Just Can't get enough of those firefighters!

These were taken a Cameron's field trip to the fire station last week. He got to squirt the hose and see "Nelson the wonder dog" climb up and down a ladder! He was so cute! I want to get another Lab, but Scott isn't ready for another dog...
 
 
  

Want to see where I spent my Anniversary?

click Here. Not the most romantic place, huh? I have some kind of nasty stomach bug! I have been in bed or in the bathroom since yesterday afternoon. Bummer. And we were supposed to go and meet with a bunch of local adoptive parents today. It turns out we couldn't have gone out, anyway, because the babysitter got the dates confused. so it hasn't been too exciting...We will celebrate another time...

11 years ago today...

I married my best friend. We got married on the beach in Laguna. We have been together for 15 years and we are so lucky!

The Leprechauns were here!

 
 
They colored our milk green and left gold!
As Cameron would say "Happy ST. Padrick's day!" 

The Best Brownies, ever!

Known hereafter as "The Firefighter Brownies"
 

Recipe:
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided
14 oz. pakage caramels
1 package chocolate chips
1 box german chocolate cake mix
2/3 cup butter

Mix 1/3 cup evaporated milk, softened butter and cake mix in a bowl.
press half of the cake mixinto the bottome of a 13X 9 cake pan,
bake for 8 minutes at 350.
In a microwave safe bowl, mix caramels and 1/3 evaporated milk
heat for 30 seconds at a time until melted, stirring
sprinkle chocolate chips over crust, pour caramels over chocolate chips
crumble the rest of the dough over the top.
Bake at 350 for 18 minutes. Yummy! 

Does anyone NOT like Firefighters??

This was in the mail today for Cameron with a note that said "Dear Cameron, We hope you are back jumping around. You were a great patient. Thanks.

 
Firefighters Rock! I mean, how can you not love them? They save lives and they are nice, too! We are going to bring them some cookies tomorrow... 

Reflections on a 911 call...

I do not have any regrets about calling 911. The first thing I learned in first aid is not to move someone with a neck injury. But there is one thing I wish I had done differently. My house was an absolute disaster. Toys all over, the paramedics were literally tripping over couch cushions. So I was thinking. You know the saying "You should wear clean underwear just in case you are in a car accident"?. Well, here is my new saying, maybe it will catch on. "You should always keep your house clean, in case you need to call 911". I guess I better get started...

I love Austin!

You Are Austin

A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. You're totally weird and very proud of it. Artistic and freaky, you still seem to fit in... in your own strange way. Famous Austin residents: Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Andy Roddick

What American City Are You?

Adoption on hold.

Well, due to some financial stuff, the adoption is on hold. At first I was so sad and disappointed. This means that we won't be able to travel with my sister. But then I started thinking maybe this has happened for reason. I think we are meant to adopt a waiting child. (For those who don't know, that means a child with special needs, usually minor). There are so many children who need a home who might not get one otherwise. So even though we have to wait a little longer, I am excited about it. So we will save up some money and ask our agency to keep an eye out for a child around Gracie's age with a minor special need and then submit our paperwork. The good news is that the wait is usually shorter, so it probably won't add that much time to our wait! We still need to think about what kind of special need we would be willing to accept. Probably a cleft pallate(SP?) or something like that.

Cameron is much better and new digital layout

After Motrin and a heat pack on his neck, Cameron is able to sit up and walk around some. His neck is still sore, but he seems to be on the road to recovery. Thanks for all your kind thoughts. Here is my latest Digital scrapbook design. I think I am getting the hang of it. I am still having some issues that I may have to hire someone to help me with. This is the page I am giving to a friend of mine who will be seeing Gracie's orphanage director next month while she visits the U.S. I think it turned out pretty good. I am still using only free kits, not too bad!

Never a dull moment around here...

