sam + elise

Lost Tooth

2011-03-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

Finally! The tooth has come out. Keith pulled it out tonight right after dinner. Papa and Curly were here to witness the big event. Elise had a nervous smile on her face as she watched. I saw Sam process the idea that his tooth was actually out and I could tell he wasn't sure if it was really real. It is something he has been wanting for so long. Then we dove in to several emotions over the next hour. First there was shock and then excitement. Then a little disbelief that the tooth fairy would actually be coming to our house tonight. I took a mental movie of the discussion between Elise and Sam about what the tooth fairy does with all the teeth that are collected. They still believe that there is magic in the world. I love that. Then Sam started to worry that it felt weird without his tooth and wondered if his mouth would always feel weird. Then he said he missed his tooth. Excitement came back and he ran to put the tooth under his pillow. After Papa and Curly left, he started talking to me about his old tooth and he started to look sad. His lower lip started to quiver and he started to cry. I held him and he told me he thinks he misses his tooth. Then he said, "I think I just want to be zero again. Will we get to be zero again when we are in heaven?" Poor guy - he is worried about aging. Me too. I wish he could be zero again too.

Octopus

2011-02-23T22:37:00.000-08:00

Sam has been asking for years to try Octopus. I don't even remember what drove this request but it has been a dream of his for quite some time. I took him to Sushi last week. He tried Squid, BBQ Eel, a seaweed salad and RAW OCTOPUS. I wouldn't even try it. Our friend, Doug shared an order with Sam. Sam said he loved it. Doug described it as seafood flavored bubble gum since it was so chewy. No thank you...but I love that I have an adventurous eater!

Sorry!

2011-02-22T21:10:00.000-08:00

Hi Lam! I hear you have been checking the blog from Vietnam and are disappointed on a daily basis. I am happy I still have someone checking the blog! I have no good excuse other than just being a busy mom. I will try to update again tomorrow. Thank you for still checking!

People

2011-01-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

I thought Santa came up with a genius idea this year. He wrote a letter to the kids and beautifully explained the meaning of Christmas. He reminded the kids that Christmas is not about the gifts we give and receive but more about celebrating life and all the people we get to live it with. He created a new game and hid lots of little people around the house for the kids to find. He told them to keep them and play with them throughout the year to remember the spirit of Christmas. We are to leave the people out next year for Santa to hide again.

I found Elise playing with them the other day...

My heart warmed as I watch her line them up. She said they were going to the movies.

You can see this group is very diverse.

But wait...what is that girl in the wheelchair doing?

I think she had some sort of accident. Did she knock a few people down?

Ummm...I am starting to think that was no accident.

I think this girl may be evil. What is she doing?

Now she is picking people up and throwing them off the edge of the table to their certain death and my daughter is smiling.

Not exactly what Santa had in mind I think. There was total carnage and this girl showed no remorse. The warmness in my heart turned to a chill up my spine.

There was no discrimination at all. If you were blind, on crutches, a baby, a senior...it didn't matter she was taking you down. Elise thought this was the funniest game ever. I think she may have missed some of the key details in Santa's message. Well...he tried.

Sick day

2010-12-02T21:31:00.000-08:00

The kids had fevers last night so they stayed home today. I know I am biased but she is cute even when she is sick and stinky.

Working on a Christmas Card

2010-12-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

Getting a picture with these two looking at me at the same time can be a challenge. They instantly become laughing goofballs competing to be the silliest.

In a moment of weakness, I may have captured two smiling happy faces without fingers up their noses.

Baby Teeth

2010-11-30T16:42:00.000-08:00

Sam is feeling sad this week. Sad because he has not lost a tooth. I always told him I did not want him to lose his baby teeth because, to me, that was a bigger deal than him starting school. It is the last baby thing about him and once he loses those chompers...he is officially a boy and not my baby anymore. When he pointed out to me that his bottom teeth were slightly loose...and I am talking very slight movement, I made a big deal and told him to slow down and I dramatically faked a big cry and told him that I didn't want him to grow up. He laughed and told me he had to grow up and that he just couldn't help it. He liked to tease me and show me the wobbly teeth.

That was about seven months ago.

Those teeth are just a teeny bit more wobbly than they were before. He is sad because he thinks every other first grader has lost their teeth. He even knows a few Kinders who have lost a few. Today he told me he is worried that Elise will lose her teeth before he will. And that may be a valid concern. He cried. I hugged. I told him when he is 90 all of his friends will be crying because they will be losing their teeth again and his adult teeth will be younger and healthier. I tried to make him feel better by telling him it is because he is so healthy and strong that his baby teeth are able to last longer. But mostly, I just hugged him because I know no matter what I say, he still feels sad that he is feeling different and left out of the tooth fairy action. So...we will just keep wiggling those little, slightly wobbly teeth and hope they loosen up soon. And we'll keep on hugging and maybe crying a little more but in a few months....hopefully we will have a boy with a funny looking smile.

Camping in San Clemente

2010-11-08T21:03:00.000-08:00

We went camping this past weekend in San Clemente.

The campsite was just yards from this view.
This was Elise's first official camping trip although she frequently reminds me that she did camp once in Aidan and Ashton's backyard. She rolls her eyes in disbelief that I could forget such a night.

Elise in the tent in her cousin's backyard in Utah.

The kids had a blast with a little more freedom than they get at home and explored the campgrounds on their bikes. Sam met two boys from the site next to ours and we did not see him much after that. They hit it off instantly. I quickly grew fond of these boys too...they were very sweet, had great manners and the ten year old took the natural role of the leader and the protector of the younger boys. That meant Mama could relax and have a drink! We enjoyed the time with our friends and enjoyed meeting the parents of the nice boys. We kept a safe distance from the extremely friendly crew at the other site near us. If I could whisper in text I would guess... swingers. I can't confirm this, thankfully, but individually, several of our party came to that assumption. Isn't that veird?

More camping is in our future. We had so much fun.

Milestones

2010-10-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

This vacation was all about milestones. It was our first family vacation. It was the first time travelling without baby things like strollers and pull ups and pack n plays. Sam has been riding his bike for a while now, but this trip offered him his first time riding through trails...mountain bike riding "like daddy does." This stroller free living offered us the opportunity to conquer this bluff in Sedona.

We started at the white arrow and hiked and climbed our way up the switchbacks and rocks to the black arrow. It was about three miles round trip and the kids loved it. It was like a giant, orange, dirty jungle gym. The weather was perfect. Big thunder clouds over head kept us cool. No one asked to be carried, no one complained and I did not hear one bit of whining. It was just a fun family adventure.

Keith and the kids checking out the views from the top.

A view of the bluff from the next trail we attempted.
(Attempted being the key word here. We discovered were a little over confident after the first hike.)

Hiking and Biking in Flagstaff

2010-10-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Every day in Flagstaff we went on a hike or a bike ride or both. It really is a beautiful area. There are lots of kid friendly hikes and perfect beginner bike trails. My girlfriend loaned us a tandem bike attachment for Elise so we were all able to ride together on the trails. There are pictures of the bikes in action at the bottom of the post. I don't know how I ended up in a family of early risers...but these three were up every morning by 6 - 6:15. I was the lazy bum staying in bed until 7ish. Not totally what I thought would be the schedule on vacation but I have to admit it made for long, enjoyable days.

Flagstaff

2010-10-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

Isn't Flagstaff the city where Aunt Edna gets dropped off in Vacation? Or was it Phoenix? I think it was Flagstaff. Anyway...that is my only frame of reference to Northern Arizona. I never thought of it as a vacation spot. Keith's parents generously gave us a week of their timeshare for us to use at any of their locations. We picked Flagstaff because it was close enough to drive to and we wouldn't have to spend the money on airfare. We figured we could easily visit the Grand Canyon and Sedona as well. To be honest, I had low expectations. I knew there was a space observatory there so we had that too if we needed something to keep us busy.

After driving seven hours through the desert we started our approach to Flagstaff. About 10-20 miles from town, the landscape changed suddenly. As soon as we hit about 5000 feet up, pine trees popped up around us. Closer to town and we started to notice yellow patches in the mountains. The Aspen trees were changing. I was happy we did not miss the fall show of color.

We went to dinner that first night downtown. Right next door to the restaurant was a theater. Above the theater was a sign. A sign that said Colin Hay was playing there that night. We like Colin Hay. It didn't look too crazy so we asked if there were tickets still available and if kids were allowed in the show. We were surprised that they said yes to both questions. Since we were in vacation mode we decided we'd be a little crazy and go for it. Colin Hay put on a great show. The last time we saw him perform was at The Belly Up and he didn't talk that much. This time he was like a stand up comedian between songs. And there were a lot of F-bombs and references to weed. Lucky for us, his Scottish accent was so thick that Sam asked what language he was speaking. He couldn't understand anything he said. That relieved me because I was starting to doubt my parental judgement. I was picturing Sam going back to 1st grade telling everyone he went to his first F%$#ing concert in F*$%ing Flagstaff.

Our day at the Grand Canyon

2010-10-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

The Grand Canyon is completely overwhelming. Someday we will go back when the kids are older and can handle going down into the canyon. It must be a totally different experience.

This trip we stuck with the rim trail and enjoyed the fantastic views.

The trail proved too long for some of us.

When we first arrived we picked up booklets from the rangers with assignments for the kids to complete to earn a Junior Ranger badge.

One of the games the kids had to complete was a Grand Canyon Bingo where you check off all the things you see at the canyon. I was amazed at how many animals we were able to check off.

We saw a deer,

a bull elk,

and a Condor!

This was a big deal as there are not many of these guys left. I don't think the rangers believed us when we told them we saw one. But look, if you zoom in on this picture you can see his pink head.

We also saw a squirrel, thanks to this future Darwin Award winner. There are signs everywhere in several languages warning about feeding the animals...

