Borrowed goodness

E has taken to going to the library with his Dad and together they pick out books that Eand I read through the week. We LOVE the Charlie and Lola books. The author writes Lola the way a real toddler talks and the images follow a bit of an alternative illustration/graphic design combo that is really fun to look at. The books are fun and whimsical and can almost always generate some laughter. Admittedly, I stole this photo layout from a blog I have seen and was rather enamored by it. The focus is on the book, with his posture and hands indicating a readiness to start reading.

There's a first time for everything

It's rather amazing, actually. I have been registered to vote since I turned 18. I have held an active and valid driver's license since I was 16. I have paid my taxes since I have worked. And yet these, and any other factors that might ensure or at least enable me to be summoned for jury duty have never been employed. Until now.

Most people I know dread being called. I am kind of excited. Yes, it's a busy time at work--but when isn't it? Yes, it could take a bit of time, but what doesn't. At a minimum, I could get some good reading time in, a fair amount of quality people watching and it could result in me making a real difference. Maybe.

And the really crazy thing? My Project 182 partner in crime Deejah also got called summoned this week (this being her FOURTH time )and chose to shoot the summons for her photo today too.

Queue Twilight Zone music and fade to black.

Sweet afternoon slumber

E stopped napping about two years ago. It was a bittersweet advancement in his growth and development and my need for afternoon slumber. Imagine my surprise when on our way home from a play date that ended with the other two boys going down for their naps, my little guy said he wanted to take a nap too.

"WHAT? For real? When we get home? Not in the car but in a bed?" I babbled like a, well, five year old.

"Yes, mommy. I want to take a nap when we get home. Not in the car."

My heart did cartwheels. I sped as quickly as all the photo radar cameras on the freeway home would allow me to go. Every few minutes chirping, "You are still awake, buddy?"

"I am still awake," came his heavy-lidded and slowly mumbled response.

It was a heart pumping, white knuckle-baring race against time. I had been here before where the promise of a potential nap was in my grasp, but the lull of the freeway underneath us overtook him into the deepest of sleeps just moments before pulling in the driveway. Precious moments that once awakened to go inside, would never be given back to me and in their place? A crabby preschooler absolutely convinced he did not want or need a nap... grouchiness ensuing for a good half hour and my dream of catching some dreams forever dashed.

Today, however, I won the race.

Drum Master

Another weekend and another unique opportunity. Last week it was Super Cobras, this week it was E's first gig!

Not really.

A friend of mine's father is a drummer in a local jazz band who was performing at a family friendly venue tonight - a coffee house. E being oh so cultured and familiar with jazz due to his astute mother playing it in the car (our favorite being what we call 'night-time jazz' on our local NPR station) was excited to see it up close and personal. Our connections allowed him the opportunity to sit in the hot seat and tap the cymbals a couple of times before the set began.

I want to say that he sat mesmerized for the hour and a half we were there. But truth be told, he and the other kiddos (thankfully there were other kiddos!) bounced around, blowing straw wrappers at one another, lining up chairs to create a choo-choo train and stealing our cameras to take their own pictures. Their perfect kiddoness was actually displayed pretty calmly as band covered the greats like Nat King Cole and Sergio Mendez and the adults could sip their non-fat chai lattes and other whipped confections and enjoy a night on the town.

Evidence of kids crashing local jazz gig:

Here comes the train!

I'm gonna getchoo!

Cutie patooties

E takes a brief moment

to chill and take in the sounds

Waiting for Mars ...

Yesterday, my mom saw on the ever-trustworthy Internet, that there would be a once-in-many-lifetimes experience: The chance to see Mars with the naked eye next to the moon on Thursday night. Scientists said this wouldn't happen again during the lives of anyone alive on earth today. Pretty amazing. Pretty important. In fact, E even saw the importance when he was asking Gramma to help him with something and she said, "Honey, give me just a minute, I want to tell your mom about the Mars sighting expected tomorrow night."

He stopped what he was attempting and said, "Actually, I would like to hear about that too."

Actually?

That's his new five dollar word that he's been throwing out like he has fives to spare.

So we read up on it, got excited and tonight we waited. E ran out to the yard and plopped himself down, looking skyward asking, "Where is Mars? Why can't we see it? Can we stay out here until we see it?" and so on.

