Celebrity Sighting!

How would you act if you recognized someone from TV? Ever wonder? Me neither.  I've worked with sports figures, governors, US senators. I've even got a chummy picture with a former prez!  Today, I'll admit, I totally goobered it.  I know I'm in Los Angeles.  But today's the first day, I experienced  stereotypical LA. You know, actors or semi-anonymous writers, directors.  Everyone in sunglasses and tight jeans with expensive phones looking way to serious and bored at the same time. All aloof, intense attitude in very casual places like Starbucks! 

Anyway, visiting a very dear friend in Studio City (appropriately named, believe me.) I'd promised Sophia ice cream and couldn't find the gelato place Heidi'd recommended (traffic-- whole 'nother post.) With relief Sophia and I tumbled into a rather upscale Baskin Robbins (oxymoron?)  Sassy got a strawberry cone before dinner, she'd been so good in the afore mentioned traffic.  Immediately covered in pink ice-cream and loving every minute of life, a friendly voice called out about how cute she was.  

Honestly, the toddler gushing's getting a little old.  Simply b/c she knows full well they love her! It was nice at the beginning.  The first day her princess dress was such a big hit she put it on before the sun came up and I've had to pry her out of it.  Even without Nana around she knows she's got fans!  Now she oozes charm and I keep trying to crank back the attitude!  I thought it was just a hotel filled with business people?  But seriously, there aren't a lot of kids in LA, do they all live in Orange County? 

 As a mom you're always thrilled when someone spends a moment loving the being you've given your heart to and poured yourself  into. It's a shared moment of joy in cranky world.  This was just one of those moments.  Unfortunately, too distracted by change and sticky fingers I didn't really glance towards the warm voice.  When I did, he waved to a happy set of pig-tails and was gone.  I stood gaping. I think I managed a wilted I'm a big fan!  Only Sassy heard and she didn't care because well, she had ice cream. 

It was his warmth and genuineness that I recognized first, just like I'd seen on TV. (I'm learning people here don't talk to strangers.  And NEVER, warmly across the room) Admittedly, I've never seen JR Martinez on All My Children (I'd admit it, really I would!)  I thought about watching the soap, despite my mothers' opinion of them.  Especially when I caught a segment on THE VIEW about a war vet turned motivational speaker now playing a character on the show.  His humor, purpose and charisma really made an impression on me. Our family's a big supporter of all our Armed Service people.  But today Sophia and I have one more hero.  A soldier turned actor with heart and charm, who smiled at a little girl and made a mother's day. Thank you  JR Martinez.

Sophia's Newest Hero

Daddy's Hands

My Daddy's Hands

I came into the world,
And reached for your strong hands.
My tiny fingers knew you,
Before I could understand.

Your hands proudly held me,
And smoothed my newborn hair.
They'd grow to love to tickle,
And toss me in the air.

Your hands are the teachers,
That catch and throw a ball.
That steady my two-wheeler,
And soften each new fall.

Your hands are the guideposts,
That set and keep the rules.
Offer good advice and wisdom,
And cheer hard work in school.

Your hands are my anchor,
As I leave my childhood home.
Shake my hand and pat my back,
As I live life on my own.

One day I'll have a child,
And come to understand.
The power of the love,
Held in my Daddy's hands.

© 1998 Teri Harrison

Today in California

Couldn't resist this moment to share!  Talk about extremes! Have you seen the weather in Iowa today! As Nate and I were sitting by the pool last night (couldn't wait) I started to think I'd found a new cause in life! To raise awareness for people stuck in cold weather?  What do you think?  Well, it's a personal answer to prayer, God knew EXACTLY when I needed to get out of Dodge.  Thank you Lord!

Today in Iowa

Cedar Rapids Produces All New Record Low Temp
CEDAR RAPIDS - People living in Cedar Rapids can say the weather has shown them another first. 29 degrees below zero. That all-time record was reached at 7:51am Thursday Morning as daily record lows were broken in many eastern Iowa cities. The previous all-time record low for Cedar Rapids was 28 below zero last reached on January 12, 1974.

Wind Chills dipped to 50 degrees below zero in spots. More cold is forecasted before temperatures bounce back into the 20s and 30s above zero early next week.

I Like Your Polka- Dot Mommy

 No matter how old I get I still burn myself with my curling iron!  When I was a kid it was on my forehead, a few weeks ago it was on my face.  Yesterday, I tagged my shoulder.  Now typically this wouldn't necessitate a picture but of course Sophia had her own perspective and I had to share.  When she learned I had an owie she told me: 'It's not a burn mommy, you have a polka-dot!!' 

