Upekala

Everyone always wondered what kind of girl it would take for Adam to seal the deal. What it took is a beautiful Sri Lankan Botanist, who is completing her PhD, plays competetive Ultimate Frisbee, and has the right combination of brains, talent, intrigue and individuality to counterpart his own. Happy 30th birthday, Pek. We're counting down to the festivities in Sri Lanka...

morning rules

For a morning person, the phrase "morning rules" could be an opinion, or even an enthusiastic chant (Morning rules!)

For me, the phrase is very literal. I have morning "rules" that if implemented, would help morning be a more palatable experience for me--and in effect, those around me.

Unfortunately, my morning rules can rain on the morning parades of my jubilant morning-person husband, and our two morning-loving sons. (My daughter actually got my genes on this one, and like me, has to climb out of a deep, drowsy state to begrudgingly greet the morning.)

Here's an example of a new morning rule, freshly instituted this morning. When I rolled over to snug up to Brian, in hopes that it was still the middle of the night, he informed me that it was 7am. (Which was actually quite a tolerable time--before daylight savings forced it to come an hour earlier.) Usually by this time, Cairo has already been awake for 30 minutes or more, but this morning he was still sleeping, and I saw a window of opportunity. Brian could get up and get Staten ready while I snuck in twenty minutes more worth of z's. But I fought the instinct and instead got up to get breakfast started and Staten's lunch packed while the boys got ready. When Brian walked in the kitchen to find me "up and at 'em" he started to speak in his upbeat announcer voice to comment on the situation. I stopped him abruptly and proclaimed a new morning rule. "No disc jockey voice before 10 a.m." I went on about how a nice medium tone would better fit my morning mood.

So Brian, being the good sport that he is, called me just after 10 a.m. from work to use his disc jockey voice now that the restricted time frame had passed. (I knew that call would come, by the way.)

He makes a good point that the cloud over my morning shouldn't have to cloud everyone's morning--and he illustrates this well with his standard morning jig, that he and Staten like to taunt us with in the mornings. On a good morning, the girls prove our good humor by dancing along, but on most mornings we are not up for the jig. I haven't made a rule about it yet, but it is inching its way up the list.

So there's the nitty gritty truth. I am a party pooper for the first hour or two of the day. But I do pick up from there, and by 10 p.m., I'm really raring to go. (Or at least I was, before motherhood zapped so much of my energy...)

Anyway, this post is dedicated to morning people everywhere for putting up with morning rules, and non-morning people too, for putting up with morning jigs. And to Brian, for waiting 'til 10 a.m.

today's lucky numbers

Here are today's lucky numbers and why:

26 is the number of laps Staten ran in his Jog-a-thon today!
7 is the number of delicious gourmet cookies we bought to celebrate.
123 is the number of potato bugs we saw on our walk home from school.
1 is the number of pet caterpillars Windsyr is now nurturing.
5 is the number of hours until my date with my handsome husband.

Hope these numbers bring you the same joy they have brought me today.
Now I'll post some pictures from the big event.

On your mark...get set...(always time for a wave)...
And they're OFF!
Water break
Still going!
Proud finish after 45 minute run
Biggest fans

Nothing like an ice pop and good friends to finish it off.

Photobooth faces and pseudo tan P.S.

We are back from an amazing trip to Mammoth which I will document soon. First I will post the weekly edition of photobooth faces--this one's in honor of Shane who got married this past weekend!

Here is a small P.S. on the tanning cream: One of the features I liked is that the tint gives you immediate results so you don't have to wait hours for the tan to appear. The drawback to this, as I have discovered, is that you end up with tanned clothes as well. The solution may be to wait longer before getting dressed, providing you don't mind prancing around your house in the buff for that long.

product picks

This is my 50th post, which is kind of significant, so my entry should probably be more profound than this...but the thing on my mind this morning is products. I love products, and I love recommendations of products, because it saves me the time and hassle to sort through the overwhelming options out there to get to the cream of the crop.

So today I will reccommend a few of my own.

It's been pretty warm here, so out came the shorts yesterday, and with them, a razor and a tube of tinted self-tanning lotion. The razor is one that vibrates. (They make them in several brands now, I think mine is a Venus Vibrance or something like that.) Anyway, I can't tell if the vibrations make for a better shave, but they definitely add drama to the shaving, so I give the razor credit for that.

The self-tanner was Sublime Bronze tinted salf tanning lotion and I am impressed enough that I used it again today. (Which is odd since I will be bundled in ski clothes on a mountain for the next two days, but I guess I am prepping for the jacuzzi at night.) It's hard for me to find self tanners I like, so this is one I may stick to until I can get a real tan.

Next, if you have never tried Mary Kay's microdermabrasion, you are missing out on a truly spa-like facial experience. It's only a two-step process, and takes all of two minutes, but you will be petting your own face for hours afterwards.

One final recommendation for today: Redken's All Soft conditioner. I try and try and try to use cheap shampoo and conditioner, but I am never happy with the results. (This could be the fault of my hair more than the fault of the products, but anway, I eventually throw in the towel and spend a little more to get conditoners that will help me drag a pick through my gnarly mane.) This conditioner is for the hair what microdermabrasion is for the face.

So these are a few products that have gotten me through my morning. Any products you'd like to sing praises to?

polygamy woes

WHY WE'RE GLAD POLYGAMY IS OUT!!
OK, totally tasteless I'm sure. But just wait till you see some of the great photos we've got stored on Photobooth (a Mac application that we are nuts about. And nuts with.)

I hereby declare a taste of the madness weekly. Look for Sunday night specials to come, where we will display some of our photobooth faves.

Here are a few more for your viewing pleasure. (I don't know if pleasure is the right word, but here they are for your viewing nonetheless!)

Grandma Tooey

We interrupt the domestic dishrag debating below to bring you an important announcement.
Today marks the completion of another year in an extraordinary life! We are sending our love to Grandma Teri and have posted our individual birthday wishes in the comment section. You are such a blessing in our lives and the lives of so many who are touched by your teaching, your service, your compassion, and your love.
e-Hugs from all of us!