White Board Paint.

I just saw this on a favorite design blog and had to post about it.



Im so stoked. What a great idea! Ive always loved the look of the blackboard paint, but I didnt like the idea of the chalk. I already have a major problem with dust, dirt and cat hair in my house. I cant do chalk dust too. But with white board paint, the colors are vast and the mess is not so bad. I could see painting an entire bedroom door with this stuff. Apparently you can buy it through Idea Paint and Rust-oleom. This might be a perfect job for Matt to do in his spare time: paint the boys' bedroom doors. If Seamus' door was a white erase board, perhaps I woudlnt be so irritated upon spying this, done in pencil, a couple days ago:



Instead I would be able to respond in kind.

Sweet, Wonderful You... You Make me Happy with the Things You Do.

This beautiful boy had an excellent day at school today.

Seamus goes to "homework club" after school because he doesnt do his homework and/or turn it in. Its the practical consequence for the poor grades he earned last period. They were horrible, so now he goes to homework club every single day. He asked me recently if I could stay after school to check if homework club was necessary. You see, sometimes Shea will get his homework done in class, but if Im not there top pick him up he must go to homework club anyway. This is really upsetting to him. So today, I was waiting after school to see if he had homework when his teacher came out of the classroom.

Mrs. Skraby told me Shea finished all his homework in class, but that he needed to redo some of it because it was too messy. She asked if I could wait 10 minutes until he was finished and I said I would. Then she handed Seamus the work and told him to go inside and do it neatly.

As soon as he was in the classroom Mrs Skraby looked at me and exclaimed "Lisa... he was fantastic today. He stayed in his seat the entire day!"

It goes without saying that I was positively thrilled. I was beaming.

You Got A Friend in Me

This past week I watched my niece and nephew for a couple days. Their parents were both out of town on business so I got to slide in and be 24/7 Auntie for a while. It went really good. I was super tired at the end of each day, but I dont have any complaints.

While the kids were here, I was really happy to see Finn and Eli getting along well. I noticed it right away and it warmed my heart to see them laughing and interacting like friends. They have an interesting relationship. Finn and Eli are four years apart. They are first cousins, but Finn has a hard time being a good "older cousin" to Eli. I think its routed in insecurity. Eli is "my boy." I have a special, fun relationship with him and I believe Finn feels left out of our closeness. He doesnt like it. Case in point, many times while Eli was here he would say unexpectedly "I love you Auntie." He's a sweet boy and would say this often for no apparent reason. Every single time Finn heard Eli say "I love you Auntie" he would retort "I love her more. She's my mother so I love her more." Sometimes he would say this under his breath, but most of the time he would say it directly to Eli as a means of sort of marking his turf. And he wasnt really snotty or mean about it. However, it was obvious that Finn felt insecure about what Eli was saying. Ive seen this dynamic a lot between them. Eli replaced Finn as the youngest boy in our family and I think Finn feels threatened by him.

But during this stay, they got along beautifully. They played together a lot: drawing chalk drawings on the pavement. Collecting grass for Eli's caterpillar, Calli. They laughed and interacted with each other more than Ive ever seen them do. Seamus was gone the first day the kids arrived and I think that had a lot to do with it. Often Finn will side with Seamus when Eli is around. But Seamus wasnt here and that left just Eli and Finn. Allies. Cousins. Friends.

For many months I have prayed everyday for Finn to make one true friend. As I watched them play this week, I wondered more than a few times if that one true friend could be Eli.

Wisdom from Andy Rooney

No. No. No. You're at the right place. This is my blog. Dont be afraid by the picture of the elderly gentleman. Today a friend sent me a chain email with words written by Andy Rooney. While I usually dont appreciate receiving chain emails, I actually enjoyed this one. Instead of sending it out to all my friends as requested, I thought Id post it here with some of my thoughts.



I've learned..... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I absolutely, 100% agree with this first point. I wonder if I would have continued reading if I hadnt had agreed with it so much. I guess Im lucky because I really love elderly people. I do. I love spending time with them. I love their soft hands. I love hearing their stories. I often wish that instead of children I had an elderly person to care for instead. God, I could really benefit from that.

I've learned..... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned..... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned..... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
Its been a long time but I do remember this feeling and Rooney is right - its one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. One of the few memories I have of Finn as an infant is rocking him to sleep in the middle of the night after feedings. We had this little routine where Matt would feed Finn while I pumped for the next feeding. We'd put down Finn together and then go to bed. There were some times however, when I rocked him to sleep and the memories are so beautiful to me now. Im thankful I can still remember those times after 8 years.