The Fate of the Free World

Are in the capable hands of these young men and women.  Joseph Ndjerareou aka ND has just been activated to Washington DC for the presidential inauguration.  We appreciate your prayers for all our family this month:  

 Nate and our family  in LA at TOA Technology

Joseph in Washington DC and for future employment.

Dana (my little brother)has at least two interviews this month.  

Mama Ndjerareou is traveling to Rwanda to meet up with Nate's father. 

For our family around the world and for our friends who are being affected by job loss we're grateful for your prayers

We're all smiles here!

Thursday Nate informed me he'd have to be in California for the rest of the month.  When we were first married we committed not be apart for longer than two weeks.  This was something we felt God place in our hearts and thankfully He has helped us keep our commitment.  So Sophia and I will be joining Daddy in LA tomorrow till the end of the month!   

Just in time too!  We've gotten about a foot of snow in the last few days and look to have temps as low as -20!!!  Nate informs me-- it's 80 in LA this week (THAT'S ALMOST A 100 DEGREE DIFFERENCE!)  

We could use your prayers though! Although it will be great to get sunshine, Nate's work is reaching a crucial deadline and so he's bringing his prayer team out to surround him!  You should hear Sophia pray! She's a little prayer warrior! 

I LIKE YOUR CALIFORNIA DADDY

My husband Nate admits he can't complain that he's going to California in the middle of an Iowan winter.  That doesn't mean it's easy on anyone let alone our daughter Sophia. We've become a recognizable face at our local airport.  So much so that when Nate and Sophia stood by the arrival gate waiting for my plane, the local staff teasingly questioned his presence!  We miss Nate but we like the perks (airline miles! California here I come!)  In the mean time, Sophia's learned to say, My daddy's in California. Until recently she thought daddy worked at the airport.   

Travel perks--lowers our grocery budget--Sophia and I can live on cearle, peanut butter, rice, chicken, veggies and popcorn.  Yeah that's about it.

We NEVER have to buy shampoo or soap again! You can't take more than three ounce bottles on the plane but you can LOTZ of three ounce bottles on the plane. 

Cedar Rapids Airport is insanely vigilant. Confiscating anything sharp or bigger than three ounces.  But recently it seemed they hit a new low when a sweet looking woman asked if we'd like a snow globe?  We were saying goodbye to daddy and a mother trying to take a Precious Moments Snow Globe home to her niece was told she needed to send it or throw it.  Sophia LOVES her snowglobe music box. Personally, I think if people starting hijacking planes with snowglobes?  Well then we have bigger things to worry about.

Merry Christmas!

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland!  From our backyard to our yours!

From our hearts to yours! Merry Christmas from the Ndjerareou's

Tough Day at the Office

4am-Say goodbye to Nate (his decision to take a cab to the airport saved me an hour trip and one grumpy toddler.)

5am-looking forward to an early quiet time, only to discover Sophia’s up anyway having wet the bed.  My bed actually, she’s a big believer in the family bed even if I’m not. 

6am-laundry starts early today!

7 am-discover that the battery has gone out on our thermostat and the house is FREEZING!  How ‘come these things happen as soon as Nate leaves?

8 am-Get in a fight with a curling iron, I lost! Now I look I've been branded on my left cheek! Hello my name is Indigo Montoya, I have a curling iron, prepare to die!

10 am-Mommy gets her hair painted with apple juice.  (Course mommy didn’t know that the brush was wet till afterwards.)

12 pm-Sophia informs me she doesn’t like jelly.  Unfortunately she doesn’t tell me that she’s spit it out on the floor.  Mommy & Sophia get a lesson in chewing when a plain peanut butter sandwich doesn’t get swallowed easily.

2 pm-Sophia decides she doesn’t need naps anymore.  I’m beginning to agree with her.  She sleeps until about 5pm and then of course she’s wide-awake at bedtime!

5 pm-Sassy learns to turn on lamps, in fact she’s so good at it she can completely unscrew the knob!  Unfortunately she can't remember where she put them.

10 pm-Sophia’s finally asleep, in my bed of course! Thankfully it’s just the two of us tonight (maybe I shouldn’t buy generic pull-ups?) 

4 am-we start all over again! 

"I yove going to the Yaundry Nap.  We put the money in and the soap. Then the clothes go 'round and 'round."

Climbing up onto the bed Sophia looked at me without skipping a beat she said; "So? How are you?"

"Mommy? There's a fire in my nose?" Sophia said after seeing her breath become a puff of white in the cold winter air.

Congratulations ND!

On surviving Army Bootcamp & graduating from AIT on December 4th as a Military Intelligence Specialist. And yes ladies he's single!  We're incredibly proud of you Banga and can't wait to see what God has in store for your future. 

