Quotes Of Late

Luke: Mom, I'm a lion.
And Ethan, he's a panda bear.
And Daddy, he's a monkey.
Me: So what am I Luke?
Luke: Ummm, ummm . . . . you're the Zookeeper!

Ethan (out of bed way past bedtime): I need to go in the bathroom Mom!
Me: Do you have to go pee-pee?
Ethan: Blank stare
Me: Do you have to poop?
Ethan: (rolling his eyes, exasperated at me) . . . Just let me surprise you, okay?!

Me: Ethan, what do you want to be for Halloween?
Ethan: Snoopy!
Me: Well, what if Mommy can't find a Snoopy costume (since no kid has dressed up as Snoopy since about 1986)?
Ethan: That's silly Mom! I'll tell you how to find it: just drive to Target and pay some money.

Ethan (talking super-loud and pointing at my Mom's coffee table): Look at the crap! Look at the crap, Mom!
Everyone in the room: silence, jaws dropping, trying to figure out how he knows that word and why he's saying it.
Ethan: Look Mom, it's right here, Grandma's crab!
Everyone in the room: Oh, the CRAB, yes, that's Grandma's decorative metal CRAB! (who knew sea-themed Pottery Barn decor could be so confusing?)

He's 4!

Ethan's big day, August 26th:

Hugs from Snoopy (this was a highlight for him)

Rides with DaddyGoofing off
Rides with Lukey
Strawberry Cake with Rainbow Sprinkles (his special request) and Tonka Truck wrapping paper
We had a fabulous time celebrating as a family yesterday. We love our sweet Ethan-boy!

Fastest Way to Ruin a Day:

1. Call your medical insurance company with a simple request
2. Get transferred to a "pre-auth department"
3. Debate the term "medically necessary" with grouchy employee
4. Get transferred to a supervisor
5. Repeat debate on the term "medically necessary" with grouchy supervisor
6. Determine verbal debate is all for naught and ask for a fax number to submit appeal
7. Get the fax number for the "appeals department supervisor"
8. Draft appeal letter and fax
9. Realize you have no phone number to confirm arrival of the fax to the appeals department since no one will reveal their direct line to you
10. Rant to your husband about the unfairness of it all
11. Start the process all over again tomorrow

ARGH!

If I Were A Park Designer . . .

We spend a lot of time at parks. It's what you have to do when you have the combination of practically perfect weather with practically no backyard.

Living in Irvine has made park snobs out of me & my friends. There's so many options that we start to hyper-analyze them. To make the cut for an organized park day a park needs: 1. clean restrooms, 2. shade for Moms & kids (okay, mostly for Moms if I'm being truthful), 3. a large table to put out our buffet-like snack spread, 4. to be away from any major, high-traffic roads, 5. entertaining enough to allow semi-uninterrupted chatting for at least 1 1/2 hours.

The "Bike Park" fits the bill nearly perfectly. It's basically a mini-autopia track for kids with an added bonus: it is completely enclosed by a key-entry-only fence. The kids are free to ride and roam the hills, tunnels, bridges, and climbing trees to their hearts' content.



Bless you Bike Park Engineers for making this Mom's life a little easier!

Time Marches On

Ethan turns four next week and I'm continually amazed at how grown-up he's suddenly become. I've never been one of those Moms who clings to the newborn stage (too many memories of sleepless nights burned into my brain), but occasionally it hits me that his babyhood is slipping away forever.

Here's how I know he's really BIG now:

• He has terrible morning breath
• He keeps better track of Luke at the park than I do
• When he's bored with a TV program he gets up and turns it off
• He knows how to climb in and buckle the straps of his carseat
• He feels the need to give babysitters his own set of instructions, such as telling one that his little brother doesn't eat cheese (what?!), so poor Luke got his pizza stripped down to the sauce.
• He matches his clothes better than most adults when he dresses himself
• He finally stays in a shopping store cart (you know, now that's it's about the time I actually wouldn't mind him walking next to me)
  
• He has an opinion about which iPod playlist we listen to
  

Luckily, before I get too depressed about this emerging independence, he manages to slow the transition for me.

Here's how I know he's really still my BABY:

• He woke up at 2:45 last night asking me to sing him one more verse of I am Child of God
• He's STILL frightened of the waves at the Beach
• He hasn't yet asked for a Halloween costume that includes a weapon, fake blood, or a cape as part of the ensemble
• He suddenly forgets how to buckle his carseat straps at the times when it would be most convenient, like when we're already 10 minutes late to preschool.
• He still asks to bring his favorite blankie just about everywhere
• He is completely unable to whisper in church
• He gives me really good hugs and kisses
• He still thinks it's hilarious to draw (or in this case stamp) on his skin

Luke's Birthday List

Item #1 (of 1):
A Lion.
A Real One.
(And "No," Luke insists, "he will not be scared of it." However, "if the Lion gets scared he can sleep in my bed, okay Mom & Dad?")

Do you think renewing his Zoo pass counts?

Proposition 8

Generally I'm not a political person. While I do try and keep afloat of the major headlines, following the ups and downs of an entire campaign exhausts me, or I find myself depressed by the dishonesty and underhandedness of it all. However, I believe some issues hit at the core of my moral beliefs and cannot afford to be ignored. Proposition 8 seeks to amend the California constitution in order to protect traditional marriage between a man and a woman.

On Saturday I had the opportunity to knock on doors of registered voters in Irvine to poll people's opinions on Prop 8 and make them aware of the consequences the failure of this bill will have on families. Although I initially felt terrified to do this, I found that it was not as scary as I had expected. While many people politely agreed or disagreed with my stand on the Proposition, several were unaware or undecided. I hope that the discussions I had with these people will motivate them to consider the issue and vote in November.

This article on my church's website is the most comprehensive article I've read about why traditional marriage should be preserved.

This article gives interesting information about religious liberties that have or can be threatened if marriage is redefined.

Endless Summer

Because I've been watching this:going here:

reading this:
and entertaining these wild things:
there's just no time to blog.

It should be Summertime all the time.

Happy Day

Here's a few pic's from my cousin Tricia's wedding reception yesterday. Congrats to her & Keith!!