anticipation

that anxious face is trying to be patient!

Today Meme (Marian for those who aren't grand kids or nieces), got Jocie her birthday present. Well maybe we were just as excited as she was since Dave put it together immediately!

There may have been a few snags.... such as sharing tools with Jojo, but it was worth the wait. She ran around and screamed at the top of her lungs waiting. I think she may be on the short side since it is for ages 1 1/2 to 3 and her legs can't reach the pedals and tip toes barely touch the floor.

THANK YOU MEME!

consolation prize

after my peanut butter cookie dough ice cream with reese's puff ceareal and whip cream, I feel a little better.

maybe a little sick.

on the other hand, here is a breakfast idea for Talmage. enjoy

(what? peanut butter is protien and milk is calcium - don't knock it)

you would cry too, if it happened to you

When Rachel started watching Jocie at 2 months old we told her "if she does anything for the first time here - DON'T TELL US". Because of that rule we always got to see her rollover first, scoot, crawl and talk. We know we were living a lie, but that's the way we needed it to be.

When our wonderful nieces Courtenay and Brittany offered to watch Jojo tonight (family dinner was canceled - everyone was out of town, or on dates or at work so we took advantage.... anyway not my point) so we could go on a date. Heck yes. When they got here they asked us if there was any new routines. (I was getting ready and didn't know this part). Dave told the girls that for the last few weeks before she goes to be we sit her on her Dora potty naked and try to encourage the fun of potty time, she doesn't get it and has never gone but it's what we are trying. (ok maybe that's not how he put it, but I'm typing furiously because I'm so..... anyway).

We went on our date, dinner and a movie. Right as the previews ended and the movie was beginning my cell started vibrating. This is the text: Courtenay - It's Jojo's bed time so we sat her on the potty for 5 min and she went!

I did all I could to fight back the tears! I know I'm being ridiculous, but Dave and I were so upset. It's not fair. There really isn't that many perks to being a parent. You put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears - not to mentions time on these kids - the least they could do is potty for their parents FIRST!!!!

We would have never understood this feeling 2 years ago. It would have been impossible. We love this child so much, that this is our reaction to going potty! WOW, parenting is a roller coaster.

(NOT FROM ACTUAL EVENTS-Just warming the seat up)

A year ago she was a week away from turning one. She literally started walking. She could say
"thank you" and "sup" (which means cup and hasn't changed in a year)

Now a year later, she can tell you what sound a cow and fish make, she LOVES Nemo and Dora. She knows you sniff a flower after it is identified as one. It took the entire year for her to give in to saying the hardest word of all "PLEASE", that was a struggle. (Yet she could say cheese for such a long time before that.... hum). Any letter or number can be identified.... as a 2. She can spot the moon in a flash, she can open a pudding cup with a butcher knife. She has taken on a maternal feeling for her blue baby doll, with stroller rides, sharing her sup and fruit snacks. She knows Papa and Mama usually have something to do that involves water. She knows the difference between and airplane and a truck. OH ya, and she can say POOP! But she still won't say CUP.

Now we can add first potty in the Dora potty chair as an accomplishment. Congrats baby girl, your dad and I are very proud of you! We wish we would have been there, but you know we will always be here when it counts.

You are such a grown up girl, I can't believe how you run this house at 2. We love you and hope you have a wonderful 2nd year with us!

celebrating (the terrible 2s) early

since mom and dad were both off this week they have used their vacation to spend time with us! They have brought dinner to a different family's house each night and spent good ol' quality time with them. We got to have dinner with them tonight. THANK YOU BOTH, Panda Express was awesome.... just wish there was a little less screaming during the dinner conversation!

They even took it a step farther by taking Jocie for the day to celebrate her birthday next week. She will be 2 on the 4th of July and is . . . . um a little moody and temperamental. We said SURE, take her for the week - but they felt a day would be just the right amount of time.

It was reported, with pictures to back it up, that she was an angel most the day. Sure she didn't want lunch, but she did want cookies. Sure they took her to the splash pad, and all she wanted was to swing on the 111 degree swings. Sure she had Mom mom (grandma), Papa, and Uncle Austin at her disposal to play and have fun with in the water, and all she wanted was to greet the other people and run away (mostly to the burning swings). Sure they planned the day so they could get her back to the house for a nap, but she decided a quick 15 in the car would be just as good.

