Welcome to the Jungle...

Gunnar and I have a game we play that is all make-believe. (Most of our games are pretend. Like when we play Polar Express and we dance around the living room pretending to be on a train singing, "Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot Chocolate!"; however, our jungle safari is outweighing magical train rides to see Santa.) He calls it Jungle, Hunt, or Shoot. I like to call it Super Stealth Stalking Scheme. Gunnar, for some reason, has not been able to pick this title up yet. I'll have him tested for speech therapy next week. Anyway, Jungle is played by finding all the animals hiding in the jungle. We skalk around the house, excuse me, the jungle hunting and once we capture our prey we either put them in cages or we make nice rugs with big huge heads at one end for our cabin. He loves this game. I love to see his imagination developing. In his mind we become out-backers on safari, hunting the rarest and most beautiful creatures known to the animal kingdom. Our house morphs into a heavy, wet, mosquito-filled jungle with hunters searching for their timid, unknowing, and innocent prey.

The unforgiving thicket that even a machete can't penetrate.

Our weaponry. It's state-of-the art for hunting in our jungle mind you.

Our prey. Captured.

Creatures with unknown identities; faceless beasts.

The coat on this one will get us a valuable price at the swap meet.

Prey. Caged.

Unfortunately the hunters were unavailable for pictures today. (We played super early. Gunnie was in a diaper and I well, let's just say, the picture wouldn't have been pretty, but alas, beauty is not the life of a hunter and gather.)

p.s. We did make ourselves presentable for pictures later in the day; went to Disneyland for family pictures this pm. That will for sure be a part of tomorrow's posting. It was delightful and Jessica Claire is a photographic genius! Can't wait to share some pics and details.

Marc Jacobs Knock-Off

Gunnar had a Geen Bug, I have a green bag. I bought it on the streets of New York when I was there visiting my girlfriend Olivia a summer ago. I get compliments on it wherever I go. Some people even ask me if it is a Marc Jacobs. (Yeah right. It cost be 20 bucks, but hey if that's what they want to believe, cool.) It is perfect for all of my gear and it also is big enough to carry Gunnar's essentials while still looking like a hip and cool article of clothing.

These are the current contents in my knock-off:

• my cell phone which is on it's last leg. The 9 and the # keys only work when great force is applied. I hope Santa is really good to me this year and that a new Moto Q shows up in my stocking.


• my business cards. I have a small but lucrative tutoring business. I help students write their college essays, improve their English skills, and learn Spanish. I also act as a therapist during my tutoring sessions, listening and making sense of teenage angst and drama. I am so grateful for my opportunities to tutor. I am thankful for the extra things it provides us and for that portion of my brain that is still functioning even though I am not in a full-time classroom.


• a package of Orbit gum. I love gum; I chew it almost all the time because I am paranoid over breath. I should switch to mints; Oprah says chewing gum is like keeping a piece of masticated meat in your mouth.


• some random toy Gunnar got at Wendy's in his kid's meal. When you push a button on its back its wings flap. Cheap thrills.
a student's University of California essay that needs to be proofed before we meet on Thursday

diapers and wipes. I almost had to use the diaper myself the other day. I was headed home from Kate's shower were I drank a ton of water. My drive home was over an hour due to two accidents and weekend traffic. I seriously considered using the diaper in my big, green bag. I will leave you to your own creative ideas of how.

a target bag. it's the kind that is made out of recyclable goods and can zip down into a little compact tote. Gunnie and I use it to carry our library books home after we go on Monday mornings.

aaggghhhh. my Hobo clutch. This houses my Mac lip gloss collection and all of my bling. I love this bag. I can't wait to switch to the green one my girlfriend April got me for my birthday last year; it will be perfect for the holiday festivities.

2 pairs of sunglasses. Who knows why. Both are brown.

my point and shoot camera. That takes fair pictures but doesn't hold a candle to my reb.

my palm pilot. Which houses my brain.

anti-bacterial hand moisturizer, wet ones, and tissues. To clean, wipe, and console or hold snot.

gift cards waiting to be spent. (Thanks again for the Nordstrom love Kate.)

highlighters, pens, and my flash drive.

