Fingerprints On My Window

Harvest 2009

2009-10-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

A feeling of familiarity washed over me this year at harvest time. Now in our fifth harvest, everyone knows the rhythm and routine of the activities. The guys are in the vineyard first as I rise early to brew coffee and wake the kids. We all head out through a layer of early morning fog to greet the tractor and bins just starting to be filled with fruit. The kids join in with the picking crew and I start my routine of dumping bins. I check on all the workers, find the fullest picking bin, and exchange it for an empty so the crew can keep picking without interruption. This also provides my love with an even flow of fruit to sort and check. Moving through the vineyard, carefully gathering and switching full bins for empties, one by one I lift and dump the fruit.

This year my son’s friend and my niece joined in the fun. My niece tried out all the various jobs, but settled on working the large bins with my love for quality control. My daughter, son and his friend stayed on picking duty, and I continued my workout of dumping the little harvesting bins into the big ones. Our good friend and vineyard photographer captured our harvest through photos which is always appreciated and The local press came to film. My parents joined in as the harvest was finishing up.

I am thankful for another harvest and for the people who make it happen. Our harvest team encompasses an age range of 10 to 94. Being goal oriented, I love when all the fruit is delivered and there is a sense of completion to the growing season, but of course the work is never really done. Next week we will remove the netting and start to put the vineyard to bed for the winter.

Wedding Bells

2009-09-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

Last July I traveled to Texas to attend a niece's wedding. This niece was the flower girl in my own ceremony in 1991. I traveled by air with my daughter and parents in tow. Many from my big family made the trip. I have two siblings who live in Texas so we stayed with my sister. My brother, the father of the bride, had his hands full getting ready for the wedding.

We had 16 people staying in a five bedroom house and we used every inch of the floor plan! My daughter and I camped in the front living room with more female kins folk. It was wonderful to be with both of my sisters and all our girls (the sistercousins).

We were having fun shopping, doing nails and generally staying up way to late. We had several fashion shows trying to determine what to wear and what not to wear to the wedding.

The low point = 16 sleep deprived people in one house with a 4 cup coffee pot!

The high point = Watching my 94 year old father dance with my 10 year old daughter, (these two danced the most of any one that night.. the oldest and the youngest.)
Reflecting back on my own wedding 18 years ago. Witnessing my flower girl now a bride, make one of the biggest commitments in life.

My hope for her... that she will enjoy the journey of building a life together with her love as I have with mine.

Check Out Those Turtles!

2009-08-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

On a trip south to meet some friends at the beach, we took a break at a favorite park in Santa Barbara. We were surprised to find so many turtles ...

My children who love to count things, counted 80 on one bank alone. I think there were hundreds in the whole pond. It reminded us of the turtle we found in our own pond.

"Don't forget the plastic bags!"

2009-08-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Being a California girl, I love the beach. When we decided to move to the country and plant a vineyard, I was more than pleased to find a vineyard location not too far from the coast. I faithfully take my kids to the beach every summer. Unlike Southern California where I was raised, the summers on the central coast provide very cold water temps. The importance of wet suits for my kids was a reality I learned early on. The problem is getting wet suits on and off caused an enormous scene on the beach. I would struggle every summer getting my kids into the wetsuits. We provided endless entertainment for onlookers as I would pull, prod, peel and push trying to get my kids in their suits.

Finally frustrated with this this routine, I googled solutions for the problem. We stumbled onto the plastic bag solution. You place a standard plastic grocery bag on the child's foot and put their foot into the wetsuit, once the foot is in you slide the plastic bag out and off. Repeat this step for each foot and hand. Miraculously with the child's foot in the bag it glides easily through the wet suit.

Let a plastic bag give you a helping hand!

Now as we head out for the beach my children are usually yelling, "do you have the plastic bags?", "Mom get the plastic bags!".

The Mystery of the Missing Frying Pan

2009-06-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

A story from last summer's heat wave...
Each night for the past week I kept looking for my medium size frying pan.

I have been looking every where.

I checked with my mother, I scoured the cupboards, I started to believe I was loosing my mind. Where could it be?

Several nights I would end up cooking one item in the large frying pan then transferring the food, followed by washing the pan and cooking the next item in the same pan.

HELP

Fast forward to Friday night, I finally get around to asking my two guys about it. They quickly respond " oh yeah .. it's outside by the truck on the lid of the trashcan." My son continues "I was doing an experiment to see if I could cook an egg in the pan on the hood of the truck in the high heat and it cooked most of the way!"

Mystery solved and I am relieved I am not loosing my mind, at least not this week. Why both family members of the male persuasion thought it was perfectly acceptable to leave the pan outside by the garbage is beyond me.

Artist Artist, how does your garden grow?

2009-05-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

My son the artist made the decision in April to grow a garden. I take on a lot of activities on the property, but gardening is not one of them. I don't do much outside unless it is in the vineyard. He took the initiative, worked the dirt, found the pots, and planted the seeds. He even decorated with some extra stone and mulch scavenged from dad's piles.

The garden is doing very well and he faithfully waters it every day!

Lights...Camera...Action

2009-05-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

A fashion themed birthday bash for my bookworm's tenth birthday!

Nine guests + the birthday girl makes ten. Fun outside with the sunflower house and the swing set.

A Fashion Photo Shoot.

We hung a sheet as a backdrop and used fans and lighting for the before and after photos.

Lots of props.... beads, gloves, fans and make up.

A chocolate fountain rounded out the fun.

My own version of Design on a Dime

2009-05-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I felt as if I was the star in my own design on a dime special.

My Bookworm is turning ten and we are redoing her room for her birthday.

I unloaded the contents of my daughters room into the hallway and got ready for my very talented friend to come over and paint.

Meanwhile the phone rings and this same friend was at a special antique show that had come to town. She encouraged me to come check out a vanity she thought would work in the room. Our plan was to ditch the dresser, put more clothes in her closet, and refinish an old armoire. My love and I both wanted to add a vanity to the furniture, but hadn't found one yet.

My friend's find was awesome, so I bargained a little and got a very good price and purchased it. We ran to her house, got her truck, loaded it up and headed home. I went in to town for dinner and paint supplies. While in town, I dashed in Ross to look for a small seat, but found a black wire dress form instead. After a little stewing and some phone calls for advice, I went back and bought it. I had already purchased the black wire Eiffel Tower. Still more to do, but the room is well on it's way.

Now the rest of the house doesn't look so hot. Of course I have done no laundry and very few dishes. My son is running out of clean clothes and the piles are piling up. I will get caught up somehow, after the flurry of creativity dies down.

Paint 24.99... Wire Mannequin 34.99.....Antique Vanity...125.00... Eiffel Tower 19.99

The look on my daughter's face...... priceless.

Our Dog Loves Hunting For Eggs Too...

2009-04-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

Time to dye the eggs.

We had two cousins in town, so four kids for dyeing and hunting. Our dog wanted to help with the egg dye too!Hunting Time.

Our dog loves Easter and is happy to hunt along with the kids.

She doesn't need a basket, when she finds a real egg she eats it.

If she finds the plastic kind she tries to break it open to get to the candy.

She never tried to steal the kid's eggs, she played fair and square and only kept what she found. Here she is just happy to watch my boy empty his eggs.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Signs of Spring

2009-04-08T23:47:00.000-07:00

I love spring with the green hills and blooms bursting. Our property has many bunnies hopping here and there. I have not captured one on film yet, they are pretty fast. Beyond the bunnies and the blooms, I will be playing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus and reflecting on my risen savior, Happy Easter.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Thin Mints in My Glass

2009-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

So I have written more than one blog post about strange things in strange places. I have written about rocks in my dryer and mud in my hallway. But this is a whole new experience, you can imagine my shock when I placed my glass up to the ice dispenser and out came pieces of thin mints in addition to ice.

My kids had been putting thin mints in the freezer since the girl scout cookies came home, how they got into the ice maker is a mystery.

