King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Christopher Guest only wishes he had faked this documentary before it got made. 

CD of 2007

For the past six years, Ariel and I have put together a CD of the year; compiled mostly of our favorite songs we heard for the first time that year, but they may also include songs that had particular meaning that year - or remind us of something during the year. Here is our list from 2007. If you know us particularly well, you can guess which person contributed which song - sometimes there is great debate over certain songs.

Hard Sun - Eddie Vedder

Radio Nowhere-Bruce Springsteen

I told you I was Trouble-Amy Winehouse

Daughter-Loudon Wainwright

O Valencia-The Decemberists

New Slang-The Shins

House of Cards-Radiohead

Little Boxes-Weeds Theme

Read my Myind-The Killers

The Underdog-The Spoons

All I Need-Radiohead

Wish You Were Here-Pink Floyd

Shut Your Eyes- Snow Patrol

Icky Thump-The White Stripes

"Beware of all activities that require new clothes"

I bought this dress in lilac yesterday - one of my oldest friends, Jocelyn, is getting married, and I am going to be a bridesmaid in May. Jocelyn happens to be the only person that I maintain a friendship with from high school and I am really happy for her. She is another of my friends who I am so inspired to watch her life evolve; she is a Dr. and a Captain in the army. I am very excited about her wedding - I am going to get to go on a little vacation (to Hagerstown, MD), maybe see some friends in NY and enjoy her wedding. I normally get rather nauseated at the prospect of weddings, but I think the outlook is good; she isn't having a bachlorette party, the dress I am buying is not ugly; and having met enough of Jocelyn's family, I have great faith that it is going to be fun.
We took the kids to the zoo yesterday and had an absolute blast with our friends Eric and Laura. It was cold, but sunny, and everyone seemed to be enjoy themselves. Somehow the kids got snowed out of school today, even though there was only about 1/2 inch on the ground. Ariel managed to survive the entire snow day while I wiled away a few hours at work.

6:42

Tonight I am beat. After reading to the kids, I am turning them over to Ar so I can coccoon off and study. And drink diet coke so I can stay semi-comatose. I traumatized the kids a bit today - I recently turned in an assignment with absolute minimal effort put in, and got called on it by my teacher...I was feeling a bit overwrought anyway and started to cry. I don't cry very often and it was very sweet to see the kid's reaction. They were pretty upset to see me crying and Hamda approached me in a wide eyed state looking very worried. Since most of the time they act like I am their major domo, I forget how much they depend upon me to be okay and in charge. I assured them I was okay and they all moved along.
I also visited Shkuri and Isaac's class today to bring chocolate chip cookies. It is really fun to see them in that setting - even at 6 years old they have their own lives and their own world. At least for now, they were thrilled to have me come to class. I chatted with their teacher and Isaac has now completed his first grade reading assignments, and Shkuri is not far behind.
After reading and liking an Ayelet Waldman article I mentioned in a previous blog, I went and read a bunch of articles she had written for Salon.Com. I identified with a lot of what she said. I especially appreciated her summary of her writing themes. She basically writes about what a Mother owes her children...what sacrifices are necessary for a mother to make for her children to do well? What is she allowed to keep for herself and still qualify as a good mother?? I think these are such excellent questions - not just for Mom's but for others to think about.
I also want to highlight a little hurrah to my friend Rene...before she is 30, she is fulfilling what is probably on everyone's life long to do list - running off to live in Marsailles to see if she can make a career and a life for herself there. Life is all about taking chances and leaps. I am so excited for her and can't wait to live a little bit vicariously through her and her experience. Also, to warn her that if she stays I am visiting sooner or later. I won't bring all the kids, though.

To add too much information to my woe is me post; not 20 minutes after finishing the above post we had an incident involving a stomach virus and an only mostly potty trained 3 year old that rivaled the Rota Virus (if you don't know what that is -count yourself very, very lucky) incident of Puerto Vallarta Vacation 2005. In the list of parental duties, body fluids fall strongly on my side (I am a nurse after all), so I broke my studying vigil to clean up (and write this post). Yuck.

