eye candy

I love to see good looking grafitti art

the littles

sleepover in Madster's room


for posterity's sake, this is Mad's very LAST time down the REI slide b/c "I'm just too old now" (meaning all the other kids were less than 1/2 her age)


Feefer was walking up the slide saying "argh! the snake is eating me!! ahhhhhhhh!" and then on the way down "argh! the snake is spitting me out on his tongue!! ahhhhhhh!"

overheard on Wednesday, etc.

Fi was explaining to Nikki her latest adventure: "Yesterday I was swinging & I flipped over! And I didn't even die!!" Lib adds: "Yeah, see, she is still alive!"

I don't know exactly what "flipped over" means to a 5 year old. It could mean that she leaned all the way back until her head was upside down. I know she's been practicing jumping off the swing...at the swing's lowest trajectory point.

Yesterday afternoon was the ECE & Kinder Ladybug Hoedown performance. This time I brought the correct camera...but with dead batteries. It was soooo cute! Cake & ice cream & GOODY BAGS! afterwards in the cafeteria.

Yesterday evening was the 4th grade Shakespeare performance. Single snippets of 1 or 2 acts from Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, 12th Night, Macbeth, and Midsummer's Night Dream divvied up between the 3 classes. Madster performed in a scene from Macbeth. She played the Gentlewoman when Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking. It was extremely entertaining to see the diverse interpretations of the characters & the lines. I offered to sew Maddie a new costume for the occasion but she chose to wear my old renaissance dress instead.

what goes on in the mind of a 4 yo?

these were snaps Lib took while we waited in line for fabric @ JoAnn's last week. She also spent a good bit of time trying to get just the right shot of a few other shoppers...I chose to omit those for lack of "permission", iykwim.

no bball premonition

but click here for some hometown excitement.


It makes me homesick to no end. Sure I miss my friends & family all the time, but it's times like these that I even miss strangers who share my passion for PGH sports. It's freaking lonely out here in CO with no other Penguins fans with whom to celebrate.

for the record

Last week when the Cavs beat the Celtics in Cleveland for game 3, I asked G "Aren't the Celtics out yet?" G says to me, "The Celtics are the #1 team, of course they're still playing." oh. For some reason, I thought the series was closer to being over & that the Cavs had won. That's when I realized what my prediction was: the Cavs will defeat the Celtics. So there you have it (or would have had it last week had I bothered to write about it). Well now, here we are at game 7 & we shall see if I actually had a real, live premonition.

fine, i'm eating crow for breakfast

and that's okay. A win at home will be even sweeter on Sunday...and a fab b-day present for Bryan!

Yay! My very first pair of socks completed!!

I'll post details later, I typed the whole story & my computer ate it. Every word.

I started this pair over a year ago. When I finished the first sock, it was about 1 1/2 inches too long. I set it aside, intending to frog a bit in order to shorten the foot. At the beginning of the new year, I decided to go on a UFO finishing rampage so I could justify starting new projects with yarn from my stash. I decided to go ahead & knit the second sock & frog the 1st sock after. It finally clicked that I should measure my own foot, try on the sock when the foot was about 1/2 finished & figure in the toe measurement. The second sock fit perfectly when finished!!! BUT the 2nd sock was knit in the K2P2 pattern, whereas the 1st sock was knit in the K1P1 pattern! I had to rip out the WHOLE first sock instead of just a few rows!!! No big deal though, and now the 1st sock fits perfectly too!! yay!! (I think I may have read two different versions of finishing b/c the toes look a little different between the two socks.)

pattern: Rock 'n Ribbed socks (K2P2) by Besty Lee McCarthy
yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks That Rock, heavyweight, unknown colorway
size: woman's medium

get out your broom

'cuz it's gonna be a sweep tonight! Go Pens!

correction

Angela has just reminded me that the Pens' own Ryan Malone is from Upper St. Clair. So there are TWO PGH natives in this round! Yay! Go yinzers!