Love and Faith was his message

2009-03-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

A young boy fighting cancer from the age of seven. As a Church we prayed for him and all rejoiced when the cancer went into remission. Many in my church, myself included, struggled over the next 11 years when we heard he was sick again three more times. You finally come to a place where you accept that maybe this was his purpose, a visitor on our earth for a short time to help us all realize what's really important. He liked to say that we are all going to die but he was given the gift of knowing when. A very interesting way to look at it, a person's perspective can have such a profound affect on how they live and die. A very good friend of mine once did a semester long internship with a Hospice agency. I remember her telling me that people die the way they live.

This life challenges me and I am thankful for the reminder and the challenge.

Clayton'sstory.com

Gum Alley

2009-03-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

In a neighboring town there is an alley the locals call gum alley.

A little alley tucked away in the downtown. It is called gum alley because since the 1960's people have been putting their chewed gum on the wall. We finally remembered to show our kids the alley last fall.

Most of the gum is just a single chewed piece, but some people get elaborate and write words and draw pictures with the chewed gum.

It is weird, gross and sort of amazing all wrapped into one. My offspring who are germ phobic and love hand sanitzer, voted for mostly gross!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Photo Story Eye Spy

2009-03-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

Look closely.....my very own version of Eye Spy
Do you see two people in those trees?

My Artist is in the tree above in a white shirt.

My Bookworm is in this tree in a red shirt.

We have since had a talk that they were way too high!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

To see more photo story posts click here.

My Bookworm on a Photo Safari

2009-03-07T21:52:00.001-08:00

Today I was running to town to take my Artist to a Birthday Party. I left my Bookworm home with My Love. Sometimes when Dad is busy working on the property, he hands our girl the camera so she can entertain herself. She started surprising us a couple of years ago with some really great shots. This is a sample of the best of what she captured today.

Final Curtain

2009-02-14T12:12:00.000-08:00

What do you take your 14 year old boy on closing night, while all the girls are getting flowers?

A money bouquet.

He did a great job and we are so proud of him. We are all a little relieved and sad it is over. Yesterday a stranger approached us in the grocery store to say "Hey you were great in that play!"

It was surreal to watch my Artist on stage singing and acting. Five years ago he almost didn't go to the charter art school because he might have to be on stage! The beloved secretary who is known as the queen of the school, assured him he would never be forced to perform on stage. Now in his last year at this school he is front and center and loving it. It is so important to remember children are a work in progress, what they hate one year may be their greatest passion the next. This experience of acting and singing will stay with him, I hope as a reminder that everything and anything is possible.

To make a money bouquet you curl the edges of the bill away from the center then twist the center and place on a wooden stick, use dark twist ties and keep going. we gave him an even dozen!

Oh Brother

2009-01-29T20:59:00.000-08:00

Two of my brothers and their wives came to town to visit. One from out of state and one from a different part of California. My two brothers who live close by also joined in the fun. We were pleased to have the company of three of my beautiful adult nieces.

Highlights included:

My brother recording our 93 year old father reminiscing about his life. (3 hours worth!)

Some live bluegrass music, courtesy of two brothers and some good friends.

Alot of laptops, we are quite a "techie" family.

At one point there were five of us with laptops running.

I love my big brothers and their families. I feel very blessed to be part of this big family. We had a fantastic visit. To check out more photostory friday posts click here.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Drama Mama

2009-01-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

I have been neglecting my blog and wine sales, while helping out with my son's school play.

Kudos to all you Soccer Moms and Dance Moms. I have done the Karate Mom thing and now my daughter is in gymnastics, but nothing has been as consuming as this Drama Mama gig. Since I don't sew, I signed up for program duty. I was blessed with a wonderful hard working mom, who is helping me.

My duties include; selling ads for the programs, collecting ads and money, and developing flyers for all of the above. I was also in charge of taking pics of the kids for the program. I took a group shot of the; principals (9), daughters (14) , police (17) and pirates (twenty something). Thank goodness for digital photography! Out of 15 shots of each group I had one or two where I actually had every kid looking at me with eyes open. I also helped out with tracking down feathers for the costumes.

I am so proud of my son, he is doing well with all the rehearsals and memorization of lines. I loved my high school drama teacher and am so excited that one of my children is dabbling in one of my passions. It is a production of the Pirates of Penzance.

My Kids Thoughts on my Bloggy Hobby Revealed

2009-01-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

On the way to a friend's house...

...an interesting traffic jam presented itself that was making us a little late.
As I tried to take this photo, my children started in...

14 year old Artist, "Why are you taking a photo, Is this for your blog?"

9 year old Bookworm, "Hey she needs to prove why we are late."

Bookworm, "Why don't you like her blog it is just a way for her to remember good things in our life, like the turtle." "Do you remember the turtle?"

Artist, "What turtle?"

Bookworm, "See you don't remember it, but her blog has it all remembered."

Artist, "oh whatever."

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek For more photo story friday posts click here.

Goodbye 2008

2009-01-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

The last day of 2008 a friend and her family were visiting.

We headed to the beach to enjoy the beautiful coast of California.

The Sand at this beach looks like tiny polished rocks.She brought her four kids and added them to my two.
That makes six pairs of shoes and twelve socks to keep track of.

The weather was surprisingly warm.

The kids enjoyed running in the water and getting their feet wet.

Maybe more than their feet got wet.

I love the spirit of children, rarely do they do something half hearted. The kids ranged in age from 14 to 2 and there was little difference in their approach to experiencing the water and waves. In the end everyone was very wet and sandy. The men were flustered and the women were laughing. We were not at all surprised, with lots of laundry and rocks in my dryer.

For me, as someone who loves the beach and enjoys the company of children, it was a wonderful way to say goodbye to 2008. My new year's resolution is simple for 2009...

Try to experience the beauty of life more like a child,

without reservation, jumping in with both feet and eyes wide open.

Visions of Sugar Plums

2008-12-28T19:40:00.000-08:00

I purchased two different gingerbread house kits this year.

Then we added some additional candy.

My kids had so much fun... What a mess...

But it was worth it.

The Christmas Tree Farm

2008-12-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

Going to the tree farm and cutting down our own tree.
A tradition born with our move to the country twelve years ago.

My Bookworm found a baby tree.

We finally decide on a White Fur.

To see more Photostory Friday posts head over to

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Twelve Days of Christmas

2008-12-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

I continue to have a love/hate relationship with Christmas letters.
I love getting letters from others, I hate trying to write one for our family.

This year I came up with a way to let people know what we have been up to while giving a nod to the familiar 12 days of Christmas song. I had to change some numbers to reflect the real frequency of things in our lives.

In the year 2008 my true life gave to me …

1000+ ground squirrels in the vineyard
106 gymnastic classes
88 karate lessons
25 cases of wine
21 play rehearsals
12 beach days with boogie boarders
10 bins of fruit at harvest
8 diving classes
5 furry kitties that make sure there are …
NO MORE MICE
4 wine events
3 school calendars
2 sets of keys locked in the truck
And 1 black belt for my true love

See You Soon

2008-11-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

Contrary to what I like to believe, I can't do it all!

I have to focus on my day job, selling wine, and my family.

I am taking a blogging break for a few weeks.

Most of the world's wine is sold between October and December.

See ya in a couple weeks.

Tuesday Tales - A Beautiful Feast

2008-11-18T00:02:00.000-08:00

I am guest posting again at AVT Coach with a Tuesday Tale.
The holiday season is upon us and with many feasts planned I was reminded of this book.

A Beautiful Feast for a Big King Cat is written by John Archambault and Bill Martin JR. The beautiful illustrations are by Bruce Degen.

I love children's literature, and I have many favorites about cats. This is certainly due to the influence of my Bookworm who is a cat lover. She loved cats at a very young age and now her love of cats has grown to include leopards, tigers and lions. She and the Artist are both animal planet junkies.

I found this book many years ago in a scholastic book form and ordered it for my then three year old cat lover. She loved the rhythm of the language and as time went by we could explore the more complex lessons and the moral found in this book.

For the full review hop on over to AVT Coach.

