Baby Girl's Halloween Musts
You must have a princess costume. Complete with jewels, high heels, and a fabulous dress!
You must have a pumpkin carved to look like your fave cartoon character!
You must help your mom make and eat sugar cookies!
You must watch a movie to really bring on the "feeling" of the day!Yeah. They're watching "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". You see, the other day Baby Girl was going bananas because she wanted it to be Christmas right NOW. I told her we had to have Little Bug's birthday (check) and then Halloween (check, check) and then we go to Grandma's house and then it's mommy's birthday and THEN Christmas. Well, since it's Halloween, she has officially crossed it off her list. This day will be a day of treats, but more importantly, it brings us one day closer to Christmas!

Happy Halloween

I'll probably post a few more pictures tomorrow... but thought I'd start with these for tonight. We finally finished carving our pumpkins...

Red's pumpkin is the wolf....

Little Bug and I did the haunted house... actually, I did it. He hates all things Halloween. This includes pumpkins. Every time he came into the room while we were working on them, he would gag and then run away....

Baby Girl picked Dora. No surprise there....

Costume pics tomorrow... and hopefully another giveaway! Happy Halloween!

UPDATE: Comments are closed! We have a busy day today, so the drawing will probably be later today. I am changing my method of drawing a name... I will now be using www.random.org to pick names. I had not expected so many entries! Thank you so much!

Hey y'all! It's time for a giveaway! I had so much fun doing this last time.
So, here's how to play:
Leave a comment on THIS POST to be entered in my drawing. You need to comment between now and 8:00 Saturday morning. Only one entry per person please. Tell me which prize or prizes you would like to have your name entered in. If you don't specify, I will assume that you want your name in all of the drawings. Please be sure to leave an email address where I can contact you!
I'm afraid I'm only going to be able to ship to the US or Canada. Sorry Internationals :S
I will let the kiddos draw names sometime on Saturday, November 3rd.
Well, would ya like to see what the prizes are?
First we have "Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. I read it, enjoyed it, but probably won't read it again. It's in like new condition. I have to warn you... there is a little bit of language in this book. There. You've been warned :)
Next we have a bag made by yours truly. The bottom, the handles and the lining are a tan color. The floral part is a robin egg blue and the roses are in reds and pinks with green and tan stems....
I decided to make some jewelry with a fall-ish flare for the drawing this time. The first one is a bracelet with amber colored beads and charms that look like old fashioned type writer keys that spell "LOVE".

Then we have a bracelet/earring set. The beads are brown and amber colored. The larger circle beads have copper/gold/amber sparkles in the beads. They are very pretty! The picture doesn't quite do it justice...

I may add more items as the week goes on. It just depends on how busy I am! Well, leave me a fabulous comment! Or a boring one. Doesn't matter to me. Just comment away! The link isn't up over at Bloggy Giveaways tonight... it will be in the morning and then you can enter all the fun giveaways!

Talented

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!Hubby looks mad because he hates to dance... but see how happy I am? It's because I'm a gifted dancer!
P.S. You may want to turn the music player off before you press play

Walk the Line
For awhile now I have thought about crossing the line. But, I knew that if I did, there would be no going back. Well, tonight, I had to do it. I only crossed it a little bit... I didn't want to, but really, I had no choice. It almost made me cry... I bought clothes for Baby Girl from the big girls section in Kohls. This is the first shirt that I have bought that is not a "toddler" size. As I walked through these clothes it made me so sad. They look like the clothes I wear - only smaller. No more cute little bunnies or Dora smiling at me. No. Now we get shirts that say things like "In your dreams" with Tinkerbell stickin her butt in the air. BLAH!
I'm not sure why this feels like such a huge step? Maybe it's because I'm not as ready for her to grow up as I thought. Maybe it's the fact that the bigger clothes cost more money. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that she just might be our last kiddo. I stopped and looked at some of the tiny stuff tonight and it made me a little sad to think that I wouldn't buy anything that small for one of my own babies again.
Of course, I didn't have much time to dwell on that since Baby Girl was a tad out of control tonight. Screaming, yelling, spinning, running as fast as she could and meowing - yeah, I said meowing. At one point I thought I had lost her because she wouldn't come when I called to her. Then I hear this tiny squeaky voice say, "You have to call me 'kitty girl'". So I did and she came out from under one of the racks crawling on all fours. In moments like that, I do tend to wish she was a little older. But then I stopped. And I remembered that in just a few short years she won't want to shop with me, let alone play games while we shop.
And so, I tried to enjoy the moment just a little more as I took a deep breath. Then, I stuck my toe over the line and we looked for clothes in the big girls section.

