Life lessons from Mr. President

The kids watched President Obama's speech today in class with their teacher. This, after the inane hubbub about whether the President was overstepping his bounds by orating to our children about the importance of responsibility in education. (PSHAW! Shame on him!) And yes, I was floored when they sent out permission slips to the parents to opt-out of having your kids not watch the speech and instead, do some alternate activity during the 20 minute duration of the speech.

When I asked Hannah and Luke about President Obama's speech this morning (what they thought of it and what they learned) they both proudly exclaimed, "We learned about how important it us for us to take responsibility for our education. Not exaggerating the quote. From my 4 3/4 year olds.

OK, how can you NOT LOVE that 4 year olds were able to take away that message from Obama today? There's certainly nothing partisan about some classic messages:

Stay in school.

Work hard.

Dream big.

Achieve your goals.

And, OWN it. Your education, your future.

Love it. Love it.

I will play this speech for them every year before they start school in the fall. I swear.

Speaking of the (im)mortal...

...My kids are now somewhat obsessed with vampires.  And specifically, they are obsessed with him.

Yes, Edward.

Edward Cullen.

The Edward Cullen.

So, how did this happen?

Well, sometimes, instead of reading books to them at night, my husband and I make up stories. They saw me reading New Moon one night (which is the 2nd in the Twilight series of vampire novels) and asked me what it was about.  And I proceeded to tell them that the story is about vampires and werewolves.  And just like that...they thought I was the coolest mom for reading such a cool book about such cool mythical creatures.

Then they asked me to tell them a story about it, and so I did.  And thus, I began with the story of how Bella met Edward the vampire.

And now, just like the millions of tweens, teens and other adults out there who can't get enough of Bella and the Cullen family, they are hooked.  Especially on Edward.   They think he's just the best thing ever because he's a good vampire who doesn't eat people but has super-powers.

Wow, they learn fast about pop culture phenoms, don't they?

Explaining mortality to a 4 1/2 year old

Yesterday, we took the kids to the "Touch a Truck" event to benefit pediatric cancer research.  My friend and colleague, Andy Mikulak, formed the non-profit Max's Ring of Fire (which hosted the event) after the passing of his beautiful 7 year old boy Max to neuroblastoma (an aggressive childhood cancer) last August.  We were there to not only offer our support but also enjoy a family-friendly outing that we knew the kids would enjoy.

We had attended Max's "celebration of life"  last fall after his passing, so the kids still remember Max and continue to talk about him as if they actually knew him -- when in reality, they have never crossed paths.    

But to my kids, Max continues to be their hero because of his strength and courage in his 4 year fight against the horrible cancer.  And when they talk about heaven, they mention Max.

Every so often they ask about his cancer and are perplexed as to why he was so young when he died.  My grandmother passed this past February and they "got" that she was old and lived a long life, but they still sometimes don't understand what happened to Max.

L: Mommy, why did Max die?

Me: Because he was very, very sick.

L:  What made him sick?

Me: He had a disease, which is a sickness, and it's called cancer.

L:  Was it because he didn't wear socks or have his shots at the doctor?

Me:  No, honey...sometimes it just happens.  But, wearing socks and getting your shots at the doctor can help you stay healthy.

L: But, why?

Me:  I can't explain it honey. But, this is why it's always good to be as healthy as possible in the things you can control...like eating your veggies, exercising and other stuff.

L:  So even if you do all that stuff, you still may die?

Me: Yes, honey...but this is why it's good to treat your body in the best way possible and that includes what you eat and making sure you get physical activity. So, this means that you shouldn't let Grandma and Grandpa take you to Big M (McDonalds) too much because the food isn't very healthy.

L: Oh, OK.

Me: So, does this means you will try your veggies?

L: (long pause)  Um....No.

________

Despite the conversation that this event sparked between my son and I on mortality, I still think of Max often and am in awe of his courage and his vivacious spirit.   I often use him as an example of the brave warrior in all of us who is now smiling upon us as an angel in heaven.

