Last Blog of the Year

We are sitting around watching home video from the year and I can't help but to think about where we are today. The best things in life are free. My kids make me extremely proud. My husband makes me feel like I am the prettiest girl he has ever seen. I really can't ask for anything more, except more money. Lucky for us, I played mega millions today so you never know!

All I ask for in 2011 is more of what I have from this year. We have our health and our love and there isn't too much more to ask for. My husband has a steady job, my kids are happy and thriving, our families are the best you can ask for, etc, etc.

Highlights from this year:

~Bryce got straight A's and a couple awards
~Leah learned how to recognize letters and numbers
~Bryce did VERY WELL at coach pitch
~Leah loves DANCE
~We celebrated our 10 year anniversary in CABO!!
~My brother got married and gave me a niece
~Our cousin Laura and Jerry got married and pregnant!
~Our other cousin Joey had a new baby Nichole!
~Our brother got engaged!!!
~My Bff got married
~My dad had many health issues which turned out OK, thank GOD!!
~Bryce received numerous honors at school
~ My PTA is growing with a great bunch of ladies I can now call friends
~My husband is at a new gym, which is challenging but will pay off, we HOPE!
~I started the process of getting Summerwind a new playground
~We saw the Lion King in Vegas
~We spent the 4th of July at the Marina with our favorites
~Leah started sleeping by herself at night
~We gave away our baby clothes
~We laughed, lived and celebrated more than the year before

With each year that passes I am a little more satisfied and a little more sad that time is flying by. I hope 2011 remains just as consistent as the years before have been for us. When you have enough to sustain you, all you can ask for is more of that. Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!

There is nothing like Christmas morning when you get to wake up to the smiles of your kids. I really hadn't been in the holiday mood until last night. You can't help but be effected by the spirit. We read the night before Christmas and stories out of their children's bible. Their understanding of Jesus just amazes me! I reminded them to wake us up before going downstairs, because we didn't want to miss their faces.

Around 3:30 I had two VERY excited kids walking into my room. I knew that was a bit too early and would make for cranky kids all day so I told them to climb up in bed with us and go back to sleep. I was surprised they did! I woke up first around 6:30. I was so thankful for this morning and to have them snuggled up in bed with us. I wanted to wake them up, but wanted to enjoy a couple more minutes of watching my sleeping family. I was moving around on purpose until finally Bryce woke, then Leah, then Bobby. We all went down the stairs in excitement. The kids faces lit and they jumped to the sky when they saw Santa had come.

And then the most precious moment happened. Bryce said, "Wait, wait, wait!" And went and moved all of the giant presents away from the tree to find the gifts he had got for us. He said he wanted us to be first. Leah followed and got her presents to us. What kid could resist the temptation of tearing apart their presents? I was seriously touched at the gesture.

The kids got everything they wanted from their Santa lists. Bryce had wrote his list and wrote down Leah's for her. They are so baffled by how Santa does it. I highly doubt this Santa bit will last too long with them. Too much curiosity about how the heck it all goes down. Bryce keeps smirking when asking me questions. He may be onto us. Bobby thought of everything this year from keeping the fire place open, with ash trailing out, to taking a bite of cookie. He is a great Santa guy to have around!

Bobby had made me an ornament out of our first Christmas tree. It was the sweetest gift I had ever got. He did it for the following year too. It has become a tradition to cut the bottom of the tree and make an ornament, but the last 8 years he never got around to lacquering them. Today I received my complete collection of tree stumps! I LOVE them!

We are about to go off and celebrate the rest of the holiday with our families. I am so looking forward to visiting with my brothers and catching up. It's funny because even if you're not a kid, Christmas will always put a smile on your face, ear to ear!

Merry Christmas!

Words of Wisdom

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough, and we will be more content when they are. After that we are frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with, we will certainly be happy once they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is there is no better time to be happy than right now. Your life will always be filled with these challenges. It is best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. For a long time it seemed like life was about to begin- real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life will begin. At last it dawned on me, these obstacle are my life. So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday Morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until you are off welfare, until the first or the fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again only to decide that there is no better time to be happy than right now. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. ~Unknown Author

I've been diagnosed with SBS =/

I have been in a bit of a funk lately. Don't know what else to call it. But today I am deciding to pull myself out of it, because quite frankly, I'm getting irritated with myself!

I've heard we are entitled to these days, but I always end up feeling really guilty when I do. Why the heck have I been getting into these slumps? I'm going to go ahead and blame the shortage of time and money.

Then there are the annoying people who just advertise the good parts of their lives. You know the ones...every post on facebook is about how happy they are, how in love, a picture of the flowers they got, or how they have the best________ fill in the blank. I don't know...if it is ALL roses, people will see that it is by how you live your life, not by how many times you post and list every time something good happens. Maybe people have got lost in what true happiness is, and I'm afraid I got sucked into it too. Just waiting around for moments that are post worthy. We are so connected to this false sense of belonging, we forget to live for ourselves. So, that's the rant about that, hopefully I am not the only one to feel this way. Moving on to more ranting, because you know it will get me out of this funk and back into where I want to be...HAPPY =)

It is so hard to find a place where you can just accept where you are at in your life and be truly happy. I have been completely happy for lengths of time in my life before. I think this funk is caused by a case of the "Spoiled Brat syndrome" (SBS). That's what I am going to call it. I can be honest and say that the root of this evil is wanting too much, too quick. Loosing patience for the things that are not in my possession NOW! I mean what am I, a 2 year old?

