Indigo Robe

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Mum likes reading, decorating, shopping with the girls, and Starbucks. She also feels funny writing in the 3rd person. Papa (also known as Sparky) is currently looking at me with a blank stare having asked him to add something about himself to the blog. (Now he wants to say something) The only thing he loves more in life than music and Coke is his wife and kids. (Awww...) :) Little Lotte is a genius on the computer and makes me fall over laughing every day with her quick wit. She loves computers and animals. Sweet Pea abandoned her family and moved to Phoenix for work and is now married as of 2/28/06. She is beautiful and smart and the most nurturing person I know. She gave me the greatest gift ever when she made me a grandmother. I am the proud Mum Mum to Andrew Christopher. There are no words to describe the joy of having a grandson!

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Why I Won't Sing in Public...

FOXNEWS.COM HOME > U.S.
5 Pistol-Whipped at Florida Karaoke Bar

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Christmas 2008

“Life itself is the proper binge.”... Julia Child















Monday, December 29, 2008

In between cleaning the kitchen...

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Ingrid!

mm.ingrid_.jpg


You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"



Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.



How to Get Along with Me

  • * Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.

  • * Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.

  • * Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.

  • * Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.

  • * Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!




What I Like About Being an Ingrid

  • * my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level

  • * my ability to establish warm connections with people

  • * admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life

  • * my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor

  • * being unique and being seen as unique by others

  • * having aesthetic sensibilities

  • * being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me




What's Hard About Being an Ingrid

  • * experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair

  • * feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved

  • * feeling guilty when I disappoint people

  • * feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me

  • * expecting too much from myself and life

  • * fearing being abandoned

  • * obsessing over resentments

  • * longing for what I don't have




Ingrids as Children Often

  • * have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games

  • * are very sensitive

  • * feel that they don't fit in

  • * believe they are missing something that other people have

  • * attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.

  • * become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood

  • * feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)




Ingrids as Parents

  • * help their children become who they really are

  • * support their children's creativity and originality

  • * are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings

  • * are sometimes overly critical or overly protective

  • * are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed




Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz
at HelloQuizzy

T, U, V, oh stop... who are we kidding!


Does anyone else feel like this when Christmas ends?! I love Christmas and think we should have 2 - 3 months of it. Who's with me?

Friday, December 26, 2008

R is for RATS!!!!!!

I cannot believe it. It is SNOWING in Tucson. yes, SNOWING. Snow... as in once in a blue moon SNOW on cactus and stuff.

And we are in Phoenix. The sun is shining and it's chilly - in the 50's. But did I mention...

it is SNOWING in Tucson.

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT IT SNOWED THERE AND I AM HERE IN THE SUNSHINE?!?!?!

The only saving grace is that it RAINED all day on Christmas here in Phx. and I didn't see one ounce of sunshine (that is a GOOD thing!) so it felt very cozy and was the perfect Christmas day!

But....

it's snowing in Tucson....

Oh well.... we are enjoying Boo Bear. He's a little sick -- maybe an ear infection? but we are babysitting. We wanted the kids to get out for a bit sans baby and enjoy the post Christmas sales. Boo Bear is being a doll. Sleeping alot but still pleasant as always.

I love Christmas break!!! Santa was very good to me, as usual. I will get around to getting my stuffed self off the comfy couch and get my camera on the other side of the room soon so I can upload some Christmas photos!

By the way... did you hear? IT'S SNOWING IN TUCSON!!!!!! Waaaaahhhhh!!!!!!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

A Forgotten Letter...



Sweet Pea commented that I forgot the letter F... (snicker) and I really was thinking that was a good letter to forget because it's been a rough month. The holidays just kind of overtook us all, along with the launching of our youngest bird from the nest so to say things have been more high strung than the lights on the Rockefeller Christmas tree would be an understatement.

However, I will give you F is for FAVORITE...

