Chloe's Birthday.....Help!

You all know how I hate birthday parties, right? Well Chloe is turning the big 1-0 in March. This is not one I can easily dust under the rug. She is expecting a lot. Most of all she wants a party! I hate throwing birthday parties. I suggested the idea of having a slumber party and she was all over it. She hasn't had a sleepover since we moved here. At first I told her she could invite 5 girls, but then we decided to invite ALL the girls in her class. Don't worry, there are only eight other girls in her class and I figure, they probably won't all be able to come. She has 17 boys in her class. I honestly don't know what her school was thinking making a class that is so unbalanced. But I digress. I'm sending my boys away for the night of her party so it will be girls only. Last night she picked a theme...Hollywood! Now that we have a plan and I have time enough to execute it, I'm actually pretty excited and want to make it really special for her. I spent some time browsing ideas last night. I found great ideas for activities, but I really wanted to stay away from the cheesy decorations that are available for purchase at the big party stores. Also, most of the 'Hollywood' themed parties, really were decorated more like a 'Movies' themed party. I want to stay away from that as well.

Any thoughts or links would be helpful.

I'll keep you updated as well...

Sneak Attack

I get an evil type of joy from sneaking healthy food into my children's growning bodies. I've posted about sneaking spinach into smoothies before, but I couldn't help sharing again. Today I even snuck in some tofu! There is no recipe here. I'll just tell you what I put in this monster. It was based soley on what I had on hand. One banana, some frozen peaches, frozen blueberries, roughly a quarter of the package of tofu (the softest kind), a handful of spinach, and a tablespoon of ground flax. I used apple juice to thin it, until it was the consistency I liked. You could use milk too.

 I forgot to snap a photo of it blended, it was just so darn good we drank it all up before I thought of it. I will apologize for the above photo however. I am just way too lazy to break out the nice camera these days. It's so much easier to snap it on my phone and email it to myself. And I won't apologize for apologizing for my photo! I once read a blog post where the poster advised bloggers not to apologize to their readers. Perhaps she thought it brought unnecessary attention to the bloggers guilt. Well guess what? I'm posting this crappy picture, which does this post no justice whatsoever, and I'm gonna apologize for it! So there!

P.S. I'm sorry for my spelling and grammer errors too. I can bake a decent cake, but I never claimed to be a good speller, dam it!

The Importance Of A Good Thank You

Photo source: About.com

For a minute I lost sight of why this blog was originally intended. This is supposed to be a place where my kids can learn from me. Of course, I teach our kids everyday, but I just wanted them to have something more concrete to refer to after I'm gone. That brings us to today's lesson about thank you cards. I am a huge believer in the act of writing thank you cards. And not just after you get married or after a baby shower.

Me and the kids write and send them all the time. I believe a thank you should be written, or sometimes called, to anyone who has gone out of their way to think about you. Of course, I don't think thank you cards need to be sent for Christmas presents. I'm not sure what Emily Post's point of view on that is. I suppose there are some other instances where a thank you card might not be necessary, and you will have to use your own good judgement to decide if and when that is the case.

Today's lesson was sparked by a few people I know who are notorious for not saying thank you. I like to do nice things for people, I like to let them know I'm thinking about them. One day I became a little bitter and resentful that the favor was never either A.) repaid, B.) appreciated or C.) acknowledged. With the exception of the USPS, there is absolutely no excuse for reason C. So I stopped for the most part and for those particular people who I felt were ungrateful. It was no longer bringing me joy, so I just stopped. Problem solved.

I think I learned the importance of thank you cards from my in-laws. They send and expect thank you cards for everything. My family, not so much. Some of them do. I just don't think it was something that was heavily ingrained. Maybe it's more of a Southern thing.

A thank you card is the best way to show someone you appreciated their thought. If someone goes out of their way, they take the time to make, purchase, or send you something, you should take the time to thank them or at least let them know you got it. Sometimes a phone call, email, or even a text message is enough. I'm sure Miss Post would highly disagree with sending a text, but I'm really reaching for anything here people! Of course I understand, you didn't ask them to do anything nice for you, so why should you be burdened. But that's not the point. Just do the right thing, get off your lazy, "busy", or whatever butt and say thank you, preferably in a handwritten card! And if you can't do that, you just graciously decline their niceness. Got it kids?

So Chloe, Nash, next time your out, pick up a package of blank cards, some stamps, a nice pen and a little basket. Put that on your desk and don't forget the importance of a good thank you card. I love you kids, don't ever forget that. Love, Mom

11th Day of Christmas For Teacher and A Gift For Lil

Well, well, well. Santa sent Lil a sweet bundle of gifts today. I was expecting, perfectly content, and overjoyed even, after opening that first box of cookie day cookies. As I carefully unpacked them I imagined all the kids back home at my aunts making the cookies, each with their own specific task. I could only hope that BioSus made them all keep washing their hands. The picture in my head is telling me she definitely did. A rush of sadness swept through me for missing that day.

