Life on Decatur

{on a wednesday}

2011-03-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

{this photo has nothing to do with my ramblings. just something i like to look at when i walk through my front door.}

It is 4:54pm and I am wiped. Wishing that when I quit the coffee 8 weeks ago, I kept the emergency bag of Starbucks French Roast instead of handing it off to sister. Should have known there would be days like this.

My alarm went off at 6:15 this morning. It was still dark outside. We slept with our window open and when I woke, the dark sky and the morning chill quickly married and left me no other choice but to hit snooze and burrow under my blue fuzzy blanket. Best Christmas gift thus far. Maybe a tie with the Kindle Mr C gifted me.

I reason with myself almost every morning. What time do I really need to be up? Am I working out today? If so then that allows for more time to burrow in bed. If not, then it's up for an early shower. Although that means getting up first and claiming the first shower with ALL of the hot water. That's like the house prize of the day. The warmest shower award. The first question out of Mr C's mouth in the morning is, "Do I have hot water?" I always answer with an enthusiastic, "YES!" all the while thinking in my head.."no babe, your shower is gonna suck."

Today I did not work out. I had the hot shower instead.

I had Morgan to chorus at 7:25. Bagels in the toaster by 7:30. And a pretty decent morning hug from Landon while I searched for matching socks in the laundry room.

I finished readying myself for the day stopping once to climb on top of Mr C and wake him up. I always put my cold hands on his back and then ask if he wants to feel how cold my hands are. He always says no. I laugh every time because my hands freeze in the morning.

Called the school to excuse Landon for his dental appointment and then headed towards Mikey's room to wake him up.

8:50 rolls around and I run Mikey to school. Try to get a little conversation out of him on the way but I got nothing. We took the kids to a hockey game last night and got home kind of late. Mikey was up late finishing Social Studies and Spanish and woke up feeling the repercussions this morning. Excuse for being cranky/quiet.

Mr C headed to the gym around 9:45 leaving me and Landon home. Landon took a 15 minute shower. I heard him singing Katy Perry. Couldn't bring myself to tell him to get out of the shower already.

Made the bed. {rarely happens}

Head off to Landon's dental appointment and get 45 minutes to myself to read one of the 4 books I have going.

No cavities. Head to AJ's for a sugar cookie.

Home for 15 minutes before I head to the school to fetch Morgan. Extra early release Wednesday.

Home.

Off to get Mikey. Run through McDonalds for vanilla cones. Sunny and 80 outside.

Welcome Spring.

Email from Morgan's sewing instructor. Bronchitis. No sewing. Awesome.

Blog surf/cry for 30 minutes before unbending craving for Mexican food takes over.

Take out from Rosas in the form of enchiladas and bean burros with rice.

Satisfied and full.

Now it's 5:30. Still wiped and wishing for coffee.

Going to close all blinds, change clocks and convince kids it's bedtime.

Goodnight.

just like me

2011-02-28T19:58:00.001-08:00

There have been so many times recently that I have thought to myself that Morgan is just like me. My sister says it on a weekly basis anymore....'she's just like you." How could I ever get tired of hearing that.

She's the perfect amount of silly and creative...her mind does not stop. Just like me. Her bedroom floor is covered with craft supplies, stickers, scrappy pieces of paper that she refuses to throw away, scissors and the like. Her scrapbook is always open and being fancied in all sorts of ways. Her pages are never completely finished. She sees it...and then creates it. I'd love to just spend one hour in her mind while she's creating.

She's overly sensitive when it comes to animals. Just like me. We both cover our eyes or change the channel when the commercials with the wounded and neglected animals comes on. Too much for us to handle. We grab our fuzzy dogs and hug them immediately.

She takes her shoes off the moment she gets home. Just like me. Everyday gets better when feet are bare and naked. We both know that secret and discovered it when we were little. This is the reason why mr c comes home to all of my shoes next to his side of the bed (and that drives him nuts!).

This girl is who I was when I was 11. Only, she's a lot more confident than I was. Thank goodness for that. I missed out on so much because I was so shy. If I could go back...I would change that first.

It's the most amazing feeling to know that this girl that I made, made me too. The power that my motherhood has with her is great and my love for her is unbending.

This girl is the best version of me.

in the shop...

2011-02-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

currently in the shop:

my new favorite bag

i named it the

green with envy bag

perfect for spring...

great hardware and lots of usable interior space with a few

organizer pockets as well as zippered pockets...

it has the greatest cheetah interior lining too

inspired by jimmy choo

$45

if green is not your color...

i just ordered it in apricot as well...

my favorite way to add to color to the wardrobe...

a stunning bag in a fabulous shade

shop here

resurfacing...

2011-02-23T19:17:00.000-08:00

(morgans birthday cake from 2 weeks ago)

i feel like i should go back a few months and play catch up and journal all that has been happening on decatur street...i just don't have that kind of energy, time or patience right now...

i almost feel lost right now, not knowing which direction to take my words...

i think ill just resurface with some thoughts and updates...

***

2 weeks ago we celebrated morgans 11th birthday...

it was low key and exactly as birthdays should be in my book...family, a few friends, trays of food and a birthday cake from barbs bakery (if you live in phoenix then email me if you want the most delicious marble/butter cream layer cake. ever.)

morgan celebrated with us...and then asked me if she could {finally} shave.

what?

i was a solid 13 years old before my mother let me pick up a razor and shave my peach fuzzed gams... mom was out of town when i was good and ready...so i had to ask my dad to call mom and get the ok...then my dad asked me if i needed help. i thanked him but turned down the offer and emerged out of the bath 3 band aids later.

perhaps i should have taken dad up on the intro to shaving class...

morgan only needed 1 band aid.

***

2 months ago mr c signed our family up for the gym around the corner...

i have never been the sort of gal who frequents the gym...

but i told mr c that he was not allowed to go and get all trim and foxy without me so i sort of had to start working out...

i dont know exactly when or how it happened...maybe on the elliptical...but i got hooked...

something in me clicked and i started to really get into it...truth be told here...i like the way i feel now that i'm working out and i think i might even have a different kind of energy in my day...

it is very helpful with my workout routine to close my eyes and picture myself in a new bathing suit while at the beach...even more helpful now that mr c has booked our beach house for july

***

7 weeks ago i gave up coffee...

cold turkey

i had 5 very long days of excruciating pain in my head

i was useless

i was wiped out

caffeine withdrawals are wicked man

i told mr c to remind me how much fun that withdrawal was the next time i feel like hitting the java full time

do you know that i frequented starbucks every single day, often twice a day at 5 bucks a pop?

no thanks. im healed.

***

i have a new relationship with my day planner

since opening our boutique...i have to absolutely scribble everything down on those white lined pages...i mean everything goes in there...

since i am running our little shop from our home...it's really hard for me to carve out time for work...i get caught up in running the house, running errands, leaving to meet sister for lunch, spending time with mr c on his days off and when i realize how much shop work is to be done...it's time for bed...so now...i have to schedule the hours that i want to work down in my planner as well as schedule when ill work on the house and do errands and so forth...i am much more productive when there is a list staring at me waiting for its check marks...

***

last month mikey filled out his paperwork for his first year of high school..

there is now way that i could have been prepared for that

it was hard to let him choose his own classes and know that he was capable of doing so...

i wanted to redirect his thinking and erase what he chose but i couldn't do it...

i had to let him start to open those darn wings...

***

so now that i have a little less weight on my blogging chest...ill be updating our shop with some of the new spring pieces that arrived last week as well as ordering some more handbags.

its really cool to be a boutique owner.

polka dotted tights and right now...

2011-01-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

right now i am:

wishing i could trade outfits with this little chicken today...

up to my eyeballs in photos for the shop...

planning 2 weeks worth of dinners today,

have you done that?...it's time consuming but i hope it'll pay off and save time in the end...

listening to landon constantly ask me run him up to the store...

and ignoring, once again, the enormous pile of laundry waiting to be folded and put away.

new business

2011-01-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

so...it's been awhile...

and...

when i say that lots of things have been happening around here...

i'm not kidding...

you see...in the past few months

mr c and i have decided to follow a small but meaningful dream

we are the proud new owners of...

Dressed Up Boutique

a unique and eclectic online store

we are still setting up our site...

organizing photo shoots with all of the garments that

we bought on our first buying trip in LA...

we have ladies stopping by daily to buy right out of our home...

have been invited to 6 vendor parties to sell our goods in the last month...

have been ordering new garments from new suppliers in the fashion district...

it has been busy...but so so good...

we are so grateful for how well this little venture has started and for the support along our journey...

we plan to have our website up and running in the next couple of weeks...

with a new blog designed just for our shop...

right now...we are enjoying every baby step of this venture

hoping that it leads to a big step into our own store front someday...

but for now...our new 'clients' enjoy hosting parties where we bring our items to their home and set up a private boutique party for their friends...

it's so much fun...

i've spent about 15 years of my life dreaming about doing this...

i'm thoroughly elated

...

http://www.dressedupboutique.com/

www.dressedupboutique.blogspot.com

(still in the works...but coming soon)

seven.

2010-09-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

...so a few weeks ago, we celebrated landon's 7th. and by postponing the celebration here on this little blog...maybe that was my way of not accepting that the boy is really 7. seven. all of his bits and pieces including that great big heart of his are indeed seven. how is it that my smallest is this big? all that i can do is plead...has anyone gotten closer to figuring out how to make time slow down or better yet, stand still?

our celebrating started early in the morning when the sun was just making it's debut on this hot august day...tradition in this house dictates one gift before school...just one little treat to tide over the tingling anticipation of unravelling all things wrapped in pretty packages all snug in their bows...

he had no idea that his little treat...his before school goodie was the grand prize...the itouch he has begged and pleaded case for since first laying eyes on his brothers...mama did good...

we celebrated simply just as we did for mikey...and again, we did it well. simple does not mean missing out or forgetting about the little things...because those are the best bits of a celebration...the you can count ons and of course you'll wake up to a decked out house of streamers and cut out birthday numbers...

surprise balls full of trinkets

unwrap the crepe paper balls to find

trinkets hidden in layers
big hit with the littles

birthdays mean celebrating the years of life under your belt, the years of life to come and everything wading between...and just when i stop to realize how fast it is all swooshing by...i am seriously thinking that we need to start celebrating more often and even bigger...how about a half birthday celebration?...

...because when i was pregnant with my first all those years ago, and every other mama that i talked to about motherhood said the same thing, "...enjoy it, it goes by so fast." ...and i listened but never absorbed it in my chest where all good bits of advise and memories burn inside of me...and it has. it has gone by so fast. so now...i live and breathe in my motherhood more than i ever had...and birthdays are up there on the tippy top of the scale of when i feel that burn the most. when i witness how a little effort mixed with streamers and love can take my littles so far and make memory of such a day. and i know and breathe this because i remember these days when i was a little girl...and the little efforts from my mother still sit on the shelves of my memories...ready to pull out and replay whenever i need them.

and boy was it a day for making memoris.

do you see how small he is in that photo on the right, smack dab in the middle of brother and sis?

the children crowded around the table to eat pizza and nosh on candy and special treats...bites of chocolate and popcorn interrupted only by joke telling and laughing...

and when i ask my little guy who is now officially 7 for a few photos for the books...he lets all of his good sweet love wash over me...he doesn't grant it in meager doses...he opens up the gates and lets all of that seven year old love and affection out...there is no shame in loving on your mama when you're seven. this changes, i know. i have a 13 year old who has replaced hugs in public with the fist bump. fist bumps are good too...when you can still get a hug at home.

dear sweet landon...

keep those big blue eyes open and see it all...take it all in and know how you are loved...before grandpa roger left this big green earth...he told me that you were so curious in your world and that it would lead to something special. i am so eager to see what that is. you are inquisitive and wondrous and special and right now, you are laying on the floor below me singing secrets. it doesn't get any better than that. you are smart and funny and incredibly sensitive...a powerful combination for the world ahead of you. i love being your mama...i love our reading time at night and all of the questions that you throw out into the void daily. i hope you always feel how loved you are. thank you for always asking for just one more kiss goodnight, wishing me good days when i drop you at school in the morning and for telling me that i smell good.

love, mom

happy birthday, buggie.

our weekend was...

2010-09-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

...extraordinarily ordinary...and that means it was pretty great. while the mr worked all weekend, the littles and i spent most of our time indoors...in our home...in our comfort. i am a homebody and my children follow suit. i have no shame to admit this here. it is as much of who we are as our eye color and fingerprints. when the temperatures are still reaching 107 degrees and the pavement holds the heat so close because she is afraid that if she let's it loose for a moment, it will be gone...then it is fairly easy to declare it a lets be home kind of weekend.

and that's fine by me. and by him.

my 3 reasons to find the extraordinary in every day...worn right there...around my little neck.

and when it was time to sneak out of our walls for just a bit...we headed to share time and coffee with sister and cousins. catching up and running wildly through starbucks were on the agenda and happily, we have checked both off the list. respectively.

and if this girl gets any prettier...there might be some trouble. i can declare that. i am her mother. and that means i am lucky. and maybe so is she. because nobody could love her like i do.

and then wouldn't you know it. saturday night, the passed down trains and tracks made another debut right in the entry and all 3 of my littles played together. i don't know the last time that they all had interest in the same thing at the same time. those days are fewer and fewer as they grow...so i did what i had to at that moment. i breathed it all in. deep down to the bottom of my belly. i sat and watched them build and construct. and then take it all apart until the bits and pieces were built into something new. not one fight during that hour. not one.

i love that my boys are sitting in the exact same way.

nothing amazing or extra special happened this weekend. it was routine. but there was beauty made from the routine. if i look at it in a way directing myself to find it...it's there. it's in the time i layed on the sofa with morgan. just looking at her and really seeing how big she has gotten is enough to stop me right in my tread so that i can memorize everything about the way she is today. her long hair that is as golden as sunlight. pale skin with the leavings of freckles on her nose that take me right back to afternoons spent in the sun this summer. this girl, i tell you what.

little moments like glittering stars with morgan today. and to have her quietly say to me, ''everything is prettier with glitter.''

so i sit typing tonight with landon snuggled in our billowy bed watching a movie while narrating every bit so that i won't fall behind in watching it. i just checked on morgan and she is stowed away in her very pink room, surrounded by paper and colors, sketching yet another owl picture for her book. mikey is hunkered down in the spare room with headphones and a computer behaving like today's teenager for the first time this weekend. i think he is battling what bad guys remain in his star wars game. routine and beauty.

and i haven't even mentioned the best part. we have a bonus day tomorrow. no school. no schedule. just open hours to turn into whatever we want.

3 cheers for labor day.

hip hip horray!

sewing class

2010-08-25T20:15:00.001-07:00

a few weeks ago...i was driving home from the grocery store

when i looked to my right and saw a sign over the white gate that

sat in front of the blue house on brown rd.

i knew this house in passing...it was next door to the montessori school that

mikey attended years back...

the sign read...

sewing lessons for girls 8 and up...

that's when it began

i jotted the number down on the notepad of my itouch and called immediately when i got

home...

i was so excited after my conversation with the instructor and couldn't wait to tell morgan..

she was now signed up for sewing lessons

for the past 2 years...morgan has looked at my sewing machine that sits in the garage next to

mr c's tools and

has asked me to teach her to sew...

isn't that sweet...

yep....there's only one little problem with this

i don't sew

at.all.

nada.

zip.

zilch.

and none.

i would really love to learn to sew...

my sister and mother tried to teach me their skills once and i didn't work out so well...

i don't think i have the patience to work with the machine that my parents gifted me for my

birthday about 7 years ago...

the machine and i just don't get on so well...

so...

since i lack any skills or patience needed , but do have a checking account...

i decided to pay up and let someone else do the work...

morgan had her first lesson this week...

she was instructed to bring her own fabric and ribbon for her first project...

a sewing bag...and she would begin it only if her teacher thought she was ready

i dropped her off to class, met miss diane, chatted for a minute and then headed home to start

dinner...