Dear Santa (if you do exist),

I want concrete RV access. I want an RV. I want a covered patio. I want a new car. I want a new truck for my husband, who works so hard and by golly, deserves it! I want a new shiny, red washer and dryer. Oh yeah, a new oven and dishwasher to go with that. I want new clothes so I can be fashionable. I want to look AMAZING and be able to say I have good genes, not because I have to restrict my diet and exercise like a crazy person to fit into the jeans I want. Can I also have enough money for a mani/ pedi every week, and time to actually go and get one? I want money to invest and start a business.  I want to work so I can afford all this, but I want to stay home too. I want it all and not sacrifice too much to get it. By the way, I have been really good this year ; )

I never feel like we have enough time to get done what needs to get done. Clean the house, fold the laundry, PTA, hit goal, dishes, bathe the kids, workout, etc. I run around doing so much for everyone else, sometimes I forget to get done the things I really want to do. I need to get better at managing my time and my family's time. We need downtime too! Even if we had the money for all the projects I wanted to finish, we would not even have enough time to finish them. I have never been good at patience. I am working on it...

I never feel like we have enough money either. All those wants up there aren't going to happen unless there is much more income happening! Am I willing to go back to work to fulfill these materials wants...not really. So I need to find happiness without the new shiny stuff. =/ These faces are kind of annoying but somehow really get across a point, so I'm going to keep doing them, even though they irritate me a bit too. Add that to the list of annoying things I am going to keep doing!

After talking to myself for the last month and getting a lot of guidance from my husband, I am getting to the point where the only things that matter and are important and will contribute to my happiness are things I have already. I know so simple, so cliche, so hard to achieve at times.

The Jones' can have whatever pretty things they want to have, because I do have everything I could ever want or need. And when I stop comparing where we are at, and where other people are at, I am allowed to really enjoy the things that matter. Sometimes I have to remind myself to not get caught up. Which becomes increasingly hard around the holidays for some reason.

Bobby has noticed my little funk attitude, which has to suck for him. He works so hard to make us happy. Happy wife, happy life. He doesn't quite understand what changed (possibly hormones?) to cause this new funk. You know men...he offered solution after solution. I was irritated with all of them, naturally. He said if I want all those things to go to work. I was appalled. I mean really?! I like my stay-at-home mom role. Then I started to consider it. I really could bring in a good chunk of money. I tossed the idea around. But something didn't feel right. I wanted the things and didn't want to have to work harder than any mother has to work. Moms, I know you know that is A LOT of work. Men, if any of you are out there and actually READ blogs, SHUT UP! You couldn't do it if you tried ; ) I thought we agreed that I wouldn't work, so I was confused by the suggestion for me to work full time. I mean, I am pretty sure there is a paper route he can take up for us to get some useless, material sh*t. Totally joking, I am not that cold hearted of a B-word.

After several suggestions and solutions that only irritated my mood more, he said something that just made sense. He came to the conclusion that I needed to make myself happy. He said if I needed all those things to be happy, I needed to work full time. If I find happiness with where we are at, I should stay home and forget about all the new crap that doesn't matter anyhow. He was right...and don't you dare tell him! I know he doesn't read this ranting on here, so I will just admit it to you.

The confirmation came later that week. We had a parent teacher conference. Bryce got all A's and had one of the highest reading levels in his class. The teacher said he is excellent at following the rules. He is receiving a writing wizard award this next week. Although I know his quick understanding of things comes natural to him, I was proud. Even though it comes easy for him, he still had to be confident in himself, put in the hard work and know right from wrong. I would have been just as proud if it was all C's and he did his best. The fact of the matter is, that is all that matters. Later Bobby asked me if I had decided if I was going to work. I held up his report card and told him that this is all the paycheck I need. I could seriously buy a ton of happiness with that!

I think we are allowed to fall into these little funks. Realize we could be worse off, we could be better off. Doesn't matter. I had a reality check and am back to the happy old me. I think. Until that red washer comes for Christmas. I know Santa can hear me. I dream about getting it and posting a picture of it to facebook. It will read, "My new baby..." I really was praying my old washer would break down so I could by the new one. Then it started to be on the fritz and I was praying it would last until after the holidays. Now I just pray and thank God we even have a washer and a house over our heads. Perspective can change a lot.

HAPPY =) Holidays!!

Chicken Juice

Leah is my little helper in the kitchen. She usually drags a chair from the dining table and brings it to the counter to "help" me cook. I usually enjoy the gesture, but tonight I was annoyed....

It's been one of those weeks, and it's only Monday.

I am talking to my mom on the phone about this and that, and nothing too important. I look over to the sink where my little helper is sampling the food. I thought it was the cooked food, until a second glance revealed a different story...

After the second spoonful, I realize what is going on....

"Leah, are you drinking chicken juice?" I wanted to vomit. Seriously!

I defrosted the chicken on a plate in the microwave. I set the plate in the sink with the defrosted chicken juices on it. I turn away (for a few seconds) while talking to my mom, to turn around to Leah using a DIRTY spoon to shovel in DIRTY chicken juice from the plate in the sink.

WHO DOES THAT?!?!

I will wait now to see if she gets food poisoning....

Mr. Mom?

It is an on-going fight, er, I mean, conversation in our household about who has it harder. The stay-at-home mom or the dad who busts his butt at work. I will stand by my story that when raising toddlers and under, moms win- hands down. But all of a sudden there has been a turn of events and I will admit when I was wrong, or when all of a sudden, I stand corrected.

Now that the kids are a bit older and in school, I must say, staying at home has become somewhat of a luxury. Not to say there isn't hard moments, or moments you want to pull your hair out....but it seems easier. This is probably because of all the hard work I put into my kids for the first formative years. They are well oiled running machines now.

I must have made a pretty good case about my job being harder though. For a while there, I had Bobby convinced that mine was. He had witnessed one too many meltdowns and wondered how I stay sane. Patience is a virtue. I think I finally got this under control. I got the hang of it. Waiting out the tantrums, the crying, the fighting between siblings is all part of my everyday. That is why I may be done with having anymore...I GOT THIS, for the moment.

We go shopping on the weekends and I am like, "What the heck is up with all these crowds?" I must say shopping during the week has it's perks. My husband used to come home and ask how my day was. I would unwind and tell him about all the mishaps. Now when he asks me, I am like, "Everything was great! I worked out during the no-kid zone, had lunch with my best friend and got to wax my eyebrows with no sitter needed." He says sarcastically, "Wow, sounds like a rough day!"

