Something Blue - SPT

This SPT challenge was simple since I have a pretty good connection with blue, as in JetBlue.

I mentioned last week that I write letters for them. Here's the scoop on that: if someone has a question, comment, complaint or compliment (or really any type of random or weird feedback) for JetBlue they can fill out a form on the website (or write a letter or send a fax) and I'm one of the people who will answer those inquiries. It's a good sign when a company seriously values their customer's and sends a personal response every time we hear from one.

I've always enjoyed writing letters, so it seemed like a good fit for me.

Anyway, if you know much about JetBlue you might know that they love to play on the word blue. Each plane has a name and they all have something to do with the word blue like "Blue Belle," "Blueberry," "Blue Traveler," "Forever Blue," "Can't Get Enough of Blue."

Isn't that enough about blue?

52 Blessings Project, #21

Fully functioning household appliances.

Our dryer had a problem and it really threw a kink in my laundry routine. Not that I have a set routine, it's just that was recently taking an entire day to finish one load.

We've been so busy lately that I was too distracted to really notice the gradual decline in dryer function until it dawned on me that I wasn't getting anywhere with the growing pile of laundry. The symptoms were weird because the dryer would always start out hot, so I'd think it was working, but when I came back later the clothes would be cold and wet.

That Friday that I ended up having to go to work, rather than work from home, was the day Chris replaced the gas coils in the dryer and solved the problem. I was excited to finally gain some momentum on the laundry, but that plan was sidelined since I had to leave for the day. Did I mention that one of the side benefits of working from home is being able to throw in a load and keep it going?

So accomplishing three loads of laundry in about three hours is feeling like a huge blessing now!

What a Surprise!

We were able to pull off a true suprise party for my mother-in-law Trudy's birthday and honor her violin teaching career!

Her mom had the excellent idea of throwing this party and got us thinking about it months ago. After a lot of planning and collaborating from Grandma and all the kids we ended up having a very nice evening.

There was a huge turnout of family members and former students of Trudy's. We gathered at City Hall and gave her a "Happy Birthday" song when she walked in, and then a concert of piano and violin performances. It was so great to see the look of surprise on her face, and then recognition as she looked around the room and saw who was there, and then it turned to so much gratitude and love.

We had an assortment of tasty refreshments and a slideshow of photos showing how music has been a big part of her life since she was young.

It was a success and I feel nothing but thanks for everyone who came and helped out and participated. For all of us it was a happy and memorable event.

what's been going on

It's really been an eventful month, and the last two days were no exception.

Yesterday morning Jordan had a dentist appointment, so he got to miss the first bit of school. I don't normally like to schedule appointments during school, but we'd been putting this one off and it turned out the be the least imposing time we could work out between now and August. All went well, he has one tooth left to lose, wisdom teeth were showing up on the xrays (already!) and no referral to an orthodontist yet, which I think always disappoints Jordan just a little.

We ended up being at the dentist for a lot longer than the hour I'd planned for. So he was pretty late for school. These days though the impact isn't too bad as the year is winding down.

Jemma and I had a few errands to do before heading back to the school for Jordan's band concert. We had to go to the mall, which usually turns into an ordeal since the old Build-a-Bear debate always surfaces when we're there. I stood my ground once again and we did not even walk past Build-a-Bear, even though she made threats to not move from her spot several times unless I would agree that we could. We've been promising her a trip there for her birthday, which is obviously seeming like an eternity to her.

We got a little sidetracked in the accessory section at Nordstrom. Jemma fell for a headband that had a massive butterfly attached to it. She insisted it was cute enough to get, but not only was it on the obnoxious and can't-really-wear-it-anywhere side, it was also $78.

We made it to the band concert early enough to get a decent seat, but that still didn't provide any good photo opportunities. It's not the most photo-friendly environment with bad lighting, and the band was set up in a way so that we could see Jordan's head, but not his clarinet. Jemma took some video with my phone, a few photos too, but they're not uploadable. The 5th grade orchestra and band performed first, and the 6th grade string quartet did a few pieces before Jordan's band performance came up. I think they do that as a gradual build-up process. I gained a new appreciation for elementary school music teachers. Not only must they be multi-talented when it comes to knowing and playing instruments, they also must possess a lot of patience. (According to Jordan, his band teacher has not shown any signs of patience.) They're probably glad to have another year over with.

We got home and Jemma got involved playing with her animals and things so I had Jordan come home from his friend's house so I could go to the paper store. What a mean mom, making him babysit his sister just so I didn't have to tear her away from her play time. I figured she needed some release after being hauled around all day. At the paper store I bought some beautiful paper that my friend's husband designs. Right after I got home and was putting it to good use, I got an instant message from her --they were at the Apple Store in NYC. We haven't chatted in awhile, so it was kind of random to hear from her right at that time while she was on my mind since I was using their paper.



During the night Thursday Chris and Jemma were disturbed by some strange sounds coming from the chimney (Jordan and I were oblivious). Jemma was a little freaked out that it might be a wolf trying to get in. Chris figured it was a bird that was trapped. Jemma wouldn't be consoled until we confirmed that it wasn't some kind of "meat-eater" as she suspected, trying to clamor it's way into the living room. Only when we shined a flashlight up the chimney and saw a duck perched on the fireplace flue did she switch from fright to pleading with Chris to save it.



