The Adventure

I know that a lot of people are leaving their Ultimate Blog Party invites as their first post for the week. I've decided not to do this. Why, you may ask? Partly because I just want to keep on blogging in my crazy way... but mostly, I made this decision on the fact that I have no idea how to keep the original post at the top of my blog! So, now you know that I'm computer illiterate. On to the adventure!

Today hubby said that he wanted to go for a drive. He and I have very different ideas about "going for a drive". He wants to wander aimlessly. Take unknown roads and see where it leads us. Me? I want to get online, read what others have done and then follow the well known path. I know, I know... "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...blah blah blah.... whatever whatever... and Melissa took the path that everyone else was taking". I know that I'm not daring. I would rather wander with a purpose. Which, I guess, really isn't wandering. I like to know that there is something wonderful at the end. If I'm going to lock myself in the car with three kids and drive for hours and hours, then I want a reward. And I want it to be a darn good one! I want to end up in a location so spectacular that my children will say "Three cheers for Mom! This was the best day ever!" So far, that hasn't happened when I've planned everything out. But today, I let hubby have his way. He looked at a map and got a general idea of where we were going and then off we went. Turning this way and that. We went past some amazing vineyards for table grapes. Drove past the stinky, yet pretty from a distance, Salton Sea. We wandered around a "mall" in a town of about 2,000 people. Their version of a mall was much different from mine, but it was still nice to look around a bit. We drove through an area with sand dunes... we think it might have been Heber Dunes, but we aren't sure. Then we went up over the mountains. Amazing views (see above picture) and really pretty flora (I always want to say Flora, Fauna and Merryweather - the fairies from Sleeping Beauty) ANYWAY... we stopped and bought some peanuts from a roadside stand and then ended up in Temecula. Hubby decided that I had been a good sport so he took me to my favorite restaurant, Johnny Carino's, and then let me go into JoAnn Fabric ALONE!! I love that man! We listened to the Chronicles of Narnia as we drove. When we pulled into town and Red said, "This was the best day ever!" So, I guess everyone got what they wanted. He got to wander, the kids had a great time and I got my reward! Who says you can't have it all?

The Party
Okay... so I've been checking out some of the other party blogs (if you don't know what I'm talking about, click here) and so many of these awesome people have been much better party hosts than I have been... sharing recipes, giving a little info about themselves... man, I'm a pretty cruddy hostess! So, let me try this again!
Welcome to the party! My name is Melissa and I'm a stay at home mom to three crazy kids : Red age 8, Little Bug age 6, and Baby Girl age 3. Now, before any of you think that I'm completely psychotic, those are not my children's real names. I am paranoid and so I try not to use their real names on the Internet. :) I've been married for 9 years to an amazing man who takes care of me and who is so sweet to me even after he's had to eat chicken nuggets or fish sticks for two weeks because I've been sick! Thanks sweetie! We have moved 12 times in the last 9 years. Our last move brought us to the desert in Southern California. Call me crazy, but I'm having a hard time down here! I miss the seasons... we moved here in September... at the beginning of the "hot season"... now we are in the "warm season" moving back into the "other hot season" which will be followed by "don't go outside unless you want to boil your brains". Should be fun. So, come on in. Ignore the mess and the children cackling over their latest escapades - relax and enjoy the California sunshine before it gets too hot!

Ultimate Blog Party
I'd like to officially invite you to the 5 Minutes for Mom blog where the Ultimate Blog Party is happening. There will be games and food and spa treatments... okay, so maybe not, but there will be prizes and its a great way to meet new people and who knows? You might even make a friend or two! So, go on! Click the link just off to the right... you know you want to :)

Seussentenial

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! In honor of the AWESOME Dr. Seuss, I will compose today's blog in the "Green Eggs and Ham" format. Thank you.

I am Mel

Mel I am

I kinda like green eggs and ham

But I do not like that Malta Drink

It puts out quite a stink!

It looks good, you might think

Stand Back! I say - dump it in the sink!

What does it taste like, you may say

Kinda like soy sauce on a really bad day.

The kiddos are making me real crazy

Will I ever have a chance to just be lazy?

Red wants to play on a football team

The thought of that makes me scream.

Little Bug is talking more

I'm sure that he's got more in store.

Baby girl is my bossy one

But she's sure lovin' the California sun.

DH is the one who brought home the Malta

This horrid after-taste is all his fault-a (STRETCH)

Me? I'm tired. I'd rather be in bed.

Sigh, I guess I'll scrub the floors instead.

Okay... so I'm no Dr. Seuss, but that was kinda fun! :) Yes, the Malta tastes like a weird soy sauce. Sorry to ya'll who might like it. But it's not for me. Now, I am off to sign up Red for Flag Football and to get my house cleaned up. It never ends... maybe I'll make a cake for Dr. Seuss. And then eat it all. That might cheer me up ;)

Tunnel Vision
Sometimes I get way too focused on one thing. It consumes me. For example - when I start reading a book, I have a hard time putting it down. Even if I've read it before or if it's not that great. I just have to finish it. It's the same with craft projects. If it's something that I'm really into or really excited about, I work on it non stop. Unfortunately, this extends to other things too. Like the computer. I tend to check out of life while I'm typing away. The kids are going crazy and I'm blogging. It's like I turn my ears off till someone lets out a bloodcurdling scream or informs me that they have to go to the bathroom - NOW! That will always wake me from a trance. I'm not very fond of cleaning the floor after an accident. Especially if it's my own darn fault for telling them to wait "just a sec". But usually, I pry my hand off the mouse and help them out. I've even noticed that when my right hand is relaxed, my pinkie finger doesn't sit next to the others. When I'm on the computer, my baby finger is usually hanging over the edge of the mouse. So now I've got mouse-itis. I think that in the future, our hands will actually evolve to be more adept to holding a mouse and typing on a keyboard... ANYWAY... I've been trying to be better about pulling myself away from the computer. Hopefully I will be able to get out of tunnel vision and focus on the things that are more important... and I will start as soon as I spell check and publish this blog... ready... set...go...

Life is Like a Hurricane

Whatever happened to the good kids shows? I watch some of the shows today and the characters are obnoxious and constantly whining. There are very few that I want my kids to watch. What happened to the Smurfs? The Chipmunks? Fraggle Rock? The Muppet Show? DuckTales? These were the cartoons that I grew up with and loved! They were cute and fun to watch. You didn't have to wonder what the political propaganda was behind the show. So, when I found out that I could purchase DuckTales, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, Gummi Bears, and other fun cartoons, I did it. I bought them all. We don't have cable t.v., so I didn't feel too guilty buying shows that I knew were clean and fun. They have saved me over the last 2 weeks. I am still battling this horrible chest cold. I am doing a little better each day. But I'm still exhausted. And an hour of t.v. won't kill Baby Girl while I rest and try to recuperate and she loves to watch these funny cartoons. And I love to watch with her! Our "life is like a hurricane, here in Duckburg", but having some clean entertainment in our home certainly seems to help calm the storm!

Okay - this picture was on AOL (click to read story) today. I guess that both of these sweet little babies were rejected by their mothers at a zoo in Indonesia and have been sharing a nursery room together for the time being. They have become quite attatched to each other "nipping and teasing each other, and cuddling up for a shared nap when they are worn out". I guess there are two other tiger cubs that are in on the fun too. I just loved the picture! :) It reminds me of my oldest and youngest. Sometimes they seem to be natural born enemies. They fight like crazy. But when it comes right down to it, they are the best of friends. Hopefully it will always be that way. Not the fighting part... I'm thinkin that if all of them can grow up to be friends, I will be one happy momma!

Multitasking Marvel
Okay... "Wordless Wednesday" is something that I am not capable of accomplishing at this moment. I need to put something up today. Not sure why. I just feel that blogging urge. So, this will be "Wordy Wednesday". Sorry to ya'll that thought you were going to get a break from my ramblings.


So, this is my multitasking Baby Girl. Look - she's a sweet little girl and a neck pillow all in one! She is wonderful to take on long trips or flights. This has got me thinking... what ways can I use my sweet children to accomplish other tasks? What about attaching scrub brushes to their legs while they bath? They can scoot around the tub and scrub the grime away while also getting themselves clean... I also think that covering their shoes or socks in tape would be a good idea. As they run through the house screaming and yelling at each other, which is something they believe they HAVE to do, they will inadvertently pick up all the little crumbs, thus reducing my vacuuming chores. What do you think? I'm all about multitasking! Now if I can just figure out a way to get them to pay the bills, do the laundry, scrub walls, sweep the floor, and fix meals, then I'll be set!

