I think we found our HOUSE

When you know. You know. I think we found our house tonight. It's great. Here is it's picture. I am going to name it Lily. There are lilies in the front yard and that's the first thing I noticed. It's got a fantastic floor plan for a family, plenty of room for guests, playing, cooking (it has a dream kitchen) and a fantastic price. It's 2400 sq feet, one floor, new (2yrs old), clean, light and happy. I love the outside and how it is situated. I love this house. Did I mention that? I LOVE this house? Pray for us that everything goes okay with the paperwork.

Friday Confessions # um not sure

• I stopped cooking for a long time. I just got tired of it. Last night I made a great dinner. As I watched my happy family shoveling in food with gusto while making yummy noises I thought to myself...good. That ought to hold them over for awhile. Thank goodness because cooking is exhausting.
• I'm supposed to be doing something productive right now while my parents take the chicks to the bouncy place but instead I am blogging.
• I made Mike watch 27 dresses last night which perhaps might have the cheeziest ending of any movie ever except "You've Got Mail" where Tom Hanks brushes a tear off of Meg Ryan's cheek and says "Don't cry shopgirl. Don't cry." Even just typing that made my tummy roll with nausea.
• I am dying to see the Sex and the City movie because I have watched SATC in reruns where the bad language and apparently the sex has been removed. But I know the movie version will not be edited. But I still want to see it. If I go at 9:30 tonight by myself and nobody knows do you think that would be okay? (I already checked the show times, that's how I know I could go at 9:30)
• I love cherries and eat them until I get sick.

The Power of Positive Reinforcement

Over the past three weeks Jessica and I have seemed a little like oil and water. She's been pushing her boundaries, arguing and I've been out of patience, out of breath and sharper with her than I would like to be. Basically, I've wanted to ring her neck on multiple occasions and have gone into my room to cry after putting in her room to cry. Katie's been extra good because she's the chick who wants to be popular and have everyone like her so she just wasn't gonna step into this mess.

Obviously, something had to change. And I realized it wasn't going to be my 3 year old. So I conducted an experiment. I would be really sweet and not react when she did something naughty unless it was an established rule breaker. Like going in the street, throwing food on the floor, being unkind etc. On top of that, I would go overboard to praise every little thing she did right or sweet. I told her like 30 times a day that she was nice, and good, and kind, and sweet, and gentle, and loving. I told her she was a good minder and that she listened well to mommy. When she was loving to anyone, I gave HER extra love and hugs. I made a point to spend time holding her and tickling her back and running my fingers through her hair. I decided not to freak out if they didn't take a nap. As long as they were relatively quiet and in their room for the duration of naptime, it was fine. I had fun with her and made sure we laughed together about something each day. I'm only like 5 days into my experiment and I CAN NOT TELL YOU WHAT A DIFFERENT KID I HAVE. She is going out of her way to be good. She is making every effort to be loving and do loving things. She is minding so much faster. The whiny voice that I thought would drive me over the edge is gone. And Katie has even gotten better. They have been so loving to each other and have played so well together the last couple of days. Tonight when we were going to bed after our books and song and before prayers, I said "I have an announcement so everyone touch your ears so I know you are listening. I just would like to say Jessica Rose has been extra good today. She has been so loving, kind and sweet and I am so proud of her." Mike got down on his knees and gave her a big hug and told her how happy he was to hear that and he was so proud of her. Then all of a sudden Kate jumped up like a rocket and I thought (oh, no...she's going to feel left out) and she ran over to Jessica and grabbed her around the neck and yelled "I'm proud of you too Jessica Rose!" And gave her a million kisses. If you could have seen the look on that kid's face...seriously, it brought tears to both Mike and my eyes. She was so proud of herself and so happy that we were all celebrating that she was being good and loving.

I swear, it took very little effort on my part to change my reaction and attitude. And it has made parenting so much fun this week and so much easier. I knew this in my head, I just needed to change my attitude. I feel like I have my Jessica back. And I feel like the girls love each other so much and we are having fun together again. I hope it lasts.

