collins family

Fun giveaway!

2010-01-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

One of the blogs Ive been researching is doing a little giveaway that Id love to win! Go here yourself to try and win a $50 shopping spree at iherb!

Little Ninja

2009-01-31T19:56:00.001-08:00

Gavin graduated last night to a white-leader belt in tae-kwan-do. The best part was when the little kids got to go break a board. One front snap kick later (not to mention a little help from some pre-scoring) and it broke clean in half. The surprise on their faces was priceless! Yay Gav, we are so proud of you!

Derek turns 3!

2009-01-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

Each morning, before I go to work, I go into the boys' rooms and whisper good morning. Each day for the past few weeks, Derek has answered me with, "Is it my birthday today? Am I 3 yet?" He finally gave up asking earlier this week, no doubt tired of hearing my answer- "Not until January 22nd baby." (Frustrating I am sure to a kiddo with no concept of the calendar). So on Thursday morning I went in and kissed him and said "Happy birthday Derek." He looked at me in utter amazement and responded with "It's my birthday? I'm 3? I can eat cake?"
The joy at realizing that the elusive word "Thursday" finally came!

Thanks to Auntie Devon for coming out on Sunday and for the rest of the family for celebrating Thursday night. And just look at the pics- construction and chef get-ups. Is this kid his father's clone or what???!!!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T19:26:00.001-08:00

Dinner at the Harpster's

2008-12-26T11:17:00.000-08:00

Every couple of months we have dinner with the Harpster's, the Ramsey's and the Schoonderwoerd's. This month Tracy and James hosted and as always we had so much fun. The kids pretty well entertained themselves, but I have to say baby Myla was the best behaved! Can't wait for the next dinner night....

Christmas Dinner

2008-12-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

Last night my mother-in-law hosted a beautiful holiday dinner for grown-ups only. We had a wonderful time....

Happy 5th Birthday Gavin!

2008-12-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

Gavin turned 5 years old last week! Time zooms by, doesn't it? We celebrated this year with just a family party at home. Jeremy barbecued burgers and hot dogs and I made the cake. It was very mellow and Gavin had so much fun. The next night we took his best bud Ashton to Chuck E. Cheese. I would post pics but my camera died. Well, actually it said quote "camera exhausted." Isnt that a bit dramatic for a camera? Anyhow, Chuck E Cheese on a Monday night with just one friend is the way to go. Fun, but not crazy. Thanks to all the family and friends who remembered his special day!

Making Cookies

2008-12-06T10:39:00.000-08:00

Derek loves to be in the kitchen. It seems like the only time I can get him to follow directions so we've been spending a lot of time in there! (I'm kidding about that... kind of). Here we are making reindeer cookies. The boys ate half the m&m's instead of making Rudolph's nose, but they had fun.

BTW: nutter butters, red m&m's for the nose, chocolate chips for the eyes, pretzels for the antlers and icing as the glue (I know you were squinting trying to see them)!

Benjamin

2008-12-05T21:14:00.001-08:00

So many of you have asked for pics of Dino and Terri's new babe so here he is. And yes his eyes are blue for those of you wondering if he too inherited the Portillo eyes..... apparently my 2 boys are the only babies in the history of the family who don't have 'em! Grrrr...

Isn't he beautiful?

Disneyland

2008-11-14T14:26:00.001-08:00

My friends the Cassidy's are so wonderful. They invited us for a day at Disneyland and we didn't have to pay a nickel...... do you know how fun that place is when you haven't invested $300 dollars into your day? We had a ball and the place was pretty empty. We went on 18 rides (that's incredible) and I only counted Buzz Lightyear once when we actually went on it 3 times! The only things we waited for were Autopia and the new Toy Story ride at California Adventure (my new fave ride, btw). The kiddos were close to perfect and the weather was lovely. Couldn't have asked for a better day!

Maui

2008-11-13T19:49:00.000-08:00

Kaanapali sunset

Kimo's in Lahaina

view from our hotel

What a wonderful week Jeremy and I had in Maui. I would love to sit here and write about all of the exciting things we did and sights we saw, but I would be lying. We didn't do much at all but relax and enjoy the breathtaking views. It was truly one of the best vacations ever. I have been lucky enough to visit Hawaii multiple times and I never tire of the place. In fact it probably makes me love it more. Many thanks to all the relatives who pitched in with babysitting/driving/entertaining of our children, etc. And of course thanks to my two new nephews who made sure they entered the world before we left... thanks for simplifying matters. Auntie is forever grateful. :)

Benjamin Dean

2008-11-13T19:47:00.001-08:00

Jeremy's brother Dino & his wife Terri welcomed baby Ben on Dino's birthday, November 4. He weighed 7 lbs even. I don't have any pics yet, but he is super adorable and has tons of black hair! Two new nephews in 1 week.... what a blessing!

Joshua Timothy

2008-11-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the world my beautiful nephew!

My Caped Crusaders

2008-11-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

I hate Halloween. Always have. Even when Iwas a little girl I couldn't stand it. I feel bad about this so I tend to overcompensate for my kids. I don't want them to be a big scaredy cat like their mom so I go out of my way to make sure they have fun. Gavin had a parade at school followed by dinner at our house with homemade mac and cheese and dump cake. I love hosting our extended family and this turns a dreaded holiday into something I look forward to instead. Seriously, if you tried my mac and cheese you'd agree. Halloween is absolutely yummy!

We skipped the church "trunk-or-treat" this year and opted to do it the ol' fashioned way instead. Jeremy, Dino, Grandpa Rich and Grandpa Jerry took the boys and Macey around the neighborhood door to door. They had a ball. Of course it was not near as much candy but please.... it's still more than enough. I think their favorite part of the night though was answering our door and passing out candy. They would literally sit on the stairs in our entry waiting for the doorbell to ring. And if too much time passed they'd open the door and holler out to kids on the street! It really was too cute. Even I have to admit: it was a fun Halloween this year.

Added bonus Tim's wife Sarah went into labor after we went to bed last night. Stay tuned for details!