Wordless Winds- day

Hiccups
I think that everyone has a "cure" for hiccups. I was thinking of some of the ones that I know this morning as my insides went into spasms every few seconds. Then I remembered a time when Dh had the hiccups. We had only been married for a short time. One night we were getting ready for bed and he got a really violent case of the hiccups. They shook his body with each one and they were kinda loud. I teasingly told him that he could get rid of them by opening his mouth really big. And it came. The Grand-daddy of all hiccups. The apartment rattled from the force and volume of this thing! I stared at him and then... we heard it. His hiccup had been SO LOUD that it woke the neighbor's baby up! I laughed and laughed while he scowled at me and the neighbor lady desperately tried to get her infant to fall back asleep. Ahh... good times :)

Prevaricator

How do you teach a child to tell the truth? My oldest has started telling lies. Some of them are just little details and some are bigger more intricate fibs. I'm not sure how to teach him the importance of telling the truth. He has been caught on several occasions fibbing to us. And when confronted, he insists that he is telling the truth, even though we know he isn't. We have explained over and over to him why it is important to be honest. We even got "Larry Boy and the Fib from Outer Space" (VeggieTales). Okay, so we didn't get the video because of him. We got it a long time ago. Which means that he should know better! Doesn't he remember what happens to Jr. Asparagus when he tells a lie? Does he really want a giant purple alien to scoop him up and carry him to the top of the water tower??? ANYWAY, I'm getting a little frustrated with my little prevaricator. Any thoughts or ideas to share? I just don't know how to help him understand how important it is to tell the truth.

Blogging Rut
I have a lot of things that I wanted to blog about. But I'm sick. I've been sick for a week. I'm tired. My brain feels like goo and I have lost my appetite for Marshmallow peeps. I took two peeps out of the box yesterday. Ate one and then choked down the second. It did not taste good to me!!!!! WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO? Have my taste buds changed with the illness? Will I have to give the rest of my peeps to my kids? Will my affinity for the sugar coated marshmallow-y goodness ever come back? Should I force myself to eat them, hoping that I will regain a taste for them? This is so wrong. So many questions... not enough answers....

Amanda at the Skinner Scene had some pictures of an American Idol contestant and a character from the Nacho Libre movie - they look a lot alike! So, I thought I'd post a picture of my own little Nacho. This is Baby Girl at Thanksgiving time. Fearsome, don't ya think?

Kiddos

Ah... today you get to hear about my kids! Lucky you! My kids are awesome. And they do some pretty incredible things. Let's start with oldest to youngest, shall we?

This is Red at the animal park. Are you loving the tie dye? I think it rocks! He did it himself. It was something they did at school to prepare for a field trip. They all did shirts in the same color so that the teachers could keep track of them. Pretty smart, I think. They went to our county fair and Red had a ball! They got to watch all kinds of animals race - pigs, ostriches , camels, and they even got to participate in a tortoise race. I guess the kids got to sit on these big tortoises while they moved around. For my animal crazy boy, this was heaven! He's growing up so fast. There are so many things that he says that blow my mind. And he's so good to his brother and sister - for the most part :)

Little Bug is doing so AWESOME! He is saying more animal names and the other day he came to me and said, "Come on - let's see" - so exciting! He wanted more cereal and you'd better believe that I filled that thing as full as I could! Love hearing his voice. Also, we found out that he will probably be able to go to extended school year. Which means an extra 4 weeks of school. For most people, that would probably be a huge pain. But Little Bug goes through a cycle each year. In the fall his language is nonexistent. He doesn't say anything. Just little odd noises here and there. By winter he's starting to make a few sounds that are really close to words, but not quite. In the spring he explodes. He starts saying all kinds of things. And then in the summer he looses it all. Mostly because I can't interact with him one on one for 5 hours each day. My two other kids just won't allow it. So, summer school will be great! Instead of having 12 weeks off he will only have 8. Hopefully that will make a difference. And, we are hoping to get involved with some other programs that will help over the summer :D

Yes, I know this picture is fuzzy, but it's a cute one anyway :) Baby Girl won't stop talking. She is always talking. Yesterday I told her that I loved her and she said "Yeah, I love Dad". Thanks. Nothing like an ego boost from the 3 year old. Later on I told her she was a "cutie bug". She said, "No, you're the cootie bug - it's like a lady bug". There you have it. You heard it here first. I am a cootie bug. This morning she got up and I said "hi baby girl" and she looked at me and said , "You remember me?" Umm... yeah. I know that 10 hours is a long time, but I still remember you :)

So, even though they make me crazy and sometimes I just want to lock myself in my bedroom and never come out, overall, this mama cootie bug loves being home with her kids.

Another Weight Loss Plan
Some of you may remember the Makeup Weight Loss Plan that I blogged about awhile ago. I have another way to lose weight, but I'm not recommending it. Get sick. That's right. Horribly terribly sick. Don't eat anything for 2 days. Just drink a some water and TADAH! I've lost 4 lbs this way. Wahoo! Now, if I did this when I wasn't sick then I'd have an eating disorder. And I like food way too much to do that. And I just can't make myself puke. I tried one time. I had horrible morning sickness and I thought if I could just throw up, then I'd feel better. Didn't work. I don't know how those stick girls do it. And then again, I don't want to know. So, while the weight loss has been the only benefit of being sick, I'd rather be healthy and back to eating my peeps. Amazingly enough, they don't even sound good to me right now! Scary, eh? Maybe tomorrow....

Animal Park
On Saturday we took the kids to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Before I start my story, I would just like to give a few details and reminders.

1 - I have 3 kids... Red is 8, Little Bug is 6 and Baby Girl is 3

2 - Red brought along a friend for the day

3 - My kids LOVE animals - we have zoo passes for every animal exhibit within a 200 mile radius

4 - We are not made of money

Okay, on to our story. We were all quite excited to go to the Animal Park. We had been to the San Diego Zoo and had a fabulous time and we were sure this would be just as wonderful. If I had only looked into my crystal ball I would have seen that the Animal Park was not the place for us. First of all, and maybe this is just me, if you're going to call something an "Animal Park", I think there should be more animals. And they should be accessible. Not that I want to walk up and pet the rhino's, but we shouldn't have to go on a 2.5 mile hike to get a look at the rhino's(remember items #1 &2 from the list). May I also just say, that I have never seen so many gift shops in one area at one time? It was like a horrible shopping maze. I think they should send the Amazing Race teams in there sometime... seriously, they would never find their way out. But I digress... after seeing the gorillas, 100 birds, the lions, 100 more birds, elephants, some gigantic bugs and lots more birds, we finally figured out that there was a train that would take us to see all the animals. We went and got lunch ($8 for a nasty hamburger) and then headed to the train. They would let us cut in line for $12 per person. Remember, there are 6 of us. If I have done my math right, that's $72 to cut in line (please remember item #4 from the above list). So, we decided to just go get in the regular line, only to be greeted by a sign that said "Waiting time from this point: 1 hour and 15 minutes. No. That's all there is to it. I am not standing in line for more than an hour with these kids. They are tired, annoyed that they have seen every plant in the world (which probably makes them feel like they are on a horrid shopping trip to the Home Depot Nursery, where I just look but don't buy), but not many animals. They are cranky because they didn't eat much of the gross overpriced lunch, and overall frustrated that I don't have any reasonable solutions. So, we did the only reasonable thing we could do. Let the kids get the unlimited rides on the carousel.($4 per person) They rode for an hour. This was the happiest they were all day. But don't get me started on the bathroom locations! They were impossible to find and not well marked on the map... grrr... we did spend the last 45 minutes visiting while we had ice cream. That was kind of fun. Recap of the visit: we wandered around the gift shop maze, raced around searching for bathrooms, spent too much money, saw tons of birds and plants, very few animals, and were overall annoyed with the entire thing. The two happy moments are represented in the pictures - carousel and ice cream. Sorry to those of you out there who might love this park. But it is not on my list of places to visit again.

