Wednesday, June 30, 2010

ECLIPSE

It all started at 4:00 on a sunny afternoon. The line was decent as all the guests began to arrive. Dinner was scheduled for the wise ones at 6:30 at the fine dining establishment of CPK. That was where we got wind of the impending doom. Wristbands were being handed out to only those few who remained in the long line. Our minions were most willing to stand in for us, but the overseers were not accommodating.

We dashed from our meal to seek out the keeper of the blue bands only to find out that yes indeed, we needed those bands as well as the coveted tickets to enter the theater at 8:30 that evening. That is correct. Enter at 8:30 for a 12:01 am movie.

We exited and headed south towards the prize that was waiting, that of the hot meal. We arrived unscathed to slurp down the succulent feast, throw coins to the server and gallop back to our coveted places in "the line". We succeeded at the challenge and were met with cheers as we entered the domain of "Twilight" the saga.

Sounds unthinkable and yet it occurred just as I have relayed the story and it was so worth it.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

SAMUEL

This week at Preschool VBS we are talking about Samuel and yesterday, of course, Samuel was born. I explained to the kids that babies can't do anything for themselves. Mommies and daddies have to do it all. They have to feed them. They have to carry them. They have to change poopy diapers. And babies cry all the time.

Today Samuel got a little bigger and went to live at the temple. We were discussing how Samuel was now a helper and could do more activities than he could when he was a baby.

Part of the lesson plan was to "accidently" spill two buckets of pompoms all over the carpet where the kids sit during story time, in essence spilling them all over the kids and making a huge mess. A very generous patron donated all the pompoms in muted colors of gray, browns and tans. It worked perfectly.

During the massive clean up, all the kids "helping", one little guy came up to me and said "Miss Cindy, I thought those guys were spilling Samuel's poop on us."

Ah, the concrete thinking of a child. Love it.

Monday, June 28, 2010

EYE SURGERY

Addison was about 16 when she developed a small cyst on her lower left eye lash line. We were referred to a pediatric eye surgeon who suggested we have it removed under a local anesthesia. Needless to say, Addison was not thrilled as the day approached for the dreaded procedure.

We went to the doctor's office and were led to a small examination room where Adds was to sit in a chair similar to that of a dentists chair. The room was dim and very zen like. When the doctor came in I stood to say my farewell and he insisted that there was no reason why I couldn't stay and observe, especially if it comforted Addison. So I did stay and it was so cool.

They covered Adds face with a sterile gauze square with just enough space for her left eye to peek through. While the nurse chatted and distracted her, the doctor took out a 10 inch syringe and injected the upper left cheek below her eye. She didn't even flinch and her eye was instantaneously numb. He proceeded to use a scalpel to remove the cyst. Minimal blood, no stitches, small patch. It took all of 20 minutes. Regular Tylenol and a prescription for antibiotics and we were out the door.

Now it's Scott's turn. He has a small cyst on the white of his left eye and will have out patient surgery some time in August. His cyst is actually on the eye. Addison's was on her lid. A little different procedure so he will be worked over at a surgical center. Still, relatively simple procedure, so they say.

I wonder if he can rock a patch like Addison.

PARKING LOT

Shae and I snuck out of the house yesterday to do a little shopping and ran into Addison. Imagine that. We hit Old Navy and Gap and found, of course, treasures we couldn't live without. Hope was off to a dance performance by her bff Rachel so she was not among those of us in the spending frenzy.

We were walking back to our car and Addison yells "Hope" while looking across the parking lot. I didn't see Hope but hey, she is my daughter so I start yelling as well. She didn't acknowledge us so we kept screaming. All parking lot walkers turned and looked at us as if we have violated some unspoken etiquette in parking lot lore.

Oh. It wasn't Hope. We hung our humiliated heads and went straight to our cars.

Friday, June 25, 2010

COW BELLE

I was sent to the grocery store yesterday with instructions to buy Cow Belle cheese. Addison, apparently, has become very fond of it and wants me to start stocking it in our fridge. I run out the door with the list and hit Albertson's.

Understand that I do have several items that I occasionally still purchase at the big "A" but as a general rule we shop Sprouts. I have become unfamiliar with the lay out of this store and I head for the cheese section looking to bag the wanted item. I can not find it. I search, pick up packages, search some more, become frustrated and finally settle on cheese that I think she might like. I take said cheese, along with other can't live without stuff, to check out and head home.