The story involves a litte mouse who teases a cat and learns it is a dangerous game. In the end the mouse gets himself out of trouble by using his imagination.You will miss the magic of this book if you only read it a few times! As the child anticipates the story and memorizes the text they will join in with the rhythmic rhyming verse. We read this story at least 100 times before my daughter could read and then again we enjoyed it as she was learning to read. A true gem.

I will finish this post with a quote from one of the author's Bill Martin Jr. who incidentally didn't read until he was in college and became an expert at hiding his own illiteracy.

"A blessed thing happened to me. I had a teacher who read to me." Bill Martin Jr.

Mud Anyone?

2008-11-12T22:25:00.000-08:00

How about some pond scum?

Ah yes, the joy of living in the ~~dirt~~ country.

I am playing wordless Wednesday at five minutes for mom.

Faces of Freedom

2008-11-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

To honor Veterans Day, we visited a local Memorial.

The local news interviewed my bookworm about Veterans Day.

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The Power of a Simple Gift

2008-11-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Every November the kids and I fill shoe boxes for children less fortunate than us. My kids include a picture of themselves and a letter to the child.

Two years ago a letter from Sri Lanka arrived for my daughter. It was from the girl that had received her box. The letter was really amazing and it made the whole exercise come to life for both of my children. National Collection Week is November 17-24. It has been a worthwhile activity for my children and is a wonderful way to demonstrate God's love and the power of a simple gift.

This thermos and that's all I need...

2008-11-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

My Bookworm has discovered the amazing properties of a thermos.

While working in the vineyard with dad she was truly amazed that the old Aladdin thermos kept water ice cold in very hot weather for hours. Ever since her discovery we hear the familiar squeak of the thermos top every where we turn; in the car, at the table, in her room, in the family room.

She is busily fixing it up and getting herself drinks out of her new discovery.

Remember the movie The Jerk and the Thermos Song.

She just loves it and apparently it is all she needs!

Wait till we tell her it keeps things hot in cold weather too.

A Curious Social Experiment - Trick or Treat Style

2008-11-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

On Halloween, we always trick or treat in our little downtown since we live in the country and don't have a neighborhood. We often meet friends or bring some along. Below is a picture of my girl as Cleopatra with two of her friends.

For years my kids have sorted all their candy on the living room floor by type. Then the bartering begins, "Well if you give me two candy corns I will give you a snickers." On and on it goes with both kids negotiating all kinds of trades. It entertains them for a while.

Now for the social experiment. My kids are four and a half years apart, with my son being the oldest. During this candy sort, we have always noticed that my daughter gets more candy. This happens every year. So this year I had them count each pile. My son's candy totaled 129 pieces, with my daughter at 159. A difference of 30 pieces!

I guess people just feel like giving more to the youngest, or the girl, or both? Please comment if you have noticed similar discrepancies among your children. Is it the big age difference or the difference of the sexes? Is it youth or beauty? What do you think?

Our Favorite Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

Yes we are a little late picking pumpkins..but better late than never.

So many different kinds!

Then it was time to carve them up.

Pumpkin Pumpkin

Round and Fat

I see your face just like that!

The kids will throw the seeds out on the back hill, hoping to grow their own for next year.

I am playing Photo Story Friday, check out more photo stories this Halloween.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

My One Month Post - I'm where I am supposed to be.

2008-10-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

ONE MONTH

Genny over at my cup 2 yours is one of my favorite sites to visit. She is hosting a contest challenging her readers to write a post and share insights into what they would do if they only had one month to live.

To reflect on this question, I must first share that I am a working mommy. I work outside the home while trying to keep my family first. I have struggled with this over the years, but I work in the best possible job doing something I feel I was destined to do. I am a speech pathologist and feel very passionate about my work. I work in the schools so my hours are great for my children.

This being said, I have a problem at the end of every summer. I have a major ~~depression~~ readjustment about the end of summer and the return to work and school. It's not just for me, I hate sending my kids back to school and genuinely love having them around. I hate the homework, the schedule, the pressure, the conflicts and the stress. My kids do pretty well in school and I still dread the end of summer!

Each year my end of summer blues were getting worse until...two years ago. I had an epiphany in church, something to the effect of "life is not an Elle party".

Yes folks, that became my mantra. "Life is not a party for me." God never intended life to be easy or a personal party, there are no endless summers and no free lunches. I consider myself very blessed to have the glorious summer and the wonderful unscheduled time with my kids. I am certain that I am right where I should be during the school year. I work to help young children and their families. God has been so gracious to give me wonderful summers off to enjoy my kids and recharge my batteries.

Of course, it would be nice if my last month was in the summer. If not, I believe I am right where I am supposed to be.

I would make some little tweaks... make less lists, try to be present more, seize more moments, and try to make each moment count.

I would write in and read my own blog more! My favorite blog of all time is my own, not because it can hold a candle to some of my favorites.

Fingerprints is my favorite because I write first and foremost for me. My blog is about; my kids, my love, my thoughts and my life. I am thankful for the gift of my life. keeping a journal online or otherwise helps me reflect, focus and embrace this gift God has given me.
One key goal I am always striving for is to live my life to an audience of one... God.

So Carpe Diem - seize the day or the moment and start living your life with no regrets, I hope you feel you are right where you are supposed to be today.

A Spider Story - Just in Time for Halloween

2008-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Round one - The tarantula hawk is trying to take down the tarantula. According to the artist and wildlife expert a tarantula hawk will paralyze it's victim with a bite and lay eggs in him - Eeeww!

Round two - The tarantula got away, until the artist captured him under a bucket for later observation.

See video here for details.

I am playing Photo Story Friday.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

14 Years

2008-10-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

14 years ago my boy was born.

His hand print then...

The Artist today...

We celebrated the day at a museum & aquarium.

Pressing the Wine

2008-10-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Watching the wine be pressed is oh so fun !

Now it will go into a barrel for approximately 24 months.

I am playing Wordless Wednesday at five minutes for mom.

Check out other Wednesday posts.

Too Many Pumpkins

2008-10-13T23:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Tale – Too Many Pumpkins

I have had the nice surprise of meeting a fellow blogger who is also a Speech Pathologist!

She is starting a new series on Tuesdays called Tuesday Tales. She will review a children’s book and give insight and ideas on how to expand children’s language skills through books. As a huge fan of children’s literature and a big believer in the power of books, I am honored to guest post on this new venture from time to time. Her website is AVT coach.

The book I have chosen is Too Many Pumpkins, by Linda White and Illustrated by Megan Lloyd. A great read for October.

The simple story introduces us to its main character a senior woman by the name of Rebecca Estelle. Rebecca an avid gardener, enjoyed growing everything except Pumpkins. She hated pumpkins. Rebecca had vowed never to even look at a pumpkin again and she didn’t until...
..one Autumn day several pumpkins fell off a passing truck in her front yard. We spend much of the next few pages watching Rebecca try to rid herself of the pumpkins. In the end the reader is pleasantly surprised to see the change in this character’s attitude about something she hated for a long time.

For the complete review head over to AVT coach's website.

My favorite thing about this story is we get to witness a character who ends up changing her mind. Learning that there is always a chance we could change our minds is a great life lesson for old and young alike.

I hope you all find a great read this October and enjoy the magic of a book shared with a child.

Golden Nuggets, Caution Slips and The Free Market Economy of the Fourth Grade

2008-10-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Last night at dinner, my bookworm made a surprising announcement.

"I am buying a blank caution slip from my friend for four golden nuggets."

(Caution slips are given to children when they are in big trouble and usually involves a trip to the principal's office)

She proceeded to explain how a friend of hers was given a blank caution slip and now apparently the fourth graders in room 12 decided it was a very valuable commodity. The bidding began, with one student offering to loan the child a favorite pen while others offered favors. With many children attempting to gain possession of the slip, the bidding switched to a more specific currency, golden nuggets. Golden nuggets are a paper ticket given out for good behavior to be used at the class store for prizes. My daughter informed me that she had won the auction and she and her friend shook on it.