A Girl After My Own Heart
When you hear someone say "hangin' with my peeps" you automatically think "oh, they are going to go spend time with some friends". That is, unless you know me. In which case you know that "hangin with my peeps" means that I have consumed a box of the marshmallow confections for breakfast. Some of you may be familiar with VeggieTales. In the video "Lord of the Beans" one of the characters talks about consuming a 200 lb. marshmallow peep before breakfast and falling into a sugar coma. This is me! I just can't get enough of them! The best way to eat them, is to let them sit out for a little bit... yumm... and to my delight and dismay, Baby Girl likes the peeps! A girl after my own heart! But now, I have to share... not sure how I feel about that. At least the peeps are back! Valentines is over! Time for the next commercialized holiday that we celebrate by eating candy to come our way! WalMart already has their peeps out. Which means that I purchased 3 boxes this morning, (plus a box of chocolate marshmallow eggs). I was very pleased to see a new color... light green! Actually, I don't really care what color they are! Pink, blue, purple, yellow, green... I'm no respecter of peeps. Well, time to go eat breakfast. Hey, would one of you would give me a call later? Just to make sure that I've come out of my sugar coma... thanks :)

Okay, I wanted to try a different blog... blogger is okay, but I wanted some different choices and an easier format... so, I'm trying wordpress. I will still come here, and in the end, I might just keep this blog and get rid of the other. But, you can check out the new one at http://mejojac.wordpress.com/

Yellow Chicken
In Lee's blog she talked about how she met her hubby. I thought that would be a great story for this lovely Valentines Day. We were both students at Ricks College (yes, it was still Ricks back then). He had just gotten home from his mission and was a tad afraid of girls. The first time I met him was at a church gathering. One of his room mates introduced me as "That girl that thinks she's going on a mission". Future dh responded with "We'll have to do something about that". I didn't think anything of it because he then turned back to the girls he was sitting with and began happily chatting away. A week or so later I was in my apartment and I could hear a friend, J.D., out in the hall yelling at someone. So, I peeked my head out to see what was going on. J.D. was trying to get future dh to ask the gal across the hall out on a date. They were doing a group spaghetti dinner and future dh was the only one without a date. J.D. asked for my help. So, I proceeded to tell future dh that he was "yellow" and a "chicken" and a "coward" and that he should just knock on the door and ask her! She was a sweet girl and I was sure he would have a great time. I called him a chicken again and then he and J.D. left. About an hour later my phone rang. It was future dh. The first thing that came to my mind was "He's gonna ask me to ask my neighbor out! Coward!!" He asked if I remembered him, I said, "Yes, you're the chicken." His response... "Yes, well, the chicken was wondering if you'd like to come to the spaghetti dinner?" I was so embarrassed. I gave a quick "yes" got the details and hung up! I felt so stupid. But, that was our beginning. Luckily, it got better from there.

We have now been married for 9 years. He is my rock. I know that when things get crazy, he will be there. He is willing to sacrifice so much for our family. He does dishes, laundry and puts the kids to bed for me. And the really great thing - he loves me! Who could ask for anything more?

Sledding
Today was a nice day. Sunny and pretty warm for the 13th of February. I took the kids outside and we blew some bubbles...
Then we spilled a few, so I got the hose out to wash things off... then Little Bug took over for me....
Of course, you can't turn the water on without making a big puddle and splashing around in it...

And then, of course, you have to go sledding. California style ;)

We had so much fun today! These are the days that everyone said would come and we had started to doubt them. But, I think the nice desert weather is finally here. Not too hot, not chilly (doesn't really get cold here), just right. And we are going to take advantage of this just right weather as often as possible! Come on down and join us! The water's fine!

Rachelle does this each Monday! So, this weeks topic is: Somebody I love

Well, the obvious choice is these people...

But, I think I'm gonna talk about this guy instead:

Not the greatest picture, but it's the best one I've got. This is my Baby Bro - who just happens to be about 9" taller than I am. But that's besides the point. I can always talk to this guy. And it's fun to talk to him. We rarely have a pause in conversation. He's smart as a whip and is more than willing to share an opinion or two. When we were younger, I was a pretty big tease. I'm an older sister. It was my JOB. And we still tease, but it's not to torment each other... well, not usually ;) But I love spending time with him. When we went to Idaho for a visit, he and I went and grabbed Taco Bell and just visited. It was a lot of fun. One of the things that I really love about Baby Bro is that he loves my kids. He likes to play with them. Chase them around the house and just have fun. When the kids are naming people they want to go see, his name always comes up. So, here's to you Baby Bro! I wish we lived closer so that we could hang out more - come see us for spring break! You'd love it here!! Anyway, this is the "Somebody I love"... aww... ain't that sweet? ;)

Melissa Needs....
I stumbled across a fun little internet game - wanna play? Go to Google and type in your name and "needs"... then come back and list a few things that popped up... here are my 10 favorite!
Melissa needs...
1 - ... a nap! (that would be nice)
2 - ... to get over it (hey- I'm working on it!)
3 - ... to increase her votes from 25% to 50%+1 (you heard it here - vote for me!)
4 - ... your help to understand tar (umm... yeah...)
5 - ...some serious help bowling (alas, this one is really true)
6 - ...to board the blob ship that is hovering overhead (beam me up Scottie)
7 - ...to do something to the house (any suggestions?)
8 - ...the adulation and she cannot take anything negative said about her (bring on the praise)
9 - ...to stand up for herself more often (I'll stand up for myself, after my nap)
10 - ... your blog posts by midnight tonight (what are you waiting for? Our operators are standing by)
It was fun... anyone else want to try??

The Makeup Weight Loss Program
We have an electronic scale in our master bath. Last night I weighed myself. Sigh. I was not pleased with the number that came up. I haven't seen that number since I was 4 months pregnant with my last child (please keep in mind that I gain about 50 lbs with each pregnancy, and I usually start gaining weight in the first month). Now, before anyone starts thinking "oh, well, maybe she's pregnant" - I'm not. Anyway, I was feeling rather blue as I took off my makeup and brushed my teeth. I decided to get on the scale again. Just to make sure that my eyes weren't playing some cruel trick on me. I jumped back on and.... WAH LAH! I had lost one pound! Evidently, I wear too much make up and need to brush my teeth more often! :D Actually, the scale seems to be little wacky. I got off, waited for it to reset, got back on and I'd gained that pound back. Got off, then back on again, I'd lost two pounds. I decided to stop there and go to bed on a semi-pleasant note. Maybe I need to get a hair cut and loose another pound... what other things could I do, without actually exerting any effort, to loose weight? If you think of anything - let me know - I'm game!

Country Gal?
I used to think that the city was the place to be! I wanted to live right in the middle of everything! There should be people everywhere and things to do right around the corner. Now, I'm starting to wonder if this is really the way I want to live. I think I might be turning into.... gasp... a country girl! The thought of having a little land, some horses, dogs (again), and maybe a few other animals (NO COWS) somehow appeals to me. I like the idea of the kids going out to explore a little creek somewhere. Having a lawn big enough to set up a swing set and a trampoline (we can't have either right now - no room). When we were in Oregon we had about 3/4 of an acre. It was perfect for our little family. I want that again. Unfortunately, we now live in California. I don't know how people buy homes here. Maybe someday someone will hand us a cool million and we will be able to put it all on down payment for a home :P And still have a monthly payment that we won't be able to afford. I admit it. I am a little country. And I'm possibly on a slippery slope that will lead me right to the Boondocks!

Sorry about that last post... it's for a blogroll that I'm trying to join :) Each Saturday there is a topic given and then you are supposed to go and try to find something that you think fits that topic. Actually, you can use old pics, or snap new ones. It looks like fun... come and join, if you'd like :) TNChick

Blogroll For Photo Hunt

Narcissists?

My kids LOVE to look at themselves. Whether it be in photos or in the mirror, they will take any chance they get to steal a glance or two at themselves. Little Bug has a photo album in his bed at this very moment. We had to stop having family prayers in the boys bedroom because there are mirrors on the closet doors. Inevitably we would hear... "Thank thee for... um.. for...." and I'd glance up to see one of my sweeties pulling faces at the other in the mirror. I'm not too proud to say that this caused a few giggles in the middle of prayer, but we did move our location to a less reflective area of the house. (Not that this solved all of our giggles, but it has helped) Tonight, my kids all climbed in my bed to watch our screen saver. Which, of course, is photos of them. They were mesmerized and then extremely annoyed when I announced that it was time for bed. I want them to be proud of the way they look... after all, they're cuties! :D But is there a point where that crosses a line?? Are they too young for me to worry about this? I turn to you, my blogging friends, can a little kid like themselves too much?

Music
I had forgotten how much I love music. That sounds weird, doesn't it? I get so busy doing the every day stuff and I don't think about putting a CD in while I work. It doesn't occur to me to do it. Well, the other day I decided that I wanted to get some new music. So, I started looking around on the Barnes and Noble website. I didn't want to pay $18 for a CD with one or two songs on it. Then I remembered something, I have high speed internet now. We lived with dial up for so long that the thought of downloading music seemed laughable. But now, I have the power! So, I got hooked up with iTunes and I am loving it! I can't explain the joy that I feel when I listen to good music. I've downloaded everything from Green Day (clean stuff) to Diamond Rio. I'll have to be careful or music downloads will become my latest addiction.
So, what's your favorite kind of music? Do you have a favorite song or group??