Then he tells me about his day and I have to admit...it sounds awful. He has to manage adults that act like babies, and you don't even love them because they aren't your babies. You just have to deal with the whining and crying.

I have to admit, on this blog, not to his face that... he wins. I wouldn't trade! Not for a day or a week. He can stay at work and I will manage the home front.

Although the other day, in another discussion about who has a more challenging job, I think he declared me winner. Leah had a whining day. From the time she woke up till she went to bed, everything she said was in a fake cry voice, you know the one. Sounds like nails on a chalkboard. He was loosing his patience. I was calm and collected.

He looked at me and said, "I will trade you jobs and be a stay at home dad, just as soon as Leah graduates high school, no problem." Ummmm, I think that is called retirement.  



The Sock and the Shoe

I had to share this story because it is one of my favorite's from my childhood. When my brother started asking questions about erections (yeah, ya heard me right, erections) he asked my dad what was up. No pun intended. What happened next goes down in history as the best explanation for the birds and the bees EVER!

My dad sat us all around the living room. Why did we all need to hear this, and why together at the same time? I will never know...maybe to get it done all at once. So there we are, my three brothers and I. My dad proceeds to hold a sock up.....

"You see this sock right here?"

He picks up a shoe. And tries to put the sock into the shoe.

"See, when there is no foot in there to make it hard, it won't go into the hole...right?"

We all shake our heads yes, dying for this conversation to be over.

Then he puts his foot into the sock.

"See, now the sock is hard, and slides right into the shoe, understand?" He puts his foot into the shoe.

OMG, DAD!

We all shake our heads yes again and start busting up laughing.

This will forever go down in our house hold as the "sock and the shoe" talk instead of the birds and the bees. You may want to write it down so you can explain it to your boys that eloquently.

Bryce is 7!!!

On Saturday we celebrated Bryce turning 7. We had a small birthday day party at my moms, with swimming and family. Since both my kids have their birthdays in the same week, it has been one big celebration! And it keeps on going....

I really can't believe he is 7 already. The other night Bobby and I were watching him sleep and his arms were crossed at the top over his head. I whispered to Bobby, "That is the exact pose he slept in when he was a baby..." He is still the mellow, sweet mannered kid he has been since the day he was born. While these adorable characteristics don't change, a lot is.

He has a mouth full of baby and big teeth. He has the hugest gap between his front teeth, so he will either need braces or a miracle. I call this the awkward stage of kids. Their smiles are quirky, the attitudes are funky, as they discover what's funny. He is a noise making, high energy, imaginitive kid. I am so proud of this little boy! When he plays baseball, does well in school, or when he takes care of his sister (he buckles he into the car for me, which is a huge help), or watches out for his friends I want to scream, "That's my boy!"

Bobby and I talk about what it will be like when he is older. The possibilities are exciting, but I am having a blast enjoying this age and the independence he has....although I do cuddle the crap out of him at night because I know that won't last....

Happy Birthday Bryce-man!

I really hope that nickname sticks throughout high school ;)

Ms.Leah Turns 4

My Red Heels, man they grow up fast....

Today we celebrated Leah's 4Th birthday. She has entered out of toddler, and into young lady in a flash of an eye. Honestly, with the birth of Leah I had such a feeling of completeness. And that content feeling keeps growing as she gets older.

We woke to her telling us it is her birthday and that she is 4 now. Dad made her Minnie Mouse pancakes. As he is doing that, Bryce makes her a homemade card that says, "Happy Birthday Leah....You are nice and you are smart." Then I see him put something in it. I ask what it is and he shows me 5 bucks. I ask where he got it. He tells me he took it out of his piggy bank to give to her since her didn't buy her anything. It was so sweet, I almost cried. He has such a big heart!! That seemed to be her favorite present of the day because she held it and told everyone her brother gave it to her.

Bobby took the day off, which was so nice. Our household just runs so much smoother when all participants are home. After her dance class, we celebrated with her buddies with cupcakes. Then we hit up the water park in Palmdale. This facility is really nice and clean and uncrowded. We had a blast.

Now we are getting ready to BBQ and do a campfire to roast some smores. It was a birthday fit for our little princess. In two days we get to celebrate Bryce's 7Th birthday. Then next week we will have a small dessert/candy themed party for their buddies. Trying to keep it smaller this year ;) Just have to rent a champagne fountain for chocolate milk, yeah... I am so not going over board with this one!!

Loving August!!

Haha, I just told her to go upstairs and change out of her bathing suit. This is what she came down wearing....

Her birthday suit and just a crown, kinda how she came into the world...she really is a birthday princess!

Are you a Grandma?

I was bathing the kids the other day, in a hurry, because I finally made myself an eye appointment. Why is it that no matter how much time you give yourself to leave the house, you are always rushing?! Just me?...maybe....

The kids were asking why we were in such a rush. I say I have to go to the doctor's to get glasses. Leah looked at me all weird asked, "Why do you need glasses, are you a grandma?"

Kids are so funny and how they make connections, since both of their grandma's have glasses.

Turns out I do need glasses to see far distances. This is annoying. I asked if I have to wear them all the time and the doctor said, "No, only when you want to see." Guess I'll go pick out my grandma glasses soon....

It's Your Love

I can't believe it has been ten years.....

I am so thrilled we got to go to Cabo for our anniversary. We had been planning on going back since we both visited there briefly. There is such a relaxing vibe. We stayed at a beautiful resort, slept in everyday, went swimming on the beach and in the pool, drank, drank, drank and talked about the next ten years.

We visited Wal-mart and Sam's club while there to stock our mini kitchen in our room. The shopping in Mexico is way different than in the states. There is only one choice to choose from. We are so spoiled here, with our choices and merchandising and marketing! We decided to find a bottle of wine from the year we were married, which turned out to be a pretty hard task. So we decided to place make a bet, as to who could find it first. Of course...I lost!

