Kids say the darndist things...

Taylor: "Knock, Knock!"

Mommy (or whomever is playing the game with her): "Who's there?"

Taylor: "Chicken Bobby!!"

Mommy: "Chicken Bobby who?"

Taylor: "Chicken Bobby with beer on it!!"

Don't ask...I am just sharing. Giving you a glimpse into my life!! Oh and she tells this same knock knock joke to anyone that will play with her.

Just so you are aware!!

Spelling B*E*E*

Well, it has happened. I am not sure when it happened, but it did!!

People told me this would happen and I laughed.

I thought the whole thing was hilarious and nothing I would EVER have to do.

Boy was I wrong!!

Do you know what I am talking about?

No???

Well, then I will tell you. I am now spelling out words during conversations where I do not want my kids to know who or what I am talking about. Yep, mid-sentence I start spelling words.

Now here's the kicker...I am THE WORST speller. Oh who am I kidding...you already know this because you read my blog. Anyway...I have to really stop and think about what I am spelling. Now this would not be a problem if I wasn't losing my memory too. I am convinced having kids (more specifically giving birth) triggers something inside of a woman and they instantly start forgetting everything. And with every kid it gets worse.

So here I am having a conversation with my mom, trying really hard to remember the point to my story and how to spell C*R*O*C*S. As long as I stick with five (or less) letter words I should be safe!

Everything but the kitchen sink

It was definitely a four day weekend of crazy madness, hence the reason I am posting on Tuesday night. I am still tired and am starting to dream of the boring month of January. OK fine, I really do not want to wish the holidays away. I am exhausted though and feel like a pedicure or massage sound really good right now.

Anyway...back to the weekend.

We started things off with Thomas' preschool program on Friday. I could not have been prouder!! His class was the last class to perform and let me just tell you...they saved the best for last.






They sang "I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas!" and they did great. I bordered on the line between crying and laughing the whole song.





After the program it was on to see the Big GUY!! The kids were super excited to see Santa and had exactly what they were going to tell him all planned out. Thomas was an old pro and hopped right up on his lap...Taylor on the other hand...well look at her face. It pretty much says it all, but once he asked her what she wanted...she was just fine.







Saturday was an early morning dance recital for Taylor and a late evening adult party for mommy and daddy. A perfect way to start the day and a GREAT way to end the day. Taylor's recital was adorable and I bordered on the same line I had the previous day.







Our good friends Chris and Jen threw an awesome Wine party. But because I do not drink wine...I chose to drink champagne and had the headache to prove it all day Sunday. Well worth it though!!


My hubby scored suite tickets to the Cardinals game on Sunday and although we ARE NOT Cardinals fans, how could we pass?? It is kind of like flying first class though..you really don't want to go back to those coach seats.


And to end my weekend my mom threw a cookie decorating party on Monday night and it was a blast. 15 women decorating cookies, drinking Sangria and chatting lots. I feel like we need to do this monthly, yearly just isn't enough.




And that is that. What did you all do this weekend??

Thinking of you THURSDAY!!

I will start off by saying that I am not a fashion expert and not just because my sister tells me every chance she gets, I know it all on my own.

With that said though...

I feel it must be said.

And I am going to be the one that says it...

So listen closely...

It is always a good idea to consult your mirror before leaving the house or an actual person, I am not going to be picky.

There I said!!

Call me a ?@*!%, I can handle it.

Here's the deal though, it has occurred to me over the last few weeks while doing my Christmas shopping that there are quite a few people that DO NOT DO THIS!! And they should!

I would not be offended if someone (or my mirror) told me that something I chose to wear was just not right...or did not look good...

In fact I encourage it.

There are looks that I personally cannot pull off and I know it. That is OK! It is the way it should be.

So next time you leave the house...look in the mirror and listen to what it is telling you. I promise you that sometimes it will tell you to go back to the closet!

The End of an Era

In 1996 I started working for the fine retail establishment better known as...

SAFEWAY!!

Yes, the grocery chain.

