Words words words

Everyone has new phrases and words this week. Punkin Head has her own version of "thank you, crackers, mom, dad, Harry and Hannah," which are absolutely adorable. She absolutely refuses please in any form, sign language or spoken. Bubba has a new phrase (thanks to 4 days with his Auntie Dani) "snap!" which pretty much means any word you want it to cuss or otherwise. My Honey counseled him on using it for good words only not bad words. Luckily he didn't pick up "suck!" and "I own your shorts!" from the adults playing Monopoly. OOPS! Forgot who we had in the room.

ps have I mentioned I LOVE the new beta-blogger spell check??!!

Birth day and Birthday

When he was first born we called him "Harry-Lou-Who" because he reminded us of the Who's from Whoville in the How the Grinch Stole Christmas. That picture is of him on his birth day.

Now, almost 5, he looks much more like a regular kid. Another photo taken at Guemes Island.

Did I mention My Honey bought a new camera?? It's great!!! Takes video too.

Speaking of birthdays; McDonald's is taking care of Bubba's 5th B-day party Saturday! Yay me, no work. No set up, no clean up, no cake, no prep. Just show up and let them take care of it all! Good idea Little Sister #1! And we went out at lunch and bought his present(s) so that is taken care of too. Ahhhh. Now if Christmas stuff felt that taken care of. Oh well, one holiday at a time.

Emotions

Photo: My Dad and my son playing a made up game at the Guemes House during our T-day vacation. Quite a sight. Kind of an emotional one for me; there aren't any pictures like that of me. But I am thankful that Bubba is getting to know his Grandpa and that I am too in the process.

For the past 10 years or so we have spent every-other T-Day at this house on Guemes Island with my Dad his wife, their kids and her mom and dad. It's really a very special time, although exhausting. There isn't a TV, telephone or radio in the house, the only way on or off the Island is by ferry. The weather this year was very bad, cold, wet and snowy!! We couldn't believe it when we woke on Saturday and we could see snow on the islands. Wow. It didn't stop us from our traditional 3 mile walk Friday, but it did on Saturday - too cold. We ate and drank and ate some more. Played plenty of Monopoly, Yatzee, I attempted Scrabble with Bubba, and did two puzzles. Can't leave Guemes without a puzzle getting done. It becomes the obsession.

So much for Disney

Yesterday Bubba came down from my bedroom where he had been watching the Disney Channel (I thought) and says "Mom, I can't watch that show on TV anymore, there are people smoking on it."

My first visual is of "real" people smoking. What show is on Disney where there are people smoking? Then I thought maybe he changed the channel so I asked him if it was still on Disney and he said yes. My next thought was "WHAT ARE THOSE DISNEY PEOPLE THINKING??" So as I went through my mental Disney catalogue - 101 Dalmatians; Cruella Deville smokes, Lady and the Tramp; Mr Darling smokes.... and the list goes on, I realized that it was probably "just" a Disney movie. But it was a great opportunity to talk to Bubba about how things around us, TV, books, magazines and people can influence us. That he will have to know what is right and wrong or good and bad and make choices about what to watch, who to hang out with and what to read.

We have had some big stuff this month. Growth. Sheesh, can't they stay little forever?

Party time

Now I am one.
Punkin Head's birthday is Saturday but we had her party last week. She was a good little guest of honor. Her Auntie D came to visit for the party with my Dad and his wife.

Aren't they cute? Cousin M came over to make cookies last week. They had a good time. It was interesting the difference in how the two kids (who are only 9 months apart) cut out their cookies; Bubba just did them willy-nilly all over the dough, Cousin M was careful to line them up in neat rows. Tells a lot about their personalities.

Loss

I lost a friend the other day. She was killed in a tragic collision on Blewett Pass Friday. I’ts been a sucky week. She left behind two teen-age girls. My heart aches for those girls. Aches big. Her name was Jennifer. I met her when I started to do Yoga. She was the instructor. She was a great instructor. Have you ever had a teacher of any kind that just knew how to get through to you? That just knew what you needed that day? She was that kind of teacher. She had a gift, she really did. And she could communicate with everyone - if they let her - to help them. I was blessed and touched and very lucky to know her. I really was.

Her memorial service was yesterday. It was the kind where people were asked to come up and share a story or memory or something. There must have been 300 people there. It was amazing. People kept saying the same kind of thing over and over - Jennifer was special. She had a gift. She had a light. She gave her all. She was open, accepting. Even if you didn’t know her, you knew her. And she knew you. It was really healing for her family. They don't live around here and they were touched at how many people Jennifer affected. Genuinely touched. You really never know, until someone is gone, who they touched. I was amazed at the "7 degrees of Jennifer." A lot of people I know knew her.

Life is a beautiful thing. Family is a beautiful thing. As we enter this season of Thanksgiving and Christmas remember to tell your family you love them. You never know when they will be gone.

I am going to go call my sister now.

Snow!

Can you see it, can you see it, can you see it??

It's snowing! Ahhh, I love it. The only thing I wish for every year is that it snows by my birthday. It usually does, at least a little. Mother Nature doesn't ususally let me down.

It probably won't stick, it will be gone in an hour or so, but it was worth it for the fix. Then it can come back in December in time for Bubba's birthday.