Bling.

Seriously... someone stop me. Take away the glue and the rhinestones, because I think I have inhaled way too much of the fumes. For my crafty Be-dazzling loving friends... I used the 16ss... Crystal, Black Diamond, and Indian Sapphire... in rows of 3. They don't sparkle as much as the big 20ss Cyrstals, but I like the look alot better.

Easily Amused...

Mr. Man (who we love and adore, because he does the laundry) had the unfortunate experience of having the washer both smoke and flood the laundry room at the same time last Saturday. Since, I'm a loving and devoted wife, I went out and bought him a new machine, which was delivered this morning. My main requirement.... it had to have a window.... for precisely the entertainment value it would provide. I wish Mr. Man would take the day off from work, there is a MOUNTAIN of laundry for him to do!

Who is this crafty lady?

I have no idea what has gotten into me. All of a sudden, I'm putting rhinestones all over everything, I have made AK a bunch of beaded bracelets, and then tonight I just got so frustrated drooling over hairbows over at ETSY , that I took one of AK's ribbons apart, just to figure out how they made it. Then I dug into my giant drawer of ribbons (seriously, it's a full dresser drawer of ribbon) and went to town. I even heated up a glue gun. Then as I went to check on the wee ones, I found this... She has slept like this every night since she was 3 months old.
Then I found Mr. Boy, behind a wall of stuffed animals who are apparently standing guard as he sleeps.

Also, just gotta post a pic of Mr. Boy's buddy. He spent the afternoon with us, and together they are all boy, cracking each other up by saying "You tooted" "No, You tooted, you big tooty-head". And then they would fall over in a fit of giggles.

Mr. Man is going to be mortified....

Even more so, when he finds out that Mr. Boy picked out the nailpolish at the store... Hot Pink and Blue.

AK got hers hands done too, however she picked a pale purple for hers.

The constant inner struggle of each day...

Each day I go into work or meet with my clients, I think "wow, I LOVE this or them, what a great day!" Then I think, "Oh man, I want to work more!". Then I have days like today, and I think "Oh, I just want to be a stay at home mom, I LOVE this!"

Today, the sun is out, it is GORGEOUS!! All my windows are open, and it's just one of those days where you want to wrap your arms around Southern California and say, "Thank you! I love you!"

Mr. Boy's class lead chapel today, and they invited the families to come and worship with them. I haven't gone before, but since I was hearing all about the cool program from Mr. Boy, I decided to go. Let me back up a bit... Mr. Boy attends a fantastic preschool, that is just perfect for our family. I know moms can get into an all out brawl over whose preschool is the best, but I know for us, this preschool is the right thing for our family. It's a religous preschool, and it's got a lot of religous teachings going on which I'm fine with. Most of the time I enjoy it, some of the time, I find myself silently uttering a prayer "please please don't let Mr. Boy start clapping and shouting Hallelujah or Praise the Lord" when the movie comes on at the theater.

Anyway, so Mr. Boy was so excited that I came today for Chapel. Today they were acting out the creation. First he was going to be the "light and dark", but they had a last minute change and he was moved over to "Birds & Fishes" which he thought was way cooler.

Then after the creation story, they sang "Whole World in his Hands" song. It was pretty funny, and Mr. Boy kept shouting over to me.... "Hey Mom, do you like the part where we sing about the Mamas & the Papas in his hands?"

I've never seen this kid put more effort into singing a song. He sang loud and with a smile the whole time!

So, after Chapel was over, we hit the Farmers Market. The strawberries there are so sweet! Mr. Boy normally won't eat them, but after trying a sample, we ate them the whole way home and had a giant bowl for lunch.

I couldn't resist taking a pic of those gorgeous strawberries! We also bought some plants at the market for our garden, and whipped up a batch of Strawberry Shakes. On the left are my favorite invention for fruits and vegetables, they are called FridgeSmart and they are made by Tupperware. They were introduced to me about 10 years ago, and I cannot live without them. (I swear I get $0 for all the things I endorse, however, I'm open to the idea! )

In other news, it's basketball tournament time for Mr. Man, so we are staying out way too late to watch him play. The kids love it and ask on the way home... "Is it the middle of the night?" I always say yes, and they think it is so awesome to be able stay up late. Also, Sonic & Ruff Ruff, the catepillars we raised, have come out of their "canoons" and we released them into the wild.

