Christmas 2008

Hi All! We had a great Christmas this year! We started the holiday with a brunch at our house with Mike's Mom and Dad. It was great! I made a baked french toast and a cheesy ham and potato casserole that was soooo delicious we all loved itI will definitely make that again! After we ate we let the kids open their gifts and all in all it was a very nice visit.
The week continued with a lot of baking, cooking, wrapping, and planning. Well, for me at least. Mike did help wrap the gifts which was a huge help but I'm afraid I was on my own for the rest. This year I made homemade iced sugar cookies... they were beautiful! They were shaped like snowflakes and dipped in blue icing with white snowflake decoration on them. They were yummy! I also made peppermint bark, toffee, and peanut butter balls. I love all the holiday baking and candy making. I didn't get a picture of all the goodies but I will say I had to make two batches of toffee and about 4 batches of peppermint bark because it kept disappearing faster than I could make it! No worry though because I think I burned all the calories I ate making it!


On Christmas Eve Grandpa and Grandma Kathy came over for dinner. I made homemade Lasagna which was really good however this time I followed the recipe exactly and it called for ground beef. Usually I make it with sausage and I have to say sausage is better... but it was good anyway and we ate it up! I also made bruschetta which was FANTASTIC and so easy! Michael couldn't get enough of it! After dinner we opened presents and had a great time with Grandpa and Grandma. We also had a surprise phone call from Santa himself! Michael took the call and was taken a bit off guard. Our usual talkative young boy was stunned to silence and was for the first time since I've known him... SPEECHLESS! he did manage to let Santa know he was a good boy this year and that we had three kids in the house so Santa was prepared.

Grandpa spent the night with us and was there Christmas morning for presents and breakfast. The kids woke up and their eyes were bright when they saw all the goodies Santa left for them. We had a great time watching them open their presents. Michael was really happy because he got exactly what he wanted this year. A Nintendo DS. He has been asking for it for months now and he really earned it this year. I will say now that he is getting older Christmas is getting more expensive... we'll have to win the lottery by the time Allie turns 6 because I don't know how we'll pay for it all!


After breakfast Grandpa went back to his house and we went over to Grandma and Grandpa Howard's for dinner and more presents. It was tons of fun with Gramma, Joe, Aunt Lisa and Uncle David, and Aunt Linda. Grandpa Howard's mom Judy was also with us... she's a riot and I love conversation with her. We had beef tenderloin for dinner and I have to say it's getting better each year! Michael and Hayden got tons of gifts including a guitar which is so loud!!!(Why do they have to make toys so loud? Who ever designs them must not be a parent...) and they got a really cool tent/tunnel set which also came with balls and a golf club to play games in it... again... golf clubs and kids... I will say that golf club made a spectacular sound as it hit Michael's head care of Hayden. So, the golf club is in the closet with the other weapon like toys and the guitar is banished to the play room with the threat of abduction if it leaves the room.

Now that Christmas is over we are busy not being busy. We have been working on getting the house back in order and playing with all the new toys. In fact while I type this Mike is hanging a solar system in Michael's room. We have magic rocks, race tracks, cars, books, popcorn makers, and all sorts of fun stuff to play with!

I hope you all had a Merry Holiday like we did. Even though the economy did affect how much we spent this year we had a great time and Christmas was awesome! Thank you to all of our friends and family who helped make our Chirstmas special!

Song of the day!

Duck, Duck, GOOSE!!!

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Michael's Christmas Show

Michael's class had their holiday program today. It was so cute to see all the kids singing these songs... I've been hearing all about them for a couple of weeks now as Michael has been singing them at home.

One Month Old

Turning the Corner

Well, you all know by now Hayden is my busiest child these days. It seems that once he learned how to walk he just took the bull by the horns and decided to live life to the fullest. I've had good days and bad days with this little guy. He's taken me for a ride this last year with the climbing, the poop, and the rest.

Now, I love this boy. He's a nut. Hayden is so funny and sweet it's hard to imagine him in any sort of trouble. He is the type of child you cannot leave alone for a moment. If you do you must be prepared to clean up what ever mess he will find to make... it could be poop in a crib, Black Permanent Marker on the carpet, or Pam Cooking Spray on the kitchen floor perhaps?

