And the Oscar Goes To...

Tonight was the 81st Annual Academy Awards

Here are the winners and my thoughts...like you are interested!

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz "Vicky Christina Barcelona" I don't know what this movie is about and I don't really care for Penelope Cruz, but Bonnie Hunt said it was terrific! And I really liked her dress and necklace.

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger "The Dark Knight" I haven't seen this, but based on my girls' reaction when they saw it in the theater last summer, I knew Heath would win this award. Maybe deserved, maybe sentimental.

Best Actress: Kate Winslet "The Reader" I didn't see this movie but I read the book. Good book, controversial subject matter and I am always wanting Meryl Streep to win so I was sad about that.

Best Actor: Sean Penn "Milk" OK, I knew that he should win for this. I didn't see it (the guys kissing kind of turns me off, sorry) but from the trailer I could see that Sean Penn was amazing as Harvey Milk. Here's my problem: Celebrities who win awards and then turn a grateful thank you into a political agenda. Seriously?! He said he was grateful to live in a country where a film like this could be made and then proceeded to blast those who voted against Prop 8 saying "their shame would show in the faces of their children and grandchildren". May I remind Mr. Penn that in this great country that issue was VOTED on. Yes, we live in a democracy and the people spoke.

Let's remember the numbers: The campaign For Prop 8 raised $39.9 million and the campaign Against Prop 8 raised $ 43.3 million. Liberals want to blame the Mormons forgetting that other religions including Catholics and Protestants contributed funds. Not to mention that Mormons account for less than 2% of the California population and that 70% of African-Americans (generally Democrats who voted for Barack Obama) voted in support of Prop 8. I just hate celebrities who politicize and then don't even know the facts. They just want to inflame the situation and pretend that they are really humanitarians.

And the Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire which I also have not seen and sadly hadn't even heard of until my friend Shelly mentioned it. She said it was great!

I actually thought that Angelina Jolie was wearing costume jewelry...emeralds don't look like they used to.

I loved Meryl Streep's hair and dress.

I loved Anne Hathaway in the opening number with Hugh Jackman.

Nicole Kidman looked stunning as usual.

I loved the sets and the way they presented the acting nominations with 5 "living legends" all there to present together.

Don't get me going on the guy who won for the screenplay for Milk...I think I've ranted enough. But seriously did you HAVE to mention your "Mormon"home? UGH!!! Here they are demanding tolerance and being intolerant...Think about it.

Need a Miracle...

Well, we dodged that bullet for now.
The new sheriff has instituted new "rules", of course. She came from Sprint and she does things Sprint's way (remember how Doug worked for Sprint?). Now instead of having a yearly quota he has a monthly quota which she just now mentioned. So he has two weeks to get $110,000 in sales and $13,000 in services (he has $7,000 in services for this month, zero in sales).
We need a miracle. I don't think I have it in me to live in Doug's parents basement right now. But we will carry on and hope and pray for the best. I just hope that we recognize it.

3:00 p.m.

So Doug has a "performance review" with the NEW VP of sales today at 2:00 and he's worried that at 3:00 he won't have a job. I have to admit, I'm worried too. I wouldn't tell him that. I have to be the cheerleader about what a great salesman he is and that no matter what everything will be OK. I should know that everything is not always OK. I mean you might make it through, but most of the time it is excruciating and painful and even humiliating. Sometimes it changes you and not always in good ways. At least not at first. But I digress...

This woman is a micro-manager to the nth degree. They already had a get-to-know-you meeting last week in which she went over all of his opportunities and what he could have done better. Here's the problem...When you have been in sales for over 25 years you know HOW to sell, but seriously, the economy is in the tank and none of his customers want to spend any money. At least that is what they are saying. He really liked this job at first, now he really hates it. He wants to be a teacher. How do you parley 25 years of sales experience at the age of 51 into a teaching job unless you are independently wealthy and can afford to re-educate?
So what will 3:00 bring? I am used to this. Not as a Mom, that part is new, but as a kid we were always with and then without. We moved all over the country chasing that job that would make a difference in our lives and my Dad was in sales! You would think I'd have learned. But Doug was in retail. When I was 22 I spent all of my time at the mall~heck I worked there too. The mall was like Nirvana and a retail manager was like a God to me!! Then I found out that retail is actually hell when you are married and have kids. So we're out of that and into sales where you have to find the customer and most people don't want to be found by a salesman no matter what they are selling.

