{Sunday Photographs - 46}

The pictures show a typical Sunday morning.

Trains out (but that's typical every morning), girls ready for church, while I hold off until the last minute before we have to leave for church to put Jonas in his church clothes, usually a failed attempt at keeping his church clothes somewhat clean and not disheveled looking.

Bret was gone at church meetings. I kept busy getting the kids their lunch, preparing the church bag, getting talks ready, making dessert and prepping food for dinner with friends and finally getting myself ready.

The sink is full of dishes from the dinner prep. Cake pan soaking after I removed the white chocolate chip brownies I made, random dishes from breakfast mingled with dishes used for the dinner-making (made these, our favorite).

Then it was off to church.

Our time this year for church is NOT my favorite. 12:20-3:20, primary starting first. It makes for a really long 3 hours for the kids and adults.

Bret keeps a running countdown every Sunday and tells me how many more Sunday's we have until our schedule changes (45 more to go) and I always request not to remind me until we get down to under 20.

As I type this we are waiting for our friends to come over for dinner. Bret and Ella are dancing along to some Barbie Video (gotta love Bret) while Mailee, Jonas and I feel embarrassed for them.

It's been a long but enjoyable Sunday.

{Bits}

01.Having almost 4 hours in the morning with just my little guy has been great. It's so fun to see him learn and get to know his little personality.

He takes a lot of breaks from dancing to The Wiggles and playing with his cars and trains to give me kisses and pats on my back. Sometimes he even says "I wuv youuuu".

Then of course I can do nothing but kiss is oh so kissable cheeks and tickle him so I can hear his low little chortle.

02.What is the point of kidz bop music? Why not let them hear the real artist? I don't get it.

03.After getting texts and emails from friends and even a few strangers insisting I should NOT cut my hair...ever...I have decided to keep it long. Feel free to text me with how happy you are that I listened to you.

04.Lately Jonas' nickname has gone from "Juice" to "Boogs" due to the large amount of snot that comes from his nose for the last 2 weeks. Halfway through the day my shirt looks like a snail slithered all over it and I have to go change.

05.We are having unseasonably warm weather here for the next few days (upper 70's - mid 80's). I have plans to spend more time out in the sun with my book. It makes me so very happy.

06.Remember when I wrote about Jonas saying "fork"? Well we giggle also when he tells Ruby the dog to "sit"!

07.A 16 foot great white shark was spotted in San Diego yesterday. Sharks me no likey!

08.I think Anthony the blue Wiggle is the better looking of the bunch. Captain Feathersword is a close second just because he's a pirate...Arrrgh!

I also think I've been watching way too many Wiggles for the past 7.5 years.

09. I keep a running list of things my kids say. Here's one that was said yesterday.

"Mailee wanted to put a Wii game in and play after eating lunch. This is how she asked. "Mom, can I put the Dora game in the Wii's crotch and play?".

I had her repeat just to make sure I got what she said and then had her show me what she was referring to. She pointed to the disc opening on the Wii console.

I then proceeded to give her a better way to ask...and then laughed as I texted family and friends with what she just said.

I am still wondering where she learned that word as well as what else she thinks has the same "anatomy" as the Wii.

10. Seriously considering going to mechanic school. Do you know how much money we could save if I knew how to fix our cars?

{Tool}

It finally happened and I'm not in the least bit okay with it.

Remember the Topsy Taill from our late 80's childhood? Remember the flip chart of instructions and different ways to use this amazing hair tool?

This little tool is my crutch when I don't feel like doing the girls hair in any sort of style and my "go-to" hair style for the girls. Simple, cute and stays all day and all night (I don't do the ponytail style much with it, I use it to pull their bangs to the side and loop it through).

Mine broke.

I am sad.

Immediately I went onto Ebay and tried to find a replacement. Cheap imitations could be found in abundance, but I've been down that road before when I thought I had lost it while traveling. DON'T BOTHER BUYING THE CHEAP KNOCK OFF! It's a flimsy piece of plastic that doesn't do anything close to the Topsy Tail.