Anyway, the last few days I've noticed a change with Hayden. He's been talking a lot and I'm understanding a lot more than normal. Today, he has just been extra sweet... yes, sweet. He's been playing quietly with his toys and it's just the cutest thing I've seen today. He went upstairs and I could hear him in the playroom so I knew things were safe for the time being. Then it got quiet so I tiptoed upstairs just to check... there he was, sitting on the playroom floor with a toy in front of him and eye's locked into Yo Gabba Gabba...

A few minutes later he came downstairs to show me his toys... he found "Puppy"... doggie on a leash and a red race car. Anyway, I just noticed the last few days I've thought to myself how good he's been... maybe we are beginning to grow out of the stage that has kept me so busy the last year or so. I caught the moments on my camera and decided to share this sweet moment with my friends and family.

6 Years and Counting....

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Pee Pee on the Potty!!!

Hayden is well into his second year of life now and is still a ball of fire. His current favorite word is "NO!" and he is intent on causing trouble. Luckily his climbing has subsided but he is still a whirlwind of terror... I actually think Osama bin Laden could learn a thing or two from this boy.

One of his most recent escapades was to flush the spindle that holds the toilet paper down the toilet. He did this the day we moved into our new house and we have been cursing him ever since. So, our downstairs toilet has been a "pee only" toilet. This was a ton of fun for me in my last couple of months of pregnancy and kept me running up and downstairs a couple dozen times a day. For the boys this was no big deal as they don't need toilet paper every time they go potty... so the sense of urgency was non-existent. We could have called a plumber but we just kept putting it off... the economy is tough right now and we are not swimming in extra dough so we thought we could just fix it our selves. So, finally two months later Mike's dad came over and brought his "snake" to see if we couldn't push that spindle down the tube. Didn't work.

Mike's dad recommended taking the toilet off and pulling it out from the underside. Not wanting to take that route Mike borrowed the "Snake 3000" from his Grandmother, being motor powered and all it was sure to do the trick... although Uncle Henry recommended taking the toilet off and getting it out from the underside. (Hmmm... pattern developing here?) Alas, the "Snake 3000" didn't work.

Finally with no other ideas it was decided we needed to take the toilet off. I think Mike's hesitation in doing this was simply that he'd never done this before and was probably a bit intimidated by the task. However, I being an avid HGTV viewer have seen this done plenty of times and knew exactly what to do. So, Mike went to Home Depot and got the supplies and started the task this afternoon. Once the toilet was removed we were disappointed to discover we couldn't get to the spindle from that way either... the darn thing is really wedged in there... so, with the help of a neighbor we thought for sure we would win the battle of the porcelain god... but alas it was a loosing battle.

So, one more trip to Home Depot and $80 later we have a new toilet. Installation is almost complete... my man is sweaty and stinky from an afternoon of physical labor and our front yard looks like we just moved here not from the cosmopolitan city of Portland, Oregon but rather like we walked barefoot directly from the hills in West Virginia. In the end however I will have a beautiful new toilet. My guests will not have to choose between putting their toilet paper in a plastic bag hanging from the back of the bathroom door or trekking upstairs to use the commode in the boys bathroom... how does one choose between those two evils??? So for now I'm drinking a lot of water and holding it in because I want to be the first in our clan to christen our new potty!

Alana is one week old!

Alana is a week old today... actually at the time I write this she is one week and 40minutes old to be exact. It's been a great week. She has me in awe most of the time. Each coo and grunt she makes has me wrapped more and more around her finger. At this point she isn't doing much other than exsisting... eating, pooping, and sleeping but she is darn cute while she does it.

She is just too precious for words. It's also hard for me to express in words how lucky I feel to have her. I have my boys and they are wonderful, smart, funny, and I would have felt lucky just to have them but I cannot ignore the part of me that sensed I was missing something wonderful by not having a daughter. It crossed my mind each time I went to the nail salon and saw mothers and their daughters, young and old, sharing girl time. Each time I walked pass racks of clothes in a store I never got excited over boy clothes but was drawn to the girl clothes and wished I had someone to buy pink for.

