Notes for my kids' therapist

March forth!

2011-03-04T09:35:00.002-06:00

Every March 4th, I think of Chris Edmonds, and this story I did about her in 2005:

Source: BY SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS , The Wichita Eagle

ADVICE FOR TODAY: 'MARCH FORTH!'
-- A PUN MADE 30 YEARS AGO HAS EVOLVED INTO A WICHITA WOMAN'S OWN PERSONAL HOLIDAY.
March 4th.

March forth!

Today isn't just another late-winter Friday. Today your calendar is giving you an order:

Reach high.

Laugh hard.

Dream deep.

March forth!

Chris Edmonds heeds the directive. Nearly 30 years ago, a high school classmate passed her a note. She doesn't remember what it said. But she recalls her reply:

"Happy March 4th! March forth!"

The girls giggled at the play on words. The rest of the day, they shouted "March forth!" to everyone they saw.

Edmonds has honored March 4th ever since. She calls it "my own personal holiday."

She sends handmade cards to friends and family, and they send cards to her. Some are serious, with scripture verses:

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. . . . In the same way, your light must shine before men, so that they may see goodness in your acts and give praise to your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5:14-15).

Others are fun -- a watercolor butterfly with the sentiment "Don't just flutter by. March forth!"

Forget your mistakes.

Throw paint on the canvas.

Seize the day.

March forth!

"To me it's about hope, about optimism," said Edmonds, 46, who directs young adult ministries for the Catholic Diocese of Wichita. "Over the years, as I've shared it with people, I've noticed it's a transformative thing.

"You see their faces light up. They realize that life's not so bad. What's done is done, and this is a new day."

Set sail.

Find a way.

Live out loud.

March forth!

Edmonds wants the whole world to celebrate March Forth. People have told her she should trademark the holiday, sell her cards to Hallmark. It could be big. Really big.

"That would be too commercial," she said. "It's not my day to own, it's my day to share."

She feels the love every March 4th. Her mailbox fills with cards and letters from friends all over the world. People see the date and remember her, and her phone rings nonstop. They call with greetings and good wishes. Some sing songs.

One year she heard from a friend who had recently lost her job. "I just clung to 'March Forth,' and it got me through," the woman told her. "I may not know what the future holds, but I knew March 4th would come, and everything would be OK."

Start over.

Start now.

Amaze yourself.

March forth!

This year March 4th falls on a Lenten Friday, a day of penitence rather than celebration. She'll bring cookies to the office, but small ones.

"It's meant to be light and fun," she said. She marks the occasion in little ways, by fixing a favorite meal or attending the garden show to drink up spring. And she basks in the positive energy that comes from knowing people all over the world are thinking of her.

Friends in Maryland, Texas, South America and New Zealand. Friends all over Kansas. People who don't even remember her birthday (it's in November, by the way) will call her today and say, "March forth!"

And she'll reply, "March forth!"

"I never dreamed a silly little play on words could end up being so meaningful to people," she said. "But I love it."

March forth!

Most brutal Valentine's Day story ever...

2011-02-09T13:51:00.004-06:00

My colleague Annie Calovich and I were reminiscing about Valentine's Day stories and just remembered this one from 2004. A classic. I'll never forget hearing that painful, botched wedding proposal on my morning drive to work.

Here is an excerpt, along with the full transcript of the radio show. That was back when we had plenty of space for such treasures.

Saturday, February 14, 2004

Page: 1A
Source: BY ANNIE CALOVICH, The Wichita Eagle

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE FOR LOVE

It's Valentine's Day, people. Have a little heart...

.....

One poor man laid a big Valentine's egg on Friday - ear-witnessed by thousands of people listening to the radio on the way to work.

"Walter" was the last of five people to propose on the air this week during the annual Five Proposals in Five Days promotion that disc jockeys Brett Harris and Tracy Cassidy of B98-FM do every year leading up to Valentine's Day.

The way the promotion works, a man comes into the studio and calls his beloved on the phone, live on the radio, and asks her to marry him. In five years, no woman has ever said no.

Until Friday.

After Walter told "Katie" that he knew he could never be with another, that he knew she needed structure and someone to take care of her, that her eyes were like pools and her touch like a feather, he was met with the dreaded radio silence. And then:

"Absolutely not. Not now. Not ever."

Her anger was palpable. His voice choked and faltered ("I'm sorry, sweetie, but I do love you").

The phone line eventually went dead. Katie had hung up. Brett and Tracy, like all their listeners, were in shock. Among the first words spoken were Tracy's, offering to give Walter a list of counselors. Walter, declaring that he loved Katie, simply walked out of the studio and straight to his truck.

The song "Have You Ever Been in Love?" -- chosen, tragically, with a differen t outcome in mind -- was queued up, giving the disc jockeys a chance to gasp off the air.

"It should have been J. Giles -- 'Love Stinks,' " Brett said afterward.

While e-mails flooded the radio station -- saying everything from "Bless his heart" to "He should have seen the signs" to "Can I meet this guy?" -- Brett got Katie on the phone after the show and asked her to come on the air Monday to give her side of the story. Still sounding angry, she agreed. Tune in during the 8 o'clock hour.

'Will you marry me?'

Here is the transcript of a marriage proposal made Friday morning during "The Brett & Tracy Morning Show" on B98-FM. Walter is in the studio with Brett and Tracy. Katie is on the phone:

Brett Harris (talking to Katie): Do you know a gentleman by the name of Walter?

Katie: Uh, yeah.

Tracy Cassidy: He happens to be with us this morning.

Brett: Yeah, hang on one second here.

Walter: Hi, sweetie.

Katie: (Pause.) Hello.

Walter: I just wanted to let you know that when I met you I'd never be with another. What we've been through these long last eight months has taught me one thing, and that's to lead with my heart. And so that's why I'm calling you this morning on B98. I know the one thing you need more than anything right now is structure, someone to depend on . . . someone to take care of you. Your eyes are like pools, and your touch is like a feather. Monday night you said you could spend the rest of your life with me, so I ask you this morning: Katie . . . will you marry me?

Katie: (Audible sigh.) Absolutely not. Not now. Not ever.

Walter: Why not? Sweetie . . .

Katie: Please tell me this isn't on the air.

Walter: Yeah.

Brett: We are on the air.

Katie: Ohhhhh, gee.

Walter: Are you all right, baby?

Katie: How could you do this to me? You're so manipulative, putting this kind of pressure on me. You know I'm not ready. You know I've been seeing other people. Uhhh. Where are my kids right now?

Walter: They're at Mom's.

Katie: I can't believe you've done this to me. I am so embarrassed right now. (Heavy sigh. Silence.)

Walter: I'm sorry, sweetie, but I do love you.

Brett: Walter? Um, Trace? Hold it.

(Dial tone.)

Brett: Oh no. She hung up on him.

Tracy: Uh, Walter, um, maybe you should come and let me give you a list of good counselors. This might be a real good time for that.