The kids were sworn in and earned their badges. They were proud! Sam said his favorite part of the day was seeing the man feed the squirrel and Elise said her favorite part of the day was seeing the elf. (Elk)

A quick glance

2010-10-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

We are having so much fun on our vacation. Now we are off for a bike ride and then hiking in a cave. The adventure continues!

Exit 161

2010-10-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

We are on our first official family vacation this week. We have been on trips before, visits with friends and family up north...but never just the four of us, in one place, for 6 days. We started yesterday by piling in the van with four bikes, four people and our bags stuffed in the spaces in between. While driving North on I15, I called my sister. I knew they were heading to Disneyland soon but I wasn't sure when exactly they were leaving. Turns out, they were heading South on I15. So, 45 minutes later, we pulled off somewhere between Victorville and Barstow and gave hugs and hellos to our cousins! We couldn't have coordinated better if we tried.

Friends

2010-10-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

Nolan, Elise + Ella

This is not the greatest picture on many levels but I have to use it because it is the only one I have with my potential future son-in-law and I need to share this story before I forget. Elise has made several new friends this year at preschool. Her little bff is the girl in this picture, Ella. The boy she tells me she will marry, is Nolan. I am not sure how the conversation started but during a drive in the swagger wagon, I heard Sam and Elise talking about the future spouses. Elise told Sam she was going to marry Nolan. This was the first I heard her talk about him like that. I wasn't even aware that she gave Nolan any attention at all. Elise told me of a conversation she had with Nolan at school...

Elise: Nolan, I am going to marry you.
Nolan: I know.

I gave Nolan's Mom the heads up and she did not seem surprised. Turns out, he has had several proposals already since many of his neighbors are four year old girls. Looks like Elise may have some competition.

After hearing me tell the story a few times, I think Elise grew tired and announced to me that she was no longer going to marry Nolan. I supported her and encouraged her to wait until she was thirty before deciding her marital fate.

Leaving preschool several days later, we crossed paths with Nolan on the way to our car. Elise smiled and shouted, "Bye, Nolan!" He smiled back and said goodbye. They did this several times. I finally got Elise in the car and she seriously had a dreamy smile and look upon her face. I said, "You are going to marry Nolan, aren't you?"

"Yes I am. Mommy? Do you think he will bring me red roses?"

I'd like to say that she got the red roses thing because she sees daddy do that for me all the time...but no. I suspect that Sam has been planting ideas in her head. Either way...I think it is adorable but I'd like for her to slow down a bit.

A good book

2010-10-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

Sam and I just finished reading this book. I remember the movie from when I was young. (Yes, I watched some age appropriate shows from time to time.) But I don't ever remember reading the actual book. Sam was a little hesitant for me to read an actual chapter book without any pictures to look at.

He decided he would give it a chance and two chapters in, he was hooked.

Sam will often stop me when I read a word he is unsure of and will ask me what it means. Just like Wilbur does with Charlotte now that I think of it. Anyway, I read the word adore and Sam quickly asked for the definition, I obliged and we moved on. When I finished reading for the night I asked Sam if he was enjoying the book and if he wanted to continue the next night. "Oh, yes! Mommy, I adore this book."

I adored the book too. So much so I looked up E.B. White to see what else he may have to offer. I found out he wrote Stuart Little as well. Looks like that may be our next chapter book. E.B. White wrote adult books too and he was an essayist. I came across this quote from him about being an essayist that I thought applied to this blogging/facebook world of ours.

"The essayist is a self-liberated man, sustained by the childish belief that everything he thinks about, everything that happens to him, is of general interest."

I guess the difference between an Essayist and a blogger is that you actually had to be articulate to be an Essayist.

Here's to the non-discriminatory nature of blogs!

Maybe not so dreadful

2010-10-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I thought lice were dreadful. Now I feel silly about it since hearing about the shooting at my friend's elementary school in Carlsbad. I can't imagine the fear those kids and parents had during those frightening moments. To think that two little girls now have gunshot wounds because of some random act of violence. I know how sensitive my six year old is and I can't imagine having to discuss with him about the bad man who came to school. My friend's 5 year old son had to hide in a bathroom for over an hour with other students and teachers. The teachers were brave and distracted the kids by playing games and telling them it was a long drill when I am sure they, themselves were scared out of their minds. I think my Friday lice report was not so dreadful. Perspective.

Dreadful

2010-10-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

I knew this day would come and I have been dreading it.

My head immediately started to itch and I felt like this...

I went into a panic and went straight to the pharmacy to buy some lice killer. I wasn't sure what to look for but I was not going to mess around. Somehow, I made it through my entire childhood without ever meeting these little pests. I don't remember my siblings ever getting them either. I am hoping that maybe we are genetically pre-dispositioned to repel the little suckers. I checked Sam's head and while I thought he looked free and clear I still was not sure. Then I checked the internet for some hints as to what I needed to watch out for.

Gross.

Yuck.

I am so grossed out right now.
Wish us luck!
If I find anything I will be sure to post a close up photo.
I'll consider it my favor to anyone who reads this so you will know what to look for.
It's what I do.

I am still itchy.

Rain

2010-09-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

It is raining today. Complete with thunder and lightning. We like that around here!

A funny thing, picking up kids at an elementary school during an unexpected rainstorm in San Diego.

You'd think aliens were landing.

This picture is from July...during the last rain

from our summer that never was.

It may not be my best but it is one of my favorites.

Have I mentioned that we love rainy days?

First Grade Conference

2010-09-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

Today, Keith and I met with Sam's first grade teacher. This is the goal setting conference for the year. We were happy to confirm that Sam is a fantastic student and he is loving first grade. As long as he holds back on his policeman like tendencies with his classmates I think we are headed for a very good year. His teacher is confident that he has been better about only reporting things that concern him directly. She seems genuinely happy to have him in her class. I walked away from the conference feeling like a superior parent doing an amazing job raising an intelligent, sweet and well adjusted little boy. Then we came home and tried to work on homework. Homework with a tired perfectionist is a true test of patience. I was quickly thrown back into reality and my parenting skills were challenged and I was reminded that much of the time I really don't know what I am doing. Can I really take credit for the sweet amazing boy we talked about today if I don't take the blame for the total meltdown we experienced while trying to write down this week's spelling list? I'll blame it on the camping trip. That is all it is...we are all a little off our routine from the camping trip. Time to step away from the homework and we will try again tomorrow...

Indian Guides

2010-09-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Sam and Keith are gone this weekend. They are on their first Indian Guides camping trip! The girls are home alone for two nights. We miss our boys but Elise was excited to learn that she would get to sleep in my bed all weekend.

Sam went camping when he was about 10 months old. Obviously he doesn't remember that so this is really his first official camping trip. I have to preface this next little story by letting you know that Sam likes to watch Survivorman and Man vs. Wild and Dual Survivor on the Discovery Channel.

Keith and Sam are accompanied by our friends Max and Eric. Eric and Keith work together and Sam and Max go to school together. On Thursday, Eric and Keith were sharing stories about their sons nervous inquiries about the camping trip. Max was concerned about sleeping away from his mom for two nights in a row. Sam also voiced some concerns to Keith. He asked if they might see a specific type of brown spider. He asked if they might see a rattle snake. He wondered if there would be rabbits, bats, bugs, and other critters. Keith was answering thoughtfully as he thought these questions were fear based and did not want to create any extra anxiety for our boy. Then Sam asked if they would be using/making bows and arrows and if they would build a fire. When Keith told him no on the weapons making...Sam asked, "But how are we going to hunt and cook the snakes and rabbits?" Sam was counting on some serious survival skills needed for this camping trip. I hope he is not disappointed when he learns that they will be watching movies, devouring ice-cream sundaes and chowing down on grilled tri-tip rather than preparing their taste buds for bbq'd rattle snake and slimy grubs.

August Reunion

2010-09-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Mila is staring at me while sitting on the sofa. I can't resist taking a picture of those big brown eyes.

In August, we had the pleasure of her company along with her daddy, Uncle D and Uncle Lam too. Mara and family stayed with Papa and Curly. Aunt Lene and Uncle Jack were banished to a hotel after what happened the last time they came for a visit. ;-) Even our cousin Mike joined the party for a few days! I am ashamed to say I don't have many pictures from the week. Uncle Lam has a fancy camera so I let him take most of the pictures. Now I need to hunt him down before he goes back to Vietnam so I can have some copies.

This is our nephew Maxwell. This was the first time we met. He just turned 1 so we had cupcakes together.

Look at that face...Oh my...he is beyond cute.

Cole is Maxwell's big brother.

(Why did I just type that? Do I think we'll forget how we are all related to eachother? Mara...here is a picture of your first son Cole...he is Maxwell's big brother, did you know that?)

We all took the train to old town. Taking a train with a big group all meeting at the train station can be a bit tricky. Cory almost missed the train on the way down. He used his super human speed to run across the tracks with a stroller and a baby at the last minute and just made the train.

On the train ride back this Irish gentleman we know almost started a brawl while trying to get off the train and I had to use my super human strength to hold the train door open so Uncle Jack could jump off before getting stuck on the train to LA. I love a feisty Irish man who stands up for himself!

Aunt Mara treated the kids to some personalized license plates...Old Town had everyone's name...impressive.

Here is my Rock Star brother in law looking tough while blowing bubbles. He is currently playing a few shows in Boulder with Colin Robison. He also is hangin' with my current favorite singer/songwriter Gregory Alan Isokov. Seriously, he is hangin' with him, like staying at his house and everything. If you have access to iTunes, go download his album This Empty Northern Hemisphere and play it on a Sunday morning over a cup of coffee. You can thank me later. OK...back to the reunion.

