Shadow Shot Snow. Again.

More snow. And snow.

Then there was the snow.

For more cool shadow shots, visit HeyHarriet! and click on the links!

You Say a Dusting, I Say a Dumping

When we went to bed last night, the forecast was for a dusting of snow, up to an inch. It started snowing around 9 am, and hasn't quit as of this posting. Just a wee bit more than a dusting, my friends.

The boys had their first class in the Winter Soccer Academy, run by DC United, this morning. Their coach is a DC United player, so they think they must have died and gone to soccer heaven. It was fun to watch them out there, keeping up with the other kids and having a great time. I was worried about putting J in with the U10 group, but he's still one of the tallest kids out there. D is the tallest, except for maybe one other kid.

They've only played one season, and it was pretty laid back, non-competitive style soccer, so this is (literally) a whole new ball game. While we were waiting for the boys' session to start, I was listening to some of those infamous soccer moms talk to each other and to their kids. Ugh.

I'm not a pushy mom. At least I don't think I am. I always encourage my kids to do their best, but I've tried very hard to never berate my children in public (or in private) about mistakes they make on the playing field. My motto has always been this:

Mistakes Are Great. That's How You Learn

I know. It's trite, but it's true.

So anyway. Let me relate the conversation I heard to you, 'kay?

Coach:  2 minute break - drink some water and come right back.

Competo-mommy:  "Kid," come here and get your water.

Kid: whawawhawawhawa (use your best Charlie Brown teacher voice here, please.)

Competo-mommy: Come and get your water. Why aren't you coming? What? Oh, you think I'm going to chew you out when you get over here. I saw that goal you missed. You deserve to get chewed out.

Kid: whawawhawawhawa

Competo-mommy: I'm not going to chew you out right here - come get your water. I'll be chewing you out on the drive home, son.

Let me just tell you, also, that she wasn't kidding.

sigh.

So. I'm afraid I won't be fitting in very well with the other moms at soccer academy.

I'll be too busy laughing at the sight of my kids trying to do jack-knife sit ups while holding a ball between their ankles.

HY.STER.I.CAL.

So funny, as a matter of fact, we all laughed about it on the way home...including my boys.

That just seems so much better than a chewing out...don't you think?

Have a Random List. (bullet points included)

• I've got such an urge to redecorate.
• I don't think it's in my lease, though.
• My dog snores more loudly than my husband. 
• But I poke my husband and make him turn over so he'll quit.
• My parents are awesomely awesome awesomators. 
• You'll just have to trust me on that one.
• I don't know how I've lived so long without radiant heat and a gas range. 
• I don't know how I'll live without them when we go back to Tennessee.
• Math is my sons' favorite subject. 
• Except for the addition. 
• And the subtraction.
• Harry Potter rocks. 
• But I still can't believe I cried over a house-elf.
• I'm halfway done cleaning out the corner cabinet in the dining room. 
• That means that half of the contents are still scattered all over the dining room. 
• Fail.
• I'm not going to complain about January any longer. 
• After Sunday. 
• On Monday, I promise to complain only about February.
• I love my Wranglers. 
• But I should probably wash them more often.
• I'm in the mood for papier-mâché creating.
• I'm taking that as a good sign. My creativity dips way below normal in the winter.

Have a random evening, peeps.

Sorry About That, Hon.

Dr. SmartyPants has strep, now.

Just trying to spread the love.
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Derek and I went into Target yesterday, to pick up some antibiotics for the Smarty, and I remembered I needed milk. I looked in their cooler, but all they had was some chocolate soy milk - they were completely out of every other type of milk product.

When I got back in the car, I was telling Smarty and Joshua about it. I mentioned that the only thing in the cooler was chocolate soy milk, and that just didn't seem all that appetizing.

Joshua commented, "Well. That's probably why they still had some."

