My Birthday

By now it is obvious from the previous post that Tuesday was my birthday. So, I've decided to pass along a few photos from the birthday celebration that Elise arranged in my honor at the Cheesecake Factory in Marina del Rey (They should thank me for the free advertising on our widely-read blog with a free dinner).

In this first picture, Elise and I pose for the camera. You'll remember Elise from my previous post about hiking in Malibu. Needless to say, Elise is more at home at the Cheesecake Factory than in the Malibu wilderness (where it actually snowed recently). Of course, that isn't to say she is high maintenance. Because she's not; she washes that BMW convertible herself.

This is one of the few pictures in the series where my eyes are actually all the way open, so I like it. To the right is John, who works for the L.A. Fire Department. He is the funniest guy in L.A. besides myself.
And, now you have Brendon, Andrew, and Lisa. Brendon drove all the way up from Orange County, dodging his partners on the way out of the office and cars on the 405. Andrew is in the middle. He is a really great musician/attorney, who gave a show last night at the Derby in Hollywood, a venue that was featured in the movie Swingers (or so I'm told, I've never actually seen it). And, on the end, is the beautiful and kind Lisa, who was the first person I ever saw Johnny Depp's version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with.
Now, Bryan and Elise (again). Brian works for Boeing and keeps us all eating right and exercising.

And, last but not least, are Colleen and Brandon. Colleen is a therapist, but she didn't charge me her regular rate for coming to the party; she came in the context of a friend. Brandon, who is one of the first people I met in L.A., rounds out the crew.

Of course, there was the obligatory and embarrassing singing by the waiters and waitresses. They sang Happy Birthday to Jack instead of Jeff, so I was able to protect my anonymity.
Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of Kirsten, who came too. But, that doesn't mean she isn't important; her presence was appreciated. All in all, it was a great day. Now, if I can just survive until next year...

Happy Birthday Mikie!

I love Mikie because...
(add to the list in the comments, and I will add it to the post throughout the day...)

1) he is the best older brother--he keeps track of me, gives the best hugs, and gives the best
advice.


2) he is brilliant



3) he has fabulous hair




4) no one has ever made me laugh as hard as he has made me laugh

5) he is the best son in the whole wide world!

6) He is always willing to give his old Mom a hug. He gives hugs just like his Grandpa Lee did and I love that!

7) he has beautiful blue eyes that are kind and have a spark of mischief in them

8) he always tries to do his best in everything he does

9) he is intelligent, and also wise! (from Mom)

10) he is my favorite son (only one too).

11) He really seems to have his head on straight

12) I am extremely proud and will continue to be one of his most loyal fans (from Dad)

13) he is considerate and ohh so charming

14) he knows how to make a good joke

15) he is such a great example

16) plus, he knows how to surf (from Angie)

17) he is cute

18) he makes me giggle (from Addie)

19) he is wonderful

20) he is sensitive and caring and sweet

21) he also has a biting sense of humor and never fails to make me laugh

22) his personality sparkles and you know that there will never be a dull moment when he is around (from Erica)

23) He was certainly the best missionary EVER! Always kind, thoughtful.

24) ...and he speaks french and the ladies like that! (from Baptiste)

Teacher Friends

Kim Vinh called me this week from a Sequoia High School basketball game. Last year, on that very day, she, Meg, and I had spent our supervision duties breathlessly planning Freshman Activity Day--an entire day of team-building, class-building, and motivation-building activities with a tiny budget and responsibility for 400 wiggly freshman. We reminisced about the stress and exhaustion and exulted in the fact that we weren't currently planning FAD (though Kim was superivising a basketball game).

Point is, I'm grateful for my teacher friends, a mix of STEPpie pals and between-class-vent buddies from Sequoia last year. These are the women whose eyes widen in agreed understanding when I say, "and THEN Johnny looked at me and said..." and who my heart aches over when I've heard that they have spent yet another hundred of their hard earned dollars on classroom supplies or stayed at school until 8:00 pm to finish grading the essays so the kids won't have to wait any longer. The ones I cheer for, even as I squirm internally, knowing that my current situation demands so much less of me, knowing that I function in a system that is vastly more forgiving and deal with students who are enormously more academically prepared than the system and students they deal with everyday.