While in Old Town, Keith's parents took us to the Mormon Battalion. They have an interactive talk about some of the Mormon History and how they fought for our country. It was very well done and impressive. Sam really got into it but was disappointed to find out we were not really going camping with shotguns...it was just pretend. I had no idea my son would be so quick to sign up to fight for his country. Nice but I hope that is never, ever, never the case. The kids also had a chance to pan for gold. Really fun and not heavy on talk about religion so it really is enjoyable for all to go to. The entire experience is free and it was the highlight of the Old Town trip. (Except for maybe the pitchers of Margaritas Aunt Lene, Keith and I managed to put down at the restaurant.)

Here are the kids on our favorite Hike in Torrey Pines...they are looking for dinosaur bones in the sandy cliffs.

Elise thought is was pretty hysterical that she decided to run through the waves with all her clothes on. She didn't care that it meant riding home cold and naked. She thought it was definitely worth it.

We had so much fun with the fam! Papa and Curly worked their butts off feeding this crew.

Thanks Papa and Curly for all your hard work pulling this reunion off!

Love Notes

2010-08-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

The best thing about Sam starting school last year was his learning to read and write. One of the best things about Sam learning to read and write is that Elise is eager to try to keep up with her big brother. Halfway through the year we started finding notes left by our bed.

Elise would copy by leaving notes too, but she chose to keep the notes short. And she insisted on using some notecards that she found in my desk.

Her notes usually include a picture of her or her and someone else and then her signature.

This is one of her early signatures that I really love.

I love how she has lots of lines in her E's and that the first E and the last E face eachother.

It just makes sense.

Throughout the year, Sam's writing improved and his pictures included more details.

Elise started to experiment with color.

Elise's handwriting is starting to improve...as it should, but I will always love her early style. This note is getting much more advanced including some lower case. I think Sam helped her with her spelling on this note about her BFF Ella. That...or she knows more than she is letting on at pre-school.

This writing thing also helps Sam communicate his frustrations as this runaway note shows.

I can't remember what he was mad about but I am happy he got it off his chest.

This looks like Elise needed to air some grievances as well.

Today was the first day of First Grade. Can't wait to see what this year brings.

I love my 6 and 4 year olds.

I am trying to cherish everyday.

I know these days will pass too quickly.

Tahoe Continued

2010-08-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

When I win the lottery, we are moving to Tahoe. Or at least buying our summer home there. It would be a perfect getaway since the summers in San Diego tend to be foggy and cool. I love, love, love, Tahoe. One of the most beautiful places in the world...in my opinion.

Our last four days in Tahoe we spent with our good friends at Casa Bowman. Keith and Chris have been friends for a long time. Since, like forever ago...like since the late 70's, man. When we reunite in Tahoe every year, there is an instant comfort and lots of stories to re-live and laugh about.

Every year we have the same schedule of events...we always have a beach day...

The men have a golf and poker day while the women folk entertain the kids. This year we found a new hiking trail near their cabin.

While on the hike, I think we may have arranged a marriage. Elise still has a choice though...they have three bachelors to choose from. This day it looked like Cash had the edge.

For the first time we all figured out the boys would be in a lot less trouble when the golf/poker day gets out of hand if the girls plan a day off as well. We shopped, went to lunch, got our nails did and met this random woman outside of Garwoods. Amazing how a few drinks in high altitude brings strangers together! The men took the kids fishing and Sam caught his first fish.

They were also thrilled about spotting a bald eagle flying above them.

We usually start out the 4th of July with a day at Northstar...here the kids are waiting for their chance to jump...

The trip would not be complete without a little photo shoot. This is my favorite from this year.

Our last night is always a picnic dinner, a group photo, and fireworks in Tahoe City.

Sam tried out my camera for the first time...here are a few of his shots.

We usually wake up at 5:00 the following morning to start our long

and beautiful drive home down the backside of the Sierra's.

Looking forward to Tahoe 2011!

Just post it

2010-07-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

Can't...keep...up...I have too many pictures to edit! One post a month is not going to cut it for this "scrapbook" of mine. I need to get over my picture editing addiction and just post away. So here we go...

4 days in Tahoe with my sisters...unedited.

Fun is...

Staying in a hotel room with your cousins

lounge chair surfin'

posing on a rooftop

three year old cousins

playing tag on a rooftop...unless you are Sam and you have a bad cough

hangin with your teddy

takin over the rooftop

football on the beach

snow on the mountains in late June

playing in the water

getting warm on the hot sand

cold water on a hot day

naps on Aunt Megan

a beer on the beach

playing in the big afternoon waves

trying to out run the wave

letting the wave get you

letter boxing

leaving our mark on the hidden treasure

getting the kids their own table for our last dinner with the cousins.

We had so much fun with our cousins it was hard to say goodbye.

Lucky for us we had another 4 days to spend in Tahoe with more friends.

To be continued...

What happened to June?!

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

I can't believe over a month has passed since my last post. All of June...poof!...gone in an instant! I feel like my mom was just here...but here we are in July. Not sure how it happened. I do know that somehow most of June I was not on my computer, or on Facebook, or even checking emails much really. I guess it is a good sign that we were too busy having fun.

The first week of June, Sam turned six. We celebrated by bringing his best buddy, Ben and Ben's little brother Billy to Legoland for the day.

A few weeks later, Sam completed his first official year of school.

I predict good things for my boy who loves to learn!

In mid June, Keith's parents accompanied us for an adult night out in

San Diego to see my latest favorite singer/songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov.

Patrick Park opened up for him and he was pretty impressive too...

but Gregory is for sure my current favorite.

It was at a hipster coffee shop/recording studio and it was so small and intimate and I am much too nerdy of a mom to be hangin' at a place like this but I enjoyed every minute of it. Add the delicious and unique pizza we enjoyed before the show to the enlightening conversation we had with the pizza creator who escaped from Afghanistan in the 80's and it was quite a welcome break from our usual routine.

We tried to celebrate Father's Day but that day turned into a bust when the stomach flu reared it's ugly head in the middle of the day, 15 minutes before one of my best friends arrived for a visit. Jen was brave and came anyway, since they had just spent 8 hours in the car getting here. I quickly disinfected every hard surface in the house but apparently that didn't help. Three days later, Ethan and I joined the Puke Fest 2010. Luckily it came and went quickly. We shared our flu bug and they let us borrow a cough/cold from Lucas. And we still had a great week...germs and all!

We wrapped up the month by meeting up with my sisters and their families in Lake Tahoe. We celebrated my sister's 40th birthday, enjoyed the beach and the time with family.

Poof! That is June in a nutshell. I feel like we are in a time warp.

How are we already a week into July???!

Sam's Summer is over August 16th. Time...please slow down!

Movies

2010-05-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

My mom came down for a visit this past week.

We celebrated her birthday with a relaxing lunch and walk in Coronado.

We shopped, lunched, watched Twilight, and we went and saw that Babies movie.

We also strolled a little down memory lane.

On this visit my mom brought along some of my old papers and report cards.

It was fun to look at my work and pictures from when I was close to Sam's age.

I can actually remember creating some of these works of art.

This was a paper I wrote about Movies.

Ummm... Anyone remember the movie Private Benjamin? Do you remember the scene of the second wedding night...do you remember what they were doing when he died?!

And...my favorite part of the second movie I mention is the gorilla sticking his middle finger up.

Okay...

The year was 1981.

I was seven.

That is just good parenting.

Growing up in the 80's was sweet.

It reminds me of a story of one Sunday morning when I was, oh, about seven.

We were all rushing to get ready for church. I couldn't find one of my lovely, worn, white buckle sandals.

My mom warned me if I wasn't down stairs in two minutes she was leaving without me. (I am assuming my dad was home because I don't think she would have left me alone and my dad usually skipped the Sunday Church routine.) Anyway, I dug through the clothes, stuffed animals and blankets that covered my closet floor and finally found my sandal.

I grabbed it and booked down the stairs and out the front door.

The shimmery brown station wagon was just pulling away.

I ran to the middle of the street and watched her leave me.

Dressed in my Sunday best with one shoe on and one in my hand, I quickly raised my arm in the air and held my middle finger up high. I made sure to motion my hand back and forth to really accentuate my anger. Being seven, I wasn't highly aware of the rear-view mirror and the ability for the driver to see things behind them.

About an hour or so later, Mom was home and I was busted.

But at least now we know where I learned such a thing.

And little girls who watch R rated movies and flip their parents off on Sunday mornings

can still grow up to be respectful members of society. :-)

48 years

2010-05-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

Arlene and Jack were out for a visit a few weeks ago.

We had the honor of going to dinner with them to celebrate their 48 years together.

48 years!

Holy Crap!

That is a long time.

The best part is that they still like each other!

I mean they can still truly have a good time together.

I think that is incredibly special and a milestone I look forward to reaching with Keith.

After giving a sweet little and tiny bit emotional toast to Arlene, Jack raised his glass and said he felt like the luckiest man in the world.

I asked them what their secret was...how did they make it to 48 years?

I leaned forward and eagerly awaited some wise words of wisdom...

"Well, you know...it has not actually been that great...."

Did I mention Jack is really good with words?

We all started laughing.

I think what he was trying to say was that it wasn't easy...not the marriage part...but the life part.

Like everyone, they had their challenges.

Then we took pictures. I took the picture above of them.

I snapped a quick picture of Papa and Curly.

And here is the picture that was taken of us...

They may be 40 years ahead on the marriage part...but I think we may have them on the camera skills.

Arlene and Jack, Thank you for sharing your anniversary with us!!

A good lesson

2010-05-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

After watching Elise play, or not play in the first two games of soccer,

I was tempted to quit the season for her.

I wanted it to be fun experience. Not a source of stress.

She is only 3.

