Close Encounter of the Santa-Kind

So the company that I work for hired a ton of Santa's to take free holiday pics with the kids in the stores.  So not wanting to pass up a great deal when I see it, I dragged the kiddos out there, not once, but twice.  The first time I got my wires crossed and I thought the man in the big red suit was going to be there on Friday.  Nope.  My bad, it was Saturday.  It was still nice because while everyone was out shopping at the malls, we were able to frolick in the tree forest and pretend we were in the Oregon Christmas Tree farms as the first snowfall was accumulating around us.  Cue the falling snow and holiday music!  The second day we got to hang out with Santa and mom got to take as many pics as I wanted!!  It was greatness!  Multiple pictures and FREE.  Who could ask for anything more?!  P2 wasn't scared, in fact she was onto him....she kept tugging at his beard; his fake beard!!  haha  That's my girl!!

Introducing the BooBoo Lip

Oh, the many faces of my sweet P2.  My fave is the BooBoo Lip.  She does this when she wants sympathy and/or is feeling sorry for her little self. 

Thanksgiving

It's been a few days since I posted anything, so I figured I better get on here and update.  Not much is going on.  Back to work today after 4 days off.  Why does 4 days of vacation speed by, yet 4 work days drag on forever?!  I thought I would get to relax and sleep in, but apparently P2 had other plans for me. 

Since she's been teething and eating more solid foods now (YES, she is actually starting to like them!!  She ate almost 4 cubes of carrots tonight!), she's been waking up several times a night.  It's been like this for about a month now.  Maybe longer.  My baby who used to sleep from 8pm-6am is no longer.  Now she's down at 8pm, up at Midnight, up at 2:30am, up at 5:30am...and that's on a good night.   I haven't had a full nights sleep in such a long time that I really feel like the walking dead.  Yet here I am on the PC when I should be sleeping!  We're trying something different tonight, so I'm praying it works.  It's 8:30 and she's still awake.  Maybe keeping her up will encourage a full nights slumber.  Ya, I'm not counting on it either.  Normally when you try to outsmart a baby, you always end up being the one who was outsmarted.  Am I right, fellow mamas?! 

So anyway, Thanksgiving was awesome.  Ate way too much!  Everything was so good, especially my MIL's stuffing!  It's actually Laura Bush's recipe for cornbread stuffing and it's SOOO yummy.  I grew up with cornbread dressing (yes, I'm from CA, but the two generations before me are Texans!) but there is something wonderful about this recipe!  I even had seconds, and I never have seconds of stuffing! 

We took our annual family picture.  It's neat to see how the kids have grown every year and to see what the weather was like that day!  One year we had snow and it was awesome, but it made for a crazy picture since we take it outside!

Here are some pics of the day!

The yummy stuffing!

I'm thankful for all the blessings in my life:  My beautiful kids, my awesome husband (even if there are days that I want to sell him), my loving & crazy family, my friends, my health, and my job.

UnThankful, is that a word?

Just got done reading (and writing) my last (few) posts and WOW, I must be in some kind of mood!!  PMS maybe?!  Skipped a dose of my happy pills?  Maybe!!  Holiday stress, perhaps??  IDK.  Maybe a combination of all of the above.  Well, since this is my blog, I'm allowed to whine and complain all I want.  It's my blog and I will cry, bitch, and moan if I want to!  So there!!  :p  Some things just continue to piss me off. Instead of continuing to dwell on them, it's nice to have an outlet for my gripes.  I mean really, if your blog is all sunshines and roses, you're lying to yourself and everyone else.  I have a good life, I have a great family, but sometimes things happen that you just need to bitch about and I think more people can relate to you when you do get your feelings out via the written (errrr typed) word. 

So, in honor of Thanksgiving Eve, I'm going to start a new trend.  Things I'm NOT thankful for this year!!!  I urge you to make your own list!  We can be nice and thankful tomorrow. Tonight I feel like being UnThankful.