Little Stinker
Kailani over at An Island Life is having a Halloween costume contest. You can use pictures from the present or the past. My all time favorite costume for any of my kids was the year Red was a skunk!

He was only 22 months at the time, so he was willing to let me dress him however I wanted. I had to sharpen the pictures with my photo software because they were kind of fuzzy after I scanned them. So if they look a little odd, that's why! Anyway, the voting starts on November 2nd. Don't make me start my "Vote for Me" campaign again ;)

Indulge me here... I want lots of pictures on my blog today. It's time to celebrate!

My Sweet Little Bug,

7 years old today. I can hardly believe it's been that long. I sit here with tears rolling down my face knowing that I can never put into words the feelings I have for you. Your smile lights up a room and your laughter brings giggles to my own lips.

Birthdays have never been a big deal to you. You don't like cake. The candles seem to frighten you. You won't sit still long enough for us to sing to you. You do seem to understand the whole concept behind gifts though and I can't wait to watch you open the ones I bought just for you.

I love the little man that you are. I love that each night, when I tuck you in, you turn your head to the side to receive your butterfly kisses. And what I love even more are the times when you take my face in your hands, tip it to the side and give me some of those butterflies in return... When you were born I never knew how much my heart could ache or the joy it could feel. And oh, how I have ached for you. And because of that aching, I now know about true, amazing joy.

I hope your day is filled with cookies and candy, gifts that you love and not a candle in sight. I love you my sweet boy.

Love always,

Mom

How Cute is That?

I finally had a day where I didn't HAVE to do something. I didn't have to clean my house or do laundry. But, I did. So, as a reward, I did something creative and fun. About a week ago, Tracy posted the instructions on how to make these cute tote bags. I dug through my fabric stash, found a few things that I liked.... and... presto!

I like the way it turned out. So, if you're looking for a fun and easy project, you should definitely try this one! Now, I'm off to bed. Tomorrow is Little Bug's birthday. We are opening gifts in the morning, so, I need to crash now so that I'm alert and ready to celebrate!

The Fog is Clearing
Have you ever had a crazy week followed by a crazier week? It feels like I've been dashing through everything in a kind of haze. Well, the fog is finally clearing and I don't like what I'm seeing. I've been so busy with everything else in the world that my house cleaning and laundry were put on the back burner. I feel like someone crept into my house last night and wore all our clothes and destroyed the house. Because it didn't look this bad yesterday... did it? I've got mountains and mountains of laundry to do. Toys can be found in every room of the house. Food crumbs flow from one room to the next. Dishes are stacked precariously in the sink and on the counters. Perhaps I should volunteer for something else so that I don't have to attack my dirty house today... okay, maybe not. Red just informed me that he doesn't have any clean clothes. I checked his drawer... he's right. Sigh. No way to avoid this problem. Sometimes I envy those who live in nudist colonies. No laundry. And then I remember that I would have to be without clothing all the time. Then I'm not so envious. So, I suppose I'll do laundry.
I am going to try to hunt down all the blog posts I've missed the last few days. Hopefully in between loads of laundry and dishes. Okay, maybe not ALL of the blog posts. There's over 100 again. You people are bloggin fools!

Just Say NO!

It's "Just Say No to Drugs" week at Red's school. He comes home each day talking about why drugs are bad and the different ways he can say "no" when someone offers him something. It's got me thinking... I need to try this "just say no" stuff. Without going into all the crazy details, I'm a tad overwhelmed because I can't tell people "no". I feel bad if I have to tell someone "No, I can't do that". I'm a people pleaser. One of the reasons I haven't been visiting blogs the last few days is because I'm over scheduled. Too much on my plate. I will get around to the blogs, I promise... but probably not till Thursday :( Sorry...

So, in order to help myself out, I'm starting a new campaign: All of the things I have volunteered for are worthwhile things. But they take time away from my family and my home. It's time to stop. I'm putting my proverbial foot down! The real problem here is: I'm a wimp. Which is why I need your help. Seems like I'm ALWAYS asking for your help... I guess you all give great advice :)

So, now that I've buttered you up, tell me, how do you make priorities? How do you find balance in your lives? Do you tell people no? Or do you run like a crazy person trying to do everything everyone wants you to do till you feel like you're going to fall over? That's the boat I'm in. I'm looking for balance people... help me find a way to not be the perpetual volunteer! How do you tell people "no" without feeling guilty??

