{Happy Birthday #10 to my son Kaleb}

Thanks for being such an adorable Curious George!
I love you...

{Lost in the 50s at the gas station ...}

It was Sunday night and the gas light had been on all day. Before I went to sleep, I made my Monday to-do list and the very first item read: Fill up the gas tank – get there on fumes if possible! Sometimes I write funny notes to myself on the to-do list to add a little humor to them. Then when I’m feeling a little overwhelmed with all that needs to get done, I can look down and laugh (at myself).

Anyhow, I made it to the gas station on Monday morning (on the fumes). And for some reason, it was taking forever to fill up the tank. Usually, the numbers just fly at the pump and before you know it – the tank is full. Not this time! After 10 minutes of waiting for the tank to fill, I start looking around to see if other people have been there as long as me. Yes, the same 3 people are still at the pump.

So, I stand there and go into la la thinking land of random thoughts …
I wonder what it was like to put gas in a car in the 50s ...
I wonder if gas prices would go down if women wore aprons and hats.
I wonder what is wrong with this pump.
I wonder if this would be a good scene in my sitcom script ...

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the man across from me informed me a filter was out and was causing the slow speed.

“Oh, thanks” I reply.
Then he shouts – “The country is a mess because there are Republicans running it.”
“Oh, dear” I said.

After standing there for 15 minutes, I looked up at the price of $67.95 and decided that the tank had to almost be full! I can hear more complaints about the speed of the pump and the price of gas …I believe a frenzy about politics and gas prices is about to occur at the gas station.
Luckily, I was done and didn't feel the need to join the pumping madness.

(I flipped the switch to off and drove away).

I can tell you why the pumps don’t run on slow speed. People start getting crazy at the pump.

I know because I found myself wanting to don an apron and go back in time to the 50s and the man across from me wanted to ban Republicans from the Universe.

Note to gas stations everywhere – make sure the average pumping time is 4 minutes or less. It’s for our own good!

Cheers to gas stations and pumps that work on ultra fast speed!

{I hope you dance ...}

Have you ever bumped into a moment in life that brings up another moment from life? I had one of those 'bumping episodes' yesterday. Here’s what happened –

My daughter, Lauren, and my oldest son, Kade and I were dropping off some “Wiggle Like a Fish” CDs to the owner at Aunt Franny’s Toy shop. (In case you don’t know, my husband performs for kids and families). This musical adventure keeps us busy!

As I was leaving the store I noticed several guys coming out of the Tuxedo shop (located next to Aunt Franny’s toys) and realized it was prom weekend. I turned to my son and asked him if planned on attending the prom when he got older. "Yes!" He told me.

At that very moment I had a flash back to my younger years. I was a freshman in high school and my younger sister, Amy, and I wanted our older brother, Travis to go to the prom. We wanted to see him all decked out and mostly, we wanted to see his date and her gorgeous gown!
(I couldn't go to the prom until I was dating age: 16).

We devised a plan. We wrote him a letter and told him who he should ask and informed him we would pay for the date. How you ask? We had paper routes! We would pool the money together and send him to the prom. We were thrilled with our plan and slid the letter under his bedroom door.

Much to our disappointment, he didn’t go to the prom – even with our very appealing offer. In fact, he never made it to any formal dance during his lifetime. That summer, he died in a car accident.

As we drove away from the tux shop, I turned to Kade and said – “I can’t wait for you to go to the prom!” I told him about Travis and how his aunt and I offered to pay for his date and about the letter that we slid under the bedroom door.

Kade wanted to know more and as we pulled into our driveway – we were both crying.

It’s amazing how one life can leave such a lasting impression.

Wendy, Tory and Kaleb - Children's poetry awards ceremony (April 2007)

{A Poet named Kaleb}

We have a little poet in our family. His name is Kaleb and last year he took 3rd place for a poem he wrote on snakes. We entered a few poems this year and he took 2nd place for his
poem called "Radio."

This weekend, he’ll get to read his winning piece at the Community Center as part of the annual children’s poetry celebration put on by our city and the YMCA. Way to go Kaleb!