{not really, but that sounds better than home to sit on sofa with the mr and the new pup}

45 minutes later when i returned to pick her up...

i found her ironing her fabric and readying to sew her bag...

really?...already?

i love that her first project is an accessory...

first...she practiced on the machine sewing straight lines on paper...

after only two run throughs on paper with straight lines and ovals...

she was ready to work with her fabric...

i'm pretty sure i would still be trying to thread the needle at this point...or i would have been

swearing at the sewing machine...but not this girl...she was sewing her bag and doing it well.

...i don't want to put any pressure on her...but i could see her giving marc jacobs and

christian dior a run for their money...and you can even through betsey johnsons crazy name in

there...

and when she is on the runway in new york city during fashion week...she'll stand up after her

first show and thank her mother for signing her up for sewing lessons years back...

you're welcome, morgan.

and then she'll say...

....it all started with a sewing bag.

and that friends, is how it all began.

steeler

2010-08-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

ADOPTED

meet steeler...

the newest member of our family...

i wanted to name him winston but the children out-numbered me in votes and decided on steeler...

after mr c's favorite nfl team

i think when your significant other feels sort of bad that you have

been trying for a baby for almost two years and have only sore thighs and

negative pregnancy tests to show for it...he lets you adopt a puppy to you know,

cheer you up a bit.

it worked...
i'm all cheered up
we were able to adopt this guy over the weekend and i am in love
l.o.v.e.

i have had a few dogs to care for and they have all been big...huge dogs...and they have all been girls...this is my first time having a pup with dangly bits.
i have been mom to a rottweiler, and a german shepherd...
and we currently have our lab/chow mix, mandy who in my book is the perfect family dog...
at first...i was a little nervous to bring such a small pup home...but things are working out great...

this guy follows me from room to room and watches every move that i make
i can't get away with anything with him around
i think maybe that's why the mr brought him home to me...to keep an eye on things...
i might be onto something here
*****
in the past few days...i have tripped over him 64 times...
sent him sliding across the floors 57 times and i even accidentally stepped on him this morning...
he's tiny.
under 7 pounds tiny.
i'm not used to animals this small
the cats are bigger than him
but....
he's making his space in our family
mostly right between the mr and myself in the bed at night

i think steeler is mad at us right now because we took him to the
vet to have his you know whats neutered today...
i wonder if a bag of frozen peas works for puppies too?

and they're off...

2010-08-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

the littles are back to school today...

the house is quiet...

and the routine is showing itself again

.....

still trying to get over how fast the summer went by...

i could have used a few more weeks...

that sleeping in thing was getting good

now what to do today...

me: simplified

2010-08-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

simplifying. that is what we have been working on over here...on decatur street.

mr c and i have been engaging in long talks about future plans for quite some time now...we see ourselves in another house...a bigger home for our copious family...we see ourselves with complete and intentional financial stability...

we see ourselves retired early and vacationing with children and grandchildren...

in order to have those things and achieve those goals...we have decided to make movement now...and we are with full and uninterrupted intent...

.....

confession: this is harder for me than for mr c...

i am a spender...i love nice things...my taste...as my groom has put it...is a little expensive...

i have fallen victim to 'keeping up with the jone's' on several occasions...

i am an impulse shopper...i feel i need rather than want...

and i have put a stop to all of this.

a dead halting stop!

.....

we have decided together to make aggressive changes to the way we spend...

we are on a spending hiatus {somewhat hard for me to type...that sorta makes it official}

at first...

we agreed not to purchase clothes, shoes household extras and unnecessary items for 6 months...

6 w h o l e m o n t h s

then i decided to amend the new shopping hiatus and implemented a small but reasonable monthly personal spending allowance...

mr c rolled his eyes at me when i did this...i rolled mine right back at him.

.....

...as i transition myself into the saving more/ spending less system...i find that i am really jumping into the simplicity that accompanies this plan...

i have to be honest here...

we are grateful that we are not lacking or in need of anything...and

our closets and drawers and pantries are over flowing...

so when i freak out a little about not shopping...i really start to feel ridiculous and immature...

we have begun to clean out every room, closet, drawer, pantry and shelf...

we are ridding our home of the clutter...

purging is an amazing and cleansing feeling

it has led me to more space in our home...

it has led us to discussions and lessons regarding finance with our littles...

and in keeping honest...

it just feels good to make this change.

we know that our future plans will only come to fruition

if we start moving toward them today...

so this is my new journey...my spending hiatus.

i just hope nordstrom and starbucks don't go out of business while i'm away.

just a handful...

2010-08-04T15:20:00.001-07:00

...that's how many days we have left until my littles go back to school...

...just a handful of days to enjoy the freedoms that come along with summer break...

i'm not ready for them to go back...

i'm really not...

summer has been so nice

and easy...

and just plain fun.

.....

we have crossed out half of our summer list and are hoping to get to a few more things

checked off before summer break fades into the school year...

.....

this last week will mostly be spent preparing for school...clothes

shopping...finishing the school supplies list...new back packs and lunch boxes...and i am planning to have a

special dinner for the children to mark the beginning of the new school year...something that was inspired by nienie...

.....

we have exactly one week to prepare and savour...

one week left of summer break...

what i'm wearing...

2010-07-30T13:48:00.001-07:00

i must admit...i love when you ladies put together your style or what i'm wearing posts...

i have decided to jump on board and join the fun...

afterall...it's a good way to keep my look fresh and put a little more effort into it if i will

be sharing what i'm wearing...

so here it is...or rather...here i am...

i call this my birthday dress only because i wore it on my birthday shopping in san diego...

it had the wow factor in that when i walked out of the bedroom at the hotel into

the living room where mr c was...i got a big ol' wow!...

it's girly, ruffly and frilly...the 3 most important qualities in a dress in my book

today i wore it to run errands with my 3 little monkeys...

it's humid outside and only 94 degrees so i thought i would be the right

choice for a day that would be in and out of the car running to the library, grocery

store and of course, to starbucks...

the dress: urban outfitters in san diego {scored on sale for $30}

...

i paired it with my fav belt from target {scored on clearance for about 6 bucks}

...

the shoes: tory burch ballet flats {ok...they are pricey but sooo worth it...most comfortable flats of my life...and mr c just bought the black ones for my birthday...they are $195 and worth every penny...pinky promise}

.....

i must also mention that when i had this dress on in san diego...my slip did a peek a boo and showed itself...when mr c pointed it out to me so that i might fix it...his 15 year old daughter asked me what a slip was...i was floored...do girls these days really not know the importance of a slip?...

i never leave home without mine...does that make me sound old or what?

want to see what my sister is wearing...check her here

celebrating mikey...

2010-07-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

....in a very low key way. it's been a few years since i have

thrown a birthday party for mikey. he has sort of outgrown them, but i do like to

recognize the day in a few special ways. i never want him or any of my children to look back and feel that their days were ordinary ones.

so..our day was scheduled by this guy. my teenager. i feel old just typing that...my teenager.

we had lunch at his favorite...and my favorite...p.f.changs...have you had their crispy green beans?...a m a z i n g to say the least.

mikey sat like this...with his head resting on the table playing on his itouch which was

his birthday gift this year...teenagers.

after lunch, we dropped mr c off at work and the kids and i headed over to

see the movie the sorcerer's apprentice...mikey's choice

we loved it...go see it...'nuff said.

.....

after our movie...sister and her boys headed over for a good ol' fashioned family party.

nothing beats a family party in my book...

the plan was to grill italian sausage for dinner...

i canceled that when the pouring rain made a visit and

soaked my new shoes and bag...not very nice...i had

not been to the market to pick up the sausage yet so we went to plan b:

we ordered pizza.

you can never go wrong with pizza at a birthday party.

none of the kids complained.

neither did the adults...even if it was just sister and myself as the adults

we made a kids only table...

we just used items from the craft pantry and added a few jars filled with candy...

the kids like it when the grown ups arent allowed to sit at the special table

it's kind of the 'im too old for birthday decor but i still want a little decor to celebrate' theme

sister caught some photos of the foxy birthday stud and myself...

do you know how hard it is to get this guy to even look at my camera?...

it would be easier to birth another baby without an epidural.

on second thought...maybe not...im strictly an epidural kind of girl...

what do you think of my new bangs...i went for the long sweepy

sexy bangs look last week...im still getting used to them...

i think they have magical powers of persuasion over mr c...i've gotten away with a few things

that make me believe this were true...

how about a funky photo...

so i offered to slave away in the kitchen for an entire

afternoon baking the cake of my boy's dreams but he begged and pleaded

for an ice cream cake from baskin and robbins

or maybe it was me who wanted the ice cream cake...

so i did what any good mother would do and put away all of the

ingredients for the homemade cake and headed out the door to buy one...

mikey asked for a vanilla cake with chocolate ice cream...

i brought home a chocolate cake with oreo ice cream...

should not have gone to pick up the cake with an empty belly and menstrual cravings for

chocolate in high gear

no one complained

so i didn't bake the cake but i did place all 13 candles on my own...

that counts for something, right
.....

i love this photo below...the kid was seriously thinking about what to wish for...almost as if he

knew it was going to come true

.....

i made a wish too...still waiting to see if it comes true

hands down... my favorite photo of this guy...peace out x's two

i am that mom who snuck a cheeky kiss on my boy...and i promised him i would not post it on

my blog...oops...youneversawthisphoto...

hope your birthday was as special as you mikey boy...

♥mom

thirteen...

2010-07-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

last saturday, i turned 35...a pretty substantial age in my book.

today, my first born, mikey turns 13...

another very substantial age in my book.

my first teenager.

i was not ready for this...it happened way too fast.

i remember very well turning 13. i started thinking for myself and discovering interests on my own and my relationships with my parents changed. i remember thinking that my parents were so old. i checked with mikey earlier to see if he thought of me as old and he said no. that eased my mind a little bit because i am pretty weird about that whole getting older gig. i don't mind it...i just am not sure how to handle it yet...what am i too old for and too young for...i'm right in the middle of that.

anyway...back to my birthday boy.

this kid is so great. he's smart...so smart. i have him do fast math for me in target all of the time. he computes really fast in his head...he did not get that from me. i still rely on my fingers to help me out sometimes. no joke there, sister.
this kid is also very analytical and logical...if something doesn't make sense to him...he works it out in his head until it does. his mind is not lazy by any means. i am grateful for that. that will be key in him being successful.

he is my first born. the one that i made most mistakes with as a first time mother. he is my trial and error kid in ways. he is a great older brother...and landon is convinced that mikey hung the moon.

he holds interst in the beach, creating his stop motion videos, constructing lego masterpieces, family, beef jerky, football, the patriots and the steelers, chocolate ice cream, nike kicks, fox racing sports hats and star wars.

this is seriously the coolest kid....that's exactly what my dad would say about mikey if he were still here with us.

he starts 8th grade in just 2 weeks. he only has 5 years left of schooling before he heads off to M I T to be a famous engineer....that's my plan for him anyway...we'll see what he thinks of it when it gets closer...

happy 13th birthday mikey.

i love you more than all the stars in the sky.

you are the coolest kid around.

love, mom

beachy...

2010-07-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

so...our summer vacation came and went...

and now i feel like i can check the best part of summer off of the list,

and everything else just becomes a bonus.

our entire family looks forward to one thing all summer:

our beach trip to san diego

{that and my birthday!!}

this year was a little unique in that we had mr c's children for the entire month of july

so they were able to head with us to mission beach

i am still recovering from a month with 6 kids plus various friends/cousins and the like in and out of our home...

we stay at the same hotel every time we visit

the kids love the ducks that wonder freely and the talking parrots that repeat every word...even the bad ones

we have our favorite spots to eat at

and...
our favorite area of the beach to set up camp for the day
can you imagine how much gear the 9 of us toted around each day
did i mention that on top of mr c and i and our 6 kids, we also brought their cousin with us?

the photo above is mikey and mr c's little guy trevor waiting for the girls to get off of the roller coaster on our first night in town...

the photo below is morgan right after we unloaded from the 5 1/2 hour drive with her flawless hair...

unfortunately, we had issues with our hotel suite on the first day...lets just say that somebody who stayed there before us got sick and left their mark all over the living room floor...
we were grateful to be upgraded to the 11th floor in a bigger suite with views like the one below

mr c...i could stare at the view of his backside all day

this year was a very low key trip...

we didnt plan any excursions or trip to theme parks since there were so many of us.

we spent lots of time on the beach and at the bay

and i was able to spend my 35th birthday in my favorite place

i had morgan take the above photo to prove that i was actually there on vacation with my family...seems that the one who always snaps the photos doesn't make it into them much

landon is my beach boy

this kid is going to end up living on the beach

maybe as a surfer or life guard

he is totally at home in the sand

on our first night...we walked down to luigi's pizza for this:

the biggest pizza i have ever seen...and seriously so good.

the photo below might be one of my favorites from this trip...landon just got in trouble for trying to sneak back into the water while we were eating lunch...he has the best pouty face

see mikey below...he turns 13 tomorrow!

i have my first teenager...not sure i am ready for that

not sure if i can wait an entire year to go back...

i love the feeling of being in the salty air and throwing the schedule out the window.

my kids start back to school in 2 weeks...

i think summer has gone by too fast this time and i'm a little mad at that...

we are going to squeeze as much into these last 14 days as we can.

leggy...

2010-06-30T13:30:00.001-07:00

this is how i spent yesterday...

...and exactly how i plan on spending tomorrow.

saw eclipse with morgan this morning.

i left team edward.

abandoned team jacob.

and...
i might have a small crush on dr cullen and jasper now.
did anyone out there see it?
what did you think?

spent...

2010-06-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

i would like to thank my daughter, morgan, for taking this photo of me and chopping off my upper half...despite the rockin curls sitting atop my head...

3:34 am is when i awoke today

i did not fall back to sleep despite the effort and 2 hours that i invested without return

i am exhausted, to say the least

i feel spent already and it is just 9:03 am

i promised the kids the pool today...

and they are already in bathing gear

damn! don't think i'm getting out of that one

i hope i don't fall asleep in the sun because there is an 'ozone warning' today...

we get those a lot in phoenix...

and i don't want to burn my skin... that is no bueno and my mother lectured me on the effects of skin damage yesterday...

i felt like i was 12

i have 2 days until 3 of mr c's children come to stay with us for a month

that's 6 kids for me while he is away at work

i'm tired just thinking about it

but...

we will have fun

{and i will have 2 built in babysitters!!!}

while unable to sleep this morning,

my thoughts wandered from my dad, to my mom, to my grocery list, to mr c, to our beach trip, to seeing eclipse with morgan tomorrow, to donuts, and then to my coffee...sometimes i feel like my mind never stops...just thoughts all of the time...

then i got up...readied myself...drove to dunkin donuts on mckellips and power and then to my starbucks...

off to the pool now...then home for a nap.

catching up...

2010-06-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

finally some time to play catch up on my blog

right now the children are being somewhat quiet and have been banned from my bedroom

where the computer is...

they are not at all happy about this, but sometimes a girl needs some space.

summer has been swinging in full gear and the triple digit temps are here to prove it...

i think it topped out at 113 yesterday

while it was scorching hot outside...we took the kids inside to do some of this...

a little family bowling day

i not only brought my own shoes...but i brought a pretty decent bowling game with me...

i left quite proud of my 138 score

those are my blue bowling shoes below...mr c hates them and thinks that they categorize me into some sort of nerd club for having my own shoes...but i am not sticking my feet into shoes that who knows how many people have worn...socks or not!

lets see...what else have we been up to:

we spend many days in the week at the pool...

this pool has been our saving grace...i don't know how i managed to buy one of the only homes in phoenix without one...

sister and i meet here and let the kids run free while we sit poolside sunning our bodies and sipping on homemade strawberry lemonades...

the days are just exhausting i tell you...

just exhausting

this is the reason why all of the ladies were sucking in their tummies the other day at the pool...me included.
hello mr sunbather

i feel like summer is going by too fast so the kids and i sat down and made a big list of everything we wanted to do before they go back to school in august.
some of the ideas are fun and easy like water fights and family flag football and then some are a little heavier...like a trip to the beach and a weekend stay at a local resort
{those might have actually been my ideas and not the kids}
in any case...i'm not ready for summer to move on so fast

we have also been to 5 movies

taken the kids out for chinese and to a sushi bar

we have shopped

we have had play dates with friends and sleepovers with family

i have somehow gotten hooked on all of this twilight business after i protested it for so long

{team edward}

i have organized 2 pantrys and kitchen drawers

cleaned out my closet

had 2 really great dates with mr c

celebrated my nephews 10th birthday

we have watched mr c play softball every sunday night

we have bbq'ed and eaten corn on the cob from local farms

the tooth fairy has visited our home twice already

it really has been so nice so far...

looking forward to next month when i turn 35 and we head to the beach...

i love celebrating my birthday...

and were doing it at the beach again this year.

we will also have mr c kids here with us for the month...

if i could just teach my kids the value of sleeping in during summer and not fighting every other minute then we might be very close to perfect around here.

my heart is somewhere on the beach...