Cameron was jumping on the couch this afternoon and we aren't sure if he fell off(He said he didn't) but he suddenly started crying and saying his neck hurt. He was laying on the floor and couldn't/wouldn't move it. He wouldn't stop crying and when we tried to move him, it got worse, so we made the dreaded call to 911. They came very quickly and suddenly there was a fire truck outside our door and Fire fighters and paramedics stomping through our house, over the toys and couch cushions to where Cameron was laying. To be on the safe side, they strapped him to one of those boards you always see on E.R., and took him in his first (mine too) ambulance ride to the hospital. They did some tests and took X-rays, which were hard to do because it hurt him to move at all. They concluded that they "don't know" what it is. Great. It could just be a pulled muscle or spasm. So after much crying and a neck brace, we are home again. He is medicated and we will see how he is in the morning. He was a trooper throughout. Here is an actual conversation in the ambulance.
Paramedic"hey, buddy, do you want to be a firefighter when you grow up?"
Cameron "No, I want to be Batman"
paramedic"OHHH, can I be Robin?"
Cameron "No, My Daddy is going to be Robin!"
Cute, even strapped to a board...

Ouch

  

My Dad found this...

I thought it was cool...
You can find them and a bunch of others Here

Before and After

Before Kids:

After Kids

Before:

After:

Before:

After

(Yes, I have a train table instead of a dining room table)

I Waaannt Baaaad Daaaayyyyy!

No, I am not having a bad day, this is what Gracie says every time we get into the car. It is a new song by Daniel Powter and she loves it! It is so funny! I downloaded it a couple of weeks ago and it is all she wants to hear! She has even had tantrums because I won't play it ALL the time. Have you heard it? Here are some of the lyrics:
Where is the moment we need at the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to grey
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin'

Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
this is what Gracie sings:
"Baaaaddd Daaaayyy, Baaaadddd Daaaayyyyy, Baaaaddd Daaaaayyyyy"
Get it? Although it is very cute and I loved the song (past tense, I am sick of it) it is getting old...What happened to Old MacDonald?

Funny things overheard...

Funny things I have overheard the kids saying lately...
Buster had been getting into the trash a lot and making a mess. Scott said yesterday "Buster, if you don't be good, we'll have to send you to a farm" (totally joking!)
so later Gracie was crying in the car and Cameron says to her "Gracie, if you don't be good, you have to go live on a farm!" Ha ha ha
Gracie's vocabulary is exploding and she is trying to put 3 and 4 words together. Today she says "I want Jack off". WHAT? She says it a few more times until I get it. She wants her Jacket off!
The other day when I picked her up at the gym they told me "She keeps asking for Cheese. I told her we don't have any, but she won't stop". I asked her what she wanted. "Juice!."
We were at the post office in line and I gave Grace my keys to play with. She starts yelling "MOMMY, BA CHEE"(Buster). I said "Yes, I know, Buster is in the car". She keeps yelling "NO, Mommy, Ba Chee!!!!". Suddenly Buster comes INTO the Post office. She has opened the door of the minivan with the automatic keys and let him out!At least she tried to tell me...

Nasty Storm

Blew the unbrella out of the table and shattered the glass...what a mess!

 

I did it!!

Here is my first Digital layout. I had to use the Scrapboook factory deluxe, I still can't figure out Elements...maybe if I take a class...It is pretty basic and I used a free download of papers and embellishments. There are tons of free stuff out there! Thanks for all the advice. My favorite site is digiscrap. It really goes into step by step details, but for some reason when I followed the directions for elements, it still didn't work. And this layout took forever, because I kept getting the "program not responding" error and it took 2 or 3 minutes to do anything Is this a program problem or a computer problem? Anyway, I finally finished one!

Technically challenged...

I really want to get into digital scrapbooking. I am not finding time to scrapbook and I spend all of my time on the computer anyway! My Dad bought me Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 for my birthday, and I have been trying to figure out how to use it since! And not having much luck...I can edit photos and things likes that, but I cannot seem to figure out how to make a scrapbook layout...I bought the "Class room in a book" for elements, but it doesn't talk about scrapbooking...anyway, I need some help, or a class or something...

Something (else) that irritates me

Cameron needs new rain boots. He lost one and it has been pouring down rain and will be until Saturday. So I went to Target, which I love (who doesn't?). And the only thing I can find are these. We have just started our rainy season, what are they thinking? This happens to me every year. I try and buy long sleeve shirts, or god forbid, things to wear in the snow, and all I see is this.
We won't wear a bathing suit until September, here! It will be windy all spring and cold and foggy all summer...It is just so frustrating. I guess I could plan ahead and stock up on coats and rain boots in December, but how will I know what size to buy? My kids grow like weeds...It this a California thing? Because I would be really upset if it was snowing and all I could find were sandals...