I know someday she will hate me... or at least think she does. But I look forward to those days just like I look forward to Barbie shoes mixed with Legos and buying Prom dresses. As with my boys I cannot wait to see who she grows to become.

Our family is complete now. No more babies for us. There is a saddness there knowing I'll never carry a baby inside me again... although god knows a week ago I never thought I'd think that! There is a relief that she is so tiny because I feel like I can hold on to this new born for a bit longer than normal because of it. I'll never feel that overwhelming rush of love one feels the second your baby is born and thrust upon your chest still sticky from your womb. It's memories now and I know a phase in my life has passed and there are still memories to be made. For now, I'll take my sleepless nights and not only see them as sleep depriving and sometimes hard but also as a gift of quiet moments that are shared only by us.

Well, that's enough of my emotional rambling for one day. Blame it on the hormones or perhaps the giddy little girl inside me who feels like she got her best gift from Santa.

Ohhh... she pooped! Gotta run!

Hunting Kitty... A day in the life of Biff

The boys got a hold of my camera and decided to take the opportunity to snap some shots of our kitty...

Alana Owen has arrived!

Hey everyone! I've been off the radar lately but it's been for a great cause. On October 28th I just didn't feel right and after calling my doctor it was decided I needed to head to the hospital to get checked out. At barely over 35 weeks it was still too early for Alana to enter the land of the breathing so they stopped my contractions and decided to keep me overnight for observation. They also noticed my blood pressure was running a bit high and I was dilated to 4cm.

The next day after some conversation with my doctor it was decided I was staying put until I had the baby. At 36 1/2 weeks they did an amniocentesis which showed the lungs were not quite ready so they set my induction date for November 12th which put me at 37 1/2 weeks. My due date was November 30th so this was a lot earlier than than we expected.

During the the two weeks I spent my time cross stitching, reading and doing puzzle books. I also got more than my fair share of Dr. Phil and my favorite "trash TV"... The Real Housewives of Atlanta. I also had lots of visitors and made friends with the nursing staff at the hospital.

On Sunday the 9th I started having some pretty strong contractions and it looked like my time had finally arrived but they stopped the contractions again and the wait continued. I was really upset because by that time I was really just "done" with being in bed and missed my kids a lot... I was just ready to get the show on the road and get home.

Finally, it was Wednesday, November 12th. At 7:30 AM I got an IV and the Epidural was soon to follow. At 8:00 AM my doctor arrived and broke my water and started the Pitocin to get the contractions going. After that we just waited. My mom, Mike and I were just chit chatting and playing the waiting game. We didn't have to wait long at all. At 9:45 AM the nurse said she was going to check me again at 10:00 to see how much I dilated. A few minutes later I felt the urge to push and told my "coaches". My mom jumped up in a hurry and ran for the nurse. I think the nurse was surprised when she checked and saw I was fully dilated and the baby was coming out. Within about 5-10 minutes the doctor arrived and it was roll time. At 10:07 AM and with one small push Alana Owen was born.

She's a beautiful baby and so far is pretty easy. Now we just need to adjust to having a third child but so far that's going pretty well. It feels great to be home... although I have to admit at this moment I am missing the peace and quiet of my hospital room with just me and Alana getting to know each other.

Another Dream... this one was bad!!!

Well, I had another dream last night that has been stuck in my minds eye ever since I woke up. This one really took the cake. I was at the hospital about to give birth to our sweet baby girl when the doctor declared the baby too big to fit through my va-jay-jay... so into the operating room we went. Next thing I know the baby is out but no one will let me see her because the sight was just too horrible.

Then I was in a hospital room with a bunch of other people who just had babies... one lady had given her baby away and was being discharged... the other lady had a sweet little bundle of joy in her arms that was so beautiful everyone was oohhing and awwwing.... then there was me.

