{Bits}

 01. This picture sums up how Ella is at the moment.  Still small and a child, dwarfed by my sunglasses, yet wanting to be older.  She wants to wear lip gloss, cares how her hair looks before we go out, rolls her eyes at some of the things we tell  her (and gets in trouble for it), and thinks boys are cute. 

She's edging closer to ushering us into a new stage of life we're not sure how to navigate.  The "tweens".  I just started feeling like I had this whole mother-to-small-children down enough to maintain my sanity and now a new stage is starting to show?!

I need chocolate and carb's STAT.

02.  Just returned home from a 4 day visit to my beloved Iowa.  There are certain things that are pretty much guaranteed that happen on these trips.  One, I get the full pat down (hair included) at the security point in the airport, two, I enjoy my time with dear friends immensely - laughing, eating, playing, three, I take pictures of long time clients.  Clients who's pictures I've taken since their child was just an infant and now is turning 6 (!!), and four I always leave wanting to convince Bret to move back.

Iowa is where it's at people...at least until the Winter and the super humid, hot Summer months.  Okay, so maybe it's where it's at 3 months out of the year....

03.  The other day Mailee declared our family song to be "Count on Me" by Bruno Mars.  I listened to the lyrics and decided to chose wisely.  Since that declaration you will often hear her humming this song throughout the day.  Sometimes she even randomly hugs me and tells me, "You know Mom...you can count on me for forever right?". 

Right.

04.  I can tell it's nearing the end of the school year.  Recitals, reports, awards and a crazy schedule is starting to happen.  I can  also tell because this morning I bribed my kids to please, please, PLEASE just take $2.25 and get school lunch today.  I am SO over making lunches every day! 

I love that they'd rather have a home lunch than school lunch, don't get me wrong, but a corn dog and chocolate milk won't hurt them every once in a while.  Can I get an "Amen!".

05.  Nothing makes you feel more self aware/self conscious than movie goers heading in to the theater next door, stop and watch you sweat and shake it while doing Zumba.   Maybe they should go and purchase a small popcorn and drink and come back?!

 06.  I took this picture last night as proof that this little guy still knows how to utilize his pouting abilities.  I informed him it was time to get out of the bath and this is the face I got. 

Some say they don't know how I can say no to that face...I say I AM IMMUNE (mostly).  It's cute...until it's not.

07.  I'm reading "Bossypants" by Tina Fey.  It's such an enjoyable read.  Entertaining and thought provoking.  If you haven't read it, do and if you have, read it again...I am. 

A few favorite quotes (I could share a lot more but then I would just share the whole book, so maybe ust read it):

“If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: who cares?”


“It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good. I don’t like Chinese food, but I don’t write articles trying to prove it doesn’t exist.”

"But I think the first real change in women’s body image came when JLo turned it butt-style. That was the first time that having a large-scale situation in the back was part of mainstream American beauty. Girls wanted butts now. Men were free to admit that they had always enjoyed them. And then, what felt like moments later, boom—Beyoncé brought the leg meat. A back porch and thick muscular legs were now widely admired. And from that day forward, women embraced their diversity and realized that all shapes and sizes are beautiful. Ah ha ha. No. I’m totally messing with you. All Beyonce and JLo have done is add to the laundry list of attributes women must have to qualify as beautiful. Now every girl is expected to have Caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama, and doll tits. The person closest to actually achieving this look is Kim Kardashian, who, as we know, was made by Russian scientists to sabotage our athletes.”  

{Birthday Boy!}

May 8th we celebrated Jonas' third birthday.  Three years??!  I can't believe my baby boy is three. 

I feel like this is my last birthday that he can still be called my "baby boy".  I know, I know, that's stretching it because if you've seen him he's all boy and no baby...unless of course he's hurt or sick, then that pouty lip comes out and baby mode is kicked into high gear.

Jonas has 3 requests.  Dinosaurs, candy and a bike.  All 3 birthday wishes were fulfilled during his special day spent with the whole family.

We headed down to LA for the day.  The first stop was the LA Science Center to check out the rocket and the large aquarium.  It was enjoyable but next time I need to remember that it's nearing the end of the school year and kids are doing field trips everywhere.  I am pretty sure all the schools in LA were there that day.

Fun was had and a good talk was given about minding your manners and behaving when on a field trip to our girls.  Holy cow, those field trip kids were so rude!

When asked what he wanted for lunch Jonas said "FRIES!".  Easy enough.  We opted for Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  So good.  So, so good.

 After lunch we headed on over to The Grove to fulfill the birthday boys request for candy.  If you've been to the one in NYC this is tiny compared to that one, but it still made all three of the kids excited, eyes wide open, taking in all the candy.

