04-30-08

One of Xander's birthday gifts is bringing loads of entertainment, but who is the biggest kid?

When I turned on to our street after work, I could see my family in the middle of the road with the rocket launcher. It was quite cold outside, but I stayed outside to watch for awhile. There is a rocket with a smaller rocket on its back that goes farther. At one point the small rocket took off in the wind and hit our neighbor. Oops!

Look closely, Bruce's feet are not on the ground.

“There wouldn't be half as much fun in the world if it weren't for children and men, and there ain't a mite of difference between them under the skins”
Ellen Glasgow

04-29-08

Here's my TV girl. She claims she is stretching before ballet class, but the world stops for her when the TV goes on, she is completely glued to it. Can anyone guess what she is watching? A family favorite, Bruce got me hooked on it when we hung out together in the dorms.

And who can blame her? I grew up glued to Little House on the Prairie and M*A*S*H* reruns.

I don't watch much TV anymore, and when I do, I'm usually multitasking. Like tonight. I painted my nails and watched another episode of Ax Men while they dried.

Some quotes to ponder:
“The television, that insidious beast, that Medusa which freezes a billion people to stone every night, staring fixedly, that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little.” - Ray Bradbury

“If you read a lot of books you are considered well read. But if you watch a lot of TV, you're not considered well viewed.”- Lily Tomlin

“Television is the first truly democratic culture - the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want.”
Clive Barnes

04-28-08

Having a good Monday for a change!

Our retreat speaker this weekend had a strong bent to Covey's Seven Habits, so I thought I'd take a photo of my goose and golden egg. Everyone was required to go through the 3 day training at work, and spouses were given the option, so Bruce tagged along too. I earned my egg for reading the book and my goose for teaching Covey sessions to others. Stephen Covey is Mormon, but I was able to adapt it to an adult Sunday School session. And I taught it at work while the rural building was surrounded by cops with drawn weapons because a prisoner had escaped nearby.

This was back in 1995. I still use some of the concepts, like weekly time management planning, short and long term goal setting, and focusing on what quadrant you are in (putting out your fires, putting out someone else's fires, vegging, or working on your goals). But one of the concepts was "love is a verb", and that one needs some work. The idea behind my visual reminder is that to keep getting the golden eggs, you need to nurture the goose.

The theme of Monday photos is work; otherwise I would have posted a photo of the charred rack of BBQ ribs that had to be thrown away tonight...

04-27-08

The title of this pic is "Blonde Boys in Blue".

Today was what feels like the 57th installment of Xander's birthday. I guess we are just celebrating all month long!

Mario Kart released last night at midnight, so we let him invite a few friends over to play today. Big fun. Not much fuss. He doesn't like cake, so rootbeer floats were his dessert of choice. And about a million gummy bears, apparently.

Now your birthday is officially over, little dude!

04-26-08

Just getting back from our church Women's retreat.

re·treat (r-trt) n.

• a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet

• move away, as for privacy; "The Pope retreats to Castelgondolfo every summer"
  
• hideaway: an area where you can be alone
• retirement: withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation; "the religious retreat is a form of vacation activity"

We were in the Mt Hood area, the weather was gorgeous, the trails were a great place to fellowship, the forty of us formed closer bonds with God and each other, and the speaker was phenomenal.

The photo relates to me being recruited and dubbed "technology girl". I ran the PowerPoint for songs and helped with the DVD that had no working remote. My skills are a far cry from Bruce's, but we managed.

04-25-08

The four Fischer's have all made recent trips to the dentist, and today was Bruce's turn. Thus the prompt "show me lots of teeth!"

I always forget that portrait mode doesn't take good indoor photos because it doesn't use the flash. But I liked this angle of my reflection in the mirror, and a flash would screw that up.

Say cheese!

"If suffering brought wisdom, the dentist’s office would be full of luminous ideas." ~Mason Cooley

04-24-08

All dressed up and somewhere to go. Thursday night is our busiest taxi service night. Anastasia has Girls on the Run until 5pm. Alexander has soccer practice from 6 to 7:15, and Anastasia has ballet from 6:30 to 7:30. Bing, bang, boom.

I thought photos in their respective attire would be fun, but they had more fun with the gangsta poses.