2010-06-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

.....and it's probably somewhere right between these two.

Right about this time during the summer is typically when I start to crave the beach. I mean...I literally crave the beach. I need for my toes to dig deep into the sand while my body faces skyward taking in the sounds and the smells of the ocean. I love to hear the children fight over the roars of the waves. I crave to feel warm and cool at the same time. I need to be at the beach in San Diego.

We hit 109 degrees the other day. That's just too hot. It's hard to be comfortable in that kind of dry heat so we are either in the pool or in the house. And bad news...it's only going to get hotter. Does anyone want to visit Arizona? I will trade you homes for the summer...or for maybe just a month...a week...anyone?

I already began my campaign to get this summer's beach trip scheduled and on the books. Am still waiting for Mr C to give the okay as to when we can trade this desert for ocean. I also told him that if I did not get a timely reply...I would be heading over there without him. He did not like that text so much so I had to follow it with something sexy. I will not tell you what that one included...but it was sexy. Yes it was.

I have even began my 'beach diet' because that whole look good in a bikini thing is really catching on. I even cut my white mocha intake to just two a day now...calories, calories. My summer tan is already in full swing...my legs look like cinnamon sticks...who says the sun isn't good for you? I am under the belief that everyone looks better when tan.

So...while I wait for Mr C to approve this summer's trip...I'm going to go look through photos from last year. I'm even going to print a few of me in my bikini and put them in places for him to find...like under his pillow and on the seat of his car...maybe one in the shower...just as a reminder for how much fun the beach is. Maybe that'll get me to the beach a little sooner.

wink, wink

hello summer...

2010-06-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

...i'm so glad you're here

{peonies arrangement from dinner with friends}

summer is here and i am so in love with it

i love that my schedule has been officially thrown out of the window...

it's gone...

it's been busy so far:

saturday was spent poolside and i came home with the sunburn to prove it

sunday night we hosted dinner with friends and a few of them stayed until 1 am

i have not had friends over that late in a long time

last night... sister came over for grilled shrimp tacos and scrabble

i have slept in two mornings in a row...unitl 9:30...

and then today...i snuck out of the quiet house early and headed to starbucks...

when i came back home...i jumped back into bed to canoodle and watch movies with mr c

after mr c headed off to work...the kids and i sat and watched alice in wonderland for the first

time...i loved it...every minute of it, and will probably watch it again tonight...

and now...i am ignoring the arguing going on in the family room...and the laundry piled high in

the laundry room...

kick your shoes off summer and stay awhile...would ya'?

♥

the magic of girls....

2010-05-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

i love having a daughter in between my two boys

she makes me remember the magic of being a girl

the specialness that is part of who we are as little girls with dreams bigger than life

yesterday marked the end of the school year

so morgan and i decided to have a small but magical end of the year party

a party to celebrate the end of fourth grade

the guest list:

her best girlfriends

a small group of girls that i love having over

we tossed around a few ideas on how to celebrate...

and last minute...we decided to have an outdoor picnic in the grass

it was the simplest idea...

easy set up and easy maintenance

the girls made their own homemade pizzas for dinner

one pepporoni and one cheese

{i get my pizza dough at trader joes and it's the best i've found}

we also had a summer salad with strawberry dressing and crusty french bread

from the moment morgan's guests arrived...they were silly

and the entire night was their show

they behaved exactly how i did at my slumber parties when i was ten

i somehow turned into their waitress {that never got a tip from them} for the whole night...
i was running strawberry lemonade and panna water back and forth for these girls
i should have hired a real waiter or maybe even paid the boys to serve them...
maybe next time...
we set up our quilts and pillows right in the front yard...
right under our big ficus tree
we also brought out some trays and vases of flowers to pretty things up

they spent the lot of the night outside under the big tree
i love that they only came in for 'tinkle time' as they put it...

after dinner...they played all sorts of silly games that i played when i was their age...
they talked about boys and i was glad to hear that for the most part...boys are still gross...but that doesn't stop these girls from thinking that gross boys are still cute...
confusing, i know
they played statue and truth or dare which actually just turned into dare...
do you remember playing that?
i think it would be more fun to play as an adult...

i am so glad that morgan has this group of girlfriends
i hope she has them with her forever...
they already have their own very distinct personalities...

they danced in the front yard until about 9 underneath the big tree...
mr c and i hung tea lights in mini ball jars for the girls...
it was the perfect amount of twinkle for the night
the perfect amount of magic...

i learned last night that morgan thinks jake d is cute and nice...

and some boy named trevor b is not...

and one of the fourth grade girls has already kissed a boy!...

really....in the fourth grade

we finished off the night with chocolate cake...movies and snacks...

it is amazing how much food these girls can eat
when i left them and went to bed around midnight...they were playing rounds of MASH...do you remember that game?....

i used to play it with my sister and my girlfriends...

somethings just don't change...

when they woke up {too early on the first day of summer break} we had chocolate croissants and berries with orange juice spiked with pellegrino water...

it gives the oj just enough bubbly and zip...you should try it...you'll love it too..

after her girlfriends were all picked up and dropped off...

i told morgan that we should have more parties this summer just because...

because isn't being a girl enough to celebrate...

bare toes in the grass...

2010-05-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

after a somewhat busied morning with picking up the one of

the kids from auntie's and a few errands and housework...

we put a stop to the day and invited a picnic into our afternoon...

have you ever just done that?

had an idea and you didn't think about it...

you just did it?

something i'm trying to work on...

losing the regimented scheduling girl inside of me...

i'm getting tired of letting the clock run my day...

so as summer is getting closer..

and the days are becoming more lax...

i've decided to let go a little

so far...it feels pretty good...

we picnicked in the front yard on mikey's old quilt...

it was warm and breezy...

perfect weather for sitting in the sun with my 3 little bugs...

we talked about college...dogs...summer plans...swimming and ants

there wasn't one fight...

that always amazes me...

{maybe because i threatened to cancel the picnic if the bickering started

or maybe because i bribed them to behave}

the only thing missing was mr c...

but he was at work...

somebody's gotta bring home the bacon

i wish for these to be the memories that pop up in my children's minds when they are grown

up with little bugs of there own...

...i hope that they reflect back and think of the little simple things

that they had during their childhood...

these are the days that count...

the days that left us with bare toes in the grass

do you know what this is...

2010-05-19T18:22:00.001-07:00

this is my bikini

this is the reason...the only reason why i am eating brown rice and asparagus for dinner tonight
and every night to come
and why i will not have a piece of chocolate cake for dessert
this is my motivation for the summer that is just about here in phoenix
do you live here too?
so then you know?
if you don't...
then know this...
we will live in bathing suits and itty bitty sun dresses for the next 5 months
my first pool hours will be logged this saturday and...
i.am.not.ready...
there...
i said it....
not ready....
i am not one who works out in the gym
i don't mind running if i can find the motivation
but so far, motivation has yet to be seen around these parts
that is until today...
when i dug through the dresser drawer to find the above
and when i pulled it out
and hung it on the bathroom door
motivation came knocking pretty loud...
knock
k n o c k
k n o c k
so here we go...
time to get it back into a bikini
are you ready?
do you worry about this too...
and one more thing...
am i too old for a bikini?
35 this summer
what do you think?

come home....please

2010-05-18T10:13:00.001-07:00

.....i wont ask for anything more if you do.

my darling mr c...you have been gone since sunday and i am ready for you to return home. i know you need to visit our children that live near the ocean, but i am selfish and want you all to myself. i don't sleep well when you are gone and i don't laugh nearly as much as i do when you're home.

yesterday, sometime around 4pm, i begged the children for 10 minutes of peace so i could lay down. the day had caught up with me and left me feeling spent. it was exactly 3 minutes before landon was knocking on the bedroom door looking for my consent for him to start a bath and shortly after that, morgan wanted to bring the cat in to 'nap' with me and i use the term 'nap' loosely. after about 5 minutes, i was back in the kitchen where the children were watching avatar for the 8th time in 3 days. we could have used that dvd as a babysitter and saved ourselves the fifty dollar babysitters fee when we joined our dinner club on saturday. keep that in mind for next months dinner, will you?

dinner was easy, it had to be...i was producing off of a 5 minute nap, remember? the 3 opted for hot dogs (bleh) and fruit. no, mikey did not have the fruit. i made green beans and brown rice for myself and chased that healthy meal with a mini bag of m&m's. okay. 2 mini bags of m&m's. that is the last time we buy the economy sized bag of mini chocolates from costco. it's almost swimsuit season for bikini's sake.

i am still questioning letting the children watch the sixth sense last night. although i believe m. night shayamalan is a genius...his movies are a little unnerving. how does he think of these stories? the kids kept reassuring me that they could handle such a movie so i let them watch. i thought i might have made a mistake in letting them watch when i had to later accompany landon to the bathroom...i observed him checking both the tub and linen closet for 'dead people'. no nightmares were reported this morning so i think maybe we are in the clear.

the kids were all dropped off to school this morning without delay. i even managed to get my starbucks before i took mikey to poston. only 8 more days of school. i am ready for lazy summer days that all begin with sleeping in. that reminds me, will you move the alarm clock to your side of the bed?

i am anxious for your return tomorrow. i haven't laughed in two days. strike that...i did laugh a little while watching the big bang theory last night. sheldon's dialogue kills me. but laughing with you is much more fun. bazinga!

so i'm off to tackle the linen and craft closets. and maybe sneak in a nap before the children get picked up from school. i have promised them a trip to yogurtland later today. it's right next to the nordstrom that i have to make a return to. and i woke up craving the vanilla and chocolate masterpiece covered with coconut and peanut bits that i made there on saturday. sounds good, doesn't it?

i'll call you later today. but i'll send you a sexy text before then.

love you more and most,

here i am...

2010-05-14T10:06:00.001-07:00

before you read this, please know this....

i am incredibly uncomfortable posting photos of myself...

i am trying to get over that

by posting a slew of photos of myself...

the reason:

i found that i enjoy blogs more when you can see who you are reading about and connect with them through photos of themselves

so please...

do not think i am narcissistic...

because i am not...

so...

here i am...

i am the 4th child out of 5

my sister who is my best friend is the baby of our family

i still tell her that 'mom told me i am the favorite'

thank you mom for having jess...

i don't know what i would do without her

i married when i was 21 years old

i was married for 11 years

we had 3 babies

i am still very ambivalent when i reflect on that time

things were good then bad and then good again...

then they got really bad

and i got really hurt and scared

and finally had enough

so i told him ENOUGH...

and then i picked up my 3 babies and started over

they are now 12, 10 and 6

they are my greatest calling

they will be the most important thing that i do with my life

divorce was hard
starting over with 3 babies was the hardest, best, rawest, funniest and smartest

time in our lives...but now, things are good

i am blessed and restored

i got a second chance with mr c

we worked together some 17 years ago

before my marriage and my babies

we crushed on each other but...

he was married so that's all we could do...

i always knew he was supposed to be mine

i just had to wait for the timing to be right...

he divorced 5 years before i did

and he waited for the right girl

that was me but i was late...

trying to get out of the bad marriage i was in

after my marriage ended and divorce progressed...the thought of mr c popped into my head

i was sitting in the school parking lot waiting for my children when i picked up my phone and

called where he worked...

i left a message for him because the receptionist told me he had the day off...

i remember, it was a wednesday

he called me within minutes

she gave him my message immediately

and he knew...

when she said 'a rebecca called'

he knew it was me

he said his heart fluttered every time he heard my name in the past 14 years,

even if i wasn't 'the rebecca' at the time

we spoke and text on and off all day and met for breakfast the next day

we hugged the moment we saw each other

and held hands over oatmeal and muffins

our timing was finally right

we have been inseparable ever since

he's my perfect

i will love him for the rest of forever

he loves my babies and i love his babies

we have 7 babies between us

hoping for one more with each other

maybe someday...

our life is good

we are healthy, happy and always laughing

i cook chicken and beef for my family and i am a vegetarian

that's love if you ask me

i have not eaten red meat, chicken, pork or any land animal in 13 years

i do eat a little seafood

i am still trying to figure out the threading of who i am

my insecurities run high and daily i try to get them under control

i told my mom the other day that this is my hardest battle

to just trust in myself and my own decisions and to let go of keeping up

to just focus on what i want for my family

to figure out our own formula

aside from my family, i love:

starbucks, fudge brownies from aj's, red and black nail polish, panna water, summer sweaters,

paper goods, classical music, gangsta rap, oil rubbed bronze, the mountains in az, the beach, staying in hotels, flipping through photos, chapstick, espadrilles, summer dresses, laughing until i cry and tanned skin

i am rebecca and this is me

please don't tell him i posted this...

2010-05-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

.....a photo of my better half's...better half!

mr c is a fox and he just can't help it...why would he want to anyway?

...i remember the days when we were just starting to date. mr c would give me the text saying that he was on his way over, most often it would be late at night after my children had fallen asleep...dating as a single mom is tricky stuff. i would spend a good hour showering, recurling my hair, touching up make up and making sure the legs were smooth (at least from the knee down). i always greeted that man at the door with a kiss that would make him weak in the knees every time. i wore cute pajama shorts with a little tank top and sometimes i surprised him in a nighty...BOY HAVE THINGS CHANGED!!!

...i am sitting here in my old navy polka dot pajama bottoms and black tank top with my hair tied back in a side pony waiting for him to come home from work. i probably smell a bit like garlic since i chopped exactly 4 cloves of it for tonight's risotto with asparagus. i haven't touched up my make up since about 1 this afternoon and because landon and morgan each took the longest and hottest baths in history, i probably will not shower because the water wont be hot enough for me. that means prickly legs and mr c hates prickly legs (sorry, darling). i am not sure if i will even get up and remove myself from the computer to greet him properly at the door and welcome him home...that has yet to be decided.

...there is something to be said about being comfortable and real in your relationship, no?

...on second thought...i think i'm going to run a brush through my hair and at least run some fruity chapstick over my lips...that should do the trick!

see babe...i still got it.

monday, monday

2010-05-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

somewhere between the hours of 9 and 10 am this morning...i lost my moxie

...my verve was gone...

i awoke early this morning with to do lists longer than both of my arms linked together...

i have checked exactly two items from my list:

dropped the children off to school and

ran through starbucks for my white mocha...check and check

everything else has been temporarily put on hold until further notice

i lost all determination to tackle the

laundry

dishes

and

childrens rooms

i have spent the lot of my day:

chatting on the phone

surfing the interweb

forgetting about the diet i started today and remembering it half way through the slice of white cake that i was eating...i didnt even slice the cake actually...just forked it off the tray...

playing with my iphone

walking past the laundry only looking at it long enough to make a face and swear at it

i have googled backyard chickens and sunless tanners

spoken to my sister 3 times

about nothing

and twirled my hair into a mess

so....

it is now time to take the rest of my monday back

i will pick my children up from school

fail at talking myself out of another run through starbucks

and tackle the 3 point list that i forced myself to scribble down moments ago:

1. finish all the {damn} laundry

2. prepare the mr.'s shirt for work tomorrow while questioning how i got signed up to iron them in the first place...i loathe ironing

3. organize my desk caddy so that bills get sent out on time this month!

go get 'em becks...you can do it.

after starbucks lights you up first...

they're watching you.....