We try to have dinner together every month. We laugh, we commiserate, we eat until we're bursting, and then sit in tired silence, until someone wryly points out that it's only 10:00.

Bedtime At Chez Lewis

As I get ready to wind down and put to bed another day at the new house, I sit and think, "Will I get all the crayon and scuff marks off the walls before Addie starts coloring them again." Perhaps, this task is like the tireless pursit of perfection, Never ending! AHHhhhhh! Someday...until then I bid you all goodnight!

Just a few pics...

Here are a couple pics from Robert's tript to Japan. Also, some cute pics of the kids that I have neglected to post.

Vote on the Curtains

So..I need some help. The curtains don't fit the window exactly...I would love for them to be just a little wider..however the next size up is 36 in wide wich would give me 72 in total and I only need 68 in total. So what do you think? Leave them the way they are or go way bigger? HELP!! I also think I am going to paint the curtain rod etc...white. Let me know what you think.

Alvin and the Chipmunks...

I am writing this post in peace and quiet after spending the day searching for the The Chipmunks Christmas DVD. Why would I do that? Well, my children insisted and if I hear the CD one more time, I might really go insane. So, truthfully, I was willing to go for anything new even if it was The Chipmunks Christmas DVD. Well, Mikie, in case you haven't guessed the kids love the CD and are now so into the Chipmunks that I went to Walmart, Target, and finally Best Buy (which is all the way across town, I might add!) just so I didn't have to listen to them whine! Anyway, I am having major deja vu about the countless hours we all spent watching the very same program. It is just weird. All I can say is AAAALLLVIN! Or should I say MMMMIIIKIE!

Christmas at Melville

Merry Christmas!

On Saturday that is.

The girls at Melville House celebrated Christmas on Saturday. When I arrived home from a morning run with my buddy Amanda, I was greeted by a warm house, a pile of presents, crooning Christmas music, and a table set immaculately for breakfast. It was a little like walking into the Christmas catalog house at the end of The Miracle on 34th Street, so naturally, it was impossible not to linger for two-plus hours enjoying the food and the company post roommate gift giving (for Sarah's description of the menu for breakfast and a fabulous dinner party we had later that night, along with a few more pictures, see here).

We each had a gift for a roomie and the house, and Santa Claus left us all a surprise in the form of a gorgeous coffee table for our heretofore empty front room. There was an unintentional theme of polka dots (polka dots are the new black, we are now wont to say) including Karren's shoes, the lining to Sarah's jewelry box, and Reija's PJs. My gift, wrapped in dotted paper, is now in residence on the front of the linen closet that doubles as my dresser--porcelain hand knobs in the shape of roses. New curtains, picture frames, and a colander for our kitchen rounded out the new additions to Melville house, currently my favorite place to be.

Someday I'll find a camera to take real pictures of the house--for now, these snapshots from my 'puter will have to do.

Hiking in Malibu

Even though all four of us were sick, Bryan, Me, Elise and Andrew all decided to go hiking in Malibu last Saturday to celebrate the end of another year.

It started out fine, until we came to a fork in the path. Elise went left (not heeding the call to "choose the right") and we all followed. The path was fine for awhile but got increasingly steep and un-pathlike. Pretty soon, we were somewhere on the Malibu mountainside, getting cut by cacti. Especially Elise, who now looks like a "cutter." I'm still occasionally discovering and digging out cactus-spine slivers on my legs. Here's a picture of Elise tarzan-ing down the hillside (but you will have to tilt your head, I can't figure out how to rotate the picture in Blogger):

Although we all had some scratches, we made it out okay and back to the car, where we took this picture, with the Pacific Ocean in the background.

All of the guys pledged that we would never say that Elise was "high maintenance" again! Then, we celebrated our victory over (not so) near death by getting fish and chips on the Pacific Coast Highway.

See...I told you I could get it all in!