Everyone knows that TODAY is my favorite day of the year. The anticipation, the quiet mood that overcomes the world at dusk, the slower pace of the Christmas music on the radio as the night goes on, the tracking of Santa on NORAD, watching midnight mass or carolers on tv in the dark (I always outlast Sparky on this night), the peaceful feeling that envelopes the world -- no more hustle and bustle -- just the quiet excitement of surprises to come in the morning.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!
M~

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Q is for Questions...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

I just spent $30.00 on half price bags at the party store so bags all the way. There are some beautiful ones out there with frills, details, sparkly stuff, etc. All you need is tissue paper. No scissors, no tape and they usually include a gift tag.
.
2. Real tree or artificial?
Artificial due to living in the desert.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Thanksgiving afternoon.
4. When do you take the tree down?
Usually New Year's Day

5. Do you like eggnog?
Eww.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
tough one... #1 Suzie Homemaker Grill but a close 2nd would be my Dawn's Fashion Show.
(My best present ever - my Flying Nun doll was a birthday present.)


7. Hardest person to buy for?

Everyone. I agonize over every gift - I want it to be perfect for them.

8. Easiest person to buy for?
see above.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes with the fallen angel and beheaded wiseman in all his glory, god love him.


10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
I suck. I don't send cards anymore.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
A really ugly teal/brown/white robe from Sparky. I've gotten plenty of other lousy gifts from others but that is the one we laugh about.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, duh.

13. Better to give or receive?
Give.

14. Favorite Christmas Food?
baguette, cold spinach dip

15. Favorite Christmas tradition?
All of them.

16. Colored lights on the tree or all clear?
clear.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
O Come Emmanuel

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
With a grandson, we are back to traveling!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Star

21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning?
Morning. We can open one stocking stuffer and our Christmas jammies on Eve.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
The traffic - crowds.

23. Favorite Ornament theme or color?
Don't have a "theme" - we just use all the ornaments collected over the years.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
I bake a ham but I hate ham so I love all the trimmings (lima beans! yum and the sweet potatoes and rolls and I am good to go)

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Peace, grace, more peace, Joy

Sunday, December 21, 2008

GHIJKLMNO.... P

Yeah, um... a few letters got away from me....

P is for photos...
.. these are from the photo shoot I did with Andrew right before Thanksgiving....






Friday, December 12, 2008

E is for Elf...


This photo reminds me of a little Christmas Elf. It is Little Lamb's favorite photo of the santa photos with Andrew. I can just see him in a little Elf suit but he sure looks pretty adorable in the santa outfit, don't you agree?!?!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

We interrupt this ABC's of Christmas blog to bring you a very important weather alert!

No, I am serious! This is taken directly from the front page of the weather on my internet provider! DON'T READ IF YOU SCARE EASILY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

...STRONG STORM SYSTEM TO BRING SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CHANGES TO
SOUTHEAST ARIZONA BEGINNING THIS WEEKEND...

WEAK HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WEST COAST WILL GIVE WAY TO A WEAK UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCE THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN AND NORTHERN
ARIZONA LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY.

A DEVELOPING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MAKE ITS WAY OVER
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LATE FRIDAY WHICH WILL EVOLVE INTO A LARGE
SCALE TROUGH OVER MUCH OF THE WESTERN STATES. WEAK DISTURBANCES
ROTATING AROUND THE CENTER OF THE LOW...WHICH WILL STILL BE OVER THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL SLIDE EASTWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL ROCKIES AND
INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS THIS WEEKEND. AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM...ABOVE
NORMAL DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH SATURDAY ALONG
WITH MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS...ALTHOUGH A FEW SPRINKLES MAY OCCUR
SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE
INTO THE 15 TO 30 MPH RANGE WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH SATURDAY
AFTERNOON RESULTING IN BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS.

MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS SOUTHEAST ARIZONA SATURDAY
NIGHT AND SUNDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS FOR
MOST LOCATIONS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER
CHANCES FOR THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. BY MONDAY...INCREASING MOISTURE
WILL JUSTIFY A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AREA WIDE.

THE UPPER LOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE DESERT SOUTHWEST
DURING THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK FOR PERHAPS AN EVEN BETTER THREAT FOR
SHOWERS AND MOUNTAIN SNOW.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL TELEVISION OR RADIO
STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE PROVIDER FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER EVENT.
WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON


Behold the scary weather map that accompanied the WARNING!!!




Basically, I think that 1000 word essay weather warning meant it will get a slight bit chilly and we will have to wear socks with our flipflops.

D is for...

