My Life Today.

Pintrest

2011-07-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Needed to get this on pintrest....

I Heart Faces: Best Face in Feb.

2011-03-07T23:18:00.000-08:00

Presenting, Mianna. On this sunny afternoon we were playing "Show Me {Emotion}". I said, "Show me 'Happy'" and this is the face I got. I know it made this momma pretty happy!

I heart Faces

2011-02-28T23:40:00.000-08:00

My entry for this week's Anything But Faces challenge.

I love this picture. I actually took this a few weeks ago during in impromptu 'Show Me' session. I'd say, "Show me 'happy'" and she'd make this adorable happy face. Or sad or excited, etc. etc. Suddenly I saw her dirty finger nails and was horrified! So I made her pose them for me.

I just love the dirty nails and the skin tag thingies that turn up around the cuticles (name?). She's 100% girl. But this girl can get DIRTY! My lovely, dirty angel.

I love you, Mimi.

HCG.1 Day 16

2011-01-22T18:57:00.000-08:00

Well...it's been a few days since I've posted and to tell the truth: I've had some HIGHS and I've had some LOWS. Literally.

I've lost 12 pounds since I've started (but 14 pounds if you count the 2 lbs I gained from the gorge days). I'm pleased with that. 12 pounds in 16 days - that aint bad.

But today I felt depressed.

* I realized my husband was going out of town for 3 days instead of only 2, like I thought.

* We took down our Christmas tree {not depressed because of the lack of Christmas but the fact that it's super hard work and frankly, manual labor makes me depressed}.

* Little Mr. Man decided to literally cry every waking moment today.

* And it's Saturday and I knew that I did NOT have my beloved noodles from Saigon In & Out to look forward to this evening.

* I actually gained .6 pounds from yesterday

All in all, I felt pretty lousy. And feeling lousy made me feel like eating.

I actually didn't take my injection today (again). I forget in the morning - or wake up late, like today - and by the time I think I have time to do it it's already 11AM. I'm not sure if I should still take it but it just feels too late. Plus I've been on my period this week and the protocol says to skip injections on your period. I have zero likelihood of being pregnant (thanks to my tubal) so I'm not sure I really have to skip but I ended up skipping twice this week just in case.

Let's see...

HIGHS

* I lost almost 2 lbs on day 13
* I didn't cheat at all on day 12 and lost a pound!
* My head hunger seems to be decreasing
* Realizing that I've been weighing the food WRONG this whole time...to my detriment. Such good news going forward!
* Realizing I'm at day 16! Only...10 to go if I decide to do the 26 day version!

LOWS

* Sneaking bites of Betzhi's amazing chicken, onion, mashed potato casserole yumminess. Even ice cold it was delicious!
* This caused me to only loose .4 pounds
* I've stayed in the same pound (only gaining and loosing oz) for the past 3 days

The biggest disappointment of all is knowing that if I'd stop 'tasting' foods I actually drop into a new set of ten's {for example, say I weigh 130....losing 1 pound would put me in the 120's!!}. I'm literally tasting too. No big forkfuls....just a tiny taste. Maybe 1/night for the past 3 nights.

I know. I know. Stop cheating!!

Tomorrow. I promise.

HCG.1 Day 15

2011-01-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

Today I created a veritable HCG Masterpiece! It was divine!

3.5 oz baked chicken
handful of cherry tomatoes
crushed garlic
seasoned with salt & pepper

Heated in a skillet for a few minutes...with only water

ON TOP of the Melba Toast

It was freaking gourmet, people!

HCG.1 Day....I don't know

2011-01-19T22:02:00.000-08:00

I'm having a super weak moment. There is this amazing casserole in the fridge (down stairs fridge so it's not so easily accessible) and my mind keeps wandering to it. Just a bite. Just another bite, I should say. Oh, Lordy. I need to go to bed.

More tomorrow...

HCG.1 Day 11

2011-01-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

TEMPTATION GALORE!

Tonight I had to drive to LAX to pick up my sweet husband from the airport. He'd been in London for a week and I was so ready to see him that I didn't even want him to rent a car - I'LL COME GET YOU, HONEY!

Around 4:30PM - when I was JUST leaving to pick him up from a 6:45PM flight! - I realized this might be less fun than I first anticipated.

I thought New Baby and I would pop into Target to return Baby Girl's ballet slippers and...hmm...maybe take a look-see at the clearance deals. Well, no. I was rushing around the house trying to clean up until the very moment I left.

And 4:30PM on my way to LA. Right? Traffic was bad but I guess it could have been worse. I got there in time since he had to go thru customs and pick up luggage. We were headed home by 7:15PM.

And me without my food. Crap.

New Baby was getting fussy (after being a perfect angel for the 3 hour initial drive!!) and Hubs was hungry so we stopped at this sandwich place for dinner.

I told the guy, "I'm on a crazy diet where I can only eat chicken and lettuce and nothing else. Whatcha got?". He's all, "I can give you a dry side salad, no extras, add chicken." DONE. My sweet jet-lagged husband went ahead and ordered the ooey-gooey cheese dripping fried sourdough number that had me salivating at his every bite but whatever. I am woman.

Turns out the packet of chicken they put on the salad was 4 oz so I only had to take off a couple of pieces to feel like I had the 3.5 I'm allowed. That was a good deal b/c it seemed like a lot of chicken!

The biggest conundrum was: DRY GREENS. Gross, right? Well, while scanning the place for potential condiments my eyes happened upon the bowl of cut lemons next to the iced tea maker. BA-DING! I can have lemon! I squeezed 5 or 6 lemon wedges on those greens and lo and behold...it was damn tasty!! I ate everyone last bit of my dinner and it. was. good.

This was my first restaurant test and I think I passed with flying colors.

Oh, and they had this bread-side w/the salads. It smelled like I imagine all of Italy does - delicious. One day I'll go back to the sandwich shop and eat that bread. Mark my words.

I almost forgot the POINT of this message!

We got home around 9:30PM. Tired but happy. And what is the first thing I spy? A slice of Domino's pizza on the counter. As I gasp to turn my face from the offender my eyes land on a 1/2 eaten bowl of Saigon In&Out noodles that my sister left out. AGHH! Sput. Er. Eck. I gotta go!

After dunking my head in the toilet to pull myself out of the Tasmanian Devil episode my brain was having, I was presented with my I Love You gift from my London-come-lately sweetie pie: a box of Harrod's shortbread cookies.

These cookies make my gray clouds disappear. They right ALL the wrongs in the world. They are the sole meaning of life in a precious little tin box. And I can't even have one. Aggghhh....the pain and torture of it all.

Three of my most favorite edibles on earth sitting within my grasp. To deny myself like that was all at once the hardest thing I've had to endure on this diet and a moment I can truly be proud of myself. This is my burden. My cross to bear. I am not a slave to my wanton desires but the daughter of the Most High. Self-control is mine ONLY thru the saving Grace of God Almighty. I want to be there! That's my goal.

And the cookies are my goal prize. Truth.

HCG.1 Day Eight Part 2

2011-01-15T16:31:00.001-08:00

I ate half of a jalapeno popper. They are small and I took one bite and it was delicious. Was it worth not loosing a pound tomorrow? Sigh, not sure yet.

I'll be really bummed if I don't loose any weight tomorrow because of a popper - something I would never have been tempted by pre-starvation. I'm more of a cheese stick girl.

The next logical question, I know, is "If you can not loose weight by a bite of a popper - HOW do you expect to maintain your weight once you're off of HCG?". I hear ya. But the difference is that I would never dream of trying to sustain a diet of 500 calories in real life. My Mom "Queen HCG" says that what I'm doing with this diet is resetting my metabolism. Retraining my hypothalamus gland. After I finish the 40 days on HCG, I'm supposed to maintain a diet of 1500 for another 40 days. South Beach basically. Steering clear of sugars and starches.

Geez. My 40 day journey just turned into 80!

But South Beach isn't so scary. Especially after being on this torture train for 40 days. In fact, I dream about South Beach during the day. Bring on the chicken! Bring on the steak! Bring on the veggies!

Now...what's for dinner?

HCG.1 Day Eight

2011-01-15T11:05:00.000-08:00

Guess what, Party People?! I can drink VODKA on this diet. All I have to say is that it's way better going to bed drunk than hungry! ;)

Juuuuust kidding. I had one cocktail last night: 1 part vodka, 2 parts club soda, 3 lime slices, 3 frozen strawberries and 1/2 packet of Stevia.

Right?!? It was yummy. I might have this for lunch! No food...just drink.

Anywho. Yesterday I lost 2 lbs which was really fun. This morning I lost another pound. All in all, I've lost about 10 pounds since last Friday (but keep in mind, I gained 2 pounds after the fat loading days).

I was hungry the past two. So hungry that my stomach literally growled out loud one time. The hunger seemed to pass quickly because it wasn't debilitating or anything. In fact, I was surprised to hear the tummy rumble at all. I figured I was either becoming less head hungry or the hormone was kicking in and taking care of the hunger.

Well....today I realized that there's a really good possibility that I've been injecting myself with AIR for the past two days. You know, as I think about the facts, I'm positive. So, for the past two days I've basically been starving myself. But truthfully, after having been on the diet for six days already, I know my appetite has shrunk and maybe my body was a little used to consuming so little food because at the end of the day I wasn't withering away from hunger.

This may account for the 2 pound loss the other day.

I took the injection today so we'll see if I feel any different physically.

We bought talapia at Whole Foods yesterday (on sale for $4.99/lb!). It was delicious. Salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon salt, garlic....yum yum. Side of steamed asparagus. Tasty to my taste buds.

The night before I made hamburger patties with diced onion (not really supposed to mix foods like that but I did), fresh thyme, salt and pepper. And on the side we had sliced cucumber soaked in cider vinegar.

The food is good. It's the portion sizes I take issue with. I'm done eating in about 1 minute. Two bites of meat. Four bites of veggie. I swallow the Melba toast whole.

The point of eating dinner should be an enjoyable experience, right? Do skinny people have a different mind set here? Is the point of a great date not the food? Is it really a celebration without appetizers and dessert? Is there even a movie happening at all if there's no popcorn with extra butter present?

These are the thoughts I'm dealing through.

I've always been fascinated that Kevin can leave ONE french fry on his plate. What is that? "I'm full" he says. SO AM I but I'm not fool enough to leave one lone french fry?! There are people starving to death is Africa, honey. And so I eat his fry.

I could eat a whole pizza in one sitting - no problem. I could. And thinking about it now makes me want to do just that. One of those preservative-filled Totino's frozen pizza!! Covered in ranch. Ok. I'll stop now.

So....it's Noon.

It's happy hour somewhere, right? CHEERS

HCG.1 Day Six part 2

2011-01-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

It's the evenings that get me.

I can go all day without eating but I love to eat in the evening. Family dinner or date dinners with Kev. Snacking on the couch after the kids go to bed. Late-late night snack. We stay up pretty late around here. Happy Eating!

Over the last couple of days I've listed to two podcasts from Focus on the Family. The guest was Lysa TerKeurst, author of the book Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire With God, Not Food.

She sort of rocked my world, actually. She read the entire Bible from the prospective of a person who struggles with food and found SO many amazing verses and applications. If you're interested, you can find the two-part interview here and here or here. I wouldn't be able to do her interview justice in this blog but she really spoke to my heart. If you have an unhealthy relationship with food, I encourage you to check it out and I'd love to know your thoughts.

* Food should NOT consume me. Consume. Get it?

* Cravings are from God and completely Biblical...how am I using FOOD to take the place of God?

* I was born to crave (to want deeply, desire greatly)...am I craving the One I was born to crave more of??

* Matt 6:25

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

I think I have always taken this scripture (especially the bold text) completely wrong. He says to not WORRY about things. This is not a verse talking about vanity. Or an easy go-to excuse for eating whatever I want or look good or bad ("because He loves me just as I am!"). It's about putting my focus in the wrong place. Because...

*Matt 6:32-34

"For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first (CRAVE!) his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I'm getting the book. There was a lot of good stuff in the interview. For crying out loud, she read the whole Bible from the perspective a person with food issues! And took from that experience that food issues are a big deal.

Think of Esau giving up his birthright for a bowl of soup!

For that matter, think of EVE! The fall of man. An apple. I mean, come on!?

It's interesting. I look forward to learning more.

I was really struck by what Lysa said toward the end of the second interview. She talked about Triggers and Truths. She tweeted recently "We must deal with triggers - identify places of emotional emptiness and admit how futile it is to try and fill those with food". On Facebook she writes, "‎The only way to negate my eating triggers that will inevitably come is to match them with God's truth."

Mateo's crying fits make me want to slam my head into the fridge (hopefully landing on something soft and tasty...). I recognize that I was dealing with a frustration trigger here. So I pray. For Mateo. For his mom. For my kids. For the school. For the teachers. For the families of the kids that go to school...I think you get my point.

Once I took my mind off the desire to fix my frustration (trigger) with food - I was able to have a really sweet prayer time. It was great!

My other triggers seem to include stress, fatigue, HAPPINESS!, boredom, anxiety and road trips. :) I could link a verse to (almost) every one of these triggers. Ultimately, the anecdote - the TRUTH - is to put my full focus on God. I've let food fill parts of my soul that are the exact area's God wants to take over. It's a win-win. AND I get to loose weight along the way? How sweet are you, God?!

Anyway, when I mentioned fasting the other day. This is the role I had in mind but didn't have time to explore. Then came Lysa and her words of wisdom and it all became clear. I'm so stoked.

Not to be on this hellacious diet. I'm not stoked on that. I'm sincerely excited to grow closer to God and to fix the parts of my heart, mind, body that are out of focus. It's good.

And it's late. And I'm hungry.

But my heart is content.

HCG.1 Day Six

2011-01-12T16:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I lost 1 pound.

Today I lost 2 pounds.

We had to take a day trip to LA yesterday. I love road trips. Even short ones. But guess what. Part of why I love road trips is because I give myself a Free Pass w/regard to food. Convenience store snacks (big coke, bag of Cool Ranch Doritos....maybe even an order of cheese nachos or taquitos). Fast food. Ice cream stops. Starbucks breakfast sandwiches! Oh me oh my. My love affair with food. So deep it goes.

But yesterday, I stuck to the diet protocol (that's what we HCGers call it: The Protocol). Packed myself 3.5 oz of cooked chicken, cut up tomato, Melba toast and small apple. Nalgeen of water and a green iced tea. There was still the convenience store stop (big muffin for Mia and bottled Frapp for Kevin). I abstained. Growling tummy and all.

On our way back to town we stopped at Target. Coke and popcorn, yes?? No. Kevin and Mia ate lunch together while Mateo (aka That Screaming Baby in Target Yesterday) shopped. Ok...ok. Nodding head. Gaining confidence. I can maybe do this.

A road trip w/o fun food?? Who knew??

For dinner: roasted chicken, sauteed onion, Melba toast

The rest of the fam had roasted chicken and leftovers. I'm desperately trying to clear out the fridge of all good-tasting things. {I'm hyper-aware of the beer bread sitting on the bottom shelf}

That night, I actually skipped my evening fruit. I'm still not sure how that happened? I was definitely hungry. I definitely wanted the orange. But I made a choice to go without last night. Weird. My mom had skipped her fruit the night before so I guess that planted a seed but when it came down to it I didn't eat it.

Anyway, I lost 2 pounds this morning so that was fun. I dropped into a set of 10's I haven't seen in a long time. You know, if I weighed 130 yesterday today I weighed 128. That was fun.

Today I have been less hungry than the past few days. Appetite shrinking? Accepting my fate? Maturing in all human ways? Who can say, really?

My sweet husband left on a business trip today. Wouldn't it be fun if I could lose 6 pounds before he gets home? Hubba hubba wink wink ;))

HCG.1 Day Four

2011-01-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

Lost 2 lbs +/- 1 lb.

Yesterday I bought a digital scale. Before that I had a completely retro dial scale which was a problem for two reasons:

1. The little notches were too far away for my old people eyes to see accurately
2. It kept getting off kilter. Yesterday I thought I LOST 5 lbs until I stepped off the scale and realized the dial was pointed to -5 instead of 0.

....and then I read books to Brody and fell asleep for the night....

HCG.1 Day Three

2011-01-09T22:12:00.000-08:00

First day on 500 calories.

Let's start with the important stuff. Here is what I ate today:

10:30AM - (1) cut up Roma tomato with salt
10:50AM - Venti black iced tea with 1/2 a packet of Stevia
11:00AM - 3oz of cut up baked chicken with salt & pepper + (1) Melba toast
2:00PM - (1) small, cut up apple
2:30PM - second Venti black iced tea with 1 Splenda

5:30PM - 3oz beef patty (so small it mostly resembled a large meat ball) mixed with garlic and seasoned with salt & pepper + 1/2 onion, sauteed in water and cider vinegar with salt and pepper

8:00PM - (1) Navel orange
10:30PM - a Nalgeen of water

Oooooh Kaaayyyy.

This diet sort of sucks.

Kevin said to me, "I have to believe you'd rather work out at 6AM than put yourself through this torture." Unfortunately, that is not true. To believe that you'd have to assume that I value food over sleep. THAT is ridiculous. It's why I don't get out of bed for breakfast. I'd rather sleep no matter what they're serving.

I got really, really hungry today. I really did. BUT the larger problem (and truth of the matter) is that not being able to graze. There are some TJ pecan sandies in the cupboard that I normally would have snacked on while cooking dinner.

Not to mention the post dinner 'clean-up snacking'.

"Oh, Brody didn't eat that bread...hmm...would hate to see that go to waste". {POP! into my mouth}.

"I do not want to put this little amount of pasta into the fridge." {POP!}.

"What? Mia didn't finish her last two chicken nuggets?" {POP!}.

This might be the biggest and hardest lesson for me to learn in this process. Eating at eating times. Realizing that the 1-2 extra Nips throughout the day really add up to something. {Note to self...get rid of the Nips}.

Tonight I made 9 bean soup with TJ's beer bread and cottage cheese + apple sauce for the fam. It smelled so good. I especially wanted to wolf down a few slices the bread slathered with butter. So instead, I picked up Brody's bread plate, held it up to my nose and inhaled for 3 long seconds. Pathetic, I know. You should have seen my sweet (skinny) husband's expression. "Aghast" is a good word for it. But honestly...it actually helped tame my lusty bread desires.

Below is a side-by-side of our dinners tonight. Yep, this is what a plate of Melba toast, sauteed onions and beef hockey puck looks like. Bon appetite.

I didn't take a body picture today. Maybe tomorrow. OR! I think I might pull out a pair of 'goal weight' pants :) Whoa...if I could get into my wedding dress...

IF I CAN FIT INTO MY WEDDING DRESS AGAIN I think I'll try to convince Kevin to let us get new wedding photos taken!

That's a good 9 year anniversary gift idea, right?

Also, my 20 year reunion is this year. I have to remember such things if I'm going to survive this.

HCG.1 Day Two

2011-01-09T01:29:00.001-08:00

Second Fat Loading day and I feel like a cow. Here's the food run-down:

Home-made French Toast - three huge slices

Two plates of "nachos college-style". A plate of chips with shredded cheese on top. Micro for 35 seconds. Top with full-fat Ranch and some green onions I happened to have on hand. Pepper.

There was an afternoon yellow cupcake with chocolate icing in the late afternoon.

Dinner was an entire order of chicken fettuccine Alfredo from Presto Pasta.

** this is about the time that I literally had to stop moving so as to prevent spontaneous vomit reaction. I was SO full I literally felt greasy.

I also became keenly aware that I could actually feel my second chin growing.

And then there was the popcorn with extra butter.

Two hours after dinner and tasting de-vine. Whilst stuffing butter soaked popcorn into my fat mouth and contemplating slipping into a food-induced coma, I thought..."Man, I never got a Coke today. Crap."