2010-05-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

...that's exactly what my mother would tell me somewhere around the 2nd grade. she knew that during lunch time, i was tossing my sandwiches overboard like yesterdays garbage and opting to chase my lunch treats with a chocolate milk instead. i don't know how she knew...but she did. i wondered if she had hidden a secret camera in my lunch box...or maybe she was hiding somewhere in the lunch crowd, just waiting to catch me dismissing my pb&j. one day, i found the nerves in the pit of my belly and asked her how she knew. she told me that she had made phone calls to the teachers and lunch aides and they were her secret spies. secret spies? genius. i am however, standing by my former belief that my mother is part {good} witch and just knows these things...a spawn of traditional motherly intuition, if you will.

so last week when i was unpacking landon's backpack and lunch box...the contents, minus one bag of oreo cookies was still in the box. when i interrogated landon about choosing the oreos over everything else, he played confused. he tried his best to sell me on the issue that he wasn't really that hungry...meanwhile, he was scarfing down yogurt and cheetos like he had been stuck on a deserted island all day.

"Landon, you know that they are watching you and they have my phone number and will be calling me after your lunch every day?"

Landon...panicked look followed by nervous mumbles of sorts.

the next day: he ate everything. i think. at least nothing was brought home and he pinky promised me that he ate the sammy and all.

i {almost} feel bad that i remind him everyday that they are watching....but it works and i am pretty sure that it will cost me fortunes in therapy some day. but hey...it worked for my mother, and i turned out okay. mostly.

loving these....

2010-05-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

...tory burch ballet flats right now. you know your hubbins-to-be loves you when he puts tory burch on your feet!

i have been living in these the past week and i am not at all afraid to say that i have worn them every day. i know they are only shoes...but gosh darn it, i love 'em.

*****

right now i am readying teacher appreciation gifts...tossing around easy dinner ideas in my head and avoiding the arguing going on in the kitchen. i have already been referee to both the ice cream and mikey wont leave me alone debacles. i am anxiously waiting for the time when my children love to spend lazy days and after school hours together. i will not hold my breath. will you?

*****

earlier today, mr c and i drove around and looked at new homes...one of our favorite ways to waste time. i have been a model home junkie since i was 17 or 18 years of age. i would tag along with my parents and scan the the model homes with intensity, studying every design move and trying my hardest to memorize what i saw. when we would pull into our home...i immediately headed to my room and invested hours rearranging and redecorating. then my energies would head out into the rest of my parents home. now at 34...this has not changed at all. i still come home inspired, energized and resolved to make my home shine and present like the models. why i did not forward my ambitions in interior design yet, i do not know.

*****

mr c bought each of us iphones a few weeks ago. how i managed life without it before baffles me. i did not know that i could love a phone...but i do. i love it as much as the mr right now nail polish that i found at sephora last week. red. i have never worn red nails until last week. boy was i missing out on that. red nails are sexy.

*****

off to make dinner now...i'm thinking pasta and sauteed veggies sounds nice.

wednesday was good

2010-05-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

our home functions on routine. i need routine in my life. i am a very scheduled and regimented kind of gal. mr c is the complete opposite of this. that's why we are so good together. that and we make a pretty foxy pair when standing together.

today mr c started his new promotion at work and as a result of that promotion, he has a new schedule. this means constructing a new routine for me. we had the morning together alone so instead of the usual housework and errand running, we opted for bike rides and scrabble.

a girl could get used to bike rides and scrabble in the morning...as long as they are preceded by a trip through the starbucks drive-thru....some parts of the routine just shouldn't be changed.

monday's eve

2010-05-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

the house is quiet...

mikey, morgan and landon are asleep

and

mr c is at his softball tourny...

i feel like the house is all mine right now

the fan is buzzing and the tv is muffled with the sound

of bad reality tv...my secret addiction...

i just finished a long steam in the shower

while

wishing the whole time it was a bath

sadly...

we have no tub in the master bath...

a hot shower does not come close to comparing to a hot bath

if that sounds like whining...then it was spot on...

because i was

after tonight...i could really use a long bath...

and massage...

and pound of chocolate...

with a side of ice cream

i again, was challenged by my ex-spouse

having to explain the importance and validity of motherhood

it was a frustrating conversation...

one that has been going on for some time now...

so now...i am putting those frustrations behind me while

i prepare myself and my family for tomorrow

tuesday is sure to bring some fun things considering

mr c is taking the day off of work

and...

the countdown has officially begun...

only 18 official days of school left

call me crazy but...

i am looking forward to lazy summer days

this 6am in the morning routine has worn out its welcome

...don't ya think?

i was pleasantly surprised...

2010-04-02T18:21:00.001-07:00

Thursday was the 1st grade field trip to the zoo. I tried pretty hard to avoid being a parent helper for this one...but Landon won. Again. I wasn't crazy about going, but Mr C said he would go along with me. That man is my saving grace sometimes. He really is. We were blessed with beautiful weather that we thought would not happen due to the 70 % chance of showers that were predicted days before. It seems that maybe more of us were praying for sun than those praying for the rain.

I ended up taking 348 pictures on our trip and have a only a few to post for the sake of journaling and grandmas living out of state. So if zoo photos are not you're thing...check back later for more exciting content. I'll let most of the photos speak for themselves.

{i love that landon held mr c's arm off and on throughout the day...}

I have to tell you...this bull was in the same grassy area as the giraffes and various birds. I was so surprised to see them so content with coexisting.

{my absolute favorite animals at the zoo are giraffes...amazing}

I do have to say...the field trip was so much more fun with Mr C there. He had me laughing with off color jokes that are to inappropriate to repeat on this blog. I love that he spent his day off of work with us. Going to the zoo is such a great reminder of the creativity of our Creator. The different colors, sizes and characteristics that were given to these creatures fall nothing short of amazing.

just please slow down....

2010-03-30T12:03:00.001-07:00

Please slow down! I must say this to Landon daily. He's getting too big too fast. I thought I would be more 'used to' him getting older...he is my third baby. His older brother and sister went through the same changes and did not listen to me either. They are now 12 and 10 respectively. Experience with growing children has not prepared me with the proper tools to watch my third, my last one get big.

When I was in the kitchen making dinner last night, Landon asked if he could read to me. He dragged to the kitchen his little yellow chair and settled right in front of the fridge. He brought with him exactly 1 library book and 2 unlaced shoes on 2 big feet. I asked him when his feet got so big...he just laughed and opened his book.

He's almost too big for his little yellow chair...and I can't believe that I didn't notice this before. I stood about 3 feet from my little landon who is not so little anymore...staring at him like I hadn't noticed ever before that he was now in size 7 shorts and a medium tee. How did time go by so fast. So, Landon read his book while I stirred my risotto. He actually read his book. I am amazed {even after 2 kids already through the first grade} that kids can read this early.

Landon read and I cooked. The company was perfect.

And then I told him to slow down and stop getting big. He laughed again at my ridiculous request and continued on reading.

This is the kid who asks me on a daily basis if he can live with me forever. Tells me almost every night that I smell good. Makes the loudest 'mmmmm' sounds when I am making dinner and has to come to me every night for 'just one more kiss and hug goodnight!' He is completely connected to me.

Dear Landon, I know you have to grow every day and that's fine...really it is. But could you, just for me, slow it down a bit. Keep your 6 year old voice a little longer and continue to fashionably wear marker on your fingers...it goes with everything you wear. Still hug and kiss me and come to me when you are sad. If you do...I will bake you chocolate chip cookies after school today. Promise.

♥ mom

Happenings...From a Very Busy Week

2010-03-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here on a beautiful Sunday afternoon while my house smells of strawberry patch candles and breezy spring air. I simply cannot get enough of this time of year.

This post should probably come with a WARNING sign because there are so many photos. It was a very busy week back from a very mellow spring break and I am really putting forth efforts to document all of this life that is happening. Aside from that, the kids have a Grandma in Nevada and an Aunt in Wisconsin who are in need of some updated photos of them...they just wont stop with the growing.

So here goes:

For the past few weeks, Mr C has been playing flag football with a team of guys that he put together. Wednesday nights might be what I look most forward to in the week! It is so much fun to watch these men play.

I might have mentioned before that Mr C's great love is football. He played it, coached it and watches it religiously during the season. It is for that reason that I have more football knowledge today than half of the men I know. When he told me that he put a team together and would be playing, I was really excited for him. Sister and her boys come to the games to watch too and we have the best time.

Mr C stretching. He has to do a lot of this...he just hit 40 this past November. Before we even get to the field, he takes 4 Ibuprofen, applies and ICY HOT patch to his bad shoulder and wraps it in an ACE bandage. When we get home...he spends a little time with the heating pad and ice packs...but let's not tell him that I let anyone in on that.

Mr C is the one holding 2 footballs and teaching Chad's son, Alex how to throw. He has also spent lots of time teaching me to properly throw the "pill." I can even run patterns and distinguish the difference between a fly, flag and post pattern. How 'bout that?

Wednesdays game was a little tough. We played a team of firefighters. Firefighters are required to be in shape. Very good physical shape. I'm just going to post that we did not win because we played against fellas like these:

They were huge. They were fast.

This is what my children do when they are bored at half time. They run around in backward sweaters and act like crazies. They are completely spent by the time we arrive home.

Excuse the blur here, folks. Trying to capture photo of the men in flags. Mr C is the one holding the ball...he is the team Quarterback.

After Wednesdays game...we headed home to catch up on American Idol and an put the children to bed early. Thursday would be another busy day. After school...Morgan had her end of the year choir concert. It was something we were all looking forward to {mostly because that meant the end of choir practice at 7:25 in the morning}.

Here is proof that I was there with Mr C.

And now I present to you the Entz chorus...4th, 5th and 6th grade. That is Morgan right in the middle. I would say, "the one with the flower in her hair", but it seems that all of the girls got together and wore their biggest flowers in their hair for the concert!

There was a really cute number in the middle of the concert where the children "sang" half the song using kazoos. I am relieved that I do not have to hear her practice this song at home any longer. The sound of a kazoo can only be tolerated for so long!

I have to post a picture of the Blue Ribbon Award that our school received this year. We were one of 4 elementary schools {I believe in the country} to be honored with this award. We have a fantastic school principal and staff of teachers that make our school amazing...not to mention the hard work of the student body. Okay...enough bragging.

Back to the concert. I moved out of the parent seating to shoot some better photos and when I looked over at Mr C, this is how I found him. The choir was singing the theme song to Spongebob Squarepants and Mr C was singing right along. He was trying to talk Landon into singing with him.

This is what 2 very naughty boys were doing the entire length of the concert.

Good golly this post is long!

Moving onto Friday evening. Our school carnival. One of the most fun events put on by out PTO. It is one big effort to raise money for our PTO and also helps teachers to buy supplies for their classrooms next fall.

Morgan instantly found her besties. I love these girls.

All kinds of bounce houses and rock climbing walls and games are set up around the field for the kids to enjoy. Morgan found herself on the below bungee bouncer.

Hysterical to watch her run with all of her might and then be slung back like a rubber band.

This is my favorite part! The raffle baskets. Each grade puts together a basket with a theme using money donated from the parents. Every ticket that is put into that baskets can is worth $1. After the carnival, the tickets are added up and then the proceeds are divided among that grades teachers to help them buy supplies for their classrooms. I love this idea...and years ago we actually won one of the baskets so we know how much fun it is to win.

Landon really wanted to win the electric scooter this year.

And Morgan really really wanted to win this:

...she put all of her raffle tickets into winning the bunny. When names were called later in the evening, I looked over at her and saw her holding her owl necklace up to her lips wishing out loud that her name would be called. It wasn't......but her best friends was. So now, Morgan can visit the bunny when she goes to Jayden' house and Morgan's mom likes that a lot better! Although, I'm fairly certain that Mr C is having the same thoughts on the baby chickens that I was trying to win for myself.

I'm looking forward to a very quiet and lazy rest of the day...readying the family for the week to come which includes for me, a list of spring cleaning chores to tackle. ♥

I've got your dessert idea for tonight

2010-03-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

And they are super easy too. Kind of an easy take on whoopie pies. My children have somehow gotten used to the idea of dessert after dinner. Every night, without fail, as soon as they drop their dinner dishes off at the sink, I hear them one right after another, "what's for dessert?" Most nights we wing it with ice cream or cookies...but last night was a little more special.

I was very lucky to have two helpers with me. In fact, I most often have their help in the kitchen. Sometimes my patience is really tried...especially when they fight over who gets to crack the eggs...but for the most part, I find it a joy to teach them what I have learned myself.

I first came across this easy box recipe on Darby's blog...and since then I have seen a few variations. Most of them are pretty similar and have the same basics.

Landon looks so tall because he is standing on one of his little school chairs...he almost doesn't need it anymore. I wish he would slow his growing just a little. 7 years old is coming way too soon. Looking at this photo, I can see how big his little hands are getting. Slow down boy, slow down.

Morgan has always loved to be my helper in the kitchen. I try an encourage her to be comfortable experimenting and she seems to really enjoy that. My first two children both started preschool and attended kindergarten in a Montessori school. I have to say that I really really loved the way the children were taught. Both Mikey and Morgan enjoyed the practical life part of their day the most. Children were able to learn the basics of exactly that, practical life. They were taught how to sew, clean, wash dishes, self care, food preparation, gardening and the like. I absolutely think that elementary schools should incorporate some sort of class hour like this today. And I think it should be mandatory again in High School as well as a Budgeting 101 class. But before I get too off track...let's finish baking first. Can you see the big curls in Morgan's hair? She just started curling it herself. I can tell you that when I was 10 years old...I was not operating a curling iron or hair dryer without the help of my mother. It wasn't until I was about 12 that I started to sleep in those uncomfortable pink spongy rollers that gave me the curl I longed for. Even then, my mom had to roll them for me every night. {Thanks, mom!}

My helpers were doing a great job until the phone rang....and Landon absolutely had to take the call. I'm serious folks. Mom and dessert got put on hold so he could carry on a conversation. He didn't like the fact that I was following him and the phone around, so he locked himself in the pantry to finish up his socializing.

After Landon's socializing was over, we started the best part. The mixing. I don't know about other kids, but mine are fascinated with the electric mixer. They fight over who gets to turn it on and then who gets to turn up the speed. So...Landon won and turned on the mixer and watched and waited.

And he was doing his very best to be patient while he waited.

And waited.

And waited. He tried to close me on letting him turn the mixer to high "just to see how fast it goes, mom." I declined. Did not have the energy it would take to clean the ceilings. So...here is where I put the camera down and forgot to photo the rest. I dropped our 'spoonfuls' a little to large and ended up with cakes that were too big. So I took my 1'' biscuit cutter and cut out the cakes to make them smaller.

Then we decorated the tops with powdered sugar and threw them in the fridge to cool some more. The result................yumm-o. I will say that they pair very well with morning coffee. They also pair very well with a big glass of milk.

The recipe is really easy and again was from Darby's blog {which is a favorite}

All you need is:

1 box of Devil's Cake Mix (make according to box directions except for add only 3/4 cup of water and add the instant pudding)

1 box of Instant Chocolate Pudding

Frosting {I cheated and used the already made...I can't help it nor do I feel bad...I love the taste of the vanilla and it's so easy}

Mix everything together while your oven is preheating to 350.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Lay little spoonfuls about an inch apart onto parchment and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes. {I actually left them in almost 2 minutes longer than this to make sure they baked through}

Let them completely cool.

When they are cool...put frosting on one and then smoosh it with another.

Enjoy...and don't blame me if your pants are tight after making these. They're good.

Rain induced Procrastination

2010-03-23T11:10:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that just a few days ago we were outside basking in the sun with red cheeks and flip flops and then today......

