State of Obvious

I'm sorry, Eric. I have a new love. I think you might have suspected there was something going on. It's not you, it's me. If it makes things better, I promise it is purely a physical relationship. When we met in the store for the first time, I couldn't help myself. "Hello darling, you are coming home with me," I said. There is room for all of us, although I don't plan to share. I hope you won't mind if their lovely leather smell fills up our bedroom. It can't be that much worse than the...ahem... other smells I encounter from time to time.

I don't care who you are, this is funny.

It's a small world after all! Betina, my sister says she knows your sister-in-laws (2 of them) from church in Abq. How crazy is that?? Also, we wanted to offer you a box of clothes that is sitting upstairs in Carly's closet. If you send me an email of your address I would be most happy to pass them along to you at our expense (only the good ones of course!) jtedst at yahoo dot com. So many of Carly's pretty things were gifts or pass alongs that I love sharing them and most of them were barely worn. You asked if you should just get Ivy's hair wet and put some conditioner on it. I'd say...if it's really dirty, wash it. Dry is better than dirty. If it's not dirty, don't get it wet unless you have to. I really try to pick hairstyles for Carly that will last more than a couple of days - I know, it goes against that white girl instinct again, but don't panic. When the time comes and if you choose to put Ivy's hair in corn rows or other types of braid...

But who's counting? Today, 4 things you probably don't care about but I'm going to share anyhow...wait maybe that's what I post every day...oh well, it's your four minutes to waste as you will. Four books I would read - and probably have read - 4 times. In no particular order: 1. This was my favorite of the HP series, I really enjoyed the relationship between Harry and Dumbledore and Harry was less whiny in this one than some of the other books. Plus, there was still something left to discover and a whole magical world that was largely undefined outside of Harry. 2. Did I just hear you groan? I kind of groan myself admitting that I enjoyed this book and the series in general, with some complaints peppered in. Holy cow, I'm one of those '30-something moms' the media kept yammering about. I think what made this book appealing was the new-ness of the story. I think even SM would admit she wasn't writing the great American novel here, she was writ...

Did you know... Will Smith is turning 40? That's not possible, he's the Fresh Prince. He's young, like me. Crap. (That's right Mom, I said crap. Cover your eyes if it's too shocking.) Some other things I don't believe but that are supposedly true: The word "queue" is the only word in the English language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed. Tourists visiting Iceland should know that tipping at a restaurant is considered an insult. When glass breaks, the cracks move faster than 3,000 miles per hour. To photograph the event, a camera must shoot at a millionth of a second. Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th." Coca-Cola would be green if coloring weren’t added to it. What is called a "French kiss" in the English speaking world is known as an "English kiss" in France. "Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in ...

Dear Betina - tips for parting unruly hair: It helps a lot that Carly's hair has grown out somewhat. When she was Ivy's age she didn't have much to work with and so I settled for one neat part down the middle on the top. The back is only just now getting long enough for real pony tails, braids and twists. Also, combing it when it is wet really helps, plus some good detangler and hair moisturizer (I have tried a few different kinds of moisturizer and I haven't really noticed a big difference between them...anything that puts moisture in is fine imo). Also, a cheap plastic comb works miracles for getting a (somewhat) crisp line, in my experience having a long handle on it doesn't really matter. I don't know how often you are washing Ivy's hair now, but I wouldn't recommend more than 1 time a week unless it gets really dirty or smells funky. It goes against every white girl's intuition to only wash hair one time a week, but trust me, if you are w...

I think I have a problem. I am not sure if I should be more disturbed that I have this problem or that I took the time to create photographic proof of my problem. I mean, after all I could have been vacuuming. Or doing laundry. Or cooking. Instead I took pictures of Carly's shoe collection: Isn't it grand? Did you notice that the little brown mary jane's have sand intact? It's enough to set my heart sighing with satisfaction. My addiction doesn't end with shoes for Carly. Notice, the purse shelf: And the hats. Oh the hats! There aren't very many because they can't just be any hats, cute hats only please: I didn't go so far as to photograph the jewelry. After all, it would be hard to decide what to include. Only play jewelry? What about the bracelets and rings that are tucked away for Sundays only? What about the drawers and bags full of Grandma Annie's pretty things that will someday belong to Carly? I wear a few of those things on special oc...

