Photo Blogging

As a burgeoning amateur photographer, it seems only fitting that I share some of my latest artistic attempts. These were taken today and as a series are titled, Chalk Talk.

It Was Just Another Manic Monday

The Bangles had their version, here's mine.

1. 6:30 a.m. - Rise later than planned.
2. 6:30 a.m. - 7:15 a.m. - Emerson squeals and hollers through most of the morning.
3. 7:45 a.m. - Pack up the car and Emerson informs me, "Poopy diaper mommy!"
4. 7:52 a.m. - Drive to school and change his diaper in school parking lot as his class is already at breakfast which will mean more effort if I take him to his classroom to change him.
5. 10:30 a.m. - E-mail out to entire department the famous Priority List (it's basically the dpt's list of hot projects and deliverables for the week and it runs about six pages long) only to receive several e-mails from recipients saying things like, "Uhm, are you sure this is the right one? I don't see my project updates). Sure enough, the two hours I put into it on Friday afternoon were gone. Since I don't make it a habit if working hard and then saying, "No MS Word, I don't want to save the changes. Please trash all this work and don't save it in the recycle bin or anything either." I have to believe it was a brief moment of temporary insanity on my part or know that computers can really screw up. They CAN!
6. 12:11 p.m. - By the narrowest of margins miss any opportunity of going to lunch with anyone and thus run out to get something and eat at my desk.
7. 2:oo p.m. - Attend a meeting on a project that has had as much luck in getting off the ground as the Brady's had on their ill-fated Hawaiian vacation. This could be the week we pull the plug.
8. 5:52 p.m. - Cruising down the freeway en route to safely pick up Emerson with a few moments to spare, when out of nowhere brake lights storm the freeway, across all lanes of traffic. Standstill. Thank goodness for cell phones and Gama Kathy who is two minutes from daycare. Agree to meet her in the parking lot so that we don't risk a late pick up fee.
9. 6:05 p.m. - Arrive in school parking lot only to see that Emerson's BRAND NEW shorts are covered in paint. Nice.
10. 6:06 - 6:20 p.m. Emerson is only happy if we play 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' song on my cd over and over and over again. Thus, the reason the repeat button was invented.
11. 6:20 p.m. - 7:05 p.m. - Emerson is a DREAM BOAT while we are at Best Buy (picking up stuff for work) and Cost Plus (picking up stuff for us).
12. 7:15 - 8:15 p.m. - Dinner and story time (my favorite part of the day) proves fun and pretty uneventful.
13. 8:20 p.m. - Begin making copies of disc from department team building day. Start blogging.
14. 8:40 p.m. - Check laundry and assess damage of load washed and dried while secretly accompanied by a dark purple pen.
15. 8:50 p.m. - Make a tortilla with warm honey and call it a day.

My Favorite Song Right This Second

Chocolate by Snow Patrol. It's one of those songs that you can just play over and over and over again and never get sick of it. Never. Ever. I have even found a cool way (thanks to Cynthia) of sharing the lyrics with you!

snow patrol

music song lyrics

Lara's Must List for August

Read
1. Real Simple Magazine - I get ideas from there every single issue.
2. This Is Not Chick Lit: Original Stories by America's Best Women Writers, edited by Elizabeth Merrick. It's available in stores today and I will be picking up my copy this week.

Watch
1. House Season 1 on DVD
2. Jason Mewes in Clerks 2

Hear
1. Snow Patrol - Duh - they are all I ever blog about anymore.

What's New?

1. Emerson has officially transitioned to his big-boy bed and he loves it. Makes for great story time because we can both get under the covers "Cover MOMMY!" and read. A big milestone that makes me feel proud, happy and a bit nostalgic for my little baby Emerson.
2. My Harvey's Seatbelt bag, made from real seatbelt material and lined with actual flight suit material. It's in a great neutral dark brown and will be my cool bag for Fall.
3. My love of my newly discovered Wailin' Jennys 40 Days cd. Really beautiful, like a more folksy, less poppy Corrs.
4. My OPI Japanese Rose Garden polished little piggies. They look perfectly pink and summerrific.
5. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, which I will be cracking open today. I hunkered down and finished A Confederacy of Dunces. A literary summer it is turning out to be.
6. Another blogger hits the web. Let's give a warm welcome to Tristin! Her blog can be accessed from my Links section on your right.

So, what's new with you? (and if you are a fellow blogger, you are actually reading this as "Tag, You're It!"

