Caldonia!

Paperless Post

This is a new and great alternitive to evite (and much prettyier if you ask me). Check it out: Paperless Post

Boston!

I had a work trip that took most of the office to Boston.

Ana Mae and I starting the fun early, catching the bar at LAX when it opened at 6:30am. (Hey it was going to be a long flight)

I think while I was there I ate my weight in seafood. Everything was just so very good!

There is our booth (the one on the red carpet) It was a busy and large convention.

Here is the motley crew that I work with!

While I was there I managed to hook up with friends of mine that I met at a wedding some five years ago. Kristi and Deb are a HOOT!

After dinner with Deb and Kristi I took "The T" and joined up with my work mates for more good food and drinks.

Crazy restaurant owner, GREAT sangria!!

View this photo Bye Boston!

T-ball Fun!

As it turns out Joey was a T-ball fiend even with the cast! She had 6 games and loved them all.

Can't wait till the next season!

Yosemite Sugar Pine Railroad

A few weeks back we headed to the Sierra National Forest to take a ride on the Sugar Pine Railroad. It was in the 70s when we left home and it was 47 degrees when we got there! Thank goodness I still had my emergency blankets, scarves and mittens in the car!

It was a neat little trip. And I do mean little it is about a 2 mile trip but it takes over an hour. The workings of the steam train are pretty cool. We rode on an open car sitting on old logs. Joey had a ball!

The Awesome Kid Coupon Book: 52 Ways to Say You’re Special and You’re Loved!

I found this nifty book at a grocery store (Von's) and I just LOVE it! Joey got her first coupon last night. It was a coupon for a board game night. Other coupons include: One Rootbeer Float, Camp out in the family room, Skipping vegetables for a meal, Double Allowance, Chore Waiver, they are just all so cute. Joey loves to just sit and read the book thinking about what one she will earn next!

Sadly I have not been able to find this on-line, or I would have sent links to all my friends...

The Awesome Kid Coupon Book: 52 Ways to Say You’re Special and You’re Loved!’ Hallmark Gift Books, unpaged, $5.95, paperback

T-Ball

Well Joey was supposed to start T-Ball this week...But with her arm we are not sure. We played a family game on Saturday and she hit pretty well. And we put her in the WAY outfield that way she could field bare handed. We will have to see what the school says

Garden 2009

We finally got off our duffs to plant this summer's garden. We have the usual suspects: Crook-neck Squash, tomatoes, Sun Flowers, Jalapeno Peppers and Tomatoes. The Thyme, Rosemary, Chives, Basil, and Mint all made it through the winter!

Our new wind chime, hopefully it is small enough not to annoy the neighbors

A busted bone...

It would seem that Joey broke her wrist the Friday before last... She jumped off the tub and was watching herself in the mirror, at the time she was apparently attempting a mid-air twirl and couldn't stick the landing...Wednesday was the first day we could get into the pediatric orthopedist at the hospital. It really was not bothering her that much, I was surprised that it was even broke. She is pleased as punch with her pink cast!

This is her "can you believe I have had to walk around 4 days with a broken wrist" face. Notice it lying limply on a pillow....

The nurse is putting the finishing touches on it.

All done! And it didn't hurt a bit.

At Mcdonald's for a first broken bone Happy Meal.

Momma had to be the first to sign....

Back to the farm!

With Lambing season in full swing we headed back to the Veenendaal farm to check out the new animals.

Bill and Joey getting a look at the lambs

Julie and Jer got in there and caught one! They are speedy, and a bit jumpy

Of course the calves are always cute and a big hit with Joey

But mostly she likes hanging out with Annika!

Happy Birthday Mom!

from Joey too!

Never mind the hair that is not brushed or the fact that it is almost 11 and Joey is still in her jammies! It is a cold rainy day, so methinks today will be a jammy day!

A Little Help for the Birds

I think we are about a half season late on this project, but we made a bird feeder, the old peanut butter slathered pine cone trick! And in hindsight it was not really a good idea to get Joey all set up with the peanut butter and birdseed and then leave the room... I will just let your imagination run wild and that will pretty much take care of what happened!

Now after it dries we have to figure out where to put it, every place that is easy for it to hang is not really a place I want birds hang out and leaving their mark. We need a spot that is easy to see from the house.

Ice and McDonald's

Friday Bills worst fear came true...I got free tickets to High School Musical on Ice. Although Joey has never seen the movies I found out that the ice show has very little of the "High School" part and is all about dancing and songs. So we were off! Ni Ni and Lexi joined us for the show. I gave Joey 10.00 to spend on a toy there and of course the only thing she could get for ten bucks was a key chain so I kicked in an extra 6 and she got some sort of light up wandish pom pom thing...

That is Joey's pre-show crazy face!