Walter: I'm sorry. I'm sorry about this. I gotta take a walk. I'm sorry.

10/365: Snow, finally.

2011-01-10T09:57:00.003-06:00

Woke up to fresh powder, which is always nice. Even when school's not cancelled.

9/365: Decadence

2011-01-10T09:55:00.004-06:00

Ready for snow with a cup of Mayan hot cocoa (hints of cinnamon, vanilla and ancho chiles!) from Cocoa Dolce. This stuff is awesome. Many thanks to Sherry Chisenhall, who lent me the cocoa mix after she saw me all excited about free "hot chocolate" from the office vending machine. :-P

8/365: Coffee at Panera

2011-01-09T08:57:00.001-06:00

Saturday morning coffee with Tara and Alice. Good times. :)

7/365: Report card pizza

2011-01-09T08:56:00.003-06:00

Great report cards on Friday, so the kids got Pizza Hut for dinner.

6/365: Keeping Christmas

2011-01-09T08:53:00.005-06:00

This week's column was about how I love my Christmas decorations and don't feel like taking them down just yet. Least of all these awesome nutcrackers in the kitchen.

5/365: Muscles

2011-01-09T08:53:00.002-06:00

4/365: Nerf warriors

2011-01-04T20:54:00.002-06:00

Celebrate life

2011-01-04T11:49:00.001-06:00

“Celebrate life. We tend to be so focused on efficiency and convenience that we forget to invite our children to share in life’s messy or inconvenient pleasures: finger paints, late-night fireworks, mud puddles, the sunrise, baking a cake. The pure joy of a moment fully lived is more precious than clean hands, an hour of lost sleep, dry shoes, or a perfect dessert.”

-- Katrina Kenison

3/365: Back to school...

2011-01-03T19:02:00.002-06:00

And not very happy about it.

Resolution

2011-01-03T13:51:00.003-06:00

Borrowed from this awesome list of resolutions.

World's Best Snickerdoodles

2011-01-02T18:06:00.004-06:00

This recipe is from the "America's Test Kitchen" Holiday Cookies 2010 cookbook. And it was the best, most delicious surprise of our last holiday baking day.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 3/4 cup sugar, divided

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in bowl.

With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each until well-incorporated.

Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture gradually and mix until just combined.

Combine cinnamon and remaining (1/4 cup) sugar in bowl.

Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls with moistened hands, toss in cinnamon-sugar to coat, then place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake each sheet separately until edges are light golden brown and centers are soft and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating each sheet halfway through baking.

Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

2/365: Baby Jesus

2011-01-02T18:03:00.003-06:00

Put a few Christmas decorations away today. Part of me wants to keep the Little People nativity set up all year.

Project 365: This will require some caffeine...

2011-01-01T11:37:00.010-06:00

I'm launching a resolution today, hopping on the Project 365 bandwagon. Will take a photo a day in 2011. Decided to kick off the project with a shot of my new best friend. Thanks again, Mom and Dad.

Notable moments, Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T19:11:00.003-06:00

1) Jack knocking on my bathroom -- yes, BATHROOM -- door at 6:30 a.m. and then, once I emerged, staring up at me and saying, "It's Christmas!"

2) Hannah in the living room after aforementioned wake-up call, shaking her head and declaring, "I TRIED to hold him off until 7, but I'm sorry. I couldn't do it anymore. I . . . I just couldn't."

3) Randy walking into the living room, squinting and holding his head exactly like The Old Man in "A Christmas Story."

4) Jack looking into the sunroom, where the Christmas tree and all the presents were, and saying, "There's a FREAKING BIKE in there!" Classy.

5) Unwrapping my new Snuggie, a present from Jack. His hints were: "You'll laugh, but it's useful," and, "It starts with an S." :)

6) Getting the most incredible gift from my friend Sandy: a beautiful pair of hand-knit mittens. For years now, I have watched her create masterpieces with yarn -- socks, scarves, blankets, mittens, you name it -- during our girls' ballet classes, and I'd always joke, "Are you done with my mittens yet? I can't wait to wear my mittens!!" I'd even try things on and say, "Yes, yes, this will work very nicely..." It became a running joke. I never DREAMED she would actually bless me with a pair. This morning, Hannah handed me a box that was tagged from "A little elf." It was the fiddlehead mittens! Sandy's note said, "Who could possibly enjoy these more than you?!" True. I was speechless. What a treasure. (I had to chuckle, too, thinking about Sandy saying, "THERE!! Now stop hounding me!!" Hee.)

7) Making jambalaya (Bo Rader's recipe) to go with the ham, potatoes, pie, etc. Our family loves that recipe so much, we might just have it every Christmas as well as on Super Bowl Sunday, which is when I usually make it. Heck, we might just have jambalaya for every single holiday from here on out.

8) Using my NEW KNIVES to make the jambalaya. Yes, I said NEW KNIVES! NEW KNIVES!! My hubby's the best. :)

9) Randy feeling better after several days with a horrible cold and sinus infection. Antibiotics prescription called out by our doc turned out to be his favorite Christmas present. ;-)

10) Uncle Brad being released from the hospital and being able to join us for at least part of Christmas Day. And Uncle Davy being home from Dallas for Christmas for the first time in several years.

11) Hannah hooking up her iPod to the computer for the first time, watching it sync and saying, "It's doing things! Things are happening!!" I think she may have earbuds in her ears for the next, oh, 12 years or so.

12) Carl's traditional Christmas Eve get-together, complete with the traditional Chicken McNuggets, Coke salad and plates of brownies marked "Nuts" and "No Nuts."

13) Phone call from the Perez family on Christmas Eve, making sure I knew that Papa Perez was posting old cheerleading videos of me on Facebook. Because nothing says "Merry Christmas" like embarrassing videos of your mullet-headed high school self doing dance routines to Gloria Estefan.

14) Laughing hysterically as we set up and shot our 2010 Christmas card photo. That's right, we may be a little late with our cards and letter this year, but it'll be worth it. (Or maybe it won't be worth it, but at least you'll get something besides holiday bills in the mail. So stop griping.)

Merry Christmas, everyone. Hope yours was as crazy and happy and unforgettable as ours. I'd love it if you posted your favorite holiday moment here. :)

Early resolution...

2010-11-19T15:33:00.003-06:00

Last night I got to hear and meet one of my all-time favorite writers, David Sedaris.

He said he has kept a diary for more than 35 years, writing something every day -- memorable moments, jokes, comments from fans, descriptions of hotel rooms, interesting conversations, just whatever. During that whole 35-plus-year time period, he has skipped "maybe 50 days," Sedaris said.

Fifty.

And I can't keep a blasted blog going for more than a few weeks at a time? Must rectify. Starting now.

Prayers for Kelli

2010-01-31T20:52:00.002-06:00

In tears right now trying to wrap my head and heart around this news from a high school friend of Randy's. She's one of the most upbeat, positive women I know -- a middle school English teacher, which pretty much says it all, right?