On the actual day, July 22ND, we took a water taxi to Lover's Beach, one of the prettiest beaches I have even been on. Then we walked through the marina. For dinner we made reservations to eat beach side at our hotel. The dinner was amazing!! To throw it back to our wedding day I decided to wear the top to my wedding dress. It was pretty tight, but def. took me back to that day!

The resort offered photo sessions for guests on the beach. It was so so enticing, I couldn't resist!! Here are a few of our shots:

All in all it was such a great experience. We haven't spent a week alone since we got married. I'm glad we still feel the same alone!

I didn't lose all the weight I wanted but gave it a good try! I still have 15/20 pounds to lose but I'm glad I had this trip to motivate me! I would point out a pretty girl and Bobby would say, "Well, I doubt she has had two kids!" Guys, I'm not sure this is the compliments, us "moms", are going for. I want to look like I haven't had two kids!! That's the point. I guess I have 10 more years to drop the rest, then it's tattoo time =) You have to have something to reach for!

Heart of Gold

Tonight was one of those nights, I couldn't help but get all emotional about Bryce. I am so proud and honestly a little in awe of his grasp and understanding of life. I know as parents, we all have these moments when you are just so proud of your kid, for getting "it," whatever that "it" is.

I decided to paint Leah's closet today. Leave me in my house long enough, with enough free time and the paint will come out. While I was preoccupied with this, my kids did whatever they pleased downstairs. Needless to say, I came down to several cookie packages open and just as many juices and fruit snacks. They basically had a feast. I was reprimanding them and that was that.

Leah picks out her story for tonight and gets Bernstein's Bears...Too Much Junk Food. I chuckled a little because she always picks this book after we discuss eating healthy. We are reading through this great book ,with many simple lessons about eating healthy. We get to the part where they show how the body works with cool illustrations of the nervous system and skeleton system, and whatever other systems we have. Bryce really likes this part and always asks a ton of questions about how our bodies work.

He asks, "Why do they even make junk food if it's bad for you?"

I tell him we always have a choice and teach him about moderation.

He says, "It tastes so good though!"

I tell him , I know and that I have a hard time picking the healthy thing every time because the bad food is addicting.

Then he starts asking about the blood in our bodies, how we make enough when we loose some, how the food goes through our body, why we have butts and privates and how we live if we don't have lungs.

I tell him we can't live without lungs.

He asks, "Then why do they make cigarettes, if they kill people and ruin their lungs?"

I tell them they didn't know when they made them, that they were so bad for us.

Logically he asks, "But now they know, so why do they still make them?"

I tell him people are addicted and pay a lot of money and the people that make cigarettes like money.

Here's the part where I am just amazed at how he interprets things.

He says:

"Well you know Mom, money isn't everything. And no amount of money is OK to kill people. These people that make cigarettes should have to face a judge and go to jail for killing people. And you know, sometimes, they even have to pay a fine. Like $1,000, probably, in one month, and that's a lot. So then they should have to loose the money they made anyway. Why isn't it like that Mom?"

He is very worked up about this whole situation and even has tears in his eyes. He is so passionate, I am so proud! I tell him I wish it was like that too....

This kid has a heart of gold and it is pumping pure innocence. Sometimes kids just have a way of seeing things the way they should be, more so then the grown-ups =)

Wrong Side of the Bed

The other night Bryce was complaining of a tummy ache right before bed. He went to the bathroom and said he felt better, but I knew, as most moms know, throw-up was going to be in the near future. So, we all go to bed and sure enough at 1:00am our little Bryceman comes crawling in our bed. We fall asleep and about 1 minute later he sits straight up out of our bed.

"Mom! I have to throw-up!"

I jump out of bed in time to lift him up out of our bed. In the process of the lift he throws up all over the carpet. I rush him into the bathroom. He throws up on the tile. Finally, he makes it to the toilet for the last bout. I HATE throw up more than anything. Once he is done, he crawls back into our bed and falls fast asleep. This leaves Bobby and I assessing the situation.

Perhaps the worst thing, is looking at it, smelling it and wondering where the hell you should even begin to clean this up.

We get the stuff on the tile with a large towel and a ton of antibacterial wipes. I spray the room with Lysol to kill whatever may be flying around and mask the smell. Then I ask Bobby to go and get the steam cleaner to clean the carpet. He does this as I finish up the tile.

When he arrives at the top of the stairs with the cleaner he says that the steam cleaner leaked and smells like crap. Rewind to last week.... OOH CRAP!! I forgot I left the water in the cleaner from a week ago when I steam cleaned the carpet. It smells like hell!

Now I have to dump this disgusting smelly water out and clean the steam cleaner before I can clean the puke! I dump the old stuff in the steaming hot shower and dump Pine sol all over the cleaner and shower.

Once the steam cleaner is back in business, I start with the throw up and get that cleaned. Then I have to steam clean every stair because the steam cleaner leaked all over the stairs and left a trail from the garage to our room. I get all this cleaned up within the hour and lay in bed to try and sleep.

The whole night I sleep horrible because every time Bryce would move I would sit up prepared with the bucket to catch whatever came out so I wouldn't have to clean the floor again. Glad to report he was fine the rest of the night.

We wake up exhausted but ready to face the day. Bobby gets in the shower. It starts clogging up. Rewind to last night. OOPS! By dumping the carpet cleaning in the shower with all the carpet fuzz, I completely clogged the drain. So poor Bobby has to undo the drain and pull out whatever it was. Basically, a huge mess of God knows what! He is dry heaving and the smell is awful. He tells me being a plumber may be the only job that would be too much for him.

We get that straightened out and come downstairs. Nothing else can go too wrong, right? WRONG! Our dog decided to pee on my freshly cleaned carpets. I am so pissed at him until I open the garage door to realize Bryce blocked his dog door with his bike.

So, no one is at fault, but everyone is in a bad mood and walking around in a bit of a frustrated huff. Bryce tells me right before he threw up he was having a horrible dream that something was stuck in his throat. Poor guy! Can you imagine what an awful dream and feeling that was?! This makes me feel worse for him than us for the morning we had. We can look back and laugh about it now, but talk about starting the morning on the wrong side of the bed.

