Chubby vs Pregnant

SCENE: The McDonald's counter

It's after 1 p.m. and I'm ordering lunch for Kol, Charlie and I after spending 4 hours making caramel pretzels for the Ward Relief Society Christmas Program this coming Thursday. Kol is in the play area. I sat Charlie on the counter so I could dig through my bottomless pit of a diaper bag and find my wallet.

FOREIGN EMPLOYEE: She's so cute! How old is she.

ME: Almost a year

FOREIGN EMPLOYEE: Do I even ask? Are you just chubby or are you pregnant again?

ME: (considering on telling her I'm just fat...) No, I'm pregnant again. Almost 7 months.

FOREIGN EMPLOYEE: Me- I have just one girl. Then she said something about children being a blessing, but I can't remember since I'm still taken back that she ACTUALLY just asked me that!

Have I mentioned lately how much I enjoy being pregnant? (I hope you can all taste the sarcasm on this one!)

A very merry unbirthday to me!

As is tradition, Nana sent me a ride on toy for my 1st birthday... only my birthday isn't until December 10th and it arrived November 1st. My dad, I mean I, couldn't wait to open it- seriously! Once mommy told him what was in the box, he tore it open! I was VERY curious to see what was in that box.

I figured out what to do with the thing right away... and I pushed it right into the wall!
Once mom freed it from the wall, I pushed it right into the formal room, and right under the table. OK, so I haven't quite got this steering thing down yet, but it sure is helping motivate me to walk.
This is by far my most favorite of all my toys- I think it's Kol's favorite too. THANKS NANA!!!

Top ten reasons why the dentist is my personal HELL!

Yes I said the world hell. You all know it's my favorite word. Now on to the details...

10. The completely wasted time. i.e., they numb you up and then let you sit for 45 minutes while they torture someone else and then halfway through the procedure have to numb you up some more because you are coming out of the anesthetic. And that's after you have waited in the waiting room for at least 1/2 hour.

9. The smell. Burning teeth. Anesthetic. Fluoride. That sick topical they put on. Mouthwash. Nasty dentist toothpaste. The vomit in the room next to you from a kid scared to death. The dentist's cologne or perfume as the case may be. It's all just generally repulsive.

8. The BORING white ceiling. Come on people, you know your patients are going to be staring at the ceiling...so put the t.v. up there or something.

7. No treats! Who goes through this kind of torture and isn't offered a treat for their effort?

6. The crying children! Poor kids are being drilled on, shot up, and scraped and cleaned and then probably chastized for not brushing whether they really have brushed or not. Some people just have sucky teeth...i.e., Malia.

5. Having to repeat over and over to myself, stop clinching your arms, legs and stomach. Stop it. Relax your hands. Relax your feet. Breathe...in and out through your nose. Slowly. Stop clinching your fists again. Relax. And literally, praying while in the chair that I'll be able to endure the torture for however long it takes.

4. The terrible neck kink resulting from laying almost upside down and turning your head in as many awkward positions you can think of. And also, the headrush I get when I stand up because my head has been lower than the rest of my body for the last hour.

3. The shots. Though welcome relief from whatever they're doing, sometimes I swear they're shooting that needle right up my nose. And if they hit a nerve on the way in..that jolting feeling. AHHHHHHHHH!

2. The lasting numbness. Currently, 1/2 of my face is numb all the way up to my eyebrow. And that includes my drooping eyelid. I'm HOT right now, I tell you, H-O-T- Hot. Rick said I look like a botched botox job and Jake said I look like that ipod app where you can distort people's faces.

1. THE NOISE. OH THE NOISE. The horrible drilling and high pitch squeal of all those instruments they use. The scraping when they're cleaning their teeth. Not even an ipod on full volume can drown out the horrid noises that come from that place.

And that folks is why when I see Hell, it will have under it in very large letters...Welcome to Clovis Dental.

Uglier still...

Who knew it could get uglier?

Add insult to injury...