......it looks like this outside. It's gray, dark and gloomy out and I want to do nothing more than sit inside blog surfing and sipping on my coffee. Unfortunately, I have laundry piled high, childrens rooms that need to be {for lack of a better word} gutted and a list of housework that I really don't want to confront right now. Why is it that rainy days feel like a pass for procrastination? However, if this is the greatest of my concerns today...then I have much to be grateful for.

My most important errand today, {according to Landon} is to run out and get the Toy Story 2 dvd that is being re-released today. I could not find the one we already own and promised to have the new one ready with a bowl full of Orville Redenbacher's finest when he returned home from school.

I'm sure that if I at least get that errand checked off the list.....the kids will not care if they have clean rooms or fresh laundry.

'round here.....

2010-03-22T13:57:00.001-07:00

...we've been excited for spring. Last week the kids were home for spring break and I don't think that I could have planned it to be any better than it was. The weather here was to say the least...perfect. I think that helped to put an ease in our step throughout the week. The days just seemed lighter and easier. I was mostly looking forward to lazy mornings, unscheduled days and a break from the norm. The week ended up being so much more than that. We bathed in the sun during our picnic with bare toes pointing skyward on Tuesday, got our fingers dirty and found worms and bugs while gardening on Thursday, laughed until we cried at the movies on Friday with sister and her boys, ate dinners and lunches at favorite restaurants and so much more in between. Just so that I don't paint the wrong picture of a week without any imperfections...we also had scraped knees, fights between brothers, fights between brothers and sister, complete meltdowns and a catastrophic disappearance of Landon's Game boy DS (it was finally recovered in the bottom of my very busy magazine basket of all places on Saturday). Nonetheless, it was a well balanced week in our home.

The above are the planters that the kids and I found on one of our 17 trips to Target last week. You think I'm kidding? I'm not. Target has become my second home...my safe place. We bought two of the pink planters so that they would flank the entry to our front door. I love the hot pink gardenia. They are the first thing you see when you look at our home. So spring!

While Morgan spent the afternoon with one of her friends swimming, the boys and I did some work in the planters in front of our home. We cleaned the areas and added some new plants...I can't think of any other way to feel so content and at peace then to work in the earth with my kids. Too heavy? Heavy, but true. Mikey will be 13 this summer and I keep hearing this little voice inside of my head telling me to take advantage of every opportunity I have to keep him close. To keep him engaged in conversation and to not let moments go to waste. I know he has a very short time left at home before high school and then college. I don't want to live with regrets when he is ready to be on his own.

We also stopped by Trader Joes to bring some spring into our home. The best way for me to do that would be with hydrangea. My absolute favorite. I text Mr C while standing in line ready to buy my 9 bunches of flowers and told him, " I needed flowers for my spirit." He text back..."I bet they're pretty, sweetie." I must love the man who does not make me feel bad for spending what I do on floral.

********************

This below might be my favorite part of spring break. Our new bikes. We had been shopping for a beach cruiser for Morgan's birthday for what seemed like forever. Her birthday was a little over a month ago. I am not kidding when I report that we walked into and out of about 12 bike shops across town and then poured over the bike sites online. Everything was coming up at $300 and over. For me, I love my daughter very much, but could not justify dropping that kind of coin on a bike for a 10 year old. I just know how rough my children are on things. After some hard work by Mr C...we finally came up with a good lead. After a phone call followed by a drive into Phoenix, we found the perfect bike with the matching perfect price tag, well within our budget.

So perfect in fact, that Mr C and I bought bikes for ourselves as well.

Let me tell you.....I had not been on a bike since I was about 10 or so. I tell you this because I had forgotten about the magic of bike riding. The wind in your hair and pedal under foot magic. The permanent smiles on the faces of the little beings that I made magic. It truly for me, was the best part of spring break.

The kids and I made a routine of running errands or having fun time early in the morning and the then would come home for lunch. After lunch, I would start a load of laundry and then meet the kids in the garage to load up for our afternoon ride. I let the kids take turns leading...I kept telling them over and over again to watch for cars...slow down...hurry up...where to next....it was awesome. Speaking of awesome...do you see how pretty my new cruiser is? She is white with pink flowers. The hand stitched grip covers might be my favorite part. I haven't named her. Yet.

I've been cruising in my blinged out Havaianas. Flip flop season is officially here for us.

After long bike rides in the 80+ degrees that we have had...you have to cool down with an ice cream cone. A chocolaty drippy cone to be exact. My children have gone through exactly 3 cartons of ice cream in the last 2 weeks. I take mine with sprinkles on top.

The kids were back to school today and the house was too quiet. Walking around, I found little reminders of the past week throughout the house. Like when our fluffly white cat, Milo, walked in from outside with a coat of hot pink sidewalk chalk covering his body. Apparently, he decided to roll in the exact spot that Landon colored and entire square in the pinkest chalk you have ever seen. I have no idea how to get it off of the cat! Any ideas?

So this spring break has really gotten me anxious for summer break. We have just 2 short months of school left and you better believe that we are making a paper chain this week to start counting down those days. Now mind you...I there is a good chance that the previous statement will be retracted more than once during the next two months when the kids start fighting and whining. Just keeping honest here.

H A P P Y S P R I N G!!

turning 10

2010-02-11T09:17:00.000-08:00

i don't know exactly how it happened...

but this girl turned 10.

i find myself thinking about morgan turning 10 over and over.

this year...we have adopted simplicity

it is woven into everything that we do anymore...

it is to say the least...refreshing...

so when morgan was put in charge of planning her birthday party...

she kept it simple

{thank goodness}

a slumber party with 5 girlfriends

a craft table

scavenger hunt

pizza and movies

all of her favorite things

t h i s g i r l m a k e s m e s m i l e

we started to work on the craft table about a week before the party

we pulled out a lot of supplies that we already had

i spent a few hours with my new heart punch and produced a few hundred hearts

we had little tart tins full of little numbers and letters,

clothespins, numbered cards, ribbons, papers, glitter...

you name it...we had it
i wanted the girls girls to be able to sit down at the table and just create
whatever came to them

w e m a d e p a p e r l o l l i e s ....

p a p e r f l o w e r p o m s ...

l i t t l e p r i n t e d n o t e s t o a t t a c h t o w h a t e v e r

as the week went on...we kept adding and adding...

a few trips to the scrapbook store down the street to pick up a few must haves

was really all that we had to purchase for the table

decorations were kept simple as well...
we brought out the happy birthday banner that we made last year

crepe paper strands and ribbons everywhere

i love that most everything was handmade

reminds me of being younger when my mother would put together

a fabulous birthday party using home supplies and her imagination

that's me...the party planner

so the girls arrived...all giggly and excited!

they headed to the craft table right after they walked through the door...

it was fun to listen to them chat about their lives while they created and constructed

i love morgan's chippy nail polish in this photo

i am so grateful that morgan has such a good group of girlfriends to surround her

these girls are the cutest

they spent so much time gluing and sticking and cutting...

i checked in on them from time to time and really...they were so busy and content

c r e a t i n g

we took a break from crafting and headed outside for a scavenger hunt

but first...they had to strike a pose

10 year olds!

after the scavenger hunt...we had a pizza and junk food fest...

i cannot believe how much these little monkeys can eat!

they did not stop

morgan opened gifts and then the girls spent some time together being silly
after an intense game of hide and go seek in the dark...the girlies donned their jammies and

we set up camp in the family room

blankies...check

pillows...check

stuffies...check

snacks...check

these girls fooled me and mr c....

we thought that they had all fallen asleep at 11:30pm..

mr c woke me up at 2:30 in the morning and told me that the girls were at the craft table making things...i learned when i woke up saturday morning that these night owls stayed up until 4:30 hanging out at the craft table...

then they woke up at 7 and looked fresh as daisies....

that is more than i can say for the family pup, mandy...clearly...she was pooped!

1-19-2010

2010-01-19T19:20:00.000-08:00

tuesday

finally feel like i have let go of the

fog that was keeping me blurred last week

...

my thoughts started to clear and refocus themselves

i can't be grateful enough for the clarity

...

today was wonderfully gray

the skies have been full of rain and have just started letting it go for us

i can't think of a better time to wash the last week away

...

throughout my day of errands and housework...

i did a lot of thinking

thinking about what would make me feel better

after last weeks frustrations...

a little reevaluation was self prescribed

i decided that i would start to use my hands for more than

folding the laundry and washing dishes

i have decided to use them to do service

for others

i began calling shelters

learning where and how i could be of help

the need is overwhelming

i have decided that my mind wasn't just for bad television and

mindless matters anymore

so...

i picked up all 817 pages of anna karenina and started reading again

my reading list for 2010 is a little intimidating

i have decided to use my time better

focusing and simplifying

it's a change for me and one that is not easy

i have also decided to let the little things go

oh how i wish this was easy for me to do

i'm the master at holding on and never letting go

it's exhausting i tell you what

i'm ready to pack that nuance away

...

i'm off now to close the day

ready myself for tomorrow

and

do a little reading

happy to report that i only have 586 pages left of

tolstoy's

anna karenina

Today I am grateful for: mr c...he is very responsible for my happiness...

last week

2010-01-18T16:00:00.000-08:00

last week was tough

everyday led me to frustration

frustration that stayed and showed no signs of leaving

the thoughts in my mind were heavy

my heart felt challenged

i spent a lot of time in thought

and

a lot of time in tears

i felt like so many threads were being pulled at the same darn time.

i was challenged by an ex-spouse

misunderstood by a sister

too wrapped up in my issues to realize I had distanced myself

from Mr C

and

i was not patient with my children

my challenges rolled on over to my little family

that made me feel horrible

So...

in order to make up to my 3 little chicks

we headed to the park

they forgave me instantly

i forgave myself too

i sat with my toes warm in the sand

listening to my kids

reading my book

clearing my head

morgan ran wild with her long wavy hair

landon climbed everything in sight
mikey put himself in the middle of his own adventure

it was good for my little spirit to let go and forget all
that was bothering me

that is always hard for me to do

it's hard to stay focused on the not so great when

i hear my little wonders laughing and screaming

the park was my medicine

being outside away from the norm...

and then today

just seeing landon

trying to grab the flag that

the boy scouts placed in our front yard

for civil rights day

was enough to keep

me in the same frame of mind

i spent a whole week being down

i dont like that i wasted that much time

dwelling

on things out of my control right now

time for a fresh new week

without frustrations

without tears

time to let go of things that i cannot control

just typing that makes me feel lighter

Today I am grateful for: Laughing. Plain and simple. Laughing until my sides hurt.

if my heart could smile....

2010-01-08T07:49:00.000-08:00

.....today, it would be because of this kid. Mikey.

In August when the kids started school, my heart was chipped at. Mikey began his first year at Jr High. His first year of caring what others thought.

At 8:40 am, Monday through Friday, I dropped him off to school. At 8:41...I drove away with a blank stare. A little empty. As soon as my car made the left turn into the school...Mikey shut down and quieted himself. When the car stopped...he slid out of the barely opened door and left for his day. Not a word. No acknowledgement of my goodbyes and have a good days meant for him. The boy was gone. His mom was deflated.

I learned to sneak goodbyes in during casual conversations with Mikey on our 6 minute drive to school every morning. I let him know that I loved him and had good wishes for his day before the left turn into the lot. Sometimes I teased him about jumping out of the car and hugging him in front of the guys. He didn't think this was funny. Maybe the humor was lost in the delivery. Even if he didn't respond to my wishes and whatnot's, I felt better having said it out loud to him.

Still...I was bothered this. I mentioned it a few times to Mikey but really just hit a wall. He didn't think it was an issue and was kind of uncomfortable talking about it. Clearly, it was not a big deal to him. I never ordered him to say a goodbye and show mom a little attention in the car. There were no threats, demands, ultimatums or bribes. I simply let him know that it bothered me and hurt my feelings. I just got used to saying goodbye to the door as it closed almost immediately after opening.

So Christmas break came and went and Monday rolled around before any of us were really ready. Early mornings were back and unanswered salutations from preteens were soon to follow.

As per routine...I dropped the littles off to school first and then headed home to pick up Mikey. When it was time...we were out the door and on the road. We had a casual conversation about his Star Wars lego clones. I did my very best to understand the difference between the clones and the separatists and who was on what side of good and evil. I mean when did Star Wars become so much more than Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker?

Before I knew it...we pulled up to the school.

"Okay...goodbye Mikey...have a good day...I love you...reach your potential and be smart!"

"Okay Mom, thanks, bye."

Before the door was closed.

In front of other kids.

A l l o n h i s o w n.

And today.....

"Okay Mom, I love you too. Bye."

My heart smiled and hasn't stopped.

boredom turned around

2010-01-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

The day was in a word....productive. Glad to be back on schedule with the kids in school and mr c back to work.

Truth be told...my day was a little mundane as well. My darling called me shortly after 10 this morning to check in. My report to his question of what are you doing was..."I'm just cleaning out the pantry and organizing my cookbooks." I immediately confronted the boredom in my day. Head on.

When Mr C called back around noon to see what I was up to...I told him I was photographing the turtles. Yep. Taking pictures of the turtles. Officially bored. Then I proceeded to whine like a 6 year old to my beloved about how I don't feel like my days are full of exciting stuff anymore. I haven't met the girls for coffee in over a month...I am avoiding shopping to stay on my new(ly highly protested) budget...he hasn't had much free time in his day to meet me for lunch and the list goes on about what I have unconsciously omitted out of my days.

I have become a boring housewife.

Note to self: I may be a boring housewife...but I value the work I do in my home. Running a smooth home with clean and healthy children and husband get big props from me. If I get dinner then dessert on the table by 6...I liken myself to Martha. This is not an easy gig.

So...after my phone call (and followed by my turtle photo shoot) I told myself in the most demanding inner voice kind of way that no matter what cleaning sensation I was in the middle of...I would leave the house by 1pm.

1pm...out the door and headed down to Stapely for some shirt shopping for Mikey. When did my 12 year become so conscious of his wardrobe? I love it. He felt the frustrations of women all around the world this morning when dressing for school. Couldn't find the proper shirt to match his black (I haven't told him they are officially boys' skinny) jeans. He asked in a very pleasing way to me to find some new shirts for him.

Thanks for giving me a mission other than laundry and pantry organizing Mikey. Means a lot.

Heading toward Stapley and Baseline...I passed by Anthropologie. Current budget told me not to even stop and look around. I didn't listen to that voice last week and as a result...I left the shop with a set of powder blue latte bowls. Why did I put myself on super tight budget again? Oh yeah. Have tossed around the idea with mr c about a new home in the future. Probably should go into that with substantial savings in tact. This however did not stop me from fantasising about the large farm table with the chippy paint lying under piles and piles of latte bowls. Maybe I should get the white ones next time.

So...made it to shopping center and picked up a few shirts for the boy. Even scored a pair of plaids for summer for him for 7 bones. Bargaining skills are becoming like super powers. I have been using them everywhere.

Rushed back to my side of Baseline Road just in time to pick up the littles from school.

Day really perked up when we made an impromptu run through Sonic for a cherry limeade. Be still my beating heart. Hand to heart...I asked mr c to get me one the other night at 10pm. He delivered one without me begging. I got me a keeper.

All had a good day. Landon and I put down 2 more chapters of James and the Giant Peach, spaghetti was a hit at dinner and 2 out of the 3 are already in bed. Now, while Mr C is at softball, my plans are to grab my new read (Anna Karenina) and then steam in the shower.

Oh how I miss having a bathtub.

Today I am grateful for: Cherry Limeades from Sonic. Wonder if I can get it in an IV Drip?

{foot of shelby,our turtle}

she did not give me much to work with

here goes

2010-01-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

This blog is headed in a new direction.

For some time now, I have been frustrated with blogging. Finding new things to blog about...worrying about getting too personal or not being TRUE to myself in my writing...I was always left feeling...sorta....unsatisfied. Yes. Very unsatisfied.

