Our other tree.
The girls gave me The Devil Wears Prada--so cool!
Even PK got a treat in the form of whipped cream--a guilt indulgence after we locked him in the laundry room during Christmas dinner.
Mike and his girly girls!
Bring it, Santa!
Monday, December 25, 2006
Now that's more like it!
Our other tree.
The girls gave me The Devil Wears Prada--so cool!
Even PK got a treat in the form of whipped cream--a guilt indulgence after we locked him in the laundry room during Christmas dinner.
Mike and his girly girls!
Bring it, Santa!
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Tis the Season
It's 1:30 pm in McAllen. I've been up since 10, worked out, showered, ran to the mailbox place, bought spices at Sun Harvest, and ate breakfast. It's raining. The cat has made himself comfortable on my lap and I am finally getting around to a blog update.
Mi esposo is sawing logs down the hall. The girls are still in bed, too, although Jessica ventured to the loo a while ago.
I'm not used to being the up-and-at-'em one! In my teenage days, I was the one sleeping to/past noon on weekends and holidays, stirring only to catch The Twilight Zone or The X-Files marathons.
Maybe I should have stayed in bed today, too. It's certainly more inviting than the great outdoors right now. Methinks I'll make a cup of tea and curl up with a library book for a spell. After a 4-day house cleaning marathon, I'm due to put my feet up.
At some point, we'll go get the Christmas tree. Mike was going to do some last-minute shopping with the girls. I have Christmas dinner to assemble/cook. Hoping that the turkey will be sufficiently defrosted by the time it goes into the oven.
In case I don't have another chance to sit down in the next couple of days, here's wishing y'all a warm, wonderful holiday season!
Mi esposo is sawing logs down the hall. The girls are still in bed, too, although Jessica ventured to the loo a while ago.
I'm not used to being the up-and-at-'em one! In my teenage days, I was the one sleeping to/past noon on weekends and holidays, stirring only to catch The Twilight Zone or The X-Files marathons.
Maybe I should have stayed in bed today, too. It's certainly more inviting than the great outdoors right now. Methinks I'll make a cup of tea and curl up with a library book for a spell. After a 4-day house cleaning marathon, I'm due to put my feet up.
At some point, we'll go get the Christmas tree. Mike was going to do some last-minute shopping with the girls. I have Christmas dinner to assemble/cook. Hoping that the turkey will be sufficiently defrosted by the time it goes into the oven.
In case I don't have another chance to sit down in the next couple of days, here's wishing y'all a warm, wonderful holiday season!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Tagged: Six Weird Things About ME
Only six?
1. I've traveled to faraway places alone, yet I HATE walking into a bar by myself.
2. The way I eat Petrillo's Pizza. ONLY Petrillo's gets this treatment and then only around family. Remove sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms and eat. Remove layer of cheese and eat. With fork, separate sauce-covered top of pizza dough from crusty bottom. Roll up soft part and eat. If hungry, eat crunchy crust part or give to dad.
3. I collect frogs. Windchimes, jewelry, pot holders, picture frames, arty objects, etc.
4. People who meet me as an adult have a hard time believing I was a cheerleader in high school.
5. I keep the lid and seat up (like a guy) so my cat can drink out of the toilet but not walk on the seat which comes in contact with my bum.
6. I bought a $13 pound of coffee for its packaging (by artist Lane Twitchell).
1. I've traveled to faraway places alone, yet I HATE walking into a bar by myself.
2. The way I eat Petrillo's Pizza. ONLY Petrillo's gets this treatment and then only around family. Remove sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms and eat. Remove layer of cheese and eat. With fork, separate sauce-covered top of pizza dough from crusty bottom. Roll up soft part and eat. If hungry, eat crunchy crust part or give to dad.
3. I collect frogs. Windchimes, jewelry, pot holders, picture frames, arty objects, etc.
4. People who meet me as an adult have a hard time believing I was a cheerleader in high school.
5. I keep the lid and seat up (like a guy) so my cat can drink out of the toilet but not walk on the seat which comes in contact with my bum.