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

My good friend Stacy hosted a pumpkin carving party at her beautiful home. We had a lot of fun and although the kids were more interested in playing than in carving pumpkins, the dads and mel did a great job. Thanks Stace for starting such a fun tradition!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-16T21:24:00.001-07:00

If you can recall last year's post about our trip to the pumpkin patch, you remember that my children's concept of a pumpkin patch is a giant bounce house in the Kohl's parking lot. Not exactly what I, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire, want for my kiddos. This year I was determined to drive their little behinds to a real life pumpkin patch with dirt and all. Last week that was. This week I had the privilege of taking my kinders on a field trip to one of them real patches and you see, I really didn't feel like going again. It's kinda dusty and I have allergies and petting zoos sorta give me the heebie jeebies. With Jeremy and I working opposite schedules these days I thought it would be the PERFECT opportunity for him to spend some quality time with the boys. So, he invited his dad and they headed out for Live Oak pumpkin patch. Pumpkins on the vine, petting zoo and a castle built out of hay. Now that's what I had in mind. And of course everyone was happy, even without the bouncers. (me too)!!!!!!

Field Trip to the Fire Station

2008-10-08T21:35:00.001-07:00

Gavin's preschool had a fun morning visiting the local fire dept. And no I did not pick out the bright purple and yellow tshirt. And no its not because Gavin loves the Lakers either. Its the school shirt they were told to wear today. I suppose that if someone got lost, the teachers could ask, "Have you by chance seen an adorable 4 year old running around in a horribly ugly purple tshirt? You couldn't miss him. In fact it may have damaged your vision when he ran by???"

You can tell I love the shirt. And wouldn't you know .... it really is one of G's favorites. Blech!

Have you tried Wordle?

2008-10-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

www.wordle.net

Have you met Mimis?

2008-09-26T20:43:00.001-07:00

Pronounced "mee-mees." I feel a bit guilty journaling about our lives without mentioning this ever present member of our family. Well, sort-of. She is a cuddly blanket type thingy with a lamb head. Sounds like no big deal, but I am telling you-I do believe that there are many days when Derek prefers her to the rest of us. Think Linus and his blankie- peanut butter and jelly. If it were up to him, he'd take her everywhere. The market, the park, even the bathroom if we let him. Anyhow, now you've met. So if we have a play date or something prepare for 3- Gavin, Derek, and a reasonably well behaved bodyless farm animal....

Seven Years!

2008-09-10T20:42:00.001-07:00

Monday night Jeremy and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary. It actually seems like so many more than that. As most of you know, we met in middle school. I was 12 and he was 13! Although we didn't date back then we can certainly say we've been friends for almost as far back as we can remember. Those of you who knew jeremy back then probably have a hard time remembering that he is the same guy from back then. He is such a wonderful husband and father. Here are my favorite things about Jeremy and my marriage to him.
1) He always tells me how beautiful I look even when I'm fat and cranky. (I'm vain, what can I say)?
2) He makes me feel safe.
3) He held me while I screamed in agony for HOURS after I lost our 2nd baby even though I was huddled in the corner of our room with blankets over my head like a crazy woman and he never once complained or told me how to feel.
4) He works so hard to support us- he even took on a second job when we needed it without any grumbling.
5) He plays endlessly with the boys and is their absolute hero.
6) He understands my need for me time.
7) He is totally silly and is kind of goofy- he makes me laugh all the time.
8) He can cook like a super star- I just need to figure out how to get him to do it more often!
9) He is a hopeless romantic.
10)His eyes.

I love you Jeremy and am SO blessed that you are mine. Happy Anniversary!

Daddy and Derek

2008-09-02T20:36:00.001-07:00

Just swimming at Aya and Papa's yesterday and I caught this shot. Don't you love those moments of tenderness between daddy and child?

Free Lunch!

2008-09-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

Monday the boys and I had such a fun afternoon at Chick-fil-a. They were running a promotion where if you wore football logos they would give you free lunch. So the boys got decked out in their Chargers gear and I threw on one of Jeremy's Giants hats and off we went. Lunch was really good and Gavin and I were completely entertained by Derek's imitation of the guy dancing in the Chick-fil-a cow costume. Everyone in the whole place was wearing Chargers or Raiders except for me.Even so, I only got heckled once about my hat and although it was by a Raider's fan, she was only about 8 so I wasn't too worried. :)

Gavin's 1st Day of Pre-Kindergarten

2008-08-25T14:26:00.001-07:00

Isn't he so handsome????

Tim and Sarah's baby shower

2008-08-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

I am so darn excited to be an aunt again! This fall I have 2 new nephews on the way and I can't wait to hold them. Saturday Sarah's parents hosted a BBQ/shower for nephew #1. (The other new baby is on Jeremy's side). Aside from a ton of gifts, the new babe now has more Dodger apparel that Tommy Lasorta! Please note in the pics how beautifully my boys express their love for one another. Lovely!

Day at the park

2008-08-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated our twin cousins' birthdays at a wonderful park in Lakewood. The boys loved climbing on the trees and walking through the "jungle" (a path that had a bunch of ferns). It was so fun to visit with all of the Portillo relatives. Happy
1st birthday Anthony and Brandon!

Vacation Bible School

2008-08-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted on here. We've been without a camera for a couple of weeks. I had left our Canon on the counter along with some toiletries from the market of which I was being too lazy to carry upstairs. Gavin decided he wanted something from one of the upper counters and climbed up on the counter spilling a bottle of shampoo. No big deal I thought and just mopped up the mess. Well, come to find out the shampoo had seeped inside the camera! :( So we had to go get us a new camera. I copied my friend Shannon and got a cute little Nokia which was put to good use this evening.

Gavin ended a week long VBS with dinner and a little musical performance. It was so cute. He really enjoyed himself, especially all the arts and crafts. They had a pretty hip music lineup which Gavin was enthralled with. He asked me when HIS daddy could go up on stage and play guitar and when HIS mommy could go sing. I started to say "when &*%# freezes over," but figured church wasn't really the place to say that. Gotta love this age. Still too young to understand that mommy can't sing a lick and that daddy's air guitar is much better than his real one.... HA!

I survived!

2008-08-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

My first week back that is. The first week of kindergarten is over. It's always the hardest one. I have been blessed though.... a sweet class. Hooray!