Thankfully, Keith had the idea of keeping me at home during the next few games.

He would go with her and quietly support her without forcing her into anything.

(Just so you know...I was not forcing her into anything...I was just a sympathetic mommy who wanted to hold her hand on the field during the game...is that so wrong?)

Keith would make her stay on the field but that was pretty much the extent of the forcing.

Each week she would involve herself just a tiny bit more.

And as I mentioned in my last post, I was finally invited back to the games.

She is like a different little girl out there!

She smiles, she runs, she kicks and she lets the coach talk to her.

Watching her play with her team is beyond cute and I love that she is enjoying herself.

I love the bond it has created with her and Keith.

She looks for him as she runs down the field and she smiles when she sees him cheer her on.

It has been a big confidence booster for her and a good lesson for us.

We could have quit

but she would not have learned

what she is capable of.

Soccer

2010-05-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Elise does not want anyone to know she can play soccer.

After watching Sam play soccer and after tasting the delicious snacks that appear after the soccer game, Elise decided she wanted to play too. I thought she was too young but finally broke down and signed her up.

If we get to the game early, she will pass and kick and dribble and practice making goals with Daddy.

But when the team or coach shows up, game's over.

"Nice Kick, Elise!" yelled the coach as he arrived to witness what he had never seen before.

Elise turned, glared and stuck her thumb in her mouth.

She gets very quiet and serious.

I told her she had to at least stand in front of the goal during the game

if she wanted that delicious snack at the end.

She looks so happy.

After the second game, Keith and I decided to ban me from the games.

When Mommies are around it is easier to mope and look for a rescuer.

For the last month, Soccer has been a Daddy and Elise activity.

One that they both look forward to. At least until the team arrives.

On Saturday, Elise told me that she smiled once at the game and that she even ran a little and that now it would be okay for me to come back to watch the games.

She also sounded proud that the coaches daughter is even more shy than she is.

I am looking forward to Saturday morning.

Driving to San Francisco

2010-04-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

Back in the old days when I was a working woman, this was my commute. Well, part of it at least. If we go way back to when Keith and I were newly engaged...then this was my commute from Burlingame.

Exciting post, right?

Keith and I lived right off of Broadway in the cutest little house. I still love that house...I have some of my best memories there. And I always loved the lighting in that house.

Driving in the bay area makes me very nostalgic.

This was our kitchen...it was rather large compared to the rest of the house.

White floors in a kitchen is not a good idea by the way.

I did a lot of wedding planning in that house.

I can't believe this is about 8 years ago.

Anyway...back to the drive.

I think this is the hotel where Keith asked my dad for my hand in marriage.

I love my traditional man.

I tried to get us a factory tour here once. They wouldn't let me in.

Now we can see the bay.

One good thing that has come out of "this economy," the ballparks are all getting their original names back. Candlestick was always Candlestick to me.

Heading towards downtown.

I never liked this part of the city...Too many houses and no trace of the hill.

Look, someone painted a heart on the front of their house.

I feel like I am going to work. Almost there.

Just follow this street down to the Embarcadero and turn left and head past

The Ferry Building to the Ice House.

Sometimes I miss my job.

Most of the time I don't.

But I did like my co-workers.

I loved working in the City.

I liked Happy Hour.

I liked working at the corporate office for Williams-Sonoma.

When I was 26 I made it my goal to get a job there.

It took me 9 months and 5 or 6 interviews.

But this night we were not driving to my office. We headed here.

When I moved from Walnut Creek to Burlingame I started commuting with my good friend, Angela.

Last month it worked out perfectly that we were in town for her 40th birthday.

She is 100% italian. I am like 80% Irish.

Can you say Spray Tan? :-)

Here is a small world connection with Angela.

Her husband, Paulo, has a brother, Giovanni.

(Yes, they are very Italian)

In college, Giovanni lived with Mike. Mike is Keith's cousin...Aunt 'Lene's son.

Aunt Lene and Angela have the same birthday.

I got lucky, the stars aligned and Aunt Lene's party was during the day and Angela's was at night.

Aunt 'Lene and Mike should have come with us to Angela's because they could have introduced us to half the party.

It was a big fun party day.

When we got home to Papa and Curly's house, this is how our monkeys were sleeping.

Cranky

2010-04-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

Over spring break we went up north to celebrate Aunt 'Lene's 70th Birthday.

It was at a Bocce Ball place in Los Gatos.

Bocce is so fun. Especially with this crew. Actually, anything with Aunt 'Lene is fun.

She has amazing amounts of energy...even when she is sick...like she was for several weeks before and after this party. But she managed to get herself well enough for this day and we are so happy we were able to celebrate with her.

It was a fantastic time for all...except...well...maybe a certain 3 year old who needed a nap.

Let's look a little closer.

Keith's cousin Susie had t-shirts made for all the kids with Aunt 'Lene's face on it.

All the kids were thrilled to model the shirts...except that certain 3 year old.

She was P-I-S-Sed.

She wanted to be home.

She wanted to be sleeping.

She was feeling shy and intimidated.

She let me force the t-shirt on her but she was

absolutley not going to let anyone look at the image on her shirt.

She was holding on to her last bit of power.

The moment she got in the car she ripped that shirt off and threw it on the floor.

She was taking her anger out on the shirt. She tried to punch it.

She wasn't mad at Aunt 'Lene. She loves Aunt 'Lene.

She talks about Aunt 'Lene often and asks when she will visit and have a sleepover.

That shirt just represented her lack of power.

But I am a little sad that there are so many friends and family who don't get to see

the warm and silly side of Elise.

You have to stay at our house for a few hours to before she will let you witness her goofy nature.

But I am not worried.

My cousin Erin did not speak to anyone in our family until she was 12 I think.

She had the same look in her eye that Elise has at family gatherings.

Then Erin turned into a social butterfly in high school.

I hear she was a party queen at Santa Barbara.

You'd have to be to want to live on D.P. in I.V. while at S.B.

She works hard and plays hard.

Now she is a lawyer in LA representin' the hip hop world. Yo.

So Elise can shut down and give all the dirty looks she wants.

I know the real deal and she is something special.

Feeding Time

2010-04-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

In my fantasy world I have a ranch in the middle of nowhere.

In my fantasy the animals don't smell and they take care of themselves.

In real life, we have Papa Han's and Rachelle's place to visit.

Real life is pretty good.

Sad Blogs

2010-04-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't felt as motivated to blog lately. I have been forcing myself to post a few updates but I don't have the same energy for it that I used to. I don't feel particularly creative or funny. I just post a few pictures and boring statements about what it was we were doing at the time.

I think I finally figured out what my problem is.

There are so many deeply moving and sad blogs out there. In the last few months I have read too many heart breaking stories about the deaths of babies, toddlers, children and grandmothers. The stories come directly from the souls who are struggling to make sense of what they are going through. I don't seek the sadness. These are not blogs of strangers. The stories are from friends and friends of friends and are just unimaginably sad. They are a reminder to me of how lucky I am. They should serve as a reminder to me of why I like to blog. Instead it feels a little like I am boasting about how good we have it. How did we get so lucky? At least for now. I wonder, can Keith and I make it through our entire marriage without any major blows? Odds are not in our favor. But maybe? So far, so good. Our hardest year was when Keith was laid off just two weeks after Sam was born. But I still had my job so Keith and I were able to spend the rest of my maternity leave together with Sam and Keith had the opportunity to be a stay-at-home daddy for the first year. We didn't really struggle other than my long commute. Does that count toward paying any dues towards suffering? The commute was really, really bad...I hope that counts for something. But I enjoyed my job and working in San Francisco so maybe I can't really call that suffering.

(I would eat lunch here at Levi plaza almost daily)

But there were somedays when I would race out of the office at 5:30 and try to get home before 7:00 but get there just a moment too late and just miss Sam.

Despite Keith's efforts to keep him awake, Sam would drift off while I would sit in my car on 280.

Hard for me...but not a terrible hardship.

I was still able to watch my healthy baby boy sleep peacefully and I had the pleasure of seeing him wake in the morning to nurse before I left for work.

We are very blessed/lucky. Whatever you want to call it.

I am thankful for it.

Okay, back to writing about fun, light, happy things.

Life can change quickly.

Watching for Whales

2010-04-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

My dad and Rachelle came to visit for a few days over spring break.

My dad likes adventures.

This visit we headed up to Oceanside for some whale watching.

I have so much free time I turned this picture into a drawing in Photoshop.

Yes...a good use of my time for sure.

Elise was a little nervous as we ventured out to the open seas.

So she stayed close to Papa Han.

Elise loves Papa Han.

We don't get to see him to often but Elise has a soft spot in her heart for my dad.

She is a different little girl around him.

It is cute to see.

We saw lots of water. We watched other boats.

We saw birds.

But no whales.

Who knew the highlight would be when we got off the boat. Pelicans galore catching fish coming out of the back part of a fishing boat. I guess they were cleaning their somethin-somethin and out of the backs of their boats came streams of water and some unlucky fish.

And then we saw this guy.

This sea lion popped out every minute or so.

Sea life trivia...sea lions have ears that you can see...seals don't.

We never could tell where he might pop up.

It was always an exciting moment when he popped his cute little head out of the water.

Wonder what our next adventure with Papa Han will be. Sam thought this one was "great!"

Easter

2010-04-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

We had a very lovely Easter.

The day started early with Elise squeeking ooooohs! and Ahhhhhs! every moment she found a hidden egg in the house. Sam was quiet and focused. The race was on. Then they found their baskets.

Elise immediately tore into her treats. Sam hasn't touched his yet, he is saving them.

I made these for brunch.

That is not my photo but I do have the little skillets and mine did look pretty darn close if I do say so myself.

Then we went on a hike with Curly and Uncle Lam.