Not really sure what to think or say or do, except to say that I'll be praying for Kelli. Y'all please do, too.

Frugal

2010-01-12T10:34:00.002-06:00

Remind me never to complain about my kids not making the most of school supplies.

The taste of autumn...

2009-09-05T20:56:00.008-05:00

September is here. The windows are open (we've got an unusual early fall in Kansas). So I couldn't wait to make the season's first batch of caramel corn.

I got this recipe years ago from Alice, who got it from one of the pressmen at The Salina Journal. It's sticky and gooey and awesome and perfect. Here you go:

CARAMEL CORN

2 sticks butter or margarine

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking soda

air-popped popcorn (8-10 cups?)

peanuts (I use unsalted or honey-roasted, Alice swears by Spanish peanuts)

Important note: After you pop all the corn, sift through it well to remove all the unpopped kernels. Otherwise, someone could break a tooth. Seriously. I pop it all into one side of our turkey roasting pan, then transfer it by handfuls to the other side (lid), and throw away the tooth-breaker seeds.

Combine first five ingredients in a large-ish pot or saucepan (this bubbles and boils quite a bit). Heat over medium to medium-high heat until boiling. Boil, stirring constantly, for five minutes. Remove from heat and add baking soda. Stir. Syrup will kind of whooosh and turn a nice caramel color. Pour over popcorn and peanuts in a large roasting pan. Stir until everything is coated well. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour, stirring well every 10 minutes. Cool on wax paper, then transfer to airtight container (if you don't eat it all off the counter).

'Glide-to-ride' makes biking easy

2009-08-02T20:56:00.002-05:00

Jack took a bicycle safety course last week, and it reminded me of the day(s) he first learned to ride without training wheels.

Then I thought about how that process consumed us -- it was all he thought about and, consequently, all we thought about for days and days and days. Thankfully, we employed a pretty foolproof method that I share with other parents every chance I get.

Here's a column I wrote about the "glide-to-ride" method, published in The Eagle in June 2007:

I'm thrilled to announce that the Tobias family is 2-for-2 in successful bicycle instruction, after my 6-year-old son learned to ride without training wheels last week. (Insert joyous applause, high-fives and relieved sighs here.)
I'd love to take credit, but I can't. The secret was something I call "The Glide-to-Ride Method," a strategy advocated by Bob and Ruth Holliday, owners of the Bicycle Pedaler in Wichita.

"Twenty-seven years in this business, and it's never failed," Ruth Holliday told me recently. "I've even used it on adults."
Not long ago, she said, a woman came into the store to buy a bike -- and some lessons. Her son wanted to go riding, but she had never learned how.
Holliday took the woman into the store parking lot, "and within two hours, she was riding," she said. "It was such a thrill for her."
Indeed, riding rocks. And it's possible to learn without scraped knees or frayed nerves, using the Hollidays' step-by-step method:
* First, make sure the child is ready. A clear sign? He asks you to take off his training wheels. Older brothers and sisters often act as catalysts.

* Think safety. Whenever he rides -- with or without training wheels -- a child should wear a helmet and shoes that won't slip off. Also, a beginner's bike should have a foot brake.

* After removing the training wheels, adjust the bicycle seat. The seat should be low enough that the child, while seated, can put his feet flat on the ground. If it's still too tall, consider buying or borrowing a smaller bike.

* Find an open, paved area with a very slight incline. A parking lot with a slight grade works best, but even a driveway on a cul-de-sac is OK. You don't need lots of room, but you'll want to avoid traffic and other distract ions.

* Have your child sit on the bike and dangle his feet on either side. Have him walk the bike, taking little steps, on a flat area. Eventually, encourage him to "leap" -- picking up both feet at once -- to get a sense of balancing longer distances.

* Take the child to the top of the incline and have him coast to the bottom. At this point, he still should not pedal. If he feels like he's about to fall, he should simply put his feet down to stop the bike. Repeat this step until he can glide down several times with his feet an inch or two above the ground.

* Next, have the child coast down the incline with his feet on the pedals (but not pedaling). Repeat until he feels secure.

* Finally, have the child pedal the bike once or twice on the way down, to get the feel for balancing and pedaling simultaneously. By that point, most usually take off riding.
The method takes more patience than courage, a fact that my cautious daughter appreciated a bit more than my daredevil son. But riding off by himself, Jack's final review echoed my own:
"This feels so easy!"

For today...

2009-06-23T11:57:00.005-05:00

From The Simple Woman's Daybook:

Outside my window ... I can see the Keen Kutter building and a blue, blue Kansas sky.

I am thinking ... that my lunch was nourishing, both physically and emotionally.

I am thankful for ... our neighborhood swimming pool. And the soft pretzels with cheese they sell at the concession stand.

From the kitchen ... this chicken salad recipe rocks the house.

I am wearing ... khaki capris and the orange/brown patterned top I got at Gordmans during that shopping marathon with Tara. We need to shop again.

I am creating ... a back-to-school special section, coming to your Eagle on July 23!

I am going ... to eat some gummy bears.

I am reading ... "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan." Well, I'll start reading it as soon as I pick it up from the library. I just finished "Then We Came to the End."

I am hoping ... that my dad's shoulder replacement goes well next month.

I am hearing ... typing, telephone conversations and a police scanner.

Around the house ... there are a whole lot of wet towels and bottles of sunscreen.

One of my favorite things ... New "Harry Potter" movies!!!

A few plans for the rest of the week ... setting off fireworks in Andover, swimming, barbecue with neighbors, food/friends/fireworks at Tim and Kristen's. Oh, and finishing a whole lot of work before the holiday weekend.

And a photo to share...

New reading spot...

2009-06-03T08:11:00.004-05:00

And oh, how I love it. :-)

Currently reading "Then We Came to the End," which is sad and funny and scary and true. Highly recommended, but be warned: It's about layoffs. (I know!! Hilarious, right?!)

Ballet time!!

2009-05-23T16:13:00.009-05:00

That means makeup time and costume time and hanging out with all my Dance Mom peeps, which isn't a bad way to spend a weekend.

Title of this year's performance for Rogers Ballet was "Hats Off!" Hannah was in two numbers -- an ice skater (see Courier & Ives-style skating-on-a-pond hat, above), and a Scottish dancer with a glengarry cap. Here's a pic of that one:

Ballet concert time is bittersweet busy, know what I mean? It drives you absolutely crazy while it's going on (especially for loser seamstresses like myself, who are forced to figure out how to tack tutus and stuff). It makes for long days and nights, but when the girls are up onstage and smiling and dancing and really LOVING it, like Hannah did this year, it really is worth all the work.

God, that was sappy and cliche. Sorry, I'm tired. So instead of writing anymore, I will just share some photos (most are by my wonderful photog hubby, of course).

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T09:55:00.004-05:00

It's one of my favorite days of the year, because of adorable handmade presents like this -- and, of course, the snugs and huggles. I love these kids.

