hats

just finished the baby's hat- G started it, the one on the bottom left, green/brown; so in last 4 weeks I've done these 5...

"The World would come to a halt..."

she states bodly, "... if women weren't multi-taskers", she types, as she feeds the baby, the cat, drinks her coffee, gathers her notes for the article she is writing on slowing down and simplifying, makes up a quick "menu" on a paper plate so her homeschooled daughter can practice reading before breakfast, tweets good morning, plays pat-a-cake with the baby, puts a flower in her hair for fun, and writes her blog.

The world wide web spins out the stories of such super-moms. Creating streams of consciousness and e-commerce {insert a cheer for the 1st grader sounding out "scrambled"} consortiums through their connections online and in communities. {logs into Facebook, baby squeals, feeds her another bite}.

The spirit of entrepreuseship is alive and well in the soc-net circles that sprout up around every interest, hobby or belief system. {she makes cornbread mush with berries and milk for the long haired one, shovels a few bites of the same concoction with bananas into her own mouth, gulps more coffee, picks up the toast the baby has launched from her podium whilst chirping out a high pitched series of squeals- delight or disdain? Still wearing her robe at 10:24 the multitasker starts a grocery list and retrieves banana from her monitor, noting to self that baby doesn't like banana these days...}

Take the newest trend, microblogging-, sites such as Twitter are experiencing growth as more and more people discover the entertainment value of "what [others are] doing right now?" {a whiny plea to "stay home all day 'cause its rainy, and cold" is silenced with a glance and quickly replaced with a well supported opening argument-basically stating that for the best of baby and optimal fun we should consider not going anywhere. The almost 7 year old learns fast.}

{Breakfast is finished, dishes await- and the would be writer thinks she should add hyperlinks, find supporting statistics, interview a few experts, fill in some personal anecdotes and publish an article on this fascinating topic, as the still 6 year old screeches about how crazy her mothers is to eat bananas on cornbread and dances around the table chanting ba-na-na-n-a-na-n-aa-a... She thinks how much she'd like to search for an ergo carrier on The Baby Wearer, and the almost 1 year old claps in glee. The woman takes her last sip of coffee, whilst the last few keys click out these words}.

I'm it!

7 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

Is the topic of this meme- thanks for tagging me, 2TooManyHats (a fellow homeschool mom, who I love to follow on twitter!)

Seven is certainly in my consciousness for me right now, methinks I oughta head out to Vegas...

1. We were looking at the 7 continents in homeschool this morning
2. I have worked at 7 other Starbucks stores
3. G is turning 7 in 20 days
4. G has lost 4 teeth & J has grown 3 (equals 7!)
5. There are 7 letters in my first name
6. In 1997 I eloped with my husband after knowing him only 7months (we dated for 2 months and in 2 months it'll be 12 years!)
7. Just the other day I made a list of 7 religions and decided to learn something about each before my morning meditation. (Today being Monday I read from the Dalai Lama's book How To Practice)

tagging some of my favorite homeschoolers blogs:
http://libertyacademyanaheim.blogspot.com/
http://wifeymom.com/
http://housewifeinhollywood.com/
http://schoolhobby.squarespace.com/
http://sueandsteve.blogspot.com/
http://www.swissarmywife.net/
http://thewildtribe.blogspot.com/
...because I want to know more about what's going on in their world!

Wii Fit Mommiis

I'm so excited... and I just can't hide it!

Check out what Wii Fit Mommiis is up to tonight at 5 on twitter...

I really want to participate in this grand adventure, but don't yet own a Wii- there is no way we can afford one in our current situation so I am hoping to win it.

It would sure motivate me to lose this extra baby weight... or is it Starbucks pastry and Gingersnap Latte weight? ... or maybe just stress induced... or genetic?

Whatever I want to be a Skinii Mommii!!

cool california christmas creations

after a blustery afternoon at the park we enjoyed some christmas lights with old friends & new!