There is the gang! Joey made Bill where the hat (we got it free with our ten dollar cotton candy)

Then on Saturday night we went to McDonald's for D's Birthday party. Joey made great progress in her McDonald's play structure fear. She actually climbed up and ALMOST went into a tube...Then she came down and cried 'cause she was scared. I really can't blame her...Those things are NASTY!! But we stayed for over two hours the kids had a great time. Even if there was a bizarre funky smell in the room...

Snow Bound

Well this post is about a month late... But a while back Bill, Joey and I headed up to mountains to the snow!! We spent the day at our friends cabin, we sledded played a little Guitar Hero (well Joey did, and she was WAY into it!) We met at the house for lunch, and then spent some time by Dinky Creek sledding and having a rip roaring good time! Then we headed back to the cabin, sat around a roaring campfire, the kids continued to play in the snow in the yard and we had some pizza. After pizza it was roasting marshmallows and drinks. Five minutes into the drive home she was fast asleep!

We all had a GREAT time!

It's A New Day: Wil.i.am

It's A New Day: Wil.i.am

The Gratitude Campaign

Have you ever seen one of our military walking past you and wanted to convey to them your thanks, but weren't sure how or it felt awkward? Recently, a gentleman from Seattle created a gesture which could be used and has started a movement to get the word out. Please everybody take just a moment to watch.... The Gratitude Campaign;......and then forward it to your friends! THEN START USING THE SIGN.

Omaha or Bust

Joey and I headed out to Omaha a few days before Christmas. Joey is a seasoned flyer so I was expecting an easy flight out. As it turns out it was anything but easy. Fresno to Phoenix - Joey throws up all over herself, arrives in Phoenix wearing a camisole. Phoenix airport - in route to get Joey some 7-Up, some crackers and a new shirt she throws up in two different trash can,. and a bathroom. Phoenix to Omaha - Joey throws up on the new 20.00 t-shirt and the seat. And pretty much throws up and naps for 2 hours and 45 minutes. We arrive in Omaha (15 degree weather) and Joey is only wearing a camisole. Thank goodness I brought her tag blanket and winter coat on the plane with us!

There was lots of snow in Omaha when we got there! So Pa Pa put Joey to work scooping the driveway! However it got to be in the 50's this day so the snow was not around for very much longer.

For Christmas Eve Mass our church had a living Nativity scene.

Christmas Eve Joey and I spent the night at Grandmommy's. Joey and Grandmommy made cookies for Santa.

Wild Christmas morning hair!!

Joey got a lightbrite!! This is not the toy of my youth. This was a flat screen lightbrite!

Joey spent the day in her PJs, but who needs to get dressed when you have new stuff to play with!

Christmas day was finished out with a rousing game of Go Fish.

I managed to duck out and spend an evening with the Northrops (next door neighbors and high school and college friends) drinking and talking. They had there whole family in towm so it was fun being amongst the madness. Seth and Matt and I took off to grab some libations however I did not have my ID so we were waylaid buy Nebraska's uber strict liquor laws. Apparently even if you are WITH people that are buying alcohol you have to be able to prove that you are 21. So we had to hightail it to another store and I waited in the car...I stayed over there talking and laughing with all of them past 3:00am. It was great! The best part was I only had to walk next door to get home.

Uncle Tye, Joey and I all headed out to the Henry Doorly Zoo. The picture above is at the Desert Dome (and just for scale that is Tye and Joey under the sign!

Tye, Joey outside the Hubbard Gorilla Valley

Up close and personal with one of the great apes! They are massive.

Joey and I outside the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion

Uncle Tye tormenting Joey on the rope bridge in the Lied Jungle. However Unlce Tye got some tormenting of his own when we saw all the bats flying around "free" in the jungle. The Omaha Zoo is pretty awesome, pretty much it is only second to the San Diego Zoo and when you consider the fact that it only cost 11.00 to get in to the Omaha Zoo vs. 35.00 for the San Diego Zoo it is quite the bargain. It boasts the World's Largest Indoor Rainforest. The world's largest indoor desert. The world's largest nocturnal exhibit. And a whole host of other wonderful exhibits!

Aunt Sharon had the nerve and audacity to buy Joey a 400 piece puzzle...And of course we had to do it. The thing is a 400 piece puzzle takes quite awhile to put together. So after I put Joey to bed (also promising that we would NOT work on the puzzle any further without her, we proceeded to stay up another few hours and put it together...

Only to have to tear it back apart so she wouldn't find out that we had finished it without her. Of course we did not take it apart quite "right" so she noticed that someone had "destroyed",her word not mine, her puzzle.

Joey, Pa Pa and I hit Scheels (a sporting goods store). Joey and I hit the indoor ferris wheel. This thing was hella fast and I was a little concerned about Joey's reaction to being up so high, but she loved it!

Pa Pa even got in on some of the Go Fish action.

Thanks to some Dramamine, Joey was vomit free, and slept the whole way home!