I snapped a few pictures of him and looked up, seeing the same thing he did ... nothing but the moon. I told him to hold tight and ran in to connect the camera to the computer when I saw an e-mail come through from my mom:

Subject: The Mars Myth

I've been out looking for Mars and couldn't see anything in the sky that even remotely approached the size of the moon. You guessed it. The whole thing is a hoax. Below is a link to a NASA website that proclaims this as a Mars myth! I got suckered in on this one! Why did I believe this one when I don't believe one-tenth of anything else that comes into my inbox?

Probably the same reason we did. It would have been pretty amazing.

A Hot (Yummy) Mess

Just look what I can stir up over lunch when I take the time to go home to do so. I really do live close enough to work that I can do this kind of escape. I just don't do it enough.

Contemplation, A Self Portrait

I am just about a third of the way through this photo project when my partner in crime learned that Project 365ers recommend once a month taking a self portrait. I thought that was a great idea. What I didn't realize was how many shots I would have to take before I felt like I had one worthy of posting. Yes, that crazy and crappy thing called vanity crept in and I ended up taking more than 100 shots before I settled with this one. It is very indicative of my mood or state of being as of late. While serious, it's very positive. A time of self reflection, a bit of dreaming a bit of planning all rolled up into what many of my friends via Facebook said looked like the cover of a jazz album.

So, enter part deux of the day's photos and got a little crafty and opened up the old Photoshop and decided to make some album covers. You know, for the albums I won't ever release, but can imagine doing so on those days when I sound just like Kelly Clarkson behind the steering wheel of my car or Bonnie Tyler as beads of water drip down the shower walls. A girl can dare to dream (and have some fun while doing so)!

Thanks Tooth Fairy!

Excitement abounded this morning when E woke and immediately went to his Tooth Fairy bear.

"MOMMY! MOMMY! Come up here. I have to show you something!"

I grabbed my camera and hurried up the stairs.

"Look! At first when I felt in the pocket I couldn't feel anything. But look what the Tooth Fairy brought me!"

A JFK half dollar shined brightly in his hand.

I asked to see it and was rather impressed with the Tooth Fairy. Not too shabby; it was just right, in fact.

"Let me take a picture of you holding, sweetie..." and he pushed his hand out, happy to show his newfound wealth. A couple of snaps and he walked over to put it in his bank.

"Can I watch cartoons now?"

Hole-y mole-y!

After months of wiggling, weeks of jiggling, two actual attempts to pull it out ... it was a simple tug that released E's first tooth. No blood, no tears just a barrage of questions about the tooth fairy.

Is she a boy or a girl?
What if she thinks my tooth is a rock and doesn't leave me any coins?
Can she see through all of the air and into my room and under my pillow?
How does she know to come tonight?
Does she have wings?
How does she get in my room?

Mind you, we have discussed this all before and have actually been reading a really sweet Tooth-fairy themed story book lately. But it was the topic du jour due to the events of the late afternoon.

After I answered them again, we went upstairs for stories and songs and tucked his little rock, I mean tooth, under his pillow. Just as I was about to leave, I remembered something! E's great-grammy Dora sent him a Tooth Fairy bear that has a pocket to hold a tooth. PERFECT. I found it safely nestled in his closet, took it out and together we put the tooth in its pocket.

"This is actually better, E. Your great grammy was so smart. This way, you don't have to worry about your tooth getting lost in the night."

"Right, Mommy. I need to make sure I get my quarter or dime or nickel or penny. What do you think it will be?"

"I don't know honey. We will just have to see when you get up in the morning."

It wasn't much longer that he pushed away all his covers, repositioned himself entirely and drifted off to sleep.

Sweet dreams little guy...

Kingpins

E and his buddy O ruled lane 12 today at the AMF Bowling Lanes. His mother Beth and I are friends through a service group we were both members of and now spend our time reading and dissecting plot lines as a part of our monthly book club. It has been a while since we got the boys together and thought two games of bowling followed by lunch would be a good way to connect and catch up.

The boys had a blast, chucking the ball down the lane, acting like dogs and cows barking and mooing (read: cheering) Beth and I one to our next strike. Truth be told, there were no strikes. There was also no second game. All of the antics of scoring issues, trapped balls, stuck pins and a sluggish ball return resulted in a whopping hour and a half for one round. We were pooped and starving. So we scooped up the pint-size kingpins and headed over to Americas Tacos.

