I blame Spiderman...

. . What does a kid do when he his DYING to go day camp (an hour early) and his mom won't get off the stupid computer to play Legos with him? . . . He climbs the walls. Naturally.

I gave birth to a deadly weapon...

Jack passed his Taekwondo belt test last night.

Yes, that is him breaking a piece of WOOD. Which is a skill that will come in handy for wood working projects around the house. Or for breaking down doors I suppose. And of course for breaking a bad guys RIBS if needed. I feel safer having him around.

And proud.

Photo Phinish ...on Phridays...visit Candid Carrie for more Phun!

How to be an efficient blog reader...

Recently I was ask by a friend how I can possible have time to read all the different blogs that I follow on a daily basis. I was a little surprise she had not heard of using a 'reader' to follow blogs. And about the same time Krissy did a post about the exact same thing. AND she found what has to be the lowest tech video to explain how it works. And it also explains (very very clearly) how to set it up for yourself. It makes the old way of checking your favorite blogs look as absolute as your raspberry beret you HAD to buy during your Prince phase in 1984 that you may or may not still have in your closet. So run over to her place and scroll down for the video...it is perfect. Oh and take a look at Krissy's place too....I think you will be adding it to your reader as well!

Ask Marcy! .....go on ASK ME!

At the encouragement of my friend Jenny, I changed my blog over at the OC Register to an advice column. Arrogant? Heck yes...but I do love to gives me some advice ya know. I seem to always be telling people what to do, or offering tips and tricks form everything from travel with kids to tiling a back splash..... So go on over and check it out. Today's Ask Marcy! has to do with creative waiting time in the doctors office...oh, that and how much my purse weighs. Go see...and leave me a question in the comments to answer!

For the love of FABFs and Bloggers

I recently had a conversation with my mom about my blogging ‘friends’. I tried to explain to her that on some very real level I think people who read my blog will know me as well and in some cases better than those I know in real life. It may surprise you, but when I am hanging out with flesh and blood friends I rarely go on and on in paragraph form about my thoughts on surf camp. I might say-“oh yeah the boys did surf camp last week and they loved it.” But not much more. And I rarely show vintage ads to my flesh and blood friends (FABF’s) and make up funny scripts for them. So really, the people who read my blog get to know me in a totally different method. Of course my bloggy friends don’t get to have the joy of have me coming over to their house and have my kids litter it with Legos nor do they have to hear me complain about my daily mundane tasks as a mom. Nope I save all that stuff for my FABF’s….poor them come to think of it. And my FABF’s see me UNEDITED. And let’s say that I could use a little editing in real life. I have been know to say things I regret. Daily. I think what I am learning (as I type this) that while both the blogger friends and the FABFs get to know me- they are each getting to know me in different ways. Taking different paths to an eventual conclusion that I am positively insane perhaps. Either way my bloggy friends and FABF’s are equally important to me. And my heart sings when the two become one. Some of my FABF’s read my blog, although many don’t (I can tell because when I see them they have no idea about My kids writing on the doors, or Ed traveling or what embarasses me) and I attribute this to the fact that they get enough of me in real life- and well I might be best taken in smaller doses. So when I get to meet a blogger friend in real life- who BECOMES a FABF…well that is heaven to me. I like my friends- all of you. I hope I can keep you around for a long, long time. And I will do my best and promise to make my kids pick up the Legos next time we are over.

The longest post over fries ever written....

Carl's Jr. is a fast food chain we have here on the west coast- and well, it is my favorite of them all. I know, I know White Castle is great, In-and-Out Burger is legendary and Sonic is memorable....but Carl's Jr and I go way back- let me explain......

My elementary school had a Carl's Jr in the way farthest corner of the school yard facing the side street. You could smell the charbroiled goodness while playing handball too. And you could practically be on school property except for the last 10 steps inside- and WE DID. Unbelievable to me now, but on Thursdays we had "long-lunch" (extra 15 minutes for an unexplained reason- I suppose it was so the teachers could get in one more snack/smoke/martini/ before going back to kids).....and on the long-lunch days we were allowed to go to Carl's Jr by our. self. I went every Thursday. Religiously. "Happy Star, fries and a coke please" ...and it cost $2.15 for all that. One day my 4th grade teacher announced we were going on a 'walking field trip' to the beloved mecca of burgers. We trotted right over to Carl's Jr. and were given hair nets and a tour of the kitchen and equipment. And I remember with bizarre clarity the insanely large bag of frozen fries which were then scorched in gallons of hot oil. It was exciting. It was deep fried. It was the beginning of my love affair.

Well, today folks-I went to Carl's and found that they have changed their fries completely. They are 'Natural Cut' in a poor attempt to mimic In-and-Out Burgers cut-in-front-of-your-face freshness. But these don't taste fresh..they taste mushy and greasy and not at all like the old fries. The good fries. MY FRIES. So if you are listening Carl's Jr.....I want my fries back. Either that or $2.15 for my anguish. You pick.