Look! A Stalactite! Or is it a Stalagmite?

Do you know the difference? Cuz' I do! We went to the Mercer Cavern and went down into this cave. Pretty cool! See below for answer...

 
 
*Answer: A Stalagcite is a formation that grows from dripping down from the ceiling of the cave. A stalagmite is one that grows up from the ground...* 
I have been corrected-it is stalactite, thanks Allyn!

CRASH

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catchin' air

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Fun in the snow...

 
 
  

This is what happens when you leave one unattended to clean the sheets of the other one who threw up everywhere...
 

Sick. Do you see a pattern here????????

Bronchitis this time. She has been wheezing and this time the nebulizer wasn't helping(You don't need to see more pictures of it, right?)Then she got a fever. So off to the doctor we went. He asked her if it hurt anywhere and she pointed to her ribcage on the left side. He listened with the stethoscope and he said she had an infection and
he couldn't hear air moving freely in that spot. So, it was hurting there! Genius child...Now we are on antibiotics and the nebulizer-you guessed it-every four hours.If she isn't better by tonight it is time for the big guns-steroids. I pray she is better by tonight so we can sleep...Are my posts sounding redundant? Sorry.

There's no place like home...

I am home. After waiting for 3.5 hours for my plane to get in, I finally left at 8:30 Pm. I got home at 11:00. I had hoped to be home before bedtime, but no. I was so happy to see the kids and we have had a fun day. Now, let me ask you something: Do I Look like a terrorist to you? Because EVERY single time I fly, I am "selected" for extra special security screening. It doesn't matter what airline or airport I fly out of. Usually I don't mind, but when I have the kids, it is a pain. And when I am late for my flight, as I was on Friday. So I end up running through the airport to my gate holding my shoes, belt, and jacket that I didn't have time to put on...So, if there is something I should change about myself to make me look less like a terrorist, please let me know...

Breakfast of Champions...

Kettle Corn and Coke!!! Yum
 

Scrapbook weekend

We are having a great time. Go to my sister's site for pictures! We are headed back tomorrow for another class and more shopping! There are more scrapbook supplies than I have ever seen!! Then we came home and I took a nap, because, well, I could...Then we watched a movie (not an animated one!!) and had Chinese for dinnner. And, you won't believe what my Fortune was!! Perfect for a scrapbooking weekend, don't ya think??

Girl's Weekend!

Tomorrow I am going away for the weekend....By myself! I am going to the O.C. (I lived there for 20 years and never Once called it that!!) to visit my sister and go to the Scrapbook Expo. I am very excited! Scott and I joke that I "collect" scrapbook supplies, but don't actually scrapbook. Well, hopefully I can get some ideas and start up again. The kids really love to look at the ones I have done...AND I get to sleep in, watch as much TV as I want and read uninterrupted! Can't wait! Of course, I will miss my kids:)

Valentine party

Here is Gracie at her Valentine party. Kids Love Valentine's Day. It didn't do much for me this year. We went out to our school auction on Saturday night and that was our big Valentine's night out. Yesterday was pretty low key...I worked in Gracie's classroom and then came home for a while. Then we went to the gym. I then tok both kids grocery shopping, because we don't seem to have a babysiter anymore...My kids are hard to take grocery shopping...is it just me? Do your kids grab everything off of the shelves and knock things over? Then we went home and by the time I unloaded all the grocies, caried them upstairs and put them away, Scott was home. He asked what was for dinner. I said "we have a rotisserie chicken..."so that's what we ate. and nothing else! Happy Valentine's day, honey. I went through a lot of trouble...


  

This one is for our Cousin...

Who celebrated his 10th birthday last week!


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Happy Birthday Curtis!!!

Stow Lake

Today was another unusually warm day, so we headed put to Goldengate Park and Stow Lake. We rented paddle boats. When you see people out on the lake in a paddle boat, don't they look peaceful? NOT! It is hard work! Think 30 minutes on a stationary bike. Going uphill. But the kids loved it. Then we had a picnic in the park. A very nice day...I hear the rain is on it's way back.
 
