Adam Lambert

So, way back when (May 8th), Adam Lambert came back to his old stomping grounds as an American Idol finalist. It just so happens that his stomping grounds (MCHS) are situated one street away from our house. I didn't care so much about going, but after it got started, the boys could hear all the fuss from our backyard and they really wanted to check it out. I grabbed my 18-200mm lens for some paparazzi practice and hauled the three boys (we had a friend's son with us) down the hill in our creaky cargo stroller.

It really wasn't spectacular. It was hot and crowded and Adam took his dear, sweet time arriving. Then, after taking forever to get there, he rode a lap around the track doing the "royalty wave," sang two songs, and took off. That was it. I feel badly for the people who were hoping for some big concert or something. And I was grateful that I wouldn't have to fight traffic to get home, just a beastly hill made all the more daunting by my three-kid baggage.

To sum it all up: Good exercise, depressingly hot, pathetic performance, fun photography practice.

That's it.

Easter

Yes. You read that right. That is how far behind I am in our journal keeping / photo uploading. Bummer, huh? But, like I always say, "Better late than never." :0)

Easter was fun this year. We never do anything big. I like celebrating holidays, but I'm not one to go overboard with planning and decorations. My poor kids. :( We hid a few eggs around the house then watched as the kids slobbered and drooled their way through humongous chocolate treats. Then, of course, we headed to the bathtub. Yes, the bathtub. It makes egg dying so easy. Strip down the kids, plop them in the tub with the dyes, and let them go to town. They had a grand 'ol time coloring eggs with crayons then jamming them into the various dyes. Needless to say, we lost a few eggs to their somewhat aggressive approach to egg dying.

If I Never Try, I'll Never Know.

So, you may have noticed a picture of a funky-looking bike in my sidebar. Well, they are giving away two of these free. In July. On my very birthday (July 15th). I just found out about this bike and about this giveaway on my friend, Megan's, blog. Because I clicked on her cool picture (you owe me a click, Megan). :0) Just kidding. So, I cruised around the site and thought the concept was cool, but now I just want one to see if it would really work with two little busy toddlers, unbuckling seat belts and careening from side to side in that big tub, knocking me off balance as I wobble down the street.

Can't you just see me now, covered with road rash and gravel, scolding my wiggly boys?

If you can imagine it, don't click the picture.

If you have faith in the concept and construction, click away. :0)

P.S. If I win, you can be my first passenger, Megan.

A Father's Day Plea

This took me a long time to make. Mostly because I took all but two of the pictures featured. Some of the quality left the images when it was uploaded to YouTube and I found out too late that I misspelled the German version of father, but besides that, I think it turned out fairly well. I'm an extreme perfectionist, so it's a relief to wash my hands and put away the tools at the end of any particular project.

Go tell your dad you love him. Go visit your father's grave. Go be a better dad and know that there are many in the world who still believe in, and fight for, your relevance and necessity in every child's life.

Fathers deserve an eternity of honor and admiration, not just a day.

Death by Wanting

Soren: "You're not nice, Mommy!"

Me: "Mommy is so nice."

Soren: "No she's not."

Me: "Mommy is awesome."

Soren: "No you're not . . . because you don't give me whatever I want!"

Me: "Oh ho!  The sooner you resolve yourself to that little fact of life, the better.  :0)  Mommy is so wonderful."

Soren: "No she's not!  You're not ever going to be wonderful because you don't give me whatever I want!"

;0)

"Evil" Mommy's musings after this episode:

Setting clear boundaries for ourselves and our children is a practice that can and should be implemented and promoted all the way up the social and political ladder.  Boundaries are key. The functioning of our greater society would do well to model itself after the functioning and governance of the singular familial unit which exercises discipline, respect, and boundary maintenance on a daily basis . . . even in the face of threats, intimidation, and declarations of offense and supposed "unloveability."