Check it out...

My sister in law is super crafty...check out her blog at http://joyeverafter.squarespace.com/.  Today...I'm trying to win the curry sauce :)  Not sure if this will only be noticed by my two followers ;) but hopefully will be seen by others too.  My favorite items in her Etsy shop are the Vintage Plate Clocks: http://www.etsy.com/shop/joyeverafter?page=1.

White Moon

http://www.whitestripes.com/

Watched this rock-u-mentary on Showtime...pretty good...loved seeing the different places in Canada they visited and seeing Jack hug Meg when she cried.

My fave of theirs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RB2BvvByUo) has a contender (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiZ68ifob0g).

My List of 8's

8ish favorite songs

1. Crimson and Clover-Tommy James and the Shondells...some things don't change, have loved this song since junior high
2. Happiness is a Warm Gun-Beatles..."when I feel my finger on your trigger..."
3. Be Here Now-Mason Jennings...here, now is the place, be present
4. Woman in You-Ben Harper...feels like I'm there singing along
5. Title Song-Black Crowes...guitar-awesome
6. Slim Slow Slider, Madame George,I'll Be Your Lover Too, Caravan, Into the Mystic-Van Morrison..impossible to choose just one, he is the namesake for a reason, a very good reason
7. Hazel, Buckets of Rain, If Not for You (really, can you pick just one)-Bob Dylan...king of folk tells how it is to love someone
8. Wordless Chorus-My Morning Jacket..."we are the innovators, they are the entertainers..." yes it's true, different music for music's-sake. my favorite part is towards the middle of the song...sing along...wooo, woooaoooo, wooo, who, wa, ah, ey hey hey

8 things I am looking forward to

1. Finishing the paper I should be writing as I do this instead
2. Celebrating a wedding with our families
3. Van going on the potty...consistently
4. Cheddar-Brats and New Belgium's Mothership Wit for dinner
5. Getting Van on skis
6. Unpredictable weather
7. Shows at Red Rocks
8. Smiles from my guys

8 things I did yesterday

1. Adjusted the spider web on our porch again (moved one strand from the bike trailer to the vines)
2. Played with my puppy/son in the pool
3. Walked to the park and ate raspberries in the community garden
4. Helped Van climb every piece of play equipment available
5. Spoke Spanish with some neighbors...scary, I don't know why
6. Saw a car jump like they do in music videos
7. Listened to Van read "Panda Bear, Panda Bear" in his own way
8. Watched the wind blow through the leaves

8 things I do well

1. Jukebox DJ-ing
2. Be a wife
3. Be a mommy
4. Be a sister
5. Be a daughter
6. Teach
7. Taste wine
8. Eat Indian food

8 favorite moments

1. Dancing with Brett (yes it happens) to Dire Straits at The Buckhorn (yes, it's a romantic place hehe)
2. Seeing our little turbo love bug for the first time
3. Seeing Brett be an awesome daddy
4. Finally making it to Ca-forn
5. Hearing Van read to uncle Trev on the phone
6. Our snowy wedding
7. Being thanked by kids' parents at school in different ways
8. Being a family on the beach

8 things I hope for

1. My family to be healthy
2. My family to be happy
3. My family to feel loved
4. Family adventures...the helmet-wearing type
5. Finishing grad school
6. Van to ski, not snowboard :)
7. A sewing machine and instant craftiness
8. Curbside recycling in Laramie

Potty Bribery

To celebrate peeing on the potty, I have been giving Van a licorice. Seems to motivate him sometimes.  It worked this morning because he peed in the potty and then yelled, "Mommy, my peein, get me mine liquor!"

Rockoon

We found a black rock encircled with brown stripes...Van named it Rockoon...brilliant!

It's in the numbers...or is it?

So our apartment manager does numerology.  He offered to share with me some valuable insights about Van according to his name and birthday.  While we were sitting in the office listening about our son's future and how I can best nurture his nature ;) Van was all over the place in typical Van-fashion...the chairs were pushed into new spaces the door stops were shoved into the mailbox, the flowers were smelled, poked, smelled, and poked some more...

I learned (can't really say learned because we all know this anyways) that Van is very into experiencing everything with his senses...for his future this could mean that he could struggle to maintain control over his need for stimulation (drugs, alcohol, adrenaline...).  It was predicted that helping him meet this need in safe ways will be a challenge for us. It seems that this is something that all parents struggle with somewhere along the way. I was told that Van is also a free-spirited, action-taker...a guy who likes to get things done in his own way.  Also, he is impulsive and will need help in developing "diplomacy" within his relationships. 

Van will someday be an action-oriented, hard worker...maybe an engineer, maybe a philanthropist...he had no clear answers here.  I asked what to name a second child that could balance Van's impulsive nature and was told that that is nearly impossible to do.  The question now is: Did he really link all of these things to his name and birthday or did he just observe all this in the short moments we have met this summer?  Either way, I liked hearing that my terror could someday become a philanthropist!

According to my name I am a thinker, a quiet-type, a reader, someone who wonders about the mysteries of the world...well that sounds about right...thanks mom and dad for naming me ;)  Brett is a romantic adventurer...yes that sums up why I love him so much.

Just for a laugh...

Overheard by Brett in Safeway (Menlo Park): Little girl being naughty and her mom says, like all moms do, "Do you want to go home?!?!?" Little girl responds, not like many little girls do, "NO, I WANT TO GO TO STARBUCKS!" picture stomping feet and fists wailing in the air :) More proof that we really are in California.

I am becoming quite talented at making pancake animals: elephant, fish, mouse, giraffe, ant...Van names it and I give it a try.

We will experience the giant redwoods this weekend...I think Humboldt State Park...and will post pics to share.