This message was sent using my envy personal communication device from Verizon Wireless!

just made our to do list in dry erase on my bathroom mirror

G tried to spell out the items I listed on our "mirror mirror on the wall, to-do's today- let's list them all

Reminds me of Baz Luhrman

My thoughts- although it's far past afternoon...

Whatever happened to UB40?

A baby's laughter is more contagious than a common cold.

Home is where the heart is. The heart is where family is. Family is where you need to be.

Sickness really is a sign you need to slow down and if you don't listen more will come in different forms!

I'm particular to fruit. I would choose it more often than most of the other food groups.

A baby's cry is more attention getting than a drill sergeant at roll call.

Everything can change in an instant. Change your perspective, change your world. Save the cheerleader...

ok getting a bit silly... well Random Tuesday was fun, thanks for the idea http://2toomanyhats.blogspot.com/

this morning at our house

G & S are working on a foreign money project with coins found in our tip jar

sent from my vzw envy

Blogger G

Grace wanted her own blog so we created a private "by invitation only" one on Xanga (because they have so many templates, and that is part of the appeal for her!!) - she will dictate her posts mostly right now, but I am hoping it will become a place to explore the wonderful world of words.

I'd love to give her prompts, but the social aspect is already providing that - click here. We'll see where it goes from here...

a large leaf mostly burned fell from the orange sky

Goodbye Ford

Shawn & Ford at the vet... his last moments...

Well it came quick- like pulling off a bandaid, I guess.

For the past couple of days he has been sick, actually for a couple weeks he's been different. It turns out he had massive cancer and arthritis in the spine. Due to his breed and size (the vet says he was close to 99 in human years) they think it came on fast and aggressive.

He could clear a room in seconds flat with his flatulant flair and he whined whenever we were separated, by even a screen door. He could destroy any dog-toy in mere minutes, and stuffed animals didn't stand a chance- once Grace gave the ok! He loved to run and chase slobbery tennis balls, and he lived for walks in nature. He loved the girls, and was a constant companion to Grace. He never outgrew the sweet, loyal puppy that came to heal our hearts.

Ford was a good dog. We got him just after Terry passed away and he was named after him. A few months later we got pregnant with Grace. He was the start of our family life- before Ford we were just a couple with a cat named Killer. He was mostly Shawn's dog, but we all loved him so very much.

Grace also mentioned that we will have to clean up our own messes now! Ford was always ready with his big pink tongue should a morsel fall from the table or a toddlers outstretched hand. He helped Grace learn to walk and even consented to her riding him like the horse he was. That amazing dog even handled our feline explosion last year- where we had 12 cats at one point.

I'll have to search for more photos, I know we took a lot with actual film in the beginning and put together a slide show the the wonderful 8 years that we got to share with the best dog ever.

Shawn got a job

Well the day has arrived.

He will be starting at TCS Foreclosures on Monday.

I am going to talk to Steve tomorrow about cutting my hours so I can be with the girls.

It's commission only, but he should do well- it is his field after all, and he has motivation to work hard, plus the timing just seems right.

Life goes on...

Today Grace wowed me with her astounding mathematical skills. I surprised her with a strawberry and a coconut cookie (and a Slush from Boba Smoothie -I love their Thai Milk Tea with Boba!) and she remembered that there was a third flavor. She said next time I should get 2 of each for myself, her, and her daddy. I asked how many that would be total. She walked herself through the solution- "2 for daddy, plus 2 for mommy, plus 2 for me is 6 of the coconut ... 2 strawberry for mommy, 2 for ... is 6 more, 2 for mommy ... of the green tea ... is 6 more..."