THIS CHILD HAS A ONE TRACK MIND! - if only we were privy to the map.....

At dinner tonight Mom/Grandma said that she never had a child like this that would just literally RUN away without so much as a backwards glance. It's true, I have no other children to compare her to, but she is going to give me a heart attack one of these days. And to think Dave was not happy with me for buying her a leash.

Thank you Mom and Dad for a wonderful dinner tonight, and a fantastic day with your grandaughter. She had a blast......

I know this because from the time she came home she screamed and cried like someone was doing physical harm to her. At 7:30 when we were all close to loosing our minds we put her down. NOT A PEEP. You guys really wore her out!

We LOVE YOU!

the return of fun monday

this year for mom's birthday we got her a gift certificate for a mannie and a peddie.

HOWEVER we know our mom and she doesn't want to go by herself... so we sacrificed our footsies (what caring daughters!) and all went together.

THE RETURN OF FUN MONDAY!!! We used to do fun things on Mondays... a long long time ago - BC (before our wonderful timeconsuming children ran our lives)

as always childcare proved to be trickier than we planned, but Papa and the boys came through and we all made it!

thanks for a fun time girls! Sorry I didn't get a picture of meg dropping (and shattering) the pretty pink nail polish - but I'm pretty sure she left a lasting impression!

my super hero powers- in response to meg's SMYL

-half sexy lady/half computer -
my super hero body would make the spice girls envy me, I'd be physically invincible! On the inside I would have an 800 gig memory with extreme anti virus protection. If you needed to know it - I'M YOUR GIRL! Don't worry I'll take care of you because I NEVER get sick!

Oh ya, and did I mention my power to have fabulous boots in my closet just by wiggling my nose???

g is for : girl gardening in green glasses

Jocie is our garden girl! She is so helpful outside when we work in the backyard. She loves to be outside, the more water the better. No one else is allowed to touch the broom when she is busy in the yard, and she would prefer that she did all the watering with the hose.

I love to see Jojo playing and entertaining herself! She has no problem sitting on a pile of dirt and scooping it from one pile to another, or getting together a collection of rocks and dirt clods in her watering pail. We think she is so smart and love to see her discover new things and tell us all about them. Well, I know she is telling us about them, just not in English exactly.

Jojo knows which flowers she is allowed to pick and loves to take time to smell anything that's growing. In the front yard she likes to bend down to the tiny baby palm trees and sniff them. Her dad taught her that most anything of that flora family is a flower and should be properly smelled. Dad also taught her where the tomatoes are and she can even attempt to say it!

When that camera is out she turns into a cheesy little girl. She can be throwing a dying fit and then instantly can smile in the midst of it if there is a flash. CHEESE!
I know as a mom that I don't have a guide book for her or even sure half the time what she wants, but when we are in the garden things seem to be alright. I hope that maybe this will be a good setting to learn about patience, life, growing and loving care for those things around us.

gaga for glads!

we finally have flowers blooming - not from starter plants, from seeds and bulbs! We woke up this morning to a beautiful overcast day and our first gladiolus and sunflower! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

these are a few of my favorite things....

I know I know, "PEOPLE FIRST, THEN MONEY, THEN THINGS" that's Suze Ormans mantra. But Megan asked for a list of my favorite THINGS - so let it be said ALL my people come first!

• my iPod Stella
• A BARGAIN!
• macaroni and cheese
• Basha's birthday cake with frosting (real frosting)
• the Nueva Ring
• Diet Dr. Pepper
• cut and color by Rhonda
• my garden
• did I mention A BARGAIN?
• creating - anything
• the Sweet Escape album
• my vinyl plotter
• designing - interior, exterior, what d ya got?
• Q-tips
• Nioxin shampoo and conditioner
• my pink Crocs
• my handbag Coco
• Mary Kay bronze eyeliner
• clean sheets - as high a thread count as you can go baby!!!
• Welbutrin
• Hostess yellow cupcakes
• Mexican food
• padded bras
• the Furminator
• 75% off clearance price
• the whole Stephanie Plum series
• the Office
• any ol razor, as long as it's NEW

I think that's a good start, I said just a few.

there's a new Sheriff in town:

I'd like you all to meet my brother Curt. He firmly believes that you get more respect the more facial hair you have....

so Curt, this is dedicated to YOU!

http://www.petmoustache.com/singing_telegram.html?hash=6cde738c7a6ed7e090b052fc7a871ad8

my life on the d-list

thank heavens for Kathy Griffin! We are going to see her in a few weeks and I can't WAIT!