See you 40 days, vicious friend.

I gained one pound this morning. I'm betting I gain at least 2 tomorrow.

I feel like a moose.

Oh! I wonder? Should I post before/after shots? Bikini? Not. I actually regret not taking a pic of my food today. I would sincerely love it if I became repulsed by seeing the amount of food I ate today. You would, Internet. I'm sure of.

It was kinda weird eating like that in broad daylight (in front of Kevin). Those are the sort of experiences I usually like to keep hidden - like in a closet. Or my car. Or when the hubs is out of town and no one is watching. Sort of surreal like, is this really happening? Am I actually eating like this in waking hours?

Tomorrow is my first 500 calorie day. I'll try to remember to post pics of my "new" portion sizes. Eek. Nervous.

Going to bed now. I'm sure I'll have stomach flu nightmares. Or that I'm eating my childrens legs or something sick like that. You don't eat this bad without that sort of stuff.

Last minute thought...I'm going up use these 40 days as a fast as well. I'll explore that thought tomorrow.

HCG.1 Day One

2011-01-07T15:45:00.001-08:00

I'm not about to post my start weight but let's just agree that it's significant...thankfully I have the good fortune of seeing it every day on the log I'm keeping.

Regardless.

The day stated with a weigh-in. I immediately wanted to slip into a depression, sluff down a bag of jumbo marshmallows and get back into bed. But, with the encouragement of my mother - who is here for the next 11 days - I overcame.

Then we injected ourselves with the HCG. I feel like that is a sentence I'm going to be horrified by in 20 years. There are other variations of HCG that you can drop onto your tongue but according to my verteran-HCG Mom, they are less effective at staving off the hunger than the injection kind.

Tiny needles. No pain.

Then I took off running. Brody to school, 20 minutes in the classroom and off to the grocery store for formula. That's about the time I realized I was really hungry! After trying to avoid looking at any and all foods at the grocery store I paid and ran, screaming from the store.

That is about the time that I realized this is a GORGE day! So, for the first two days on HCG you get to gorge on fat. Don't ask why. I'm not the answer-girl here. My mom has done all the research and I'm going with it.

So, today I ate:

A huge jelly-filled donut from Spudnuts
Half a bag of Trader Joe's baked onion rings (think Funions)
A big mac, french fries and two huge cokes

It's 4PM and this has been my intake so far. Can I just say, I'm having a blast.

How often do you get to just PIG out?!? I mean, honestly? A Big Mac? I might be overweight but I haven't tasted a Big Mac in years. It was delicious.

You're supposed to be a little more strategic in your fat loading days -- like eat high fat things that are just empty calories. Avocados, eggs, bacon, cheesecake, etc. But I felt like a bag of onion rings and french fries. What can I say? I can feel the weight attaching itself to my chin, belly and butt cheeks as I sit here sucking down my gigantic Coke. And I'm wallowing in it.

But truly. I'm looking forward to being uninterested in these foods. I've been thin before. Lots of times :) And every time I kicked the food habit I eventually stopped craving the junk food fare. It's my mom's 4th round and she instinctively rejected the apple fritter I brought her. She ate it but it wasn't with the joy and fervor with which I ate my 6" strawberry and creme pastry. Delish.

No Coke for 40 days . No joke. I just sighed mournfully at the very thought. My dear, sweet, killer-in-a-cup Coca Cola. How I love thee. I literally look forward to Coke. It's like a highlight in my helter-skelter day and probably the thing I will most miss on this journey.

Tonight I will be eating #33A {Chicken curry noodles - extra noodles, thank you} and maybe a pint of cinnamon ice cream?

Then tomorrow is another Fat Loading day. Oh, the possibilities.

It's scary to me that I'm not stuffed right now. This is how big my stomach (and appetite) has become. That I'm looking forward to another of day of eating crap is also kind of scary.

But the point here is to be honest and candid (w/o disclosing my actual weight) and that is what I intend to do.

Journey on HCG

2011-01-07T15:33:00.001-08:00

I'm taking a risk here people.

Not by injecting myself with HCG. Or attempting to survive on a diet of 500 calories for 40 days (yes, 500 calories).

I'm risking humiliation and failure by POSTING about it on the Internet!

So, don't judge me if I fail. And bear with me while I vent when I get frustrated. And please, for the love of all fat girls everywhere, tell me I look thin the next time you see me. Thank you.

Stated publicly, I'd like to lose 20 lbs on this round. Honestly, that feels like a drop in the bucket considering the amount of weight I've gained over the past 5 years (thank you, children). But it would be really cool to see some numbers drop on the scale and might just be the kick in the pants I need to get rid of the rest.

Wish me luck.

I'll need it.

For more on HCG - Google it. There is a ton of info online and the sites explain it better than I ever could.

Six Friends Every Mom Needs

2010-02-18T22:51:00.000-08:00

I loved this article in the August 2009 issue of Parenting Magazine. I wanted to be able to keep a copy for forever and this seemed to be the easiest way!

In short, this article is about why connecting with people you don't have to clean up after is crucial. Here are the six listed and a personal Shout Out! for each:

The Mom In The Same Boat: "She gets it."

Shout Out!: Christy W.

If there was one woman I'd love to have as a next door neighbor for the rest of my life. It would be Christy W. She has two (precious) kids. She has a wonderful sense of humor. She's crazy smart and we always have a great time together. I'd have a million Christy's if I could but just so grateful to get to have just the one!

Shot Out!: Tammy

I'm so fortunate to have such a great sister-in-law. And even better to have one who has kids the same ages (almost) as mine. We're very different but don't you find that some of the best friendships happen like that? She makes me laugh outloud. She's the most Suzie-Homemaker person I know and I love her for it! I want to BE her when I grow up! She's an amazing mom - born for the part, for sure. I learn so much every time I get to be around her. What a treat you are, sister.

The No-Kids Pal: "...so you can act like you're still cool"

Shout Out!: Cara

My baby sis is one of my most favorite people to hang out with. She makes me giggle all the time and always has a story. She loves my kids tremendously and will be an amazing mom one day because of having them in her life. It's hard for us to ever get a complete sentence in because everyone in my family wants a piece of her when she's here but on the rare occasion that we do get to talk...it's always wonderful and makes me want to be around her MORE! We miss Rah Rah.

Shout Out!: Christianne

My girl, Christianne is like a little sister! I literally love being around her. She inspires me. She impresses me. She makes me laugh. She's a brilliant, bright shining star and I am honored to be her friend! So thankful for her friendship.

Shout Out!: Sue Sue

Basically, my life would be incomplete with out Sarah. Because she doesn't have kids, she is getting filed under this heading but seriously....she fits under most of them. Je t'aime, mon ami.

The Been-There-Done-That Mom: "She gets you through your 'I don't know what I'm supposed to do next!' moments"

Shout Out!: Tessalita

If it wasn't for Tessa I might still be holding Brody. Until she came to visit me after he was born (almost 5 years ago) I had not put him down because I thought "he wont let me". Tessa came in and took over. She showed me how to prop my Dude up against a Boppy and encouraged me to let him watch Baby Einstein so I could take a 10 minute shower. And you know what? It worked. My life was changed forever because of her. If my children are acting broken. I call Lita and she always - ALWAYS - has sound advice to offer. I love being able to gain wisdom from her ~~mistakes~~...er...experiences. I will be seeking advice from Tessa till we're 105 years old and I'm trying to figure out how to keep my false teeth from falling out my head everytime I nod off in my rocking chair. Love you, lady.

The I'll Do Anything For You Buddy: "She'll help you with your garage sale, drive your kids to soccer, and bring over lasagna when you're dealing with a crisis"

Shout Out!: Dana

I'm not sure I'd eat her lasagna but I KNOW she'd offer me some of the 800lbs of frozen organic meat she has stored in her garage freezer (so jealous). I'm also jealous for a friend like Dana here in SB. She honestly would do anything for her friends. Loves deeply and passionately and with all of her. She is the most sensitive person I know which I now understand is what makes her one of the most generous people I know (instead of just a cry baby * wink *). If I were sick and in the hospital...I'd want Dana by my side. You're a gift of a friend, Dee. Know that.

The Slightly Glam Girlfriend: "For inspiration...advice...and a [killer] waredrobe..."

Shout Out!: Summer

I don't get to spend ANY time with Summer anymore but what I do get to see...is pretty darn HOT! She's got this amazing little bod and rocks super-cute clothes all of the time. Listen. I've said it before but if I had Zoom's body...I would wear as little clothing as possible. Thankfully, she's a lot more modest than I wouhttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=28798325ld be if I were her.

The Brutally Honest Pal: "We all need to hear the truth sometimes"

Shout Out!: Amity

I'm grateful to say that most of my friends fit under this heading. Even tho she doesn't flat out say, "I hate it when you're late" she makes herself pretty well understood and I find that very refreshing. I love very much. She's a life-long friend in the making!

6 Friends Every Mom Needs

My Coupon Book

2009-08-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

[This is from my deal-finding blog over at www.splendidlivingsb.blogspot.com]

This is my Coupon Book. My beloved binder full of discounts. I know it seems a bit crazy (I think 'obsessive' was the word my sister used) but I can't tell you how excited I am about my little Coupon Book!

I bout my love green 1" binder at Office Max for $1.50. The blue zipper bag was another $2.00. I keep my calculator, sharpie pens and special discount cards in the mesh bag on the front. In side the bag I store all of my receipts. I've never done this before but I'm hoping it will help me figure out how much I actually spend on groceries, office supplies, restaurants, clothes, gifts, etc. I could also look at my bank statement, I suppose but I sometimes pay for things with cash so I'm going to try this method for a while. Plus, it's nice to keep all my receipts in one place in case I need to return/exchange anything - I always know where to find my recipt!

Inside I have 10 tabs. I organized them in respect to how my local grocery store is organized:
(1) Produce, Sauces, Pastas
(2) Beverages, Dairy
(3) Cereal, Baking
(4) Freezer
(5) Snacks & Gum
(6) Household - cleaning supplies
(7) Meat/Deli
(8) Meds
(9) Beauty & Baby
(10) Catilinas - I'll explain more about Catalinas in a seperate post

I use baseball card sheet protectors for my coupons. I tried keep them in an accordian file thingie for a while and it was just mayhem. This system allows me to quickly sort and find my coupons! They are $2.99 for a pack of 10 at Office Max and this is the cheapest I've found them in town. I'm on 4 packs now and wish I had one more but am trying to reign in desire to hunt and gather coupons and start working harder at hunting and gathering the savings from USING the coupons! I've found that I'm a bit of a hoarder :)

In the clear bag ($.99 at Office Max), I store random coupons - usually store specific (all my Walgreen-only coupons might be there, for example) and my scissors. The very last item is my rebate forms.

I don't have any pocket folders in my binder but I think I should. I might upgrade to a 1.5" binder and add a few pocket pages to store store circulars and the print outs I pull off of other coupon blogs.

There you have it. My handy, dandy, dear and darling little green Coupon Book.

I love my Coupon Book. I think I'll call her Sandy.

Project 52: Week Five

2009-06-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

This week has been major. Kevin worked on our new patio project every day - all day. The results are really wonderful. I'll post pics soon! We also spent the week preparing for our trip to Anaheim. Kevin is going to a major industry trade show and we decided we'd rather go as a family than miss him for 5 days. Because he's a genius, he posted a status update on Facebook asking if anyone in the Anaheim area would want to House Swap. Some sweet friends responded that they did!! Such a blessing. Huge house, separate rooms, 10 minutes from the convention center, full kitchen...totally worth the 12 hours I spent cleaning our house in preparation. But seriously, it is. I'm really looking forward to enjoy this week in 'new' surroundings. They have 3 children: 5 year old boy, 4 year old girl and 1 year old boy. The situation couldn't be more perfect for us. We FOR SURE got the better deal in the house department...but they get the beach. Hopefully it evens out :) Thanks again, Karen & Curtis!!

Monday, June 15: I didn't get a photo of this day (booo!) so I decided to post one of my favorite shots from the Free Family Photo Event we hosted the Saturday before. I took this photo of Becca and Jilly being silly. It was my first time at 'studio' photography and I really loved it!

Tuesday, June 16: Mimi being a sweetie pie all messy with food. "Eat" is her favorite word+sign combo. She says it about 15 times/day. "EEEaat". She says, "Gunk Gunk" for drink too ;)

Wednesday, June 17: Can you believe this is the only photo I took all day? Sorry. It's one of our favorite quick and easy recipes. Trader Joe's Orange Chicken and Fresh Express Asian Salad Mix. Divine!

Thursday, June 18: Brody got so bored that finally unzipped Spiderman activity set he got for his birthday...in April. Inside were these cool posters! We hung them to cover the glossy paint that Kevin accidentally used a touch-up paint on an egg shell wall. Plus they go w/his cool super hero theme. WAM! ZAP!

Friday, June 19: The beautiful bouquet of flower my girl, Christianne whipped up the night before during a home group cook-out. Our first entertaining event on our new patio!! Wooo-Hooo. Christianne left on Sunday for 3 weeks in Thailand. So looking forward to hearing how God will work in this trip!

Saturday, June 20: Our very precious and wonderful friends THE WOLDS came to visit/worktheirbuttsoff! We could never have gotten everything done w/out their help. Dave and Kevin did man stuff on the yard and patio. Christy and I cleaned, ran errands, shucked corn and tended to babies: women's work ;) Caleb and Mia did their own things and Brody and Maddie played their faces every waking moment of the day. Glorious.

Sunday, June 21: Clean all morning, drive all afternoon, play with other kids' toys all evening....whew. I'm ready for sleep.

Happy Father's Day, My Love

2009-06-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

Brody made a sweet card for Kevin at school this week. I can't remember all the words but it ends, "...there is no dad in all the world like you." Brody always says how sad that is. We immediately realized that he's misunderstanding the statement and thinking it means something about there being 'no dad in all the world'.

How precious.

He is truly sad by the thought that there being no dad in all the world. Kevin is Brody's hero. He can literally do no wrong. The cool parent. The fun parent. The DAD.

I love you, honey, for being such an amazing DAD! There are no babies in all the world more fortunate than yours...

June Meal Plan - Week Four

2009-06-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

We are going out of town this week and if I really were like Simple Mom I would have planned exactly what we're going to eat while away. But I was too busy preparing our house for the swap and well....I didn't plan very well. But my home looks great!

Now I'm a little inspired. Maybe I'll write out our Away From Home meal-plan on the way to Anaheim tomorrow. I just received my first copy of Everyday Food, great food fast from Martha Stewart, and I'm so excited to cook like Martha does...you know, everyday and on a budget.

Stay tuned for a possible update...although I assure you, reader (hi mom!), Chuck E. Cheese will be a part of next week's meal plan.

Deal of the Week: Free DVDs!

2009-06-20T23:20:00.001-07:00

"Bought" some new DVDs this week for zero dollars, thank you very much.

1. Free Veggie Tales movie HERE {we picked Where's God When I'm S-scared but there are three options to chose from}. Also, if you want to pre-order the newest movie: Minnesota Cuke and the Search for the Lost Umbrella for $14.99 you will get Larry Boy and the Bad Apple for free!

2. Free Precious Places DVD from Fisher-Price HERE. I know this is a girl's move, Mom. I'll save it for Mimi or give it to one of Brody's (many) girlfriends as a little present. It's free. WHY NOT!?

3. Free Geo-Trax DVD (thanks, The Bargain Jargon!) HERE.

Not having a television has been a lot easier than I originally anticipated. In fact, the only thing I miss about it is 30 minute programing for Brody in the morning. We have a couple of Veggie Tales and Curious George DVDs but for the most part we only have feature films. These movies will be fun new programs for him to watch while (not) eating his breakfast!

Free Family Photo Event for Eastside Families

2009-06-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I coordinated a Free Family Photo Event for the families of my 'hood: the lower Eastside of Santa Barbara. It was originally planned as a Mother's Day event but due to the Jesusito fires we had to postpone the event to June 13th. I have to admit my excitement for the event waned in the time between Mother's Day and the actual event. We went to Phoenix and started a major yard renovation and we were making plans for a couple of upcoming trips...I just felt less 'into' it.

Anyway, the week leading up to it I started getting really excited again. Just thinking about the people who were going to be blessed by these amazing family portraits! Some of these families have never had a professional photo much less by the caliber of photographers who gave their time to this event. Amazing!!

Here is a group shot of some of the photogs on hand and mi familia (it is my blog!). I was just so blessed by this event and know that the families who participated (about 35 in all) will be blown away by their prints.

Thanks again friends for sharing your gifts. You're all spectacular!

Deal of the Week: CVS Photos

2009-06-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

I just completed my order for 50 free prints and (1) free 8x10 for....drum roll...ZERO DOLLAR$! Yes. Yes. Yes.

I'm not going to lie. This was not a simple process. Here is why:

1 - I tend to over think just about everything and so deciding which pictures I was going to print became a multi-day process. I decided to print the photo session I had with my niece so I can give her a little photo album of her "Diva Day of Beauty"! I know she'll love it!

2 - You have to sign up w/CVS. It becomes a bit confusing because you 20 Free Prints for creating a photo account here. You get another 30 Free Prints when you link your Extra Care Card account to your photo account. I didn't have an Extra Care Card so I had to first sign up for it, then wait a week for the card to arrive and then finally apply it to my account to earn the additional prints. I could have gone to my local and inconveniently located CVS to secure my card in minutes but this worked well enough and I never had to leave the house.

3 - Somehow I kept erasing my order!! I think this was 100% user-error but it was frustrating nonetheless.

Even with all the obstacles, I have no complaints now that my order is being processed and I wont have to pay a single penny for any of it. Aaaarrghhh! That make me so happy :))

* Sign up for the 50 free prints by following the links in #2
* Upload and order your prints: (50) 4x6 & (1) 8x10
* Apply your credit for the 50 free points at check-out {there is a radio button}
* Enter your code for the free 8x10 {it's FREE8X10 and it is only good for through June 21,09}
* Choose to pick up the prints in the store in 'days' {vs. 'hours'}

My prints will be ready in a few days and all I have to do is show up. So excellent!

Huevos Rancheros

2009-06-14T23:59:00.000-07:00

Once again, I am not stoked on my photo here but I had to post our super easy recipe for Huevos Rancheros. Kevin likes two tortillas, I prefer just one on the bottom.

Layers from bottom:

* Warm tortilla
* Refried beans
* Second warm tortilla (if desired)
* Two fried eggs
* Cheese {we use a cheddar/jack combo}
* Salsa
* Raw onion
* Sour cream

Oooooh, baby. You might think that I, the resident Mexican, might have brought this recipe to our marriage but the truth is - I'd never heard of or tried huevos rancheros until I married The Professor. We don't have it often but when we do we are always pleased!

Buen Provecho!

June Meal Plan - Week Three

2009-06-14T23:40:00.001-07:00

I'm really loving this weekly meal plan program. The best part is that I took Simple Mom's advice and entered the daily meals into my Google calendar (under it's own title). I have daily reminders sent to email so that I am reminded each day what the plan is for the evening. AND if I have to do something special for the next day (set out chicken, for example) I make a note on the reminder. It has been really great!

This week is light. We have friends coming into town for the weekend and I haven't planned our fare yet. Any recommendations?

Monday - Hot Dog Crescents with cottage cheese

Tuesday - Home Group BBQ at our house

Wednesday - Egg & Bread Dish*

Thursday - Enchilada Casserole {we were too tire to cook on Saturday this week}

Friday & Saturday - TBD

Stuffed Peppers

2009-06-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

I had to post this recipe because it's so flipping easy and delishy. Most of the main ingredients come from Trader Joes.

