Inane Dribble

School is out yeah! Yesterday was Jeff’s 9th grade lagoon day and the day before was the 9th grade prom. After school and before the dance Jeff decided he wanted his hair cut. He has been growing out his hair for months, so he looks very different.

Regin’s last day was also yesterday, so we didn’t make Drew go to his last day today.
I am excited for summer. We have been working really hard to finish the updates we have wanted to do on our house. It will hopefully be done around the end of the month. It has been hard work. We worked on flooring and decluttring and the yard has had a ton of work. Thanks to Jesse we have lovely baseboards and our upstairs bathroom is everything I hoped it would be. We will see in a month or so if everything manages to get done.

We had a fun 5th of may. We had a fiesta. Homemade chile verde, carne asada, and banana empinadas. Nom nom nom.

In other news. Life is good, we are doing some more work on our house, Jesse will be coming to help with some stuff, that way things will be to his impecable standards rather than our “eh, good enough” standards.
Andrew did gifted testing earlier in the year. He qualified for the gifted program at his school (versus going to a different school with a larger gifted program). It means he will be grouped with other advanced kids for things like reading and math. We are very proud of him.
School is almost out for this year. I can’t wait. I love summer, hanging out with the kids.
Jeff turned 15 recently, and with the new laws and stuff for driving we will need to get him his learners permit within the next few months. Or he wont get his lisence when he turns 16. Does this terify any one else. I know he is a serious kid and will probably be an excellent driver, but I am still scared. I just want to protect him from everything. A funny thing about Jeff as he gets older. He does things that flash me back to Pat as a teenager, some mannerisms, even how he talks. It is weird how each one of our kids reminds me of one of my siblings. Andrew reminds me of Chelle, super wacky creative, always bored, butt crack showing often, funny, and sweet. Regin reminds me of Kim. (Rochelle even mentioned it when we visited her) she is feerless, social, loveable and helpful but definately with a streak to her. I guess more Kim as a teenager because Regin also dresses really cute and loves shoes and boots. She isnt quite as stable in heels yet though.
Regin makes life exciting and unexpected. She always has plans, she loves to go to “young women” activities, hang out with friends. She always want to cook something. On weekends she will scan cookbooks to find out what we have the ingredients for (inevitably cookies) and she will bake yummy stuff all by herself.
Ya I am braggin’ and its not even wednesday. My kids are my world and I have to say its a fine world indeed.
Mark mostly works from home now. We get to have lunch together and I can chug down the stairs and see him whenever I want. I love it. It is nice to have adult conversation in the middle of the day, and someone who doesnt need my help to use the potty. He recenely located some family on his mothers side that we havent seen or heard from in over 15 years. It has been really nice getting to know them. It is crazy that Mark having hardly any contact with him for the whole of his life, he is very much like them, in personality, and the physical resemblance is uncanny. His older sister just had a baby, and now the number of neices and nephews we have on Marks side of the family is right in line with how many we have on mine. He is so thrilled, it is like a missing piece of him has been filled. I thank his aunt Sharon so much. She has been wonderful and open, and seems just as thrilled to get to know him.
I think I have jabbered jocked long enough, so until next time, Peace, love , and happiness for All. Seacrest out.

I forgot to include Mark’s favorite doppelgangers.
Frankie Muniz and Lindsay Lohan

And for comparison Me and Claire Danes

Do you ever watch a tv show and wonder why that movie star is doing a tv show? Or watch a movie and think, don’t I recognize that person, wouldn’t I have heard if they were in this movie? Is it because everyone has a doppelganger? Maybe.

Josh Duhamell and Timothy Olyphant

Jeremy Renner and Devon Sawa

Amy Adams and Isla Fisher

Anna Faris and Laura Harris

And of course Al Paccino and Robert Deniro…… Ok not really according to most people. I have gotten them mixed up for forever and it makes “heat” one of the most confusing movies ever.
People have said I look like Claire Danes the most, could she be my younger, skinnier, blonde doppelganger?
Do you have a doppelganger?