Bill's Birthday Bash

...Well if a bash means out to dinner with two other couples and three kids. We headed out to teppanyaki then back to the house for some fun. Julie, Jeremy, Nate and Annika all stayed the night so they don't have to head back to Hanford in the dead of the night. Joey enjoyed her first sleep over immensely.

Joey liked using the chopsticks more then I thought she would!

Julie made this big ass German Chocolate Cake (his favorite)

Julie and Jer "The morning after". Notice the nice big bottle of Port in the background they gave us for Christmas!

Holiday happenings

Bill and Ni Ni (Nicole) at the Casheros's. We had a blast with friends new and old!

Joey at her Church school's Christmas program. It was a hoot! There was however one little girl in Joey's class that insisted upon screaming all the songs rather then singing them. Man if looks could kill...Joey kept looking at this little girl throughout the program as if to say "Are you nuts? You are ruining this show!"

Bill and Joey hard at work on our ginger bread house.

Joey did a great job on the decorating...Bill did the frosting work and Joey did the decorating. She said this year she wanted to run it over with the Hummer, rather then use Bill's monster truck like last year!

Joey's kindergarten program. All the kids had on their pajamas. The whole thing was a hoot!Parking and seating was a freaking nightmare but the program was as cute as can be!

I volunteered to help the 4 kindergarten classes at Joey's school with their ginger bread house building (actually they turned out to be graham cracker houses. The place was a MAD HOUSE as you can see from the pictures above. I think almost every kid has a parent there, some had two!

So Joey has had a busy last few weeks. And even busier upcoming weeks. Her Grandma from San Diego and Uncle and Aunt from Arkansas are coming to Fresno. We are having a birthday teppanyaki dinner for Bill, with a sleep over from our friends in Handford. Then on Tuesday we are jetting off to Omaha!

What the?

Did Thanksgiving already pass??? It has been nothing but work, soccer, Christmas pageants, Christmas projects and play dates!!! I have to much to say and no time to say it!!! I will be a better blogger starting...... I don't know when, just soon!

Bad Bad Blogger

I have been a very bad blogger!! We have just had so much going on! I am going to use my time off during the upcoming Thanksgiving break to catch up on all the happenings around here! Stay Tuned!

Yes we did!

My SUPER talented co-worker John made this:

Check out his weekly comic strip Dead Days

Click here for Obama's acceptance speech

Am I doing what is best?

I hope that I am not one of "those" mothers with my Student of the Month post. It is just that since the divorce I am always looking for proof that Joey is "normal" happy and healthy. I don't know what she is going through. I don't have divorced parents, I don't have a lot of friends with divorced parents. I never thought I would be in this situation. I know that Joey deserves so much better than to be shuttled between two households. I would have done anything to keep her from being in this situation; however some things just weren't up to me. I look to her teachers at school and her preschool teachers to clue me in if they see something amiss. At conferences often the first question I ask is "does she seem well adjusted?" This year it was not necessary as the teacher pretty much started out about how happy bright she is. But I am still always questioning myself. Is it normal for her to be so scared about things that are beyond her control? Is it normal for her to freak out a bit when she can't button her jacket just right. I don't know how many times I have told her "You are five, you don't have to be right, or know all the answers or be able to write perfectly" I just worry...And then there is the guilt of enjoying the time when she is not around. I mean is that normal? Am I a selfish bitch for enjoying the weekends when she is with her father? I feel like I have the best of both worlds but it is at the expense of what is best for HER. I am hoping and praying that her being raised differently does not have to be a negative.

Student of the Month

I have been waiting 5 years and 130 days for that bumper sticker!!! I am so proud of my Butter Bean!!

Costumes, Soccer, and Poker

We had Joey’s student conferences on Friday; it appears that I have a two-faced child, much like Bruce Banner and the Hulk. At home I get a bossy, slightly back-talking, whiney child and at school it would seem she is a perfect angel! I LOVE her teacher and she seems to really enjoy Joey as a student. I was much harder on my teachers. My poor parents much have DREADED conferences!

Friday night it was all trick-or-treating and party time at the Cashero’s (is it wrong of me to mark the measure of a great night by the fact that Joey pretty must stayed upstairs with her friends till it was time to go?) However, when it was time to go she “hulked” out on me and threw a FIT. I must say this was in no small part due to the late hour and the fact that she was hopped up on sugar.

Saturday was cleaning, soccer games, the store, and poker. Bill and I held a poker party (ten dollar buy in) at the house.  There were nine of us and it was soo much fun. Out of the six hours only about an hour of that was poker playing. The rest was cigar smoking (outside of course) Tourist Trophy playing (the boys) and lots of eating. I made a pot of chili. And for desert I made some bread pudding with homemade caramel sauce and ice cream. And However Houa and his wife brought the YUMMIEST egg rolls I had ever tasted. I would have never wasted my time on the chili had I known these were coming. By the end of the poker night the only two people that were left were Bill and Julie (who had never played poker before). Julie got up to pour Bill a G’nT (gin and tonic) and after making Bill that super duper strong drink she won…Hmmmmmmmmm

The boys out enjoying a cigar before the playing started.

