:: the BoydBunch ::

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like These

2010-02-08T23:40:00.005-06:00

Classic little clip isn't it? I love it. It's ridiculous and pathetic and hilarious all rolled into one. It's kind of how I feel right now.

Jetlag is almost overcome I think. I lost more than 15 pounds on the Moscow trip. Once I got rehydrated it was about 11. Still damn! Moscow Diet anyone?

They traded Kovalchuk a few days after I got home, adding to an already inexplicably morose household. I am sure jetlag was a major part of it. The worst is that I didn't see this coming. Hossa, I knew would fly, but Ilya. I believed when he said he wanted to stay in Atlanta. Very sad. But there are sadder things in the world, I realize. No really.

It's been a weird transition back. All my dreams are still in Moscow. The weird and wonderful and weirder still place. I hope to return again sooner rather than later. What a trip!

Pictures are in my photo album. Please check them out and, if you feel so inclined, comment. Click for pix.

Thus endeth a very desultory post.

Journey's End

2010-01-29T02:04:00.003-06:00

In some ways I feel like I've just gotten to Moscow. In other ways, I feel like I've been here forever. It's weird. And maybe a lack of sleep -- we've had no downtime whatsoever. We've had such an amazing variety of experiences -- some good, some not so good. Maybe that's just life? I'm sad my journey will soon be over. Mom often says, "we may not pass this way again." It's so very true in life, but it's also hard sometimes to live in the moment like you want to -- not look ahead to joyful reunions with people you missed back home or look back and think about how you could have seen and done more. Just be. Be in that time and place and forget (almost) everything else.

I miss home. I've been homesick everyday for my precious ones. It's been hard here. Hard without them. I feel I will have come away with a lot as a person, but Andy and Annabelle are my everything. The experience is not the same. Perhaps means less in some ways without them there to share it with me.

At the Matryoshka Museum.

Annabelle Recommends...

2010-01-05T14:52:00.001-06:00

"The Great Beyond" by REM.

"I like this song," she enthuses.

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Do it Anyway

2009-12-28T22:09:00.005-06:00

I love this... this is my New Year's Resolution...

People are often unreasonable, illogical,
And self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you
Of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
False friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank;
People may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis
it is between you and God
It was never between you and them anyway.

-- Attributed to Mother Theresa

Ferris wheel

2009-12-27T11:45:00.001-06:00

Annabelle saw the ferris wheel in downtown Houston and said "open up fennis wheel". She calls a ferris wheel a fennis wheel. It is so cute!
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Sponge Bob

2009-12-25T17:49:00.001-06:00

Annabelle got a Sponge Bob candy dispenser for Christmas which had candy in his santa hat. Annabelle flipped up his hat and asked "Sponge Bob, do you have candy in your brain?" It was hilarious and precious.
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Sarah's Back!

2009-12-21T02:56:00.004-06:00

We got Sarah back. Someone in the neighborhood found her. We are so relieved. I cried like a baby when Andy told me someone called and he was going to pick her up.

Annabelle kept asking me where Sarah was, and I told her "she's on a journey." When she asked when she'd be back, I told her, "cat business sometimes takes a long time."

Thankfully, it only took five days for Sarah to complete her "cat business" (and for us to find her). We feel a prayer was answered.

Funny story. When Annabelle saw Sarah she said -- very matter-of-factly -- "You're back."

I guess these things don't register as hard on a toddler. Andy and I were so upset.

Later, Annabelle patted Sarah and said, "we got a net to catch you ... it's outside!" (The "net" she was referring to is actually a humane cat/varmint trap we bought to try to catch her.) Now we have a 50-dollar cat trap and nothing to try to catch. It's been used and the box was thrown out, so we are thinking about donating it to the animal shelter to rent out to people. (All the traps were rented out when we visited or we would have rented one!)

Anyway, all's well that ends well. She's home. She's home!

Now we're wondering: "Who ate the cat food that we left in our half-open garage last night?" The world may never know.

A Sad Kind of Day

2009-12-18T13:31:00.003-06:00

Where to start? I can't even begin -- and that's saying something for me.

Our cat, Sarah, is lost. She slipped out of the house and we can't find her. We're desperately sad and worried for her welfare.

Christmas is just closing in on us and I feel so unprepared. Because we are.

Annabelle participated in her first Christmas program earlier in the week and she was so cute. I cried my eyes out when she walked in the church and all the way through her class' rendition of "Away in a Manger," complete with hand gestures. It was the most adorable, precious thing.

Please join me in a prayer for Sarah's safe return and that, wherever she is, she is OK.

Happy meal

2009-12-05T13:28:00.001-06:00

Annabelle saw a McDonalds sign and said "that signs says Happy Meal!"
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2009-12-04T16:58:00.001-06:00

Today I was coming down the stairs and Annabelle said, "Look Poppy! Mommy's beautiful."

It made me melt down into tears. We're struggling in a lot of ways right now and that just made me feel so good.

That's it. Nothing else to say today except that it snowed and Annabelle and I played with snowballs!
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Annabelle says...

2009-11-29T16:12:00.000-06:00

"Mimi likes to dance to Elvis!"
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2009-11-25T02:28:00.003-06:00

As an aside, I am disgusted at the results of my dear, dear "Dancing With the Stars." Two of the best performers weren't even in the finals. And Donny is just a huge suck up who won because he is popular, not because he was the best (who knew?! I guess that says something about the show's demographics!). It almost makes me not want to watch next season.

I am Geneen, and I approved this message. (Andy said he does too.)

Hair Bands

2009-11-24T22:23:00.001-06:00

Annabelle told me today I needed a haircut. To her, a "haircut" is putting your hair up. I normally put her hair in ponytails or pigtails everyday and, you know how it goes, you throw your own hair into a chip clip or do the ponytail too. So today, I actually had my hair down and Annabelle noticed.