a guilty pleasure

The girls & I have recently been addicted to watching "How Clean Is Your House" on BBC America. It's so humorous & grotesque at the same time. It's alot like "You Are What You Eat" except it's about cleaning instead of fitness. At the beginning animation, Lib says every time "I see them's bums!" We spend equal time laughing & exclaiming "eeeeeewwwww! gross!!!!". It makes me want to get up & clean something, for a little while at least. Though my home is never in such total and disgusting disarray, I can totally empathize with some of the folks on the show: "I've got other things I'd rather be doing", "Why should I clean up after everyone if no one else wants to pitch in", etc etc. We've gotten some good natural cleaning tips, although I can't find bio washing powder in the grocery store. I think Whole Foods used to sell something that I used when we lived in Boulder that might be the same thing. I'll have to look for it again.

In order to get the girls to clean, I've been telling them things like "What would Kim & Aggie say if they saw this room?", to which they respond with all manner of Kim & Aggie'isms (you have to watch to understand). I then asked Fi, "Don't you want to straighten it up then?" "No." hmph.

Yesterday at lunch Lib turned to me and said, "When are those girls coming to our house?" "What girls?" "The girl the the short hair & the girl with the ponytail." I had to think a minute. She clarified for me, "The girls who do 'how clean in your house' on t.v." She's been waiting, I think, for that knock on the door. Yeah, if only.

Don't hate me for my opinions

I've had a few thoughts whilst tuning into the Red Wings games, checking up on the next opponent, if you will. The line of thought ran something like this: watching the Pens play compared to the Red Wings playing is like watching boys -albeit very talented boys- play compared to watching a team of men play. The youth of the Pens is exciting, though, because you know they're only going to get better, explosively better, unbeatably better. It's like the Red Wings are already there.


BUT before you abuse me with your dissenting view, it also occurred to me that the Pens are currently playing the mucker Flyers & so the Pens' talent is mired in that lower level of hockey. You know the old adage, "It's hard to soar like an eagle when your flying with turkeys". That's what it's like watching this "Cold War of PA". G thinks I shouldn't want the Red Wings to win & play the Pens in the finals because the Pens have no chance of winning. I honestly believe that the Pens have the ability to play to whatever level their opponents are playing.

G tried to make excuses for the Flyers when I complained about how mismatched the teams looked last night. I said it was obvious that there was a 1st place team & a 6th place team playing. G said it was because the Flyers had their two best players out. I responded that it's their two best defensemen. What about their scorers? I mean, c'mon, that reason might be why the Pens totally dominated offensively, but Fleury was hardly getting a workout on the other end. And that sucks, because he's gonna need more practice before meeting the Red Wings.

So, I'm looking forward to seeing the raw talent on the ice in the finals between the Pens & the Red Wings, not fearing it at all. It'll be a higher level of playing, exciting, high scoring, faster moving -exactly how the Stanley Cup should be earned.

Oh, and I think Malkin is a far stronger, better-all-around player than Snick's future husband Crosby.

And congrats to the Flyers' Umberger! The first Pittsburgh native to get this far in the Stanley Cup playoffs!!

Thank you Angela,

That was one of the best Mother's Day presents ever! Total domination on the ice. Just judging by the last 2 games, the Pens should win this series. Mahvelous stick handling. I thought it was going to be alot more physical after the gloves dropped around 16:00 in the first. The refs weren't letting anything get away, though. In fact I thought they were making some really petty calls. And, BTW, Crosby was robbed of a goal. It was so freaking obvious that the puck was over the goal line. If you look at the paused vid, from one angle you can see white between the puck & the goal line. From another angle you can even see the puck sticking out from Biron's glove before he completely covers it & if you draw a straight line (elementary geometry, Toronto) you can see that the puck is obviously over the goal line. Oh well, at least it wasn't a deciding factor in the game.

pearly antics

So last night I came home from work to find the littles in Madster's bed. They were having a "sleepover", the three of them. I noticed an aroma in the room, you know, that aroma of little girls in need of a bath. Not stinky B.O., necessarily, but I don't know how to describe it, if you have kids you'll understand. I said "pee yew! You girls needs showers or baths tomorrow!" Lib responded by rolling over, putting her little heiney in the air & saying "Smell my butt." OMG. It was more than a little humorous. "No, thank you. I can smell you just fine from here."

