Category Archives: Holidays

Spring Break…down

How am I supposed to get anything done if my son is home for two weeks straight and we have no spring break family vacations planned. Do people really take spring breaks? I mean after college?

Spring break was timed near Easter this year (which is the first time Easter has been this early since the 1800s, and won’t be this early again for something like 230 more years) but nowhere near Pesach which isn’t until April.

I am exhausted just thinking about this week. I am still having a little trouble getting Jake’s aide to be timely. I don’t know that she realizes that while I can’t “write her up”, I can look for a new aide. She is good with Jake, but waiting for help to arrive is really not helpful. She has spring break right now too, and I cannot quite understand why someone who needs to earn extra money wouldn’t be jumping at the chance to work full-time for a week either. I mean it is not always an easy thing to care for Jake, but when I was younger I jumped at any chance I had to pay off my student loans, buy a round of beer or a new skirt from Gap. Just a different mind-set I suppose. If she can be on time for the next two weeks we will be okay, but I am now trying to figure out if she is the right person to be Jake’s aide this summer. I hate looking for the right aide for Jake, for our family…

One summer we had Miss Emily help with Jake. She has a brother with special needs, so she just wasn’t afraid of Jake, at all. I bought season passes to Great America, and after going with the two of them a few times I realized that she was perfectly capable of taking him by herself. They even went to the water park (she was a certified lifeguard too). I would love it if Miss Emily could come back, but alas, she is a little smarty pants and has taken her little Valedictorian self off to college, and spends the summer doing things like going to Morocco as an exchange student.

Jake was littler then. And he is only going to get bigger, and bigger. I am going to try to go to the Y after Descartes gets home from work this week. My back is wrenched again. Something down near my sacrum… in fact after a little research just now it looks like it is more like an inflammation of my sacroilic joint . Fanfkngtastic!

Shite I am falling apart. I keep asking my mom, Gloria..”At what age, precisely, did you begin to fall apart?” and she always tells me that we are different people blah blah.. but now I am guessing it was 36 years, 2 months. Descartes says my warranty must have just run out and that’s why everything keeps breaking, ’cause isn’t that how it always works in our life?

In other news we were in Tahoe for Easter, where Demanda and Jaster made yummy quiche and my sistow made home made cinnamon rolls that she let rise three times. She also made Easter baskets and made sure her little boys had matching outfits and precious white lace up shoes… so pretty much she is amazing. The church was packed this morning too, and there were a lot of new faces, which is always a good thing. Lots of babies and young families.

OH… and at the last minute, our younger brother Albert showed up with his new girlfriend. Three out of the four of us kids ended up together for a weekend… doesn’t happen very often. They were both very sweet with all seventeen thousand kids (are there really only four of them?), and they showed us their very cool shoes…Fluevogs… which is apparently what I might have thought about purchasing if I was young and had disposable income. Albert’s shoes are very cool, but I can’t imagine Descartes ever wearing them.. and I also can’t imagine them ever being made in a size 16! Al’s girlfriend bought these .

I would buy these for me and these for Descartes just in case the Easter Bunny is still making deliveries this evening.

Christos anesti.

Spring Break…down

How am I supposed to get anything done if my son is home for two weeks straight and we have no spring break family vacations planned. Do people really take spring breaks? I mean after college?

Spring break was timed near Easter this year (which is the first time Easter has been this early since the 1800s, and won’t be this early again for something like 230 more years) but nowhere near Pesach which isn’t until April.

I am exhausted just thinking about this week. I am still having a little trouble getting Jake’s aide to be timely. I don’t know that she realizes that while I can’t “write her up”, I can look for a new aide. She is good with Jake, but waiting for help to arrive is really not helpful. She has spring break right now too, and I cannot quite understand why someone who needs to earn extra money wouldn’t be jumping at the chance to work full-time for a week either. I mean it is not always an easy thing to care for Jake, but when I was younger I jumped at any chance I had to pay off my student loans, buy a round of beer or a new skirt from Gap. Just a different mind-set I suppose. If she can be on time for the next two weeks we will be okay, but I am now trying to figure out if she is the right person to be Jake’s aide this summer. I hate looking for the right aide for Jake, for our family…

One summer we had Miss Emily help with Jake. She has a brother with special needs, so she just wasn’t afraid of Jake, at all. I bought season passes to Great America, and after going with the two of them a few times I realized that she was perfectly capable of taking him by herself. They even went to the water park (she was a certified lifeguard too). I would love it if Miss Emily could come back, but alas, she is a little smarty pants and has taken her little Valedictorian self off to college, and spends the summer doing things like going to Morocco as an exchange student.