iTunes Heads Up
We are headed to Idaho in a 3 1/2 weeks for Thanksgiving. It's a long trip for us - anywhere from 13 to 15 hours depending on how many stops we have to make along the way. We are going to head out the first night and stay in St. George. Then we'll make the rest of the trek the next day. It's easier to split it up like that. Last year our trip home was a complete nightmare. I had forgotten about all of the college kids that would be heading back to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego... plus all of the smaller colleges. We were at a complete standstill for quite sometime last year. It was torture. We have a couple of DVD players, but after awhile it makes Little Bug sick to watch. So, I've been downloading books and burning them on CD's. iTunes has a pretty great selection of kids books. They have all of the Magic Tree House books right now. The first book, "Dinosaurs Before Dark" is free to download! And the others are $1.95 each. It's a perfect way to pass the time. Last time we listened to "Charlie and the Glass Elevator" which is the sequel to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". We have all of the Chronicles of Narnia on disc and also "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" books.
These trips are always a little crazy, but I'm hoping new books and music will keep everyone entertained. What do you do to keep your kids busy in the car on long trips? Do you have any favorite book titles that your kids love? What about music? What kind of music do you like to throw in when you're on a long trip? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

HELP!
Bloggin buddies, I need ya!! I am in charge of an activity for the women of our church tomorrow night. We are having a cook off, but, before we let everyone try all the wonderful recipes, we were going to have a lady speak to us about creative lunch ideas for boxed or bagged lunches. I just got a phone call and she is in San Diego and they have told her that she won't be able to leave to come home because of the fires. So, add another gal to your list and...
I NEED IDEAS!! Do you have any fun things you do for your kids lunches? I will probably end up teaching this class... HELP ME!! PLEASE! I am not the creative one when it comes to lunch. Peanut butter and jam are good for me... anything you can share... I'd be happy to be on the receiving end of all your great ideas!

Dear Friends
I need you to pray for my friend Jamie J today. She lives in San Diego and fires have sprung up about 3 miles from her home. She will probably have to evacuate. And while you're at it, pray for everyone who is close to a wild fire down here. There are a lot of them burning in Southern California right now. And they are destroying homes. If I understand correctly, one person has died. You see, we get these crazy winds down here. They call them The Santa Ana winds and they are not the nice cool fall breezes that most of you experience this time of year. They are hot and dry and unpredictable. And they make fighting fires extremely difficult. Anyway, keep these families (especially Jamie) and our firefighters in your prayers. Thanks...

The Mom Meme
Tracy and Jamie both had this up on their blogs and I quite enjoyed reading their answers! So, I thought I'd take a shot at it myself...

1. How long have you been a Mom?
for almost 9 years... wait... what? NINE? Where did that number come from? We are almost to double digits... YIKES!


2. How many children call you Mommy/Mom/Mama?:
Three on an extremely consistent basis

3. Girl? Boy? or both?
Two boys and a girl

4. Did you know what you were having?
With Red they were "pretty sure" he would be a boy. Little Bug they were VERY sure. Baby Girl showed her stubborn streak early on... two ultrasounds and we got a "60% chance it's a girl" How helpful is that?


5. How old were you when you became a Mom?
22 - gosh... that sounds so young...


6. How long were you in labor?
Really? Um... I don't remember. I tried to labor at home for as long as possible before we headed in...

Apparently question #7 is missing. ?????


8. What was your least favorite thing about labor?
Let me think... the pain, the pain meds not working, someone sticking a needle longer than my arm in my back, breaking blood vessels in my face from pushing so hard, going through all the pain and work of labor to end up having a c-section... so many, many things to choose from... hmmm...

9. Do you want more kids?:
For now, no.

10. Do you plan on having more soon?:
Nope


11. Does daddy change diapers?
Not any more... all of our kids are potty trained! BUT, when they were in diapers he was so awesome. Never had to ask, he just took care of it. Sigh... I'm a lucky gal :)

12. How many times have you been peed on
Let me check my journal on that.... oh... hmmm... I guess that wasn't something I kept very close track of. Let's just say that it happened. A lot.


13. Barfed on?:
Only a few times... unless you count babies spitting up... which I don't...


14. Is your child named after anyone?.
Yes

15. How did you come up with their name(s)?
I tortured Hubby incessantly about names. When we had Red we had two names picked out. His mom didn't like the one name, but that's the one we ended up going with. It just fit. Little Bug was a different story. I woke up one morning, rolled over and said, "His name is ____" and that was the end of that. I felt so strongly about it that there wasn't ever any discussion after that. Baby Girl we struggled with. We went back and forth, but in the end I got my way. :)

16. When your child(ren) gets in trouble, who is the bad guy?
I hate being the bad guy... but we seem to even each other out pretty well. If I ever get a little over the top, he brings me back into check and vice verse.