She said, "Your hair long."

"Yes," I said.

"You need hair cut. ... Hair band."

(Then I laughed to myself about hair bands and moved on.)

*

In other news, I swear, some days, some months it feels like the entire world and everyone in it is against you. I feel that way right now. :-(

2009-11-22T13:57:00.001-06:00

"Don't eat my ear!"
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Say: "I Am Wonderful"

2009-11-18T16:27:00.005-06:00

Sometimes you hear a song at just the right time. Today was one of those times. May I recommend "Wonderful" by Gary Go.

Video:

More Miscellany

2009-11-17T16:49:00.005-06:00

I haven't felt much like chatting lately. Not that I am ever chatting, it's just me posting. Or, sometimes, Andy. I feel somewhat glum.

But Annabelle did tell me she liked a song today, so I thought I would share her music choice of the day with you: "Forever Young" by Alphaville. Random happenstance that we heard that song today and she told me, "I like this music." So here ya go. Old school alternative or something like that. And weird video.

New pix online. If you have a Flickr account be sure to sign in. I am not sharing all of my pictures with the masses, so you will miss some if you don't. Ask me if you have issues getting a flickr account. You shouldn't. It's free and easy. But if you do, let us know.

And last night I thought Mya on "Dancing With the Stars" was awesome. Kelly Osbourne is my favorite, but she isn't the best.

Potpourri For $100

2009-11-14T04:29:00.005-06:00

We have to remember: God has a plan for all of us, we just have to believe in it and trust it. That He's in charge. That what is meant to happen, will. That what we hope for isn't always what's meant for us. Or, as my yoga teacher long ago said: Maybe it's not what you want, but what you need. I think about that all the time. Anyway ...

Amidst it all, we are blessed to have family and friends who love and support us. We'd be nothing without them.

The Thrashers did win tonight -- in spectacular fashion. Three players had two goals -- three players could have had hat tricks ... awwww! It almost makes up for all the struggling we've had to do lately. Almost. And I guess that's the value of sport and movies and, seemingly mindless entertainment isn't it?

It's been hard traveling without Annabelle. I don't know what I am going to do when I go to Moscow!

Spokoinoi nochi!

2009-11-11T23:27:00.001-06:00

Anna's class

+ Lori (mom) sidney (baby)
+ Katie (baby)
+ Neen (mom) Annabelle
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Another Successful Weekend

2009-11-08T18:26:00.003-06:00

Two more highly sought-after job offers.

Apps for rs. are in -- signed, sealed and delivered.

We saw a lawyer about something pressing -- biz related. I think a person should get paid for the patients he sees, don't you?

This post is deliberately vague. Feel free to ask me for more info if you want.

xoxo to family and friends who have been there for us. You know who you are (and aren't)!
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Cute, no?

2009-11-04T00:57:00.002-06:00

There's so much to talk about, but I wanted to get this out there for family. Here are the proofs from Anna's portraits for school. If you want one of these, let me know. Obviously it would not have the watermark.

Some Great Annabelle Quotes

2009-10-28T01:45:00.001-05:00

From the church hall you can see into the beautiful courtyard, which, right now, is full of all kinds of pumpkins and gourds. Looking out the window she said, "I want to touch a bumpy pumpkin."

Before her nap, we were reading on the couch and she slid down to the floor, gave a big sigh and said, "Oh Neptune!" (Which is something one of the characters in Spongebob says.) It was hilarious.

Her Mothers Day Out is going OK. I still have a hard time leaving her -- even though it is just for three hours, two times a week. She is interacting with other kids and learning to share and clean up and stuff like that. I just never imagined how hard it would be to let her go for that tiny amount of time.
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Happy Days

2009-10-25T15:11:00.004-05:00

My old friend Kim got married yesterday and it was a joyous occasion. It was wonderful to see her so happy. She's been through a lot since the high school days, having had a stroke (and brain surgery!) just a few years out of college and dealing with the long-term ramifications of that. But Kim always pressed on and pressed through the difficulties she faced. I am so proud of her and so happy for her.

No subject

2009-10-21T09:44:00.002-05:00

Do you ever feel like a failure? Does it ever seem like the smallest task is impossible? Whatever the reason, I feel that way lately.
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"Several Times"

2009-10-18T10:25:00.004-05:00

Annabelle and I were picking up dinner from Chili's yesterday when a man walked in to pick up his food. He said, "I've got an order for Bob."

Annabelle turned to the man and said, "Hi Bob!"

He said, "well hello there!"

And she said, "I've been here several times."

It was hilarious and oh so cute!
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Long Week

2009-10-17T00:43:00.002-05:00

Posted a bunch of pictures of Annabelle in the Photo Albums, so take a look. Here's one of many cute ones.

In other news, Annabelle seems to not like her dance class anymore. I can't quite understand it. She loved it the first three times she went. Now it's crying and fit-throwing from the moment she even sees the building. I've watched every class and as far as I can tell, nothing negative happened. Why is she doing this? I don't know. But as of our last (of three) visits, which resulted in crying and screaming, I've decided that it's just not worth it. For whatever reason she doesn't want to go. Nevertheless, she has to be out of the house and in the world for small bits of time, so Andy and I decided to put her in a Mothers-Day-Out thing (here they call it pre-school, even though it is a mere three hours, twice a week at a church).

Anyway, the horrible dreams have already started. The day after I signed her up, I dreamed some terrible things. In my career I've read so many scary stories that it's just bubbling up in my subconscious I guess. Anyway, wish us luck. Pray for good things for Anna if you happen to be one who prays.

That's about it from here. Andy and the cat are crashed out on the couch. I think I want to crash too.