Monday, June 30, 2014

Ted's Hopped Up On Goofballs


Little Ted. He has a tooth that's in bad shape. He's getting it removed on Tuesday. In the mean time he's taking antibiotics and something to help with pain and swelling. He seems to be enjoying the ride all right so far. (I'm no stranger to oral surgery myself and I'm a teeny but jealous that Ted will be out cold during the procedure when all I've gotten during my dental situations is a pair of weird sunglasses and "just a little bit of a pinch right here" of Novocaine.)

He will come home from the vet to a new bed and soft food and lots of pets and attention from us. In no time at all, he will be flashing his million dollar smile we all love so well.



Sunday, June 29, 2014

Smacksy Sunday Links


The upsides of the downsize. Good for me to read now that we're in our new 864 sq. ft. pad.

Bohemian homes you'd love to chill out in. You can smell the patchouli through the computer screen.

And a funny little squeaky frog.

Happy Sunday.



Saturday, June 28, 2014

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Lovey


Remember that time Baby Bob was obsessed with that acorn squash? Yeah.




Friday, June 27, 2014

Sleep Tight


And then both of the guys jumped on Mr. Rosenberg while he tried to read them The Hardy Boys.




Thursday, June 26, 2014

Caution



"Felix? Do you have a crush on that girl who was in my class at school before? You know, the one with the jacket?"

"Bob, I don't have a crush on anyone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I don't even use that word because if someone doesn't know what it means it could turn out bad."

"You mean if they don't know it's a love thing?"

"Yeah. They might think you're actually going to crush them."

"Oh, yeah... Like Godzilla."




Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The British Are Coming


"Listen to this, Mom. I've been practicing my English accent, 'Oxy Clean gets the tough stains out!'"

"Oh, wow."

"'Oxy Clean gets the tough stains out!'"

"Nice."

"Did you hear how good it is? 'Oxy Clean gets the tough stains out!'"

"All right."

"It's just like the Oxy Clean guy! See, Mom? I can speak another language!"



Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Wish You Were Here


"Have a seat, Bob."

"Okay."

"Isn't this relaxing?"

"Yeah."

"Just listening to the waves?"

"Uh huh."

"And this perfect weather?"

"Yeah... So that was a fun relax. Is it over now? Can I go watch Wreck It Ralph back in the room?"





Monday, June 23, 2014

Outer-est Space


"I just don't believe in aliens from outer space, Mom."

"Why not?"

"I just don't."

"How can you be so sure?"

"There would need to be a planet that has water on it."

"I'm pretty sure they found water on Mars."

"Okay, well maybe Martians then probably, for sure, yeah them, but that's it."







Saturday, June 21, 2014

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Happy Birthday Mr. Rosenberg


That's my tiny baby of a husband. How cute was he then? And handsome still. Today he turns 40 years-old. Happiest Birthday to you, Mr. Rosenberg. Every moment of your last 40 years has strung together to somehow bring you to this life we have together. I am so grateful for you. I love you and I know you will be cute at 80 too.

Friday, June 20, 2014

A Little Dinner Conversation


"Mom? When I grow up if I have a kid, can I name them God?"

"Hmm. I think that would be disrespectful."

"Yeah, okay. What about Minecrafter?"




Thursday, June 19, 2014

Debriefing


"Mom? Can you come in here to the bathtub?"

"What's up?"

"I hurt my knee today, see?"

"How'd you do that?"

"I don't know but it hurts and so do all four of my mosquito bites. Look 1 - 2 - 3 - 4. And then my elbow is sore? Can you see anything? It's just right around my elbow. And I've still got that weird lump in my neck - you know the liff node because I'm sick? And I'm gonna need a new Chapstick. Look how chapped my lips are. And that cough medicine from the doctor tastes so bad. Are you sure I have to have it? I don't think it works anyway. Remember where I hit my toe the other day? Yeah, that's getting better. So, I guess I'm doing pretty good."






Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Don't Give Up The Ship


"Okay, Bob. Let's get going with this. This is a huge set. It's going to take awhile."

"But Dad, I looked for that one piece we need to keep going but I can't find it anywhere."

"All right. I'll help you look."

"That's okay. You don't need to. I'm pretty sure I don't even like Legos anymore."



Tuesday, June 17, 2014

World Tour


"Mom? I need to show you my new things I made in my Minecraft world. See? This is a pyramid, and then you go inside and walk around and there's torches and then a door in the hall that says Cleopatra and then there's her tomb inside and then down the hall there's another door and there's a sign on the door that say Pharaoh and then inside there's a tomb. Okay, and then you come out of the pyramid and close the door and go over here. This building is The Party Station. See, it has cakes on this table? And disco balls on the ceiling for the dance party part of the party. Disco balls are super important for a dance party."




Monday, June 16, 2014

The Stand


"Mom, our toy and lemonade stand was an epic fail. I'm super sad right now."

"It wasn't a fail, Babe. You guys had fun doing it, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but we hardly had any customers."

"Well, business, and life really, is like that. You've got to try and enjoy the process. Sometimes everything goes the way you want it to and sometimes you come out of the whole thing with only a buck twenty-five."

"Buck seventy-five."




Sunday, June 15, 2014

Smacksy Sunday Links


Mr. Rosenberg and Bob in Amsterdam, 2007.

An interesting piece from The Atlantic about what it takes (and doesn't take) to live the happily ever after. I think all of this information applies to any of our relationships, not just marriage.

Surfing is such a spiritual sport. Be the wave.

And a swell poolman saves a drowning squirrel with CPR.

Happy Father's Day.
Happy Sunday.





Friday, June 13, 2014

Bob's All About Me


My name is Robert.
I like to be called Bob.
I am 8 years-old and I am in 1 grade.
I have 0 sisters and 1 dog brother.
My favorite food is ovcotoe.
My favorite color is blue.
My favorite sport is handball.
My favorite game is Minecraft.
My favorite book is Harry Poter.
My favorite TV show is Sponch Bob.
My favorite musical instrument is droms.
My favorite animal is Harpy Egl.
My favorite subject in school is math.
What I do best is being myself.



Thursday, June 12, 2014

School's Out


"Mom? Why do we have to go back to the doctor?"

"Because our coughs aren't going away and we need to make sure it hasn't become something more serious."

"Okay, but it better be fast. Because today, you know what time it is, right?"

"What time?"

"Summertime!"




Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Last Day Of First Grade


"You look sad, Bob? Are you okay?'

"Yeah, Mom. I'm just sad school is ending."

"You're going to miss your friends this summer?"

"And my teacher."

"I understand."

"Mom?"

"Why are we whispering?'

"I think second grade might be secretly awesome."



Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Facts


I am hoping that Mr. Rosenberg will be adding line items 1 - 4 to his resume on LinkedIn.





Monday, June 9, 2014

This Wedding, These People


On Sunday Mr. Rosenberg and I attended the wedding of his "second cousin, once removed" or as we call her simply, "cousin." Serena is a beautiful woman who wed, Jeremy a wonderful guy. These two are perfect for each other. Smart, happy, and so very in love. Mr. Rosenberg and I got a little misty during their self-written vows. In the photo above they are being lifted in chairs as the Horah is being danced around them. The Horah is a traditional Israeli circle dance typically danced to the song Hava Nagila at Jewish weddings and other happy occasions. There is so much joy.

I love weddings. The fancy dresses, the traditions, the hope, and the tiny hors d'ouevres passed around at the cocktail hour. Weddings are sweeping family operas played out over the course of six or so hours. Whatever we are busy with in our own lives, a wedding is a chance to once again be rooted to a ceremony that defines a lifetime.

I always learn something at these gatherings. Sometimes I learn about the groom's relationship to his family, or how well the maid of honor can (or cannot) hold her liquor. I learn stories of the bride and groom's childhoods, I learn sunscreen would have been a good move on my part considering our seat in the sunlight of the afternoon.

