Back in the saddle again

Let's see if I fall off this horse.

So bad at blogging.

So busy at life.

I know it's not Halloween, but this little guy keeps me company all day, every day, all year.

Too much time wasted farming a virtual farm sitting on a way too big butt.

If I got off my arse and planted a real garden, my arse might not be so big.

Third grade has been fantastic. Living the GATE life is difficult. Way too hard to keep a kid engaged. Extra work to keep them challenged makes them feel they are being punished.

"Mom, I have no time to live".

Dude, just wait until you are a parent.

Contrary to what they believe, they have been living the life.

We all have.

We're so lucky to still have a home, jobs, health...

Mike hasn't worked since Thanksgiving, but he's still employed. Hopefully the next job will be coming up in March.

As a work at home mom, I will be needing to go in to the office once a week. It was like the end of the world when they announced to us telecommuters of this new plan. Until they did lay offs, and now we no longer complain.

Somehow, the bills are getting paid. The fridge is stocked. We still go play. Life goes on.

Hunter wrote his 1st letter of the year to Santa Claus.

Last year it was May, this year February.

I would be disappointed, but he also gave me $10.00 a couple days before to donate to the kids in Haiti with no homes.

AJ started Indoor Soccer this week. I'm looking forward to that.

My house is still standing, regardless of all the chemistry sets they received for Christmas.

We miss Sara everyday, and twice on Sundays.

Somedays it's hard to imagine how the world still turns.

As for me, I've had 3 Lego implants in my feet since the start of the year.

Good excuse to not walk or jog on the treadmill for a couple of days. Still working on the excuse for all the other days in between.

Now you're all caught up.

Peace - Out

Hell Hounds

Behold the hounds from Hell.

Remember watching the Lost Boys back in the day. It took many many years to look at Keifer and not see fangs. Or look at rice and not see maggots. Or to think of hell hounds in any other way that those snarly nasty mangy freaky K9s. 

Well, let lose the demons because the hounds from hell reside in Acampo! 

Molly didn't quite cut it with us. When I said she was her

e to stay, well.... just to stay over like an extended slumber party. She's gone. She ate her poop. I mean devoured it. One night while my dad and grandma were visiting, Molly's little gut decided it needed to purge. This night gave diarhea of the mouth a whole new meaning to me. No one likes to wake up at 2am to the not so sweet mouth of re-gurged turd. 

So 2 am, we're scrubbing carpet, gagging, freezing with patio doors wide open and th

e ceiling fans on, and Mike get his diarhea of the mouth (not really turd 

mouth, but potty mouth). "you effen B" "You piece of Shhhhheeeet" (only I'm cleaning up his words for this post) "you worthless no good B"... Well, you get what I'm saying. Me, I'm laughing so hard wondering what my dad and grandma are thinking is going on, and how I could let him speak to me that way. 

So the next weekend, Molly goes bye-bye in my boss' car for a trip far far away. Brave of me to hand off yuck mouth to the man who does my reviews and evaluates my raises. I did come clean, and let him know what the issue was, so I did cover my arse. Any whooo, he loves her to pieces. He scoops poop more than we did, most likely. They're so happy together.

So back to the hell hounds, like it could get worse. 

Well, Mike was ready for a new lab. His fool wife actually believed 2 is easier than 1, 

because it will have playmate. Sierra will be happy because she's too old to deal with an annoying puppy. Boy am I lame. 

Double the annoying puppy attacks on Sierra. They tag team attack her while she is resting. 

Double the poop to scoop (which luckly neither has acquired the hankering to munch).

Double the expense.

Double the destruction to the home. 

Double Trouble!!!

I swear, Austin and Hunter in K9 form. Wonder twins 

activate.. "in form of amazingly annoying, psychotic, destructive puppy" "in form of amazingly annoying, psychotic, destructive puppy twin". 

Although to the boys' defense, they are not annoying, just psychotic and destructive. Oh and the go potty in the toilets, not on the lawns (well #2 anyways). 

We picked up Buddy the day after Thanksgiving. He's the blond demon. He was born 9/30. Shasta came home at 6 and a 1/2 weeks the Sunday before Christmas. Such a little dink. Buddy thought she was a squeaky toy until she bot back. She's so EEEEvile. She kicks his and Sierra's butt in 3 seconds flat. Hunter adores Shasta and Buddy is Austin's yellow shadow. Every boy should have a dog. And every mom should drink heavily (or at least invest in Miss Clairol for the multiple dyes to cover the new greys).

But isn't life more fun with twins boys, and puppies?

Never a dull moment. 

Happy valentines. 