My pinky toe is probably the ugliest thing ever...it just got uglier...and IT HURTS! YOu can't really tell from the picture but it is has doubled in size and the bruise extends up my foot and to the next toe...you should see what it looks like in between the toes! NASTY! Flip flops are my shoe option for the next little while...Why am I such a clutz?

Still getting cuter...

She's even sweeter in person. Come see us!

Thanksgiving for our missionary

I am preparing a thanksgiving package with turkey (jerky), cornbread mix, bacon bits, pkg mashed potatoes, pkg raspberry jello, canned raspberries , pkg dream whip, stuffing mix, canned green beans, toasted onion rings, napkins, paper plates etc and of course a note of how thankful I am for her decision to serve and just for her in general. Any ideas what else I could put in.....all help would be most appreciated. I am trying to keep it light and have some fun while providing some thanksgiving trimmings for her to enjoy. You are welcome to send anything you think would be fun to her directly or to me to be included in the package. I will mail it sometime mid november when I am sure her address wont change again. She is awaiting changes next week and doesnt know whether she is leaving or staying so I am holding off until I get her next letter to send anything but letters or emails. Thanks for all the support you give her, she loves you all very much. Love you.

Who you callin' a pig???

OINK OINK OINK... I'm the little piggy with the curly tail! No really, there is a curly tail on the back of that beanie! So for Halloween this year, I decided to make my little piggy... well... a piggy. I couldn't think of anything more fitting for her at this time.

This is how Charlie rolls at the trunk or treat (the fine print says "Please don't feed the animals". A la la la la. Stephen even downloaded piggy noises to my ipod and put the doc station in the wagon (and covered it with the quilt) and blared pig noises as we strolled around the trunk or treat.

That's right folks, Stephen and I got into the holiday spirit as well and dressed up as PIG FARMERS! I even blacked out one of my front teeth (did you know they sell tooth paint specifically for that?). It was quite a conversation piece- some of the girls were very worried for me..."What if it doesn't come off and you show up like that to church tomorrow??"
Needless to say, we were a hit! We even decorated our car for the trunk or treat in the same theme, with scarecrows and hay bales and pumpkins. It was a great night... except for one tragedy... Charlie arrived home with only ONE piggy booty on her foot. The other is MIA. We searched the church parking lot and the baseball fields where the Chili Cook off was, but no luck. Here's hoping someone happened across it and will bring it to us at church tomorrow... sigh...

Update...

Don't mess with me. I'll wear you down until I get what I want...and that's what it took to get nursing school postponed. Success! Sort of, I mean. I would love to start nursing school in the winter but since that isn't an option, I'll take fall over summer any day. Who wants to spend all day in school during the summer time?

Me vs. the Director of Fresno City College Nursing School

That's right...tomorrow I go convince this lady that I should get to defer my summer enrollment in the nursing program...I'm nervous. I wish I knew whether or not I got in to the other nursing program but nonetheless...I have to try, right? I'm bringing some tobasco sauce and onions in my purse so if necessary I can put some in my eyes and create some tears. (I'm not much of a crier, you know). So, wish me luck...and if you care to, pray for me!

Embracing the inner craft mama

I have been crafty lately! Who knew? This is what I've been up to. The best part is that I had all of this fabric already. It cost me nothing. And that's about how much I like to pay.




These babies are for the girls. We learned to do this at our Not Super Saturday (not allowed to have those any more). They are the cutest rag bags ever and perfect for church bags.



I love love love headbands for the girls. I make them every which way and to match whatever outfit they're wearing the next day. It is so much fun! And, it is the only thing the girls will keep in their hair. Again...stuff I already had on hand except the headbands which I got 3 for $1 at the Dollar Store.


And finally...these cute twirly skirts for the girls. They are going to be "witches" or something like that...I'm not finished making their t-shirts cute. I'm thinking ruffles...rosettes...the possibilities are endless. The skirts are my first attempt at any clothing item for the girls. I just followed an online tutorial (free). You can't tell, but there are PLEATS people...PLEATS! THIS is definitely why I had girls! My poor boys are getting the shaft on the crafty cuteness but I don't think they mind too much...they wouldn't look good in headbands anyway.

