Historic moments.
Listening to the speech - cuddled with Victor. Listening to an amazing moment. I don't know if he'll remember it - but he listened for as long as possible before he fell asleep.
Falling asleep with hope tonight.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Silly boy
I get the bike that has been passed down from kid to kid in the neighborhood down from a shelf in the garage...attempt to attach the training wheels. Victor sees it -- COOL! is the response.
We wheel it up to the road. I'm trying to show him how to push with one foot....push with the other foot....round and round...He pushes the brakes more than anything.
After a couple minutes he hops off --"let's go for a walk" he tells me.
Sounds like a plan!
Friday Fill In
1. Dancing to the chicken dance while at a wedding makes me wish I could tackle the DJ.
2. The last time I had blood drawn I nearly passed out and threw up -- it's an arm, not something to poke and dig around in thank you very much. The bruising is much better.
3. When I drive I listen to NPR and talk too much on the phone.
4. I saw George Clooney standing in my dreams -- ha ha.
5. Give me chocolate, give me sleep, give me hugs.
6. Next week I am looking forward to having time with my buddy Lynn on Monday.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to sleeping and reading, tomorrow my plans include picking up Lynn from the airport & having dinner and Sunday, I want to go to the waterpark on my birthday!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Daddy in Oregon
While Yuri is out west - he gets to travel and check out all the sites and sounds of the area -- I'm so glad he's getting out. It's not easy being on his own, so I'm happy he's having little adventures. Last weekend he went with a friend from work and drove to Oregon - to Crater Lake -- it was cold at night but I think it was fun overall. His camping mate does keep a grueling schedule of early rising, sunrise hikes, but I think it's ok.
He got a bike this week, so he's excited to get riding -- especially since California has so many awesome places to ride.
Here - all is well. Victor was afraid of the Goodyear Blimp -- here in town with the PGA tour. He wanted it to get out of the sky. He didn't like it one bit. He does like Vampire Weekend -- singing along to it in time. A happy surprise. He also can sing along with Gnarls Barkley's Crazy too.
He says things like -- this is tasty. I'm starting school again this week -- back to the grind of that.
Happy happy. You can feel fall at times -- but I try not to admit it -- instead pretending summer is here for a little while longer.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Friday Fill-ins
1. You know you're old when you complain more than celebrate.
2. My heart is divided between watching the Olympics and going to bed.
3. SLEEP is what I need RIGHT NOW!
4. I have felt the wonder of friendship, I have known the depths of caring for and being cared for.
5. Gah, won't these people dance?
6. Smile & laugh as soon as you can!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics , tomorrow my plans include driving to Knoxvillie and Sunday, I want to scrapbook and visit with Paula!
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Sandbox Park Disco
The embend link from YouTube and I have a difference of opinion on what it means..to work! (grrrr)
So please click here to see our adventure at the sandbox park.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Sorry Blog Land
Sorry I've been slow to post -- I was taking a summer session class which meant
a. more work crammed into a smaller amount of time
b. by the end of work and school, I am really done with the computer
c. sometimes there just isn't enough time in the day.
But here I am now with a little of this and that to report.
First -- it's my third blogserversary -- it was a little over three years ago that I was very pregnant, having had pre-term labor trying to be restful, being that I was the swollen like the girl in Willy Wonka....I wasn't moving too quickly. In blog years, I'm ready for AARP or something. I had started a blog on my observations of moving below the Mason/Dixon Line in 2004, but I did not maintain it.....so this is one I've stuck with (despite the times I don't post now and again).
Thank you dear blog readers for sticking with us -- for following our thrilling and mundane adventures.
Yuri is settling into his life in California. He has a job in Silicon Valley and it seems like it really suits him. He visits my grandparents in Sacramento a couple times a month, which everyone loves. He gets to sleep on a bed (vs. the studio apartment air mattress) and they feed him all weekend. Next weekend he's going camping in Oregon with a friend from work -- I'm glad he's connecting with the folks he's working with (considering it's a small company of 10 or so, I guess it's expected)
We keep connected via Skype and the webcam -- as much as I can get Victor to sit..still...and actually talk to him. Victor will ask about Daddy 100 times a day -- but when I get the 2 of them on the phone, Victor clams up.
