved in. So, Max and I had a quick discussion, and we lost a valuable insect member of the family. The dragonfly has left the building, as have all of it's occupants. And let's all say it together - ewwww.

If you click on the image and look closely you'll see HUNDREDS of little white dots. Those were all the little bug holes left by the paper mache eating bugs that we just kicked out of the house. Ewwww again. Yeah, just ewwwwww.

Yeah, now go wash your hands and shake out your clothes - all the little bugs have left the building.

It's about time - Good riddance Prop. 8

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... from Jack Black

Thanks goodness for maternity leave

Because of maternity leave, Mila's mom has the time to do this:

You can see more pictures on her blog too: http://milasdaydreams.blogspot.com/

Ten Years Ago Today

Ten Years ago yesterday...

...I was well over 200 pounds.

...I had no idea how to change a diaper on a live baby.

...I was fed up with being pregnant.

...I had no idea what I was in for.

Ten Years ago yesterday...

...I wasn't a mommy.

Ten Years ago today I gave birth to you, my first. Suddenly, I didn't care about the weight, the diapers, the pregnancy, or the journey. I got to meet you, and that was incredible. You were gigantic, slightly pink, squishy, and I was overcome with joy. And the journey, well, it's been a fantastic ten years, and I'm looking forward to the next ten. Happy Birthday Max!

Lucy's Smile

Thanks Debbie for this beautiful picture!