Malia at her finest...

We were at a football game and Malia had brought old blankey and new blankey. After several minutes, she ran over to me and handed me her blankets and said, "Mom, pretend like these are Sierra's okay?" I said, "why?" She responded..."because my kindergarden friend is here."

SO...not only does she get that she is too old to be dragging blankies around, but she also found an innocent skape goat! Sierra is her little friend who is only 4...

Did you know babies like age appropriate toys???

For your amusement, this is Charlie licking the airplane window. She has some obsession with licking things, usually my kitchen appliances, the table and the sliding glass door but on this trip she took it to a whole new level licking the floor of the Hertz Rental Car place at the airport. She's got some unidentified lip fungus.... not yet.... but if she keeps this up she just might!

The Texans introduced Charlie to something she had never seen before... AGE APPROPRIATE BABY TOYS!!! She was in heaven! She stayed self entertained for a while playing with those things. Then Stephen and I had an epiphany! Maybe we should buy our baby some toys of her own!

She has toys people! She has rattles, plastic links, stuffed animals, beaded necklaces... OK, so they aren't exactly age appropriate anymore. They were when we bought them 5-6 months ago! We usually just stick her up in the loft and let her play with whatever toys the boys have out- the marble track (minus the marbles), Kol's train sets and plastic tea set, wooden blocks... you know. The usual. But she doesn't stay entertained for long. Wonder why???

So after we got home from Texas, I went to Toys R Us and picked up a couple more appropriate toys for Charlie. Do you think she likes them??

Today's rant.....with pics

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...not really, but there have definitely been some of those moments this week...Here's what I've been up to...

What the...? This folks was my living room on Sunday night. What did you do for family home evening? We unloaded every cabinet, drawer and shelf in our kitchen and put it in the living room just for fun! Actually, pest control was coming Monday morning so we enlisted everybody's help to unload the kitchen. On MOnday morning when the kids asked how they were supposed to pack their lunches, I told them to go treasure hunting in the living room and see what they could find. They looked at me like I was crazy. I think I am. But, after the pest control guy came, I had to clean everything, top to bottom, and then put everything back. I think it might've taken months, but Elizabeth and Karen came to my rescue and helped me put everything back. My kitchen has never looked better...and no more critters! I hope.


Kindergarden is hard work. I have come downstairs from folding laundry or whatever and found Malia passed out on the couch two days in a row! It is fantastic! She is loving kindergarden. Her teachers have a great sense of humor and are very good to her. Her bus driver said to me the other day, "Your daughter is very social." Yes indeed. She has to wave goodbye and hug all her little friends when she gets off the bus, frequently leaving the bus driver holding in the stop sign in the middle of the street while she says her farewells. Adorable. And yes, she still sucks her thumb...very loudly, I might add. She likes to get in a few good sucks before she goes to school and then hides her blankets so she'll know where to find them when she gets home. I, of course, put her blankets away, every day to try and discourage the thumb sucking, but what can you do?

.
Shameless plug...

Check out these cute blankets. We have so many different ones right now, it's hard to choose. So, plan ahead for the holidays and send all your friends to our blog (www.minkyandmore.blogspot.com) and order away!



And, it is the season of fall sports which, for us, includes cross country (Carter), football (Jake), and soccer (Bella, Carter, and Jake). Which means...practice for an hour after school Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for Jake and Carter, and six soccer practices each week...Monday-Thursday. Friday the boys have cross country meets and football games. Saturdays we have three soccer games...and did I mention Rick is helping coach Jake's team? It is crazy around here...

Last, but not least...



You may have heard...I got into nursing school! But...they decided to go ahead and enroll me in the summer session. Not what I was planning on. And they decided to disallow any postponing...meaning I couldn't just say I'll take the fall semester instead. It's summer or start all over again in the lottery process. I am still waiting to hear from one other college for the January semester and then I will decide what to do...I was so elated to have gotten in...still am. Just not sure what exactly to do about it.