I was still shocked and feeling like I should reprimand my child. I was thinking of warning her that she could get in big trouble, but her uncle and father beat me to the punch. They proceeded to shower her with praise and encouragement for this recent endeavor.

Before giving my lecture, I decided to dig deeper and ask her why she wanted the caution slip. Her eyes lit up as she explained how she wanted to have it so she could give it out to some ill behaved student if needed. The glint in her eye revealed how she relished the power she would wield as the possessor of the blank caution slip. I could barely keep a straight face as the look in her eye reminded me of the power the ring had over Frodo in Tolkien's recent cinematic tale.

Ah the desire for power, so intoxicating and undeniably strong, perhaps this is what happened on Wall Street. One too many souls getting that glazed over look and letting power and greed take the wheel. Quick grab a blank caution slip.

Sorting the Fruit - Sticky Fun

2008-10-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

Sorting Fun...

With Harvest upon us, and all that harvest time brings to the vineyard/wine business, I have not been able to post. More posts will be coming soon. In the meantime, check out how many people sorted our fruit! If you counted correctly, there were seven in the video. My Love is almost completely hidden on the other side of the sorting table, but if you look closely, you can see his legs. When I wasn't taking pics and joined the sorting crew, there were eight.

Harvest 2008 - Yeah we did it again!

2008-09-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

Sweet fruit...

Sticky hands...

Dark color.....

Hard work ....

The pictures tell the story, another harvest completed.

Check out more photo stories it's photo story friday.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

"Great- Now We Have To Do It Again" - Bottleshock

2008-09-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago I ventured out to town to see Bottleshock the movie. It is based on the true and historic story of when, in 1976, California wines were submitted in a blind tasting against noted French wines … and won!

I enjoyed watching the story unfold about the various struggles between a father and son, the pursuit of a dream, and the hard work that goes into farming. This story really demonstrates the growing pains of a young wine business.

There were more than a few great lines. Several of them reminded me of why I love this life we’ve chosen, and why I embrace the struggle of farming a vineyard. Farming is a great analogy for life. My experience of “Living on Some Land” has given me a great appreciation for this fact. Farming is a daily reminder that many things in life are out of our control. First-hand experience has increased my understanding of why Jesus often used a vineyard as a parable in his teachings. I try to remind my children that they have more control over their reaction to life's events than the events themselves.

My favorite line from the movie is the title of this post. In farming, you work all year for the harvest and when it’s done, you start all over again. Sending my kids to school feels much the same; with a new year comes new expectations, new teachers and new schedules. Life often comes at us in cycles. Like housework, homework and cooking, there is always a do-it-again around every corner.

So, I give this film a tip of the wine glass and a recommendation to see it if you have the chance. I think many will enjoy this slice-of-life story that gives a nod to the American dream and American spirit of hard work.

Disclaimer: As a California vineyard owner I am definitely a biased reviewer!

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 NIV

A Look Back at the Artist

2008-09-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

My son the artist in 2004 drawing and showing his sister his art.

A recent piece.

He did write "feel lucky punk" as the caption for this robot!

He is such a 13 year old.

For more wordless wednesday posts check out five minutes for mom.

Sister Cousins

2008-09-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

I consider myself very blessed to have two wonderful sisters. We have so much fun together. We love shopping, staying up late, doing creative projects and just being together.

Recently my sisters came to town, both living far away and they arrived with their daughters in tow. We were all blessed to have a daughter, however none of our daughters have a sister.

As I prepared for my sisters arrival a pang of sadness washed over me for my girl. She will not have this experience (sisters coming to town) as she only has her one brother.

My sisters were on the same wavelength when they arrived they announced - "we have decided that the girls need to be sister cousins instead of just cousins." My funny sisters would say to one of the girls "go ask your sister" every chance they got. The girls were such good sports, they tolerated us with very few eye rolls. They genuinely love being together.

My sisters are a bit older. As I watched my nieces playing with their much younger cousin it was like looking back through a window in time. The age difference between myself and my sisters is so similar to our girls.

My Love's ideal family would be two girls and two boys - so each child would have a sister and a brother. Being a working mom I just couldn't rally for any more after two. So thank goodness my daughter has sister cousins.

Sisters - two in college and one in grade school many years ago.

~~Cousins~~ Sister Cousins- two in college and one in grade school current day.

My Kitchen and the Soup Nazi

2008-09-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to the food network and I have a son who loves to cook, however I still consider myself a novice in the kitchen.

One type of food that I really enjoy cooking is soup. I have a talent for soup. Maybe it is due to my goal and deep desire to only have one pot to clean. Whatever the reason, my soups are usually the best thing on the menu. Some of my specialties are: zucchini soup, blended vegetable soup, corn chowder, chicken tortilla soup and butternut squash soup. Thankfully my family all love soup.

Fortunately for my family, I am not nearly as temperamental as the Soup Nazi, but I do like saying "No soup for you."

What did you learn on the first day of school?

2008-08-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

Interview in hand
Questions put upon the page
Answers from the heart .

Famous for one day?
Teen stars dressed beyond their years
Happy to be me

It is Haiku Friday at A Mommy Story

Wednesday was the first day of school for my kids. My bookworm who is always ready to roll wasted no time getting started on her homework in the car.

She was asked to fill out an interview, so the teacher could get to know her better. She read the interview questions out loud and would announce her answers as she wrote them down on her paper. The questions consisted of the usual; favorite color, favorite past times, and favorite foods. No surprises there, until she reached question number eight.

Question #8 - "If you could be a famous person who would you like to be?"

Her initial answer - "I just want to be myself."

I almost swerved off the road, could it be that my daughter is that content with herself?

I blurted out, "Write that down."

My daughter protested, "No Mom that is not answering the question."

I pleaded, "Please write that down, it is the best answer in the world."

"No I can't, it doesn't answer the question. How about if I write..

Shawn Johnson, but I really just want to be myself."

I replied, "Great, that is the perfect answer. Write that down."

I just loved it. I couldn't wipe the smile of my face. In the time of Botox, dolled up teen stars and the media it's an uphill battle for girls to feel good about themselves. I am so thankful that my daughter is content to be herself. A great discovery for me on the first day of school.

Bottling Day

2008-08-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the winery in Northern California last Saturday and could feel the excitement that had been building up during the drive. The air was thick with the now familiar smells of oak and wine and we were quickly greeted by the very friendly staff. Only a few weeks ago our winemaker had let us know the wine was finally ready for the last leg of its journey from barrel to bottles!

We poured a barrel sample and enjoyed the first delectable taste of our finished wine. The deep garnet-hued liquid quickly made its way from the stainless tank to the bottling machine, filling up bottle after bottle as they wound their way through the equipment. Somehow, it never got old watching the bottles get filled, corked, capped, labeled, and finally cased. Another step on our journey, and a great day for our vineyard and our family - one for the books!

Healthy Snacks

2008-08-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

I was serving the bookworm and her buddy some healthy snacks at our friend's pool. They ate most of the veggies, but found a different use for the cucumbers.

I am not big on spa treatments, don't know where she picked this one up.

Mutual of Omaha Comes Home - Yikes!

2008-08-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

I was downloading things off my camera and found this video. It was obviously shot by my love with voice work by the artist and self proclaimed wildlife expert. It is very fun to listen to his vocal impersonation. The only problem is I don't share the love of reptiles, with the rest of my tribe. I can't believe where Mr. Snake slithered off to at the end of the video, under my bedroom!

As the old adage goes, "Be careful what you wish for..". I wanted to live in the country.

She is a Brave One

2008-08-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

My girl, the bookworm is like me in many ways.

To list a few ...

*She looks like I did when I was young and we still share a striking resemblance. It is not uncommon for people to approach me in stores and say; " Are you the mom of ....?"

*We have the same reaction to shopping for clothes, quickly getting "out of the mood to buy anything" - saves my love lots of $$.

* We share a similar temperament and attitude about life.

Now this picture demonstrates one BIG way we are different.