As the story goes, when my brother-in-law Joseph Ndjerareou arrived at Fort Leonard Wood for Army boot camp, he knew that he was going to get attention because of our unusual last name. After explaining that the first two letters are silent his peers suggested they should call him N.D. since these letters had been overlooked for the first twenty-four years of his life!   

Your Choice!

Today's weather in Cedar Rapids:  27 degrees, feels like 16, snow, rain and ice. Sophia & I will be staying inside today since most things are closed and my drive way looks like an ice rink.

Today's weather in Los Angeles: 67 degrees, feels like 67!  Although Nate may not get a chance to use the pool, doing anything in LA looks great today!  When he got on a plane yesterday he didn't even take a coat!   

Triple Grande Skinny Vanilla

An oxymoron or a great latte?

“The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are--can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino.”              -Tom Hanks, You’ve Got Mail

   Triple Grande Skinny Vanilla,  as it rolled off the barista’s tongue it sounded more like a nick-name than an order.   I have to admit I kinda liked it.  For those of you who don’t enjoy your vices as much as I do, let me translate. This in Starbucks-speak means I ordered a Medium, Caffe-Late with sugar-free Vanilla syrup, skim milk and an extra-shot of espresso.  Whew!

Most day’s I’m a French-press girl, with a little milk and sweetner, in college I got hooked on coffee with raspberry  syrup and cream, for the price of a cup of coffee I got the feel of a snazzy-latte, it’s been my  standing order ever since.  Pink Coffee, what could be better?   Anything with a shot of espresso has to be fabulous, I love caffeine, put it in my shampoo—anywhere come on! 

Admittedly, I rarely do shots of espresso standing at the bar like the Europeans, but in Paris Nate & I made the ultimate café mistake.  We discovered the real reason for the standing shot! My husband claim’s its to get you back in the game after a two-hour lunch with wine.  True though this may be, standing in the subway station you notice the small ledge with Parisians trying to look non-chalant while they inhale a croissant du chocolate and an espresso.  The incredible smell of fresh bread alone was enough to make me want to hang around. But like the American that I am, I grabbed my breakfast and drink (sans top) and headed to the train, with my husband sort of hanging back—he knew we were being counter cultural but I had no idea!  Till we boarded the train, grabbed a seat and tried to continue our breakfast. After all we had a forty minute ride into the city.  So why was everyone staring? The French don’t stare at ANYONE!  Believe me, you can make-out passionately ANYWHERE! 

There is no private and public space, and they don’t bat an eyelash if you want to use the subway as your bedroom. But God forbid you’d eat there!  The entire time we were in Paris, we never offended people as badly as trying to drink a coffee on the train!  Who knew that the coffee cozy and the burn free lid were such an American invention?  So back to my good American brand latte that comes with a shot of personality. Seeking an identity in a cup of joe, it doesn't get much more descriptive than a Triple Grande Skinny Vanilla. How ‘bout Tall, Double, Skinny, Vanilla, Extra Hot?!?

 Recently, Nate & I returned to the church where we met.  The church sanctuary is a large half-circle and personally it's always been a little distracting. It's too easy to watch other people across the sanctuary.  I distinctly remember watching Nate when I'd come home from Chicago to visit my family.  He always sat on the right side of the church towards the front and it so happens my family ALWAYS sat on the left.  I'm not sure why?  My parents claim their parents were left-side-sitters in their respective Catholic & Lutheran churches.  I guess it was something they had in common, even though my parents now belong to a non-denominational church, where you sat was always a given.   

Not for us.  .  .After three years of marriage we'd never noticed this issue before (probably b/c we were in a different church)  The night we returned, after successfully getting  Sophia settled in the nursery  (a miracle in itself)  we casually entered the sanctuary, took a bulletin, waved hello to a couple of familiar faces and then.   .   .began to walk. .  .to the RIGHT?!?   

I wish I could say that this was no big deal, but I CAN'T HELP IT!  Is this submission?Biblically speaking, isn't the MAN supposed to LEAVE and cleave?  Don't get the wrong idea, Nate didn't force me to convert or anything!  It was just one of those things that was decided in a split-second.   The right side is closer to the nursery,the air on the right seems the same  I've even met some lovely people! (Wink)  

Play Dough Soul

Trying to be a good mom, I took Sophia shopping last night to find the PERFECT toy.  It had to be perfect (within mom's budget of course) b/c it was, well a bribe.  The kind that would sit on top of the fridge and inspire desire and longing so deeply that she would do the deed.  

We came home with store-bought Playdough. The whole she-bang too! Four colors complete with plastic scissors and cheese grater thingys.  Why? I'll tell you why.  I grew up with homemade play dough.  You know--the kind Mom whips-up with food coloring, flour, salt and who knows what else?  Then kept hermetically sealed in a vintage yellow Tupperware?(To this day old Tupperware reminds me of homemade play dough)  Oh yeah, its still around. It made it to my house! Not the play dough, the Tupperware! Those things NEVER die!  