Then, I opened the second box. I was expecting to find the ingredients to make a pumpkin pie, but it was so much better. To me anyway. It was beautiful, the most beautiful I have seen in quite some time. Home grown California produce. There were just picked avocados, lemons, peppers, and gigantic beautiful pomegranates. I pulled out the lemons and avocados and literally hugged them. I pulled them in right to my heart then right up to my nose. It was the best present, the best surprise. It was a little piece of home, I once took for granted. The sight of them left me feeling connected and happy. Thank you Santa :).

As promised here is the 11th day gift. Nothing fancy, just some extra cute gift tags...

 

We Have Arrived In The East-Personal Reflection

Hey y'all! They really do say that here. Don't worry, I'm not there yet, nor do I see it in my future. We haven't been here for quite a week. I can't sleep. My shoulder and neck are killing me. I was tossing and turning imagining where I will put each piece of furniture and how will I decorate each room when our furniture finally arrives on Monday morning. It has been a hell of a week, wait, let me rephrase that. It has been a week from hell. The flight was fine besides the hour delay on the tarmac and Satan's spawn who happened to be sitting in front of us. We stayed a few nights in a hotel, spending our days driving around the town aimlessly. Ahhh, hubby's favorite thing to do, drive around. The hardest thing has been only one car. Talk about losing your independence. We spent several days browsing for furniture without buying anything, which really needed to be bought, considering I sold the kids beds before the move. Then, finally one day, we bought a couple beds and a table and moved into our empty house. Last night was our third night here.

Sitting up in bed, after checking my phone for the time which was 5 am, my first thought was to wonder if my family was still partying back home. I missed the first family party, my cousin's 30th. It was a surprise party. She and her sis threw me a surprise 30th and I really wanted to help with hers too, it just didn't work out. So, I am left to imagine how it went and I'll wait to hear all about it. I've been homesick since we began our stay in this big empty house. Besides normal bickering, the kids have been incredible, despite all the changes. I'm so proud of them. Things will be better once our stuff is here and we are busy unpacking. I'm optimistic about our future here, and still confident in our decision. The school year will be the most telling. In the meantime, here is a list of some things about NC...

Things about North Carolina I have realized since becoming a resident in the last week:

1. Most public restrooms don't provide seat covers.
2. I have found a miniature produce stand on the roadside that reminds me of the one back home. It has delicious peaches, which happen to be my favorite fruit.
3. The humidity is not as bad as I remember.
4. The kids and I love the thunderstorms, as long as we are home when they happen, which is usually in the late evening or night. Note to self, plan accordingly.
5. They have amazing restaurants here. However, I'm longing to cook and eat at home.
6. The lady who lives across the street from us is from San Diego. Yay.
7. The road to our house seems just as dangerous as our last road. Boo.
8. I don't think they have any cell phone laws here. As far as I can tell everyone is always driving and texting or talking. You can tell if they are talking even before you see the cell phone pasted to their face because they go really slow, then speed up, then slow down, then speed up again. The texters, just swerve all over the road.
9. City wide speed limit is 35, unless otherwise posted. Otherwise posted is 45. WTF? Must be so people can text and talk while driving.
10. People don't like to take the freeway, or highway, or beltway, or whatever they call it. If given directions, people will always tell you to go the side roads.
11. The downtown is called uptown. I do not subscribe to this nonsense. I don't care if it is up or down or sideways, it just sounds wrong.
12. I like how the daily rains wash everything clean.
13. I like my Costco at home better.
14. It seems like Harris Teeter has a monopoly on the grocery store chain situation. While there are a few others I have seen, Harris Teeter is the head honcho.
15. I have yet to see an unkempt lawn.
16. The Mexican food restaurants look promising.
17. I like to do yoga on my backyard deck. But it's more like that new thing, hot yoga. It's very beautiful, I feel like I'm doing yoga in a forest.

That's all I can think of now. Since things are arriving soon, we get our cars tonight (YAY!!!), I will be busy turning this house into our home. I'm sure I'll be back to regular blog posts in about a month. I sure am looking forward to it.

Graduated and Guilty {Personal Reflection}

I know it sounds so cliche, but it really does feel like not so long ago I was walking Nash into kindergarten. He is just as sweet now as we was then. He is still way too smart for his age, and is still just as clumsy. Yesterday I attended his 8th grade promotion ceremony, cap and gown and all. I can't believe in just a couple short months he will be starting his first day of high school. I too started a brand new high school in a new city where I didn't know a single soul. I was so nervous I actually had my first ever period on that day. I guess I was a late bloomer but it made a nerve wracking day just a bit more traumatizing. Luckily, leggings and really long shirts were really in style that year and that's what I wore that day! It ended up being the best year and the best high school ever. I remember I had made friends with people in every "group". I would just walk around lunch mingling with each clique. Nash is pretty independent and outgoing and I know he will do just fine. He is the same height as me now and I know it won't be long before he shoots past me. It's bittersweet watching them grow up, isn't it?