17. And who is the good guy?
Again, we keep each other balanced on this one.... like the time Hubby gave the kids cookies for breakfast and then I made them eat real food. :)


18. What is the longest you have been away from your child(ren)?
Let's see... it was this spring when I went to Oregon... um... I was gone for 4 days... I think... apparently it's time for another trip away ;)


19. Kids bedtime routine?
Get jammies, brush teeth, read scriptures, say family prayer, read stories, beg them to go to bed, give permission 3 times to go to the bathroom again, fight off "really thirsty" begging (it just leads to more bathroom time), go in and take toys from Little Bug, listen to him cry and then listen as he laughs because he has found more toys... repeat till Little Bug falls asleep. He's always the last... last night it was almost 11 before he crashed...


20. Are your toes painted?
They are right now... it's called "Root Beer" and it's a brownish purple color. It looks better than it sounds.


21. Last movie you saw in the theater?
Um....Ratatouille...


22. Last time you had a date?
When my parents were here a few weeks ago :)

23. One thing you will not give up just because you are a mom?
Oh wow... hmm... I guess I'll have to say reading. I don't get as much time as I'd like to read, but I still manage to squeeze it in there.

24. One thing you did give up now that you’re a mom?
Only one? :) Sleep - a good, uninterrupted night of sleep.

25. Best Mom you know?
There are too many to list! Sorry, I know that's a lame answer, but it's the truth!

Anyone else want to participate?

Disappointed
Before you read this article, you should probably know that I'm extremely disappointed in the new information that JK Rowling has revealed. Disappointed enough to possibly change my opinion on the series... that being said....
To all the Harry Potter fans, did you read this? :(

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love Ya Tomorrow....
Tomorrow is going to be a fun yet crazy day! Our neighborhood is having a community yard sale and we are participating. I have to finish gathering all the crap... um... I mean treasures from our house and get them priced. I'm hoping to make enough to pay for a trip to Riley's Farm and dinner somewhere fun. Last time we had a yard sale was right before we moved and we made a pretty decent amount of money! I'm pretty sure we won't make that much this time (over $400), but you never know! If we go to Riley's, then I'll be sure to post pictures of our apple and pumpkin pickin. I'm also hoping to press some cider. Hopefully tomorrow will be a very fruitful day! Get it? Ha! Fruitful.... oh never mind! (And yes, technically, pumpkins are fruit....which just makes my joke that much funnier... or lamer... not sure which?)

Kailani has been doing Aloha Friday for a few weeks now, but for one reason or another, I haven't been able to participate. But this week I am! Yeah! The premise behind it is for me to ask you a question and you, if you feel so inclined, answer it. :) So, here we go!

What was your favorite cartoon/t.v. show as a kid?

If you decide to participate in Aloha Friday, let me know!

"That's not a mouse...."
Template change again. Just because I've moved away from the pink doesn't mean that I'm backing down on my support of breast cancer awareness. It just means that I really REALLY don't like coming to my blog and seeing that color every day. How lame am I?? Besides, I still have 4 Halloween banners that I haven't used yet ;)
Baby Girl loves her mini magna doodle. She is always bringing it to us and asking us to draw things. The other day she took it to hubby and asked him to draw a mouse. He drew a very realistic looking mouse (I wish I had been quick enough with the camera...). Baby Girl looked at it and said, "That's not a mouse! That's a poodle!" I laughed and laughed and then drew her a mouse. Big ears, tiny nose, plump round body. She grabbed the magna doodle, found Hubby and said, "THAT'S a mouse Dad!"
I'm so glad I have kids... they keep me on my toes, fill my life with unexpected giggles, and who doesn't love those rare moments where they think you're the best thing in the world?

You're Dismissed
The other day Baby Girl came and asked me to get her a drink. I followed her into the kitchen, poured the juice, and decided to put a few things away while I was in there. She looked at me, waved her hand and said, "You can go now. I'm done with you." Yes your MAJESTY!

**FINALLY** I got the picture to work... don't you love the blur on the right hand side? That would be Little Bug on our hopper ball... and yeah. Those are his rags... er... I mean pajamas.
Did I mention that when my Mom was here she helped me finish said Halloween costume? It turned out so cute! Baby Girl is excited about it, so that makes it even better. The crown she has is broken... so we will try to find another one. The last time I looked for crowns in the Halloween stuff, there weren't a lot there. We'll see what we can find.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their support and suggestions yesterday. I wish we could move. But Hubby is committed to at least another year down here for work and we have another year on our lease. But I wonder, is moving going to really solve this problem? Like so many of you said yesterday, how long before other states adopt similar laws? Or our Federal Government adopts it as a national law? There are no easy answers to this one. But, it's scary. There were some other things the Governator signed yesterday that I don't agree with either. :::INHALE::: Now, I need someone to remind me to exhale or I just might pass out!