I am tired of trying to discover my blog style. Am I an informational blog? An inspirational to others kinda blog? Do I want to feature more decor and style?

Nope. Not me.

I have decided to stay True to what my writing style has always been. Journaling. Straight up journaling about everyday, all day, mundane or interesting to me kinda day. I have always enjoyed recording the daily. Thoughts. Feelings. Emotions. Hardships. Celebrations. Life.

I have let the worry go out the window about who is going to be reading my thoughts. I am no longer worried about who or how many will be following. This blogging has to come back to me and be for me.

So...this blog is going to develop itself into my online journal and fill itself with content from my head. Content from my days. Content from my life. Because what is in my head is important to me even if not to you.

I feel that I can breathe this in and truly take hold of it.

I am relieved in my confession.

I am satisfied in my decision.

So.....here goes.

resolute

2010-01-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

i am anxious to begin on one of my 2010 resolutions...

cooking more and stepping outside of

my usual dishes and really

experimenting in the kitchen...

this week....i will begin pouring through these books in hopes to find

some new and fabulous recipes to try on my crew

barefoot contessa and martha cookbooks are of my favorites
just looking through the photos is enough
to make me feel as if i have gotten my moneys worth...
has anyone tried the pioneer womans cookbook?...
i think i might make an amazon order and try her out too..
been hearing good things about her recipes

so.......
hApPy weDneSday...
i'll be spending the rest of my day looking
through these beauties
and
making grocery lists
i know...
g l a m o r o u s!

monday

2010-01-04T19:42:00.001-08:00

monday

m o n d a y

m o n d a y...

it was an early morning...

i knew it would be

first day back to school for the littles...

first early morning in two weeks

sleeping in is one of my favorite perks about a holiday break

i was not ready for the alarm to start singing at 6am this morning...

not ready at all

thank goodness i had a big mug full of coffee to get me started

i shuffled the littles off to school and headed back home to put the denali in park and

get the house in order

i came home to this

a mess

counter tops covered in stuff

s t u f f

i spent the lot of my day in the house/garage cleaning and organizing and

in the laundry room washing and folding...

i rearranged furniture and cleaned closets out...

felt a spring cleaning urge that i could not resist...

before i knew it...

it was time to pick up the kids from school!

*****

when were all home...

it was time for a snack and then some homework

with LanDoN

he LoVes homework and starts it pretty much

when he gets home from school

today he had some math to finish

i love this little guys hands

after math was completed and put away...

landon and i chose the book that we are going to read together this month...

james and the giant peach

i love this story

mikey and i read it together a few years ago...

he loved it so much and then loved it even more when we watched the movie together

then...

i walked in our bedroom just in time to catch some afternoon light creeping in from the window

after my photoshoot with the light...
i was hoping to sneak in a little power nap but the kids wanted to go outside and play...
so.....
we went outside and put them to work!
we had a yard full of leaves

l E a V e S!!
morgan and landon insisted on using the shop vac to clean all of the leaves in our front yard...
it works and is more fun than using a rake

l e a v e s

e v e r y w h e r e

after the kids vacuumed the leaves...
we headed out for a short family walk
{oops! no photos}
when we got home...
it was decided!
bReaKfaSt fOr dInNer
our favorite
while i was in the kitchen whipping up eggs and making waffles...
mr c and the kids were in the family room playing memory
{insert reason #12,947 why I love mr c}

it was a very loud and intense game of memory
lots of screaming and laughing

the game ended with a tie between mr c and mikey

after dinner...

morgan asked me to braid her hair

she loves for it to be wavy for school...

i was busy doing dishes and kitchen clean up

{still waiting on a maid}

so mr c offered his braiding skills to morgan

he looked a bit frustrated at first...

but i tell you what...

he braided her hair

i was impressed!

now it's time for bed

the little chickens are asleep

mr c is watching some late night football

a n d...

i'm blogging

while the dog is snoring!!

monday was great!

here's hoping tuesday gives it a run for the money

***time to go make the coffee***

6am comes early round here.

Picnic

2010-01-02T12:25:00.001-08:00

this post...is for my mother...

it is chalk full of photos of the kids...

apparently...i have not posted enough recent photos of her grand babies...

yesterday...we had a picnic at the park

the weather was perfect

and

mr c came home from work really early...

early enough to join us!

we ate cupcakes smothered in icing...
the boys played football

while the girls watched and tinkered around

with their new camera

we rode on the park's train

this one was completely content being out with her family

some of us went back for more cupcakes

we enjoyed croissant sandwiches

notice our short sleeve shirts in january!

it was so warm out

one of us fussed about eating sandwiches and wanted to head straight for the cupcakes

l a n d o n

mom...i told you mikey was getting big...

he is almost as tall as me now!

m i k e y

l a n d o n

m o r g a n

after lunch...we fed the ducks...

landon felt bad for the duckies who did not get any of the bread

i love his sensitivity

and we smiled in the sun

it was a great start to the new year...

lots of family time

and lots of photos for grandma to see her grandchildren in az!

we miss you

The Wrap Up!

2009-12-31T18:17:00.001-08:00

In a word...Christmas this year was just wonderful! We started off the season full of intent to make it the best and really celebrate all month long. I am truly satisfied with how everything turned out. We felt the spirit of the holidays clear and often. It's been quite awhile since I have been left with these feelings.

There really was something almost magical about Christmas this year.

We decorated early and let the berries and ornaments linger a little longer than usual. Normally, I find myself stuffing all of our holiday decorations back in their boxes the morning after Christmas. Not this year.
Our holiday break was spent playing games. Mr C and his mom spent about 3 hours playing Rummikub on Christmas afternoon. I refuse to play anything other than dominoes with these two...they are too competitive for me. Instead...I tinkered around with my new camera. Mr C and I agreed to only exchange stockings with each other. I was more than surprised when his mother disappeared during gift opening and then reappeared with a camera bag and my new Canon Rebel. My jaw was on the floor at one point. I am so glad that boy broke the "it must fit into the stocking" rule. It's been glued to my face since that moment.

Christmas eve and Christmas day were all about family and of course...food. The counter tops had a constant abundance of sweets and savories. Mama Sue brought 4 crocpots for all of her goodies. She never lets us down with her treats. She is the reason why I avoid the scale. I must have inhaled 30 of her rolo pretzels alone.

I am blessed beyond words for the wonderful parents that Mr C has. They have welcomed not only me, but my littles into their lives with open arms.

Being together as a family is always my favorite part. We were missing my mother who is living in Northern Las Vegas right now. She opted to stay put and spend Christmas with my brother and his family. Can't say that I blame her for not wanting to travel during such a busy time. Still, it's always hard to be apart this time of year.

We enjoyed each others company and spent lots of time laughing and just relaxing. That is really the best...isn't it?

I was able to persuade Mr C to avoid shaving so that I could see a little scruff on the mug.

I convinced my sis to let me use her profile for practice with my new camera. She quit after about 30 solid minutes.

There was a lot of slipper-wearing during our holiday. I loathe cold toes. Slippers are attached to my feet from about November until early March. I even sleep in them.

My sister seemed to be the only one really anxious for the holidays to wrap up...she was waiting for something really special to arrive from overseas........

.....Adam. He arrived late Saturday night from the UK. He's a delight and we were so excited to meet him. I could listen to him speak for hours. What is it about that English accent that is so pleasing to us Americans?

Fingers crossed for this one.

Now we are ready for the new year...plans and wishes have already been spoken. Goals are on the forefront of my mind. I read on another blog that suggest choosing a word for your year. Something to live by and something to strive for. With a little thought and an overwhelming pull toward this word that crossed my mind....I have decided that my word for 2010 will be : TRUE. I promise to be TRUE to myself so that I can be TRUE to my family and friends. No more worrying about what others see me as...as long as I am TRUE to myself...I can be happy.

So...Happy New Year!

Cheers to being TRUE!!

friday

2009-12-04T13:19:00.001-08:00

this is precisely why i should not be allowed to purchase ribbon without supervision.

this is only part of what i picked up too.

i can't help it!

i really can't...

it is one of my favorite things to buy, stock up on, store and fill the craft bins with...

christmas this year is ready to be wrapped up in black, white and red with a little bit of tiffany blue here and there.

i can hardly wait to get to my wrapping!

speaking of wrapping up...can you believe that it is already friday?

when did that happen?

if this week is any indication of how fast the month will go by...

then i better high-tail it and get it in gear.

so much to do this month.

so much to do this weekend alone...

football tournament

last soccer game

soccer party

christmas tree shopping

date night at the hockey game with mr c

{trying out a new babysitter...wish us luck}

and then football sunday.

for now...i am running around the house picking up before i get the littles from school...

mr c is coming home form work to a massage from my dear friend, ashley!

{thank you ash...you're the best masseuse...worth the wait}

part of his birthday gift

{even if it is a week late}

hope your weekend is full of fun and christmas magic!!

*****

monday

2009-11-30T08:04:00.000-08:00

monday's here again...

tomorrow is december 1.

when did this happen?

where did the time go?

today will be filled with putting the house back together after

our very long Thanksgiving weekend...

more laundry than i even knew we had...

dishes from turkey dinner still waiting to be put away in their place...

ribbon shopping at the craft store for christmas wrappings...

a trip to the home improvement store for more twinkly christmas lights per request by the handsome mr c...

there is a full pot of coffee to help me through today and plenty of creamer in the fridge...

i'm excited about the holidays

ready to celebrate the entire month

baking

decorating

painting ornaments with little ones

school programs

traditions

christmas songs

and celebrating the meaning of this special time of year

but...

for today

before the hustle and bustle of what december brings

i will focus on winding down november

taking a day to organize and prepare...

put the house back after company...

watch monday night football with the mister

and conquer a to do list longer than my arm!

what about you...

what's in store for you today?

are you ready to tackle another week?

this girl...

2009-11-29T17:04:00.001-08:00

...this girl was itching to create all day...

...she needed her hands to be busy...

...i know what that feels like...

...the need to make something...

...the feeling of needing to create what's been fluttering inside...

"...mom, can i make one too?..."

she wanted to make a ragamuffin garland like i made last week

only, hers was gonna be PinK!...

so...she gathered her scraps of fabric and ribbons in shades of pink...

she began cutting her strips of fabric

she was amazed by how much she needed

the table was covered in pInK!

then, she started tying the fabric and ribbons onto her garland strand...

one by one...

she could see it coming along after a bit...

then there was more cutting and more tying...

*******

about an hour later...she was done!

so proud of what she made with her own hands...
this girl was satisfied...
...i know that feeling too...
completely fulfilled because you just listened to your spirit and created...
you used your hands to make something wonderful...

so we headed to morgan's room to find the perfect spot for her garland
she draped it across her bed so she could slumber right under it at night

morgan

...i hope you always listen to your fingers when they are itching to create...

...creating is what makes us unique and individual...

...be inspired daily...

...share with us the gifts that make up you...

i love you!

Today

2009-11-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

Right now...the children are watching the Macy's Thanksgiving day Parade. Morgan loves the mini musicals. I am getting ready to prepare my very first Thanksgiving turkey! I am a wee bit nervous. My mother always made the turkey, but she's living in Las Vegas now. {happy turkey day mom, i love you!} The house smells of cinnamon spice and with an expected 81 degrees today, the windows are open and welcoming the November air.

Right now, I am thankful for many of the blessings in my life...most of which center around my family, friends, a healthy mind, body and spirit. There is so much more to list but not enough time left in today.

Right now, I am wishing my sister, Deanna in Wisconsin, a very Happy Birthday! Maybe one of these days we can celebrate a birthday together D. I hope you are spoiled and smiling all day. I love you.

Right now, I am headed off to my kitchen where I plan to spend the better part of the day...hosting my favorite people and soaking up all of what today means. I am truly in my element.

Right now, I am making plans to celebrate Mr C's 40th birthday tomorrow. More on that later.

Be back soon! Hope you have a wonderful day of celebrating.

Happy Thanksgiving.

confession # 47

2009-11-23T14:13:00.001-08:00

Last night I faked real bad girly cramps so that I would not have to give Mr C the 1 hour back tickle I promised him the eve before. {after the 1 hour back tickle he gave to me} I even brought out the heating pad and moaned a few times to sell him on my pain. Remember, you must commit yourself to make the sell. Woke up today felling really bad about that. Well, mostly bad.

Have decided that if I am asked to tickle the back of my beloved tonight, I will do just that. However, if I am not directly asked by Mr C...chances are I wont bring it up on my own either.

getting ready

2009-11-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

Right now, our home smells like fall. Between my morning coffee and the Christmas Traditions candle I picked up from the party I hosted last weekend, it smells like fall all around. I've even told myself to ignore the impending 80 degree temps outside this afternoon.

Our home has also been smelling like banana bread! I love to make this and smother some butter on it for breakfast, or snack time and it's good for dessert also. As easy as this is to bake and as much as my family loves to nibble on it, I seem to only make it during the fall. Needless to say, our freezer is well stocked with ripe bananas and we will have no shortage of bread for nibbling during our Arizona Fall!

The little ones and I have also been putting out some of our Christmas trimmings. We are hosting Thanksgiving again this year and I really want our guests to feel the spirit of the holidays when they are over. {I don't think I had one piece of Christmas out last year.} We have decided to simplify the entire season this year. I guess realizing the importance of the holidays and toning down the "commercialism" has become our overall family theme. I consider the state of the economy and seeing struggles of some of our friends and family a blessing more than an hardship. We have learned to simplify and be grateful for much more. We have come together more than ever and that has tightened the threading between us. Mr C and I have discussions often about how we have changed was is important for us. We are blessed beyond what we deserve.

I saw this 'ragamuffin garland over at Life In Grace a few weeks ago. It was made with one article of clothing from each member of our family and then fabric scraps, ribbon, and whatever else that I took a pair of scissors to. I was pleased with how it turned out. for the holiday, I added a noel banner made from the pages of an old book and just used clothes pins to attach them to the fabric. I think that I mostly like the fact that there is a little bit of my family in this garland. The kids love to "inspect" it to see where their article of clothing is tied in.

We've begun tying red ribbons onto almost anything that will stand still. Remember, I said we're simplifying this year. I am resisting any and all urges to go and buy new. I have also leaned toward a more natural looking decor. Lots of leaves and pine cones this year. Natural burlap ribbons and twine.

There is so much to be grateful for this year. I am ready to start celebrating and spend more time with loved ones. This afternoon however, I will be spending time in the kitchen cleaning and testing a new cranberry recipe, time in the laundry room laundering, and time with my littles being grateful while collecting pine cones at the park!

Happy Monday!

in stitches

2009-11-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

Today while Morgan and I were together and chatting in the car, she asked me if I had ever laughed so hard that it made me cry.

I answered her and told her that I had just cried the night before from laughing so hard with Mr C.

She asked what we were laughing at and I told her. I told her that Mr C was doing some of his crazy voices again and I was trying to follow suit. He's great at voices. Really great. Me, not so much. Mr C brought out his John Wayne impersonation and his Alf...he sampled some of his Scooby Doo and a few others that are family favorites. After he delivered his line with the corresponding impersonation, I followed his lead and gave my version. Mine were all horrible, but fantastically hilarious in their own right. We laughed and cried at each one of my attempts to sound like John Wayne or Scooby Doo. We ended our night with the best laughing tears.

When I was asked this question by my little this morning, it made me think about my laughing with my dear Mr C. We laugh endlessly. Endlessly, I tell you. It is, without doubt, one of my very favorite things to share with my love. I must tell that man about 47 times a day how funny he is. Really, I wish you could meet him. He would have you dabbing your running mascara while you would be asking him to stop so you could catch your breath.

For me, having a partner in life that can make me laugh and see the lighter side of things is just as important as the rest of the 'relationship' attributes. It is as important as faith in my spouse, communication with my partner and respect for the man that I chose to share my life with. I can say this because I once had the partner who did not know the value of daily chuckles and wiping the tears left over from laughing. I don't ever want to know that again. I feel I appreciate this even more. It is one of the strongest threads that make up what we have. It is us. We are always laughing. Ask our friends. Ask my sister. Mr C is most often grinning from ear to ear because I am right next to him laughing and telling him for the 47th time that day, just how funny he is.