Praise for the Sparkly Flip Flop!

I've got a bit of a shoe thing.... some might say there is a 12 step program out there for me, but I'm perfectly happy with my little shoe habit.

I saw these fab flipflops at Kitson a while ago. I couldn't stop thinking about them. I've seen knockoffs, but they just don't sparkle like the originals. So my fabulous-flip-flop-loving pal Beth, is crafty and "in the know". Apparently the secret to the fabulous sparkle is Swarovski Crystals. She's got a "guy" that's got the goods to make these. So, I decided to give them a shot. I used the bigger crystals, but I'm loving the way it looks. Super Sparkly! I think it gives a bit-o-fab to some dowdy flip flops. I'm really nervous that I'm going to get addicted to putting rhinestones on everything. Next thing you know, I'll have a Bedazzler and an awful denim jacket with a rhinestone eagle and matching cowboy hat. If that happens to me, will you promise to put me on my new favorite show Intervention!?

I'm thinking of having a flip flop party for anyone who wants to bling their flip flops.. anyone interested?

AK Day!!

It's AK Day at our house, and AK could not be more shocked!!

AK is all into being pampered, so she took a leisurely bubble bath and had her toes painted.She then watched her favorite show "Durious Deorge". She got a brand new outfit, complete with sparkly shoes, and posed for a few pics! We've played on the slides and then hit "tumble time" at the gym, while I rode 14 miles on the bike. (Training for a new race!) I'm grateful for the opportunity to have these one-on-one days to reconnect with my wee ones.

PS Do any of you know how to make cute hair bows?

And I'm back!

Yesterday ended tax season... I believe it was my 11th busy season.

Last night was the big Champagne Celebratory dinner toasting another year of success. I truly love what I do, I have been very blessed with my practice. It is EXACTLY what I want.

Today is my "Mr. Boy Day". I picked him up early for school and we went out together for some errands mixed with lots of treats and playtime. We hit the mall, and gave the local economy a boost. I let him pick out some new clothes, and he picked up some super soft pajama pants and exclaimed, "Mom, these 'jamas' are as soft as brand new kittens! Can we get them?" It made me laugh out loud, and yes, we got them.

Tommorrow is "AK Day".

God Speed My Friend, God Speed...

It was quite the traumatic weekend for the family. My previous post was inspired, as we lost a member of our family this weekend.

Mr. Boy trying to bargain a better deal with Mr. Man

It was the annual neighborhood garage sale on Saturday morning. Mr. Man and I had thoroughly cleaned out the house in preparation. During the last hour the kids joined us outside, and after putting Buzz Lightyear and Roller Hand back into the house 4 different times during the hour, somehow... Roller Hand went missing. I would like to think that she was taken by accident and not swiped somehow, because I'd like to have more faith in humanity.

The kids at the garage sale prior to "the incident"

The next two hours were spent tearing the house apart looking for Roller Hand, while AK wandered around in tears saying "Baby Roller Hand where are you?". We gave up after exhausting every possible option. The next hour we poured through birthday pictures from AK's first birthday, enlarging, zooming, in an attempt to try and read the label on Roller Hand's box. Then an internet search for every available retailer of that brand. Original Roller Hand was discontinued replaced by version 2.0 which includes a mouth that accomadates a pacifier. I never in my life thought that I would feel that much panic and desperation over a toy!


Mr. Man and I tried to break the bad news to AK, "Roller Hand is gone, would you like a new baby?" Her answer was No.... repeatedly. So, we decided to take her to get the new baby, and see if picking it out would help. She insisted on carrying the enormous box through the whole store, on the way home, and into the house.
After she had acquainted herself with the new baby, she only asked for her other baby one other time. Later that evening we asked AK, "What is your baby's name?" and she looked long and hard at the new baby and said... "Baby Roller Hand". Welcome Baby Roller Hand 2.0 to our family, and God Speed the Original Roller Hand.