 

Jonas claimed he found his new best friend.  He called my name and told me to look.  This is what I saw when I did (see picture above).  Melt my heart and soul with cuteness why don't you Jonas?!

 Jonas got to pick out a paint can and fill it with any candy he wanted.  We could barely get the lid on of the can!  The sour strawberry belts and cherries didn't last the ride home.  He loves sour/tart candy...just like his mama.

When getting out of the car to walk around and check out the shops, Jonas informed me that he was a big boy and didn't want to ride in the stroller.  He walked, holding my hand, while I inwardly mourned for the loss of my little baby who needed a stroller.  At least he wants to hold my hand still...

We headed home for presents, cake and ice cream.  Jonas wanted a blue dinosaur cake.  When he saw the cake he had the biggest smile on his face and ran over proclaiming how "awesome cool" the cake was. 

I got creative with his dinosaur request and found some in the dollar section.   He loves T-Rex so I spray painted that one gold, cut a hole and stuck the number sparkler in.  Voila...easy peasey.  Who would've thought something so simple would make him so happy?

We sang him "Happy Birthday" a few times as he watched the sparkler burn.  I always love watching the kids try and blow the sparkler out!

Up next, presents.  A helmet for his new bike.  I knew once he put that helmet on he wouldn't want to take it off.

The girls got him a bubble gun he asked for from Disneyland.  Yes, I am well aware that there are bubble guns at the local Wal Mart/Target, but he didn't want those.  The girls knew he would only want the one from Disneyland.  Yay for bubbles!!!

He was very excited to see his new bike.  Bret has been wanting to get a Strider bike for Jonas since before he was born.  I finally caved after reading up on the benefits of eliminating training wheels and going straight to a balance bike.

You guys should check out some of the youtube videos of little ones riding these things!  Bret secretly hopes Jonas will want to compete in the BMX race that is held here in Southern California for little kids.  We'll see...

 I would have to say Jonas' favorite present was his bed.  He has spent more time in his room in the last week than he has in the last year.  I'm pretty sure if I was 3 I would be up in my room too if I had a bed like his.

Jonas isn't the only one that loves his bed.  The girls were found reading upstairs in it yesterday, and even Bret was found chatting it up with Jonas "under the stars".

I think we managed to make Jonas feel special on his day.

He is such a great addition to our family.  He definitely is a mama's boy and enjoys being my shadow throughout the day.  He's a clown and loves to make people laugh.  He loves music and popcorn.  He is my little man and I love him so.

He's three...and ready to take on the world!

{Sunday Photograph - 98}

It was a great Mother's Day here at our house.  The kids were sweet, with their homemade cards, notes hidden everywhere and even a note constructed from the MegaBloks (by color of course).

I got jewelry from the kids (with a lot of influence from Bret on what to choose, who was in turn deeply influenced by me) and a new fitness watch that I've been eying for a while now.  I'm pretty excited to use that thing and actually track workouts and runs.

I spent the day relaxing with the family, talking to my mom and enjoying time outside eating s'mores and talking with friends who happened to pass by while we were outside.

Being a mom is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.  It's full of guilt ridden and unsure moments, heart squeezing instances and ongoing learning.  I love a challenge, and that's what I love about being a mom.

Happy Mother's Day!

{Bits}

01. The other day we did a little FaceTime with my mom (took a screen shot while FaceTiming but it's on Ella's touch and I'm too lazy to send it to myself).  Ella wanted to play her piano recital piece for my parents before her recital last Saturday so she set up her ipod Touch and gave them a private performance.  

My mom recently had neck surgery (replaced her C5 and C6) and is in a brace - no, that is not the newest fashion statement necklace she is wearing.  Due to her surgery she has been on pain medication.  Having conversations with her when she is on drugs is pure entertainment. 

During our conversation she kept saying "Oh my hell!", over and over again while we talked about funny things and every day life things.  I finally laughed and pointed out to her what she was saying (she never says that - me on the other hand...).  She brought the screen close to her face, all wide-eyed and drugged and said, "Hey!  I am entitled to swearing whenever I want!!!".

Yes...yes you are.  Let's do another drug filled conversation again soon mom. 

02.  Yesterday Jonas turned 3 (post to come tomorrow).  I sort of feel like this was his last birthday as a baby boy.  I think we managed to make his day a special one, even when he threw an awesome tantrum at the science center.  I was this close to cancelling all things birthday for him.

03.  We finally ate at Five Guys.  Bret and I both agree that their burgers and fries are so much better than In-N-Out.   They serve peanuts there to nosh on while waiting for your food.  Jonas wouldn't listen to us and popped a couple, shell and all, in his mouth.  After a few chomps he wanted to spit it out, but Bret refused to let him right away.  A lesson in listening to your parents happened...and then a wad of chewed shell and peanuts was spit out.