With both my kids, I just try and constantly teach them and give them information they will need in life. You send them out into the world and hope that they remember those lessons when you're not there. I'm happy to report that most of the time my kids respect those lessons. Sometimes they falter, but Chloe proved this week that even though she makes mistakes she redeems herself and those lessons come right back into play.

On Thursday, the day before school let out for summer break, I picked up Chloe as I normally do. We walked back to the car and before we even got there she confessed she did something at school she felt really bad about. She quickly informed me that some girls had been in the bathroom, wetting toilet paper and throwing it up to the ceiling. She told me she tried it once too, even though she knows she shouldn't have. She hadn't gotten caught doing it, that's not why she was telling me. She told me because she was ridden with guilt over it. I told her we would talk about it more at home. We talked for almost an hour. She said as soon as she did it she felt terrible. She said she asked one of the girls who also did it if she felt terrible too. Apparently the girl told the teacher what she herself had done but the next day when I asked she was didn't know anything about it. When I informed her we were going to talk to the principal, she asked, "Oh, Chloe knows who did it?" I whispered, "No, Chloe is the one who did it." Of course there were several other girls who participated, but we weren't going to rat them out!

I had told Chloe that I was very proud of her for telling the truth but what she had done was called vandalism. I even looked it up for her and showed her the definition. Then I read her the California Penal Code, Section 594. It talks about the fines and jail times associated with vandalism. She was pretty convinced she was going to jail. I assured her it wouldn't be jail, just juvenile hall. She was sobbing pretty hard. Harsh right? But I really wanted her to know the real world punishment for her actions. I also thought it was really important for her to know that someone, probably the school janitor had to clean it up and she just made his job harder. I was concerned that she did something even though she knew it was wrong and gave her plenty of examples of how this could happen when she's older.  I presented situations of girls smoking in the bathroom, or drinking and driving. In those situations one mistake can equal a lifetime of pain. We decided the best thing to do would be to write a letter to her principal. I sent her to her room to write it and this is the letter she returned with:

Dear Mrs. ___________,

Today when I was in the bathroom I saw people getting toilet paper and putting water on it and throwing it at the ceiling. I did it once and I felt guilty and bad. I started crying when I got home and I told my mom. Then I knew I was breaking the law. I felt even worse. If you want me to do anything I will do it. I will clean the ceiling and pay ANYTHING. I feel like I am a horrible person. I am very, very sorry. I learned from my mistake and I promise it will never, EVER happen again in 10,000,000,000 years. I truly am sorry.

                                                                     Sincerely, Chloe

She drew a picture of herself on a ladder in the bathroom cleaning the ceiling with a speech bubble that says, "It's what I deserve."

We delivered the letter the next day right after school, which happened to be the last day of school. As the principal read the letter she seemed to groan with sadness, I thought she was going to cry, because both Chloe and I had tears in our eyes. The principal simply gave Chloe a giant hug and thanked her for her honesty. She made her promise she would go home and be a good girl for her mom. She then went on to tell me what a great mom I was (something I never get tired of hearing). She said most parents would have never done that, they would just brush it off, or reward them by taking them to Disneyland. Her words.

Even though I hate punishing her for it, she is grounded from the computer (her favorite thing) for two weeks. I continue to praise her for coming to me and for her honesty. I hope she continues to confide in me and trust me. I have a very special relationship with both kids and I never take that for granted.

Our Cross Country Move

Where do I begin? How about with, we've officially decided to pack up and head east! I have moved across country before, but not with 2 kids and an entire home to pack. The school year is coming to an end and if that didn't keep me busy enough I am packing, tossing, and sorting our entire household. I'm selling items on Craigslist, Ebay, and at our near future garage sale. I'm organizing leaving here, while preparing things for our arrival there. I'm scheduling movers, getting in last minute appointments with hairdressers and eye doctors, having lunch with a different friend everyday who wants to say goodbye.  I'm not dying people, but this move might just be the death of me! Poor kids. Let's just say the other night Chloe had cucumbers and cheese for dinner.

My entire formal dining room is covered with items I'm not taking with me. We must have gotten rid of 95% of Chloe's toys. It was bittersweet. Sad to know she doesn't have any interest in those toys anymore, but also so happy I won't have to move them, store them, or clean them up! I'll do Nash's room this weekend. His is not quite the daunting task. Besides his bookshelf of books and baseball memorabilia, there are only his clothes, hats, wall ornaments, and some things of sentimental value. I always say the same thing after a move..."I'm never shopping again!" Let this blog post serve as a reminder.