Finishing up with the food portion of the evening.

I am afraid that my heaving pouring knocked Trina out for the night and when we weren’t looking the scarecrow had his way with her…

Julie and Jeremy live a bit south of us so they stayed the night. The next morning most of the poker participants headed to breakfast and of course last nights winner had to buy. The rest of Sunday was spent catching up on all my recorded programs. Bill spent most of the day recovering from the night before poor guy!  

CVR Picnic

After a few months of planning CVR had its first family picnic on Saturday!  There was a GREAT turn out and the kids had a wonderful time. We even got Ni Ni (Nicole) and D (Damogea) to come along Lots of the members chipped in time and extra money to make sure it was a brilliant success! One member even brought pumpkins and tools so all the kids could carve pumpkins. I didn’t even eat any of the food that CVR provided I stuck to all the yummy side dishes that the members brought! I think next year (or in the spring, haven’t decided yet) we will do it more like a pot-luck. We were there setting up from 11:30am till it was time to clean up around 6:00pm. And I think Joey spent most of those hours in a tree! I think she has discovered the joy of tree climbing. Somehow I think there may be a broken arm in my future. … She was just so happy that Annika was there. I LOVE Annika!! She is me when I was young (so watch out Julie and Jer! I ). She is sociable,  tomboyish (ask my parents about the two years I pretty much wore NOTHING but fatigues, I was so certain that I was going to be a 5-Star general), not afraid to get dirty, just an enjoyable fun girl. If I do say so myself, every girl needs a girl like Annika in their life to shake things up a bit!! (That is Annika in the tree with her).  Joey also learned that sometimes it hurts to get nipped by a goose. At the park where we had the event we have rouge geese that chase you down for food. They are not the “stand back and wait for you to throw it at them” type. Nope they waddle right up to you and if you are too slow they will snatch it right out of your hand! 

   Not the best picture of me...

Bill grubbing on the good eats!

  Ni Ni and D!!

  Joey and Annika

      Joey tree climbing

  Pumpkin carving

   Chatting with the girls

Harvest Video

Pumpkins Pumpkins Everywhere!

Today we headed to the pumpkin patch with the kindergarten classes from Joey's school

Then after we got home we "harvested" our own pumpkins!

  Pumpkin vines at the start of May

Plants in July...

Harvest time in October!

two great pumpkins (you can see the sad remainders of the tomato plants in the background)

Veenendaal Farms

The family of a friend of ours owns a dairy farm so we headed to Hanford for a dairy tour. This either Joey would never drink milk again or she would be ambivalent. She turned out to be the latter. First we checked out all the cows just hanging out…  I didn't grab any pictures in the calf barn. Those suckers were soooo cute. And with the males only being about 30 bucks I wanted to take one home. They would come right up to you and lick you like a puppy (well a REALLY REALLY big puppy) 

  See the two hooves hanging out? The day that we were there seven calves were born! Man engorged does not even begin to describe what that heifer is feeling!!

  There is another one with her water bag hanging out...

Just plopped out! All the soon to be moms gather around and help to clean the baby.

 

The first photo above is...well.... Frozen bull specamen and the second is a cow Asprin!

  mmmm warm milk...

Joey and Annika checking out the sheep

Ah we ended our tour of the farm with a trip to Superior Dairy Hanford for some sundeas!

*I have no idea why the fonts are all jacked up...grrrrr*

Sometimes...

...You can't fight fire with fire sometimes you need water!

You're Gonna Miss This...

As sung by Trace Atkins

(lyrics are written by Stefanae)

She was staring out the window
Of their SUV
Complaining, saying,
I cant wait to turn 18
She said, "I'll make my own money"
And I'll make my own rules"
Mama put the car in park
Out there in front of the school
And she kissed her head
And said 'I was just like you"

You're going to miss this
You're going to want this back
You're going to wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're going to miss this

Before she knows it
She's a brand new bride
In her one bedroom apartment
And her daddy stops by
He tells her "It's a nice place"
She says "It'll do for now"
Starts talking about babies
And buying a house
Daddy shakes his head
And says "Baby just slow down"

Cause
You're going to miss this
You're going to want this back
You're going to wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're going to miss this

Five years later
There's a plumber
Working on the water heater
Dogs barking, phones ringing
One kids crying, one kids screaming
She keeps apologizing
He says "They don't bother me.
I've got two babies of my own.
One's 36, one's 23.
It's hard to believe..."

But
You're going to miss this
You're going to want this back
You're going to wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're going to miss this
You're going to miss this
Yeah you're going to miss this

Life does fly by...Sometimes we all need to remember to live in today, not for tomorrow.

**what I miss much of today's music is good story telling like this**

The Cubby….