No Visual Included

Upon getting out of the shower this morning, Hamda handed me my cell phone and said.."I took a picture of Elias's booty". She then showed me the camera, complete with a picture of Elias mooning the camera. For the record, none of my children have ever seen a movie or t.v. show where someone moons - they came up with it all on their own.

Bad Mom

      I think about being a bad Mom a lot. I especially thought about it today after a conversation with a friend who recently adopted a baby boy who may be the most loved child on the planet. She was driven from a Mommy and Me meeting (her first) today because she admitted she went back to work (for 2 days a week!!) and was met with semi veiled hostility in comments like, "Oh, I cannot imagine how you could possibly leave him at all" and "I haven't yet left my son to go on a date with my husband - and he is two years old". I then read a great column by Ayelet Waldmen (http://bad-mother.blogspot.com/) on the cult of the Bad Mommy (Britney Spears is the current incarnation) and how Mothers are not allowed to be anything but 100%, completely selfless. 

   Maybe it is because I have four kids under the age of seven who will gladly take all I have to give until I am nothing but a stump, or maybe because the feminist in me doesn't like to see women tearing each other apart, but I really, really hate competitive mothering. I think we all know what it looks like - and that it has very little to do with how good a parent we are - but everything to do with wanting to feel like we are a good parent, or at least a better parent then our neighbor.  I know I want assurance that I am doing a good job with my kids and that I will be rewarded with four upstanding neurosurgeons who buy me Mother's Day Cards - but I am not going to get it.  

  Hmmm. There is a good reason that I don't post commentaries on my blogs very often, but I feel a strong sense of outrage at the pressures that fall on moms. The more I let go of my ideals of the kind of parent I should be, the better parenting gets. I kind of want to shout out, I am a Mother - not a Martyr!! And my kids sometimes watch more than an hour of television a day! 

Sushi

Today Ariel and I were supposed to be taking the kids to the zoo, but on Friday a Dr.'s office complained about him working on their building during office hours, so Ariel is forced to work today. I was just planning on hanging out at home with the kids, but Ariel forgot something at home, so we all loaded up on the car, and drove the half hour to his job site. In exchange for the favor, I am going to see Juno with my Mom when he gets back tonight.
On the way home, we went on a wonderful woalk in Steilacoom, one of the most beautiful little towns in Western Washington - as well as home to the State's only mental institution for the criminally insane. I have pretty unpleasant memories of my clinicals there from nursing school. Somehow we managed to get a few hours of bright sunshine as we walked along the bluff above the sound - the Olympic Mountains were out in full force.
Our final stop was at Trader Joes...which I love to go to when we are in the Tacoma area. TJ's did not make their carts or their aisles in mind for people with four children, but I love it all the same. At the moment I am happily munching on their California Rollls and Early Grey Tea. The kids wore themselves out on the walk and have settled in for a movie. They did really good on our whole trip - although it proves to me how old I am, because I cannot fathom how they can spend way over an hour in the car laughing hysterically at fart noises.
It has been very nice to day to just focus on the kids. Yesterday I bunkered down and spent about six hours studying. I have a monstorous cardiac chapter (my least favorite subject) to get through and I managed to get a little ahead of my readings. I have a long to do list for next week; I have to start hacking away at taxes and financial aid forms as well as buy a bridemsaid dress. Ariel will be home tomorrow with the kids.

On a Winter's Day...

Hamda had some teeth bits pulled today - so we spent a big part of the day on the couch together. She did great and has perked up quite a bit now, but for awhile she was pretty droopy.  While we hung out on the couch, I spent time outlining the California trip - thanks for all the suggestions. I think we are going to borrow/rent an RV from someone I work with and focus mostly on State Parks. Our trip outline goes something like this

 Day 1: Drive to Ashland, Oregon

 Day 2: Drive and Stay in Redwood National Forest

 Day 3: Stay at a State Park near Santa Cruz

 Day 4: Santa Cruz again

 Day 5: Gaviota State Park near Santa Barbara

 Day 6: Gaviota State Park near Santa Barbara

 Day 7: Drive to Disneyland

 Day 8: Disneyland (for the kids :))

 Day 9: Yosemite

 Day 10: Stockton to visit family - then a long drive home

While I was online trip planning, I checked out airplane fares to Puerto Vallarta. A few years ago we went to Yelapa, Mexico outside of PV and loved it...we have been hoping to try Sayulita next. It is supposed to be a medium sized fishing village with great surfing - no big resorts. I found tickets for $230 (+taxes) and ended up buying round trip tickets for our entire family to go to Sayulita next November. I am very, very excited about all this trip planning. 

