Everybody Tour 2009

This weekend Dave's sister Kim and her husband Lee came to town. In honor, we did lots of great things, the Padres game, Pipes Cafe, the San Diego Air Show, a midnight stop to Extraordinary Desserts and best yet, on Saturday night we went to see Ingrid Michaelson at the San Diego House of Blues. So good. So fresh. So fun. You must go and see for yourself. I'm a big fan but the rest of our group didn't really know her stuff and they loved it too--so you don't have to be a groupie to like the concert. Look here for the concert tour info, because if she is coming to a venue near you, you must check her out. Doesn't Dave look intense hot when he flexes?

Haunting

I have been haunted by some of the families I have worked with in foster care. Many of their stories of tragedy, and sometimes triumph, stick with me. But then there are those days when I think nothing moves me anymore and I just feel hardened to it all. Yesterday, while auditing records I was having one of those moments where I just felt numb to it all then I read a case about a family of four who were taken from their mother a year ago. One of the little boys story struck a chord with me and even though he is five, living in the South Bronx, and has endured things that a child should never experience, he reminded me of my Kennedy. Maybe it was the description of his placid demeanor or his quiet endurance, or maybe my girl was just on my mind but I couldn't get her eyes out of my mind, her soft cheeks, her scrunched up smile. I couldn't help but feel grateful that I get to raise her and that she gets to be raised by me--someone who "gets it" and realizes what an honor, joy, revelation and responsibility it is to be her mother. She woke up from her nap in the midst of my gratitude and I just held her singing this song.


Wise men say only fools rush in

but I can't help falling in love with you...

Take my hand, take my whole life too

because I can't help falling in love with you.

The Best of the Best Switzerland Part 2

On day 2 of our trip, the boys were getting restless for some high adventure, of the leave your poor wives wondering weather they might just watch their husbands leap to their death variety. To ease their adventure lust, they signed up for the Canyon Jump in Interlaken, Switzerland. Basically, they jumped off of a cliff into gorge, but that doesn't exactly describe this nail-biter properly. The jumpers freefall for 300 feet until the rope catches them nanoseconds before they crash into a roaring river and then swings them like a high speed pendulum back and forth over the floor of the canyon. I cannot tell you how horrifying it was watching this, or how wonderful it was when Dave climbed out of the canyon in one piece. I hate to say it, but I even thought to myself "If someone has to die, don't let it be Dave." Dave describes it as one of the most "thrilling" moments of his life, at least as soon as the rope started gaining some tension. The guys loved it so much that they signed up to do the "Spidey Jump" a second time.






DAVE'S JUMP--THE CHICKEN DANCE as we laughingly labeled it in view after view.


MARK'S JUMP--THE GINGERBREAD BOY. The name will become evident when you see the jump.


BARRETT'S JUMP--SPIDERMAN REVEALED, THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MASK. Must listen too at high volume to get Dave's full commentary and Bay's "a haute voix" reaction (yes, I am using snobby French phrasing, but hey I was on vacay in Switzerland!).

The Best of the Best Switzerland Part 1

Guess Where I Was Last Week?

We returned from our ten day trip to Europe this past week. Amazing is too small of a word to capture how great this trip was. There were three couples, Mark and Shari, Barrett and Danielle and me and Dave in a sweet nine passenger van with little to no agenda and wonderful, unencumbered (read: no children) time on our hands. Needless to say the kiddies were missed, but knowing they were in safe keeping in Grandma's capable hands helped. I only had one solid cry for my girls, when I found myself pumping milk for Kennedy in the van by myself. It was strange, but really sweet at the same time to have a very physical reminder of her several times a day.

We started by spending three days in the Swiss Alps, then bagged our trip to the South of France when temps started to soar and headed to the Bavarian Alps in Austria and Germany for three days. With several countries in driving distance, we decided to head back to Switzerland (yes, that is how much we loved it) for the last three days. We just couldn't get those snow capped mountains, lush green forests and incredibly blue glacial lakes out of our mind. We hiked, biked, zip-lined, explored, played tetris, shopped and ate in the most picturesque environs. And did I mention the laughing. The company was fantastic and I think we would have had a great time together even if we were just stuck in the van driving around for a few days, with the sliding door open of course so we wouldn't miss the scenery.

Pictures to come shortly, I hope. I am now sorting through the 1700+ pictures we all took. Ugh, the downside to digital cameras. I deleted 500 last night, and have a lot more work to do to take this vacay archive down to a reasonable size. Don't worry, no one will be invited over to endure a slide show, but I will let you get a peek of some overpopulated collages.

Creating Butterfly Days

The girls and I were mesmerized
by this.

Vacay Surrogacy

The other night I had a dream that my mom was a surrogate parent for me and almost full term. A few weeks before her due date, she calls me on the phone and tells me that she is in labor and the baby is going to be born within the hour. I rack my brain thinking how I can get there in time so I don't miss the birth of my own child and then sink as I realize there is no possible way I can be there on time--not by plane, train or automobile.

Do you think I am feeling anxious about missing out on my girls lives while my mom is watching them when I am in Switzerland and France in two weeks?