Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Age of Innocence {my take}

So, I am going to be writing about this book, maybe even a couple times.
This book was SO INCREDIBLY GOOD TO ME.  It is classic.
Not in the Justin Timberlake or stonewashed jeans kind of way, sino--the 1800's, been
read by many many people, won a pulitzer prize kind of way.

I put bookmarks everywhere in this book..
It was just really good..hold on, I'm gonna get it, quote a bookmark, and then write about
that snippet a bit...
The setting of the book is New York City in the 1870's.
The story being told is of the people who are in the high society of the day.
To me the book seemed to criticize much of what those people valued.
But really, the author might not have been criticizing..she might have just been revealing the culture..
who knows??
So much of how some of the people in this book acted reminded me of how I have actually seen
people act in this day and time.
It was amazing to me!  There is a part of the social circle of my town that is very {old}.
{Old} here could mean several things...
let's see...{old} money --as in someone's great somebody owned a plantation...
{old} as in --from a very large old family that really hasn't done a whole lotta moving out
of beaufort county--or maybe a tri-county area (these people must have come from money at some time too)
{old} as in the old and learned people --these are the ones who have ancestors on signs around the town.
the signs say things like.."here is where such and such ate lunch with General George Washington" 
--something like that...
So reading this book reminded me of this kind of {old}ness--(believe me, most of these people still
know very well "who they are".)    ;).
If someone new comes here people try to figure out "who" that person might be. 
Sometimes there is a general interest...as in--where'd you go to school, what is your job, what are you interested in...etc????  That is called making a friend.
Other times it is...more--"who" are you...how are you connected in the {old} way.  That is called getting sized up, no?
There is even a look people give --it says, "should I say hello to her??"  The person is asking themselves that
question in their head, while they look at you...
NOT KIDDING...
I usually just think to myself--nah...don't say hey to me--
That look is a turn off..

Still other tidbits remind me of ideas and ways of thinking that my own parents and aunts and uncles
and family members have.

When I came across these tidbits I bookmarked them.  All of this kind of social standard is very
interesting to me.
When people aspire to some social ideal or something like that...interesting...
Still others really could not care less...
I mean, you should see the places and homes that some of my students come from and live in.
Think:  I cannot afford food, but I have a satellite dish, and I dye my six year old's hair and I love piercings...
Something like that.
Think about the spectrum there...it is large.


Here is a snippet.  I thought this one was interesting, and I still think people think this today.
In my mind--deep down in there somewhere, Politicians are scoundrels...even though an individual one
might just be a great person.

"Everyone in polite circles knew that, in America, 'a gentleman couldn't go into politics.'  But, since
he could hardly put it that way to Winsett, he answered evasively:  'look at the career of the honest man in American Politics! They don't want us.' "
--The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton

Back to me:  Also I have always wondered why we could talk politics at home very frankly--but out and
about it was really not a good topic to begin discussing.
It has been that way so long for me, that now I really cannot stand for someone to "get political"
in public.
Very interesting.
Even though any reader who knows me in person knows that I am full of opinions, and I love
to hear the opinions of others, and have discussions there is still part of lo politico that is meant
to be discussed privately.

Okay, this post was all over the place...
Back from kiddielandia into --the recesses of my brain while I read a book at night...
Good lord!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Pictures of Elena's sixth Birthday



I put the last one up here b/c it showcases my cake! :)
It is my blog, afterall.
Yes, that is what Elena does when we sing Happy Birthday to her, and I remember
always wanting to do that myself.
So, no biggie. :)

Friday, March 25, 2011

Pictures coming...

So that was birthday party number two this month.
Tomorrow we will go to number three...for my niece.
We missed out on the usual fourth one this year, it seems that six year old boys want {boy} parties.
That is not surprising..my four year old boy wanted a boy party as well.
I am also not saddened at having missed the fourth party.
I went and gave our little friend a big hug for his birthday when I saw him at school.
Sufficient, it seemed.