I prompted her with "...and 6 times 3 is...?" she looked at me quizzically. "There are 3 of us, each getting 6 cookies." I said. She just matter of factly said 18. Then she asked me how much they were. I replied, "4 for a dollar." She then solved that on her own in the most amusing way- to me anyway- it just reminded me that we all solve problems a little differently. She said "18 takeaway 4 is.... [squirm, murmur, wiggle].... 14," she held up a little finger, "that's 1 dollar, 14 takeaway 4 is.... [squirm, murmur, wiggle].... 10, that's 2 dollars," up went finger #2 and after counting up to $4 she matter of factly stated, "that leaves 2 cookies, which would be.... [squirm, murmur, wiggle] .... $4.50 for us all to try 2 of each flavor."

I almost popped with pride. I had no idea she could solve a word problem using all 4 mathematical processes that she is studying, all in her head.

I've been thinking her homeschooling has been light this year- but it's just because I'm not doing it, and her daddy takes a different approach. His method is working and it actually balances what I did in Kindergarten by being a bit more math and science based. Maybe we should alternate every year! I do feel that we have very successfully trasitioned to him being primarily responsible for her learning. By successful I mean- I don't hate that he isn't doing it my way! And of course, more importantly, Grace is loving learning again.

And he's doing all this while taking care of a quite demanding 9 month old- what an amazing man I ran off and eloped with almost 12 years ago. Our life together this far has been such a varied adventure.

October updates

Our field trip out to Julian was a fun-filled family day- G really enjoyed herself, and Joy was very content the whole time. "Miss Gina" and "Rowdy Ryan" added a theatrical flair to the hands on activities the kids participated in- sluicing, sifting, panning for gold and stones; candle dipping, farm animal feeding and care, game playing, cider pressing and hay riding. Pictures to come as soon as I find the cord...

We were all covered in dust and so was our lunch!! I wore Joy in the sling for the first half of the day and nursed her freely amongst the happy homeschooling group we were with. Grace re-connected with a few friends but mostly enjoyed the experience with her daddy, sister and me.

My district manager called Friday, saying that I sufficiently impressed the DM I interviewed with and that they would be promoting me to ASM in 2 weeks- 2 months, depending on the needs of the stores in the district. I am so eager to find out where I will be and start settling into a bit of a regular routine. Although I do hope to get through the RMT training program as quickly as possible and get my own store in 6-8 months. We'll see what the universe has in store for me.

Shawn is still waiting to hear from WebVisible... he is very interested in this job. We pretty much ignored his birthday, poor guy. Things have just been rough and just like on my birthday it seemed better to just sorta get through it... sad, I know.

Joy is 9 months old today- boy is she getting big! Eating like a lumberjack and crawling all over the place. She loves her mama so much, and I wince every time she reaches for me as I crawl from the bed at 3:30 in the morning to go to work. I am just grateful that she has had this time with her daddy.

Grace's homeschool enrichment academy is having an open house on Sunday- I am excited to see what they have been learning, she had been enjoying it quite a bit and I am impressed with what I see her doing so far. She is in Spanish, guitar, wind ensemble, hip hop and tap- quite the little Rennaisance girl!!

It's here...

Tomorrow is the day I go for my "assessment"- I will be meeting with and hosting a coffee tasting for 2-3 upper level managers (store or district), I think. I have spent the last week preparing: memorizing the core purpose, mission statement and guiding principles; studying the "17 competencies"- a thorough list of the qualities expected of managers; creating a SARI (situation, action, result, interesting point) for the 9 that I was told to expect by my ASM. She ordered herself the interview book as soon as she became an assistant. It's cheating a bit, but I didn't ask for it- she pretty much pushed it on me- mostly it seems to show off her knowledge and position. She is quite proud of herself for becoming an ASM. Anyway at least we are getting along better now that I have chosen to just let her think she knows more than me about EVERYTHING.

The competencies are pretty much in line with the "soft skills" the development trainers (the team I was a part of at Option One Mortgage Corp's Training Department) focused on. Also they are remiscent of many of the "self-help" books I have read for sales skills- Carnegie, Robbins, Canfield, Covey, etc.

