moment of silence

I am taking a moment of silence for the old car seat...Now it is time to celebrate good times. Who said blessings don't come from blogging. Brody is now the proud owner of a non white trash car seat. Thanks Kris for the hook up. Now...what could be my next blog blessing...I am looking for a new 2009 suburban?(LOL)

White Trash or Cheap???

I bought this car seat 7 years ago. This is Carly coming home from the hospital in a safe, fresh, new car seat. I was putting Brody in the same car seat today. After looking at Brody in the car seat I thought..."Am I White trash?" The material won't fit over the side anymore and it is not worth my time to fix it. The older kids get in it and use it like a rocking chair. It is probably not even safe anymore...I think the plastic is the protection in a car accident...right? well I will keep telling myself that. I am not white trash...I am a EARTH SAVER because I do not want to add this to the dump and pollute the earth. Take that girls...I am not an Earth Waster...or maybe I am to cheap to buy a new one for the last child.

photo tag

Not a fair question since I just turned 33 two weeks ago.

I would love to visit Palau and island in the South Pacific. They have a lake filled with thousands of sting less jellyfish that you can scuba dive with.

My favorite things...lotion

My favorite place is my bed. For many reasons but mainly to sleep in.

My favorite food with bananas. I could eat this every morning.

Favorite color

Old pet bunny named cottontail. (Really creative name)

Nickname...hoi ya hoe...my dad told me they bought me from an Indian village for 5 blankets when I was little. I believed him for a long time and that nickname stuck. I am sure it is not even a real Indian name he just made it up on the fly.

I majored in teaching secondary education in college.

My first job was at Pizza Hut.

Next year I hope to run a marathon and not die while trying. Hopefully I will look like the girl in the photo when I am done...nice abs...How many kids have you had?

earth waster

If you were a fly on my wall the past couple weeks you would of heard the term "earth waster." I do my part in saving the earth. I recycle my plastic and cans. My girls say I only do this because I care about the couple of bucks I get at the recycle center. They say if I was a true recycler then I would shop with canvas bags and recycle the plastic bags. I think canvas bags would be great one day. Now I have to many little kids and always fill my cart with groceries that I have no room for canvas bags. I guess I could put the bags on top of Brody with a small opening for him to breath through. If I leave the water running while doing the dishes and turn my back for a second...they come over turn it off and say "earth waster." They have crossed the line this morning. Sydney wanted to take a bath this morning so i told her to go and get in. She comes running out in tears and said the girls called me an earth waster. Apparently baths waste more water than their 30 minute showers. They were acting like Sydney was pouring oil in the ocean with her wanting to take a bath. "If she doesn't care about the future of her grandchildren then let her take a bath." Me being the smart mom I am taught Sydney "I am rubber and you are glue whatever you say bounces of me and sticks to you...boing stick." So...problem solved...No, Now I get to hear "earth waster"...boing stick...earth waster...boing stick...all Sunday morning.

It sure looks fun to be an earth waster Sydney.

ugly stage

I have begun to talk about growing into a woman with Taylor. She will be in 5th grade soon and has noticed the quick developing girls in her class. Scott gave her this book which is really good with helping me explain things to her. The picture are all cartoons and cute. It even has pictures for different stages of "development." It is funny where she thinks she is. I think she just wants to shave her legs. I tell her not to get too excited because you go through a long ugly stage before you reach your beautiful stage. Is that mean and scarring? I love remembering the ugly stage. Everyone has gone through it and girls continue to go through it. The cycle of life...It got me thinking of showing Taylor what I was talking about through pictures. Sooo I will post one of my ugly stage photos and tag all who dare to post an ugly stage photo. Katrina, Barbra, Tierney, Kim, etc...It will help teach Taylor about the ugly stage and everyone must go through it...and it will pass. So Post for the sake of all the girls beginning the journey that we are glad is behind us. Plus I want a good laugh.