New blog

2008-07-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

Well you have all been picking my brain lately on how I find all my bargains, so I have started a new blog. Add it to your favorites and check in daily for the latest cheap finds I come across. Please read all the posts from the bottom up so you don't miss anything! http://adollarhereadollarthere.blogspot.com

Fun Day

2008-07-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

I love my month long breaks so much because they give me time to do so many fun things with my boys. On Friday I met my friends Elyse (AHS & UCSB) and Brandy (UCSB). It was so nice catching up. Between the 3 of us we had 6 boys all aged 4 and under. Would you believe me if I say they were pretty darn good? They actually were. I had a great time girls. Let's do it again soon. :)

Last Day of Swim Lessons

2008-07-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about summer break- swim lessons- is over. I am so happy that Gavin is SWIMMING!!!! On the last day the man who runs the lessons has all the kids swimmers or not jump off the ledge so they know what it feels like to fall in and to see if they can swim to the side. (Of course there is another instructor right there to catch the ones who can't swim). Not only did Gavin jump off on his own but he thought it was SO fun that he went back a second and a third time. Last summer they had to toss him off kicking and screaming. Hooray :)

Catalina Island

2008-07-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know the background on this story- yes I gave in. You win some you lose some. If you don't know the background here it is in a nutshell. My in-laws moor their boat each summer off Catalina Island. Jeremy really wanted to take Gavin but I was hesitant. VERY hesitant. The boat is moored not docked meaning it is surrounded by water all on sides. Deep water. And Gavin is only 4 and he has only been swimming for a few weeks. I panicked at the thought of Gavin sleep walking right off the edge of the boat so at first I said no way, no how. I eventually gave in after deciding that 4 adults to one child was a pretty good ratio. And seeing as Gavin has never walked in his sleep before. And seeing as Jeremy swore he would sleep with an arm on top of him in one of the downstairs bedrooms. And seeing as my brother in law would be sleeping upstairs next to the locked door. And seeing as I was losing this battle anyhow. I finally said he could go. He had a ball (being spoiled rotten) and he came back in one piece. Jeremy on the other hand came back with a swollen knee (ouch). Like I said you win some- you lose some.....

Eleven Dollars.....

2008-07-18T16:38:00.003-07:00

I'm getting pretty good at this bargain hunting thing!

Join me

2008-07-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

Jessica (our dear friend and babysitter's daughter) is having surgery tomorrow. On her last MRI they found 2 more lesions and have decided to go in to remove them tomorrow. (Go to her blog for details) Please join me in prayer for this beautiful little girl and her family. I'm already on my knees.....

Picnic at the Ramsey's

2008-07-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

Jeremy had a rare Saturday night off so we headed off to his best friend Myles' house to see new baby Myla Grace. The Harpsters joined us for a picnic by the lake. The kiddos got to try fishing and run around. The baby is just beautiful. Congrats Myles and Maria!

It's official....

2008-07-12T14:21:00.001-07:00

Derek is potty training. Wish him luck (and us too)!

What the heck????

2008-07-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

If you've ever seen our older son Gavin's room you will know that it is pretty darn awesome (if I do say so myself). It is the perfect match of PBK and comfort. I loved decorating it in a beach theme (my favorite) and it is truly one of my favorite rooms in the house. From the super cool bunk beds to the white beadboard it is the perfect little boy room.
Then there is the room that belongs to my second child. I'm not sure what happened to my decorating gusto that I used to have but I am SO not interested in decorating anymore. Maybe I'm too tired or maybe we're too broke but poor Derek's room looks like we bought a big boy bed and threw it in a tiny baby nursery. Oh yeah- that's exactly what we did. So now that I'm on vacation I thought I would TRY to bring his room together (on a budget of course). So I bought these things called "wallies." They are repositionable stickers used for decorating and they only cost nine bucks. So I put them up the other day and they looked all right. Nothing great but anything was an improvement over what we had. Well this is what I walked into yesterday morning. The dumb thingys are falling off everywhere you look. (And no that colorful one is not supposed to be on the picture rail). I got out the directions and I didn't do anything wrong but they apparently don't like our textured walls too much. So there you have it. Derek now not only has barely any decor up in his room, but now he must watch out for falling stickers in the night. Nice....

Beach Day

2008-07-06T20:15:00.001-07:00

I'm not really the type of mom who likes to hang out at home every day. So this morning I got the boys in the car and we headed to the beach. (Not so painful on the pocketbook when your gas is guaranteed at $2.99 a gallon). It was such a nice way to spend the morning. It reminds me so much of being a kid. I think my mom must have felt the same way because many a summer morning she threw us in the car and headed to the sand. I love California.... :)

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-05T12:17:00.001-07:00

We had an absolutely wonderful day swimming and BBQing at Jeremy's parents' home. ALL of the kids were so good and Gavin was actually swimming like a little fish. He only put on the floaties when he was exhausted! Our day ended with watching the fireworks show at Mt. Rubidoux. The day was simply put- perfect. Thanks to the Harpsters, Paulos and my parents for hanging out with us. Happy birthday America!

Swim Lessons

2008-07-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. The boys are ending their second week of swim lessons. Gavin has pretty well graduated to the big pool. He is finally putting his face in the water and swimming. (Not strokes yet, but making it from point A to point B). Derek is in a daddy and me class with Jeremy. He basically screams the entire time except when he knows they're going under the water and then he is smart enough to close his mouth. Much to Derek's relief tomorrow is his last day but Gavin has another 2 weeks.

Jackpot!

2008-07-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

You know how when someone hits it big in the movies a gazillion quarters come falling into their lap? Well, we only wanted one. Apparently we missed it but for sure when we went for another xray today, lo and behold, the quarter was GONE! Obviously flushed away into never never land (I admit I had gotten a bit lax after a month of digging through you know what, I probably missed it). So there I was in Kaiser doing the happy dance since we got to avoid the "procedure," while Gavin continued to be in total oblivion to the whole situation. The moral of the story folks is, if your kid must swallow money please check to be sure it is a dime or penny. Take it from me, the circumference of the quarter is just too big and causes too much stress! P.S. In all seriousness, thanks for all those prayers-they worked.

New Wheels

2008-06-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

The Lexo died on me last week at the Tyler mall. I don't mean it had a flat tire either. I mean it will not be resurrected until we come up with four grand to redo the transmission. So what do we do? We bought a new car. Hey- we already had a babysitter lined up that night, and who knows when that would've happened again. So we dove in headfirst and bought a new Dodge Journey. We wanted something cheap with a third row backseat. To answer your questions: Yes, I know those are 22's (the black, round wheely things Mom) and yes I did ask the man if I could take them off to lower the price. (He said no. I told him they were a thug magnet but he didn't seem to care). Yes, we got the $2.99 gas guarantee, no I'm not exactly sure how it works yet. Yes, I am aware I broke Dave Ramsey's cardinal rule (Do not buy new cars). Unfortunately, I really, really, really like new cars. Sorry Dave. So there you have it.... it's cute isn't it???