I've learned..... That being kind is more important than being right.
Can I get an AMEN on this one? I believe this is one of those classic truisms you can only truly appreciate after much experience and/or beyond a certain age. But man, its so truuuuuuuue! There is such wisdom in hanging up your pride for the sake of being kind. If you had told me this adage as a teenager, it would have been lost on me. Ditto for my early 20s. But now in my late 30s, I soooo get it. I should have this written somewhere big in my house.

I've learned..... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned..... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned..... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned..... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned..... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned..... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned..... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned..... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned..... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
True that! I think that's one of the reasons I value scrapbooking so much. I can capture those small moments forever.

I've learned.... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned..... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned..... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned..... That love, not time, heals all wounds.
Very interesting Mr. Rooney. Im looking forward to learning more about this one.

I've learned..... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
This one made my eyes grow wide with excitement. Wouldnt that be fantastic - to surround yourself with the most brilliant minds in the world. A Lisa McGarvey think tank, if you will. Just from a learning perspective Id so get off on that experience. I honestly cant imagine what doors might be opened in my heart and head. But you know, this reverse of this statement is a little freaky: the easiest way to stunt growth is to surround yourself with ignorant people. Wow. How profound and also scary. Very very scary.

I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
Good reminder.

I've learned..... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned.... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned..... That opportunities are never lost, someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned..... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned..... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned..... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned..... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
Ok... this one really hit home with me. Im 38 years of age and while Im not necessarily old, I am well past my best years, physically speaking. I am feeling my age when I wake up in the morning. Im feeling my age when I hold my neice Abbey for and hour or more. And, more to the point, I see my life's experience drawn out in the lines of my face. Ive become quite self conscious about it recently and its not a nice feeling. But this statement is true. A smile - especially a genuine smile - always makes an impact. It cuts right through any sun damage or wrinkles or scars or acne that might also share your face. I need to remember this one today.

I've learned..... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned..... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
Aaaaahhhh. So true. In fact, I just heard Miley Cyrus (and I dont even have girls in my house) singing about this exact same thing on the radio. Who knew!

I've learned..... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
Boy aint that the truth. I learned this one in college. When I took 20 units a quarter, was working 25+ hours a week and had extra curricular commitments, the shit got done, pardon my French. I dont know how, but it did. I think with me, fear is a motivator. I was afraid I coudlnt get it all accomplished - that it was, in fact, impossible to get done. So I gave it everything I had and by God it worked. Maybe its like that for most people. I know its true for me.

All is Calm... All is Bright.

photo taken at home, the morning Seamus left for camp. 4/20

Its been approx. 24 hours since Seamus left for camp.
Life has been eerily uneventful. Our lives sail along quietly without him. Very mellow and easy. Very relaxed and devoid of tension. One thing is clear: Matt, Finn and I are three very boring people without Seamus around. Im not sure if thats a good thing or bad.

I wanted to share my thoughts on yesterday's departure. I think many things came into play that enabled Seamus to leave without incident or problems. First off: ME. :) I was counseled by some very experienced and smart people. Their advice was sound: if your voice starts to quiver, smile and dont talk. Wear sunglasses. No "Im going to miss you." No "I'll be thinking of you every day." No prolonged goodbyes or last minute reminders. Exude confidence. Smile a lot.

It worked. Not only was Seamus at ease, but I was too. Trying to seem confident made me actually feel confident. Who knew?

Another person who played a big role in his successful departure was his teacher, Mrs. Skraby. When Matt and I showed up yesterday monring, I greeted Mrs Skraby with a "Are you ready for this? " Her response was "Oh yes. Ive done this so many times. We're ready." Again... confidence. Then she added "Its the parents Im worried about. I had to actually pry some part once." Eeeekkk. The class schedule yesterday morning was set: mass first thing in the morning, loading of the gear onto the bus and lastly, a short meeting - students only - with Mrs. Skraby in the classroom. There were about 20 parents hanging out by the chartered bus ready for goodbyes. Some had cameras like me. One parent in particular seemed very, very anxious. We all stood around nervously chit chatting... waiting. After about 10 minutes, the kids came out from their meeting and made a bee line to the bus. No one stopped for hugs or kisses. There were no tears or heartfelt goodbyes. There was no time! The kids literally waved to us as they quickly jumped on the bus. It reminded me of watching a parade - lots of smiles and waves while in concerted motion. Ah ha! That Mrs Skraby is one smart cookie.

Seamus was the first out of the classroom. He practically ran to the bus. At the top of the stairs, he looked at me directly and waved. That was the picture I posted yesterday. He looked happy, excited. There was not an ounce of trepidation in his face and for that I was very grateful.