1. My deadbeat father.  Another holiday you've chosen to ignore your kids.  Pathetic.  When you divorce your wife, it doesn't mean you're supposed to divorce your kids as well.  Man up and be a father.

2. Dumbass Drivers. (see blog post below)

3. Wells Fargo Bank (see blog post below below!).

4. Damn Flu, Swine and Ear infections.  Leave my family alone.

5. Religious freaks who use books and movies as a platform to promote their religious agendas instead of enjoying them for the entertainment that they are.  Especially when said freaks base their opinions on heresy.

6. To all the people who don't 'get' Twilight.  Try reading it and forming your own opinion. 

7. To the abusers (aka, her parents) who killed 5mo Briana.  I hope you burn in hell and get exactly what you deserve when it's your time to answer for what you did.  In fact, that goes out to all of the abusers of kids and women in the world. 

8. To Twitter, ya, I'm on it, but I don't like it.  It's a place for celebs to talk about how great they are and how they do nothing ALL day. 

9. I'm totally unthankful that Alison's baby died and yet LQ's unwed daughter is knocked up for the second time by God only knows who.  Makes me sick. 

10. I'm also unthankful to all my friends who so desperately want children and can not have them for whatever reasons.  It's sickening to see teenagers popping out kids like they were a Pez dispenser and yet good people, stable people who can provide a loving home can't even have one.  That totally sucks.

11. I'm unthankful to the SAHMs who get foodstamps, CHIP, WIC or Medicaid or whatever form of public assistance.  If there is nothing wrong with your ass, you should be working and supporting your children just as much as your husband OR baby-daddy.  Why do I have to bust my ass at work and pay taxes so you can stay home and continue to have more kids you can't afford.  Uuuggghhhhhhhhhhhhh. 

*^*&%*&%&^% TEXAS DRIVERS

For those that don't know, I grew up driving in Southern California.  Yes, LA.  Yes, horrible traffic anywhere you go at anytime.  From the age of 18 until I was 26, I never had anything resembling an accident.  Nothing. Not even a fender bender.

Now, flash forward to 2007.  I've had 4 accidents. Not to mention a ton of near-misses.  NONE were my fault.  One teenager pulled out in front of me trying to make a left hand turn and I t-boned her.  I injured my shoulder pretty bad and messed up my car pretty good.  Then a few days later, in the rental car, I was behind a guy in a truck who decided he would just throw it into reverse and before I could react, he nailed me.  Totalled that car (cheapy car to begin with). Then one day I was heading to the office and I was stopped at a light.  Suddenly someone ran right into the back of me, probably going 20mph.  At that point I was beginning to think there was a freakin bullseye on my back.  Then last year, wow, actually to the day, P1 and a pregnant me, were on the freeway coming back from seeing Twilight.  There was traffic and of course we just came to a stop then suddenly BAM!! a crash to the back of my SUV.  P1 and I were OK, but I was fit to be tied.  I got out of the car and I let that kid (yes, another kid) have it!!!  I was SOOO mad. 

Well tonight, it almost happened again.  I was on the freeway on my way home from work, with P2 in the car.  I was merging onto one highway from another and there was a solid white line separating the two.  As I'm going about 40mph, I see this little white car starting to cross the white line into my lane.  I started laying on the horn and started bracing for impact. THANK GOD he slowed down and never crossed into my lane, but I just KNEW he was going to nail us, which would have had us slamming into a guardrail and possibly flipping over it down into the embankment.  I shudder to think about what could have happened.  I was shaking SO bad and for a fleeting second I thought about stopping the car, getting out and giving that driver (and his car) a piece of my mind.  You know if you endanger my life, that's one thing, but when it comes to endangering my kids, all bets are off!!!  

So, I'm giving thanks early.  Thank you to my angels for keeping P2 and I safe, and that guy better thank his angels that this mama bear didn't get out of my car and whip his ass.  THAT'S how mad I was. 

