Life Experiences by LAM

Here's a five picture story about one of Alaska's life lessons....through the eyes of a 14 year old Texan.

Trip to the Grocery Store- Our Side of the Story (The Normal Side)

With breakfast consisting of wheat toast with butter that did not melt, we felt certain it was time for a trip to the grocery store.

As we entered Carrs, my kids had already made a list of things they needed for sheer survival at Aunt Cindee’s B & B. I’m sure you can imagine what the list consisted of….1. Cookies 2. Corn Pops Cereal 3. Hot Chocolate….and the list ensued.

However, Aunt Cindee was NOT about to let that happen. She announced that there would be NO sugar at her house nor anything that could get you “addicted” or clog your arteries…oh the look on their faces. It was that look of the utter sureness of withdrawal. The DTs were about to ensue.

It began in the bread aisle. Only bread baked in Alaska please….

On to the cereal aisle, where Layni was bound and determined to get Corn Pops, her favorite. Snatched out of the basket, Cindee pronounced that it had too much sugar and had that bad stuff that clogs your arteries and keeps you addicted in it (the true name escapes me now).

Offering a compromise, Aunt Cindee said Layni could get any cereal on the top shelf. Well, you know what kind of cereal resides there, don’t you? Cereal that the old and infirm eat for regularity. The pine bark and bark chips people claim is good for you. Nope….Layni wasn’t having any of it. She passed on the cereal.

As we went down each successive aisle, it became clear that we should not even attempt to put in the foods that were tasty…no cookies, no chips and certainly no candy!!

So we resorted to collusion. We schemed and worked together to at least make it out of the store with our coveted yogurt covered pretzels. Lanyi handed it to me, and I passed it off to Kylee, telling her to cover them with her body parts…as to not be detected by the human junk food detector.

We learned two things from that trip. Food that’s good for you must taste bad, and shopping with children and a health nut isn’t a possibility.

Maybe we’ll be more successful next go around.

For Aunt Cindee's version of this same story, read it here. http://bioshelter.blogspot.com

Alaska day 1

Ok... So I've been here not even 12 hours and have already seen 4
moose. Two on the driveway feeding this morning, one we almost ran
over as he trotted across the road, and one just munching in moose
pond....

Setting a Lofty Goal

LAM had her spring band concert recently...just before school let out for the summer, and what a concert it was. Her middle school and the high school she will be going to combined their concerts and each band at both of these two schools played a mini concert within this concert.

It made for a long evening on a school night, but it turned out to be a great learning experience for LAM, and she came home inspired and awestruck. Literally.

The concert began at 6 PM, with her band playing the first three songs...this was one of them. I doubt you can hear the tuba, (which she played magnificently) but if you try really hard, perhaps it's possible.

At the end of the evening, nearing 8:30, the High School's Honor's Band played. The second number highlighted the director's brother, a professional euphonium player. I apologize for not knowing his name...when I did remember it several weeks ago, I did look him up on iTunes...no he was not listed, but he still WOWED the crowd.

We left the concert talking about how she might sound that great (on the tuba of course) someday if she practices hard...and we also talked about what she would do next year as an eighth grader. She's worked since January of this year at a goal conceived at the fall concert. She wanted to make Honor's Band at her middle school. So...in order to do that, she switched instruments from the trumpet to the double B flat Tuba (with four valves), and worked her fanny off. Most of the semester she had no tuba even to practice on, as the school was short instruments.

The last day of school, the results of band tryouts were to be published. She waited outside the band hall....to see where her name fell. Symphonic Band, Concert Band or Honor's Band....

WOO HOO!! Honor's Band it is. She made it!!! GO LAM!! I'm so proud of her...her determination, and her ability to set a goal and accomplish it even in the face of adversity. What a great quality to have. AND...what a great quality to have in middle school!!

Keep it up girl!

What Fun!!

Learning new things! Boy did we have fun teaching 29 of our teacher friends to Create, Collaborate and Communicate using fun Web 2.0 tools!!

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A Seventh Grader's Memoirs

Here is Layni's 7th Grade Memoirs...the embedded one below is subpar in my opinion. Shame on ScrapBlog for that!!

