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July 30 Birthday Astrology – like whoa

Leos born on July 30 are creative in a spiritual as well as a tangible sense. Their almost otherworldly nature is fortified by a pleasant personality and a strong sense of self. They have a genuine charisma that draws others to them. Whether or not they are physically attractive, they possess a singular charm that sets them apart from everyone else.

Friends and Lovers

Although loners by preference and temperament, July 30 folks are intensely devoted to their friends. In love and romance, they seem to fall in love with people who are unlike them, and yet they manage to create a harmonious relationship.

Children and Family

July 30 natives may harbor some serious doubts about their upbringing and have a tendency to privately question the nature of their childhood. As parents, they seek to keep the lines of communication open at all times between themselves and their children.

Health

July 30 people have a love-hate relationship with exercise. They love the way it makes them look and feel, yet they can never quite muster any enjoyment from it. They may also find it difficult to make a place in their schedule for serious physical training, but when they do commit to a fitness regimen, they usually follow through.

Career and Finances

July 30 natives are expert researchers with talent for turning up facts. They make exceptional writers, counselors, and scientists. Despite the fact that they pay little attention to their financial status and usually allow a spouse to handle money matters, they have a good instinct for making money.

Dreams and Goals

These folks have a great need to work with creative, exciting concepts. Getting to the top of the professional ladder isn’t as important as being able to have creative control over the projects they select.

Well there you go.   Dick Blick gift cards and a Assorted Fruit Ladyfinger Cake or Tart please.

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April can bite my ever-expanding ass!

Well, I somehow manage to recover from the plague and get on with my life.  And thank the heavens we are almost through with the evil month of April! The month of far too many birthdays and way too much cake! It starts with Chris’s birthday on the 2nd and not only did I bake him a cake, I made chocolate fudge frosting from scratch! Per his request and because I love him. And yes, it was good.

We finally get that cake finished off, and here comes Erin’s birthday on Saturday the 13th! Which means the Friday before she got to celebrate with a party at school. I baked cupcakes, stuffed goody bags full of art supplies, and fun and merriment was had by all. On her birthday we took her to Toys-R-Us (she got a scooter, 4 horses in a stable, another Monster High doll, and some black velvet posters to color) and then out to dinner where she had a hot fudge sundae. And even though she had just had ice cream, and there were still cupcakes at home, apparently a birthday is just not right and proper without a cake! So we swung by the grocery store, bought her a cake, covered it in candles and all was right with the world. Except for all the left-over cake. And there were still cupcakes!

To make matters worse, since I was sick for so long  and behind on everything, I couldn’t get Erin’s party at the gymnastics place on the 13th and had to schedule it a week later on the 20th. Another week, another cake. Add several kids cancelling last minute and what do you get? More left-over cake! And then me screaming “FUCK YOU CAKE!!!” in a Michael’s parking lot two days later.

True story.

So yeah, Erin is now six. SIX! And she has several loose teeth. The top front tooth is especially wiggly and honestly it’s kinda freaking me out. Soon this sweet little baby face will be gone!

Soon it will be replaced by a big kid face with a space where there once was a tooth. And then an adult tooth that is way too big for her little face! And I’ll be forced to cry “Not my baby!” over *both* my kids!

I’m not even going to talk about taking Kyle to the DMV!

Next post: art and volleyball!

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NOT MY BABY!!

Remember these kids?

Christmas 2008

Hells bells. Kyle was just a baby! And look at how short Erin’s hair was. crazy.
And there is our old cat Bodhifattba!

And while putting together the slideshow for the Uber’s 50th anniversary party I found these pics from 2009. Apparently that was the year no one wore shirts!

Summer 2009

And now?
Today?
Today Kyle is 16. And he doesn’t want me taking his picture.

Maybe because I do things like this:

And this:

But he’s okay taking selfies in my bathroom mirror!

I see how it is.

I managed to get this pic last weekend. Kyle is the big one.

16!!