Interesting campaign strategy...

2009-05-09T08:24:00.002-05:00

I think she wants a hot tub.

Carlos and me, we're likethis

2009-05-08T10:49:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week I spoke to Hannah's fifth-grade class about my life as a reporter. I talked about how I come up with story ideas, decide who to interview and put it all together into something understandable and, with any luck, entertaining. I also explained that working for a newspaper is like a new adventure every day.

This morning, I got a bundle of thank-you notes from the students, including this one:

Dear Mrs. Tobias,

We appreciate you giving us your information. It taught us a lot. For an example, when you said it's hard to think of something. Well try figuring how to make my sister happy. It's like we're the same, like you have to work all day and I also. It's hard to find information, like me. Also, we both go on long adventures, just like me when I'm all over the place at home doing chores. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Carlos

Bakugan: It's Japanese for "Let's see how much the idiot American parents will spend on THIS!"

2009-05-04T20:54:00.011-05:00

The Boy has a new obsession.

These little plastic marbles-turned-monsters are called Bakugan (the plural, to the best of my knowledge, also is "Bakugan"). You buy them at Target, Wal-mart or wherever plastic toy crap is sold.

He was into Yugioh for awhile, and collected thousands of cards. (Thankfully, the majority were hand-me-downs from generous friends and relatives.) Now this. Each ball comes with thick magnetic cards that cause the Bakugan to open into its fierce skull-face or dragonoid form.

I cannot begin to tell you what the forms mean, or how they battle each other, or exactly what the "G points" are, but Jack would be happy to explain it all to you. He's tried to explain it to me, but after about the 20th consecutive minute my eyes start glazing over and I just nod and try to find my happy place. That place would be one with games like Monopoly or Phase 10 or Apples to Apples. You know, fun stuff.

A single Bakugan with a few cards is $4.99. A set of three is $12.99. Jack's allowance is $8 every two weeks, so you do the math. If this game teaches him anything, it will be patience.

Full Tilt...

2009-04-20T15:40:00.002-05:00

Jack had his first Tilt-a-Hurl experience on Saturday, and my friend Alice was there to witness and record it all on her iPhone.

He started by eating all the requisite birthday-party food: pizza, Pepsi, cake, ice cream. Then he got on the ride, which lasted about five minutes. He and his buddy, Mark, seemed to love it, so they got right back in line and rode it again -- five more minutes of tilting and spinning. Wheeeee!!

And it was all great fun until about 10 minutes later, when Jack started looking a little green and told me he felt sick. We raced to the bathroom, then to the car to head home.

Poor little guy had a serious G-force hangover. Lasted about an hour or so. Not sure when/if he'll ride the Tilt-a-Whirl again.

2009-04-17T11:11:00.004-05:00

My friend Kollen says he thinks his 4-year-old daughter -- who is "pretty bright, natch" -- is ready for some read-aloud chapter books. "Any good ideas?" he asked. "I guess 'Little House on the Prairie' is the obvious one, but she may not be able to follow or be interested in all that."

Have to agree there. I adored the "Little House" books as a girl, but when I got them back out to read to Hannah (she was about 5 at the time), I realized that some of the chapters went on and on and ON. I remember one that included a detailed account of Mr. Ingalls building a door, for example. Not exactly intriguing stuff for a preschooler. (Granted, it could have been me. Yawns did not help the presentation.)

In any case, I offered my friend some alternatives to consider. Then I put out a call on Twitter and Facebook and got a whole bunch of great suggestions. Here's the list.

** The Junie B. Jones series. (These early chapter books are sort of a love-it-or-hate-it thing. I happen to LOVE them with all my heart.)
** "Charlotte's Web" and "The Trumpet of the Swan" (E.B. White)
** "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" and "Runaway Ralph" (Beverly Cleary)
** Winnie-the-Pooh (the original A.A. Milne books, not the Disney stuff)
** "Because of Winn-Dixie"
** "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"
** the "Little Bear" series
** Amelia Bedelia
** the "Fudge" series (Judy Blume)
** Magic School Bus series
** Magic Tree House series
** the Captain Underpants series
** "The Boxcar Children"
** "James and the Giant Peach"
** "Harold and the Purple Crayon"
** the "Henry and Mudge" series
** "Flat Stanley"
** "Babe"
** the "A to Z Mysteries" series ("Canary Caper," "Quicksand Question," etc.)

More suggestions? Please add them here.

The Bunny Bread Saga (or Things We'll Remember About Easter 2009)...

2009-04-11T17:47:00.005-05:00

Every year (since 2001, when the recipe graced the cover of Quick Cooking magazine), I have made bunny bread for Easter. We dig out the little belly area and fill it with veggie dip, put the bunny on a bed of lettuce and surround him with vegetables, and it's a pretty dang cute centerpiece for an Easter meal.

Up there is a shot of this year's creation, sculpted with care early this morning, brushed delicately with egg and baked to perfection. I put it on the counter to cool (posted a quick photo of it on Twitter/Facebook), and joined Randy in the backyard.

About five minutes later, Jack came screaming through the screen door yelling, "Izzy knocked the bunny bread down, and I think she's eating it!!"

Aaaaaaaand, cut to this scene:

I'm not making another one. This will stand as a crystal-clear reminder of Easter 2009: The year we got that stupid dog.

Things making me happy right now...

2009-04-11T14:47:00.006-05:00

Sometimes, when you haven't updated your blog in almost two months and people start to hassle you about it, you gotta just jump back in and post something and not waste time explaining or apologizing for having been such a slacker. So there it is.

Some things making me really happy right now:

*** Cadbury Mini Eggs. They're not just my favorite Easter candy. They're my all-time favorite candy, period.
*** Watching birds at the bird feeder outside our kitchen window.
*** Listening to Hannah and Sammi play American Girl.
*** Running into former Eagle editor Jerry Ratts and his wife, Mrs. Ratts, at Dillons and chatting for 20 minutes.
*** Holiday traditions, like Bunny Bread.
*** A weekend off.
*** Goofing around with the Dance Moms every Monday and Wednesday.
*** Awesome neighbors.
*** Hannah getting into the Pre-IB program at Robinson and being so excited to start middle school.
*** Looking forward to Oma and Papa's visit in about a month.
*** Getting right back on that blog train. :)

Life list

2009-02-28T16:03:00.006-06:00

Saw this here and thought it would be fun to play along. The rules: Bold the things you’ve done, and post on your blog!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Still waiting to see Cuba, though.)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Ack!

2009-02-27T13:29:00.002-06:00

This is my boy's latest school picture.

I've described his weirdo expression as "something between come-hither and creepy." But I think I prefer my friend Denice's take, after I posted this on Twitter: "I think he was channeling Hugh Hefner -- or maybe Heath Ledger -- just a little."