A perfect play date for a lazy Saturday.

Super Cobra. Super Cool. Super Day.

I am fortunate to work for a company that supports military families -- brave men and women who don't view themselves as heroes, just doing their jobs. One of my colleagues has a son who is one of these heroes, serving in the Marines as a pilot who flies Super Cobras. Coming in from Camp Pendleton on a training mission, she arranged for some of us to go out and greet them upon their arrival. It was a day we won't ever forget.

It was hot. At least 108 degrees outside and who knows what on the tarmac. We were sweatin' it up, yet thrilled to be there. The pilots were extremely generous with their time, patient to answer questions the kids had, willing to lift them up into the cockpit and rummage through their $4 million aircrafts like it was a jungle gym at the local playground.

E was hesitant about getting in the plane at first, but did so rather reluctantly. He fussed and hemmed and hawed about being in the cockpit, so after a few quick pics, I laughed and told him I would have to remind him at 18 of this once-in-a-lifetime day and how he begged to get out of the aircraft. After some of the other kids got in and took their turn, he warmed up to the idea and readily got in the back of the plane as another little boy sat front and center. They smiled, waved, posed with their thumbs up and willingly got out to stand on the sidelines as another pair of choppers made their way to runway.

I am not sure he could take in the full magnitude of this experience, but he has these pictures to remind him. And, at the end of it all, the thing he feared the most (getting in the cockpit) was the thing he absolutely loved.

It was a perfect cap to the end of a busy week.

The age of discovery

Tonight was curriculum night at the school. A chance for the parents to come to the class, without the kiddos and learn about the school year. I arranged for E to hang out with his Tia Claudia while I went representin'. Admittedly, I was shocked that only about half of the parents attended. It's Kindergarten! But I realize there are constraints and I also realize there are different parents. I was pleased to learn about his teacher, her credentials, the tight-but-fun ship she's running in her classroom and what we can expect from her and our kids. The big deal is homework--every night--starting next week. Easy stuff, but stuff nonetheless. Stuff I need to get a routine for now that sets a precedent for the years to come. Homework first, play later. Homework first, swim later. Homework first or nothing else later. The reality is, I struggled with this as a kid and even now. Why would I clean up when I could surf the Web, read a book, watch TV, anything? Maybe this will be a learning experience for me too.

The good thing is that there are still a few days before the grind of a five-minute daily assignment. And, until that time he can play first, play second and play last. His newest love is his miner's light, courtesy of Tia Claudia while mom was off being schooled on all things Kindergarten. He wanted to wear it all night, seeing everything in the house in a new light. Just like we both will be doing as we navigate this new world of school.

Bag lady

I haven't ever really been a shoe or clothes horse, but I do like a me a good bag. My tastes have evolved over the years and I am much more likely to go for big and roomy, enough to carry my camera, a book, toys for E and of course the usual essentials. This is my new bag for fall, Hurley's "Victoria" hobo bag. It meets all my current criteria and feels like buddah.

A 737 at 7:47

Just dropped my mom at the airport and I had an opportunity to snap a picture. Yes, I was driving. Yes, I was safe. No, I won't do it again.

Maybe.

Life's too short to carry an ugly pen

So say Retro 1951, the makers of the super cool and often whimsical Tornado roller ball pens like this one I just acquired. They write beautifully, even if you don't.

Pure nostalgia

On August 6 one of the film industry's greats left us. John Hughes came onto the scene writing, directing and producing films that helped define a generation of young adults struggling to define themselves. Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Weird Science (to name a few) brought the humor and teenaged angst to the big screen and eloquently illustrated the need for teenagers to identify as unique individuals yet have connection with others. He has disappeared from the landscape, retreating back to rural Chicago some number of years ago, but he has certainly not been forgotten.

Facebook was all a flutter with news and runs to capture the great one-liners and quotes from his movies. There was an instant connectedness that broke through the virtual barrier and it felt like we were sitting around reminiscing about the good times, laughing until our sides ached.

In honor of his contributions, a local art house theater ran a Hughes film marathon this week. Several of my friends and I ventured out for a double feature of The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, his only two films I hadn't seen on the big screen. It was a bit of crazy experience ... pure nostalgia ... like running into an old friend with whom you can pick up like no time has passed, while at the same time all-too easily slipping back into the same discomforts and awkward feelings of an earlier and seemingly distant time. Funny how I felt like I was right back in it all.