Furthermore, I have made two separate promises to Nash and Chloe. They each had school field trips they weren't participating in. Chloe because she has already been to Old Town. Nash because his school was going to Disneyland and there are so many reasons I'm not allowing him to go. First, I don't think either of us wanted me to go with him. Second, there is no way I am trusting a few adults to keep a solid eye on the entire eighth grade class. I know they let them go off on their own and I don't approve of that for him at a place so big. Go ahead, call me overprotective. I'm used to it. But I digress. I had to take Chloe to Sea World last week. I admit it was quite nice. We stopped at Hilbertos for some breakfast burritos, hit up Sea World for a couple hours, and still got in some errands.

I took Nash, Chloe, and their cousin Katie to Soak City water park today. Another day of not  packing, oh well, it was a welcome break. I also promised the kids I would get them to a swim day at my aunt's uncle's next week. Will I be able to get it all done? Thank goodness for Starbucks and Redbulls! Luckily all this stuff to do doesn't give me any time to be sad.

Do you have any advice for a cross country move?

Bragging {Personal Reflection}

Sometimes I get so annoyed at those bragging moms. So, I'll keep it short. This week Nash had a brief conversation with the owner of the San Diego Padres, Jeff Moorad. He gave him some advice on who we should draft. I heard Mr. Moorad say, "Wow! You really know your baseball." Jeff....You have no idea, and I believe it was really your pleasure to meet him!

Last week, Chloe was selected to be in the school spelling bee. She came in second. She went back and forth with PTA mom's daughter for quite some time before she missed "busness" or as you know it, and she will never forget, "business." She got a certificate and a really cool medal.

Is It Too Early For A Drink?

I am feeling so frustrated. It all started yesterday when I made yet another attempt to add a cute font for my post titles and sidebar. I've followed Amanda's tutorial many times, only to give up the same number of times. Yesterday I found this awesome video tutorial at The Blog Designer Network that walked me through each step. When I was done with all the steps it even sort of worked. The cute font was there but my old title was also still there. I followed Amanda's troubleshooting tips and instead of fixing it, I made it disappear and after many more hours and attempts I gave up again. Nash tried to make me feel better, but at that point it was that I just needed to accomplish it for the sake of accomplishing it. I have done pretty much everything on my blog by myself, and I just can't bring myself to have someone else do this for me. It's the stubborn principle of it all.

On top of that mess, I was in workout clothes all day yesterday and never worked out, I cooked two different things that didn't turn out to my satisfaction and I'm trying to make a life changing decision for my family. Being a grown-up can be hard. When I was little, all I wanted to be was a grown-up. My imaginary play was usually me taking my kids to a fro school and going to the grocery store. I have to say my imaginary world was not a stretch from my current reality. But in my childhood play I never had to deal with dilemmas. I was never faced with decisions that would impact my family. As a mother and wife, that's all I do. Every decision I make will effect my family and that can weigh heavily. I wish I could see into the future. I wish I knew what the best place for Nash will be for his high school life. I wish hubby wasn't so indecisive.

So, I'm frustrated because time is getting the best of me and there are too many loose ends. I think it is too early for a drink, even if it were a mimosa. I think instead I will clean out my closet and rid myself of excess material baggage. At least I will feel some sense of accomplishment. Making decisions about what tops and sundresses to giveaway should be a lot easier than tackling CSS codes and life changing decisions.

Puffy Oven German Dutch Pancake Baby! Recipe and {Personal Reflection}

I really wanted to post a prosciutto panini I make because it's rainy and cold here in not so sunny SoCal and soup and hot sandwiches seem perfect for tonight's dinner. But...I can't find the pictures I took last time I made it. I'll keep looking for next week, but in the meantime I leave you with this. Perhaps you've seen it before. It goes by many names, Dutch Baby, German Pancake,  or Oven Pancake.

I've been making this for my family for years, it's soo easy and such a treat. I began making this because when I was little I spent the summers with my aunt and uncle. Every Friday night, my aunt would gather all of us kids and take us to the Mission Valley Marriott. They had a live Calypso band that played out at the patio by the pool. We spent hours dancing the night away and sipping our virgin margarita's {we thought we were so cool}. After the night of dancing she would take us to Ricky's Restaurant. She'd order a couple of these pancakes for us to share. Isn't she the coolest aunt ever? She literally took us every Friday. She is pretty big on traditions and making awesome memories for kids. She is largely responsible for so many of my happy childhood memories. I try to instill the importance of these traditions in my own kids, but I'm not that good at it. Luckily, she lives down the street and is a big part of my kids life, so I can leave it to her for now :)

Photo Source

Dutch Baby, Puffy Pancake, German Pancake

Ingredients:

2

 tablespoons butter or margarine

2

 eggs

1/2

 cup all-purpose flour

1/2

 cup milk

1/4

 teaspoon salt

2

 cups assorted fruit, diced

1  lemon, rinsed and cut in wedges

Powdered sugar and maple syrup, if desired

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F. In 9-inch glass pie plate, melt butter in oven; brush butter over bottom and side of pie plate.
2. In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly with wire whisk or hand beater. Beat in flour, milk and salt just until mixed (do not overbeat). Pour into pie plate.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffy and deep golden brown. Serve pancake immediately topped with berries. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, lemon juice and syrup.