Financial Update

2008-06-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

The quarter is still in there.... (as of Monday at least). He had another x- ray to confirm. We thought they were going to scope him that day but the G.I specialist decided to wait until July 1st for another x-ray and go from there. Gavin is feeeling totally fine and hasn't got a clue why everyone is so interested in his bowel movements! Thank you for all of your prayers and concerned emails!

For those of you who know my brother

2008-06-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

Check out his wife Sarah's blog for their little family's latest news. :)

All for 25 cents

2008-06-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

And so the quarter saga (see below) continues.... it is still in there! He had a follow up x-ray yeasterday and it is just sitting in his tummy. Apparently there is some sort of flap that connects the stomach to the large intestine and they are thinking that his opening is just too small to pass the quarter. SO, they are giving him 'till Monday to "pass" it and if not they will have to get it out via some sort of scope they put down his throat. That will go over real well with Gavin I am sure. Can you picture it? "Honey just sit real still while this nice doctor shoves this long tube down your throat and into your stomach...." I sure hope they can dope him up for that because Gavin can scream real loud and I may have to join him.
Anyhow, I'm asking that you say a little prayer that my little man can avoid that situation and just pass it on his own. Yes, I am actually asking you to pray for poop. Please? I'd do it for your kid...... :)

Human Piggy Bank

2008-06-05T09:54:00.001-07:00

Gavin that is..... yes my son for some unknown reason decided to put a quarter in his mouth. Although the xray pic above is not really his, it is very similar to the one that was taken last night at Kaiser. After the longest day ever- got up at 5 am, stopped at CVS on the way to work, worked all day, went to an optometry appointment after school, went and got some groceries, came back to school to put together end of the year memory books, leading kindergarten orientation for next years parents, picking up Gavin at my sister in law's and finally stumbling in the door at 8 pm, I was so happy to be home and only have 1 errand left- to take my babysitter Pat home. I asked Gavin to stay in the car while I got Pat and Derek and somehow in that 2 minutes he swallowed a quarter. I heard blood curdling screaming and ran out to the car to see Gavin barfing and shoving his hands down his throat. I didn't know what had happened at first but I finally figured it out. I called 911 and they put me through to the hospital who said to bring him in. So I left Pat and Derek & called my mom to go over to relieve Pat while Gavin and I rushed off to Kaiser. I could tell when the coin finally dropped out of his throat into his tummy because the screaming/barfing thing stopped in an instant and he was fine again. The X ray showed that he indeed swallowed the quarter and that it was now in his tummy. The doctor assured us that it should come out in the next few days via the "other end." Fabulous. Anyhow at 11:15 pm we finally got home. What a day!

I will risk my life...

2008-05-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

(For a night out without the kids that is)! After record breaking heat last weekend, we Californians got to experience tornadoes this week. And they hit on the one night in which Jeremy was available to babysit and I had plans. After watching the newscast I decided the news people were overreacting as always and a tiny tornado would not stop me from going out. I hopped in the car for girls' night with my high school buddies. They obviously felt the same about the tornadoes since everyone showed up! We had so much fun and once again stayed up much too late for a work night. Thanks girls for such a good time!

D.I.T. (Daddy in training)

2008-05-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

One of the cutest things about being a mom to little boys is seeing their "softer" side come out. Derek has a baby doll that he will carry around the house. He gives it all of his toys, his precious "Mimis" (a little silkie blanket with a head on it)and pats its back always trying to comfort it. It is so adorable to see especially since normally he is busy making his Elmo broom into a sword or launching his Hot Wheels off the stairs! As active as he is, he is still such a sweet boy :)

Hotter than heck!

2008-05-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

Riverside is, that is. Temps here are hitting the 100 degree mark and we are all feeling hot and sticky. Yes, you say- that is what we get for living in Riverside. Fair enough, but this is what we would expect in August, not MAY! So, in an effort to keep my little ones cool, we broke out the WT plastic pool. It may not be pretty, but it kept them happy for TWO hours. Priceless in my book!

Guess what I just booked????

2008-05-14T20:31:00.001-07:00

Imagine- just me and Jeremy. Sitting on the sand in my favorite place on Earth. I am so darn excited. Of course it's still a ways away (November) but it gives me something to daydream about other than potty training. And yes, in keeping with my financial post earlier, I am happy to say that although I did pay with plastic, I sent a check in the mail this morning to pay it off in full. Sorry Dave Ramsey.... I still like my credit card points!

Anyone read it?

2008-05-13T21:59:00.001-07:00

I love it! Such a simple, straight forward book about our family finances for someone who is not particularly interested in finances.... I highly recommend it!

Mother's Day

2008-05-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

What a nice, nice Mother's Day I had. It was simple and peaceful, just the way I like it! We celebrated with Jeremy's family on Thursday with dinner at the Yard House. The boys were so darn well behaved I hardly recognized them- a present in and of itself!
Friday Gavin's preschool class sang some cute mommy songs and we had a picnic lunch. Unfortunately I did not receive mom of the year status there. The note said "picnic lunch" and where I come from that means a brown bag- sandwich and chips kind of meal. Well apparently it actually means McDonald's. I was one of the only 2 moms who brought PB & J. But of course you are thinking that I have raised my son to be polite enough to excuse my misinterpretation. Uh no..... more like "Mom! How come I don't have an Iron Man happy meal? Everyone else got to have one!" Oh well- hey he was good the night before!
Sunday Jeremy actually had a weekend day off. He cooked a yummy breakfast and then took the boys outside while I sat in my jammies and read the ENTIRE paper. Even the parts I never read, like the classifieds. Just because I could! We ended with a delicious BBQ at my mom's. Beautiful weather, good food and family. It doesn't get better than that!

Quiet Weekend

2008-05-04T21:03:00.001-07:00

We haven't had a quiet weekend in such a long time and it was really nice..... the boys actually took naps and ate homecooked meals. Novel, huh????

Other news: Derek had his hearing and speech evaluations. His hearing is perfect. As for his speech, well, basically he omits the second half of all words as well as omits one of the 2 letters in a consonant blend at the beginning of words. Thus, "spoon" becomes "poo" and "truck" becomes "ruh." They decided to give him 6 more months before doing any sort of interventions. My own personal conclusion is that Derek is some sort of genius because this is actually quite difficult to do and takes quite a bit of planning ahead to omit so consistently. Go ahead try it- :)

More happy baby news for those of you who haven't already heard: Jeremy's brother Dino and his wife Terri are expecting their 2nd baby in early November. We are thrilled to say the least.

