I could learn something

E1 was twirling around the room (like she often does). I asked her what she was doing and she said
"I'm dancing like nobody's watching"

I was impressed

The shop finished my car and I was able to pick it up. I almost didn't recognize it, it was as good as new.... shiny and clean, inside and out. E2 looked inside and thought her "seat looked funny". I told her it was because it was clean.
During the 2 week repair process, I had a rental car from Enterprise. When I returned it, I had what was possibly the most positive customer service experience I have had in years. I'm in the process of writing a letter thanking them and naming the two employees that were so absolutely helpful.
When we arrived to return the van, we sat in the waiting area and E2 proceeded to say "I'm hungry!". She had already eaten 2, yes 2 breakfasts. I had nothing in my bag, I am usually very prepared, but didn't think of it because it was only 10 am and she had already eaten twice already! The Enterprise employee came over and asked if she liked oatmeal (only her favorite food!)... he then made instant oatmeal for her in a styrofoam cup and she ate every last bite. She must be having a growth spurt.
The employee that drove me to the car repair shop (which was outside of their usual delivery area) was also so friendly and helpful. He waited at the shop until he knew I was satisfied with the work done on my car so I wouldn't be stuck there with 2 kids and 2 carseats. He even held E3 while I installed the carseat into my car. Let's just say I was impressed with everything.

a bit of history...

my father (on the left)

Today is the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. My dad was on a ship, about to enter Pearl Harbor, the morning of December 7, 1941.
I don’t know exactly what my father did on the ship; I do know that he worked below, in the “fireroom”. My father passed away from cancer Thanksgiving Day, 1982.
I wish that he were still alive so I could ask him questions. He did say once, that he saw bullets strike across the deck of the ship. He rarely spoke of the war…he was a man of few words. He never even spoke on the telephone, except to say “hello”. Prior to and during World War II, my father was on the USS Antares. His ship was mentioned in the movie “Tora, Tora, Tora” . I have seen this movie dozens of times. A few years ago, I purchased the DVD. I think of my father every time I see the DVD case.
He was one of the few that witnessed the start of the war…before the Japanese planes arrived the morning of December 7th.

Here is an exerpt from wikipedia:

Entering Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked
On 7 December 1941, Antares stood toward the entrance to Pearl Harbor at 0630 with a 500-ton steel barge in tow, having arrived from Canton and Palmyra and expecting to transfer the barge to a tug and then proceed into Pearl. Not sighting the tug at the appointed time, Antares altered course, turning slowly to the east, when her watch suddenly spotted a suspicious object about 1,500 yards on the auxiliary's starboard quarter. Antares notified the destroyer USS Ward (DD-139), on patrol off the harbor entrance, and the latter altered course toward the object which proved to be a midget submarine. A Consolidated PBY from Patrol Squadron 14 showed up almost simultaneously and dropped smoke floats in the vicinity; meanwhile, Ward went to general quarters and attacked, sinking the intruder.

Attacked with no armament to respond
While the report of this incident off the harbor entrance was making its way up the chain of command with glacial slowness, Antares spotted the tug USS Keosanqua (AT-38) at 0715. At 0758 Antares spotted explosions in Pearl Harbor and Japanese planes; two minutes later an enemy aircraft strafed the ship, and soon thereafter, bomb and shell fragments (perhaps American "overs" or unexploded antiaircraft shells) hit the water nearby. As Antares' captain, Capt. Lawrence C. Grannis, subsequently reported of events at that point, "As this vessel is not armed, no effective offensive or defensive tactics appeared possible." Passing the tow to Keosanqua at 0835, Antares zigzagged and turned to a position between the restricted waters of the entrance to Pearl Harbor and the entrance to Honolulu harbor, inshore of the warships beginning to sortie.

more information regarding the USS Antares can be found here.

A bonus

Sometimes the kids wake up before the alarm.

He has no idea how lucky he is

Chocolate Chip, the hamster, is staying in my office for a few weeks.
My mother is visiting from Minnesota and sleeping in the girl's room. Hamsters are nocturnal... Grandma is not... so therefore, Chocolate Chip has a new temporary home. His cage is placed inside a baby playpen... I have no shelf or table space available in my office, it's a bit of a mess... I'm sure a fire marshall would have me fined, or arrested.
Sparky stepped into my office tonight and began sniffing and trying to reach under the playpen. Then I see a flash of black and white on the floor. I fly out of my chair, grab Sparky, and drag her out of my office.
Little Chocolate Chip is sitting there , out in the open, looking at me.
That hamster really has no survival instinct, but he is soooo lucky.

On with Decorating...

A busy day here... good , because it helped get me out of the funk I've been in lately.
Church, huge birthday party at a friends, and decorating.
I was able to hang the lights outside. Stuntman goes a little overboard with the outside lights. Not as bad as Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation...but that is his eventual goal. He adds something each year.
I did not climb onto the roof to hang lights from the eaves. I have a lot of left-over light strings, but it's not too bad. It looks as if a drunk monkey decorated, but the kids think it's beautiful... and that's what counts. Only two neighbors can see the decorations, we have a long driveway, and the lights can't really be seen from the street, unless you stand in a particular spot, and tilt your head... but we enjoy them.
The inside tree is almost complete. I really have too many decorations. Everyone collects something ... some people collect stamps, coins, shoes, Stuntman collects camo pants and TA50, and I collect Christmas ornaments. I've added 5-10 Hallmark ornaments every year since 1984... you do the math. Every one is unique, and reminds me of something or someone. It takes us forever to put them all on the tree, but it's also a fun trip down memory lane. More to do tomorrow...
I'm going to do what Kelly suggested in a comment in my last post, and walk toward the sunshine.

A Little Christmassy

Tonight we went to a local Christmas parade. It was chilly outside, probably mid-forties. (chilly for my SoCal blood and those around me)
It was a fun parade. A small-town atmosphere, everyone and their brother was in it.
Santa did 3 fly-bys in a helicopter and waved at the crowd, and it concluded with Santa on a fire truck waving at the kids. We watched, sipping hot cocoa and eating churros. E3 waved and yelled “Hi!” to almost everyone walking by in the parade. His little hand was just waving for over an hour straight.
It was a nice end to a day that had it’s down moments.
I decided that I wanted to put up the tree this weekend. I have an fake everlasting tree after having real trees for years. I got sick of the needles and the dropping ornaments in the middle of the night.
The only thing I had on Stuntman’s to-do list before he left was to bring the tree out of the attic and put it into the downstairs storage room. I searched the room today…no tree.
I checked the attic…there’s the tree. It’s a huge box. I hate the attic…it creeps me out. I’ve carried the tree box before, I was the one that brought it home from the store, but today I could not budge it. I couldn’t open the box to take the tree out piece by piece. My sore arm (it’s been hurting for months, a strain from carrying E3) was killing me. I realized that I was stuck. I was stuck putting together a Christmas for the family… alone.
I broke down in tears; tears of frustration because of the f!%&#ing tree, and tears from the realization that Stuntman would not be celebrating Christmas with us this year.
How am I suppose to do this?! Who ever thought that I could do this!? Dammit!
E3 then came around the corner and looked at me… I realized that I needed to get over it and just do it. I did. The tree is up, but we’re decorating it tomorrow.