My sister made me apply to her wedding

When I asked Andrea when I could expect to receive my invitation to her wedding, she told me I had to apply.

This was my application.

With this application I hope to be considered for attendance at the wedding of Chris Hersch and Andrea Freund.

The following summarizes reasons why I feel my family and I should be allowed to attend this very special event.

1. Mackenzie has been saying "uncle Chris" for 5 months now.

2. I have not used the black-mail picture of Mr. Hersch to my advantage (yet).

3. I know top secret information about both participants (e.g. Chris's unfounded fear of sandals) that I could be forced to expose should an invitation not be forthcoming.

Please let me know as soon as possible if we will be considered.

Respectfully yours,

- K

I just received her response. Would you guess that she's a lawyer? ha ha ha

We confirm receipt of your application which, although it has some interesting points, indicates a clear lack of knowledge about the participants (we note in particular the failure to correctly spell the name of one of the "participants" (it's "Hersh") and that such participant has, contrary to your assertion, been wearing sandals for two months now and, in fact, recently purchased a second pair... both attributable to the other participant and about which you were clearly not aware). These issues don't bode well for your application but we will review it in more detail and revert back to you shortly with our decision. Thanks for your interest.

Blog Spam %$*&%$*&$

I was living in blog-spam-free bliss until yesterday. It really sucks to see that you have comments on your blog only to find that it is spam about "magician products" from someone/some site you've never heard of.

So I've initiated word verification for comments.

I hope this isn't too much of a pain is the butt for you FRIENDS who comment. Maybe you can think of it as a test that you have a really good chance of passing... no, even better... you have a good chance of acing this test and getting 100%.

Hey... try it right now. Try it any time you need an ego boost.

In fact I think I'll try it myself.

Fall memories

The days are getting shorter, the mornings cooler. I love fall.

I think it stems back to my childhood. Every October in Southern Ontario, when all the leaves turned amazing shades of red, yellow and orange (you just don't get those colours on the west coast) my mum, sister and I would put on our thick warm sweaters and go to the park. We would take a long walk through the woods and then end up at the apple orchard where Andrea and I would climb the apple trees and pick tons of delicious Macintosh apples. We'd come home tired from all the fresh air, with rosey cheeks and feeling happy. I'd make apple crisp (or Dad would make an apple pie). That evening after dinner the four of us would sit around the kitchen table playing Kanasta while the pie/crisp baked in the over. The smell was mouth-watering.

We'd take a break from playing cards to eat heaping bowls of crisp smothered in vanilla ice cream.

Wow... those are some pretty damn good memories.

I hope Kenzie and Seb have some great memories like that, to look back on when they are older.

do you need to have a rooster...

in order for hens to lay eggs? I'm assuming yes.

We're watching a taped episode of survivor. One group just won a bunch of chickens and a rooster. One guy almost killed the rooster for breakfast. Isn't that a really stupid thing to do?

Btw, I can't stand Jerri!

todays pics...

Need to share the limelight

They melt my heart!


she's such a little ragamuffin.

today so far

Well it's been a relatively good day... everything considered. I'm still a bit upset about this board stuff. And CJ is sick with what looks to be the flu... and Sebastian didn't want to take a nap... BUT...

I got in some retail therapy this morning. We went to the Hanna Andersson outlet store and I stocked up on fall clothes for the kids. cute cute cute. They were having amazing sales there. I will never again buy any Hanna stuff off eBay. I even got myself a $5 pair of sweats for when I'm skinny.

Sebastian not sleeping allowed me to take these adorable pictures of him.





and my favourite


It's now 4:15 and I am itching to wake up the Boo. She's been sleeping 3 hours and I want to take her somewhere so she can learn to ride her bike.

board drama

I have been quite active on an internet message board since I was pregnant with Mackenzie. It started off as a "pregancy board" where people would post questions about their preganancy and share issues and stories and offer support. It grew into much more than that. I have a group of friends there now. About 100 women who I feel i know very well. There have been fights and nasty things said between members but there is also a TON of support and kindness on this board.

Through some of the "drama", some women have left the board completely. A couple of these women were people who I had come to really like - I enjoyed reading their posts and found them really funny.