(2) Large Green Bell Peppers
(1) bag of TJ's Meatballs
(1) box of TJ's wild rice
(1) box of Red Pepper Soup from TJ's

First, cut peppers in halves and throw out the seeds. Place halves in a bowl of water to soak. Set aside.

Cook the entire box of rice according to the instructions. Slowly add an entire box of Red Pepper Soup allowing the soup to become thick and for the rice to absorb some of the liquid.

Heat half a bag of meatballs in the micro, cut them in halves and put them into the soup. Stir.

Place soaked peppers onto a dish or cookie sheet (I recommend lining with tin foil because this gets messy). Salt the insides and stuff with soup mixture.

Top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

SO TASTY! Even in warm weather this is dish is wonderful!

Enjoy :)

Darling Niki

2009-06-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this precious photo of sweet, little niece Nicole. For her 10th birthday I gave her her own model shoot. She was amazing. So natural and beautiful. At one point she said, "I feel like a super model" and I realized my goal had been accomplished! She's same parts little girl and pre-teen. A joy to be around and a tremendous cousin as well. We love you, Nik!

Project 52: Week 4

2009-06-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

This week was crazy busy. It was Brody's first VBS ever! He went to Good Shepherd Luthern in Goleta and had an absolute blast. His favorite part was FOR SURE climbing all over and beating up Tanner (or "Tan" as Brody called him) the 13 year old class helper. But along the way he learned several new songs & dances, created some sweet little keepsakes and discussed Bible stories!!

Also, this week we also started a major remodel project in our 'side' yard. I'll post more on this in the future but for now I'll just say that Kevin is exhausted (albeit delighted) due to pulling 8 hour shifts of manual labor for the past 6 days! We're all very excited to see the finished product which will hopefully be by the end of the week. Thanks, sweetie!

And lastly, I was busy all week planning for the Free Family Photo Event which took place on Saturday. So thankful for the 5 free mornings to be able to focus.

Monday - First day of VBS {I took this picture in the blazing day light so I couldn't really see what I was photographing}

Tuesday - Tearing down the fence from street corner

Wednesday - More house work from font door

Thursday - Evening social at Good Shepherd -- Brody was a total ham but adorable

Friday - I got lucky and stopped into Anthro right before Christy's break! We enjoyed 20 minutes of strong tea and frothy coffee together :)

Saturday - Mimi hunting for food again. "Eat". Her favorite word!

Sunday - Fence is up!! Our patio space is huge and beautiful and we can't wait to entertain :))

Deal of the Week: Free Audiobooks

2009-06-10T00:04:00.001-07:00

I love free stuff. And I love books. And I love listening to books!

Brody loves books too! So, of course, I'm all over this deal from Audible Kids Audio Books and Parenting Magazine :) Click here to get these three free downloads for the kids! [Edit: Ok...go here first and click on the link at the bottom of the article]

Rapunzel (Unabridged)

Brothers Grimm

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (Unabridged)

Rudyard Kipling

The Emperor's New Clothes (Unabridged)

Hans Christian Andersen

Wanna Be like The Bargain Jargon

2009-06-08T22:50:00.001-07:00

It's no secret that I love a deal. I go crazy for sales. I've never met a clearance bin I didn't immediately like. I honk for garage sales.

I've mentioned before that I have a friend (Julie P.) who is SO good at couponing that she has actually had the store give her money at check out! A bag full of goods and THEIR MONEY too!! I'm in awe.

Well, I have a new deal-hunting blog hero. I'd like you to meet The Bargain Jargon "the source for understanding coupons, deals & frugal living". If you love a good deal you might consider subscribing to her blog so you get the posts directly to your email.

I loved this post because it contains two very valuable links (back to her own posts). This one gives the mark-down schedule for Target. For example, DID YOU KNOW that toys are marked down on Wednesday?? And that mark-downs happen approximately every 2 weeks. So if you find something on sale for 30% today it will probably be marked down to 75% in two weeks -- if it's still on the shelf.

And then she gives this link which contains some really great ways to earn 'gift' monies by using Mypoints (which I think is too complicated...and is exactly why I'm not earning free products), e-rewards, loyalty programs and Swagbucks. It was also a great reminder about having a stash of toys for gift-giving!

In my attempt to be like The Bargain Jargon, I'm going to follow her next coupon shopping advice! She highlights her especially successful shopping trips by highlighting the stores weekly discounts (according to their circulars) and pairs them with coupons she finds online or in the newspaper.

So excited to report back!!

Thanks, Bargain Jargon :)

Pizza Pouches Recipe

2009-06-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in Cookie Magazine, Feb. 09 issue. I've never been able to find this recipe online so I'll write it out here. So easy (about 35 minutes total time) and tasty. Enjoy!!

(1) 16 oz bag store-bought pizza dough
{I use Pillsbury...it's just easiest}
6 Tbs fresh or jarred marinara sauce
6 store-bought turkey meatballs
{I use Trader Joe's regular meatballs - not turkey}
6 Tbs shredded mozzarella
1 Tbs grated Parmesan
1 egg
1 tsp milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Roll the dough out about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into eighths
3. Grease a muffin tin. Line each cup with a piece of dough, letting the excess hang over the sides.
4. Fill each with 1 Tbs of sauce and 1 meatball {I heat these beforehand}
5. Gather each bit of excess dough up around the filling, pinching it together at the top
6. Whisk the egg with the milk to make a wash. Brush it onto each pouch.
7. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Freeze these for up to a month for a quick microwaveable dinner.

Project 52: Week 3

2009-06-08T00:29:00.000-07:00

Trying a new approach this week. I figure this might be easier to scrapbook the project at the end of the year! All the collages are done in Picasa. I heart Picasa.

Monday, June 1st: Photo of Mianna taken by Brody Sturm
Tuesay, June 2: Brody and I went on a date to see Pixar's UP. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. And so did Bubba.
Wednesday, June 3: Found me a pirate among the Bird of Paradise plant!
Thursday, June 4: It rained. Brody and I spent a good 15 minutes making and guessing the different shapes formed by this amazing necklace! Sarah brought me the necklace from Cape Town. It's made from rattan seeds!
Friday, June 5: Running errands with Brody....and some how ended up at McConnell's???
Saturday, June 6: Family lunch at Cesar's Place Fish & Chips on Milpas street. Mia got a little messy.
Sunday, June 7th: Kevin decided today was the day to clean our garage. We're gearing up for our neighborhood g'sale at the end of the month (piles to the left). Good work, babe!

June Meal Plan - Week Two

2009-06-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

Week One went REALLY well. We varied a little. Switched up a couple of days. Easy McCheesey. This week is a little heavy on the casseroles! Also, I didn't do the Steak Kabobs or the Indian food this week which I feel good about.

It's more about actually having a plan than sticking to the plan, I've discovered.

Monday - French Bread Pizza

Tuesday - Stuffed Bell Peppers*

Wednesday - Huevos Rancheros

Thursday - Summer Pasta with sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, basil, prosucitto and pine nuts*

Friday - Tuna Casserole*

Saturday - Easy Enchilada Casserole*

* will post recipes on day prepared

Simple Mom Giveaway

2009-06-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

So, while I'm being a "WannaBe Simple Mom" I have to mention her latest giveaway! If you're curious about cloth diapers, check out this past weeks Cloth Diapering 101 (authored by a guest blogger). She discusses the MANY options available and gives pros and cons to each option.

We used G Diapers with Mia for several months. {ohmygosh...I just saw these ruffle numbers! Too cute!} To same money moved on to some chlorine-free disposable diapers . I'd like to try using pocket diapers! For sure with baby #3 (should we get a newborn).

If you're a Mommy to babies in diapers and are interested in winning any of the following, go here and leave a comment! Good luck :)

• From FuzziBunz, two people will win three pocket diapers — two of their one-size diapers and one of their perfect size diaper. Each set of diapers is worth over $55.

• BottomBumpers will give one reader a three-pack of their all-in-one diapers, worth around $60.

• Swaddlebees is giving one reader two of their diapers, a Blueberry Minky One-Size snap pocket diaper and a Swaddlebees EcoNappi, worth $62.

June Meal Plan - Week One

2009-06-01T23:27:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 1 - Trader Joe's Mac-n-Cheese & broccoli for the kids; Pesto pasta with chicken & potatoes for the adults {I usually have no problem cooking two meals if it means Kevin and I get to have our meal together after the kids are in bed}

Tuesday, June 2 - Grilled Chicken, rice and Strawberry Spinach salad with home-made vinaigrette dressing

Wednesday, June 3 - Pizza Balls and cut fruit

Thursday, June 4th - Ranch-style Steak kabobs and baked beans

Friday, June 5th - Trader Joe's fried rice, potstickers and edamame

Saturday, June 6th - ?? for the kids; Indian food for adults {it's 'at home' date night!}

Brody said...

2009-06-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

When Brody saw this picture he said, "It looks like Daddy is wearing piggy tails." Haaaa haaaa haaaa....

Wanna Be like Simple Mom

2009-06-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

I read about 50 blogs. Give or take 25 - 75. I like blog, ok?

All of my personal friends' blogs are in my Google Reader but the rest I keep in a bookmark widget on my iGoogle homepage. They are categorized by theme 'Mom blog', 'Craft', 'Scrapbook' are the three main titles (I also follow some Daddy blogs and a few other rando ones). After some soul searching I realized that I would like very much for my blogs to have a direction...a focus...like these women do. But at the heart and soul of the matter, I don't have a focus. I have chaos. I like a lot of things and I like to blog about them. One of my favorite local blogs is one about the cleanliness of public restrooms in Santa Barbara. It's educational! And I have an obsession with public restrooms so this feeds my neurosis. WHY don't all restrooms keep a trashcan next to the door?? And seriously...is a wall hook for my bag too much to ask?? So, what's my point....

Instead of trying to pretend my blog has a POINT, I'm going to do what I do best and Copy other bloggers! Every now and then I am going to post about a blogger that I follow and why I WannaBe like her/him. Sometimes I'll participate in a project they share. Other times it might be the style in which they write. Maybe I'll read a book someone recommends or try a recipe. Mostly, I think, I'll be following detailed instruction offered by anyone of my favorite authors.

Most of my fav blogs regularly share their genius in How-To format. I like this. Tell me exactly how to (pack a Bento box, create a decal t-shirt, become more organized, etc.), please.

This post is an homage to Simple Mom who completely fascinates me. Pretty much I want to copy her exactly in everything she does. This month I'm going to start 'simple' and take a shot at Monthly Meal Planning. She explains exactly how she does it here. It's already Monday so I'm going to have to do all my planning for the first week of June tonight (ideally I should have started this about a week ago).

My Goal: To save money, be prepared and help move the evening activities along smoothly
Why now: We are in town all of June!

I'll post my June Meal Plan in a separate post! Wish me luck. And thanks, Simple Mom for the encouragement and advice! You make it look so easy.

i madonnari 2009

2009-05-31T23:26:00.000-07:00

My favorite SB festival is i madonnari. In the 7 years I have lived here we've never missed this event...until this year. The event is always Memorial Day weekend but this year we decided to visit our precious family at Kevin's parent's home in Phoenix.

This year we visited the drawings a week after they were created and it was so great! No crowds. No pushing. No limited range of vision. Just casually strolling the grounds with the ability to see the entire plaza in a single eyeful! It was perfect. Brody could run wild -- avoiding the art, of course -- and we could still keep an eye on him while admiring the amazing work.

Don't get me wrong. If we can, we'll be there again next year. There is such a cool vibe to be amongst working creativity like that. The smell of chalk and sweat in the air, folk music being played live on the lawn, turkey legs and sno cones, checking in on the Meaney family. It's marvelous and only something as sweet and special as time w/the Sturms would make me pass up the opportunity.

But there was definitely something sweet about seeing all the completed works at one time. Being able to stand and stare at the art w/o feeling like you need to hurry along so that everyone else can have their turn. If you didn't make it to the festival, you really must check it out. Go be blown away...before the work is blown away...

;)

Deal of the Week: Crocs!

2009-05-31T23:04:00.000-07:00

Found these beautes at Ross in Phoenix last week for $7! Yahoo! They are on sale online for $14.99.

Week 2

2009-05-31T22:52:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 25th: Brody and Kevin got to go to a Diamondbacks game with the Janos! Nikki got to say "PLAY BALL" at the start of the game (so cool!!) and Brody got to meet the Bobcat. Brody's first baseball game :)

Tuesday, May 26th: The kids were amazing on the looooong drive home from Phoenix. At one point I turned around and both kids had their heads covered with their blankets. Brody was watching the iPod under his blanket. Mia was watching Brody and doing as he did...

Wednesday, May 27th: Papa Joe arrives!

Thursday, May 28th: Papa Joe took us out to dinner to celebrate my birthday (still partying!). Of course, I chose Fresco -- my most fav restaurant in town! Mia enjoyed some chocolate.

Friday, May 29th: Papa Joe, Brody and I got to run around and play on Friday afternoon during Mimi's nap. Dad let us buy him some new clothes at Old Navy (yahoo!). Afterward we headed toward the children's play area at the Santa Barbara Museum...it was closed for repairs. And DRAMA ensued. Plan B was the turtle fountain in La Arcada court.

Saturday, May 30th: One of the chalk drawings from the i madonnari festival. Love me some Rockwell.

Sunday, May 31: After a long but fun couple of weeks we made a family trip to Butterfly beach. We walked on the wall and played in the sand (some of ate a couple of handfuls of sand...) and just enjoyed being a family. So sweet.

Week 1

2009-05-24T23:51:00.000-07:00

The first week of my Project 52 happens to be during our visit to Phoenix! This made it a little tricky to organize photos for the week but I think I got it done.

May 18th 2009 - Mia longingly watching everyone swim at Mor Mor and Papa's house in 112 degree Arizona heat.

May 19th, 2009 - Gramps got all the great-grandkids (and grandkids and Mor Mor & Papa) a Wii for their bdays this year. We have had SO much fun playing and working out every day. I never expected to enjoy sweating so much! Check out my Mii compared to my sweet hubby ;)

May 20th, 2009 - This is the speedometer from the new Ford Focus that Papa bought at auction. We took pics to post on Craigslist. Love that Dad has such an entrepreneural personality. And that he loves a 'bargin'. Such a great man!

May 21st, 2009 - Brody enjoying the wide open spaces (and mass quantities of toys) at Mor Mor and Papa's house.

May 22nd, 2009 - Bathing Beauties. Briella is 1 month older than Mianna. It has been so fun seeing them play together and watch each other. The beginning of a beautiful friendship, for sure.

May 23rd, 2009 - Entertaining the troops at the mall while Mor Mor and Aunt Tammy shoe shop. Thank goodness for Cousin Nicole who is amazing with Brody and Malena and a ton of fun to be around.

May 24th, 2009 - Malena, Aunt Michellie and I were given a joint-bday party. Michelle and I are 36 and Lanie is 3 :) Burgers and guac and yum-o cake. A great way to end a great week!

Bar Food Friday: Pizza

2009-05-17T15:22:00.000-07:00

My favorite food? Bar food. Give me a menu from a sports bar and it'll take me 20 minutes to decide what to order! Wings? Cheese sticks? Nachos? Burger? POTATO SKINS?? Getting munchie just thinking about it!

I really try to cook healthy and wholesome throughout the week but on Friday -- we like to party. Which means Bring on the High Calorie High Fat High Cholesterol Heart Attack on a Pizza Stone Fun Food!!

We eat home-made pizza at least once a week. It's so easy to bake and so much healthier than from the box. It's also a fun way to get the kids involved in baking process!

BBQ Chicken, Hawaiian, Chicken and Broccoli, Veggie, Margarita, Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink...I mean, seriously, is pizza not the best way to get rid of all the various leftover ingredients hanging out in your fridge at the end of the week?

This week we went for: Sausage, Pepperoni, Onion, Black Olive, Bell Pepper and Garlic. Used some shredded cheddar-jack and leftover spaghetti sauce on top of a Pillsbury Dough (from the can)! I bake the crust for about 10 minutes before putting on the toppings b/c I kept getting uncooked dough in the middle.

On days that I'm feeling really inspired, I'll make my own dough which is a lot of fun. Whole wheat, honey, herb...I'll post about these another time.

20 minutes to melt the cheese and finish off the crust. Deeeelish!

What are your favorite pizza toppings or variations? I'm always looking for new ideas!

Happy Birthday To Me.

2009-05-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

I'm 36 years old today.

I'm 36 years old today.

Felt like I needed to say it twice. I don't like the old part in that sentence. Let's change it to:

I am 36 today!

Thirty-six is not a remarkable year. It's actually pretty random. But for me - I'm thinking 36 is going to be a really remarkable year.

My sister keeps a journal - the contents of which I will now disclose...not really. It's a little blue leather journal and on the front she's written:

UNSURE...BUT CERTAIN.

That is how I feel. I'm unsure about our future....job, babies, home, life, etc. But I'm absolutely CERTAIN that God has a plan for us. A big one. And this year will be a significant chapter in our journey to recognizing that plan.

Most people mark a new year by the first of January. My 'new year' is marked by my kids' birthdays which happen to be 2 days apart from each other in April. I wasn't together enough to start blogging again in April so I chose my birthday to start anew. So, here I go again. Come with me as I leap into a "new year". I plan to do focus on the things that I'm currently passionate about & the new things I hope to learn. I will keep a weekly Project 52 journal here. I will have a couple of weekly events: Deal of the Week & Bar Food Friday. I hope to have a monthly post dedicated to highlighting magazine articles & blog posts that really caught my attention in that month. But wait! There's more....you'll just have to keep checking in to find out exactly what I've got planned :)

You know what? I am 36 today. What a great age to be.

Change.

2009-05-03T23:30:00.001-07:00

I'm getting back in the mood for blogging! Starting with some changes to my layout. Hoping to 'launch' new blog sometime around my birthday...May 13th for those wishing to send gifts.

Maybe I'll throw a LAUNCH PARTY like this guy! Be sure to check out his very sweet website while you're there.

Mia Letter: 8 Months

2008-12-11T23:53:00.000-08:00

Man. November was so busy that it feels like a blurry, distant memory! Mia just keeps getting more and more active and social. She continues to be this amazingly sweet, easy, observant, beautiful baby girl. She kills me with that face of hers. Just look at it. Can you even stand it?!

This month started off with a lot of new tricks like sitting up by ourselves, crawling (soldier), rocking on hands and knees, sitting in her new big-girl highchair and eating Puffs! Later in the month she figured out how to play "So Big" (which is soooooo cute) and she started pulling herself up to onto her knees in the crib by using the rails.

Poor Baby caught her first cold. Just a stopped up nose and some congestion. We tilted the crib mattress up a bit and set up her sweet elephant humidifier. She actually lets me aspirate her nose. Brody would go ballistic when the huge green "sucker" would get anywhere near him and become all-out combative if you tried to make a move toward the nose. Mia is so laid back. She doesn't enjoy it and she might even swat at it but for the most part she'll let me give 3-4 good sucks to each side before releasing her trademark squawk. It sounds like a zoo animal. Sometimes like the screaming monkeys and other times like a caged bird. She's so talented. For the most part, she didn't let the cold slow her down.

We experienced the excitement (horror) of the Tea Fires on the 13th. No thank you to ever wanting to do that again. And then Grandmama came back to us on the 22nd! We got to spend a whole week together and had a wonderful time. Mor Mor and Papa joined us on the 26th to celebrate Thanksgiving.It's always such a treat to have grandparents in town. Brody can't hardly
contain himself he's so excited to have a new audience - and one that will play 'talking cars' no less!! Mia doesn't know yet how blessed she is to have these wonderful people in her life. Her grandmothers and grandfathers love her so much. How awesome it is that she has such smart, fun, funny, YOUNG, talented, God-loving, people-loving role models in her life. I'm so excited to watch her relationships develop and grow with each of her grandparents individually. They each have had such full lives already and have so much to share and teach her. She is truly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people who love her so profoundly.