Baby!

2008-04-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

Not ME you crazy person... my hands are full right now and I think both God and myself know it. But we are going to welcome a new baby into our family in the fall. My brother Tim and his wife Sarah are preggers and are due in October. I am so excited to be an auntie! Check out their lil' blog that will document this pregnancy. Yay for new babies!

The Perfect Christmas Gift

2008-04-13T20:56:00.001-07:00

Yes, I do realize it is April and that the holidays are long over. but you see, we just "cashed" in our gift from my brother, sister and their spouses. They got us an AMEX gift card and a weekend away. While they came over and watched the boys, Jeremy and I got to go to San Diego and stay at Devon and Dave's BEAUTIFUL new place and live the life of leisure. We started off by heading to the island of Coronado and hanging out at the Hotel del Coronado. It was the perfect day to hang out at the resort. It was about 90 degrees on the beach and it was packed. In the evening, while my siblings and their sig. others had to endure John's Incredible Pizza (like Circus Circus for children) Jer and I were enjoying the view from Devon's roof (check out the view of Petco Park and Coronado island) with a glass of champagne and Devon's homemade appetizers, followed by dinner in the Gaslamp District. On Sunday while Tim was busy chaperoning the Carl's Jr. play area, we were getting breakfast and massages. It was AWESOME! We had so much fun. Thank you to all of you for such a great gift.

:(

2008-04-06T21:33:00.001-07:00

This morning my Grandma Mary passed away. She broke her hip earlier in the week and she was not able to recover. I'm so glad I was able to visit with her a couple weeks ago, just she and I. I got to hug her tight and tell her how much I loved her. She lived a long life and I will miss her dearly. :(

A little sad....

2008-03-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

My baby is in a big boy bed. The crib is packed away......

Girls' Night

2008-03-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

Last night I had an incredible time at Lucille's in Irvine catching up with my good friends Stacy, Emily and Lisa. I can't believe how late we stayed out. It was wonderful to laugh and laugh with these awesome friends. I hope we can make it a regular outing!

Easter

2008-03-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

Easter totally took me by surprise this year. It came so early in the year and I felt like I was super unprepared for it! The Easter bunny did make it to our place despite celebrating at a party the night before. After church we had a wonderful brunch at my in-law's. The only downer was that I had the boys all looking handsome in their Easter clothes but by 11 AM they were in the pool- clothes sopping wet. Oh well. It WAS very warm out and I really couldn't blame them. Too bad they looked like rug rats by the time we went to my mom's for dinner. Maybe next year we'll have to go to her house first so she can see that I really do comb their hair and clean their clothes!!!!!

Happy birthday Jessica

2008-03-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we got to go out sans children AGAIN!!!! It was an old friend Jessica (Miranda) Conner's birthday party. They rented out a cool loft like space downtown to celebrate. The funniest part was that Jeremy and his brother Dean showed up wearing practically the same clothes. Great minds think alike. I kinda knew about it ahead of time but didn't have the heart to tell him since I'd already made him get changed once. :)

Happy Birthday to me (and Terri and Taylor too)

2008-03-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

Thursday night Jeremy's family celebrated all of our birthdays with a fabulous dinner at Taps. It was so wonderful- they gave us our own little room so the kids could be noisy and run around a bit without stressing the rest of us out. The food was fantastic and we had Baked Alaska for dessert. Is it weird that I didn't even know what that was until I tried it??? Yummy!

One of my favorites

2008-03-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

My friend Beth got me interested in this kids' magazine called Tessy and Tab. My mother in law ended up getting Derek a subscription for Christmas and it is WONDERFUL! It comes twice a month and my kids (both of them) just love it. Each edition is a story about these 2 characters and each one focuses on a letter and a number. If you are looking for a great gift or just something new to add to your kiddos' reading collections I highly recommend these. Check 'em out!

2008-03-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

We did it... we survived an itty bitty trip with the boys. It was neither a dream or a nightmare. It was somewhere in between, with moments of smiles and happiness and moments of wondering why we didn't bring something along to tape our children's mouths shut! In all we had a great time- and given the chance we would even do it again!

Day 1- after almost 4 hours on the road (hey we had to take 2 potty breaks and a caffeine break) we arrived in Santa Barbara and went straight to the zoo. The SB Zoo is wonderful- it's small, never crowded and you get to see all of the animals up close. We had a picnic lunch there which was nice because the kiddos got a chance to run around. We headed back to our hotel which was great. Close to the beach, first floor, wine and cheese, cookies, etc. We had dinner at Something's Fishy on State Street. I thought the boys would be entertained by the teppan style cooking they do there. Not so much. Dinner was kind of a disaster. Derek was unbelievably noisy and Gavin was totally fidgety. The couple who shared our table said they "liked our style of parenting." HA- our style was totally stressed out/inhale your food as fast as you can/grumble the entire meal under your breath at your children/try really hard not to strangle them! But yeah, we got style! After dinner we walked around State Street. It was a beautiful night. It made me really miss living there. So by the end of the day the score was zoo= great, dinner = not so great, State Street= great.

Day 2- We had a great morning. I woke up to the boys singing "Happy Birthday" to me. We went out onto Stearn's Wharf and walked around. Then we took the scenic route through the mountains to Solvang. Jeremy had never been there before so he got a kick out of all the buildings. We walked around for a bit and had lunch and yummy abelskievers. An old guy sitiing by us at lunch told us about a nearby farm who had miniature horses so we went and checked them out. The boys loved seeing the baby horse which was only 3 days old. Then we dove up to Pismo Beach. My friend Shannon told us about a cute inn they stay at up there and we took their advice. The picture of the ocean was the view from the hotel. Pretty incredible. We took the boys down to water but didn't stay too long since a 1 inch wave toppled Derek over and we had to go take baths. In the evening we headed over to downtown San Luis Obispo for Thursday night farmer's market. End of the day score= Great!

Day 3- Yummy waffles for breakfast followed by playing in the sand. The boys were very squirmy and noisy at breakfast and yet another couple told us how "well behaved" the boys were being. If only this nice couple could hear the words I was muttering under my breath the ENTIRE meal! They were being good because I had a death grip on Gavin and had threatened to leave every electronic device we owned at the hotel if they didn't SIT DOWN AND EAT! After the beach, we headed home and were making good time until we hit the mother of all traffic jams in LA. The car ride home was not fun at all. That tape I alluded to earlier would have been nice. Oh well we made it back safe and sound. End of the Day score: beach= great, breakfast= stressful but strangers thought we were great, car ride= horrific.