My little Olivia Newton John

It was Taylor's last day of tennis lessons. I signed her up because I always wished I would have played tennis in high school. (Living your dreams through your children.) It is such a fun sport but I did not figure that out until college. I love taking my kids and seeing them try to hit the balls. I was hoping that maybe with some lessons Taylor and I could maybe get a volley going. She told me she was not a beginner anymore and she was ready for advanced. If that is the case than I must be Serena Williams. I love introducing them to new things and watch them learn. I can't wait until we can have a real game of tennis together. Keep practicing and I will too.

One thing you don't need to practice is fashion. You look amazing in your cute tennis outfit. You look like an advanced tennis player with that outfit. Please can you help your sister? This was Sydney's athletic outfit to watch Taylor play tennis. If you were going for the Olivia Newton John look you hit it dead on...Your killing me.

You're Fired

I cut off the head in this photo so she could not be identified as my 4 year old. I wanted it to look like those photos in the magazines for the fashion don'ts. What type of mom have I become. I actually let her go to school like that today...and I did not even care. Either I am becoming more evolved because it does not bother me or more slacker mom. I decided to do a motherhood evaluation.

Supermom: 1. leaps tall buildings at a single bound
2. Is faster than a speeding bullet
3. Is Stronger than a Loco motive
4. Walks on water
5. Talks with God

Exceeds job requirement: 1. must take a running start to leap over my kids bikes
2. Arrives at all meetings early
3. Is Strong enough to change a tire
4. Recycles household water
5. Talks with angels

Regular mom: 1. can leap only over small toys
2. Arrives on time still dressing the children
3. Is strong enough to remove most jar lids
4. Washes dishes with water
5. Talks to herself

Tries hard mom: 1. Crashes into things as she tries to move through her day
2. Arrives after opening prayer still dressing herself
3. Pushes start on the microwave to start dinner
4. Drinks a lot of water
5. Talks with strangers who will listen

The Rest of Us: 1. Can not find her way home some days.
2. Arrives before closing prayer...forgetting something (husband looking at his watch from the stand as you walk in.) I won't tell you what my thoughts are at that point.
3. Can carry a full bucket of KFC from the car to the table
4. Loses water in emergencies.
5. Talks on the phone...or blogs

I used to be a supermom with one child now I am afraid my job performance has dwindled down a few notches. Am I going to get FIRED? I don't think so. One day Carly asked me when I got fired from my job? "What do you mean Fired?"...Carly..."You don't have a job." Now you may think I don't have a job but one day you will understand. The best thing about my job... I CAN NEVER BE FIRED no matter how low my evaluation.

33 at club 33

Everyone this weekend was celebrating motherhood. I on the other hand was celebrating my 33rd birthday. It happens to fall on mother's day every 7 years and this is my lucky year. I have made it clear that these are two separate occasions and should not be combined. A certain man I might be married to...has always done a great job of not combining the two days. He is always creative and puts a lot of thought into my birthday. This year he took me to club 33 in Disneyland since I am 33. This is an elite club that you need to be a member of and it takes 14 years for your application to be processed. It is one of those things at Disneyland that only a select few know about. It was created for Walt Disney's VIPs and the original investors of Disneyland. This is why it is called club 33 because of the original 33 investors. I will always think the 33 is for my birthday. Well, the certain man I might be married to pulled some strings and got us in. When you arrive at Disneyland they give you a club 33 map so you can find the secret door.

This is the secret door(in New Orleans square) that you knock on and talk in a voice box on the side of the door. Then when they are ready you are allowed in. I felt like a secret agent from mission impossible.

You get to ride up on an old french lift to the restaurant which overlooks Disneyland.
At dinner we had the best meat we have ever had. I love going to nice restaurants but they always have such small portions and dinner is sooooo long. After our 1/3 cup of soup and 1 crab cake to share between both of us I got a happy birthday dessert place with a chocolate mickey. Nice touch nameless man.

Then I decided to walk around and see what I could take that would not be stealing. My date said that if I took a menu and plate that would be stealing so I settled on some napkins from the bathroom.

While in the bathroom I saw these awesome toilets. Yes, you have to lift the lid.

My normal dessert at Disneyland is a churro. My girls know that we don't buy anything at Disneyland but churros.(budget) My dessert tonight even beat the churro. Banana split cheesecake.

Another great birthday planned by the master of surprises.