I walk in the house and ask Addison what was the name of the cheese again and she replies with the same title. I hand her the cheese I have purchased. "That's it" she yells.

Oh. It's called Baby Belle not Cow Belle. Heavy sigh.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

SUMMER TIME

We Roderick's love the summer time! Outside, at the river, at the beach . . . we don't care! Just give us the hot outdoors!













Sunday, June 20, 2010

DADDY DAY 2010

Did us some church with Dad sitting with his daughters in Overdrive. Did us some pork tenderloin, baked sweet potatoes and a salad for a fine meal. Girls did some cleaning up the kitchen while Dad watched him some futbol.

And then the big show stopper was a walk around Bolsa Chica with Daddy and his daughters for a warm, cloudless afternoon. They viewed sea slugs, birds, fish and lots of plants while breathing in the intoxicating sea oxygen. Got to catch up on their lives and spend some coveted time together. All in all, a perfect Father's Day for Scott Roderick.

Momma stayed home and napped . . . again, perfect. I love you babe!

GROWN UP VIDEOS

We are all in our small group chatting and catching up on our weekly activities. At that time, our kids were all little so child care was at our house and the study was at another home. Our dear friends shared this story.

The family had gone to the video store to pick up a flick to watch that night. They selected one for the whole bunch to enjoy and one for just mom and dad, a grown up movie, PG-13. They went home, popped some corn and settled in to watch the cellular.

Next day at church they were talking with several people and the kids came up and joined in the conversation. As the story goes, the boys shared that mom and dad were going home that afternoon to watch the "adult movie" they had picked out the day before. Our friends were embarrassed beyond belief and fled from the building with their heads hanging mighty low.

Kids will always humble you . . . don't cha love that!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

I BITE

Addison was in kindergarten and full of fire. No big surprise there. However, it was a surprise that she was using her fire for evil . . . at least as far as the school system was concerned in 1993.

She was playing on the playground at recess, the whistle blew and the kids were lining up to return to class. As is usual in her case, her friends all want to stand in line next to her. Two little girls each grabbed one of Addison's arms and started pulling her in different directions causing Addison great discomfort. This, in turn, frightened Addison and her fear and frustration lead her to lash out with her only weapon, teeth. She leaned over and bit one of her little friends on the shoulder. I must inform you that the skin was not broken and only slight bruising occurred on Addison's victim.

I got a call from the school communicating that there had been an "incident" in which Adds had been involved and it was requested by the principle that Scott and I come to the school immediately. Of course, I think she has been in some horrific accident and I am freaking out as we quickly walk up to Lone Pine Elementary.

Addison met us in the office with tear streaked cheeks not clearly understanding what was happening. Fortunately, her school was very understanding and were totally not going to suspend a kindergartner, but it was an interesting afternoon for the Roderick family. Suffice it to say that we had a long talk that night about using words instead of teeth.

Leave it to Addison to make life exciting.

Friday, June 18, 2010

DOGNAPPED

Hope had always wanted a dog. She begged and begged. We kept saying "no." So she took matters into her own hands.

She and a friend were out playing and she came home thrilled. She had found a "puppy" that had no home. I was skeptical. Let the interrogation begin.

Where did you find the puppy? Was anyone else around? Did you just pick him up? Was it at a house? Does he have a collar?

She finally broke down and told me that he was in the neighbors backyard and the gate had been left open so she called the puppy and of course the little guy came running. She then proceeded to snatch him and run home. After the disclosure, That puppy was in her arms and she was marching back to where the crime had occurred. Seems the family had just come home with their new puppy when he was mysteriously missing. Oh Hope.

Five years later we have our very own "puppies".

VHS2DVD

Yeah, when you get to be the parents of teens and twenties you discover that all the video you took of your kids is simply outdated. I have been going through pictures, mementos and "junk" I have saved over the years. WOW, so much "stuff" some of which I can't even view.

So I am off to the photo place and transferring our VHS videos to DVD's. I have got a few back and they are great, but we are taking out a small loan to pay for the service. Just kidding, however it is proving to be a little more expensive than I anticipated. I explained to Scott that a memory doesn't have a price tag. Am I right? I said "AM I RIGHT?"

Of course I am.

OUR GRADUATE












#3 graduated with flying colors. We were all there to see Shae walk down the aisle with her diploma. She was beautiful, again. It was warm, wonderful and a little windy, but it was certainly her day.