Sophie in Mortal Peril

My girls each have a comfort toy that they've had since they were infants. Jessica's is the head of a rabbit and then the body is an actual little snuggly blanket. Jessica's toy is named Clarice Rahbiet Blankette. (Clarice (because we liked the name, Rahbiet (she's a rabbit) Blankette (she's also a blanket) Katie's toy is named Sophie Bear Blankette. (Same reasons) These two gals are cuddly, velvet, satin pink snuggly, marshmallow, squishy best friends to our girls. Their story is Sophie is married to Stanley Bear Blankette (we also have him but nobody got attached so the girls gave him to me) and they have a Saudi Arabian cousin by marriage living in America named Clarice and Rahbiet was her maiden name. We do these kind of background stories for all of our babies and stuffed animals. Who wants a doll just named dolly that came from ToysRUs and has no soul? Our girls are highly attached to Sophie and Clarice. As in, they have to have them to sleep, they carry them around most of the day and they have to have them in the car wherever we go. My biggest nightmare is somehow losing either Clarice or Sophie because for our family it would be very near to an actual death of a loved one.

Onto my story. So today, we are cruising down the street and Katie says "Mommy, I need some wind". So I crack her window about 4 inches down. We continue down the street. She then says "Mommy, I need my Sophie." Now she says this fifty times at least during every car ride over 2 miles. Usually, I just nod my head and say "uhhuh...ssssooorrry baby girl but I can't get her while the car is moving. I'll get her for ya when we stop". But for some reason today I said "where is she Katie?" and she says "out there!" I look in my rearview mirror and there is Sophie, about 200 feet behind me, on the ground, being plummeted with cars on busier than snot Laguna Blvd. I yell "Katie, Oh NO!" My mom was with me and she says "KATIE, what happened?". We are in actual panic mode because Sophie had actually left the vehicle and was being run over many times by oncoming traffic on a 4 lane busy road. So I whip around, drive like mad, whip around again, hit my hazard lights, block off both lanes of traffic and stop the car. By this time Jessica is crying and Katie is yelling "save her Grammie!!!". My mom jumps out, runs like mad in front of my van, grabs Sophie and dives back into the car. Katie is overcome with happiness and starts hugging and kissing Sophie and whimpering. Jessica can't stop crying for like at least 5 minutes after Sophie got saved because she was so scared for Katie and missing Clarice who she had left at home and taken Shooka the Killer Whale instead. Whew...it was a rough few minutes there. I can't even begin to imagine if I hadn't seen Sophie on the road.

Shooka has a back story too. We'll save that for another time.

If You Are a Parent or Not Please Read This!

I need your help. Mike and I have decided to take our entire stimulus check from the government and make the girls a play room that will really be functional and good for them now as well as in the future. We'll add money if we run out...we just want it to be what will work and aren't totally focused on the cost.

So, here's what we need. Nothing permanent on the walls (we are military and have to move with this stuff), but stuff we can anchor to the walls (so it doesn't fall and crush anyone). We need storage for toys, books, dolls, coloring books, games, puzzles etc. We'd like it to have 2 small desk areas where they can color and later on do homework, draw, write letters etc. We aren't thrilled about paying Pottery Barn Kids prices. But we don't want something cheap that will fall apart either.

Any ideas? Do you have some great system that works awesome? I just want stuff to have a place. Right now they have a small bookcase, a kitchen, a 3 drawer dresser w/TV/DVD on top of it and big clear bins to dump their toys in. It's just not working. The first thing they do in the a.m. is dump out the bins all over the floor. Getting the toys back in is like pulling teeth. Even if I sing the dumb Happy Working Song from Enchanted and do the high princess voice and everything. Help, I'm being overtaken by toys.