04.  Bret and Jonas will be camping overnight this weekend on the beach.  I think the girls and I will go get manicures, watch a few chick flicks and do a little shopping.  It's supposed to be in the 90's this weekend so we may just do a little sunbathing as well.

05.  Mother's day is Sunday.  I love my mom.  I love being a mom.  I like getting presents from Bret and the kids, but most of all I love the homemade cards and gifts. 

I've already received multiple cards, treats, picked wild flowers, a few snails, a potato bug, a song, a poem, a cheer all about me performed at the girls "Nature Club meeting" and a few of the kids most favorite shells left on my pillow.

I feel loved.

{Sunday Photograph - 97}

*This is my 1600th post!  Who would've thought that I would have continued to blog this long.  Posts are few and far between compared to the daily posts of the past, but I don't think I will be stopping completely any time soon.  Who knows...for now if I have something to say and have the desire to blog I do and if I don't I won't.  It's as simple as that.*

Not a very good photo today.  After making dinner and some cookies a migraine started festering and soon after I had no desire but to lay down and not move. Poor quality photo or not, these kids are my fav!  Oh how I love them so!

After church I slipped on my Spanish embroidered top...feeling a bit festive with it being Cinco de Mayo and all.  I don't care if it's not a real holiday!  Any day that allows me to celebrate by eating vast amount of Mexican food is one that I will embrace wholeheartedly. 

 

We made Mexican wedding cookies - a favorite of ours.  They are messy and addictive and oh so delicious!  I did a batch with melted hazelnut chocolate over it...WOW!

We had shredded chicken tacos and Mexican rice for dinner.  If you haven't done this already I highly recommend putting the meat/rice/beans/cheese inside the shells already and bake them.  Then have the fresh toppings to add on afterwards.  It's less mess and hassle but also makes it so the taco shell doesn't split apart during that first bite.  Life changer, I'm telling you!

In between the baking and the cooking we spent time with the kids, watched a movie, napped, read and Bret went in on a few emergencies.   It was a typical and enjoyable Sunday.

{FYI}

This is a post in which I gush about my children..  Deal with it...it hasn't happened for a while.

  FYI:  My first born is pretty amazing.  She has the kindest heart and a gentle soul.  She's quiet unless she has something to say.  She always wishes the best for people in her life and even strangers she sees or hears about.  She just knows when I need a kind word and doesn't hesitate to give me one...or five.

She'll be your best friend.  She'll be your comforter and cheerleader.  She will be loyal to a fault, giving of herself when there's nothing left to give.  She strives for perfection and struggles when that doesn't happen (we are working on being ok with doing your best even if it means it wasn't "perfect").

She recently brought home her progress report from school.  Every.single.score. on the report was 100%.  Math, English,  Language arts, etc.  Nothing missed.    No fanfare on her part was shown when she placed the report on the counter after school.  She just made her way upstairs to start on her homework and that was that.  That is how she is.

You can be sure that, despite her not caring if she received acknowledgement of her accomplishments from anyone, they were celebrated with a hugs and high fives by her family members.  Though embarrassed, she allowed us, at least for a minute or two, to put her in the limelight.

FYI:  My second born is quite the character.  Full of spunk and sass.  When she laughs...boy does she laugh.  Full body,  from head toe, usually accompanied with a very loud and hearty laugh is how she rolls.  Her laugh is contagious.  Where ever you are in the house, when you hear it you can't help but smile.  A genuine love of life is what she has.

She lives to please those she cares about.  In her spare time, when she's not making "potion for the monsters" (potion formula consists of flower petals, dry grass, some sand and a few dead insects for good measure), she can be found at the table making pictures and notes for someone.

She goes full force with every emotion and action.  You won't ever have to guess what mood Mailee is in, EVER!  And oh the things she says!  She cracks us up constantly with how she views the world.  Right is right and wrong is wrong.  She tells it how it is...and we love that about her.

She loves being in charge and the leader.  She excels at school and is always the go-to student to help explain a math problem, help another peer read better or explain things to the class.  She's at the top of her class and just like her sister, keeps that information to herself...unless she has an opportunity to point it out to her older sister (ah, the middle child).

 FYI:  This guy...look at him?!  He knows how to work the eyes and pout.  He is my shadow and is a total mama's boy.  Where ever I go he must go too or be prepared for tears.

He loves attention and loves to be the clown.  His energy and vigor for life is always at the highest level.  Music and books are his thing.  It's not a rare thing to have a morning where I read through the 15 library books we have twice in a row with him.  Then he will "read" them back to me, quoting some pages almost exactly as written.  He has an amazing memory.

