Sunday, January 24, 2010

Nature's Purpose

Nature fleeting and changing yet always
Comes and goes as winds wind slower faster
Ushering the unique new crisp nights and days
Showing our happily ever after

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Saturday, January 23, 2010

More A-isms

July 2009, Age 4

*Alyson's favorite word of the day: Onceamadoodle.

*Aly on dinner tonight: "Momma, this is your victory."

*Bonus C-ism (age 8): Collin was just trying to say rocket ship and his mouth-brain connection got scrambled and he said "rocket $hit" his eyes bugged out he thought he was going to be in huge trouble.

*Bonus C-ism (age 8):Collin told me today at tennis he was pretty sure my racket had a hole in it.

*"Smmet spells full. That's me, Fullie" Alyson said after cleaning her plate tonight.

*Aly busted into the bathroom with a Hannah Montana wig on shouting, "Hannah Montana is in da house."

August 2009: Age 4


*All Kids: Kids are cracking me up! Sebastian: Hey Collin, You've got Mrs. ___, right? Collin: Ya, why? Sebastian: Dude, don't get on her back. She's strict. She's a good teacher, don't get me wrong but she's strict. Madison: I went into her classroom once, she's fine. Collin: Well, strict is okay because someone needs to keep m...e on task. Alyson: *singing* I got Miss ___ la la lee lee

*Aly's first words to me after school today: "Oh Mom, I had the best Kindergarten day ever!"

September 2009, Age 5

* Alyson walked up to me in the kitchen and said, "We are the champions my friends, right momma?"

*Upon finding a sesame seed on her bun, Alyson said she wanted to plant it and grow hamburgers.

November 2009, Age 5


*To quote Alyson, "Now that I have cleaned up the living room, everyone will appreciate me. Because basically I cleaned the entire thing All. By. Myself!"

*Alyson has learned what googol means so of course, everything is measured by it now. "I want a googol of ice cream!"

*Aly's argument to convince me to let her pierce her ears, "It's not like I'll get my lip pierced."

*Alyson on closing one eye but not the other? "It's not winking, it's magic!"

*Alyson to Collin: How can you be my brother if you don't like roast?

*Alyson: Something is wrong with my eye. When I blink it goes blank.

*On moving the refrigerator: Collin, "Maybe you should get a dolly to move it, dad." Alyson, "WHAT kind of dolly can move a refrigerator?"

*Thanksgiving thoughts from Aly: Her memories are locked up safely in her brain cage. Liquor stores sell licorice. And it's only 37 weeks until Christmas.

December 2009 Age 5


*Aly: Taking a bath at grandma's is super fun because she has a rubber ducky and we don't.

*Aly issued Collin a ticket for "breaking the style of her bed."

*Joke Aly told us today: How do you make Lady Gaga mad? Puh-puh-puh-puh-poker face.

*Aly: "This book is off lemons. I don't want anyone else to read it."

*Alyson: My brain lock is where I keep my crazy.

*Two Christmas thoughts from Alyson: "I can't stop smiling." & "I can pull my hair off."

*Aly: "Salad sandwiches are really good."

January 2010, Age 5

*Alyson when playing Mario Olympics: "Peach will now show you how its done...with style...tra-la-la..."

*Aly on opening a little bag of potato chips: "I don't even know how to pop so I never, never do it."

*Bonus M-ism:Madison: "Oh my gosh, Harrison Ford does not look as good now as he did in Star Wars."

*Sebastian to Maddi: "The 28th I'm coming to your school." Maddi to Sebastian: "The 8th I'm coming to your school." Aly to everyone: "The 3rd I'm coming to noone's school."

*Bonus C-ism: We had a reading event at the kids' school. Jeff took Aly to her K group and I took Collin to his group. The lady asked the kids, "What are you reading?" Collin puts his hand up and says, "Stephen King!" EVERY adult in the room gasped and all eyes were on me as I meekly explained, "He wrote a story for a younger kids."

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Haiti Relief Links

There are a number of organizations mobilizing efforts to get emergency aid, both short-term and long-term, to Haiti. And, unfortunately, there are a number of fake sites going up exploiting the situation for their own gain. I thought I would post some reputable organizations just in case someone wants to help.

American Red Cross

CARE

Fonkoze

Heart to Heart International

MercyCorps


Oxfam

UNICEF

United Nations Foundation

Yele Haiti, founded by Wyclef Jean, sponsored by Rock the Vote

World Food Programme


AT&T Text Relief US: Text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 via AT&T to the American Red Cross (Standard messaging rates apply)

Text Relief Canada
: Salvation Army text donation of $5: Text "HAITI" to 45678



The State Department has set up a site with information on how to find American citizens in Haiti.

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I got to be a guest blogger!




Blogging is an interesting phenomena. Bloggers decide what part of themselves to put 'out there' while keeping other parts completely private and behind the invisible walls of the internet. Yet, there are many blogs with writers sharing what is important to them leaving readers with a look inside the unique worlds of individuals we would otherwise never encounter.

We can read why this guy cries, what's up with Major Bedhead, explore the culinary world through the words of a culinary student and join in as a self-described seeker embarks on a path to self-discovery in Waiting for the Click.

Waiting for the Click in one of those blogs I was thrilled to find. We can relate to it because all of us, in one way or another, look to ourselves trying to fit all of the pieces together as we discover who we are. Leslee, from Waiting for the Click, issued a challenge to her readers. She wanted readers to submit stories that shaped and defined them...a challenge that, originally, I had no intention of accepting. I am not the kind of person who puts herself out there for people to judge, at least not on a personal level. However, my ultimate goal is to write, for a living, and to get there writers need to share parts of themselves they would rather not have people see. True writers make themselves vulnerable as their passion pours out into words that fill blogs, articles, short stories, and novels. So, I accepted Leslee's challenge and wrote.

I wrote a true story I never, never share. Not because it is difficult but because I never wanted it to define me. But as I wrote, I realized it does, indeed, define me. Or, it defines how I view the world and the people in it.

So, this is most certainly the most personal thing I have ever shared on the internet.

Leslee, thank you for giving writers this opportunity to share themselves with you and others. I appreciate you and your blog and I feel lucky I have gotten to know you a little bit over the past few months.

The Eleventh Year

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Saturday, January 2, 2010

The Weight of Silence -- Heather Gudenkauf

The Weight of Silence The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Weight of Silence is a fast-paced, addictive read.

It is the story of two lost little girls and the emotions, fears and devastation that they and their families experience.Heather Gudenkauf eloquently weaves well-developed character stories together into a gripping tale.

View all my reviews >>

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