I guess what we learned was a road trip is what it is- a trip on the road. Kinda boring in the car but worth it for all the sights we got to see and the adventures we had. We will do it again sometime, but we think our next vacation will just have to be kid free!

More road trip pics

2008-03-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

Goin' on a Road Trip....

2008-03-11T10:09:00.001-07:00

We will be gone for a few days. For my birthday this year I wanted to drive up to Santa Barbara and Pismo Beach for a mini vacation. It's either going to be a wonderful trip.... or a nightmare. Say a little prayer that we have a great time! See you when we get back!

Shearer Wedding

2008-03-09T14:36:00.001-07:00

Saturday night was an old friend from high school's wedding. I had a bit too much fun, if you know what I mean! Thanks Tim and Sarah for babysitting and congrats to Brian and Jenn :)

Morning at Child's Play

2008-03-09T14:26:00.001-07:00

Friday morning Derek and I met Tracy, Dylan and Sydney at Child's Play in Temecula. It is toddler heaven. Basically it's a giant room filled with really cool toys that you would never want in your own house. Mini roller coasters, trains, indoor slides and ball pits- even a little trampoline. The kids had a great time!

Air Kids

2008-03-04T19:46:00.001-08:00

This morning the boys and I met up with a few of my kindergarteners and their moms at Air Kids. It's a place set up with indoor bounce houses and slides. They had so much fun. My students were great and played with my boys (who are 2-4 years younger than them) just wonderfully. And boy did I get my exercise too, pushing Derek to the top of the slides. By the end of the morning he could climb up all by himself but not until I got a heck of a good workout. We ended with a yummy lunch at McDonald's. You know you have great students when you want to hang out with them on your vacation! :)

Santa Fe

2008-02-26T20:04:00.000-08:00

This past weekend my sister Devon and I took Derek on his first plane ride to visit our family in New Mexico. Our only little fiasco was when we missed the world's fastest preboarding and had to board a tiny airplane with a terrified and screaming Derek with a gazillion people behind us. And wouldn't you know as I was trying to install his carseat in a row with no leg room, my belt loop kept catching on the tray table behind me and pulling it down! I wanted to join Derek in his screaming. :)Luckily, the carseat got installed and a lollipop pacified Derek. He held my hand the entire flight. Other than that small blip, it was such a wonderful trip. All we did was eat, sleep and talk. It was my Nana's first time meeting Derek and it was so cute to hear him say her name. I wish we were still there. Thank you Uncle Lou, Aunt Fran & Nana for such a perfect weekend!
P.S. Derek was not scared at all on the way home..... I think his exact words at takeoff were "Weee" Thank God!

Snow Drift

2008-02-15T17:10:00.001-08:00

Jeremy and Gavin got to have a daddy-son day today up in the mountains. They went tubing at Snow Drift. They had a complete blast and only one mishap where Gav did one run on his face (Yes he brought home a "facial souveneir" if you know what I mean) but otherwise the day was just perfect!

Grandma Mary's 90th!

2008-02-12T17:01:00.000-08:00

Sunday afternoon we celebrated my grandmother's 90th birthday. It was great to visit with my dad's family. The funniest part of the whole day was during my grandma's speech she said that my boys were the most quiet and well behaved little guys around. Now, believe me I LOVE my boys but quiet and super well behaved? HA HA! Think the fact that she is totally hard of hearing has anything to do with it? Anyhow it gave us a great laugh. Have you ever stopped to imagine how much "life" you will have experienced by the time we are 90? It almost takes your breath away.... Happy birthday Grandma Mary!

Sicker than dogs.....

2008-02-08T10:12:00.001-08:00

Sorry we have not called, made our appointments, etc. but we are freaking sick! Not a little sick, but the yuckiest flu ever. We have very high fevers, coughs, and just about everything hurts, especially our eyes (random, huh)? Jeremy had it first, he passed it to me, Gavin has had it for 2 days and I'm sure Derek is next. Of course Jeremy went to Kaiser and paid them $10 for them to tell him it is just a virus. (I could've told him that for free). Anyhow, we miss talking to you. Hopefully we'll all be ourselves again next week....

Gavin's First Trip to the Movies

2008-02-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

I took Gavin for his first trip to the theater today to see "Veggie Tales." My skin and bones son managed to wolf down an entire bag of popcorn all by himself. Aside from being scared a couple of times, he did great!

Date Night

2008-01-28T21:14:00.000-08:00

That's right! A night out with no little people. And boy was it nice! We went out with our friends Shannon and Derek to The Yard House. We had such a good time. The food was good and not once did any of us have to get up to take someone potty. It was refreshing to get a little grown up time! Thanks guys, let's do it again soon...

Derek's Party

2008-01-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

What have I been thinkin'? Planning all of these huge birthday bashes for my kids? Friday night we had a very small family-only celebration for Derek's second birthday. I picked up Baja Fresh (Yummy) after work and Grandma Pat made a cake from a mix so all I really had to do was set everything out on the counter. Easy as pie. Guess what? Derek had a great time. And for once so did mommy! :)

Happy Birthday Derek!

2008-01-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

After Gavin outgrew his baby clothes I gave them away. I always told people what were the chances of me having another boy (and in December no less). Enter baby #2- boy and born in January. Basically the same thing! My second baby is funny, noisy, cuddly, affectionate, loud and silly. His beautiful eyes are as deep as the ocean and his smile lights up the room. I can't believe two years have already passed. How quickly he has grown. Happy second birthday baby boy. I love you so very, very much.....

Wicked!

2008-01-06T09:34:00.000-08:00

Saturday my sister Devon and I took my mom to see Wicked at the Pantages in Hollywood. It was simply wonderful. If you haven't had a chance to see it- go! It is the story of the wicked witch from "The Wizard of Oz," only she isn't really so wicked. The singing brought tears to my eyes and the act where she first begins to fly took my breath away. What a great day. :)

Happy Baby Stace!

2007-12-30T18:04:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning a friend and I hosted a baby shower for my wonderful friend Stacy. She is expecting her second daughter, Addison, in January. I am always so thrilled to see my friends and their ever expanding families. Congrats Stacy. Adddison, can't wait to meet you.... :)

OMG! The toys are multiplying.....