Elena is usually totally over celebrating her birthday when the celebrating is through.
She {HATES} being the center of attention.
I can totally relate--I always felt the same way on my birthday...when I was being {celebrated}.
We all discussed, this evening, if that would be a genetic thing..or would that be something
she has been conditioned to feel.  I sure hope it is the former, and not the latter, as I would actually
like the opposite---If she could really relish in being celebrated...
I must admit, I have never been able to.
A birthday supper out with one friend is perfectly fine with me...
Or just reading a book at my house --quietly.

Elena {should be} thankful that I am not one of those mothers who orders up the circus when
a birthday rolls around, and books some gigantic festival...
One day maybe her shrink will tell her that...."Look on the bright side..even though you were {tortured} by
having to have a family party the first six years..at least you were not featured on reality TV for
having elaborate and expensive festivals on the anniversaries of your birth.."
Now this shrink will not mention parties after the sixth one..b/c on the seventh etc.-we will go out to eat
at an undisclosed location..just us.  Elena and I will celebrate by doing whatever -SHE PICKS.
If that choice is {nothing} --fine with me, chica! :)

When I post the pictures you will see...the same family folks.  You will not see the ones of Elena
counting her birthday cash--with a big ole grin...and the ones of her riding her Julie doll around on the Julie bike (beaming).  Or her holding her puppy...wait, I caught that one.  All of the moments that really made her smile, I did not capture on memory card---well, except for the memory card in my head.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Six years ago today, right now...

I am thinking that Andy and I were on the way to the hospital.
We might have still been watching basketball. :)
I was painting my fingernails...that is what we were doing.
We watched basketball, and I labored.  I tried to stay at home as long as I could b/c I knew once I got to the hospital they would start poking me and bothering me...
I think I lasted until about 11:00 at night.  Then, I got scared--the pain--and we left the house.
Tomorrow is Elena's birthday.
Tomorrow at 10:57--for those of you good at clock math--that was a looooonnnggggg labor.
Andy and Elena and I worked--all day on the 24th, and all night on the 24th, and then well
into mid-morning on the 25th. :)
I really did not forget the pain as soon as she came out.
Nope. :(
It was terrible.
I think it took about three months to forget that pain...all the way until she became my litttle buddy...
Then I forgot.
Tomorrow I am going to bake her a bunny rabbit cake --red velvet and pink icing.
We are going to have a birthday party at her school.
Then tomorrow night--the family will come over. ;)
Does this sound familiar...???
My record tends to skip in March.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

baby


She is the baby, no doubt about it.  It is almost as if a fetus fairy whispered this to her before she was even born.  "You are the baby of the family, lucky duck, no go out there and eat it up, girl!  This family is your oyster."
Everyone dotes on her--all of us.  She does not like other babies--when they come around she really lets them know who's {baby} boss around here!! So there! I am really not allowed to baby any other creatures or babies, for that matter. 

Eva's hobbies currently include:
Washing dishes
Watching Justin Bieber sing, "Baby" on you tube--she likes the Ludacris part the best.
Art:  Pointilism {pointalism?} to be exact.

meet spot



A six pack of beer is taller than he is.
Elena and Victor picked him out and named him yesterday morning.
He is a {mix} of chihuahua and Scottie dawg.
We'll see...
Andy really thinks they did a good job picking him out.
He says, "surely he'll be cute."
Whatever he ends up looking like, he is ours, and we are loving him. :)

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

La parte dos






This is me posting...b/c I want some gratification.
This is me after a day of birthday party {ies}.
The top fotos show me being {super mom}.
Andy was taking the fotos.
He said, and I {quote}.."you, know, putting the b-day party together is a mom thing"
This might not have been a good thing for him to have said...time {and hormones} will tell.
The top ones show...
The class visitation..the goody bags..the homemade game...the patience...the reading of the book. :) :)
The bottom shows..my Daddy with Eva. :)
Andy's Mama and his Sister enjoying a second portion of my home made cake.
Even though his sister has that look on her face..she was enjoying it too...look at their hands.
You know, she is a lot like me..and she does not sit around with a Strawberry shortcake look on her face at all times..even though she is a sweet person. :)
I love her.
Victor is four.  It is official..every bit of the XX in me kicked in..and he had the {appropriate} celebration.