Jake was littler then. And he is only going to get bigger, and bigger. I am going to try to go to the Y after Descartes gets home from work this week. My back is wrenched again. Something down near my sacrum… in fact after a little research just now it looks like it is more like an inflammation of my sacroilic joint . Fanfkngtastic!

Shite I am falling apart. I keep asking my mom, Gloria..”At what age, precisely, did you begin to fall apart?” and she always tells me that we are different people blah blah.. but now I am guessing it was 36 years, 2 months. Descartes says my warranty must have just run out and that’s why everything keeps breaking, ’cause isn’t that how it always works in our life?

In other news we were in Tahoe for Easter, where Demanda and Jaster made yummy quiche and my sistow made home made cinnamon rolls that she let rise three times. She also made Easter baskets and made sure her little boys had matching outfits and precious white lace up shoes… so pretty much she is amazing. The church was packed this morning too, and there were a lot of new faces, which is always a good thing. Lots of babies and young families.

OH… and at the last minute, our younger brother Albert showed up with his new girlfriend. Three out of the four of us kids ended up together for a weekend… doesn’t happen very often. They were both very sweet with all seventeen thousand kids (are there really only four of them?), and they showed us their very cool shoes…Fluevogs… which is apparently what I might have thought about purchasing if I was young and had disposable income. Albert’s shoes are very cool, but I can’t imagine Descartes ever wearing them.. and I also can’t imagine them ever being made in a size 16! Al’s girlfriend bought these .

I would buy these for me and these for Descartes just in case the Easter Bunny is still making deliveries this evening.

Christos anesti.

Christmas 2007 Part Three


We stopped at home long enough to repack our bags, make a mess and pick up the dogs. We arrived in Tahoe at 10:30 this morning. Descartes got to work in the car on his new cell phone the Samsung SCH-i760 yeah I got one too… so so sosososososoooooooooooooo cool!

My other parents are here Walter and Momster. The house is crowded but it is beautiful and cozy at my sister’s house. It keeps snowing on and off. Everything is set up so Jake and Lucy are comfortable, my dad will keep us all well-fed, and having a mom around to help is always a relief.

I play Santa and hand out all of the silly little things I have found for Demanda, Jaster and the boys. The Backyardigans guitar is a hit. (Descartes and I get it right most of the time… we sent his sister’s girls a karaoke machine with High School Musical tracks… oh yeah!)

Lucy loves playing with her cousins and Jake is being very careful not to step on any babies.
Once again.. I am the luckiest person in the whole world.

Christmas 2007 Part Three


We stopped at home long enough to repack our bags, make a mess and pick up the dogs. We arrived in Tahoe at 10:30 this morning. Descartes got to work in the car on his new cell phone the Samsung SCH-i760 yeah I got one too… so so sosososososoooooooooooooo cool!

My other parents are here Walter and Momster. The house is crowded but it is beautiful and cozy at my sister’s house. It keeps snowing on and off. Everything is set up so Jake and Lucy are comfortable, my dad will keep us all well-fed, and having a mom around to help is always a relief.

I play Santa and hand out all of the silly little things I have found for Demanda, Jaster and the boys. The Backyardigans guitar is a hit. (Descartes and I get it right most of the time… we sent his sister’s girls a karaoke machine with High School Musical tracks… oh yeah!)

Lucy loves playing with her cousins and Jake is being very careful not to step on any babies.
Once again.. I am the luckiest person in the whole world.

Christmas 2007 Part Two


What a beautiful morning. The sun is shining the palm trees are actually swaying in front of my hotel room balcony. We are the luckiest people in the entire world.

My daughter likes to eat jelly straight out of the jar…and run around nekkid.

My son could live all day in the shower here. It is 5 feet by 7 feet with a soft-toned but well placed light imbuing the entire shower enclosure in a warm, cozy hue.

************************************
There is nothing open on Christmas day. Not in Newport Beach. We know this. We knew this, and yet somehow we still decided to “go grab lunch” instead of ordering room service again. I’m not sure why I was so price-resistant. I couldn’t bear to spend 60 more dollars.. which is kind of silly because a) my parents are treating us and b) that’s just about what lunch for four costs no matter where you go around here.

We found a Chinese restaurant open on Balboa Island RiceLand. Lucy slept while Jake and Descartes and I ate Chinese food in the car. The we drove to the park near my mom’s house to let Jake run around before he would be required not to.