That's all folks. Now you won't wonder why I don't blog very often in all my free time....or lack thereof.

SNAKES AND SNAILS AND PUPPY DOG TAILS

That's what little boys are made of....

That's why I'm glad I'm having another GIRL!!! Stephen was very disturbed at the thought that this baby might be a boy. He did not want another boy. He's pretty smitten with Charlie and I think he realizes that girls really are the way to go : ) Although I wanted a girl for convenience purposes, I can honestly say I wouldn't have cried if this one was a boy. But it's not, so I'll have a happy husband and Charlie will hopefully have the best playmate in the world!

Update

on Natalie. Yep, getting cuter by the minute!





If this didn't give you your fix, there's more on my blog. http://tammy-braun.blogspot.com/ Love you guys!

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Charlie's Long Awaited 6 month Pics are Finally Here!!

So I know she is almost 9 months old, but I didn't get the pictures taken until she was nearly 7 months old, and then the photographer went on vacation for weeks so it took a little longer than I may have wanted to get these back, but I love them and they were well worth the wait. I love the photographer, she has such a great, vintage style. Too bad none of you live out here, because I would totally recommend her. I love you too Judy : )

I ordered some 4x6s for anyone in the family that might want one to post on their fridge or wherever, I don't want to force them on you though. So if you'd like a pic (don't worry sisters and mom, I'm already planning on sending you one regardless) speak up!!

Fishing...

So, how do you think it would feel to have one of these babies stuck in the knuckle of your finger? If you want to know, ask Carter...see that hook with the 3 prongs, yeah, it was in his finger. After I got it out of his pants, I semi-tried to get it out of his finger and realized the barbs on there would not come out without ripping his finger apart...So, off to the e.r. The staff was all very interested in the taking out process which include pushing it all the way through his finger and out the other side. DISGUSTING!!!! I let him take the day off school...thought maybe he could use some chillin'....

I'm in love...

with this headband I ordered from Etsy. I was hoping to be able to duplicate it, but let's be honest-- I'm not that talented!

Why teachers teach kindgergarden...

Today Malia came home from school and said that a boy in her class raised his hand to answer a question the teacher had asked. The teacher called on him and he said, "Mrs. Crouch, I love you."

That, my friends is why people teach kindergarden. Because every kindergardner loves their teacher!

Announcing...

Miss Natalie Catherine.



Come by and see her pics on our blog. http://tammy-braun.blogspot.com/

Things you don't expect to come out of your 5-year-old's mouth

Malia...while playing...started singing "Lover, love, you don't treat me no good no more..."

What?

And...yesterday Rick had a mole removed and he has a big bandage on his back. Malia was asking him about it and he told her that a doctor cut off a big piece of sking. Malia turned to me and said, "Mom, the doctor's not going to do that to me, right? I said, "Right." She continued, "because they only do that to really old people like daddy, right?"

Oh Malia...such a charmer.

You asked for it...

Dear Kristin...this one's for you.

***Note...you are not allowed to read this post unless you comment on Rick's post below first!****

Summer has been a blur. It started out with me dreading the very thought of having to entertain my children for a full three months. Our summer officially ends in 6 days. If I am not a drooling, blithering idiot in a straight jacket by that point it will be some kind of miracle...here's what we've done this summer (with pics) in or out of order. Don't be picky people. This is a monumental post...

So we started out summer with a serious routine...reading, math, chores, etc. Then we'd go to Reagan for their free summer lunch where we'd meet up with friends and usually trade a kid or two (or three or four...). The routine mostly held up through five days of hot and sweaty scout camp which I got to attend. If I never have to do that again, it will be TOO SOON! People, I am not cut out for that kind of torture. It was hot hot hot and there was no shade. Since I had a group of boys by myself, there wasn't even anyone to commiserate (I mean chat) with...