One Slammin' Summer - In 23 mins, 17 secs

Well, Spring sprang right on by.  Then summer just poofed it's way on in under a cloud of smoke.  Man, it has been smokey.  It finally cleared, but tonight the CA wild fires smoke oozed it's way back in to the neighborhood.  Endless days of unhealthy air quality.  We even had to escape to Los Angeles to get away from the bad air. Scary! 

Earlier in the summer we headed to San Francisco and hit the Exploratorium.  What a blast!  It was the boys' first trip there, and after a full day of exploring science, I was wiped OUT.  We had so much fun with Papi and Nanny.  Papi was evil and gave the boys stop watches when we arrived.  From then on, I've been screwed!  It started immediately with how fast can we get up to Papi's apartment... by stairs... 11th floor.  Need I say more?  

It continues with how long can I hold my breath under water?  How fast does it take me to ride my bike to the stop sign and back?  How long does it take to get to the grocery store?  Time me on how fast I can tie my shoes.  Mom it took me two minutes and 15 seconds to poop.  (Mom - Did you wipe?  Did you wash your hands?)  

See, even his mask is EVIL

On the same trip, we also went to the Zeum.  Another great SF treat. We made a claymation movie of an Octopus eating a fish.  The boys filmed in a green room, and added backgrounds to their flicks. 

Then we ate some great pizza with a few alien friends.  Funny how we haaaaaadd to get these friends before dinner.  Funny because I don't think I have seen them since we returned home, they just got thrown in a toy box, where they sit craving olives and pizza.

All in all it has been a productive summer.  

1. I got a small promotion, which is great, but I'll reporting to someone new.  I love the new team, but I'm totally sad to be leaving my boss.  He is such the bomb.  
2. I cleaned out a couple closets and the pantry.  
3. I worked, and worked and still working.  
4. I've been reading A LOT.  The Harry Potters.. again; The Sookies..again;  The Fablehavens, 1st timer; The 1st Charlie Bone, 1st timer; Started the Carpe Demon series, on book 2; and lots of magazines - pool side.
5. Lovin' the pool and swimming, almost daily.  When it's too smokey, we stay in.
   
6. Lots of visiting with family and friends.  Here and there.
7. Zoo Camp starts next week.  Science - Mad Lab camp starts a couple weeks after that.  
8. This weekend.. fishing. 
9. Updated blog :)  FINALLY
10. Some teeth lost, some loose.

So, what have you all been up to?  

Hey, Austin!  How long did it take me to update my blog?

Back From a Galaxy Far, Far Away

We're baaaack. The trip to LA was a blast. The Science museum was really cool. http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/ We saw an IMAX film about the Deep Sea creatures, narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. Then we went in. Way cool exhibit. So much to see and do and touch. I could have been lost in there for hours, but the boys (Hunter) had thoughts of Star Wars gift shop on the brain.

I got a bit hooked on Guitar Hero. What a fun game. So glad I don't own it or I would really get nothing done. At one point Serafina was challenging Austin, and as he was jamming he said "I sure hope I catch the Rock n' Roll spirit". Rock on, little dude!

Really cool to see Audrey and family. I can't believe how grown up the kids are. Easter egg coloring and hunting was so cool. And just the interaction between all the kids was really cool. I'm real happy we made the time to get down there and can hardly wait for the next time.

Guitar Hero

This little woman can rock your world.

Spent the day at Pier 39 with Papi and Nanny. What a beautiful day. Still in the process of uploading pictures in to Kodak Gallery for the family. 46 out of 105, so far. Some of them were fast and blurry, but isn't that just the way it is sometimes. The boys had a blast and so did we. Can't wait to go back and visit other areas of the city. The boys were thrilled to learn that I lived there for a while, and grew up in the Bay Area. They wanted to learn all about it, and about the things that I did. Made me feel all nostalgic talking about it. I totally feel like I left some of my heart in San Francisco. It feels so much like home to me.

Lookie Lookie Me, and old lady Audrey

Lookie here. I came home from LA today from a great birthday celebration of Audrey's 40th birthday. That comes later. Well, I'm catching up on my message board reading and come to find out one of my layouts was on a really great and inspirational scrapping blog. Check it out. http://scrapbooklayouts.blogspot.com/ Very cool honor.


So, yes, Audrey has hit the big 4-0. Insane! What fun, though. All the razzing aside, she looks great for being 40, and sure doesn't act 40. Way to cool to be old. It was a ton of fun. The pinata was the highlight of the night. Way too funny. Shannon is my new idol. The food was great, the drinks were plentiful (too plentiful) and the company was amazing. It was so much fun to see old friends, meet with new friends and get a lot of the cousins together. Audrey, you planned and threw yourself a great little shin-dig.

Here's a couple pictures from the party. (Audrey, get out your bi-focals so you can see them).