My Master To Do List

I'm doing something crazy here. You've heard the old saying that if a tree falls in the forest but nobody is there to hear it does it make a sound? Well, I make a to-do list every couple of days. There's nobody around to see it. Then, I lose it or totally ignore it. So I was wondering, if I shared my to-do list publically with all of you, will I get some stuff on it done? Let's see shall we?

• Clean off dining room table
• Put laundry away
• Organize spice rack
• clean out fridge
• call stanley steamer for carpets and couches
• find house to rent
• sign a rental contract
• Make appointment with my doctor for my neck
• Make appointment with girls doctor for 3 year well baby check up
• Register girls and kinderkare and do a trial day
• return videos to blockbuster
• clean purse
• grocery shopping
• getjessica shoes for church
• find an outfit for Susan's shower
• wash sheets
• go to costco for diapers/pull ups, wipes, tp, papertowels
• clean off deck
• get my hair cut, pedicure
• get Elmo deployment video
• Organize Mike's promotion
• pull out winter pajamas
• organize girls drawers
• get bangs trimmed
• organize toys/books

Just the 4 of Us

Jessica drew a flyboat all by herself with the WonderPets!

We spent this weekend at home, just the 4 of us, hanging out, doing nothing but eating together, playing, taking naps, coloring, playdough and watching movies. I wished we would have done more, but me and the girls had low grade fevers and were achey all over.





I love these kinds of weekends and will cherish them after Mike is gone. He mostly took care of the chicks, played tons of games with them, made up songs and stuff. They love when he is home.

Recent Pix

Jessica and Katie on a ride at Western Festival
Jessica and Mike on the Merry-go-Round

Katie at the Western Festival Parade

I got Aligator Mouth Chip Clips from Jessica on Mothers Day

A legacy of strong women, Gramma Bea, Mom, Me, Gramma Houlie, Katie and Jessica

Papa and Katie on Mother's Day

BOSSY & THE GEEK

A new chapter of Bossy & The Geek, my own personal love story with Mike Meeker the Geeker Seeker is now posted on my other blog: www.bossyandthegeek.blogspot.com. If you are new to this story...PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE start with Chapter 1 or it won't make sense and you'll think I'm crazier than I really am.

When It Rains, It Pours

I don't particularly agree with Ted Kennedy's politics. However, it was released today that he has a malignant brain tumor. I started to think about the Kennedy's in general and in particular Ted Kennedy. Here is a family who has all the wealth and privilege that you could possibly have. They are the closest thing to royalty we have in this country. But as a family, they have had so much sadness, especially this man. His brothers were both assassinated suddenly and so publicly. His nephew dies in plane crash. Again, a public national tragedy. Various nephews and cousins have been accused and tried for crimes ranging from rape and murder to drugs. He himself, has lived in the shadow and suspicion of what really happened that night on that Chappaquiddick bridge so many years ago. He could have rested on his laurels, living his life on Easy Street. But instead, he served his life as a servant of the people, earning a meager salary while fighting for the principles his family believed in. I feel badly for Ted Kennedy. Regardless of what he believes politically. I feel bad for his sister Eunice. I feel badly for Caroline who will see every parental figure and sibling she ever has had die tragically before their time. I wish the Kennedy family the very best as they face this new tragedy. A bullet in the head for Jack, a bullet in the chest for Bobby and now a tumor in the brain for Teddy. How much saddness can one family have?

Birthday Party Pictures (Late)

(above) J w/underpants on her head - this is a family tradition
(above) singing happy birthday with their fleur de lis cake

(above) Katie Kate waits for a present

(above) The birthday girls share the cashew bowl

Sorry these pix are so late. We had a fun bday party at my parents home for the girls. We had to cancel their original party because they got so sick. But the make up party was fun. I just didn't get the pictures posted on time.

Summer Is HERE!!!

Katie talking to Daddy on a Little Mermaid Cell Phone

Jessica playing in a puddle

We went to my cousin's 3rd birthday party last week. It was hot and they had a big huge blow up water slide that the girls LOVED. It was fun seeing family I hadn't seen in a long time. I love my family and this is one of the big perks to living back in our hometown again.

