Technical Difficulties

Is anyone having trouble seeing my pictures? Are they cut off on your computer. They look great on mine, then Troy goes to work and discovers that on his computer they are all skeewampus!

lucky find? you decide.

together....

we went in search of some new ladybugs for the collection.

...in the process, we found much, much more than we bargained for!

Talk about bad dreams! We are all going to have them!

my mess is sicker than yours....

Sunday evening I harvested about 17 dirty diapers from our upstairs alone. Just in time for garbage day.

It was starting to smell like a barnyard.

Last month I cleaned out my car and uncovered a fossilized partially eaten cheeseburger and a ziplock bag of grapes that had chemically transformed into a white foamy substance.

Sick, you say.

Yesterday I re-ran a load of laundry doused in baking soda and vinegar in efforts to counteract the mildew that had been multiplying the fabric threads for 2 days.

Oh mercy.

Our junk "corner" made a move 6 months ago to the junk "drawer" and now we've made a new home for it in the junk "cabinet" because it seems to keep growing and growing and growing.

I bet there are unpaid bills hiding in there? Or maybe our Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes check?

Now, REWIND 2 1/2 years to a tidier time:

I distinctly remember being fat with child, having just finished off my final days as an educator, and basking in my last two months of freedom before baby #1 made his grand entrance. Most of my days were spent shuffling around the house tidying up a room or corner here and there. I took pride in a clean house. I enjoyed organizing a space until it visually dazzled me! I was a clean person. Maybe even a neat freak, to some(that might be going overboard).

Then, I would call a friend. One who was in the midst of a life with kids. And after hearing about my day of cleaning she would say something like,

"Oh, you just wait til you have kids!"

Well, you know what my reaction was, right?

Oh sure. That won't be me. A clean house will always be a priority. And on and on...

Well, dangit. She was right.

It is hard with kids. It seems like where one mess is cleaned another mess is made.

So what I want to know is....

Is anyone else feeling this way?

What is your worst cleaning problem?

What is the grossest thing in your house?

Can you "one up" the petrified cheeseburger?

And PS.... if you have a "merry maid" then please come clean!

and PPS....I hope this is not the visual picture you have of my house:

sweet dreams

What do you do when it's Saturday night at 7:00 pm, the kids are dressed in pajamas ready for bed, and you remember that you ran out of milk after the morning bottles?

a.) Run to the store for milk, where in the 20 minutes it will take you to get there and back, the children will be grumpy and unmanageable?

b.) Call the neighbors to borrow some milk - the same neighbors you call for EVERYTHING (butter, milk, eggs, flour) AND the same neighbors that had to stop by your house the week before because the door was left wide open because a certain mom was too frazzled getting the kids into the car that they forgot to close up the house?

OR

c.) Make your kids' wildest dreams come true and whip them up some creamy, sweet hot chocolate with water and Nestle powder?



YEP. You guessed it. We are the best parents EVER!

This reminds me of my favorite comedy skit by the legendary Bill Cosby.

wild about wildflowers

a lot of frolicking going on around here...

I am suffering from a photo styling identity crisis.  I love all these styles of editing.  I usually tend to go with light, bright & happy colors, but I am also really digging those top three...A LOT!

drumroll please...

America's voted....
(or just 24 of my faithful American readers)

And the winning haircut is....

Well. Who knows?

I didn't really tally the votes.

But, I did take into careful consideration all your suggestions!

I ended up taking in picture B (of the hot bikini girl) into my hair stylist. But, when I walked out, my cut seemed to be closer to Option A...which I also loved, so it was a win-win situation.

I have to say...NO REGRETS. I am a short hair kind of woman! I love, love, love the freedom of a hairless neck.

So thank you for you help and encouragement with this major life-altering decision!

i'm off to get my haircut....

wish me luck.

out of the mouth of babes

Scene: Our bed - 6:30 a.m. (too early)

Jack: Smells yike cow poo-poo.

Me: (sniff, sniff) I don't smell any cow poop. (We do have cows nearby so sometimes the smell of manure graces our senses)

Jack: Yes it does. Is stinky.

Me: No. It smells fine in here.

Jack: Wait. Yet me smell you. (He is now 1 centimeter from my face)

Jack: Oh sick. (as he rebounds back 4 feet)

Jack: Is your breath mom. Peeeeeee-Ewwwwww! Smells yike cow poop-poo!

