Just the Sous Chef

WOW, just WOW

2012-01-29T21:55:00.000-08:00

Yep, this might just be the longest I have neglected this blog - bleck!!!

I am alive, we are alive ... after over a week of some one sick we are (hopefully) making our debut back into the real world tomorrow.

In the meantime, my little inquirer turned SIX three days ago, yep, SIX ... since when did SIX become so mature?! The poor guy came down with a nasty little bug on his birthday and several birthday plans had to be postponed ... but the best part, extra time with Mommy and Daddy ... especially all that extra time playing Skylanders with Daddy! These boys are hooked!

One hundred pennies

2011-08-31T15:27:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know, I have not been blogging ... for a LONG time!

Summer is coming to an end and I am not sure if that is a good thing. Our mornings are about to start earlier and our days will end later. We are all sure to sleep well every night!

I am going to miss our summer days of playing around the house and not being in a rush to get any where. I am going to miss my constant chatter all day long with my soon to be Kindergartener . Although something tells me the chatter is not going to stop?!

I am reminded of a funny conversation with him last week. L has always loved Lottery tickets. The ones you scratch off to reveal if you won any money. I am pretty sure he gets this gene from my family as I am quite certain my Grandma played the lottery up until she passed and you can bet the rest of my family is still playing. L had won $2 from a scratcher and was waiting patiently for Daddy so he can cash it in. We went back and forth about how it was actually $1 profit rather then $2 even though, yes, she would in fact give him $2 for the ticket (but reminded and explained it orginally cost him $1 so he technically only won $1). After explaining this to his 5 1/2 year old mind he exclaimed, "I am still happy I won, a dollar is still a lot of money, right?". My response, "well, not really." He then very quickly and admantly responded, "WHAT??? A dollar is ONE HUNDRED pennies, ONE HUNDRED is A LOT!". A couple minutes later DH returned to take him to CVS to cash in his lottery ticket. After explaining to DH the conversation L and I just had DH said, "That's great. You gotta love a man who understands the value of a dollar!".

**My soon to be Kindergartener L pictured above on one of our "Summer 2011 Bucket List" activities .... a train ride down to San Juan Capistrano!**He said it was one of his favorite summer activities**

Happy (belated) Easter

2011-04-27T21:32:00.001-07:00

Making this a new family tradition ... a family picture in the courtyard at our church after Easter Mass. This shot was done on purpose. I have always remember last year's picture: it has become my mental picture of our family last year. I wanted to see *one year forward*. I like what I see. Our lives are blessed.

Oh, note to self, don't have L wear the same shirt two years in a row. Especially if you plan on doing this every year. LOL!!!

Spring Fling in Full Bloom

2011-04-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Easter is upon us and we are in full bloom with celebrations. Last weekend, fun at the Irvine Regional Eggstavaganza with Grammy and Papa. Is it possible to be loved more then these kiddies?! I don't think so!

Then ended our weekend with our Annual Palm Sunday celebrations with Godparents and God-siblings complete with their very own Easter Egg hunt.

Spring is in the air, love is in bloom!

Alone Date Day with Mommy & Daddy

2011-04-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

I truly enjoy my time at Treasured (Rick Warren's Saddleback Church's version of MOPS). I go once I week and always feel uplifted afterwards. It is there that I felt encouraged to periodically plan one on one fun time with each of our 3 kids. Yesterday we did just that with our Little Miss Middle, E. And what a treat for us ... enjoying Disneyland through 3 year old!!!

Pictureberry

2011-04-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

Just seconds after this picture my (fairly) new Canon compact point and shoot camera took a hard fall on the cement. Lucky for me we have a National Canon Service Center located in the very same city we live in. I will not say this is by accident, I definitely think God knew this when Canon became our choice for Point and Shoot cameras (Nikon for the big guys!)! I have seen the inside of that service center 3 times more then I should in 5 years. But this time my sincere thanks goes out to them!!! It is under warranty and being repaired FREE of charge ... music to my (I mean DH's) ears!!!

I am sure you can gather from the above pic why the camera fell hard on the cement but just in case, let me explain ... while trying to capture my sweet 19 month old eating frozen yogurt on this GORGEOUS Southern California Spring day last week I quickly had to lunge to catch that ~~pushed over~~ falling frozen yogurt.

Final score: Yogurt: 1, Camera: 0 (or dare we say)

C: 1, Mommy: 0 (I have a feeling this is going to be a trend)

Raise your hands

2011-04-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

More often then not (I am embarressed to say) the DVD is turned on in the car. I did make it a point a few months back to ONLY play educational DVD's (& it is working as all their spelling and reading skills have exploded) and any Disney type movies would only be reserved for long road trips (oh, if dead I would *surely* be rolling over in my grave at just the thought of this!). But Parenthood can certainly challenge you in many ways and make you "eat your words" because I can't recall a time before kids that I would ever say a DVD would or should be played just to take L to Pre-K! *sigh* But, safety first, right? Can you really drive with three whiney, screaming kids ... SAFELY?? I think NOT!

But yesterday, after a long, oh I mean, LOOONNNNGGGG day ... we all enjoyed each others company (IE: NO DVD) on our way to meet Daddy for our weekly Friday night dinner OUT. We played our "raise your hand" game. If you are not familiar with this game, it goes like this ... "Raise your hand if ... (insert what ever you want here).". That is it. Simple. And the kids LOVE it. The best part last night was that C actually is now really participating. At her 18 months of age she would raise a hand here or there and give that devilish smile we all adore. And when this one came ... "Raise your hand if you love your big brother.". She instantly threw up TWO hands in the air and gave a big smile and "yeahhhhh!". To which the big brother responded with a beaming smile and proud eyes, "Wow Mommy, I think two hand means she loves me double-y.". With a bigger smile, "right?". Yep, he is right, his littlest sister adores him ... okay more like AAAAA - D-O-R-E-S him. I love to see these life long relationships unfolding before my eyes *think*breath* take it in*, I will never forget these moments. Will they ever believe at this young of age I knew they would be forever connected? It is an amazing thing ... to create a FAMILY!

Animals in the bath

2011-03-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

It has become quite routine around here on a school day. L goes to Pre-K at noon so we don't have too much time to do anything too exciting on those days and often times tend to entertain ourselves around the house (puzzles, coloring, play-doh, etc.) before eating an early lunch and dropping L off at school. Today I wanted to add in some old activities and get a little more variety in our before school routine. It was a thought I had just this morning so to the craft cupboard I went in search of what we already had and saw several bottles of shaving cream I had been neglecting. Let's just say I might have figured out why they have been neglected for the past year! I did not remember what a mess it was ... in fact, I am pretty sure it was not nearly as messy last time or I would have definitely remembered. At least mission accomplished: we included a unique activity we had not done for a long time and one we will likely not do for a long time but one they really enjoyed (until Mommy hit a realization that all of them would need to be changed and cleaned off before school drop off and got a little snappy during clean up).

**Well, after looking at those smiles we just might have to do this again but definitely in summer time when I can just wash them off with the garden hose!

*** oh, by the way, the title of the post "animals in the bath" doesn't mean MY animals ... I hid little plastic farm animals in all the shaving cream for them to find but I can see how some one could come to that conclusion *** wink wink ***

The little engine that could

2011-03-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

I know I neglect this blog but I know I will never give up. If nothing more than a note here or there it is my life, it is my story, it is my memory that I want to keep alive ... it's of a wonderful life. I life full of busy mornings, busier days and even busier evenings. We are a family of five: one Mommy, one Daddy, one FIVE year old, one THREE year old and one EIGHTEEN MONTH old. We never give up and even with all our busy mornings, days and nights we still make time for our traditional Family Friday Night dinners. I am so happy that in only five years we have already created this wonderful tradition of Friday night dinner's OUT! Tonight we played "I spy" for the majority of dinner (they are getting good at this game, even though some times they need a hint here and there, Mommy can get pretty sneaky) and it couldn't have been filled with more laughter, more smiles, or more love. I love my little family. I love what my DH and I have created. I love that these are the memories we are creating for them.

**Pictured above: my three little monkey's in our hotel bed during our recent fabulous vacation to The Phoenician in Scottsdale, AZ ... another "tradition" as I have a pic of all 3 in bed at each of our hotel get-a-ways, I call it our obligatory hotel picture already!!! What do you think they are going to say when they are teenagers and I ask them to pose in their jammies in bed?! LOL! Well, what's tradition good for if it doesn't make your teenage kids *roll their eyes*?! We know they will cherish these as adults, right???

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

So L declared to me the day before Valentine's Day that, "Valentine's Day is for Mommy's and Daddy's and sisters and all that kinda stuff." And I knew what he meant. He meant a lot of pink, red, fluffy, flowers and all that kinda stuff he thinks is girly but I was not suprised first thing yesterday morning when he ran into our room at 6:45am asking to go down stairs to see if there were any Valentine treats left by Cupid. There is only so much he can pretend to not like about girly things, really, who doesn't like candy and chocolates from some one you love ... and first thing in the morning?! :-) To his fortunate surprise he and his sisters were greeted by Valentine treats of candy, chocolates and stuffed love monkies!

After celebrating a nice romantic night with my fabulous DH on Friday night it was a special family love celebration yesterday that could not have been any better and included heart-shaped pizzas that they devoured (yes, even my picky eater L!). And topped off with chocolate dipped strawberries left over from the box I had delivered to DH at his work!

Hope everyone enjoyed their day as much as we did - even blessed with sunshine all day and play time with special friends. XXOO

Monkey see, Monkey swing

2011-02-07T20:18:00.000-08:00

It is no surprise that one of E's nickname's is Monkey. She loves to climb, hang on the bars and swing all the time. Pictured above is my little E from this afternoon doing what she loves: swinging. And I have yet to figure out what too high is as she is always yelling, "higher Mommy higher!". I love her spirit and enthusiasm for life ... swinging in the waining sun, wind blowing her pony tail and a big cheesey grin! :-) These are the times you really cherish the 2-somethings - two more weeks and we enter the 3's!!!

Highway to Heaven

2010-10-28T13:40:00.001-07:00

I know I have said this before BUT I can't go with out saying it again, "I think we might just live in heaven on Earth". Really, just 9.9 miles to the fabulous Bluebird Park in Laguna Beach?!

I just love those days when you wake up, check the calendar and realize you have a day completely open, yes, completely open, nothing on the calendar (until the evening that is, LOL!). I remember thinking when I had just L that it was always a little disappointing to wake up and realize that ... you actually really looked forward to having some where to go, some where to be, some one to meet up with because 12 hours of just staring at each other could get quite lonely (LOL!) but now that I have THREE in tow I actually really (I mean, really really) love these unexpected, unanticipated free days.

Today's free day brought us to a little gem ... Bluebird Park in beautiful Bluebird Canyon Laguna Beach and I should add that it was also a GORGEOUS sunny, clear sky, slight breeze 77 degree day ... really, does life get much better then that?! Why, yes it does ... all 3 kiddos LOVED running around the park, played on all sorts of equipment you typically don't see at parks, ate a nice picnic lunch and NOW two are napping hard and one is busy cleaning up the playroom to earn a dollar**. :-)

(**L currently has 7 dollars in his money clip AKA office clip and would like to buy a new NERF toy and needs 13 more dollars so he has asked what he could do to earn it ... hmmmm, I wonder how far I can get with this one?!?! I think I have some folding to do. wink wink**)

PS If you have seen any of the photo albums I have sent out recently you have probably noticed that L is getting quite good with my dSLR camera. He is also getting pretty good with my little compact Canon too ... photography below by my talented, sweet, fun loving 4 1/2 year old L. If I didn't hate being in front of the camera so much I would say I am out of a job (photography) ... but my love for behind the camera wins (sorry L)!