Memorial Day

As we get to enjoy a three day weekend I wanted to be sure to post something saying, "THANK YOU!" to our soldiers that give so much to protect our way of life.

I really wanted to post a, "Thank you" after Mother's Day. I was watching Ellen DeGeneres for her special on mothers. Her audience included expecting wives of soldiers. Their gift on Mother's Day was a message form their husband serving across seas. I was brought to tears and gratitude! Missing the birth of their children!! What a sacrifice. The rest of us take this for granted. I was surely brought to my senses. When Bobby works long hours at the gym it is nothing I shouldn't be able to handle compared to these strong Army wives.

Bryce is still throwing the, "I want to stay home from school" bits, almost daily. I was excited to tell him about his extra day off this weekend. I told him ,"Guess what?!! You have three days off of school, so cool!"

He looked at me almost disgusted in my enthusiasm and lectured, "Mom! Do you even know why we have an extra day off?"

Knowing why, but wanting to hear his response I said, "No, why?"

He tells me, "It is to honor our soldiers who have fought for our country. That's why!!"

Very impressed by his patriotism and lack of excitement about missing school I asked him how he knows. He goes on to tell me that his class wrote messages to the soldiers thanking them. He said that the librarian's son is in Iraq and that they were sending them to him. What a sweet idea and great way to teach the kids about the importance of our military.

I was quite proud of Bryce and his understanding of why we get to swim and BBQ for an extra day this weekend!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How I Know Men have Selective Hearing

By my nature, I am a noise sensitive person. I like to mute commercials because the noise annoys me. I always try to play the silent game with my kids after hearing "Mom" for the hundredth time. Mellow music is my favorite. I can hear most noises in the background, which can get irritating. But not Bobby....

He can be watching TV and the kids will be asking him a question....doesn't hear a thing. Acts like no one is even talking to him. Doesn't break line of vision with the television at all. I ask, "Can you hear them talking to you?" He says, "No, what do they need?" Well, they needed it from you and I really was enjoying that.... but I guess I will just have to handle it. I think this is why being a Dad must be better. Selective hearing.

But the real reason I know men have selective hearing is because of ESPN. I HATE this network, and not because I don't like sports or because of the fact Bobby can tune us out whenever it is on. No, I HATE this network because of the completely unnecessary background music they play while reporting sports news. ''Dodo-dun, dodo dun!" And they keep playing it throughout the entire program. I don't know who they paid to make this music for them to play in the background, but I can guarantee it was a man. Never noticed it before? Consider yourself lucky to have selective hearing. Next time you are watching, listen for it, and then think about me, and how irritating this Network is to listen to non-stop during baseball highlight season!

Busy BEEEEE!

So has the whole month of April past without one blog post? What the heck have I been doing?!


Well lots actually....


Baseball:


Baseball season is in full swing and so much fun! Bryce is in coach pitch and had a great coach, if I do say so myself. He's pretty hot too! We have games almost every Saturday and practices every Thursday. We have had picture day, field clean-up day, basket making for fundraising, banner making and snack bar duty(I spilled hot chocolate all over me)! It is very involved but we are loving every minute of it. The skill level is so much different than last year. It's exciting to see how well Bryce and the other kids are doing




















Dance:




Leah has dance every Thursday. She has improved so much since the beginning. When she started she couldn't jump on one foot for two hops, now she can hop on one leg across the whole room. She had a recital at the Poppy Festival that was so adorable!


























School:


Bryce won a writing wizard award at school. He continues to ace every spelling test! He is doing great in math. He is still adjusting to being a first grader and wants to stay home, but he seems to be excelling in his education and I couldn't be prouder. He is reading his first novel of over 100 pages. Cute story: The other day we were at the mall and I let them toss a coin into the fountain and make a wish. Bryce was moving his lips but no sound was coming out. He was very serious and then threw it in. I asked what he wished for....He said he wished he could read more books than anyone in his entire school and be the best reader there is.












Leah is doing great in preschool. She loves going and has adjusted to the social aspect very well. Katie and I have been doing our craft days and volunteer time there. After watching the other kids, it is safe to say we seem to be raising them right. They listen, are nice and share. The teacher says they are well adjusted kids.



















PTA:

We have been jammed packed at the school. I am going for my third term as PTA president. I'm hoping after this year someone will have the courage to take over this position, because it is more intense than I thought! But it is rewarding and worthwhile, most days. We have opened a student store for the kids, arranged a movie night, organized teacher appreciation week, planned an assembly, had a coin drive and the list goes on and on. The student store was a whole week this month and it was hard being out of the house by 7 every morning. We are growing in numbers though and I am pretty proud of that.








Reunion:


Still working on my high school's 10 year reunion. We had the final payments due this month and have about 100 people paid and going. It's been my dream to have an event on a yacht and it is finally happening!!




















Anniversary planning:

Our 10 year wedding anniversary is quickly approaching and we have been hitting the gym! We finally booked the trip this week and got a great deal through Costco. We love that place. The parents are very concerned about us going into Mexico, so pray for our safe return because unless something goes down in CABO we will be there! I've been substitute teaching on days I'm not jammed packed to help pay for this trip.







Party Poppers:

I have taken the plunge and am starting party planning as a hobby/career! I have a blog linked to this one, if you wanna check it out and follow me! I ordered business cards and am buying tables and seating for 200, with the help of my awesome parents and in-laws. I'm excited to get serious about what I love to do. I am working on two weddings currently!




Exciting news:




So much great things have been happening to people we love. It is such an exciting time to be young and have things happening! Mostly it is fun to cheer everyone on, as they did for us. I am so HAPPY for all the exciting things that have been happening.




Bobby's brother moved into a new house with his girlfriend Jessie. She is great and I know there will be announcements from them to come!




Bobby's cousin Joey got married to Brittani, who is expecting a baby. They also moved into a new house!