Elvis Has Left the Building.

He got off great everyone. No tears from Mama or son.
I will write more later.
For now here are the pics I got as he left. They arent the best quality, but there's a story behind them.
More later.

Thats What Friends Are For.

Saturday had us running around like mad. It was Eli's first soccer game and the Beaumont School Community Fair. Both were great but I got a bad farmer sunburn from being out in the sun. Why cant I tan like the rest of my family?

Saturday was the first time Finn had been back to Beaumont since he started at St. Francis. Seamus has gone to baseball practices at Beaumont, but yesterday was the first day that either kid saw their old teachers and friends at their old school. I was nervous. Its only been recently that the boys have appeared resigned to the fact that they are not going back to Beaumont. It took them months to stop asking me to put them back with their friends. Thankfully, they got through the event fine. At first they acted pensive - like they werent sure how to behave. This was particularly true with Seamus. Finn sees his buddies weekly at soccer, but Seamus hadnt seen some of his friends in almost a year. I think he was a little anxious, but once everyone became reunited they got along great. I love how at ease boys can be. They dont over analyze things like girls tend to do. Boys jump in head first and deal with any issues as they present themselves.


After the Community Fair we went over to celebrate my childhood friend's birthday. Lorena and I met in third grade at St. Francis. We've been friends a long time and I was excited to hear that her husband was throwing her a surprise birthday party. All my old friends and their spouses were there: Linnea, Jen, Neil, Darci,Rob, Gina, Keith, Erin and Anthony. We had a great time! Here are a couple pics.


Tomorrow Seamus leaves for Astocamp. He will be gone for three days. It goes without saying that Im nervous as hell to see him go. This will be the first time Seamus will be leaving us overnight with strangers. Please think of us tomorrow. We will need all the good vibes we can get.

Layout Share.

seen in the garden at twopeasinabucket.com

Busy Couple Days

Im trying to make the most of our Spring Break so consequently we've been doing some out of the ordinary activities. I am not one of those moms who likes to be out and about all the time. Hell to the no. That aint me. The boys' extra curricular activities keep me very busy most days so the down time I get is spent at home. However... its Spring Break and we all know the first thing the teachers ask when the kids come back is "What did you all do on your Spring Break." I'll be damned if my kids' answer "Nothing."

Tuesday, April 14: Balboa Park and the Body Works Exhibit at the Natural History Museum.

I can not say enough positive things about this exhibit. It was amazing! My only regret is that I couldnt spend more time there really looking a everything more closely. Science is totally not my thing, but seeing the real muscular tissue and organs of the donor bodies was freaking amazing. Some items I found fascinating: an artificial hip; a pacemaker; a liver with cirrhosis. I mean, really people. These are things I never thought Id ever see in person, but I did and it was rad! I saw real life ovaries with tumors in them. I saw what cancer looked like in the liver. I saw the black lungs of a coal miner. I saw an enlarged heart with repaired arteries. Im telling you, it was mind blowing! They had this one section that was all about the female reproductive system and it had fetuses from 2 weeks to 30 weeks. It blew my mind. They had a pregnant donor body - at five months. You could see the baby in the donor's uterus. I had no idea everything was so jam packed in there, and yet everything had its place. No doubt it was divinely created. I found the whole exhibt to be totally and completely awesome. Im soooo happy we got to see it.

Since the exhibit was housed in the Natural History Museum, the boys and I hung around a bit afterward. They had this neat exhibit on water that the boys enjoyed. And then there were the fossils and interactive stuff. Seamus was loving life. It was a good day.



Wednesday, April 15: Disneyland
Yeah, that's right. I said Disneyland.

Going to Disneyland was not my idea. Those of you who know me will have guessed that already. It was my mom's idea. She LOVES Disneyland. When my mom suggested taking not only my kids but the Pawelek kids as well, I was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Although Disneyland is totally not my thing, I had to admit that spending the day with the kids and my mom at "the happiest place on earth" was an event I was unwilling to pass up.

It was a good day. When we started out this morning, I was dreading the days' events. Seamus woke up in a foul mood. The boys were totally out of control on the drive up to Disneyland. It was cold outside. But all of that changed as the day progressed. The park was crowded today, but not too crowded. Ive been to Disneyland when its really crowded and Ive come to recognize that if I can get on a ride in less than 20 minutes, it aint that bad. The weather was brisk, but sunny. And you know... that was near perfect. There isnt a lot of shade at Disneyland and when you're walking all over the park for hours at a time, it can get hot in a hurry. Today was not hot. I believe the temperature was in the mid to high 60s most of the time and normally that would be entirely too cold for me. But today it wasnt. It felt great. We got to go on a good amount of rides too: Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Autopia and Space Mountain to name a few. The kids werent too whiney. For the most part they were in a good mood. We even saw Mickey and Minnie as we were leaving the park. That doesnt happen without a line but there they were - standing together at the entrance signing autographs. I should have gotten a picture, but we were on the way out and Mom needed to get home.

