Winners!

Yellow

When Emi was in Kindergarten, I coveted the Gingko trees close to her school because they were a brilliant yellow a couple of months after school started. When she was in 1st grade I planted a Gingko treeling in the frontyard and another in the backyard. This year we have our very own YELLOW!

Favorite Things So Far This Month

• U2 360° Tour with the Black Eyed Peas was a great concert. We couldn't find a sitter (in town) because everyone in Norman was going to the concert, so we took Emi with us. We walked to the concert and stayed until almost 11pm, left while U2 was playing Sunday, Bloody Sunday. We listened to the rest of the concert from our house. U2 hadn't been to Norman in 26 years and we felt privileged to be a part of the history...and the "Claw" was a very cool stage...
• Chocomole!!! While we didn't have all of the ingredients to make Jason Mraz's Chocomole, we made up something very deliciously close! Emi and I put 3 ripe avocados, raw cacao powder, cream of coconut and vanilla extract into the food processor and processed it with a little bit of water to thin. The resultant chocolate "mousse" was so rich, creamy and healthy. Next time we will try it out with dates...and take some pics. This comfort food is definitely a keeper!
• Basketball!
• Sleepover with Emi's sisters and seeing them being sisters!
• More time with my family...

Happiness is a Warm Seat

I got my Disco back from the shop in record time yesterday (Thanks, Charlie!) so today was a Good Day. I was having some important work done (rear axle replaced) and some other Very Important Work done (replacing the driver seat) so this winter I can once again enjoy a heated seat. Last year I was rather distraught when the driver seat heater stopped working. So we're back in business now...
Tonight was really great. After school Emi's birth mom and sisters came over for dinner, some play time at the park and to witness Emi's first basketball game. It was so much fun to watch. Emi's played soccer for 3 years and already with just 1 game we are inlove with basketball over soccer.
Some things b-ball has over soccer:

• Indoors
• Four 6 minute quarters
• Short season (like 5-6 games in toto)

Why soccer is better than b-ball:

• Fresh Air
• ??

I love that our daughter is into team sports so soccer is great for that, but I do not like that the soccer fields are situated just so that we get all the inclement weather that occurs in Normantown. Cold and wet seem to converge onto whatever field we are currently on and there is no windbreak (currently). Guess it's good for building character? Doesn't help MY spirit, but it's not about me. Besides, I have a functioning seat heater again! (Yea, me!)
I tried to capture video while still watching the game (as is very obvs in this here video) so this is the best of the batch. Enjoy!

[Nifty title goes here]

To learn, read.
To know, write.
To master, teach.
Found these words tied to my tea bag today.

Boomer Sooner

Even my Sooner Spirit couldn't help the guys today...

My Girl

...so creative....

Dog Pillow

Emi's sister Shae uses Abbey as a pillow...and Abbey doesn't mind this at all....

Hope & Airbrushing

Last night as I was going through spelling words with Emi (-one,-ose, -ope) she came across "hope" and bragged to me, "I've known how to spell 'hope' my entire life." Her realization really hit me because I know that my daughter will experience so many negative things in life (she already has experienced so much in her only 7 years of life) and even so, she will remain hopeful.

I have used technology as a means of supporting my "hope" habit over the years and would like to share a bit so that you might become more hopeful too.

A couple years back I was hot and heavy into my high school reunion planning (yes, I was That Person) and I became addicted to finding "lost" alumni. Don't judge. This was before I was introduced to FaceBook and I became great friends with a fellow alumna who also felt the same euphoria I felt as we connected with these long lost souls from high school. [Side note: Too bad we didn't hang out in high school because I'm certain the quality of my high school experience would have been much better.] So, as we were finding lost folks to invite them to our 20 year reunion, I sometimes had to come to terms with some past life messiness.

I had located an ex-boyfriend from my class who I hadn't seen in many years...things between us hadn't ended well or neatly so I was apprehensive about running into him at the reunion or in general. Well, we talked and surprisingly enough, things were not awkward between us. He attended the reunion and I even introduced him to my husband and things went over really well. I had the best time and considered my ex of (we dated almost 4 yrs) to be a friend again...

The following year I was helping my friend's class find lost alumni and in my search, I was faced with more of my past that I needed to address. My senior prom date was a junior. A sweet boy I met during a wrestling fundraiser. I agreed to go to prom with him after he came to my work (Frusen Gladje Ice Cream) armed with a cute puppy. He was so cute and so sweet and direct, played no games and I was NOT falling for it. I was very nervous around boys back then, so when my best friend's date stood her up, I found I had a way out of being alone with my date. I decided to cut prom short and go party with my friend. We took pics at his house after I met his family, then went to prom and possibly had pictures taken there. I brought a change of clothes and had him take me to my friend's house, pick us up some beer and drop us off at a local party place. (I know...special place in Hell for me!)

I don't recall ever seeing him after he dropped us with me toting my bagged prom dress in one hand and a quart of beer in the other. Except for when I googled for images of him to confirm I had the right guy for the reunion. I tracked down his e-mail and apologized profusely for my very immature behavior 20 years prior. He was gracious and accepted my apologies; said he had forgotten that night. E-talking with him was very cleansing for my soul.

Later, I got on FaceBook and found friends from waaay back and it's been a great online reunion (except for all of those pesky apps in FB). I barely have time to check in on my friends' statuses, let alone play games. So thankfully those features can be hidden... Since being on FB I've reunited with my first roommate ever (Hi Stacy!) online and in person. And I've gotten messages with apologies or confessions from old schoolmates....all good and all very unexpected. I guess everything comes full circle....also, I can never run for office!

Rainy Day Dinner