As for December, Mia experienced her first Santa Barbara Christmas parade! We love going to the parades in town but find it extremely difficult with small children. This parade is great because we always find a good place to just sit and watch. She never fussed once - even tho it was an hour past her usual bedtime. It was a great time together enjoying the fun things our little town has to offer. And a great way to kick of Christmas in Santa Barbara!
December will be super busy and Mia already has a nasty cold :( Stay tuned for all the exciting details....

Deal of the Week: Skullcandy

2008-12-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

Today I picked up these bad boys for Brody. He's been needing a new pair of head phones for a while and these are perfect b/c they are lightweight, will fit around his giant skull and are SK8r cool, bro!

Regular $24.00.
I got them for $5.00 at the Staples clearance table.

Staples is one of my most favorite stores in the shopping world. I love all the little organizational thingies. But my first stop - every visit w/o fail - is the clearance table. It's hit or miss but I've picked up a lot of fun office supply goodies there for next to nothing.

$5.00 for ipod ready headphones...what a deal!

Deal of the Week: Kenmoore

2008-11-25T23:36:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it's Tuesday (for 30 more minutes) and I forgot to tell you about our very awesome Deal of the Week!

First, I have a huge crush on Craig's List. I'm addicted. I used to be an every-dayer-twice-a-dayer but new baby and no money has helped slow my addiction to once every other day or so. THANKFULLY, my very sweet and very awesome and wonderfully patient boyfriend has been a little more diligent.

If you do not Craig's List regularly I am just sorry for you and all the money you're spending on things that you could get second-hand for much, much less. OR FREE! Which is the case with our new garage refrigerator!!!

Well, it's new to us. And did I mention IT. WAS. FREE!?! Yep. A local couple was redoing their kitchen and needed to get rid of the existing stuff. We've wanted a second fridge for years and now - just in time for the holidays - we have one. It's only been a few days but in those few days I think we've each declared our love for our new FREE fridge about 10 times each. Can you blame us?! It's a SECOND FRIDGE. IN OUR GARAGE!!! I'm so happy I could spit.

Thank you, Craig, for your wonderful list. Kisses.

Deal of the Week: Snapfish

2008-11-17T22:37:00.000-08:00

This was a pretty good week at the Goodwill, I must say. I hit the 50% off sale and picked up a bunch of neat stuff for next year's Halloween festivities. OH! And I found the cutest Santa Claus Pototo Heads for only $1.50. NIB!

But the DOTW was from Snapfish who offered a free 8x11 album to all Oprah viewers. My SIL sent me the link just in time. $50 value for only $7 (shipping and handling). That is a deal! I'm going to make a book for Brody from this past summer of our time with family and friends in Texas, Colorado and Phoenix.

Since that opportunity for this free album has passed, I want to share another great deal with you - my faithful readers. The few...the bored... ;)

First, check out http://www.restaurant.com/ and look up the participating restaurants in your neighborhood. From this website you can buy $25 gift certificates for only $10. That's a good deal. But there's more...

Then, go to http://www.couponmom.com/ to see if she is offering an coupons. Sometimes, she offers 80% coupon codes which means you can get $25 worth of gift certs for only $2!!! No joke. Talk about great stocking stuffers. Check it out.

Santa Barbara Tea Fire

2008-11-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

Last week Santa Barbara caught on fire again. It happens a couple of time a year. Earlier this year we had the Zaca fire. This one is known as the Tea Fire because it started near the Tea House in Montecito.

Brody and I were playing outside with Melina. It was a really warm night. I'm still not sure if the heat was from the fire or if it was the Santa Anas which were blowing thru but at about 5PM I remember asking remarking about what felt like a wall of hot air. At 5:30PM you could see the smoke. At 6pm you could see the flames above the homes on the Riviera.

Our entire neighborhood was in the street...with their adult beverages...enjoying the view. I on the other had was in full panic mode. One of our neighbors has lived in his home for over 30 years and remembered the last time this fire happened. He told us the fire reached the top of our street which only freaked me out more. By 7PM the flames were huge. Homes were clearly being engulfed, palm trees were popping and propane tanks were erupting with huge bangs.

We managed to get Mia and Brody in bed but I am pretty sure they could feel my panic vibes because both of them decided to go bananas. Brody was sacked out until he woke up suddenly and loudly screaming about shin pains. And Mia cried for an hour before deciding to finally give up. Meanwhile (and between shushing Mia) I was gathering all of our valuables.

Our valuables turned out to be mostly photos. Wedding photos, professional photos of the kids, scrapbooks and the boxes of snapshots taken over the past 7 years. And packing clothes for a couple of days. And all of Brody's Christmas presents! It took about an hour to completely pack up. I also felt completely compelled to clean the kitchen. I was NOT going to have my house burn down w/a messy kitchen! It was probably just an attempt at controlling something when I felt so completely out of control.

All the while we're watching the local news realizing that hundreds of homes are being devastated just over the hill.
The smoke was becoming really thick. Our eyes were stinging and we were worrying about the kids being exposed to the smoke. Around 10:30PM the police SUV (which I've never seen before?) turned onto our street notifying residents of the evacuation orders. Well, that did it for us. You say "GO"; we go! Many of our neighbors were laughing it off but we weren't going to stick around with danger this close.

Earlier in the week Brody wanted to rent the Elmo Visits the Firehouse from the library. I knew he'd get bored quickly but we rented it. He watched it twice and we talked the whole time about "get out of the house", "stay low", etc. Of course this came to me the night of the fire. Did we watch that video together so he'd know what to do? Was my house going to burn down tonight? We had to leave.

Our precious friend's, Sharon and Jono, invited us to stay at their house so at 11PM we loaded up the kids and took off to Carpinteria. We ended up staying there for two nights even though our house/neighborhood was unharmed. The air was thick with smoke and the Santa Ana winds continued to make the still-burning fires a danger. We came home on Saturday and rested. Thankful for our safety and for good friends.

Our hearts are breaking for the many families who lost so much. For the Westmont students who left campus with none of their things and have nowhere to return. For Westmont faculty who lost their homes in a moment. Please remember these people and Westmont College in your prayers tonight.

The best way to help faculty is by sending gift cards (grocery stores, clothing stores, department stores, hardware stores, etc.) to:

Warren Rogers, Academic Dean
Faculty Fire Donation
955 La Paz Rd
Santa Barbara, CA 93108

For student donations:

Jane Higa, Dean of Students
Student Fire Donation
955 La Paz Rd
Santa Barbara, CA 93108

Deal of the Week

2008-11-10T00:40:00.001-08:00

The truth is I am not a fan of shopping. I never have been. I think it's a waste of time and I'm usually disappointed or stressed out and so the experience is not exciting for me.

What I LOVE - as you know - is a deal.

I'm starting a new weekly post. AGAIN? I know. But I love this idea and I love my deals so I should be able to stay on top of this commitment. And if I don't? Who cares? My four loyal readers will forgive me b/c they are my people and my people know to not have too high expectations of me ;)

That said.

This week, I found a brand-new-never-been-opened one of these at our local Goodwill (aka Little Target). I bought it for $15 and I found it listed online for $35! I'm so psyched! I had just been telling mom that I wanted to get Brody something like this for Christmas and not two days later did I find it. It was meant to be.

I also found a slew of Cars die-cast characters from Target that we somehow didn't already have - NIB (new in box) for only $1.99. They are regularly $3.50-$4.00 each! These will make great stocking stuffers for Brody and I picked up extra for his little buddy, Owen.

Go me!

Mia Letter: Seven months

2008-11-09T23:43:00.000-08:00

The month that Mia woke up.

Until this past month, I really enjoyed bragging about what a great sleeper you are/were. Suddenly, you stopped being such a champ sleeper. Naps became harder, going to bed became a much longer process. Sleep became an issue. Now, in fairness to you, my sweet baby girl, you do still have your shining sleep moments. One time in this past month, Daddy took you to breakfast w/him and a friend. Rumor has it, you sat quietly in your stroller - chattering to yourself and looking pretty - till you decided to fall asleep. Daddy was able to enjoy his visit for 45 minute while you slept nearby. His friend remarked that none of his kids would ever have done this. So, you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have: the facts of life. [I'll explain that reference when you're a little older...]

Besides the sleeping struggles you are still a perfect angel baby. You love to laugh and flirt and watch your brother be silly. You get a lot of attention for being so gosh-darn cute and I've learned to be more humble about it. Instead of 'Right??!" I can now say quasi-meekly, "Oh, thank you. That really means a lot to me." Because it does! You are so precious. I complain about the sleep thing but it never fails that when I go up to get you from one of your mini-naps...I can't help but pick you up, chew on your face, swing you around and sing happy songs about how much I love you. One look and I'm goofy all over again. What a good baby you are!

Let's see. October was a lot of fun! This month we did some very Fall-like things - in spite of our unseasonably warm weather. We went to the pumpkin patch with the Wolds and capture the requisite First Visit to the Pumpkin Patch photos. So precious. You started sitting up this month but hadn't really mastered it at the time of the photo-session. We remember your brother's first visit to the pumpkin patch vividly b/c it was the first time he clapped his hands. This made me panic because you, my darling, are not clapping. I realized with much guilt that we don't clap for you very much! You know, "Yeaaa, Mia" + clapping. So we've been practicing. He clapped on the 29th of October. At press, we're into November and there is no signs of clapping but I'm optimistic ;)

The day after the punk'n patch we went APPLE PICKEN! First time. Wasn't a mind blowing experience but it was fun b/c we were there with some of our favorite friends. You and Caleb Wold rode in the Bjorns while your older sibs ran around eating/throwing/picking/kicking rotten apples from the ground. You just liked being part of the action. And we loved you being there!

Halloween was so fun! Your brother was supposed to be a Dallas Cowboy football player. For the sake of record keeping I'll explain why. It's certainly not because we're dedicated Cowboy fans. Daddy is a Bronco's guy and Mommy couldn't not care less about football than she does micro-physics. Here's the short story. I bought some football cleats for Brody at Ross b/c (1) they were cheap and (2) I thought they were soccer cleats. Daddy thinks this is really funny but I think it's an easy mistake. Anyway, instead of taking them back we decided to use them for Halloween and wear the full football uniform + helmet that G'mama got him for Christmas last year. Well, logically, you HAD to be a Cowboy cheerleader, right?

I have to give a shout out to your grandmother here. She made THE cutest cheer uniform in the history of baby costumes. I think she could make money doing this. It was precious. She found pompons at the craft store and chopped them down to size, found the sneakers and added the blue puffs, and hand-created the skirt w/no measurements or anything. It was perfect. We downloaded the star from the Internet, printed it on transfer paper and presto-bamo: 1 Cowboy cheerleader costume. She went all out and then flew in for the occasion. I mean, really? Thank you, Grandmama. You outdid yourself once again. Thanks for the memories!

So on Halloween day, Brody got a little cold + fever so we weren't sure we'd be doing any door-knocking but 'round about 6:30pm he rallied; insisted on being Iron Man instead of a football player and we hit the streets. We only walked a couple of streets but this was his first real experience w/trick-or-treating and he got the hang of it quickly. Sweet Mimi was handed off between the 4 of us (Rah Rah joined the festivities) and we had a blast. It was just the most perfect Halloween yet.

Oh, I need to remember that you got a cold this month. Mild. Mostly sniffles and runny noses. We busted out the sweet cow humidifier and you cleared up w/a week or so. I'm so thankful that it wasn't worse! On the 3rd of Nov. you had your Six Month check up (we're a month behind) and you are still in the 90% for weight, my dear. LET 'EM GIGGLE! You're beautiful and perfect. You also got your flu shot. Can I just say that once again you were remarkable? You talked and smiled and behaved so marvelously the entire visit. You cried for the (6) shots in your legs but stopped right when they were over. I am so proud of you.

You love to eat but of course. You've had peas, butternut squash, zucc, carrots, yellow squash, prunes (yuck), bananas, apples, grapes, avocado and yogurt. All homemade I might add, thankyouverymuch Magic Bullet! You've also gotten mobile this month. It's not a crawl per se but more of a pull-scoot type thing. By the end of the month you were really moving! More on this next month, I'm sure. I'm so impressed by your genius.

Basically, it was a full month and I anticipate the coming months to be even busier and more exciting. Thanks to all the people who might read every word of this entry...we love you. And Mimi-kins. I love you, you little girlfriend. I can't wait to see you tomorrow.

Love, Mommy

[Note: I realize my paragraphs are not aligned...can't figure out how to fix it. grrrr.]

Rock Obala

2008-11-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Kevin and I were talking politics again and out of nowhere Brody said, "Rock Obala". It got our attention immediately. "What did you say?". He told us he did a project today about him at school. Naturally we were curious.

Here is the project. How great is this? It doesn't matter that we disagree with Obama on pretty much all of his policies, this is a historical event. This is major. There were 14-something million MORE voters in this election than the last one. 14 MILLION. That's nuts.

I already journaled about the whole thing so Brody and Mia have some personal historical record of this election. And I'll probably make a scrapbook page out of this project.

Here's the deal. This country is renewed and it's 100% in thanks to this man. I whole-heartedly wish the outcome had gone differently. I truly, deeply, personally believe that our nation is in jeopardy and that Obama is not the man who will change that status. BUT I can not deny that he's a charismatic man. That he has been able to get people so excited is a testament to his leadership abilities. I will support our president. I will pray for our leader's safety everytime I pray for our nations safety.

By the way, did you know that Kenya has proclaimed a national holiday in honor of Obama's Presidential win? Very cool.

I love that Brody did an "Rock Obala" project and am proud to display it on our fridge. We've since taught him who the man is and Brody can tell you that he's the "...President of the United States of America". So smart!

Survey Says: I'm Rude.

2008-10-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well, according to Oprah I am pretty rude. I think I already knew this but thanks to Oprah and her little test, it's now official.

- I am chronically late
- I have gone thru the express lane at the grocery store with more than 10 items
- YES, I've texted during a movie!
- Yes, I've cut in front of people in line
- I don't remember ever stealing a parking spot but I wouldn't put it past myself even tho I absolutely hate these people.
- Gossiped? Of course.
- I have EVEN taken a coworkers refrigerator inventory! This is really rude...so I feel compelled to explain that it was drink from a 2 liter bottle of Coke. I have no idea who it belonged to.

Then the conversation turned interesting. How people are so insanely rude while dining at restaurants. Apparently it is still news to people that (1) servers make less than $4/hr [I only made $2.13] (2) 20% is a customary tip (3) servers will spit in your food if you piss them off.

I worked in the restaurant business for 12 years. It sucks. The pay is terrible. People are stupid. It's physically grueling. And the hours are miserable. But I'm not going to lie and tell you I hated it. I actually loved it - most of the time.

I like to laugh. And I happen to know that the funniest people in the world are in the restaurant business. You have to be funny...or the job will destroy. I have never laughed (or partied) harder than the years I waited tables.

But it's an abusive job. A job for masochists. And, if you do it long enough you just might snap and do pretty nasty things too! Of course, I never did any of these things. So, take note and remember that you never want to piss off your waiter. Or maybe you just might wanna stop going to restaurants at all anymore?

* I saw Dave drop a loogie in someone's drink and I know that he served it.
* I witnessed Ben expedite hours worth of food completely nude except for his apron. I'm positive this was against health code.
* I saw many people climb in and out of the ice making machine (shoes and all)...ice which was then put into the drink station for distribution to guests.
* I've seen many a food hit the ground and be re-plated according to the 5 second rule.
* I've seen food sent back to the kitchen only to be put back on the grill/re-battered and re-fried/re heated and re-served to the guest. Oh yes.
* I've seen food eaten off of guests plates before it was served to the guest and afterward
* I've seen cooks/servers handle your food with their bare hands
* I've seen servers scratch themselves in gross places and then touch your plate, your drinks and your food
* And just don't use condiment bottles that have a broken seal. The contents are probably questionable.

Now.

~I'm not suggesting that you put up with nasty attitudes from waiters. Just that you might save your comments till after you're done eating.

~You should never eat meat that doesn't look or taste right. Just order a different dish or better yet - ask that your food be cooked longer. This is off-putting and will probably persuade the store to prepare a new dish.

~If you feel like you and your server are 'off' I suggest you get your drink refills from the bar IF the bar is not busy.

~Don't ask for a table change on a busy night. Just deal with the tiny table right next to the service door for one night. If it's a ghost town - ask to sit anywhere you like. Just understand that server sections are determined earlier in the evening and that there is a system in place. You might be unintentionally "slamming" a server and thereby really asking for poor service.

~Don't be afraid to remind a server that you'd like a glass of water (or whatever you asked for 10 minutes ago). Understand that they are dealing with 4-5 other tables at the same time and they forget things just as easily as you do.

~"Please" and "Thank you" go a long way. And eye contact, people. Make eye contact.

~It is perfectly acceptable to ask for your check. Personally, I think a server should be able to anticipate when the guest is done but if it seems like you've been waiting a long time - ask for it. In fact, we've started asking 10 minutes early to allow for the usual delays. Just keeps everyone on the same page.

~By the way, don't calculate your tip by doubling the tax. In some places, alcohol isn't taxed and is often the most expensive items on the ticket. Just go ahead and give 20% (for decent+ service, 15% for sub par service) of the total ticket amount.

I could go on and on but even I know when I've gone on too long. Man, I loved waiting tables. I have such great memories. Oh, the stories I could tell.

Final point. I think everyone should be required to work in a restaurant at some point in their life. They are the best training for understanding how to relate to truly horrible people. And also how to teach multitasking, crisis management, quick math practice, balance and coordination, people skills, interpersonal relations such as reading people, discernment, anticipating desires, etc. Honestly, once you've survived waiting tables, every other job will be a cake-walk. [Note: If you never waited tables, I've found motherhood to be a very similar work experience.]

I hope I haven't ruined your appetites for eating out. The truth is, a little spit can't really hurt you. But to be on the safe side, play nice in restaurants. The kids running the place might be funny but they're really just in it for the money. ;)

Chicken Fried Goodness

2008-10-16T15:42:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not the worlds best cook but, as Kevin says, I've gotten a lot better! :) This would hurt my feelings except that it's totally true.

I remember when my mom tried to teach me to cook. She actually instated a you-cook-one-meal-a-week rule which I think only lasted 2-3 times. Not because I wasn't good at it but b/c I think it ended up being more work for her than for me. Or I just stopped doing it? You'd really have to ask her.

When I lived on my own I didn't practice much cooking either. Mostly microwave meals or noodles (with butter and garlic salt..yum yum!) or frozen pizzas (hello Totino's!). I can't imagine a scenario where I'd serve Totino's to my family now. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

I've just realized how very much I enjoy the process of creating a meal. From creating the grocery list to putting the last dirty dish on the rack. I do hate putting away clean dishes but that's another subject.

I am still no Master Chef. You wont find tearing the pages from Gourmet magazine - unless it's a simple one. And I won't spend $30 on mushrooms only to be used for a sauce. But I do enjoy a complicated recipe. I get a great sense of accomplishment when I can put something on the table that even remotely resembles the picture. And even greater when people say, "Wow. This is good."

How can you make meals every night? Well, as I've bragged before, I have the luxury of being married to the greatest man on earth. One who is usually done with work and ready to take on Bubba duties by 5pm every day. This hour of kitchen time is like therapy for me. And then he does the bath and usually the bed time routine so I have another 1/2 hour of alone time for clean up. This is when I might listen to a podcast or some fun music. I honestly look forward to this time.