We all had a great time after at the Roderick house enjoying, food, family, friends and fun. That was followed by grad night for her at Dave and Busters and a music video that rivals the big guns. We are so delighted and proud of our little girl.

DAD & KAT

Kelsey was locked out of the house on Wednesday night. She no longer has a key so she relies on us to leave a door unlocked. That doesn't always happen so she and her friend were wandering from door to door trying to find one that could be entered through. They finally scored one and walked on into a dark house and barking dogs.

Our guest bedroom and bathroom are downstairs and Kat needed to use the facilities so she ran through the house without turning on lights. She hustled into the restroom where my dad was sitting on the toilet in the dark. Dad exclaimed "hey, I'm in here" as Kat ran out fearing for her life. "Kelsey, there is someone in your bathroom" she exclaimed with much enthusiasm. Kelsey realized it was her grandad immediately and promptly directed Kat to another bathroom.

Kelsey couldn't wait until morning to share this tale of mistaken identity. She came and woke Scott and I up and couldn't get the story out fast enough because of all her giggling.

You take a chance when you enter the Roderick domain.

Friday, June 11, 2010

ADDITUDE

This little diddy will make complete sense to you if you know Addison. It is just so her.

In her younger days Addison had an unreasonable dislike for clean, combed and tidy hair. She would fight like a banchee when the time came for hair care. Washing was a nightmare. Curling was a battle. Brushing was a struggle. Finally, I chose not to rumble any more. I cut her hair. Not just cut. It was a bowl cut. Not more fussing. We were both much happier. Keep in mind that these were the preschool years for Ads.

To paint the picture for the tale it must also be said that Addison was a bit of a tomboy. So much so that out of all our babies she was the one that we thought was the boy from the moment I knew I was preggers. Seriously. Moved all the time. Kicked, punched, jumped, rolled. You could see my abdomen moving through my clothes.

As she grew older, she loved plaid shorts, tee shirts, sneakers, flip flops and jeans. She would ask people if they thought she was a girl or a boy. Several were afraid to guess. Yep. That was our second born.

One day, as luck would have it, she decided to she wanted to wear a bow. Now when the girls were little I loved to doll them up and put bows in their hair so I was thrilled with Addi's request. Plaid shorts, tee shirt, sneakers and yes, the bow. Perfect. It was a happy day.

We then gathered our gear and head for the grocery store and a gentleman walks up to Addi and tells her she is a "handsome little boy." Addison and her big blue eyes look up at the man. She puts her hand on her hip, tilts her head, points directly at her hair and says "hello . . . bow." The man slinks away smiling at her spunk. The phrase at our house was coined that day. A-D-D-I-T-U-D-E.

It was a clue to our future with this little girl.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

A DRAWN BATH

I love it when I come home from fighting traffic on the freeway and have a nice, hot bath waiting for me. Yep, it happened.

I took Shae down to Nana's in Carlsbad, dropping her off to spend the night. I returned to HB during rush hour and was a harried mess driving into the garage. I slipped into the house to soft music wafting through the air. I made my way upstairs and into our bathroom where my nose met fresh cut jasmine and my eyes met the hot bath tub. My sweet husband had my cup of tea waiting as well as a good book tub side. I stripped down and stepped into luxury. Talk about relax.

It doesn't happen often but when it does one can not be thankful enough.

SANDY

Kelsey was in kindergarten. Believe me when I say this, she loved it. She loved her teacher. She loved her new friends. She loved walking to school. SHE LOVED IT!

But, there was a boy at school who she was scared to death of, not that he had done anything to her. He just plain looked mean and tough and bad. The kind of "bad boy" a nice girl would go for, even in kindergarten.

One day, at recess, Kelsey decided to take a rest on the wall. She laid down and closed her eyes and soaked up the sunny day. The way she relates the story is that she felt someone touch the back of her neck while she was resting. She jumped up and there was "Sandy" standing right beside her and staring right into her eyes. Without saying a word he showed her his hand, tightly gripped in a fist, and ever so gently opened it up and released a small honey bee. He then walked away without saying a word.

Kelsey was never afraid of Sandy again. He had saved her from a certain bee sting.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

WHAT?

Hope comes walking into Scott's office today after school as he and I are having a discussion about this huge chart he wants me to bring home. "I am not taking that thing home. We are trying to get rid of stuff not collect more" I explain to him sternly. Hope chimes in with a "Yeah, Dad, you are such a 'hoe-der'." Wait. What?