My friend Sean was in town for another long weekend. We only were able to see him for lunch on his last day & offer a ride to DIA. (We picked Maddie up before lunch for a "mental health appointment" and dropped her & Fi off at school before the ride to the airport.) When we got back home, Lib turns to me as I'm getting her out of the car and says, "I like Sean, but I don't want to marry him." 'Cuz she's planning ahead already, I guess. Yes, this is she who is infatuated with the neighbor boy, "Hi Ryan!" "I love you Ryan!"

Today at the lunch table, Lib spouts off a few "sit sit sit" in her lovely sing song voice. I know what she's saying, and it ain't "sit".
I say to her, "Do you know what that means?"
"no."
"It's a bad word for 'poo'"
"Why?"
"Why is it a bad word or why is it for 'poo'?"
"why is it a bad word for 'poo'?"
"I don't know. A bad word is something that kids shouldn't say but sometimes adults do. Have you ever heard mommy or daddy say any words that you think you probably shouldn't say?"
"No, but why don't you tell me them?" she responded with a mischievous smile.

We've been seeing a few Busch Gardens commercials on t.v. lately. Every time, Lib says "I know that place! It's Disney World!"
Today Fi said, "When are we going to Disneyland?"
"Someday," I said.
"How many sleeps is that?" she asked excitedly & a little hopeful.
"How many sleeps is what?"
"Sunday."
"Not 'Sunday', 'SOMEDAY'."
"oh, how many sleeps is that?"
My response? "'Someday' means 'only God knows when'." It seemed to satisfy her curiosity.

Snick is in Eugene, OR for the week. I think it's her first solo trip out of state. We miss her alot. We're hoping she can spend the night on Wednesday after we pick her up from DIA (hint hint).

Maddie has started taking Cody for walks around the neighborhood. She's also started having only ONE oatmeal packet for breakfast (as opposed the ritual 2 packets she's been devouring the last 5 years. I mentioned to her a few months ago that a serving is 'one' packet, after she had complained about her weight one morning but she didn't care what I said because she would "eat whatever I want".) She's always been a big eater, however, she hasn't been so inclined to be a physically active kid. She's hitting this pre-teen growth spurt (omg, I am so not ready for her to hit puberty...neither is she. BUT, God help me, it is not far away, not far at all.) She's becoming more conscious of the food that she eats. She even gives G grief when they eat out (which they do frequently) because "It's not good for us & it's too expensive". Smart girl.

one down, 3 more to go

Stellar performance by the Pens yesterday. A very fabulous Mother's Day present would be another win tomorrow!

something fishy

Mad's swimming is coming right along. Finally she has a teacher who is challenging her & actually making her work. On Monday she swam the width of the pool four times with only a 30 second break between laps. I've never seen her swim so much in the 8 months she's been going. The only thing standing between her & level 5 is a 50 yd breaststroke & a 50 yd butterfly. She was in tears in the locker room at the end of the last session because she didn't pass into level 5. Garrett promised her a new DS game if she advanced this time, so you know what her goal is. Last night she & the other little girl in her class we able to stay longer & help with the adult class. I'm telling you, there is nothing that makes Maddie happier than being in the water. Her face was completely lit up when I gave her permission to stay in the water longer. This time she swam the length of the pool twice! Her long term goal is to be on the swim team. Her freestyle is looking great. It's so exciting to see her acheive her goal. She's slow & steady right now, but I'm sure by next year this time, she will be out of level 6 & on the swim team.