MY baby was ugly... I'm not talking just a little plain... I'm talking downright U-G-L-Y.... ugly. First of all she was huge... like 20 lbs and she looked just like Jesse Jackson! I'm not kidding... if you were to take Jesse Jackson's head and put it on a 20 lb baby's body that was my baby! Mustache and all. Oh, and there were girl parts but amazingly enough there were boy parts too... sticking out her tail bone. No one would let me touch her or hold her because she was so ugly.

Fast forward to today... real life... at my 34 week doctor appointment. Each visit with my dear D. Cvar she takes a tape measure and measures my belly. At 34 weeks my uterus should be 34 cm from top to bottom... well, not my baby... my baby is measuring big at 37 cm!!! Oh Dear GOD!!! If this baby comes out 20 lbs and looking like Jesse Jackson I think I'll die. So, next visit on November 6th I'll be getting an ultrasound to determine if my baby is indeed a Jesse Jackson baby or what I would prefer, a tiny little pink bundle of joy.

Hate

As with the rest of our nation I have been keeping up with the election and have been really searching within myself to figure out who is the best candidtate to run our country... this is obvious... Obama. So, now we'll talk about people I hate.

John McCain. Where do I start? I HATE this man. He is an admitted cheater who left his wife for the younger Cindy... I'm sure it had nothing to do with her being young, beautiful, and RICH.... He is a LIAR... ask David Letterman...the man last minute backed out of an interview and said he was urgently needed in Washington to fix our economy... however they found him down the street giving an interview to Katie Couric... I guess the millions of viewers who would have turned into Letterman don't count. When he finally did decide to sit down with Letterman he was asked about his faux paux and his reply was "I screwed up!"... So, add that to the list of reasons I despise this man... CHEAT, LIAR, SCREW UP! And married to an ex drug addict who kept herself out of trouble because she is richer than Richie Rich (one of the 5% of citizens who would see a tax increase under Obama). Last but not least... he's Stupid. I say this because only someone utterly STUPID would choose Sarah Palin as their running mate. I mean seriously.... is the nation so blind that we would listen to this woman and take her seriously??? Does McCain think the women of this country want a woman to be president so much that we would vote for the first pair of pantyhose to get offered the job???? And that's exactly what he must think because she's standing there beside him and chances are good he'll kick the bucket before he makes it to the end of his first term. I'm not fooled into thinking he selected her as his running mate simply because he thought she would be great... he really thought he'd win because he had a woman on his ticket!

Anyway, this brings me to another person I hate. Rush Limbaugh. I listen to Rush quite often... I don't listen to him because I admire or respect him but rather I like to hear what the "other side" is talking about. This man spouts off such crap that I'm surprised any person with a morale bone in their body could listen and agree with a word that escapes his beak. He twists everything to fit into his perverted view and at the same time makes the conservative Republican idiots look like innocent victims of a Democrat Massacre... however, I am not so gullible and naive as to just believe what he tries to shove down my ears each day... although I'm sure there are the masses who take each word as a sermon and thank God he exists.

What, you might ask got me on this soapbox today??? Well, while listening to Rush this morning he played a soundbite of a new McCain ad which tries to play on a new found sympathy for "Joe the Plumber".... and how now poor Joe's life is ruined because he's become famous over night, didn't ask for any of this and the rest of the plumbers of the world are ganging up against him because he's plumbing without a license.... boo hoo hoo... well you know what got my feathers ruffled about that???? It was John McCain who brought Joe the Plumber up!!! Obama didn't mention Joe the Plumber at the debate... it was John McCain, who obviously saw tape of Obama being asked a bogus question from ole' Joe who I believe was a Republican pawn conveniently placed there to try to make Obama look like an idiot. It's just amazing to me that the Republicans are the one's who did this to Joe and are now trying to blame the other side for it all.

One final note... I DO believe the 5% of people out there should pay higher taxes than I do. When the wealthy people in this country have to start choosing whether to pay a bill or buy food then we can talk... and you know what??? It's NOT Socialism... at least not as defined in Websters.