In order to get a car and actually drive it when I was 16 required me to get a job. As luck would have it that job would be a courtesy clerk (technical term: bagger) making a nice minimum wage of $5.00 or something close to that an hour.

Now before I get to the matter at hand I should give you a little back story. The plan was never to make a career out of Safeway (no offense). To be fair, I am not sure I know what the plan WAS, but I can say with a good amount of certainty that it was NOT to work at Safeway for the rest of my life. I dabbled in the idea that I would be some sort of criminal psychologist, but no one knows that. OK now everyone knows that, but whatever. Obviously that never panned out.

See I got accepted to Washington State University (Go Cougs!!), but declined!! Why might you ask?? Well I had a boyfriend and without boring you with all of the details you can pretty much figure out I chose the boyfriend. It is a little funny to think what my life would have been like if I had chose the school over the boy. But I didn't, so that is that.

I spent a few minutes in community college, but that didn't last either. Looking back I think it came down to the more my paycheck was the more I liked it and school got pushed to the back burner. And the back burner turned into the back of the closet.

Anyway, fast forward 14 years.

I now have a wonderful hubby, two wonderful kids and more than a few bills. Oh and I am still working for Safeway.

BUT NOT FOR LONG...

Christmas Eve 2010 will mark the end of my Safeway career. The end of an era as I would like to refer to it. A decision I have not and still do not take lightly, but think it is the right time. I am going to try the SAHM thing full-time for a while and then when the wonderfulness of that wears off...

Figure out what I want to be when I grow up!!

Wish me luck and if you know what it is like to spend 24/7 with two toddlers, send me a bottle of wine. I might need it!!

He'll Always Be My Baby

He makes me laugh

He makes me smile

He frustrates me just as much

He knows everything (just like his namesake)

He asks me not once...not twice...but multiple times a day the same question and I am convinced it is just to drive me nuts

And five years ago today I was laying in a hospital bed waiting for him to arrive.

I did not know it then, but this little baby boy that I would give birth too would change my life FOREVER!!



Being his mommy makes me a very lucky girl!! I love you Thomas!!

Candy Cane Anyone???

I am pretty sure this picture speaks for itself...

But I will let you decide.




It is moments like this that bring everything into perspective and are what make being a mommy the best thing I have ever done!!!

What I know...

1. I know that the sounds of my voice DOES NOT get better every time I hear it.

2. I know that my kids only listen when it benefits them and never anytime else.

3. I know that there is no such this as a "Laundry Fairy", but if I could have a fairy that is what I would want it to be. The tooth fairy seems expendable, she never really served much purpose if you ask me.

4. I know that I should be a lot further along with my Christmas shopping.... but I am not.

5. I know that I am not a car person... I am an SUV or truck girl and absolutely love my new car.

6. For some reason I have a new addiction to starburst (yes...the candy), it developed after Halloween and hasn't gone away.

7. Now I want Starburst and I do not have any....GREAT!!

8. I am SUPER DUPER excited for Black Friday!! YES...I am one of the crazies out at some ungodly hour of the morning, standing in a very ridiculous line...waiting to buy....a bunch of crap.

9. OK fine not crap...but probably stuff I don't need.

10. Speaking of Black Friday... is it just me or are we getting really closed to it being Black Thursday?? Every year the stores open earlier and earlier. I am contemplating just getting in line right after I eat my pie on Thanksgiving. But I won't!!

11. I can not believe it is the week of Thanksgiving!!! I know I sound old, but time really does fly by.

12. I have 5 year old!!!! What the heck??? When did this happen?? I swear he was just a little baby.

13. Oh what am I saying...he is the test that keeps on testing. Every minute of my day is spent bargaining with him.

14. Totally random, but I just noticed that my DVR is fuller than it has ever been...apparently I have some shows to catch up on.

15. I will leave you with that, but trust me there is more where that came from.

Putting in my two week notice...

Because this morning while driving to dance lessons, Thomas told me that when he grows up he is going to be a professional football player. He then asked Taylor what she was going to be and when she told him that she too was going to be a professional football player he laughed and said...

"Oh no Cookie! You are going to be a princess, Right??"

She then replied..