The other day Victor and my mom were playing guitar -- my mom maintaining a strong strum while Victor added his little riff -- he was standing towards the closet door -- towards his audience of pants and t-shirts singing his song "I said BOOM BOOM BOOM. I said BOOM BOOM BOOM!" after singing this, dancing and bobbing his head, he would raise his hand and say
"Thank you . Thank you very much. I appreciate it" I think he listens to a lot of Elvis when he's at Erma's house, where he goes to for childcare. He loves music of all types for sure. When he's tired of listening to the headlines of the daily news -- I hear a quiet "Music on please".....wait....listen to Carl Kasell a little more....wait....a little louder now "Music On Please!" and if there is a longer musical interlude on NPR that he doesn't feel is enough music, when it finishes I hear an exasperated toddler voice "Music Please!".
Tonight he helped me make salad -- he loves to to help me cook. The lettuce, truthfully, was on it's last leg -- I picked what was edible from the pile of greens -- and Victor was in charge of the salad spinner and getting it into the bowl. He has been really into imagining he works at Papa John's Pizza, and will tell little stories of cheese, pepperoni, Diet Coke and pizza slices. So as he's telling this story, while he moves the salad from bowl to bowl, the lettuce is looking a little worse. He pulls out a spoon and starts mixing the salad -- quickly turning what was already a little rough....into a lettuce mash. We had cantaloupe for dinner instead.
Yesterday he and I made ice cream cone cupcakes for our fantablous friend Felecia's birthday -- the day should have been renamed "FingerInFrosting Day". All day long he had frosting on his face, on his shirt, on his arms -- but when I asked where he found it: HUH? was the reply. Near the end of the day, we delivered the cupcones to Felecia -- and he was really proud to deliver them.
Victor is still awake right now -- nearly 10pm. Fighting sleep by scratching his spots...asking questions (that I don't answer) and trying to read in the dark. Go to sleep little man. Tomorrow's a new day.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Make you smile -- tear up a little too
Love this -- it just makes you believe in the world a little more. People are good -- sometimes when you slug through all the headlines, it's easy to loose sight of that a little.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Children's Museum Morning
I am loving the Flip camera - it's small, easy to use and I was able to make this while I was talking on the phone...well..I do a lot while I talk on the phone (weeding, Christmas tree removal, Christmas lights on the porch) so it's easier than multi-tasking those things. Fun fun.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Some pics of the little man
4th of July -- really hot at the tennis courts -- wanting to catch the camera -- I'm playing with the fisheye lens
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Target...
Hello Team Target --
I am a loyal and happy Target shopper - choosing you over other stores because of the environment in your store and the great customer service.
Plus my son loves the popcorn -- so we often call it Popcorn Target or Popcorn Place.
I know that part of customer service is having the check out lines work quickly and easily. But I'm sure you are also aware that many families are working to change their behavior by bringing their own bags. If your check out clerks feel pressure to maintain a certain time per transaction, it's difficult for them to provide good customer service when we bring our own bag.
It's important for our environment that we begin to change our habits related to plastic bags (and so much more) -- but if we are greeted with a frustrated employee (who wants to provide good service but is under pressure to maintain a time standard) when the customer brings their own bags - and it doesn't work as smoothly as it would with the normal plastic bag routine, it creates another barrier to changing behavior.
Perhaps there could be a key that could be pressed when a guest brings their own bags - so that if there were 20 seconds too long on the transaction, you would know why.
Perhaps training the staff on how to use the various bags people bring.
Perhaps encouraging staff to place items back into the cart and the guest and arrange it in their bag after the transaction is complete -- I'm not sure what will work for such a large operation as you have.
But I do know -- that having to face a grumpy Target employee, who would normally provide stellar service, because of a change in customer habits for the greater good is too bad.
And it could change if you developed and acted on a plan.
Looking forward to your reply.
All the best - Marie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
