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!

We need you!

While I am a huge proponent of marriage as a favorable institution, I do find one significant flaw in it. With only two votes in any one decision, it is impossible to win by majority vote when you and your spouse disagree about something. We are currently in need of a tie breaker, so I am handing this one over to you. Speaking of majorities, I know the majority of my blog browsers do not comment. If you can find it in your heart to place a vote on this issue, however, you will save us the cost of a marriage and familiy therapist to settle the dishcloth dispute.

While I favor the more conventional "toss the rag over the sink when not in use" method, my husband has recently decided to hang the cloth from the shelf above to let it breathe instead. While my husband raises an excellent point about the hygenics of airdrying, I can't get past how funny I think it looks to have a dishcloth hanging up there. So here are the specimens for your examination. Please let me know which dishcloth placement you favor. Feel free to vote anonymously if you fear we will black list you for voting in favor of 'the other side.'

And for non-commentors, you don't have to have an account to post a comment, even though it may sound like you do. Just choose anonymous, or type in a username. I'm pretty sure you can leave the account part blank. Happy voting! (Please!!)

Say Cheese!

I'm so glad we eventually figure out the eating thing.

Blog Karma, or, D&D revisited

Visitors: Be sure to visit the revisited post below if you are revisiting and already visited the unrevisited post before the revisit. Thanks for the visit.

What we don't want to lose

We've had flat Stanley (well, Flat A.J.) with us this week so we've photographed some things that might otherwise have gone un-documented. It was a reminder to me of just how thrilling a typical week can be in the life of a child. Being a kid is where it's at. Each day in their life is new and exciting, action packed and full of adventure.

Taking Stanley to school was great, because it was SCHOOL! Do you remember when school was a rite of passage and we had ARRIVED when we made our Kindergarten debut??!! And look what's missing in the picture...a TOOTH! Does it get any cooler than that first gap in your smile?
Then came (brace yourselves for this one...) VALENTINE'S DAY!!! Now I kind of thought it was romantic and zesty to celebrate the love between my hubbub and I. But when my son came home from school with his overflowing box of candy hearts, lollipops, mini-tatoos and special messages from the whole K-gang, I remembered what it felt like to design a special mailbox that would soon hold cargo second only to what Santa brings. I remember painstakingly selecting just the right card with just the right message to give to just the right person. (Gotta say ENOUGH but can't reveal TOO MUCH.) It was an introduction to the complexity--but beauty--of LOVE, and it was good stuff. Heavy, but GOOD.
Then there was the soccer game and the first GOAL scored in this winter season. He was so excited he gave the Toyota jump ("Oh-What-A-Feeling") at least seven times. But this excitement was also fueled by the promise of a CHUCK E. CHEESE token for every good kick in the game. (He needed an incentive to amp the oomph that day, and whether it's good parenting or not, it WORKED!)
The amazing week was topped off by a weekend with Grandma and Papa, which was great-turned-SPECTACULAR when the four of them headed off to a HOTEL for a night. No mom. No dad. No Cairo. Just suitcases, swimming pools, hotel TV, treats, and chilling with g-parents as the "big kids" they felt like. No Ritz-Carlton needed here. It was enough just to GO.
Part of what we gain from children is remembering what we don't want to lose.

Dumb and Dumber--REVISITED

You may have heard these stories on the news today. I can't decide which story illustrates the bigger dimwit. First contestant: the man who snatched a purse from a 67 year old woman in a wheelchair. COME ON!!! Nabbing a purse: Bad. Nabbing a purse from a lady in a wheelchair? Off the charts. Second contestant: The dog groomer who cut off a dog's ear while grooming it, and superglued it back on so the owner wouldn't notice. When the owner found dark spots on the dog's ear, she tried to clean it off, thinking it must be dirt, only to discover the truth of a haircut gone bad. WHAT WAS this groomer thinking??!! And how is it possible people can be such...

Here is the revisited part. Turns out it is bad blog karma for me to point out OTHER people's thinking gone awry. Ever since Marie's comment (who joked any "entries" she could post would be personal stories) I have been flooded by memories of my own, shall we say, less-than-Einstein moments, and here's what I've decided: First, The superglue. There actually could have been some thought behind that move. Doctors often use glue in cuts to help the skin bond, and you can even buy fancy derma-bond to do it yourself, unless of course you'd rather save a few bucks and use the superglue already in your cupboard. So superglue for cuts: Not necessarily dumb. Superglue for entirely severed body parts on dogs: MISDIRECTED.