AK with Roller Hand 2.0... notice the new baby's clothes are already taken off. All is Well. Phew!

Baby Roller Hand

So, AK is adorable we all know that, no one dares argue that fact. She constantly cracks us up with her AK-isms. She has a big heart, and constantly will mother anyone around her. On her first birthday my friend Bob got her a baby doll. We were shocked when AK, who couldn't even walk at the time, snatched it up and gave it a kiss. She rocked her baby, fed her "ba ba's", ring around the rosie'd with her and wrapped her in blankies. There was a constant thunk thunk sound as AK dragged her baby around by one arm as she crawled around the house. We asked AK several months ago "what was "baby's name?" She responded with "Roller Hand". We kind of shrugged waiting for her language to improve. A few months later, a woman at the store asked what her baby's name was, and again she responded with "Roller Hand". Consistently, for months she calls the baby "Roller Hand". We have NO clue where it comes from, or why she is Baby Roller Hand. Now, many moons have passed since Bob gave us Baby Roller Hand. Roller Hand has gone EVERYWHERE with AK, naked of course, in spite of the large doll wardrobe, and has been well loved. There is a skidmark on Baby's head from being dragged down the front steps and the driveway each morning as we leave the house. At some point one of Roller Hand's eyes kind of became a bit wonky, and she is no doubt in need of a good scrubbing. She has had several trips in the washing machine after I consulted a doll collector's message board to get washing tips. Bottom line, Roller Hand looks very well loved. We have bought AK new dolls to replace the battered wonky eye'd doll, even let her even pick out a new doll, but they are cast aside within a day, and replaced with Roller Hand. Baby Roller Hand is here to stay. I ordered Roller Hand a wooden cradle... it can be personalized with the doll's name.... do you dare me to put "Roller Hand" on it?

You'z Guys should be jealous...

It was a Ya Ya Girls Weekend at the Beachhouse. I cannot describe how much I love these ladies. They love me unconditionally despite all my many flaws, and being around that is refreshing. I am truly grateful them, and my life is better and easier with them as my personal cheerleaders. L to R: Moi, BooBoo, Bob, Steph, & Nettie

Happy Easter

Mr. Boy picked his own tie out this year, and declared that he MUST have matching socks to go with his tie. Ahhhhh yes... the joys of a little girl. Buying an outrageously expensive white dress, she will wear to Easter Services, with matching bonnet, and then again to overpriced portrait studio, where we will purchase an insanely large portrait package that will allow every friend and family member to have an 11x14 of AK.
By the way, I still firmly believe in little girls in smocked dresses and easter bonnets on Easter Sunday. I also wished more people wore hats to Sunday Services.

And our attempt at kids together shots... failed miserably.

Megatron meet Smilodon

I can hear the audible groan as someone thinks this is another Justice League posts or it's me bragging about my friendship with the real Wonder Woman. Not even close.... it's a post about Mr. Man. A peek into the man who was brave and daring enough to vow to love. honor, and cherish, knowing full well he would be living on the brink of insanity.

We could pretend that Mr. Man and I are the definition of HOTT and Popularity. We aren't, we embrace it, and enjoy the life we have. Mr. Man is a Techno-Geek. He has made a fine living from his techno-geekiness, which I have benefited from. A week ago, Mr. Man decided he wanted to buy AppleTV (Yaki, Anna, & Kentalope I know you'll apprecate me plugging your favorite stock!) It's a seriously cool gadget that lets you just pick a movie from the menu to watch. So, it's all set up and then Mr. Man starts just yammering on about "how we need a new webserver to really optimize AppleTV". He said something about a processor and a Terrabyte and next thing you know I'm staring off at space and daydreaming of the Neiman Marcus Shoe Salon. Oooo... I so want to be into this stuff as much as I love shoes, for Mr. Man's sake... but I just can't make the leap in my brain.