What Would You Do?
Okay... I'm gonna ask some tough questions and I want your honest opinions. I know I'm going to say a few things that will probably make people mad. Yeah... I've debated and debated about posting this post... but, I'm gonna be brave. I think.
Our lovely Governator (remember, I'm in Cali...) has just signed a law: SB 777 and I'm more than a little worried about it. You can read about it here - the article is on a very conservative site. Just to be fair, this is a link from a more liberal site. If you want to read the actual changes to the law, you can find that here. In a nutshell, California has done away with specific gender, male/female or boy/girl, in the school system. Now it's just gender identity. And every child will be allowed to participate in activities with the gender they are most comfortable with. This appears to include locker rooms and bathrooms. So, if you're physically a boy, but you identify more with what would be "stereotypically" associated with the female gender, you can use the girls facilities. Does anyone else see how problematic that could be?
Also, if I'm understanding this correctly, textbooks will not be allowed to be biased in any way. Meaning that they must cover all lifestyles. I know I'm gonna get heat for this, but, I believe that the homosexual lifestyle is wrong. I believe that marriage is sacred and is only for a man and a woman. I don't believe in gender neutrality. I believe that you are born male or female. Mother nature is kind enough to remind me once a month that I am indeed female.
Now, before anyone gets upset here, I don't think that discrimination is okay. And I believe that we all have the right to choose how to live our lives. I don't look down on anyone for the choices they make. But I have the right to choose what things my kids are and aren't exposed to. These are not things I want taught to my children as "normal" ways of life. To me, they are not "normal".
Now, this is where you come in with your sage wisdom and expert advice....
How do I talk to my kids about this?!? The law takes effect on January 1st 2008 and I'm not sure how to sit down with my EIGHT YEAR OLD SON and talk to him about homosexuality! Heck... we haven't had the heterosexuality talk with him yet! Sigh... I'm not sure how to approach this with him. But, I have to. I will not leave this in the hands of the State to educate him about what they think is right. But, I have to be careful too... I don't want to teach him to hate. I don't hate anyone for their lifestyle, race or religion. I don't want my kids to either. And, if he is heard saying anything negative about a person's sexual orientation, such as "I think being gay is wrong", it now falls under Section 422.55 of the Penal Code: hate crimes. So, I need him to understand that this lifestyle is not okay, but that everyone can make their choice and we need to respect that and then keep our mouths shut... and that feels SO WRONG to me!
BLAH!! I DO NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS!!!
I have written to the principal and am waiting for his response. I want to know exactly what this means for our schools. Give me ideas people... I am in desperate need of them! And if you disagree with me, that's fine. But please don't bash me for my ideals. I need advice on how to talk to my son about a hard topic. I have hesitated and hesitated about posting this. I actually wrote it yesterday. Saved it and still feel like I should publish it.
BIG INHALE! I am pushing the publish button.... right...now...

**UPDATE ON THE QUOTE** Holly, you are the Pixar Princess! This quote does come from "Boundin". A Pixar short that can be found on the Incredibles DVD! :)

"Pink? Pink? Well, what's wrong with pink? Seems like you got a pink kink in your think."

Don't worry, I'll go back to the fabulousness of Halloween soon. Anyone who's been reading the blog for awhile knows that I'm not a huge fan of pink. It's okay. And I'm even starting to incorporate it into my wardrobe (I actually look good in it... who knew? Doesn't mean I like it though....). But, I just couldn't let October go by without a few bloggy days dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness. I don't know why. I have only personally known one woman who has had breast cancer. That's right. One. Thankfully, she's a survivor.
Over at Summer's blog she had mentioned that today is "Frisk the 15th" day.

NOW BEFORE YOU START... I haven't given myself an exam in years. I know. I'm horrible. This may not help any of you, but I'm HOPING it will help me to remember.

Oh, and just for fun, do any of you know where the quote at the top of this post comes from?

Finally

For years, my love, I have admired you from afar. Waiting. Hoping that someday you would be mine. I watched as you found your way into other peoples lives, but never my own. Until now. Finally, you belong to me. Your strength amazes me and I am not sure how I lived so long without you. And, I must say, you look FABULOUS in Cinnamon Red!

