Sacramento Parent Magazine

Our wedding anniversary was a few days ago and it started out like most days.  I made coffee and placed it in the familiar spot where RosevilleMom was doing her daily make-up and hair routine.  As usual I gave her a quick smooch on the back of her neck, and said, “Good morning.”  She spun around and gave me a big hug and said, “Happy anniversary, thanks for staying.”  This stuck me as extremely funny and we laughed and hugged a bit longer in the familiar comfort that is 20 years of bliss.

“Hey the cleaning lady comes today, so could you and the kids pick up the house?” said RoesvilleMom, “Also, could you fold the laundry in the dryer before you leave for work?”

WHOA…This is a change of course! What happened to the broadcast message to the entire house in general and nobody in particular where she says, “The cleaning lady comes today and you know that that means?”

Before we go on lets get two things straight: First, yes, we have a cleaning lady. She is a wonderful Russian immigrant who comes by every two weeks and does the heavy stuff like bathrooms, floor scrubbing, etc.

Second, I’m not a mind reader, but I can be trained and I do very well when given direction. I know what you are thinking, “Well, after all these years you should be more in tune with…” Save it, ok, I agree 100%, but just save it. The male species hasn’t reached that point of development yet. In fact I saw a clip for an upcoming movie in which a guy says to a girl that “…male self improvement stops at potty training”. Speaking for the entire male species, that is gospel. Trust me. But I digress…

After the gentle direction afforded me, I was now moving about the house with purpose, directing my offspring to pick up their crap and get our cracker box casa in ship shape. Then I went to the laundry room, folded the clothing, carried it upstairs and put it away. Usually my idea of ‘folding the laundry’ is to fold it and leave it stacked dangerously high upon the dryer so that sometimes it falls upon an unsuspecting shorter person…drawing the ire of my wife.

Upon seeing me loading items into the dresser, she says, “Hey thanks for putting the laundry away.”

“This old dog has learned a new trick.”

With eyes sparkling she says, “Good boy, I bet you are thinking that finally getting it right gets you extra credit or something ‘else’?”

I laugh and answer, “Hey, if a guy can learn, he can still hope, right?”

“Keep hope alive, Hunky, keep hope alive,” she affirms with a wide smile.

And the sun shines on the day like freshly dried socks and soccer shorts pulled from the dryer still warm.

I have no idea what the temperature is outside, nor do I know the forecast for the rest of the week.  I choose not to know.  It’s better that way. 

I think the only thing that likes this heat is squash.  This is an acorn squash blossom.  Soon the blossom will give way to fruit, and come autumn we will happily roast the acorn squash and make soup.  “Roast” and “soup” are two words not being used in my kitchen right now.

Today I am grateful for ceiling fans, friends with swimming pools, and a cold watermelon in the refrigerator.  Does anyone else think watermelon is a perfectly acceptable dinner entree?  I think it will be our main course tonight, perhaps with a side of buttered popcorn. 

Just a few weeks into summer vacation and already I can’t wait for my kids to go back to school.

Most of the regular restrictions placed upon them during the academic year are not applicable. For example, I state, “Time for bed.” And they look at me as though I am a doubting old timer that has lost his faculties and respond, “We don’t have school, dad.”  This I know of course but, clearly I’ve lost control…

Their days are absent of reading, writing and cafeteria lunches and now are filled with sleeping in, goofing off with friends and over stimulation from trips to the local water park, video games and play dates that evolve into sleepovers at friend’s houses.

RosevilleMom and I know when they are over stimulated as they announce, “I’m bored.” At this point they are usually overtired as well. This is followed by whiny behavior, not obeying and general brattiness. At this point signal we invoke a condition called “Unplugged”.  It’s as the term says, no use of anything that has a plug on it until further notice. No TV, no video games and no pc. Friends can still come over to play but no sleepovers.

Unplugged usually lasts at least twenty-four hours and it is amazing how well our kids play together. They have standard things they play like school, store, etc…Not to mention all the toys they get reacquainted with. Usually there is no bickering and lots of good communication occurs during unplugged.  It’s fun to listen in on the not so juvenile discussions by the youngsters.

In a few weeks school will resume and we are thinking of we invoking an “Unplugged Weekday” rule…Ha-Ha! Wish us luck!

“Owl pellets are masses of bone, teeth, hair, feathers and exoskeletons of various animals preyed upon by raptors, or birds of prey. Pellets are produced and regurgitated not only by owls, but by hawks, eagles and other raptors that swallow their prey whole of in small pieces,” according to BiologyCenter.com.  Yum. 

In early June we decided to take a summer vacation which consisted of a few days on the beach in southern California.  Usually we start planning our vacation in January or February, but due to economic conditions and deteriorating conditions at our place of employment, we held off. We toyed with the idea of a ‘stay-cation’, but figured it would be like any other Saturday at our house working the never ending ‘list of projects’ that need doing. For us vacation is all about relaxation and rest. 

So here I am are sitting under my umbrella, in the sand and reflecting on the first six months of the year….Kids busy with school and the parents with work.  The boy was busy with baseball; he played on a team and worked out all winter and spring with the local tourney organization.  The girl finished her first year of actually getting grades on a report card (PERRISH THE THOUGHT!) and stayed on the principle’s list all year.  Her soccer year began in earnest later in the spring and finally the culmination of the dance year with the summer show in June.  It doesn’t sound like too much, but it’s a daily grind and can be tiring.  Finally there were our jobs and other stuff that takes up life’s time…we all have ‘em…you know what I’m talking about.

I’m eating tuna on a hotdog roll and some Pringles, laced with a bit of gritty sand, and a bit of cold cerveza.  I start to wonder about the next few months ahead…Grandma Jan arrives in on the 2^nd of August for her annual visit and we all love it when my mom comes to town.  Then it’s right back to school the second week of August; one in third grader and the other in FITH!  Oy vey!  Soccer for both and fall baseball for the boy, a new dance school for my baby girl and question if the boy should play travel baseball at his age.  Not to mention that we hope to stay employed… (sigh).  Some might say something to the effect of, “Oh it just never ends!” but not me.  I love the daily grind of all events they have.  It’s almost equal to this tuna roll and caned beverage in the sand…

So, on the sand of North County San Diego, with our cans of Corona, RosevilleMom and I raise a toast to a pause in the action of our silly little clan… enjoying a brief respite…halftime in the midst of 2009. 

We accomplished much and plowed new many new paths in the first six months (more than the reader will ever know) and are looking forward to the next six months until Christmas break when we will shut it down again for a few days. This, by the way, seems to be just around the corner…but for now a stop in the action, a few days in the sand and waves with little regard to all that is back in Roseville.

“I hypnotized a chicken!”

You too can impress friends and family with this little trick.  Hold the chicken on her back and rub her tummy.  She’ll go into a trance and won’t mind one bit if you carry her around like a baby.  Of course the real trick is catching a chicken to hypnotize.  Well done my son!