Now about that purse. How do I excuse this misdeed? I don't. In fact, by saying there is a hierarchy in the world of taking someone else's property, I undermine the fact that taking is simply wrong. It wasn't the age, the purse, or even the wheelchair. It was the "take." Takes can not be ranked in order of how dumb or bad that particular "take" is and to say he was off the charts bad means there can be on the charts bad. And there can't be. So nabbing a purse: Bad. Nabbing a purse from a lady in a wheelchair? Also bad. See how I have been arguing with myself since that post? I suppose since blogs aren't banter back and forth like conversation or instant messaging might be, I am left to philosophize with myself, and you, my friends, are witnessing the result.

There will be no full disclosure of my own monumental moments of madness at this time, but some other time (most likely when it is really late and I am really tired, but wishing my husband wasn't asleep because I'm feeling talkative) you may get some sensational stories. And they will be less about stupidity, and far more about MISDIRECTION. See why I need the good karma?

South Africa

Here are some pictures we received from Grandma Kip who is a missionary in South Africa. The first shows an informal low income settlement, where people live with no electricity or running water. The second shows some of the kids pushing their wire cars, a favorite toy among the children there.

Wildlife

Here is some of the wildlife in South Africa. The elephants, lions, and zebras I expected. The super-sized snails were news to me!!

ZAPPED

This picture was snapped just as Grandma Kippy was leaning through an electric fence trying to get a better picture of tigers lounging in the trees. When she got zapped, the jolt was so strong she thought something huge and heavy had hit her in the head. The electrocution headache lasted for a week, but the picture will always be a reminder of her electrifying experience!

Footh Tairy

That's right folks, no fairy about it. Just one MANLY Footh Tairy making his rounds as we now have one less tooth in the family. You'll notice he's holding his friend the Beaster Unny.

What's in a name?

There is both risk and reward involved when you choose unique names for your children. It is always fun to have conversations with people about our childrens' names and how they got them. But of course we have geared up for a lifetime of misspellings and mispronunciations. Last week was especially fruitful in the name slaughtering department, as our children were called STETSON, WINDSTAR, and KARO. So instead of being namesakes of Staten Island, Windsor Castle and Cairo, Egypt--all places with meaning for my husband and I--they became COLOGNE, A MINIVAN, and CORN SYRUP. Not quite what we had in mind...but no less creative I suppose.

One happy groundhog, two happy birthdays!

EARLY SPRING!!

(Not that the winter's around here are anything to complain about.)

But not to be overshadowed by the GROUNDHOG,


Happy Birthday KATHLEEN!

Yes, the photo of her beautiful family has been replaced, as I've decided the best birthday gift I can give her is a plug for her presidential campaign.




And since Saturday blogging is not my forté, I will also say


Happy Birthday MARIANNE! (tomorrow)
Also sooo beautiful, with a very aptly named dog--BRUTUS!

I miss you friends! Wish I saw you more than once in a blue moon.

Home Improvement MATH

ONE ambitious husband
+
ONE charged up power saw
=
ONE BILLION particles of dust covering a once clean kitchen

and ONE large hole in the wall!

BUT, it's going to be a very cool project when it's done and it's awesome being married to Handy Manny because there is nothing he can't do around the house. Of course finding the time to DO everything is a different math equation altogether and seems to be out of our realm to solve. (That's what we get for avoiding calculus!)

Elvis has left the building!

Cairo's hair was getting just a little out of control. Note the Elvis sideburns. So last night we performed our first ever haircut in the shower (hoping this would keep him confined and somewhat still.) It was a team effort, but we seem to have successfully tamed the mane.
BEFORE:



and............



AFTER:

Living with Fancy Nancy

So this is my daughter's favorite book, and if you know Windsyr, you know she is as fancy as they come. Today she not only dressed up like Fancy Nancy, but she proceeded to post a sign on the fridge inviting us all to lessons on the art of being fancy, just like in the book. (Except it was more like: MrlksTokLJ>KdiwnCFIjlSWPEok.sdp since she can't exactly spell.) So I attended a lesson, and I think you'll see I am much fancier for it.

Last Breath

Tonight I have been thinking about Katie. She was often called Tinkerbell because at four months she weighed a very petite 8 pounds. (Since she was born full-term at 4 pounds, this was actually double her birthweight--pretty much on target for her age.) Despite her tiny size she was healthy and vivacious and just the right feminine addition to her awaiting family of two older brothers and parents thrilled to get their little girl. She had already traveled the California coast, visited the Redwoods and taken in the grandeur of Yosemite. Disneyland was her second home and because she was so tiny, she could nap in the bottom basket of the stroller. She was happy, adorable, and full of personality and life. Until her mom came in to check on her during a nap one day and found her completely white...not breathing at all.