Her love of animals includes big scary reptiles and she is brave. She used her "special money" at the fair for the chance to pet this alligator and gladly gave up ice cream and the climbing wall. She loved every minute of it.

As far as I am concerned, you could not pay me enough "special money" to pet the alligator...no thank you. See ya later alligator.

Worth The Wait - Update

2008-08-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

For Tackle it Tuesday, I am showing the after pictures of our front yard project. With all the projects on our property, our little front yard had been largely ignored over the years. This summer the kids, my love and I finally gave the front yard some TLC.

One Sunday afternoon In July, the kids and I rolled up our sleeves and helped my love construct a dry creek bed, complete with stones, boulders and weed fabric underneath. The kids and I have finished the job little by little in the mornings. I am so glad to have the memories of the kids and I accomplishing this task together.

It needs some more plants, but it is finally 90% done. Around here 90% is pretty darn good!

To see what other mom's are tackling check out 5 minutes for mom.

Up Up and Away

2008-08-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

The Artist is now interested in drawing Jets. He tells me this is a F16 fighting falcon.

Two for the Surf

2008-08-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

For more wordless Wednesday photos go to 5minutesformom

Coffee for Two

2008-08-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

I am playing Wordless Wednesday Sunday Edition .

The Unexpected

2008-08-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

Weekend highlights and surprises...

* Helping hands when we needed a seat.

We realized we have been friends for 27 years!

Beautiful Desert Blooms.

Six pillows on each bed!

Realistic swimsuit models ... no Sports Illustrated.
(This photo was hanging in our room.)

A double desk, plenty of room for us and our two laptops.

Happening live music at the lounge and pool and maybe the most surprising of all was....

The tattoo convention at our hotel during our weekend.

So here we are two ~~fortysomething~~ moms on a weekend getaway trying to blend in with the hundreds of attendees for this convention. I love the unexpected it often provides the spice in life, that little something that makes the experience so memorable.

"Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me."

Carl Sandburg (American Historian, Poet and Novelist.)

A Bloggy Weekend Away

2008-08-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

A good friend and I have escaped to a desert location without children!

Time to work on our blogs, relax, take in a little sun and enjoy reconnecting.

I met this girl in high school and although we live far away from each other we are still close.

We have started this blogging hobby together and we are having so much fun.

Sunday Enlightenment -Treasuring the Moment Now

2008-07-28T01:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Sunday - home from vacation, I was back to my routine of holding babies at early church. This is something I do every summer. I prefer to volunteer my time with the babies, it fits my summer rhythm of low structure. In the infant room there is no curriculum, lesson plans, or prescribed snack time and no structure.

Yes, sometimes they cry, but I love the challenge of trying to get them distracted and happy so the parents can enjoy their time at church.

I love babies, but I am not interested in any more of my own. My love on the other hand, would like more so we could "have more adult children coming home for Christmas some day!"

While I sat there with two little boys who were crawling around, I played with them and talked to them all the while admiring their feet (baby feet are so cute).

I realized how quickly time goes by, I know everyone says it, but it really is true that a baby is only a little baby for one year. That is one Christmas, one Easter and one Summer. I tried to remember my first baby's feet once so small. What I would give for my bookworm's time machine I would zoom back and hold those baby feet once more.

I am reminded to treasure the moment I have now. I will relish the time I have with my thirteen year old and cherish this moment with his big old man feet. The Artist's feet are as big as his fathers, but I will focus on enjoying his sweet spirit and growing responsible nature sprinkled with some teenage angst and attitude.

Hit rewind to three weeks ago, I was at a baby shower and six of the women from church in attendance were pregnant, all due in late July & August. At the shower, it dawned on me that I would most likely miss holding most of these babies because next summer they would be walking and walkers go to the walker room not the infant room. I marvel at how fast humans develop muscle control and change so rapidly in front of our eyes. It is a true miracle.

After early service, I noticed one of the young mom's from the shower holding her precious bundle of joy in her arms instead of her belly. I felt a tug at my heart, does she know what's coming or how fast it will go? Of course not and neither do I. I will wander on in my journey with parenting my tweener and school age child and try to enjoy every stage knowing that before long they will be grown. The physical and emotional transformation goes so fast from baby feet to man feet.

He's only a boy, and yet when I do the laundry, I can hardly tell who's pants I am folding my son's or my husband's.

Shoes for One and All

2008-07-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

I love shoes!

One of the few clothing items I really love to shop for are shoes. Yesterday, my daughter needed some new tennis shoes and one thing led to another (buy one pair and get the second pair 1/2 price) and before we were done we had bought shoes for the whole family.

Final count

1 pair for the artist

2 pairs for the bookworm

2 pairs for my love

3 pairs for yours truly

Total = 8 pairs. We did find a really good sale!

Did I mention I love shoes.

Comment on how many pairs you have if you feel like it, it will be a little shoe poll.
My total = 28 pairs, after I throw out two old yucky pairs.

Vacation North - Fun Fun Fun!

2008-07-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

Wow - what a trip - we fit in a lot. Yosemite

Our utimate destination the family cabin in Northern California.

We finished with the California coastline on the way home.

Some Things are Worth the Wait

2008-07-09T08:32:00.001-07:00

Living in the country on a large property and doing most of the work ourselves means many, many, many projects are never finished. I am blessed to share this country life dream with my husband and brother, two men who can build anything and have a fantastic work ethic and vision.

Over the years we have accomplished much on our land including putting in a five acre vineyard, planting trees and putting in irrigation. They have also built fences, a sunflower house, retaining walls and a stone entry gate. The guys have done a lot of work to improve our lake.
On a grand scale, they built the barn, it is beautiful. Maybe, more beautiful than our house. I was a barn widow for three long years.

So with all this work to do, our little front yard has been largely ignored over the years.

As you enter the property, you drive through the vineyard past the beautiful roses and then arrive at our yard. Our yard however, consists of mostly dirt and a few piles of rocks that make it look more like a construction zone. Once a stranger visited our house and asked if we were the "caretakers " for whoever owned the vineyard and lower land. I have often been frustrated that our front yard was so overlooked. Being a goal oriented girl, I need reminding to enjoy the journey and not get so hung up on the concept of having something FINISHED.

Last weekend, I begged my husband just to move the rock piles so we didn't look like the local stone yard. What a nice surprise when he said, "If I move it, we might as well use it and implement our landscape design."

Sunday afternoon the kids and I rolled up our sleeves and helped my love construct a dry creek bed, complete with stones, boulders and weed fabric underneath it all. The kids and I have continued the work an hour each morning before it gets really hot. We are hoping to finish some of it today! I must admit, I am not traditionally good with plants and don't usually do much of the work outside. I am proud of myself for getting involved.

It sure helps that the kids are older now and can really help.

Timing is everything in life and I believe this experience was worth the wait. The four of us, myself and my three great loves accomplished this together!

Summer in a Glass

2008-07-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

Summer Strawberry Slush

6 ice cubes
16 strawberries ( frozen or fresh)
1/2 cup frozen concentrated lemonade*
1/2 cup water

Put all items in a blender and pulse until ice is crushed and ingredients are blended.

*You can use limeade instead of lemonade, but we prefer lemonade.

I make this drink every summer, it is a yummy treat that my kids love. When my big family comes to town, they all request this drink. With 22 people in my kitchen, my blender just keeps going... thank goodness. To me it represents summer in a glass.

"The Best Ham Steak Ever"

2008-06-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

These were the words of my love, pontificating about his own cooking talents.

My family and I are all really into the food network. My son actually likes to cook and will often try his hand at new recipes.

My love, on the other hand can usually only handle frozen pizza, or one left over recipe from his college days. He has never been the one to cook in our house.

One fateful day in May when school projects were at their peak, after work was really crazy. I had things going on with the vineyard, was on and off the phone with a winemaker, two kids with stressful projects, and a household that was dying a slow and painful death. This was on the heels of my longest day at work.

