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<?xml-stylesheet href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/atom10full.xsl" type="text/xsl" media="screen"?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css" type="text/css" media="screen"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:openSearch="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/" xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0"><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703</id><updated>2008-08-20T13:19:05.204-07:00</updated><title type="text">Adventures of Law School Mama</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/" /><link rel="next" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default?start-index=26&amp;max-results=25&amp;redirect=false" /><link rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><generator version="7.00" uri="http://www.blogger.com">Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>469</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><link rel="self" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama" type="application/atom+xml" /><feedburner:emailServiceId>1063720</feedburner:emailServiceId><feedburner:feedburnerHostname>http://www.feedburner.com</feedburner:feedburnerHostname><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-6747604542924258064</id><published>2008-08-20T13:08:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-20T13:19:05.212-07:00</updated><title type="text">Last Minute Beach Trip</title><content type="html">Wife and I got in a last minute family trip to the beach this past weekend. Yippee! When we found out it would be over 100 degrees at home, we lucked onto a place at a beach about two-and-a-half hours away. We were only going to stay Saturday and Sunday nights, but were having such a great time, we opted for another night! Yeah, us! We stayed at a condo two nights, which was nice, but not quite on the beach. For our bonus night, we stayed at a nice hotel right on the beach - a quick walk down two flights of stairs and we were in the sand :) The view was spectacular and we will definitely stay there again. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Besides the ocean, what made this trip especially fun was that we found out the local casino has a child care center that you can drop your kids off to have fun while you go and gamble. Well, at least I believe that is the intent. We've barely even walked into a casio, but imagine our excitement when we found out you could leave their resort and go wherever since the center gives you a pager! There was lots for the kids to do and they loved it so much wanted to go back, so we let them go two days in a row. Mommies got to have a child-less breakfast and lots of shopping at the outlet mall. Way fun! We managed to get some clothes for the kids, a purse for Wife, hand soap from Bath and Body works for me, and while we did not see any &lt;a href="http://www.footwearetc.com/Clarks-Shoes/"&gt;Clarks shoes&lt;/a&gt;, there were many shoe stores to check out, too. Big fun was had by all. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This weekend I start on my homework for next week, but the last HURRAH sure was worth it!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/370313471" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/370313471/last-minute-beach-trip.html" title="Last Minute Beach Trip" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=6747604542924258064" title="0 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/6747604542924258064/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/6747604542924258064" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/6747604542924258064" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/08/last-minute-beach-trip.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-3439902937257039436</id><published>2008-08-09T19:07:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-09T19:33:41.944-07:00</updated><title type="text">Stumbled Upon a Great Read</title><content type="html">I've been reading a really good book called The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. It was a book I found in the out-of-the-way trading library in a lunch room at work. The description caught my attention, and since I'd been hopping from one book to the next for the past few weeks, nothing grabbing me, I figured it was worth a shot.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;From The Publisher's Weekly review: "Caldwell and Thomason's intriguing intellectual suspense novel stars four brainy roommates at Princeton, two of whom have links to a mysterious 15th-century manuscript, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. This rare text (a real book) contains embedded codes revealing the location of a buried Roman treasure. Comparisons to The Da Vinci Code are inevitable, but Caldwell and Thomason's book is the more cerebral-and better written-of the two: think Dan Brown by way of Donna Tartt and Umberto Eco." It's been fun to delve into the Princeton atmosphere through the eyes of college kids young enough to still be dealing with &lt;a href="http://www.acnecuresrevealed.net/"&gt;acne&lt;/a&gt; and first love, but also deeper issues such as the nature of friendships and the paths chosen throughout life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Da Vinci Code was more of a heart-pounding, page-turner than The Rule of Four, but this book is nearly as enjoyable in that it works on different levels. The relationship between the characters is almost a story that could stand alone without the mystery element. Fun stuff! I'm not really ready to trade in my fiction escapism for case law books. Oh, well, ready or not, here they come!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/360768988" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/360768988/stumbled-upon-great-read.html" title="Stumbled Upon a Great Read" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=3439902937257039436" title="1 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/3439902937257039436/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/3439902937257039436" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/3439902937257039436" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/08/stumbled-upon-great-read.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-1513571062752598736</id><published>2008-08-09T18:54:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-09T19:05:24.740-07:00</updated><title type="text">Family Fun Can be Exhausting!</title><content type="html">Wow! What a week it has been! Starting last Saturday we've been on vacation. Our activities included the opening of a local park (which included a dog park opening, agility course for dogs, kick ball and parachute games for the kids and a free BBQ), visiting Wife's family 4 hours north of home for more park fun, a petting zoo, two family birthday parties and BBQs, a few kidless hours of outlet mall shopping for Wife and I, a nice morning on a beautiful beach, games at Chuck E. Cheeses, and after three nights, back home for the Children's Museum, a local park which included a 1.2 mile hike around a lake (Princess spent about a quarter or so of it on my back), and going to see Wall E. Oh - and camping out in the backyard. We are on our third night :) Whew! At this rate of activity, there will be no need for &lt;a href="http://www.dietpillsdietpills.com/"&gt;diet pills&lt;/a&gt;. Family fun is quite a work out for us all!