Halloween haunts out memories still

I figure I'd better post these before christmas happens.

Catching up begins

Ok so we have been sick.... Yes again.First it was Halloween with the barfing. Then that lasted until they all got this cold. Green is just our color of choice right now. It has lasted for so long. This time we have fevers, and coughing that lasts all night with or with out cough medicine.

Behind The Awkwardness: Neverland

Behind The Awkwardness: Neverland




This made me laugh. Granted I have gone to bed at 2 am for the past two nights so everything makes me laugh but this made me laugh hard. I love Awkward family Photo. com!!

Photoshop project theme is taken from this Video :)

Ted.com has some seriously cool stuff and ideas on there. I could watch all day long if I could. I am doing some design projects and had to pick a theme it was difficult with so many cool ideas on there. But the one I liked the most was this one. Check it out and I'll post the design ideas from there.

Brandon Flowers Who???

In seventh grade my good friend fell hard for the Phantom of the Opera's lead singer. Micheal Crawford. I think she has repressed all these memories since then. But I have missed this whole obsession with the famous person. UNTIL now...... wow I loved the Killers and all their head bashing songs, slow ones, and everything in between. Then I heard his interview on NPR and hit itunes for the newly released solo album, Flamingo. I can't believe how many songs I am totally obsessed with. And then I saw the Crossfire video! SOLD full on Obsession. Oh and I will be seeing him live in concert. And I will yell "I love you Brandon" like I was in seventh grade.While faithfully holding to my one true love's hand. I think they call this regression.... rhymes with obsession. Nice. Check out "ONLY The YOUNG" and Magdelena on the album.

I remember thinking Brad Pitt was cute when he was young and all it took was some rumor that he stunk like really bad B.O. and I was forever cured from another look. Brandon you can stink all you want and it would be like a room full of roses for me :)

And it begins.... the empty Nest syndrome

So here we go again. It is preschool time for my little tiny baby. The one that still bless him gets a bottle that he calls for, and is rarely seen without his pacifier! I know you should have seen the dentist's face last week when I said he still uses one. I know that socially it is unacceptable thing but really I can't pull it. Thing 1 still has his at night so that he doesn't continually wake up at 4 am and look for one under all and I mean all the beds. I just continually get them all a bink or two at the store when we run out. I may have to change the title of my blog to Tripping over Binkis. We'll see.

It has been crazy seeing this little fish grow. I still am very stuck in him being only ten months old. I known there is a big three year old, but it is so hard to treat him like a big kid when he is my little baby still.

The Baby Hunger is setting in pretty bad. At the soccer game on Saturday I about ran up to a mom just to smell the top of the newborn's crusty crown to catch a sent of that sweet smell. I am glad there are baby producers in church so on Sunday I can get my fill of baby toes, cheeks and over all yummy-ness of the new baby smell. Have they figured out how to bottle the smell and mass produce it and sell it at Target yet? I would buy it!

I am now looking for stuff to fill my time during the time they are in school. I am finding it is not a lot of time. But still a good obsession project may be in order :)

Getting out the angst and frustration

Today like yesterday was supposed to be a get out the pent up energy day. Poor dog and poor JD. We both sat inside all day with sick little kids. Can't wait to see if they are better by tomorrow :) I think two days is good enough for colds to hang out, Right? I am going to create a sick day calendar. It seems every year we are just collectors of all the ailments that are in Davis. So look for another mommy planner design for the school year 2010-2011. That is in the next day or so. I need a calendar that works for me and my specialness.

Another game I do love every six months or so is clean house LOL. New game this year is bookshelf cleansing. Good night we have a lot of non-sense space here in this little apt. I have so much crap in boxes I don't know what is even in there. So this time I have a vision and now it is just getting the shovel out and going through the dirt.

I am working on making the third bedroom into a bedroom not a storage closet. You see we even have a special name for the room of clutter. It's official name is the "Secret Locked Room" all the kids know that there are things in there you don't want to get into but they always do. Like Mommy's special prisma color markers, or scrapbooking odds and ends that I need to find a new home for (like literally a new home), or the stash of books that would put all the hording shows to shame! I really have a hard time with the printed word. I love to read a good solid book with a great binding and soft pages. But it is so nice to curl up to my light and portable iPhone and read as well.

Got TO go Plan and PURGE

Some times it is time for a swing.

With the Band's graduation come and gone searching high and low ways to figure out what are next move is.

At times it is like I have this great monster truck ready to roll over all 36 cars and it has no gas in the engine. We just don't know where focus all the energy. Praying and Searching has been a real challenge when you feel good about all the options in equal measures. The Band is now at Toyota selling cars. He has been applying everywhere but the "just while we find another job" job is going so well.

In the search for answers to the hard questions I have found that returning to the small things really has it's perks.