“It's crazy, hectic, and we're low on gas.” - Jamie Thompson

04-23-08

Today when I got home it was kid central. Xander was playing soccer in the front yard with Landon, and Anastasia was in the living room playing Boogie with Katie. Anastasia can sing pretty good, but today it sounded very LOUD!

Yep, these are the noisy years. But this too will pass in the the blink of an eye.

“Our noisy years seem moments in the being of the eternal silence.” - William Wordsworth

04-22-08

Here's a tribute to my two cell phones.

The big one is a bag phone I inherited in 2000. It is now disconnected, but I can't seem to part with it. I loved that phone, it does great hands free. But it was analog, didn't work when the engine was off on my Scion, and brought lots of snickers.

The small one is my current gadget, a BlackBerry. With it I can carry around my work e-mail, my schedule, and a cell phone. One day I hope to load maps and GPS capabilities to it. I was curious why it was called BlackBerry, so I did some research on Wikipedia. The miniature buttons looked "like the tiny seeds in a strawberry," but straw was too slow sounding, so they went with blackberry. Yep, the tiny little buttons and the thumb track create new ergonomics nightmares.

Technologically impaired? Probably. In both forms, I view my cell primarily as a way to call AAA if the car breaks down.

04-21-08

Another Monday.

This is the one and only plant in my life. I got it about 5 years ago as a tiny little thing, for Bosses Day or my birthday or something. My team was excited that they found something that wouldn't bother my allergies. I liked it, but didn't expect it to live for very long.

But this fern is special. It turns colors when it needs water. It goes from bright green to a sickly shade of gray, and it is very patient, so I eventually remember to water it. It's been repotted at least four times and it has kept me company in three different offices. I have grown quite fond of it.

Live long and prosper...

"My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view." - H. Fred Ale

04-20-08

Today was Anastasia's last play as part of children's ministries at church. Because in a few months she will be graduating to the middle school program. They just keep getting older and older...

Xander is the frog, Anastasia is in overalls in the back. And Evan (puppy dog) and Liam (fishing vest) are two of my Sunday School students.

One of the lines was:
Q. Did you hear about the boy who got Egyptian Flu?
A. He caught it from his mummy!

Ah, good times...

04-19-08

There was plenty of paparazzi at Alexander's family birthday party today - Grandma, Grandpa, Great-Grama, Aunt Diana, and Mom were all clicking away with their cameras. Say cheese!

04-19-08

It was almost fifteen years ago that I interviewed with a company I had never even heard of, Weyerhaeuser. As I drove into the visitor parking lot that day, this is the view I saw. It took my breath away, to finally see up close this odd building glimpsed from I-5.

The building was completed in 1971. It is a famous and early examples of a large corporate headquarters complex that has been totally integrated with its natural setting, becoming an integral part of the landscape. The five-story, 358,000-square-foot building is also notable because it was one of the first major office buildings to embrace the open office concept.

I've never actually had an office in this building, there are also several surrounding buildings. But I found myself there again today for a meeting. Corporate Headquarters. I still love the ivy landscaped terraces with the Canada Geese acting like they are letting us hang out with them in their space.

04-17-08

"Is it on the calendar?"

I ask Bruce this question constantly. If it's not on the calendar, you may not get to do it. It's our only defense against oversheduling ourselves. Like tonight. Anastasia has ballet 6:30-7:30, Xander has soccer practice 6-7:30, Bruce has flamingo driving 7-9 and I have Ladies Night at Starbucks 6:30-8:30. Right.

I see that I missed adding my trip to Powell's tomorrow night, so Bruce isn't the only one who forgets. I better go do that right now...

04-16-08

Having fun with a new summer hat and an old silly hat. I'll let you decide which is which.

“A hat is a creation that will never go out of style; it will just look ridiculous year after year.” - Fred Allen

04-15-08

I got to go out in the woods today. In heels, good thing I didn't get out of the explorer! We were looking at logging and the storm blow down at the Seaside operation.

But, before that, I stopped off in Astoria to give presentations to the Lead Team. Lead Team is our term for top managers, my boss thinks it is a good "development opportunity" to get up in front of them and try to be coherent. Maybe someday I'll be able to do it without the nerves.

As I drove into the hotel parking lot, though, I knew that I was in exactly the right place. The row of four white Explorers was a dead give away. They are standard issue for managers and employees who have to go in the woods, but not every day. Only white, for safety. And maybe a tad of resale value, since years ago vehicles were bright yellow!