That kid just doesn't miss a beat.
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The boys have been playing restaurant owners for the past few nights. They make their sign (lately, it's been Mexican Restaurant, and their names are displayed as Diego and Rico). They put on their aprons, and take orders, and serve the plates...all with "Mexican" accents. Joshua's accent sounds more Indian to me, and I mentioned that to him.

Derek told me it is because they are really from Indiana.

Apparently we need to work on geography a bit more.
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I was thinking about Melinda today, and she called me.

That happens a lot.

We're on the Psychic Friends Network.
*************************************************
Linda and I have been collaborating on something that's been equal parts frustrating and exciting.

We're almost ready to let you all in on the secret.

But not just yet.

We need something fun for February.
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I'm wearing Wranglers.

Water, Water Everywhere

And here's some to drink.

Oh, lord at the rain. We had a brief period today of blue skies, and the boys and I were all, "Wha? The sky - it seems, I don't know...blue, maybe?" We really weren't sure what to do, exactly. We ended up taking a brief walk to the park.

Just long enough to watch the clouds roll in.

Every. Single. Inch. Of. Land. Is. Saturated.

Our backyard looks like we installed a pool.

The walk to the park goes squish squish squish, squish squish squish, squish squish squish...

It could be worse - I know that. There are no hillsides threatening to slide down upon us, no rivers about to crest and flood our home, no massive white-out blizzard.

And yet.

This unrelenting grayness has its own set of catastrophic circumstances. There is much to be said for sunny days, a bit of warmth on a face turned skyward, and what they can do for a body and soul. I want to be out in it - walking with my flip flops keeping time to the beat of my elated heart.

And yet.

I'll make it through, I know. I'll search for sunny shores online, dreaming of the day when I'll complain about the heat and the drought and would it go ahead and rain already. Somehow, winter starts to fade and spring begins the process of renewing and I'll jump in and join the parade of green shoots springing up from cold earth. In only a few short days, January will be but a distant, chilly memory.

Of course...then there's February.

Don't even get me started on February...

Shadow Shot Wings

imaginations give you wings

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For more shadow flying, visit HeyHarriet! and click on the links!

Clown College

Head of the Class.

Raikki is doing great. He's obviously brilliant, and has taken to house training like a champ - we're 6 days and counting without any, um, indiscretions. He's settling down better at night, in his crate, whimpering a time or two before passing out cold.

He's also completely spastic, and maybe a little narcoleptic. I have video evidence - if I can get it uploaded later today, I'll share it. He flails around, acting like a little maniac for a few minutes, then flops down, takes a deep breath and starts snoring.

Chico has taken to walking around, muttering under his breath about hoodlums and whippersnappers and the like. He growls and bares his teeth every time Raikki comes near him. Raikki, being a young hoodlum whippersnapper, thinks that's the funniest thing he's ever seen and completely ignores him, unless he accidentally stumbles over him whilst careening about like a lunatic.

Quiet days are over here at the Ottwork compound. We have DRAMA, INTRIGUE, CONFLICT, COMEDY.

Maybe NBC should put us on at 10 pm.

Blind Contour Friday - 2010 FINally

Welcome to Blind Contour Friday! I hope you all broke out your pens and paper and played along this week, or that you'll play sometime before next Friday. All you have to do is create your own blind contour drawing, post it on your blog and leave your name and a link to your post in the Mr. Linky there at the bottom of this post.

If you're having trouble thinking of something to draw, you can check this great list of ideas and just pick one. Relax, pick up your pen and S L O W down while you observe what you are drawing carefully.

Please make sure you link your post back here so we can spread the word and add more and more players. If you use Twitter or Facebook, feel free to post it there, as well!

This is a blind contour drawing of what I could see in the corner of the living room...which always looks as if two boys under 10 live there. sigh.

The contour drawing gives it character, right?  RIGHT?

Isolate and Disinfect

I have strep throat.

And an ear infection.

Can anyone explain to me why I have it? Me? That woman who never goes out into public unless forced - whose hands are constantly raw from the washing and the washing and the disinfecting - whose children are homeschooled and couldn't have brought it home from school - the one whose husband does actually go out and spend lots of time around others, but ISN'T sick?