There's so much going on here that I absolutely love:

His hair. It's an overgrown surfer-boy/bowl cut, but it looks like some parent or photo assistant tried to sweep it to one side to make it look less unruly. Now it just looks overgrown and ridiculous.
His highwaters. I swear the boy grew about three inches in one night recently, but I figured we could make it to shorts season without having to buy new jeans. And then.... Picture Day. Curses!!
That cheesy bubble-letter name feature in the background. How fortuitous that Jack's head covered up the "J," resulting in a particularly fitting "ACK." My sentiments exactly.
Yeah, we're ordering the big package. We'll be needing these photos for Jack's wedding reception.

She speaks/writes the truth...

2009-02-22T09:33:00.001-06:00

Warning: Contains explicit language...

2009-02-14T17:03:00.016-06:00

I wrote a story this week that, for some odd reason, ended up on the Yahoo home page and got more than 4 million hits. [EDITED TO ADD: I just learned it was Farked, too. Oy.]

I didn't know this, because none of my stories have ever gotten 4 million hits, but 4 million hits translates to several hundred e-mails. And several hundred e-mails means at least a dozen total kooks.

You know, I forget that most people have no idea of the kind of e-mails I deal with on a daily basis -- neither the quantity nor the delightful quality of the correspondence. There must be something about pounding out an angry e-mail to a reporter that makes people feel better about themselves, because they do it all the time. (If you're familiar with Opinion Line or the comment boards at Kansas.com, you know the types of delightful correspondence I'm talking about.)

So a couple days ago, I wrote the little story about the East High kid who caught an error on the state writing assessment. Pretty innocuous, entertaining little human interest story, right?

Not according to "UpNorthMan" (his e-mail name), one of several people who felt the need to speak out -- and how -- about my ridiculous excuse for a job. Here's the thing: I *never* respond to these sorts of folks. I usually feel like ignoring them and just letting them vent in my e-mail inbox is taking the high road, no matter how tempting a wise-crack response might be. (I often type up responses, share them with colleagues Denise or Beccy, and promptly delete them. It helps.)

But this time, I couldn't resist. I'm sharing the whole e-mail exchange here to give you just a tiny peek at my highbrow professional life. (NOTE TO MOM: You might want to hold your ears.):

UpNorthMan:
Dear Writer,
Why would you waste your time writing about something as STUPID as this. Who cares if they made one mistake on a test and some dumbass kid found it. Guess what, it happens every day. We are all human, we make mistakes. Next time, why don't you try writing about something that acutally matters in the world. Ass Wipe

*******
Me:
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment.

*******
UpNorthMan:
Your welcome, smart-ass.
Next time you should write about something that actually matters.

*******
Me:
Thanks again. And I believe you may have meant “YOU’RE welcome."

:-)

*******
UpNorthMan:
F*** YOU.

***************************

Gosh, I love my job sometimes.

Seven things you might not know about me...

2009-02-11T09:32:00.010-06:00

I procrastinate. Big time. Proof: My Twitter buddy Scott Hepburn tagged me in this "Seven Things" game way back in December.
I love winter, even when it's gray and bitter and nasty. I don't like icy roads very much, but give me a cold day over a hot, humid one anytime, especially now that we have a fireplace. I absolutely love snow, and feel cheated whenever it snows and I don't have a chance to go out and play.
I'm a bit of a pyromaniac. (See No. 2.) I love to start fires, tend fires, stoke fires and throw stuff into fires to see whether/how it will burn. To me, campfires are the absolute best part of camping, and I don't even like s'mores all that much.
My husband was engaged to someone else when we met. (What can I say? That just wasn't meant to be.) We met on a road trip from Wichita to Denver, where we covered a story about an injured Kansas soldier being reunited with his family. That day, in 1991, also was the day video footage of the Rodney King beating was first broadcast. We watched it on CNN in the hotel bar after we got to Denver, at about 2 a.m.
I was an extra in "Bull Durham." (Actually, almost everyone I know *does* know this fact about me, because I slip it in to conversations at every opportunity. This is just another example.) The movie was filmed in Durham while I was a student at N.C. State, just down the highway. Producers put out a call for extras for crowd shots, so my roommate and I drove up there to be part of it. We're in the scene where the Bulls play the Asheville Tourists -- a night game.
I have a bionic leg. OK, it's not really bionic, but I do have a titanium rod down the length of my right shin. I tripped over a doll stroller in April 2006 and badly fractured both bones in my right leg. Spent a week in the hospital and a couple months in physical therapy, and although my leg is pretty much back to normal, it still gets achy every once in a while. I swear it has something to do with the weather.
I've never seen "Citizen Kane." (Does this make me a horrible journalist?) It's been on my to-do list for, like, decades. I've just never gotten around to it.

Buffalo Chicken Dip (or, "Ode to Texas Pete")

2009-01-25T11:02:00.006-06:00

More than a year ago, Randy was assigned to shoot portraits of Wichita State basketball coach Gregg Marshall and his family for the WSU sports department. While at the Marshalls' home, he was served what he later told me was the best dip he has ever eaten in his life.

"Did you get the recipe?" I asked.

"No," Randy said, incredulous. Like he would *ask* Gregg Marshall for a recipe! Puh-leeze.

"How good was that dip?" I asked.

"OK," he reconsidered. "I'll get the recipe."

He got it, on an index card in Lynn Marshall's handwriting: "Buffalo Chicken Dip." And I knew it was, in fact, an awesome recipe when I saw "Texas Pete" listed as one of the ingredients. I didn't realize until later -- when I shared the recipe with a few friends -- that not everyone around here knows what Texas Pete is.

Where I come from, Texas Pete is like Kleenex or Q-Tips. You wouldn't say you needed a "facial tissue" or a "cotton swab," and similarly, in North Carolina, where Texas Pete was created, you don't say "hot sauce." You just say Texas Pete.

So here's the recipe, perfect for Super Bowl Sunday or March Madness or book clubs (I'm taking it to mine this week) or any kind of gathering where you might want the most awesome dip ever:

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

Ingredients:

1 package cream cheese

2 cans (10 oz. each) white meat chicken

1/2 cup Texas Pete

3/4 cup Ranch dressing

1 cup monterrey jack cheese, shredded

Spread cream cheese in Pyrex pan (8x11 or so). Combine Ranch, Texas Pete and chicken and spread over cream cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with monterrey jack. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to cool down. Serve with Tostitos or Fritos scoops.

Cheese Whiz

2009-01-18T10:56:00.009-06:00

Friday was Pinewood Derby night for Pack 506. Jack's vehicle this year was a super cool wedge of cheese with a mouse driver crafted from pompoms, beads, wire and google eyes. He named it Cheese Whiz.

Much of the appeal of Pinewood Derby involves sitting on the floor -- way too close to the track for the track operator's comfort -- and chatting with fellow Scouts about whether to beg Mom for nachos, hot dogs or caffeinated pop from the NASCAR Cafe. Jack ended up getting a hot dog *and* nachos *and* Sprite, but I ate most of the nachos.