What a wonderful legacy he has left for a generation. My generation.

Moment captured

E and I met up with good friends Ali and her boys W and B for a splashingly fun play date and lunch. The boys loved the fountains. Laughter, squeals and little bare feet could be heard smacking the flagstone. Smiles were wide and contagious. I was so hard to pick a favorite, but I did in this one--a moment of pure happiness forever captured.

Here are some of the rest, too hard to ignore.

Time waster

If it's not Facebook, it's some game on Facebook that is stealing a lot of my time lately. Okay, I am allowing it to steal my time. We all have the same 24 hours each day made available to us and I choose to spend a fair amount of time playing Bejewled and damned if I am not at the top of the weekly leader board!

The art of being blonde

Every eight weeks I subject myself to foil and hot air to maintain my naturally chemically enhanced locks. It's totally worth it.

Buddies

This cool-as-a-cucumber-on-the-first-day-of-kindergarten mom is a blubbering mess day 3. My first a.m. drop off and I have no idea where I am supposed to park. E has me on a bit of a wild goose chase going through the neighborhood away from the school when I snap out of it and realize I am taking directions from my 5 year old who doesn't know where he's going. I flag down a school crossing guard who kindly directs me back to the lot I started to park in, but had initially hesitated. My anxiety is up as his Dad has already alerted me that breakfast is a bit chaotic, a lot crowded.

Chaotic and crowded is right. I feel like a giant hovering over what seem like hundreds of babbling boys and girls. As we make our way over to the cafeteria, E is met with a round of smiles and "Hey!". from several kids that don't look familiar to me, but he obviously knows. The breakfast line is pretty uneventful and he's able to type his passcode into the keypad at check out with just a little help from me. Once in the the cafeteria, two boys rush over and sit with us. A (now he's a boy I remember!) is a sweet boy and was a bit quiet at the start of last year. He was in Kindergarten when E started preschool and now he's a big-time first grader who can show E the ropes. A was much more chatty this time around, happy to tell me how much he loved his Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and smiled as he poured his chocolate milk over the crunchy squares. I grimaced elaborately and said, "Ewww, that looks gross." In total seriousness he looked up at me and said, "No it's not. It's really good."

I asked the three of them if I could take their picture and they happily obliged showing off, acting goofy, having fun, not a care in the world until E looked across the table at me and said, "Mommy! Where's my backpack?"

CRAP. It was in the car.

I looked at the Dad of the other boy, and asked if he would be there for a minute with them and I ran out to the car. When I got back, the boys were wrapping up and ready to go to the playground for the first school bell.

"Let's go, A!" E urged.

"I can't. I have to go back and get my backpack from the room." A replied.

E hesitated.

"It's okay. I can meet you guys on the playground," A assured him.

They scooped up their trash and we headed out. It was amazing the number of children on the campus. How quickly I have forgotten how crazy a campus can be. I was trying to just take it all in and the experience caused me to actually catch my breath.

The big clincher came when a gaggle of more big-time first graders clamoring for a piece of him on the playground surrounded us. They were so excited to see him. It was already a routine of smacking high-fives, hugging, hoarding secrets and running out onto the field arms grabbing and dragging one another all the while. I stood in amazement, wrestling with pride, comfort and a bit of angst as they laughed and talked over one another, poked and prodded and behaved like such boys.

I watched from afar and saw E in a new light, one of more independence and one that was fast forwarding way too quickly, splashing a whirlwind of images of what's to come. I almost felt frozen in time, while everything was spinning madly on. Abruptly, I was snapped back into reality when the friendly smile and cheerful greeting of one of the mother's of E's preschool friends walked up and gave me a hug; I hadn't seen Christine since the end of Spring. And that's when it started and came on fast--big sloppy tears and a heaving chest.

"My goodness, what's wrong?" Christine asked.

"Oh, nothing," I sobbed. Yes, sobbed. "This just all hit me. Right here. Right now. And I was fine on Monday; really I was."