Earlier this year I dropped the bowl to my old mixer. Since it was made of glass it shattered into a million little pieces. I didn't have the money to replace it. So, I used bowls that didn't really fit and held on tight while the beaters would toss the bowl around and make a mess. I don't like to mix things by hand (yeah, I would have been a crappy pioneer) and I never could get all the ingredients combined by using the old mixer with the mismatched bowl. Eventually I stopped baking.

So I waited... saved some money... and then it happened! Kohls had a sale. So I begged and pleaded and promised to bake all kinds of goodies. Actually, Hubby said yes right away, but I felt a tad guilty, so I kept asking just to make sure it really was okay. I'm annoying like that. Anyway, I went, got my lovely Cinnamon Red and brought it home. Started mixing applesauce bars and the beater was scraping the bowl and mixing a lovely black residue into my expensive ingredients (shortening and sugar). We messed with it and messed with it till Hubby noticed that the bottom was bent! ACK! MY MIXER WAS DEFECTIVE! I took it back and luckily they had another one. I brought it home and made my yummy treat. It worked beautifully. I made bread on Sunday morning and it was fabulous! Sigh... I am a happy woman! The down side to my new purchase: I'm baking more. Which means I'm eating more. Which means I'm gaining weight.... I still think it's worth it!

Ready... Set... Rest!

Baby Girl fell asleep on the floor this afternoon. I think we are all feeling a tad on the exhausted side. It was a busy week, but fun. So much FUN!

Friday my parents got here late and we visited for awhile and then crashed.

Saturday was a trip to the beach where we built a turtle in the sand and found some wonderful shells!

We also stopped by the San Diego LDS Temple. Isn't it an amazing building?

Sunday we rested. Monday, Mom and I went shopping and I made her try on clothes that she thought she would hate. Most of them she did hate, but she did like a few and she even bought them! Dad stayed here to play with Baby Girl while the boys were at school. Fun was had by all.


Tuesday was Sea World Day.

I did a bad thing at Sea World. I took Little Bug on this:

The pictures don't show the 3 story drop or the extreme panic that he went through. I don't think he will ever ever ever forgive me. His heart raced - I could feel it through his shirt as I clung onto him trying to let him know it would be okay. He cried the rest of the day... and not a whiny cry. A panicky, frightened cry. He was scared to death. Sigh :(

Wednesday was Baby Girl's Birthday and it was wonderful! This is how the tiara turned out for all of you following the tiara saga...

Yes, I edited her name off the cake... so if it looks a little odd, that's why.


Thursday my Mom had agreed to teach a class on things you could do with wheat besides grinding it into flour. We spent the whole week preparing for this by sprouting wheat and getting organized. On the day of the class we baked and cooked and made the house boiling hot. But it was worth it. We had a great turnout and the class was awesome! Thanks again Mom :)

Friday my Dad went to work with Hubby. They went out and checked a few fields and orchards and then drove across the San Andreas Fault. I think Dad thought it might swallow him up, but he returned safe and sound. Then we went to Little Bug's school and had lunch with him and participated in circle time. That was A LOT of fun!

Then came today. Sigh. They left this afternoon and tears were shed. The good thing is that we get to see them in about 5 weeks! There were lots of other activities squished in there too... a lot of my family members are going to be witches, wizards or fairy princesses for Halloween, so, we made a TON of wands!

We also stayed up late playing all kinds of games. My parents watched the kids one night so that Hubby and I could go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Lots of playing around and laughter this week.
Now, I'm back to blogging. I would love to tell you all that I am going to go through and read every post that was made while I was away playing... but the last time I looked there were over 200. Now, I love y'all and stuff, but, I love my family more. I just can't neglect them for that amount of time whilst I delve through all those posts. I will try to read a couple of posts on everyone's blogs. If there is something that you REALLY wanted me to read, leave the link in my comments and I'll come check it out! Enjoy your day!

My Sweet Girl

I had written a huge post about my Baby Girl, but it just seems silly. Tomorrow is her birthday (the 10th).

Baby Girl,

I love you more than I could ever write in words. You and I are so similar and sometimes it makes me a little crazy. Sweet, yet sassy. Obedient, yet mischievous. Silly, yet serious. Joking, yet compassionate. So many opposites, yet, you and I seem to be able to embody them all. I love to watch you with your brothers. You play so well with Red and you always make sure to try and find a way to include Little Bug. You are a strength in our family already. The last 4 years have been amazing. I can't wait to see what the upcoming years will bring. I love you with all my heart!

Mommy

Sidenote - we're having a great time with my parents. I'm still not an active blogger... I will catch up on reading next week and I'll post all about our fun trips and the birthday celebration!