So... here's the scoop. 2 days ago I got an invitation to join another board... membership by approval and all that. I clicked on the link and headed on over. I was happy to see some of those "old friends" ... women who I had wondered about for the last few months. It was nice to see new pictures of their kids and to read their funny posts.

Okay.. so here's the problem though. There were a bunch of women from the original board who were not invited to this new "exclusive" board. Of course when they got wind of it (as they were bound to do) they were pissed. I can understand that because I've been in their shoes before.

Anyhow.. I feel like I'm in a position now where I have to choose one board or the other or else I'll feel terrible. That's a shitty position to be in. I wish I could back up two days and never receive the invite in the first place.

Happy Friday.

On a happier note. I just got this picture from CJ. Kenzie got a new bike. She looks so happy. I can't wait to see her on it when I get home tonight.

Have you ever wondered....

... when you'll retire?

... what you'll have for dinner tonight?

... if anyone else notices that the hem of your pant leg is coming unstitched?

... why God blessed you with such an amazing family?

... what you'll do this weekend?

... if it's true that everyone picks their nose?

... who reads your blog?

... if the new ring you bought is actually a men's ring?

... where you'll sit on the bus on the way home?

... what the eggrolls from the "Community “Egg Roll” fundraiser benefiting the International District Housing Alliance (IDHA)." taste like?

... if childhood bullies feel guilt later in life?

... how your friends are doing with their brand new baby girl? (Hoping all is going well Steve and Nabila!)

... why it's taking so damn long to get to 5:00

Isagenix information

Severeal people have asked me about the cleansing program that CJ and I have been doing. So I am posting the answers to some questions here for all to see.

Tell me more about this cleansing program you did.
It’s called Isagenix

I started with the 9-day cleansing (go to products and click on the 9-day program).

How much weight/inches did you lose?
I didn’t meausre inches (I was too depressed). But on the first 9 day cleanse I lost 9 pounds. On the second 9-day cleanse I have lost 5 for a total of 14 lbs in 18 days (but I will lose more as soon as I poop – sorry if that TMI)

CJ has lost 24.5 pounds in two 9-day programs.

When you did the 9-day, did you get just enough supplies for one 9-day cleanse? Or, will you be able to do more later on?
You get a bit extra. I think after the 9 day cleanse I had enough stuff for about 6 more shakes and a few more “cleansing drinks”. I had lots of the accelerator tablets left (you get a bottle of 60 and only take 2/day)… and I had lots of the mini-snacks left.

Did you order a separate 9-day cleanse for CJ?
Yes CJ had his own stuff

Were you constantly running to the bathroom? :)
The first two days I was peeing constantly. You have to drink A LOT of water. It’s like being pregnant again.

Did you feel weak?
I never felt weak. I wanted to eat… just to taste the food, but I never felt weak.

Were the hunger/cravings unbearable?
I admit the first two days were tough. I almost caved the evening of the first day, but CJ convinced me to stick it out. He said “you can do anything for 9 days.” If you thinkof it that way 9 days is really not a long time. Days 3-7 though are actually very easy - shake for breakfast, shake for dinner and anything you want to eat for lunch (under 600 calories).

Was the taste of the products bearable?
The taste of the cleasing drink is like watered down fruit juice. It’s bearable. On the first day the “snacks” taste like crap – they are small pellet like things. By day 3, I enjoyed the snacks and still do now. The shakes are okay. They are not very sweet so if you are expecting a slimfast type shake (like I was) you’ll be dissapointed. But after a couple days you get used to them. I actually enjoy them now. I CHOSE to have one for breakfast today because it was easy to take, I like the taste now and know they are full of good stuff.

Anything else you might want to add?
The benefits of this program are way more than weight loss, although that part is great. I love the fact that I feel more energetic. I actually do feel like I have gotten rid of toxins in my body. I don’t need coffee in the mornings anymore. I wake up feeling energized. CJ has completely stopped snoring. We both have wonderful deep sleeps every night.

The things that are tough for me are: The cleansing days when you don’t get to eat food (because I like to eat). I like to have an alcoholic drink in the evenings and you can’t drink alcohol on this. Those are the only down sides I can think of.

I am starting the 30 day program tomorrow and may do one more 9-day in September to hopefully help me get to my goal weight (total 30 lbs lost)

Kenzie's going to preschool!