2007-12-26T16:55:00.000-08:00

or maybe it's Christmas. I swear the sheer number of toys in our household tripled overnight. Me thinks it's time to weed out the toy closet. How blessed my kiddos are that so many people love them! We spent Christmas morning at our house opening and playing with our Santa gifts. Then we went to brunch/opening insane amounts of gifts at Jeremy's mom's house. We ended the day with dinner and more gifts with my parent's and Jeremy's dad. Our day was relatively low stress (no small feat for a holiday) and the boys held up great. I love Christmas (I really do) but between you and me- I'm kinda glad it's over!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

2007-12-26T16:46:00.000-08:00

Every year on Christmas Eve we go with Jeremy's family to dinner at the Mission Inn, followed by a gift exchange at Jeremy's parent's home. It is always a lot of fun to get all dressed up and walk around downtown. The lights are breathtaking and it is a great start to Christmas.

Cookie Exchange #2

2007-12-22T15:32:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night my friend Lisa hosted a cookie exchange for kids. The little ones decorated cookies , drank hot chocolate, had a book exchange and listened to her son Hunter "read" The Night Before Christmas. Ok, mostly they ran around and played with all of Hunter's toys, but regardless of how they spent their time they had a ball!

Want to have a good laugh?

2007-12-18T20:15:00.002-08:00

Click here to have a good laugh at my family's expense!!!!

Cookie Exchange #1

2007-12-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

Today was the first of two cookie exchanges I was invited to. Today my friend Jill hosted twelve of us at her home. We each brought 3 dozen homemade cookies. We laid them out on a big table and went around with platters collecting a handful of each type of cookie. In the end we each had a big plate of assorted Christmas cookies. It was fun and sure beats making all those cookies myself. Now if I can only resist sampling all of them!

Portillo Family Christmas Party

2007-12-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

Today was the annual Portillo family party hosted by Jeremy's mom. Every year the "newest" daddy gets to dress up and be Santa, having each kid come sit on his lap and hand out gifts. This year's Santa was Jeremy's cousin Vince who welcomed twin boys into his life this summer. I only got a shot of Gavin because my camera conveniently ran out of batteries by the time it was Derek's turn. Trust me when I say he was terrified of Santa and didn't sit there long enough for a picture anyhow. The funny thing is, he adores Vince. Of course the little ones never figure out that is just their cousin/uncle/dad in that costume!

A Little Monkey Business...

2007-12-08T18:13:00.001-08:00

Today was Gavin's "Curious George" birthday party. It was a FULL house and he had a really good time. Thanks to all who came to help make his day so special. You always make our family feel so loved and we are blessed to have such great family and friends. And a special thanks to my folks, Devon, Tim and Sarah. Boy, is this mommy pooped!

Happy Birthday Tim!

2007-12-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

Friday night we celebrated my little brother Tim's 27th birthday. It is so hard for me to grasp how old he is. To me he is eternally my "baby" brother and thus can't possibly be a full fledged adult, much less 27! In reality though, he is this totally successful, happy, handsome man who I am so very proud of. Happy birthday Tim. I think you are just wonderful!

My Baby is Four Today!

2007-12-07T10:40:00.001-08:00

Well, my first baby that is. Gavin Jeremy was born four years ago at 6:25 in the morning. Time sure flies. We celebrated by having lunch at the restaurant of his choice- Carl's Jr. (what sophisticated taste) and a trip to the Disney store to pick out a toy from my mom. Happy birthday Gavin. I love you beautiful boy......

I've Been "Tagged"

2007-12-04T16:06:00.000-08:00

There is a little blogging game called 10 things and apparently I'm it. Before I begin let me say- I have LIFTED the restricted comments from this site, meaning all of you can leave a comment WITHOUT a password. If I am going to bare my weirdness to you, then as my friends and family, you better gimme some love!!! (Seriously if only 2 people leave a comment I'll be a bit hurt) SO LEAVE A COMMENT (I am so curious who's reading)! Ok, now that I've gotten that out, here we go"

10 Things About Me You Might Not Know:

1) I hate watching TV. I could actually live perfectly fine without a television set. I much prefer reading.

2) Speaking of reading, when I was in the 3rd grade my teacher had a speed reading machine. I used it so much I can now read so fast I can finish entire novels in 1-2 hours.

3) I am a compulsive list maker. All over my house are little to do lists. I make them for myself, for Jeremy, even the boys who can't read yet. I get a strange satisfaction from crossing things off my list. It doesn't really bother me that no one else pays any attention to them.

4) When I was a sophomore I was on Good Morning America. My cheerleading squad went to cheer camp at UCLA and they were there doing a segment on the whole experience. They followed me around for much of the day and a few weeks later there I was telling the whole U. S of A to "push 'em back."

5) I hate Halloween. Always have. I only wanted to dress up if I could be something pretty. Guess I have always been vain. I try really hard to enjoy it for my kids, but truthfully.... I still don't like it much.

6) I love a clean house but I detest doing any of the work to clean it. If only I had that robot from the Jetson's.

7) I can't watch horror movies. Even the kind that are so bad there isn't a chance in heck they're real. When I was in 7th grade I watched Nightmare on Elm Street One and Two and they scared me so bad I couldn't walk by my own swimming pool at night alone ever again.

8) I am obsessed with all things fertility. Seriously! Maybe I was a midwife in my past life. I can answer almost any question on babies and all your business "down there."

9) I LOVE crackers. I don't mean I like them once in a while. I mean I cannot buy them at the store because I simply can't resist eating the whole entire box. As a kid my mom knew this so she would never buy them (or if she did she hid them from me and snuck them over to my little brother), so I would go to my friend Colleen's. Her mom always had the good ones!

10) In college I worked for a long time in the campus vault. It was basically an underground safe where all of the money from the campus was filtered through. I seriously loved that job. It was quiet, but fun. Easy but you had to concentrate. No pressure, just CASH! If I ever win the lottery I'm opening me up a vault. Devon- are you in?

So there you have it. Hope you all still love me! Now I tag Stacy and Lisa!

Those of you who pray....

2007-11-28T18:25:00.000-08:00

If you have not blog-hopped over to my babysitter Laura's blog about her daughter Jessica I ask that those of you who pray take a little gander over there. They have found some cancerous spots again and are waiting for answers as to what to do next. I cannot imagine the torture a parent endures when their baby has to go through this. I pray with all my heart that this beautiful baby conquers cancer once again....