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The kids are finishing up videos while Wife and I blog, and soon we'll tuck them into their beds in the tent, pop our own DVD in the laptop, and settle in for 2-3 episodes of Boston Legal. Neither of us is ready for vacation week to end, but we are squeezing in every last bit of fun we can!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/360746358" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/360746358/family-fun-can-be-exhausting.html" title="Family Fun Can be Exhausting!" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=1513571062752598736" title="1 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/1513571062752598736/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/1513571062752598736" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/1513571062752598736" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/08/family-fun-can-be-exhausting.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-6497980046259811007</id><published>2008-07-29T13:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-29T13:07:04.154-07:00</updated><title type="text">Boston Legal - Seaon 3 - What Happened?</title><content type="html">So, any other Boston Legal fans out there?  I know there is at least one of you who lurks. What the heck happened with Season 3? After two sharp, tight, witty seasons, the first couple of episodes of Season 3 feel almost like a different show. My first guess is a new set of writers.  There are two new characters which I hope I grow fond of because right now, I only kind of like the woman, but not so much the man. I don't expect this tv show to provide the secrets of the universe, or even an &lt;a href="http://getacnetreatments.com/"&gt;acne cure&lt;/a&gt;, but I do &lt;br /&gt;want my old, familiar characters, challenging situations and  witty banter, thank you very much. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We will continue Season 3 tonight and hope it gets better.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/349765759" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/349765759/boston-legal-seaon-3-what-happened.html" title="Boston Legal - Seaon 3 - What Happened?" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=6497980046259811007" title="1 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/6497980046259811007/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/6497980046259811007" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/6497980046259811007" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/boston-legal-seaon-3-what-happened.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-1589969481543768526</id><published>2008-07-21T10:48:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-21T11:21:39.513-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Boston Legal" /><title type="text">Guilty Pleasures</title><content type="html">&lt;a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SITR4AgLdJI/AAAAAAAAALw/KSaGrunPU80/s1600-h/Boston+Legal+2.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SITR4AgLdJI/AAAAAAAAALw/KSaGrunPU80/s400/Boston+Legal+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225532227794465938" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This summer we discovered &lt;a href="http://abc.go.com/primetime/bostonlegal/index?pn=index"&gt;Boston Legal&lt;/a&gt;. Oh, I know we were not the first to discover it, but like our ancestors before us, things are not truly relevant until we are involved. We are now involved. Deeply, passionately involved.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I love the relationship between Denny Crane and Alan Shore. Denny is so wonderfully unpredictable and does not hesitate to use his money and power in inappropriate ways. His republican stances are ridiculous enough, though played completely straight, that there can be no mistaking where the writers' political preferences lie. Alan is pure brilliance in human form. Wife was in love with him from nearly the beginning, wanting to somehow heal his wounds. I enjoyed his boldness, but was not a true devotee until season 2 episode 6, "Witches of Mass Destruction." In this episode, Denny is very angry with Alan for taking a case that calls into question governmental activities in the war. Denny believes that good Americans always support their government in times of war. Alan says some profound things to Denny including that as loyal Americans, we have to start talking about the war, even if we don't agree, we must not remain silent.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This show is filled with social and political commentary, but in such a way that it is blended in perfectly with what is really a character-driven series. It is smart, sexy and very funny. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Being a William Shatner and Candace Bergen fan, I always figured I'd enjoy Boston Legal. Wife has friends that have told her we should watch it. Still, we just never made the time, plus, it is hard to start a show mid-season. Thanks to Netflix, this summer we've made it most of the way though the first two seasons, and hope to have watched season 3 by the time I start back to school at the end of August.  Good times!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/341781733" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/341781733/guilty-pleasures.html" title="Guilty Pleasures" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=1589969481543768526" title="3 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/1589969481543768526/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/1589969481543768526" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/1589969481543768526" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/guilty-pleasures.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-788873893556129371</id><published>2008-07-18T12:56:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-18T13:07:52.264-07:00</updated><title type="text">I Love Al Gore</title><content type="html">&lt;a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SID39FQuiGI/AAAAAAAAALg/WMMV02Lp81o/s1600-h/Al+Gore.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SID39FQuiGI/AAAAAAAAALg/WMMV02Lp81o/s400/Al+Gore.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224448196506191970" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I just watched a video of an amazing speech given by Al Gore. In it, he poses a challenge to the American people:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When JFK challenged America to put a man on the moon in a decade, many called it impossible, but we did it. Today's challenge: power our nation on clean energy in 10 years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The devastation being caused by climate change, by our economy, by our reliance upon carbon based fuel sources is bleak, and only getting worse. Al Gore addresses the harsh reality head on, but then also proposes a solution and his reasoning for why it will work.  Moving to clean energy NOW is our chance to save our environment, bring good jobs into our economy and become a true world leader again.  