I feel pretty confident going into this- after having seen the performance level and general attitude of the ASM's at the stores I have worked at (did I mention I have now worked at 8 different stores?) I know that I am over-qualified for that position. I truly believe I am able and experienced enough to be a Store Manager- but the journey of "working my way up" is valuable and somewhat rewarding. If only it paid the bills...

I have seen many surprising things from the management partners at Starbucks and as hard as it is, I know that my ability to navigate the social stucture of this large organization is as important as my skills in serving customers.

"My popularity, my happiness and sense of worth depend to no small extent upon my skill in dealing with people." - Dale Carnegie

g is my little mermaid
Tiffany

Grace's 1st Grade Experience, etc

So far this year we have done a lot of in the moment, review, reading and math practice. She is still only 6 years old I keep reminding myself! She is enrolled in an enrichment program on Thursdays where she learns Spanish through play, guitar, clarinet, hip hop and tap. The kids bring a lunch and move between classes in the dance studio where the program is held. She loves it so far and is really learning a lot- she drew and labelled her guitar, made up her own song, tried out a flute, trumpet and recorder before settling on the clarinet and she is making friends!

I really want to get Joy in a baby signing class and both the girls in swim programs (Joy in a Mommy & Me so I can get in the water some too!) but I have been working 40 hours a week at Starbucks. I open the store at 4:30am 4 days a week and work a mid-shift on Saturdays. I got transferred to Fashion Island and have an interview planned for the end of the month for Assistant Manager... but... well I don't really want to get promoted! I want to cut back to 20 hours and be with my kids more!! Shawn has also been putting in a LOT of hours at OC Nissan and working really hard, doing well; making ok $, but it just isn't worth the hours if I still have to work towards management to provide that stable base.

Soooo... he talked them into allowing him to work less hours and we will see what happens- this week certainly went better. I was able to get more than 3-4 hours of sleep a day unlike the previous few weeks. Joy was sleeping well until we started this crazy schedule now she wakes up every couple of hours to nurse and she is teething so she can be quite a handful when you are barely conscious and trying to listen to a 6 year old with no front teeth sounding out letters.

Grace has been such a tremendous help, so thoughtful and considerate- making me sandwiches or warming me leftovers when I get home from work, so I can feed the baby. She often watches over Joy so I can do chores or even rest for a bit. I really like the little girl she is becoming. She has quite the fashion sense and she loves to design clothes for herself and Joy- maybe in the spring we'll put together a unit study around fashion design.

Life is back on TV. I like that.

baby in the bjorn

daddy's girl

This moment

"It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?"

Today was a good day. I worked a full shift and boy was it FULL! For a moment in the afternoon it slowed down and I glanced out at the people who were in my Starbucks store. I watched as a woman about my age walked out clutching her beverages, hurrying past the elderly couple who come in most afternoons taking a table for two against the window, paper napkins spread out on the table under the sandwiches she makes at home, their Venti 1- tea bag Tazo Awake Hot Black Teas towering between them as they watch the world go by; a 10 year old-ish boy circled the display near them, his father perused the retail merchandise on a nearby shelf, and a young couple stood snuggling in the corner behind him waiting for their beverages to be crafted and called out by our fiery red-headed barista (the real red-head, not the "out of a box" one).

I felt empathetic - sensing a bit of what their visit to the little corner of the world I like to call work was for them. I remembered how much I enjoyed stopping into the SJC Starbucks on an almost daily basis for my favorite boss of all time, Leslie. I felt the importance of my "silly little job"- I felt a desire to provide an "experience" for them.

The man and his son reached the counter and set an orange traveller mug down on the counter. I asked if it was a gift for Mothers Day to which dad answered yes a little sheepishly, I could tell he would have liked to do more. as I poured his Tall Coffee I mentioned our pretty pink flowery gift cards and the new rewards program that went with them and asked if he'd like to get her one so she could fill up her new cup. He asked about registering it and I knowledgeably explained the process to him (having just done one for Grace so she can buy her own Frappucinos!) as we were talking I asked if he wanted it bagged with some tissue paper and managed to quickly whip out a presentable looking present and lent him my pen so he and his son could sign the gift sleeve of the lucky mom's new Starbucks Card. I felt like I was in a training video as he said goodbye and my next customer (a regular) stepped up and I greeted her by name, writing out a cup from memory as she commented on my haircut and how becoming it was (I have once again embraced the curl!)

