Home Sweet Home

Wow...so I had another amazing trip with my family to another Red Had convention, where we dressed up in rhinestones and feather boas and hats....and actually looked normal. Pictures to come with some comments.

I came home to a house decorated with balloons and a homemade icecream cake. Hayden was so excited about decorating and giving me gifts. He gave me a compass he earned in cub scouts because he just wanted to be able to give me a gift. How sweet! Now I'll be sure to always find my way home... just as soon as I learn how to use it. I'm sure Hayden could teach me. I gave him a Star Wars car and a Pirates of the Caribbean hat... he seemed overly joyed, but it could have been the moment. I also spent so much money in downtown Disney that I bought a rolling duffel bag for $20... which is now his. He used it to cart his toys to grandma's that very day. However, he also figured out another use for it... while putting things away in his room I noticed he had put away all his clean clothes just like he was asked. At least I thought. I found his new duffel bag and noticed it was quite full... of all his clean clothes. Clever little guy! Ha ha....

My loving parents actually took this week off and are helping us install wood floors. Yeah! Carpet is nice, but I miss my old floors and these look beautiful. So, while Jonathan and my dad are working very hard, my mom and I are helping intermittently while entertaining Zoe and making dinner. Zoe, BTW, is actually very easy and only once stepped in the glue... on purpose. She changes her clothes about 9 times a day, each time with a different dress up outfit on (and new "unders" as she calls them)... tutus, princess dresses, old Easter dresses, princess wands and tiaras, and even capes, etc. It's quite a show, but then the clothes don't quite make it back to her room so we include clean up in our duties as well.

One last thing.... each night we pray with the kiddos before going to bed. Tonight I caught Zoe praying by herself and thanking God for "Zoe, Mommy, Daddy, Yay-Yay (Hayden), and Mama and Papa (Grandma and Grandpa), AMEN!" How cute!!!

So tired...

Just had to share this.... I went to check on Zoe, as usual, before I went to bed to make sure she's ok. Many times she puts on new pajamas... her new thing instead of coming out multiple times (yeah). What I saw this time was by far the best... I walk in and there she is STANDING by her bed with her head laying on her arms and she's totally ASLEEP. Ha ha. It was a little freaky to see at first... like something out of a movie, and then the baby looks up with a horror face. Well, that didn't happen. I did have to change her out of her winter pajamas that she's so fond of lately, then, shhhhh, I put her in my bed to keep me company. He, he. She never sleeps with us, so it was a treat. Off to more packing for some pink and lavender and red and purple fun.

What happens in Las Vegas... I mean Orlando....

So, it was a girl day today, as will tomorrow be. Jonathan and Hayden are off camping in Flagstaff so it's the girls left in a house that has weird noises when Jonathan's not around... and I'm a stinkin' scaredy cat when in comes to being by myself. I'm half tempted to cart Zoe from her bed and put her next to me in bed. :)

Speaking of Zoe... oh my gosh... do I just love her. She is so adorable and exhausting and lovable at the same time. Everything is an adventure with her and life is just so enjoyable with her around. We went shopping today in search of wood floors, and wound up with a new "simming soup" (swimming suit). Which, BTW, her little buns look so cute in. We went to .... Costco. Wow, what a fabulous place... food samples, simming soups, recliners, rugs, wood floors :), and anything you want. Love it!

Anyway, I have one more day here in the blistering heat before I venture across the country for four days to another place with heat plus humidity. Orlando!! Yes, I'll be joining the over 50 crowd for my fourth annual Red Hat Convention where I get to sport my pink hats and lavender rags, accompanied by my mom, grandma, Phoenix aunt, St. Louis aunt, and my cousin. I gotta say, best fun ever. Those ladies know how to par-ty and I get to join in the fun, silly hats and all. Here's a few shots from the last few years... and don't worry, I'll get more this go-around for all of you in awe of my fashion sense in pink and lavender.

This is last year in Nashville... aw, yeah.... or shall I say, yee-haw. (Cheryl was busy having a baby... whatever)

This is the great city of St. Louis in 2006, home to my Aunt Donna. Made those dresses ourselves, might I add... we were hot! Notice my awesome fishnet stockings in hot pink.

Viva Las Vegas 2005... the best one yet. Notice the baby bump (and how tall I am compared to my family)... even Zoe was there. This is the Pajama Breakfast. And yes, that would be the Cheshire Cat on Cheryl's and my head. If you think we look outrageous, think again... we look quite tame compared to some of the ladies.

As you can see, wild times await. So, while you are all home lounging on the couch or doing laundry or making grocery lists, think of me and my crazy family while we are out dressing ridiculously fabulous and having a blast... Like I said, I'm sure you are waiting with baited breath for those pictures to come.

Happy Dad's Day

Jonathan and I are lucky to have both our dads here in town, and so close! We just had a very tasty BBQ in honor of our great dads. Growing up, my dad was my hero. He knew everything (later I found out he made a lot of it up..lol), could do everything, and ..well... is the best dad ever. Thank you for everything...from your rationalizations to your sense of humor, your straight talk yet light heartedness, your hugs, kisses, and support through everything. I love you!