I am so excited. There is a park near us - it is basically a small farm with chickens, roosters, pigs, horses, sheep etc. We often take the kids there so Kenzie can run around, see the animals, play on the swings and we can have a picnic. I love that place. They have large open fields and lots of tall mature trees and paths just perfect for nature walks.

They also have a small one-room school house on the property.

I just signed up Kenzie for a preschool progarm starting in January. (I am really psyched because all their other preschool programs (i.e. the ones starting in September) are fully booked with long waiting lists. She has to be 3 to start this preschool so she just got in.

Here's the description:

If your child was too young to register for preschool in the fall, join us in the Winter for our newest preschool class. Each session will be 10 weeks long, with a theme based curriculum that will include: language, math, science, art, music, and environmental education. This preschool program will focus on social development in a safe, supportive, developmentally appropriate environment.

She will be going two afternoons a week for ten weeks starting in January.

I really hope she loves it. I think she will and I also think it will be good for socially.

high on starvation

ha ha... I actually do feel kind of high. The cleansing program that I'm doing Isagenix, is great. I feel full of energy, I haven't had a coffee in weeks and I don't feel like I need it, I like the shakes and being able to choose what I want to eat for lunch, and I'm losing weight without feeling hungry (12 pounds so far in 20 days) ....

Having said that,the program includes two days of "cleansing" at the begining and end of the 9-day program. The cleansing consists of drinking 4 large glasses of the isagenix juice drinks, lots of water and having these little rabbit-food snack pellets (which are actually quite tasty).

I am not so keen on the cleansing days - not because I'm hungry, I not hungry right now at all... just because I want to eat. I like the taste of food and I like eating. I am so looking forward to going out for appetizers and drinks with the ladies on Wednesday night.

anyhow... what I started off saying though is true. I feel all energetic and giddy right now... and just a little high on life (or whatever). How fun!

Here are some pictures from yesterday. We had a good time when Julian came over. When his dad called to tell us that Julian's new little sister, Jasmine, had arrived, we celebrated with chocolate cupcakes.



Here's a pic of the new BIG BROTHER


Here's a post-cupcake pic of my cutie pie.


And here's a pic of Kenzie and seb checking out the pack and play after Julian left.


It's all fun and games until someone (~ Seb) pulls someone else's (~ Kenzie's) hair.

everyday should be a weekend

Weekends are so great. Especially today. I took Seb swimming last night and I think he exhausted himself. As a result he slept straight through the night until 7:00. Ahhhhh what a luxury to have a full night's sleep.

Anyhoo... this morning we packed up the family in the ol' minivan and headed out to Ferral McWorther Park. We met up with Kelly, Max (2 ½) and Alex (5 ½ months) there. I think everyone had a great time. Kenzie and Max played so nicely together... and they both enjoyed seeing the animals, jumping up and down in the big silo, playng on the swings, running amuck, picking flowers, playing soccer and all the other fun things that 2 ½ year olds get into.

Seb enjoyed slobbering and spitting-up food all over himself while beautiful Alex looked on in utter disgust. I could tell that she was thinking “typical man”.

When we got home we had something to eat and went down for naps.

Later Seb and I went shopping for stickers and some other gifts.

We got home and gave Kenzie the gift that Santa dropped off for her earlier for being such a good girl. (psssst – she totally fell for it… ha ha ha). She’s loving her new “Little People’s play set”.

Kenzie and CJ are off shopping now for a new flat screen monitor for our computer. We are finally joining the 21st century. I’m excited. I think he’s going to get a nice 19” monitor. It will be fun for me to learn some picture editing on that.

Speaking of pictures….. A friend of mine who lives in Vancouver, Washington started a photography business after her son was born. She is a fabulous photographer. Here is her website. She is going to take pictures of Kenzie and Seb next month. I am so excited. I CAN NOT wait!

peanut allergies

I just read some posts (on a message board that I participate on) talking about what a pain in the butt it is to have kids go to a "peanut free" school or peanut free classroom. This infuriates me. I am to the point of tears. One and a half years ago Kenzie had a miniscule bite of a peanut butter cookie. Within seconds her body was covered in hives and swelling more by the second. It took us 7 minutes to get her to the ER and by that time her eyes and mouth were swollen shut. She was terrified and so were we. The doctors rushed her back right away, shot her up with epinephrine and antihistamines and we waited... and waited. Two hours before she could open her eyes again. I can still see her face - she looked at me and tried to smile but couldn't because her face and lips were so swollen.