Pet Peeves
There is a blog where each Monday everyone is given a topic to blog about... It's called My Life Monday. Anyway, I know it isn't Monday, but I'm going to do this anyway! This Monday was Pet Peeves. Next week I'll do it again and see if I can insert the cute graphic that goes with it :)

1 - Hair stylists that don't listen. I take a picture in that looks all sleek and blunt cut and I end up looking like a French poodle! I have only had three stylists that ever listened to me and did as I asked . Everyone else styles my hair big. REALLY BIG. :P There needs to be a course at Beauty School called - The 80's are GONE - Get over it! Or perhaps - Bigger Isn't Always Better.

2 - People who apologize for things that aren't their fault. I understand showing a little sympathy... but if I say, "Hey, it looks like it's gonna rain" and they say "I'm sorry" it is annoying. Why are you sorry? Can you control the weather?

3 - People who talk before they think... which means that I sometimes commit one of my own pet peeves... sigh...

4 - Lee talked about this on her blog... people who wait for your parking spot even before you have gotten all of your groceries in the car. I had a lady do this today. Baby Girl and I were taking our time and just kind of playing around. I hadn't noticed this woman waiting for us. I get in and start to back out, but had to stop for a pedestrian. The woman in the car starts shaking her hands at me like "What the heck are ya doing??" Now, as much fun as it would have been to go to jail for running someone over, I decided to wait. I pulled out and passed the lady who had been so impatient, she sneered and turned away. Grrr...

So, what are some of your pet peeves? Or do you share some of the same ones as mine?

Okay, so we did the hair cut thing today... this is a before picture....


During the haircut... she did really well. I did end up bribing her with a new littlest pet shop toy if she would put her chin down so that they could even out the back... I think she was afraid they were going to cut her or something...

And after... it cut off so much of the light blonde that she looks more like a brunette to me now. Sigh... I'm getting used to it. She's a sweetie and she's always cute, but this is going to take some getting used to :)

Can You Hear Me Now?

I used to think that selective hearing loss only affected my boys. I was so WRONG! This picture was taken right after I said, "Stand still and give me a big smile!" She got the last part right... but as soon as I said, "Stand still" it was like she lost control of her legs. She jumped and spun in circles and couldn't hold still for 2 seconds. You see, we got a couple of new dresses at Costco tonight and I wanted pics to send to my mom. Most of them are a blur. Maybe I should have set my camera to the "action shot" setting. Or "sports" setting or whatever it is.

On another fun note... Dh brought me lunch from Carls Jr. today. I had been wanting a chocolate malt and he got me one! :) When Red got home from school he saw the leftover fries and such and asked about it. I told him that Dad had brought lunch home. Then Red looks at me and says, "Mom, have you ever eaten at Carls? I know you've eaten at Carls Jr, but what about Carls?" I love that boy!

Check Yer Batteries
I understand. No really, I do. Companies want to make it hard for people with sticky fingers to walk out of their stores with merchandise unpaid for. So, one of the ways to do that is to put items into big, bulky packages and then make them so that they can't be opened unless you have a chain saw. But can't they find a way to make it easier for the consumer to get to the product they have paid for? Some kind of magic wand thingy that they wave over it and the super mega glue that holds the thing together would melt so you could get the darn thing open??It took me 20 minutes to open that package! 20!! I didn't want the rechargable batteries that bad... but once I had made the first cut with the chain saw... well, there was really no going back.

Little Bug
For those of you who don't know, Little Bug has autism and can't talk. But, recently, he has started saying some animal names! He said "lion" and "elephant" the other day and I smiled and encouraged him as much as possible! You see, I learned a hard lesson. The first time Little Bug ever did sign language without any help I was so excited I let out a little yell. Okay, maybe it wasn't a little yell... it was more of a YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH!!!! WWAAAAAHHOOOOO!! This scared the CRUD outta Bug. Can't blame him. He finally did something we had wanted him to do for a long time and momma FREAKED OUT. He did NOT want to do sign language for a long time... he still doesn't sign very often... sigh. I've never been very good at controlling my emotions. :) So now, I put on my biggest, brightest smile and hope he knows how much I am screaming for excitement on the inside. He seems to understand. He always smiles back. But, for as long as I can remember, his words have always come in waves. Suddenly, he will be saying all kinds of things. And then, just as suddenly, it stops. And we wait for the next wave to come. But, he is progressing! And for the most part, he's happy. So really, who could ask for more?

Dufflepud
First of all, Baby Girl dressed herself. The orange shorts and pink shirt were all her idea. I think that the ability to match clothing must be genetic. DH thought she had done well... because there is a little pink in the shorts.... MOVING RIGHT ALONG... have you ever read C.S. Lewis's "The Dawn Treader"? It is one of the Chronicles of Narnia. In the book there are some creatures that are like dwarfs, but they only have one leg and they hop all over. They are called Dufflepuds. This is my little Dufflepud. She thought it was so fun to put the sock on, try to hop and then she would lay on the floor and laugh and laugh while pulling the sock off. She would then run to DH or myself and beg to have it put back on... ah, to be young again!

Pinewood Derby
I was going to post this last week... but things here have not been fun! We got the flu the day after the Derby. It was not fun! Then I threw my back out... probably shouldn't be on the computer right now, but I'm tired of laying down!! Anyway, here are a few pics our FIRST ever Pinewood Derby! Unfortunately, it was terrible! lol Red's car came in last each time. But, I was so proud of him. The tears were about to brim over, but he just kind of smiled at me and talked about "Next time we should try..." It was so awesome to me to see that he was being such a good sport about the whole thing! Baby girl was so fun that night... okay, that's actually a lie. She was a toad. She wanted nothing more than to grab cars off the track, steal pizza from anyone that would let her and run around screaming like a banshee. Ahh, making memories, right?! Little Bug had a lot of fun! Lots of smiles all night long! All in all, it was a fun night. Next time we will try and get a better tools to build the car with... and, maybe, just maybe, we'll start working on it more than 2 days in advance. Maybe.

In the Groove
Today was cleaning day. Baby girl has been sick most of the week (she still is, but getting better) and so I have put off every possible chore that I could. I did do laundry, but only because I didn't have any clean clothes. Not even pajamas (for those of you who know me, you know that I am the PROUD owner of more that 10 pairs of pj pants...). Anyway, today, she is feeling better and I wasn't following her around with a puke bucket or a tissue, so I decided to scrub. As I was scrubbing I was listing off all the chores that I hate to do. I hate laundry. I don't mind throwing it in the washer or dryer, but I hate folding it. It never ends. I listened to motivational speaker one time (Emily Watts) and she talked about how you can never be done with laundry because you are, at this very moment, wearing potential laundry. Sigh. I also hate cleaning bathrooms. There are 3 boys in this house. Enough said. But I think my least favorite task is cleaning the kitchen table. Now, for most people, this is not a terrible chore. But I have a groove. It is kind of shown in the picture above. When we bought the table I thought that the groove was a wonderful detail that gave the piece "character". Phoey on "character"! Do you know how much crud get stuck in that darn thing? I find myself pulling out an arsenal of utensils to try and clean the thing! First, I VACUUM it out! How many of you can say that you vacuum your dining room table on a regular basis? Then I take an medicine dropper and squirt water into the groove. Then I let it soak. Then I take a toothpick or a table knife and scrape the crud outta there. That is the last time I buy furniture because it has "character"!

Red's Birthday

My oldest turned 8 a few weeks ago. It was such a big deal for me. First of all, I am NOT old enough to have an 8 year old!!! This has been the cause of several allergy attacks where my eyes just SUDDENLY fill with tears. Darn those allergies. Sigh. ANYWAY... Red has now officially joined the Cub Scouts. At first, I was quite excited. What a fun way for him to spend an evening once a week. Then we had to get him his uniform. AACK!! $50 later Red is now the proud owner of a shirt a hat and a belt. That's it. Do you KNOW how many shirts I could have bought that kid for $50?!? And the worst part is... he will probably outgrow it before he leaves the Cub Scouts. I'm trying to remain calm about the whole thing, but it was a little frustrating. One fun thing that is coming up is the Pine Wood Derby. Red and DH have started working on the car and I think they are having fun together. Red's hands got tired pretty quick using that little jig saw, but it's all we have. I think they make a pretty good team. When Red gets home from school today, I'm going to help him with the sanding and possibly painting. DH is going to help get the wheels on and get it the right weight. Should be fun! I'll take pics of the Derby on Friday... hopefully we will have big smiles and those darn allergies won't act up!