We discovered this canyon. It is a ten minute walk from our home.

We always knew that the Canyon was there but we had no idea about the creek and the view. This picture does not do it justice.

This is the trail we were on during the 7.2 earthquake centered about 100 miles away that lasted for 40 seconds. We had no clue. Keith and I both experienced the 6.8 Northridge quake and the 6.9 earthquake in 1989. Those lasted for 20 seconds and scared the crap out of us. I can't believe we didn't feel a thing. I guess when you don't have structures shaking madly around you, earthquakes aren't that noticeable.

Thankfully it sounds like the damage has been minimal...especially compared to Haiti or Chile.

We finished the day with a delicious dinner at Papa and Curly's.

I love Easter.

Bummer

2010-03-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

I guess I can't say I was surprised this week to find out Sam is more me than Keith in the allergy department.

On Monday morning we went to the allergy doctor to confirm what I suspected.

I can't believe the allergy test is basically the same one I had when I was little. Seriously? We haven't made leaps and bounds in technology in this area? We really have to poke the little guy 50 times with extracts that will irritate and itch? Why not a blood test?

The twenty minutes of torture totally made my iphone worth every penny. I was able to distract him with Ice Age videos. When a video would stop, the crying and itching would start. Video back on...silence.

Thank you Steve Jobs!

So the most surprising bit O' information we found out is that Sam has a mild allergy to Peanuts. The kid has been living on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Oops! We were told to cut that out ASAP. He has never had a reaction but I guess we just don't know if he is developing an allergy or growing out of one.

See the faint whitish stripe across his nose. That is clue #1 called an allergy line. Kids with allergies get it from rubbing their noses all the time.

The mark on his cheek was eczema, clue #2, caused by the peanut butter remnants left there from his daily sandwich. Okay...so I guess I lied in the statement above...I guess you can call that a reaction to peanut butter...

I feel like such a good Mom.

Allergies and Asthma are a bummer. I blame them for my lazy tendencies. I told the doctor I was avoiding an official diagnosis for Sam because when I was growing up I used that diagnosis as an excuse to be lazy. I never had to run the mile in PE because I had a note from my doctor. If I got tired playing basketball in 8th grade I would act like my asthma was acting up. I don't want Sam to have the same excuse. The doctor assured me things are different now and the diagnosis means physical fitness is more important than ever.

So, like my friend Josh, I always look for the upside of things.

I am excited that with this one, I have already found it.

I mentioned to the doctor about a training program I had started for running.

My sister told me about this program called Couch to 5K.

It slowly builds up your endurance and gets your butt off the couch and ready for a 5K run.

The doctor told me it sounded like a perfect thing for Sam to do with me.

So twice this week, after dinner, Sam and I have headed out with our running shoes on and have jogged/walked a two mile path around the neighborhood.

Better than just getting 30 minutes alone together is that he talks the ENTIRE time. He tells me about school, his friends, why he is shy sometimes, movies scenes that make him laugh...whatever crosses his mind.

This to me is a total blessing.

I would have never thought to take him on my training runs at his age. The idea of him and I being running/talking partners throughout his childhood motivates me to keep it up. I fantasize that if this becomes our thing then maybe he won't go through a phase in his teenage years when he won't talk to me anymore. Anything to keep the communication lines open.

I think it is never too early to start.

I know allergies impact a bazillion people in this world but it is sad as a parent to find anything wrong with your baby. I just hope he never has a best friend who jolts him awake at night during sleepovers with a hard smack to the head to tell him he is breathing to loud. That is one of my worst asthmatic childhood memories. Why the hell did I spend the night at her house?...on an old carpet with no padding next to pile of dust mites below her bed...not to mention the cat...and her mother who smoked. I don't think I could have piled more of my triggers together and I was there at least twice a week. Ughhh....bad childhood memories...stories for another time.

Oh! It just dawned on me...another positive spin...a perfect excuse not to allow sleepovers!

Nutcracker

2010-03-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

These photos are from Thanksgiving.

We were in Utah visiting our cousins.

The boys were figuring out how to use a nutcracker. I loved watching this moment.

The boys working together to figure out how to crack a nut.

Today is Aidan's birthday. I can't believe it has been 8 years since my Dad, Kerry and I jumped into the car and drove all night to Utah to surprise Megan and Britt in the hospital and to meet our first nephew.

We loved him the minute we saw him.

He is so bright and sensitive.

He is super competetive.

He likes to laugh and is really cuddly, warm and lovable.

Watching Aidan grow is like getting a glimpse of what I imagine my dad was like as a kid.

Happy Birthday, Aidan!!

We love you!

A lovely day

2010-02-28T18:18:00.000-08:00

This is February in San Diego...even during an El Nino year. I'll let the pictures from our hike speak for themselves. I hope we are still living here when we are old and looking back at these blog books. Oh...and for historical purposes...future selves...this is the day after the giant 8.8 earthquake in Chile that resulted in our first Tsunami warning since living on the coast. (It was tiny.)
Please Note: The happy pictures at the end are the result of M&M bribes.

The Family Room

2010-02-26T16:25:00.000-08:00

Back in October, Keith and I decided we were ready to decorate our family room. We hoped we could get it done in time for the holidays. Silly us...we had know idea what a project we were starting. This was a big decision because we had empty spaces the builder had included in the floorplan for built-ins. Built-ins cost some bucks. I thought we would have had them done after a year of living here. Then we made another human and that costs some bucks too. So we waited. The next year we needed a new car. The next year I was laid off. There was always something but we continued to try to save for it. So, here we are doing our part to try to get the economy back on track. Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware should send us Thank You cards.

Here is the evolution of our family room.

This is right when we moved in. We were using our furniture we bought when we first got married and we were living in our 900 square feet rental. That leather chair was our second big purchase with my Pottery Barn discount. We still love it...but in a different room.

This was a couple months of living in the house. I bought this sectional against Keith's advice...he thought it was too big for the room but I was pregnant and excited to sit my growing bootie in that corner seat. Notice the walls are still white and we have nothing on the windows. The other two boys you see in the picture are the Bowman twins on their first visit down here.

Next we have the walls painted and the furniture has been moved around. The sectional was moved to the living room. The sectional moved back and forth from this room about 33 million times. Don't ask me why...it's just something I do. I like to rearrange my furniture when something about the layout is just not working. It makes it feel new without spending money.

Last March, Keith put trim all around our windows. Then he installed some wood blinds too.

Before the work started on the built-ins, I let Sam and Elise paint the inside area and sign their names.

The building begins!

Santiago and his team did the final paint job once everything was installed. The next morning was an adventure to the Children's hospital emergency room for Sam. He was in major pain. I was wondering if it was related to the paint fumes. The doctor's office thought it was appendicitis. The official diagnosis from the ER doc was that it was a "giant poop ball." A $350 poop is what it was. But that's a story for another time.

This is the side angle of our coffee table. The rug under it has been returned.

It was fighting with our chairs so it had to go.

The new rug on its way is something like this. Plain and shaggy and thick and soft.

So the rug, one more plant to fill an empty basket and something over the fireplace are the last things we need. Other than that we are done!

I am now the owner of real living houseplants.

Which for me is more frightening and intimidating than owning two little people.

There it is! We love it! It feels very adult....but the kids love it too.

Sam said, "Mommy, that could be in a catalog, I am serious."

Feel free to let me know what you think!

Recap

2010-02-17T11:21:00.000-08:00

Since my last post we have been very busy, a little sick, and for some reason not very motivated to blog. We have really been enjoying our time with Papa and Curly who are slowly getting settled in their new home. Thankfully, San Diego has been showing off with good weather which I think is making the transition easier.

We started the month by celebrating Curly's birthday.

My sister, Kerry, made the adorable cake topper. She made one for Ayla for her first birthday...I thought one for a 67th birthday would be cute too. I casually mentioned it to Kerry and a few hours later she sent me a picture of the Curly doll she made. I love it!

With a red velvet cake mix, I made and we ate lots of cakepops for the Valentine's parties at the kid's schools.

The kids are enjoying getting to know the neighborhood around Papa and Curly's new house. While supervising the monkeys on their scooters, I keep myself entertained taking pictures of what they leave on the street.

Over the long holiday weekend, we spent a day at Legoland with some friends...

and some of our cousins and aunts and uncles.

Three nights ago, we played May I with Papa and Curly.

May I is a card game that my grandma Moon taught us years ago.

We have been teaching anyone who will play with us and we have Papa and Curly addicted to the game.

I kept score... Papa won and then guess what happened.

He went into his famous "Vapor Lock" as Keith calls it.

I have also been busy taking pictures of Sam's class for the school Yearbook.

And we have been working on decorating our family room. It is almost done.

I'll post pictures of the finished room when it's all complete.

(That's Gramma Moon in the picture on my bookshelf. She fell down last month but has been making a slow and steady recovery. She is quite remarkable, a polio survivor and she is fighting to keep walking in her young 90's. I am convinced she must hold a world record for being the oldest walking polio survivor...I am still researching but can't find any statistics on the subject.)

I am so excited to have an actual decorated room that looks like it belongs in this house.

It looks like it was actually decorated by an adult and not just a hodgepodge of furniture that we tried to make work. It took four years to get one room done.

Maybe we'll look all moved in by the time the kids are moving out. ;-)

Snow Day

2010-01-25T22:15:00.000-08:00

We took off to the mountains this past weekend. Just a two hour drive northeast from San Diego, you find snow.

Sam barely remembers seeing snow a few years ago and Elise doesn't remember at all.

She was still just learning how to walk the last time we drove to see snow.

Needless to say, this was an exciting weekend.