In high school one of the favorite things my BFF and I would do was go to the swing set in West Point and see how high we could go. We would talk about all the stuff going on.

Still the swings are soothing place for me and luckily my kids love them too. Davis is the perfect place to contemplate as you return to the basics. Bike trails and parks are a plenty and it is still fall not raining too bad yet.

I know there is change coming I am just hoping to accept all that comes with the change.

Until then more prayer, seeking, and a return to the simple pleasures in life.

Internet Back! Time for catch up.... on thing 2

This year we have been trying out some sports for the kids.
My favorite so far has been Swimming but I have to admit that soccer is growning on me.

There is a new app and I am addicted to it!

SO for about a week I decided to rid myself of my cell phone and then I found this Iphone app that makes your world beautiful and vintage all at the same time! It is called Hipstamatic and it is an awesome glorious thing. I can't wait to play around some more every day with the new and different lenses filters and flashes that give you all different options. I should have gotten another Blackberry lol.

My neighbor just told me to shut up I can hear her from here :) she is stoked the new Crackberry is already in stores. But really can she find this on there if soooooo I could be a cr@ck baby again too :)

so I can't really stop Crocheting.

Those are just the billed hats!

FOURTH OF JULY

This year we went to see the fireworks at Uncle Dave's house. Uncle K was called by all other names but his own by my three children. I guess we don't see them near enough! It was so good to catch up a bit and see the old paddle boat in action. The kids had a blast. And Gabe because he can swim was down with getting back into the canoe maybe next time :)

There are so many items of business to report on

First there is the job hunting going on right now for the Band. He has his paper and now it is time to put it to good use and get a career started :)
Here is another Nursery picture and I will be loading up some more this evening :)

Then there is my three year old who is taking off on his bike in this video!! yes this is the Fish and you will hear his real name used please ignore it lol.

Swim Lessons

This summer we are trying things different there is a new parenting book on my night stand that is helping cope with the heat, and boredom and crazies of the season. We are swimming!! Well Thing 1 and two are taking lessons. Last year was a bit sketchy when I had all three in the pool at once and tried to keep eveyone's head above water. Thing 2 can tell you some scarry stories so that ended the three "untrained swimming episodes". I am pretty sure we'll be entering the water with a little more confidence this year. And yes, even with all the protective arm floaties I am pretty sure my crew could discover a new method of drowning.

So here we are on the mini swim darts "swim team" which is incredible! I can't wait to see how the next six weeks developes. They love it. I mean... LOVE. IT. You can hear them a block away squealing about what moves they did, and if I had witnessed the spectacular sight of them on a swim noodle. I think I am addicted to this age they are right now. I just want them to always have this much excitement for the things they are doing in life.

The coaching staff caught on really quick to the needs of my Thing 1 and has a "younger male" coach of maybe thirteen assigned to reign him in. I love the fact that I can hear across the two pools and at the top of the bleachers my child's name being called as he is jumping endlessly in the water. Of the 1/2 hour of instruction there is maybe five solid minutes that he is above water listening :) He is more and more like his mother everyday.

Little Boy room Pictures

When I printed these the color came out all crazy. The snake (originally orange) came out all red. They are in the local Baby Shop right now but we'll see if they actually sell :) I can't believe how fun these are. I will have to see what is next maybe a jungle theme :)

I am working on some pictures for my house right now but these are a fun start :)

The last day of Instruction. Mixed emotions.

This post will probably be enormous in length. So bring on the emotional spattering that comes with an extra long post. I am sitting in my car as I wait for my little five year old, Thing two, to go to preschool. She is five and right around the time of her birth was when my Band and I decided it was time for him to finish his education.

The aquiring of an education for me is something of an issue for myself personally. But to watch some one do it with ease and grace has been something wonderful to take part in.

For the past five years there has been struggles, sickness, stress beyond stress, poverty, rice, crazy schedules, pasta, garage sale finds, second hand land, diapers, puppies, beach trips, roller blades, Ebay-ing, baby bracelets, crocheting, digital photography, and did I mention more pasta. I wouldn't a want my kids to endure what I have had to. Only, it has taught me how to survive on a very restricted budget, believe in the impossible, surmount insurmountable odds, and humility. Those are lessons I could have probably learned in a less-intensive-live-action environment, but what would have been the fun in that? So many people have helped us along the way. So many angels have been our companions telling us to keep going and don't loose sight of the goal.

We have known that this day was comming only it's arrival today has been somewhat of a shock. It is like when you finally go into labor and you realize you are taking home a person. A person you just named, and you don't know if she'll end up liking her name. All of this work hasn't been for nothing.

Now it is on to the next step. The horizon is bright because you have a paper that in some cities only 13% of the population have (you know who you are :). This is a tricky next step that is requiring a lot of faith on my part. The reserves of faith have been slower these days to be replenished than I'd like.