Three's Company

2010-10-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

Am I already that embarrassing (or annoying, LOL!) that L (4) and E (2) already asked to sit at their own booth at Chick-fil-A today?! At least I still have C (1) to keep me company but I guess it won't be long until all 3 are sitting together at a booth! *sigh*

All dressed up and no where to go!

2010-09-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled that my kiddos recently found a new interest in the dress-up bin I began putting together for them over a year ago. It was last winter when I was looking for fun indoor activities and began putting discarded costumes, Daddy's old ties, tu-tu's and all those themed party favors (IE: Engineer hats, leis, firefighter hats, etc.) into one big bin. I have to admit, I was quite disappointed that my kids didn't take to it like I had hoped. But, trust me, it didn't keep me from buying clearence items through out the year - a $2 clearence Easter hat from Sears, a $5 western hat from Gymboree, large $3 black ballet shoes from Target, etc.). Don't you sometimes just love that saying, "it is all about the timing"?! Ha!

These kiddos have been playing with it every day since rediscovering it last weekend after my regular quarterly rearranging of the play room (if you don't already do this you need to ... it is amazing to see the things they will rediscover and/or find new ways to play with).

And, you know, I have always thought E had a flair for the dramatics and (for) now she has found a (constructive, creative) way to share it! I love seeing their fun, silly, creative outfits and best of all, watching their creative minds play out in make-believe-play (off to the hotel for lunch, going to exercise, off to work, ....). Oh, and must not forget, something they will actually play together *sigh*. My year long effort to create a wonderful dress up bin has paid off - HOORAY!!!! What's next?

The don't exist any more!

2010-07-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

So does anyone even come by this lonely blog any more? Well, I mean, of course, besides my DH?! :-)

Where have we been?! We hit summer and have been running, running, running ... Vacation Bible School, birthday parties, beach days, summer school, swim lessons, swim lessons and swim lessons ... and that brings us to our Summer 2010 "Bucket List". Yep, I had the kids create a Summer 2010 "Bucket List". I woke up one day and realized summer is almost over ... WHAT?! ...yep, summer is almost over and before it completely gets away from us I want to make sure it leaves a lasting impression on my wee ones. Soooo, the Summer 2010 Bucket List was created and posted down stairs for all to see. Just creating it with an almost 2 1/2 year old and a 4 1/2 year old was entertaining (& no, didn't push the almost one year old C to participate in the creation of the list but she of course will be participating in the activities).

E being my adventurous & over the top dramatic one has asked amongst other things to to see Dinosaurs, to see big bears and .... go out to a pasta dinner. So, yes, go out to the Pasta Dinner was placed on the list and let me tell you, we were amazed at how clearly and accurately she is able to communicate to us what she wants. This girl was BEAMING from the moment we walked into The Old Spagetthi Factory in Newport Beach until the very end after finishing up her ice cream with chocolate sauce. She LOVED "going out to a Pasta dinner" and found the historic & iconic Old Spaghetti Factory in Newport Beach even more entertaining then I even hoped for (can it be considered historic and iconic if it has been there as long as I can remember ... at least, 25 years?). And since L doesn't eat pasta - not with cheese, not with butter, not with sauce, not ever we made sure it wasn't a complete bore for him by cruising the Newport Beach pier first and checking out all the fish, walked in and out of the cable car located inside the restuarant and talked up the ice cream he will receive after eating his grilled cheese (after all these years it has always stuck in my memory that ALL meals included ICE CREAM, WOW, what a treat for a kiddo!!!).

Working our way down the long "Bucket List" ....

- Get Star Wars balloons

- Play a Mickey Mouse game

- Go to Chuck E. Cheese

... and the list continues.

Happy Summer All!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 2010

2010-05-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

These beauties are the reason I will celebrate Mother's Day tomorrow. My DH has already blessed me with the bold and bubbly. In other words, the new awesome 3G Blackberry Bold 7290 AND the delicious Heidsieck Brut Reserve champagne. One word for both: LOVE! Five words for DH and kiddos: THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU!!!!! But the best gift of all is getting to share my life with you!!!

**A very special thank you to my own Mommy that has been a true inspiration to be the best Mom I can by being such a great example of what a wonderful Mom is! I will be happy if I can even come close to giving my kids the life you have given me. I love you!!!**

Sibling Rivalry

2010-05-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Notice the below post was one week prior to the volcanic cloud over Europe shutting down many airports and travel. I know I said it, but is my boy a genius or what?! A little eery but we will wait on deciding how eery until it happens again! :-)

Today was filled with love, laughter and playfulness of a two year old and four year old sibling along with screaming, fighting, tears and demands from those same siblings. Yes, our house is filled with both and while I hate the later it is the former that makes the other times easy to forget.

After a much needed energy burning excursion to the duck pond, park and library where the kids got along the majority of the time we came home for lunch. I knew I had stretched out our morning too much and I was going to be lucky to get food into my extremely exhausted 2 year old and my picky 4 year old eater before nap time. As I was heating left over Claro's sausage from the night before and was banging around the kitchen looking for other quick serve foods E started demanding chips with cheese (AKA Nachos - yes, she caught this bad habit from ME!). Since I wasn't sure she would even eat before nap I decided to indulge her while trying to figure out what else I could feed them. I didn't even take the time to grate the cheese. I sliced it straight from the cheddar cheese block, layed it on the chips and heated in the microwave (& as any Nacho connoisseur like myself knows, these are both big NO-NO's). She was delighted and started picking up chips immediately and eating away. I had already set a container of green bean baby food in front of her (both my kids still love baby food vegetables and frankly I see no reason why they can't have pureed veggies when they want) and away she went dipping her nachos in the green beans the way I would dip my nachos in hot salsa (make that the hotter the better). There she sat, cute pony tail & beautiful bow in hair, eating her nachos dipped in green beans all with a big beautiful smile while doing her side to side "happy dance". I couldn't help myself, it was one of those times that it just comes pouring out with out even trying, "E, I love you!". Meanwhile, my extremely picky eater L was pushing grilled hot dog pieces around his plate. He looked at me, waited a few seconds and then said, "why did you say you loved E but not me?". First of all, he only waited three seconds. Secondly, he was NOT even eating ... not even a little. Just doing what he does best ... staring at his food thinking about something else, anything else. I explained to him that E was eating well and it made me really happy. I said I love you as a way to express how thankful I was to her that she was eating so well. Enough said. He picked up his spoon and ate. That day at least. *Sigh* the battles of a picky eater. We mother's celebrate even the smallest victories. And yes, he got an I love you too!

**L and E pictures above on our recent road trip to the Arizona Grand Resort . When I showed him the picture and asked why he was making that face. He told me she was hugging him too long and too tight and he doesn't like that. LOL!

Bittersweet

2010-05-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

When raising kids you are often faced with many joys that are also tinged with a bit of sadness. One of those events took place last month. E got her first haircut (Okay, second haircut ... the first was at about at 14 months when L took a pair of scissors to the back of her hair and declared with great excitement that he just "cut his baby sister's hair because it wasn't straight in the back" but since that was nothing more then a little clump in his little bitty 3 year old fingers we will count yesterday's haircut as her first :-)).

I know it looks straighter now, I know it looks cleaner, I know it looks fuller, I know she is 2 years old, I know how proud she is to have her hair cut like her brother, I know I won't even think twice next time she gets it cut, I know her hair still has their cute little curls, I know it is easier to brush it now ... and all that makes me very happy ... BUT her scraggily baby hair at the end is GONE, the hairs that were there when she very first came into our lives and blessed us forever with her energy and that makes me a bit sad. :-(

When I say I am a bit sad when I see my kids pass another milestone some people look at me as if they think I am holding on too strong.

I think ...

you must not be enjoying this current age and stage

you must not see the joy in today

you must think the grass is greener over on the other side

you must think life is all about what is next

Because, if not, you would see that these milestones are truly happy occasions they also have a tinge of sadness while saying good-bye to the past.

I will sure miss that baby hair. :-) BTW, did I also mention she moved to a big girl bed?! Yes, she is growing up and that certainly makes me sad and I am not afraid to say it. :-)

I've got some bad news

2010-04-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

L: "Mommy, I've got some bad news.".

Me: "WHAT?!" (having NO idea where this is going and actually quite frightened to find out and anxiously wondering if it involves his sister?!)

L: "There are two volcanoes that have opened up and erupted."

Me: "Where?" (still not a 100% sure if he knows something I don't as it wouldn't be the first time my little genious tells me something I didn't know)

L: "Not too close but not too far. By the airport.". (I let out a sigh and a smile)

Me: "Do you think we will feel the heat.".

L: "No, I think we are okay, just bad news. Don't you think?"

Where on Earth does this kid come up with these things?!

L is pictured above doing drills in his Martial Arts class. I am quite certain he asked to take lessons so he can learn to fight the Monsters he is currently obsessing over every night.

Our tiny dancer

2010-04-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band

Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man

Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand

And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

A mother understands what a child does not say.

2010-03-22T21:22:00.001-07:00

What do you think of THIS for my (very needed) early a.m. cup of coffee?

Heaven on Earth!

2010-03-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

Who knew?! The state flower of Texas, BLUEBONNETS, growing on the roadside where you turn into our lovely community. :-)

Rainy days and (Sun)days (never) get me down!

2010-03-07T19:16:00.001-08:00

Oh, how THIS song, reminds me of Cabo San Lucas circ 2004. DH and I vacationed at the fabulous Marquis Los Cabos Resort. After a quick trip to Cabo's Costco to stock up on bottled water and new Snorkel gear (yes, lost mine within two hours of checking into the resort and hitting the beach) we also picked up a CD of 70's Hits and this was on the rotation we would hear many times each day on our room CD player! But, sorry, this post is not about The Carpenters ...

I think my DH was recently on to something when he said the one draw back to living in So Cal and the GREAT weather is that we never have an excuse to do NOTHING ... I thought about it, he is right, you either want to be at the beach, at the park, outside coloring, going for a walk ... you get the point ... you never think about just staying in all day, laying on the couch watching movies all day, baking and just plain nothin'. So when we finally got some rain, um I mean sprinkles, yesterday we took full advantage of doing nothing.

The morning started off all snuggled up together on our new sectional with an indoor movie ... complete with movie tickets drawn by moi and cut out by L. I had them line up in the hallway and I "collected" and tore off half their ticket while they kept the other half (they LOVED this part!). DH served up popcorn just like we were at the theather. The kids loved the imagination and fun of creating an at-home movie theater.

Later that afternoon we also baked brownies and enjoyed warm, home baked goodies!

Rainy days certainly have their benefits! :-)

Never too late

2010-02-12T12:19:00.001-08:00

4 years of marriage
3 kids
2 European vacations
2 new cars
1 retirement (me)
1 career change (him)
1 sold townhome (us)

... first time ever, DELIVERED, three dozen gorgeous long stem red roses!!!