This week, I made chicken fried steak (a la Rachael Ray) with gravy. I've never made either in my life. The gravy was soooo good. Does anyone remember that Momma Hulsey used to serve gravy with every single meal? How awesome is that?! The asparagus is a regular side dish 'round here. Made to taste like french fried yumminess thanks to lots of EVOO and salt. Brody loves them! I wont say that my CFS came anywhere close to that of Cracker Barrel but it was decent. I'll try again in three months when we've worked off the gravy. I also made pot roast for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I didn't care for it as a kid and found that I'm still not a big fan. But I made it and it actually tasted exactly as I expected it to so I consider it a success. Plus, Kevin liked it!

I get a fun FREE magazine by Kraft called Food & Family. It's full of easy simple recipes! And they send weekly emails. When you're in a pinch, Rachael Ray magazine online is a wonderful tool. Check out the No Joke Artichoke burgers (thanks, Lita for introducing us to these!). And don't forget that shelf of recipe books you have laying around. Just last week I made a recipe out of my Fruit of the Spirit cookbook (thank you, LABC Tuesday Night Bible Study Group 2001!) which was a heart attack in a casserole dish but quite tasty indeed.

I'm always interested in new family favs or good resources. Anyone have an easy recipe to share?!

P.S. I don't know Beverly Hepler is but I have to thank her from the bottom of my sweet tooth for sharing her Pineapple Cheese Bake recipe in aforementioned FOS Cookbook.

P.S.S The other night I became completely obsessed with these two blogs: Lunch in a Box and Wendolonia. They have both devoted the majority of their blog to detailing the lunches they pack for their preschoolers using Bento boxes. I probably spent an hour looking at their creations wishing that they were my kid's mom instead of me. My poor baby took hotdog lunchables to school every day this week! Anyway, it got me thinking...

How fun would it be to do a weeks worth of posts on what we make our families for dinner? Including photo, recipe (or link) and reviews? If you're in, respond in the comments. You'll have to have a Flckr acct or a blog to be able to share. It'll be like we're all gathering for dinner at each others house!

Mia Letter: Six Months

2008-10-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

Oh, Sister. What a great month! You are getting so big so fast. I feel like we just brought you home from the hospital last week and here you are SIX MONTHS OLD! How can that be?

I have to admit that you, My Sweet, have made me a fan of babies. I love your Bubba sooooo much. I loved him at six months every bit as much as I love you. The difference is that I was so overwhelmed and exhausted with him that I didn't have the presence of mind (body and soul) to realize what fun it was to have a baby around! I was eager for every developmental milestone for the simple fact that it would relieve me of a duty. I couldn't wait for him to sit up on his own. To say words. To crawl. To walk! I have beautiful memories of holding, play, rocking him but I also remember the dark moodiness that surrounded me in that first year. I regret that I was altered and wish I had known somehow that it didn't have to be so hard!

All that to say that I just simply adore your babiness. Your little rolly polliness! I love cuddling you in the early morning. I love carrying you around (for short periods...you're heavy, girl!). I love playing peek-a-boo with you. I love watching you watch your brother and Daddy wrestle with bated excitement. I love your new 'pat pat' game where you smack your hand down on anything in front of you. I love your throat-ripping skreetches and wide mouthed smiles. I love your drooly face and the fact that you can almost fit your whole fist in your mouth. I even love changing your diapers and cleaning your room! You are just a total joy and I want to really, really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here and for letting me love you.

Now, the big question we get all the time: WHERE DID SHE GET THOSE BLUE EYES? At 6 months you still have bright blue eyes and they are constantly the subject of conversation. Here is the easy answer:

B will stand for Brown eyes which are a Dominant gene. Then b will stand for non-brown eyes which is a recessive gene.

Daddy's Mom [Mor Mor] has the bluest of blue eyes. Her genotype is bb.

Mommy's Dad [Papa Joe] has gorgeous green/hazel eyes. His genotype is also bb.

Since Daddy and Mommy both have brown eyes our genotypes have to be Bb. This is because we both have brown eyes which means we have the dominant brown gene (B). But since we both have one non-brown eyed parent, we also are both carries of the recessive gene (b). Our Punnett squares would look like this:

This means that we had a 25% chance of having a child with double recessive alleles which could only ever be a non-brown eyed gene. It also means that your eyes will probably never be brown. They may not stay as blue as they are (I meet people every week who tell me that their child had blue eyes till they were X many months old). But they will probably never be brown. Maybe you'll keep your sparkly blue eyes? Maybe they'll turn a beautiful hazel color? Whatever color they are - they will be beautiful.

High School Biology lesson for the day - complete.

Milestones. Gosh. You started eating cereal this month. That's been fun. I tried a bottle just a couple of weeks ago (of water) and you suck some but you mostly chew the nipple. After you ate peas a couple of times, you got a bit stopped up. My friend suggested I add EVOO to the mix and that actually worked! Poor baby. Yes, I do make your baby food thanks to my wonderful Magic Bullet blender. Love it. You've done really well with your G Diapers. No major accidents although I will admit that sometimes a poop diaper is a thrity minute ordeal. That's kind of a pain but I sleep better at night knowing that your poop diaper has been flushed down the toilet where it belongs rather than sitting in a landfill waiting to never decompose.

One of my most favorite things is watching you interact with your Bubba. You watch him like he's magical. You burst out into spontaneous laughter when he just enters the room. I've always loved that he's so gentle with you and that he's never once appeared jealous or bitter about a new little person in our home. He smiles with us when you do new tricks. And you should see him at pre-school. When one of us has to bring you to the school for Brody's drop-off or pick-up, he literally stands guard. He will stand between you and anyone that tries come within a foot of you. Then he'll say, "I'll be your hero, Sissy." I love your relationship already! I am so excited to watch it develop. And it's developing so quickly already. And not always for the better. Just today you tried to launch out of my arms to grab a toy he was playing with. He shouted, "NO SISSY! Not in your mouth!". You are so fortunate to have a big brother, Sis. I hope you're each others best friends.

Oh! We put your feet in the water (at the beach) for the first time this month. Just like your brother - you hated it. It was really sweet.

Love you,
Mom

Bargain Hunter

2008-09-24T23:51:00.001-07:00

I love a bargain. I love a sale. I am a sucker for a garage sale. Basically...I'm cheap and proud of it!

I just recently found two cow humidifiers at our local Goodwill for only $8.00 each! Brand new!! This is such a score. I've wanted one of these cute cool-air humidifiers for a couple of years now but have never been willing to fork over the $40 when I could get an ugly one for $20. See? Cheap.

Last year I found a Kirkland pre-light Christmas tree (regular $200) for only $40 at our down-the-street Salvation Army. It could not have been more than a couple of years old. Still in the box. Excellent condition. I was thrilled! The middle section is problematic but we dealt with it. That same trip I got Brody a full drum set for only $50 - regular $150-$200. I could go on and on. Very little makes me

I am an every-dayer on Craig's List. Sometimes twice a day. Both of our computers came from Craig and plenty of kid stuff. In a small town, Craig and his list are the best!

My girlfriend Julie A. (who still doesn't have a blog of her own for me to point you to) just sent me a link for www.babysteals.com. Rest assured, no one is stealing babies. It's a 'deal of the day' site and even tho I just signed up 10 minutes ago - I'm literally giddy in anticipation of my first deal opportunity! If you like a deal, check 'em out.

Mia Taggie!

2008-09-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

Look at this adorable gift from Summer! She made one for Brody when he was a little Bubba too. Summer's sewing skills are enviable! She's super creative and a perfectionist so you can always expect greatness. Now that she has two kids in school I'm hoping to see more fabulous creations from her! Oh, and she sent the chicest little paci holder. Mia SweetPea-ya has all the fashionable accessories now. Go Mia...Go Mia...

Thanks, Zoomie. I love you!

Pinocchio Lies!

2008-09-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

Ok. WHAT is up with these classic Disney movies? They are so freaky and scary! I remember Kevin and I were very nervous about showing Brody Bambi earlier this year because we both remembered how sad it was. After watching it, we both thought it was rather tame. I mean, after watching Simba's Daddy get trampled by wild wildebeest (p.s. funny word) in The Lion King, Bambi was, well, almost boring. And definitely strange....is that King deer his Daddy...why doesn't Bambi's mom tell him...does this mean that Bambi's little girlfriend was also fathered by the King? I don't know. It weirds me out.

But NOTHING prepared me for Pinocchio. We checked it out at the library (yea library!!) and I thought, "Oh, this'll be fun. A lesson on not telling lies." I'll tell you what...the Howdee-Do-Dee Yippy Skippy Happy Wooden-Boy-Turns-Real Boy flick is the true liar here, my friends. THANKFULLY, I decided to watch it with him just in case. Could this movie be more inappropriate for kids? Maybe only if they added a sex scene.

First there is the issue of all the smoking and drinking by & around children. Then the kidnapping. Then the issue of the bad man who is stealing "stupid" (the forbidden word) little boys. Then the issue of said 'stupid little boys' turning in JACKASSES. Which they insist on saying not once (maybe it'll slip past him) but twice ('Mommy? What's a jackass?" "They said donkey, silly."). Thank you very much, Mr. Disney.

Needless to say, I got more lesson opportunities than I bargained for out of the little Jiminy Cricket flick. I felt like I was talking throughout the entire film!

"Don't drink"
"Smoking kills"
"Never go with strangers"
"Don' lie"
"That boy is naughty. His mommy should spank him for acting that way"
"Stay away from whales!"
"Don't ever wear over-all shorts. They're sissy"

How did I not remember these details? This simple fact is what puts my mind to rest. It can't be too damaging if I didn't remember the horrors it contained. Can it?

Brody called me an idiot the other day - which is Disney's most favorite word. Especially in the oldies. Cruella can't finish a sentence w/o peppering it with an 'idiot' or two. Jeez! I'm not sure what word is more appropriate but idiot seems harsh. Am I over the top here? Does the rest of America not care if their kids run around calling people (teachers, friends, friends mothers, stray dogs and cats) idiots?

When he called me 'idiot' I asked him what he said? He said idiot again. Understand, he said it as tho he was saying 'you with the hair on your head'. It wasn't hateful. There was no malice. He was just...trying it on for size. So I asked him to look me in the eyes. "You will never call Mommy that name again. You will never call anyone that name again. It's ugly and mean and not ok to say. Do you understand me?". "Uh-huh" he stammered. Obviously taken aback by my seriousness. "Yes, ma'am?" I hammered. "Yes, ma'am." Kiss and hugs and life goes on.

So, our little boy is getting bigger. More than ever we have to protect his little ears & little eyes. Pinocchio, the little freak, is going straight back to the library with a big thumbs-down from me!

My Favorite Season

2008-09-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

I do love Fall.

I especially love Fall in Santa Barbara.

But this is not the season I'm referring to.

It's TV Season, people. And I'm so excited!!!!!

I'm astounded that some people don't know what TV Season is? These are the same people that don't really understand syndication. You will only see new episodes of Desperate Housewives on ABC. Period. Sometimes you'll see DH on a station like Lifetime but rest assured - they are reruns. And when you find The Office on back to back at 11PM - these are always w/o exception reruns. Ok? Same page? Ok. TV Season is when all our favorite shows come back to us with brand new episodes. Ooooh, I love it!

Prison Break has already started and I'm embarrassed to say that both new episodes are still sitting in my DVR unwatched. I don't know? There is something about a second baby, for me, that has made me need 'down time' so much less. Or maybe it's that my 'down time' is different than it used to be? Used to, for every single nap and after Brody was down for the night - I'd head directly to the couch, grab my computer (because I can't just sit there - have to multi-task) and turn on the TV to catch up on all my recorded shows. I have many. I do. Now, when Mia and Brody are both down...I don't know what I'm doing but it's not watching recorded TV. Sometimes I'll play The View (which I do have a commitment to) but it's usually background noise and I end up fast forwarding thru most. Where was I? What is my point?

There are several shows I'm especially looking forward to this year:

Heroes

LOST of course

Eli Stone

Amazing Race (love it!)

Ghost Whisperer

Medium

Prison Break

The Office

CHUCK!

The following will make the DVR list but are not as heavily anticipated:

Desperate Housewives

Brothers & Sisters

Boston Legal

Pushing Daisies

Cold Case

CSI...

Shows (new and returning) I'll check out and decide to keep/toss:

90210 (hello? I just have to...)

The Fringe (can't pass up a J.J. Abrams creation)

Kath and Kim

Lipstick Jungle

and Cashmere Mafia

Life

My Own Worst Enemy (it's Christian Slater, come on)

Now I'll ask for a time of silence for the show I am most sad to see is not returning in this 2008 line up:

Carpoolers

It was good. And really, really funny and I'm very bummed. We laughed out loud at least once every single episode. Even Cara! And she knows funny. If you didn't catch it and don't believe me that it was that funny and have too much time on your hands...you can check it out here. Oh, Marmaduke. You will be missed. Farewell.

Therefore, at the top of my New Shows to Watch list is Do Not Disturb which is not only directed by Jason Batement but the stars of the show are Niecy Nash and Jerry O'Connell. As you know, I'm a big Niecy fan and I consider Jason and Jerry two of the funniest on TV.

What shows are you excited about?

A Green Baby Is Not A Goblin

2008-09-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

Ok. I made the leap. Several months ago I posted that my girlfriend Julie was going to use cloth diapers with her newborn baby girl who is a week younger than Mia. That prompted me to research the options and found the G Diapers website. I was fascinated but too hesitant to commit. Now that Mia is a little older we decided to give the G Diapers a try.

I'd read mixed reviews on the G Diapers and noticed that the complainers were all the people going from the classic cloth diapers to the G Diapers (which describe themselves as a "hybrid") but those going from disposables to G Diapers seemed to be very pleased. Also, according to their website 50 million disposable diapers enter the landfill every day, where they sit for up to 500 years. That is just more than I can handle. Especially considering that we were in the practice of wrapping poop diapers in plastic grocery bags!!! There is also a freaky great video that shows the decomposition of a leading chlorine-free diaper, a disposable diaper and a G Diaper insert. You've got to see it to believe it. It's an investment, I know. But I feel like if I can cut down my impact on the ever growing poop filled landfills (you flush poop G Diapers down the toilet and can flush, toss or compost the pee-pee ones!!) then I can rest a bit easier. Besides, I also read that some people use cloth diapers as inserts in the pants. I could always try that. Plus, I've got a sleeve of disposables left. I'll let you know how it goes!

BONUS: I bot our G Diapers on http://www.diapers.com/. For 10% off your first order use the coupon code: CHRY3121

I also bought a bottle of California Baby®Non-Burning & Calming™Diaper Area Wash (only $7.95 from www.diapers.com versus $11.50 from California Baby's website). We're going to try using this instead of baby wipes. The point is to avoid alcohol and fragrance. I just read this article on www.thedailygreen.com which recommended holding baby under a running faucet at every baby change. Uh...I'm not really about all that. I can't really figure out the mechanics, am not down for the poop-in-the-sink scenario, plus then there's the whole wasting water issue. My girl Julie uses Booty Cubes which she loves.

At Mia's 4 month check-up, the doctor noticed that she has a vaginal adhesion. "Nothing to be concerned about", she said. "Just glob on the Vaseline and it should take care of itself." Vaseline is 100% petroleum jelly which is thought to be a carinogen because of the way it is manufactured. It coats the skin like plastic so it cannot breath. I don't want that on Mia's arm skin much less up her...area! That lead me to Alba's Un-Petroleum Multipurpose Jelly. I had to go to 4 local stores before finally finding it at Lazy Acres Market (our local Whole Foods-like store). While there I also found a ton of other great non-toxic baby products like this Rainbow Kids hand sanitizer.

Presently, I'm not as concerned with what I put on my skin but I'm highly concerned about what I put on their skin.

And as Christians, if we're not concerned about protecting 'our' planet - which we all know is not and never will be ours - then we are nothing short of hypocritical. In his book Serve God, Save the Planet, Dr. J Matthew Sleeth says,

As all those who consider themselves people of faith grow in their understanding that God holds us accountable for care of his creation, we will begin to see positive changes on an unprecedented scale.”

Good Reads

2008-09-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

[1] My girlfriend Heather Richter has started a blog and since I'm a HUGE fan of Miss Heather, I thought I'd do a little advertising. I was blessed to meet Heather a few years ago thru our home group. She and I 'clicked' immediately which I think is more about her than me. I'm pretty sure she's good at 'clicking' if you know what I mean. Well, I realized very quickly that pretty much everything she says is like this golden nugget of wisdom. Mother of 4. Living the life of a missionary. Wonderful loving wife. Full-out lover of Jesus. I contemplated purchasing a small voice recording device and covertly taping all our convos but then she up and left me. Sort of. God answered their prayers to move to Ohio (from Santa Barbara to Ohio...I know. But they were literally over joyed!) to actively work & serve through Athletes in Action.

Point. Heather has finally started her own blog! Before they left I was begging her to blog or create a women's newsletter or something. She's the kind of person you want to be best friends with and the sort of quite leader who speaks loudest thru her actions. I encourage everyone to bookmark her blog Moments of Clarity for some good reads.

[2] Guess what? There is at least one other Mia Sturm in this world! Not only that but she lives in California. Not only that but her Mommy and Daddy are believers! Their faith has been such a beautiful example of how we, as Christians, should be every day. Unlike most of us, the Bakersfield Sturms have a big reason to lean on the person of God and rest in His peace. Little Mia was born with pretty serious conditions that they were completely unaware of and totally unprepared for. I spent one night reading every post from the past 10 months and am truly encouraged by them. "God is so good!". What might make weaker people (faithless people) break has made this family so strong. They're beautiful and I hope we can meet one day and introduce our little Mia's to each other! Check them out at Snooky Great for regular prayer request and updates.

[3] So after reading about Kristy's obsession with Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series, I decided to check them out. I bought it the night before we left for our Phx/Denver/Phx trip and ended up reading the first three on that trip! Then, was excited to find the fourth book on the 7-Day read shelf at our local library {btw, I adore the library. We go at least once a week. One of my favorite "by myself activity treats" is to spend time in the library w/the kids. If you haven't been in a while I suggest you do!}! Gobbled it up in 8 days (goodbye $.50). I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who needs a break from reality. Note: it involves vampires. If that trips you out, I understand but really...it's a fun read. Youth fiction. Warning: Since all 4 books are already published you can read them in rapid-fire. The problem with this is that after doing so, I became totally invested. I find myself actually missing the characters.

Anyway, thanks again, Kristy! Whatcha readen now?

[4] I recently subscribed to Christian Stay at Home Moms {CHSAHM} changing the world one diaper at a time. It's a really fun site with a topics from Activities for Kids to Product Reviews. I especially like the Mom Blog directory. There are a lot of directories out there but this one is specifically for Christian moms.

[5] Important. If you use iGoogle (or have a Gmail account) I want to recommend Google's Reader application. Kristy posted about it last year some time and I jumped on board that band wagon immediately! Reader lets you 'watch' all your fav blogs. When someone posts, they show up in Reader where you can read the post or click to the actual blog (if you want to comment). I used to spend several minutes checking each of my regular blogs in excited anticipation...only to see they still hadn't posted anything. Such a let down! Now, I click my Reader tab and can see in an instant who has new posts! Such a good thing. Google: Google Reader

[6] Just completed Gorgeously Green (thank you, public library). I've wanted to read this for a while but never wanted to fork over $17 to own it! Plus...how "green" is checking out books at the library?! Anyway, the trouble with reading this book is that now I'm equipped with all this knowledge and thereby compelled to act...and, unfortunately for those who don't care, also compelled to share. Ugh! Stay tuned for my life updates.

[7] Last point on the reading tip. I'm starting Jane Eyre tonight. Tired of my favorite books being from the Teen Fiction section. Thought I'd try out a classic. If you wanna blog-book club with me, leave a comment!