Harstene Island

We spent our weekend at the Harstene Island cabin with my in-laws. The cabin is a wonderful place (we spent our honeymoon there). It belongs to Ariel's cousin, who inherited from his parents - he maintains it and doesn't want to get rid of it, but almost never uses it himself. He makes it available for us to use. It's like a vacation home with all of the benefits and none of the hassles. Harstene Island is located about an hour south of Olympia on Puget Sound - there is basically nothing there except for a handful of houses and a small marina. I think it is just as beautiful as the San Juans, although it is completely under the radar. The cabin is in a small gated community with beaches, nature trails, a pool, and tennis courts. The cabin itself is a small A-frame built in the early 1970's and nothing has changed since then. There is three inch orange shag carpet and a woodstove and stuff (like magazines, random taxidermy animals, and fishing poles) that hasn't been moved in thirty years. I really love it just the way it is. We all sleep upstairs in the sleeping loft.
The cabin is especially great in the winter; the island is pretty deserted and things to do are limited to; eating, reading, walking in rain gear, watching movies and playing games. Oh, and the kids spend endless hours sliding down the shag carpted stairs in their sleeping bags. We watched Pirates of the Carribean 3 and I spent some time studying and reading two really good books, The Secret History of the War and Cancer and a biography of Tolstoy by A.N. Wilson. On Sunday there was enough sun to walk Chester for two miles. We had a fantastic time and I came back pretty ready to start tackling normal life again.

New Kid Pics

After putting up these photos the first time, it was brought to my attention that some people out there might not know my kids.....Isaac, 6, is our oldest - and he is a lot like me. He is generally pretty amiable and fun, but he is also pretty tightly wound and is quite the little dreamer. He loves to play video games. Shkuri is also 6, and is a force of nature...she is bold and seems to be good at everything she tries. She has a quick temper and wants everything to be fair and just all of the time. Hamda is 5, and seems to always be wearing a grin. She is very sweet natured, but has quite a steely inside - if she has made up her mind, she will not be easily commanded. Elias, 3 1/2, and Hamda are the best of playmates - they play together all day long. Elias is now about 80% little boy and 20% baby still. I cling to the baby that remains. He likes things very ordered and gets along well with all of the kids.
Tonight I was finally able to see Atonement. It is a rather devastating story - I had read the book and loved it and found the movie a very good adaptation. I had made up my mind to post a poem every Tuesday on the blog again, so here is When You are Old by Yeats.

WHEN you are old and gray and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face among a crowd of stars.

Help us Plan our Road Trip

We are going to California on a road trip during the kid's spring break the first week in April. Normally, I have trips planned out a year or so ahead of time, but I am a little confounded with the California trip, and I hope to seek wisdom from all of you.

 So far, we are either going to drive or rent an RV and stay at campsites. We are going to visit some family in Stockton. Ariel and I want to do some surfing - which means nice little gentle waves and a beach where the kids can play. We may go to Disneyland for a day, or we may not. I am impressed with the Costa Noa resort in Pescardaro. We are not sure about whether we will spend more time in Southern or Northern California. Most important, and at all costs, we must pick places where we can hang out with the kids comfortably. We are usually much happier in hippieish places, as I tend to get hives when surrounded by blond, thin rich people. I welcome any and all recommendations or thoughts!!!

Can I just say that I am pretty excited about Obama's big win in Iowa? I am also a bit suprised that I am excited.

888

Knocking around the blogging world is the 888 Challenge: Pick 8 books in 8 categories to read in 2008 (Six overlapping books are allowed). I don't even pretend that I am going to read all of these books in 2008, but it was fun to write out the list.