Now as I gaze up at a cap and gown that has been hanging in my room for the past two nights I am very aware that this is just a temporary phase and soon I will be looking back at this time with fond memories. That is until he goes to grad. school hahahha. That is a post for another day.

Market of the Farmers on Wed. Nights

It just doesn't get better than this. Summer in this small town means going to the farmers market and playing on the bounce houses, and park structure and merry-go-chuck your-guts.

I have been meaning to get out and do stuff with the kids and this was a last minute all day decision. I meant to go all day but didn't leave til the "last minute". They did great and we even had some fun going on the carousel when they call for the last ride was free!! That is the only way I was going to get all three on there at the same time with our budget these days.

No Blades since JR high.... They are BACK

Posting has been difficult I am dragging lately and I blame one thing. TIME CHANGE! I have been always an early riser and lately I can't get my head off the pillow before 6:50 and man it is cramping my style. I have been walking with the dog but I need another round of boot camp to get me back in shape.

I recently made a purchase of Rollerblades and tested them out yesterday. I am thirty three and Rollerblades are not something I envisioned for myself as a form of exercise. However, the dog can get a better workout and I need some firm gluts LOL. I just don't trust the better butt idea of just wearing shoes. Sorry Reebok I ain't buying it. The Band says I will only be on them four times and then they will go on Craig's list. He maybe right. I am determined to wear them five times just to assure that he is wrong. I am envisioning a fall and thus need some wrist gaurds and a butt pad. I think a pillow tied with some nylon rope maybe the answer. I will post the link to the Craig's List listing if they do :)

Exercise is good for my brain but what else is good is getting a good night away from all my fam and spending it getting sushi with the girls. I have loved the places we end up chowing on the most addicting substance since the Cournel put chicken in a bucket. I am ready for another hit this evening.

Over Load??? or Threshold ?

Ok Here is the newest addition to the crazy household. We now have a new baby and I am going to use her real name. MOOBIE yes we have a female dog named after m@n b00bs and I am always yelling "MOOBS get over here. "At first I thought to myself what have I done? This thing has been on newborn status and isn't sleeping through the night yet!! About two weeks in as she chewed all things that were available. My house instantly became spotless. I had to pinch my self many times when I would wake up and see clean carpets and no messes. It was like I never had a problem getting the kids to clean up after themselves and they are so happy to make sure the toys are not destroyed by the pup. She has been a heaven sent in the area of clean house keeping. Then there is the whole exercise thing. She has been awesome and has made sure my daily dose of biking, rollerblading, or running is in for the day. I can't wait til there are two 45 min. walks/ jogs a day. She is really the best thing that has happened to our family since the kids lol.

Moobie has a neighborhood boyfriend that loves to just play and romp all the time and they are the best of friends. We have turned our little community into a private mini dog park.

The kids love playing and seeing her all the time. Every morning they are there waking the poor dear up and telling her how "adowabble" she is. The Fish who used to get mouthed all the time now is so used to getting chew on all day. She puts up with so much crap seriously we couldn't have chosen a better dog.

Instincts are hard to kick

I was at Thing 1's class this morning. Drop off gets kinda crazy. You have to put things in baskets, and then make sure there are coats and backpacks hung up. Oh and there is reading the letters on the blackboard. Well we have some seriously awesome parents/kids in his class.

I was shuffleing through all the chaos and one of the mothers asked me if she had "pink" on her face. I looked up from trying to get the fish pointed towards the door and out of the pattern blocks. And then I saw the mother's face. Sure enough, she totally had a smudge of some type of pink substance on her jaw line. Before I could stop I had already produced the famous.

Thumb, Lick and..... milimeters from her soft supple skin I froze!!! Started to giggle switched hands and with a SPIT free hand removed said smudge. I couldn't stop laughing. She instantly recognized the universal cleanser trick and laughed too. I am so glad she thought it was funny, considering I almost vicariously Licked her.

I realized I had become one of "those Moms" I have no control when it comes to messy faces. I instantly bought tons of hand sanitizer. If I am going to lick my hands and can't control when or where the instinct kicks in I better have 99.9% germ free hands. :) At least it has a light citrus scent.

Passion for flowers and crochet!

Does this phase of my life scream 80 year old lady or what? I am totally into these soooo soft hats for babies and can't stop crocheting these things! I just want so many for myself but I haven't found the right color for me :)

ABC the Bacholor

Is anyone as hooked on this season as I am. I like how he calls out these space cadet's and makes them explain themselves! This is a good season and I wrote off the Bachelor long ago as a show I would actually watch consistently.

I am so hooked on crocheting right now I can't put down my hook! I am working on three projects and love the results!

I will post pics tomorrow. But if you follow this blog you know that isn't generally the case.