Check out &lt;a href="http://www.wecansolveit.org/"&gt;the video&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/339297926" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/339297926/i-love-al-gore.html" title="I Love Al Gore" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=788873893556129371" title="4 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/788873893556129371/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/788873893556129371" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/788873893556129371" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-love-al-gore.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-963387519864975120</id><published>2008-07-17T14:51:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-17T15:23:46.414-07:00</updated><title type="text">Camping Adventure Games</title><content type="html">This past weekend we set up the tent and had a camping adventure right in our own backyard. While we did not manage to sleep outside as a family, we still had loads of fun! (Night #1: Boy Wonder could not sleep with the neighborhood noises still happening, so he and I went in while Wife and the Princess slept outside. Night #2: Neither child could calm down enough to sleep outside, but were out within minutes once we retreated to their own bedrooms.)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As a fun thing to do, I bought a bunch of inexpensive party prizes, plus a few large water blasters as "end of the game" bonus prizes, and set up a bunch of "camping" games.  We had an adventure trail, complete with a stop where we saw a snake and had to balance on one foot for the count of 10 before proceeding, an obstacle course, a river crossing that looked remarkably like a slip-n-slide, two fishing holes and a treasure dig (prizes in the sandbox). We also did a 3-legged race (I agreed to hop on one foot so they would have someone to compete with), a potato sack race, a knock the cups down with a ball game, and a game I made up called "Bugs and Bats" (Boy Wonder wanted to be able to imitate a bat...so I went with it.) that allowed the kids to move forward a certain number of spaces based on whether the bug named crawls or flies, with bats thrown in occassionally for fun.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Below are a few pictures of the fun.  If you check out Wife's blog, she is likely to post more about this within the next few days. (The first picture is their adventure map of where all the games were located.)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_EPYsZ8VI/AAAAAAAAAKg/J18QmznbmCg/s1600-h/camping+weekend+map.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_EPYsZ8VI/AAAAAAAAAKg/J18QmznbmCg/s400/camping+weekend+map.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224109861378847058" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_EQl-uKTI/AAAAAAAAAKo/l0H_Sc-2ldk/s1600-h/camping+weekend+sack+race+2.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_EQl-uKTI/AAAAAAAAAKo/l0H_Sc-2ldk/s400/camping+weekend+sack+race+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224109882125199666" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_ERSLGH2I/AAAAAAAAAKw/tKtLr-04OtY/s1600-h/camping+weekend+snakes.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_ERSLGH2I/AAAAAAAAAKw/tKtLr-04OtY/s400/camping+weekend+snakes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224109893988261730" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_ERha8mNI/AAAAAAAAAK4/0fmTXnD0A5I/s1600-h/camping+weekend+obstacle+course.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_ERha8mNI/AAAAAAAAAK4/0fmTXnD0A5I/s400/camping+weekend+obstacle+course.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224109898081278162" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_ESHJFcJI/AAAAAAAAALA/6hU2ajlT4yY/s1600-h/camping+weekend+river+crossing+2.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_ESHJFcJI/AAAAAAAAALA/6hU2ajlT4yY/s400/camping+weekend+river+crossing+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224109908206907538" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_FCl1GnYI/AAAAAAAAALI/Vp2IlxVOeeY/s1600-h/camping+weekend+ball+game.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_FCl1GnYI/AAAAAAAAALI/Vp2IlxVOeeY/s400/camping+weekend+ball+game.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224110741078318466" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_FC_gGd1I/AAAAAAAAALQ/JJ3Z3VcviV0/s1600-h/camping+weekend+fishing.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_FC_gGd1I/AAAAAAAAALQ/JJ3Z3VcviV0/s400/camping+weekend+fishing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224110747969550162" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_F6V0WOzI/AAAAAAAAALY/EINZUPW68Ew/s1600-h/camping+weekend+3-legged+race+2.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SH_F6V0WOzI/AAAAAAAAALY/EINZUPW68Ew/s400/camping+weekend+3-legged+race+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224111698852854578" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/338448726" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/338448726/camping-adventure-games.html" title="Camping Adventure Games" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=963387519864975120" title="5 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/963387519864975120/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/963387519864975120" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/963387519864975120" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/camping-adventure-games.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-2792413492172492560</id><published>2008-07-16T12:31:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-16T12:42:25.311-07:00</updated><title type="text">Mid-summer scramble for plans</title><content type="html">Wife and I have realized we've reached mid-summer, and though we'd not planned on any significant vacation are both desperate for an escape from our normal routines. I've been scanning all travel and other web sites for great deals both near and far and though I've found some crazy airline prices, ads for &lt;a href="http://www.consumerpricewatch.net/phentermine.php"&gt;cheap Phentermine&lt;/a&gt; and ways to lose 10 lbs in 10 days (Why is it that diet ads are everywhere?), I've found nothing that we feel good about spending too much money on. While Disneyland is the preferred destination, it is also quite costly. Park Hopper tickets alone for a family of four, for five days runs over $700! Ouch. Maybe something that won't require driving for 14 hours with two kids is a better bet.....So, now I am seeking a closer destination with a view and maybe a hot tub. Might settle for two beds anywhere far away from the household responsibilities and within easy driving distance of shops and parks to explore. Stay tuned!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/337364604" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/337364604/mid-summer-scramble-for-plans.html" title="Mid-summer scramble for plans" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=2792413492172492560" title="2 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/2792413492172492560/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/2792413492172492560" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/2792413492172492560" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/mid-summer-scramble-for-plans.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-6338369232823439192</id><published>2008-07-10T08:55:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-10T09:08:50.518-07:00</updated><title type="text">New TV!