Although I feel very tired at this point, I must confess that Disney today was a success. Thank you, Mom.

These next two pictures are for Jennifer. She wasnt able to go today and while I told her Id take pictures, I barely did. I think it was just too much to take pictures and manage the kids in the crowds. Barry did excellent, btw. He was fantastic with the kids. And look... he dressed Abbey super cute too.

Los Cuatro Primos

It was sooooo hard for me to get a shot of these four. I think it has just as much to do with their ages as it does their personalities. Seamus was probably the best model. Go figure! He dutifully sat there with that mock smile on his face the whole time. He even helped out with Abbey from time to time. Thank you Seamus! Eli is naturally very animated - always talking and/or asking questions. In every other picture he is a blur. Abbey was sick on Easter. Jen and Barry could get her happy and smiling for a few seconds but then she'd slump into an exhausted state. And Finn... good heavens... I shouldnt even get started on him. Uggh! That boy was sulking and angry the entire time I was trying to take pictures. It made me so mad! Right before we sat the kids down, we told Finn that there were going to be changes in finding the golden egg this year. He didnt like the new rules so he was pouting and pissed off the entire time I was trying to take pictures. After a minute or so of seeing his angry face in every shot, I stopped what I was doing and blew up at him in front of everyone. I was sooooo angry and embarrassed by his behavior. Finn gets so irrationally emotional about things sometimes. Its so tiring and ridiculous. I wonder where he gets that from. Ugh. ;)

Easter Pictures.

Just sharing some pictures from easter. These first few pictures are from our egg dying session. The day before Easter my mom has the kids come over to dye eggs. This year we decorated cupcakes too. Seamus, Finn, Elijah, Abbey, Emily, Isa and Gabby participated.







These next pictures are from Easter. We did lots of the normal stuff this year: easter egg hunt, golden eggs, lamb, ham, jello salad. Other things were different: no confetti eggs and no homerun derby. I actually searched all over the place for those damn confetti eggs. They were no where to be bought and I wasnt going to make them. The Masters golf tourney was on tv so the men spent the day watching golf. No home run derby for any of them. In fact, the only guy I saw stray away from the tv was Barry. He would watch the little kids outside occassionally in order to prevent kids from falling out of the treehouse. The ladies spent the day catching up and eating. Typical Easter stuff.

One different thing I noticed this year was that the kids seemed to play really well together. I dont recall any fighting going on and most of the time all the kids played together as a group. There werent many separations in age. Gabby and Abbey stayed inside of course. They're babies. But there rest of the kids played as a group throughout the day. At one point I went outside to check on everyone and all the kids were playing hide and go seek. Boy did that bring me back to my childhood. My cousins and I used to spend hours playing with each other on holidays. Its neat to see the second generation do the same.

Easter Vigil - 4.11.09

We went to Easter Vigil at our church last night in order to celebrate Matt's initiation into the Catholic faith. This picture was taken before we left. The boys looked so handsome.

The mass was very meaningful and long. We didnt get back until after midnight. It was done in three languages: English, Spanish and Vietnamese. I really liked hearing the liturgy that way. The ritual of our Catholic mass is the same everywhere so even though parts were in a different language, I knew what was going on anyway. They baptized 52 new Catholics last night - full immersion into the water. I had never seen that before so it was neat to experience that for the first time.

Of course the star of the evening was Matt. He is now a fully initiated member of the Catholic faith. My parents and my Grandma Nena joined the boys and me for the occasion. It was very special and something I will remember for a long time.

When Matt and I met, it didnt matter to me that he wasn't Catholic. I grew up in a family where my parents weren't both Catholic and I think it shaped me in a positive, culturally sensitive way. My view on spirituality has always been pretty broad. I believe good people are rewarded by a greater God in various tangible and in tangible ways. To me it doesnt matter how you worship or even if you worship. What matters is the kind of life you live. Matt becoming Catholic doesnt change the wonderful man he is. He still has the same beautiful heart I fell in love with 14 years ago. I think what does change is that we are now a Catholic family. What that means remains to be seen. But for now it feels pretty neat.

I love you, Matt. Congratulations.