What I Know for Sure

Claudia's post on musings reminds me a lot of Oprah's What I Know for Sure. So, since I have been officially 'tagged' by her blog, here are my musings, or What I Know for Sure...

1. Relationships are about the most important thing in life.
2. Self care may be THE most important thing.
2. A child's laughter can turn your world around.
3. I couldn't get through the world without my son, music, laughter and the other good people in my life.
4. Life is too short for crappy books and crappy people.
5. When you have more, do more; when you know better, do better.
6. Sleep can be a hobby.
7. Mexicans make the best food.
8. Italians make the second best.
9. We are all really connected.
10. There is beauty in everything.

I am sure there are more. But this was at first blush...

What I am Not Loving Right Now, a List

1. That the weekend is already over.
2. Emerson's tantrums.
3. The uncertainty of certain things.
4. How freaking hot it is.
5. A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole.
6. The Jeff Buckley songs that Claudia uploaded to my iTunes. I am just not digging him.
7. My lifelong craving of bad-for-me food.
8. My messy room.
9. How slow as sap my computer is. Maybe I will buy Claudia's iMac...
10. That Emerson has to get his ears re-tubed.

What I am Loving Right Now, a List

1. The start of my summer tan (and summer's only halfway over).
2. Emerson's burgeoning (and often repetitive) vocabulary.
3. Snow Patrol - Great lyrics and sound. Chocolate and Chasing Cars are two fabulous singles.
4. My anticipation of Studio60. Finally a network is recognizing that while Sorkin's a drug addict, he's a brilliant tv writing sniffer.
5. That Alix is coming to town in a few weeks.
6. My new MAC eyeshadows - Satin Taupe and Naked Lunch. With names like that, how could you not like them?
7. The wicked-cool team-building day my boss and I have planned for our team.
8. So You Think You Can Dance? Uhm, yeah, the 12 finalists can kick up them heels!
9. Emerson joining me in the mornings for some best-way-to-start-my-day snuggles.
10. It's the weekend, baby!

Oooooh Mexico

By the numbers:

4
Roadtrippers - Claudia, Cynthia, Judy and Moi

80
Songs across three road trip mixes

1
Kick-ass condo

3
Flat screen tvs in said kick-ass condo

108
Cards comprising a deck of Uno – the only game at the condo

6
Banana Boat rides

4
Members of an annoying family that yelled to communicate

1.5
Political discussions

5
Sun burned body parts

2
Unsavory meals for Judy

40
Dollars for tequila that makes the BEST margaritas

100s
Pages read

0
Regrets

Chasing the Sun

This weekend three of my friends and I are taking a girls' weekend to head south of the border for some good food, good company, good sun and good times. It's 11:40 the night before we leave and par for the course I am still doing laundry. BUT, my road trip mix has been made. I have really tried to focus on the important things.

Having the Fourth of July holiday on a Tuesday just really threw me off and I thought I had more time to prepare - like a whole day more. Oh well. It won't really matter when I am sittin' on the beach with a 'rita, a good book and my shiny new toe ring that I just bought, now will it?

It will be one of the longest times I am away from Emerson, but he will get some good daddy-bonding time. I can't wait to see how excited he will be when I return. Selfish, I know. But I need to treasure this time that he squeals in delight at the sight of his mother.

My suitcase is calling me, in muffled spurts, "pack me up woman...take me somewhere exotic..."

Tiene un semana muy fantastica! (or have a fantastic weekend)

Lara's July Must List

Read

1. All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg - a fantastic memoir
2. Girl's Poker Night - by Jill A. Davis - great summer read by a former Letterman show staff writer.

Watch

1. Nip Tuck - Disc 1 - on DVD
2. A Prarie Home Companion on Screen
3. Nothing on TV

Listen

1. A Prairie Home Companion Motion Picture Soundtrack

Sunday Morning

Tenis Anyone? Everyone?

That's not what you think. Nope, not at all. While you may find other typos in my blog, tenis is not one of them. Tenis, pron. tee-niss, rhymes with penis. Emerson knows he has one; and very likely he thinks you do too.

So how does he know this? See, all of those people that say things - They - say that you should always encourage your child to refer to their privates by their actual names and not embarassing cute names that will forever haunt them (like my brother's 'carrot' or my friend's college roommate who had a 'cookie').

Believe it or not, my not-even-two-and-a-half-year-old son has been coached to follow They, the experts.