My Other Addiction
I think I just might have an addictive personality. I love my marshmallow peeps. I am sad that Christmas is over because all of the Valentine peeps are flavored - blech. I will bide my time till Easter when I can feast once again on the sugar coated marshmallow-y goodness. But, I am addicted to other things. I love to paint. I miss being in my own home. I like my walls to be different colors. I find that when I can't paint walls, I turn to painting furniture. I just bought a little chair at a yard sale to paint hopefully tomorrow. I am also addicted to reading. Dh hates it when I start a new book. Especially if that book is part of a series... because I disappear. I bury myself in the book and am lost to the world till I finish. Well, on Sunday, I decided to reread the Harry Potter series this spring so that when the new book comes out, it will all be fresh in my mind. I started the first one Sunday evening and finished it Tuesday morning. Started the second one as soon as I finished the first one and I finished it early this morning. I started the third one today and I finished it just a few hours ago. Once I get started, I just can't stop. It's an addiction that I just can't help. I HAVE to read it! And I have read all these books before! The first 3 books I have read several times. But I just didn't want to put them down. I don't neglect my kids or anything, but when they are otherwise entertained, I will read. I'm starting the 4th one tonight. It is a lot bigger than the others. But, I will be surprised if I'm not done by Friday or Saturday. Actually, I should be able to read the whole series in about 2 weeks or less. Only because I can't put it down. Now, if I had a box of peeps in one hand and a book in the other... well, I'm afraid they'd have to put me in rehab!

Okay... I STOLE THIS! :) It's a list of photography goals for a year from the blog My Life, My Photos Everyday ... I'm going to try and start taking more pictures. Some each day. Hopefully, it will teach me more about my camera and get me out doors a little more often... so, you get to suffer through all the photos. I'm hoping to post one good one each day. This week is half over, but I'm going to start the "Free for All" anyway... so, here we go!


Today is an indoor picture because baby girl is SICK!! :S Not a fun day for us... DH brought this home the other day. Most of the area has lost it's citrus crop due to extreme cold temps. I love this orange because it still has the leaves on it. :) I guess you could put that on my list of weird things about myself...lol
The Challenge Calendar!
Week 1 Free for All
Week 2 Introduction of yourself
Week 3 Show us your Hometown
Week 4 Water
Week 5 Sports (anything related, teams, players, equipment, etc,)
Week 6 Botanical
Week 7 ONE object shot at 5 different angels/distances
Week 8 One for the road (signs, streets, traffic, etc.)
Week 9 Objects that tell something about you
Week 10 Things that make your life easier
Week 11 Your favorite color
Week 12 Household items
Week 13 Foods
Week 14 Something Slimy
Week 15 Sun (sunlight, sunset, sunrise, etc)
Week 16 Emotions
Week 17 Something old
Week 18 What you do outside the world of photography
Week 19 Weather
Week 20 Emotional attachment (heirloom/special gift, ect.)
Week 21 Pets
Week 22 Things you couldn't live without
Week 23 Habits
Week 24 Fire (candle, fireplace, etc.)
Week 25 Scrapbooking (stash, room, lo's, etc)
Week 26 Textures
Week 27 Hands
Week 28 Shoes
Week 29 Favorite Jewerly
Week 30 Generations
Week 31 Hot
Week 32 Fill the Frame (close ups)
Week 33 A week in our lives
Week 34 Faith (what you believe)
Week 35 Dance (body in motion)
Week 36 Family & Friends
Week 37 SOOC...from that to this...before & afters
Week 38 Patriotic
Week 39 Object: straight up shots and then straight down shots
Week 40 Nighttime
Week 41 Something that gives you the feeling of warmth or cold
Week 42 Pictures of words
Week 43 Chores I hate
Week 44 Animals
Week 45 Music
Week 46 Reflections/Shadows
Week 47 Flowers
Week 48 Sleep
Week 49 Action Shots
Week 50 Wheels
Week 51 Wrapping (gifts, baby, foods, etc.)
Week 52 Guilty pleasures

The Bribe
The problem with visitors is that they eventually have to leave. This is a picture of my parents. They came and stayed with us for about a week and a half and we had a wonderful time. But, they flew home yesterday and now I'm sitting here stuffing my face with Hershey's Kisses (Almond, of course) and thinking of all the things we should have done. We did do some great things. We visited these huge dinosaurs and froze our tails off! We went to Sea World and a local zoo called the Living Desert. We went and had lunch with little bug at school one day. Got lots of shopping done! But it's so hard to see them leave. I think it's even harder now because the kids get so upset. Well, most of them. My oldest (Red) was SOBBING so hard I thought he was going to make himself sick. Little bug was yelling and did NOT want to leave the airport. Baby girl looked up at all of us and said "What happened? Are you okay?" She's not quite got into the spirit of good-byes yet :) Luckily, I had a plan... we got back to the car, dragging our bawling kids behind us. Got everyone in and buckled in their seats when I pulled out the magic... well, okay, technically, it was more like a bribe. I had bought each of them a new toy. Red got a new Bionicle, Little Bug got some Thomas the Train toys, Baby Girl got a new Littlest Pet Shop pet. It was like a magic button. The children settled in and were quite content with their new toys. I had only forgotten one thing. I did not buy myself a bribe. Maybe next time I will remember, but I'm not sure it will help. Maybe if it was something really big... like a new car... lol I know that won't happen. So, I suppose I will just have to be sad for awhile and then look forward to the next visit.

Okay - I've been tagged by Ranae to list 6 weird things about myself... I'm supposed to tag 6 other people on their blogs... but I'm afraid that will have to wait. 2 of the people whose blogs I read (RaNae and Shirlee) have already been tagged. And the other blogs... well... I'm still lurking. And I'm not sure that the weirdness tag will be the best way to introduce myself... :) But, for your enjoyment, I present:
6 Weird Things About Me

6 - I love to sew quilt tops, but I hate to actually quilt them. I have made probably 15 tops... probably more. I sold 4 at a yard sale last summer because they had been sitting in a box forever. I have another one in a box right now... just waiting for someone to make it into a beautifully quilted blanket. But, it probably won't happen!

5 - I like snakes, lizards, bats, frogs, turtles... if hubby would let me, I would have one of these creatures as a pet, but that's not going to happen in this lifetime!

4 - I collect fabric. I have a big ol' stash in my closet. Hey - you never know when you'll need to throw together a quilt top!

3 - I love things covered in chocolate, but I'm not very fond of chocolate by itself. I'll take chocolate covered raisins, almonds, caramels, strawberries... you name it. But, I don't like to eat plain chocolate.

2 - I'm super paranoid about the Internet. I have a hard time sharing personal information online. I try not to use real names or actual locations, unless I'm ordering something, of course. I don't think that UPS would ship something to:
Baby Girl
Southern California

1 - I can't spend money on myself. I have no problem buying things for the kids or for hubby, but I have a hard time doing it for myself. My mom and I went out clothes shopping one evening. We went ALL over town!! I don't remember how many stores we went into or how many things I tried on. I came home with pajamas for baby girl and some milk. I can't remember the last item of clothing that I bought new for myself. Usually I get things for me at garage sales or second hand stores. And even then, if it's more than $5, I just can't do it!

Well, there you have it. There are a TON more weird things, but it's late. I'm tired. The sun has gone to bed and so must I ... good bye!

A Blast
My parents have been here for the last week and a half and we have had so much fun! We could have had more fun if an Arctic front hadn't come with them from Idaho... it kept us in the house a lot more than we wanted, but it was still a great visit. One of the highlights was Sea World. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it was amazing! At first I wondered if I would feel sorry for these creatures. But then I saw how well they were cared for. And to be able to interact more closely (see above picture of the kids and I touching a Bat Ray) it made me feel more concern for their wild counterparts. I came home with more awareness of the earth. And we had a blast at the same time! These animals are amazing! It took your breath away to see them jump and flip and just seem to have a good time. We had a blast and can't wait to go back again!

