Couzzes ala Bumbo

Can't think of anything witty to say because of my drool.

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Left to Right: Ben, almost 7 months; Soyboy, almost 6 months,

All neat and tidy in my very own backyard.
In matching bumbos.

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I love.

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Do You Remember the Time? (this is a really clever title if you think about it a minute)

Jaque-o and his family have been visiting this week. More to come.

Anyway, today we went to the beach. We walked in the door around 8:15, and I checked the computer. I don't know why...maybe it was because of the habit I developed long ago when kids were overly tired and they had to get ready for bed and I tried to run and hide somewhere. It didn't work then, but it's really working for me now.

I digress... I check the computer. The King of Pop was dead. I yelled out to the household (without regard for the feelings of others) MICHAEL JACKSON IS DEAD. Gasps ensue. And then I read the article that accompanied the headline. It stated that people would remember this day forever, that they would remember exactly where they were when they heard that the King of Pop had died, like unto when JFK was assinated.

So I thought I might share. I did a poll. This is where everyone was when they found out Michael Jackson, the King of Pop was dead:

Mommacita:

In front of the computer hiding like a baby.

Jenny:

Running up the stairs to fetch jammies

Ben:

In the bumbo.

Gracie:

Laying vertically on the stairs, moaning about how she didn't want to put on her pajamas and that she would just sleep there. Her head was on a different stair than the rest of her and was cocked to the left so it would fit on the stair. You know, like a pillow. (Just for the record, I had just asked the two girls if I could help them by doing eveything for them (all they had to do was lay there) and wailing ensued. Thus the hiding.)

Jake:

In the kid's bathroom, with Vulcan grip on a screaming Sophie trying to force her to brush her teeth.

Sophie:

In the kid's bathroom, in her father's Vulcan grip, squeezing the bubble gum flavored toothpaste as hard as she could so that there was a soft serve sized blob of toothpaste running down the side of the tube. Oh yeah, and she was vehemently defending her right to do it herself.

So yeah. That was where we all were when we found out the King of Pop was dead. And I kind of wanted to document it, even though I'm sort of ashamed of myself.

It appears that MJ loved purple AND kitties. Booyah.

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So ya. I'm dying to know, but only because it's like unto the JFK assasination. Where were you?

PS. Tonight we sat around the TV and watched MTV's continuous looping of Michael Jackson videos. We had so much fun remembering our lives as each song brought up memories of what was happening when the particular song was popular. I loved watching him move. He was a truly talented and gifted soul. Rest In Peace MJ, and teach Timmers to dance by the time I get there, would you?

Oly Power

A few days ago I received a phone call from a guy I know who works at the High School that all my kids graduated from. He was calling to ask if I would be willing to come to their Senior Awards assembly and give out a scholarship that the Athletic Booster Club sponsers in memory of Tim. Now I was aware that they gave out this scholarship because the year Mitch graduated, (the June after Tim's death), I had presented it. What I was not aware of, was that they have kept it going every year since.

I was heartened and touched that people other than our family are taking steps to keep alive his memory. I said yes, I would be honored to come, however as I said it I was kicking myself. I had been going through my files about 3 months ago, ran across the talk I gave 5 years ago, and thought, wow, remember this? Too bad I don't need it anymore... and I chucked it. So much for being inspired.

My kids have asked about what I said yesterday, to the entire school, and the parents of the graduating seniors. The stadium was full. So kids, here you go: the community was refreshed about your dad with this.... (I've deleted a couple of insignificant things..)

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ps. I want you to remember these things too

"Tim grew up in 35 miles NW of here, graduated from Law School, and was a trial attorney here in town until he lost a fight with cancer in November 2003. He and I raised 4 kids, who all graduated from here. Tim was athletic his entire life, and played from his childhood to just a few months before he died. The chemotherapy left him with residual numbness in his feet, but he still managed to move them on the tennis court with his friends. Athletics gives you the kind of friends who will invite you to play even it your feet might move a little slower because you are sick.