Our routine went downhill after we went on our first adventure...Family Camp at Shaver Lake. It was a week full of food, friends, and fun. The kids went tubing, fishing, swimming, kayaking, bug hunting, hiking, and anything else you can think of in the woods. We had karaoke night, skit night, talent night (highlighted by Bella's dance moves), movie night and fireworks!



Mackenzie and Jake and Carter with their fish. Papa was even crazy...I mean nice enough to gut it for them so we could take it home and eat it. Too bad I conveniently "forgot" it in the freezer up there so we didn't actually eat the thing...


This is the huge water trampoline that really is more of a platform for wrestling...the kids just try to throw each other off of it. It's good fun.

Family camp at Shaver is my favorite week of the summer. The kids are happy to be dirty and disgusting and eating junk the whole time. And, best of all...I hardly see any of them! It's fantastic!

We were home for about a week and then we went jetting off in the middle of the day to celebrate mom's birthday with her. WE went to a place called "Shave it" where they have icees (how do you spell that anyway?) and ice cream and mixes of the two. It was TASTY! Best of all I got to experience the cool down of the evenings in Valencia. I had forgotten that it cooled off anywhere...it certainly doesn't in Fresno!

We went back to Fresno for one day so I could teach and then took off for our adventure to Texas. I will spare most of you the details...but in a nutshell...the car overheated 50 miles out of blithe so we got to drive with the heater on at 110 degrees for an hour or so. We did make it to Arizona that night where we spent time with Charlie...quite possibly the most adorable baby around...oh, and her mom and siblings too. It was great fun...except that you spontaneously combust when you open the front door and the pool is the equivalent of a warm bath...Next stop was Midland Texas...we drove the 15 hours with the "check engine" light on for 12 of the 15 hours. Luckily the car eventually made it to Texas the next day where we quickly took it to a mechanic. One timing belt, a water pump, some breaks and some filters and a lot of money later, we were all set to go.

Texas was lots of fun...as long as you like living in a sauna. It was high time we spent some time with the Texan cousins and let the kids get to know each other all over again...



We had to find indoor activities...so we went bowling with some free tickets we got from the library. The kids loved it but were sincerely disappointed that there were no candy machines. Seriously????



We spent some time with Rosie. Her only words to me were "No want it" (except when I fed her peanut butter directly out of the jar against her mother's wishes). She did, however, really like my kids. She has always liked Jake and she seemed to take to him right away again.



We got to celebrate the boys' birthdays with the cousins. Watch out world...they got bb guns. They have had a great time shooting targets with them...cans, cardboard, the swingset, our apple tree...whatever. They do, however, always wear their safety goggles so no one loses an eye...well, at least neither one of them.



We spent a lot of time in the pool. Seriously too hot to do anything else. Good thing there were plenty of pools to choose from.




And we went to the zoo. It was so hot, we lasted like 10 minutes before we found an air conditioned spot and ate lunch. Then we dragged our sorry buns over to the water park thing where the kids, at least, could get wet. I think our total time there was like 1 1/2 hours...definitely worth the $50 we paid to get in...or not. At least this giraffe exhibit was super cool. Check out the close-up!

The trip home was something to remember. After one hour of driving, the car started sputtering like it might explode or something. It was fantastic since I was alone with the kiddies in the middle of NOWHERE. I just kept calling dad, asking him this and that, and praying that we'd make it to Albuquerque, which we eventually did. We were watched over along the way and helped by a mechanic who took pity on us and fixed our car for free. What a blessing and an answer to prayers. We made it home to Valencia in time to celebrate Carter's birthday...



This is Malia's friend Elizabeth whom she met at the game. They had a grand time jumping on the benches, and walking up and down the stairs and flirting with the guys behind us. Yes, I did say flirting. Oh Malia...anyhow, they really took it to the next level when they decided to climb the fence at the top of the pavilion which was overlooking the parking lot. I have never seen so many people move so fast...security guards, parents, helpful onlookers...whatever, they had it under control the whole time.