"Oh Yeah!!"

So is it too soon to hang up my hat at Safeway and plan for my Thomas to take care of me??

An Unexpected Upgrade

So a few weeks ago...ok actually about a month ago my hubby had a little accident. No worries, everyone is alright.

Well except...





My car!!

She was a total loss, so I have been driving a rental car this entire time. I am now happy to report though, I will be turning in my rental car this evening and driving my newly purchased SUV tomorrow. I will be sure to post a couple pics and let you know how I like driving it. I am pretty nervous because it is bigger than the car I had. I plan to be a grandma driver for a while until I get used to it. :)

My Furry Friend!! Or not

I know, I know...

I told you last Monday that I had an uninvited guest in my house and this guest had really put a wrench in my Monday morning. Well, he put a freakin' wrench in the first half of my week when all was said and done.

After three days, half the contents of my pantry thrown in the garbage and a minor disagreement with my hubby (ok it was a little bigger than a minor disagreement, but we'll just leave it at that) ...

The mouse is GONE!

I am not sure how the little bugger got in the house, but hopefully none of his friends or family come to visit. BUT...they will end up in the same garbage can this mouse did if they do.

In other news...

Thomas finished soccer yesterday. I think he was more excited about the trophy he got than any part of the actual season, but oh well. Around here soccer is huge and therefor the next season starts in two months.

Taylor is loving her dance class and gets SOOOO excited every Wednesday morning when I tell her she has dance. She has her first recital in December and besides practicing in class, I practice with her at home. If all goes well she will be the star of the show. :) Oh who am I kidding she is already the star in my opinion, but it would be great if she did the performance without getting distracted.

Another Halloween in the books

Well I had hoped to post earlier today, but I woke up to an uninvited guest in my house and have been tending to that mess. That story will be for another post.

Halloween, or should I say Halloween weekend, was a huge success!! My two little munchkins were transformed into a pirate and a wench for three days straight. It was a jam packed weekend that started on Friday for Thomas' school party and ended last night with some good ol' fashion Trick or Treating!!









Seeing all these things through the eyes of kids is absolutely awesome. Watching their eyes light up when they get candy, watching their little legs run from house to house...I absolutely loved it!

It was a great weekend, but I am officially done with Halloween. Ok fine... I am thinking about what great costumes I will have my mom make next year, but don't tell her. HeHe!!

Living in a BUBBLE

Sometimes I feel like we live in a bubble. I sit down to peruse blogland and see what my fellow bloggers are up to and all I see is hats and gloves, rain boots and coats.

Apparently AZ is the only place that has not received the "It is Fall!" message.

Taylor comes out of her room this morning with a skirt and tank top and I say "Sure...why not? It is supposed to be in the 80's today."

Please do not mistake this post for a complaint BECAUSE it is anything but. I do however want to start wearing some of my fall clothes and my new boots. I am just slightly burnt out on flip flops.

One post recap...

Last week was a very busy, but wonderful week with my hubby's family. It felt busy, but to be honest it was pretty laid back and relaxing. Well, except the minor detail that the kids were hyped up from Sunday to Sunday solid. For that I needed my own vacation from their vacation, but enough about that.

The week included a visit to the aquarium, which in my opinion was a total bust. However, I did get some cute pics of the kids and they enjoyed it. So who cares what I think right??



I think the carousal in the mall after the aquarium was more exciting, but what do I know??



We spent quite a bit of time just hanging out at the house and playing outside. Although the temps where still in the high 90's, it felt cooler to my kids and they love that they can be outside again.






We ended the week attending a beautiful wedding. And for the most part my kids behaved themselves almost the whole night. It was nice getting the whole family dressed up for a change.

For a GREAT cause..

I am going to stray completely away from the kids and what's been going on in our lives lately and tell you about something you need to check out.

My mom has an auction on ebay for 100+ greeting cards, all proceeds going to Susan G Komen. All of the cards are handmade and one-of-a-kind. I may be a bit bias, but these cards are AMAZING...oh and you would never have to buy another Hallmark card (well at least not for a really long time).

Updates on our week still to come!!