Sommer considers the male to female ratio

Sommer, in the car, on the way home from a family gathering:
"Three girls"
"One woman"
"Two boys"

"I'm not comfortable with this"

When I was younger I had more respect for my elders

A CONVERSATION WITH MY TEENAGE SON

Um, mom you think I can go out tonight?

Um, no. Since you stayed home sick from school I assume you're too sick to go out.
Ok, yeah. I'll just stay home and be a house boy. Like all the loser guys.
You mean the ones who don't have a job and ask their moms for money to take their girlfriends out on dates?
Yay, sarcasm.

Stuff That Goes Through My Head When My Brain Isn't Paying Attention

Does anyone know the sound a lizard makes? Just in case I want to sing Old McDonald Had A Farm with my kids one day and one of them chooses a lizard. It would be really embarrassing not to know. You know?

*****

Do you think conversations will go like this one day?

"Hey, great seeing you here! What's it been like 3 months?"
"Nah, must've been 6 months since the last time we got together, but that was on Hi-5 wasn't it?"
"Yeah, I don't get around much, didn't make it to MySpace, too crowded. Heard you hang out there a lot."
"Used to, but I've been blogging lately. Anyway, this Facebook is pretty cool, I've seen a few people I know already. Having fun? "
"Totally. Hey, have a drink on me I'm passing them out..."

*****
Bipolar Nerdism
What is it? How do you know if you or someone you love has it?
Is there hope?
LOL
*****
House is right. Without a laser pointer, who would take you seriously?

Saving Grace

Today is a very special day for me, and to celebrate we are taking the girls to the beach for a nice family gathering. Enjoy your family and friends. Remember to find beauty in everything. Smile and be silly. Laugh and be loved. Happy Sunday my internet friend!

(You can only access the link above by asking for permission to my other blog. Do this by sending me your email address. My email address is bherealways@gmail.com)

Oof!

What good is Friday if you can't wipe your hand across your forehead and throw the cares of the week away? Three day weekend here we come! You have one more night to de-lurk. I'm pretty sure you have better things to do with your Friday than sit by your computer lurking, but just in case, I'm-a-tagging you mommies and daddies out there and I'm starting with Deece, Mona and Dave. Take a picture of you and your kids (puppies and kitties are kids too) and post it on your blog. After that, tag three other people. It's time to put some oof back in goofy. Yeah I know oof is not a word or an onomotopea, but work with me here. Your kids say you're too serious anyway, trust me, they'll love it. Plus, it's great blackmail material for when they get older. Oof!

De-Lurk Fan!

This is my Goddaughter Mykee. She's here to tell you that's it is time to de-lurk. That's right CNMI, stop snooping. You know who you are, sitting behind that computer screen pretending to be writing your memo. If you're checking the blogs nai, the courteous thing to do is say hello.

*****

Senator Pangelinan said that PSS has to suffer budget cuts, along with the collective government and other essential agencies. This is not one of those "you go, girl" moments for me. Since when did we not suffer due to an already insufficient budget and consistently lower appropriations each year? Did I miss something?

“It doesn’t matter whether you are a critical service — you still have to be accountable for taxpayers’ money,” she said. “It’s not because in the name of education and health, you will continue to seek the same or more money. Everybody has to share the difficulties and challenges that we’re facing now.”

Okay, so here's my conundrum. Our budget as it is can only purchase three crucial items. Hmmm...shall we go without
1. Security?
2. Toilet paper?
3. Water?

The choices are so hard. What do we do? Oh, but wait. Let's clarify the issue a little more. She says:

“When your budget is comprised mainly of salaries…basically it just means that you have to let go of some of your people,”

I feel like a kid in a candy store, only the candy is expired and made of spit. Three years ago we made an 11% cut in personnel and two months after that heart-wrenching experience, our staff was cut to almost 23%. We lost a Kindergarten teacher and had to downsize the 6th, 5th and 4th grades. Lemme see, this time shall we go without a

1. 1st, 2nd or 3rd grade teacher? Oh, no that would mean crowded classrooms and fewer materials. Plus I think they need to learn how to read that young. Bad idea.

2. A counselor? Yes, our kids don't need emotional support. Let the bullies run the schools like they do elsewhere.

3. A nurse? We only have 800 students, what's the chance of anyone getting hurt and needing care?

4. A librarian? A custodian? A secretary? An administrator?

Gee, I'm almost giddy with the options.

2nd Annual Great CNMI De-Lurk

It's coming folks, the week all the lurkers come out of the banana trees! Join the Great CNMI De-Lurk. All you have to do is post this bannanerer on your blog on the week of January 15 - 19 and remind all your readers that lurking is not allowed! This is how we did it last year...