A Good Deal?
I went to 4 different stores this morning to get groceries. Henry's, Stater Brothers (both grocery stores... had to hit the sales!), Costco and WalMart. We didn't get very many things at Henry's or Stater Brothers, but my cart was fairly full at Costco. It usually is. With three kids it's nice to get things like milk and cereal in big boxes! Besides, I love just going in there to browse. The prices on most of their items amaze me. Some, aren't so great, but for the most part, it's a good deal. Then we went to WalMart. Got a few things and my total came out to MORE than what I spent at Costco! How does this happen? WalMart is like a great money vacuum. As soon as you walk in the door it turns on. Why is this the only store that I go in for a loaf of bread and come out with $50 of junk? How does that happen? It's like things magically jump into my cart! I've decided to start staying away from that store. I'm going to try and accomplish all of my shopping at other places. Maybe I'll be able to save a little money that way. Or, maybe I'll just spend more money on gas running all over town trying to get everything that I need. Maybe I just need to have more will power to say "NO!! I don't need that". Unfortunately, I haven't been able to cultivate that skill in over 30 years. I doubt it will be something I can do now. I guess I can always try. But it's so hard... after all, WalMart is the home of "Always Low Prices... Always" and I do love a good deal... even on items that I don't really need or want. :)

Patience
These pictures are from the Portland, OR zoo. It is an awesome zoo and we went there several times a year when we lived in Oregon. They have a butterfly house open during the summer months. My parents came with us one time and paid for us to get into the butterfly exhibit (it wasn't included in the price of the ticket to get in - go figure). My oldest was so excited. He just knew that a butterfly would land on him. His first attempts were met with little success as he tried to leap into the path of a flying butterfly. Usually the creature would slowly float up to the ceiling or behind a bush as far away from my son as possible. But he didn't give up. He followed them all over the tent almost willing one to land on him. Still no butterfly. By this time, my dad and I had both had several land on us. My dad, Pop Pop to my kids, took my carrot top by the hand and sat him on the bench. Told him to sit as still as he could. I think he may have stopped breathing for a few minutes so that he could be totally still. You could see the pleading in his eyes. And then it happened. A big ol' orange butterfly landed right on his chest. He was very still for just a second and then his excitement got the best of him and he bounced a little trying to make sure that all of us saw what was happening. Away it flew. Most kids would have probably pouted or been upset. But carrot top just sighed, and held still again. Lo and behold, the next butterfly came. He wouldn't even turn his head to look at it. Just glanced out of the corner of his eye. Now, if I could just get him to be as patient with his brother and sister as he was with the butterflies, we would be set!

Frustrated
I'm loosing my mind today. I didn't sleep well last night. LOTS of weird dreams all night long that I kept waking up from and wondering what in the world was going on. Baby girl is breaking out in spots on her face. Not sure if it's chicken pox, but she did have a fever the other day. Now her eyes are all goopy. My little bug had a melt down of major proportions this morning. He was fine. Happy running around being all excited and then I went to put his shoes on and he freaked out. Completely and totally. Screaming, crying, running away... he almost acted like he was in pain. Looked at his feet and couldn't find anything wrong. He has one little sore on his toe, but it's been there since the end of last week and he's been wearing shoes with it all weekend. So, he finally put on sandals, but even that seemed to bother him. He loves to ride the bus, but didn't want to get on today. Just lost it when the driver helped him get his seatbelt on. Not sure what set him off. No apparent antecedent (big word for the day). He has had so many advances and yet, things like this happen all the time. It makes me question my parenting. There has to be something else I can do. Something is not right, but I can't place my finger on it. Maybe it's just me being silly. That happens on occasion. Well, here's hoping that tonight is better than today.

Gotcha!

This is my all time favorite picture of the kids. Every time I see it, I laugh - HARD!! We were trying to get pictures done. I asked dh to set baby girl on my oldest's lap and put her feet on my bug's lap. Then it happened. Bug attacked those little toes with a vengeance! He grabbed and started tickling like no tomorrow! Now, baby girl HATES to have her feet tickled. She's like her mom that way. You can see dh's hand as he is running in trying to save her before she gets too angry. But every time I look at this picture I see three distinct things. Baby girl: pleading for someone to save her from this horrible fate. Carrot top: holding her around the waist just a little tighter than he had been a second before so that she can't get away and a mischievous glint in his eye. Funny bug: complete and total joy! He couldn't be happier than he is at this very moment! I love this picture :)

My Sweetheart
This picture was taken about a year and a half ago. It is one of my favorite ones that we have. This is just in our front yard in Oregon. We had a ditch that ran along side the house. And a little area where there were quite a few trees. So, we used to for a photo shoot. In a week and a half we will be celebrating our 9th anniversary. We've gone through so much and grown up and grown closer to each other. When we lived close to family we still relied a lot on them. We would call them for advice and to help answer questions instead of talking to each other. Then we moved almost 600 miles away. My oldest was only 8 months at the time. It was one of the best things that could have happened to us as a couple. We talked more. Resolved things with each other rather that with friends or family. Our little family became more important to us. We still called and visited with our extended family, we still do now! And of course we still ask for advice and help from time to time. But we try to work it out together. We're not a perfect couple. But I think we get better and better each day.

Charlotte's Web

This is my cutie bug! He is the middle child and can bring a smile to my face at a moments notice. I have talked about him before. He has autism. We had a really neat experience over the holidays with him. We took the family to see Charlotte's Web (which, by the way, was awesome!!). Now sometimes, not always, my cutie bug will laugh at the sad parts and cry when something was supposed to be humorous. I don't think I have ever seen him cry at a sad part, till this movie. I don't know anyone who doesn't cry when Charlotte dies. But, I didn't expect my little bug to bury his head in his hands and sob. He cried and cried. Now, I was already a little weepy, who isn't at that part, but to see my little man cry brought on a whole new wave of emotions. It broke my heart for him on one hand. On another hand, this was a new thing for him. It was appropriate for him to cry and that filled my heart with the most amazing joy! I can't even describe it. Now I have a dilemma. When the movie comes out on DVD, should I get it? It was a wonderful show and I enjoyed it a lot. But I don't know if I can watch his heart break like that again! I guess we will make that judgment call in a few months. For now, I will be excited about the latest little step!

Thrift Shopping
I finally got to go out thrift shopping today!! SO MUCH FUN!! I found a place called "Angel Mart" or something like that. Everything was so inexpensive and they had tons of it! The books were .99 each except for one that was 4.99 because it's from the 20's... the serving tray will the rose petals and wheat and other items in it was 3.99... the old unique teapot was 3.99... the two taller jugs with the birds on them were 2.99.... the little small woven tray was .99... the cast iron corn holder thing (lol) was 4.99 (it is super heavy!!) and the basket in the back was 3.00 at another little place I went to! It was so much fun! I really enjoyed myself. Now, I just need to put everything in a place... so much to do... so little time!

Not So Bad
Okay, so I know that I haven't had the most wonderful attitude about California. It was still very hot when we moved here in September. My oldest dealt with bullies for awhile at school. I had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit while it was 75 degrees outside. Our truck was broken into and a few things taken from it. I could go on ... but I have to stop. You see, the other day dh brought home tangerines and tangelos that one of the farmers had given him. One day it was a head of lettuce. Then some cauliflower, bell peppers and pomegranate. And the produce selection down here is wonderful and fresh. These strawberries were purchased on December 29th. I have never lived in a place where I could buy berries in December! And they are GOOD!!! Not tart at all. Super sweet. As a matter of fact, they are almost gone. It was a 4 lb. container and we have been chowing down! So, maybe there are some things about California that aren't so bad. Maybe I can adjust to life down here. It will just take some time... until then, can you pass the strawberries?

WHEW!
I did it! For the first time in my life, I set a New Year's Resolution and I accomplished it. In January of 2006 I set a goal to read the Old Testament cover to cover. Something I had never done. I usually just read the chapters that were going to be discussed in Sunday School or other classes I was taking. But, this year I finished it! I read the last chapters on Sunday evening. It was a great experience for me. I am going to read the New Testament this year. It will not be quite as daunting, but just as rewarding. Last year I had to read about 3 pages each day. This year it's 1.2 Which isn't even a full chapter most of the time. I read my first chapter last night. I wanted to keep reading. I am excited. Maybe I'll read it two times :) Most of my resolutions fall by the way as I move through the year. This is one that I am going to keep!

Ice Crystal
My Mom sent me this picture and I just had to share. They had a frost and these huge ice crystals formed. I thought they were beautiful so I'm sharing! :)

The Snitch
This is a picture of my dh and baby girl, also known as, the snitch. We have been married for almost 9 years. Every year dh has talked about how fun it would be to have a RC airplane. But, each year we have not had the money and there was always something else that was needed. But not this year. This year I wanted to surprise him with a very simple RC plane. So, I loaded baby girl into the car and off we went. The first store I went into I was not impressed. I felt like the guy I was working with wasn't being very honest with me. So, I went to another hobby shop and had success in finding what I was looking for. Now, the entire time we are shopping I am explaining to baby girl that this is a surprise. We don't tell Daddy about the airplane. I had her help me wrap it all the while telling her that we can't tell Dad. I thought she had it figured out. But then dh came home from work and I hear her sweet little voice saying, "Daddy look - it's your present. It's a airplane." AACK! All my planning and plotting! At first, I don't think he understood what she was pointing at or talking about. I had stuck the box behind the tree in the corner because it was quite large. So, she took him around the tree and said "See, there it is. Your airplane." Sigh. On Christmas morning dh jokingly asked "What could this be?" And there she was... the snitch saying, "Daddy, that's your airplane!" I chuckled and made a mental note (for the 10,000th time since we got the plane) not to take her shopping with me ever again! She is my golden snitch!