Seamus' Playlist

I added Seamus' playlist to the margin this morning. I love that he has a collection of songs he knows by heart and loves to hear. Shea's playlist is on my ipod and on the computer so he can access it whenever he wants. I believe the first song we put on his playlist was "Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith. When Seamus began playing soccer, we used to listen to it on the way to his games in order to pump him up. That was 5 years ago! Many other songs have been added to Sweet Emotion over the years. We have accumulated his playlist over time. As a song comes into his favor, I add it. Here is a run down of some of his favorites.

If You Want Blood - ACDC. This is probably my favorite ACDC song and Ive passed down my love for it to Seamus. He knows all the words and gets very excited over the chorus.

Blitzkreig Bop - The Ramones. "Hey ho... Lets go!" The chorus on this song gets very loud at times.

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen. Who doesnt love this song? Recently Seamus' teacher played this song during class and Seamus was super excited because he recognized it and knew most of the words. ha ha

We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister. Seamus is into this online community called Club Penguin. One day he and his friend Ryan were watching videos of the penguins moving around to this song. They got such a kick out of it and were laughing and bobbing their heads to the music. Later that day, Seamus asked me if I knew the song and if I could buy it for him. It was the first (and hopefully not the last) time he ever asked me to buy him a song.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day & Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz. These two songs were added last summer after Seamus participated in Rock Camp. He learned to play the drums to these two songs. The picture above was taken while he drummed along to Fly Away.


While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Eric Clapton. This is originally a Beatles song, but the version on Seamus' play list is from the Concert For George cd and is done entirely by Eric Clapton. Im a huge Eric Clapton and Beatles fan so this cd got a lot of play when it first came into my possession. I used to play this song a lot cause I love the guitars on it and I guess some of it rubbed off on Seamus cause he too loves this song.

Hells Bells - ACDC. When Trevor Hoffman was with the Padres ((sniff sniff)) they would play Hells Bells before he entered the field to pitch. Seamus has been going to Padres regularly his entire life so he recognized and enjoyed this song from an early age. When he was in the first grade he realized that this song was a real song and not one that was only heard at Padres games. From that point on, he would often ask me to play it in the car or for his friends. I think this was his first, favorite song.

I'll try to put the links to the songs as soon as I have more time.

The Wheels on the Sprinter Go Round and Round

This kids finally started Spring Break this week so to commemorate their first day off, we took a ride on the Sprinter yesterday. The Sprinter is a commuter train that runs every 30 minutes through Vista. I think its been up and running for about 2 years. Our first day off coincided with my 10 year old cousin Emily being in town so we took her along for the ride.

I was not a fan of the Sprinter when the idea was conceived several years ago. I didnt want a train bisecting my hometown and bringing with it noise, unwanted traffic stops and the overall feeling that I was living in Disneyland. But after riding the Sprinter yesterday, I realized there are lots of positive aspects to it operation. Its only $2 to drive to the coast. That's pretty cheap. It was very conveniently located both in Vista and in O'side. And the ride was smooth and quick - overall a very pleasant experience. If the Sprinter can cut down on traffic and therefore help diminish the environmental affect of cars, then sacrificing Vista's aesthetic beauty on my side of town is something I can tolerate.

We took the 10:30 train out of town and it got us to the coast just before 11am. The train terminal is centrally located in Oceanside. The beach, the pier, lots of food joints and a movie theater are all within walking distance. We hopped off the train, checked the listings at the movie theater and then bolted over to Ruby's which is located at the end of the Oceanside Pier. The hostess got us fantastic seats overlooking the ocean. Between chicken tenders and hot dogs, we spotted a few seals swimming along the coast. So cool! After our lunch, we walked to the movie theater and watched Monsters vs Aliens. Personally, I could have done without the movie. Im not a fan of cartoon/kid movies and I thought this particular movie was pretty lame. However, I saw the preview for Where The Wild Things Are, one of my favorite children books by Maurice Sendak, so that was a thrill. Unlike me the kids enjoyed the movie, so from that standpoint it was worth it. From the movie theater we trekked back to the beach to play and find shells. Miraculously Seamus did not get too wet. I was a little afraid he might jump in the water fully clothed (he's done it before) but he didnt. Thank God. After about an hour at the beach, we headed back to the station and bought our tickets home. As we were waiting for the train my mom called from work. Mom actually works downtown in O'side - about 5-7 blocks from the train station. She offered us a ride home so we hiked up to her school and she took us home.

I was exhausted by the days events. We packed a lot in for one day. But Im excited for the next opportunity to ride the Sprinter again. It was a good day. :)

Art I Like

Just sharing some art I saw recently. The artist's name is Jennifer Mercede.