Just before Race #1, Jack checked out his wheel alignment and made some minor adjustments. Then he said a prayer.

Cars on the starting blocks...

In this shot, one of the assistant den leaders is giving the boys their instructions before letting the cars go. Basically, they were supposed to walk (not run!) down to the finish line and wait for the end of the heat (about five seconds), then carefully pick up their car and return it (walk, don't run!) to the starting table. That happened about ... zero times.

The photo is blurry (it was dark as a dungeon in that church basement), but you can clearly see the bright yellow Cheese Whiz moving out into the lead.

Waiting, not so patiently, at the finish line.

"Number One!" Jack screamed after the first heat. "First place!" He really came in third place in the heat. But his car was in Lane 1, and when the results flashed up on the screen, he thought he was in first place. I didn't bother to correct him.

Parting shot. Jack finished solidly in the top half of the pack -- No. 22 out of 54 cars. He also received a "Cheesiest Car" certificate, which he quickly and proudly displayed on his bedroom wall. He's already making plans for next year's car, which he thinks will be either a dog or a pencil.

Happy house things

2009-01-15T17:56:00.010-06:00

Little things about this new house make me exceedingly happy. This thing, for instance, which is near the windows in Jack's room and holds the cords for his blinds.

Jack loved the room from the moment he saw it -- we did, too -- because he said it "looked like a pirate ship." Wood floors, wood molding and a large built-in desk under a wall of windows, which has become Lego Central. This blind-cord-holder thing (EDITED to add my new vocabulary word for the day -- this is called a "cleat"!!) just adds to the appeal. You wrap the cord around it like you're docking a boat. Takes a little extra time, but charming and totally worth it.

Jack's new skull-and-crossbones room alarm (a gift from our St. Louis friends, the Andersons) adds to the pirate flavor. When you walk in front of it, it screams out pirate warnings and basically scares you to death. Effective.

Here's something that made me smile in Hannah's room: her calendar, with Inauguration Day happily noted. :)

This little work of art is hanging in the laundry room (much to Randy's chagrin). I know it's sickeningly sweet and cheesy, in that Precious Moments kind of way, but here's the deal: It was painted by Mrs. Witwer, the lady who lived in the apartment above us when my family was stationed in Germany. I was in kindergarten when she gave it to me, and it was hanging in my bedroom for most of my life. Mom and Dad brought it the last time they visited, and I quickly and happily hung it near the laundry room door shortly after we moved to the new house. Whenever I look at it, which is every time I let the dog out, I think about Mrs. Witwer and her yappy little miniature schnauzer, Boots. (Don't you love that plaid wallpaper, too? I know I do.)

I've never owned wind chimes. It's not that I have anything against them, it's just that they seem like such a luxury item. ("I have some extra money, so I think I'll buy this contraption that turns the wind into music, just for the hell of it.")

Anyway, because we know the previous owners of our new house, they felt comfortable leaving a few little things behind, and we are grateful they did. This little chime in the back yard is one example. Such a simple joy. I had to get used to it at first (whenever I sat in a certain spot in the living room and heard the chimes, I'd think a cell phone was going off), but I love it now.

I think I'll post some more happy house things this weekend. Stay tuned.

You learn something (or three) every day

2009-01-11T13:30:00.003-06:00

Three things I discovered so far today:

1) The Target generic version of Aveeno lotion is great.

2) L'Oreal True Match makeup is not so great -- and definitely not an equivalent of my usual Clinique foundation.

3) A 50-sheet variety pack of craft foam and some Tacky Glue can keep my daughter happy for hours.

Duh!...

2009-01-05T21:57:00.003-06:00

Jack: "Did you know that Native Americans discovered the first strawberries?"

Me: "No. How'd you learn that?"

Jack: "I read it in a book."

Me: "That's cool. What book?"

Jack: "The First Strawberries."

Details...

2009-01-03T20:43:00.007-06:00

"The details make life holy. If you want a little happiness in life don’t forget to look at the little things.

"It is a poet’s work to see the incidental, pluck it, place an appropriate silence around both sides and see the profound in what passes for a passing moment. It is an artist’s job to as much discover art as create it. Prayer is a way of making the common profound by pausing, tying knots around a moment, turning our life into a string of pearls."

-- Noah Ben Shea

Warning

2008-12-31T14:31:00.002-06:00

If this doesn't keep people out of The Boy's room, I don't know what will.

Christmas morning ... before and after

2008-12-27T08:16:00.004-06:00

Copying from my buddy Ken Davis here, because I agree it's pretty amazing what a few minutes of unbridled avarice will do to a living room.

Before...

And after...

A fan of the trundle...

2008-12-26T20:53:00.003-06:00

Here's the way I found my two girls this morning.

Jack had slept on Hannah's trundle bed (so he could listen to the Harry Potter CD, he says). When he got up, Izzy quickly claimed his spot, and I snapped a quick photo before heading off to work.

Then I washed the sheets and pillowcase as soon as I got home because, you know, that dog needs a bath.

The nuts have been cracked...

2008-12-21T19:21:00.010-06:00

Another great show this afternoon, another fun autograph and photo session, another frantic race to clean and pack costumes, and another year of "Nutcracker" is over.

Whole lot of work, but it sure was fun. I helped dress and wrangle toy soldiers this year, along with my friend Kathy, whose daughter Erin also was a soldier. My duties this year included making sure the soldiers' rifles were in the right place at the right time, painting perfectly round red cheeks, and quickly switching top-knots to regular buns for the soldier girls who danced as Candy Canes in Act II. Whew.

Here's a shot of me with my rifles. (Or "riffles," according to the pre-edited stage mom instructions. Kathy, who teaches English at Butler Community College, thankfully fixed the error, but both of us called them "riffles" throughout the run of the show anyway.)

The photo is a little blurry, possibly because I walked very quickly with that bucket of guns.

Kathy, meanwhile, got to stress out about being in charge of the Nutcracker's sword. That sword is an extremely important prop -- second only, perhaps, to Clara's toy nutcracker -- so Kathy got a little neurotic about having to know exactly where it was at any given moment. Check out the way she looks in this photo (Kathy's on the left, and that's my dance-mom buddy Jenny in the middle):

Here's a quick photo of our soldier girls, with Chaz (Nutcracker/Prince):

A shot of me with my sweet soldier girl, backstage today:

And here's a parting shot of one of my absolute favorite moments in the Friends University "Nutcracker" production -- the snow scene. Sigh. Can't believe it's over already.

Cooking marathon...

2008-12-17T21:36:00.004-06:00

This is the way Izzy looked for most of our annual baking marathon Monday. Guess she figured if she looked pitiful enough, she could maybe get some crumbs.

Alice came down from K.C. for our annual festival of butter, chocolate and refined sugars. We started with Nighty-Night Cookies, then moved on to a couple new Paula Deen recipes. I especially loved the Top Secret Chocolate Cookies, y'all. But the Loaded Oatmeal Cookies were pretty dang delicious, too.