I'm so glad it's summer. I love summer. Flipflops, floating in the pool, the beach, the farmers market with great fruit, BBQs, vacation etc.

Major Mikey Goes To The Desert

I wish this was a movie title like Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. I wish it was a movie that I could watch in a dark theater, munching on popcorn and holding Mike's hand. But unfortunately, it's my reality. Mike will be going overseas soon. I keep thinking of the things he'll miss. I keep thinking about how hard it will be for me and the girls...how lonely I'll be. But none of that matters. All I want is for him to go, serve, grow and come home safe. Every time he's gone away before to safe places like Mississippi and Texas and Hawaii, it's always been about me. Me me me. (Big surprise for those of you who read my blog) But this time, it has to be about him doesn't it? He'll be far away from HIS family, missing HIS children, putting HIS safety at risk, doing HIS duty. He'll be all alone while I have my family, his family, my friends, my kids, McDonalds, TiVo, pedicure and massage places and Nordstroms right in my own backyard. So, for once, it's not about ME. Except it's MY heart, MY best friend, MY Mikey that will be on the other side of the world, in harms way all alone. So that makes me a little cuckoo when I think about it. So I won't think about that today, I'll think about it tomorrow. Scarlett can really teach us some great lessons about denial can't she?

Mike is doing great. Excited, nervous, honored and sad all together. He's handling it exactly like he should. He's a textbook picture of appropriateness and mental health. I'm also sad and nervous. I share those emotions with him. I get those emotions. Excited? No so much. But who knows, maybe I'll get there someday. Like the day he gets home.

Catch A Wave Dude

Katie, Jessica and I went to Santa Cruz and Capitola with my Auntie Rita and cousin Vonnie on Thursday and Friday. It was really a fun trip with a lot of laughs, great food and beautiful scenery. I haven't been to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk since I was a little girl. It is so nostalgic with the old Giant Dipper roller coaster and the carousel in which you can still grab a brass ring and toss it into the clown's mouth. It has the oldest carousel in the country and the best salt water taffy too. The girls rode the carousel, the helicopter ride and this really cool nascar ride that whipped them around corners causing them to shriek with glee. We ate dinner on the wharf and went to the lighthouse to watch seals and surfers. The girls were much more interested in the surfers and we taught them to yell down "Catch a Wave Dude" and "Surfs Up". The had so much watch watching the boys "riding on the wave mama...LOOK". It was really cute. Then, the next day we headed over to Capitola. I had never been to Capitola but I will be going back soon. It is beautiful, quaint, filled with cute shops, great restaurants and old fashioned ice cream shops. There are flowers everywhere and a great stretch of beach that has little tiny waves. Everything a family beach town should be. The girls LOVED playing in the surf, running from the waves and finding shells. It was a fun trip, except I had a naughty girl on day 2 that thought she was very funny being very naughty. I need to learn to chill about that stuff but it drives me crazy. It was good to get away, especially when I got the news that was waiting for me when I got home. :(

It's Happening Mommy

Today, as I was getting ready, Katie perched herself on the toilet in my bathroom like normal to watch me put on my make up. I have one of those light up, stainless steel mirrors on the back of the toilet and she likes to look at herself in the mirror and pretend she is doing her make up too. So as usual, she begged for some blush on her cheeks. So I brushed some blush on her cheeks and then told her to look in the mirror so she could see how pretty she looked. Her exact quote was..."I see it Mommy! It's REALLY happening! I'm starting to grow up!"

Needless to say my eyes filled with tears and I said "yep Katie, you are starting to grow up." But inside my head was screaming "Don't you grow up Katie. You stay my baby forever. Live with me forever. Never fall in love. Obviously, never wear blush. Please just stay little, pretending you are a turtle or a duck forever and ever and ever." It sorta ruined my day. Because you know what? It IS really happening. And I'm not ready.