Small Pond, Big Fish

So I forgot to tell everyone that we went to the Santa Cruz County Fair a few weeks ago. We love the fair. It's such a tradition for us now to go. We usually go with our friends Cindy, Mary and Lilly. We watch the Pig Races, visit the Petting Zoo, the kids ride the Carnival Rides, and Mary gets hypnotized by the Hypnotist Mezmer. The highlight, however (at least for Cindy and I) are the exhibits. A few years ago Cindy and I started entering stuff in the fair. We enter in baked goods, candy, poetry, and more recently collections and scrapbook pages. Cindy always blasts the competition with her candy and her brownies. I never place higher than 3rd with my cookies. And poetry is unfortunately a joke. Every year I have entered in 2 poems - one I worked hard on and one I literally do in half an hour about the fair theme. The fair theme poems are so cheesy, I think my Creative Writing would revoke my evaluations at U.C.S.C.! Nevertheless, I usually win something for the Fair Theme poem whereas the regular poem has gotten me zero. Not, that the prize money is that big of a deal anyway.

Last year, my sister Charlotte entered in a scrapbook page about our parents working in the fields of Watsonville. She won first place. Lucky for me she was too busy to enter. I entered in three categories this year - Individual Scrabook Page, Indiv. Stamped Scrapbook Page, and Scrapbook. I got First Place for two out of the three!!. My Scrapbook, a Small Zoo Scrapbook, garnered me a Special Award !. The thing is, when you place in any of these competitions you don't get a rosette - you just get a plain straight ribbon, even when you win first prize. The only time you get a nice lovely big rosette is if you are "Best of Division" or the most coveted "Best in Show." Or so we thought, until now. I guess they decided to start giving out these "Special Awards" too. Anyway, I am so proud of it. I didn't even feel that bad that once again Cindy smoked me in the one category she and I were both competing in - Ind. Scrapbook Page. She got 2nd and I got 3rd.

Anyway, the rosette I got helped me feel a little bit better when in the following week I was rejected by Memory Makers Magazine. They hold this contest every year for inclusion in a group called Memory Makers Masters. The 10 chosen ones basically work for the publication for an entire year, doing scrapbook layouts for the magazine and getting paid for them. There are also 10 Runner Ups and 20 Finalists. The critera is to send in 4 layouts of your best work and 1 with a specific theme. I thought mine were pretty good but, I didn't even make it to the Finalists list. I know there were probably a couple hundred who did apply but, I worked so hard on those layouts. Matt can attest to how much of a wreck I was when, on the eve of due day, I found out that the Kinkos here wasn't 24 hours anymore.

I don't know what it is. I really want to be published. I remember trying to get my poems out a long time ago. I gave up a few months after I started submitting. I don't know what it is about scrapbooking, I've been submitting for almost a year now and nothing. I have even less time now than when I did without the kids but, I still scrap every chance I get. I still think about what magazine each layout would be good for. I'm still trying. But, unlike the Fair, this is a huge body of water I'm trying to swim in. It's overwhelming sometimes. At least I have the consolation that even if I never get the "glory", at least the boys will benefit from these bits and pieces of our past someday. Have a good week everyone.

Guilty Pleasure

You'll probably lose some respect for me after I say this...but, I have been addicted to Big Brother all summer. I got totally voyeristically caught up with this group of people. I didn't go so far as buying the feeds but, I did (thanks to my friends Cindy and Mary) check the message boards daily on what was going on. Did you know that there are actually people out there who had the time to watch the live feeds 24/7 and then report what is going one almost verbatim ? Well, thanks to them I didn't have to pay the 20 or so bucks to get the live feed. I just read what they wrote and then watched the shows on t.v. every week.

It was like reading a really trashy novel. I just couldn't stop. There was every aspect of a great story. There was a short Mussollini villian named Eric and his spengali brainwashing (and by the time you read this probably grand prizewinning) partner Maggie. They formed a group called "The Friendship" who systematically evicted everyone they didn't like, one by one, out of the house. There was the tall, dark and handsome kingly Muslim-American Kaysar and the beautiful buxom blonde with brains Janelle who with their friends were dubbed The Soverign. They were normal people who went there to play a game. Unfortunately, they were no match against the evil force of "The Friendship". It was amazing. These people just seemed to forget that there were cameras on them 24 hours a day. They did and said things noone would say in public. I was flabbergasted and mesmerized.

Anyway, last night I just watch Janelle, the last of her group, get kicked out of the house -- along with any more enjoyment I will get from this show. Janelle was a message board nerds dream come true. She was tall, blonde, funny and very smart. She was also genuine. Believe me, I wanted to hate her but, I couldn't. Not with the other people there who were literally talking out of their rear orrifices, they would say one thing then turn around and say another, all with the pretense that they were so much better than Janelle. They said some nasty awful things behind her back. Janelle said some things too. But, anyone who watches the show can tell you that Janelle never tried to be anybody that she wasn't. She held herself accountable for everything she did and said. She was a really good game player. If this show had been judged on game, she should have won.

Unfortunately, that will not be the case come Tuesday at the finale. It's between Maggie and Ivette. Ivette is a psycho racist coffee barrista from Miami. She played the game with her mouth. Her brother is in prison and she kept saying on and on about how this game was for her family. If she had taken Janelle to the finale with her instead of her dark lord Maggie, she would have the 500 thousand in the bag. Unfortunetly, she has taken Maggie with her. Maggie, being the head Sith of their group, will easily walk away with the money. Maggie did very little in this game except play mind games with these people. She was a very very very very bad player. I will watch the finale on Tuesday. After that, that's it, I'm done with this show. I swear...

