Category Archives: juggling away from home

right now all week, this week

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This week’s Focus 52 prompt was right now:

Keep your camera close this week and take a moment (or two or three!) to capture what you’re doing ‘right now’, right at that exact moment. And umm … keep it clean, will ya? heh. I think this could be an exercise where the technique of ‘just a glimpse’ would work quite well…Absolutely anything and/or everything you catch yourself doing this week could become your photo for week twenty two.
You could take this one step further too, if you’re so inclined. Pick a time of day, and take a photo of what you’re doing every single day this week at that same exact time.

Ever the over-achiever, little brown-noser I chose to go the one step further. My camera is always handy because I am the mamarazzi here under the Big Top. I decided to pick the five o’clock hour…okay, the five to somewhere around the six o’clock hour because there is always something going on in the early evening around here. Yes, the kids were absolutely thrilled that I was working on this project with camera in hand. Some were so thrilled they told me to NOT take their picture. Tempted…I was so tempted. But I respected their wishes…this time.

So here you are, right now under the Big Top this week.

Monday: National Burger Day this year just happened to fall on Memorial Day. You know, that day where everyone barbecues and celebrates Summer’s return after honoring those who gave all. Well, I had to work Monday night and my darling husband and daughter were laying wood floors all day so no barbecue for us. An In n Out double-double cheeseburger will do just fine thank you very much. It is also the perfect after 5 mile run meal…because I logged five miles before work that night.

Tuesday: It’s that time of year again! The end of year dance recital is almost upon us and Jodie and Hazel are so ready for this. It’s a good thing Hollie and I got our tickets when we did because they sold out in ONE DAY! Yes, dance mom crazy did rise up. So if Abby can’t get the afternoon off from work I wonder just how much that ticket would be worth?

Wednesday: The Avengers 3D, popcorn, licorice and Coca-Cola slushees with one of my favorite boys. Life is good. And The Mighty Thor is hot and remains my favorite Avenger! Daniel tells me that The Black Widow looks like me. It’s the 3D glasses I’m sure.

Thursday: My Zoë and Josh are moving even farther away from the Big Top. I’m beyond sad even if it is a great and exciting adventure for them. But standing behind our promise to support these clowns in all that they do I’m sending the boys to Monterey with a big ol’ U-Haul so that they might pack up all their worldly goods and move them all down to LA. Daniel is ready to lend a hand.

Friday: It has been a long, hot day. Finally, the cooling Delta breezes are kicking in. The boys are in LA, the girls are at the mall and swim parties and I am here on the back patio with just this delicious glass of Sangria. Right here, right now, this week, life is good!

nurtured

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There are times where you wonder why you work so hard to help your child do that which they love to do, want to do, are uniquely made to do. It’s hard work this parenting gig isn’t it? It can often be thankless. There are times where you will find yourself near penniless. Most definitely it makes you exhausted.

So why do it?

Why even bother to work so hard to nurture and encourage these human beings?

For moments like these.

Moments like these where you get to witness the climax of so much hard work, so much sweat, so many tears…including theirs.

Your children worked hard for moments like these. They worked so very hard. Now it is time for you and the mentors who have come alongside them to celebrate their glory, their achievement. This is their moment.

Theirs.

So you celebrate it and continue to nurture them further hugging them, cheering with them, crying tears of joy with them…and, most importantly, you tell them you are so proud of them and what they have done. After that you tell them that you love them.

Worth it. Worth it all.

So proud of you, Jodie, and your entire team.

This week Focus 52 prompt was nurture. Had to wait until now to share because I was juggling away from home the last few days enjoying much platinum-award winning successes of my darling daughter #4 and her dance team. Perhaps next week I shall get back on track. Perhaps.

Oh, and in case you haven’t seen it, Jodie’s platinum award winning solo this weekend.

 

 

daily Fallon #42

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Coming home on this never-ending road trip to hell and back…you try riding strapped into a car seat facing backwards with only the back of a beige leather seat as your view and tell me it is not a road trip to hell…I am REALLY glad that Mi-ma is the designated driver. Now, let’s see what is on the drink menu here…for Mommy…of course for Mommy!

learning

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We’re always learning…aren’t we?