I gotta say, though, that I have to give a shout out to my mom, because on Mother's Day she and I were painting my house and I forgot to blog... So, here's to my mom. Whose strength and courage are an inspiration, her love and support a model for my own children, and to top it off - a fabulous grandmother and beautiful to boot. Thank you mom for being my mom and my friend. I love the time we spend together and I love you!

And of course, there is.... the one and only... Jonathan.
Thank you for showing our kids how to laugh, to always have fun in any circumstance, to love, to share, for the hugs, the kisses, the laughs, and the joy you bring to their lives... and of course mine.

Lava Caves

Just an update on our mini trip to Flagstaff... we were able to make it to the end and back in the Lava River Caves with Jonathan's dad. I've been a couple times before that but it's always interesting to go. And his dad had never gone so it was fun to be with a "newby".

Also, I was able to meet up with some old friends.... yeah Jolene... and catch up a little. Good times...

Gym and Potty Update

For those of you hanging on my every word... ok, maybe it's just me... I have some updates. I've made it to the gym as opposed to not making it. I won't say how often, but I've gone. :)

And, two days in a row Zoe's used the potty for number 2. Woo hoo! We've switched to stickers, in case any of you were worried about cavities, hemorrhoids, or childhood obesity caused by food rewards.

Well, enough random posts... I'm off to enjoy the weather and ducks. :)

Shop till you drop

Zoe and I headed out on Tuesday with Kim and Baby Jude, whom Zoe just loves to help with. We made our way across town to Ikea where we bought cheap things, some for no reason... how are those hanging do-dads for Jude's room Kim? Then to Mickey D's for some wholesome fast food, don't forget the ice cream. Last stop was Hobby Lobby, where we hit the jackpot. What a fantabulous store, and Zoe was a trooper through it all. She only ran out of the store once, then of course was confined to the cart, and picked up quite a few breakable items before that. Ahh... mom of the year. I talked Kim in to buying way to much, and so did I. We have a return trip scheduled soon.

For the love of summer... a great reason to be a teacher. Yet Kim is leaving us to be a stay at home mom... I'm slightly envious.... and to persue her dream of "faux-tography"... ha ha.... Ok, so she's better than that, but that's our business name next go around.

Flagstaff

We are visiting Flagstaff at this very moment. I forgot how beautiful this place was... having lived here you get used to it and then when you see Phoenix the memory comes back full force. It's 75 degrees here and I'm comfortable in pants. How nice! We are staying at a house that backs up the Fairfield Golf Course... there's a pond with ducks. Zoe is totally at home here - naked of course - and loves to feed the ducks.

I grew up here and there are a ton of great memories.... from junior high through college. Go Jacks! Hmmm... haven't done much yet so more to come. Perhaps the lava tubes tomorrow, but I can't really see Zoe trekking through those. :)

I truly feel blessed to have my Zoe, my Hayden, and my outrageous husband. Hayden had to go back to his mom's... sad times!... and Jonathan worked the Kanye concert tonight. I really don't have a clue who he is... I know, lame. Zoe and I had a girls' night and rented Barbie Mariposa. Jonathan got her hooked on Barbie movies (you'd think it would be me since I'm the girl, but props to him), and I'm hooked on Redbox rentals. Only a dollar! Make you holler! Ha ha.. anyway. I rented Juno. Oh my gosh... what a cute movie. It's a must see. I'm a little behind the times with movies so I'm sure many have seen it, or even saw it in the theater, but I'm catching up. I did see Kung Fu Panda though on opening day... oh, yeah. Anyway, back to Juno. She gives her baby up for adoption, being she's only 16, after seeing an ad in the paper. Hmm... I keep telling Jonathan we should adopt... maybe I'll sneak an ad into the West Valley View. Keep an eye out for Desperately Seeking Spawn.

It got me to thinking about Daisy. What coulda, woulda, and shoulda (in my opinion) been. I so wanted girls, sisters, another baby. A friend mentioned that not all things happen for a reason, that some things just happen. At first I agreed, but then after thinking about it I'm not so sure. If what happened with Daisy just happened, then that makes it even worse. If I can rest in the belief that God let it happen for a reason, then I can have some hope. For what reason, I can't fathom because my mind can't grasp it, but there has to be a reason. How can some things have a reason, and others not? Daisy is my first question when I see Him face to face.