Bobby's cousin Laura is getting married to Jerry in August. Their wedding is going to be so much fun and I'm excited I get to help with it!




My friend April had a baby boy named Emerson! We had a blast throwing her a shower. It's exciting to add a new baby to the group.

My best friend, Katie is getting married to the "dope" guy James. I'm so happy she has found someone so great to share her life with!


And...I'm going to be an aunt!! My brother Dane and his girlfriend Brittani are expecting their first. Everything happens for a reason and I believe this baby is such a blessing to all of us! Plus, did I mention I want to be the coolest Aunt EVER!! So excited to hold a baby I don't have to raise but can love to pieces.

Basically we are on the run a lot. By the end of the week we are tired, but happy!! Beats being bored!

I amn't

My kids are just so darn smart, they invented a new word that makes sense. It is a contraction for I am not.

"Leah are you spilling?"

"I amn't!!"

"Bryce don't roll down your window!"

"I amn't!!"

...Just looked it up and it is actually an acceptable form of am not, although it did highlight during spell check. Mostly it is Scottish and Irish. Guess those lucky charms are affecting their speech!

THAT mom!

I think that all moms must embarrass their kids. And I hold myself on a really high pedestal for being the "cool mom." Apparently this isn't a title you can give yourself, because my son has made me aware on a couple occasions, just how embarrassing I am.




And I get it. My mom to this day can make me say, "Moo-om!" She can't order her food right, dress appropriately, or wear her hair right. Sometimes she wears Capri pants with socks and tennis shoes. Mooo-ooom, come on, get with it. When I was young, I hated going shopping with her. She would try on clothes in the middle of the store, over her other clothes. She would even tell us to try the clothes on this way. I remember wanting to die! Why couldn't we be like everyone else and go to the fitting rooms?





"We are in a hurry," she'd say. Oh, and like spending ten minutes trying on jeans over your other jeans saves tons of time! And how can you judge if it really fits anyway? Its like when she used to just hold them up to you. That NEVER worked! Yet, we never used a fitting room.





Awhile back I was in a parking lot dropping My BFF off at her car. I needed her approval on this sweater dress I bought before I wore it that night. Because sometimes you really need a second opinion. I had on a tight shirt and so I put it over the shirt and pulled down my jeans so she could get the effect better. Bryce whines from the car, "Moo----om! What are you doing? You can't change here in the parking lot."





OH MY GOD!! I thought....


I just became my mother.





Then there was another incident. We were lounging around the house a couple weekends ago. I was wearing what I call booty shorts and a tank top. Nothings too bad, I thought. I was saying we should go get ice cream together.





Bryce said, "Are you going to wear that?!"





I said, "What's wrong with this?" Although I had no intention of wearing it out. He should know I have better fashion sense than that!





He said, "Well, I can kinda see your butt and they are a little short."





Haha. I guess, I need to wear more clothing around the house because I have a little son who really does not want his eyes to hurt. I understand though. I used to see what my mom wore to bed and was like you have got to be kidding me! That moo-moo needs a slip! He is getting older, and I'm not really sure I'm prepared for this change. I guess I'm going to have to go flannel pants shopping, sorry Bobby!





There was only one other, embarrassing mom moment I can think of. Three ain't bad. I am still in the cool mom club...right?

Bryce Says the Darnest Things

Sometimes the stuff that falls out of Bryce's mouth really makes me laugh!


"I would rather punch myself in my own face, then eat this!" (referring to avocado after tasting it)


"Mom, I am really good at baseball, I once got a guy out at first."


"How many calories is this ice cream, like 2, or what?"

"Dear God, please make my sister stop annoying me!"

Me: "Why do you all your jeans have holes in the knees?" Bryce: "Cuz they are stupid and cheap."

"I'm saving up my money for a house, not cheap toys."

"I hate these skinny jeans, it's squishing my wiener, like all day!"

"I don't understand why I have to go to school to get smart, you already tell me I am, so it's pointless."

Hope Floats?

I have been struggling lately. Perhaps, I'm an over thinker but my whole outlook on life has been changing and not in the best way. While everything in my personal life is going awesome, my views on the outside world is not.

I used to be such a hopeful person who believed in change and faith in humanity. Not. So. Much. Anymore. And it is making me sad... how do I get hope back?

Politics, the news, my belief in good people is losing optimism. Maybe this new outlook comes with age. I have heard of the cynical old people versus the hopeful youth. Maybe turning 28 has crossed me to the cynical stage. At any rate, it seems like caring is something for fools. Let me try to explain...

I have always had an interest in government, the issues, voting, the whole you can make a difference. There seems to be just too much grey matter now, for me. It seems as though everyone is shouting at the top of their lungs for what they believe to be right, not hearing the other side; no compromise in sight. It is tiring to convince someone what you believe to be right. It seems impossible to reach a conclusion with such opposite sides of the spectrum. It's almost as if we live in two different countries with democratic and republican views. People say things only to offend half of their friends and get confirmation from the other half. Really?! The only way we feel validated is when we are preaching to the choir. How then, do we see any change without an understanding of the opposition? Not. Gonna. Happen.

Then there is me. Strong in my beliefs, but not so strong I can't see the other point. Then I start to think that this must be from a lack of conviction in my own thoughts, because everyone else seems so sure. How are they sure they know what is best for our country? From their couches, I'm sure the answers seem so simple. I imagine they feel the same way about our current president, as I felt about our last. We get to a point where we are fighting so hard for our own sides, both sides fail and cannot celebrate any victories or change to the current system.

Although I have not looked up current statistics to share, I can go from my own experiences and examples. And what are stats anyway?! We can all find evidence to support our views. But here is the confusion.

I know people who take advantage of our system. Find ways to lie and get all they can. No one wants to pay for these people, but they seem to be the ones who benefit the most from our busted system. I know people who would benefit from assistance from our government, but don't qualify because they are too honest. These are single moms who are going to school to make a better life for themselves, but somehow by exerting any effort for their future, can't qualify for food on their tables. These are the people who deserve our tax money, but don't qualify for it. So I believe that help is needed. I want to help. I want to pay taxes for people who need these programs. I believe in these programs, but the programs are failing to those who need the help and enabling those who are taking advantage. Big. Mess. No. Hope.