I gently laugh and reply "Hoarder, Hope, someone who can't throw anything away." Oh.

You know the word . . . blond.

Monday, June 7, 2010

SMOKE

Our remodel was about a year old when we noticed small cracks in the tile in the master bath. We called the tile guys and they came out, assessed the damage and scheduled repair dates.

It was a bright sunny Monday morning when they arrived. I informed the guys to "do what you have to do" and headed out for my girl friends walk with Addison in tow.

When we returned there was a smoky smell in the house and we both ran up the stairs to speak with the workers. They were having trouble breathing and said the smoke started about a half an hour after we left. Addison and I searched the house to no avail. We went outside, looked over the landscape and discovered grey smoke wafting out of the bathroom window.

We hustled back up to the bathroom and peered through the attic door. Nothing. Then we discovered the masking tape holding the plastic around the cabinetry to keep it clean, was brown, really brown. We pulled up the plastic, opened the cabinet door and a cloud of thick smoke greeted us. The towels were extremely hot, singed and close to bursting into flames. The workers grabbed them, ran downstairs and outside while pieces of towel and ash trailed behind. They proceeded to hose them all down while streams of water rolled down the driveway and into the gutter.

Seems in our haste to get ready for the tile people we shoved "stuff" into the cupboards much to close to the lights. In general it would not have been a problem because our lights are on movement sensors. However, the guys kept moving as they worked and the lights continued to stay on, heating up the small storage space. The towels insulated the area increasing the heat and well, you've heard what happened.

Another lesson learned at the Roderick house.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

HOT GAME

Anyone who knows a Roderick knows that we love soccer. We love watching it on TV. We love going to games. Some of us love playing it. Today was a very, very good soccer day.

It started at 5:30am when Scott and I jumped out of bed, ran downstairs, tuned in to international play and watched the USA beat Australia in a 3-1 victory. Sweet.

Then it was off to the Home Depot Center to watch the Galaxy kick it with the Dynamo. It was quite a game. We had seats on the sunny side of the Center and it was hot. Really hot.

Our good friend, Don was seated next to a rather large man who began chatting him up as the game continued. Said man then removed his shirt as sweat poured off of him. In my humble opinion, it is never okay for a man over forty to take off his shirt at a professional sports event. NEVER.

By this time in the conversation, Don had discovered that this guy had scored cheaper tickets than he himself had and this is not a good thing to share with DNH. Now it was personal. This guy proceeded to lean closer and closer into Don as the first half of the game progressed. Don, shall we say, was becoming more and more aggravated and distressed and yes, his "old" was beginning to show. Mercifully halftime arrived and we were able to find some shade, have a cold drink and begin the second leg of the game refreshed.

We returned to our seats to find shirtless guy still there and yes, still sweating like a pig. But nothing could compete with what happened next. Believe me when I say I can not make this stuff up. Don's new friend put his long, perspiration drenched arm around Don and gave him a squeeze right up in his masculine, hairy, wet armpit. EWWWW!

Finally, by the grace of God, Don's friend left and Don was able to get out from under the sweltering mass that this gentleman truly was. Great game even with the odd perks. Galaxy 4, Dynamo 1. Still undefeated.

Told you it was a good day.

Friday, June 4, 2010

TV IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT

It is pitch black and in the dead of night. I am startled awake by a vague sound in the distance. I lay motionless in bed as I try to interpret the blur of noise. As my eyes adjust to the surroundings I notice a slice of light making an appearance under our bedroom door. I have a conversation with myself about those silly girls neglecting the electric bill again as I decide to get up and investigate.

As I struggle out of bed I find that I am still hearing those odd, muffled echos. Where is that coming from? As I open the bedroom door I discover that not only the lights have been forgotten. The TV is still on and no one is watching it. I trudge down the stairs to find I was mistaken.

Two little dogs are staring at the Disney channel totally engulfed in the Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

Hmm. Seems the girls also forgot to put D & D to bed.

WEDDINGS

Whether Scott and I choose to think about it or not, there will be several weddings in our future. We have discussed the affordability of these weddings and have come up with creative options that we will share with the girls as well as our blog. Feel free to comment on our ideas or submit a few of your own in the mix. The girls will make the final choices but is fun to explore all the possibilities for the future Roderick girls nuptials.