**The Cubby is a closet under the stairs, it is right by the kitchen table so that is where we store all of our hats, jackets and most importantly Joey’s crap (paper, workbooks, crayons, paints, stickers, toys, chairs, glue, all matter of crafty items) It is a cornucopia of fun and activities.**

Lots of nefarious  activities have gone down in Cubby history… 1st we had the Damogea blue lip gloss explosion in January (see photo to the left)… There have been scores of messy messes made with the door shut. But last night takes the cake. We had Lexi, Noah, Dam0gea and their  parents over last night. The girls were in the Cubby and each time the boys knocked on the door they were told “Its girls night” So when I gave the two minute warning that “girls night” was about to be over and the boys would be allowed in. We made a startling discovery…They had been in there playing hairdresser and they had managed to relieve three of Joey’s Barbies of their flowing tresses…There was hair ALL OVER….

Nothing says Fall like...

A Candy Apple Martini, behold:

A Candy Apple Martini Recipe:

1 oz vodka
1/2 oz butterscotch schnapps
1 oz Sourz® apple liqueur
1 oz cranberry juice

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake firmly and pour into a cocktail glass. Serve.

Three things are needed to make this my reality
1) vodka (can you believe that I don't have any plain vodka, I have cherry, pear and orange)
2) butterscotch schnapps (I am thinking this could also be yummy in apple cider)
3) Money - Um I have none to get items 1 and 2 : (

Soccer Time!!!

 

Joey had her first game yesterday and it was a hoot! Scores are not kept however it would have been a bad bad loss for Joey’s fighting Bobcats. The other team was just a bit more “practiced”. The kids had a great time! Joey scored the first goal for the Bobcats and after that she was ALL into the game. Of course the moment the game was over she asked about the snacks…She is SOOOO my child.

Important Stuff...

Important Stuff

Mountian Fun

It seems Mother Nature refuses to recognize that fact that Man said Fall started on the 22^nd We are still hitting daily temperatures in the high nineties. We decided to head to a mountain lake on Sunday. Actually, the mountain lake was just going to be a fun place to stop while we ate our lunch on our way further up to do some off-road exploring.  However it was soooo nice there and the kids were having such fun playing at the waters edge that we stayed for the day. Damogea (D) and Nicole stayed the night on Saturday, always so much fun. After a breakfast of warm blueberry muffins, sausage and eggs we were fortified for our trip to the mountains! I have a feeling that Shaver Lake is going to see a lot more of us next summer!

 

Joey just loves having D over, she finally has someone that she is older than. She gets to use the sharp scissors and he can’t. She get draw with markers (non-washable) and he can’t. It is so funny… She was not at all happy with the fact that he would stay in her room and be her audience while she danced to her vacation bible school DVD though…  She is always telling me she wants a baby brother, I told her that D is as close as she is going to get from my side of things!

A soccer mom I am.

sigh...she is getting so big...

I. Am. Old.

How do I know this, well lets make a list

1)      The fact that my chin can sprout inch long hairs overnight.

2)      I am the “Team Mom” on Joey’s soccer team…really when did I become THAT person?

3)      I get excited over new vacuum cleaners and or attachments.

4)      I get excited about naps (my own).

5)      I have used the phrase “Because I said so” numerous times.

6)      Generally I will not leave the house if it is past 6:00 on a work night.

7)      Grey hair.

8)      I take a camera with me everywhere.

9)      My love of landscaping.

10)   My unnatural desire for a hammock (see #4).

 

Signs I am still a little young…

1)      At Joey’s soccer practice I am not the “watch and let all the other parents rangle my kid” type I jump in there and fetch balls and wrangle kids and such.

2)      I have a kick ass motocycle…

One Tired Kid...

  You know your kid is tired when you tell her to go upstairs and put her jammies on. You busy herself in the kitchen for a bit. Then you look over and see that she didn't even make it up the stairs!!! She fell asleep on the ground.

I could not make this up if I had to...

I saw this on the news this morning and was shocked that the newscaster kept a straight face while reporting this liitle gem...

Straight out of the Fresno Bee:

Burglar victims wake to spice rub, sausage attack

A burglar who broke into a home just east of Fresno rubbed food seasoning over the body of one of two men as they slept in their rooms and then used an 8-inch sausage to whack the other man on the face and head before running out of the house, Fresno County sheriff's deputies said Saturday.

Lt. Ian Burrimond, describing the crime as one of the strangest he's ever heard of, said a suspect was found hiding in a nearby field a few minutes later and taken into custody on suspicion of residential robbery.

Deputies, he said, had no problem linking the suspect to the crime.

Antonio Vasquez Jr.

"It seems the guy ran out of the house wearing only a T-shirt, boxer shorts and socks, leaving behind his wallet with his ID," Burrimond said.

Arrested was Antonio Vasquez Jr., 21, of Fresno.

Burrimond said deputies headed to the victims' home in the 300 block of South Thompson Avenue near Kings Canyon Road shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday regarding a burglary in progress.