When my husband arrived home, I announced he was cooking dinner. It was already seven o clock. He looked disappointed and said he could make a quesadilla. I corrected him to explain he had to cook dinner for all of us because we had not eaten yet. The look on his face, as I started barking orders for him to get out a ham steak and some frozen veggies. I gave him instructions, while typing on my laptop about vineyard business and helping my son with his project. I also informed him after dinner he had to help our daughter with her project, while I continued to assist my son with typing.

It was one of those days that I really questioned the sanity of all we try to do. My husband surprised himself and all of us with an excellent dinner. The only trouble was we had to listen to him expound about what an awesome job he had done.

"It has a great texture, and flavor. This might be the best ham steak I have ever eaten."

He was like a judge on Iron Chef narrating the perfect balance of the meal. He was so proud of his basting combination of black pepper, brown sugar and butter.

Thanks to teamwork we all got everything done that night. The added benefit is that now my love is willing and eager to cook "the best ham steak ever" for dinner once a week or so.

I'm so glad it is summer and we all get a little rest from those crazy over scheduled nights.

Why Me Why Not

2008-06-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

A Tribute to a Teacher

Last week while having my teeth cleaned, my hygienist shared that her son had joined a speech club. My hygienist's youngest son is the same age as my oldest, so we often talk about our boys. Her son has struggled with writing and has had some ups and downs in his school experiences. Recently his English teacher had told all the students that if they wrote a speech and performed it they would receive extra credit. All the kids had to write their speech for the title Why Me Why Not. To my hygienist's surprise, her son went on to win speech event after speech event. His speech is a wonderful tribute to the power and influence teachers can have over children. As a special educator myself, I loved the speech and asked her permission to share it on my blog.

The following is his speech, as he wrote it.

Why Me Why Not

I have a learning disability, when I was seven; I dictated this poem to my teacher.

The title is I am.

I am
A sloth lying around,
A lion that never gives up,
A tiger running just for the fun of it,
A dog that loves his master,
A clock that never stops tick - tocking,
A little light

My mom loved this poem, at first she didn't understand what it meant, I explained it to her. I will explain it to you.

I am
A sloth lying around that's because I am lazy.
A lion that never gives up, that's because I never stop trying.
A tiger running just for the fun of it, I do things because I want to not for something.
A dog that loves his master, that's because I am very loyal .
A clock that never stops tick - tocking, I like to talk I never stop.
A little light , I am really bright .

I really wasn't lazy. I thought I was lazy because everybody told me I was, I couldn't get my work done in school. I had a hard time writing everything. Writing is more like running in circles for me. Try patting your head and rubbing your belly. That's what it feels like every time I write. I have to concentrate so much on writing that I can't think about anything else I try really hard but I never get any where. But I never give up.

One of the reasons I never gave up was a teacher I had, I will call her Mrs. X. When I told her I couldn't do something she believed me. She didn't get mad at me or punish me, she let me finish. Mrs X was the first teacher that didn't think I was lazy she knew I was smart. I worked as hard as I could for her; because she made me want to work hard. Mrs X was nice, she understood me. If she asked a question that I didn't understand she changed the way she asked the question so that I could understand it. She never got mad no matter how long it took me to do something.

I liked being in her class. I liked her when I left her class I felt like I was leaving an old friend. I was sad the last day of school that year, my uncle came by the house and I told him why I was unhappy. He said "your really lucky, I never felt that way about any teacher I ever had". I will always remember her and be thankful to have known her. In some ways a writing disability is horrid, I used to think why me in other ways I'm glad to have gotten to know a teacher as great as Mrs. X so why not?

Summer Time Bliss

2008-06-17T08:45:00.001-07:00

Being a full time working mom in the school system, I am so excited when summer is here. I love lists and getting things done (goal oriented). My kids and I love swimming and love days at the beach as well. I also always have many cleaning out projects and catch up projects planned for summer.

Yesterday, was my first official day of summer. I didn't even look at the list. The kids were out of school midweek, and my last day was Friday. It was a glorious day. A friend who I swap childcare with dropped her kids off in the morning and I greeted her in my robe, which I stayed in until noon. The kids were great and they played well all day. We ran a few errands and ended our day at my friend's pool.

Today my daughter and I will tackle her bedroom. We are planning on taking everything out of the bedroom and then slowly going through and weeding out what we don't need and organize.

Did I mention I love Summer.
My favorite things about summer include:

Lots of unscheduled time.
Not having to be anywhere in the morning.
Realizing I am not a domestic failure. ( my house looks really good most days in the summer)
Beach days
Pool days
Pajama days
Organizing days
Photo album catch up days
Road trips with my kids
Creative projects (sometimes painting)
No Homework
Concerts and outdoor movies at the local park
Long days and late sunsets
Summer wardrobe .. sandals, shorts, dresses

As Nat King Cole sings ... roll out those lazy- hazy- crazy days of summer.

13 Going on 30

2008-06-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

The other day, while channel surfing I found Jennifer Garner portraying the wide eyed thirteen year old in a thirty year old body. I thought she did it justice, but no one can touch Tom Hanks performance in Big.

My thirteen year old has shown me the many sides of a tweener. He is starting to seem a little more like a grown up than a kid, but still so young at heart.

It was the last day of seventh grade and my son had gone home with a friend until I could get out of work. I stopped by the school to pick up his eye drops and the beloved secretary shared her observations of my changing boy, "you know now he is insisting on doing his own eye drops." She mentioned how grown up he seems, and I agreed.

When I picked up my son, we decided his friend should come home with us and hang out. Upon arriving home, the two boys announced they were going to clean up my kitchen. They worked together to straighten papers and return toys to their resting spots throughout the house. They even did a few dishes.

Next,they proclaimed they would cook dinner for the family. They proceeded to cut up potatoes and an onion, defrost some chicken and make some peas. They were so proud and pleased with themselves when they called us all to dinner. I supervised a little just to make sure we had reached safe cooking temps.

After dinner, I told them to go play outside while I cleaned up. Near the end of the dishes, I heard the noise of high powered hoses. Not a good sound where I live, lots of dirt. There they were having a high powered water fight complete with hoses and boogie board shields, a muddy mess!

I smiled before, barking at them to turn off the water. I threw beach towels out the door and told them they had to figure out how to get to the shower with out getting mud on my floor.

I reflected on the magical age of thirteen, old enough to be competent at cleaning and cooking and still childlike enough to enjoy the mud like a five year old.

Yes, thirteen is a difficult age in some ways, full of attitude and adjustments. It is also a magical time, watching your child on the brink of his journey to become an adult. I hope I can remember to enjoy the journey with all it's glory from junior chefs in my kitchen to the mud in the hallway.

Wine ... whine ...whine

2008-06-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

Selling and farming requires much art and finesse. We thought we had all our fruit sold, until there was a problem with a detail. Now we are looking at another buyer who is interested, but of course there are questions, on both sides. Sometimes the winemaker's needs do not fit the weather patterns and the realities of farming.

Meanwhile, I am on the phone with one of my blogging buddies who is having similar issues working out her children's school schedules. Will meeting the bus for her 5 year old boy, make her late to take her 3 year old girl to preschool? How can she be at two places at once?

Sounds unique and unrelated to my issues with farming, buying and selling, but as I listen it feels so familiar. Timing and setting it all up, it is the same process. Reminds me of a quote that has always made me smile.

"Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another, Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway"- Unknown

The Chicken Pox? But We had the Shot!

2008-06-06T09:24:00.001-07:00

These were the words, I was telling my doctor on Tuesday afternoon.

Yes, my Bookworm has the chicken pox and yes she was vaccinated.

I hadn't even considered this when she had a fever Monday and woke up with ~~many bug bites~~ spots in the night.

I became convinced we had a flea infestation from our cats and dog. I proceeded to evacuate the house and set off flea bombs in our living space. My behavior was a little nuts, because our pets are not indoor pets.

My doctor explained that she is not giving the booster shot as much any more because she is questioning the outcome of this vaccination series. I love my pediatrician and totally respect her judgement. I found research regarding breakthrough cases, outbreaks in highly immunized school children between the ages of nine and eleven, and questions about long term effectiveness. While my brain fully appreciated her reasoning, my heart was so mad at her, as I watched my child writhe in pain and cry all night long.