I heart my DH!!!

and the little one said, "roll over, roll over"

2010-02-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

I have always liked this song better then the more widely used '5 Little Monkey's Jumping on the Bed' but unfortunately none of my kids do despite my continued attempts to add it to our sing songs ... but it doesn't really matter that much to me. Thanks to E and our recent morning at Bowers Kidseum (give me a Woo-Hoo) Skinny Marinky Dinky Doo has made a come back at our house!!!!

And if you need reminding, that makes me and L very happy too (CLICK HERE)!!!

**pictured above: my 3 little monkeys L, C, and E playing in "brother's" bed together**

Spirit filled

2010-01-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

Everything my little E does is exaggerated ... her kisses are big and wet, her jumps extra bouncy, her run includes a side to side head movement, her hugs snuggle really tight, her smile scrunches her entire face ... ! It was no surprise that when she learned to talk her words would come out extra fast and include an extra syllable. If you don't pay close attention you might miss what she is saying all together as multiple words seem to run right into each other with an extra syllable an "a" here and there:

no-more-a-time-out

want-more-a-chicken

up-take-a-bath-a-now

Oh, and did I mention there is usually a screech and yelp thrown in here and there too?!

**E is pictured above angry because she got caught trying to sneak into the top cupboard for "choc-a-late" ... yes, she did that all on her own and at her young 22 months of age: successfully pushed the table chair, stacked her step stool on top and was trying to climb up so she could reach the choc-a-late because the chair just wasn't tall enough**

MMX

2010-01-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

Recently we took at trip to the Richard Nixon Library to see the Festival of Trains exhibit (thanks KR for the recommendation). And although I had thoughts of exposing my very young kids to a bit of political science (you do know I was a poli sci major in college, right?) it must be known that the history of Richard Nixon was of no interest to them and instead we talked about the color of the house he grew up in, the color of his helicoptor, the type of flowers in the gardens, the bird in the circle, etc. In other words, a more age appropriate lesson then the fact that "Richard Nixon lost to JFK" in 1960 and it is known as one of the closest Presidential races to date.

"What Mommy? Did you say, 'Noggin is lost today'?" says L.

What?! My soon to be 4 year old didn't understand what I said?! Is it time for me to have that discussion already?! You know the one about the left v. the right, the donkeys v. the elephants, ...

Nope, it is time to simply reply, "GREAT rhyme with JFK, darling son!".

*big (proud) smiles from all*

*there will plenty of time for that converstation in the future*

No Ho Ho Ho

2009-12-15T20:44:00.000-08:00

Last week, after L's swim practice, I couldn't bear the thought of going home alone with 3 kids after already a looonnnnng day alone with 3 kids knowing DH was not going to be there to help me bathe, read books and put all 3 to sleep. So I took out my Blackberry, googled Candy Cane Lane in Rancho Santa Margarita and drove directly to the nearest drive-thru Starbucks (funny, never even understood why those existed until I had kids, now I know not only know why they exist but just how important they are to one's well-being). I got 3 yummy hot chocolates with just-a-little ( I think the man at Starbucks called it "extra extra light", why do they have to repeat their terminology every time even though they know exactly what you mean?) whipped cream, 2 pieces of banana loaf bread to share between the 3 of us and turned on KOST FM for some Christmas music and drove around Candy Candy Lane to admire all the lights. If I had planned ahead I would have brought our own Christmas music, a Christmas video for the minivan ride there and back, and put them in their jammies - we will do this next time. But regardless, I was so pleased with myself as L and I kept shouting out all the neat blinking lights, carousels, snowmans, candy canes, laughing, pointing, ooh'ing and awe'ing ... I even started to get tears in my eyes over this beautiful Christmas memory moment.

Then. It. Happened.

We saw the most realistic Santa Claus sitting in a very realistic sleigh on the lawn of about the 5th house in our car tour.

E. Lost. It. Right. There. My. Beautiful. Moment. Changed (momentarily).

E has now seen Santa 3 times this year and every single time my usually brave, courageous, daring girl freezes up, trembles, screams and jumps into my arms. This was no different, except the poor girl was strapped into her car seat trying desperately to get herself out and into my arms - her arms stretched in front of her as far as they could reach into my direction. I eventually was able to calm her down (thank goodness for that lollipop in my purse!) and we enjoyed the rest of our car tour. What a great kick-off to a new Christmas tradition.

The next night we took DH back to Candy Cane Lane to show him all the lights and walk around to get a closer look at all the details these nice people take the time to display for everyone to enjoy. And funny, the big man in the red hat didn't seem quite so big and intimidating to DD when she was with DH?! Wonder why that is?! :-)

**Disclaimer: please don't go thinking I am implying anything in the last paragraph about my DH, there is a nice inside joke for him there**see,there you go, thinking the worse, I swear it is all in good, clean fun**did you get DH?!**

A Godly Thanks

2009-11-25T13:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday before dropping L off at Preschool for their Thanksgiving celebration we talked about all the things we are thankful for. High on his list were chocolate, Daddy and strong muscles. While he was listing off many things to me he stopped, looked at me and said, "but God gave us all those things," long pause, "we should be thankful for God.". And to think, I was just recently having bad mother guilt over not always saying grace before dinner but then I hear this from my near four-year-old and it reminds me to be thankful for God in our lives every day - both big and small.

... hand washed car on the weekends by DH and L

... a big loud "muah" every time E gives me a kiss

... Diet Coke at lunch time (is it ONLY lunch time?!)

... dresses that always fit comfortably even when you haven't lost the baby weight ...yet!

... C's squinty left eye when she smiles REALLY big

... Grandparents on both sides that love our children as much as we do

... children that love their two sets grandparents as much as their parents

*ahhh, just a very small sample of my many Godly blessings*

Happy Thanksgiving 2009! Last year's Pilgrim and Turkey are HERE and HERE!

The First Graduation

2009-11-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

While there seems to be much debate over when exactly a newborn becomes an infant I typically go with the 3 month mark and today marks that occasion for little Miss C. She started off her Graduation Day by sleeping for an entire 9 hours uninterrupted (can I hear a woo hoo!) and then continued her day by celebrating as all 3rd children must do ... tagging along to her sister's music class and then her big brother's swim lessons. But the entire day won't be lost on her older siblings today, we will have her all to ourselves tonight as the big kids are spending the night at Grammy and Papa's home. Tonight, on her graduation evening, she will receive our undivided attention as she sticks her tongue out, makes bubbles, coos loudly and squints one eye while smiling directly into our eyes. We are the lucky ones.

Psalm 4:7

You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.

Our Daring Darling

2009-11-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

E is quite fearless which is in sharp contrast to her older brother L. She will climb to the highest jungle gym at the park, slide down the tallest slide, pet the biggest dog, feed hungry sheep ... and what ever else looks amusing at the moment!!! Today's adventure to Irvine Regional Park was no different then a typical adventure that requires a little risk on their part. E immediately answered "yes" when we asked if they wanted to ride the ponies before taking a ride on the train. L on the other hand had some questions before answering and had to assess the risk:

L: "Do they bite?"

DH: "No, they don't bite. They are nice ponies.".

L: "but they have teeth, right Daddy?".

DH: "Yes, they have teeth.".

L: "If they don't bite why do they have teeth Daddy? You put your hand in their mouth first so I can see.".

DH to me: "Only E for the pony rides today"

W(h)ines-a-lot!

2009-11-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

DH has been a long time friend with the (now) big wig (aka: President) over at Henry Wine Group and it certainly has its perks (besides his wit, intelligence and guitar skills of course!). Do you need to ask what I am referring to? I think the above picture speaks for itself. :-) We are very excited to try our new collection of wine and discover some new great finds. In the meantime, I must mention a great Costco wine find just in time for your Thanksgivng meal: The Sanford Pinot Noir for $30.99. It will go perfectly with your Thanksgiving feast all your guests will enjoy ... and if you are not hosting Thanksgiving at your home (thank goodness the family of three young kids is not) it will make a perfect hostess gift all the dining guests can enjoy!

getting ready for a SPOOKTACULAR Halloween

2009-10-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

... we will be staying around the neighborhood for the festivities as there is "no place like home.". As said by: Dorothy (E), the Scarecrow (L) and Glinda the Good Witch (C). I hope to get some pictures of my Oz trio (which will just be some snappies since the DC is in the shop after suffering a fall by yours truly!). In the meantime, we have been wearing our orange and black, painting pumpkins and skulls and eating candy already. LOL!!

You can't really see in the picture but L's skull's teeth are "painted black because he didn't brush his teeth Mommy. He is going to get holes in them". I guess he is picking up on something during our daily teeth brushing battles. :-) He also walked into my room this morning with a sick look on his face and a big blanket under his t-shirt and his cheeks puffed out and said, "oh, aw, I ate too much candy.". Followed by laughter. Can you tell I have already been preparing them for limited and controlled intake of candy on the most candy filled holiday of the year?! :-) But I have a funny feeling they aren't going to remember any of this tomorrow?! Especially since E screamed to her Omi when I dropped her off there this morning, "SHOCK-OH-LET PEASE!" (that would be E saying, "chocolate please"!). The TRICK OR TREATING has begun!

Friday Family Dinners

2009-10-24T19:28:00.001-07:00

It has become a tradition for us to dine out every Friday night and having C has not changed that! DH and I drive down together to pick up the big kids from the in-laws (L and E spend Fridays with them) and we go straight out to dinner with all three of our darlings. We have always thought that the more we do it, the better our kids will adapt to eating out plus it really is a treat not to have to do dishes on Fridays! :-) Personally we have always been quite proud of how well we have managed eating out with three young kids (**toot toot** yes that is me tooting my own horn) and then last night came a confirmation from some one else ....

While dining al fresco (an October So Cal benefit, it has it been beautiful out!) with our three darlings an older couple sitting next to us during dinner got up to leave, walked over to our table and the gentleman says to us with a smile, "You two certainly have a handsome family and such well behaved children!". His wife nods and smiles. Wow, just wow, it certainly makes you proud of your children when someone else pays you a nice compliment like that because really, as much as we think they are doing fabulous at their young age, I am still wondering if anyone else sees all that rice they spilt on the ground or heard E scream for lemonade when we tried to give her water or L loudly demanding the YELLOW crayon (he must have yellow!) for his picture. But no, they see well behaved (& can't forget, handsome) children! Thank you, not only for the compliment but for taking the time to come over to tell the exhausted-overworked-parents-of-three-very-young-children-trying-very-hard-to-enjoy-a-Friday-Family-dinner-out *sigh*.

**picture above is our three darlings in a Westin Heavenly bed during our recent trip to Palm Desert, CA Westin Mission Hills Resort**

Falling Leaves

2009-09-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

L (DS) and I put our scarecrow in the front yard yesterday in anticipation of welcoming the first day of Fall today. When I greeted L this morning I asked him right away, "Good Morning, do you remember what today is?". His head immediately spun around to look at me with the biggest grin on his face (the kind of smile that most likely meant he thinks there is a party, big holiday, a birthday, something, anything that means TREATS, the kind of treats that usually come in the form of cake, candy or cupcakes). I then remind him, "It is the first day of Fall today.". Thinking he is going to be incredibly disappointed that it means no cake, candy or cupcakes he says with as much excitement as his initial smile showed, "YEEEAAAHHH!!! All the leaves are going to fall off the trees today!!!" and smiles just as big as he had before while dancing around the room.