Main Entry: so·cial·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈsō-shə-ˌli-zəm\
Function: noun
Date: 1837
1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2 a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

Oregon Wildlife Safari

When the boys and I drove from Oregon down to California we made a pit stop in Winston, Oregon and spent a few hours at the Oregon Wildlife Safari. We had a great time and I highly recommend stopping there to anyone who may be traveling in that area. Winston is really a nothing town in itself but the safari was filled with almost every animal you could think of. If not for the safari being there we would have driven through it and not given it another thought.


The safari was wonderful and took about two hours to see. We were able to get through it rather quickly considering it was a week day and so we were lucky to be able to take our time and view each animal favorite was the giraffes and it was really amazing to get so close to them.


I will say the part of the safari I loved the best was when we encountered an Emu... I think he was an Emu so that is what we will call him. This creature was so funny and very curious. He stuck his head in the car and seemed to really take a liking to Michael. He kept making this honking sound and the boys and I probably parked next to him for about five minutes with him poking his head in the car and honking at us. We got a lot of giggles out of him and he was the highlight of the safari for sure.

Pumpkin City 2008

Well Halloween is almost here and this year we began celebrating the season with our good friends Mark, JoJo and Anthony Grace. We met the Grace's when Michael was just 20 months old and had started going to Tutor Time. Their son Anthony became Michael's partner in crime and we have always enjoyed spending time with them. In fact when we moved to Oregon I was really sad to leave them all and when I found out we were moving back I was so excited to pick up where we left off.

So, we met them at Pumpkin City. Pumpkin City is a big fair held in the parking lot of Laguna Hills Mall each year. It's so much fun with carnival rides and lots of photo opportunities. Michael, Anthony, and Hayden all had a blast riding the rides and playing all the carnival games. When we left we all had an arm full of blow up toys the boys won and the kids were worn out.

In Oregon the pumpkin patches are a lot more traditional and actually "pumpkin Patches" but Pumpkin City is a lot of fun and someplace I enjoy taking the kids each year. Most of all it was fun to spend time with our good friends.

Caramel Macchiato

So, with pregnancy comes some pretty strange dreams. I expect them and an usually not surprised when I have one. One of the strangest I've ever had was when I was pregnant with Michael and I dreamt I left the house and left him on the end table in the living room... it was the kind of feeling you get when you realize you've left your drink on the roof of your car and you've already driven several miles before it dawns on you what you've done....

Anyway, last night I was sleeping and had a very strange dream that I was in a store and the guy behind the counter told me if I could make a Caramel Macchiato I had the job.... I didn't know I was looking for a job, I remember thinking but I jumped behind the counter anyway and started to prepare my concoction. I remember the espresso machine being very dirty and the espresso was not packing right so I was having a hard time and fumbling around. I was in this state for some time and it felt like forever. I even remember thinking it to myself that this was weird. Well, the guy got mad at me for taking so long and I didnt' get the job. I was devestated. Dream over.

Well, the weirdest part of it is I've never even had a Caramel Macchiato in my life. I have no idea what's in one so I couldn't have a clue as to how to make one anyway. I do drink Starbucks almost daily... but I have a potion which I order religiously... (Tall, no whip, java chip frappaccio... just in case anyone is going to visit me after I have the baby and would like to bring me a treat... wink wink.) My point is I never even look at the menu. So, I've decided I must try the Caramel Macchiato... it wouldn't be right not to. Somehow the universe is telling me to taste it. I went online and saw the photo and must say it does look rather inviting.

So, I don't know if anyone else thinks this was a weird dream but I thought I'd share. It was weird to me and this is my blog so I'll post what I want. Ha Ha Ha!

The Economy, My Friends

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you will have $49.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you will have $33.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you will have $0.00 today. But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you would have received $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg. A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon!

Makes you proud to be an American.

Do I really need to explain????

Home

Hello out there!
It's been a crazy couple of weeks that's for sure. About two weeks ago I was feeling pretty homesick and depressed. Mike felt my pain so he sent out a few resumes and got a hit almost immediately. The job is in Aliso Viejo, CA... exactly where I want to be! So, the flew him down for an interview and offered him the job that day.