Happy Readings, my homies.

Mia Letter: 5 Months

2008-09-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

Missy.

You are so precious.

When your Bubba was your age, I found myself constantly wishing for more. Always having to remind myself , "He's going to get bigger soon so you better enjoy THIS moment in time." My love, you are growing too fast. You just came home and now you're like this big 5 month old girl. Like...really big. 17lbs big. Ok, you're huge.

I love every single fold, Baby Girl. Every dimple. Every last bit of chub on your little Dough-Girl body.
This month has been such a blast. You have developed so much! You learned to roll over front-to-back on August 15th and then from back-to-front on the 17th! We were at Mor Mor and Papa's house is Phoenix so you got to really show off for the masses. We were very proud. We traveled with Daddy's family to Denver again in August for GG's memorial service. It was a Johnson Family Reunion! You were a perfect angel on the plane to Denver - your Mor Mor held you the entire way so let's just say, this was Mommy's favorite flight so far! What a treat.

After Denver we spent the week at Mor Mor & Papa's house and got to play with your cousins Malena & Briella and Nicole & Gregory! We had so much fun swimming, rolling-around, playing and watching the Olympics on Papa's big, huge TV. It was a great week. We're all looking forward to the holidays when we'll all be together again.

You were terrific on the 7 hour drive home. It was amazing. Unfortunately, we came home to a house full of fleas. Bowen Road (our cat) became flea-infested and so did our beautiful little home. We spent two nights back home but not IN our home. True to form, you were a champ. Much more so than your Mommy and Daddy who were VERY unhappy. Terminex came, fleas gone, life is good.

You get a little 'off' when we travel but usually w/in a couple of days you're back to your brilliant sleep schedule. You're pretty consistently sleeping from 7-7:30PM to 6AM and then till about 7:30-8AM. Nap comes about two hours later. It's so funny that Bubba's naps were always a source of frustration for me when he was your age. I do get stressed sometimes when you don't sleep well but most of the time I just pick you up and go about our day till you get to the point that you might sleep again.

Oh my goodness, you love to laugh. Even in the midst of unhappy (or fake unhappy) cries you will stop abruptly to smile at someone. You flirt with just about anyone who makes eye contact with you. It's absolutely precious and I want to eat the flesh of your cheeks right of your chubby face! And blow bubbles with it. It's that good. People are always remarking on how happy you are. "What a happy baby!". You are, Sweetie. Such a happy baby. Thank you for your wide, up & down smiles and throaty chuckles. We even love your 20-second-at-a-time-ear-piercing-throat-shredding bird squawks. So great!

Other milestones this month include: finding your toes...once. For the most part, you're not super flexible. I think it's cuz there's too much belly. You make a cute breathless grunt every time we bend your toes toward your face. Don't think it's comfortable for you. Um, you fake cough, which is hysterical (to us). You have really mastered the art of reaching & grabbing which we all know is a very important cognotive skill. We couldn't be more proud.

Finally, you had your 4 month check up last week (9/4/08). So, almost 5 months, actually. You were amazing. You didn't make a peep (besides cute cooing) the whole time until the shots. 6 shots, to be clear. The tears dried up immediately. You're amazing. Anyway, here are your stats:
Height: 25" {50%}
Weight: 17.4lb {90%}

Head Circumference: 16.5" {55%}

Love you, Piggy!

Next month: cereal!

Mr. Funny

2008-08-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

Can you see Brody? Always the comedian :))

Cousins

2008-08-25T23:55:00.000-07:00

Left to Right: Malena M., Nicole J. holding Briella M., Gregory J. holding Mianna Sturm, and Brody Sturm. Does Brody look like the adopted cousin? The gorgeous, brown, adopted cousin? :)

Mia Letter: 4 Month

2008-08-16T00:18:00.000-07:00

More photos to follow...
Oh, Mia. You are such a Sweet Pea. Mia Sweet Pee-ya. This month has been so very busy. We visit friends and family in Texas for two weeks in June, we celebrated the 4th of July with friends in Santa Barbara, went to a Fiesta event, enjoyed a visit from the Wolds and traveled to San Diego, Phoenix and Denver again for GG's funeral. Your 3rd month is a bit of a blur, if I'm being honest. [You actually turned 4 months just before the trip to Denver]

The top photo was taken at one of the Concert in the Park events in Santa Barbara. It looks over-cast outside but it's not really. You are such an easy baby - still. When we drag you to outdoor events like this you just go with the flow. You don't mind be passed around but you are very vocal when you're done being passed around!

When people see you they immediately comment on how pretty you are. Usually mentioning your beautiful blue eyes. Then they ask how old you are and immediately comment on how BIG you are for your age! I think you're perfect, my princess. Your chubby legs make me want to clap my hands together and jump up and down. Your double chin is the tastiest treat I've ever tasted. Your belly rolls are sweeter than sugar. You are a little doll baby.

You are an excellent traveler.

You are 4 months old and have flown on 10 planes already. Three trips - some w/multiple planes. Every time, you are amazing. You sleep mostly and that is the best I can hope for. On our Texas trip you and I flew separately from Daddy and Bubba. You had a full blow-out both going and returning. The kind of poop that runs up your back. You should have seen me changing your diaper in the tiny airplane bathrooms. It wasn't pretty. But we got thru it together! On the flight to Denver last week, your Mor Mor held you the entire flight which was a huge blessing for both of us!

On the looooong drive to San Diego and then to Phoenix, you were a champ. We stopped every 3 hours(ish) for a break but you hardly complained the entire drive.

Your G.G. went to be with Jesus on July 27th, 2008. Mommy and Daddy's 6th anniversary. We are so thankful that you were able to meet her before she left us. She absolutely adored you, Sweet Mia. Daddy says that GG was the first person you really smiled at other than him or me. She was a darling woman who leaves behind a great legacy. We can't wait to tell you more about her and your Grandpa Bob.

The only other highlight of the past month is your 3 month photo (which was actually almost 4 months). They are brilliant! I can't wait to get them and share them with the rest of the family. You pretty baby girl.

This month you got to meet your Papa Joe, your Gus & Gal, your Uncle Ro, Sue Sue, Aunt Banana and almost all our best Texas friends. You also met Doc Roc, the Wold family and several other of Daddy's 'Dude' friends while in San Diego. You are a popular little girl! I'm so excited to see what the next month has in store for us all.

Love you,
Mommy

Hats.

2008-08-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

When Brody saw this picture he said, "Awwe. Look at my tiny little hat."

THIS, my friends, is a funny kid.

The Shack

2008-07-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

I finally finished reading The Shack last night. At 1AM.

I started reading it a couple of weeks ago while in Texas at Dana's and at Tessa's but had to leave before I finished the book. Kevin bought it and completed it on the trip home and then left it on the plane! I refused to buy another copy anywhere else other than Costco b/c they have it for only $9. So, we bought it this past weekend and I read the second half of the book last night.

There is a lot of hype about this book and I get it. Really incredible and tragic story that had me completely engrossed. It was full of thought provoking and insightful material. And I was completely satisfied with the ending. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Kevin and I are actually going to read it again together and try to digest some of the heavy stuff that is easy to skim over the first time around. I had to stop reading a couple of times and really dwell on what I was reading. I'm not going to reveal the book but the part about forgiveness really rocked me.

I found it odd that Satan, demons and spiritual warfare were never discussed. Especially when angels appear. Biblically they are always at battle yet the book never brings it up. Also not so sure I want to see the movie that the author seems to really want to make. I feel like it might clash with the images in my head. And I can't imagine it being as powerful as reading the book? But I'm sure there will be a movie and hopefully it will answer a lot of questions for those who do not have anything to believe in.

Definitely recommend the book. Look forward to reading it again!

Evidence of Age

2008-07-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

7:30PM - Nurse Mia
7:45 PM - End nursing session
7:55PM - Notice the cute ear imprint on my arm from aforementioned nursing session
8:00 - 8:30PM - Grocery shop
8:45PM - Notice that the ear imprint is STILL neatly embossed on my arm - an hour after nursing!

8:46PM - Google 'loss of skin elasticity'....only to find that my initial diagonsis is accurate:

I'M GETTING OLD!

Long Time, No Blog!

2008-07-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

If you've been missing us it's because we've been in Tejas! We spent two weeks in the Land of 200 Degrees and had an absolute blast - in spite of the sweat circles. We flew into Austin where we were able to borrow my very awesome Aunt & Uncle's car for our entire trip. This saved us hundred's of dollars. Such a huge blessing! After landing, waiting for K&B's plane (yes, we weren't able to fly together), collecting all 24 of our bags, shuttling to the auto park and watching Kevin have a near hysterical breakdown trying to install our two car seats into Gus & Gal's car in the sweltering Texas heat - we were off!

The Sellars family graciously gave us their home for the first part of our trip while they were at Family Camp. This was such a HUGE gift to our family. We had plenty of room for everyone (even Mom was able to stay with us) and Brody was able to enjoy a literal toy wonderland!

They returned on Saturday and we spent the next two days and nights just playing our faces off! Check out this photo of the entire crew. Left to right: Brody, Eli, Ezra, Mia, Ean, and Ella Bella. Dana and Scott have an amazing team of babies. We so enjoyed spending time with all of them and especially enjoyed visiting their church on Sunday.

On Monday, we moved into Arlington to spend the night with the McCook Fambily. Oh, my gosh. I love this family. Tessa, as always, was an incredible hostess. I have to mention the incredible mini-burgers she served. Um. Delicious. Sophie and Landry were precious with Brody. I think he caught himself a little crush in miss Sophia! And why the heck wouldn't he? Look at this baby girl!!During our first week in Texas we had so much fun seeing so many friends. We enjoyed a full & super fun day with the Mangrem's, a really fun morning with Julie and Landon, and a wonderful visit with our sweet Sue Sue. We also had enjoyed an awesome lunch date with Uncle Roland! Dinner dates with Whitney & Chad and Nooch & Stephanie. Listen, we were VERY busy and it was great!

After a week in the Metroplex, we packed up and returned to Austin for a few days with Papa Joe. This was the first time Papa Joe had met with Mimi so it was a sweet time. We also got to celebrate Dad's birthday! We absolutely love Gus & Gal's property in Liberty Hill. It is the most rustic yet chic place imaginable. We felt like we were at a resort and on a farm at the same time! Their property line ends in the middle of the river in their back yard and this year there was water. We had so much fun. Gus & Gal [Great Aunt Al & Great Uncle Steve] returned on Thursday and we had the pleasure of hanging out with them and Dad that evening.

On Friday, Summer and Kids came all the way from San Antonio for a playdate in Austin! It was so much fun to connect with Zoomie again and see her gorgeous babies. I can't believe we're all growed up with kids and stuff. So nuts!

This trip was so much fun. We all really enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. I love my friends so much. Being able to play with them was such a blast. I love that Kevin gets along with my friends so well. I love that my family is so gracious and wonderful. I love that so many of us has little ones who will be able to grow up together. Even tho we don't live down the street from each other our kids will always know each other and celebrate each other's successes in life.

Thank you to all of you for making time for us, room for us, and giving us so much love! I miss you all already!

Mia Letter: 3 Months

2008-07-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, you are really this cute! I know. It's hard to imagine but, Mia-girl, you're a real cutie pie. This month has been super fun. First, and most exciting, you finally started smiling for us! It was a long time coming and you're still sort of particular about who you'll grant smiles too but when you do...oh, man...they stop our hearts. Thank you for your smiles.

You also started cooing big time! You chatter and coo and squeek all the time. A lot of times, to the bears on your swing. I think they're your best friends. But you give us good converstation too. It's absolutely music to our ears. Thank you for your coos.

AND you laughed this month. Shortly after you started loosening up with your smiles. You gave me a couple of really awesome chuckles a couple of weeks ago when I was helping you do stand up exercises. I called the boys in and sure enough, you laughed for them too. Daddy and Bubba were smiling from ear to ear. You make us so proud. You laugh when we tickle under your chin too. Every time. Maybe having an extra chin makes you more ticklish? I don't know but thank you for that laughter.

You've had some congestion this month, poor baby. Your nose doesn't actually run but there is a lot of rattling in your breathing. But you still sleep like a champ so I don't think it's bothering you too much. We are traveling again this week so I hope it doesn't get worse.This month you got to meet your Aunt Sharron, Uncle Don and Great Grandma (GiGi) in Colorado. You were terrific on the plane both ways. Daddy upgraded me to FC on both flights so I got to enjoy lunch and bottomless Coke's while you slept like a little princess. No fair that you've flown FC as an infant when I had to wait till my 30's! The flying didn't seem to bother you at all (especially the noisey jumper flights - you sacked out!). In Colorado we got to spend lots of good time with your cousins Briella and Malena, Uncle Jon & Aunt Tammy and Mor Mor & PaPa. It was a really terrific time - we miss you all aready!

This month you also had your 2month check up. You are officially a chunky baby. 97% for weight, thankyouverymuch. Your height and head size were normal. I think you're perfect. I wish you were chubbier, in fact. We'll work on that, ok? You were so good during your shots. There were SIX! You didn't react until the end of the 2nd shot and by the time you finished your first wail the shots were done. We nursed (and I subsequently leaked everywhere) and you were fine. A bit fussy for a couple of days but nothing too tramatic.

This month, Daddy had his first week-long business trip since you were born. I am not going to lie, I was terrified. I scheduled our entire week so that we had company almost every afternoon and on the two mornings that Bubba isn't in school. The week practically flew by and I only got a little crazy in the evenings. Let's just say, I was ready for bed at the end of the day. YOU were terrific. Sleeping your face off as usual. Waking once in the middle of the nights (you've been waking around 4am recently and then ready for the day by 7:30 or 8AM). I just really have no complaints, Sis. Thank you for being so easy!

My Purpose

2008-06-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight I watched this video podcast of Rick Warren at the TED Conference in 2006. He is the author of the book, The Purpose Driven Life. At the conference, he was reflecting on his own crisis of purpose in the wake of his book's wild success. He explains his belief that God's intention is for each of us to use our talents and influence to do good.

I really enjoyed listening to Rick's talk. I am a big fan of the book and recommend it often. I've even given a couple as gifts (although Kevin still hasn't read it). Tonight, I was encouraged by Rick's talk. Just like the book always does, this talk sparked something in me that I'm determined to pursue.

At one point he brought up the story of God turning Moses' staff into a snake. [Exodus 4:2]

1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?"

2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?". "A staff," he replied.

3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 "This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers...has appeared to you."

God asked Moses, "What is in your hand?". A simple, wooden staff. Part of Moses' everyday life. Right?

With that staff Moses defeated the magicians of Egypt, stripped Pharaoh of his power, humiliated Egypt's gods and brought Israel out from slavery to freedom*.

Rick went on to ask the audience: What is in your hand?

At that moment, I was holding Mia. She was in my hands.

Q: What do I have that God has given me?
A: My children

And what am I going to do with what God has given me? I don't have the perfect answer for this. But I know that I will work every day to influence my babies by example, by education, by discipline, by unfaltering love...I will influence my babies to make this world a better place. To love the Lord with their whole body so that they might be used by him to be a light in this world.

My children aren't mine just like this world is not mine. But I've been given the great pleasure of helping guide them thru life. They. Are. In. My. hands.

What has God given you? What are you going to do about it?

I'm going to re-read The Purpose Driven Life with this new perspective. I've always read the book with an 'all about me' slant. And that is exactly how I needed to read it at those times in my life. I'm excited about what God will reveal this time? My babies are my passion and part of my purpose in life.

What can do with what has been given to me. I'll keep you posted.

* sentence copied from here

I May Never March In The Infantry...

2008-06-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

Brody has been singing this classic church song for the past couple of weeks. Last week, at Aunt Sharron and Uncle Don's house, he & Cousin Malena danced around and sang it at the top of their tiny little lungs while Aunt Sharron hammered it out on her gorgeous baby grand. "Sing with me!"

I may never march in the infantry

Ride in the cavalry

Shoot the artillery

I may never zoom o'er the enemy

But I'm in the Lord's army. YES, SIR!

I'm in the Lord's army, YES SIR! I'm in the Lord's army. YES, SIR!

I may never march in the infantry,

Ride in the cavalry

Shoot the artillery

I may never zoom o'er the enemy, But I'm in the Lord's army. YES, SIR!

I love that he's learning these songs so early. The best part is that he learns a lot of them from his preschool where they have weekly chapel. He learned Deep & Wide there - hand motions and everything. And I Gotta River of Life. How precious is that? He even learned the "Johnny Appleseed song" (as the Johnson/Sturm family calls it) from school and now it's our nightly prayer before dinner.

On our way home from church this morning, I pointed out a wake boarder to Brody (yes, our drive to church is along the Pacific coast!) and he of course asked, "Why?". Not knowing how to answer that question I proceeded to explain the process of being pulled by a boat and being able to stand up on the water and ski, surf or even walk. He said, "Like Jesus?". I mean, seriously. The kid is paying attention!

Kevin an Brody read Bible stories every night from Brody's children's Bible. It is so rewarding when he says things like this. He's listening. He is understanding. Even though he doesn't realize it completely, he's learning. I'm thrilled that Bubba has the influence of Sunday School, preschool chapel and home (Veggie Tales counts, right?) at such an early age. We pray for him every day. Most nights, I try to stand outside his room as he sleeps and thank God for the little man he is and the Godly man he is to become...and that I'll have more patience with him tomorrow than I did today.

Keep singing, son. You are a precious gift. YES, SIR!

Celebrate Your Next Gen Dad!

2008-06-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

My Honey was invited to participate in a book giveaway by Hachette Book Group USA! You should know that his Next Gen Dads blog has also been published. He's practically famous, I think!

Anyway, if you write a short essay about a Dad you know (yours, your baby daddy, someone elses baby daddy...) you might win a set of 11 great books! What a great Father's Day gift for the reader in your life. To check out the rules go here. These are the books - Kevin describes each on his blog.

Hurry, deadline is 11:59 PM on Friday, June 13th and there will be 5 winners! Good luck :)

Mia: Month Two

2008-06-08T23:36:00.000-07:00

Dearest Mia,

You are two months old. How can that be? Can I just start by telling you that if you knew better you'd be so proud of your dear old mom! When your Bubba was your age today, I was a mess. Your Daddy would come home from work as close to 5:30 as possible to find me sweating, on the verge of tears, and probably a little blurry eyed. Brody never slept. You are always sleeping. I spent the first year of Brody's like trying to get that baby to SLEEP. Once he was asleep, the house had to be completely quite. No one was allowed to speak, move or think too loudly lest we wake the baby. Because I was insane. When he slept, I slept. This is not a luxury I have you, my sweet but that's ok. And I'll tell you why.

Your Dad.

When I was pregnant with you, I was terrified I would be a stress-case like I was with Bubba. I worried that at the end of the day I would be doubly exhausted, doubly moody and doubly depressed. I thought, "We have to move to Texas". I thought I needed a larger support group and the only place I would be able to get that was in Texas. What I hadn't really understood at the time was how perfect our situation was going to be. And that even if we wanted to move to Texas the market was going to tank and we weren't going to be able to sell our house for what we need to sell it for anyway. But that's for another post...

Your Daddy left his company in October of 2007. I was already two months pregnant. This was not what we expected. We were trying to get pregnant but didn't think for a second that it would happen on our first attempt! You see, it took us a year and a half and lots and lots of prayers with Brody. We anticipated a longer 'trying' period with you. Lo and behold, God had a better, more perfect plan.

I found out I was pregnant when I was 6 weeks along...because this is when I became very sick. We were shocked and ecstatic and worried and nauseated but 100% thankful for God's goodness. Two months later, Daddy went solo with his own company and started working from home.