Catharsis

dearest kids,

(breathe. breathe. breathe. deep. breaths. ooohhhhm.)

i am showing restraint right now by writing in my blog instead of marching into your bedroom like a drill sergeant and ordering you to go to bed.

it's 10:30p.m. and you are still up laughing and giggling and fighting and playing in the corners of your dimly lit room.

do you know that i have to wake you up at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow morning so i can make it in time to get myself together, get you together, feed you breakfast, eat my breakfast, lather you up with sunscreen, make your lunch, make my lunch, take you to preschool...all so i can make my 8:30 a.m. meeting at work??? (all this without any make-up and with my hair barely combed)

i know there are things i can do differently so it's not a battle every night when we put you down for bed and so that i am less tired when i wake up every morning.

like separate you.
or take the toys out of your room permanently.
or take down the nightlight and have it be completely dark.
or not keep you up with me to watch Idol, or Survivor or some other silly reality show.
or not stay up after i've put you down to surf the internets & facebook, or do work.

but i haven't acted on those ideas.

you know why?

because i inherently have faith that you will be able to deal and work through it. because you're 4 now.
and because i have an aspiration that instead of changing my habits, you may even adapt (even though i know it's unfair to expect from you).

or maybe sometimes i just don't want to deal which is why i am sitting here typing and venting instead of intervening and telling you for the 7th time to go to bed...because i'm so dang tired.

and that if i do go in there and intervene, i may have a mommy-dearest moment and say something i don't want to say or say something in a tone that i will regret later. and that you will be angry with me and resent me.

or maybe i'm just hoping that at some point ignoring your late-night-you-really-should-be-sleeping-banter is OK and that in a few minutes i'll have peace and quiet as you slowly fall into slumber.

......

which is what i now have, 25 minutes into typing this post.

whew.

ok, that felt good.

good night.

Happy birthday, my sweet padawans

The things we do for our kids.

Like this.

Just because we can. 

Yes, this is the fight scene from Star Wars, Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith.  This is the one where Anakin Skywalker turns progressively to the Dark Side and at the very end of the movie he is in a fight scene with Obi Wan Kenobi in the lava fields of Mustafar.  This is right before he loses his limbs and burns himself...only to then become Darth Vader.  

 Queen Amidala, his heartbroken bride gives birth to young twins Luke and Leia - who are hidden and separated at birth so that they are spared from the evil forces of the Dark Side. 

And from there begins the saga.

Happy 4th Birthday, my precious little ones.

And may the force be with you.

Why I haven't been blogging lately

Yeah, I know.  Excuses, excuses:

Kids and family.

Work, work, and more work.  (it's kicking my ass right now!)

Busy weekend schedule - birthday parties, travel, Lord knows what else. 

Obama campaign volunteering, with 14 days to go.

Did I mention work?

Internet surfing to satisfy my internal political junkie and obsession with this campaign.

Would. Rather. Sleep. 

(OMG, where the hell did October go?!)

Blog topics that I will attempt to cover in the near-term, time permitting:  

• Funny (and appalling!) stories from my campaign involvement (and the myriad 80 year olds I seem to have to call from my canvassing lists)
  
• Camping with the kiddos, Take 1 (or, how to avoid having your 3 year old twins whine all night  when sleeping in a tent in the great outdoors)
  
• Family reunion (I guess I now understand why we only seem to do this every couple of years)
  
• Birthday party planning (I can't believe my babies are  actually kids now!)
  

You see, I actually DO have a lot to say and share; there are just not enough hours in the day to write about them.  

Q4 is here

October 1 marks the beginning of what us calendar year fiscal year corporate folks call Q4.  So, no doubt, things are really, really busy.

For everyone else, it marks the beginning of the "holidays" which it seems starts earlier and earlier every year.   And with the holidays, comes the kids' birthday (along with the Star Wars-themed party I must plan along with it) - their 4th.