Get ready CNMI, it's time for bloggers to de-lurk! I see you there peeking into my posts from the shadows, reading my most personal thoughts, and thinking to yourself is this woman for real? Uh-yeah!

I let you in, sure. Now it's time for you to let me in. Tell me what you're thinking, go ahead pull out that keyboard and let it flow, I want to know. Who cares, you ask? Lot's of other bloggers, I say. This is for all of us who ever wondered if our post smelled like fafa. Wetz brat, your post is stinky, that's why no one comments!

Yes, for all the bloggers out there who need that comment-hug they never got. For all the posts that you thought never got read, that were so funny it had folks rolling on the floor. For our country, the STAR, the NMI Inc.

Do it for your country gatchong.

It's easy. Read, comment and you're done. Don't visit a blog without leaving a thought. Even non-bloggers can de-lurk. Non-bloggers are more lurksome, after all. The Paper Napkin did this last year and remember when Mona did the Mofo Delurk in October? I can't wait for October! Can you? That's like 2, 5, 6...plenty months from now!

So hey, you wanna play? It's easy. Copy and past the bannaner and de-lurk!

Auld Lang Syne

I didn't notice it until Wayne pointed it out. My trusty little alarm clock froze at midnight on New Year's Eve. I've been sort of chewing on that all day. It's a silly little coincidence right? Maybe not, if you knew what I was doing last year on New Year's Eve. Wayne and I met last year, on New Year's Eve for the first time, as acquaintances, unaware of what was in store for us. We both agreed that 2008 began badly and ended magnificently. I smile, decide not to second guess serendipity and consider buying new batteries. Happy New Year everyone!

The newest member of our family

A beautiful day at home

Peyton at play

A new member of our family enjoys his home

2008 MVPs

It's the year in review for this blog and it's second year in existence. Here are the MVP's or most valuable posts in my eyes. I thought it would be harder to reflect on this past year for many reasons you my fellow blogger and lurker may know, but surprisingly, it wasn't hard at all. I've been blessed beyond measure; I just had to find the right measuring cup to see it! Hope you enjoy my look back. You can click on the bold phrases to access the referenced posts or entire month.

January: The very first Great CNMI De-Lurk happened the week of the 14-18th. This year, we'll go for January 11-17.
February: Not a good month for me, I wrote just one post. I'd read Joan Didion's "Year of Magical Thinking" which was a great book full of harsh truth and raw grief. I didn't know how much it would mean to me in the coming months. Death comes in many forms. Grief engulfs the spirit, and as the Bible say, hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12), but there's life if there's any faith and I was learning to hold on to that mustard seed.
March: The case of the shiny bong gave me a scare, but only for a moment.
April: Life starts to feel pretty normal again. Family surrounds me, a family I've missed for many years, reminding me and the kids that they've always been there, just waiting for us to ask.
May: I did nothing at all and it was wonderful! We spent the day at Marianas Resort and spent the evening with dad and Glenna. Thanks Wayne for such a relaxing Mother's Day.
June: Sommer turns 4, Ton goes to China with the Manta Band and Pacific Winds Orchestra to open the 2008 Olympics!
July: We lose much loved family members to death and war, my mom gets sick, Hope turns 13 and Thursday TWIS starts. Power outages ravage the island, and I learn to be sit back and count my blessings each day, each moment.
August: More outages, Twilight mania begins, Ton turns 16 and Boni goes on a crazy lemon cleanse.
September: More power outages, I contemplate basic needs, I reconcile with my brother after over a decade and Wayne proposes!
October: Peyton turns 8, Julian passes suddenly, Blockbuster closes shop, Wayne goes bungee jumping, my brother gets suspended from school, HJ turns 40, Oreo goes missing in Garapan, I contemplate poverty and set my freckles free!
November: We mourn the loss of a fellow blogger (Glen), I finally get and lose my homestead, we make bonfire S'mores, Savannah, Wade, Donny and dad celebrate their birthdays, and I get irked.
December: Christmas lasts for four days this year! We learn the value of old family traditions and the beauty of new ones. The best gifts under the tree are my family and friends who have shared their abundant love. I can't wait for 2009! Happy New Year!!!!!

This was hands down, my best Christmas ever!

This was an awesome Christmas that lasted for days. The new year is already looking fabulous! Not in any order, here are the pictures of our holiday season.

A nice dinner with friends at Aquarius Beach Towers

A family filled Christmas night at home

A quiet night of baking Santa's cookies with the kids

Christmas with the best staff ever, the GES Team at Hyatt

A surprise after party under the stars with my honey

Ringing the new year in at dad and Glenna's