For the record, Texas drivers- YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!  Especially you 30yo boys in a truck who think you own the road and think that red lights and stop signs are negotionable!!! STOP RUNNING RED LIGHTS YOU IDIOTS!!!!  Yes, traffic is LA is terrible but at least they know how to drive.  When I went home for 2 weeks in July, I traveled from one end of CA to the other and not once did I see a single accident.  When we flew back to TX, I saw an accident on the way home from the airport.  I rest my case. 

Letter to Wells Fargo

If swearing offends you, move on

Dear Wells Fargo,

You would think after 16 faithful years of my business you would cut me some slack when I overdraft my account three times, for a total of $4.  YES, FOUR FUCKING DOLLARS!!!!  WHY do you insist on charging me THREE seperate $35 FEES on the SAME FUCKING DAY?!?!?   If you do the math, that is $105 dollar fee for spending $4 dollars.  THANK GOD you are not my primary account/bank and I don't have 100% of my funds going to your institution, but as of today, I will not contribute a penny more into your deep pockets.  If an account has ZERO in it, WHY THE FUCK DO YOU ALLOW TRANSACTIONS TO KEEP POSTING AGAINST IT ?  Oh wait, I know.  It's to BEND ME  the FUCK OVER & charge me $35 EACH time for the priviledge.  Well FUCK YOU, Wells Fargo. You can take your $-109 AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS.

November 24th, already?

Where has the year gone??  I can't believe this is the week of Thanksgiving.  Normally I feel like I'm ahead of the holidays, but this year I'm WAY behind.  I will say that I've started some of my Christmas shopping, but I'm nowhere near ready to decorate the house, have the girls Christmas pics taken, started my Christmas cards (OMG, I totally forgot that I'm making them by hand again this year!!), or have any idea what 'Santa' is bringing the girls this year.  I think Santa is going to be VERY selective this year.  P2 doesn't know the difference and somehow P1 has it in her head that Santa only brings 8 presents. Period.   I think she reached that conclusion last year because on her note to Santa, on special paper that I found, there are only 8 blank spaces to write in her wishes.  So 8 she will get.  Works for me!   P2 will probably get a ton of stuff from the relatives, but I think Santa is bringing her a FP Jumperoo.  New or Used?  I can't decide.  I think since it's her very first Christmas, I will buy it new....although since she's so little, would she really know the difference?  I would know, and for some reason buying my child a second-hand toy on her first Christmas just seems wrong.  Am I crazy?  Probably.  Oh well, it's not about the gifts we receive or give.  It's about our family being together, being safe, and being healthy.  I'd say we have it pretty good right now....things could change in an instant.    

I heart Stephenie Meyer

If you don't know who Stephenie Meyer (SM) is, I ask if you've been living in a cave for the last couple of years?! Probably the same place I was a little over a year ago.  SM is only the author of 4 amazing books.  See that beautiful little poster over there with the girl and the two HOT guys?!  SM wrote The Twilight Saga books.  Two of them are now made into movies and the other two should be out next year and maybe 2011 if we're lucky!  (if you really have never heard of them, go out and buy the books and get back to me in a week and let me know how obsessed you are!!)

Anyway, so why do I love SM?  Well, last week http://www.thetwilightsaga.com/ was inviting all Twilight fans to ask SM some questions regarding New Moon.  I think the window for emailing the questions was 12 hours and I squeaked mine in at the very last hour.  Yesterday, the site was going to post those questions that SM so graciously answered!  Much to my surprise one of the questions she answered was MINE!!!!!!  WHOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!  Not only did she answer my question, but it's also currently posted on the front page of her website!!!!!  http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/  Besides the birth of my second daughter, that has totally made my year!!!!  THANK YOU STEPHENIE!!!!

Busy Busy Busy

It's getting to be that time of year.  The Holidays.  Thanksgiving is in less than two weeks and Christmas is fast on its heels.  I'm SOO not ready this year.  I think I say that every year, but this year is different, I'm trying to do everything I've always done, but this time I have a 7yo AND a baby!!  I'm grateful, but I see myself busy every weekend from now until 1-2-10.  This weekend was no exception.

