tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:33:35 +0000NoahWordless WednesdayMilestonesLukaEthanSan Diego LifeFamilyMamaThe BlogworldBeing a MomBlessingsLife at HomeLife with Little BoysWelcome to my WorldTwinsVideoMouths of BabesHolidaysMama's Latest AddictionVacationContestsMinutiaPhoto EssayMichaelFriendsWritingGiveawaysPhotographyPhotoshopSchoolADHDMemeMemoriesStressBlast From the PastThe 'NetmusicConsumerLandGardeningMama Says OmCraftsArtNatureOdditiesReviews (Solicited)Fun MondayScoutingThe Wide WorldTheaterWorks For Me Wednesdaycaption contestAn urban granola girl's foray into mama-hood in the land of little boys.http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)Blogger381125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-3518550643001233919Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:57:00 +00002011-03-26T10:05:16.984-07:00Mom: Ethan! Why did you take all the tissues out of the box and throw them all over the room!!??Ethan: Luka TOLD me to do it.Mom: (sigh) Look, if Luka told you to get a hammer and smash that window, would you do it?Ethan: No.Mom: Right. And WHY wouldn't you do it?Ethan: Because I don't know where we keep the hammers.http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2011/03/lockin-up-hammers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-7205641289559666974Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:55:00 +00002011-02-24T21:20:58.147-08:00GiveawaysThe BlogworldI am a very happy girl!I spent much of this last week entering the multitude of giveaways in the One World One Heart blogger's giveaway event! It's a fantastic event where many artistic bloggers are giving away little pieces of art they have made in an effort to introduce themselves to new readers and make friends from other blogs. Well, I actually WON one of them, and when I say "little pieces http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2011/02/one-world-one-heart.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-4904313200034128015Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:37:00 +00002011-02-01T08:01:20.785-08:00VideoI discovered recently that there is a flock of parrots that live in our new neighborhood. Yes! Real parrots! Bunches of them! And man, are they LOUD! The stick together in their flock and chatter like old ladies at a church picnic all day long! Take a look!I did a little studying, and they seem to be red headed Mexican parrots. There are a few misplaced flocks of them in Southern California, and http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2011/02/our-neighborhood-parrots.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-2704959619240576339Tue, 01 Feb 2011 05:04:00 +00002011-01-31T21:15:10.485-08:00I had a great time this weekend because we through a little party for my old friend Tina, who recently moved to town and just had her birthday.One of the reasons we chose this house was because it was such a wonderful place to entertain, and this was one of our first real adult dinner parties.We had a bunch of friends, old and new, come for dinner and I made a fantastic (if I do say so myself!) http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-house-old-friends.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-7219631469971428109Tue, 18 Jan 2011 05:51:00 +00002011-01-31T22:14:45.144-08:00With my parents visiting from Florida, we have been looking for "touristy" things to do. They have been here a few times before and we have been finding ourselves doing the same things over and over again.Well, this year, Ethan has been asking us to "take him to the snow"! And even though it is a long drive, we thought, "why not!?" My parents don't live in Ohio anymore, and there are some lovely http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2011/01/snow-in-san-diego.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-2681559704608820552Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:16:00 +00002011-02-01T07:32:32.844-08:00The twins turned FIVE this weekend. How did THAT happen!? And we had invited about 15 kids and their parents over, ordered a bounce house, and stuffed a piñata with candy, only to have it pour rain all day long.Well, we made do, had the pinata indoors, canceled the bounce house, and had a great time. The kids wouldn't let the rain hold them back and a bunch of them went out to ride bikes anyway. http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2010/12/not-gonna-let-it-rain-on-our-party.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-3622501011543346694Tue, 11 May 2010 15:12:00 +00002011-02-01T11:24:34.241-08:00LukaVideoThis is Luka reading... he is four...http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2010/05/luka-reading.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-6628570990481918020Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:35:00 +00002009-12-14T10:40:12.663-08:00LukaVideohttp://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/12/i-mean-really.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-1477489907929448407Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:46:00 +00002009-10-05T11:51:33.188-07:00MichaelNatureNoahScoutingWe had been looking for quite a while for some sort of activity that Noah would really enjoy doing. He was adamant about not playing sports. Even though he seemed early on to have an ear for music, that interest seems to have dwindled. When I tried to sign him up for karate, he freaked out because he thought I wanted to take him to a place so kids could kick him and karate chop him, and he had tohttp://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/10/scouting-we-will-go.