</title><content type="html">We went out and purchased a 26" LCD HD TV last night. Name brand for $424 including tax; beat the Costco price by $75. I don't want to do any research on the exact model in case there are bad reviews. Wife made me promise not to be so uptight about checking reviews before buying since we've had great luck in the past with both name brand and never-heard-of brands. I really wanted to get a name brand though, which worked out well, since the best sale we found was on a name brand.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Our previous TV was a 19" tube TV, so this is quite a change for us. So far, we are enjoying it, though we've not gotten to watch it much, yet. Our Princess fell asleep while in the car last night shopping for TVs, stayed asleep in her stroller while in Costco, and then was good to go until 10:00 last night, when we insisted she go to sleep with us because it was Mommys' bedtime. Picture is crisp with good color, as long as you are not sitting too close. Good clarity from the side angles, too. I can't wait to try a movie on it :)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We can't really take advantage of the HD TV capability yet, since our Dish Network receiver is not HD. I guess if it ever becomes terribly important to us, we will do something about it. I can't really see that happening though. It just isn't a priority for either of us.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, there is one task taken care of - and we did it before the other TV totally stopped working. Yippeee!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/331862057" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/331862057/new-tv.html" title="New TV!" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=6338369232823439192" title="3 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/6338369232823439192/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/6338369232823439192" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/6338369232823439192" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/new-tv.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-397252213239275479</id><published>2008-07-10T08:30:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-10T08:54:45.510-07:00</updated><title type="text">Personalized Books</title><content type="html">I wrote the other day about our weekend trip to the bookstore and how much our kids love books. We have read our Little Princess both of her new books several times each day, as well as reading her this week's new library books many times. Each child is part of our library's summer reading program where they get a prize for each 5 hours of reading completed. We can read to them, or them to us, or them to each other. Is is a fun program and the kids like the prizes. I think they have just about earned their second prize. We can probably get it this weekend - even though they just picked up a prize last weekend. Yes - we do a lot of reading!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This week I came across a web site with personalized &lt;a href="http://www.personalizedstories.com/"&gt;children's books&lt;/a&gt;. These are the ones that are printed with the child's name, hometown, best friend and such throughout the book. They have quite a good selection of books with characters children will know, like Dora, Barney and Spiderman, plus generic things like dinosaurs. For a customized, hard back book, the prices are not bad - in the $15 range. They also have customized CDs and DVDs. The DVDs are a bit pricey at $30-45, but I have to admit, would make a great present. These are ones that they put the child's information and picture into the music or movie. There is a Christmas one about a child saving the holiday from Jack Frost's attempt to ruin it that I am sure Boy Wonder would LOVE! The technology is like the dancing elves website that gets passed around at Christmas - where you paste your photo onto a body, so it may be a little disturbing for adults, but I am positive our kids would go nuts over it. Surely these are not everyday kinds of items, but as special presents, I think they would be big hits!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/331843298" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/331843298/personalized-books.html" title="Personalized Books" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=397252213239275479" title="1 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/397252213239275479/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/397252213239275479" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/397252213239275479" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/personalized-books.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-3590364562393084347</id><published>2008-07-10T08:13:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-10T08:29:35.615-07:00</updated><title type="text">More demands for clean air?</title><content type="html">Is the allergen level really higher than before? Seems like more people are talking about their allergies bothering them this year than previous years. I'd say it started around spring and is still happening. Certainly it could be true; I've not looked up any data. Maybe our mild winter combined with a late start to the hot summer weather increased and expanded the normal spring allergies for people. Lots of stuffiness, red eyes and drippiness (I know, "gross".) with speculation of cold vs. allergies. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Is an increase in allergy symptoms the reasons more people are investing in indoor air filters, like &lt;a href="http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/blueair-air-purifiers.html"&gt;Blueair&lt;/a&gt;, or is it just that we are more aware that our air could be cleaner? With the technology available, and somewhat affordable do we NEED cleaner air to breathe as we sleep or mostly just want it "in case" it helps? Certainly there are those with medical conditions that need it, but what about everyone else? (I guess it depends on where you live.)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;More folks are putting in hard wood or tile floors and giving up the cushy carpet - mostly a designing trend or mostly that carpets hold in dirt, dust mites, mold and assorted other nastiness? I personally prefer the look and feel of carpets so choose to not think too much about them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How about it? Are we worse off or just more aware? Probably both.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/331819317" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/331819317/more-demands-for-clean-air.html" title="More demands for clean air?" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=3590364562393084347" title="2 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/3590364562393084347/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/3590364562393084347" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/3590364562393084347" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/more-demands-for-clean-air.