Tim not only played himself, but coached each of our kids as they grew up. I think he coached various teams for 13 years running. Along with the coaching, he supervised the Sky-ball Organization for several years, training other coaches, and covering our dining room table with schedules and brackets.

Tim was a rabid Oly fan. When our son was playing football, we would have the offensive line over for breakfast on game day. At 6:00 in the morning on that day, I would walk into the kitchen and discover that Tim had written on the orange placemats “Beat the Dirty Rotten Saxons” to get the boys pumped. When the team went to the state tournament, I would look around and there was Tim with all the other moms painting signs on someone’s garage floor. He was a member of the Athletic Booster Club for 10 years. At any athletic event, there was Tim, wearing orange garb that border-lined on the embarrassing.

I asked one of my sons how many kids that Tim had coached had gone on to play professional sports. The number was 2. I then asked how many had graduated from a 4 year university. We figured around 90 %. You can decide what you want about that, but I think that Tim knew how athletics teaches kids skills they use far beyond the court or field. He wanted his kids to have that, so he made it happen, enjoying life along the way.

I thought about what Tim would want to tell the student that is receiving the Athletic Booster Scholarship that bears his name. It came right to me, and this is it: Take these funds, and use them to help you learn every thing you wish. And when you have achieved your academic goals, take what you’ve learned, couple it with your standards and beliefs, and use that to build a better family. A happy family is what drove Tim to do anything he did. I hope that it drives you as well."

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5 bucks to the person who can identify who had a Nyquil Hangover

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PS. She got 1,000 bucks. Go O's.

Random bits of Freakishness

So I just have a few ribbons of thought that are twirling around in my head and may not be important to you, but I, on the other hand must like them because I'm throwing them at you like a tabloid throws information that you never needed, never wanted, and never asked for.

1. Speaking of tabloids, have any of you had enough of these two?






I am so sick sick SICK TO DEATH of being assaulted by their shenanigans when I am paying for my groceries. Quit the show and get your stinking stuff together and Pah Leeeeeeeze leave me out of it.


2. Speaking of groceries, a few days ago I purchased two of these





I purchased two of them because I was attracted to the giantsizedness and the freshness of them. They did not disappoint. I cooked them both together, thinking I would save one for the next day. They never saw the next day. Delish ee moseo. I suggest you go out right this second and get a giant sized artichoke for your eating pleasure.

3. Speaking of pleasure, I have a good one for you. Is Blogging Narcissistic?

Because I'm getting kind of sick of talking about me me me. My thoughts. My ideas. My world. My chocolate messes. My broken feet. My My My. Why should you care? I'm not so fond of the narcissists of the world. So now, am I one... because I am so self absorbed that I thought you would care about the fact that I don't like narcissists, even though now I might be one because I write this freaking blog? When I went to find the above visual on google, a bunch of sites came up about how to tell a narcissist on Facebook or MySpace. I learned just from reading the blips that Narcissists always put glamour shots of themselves on their pages. Well. That made me feel better, because 1st of all, I don't own a glamour shot and second of all I try like the dickens to keep my picture off this thing, for certain reasons that will remain unknown to you so I don't look like a narcissist.

4. Speaking of Dickens,

Today I was rummaging around in a closet, doing my favorite pastime of chucking stuff, and I came across a book entitled "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare"

I think to myself, "Hey Narcissist, you could probably profit from reading this book.People you admire have been know to quote this writer." And then I think "Where did this book come from anyhow, because I don't remember buying it?"

I concluded that one of my kids hit the jackpot when they married because they married someone who actually owns a book of this type, who actually travels with this book, and the in-law probably left it here on purpose maybe when they might of had a child born here under this roof, and they left it here to try and help me. Kind of like the Gideons and the Bibles in the hotels. When I read the book, I might be able to write more better, (see two sentences ago) and think more better (see content of this entire blog). But I'll still probably be a Narcissist because now that I realize that blogging might be narcissistic and if I continue blogging then that will mean my involment with this Freaking Blog makes me a you know what.

Geez, it's a lot of work being me sometimes.

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