I'd click here; http://www.scrapblog.com/viewer/vw_full.aspx?sbid=1829870 and in the bottom right corner, slide the sliderbar from the rabbit to the hare...and you'll be all set.

Coco Brushed Her Teeth

Here's what happens when Coco tries to brush her OWN teeth!

I Dare you to EAT one!!

This just made me laugh. Thought I'd share!!

Layni Finally Wins!

We went to an auction last night....and as soon as we walked in....she spied it....it's an antique solid oak piano, dated 1875...and still works like a charm! It's gorgeous...and she's in LOVE!

I'm depressed....

I got stuck in Hobby Lobby yesterday. Literally stuck. There was one whole aisle of beach house decor...ranging from trinkets to very beautiful dishes made to resemble sea shells.

Why did I get stuck? First, because for 14 years I gravitated to beach decor wherever it was, because I was always looking for something new to take to the beach house. It was exciting to bring what I had found to the beach the next weekend and I would lovingly place each new item in the house. I loved to create visual interludes as my eye would survey my domain.

I can't do this anymore.

I am still SO drawn to the beach theme itself. I think it's ingrained. I can't stop.

But what was so heart wrenching was reliving again that awful pang of loss for what I once had...what my family once had, but meant more to me that what I can even express in words. I was stuck in that store aisle, because I wanted to walk away...from the aisle, from the memories, but at the same time, wanted to stay there even more...to remember... to long for what I could only claim now in my memories.

So I stayed...way to long. I thought about every inch of my city house and thought how silly these same trinkets would look if I purchased them and scattered them about.

So, I'm sure each time I see items that represent the beach, I'll have that retching pain, but perhaps with time, that pain will lessen. The memories will never fade, but I'll be able to move on...down the aisle, and not grieve, but reminisce fondly...

Balloon Artist in the Making

Who knew! The love of balloon animals has been ignited! I have to say that I am somewhat impressed, because I know exactly how much coordination it takes to blow up those dad-gum balloons, let alone twist them into something....

Model in the Making

One child, one camera...one video.

Crystal Beach Mardi Gras 09

TCEA...Playing with tools

Farewell to Alaska Malawi

Yesterday was a sad day...Alaska Malawi, my parent's dog brought from Africa in 2000, escaped from my parent's upstairs deck in Crystal Beach, and made it to the highway, where he met his death.

My children will miss him terribly, however, my parents I'm sure are devastated. He was the subject of several children's books written by my mother, whose proceeds were sent to support the orphanages in Malawi, Africa.

This image is just our tribute to him.

Job Security

I went to the dentist twice in the last two weeks...once for a chipped molar (probably due to chewing all that ICE!) and the other time to fill two cavities.

My dentist has been my dentist for a long time...and each time I go and spend TONS of money on dental work, I marvel at what he has at his checkout counter.

This week I decided to snap a picture with my camera phone. I have removed identifying information to protect the innocent!

928 Clara - Post Ike

Lot cleared of debris....ready to rebuild...maybe someday...

Wow...I'm Gonna Be Famous!!

Blogging about all the antics my kids (and my husband) go through for the last two years has really been rewarding...the kids love going back and re-experiencing all the good things... and some of the bad things we've experienced over these two years that Itsashambles has been in existance.

However....a couple of weeks ago, I submitted two of my videos...Coco Climbs the Ladder, and Dad's Version of Mom's Birthday to KHOU in Houston, to potentially be played on air as part of Great Day Houston....(both of these videos are posted on this site)

And lo and behold, both of them were selected. Tonight, I'm attending the taping of that show, and may be interviewed by Sam Malone...(big deal in Houston, not so much anywhere else I don't think).

So, in essence, my kids, my family and myself...live on...through the power of video, and the power of community. It's been a great experience!

The Polar Bear Club

What happens to children when they grow up at the beach? They become immune to water temperature. That's my theory anyway!! 

And now that Hurricane Ike has taken away each weekend trip to 

the beach, one's gotta make due...with the water one can find...and with the outside temperature around 60 degrees, you can imagine how COLD the water is. 

In this first picture you can see the personality and conviction in regards to what they're about to do. Chase is ready and willing, and Ashlynn is willing if Chase is, and Connor SAYS he's willing....but is he really??

And Kylee's face shows it all...the ANGUISH of jumping in the FREEZING water!