Goodbye... Again....

Are you experiencing a little deja vu? Yeah. Sorry bout that. My parents are coming tonight and I'm afraid I won't be blogging much. You see, we are going to party and play for the entire week. Which will leave little time for reading or blogging. I thought I'd leave you with some links to posts from the past... hey, that's kind of catchy!

"POOOOOSTSSS FROOOOOMMMM THE PAAAAST!" If you say it like they used to say "PIIIIIGS IIIIIINNNN SPAAAAACEEEEE" from the Muppet Show then it sounds much cooler. I'm gonna make a button thingy...

Oh yeah! How fun is that? Anyway, if you find that you are missing me terribly, just click on one of these links and you can read my mindless ramblings from "POOOOOOSTSSS FROOOOOMMM THE PAAAAAST!"

The Day After

The Snitch

The Bribe

Multitasking Marvel

Reason #10,957,341 Why I Shouldn't Shop at WalMart

Bee's House

Misnomer

What is That Word...

Stuck
The Old Navy commercial with all the cute sweaters has been playing on TV a lot lately. And the song they use got stuck in my head. I sing the darn thing all day long. Except, I don't know the words. So it sounds something like "Laaa...da..da.da.. dee. dum.... Cause IIIIII looooove the way you call me baby... and yoooooou... hummm da... dee dum... lala lala lala la... the way I am....". And so, I decided to put it here on the blog where I can listen to it often, learn the right words and torture y'all by getting it stuck in your heads too! You know you love me :)

SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH!

First and foremost I must admit to you what a horrible mother I am. Little Bug has not had speech therapy except for what he gets at school. When we lived in Oregon our insurance didn't cover it. And neither did our budget. When we moved here we had the same insurance, but I was lazy. The budget was a little more flexible, but he was doing fine with what he was getting at school. So I didn't think to much about it. Till now. We now have insurance with Hubby's work that covers 50 appointments with a speech therapist each year. So, being the horribly good mother that I am, we now have a speech therapist for Little Bug. And she is awesome! Totally and completely awesome! She pushed and prodded. She listened to me and then, instead of throwing everything I had said aside, she used that information! What? Someone who listens to the mom?? I didn't know these people existed! Maybe she's an alien...

We walked in and the first thing you see is a mural from "Where the Wild Things Are". It's this picture and it covers the entire wall!

She shares office space with an occupational therapist and it's the perfect set up for a sensory seeking kid like Little Bug! There is a swing and a rope ladder attached to the ceiling. There are HUGE exercise balls for the kids to sit and bounce on. Toys and books abound, but it's all organized and very well put together. It was wonderful. As I sat there I heard my Little Bug say "Go", "What's that?", "Choo choo", "No", and several other things. I am kicking myself! Why didn't we do this sooner? What was my problem? I think that part of the problem was a speech therapist that we had through the school when we were in Oregon. She set crazy goals for him that were unrealistic. Most of the time it led to him sitting at a table crying. It was very counterproductive. I couldn't see any reason to PAY someone to have him sit at a table and cry. I can do that on my own for free. I feel very guilty that I didn't get past my own feelings sooner. But, I have done it now. So.... "Let the wild rumpus start!"