Now, she is much better and she slept though the night. She is still sleeping and we weathered the storm. My son the artist was immunized twice, so hopefully he will not fall prey to the pox at this point. Oh, and as an added bonus we are protected from fleas, that we didn't have.

I will end this post with a quote from my bookworm, " Well one thing mom, having the chicken pox and going through something like that makes you feel like being comfortable is a privilege. It makes you more thankful."

From the mouth of babes. It is so true, I always have a skip in my step the few days following an illness, a temporary appreciation for the feeling of well being.

A New Look

2008-06-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

My good friend, a fellow blogger, offered to give me a custom blog design for an early birthday present. Christy at Be Design did a fantastic job. I was so new to blogging, I didn't even know what I wanted. But Christy took my rough concepts and perfected them into this look, that is all me.

What a treat to have good friends to share a new hobby with!

One on One - no not basketball

2008-06-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

Last night, my husband and son had to journey out to see the new Indiana Jones flick. Still too scary for my daughter, we all agreed.

So we girls went out to dinner. As I sat across from my bookworm, it was with pure joy that we ate, talked and hung out. It occurred to me, as it always does that one on one time with people is so pure and precious to me.

Being the youngest of ten, I can easily be the life of a party, but what I really crave is one on one time with individuals. Groups have never been my thing, maybe because I was raised in a large group (ten kids). I absolutely love my big family, and am so thankful for my upbringing. It has always made me value one on one time as a blessing. As a child I did not care to join the girl scouts or any other organized group. Today I am in a mom's group that goes out to dinner once a month. Although, I enjoy all the women there is a part of me that is always wanting to quit. I would prefer to go out to dinner with these women one at a time, through out the year.

So what a treat to be with my daughter and listen to her ideas about PE, favorite super hero powers, kids at school, funny teachers and the rest. I did not allow her to bring in her book from the car, or it would have been like eating dinner alone. At age nine her ultimate list of super powers include (not in order of importance):

*ability to fly.

*ability to talk to animals (including tigers without the tigers eating you).

*ability to transform into things.

*ability to transport (like we could have gone to Hawaii for dinner).

*being able to control the weather including making it snow, which of course would cancel school.

*having a magical car with a center console - you could type in anything you wanted and it would be provided ( her example was a new kitten or an iguana for her brother).

*to own a time machine ( this was a big desire when she was younger and would get hurt, she would lament "I wish I had a time machine!").

I was warned as we left the restaurant this list was not complete yet. As we drove home I was aware that if we all went to dinner, I may have not been provided with this list. I encourage all you moms of multiple children to carve out one on one time with each child now and again, it is so fun to get to know your kids individually.

A Dream Realized

2008-05-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

The post about following your dream on http://www.mycup2yours.com/ inspired me to share how we followed our dream.

Our Story …
Our family dream started simply enough. A desire to grow wine grapes and embrace a more agrarian lifestyle. We left the hectic pace of city life in search of property where we could work the land. Flying from Orange County to San Francisco, my husband showed me a magazine article describing an everyday family who did just that - left the Big City, planted their own vineyard and started a winery.

Once this seed was planted, we started looking for an opportunity to pursue our dream of living on some land. My brother, heard about the idea of "living on some land" and decided to leave his big city home and join our adventure. A partnership was born, and upon relocating to our property, my brother found work as a vineyard manager for various area vineyards as well as taking care of our own vineyard. We have been striving ever since for the ultimate blend of farming, science and art, the essence of wine making. We are pursuing that perfect glass of red wine while enjoying the beautiful sunsets.

God sure has had an amazing way of shaping our lives. We thought we were moving to start a vineyard, but we have been blessed by a fantastic church home, wonderful schools, great jobs and a satisfying fulfilling life in the country.

Hay Hay Hay

2008-05-30T23:39:00.000-07:00

My brother planted hay to help with the cost of the horses. It has been fun watching it through it's life cycle... planting, growing, being mowed, raked, and then finally baled. It is planted in the lower field beyond the vineyard. The hay bales are very picturesque right now. The kids and I went down the other night to check it out. They loved running around and jumping on the bales. It really makes me feel like we are true country bumpkins and I love it.

Check out that Cap !

2008-05-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

Another day and another graduation.

We had a wonderful time in Northern California celebrating the accomplishments of my niece.

This time it was especially exciting for me, because she is graduating with her Bachelors in Speech Pathology, my profession! I am so proud of her. I fondly remember her as a baby; white blond hair, walking really early, and oh so smart and cute.

Ode to a Soldier

2008-05-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

An election day story in the life of a busy American family

It was November 8, 2005 and I had just picked up my two children from school. We had a few errands to run, which was typical for us -- the bank, the post office and then I needed to vote. There were a few propositions on the ballot this time around in California. I decided my kids could come along, maybe it would be educational and I really didn’t have time in my work day before picking them up.

As I announced our next errand was to vote, interest peeked in the car. My daughter who was in the first grade became very excited and told me I had to vote for George Washington. When I informed her that George Washington lived long ago and I was not even voting for the president today, the kids seemed disappointed. Then my daughter asked “Mom do you like the president we have now?” I cautiously considered my response although I believe in being honest with my children, I also want them to learn to think for themselves and not blindly adopt my politics.

Before I could answer the question my son piped up……I saw a bumper sticker that said “Bush lied, so boys died and America paid.” Why would someone write that, my son asked.
I responded - Well some people are really upset about the war in Iraq and believe that Bush did lie. Then I preceded to give my children what I thought was a balanced opinion of things.
Well I do like many things that our president believes in, however I am unsure about the war.

My son burst out with this retort.. and the following exchange ensued…

Son - “what if you saw a little girl being eaten by wolves would you try to save her or just walk away and let her die.”

Mom – “ Well I would want to help her, but if I had you kids with me I would be worried that you would get hurt and I am not sure I would risk it, that is really the issue – we are asking Americans to risk their lives to fight for someone else.”

Son - “Yeah but I would rather risk getting hurt than not help that little girl!” “that is what God did for us!”

I guess there is no fear that my son will blindly adopt my politics, he has his own opinions well developed. I was correct, taking my kids to vote turned out to be very educational, especially for me. It is important to remember, we have an all volunteer armed forces, and they know they are probably putting themselves at risk when they join up, and that is truly heroic.

Here’s to all our soldiers who are willing to risk themselves to help someone else!

"Don't Mess with the Black Belt!"

2008-05-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

Those were the words of my husband this morning as I was needling him about his wardrobe. Tuesday night, after three years of Karate training he tested for his black belt. He arrived home from class proudly wearing his brand new belt. Quite an accomplishment, and I am so proud of him. He started to take classes when our kids were both enrolled. Both kids eventually lost interest and stopped their training as red belts. My man continued on, and often commented that training was hard on his 40+ year old body . This training came with some injuries along the way, but he made it. I am happy for him, even if it comes with a little attitude.

The Mystery of Missing Clothes

2008-05-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Mid week, my daughter is suddenly down to one pair of jeans. How can this be? Where could two pairs of jeans disapear to? After checking the hamper, the clean clothes bin, the bookworm's room, the cars, they are no where. It is not like she comes home from school some days with no pants on! I don't get it, where could they be? Thursday night, my son announces he has no socks. Not just miss matched socks, but absolutely no socks anywhere! Well, I guess they ran off with the pants. I am sure I will find them when they no longer fit my children.

What Defines You?

2008-05-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

I have always been a thankful person, or just really blessed. Truth be known it is probably a little of both. A big part of what defines me comes from my history and how I came to be. I am the daughter of two widowers who found each other in the cemetery. My parents fell in love and blended a family by adopting each other's kids and adding two more. I am the baby of the family and my parents often taught me that God works in mysterious ways. They would remind me that good can come from bad and if they had not been widowed, I would not exist.