Post-it-note: My omni-friends Shan and Dan first alerted me to this tragedy and share my love of the old fries. As do my kids. And my husband. And everyone else I talked to before writing this post. Looks like Carl Karcher (founder) has been dead less than a year and they are messing with perfection already. And without doing market research either.

Life Instructions

Did you ever realize it is just this simple?

I think I am going to print this out poster size and hang over my kids beds...basically these are the four things I am trying to teach them as a mom. Seriously, every single story, lesson, activity, moral, ethic comes down to one of these 4 things.

I think they should hand this out to new moms at the hospital soon after giving birth as well. "Here is your brand new baby, and don't forget the instructions.

Good luck with that-and remember no exchanges!"

image stolen from here and while you are there-

read a little it is an excellent blog on advertising and such...

The Rule breaker

Sandra refused to use the sofa or chairs when she dined. She loved to sit on the floor-no matter where she was. It allowed her tablecloth skirt to be spread out before her in a jaunty fashion. Her husband, John always tried to convince her to get off the floor at dinner parties- but Sandra just smiled and fed him bites of food off her plate. She was oblivious to his pain. They were not invited back again. But Sandra didn't care- she thought she looked great eating this way, and that was all that mattered to her...she was a rebel. She was a rule breaker. Eventually John and Sandra divorced. She remarried to a man who was wheelchair bound. They could see eye to eye on everything.

"He travels a lot"

When recently asked what was the success of my 10 year marriage (that is like 40 years in Southern California years) I replied “Well, he travels a lot”. I first heard my mom use this same line when I was a kid. Only now do I understand the comedy of it.

And tonight my husband leaves for 2 weeks on business trip overseas. He travels overseas about every 6 -8 weeks, and is gone for at least 2 weeks at a time. He has always travelled for business. Actually a week after we met (and decided to marry) he left for Egypt. So this is nothing new. Last night over dinner my girlfriend asked ‘so where is he going?” and I laughed and smiled and said- “I have no idea”. “So when does he leave? Is it LAX?” And again I said “I have no idea-sometime Sunday night’. Bad wife you think? Perhaps. But I think I am just so used to him travelling - it is no longer a big deal anymore. (By the way I found out he is going to Hong Kong, Ningbo China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and some other place I still can’t remember) So yes, it is true we spend a lot of time apart because of his work travel (and even sometimes mine). In addition to that, I am not one to stay home and work around his vacation schedule. This summer alone I went to Chicago twice and Catalina Island on my own with the boys. I know he would have loved to have gone with us- but he has a hectic work schedule and was not able. Close friends of ours have the polar opposite marriage…they do everything together. They wake up on Saturday and run all the family errands together. When they are home from work they are always, always together. Sometimes I envy their ‘togetherness’ and sometimes I think they are a little insane. I mean I actually look forward to going to Costco ALONE. Sad but true. But they are a very happy couple..so it works for them. On weekends Ed and I use the ‘divide and conquer’ method. He will run to the store in the morning before we wake up, and later I will hit the Dry Cleaner or car wash while he watches the kids at home. And when we are home I am either running around cleaning, or wasting life on the computer and he is watching golf or on his laptop in the other room.

But we are still a very close couple. We are.

Strange to say- but we are. We talk several times during the day when he is at work, and since I was once in his industry we discuss his work issues and office politics for just entertainment. And of course there is e-mail. We are nearly famous for the amount of emails we send to each other. Sometimes from different rooms in the house! (Usually forwarding something- so don’t worry I don’t e-mail him ‘what do you want for dinner?’ from the other room- well, not USUALLY). I love being married and think I have a successful marriage. I do yearn for a 2nd honeymoon with JUST him for several days at a time. But I am sure that will come someday. So is my marriage perfect? No way- but it is perfect for US. I wonder how the dynamics of our marriage differ from others…from yours?

AdTalk: Carol joins the team

Oh the difficulties of creating an ad campaign for such a 'delicate' subject. Even current ads on TV make me cringe a little....especially when my boys are watching too. But this one? This takes the cake....Lets here what our now famous Ad execs Bob and Mike were thinking when they came up with this one.

Bob: Another Tampax ad? These things creep me out.

Mike: Me too- but we got to do it

Bob: Isn't there a girl we could put on it?

Mike: Sure how about Carol from down the hall- she makes a mean cup of coffee.

(Carol is summoned with one of those giant box intercom things on Bob's desk)

Carol: Yes sir?

Bob: Hey Carol I know you have only been interning here after high school for a few months- but um, we have this campaign and we thought you could give it a try. Its for Tampax...any ideas?

Carol: Um, I see white...lots of white and insanely short skirts....perhaps a clown outfit.

Bob: Oh because nothing is more embarrassing that wearing a clown costume....or your period right?

Carol: Except talking about a Tampax ad with your bosses...THAT is more embarassing.

Mike: Thanks Carol- we will get the boys from photo to get right on it... Now can you get me a cup of coffee little darlin?