Incompetence
Yesterday Little Bug had a sports physical so that he can do the horseback riding therapy. First of all, the kids did great. I wish I could say the same for the receptionist and the doctor. We got there 10 minutes early to fill out paperwork. No one was there. The office was locked up. We waited for a few minutes and then they came. We walked in and I thought the office looked a little odd, but couldn't put my finger on it at first. We signed in, filled out paper work and then I looked around. This "family doctor" was running a "medispa" on the side. The furniture was amazing - high back chairs with hand carved wood. Beautiful hand carved tables. Silk draperies. A china cabinet full of spa type products. As more and more people walked in, I realized we had chosen the wrong doctor. This became even more apparent as we waited. There were no other children in the place. So, we waited. And waited. And waited. There was one man with an 8:30 appointment and then we had an 8:40 appointment. He didn't go back till almost 9:00. And we waited some more. Around 9:30 she calls me up to make the payment since my insurance doesn't cover sports physicals. I ask how much longer we will have to wait and she snaps "She's waiting for you right now! Just make the payment!" Grrr... we get in and the nurse was great. Very interested in the horseback riding program and asks some great questions. The doctor comes in and we talk. She starts to insist that we take Little Bug for a psychiatric evaluation. He's already had one. But she really doesn't want to take no for an answer. So, she pushes and pushes and pushes. Finally she gives up because I won't give in. Sigh... then we go to leave and the snippy receptionist catches me and the conversation that followed went something like this:
"You need to pay your co-pay before you leave."
"I already paid for the visit. My insurance doesn't cover sports physicals. I gave YOU the check before I went back."
"Yes, that was for the physical, now you need to pay your co-pay."
"But, I paid for the ENTIRE exam. You won't be billing my insurance for anything. I don't need to pay the co-pay."
"YES, BUT YOU HAVE TO PAY THE CO-PAY!!"
"I ALREADY PAID FOR THE VISIT!!!"
A nurse jumps in at this point and says "She paid for the sports physical. Insurance doesn't cover it, so there isn't a co-pay." The receptionist storms off to their accountant/financial guy and wants to know who's right. He asks if I paid for the exam, she says "Yes, but what about the co-pay?" He tells her it's all taken care of. So, she comes out to me and says, "You can GO NOW!" ARGH!!! This is what I get for making an appointment with the FIRST doctor listed on my preferred providers list. Grrr...
Then we had to run to the bank. Baby Girl wanted to go into a store and get treats. We are sitting at the drive thru and I've sent the money to the teller when Baby Girl asks again for a treat. I say to her, "Baby, we're not going to get treats. I will give you a treat when we get home." The teller looks up and says, "EXCUSE ME?!" ACK! She thought I was talking to her!! I explain that my little girl is in the back and I babble on about how she wants treats and blah blah blah... the teller looks a little skeptical till she sees Baby Girl wiggling in the back seat and she smiles. Whew! I can laugh now, but at the time I was horrified! I don't even want to know what she thought of me. After that we ran to the post office and then we came home and I locked myself in! I don't think I will be venturing out very soon... well, at least not till this afternoon when I have to go get groceries. Anyone want a treat?

Simply Sweet

Okay people... you asked for it! But, there are two things you should know -

First: I do NOT make pie crusts. I can get two deep dish crusts at the grocery store for $1.09. There is no way I'm gonna make a crust that will be gross (because every pie crust I have ever tried to make has been GROSS) when I can get decent ones for cheap.

Second: This is my creation. I mixed two recipes and then added a bunch of my own stuff and then played with it till it morphed into this...

You may not like it, but we LOVE IT! So... on with the recipe!

Carmel Apple Pie

5 cups apples, peeled and sliced (I usually use a tart apple, like Granny Smith because the pie is so sweet)

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 TBSP lemon juice

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup flour

2 TBSP sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

3 TBSP butter or margarine

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon - I usually use 1 tsp. because we love the cinnamon flavor

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. nutmeg - again, we use the 1/4

Directions: Mix brown sugar, lemon juice and water in a pot and bring to a full boil. Let boil for about 3-5 minutes or till at soft ball candy stage. Add flour, sugar, salt, butter or margarine, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Let boil till thick and bubbly. Add apples and mix till coated. Bring to a boil again till apples are slightly tender and carmel is again thick.

Pour into prepared pie crust - I usually use 9" deep dish.

Preheat oven at 400

Crumb topping:

1/3 cup white sugar

3/4 cup flour

5 TBSP butter or margarine

Mix sugar and flour together and then cut in butter or margarine till crumbly. Sprinkle over top of pie.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. Then turn oven down to 375 and finish baking for 15-20 minutes. Topping will be golden brown and apples very tender. We usually serve it with a big scoop of ice cream. If something on here doesn't make sense, email me and I'll correct it or try to explain. I think I'm going to go eat the last piece right now!

Did you know...
that *scalping is something that is practiced here in Southern California? Most of the local residents hate this, but they still participate. The golf courses down here are the biggest offenders. I have heard horror stories about the way they scalp. There is a sign on the gate to our community saying that if we don't have the scalping done by November 15th they will charge us a $350 fine. Seems a little unreasonable to me. Our landlord informed us that they would be coming to scalp us in the next few weeks. We don't have the money to pay the fine, so, I guess we will be scalped. We have been told that there are alternatives to scalping, but scalping is the easiest, so that is what most people do. Sigh... wish me luck. I'm really not looking forward to this....

*It's not what you think... no really... it's not.... they cut the grass really short and then tear it up so that they can plant winter grass. Because we HAVE to have green lawns down here... click on any of the links for pictures and more info on this crazy practice! The reason I'm not looking forward to this is because I have allergies... and the process of scalping puts a lot of dust and pollen in the air. Blech!

Want to try it out?? Mine didn't turn out as well as I'd like... the screen wouldn't scroll... whatever. ANYWAY... go here if you'd like to make a drawing and then see it dance. Let me know if you do it and I'll come check it out!