A big happy birthday shout out to my dear OLD mom! After Xander was so long overdue, he couldn't wait one more stinking day for Grandma's birthday!

04-14-08

My baby turned 10 today!

We get to celebrate all month long, but today is the official day. The "bring cupcakes to school even though they have way outgrown that" day. The "bring a friend to Chuck E Cheese" day. And the "phone ringing off the hook with birthday well wishers" day.

In some ways it seems like yesterday that our ten day overdue son finally decided to make an appearance into our upside down not-quite-moved-to-Aberdeen world. And in some ways it feels like two lifetimes ago. A lot can change in ten years. Once he stopped screaming non-stop, he turned into a pretty fun and compassionate little man.

04-13-08

The flamingo fun continues.

Last evening I found myself home alone, with the guys at a Blazers game and Anastasia at a sleepover.

First I heard a team of youth arrive to get the flamingo flock out of our yard. I went out to chat with them, and learned that while Keri planted the flock in the yard, Bruce was on the cell phone with her from a few blocks away.

A bit later I heard more noise and went out front to investigate. They had parked a few doors down and ran like heck when I opened the door. I wish I had gone out the back door and gone around to sneak up on them. Surprise, surprise, the same team had now planted TWO flocks in our yard!

Disappointingly, we discovered one of the flocks stolen this morning. Before I could even photograph their splendor! It disturbs me that the flamingos would disappear, but especially out of our own yard!

"The number one rule of thieves is that nothing is too small to steal." - Jimmy Breslin

04-12-08

Today was Alexander's first official soccer game. If the weather was always as beautiful as today, I could joyfully become a soccer mom.

He played goalie first half, and defense second half. He has a lot to learn, but everyone on the team is in the same boat. It was fun to watch. He's a bundle of pent up nerves as the ball gets close to the goal. And he does pretty good defending the goal when he is not limping around the field exhausted. It's also fun running into a ton of other people we know.

The "carrots" lost their first game. But they have seven more chances.

"The rules of soccer are very simple, basically it is this: if it moves, kick it. If it doesn't move, kick it until it does." - Phil Woosnam, Welsh soccer player/manager

04-11-08

And the flamingo fun begins!

Each spring, our church has a youth fundraiser where you can plant a flock of gaudy lawn art flamingos in the yard of your choice for a small fee. It's fun for the teens to plant them, fun for the congregation to hit their friends, and a great way to add camp money as long as the little critters don't get stolen as they move about.

Today was our first hit. But given Bruce's involvement with the youth, I doubt it will be our last. And, it seems like it might be retaliation for a hit we put out on some friends...

We are all soaking up the sun today...

04-10-08

A new take on eating on the run.

Normally we eat dinner at about 5:20pm, but tonight Bruce and I both had 5pm meetings. So I got home at 6:10 and ate a few bites before leaving to take Anastasia to ballet and go get my hair cut. Then I ate the rest of my plate (cold, not sure why I didn't heat it up!) at 7pm before leaving to pick up Anastasia at ballet at 7:30. Then I had my salad after that to keep Anastasia company while she finished her plate of dinner.

The meal is a crockpot recipe called Pork with Veggies. We have a cookbook called Low on the Go (which seems fitting), but this recipe is from Fix It and Forget It.

My in laws are trying to each the kids to slow down while they eat, but we don't have time for that with our crazy schedules!

"Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers." - Socrates

04-09-08

Guess what's up:
A. Their favorite relative just died.
B. They are being tortured in the corner.
C. They are trying really hard to mimic their crazy mom's newest Willow Tree statue.

Yep, it's C. Well, maybe a little of C and B...

I wondered aloud what it would look like to photoshop their faces off so they looked more like Willow Trees. Maybe they wouldn't look so bored or sad! To me Willow Trees are serene and calm...

A thank you shout out to my SIL Diana and the gang for my Willow Tree birthday gift!

04-08-08

This is spring?!?

This seems to be our reality. Dark, gloomy, and wet.

Before anyone gives me crap for following the car in front of me too close (OK, so that's my thing), I was at a backed up red light here!