Snow in Palm Springs
I grew up in Idaho. Snow is nothing new to me. In fact, the years when we didn't have a lot of snow were more surprising than the storms that dropped 6-12" of the white fluffy stuff. My kids don't know a lot about snow. As is obvious by the pictures shown above. My oldest remembers snow and sledding from our previous home. My other two... well... a picture is worth a thousand words, right? The snow shown in these pictures was found in a park in Palm Springs. No, it didn't fall from the sky :) There is an annual even that takes place at this park. They bring in snow and make a sledding ramp. Then the kids can visit Santa (which we didn't do because the line was TOO long), play in a jump house, pet a few animals, climb the rock wall or go for a pony ride. And the best part - it was all free. All in all it was a good day - with the exception of the sledding for my two younger kids. Maybe next year they will do a little better with their 5 seconds of snow time here in the California desert.

AOL
I hate AOL. I'm sorry that I have been absent from the world wide web. I have to lay the blame completely on the shoulders of AOL. It completely shut down. Couldn't even get to the sign on screen. So, we went for awhile without the internet. I didn't realize how much I relied on the information I could pull from my computer! We needed maps one day and I couldn't pull up my trusty MapQuest to find them. I wanted to review flight plans of family members that will be coming in January, couldn't do that. Wanted a recipe from Allrecipes.com, couldn't do that either!! So, we have now joined the ranks of high speed internet. Hopefully we won't have any problems with it. I apologize to my 2-3 faithful blog readers :) But now I can say... I'M BACK!!

Christmas Spirit
I am lacking in Christmas Spirit this year. Usually I'm feeling the warm fuzzy glow about this time. And I'm not even stressed out this year! My shopping is done. I finished my wrapping tonight. Christmas cards are out. I'm working on getting goodie plates done for neighbors. Everything is falling into place nicely. And yet, I'm just not feeling it. Perhaps it's the craziness that is surrounding me. I live in a warm area. And every winter the snow birds come here to get away from the cold. So, there has been a HUGE influx of people. And now this city seems busy, crazy, and almost insane. Nothing against the snow birds, it just means that there are a lot more people around these days. Maybe I don't feel the Christmas Spirit because of the weather. I can't say that I love having snow for 6 months out of the year (I grew up in Idaho... and that happened on occasion). But, there is something wonderful about watching the snow. Unless it is a raging blizzard, it usually comes softly and just kind of floats down. In Oregon we would get rain in the winter. It made everything seem filthy because of the mud. If it did snow then it would make everything seem clean and pure. It's such a perfect analogy for this time of year. Our Savior came to the earth, not with fanfare and parades... but softly, quietly. He came to cover our muddy spots with His clean and pure love. Maybe I'll cut out some snowflakes from paper this week and hang them around the house. Perhaps I'll even write a blessing on each one. Maybe this will help me feel the true Spirit of the Season.

Digital Photos
I love to take pictures. I have a Canon Rebel SLR that is a really great camera. I like to take it on trips or to school events or just snap shots around the house. The problem is that I never get the photos developed. I have lots of undeveloped rolls of film lying around the house. I'm sure that some of them got lost in the move :S This is one of the many reasons I love our digital camera. First of all, I can print out whatever pictures I want. Second, I don't feel bad taking pictures like this one. I never would have taken this picture with my regular camera. It would have felt wasteful (not sure why since I never develop the pictures...). But now, I can take pictures of whatever I want and if I don't like them, I delete them. I especially love to play with the colors in the picture. I have pictures of sand, these beans, my parents kitchen floor... all kinds of odd little things. And I love it! I love the way they turn out. Someday I might even print these strange photos and make a display with them. Or, they might just sit on my computer, kind of like the rolls of film that sit in my closet!

My Girls
These are my girls, Maya is the golden and Maggie is the chocolate. I miss them so much. I've been thinking what it would be like to have dogs again. You see, when we were in Hermiston I tried to talk DH into getting a puppy. One of the ladies at our church was selling some, but DH wasn't quite ready. So, we waited. A little while later a guy from DH's work invited us to bring the kids over to see their puppies. We picked one out, but she wasn't quite ready to leave mom. A little while later this poor little dog got stepped on by a cow. The man who owned the dogs kept this little pup and nursed her back to health, but she had become rather dependent on him. So, we picked out another pup - Maggie. She had such a hard time... lots of crying because she was alone. We took her back to the man's house to get her first shots and DH asked how we could help her... he told him to take another puppy... so, here came Maya. They were so good together. They were gentle with the kids and really good dogs. One night, there were prowlers in the back yard and they went nuts. Woke us up so that we were able to scare these people off. When we found out we were moving we looked for a place that would let us have pets. We found places, but they wanted $500 per pet... $1000 to bring our girls with us. So, we began looking for a home for them. Nothing. No one needed, or wanted dogs at that time. The people who lived behind us offered to take them till a home could be found, but, they would be on vacation when we moved. The people who bought the house offered to keep the dogs till our neighbors got home. We loaded up. And cried. A lot. We were on our way to California when I got a call from our realtor. The dogs had dug out. They had followed a group of kids to the school. I think they were looking for our oldest son. Pet Rescue had picked them up. I heard conflicting things about Pet Rescue. One said it was a non-kill shelter. Another person said that they give them 3 weeks. I have no idea what happened to my girls. I pray that they are okay. I think about them so much and my heart just breaks. I try not to let the kids see. They had a hard time leaving them too. Now, I wonder if we made a mistake. Maybe we should have tried a little harder to find a way to get them down here. It felt so impossible at the time. Sometimes I wonder if we should get another dog. But, I know that no dog could ever take the place of my girls.

Tired
I'm always complaining that I'm tired. And I shouldn't because it's my own fault. I am a night owl. I love to be up watching a show or doing something online or trying to beat my dh in a game of Phase 10. It's a quieter time. The kids are sleeping and sometimes, I just sit around and enjoy that silence. Of course, going to bed at midnight doesn't make me much of a morning person. I'm more like a morning bear than a morning person. I am usually exhausted and cross till later on in the day when I can finally shake that morning crankiness. My children, on the other hand, are morning people. They get up early (if it's before 6:30 I have them go lay back down for awhile), they are chipper and happy in the morning. They are even up early on weekends! This is not the best combination. I want them to go back to sleep for awhile, they want to play Hungry Hippos (which, as everyone knows, is the loudest game on this earth). But, since two of the three have to be on their way to school by 8-8:15, I don't have the luxury of sleeping in. Now, the obvious thing to do here is to go to bed earlier. That way I would have enough rest and I would be a functioning human being in the mornings. But that would be too logical. So, I think I'll go do some email... after all, it's only 10:45... I've still got time.

My Nativity

I have coveted this nativity set for a long time! Is that bad or what? But, I now own it! On the day after Thanksgiving I picked one up at a craft store in Idaho Falls. It was 25% off, which is a rare thing for the Demdaco Willowtree items. They don't ever go on sale. But this store has them once a year at 25% off. So, I'm slowly going to build this up. Next year I'll probably get the Wisemen or the star backdrop. There is also another shepherd and a creche... but I don't know if I will get those. First of all, I have one shepherd. Don't know if I want another... I'll have to look at the other and see... and the creche is $90!! Now, to some people, that may not seem so bad, but that's a lot for me. So, they may just have to sit on top of the entertainment center or piano each year!

Christmas Dangers
I always love to get my Christmas shopping done early so that I can relax and enjoy the holidays. But, I have now decided that this is a VERY dangerous thing to do! I get done shopping and I'm feeling pretty good about things and then WHAM!! All of the sudden I see it... the PERFECT gift for that special someone!! DH and I had set a limit on our gift giving before Thanksgiving. I was doing so well sticking to it and then on Monday I was shopping. I came around a corner and a light from heaven lit on the item and the angels began to sing! It was perfect and I had to get it for him! (I'm not going to say what it is because I have finally told him about the blog... and I never know when he's reading it!) So, I totally blew the budget we had set. But I HAD to! Now, I would take back some of the other things I got for him, but I bought them in Idaho at stores that aren't found here in Southern Cali. Now, DH isn't the only one I have over spent on. My kids are a tad over budget too! And just the other day I saw a horse that I would love to get monkey girl, a game for my red head and a Thomas train set for my little silent man. It's so hard to not snatch all of it up and just forget the budget! I'm trying, but it's hard!! Maybe someone should lock me up and throw away the key. I am clearly a danger to myself and my bank account!!