When we got to the park, Lucy was still sleeping so Descartes slept in the car too while Jake and I went over to the play area and scared all of the other parents there. I swear they were afraid their kids would “catch” whatever Jake had. I don’t think we get as many stares in Deadwood City. Maybe I am used to my neighbors, or more confident, or Jake is more comfortable in his own zone so he looks more “normal”, but these people were a little afraid I think of the gigantic 7 year old who was on the kiddie play structure in a little ball with his head twisted upside down (so he could look ‘directly’ at everything) making crazy cookoo noises. Don’t forget that every once in a while he would hop up, make a big noise and run, hands at half staff flapping just a bit, and the sand from the top of his head flying everywhere. Got to overhear a great conversation about how none of them could live without their nannies and television to occupy their children. I am so looking forward to finding new help for Jake in the new year.

***************************
My mom and dad’s house looked beautiful, as it always does. It would be a beautiful house without anything in it, but they have exquisite taste and they both love Christmas so there are little Christmasy things everywhere and a gorgeous tree and bless them, a tent outside where the china and glassware gets set up and the door closed so the kids can still play in the family room.
Descartes and I had already discussed asking my parents if Jake could open his presents before everyone else got there, and they were happy to accommodate. It was great. Lovely new flannel sheets, and a million other things, and the best present… from my step sister Sarsaparilla and James… three wind-up tops that you place on the ground, smack with your hand then they spin and light up with great colors. We all thought they were cool, and of course Jake loved them. She is always so thoughtful. You can tell she really searched for something age appropriate that he would enjoy. It is such a great feeling when people embrace your kids.

Dinner was fantastic, Gerard made smoked tri-tip, we had a ham and scalloped potatoes and and sundry yums, and, of course, my favorite beverage–champagne. Jake went to sleep in the back bedroom, Lucy was precious and did NOT have the first melt-down of the evening… an all-around success for our little family.

**************************
Late tonight I got to thinking about Bubsy putting out carrots for reindeer and milk and cookies for Santa last night. It was so precious and so painful to watch. Of course we have never had a kid who asked to do those things, and we never offered… we never offered. Wow. That alone was enough to bring me to tears tonight, but let’s add the fact that we have never spent a Christmas in our own house. Every Christmas of Jake’s life we have been in Southern California. I am a firm believer that it should never matter where you are, but who you are with on any given day. My home is where Descartes and my kids are…but we never had a kid say “How will Santa find me?” or “Can’t we sleep at our house for Christmas?”I think we may be at our own home next year. We can go to SoCal the weekend before Christmas and have that time with my family… or who knows, by this time next year I will have forgotten my tears on the balcony and just have memories of this beautiful view.

Christmas 2007 Part Two


What a beautiful morning. The sun is shining the palm trees are actually swaying in front of my hotel room balcony. We are the luckiest people in the entire world.

My daughter likes to eat jelly straight out of the jar…and run around nekkid.

My son could live all day in the shower here. It is 5 feet by 7 feet with a soft-toned but well placed light imbuing the entire shower enclosure in a warm, cozy hue.

************************************
There is nothing open on Christmas day. Not in Newport Beach. We know this. We knew this, and yet somehow we still decided to “go grab lunch” instead of ordering room service again. I’m not sure why I was so price-resistant. I couldn’t bear to spend 60 more dollars.. which is kind of silly because a) my parents are treating us and b) that’s just about what lunch for four costs no matter where you go around here.

We found a Chinese restaurant open on Balboa Island RiceLand. Lucy slept while Jake and Descartes and I ate Chinese food in the car. The we drove to the park near my mom’s house to let Jake run around before he would be required not to.

When we got to the park, Lucy was still sleeping so Descartes slept in the car too while Jake and I went over to the play area and scared all of the other parents there. I swear they were afraid their kids would “catch” whatever Jake had. I don’t think we get as many stares in Deadwood City. Maybe I am used to my neighbors, or more confident, or Jake is more comfortable in his own zone so he looks more “normal”, but these people were a little afraid I think of the gigantic 7 year old who was on the kiddie play structure in a little ball with his head twisted upside down (so he could look ‘directly’ at everything) making crazy cookoo noises. Don’t forget that every once in a while he would hop up, make a big noise and run, hands at half staff flapping just a bit, and the sand from the top of his head flying everywhere. Got to overhear a great conversation about how none of them could live without their nannies and television to occupy their children. I am so looking forward to finding new help for Jake in the new year.

