Alexander Adam. . .

. . . . and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Morning.

I don't like getting out of bed. . .

I don't like wearing adjustable pants. . . . (in his size the waist is adjustable by an elastic band and button inside)

I don't like when I have to take my rolling backpack down the front steps. . . .

I don't like it when there's no Chex cereal left at school. . . . .

Sigh. For the benefit of all of us I hope his day gets better.

Worth a Thousand Words. . . .

Create-A-Caption

Please submit your entries via comments.
(yes, that is her brother's underwear)

Message From Above. . .

I came upon this the other night while cleaning up the latest Fisher-Price explosion in my living room. Of course I took it to mean that I needed to add more sin to my life and promptly revisited the tub of Papa Murphy's chocolate-chip cookie dough in my fridge. Gluttony has always been my sin of choice.

Adjusting My Expectations. . . .

Damonn called me at work today to thank me for this wonderful fruit bouquet that I sent him from Edible Arrangements. He said the fruit looked beautiful and that it was so thoughtful of me to think of him and to take his diet into consideration as well. And then he proceeded to ask. . . . . . . . . . so what’s the occasion?

Um, Valentine’s Day.

The Right Woman For The Job. . .

Apparently, even a four-year old can’t escape the buzz of the presidential race and Adam has proclaimed that I, his mother should be the next leader of the free world. Although, I think he may have the ulterior motive of wanting to live in “that big house, that’s white”. I’m honored that he thinks I’m up for the job, but had to politely decline. I already have two full-time jobs and I’m not interested in another one where stupid people get a say my decisions. But if anyone knows of an opening in a monarchy, I’m sooo there!

Feeling Older Everyday. . . .

Overheard as Adam and his friend Megan started up Asteroids on our old Playstation this weekend. . . .

Adam: Have you ever played this game before?

Megan: Yeah, one time in a museum.

Out Here in OR-E-GONE. . . .

This was forwarded to me in an email today with a note that this is Jeff Foxworthy's interpertation of us up here in the Northwest. Now I don't know if this was actually penned by Mr. Foxworthy, but either way it pretty much sums up our way of life. So. . . . . .

You might be a "Northwesterner" if. . . . . . .

1. You know the state flower (Mildew).
2. You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash.
3. Use the statement "sun break", and know what it means.
4. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.
5. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.
6. You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant or to church.
7. You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "WALK" signal.
8. You consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it's not a real mountain.
9. You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Veneto's.
10. You know the difference between Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye salmon.
11. You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Haceta, Yaquina, Yachats, Issaquah, Oregon, Yakima, and Willamette.
12. You consider swimming an indoor sport.
13. You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese, and Thai food.
14. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark while only working eight-hour days.
15. You never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho.
16. You are not fazed by "Today's forecast: Showers followed by rain,"and "Tomorrow's forecast: Rain followed by showers."
17. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.
18. You know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind.
19. You can point to at least two volcanoes, even if you cannot see them through the cloud cover.
20. You use the phrase "The mountain is out" when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it.
21. You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, but still wear your hiking boots and parka.
22. You switch to your sandals when it gets about 60, but keep the socks on.
23. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
24. You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists.
25. You buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time.
26. You measure distance in hours.
27. You often switch from "heat" to "a/c" in the same day.
28. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.
29. You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Raining, Road Construction, and Deer & Elk season.
30. You understood these jokes and will probably forward them.

Money I Hope I Never Get A Return On. . .

One of our local radio stations, 105.1 The Buzz is currently on the air for 28 straight hours holding their annual "Valentine's Day for the CCA" telethon which means that I've spent most of the morning re-applying my eyeliner and thanking the powers that be that cancer is not part of my daily vocabulary. The Children's Cancer Association is "an organization dedicated to providing comfort and compassion through a series of innovative programs and services". Services such as the Music Rx cart that strolls through the halls of Doernbecher's Children's hospital providing cd's, Ipods and instruments to kids. They also organize "Chemo Pals" who are volunteers paired up with kids undergoing chemotherapy. Chemo pals talk, listen, laugh and play with these sick kids and more than anything, give the parents a much-needed break. In the last few years the CCA has also built and completely furnished the "Caring Cabin" located on the Oregon Coast as a getaway for families dealing with cancer. To put it simply these people are the saving grace, the life line between desperation and hope for families diagnosed with cancer.

Besides hourly auction items and making direct donations to the CCA, the Valentine's Day for the CCA telethon is also offering $10 valentine e-cards. This is a perfect alternative to yet another box of chocolate and is a cute way to let all your friends know you're thinking of them as well. I have sent a card to all the young moms in my life and challenge all of you that also have healthy, rambunctious, whining, perfect children to do the same. Please help the CCA make a difference.

Check Yes or No. . .

Oregon isn't even holding a primary election today yet I've been glued to the computer hitting refresh on CNN.com waiting for the results of Super Tuesday to come rolling in. I watch as the percentage of votes rise and the check marks appear projecting the winner of each state. I even signed up for CNN's Political Market which is a virtual stock market based on your predictions of the ongoing presidential race. Yes, I'm a geek and I accept that, but I can't help it. There is something about the politcal process, something about watching a country of 300 million people peacfully cast their ballots to pick a leader of their country from canididates that include varying genders, ethnic backgrounds, religious affiliations and political factions all without a single incident of violence. That in itself is mesmerizing to me.