We drove almost two hours and just as we were about 7 miles from Lake Arrowhead (our destination), it appeared time to put the chains on our tires. The roads weren't that bad but we (I) didn't want to be the idiot family in the minivan who spun out of control on the ice. Keith agreed better safe than sorry and he put the chains on and off we went. We drove for one more mile and then suddenly stopped in a line of cars. We spent about 25 minutes inching our way up to the CHP checkpoint. I was hoping they were just inspecting the chains but nope, they decided to close the mountain and only locals could drive ahead. (We missed the open roads by about ten minutes...the time it took us to put those chains on!) The cop made us turn around. When I asked if there were any detours available he looked at me completely irritated and sternly said, "LOCALS ONLY!"

Whatever...he was cranky and I was not letting him ruin our special one night snow adventure weekend! We turned around and I already had my trustee iPhone turned on to my google maps feature. I found us some snowy backroads to a small mountain town called Crestline with a place called The Loose Caboose Cafe. I hoped the place would be open and the food would be edible so we could eat lunch and figure out our next step. Did I mention it was almost 1:00 by now and I had been feeding Sam and Elise M&M's for the last hour? I am such a good mom. ;-)

The very nice waitress at the Loose Caboose let us use their phone since AT&T does not have phone service in Crestline (Verizon does). I called the Lake Arrowhead resort and told them our travel issues and they told me they heard that the roads just opened! Keith was doubtful. The very nice waitress gave us an alternate route to try just in case.
We drove on some sketchy unplowed roads but Keith is a confident and careful snow driver so I had no worries at all about making it to our destination. We did get stopped one more time and almost did not make it to our detour route but we got a little tricky and made our way carefully to the resort. We found out later that the roads never opened - they remained closed for the rest of the day.
We got the snow gear on the kids and headed out to play. They loved it!

Elise loved making snowballs.

And loved chucking those snowballs at her Mommy and Daddy.

Sam quickly learned that the snow feels very cold on your face when you dive head first into a pile of it.

This picture cracks me up because I think it looks like Keith just hucked a huge snowball at Sam...really that was Sam attempting to throw that chunk of snow at Keith.

When we first checked in to the hotel our room had a lovely view of the parking lot...

I decided to ask for a free upgrade and they moved us to a room with a view of the lake!

Just a random adorable dog we saw playing in the snow.

So we had a great time playing, a good dinner at the hotel and enjoyed the hot tub with the kids before going to bed. I was so proud of myself for planning a spur of the moment snow adventure and that we made it to the resort despite the road closure.

Then we woke up the next morning and everyone was cranky.

We had a lot of this...

from both Sam and Elise and Mommy and Daddy.

There is nothing better than sleeping in your own bed.

We walked to breakfast, played in the snow and headed home.

Our drive home was quick and painless and we made it in time to watch the playoff games and relax.

Saturday made the cranky Sunday morning worth it...I think.

Yep...it was worth it!

Angry Mama

2010-01-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

I made this mama bird very angry today. I don't blame her for being pissed at me.

I went next door to ask my cute little 13 year old neighbor if she could babysit for me tomorrow night. While waiting at the door, I noticed this...

Actually, I noticed the mama bird sitting there...I didn't even notice the nest at first...I thought it was just a hummingbird sitting very still hiding from the rain. I ran home to grab my camera. When I returned, the bird was gone. That is when I noticed the nest.

I held my camera up high and tried to aim it to the inside of the nest so I could see what was inside.

But I could not get my camera to focus. I tried again.

Darn! This is when Mama came back and started cursing me out. And flapping her wings fiercly making the humming sound as loud as she could.

I tried to be quick and I pulled the branch carefully down so I could take my picture and get out of her way. Then I heard a little snap.

Shoot!

I felt so guilty...the weak little branch started to break...now I was freaking out because I did not want to be responsible for the destruction of this perfect little nest.

Mama bird was cursing even louder.

I carefully bent another branch under this one for temporary support and ran home for some duct tape.

I secured the branch. And this time I brought a step stool.

Look at this little precious site.

Mama bird wasn't yelling at me anymore. I think she could sense my guilt and knew I was trying to make it right. She hung out at the tree behind me while I mended the branch.

I am happy to report that she is back in her nest keeping those little babies warm.

Thank God. I would not have been able to live with myself if I ruined that little nest.

Wonder what the neighbors will think when they get home and see the duct tape on their tree and an apology note from me on the door. Not one of my better moments!

Rain

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

Rain is a novelty around here so we have really been enjoying these storms. After almost 3 and half years, Elise has finally witnessed her first rainbow.

She loved it!

The last time I have a picture from a rainy day around here was from November of 2008. That day, Elise quickly took all her clothes off and went running in the rain and jumping in puddles in the backyard.

This girl is a character.

Samuel

2010-01-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

A few months ago Sam decided we needed to call him by his full name, Samuel. I am still getting used to this. He will always be Sam to me. Anyway, Samuel is learning to read. This makes me super proud and really excited. He gets a book bag from school every day with a new book for him to read to me. Amazing what 5 months in Kindergarten has done for this boy. I love watching him learn. I love hearing him tell me that he is "super proud" of himself for reading.

He just read to me a book called "The Bee." When he finished reading he said, "Mommy, if you saw me read "The Goat" today, you would not believe it. You would probably die because I read it so easy and with no help! I'm serious, Mommy, you would not believe."

Papa

2010-01-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

It is Papa's birthday tomorrow.

I thought I would share a few thoughts about what I love about Papa.

I love that he married Curly and made Keith.

I love that when he hears a good singer on American Idol he will often use the word "Phenomenal" to describe the person's voice.

I love that when he speaks of any one of his children, he speaks with total pride and with genuine admiration.

I love that when he is winning a card game he laughs so hard that he goes into vapor lock.

I love that he showers me with compliments.

I love that he enjoys singing Karaoke with me.

I love his beef stroganoff.

I think is is funny that when he is done with a conversation on the phone he just hangs up without saying goodbye.

I love that although he has been faced with struggles in his life, he keeps his head high and his words positive.

I like that he openly talks with us about his Parkinson's diagnosis.

I admire that he has never tasted a drop of alcohol.

I love his stories about his days in the secret service.

I like his twisted kid songs.

I share in his love for sweets.

I am excited that he and Curly just purchased a home about 3 miles from us so we will be enjoying their company more often.

Happy Birthday Papa!!

Thanks for spending the holidays with us and for buying a house right down the road. Can't wait til closing!

Sleeping Beauty

2009-12-28T21:36:00.000-08:00

During the holidays our schedule gets a little off...and Elise is entering a phase when some days she needs a nap and some days she just refuses. She has decided the upstairs hallway is as good a place as any to get in a good nap. One minute we may hear her playing, the next moment we realize the upstairs has grown quiet.

And we may find her on the floor in her sleeping bag surrounded by her dolls.

On days when I have errands to run, she informs Keith she will wait for me by the front door.

This is how I might find her when I return.

Then there are the days we find her by the tree. Is this kid neglected or what?!

Yesterday, she took her nap in the car.

She fights me every step of the way on days that I try to give her a proper nap either in her bed or on the sofa. The days I simply give up and decide she will just have an early bedtime, she finds comfort and rest on a hardwood floor.

Three year olds always keep me guessing!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

It was awfully quiet the other day. And...when it is quiet in a house with kids it usually equals trouble. I went looking for Elise and couldn't find her until I noticed her feet by the coffee table. She had been in here playing with buttons. I kicked myself for letting her play alone and had a short moment of panic when I saw these feet laying still.

But she was just passed out in front of the Christmas Tree and all was well.

Hope you all had a great holiday. We are having a wonderful time with our three year old and five year old. This may be the peak Christmas in this house with our two little believers.

Hopefully next year will still be filled with as much excitement and anticipation

as was felt around here last night.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cards

2009-12-16T20:41:00.000-08:00

I spent way too much time designing my simple Christmas Card this year. I am too cheap to pay for nice ones so I like to come up with my own and then order them as 5X7 prints from Costco. You'll laugh when you get mine because it is so simple that it is ridiculous how long it took me to come up with the layout. Anyway, I liked a few of the other layouts too so I am going to post them here so that my efforts are not a total waste. Happy Holidays!

Confession

2009-12-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

I have to admit the real reason I haven't been blogging lately. It is the same reason I had a HUGE pile of laundry to deal with this past weekend. It is why I have not mailed out my Christmas cards yet. It is why I have not been on Facebook or returning phone calls. It is the reason I now know a little about what addicts must go through. I had a serious addiction. Thankfully it is over. But I loved every minute of it. I am totally late on this bandwagon and I never imagined that I would want to get on the bandwagon. I made fun of people who were on it. But I am on it now and I totally get all the hype and I can't wait until June. June will be when the next movie comes out in the Twilight series.

Yes, you heard me. I got sucked in to the Twilight books. They were so fun to read. I am sad that I am done with them. I might actually need to start over again but I am forcing myself to wait until after the holidays. My kids need clean clothes and love and attention. Keith needs clean clothes and love and attention too.

If you have rolled your eyes at the Vampire frenzy that has been going around. Don't knock it until you try it. But make sure you have time to commit to it...it is hard to stop once you start. And, then dive in and enjoy your vampire dreams and thinking of Edward...or Jacob...I like 'em both but lean more towards Edward. :-)

More about the kids and the kindergarten drama that has been resolved after I get my laundry done and the Christmas cards mailed!

Still here!

2009-12-03T20:52:00.000-08:00

We are still here! Just busy! And older.

We had a great time visiting family in Utah for Thanksgiving. I turned thirty something.

Now we are trying to get our Christmas lights up along with the other decorations. And...I have kindergarten drama to write about as well. I hope to get caught up this weekend.

I hope my blogging friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Cold and Lovely

2009-11-17T09:39:00.000-08:00

This woman was hanging on the wall across from my bed. I love cabin decorations. I wonder what the story behind this one is? Don't you love the feathers?!