We made our signature Sweet and Spicy Nuts, as well as the tried-and-true Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies.

We made Puppy Chow. And dipped pretzel rods in chocolate. And we ate lots of dough.

It was a good day.

Hard-to-find toys...

2008-12-16T11:28:00.003-06:00

According to polls, 41 million people haven’t started their Christmas shopping.

I really hope, for those people's sakes and sanity, that none of them have 8-year-old boys and are looking for the Ben 10 Alien Creation Chamber.

Gareb Shamus, publisher of Toy Wishes Magazine, confirmed today something that I discovered early last week: That dang toy is almost impossible to find. Thankfully, one of the helpful elves in Santa's Kansas City bureau was able to locate one there. Whew.

Here are the "Top Toys Impossible to Find As Of This Week," from Toy Wishes:

1. Bakugan
2. Lego Star Wars and Lego Batman
3. Star Wars Action Figures (particularly Clone Command Cody and Ahsoka Tano)
4. Dora Magical Figures
5. Ben 10 Alien Creation Chamber
6. Hasbro – Marvel Transformers
7. Yo Gabba Gabba Dance Mat
8. Clone Wars Voice Changing Helmet
9. Wall-E – U-Command, I-dance and Transforming
10. Club Penguin – Plush and trading cards
11. Webkinz – Plush
12. Imaginext – Superfriends
13. Nerf – all the Nerf Blasters
14. Eyeclops night vision goggles
15. Girl Gourmet cupcake maker

Shopping for teacher gifts?

2008-12-11T12:14:00.004-06:00

For the past few years, we've given Hannah's teachers tickets to "The Nutcracker" as a Christmas gift, which in kind of win-win, since she's in the show and always wants her teachers to see her.

Jack's get gift certificates to their restaurant or other eatery/drinkery of choice (Sonic, Starbucks, etc.), which has gone over pretty well.

If you're still trying to decide on teacher gifts, here's a little thing I wrote a few years back that might give you some ideas:

WHAT DO TEACHERS WANT FOR CHRISTMAS? READ ON
Tuesday, December 13, 2005 (The Wichita Eagle)

I have a love-hate relationship with teacher gifts.

Love, because I truly cherish my children's teachers. I wish I could walk into their classrooms like Oprah Winfrey, happily showering them with gourmet foods, laptop computers, new cars and, of course, glue sticks.

But I hate the teacher-gift conundrum: Nothing seems good enough (least of all, my budget). And I'm always torn between the practical and personal: What do teachers really want?

Last week, I asked several teachers to forget the aw-shucks, it's-the -thought-that-counts mantra and give me the straight scoop on gifts. (Note: Their names have been withheld to protect their humility.) Here's what they said:

-- "I have enough teacher ornaments ('#1 Teacher!') to open my own gift shop! Teachers have a life outside the school environment."

-- "I love to receive movie passes, restaurant gift certificates, body lotions and gift cards to places like Wal-Mart, where you can buy items for the classroom."

-- "Many of those 'teacher things' (mugs, ornaments, etc.) are very cute, but if you have been teaching for any length of time at all. . . . You can do the math. Pretty soon, they're not all that cute."

-- "For me the best gifts are from parents who take the time to notice things about me and get to know me. . . . Last year I had a mom who noticed that I drink coffee, and she gave me a Starbucks gift card. That was fabulous ."

-- "Most middle school and high school teachers tend to be forgotten completely at Christmastime. I suppose it is because the child has several teachers, and parents tend to not be as involved at those levels."

-- "If kids feel they have to give me something, (I ask that they) give to a charity in my name. I also suggest that they take a name off of the Angel Tree instead of giving me a gift."

-- "I like gift cards from Barnes & Noble, Borders and Superior School Supply. The books I buy are then used to supplement classroom collections."

-- "I love homemade treats, because I don't have time to do much holiday baking."

-- "Just a heartfelt card or note to tell us we are appreciated is wonderful."

-- "The 'World's Greatest Teacher' plaque, pin or paperweight is great for a first-year teacher, but after that, enough is enough."

-- "Gift cards to bookstores are great. I always buy a book for the classroom and let the child know that I did that. Gifts to charity or organizations in my name are also well received."

-- "The most useful gifts are gift certificates to movies, restaurants or bookstores. The most meaningful gifts to me, though, are the ones that the kids make themselves. Even a simple card is very much appreciated if it's homemade."

Here's the column...

2008-12-11T11:57:00.003-06:00

For folks who read the blog and forget my column runs Thursdays, here's a handy-dandy link. (And no, we haven't finished unpacking.)

New house a strange world for kids, too

Thanks again to my buddy Laura, who saved my bottom on move-in day. :-)

Yikes.

2008-12-03T21:45:00.002-06:00

Have ignored the blog for the past couple weeks, but here's the deal: We moved.

Sold the house in Sleepy Hollow. Bought one in Rockwood. Everything went down in a matter of weeks, and we're exhausted. Randy just brought the last of the storage-unit stuff back to our new home tonight, so now the unpacking can begin in earnest.

You don't know how much crap you own until you have to move it. What in the world do we DO with this stuff? Why do we keep it? I plan to be completely ruthless over the next few weeks and just get rid of as much as I can. Goodwill and DAV, here we come.

Stay tuned for photos. I'm too tired to focus right now.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2008-11-22T19:09:00.012-06:00

For our family, Christmas season kicks off at Gingerbread Village, where we make graham cracker houses, sneak licks of frosting and sing Christmas carols at the top of our lungs. (OK, that last part is just me.)

My buddy Alice's gall bladder had to go and attack her a few days ago, so she was unable to join us this year. Total bummer. Please keep Alice in your thoughts and prayers, as she goes in for surgery tomorrow.

Garden girl Annie Calovich did join us, though, and so did Elleana, Hannah's BFF. Some photos from today's occasion.... First, the girls at work:

Jack, looking a little guilty after sneaking a taste...

We saw several people we knew, including Amy and her boys...

Noah might just be the cutest little baby I've ever seen.

Although his brother, Kyle, is pretty darn cute himself...

Our group with their houses (Jack always looks so excited)...

Just say no...

2008-11-21T09:06:00.003-06:00

I keep forgetting that folks (a few, anyway... OK, mostly just my mom and dad) asked me to post links to my column, so they'd be sure not to miss it.

So here is this week's episode: The story of a girl, a boy, and a drunken mom.

You could mulch your leaves...

2008-11-17T09:08:00.012-06:00

... but then you wouldn't have this kind of fun:

Or forget mulching, raking and bagging altogether, and just do this:

Again I say: Brilliant!

2008-11-14T10:41:00.003-06:00

I realize that liking David Sedaris makes me just another average white girl. But I'm almost to the end of his newest book, "When You Are Engulfed In Flames," and I'm once again amazed at his writing and humor.