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-1660836624274661407</id><published>2008-07-09T08:21:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-09T08:44:51.374-07:00</updated><title type="text">"Just Moms" Seek More</title><content type="html">As I've mentioned, we had friends visiting from out of town this past weekend. It was really nice to have so much interaction with other adults. On the rare occasion that Wife and I see other adults together, it is usually only for a couple hours at a family event, and doesn't resemble daily life since we are together to "do" something - like celebrate a birthday. These friends just came to our home to hang out - we sat, we talked, we interacted with the kids, we ate, we sat and talked some more. Low pressure - no expectations (Thanks D &amp; L!) - just like daily life - only better because we didn't have to do our regular chores since we were entertaining guests :) &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Wife and I noted that we barely have real friends anymore - she has play group and mom friends (and computer friends) and I have work and school friends, but they are really context specific, and not people we just hang out with on a Friday night. There are a lot of reasons for this, I suspect - partly, the kid factor, partly the lesbian factor, partly the being exhausted at the end of the week factor and partly the being social sounds like a lot of hassle factor (even though it is so well worth it). Besides, I suspect once we know people well enough, neither of us would mind if the house was not spotless and we didn't have proper food and beverage to offer. (OK, OK, so our house has not been spotless since....uh...probably 2002, before we moved in!)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We are a couple who has slipped into being "just moms," operating mostly on a functional basis that involves child care, dog care, house care....but guess what? We are actually well-rounded adult human beings! I know - crazy right? We have interests, thoughts, are capable of reading books, partaking in &lt;a href="http://www.quickavrentals.com/"&gt;computer rentals&lt;/a&gt;, playing a rousing, drunken game of Pictionary or Cranium, and interacting with other adults. I think we have decided we should try out the whole well-rounded adult thing, which includes getting together with friends, more often. Heck, it might even be fun!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/330884275" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/330884275/just-moms-seek-more.html" title="&quot;Just Moms&quot; Seek More" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=1660836624274661407" title="3 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/1660836624274661407/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/1660836624274661407" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/1660836624274661407" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/just-moms-seek-more.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-2509919901215039473</id><published>2008-07-09T08:10:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-09T09:01:11.991-07:00</updated><title type="text">The TV Blues</title><content type="html">I fear the sad day is approaching when we must say goodbye to our current television. It is a big 19" screen TV that we bought to watch the summer Olympics on in 1996. Yes, I know 19" is not big, but it was a significant leap from the 13" screen we had at the time. Our picture is disappearing more and more frequently, caused most likely by some simple loose part, juggled loose from the kids jumping around so much in the living room.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There was a time, mostly during my childhood and before, when it was worthwhile to have things like televisions repaired. Not so much anymore. It would probably cost us at least a third of the cost of a new TV just to have someone look at it. So not worth it for a 12-year old set that will probably have other things giving out on it soon.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So now, we must consider our next move. Sometimes, I really like doing research before a big purchase, but right now, I am just not that interested in finding out about &lt;a href="http://www.buy.com/cat/lcd-hdtv-panel-flat-screen-hdmi/18955.html"&gt;LCD HDTV&lt;/a&gt;, flat screens, resolution, warranties, reviews..blah, blah, blah. I just want a good TV for a really low price that is easy to use. I want it to magically appear in my house, connected to all the crazy cables upon which our happiness depends, and with a sleek remote control waiting on the coffee table strategically placed next to an icy, cold margarita. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*POOF*&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Oh, sorry, I was gone for a moment there.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Guess I should start doing some research...&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/330922983" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/330922983/tv-blues.html" title="The TV Blues" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=2509919901215039473" title="1 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/2509919901215039473/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/2509919901215039473" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/2509919901215039473" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/tv-blues.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-6969139283081203263</id><published>2008-07-08T09:10:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-08T09:30:41.755-07:00</updated><title type="text">Books and More Books</title><content type="html">Our family loves bookstores :) Not such a bad thing to be encouraging in our kids, really, other than it can get expensive. (We use the library a lot, too!) This weekend, while some friends were visiting us, Boy Wonder convinced us that it would be a good idea to go to a bookstore to buy him some more beginning reader books. Well, what parent can argue with that? We all headed to the local Borders since our friends were also interested in getting a book on CD for their RV trip home.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Princess immediately found the two books she wanted to take home - one called &lt;em&gt;I Wear My Tutu Everywhere&lt;/em&gt; and another that is a Dora book about visiting the dentist. Boy Wonder went through many wants - including some dog and dinosaur books that were not age-appropriate - and finally was happy with Invisible Stanley and a series of easy readers called Animal Antics - 10 small books in one pack. Our friends ended up indulging each child with a gift as well, finger puppets for the Princess and a Coloring Book/sticker/ penguin set for Boy Wonder. The kids really made out during that trip!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Moms did not manage to purchase anything for themselves, passing by the books on pop stars, politicians, meditation, &lt;a href="http://acnexus.com/"&gt;natural acne treatment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, castles, and various paperbacks that appeared to be light summer reading. Oh, well, we're each already working on previously purchased books, and have both been enjoying the kids' books - some of them over, and over, and over.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/329955385" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/329955385/books-and-more-books.html" title="Books and More Books" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=6969139283081203263" title="2 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/6969139283081203263/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/6969139283081203263" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/6969139283081203263" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/books-and-more-books.