Chuck and I monthly go through this ritual of comparing our schedules. Between our work demands, for the month of September, we are together at home 11/30 days including weekends. If it weren't for the fact that I have come to love a small town life – I would wonder why we lived here. Married Single Parents. Should be a new tax filing classification.

Oh well, home with the kids tonight, about to pop some popcorn for them and have a king’s corner tourney – hopefully that will bring them down off of the ceilings. Whenever I return from Portland (where I’ve been for the past two days) they are wound up like 8 day clocks. Screaming, giggling, fighting, breaking things in rapid succession. It’s a little intimidating to walk into.

I finally got them to sit down and they are now working shuffling the "bridge." They think I am SOOO good at it. That is what rocks about kids, so easy to be a hero!

Probably should stop blasting Marvin Gaye's - Let's Get it On, since it seems inappropriate, but they seem to enjoy it almost as much as I am, and it was the perfect addition to the lovemix below.

Had some great news at work today, more on that later. I'm diggin' my boss though, he done me right.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”-Anaïs Nin

Quest for the perfect lovemix

I try to create themed playlists for my iTunes - 70s funk, songs I want to sing along too, etc. My current quest is a list of the my favorite love songs. What would have been the ultimate make-out in the car tape in highschool. Songs that you react to but aren't way too smarmy ("Your the Inspiration" by Chicago was axed as too smarmy).

Here's the work in progress, I would love suggestions for additions via the comments:

Baby I Love your Way - Peter Frampton
Love Has No Pride - Bonnie Raitt
Let's Stay Together - Al Green
I Believe (When I Fall in Love it will Be Forever) - Stevie Wonder
Come on, Come On - Mary Chapin Carpenbter
What Do You Love More Than Love - Dar Williams
Otis Redding - Sara Evans
I'll Have to Say I love You in A song - Jim Croce
Let's Get it On - Marvin Gaye
Love Songs - James Taylor
Passionate Kisses - Mary Chapin Carpenter
Crazy Love - Van Morrison

I'm with the band

This past weekend marked the world premiere of "Christ I'm Chuck" performing intentionally before an audience of friends and family. It was great to see CRM have this much fun.

I'm hoping to see The 40 Year Old Virgin soon. In fact, since I may be alone in Portland tomorrow night, and all my friends are at various concerts (Susan Tedeschi and JT) I might brave it alone. I'm a fan of Steve Carell from the Daily Show, it's playing near my office and it is so rare I get the opportunity to see a movie in a theatre without animation and talking animals that I could go solo.
I suspect I'm going to want the soundtrack too.

I ran into this list of pickup lines and they were cracking me up. Not that as a happily married woman with mind numbing sex appeal I need pickup lines, but what the heck, here's the edited down list I would pay money to see someone try to use in a bar.

- I lost my teddy bear. Will you sleep with me?
- Excuse me, do you have a Band-Aid because I scraped my knee when I fell for you.
- I hope you have a library card because I'm checking you out.
- Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk past you again?

Beth's Thigh

This is a picture of Beth's leg at the 2005 Danskin Triathlon. I didn't run it this year, like I did last. After a few workouts with her this spring, I thought there was a good chance I'd do fine, but I didn't feel I'd earned it. Instead, I hung out with her husband Chris all weekend. We had a great time, took the kids to Wild Waves (bad idea on a hot August Saturday), and then finished the day enjoying the Happy Hour at the Embassy Suites and a delicious dinner at the Outback. Sunday morning I was able to be the race shuttle in the mama mobile equipped with a new DVD player. I was quite popular - although seem to be loved just for my Garfield movies (the kids) and my knack for charming extra gin and tonics from the Embassy Bartender at Happy Hour (Chris).
I'm on it next year, though. Stay tuned for pictures of my studly thighs (sans the tatoo).

The kids and I have this running joke, in which I will tell them that I love them with all my .... and then rather than finish with heart, I will say something like "I love you will all my kneecaps." "I love you with all my freckles", etc. Charlie climbed into bed with me for some cuddle time a few mornings ago and we began this routine, until he pointed to the corner of my eye and said, "Mama? Do you love me with this wrinkle?"

it is time for B O T O X!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gallery

With my ego propped up by winning first and second place in the Sports photo category at this years Tillamook County fair, I have started collecting some of my favorite images in a kodakgallery to share. Here's the link:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/bigleaguepictures?

The kids just returned from a trip to Grandpa's - enjoying much pool time. I missed them desperately - although we enjoyed some freedom. Grandpa sent me this picture (amongst hundreds of others) of my baby girl. Looking at her beautiful face makes me think of these song lyrics from Lyle Lovett:
She's as cute as a Bug
Short as a minute
She's a pretty little package with
Everything in it