The victims, both farmworkers, told deputies they were awakened by a stranger applying "Pappy's Seasoning" to one of them and striking the other with a sausage.

Both the spices and the sausage, Burrimond said, reportedly were obtained from the victims' kitchen.

After the man fled, the victims discovered the home had been ransacked and that some money was taken, Burrimond said.

Burrimond said the money was recovered, but that the piece of sausage used in the attack was discarded by the suspect and eaten by a dog.

"That's right, the dog ate the weapon," Burrimond said.

"I tell you, this was one weird case."

Unfounded mommy guilt

So I was feeling bad because I have to get Joey up early to take her to daycare and then the daycare van takes her to school. While her father lets her sleep in a bit and takes her right to her classroom door. So this morning I let her sleep in and I was going to take her to her classroom door (I had a meeting this morning so I could be “late” to work). So once she found out that I was taking her right to her class room she starts freaking out…It turns out that she LIKES riding in the daycare van!! Score one for working mommies!!!

I am old...So very old

I know this because I tried to watch the Mtv Music awards and I did not know who 80% of the people or songs were... The one that I did know and LOVE is PINK. You can check out her song "So What" here I just added this as a ring tone...

But really I am old, and woefully out of touch with today's youth apparently 

It is the simple things...

Just walked next door to Starbucks and grabbed my first Pumpkin Spice Steamer (a steamer is the same as a latte with no coffee, just milk) of the year!! Anyway I am hoping that Mother Nature takes notice of me enjoying a hot fall beverage and she will bring and end to the 95+ degree days...Do you hear me Mother Nature???? If Starbucks says it is fall then you had better fall in line!!

How many of you?

There are 305,037,025 people in the United States of America. If everyone in the U.S. lined up single file, the line would stretch around the Earth almost 7 times. That's a lot of people.

The U.S. Census Bureau statistics tell us that there are at least 88,799 different last names and 5,163 different first names in common use in the United States. Some names are more common than others.

There are 50,372 people named John Smith in the United States.  There are 1,066 people named James Bond, 115 people named Harry Potter, 512 people named George Bush and 32 people named Emily Dickinson . However, Johnny Cash (39 people) songs aside there are, statistically speaking, very few boys named Sue.

What about you? How many people share your name? Enter it here and find out how many of you there are.

Three days two nights...

...In Sacramento!!! For the long Labor Day weekend fifteen of us shipped to Sacramento. We were actually celebrating the year anniversary of when Nicole and Demogea because a family!

Day one – After work and dinner we shoved off from the old homestead to travel to that great big city to the north of us. I made a bad choice in starting Joey’s movie RIGHT as we left so that meant for the last hour of the ride all I heard was “How many more minutes?” and two minutes later “How many more minutes now” We were the second family to get there at about 8:30 so we gathered the kids that were there and headed to the POOL!!
After the long ride us adults needed/enjoyed some of the infused vodka that I had made. 

Day two - After breakfast at the hotel (free, yeah baby) we headed to Howe Park, to take advantage of the cooler weather the the delta brings.
Steve and two of his kids Elijah and Marlie
 

Just some neat cat tails that were along the creek

Later that afternoon we headed to Jerry's parents house, for food and more pool fun.
Joey and Lexi jumping in the pool
Nichelle serving some pitas (I think that is what they are called) Homemade by Jerry's mom. They are kind of like spanakopita but yummier

Next it was a trip back to the hotel to get changed to go to the Greek Festival. My oh my the food was so very yummy and the kids had fun watching and participating in the Greek dancing.
  I was really surprised when Joey went out there!!
This guy is OLD school Greek!!
  not a great picture of either one of us but, oh well
Nini (Nicole) and her dad (also Nichell's dad)

Then it was a LATE LATE trip to Leatherby's for some ice cream. I was too full from the Greek food to indulge.
But that did not stop Lexi and Joey.

Day Three - We all slept in after such an action packed Saturday. But after cleaning the sleep from our eyes we headed to Old Town Sacramento for Gold Rush Days They bring in over 200 tons of dirt for this event. All I have to say is the olden days were dirty and dusty!

Ever see a person play the Hurdy Gurdy? Here is what it sounded and looked like (from my cell phone):   Download 0831081141.3g2

We even took a wagon ride around Old Town. All Joey could talk about is how this is just like the Little House On the Prairie chapter books that we read each night.
The kids had fun in the 1850s school house, Joey thought it was pretty neat that they used chalk and little black boards and not pencils and paper.
Candy Heaven was the next stop for us and lemme tell you the kids about DIED!!! They give you can sample any/and all of the taffy that you want PLUS all the barrels that had blue signs you could also sample. So I told Joey that she could pick out any one thing from a blue barrel and her and Lexi both decided on a pixi stick (neither one of them had had them before) They pretty much loved it. Pure sugar, what's not to love?
We capped off the trip with a late late lunch. And the kids were GREAT considering we were there for over two hours.

