Explaining 72 hours to a 3 year old.....

We went to the grocery store and Savannah picked out a couple of Valentine's Day things. She picked out a love bead necklace, 2 boxes of conversation hearts (one for her and one for Kyle) and this package of roses that is supposed to grow 600 times it's size. They are also supposed to get small again so you can do the process more then once.....not sure why people would need to do this. Maybe they should get children!!! Children will make a mess and then the next day they will make another for you!! Plus it is not the same mess over and over so Mommy's never get bored!

See they are pretty tiny and it said to put them in a large bowl. I'm thinking this is not going to work anyway and we should put them in a bowl that she could hold and swirl around.

Here is the package...see my future supermodel holding the display! Anyways, the package said to put it in room temperature water and let it sit for 72 hours!!! What??? We need instant results here!!! It did say some change would occur within 3 hours. Savannah gave it about 5 minutes and came back and said it is not working!!! I had to agree with her nothing was working and it just looked like a blob in the water. She has now taken it out of the water and looked at it a dozen or more times over the weekend. Has it gotten larger? Yes, but by her three year old standards it is not getting big enough. When it reaches it's final size I will have her take another picture and show you the amazing growth ability of a 99 cent item!!!

Another weekend gone....

Here I am at Sunday again. Getting ready for back to school and work. Amazed that we only have one week of January left. 2009 is moving right along. Kyle is moving up to the Star leval at boy scouts on Tuesday night. Savannah and I will go to the court of honor to see him move up and for me to add to my set of Mom's pins! He worked at a Pinewood Derby this weekend to gain service hours and I think he was a little sad to not be racing his own car. He is working the district finals too in a couple of weeks so he can see all the cars. Being that Kyle would like to be an artist he likes to see what designs people have come up with, he never built his cars for speed or winning. It was all about the design and colors. He started Art as an elective this week and seems to be enjoying it. Hope there are not many "home" projects! He is at an extra long taiko practice this weekend since they will be performing at his old elementary school next weekend. Clark and I will be helping out and hopefully they will be able to raise enough money to keep the performing arts program going.

Savannah has enjoyed being back in dance class but this is the last one at the parks and recreation department. We are moving to "real" ballet school next. Our art class got cancelled due to low enrollment and now she missed the start of ice skating so we have our Saturdays free. Kinda nice but no motivator to get out of our jammies before noon! Yikes!!

Helped my friend Steve celebrate his 41st birthday last night. Interesting fact that we have now known each other for 30 years! We met in 6th grade and have been friends the whole way thru. Weird that he is now living in his parents house and I basically live in the same place that I was living when we met! I'm sure there are many more stories of friendship that are like that but I will say it is a bit unique! Our kids love to play together and the little girls are only 11 months apart so I think they will be buddies for life too. Savannah is now bigger then Bella. They usually will be the same and then one will grow and catch up so we will see if Savannah stays bigger.

Getting ready to plan for our soon to be teenagers birthday in March. Hard to believe that is happening too. He is trying to decide between a Las Vegas theme or a Wii party. Either way lots of fun and lots of planning for me. I love it though and need to make him stick to an idea and go with it. Kinda low key on the amount of people he wants to invite and yes, it will be boys and girls. I don't think I have ever done an all boy party for him. He always has girl buddies that he hangs around with. We will do something family wise too. I did make the offer of an expensive item or a weekend trip and he keeps saying a party.

Need to take more pictures and download the camera so check back soon.....I think this is my second post without pictures and I know that is what everyone comes to see!

Wow.....

Amazed at the new President. Probably should have written this yesterday but I watched the festivities from my computer at work. Watched the ball on t.v. last night and happy to see a nice young family taking over at the head of our country. Amazed at the sheer number of people who went to watch. It was so cold in Washington D.C. and no one seemed to mind. Hope this means change for all.

Kyle was able to watch at school too. He was in his science class and they watched on the smart screen. What do you think George Washington would have thought of that?!!!!

While watching the ball last night, Savannah came into the room and she said "Oh, you are watching Barack Obama Mommy." Amazed that even our three year old knows what's going on today!

Sunny and January.....

Last weekend we had AWESOME weather....it was around 75 degrees and sunny. Savannah got her tricycle and her scooter out to use them in the front. Daddy was there to help her out if she needed it.

Trick Scooter riding. She is actually realy good at this. She has been up and down our hallways and house for quite some time so it is no surprise that she is able to scoot along the sidewalk so well. She talked Daddy into taking her and her scooter to the park to go on the slides and the swings too.

Her very serious concentration look when she was trying to master the tricycle. Almost a what ya talkin bout Willis look!

It is hard to tell what season it is whenever Clark is in the picture. He always has shorts on!!

Eating some lunch at her picnic table in the front yard. Hopefully, we will get something else out in the yard this spring! I can dream right?!!!

This week has been even more awesome weather. We read about the people in the midwest with their below zero temperatures and can not imagine living like that. I'm sure we will have some rain and colder temperatures soon but for now nothing beats a California sunny and warm January day!

Butts at the mall......