A bare foot afternoon wedding on the beach followed by a bonfire with yummy burgers, hot dog's and s'mores.

A casual morning wedding followed by a breakfast brunch in Central Park.

An afternoon tea followed by a wedding with lovely hats for the ladies and top hats for the gentlemen.

A wedding right at the airport before the happy couple departs for their honeymoon destination. Everyone else to the Roderick's for a bite to eat.

An evening wedding in the Treehouse followed by a fresh fruit buffet on the cement by the playground.

A simple, impromptu wedding on the Pier, followed by dining at Duke's.

A traditional late evening wedding at FCCHB followed by a cake reception and dancing.

A destination wedding in the Redwoods with all in attendance enjoying the great outdoors by camping together.

A Ponderosa wedding in Zion's National Park followed by dining at the chuck wagon.

A wedding performed at Dave and Buster's followed by dinner and unlimited games.

A minimalist wedding at a friends home followed by a dessert buffet including wedding and groom's cake.

A moonlight wedding with dinner and dancing on a yacht in the harbor.


God, please grant us strength

Thursday, June 3, 2010

BLOGGING YEAR ONE

My goal was to do one blog a day. I thought it was doable. I knew I had plenty of material. My writing was adequate. I had the motivation to make it happen. I had never tackled anything like it before. It was an adventure. All Roderick's like an adventure.

Well look at me now. I am so addicted.

This is one of my favorite times of the day. I get to take the laptop and retire to our bedroom and type away the hours. I get to remember stories about the girls. I get to relate tales of journeys taken. I get to crawl up into the arms of memories and soak them in. I get to experience a few tears and I get to laugh, belly laugh. Our lives are good.

It will be so valuable to me when I am old and grey. I can take out the computer, or what ever we are using in the year 2030, and read comforting words about our lives as a big family. It is a history. It is a memoir. It is a record. It is a book.

A very personal journal of our family that I will treasure and pass down to subsequent Roderick generations.

Another nifty perk is that I get to share it with you.

Sidebar: I started blogging on August 17, 2010 and as of today I have 334 entries, some still in drafted and not yet published. So, if I am doing the math correctly, I am ahead of the curve. Yea!

BACKSTAGE BUZZIES

I know. I must be crazy. But it's for all those sweet little Treehouse angels. They love them. They beg for them. They all want them.

That's right. I'm talking about those cute artistic buzzies made from Perler Beads. Actually, they are pictures created by placing tiny little beads on tiny little pegs to form tiny images that can be transformed into magnets, necklaces, rear view mirror dangles, etc. Once the picture is created they are melted with an iron so they stay intact. I have made them for years and those kids never tire of them.

I must admit, though, I have become a little addicted to these little trinkets. I now feel I am compelled to explain why.

I love to sneak backstage in the Treehouse, sit down at my little table and spend quiet time with just me and the buzzies. I have my time with God, time with me and time to just spend praying for each child that steps through the Treehouse doors every weekend. I may not know all their names but I do pray for each and every one. That's why I always want to know how many kids I have up there every weekend. At least then I can pray for them in mass.

I use my time backstage as a two fold ministry. One spent with me and Jesus and one spent connecting Jesus and the kids. As far as I can tell it is working out wonderfully for all three of us.

Who knew something so simple could be part of the spiritual journey for several generations.

STAINED GLASS

I admit it. I am not drawn to the arts. I am more of a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. I was exposed to dance, theater and music as a child. I just didn't embrace any of them. My brain did not absorb the artistic side of life. Having said that, I will admit that I have been uncharacteristically launched in to our new chapel.

The stained glass has enchanted me. I have browsed through the construction, rubble and glances from the workers just to catch a glimpse of the sun glistening through the spiritual glass. I have meditated alone and with others about what significance each glass pane represents. I have tried to discover pieces that once graced the former chapel and have been transported to the new. The color scheme, the thoughts provoked and the spirit speaking have all dazzled not only my eyes but my heart as well.

The glass, has in a sense, convicted me to think on the Word and not just read it. To enjoy the Word and not just endure it. To embrace the Word not just invoke it. That simple stained glass has taught me that symbols can and do allow one to grow in the most unexpected ways.

Perhaps something different for a Roderick.

OOPS!

I never, and I truly mean never, know what I am going to walk into when I arrive home from a busy day. I leave the house in a relatively clean, safe environment with instructions on what should happen while I am out. Easy. Not so much.