Oh boy, not only did I have to explain to him that all the leaves are not going to fall off all the trees today but also explain Southern California's climate and why we just might not see any leaves fall off any trees today, tomorrow or ever.

**sigh**just another gorgeous sunny day in So Cal today**another sigh followed up with a happy smile**we might just live in heaven you know?!**

School Year 2009-2010

2009-09-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today was DS's first day of the new school year. We started it off with the obligatory picture by our home's front door with him showing me his age in fingers.

I can not believe we are already sending him off to (pre)school & I don't care if it is only two days a week for only 2 1/2 hours each day ... Mommy is still weepy *sniff sniff* seeing her little boy go.

Wall Paintings

2009-09-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

The two *older kiddos* are enjoying more of the same type of activities and having more playing together lately! Although DS barely got a drop of paint on his hands (not to mention none in his hair) he had just as much fun as DD#1 painting on the butcher paper I taped to our backyard wall.

The benefit of outdoor painting ... I just used the garden hose to rinse her off (next time I won't even bother putting the smock on her)!

2 x 2

2009-09-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

Our littlest girl gained exactly TWO pounds in exactly TWO weeks ... and (I think) most of it has gone straight to her cheeks!!!

We our in awe of our thriving, healthy, GROWING baby girl!!!

Ojo de Dios

2009-08-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

DS: "Mommy, how does God watch over all of us?".

Me: dead silent as I try to think quickly on my (sleep deprived) feet and half closed eyes.

DS continues: "Does he have a really, really, really, really long window?"

And because he is the last child I am trying desperately to get down for a nap today so Mommy can have just one minute to eat lunch before his baby sister wakes up to nurse ... AGAIN!!! I simply answer, "Yes.".

**pictured above, the "men" of the house**

House of Questions

2009-08-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

Our house has been filled with many questions lately ....

What is that on her belly button?

Why is she so small?

When is she going to talk?

How can she walk if her legs are so little?

What are boobies?

Why can't she eat this?

Why is she bald?

Did the Doctor help you get her out?

Why is she sleeping again?

... and they keep coming!!!

Because, YES, our newest princess has arrived ... pictured above with her big sister (not the sibling asking all the above questions but the sibling wanting to point out each of her sister's body parts with great force ... causing us to quickly intervene when she goes for "baby's eyes, nose and head" ... we are quite proud DD#1 can correctly name all her body parts but kind of wishing we only taught her toes, feet and knees!)

Keeping it together!

2009-07-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

DS started preschool. It is officially a 7 week summer school program only two days a week but it is at the same school he will attend in the Fall - again, only two days a week.

It has been a very positive experience and he has not had any problems adapting to being in a social environment of 12 peers. His teachers (one teacher, one aide) have had nothing but wonderful things to say about my sweet boy. Is Mommy surprised? I wish I could say no but I must admit I worried and hardly slept the night before his first day - would he be happy? would he be well liked? will he remember to use his manners? will he push the others kids when he is frustrated like he will do with his sister at home? will he cry when I leave? will he eat? will he go potty there? will he play with the other kids or keep to himself? will he think I am abandoning him? oh, the list goes on and on ... But if you're a parent you already know about the crazy things we parents worry about.

But, WOW, was I happy when the only tears shed on the first day were mine (& I think I can honesty say ... only mine, didn't see one other Mommy cry that morning ... or maybe they waited until they got to the car, but really, you can't expect a pregnant Mommy to have that kind of control?!)

He tells me funny stories about his day - like how he "went on the see-saw with the little boy who has a funny little mouth and was wearing a red shirt, he is funny, they pretended to fall off the see-saw and got pretend bruises all over". AND "how most the kids eat their junk food before their healthy foods at lunch time." AND "how he and the little girl played in the sand and made humpty-dumpty fall off the wall." AND ... he will sing to me his good-bye song with hand motions, "it is that time, it is that time ..." while pointing to a pretend watch on his wrist. And ... I cry all over again ... I just can not believe, he goes to preschool already?!

Along with all the cute stories that come home with him are they many many projects. So many that DH finally told me few days ago that there was NO more room on the refrigerator to display these projects. I decided a clear plastic box would be perfect. My first thought was to let him pick out some sort of stylish, fun, colorful box for him to store his projects in but my second thought was that is would seem like we were just "putting it away" but using a clear see-through one like this one would still feel like we were displaying them - still proudly in-sight with out having them all over our refrigerator. Of course, I got the Rubbermaid (new & improved) Revelations brand because I still stand by THIS POST. Out of all the plastic bins I have been given with hand-me-downs THESE are the ones that don't crack, lids don't droop and have the best size options. For his projects I choose the NEW & IMPROVED REVELATIONS with LATCHING in 16.7x13.3x5.3 inches - basically, slightly larger then construction paper (what many of his projects come home on) and over 5 inches of depth so there is plenty of room for all those papers/pictures/paintings but not too big that it easily fits in a cupboard or closet. If you are in need on new storage bins the new version says "Latching Revelations".

DS was so proud when I gave it to him after preschool this week and told him it was a special place for all his wonderful preschool projects. We gathered all his projects off the fridge and he proudly put them all in the plastic bin by himself ... then he went running around the house looking for "more preschool projects to put in there.". Mission Accomplished!

I also thought this will be a fun way to revisit together and "open" often to go through all the wonderful things he has learned and created. And he even wanted to bring it to "Omi and Opa's house yesterday to show them all his projects.".

**Pictured above: DS on his first day of summer school**

sick day with pay

2009-07-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

So what do you do when your 8 months pregnant, need a break, DH isn't coming home any time soon and have two very sick whiney kids (too sick to run around at the park to let off steam)?! Not sure what most do but this is what I did ...

Rolled out some butcher paper, gave the kids brushes and paints and enjoyed watching them create (I typically am very actively involved with them during these types of activities so just observing was quite different). The result: they LOVED it!!! And one of the best outcomes, DS asked if he could clean the paint cups and brushes afterwards ... and had just as much fun doing that as he did painting. How did they know Mommy needed a break?! :-)

Luckily we did this in the late afternoon so it was straight to bathtime after this.

RED, WHITE and BLUE day!

2009-07-05T13:17:00.001-07:00

Once again I must repeat, pregnancy keeps me from blogging as often as I want but before letting another week go by I thought I would at least post some pics from our fun 4th of July in Del Mar. I know, I know - I have missed Father's Day, my birthday (made special by DH and the kiddos), DS's first day of preschool ... and much much more. My hope (too wishful of thinking I am sure) is to go back and blog about those events too.

Until then ... here are some snappy's of our wonderful 4th of July at the beach. Unfortunately I left the DC at home (by accident) - you know the DC, the fancy schmancy Dear Camera that makes me look like a photographer but at least had my little compact in my purse to capture some of the fun (and only some since my compact camera was low on batteries and didn't even make it to our bbq/smores/firework fun!).

I hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day too! If you are interested in seeing the wee ones the last couple Independence Days you can click HERE and HERE - my how they have grown!

DH and DS on the right and leading the charge across the street to the beach with all our sand toys, umbrellas, chairs, coolers and more (yes, we were beyond excited to spend the day/night at my sister's Del Mar beach house ... just steps away to the beach):

DS spent the entire day playing in the sand - digging holes, building sand castles, jumping, running, splashing ... let's just say, he had a WONDERFUL 3 hour nap before fireworks!:

DD was right there with DS playing all day in the sand (including long nap as well ... and that was after a short one on the beach too!):

The last picture before the compact camera died (the battery actually died while taking this picture and wasn't even sure I had gotten it until getting home and checking the memory card). The kiddos cleaned up and ready for BBQ time, smores and then off to watch the big firework show at the beach displayed from the Del Mar Fair (they LOVED it!):

7 down 2 to go

2009-06-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

I walked down stairs this morning in my jammies and immediately upon seeing me (before a good morning, before a hello ... ) ...

DS: "Wow, Mommy, your tummy is getting big.".

Me: "I know.".

DS: "Pretty soon the baby is going to break it.".

DS still looking at my tummy in amazement

DS: "And the Dr. is going to have to fix it ... (long pause) ... with tape.".

And to think, I still have 2 months for this tummy to keep growing, I am thinking tape sounds much easier then the working out I have ahead of me ... and besides that, DS is going to still think the baby is in there anyway when he sees how big the post baby tummy is. Oh, the joys of pregnancy.

Happy (early) Birthday Mommy!

2009-06-08T20:32:00.001-07:00

Like all stay at home mothers the 5:00pm hour is probably my most challenging with the kids. That is why on days when my DH won't be home for dinner, bath and bedtime I will often treat the kids and myself to dinner out for less mess and a change of scenery. One of my favorite choices is Chick-fil-A. The kids love the food, it is affordable and they have a fun play zone to burn off their last bit of energy.

On our most recent trip to Chick-fil-A I noticed DS eyeing with wide eyes all the kids getting balloons and ice cream while we were getting ready to leave. We had already eaten our dinner and we had already played in the play area. I knew what question was about to come out so before he asked I decided to beat him to the punch and said, "if you go potty we can get an ice cream". (okay, cheating a bit, this preggo lady was looking for an excuse to get an ice cream and DS was already doing the pee pee dance, lol) His eyes lit up. After a quick potty break I ordered a chocolate shake (no, I didn't give him a choice, I let the baby in my tummy pick this time). I split it up into 3 cups and the 3 of us sat down in a booth enjoying our chocolate shake after a good dinner and a fun time in the play area ... and if his huge smile on his face wasn't enough (the smile that makes his eyes sparkle even more and every bit of frustration I had with him that day completely disappears) he leans across the table, looks straight into my eyes and with his red balloon tied around one wrist and his chocolate shake in the other hand he says in his sweetest 3 year old voice, "thank you Mommy, this is like a birthday party!".

Awwwwwwwwwwww, not only does he melt my heart from showing his gratitude but he makes me feel proud knowing he thinks of these moments as special (as special as a "birthday party") because I can't lie there are those days when DH is away and I'm exhausted and I wonder after I put them down for bed - did I let them watch too much TV today? did I give them too many treats today? did I give in too much today? (in other words, **mother guilt, mother guilt, mother guilt**)

Nah, he just made me hope that the balance I strive for is still there even on the long(er) days.
(or maybe I should just say, at least on this day, and leave it at that!).

California Candy

2009-05-31T19:17:00.000-07:00

Am I rubbing it in if I say how lucky we are to not only have the sunshine to enjoy in Southern California but many many wonderful activities available to us with out having to travel far?! And getting there has become part of the fun in the new family minivan (an entire post needed just for the new shiney family 'mobile - stay tuned). So what have we been up to lately on our weekends?

Several days just enjoying the sun, sand and surf in Laguna Beach, CA:

Train ride at Griffith Park and visiting the Observatory: with a stop at the famous Phillipe's for sandwiches:

Ferry ride from Balboa Island to the Peninsula where we rode the merry-go-round and had lunch on the Pier:

Really?! Why would you live any where else? (*spoken like a true native Californian!*) ... gotta run, off to the beach, park, nature center, Sea World .... oh, so much to do!!!

Not-So-Picky-Eater

2009-05-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying our long holiday weekend. Saturday we rode the train at Griffith Park and visited the Observatory. Yesterday we spent most of the day at Laguna Beach where my little girl proved once again just how un-picky she is with food.

Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all who have served and given us our freedom.

Will work for kinderschokolade!

2009-05-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

When pregnant I seem to not take as many pictures of my adorable kids. I assume it is the lack of energy, constant uncomfortable full feeling in my mid section and the waddling that keeps my DC (Dear Camera) in it's bag more often. In fact, it has been about 6 months since I have bribed DS with chocolate to take his picture. The last time I bribed him is HERE. But a few days ago DD was already napping and DS was about 15 minutes away from his nap. I was trying to think of something different (that we didn't already do that day) to kill 15 minutes before nap time.

And then it hit me, what about DH's cousin's recent visit from Germany?! Her recent visit that secured her spot as DS's favorite relative when she immediately upon entering our home gave him a castle of kinderschokolade. (yes, enough for him to immediately build a castle of chocolate taller then himself). If you recall, most of DH's family lives in Germany and last September he fell in love with this special "child chocolate" from the Fatherland .

Without explaination from me, I assume you know what followed. Only this time, after asking him if he wanted to earn some kinderschokolade he responded without any hesitation and I immediately snapped ten fantastic shots of him, all smiling shots with eye contact (3 of the 10 posted above). This not only marks my quickest chocolate for pictures bribe to date but my most successful bribe in general. I know I could have brushed his hair, changed his stained shirt and been more creative with the background but then it wouldn't be us, as is, enjoying a sunny Spring afternoon.

Mother Nature knows (the Best) Fun!

2009-05-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love it when that perfect activity you read about actually happens just as planned ... or even better?! I do! Because, let's face it, often times we read these great fun fabulous activities to do with our kids and they often times turn out to be a big ol' flop. You prepare, purchase and/or gather all the materials and envision just how perfect your toddler is going to be and WOW, what a wonderful learning experience they are going to have and boy oh boy how darn cute is the finished project going to be and on and on (well, if you are anything like me your vision of the perfect afternoon goes on and on into the late afternoon) then, you begin as planned and about 30 seconds into the activity your smart, curious sponge, who has such a thirst for knowledge turns to you and says, "I don't want to do this. Let's do something else Mommy." Bust.

So, when it goes just as you hoped and even better it is one that keeps you smiling and repeating for several weeks, am I right? :-)

Recently we have stumbled upon many activities that fall into this category. Including sorting our coins from their piggy banks into multi-colored bowls, talking about the value of each coin, bringing it to the bank, talking about interest earned, counting them, etc. We have also been playing with different colored water (add food coloring for this) in ice trays and using a small dropper (practicing fine motor skills) to mix colors together and experimenting with different combinations to make different colors (IE yellow + blue = green). Big hit with DS.

And most recently, making our nature box and our many nature walks. The idea came from Coastalgirl via Flipflops & Applesauce (Flipflops & Applesauce is a site I visit often and worth a bookmark!). If you thought ahead like me, you have plenty of egg cartons left over from dying Easter eggs. I had tucked mine away in the cupboard in anticipation of them coming in handy for a fun craft activity so I was happy when I stumbled upon this activity. If you did not save them, Spring is always a good time to make some yummy egg salad sandwiches for the weekend!

We painted our egg carton earlier in the week - making it a fun activity all on it's own. We had fun (once again) mixing colors together to make new colors and even though I encouraged him to paint one of the sections white he was having too much fun using white to mix in with other colors & didn't take my advice (although after our nature walk he realized just how many beautiful white flowers there are and that a white section would have been good ... and said to me, "next time I am going to paint one white and one brown." (another color he just didn't want to paint the first go around but certainly noticed was a common color in nature). We set it in the sun to dry and continued to paint pictures on large pieces construction paper (no reason to get out all the paints and put smocks on just for that!). It was a fun day

A few days later we set off on our nature walk collecting fun treasures to match up to a painted section of the egg carton. DS found this activity quite interesting and would even discuss how some leaves had multiple colors (red, yellow, green) so where should we put them? It was a great activity outdoors that had multiple learning opportunities making it a HUGE SUCCESS in my book. DD loved being outdoors with us, going on a slow walk and picking up leaves & flowers (I gave her a small bag to put her nature treasures in). When we got home DS wanted to dump out all his nature treasures on the table and sort them all over again! We have since gone on several nature walks making our daily walks around the neighborhood much more interesting for all.

A Flippin' Marvelous Mother's Day

2009-05-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

I received a wonderful gift from DH, DS and DD for Mother's Day.

Those of you who don't believe an electronic device can be sexy haven't seen the Flip yet. It makes the Nano Ipod look quite plain in my opinion (ok, might be a bit of a stretch but definitely the sexiest video recorder you have ever seen!). Can you tell someone is in love already?!

But the best part, I now have a quick, easy way to record memories of my family - both every day life and special milestones. :-)

Thank you DH, not only for today but for each and every day. You make me feel appeciated and loved every day. I love you to pieces.

**Stay tuned for more updates and pictures this week. I know I am behind on posts. We have been busier then usual (if that is even possible, LOL!)**

Hope you all had a blessed Mother's Day and a special thanks to my own Mother who has always been there for me. I am proud to call you my Mother! I Love You!

Keeping cool in the heat

2009-04-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

We recently had record highs in Orange County with it reaching 100 degrees!!!! My little munchkins found relief outside by playing with buckets of water (and yes, as you can see, DD is STRONG and DETERMINED).

Luckily I had just ordered this water play table last week in preperation of summer ... not realizing that we needed it NOW - it couldn't have arrived at a better time! They have enjoyed several days with this too but Mommy forgot to take a picture while doing so but no worries, there will be PLENTY of photo opps in the future. :-) If you are looking for a water table I highly suggest this one and would steer away from the sand/water combos unless you want an EVEN bigger mess to deal with after play time. I also decided to get several plastic art aprons that I can easily take on and off the kiddos when they play with the water table so they don't get their clothes too wet (at least not more then the sun can dry off before coming in, of course, on days like these they were stripped down to little clothing any way). I had DH put up a hook by the garage door to hang to dry and give me easy access to them. I am very pleased with the plastic aprons and they are coming in handy for our "shaving cream" art projects too. I just hose the aprons down afterwards to clean up. If you have never tried this activity, it's a MUST, it provides a lot of (messy) entertainment for active toddlers - the type of (messy) entertainment 3 year old boys like.

It has cooled down quite a bit and today it is only in the high 60's .... I am hoping the less sunny sky will bring longer naps today. :-)

Spring parties in full bloom

2009-04-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Being born in Springtime comes with a wonderful gift ... beautiful weather! It seems like Spring more then any other season brings a lot of BIRTHDAY PARTIES! And my guess is because it seems like the perfect excuse to get all the kids and parents together outside for some fun.

This weekend we had two FUN birthday parties - Saturday was for an adorable little 1 year old and Sunday for a beautiful 4 year old ... and next weekend we will be celebrating the G twin's 1st birthday!!! Party season is in full bloom!

Here are some pics of the kiddos (& DH) enjoying themselves at the festivities.

Hippity Hoppity Easter's on it's way!!!

2009-04-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we decorated our Easter eggs. DS is at an age now where he is really getting into these fun traditions. I found the handy egg holders you see in the below pictures at Michael's craft store (for only 99 cents) ... and all our practice with cutting skills and proper scissor holding certainly paid off. He had no problems handling the eggs and dipping them into the dye. DD even got her own pink pair but not quite ready to use them by herself - maybe next year?! :-)

When DH's asked him last night when going to bed what his favorite part of the day was yesterday he shouted, "EGGS!". He even had his first swim lessons yesterday (that he really really enjoyed) and EGGS won out! **beaming with pride as I type this thinking of what a great job he did at his first lesson, even going under water a few times!!!**

I told the kids that if they put out their new big sand buckets (the ones we used for our Palm Sunday Easter egg hunt) by the fireplace tonight EB (Easter Bunny) will leave some treats in it ... DS is already smiling with anticipation of CHOCOLATE (& he won't be disappointed as EB got the biggest chocolate bunny at SEES Candy he could find).

... and thanks again to Chasing Cheerios for a great idea!!! After looking around the web for almost an hour looking for a fun yet easy Easter card craft I decided to stop by her Blog and boy was I happy - the perfect idea for our Easter cards to Grandparents and Godparents. We typically try to do handprint art for holiday gifts but this is the first time he really got into it and had fun. I think because he is now old enough to hold the paint brush in one hand and paint his hand and fingers of the other hand and then pat his hand on the paper all by himself. He LOVED making these and glued the eyes and noses on too. I drew the mouth and wiskers and "thumb" bunny's finger prints on the inside of the card (yes, you guessed it, those would be DD's fingerprints! :-). DS is quite proud of how these turned out and is excited to give them to his family members on Easter tomorrow.

Rice is the pits!

2009-04-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

Me to DS: "We are going to buy rice today for our 'rice pit'.".

DS: "Mommy, that's a Daddy word (lots of laughs in between repeating several times) pit, pit, pit.". (giggle giggle giggle)

Is he a boy or what?! He already finds all those words that suggest smelly stinky things quite funny (you know the ones: fart, (arm) pit, gas, burp, etc.). It reminds me how excited I am for our new baby girl to arrive in August because that means we will out-number them thus hoping to keep the stinky jokes around the house to a minimum. :-)

Thanks to KR for recently sharing the blog Chasing Cheerios. I have found some wonderful ideas for the kids including our new "rice pit". I bought a pink plastic kiddie pool from Toys R Us and filled it with about 7 ten pound bags of rice from Costco (total cost for everything was less then $45.00). Both kids have been having a BLAST and DS has asked to play in the "rice pit" every day since getting it. I added old measuring cups, cleaned/recycled plastic containers and some of their sand toys. Besides being less messy I (& the kids) actually enjoy the texture of the rice better then sand. I bought myself a soft gardening pad to knell next to them to play together (come on - did you really think there would be space for a 3 year old, 1 year old AND a big ol' pregnant lady inside the 'pit - LOL!)

Spring Snow

2009-03-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so there is no hiding that DH and I can be quite the procrasitnators on certain activities. We had a trip to the mountains planned last month but DH got too sick and we never went nor did we reschedule it. So, no surprise, it took the first day of official Springtime to make us get to the mountains before there is nothing left for our kids to see. (LOL!) It was worth it! When else can you see snow, play in the snow and be totally fine wearing just long sleeves and pants (it was nearly 60 degrees the entire time!)?! I guess our procrastination had some advantages!

The kids LOVED it!!!

Next year, we won't wait so long to get them to the snow (& will be sure to have proper snow attire). :-)

Oh, the last picture is their new thing ... holding hands. We were all dried off and in fresh clothes heading home and DS says, "Mommy look we're holding hands.". AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW, sure melts a Mommy's heart. DD is always reaching out to hold his hand and happy that he is reaching over now too! He's realizing this big brother thing can really be fun!

March Mumbles

2009-03-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

What is better then receiving beautiful flowers from your DH? I know - flowers he hand picked and cut from the garden he personally maintains. Thank you Dear Husband, I Love You too!

DS has been into drawing "monsters" lately. They are not the gory scarey monsters but the silly funny ones. His drawings are getting more and more creative. I especially liked this one with the constrasting colors of polka dots around his eyes and his wild green hair! Do we have a little artist on our hands? LOL!