Fast Forward a week or so, and suddenly Mr. Man arrives home from a long week at the office and there is a certain spring in his step. A twinkle in his eye, and then he pronounces he's bought a new webserver, and it's called..... The SMILODON. It sounds like a bad 80's sci fi movie or a type of dinosaur.

This was my view the rest of the weekend of Mr. Man. Since he brought the SMILODON home, all I've been doing when I walk by is say... "In a land far far away... the SMILODON waits to attack" in my best movie trailer voice. Or "Smilodon meets Megatron" I can NOT stop making fun of it. However, I'm running out of SMILODON jokes... People... Help me out!

If I had to do life over again... I'd skip Geometry

If I had to do life over again... I'd skip Geometry and pay more attention to the details and structure of power in the Justice League. The Justice League is HUGE at our house, there are capes hung on the bedpost everynight, and multiple outfits for different Justice League heros. Last week, the real "Wonder Woven" came to our house and had lunch. She taught Mr. Boy the finer points of being a superhero. She even raced him around the yard. He has NOT STOPPED TALKING ABOUT THAT LUNCH. We wear Batman outfits to the grocery store, Superman to the Doctor, and it has NOT been forgotten, nor forgiven that I did not buy the $49.99 Flash Costume last Halloween. All day, I have deep conversations about the details of the Justice League. Does Flash Fly? Why does Lex Luther want to destroy Superman? How old was Green Lantern when he got his superpowers? Is the Justice League on the same team as the Power Rangers? Did Batman and "Wonder Woven" ever have children? I have no answer for these questions... is there a Justice League Handbook somewhere? I LOVE this phase! I've fully embraced it. Tonight, Mr. Boy got dressed in his Superman outfit to get ready for the nightly meeting with the Justice League. Superman starts off with a monologue, and Mr. Boy jumps up and says.. "Oh shoot! I'm speaking.." and he stands on the couch, and turns to address the TV. He then mumbles along with Superman. In his head, he IS Superman. He jumps around the room while watching Justice League, fighting the good fight with his superhero friends. Watching TV, is not a passive activity with him, it involves ALL his concentration, as he leaps around the room.
And just check out sweet Skoopi, she is totally watching the show, with the same intense concentration. There is a little bit of trepidation on her face, will the Justice League truly conquer evil again?

Happy St. Patricks Day!

I've got some seriously Irish kids... Mr. Boy, if he had his way, would have been drunk by nine this morning if we let him. We aren't even kidding, that's a story for another day. This truly is Mr. Boys holiday. He had his BEST day EVER at school today. And last night he was so excited he tried to color his arms green.
We wore our special green shirt so we wouldn't get "tickled". Mr. Boys fabulous teacher said, no pinching, just tickles! And the lepruchans came and made mischeif in our kitchen, leaving only teeny lepruchan size bowls. Normally, they turn our milk green, however, someone who shall remain nameless, but his name rhymes with Mr. Ban, didn't put away the food coloring properly, so we found the green all dried out this morning. Foiled again by "The Man". Then we all had special lunches today, with Shamrock sandwiches, green chips, and green candy.
Also, we had Corned Beef Sandwiches all weekend. Mr. Boy loved them asked to have them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

You turn your back for one second...

And your kids look like this...

And then you download the pictures off your camera and realize your camera was stolen by a 4 year old. And then get this priceless photo of my dad catching Mr. Boy with the camera while he was babysitting.

Five kids, five and under....

We had some pals with us a week or so ago and went to the zoo. I loved having 5 kids all 5 and under with me, they were so much fun. Having our favorite playpals spend some time with us in the last few months has been a really great experience for our family. It has brought about some small epiphanies and taught me some things about my myself and my children that have been invaluable. Our playpal's momma is feeling better, which is fantastic news, but I'd really like to keep the kids and not give them back!

One thing I noticed is... getting five kids to smile at the same time..... it doesn't happen.
So, instead, go with no faces showing... These guys... again... they crack me up. I LOVE how sweet he is with her. "Do you want to go look at the turtles next?" "Let me help you open that door" "Would you like to wear my batman pajamas?"
Here he is proposing...
ok, not really, so maybe I adlibbed that last part, but aren't they cute together!