OMG.

Where did the year go?

And where did my babies go?

4 1/2 months old, April 2005

 

Almost 4 years old, September 2008

The Skills You Can Learn @ 3 years old!

This past weekend, my husband hooked up the kids' new computer in the playroom...complete with parental controls and favorite bookmarks of our carefully chosen online learning games, of course.

With my husband and I both working the in the tech industry and tapping on our computers in the evenings sometimes when we need to finish work at home, it's no surprise that they have been showing interest in computers for a while now.  And we decided it was time.

So as I watched them play their "fine motor skills" and "literacy-building and storytelling" games on the Sprout/PBS kids website, I sat there behind them proudly and was constantly bemused by the fact that our 3 year olds were clicking around on icons and learning how to work the mouse.   They can't read yet, but they knew exactly where to click once we gave them the short tutorial.   I knew this would come soon enough, but wow, at 3?!!

Part of the reason I think I was so amused was this: I don't think I knew how to work a computer and type until I was in high school (and in the late 80's/early 90's I  think they were still called "word processors"...how funny!)

And now, here is this new generation of our children for whom computers, the internet, etc. is a part of their everyday existence...

Unfortunately, this morning before preschool they woke me up to see if they could play on the computer again.

Uh-oh.

Thank goodness they haven't yet discovered games that you actually play for regular fun instead of learning fun.  Or worse yet, the Wii.

Ah, summer - 'twas good seein' ya

After the abyssmal Chargers-Broncos game yesterday where we disappointingly lost (subtext: were cheated), we decided to drive the 15 minute jaunt over to the beach to enjoy the last bits of the weekend and savor the last few nights before Summer officially turns into Fall.

The wind was a bit chillier, the water was a bit colder, and the sun was barely peeking out from the gray clouds as if to say, "Autumn's almost here... enjoy every last bit of this lovely late summer afternoon."

Of course, it was like, 60 degrees, but then again, I've become thin-skinned a total cold-weather wimp since I've moved to Southern California. I was sad to have been wearing a long-sleeved shirt in September...in San Diego of all places. But then again, it is almost Fall.

The surfers were out in full force, Luke was in regular form running circles in the sand (as only a 3 3/4 year old cooped up watching football in the house all day could be), and Dave and I were fully in the moment...enjoying the lovely stroll along the beach knowing that in another month we would be breaking out full-on sweatshirts, long pants and close-toed shoes.







There could be worse places to live, I guess.

(as I gloat :)

Birthday cake, yum, yum

We've been on the late summer birthday party circuit these days (think 5 birthday parties in a 4 week span...and we're not yet completely through it!). For some reason, late August - early September is B-U-S-Y with birthdays.

As a tribute to our friends' kids who have recently celebrated birthdays we've attended, I thought I'd post a few party photos of every kids' absolute favorite part of the party - CAKE!!!!

(The goody bag handout ranks high with our kiddos, too)

And of course, a piece of cake is often followed by sugar-induced exuberance.

Here's a chronicle of their sugar-high, cake loving (and eating) adventures at various friends' parties.

Back to school blues

Hannah and Luke start preschool again on Monday. And I am feeling mixed emotions about their return to school.

On one hand, I am excited because they've had a nice, activity-filled summer with grandma and grandpa and I think they are ready for more structured days and play-based academic learning again.

On the other hand, I feel nervous.

Why?

Because, based on the recommendation of their last preschool teacher and the director of the school, we are putting them in different classes for the first time. With different teachers. And at some point they will be making different friends alltogether.

And I guess it's okay, since of course, as twins, it is inevitable that they would eventually split up as a "unit"...but at 3 years old? I've only known them together, doing almost everything together.

But, the obvious rationale here is that they need to develop independently -- socially, academically, physically. And better to get that established sooner rather than later.