 

In related news, I don't have childhood angst about hand-me-downs or penny pinching. I'm thankful for the budget savvy tips that I grew up with but I guess deep inside is a little girl crying out for real PLAYDOUGH!

Until we tried to clean up!  Thankfully, I caught Sophia before she made it to the carpet! On the bottoms of her shoes all the little pieces flattened into interesting patterns like a wacked-out tie-dye.  Like an ultra-thin Playdough crust, it was embedded in the soles of her new boots (well not new, hand-me-down boots of course.)  

One look at those boots last night and I realized again that its tough to be a mom!  I vaguely remember someone taking a knife to shoes with play dough on the soles, but it certainly wasn't me.  Last night, I didn't have the strength to start.

This morning, I groaned. They were still there.  Waiting for me to use all my mom elbow-grease and magic to restore the practical little shoes.   It wasn't till after Sophia was tucked in for a nap that I got out the butter knife and stared down the shoes. 

 

Scrape, scape scrape, bits of color flying into the kitchen sink.  In the quiet moments, sort of zen like, my mind wandered.  Scrape, scrape, scrape, Play. . .Dough, Play Dough Sole--sounds like a great name for a song or something?  A familiar tune snuck-up on me, from the back of my mind.  One of my favorite musical memories and an artist that supremely shaped my use of words in sound and meaning. 

I began to hum. . . . She's Got Play Dough on the Soles of her Shoes. Scrape, scrape, scrape. Graceland by Paul Simon incorporated South African music during the time when I lived in Swaziland.  The music of hope and freedom when Apartheid was a reality just over the border from my house.  Thinking of this reminded me of that reality and the monumental changes that have happened since.  If Apartheid can fall in my lifetime?  If countries can alter their history? Peacefully?  Right before our eyes?  

My heart went into my throat as it hit me.  We have so much hope to give our children. Suddenly, mid-stroke, the meaningless job wasn't so bad.   In fact, it was perfect.   A moment in life come full circle, perfect note, perfect tune, perfect rhyme.  This is your time baby girl, and I'll do whatever it takes, to give you the world.

Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes

She's a rich girl  

She don't try to hide it  Diamonds on the soles of her shoes 

He's a poor boy 

Empty as a pocket  

Empty as a pocket with nothing to lose  Sing Ta na na  Ta na na na  She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes  She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes  Diamonds on the soles of her shoes  Diamonds on the soles of her shoes  People say she's crazy  She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes  Well that's one way to lose these  Walking blues  Diamonds on the soles of her shoes  She was physically forgotten  Then she slipped into my pocket  With my car keys  She said you've taken me for granted  Because I please you  Wearing these diamonds  And I could say Oo oo oo  As if everybody knows  What I'm talking about  As if everybody would know  Exactly what I was talking about  Talking about diamonds on the soles of her shoes  She makes the sign of a teaspoon  He makes the sign of a wave  The poor boy changes clothes  And puts on after-shave  To compensate for his ordinary shoes  And she said honey take me dancing  But they ended up by sleeping  In a doorway  By the bodegas and the lights on  Upper Broadway  Wearing diamonds on the soles of their shoes  And I could say Oo oo oo  As if everybody here would know  What I was talking about  I mean everybody here would know exactly  What I was talking about  Talking about diamonds  People say I'm crazy  I got diamonds on the soles of my shoes  Well that's one way to lose  These walking blues  Diamonds on the soles of your shoes 

You Can't Make This Up. . .

Sophia loves all things pretty so when Daddy tried to distract her while Mommy was getting ready last week, she got really upset.  Outside my bedroom door I could hear the negotiations as he tried to entice her downstairs.  It wasn't going very well, at least that's the way it sounded to me as I stepped onto the landing and asked Sophia why she was so upset?  A perfectly reasonable question right? With a pained expression and a passionate look on her face she said "No! I'M TALKING TO DADDY!"   It was the little finger she pointed at me that was oddly familiar.  

Sophia's now potty trained!   It's great to see her run to the potty and go all by herself!   Except there's one problem.  No matter what we do (and we've tried LOTZ of things.)  She REFUSES to go #2 on the toilet!   I won't go into all the details--but like I said we've tried everything to get her to complete this task IN THE TOY-LET (the mantra in our house at the moment)  So yesterday when I found her trying to empty her own panties into the commode -- like a cloth diaper. I was so past frustrated I started to laugh!  

"Child!" I said "What am I going to do with you?" Straight faced and without missing a beat she said.  "Child! You can change me!"   

Sigh, there's a reason we call her Sassy!