Is it such an inconvenience to give your child a cheese sandwich? a turkey sandwich? raviolli? Is it so hard to come up with something else to give your kid to take to school to eat? By all means, give them all the PB&J sandwiches they want at home.
Without trying to sound overly dramatic, my daughter could die if she is exposed to peanuts and not treated in time after her reaction starts.

If your child has to eat PB&J sandwiches, please, I urge you to try soy nut butter – tastes exactly the same as peanut butter. Hell, if you don’t want to pay the extra $0.50 let me know and I’ll send you a jar.

Pictures of the boo

I've been thinking a lot lately about Kenzie going to school - whenever that may be. CJ and I recently started talking about preschool. So if not this year, then maybe next year... we'll see. I am nervous about it. She is so shy around new people. I hope she does well and makes friends and is happy.

Here are some pictures from the other night. She was showing Sebastian some flash cards.


So darn cute, she is.


Here she is being really melodramatic.


and here's a cute one I got of Seb when he was on his swing. He's just so .... perfect!

CJ is such a great Dad

This weekend we had some friends over. They were talking about some issues they are having with daycare - it's the best daycare around. It really is fantastic. But no matter how wonderful a daycare is, parents don't have as much input or control over what their kids do, as stay-at-home parents do. It's the nature of daycare. It is structured and organized - it has to be! (There are a TON of benefits, so if anyone has their kids in daycare, please don't get me wrong. Daycares can be really great places for kids to learn and develop social skills.)

But it made me realize how appreciative I am of CJ and everything he does for us as a family. He is am AMAZING father ("CJ the amazing husband" will be another blog post). He constantly takes the chill'uns on adventures - to the zoo, to the park for picnics, to the Science Center and today... to the aquarium. How many kids are so lucky?!

Kenzie has developed so much since she's been home with CJ. Her vocabulary has increased. She has such a great sense of humor that I think she's learning from her dad. Sebastian has learned how to take naps, sit, roll, and is so sweet and happy and cuddly.

I love watching them together. I love to hear Kenzie and Seb giggle when they are with their Dad.

CJ I LOVE YOU - Thanks for being You!

p.s I dreamt I was pregnant again. ;-)

pictures from our summer picnic

Here are some pictures from our summer picnic last Friday. What a great time we had.

Here's one of Mr. Irresistible. I love this picture.


CJ and Kenzie collecting rocks.


The kids playing at the water spigot. Man, they loved that thing.


Me and Tugboat. You can also see some of my "free jewelery" (earrings and necklace).

really tired today

I'm sleepy today. Between Kenzie waking up in the middle of the night and coming in our bed, and me fighting off a cold, I am really tired. I need a day off. I think I'll look into how much time off I have accumulated.

be right back....

"I'm back... I made a snack" (ha ha ha.. I put that in there for you, honey)

ugh.. I don't have too much accumulated. I'm not sure how much I had left from last year. How sad.

I can't seem to focus on work today. I am supposed to be writing 4 mini-reports (like 5 pages each). I hate writing reports...

Hey, I have some news. I think I can post this here because it's not like my extended family reads this blog... MY SISTER IS GETTING MARRIED! Chris proposed to her on Sunday night. They are in Vermont on a cycling vacation. I am so darn excited for her and can't wait for her to get home so we can talk on the phone and I can get all the details!

CONGRATULATIONS ANDREA AND CHRIS!

Random photos

I just took a look at our front yard. It makes me proud. We have been very good about watering every night to keep it looking nice. The rose bushes are also doing wonderfully - although this picture doesn't do them justice because I pruned them back so much this morning. Mr. Bailey's lawn, however, looks terrible... so look who's complaining now. mwahahahaha!



Look at our new purchases!!! We got these lawn swings today. I LOVE them. Super comfy. I could spend a whole afternoon in one of them just reading a book...





and of course. I have to add a pic of our cuties. :)

my big ol' butt

Today we were driving to Home Depot and Seb was a bit cranky so I climbed in the back of the van to give him a bottle. The back seats were out so I wedged my butt between Kenzie's and Sebastian's seat.