 

Swimming? In February? Outside?

Only in California! (Or maybe Florida, or Hawaii,you get the idea)

 
 

Speaking of the Gym...

Something interesting happened today. I was picking Gracie up at the child care and couldn't see her. I was calling her name but did not see her behind the tree house. The staff looked around blankly, like they had no idea which child was mine. When she came running out of the tree house yelling "Maaammmaa" They kind of did a double take. The person at the front asked if she could see both of our membership cards. I showed them to her and she let Gracie out. Now, some people might be offended by this. But I was so happy. I would prefer they be on the cautious side than to let either of my children leave with just anybody! Sometimes I forget that we do not resemble each other. She is just my daughter. But I am glad that someone in charge of my daughter's safety would make sure that I was her mother...

Locker room talk

Well, we joined another Gym. Yes, I know, My husband is indecisive...It is actually a gym we had previously belonged to and I love it. It is very nice. The only problem with it is that I know quite a few other people who belong there. Now, when I go to the gym, I want to strap on my Ipod and work out. It is not a social event for me. I certainly do not want to stand around with no clothes on and talk about Kindergarten! Actually, I don't want to talk about Kindergarten at all. In fact, if you mention the word Kindergarten, I might Just cry. right. here.in.the.locker.room. with no clothes on. So please, I am saying this in the nicest possible way. If you see me at the gym, please just pretend you don't know me.

If I go back to work, can I still be a stay at home mom??

I have always wanted children. The more the better(when I didn't know how HARD it was!). I have also always wanted to stay at home and raise them. I was a nanny for 3 years and I didn't want that for my kids. I wanted to be there and see it all...I think kids can be fine in day care or with a nanny if they are loved and cared for, but that isn't what I want for my family. After saying all that...I am going back to work! And I am excited about it! I have missed teaching. I am going to be the assistant teacher in the 3 year class at Cameron and Gracie's school next year. And the best part is that is is when they would be in school anyway, so technically, I will still be staying at home with them! The best of both worlds. We will just see how well I juggle all of this...

Things are getting crazy around here...

My poor babysitter was walking her dog and was robbed and beaten up...This not too far from where I live, very sad and scary...I hope she is doing better soon. My car insurance was cancelled because I was in two minor parking lot scrapes in the last 3 years (both in the same parking lot, same spot...) I used to get the good driver discount, now I am labeled a bad driver...I have never even had a speeding ticket! SO I have been driving around with an expired license and no insurance(unknowingly). The drivers license is in the mail and I now have insurance. Whew! Because I have no babysitter, I had to cancel my appointment for my physical for the adoption...I found a stray dog at the park today that I HAD to bring to the humane society...couldn't have him runing in the street.I have been saving stray dogs since I was a kid...at least I didn't take him home!!I have been so busy I can't even keep up with my e mails and blogs! I hope things calm down soon...

I Love meeting new people...

Today I got to meet Jen, from stay at home Montherdom(or Motherdumb?). It was really fun...When I started this blog, it was mostly for my friends and family to see what was going on in our lives, but I have met so many people! It is a little strange when people ask how I met someone and I say "well, on the internet!". Her kids are so cute and They all played together...Can't wait to do it again...
OK, the link is working now. I can't belive I didn't take one picture while they were here!!!

Lawrence Hall of Science

Today we went to Berkeley to the Lawrence Hall of Science. It is up in the Berkeley hills and on a clear day would have been an amazing view. Cameron loved the giant dinosaurs that move and roar(Gracie, not so much!). It is a fun place.

 
 

 
 

Silly new pose...

He did this everytime I took a picture! What's that about??
 
 

B-O-R-E-D

Today we are home sick. Cameron has a bad cough and was up half the night. And it is rainy and yucky out. Not that we could go anywhere, because, like I said, he is sick. And I think Gracie is getting it because she has been crying all day...We are in our pajamas and it is 4:00! I got the digital camera back, but there is nothing to take pictures of! This is so boring, I don't even know why I am writing it....Probably because I am bored...