Then it got crazy... Michael starts kindergarten this year and school starts on September 2nd... so that meant I had to leave ASAP so I could go get him enrolled in his new school. The kids and I left Oregon on Tuesday... the DVD player was hooked up and ready to go. We started the day pretty early and headed south. Our first stop was a small town in Southern Oregon called Winston. They have a Wildlife Safari which we stopped to check out on a reccomendation from a friend. I'm glad we did because the kids and I had a blast. Hayden of course made the adventure interesting... we got out of the car to go to the gift shop and both boys wanted a stuffed snake so we got a red one for Hayden and a green one for Michael... then over to the tot lot so they could burn off some steam and play for a while... that's when Hayden saw the pond and decided to run full speed ahead right into the middle of it... talk about YUCK!!! It was a frog pond... not a nice clorinated pool. So my feet were covered with frog muck... not to mention Hayden's brand new shoes which he happened to be wearing at the time... the first time. So, that was enough of that... we headed to the car and got him changed, shoes off, before our journey through the safari.

The safari itself was great. They had just about every animal you can think of. They now have a stuffed red snake compliments of Hayden. Signs were posted everywhere along the way not to get out of the car and when the snake went out the window I seriously thought about breaking the rules and risking my life for the $6 stuffed avenger but I thought better of it... I don't think the Bison would have attacked but you never know.

After the Safari we kept driving to Yreka where we stayed at the Best Western... very clean and comfy if you find yourself in Yreka and tired. The kids and I went swimming and had a good time then got some dinner and went to bed.

Hayden got us up bright and early on Wednesday... actually it was early but not so bright. So we got up and got an early start on our second day of drivng. This was our longest day. We drove from Yreka to Kettleman (think that was the name) and stayed at another Best Western where the beds were ok but the room itself was really nice... flat screen TV and a spa tub. All in all that day we drove the most... probably 500 plus miles. Thank god for the DVD player is all I have to say... oh that and Starbucks.

Thursday we got up and got on the road by 9 and headed to complete our journey. We arrived in LA around 11:30 AM... all I can say is SMOG... OMG! I could not believe how smoggy it was. I don't know how people live there. I hate LA.

By 1 we were at my Dad's house and the kids were thrilled with their new temporary home and the chance to run around and play freely.

Anyway, Michael is all enrolled. School starts on Tuesday. We are headed to the beach tomorrow to spend the day in the sun and visit with my friend Elizabeth. It feels great to be back and nice to move to a place where you already know friends, have family, and know the area like the back of your hand.

Sorry I don't have pictures of this post. I'll add them later when I get my computer hooked up. It's still in Oregon with Mike... who will be joining us in about two weeks. This time it's he who gets to stay behind and deal with the move... although he has it easy... house is halfway packed and he wont have any kids to contend with.

25 Weeks

Well the pregnancy is going along pretty well. Girl Baby (AKA Alana Owen (Allie)) is growing like a weed and kicking me from spleen to bladder! The kicking is my favorite part about being pregnant. It is a constant reminder that there is a little being in there who will change my life in a few months. It's the beginning of the "bonding" we feel as moms.

When I was pregnant with Michael I was so excited to finally have a baby so a lot of the pregnancy issues I had were pretty easily tolerated. I had so many complications during that pregnancy and I've been extremely lucky thus far with this one. Being pregnant with Hayden was a breeze and often times I didn't even feel pregnant at all... which is amazing to me knowing that boy now.

This pregnancy so far is going along with no complications. Morning sickness is a distant memory now... thank GOD. Every now and then I think back to those weeks and it still makes me cringe... I felt so sick and tired all the time and with two kids, a husband and a house to take care of the pressure was daunting. All I wanted to do was lay on the couch and sleep for weeks on end but that just wasn't possible. Definitely not fun and not something I will miss. In fact it was a reminder that I will never do this again.

Being pregnant has it's ups and downs... hormones raging, body being taken over by another being, constant constipation, bad sleep... it's all really hard to take. But, in the end I know I'll have a little treasure to hold and love. I can't wait to get to know her.

So, in about 15 weeks she'll be here!