I found a few originals but they were completely over priced ($25 I don't think so!) so I did some more searching and found some for $5.

Done and done!!!

I highly recommend having this tool in your hairstyling repertoire should you have little girls. It looks and holds so much better than attempts with wrapping it around a comb...believe me I've tried that.

Do you remember this awesome tool? Want to get one? Go {HERE}.

{A Fortunate New Year}

Did you know that I am 1/4 Chinese? Well I am and proud of it!

Today is Chinese New Year! A benefit of celebrating this holiday is knowing that should you have already failed miserably at any resolutions/goals on Jan 1st you can always start over now!

This morning we opened up some fortune cookies and I thought I'd share the fortunes we got and expand a bit as to why we hope these all truly happen.I have a few dreams that seem to play on a constant dream loop.

Here's a couple recent ones that keep coming back:

In one dream Zombies/dinosaurs/"bad guys" are slowly making their way up Oakmont lane (my house growing up/parents current residence). We are stuck in the house, watching them get closer and closer knowing that I am the only one that can protect my family. Then I go all Power Ranger on the bad guys and all is well.

Okay so maybe we're hoping this one doesn't come to fruition, or...maybe it's my destiny to be the next Power Ranger...who knows?!

The second dream has me living somewhere beautiful, sometimes it's tropical but most times it's more like Utah looking.

I own and run my own herb/floral shop and have a VW bus which I drive and deliver flowers to make people happy. I also own a bed and breakfast.

This would be one that I'd be totally down with happening in real life! How ironic is that every day for the last while I've been entering to win the HGTV Dream Home located in Midway, Utah?!!

I have only been using the power of The Secret, and occasionally The Force, to win this prize but now that my fortune cookie from the La Choy box purchased at Stater Brothers said so I just know it's going to happen.

I am stoked! Better start packing now!!WHAT??!! It's gotta be The Secret for sure right? I mean TWO fortunes that indicated our win for the HGTV Dream Home...it's meant to be. Maybe trying to brush up on my Padawan skills of utilizing The Force also played a part...who knows. All I know is that house is mine...all MINE!!

Gun Hei Fat Choy (Happy New Year) indeed!!!

p.s.Tonight we will be celebrating the Year of the Dragon with some friends.

These yummy (and healthy) egg rolls, lemon chicken, orange chicken and fried rice are on the menu.

Sparklers will bet lit, bubbly will be used to toast and more fortune cookies will be cracked open.

Here's to hoping more good fortunes come our (and your) way!!

*I was born in the year of the Rooster. Ironically it pairs well with the Snake which is Bret. To find your Chinese Zodiac sign and element click {HERE}*

{Sunday Photographs - 45}

It's a slippers sort of day today.

Naps, musicals, nature shows, books and blankets.

{Bits}

{phone picture taken at Beacon Beach, Encinitas, CA}
01.Last night while reviewing the day with Bret we both waxed emotional when we realized our kids are getting so big and there's nothing we can do about it. We are almost out of the "Princess phase" and more into Selena Gomez and Good Luck Charlie stuff. It really made us want to take the kids out of school and just enjoy them all day everyday with where they are at right now and do as much adventuring as possible.

Must enjoy this time with our Littles NOW!

02.Yesterday I had the urge to purge all the closets and drawers of the clothes inside and get rid of them all. Maybe it's because it was laundry day and I couldn't get into doing the massive amounts of laundry washing, clothes folding/putting away...or maybe...no...it was totally because it was laundry day.

Anyone else out there obsessive about how their clothes are folded? I think working at Gap made me this way. I must have all shirts board folded even when I know they will be messed up the next morning.

I know. I am nuts.

03.I've started playing basketball again and really enjoying it. What I am not enjoying so much is how keenly aware I am that my bladder muscle isn't what it once was...if you catch my drift.


04.I caved and read the spoilers for The Bachelor. I am not happy. I am also not happy about Ben's caveman look. His stringy long locks are killing me and his smacking noises he makes when he kisses every.single.girl is sooo McNasty!