It started Friday night with some cleaning I've been putting off all week.  I don't know what it is, but I'm seeing a trend.  I must get my second wind on Friday night even though I've had a serious case of dragonass by the time Wednesday rolls around at work!  Yet, on Friday nights I get this burst of energy and want to get a lot of chores done before the weekend.  So that's what we did.  We cleaned.

Then on Saturday, P1 had a birthday party to attend and we were also invited to a picnic with M's family.  Since they both overlapped, M took P2 to the picnic while I took P1 to the bday party.  After the party was over, P1 and I met them all over there.  It was fun, the cousins had a blast as usual, and the food was pretty yummy!  It was another gorgeous Saturday so we were all thankful for that! 

Then later that day we cleaned some more.  I had a ton of laundry to be folded and put away.  By the time that was all done, both kiddos were ready to go down for the night and M and I decided to watch Iron Man.  It was a pretty good movie!  While we were doing that, I made a tutu for P1 with some leftover tulle I had.  I also decided to make some clippies for the girls.  (Yes, A, I finally did it!)  I do have to go back and fix a few things because they didn't lay right when I put them on the headbands, but other than that here are a few of my examples with a gorgeous model! 

Ya, the cream one is bigger than her head, but I love it!!!

Today, P1 and I played with a nail salon toy she got for her bday.  While we were doing that, I was also making P2's homemade baby food.  Not sure if I mentioned it, but I decided a little bit ago (wild hair is more like it!) that I was going to attempt to make her baby food.  So to add to the butternut squash I made a few weeks ago, we now have on the menu: Green Beans, Spinach, Broccoli, and Carrots!   Now if I could just get her to like it!!  This little girl is anti-baby food.  She gags.  She spits it out.  She closes her mouth tight, turns her head and whacks it with her hand if you aren't fast enough to get some in her mouth!  Little stinker. 

 

Cheetah Girls

I bought these adorable PJs for P2 and P1 got this set from her Mimi.  You can't really tell, but P1's pants are Cheetah-licious too, so of course I had to have pics taken!!! 

November 2, 2009

My beautiful P2 is 6 months old.  Where does the time go????  It seems like only yesterday we were trying so hard to conceive another child and here I am blogging about said child.  She has been a great blessing to our entire family.  P1 just loves her baby sister, I get to enjoy watching M around his baby girl & his big girl, and I get to snuggle and huggle another sweet P.  God is good and we're so grateful for this child.

Those two photos above were taken on 11-2.  She weighs a little over 14lbs now and I'm not sure of her length.  She's got her two bottom teeth coming up at the same time (poor baby).  They are about half way up!  She's also trying to get up on those knees to get to where she wants to go!  I just bought some baby gates for the house and I think the timing is perfect!  Once she figures it out I know there will be no stopping her! We go to the Pedi on 11-20 for her 6mo check up.  I know, late.  Here are some other pics that I've taken recently of my growing Sweet P!

Halloween Continued

Before we get to Thanksgiving, I better finish posting about Halloween!  Since we're just NOW starting to get over the crud we all have had, I've had no energy to spend anytime on the PC when I get home!!  Now it's Sun night and M is giving me a break by giving P2 a bottle, I figure I better hurry & post about Halloween.

I don't know if I mentioned it, but M and P1 decided they did want to carve pumpkins, so I found the last remaining decent ones and we carved them! 

Here is P1 scoping out the pumpkins!

Here is mine!

This one is daddy's pumpkin.

Mommy's...need I say more?!

TADA!!!!

My girls!

P1 posing with our little scene out front!

The Loot

My favorite part of carving pumpkins, the yummy seeds!  Here they are right after I dried them in the oven.

After they were made happy, recipe ala Martha Stewart (Sweet & Spicy). YUM-O!  I've been making them every year for the last 4 or 5 and they taste better every year!

P2's Party Trick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yBcu8BwIpw