I {guess} I would not have it any other way???

Happy Birthday V-Man!



Victor wanted tosee the one
where he was still in the belly. :)
Man--it is amazing.
I put the screaming one up here--looks very similar to the one I put up here the other day, no?
--The one of him screaming in the recliner.
hee hee....
He is spirited!
I knew it from the moment I held him in my arms.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Four years ago today...

This post has been done before--except last year it said, "three years ago today"  or something similar.
Andy and I were at our house in Graham.
Elena was at her Nana's house in Washington.
I had gone to the doctor...it was a Thursday, not a Tuesday.
The doctor had assured me that, with the help of Castor oil, I would be
back at the hospital to have the baby that night.
That was all it took.
I spent the afternoon laboring (among other things that happen when one consumes Castor oil).
That night, at about this time, we left--ahead of a violent March rain/wind storm.
We got all cozied up in the hospital, and I began to pace.
V-Man shot out --{for real} into the nurse's arms on the Friday...
But four years ago right now...I was about to have a baby--a boy baby at that! (What
a rarity for my family)

Today, he is sugar to me.
After twos and threes...the fourth year has completed itself so charmingly.
He can {most of the time} listen to reason.
He loves to snuggle me and say sweet stuff to me.
When Andy makes him mad--he runs straight into my arms. :)--this goes both ways of course, and several times a day.
Victor is very --well, he has a temper.  There is no other way to say it.
BUT--just as much as he has a temper--he is sweet like sugar.   So, I guess this can be
summed up as passion. :)

I made him a chocolate cake with chocolate icing --just like last year.
We are going to have a school party tomorrow, and then a family party tom. night.

ahhh...the birthday season...
ahhh...the memories of birthing babies...

Monday, March 14, 2011

Going to the country

This past weekend we went to visit our friends, Shannon, Joel, and Carter.
They live out in the country, in Alamance County.
Several years ago, Shannon and I talked and talked about how cool it would be to grow most of your own food, including meats.
Shannon and Joel are working on the meat part.
Our children had the best time playing. :)
Andy and I had a really relaxing time, and a wonderful time visiting with friends.

It is so good to get away.
Here are the pictures...a ver..where will they put themselves???

:)

Shannon and Joel have a trampoline.
Santa brought it to their house.  I think {santa} might just be bringing us one of these...sometime soon.
Andy and I both admitted to eachother that as children we both wanted one...and neither of us could remember if we ever actually requested one--we both "just knew that it would not be something we could have anyway"  We are thinking we never asked.
Man--and trampoline is fun!!
Apparently Santa only charged about 400 for this one--somewhere there-about--for the whole get-up.
I think that is the deal!  Andy and I both spent some time jumping. :)

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

children and their {accents}

So, the accents that influence my children are many.
Since I am a word nerd, wanna be linguist, I analyze them a lot!!

Elena says, "Cry awn" for Crayon.  She used to say "crown".  I really had to do some teaching on this one.
I said..now, elena--a king wears a crown.
These are CRAY ons.
Cray ons.
the first part rhymes with play when I say it.
there are two parts in the word.
Now she says, "Cry awn"  She is trying.  I usually would not correct.
I would love to know how she adopted this {redneck} pronounciation of this word.
Maybe I DO say it the {bad} way.  (If there is such a thing)
Children are masters of auditory perception.

Then on other words they adopt the midwestern way of saying it.
I am thinking this comes from Andy and his {non} accent.
They say --for example,  Pie.  They say the dipthong..not the hard I.
It sounds, to me, like Piiiiii eeeee...
I say pIIIIII.
I wish I could write this phonetically..but I am sure y'all get it.
When I am talking and using the /I/ they need a translator.
Elena still cannot say I-pod.  I use the hard IIIII ....thus..III Pod.
She says, "mama, what is it called again...ahhhh pod?" 
I say no, Elena, " IIII pod."