Just moments later, as I transitioned onto "the bar" to "steam milk", "pull shots", and "blend Frappucinos", a darling little face popped up at the handoff counter. Grace and Shawn stopped in to pick up the milk that I had pumped on my break- a quick 30 minutes which I divided between the aforementioned labor of love and sitting on the patio with my MP3 player eating Daphne's pita & fire feta appetizer. After I finished making the lattes, a caramel macchiato and iced mocha that had lined up along the shiny stainless steel strip that runs in front of the Verismo 801- I grabbed the bottle from my purse, handed it to hubby and kissed my family before "sliding" back to my originally "deployed" position at the register. (Don't you love the lingo that goes with any large company?)

I survived the drama filled afternoon- the politics that go with the personalities that my paycheck provider attracts- and connected with a partner who was recently promoted, admiring his ability to be pleasant and professional under pressure.

After I got off I sat in the sun with my "partner beverage" (aka free drink!) an "upside down" iced caramel macchiato and blared Jason Mraz's Mr A- Z straight to my brain while completing a crossword puzzle, sitting cross-legged in the sun waiting for Shawn to pick me up. My knight arrived in our shining vehicle- almost completely clean, with barely any bundles of baby baggage or lingering litter from a little girl. We came "home" (where the heart is) and I sat out front nursing little Joy-Joy as G & Shawn finished vacuuming and polishing the car.

This part of my life... this part right here? This is called "happyness."

Barefoot in the Park

We finally made it back to the park today! It was a lovely afternoon, and Shawn decided to come too. The baby was happy to hang out in my lap and I snapped the following with my phone

Best of Both Worlds

Today's hot topic- Miley Cyrus' Vanity Fair photo shoot; here's an AP New Story link which quotes carefully crafted comments from publicists who are doing their jobs well, in creating these curiousity quenching headlines for their clients. As the parent of a soaking sponge of a 6 year old, I am seeing Miley's appeal seeping into my own set of circumstances.

Miley and the character she plays on TV are poised between two worlds, both the girl and her sitcom caricature innocently unfolding with mature confidence and an easy going smile. She balances out the Cyrus family name's blips on the radar of fame- her explosion countering (and reviving) her one-hit wonder dad, Billy's achy breaky 60 seconds. Young Ms Cyrus' stance, in this sensationalized situation is respectable, the fact that it is happening- completely expectable. She is getting older and the fans keep getting younger, because there are always new recruits to the army of Hannabees, a Disney "attraction" aimed at a specific demographic. G is on the youngest side of the fanbase of an aging act. In my role as mommy I am pulled to monitor and (attempt to) control the influence of G's exposure.

Watching an aspect of Miley's entrance into adulthood on the great stage of fame, I connect with her- I empathize with the vulnerability that she shows in the offending portrait. As an occasional reader of Vanity Fair, I am drawn to the story and I find myself siding with VF's desire to capture and portray Miley's moment of perfect balance- between adolescence and adulthood. Balance and the best of both worlds is what we all seek as we experience the life that happens while pursuing happiness. I want to see what Annie Liebowitz saw through her lens and digitally depicted. In my role as woman I am drawn to run out and get this magazine as soon as it hits the stands (consumer that I am) and read all about it!