We purchased new paints today. We really didn't need new paints, really. We already own tempura paints, watercolor paints and fingerpaints but we had yet to own a set of Dab paints. But it was only 9:30am and I could tell in DS's whiney 3 year old voice it was going to be one of those kind of days so I thought something new and exciting just might help me get through it (at least to nap time that is). (lol) So while we were at the Craft store today picking up modeling glue (DS and DH are currently building a model Caddilac Escalade that looks just like his motorized version) we picked up a six pack of Crafty Dab shimmer paints. When we got home I gave him several choices of what we could paint together. He chose a sign for Daddy and on it he said to write, "We (heart) you Daddy". He sure can be sweet when he wants to, huh?! :-) It is proudly hanging on our front door anxiously awaiting for Daddy's return from work today. And yes, the Dab bottles of paint kept his interest all the way up until nap time ... awwww!!!

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!

Rocks!

2009-03-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

A great friend's recent engagement and her gorgeous ring (big congrats again to S & S!!!) reminded me of my DS's comment at Sea World a couple weeks ago. As we were listening to the penguin care taker talk about their habits DS turned to me and said, "Mommy, that man is wearing a ring.". My reply, "a-huh.". (also thinking to myself that he is obviously not interested in the penguins eating habits even though I had been trying hard to concentrate on what the man was saying just in case DS started quizing me afterwards). DS continues, "but his ring doesn't have any rocks." pauses and then continues, "It is like Daddy's ring.". Yes, DS, your first realization that "rocks" are typically seen on the woman's ring and very rarely does a man get to have the pleasure of wearing these shining stunning rocks! How did we get so lucky!? A ring just doesn't seem the same without some shining beautiful "rock" upon it. :-)

Happy St. Patrick's Day lads!!!

DS before school this morning (he had fun pinching Daddy for not wearing green today):

And of course, couldn't leave out the little missy pie:

(Ph)at Conversations

2009-03-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

(Sitting on the couch watching t.v. after a shared slice of cheesecake)

DH: "I think it is so rude when guys actually diet and work out more often then normal while their wives are pregnant." (I quickly translate in my mind to hear: I don't want to do anything about this extra weight I am carrying when you are growing larger each day and at tremendous speed.)

Me (again, no mention of "us" or who this conversation may be referring to): "I actually think it is incredibly sweet when the husband gains sympathy weight.". (Giving not only him an out but making myself feel better about not doing this growing thing alone.).

DH: (smiles) "I must be the sweetest guy you know.".

Me: (nothing but a bigger smile).

Can you tell this house has been filled with pints of ice cream, home made brownies, pizzas and too much mexican food?! ;-)

Playful Parks

2009-03-03T11:30:00.000-08:00

DS is at the age when "burning energy" is neccesary for a sane mother. And I used to think it was because he is a boy but DD is right there with him.

In order to keep it interesting for Mommy I try to check out new parks often (taking my camera always makes it fun too!). I have found FUN ORANGE COUNTY PARKS to be very helpful in keeping park visits fresh and new with out too many surprises (is there a bathroom, how far of a walk from the car, etc.). Check it out HERE if you are in Orange County - she also has a section for Colorado Springs, CO too.

Simply Romantic

2009-02-26T11:14:00.000-08:00

My DH is not the type of guy to send me flowers for no reason or "just because". Don't get me wrong, he almost always gives me beautiful flowers on the important days like Valentine's Day, Birthday, Anniversary, Mother's Day ... and even some of the less traditional flower giving holidays like Easter and Thanksgiving. But he has never ever sent me flowers or brought home flowers for no reason.

But what he does bring me is special, thoughtful gifts throughout the year. Like this past Sunday when he came home from the store with a HUGE smile and said immediately, "I got something for you" as he was bubbling over with excitement ... and guess what it was: a pair of my very own garden/work gloves from Home Depot. I know, I know, you must be thinking "how un-romantic" but the way he smiles with pure excitement you can just see his thoughtfulness shining through that makes them the very best gift of all and not the gloves themselves (although, I am pretty excited to have nice new dark chocolate brown suede garden/work gloves of my very own, LOL!).

I love you Dear Husband!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY sweet baby girl!

2009-02-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

We love you very much! You were such a sweet, fun, happy girl at your party yesterday, as usual. Your constant smile and laugh bring us so much joy. We are having so much fun watching you grow, learn and explore new things. It melts our hearts to hear you say "DaDa and MaMa" every morning. Have a happy 1st birthday sweet girl.

Hair Do's

2009-02-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

I am sitting on the floor wrapping a gift. DS comes over with a comb and starts combing my hair while telling me he is going to "fick my hair". It took me a few seconds to understand exactly what he wanted to do and then it hit me, he wants to "fix" my hair, something he hears me say often to him. I correct him and say, "fix not fick.". He responds, "No Mommy, I said (takes his fingers and draws imaginary letters in the air while saying) A - O - P (then takes his finger and draws a line as if he is underlining what he just wrote and says) "fick". Okay, so I guess he is not the best speller but he certainly has down a pretty good imitation of his Mommy from the "ficking" of the hair all the way to correcting the pronunciation of a word while also spelling it out. :-)

(Valentine) Dress Rehearsal

2009-02-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

While DS was napping today we did what all ladies do: we tried on our outfit we are planning on wearing tomorrow to make sure it still fits (okay, correction, I tried the outfit on her that she will be wearing tomorrow). Although DD did not need anything new to fit our party's theme tomorrow (RED, WHITE and ... PINK) as she has plenty of pinks in her closet I still couldn't resist this outfit when I spotted it at Hanna Andersson recently. I absolutely adore Hanna Andersson's clothes and not neccessarily always for the style (I am not a fan of every thing I see there) but always for the undeniable high quality of the clothes and consistency on their sizing. I have yet to find another children's clothing brand that never disappoints me after many wears and washes like the clothes my children have from Hanna Andersson.

Oh, and the headband is compliments of the wonderful ONE DOLLAR bins at Target, gotta love that! (& more importantly, she actually likes wearing it :-)

Happy (early) Valentine's everyone ... where will you be celebrating this year?!

xxoo

Movin' on up

2009-02-07T22:06:00.000-08:00

This girl doesn't stop moving. From the moment her eyes open to the moment she goes to bed she is moving, crawling, cruising, talking, screeching, eating, drinking from a sippy cup and ... always trying to keep up with her big brother. I can not believe in less then 2 short weeks she will be ONE YEAR OLD! And to think ... in only 6 months she will become the big sister that some one else will be trying to keep up with.

Psalm 4:8
But you have given my heart more joy than they have when grain and wine abound.

Zip(loc) to an organized home!

2009-02-05T07:55:00.001-08:00

So there is an unspoken rule of motherhood that says you should not (ever) leave the house with out a baggie full of "cheerios" or "goldfish". So, like most Moms, I buy boxes of baggies in bulk.

Lucky for me and all my Mommy friends that live in the area we will all be receiving a goodie bag full of Ziploc products (including "baggies") after our Little Sweetheart and Mommy RED, WHITE and ... PINK (Valentine) party (as if treats and fun for our kiddos wasn't enough :-). If you aren't fortunate to live close by (LOL) then you can go and register to win your very own HOUSE PARTY where you too can receive fun gifts to share with your friends at a fun house party YOU will host.

Here is a sneak peek at the fun items my guests will be going home with on Feb. 13th, all compliments of HOUSE PARTY.

HAPPY (belated) 3rd BIRTHDAY SWEET BOY!

2009-01-29T21:39:00.000-08:00

On Monday my little guy turned 3. The only thing he asked for was "chocolate cake". Lucky boy got that and much more. Thank you everyone!

He already seems older in just a few short days ... like no longer needing Mommy to push him on the swing to go up and down. It all goes too fast!

I hope I always remember from 2008 ...

2009-01-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

The big words DS uses correctly on a regular basis (for an under 3 year old) like fantastic, actually, similar to, specifically ... and many more.

DS carrying around packs of gum and offering them to everyone even though he has never tried gum himself and is convinced that he must be 6 years old to try it.

How DS would rather go on a time out then eat a grilled cheese sandwich (is he crazy or what?)

How DS actually believes McDonalds stopped making french fries.

DS pushing a truck around the house all day long.

DS being picked up in order to see the trains at the Train Expo.

DS telling me he "love me to pieces.".

DS eating baby food. (yes, he still loves sweet potatoes, LOL)

Now that 2009 is here, DS will be 3 years old in just a couple short weeks. I never want to forget my 2 year old. The above and MANY MANY MORE memories. He brings me so much joy!

Happy New Year everyone!!!

The Giving Tree

2008-12-27T21:46:00.000-08:00

A week before Christmas I took DS shopping to get gifts for those on his list.

Me: "We are going to Target so you can get a Christmas gift for your baby sister.".

DS: "I want to go to Target."

Me: "What would you like to get your baby sister for Christmas.".

DS: "Toys."

Me: "What kind of toys?"

DS: "Her own toys.".

The conversation was followed by a trip to Target where he picked out everything he wanted for Christmas so we went home, without anything, to a house where she was playing with all his toys. Humph, I guess he was right, DH and I are the youngest, guess we just thought she was entitled to them. :-)

We did go back to Target the next day as I was now convinced that she really did need her own toys. I helped him narrow it down to 5 things I thought his "baby sister" would like and he was very decisive on which one he wanted to get her (& trust me, I tried to sway him when I realized it was the most expensive of the 5 but he was insistent that she would love that one, "it is pretty and soft.")

On Christmas morning, she gave the biggest smile and squeel when she opened the stuffed golden lab he had choosen for her. It was clearly the winner of the morning and you could even see the excitement in his face as he watched her grab that dog and give him *baby kisses* (you know, the big wet open mouth ones). Satisfied that he had done good, he turned back around to continue playing with his new tool kit ... as soon as his back was turned, she lunged over, grabbed one of his shiney new match box cars and gave an even bigger smile as it went straight into her mouth ....

**lean over quietly, grab camera, snap picture, record first memory of many Christmas morning little-sibling-snatching to come ... I think I might remember some one else's little sister doing the same thing**

Stinging like a beamer or floatin' like a Cadillac

2008-12-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

No longer just for the professional athletes, musicians, movie stars and automotive enthusiasts ... the Cadillac Escalade is also for our soon-to-be 3 year old boy who loves all things that move. Shiney rims and all, this car is a beauty (& the driver sure isn't bad either).

His favorite feature ... the full functioning FM radio with volume control. Santa didn't bring this one to our house on Christmas morning though - gotta thank (both sets) of Grandparents for this one!!!

(Christmas) Dress Rehearsal

2008-12-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

What the kiddos will be wearing on Christmas Day ....

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

XXOO

Super at La Super

2008-12-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

READ A REVIEW HERE: http://www.santabarbara.com/Dining/review_read.asp?pk_restaurant=710

Yes, it is worth the stop. And, especially after a recent day of wine tasting in Santa Ynez (note the lack of make up and style in above pic of us waiting in line the morning after, LOL). Top picture: making home made tortillas daily. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Let me know if you ever make a stop at this little gem in Santa Barbara, CA.