Makes 4 servings

Another Weekend For The Record Books {Personal Reflection}

Well, there weren't actually any records set this weekend, but it was a weekend worth recording. We've had three great weekends in row this much which is saying a lot. There have been weekends where we just can't figure out something fun to do for the life of us? Does that ever happen to you? Besides hubs and I's {wait, is I's correct grammer, doubtful} permanent standing date-night, it helps that Chloe has games on Saturday's because that is a pre-set family activity that gets us outside and we all thoroughly enjoy watching her play. This Saturday after Chloe's game me and the kids went to lunch with my Aunt and my cousin. Remember the one that I hadn't spoken to in a long time and we recently re-connected? Yep, we all went to lunch and it was sooooo nice. Perfect actually. I'm glad she was available to go, it was great to spend time with her in that setting. She also was rooting Chloe on at her game. Chloe received her second game ball. She had an incredible hit that was almost out of the field. She also made a few outs at first.

After lunch we went home for siesta. Then, that evening, Chloe had a friend sleep over, which these days is a rare occasion. The little girl had never been over before, but she was so sweet and easy! Chloe was very happy. Sunday morning her friend was picked up shortly after breakfast. Later, we took the kids to Belmont Park. Belmont Park is small amusement park, with maybe 12 rides, located right by the bay/ocean in San Diego. For $27 per child they get a bracelet that allows them to ride all the rides as many times as they want. It's a great deal. It's also great that Chloe and Nash are big enough to go on all the rides by themselves. Me and hubs just got to watch, although my stomach drops just seeing them on the rides like this very old roller coaster.

Giant Dipper @ Belmont Park, San Diego, Ca.

Photo from Joyrides.com

Bear & Baseball Cupcakes & How To Add Filling to Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes yesterday and donated them to our Little League snack bar for them to sell. I was pretty happy with how they turned out and they were pretty simple to create. I had some leftover icing from the Bridal Shower cupcake order I had over the weekend so I just used that. I used Funfetti cake mix and filled them {using a 12 tip} with Marshmallow Creme. I made these little baseball toppers from white chocolate, a candy mold, and a red food writer pen. I promise I will get the candy mold tutorial up this week.

For the Sunbathing Bear Cupcakes I used a Wilton 107 tip for the waves, graham cracker crumbs for the sand, sour candy strips for the towel, a gummy bear, and the umbrella. I pasted the towel on with a dollop of icing and I wet the bottom of the gummy bear and placed him of the towel. You could obviously use Teddy Graham's too if you prefer.

Here is a simple photo tutorial for how to fill cupcakes. I don't bother scooping out any of the cake. I have found that to be an unnecessary step. I've filled cupcakes with jam, icing, and marshmallow creme and I've never had any problems doing it this way.

Slowly begin to apply pressure to your piping bag. As soon as you see your cupcakes begin to plump it's time to stop. Release pressure from the bag and remove from cupcake.You can use a small spatula, spoon or butter knife to scrape off the excess on top shown in step 3. 

Spring Break Recap

Spring break is officially over! The kids are at their first day back to school in over two weeks, hubby left early to get back to work, and there is finally a calm in the house this morning. We had the busiest and most amazing two weeks, hence my blogging absence. I have had entire spring breaks where most of the days were spent in our pajamas, but not this one. I posted a list of hopeful to-do's before the break started and I'm happy to say that I can cross off a nice chunk of the list. Here's the original list. I crossed off all we did:

• Hang out in pj's all day
• Padre Game
• Ice Skating
• Rock Climbing
• Bowling
• Batting Cages
• Space Museum at Balboa Park
• Movie
• Craft Day-I have been saving all my magazines so we can make collages.
• Spring Clean-full post on that later in the week.
• Sea World?? Poor Chloe has never been, will this be her chance?
• Host out of town guests? It's still being discussed...
• Read!
• Study and do homework-That's for me!
• Work Out-also me...
• Bake
• Go to the park
• Hang out with friends
• Take the kids to Vegas? Also still being discussed, but hopefully!

We crashed hubby's business trip to Vegas....so awesome! The kids hadn't been in a couple years. We stayed at the Red Rock Resort. I highly recommend it if you are going with kids. It's about 15-20 minutes off the strip. It's new and clean, it has a bowling alley, movie theatre, arcade, and babysitting. We took advantage of all it's features including it's fantastic pool. Nash got his highest bowling score ever of 118. He was thrilled. We still made it over to the strip to take the kids to see Cirque du Soleil's Mystere. We wanted to take them to see Beatles Love, but they were on vacation. Chloe really loved the show. I was happy to see it for a second time, but I think I still like O better.