45 minutes + =

Well, more like a puddle - so the good doctor says. I have an eye infection; a painful, light refracting, no spare glasses, bloodshot, blind as a bat eye infection and it really stinks. After visiting the good doctor, Eric and I couldn't help but laugh at the obvious questions he asked me: good doc: How old are your contacts? me: umm, pretty old. good doc: Oh. good doc: Don't you have any glasses? me: ummm they broke. good doc: Oh. good doc: When was your last eye exam? me: ummm, either last summer or the summer before. good doc: Oh...

I totally stole this idea from c jane , but it's pretty darn fun even if I'm a thief. You can create your own wordle here.

Four photos from a lovely fall day: Between here and Joshua's school is a nice park that is all natural - no benches or swings just trees and wood chip wandering pathways and pretty sounds. If I can figure out which path to take, this enchanted wood would actually be a short cut to Joshua's school. So far, 4 trips through the wood have not been a short cut but they sure have been fun. Josh and Carly following Eric through the park. Eric calls any walk that is longer than 20 feet 'the bataan death march' and tends to whine a lot and press forward as if his heels are being nipped by the flames of hell. I did actually get him to slow down and enjoy this particular walk, part of the time anyhow. Later in the evening he proclaimed that the walk 'wasn't that bad, actually' and that he 'had fun'. The grapes on our arbor in the back yard are turning a very pretty blue/purple. They are still pretty tart but Carly doesn't mind. She ate 2 bunches str...

I was thinking about my Grandpa a lot this morning. I guess I didn't make it very clear before but my Grandpa passed away the week after Uncle Jim's funeral. It was pretty sudden for my family. He had prostate cancer but he had been battling it for a very long time, I remember first hearing about it before I got married but my memory is perhaps skewed. The particulars aren't that important. While my sister was here she expressed that she had always felt our grandparents would pass away very close to each other and I had always felt that way also. They belong together, extensions of each other. My Grandfather spent his life taking care of the love of his life and once she passed over the sacred bridge he was able to let go a little, to give in. I wasn't ready for him to go, I know that others in my family feel the same way. My heart trembles for my Aunt Mary Jane who moved to New Mexico for the express purpose of spending time and taking care of her parents. I ...

It is the very simple things that make Carly happy: Nail polish Loading the dvd player Wearing a pretty dress - especially the shiny Sunday dresses on a non-Sunday Twirling Anything Princess related - no matter how small the relation Shoes Flushing a spider down the toilet (declaring afterward "Aww I lub him!) Yogurt Raiding the M&M jar Josh Mommy's jewelry box Singing It's the singing in particular that tickles me today. This morning - ok so it was more like afternoon - as I lay in bed trying to convince myself the nap was over, Carly played with mommy's doll , twirled and sang in Carly's way: "A B C H I B L M N O Q R ESSS B V B Y and Z!" "Light la la Closet Door Light Aaaaaa Window" "I'm a little teapot, short and short, little pot short" --- I often times wonder if Carly would sing if things were different, if we didn't have her, if her birth mother had kept her. Would she be changed? Would the glorious, adventurous,...

4 things I can't live without : other than my family, of course. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Did you hear the one about the woman VP nominee that was lipstick on a pig? From this article: During an appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman” on Wednesday, Obama said the backlash was all part of the “silly season in politics” as the campaign heats up. “Keep in mind that technically had I meant it this way — she would be the lipstick” and McCain’s policies would be the pig, he said. -- That makes it better? Palin is the lipstick? I guess his stupidometer alarm wasn't set loud enough. I love politics. I love debate and exchanging ideas, I love that in our country we are free to be outraged when people make stupid comments. I am 100% on the fence about both candidates. I don't want another liberal president -- come on people, did you forget what it was like to have Bill Clinton in the oval office? Take off the rose colored glasses and smell the ridiculousness that was his presidency. On the other hand, McCain comes across as hot headed and stiff and I have my ...