Anyway, on a different perspective I'm also quite smitten with a little show called Rock Star Inxs. I was never a huge fan of the band but, they had some good songs. This show knocks American Idol out of the water. (Not that that is a hard thing to do.) The songs that they have used for each performance are all amazing songs: Nirvana, the Beatles, Queen, The Who, and Rolling Stones just to name a few. And all the performers vying for the job of new lead singer have been amazing. It's down to the final 3 and they are each very talented in their own way, that I don't mind who is going to win. Though I do have a soft spot for my fellow Filipino Mig with the Austrailian accent. Anyway, after this, I probably won't be watching American Idol.

I know I know. All this is like eating an entire cake in one sitting. I can't help it. Reality TV. is my ultimate guilty pleasure. I enjoy it. Please don't hate me for it. You can lose some respect for me, though. That I totally understand. Have a good weekend.

Separation Anxiety.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. It's been very hectic, this new school year. It doesn't help that this coincides with Matt's busiest time either. His product, StuffIt just released another version. If you buy it, you'll find a small picture of Sam somewhere - I haven't seen it, but a picture of Sam at Dennis the Menace Park is on or in the box somewhere. I'll post it here when Matt gets back and gives me a copy.

Anyway, I'll cut to the title and let you all know that Sam has been having some real trouble lately. I read somewhere that the two hardest times in a persons development are the toddler and the teenage years. Apparently, they're both a lot alike, in that the person is at a point where they want to assert their independance but, have no real clue how to do it.

As most of you know, Thursday is the day I have to take both Sam and Henry to school because I have to be part of Henrys classroom. The first time we went, which was when I was most worried, couldn't have gone any smoother. Sam was perfect. Last week, I was pulled out of class about halfway through because he threw up. Turns out, he was catching a cold. I chalked his sadness up to the cold making him miserable. I found out yesterday that that wasn't true. I was called in again for throwing up. This time, he had thrown up, not once but 3 times . The daycare person, Renee, told me it looked like he was so upset that he was actually making himself throw up. I wish I could have acted surprised, but I wasn't. Sam has taken to this lately. He gets himself into such a tizzy that he actually makes himself throw up. I had him with me most of the class that day, which wasn't easy. I happened to be in charge of snack this week so, I was serving everything with one arm. Once he was with me, he was fine. I tried to put him back into daycare a couple timesbut, he wouldn't have it. He would cling onto me with dear life.

At the end of the day, the teacher, Odile, and I talked about it. There are several reasons this might have happened.

• He is still getting over a cold.
  
• His daddy isn't here. (His dad was the one who dropped him off the first time).
  
• There is a younger baby in daycare now (There's a 10 month old there too now, ironcially named Sam) who is requiring the attention.
  
• I'm leaving him in daycare in a hurry, which causes him to get scared and worry that I'm not coming back.
  
• The first time was a total complete fluke.
  

Odile basically said that I have to make a decision and a plan on what to do. I can either find someone else to take Sam or we can work on getting him used to daycare at the school. I'm going to see what I can do. I'm still rather frustrated about all this. Matt is going to be away again next week so, I will be on my own again. I will either see if my sister can drop Sam off (maybe it's just the act of me leaving him that is scaring him) or I will try and get to the school really early and hang out with Sam in daycare longer before leaving him. If I do the second scenario, I have to make sure he knows I'll be back and that I won't be far behind.

I know he won't be this small for long and there are moments when he says things and does things that are so cute. Sam is such an individual. I do adore him. Lord knows there will be a day when he'll be the one leaving me and I'll know exactly how he feels...

Beginning of the Fall

Today was the end of the first week of School for Henry. It was hectic, but as usual Henry took everything in stride. He starts school at 8:30 in the morning and it ends at 12. Thursdays are the most hectic for us all. As you know, I am required to be in Henry's class at least half a day a week. So, on Thursday I drop off Sam at the school daycare center next door and then I am in Henry's class the entire time.

This Thursday, thankfully Matt came with us on and helped me drop Sam off. This was Sam's first day in daycare! I half expected the daycare person to come running in but, it didn't happen. Infact, he seemed to have a great time. At one point I was helping the other kinders put their work in their cubbies and I Sammy was walking hand in hand with the daycare person, Renee, and another child. He looked at me and said, "Hi mommy" and continued walking.

It was interesting watchin Henry in his classroom. He is such an easygoing kid. I was worried that he was going to "act up" or expect things from me but, he was just fine. He did have snack with me, worked on centers with me, and sat next to me during circle. But, most of the time he stayed at his designated spot. He seems to really like school which is the most important thing.

The week after next, I am the designated snack person. This means I need to prepare snack for 20 kids! Just my luck, it is also the week Matt will be in L.A. for work. I will be frantic. But, the boys will take it in stride.

Last weekend we went to theCircus in San Jose. Because Cindy and Matt are kinda freaked by clowns we had seats way up up. But, we still managed to see everything. All the kids really enjoyed themselves. Sam was laughing and laughing. He thought the whole thing was just hilarious. Henry loved watching the acrobats and the animals. And Lilly was mesmerized by the horses. All in all, it was a good time and I think they would go again, if we could.

This weekend will be pretty tame. In the wake of the Hurricane, gas prices have soared here (over 3 dollars a gallon) so, we just can't afford to go anywhere. We will however, see Mila and Chaz on Monday. That will be fun. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!