Isn't this every parent's night mare? And my good friend Natalie had to live this nightmare not only in that initial, desperate moment, but in all the numbing moments that were to follow: the call to 911 and the attempt at resuscitation as she was talked through it over the phone; the ride in the ambulance where the paramedics were able to recover a heartbeat; the wait at the hospital where in spite of the heartbeat, Katie was declared brain dead; the slow-motion-like process of paperwork to make her organs available once life support was pulled, and the sad realization that the red tape for 'heart beating donors' made the process TOO long, and the organs no longer usable. (A hard blow for parents who would have liked their baby's death to at least give another parent's child a chance at life.) Then came the whirlwind of planning a funeral, and handling all the mechanical details of death--the death of a life that had just begun.

Katie's funeral and burial took place 700 miles away--and no distance could have kept me from it. But I am sad to report that the funeral was my INTRODUCTION to Katie, in spite of her living only 25 minutes from me. Sure summer is a busy time, and weren't we all traveling and carrying on with summer activities? But the real reason I had not made the time to meet Katie (and take Natalie the baby gift I had kept in my closet for too long) is because I didn't know I had a time limit.

Katie was buried 4 months ago and has now been gone for as long as she was here. The door of her bedroom is closed, and the things inside remain untouched as the array of pink clothes, soft blankets, and little baby things are simply too painful for her mom. It is a huge void that this tiny person leaves, and the ongoing sense of loss and incompleteness in her family-- the gnawing ache of someone missing-- will endure in spite of life "moving on." The first year birthday will never be, the first step will never be taken, the first word never said. No first day of school, no first crush, no prom, no graduation, no wedding, but the memory of Katie will be present through it all.

I ache for Natalie, for her husband, and for the two young brothers who just want to know when Katie is coming back.

And every SINGLE time I pick up my one year old from a night's sleep, or a day's nap, I give thanks that he is breathing, and vow to never take one breath for granted.

Time for a Re-Shoot

This picture is from 2003 and if it weren't electronic, would likely be crinkled, smudged and dusty. It is also outdated since much multiplying and replenishing has taken place in the last 3+ years. I post this picture as bait and declare 2007 the year for recongregating the thirty -something HHSLDSPHD's. (Which would only be Jeff, Bruce and David...so the rest of us can come too. :) Tami, I don't know why you're not in this picture, but it's all the more reason for a re-shoot.

Guitar Hero

I clearly spend too much time with teenagers. A few of the Laurels were over here last night introducing us to "Guitar Hero" and as you can see here, we spent the night perfecting our rock star skills.



I've already admitted we are Karaoke junkies, and this is like Karaoke for guitar. (ELECTRIC guitar!!!) I couldn't help but wonder if my REAL rock star brother would be proud of our efforts, or infinitely embarassed. Maybe a little of both??

Christmas ROUND TWO!

Thanks to Grandma Teri, Papa LeRoy, and the Brainards, Christmas came twice this year!!
The packages were going to be hand delivered just days after Christmas, but plans were intercepted by the vicious virus that attacked our family over the holidays. Well, let me tell you how excited our kids were to get the packages and have a second Christmas mid-January!
I'm thinking it's not such a bad plan to spread Christmas out over time like this--except for not getting our visit from Grandma and Papa--oh yes, and we could have done without that demonic virus.

Karaoke, anyone??

So Papa Dave is to blame for the karaoke fever that has consumed our household since Christmas. It started with the festivities at his place, and traveled south when he gave us our own set. This is the karaoke that is self contained, consisting of only a microphone that plugs into your TV. We have karaoked the night away with each other, our kids, and any visitors we can convince to join in--you know who you are--and thanks for humoring us! :) So around here anyway, karaoke is the new Disneyland, and we are looking forward to any new takers. Any new takers?

Walking Whitney

Woo hoo! Brian's first book is bound and ready to read. This is an account he wrote of his Whitney climb and thanks to Cafe Press it is now formatted into an awesome little 49 page paperback. Now we have made the New Year's Resolution to put more of our writing into book form, one each per month, so at the end of the year, we will have our very own little library. Between this and the Mac iBooks we like to make, who needs Barnes and Noble?

Spy party

This is how Staten and Windsyr delivered invitations to Staten's Spy party. You can hardly deliver top secret messages written in invisible ink without being in disguise, right?