Books to read with the Kids
A Children’s Greek Myths
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
A Children’s Odyssey
A Children’s Illiad
Little House in the Big Woods
All of a Kind Family by Sidney Taylor
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

Americana
O Pioneers by Willa Cather
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn*
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Moby Dick by Melville
Walden by Thoreau*
Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut
All the Pretty Horses by Cormac Mccarthy*
Cannery Row by Steinbeck

Non-Fiction
Tolstoy by A.N. Wilson
A Secret History of the War on Cancer by Devra Davis
The Voyage of the Beagle by Darwin
Walden by Thoreau *
God’s Playground: A History of Poland by Davies
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton*
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn*


Poets
John Donne
Yeats
Ted Hughes
Emily Dickinson
William Carlos Williams
Lord Byron
Seamus Heaney
Pablo Neruda

Short Stories
Chekhov: The Complete Short Novels
Carried Away: A selection by Alice Munro
The Collected Stories by Eudora Welty
Walk in the Light and Twenty Three Tales by Tolstoy
The Complete Shorter Fiction by Virginia Woolf
The Aleph and Other Stories by Jorge Luis Borges
The Complete Stories by Kafka*
Short Stories by Dorothy L. Sayers

Books that I am Afraid Of Reading
Ulysses by James Joyce
Herodotus: The Histories
To The Finland Station by Edmund Wilson
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt
Lolita by Nabakov*
All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
As I lay Dying by Faulkner
Russian Thinkers by Isaiah Berlin

Religion
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
Islam: A Short History by Karen Armstrong
How to Read the Bible by James Kugel
Walking on Water: Reflection on Faith and Art by Madeiline L’Engle
Seven Story Mountain by Thomas Merton
Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers in Exile
The Power of Myth by Joseph Cambpell
The World of Tibetan Buddhism by Dalai Lama

European Fiction
Ulysses by James Joyce*
Madame Bovary by Flaubert
The Master and Margartia by Bulgakov
The Mill and the Floss by George Eliot
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The Jeeves Omnibus by P.G. Wodehouse
The Complete Stories by Kafka
The Idiot by Dosteovsky

Holiday Post

I certainly had planned on putting up a blog before this about all of our holiday activities...but now it is New Year's Day and they are all coming to a wrap up. The entire Christmas Season has been wonderful at our little house. Somehow it worked out that there wasn't much stress, but a lot of time just spent being a family and having fun. I have gotten asked a lot of if the girls understood their first Christmas. Uh, yeah. You can sleep well at night knowing that Hamda and Shkuri had no problem adjusting to an American Chrstmas. We had three different family parties and then spent Christmas day walking between our house and Mike and Ruth's (My in-laws). I was pretty proud of the presents we got the kids - just about everything was either used or bought locally - and they have played with it all. We have spent a lot of Christmas break just playing board games or their Nintendo Game Cube. Here are the kids playing a vintage game of twister on Christmas Eve.

Here is Elias in his Superman costume present on Christmas day:

Here are the kids putting together their jig saw puzzles that Ariel made them from pictures of themselves. They are very, very cool and I am extremely impressed by his toy making talents.

I have so many wonderful memories from this Christmas time. It was so great to just hang out with the kids at home without anything hanging over our heads. If you ever have lost any Christmas magic - just spend a few hours with some five and six year olds. Ariel didn't work much at all for the last two weeks, I only had to work my usual part time (and no school work!) and the kids didn't need to go anywhere. We slept in almost every mornin. We spent many great hours with friends and family. I beat Ariel at Carcassone after about twenty tries. I made Creme Brulee for eighteen people - and nothing went wrong. Much to Ariel's disgust, I spent a lot of time obsessively watching BBC's Robin Hood with the kids. Among my favorite presents was the Volkonsky translation of War and Peace (I have been waiting seven years for it to be published), Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic books, Decemberist Tickets, and this T-shirt from Aimee:

Last night we played some games and watched Moulin Rouge. Today we are off to spend the day with my Aunt Pat and family in Seattle...I have my list of resolutions all ready for 2008, but I won't divulge them to a soul. Ariel says his only resolution is never to watch another episode of Robin Hood again. Happy New Year!!