For future referance. Because just like I state the obvious and I write in very disjointed ways, I am prone to repeat mistakes. It's like recycling. Without the bin. Dear Self: Your daughter is very cute and - it has been said by people I am not related to - quite pretty. Do not let this cute, pretty child fascinate you to the degree that you are tempted to try out all the sparkly baubles, aka earrings. I know that they make little girl earrings so irresistable and shiney. Remember that all that glitters is not easy to put back in to her tiny little ear holes, especially when she wiggles. Dear Self: You remember that the guy said to wait a month before taking out the new shiney earrings? 3 weeks is NOT the same as 1 month. Neither is 2.5 weeks. 30 days, self. You might even want to go for 31 next time. Dear Self: When your daughter can't be tempted by chocolate bars, playing with Princess 'Scaralet' and isn't distracted by talking about the gunk in the garage it m...

Keep going. There are still laughs to laugh. Kites to fly. Faces to make. Poses to strike. Cakes to eat. Dreams to Dream. Keep going.

Four bits of good news: 1. Cha-Cha, Queen of Legos, is coming to spend the weekend at our house! Do I really need to elaborate? I thought not. 2. Practice for the Michigan Concert Choir fall season starts this Saturday. I am willing to overlook how early in the morning it starts because I like going, and that's saying something. 3. I purchased Adele's cd, Adele19 , and it has lived up to my high expectations. It seems like buying a CD is like rolling a dice - I was glad taking a chance on this promising new voice was worth it. 4. I finally found some curtains for the living room! It was really hard picking something because - I don't know if you've heard - curtains are expensive! I was so scared I would pick something that just looked wrong and it would be a gigantic waste of money. I actually planned to make them myself, at first, but the cost of the material and the high probability I would screw them up made me shudder. I found some nice curtains at Ta...

Where have you gone? Are you out among the stars, Flying free on astral winds, Or soaring with the clouds, Dancing with the morning sunlight Streaming through the trees? When you crossed the sacred bridge of After Life Was your mother waiting there to hold you? Did you find again the love of your life, Was she smiling? Where have you gone? Did the pain vanish in the span of a breath, Are you whole again, Can you walk and run and dance? My heart longs to see your blue eyes One more time. My hands still feel the warmth of your fingers On Mine. When my time comes, will I find you waiting? When I run to your open arms, Will you be smiling? There are not words to frame my grief.

In order to preserve the perfect illusion of my perfectness, let's just pretend that Joshua was not late on his first day of school. The secretary in the office did not have to walk him to class because he didn't know where it was. I also took more than 2 pictures and I ran right out and got the pictures developed and scrapbooked immediately. Oh yes, while we're at it, Josh went to school with a belly full of a lovingly made breakfast of eggs, bacon, pancakes and orange juice - definately not just a package of fruit snacks. What kind of mother does that! Even when their child insists he is not the least bit hungry and looks a little green-around-the-gils nervous, a good mother would surely fill up their new fifth grader with brain foods. We're a team here, so just go with it.

I don't know you, you don't know me. You don't know my name, where I live, what I drive, or even the color of my hair. I do know the color of your hair, how tall you are, how old you are, but I don't know you. I often wonder. Do you think of Carly when the winter wind comes whistling, nose-biting cold? Do you wonder if she is warm enough, full enough, touching snowflakes with her tongue? Do you miss Carly? Do you still feel her little soul reaching out to you, especially when she has a cold - like she does today - and she wants a cuddle? Do your arms ache with wanting to hold her? Do you pray for her, little wishes floating to heaven in her behalf? Do you hope for her, wonder about her future? Do you fret over her bumps and bruises, inside and out? Does your head split open when you think about how she will handle her first racist comment, her first too personal adoption question, her first trip to the hospital, her first baby of her own? I often wonder. How di...