Kenzie: you going to sit there Mummy?

me: Yes, I'm going to sit my big ol' butt right here.

CJ: You don't have a big butt!

Kenzie: NO DADDY!!!! MUMMY DOES have a BIG OL' BUTT!

Don't you just love their honesty. ha ha ha

Saturday

so... onto today.

Today started off a bit shakey. Seb woke us at 2:00 am and decided to be fussy and not sleep for the rest of the night. I took him to the doctor this morning only to hear "He is perfectly healthy, can't feel any teeth coming in... don't know what's wrong with him". He fell asleep on the way home and had a good nap. He woke up from his nap a new man... a happy one. :)


I love watching CJ hold Seb. He is such a softie. (CJ that is)


Now that Seb can sit and is more mobile and alert and has better motor skills, he is starting to enjoy playing with toys..... whatever Kenzie is playing with, to be exact. Although that seems to work both ways. Kenzie seems to want to play with whatever Seb is holding onto. I see some character-building times in our future. Here's a picture I took where they were, for a split second, sharing a toy.


Anyhoo... Sarah's post-wedding bachlorette party started at 1:00. It was so fun. We had all the girls at our place, delicious drinks, good conversation and yummy taco fiesta food (made by CJ, the house boy). Kenzie and her buddy Montana, had a lot of fun playing together. First they dresed up like princesses...


Then they got each other wet with the hose outside so they had to come in and get some dry clothes on. Montana decided thay they needed to dress up in Kenzie's dresses. They looked so angelic (notice I said "looked"). They are so funny together. Montanan gets so tanned in the summer and Kenzie is so so white.


Sebastian was just LOVING being with all the WOMEN! I think he's going to be a ladies' man. Here he is with Heidi and Kristin (Montana's mom)


We ended the day with a family viewing of an episode of Survivor. We are slowly getting through the first season of Survivor that we taped a few weeks ago. This was followed by a half hour of "Heffalump", poo's by the "under-three" family members and then bottle (seb), books (kenzie)... kisses for every finger and every toe and kisses for the head and belly and lots of "good night"'s and "i love you"'s and cuddles. And finally lights out. And that brings us to now. CJ has gone out to play a video golf game with Steve.... Steve, only 6 more days before all hell breaks loose. Enjoy them!

I am going to bed now and will start reading my new Maeve Binchy book. It's such trash but I love her books.

Good Night All. There will be more shenanigans to write about tomorrow I'm sure :)

Big Sigh.... Friday

I just let out a big sigh. Both kids are in bed. The last two days have been super hectic but oh so fun. Yesterday we went to my company's summer picnic in teh afternoon. We had a blast. Not only were the two kids perfect (Kenzie had her good pal Parker to play with - they were inseparable. And Sebastian had a good nap in the backpack), bt we got to hang out, relax, chat with collegues and their S.O.'s have a couple drinks and enjoy the beautiful weather. All this occured just steps from the Puget Sound.

Soon after we arrived home, Sam and Jess came over to babysit. Sam - have I told you lately that I LOVE YOU!? CJ and I went to the Saki House for dinner. We had a most delicious dinner. We let the sushi chef decide for us and man... did he decide well. He made us some fantastic sashimi followed by a couple spectacular sushi rolls. My mouth waters thinking about it. We also polished off two large saki's and of course my fav... edemame. The best part though was that we actually got to talk. I think this was teh first time sonce my maternity ended that we actually talked abit along the lines of "is this new situation working for you?" It made me happy that we both seem to be glad we made this decision (i.e. CJ being a SAHD).

wanna see my game?

ha ha... this is what Kenzie says about 20 times a day... and most of the time I realize too late that I do not want to see her game.

In any case.. this is my game ----> Do a 9-day cleansing program where you stop drinking anything toxic... yes sadly that means no coffee and no alcohol.

Then... on the 10th day start your day off with a medium non-fat sugar free vanilla latte.