As so many of us do I also get to balance my two worlds- currently that means being a socially productive worker and a fun fabulous family mommy. I am looking forward to an adventure with my daughter as we go to the library to gawk at and peruse the glossy pages together (sharing her exposure, but not shielding her from it!) AND I get to feel like a responsible adult for saving a little room in the landfills (and my-working-girl-self a few dollars). I guess I'll have to buy something useful and necessary that is advertised on the pages of Vanity Fair to balance it all out, so all the publicists involved in the photo spread that is focused on Miley Cyrus' bare back will be happy. I do feel a bit manipulated by this whole circus and all the media's "reporting" (read: "advertising") ...

I do get the best of both worlds.

Turn on your speakers if you are viewing my blogsite directly a balanced selection of the progression of Miley's sensational singing should be playing now. Country with dad, Disney's Hannah and the song I felt she was way too sexy performing on AI Gives Back a couple weeks ago. (here's a link to that playlist, current music has been changed!)

This morning at my home...

Being a working girl again, (I know it's only 20 hours a week, but balancing it with Joy's nursing demands, homeschooling Grace and living in someone else's house is quite taxing!) I am neglecting my blog. Appeciating my "day off" as I am, I decided to capture this memory for posterity.

As I awoke in my newly arranged room this morning, I wanted to allow myself to slow down and be in a quite moment, amidst troubled waters, experience the contentedness of my heart. After enjoying my first cup of Komodo Dragon on the patio this morning, I worked out a eloquent and emotionally touching blog to post as I had a second cup of coffee and took the following photos.

As I sat down with a fresh third cup(!) the baby began stirring, so my pictures will have to speak their thousands of words directly to your unique perspective. Enjoy a slice of life on me! Then take a moment and capture - even if only in mental photos - a moment of your life now. Touch on the things that you treasure.

Home is where the heart is.



A contented heart is quite amidst troubled waters.

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

As I hit save it is 11:02, G has gotten up the other 2 remain as pictured!

On Being Happy

Create a vision of yourself and simulate it whenever possible.

As I took the trash out this morning, I felt the wet grass on my feet. It made me picture a calm "me"- in flowing, flowery, girly attire- my hair a long, silky mass of glossy, bouncy curls- walking across the dew kissed, grassy area of my own little private garden (that is just outside the sunny sewing room in my dreams).

For a moment... I let go of my frustration at my husband for disrupting my plans today, I released my pent up irritation at G's aggressive tendencies lately; the pressure valve on my heart popped open and I breathed in the freshness of the morning air, filling up on sunshine to sprinkle throughout my day. Even the foggy mantle of exhaustion dissipated - the last few days (of working at 4:00 am and nursing little Joy-Joy on and off all night for the past week- some growth spurt!) passed peacefully into the past.

As I turned to go back inside, I caught sight of the park- with it's giant rising moon and little grassy knolls- it called to mind gratitude for friends. After a moment of sadness (missing Suzanne and Ava), I smiled, enjoying the memory of my "day off" yesterday, just relaxing at the park with the Kilers. Working in a service capacity again has really allowed me to feel ok with being in the moment.

G has just bounced into the living room, dressed in cute little black peddle pushers and a summery hot pink tank, silkscreened with some tropical graphic. She wants me to help her wrap Ava's gift "because even if we aren't still going to see Ava, it needs to be done." I am so proud of her, she is dealing with so many changes right now, and she is teaching herself to read right in the middle of it all!

I can hear Joy-Joy's little snorts and sniffles that signal her return to alertness.

And I, the calm and confidant woman who wandered in the garden of her imagination for a moment this morning (while taking out the trash!) am ready to face another day in paradise.

NAK

Got a little more time to wear baby Joy in my new lovely Moby D today- I decided to buy it from new homeschool friend, Casey. I took pictures, now if only I could find the cord to upload photos to my "old and busted" laptop- since that is what I am on here at the Casa de la Mike.

Once again I find myself NAK (nursing at keyboad, for those of you not in the know) -Joy is kickin like crazy with her tiny toes!! G is out at the movies with her grandma Bernie and Shawn is calling on his resume submissions.