Drew Bear! (his mommy's nickname for him)

and I already warned you that this might be the ABC's of Christmas with my precious grandson so stop rolling your eyes!!!!

Classic photos... I look at this all day long and laugh! His Uncle Mike, of course, took these for us!

First look at Santa...


Classic realization that you are sitting on a stranger's, fat, fuzzy lap....



Reassurance from mommy!


Is Santa sporting a Rolex there?

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

C is for...

Christmas Crud...

I went home early from work sick. I can't remember the last time I did that. Well, actually, I do... it was about 10 years ago when I was teaching 4th grade. It was the last day before Christmas break and I was having a party with the class. My principal walked in and took one look at me and sent me home. She stayed with the class for the last hour. I will never forget her kindness!

Every Christmas, I get Christmas Crud. I guess it comes with the territory of working in a school. Some of my Christmas memories are of my young girls shopping and me in the parking lot of the Toys R Us, throwing up next to the car. Ah, the wonder of Christmas Eve!

Other times, we have gone to the ER on Christmas Eve night. And sometimes, I am just in bed, missing my favorite night of the year. There is something about your body just letting down when it knows it's safe too. I have to get through those last few weeks of Dec. at school and then BAM! it hits me like a mac truck.

This year, I don't have a classroom. I have a beautiful office with new, polished wood furniture that not one tiny child has touched with their hands that have just rubbed their noses. But...


Little L is working in 1st grade this year. Ahhhhh yes... and boy is she getting initiated! She has never been so sick as many times before. Sweet thing that she is , she is really sick with it and decided for old time's sake, to let me experience the joys of Christmas Crud.

The bad new is I have a fever and will have to miss work tomorrow. (I HAD to go in today to work on my list of 18 things on my to-do list and was able to get through 9 of them by 12:30 pm and come home) The good news is I probably won't be sick for the actual Christmas now that I am getting it out of the way early!!!!

Sunday, December 07, 2008

B is for...

I am reminded by the little voice in my head that this great endeavor of mine to fill up the blog with the ABC's of Christmas is shadowed by the failure of my attempt to post just 12 ornaments of the season last year. Failing miserably at that, I am undertaking this bigger task of 24 posts anyway. However, I fear that it may be the ABC's of Andrew at Chistmas at the rate I am going. My dear son in law's brother, Mike, a sweet man who loves his nephew dearly, has taken more photos of Boo Bear that I must share.

B is for Boo Bear!



This photo is magnificent. The lighting, the capture at floor level -- we are in the moment of wonder and discovery right along with Andrew. This photo reminds me of my favorite painting by Mary Cassatt - Children Playing on the Beach. That painting captures the essence of children being children - engulfed in their imaginative play, blissfully ignorant of camera and audience, they are able to just BE -- without worry of social acceptance or pleasantries.

Andrew exudes discovery and wonderment with this tiny ornament that has been, for several years, placed on a tree without hardly a thought by the adults who have seen it dozens of times. In the hands of a baby, it becomes brand new to all of us enjoying this journey of Christmas anew -- through the eyes of a child.

Friday, December 05, 2008

ABC's of Christmas

A IS FOR ANDREW

I saw the idea to post the ABC's of Christmas on another blog and thought it would be a great way to document what I love about the holidays and to motivate me to blog more often now that it's so busy.

So I will begin with the letter A... and DUH! What do YOU think I will use for the letter A? Take a guess. Come on! Fine... YOU ALL KNOW WHAT I WILL USE FOR THE LETTER A. You are all such smarty pants, aren't you?

A is for Andrew -- that adorable, chunky, gorgeous, blonde haired, blue-eyed, sweet angel faced, beautiful, precious grandson of mine!

I shot about 300 photos for Christmas. One weekend while the kids had to work, we stayed to watch Andrew. I bought a little santa outfit at Ross for $5.99 and knew immediately what I would do. While the kids slept the next day, Pop Pop and I made sure that Baby Boo was well rested, fed, and changed. I put a while blanket on the floor and piled pillow behind it. I got on the floor while Pop Pop stood above me at times, making Andrew laugh for the camera. He was his normal, cheerful self and took the most beautiful photos although I am saving many of them for family members presents and will have to post those later. In the meantime, this was one of my favorites!