Just try it... I DARE YOU!

p.s. It's better than crack (well .. I "imagine" it's better than crack). I'm bouncing off the walls. YEEHAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9 lbs

I've lost 9 lbs in 8 days! WHEEEEEEEEE!! I feel great. Full of energy, happy, loving life.

some days are better than others, some just suck

I had a really crappy meeting this morning. I almost walked out. It was either that or I was going to burst into tears. It ended up getting better but it was one of my all-time "bad" meetings. There is something to be said regarding strength in numbers. I was the only person there representing the client and there were 5 people from the "contractor"-side. I stood my ground, but, boy did I feel beat-up afterwards.

On a brighter note, (note sarcasm) don't you hate when you discover that someone else has screwed up? I hate it because then I feel bad for them, and terribly guilty, and I start to think of all the reasons they could have screwed up and that maybe they are not in a position to make things right... and then I feel even worse and wish I hadn't noticed anything in the first place.

I don't think today is going to be a good day.

I am looking forward to going to sleep tonight.

Am I crazy?

I love our house. Of course there are things that need to be fixed or upgraded but that will always be the case. It's just steps from our close friends, the Wheelers. We are all settled in. We have had the exterior painted, did alot of interior painting ourselves, new carpets etc. It's appreciated substatially since we bought it.

But today I started thinking... wouldn't it be nice to have a house with a bigger backyard? Maybe even a smaller house (we don't really need 4 bedrooms + 2 additional spare rooms). What if we downsized a bit and got a place with a huge backyard for the kids to play in. Maybe we could even find a place with an in-law suite (separate entrance, bedroom, kitchen and small living area).

Ahhhh to dream. I actually looked on-line and found a house as described above.

But then reality set in. Do we want to pack up all our stuff and unpack it again? Do we want to move to a house that doesn't have a giant family room that is so nice for the entertaining we do? Do we want to deal with the paperwork and financing "stuff"?

I'm just too lazy for these pipe dreams.

they smell like a bathroom

I was wrapping up some candles that I got for a friend's birthday on Saturday. They were nice smelling aromatherapy candles. I held one out to Kenzie and said "smell this". She smelled the candle and her eyes opened up wide and she exclaimed "MMMMMMMM that smells GOOD!! It smells like a bathroom". ha ha ha

I have chosen to take that as a compliment on our beautiful smelling bathrooms.

My princess

Princess Kenzie wanted to play hide and seek today - with her brother. So she would tell me where to put him (e.g. "Mummy put Bastian behind the couch".) Then I would close my eyes and count to 10 while Kenzie hid. Then I would look for them. CUTE CUTE CUTE!



What is it about little girls dressed up like princesses? This is a picture of K waiting on the steps for her friend, Katrina, to arrive. She was very excited to give Katrina her own box of raisins.

another good day

Today started off with a family walk to the ol' Fred Meyer. Sebastian and Dad collected all the food items while Kenzie and I went to look for a birthday present for Julian. We found, what I think is, the perfect gift for a two year old. It was a "band in a box". It came with a tamborine, drums, shakers, spoons and other things that makes lots of noise. I know that his parents will be forever appreciative of our fabulous gift-buying prowess. :)

When we got home, Kenzie entertained us with a song that she made up about the new pokeadot sun glasses that she got at the store. I believe it went something like this....

"OHHHHHHH glasses make me happy... and so do pigs... and cats and hippos.... and lions are at the zooooooooo. Glasses.... glasses.... make me oh so happy and oh so sad.... and I love mummy and daddy too. and I love bastian too".


After the concert Kenzie entertained me with the two dozen ways she can go down her slide.


Next we took naps. Yes, the whole family took naps. That in itself makes today a VERY successful day. I love weekend afternoon naps. They make me happy.

After naps we packed everyone into the car and headed off to the Steve and Bila's house for the birthday party. I can't believe that soon Seb will be in a big forward facing care seat like the boo.


The birthday party was a hit. Here's a picture of Dad and seb enjoying the playground.


There was good food (at least it looked good - damn cleansing), fun friends and lots of kids... this is a picture of just a few. Kenzie had a hoot. Julian has some extra cool toys... and lots of them. Sebastian found a few he enjoyed too.


We came home and just bummed around for the rest of the evening. Poor Sebastian couldn't keep his eyes open so he was out by 7:30. Kenzie in bed (probably not sleeping) by 8:30.