At the beginning of January I was going to be spending some time in a waiting room so I needed something to read. I owe late fees at the library so I had to find something at home. I decided to read the sword of truth series by Terry Goodkind. I finished the last book of the series this last week so I thought I would put out my review.
The series follows Richard and Kahlan on their adventures in unlikely love and an unwinable war. Battleing and allying in some cases relatives, emperors, sisters of light and dark, mord sith, and men corrupted by magic. They fight for freedom for the world and their lives from forced ideals, prophesy and violence.
The core story was very good. It has some good albeit sometimes dumb assed characters. There are strong women which I always like in a story. I laughed and cried and got really mad a few times.
Unfortunately the books also seemed to me to be unedited. There is a bit more discriptiveness than I like and there was A LOT of recapping and convoluted over explaining. And too much raping and pillaging. If you skim or skip all of that though the books are worth the read. Some more than others. I really liked Faith of the fallen, and really didn’t like Pillars of creation. But it is like movies with me, I cant stop halfway through. I have to know how it ends and how it gets to the end. I’m glad I stuck it out. But now what am I going to read? I have heard good things about this Percy Jackson series (it is Andrew’s favorite.) Maybe I will read those, if I ever get around to paying off my late fees. Oh how I miss you library, I will return again someday.

Now we join our regularly scheduled program already in progress.

The Christmas Season was good for us. We got a wii and the kids each picked a game they wanted. I love our traditions, they make the holidays for me. We opened jamies Christmas eve as well as our draw names gifts. I love that we draw names from a hat, and have a limit to get that person gifts. (we did it when I was a kid to, total blast.) Anyways, everyone is always so thoughtful and happy to see reaction, oh the spirit of giving. Also we watch some christmas movies throughout. Such as a Christmas story and rudolph, Regin and I watching White Christmas just like my Mom and I used to.
Andrews Birthday slash New years was great, we played some wii and hung out. Regin spent the night at her friends. Then we went to bed early (cuz we are old), but somehow I was still awake watching tv at midnight. I watched the end of Dick Clarks rocking eve. I have to say I think Dick Clark is a brave beautiful man. And I admire his perseverance, he is an American icon. Raja got really freaked out by fireworks and needed to be cuddled so she woke Mark up and we got our new years kiss, maybe she is just a perv and wanted to watch us kiss, but I think it was the fireworks.
Anyway happy 2010 to everyone, may we all be thinner and richer and have better hair, or you know whatever you want too.

ok so it hasn’t been a whole year, but its been a while. The past few months haven’t been super eventful, here are some of the highlights.
A couple months ago doodle got out and was lost for almost two days. Mark was devastated, they are really close. We were convinced he was too dumb to make it in the world. But he came back really hungry and really tired, but otherwise unscathed.
Snicker really missed him too.

Halloween was good.


Thanksgiving was good. We just stayed home with the family. Mark made yummy turkey. I made some fine pies, if I do say so myself.
We added Raja belle to our family. She came to us from Britteny’s family. She is one of the best dogs in history, she is so well behaved and sweet. The cats dont like her much, but they do ok. Doodle might not care at all except that when one of the other two get scared he thinks he has to protect them.

The kids are all doing well. Jeff it taller than me and his voice is so low it freaks me out sometimes (I’l hear him from another room and think some strange man is in the house.). He is really getting into music and seems to have really good friends. Regin is a typical tweeny/teeny girl. She giggles a lot talks about boys a lot, and texts an insane amount. (we have shut off her texting capability on more than one occasion.)she is loving choir and has done a few performances she also nearly got a duet at the last one, she made it to second cuts. Drew just did gifted testing and is involved in a program called future problem solvers. His hair is to his chin, he looks like a surfer stuck in the wrong climate.
Mark and I are doing well. He just accepted a new position at work where he will be working more with the sales staff of the company. So far he likes it very much. I am still watching Mike 5 days a week. He is such the cute guy. I also do a little data entry for Mark’s work on the side.