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-5426491257827105265</id><published>2008-07-08T08:41:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-08T09:05:20.319-07:00</updated><title type="text">Did I really just say that?</title><content type="html">Crazy the stuff that just comes up in conversation, isn't it? When talking with adults without kids it might be about a kitchen gadget or politics or a sale or the &lt;a href="http://www.pricesexposed.com/"&gt;best diet pills that work&lt;/a&gt;, but when the focus turns to kids, the conversations are really odd. I am often amazed by the things I have heard myself say (note I have not included the ones that include reference to bodily fluids or body parts): &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Don't lick the grass."&lt;br /&gt;"Yes, his underwear is on backwards, but at least it is on."&lt;br /&gt;"Don't paint your face with ice cream."&lt;br /&gt;"Did you say your face is blue because you colored it with chalk?"&lt;br /&gt;"No, use your napkin, not the dog's tongue."&lt;br /&gt;"You need to believe me when I say that big rock will hurt if you drop it on your foot."&lt;br /&gt;"How did you get yourself in there? Maybe if you straighten your leg and twist your head this way...No, that's not going to work."&lt;br /&gt;"I don't care if she did start it - stop licking the dog!"&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ah, kids, a constant source of amusement...&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/329927083" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/329927083/did-i-really-just-say-that.html" title="Did I really just say that?" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=5426491257827105265" title="4 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/5426491257827105265/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/5426491257827105265" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/5426491257827105265" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/did-i-really-just-say-that.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-4890758286756538972</id><published>2008-07-08T08:18:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-08T08:39:34.226-07:00</updated><title type="text">Brief Weekend Update</title><content type="html">Our nice long weekend was enjoyed by all, with somewhat less enthusism shown by the dogs than the humans. Loud fireworks - oh, heck, even quiet fireworks- are not something either of our dogs apppreciates. Maddie did not bark at them until Jordan started, but then it turned into a regular barkfest with neither dog pleased about the noise at all. I finally figured out I could distrct them by feeding them popcorn. Hey, whatever works :)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am sure Wife will go into more details about the adventures over the past few days, but I will say the blow up pool, sandbox, swingset, colorful &lt;a href="http://www.theworldofgolf.com/categoryplus.asp?clubtype=Bags"&gt;golf bags&lt;/a&gt; and assorted other kid toys were big fun for our kids, their cousins, and the family and friends who enjoyed watching them play. We did have some rain, which cut down on a few hours of outdoor time, but afternoons generally ended up sunny.  As a bonus, the rain did mean less chance of fires from the fireworks, and no need to water the lawn. Good all around!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/329912733" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/329912733/brief-weekend-update.html" title="Brief Weekend Update" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=4890758286756538972" title="1 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/4890758286756538972/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/4890758286756538972" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/4890758286756538972" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/brief-weekend-update.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-8756362258511863940</id><published>2008-07-03T11:04:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-03T11:13:27.191-07:00</updated><title type="text">Ready for the 4th?</title><content type="html">Is everyone ready for the three-day weekend? I know I am! While I am looking forward to spending some extra time with the family, and catching up with some old friends that will be visiting, I am not looking forward to the neighborhood sounding like some sort of battle zone. On the 4th of July itself, I get it. I really do. I even enjoy the pretty fireworks in our neighborhood at night. What I do not get, nor enjoy, is that our neighborhood has already been "celebrating" for a week. Last night was already so loud and constant that we had trouble getting the dogs to go out to do their thing before bed. All that noise makes them nervous. So far, Maddie only barks at them if Jordan starts it. She is a good dog, but she is easily led astray. He has already taught her to howl when we leave the house, and bark at the neighbor's dog at our back fence. Nice. Perhaps he should use his powers for good :)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We'll just be keeping it low key, hanging out in our backyard, having a few family members over for some food, and watching fireworks from our own backyard, probably long after everyone leaves. Hmmm....maybe I should have made up a nice &lt;a href="http://www.chesapeakebaygiftbaskets.com/"&gt;gift basket&lt;/a&gt; for us all to enjoy as the evening winds down....some dessert, a bottle of wine, toys for the kids...Yes, that would have been nice. Maybe I will do that as a surprise some Friday night, and include a new movie! What a great idea!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Enjoy!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/326001933" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/326001933/ready-for-4th.html" title="Ready for the 4th?" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=8756362258511863940" title="2 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/8756362258511863940/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/8756362258511863940" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/8756362258511863940" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/ready-for-4th.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-2561863239453994368</id><published>2008-07-01T09:07:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-01T09:08:42.635-07:00</updated><title type="text">The Beach Test</title><content type="html">Thanks to &lt;a href="http://noendingjourney.blogspot.com/"&gt;Lynilu&lt;/a&gt; for this fun one:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;table width=350 align=center border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td bgcolor="#EEEEEE" align=center&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style='color:black; font-size: 14pt;'&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What the Beach Test Says About You&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;center&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.blogthingsimages.com/thebeachtest/beach.png" height="100" width="100"&gt;&lt;/center&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You like people, but you're careful about who you get close to. Friendship is important to you... so important that you aren't just friends with anyone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You fall in love with ease and confidence. Even if you've had bad experiences in the past, each new love is a reason to start completely over.