***************************
My mom and dad’s house looked beautiful, as it always does. It would be a beautiful house without anything in it, but they have exquisite taste and they both love Christmas so there are little Christmasy things everywhere and a gorgeous tree and bless them, a tent outside where the china and glassware gets set up and the door closed so the kids can still play in the family room.
Descartes and I had already discussed asking my parents if Jake could open his presents before everyone else got there, and they were happy to accommodate. It was great. Lovely new flannel sheets, and a million other things, and the best present… from my step sister Sarsaparilla and James… three wind-up tops that you place on the ground, smack with your hand then they spin and light up with great colors. We all thought they were cool, and of course Jake loved them. She is always so thoughtful. You can tell she really searched for something age appropriate that he would enjoy. It is such a great feeling when people embrace your kids.

Dinner was fantastic, Gerard made smoked tri-tip, we had a ham and scalloped potatoes and and sundry yums, and, of course, my favorite beverage–champagne. Jake went to sleep in the back bedroom, Lucy was precious and did NOT have the first melt-down of the evening… an all-around success for our little family.

**************************
Late tonight I got to thinking about Bubsy putting out carrots for reindeer and milk and cookies for Santa last night. It was so precious and so painful to watch. Of course we have never had a kid who asked to do those things, and we never offered… we never offered. Wow. That alone was enough to bring me to tears tonight, but let’s add the fact that we have never spent a Christmas in our own house. Every Christmas of Jake’s life we have been in Southern California. I am a firm believer that it should never matter where you are, but who you are with on any given day. My home is where Descartes and my kids are…but we never had a kid say “How will Santa find me?” or “Can’t we sleep at our house for Christmas?”I think we may be at our own home next year. We can go to SoCal the weekend before Christmas and have that time with my family… or who knows, by this time next year I will have forgotten my tears on the balcony and just have memories of this beautiful view.

Christmas 2007 Part One Day Three

  • Christmas EveDinner at Gerard and Pinky’s house.
  • Pizzas on the grill YUM.
  • Lota and lots of prezzies for the kids.
  • Jake goes to bed before we get a chance to really open presents.
  • Descartes and I are sad because Jake can’t handle any more social time, but he is also not really asleep. So basically it feels like we have locked him in a room.
  • Lucy and Bubsy open their Christmas presents while wearing Disney Princess costumes. Bubsy is Sleeping Beauty, Lucy is Tinkerbell. At some point they convince an adult to open a box of 12 different princess shoes. Girls go clacking through the hallways on the Terrazzo floors.
  • My brother Gerard spends most of the evening in the garage working on a car.. a Barbie Pink Esclade for Bubsy.. one of those electric things.

Christmas 2007 Part One Day Three

  • Christmas EveDinner at Gerard and Pinky’s house.
  • Pizzas on the grill YUM.
  • Lota and lots of prezzies for the kids.
  • Jake goes to bed before we get a chance to really open presents.
  • Descartes and I are sad because Jake can’t handle any more social time, but he is also not really asleep. So basically it feels like we have locked him in a room.
  • Lucy and Bubsy open their Christmas presents while wearing Disney Princess costumes. Bubsy is Sleeping Beauty, Lucy is Tinkerbell. At some point they convince an adult to open a box of 12 different princess shoes. Girls go clacking through the hallways on the Terrazzo floors.
  • My brother Gerard spends most of the evening in the garage working on a car.. a Barbie Pink Esclade for Bubsy.. one of those electric things.

Update


seriously we are staying at the Balboa Bay Club…there is a party in the suite above ours right now…and can I just say… I am pretty sure they think it is 1990 and they are partying “like it’s 1999.” They are spitting chew tobacco over the rail where it lands on the deck which extends beyond my rail…and I just heard conversation between two guys about who could swim across the channel faster…and could they make it into the swimming pool if they jumped…I hope they don’t try ’cause they SO won’t make it…

image from www.welcometosocal.com

Update


seriously we are staying at the Balboa Bay Club…there is a party in the suite above ours right now…and can I just say… I am pretty sure they think it is 1990 and they are partying “like it’s 1999.” They are spitting chew tobacco over the rail where it lands on the deck which extends beyond my rail…and I just heard conversation between two guys about who could swim across the channel faster…and could they make it into the swimming pool if they jumped…I hope they don’t try ’cause they SO won’t make it…

image from www.welcometosocal.com