Yeah.

Maybe I got it from kissing my puppy. The one who snores like a bandsaw. But that doesn't really matter because ohmigoshheissocute.

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ATTENTION: BLIND CONTOUR FRIDAY PARTICIPANTS...
Tomorrow is Friday.
Yep.
It's on.
See you then...

Younguns

Oh, we're having so much fun. Raikki is doing great, and the boys just adore him. We're going for his first vet check tomorrow, and I'm sure he'll be found quite healthy. He's starting to feel comfortable enough to play more and more, he's doing great with the crate training, and only had to go out one time last night...which meant more sleep for me, thank you very much.

Speaking of me...I feel a bit like a truck ran over my head. Fever, chills, sore and swollen throat...not sure what I have, but I think we'll be Netflix-schooling today.  Thank heaven for their "watch instantly" function.

Back to the couch...

Please Forgive Me

But he's so dang cute. Pretty much all the posts this week will be about Raikki.

He's much more laid back than I anticipated. My experience with puppies in the past was that they were nutso. He's beginning to relax a little today and play more, but he's still not as curious and into everything as other puppies I've had.

The boys are in love - especially Joshua, who is convinced that Raikki likes him better than anyone else.

Chico, however?

Chico is pissed.

I'm pretty sure that when we walked in last night, with this big, awkward, ridiculous puppy, I heard Chico say, "WTF?"

The fact that this 9 week old is already bigger than Chico isn't helping.

I'm still counting on the puppy breath to win him over...

There's a New Kid in Town

We all needed a puppy.

Raikki* is a 9 week old boxer puppy who needed some people.

It was a good deal all around.

* Raikki is named in honor of 2007 Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen. 

Disappearing Act

Sorry for the lack of activity around these parts.  I was off gallivanting with Melinda.



And my mom.

We were not drinking margaritas.

Nor were we eating chips and salsa.

Just so you know.

I'll be back to the land of unlimited internet access tomorrow, I think. Maybe things will resume some semblance of normality by then...

Eleven

For the first time in 11 years, we aren't together on this day.

Just a fluke, really - another trip interfered - one I couldn't miss, and one he understood.

After 11 years, that happens, I suppose.

Or it should.

Understanding, I mean. After all - after 11 years together, who knows me better? Who understands my deepest needs and grandest desires? Who has been there throughout the pinnacles of happiness and the depths of despair? Who has held my hand and listened as I spilled out the junk that accumulates inside my heart sometimes?

He has.

Who has watched and waited for me to muscle through the pain of disappointment and depression? Patiently. Generously. Lovingly.

He has.

Who has as firm a grasp on my heart as he did 11 years ago?

He has.

(And who is absolutely ridiculously handsome? Yep - you guessed it...)

Happy Anniversary, my sweet love. DRUL 3.14159265...

Today

Sitting at DePalma's with Melinda.

Life is sweet when you can spend time with the very best of friends.

I Think a Change...

Will do you good...



And suddenly he's aged 5 years.

sigh.

Poor Little Guy

Chico.

He's sad. Grieving. Losing his marbles.

He's a shell of the little guy he used to be, and I don't know what to do for him. He's exhibiting signs of separation anxiety. He hates...HATES...to go in the crate (even with the promise of pepperoni).

He's lost his spunk and verve.

Anybody have any experience with a dog who has lost his buddy?

Words of wisdom?

Please?

Shadow Shot Pyramid

In the National Gallery of Art sculpture garden.

For more spectacular shadow shots, visit HeyHarriet! and click on the links.

Yeah. I Know.

It's the SECOND day of January and I've not blogged.  I'm sorry. There's no Blind Contour Friday, there's no new header. I'm terrible.

But.

I have a new haircut.

And a chip(munk) on my shoulder.

I'm rested.

I'm almost done with Diet Cokes.

I'm sitting at a table with Linda.

I'll be back to blogging soon, I promise...