Watching the news is another doosey. You can do everything right in your own life and some a-hole can come and strip you of everything. Killings, rapes, child molesters....really?! Why is the world so ugly? And how do you stop it? I have no clue and am losing hope in the fact that someone may know how to fix it. I am losing hope that it can even be fixed.

I cried the other day. Wept more like. I was watching Leah sing and dance and my eyes just welled up with tears. An hour before this, the news reported finding Chelsea King's body. As I watched Leah, I imagined Chelsea's parents. How they must have done everything by the books and right. Loved their daughter, as I do mine. How they admired her, listened to her sing, much like the way Leah's voice sounded like the sweetest thing I have ever heard. How can it be that you do everything right and live your life loving, just the way you are intended to, and be robbed of that joy from someone who did this type of crime before? If I saw the man today, I'd shoot him myself.

So part of me wants to go on, living my life in this bubble we have created, that is comfortable and joyful and without heartache. I want to not care about politics and what is going on in the news because I feel like there is no hope to fix it anyway. But then I realize that by not being involved, by losing hope, by ignoring what is broken, by staying in my bubble I will still be effected by the outside world. I can be robbed of this joy the same way Chelsea's parents were.

I know this is a bit of a ramble and if you are still with me reading this, how do you hold on to hope and how do we arrive at change?

I used to believe in all the great quotes:

"There is no doubt a small group of people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has."

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Yaddy-yaddy- yadda!

Now those hopeful messages just seem false. And I'm sad. Maybe I need more examples of hope. I saw Blind Side and was so happy, that I decided to read Precious, another advertised hope-filled story. At the end of that book, I thought if this is what they are selling as hope for our youth, there is no hope. At the end, she was still not going to find the happiness she deserved and my heart hurt. And there are true stories like Precious'.

I try to fix my complaints and volunteer. Put your money (and time) where your mouth is. I believe kids are the most important thing in the world, so I need to make a difference and help out there. Even this task has left me with a feeling of very little hope. We put on an event. Spend hours and hours of time volunteering so the kids have something to look forward to, and do you know what happens?! We have other parents, who do NOT volunteer making complaints about lighting and noise levels. Seriously?! I am losing faith in people EVERYDAY!

This may not seem like a big deal to some people, who never had hope in people the way I did. Maybe most of you already knew that the world is ugly. But for me, this feeling is a shocker! I have never been so pessimistic in my life and need to get back to having some faith in humanity.

There are people who never loose that. I will leave you with a story I keep replaying in my head because it is one of the only things that is helping me keep the hope. My great friend is a social worker. She will often call me with horrid stories about children and things she sees. It breaks my heart to no end. She is out there, helping one child at a time, do what is best, even if there is no sure option for what will be best. She was telling me a story about some kids she reunited with their mom. The mom was a drug addict and the kids were placed in foster care. The mom went through the programs and was clean long enough to get them back.

My pessimistic attitude was telling her, that mom doesn't deserve those kids back and that how does she feel comfortable placing them back in the home. She explained to me that sometimes, foster care isn't the best place for these kids either. She told me they will always favor reuniting the children back with their parents, as long as the parents take the steps to get their kids back. She was asking if I had anything to donate to the mom because she was newly back on her feet and needed a lot. I kept asking her about how she feels about this mom.

She said that sure she worries about putting the kids back into this home. She worried about putting them in the foster care program too. I asked her what happens if the mom relapses. She said of course that is a possibility. I asked how she remains so positive about the mom and kids and the whole messy situation. It seems doomed!

She said all she can do is hope and have faith. Day by day, clean drug test after clean drug test. This mom loves her kids enough to stay clean. The mom got clean just to get those kids back and she has to believe that love will keep her straight. I don't think I could do that without judging her. But here is my friend, on the front lines of change, believing in people to do the right thing in the most grim circumstances. If she can keep her faith and hope, maybe I can get mine back!

20/20

This last year I have been working my butt off, literally, to try and lose some weight. At first, I was irritated and had possibly the worst attitude about working out. And while I can still say it isn't my favorite activity, I am getting better at it. If I miss too many days I feel a little off. I have been consistently working out for about a year and slowly, VERY s..lo...w...ly, have lost 20 lbs. This means 20 more to go!!!

But, I have hit a bit of a road block this week. I have been wanting to eat everything bad, sit on the couch and do nothing. My motivation has left and I need it back, quick like.

There is so much going on this year. I want to be in shape for my 10 year high school reunion and some weddings. The most important is our 10 year wedding anniversary!! =)

Since Bobby and I have been married we talk about what we will look like in the next ten years. We have always talked about being in our best shape for this anniversary. Now it's less than 6 months away and I'm losing steam. We have the destination picked out... CABO! And I can't not look good on the beaches of Cabo. We have a bet as well. If I lose my 10% body fat, he's getting a tattoo. It's part of the deal to keep me motivated. I have upped the anti and am thinking to make it really worth it, the tattoo should have my name in it, right?!

I am writing this as a promise to myself that I will get there. After this therapeutic blog I'm going to get in some cardio. And maybe, if you're lucky, I will be able to actually post the bathing suit picture from our celebration!

Did I Shave my Legs for This?

You know your life has changed when "shave day" has become the new invite for romance. When I was a teenager I don't remember shaving being such a scarce or important thing. But I found myself texting my husband the other day, flirtatiously: It's a shave day ;)



Can't forget the winky face!



Hair, although tolerable for both myself and Bobby, doesn't create an ideal ambiance. I think Bobby is okay with stubble, I am speaking on his behalf. I never had a complaint. But after a fresh shave you feel like a million bucks! Maybe it's a generational thing. I don't know if anyone past the age of 40 even reads this to verify.