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-5172597602046190860Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:59:00 +00002009-06-03T23:00:50.020-07:00FriendsLife with Little BoysSan Diego LifeLuka has become quite the train aficionado lately. He discovered a friend's Thomas trains and little tracks and he hasn't looked back since. I got him a little set of used Thomas trains.He likes watching that insanely boring show on TV, but I have to admit it is completely and utterly adorable to see him hooking up train cars, huddled over his tracks and moving his trains around making little http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/06/all-aboard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-3477409540879874942Mon, 25 May 2009 04:46:00 +00002009-05-24T22:04:42.458-07:00Life with Little BoysLukaMouths of BabesNoahToday, Noah became very frustrated with Luka about something and started saying some very mean and hurtful words. I told him that that kind of talk was not acceptable in our family, and so he stomped off to go draw a picture for Luka to show him his feelings since he was not allowed to do so verbally. He brings the drawing to Luka and presents it.Noah: Here, Luka, this is for you.Luka: For me?http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/05/not-clear-on-concept.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-9125425238099310892Wed, 13 May 2009 18:25:00 +00002009-05-13T11:28:18.567-07:00LukaMemeOkay, so it's Luka's turn. He is a bit behind Ethan in language skills. Pretty good at saying what he wants to say, but not the greatest at comprehending what is said to him. I had to ask him some of these questions in different wording. And this interview was done in about three different sittings because he was a bit frustrated. But it's darn cute.1. What is something mommy always says to you?(http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/05/interview-with-luka.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-3382345838635471693Tue, 12 May 2009 06:17:00 +00002009-05-11T23:26:10.529-07:00EthanMemeWell, I did this "interview your kids meme" with Noah the other week, and so I thought I would give it a go with Ethan next. Ethan is 3 and 1/3 right now. His language skills finally took a jump forward after lagging for awhile, so its kind of fun chatting with him now. Here goes:1. What is something mommy always says to you?Eat.2. What makes mommy happy?Play blocks!3. What makes mommy sad?Draw http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/05/interview-with-ethan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-5815262691346586368Tue, 05 May 2009 07:07:00 +00002009-05-05T00:17:49.370-07:00FamilyMamaPhoto EssayThe Wide WorldThe other weekend we were lucky enough to play host to my father's cousin Elana and her husband David for a few days while the stopped in San Diego during his book tour.Elana and David Wesley live in Israel, having moved there (as newlyweds in their early 20s) to live on a kibbutz in the early 1950's, in the very early years of Israel's nationhood. Their kibbutz was on land near a village that http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/05/zen-and-art-of-peaceful-coexistance-or.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-8314987088103804720Sat, 02 May 2009 21:26:00 +00002009-05-02T11:05:17.502-07:00MamaMemeNoahI found a meme that some of my blog friends have been doing where you ask your kids interview questions and write down their answers word for word. I might try this one with the twins as well, but here is Noah's interview.1. What is something mommy always says to you?Time to go to bed! Time to go to bed!2. What makes mommy happy?My love.3. What makes mommy sad?My little brothers keep having http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/04/interview-with-noah.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-152125622431354907Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:48:00 +00002009-04-28T23:15:38.890-07:00FamilyHolidaysSo, if I showed you photos from a holiday that feels like it was weeks ago, would it hold your interest?Okay, I confess, this post is mostly for the Grandmothers so get over it! Right after the holidays I had some house guests for a few days, and spent a few days preparing for them, so the holiday post went on hiatus.Michael and I come from mixed backgrounds so we tend to celebrate both Jewish http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-makes-this-night-different-from.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-6365919129900448931Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:11:00 +00002009-04-16T14:20:14.001-07:00Life with Little BoysNoahWe've found that we have had to limit Noah's time on the computer because he has discovered Super Mario Brothers and has become a bit addicted to playing it.Okay. A LOT addicted to playing it.But he recently found a downloadable program online that allows him to build actual Mario games, with different levels and such. I think this is actually pretty educational as he can figure out, as he plays http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-little-tech-geek.