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You are a passionate person. You are free wheeling, fun loving, and ruled by your emotions.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Your sense of humor is very physical. Your facial expressions or spot on imitations of people are hilarious.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogthings.com/thebeachtest/"&gt;The Beach Test&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/324157646" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/324157646/beach-test.html" title="The Beach Test" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=2561863239453994368" title="6 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/2561863239453994368/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/2561863239453994368" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/2561863239453994368" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/beach-test.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-6936735485618307723</id><published>2008-07-01T07:43:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-01T07:52:22.987-07:00</updated><title type="text">Just Hangin' Out</title><content type="html">We had a really nice weekend just hanging out at home. After the grocery shopping was done, we had no more "have to-s," which was really nice. We filled the blow up pools for the kids. Yes, pools, plural. There are two since they are both small and this allows them to play together, or separately. It is important to have lots of room if you are practicing your surf board moves, you know!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In between supervising pool play, computer games and reading lots of princess stories, Wife and I actually got to read a little bit of our own books while sitting on the back patio. That was nice. Wife got in a bit of rest time since she was not feeling well much of Saturday, but on the mend by late morning on Sunday. By Sunday afternoon, we were all tired, but content. It wasn't exactly the stuff of &lt;a href="http://www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com/"&gt;Orlando vacations&lt;/a&gt;, but a good time was had by all none-the-less!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/324099371" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/324099371/just-hangin-out.html" title="Just Hangin' Out" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=6936735485618307723" title="1 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/6936735485618307723/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/6936735485618307723" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/6936735485618307723" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/07/just-hangin-out.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-326135183082171315</id><published>2008-06-25T09:32:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-06-25T09:42:20.693-07:00</updated><title type="text">Summer's Heating Up</title><content type="html">Summer is here! Can I get a great big, "Hallelujah!"? The warm weather and blue skies are making us all feel happier and more cooperative. I know weather is crazy everywhere, and considering we've not been hit by anything catastrophic, I have little room to complain, so I will just make an observation. We have gone from highs in the low 50's about two weeks ago to a possible 98 degrees this weekend. It might be nice to have had a real spring and eased into the high temps, maybe hung out in the 70's or low 80's for a couple weeks, or so. Anyway, glad both of our cars have air conditioning and that we should not need to replace the &lt;a href="http://discountcompressor.com/"&gt;a/c compressor&lt;/a&gt; in either vehicle. We did some costly work to Wife's AC last year, I believe it was, plus had a heat pump installed in the house a couple summers ago, so we are ready for the heat! Get out the kiddie pool and bring it on! (Though I would be happy to not experience a true heat wave....just putting it out there....)&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/319836672" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/319836672/summers-heating-up.html" title="Summer's Heating Up" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=326135183082171315" title="1 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/326135183082171315/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/326135183082171315" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/326135183082171315" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/06/summers-heating-up.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-4289108625730694319</id><published>2008-06-19T10:26:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-06-19T10:37:06.854-07:00</updated><title type="text">Shifting from School to Summer</title><content type="html">I wonder how many of my classmates are good at switching from academic mode to real life. I am doing quite well. I am feeling really good about not reading 200+ pages of case law each week and struggling to stay awake during night classes. I am loving driving home in the sunshine and seeing my family during dinner.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What I have discoverd is that my creative self starts getting very loud and demanding. Wife and I have both noticed this pattern. Once I can turn off a big piece of the regimented, linear thinking, my mind goes wild and wants to create - on the computer, in the garden, on the digital camera, on paper - anywhere, everywhere! &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I don't want to think about serious things like politics and the economy, talk to &lt;a href="http://www.somersetmortgagelenders.com/"&gt;mortgage lenders&lt;/a&gt;, or read the paper. I want to be surrounded by positive things, have fun with my family, spend time in the sunshine, and focus on creating rather than worrying about all the things in life there are to worry about. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Boy Wonder's last day of Kindergarten was yesterday. (How did that happen?) We celebrated with a trip to Red Robin last night (his choice), today is a gorgeous, sunny day, and it feels like summer can really begin. Though it is supposed to be a wet weekend, maybe by next weekend we can set up the tent in the backyard and really welcome summer with a backyard camp out, completed with campfire and S'mores!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/315591609" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/315591609/shifting-from-school-to-summer.html" title="Shifting from School to Summer" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=4289108625730694319" title="2 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/4289108625730694319/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/4289108625730694319" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/4289108625730694319" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/06/shifting-from-school-to-summer.