The past couple of days I have been reviewing our new curriculum from Oak Meadow- it looks to be perfect for our styles- her learning, my teaching... we'll start it on Monday. I planned it out and we will finish 1st grade right before the holidays. Who says school years have to begin in the fall and finish in Spring. I think we'll just go by the calendar year for our little private school.

I am loving our new homeschool group and G loves her new skating class...

G misses Ava, but enjoys seeing her cousins more ... tonight we are joining them for some astronomy thing at their school.

Oh and I started work at Starbucks on Tuesday. I train again tomorrow and Sunday.

Life is change.

Joy is fussy...

Hapy Pi Day

Holiday Insights : March Holidays and Special Days - Ides of March, St. Patrick's Day, and much more!

My moby d

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Babywearing, Coffee Loving, Homeschool Mom

This morning I went on an interview at the Starbucks down the street- my new ;do making me feel a little more put together than I have been, (thanks, Bernie!!). My SIL manages one a few blocks away and was telling me about what a great place it is to work. She used to manage a California Pizza Kitchen, but wanted to spend more time with my adorable niece. I start next week, part time.

Grandma Bernie watched the girls, then I took them to park day in Orange. The park is great and the moms were welcoming- Grace liked playing with the kids, Joy did her nurse, sleep, repeat routine- first in a borrowed beach chair, and again in the borrowed sling of Casey- a mom I met a couple years ago (remember the one I always told you about, Suzanne? With the little dog, Gypsy, and the beautiful free-spirited girls?) The group is a well established, diverse and casual- we also ran in to our old friends, Indy & Army **waves to Michelle!**)

I am excited to have found a great Yahoo Group as I search for the perfect garment to help Joy and I to share Grace's homeschool journey- sling, rebozo, carrier... I've been researching them all- even styled my own from the beautiful red/black sarong I got in Mexico. It's a bit small, so I really would love to get a Moby, and some sort of ring sling- a Maya, a Gypsy Mama or perhaps make my own? The women of the group are generous and knowledgeable, they also seem to be quite the crafty bunch, I look forward to meeting them in person...

Tomorrow we are off to a west OC parkday in Huntington Beach. We attended last week and Grace made a friend- named Casey, also, actually. This time our old friends who are back from Colorado **grins, Steph** will be coming also... Grace is excited to see Nick, because he makes her laugh. I sure wish I already had one of those baby carriers...

Yesterday I had dinner with my mom and dad- she got KFC, where I had my first job. It made me feel light hearted and youthful. It was great to see Grace sharing Webkinz World with her "Gaga", because my mom actually gets into it with her playing games and showing genuine excitement over the things Grace had done to elliot's room. **hugs, mom**

I finally unpacked Joy's baby blanket and it is calling me to get it finished it now, reminding me that I am eager to see the ladies of my Knit-Tea-ing circle for this month's gathering.

As I quickly read over my post, I realized that I am surrounded by women, who make me feel supported and confidant. It's very nice during this time of transition.

Couples Meme

Appropriate for Valentines, I saw this one on Mel's Blog...

Couples
How long have you been together? Married: 11 years as of the 4th of this month, Total time: 11 years, 2 months...
How long did you date? 2 months…then we eloped in Las Vegas
How old is he? 32 (3 years younger)
Who eats more? definitely me…he eats very light
Who said “I love you” first? I did, he wrote it first.
Who is taller? He is, by about 2 inches.
Who is smarter? We are both smart but in our respective areas. We complement each other nicely. (Well put Mel, so I am borrowing your answer!)
Who does the laundry? I wash and dry, and leave in piles in our room, he folds and puts away once the piles start to overtake an area...
Who does the dishes? I do mostly, he jumps in occasionally to surprise me.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does.
Who pays the bills? He does. I don’t even look at them. LOL
Who mows the lawn? He does, sometimes; we like the natural look...
Who cooks dinner? I do mostly, he does about twice a week if we don't eat out that many times...
Who is more stubborn? Depends on what the issue is
Who kissed who first? He kissed me.
Who asked who out? We were just spending a lot of time together at church and in a play together, and he came and visited me at work a lot. I planned the first "official" date- a double with a good friend of mine.
Who proposed? I hinted, he proposed.
Who is more sensitive? I am, definitely.
Who has more friends? He does.
Who has more siblings? We have the same- one brother each.