She consoled me and offered such nice words of encouragement. She has two boys and has been through this with her older son. It was like she was in my right place at my right time. I was able to regain my composure and blow a kiss to E before heading out. It seemed I would never make it out of the school. The path was littered with children ages 5 - 12 all coming toward me, as though I was going the wrong way on a one way street.

I was almost to my car when I saw another preschool mom, Jennifer. Another safe and friendly face on this overwhelming day and the floodgates opened again. I was able to recover more quickly this time around after a good hug and agreement to catch up over lunch or Starbucks.

I ambled slowly over to my car as the events of the day replayed themselves in my head. I got in and just sat there savoring the quiet, the morning madness fading. I sat in there and cried. I sat in there and reflected. I sat in there and smiled and had an a-ha moment: This journey of his--our journey--of growing up and growing out is happening right on time just as it's supposed to.

Inside joke

In order to maintain my loyalty, there's nothing I can really say about this.

Big Day!

It seemed to never get here and yet, how the hell is it already time for my baby to be in Kindergarten. He was excited to start, a little cautious and slightly concerned he wouldn't be able to nap (surprisingly, since he hasn't napped at home in over two years).

The school was crawling with kids and parents and Mrs. D's class was no different. We found a hook for his backpack and spotted his place-setting at one of the tables. I was able to snap a few pictures before he had his fill and said, "That's enough Mommy."

His Dad and I were able to squeeze in a hug and kiss each - I can't even imagine the day when he will cringe at that - and we left the classroom taking in the moment. Another step forward in our collective journey raising this little boy, giving him the confidence and foundation to be successful at whatever he chooses. If that choice was to be made today, it would be a baseball player with the name of Dr. David Banner.

Here are some additional photos from the day...

A New Find: America's Tacos

All of America should be so lucky to have such a place. Their lard-free beans and carne asada street tacos (with house-made guac and carmelized onions) are muy deliciosa! Thanks to Claudia and Judy for the introduction. I will be returning.

Top Chefs

E loves being a help in the kitchen. He's becoming quite the egg cracker, whisker and scrambler. All this considering the first few years of life he wanted nothing to do with eggs. Now eggs are common place on the weekends and he even requests them for dinner.

What Up, Dawg?

A green pool, that's what. And while it makes for a nice contrast and pretty picture, the pool is officially closed until we can figure out what's going on.

Ahoy Matey!

ARRRRRRRR you ready for Kindergarten? As I walked up to E and his dad for Meet the Teacher night, it almost looked like E had a black eye. Fortunately, it was washable paint as part of his preschool class party and face painting today. Mrs. D thought the painted on patch was rather impressive and had a nice rapport with our little pirate. He's pretty excited for his first year of school.

I am too.

No More

My best friend thought this Project 182 thing would last 5 weeks before I gave up. I will have officially made it past her prediction this week and I am going strong. I love the challenge! Some days it is obvious what I will document; whereas others seem to unfold where I am not quite sure what will fall into my viewfinder. But something always does. Despite my enthusiasm for the project, it appears to be taking a toll on one of my oft-used subjects.

We'll see how easily I let him off the hook.

Gourmet Grill, Part Deux

This is as vegetarian as I will go. Spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, with EVOO and balsamic vinegar. Melted swiss and a little hummus spread on each slice of bread. Delish!

No, You Don't Know What YOU Are Talking About

I commented tonight that we bought the wrong markers for first day of school. Convinced I "don't even know what you're talking about" (E's new favorite thing to say to me) he says, "Mommy! We HAVE washable markers. I know where they are."

He disappears for about 5 minutes and comes back with markers for fingers, seemingly growing from his hands like branches. I had to snap his picture. Within seconds of the flash, the markers plunged to the floor in a magnificent splay of color.

His grip was impressive. I am not quite sure he could do that again.

And, for the record... they were not the right kind of markers.

When Spam is a Good Thing

Apples to Apples is my new favorite game where you try to define a word a player is asking you to define. Trick is, you are limited to the words in your hand to define it.

It's totally subjective and generates a lot of laughter, pleading and persuading. Case in point: My brilliant move to define "Offensive" with the definition of "Spam". It has several, if not all of the key elements of a perfect game. I will even go so far as to say If you don't laugh when you play this you don't have a sense of humor, or you are dumb, or both.

For really.

Rolling into August

There was more falling than skating, but E had a great time at buddy S's 5th birthday skating party.