One more bubble burst

I love that age when kids are little enough to believe in magic, miracles, super heroes, etc. You know, before they become cynical, skeptical, and jaded. Granted some magical thinking lasts quite awhile, e.g. the tooth fairy to whom Maddie still writes; Santa just lost ranking the last year or so for her.

Yesterday, Fi came running outside, "Mom! Mom, you know Miley Cyrus who is Hannah Montana?"
"Yes."
"Does she fawt?"
"What?"
"Fawt. Does she fawt."
"Does she fart?"
"Yes. Does she fawt?"
"Yes, of course she does. She's human. All humans fart, and poo, and pee, and throw up when they're sick. Miley Cyrus does all those things too."
"Daun." (darn)
Maddie was listening just inside the door and came running out, "See, I told you so."
Fi responded, "Yeah, well even if you won, I'm not giving you a dollar because I don't have anything."

?? Magical thinking. I have no idea how this topic came up between them. Last I heard, Maddie was directing and acting in a new play with the littles cast in supporting roles. Next thing I know, Miley Cyrus has lost her super human qualities.

More magical thinking: When a character on t.v. "talks to" the viewers, the littles answer back.

On another topic, Lib's getting more freckles.

And the littles are finally getting the hang of pronouncing a hard "c" sound instead of a "t" sound. We could understand them, but no one else could. So I showed them the difference between the two sounds -one makes the sound with the tongue on the roof of the mouth behind the teeth, the other comes from farther back in the mouth. They still couldn't get it. So I showed them that if they put a finger inside their mouth they could make the hard "c" sound because they wouldn't be able to push their tongues to the front of their mouths. Simple, really. For a little while, they had to put their fingers in their mouths to make the hard "c" sound every time. Then they had to really concentrate, without using a finger. Now they can make the sound with no effort. Yet another step out of babydom & into full-fledged preschool status.

Next?!!

Victim, that is. Did you catch that nail biter this afternoon???? It was freaking awesome. I don't know what it is, but there is a certain amount of pleasure derived from beating the Rangers. And now on to the Battle for Pennsylvania. (I have to write it out or folks back home will read PA as "P-A" instead of "Pennsylvania", iykwim, & if you're from PA, you do kwim). Strangely, although Philly is only a 5 hour drive on the turnpike from PGH, I've personally never considered any of their sports teams to be rivals. Of course there's Cleveland for football. I think of the Caps to be hockey rivals. Then again, it's been a few years since I've actually been to a game at The Igloo (sad, sad fact), so I could be wrong there. Baseball? Hmmmm, I think you have to beat a team badly & frequently for there to be a rivalry, so the Pirates have no rivals(?)

Travel fatigue won't be a factor in this series, so it'll all come down to talent. And muscle. And coaching. OMG, I think I'll finally get my dream Stanley Cup playoffs -Pens vs Redwings. I'm excited beyond words today. It's a dreamy, been here before kind of feeling. If you're from PGH, you'll understand.

that's Agent Smith, to you

I have been informed by my good friend V that I am now an agent for Amazon.

In case you didn't know, or hadn't noticed, I added an Amazon widget to my blog -over there in the right sidebar, the Amazon link with "I recommend..." books that I am currently reading. If you shop at Amazon, you can (I implore you, kind reader) click through via my link & I will get a small dividend for your effort. It doesn't cost you any extra, and I would be eternally grateful. Would that I could, but I can't shop through my own link. It's just another way to try to earn a little extra (very little extra) cash, now that my hours at work have been cut. I choose to not have other adverts on my page -endorsements, yes, of other noteworthy sites- but there is no compensation of any kind for those, I do it just so you all can maybe see what I find interesting in the hopes of generating some discussion here (not that it's ever happened yet)(not that many people check out my links in the sidebar)(but I post them anyway, ever the hopeful person that I am).

Sell out? Money grubber? Shameless begging? Mom with 4 kids trying to keep her head above water? Call it what you will, it is what it is. And I yam what I yam. Call me Smith, Agent Smith.

March CMP ATC

Different views of the same card. The theme was "perspective". I think the effect came out nicely.