Elizabeth's mom caught two balls during warm-ups! Jake, Carter, Brett, and Pops were all trying to do the same, but no luck. Carter got really close to catching one of the one that Elizabeth's mom caught so she gave it to Carter! What a fantastic birthday present!



Carter's request for his birthday was to celebrate with a Dodger game and to make Brett's special hot dogs with him. Brett's a good sport and we stayed an extra day in Valencia so they could make their pickle and cheese filled, bacon wrapped, heart attack in a bun hot dogs. We even brought two home for Rick...

We got to be in Valencia for Bella's friends' birthday too...it was fun to catch up with our fabulous Valencia friends. Man I miss them! It is so great to live close enough to go back often.

The days in between have been filled with Carter begging to go fishing and me being nagged enough that I end up taking him where he tangles his line in moss or trees and breaks it at least twice...but he's never deterred, even though he hasn't caught a single fish since family camp. The kids always want to have their friends over and we are lucky to have such wonderful friends. I should just wake up in the morning and start dialing to see who is free for the day. It makes my kids so much happier.

Our final trip was to Huntington Beach this past weekend. WE took three days to spend with Rick's dad. We went to the beach but we weren't prepared for the cold breeze so we only lasted an hour. The boys will tell you it was all worth it because they got to see some guys fishing and reel in a couple of sand sharks, a baby shark and miscellaneous other fish. Carter was completely in heaven. He even got to touch the baby sharks! The apartment we stayed in was fantastic. The boys spent most of the time out at this putting green with lots of holes to practice their golf game and we enjoyed the pool and hot tub. I forgot how cold it can be other places in the summer. Seriously, I would've loved it had I thought to bring a sweatshirt!

And now...we are home. I have one small overnight trip planned before the week is over...can't stay home more than a week in a row...must keep moving! And that's summer in a recap! Now that you are all sleeping and bored out of your minds, at least you aren't wondering if we are dead or alive...I will post more in smaller doses about some things that I've learned this summer...

Now Accepting Recommendations for Mid-Life Crisis Marathon Playlist

What's with men having their midlife crises in their 50s?  Are they really so deluded as to think that they'll live to 100?  I'm fully aware that I won't live anywhere near that long, given the current quality of my memory (Michelle can tell you I'm lucky to remember what I had for breakfast any given day). I'm sure that sometime around age 70 I'll forget who and where I am, piss my pants, slip in it and crack my head open and die. Given that likely scenario, I figure I might as well go ahead and have my midlife crisis now, while I still have the energy to do something good with it. 

Men in midlife crisis mode are usually trying to feel younger. Mess around with a younger woman, get a sports car, wear a toupee. I don't have the the money or inclination to do either of the first two, and the third only makes you look like a loser, which to me defeats the whole purpose of having a midlife crisis. So I'm going to focus on ways of physically feeling younger. It's easy to start feeling old, even if you're not that advanced in years, especially after you pass 30. You get lazy, spend too long at the desk, put on some weight, add on to the love handles, trot down a flight of stairs one day and say to yourself, "that never used to jiggle." Been there, done that. 

So for my midlife crisis I'm going to run a marathon - the whole 26.2. I figure, what better way to feel younger than to get in better shape than I've ever been in life? 

Now to the purpose of this post. I have never been a big music listener, so I can use some help putting together a playlist for my iPod to listen to during the marathon. (Eye of the Tiger begins to lose its beneficial impact after about the 8th repetition.)  So give me your suggestions, your favorite workout songs (or what you imagine would be your favorite workout songs if you were to ever get to the gym). Something uptempo to help keep a good pace, and that will inspire and keep that adrenaline pumping!!

Do we really sing THAT bad?

So we are having FHE tonight, and I decide to use the "Life in Christ" binder and tell the kids a couple stories from it because I don't feel like they know enough about Jesus when he was alive on the earth.

After opening prayer, we (mostly me and Stephen because Mackenzie is too cool to sing and the boys don't know the song) sing "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus". It is one of my favorite primary songs from way back when I was in Primary. Well, we are only on the second line and Charlie (who was previously happy) bursts into tears. All I have to say is, do we really sing THAT bad? I mean, I know no choir director is going to come knocking on my door begging me to join- no matter how short they are on choir members, but does my out of tune pipes really bring tears to my baby's eyes?!?!