After we got back from Vegas, we had to get ready for our out of town guests. They stayed for four days. We did end up doing Sea World with them, and although it was a bit crowded we got fun passes so I can take the kids back later.

After they left we headed up to Los Angeles to surprise the kids by taking them to a taping of AMERICAN IDOL for the performance show! You can imagine their surprise and excitement! An associate of hubby's was nice enough to give us his tickets, and his seats were AWESOME! We were 3 rows behind the judges. Steven Tyler waved at Chloe and she even got to go on stage (right next to the judges) to get a free Scotty shirt! She wore it for the next 3 days!

It sure was a fun break, but I'm ready to get back to business!

Bad Thing, Happy Thing

Bad Thing:
Yesterday, I had a tiff with Frank, the new butcher at my grocery store. I simply asked him if they had hanger steak or if it was possibly labeled as something different. The new butcher I had never seen before was aged, well over six feet tall, and could be filed under the "grumpy old men" category. He snapped at me that he had been a butcher for 35 years and he had NEVER heard of hanger steak. I thought to myself how strange that Martha {Stewart} would use it for a recipe if it did not exist. Enter my smart phone and a Google search of Hanger Steak. I walked back to the counter, showed him my phone,  and told him he made me feel like a jerk. He said nothing. I left feeling very frustrated. I really wish he would have at least tried to help me. He didn't even take time to investigate or ask me any further questions so that we could figure out what I needed. Whatever, maybe he was having a bad day. But know this Frank, I will surely be avoiding you next time I step up to the butcher's counter!

Happy Thing:
Today, I headed to the mall to make some returns and pick Chloe up a pair of monkey pajamas I had seen on my last visit. I was in no particular hurry and leisurely browsed the mall stores for quite some time. I knew I wouldn't have any alone time for the next two weeks so I really took advantage. I decided that since I endured the agony of my women's well check appointment, blood tests, and a DPT shot earlier in the morning, that I was going to treat myself to lunch. I headed to my favorite lunch spot in San Diego's most upscale mall. Nordstrom Cafe here I come. I ordered my usual, a Chinese Chicken Salad and a glass of Riesling. A perfect pairing in case your wondering. I sat alone in a corner booth, scrolling through blog posts on my phone and then just people watching. I noticed that at noon on a Thursday, the Nordstrom Cafe only had one man dining in it's bustling room. Unless of course you count the little toddler boy on a date with mama, I so miss those. There was only one other elderly lady who was eating alone. There was a moment when I wished hubby was there with me, but I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I suppose I'll have to date myself more often!

Have you ever dined alone?

They Grow Up So Fast

The other day I walked in the door to find this on the counter of a perfectly clean kitchen. My first instinct was to get annoyed that one of my children had the nerve to leave their toys out, which is nothing out of the ordinary, but always annoying nonetheless. However, in just a short moment I became overjoyed to see it sitting there. Why, you might ask? Well, here's the thing, that toy was something that Nash built the day before. I have no idea what possessed him to dig into a box full of Legos that he hasn't touched in years. I know that with each passing day I am less likely to find his "toys" lying around. Before I know it there will be no more toys, and soon after that I won't have the luxury of finding his dirty socks in the most oddest of places. He's growing so fast. Too fast.  He'll soon be in high school and I know those four years are going to fly by. He'll then be in college and I won't see his stuff lying around. He won't be here for me to nag to clean up. So for now, once in a while, I'll take comfort in his mess. I left the toy sitting on the counter, but it's gone now. I suppose the fact that he is outgrowing toys only means I'm doing my job and he's growing up completely normal. Sob, sob, sob. 

On a brighter note, I enjoyed the most wonderful Saturday with Chloe and Nash. Chloe's baseball game got cancelled so we got to relax during the morning. We had a family lunch of Sushi, where of course Nash had some raw fish and Chloe had plain steamed white rice. The kids and I ran to pick out some wedding gifts for our cousin who is getting married on Friday. Later, I made plans with a friend to take her kids and mine to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2. It was the perfect movie to see for us adults, and an 8, 9, 11, and 13 year old. After the movie, I took C & N to the CeramiCafe. I thought it would be cute for them to paint something for a wedding gift. Nash wasn't thrilled, but decided to come along. We decided on a set of coasters. We each painted one and we left one unpainted so the bride and groom can go back together and paint it. Nash really enjoyed himself and asked to come back again sometime. After picking up some pizza we didn't arrive home til almost 10! Since Nash and I are sick, it pretty much wiped us out. I can't wait to go pick up our fired pieces on Thursday and see how they turned out.

 

Workout DVD Reviews

Photos from Amazon.com

1. 8 Minute Abs-This is a DVD I've had for a couple years. My cousin swore by it, so it came to me highly recommended. It's workouts not only include abs, but also buns, arms, thighs, and stretching. All are only 8 minutes each. I usually just do the ab workout, which I love. It provides noticeable core strength improvement if done regularly.