My mother lost her husband when her fourth child was just 8 days old. When my son was 8 days old, I cried off and on all day for the pain my mother must have experienced. I had never appreciated her pain untill I had a baby of my own.

Last year about this time, I received a call that an old friend had passed. She was unexpectedly hit by a car leaving her husband and four children alone in the world. We were childhood and high school friends and I kept up on her life through her extended family. It upset me so much especially for her children. It made me sad for my older siblings who had known this loss, the loss of a parent. This woman was a wonderful mother; strong, friendly and funny. No big hair, big make up, big attitude or pretense in this friend. I was upset that her daughter would loose the influence of such a strong woman.

Fate would have me sitting alone in church the next Sunday, some strange scheduling where my kids and husband had gone to church early. It was a Divine appointment, the sermon was titled, "Dealing with the Tough Stuff." During the service through tears, I finally had some peace about the untimely death of this friend.

This loss will certainly be part of what defines her kids and possibly their children. I suppose it can be used for good and will shape their lives indelibly. The fact that my old friend Brenda is no longer with us has been on my mind so much these days. I pray for her children and I will pray for them today, especially.

Crazy Saturday - stop this merry-go-round I want to get off.

2008-05-10T23:08:00.001-07:00

OK this SATURDAY ... went like this

Woke up in the morning inspired to write a really touching entry on my new blog... but then ...

1. Need to get girls ready and in the car, so I could deliver one girl home and pick up my son and his friend.

2. Drop off clothes we had borrowed at a friends. Hurry home so all kids could do some vineyard work.

3. Son having allergy attack, shower and medication administered.

4. Kids got itchy after chasing deer that had some how got into the vineyard.....This is not good!

5. Made lunch for everyone , started to clean up kitchen, oops time was running out to get to the dump....My Dad was calling on the phone "aren't we going to load up the trash?"

6. Loaded up trash, did a few more dishes, changed the laundry, rushed the kids into the car to head to the dump.

7. Husband calls from the tractor to request I stop at the farm store to purchase a part.

8. Go to the dump, drop off recycling, return son's friend, get the part from the farm store.

9. Pick up stuff for science project for son. Son now starving, stop and feed him some food.

10. Return home , do a few dishes, supervise both children with big homework projects.

11. Start to make dinner ....except meat is out of date - or is it? ..sell by date... what exactly does that mean?

11. Quick jump on the Internet to see if meat is really OK ? NO. Throw it in the trash, continue to make dinner with a few recipe adjustments.

12. All sit down to dinner, myself being disappointed with the dinner decided to have ice cream bar... not part of the meal plan.

13. During dinner daughter has toothache situation followed by a refusal to eat followed by water picking and flossing.

14. Again start the dishes while husband and son go down to check on watering. Daughter becomes upset about her project, starts to melt down probably due to lack of food and toothache.

15. Abandon house work and sit with daughter and comfort her.

At the end of the day.... House looks terrible and dinner was a disappointment, the kids are tired, allergenic and cranky, and the deer is still in the vineyard.

Oh well there is always tomorrow.

The Artist

2008-05-07T23:16:00.000-07:00

My son loves to draw. He showed talent in sketching at a very young age. It calms him and feeds his soul. It is one of his favorite past times. He started out drawing things that interest him. When he was five it was dinosaurs, and at age ten it was dragons and knights.

I recall when my infant daughter threw a spoon in the direction of my five year old son. They were sitting at the dinner table, and the spoon went air born. Of course the spoon hit my son right on the arm. He started to cry and then suddenly stopped, he jumped up to get a paper and proceeded to draw the whole scene. The picture had both kids and a spoon flying through the air, he continued and drew a dark line across the scene. The line was meant to communicate to my daughter that this was unacceptable. He scrawled out the word NO and handed it to her, like an officer issuing a speeding ticket to the guilty party.

That day I saw a glimpse of what art might hold for my son, I had no idea he would stay with it. Now he is taking on new challenges to see what he can learn to draw.

He recently came home with a library book on drawing faces and proceeded to study the book and practice the art of capturing the human face.

He is one of my favorite artists, although I might be biased.

The Bookworm

2008-05-06T23:44:00.000-07:00

My daughter is a total bookworm. I like to read, but she gets this intense love of reading from her Dad. She started out slow and has gained momentum over the years. Now, in the third grade we can't find novels fast enough. She has been known to read up to 200 pages a day. At her school there is a weekly reading log for recording the minutes they read. I don't actually want to record the real time she reads, because it looks too crazy. She reads on car rides, while I work out at the gym, and tries to read every where we go. I have to hang on to her so she won't run into the wall or a cart in the grocery store. A few weeks ago, she told me what reading does for her.... " Mom..when I read, I am transported into another world and I am there in the story and it is like so fun!"

Last year the school librarian held a reading contest. For the next week the bookworm read for hours at a time, meticulously recording every minute on scraps of paper. She insisted I staple all the sheets and scraps of paper together to turn into the librarian. The Librarian was a little flustered that the bookworm had read so many minutes in the first week..oops. She hadn't even given out the reading record forms yet.. double oops. I received a note that was slightly tense and telling, stating that I had to use the required forms to record the minutes or they would not be counted, and that it was not fair to the other children. Did I already say..oops?

Later I found out the librarian had contacted my daughter's teacher slightly upset that someone had read all the minutes in the first week. The teacher vouched for her stating she really was a bookworm and gently reminded the librarian that the goal was for children to read. Needless to say she won the contest, and I was relieved when it was over.

"I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves." ~Anna Quindlen, "Enough Bookshelves," New York Times, 7 August 1991

Remember When?

2008-05-05T00:12:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were just starting out, maybe in college or just getting ready to get married? For me it was 16 years ago when I finished college and got married. This weekend we went on a day trip South to celebrate my nephew's graduation from college. We were also celebrating his engagement and upcoming wedding plans for this Summer.

I am the proud Aunt to over 25 kiddos and young adults, but this boy was the ring bearer at my wedding. I do remember his arms growing tired from the weight of the ring pillow and the groomsman having to lend a helping hand. He was so cute and small, just four years old.

Being the youngest of ten, I started my career as an Aunt at the age of 11 and was the pro babysitter. It is with pure joy I witness these once children grown and entering the world as confident capable adults. Some of my nephews have families of their own. Many are entering and exiting college, faster than I can count. The oldest of the nephews is overseas on a mission trip, taking on responsibilities I can hardly fathom.

At the end of the month we will travel North for another graduation this time a niece, she was in my wedding also. I have to say one of the highlights of the day was hearing my great niece at age four share her plans for the future..."I wish I could be a mermaid, but I guess I'll be a dentist".

Did Someone Say Turtle?

2008-05-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Surprise, we discover this guy yesterday at our pond. My son the artist and self proclaimed wildlife expert, has tried to identify him in many wildlife books. After much research, we are still not sure. In 11 years we have never found a turtle at our pond. If you know the type of turtle, please post. Being a fan of Dr. Seuss, I say it is Yertle.

Long Live The Fonze

2008-05-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

My Son and a few friends (all preteens) have decided they are going to shake up the style scene at the local school. Their mission is to bring back the 50's era greaser look. They show up to school in Jean jackets and leather jackets with white t shirts and their hair styled back. They are standing strong in the face of the ever present skater look. Their newest prop is a switchblade comb to fix their hair. Go Greased Lightning!

Thoughts and Musings

2008-05-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Fingerprints on my window is born. A place to record the mundane and the extraordinary. Quotes and insights may find their way into this journal of sorts. The name I suppose can refer to the actual fingerprints that are always appearing on my windows, or the impressions people leave on my life. You can't always see fingerprints depending on your view or vantage point. Fingerprints are all unique with no two alike. I enjoy all the unique facets of my life, and my many hats and roles I have been allowed to play. I have enjoyed being the expert in many things and the novice in new ventures. In general I love my busy exhausting life and am thankful to the good lord for all my blessings, most of all my family.

As Ferris Bueller would say .. "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop to look around once in awhile, you could miss it."

Fingerprints on my window is my attempt to record it by stopping and looking around once in a while!