Gobble Gobble

2008-11-27T07:53:00.000-08:00

In the past few weeks I haven't been able to get a good picture of DS. He is always on the go and busy concentrating on something. So yesterday while DD was sleeping I asked him if he wanted to earn some chocolate. (yes, I did!) He immediately answered yes, of course. I asked him to stand in front of our house so I could take some pictures of him. He stood there but wouldn't smile or look at the camera (I guess I should have been more specific). I finally gave up getting a good picture and gave him his piece of chocolate. As I was going through the pictures I took on the camera I heard him giggling and laughing. As you know, chocolate makes him really happy! I quickly pointed my camera from where I was and got this shot. I love it! It captures him perfectly - HUGE smile and chocolate smeared on his face. Doesn't get any better then this Thanksgiving blessing.

Have a Happy and safe Thanksgiving everyone. Gobble Gobble!

Not sure about everyone ...

2008-11-24T07:58:00.001-08:00

But certainly at the top of my list ... along with DS and DH!

So, who are you thankful for?

Trick mirror

2008-11-18T10:49:00.001-08:00

DD was playing with blocks in front of her mirror closets yesterday. She looked up, got a glimpse of herself in the mirror, got a HUGE smile, reached out and said, "DaDa". I don't blame her for the confusion, she looks just like him. :-)

Still a favorite

2008-11-16T07:44:00.001-08:00

Remember this post? It has become a favorite with DD too!

Happy Sunday!

The Purple Craze

2008-11-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was overly engaged with watching two young girls in front of me purchase a pair of shoes at a department store. First off, I noticed them because they were so pretty. No make-up, sweat pants, flip flops, hair in pony tails. They were so plain and simple yet they looked incredibly beautiful. Oh, how I longed for those good ol' days when looking presentable required little effort. Secondly, I continued to watch them because I was completely entertained with the following conversation they had with the salesgirl:

Girl A looked at Girl B and said, "I love them because they are the same shoes everyone has right now but everyone else has black."

Girl B responded, "well, then get them if you like them.". Girl A was obviously still debating whether this was a good choice.

Girl A then turns to the cashier and asks, "do you think they're cute?".

The young (& also pretty) cashier responds, "well ... I think they're cute because they are purple and purple is sooo in right now ... but ... I am not sure how long purple will be in?".

Girl A quickly turns to Girl B and says, "see, I told you, I am definitely getting them now.".

Oh, how I got such a giggle out of this. In fact, I think I even giggled out loud because Girl B turned around and looked directly at me (& I know it wasn't to admire my outfit even though I actually tried yesterday).

I am not sure what I found funny. Was it the fact that she focused on how so in they were and not a care in the world that it may go out of fashion quickly with hardly a chance to wear them? Or did I find this conversation so amusing because I once was there - right there, at the cash register, debating an overly trendy item, that I almost always decided to buy, just to later give away after only wearing once because it was no longer sooo in? Nope, I think I know why I found this conversation so amusing. It is because I am there. Right. Now. Yes, I too have been bitten by the purple craze. And guess what?! I am not young like these pretty girls.

In fact just last night I was debating the purchase of this dress.

And I already own a look alike to this sweater from J Crew.

And I want one of these (in purple).

And I bought something similar to this from The Limited.

Oh, and for the record, unlike the young girls above I will be wearing my purple far too long and into the next trend because that is what we do at our age ... plus I find this purple craze far too pretty to let go too quickly. I guess we do mature with age, right?!

I love you, always forever

2008-11-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

you've got, the most unbelievable

blue eyes, I have ever seen

Do you ever hear a song on the radio and for the rest of the day you can't get it out of your head?! Today it was this one. I thought of her eyes when I heard the above lyrics that played over and over in my head the rest of the day.

And pretty pretty please, link to the song here. I don't want to be the only one humming that song for the next 24 hours! :-)

Guest Blog

2008-11-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

Tiny Oranges, a blog about local children's activities and ideas recently highlighted my review on the Phil & Ted's metoo chair. Link here to read what I had to say. It is great timing for all the upcoming holiday travel. While you're there be sure to bookmark Tiny Oranges so you can check back in for more ideas, giveaways and more! (and who knows, you may just see my thoughts pop up again! :-)

Do you see what I see?

2008-11-06T20:30:00.001-08:00

Yep, spotted her again. This time with out her trailer. I had a chat with the mail carrier yesterday. I wanted to know where our mail carrier was and her special delivery mobile. She said she was off for the day and the mail carrier yesterday wasn't tenured enough to ride it. She didn't seem pleased that she doesn't get to ride it too (or that I asked). OH ... makes it even more fun, doesn't it?! :-)

BTW, DS wanted to know why I pulled over to the side of the road to take a picture of the bicyclist. I replied, "get used to it, just something Mommy does. I don't really know wwwwhhyyy?!".

Pretty butterflies

2008-11-06T07:15:00.001-08:00

Although not quite as pretty as this one on Halloween:

However, it is still worth the trip to the newly remodeled ENC in Newport Beach, CA to see the beautiful butterflies in their Native Butterfly House (among other things). If you are in the area, the ENC is worth the trip .... it is a 3.5 acre "sanctuary from life's pressures" tucked in between homes and Newport Harbor High School.

In the Butterfly House:

Looking up between the oak and redwood trees:

A test drive.

2008-10-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

DS had a practice lap in his costume this afternoon (Halloween Eve).

Last year's is HERE. Where has the time gone?

Have a safe and Happy Halloween everyone!

Hot sauce and trucks?!

2008-10-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

We were listening to the radio as we drove to DH's work Friday for my flu shot.

Out of the blue DS suddently says, "Mommy, are we going to Samantha's party now?".

Me: "No sweetheart, that is tomorrow. We are going to Daddy's work now."

DS: "Oh.".

(another long pause while I continue to drive & we listen to the music, his choice, of course)

DS: "Mommy?"

Me: "What sweetheart?".

DS: "When I grow up I am going to eat hot sauce and drive a truck."

Me: "Okay sweetie.".

I had no idea where that came from but that is typical with toddler talk. I found it funny and after tellling DH about it the next day I asked DS about it.

Me: "Sweetie, so did you tell Daddy you are going to eat hot sauce and drive a truck when you grow up.".

DS: "Yes.".

and then DS continues to correct me, "I am going to eat hot sauce while driving a truck when I grow up Daddy.".

Oh, wouldn't that be great if growing up only meant taking advantage of life's simple pleasures?! But I must admit it did make me take more pleasure out of eating my BRC burrito with hot sauce from the El Pollo Loco drive thru in between errands yesterday. Hum, so do you think that is where it came from? Nah, I don't drive a truck.

**BTW, you must ask for the "hot sauce", they keep it behind the counter and always try to pass off the pico de gallo on you first ... ick!**

The wind beneath my wings

2008-10-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

My DD takes the word princess quite seriously. She is now officially 8 months old and still demands to be carried, her toys out of reach to be handed to her and fed as often as she likes.
But, I am proud to say, she has blessed me often with these sweet little words ...

"Mamamama", "mamama", and "mama" with her big 4-tooth grin! Mama responds, "yes Princess? What? You want to chew on my Blackberry again? Here you go.".

Since we haven't been able to add the "crawling" milestone yet I was quick to add the "waves hand" milestone to her baby book the other day until DS asked me yesterday, "why does baby sister flap her arms up and down like a bird when I say Hello?". Oops, so technically that is not a wave?!

**crosses out "waves hand" in baby book and writes "takes after her mother and loves to dance. Already performing Morris Day's The Bird at 8 months"**
and YES, you HAVE TO link and watch the video after the short advertisement HERE, it is SO WORTH IT!

Fall in Laguna Beach

2008-10-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Our morning trip to the beach today.

Happy Sunday!

positive confirmation

2008-10-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

The other day DH asked me about my day at Treasured (Rick Warren's Saddleback Church's version of MOPS). Without mentioning names or details (to keep my privacy commitment to the group) I responded by telling him basic information about our study and discussion on making our husband's a priority (which is often hard for stay at home mom's that are exhausted at the end of the day with the kiddies). I told him some basic advice and suggestions the ladies had ...

I got about three ideas and suggestions out. He then cut me off mid-sentence on the fourth and said ...

"... so, basically all the things you already do?!". He gave me a sweet loving smile and a nod of acceptence.

BINGO! Confirmation that my efforts to show him how much he is loved are noticed. He truly is happy. My-Oh-My how I adore this man. And although I always love our Friday night family dinners out tonight it is just me and my dear hubby (the kids are staying at home with Grammy and Papa). I must say, I really really love these nights!

Make it a great Friday everyone!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

2008-10-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

Don't hate us, we pay for it!

(really, do you honestly think living in sunny Southern California comes cheap?!)

Our Detailed Forecast

Tonight: Mainly clear. Low 57F. Winds light and variable.
Tomorrow: Mainly sunny. Warm. High 86F. Winds light and variable.
Tomorrow night: Clear skies. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable.
Friday: Mainly sunny. Warm. High 84F. Winds light and variable.
Saturday: Abundant sunshine. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 50s.
Sunday: Abundant sunshine. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid 50s.

Abundant sunshine, plan a scenic drive ... seriously, The Weather Channel doesn't just add that to any ol' city's forecast, right?! I assume only to those cities with sky high home prices and crowded beaches with limited parking?! They have to at least try to ease the pain, right?! Guess what? It works!!! ;-)

parentdish.com sharing my joy

2008-10-22T15:05:00.001-07:00

ParentDish.com highlighted DD's chubby fingers today from my Flickr account. It is always fun to see DD (& my photography) bringing smiles to others.
Thank you ParentDish!

An "R" proof excursion

2008-10-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

We are lucky in times like this that DH has a very secure job right now but there is not a day that goes by that I do not hear someone talking about the "R" ("R" = Recession). Some times these conversations are very surface and hypothetical and other times it is disappointing news of an aquantaince's lost job or money. In times like this or not I thought I would share one of our favorite (recession proof) excursions: going to the "bookstore.".

On days like yesterday, pictured above, when we want to also enjoy the outdoors we head to Heritage Library and Park to feed the ducks before scouring the bookshelves in the library's used bookstore for bargain books. Children books range from .25 -.50 cents each. DS is allowed to choose 4 books to buy and take home to keep. This is very different from our library excursions where he very clearly understands we are "borrowing" the books and need to return them.

On days that we want to first play indoors with puzzles and computers we head to either Newport Beach Library or the beautiful newly remodeled Orange Library. Both locations also have a used bookstore with each book ranging from $0.25-1.00. Plus a FABULOUS children's section in the library that goes beyond puzzles and computers!

Be sure to check out your library too! It is a great fun way to get out of the house, get more books for their bookshelves (ones you don't have to return) and spend only $1.00. Plus, they have many adult books to chose from too (as if I have time!)! Yesterday DS chose books about Clifford, Toy Story, Pinocchio and a small board book on colors "for baby sister." all for only $1.00. (Isn't he the sweetest?! :)

Happy bargain book hunting!

Traditions

2008-10-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Just as memorable as my Dad helping us carve our pumpkins each year is my Mom cleaning and roasting the pumpkin seeds so we could eat them. So while DH and DS got to work on our traditional jack-o'latern I got to work on the motherly task of washing, seasoning and roasting the seeds.

I had DH and DS scoop all the pumpkin guts into a big bowl.

I separated all the seeds and rinsed them in a colander under cold water (you want to make sure you get rid of all the guts because it burns quickly. this is best done by rubbing them with your fingers under cold water.).