Thanks, son. Thanks.

.short.

I'm taking a big step here.

I am deciding to abandon my allegiance to my husband and his LOOOVE of long hair, and I am cutting it off.

Honey, I never was a long haired type of girl, anyway.  Far too glamorous for a gal like me.  Besides, when your sister was here she reminded me of a time when we were dating and you called her and described me as having "the cutest short hair"...along with other descriptions that probably included sexy, lovable, ingeniously witty, talented, smart, beautiful...I don't know...I'm just guessing.

So, I'm thinking.  If you loved me once with short hair, you could probably do it again.

This is where you all come in.  I need some suggestions.  Some help deciding. 

One thing is for sure. 

 I want to be blonde.  Really blonde.  Dare I say platinum?  

(Though the thought of upkeep does make me nervous)

Here are my cut options:

   

a.  my friend jenna

 (I'm sorry.  I did not ask for permissions to post this)

Meet Jenna...again.  You may remember her from this story.  She is my friend that looks darling in any cut/color that she chooses.  But, as you might remember from this story, things don't go so well when I try to copy her styles.  I do love, love, love this cut.  Doesn't she look sassy even with what appears to be a lil smokie in her hands?

b.  beautiful girl from swell.com  (follow the link)

This cut just speaks to me.  It says I'm a laid-back, surfer, let-the-summer-take-you-way, I love the sunshine, kind of carefree girl.  And  yes please on her body too.  I'll take a double order!

c.  The Victoria A-line

This is a good, classic standby.  I just wonder if my hair is thick enough to pull it off?

So, cast your votes now!  What will it be....the suspense is killing me!

first birthday....continued

Can you beat a first birthday party?

I don't think so.

I mean, really.  What could be better than watching a 1 year-old inhale their first real taste of anything sweet (besides occasional sips of diet coke...pretend you didn't just hear that).  

I just LOVE first birthdays! 

So, sorry to drag this on, but here are the rest of the pictures from Lucy's day.

Jack, the little pyro, was quick to offer his fire blowing skills.

don't let me down

My dear, sweet lucy must have sensed that the thought of a quiet, casual, scoop-some-ice-cream-on-a-paper-plate type birthday party was sounding really appealing to me this time around.

But NO. She wouldn't have it. Not after her brother got this kind of celebration for his first birthday. 

She crawled up to me a few weeks ago and with her innocent, puppy-dog eyes told me that I must prepare something wonderful. A celebration fit for her first birthday. A planned party that would reflect our appreciation for the good behavior she's given us for the last year!

So we did. 

We planned a bash for our little Lu. Dear, sweet Lu who has been nothing but a piece of cake since day one! 

And it was so fun. So fun to celebrate her, and to finally (I think?) realize that she is growing up.

We love you so much!

(P.S.  There are many more pictures to come.  My computer is FULL.  Yep...chuck full!  I can't do a darned thing until I go buy another external hard drive and clean this baby up!  So stay tuned.)

.vacation.

We are spending the week with these guys (Troy's sister)!

Camping, Disneyland, beach days, more Disneyland, NO MORE camping, museums, etc. etc.

See more pictures HERE!

45 minutes alone with dad

not taking no for an answer

When your husband plans a Valentines weekend away, and you drive 8 hours to drop the kids off with the Grandparents, and it's your first time alone as a couple in 3 years...

Ain't NOTHING...

and I mean NOTHING is going to stand in your way!

Not a blizzard

Not a stern, grumpy highway patrolman

Not a jackknifed semi truck

Not chain requirements

Not a shut-down of a major interstate

NOTHING, I say!

We were not taking NO for an answer.

And so the story goes:

7:45 am

Couple left children in Sacramento with a kiss and hug.  Hopped in car for a weekend of kidless romance.

8:30 am

Couple was guided off the freeway at Applegate to install winter snow chains.  No problem.

8:45 am

In the 15 minutes it took male counterpart to install chains, there had been an accident and the freeway had been closed.  completely closed.  oh *&#@!  (that stands for schnikees)  This can't be happening.