I love Tahoe. Tahoe with good friends is even better. Tahoe in between seasons is the best! It felt like our own private lake. I have never seen it so empty. It snowed 10 inches just before we arrived. The roads were already clear of snow when we drove in but the ground and the trees were still dusted in white. If you have never been to Lake Tahoe...add it to your list of must see places.

We had no schedule. We slept in a little. We talked a lot. And we went on a very long and strenuous hike. And we posed for pictures along the way.

Only Yamile can pull off a fanny pack and still look good. I think it's because she has an accent. People with accents can get away with more.

We walked along the Truckee River frozen with a thin layer of ice.

Then we couldn't resist the urge to hurl rocks at the ice to break it.

It was so fun but the river did not look as peaceful and perfect when we left.

Oops. Sorry.

On our way towards the lake we found a cabin and used it for a little photo shoot.

These last two pictures look much better on my computer. I still have so much to learn.

Thank you to Keith for letting me go.

The kids had so much fun bonding with Daddy.

Elise cried on Monday morning when he had to leave her to go to work.

I Made It!

2009-11-16T22:57:00.000-08:00

I know I was very dramatic in my last post...but I am seriously afraid of flying. I am so happy I made it there and back and had a wonderful few days with friends. I hope to post pics from the weekend tomorrow. I am just glad to be back on the ground. :-)

Tahoe

2009-11-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

I am so lucky.

I get to go out of town for a few days with a couple of girlfriends.

Becca

And Yamile

Hopefully my sister will come along too.

If not, I will at least see her Thursday night.

Along with my Gramma Moon.

And my Mom.

My Brother

My Nieces

(Ayla is pictured above with Kerry)

And my brother in law.

(Here is he with Kerry at their wedding 5 years ago.)

I am really excited for this getaway weekend.

But like most Moms, I suffer terribly from Mommy guilt. I dream, fantasize, and hope for weekends like this. Then when the opportunity presents itself, I stress, worry and panic about leaving my family.
I fill my head with irrational thoughts.
I am not a fan of flying.
I worry about Keith becoming a single parent. He's a great dad but he is not mom and kids need their mom's. I think of how awful it would be for something to happen to me during a selfish weekend away. Then I start worrying about Keith and the kids...what if something happened to them while I was on my selfish weekend away?

Odds are nothing will happen, right? I will go away, hike through the amazing Sierra's with some beautiful girlfriends. Enjoy dinners out without cooking or doing dishes. Celebrate not going grocery shopping or doing laundry. And have a lovely dinner with my family up North.

I am jealous of my friends who seem to be able to go away for weekends like this and appear to not have a worry or doubt about it. My best weekend away was when I drove a mile down the road and stayed at a lovely resort with my girlfriend Danielle. I was so close...but so far. It was perfect.

I know I am being overly dramatic here about a 1 hour flight. But that's just how I roll.

I hope to be back on Sunday, refreshed and posting pictures from my fabulous getaway weekend in Tahoe.

But I will miss these three with all my heart.

Busy Not Working

2009-11-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

Wow. I feel busier now that I am not "working." I guess with work I had time to be on the computer. Now...not so much. I need a laptop. I could post while sitting outside watching the kids play. Hmmm...or maybe I wouldn't be watching the kids. Maybe this desktop is best. Anyway, we went to the tide pools last weekend.

But there were not any tide pools to be found. The low tide was not so low this day.

But there were surfers. Lots of them. And big waves.

This surfer knew what he was doing. Someone was filming him.

Let's pretend this is a famous surfer...just for fun.

So we watched the surfers and enjoyed the waves.

(Elise styled her own hair)

We tried to catch the sunset but we only saw it for a moment.

It snuck out from the fog and immediately hid below the horizon. (Or would it be beneath the horizon?) Oh, man...where did my braincells go? And why did blogger get rid of spellcheck?!

Then we headed home. I hope we always get to call San Diego home.

When we got home we saw this. I think that is snot hanging from his nose.

Nothing cuter than a possum with H1N1.

A Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

We had fun last night, Trick-or-Treating.

Our friend Ella, along with her parents, came to join us.

Sam is a very sensitive guy most of the year, but come Halloween, he wants to be the creepiest, scariest thing he can find. Luckily, the really nasty zombie costumes don't come in his size. This was the scariest costume we could agree on. I wish my little 5 year old would be happy dressing up as a fireman or a scarecrow or something innocent like that...but at least this costume doesn't have blood and guts hanging from it, and, you have to pick your battles. I think I secretly like that he has this side to him so I let it slide. Hard to believe this is the same kid that is afraid of the Small World ride at Disneyland.

Here is Ella's Daddy, Doug, along with Keith. Those teef really make them look hot.

Happy Halloween!

A Gift

2009-10-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

The other day I went to the mail box, the mailbox I have grown to hate. Since we are in a newer development, the mailbox is down the street with all the mailboxes for the court. It has a key to open the box which allows me to procrastinate checking the mail because it is usually full with 10,000 pounds of junkmail and 1 or 2 pieces of legitimate mail. It has come to represent one more thing on my To Do list. Stuff to sort through and throw away. I am very close to paying for that service that claims to reduce your junk mail by 90%. I wonder if it really works? Anyway, on Tuesday when I went to the mailbox, there was a package, from Amazon.com addressed to me. I quickly opened it up and found this!

The just released cookbook from The Pioneer Woman. Wow! I thought to myself...someone really knows me! I scanned the shipping document for a gift message to find out who sent this thoughtful gift to me. I found a gift message but it was cut off. It said, "Happy Early Birthday! I thought you needed this. I hope you like it." That was it. No mention of who it was from. The weird thing was the Billing Address was my name and address. I may do some dorky things...but I know I have never ordered me a book and included a gift message to myself. Was it Keith? Did he actually think about and come up with the idea to send me this cookbook? Maybe my Mom? She did just ask me the other day if I knew The Pioneer Woman had a cookbook coming out? I called her and she shared in my excitement at receiving it...but admitted it was not her that sent it. Wow! It must have been Keith. No way...if it was he is going to score major points, I thought to myself. I called Keith and he said he was sorry that he didn't think of it. Hmmm...must be my sweet younger sister Kerry. She enjoys the Pioneer Woman website as much as I do. I called her and as soon as she acknowledged that she was the gift giver, Sam said, " I knew it! I knew it, Mommy! As soon as I saw it in the mailbox...I knew it was from Aunt Kerry! Aunt Kerry does those kind of things."

Thank you, Kerry! I love it! Can't wait to try out some recipes and share with you!

Why I like to blog

2009-10-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

I recently overheard that a close relative thinks blogging is self-serving and they don't really have any interest in checking in on my little blog here. I tell myself I am ok with that but I have to admit it bothers me a little bit. It bothers me because it is partially true...it is self-serving. I often wonder when I am writing why am I doing this and does anyone really care how cute I think my kids are or how often we go to a park? Then I remind myself what motivated me to start the blog in the first place. Life is short and I want to keep the memories. I have tried keeping a journal and I have tried to make scrapbooks and I have failed. Big time. Sam's first year album goes all the way through the 4th of July. He was born in June. Elise doesn't even have a first year album yet. I started one on Shutterfly and have yet to finish it. But this blog, this blog is different. Knowing that my few followers check up on me from time to time gives me motivation to keep it fresh. I love getting comments on my posts. I love the phone calls or emails from Curly or Aunt Lene when they tell me a story made them laugh...or made them cry...or both. I love that my sisters started blogging too - it makes it feel like we don't live so far apart. I love that if something were to happen to me, then my kids will have something from me, my memories of their childhood in my voice. I love that if nothing happens to me, then I have my memories of my kids and their childhood in my voice. I look forward to printing out my blog in book form and having the books on our coffee table when Keith and I are old empty nesters.

When I first started this blog I was worried about freaks finding it and maybe stalking us or something. I have been very careful to not include our last names or where exactly we live...but I have found and hopefully it remains true...that freaks don't really blog or read blogs. In fact, I find that positive people who celebrate life are the ones who like to blog about it. I am especially happy with one stranger who found my site and sent me the nicest message about how he enjoyed my appreciation of the little things in life. He has Cystic Fibrosis and has to struggle daily just to breathe and eat. (BTW...I thought CF was just a breathing issue...I had no idea how it impacts the digestive system as well.) So while my relative may think my blog is self-serving and not that interesting, someone out there who I think has a special and unique perspective on life thinks my little stories are nice to read. Thanks, Josh!! And thank you to Papa, Curly, Aunt Lene, Jen, Mara, Megan, Kerry, Amy and I think Kara for reading, adding your comments, and keeping me motivated to keep blogging. This is a self-serving gift I am giving my future old lady self. And if you guys weren't reading it...I probably would have stopped after the third or fourth post.

One more thing...since I just mentioned Josh and he is on my mind...if you have 5 minutes check out this website. http://www.cfvoice.com/info/breathe/index.jsp I just watched the video again and was again, brought to tears. This video shows Josh involved in a musical tribute to an English musician who wrote this song about living with CF and who passed away from the disease. HEART WARMING!

Thanks again for reading! Oh! And for never complaining about my spelling, my punctuation, my grammar and my general lack of writing skillz. :-)

Marisa

Torrey Pines

2009-10-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

I had no idea that the Torrey Pine is the rarest tree in the United States. I found that out a few days ago when I took the kids for a little hike at the Torrey Pines State Reserve. Not to be confused with the Torrey Pines Golf Course which is right next to the reserve and happens to be the location where they arrested that creepy Scott Peterson. That is all I can think of when I hear Torrey Pines...I don't know why...it is just a bit of disturbing trivia that sticks in my head. That they arrested him at the golf course and he had $10,000 in cash on him, as well as, a map to the house of his ex girlfriend, Amber and potential weapons in his trunk. Why, Oh Why, are those details still in my mind? We didn't even live here when all of that drama went down. But, that is what comes to my mind when I drive up to the parking lot of the Torrey Pines State Reserve. Thankfully, the thought quickly disappears when we get out of the car and start on the walk.