Still, I am anxious about our decision. Hannah is the independent, the pensive and methodical one...the thinker. She is also Luke's caretaker -- she loves to mother Luke. She is also painfully shy and relies on her very gregarious brother. Luke on the other hand, is the social butterfly, the life of the party, the physically active one as well as the problem solver. He is also very sensitive and needs his twin sister.

They are two unique individuals with their own demeanors who will eventually choose their own path...I know, but still, I wasn't ready for this yet.

We've prepped them the last 2 weeks that they would not be together at school, except for a few times in the 4-year old playground, and they seem to be OK with it.

Despite this, I feel angst. And I also feel a little sad. Going back to school means that the summer is pretty much over. And going back to school also means that my babies are growing up.

Priceless

(Multi) million dollar babies.

Yes, but aren't they all?

Some are more literally than others.  With all the news of the recent births of famous twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon and the the stupidity and absurdness double digit millions that entertainment mags are willing to pay for the right to publish their baby photos, it made me think about the $400-ish bucks we've shelled out in recent years for each of our professional photo sessions chronicling the growth and progression of our lovelies.

Here are a few of my favorites from the photo shoot we did with the kids when they were almost 3 years old.  The location of the photo session was right in our own backyard at the Ranch House in our neighborhood community...

And here are a few more going back in time when the kids were almost 2.  Location this time was at Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach.

Now, they may not have the famous parents to warrant a professional photo shoot for Us or People or OK! mag but they are our precious twinsies.  And they are priceless.

So, no additional photos of ridiculous Frette nursery bedding linens handmade in Italy or images of sterling silver rattles or shoots of Dave and I decked out in the latest couture caressing our swaddled infants here (save that for JLo)...just good old natural photography reflecting our kids just the way they are in real life.

And isn't that what good photography is about?  

   

Birthday Fun

Ah, birthday parties. We've been going to a lot of 'em lately.

And we all love 'em for different reasons.

For the kids, it's time to have a blast with their friends. Time to have cake. Time for goody bags. Time for jumpy or whatever form of entertainment the party hosts have provided. Time to celebrate with the lucky birthday girl or boy. And for Hannah, time to break out the new party dress and matching hair accessory.
For us parents, it's time for the kids to be entertained for a few hours, and hopefully not by us. Time for the kids to tire themselves out (to facilitate that nap). And time to socialize (even it it's interrupted at least 10 times to run after the kids and figure out what they're doing) with the other parents.

So Hannah, Luke, Dave and I came out for a friend's daughter's birthday party extravaganza recently at Santa Fe Sur Community park in RSF and boy, was it over-the-top fun. (Belated Happy Birthday Soph!)

First there was the good old jumpy.

And then there were the pony rides.

Of course, bring out the live music entertainment complete with accompanying sing-along instruments and other accoutrements to grab kids' attention.

And then to top it all off (literally) the yum, yum, yummy sangria and wonderfully catered BBQ for the kiddies and us mommies and daddies.

All for for little Sophie who just turned 2 years old.

And a great time was had by all on a wonderful Sunday summer afternoon. Certainly, the bar is set for the next birthday party!

(As I start to feel insecure)

In fact, I think I'll reserve that space now at PumpItUp or Helen Woodward Animal Center for Hannah and Luke's birthday #4 in December.

Think they'll be booked?

Part 2 of the Luke & Hannah Chronicles (more from Year 1)

More baby photos of our not-so-babylike-anymore babies.  

My, how fast they grow.

Photos! (Finally....) Year 1 (0-6 months)

I started blogging again to document Hannah and Luke...me...Dave...US.  But since I have re-started my blogging endeavors, I have yet to actually do a retrospective and chronicle the last few years together (as my Catholic guilt sweeps over me...seriously).

So here goes...and it all starts here.

And hot dayummm!

Why is it so darn hard to post photos as a WYSIWYG?

I guess I'll start another post with more photos then...

Chapter 2, more from Year 1 is forthcoming.