Nothing wrong with a little mindless T.V every once in a while in my opinion. It makes me so happy to be where I am at when I see these women who are my age on that show.

I think Bret secretly likes that I watch it too because it also makes me realize how awesome he is and I tell him so.

05.2 weeks going strong with no sugar. I am not going to lie...this time around I am having a hard time not having sugar but then I think of how great I feel and I push through those sugary thoughts.

I do know that when I end this sugar (and carbs) fast on my birthday I am going to have the biggest slice of birthday cake EVER!

06.My license is about to expire so I made an appointment with the local DMV to get a California license (finally). I am not looking forward to the long line I will be in (yes even if you make an appointment there is a line) or the fact that I have to take the written test again.

I am looking forward to a new picture on my license, since the current license picture makes me cringe and laugh at the same time. It's pretty bad.

07.We think it's pretty funny when we hear Jonas ask for a fork. He's 19 months and "fork" is a difficult word to get right. The way he says it sounds like another four letter F word.

08.Every 2 weeks I get an $8 bunch of flowers from Costco. I love having a vase of fresh flowers on our table. The flowers look great for the full two weeks usually, unless Jonas gets to them...

09.I had a dream last night that involved Hans Solo, giant spiders, playing in a soccer game and cream of wheat. Interpret that now will you?

10.Cut my hair to my shoulders or keep it long? Full on bangs or no bangs?

{My Boy}

Boys are busy. It's not 100% a fact but pretty close from what I've observed. Jonas is no exception. He's a tornado of toys, car noises, crayons and appetite.His obsession with Disney Cars, trains, and Star Wars is growing on a daily basis.

I know I've said this before but I am pretty sure all boys are born with the ability to make awesome noises. Ask me to make the sound a helicopter makes and it ends up sounding like a wounded hippo, but Jonas, at 11 months had it down.A coloring book and crayons are out during all waking hours. I can not tell you how many times a day he goes up and down on at the table to add a few more scribbles before running back to dump out the bin of toys I just picked up.

He's the first child of mine to ever color on anything other than paper. I thought we had nipped the whole coloring thing in the bud after a trail of crayon was discovered on our wood floors, until the other day when I was dusting and discovered one whole shelf of the entertainment center had been tagged.

Sigh.He's got such an appetite. We call him "Chubba" all the time but honestly the little guy isn't so chubby anymore. He's the same weight now that he was at 9 months (yeah...he was in fact chubby then), but he's so darn tall!

If this is any sort of foreshadowing of what his appetite will be as a teenager...better start saving!

Favorite current snacks/foods include Veggie Straws, yogurt covered rasins, mini marshmallows, bananas, strawberries, dill pickles, Colby jack cheese, fruit snacks, grapes, clementines, pretzel sticks, chicken quesadillas, PB&J (first kid to like this), pot stickers and waffles.He's been known to throw some pretty awesome tantrums on occasion but usually he's a good listener.

All he has to do is to stick out his little lip and he's got you in his sticky fingered grip. He's got that look down for sure!

Busy and crazy as this boy may be he's so much fun and loves me so much. He's way more into me then the girls were at this age and I love it.

I sure do love my boy.

{Sunday Photographs- 44}

We played Mario Party 8 tonight with the kids. I won. I rubbed it in by asking the girls if they remembered who won. It's rare for me to win so I just had to.

I made Gyoza (potstickers) for dinner tonight. They were good. What wasn't good...the smell of cabbage in my house the rest of the night.

Bret takes the kids up every night...yes...every night and does bath time. Okay so not really Ella since she goes up first and showers on her own, but still, I sit and play Plants vs. Zombies or surf the net or eat chocolate bon-bons (not really ...more like chocolate chips straight from the bag, unless of course I'm on my sugar fast like I am currently then I just dream about chocolate), while he bathes and washes hair. He dresses them and then calls me up for prayer. He's a keeper.

Wanna know what else he does every night? He reads to them. Occasionally they ask for me to read to them but usually it's their time with Dad. I love to hear the voices he uses and the giggles from the kids.

Few things are sexier than a man with his kids.