The Beach
I'm just in a blogging mood tonight :) I love to do creative writing and that's something that I haven't done in a long time. I have become very good at writing lists, but there's really nothing too creative about milk, cereal and eggs. Anyway, I love this picture. I love to go to the beach. We are so close to it now that I think we will try to make several trips each year. There is something so calming about the ocean and yet, it scares me too. I don't like not knowing what is out in the water. Rip tides, sharks, or even broken glass in the sand... it all scares me. This picture was taken this last fall. My kids would wade farther and farther out into the water till I just couldn't stand it any more and I'd yell at them to come back. There were times when they were knocked down and tumbled around by the water, but they were always okay. Someday, one of them is going to want to try something like surfing and it's going to make me insane to watch! I try not to pass my fear onto my kids. I want them to be brave, but I don't want them to be stupid. Have you ever noticed that it's a fine line between the two? So, I guess the question is, how do I teach them the difference? I don't want them to go throughout life being afraid. I've already planted a few fears unintentionally. I don't want to do that anymore. I guess the best way would be to conquer my own fears. Or at least pretend to.

The View
I don't usually watch the morning tv show "The View". But, I have seen it a few times and I noticed one day that they say good-bye the same way each day. They say something to the effect of "Take some time to enjoy the view". I don't know why, but I have been thinking about this lately. It could take on so many different meanings. Enjoy your own point of view or the point of view of another. Enjoy nature (like my picture from the backyard). And then there is God's point of view. I have a good life. Good kids. A great husband. A fairly normal extended family :) Friends who love me. We are all healthy and well taken care of. He has given me all of these wonderful things. He has the best "view" of my life. And if I take the time to see things as he sees them, my perspective changes. My view is good and I'm going to take a little time each day to enjoy it.

O Christmas Tree
This is our finished product. Not the most beautiful tree in the world, but we love it! :)

Candy Can
Yes, I know it should be candy canE. But, my little girl calls them "candy cans". My kids say the funniest things. The other day my oldest son asked if we had electricity when he was born (he'll be 8 in January). My Dh told him no and that we used to have to go outside to go to the bathroom too. Good one dad ;) He also asked me if I believed in Santa Claus. I turned the question back to him and he said, "Well, I don't know if I believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny. But I do know that I believe in Jesus." That's good enough for me! My middle child is 6. He has autism and does not speak. But lately, we are starting to hear a few things from him. The other day he said "excellent" and I threw a little party right then and there! On Saturday we were at Toys R Us. We were looking at Toy Story toys and there was a miniature set that he has always loved to look at. I handed it to him and he said "Please want.... please want...." I was so excited that I called my mom right there and then tried to get him to say it again in the phone! We did get the Toy Story toys, but he doesn't know it. It's going to be a Christmas gift from his big brother. I know that he will be so excited to open it! I'm excited for him to open it! My kids are my love and my insanity. It's a good thing they do these fun things every-once-in-awhile to remind me how cute they really can be! Now I'm off to go share a candy can with my monkey girl!

Crafts
I love to try out new crafts. Of course, most of my crafts look like they came out of a kindergarten class room. Not always well put together, but lots of heart went into it! I have more fabric than one person should probably be allowed to have. I have boxes of flowers and craft supplies! And for some reason, I like to buy craft items. Maybe it's so that if I ever get the urge to do something crafty, I will have all of the supplies right at my fingertips. That way I don't have to drag my kids out shopping at a craft store - which, by the way, is one of the most horrible places to take small children!! I like to picture things in my head and then attempt to make it look right. Sometimes, it works and other times it's a complete disaster. Now, I am not one of those super crafty gals. I can't paint or draw anything with great detail. Stick figures are my best work and I now LOVE the new vinyl lettering so that I don't have to try and make my own writing look legible. My sewing skills are fairly limited. I have made several quilt tops, but I hate quilting. Kind of a strange thing about me... so, I sold the tops at a yard sale. I kind of regret selling one of the tops, but that's okay. I can make another! My DH thinks I'm crazy to go through all the work of piecing a quilt top together and then sticking it in a box or selling it at a yard sale. Maybe I am crazy! In fact, I'm almost positive that I am! I've also made some pajama pants, but that is the extent of my sewing skills. I like to do floral arrangements, but have never taken a class. I think I'll just keep plugging away at my craft skills. Maybe one day I'll be a super crafty gal! And all my projects will look professional... till then, could you pass the Elmer's glue?

Laundry
I hate laundry. It just never seems to end! As soon as I think I've got it all done, it starts to pile up again. I don't actually mind throwing it in the washer and then the dryer... it's the folding and putting away that I hate. Usually I get it all washed and dryed. The things that absolutely need to be hung up get hung up and then the rest sit in baskets. Then, eventually, I'll drag all the clothes out to the living room, put in a movie (or two) and fold and fold and fold! Then, I'll put all the clothes away and then I star the process all over again! I used to do just one batch every day so that I never got behind... I need to do that again. I have already done 7 batches today!! Yeah, I really let it pile up... :S I've been trying to think of a solution for this problem... maybe I need to throw most of our clothes away. Everyone can have two pairs of pants, two shirts, two pairs of socks ect. That way I can be wearing one and washing the other. Sounds a tad boring, but a lot easier! So now the question is: do I sacrifice fashion for a life of ease? Hmmm... probably not. So, I guess it's time to do some more laundry!

The Hunt
I am a bargain shopper. Nothing makes me happier than to get a great deal on an item. This is why I am addicted to things like eBay and garage/yard sale shopping. I buy anything and everything on eBay. I have gotten kids clothes, a GPS unit, fabric and toys on eBay. I've even sold a few things, but I prefer to get the bargains myself :) There is something exciting about digging through someone's old trash to find a wonderful treasure! For example, yesterday I went to a garage sale. In the back of the garage was an old chest filled with purses. I had no interest in the purses, but was excited about the chest. I asked the lady if she was going to sell the chest, she said she would for the right price. I asked what that price might be... $30. SOLD! I snatched it up right then and there. I knew that a wonderful item like that wouldn't last very long. I also found clothes for beautiful monkey girl for .50 each. She has a whole new wardrobe. I got a few videos and some new games. It was a great trip! Now, I just need to get my junk organized and have my own yard sale! Maybe there is someone out there that would treasure my old trash! :) Besides, I have to clear out more room so that I have places for all the new treasures to come.

Beautiful Monkey
This is my baby. She's a tom boy princess superhero. She loves movies like "Cars", "Toy Story", "Dinosaurs" and yet, still makes room for "The 12 Dancing Princesses". She plays with toy snakes and digs in the dirt, yet wears a crown at the same time. She chases her brothers with squirt guns and is a tad of a bully. Yet, she is polite and sweet. She hates to have her hair brushed, but loves to have her nails painted. She'll wear a "pretty dress" over jeans, but it will be a mess in 2 seconds flat. She's her daddy's girl, but loves shopping with mom. She wears a cape while pushing her baby doll around in a stroller. She's my only kid that will eat veggies without reservation, except for potatoes. She prefers to ride in Daddy's truck. I wasn't sure what I would do with a girl. After all, I had spent the previous 5 years with my two boys playing with snakes and learning the names of every dinosaur that has ever walked the earth. Luckily, I didn't have to change much of that at all. She fits right in.

The Perfect Cup
I love hot cocoa. Almost as much as marshmallow peeps, but not quite. I love to put new things in my cocoa to find just the right flavor. Today, I just did the chocolate and marshmallows. I wonder if you could put peeps in hot cocoa? Hmmm... I guess I'll just have to make another run to Target to get a new stash (of course, I just bought two boxes 2 days ago... they are GONE). I love to buy different flavored candy canes and melt them in my cocoa. Peppermint is always a good one, but I also love the strawberry and raspberry. Another fun thing is to melt ice cream in a boiling hot cup of cocoa. It makes it extra creamy and using different flavors gives it an extra kick. I also love to put carmel or white chocolate in it. Almond bark is yummy too. For an extra chocolatey flavor I throw in Hershey's kisses or pieces of chocolate bars. This year it's been to warm to drink too much hot chocolate - until the last few days! It's finally a little chilly here and I'm loving it!! It's perfect weather to get my favorite cocoa ready, snuggle up in a blanket and read a book or watch a favorite movie. One thing I do need to get is a bigger mug. I usually end up making two cups because it's just not quite enough with the mug size we have. Maybe I'll have to get a big mug while I'm out getting my peeps :)