He knows how to push his sisters buttons and does it on a daily basis.  He really enjoys picking on Mailee, but is quickly learning that there are consequences for that and has started to slow down in the button pushing department.

He still take a 2 hour nap every day from 2-4 and sleeps like a champ from 8 p.m. - 6:30 a.m.  The boy loves his sleep.

Not much is better than one of his classic "juicy kisses" or his thumbs up and proclamation of "You da best!".

 These three little people are mine and I love them.  They keep me on my toes and make me push myself to be a better person.  They make my shortcomings painfully obvious, which is a needed thing for me to be able to know what I need to do better.

How lucky am I to have three amazing little ones who bring out the best in me and help me work on the worst of me? 

FYI:  Gushing complete.

{Product shout out - Girlie Glue!}

I like to let people know about products that I like personally and use. 

This post is about a product that is currently used and loved in our house.  It's the genius invention of a friend whom I've known since Kindergarten, and also happens to be my best friends sister-in-law.

 Girlie Glue is an amazing product.  It's made with Agave nectar and other natural ingredients and is 100% honey free.  From their wesbite, "Girlie Glue is a hair accessory glue--no hair necessary! Fancy possibilities are endless with a dab of girlie glue."

I wanted to try this product out for myself to see if it really did work.  When my girls were little I was always on the lookout for something that would keep their hair accessories in place without squeezing their heads or falling off over and over throughout the day.  I tried everything...but nothing really worked.

Oh how I wish I had a tube of Girlie Glue to use back then!  I tried out the glue on our pretty little model Ellie and was happy with the results.

The bow stayed in place with just a small dab.  It held fast almost immediately and it stayed put...not even moving even the slightest bit.

During an outfit change the bow remained in place and when we replaced the bow with another cut accessory no extra glue was needed.  We just pressed firmly on the spot where the previous bow had been and it stuck just as well as the first!

 Another few outfit changes and replacing bows only required the first initial dot of glue.  Baby Ellie even rolled around during pictures and the hair accessories didn't budge!

Once removed from her hair a wipe or clothe with warm water removed the all natural glue from her hair without leaving any residue.

I was very impressed with how well the product worked and how easily it was to remove.

 Lest you think that Girlie Glue is only for little babies, let me tell you how often this glue is used at our house with my older girls (ages, 6 and 8). 

My girls are not allowed to have their ears pierced until they are 8.  We figure by that time they are old enough to care for their earrings and clean their ears by themselves. 

My 6 year old, Mailee, really wants to be like Ella and be able to wear earrings.  I have purchased the sticker earrings only to find they have fallen off halfway through the day.  We have tried clip on earrings as well, but they pinch so hard that Mailee can only wear them an hour or so at the time.  

With Girlie Glue Mailee has been able to wear cute little flowers, gems and even mini pom-poms on her ears that have stayed put all day - though she loves to change her earrings at least twice a day...usually 3 times.

Both girls really love using the glue to add hair accessories to their many baby dolls and barbies.  They play "Beauty Shop" or "Make over" all the time.  I love that the glue just washes off with a wet cloth on both the doll and the accessory.

 Girlie Glue isn't just for girls!!

 Jonas enjoys wearing a mustache every now and then.  I had a pack of them with sticker backing.  Unfortunately they would fall off shortly after sticking them to his face.  

 I decided to try a strip of Girlie Glue on the back of the mustache and found that it held the whole time Jonas wanted to wear it!  When he was ready to remove the 'stache it didn't hurt and wiped off with a wet cloth or baby wipe.   It made for both a happy boy and a happy mom!

 Girlie Glue is an awesome product!  If you want to purchase your own tube {CLICK HERE} to be taken to their website.  

You can also find out websites they are featured on and follow them as they make an even bigger name for themselves by liking their Facebook page {HERE}.

{Sunday Photograph - 96}

Another Sunday...another Sunday Photo.

After church, we can home and watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - finally allowed the girls to watch it.  They really enjoyed it.  We figured if they can watch all The Lord of the Rings movies without flinching, they can certainly watch all the Harry Potter movies.  I love those movies (and books).

For dinner the girls are going to learn how to make egg rolls.  They have really been into learning how to cook lately, so I figured I might as well  embrace it and teach them a few basic meals.  I look forward to the time when they each take a day during the week to make dinner for the family.

The beginning of May is this week.  I can't believe we're already in May!  It looks to be a very busy, but fun filled month.  I just hope we don't over do it, and wonder what we actually did because it was such a blur.  Slowly but surely I am learning to do less and be more present.  I find that when I do life is better.

Happy May!