At Serena and Jeremy's wedding, I really paid attention for the first time to the Jewish custom of the breaking of the glass. In Jewish tradition, after a couple is pronounced husband and wife, the new husband steps on a wine glass wrapped in a napkin, crushing it with his right foot as the assembled crowd exclaims their congratulations, shouting, "Mozel Tov!"  I learned that this custom has many meanings, the most popular being that even in times of extreme joy, we pause to recognize the brokenness that yet remains in the world.

This resonated with me. That happiness and sadness must co-exist to define each other. That while our spirits are lifted in love and song there is also the knowledge that we are all just doing our best to get along in a lovely, yet shattered place. Our job, to be grateful for our blessings, yet at the same time use our time here to better the lives of the less fortunate. Daily we seek the impossible, to fit the pieces of the glass back together while we sing and while we dance.

Mazel Tov, Serena and Jeremy. May you mend the broken parts you find in each other and live in love and grace.






Friday, June 6, 2014

Say Aah

"Mom?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Since they said we don't have strep throat or anything, maybe they should call it Not-So-Urgent Care?"

Thursday, June 5, 2014

What?


"I can't hear you, Mom. Are you losing your voice?"

"Yep."

"How do you make it come back?"

"Time, I guess."

"Make it happen fast, Mom, because I need to talk to you."


Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Man Flu


"Mom? I'm hot but I'm also freezing."

"Uh oh."

"And my throat hurts and I have a cough."

"Okay."

"Mom! My eyes hurt when I move them in my head! And I'm not even hungry and my tummy feels weird!"

"That doesn't sound good."

"Mom? Seriously. If I can't go to school tomorrow it will be terrible because we have the dance performance on Friday and I have that line to say and we're practicing."

"Maybe you'll feel better in the morning."

"Really? How do you expect me to live like this?"












Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Long Good Night


"Good night, Bob."

"Good night, Mom. Wait, Mom? I was thinking that I could maybe give those paper Minecraft things to Micah. Micah likes Minecraft a lot. And then, you know, I wish I could be a cloud because then I could tell all of the other clouds to rain and it would fix the drought. Oh, and I thought maybe you could pack a quesadilla in my lunch tomorrow? But no carrots. I never have time to eat those. Hey and since I don't have black pants for the assembly on Friday, I can wear black sweatpants, right? Flappy Bird is getting so easy for me I think I'm going to start playing it with my left hand, for the challenge of it. Okay, good night, Mom. Wait, Mom? Did you already send my permission slip for the field trip? Okay, really good night. Good night."



Sunday, June 1, 2014

Sunday In Review



Today
I let the dishes sit in the sink.
I left a full load of laundry in the washer and the dryer.
I did not get rid of the piles of papers, artwork, Star Wars action figures, Legos, and tubes of lipstick and loose vitamins that have taken over our dinner table.
I did not pick up the dog hair tufts that are floating through the hallway.
I didn't make my bed.
I didn't hang up yesterday's clothes.
I did not clean the fishbowl. (Sorry Max.)
I didn't polish the piano that's covered in fingerprints.
I left the dust on the shelves.
I never did water the backyard.
I didn't wash the car.

I had breakfast and dinner with people I love.
I had coffee with a friend.
I sang in the car.
I listened to wise people tell their stories.
I loved on the dog.
I had conversations about real things with my husband.
I read a book and ate a popsicle.
I had a Sunday. A real Sunday. An unremarkable yet glorious Sunday.



Smacksy Sunday Links


Mr. Rosenberg returned from a week-long business trip to Japan yesterday. He walked through this tunnel in Narita Airport to get to his plane and finally home to us.

This is a wonderful conversation between Dave Chapelle and Maya Angelou. It's worth the 20 minutes.

Hidden cameras captured some stunning photos of wildlife in the Santa Cruz mountains. (My hometown.)

And A dog and his kitten. I adore these two.

Happy Sunday.