Today when I left, all were home, present and accounted for including the king of the domain. King Scott was working on the fireplace, Shae and Hope were eagerly completing their homework and Addison was getting ready to make an appearance at Jack's. A harmless scenario.

I got home around 4:00pm after having been absent for about 3 hours. What could possibly happen in 3 hours? You don't know us very well if you have to asked that question.

I walk into the aroma of paint, which isn't alarming because Scott was supposed to be painting the interior of fireplace. Next, I see furniture moved about. "What did you do?" I calmly inquire. His reply "Do you see a line?" Normally that is not the greeting I desire. "No, I don't. What happened?"

Apparently he decided to spray paint the interior of the fireplace. He had the plastic down . . . just not enough. Overspray on our 3 year old beautiful tile. It happened right after I left and he had been cleaning ever since. No ledge rock. No sticky cement. No further progress on the job at hand.

I wanted that fireplace finished and the new TV up and running for the World Cup. Perhaps it is a hollow dream.

At the Roderick house one never knows.

A REAL MOM

A special friend gave this to me at a time when I really needed to hear it. It is timeless and I can always refer to it when I am feeling just a wee bit inadequate as a mom, a wee bit out of date or just a wee bit blue.

Real Moms don't eat quiche;
They don't have time to make it.

Real Moms know that their kitchen utensils
Are probably in the sandbox.

Real Moms often have sticky floors,
Filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Moms know that dried play dough
Doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Moms don't want to know what
The vacuum just sucked up . . .

Real Moms sometimes ask 'Why me?'
And get their answer when a little
Voice says, 'Because I love you best.'

Real Moms know that a child's growth
Is not measured by height or years or grade...
It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother . . .

Images of a real Mom

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom doesn't know everything!
14 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom? She wouldn’t have a clue.
16 YEARS OF AGE - Mom? She's so five minutes ago.
18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!
35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a mom is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a mom must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a mom is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a mom is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a mom with passing years only grows!

CHANNEL

Well it has been chaos at our house since the wedding the girls went to on Saturday night. Addison lost her Channel sunglasses . . . her $400.00 Channel sunglasses that she has had for 4 years. She has been frantic in her quest to find them. She thought she may have left them at the table she was sitting at or maybe by the DJ or maybe in the restroom or maybe she has no clue.

This morning she received a text from the groom. He had her glasses. What a joyous moment in our normally demure and quiet home.

Kidding. On to the next crisis.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

CURIOUS

Scott and I were discussing the merits of driving a camper to the state beach, which by the way closes at 10:00pm, and sitting in said camper watching TV at 9:00pm. I think it is curious that people will actually do that sort of thing and enjoy it.

We have some very dear friends who love to experience this extreme activity. They own a cozy RV with all the amenities. They enjoy going "camping" on all the big holidays. Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day and several others will find them all set to spend some quality family time together that may or may not include friends. They pull up to the state run beach and set up their home sweet home away from home. Or they make it a sweeter road trip and take off for a beach that is about an hour away. Pull the rig into another camp site and again enjoy the ocean breeze with the family home on wheels.

I find it curious that both of these getaways are right next to extremely busy cement trails. Now, when I say right next to, I mean right next to, like you can see racing cars before your squinting eyes. I-5 and Pacific Coast Highway are the highways, or shall I say camping spots, of choice.

So much for peace and quiet. Still they are away from "home". So let the relaxation begin.

PERSPECTIVE

My good friend Kim sent this to me. We were happily walking the other day and were chatting about this very subject. We are so here in this chapter of life. Read, decide, celebrate!

By Anna Quindlen, Newsweek Columnist and Author

All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief.

I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like.

Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves.

Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past.

Everything in all the books I once poured over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach, T. Berry Brazelton, Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education - all grown obsolete. Along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the well-meaning relations - what they taught me, was that they couldn't really teach me very much at all.

Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2.

When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome. To a new parent, this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing.

Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow. I remember 15 years ago poring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he went to China . Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too.

Every part of raising children is humbling. Believe me, mistakes were made. They have all been enshrined in the 'Remember-When- Mom-Did' Hall of Fame. The outbursts, the temper tantrums, the bad language - mine, not theirs. The times the baby fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pickup. The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded, 'What did you get wrong?' (She insisted I include that here.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking?

But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.

Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top. And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity. That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts.

It just took me a while to figure out who the experts were.

A BIG SHOUT OUT TO KIM!