9:00 am

Couple decides to forge ahead and finds a narrow, hilly side road that leads to another freeway onramp 10 miles ahead.  Couple sees no sign of CHP blocking entrance, so they enter.  Only ones on the road.

"Sweet" they thought, "We totally bucked the system"

9:45 am

Oh $*#@!^.  Stopped again.  Politely guided off the freeway by officials.  Wait...there's got to be another way.  Couple asked locals for some tips and were guided to a treacherous old highway not recommended for travel.  It was worth the risk.  (think no kids, romance, hot tubs, skiing)

10:15 am

Found another onramp clear for entrance.  Couple tried again.  Only ones on the road.

Could this be it?  "Are we free" they thought.

Oh *#@^@!*.  Once again, they were escorted off the Interstate.

10:20

This time a bit deflated.  Not sure what to do.  The couple sat and thought.  This can't be the end of the road.  Wait!  Is that the burgundy suburban they'd been following the entire time?  Follow him!  And they did.  Once again on side roads.  And once again to another open freeway onramp.  This time it was for good.

Free and Clear!  They'd made it.

10:30

UNTIL....CLINK, CLANK, BANG, KABOOM!

Oh, &#^@*!

Chain malfunction.  Male counterpart gets out to assess the situation. 

 Female counterpart turns heat up full blast to warm face and fingers.

Problem remedied.

10:45

CLINK, CLANK, BANG, KABOOM!

What now?

More chain malfunction.

Fixed.

11:00 am

CLINK, CLANK, BANG, KABOOM!

Seriously?

Yup.

11:15 am

You guessed it.

CLINK, CLANK, BANG, KABOOM!

%@*!^@*

11:45 am

Couple arrived at Squaw Valley.  Couple called CalTrans Freeway Hotline.  Traffic was still being held at Applegate.  Freeway closed.

VICTORY!

System Bucked!

And the reward was this:

Thank you, honey.  You really outdid yourself!

Thank you, mom and dad.  The kids were so well cared for.

Thank you, Chantel and Carl for the snow gear.

what she's been up to.

cooing

laughing

taking body slams from brother

eating adult food

getting two more top teeth

napping two (sometimes 3) times a day

growing a mullet

walking with her nifty walker

sleeping through the night

climbing 

coming down the stairs

falling down the stairs

clapping

signing "please" and "more"

taking off shirts

biting her crib rail

loving bathtime

getting giddy when dad comes home

bee-bopping to music

AND

helping me with my chores!

You are an absolute DELIGHT lucy!

bear with me on this one.

The events of yesterday got me thinking.

Thinking about the folks down in Colorado City, AZ.  And how maybe, just maybe, they are actually on to something good.

You see, yesterday Troy and I cooked and cooked.  A little of this and a little of that so that we could enjoy the company of friends and the comfort of good food.  

We made big messes.  

Messes that the men were clearly having NO part in.  Messes that stared you in the face screaming "clean me" while your full stomach was begging, "let me rest".

Now enter girlfriends.

They came to the rescue.  Within 15 minutes, three of us had the job done.  Floors swept, food put away, dishes washed and countertops wiped.  

So this is where my wheels started turning.  Really...would having a couple "sister wives" around be that bad?  I mean think of all the benefits:

(I've got mad photoshop skillz, yo)

1.  Your house would probably be immaculate.  Between the three of you, one could do the daily, routine tasks.  Another could take care of a big organizational project, and the third could focus solely on laundry.

2.  You would never have to go without stimulating adult conversation.  One of the "sisters" would always be around to chat with.

3.  You could tag team the children.  

4.  You could get on some kind of a rotation where one of the "sisters" stays home with the kids while the others could go shopping, or for a jog, or out to lunch.

5.  You could share clothes.  (Though pastel colored dresses with puffed sleeves might get old)

6.  Appointments would be so easy to schedule.  No worries of "who's going to watch my kids?" or "how will they behave in that 10x10 foot office space?"  Say hello to fresh highlights every 8 weeks on the dot!

7.  Puny errands would be so easy.  The kids could be left in their carseats with the other sister wives while you just "run in" to grab something.

Ladies...the list is ENDLESS!  

I really think that Colorado City might be sitting on the best kept secret in the West!

ONLY ONE CONDITION:  Sister wives must leave the premises before MY MAN comes home at 6:30 pm.  No exceptions.