While I was sick he picked up ALL the slack. He did most of the cooking, cleaning and shopping. He took and picked up Bubba from preschool. He found errands to run with Bubba in the evening so I could moan and groan in solitude. He was patient and understanding when I couldn't exactly explain the feeling ("It's a mix of the flu, a hangover and food poisoning...") but knew for sure that I needed to sleep A LOT. Your Dad is and always will be my knight in shining armor. He'll be yours too, Mimi.

Because he works from home he is (unfortunately-for-him at times) always accessible. I'm able to work while Brody is at school or go somewhere with Brody when he's not at school because you sleep for the three hours that I'm gone and when you don't, Daddy will get you and take care of you. I get to run errands when you are both asleep in the afternoon. And I can take you somewhere while Bubbas napping all because your Daddy is here! If you're awake and it's time for Brody to nap, he'll often take over with one of you. He does Bubba's night-time routine every single night so that I can get you to bed. It's truly a tag-team partnership. We're the Iceman King Parsons and Rocky Johnson. We're the freaking Von Erich's, Sweetheart. It's beautiful! Most Mommy's don't have these luxuries, my dear. I am so blessed.

So, for now, Santa Barbara is where we get to be. I don't feel like I need that support team. I'm not worried for my sanity or your safety! And we'll live in Santa Barbara as long as we can so that you get to think that living on the beach, hiking in the mountains, year-round perfect weather and weekly festivals are normal things. We get to because God is good and He gave us your Daddy.

This post sort of turned more into a Father's Day praise report but I'm good with that. It's all true. {Honey, can this count as my Father's Day essay?}

We are so in love with you, Sister. Your precious new 'coos'. Your plump little thighs. Your sweet smell. Your strong little neck that holds up your always moving little noggin which houses your extremely observant beautiful little eyes balls. You are mild and cuddly and can swak like a parrot on crack. This week you started sleeping form 8pm to 5am and then again till at least 8:30am. You're the best, Baby. The best baby ever.

Green Bottles are ORANGE!

2008-06-08T23:09:00.001-07:00

Who knew eco-bottles are orange? Apparently they are made with Polyethersulfone (PES) plastic, which gives them a natural golden color. They are actually quite lovely.

We finally bought some bottles for Mia. I gave away all of our Avent bottles to a woman who said she has an orphanage in Mexico. Should I feel badly about giving away bottles that are known to leach harmful chemicals? Maybe I should have just recycled them and been done with it. But I would feel worse knowing that there's an orphanage somewhere that could use baby bottles and I threw them away instead. And maybe they hand-wash all their dishes at this orphanage? This gives me peace.

I really wanted the Green to Grow bottles that I posted about a while ago. They have a really great-looking website full of excellent information. I learned more about the dangers of plastics on their site than anywhere else. Alas, they were really expensive ($10.50 for one 10oz bottle!)and I had a credit at our local (also very expensive) baby shop, Chicken Little.

I was able to buy two 10oz Thinkbaby bottles and two extra fast-flow nipples for just under $25.oo. I know. But I feel good about Mia using these bottles and I can put them in the dishwasher w/o worry. We're rocken and rollen now, baby!

Stay tuned for product review!

I've Been Tagged

2008-06-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

So...my honey tagged me. He accurately 'outs' me in my desires to be tagged. The problem is...I don't have anyone to tag since he tagged my best friend and she and he are the only people who I know that both read my blog AND keep a blog. Oh, and Staci just got tagged so I can't tag her again and besides....she didn't tag me so I'm mad at her. There are a TON of people I would love to tag if they would get off their butts and start a blog including Aunt Tammy, Julie M, Dana, Miss Vicky, Mikey, Alexa, Andy, Nooch, Cara, Julie A., or Sarah to name but a few.....

First, for my answers to Kevin's questions:

1. If you could change one thing about a major event in your life what would it be?
Well, this is an interesting question because it would be my wedding day. I know, that sounds terrible. Besides wishing I had been less stressed for the weekend leading up to the day of our wedding...

I wish I had had my sister stand closer to me during the ceremony. We paired our b'maids and g'men as couples. One day I'll go into how perfectly they were paired but that's for another post. For some reason, we paired them with the guys upstage to the girls which meant that Andy was the closest person to me on stage (besides Kevin). I love Andy but not like I love Cara. I wish I had seen the photographs before my wedding so I could see how far she was from me on stage. That wasn't the place of honor I intended her to have. Sorry, sis. If I could do it again, I 'd have you riding piggy-back.

2. What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire? (I stole this one)
This is hard b/c I want to do so much...

1. I'd give to the causes close to my heart: Autsim, women's cancers research, women and children's welfare and microfinance lending in third world countries. How 'boutcha!?
2. I'd pay my mom's debts and buy her a gigantic house in Texas with regular landscapers, house cleaners and interior designers. I'd also pay for her to go to school to complete her degree and get her an assistant to help her pursue her dreams of working for herself...
3. I'd buy my dad a home (w/staff as well) where he could live and create works of art for himself and others. And we'd go on cool art vacations together...France, Italy, New York, etc.
4. I'd buy Cara a new car and provide seed money to help her start her own business in the fashion world. Prolly get her a house in SB too but it would be an investment for us, really.
5. I'd lend money to friends (with no expectations of getting paid back) so they could pursue their dreams of living self-sufficiently
6. Tithe 10%, of course, and give large gifts to my home church, Westmont, certain other non-profit Christian organizations and some Santa Barbara non-profits which I love so dearly (zoo, Eilings, library, local festivals, etc.)
7. Fully fund birthday parties for all my friends and family on their BIG bdays: 40, 50, 60. And plan many exciting travels for fam and frenz as often as my billionaire lifestyle can afford.

Whew. Big filthy rich is exhausting!

3. What are your three worst habits?
Moi?
1. I'm extremely lazy. I hate this about myself but have yet to determine to change it.
2. I'm short tempered with the people I love most (except for Brody who I seem to have buckets of tolerance with. I saved it all up for him.)
3. I watch too much TV. This is probably my biggest offense. I love TV and make no apologies. Thankfully, I'm a multitasker!!

4. What are the three things you have to have within reach at all time (think bedside, car, etc.)?
This is actually a question that Sue Sue asked me a while ago. It's a great question and one that i actually know the answers to immediately...

1. Lotion. In California we have hard water. My hands are constantly dry and crackily and my legs are ashy and don't get me started on my heels!
2. A pen. I have pens all over the place: in my car, by my bed, in all my bags including diaper bags, by the toilet...you just never know when a thought will need to be recorded urgently.
3. A drink. I'm breast feeding and insatiably thirsty. Beverage of choice has been Tazo Zen green ice tea with two Splendas [thank you, Lita, for introducing me to it!!]

5. If you could have any job what would it be and why?
First of all, I call BS on Kevie's answer. You would want to be anything athletic over a successful business entrepreneur or inventor? I'm not buying that for a minute, my love.

Any job? I would be in the entertainment industry or a celebrity scrapper like my hero Ali Edwards or I'd own a restaurant in a quaint vacation town or lake resort or I'd act on any one of my many business ideas.

That said, I absolutely love what I'm doing now and the life-situation we share. I'm thrilled to work part-time for an incredible family and to be able to be with my babies mostly full-time. Wouldn't change My Life Today for anything. ;)

Now...who to TAG?
1. Kristin Bull, miss you girlfriend!
2. Kevin tagged Tim so I'll tag Cheryl!
3. I'm sure she's been tagged a million times & we've never met but I've been reading Natalie's blog and really appreciate her honesty and style
4. I know Kristy has been tagged b/c I recently read her entire blog and would love to know her answers to these questions
5. I only got 4.

Bow-Head

2008-06-03T00:04:00.000-07:00

I am PROUD to call my sweet angel a Bow Head! Do they say "Bow Head" in California or is that a Texas term? I've never heard it used here. Curious.

My girlfriend Julie M (I'd link her blog here except she's too lazy to create one) from back home sent Mia the sweetest collection of bows last week! I was so excited that I just grabed one right out of the package, slapped it on her head and took some pics. She didn't fight it one bit either. Look at her. She's a diva. Hello! Thank you, Julie. We love them!!

In Texas girls wear hair bows. The bigger the better. We used to wear bows so big our neck would get tired holding our heads up! But pain is beauty, my friends. Mia doesn't have enough hair to clip bows in yet so I was thrilled with this head-band concept. You can attach bows directly onto the band. Any color. It's genius. Seriously. How cute is this baby?!

Gracia-Medranos

2008-06-02T23:42:00.000-07:00

I had a very sad day last week. On Saturday, May 24th my dear friend and neighbor, Georgina "Georgie" Gracia-Medrano moved away from me. She and Jose ("Sho-Shay" in one-year old Brody-speak) moved to a near-by town so that her commute to work wouldn't be as long and miserable. Georgie has been my best friend for the past couple of years. She was literally my day-time sanity for the first year of Brody's life. She was a sounding board, advice giver, companion and dear friend. Kevin would come home every day to find me, Brody and Georgie playing either outside or at Georgie's - two houses away. Georgie went with us for Brody's 2-yr pictures. We roasted marshmellows together. We played family scrabble together. We mostly sat on our patio and visited. Georgie has the youngest spirit of anyone I know. She's ten years older than I am but she has such a precious playful disposition that our age difference was never, ever an issue. It is also the reason that Brody loves her so much too. We knew exactly where to go when any of us were having a chocolate craving - Georgies. M&Ms being the house staple.

Georgie is a 1st grade teacher. I can only pray that Brody has a teacher in his life like her. She loves her job so much that she chose to work 40 miles away (rather than continue to stay home and play with us) so that she could continue her life's passion. It just occured to me that maybe she went back to work BECAUSE of us!? Maybe she got tired of me bothering her every single day to come play with us! ;) I'm sure that's not the case because if we were outside when she got home from work (after an hour drive) she would often come sit and visit with us before even entering her home to take off her shoes or go pee!!

We will all miss Georgie and Jose very much. They were very-much like family. We had keys to their home. Their dog roamed our house and ate our cat food as she pleased. I borrowed food from them regularily. The FED us when they cooked, which wasn't often but we always were rewarded when they did! They loaned us their movies [in fact, Brody's infatuation with CARS all started b/c we 'borrowed' - and subsequently ruined and post-subsequently replaced their DVD]. They burned us CDs from their extensive music collection. They let Brody 'jam' with them in their very cool garage turned music studio. They bought Brody random prizes just because they love him. When Kevie was out of town and Jose had to work late we went to dinner and got ice-cream together. I'm getting misty.

I can't end this post w/o mentioning Dominico, their oldest son (pictured). He is Brody's super-hero. I always say that if Dom, a musician, were in Teenie Bopper magazines, Brody would have his photos plastered all over the walls. Dom and Brody are buds. He was never too busy to give Brody attention. He played soccer with him, played the drums with him, made paintings with him...basically, if there was fun to be had, Dom was there. Most guys his age would have been annoyed with Bubba but Dom was always game. Dan, Dom's younger brother, wasn't around as often but he was also very sweet to Brody and indulged his many questions patiently. He's also a really good Scrabble player!

For the people who will be fortunate enough to have this family as their neighbors, I envy you. We are praying that their successors will be even 1/2 as generous, fun and interesting as the Gracia-Medranos. I hope I'm spelling your last name right!?

Kissy Lips

2008-06-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

I was trying to get a pic of Brody in his new "train hat" and by lucky accident caught Brody doing his white man's dance face. Sometime last year Grandmama taught Brody how to do - what she called - "The White Man's Dance". I think she was going for the over-bite-double-fists thing but he translated it into this kissy-lip version. It's a show stopper. When he gets his hair cut by Bob the Barber he has to do his White Man's dance before he can get his sucker. He pretty much does it upon request so the next time you see him ask for a little show. You wont be disappointed!

I just like it because it show cases his adorable little kissy-lips!! I told him recently that he's not allowed to let all the little girls kiss his lips. When they try, he's to say "No!". Computer, do you think this is too over bearing? I swear, I'm going to lock my kids in their closets till their 30.

By the way, the hat tilt was all Brody. I put it on him with the bill facing foward and he immediately cocked it. The kid has style.

Cell Phones for Soldiers

2008-06-01T17:03:00.001-07:00

Last week we received a mailer envelope from an organization called Cell Phones for Soldiers. When you send them your used cell phone (...any condition or brand and do not need to have batteries) they give the phones to a company which pays them enough money to provide an hour of talk time to soldiers abroad. How cool is that?!

Their goal is to to turn old cell phones into more than 12 million minutes of prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas in 2008. I love this idea. We have several dead phones laying around our home thanks to a precocious baby boy named Brody. Normally we would deposit them in an e-waste receptical. Now we can donate them to this great cause.

I've asked all our local friends to help us collect as many phones as possible and offered to box and ship them myself. I hope you will do this in your own communities or at least send your own used phones to this charity. For the shipping labels, go here. You can even set up a Drop Off Point at your own business, school or organization.

Holy John Locke, Batman!

2008-05-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

We just watching the season finale of LOST. WHaT is Up WiTh ThIS ShOW?! How is it that it's just so freaking good? This season blew my mind - especially episode 4 (wow.wow.wow). It was well worth the wait and fortunately we got a whole season even with the writers strike. It's just so good and if you're not into yet, no worries! To watch all 4 seasons online for free go here. This is the best time of year to get started since there is nothing worth watching during the summer except So You Think You Can Dance (which I also highly recommend). Have I mentioned that it's just SO good!??!

Green Baby

2008-05-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

My mom sent me another link today about the dangers of plastics. I haven't introduced Mia to a bottle b/c I haven't bought any BPA-free bottles yet. Need to do that soon because I'm ready for Daddy to take over one of the middle of night feedings :) Although, my prince of a husband gets up with Bubba every morning at 7:30AM and lets me sleep in!! Thanks, Sweetie!

I have a few green blogs on my favorites list but I love this one because it's devoted to Green Baby Products! Great place for product reviews and for checking out cool products that you wouldn't find in your Target or Walmart. Check it out!

Boles Bulldogs RULE!

2008-05-16T15:42:00.000-07:00

Something you should know about me: I was in the first 9th grade class of Boles Jr. High, in Arlington, Texas. Since we were the 'senior' calls, we decided the school colors (Royal Blue and Kelly Green...seriously, not just blue and green. Royal Blue and Kelly Green) and we decided the school mascot (Bulldogs). There was a big vote by all the incoming 9th graders from the two feeder jr. highs: Workman and Gunn.

Gunn is where you wanted to go to school. Gunn was an cool school. They were the Gators, for crying out loud. It was a rich-kid school at the time. It was a predominantly white-kid school. It had been around for years and had a very upstanding reputation and successful athletic department.

I would have gone to Gunn if not for the building of Boles. Unfortunately, the year I was to enter 7th grade, the city changed the zoning so that me and my neighborhood was sent to Workman. I use the word 'sent' to Workman because it was a bit like being sent to prison. You got to go to Gunn. You were sent to Workman.

Workman had a reputation too. But not the kind you wanted to be associated with. The kids at Workman were tough. There were girl fights almost every day. There were fire alarms at least once a month. The principal was beat up. Sometimes the lights would go out in the entire school for hours because someone managed to break the electrical box or something. Teachers cried openly. It was, by my memory, a bit like Dangerous Minds. You'd walk down the halls (because you snuck out while the teacher wasn't looking) and pass classrooms where all the kids were sitting on the desk or throwing paper airplanes or holding the teacher at knife point.... Like I said, it had a reputation.

One girl, Cher, even wanted to beat me up. I don't know why? I never ever did anything to Cher but I heard one day that she wanted to kick my a**. Cher was 5 feet tall and weighed about 85 pounds. I was born weighing 85 pounds. I wasn't scared of Cher. I was scared of Cher's people. Cher was a Freak. Some people call them Hippies or Stoners - in Arlington they were called Freaks. They wore black and had metal accents (chains, spiked bracelets, lip rings, ice picks, etc.) . They smoked outside of the school. They listened to Metallica and wore concert t-shirts. Cher's #2 was a 6 foot Amazon who could have squashed me like a gnat. I was terrified. Rumor was that she was going to 'get me' in the parking lot. So, of course, I would wait inside until I saw my bus pull up and then I'd bolt out and jump onto the bus (where I sat in the back, naturally). Cher was best friends with my former best friend from elementary school (Wood Elementary, thankyouverymuch) - Robin Dean. In the course of a summer, Robin went from fresh-faced girl wonder to a black-eyeliner wearing Black Sabbath groupie! I remember her being absolutely shocked that I hadn't had sex yet...in 7th grade. Anyway, I guess because I was Robin's ex-best friend, Cher hated me. Sorry to say, the fight never happened. It would have made for a good story, I am sure. In fact, I think Cher did confront me but never instigated anything. Probably too scared to muss up her mile-high bangs? [Robin and Cher remained BFF, I guess because I used to see them in the mall together post college. They worked at the Este Lauder counter together. Robin was very beautiful. I stayed away from Cher.] Cher? Who names their kid Cher anyway?!

Where was I? So, I had to endure two years of being bused 15 miles to Workman before we were transferred to Boles which was a mile away from my front door. I didn't make the cheerleading team. This was traumatic. We had to try out for cheerleader at Workman. They were taking 6 from Workman and 4 from Gunn because the transfer population was greater from Workman. This was back in the day when to make the cheer team you had to get the judges vote, the teacher vote and the popular vote. I was a shoe in for the popular vote, let me just make that clear. That was the easy part - I was funny and had friends. I also nailed the judges vote. [When we were being taught the try out routines by the high school cheerleaders they actually pulled the girls they thought would make the team and sat us all down. "You guys will most likely be the ones to make it...". I stopped listening after that because I was so excited. What was their point? It's actually quite cruel being that I was the ONLY one to not make it from that group.] The problem was...the teachers didn't like me much. Not their fault. I hated school and I talked too much. I doubt I was very respectful them and I never exceeded expectations. Total under-achiever scholastically.

When I didn't make cheerleader, I was devastated. My mom, God love her, actually called the school cheer sponsor to ask her what went wrong. To my surprise, the teacher actually humored her! She said I got the popular vote (duh) and the judges vote but I didn't get the teacher vote. Those old bitties conspired together to dash the dreams of a lazy student! I hate them to this day. Although...Michelle Petty made the team in my place. She wasn't allowed to attend the clinic (where we learned the try out routines) because she has been suspended from school! HOW did she get the teacher vote and I didn't? Mom...is there something you need to tell me here?

Boles was a complete 180 from Workman. It was normal. Good kids. Clean walls. New carpet. Happy teachers. There were still Freaks but it was mostly Jocks and Preps and Ropers and the Geeks, of course. I remember it being a fairly cohesive school. Everyone sort of got along or left each other alone. I don't remember any fights - do you?

Here is the point of this post FINALLY! When the school opened the 9th grade class, the first 9th grade class, created a time capsule. I actually remember being excited about the capsule. I remember there is a newspaper in it. That time capsule was to be exhumed in 20 years: the year 2008. Janette Lee commented on my blog the other day that the capsule is being exhumed and she is responsible for traking down alumni. I am so curious as to how Janette came to carry this honor? When I read the comment and I got so tickled. I remember being so excited about the capsule and imagining what the year 2008 would be like. I am really curious about what will be in the capsule. Mixed tapes? VHS videos of the Cosby show? I hope that Janette will start a blog or create an email or something to let us all know the results. Will I be flying home for the exhumination (word?)? Ah, no. But I am curious and a little excited.

Janette, if you're reading this, I can't seem to send you an email to the address you left me. They keep bouncing back. Oh, and tell Clint HI!