You are Very Boring

Dear Michelle~

I'm tired of looking at the same post for the last month. Your blog is boring me and I depend on others for my entertainment. I know you have been busy this summer, so start posting pics and talking about all the fun places you've been.

Sincerely,

Really bored in AZ

Top ___ Reasons Mom is Underrated

OK folks, it is Mom's b-day. Happy b-day Mom! Tammy is officially excused from her normal duties of starting the birthday blog. She had some lame excuse like having kidney stones. Big W. Anyway, to mom. Over the years, I have thought so many times about how underrated mom is. She is seriously a rock star. And I'm not talking about her energy drink addiction - as in you are what you drink. Though that may be true, she is a rock star in so many other ways. So, I thought maybe this year we could start a running list of cool things about mom. Even better if they are cool things not everyone may know about. So, let 'em fly...

1. Totally self-sacrificing - for starters she gave up at least 7 years of her life (as in full years) pregnant. She gave up many more in child care.

2. Great taxi driver - seriously, how many ball games, practices, auditions, etc. did she take us to?

3. Amazing listener

4. Disturbingly in tune - can I say iron pills, Franco puking on me, etc.

5. Great missionary, even though she's never been on a mission - yet

6. Ridiculously smart - 9 years old in 9th grade. Seriously???

7. Supportive - she thinks we can do anything we set our minds to. Let's not disabuse her of that notion.

8. Awesome grandma - she loves the grandkids like nobody's business.

9. So good at cooking/baking that she makes Dolly Madison jealous

10. Runs interference really well - you know what I'm talking about. We all did things we knew dad would kill us for. Thankfully, he didn't find out about all of them. (Dad, don't read this item.)

11. Energetic - did I mention 9 kids, a bunch of grandkids, (maybe a rock star or two)?

12. Never needs to be the center of attention. Some of us our loud mouths and clamor for it. She is always content to let us have it and to enjoy seeing us get the attention.

(Back to work. List to be continued.)

Tahoe Monkey Bar Mishap

Since Mark and Carrie are on the road, in pursuit of a new home and a new life in Texas and won't have access to a computer for a little while, I'm posting on their behalf.

Our little Monkey Aurora proved she was more human than monkey while playing with Spencer on the monkey bars in Tahoe. She suffered a "little" fall that left her arm a little bent out of shape- literally! Poor Carrie had to navigate through the hospital system in an unfamiliar state because Aurora's arm required surgical correction that night. As luck would have it, Mark's flight got him there in time to make it for her surgery so Carrie and Aurora didn't have to go it alone- and Mark being more comfortable in the hospital setting, could ask the necessary questions.

Aurora had surgery late Thursday night and was released so Mark and Carrie could make it back to California in time to meet the company that was delivering their moving truck.

Aurora was up and playing and "back to normal" in no time, and everyone got a turn signing her "cast"... everyone except me that is!

For more details on the story, feel free to contact Mark and Carrie.

Rice Cereal Anyone???

Today was Charlie's 6 month appointment and the doctor finally gave us the OK to feed her solids. Mackenzie and I had fun shopping for baby food (including Prunes which the Dr. Yin recommended I feed her next, after she tolerates the Rice Cereal for a week).

She had her first real feeding this afternoon and this was how it all went down.

Doesnt she make Rice Cereal look so YUMMY???

At last.....I have arrived at true motherhood...

May I present, my first "hate" letter from my lovely, articulate daughter Bella. Enjoy...

Summer Time!

It's summer (at least here in phoenix it is!). The weather is so beautiful right now. Yesterday the kids decided to go for a swim. Even Charlie got to bust out her bathing suit for the first time.

She does not like the taste of the pool water~ too salty! And she doesn't like to float on her back either. But all in all, I think she enjoyed her first dip in the pool.