Perhaps it's because we're both North Carolinians, and I can totally believe that his third-grade class went on a field trip to a tobacco warehouse in Durham, where they watched cigarettes being rolled and took home free packs for their parents.

I highly recommend the book. Get it on audio if you can (I checked it out from our friendly Wichita public library). And just so you know: The language is not appropriate for little ears.

Mugs of mugs...

2008-11-14T08:29:00.002-06:00

Wow. Never realized how much our coffee mugs say about us.

Tag! (which is currently illegal at most elementary schools...)

2008-11-13T10:10:00.006-06:00

The lovely Denise Neil, of Best Blog Ever, tagged me in the latest blog connection game making the rounds in Wichita and elsewhere. So here we go.

Here are the rules:

* Link to the person who tagged you.
* Post the rules on your blog.
* Write 6 random things about yourself.
* Tag 6-ish people at the end of your post.
* Let each person know he/she has been tagged.
* Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Six random things about me:

I am a first-generation American. My father is Cuban (born in Havana); my mother is German (born in East Prussia, now a part of Russia). Dad came to America in the 1950s, and after a brief stint laying tile in Miami, joined the Army. While stationed in Germany, he met my mom. They married and settled in -- where else? -- North Carolina. And no, I'm not multilingual. Although my father is quite fluent in four languages, the only one ever spoken in our home was English.
I was an extra in "Bull Durham." (The scene where the Bulls play the Asheville Tourists. It's a night game.) I was attending N.C. State at the time, and my roomie and I answered a call for extras. We're just specks in the crowd, but because I wore a bright pink shirt that day, I can always spot myself.
I was a high school cheerleader. In fact, my parents just sent me a lovely home movie (transfered to DVD) of my mullet-headed teenage self practicing a dance routine to Miami Sound Machine's "Conga" in our front yard.
I had both my kids without drugs. (The labor and childbirth part, that is. In subsequent years, I've taken plenty.)
I have a real talent for picking the exact Rubbermaid/Tupperware/Ziploc container that will be just the perfect size for the leftovers I'm looking to store. Which is really weird, because I was never good at physics.
I love Easy Cheese.

And now, who to tag? I think it shall be...

Rod

Richard

Shea

L. Kelly

Jill

and that adorable Wilson family.

Save the date...

2008-11-12T12:41:00.008-06:00

One of my all-time favorite local events is coming up next weekend: Gingerbread Village, a fund-raiser for the Assistance League of Wichita.

This year, I'm serving as emcee for the "gala" preview party event Thursday night, which is weird, because "gala" is not the sort of word very often associated with me.

Anyway, I highly recommend taking your kidlets to the make-your-own graham cracker house workshop: 2 to 8 p.m. Nov. 21; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 22; and 12:30 to 5 p.m. Nov. 23. It's at the Church of the Magdalen, 12626 East 21st St. North. I'll be there with my kiddos Saturday afternoon, as soon as we can escape "Nutcracker" rehearsals.

As per our annual tradition, our friend Alice is planning to go along. She will no doubt create some sort of architectural wonder, along the lines of this from a few years ago. Note the perfectly symmetrical Smartie windows and the puffs of cotton-candy smoke wafting from the Spoon-Size Shredded Wheat chimney. Amazing.

And here's a look at Jack's house from 2006. He, obviously, is more free-form. Not a big fan of symmetry. But it doesn't matter much, because his house is usually half-digested by the time we get home.

Modern classics...

2008-11-11T09:44:00.005-06:00

I love lists. And I love kid movies. So a list of kid movies makes me extra happy.

Time to Play just this very day released a list they're calling "The New Classics": the top 50 kid movies over the past 25 years. Says the Time to Play editorial team: "For the generation born after 1980 -- and the first group of youngsters to enjoy watching their favorite films over an over with the introduction of home video -- these are some of the most memorable and magical films of their childhood."

A team of 12 movie buffs spanning four generations reviewed hundreds of movies that have debuted since 1983. Criteria included a theatrical release, story, quality of the film, entertainment value, whether the movie stands up to repeated viewing over time, and whether kids still love it today.

Though it's hard to pick a favorite from this bunch, I think I'd have to go with No. 19. No, wait... No. 6. No, maybe No. 18. ("I just like smiling. Smiling's my favorite.") Oh well, here's the Top 20:

1. Finding Nemo
2. The Lion King
3. Shrek
4. The Little Mermaid
5. Home Alone
6. Toy Story
7. Back to the Future
8. Aladdin
9. Beauty and the Beast
10. The Princess Bride
11. Ghostbusters
12. Big
13. The Sandlot
14. The Incredibles
15. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone
16. Babe
17. Honey I Shrunk the Kids
18. Elf
19. Monsters, Inc.
20. The Muppets Take Manhattan

This is me. Seriously.

2008-11-11T09:37:00.003-06:00

Gal pals

2008-11-10T21:15:00.005-06:00

When I look at this photo of Tara and me, taken during October's book club meeting at the Arb, I think two things:

1. I like Tara. She's a good friend.

2. I should really wear lipstick.

Great timing...

2008-11-10T19:53:00.003-06:00

Starting (or should I say re-starting) a blog seems a little ridiculous, since blogs are dead and all. But here's the deal:

I loved my old blog. (Any of you out there remember "More to Life"? Saaaaaaa-lute!!) My parents loved my blog. My brothers did, too. I liked that it offered a way to share bits of news -- not to mention photos -- with friends and family. Then a mean, evil troll had to go and ruin everything with random crazy threats about knowing the layout of my house and whatnot. Weirdo.

I joined Facebook and started Twittering. And while I enjoy that sort of thing, it leaves me oddly unsatisfied.

So I'm embracing the blog once again. {{{raising wine glass}}} Here's to being retro.

A good day for cookies...

2008-11-10T12:57:00.005-06:00

The kids are off (another ridiculous inservice day, to be followed by Veterans Day, to be followed in just a couple weeks by Thanksgiving break). I'm off, too, in exchange for working last night. It's gray and gloomy.

"Let's bake cookies!" Hannah said this morning.

Absolutely, my girl. Let's bake cookies.

Let's eat some dough before it ever gets to the oven. Let's peek through the window as they bake. Let's wait impatiently as they cool, then decorate them with neon frosting and insane amounts of sprinkles. Let's use way too many spoons, knives and plates, load up the dishwasher and let it do the dirty work.

Let's bake cookies. It's a good day for cookies.

And here we are...

2008-11-08T07:53:00.003-06:00

Blogging again. We'll see how this goes.

I'd like to thank Bobby Rozzell at Douglas & Main for the awesome title suggestion. It's fitting, because for years now I've been saying that the sure sign of successful parenting is kids who can afford their own therapy. So now, when Hannah and Jack make an appointment to see their respective therapists, they can just take along a link to the archives of this blog. How convenient.

Let's try a quick photo, of the kidlets on Halloween. Hannah was a cowgirl, and Jack was The Thing.