He recently became SUPER aware of his penis to the point of always holding it at diaper changes and often while in the tub. So, following the wisdom of They, I started saying things like, "Honey, let go of your penis, mommy needs to clean you up and put on your new diaper." or "You can play with your penis once mommy leaves the room." (Really, why ignore the inevitable?).

So this morning, while experiencing the VERY BEGINNINGS of potty training, Emerson took off his diaper to sit on his potty. After nothing happened, he walked around for a while proclaiming to all who would listen that the potty was "My Potty!" I assured him it was indeed, his potty. Shortly thereafter, the possession changed to his 'tenis'. "My Tenis! My Tenis, Mommy!" Proud as only a mother can be, I again assured him. "Very good honey, that IS your penis."

And then, the tables turned.

"Mommy tenis?" as he pointed to my lap?

It took everything in me not to laugh.

"No, mommy doesn't have a penis."

"Mommy tenis?"

"No, honey. Mommy doesn't have a penis."

"Gamma tenis?"

"No, honey. Gamma doesn't have a penis."

"Tia tenis?"

"No, honey. Tia doesn't have a penis either. Only you and Daddy have a penis. (and here's where, if only for a split second, I contemplated full disclosure and decided to go for it) Mommy, Tia and I each have a vagina."

He stared at me, not quite sure what to say. After looking around the room, he marched away from me and shouted, "MY TENIS!" and sat down on his potty.

Shutterbug

I recently got a camera that will be more than I need. Ever. But I have been practicing with it and am enjoying an amateur shutterbug status. Here are some shots captured today.

Two Pots

Desperate Times

Afternoon Sun

Check out the cute ones of the boy here.

Shuffle Up

I have been tagged by Claudia's post as to what popped up on her iPod when she switched to the random party shuffle mode. Well, here's what came up on mine:

1. Lose Yourself - Eminem
2. We Are One Body - Sophie B. Hawkins
3. Hella Good - No Doubt
4. If I Could Be Where You Are - Enya
5. Wildflowers - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
6. Take Me Out to the Ballgame - Ronnie Neuman
7. So Alive - Ryan Adams
8. Desafinado - George Michael
9. A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel - u2
10. Firecracker - Ryan Adams
11. How Do You Keep Love Alive - Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
12. New Orleans Insturmental No. 1 - R.E.M.
13. No Myth - Michael Penn
14. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
15. Under Pressure - Queen with David Bowie

Give Me a Boost...

I am a major products junkie - skin, nails, makeup - all that kind of stuff. My hair, however, has always been neglected. Don't feel too bad, though. I think my hair is one of my stronger features. I regularly get it cut and highlighted, but have never been big on mousse or gel, just a quick spray. See, my hair - lovely as it is - is super fine and super thick (read: HEAVY). Quite frankly, I never bought into the marketing or packaging of hair products that lift and volumize and bouffant and all that. PHOOEY, I thought.

Or so I thought...

On a mere whim, perhaps it was the 111 degree temperature yesterday that rendered my reasoning nil, but I splurged on a fancy hair product. Root Boost by TIGI - Catwalk claims to be a "spray for texture, lift and style support for all types of hair." It should be noted that 'all types of hair' reads to me like 'one size fits all'. It'll fitya, but we ain't gonna say how well.

But what really intrigued me in my heat-induced dementia was the second claim:

Precision application allows you maximum design control.

TIGI is telling me that not only will I be able to lift my hair, but I will be able to design it with my very own precision application process. For a mere 12 bucks, I could be a graphic designer of hair.

I was totally seduced. Mesmorized. SOLD. I couldn't wait to wake up on Monday to shower, towel dry my hair and begin my masterpiece.

Now, I am a simple hair girl. No fancy updos, twists, curls or even french braiding. So of course after shaking well and then spraying directly onto my head, I realized I had erred. Fortunately, the moussie-like texture caught me and I quickly recovered and applied a small amount in my hand and worked it into my scalp prior to blowing dry.

I have no photographic proof (yet) but I assure you this Root Boost met its claim and then some. AND it kept my roots boosted all day long and allowed me a cute poofy ponytail at the end of my 12 hour work day. I am thrilled. I am buying this stuff by the case so that my weighted down roots can forever be boosted.

You are welcome.

But seriously, you don't have to thank me. I mean really, who am I to keep a secret like this under wraps? We should all be so fortunate to have access to all the tools of the trade. And, I - Lara - am a giver.