::thud::

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13: The Highs and Lows

Wow. I am really sucking at this whole blogging thing.  My baby boy turned 13!  on Feb. 1st without nary a mention. I mean really, I am a mother of a teenager now! That is some wicked bad lack of blog motivation. So, let’s catch up with young master Kyle shall we?

  1. Yes, Kyle is officially a smelly teenager. But he’s had that crap teenage attitude for ages now – he’s gifted ya know?
  2. For his birthday I set him up with a Facebook account. Now I can embarrass him in front of his friends from the comforts of my own chair.
  3. Kyle and I did light painting photos on the beach one night and then made solar prints in Santa Cruz last month. Very fun.
  4. Kyle starting having behavior problems again at school. Detentions have been bumped up to Referrals.
  5. Baby got his first suspension. So. not. cool.
  6. Behavior has now improved but his grades are in the toilet.
  7. Kyle made the 7th grade Boys Volleyball team.
  8. Of course he’s benched until he gets those grades up.
  9. I was invited to participate in the Bent Twig Art Show at Vox this month and chose Kyle as my “twig” (an established artist is joined by an upcoming/new artist).
  10. Kyle made 2 mixed media tiles for the show, while I showed 3 Holga diptychs.
  11. Kyle sold one of his tiles!!!  my baby had his first gallery sale at 13 – that rawks!
  12. Even at the ripe old age of 13, Kyle stills screams like a girl.
  13. I love the boy.
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Toes intact. Dreams shattered.

Hmm. I should probably explain that last post. But I’m busy trying to save this screwed up weekend by working on my website. I’ve almost got it done. I’m building the gallery pages now.  Once those are finished and properly linked up, I just need to write the About page. Joy. Almost as painful to do as an Artist Statement.

Almost as painful as the disappointment of this weekend. I should be on my way home from Santa Cruz right now. I should be basking in the glory of spending last Friday with Joe McNally and 699 other photographers! But no. None of that happened because Erin won’t sleep in a hotel room. Ugh. And the worst part is – you can’t be mad at a baby. Only sad, depressed, and punch-drunk tired.

So, to recap: birthday wasted packing for nothing, missed the Lighting Workshop that was my birthday present, no cake with the ubers, and the sad realization that there will be no vacations with Erin in the near future. Sorry folks who’ll be in Vegas next week,  we’re not coming. I can’t pull those all-nighters like I used to. Officially too old. Happy flippin’ birthday to me.

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The Magic 8-Ball is next

I have not read my horoscope in a paper (or online for that matter) in I don’t know how long. It’s just not something I bother checking out. But, since we’ve been grabbing local papers of late, I’ve run across these gems for the past two weeks.

Week of 6/25/09

Leo – What scares you or perturbs you in the coming week could, by August, become what fuels you. What makes you feel unsettled and out of sorts could turn out to be good medicine. But of course you’re under no obligation to submit yourself to this experimental sequence, Leo. The fact is, you could probably run away from the discomfort and get immediate relief. Unfortunately, taking that approach would deprive you of the benefits that will almost certainly come from enduring the discomfort for a while. My preference is that you be brave and farseeing.

Week of 7/01/09

Leo – Nietzsche’s dictum might be useful for you to keep in mind right now, Leo: “If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger.” Since I’m very sure that the turbulent waters through which you’re navigating will not kill you, I’m looking forward to all the ways this journey will upgrade your confidence and enhance your power. But there’s more to be gained, beyond what Nietzsche formulated. It’s also true that if it doesn’t kill you (which it won’t), it will make you wilder and kinder and smarter and more beautiful.

Oooh, how strangely fitting. I pretty sure they are referring to the parent/toddler swim classes Erin and I start tomorrow.

But this does remind me that I do have something to look forward to – my birthday is in 24 days! However, I’ll again be older than I’ve ever been, so maybe that’s not so great. Hmm, apparently I’m still not yet back to thinking in “glass half full” terms. I’m not being “half empty” though, more like “yeah, there’s some water in there…” which I’m going to choose to think of as embracing the Buddha’s Middle Way.

There. I feel better about that. Still not at peace with those swim lessons.