This weekend my younger sister, Ange, received her Masters of Science in Natural Resources Wildlife at Humboldt State University. That means there has been a whole lot of learning going on for her. She’s not done yet though. Remember, we’re always learning. But this weekend was for celebrating Ange’s hard work and achievement so far. She so deserves it.

Holly, Fallon, my Dad and I traveled to Arcata to celebrate with Ange, her mom and her friends. That means approximately 360 miles and over six hours of drive time….according to Google maps. Let’s just put it out there right now that Google maps lied! Of course we traveled with a five month old infant and my Dad.

Such an adventure will seriously test your sanity and make you desperate for a drink…a very strong drink. My sister forgot to warn us about that part…or perhaps we weren’t listening carefully enough. Personally, I am a learn by doing or seeing kind of learner so now I know.

I also learned:

  • when you have three iPhones with navigation capabilities it doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be a navigator assisting the driver because the battery of one iPhone will die, one iPhone will belong to the driver who is unable to navigate because she is driving (and her phone is playing AWOLNation for the baby to keep her sort of, kind of happy and calm) and the owner of the iPhone riding shot-gun (which is where the navigator traditionally sits at least in my car that is how it works) can’t seem to use their navigator…or pass that phone on to someone who can…like the passenger in  the back who is managing the baby who hates to travel. So, no, navigation won’t be easy as one passenger declared before we even began our road trip.
  • Apparently feeding a baby a bottle or changing them is a skill that is forgotten, you know like riding a bike is not forgotten. Good to know for when I am 25 years older and perhaps a great-grandparent.
  • Cleaning bug guts off your windshield with brackish water from a gas station in some Podunk town in Humboldt County will only smear the dead bugs across your windshield AND when you drive into the setting sun will make the windshield opaque…even if your glasses have Transitions lenses. My Dad explained that my problem was I didn’t have Transition lenses. I do and they do indeed transition from clear to dark as the light changes…all the time. The transitioning lenses is a good thing, a very good thing; but it does nothing to help when the windshield is pretty much opaque. So. Much. Fun. Definitely fun winding along the Redwood Highway at sunset. At least for the driver it is like that. It was all clear on the passenger’s side. Bugs like to commit suicide on the driver’s side of the windshield.
  • My daughter is an excellent driver.
  • My daughter is a very patient, excellent driver…driving with her grandfather (finally actually navigating when Holly, the driver, asks for information) and her mother (having a MAJOR anxiety attack as a passenger which is what her mother does on road trips) and her baby (having a screaming get-me-out-of-this-damn-carseat-now fit).
  • Apparently my Dad traumatized my daughter for life when it comes to riding/driving in a car over bridges. There were a lot of bridges we had to traverse along the way. Knowing this helped to distract me just a little from my own backseat anxiety attack…just a teeny-tiny bit.
  • From Manteca to Arcata on a Friday during prime commute, get-away traffic drive time it ONLY takes one nearly eight hours. That would be factoring in three stops to change diapers, go to the bathroom, buy two smoothies at the slowest Burger King ever and to clean a windshield.
  • But at sunset, driving along 101 as you approach Arcata, you get this view.

Makes it worth it…right? Even better we got to be here.

And celebrate my sister and all her hard work.

And have some cake.

And enjoy some celebratory hugging.

I’m totally related to those two beauties.

Congratulations Ange! Love you!

This week’s Focus 52 Project assignment was shooting whatever you like, wherever, whenever, however. So much awesomeness and inspiration to see!

a new pet

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“Mommy can I take him home? PLEASE!?”

Looks like Jodie found her man…and got his autograph…and talked to him…and danced with him…and took LOTS of pictures with him.

I imagine a restraining order will be next.

But seriously, it was a great dance convention and competition. Hollywood Vibe always does that right. Kent will be glad to hear that his contemporary jazz workshop was one of her favorites. He really is not only a very talented dancer but a pretty impressive choreographer and teacher…so says my .dancer.

Meanwhile, I’m shaking my head wondering what is it about my daughters and sweet, talented, cute reality TV stars.