Blue eye shawdow & leg warmers

Yes, you can still find leg warmers in stores. It was a mother daughter 80's skate night. The girls can't believe I was alive in the 80's. It is not the 1880's. In their minds I am sure it was close. I knew we were in trouble when I showed them a record and they said that is a huge CD.

As we were getting ready they kept telling me how pretty I looked with my blue eye shadow. "Did all moms dress like this in the 80's?" No, I am going for a chunky teenager look. (If you notice closely I am wearing my new kids on the block t-shirt from an earlier post.) They kept saying how they wish they could dress like this everyday and the 80's would be so fun. I definitely think the music is the best. Scott tells me I need to get out of the 80's with my music but thanks to XM radio I listen every car ride.

As you can see how excited she is to skate by herself. You won't get better unless you fall and do it yourself.

See look you are getting better and having fun. Plus you look so cute to skating to Michael Jackson's thriller.

We all started out slow and I felt like an old chunky 33 year old skating. By the end of the night I could have closed my eyes and swore I was 12 hoping for a couples skate...maybe not close my eyes because I probably would have fallen hard. I had a great time girls and was glad to share my era of the 1880's with you. Now maybe you will appreciate my music and not always want Hannah Montana. Her song GNO is just as great as Girls just wanna have fun.

This little girl did not get to go but I guess she wanted to feel a part of the 80's. I think her legs were cold and she took leg warmers literally.

cookie cutter moment

There are moments of frustration...There are moments of sadness...There are moments of it is 6pm and I don't care it is BEDTIME. Then there are moments of I wouldn't trade my life for the world. Taylor gave me one of those moments. She checks my blog everyday when she gets home from school and some of yours. This day was not different, but when I came home from a day of running kids around the city there was a note on my bed. This is a picture of the note tied to a cookie cutter. It says "Thanks for reminding me of the good times. Sometimes I do wish I did have hearts and bears. I love you!" This was her thoughtful deed after reading the post about her and the "Brown bag" and cutting her sandwich. I wish I could be like my 10 year old sometimes.

I'm the Mom

Many things change over the years but some things never change...Motherhood... I find myself turning into my mom daily. I listen to classical music just to calm my nerves. I don't even like it but my kids know what that means when Mozart is being heard. I also tell them to turn down their music. I can only listen to Hanna Montana so loud. I never thought I would be that mom. I always imagined I would rock out with them and they would think I was so cool. Nope...I have developed the "it gives me a headache" moms disease. I love this Video of the mom song because my mom said those things to me and now I do those to my kids. I am sure the cycle will continue.

Top Secret?

The only way I can get through a run is by listening to music. Today the song "coming to America" by Neil diamond came on. I think of my little brother who is serving in the Navy as some helicopter rescue diver. I don't claim to know what he does. The only thing I know about the armed forces I learned from the movies. He just laughs as I try to talk military to him. I just figured out what 0600 hours meant. The song sparks memories of him coming home from a year of being on a boat. They played the song as his helicopter came around the horizon and landed. My girls were waving flags and I found myself becoming patriotic and tearing up. I wanted to start singing proud to be an American but was beat to it because that was the next song that came over the loud speakers. I love a guy in uniform even if it is my brother. I think that started from watching Top Gun. He just left again to go on another ship where he can't say where he is going. Top Secret...I have heard that before in the movies. Are there really top secrets? I hope you are safe and I love you. I hope you know we are thinking of you. Maybe I should of saved this for a 4th of July post.

Brown Bag it

There are many stages of development that parents get excited about. Rolling over, first steps, first words, first day of school...My oldest Taylor has reached a milestone of development. She has come to me and told me that she no longer wants to take her lunchbox to school. She wants to brown bag it. At first I thought it was for a field trip day...but no she is too cool for the lunch box. She is growing up so fast. I know what is just around the corner. She soon will be too cool even for a brown bag. Then it will be having to buy lunch everyday. I will miss the good old days of cutting your sandwich with a cookie cutter so you have a cute shape to eat. It is true that before I know it you will be gone. I only have 8 years left before college. The 10 years we have already shared has felt like a moment.