Things I want to remember about Zoe today:
1. When I lay next to her and she puts her arm around me and says "That's my mommy"
2. When she says "I lub you"
3. How she nods when she's eating something she likes
4. How she runs and gives Hayden a hug after he wakes up
5. Her excitement about the little things
6. Her love of mirrors and seeing herself in them
7. How she looks in a tutu (this is a daily occurrence)
8. Her innocence
9. How she speaks

Things I want to remember about Hayden today:
1. His love of boy days with Dad
2. How much he loves Zoe
3. His innocence
4. When he plays in the blue Ikea tunnel and acts like a caterpillar
5. His imagination
6. His high negativity for such a little guy (seriously, glass is half empty)
7. His random made up Spanish songs he sings (somewhat annoying)

Things I want to remember about Jonathan today:
1. His sense of humor is odd :)
2. When he puts his arm around me in church
3. His love of our children and his wrestling techniques
4. He likes my orange dress
5. He knows nothing about sports... maybe a little hockey, but that was unavoidable
6. How excited he gets about random things... blowing things up, the Goodyear Lights :), using concussion powder in front of our house... that was fun
7. That he puts up with me ... it's mutual... ha ha

Ok... enough random thoughts... too late for this. Off to dream land.

Bring It On

Seriously... it's 9:19pm and my dear little girl is still awake. This is how it's been for the last week. We put her to bed at a nice summer bedtime of 8:00 ish... And she gets up. And she gets up. And she gets up....you get the picture. She ends up finally staying in her bed close to 9:30 or 10:00. Is this normal? To top it all off, she didn't even take a nap today. We tried for almost 2 hours... plus she swam this morning for about an hour and this evening. I hoped it would tire her out. Nope... did nothing of the sort and she's still going strong at 9:21. There has to be something wrong. Right? Maybe I should reintroduce the crib. Or restraining straps... ha ha. Just kidding... Suggestions? Seriously.

She doesn't follow most rules though... she's a beautiful child and brings tears to my eyes some days because I'm so happy she's mine. She's my miracle baby. But she laughs in the face of danger. "Do you want to go to time out?" Her head nods. "Spanking?" Bring it on, she thinks. Wow, those teen years look a little daunting.

...9:26pm with new pajamas on...

Hayden comes along and acts like he's in charge. "I'll take care of it." He walks over and tells her what we would tell her, in the same voice in fact. She listens to him like she does us. At first it's all good, then back to the same old, same old....

9:33pm with new binky...

Speaking of swimming (remember?) the kids are fish! Hayden's eyes turn out red because he's under water more than above it. Zoe has been introduced to the He-man swimsuit with floaties and doesn't need us anymore. It's great!

9:38pm walking around with her eyes closed....

One of Hayden's many rediscovered talents since school is out and summer is upon us.

Ahhh... Do you smell the aroma?

Here it is.. one of my indulgences that makes mornings okay. Add a little creamer and artificial sweetener, and there you go. It's best in my Starbucks mug from Tammy. Thanks Tibbetts! Yes, that's actually my mug with my coffee. I wanted all to get the real picture. I missed my coffee this morning, but I did make it to the gym. Can I get a woo hoo? I actually had to slow down on the stairs back to my car because my legs wouldn't stop shaking. I still haven't caught my breath... looking forward to waking up tomorrow and doing nothing (because I won't be able to move) and drinking.... my coffee. There are a few other indulgences that make mornings fabulous on this page... do you see them?

Had to share this... undoubtedly something she learned from her dad and brother. Yes... it's underwear.

Dum Dum...s

If anyone knows Zoe, then you are aware of her naked tendencies. She loves to bare it all and it's a struggle to keep clothes on, even in public. Thus the reason for her early potty training last summer. We couldn't keep a diaper on her so we put out a potty and said go for it. She's been doing fabulous ever since, except for the poop. Yep, she only wants the diaper for that. Hmm... this has been going on for quite some time. I became desperate and told her that if she uses the potty, then I'll give her a dum dum. Wow, worked like magic the first two days. Now, not so much. However, she has a memory like any two year old does and remembers those dum dums, and it's now quite possible that she'll be the youngest human to have hemorrhoids. All for those dum dums... what a dum dum I am. Diaper, you ask? Yes, she still wants those even though she tries like crazy on the potty. One step closer, right?

The latest...

Wow, I started this blog and then forgot all about it in the midst of packing, unpacking, moving, painting, of course swimming, etc. The house is coming together... painting is now only needed in small areas, plus my room which may have to wait. My kitchen is just about totally decorated, thanks to my talented mom. Couldn't have done it without her!

I just finished my required (per arizona) 45 hours of SEI training for ELL students last week and am now enjoying the house even more... summer has finally started for me. I'm looking forward to ... well, doing not much of anything. I leave for the Red Hat society convention... can't wait... in a few weeks. It's in Orlando, but unfortunately skipping Disneyworld. We're shooting for Disneyland instead... not sure when though.

So, after my friend Leslie has been bugging me for year to join the bigger than Life...Time Fitness, I finally did. I walked in and actually joined, and while doing so an unnamed student's dad gave me a gift card to the Life Spa... so it was meant to be. And, I am proud to say that I've actually gone to two classes over the past few days, which sadly to say is more than I've done all year. Ha, ha. Seriously! The kids get to go swimming too, and even though we have a pool here at the new house it's fun to venture out. I haven't tried leaving Zoe in the child's center yet, but some day... maybe with her BFF Brody.