Place back in the bowl and let soak for approximately 8+ hours in salt water.

I drained the water and dried the pumpkin seeds on a paper towel (notice it is getting dark now, we carved our pumpkins in the morning but you could let them soak over night if you carved your pumpkins in the evening).

I decided to try two different methods to find our which would taste better (I will give you our taste test results at the end).

Method 1: I made a "sweet" seasoning of cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg. For my seasoning shaker I used a clean glass baby food jar and had DH poke holes in the top. It worked perfectly and easy to store and save for future cinnamon toast (mmmmmm). I put a little butter in a sauce pan, seasoned the seeds and roasted them on the stove top. I used medium heat and constantly flipped them. (I actually think I let them cook slightly too long and could have taken them off sooner then I did because some pieces were slightly burnt).

Method 2: I tossed the seeds with a little olive oil, sprinkled with kosher salt, placed one layer of seeds on a baking sheet covered with foil and baked on 300 degrees for approximately 40 minutes (I also flipped these a few times during baking time).

There you have it: two types of seasoned seeds (you can actually season in many ways - garlic salt, seasoning salt, etc.). Our fave and the ones we will make again next year: kosher salt seasoned pumpkin seeds baked in the oven.

This is a fun tradition to add to the traditional carving. DS had fun watching and was interested in the results but wasn't willing to try them (do I have the pickiest eater or what?! grrrr).

Pumpkin Poop

2008-10-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

We carved a pumpkin yesterday (we will wait until closer to Halloween to do the other ones). DS sat patiently next to DH and waited for the few seconds here and there that DH would let him use the knife (with caution of course). It was great fun for everyone and I have to say, I think it turned out pretty darn cute!

After the finished product DH took DS into the dark bathroom to show him how the candle shines through the pumpkin in the dark. DH wanted it to be closer to his eye level so he set it on the toilet seat so he could see it.

After DH set it on the toilet DS turned to us and asked, "does the pumpkin have to go "poopy" Daddy?".

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! I will add directions of the fun activity of roasting the pumpkin seeds tomorrow.

It's the little things ...

2008-10-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

... like ...

coffee prepared by my DH.

kisses from DS that were not asked for.

a simple, "miss you" from friends.

a clean car.

cool fresh air.

my own bed.

a good glass of wine.

a long nap.

Sees chocolate.

a pretty flower.

laughing with DS.

DD's smile.

holding hands.

my wedding song on the radio.

DH's dirty clothes making it into the hamper instead of the floor.

Friday night family dinners.

... that make me happy.

Picture above taken of DD's "little" hands grasping her first "little" pumpkin. 2 more weeks until DD's 1st Halloween and DS's 3rd. Our visit to Johnson Brother's pumpkin patch today. Hoping to share the "carved" pumpkins this weekend. Stay tuned.

Too big too kiss too fast

2008-10-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

I was putting DS to sleep tonight after his nightly prayer of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. He got "comfy cozy" in bed and I asked him for a kiss good night. He responded shyly, "no.". Before you think he is being mean I will tell you it is his way of delaying the night time routine as he knows Mommy will stay how ever long it takes to get her good night kiss. :-) He giggled for a litte bit while I pretended to ignore his response and gave him a multitude of loud kisses on his legs, arms, cheeks, belly, forehead and so on. After I stopped the kissing and he was still smiling I said, "ok, how about you just blow Mommy a kiss tonight?". (I kiss my hand, hold it under my mouth and blow it to him).

He got serious, looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Mommy, I am too big to blow kisses.". Reminder: DS is 2 years, 9 months old. Too big to blow kisses? I thought I didn't have to worry about this until I was still dropping him off in high school and blowing kisses to him as he walked away?! But, now?! Surely, he is growing up too fast. Right?

Heartbroken, sitting on the edge of his bed my mind is wandering to all the recent moments he has seen me taking DD's 7 month old hands to her lips and throwing them in the air over and over trying to teach her how to blow kisses and he leans over, smiles and gives me a big ol' "mmmmmmmmmmmmm" kiss right on the cheek.

I love this boy.

It's a bird, it's a plane ... it's the mail carrier?!!?

2008-10-10T13:04:00.001-07:00

We were driving home from a play date at Bill Barber Park in Irvine (by the way, fantastic park, despite DS's complete melt down at the end of our playdate) and we turn onto our street and DS yells, "what's that Mommy?". I look over and we see this white, red and blue segway scooter. I am not sure if you can tell from the picture because there are storage saddles on the side, but it is one of those scooters that you stand to drive (I have seen police with these) and the charachter G.O.B (pronounced the biblical Job) rode around in one on the show Arrested Development.

Of course I stopped, took a picture with my Blackberry from the car, rolled down my window and asked her what it was. She said they are testing it out for crowded cities such as New York but because we are close to the main city post office and a safe area they are testing it here. It was her first day. It took her approximately 15 minutes to get to our community which is 2 miles from the post office. She wasn't thrilled about getting all her mail into that little trailer either but she is willing to give it a chance. Notice the helmet.

Just had to share my Friday Fun!

Insert foot in mouth

2008-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is girl puts everything in her mouth. She explores her new surroundings by tasting and chewing. I have been surprised that she has remained so healthy despite this dirty habit (I guess exculsive breastmilk is in her favor).

We went to the Tanaka Farm's pumpkin patch on Monday in hopes of getting some cute photos of the twins. I also got a chance to snap a few of DD and DS too (neither were quite dressed for the Harvest season so we will need to go back for some more). DS had a blast running on the hay stacks, seeing the goats and as always, playing witht the twins. DD, no surprise, had fun tasting the hay. :-)

And just in case your weren't already aware and are around the Orange County area, Tanaka Farms sells the best homemade salsa and chips around and worth a trip to the farm just for that (of course, they are known for their organic fruits and veggies but I can never pass up their salsa, soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good!).

Happy Friday!!! Anyone else get a long weekend? (DH has Colombus Day off).

Hickory Dickory Dock

2008-10-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I found a dead mouse right in the middle of our backyard patio. One can only assume s/he kicked the bucket from pure heat exhaustion while trying to cross our patio in 90+ degree weather in October (YIKES!). I decided to wait 6 hours for DH to get home from work instead of disposing of the carcase myself.

After eating dinner last night, DH went outside with heavy duty gloves on with DS following closely in his footsteps (as he often does from the moment Daddy gets home from work until he goes to bed). DH picked up the dead mouse by the tail. DS asked DH, "what's the mouse doing Daddy?". DH replied, "he is dead.". Just. like. that. "He is dead.". Now, I have to tell you first, DS has been lucky enough in his 2.9 years of life to have not had to experience death of anyone close. I wasn't even sure he would know what that word really meant. So I held my breath and wondered to myself what would his response be to DH's answer. Were we about to have a deep discussion on death, life, heaven, God ... ok, I know, I know, I am getting ahead of myself now but ... a mother's mind can wander fast.

DS paused for a few moments. He got a somber look, looked directly at the mouse and lowered his head as if he was saying a prayer. I smiled becaue I was proud of my sweet sympathetic boy. I looked at DH and we shared a moment (the kind of moment that only a husband and wife share when watching their own kids). DS then turned around, looked straight at a plant sitting on the patio table that Mommy has neglected since before we left for Germany and said, "that plant is dying too Mommy.". DH and I quickly smiled and laughed. Just like his Daddy, he knows when to lighten a somber moment. The dead mouse was disposed of quickly but the plant still sits there.

Yep, he didn't miss an opportunity to point out Mommy's missing green thumb either (picture above of said plant). **crossing arms over head to hide my red face from embarrassment**

As the world turns, so do the days of our lives ...

2008-10-05T20:40:00.000-07:00

This morning I got up from our round kitchen table and put my dirty bowl from honeynut cheerios in the dishwasher. I grabbed my cup of coffee, walked over to the living room where DS was playing and sat down on the couch.
DS walked over and said, "You're having your coffee now Mommy?
And then you are going to go shower?
And then put make-up on?
And then we are going some where?".

I scratched my head and wondered, make-up? Where did he get that? That seems to happen occasionally but it certainly isn't in my daily routine.

I have to admit life with kids can often feel like you are in the movie Groundhog Day. Everything seems to be a repeat of the day before. DS is so stuck in my his routine that it is one of the things I worried most about taking them to Europe but I have to say both DS and DD made me one proud Mama! They were amazing the entire time even though they had no daily routine. It was a great confirmation: all they really need is me and DH.

(**picture below: the happy kiddos playing during a sight-seeing excursion in Germany.**)

KOKO for schoKOlade

2008-10-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

Taking the kids to the Fatherland took on an entirely new meaning when we arrived in Germany. Why you ask? I know I have talked about it many times but here it goes again, DS is absolutely crazy over chocolate just like my DH.

Germany has this unwritten rule that you must bring schokolade (chocolate) to a child when you meet him/her. Every Aunt, cousin, and neighbor brought DS a piece (more like pieceS) of schokolade when they came to meet him. The country even has an entire line of popular chocolates designed for children. It is called Kinder Schokolade (translated: child chocolate). It comes in many different forms. The most popular being a chocolate egg and when eaten the child will find a toy inside. These were by far DS's favorite but any and all forms were eagerly accepted and eaten with pure joy.

Of all DH's great qualities, why did this one have to mmmm be mmmmmmmmm pasmmmmmmmmsed mmmmdownmmmmmmm?

What? You couldn't quite understand me? My words were mumbled. Sorry, I was finishing up a piece of dark chocolate with hazlenuts from Germany.

I guess the saying goes, "why fight it, it is much more fun to join them"?! :)

(By the way, yes, the picture above is taken by yours truly. You didn't think I would leave the camera back at the house for a trip to the grocery store did you?!?! The cashier shook her head as if to say, "that crazy American"!)

We're Home!

2008-10-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time! It is probably going to take a few days to get into our time zone so stay tuned for more updates on our fantastic vacation.

In the meantime, just a snap shot of DS going down a slide at a playground after having eis (ice cream) in the city where his Grandparents, Omi and Opa, were married. Traben-Trarbach, Germany. As you can see, he enjoyed our trip tremendously!

Mindless Madness

2008-09-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we leave for our first big international vacation with both kids. Today I spent most of my day running around like a chicken with my head cut off to finish all loose ends (BTW, was my Mom the only one that over-used that saying, LOL?!).

After exhausting myself, I was delighted to arrive home to this nice little package on my doorstep. I was excited not only because making sure I have something fun for myself was at the bottom of my list (the part I never made it to) but because it will provide many hours of (interupt-able) entertainment on our journey! Thank you KR, you always know what a girl needs, really, THANK YOU!

Bon Voyage everyone! See you soon!

Friday Family Faves (FFF)

2008-09-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it is Monday, but let's just pretend it is Friday! ;-)

DD loves these soft rubber blocks. She can grab them, chew on them (a prerequisite for her toys) and they even make a squeak when you squeeze them. We received these as a gift from a coworker of DH's and they have been a BIG hit. I can also see how she will be able to grow with them since DS enjoys stacking them and pointing out the different letters and animals.

This is now on my gift-giving list for all new Mom's along with a plastic basket full of fruit & vegetables that DD played with (while wearing her Sparky the Sun Devil outfit) for over an hour at The C's house during the USC game. The simple things they enjoy, she was as happy as can be and she didn't even know that USC won!

Happy Monday!