Now that our friends live so much closer to us we can be a little spontaneous when we go out to dinner and call and see if they want to join us. They actually called us on this night and Kyle was gone with my mom still so the three of us went off to Red Robin for some burgers and Fries! YUMMY stuff and then we decided to walk around the mall and burn off some dinner. We went into Steve and Berry's to check out what they had left. They are another store that is going out of business. Kyle will be upset since he loved their cheap tshirts and shorts. I actually bought him 2 pairs of cargo shorts, a polo shirt, a U R Annoying tshirt, and a pair of board shorts....out the door for $10.18!!!! Maybe I will miss them more! The little girls thought these fake boys were hilarious!!! Yes, you can buy a butt at the mall!!! I think this one was for sale for less then $20 too.

See they have cracks like us....cracking each other up!!!

More posing of the models.....We left the fake naked people at the mall and went off to have some gelato and more shopping. Fun and pretty inexpensive night for us. Fun with the kids and our friends!

I learned that I should probably carry the camera all the time just for moments like this.....You know we will pull this out when the girls are in high school and they are trying to raise money for their yearbooks by selling space!

Student of the Month!

WOW!!! Kyle was awarded Student of the Month for the Month of December!!! We were surprised and proud and I think he was too. He brought home a bag with a bunch of stuff in it including a bumper sticker for the car, a pen, pencil, special pin for him to wear (he won't!) and certificates. It was also posted in the weekly newsletter which he hardly ever brings home or is in a crumpled up mess in my washing machine! He was nominated by his P.E. teacher and Coach and it says Kyle is always being ready and helping to motivate others! WAY TO GO KYLE!!!

Not much going on this week but the usual school and work stuff. Kyle volunteered at Sacred Heart Church and I think he actually got something out of it. He worked 2 days and helped to sort food out. He also was there when people came to pick up the food that is needed by so many. I was surprised that he said they were still passing out turkeys to those that wanted them but then thought maybe some people are not able to cook a turkey so they refuse them? Glad that even in these times the food banks are able to help people out. This was for a boy scout project but I think Kyle would enjoy going back and working again. He is moving up another notch towards eagle scout. He is going to be Starat the end of this month. After this it is Life and then Eagle. It will still be about 2 years before he is able to be done but nice to see he is on track and there is an end to boy scout life. He is still not sure he wants to go to boy scout camp this summer but it is on Catalina island and I think he would enjoy it. I said maybe Dad could stay home and you could go by yourself.....he nixed that idea right away and said he would prefer Clark to go so I guess sometimes even though you are 6 feet tall and weigh over 200 pounds you still need your Dad. It is nice that they have something to experience together and I look forward to being able to do the same with Savannah. Who cares if our bonding will be at a luxury hotel and shopping?!!!!

Savannah is doing really well with the potty training and has started to refuse to wear a pullup over her panties when we go out so maybe she is really done? I'm keeping my fingers crossed and knocking on wood. Her funny story of the week is from my mom's house. She had gone in to go to the potty and my mom was on the phone with her friend Missy (Hi Missy!) and then she heard a strange noise in the bathroom so off to investigate. It was Savannah and she had gotten the Lysol spray and was spraying her butt....yep, she had taken a poop and wanted the smell to be gone! Not quite the spraying concept but hey it works for 3 year olds!!!!

She starts back at dance class this week with an added jazz dance to the ballet and tap that she has been doing for a couple of cycles. After this community class, I think I am going to move her to a regular ballet studio, she enjoys it so much and actually practices the positions at home. We will also go back to Mommy and Me Art class which I think I love just as much as she does!

Our weather is fabulous this weekend. We have sunshine and 70's scheduled for all week!!! Yah California-we love your sunshine!! Have a great day and see you soon!

What was the best part of today?

Savannah and I were snuggling last night and I asked her what was the best part of the day. She looked at me and answered eating dinner with you and Daddy and Papa.

Very nice answer and glad that she noticed! We just ate tacos for dinner but invited Papa to come down and eat with us. He claimed to want to eat Chinese food leftovers but Savannah convinced him otherwise and down he walked. We had her favorite tropical sherbert for dessert. We stayed home all day trying to work on the potty training and while she is getting better we still need to remind her a ton of times and sometimes while under protest she waits too long and a little potty comes out. We will keep on it....it is my number one New Year's resolution.....if only I could make it hers too!!!

Happy 2009!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR from all of us!!!! The kids were ready with their noise makers, horns and party hats.

Smile and say cheese for Mom and then she will leave us alone to party!

Our New Year's Princess!! She has worn this hat since her very first New Year's so I took it off and put it away......I am crazy like that!!! Hope she will be able to wear it for the next 80 years or so.....yah right!

Here she is getting ready and looking thru my bag of tricks. She was very excited to see all the stuff and to get ready to go. We went to celebrate with Barb and Steve and their girls. Savannah had a great time with the other little girls that are there. There was lots of screaming and running around but that is what happens when you have a house of little girls. The dads watched Superbad and the moms gathered and talked. They also played Boggle, Jenga and the older kids played the game of Life. They have changed that quite a bit since I played.....they were making $50,000 for their salary. The little cars still have pink and blue people in them though.

We came home around 10:30 since Kyle needed to get to bed. I was going to come home and drop him off and go back but Savannah decided she was tired and wanted to come too so I told Clark he needed to walk home (hey, it's downhill!) he decided to come with us so we bid our Happy New Year's to all and came home. Clark watched some t.v. and Savannah and I took a little nap to wake up in time to see the New Year with Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark! We were home nice and warm and snuggly and together (minus Kyle but I had given him a big hug and kiss before he left!)

Hope 2009 is fun and exciting and brings about more family adventures! We wish you all the best!!!!