It seems as though shave days are getting fewer and far between. Perhaps I am getting old, and that is the natural progression. Perhaps its the fact that I don't have a few extra minutes in the shower, when I know the clock is ticking and there are kids to dress and places to go. The legs and other areas take a back seat.



It seems I have developed a shave schedule, where I know to set aside time for this daunting task. Fridays are always a designated shave day. If I haven't squeezed time in during the week, Fridays are a mandatory, get out-your-razor day.



There have been a few occasions where we have missed the romance on a shave day. We woke the next morning, after falling asleep, with looks of disappointment upon our faces. Dang it! How did we waste a perfectly good shave day?! Did I shave my legs for this??!!



I guess we will have to settle for uncomfortable, hair growing back which feels like pins and needles, stubble romance day. See, it doesn't have the same ring as shave day!

Moving into the Car

Isn't she a beauty?

It is that time of year when life just gets so crazy. The schedule is full and we are busy practically every day of the week. And one thing seems to get neglected...our old faithful red Saturn Vue. It is currently ransacked. We live out of our car for the following months and I am so exhausted by the time I get home, instead of cleaning it out daily, I just pile the car up with more crap the next day.

I am not proud of the way we treat her and as a matter of fact it is embarrassing if anyone has to ride in my car. I always have to explain, "I live out of this thing, excuse the mess." I am so jealous of people with neat cars, and wonder how with kids, this is even possible.

Bobby is coaching Bryce's baseball team, Leah is in dance, I am still running PTA and try to fit in frequent trips to the gym. Not to mention most of our activities are on the opposite side of town from where we live so once I am gone for the day, I don't make trips back home to get the things I need. It gets pack up in the beginning of the day.

The usual can be found in my car all at once:

Baseball equipment for a team of 13: tee, helmets, gloves, bases

Bryce's baseball bag

Leah's dance shoes

Extra shoes for after dance

Extra clothes for "accidents"

Extra socks for the kids club at the gym (required)

Gym gloves

Ipod

Kleenex

Band aids

Snacks

Waters

PTA folders, money, papers, projects

Antibacterial gel

Old fast food cups and trash

Crumbs

Toys, toys and more toys

Books

DVD players and DVD's

Mail

Makeup

My purse

GPS system

Water bottle and comb to fix the kids hair

etc, etc, etc.....

Basically we use and abuse her but she has been such a great, functional car. We bring home lumber and our Christmas trees in her. I can load furniture in her for my various decorating projects. One day I am gonna get my act together and detail her and fine tune everything. She deserves it...

Penis Breast

Driving home today from the gym (yep, that's right, I'm back on that kick) Leah says, "Mom I want penis breast!"

I said, "WHAT??!?!??"

"I want penis breast!"

"Leah I can't understand what you are saying, "Penis breast?!"

"No, mom penis breast." She keeps saying it faster instead of clearer.

I am stumped until Bryce comes to the rescue. "Mom, she wants Panda Express!"

Leah confirms, "Yeah mom , penis breast."

Oh thank God!!!! I can manage some Panda Express.....

Digging for Gold

Why start the first blog of the new year off with a booger blog? Well, most of my days consist of just that, and so I wanted everyone to experience a piece of my life. For your enjoyment....

Before I had kids I remember looking at kids and thinking how cute they are. How their faces were so shiny and beautiful. Their voices so sweet and inquisitive. I now realize what goes into those beautiful shiny NON-BOOGER faces.

Hard boogies:

The kid may pick their own nose. I have caught both my kids doing this and have corrected them, by saying, "Get a tissue." Knowing full well, sometimes a tissue just isn't going to cut it. Sometimes, you can't clean properly without your finger. Gross I know, but it's a reality some of you are just going to have to face. A kid's nose is tiny and really the extra 1/8 of an inch tissue adds makes it impossible to really get those nasty things out. I have even caught our precious, delicate little girl.....dare I say...

eating one,

or two,

or who knows how many when I'm not looking. I tell her princesses don't eat those. What can you do? I think all kids must do this at some point...right? How else would I know what they taste like? And I swear I don't remember eating nor do I eat boogers, but I know they taste salty...go figure! When you are going out in public, you may find yourself, as a parent, going in to dig out the nastiness yourself. You don't have another option. Have the gross dirty nosed kid, or dig and clean 'em up. I'm sorry, it isn't pretty but it's parenting at it's finest!

Runny boogies:

This is annoying!! The noses run like faucets and the kids just lick their top lip like it's sugar dripping down. You can have them blow and blow their nose until they have dry skin, but it will still run. When they are infants they send you home with that sucker thingy. Really, so gross! And then you have to get the boogers out of that thing. And what if you are out and don't have any tissue near by? I have gotten creative and used receipts, taken off a sock, even used the inside of my kids or my own shirt. Sometimes you just get desperate! Bryce has pretty bad allergies, and will on an average of twice a week, sneeze! Real bad!! He leans his whole body over and the nasty booger just hangs from his nose mid air. The trick is to run and get a tissue before it falls. I'm telling you I have a very luxurious life!

Morning Boogies:

So these are pretty serious and can cause scarring, if not removed properly. This category includes, eye and nose boogers. After sleeping preciously all night, like those beautiful kids do, boogers get really caked on their faces. Like, ridiculously caked on! If you attempt to go at this dry...like with a normal tissue either severe redness or bleeding may occur. The only way to get these stubborn ones is to soak the kids in warm water, get a warm washcloth or if you are mean or in a hurry, a cold wipe will do the trick.

Point of the story is, if you see a cute, little, darling kid with a beautiful face, it's because someone got up into their nose and made sure it was clean. They don't come with a self-cleaning option on kid noses, although whoever invents that will be rich.

Happy New Year and hear is to my kids' beautiful clean faces, and them growing closer to another year that will make them capable of cleaning it out themselves....

without eating them afterwards!

I was going to post a booger picture, but I must be doing my job pretty well, because I couldn't find one! Enjoy their shiny, beautiful faces, the reason I wanted kids in the first place!