This is what this post is all about. The time capsule. The rest was just sort of what came to mind while driving down memory lane. Maybe this post will get the attention of other Boles Bulldogs from the first 9th grade graduation class or survivors of Workman (except for Cher. I don't want to hear from Cher)! We are the Bulldogs, couldn't be prouder....

Uncle Nooch Strikes Again!

2008-05-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

Paul gives the best gifts. Period. You can't top him. I could write an entire post on the meaningful and special gifts he's given me over the years including being the videographer at our wedding and putting together the most special set of videos from our wedding weekend! When Brody was born Paul set us a Louisville slugger base ball bat with Brody's name and birth stats engraved on it. We have been so blessed by his generosity to Brody over the past three years.

Brody has quite a collection of superhero action figures thanks to his Uncle Nooch. We are forced to play "super heroes" quite often in this house. Yesterday, Brody was ecstatic to find a HUGE box on the front porch with his name on it. [Note: he will check the front porch about three times a day in the hopes of finding a package waiting for him!]. Inside was this super awesome, totally radical, very cool Iron Man costume (or as Brody says, "I-Ron Man"), two new sets of super heroes & two Wonder Woman action figures which I thought was a little strange until I found the note attached: "Brody - Please hold on to these for Baby Sister until she's old enough to play with them.". HOW precious is that?

Anyway, he hasn't taken off the costume since he got it yesterday. It's 90 degrees outside. His hair is stuck to his face after being in the costume for 5 minutes. But he's a Super Hero, man. What's a little sweat when you're saving the universe?

Thank you, Uncle Nooch. You are truly a special friend.

A Night In the Life...

2008-05-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

The other night, I insisted on making a recipe I found in a magazine. Tuna cakes, in fact. The recipe called for shredded carrots. Of course, I only had baby carrots. So, here I am...baby strapped to my chest, running baby carrots down a cheese grater for 25 minutes -an act that threatened to shave all the skin off of my knuckles as well - trying to collect a 1/2 cup of shredded freaking carrots!

When Kevin got home and saw me and the state of the kitchen (and the carrot shavings all over the floor!) he just laughed. I said, "Wine." He got me a glass of wine and grabbed the camera. Such is the life of mother I guess...

Why Brody Loves Me

2008-05-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

Brody made this at school last week. I think it's the best little card I've ever seen in my whole life. Oh, how I love hugs and kisses from this little man. - Mother's Day 2008

Mia: Month 1

2008-05-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

Dearest Mia -

Well, I have to say, this month has gone by quickly! So quickly, in fact, that I didn't even realize it had been a month until yesterday! You are just the sweetest, cutest, most precious baby girl on earth. I may be biased but I think you are just insanely pretty too. I love your little chubby cheeks and funny little expressions. I love your crazily exaggerated double chin and the way you arch your body and purse your little lips when you are waking up. I love that your hair is fuzzy right after a bath. I think it's hysterical that your butt-crack goes half way up your back and that you can spread your toes all the way apart - like monkey toes.

I had a friend tell me one time that I could 'climb a tree' with my wide-spreading-apart toes. That's funny. Daddy can't spread his toes apart at all. He'll get blue-faced and strain a neck muscle trying to spread his toes apart and they will only barely move. Now, THAT is very funny. [Reader, are you trying to spread your toes apart right now? That is very, very funny!]. Looks like you, my Mia, might have mommy's toe-spreading gene. I'm sure it's dominant.

Speaking of genetics. How is it that your eyes are still blue? How is that your skin is so fare? How is that your hair is so light? Are you a little white baby? Your Mor Mor has the bluest eyes of all time and your Papa Joe has hazel eyes [his mom, your Momma Leta, had terrifically blue eyes, as well] so genetically, there was a 25% chance that you might have blue eyes. We'll see! Your nostrils are a gift from Papa Joe's side of the family too. Your don't seem to be as large as some of ours but the upside down triangle shape is straight from the Lee blood line.

You started to come out of your 'infant fog' this week. You've been awake a little more than you had been the previous 4 weeks. We have started trying to implement a schedule over the past couple of days with the goal of getting you to sleep thru the night in a few weeks. As it is, you can go for 4-5 hours at a stretch between night time feedings. During the day, we're just trying to figure out what your different cries mean: tummy aches, tired, over tired, over stimulated, etc. Just like your brother, you have had a rough time with gas and bowl movements. Don't be embarrassed. It's totally normal. In fact, be proud of it! Pretty soon your going to get fart humor and, if you're anything like your father, you'll be able to let 'em rip like a real pro.

I should let you know that I've been a much more easy going Mommy with you than I was with your brother. In your first four weeks we've taken you on many outings including restaurants, the mall, the FAIR, a few shopping trips and church. We (it was my fault, really) didn't take Bubba out of the house until he was 3 weeks old and it was to church and back. You have been so easy-going. Thank you. The house is never quite for you while you sleep. We rarely have 'alone time' together. You hardly ever get our undivided attention. And we've only taken a fraction of the number of photos we took of your brother at this age. I'm sorry for the injustices, my sweet. But I'm so thankful for your disposition. My second child. My little girl. You make my heart happy and my days full (and my nights, at this point!).

I recently have felt an overwhelming desire to keep you and Bubba safe. During this moment of anxiety I realized that my purpose in life, right now, is to protect my babies and to be a Godly wife to my husband. This is what I was meant to do. This is the gift and opportunity that God has given me and I do take the challenge lightly. So, be prepared. I may be overbearing at times. I may get in your business a bit too much at times. I may lock you in your room till your 30 so as to keep you safe from preditors, heart-breakers, all of life's little and big disappointments, and those catty little girls - or maybe I'll just wish I had. But I will always love your more than you'll be able to understand. Every decision I'll ever make in life will take you into consideration. To whom much who is given...much is expected - Luke 12:48. You are my gift. And I am so thankful.
I can't wait to see what the future months (years) have in store for all of us. Smiles, laughter, pig-tails...sickness, sleepless nights, seperation anxiety. It'll all be worth it, my dear. I love you.

Love,
Mom

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-10T22:37:00.003-07:00

My sweetie and I got to see a sneak preview of the new Chronicles of Narnia movie this morning. It was actually an event for Westmont alums. The final edits to the film were just completed on Monday (wow) and it previewed in New York earlier this week. This morning was only the second screening of the movie ever! It really worked out well for us to as it was a morning screening. Brody and Cara had a breakfast date and a girlfriend from our home group offered to hold Mia for us. We saw a FREE movie. Were given FREE concessions (popcorn and a coke at 10am? Yes, please!) and on the way out of the movie, they gave us a copy of the book. How great of a date is that?!?

The reason Westmont was given this privilege is because it is thought that Westmont actually owns C.S. Lewis' famous wardrobe, the inspiration for the Narnia Chronicles. This article describes how Westmont came to own the wardrobe. The warbrobe itself is going on a grand publicity tour for the film.

I thoroughly enjoyed the film. I was surprised by how many little kids were there. There is a lot of fighting & death in the film but there is absolutely no vulgarity or ludity. I'd be concerned about the scare-factor! There were scary monsters and bad guys and witches, etc. Things that nightmares are made of for sure. Not appropriate for kids under 7, I'd think.

It was funny and intense and the message was solid. It was a wonderful Mother's Day date. I highly recommend it!

And Happy Mother's Day to my dear, sweet Momsie, my lovely MIL and all the other mother's who might stumble upon my little blog here.

Prince Caspian

2008-05-10T22:36:00.001-07:00

Good Eats, Good Friends

2008-05-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

Our Santa Barbara friends have really blessed us over the past few weeks with meals! Our church home group brought us meals every other day for three weeks solid and a few other good friends have too. As often as we could, we'd invite the givers to eat with us. We have really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know our homies better and always love visiting with our dear friends! Thank you to everyone who brought us dinners (and flowers and deserts and yummy drinks like Root Beer and margaritas!). I'm reminded how absolutely wonderful this gift is and will be quick to return the favor for those in need in the future.

We're Here to Paahhmp You Ahhp!

2008-04-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

I am constantly telling Bubba to STOP GETTING SO BIG! He gets a big kick out of it and will stand up real straight or climb up onto a chair and say, "Look Mommy. I'm getting bigger!". It's a funny joke but I'm serious too. How has he gotten so big? I haven't been able to carry him for several months because of being pregnant and so I've probably lost some of my muscles...but when I lift him now, he honestly feels like he weighs a ton! He's 33 lbs of solid baby boy.

The other day we enjoyed this conversation:

Me: "Brody, would you please stop getting so big?"

Brody: "But I have to Mommy."

Me: "But whyyy?"

Brody: "Because Jesus is pumping me up."

Me: "Oh, ok."

A minute passes...

Brody: (holding his side) "Oooh, ouch. Ouch."

Me: (thinking he's in pain) "What's the matter?"

Brody: "Jesus - I mean God - is pumping me up!"

What a funny little guy.

Geography Lesson

2008-04-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Sue Sue sent Brody some very awesome gifts for his 3rd birthday. One of them was this sweet puzzle of Africa. Brody thought it was pretty cool. Kevin and I thought it was the absolute coolest! I was all, "Look Brody. This is where Sue Sue lives." But even cooler to him was, "Look, Bubba. This is Madagascar!" He's a big fan of the movie, you see.

The unfortunate news is that the puzzle isn't marked so when we dumped all 53 countries on the floor...we were at a bit of a loss. Brody moved on to something more interesting immediately while Kevin and I spent 15 minutes trying to remember exactly where the Congo, for example, is located.

I was in my late 20's before I learned that Egypt, Morocco and Ethiopia were African countries (it's sad but it's totally true). Because of this precious & perfect gift from their Aunt Sue Sue, my babies will know a lot more about this beautiful continent than I did at their ages.

Also, we are looking forward to visiting Sarah in Cape Town sometime next year!!! If you're planning a trip to Cape Town, let me know and I'll put you in touch with her!

2 Week Check Up

2008-04-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

Well, this is pretty much what Mianna looks like most of the day. She probably has her eyes OPEN a total of 2 hours a day. It's amazing. She must be my child! The excessive sleeping, triangle nostrils and the pronounced double chin really confirm the fact that she is for sure my child.

The other night as I sat gazing at her little pink face and grey eyes with blonde eye lashes and I asked Kevin "What if she's not our baby? What if they accidentally got mixed up and gave us the wrong baby and gave our baby to another couple? What if that other couple was really mean and our baby grew up in an unloving home and then found out that she could have been loved by us if not for the hospital's mistake?..." I could have gone on but he cut me off with, "What is wrong with you?". What kind of question is that? Ironically, that was his thought too. Then he said, "This is exactly what she looked like when she came out. I saw." Ok. She's definitely our baby.

Today was Mia's 2 week check up (I actually missed our appointment on Monday so it's really an almost-3-week check up). For inquiring minds, she is weighing in at 9lbs 4oz now (75%), is 20 3/4" tall (70%), and her head measures 14 1/2" (75%). The general consensus is that she's pretty perfect. And we agree.

Baby Gift

2008-04-24T15:22:00.001-07:00

Lookie, lookie! My honey got me the sweetest "Thank You For Having My Baby" present!

Yes, I might have dropped a few hints that this jewelry was something I might like to one day have. But I had honestly forgotten until this week when I found the little jewelry box on the bathroom counter.

You might think the bathroom is strange place to leave a gift but that's because you don't realize how much the bathroom means to us. And not just because we do important business in there! Kevin found out that we were pregnant (both times) in the loo. So the bathroom counter was the perfect place to leave this precious token of love. And I do love it.

Thank you, honey. I love you. Thank you for giving me my beautiful babies.

Green Baby Bottles

2008-04-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

I'm not a full-on tree hugger (yet) but I've recently discovered the dangers of plastic baby bottles (as well as regular drinking bottles) and am concerned, to say the least. I have a billion Avent bottles that I intended to use with Mia but in the past few days I've seen 4 different studies/reports regarding the dangers of Bisphenol A (a hormone disruptor linked to breast and prostate cancer, early puberty, miscarriage, low sperm count, and immune-system changes) in most of the plastic baby bottles on the market. The first was an email sent by my mom with this report. Then there was a National Geographic episode on last night. Plus, with Earth day being this past Monday I saw two different experts discuss this on The View and on Oprah. Too many times to ignore.

I understand that babies have been drinking from plastic bottles for generations now. And washing them in the dishwasher is pretty common practice. I'm sure I could continue using these bottles with no effects. However, is it worth the risk? The rate of children's cancers and other unexplainable diseases keeps rising so I can't help but wonder if this might be one of the contributors? Crazy? Maybe. But I'd rather be safe.

After a bit of research I found these bottles. They are expensive, I know. But I only need a few to start with. Has anyone used Green to Grow yet? I'd love to hear reviews.

Thank you, Mor Mor!

2008-04-24T00:05:00.000-07:00

Can I just say, for all the blog-reading-public to see, once and for all...I HAVE THE BEST MIL EVER! My sweet mother-in-law took a week off of work to come stay with us for the week after Mianna was born. Not only that, but she and my FIL had just been here the weekend before for Brody's 3rd bday party (where they graciously picked-up and purchased ALL of the party pizzas and bought extra bubbles for our bubble machine when we ran out!) & Mia's birth. They left the morning after Mia was born and then Mom made the 7 hr drive back to Santa Barbara so she could spend a week spoiling us rotten!!

Whatever! Who does that?! I should thank Dad too for sacrificing a week w/o her. I know they missed each other as they have a serious crush on each other. Dad, I understand. I'm missing Mom being here too and I only got to enjoy her for a week! Thank you!

She made life so easy for me. She let me sleep in every single morning as I adjusted to sleepless nights (plus I just really like sleeping in). She took Brody on cool field trips to the beach for ice cream and the zoo. She fed us. She washed and folded/hung every single piece of Mia clothing we own. She even played Marching Band with Brody and Daddy in the front yard. She treated us to dinners and lunches and bought Brody lots of cool prizes. She did dishes and made beds and caulked tubs! She is a servant of unbelievable proportion and I admire and respect her immensely. She also got to hold Mia a lot which I know they both thoroughly enjoyed.

I learn things from my MIL every time I'm around her. Sometimes it is as basic as realizing the many uses for paper towels and plastic bagies. Other times it's lessons on how to be a truly Godly wife and mother. I'm so impressed by her dedication to spiritual and personal growth. And I'm equally impressed by the fact that she doesn't seem to age. For the record, my MIL is just a little over 40 (wink wink).

Thank you, Mom for all that you do for us every day and thank you especially for loving my babies so dearly. We are all better people for having you in our lives. I'm a better wife, mother, daughter and woman because of your influence. Love you!

Cute GIFT!

2008-04-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

Would you just look at this? It's a wooden "M" block with the following details egraved on the sides:

Mianna Leta Marie Sturm

Proud Parents Chrystal and Kevin Sturm

4-7-08, 9:51am, 8lbs 8oz, 19 1/2"

Monday (baby feet image) Santa Barbara, CA

The funny thing is that the packaging didn't come with any note! Kevin and I both immediately assumed this is from Uncle Nooch. If not, please identify yourself! We absolutely love it!!

Note: It was ordered from http://www.craftefamily.com/

Edited: Come to find out, this puh-resh-us gift is from my girl, Julie Palermo! I actually inquired with the company and here is what Craft-E-Family responded: "The gift giver has two different options to let you know who it's from and unfortunately Julie Palermo opted out of both of them. Hope this helps you :)" Very funny.

Mianna Leta Marie Sturm

2008-04-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Anyone who reads my blog has already read the whole delivery story and baby-naming drama on Kevie's blog. Here is my blog devoted to our new little angel, Mianna. She is really incredibly precious. I am actually surprised by my own infatuation with her! I know that sounds weird but the truth is, I'm not really a "baby person".

I would never ask to hold an infant. They make me nervous. They have no bones and seem very breakable. I was a ball of nerves with Brody. So completely unsure and anxious about everything. If my mother hadn't been here for 3 weeks after Brody's birth I am seriously not sure how I would have managed. When he cried, I cried. Everything seemed so dad-gum HARD! He was a high-maintenance newborn, for sure. But my inexperience only amplified the stress on all of us. As amazing as my little Brody man is and as thankful as I am for him I have to admit that the first year was rough.

The good news is that Mia is an 'angel baby'. The other good news is that apparently, I'm a quick learner! Either that or it's just plain easier the second time around. I am loving every single second of this. She's so easy and sweet.

I could not have asked for a better birth experience. I was very anxious the night before the surgery. Afraid we'd miss the alarm, I woke up just about every hour after 1am till finally getting up at 5am for a quick shower, pack and short drive to the hospital by 6am. When we got there, Kevin set up his computer to run a slide-show of Brody. The heaviness of the moment finally caught up with me and the water-works started up. Being in the hospital again, being reminded of our experience with Bubba, knowing that I'm about start all over again, heading into major surgery...it was a bit overwhelming. We quickly shut down the slide show.

Kevin has given a great description of the surrealness of the OR. It was awesome to be a part of it this time. Dr. Ramos (a genius) actually remembered that 3 years ago I was snoring during post op. I was exhausted and pretty stoned the first time around. I've always mourned the fact that I didn't get the 'emotional' experience of childbirth that I always saw on A Baby Story! This time, I really got to be a part of it all. When the nurses showed me Mia I actually surprised myself by the rush of emotion that came over me. Relief. Amazement. Joy. I got to be there this time and it was good.

I'll tell you what else...being in the hospital for a few days is a bit like a vacation. Except for the catheter, IV, gigantic sanitary pads and total inability to move without sharp pains to the abdomen and a completely numb bottom (b/c I couldn't lay on my sides)! Getting to stay in bed for 3 straight days, have food brought to you, visitors with gifts, staring at your baby's face for hours at a stretch...that was vacation. I was glad to get home and be with Brody again. My heart literally ached for him while we were apart. Thankfully, I knew that he was having the time of his life with Grandmama.

Speaking of Brody...he has adjusted really well to Baby Sister (or "Scratchen" if you ask him). He is interested but not obsessed. She's around and he'll occasionally ask to hold her but for the most part, he chooses his dinosaurs and Cars cars over her. He's 100% 3-yr old right now which means we're still dealing with his strong will and limit-testing. But overall, he's a Prince. God has really give us more than we deserve. So thankful. So blessed. So at peace. So happy.

Stay tuned for monthly updates on baby sister. Our little Mia.

We Love Gwamama!

2008-04-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

Also taken the day before Baby Sister was scheduled to arrive.

Brody absolutely adores his Grandmama and the feeling is totally mutual, I assure you. The woman has a never-ending pool of love for this little boy. It makes my heart so happy to see them interact. To watch his face when he thinks Grandmama is being silly or funny or "tricken me". I love to watch her spoil him rotten. Even tho it always takes a couple of days to 'detox' Brody from the spoilification - it's totally worth it to have him spend time with her.

Mom was amazing while we were in the hospital. She stayed home alone with Brody for three nights while Kevin stayed with me and Baby Sister. She did a wonderful job of making Brody feel safe and secure. He only asked for us a few times but never in a freaked out sort of way. More just out of curiosity. She and he played all morning - crafting, racing cars, playing in his room (his most favorite thing to do ever) or outside. At noon she and Brody would come up to the hospital for lunch and visiting and then Daddy would take Bubba home for nap and so he could get in a couple of hours of work. Mom would stay with me and Baby Sister for some good times of fellowship and goo-gooing over the baby. In the evening Brody and Daddy would return to the hospital after a trip to the park or wherever and Mom would take him home for bedtime routine. I couldn't have asked for a better scenario. I missed Brody terribly while I was in the hospital but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was being well taken care of and that he was enjoying quality time with his "Gwanmama".

Thanks Mom for being the best mom and an amazing Grandma. These kids don't even know how blessed they are!! I wouldn't have wanted to do this without you. Wish we had more time together. But until we live closer to each other...there's always Skype!