After a few minutes of struggle, Chris was able to grab the duck in a towel and run it outside to set it free. It flapped it's wings in a momentary frenzy and then just nonchalantly waddled away toward the canal as if nothing had ever happened, even though it was covered in soot.



My original plans for Friday morning did not include rescuing a duck or making play dough, but sometimes that's how things go. Jemma was set on the idea of making play dough, and it wasn't a bad idea since we haven't had any for a while. It was probably a good thing we made it because we discovered that our flour supply is completely depleted. (I even had a borrow a tiny bit from a neighbor to make the dough less sticky.) I don't do much baking, so I guess I'd just neglected to realize that we were very nearly (well, we now are) a flourless household. Isn't that kind of a staple that you tend to not run out of? Aren't we supposed to have a two year supply?

I love the Kool-Aid play dough. It fosters great creative play and smells good too.

We made a quick library run to return books and movies and pick up a few more. It's a weekly thing, but I wasn't really in the mood to browse too much today so we didn't stay long.

Jordan's been taking advantage of good bike riding weather. It wasn't super warm today, but it was dry.

Tonight we went to the Training Table for dinner, all together as a family of four. Jemma could not say enough about how "wonderful" it was. It was a good thing to do on a Friday night.

Jemma's Graduation

Jordan and Jemma are both graduating from their schools this year! Jemma's was yesterday. Her preschool was a co-op program, so in addition to the two regular teachers they also had at least two parents in the classroom every day. It was such a fun year -- the teachers were excellent, the kids great, and I loved getting to know the other moms as we worked together. Jemma and I both made some really good friends.

For the program the kids were told to wear their best. Jemma's first choice was not what I would consider her best, so I had to bribe her into wearing something else. I told her that if she'd wear this dress we could go get a treat afterward. She agreed on the condition that the treat could be a stuffed animal.

The program was great. The kids had all memorized a part and delivered them so well. They sang songs, recited poems and were very well behaved and cute! There were tons of nice refreshments and all sorts of goodies for us to bring home. Here's Jemma in her cap:



Each of the kids had drawn their own self-portrait and not only did we get the originals, we also got a copy that they had watercolored and cut out -- soooo cute, I need to find a frame for this:



They made t-shirts for each of the kids with all the self-portraits on them. Jemma was thrilled about it and hasn't taken hers off yet. Here she is in her shirt and with her reward:



We were given a packet of their journals that they have been working on in class all year. It's so organized, and now I don't feel so bad about hardly keeping any of the projects she brought home every day. It's full of fun things, including a little project that shows a self-portait she drew at the beginning of the year, how she signed her name, and the same things again at the end of the year. A big difference! Also, I found out that she is 2.5 inches taller than she was in September and is 3 pounds heavier.

They gave all of us parents a bundle of hangers with a little note about thanks for hanging with us this year. (Great practical gift!) The kids made these flowers for their mothers to wear:



A lot of us pitched in to give the teachers a gift card for a spa treatment and a restaurant.

All through the year they took pictures of everything, put it together in a slide show with music and will also include a complete video of the program on a DVD for us. This is the best idea!

Jemma's first day of summer vacation is chilly and rainy. She's not unhappy about it because she's been wanting to use her umbrella.

Something Borrowed - SPT

I like to think I'm pretty tech-savvy, but apparently I'm not when it comes to networking. The source of my technical difficulties that required me to go to work rather than work from home were originating from a borrowed router.

I didn't know that even though the router was still connected I hadn't actually been using it for a year! It's now been disconnected and will be returned and my technical difficulties are a thing of the past. Hooray!

So to give you a little more of a photoless self-portrait, and because some of you are wondering, here's where I work: JetBlue Airways.

And here's what I do there (or here really): write letters.

I'll tell you more about the letter writing part next week when I do the "something blue" SPT. And maybe I can come up with a photo.

52 Blessings Project, #20

Working from home.

I don't believe something has to be taken away before you really appreciate it, but this is as good a time as any to at least mention that I am thankful to have a job I like and can do it from home.

Really, I do appreciate working from home. It's still work and it requires time and concentration (and a good knack for ignoring whatever chaos may be occurring in another room), but it's so great to be there for the kids and to squeeze in a few things that would otherwise get put off further. Two days this week I ended up having to go to the office to work because of network issues. Aaaarrrrggghhhh....

Of course it's not right to feel so put out just because I had to go to work. It was aggravating because of the last-minute nature of having to go. After all, I did have some big plans (just wait til you see how exciting those plans were in my 52 BP #21 post) while I was working on Friday and they had to wait until Saturday!

Something New - SPT

I'm currently reading a NEW edition of Pride and Prejudice. It's called the Insight Edition: Trivia, Notes, and Inspiration to Amplify This Beloved Classic. It's got notes that include things like historical facts, references to today's culture and comments and asides on the characters.