Mark took me to see 30 seconds to Mars last week. It was a splendid concert. Their new album came out today. It is very good.
Regin and I both painted windows for Christmas this year.

Who knows if I will get around to posting again anytime soon. So Merry Christmas to all. See you next year.

Don’t you just love NPH? I do!!!!!

Well lets see. I don’t get out much. What do I do. Hang out with the kids and take care of Mike and watch netflix movies. Ah ha, So I will talk about some of my favorite and least favorite actors.
I think the best ACTORS of today are Johnny Depp and Leonardo Dicaprio, they are true character actors. I think Heath Ledger was making his way on to that list as well. Some of my faves just cuz I like them are Laura Linney, Ryan Reynolds, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Kate Winslet, Collin Firth, Paul Walker (I know I will take some crap for this one, People think it is just cuz he is yummy, but I say watch Noel, he has the best masculine cry in the business, just enough vulnerability.) , Claire Danes, Matt Damon, there are more that I will think of as soon as I post this.
As for actors I am not fond of. I do like some movies despite some of these people being in them though, and they may be very cool people. I don’t know them personally so I couldn’t say. All I’m sayin is I am not a fan of Juliette Lewis, Mark Wahlberg (although I like Marky mark, go figure), Nicholas Cage. That is all that pops in my head at the moment.
Netflix movies coming today are sliding doors , one of my top 10, if you haven’t seen it, Do. 17 again, ya that right the one with Zac Efron, he reminds me of Jared Leto ten or fifteen years ago. And Fired up, a teenybopper comedy that looked funny in the previews. we are crashing we we are crashing. We shall see if it meets my gut busting expectations.
Its Friday, have some fun, watch a movie with someone you love, love to live and live to love.
Peace out.

Why so serious. We need some levity. So that is why I have been blogging meaningless crap that makes me happy.
You know what else makes me happy? MUSIC. Dont you agree? Cant you place music to people and memories that make you smile?
Here are a few of mine.
Simon and Garfunkel, Olivia newton John, Neil diamond, and many more bring back being little in the living room on a sea of blue carpet listening to the giant radio with the family.
technotronic: pump up the jam, Alphaville: forever young, Depeche mode: somebody, Billy Idol: mony mony takes me back to every school, region, and classic skating dance of my youth. I danced to forever young with Josh Vigas, my crush in 9th grade.
TLC ooooh on the tlc tip album has some personal memories.
Spin Doctors, cranberries, and pm dawn all have dating and early marriage memories with Mark, like getting the colt to 100 mph on I-215, hanging out the day before he left for boot camp, and just being together.
Whitney Houstons version of I’m every woman (trust me my sisters are smiling before I even say this memory) Mark used to sing this song at the top of his lungs while dancing. Damn I love that man.
Some songs or bands make me think of specific people. I will name a few, but not tell you who they remind me of. Maybe they will remind you of someone also.
Hewey Lewis and the news, Hermans Hermits, Outkast: so fresh and so clean, Outkast: rosa parks, orgy: blue monday, the beatles, metalica, rancid, smashing pumpkins.
Are you smiling yet? If not find some music that makes you happy, now blast it. Then I with the help of you will have made the world a better place through music. Help me help you.

My kids are at ages where they are really getting into music. This is fun to witness. What moves them or what they dont like. Jeff listens to the angry teenage boy music that his friends listen to. Regin is a pop princess, her new faves are Lady gaga and katy perry (this made me nervous for a minute, I was like are theese the role models I want for her? Then I laughed at myself because I dont believe they should actually be considered role models or that kids are really that susceptible. I grew up on Madonna yet I did not wear cone bra’s or vogue dance, or marry Sean Penn. So I dont think Regin would hump pool orcas, or wear a leotard with control top panty hose sticking out the bottom.) Andrew has definate opinions he loves greenday, go figure. And the all american rejects and hates rob thomas.

I hope my kids get as much joy from music in their lives as I have had in mine.