That pretty much sums up the Labor Day happenings around here...We really had fun traveling with this group of people. We are already thinking about next year!

What would you do? (Version 2.0)

*warning cursing ahead…lots of cursing*

*This is a heavily edited version of an earlier post that I was asked to take down, not yet sure how I feel about that request, but oh well. I am not sure why I should have to change a post about the truth so someone else feels better or looks better, when I was not afforded that very same courtesy. But sometimes in life you just have to suck it up, …And in a way this is what this post is about…Sucking it up, and forcing it down.

What would you do if your then husband had been cheating on you for; well you don’t really know how long. So anyway, fast forward a few years and he is now living with said women in the house that you built, and you have to hear from your daughter all the time about how they do this, and they do that. Hearing all the time about how they sleep. And Daddy lets me stay up late, and eat bites (don't ask) and on and on and fucking on…. And what you really want to do (but never will cause, 1^st - she will find out in her own time, and on her own what happened.. 2^nd she loves her dad, and his girlfriend too I suppose. And 3^rd - come on, she is a kid, my kid, the material problems of parents, or shortcomings of fathers should NEVER be placed on your kids, I don't care if they are 3 or 53). So what you want to tell her is“I don’t care about the fun time you have on the boat (the boat that used to belong to your mother when she was a child) and by the way, that is the boat that when we went to Canada to visit friends your father and his girlfriend slept on when we were still WORKING on our marriage. And I had to hire a private detective to follow them to find out what was REALLY going on. So not only does that NOT make your dad the super cool, can do no wrong person you think he is, he is an adulterer and his girlfriend was/is (does/can a leopard change it's spots?) home wrecker.” But instead I encourage her to call them to say hi when they are out of town, and draw pictures for them at school, and bake cookies for them. And say how fucking great they are. And each time I say it I am forced to swallow a jagged, bitter pill with a smile on my face. It is enough to make someone want to go to that tribal scream therapy. Really…

They actually deserve each other. He is a man that cheated on his wife, and she is a woman that wanted to be with a man that is married. And what do you think the trust factor is like in THAT house? Time for the funniest part EVER….are you ready for this…They are BOTH Family Law attorneys…dear God if the unsuspecting public only knew...

I know this post is out of left field but I HAD to get it out. Just so you know this is not spite talking. I am SOOO much better off now then I was four years ago. And I know that I AM ENOUGH, I have great friends, a great job, a house of my own and a wonderful kid!

But I am really looking to see how other people deal with this issue if they have or are going through this. And if you are dealing with this you know you are not the only one.

….This brings to a close the rant of 2008...now back to my regular family friendly; my life is pretty great but boring blog!

Out of a hundred..

The list is from Very Good Taste on the 100 foods any self respecting omnivore should try at least once. Like to play along?
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile  
6. Black Pudding (never, blood and oatmeal...PASS)
7. Cheese fondue (Yes, Yes and Yes I love all things cheese)
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho (can't wait for winter, just for the pho)
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi (mmmm curry)
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses (see #7, said to be the stinkiest of all the cheeses)
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head Cheese (this ain't cheese my friend!)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (not the whole thing just a sliver)
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters (I can't belive that I have never had them...) 
29. Baklava
30. Bagna Cuda (I really do want to try this)
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (just had it on Saturday)
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float (love root beer and I love ice cream, hate root beer AND ice cream)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar 
37 Clotted Cream Tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (I am assuming they mean a jello shot...)
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole Insects 
43. Phaal
44. Goat's Milk (They make a good cheese so why not?)
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea Urchin 
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi (Thank goodness for wikipedia, as I did not know what this was)
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini (I make them extra dirty!)
58. Beer above 8% ABV 
59. Poutine (this is the one thing that I did not get to try when I was in Canada...Next time)
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads 
63. Kaolin (wha?)
64. Currywurst 
65. Durian (I am scared Andrew Zimmern could not even handle it)
66. Frog's Legs  
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings  
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe (sadly no green fairy)
74. Gjetost, or brunost (Hello it is cheese)
75. Roadkill (really?)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a 3-Michelin-Star Restaurant ( I WISH)   T
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse  
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake  

Kindergarten!!!

I just dropped Joey off for her first day of kindergarten. Her eyes were like saucers looking around the room. I was able to hold it together till a few of the OTHER kids started to cry as their mothers left. Joey was a little shell shocked…Just looking around. Thank goodness there are 4 kids in her class that she went to pre-school with, and another 3 in the other class, so at least she has a few built in friends. Kindergarten….where did the time go?

Just another Saturday...

…or so I thought. Yesterday, late morning Bill and I decided to ride to get bagels and sit and enjoy what was left of the morning with the paper. Then the plan was going to be, to the house to pretty much hang out all day it was going to be over 100 again so not much to do but that. However, first I wanted to run over to Cost Plus World Market to see if they had any large sealing glass jars (for some infused vodka that I want to make). While we were there Bill’s mom called and asked if we wanted to go to the coast with them for the day…HECK YES WE DO!!!! We high-tailed it home, dropped of the bikes, changed (grabbed sweatshirts HOORAY! That’s right we were going to need sweatshirts!)  hopped in the car and we were on the road by 1 o’clock.