What a great idea!

Someday I am going to try this out!

http://leahbellesrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/02/i-joined-supper-coop.html

27 Skills & Quick Update on Us

27-skills-your-child-needs-to-know-that-shes-not-getting-in-school

As I nurse the baby, I am trying to catch up with my online groups and blog buddies - here's something I got today, I just skimmed it for now, but it looks good to me!

We are all doing well, not sleeping much- and busy packing to move in a week. Yes, move with a newborn. Yes, I am crazy. Well actually I just don't have a choice...

Back to the OC for us! We'll be in Costa Mesa with Shawn's uncle for a few months then... who knows?

She's Here!!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Waiting on the World to Change

I am going crazy with the waiting. Had another NST and fluid check today. Joy is still quite happy firmly implanted in me. Very few contractions and plenty of movement. We'll see what my Dr says tomorrow.

Tonight Grace & I played with "elliot", her Lil'kinz. Webkinz World is totally fascinating! My mom has been updating her Multiply site. I had discovered another new soc-net site, CafeMom, a while back and explored it a little tonight. Today's Topic was about how you treat your kids when they are sick, which is quite timely since Grace has had a cold for a few days. I started feeling it today. I am wondering if Suzanne doesn't have the right idea! But this internet thing is a fun little time passer...

Nothing new to know now...

Still no Joy!

Went to the Dr again today- for fluid check and non-stress test (I feel like a car!) - she's active and has plenty of amniotic swimming room! Joy is positioned perfectly other than being up high and snug as a bug!

Grace woke up with the sniffles and a crackly little cough, but she was a brave trooper for the visit to OC- twice a week is taking it's toll on us! Last night we finished her first chapter book, a Disney Fairy book she got from her cousins for her birthday- Rani in the Mermaid Lagoon, and so she used the Barnes & Noble gift card that she got over a year ago (thank you Grandma Bernie!) to get another one, which she of course wants to start tonight!

She wants to do a theme study on Charlie and Lola; homeschoolshare has one with lapbook suggestions on I Will Not Ever Eat a Tomato, so I requested the book from the library- plus we'll also use the two we have- I've Won, No I've Won, No I've Won and I Really Must Color Now, a crafty and fun Charlie & Lola activity book I've been saving since I discovered it at a book fair last year. I hope to get going with it very soon after Joy is born so that we'll start establishing a good rhythm.

Yesterday we picked up a cute crib set- (Classic Pooh theme) from a friendly Freecycler whose son apparently never took to his crib! It is just what Joy's room needed to give it a sweet nursery feel. It has a bumper, headboard pad, ruffled skirt and an adorable wall hanging height chart- so it's perfect with the cute pink gingham sheet, a snuggly pink swaddler, all her clothes (hung smallest to largest, warmest to coolest) in the closet, the changing table fully converted back from it's bookcase status in Grace's room, shelves now stocked with onesies and jammies, sheets and blankets- oh yeah, I still need to get some diapers!!

Boy talk about baby on the brain...

Grace is 6 AND she lost a tooth!

Such busy-ness to report on (were I a reporter) in the lives of the intrepid Bellah family. We had a magical holiday filled with loving family visits, motherly moments of wonder and lots of yarn on my part! More on that later...

A hectic holiday, a burgeoning belly and constant clutter have kept me from the computer, but I am slowly regaining sanity and order. Grace's birthday week was filled with fun and capped off by a frivolous fairy party and (finally!) the loss of her first tooth last night- so yet another fairy visited our happy home...

I also update the VMC homepage for the month of January- we'll see when Joy decides to make her entrance and if I can actually participate in my own social blogging project!