Mackenzie is so stressed about the possibility of moving that she has been having near daily migraines, I remember when I couldn't wait to grow up and make my own decisions. What was I thinking? This is not fun or freeing. I want my Mommy!!
No matter what happens at 3:00 I love my husband and I know that he really is doing his best. He's not just lazy and not willing to work. But he will see it as failing me and the kids and he will beat himself up and I will not know how to reassure him.
And even if he does still have his job the threat and possibility of not having it are now too real. How can he live under that stress? How do we change it? Any advice would be appreciated :-) And PRAY.

Happy Valentine's Day

So it's our last daughter's first dance! Vanessa did her hair and make-up and she looked wonderful...I hope she has fun!

She wasn't happy about the pictures :-) Especially the "dance card" one~ I'm sure it's the first of many dates for her. This will be my daughter who dates. Not sure how I feel about that. I have enjoyed not having the "boy" drama in our house!!

Anyway, it's a lot of pressure to have a Valentine's day dance.
I should know...24 years ago tonight Doug and I had our first date.
I actually went to a girl's choice dance with someone else. But it turned out he just wasn't that into me and so Doug suggested after I ditched the guy (AKA getting dropped off) he and I go out.
We ended up going to "breakfast" (it really was only 12:30 or 1:00 a.m.) at the Peppermill casino with a friend of Doug's and my brother Lee. We ate steak and eggs and played nickel slots and the rest is romantic history.

The Draw Thing

Otherwise known as a Magna-Doodle, Kian has always called it his "draw thing" and he is on his second one. He loves that thing!
This is where he draws golf greens, numbers, letters and recently a Jeopardy game. Here are some of the things he has been working on:

That's obviously me...see my lovely long and flowing hair?!

This one is Myra and Kian

And this is his drawing of our cat Zoe.

Thank you Santa!

So many of you know our Sad Santa Saga...Kian had been craving a Wii since last spring and he just knew that Santa could get one for him. This was the first year that he has thought up h is own idea for Santa. The first year he "gets" it.
So we were hoping that we would be able to help Santa out with this plan. Alas, it was not to be and because we had to wait until the last minute (i.e. paycheck) we were left with NO options.
So Santa in his infinite wisdom brought Kian a bike for Christmas along with this note:

Basically saying that his Wii fell out out the sleigh over the ocean along with some other gifts but that he would be back.
Kian has read this note a hundred times, in fact it is now memorized, in anticipation of Santa's return.

Low and Behold on Saturday it happened!
Kian found this note on the front door when he went downstairs Saturday morning:I wasn't downstairs yet...he must have sensed something because he didn't wait for me to get there, but Vanessa was still up from work. She said he saw the note immediately and came into the family room where everything was set up. She said the look on his face was such genuine surprise and amazement that it looked like he might cry!!

Then he said,
"I have GOT to tell Mom about this!"

That's just about when I got down the stairs and the rest is happy Wii history.

So our tax refund won't be used for that vacation we had hoped for, but we have helped perpetuate the magic of Santa in one small boy's heart!
Someday we'll get to that beach house in Michigan...

What I Can Do...

I often wonder what am I good at? What are my talents because I don't want to bury them I want them to be multiplied. I have very talented friends: cooks, seamstresses, bloggers, photographers, quilters, gardeners. And these women even have the patience and desire to teach their children their special talents.
I can sew, but I'm not passionate about it and there is no money for new projects anyway. I sometimes have only $25 to buy groceries for the week. Is that a talent? Not when you're only eating tacos, spaghetti or mac and cheese. And they're certainly not balanced meals so I don't think that counts as something to be proud of.
Everyone knows how I feel about cooking. I've realized it's not really the cooking it's the thinking about cooking and planning what to cook (refer to budget above) and you see why I am frustrated with the whole idea of eating in general.
Quilting is a beautiful art, but it scares me. The same is true of gardening. I love flowers, but I don't know the first thing about what goes with what and when to plant and how to feed and protect in the winter and it all seems so over-whelming!
So today as I was loading an entire double sink of dirty dishes--another issue I have is getting my kids to pitch in even after an FHE on the subject--I remembered something my dear friend Becky said " I am good at loading that dishwasher!"
Bingo!! Me too...I had that dishwasher fully loaded in a neat and organized way fitting everything in AND I had it done is less than 15 minutes! Yes, impressive.
I remember once Vanessa said to me " You loaded the dishwasher already?" I didn't realize it was such a gift, but today I have decided it is enough...