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-2723184767359127893Fri, 10 Apr 2009 06:14:00 +00002009-04-09T23:42:04.735-07:00Life with Little BoysMilestonesTwinsNoah is out of school for the next month.With his high level of energy and wild pendulum swinging between Most Lovable Kid Ever and the Constantly Screaming Rudeboy, having him home for vacation can either be easier (no carpool to interrupt our day!) to much harder (trying to put out three fires at a time instead of the usual two, while cleaning house, and trying to make life entertaining and http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/04/returning-to-manageable.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-6174014225904246120Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:04:00 +00002009-03-27T12:06:40.981-07:00The BlogworldVideoWritingI've been having a bit of an internal tug of war lately.I've been feeling a bit guilty about the amount of time I spend writing this blog about my family (and reading other blogs) versus the time I spend, you know... spending time with my family.I purposefully took a little break from both (a little cold turkey), and found that once the cycle was broken, I didn't feel the need to keep up with allhttp://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/03/balance.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-974204035901204457Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:22:00 +00002009-03-06T08:22:41.299-08:00On the topic of getting our children to turn off the TV, the computer game and the XBox and just go outside and PLAY, I thought I would share with you this video of a commercial for a laundry detergent from Europe. It's a good illustration for yesterday's post of getting back to nature.Enjoy!http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/03/step-away-from-technology.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-7616696925692066067Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:01:00 +00002009-03-04T23:24:38.252-08:00Being a MomFamilyNatureWhen you were a kid, did you have that special place you would go, somewhere in nature, back when kids were allowed to roam free without telling their parents EXACTLY where they were going? A place where you felt you belonged, a place you claimed as your own? A place in the woods? The edge of a creek? A great climbing-tree? A large bush, even, with a hole you could crawl into and hide?Do you http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/03/last-child-in-woods.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-5821330882392847736Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:01:00 +00002009-03-03T23:34:00.776-08:00FamilyMemoriesMilestonesToday is the 45th birthday of my brother, David. It kind of freaks me out that he and I are now firmly entrenched in our 40's. It probably freaks my parents out even more.I want to thank David for sticking by me all these years... for letting me hang out with him and his friends in the backyard, even if I always ended up hurt and crying after a rough game of "Smear the Queer" (not that there is http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/03/happy-birthday-big-brother.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-4448171459457762696Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:01:00 +00002009-02-25T23:16:42.913-08:00Reviews (Solicited)As most of you know, I am the mom to three boys. And while I am pretty slim compared to a lot of folks, my belly got pretty stretched out when I was pregnant with the twins. I worked hard to lose much of the weight, but there is a good amount of belly flab that a doctor (the hubby) has told me may never go away even with a million ab crunches, because the skin is so stretched out. (Okay, http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/02/review-yummie-tummie-tank-top.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-4458899680613874314Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:47:00 +00002009-02-13T09:50:24.279-08:00MilestonesDo you sometimes feel like rolling your eyes on Valentine's Day; forced to express the love you feel everyday with some sort of heart shaped cardboard? Well, consider this...According to cosmologist Jude Currivan, at dawn on this Valentine's day, the stars and planets will move into the alignment expressed in the song Age of Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In.In her words:"At dawn on 14th February the http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/02/this-is-dawning_358.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1930052491138639118.post-8137725753159204806Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:14:00 +00002009-01-29T23:08:08.557-08:00MamaMemeWritingOver on facebook, there is a wave of people doing a "25 Random Things About Me" meme, and I have been having so much fun reading all my friends' lists. Most of them have tagged me since you are "supposed" to tag 25 people. I often ignore this kind of peer pressure, but I could use some blog fodder, and I figured if I am going to write that much about myself, I am sure as heck going to make it a http://shamalamamama.blogspot.com/2009/01/25-things.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shama-Lama Mama)3