Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Crazy Too

Yip, she's crazy too.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Just Plain Crazy

Look at this cute kid. She's having crazy hair day at school. I love my Olivia. She is just the cutest, coolest, kid ever.
I think I needed just a little more crazy to add to this weekend.

It started Saturday when my cousin Nicole passed away. She was 37 years old with 4 kids. The 2 older kids are going to be stuck living with their alcoholic grandfather probably until he drinks himself into a coma and the other two kids are now going to be living with Nicole's sister Natalie. Natalie's married and she and her husband can't bear children, they live in a small one bedroom apartment, she is epileptic and has just been allowed to work for the last few months since her seizures are under control. Natalie is 35 years old.

I can't imagine becoming a parent to a 10 and 12 year old literally over night without any help from anyone. Her mom died from breast cancer and her only sibling is now gone. It breaks my heart that she can't even grieve because she has to get a casket, plan a funeral, parent the kids and figure out where and how to get them to school. It's overwhelming and my heart goes out to her.

A few hours after hearing of Nicole's passing, Dave returns from the Redbox with Life As We Know It. Can you sense the irony here? This movie is about a couple with a kid who gets killed in a car wreck and they leave the baby to their best friends who hate each other but have to raise this baby and it changes their whole world. Not good timing on the movie front but I have to give Dave points for trying.

After the movie Dave goes outside and brings in the mail and guess what? Chase is trying to increase our mortgage. We are on a 30 year fixed mortgage and there's a whole back story that I can't even get into but good grief can this paper come at a worse time? And of course it's a Saturday at 5pm so we can't call and straighten things out. All we can do is stew and fume for 2 days.

Today everything did get resolved thankfully and our mortgage is what it was before but for 2 days I just wanted to walk away from this house and let those jerks have it. So that's enough about my pity party. I've moved on and gone forward and now I've decided to paint my bedroom. Ava and I picked up the paint and as soon as crazy hair comes home we will start. It is a new day after all.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

1st Stripe

Olivia has earned her first stripe in Karate. She performed all of her techniques in front of her Sensei without any correction. She was so happy. Dave was there too to see it which made it extra special.

Tonight is sparring night. Monday's are always techniques and Wednesday's are always sparring. It should be fun and interesting. This will be Liv's second time going up against a kid rather than the instructor. Fun fun fun!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Jelly Bellies

You know what's great on a rainy day- The Jelly Belly Factory. The kids and their loot after we went on the Jelly Belly tour today.
This was at the beginning of the tour. Not all of the kid's friends are in the picture but they are all there somewhere. Standing next to Ava is her very best friend. They have a magnetic pulse to find each other even in the biggest of crowds. The other girl is one of Liv's friends.
The free samples were taken by storm and it was hard to capture anymore pictures once they received them.
After demolishing their candy the girls all went for a ride on the JB car.
This leprechaun found her way to our house and she even brought a pot of gold (a.k.a. corned beef and cabbage which was umm umm good) with her so we decided to keep her. :)

Thursday, March 17, 2011

"Those People"

One day at the park near our house Dave had taken the girls for a run. After they were finished Ava begun dancing around doing the pee pee dance so Dave knowing they wouldn't make it home took her over to the grass and let her pee. That was the beginning of the end. Thank you babe, I REALLY appreciate it.

Last week, on a nice hot sunny day, the girls were playing in the backyard and I heard through the window in Ava's tiny voice, "Hey, let's go potty in the grass..." She was firmly told no and I explained that we only pee in the toilet so she ran inside and used the bathroom. I patted myself on the back feeling like I handled that issue well and got the message across clearly. Crisis averted right?

That would just be too fricken easy.

Today a friend of mine called and said she was at the park and would be there for an hour. We were already at the park near our house but the girls wanted to go to the other one so we hopped back into the truck and headed to the other park. After a few minutes another friend of ours showed up due to it being such a nice hot day and who could possibly pass up the opportunity to take their kids outside and enjoy the sunshine? Then two more people showed up that have kids in their school so now it's a bunch of us and all the kids are running around and I spy Olivia underneath the play structure. Every time we are at the park the kids go underneath the structure and we tell them to get out so they don't hit their heads and hurt themselves. So she climbs out and the other mom calls her kid and tells him to get out and then I see Ava still under there and I tell her to get out. So Olivia comes running towards me and bellows that she saw Ava's bum and her pants were pulled down. Then Ava comes running over with this huge smile and says, "Mommy, I went potty under there."

Excellent. Just what I want to hear- from my daughter.

Never mind the fact we mom's were all sitting on the bench RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE RESTROOMS. So I explained to Ava again that we only pee in the restrooms and that she knew it was right behind me and that that was not okay. Afterward she had to do a timeout. Then one of my friends walks over and I told her what happened and why Ava was doing a timeout and she said, "I wondered where that puddle came from under the structure. Then when I saw Olivia down there smelling it I told her to move and get out of there. I guess she was smelling the pee." ... Because that's what people do... right?

And there it is folks. We have become THOSE PEOPLE whose kids act like hillbillies on the playground teaching all the other kids what not to do and who pee in public. Just can't wait for kindergarten.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Monterey Beach Vacation

Not even the mention of a tsunami can stop us from heading to our destination vacation. My Aunt Lou and Uncle Mike drove from Texas to visit us and Monterey. They aren't in the photos because one of their kids is adopted and her bio parent father found her once and I don't know if she should have her picture posted out in cyberspace. But just for reference they are there with us too and they had a great time with our kids.
Monterey Bay Aquarium here we come.
Liv's ready to scuba already. Once she's 13 she gets to take the class!


My Ava cakes will touch anything. She has absolutely NO fear. I love that.
The girls love the jelly fish.
My main squeeze and his hot mammas.
Look out Ava!! The seahorse is going to eat you... wahaaha!
Me and my kiddos heading to the beach.
The best sandcastle builder ever. She gets that from her Papa.


Ava's big hole. Everywhere there is sand or dirt Ava is close by- digging, digging, and more digging.
Liv and Daddy heading to the waves.
Proud of her accomplishments, Ava sits in her hole.
We had an excellent family reunion and a great little weekend getaway.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Never Too Late


Who said a rainy Sunday in March isn't a great day to put together a gingerbread house? Not these two girls.

Sparring's Awesome




Dave will forever need to wear a cup!
Good Aim!
My Rockstar!!!