This last Thursday, I did abs, buns, arms, and stretched. My quads are still sore. Four days later! It must have been from the buns workout, because while my buns and abs were also feeling the burn, it was nothing like my quads.  I would say my quads are the weakest part of my body, so they needed it. I 100% recommend this video. If you don't have time to change into workout gear or 30 minutes or an hour to workout, surely you have 8 minutes!

2. I recently rewarded myself with Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown DVD. I loved Bob's Weight Loss Yoga DVD and I was really eager to see what Jillian had to offer. I'm pretty new to yoga and have really enjoyed it. While I just tried Jillian's video for the first time today, and I only did the first workout, I can say, it's definitely a keeper. While Jillian doesn't explain how each body part should be positioned quite as well as Bob does, she does really focus on breathing. She is fun to listen to and made me laugh quite a few times during the workout with her witty comments. It's a very different workout from Bob's, Jillian's is more like aerobic yoga. She introduced me to some new more challenging poses that I loved, like camel. I can't wait to work up to the second workout.

I'm happy to say that I am still honoring my New Year's Resolution of my commitment to working out. However, I also resolved to cut back on my sugar intake and unfortunately that is not going so well. I have a weakness for Almond Hershey Kisses and a love of baking! What's a girl to do? While my weight loss goal is only to shed 10 pounds, I haven't lost one! BUT, I haven't gained one. I've been consistently working out and pretty much eating whatever I want. Granted, I mostly eat pretty good most days. If I get motivated I know I can lose the pounds by bikini season, but right now I'd rather bake :)

The Internet-A Parent's Tool For Medical Answers?

I know we all agree. It is the worst feeling in the world when your child is sick and you feel there is nothing you can do to fix it. That helpless feeling, it's heart wrenching. It makes your stomach sick. I've been there. It's a horrible. Once when Chloe was a baby, like I normally would, I put her in the car seat, I closed the van door, got in the drivers seat, and peeked at her in the rear view mirror. At that quick glance, I thought she was dying. I honestly did. Her face and lips were turning blue. Her hands were clenched in tight little fists. Her head slightly shaking while her eyes rolled back into her head. I screamed for help to my husband who was in the house. I frantically dialed 911. At the hospital they ruled it a seizure, not your common febrile seizure. They ran tests. No answers for what caused it. They sent us home and the next day she had another. She was airlifted to Children's Hospital and spent the next few days there under observation and being poked, prodded, and tested. She was only six months old. She had a swollen fontanel which was alarming to doctors. She went on to spend six months under the care of a neurologist. We never did get answers as to why. But she's fine now. Never had another seizure that we know of.

I've gone through it with Nash for years. The doctors have no clue. They all diagnose him with asthma. I know he doesn't have asthma. I even believe I know what the issue is. Sorry, I'm not completely ready to share that yet. But here's the thing...they run their tests, they push their meds, and they forget about you before you're even out the door. At least that has been my experience. I know doctors don't have it easy. But here's the other thing...sometimes we as parents know more. We know our children better than anyone. We know if something is not right even if said doctors don't listen or think we are crazy. AND the Internet has possibly given us as parents, who are seeking medical information the biggest gift ever. Perhaps to the irritation of those doctors when we come in spouting out information that we read and our probable diagnose. Granted, there is also a lot of MISINFORMATION out in cyberspace. And I think any relevant information should be discussed with doctors.

I have to thank my husband for his tireless efforts. He doesn't take no for an answer from doctors. He asks lots of questions and makes lots of requests. But in an age where decisions are made by our insurance companies, then our doctors, we are often the last to have a say. Our current doctor wouldn't so much as order blood tests for our son. In fact, he did nothing except a simple breath test before diagnosing him with asthma and putting him on three different medications! So, we simply went to a different doctor. Before our general doctor even responded to our email, my husband had already gotten a variety of tests and results for our son from the new doctor, a specialist.

I guess I just wanted to say that I'm thankful we as parents have the tools we need to do something to help our children. I want to encourage any struggling parents not to give up. I'm thankful that we don't have to put all our faith into a strangers hands and hope for the best. Like I said, it's the worst feeling to be helpless to your children. But, it's a great feeling when you figure it out, and are able to be proactive, and make it better. I'm thankful for my husband who never gives up. I'm thankful for the internet and all the stories parents share about their medical journeys with their children. But most of all I'm thankful for my wonderful children who I love more than anything.

Please understand that this is my situation and I know it doesn't apply to everyone. These are just my feelings about what I'm going through in my own life. As I get more information about our situation I will update you. If I can possibly help one person with the information I have found, it's all worth it. To be continued...

Time Management, Lists, and Phrases

We are restructuring our time around here. I'm a list person and without lists I fall apart. If I fall apart, a domino effect ensues and the children become little zombies who spend all their free time on their various mind capturing electronic devices.

I have a list that Nash follows in the morning. It's been posted since he was in kindergarten. It reminds him to brush his teeth and tie his shoes! :) He still looks at it every morning.