My Most Inspiring Movies

Cynthia has challenged us to list our most inspiring movies; this after watching the AFI's 100 most inspiring movies. She has been perplexed on what makes a movie inspiring and is wondering what it means to others. Truth be told, it will be very different for all because inspiring can and does mean very different things. Just take dictionary.com's take on inspiring.

INSPIRING

1. To affect, guide, or arouse by divine influence.
2. To fill with enlivening or exalting emotion: hymns that inspire the congregation; an artist who was inspired by Impressionism.
3. To stimulate to action; motivate: a sales force that was inspired by the prospect of a bonus.
4. To affect or touch: The falling leaves inspired her with sadness.
5. To draw forth; elicit or arouse: a teacher who inspired admiration and respect.
6. To be the cause or source of; bring about: an invention that inspired many imitations.
7. To draw in (air) by inhaling.

So, with this many meanings, our choices will likely be very different.

Here are some of mine:

American Beauty - Not in the traditionally inspiring way, but the acting, directing and total movie was an inspired effort during a time when it's really hard to find a great movie. I loved the part with the bag blowing in the wind and the neighbor saying that there really is beauty in everything. I totally believe that. You just might have to squint your eyes to see it. But it's there.

The Breakfast Club - We all may be different on the outside, but most of us have a shared desire to fit in and belong somewhere.

Field of Dreams - If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Ray reconnecting with his father was inspiring.

Forrst Gump - Persistence pays off.

Mad Hot Ballroom - Everyone deserves the same opportunity, regardless. And when you give people opportunities (especially children) you will be amazed by the results.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Always be willing to ask questions; always challenge if you are concerned. I feel like I do this with Emerson's health care, but I can't say it was BECAUSE of this movie.

Parenthood - Families come in all shapes, sizes and personalities and sometimes the craziness of family is the best part. Family can and should always have your back.

A River Runs Through It - First and foremost, the scenery is inspiring - breathtakingly beautiful it instills a sense of calm. The movie also shows the tale of two brothers each on their own path each making mistakes in life and that through those mistakes they grow.

Say Anything - I think almost every straight girl (even the Diane Courts of the world) wanted to go find their LLoyd Dobbler. Also coming of age tale highlighting that we all learn our parents are people too - they are mortal and make mistakes.

My Inquiring (albeit tired) Mind Wants to Know...

Does Sean Lennon ever smile? Has he ever been happy - even for a moment - in his life? Every picture I have ever seen of him, he looks miserable. We really don't even know if he has teeth. Really, we don't.

Why is it that you get the coupon for a free 8 x 10 from Shutterfly if you just spend $25 by June 20th, when in the past two weeks you have spent over $200 at Shutterfly.

That's it. My mind isn't super curious right now. Mostly tired and those were two things that popped into it. Just now. Really randomly.

Dance and Sing/Get Up and Do Your Thing

Madonna had us dancin' and singin' and gettin' up and doin' our thing! Fortunately, Deejah and I were in the first row of our balcony level, though, and we didn't have to stand unless we wanted to!

Madge, or for you Kabbalah fans - Esther, rocked the hizzouse. At 47 years old the girl can still kick it AND in a white unitard. That's right. It appears the only fat this girl has is her breast tissue and that big ol bank account.

Fans were not disappointed by the 20 track set, which was primarily comprised of songs from her newest cd, Confessions...Mixing with a few tracks from Ray of Light and a skoch of old school tunes (Live to Tell, Erotica, Lucky Star, to name some).

Madonna and her uber-fit dancers put on a show to envy all shows. The performers were taught, the choreography was tight and the evening was titillating!

I would go again and again.

Vacation Recap

Vacation is over and it's time to get back into the swing of things.

This past week has been a real gem. Emerson and I traveled to Green Country to visit my dad, stepmom and other close family (brother, sis-in-law, aunt and cousins). It was the second time that Emerson had been there and he just had a grand old time.

The week was a leisurely one with a good mix of fun. Swimming, reading, napping and picture taking topped the agenda most days with some good food thrown in there too. Fortunately, tantrums were low on the list of Emerson's To-do's save the one he threw at the University Bookstore (right across from Gamma Lynn's office). As we ignored Emerson (in hopes of diffusing the rants) he looked up at Gamma Lynn' s assistant Johnnie and whimpered, "Help me." Nice way of making the family look good, Emerson!

Following are just a few of my favorite pics. You can get more at Emerson's blog (see right for link).

Soaking Up the Rays

Playing with Uncle Marsh

GO TEAM!

Picture Perfect with Gma Lynn

Handsome Boy

Papa's Love

Flower Power