Victor says, "Mira"  for Mirror...DIRECTLY out of the mouth of his Nana, I tell you!!!

Then the one that DRIVE MY MAMA CRAZY!!  They say they are "done" instead of "finished".
When you are finished eating, you are finished.  When you have finished doing your homework, you are not, "done."  you are "finished" doing your homework.
This, to me, is fighting a losing battle.  This mis-use of a word has been adpoted at large.
I have tried to tell my Mama--just so she knows that i have her back...that I do use this correctly, but
she corrects and corrects them...
"No, sweetie, a cake is done, when it is finished cooking in the oven, you have FINISHED eating."

Not to leave one out...Eva is still just learning...she babbles--the accent...I cannot discern. :)

Monday, March 7, 2011

blogging right now...

For some reason, I am just not feeling the blogging right now.
I feel like everything I have an idea to do...I have done it already.

The forsythia bushes are blooming, and the camelias, and the saucer magnolia, and the tulips are coming up..
but, I think I have posted all of this before.

There are about ten opinions about {something} floating around in my head, but I feel too lazy
to even climb onto my soap box.

So, I have just been reading all of the blogs of all of y'all.
Sometimes I am too lazy to even log in when I check the blog list.
So, if there is a lack of commenting on my part, please so not think of this as an
indication that I am not reading anymore...oh, no!
I am reading daily, checking in, etc.  --I am just not feeling the active blogging right now.

Morgan--good luck on your couponing--I have had no luck with that on the past!  I hear a lot about
it these days, though...and lord knows we all need the money!!
Melissa--Loved your post today...Love yourself! :)
Pioneer woman...oh, hell!! She is not reading this!!
Megan, See, I just cussed?
Bethany, I read two of your posts in the blink of an eye the other day, and now I am going to go back and read them again.
Laura--your baby girl is sooooo stinking cute and I have been loving reading about your family more
that post about the game at your grandma's --SO SWEET!
Who else is out there.....just be patient with Ay que Vida girl--Life is happening all the time!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Apples and Trees...Apples and trees...

I am in the den of the {tigress}--though, I will say--I do NOT have any blood dripping from my fangs! :)
hee hee...
Cheap shot --I need some..

Okay..This was the day today.  It's all about apples and trees (I say this a lot at my work after I meet
with parents btw).

Elena and I had to go to the ALLERGIST.  If you know me, you know that going to the doctor for any ole reason is not my cup of tea.
BUT Elena is a very allergic child.  She has constant runny nose, mouth breathing etc.
For a Mama --this is disturbing.  I just think how hard it is for me to mouth breath when I have a cold
every now and then--so doing it all the time must be the pits.
She had to get pricked all over her back!!! Then in her arm!! She was so brave. :)
Now, on to the allergy shots.
whew...decisions decisions...
I will say that she got this honest.
Apples and trees.
Andy and his Daddy are both allergy people.
I have seasonal ones (since fourth grade), that turn my nose into a grifo (spigot).
So we are not surprised by this.

I loved the doctor. He was so good with Elena.  She liked him too.

Now, I am going to check out.
off to read.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Destinos

es la nueva telenovela que sale en la tele cada manyana.  en realidad es para la ensenyanza del espanyol para la gente que apenas estan aprendiendo conversar.
pero bueno, a mi me gusta un monton.

The girl is traveling all over in a quest to find out some information about the family of one her clients.
She has gone to Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and now she is looking for Angel in San Juan PR.

It is very fun to watch this every morning at 6:00 AM!!
Yes.  I get up that early.
That early is the only time that I get some peace and quiet, and I consider
it pure luck that this little show comes on for me to watch!! :)

Have a great day!

Spot on!

Spot is our family's chihuahua.  He is what we call, "an evil dictator/stuffed animal come to life".  Sometimes, after he has ...