Thanks for keeping me in stitches my love.

I hope your weekend finds you laughing until you're crying.

right now...

2009-11-07T14:58:00.000-08:00

...the dryer is tumbling and I have just finished baking chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. My children know that when I bake for them ...it's an 'i love you' from me. Mr C knows this as well. My feet are tired from working on them, non stop around our home all day. They have asked for a much needed break only, I cannot reward them with 'time off' for at least another 3 hours.

Right now, I am packing up my little three hearts and sending them off to sister's for the night. {thank you, jess} Mr C started a new job 2 weeks ago and we have missed each other much. He is away from our home too much for my little spirit. We are grateful for the change in his path;it comes with great opportunities to offset the sacrifice of the long hours.

So tonight, the children will be away, the house will be quiet, and Mr C and I will share dinner, hand holding and some laughs. I love that man.

Now...what to wear to WOW that Mr C.

recap

2009-11-02T12:17:00.001-08:00

Greetings!

This Halloween had to be one of the most fun yet. I think we owe the greatness of this year to the simplicity that it shared. There was no fuss, no muss and best of all, no stress. We made paper decorations and even carved our pumpkins days early. { I don't even think that we got around to carving our pumpkins last year. } The children were most creative with their costumes and we spent a minimal amount on them. Funny enough, they were the best Halloween costumes to date.

Here's Landon. I have to admit, when I took this photo and looked at it on the screen of my camera, I couldn't believe that this was my sweet boy. He looks so mean and like the little Dracula that he dressed as. My mother was kind enough to make all 3 of my kids these vampire capes a few years ago. This is the second time that Landon has worn his for Halloween. All that we bought for his costume was some white face paint for $1 and some vampire teeth for $1 also. Landon was the most excited for Halloween. I think he had the best time.

Morgan decided early on that she wanted to be a granny and I loved her idea. She had visualized her costume from early on. We spent a lot of time in thrift stores, auntie's closet and mine to piece together what she wore. Her dress was thrifted for $2.99 and we sprayed her hair gray for $1. She used my old reading glasses, and sweater while carrying Auntie Jessie's vintage bag and jewelry. We fixed a pillow onto her bum and she appropriately walked with a limp while holding her side. She was funny. I think our neighbors and friends got a kick out of granny. Her big bum made us all laugh until we cried.

Mikey actually said early on in October that he was too old to dress up and go trick-or-treating. I kinda feared he would say this, but Mr C and I talked about it and thought that Mikey would do whatever made him feel comfortable. If he wanted to forgo the Halloween gig and stay home to pass out candy, that would be fine with me. About a week before the big day, he changed his mind and decided that he wanted to join in on the fun one last year. I was delighted. He asked to be a zombie and I gave him full reign of his attire. He shredded some old clothes and sprayed 'blood' on them and then let me paint his face green. His costume cost us $2. He had such a good time and was glad that he chose to join us.

I have to say that I am so grateful to be a mother to these 3. It is hard to express the emotion that runs through my body just spending my days with these guys. I realize more and more what precious and delicate spirits they are and how they have been placed with me to prepare them for this world. I am blessed beyond what I deserve.

With that, Halloween has been placed back in it's box and my mind is already turned toward Thanksgiving. I have started working on my menu and am going to begin testing out a few new recipes this week. I was at Potterybarn last week 'studying' their Thanksgiving table scapes and am headed back there this week with sister and camera.

I love this time of year. I only wish the temperatures would go down again. We are warm at 88 degrees today.

Cheers!

been busy

2009-10-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

I love October. I love the kick off to the business of this time of year. I have never enjoyed it like I am now. We have been busy. Busy with life.

A few weeks ago, Mikey started his flag-football league. Unfortunately, his team was without a coach. So, I signed Mr C and Mr C's brother Dave up to be the coaches. Mr C has quite an impressive football background and really is the most perfect person for this job. It is working out so well and has been so much fun to watch. So needless to say, we have been busy with football practice.

(mr c's brother dave is in the front of the photo and that's mr c in the background in the visor)

.....

We had 2 weeks of practice before we were ready for this: Our First Game.

(mikey is also #8 like his sister in soccer and mr c in college football)

We are the Mountain View Toros. The sports director, Rocky, wanted to name the teams after the local high schools. I was a Mountain View Toro...class of '93.

.....

Mikey played center for most of the game. Mr C gave him an opportunity to be quarterback toward the end of the game. He was awesome and love every minute of his football debut. I lost my voice from screaming so loud. I feel bad for Parker's dad. He videotaped the game while sitting next to me and probably has my screaming cheers on most of his video.

Mountain View Toros won 48-23

Mikey and I had a date 2 weeks ago. We were able to go to the Star Wars in Concert show. It was amazing. Mikey has been a fan of the movies since he was 3. He can teach you anything and everything about Star Wars. Something about this series speaks to him and opens up his creativity. It shows through the Star Wars Lego scenes he creates at home.

An orchestra was staged in front of a massive digital screen and while they showed scenes from all 6 of the movies, the orchestra played all of the songs from the films. It was incredible. Honestly, I was not too excited about going, but once the members of the orchestra started playing the Star Wars song that we all know, I was hooked. Seeing Mikey that mesmerized by something that he loves so much was the best part. We sat in the suites above and had a full view of the happenings. My boy was in his own Heaven that day.

Memorabilia was staged throughout the common areas and we could not resist a photo op with Darth Vader. We also have photos with Chewbaca and one of the Imperial Soldiers.

(i really don't know a lot about star wars but i like to think i have the basics covered)

.....

Last week was Fall Break for my kids. They had an entire week off of school. Unfortunately, all 3 of them were fighting the flu. They spent most of the week lounging around coughing and sneezing. I have never seen my children so sick before. This flu was by far, the worst we have seen.

We spent a lot of our 'flu time' at home making decorations for Halloween. We decided on a back to basics theme for our home. Most of our decor was make from paper and various items from the craft closet.

a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ChjSda6oR0o/St9J7O3bRzI/AAAAAAAAAxI/nDwq0feRjmc/s1600-h/halloween+017.JPG">

We had a lovely time with our paper, glue, glitter and scissors. Sitting for hours on the floor one day, the 3 sickest kids on the block were by far the happiest.

We are big on paper chains for every holiday in our home. I remember making those when I was a little one. Yesterday, Landon and Morgan headed to the Farmers Market on Main with me and picked out 17 pumpkins! At 15 cents a pound, it's hard to just pick a couple. We have them scattered throughout the home. I love pumpkins. I love their shape, their seeds, their smell and their texture. I have found some fun ideas for these guys and am anxious to try some out this year.

Our weather in Phoenix is finally starting to cool back down. In fact, my doors and windows are open as I type. I have fresh homemade granola baking in the oven and a pumpkin ready to lend us her seeds for roasting. This time of year swells my heart.

It really does swell my heart. Happy Fall.

glamorous

2009-10-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

so, this is my night. cutting up oranges and freezing grapes for morgan's soccer game tomorrow morning. i used to enjoy sleeping in on saturdays, perusing the shops in the afternoon and grabbing a late lunch with the family. now, we're up at 6am...stuffing the car with snacks, drinks, loungy chairs and colorful umbrellas...and the kids. we're heading off to soccer for morgan and football for mikey. no more sleep filled mornings and passes to be lazy. it's go, go and go some more. when did life get so busy? and when did my children start to have busier social calendars than me?

off to wash the soccer uniform and find morgan's missing shin guard. cheers to a lovely weekend...i do hope it's serving you well.

this is exactly when i would like to thank starbucks for opening its drive thru line early and for keeping it open late for me. okay, for us.

'orange' you glad i didn't make a joke about the oranges?...forgive me...i had to!

tuesday

2009-09-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

My foxy Mr C, I can't believe it has only been a couple of days since you left for San Diego. Seems much longer to me. Maybe it's because I have had 2 horrendous nights of restless sleep. Funny how I sleep 8 or 9 hours without waking when you are next to me. I cannot wait for a restful slumber tomorrow when you are with me again.

Last night was fun. We decided to forgo dinner at home and I let the kids talk me into In N Out, again. They committed to closing me on that, and for that, they got the sale. On our drive home, we rolled down all windows of the denali and played my new mix cd loud. I added Will Smith's Get Jiggy With It for good measure. The children thought I was cool because they witnessed their mother rap, rhyme and lay down lyrics like a natural. I think I got most of the words right. Mostly. I am pretty sure that if I had not been driving while rapping, I could have dropped it to the kitchen floor and picked back up again, like in the old days. Maybe not.

Today started the same as the last, the tease of a cool morning just outside of our door. Mandy tried to wake me early for a potty break and because you were not here, I had to take her out. It was still dark. I like when I do my fake sleep routine so that you have to take her out. That will be back on routine for Thursday.

Mikey and I dropped the younger two off at school and then headed to the Starbucks on Greenfield. I know, big surprise there. I treated him to a chonga bagel. We sat in the car while he ate, and I drank my coffee. Life is sweet.

Today was my day to help out in Landon's class. I walked into A-7 and many of the children ran up to hug me. Must be what it's like for celebrities. Sorta. I assisted with the assembling of the birthday crowns. Gluing and glittering. Then, the firemen came in and gave the first grade a fire safety lesson. I payed close attention. My favorite part was when firefighter Jake put on the gear in its entirety and breathed through the mask. He sounded just like Darth Vader. It was awesome. We lined up, boys on one side, girls on the other and proceeded to walk out to the lot in our parallel lines where the fire truck was parked and waiting. A tour of the cab was offered to the first graders. They loved it. I was then offered a tour and walk through of the cab, but had to decline on account of my 3 inch black Steve Madden Espadrilles. Clearly not the shoes for touring the cab of a firetruck.

I started to bore at home this afternoon so I headed out to HomeGoods for some perusing. When I walked in, I saw a man who walked exactly like my dad did when he shopped with my mother. I missed my dad terribly after that. I left the shop empty handed. I am quite impressed with my self-discipline these days. This budget thing is catching on.

I headed home around 1 and made myself the ole' faithful pb&j sammy. I changed it up and put it on whole grain bread. That, I think, makes it better for you. Shortly after that, I began my battle with today's headache. 3 ibuprofen later, I am plowing along okay.

I layed on your side of the bed for just a bit. Your pillow smells like you.

I picked Landon up from school and secretly watched Morgan walk to Jaimie's house for a play date. You know how I am always nervous and unsure of the children without me. At 4pm, we picked Mikey up and headed home when he declared that '...today was great!' I inquired if any of the girls at Poston Jr High like the faux-hawk that he styled today. He entertained my question and said that it was complimented and also stirred some 7th grade controversy. Apparently, another boy accused Mikey of 'copying' the before mentioned faux-hawk to which Mikey, without hesitation, delivered the sharp reply, "Uh, I've been wearing the faux-hawk since like, the 3rd grade!" There were no hand gestures included in this hair battle. I thought it to be a witty response; the only sentiment that might have made it better would have been to add a "so there" to the end. I don't know if the kids are still using the 'so there' these days. Do you?

So now we are approaching the 5 o'clock hour. I plan to prepare and serve dinner at home after I pick Morgan up at 6. Then it's homework, baths, reading and Dancing with the Stars. I am somewhat embarrassed that I have already hooked myself onto this season; much like a fish desperate for its worm. Maybe that was too dramatic.

On another thought, whoever coined the phrase "Absence makes the heart grow fonder", is a putz. My heart is already very fond of you and I don't need you to be in another state to make me realize this. Just sayin'.

Can't wait to be with you tomorrow.

I love you more and most.

R

p.s...Did you give any more thought to letting me have some chickens in the backyard?

monday

2009-09-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

Hello sweetie. Day two without you. This morning came so fast and I was not ready. I woke unrested and riddled with back pain. Landon kept me up most of the night with his restless sleep. I was elbowed, kicked, scratched and head-butted by his body. I will never let him sleep in our bed again. I am now understanding of his repetitive morning phrase of, "I'm still soooooo sleepy." It makes sense now. He even at one moment rested his little Landon foot upon my shoulder. Would have been cute if it weren't for the lateness of the hour. I am hoping that tonight is better.

This mornings air was crisp. I let the back door stay open while I readied myself. I can hardly wait for Fall. Do you think it's close?

I dropped the younger children off at school on time as usual. Mikey asked to join me on my drive to Starbucks before his day at school. I have strong suspicion that he was hoping for a chonga bagel again. I did not oblige. This might be the reason for the quiet drive to Poston Jr High.

I stayed at home for a bit this morning. I spent time paying bills and organizing grocery lists. I set my days play list on the computer and declared my new anthem from Muse, titled Uprising. 'They will not force us; They will stop degrading us; They will not control us; We will be victorious" I'm not sure what all of the uprising and chanting is about, but I have decided to apply it to the school's PTO. After my chanting sing-a-long, I finally scrambled up energy to head out to do the grocery shopping. I spent an hour and twenty minutes up and down the isles. My shopping buggy was overflowing. It did not help that I was hungry. That could be the reason for my coming home with 6 boxes of crackers and 4 packages of cookies. The pantry and fridge are well stocked. Just a trip to the fruit market tomorrow and grocery shopping will be done for a while. I hope.

I came home and unloaded all 17 bags by myself. I immediately turned on the oven and made a veggie chicken sandwich for lunch. I had the flavors all worked out in my head. I would add shredded lettuce and relish with salt. The relish did not serve the veggie chicken well and left my bun soggy. I missed you when I opened the relish. Only because there are currently 3 containers of relish, opened in our fridge, all purchased by you because you can never remember if we have any.

me, smiling for you

The day prodded on slowly. The sun sat high up in the sky and baked us at 106 degrees. I thought of you sitting in San Diego, breathing in the cool salty air. I was envious.

I was thinking about you throughout the day. Did you mean to leave your shoes next to the bed...or was that an oversight on your part? No matter, I will put them back for you.

I picked the children up from school. All 3 of them had good days. Morgan walked to the car eating a Krispy Kreme. Landon came with a lollipop. Mikey just came to the car sans treats of any kind. I jokingly asked him if the girls at school liked his new haircut. I was surprised when he said, "Yes they did, mom." When I prodded about the cuteness of the girls, he asked me to leave it alone. I stopped. My son is a fox and he can't help it. I know his pain.

When we arrived home, we had snacks and then it was decided that Mandy needed a bath. She smelled. Bad. Morgan and Landon agreed to help. Landon with the hose is never a good idea. Remember how he flooded the backyard last month?

mandy prebath and smelly

Both Morgan and Landon were a great help. Mandy was not happy. Do you think that dogs know how to swear? I think Mandy does. Especially when Morgan insisted on using the conditioner on her after the shampoo. Something about wanting her to have a silky coat. I don't think Mandy cares about a silky coat. She rolls around in the dirt and leaves.

I am now happy to report that our family pup smells good. She has a soft coat and thanks to Morgan's conditioning treatment, she has a little shine.

It is now time for me to go and prepare dinner. I still haven't decided on the menu. I heard an earlier request for breakfast. Am entertaining the idea.

I will miss your company next to me in bed tonight as I watch our Monday night line up. Hope you are able to watch in Sandy Diego, as Landon calls it.

I miss you, honey. I hope your visit with your babies is fun and full of laughter and love. They are so lucky to have you for their dad.

p.s. Did you watch Brothers and Sisters in your hotel last night? Do you think that Kitty has cancer? I hope not. I really like her and she has the new baby and all.

I love you more and most.

sunday

2009-09-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

My darling Mr C, you have only been gone a few short hours and we here at Decatur Street already miss you. I wish that we had spent more time being close today, holding hands and the like, before our drive to the airport. We even missed holding hands in the car, didn't we?