I have been forced into retirement again from Williams-Sonoma. I always get laid off in October. Last year, my unemployment only lasted a month before they brought me back on. This year, I may have to wait until February...maybe longer. But I plan on enjoying the break and will be forever grateful for my flexible part time work on their websites. It is a perfect stay at home mom kind of job and I can't believe how lucky I am/was to get to work from home during the hours of my choosing. I hope my luck continues and I hope that people shop this holiday season so that I can get my job back. In the meantime, I will enjoy the time with my kids and the free perks of living near San Diego.

We were a little bummed out to find our favorite trail ended here. This is just the beginning of the cliff section where you get amazing views of the ocean, the surfers, and often a hang-glider soaring by. I think some of it fell into the sea and they are working on creating a new path.

Sam brought along his newest favorite animal. A California Condor that my dad purchased for him at the zoo a few days ago.

A very natural looking couple noticed what Sam was carrying and asked him about the Condor. I came up on the tail end of the conversation between them and overheard in a very stereo-typical California hippie accent, "Oh Wow, that is sooo wonderful. The California Condor is a very honorable animal. They don't waste anything." And then Elise got mad when she told them she got a frog and they didn't respond. I think they just didn't hear her because they seemed truly fascinated that a 5 year old had chosen the Condor as his favorite animal. But it did not matter, I had to answer 5 minutes of questions from both Sam and Elise as to why the couple liked Condors but didn't like frogs.

"I don't love them, Mommy." Elise declared. "Because they not like my frog."

Sunrise

2009-10-25T22:46:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning we woke up early and headed to our favorite park on top of the mountain to see the sunrise.

Why were we up so early? It is so unlike us me.

I have no idea. But it was a beautiful morning.

October

2009-10-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

In October of 2007, we found ourselves roasting under the sun at a pumpkin patch.

We had no idea that 24 hours later that patch would be very close to some crazy wildfires and that we would be loading our car up at 4AM and heading out of town. We loaded up the Volvo with a few things we thought worth saving. Then we realized we like Keith's car better than the old Volvo, so at 5AM we unpacked the Volvo and loaded up Keith's car. The sky was black, the air was full of ash and we wanted to leave on our terms. As soon as they called for a voluntary evacuation...we were outta there. We loaded the kids in the car and headed north. We thought we would just drive a few hours and find a place to stay but we saw smoke and flames all the way up Interstate 5. The sky did not clear until after the Grapevine so we decided to go all the way up to the Bay Area. In the car we had our wedding album, our computer and one change of clothes. Amazing how little you really need to pack for a vacation! We were not dressed very well but we had fun.

Our house and unfortunately, the Volvo survived and we came home to find everything under a blanket of ash. We were all back to normal in time for Halloween. Sam was a ghost and Elise had her first real taste of Halloween dressed as a witch.

Last year, about this time, we were in Santa Barbara for the alumni Water Polo game.

I was finally starting to figure out how to use my camera and took one of my favorite pictures of Keith. It makes me want to kiss him! (Sorry...I just still find him as handsome as I did the first time I saw him in the dorms!)

This year has been a little less exciting...

in a good way.

My dad was just here for a nice visit and he and Keith enjoyed watching some football.

And we recently discoverd a park nearby with an amazing view. It is at the top of a mountain and you can pretty much see all of San Diego County.

For all of our visitors out there...we have a new place to show you next time you come!

A Letter

2009-10-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Sam came home with a letter in his folder.

Uh Oh, this was from his principal...what is this all about?

Wow! Sam was chosen for a Character Counts award at his school! So...yes, all of the kindergartener's will be nominated at some point in the school year, but I am going to take some pride in the fact that Sam was chosen in the first round!

We were invited to an assembly to see the awards handed out.

I don't think Sam really had a clue what was going on. The day before the assembly I asked him about the award and he looked at me and said, "huh?"

I asked the teacher if Sam knew about it or if it was meant to be a surprise. Sam's teacher told me he had Sam stand in front of the class while he (the teacher) explained what award Sam won and why. I don't think Sam was listening because he doesn't really remember.

Sam was chosen to represent Respect. One of the six pillars of character.

I asked Sam if he knew what that meant. He had no idea.

One kid from each kinder class was chosen to represent one of the six pillars. Here he is with another respectful kindergartener.

This is Sam's teacher who nominated him. He has that big of a smile on his face about 90% of the time.

We were proud.

Sam seemed less than thrilled until he learned the award came with a free slice of pizza and a soda.

The Perfect Pajamas

2009-10-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

I realize my days of sharing these embarrassing stories are numbered. As they should be. But I will get away with it while I can and then I will have to think of some other way to capture some of the funny comments I hear around these parts. Right now my rationalization is that my kids can't read and none of their friends see this blog...just family and a few of my friends. Does that make it ok? These comments are too funny to file away in my brain only to be forgotten within a few months. If I don't get it down quickly, poof, the memory is gone. So here we go...

We have this little ritual at night where the kids ask me which pajamas would be the "perfect pajamas" for the night. Perfection is achieved by picking the right style of pajama for the temperature. So we pick short ones for warm nights and cozy long ones for cool nights. The other night when Sam asked me for the perfect pajamas I tried to encourage him to make his own decision. I said, "Sam, you are five, I think you are capable of picking out the perfect pajamas."

He stood there naked, looking at the open drawer of his collection of warm and cool PJ's. He looked down at himself and said, "Well...my balls are up so I think it is going to be cool. I'll wear the warm ones."

A Busy Morning

2009-10-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Elise and I had the house to ourselves and we spent it playing in the front yard. She keeps herself very busy. She started with her beloved Radio Flyer.

She follows the sidewalk to the end of the court and around to end up across the street from our house. Then she yells, "Mommy! Is there a car coming?" I tell her it's all clear and then she rides as fast as she can back to our house.

Once she is across, she often exclaims, "I made it! Whoa...that was a close one!"

Actually, every time we walk across the street together she beems with glee when we make it to the other side and excitedly says, "We made it Mommy! We didn't get runned over!"

Here she is noticing the pumpkins on the porch are not exactly how she would like them.

She starts moving the pumpkins all about. Back and forth. Next to the door, on the steps, by the plants...

Finally she is pleased with how they are lined up.

I wish I could freeze time. I love this little pumpkin!

Food

2009-10-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

I created a new link to share some of my recipes. There is only one right now. But it is delish! And, even the kids love it and it is pretty healthy too! We'll see how many recipes I actually load up on here but I thought I would try to eventually get my collection of tried and true easy recipes in one location that I don't have to backup and should always (in theory) have easy access to. If you want the best chinese chicken salad recipe...check it out here. Forgive the pictures...not my best work but I am not very good at multi-tasking.

Nie Nie

2009-10-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

One of the blogs I follow and have linked on the side is called the Nie Nie Dialogues. It is written by a girl named Stephanie whom I have never met. I found her blog one day from The Pioneer Woman's site and was hooked. When I started reading it...Stephanie was in the hospital recovering from a plane crash. She has an amazing story and an amazing will. Anyway, I mention this only because she will be on Oprah tomorrow (Wednesday). Oprah always makes me cry and I am sure this episode will do the same. Not that I want to cry...I'm just sayin...be prepared. If you want to see a heartwarming, inspirational story, watch it. If you can't watch it, check out her site. She is a beautiful blogger. Just thought I'd share. Have a good night!

Feels Like Fall

2009-10-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

We had a high of 68 degrees today. I know it sounds ridiculous to say that nearly 70 feels like fall but when you have lived here for a while, you really get wimpy and 68 is cold enough to require a sweater. We spent the morning enjoying the wind and the clouds while playing in the front yard. I took these pictures of a few hints of fall in our yard.

I love the fall. And the kids love October. They are so excited for Halloween. Elise is getting Halloween and Christmas a little confused but she is excited either way. She keeps saying, "Look!! Pumpkins! That means Santa is coming! And I will see all the lights, I love the lights!"

I tried to grow my own pumpkins this year because I hate paying for pumpkins. The plants started out strong and beautiful and they would flower every day. But the flowers never turned to fruit. I researched and tried to get the male flowers together with the females but still nothing. Then the plant started to turn white and die. I think I had a small pest and that was that. No pumpkins. Bummer! I will try again next year. It is time to talk to Aunt Ruthie - rumor has it she is our family pumpkin expert.

Because of our pumpkin shortage, and the wonderful fall weather, it turned out to be a perfect day to head to the pumpkin patch.

Oh, one more thing, only because I don't want to forget this...

Tonight, once PJ's were on and teeth were brushed, the kids were on the sofa with Keith watching a bit of a football game. (The Charger game - San Diego tried their best but failed to come back against the Steelers. Darn.) Sam started thinking of the nicest things he could say to Keith. It was sweet but I think it was just a creative strategy to try to delay bedtime. Anyway, Sam gave Keith a big hug and said, "I love daddy so much that sometimes my heart rips." That bought him an extra 10 minutes of cuddling on the couch, for sure.

Note: Excuse the formatting of this post. I am using bloggers new editor and I don't quite have it figured out yet!

2009-09-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

So Elise was walking up the stairs a few days ago. I was following behind her. She was, as she often is at the end of the day, naked. I saw her little tush in front of me and I lightly tapped it. She stopped quickly and turned around with a very serious look on her face. "Mommy. You cannot touch my privates. Only me and the doctor can. " Pause. "But you can touch your privates! In the shower...that is where I touch mine!" Then she turns and happily continues her way up the stairs.