I decided a week and a half ago that I was going to think positive - you know "send it out there and it will come back".

I DON'T WANT IT BACK ANYMORE! Is it inherently in my genes that if I go against nature and try and be POSITIVE all the time that my world will crumble? That my customers will rebel and murder my character? That I will take in stray animals I can't find homes for? Everyone has gone NUTS!

Today was an exceptionally terrible day (crazy old lady sent me full page typed letter calling me names and accusing me of atrocities done to her dog...) I'm not going to lie, I pouted .... a lot, more than normal. She hurt my feelings.

So B calls and says that Kathy has a new stand up act on Bravo tonight and her show starts! Well I guess I could try and enjoy it....

I am back! If Kathy doesn't care what people think, do and say - why do I? I'm not in the news paper or discussed by the paparazzi, I just have a few crazy clingons. who doesn't? right?

I would like to quote Lindsey Lohan and tell Kathy "I'm not worthy!" Thanks for the laugh!!

dog needs good home, or else

he has to live with me!

I have an elderly customer I really like and she was just accepted to assisted living in Texas. To say the least she can't bring her dog. I wanted to help and be nice. I listed him on Craigslist.com a bizzillion times and people are always interested and then fall off the face of the planet.

So I told her that if he's not adopted by Friday I would take him until I could find him a home. She called this morning and wondered if I could come get him tomorrow.

Why Why Why do I offer to do things?

Mattie will kick his butt the first chance she gets, and then he will get nervous poo all over my house.

Anyone want a dog??? http://phoenix.craigslist.org/pet/343064699.html

super quad sunday

Today was the quad's 3rd birthday party at Makutu's Island in Chandler. What a cool place, just as much fun for adults as the kids! I went down the slides with Kirstyn, Dave and Jocie! All the kids have sure grown A LOT in a year!

Barb looked hot as always and manages all these kids and people like it was no big deal. She's my idol, I would flip my lid! Oh did I mention she has a cracked rib too??? WOW!

Jocie was really a trooper today, barely a nap and what a sweet girl. She was running around Makutu's like she was being chased by the police. SHE HAS NO FEAR OF ANYTHING! Dave followed her around to make sure she didn't try anything too scary.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIDS!!!!

It was great to finallllly meet B's Grandma, she is neat, I really liked her. Special shout outs to B, Connie and Jane, it was so good to spend a little time with you today! I love my homegirls!!


Two hot sistas

Jane is officially the air hockey champ!!!

oh how our garden grows

This spring we finally acknowledged that we have a backyard. It was weedville
and was a lot of work to get down to the dirt.

Slowly we started planting seeds and plants. Thanks to Rhonda, the Garden Guy and COMPOST (love it!!!) our yard is really shaping up. We have a lot of plans still to complete the yard, but financing is standing in the way for now.

I love gardening, and I love that Dave and Jocie like to be outside and help me. We got Jojo some plastic garden tools and she beats the heck out of them. Poor Dave has to do all the hard work, like digging holes with a pick. Actually I take that back, I think he feels manly when he gets to use the pick. Maybe it's not that bad.

We love spending time together in our half dirt half garden paradise and would stay out there all the time if we could. I think that this new connection with nature may be making us healthier??? We cook at home and head outside almost every night (no eating out - ) and usually start working on some project instead of watching TV. We all get dirty and have a great time.

I even got a silly cheap hammock at a yard sale and it's great. Jojo always wants us to "wing wing wing" her in it. Poor Makayla was our first official head injury in the hammock. SHOCKING I know, you all thought it would be Matt Matt.

Cucumber

baby Pumpkin

Dave's pride and joy - Peppers!