6. I bought a $13 pound of coffee for its packaging (by artist Lane Twitchell).
Donor Fatigue
I got assigned to visit teach a woman only for December. Someone else covered her until November and she's moving this weekend.
Flocks of people showed up to paint the house inside and out, but now fewer people are heeding the call to service. In fact, last Saturday, it was ONLY me and my VT companion helping at the house. Carol gave me a key to the house, perhaps to ensure our return.
A small crew is headed over this morning. We'll see how much we get done. I'm tired. Not helped by yesterday's rush to get Christmas packages in the mail or the fight we had in the post office parking lot.
And tonight, it's the Hispanic MBA Association's Christmas mixer. Tomorrow, decorating and bringing hot cocoa to the ward Christmas party. Whew.
Flocks of people showed up to paint the house inside and out, but now fewer people are heeding the call to service. In fact, last Saturday, it was ONLY me and my VT companion helping at the house. Carol gave me a key to the house, perhaps to ensure our return.
A small crew is headed over this morning. We'll see how much we get done. I'm tired. Not helped by yesterday's rush to get Christmas packages in the mail or the fight we had in the post office parking lot.
And tonight, it's the Hispanic MBA Association's Christmas mixer. Tomorrow, decorating and bringing hot cocoa to the ward Christmas party. Whew.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Relationally Aggressive Barbie
At last week's babysitting gig, I leafed through a copy of BYU Today that was on top of the magazine pile. It had a short article describing a BYU study that found relationally aggressive behavior in girls occurs in pre-school--much earlier than was once thought.
The behaviors that fall under the umbrella of "relationally aggressive" were excluding other girls, withdrawing friendship, isolating and manipulating others into following suit. (What surprises me is that some women never quite grow out of this).
Anyway, when 5-year-old Stephanie got home from school, she pulled out her backpack of Barbies. Eight in all. We clothed the naked ones and decided they were going to see a movie.
As we were seating the octet in front of the TV, I put the Barbie in the white dress next to one Stephanie was playing with. Immediately, she said re: White Dress Barbie, "You can't sit with us! You're not our friend!" Huh? All eight were in the backpack together, but now there's segregation?
I tried to get a neutral Barbie to vouch for White Dress Barbie, saying, "I know her. She lives on my street. She's nice." That didn't take. After a few minutes, Pink Dress Barbie topped the Sh-t list. I tried to get Stephanie to explain why one Barbie had to be on the outs, but she didn't/couldn't. But at age five, she's tuned into these dynamics. Eeek.
Eventually, all eight Barbies sat down together (following some shuffling after Capri Pants Barbie was accused of not sharing her popcorn) and finished watching the screening of Blue's Clues. Reading about relationally aggressive behavior is one thing. Having it acted out with a five-year-old and her Barbies was a real eye opener.
The behaviors that fall under the umbrella of "relationally aggressive" were excluding other girls, withdrawing friendship, isolating and manipulating others into following suit. (What surprises me is that some women never quite grow out of this).
Anyway, when 5-year-old Stephanie got home from school, she pulled out her backpack of Barbies. Eight in all. We clothed the naked ones and decided they were going to see a movie.
As we were seating the octet in front of the TV, I put the Barbie in the white dress next to one Stephanie was playing with. Immediately, she said re: White Dress Barbie, "You can't sit with us! You're not our friend!" Huh? All eight were in the backpack together, but now there's segregation?
I tried to get a neutral Barbie to vouch for White Dress Barbie, saying, "I know her. She lives on my street. She's nice." That didn't take. After a few minutes, Pink Dress Barbie topped the Sh-t list. I tried to get Stephanie to explain why one Barbie had to be on the outs, but she didn't/couldn't. But at age five, she's tuned into these dynamics. Eeek.
Eventually, all eight Barbies sat down together (following some shuffling after Capri Pants Barbie was accused of not sharing her popcorn) and finished watching the screening of Blue's Clues. Reading about relationally aggressive behavior is one thing. Having it acted out with a five-year-old and her Barbies was a real eye opener.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Plumb Wore Out
Just got home from a near-12 hour long babysitting gig for some church folks. Warmed up some leftovers and started a pot of chili to ward off the day's cold rainies.