Some Austen purists might find this kind of commentary in the margins bothersome, but since I never remember how the whole plot unfolds from one reading (or viewing of the movie) to the next, I'm finding the notes amusing and interesting.

It's such a classic book. I'm thoroughly enjoying it (at a leisurely pace too).

Jordan's Poem

What's a mom?

a great cook

makes delicious desserts

doodles when she's on the phone

does the laundry

does the dishes

shops for my clothes and shoes

That's a mom!

Jordan is a gracious kid. I don't know that I can really agree with the bit about making delicious desserts, as I hardly ever make dessert, but he is always quick to compliment something he enjoys. I love it when he says things like, "This is the best dinner ever! We should have this more often!" (now if only I could remember what he's said that about...)

He's at the age where he recognizes that things around the house don't just magically get done. It's nice to be appreciated!

52 Blessings Project, #18 and #19

Good food and...

Good company

Suzanna, Mom, Jessie, Jessica, Kristin, Me

My mom took her daughters and daughters-in-law out for a mother's day lunch today. It was very enjoyable. We had some great food, a very relaxing time, and it was something we've never done before...something we should do again!

The Clean Fairy?

Jemma has been learning about families in preschool. On three separate occasions she was asked what her mom loves to do, or is best at doing, and her answers - only with slight variation - have always been that I love to clean.

I noticed that several kids had similar answers about what their moms love to do, and none of them listed anything to do with cleaning on the questions about what your mom does not like to do. (Apparently I don't like to jump?)


I'm sort of feeling the need to explain that I don't necessarily LOVE to clean, life is just more enjoyable when things are in good order. So yesterday, I spent a few minutes in Jemma's room - without her - tidying up some odds and ends that have been out of place for weeks now. She came in later and exclaimed, "The Clean Fairy must have been here!!"

Hmmm....yes, let's let the Clean Fairy take the credit.

If you have kids, what do they think YOU love to do?

52 Blessings Project, #17

Fresh fruit in season.

Something Old - SPT

This photo of my grandma and me is one of my favorites. My dad framed it for a display at her funeral and it's been on my nightstand ever since then.

Although I don't remember the day this particular photo was taken (too young), I do remember so many mornings just like it. Being wrapped up and carried outside to feed the birds. We would put bits of bread or pancake near the flat smooth stones that were on a shelf attached to the white fence. I remember the smell of lilacs, sound of chirping birds, chill of the morning air, and leaning away from the thorny rose bushes.


The blanket in the photo is old enough that it was used by my dad when he was small. It's wool, so it's getting thin and faded, but I've had it for the past five years and keep it on a shelf where the kids can see it and use it and have it be a part of their lives too.

Bloggery

The idea of blogging was fascinating to me for years before ever I ever considered starting one. I sort of had the impression that blogs were for people who needed a place to voice their political opinions or promote an organization, but I hadn't thought about it in a very personal way until my cousin Elisa referred me to hers and Kristi's (another cousin).

I was intrigued with what I found on their blogs. I had just read Amy K. Rosenthal's book Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, which I loved. It's just snippets of her life -- her observations, opinions, thoughts, associations.... Blogging seemed like a good forum for those types of writings, which I've always enjoyed doing anyway. And with a blog you can so easily post a photo and share it with others and even sometimes get feedback.

I also came across Jill's blog and got hooked reading it. She is a very engaging writer and so down to earth that you instantly feel like you know her (and it turned out that we had met before...years ago). Then one day I saw a photo on someones blog of the inside of their fridge and it all clicked for me. To have such a normal thing documented was very inspirational, just think about how the fridge and contents of it will change and evolve over the years. Wouldn't you love to see a photo of your fridge when you were a kid? That was the point when I knew I needed to start documenting ordinary life -- the things that don't make it into my journal and are even more interesting when accompanied by a photo.

This is not typical of what's in our fridge, but it's what I found when I opened it yesterday.

Blogging is out of my comfort zone in many ways, but it's opened up some good opportunities and friendships. Saturday night Jill organized and hosted a party for this whole network of bloggers and it was amazing! It was like going to a party of celebrities where you know who these people are and things about them, although you've never met them.

It was so fun to meet Laurie, the Tip Junkie - a very classy girl, and Jill's sister Robyn who is so friendly and easy to talk to, and her other sister Lori who is very fun and has a contagious laugh. I met Amy, whose blog is called The Fromagerie and we talked about cheese and France and grocery stores we love. Barb who lives in Canada and has a great sense of humor. Claudia - the fabulous Claudia - who drove all the way from California just for the party! Michelle, who is so nice and has very pretty blue eyes. Patsy, who looks so young for having a son on a mission and a daughter who just got married! Amy M, who is amazing with her photography. Elisa and Kristi were there - the cousins I hardly ever see, but was so happy to see them.

It was really fun to connect with all these people and feel such a sense of camaraderie.

So Cupcake!

If you like cupcakes, or just a good treat, then you would love So Cupcake! We had a mommy/daughter date there today and enjoyed a little sampling of what they have to offer. We loved the Coconut Bliss, Coco Delight, and the So Cozy Cinnamon and Sugar. The mini size ones are just the perfect proportion!