After we dropped you off at the airport, the children requested dinner. The Cheesecake Factory won by a 3 -1 vote. I lost. Dinner was nice. Mikey had the usual, pizza. Morgan had the usual, mac and cheese, and Landon opted for the chicken strips with french fries. I know, creatures of habit, much like their mother. I ordered the salad that we normally share and made it half way through my grilled cheese. Without you there, I was forced to mix the ranch dressing and ketchup myself. It wasn't the same. We stuffed ourselves so much so that we did not share a slice of cheesecake. Wishing now that I had brought one home.

The evening progressed slowly. I fiddled on the computer while the children danced on the bed until all of the blankets and linens were on the floor. Morgan asked to make rice krispey squares. We added little m&m's and a chocolate drizzle on top. You would love them. I've already had two of them myself. Okay, three. I can't promise that there will be any left when you get home. You know how Landon loves a sweet treat. So does his mom.

Landon asked what you were doing with your kids in San Diego. He guessed that you were watching football with them. I'm guessing that he might have been right. Tonight we watched the Cardinal's game without you...sort of weird to have football on without you screaming at the tv in the background. The cardinal's lost. Real bad. Boldin had a decent night. Warner, did not.

It is now bedtime and your side of the bed is occupied. Landon is sleeping in your spot. He has already rolled over and whacked me in the face twice with his little 6 year old hand.

I miss you and I love you. I hope you are having a lovely time catching up with your children. Give them hugs from us...we miss them too.

R

love for landon

2009-09-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to declare my love for this little guy again.

He woke last night screaming in short bursts and shaking.

Poor boy had a nightmare that something bad happened to his mom.

I felt helpless that such a thought had crossed his mind in slumber.

Gratefully...he fell fast asleep while laying next to me.

Mommy loves you Landon.

I love you more than you will ever ever know.

in my bag

2009-09-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

Okay ladies...I have secretly wanted to do this post for awhile now. Last week...a couple of things prompted me to finally follow through with it, not to mention, I needed something a little fun and light hearted after yesterdays serious essay.

First, standing in the longest of lines at Starbucks last week, I couldn't help but fall into my favorite past time to help ease the pain of waiting for my morning mocha. I people watched. And watched. I spied people of all sorts, shapes and sizes. Fashionable ladies stopping off to pick up their lattes and burly men waiting for their cup of undoctored fuel; none of that funny business of cream and foam or cinnamon sprinkles for them. I was particularly fascinated with one woman while I waited. She was carrying the smallest handbag I have ever seen. A tiny little bobble draped across her wrist. I couldn't get over it and, and as a result, was caught by little purse lady, staring at her belongings. This spying led to morning conversation with sister about handbags and content.

Second. I love to peruse through the celebrity rag mags. Love to read the pages titled, 'Stars, they're just like us!' It' silliness is uncanning. Really? Celebraties pick up dry cleaning and take their children to the park too? Amazing. Along the lines of this insert is the page where celeb girls show what handbag they are currently sporting and the contents inside of it. I read this page every time. I love it so. Something about always wondering what women and mothers of today can't leave home without.

So, without further wait...here is my.......

What Bag I Am Carrying and What's Inside.

(I truly am so excited to share)

This is my current bag, Gucci. Mr C knows how deep my affection for beautiful handbags flows and presented this bag, beautifully wrapped, to me for my birthday. The man truly has taste.
We get along so well, Gucci and I. We are both curvy in all of the right places and love to go everywhere together. She is accommodating and trustworthy and can make anything look good. (too much? okay...i'll hold back a little)

.....

and here is what is inside......

I always have lotion in my bag. Not just for me but for Mr C as well. Car keys to the Denali and strangely enough, there is 1 key on my key chain that is a mystery. No clue what it opens up. I always have my Blackberry Storm floating in my bag. I hate this phone. Too high tech and fussy. Mr C thought it would be cute if we had the same phone so he upgraded mine when he bought his. Lets see...oh, I ALWAYS have anti-bacterial in me bag. I use it on average, 47 times a day. I'm a germaphobe. I am never without chapstick. Multiple tubes of chapstick at that. Am currently loving the pink shimmery chapstick coupled with my Chanel lip liner. The sticky Smashbox lip gloss is fun too. That yellow case is my Vera Bradley bag. In it, I have nail clippers, lip sticks, nail files, hair ties, Bobbi pins and the like. Keeping it in one bag keeps all of those little things in one spot as opposed to all over the bottom. Oh, my Louis Vuitton make-up bag...always take my powder and mascara and blusher with me. My purple wallet (am currently on search for new wallet) stuffed with shopping receipts that need to be logged into check register. I carry my leather journal and sharpie retractable everywhere. I use it to write notes or jot down reminders or recipes and grocery lists. Also, I am carrying the current book that I am reading. Never know when I'll get a couple of minutes to do some reading.

.....

So there you have it. My bag and what's inside. Now here's the fun part...I am going to tag a couple of friends in blogland to do a similar post and share what's inside of what you're carrying. C'mon, it'll be fun and give you a new post idea.

.....

Okay...I want to know what:

Kasey of Lola B's, Paige of Simple Thoughts and Tara of Blondie N' SC have to share.

.....

And to all to all of you others girls out there...

I wanna know what you're carrying aroung in your bag too. Come on now...don't be shy.

incentive

2009-09-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

morgan started a soccer league this year and is loving it. she originally joined so that she could play with her 2 besties, jaimie and ellie. surely you're all aware that besties do everything together. unfortunately...jaimie was placed on another team while ellie and morgan are part of team thunder (named during a thundery rain storm a few weeks back). morgan has really taken to this sport and i'm delighted. i think that soccer is a great sport for kids.

(morgan is #8...she picked the same number that mr c wore while he played college football)

Background.

mr c is a natural athlete. his heart beats for football (and me). he is that guy...that guy who can play any sport and is really good at it. drives me nuts. nuts. sister and i once tried to double up and bring him down on the tennis court a few months back...he defeated the wonder that was our doubles team. lesson learned. he has not been invited back on the court since. i will no longer shoot hoops on the neighbors drive, toss around a football, play catch or even have a who can hold their breath the longest contest in the pool with this guy. i've learned my lesson. this guy is good.

at the first game of the season, mr c offered an incentive to morgan. for every goal scored, he would offer her 10 bucks. i am very much okay with offering incentives to our children. i feel that it is okay to add extra reason or reward to accomplish a goal. i grew up with my parents offering new clothes or money for good grades or treats at the supermarket for being helpful or well behaved during the week. i remember to this day that straight a's would get my sister and i a new Guess wardrobe. i wanted those Guess overalls so badly. remember those? okay, so during the game last week, morgan did not score a goal. she was not upset at herself or defeated...she just worked harder at practice and a few times during the week asked mr c if the deal was still good for game number 2. yes it was.

Here we are on saturday at the second game of the season. mr c and i were cheering on team thunder and reminding morgan as she was at the other end of the field about her incentive. she would look over and smile letting us know that she heard us loud and clear. as the game played on, morgan started to slow down and her stride clearly was tiring. these girls were playing soccer without a spot of shade in 102 degrees. it was hot and uncomfortable to even just sit and watch. when morgan came over for a guzzle of water...mr c upped the incentive. 50 bucks for a goal morgan! my reaction: huh? she smiled and headed into the team huddle. some of the parents around us were joining in on this incentive craze and offering a little coin to their girls as well.

Game goes on and still no goal by morgan.

Game is tied 1-1.

Morgan gets some good foot action at opponents goal and all was quiet when everyone hears mr c belt out from the bottom of his athletic lungs....Morgan, 100 dollars for a goal!

Long story short...mr c is less one hundred dollars in his pocket today. My girl morgan scored right after that declaration by mr c.

It is safe to say that she has earned all possible monetary incentive for the season. Any further reward will no doubt consist of trips to get ice cream and the like. Mr c has learned his lesson.

.....

Let me just also say...I am so grateful for my mr c. He takes care of and supports my children like they are his own. He was as proud of morgan as much as i was and there is no doubt in my mind that after the game, when he went back to work, he bragged about her like she was his own. He truly is an amazing man.

.....

( In case you were wondering...morgan collected her 100 bucks that afternoon and bought herself a nintendo ds...victory is sweet, no?)

the vinaigrette that changed my life...and my salad

2009-09-16T22:22:00.000-07:00

My search has ended...temporarily at least.

I recently found this recipe for an easy peasy vinaigrette.

I have been looking for something like this that is simple to put together and would require ingredients most often already in my pantry or refrigerator.

I tried it the other night and it was like my taste buds had been awakened after a million years of slumber. I might be exaggerating a wee bit...but trust me...this is a wonderful and simple recipe.

Your salad will request it as well as your tasting buds.

So...jot this one down and file it under Taste Buds Favorites

Here it is:

BASIL PARMESAN VINAIGRETTE

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp salt

2 tblsp balsamic vinegar (i tend to use a little more than this)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

3 tblsp fresh basil

1/2 ounce parmesan cheese, finely grated

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

.....

Mince garlic clove and then mash to a paste with 1/4 tsp salt.

Add to bowl.

Then, whisk together with garlic paste the vinegar, lemon, basil, parmesan, salt and pepper.

Add in olive oil in a slow stream all the while whisking the ingredients together.

.....

I serve this on a green salad with red onion, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, parmesan cheese and homemade croutons.

If you try it...let me know what you think.

I bet you get hooked on it too!

Enjoy!

(...just re-discovered the source for the vinaigrette from sarahs fab day and I do beleive she found it on Domestic Reflections site...)

uuuhhhh......

2009-09-16T20:11:00.001-07:00

(this is me...looking smart as i peruse through the blogs)
uuuhhhh........
.....that is exactly how i responded to my son's 7th grade homework this evening. seriously.
i was not of much help. especially when he brought out his accelerated math. i clearly cannot remember anything involving scientific notations and decimal notations. huh. quite frankly...i don't think that we studied this in the 7th grade. if we did, i missed the lesson. i obviously was too busy wondering what brett clanton was doing on the other side of the room. i probably spent more time twirling my curls with my pointer finger than breaking down equations and involving myself with decimals.
(i still rock the curls and twirl them without reserve)

( incidentally...brett clanton was just added to my facebook friends recently...how about that for weird. jr high crush from forever ago now a friend on facebook. )
(welcome to the year 2009, i guess)

let's get back to the homework...shall we? i couldn't help but wonder tonight...have i really been out of school so long that i can't search the recesses of my brain to pull out a session on 7th grade math? tonight...i'm left feeling a little deflated. 7th grade math just put me in my place. kicked my butt. shut me down.

please tell me that i am not the only one having math induced memory loss or feeling homework deficient with our youth.

totally unrelated note...did anyone see shakira perform on americas got talent tonight? i am never eating again and am signing my hips up for dance lessons. super sexy.

toasted.

2009-09-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Quite frankly speaking...i am tired of the heat and am ready for fall.

This is problematic considering i am currently living and melting in phx, az.

It was a whopping 103 degrees today...even at the half of our september.

My cravings are for my neck to be nuzzled by my favorite scarvies and for my hands to play hide and seek in my stripey gloves. I long to wear tights with boots and long sleeves under shorter ones. I have even convinced myself that this fall...i am going to sport some sort of fuzzy hat...inspired by jennifer aniston in her new movie previews...you know the gray one that she wears whilst she swoons over the dashing aaron ekhart....sigh.

It is no surprise then, that this evenings dinner had a hint of longing for fall as well. Despite the wretched temps outside my doors...i served to my children tomato soup with homemade garlic croutons atop and colby jack toasted sammies. Does anything beat a toasted cheese sammy?

It is taking every restraint that i have to hold off for a bit on the mugs full of hot chocolate and mini mushy marshies. (although, am quite sure they are soon to come seeing as how all items were purchased during this mornings trip to the grocer).

Dear Fall,

I long for your arrival. My Phoenix fall wardrobe is patiently waiting your return and relief from this dreadful hot cooker that we live in. (no offense, phoenix) I will welcome you with all of the traditions of the season and promise to not complain once when I wake with cold toes or dry elbows. We will celebrate your bounty and all the comes with you. Thank you for bringing candy corn and pumpkins...apple pies and apple spiced candles. Thank you for being a season when we can wear gray and black everyday if we so choose. Please hurry fall...I cannot wait for you much longer. I have already purchased my first pair of slippers in anticipation of your arrival. Please do hurry, Fall.

With love,

Rebecca

...is anyone else awaiting the arrival of this time of year?...

cleavage.

2009-09-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

Why I will be leaving my cleavage home on my next trip to wal-mart:

Because the old man pretending to be consumed by the choosing of his breakfast cereal could not and would not take his eyes off of my chesticle area. He even followed me out of the isle and into the next to continue his gawking at my expense. It is safe to say...old man has no idea of what my face looked like...but could probably pick my chest out of a 10 man line-up after a few beers no doubt.

Note to self: Turtle necks and scarvies are appropriate and necessary at the local WM!
(might want to bring mace or small hammer as well)

the best garlic bread.....ever

2009-09-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

confession.....we make this garlic bread sometimes 3 times a week. clearly, we are not a family that watches our carb intake. what fun would that be, right? this is a request by mr c and the kids more often than not and who am i to stand in the way of happiness derived from garlic bread? it's easy peasy so grab a pen...or hit print and enjoy!

1 loaf of your favorite bread

(we usually just use a french loaf or a whole wheat loaf)

1 stick of butter

1 head of garlic

salt and pepper

parsley

pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees

place your stick of butter on counter to soften

cut the top off of the head of garlic, leaving it in tact

place head of garlic (sliced side up) on a square of foil

drizzle olive oil over garlic and sprinkle a little salt on the top

scrunch the foil together to close, leaving a little opening at the top

place in your oven and bake for 50 minutes

(your house will smell yummy)

(neighbors will ask for dinner invitation)

(don't do it...then you'll have to share)

(be stingy)

moving on......

when you remove garlic from the oven just let it sit on your counter to cool

place softened butter in a bowl,

sprinkle with salt and pepper

squeeze roasted garlic from the skin into the butter

mix in chopped parsley

(makes it pretty)

mix that goodness up

wipe chin...you're drooling now

wipe keyboard...you drooled on that too

toast bread in preheated oven for a couple of minutes and when you pull out your loaf...

smear and smother that butter mixture all over that baby

enjoy.

if you try it...let me know what you think.

garlic bread knocks my socks off...

every time.

In Love

2009-08-31T16:57:00.000-07:00

mr c and i consider ourselves very lucky. we have been given a second chance at love. second chances are the best. we held interest for each other some 14 years ago, but timing just was not on our side. we ended our flirtation right after it began and moved on with our own lives...each finding another kind of love that led to marriage and children. mr c never left my mind. he made his mark on my heart and i on his.

mr c's marriage ended almost 5 years ago and mine followed suit a few years after. on one sunny day in april of 2007...i picked up my phone and left that beautiful man a message at his office. he returned my call within minutes. we always tell others that from that moment...from that phone call...we were done. we were meant to be together when timing and life were right. we fell in love quickly and despite the both of us having crawled out of broken marriages...we were not afraid to jump in with everything we had.

when we began dating...we spoke late into our nights about how we would treat our relationship different than our failed marriages. we agreed and made mention over and over again about the 'little things' meaning the most to us and we, in turn, put high value on this thought. our relationship weighs heavily on the 'little things' to this day...2 and 1/2 years into our life together.

one of the 'little things' that we do is write notes to each other in our notebook. i'll scribble a note of gratitude for mr c in my life...or sometimes it's something a little sexier...or they are just my written words about how i feel about this man that i love. when i am done, i place the notebook on his night table and then wait for him to do the same for me. let me tell you...reading a love note from my strong, athletic, manly-man is one of my absolute favorite treats. this book is great because it documents our feelings and love. i know it's a bit mushy...but i'll take it. it's always nice to be able to reread notes and letters and be reminded of how lucky we really are.

(will now apologize for super mushy post...how about something raunchy and saucy tomorrow)

#1.....

2009-08-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

reason # 1 on why mr c should take me back to the beach:

there is plenty of room in our glass shell jar to fill with more beauties from mission beach.

need i say more?

i think not.