I have a list of "Rules of Civility". This is a list of rules and consequences. For example, if the kids are arguing they have to copy the arguing rule the number of times they are years. So they would write, "Strive not in argument, but submit your judgement to others with modesty." 13x's for Nash and 8x's for Chloe. There are 7 rules and phrases on the list.

I have a list of things the kids have to complete before they can watch TV or play video games.

I have bedtime routine list for the kids.

However, these lists are pointless if I don't use them, duh! So, I'm reintroducing the lists. The kids are not happy. But I know it will bring structure and happiness into our lives. We are consumed by our electronic devices. I like Branson's idea of wireless Wednesday. Today's Wednesday and look at me, some example. Note to self: work on being a better example for the kids. I hate the phrase, "Do as I say and not as I do." I get it, it's just not my style, and I think it confuses kids and makes them resent you. To me it's the epitome of hypocritical. I know a lot of people don't agree with me on that.

A phrase I have coined and use almost daily for my kids is, "Do what you have to do, before you do what you want to do." It actually applies to me as well. I love it.

My Aunt's big phrase was always, "BECAUSE I SAID SO!"

What phrases did/do you use for your kids or what did your parents used to say to you?

My Sweet, Sweet Nash and a Letter.

Last night , dressed in a button down and sport coat, Nash had to go to school to present his History Day project to judges, teachers, parents, and peers. History Day is unequivocally the largest project the kids do during all three years at middle school. Because Nash has a love for baseball he did his project on Moses Fleetwood Walker. He created a website to display the information. He worked on his project for months. He did it all by himself. While we talked a lot about it and he gave us constant updates on the project, neither his Dad or I helped him. It doesn't serve it's intended purpose when a project is done by the parents, now does it? He got a B on the project and was invited to present it to county, which we declined due to scheduling conflicts. It was unfortunate that I was unable to go and support him last night at school. I feel horrible, but he did have his dad and sister there to support him.

This morning I received this letter in my email from another mom at his school. He's friend's with her daughter, Anne, and I've talked to her occasionally because we usually volunteer at a few events together throughout the school year.

Hi Lil,

Just a quick note to brag about your son.  He is the nicest most polite boy at (our school) and that's the truth!!!  (Of course the competition is no where near him.)

Last night when we arrived at the History Show he came right up to my husband and I (Anne wasn't with us) and said hello.  He had never met my hubby so I introduced them, he shook our hands, looked us right in the eyes and was attentive to us only.  Later we went to his table he walked us through his wonderful website (my hubby is a baseball nut too) very politely and professionally.  As we were leaving he said it was nice meeting my husband.  My husband was amazed that there are still boys like him. 

I can't say enough about how great he is. I wish you'd tutor children in social etiquette.  We'd sent Anne in a heartbeat.

Have a nice weekend.

Linda

 

How sweet, right?

 

My sweet, sweet Nash-I am so proud of who you are. I'm proud that you got straight A's last quarter and that you do it all by yourself. I never have to nag you to do homework. You make it all seem so effortless. You really are the sweetest and most polite boy. I certainly don't need a note like this to remind me how wonderful you are, but it is nice that other people see it too. You have always amazed the people around you by your sharp mind, big heart, and mature attitude. I am grateful for everyday I have with you. I love you and thank you for being you. Don't ever change for anyone. I'd love to take all the credit here, but if anyone deserves it, it's you.

Love,

Mom

Do You Believe In Rainbows?

This is exactly how I have been feeling lately. Like there is a darkness and gloom that follows me around and I just can't seem to shake it. I'm not a person that has ever suffered from depression. Sure there have been times in my life, I have felt sad and overwhelmed. I may have even let it get me down now and then. But it never felt quite like this. I'm pretty sure I know the root of my overwhelming sadness in the last few weeks. But, just when I felt ready to give up, things started to change. Of course whenever I feel sorry for myself, I always focus on the positive things in my life, like Nash and Chloe. That usually gets my through any funk I'm in.

However, Saturday was a breakthrough day for me and some very important people in my life. I have suffered losing people in my life where it just couldn't be helped. However, when a relationship is lost with a family member, and it can be helped, it seems senseless and all the more hurtful. Do you have a relative that you no longer speak with? Someone who perhaps you were once close? Do you wish there was some way to move past it, to start over?

I recently mentioned some issues I was I having with a family member. It was not long after that I received a call from her asking to talk. It would be the first talking we did in several years. Not knowing what the conversation would hold, I went in with my guard up and left with walls that had broken down. It wasn't all pretty, but it ended up feeling like we had just moved mountains. I was extremely overjoyed with the outcome and the possibilities for the future.

Just minutes after arriving home, I saw this rainbow out my kitchen window! I instantaneously grabbed my camera to capture the moment. I felt like it was there just for me.

"In the midst of gloom and darkness this rainbow emerged, declaring itself upon my view."-Lil Grace