Wisdom for the day:
“The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

04-07-08

This morning my devotion made me smile. It said:

To all those who feel like a crashed kite, he says "We can fix this, Let me teach you." Let me teach you how to handle your money, long Mondays, and cranky in-laws. But most of all, let me teach you why on earth you are on this earth.

How appropriate to read that first thing Monday morning! On a day and a week that I am dreading. Not because of how much work there is, but because of what the work is. Important decisions. Presentations. Influencing others. Stuff that I can't just cross off my to do list, no matter how much time and energy I put in.

But it's a good day. I woke up with renewed commitment - to drinking 80 ounces of water a day, to losing 10 pounds, to facing things head on. And to enjoying the little things even when there are big things looming. Like this gorgeous arrangement my co-worker received last week, that I didn't get a shot of then because there were too many people around. But today was a good day.

04-06-08

I've spent a lot of my free time reading this weekend. I don't feel like doing anything else.

And I found a compelling book.

At my last trip to Powell's, I found two inexpensive Jane Kirkpatrick books. Since I'm hoping to see her later this month, I wanted to read at least one of her books. I didn't realize that this was the one Beth recommended until later. And I didn't realize that it is historical fiction about the camp facility we'll be visiting for family camp next month.

The book has three novellas - a murder trial in 1901, a cult compound in 1984, and the birth of the Young Life camp in 1997. Novellas are one of my favorite formats; I love how the stories are each self contained, but if well-written, have clues and information that thread through all the stories.

Looking forward to seeing the Muddy Ranch in person... now which book to start next?

04-05-08

I think I've mentioned our rooster saga before. I'd like to decorate our kitchen with roosters, but Bruce thinks I need to spend at least a minimal amount of time in the kitchen before I have any claim to decorate it.

Well, this is it. The one and only rooster that Bruce thinks would be worthy to live in our kitchen. While he is very regal and interesting, I can't picture him in our house. And I'm not sure where to purchase such a piece of art anyway.

So for now, we just visit him at Sunrise Bagels and say "Wow, that sure is a cool rooster!". The chicken florentine sandwich on the fruitwave bagel is pretty cool too.

04-04-08

The kids have been gone for four days, so I was looking forward to seeing them again.

And then I remembered.

Back to the volume on my computer being turned up way too high. The whining when I pick a restaurant they don't care for. And stuff being left all over the house. And pouting in Blockbuster while we try to choose a movie we can all agree on. The incessant talking. Our constant nudging of "is that respectful?"

Don't let the photo fool you. It's a glimpse of family harmony. I wish it wasn't so fleeting. But I'll take what I can get. And the ups and downs of parenting continue...

04-03-08

I've recently read two Nicholas Sparks books, The Notebook and The Wedding. Both featured swans as a central theme, which made me think of our swan painting. Many have probably glimpsed it, but few may realize its significance.

We got it shortly before we bought our first house, when we were dirt poor. It seemed way too expensive and big, but I knew I'd regret it if we didn't buy it, and I am spoiled. In college Bruce and I would rent a canoe and go to a secluded area of Lake Washington. There was a swan couple, and they often had a cygnet. It was so romantic, and this painting reminds me of that time in our lives. It has hung on three different houses now, and it is one of the few things I would list when people ask that question "What would you try to save if your house in on fire?".

"But calm, white calm, was born into a swan" - Elizabeth Coatsworth

04-02-08

Wow, what a gorgeous day! We are scraping ice in the morning and turning on the air conditioning in the evening this week.

Bruce and I took a walk tonight after dinner at the lake. He was in the mood to photograph me, he got some nice shots.

After a few false starts, let's hope spring is really here!

A tribute to my favorite color:

Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises. - Pedro Calderon de la Barca

04-01-08

What's in your shower stall?

Bottom row: Shampoo and conditioner in e-bay sized vats, shower gel and Bath & Body Works soap, kiddie shampoo because the tweeners haven't figured out that they won't die without no more tears, and Bruce's dandruff shampoo even though he's never battled dandruff.

Top row: Clarifying shampoo (Real Simple taught me to use it once in awhile to avoid build up. Or to sell more shampoo...), bubble bath for when the kids want to frolic, coffee scented body scrub (heaven to smell in the morning since I don't really like coffee very much), a razor, and my Mary Kay products.

“Better keep yourself clean and bright. You are the window through which you must see the world.” - George Bernard Shaw