Look at that temperature gage!! Already thirty degrees cooler then where we left!

By 3:30 we were in Morro Bay at the Outrigger Restaurant enjoying clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl and some of the yummiest garlic bread around. Not to mention the sea loins right outside the window, on the docks provided lots of entertainment.

After a great meal, Bill’s folks took the car ad drove over to Morro Rock, while Bill and I enjoyed a leisurely stroll, remarking on the wildlife (lots of otters, birds and sea lions), and enjoying the wonderful weather.

Once over on the rock side, it was off with my shoes and time to walk on the beach! The water was FREEZING…really really really cold. But of course the beach had people (mostly kids) in the water splashing around… I would understand this bit of craziness if it were 90 degrees there but it was in the high 60’s. After walking on the beach for awhile we decided to head over to Pismo to watch the sun set on the pier… (plus I had never been to Pismo)

Pismo Beach was a hot spot compared to Morro Bay. But with school in session or getting ready to be in session on Monday it was still pretty tame. There were lots of kids running around (made me miss, and wish Joey was there) Lots of hotels right on the beach… That is the part that I really  liked I could see myself on one of those balconies with a glass of wine watching the sun set and enjoying some bread and cheese…But then there is the city side…Kinda gritty… It has the same problem that befalls a lot of beach communities a little on the dirty side, however if you keep your eyes to the west you can’t go wrong!

We left town just as it got dark…Not the day that I expected…It was WAYYYY BETTER!!

Joey and Sissy

Poor Sissy when she is at Bill's parents house her days are spent napping and lazing around...However at our house she spends her time running from Joey...Being trapped in Joey's room with her...Hiding from Joey... And trying to not to be held by Joey. I think this picture pretty much sums it up...Can't you see the pleading look on poor Sissy's face.

50 Things About Me

1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes, as a matter of fact I feel bad for those that don't

2. Have you ever smoked a cigarette? Nope

3. Do you own a gun? No

4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? Cherry Lime-Aide

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No. Unless it is the dentist, I have an unnatural fear of the dentist.

6. Do you like hot-dogs? Sure

7. Favorite Christmas Song? Carol of the Bells

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Chai Latte

9. Can you do push-ups? Yes...how many?...Prolly twenty...I know it is sad...

10. What’s your favorite meal? Crab, lemon and garlic bread...HEAVEN

11. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? I don't have a favorite piece...

12. Favorite hobby? Eating or napping, it really is a tie...(asking to choose is like choosing between children, it just can't be done)

13. Do you work with people who idolize you? Idolize? What does that mean, I would say they appreciate me.

14. Name a trait that you hate about yourself? I have no self-control around food.

16. Middle name? Shai

17. Name 3 thoughts at this moment: Money (never enough) Food (what is for dinner?) Work (will I ever clean off my desk?)

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday: NOTHING!!!

19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? A&W Rootbeer, Pineapple Juice w/ Coconut Rum and Hard Cider

20. Current worry right now? The bag of cookies that I just ate

21. Current hate right now? The election, will it ever end? Two years of campaigning is too much!!

22. Favorite place to be? Having a drink with good people.

23. How did you bring in New Years? I had a "kids" party I was in bed by 11

24. Favorite place to go? Anyplace I can see moving water from.

25. Name three people who will complete this? NK - Oh this was an email...

26. Whose answer do you want to read the most? NK

27. What color shirt are you wearing? Red and White

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I have never slept on them... I would imagine them to be slippery

29. Can you whistle? Not very well...okay no

30. Favorite color(s)? Don't have one.

31. Would you be a pirate? I could

32. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't...

33. Favorite girl’s name? Petti May

34. Favorite boy’s name? Satchel

35. What’s in your pocket right now? Nothing

36. Last thing that made you laugh? I am sure it was something wholly immature on the internet

37. Bed sheets as a child? I don't even know what this means...

38. Worst injury you’ve ever had? Severed achilles tendon

39. Do you love where you live? Yes, the only think that is missing is family

40. How many tv’s are in your house? Please don't judge... 6

41. Who is your loudest friend? Nicole

42. How many dogs do you have? None

43. Does someone have a crush on you? I sure hope so!

45. What is your favorite book? Where the Sidewalk Ends (no other book has been read as often)

46. What is your favorite candy? Hearshy Bar with Almonds

47. What is your favorite sports team? Nebraska Cornhuskers Football - GO BIG RED!

48. What song do you want played at your funeral? Gone too soon... I am not going to say who it is by 'cause you will judge...really you will

49. What were you doing at 12 AM last night? Did you read #12

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning? What is that sound? Oh that is the alarm clock...bah