Below is his winning entry -

Radio
By Kaleb Christensen

Radios sometimes have pounding music
Slow melodies
Rockin’ rock
But sometimes your radio doesn’t work

Cheers to poets and their poems - and all things lyrical ... :)

April is national poetry month - grab some Shakespeare and feed thy soul

“Love is born. Everything else is learned.”
The Dalai Lama

We were in Seattle the same time as the Dalai Lama. He was there for a five-day event about teaching compassion to children and youth. I bumped into the above quote outside an art gallery in Pioneer Square and was completely touched by it. Once inside the art gallery, I was moved (again) by the art on the walls.

The Dalai Lama posed the following question: What does compassion look like?
And children from all over the world drew pictures and wrote about what compassion meant to them. Being there and seeing their art was a very great experience for me.

Have you ever thought about compassion and the impact it has on the world?
What would you draw/paint/sculpt or write to depict that word?

http://www.seedsofcompassion.org/

{Safeco Field in Seattle, WA}

Last weekend, my husband and I went to Seattle to watch the Mariners play baseball!
They won and it was a perfect night in Seattle!! You could see the moon above Safeco Field and the place was so alive with screaming, cheering baseball fans! I loved every moment of it …
(Especially the 7th inning stretch and singing "Take me out to the ball game"!)

Cheers to baseball and America!

:)

No, I didn’t have a hotdog or a heaping plate of garlic fries – I ended up with a big cup of Ivar’s clam chowder (pure heaven) and a huge glass of lemonade – yummy!

{Sweet Dreams}

I had a very interesting dream last night about my brother and Grandpa (both who have been dead for a long time). It was sweet and I like to think that the dream was their way of saying "Hi" and "I love you ... "

So Grandpa & Travis - I love you too!

{Who do you look like?}

You ever get that? People stop to tell you you look like so and so ... It happens to me every now and again! Below are photos of people I don't mind being confused as!

If you have not tried this site - give it a shot! You can morph yourself too.
:)

I just tried it on my husband and he's 66% Mark Harmon or Carlos Bernard.

My son Kaleb looks most like Margaret Thatcher ... Funny huh??!

{Take Me out to the ball game ...!}

My husband and I are taking a little romantic getaway to the wonderful city of Seattle ...
Part of the fun will include watching the Seattle Mariners play at Safeco Field!!
I can't wait!! :) I love baseball ...

Everyone keeps telling me I gotta try the garlic fries at the ball park ... Bring 'em on!

{Monkeys ... Elephants and Peacocks}

OH MY!!

It's spring break so to kick it off, we took a road trip to Tacoma, WA to visit the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. It was such a great trip! We love the zoo! If you want to see a slide show from our adventure, I've posted a show below (enjoy).

PS: There were loose peacocks wandering everywhere ... Funny.

{You Are Not Lost}
*****
Are you a Michael Buble fan? I am :) - I love his voice and style.
This song is beautiful and has a wonderful message ...

Thank heavens for loving connections and the amazing ability we have
to help each other with the tough, dark days.

Happy Wednesday :)

{April 1st – a day to LAUGH til it hurts}

Today is one of my favorite days! Every year I look forward to April first…
Would you like to know the joke I played on my son?? OK keep reading –

Preface: Last Saturday night we came home late from seeing a play and my oldest son, Kade, spotted a skunk on our street. He said he saw it scurry into the bushes by the house next door. Oh no! That meant it was close to our backyard. We have a dog in our backyard (named Sadie) and she usually keeps all the wild critters at bay. I assured them that if the skunk did spray her we could wash the dog in tomato juice and supposedly that would take the awful skunk smell away.

My prank: This morning, I ran to my son’s room and told him to hurry and get up because something terrible happened in the night! “Hurry, help me gather all the cans of tomato soup and sauce!” I exclaimed!

“Why?” Kaleb said yawning.

“Sadie got sprayed in the night by that little skunk on our block,” I told him.

Kaleb is wide awake now!! We run upstairs (he is wearing his underwear only) to dump our 4 cans of tomato paste and sauce into the tub …. I burst into out of control laughter and say – APRIL FOOLS.

Then we both laugh til it hurts.

Cheers to today and laughing out loud….

For the record the jokes in the past have been even better than today’s. Ask my kids sometime about the dinosaur DNA and the T-Rex that was wandering down our street.
We still laugh about that one!!!

:)