Tomorrow, Ellen and Katrina are coming over for a playdate/picnic. Kenzie told us tonight that she would like to serve Katrina toast with strawberry jelly, pickles and popsicles. ha ha ha

random thoughts

I lost 4 pounds and feel great. Maybe there is something to this "cleansing thing". CJ lost 9! 9 pounds in 2 days! I know alot of our loss is water but I already see changes in the way my clothes fit. I am happy.

Sebastian is so friggin adorable. I want to eat his thighs. Is this not the cutest picture. Seb and Miro (the cat) got some snuggling in this morning.


I took kenzie swimming last night. She loves the pool as much as I did when I was a kid. She is doing so great. She started off being really apprehensive. Now she jumps off the side, loves being thrown up in the air, blows bubbles and loves to jump in the shallow part. And she is so cute in her little bathing suits.

I am looking forward to our weekend. Not too much planned. We are going to Julian's birthday party tomorrow. How fun!! Kids birthday parties are a blast! Other than that no plans.

Oh.. here's another really cool thing. I got this email from Sam last night

" do nothing at night except wait for Charles to log on and watch tv. So...why not, for the next 4-5 weeks...you and CJ go out and Jess and I watch the munchkins? ...... So, let me know what days and times and we'll be there. Enjoy this while you can. I know what it's like...use this opportunity while it lasts!!!"

Could she be a better friend? I think not! So we took her up on her offer and she'll be watching the kiddos next Friday while we go for sushi. I honestly don't remember the last time we went out for dinner by ourselves. I think it was on my birthday LAST year - so over a year ago. I am so psyched! Thank you Sam, I love you!

cleansing

I've been having a really hard time losing baby weight after Sebastian. It's strange because with Mackenzie I gained the same amount of weight and it was all gone 6 weeks after she was born. But not this time. In fact I've gained 10 MORE pounds since he was born. I attribute it to the fact that Seb is not a good sleeper and when I am up with him in the middle of the night, it's so easy to pop a piece of chocolate or a cookie in my mouth while I'm in the kitchen making him a bottle. I guess it could also be related to teh fact that i eat too much on a regular basis.

ANY HOO.... long story gets longer.

Our friend Sam came over on the weekend. She is in great shape but has ALWAYS complained about her tummy (since the day I met her about 5 years ago). She had a c-section and hasn't been able to lose a bit of padding over all her tummy muscles. Well last weekend she came over and showed me her tummy. SHE WAS RIPPED! I swear her stomach was so friggin flat and you could see her muscles. It was awesome. She said it was from doing isagenics - a 9 day cleansing program.

I was convinced. So CJ ordered the stuff for us and we started the plan yesterday. I was really hungry yesterday but I feel better today. I am, starting to get the energy rush that they talk about. I know this is not my weight-loss solution, but I am hoping it will get me motivated enough to stick to a diet/exercise routine and lose the weight I need to.

We finish the program next Thursday. We are going for sushi next friday night. I can't wait!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CJ!

I love you honey!!!!

Pillow Fights

I have always had this "dream scenario" about life as a grown-up. It involves the husband and wife and two kids hanging out on the parents bed on a weekend morning. The kids are dressed in comfy pajamas, the parents lounging around drinking coffee and there are cuddles and lots of giggles and everyone is happy. Of course the kids are perfectly clean and smell like soap and shampoo and the bed linens are perfectly white with a fluffy white comforter. The sun is streaming into the bedroom indicating the start of a beautiful and perfect day.

Well... yesterday I think we came as close to this dream as possible....

It was after dinner - around 7:00. Seb was in a onesie with little bits of cheerios stuck to his legs, Kenzie was sweaty and had the remanents of strawberry yogurt on her t-shirt. CJ and I were hot and tired. We all ended up on our bed - with non-matching linens.

I picked up a pillow to put it under my head when this urge struck me to slam the pillow into CJ stomach. ha ha ha. This made Kenzie and Seb laugh. So I followed that with a wack of the pillow onto Kenzie's butt and a little tap of the pillow on Seb's head.

This resulted in squeals of laughter.

From there it deteriorated into a full-on pillow fight that the whole family was involved in.

It was AWESOME!!!

After about 25 minutes we all fell onto our backs, hot and exhausted - faces hurting from laughing so much.

it was better than my dream!