Back to Work

2007-11-26T20:15:00.000-08:00

Today was officialy my first day back at work. BLECH!!!! :( On the bright side I only have 4 weeks of school to go followed by 2 more weeks of vacation after Christmas. I know, I know you are rolling your eyes at me. Teachers have such an easy schedule don't we? Hey, I DARE YOU to come in and control 20 kindergarteners the month before Christmas. It's not too bad except when they've been up late shopping with mommy, or are on a sugar high from eating too many Christmas cookies. It's fine as long as their girl scout troop/ dance class/ soccer team doesn't have any holiday celebrations or their parents don't drag them to umpteen parties. As long as they don't overstimulate their immature senses with Christmas carols every time they're in the car, or expose them to bright lights on every house and blow up nativity scenes, giant snow globes and singing snowmen in every yard. As long as no one forgets that these little people have only been on this planet for 5 years and ALL they care about is when Santa is coming. As long as none of that happens, AND you can corral them, keep them quiet, entertain them, put on a festive singing performance for their families AND teach them how to read, then you are right in rolling your eyes. If just reading about my upcoming month exhausts you, go out and buy your kid's teacher a nice gift- and tell her to enjoy a much deserved vacation!

Disneyland

2007-11-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

The dad of 2 of my previous students treated our family to Disneyland yesterday. For my friends who are not parents yet, trust me when I say watching your children's faces at Disneyland is priceless. It was decorated for Christmas and it was so beautiful. Santa and his reindeer were there, It's a Small World was covered in twinkling lights and Sleeping Beauty's castle was capped with snow. It even "snowed" on Main Street. It was pretty crowded but the boys had a ball and we got to ride a lot of rides. Gavin loved Pirates, Derek loved the choo-choo in Fantasyland and Jeremy loved Buzz Lightyear (ADMIT IT it is a pretty fun ride) :) It was a really good day, made even better by the fact that it was free. "C" family THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Girl Time

2007-11-15T19:13:00.001-08:00

Don't you love when you get to go out with a good girlfriend? Tuesday night I met my high school pal Emily for dinner. It was so great to catch up, reminisce, and vent with her. There is something to be said for a little girl time. I feel recharged & can't wait to do it again soon....

Go Chargers!

2007-11-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday afternoon Jeremy and I got to enjoy an entire day out, with no kiddos in tow. Our good friends Doug and Pam treated us to the Chargers-Colts game in San Diego. Jeremy's mom and sister helped us out with babysitting. Even being soaked from the rain could not take away from an exciting game. Apparently Gavin thought he saw us on TV and was very concerned that I was one of the cheerleaders showing my tummy. Ha! If only my tummy looked good enough to bare on national TV! What a fun day. Thanks Doug & Pam.... :)

Surprise!

2007-11-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

Friday night we celebrated my brother-in-law Dino's 40th birthday by throwing him a surprise party. I'm not convinced he was totally surprised, but I know everyone had a great night. Happy birthday Dean!

Legoland

2007-11-10T15:26:00.001-08:00

Friday was Legoland's teacher appreciation day, so the boys and I met my sister Devon for a fun, cheap day! It was super chilly but the boys had a ball. They especially loved the giant playground. It was so neat to see Derek's face when he would see one of the giant fairy tale characters made out of legos start talking. His mouth was just wide open and he was aware of nothing else! Devon was a great sport and even braved the log ride where they got good and wet. Thanks Auntie for a fun day!

Escape Artist

2007-11-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

Well folks, we have a problem. Derek has been climbing out of his crib! We have a gate up in front of his door so he can't really go anywhere, but he's still making us nuts. What he does is open and close his bedroom door a hundred times. Not too hard, just loud enough to wake everyone up. At 3 am, at 5 am at 6 am, etc. So last night before we went to bed I told him he better not wake mommy and dadddy up tonight opening and shutting his door. Stay in bed! So what does my clever boy do? Well come 6 am I hear a knocking noise. I got up and asked Gavin who was going potty why he was knocking. He said it wasn't him, it was Derek. Sure enough, Derek was on the inside of his bedroom door knocking to come out!!!! He was't opening and closing the door, so I guess in his little mind he was doing what I asked!

What did you do today?

2007-11-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

I played king and queen of the castle with Gavin. We saved our crowns (made of linker letters) from the neighbor's UPS delivery truck. Good thing we had our magic wands (flashlights) to wave at him through the windows. Unfortunately he came back just a few moments later (apparently he forgot part of his delivery) but never fear we zapped him a few more times and "poof" he drove away!You gotta love little imaginations...

Happy Halloween

2007-11-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

Our day started with a costume parade at Gavin's preschool. I then mad dashed home to clean & bake homemade mac and cheese. I started this "pre trick-or-treat" tradition of making dinner last year and really enjoyed carrying it on this year. I don't really like Halloween at all but I do love having so many of our family and friends over for food and conversation. Thanks to all who came. We ended the night with some trunk-or-treating at the local church. The kids got a ton of candy and we kept Derek reasonably quiet (see yesterday's Disney post to understand how he feels about candy) by shoving Tootsie Pops in his mouth every couple of minutes! Hey, sometimes having a peaceful event trumps perfect parenting... :)

Halloween at California Adventure

2007-10-30T11:19:00.001-07:00

Last night we took the boys to Mickey's Halloween Treat at California Adventure. They got to dress up in their costumes and trick-or-treat all around the park. It was decorated to the hilt and had Disney characters and loud, live music on every stage. It was very cute and the boys got a ton of candy. It would have been a perfect night if only I hadn't had a fever and a sinus infection, if Jeremy wasn't exhausted from getting up for work at 3:45 am, if Derek hadn't had two major meltdowns screaming, "MY CANDY, MINE" and if Gavin hadn't decided he was going to pee his pants at the very moment we finally reached the front of a very long Monsters Inc. line. SIGH.... Perfect we are not, but Gavin was able to hold it until we raced to a bathroom and Derek was pacified with a box of raisins that we told him were candy. Tell me my kids aren't the only ones who do these things!!!!

Trip to the Dentist

2007-10-30T11:14:00.001-07:00

Gavin got to visit the dentist today. He did great. He seems to have inherited none of his mom's dentist fears. Of course I might do better at the dentist too if I got to watch Shrek and play video games!

Look at them eyes....

2007-10-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

Gavin and Derek both have brown eyes. I have hazel and Jeremy has green so it was logical of me to think while I was pregnant that at least one of my children would have light eyes, right? Apparently not. Both of my babies have eyes the color of Hershey kisses. Is it any wonder that their eyes are my favorite feature?