4 random chap sticks.

an empty pack of gum.

eye drops that don't bring any relief.

tampons.

gum wrappers.

the largest consumer of space, my school books: Preparing to use Technology and Accomplished Teaching(News Flash. For those of you just tuning in I am two weeks away from being done with my first semester of grad school.

and a smaller book (that has nothing to do with school, but everything to do with me keeping up with one of my abilities)called Rimas, Leyendas, Cartas Desde Mi Celda written by Gustavo Becquer who I am sure was a tremendous Latin lover. When I am standing in line some where, waiting at the doctor's office, when I have extra time in between classes, or when church is boring (JUST KIDDING!), I like to have something to read or to occupy my thoughts. I am trying to read books in Spanish to help keep up my language. (A few year ago, ok, not a few, several years ago I went on a year and a half pilgrimage to South America's hottest spot, Ecuador. I went to teach people spiritual and temporal self- reliance. I learned a lot about Jesus, myself, love, acceptance, seeing others non-judgmentally, and how we all, on some basic level need each other to survive in this life. I also learned how to kill small rodents with merely a broom, how to persevere scabies and flea bites, how to surmount cold showers, how to swallow rice wallowing in oil with a smile on my face, and how to enjoy eating fried bananas both sweet and savory. I also learned how to speak Spanish. There was a time when I spoke quite beautifully, now the ice cream man looks at me funny when I try and talk to him about work. To keep up my language I try to speak to natives when I can, I tutor kids that need help with Spanish, and I read Spanish books. That brings us to the contents of my purse...) right now I am reading, in my spare time, or when I am waiting somewhere, this book written by this dude Becquer. My most favorite piece I have read of his so far, one I studied my last year at BYU, which still resonates with me is this:

This is him. See what I mean? He just looks like he was a real lady killer.

Por una mirada

un mundo

Por una sonrisa

el cielo

Por un beso-

no se que te daria por un beso.

Please disregard the spots that require accents marks. How do I do that on this program? Here's your homework. Find someone who speaks Spanish and ask for a translation. For those of us living in CA, AZ, or NY it should be easy. Just step outside your residences and hail the first person you see. Once you get the translation, think about the passion behind the sentiments. What in your life are you this passionate about? Consider it's meaning, maybe even discuss it with your translator. Then I would like a 5 paragraph essay on how this theme is demonstrated in your life. It is due on my desk by tomorrow. Good luck.

p.s. If you don't get it leave me a post and I will translate.

p.p.s I really want to know what in your life sparks this much passion and energy.

These are the contents of my Marc Jacobs Knock-Off.

the thoughts running through my head-dos

why do i feel like i am drowning, but my lungs are full of life?
what can i sell to buy the actions for photoshop that i so desperatly want?
why does one meal, thanksgiving dinner, cost so much money?
will i ever be able to speak spanish like i did 10 years ago? probably not. why was it so hard conversing with the ice cream man today?
where can i find a reprieve from all of the lists i make?
why does gunnar still cry when i take him to pre-school?
how will our family pictures turn out tomorrow?
the boys both got haircuts; at least they will look hot!
hopefully tomorrow will be a good hair day for me too.
is this life one big funky dream? am i dreaming right now? will i wake up to see God soon?
am i going to do well next semester with fullerton's hardest professor who already thinks i am a loser because i needed help registering for my classes?
when will jaren ask me out on a date? i hope we are still going steady.
my fabric for my curtains came. look out tonya. will she still be able to help me? can i afford her?
am i going to enjoy the holidays this year or will they pass me like a winter wind?
will my house ever be decorated the way i want it?
will the christmas party i dream about having every really come to fruition?
will i be able to stay awake in class tonight? will tara be able to captivate my mind with new ideas on student assessment and teacher development?
is chocolate a suitable dinner idea?
how late will i be up tonight working on homework?
will i sleep in tomorrow or be up for a nice energetic walk with my all-time favorite 2 year old?
did i spend enough time today on the carpet playing with my son?
does he know that when i tell him i love him i mean it from the very depth of my spirit and being? i love him so much sometimes it hurts.
what should i wear to school? is greasy hair fashionable for grad students?
i'll let jaren take care of dinner, again, tonight.