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-5308948769454356517</id><published>2008-06-19T10:19:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-06-19T10:25:23.568-07:00</updated><title type="text">I'm Baa-aaacck :)</title><content type="html">I have battled a cold for about three weeks. At the end of last week it turned into a horrible sinus infection and possibly pneumonia. It wasn't such a great weekend, with my head feeling like it would explode every time I bent slightly to one side, but it was gorgeous weather! I got to spend some time with Wife enjoying our &lt;a href="http://www.teakwickerandmore.com/"&gt;outdoor furniture&lt;/a&gt;, and watching the kids play in the yard. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This week, though feeling like I was successfully beating the sinus infection, we were unsure about my lungs and some other symptoms, so finally I went to the doctor. She agreed my body was fighting successfully, that I possibly had "pre-pneumonia" and to come back in two days if I was worse or not at all better. Fortunately, today I feel better than I have in weeks! I am still a bit drained, but in comparison with earlier this week, feelin' great! Wife and kids seemed to have avoided the worst of this, so we are now ready for a fun and healthy summer!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/315576414" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/315576414/im-baa-aaacck.html" title="I'm Baa-aaacck :)" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=5308948769454356517" title="1 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/5308948769454356517/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/5308948769454356517" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/5308948769454356517" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/06/im-baa-aaacck.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-5874485382932512009</id><published>2008-06-12T14:03:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-06-12T14:09:13.448-07:00</updated><title type="text">The Sun is Here!</title><content type="html">&lt;a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SFGPfyliWoI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/EpiAd5vMIsw/s1600-h/Sun+is+here.bmp"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_wO8FY9ShFm4/SFGPfyliWoI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/EpiAd5vMIsw/s400/Sun+is+here.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211104020162304642" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Being deprived of the sunshine for so long makes it that much sweeter when it finally arrives.  People are leaving my work building in droves to soak up a little happiness. We are literally going outside, turning our faces skyward, and basking in the glory shining down upon us.  This morning - gray, gloomy, cold (in the 40's). This afternoon - beautiful, sunny, blue sky, temps in the 70's.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;LOVING IT!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/310681041" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/310681041/sun-is-here.html" title="The Sun is Here!" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=5874485382932512009" title="3 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/5874485382932512009/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/5874485382932512009" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/5874485382932512009" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/06/sun-is-here.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-5630813069620893174</id><published>2008-06-12T09:20:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-06-12T09:27:32.699-07:00</updated><title type="text">Out of the Mouths of Babes</title><content type="html">My sweet little princess was trying to trace her hands a couple nights ago. I was cooking dinner, and when she asked for help, I hurried over between tasks, traced her hands, and went back to what I was doing. She took the pencil and tried to do what I had done. I heard a few sounds of frustration and then "Damn it! I can't do this."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It took all I had not to laugh and to tell her that was an adult word (Damnit - one word?) and she was not to use it. I think she settled on "nuts" instead. As I was trying to recover, I ventured towards the back of the house where Wife was folding laundry or cleaning &lt;a href="http://www.everyslipcover.com/"&gt;slipcovers&lt;/a&gt;, or something. We met in the hall since she had heard part of the conversation, and both of us burst into laughter when I told her what our darling daughter had just said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I have to admit, I was very impressed with her proper use of the word, and perfect inflection, expressing her defeat and frustration. Too cute.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/310510789" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/310510789/out-of-mouths-of-babes.html" title="Out of the Mouths of Babes" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=5630813069620893174" title="2 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/5630813069620893174/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/5630813069620893174" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/5630813069620893174" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/06/out-of-mouths-of-babes.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14835703.post-3136665592135038267</id><published>2008-06-12T09:11:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-06-12T09:18:57.810-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="free time" /><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="summer" /><title type="text">Free Time?</title><content type="html">I was just talking to a friend/co-worker who asked what I was doing with all my free time now that I am not in school. I just laughed and referenced my kids. By the time I get home, spend a little time with them, make dinner, play a bit more, do baths, stories and bedtime, it is about 7:00 or 7:30 and I am wiped out. It occurred to me last night that normally at that time I would still be facing an 8:00 class. There are so many summer projects I'd love to tackle - gardening, reading some mindless summer &lt;a href="http://www.buy.com/dept/Books_Bestsellers_Online_Bookstore/106.html"&gt;books&lt;/a&gt;, perhaps a writing project, and I won't even go into the disaster that is our garage, but wow, after working all day and only spending a couple hours with the kids, I am exhausted. Thank you, Wife. I know you do this every day, and I totally see how by the end of the day all you have the energy left to do is read or write blogs. At this rate, I'll need to go back to school to get some rest! I think, with the sun coming (yes, it is coming!), that should increase my energy level. I hope!&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~4/310510790" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AdventuresOfLawSchoolMama/~3/310510790/free-time.html" title="Free Time?" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=14835703&amp;postID=3136665592135038267" title="0 Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/feeds/3136665592135038267/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/3136665592135038267" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/14835703/posts/default/3136665592135038267" /><author><name>Dakota</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01993401735263016044</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><feedburner:origLink>http://lawschoolmama.blogspot.com/2008/06/free-time.html</feedburner:origLink></entry></feed>