The family I was babysitting for has their 2-month-old daughter in the hospital. Mom stays with her during the day and needed someone to watch the 3-year-old and the 5-year-old after school. When dad gets done with work, he spends the night at the hospital with the baby. In the morning, lather, rinse, repeat.
The mom ran late tonight because the dad apparently was in a car accident on the way home--as if they need more trauma. Mom was still trying to line up a sitter for tomorrow and came home teary. Rough week. I'm booked tomorrow, unfortunately.
And pooped tonight. Otherwise, I'd ruminate on the changes in the Barbie clothes I played with tonight--vastly different than the ones from my youth--and my new awareness of relationally aggressive behavior in girls. More on that later.
The family I was babysitting for has their 2-month-old daughter in the hospital. Mom stays with her during the day and needed someone to watch the 3-year-old and the 5-year-old after school. When dad gets done with work, he spends the night at the hospital with the baby. In the morning, lather, rinse, repeat.
The mom ran late tonight because the dad apparently was in a car accident on the way home--as if they need more trauma. Mom was still trying to line up a sitter for tomorrow and came home teary. Rough week. I'm booked tomorrow, unfortunately.
And pooped tonight. Otherwise, I'd ruminate on the changes in the Barbie clothes I played with tonight--vastly different than the ones from my youth--and my new awareness of relationally aggressive behavior in girls. More on that later.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Take that, Tostitos.
We saw these in HEB and couldn't pass them up.
They went well with the guacamole, Kinky Friedman's Politically Correct salsa and the BLTs + avocado we had for dinner last night. And, although not optimal, they were an adequate conveyance for onion dip as well.
Of course, once we were halfway through the bag, the trick was finding an intact specimen for the photo op.
The Rio Grande Valley is right where my thumb is touching the bottom part of the chip. This is how to get students' geography test scores up. Edible lesson materials.
They went well with the guacamole, Kinky Friedman's Politically Correct salsa and the BLTs + avocado we had for dinner last night. And, although not optimal, they were an adequate conveyance for onion dip as well.
Of course, once we were halfway through the bag, the trick was finding an intact specimen for the photo op.
The Rio Grande Valley is right where my thumb is touching the bottom part of the chip. This is how to get students' geography test scores up. Edible lesson materials.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Proud Larry
On my drive to Walgreens, there was a truck with a bumper sticker I hadn't seen before. It read, "ASSHOLE. Not just a word. A LIFESTYLE."
The guy behind the wheel seemed eager to share his lifestyle with the rest of us on Second Street. He burned rubber to get a head start at every green light, cutting off cars, jackrabbitting and weaving around slower traffic.
For all the showboating, he didn't get anywhere any faster. I caught up to him at two intersections and got a good look at the bumper sticker and the F-150 pickup to which it was affixed.
I wonder: did he buy the sticker himself? (If so, where?!?) Was it a gift? Or did someone acquainted with his habits slap it on the rear bumper unbeknownst to the driver?
What kind of person would proudly call himself an asshole? And why proclaim this on a bumper sticker when his driving effectively communicated the same thing in less than a block? Was he just trying to beat us to the obvious judgment?
Also wondering: Is being an asshole a choice, a lifestyle, or are some people just born that way? I wonder how the scientific community would explain it...
The guy behind the wheel seemed eager to share his lifestyle with the rest of us on Second Street. He burned rubber to get a head start at every green light, cutting off cars, jackrabbitting and weaving around slower traffic.
For all the showboating, he didn't get anywhere any faster. I caught up to him at two intersections and got a good look at the bumper sticker and the F-150 pickup to which it was affixed.
I wonder: did he buy the sticker himself? (If so, where?!?) Was it a gift? Or did someone acquainted with his habits slap it on the rear bumper unbeknownst to the driver?
What kind of person would proudly call himself an asshole? And why proclaim this on a bumper sticker when his driving effectively communicated the same thing in less than a block? Was he just trying to beat us to the obvious judgment?
Also wondering: Is being an asshole a choice, a lifestyle, or are some people just born that way? I wonder how the scientific community would explain it...
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