Mommy of Two Precious Girls

2011-07-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

My crazy two kids, July 2011

I'm back

2011-04-26T22:55:00.000-07:00

Wow.... I totally forgot I had this blog. My last post was December 12, 2010?? where did the time go?
I re-read my old posts and they were memories! I cracked up couple times. This is like a keepsake blog!
I will post about what we have been up to. But not tonight, it's late. I need to go to bed. Night.

IPad!

2010-12-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

I'm hooked. My sweet hubby bought me an iPad!!! It's like my early Christmas present. I love it! My kids love it too. They can play games, read interactive books on it, and explore the vast knowledge of the Internet. I put some teaching "Apps" on it-- math, alphabet, memory games, jigjaw puzzles, etc.

Of course, I put Sudoku on it for me. :-) It can also be my Kindle and read books. Can do emails anywhere in the house. Recipes for cooking. My iPhone does the same stuff but honestly, when it comes to screens, bigger is better. LOL. I also have Netflix so there's instant streaming of movies (no captions, but I watch foreign movies for their subtitles).

I like technology!

Catching up part 3

2010-11-24T19:27:00.001-08:00

Catching up part 2

2010-11-24T19:25:00.000-08:00

Catching up part 1

2010-11-24T19:23:00.001-08:00

Baby!

2010-08-06T19:56:00.001-07:00

Our new nephew has been born this morning!
Name is Jackson Eric Richard. We just saw him on Jon's iPhone 4's
video "Face time" which is so cool!

Gasp

2010-08-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

Few minutes later, she found a lizard!

Ewe

2010-08-02T12:14:00.001-07:00

A garden snake that Chloe found in the backyard!

Star box

2010-07-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

Look what I made today! I used my Cricut machine and scrapbooking
papers. Isn't this adorable?

Garage Sale

2010-07-26T18:42:00.001-07:00

A pink stuffed pig for Sami- $1.00
A purple flying unicorn costume for Abby- $2.00
A set of walkie-talkies for both of them- $1.00
Two happy kids- Priceless. :-)

Water baby

2010-07-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

At the last minute, after dinner, we dunked in Budd Inlet! Sami threw
off ALL her clothes, including her diaper. Sheesh. It was 82 degrees
so the water was really refreshing. Jon and Abby went for a swim. Sami
just played nearby, that's why lots of pics of her and not enough of
Abby. We had a blast!

Homemade Oreos!

2010-07-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Those are the BEST! The original Oreos are crunchy and most of the
time, stale. Homemade is chewy and rich.

Hope you can read this okay

2010-07-25T14:46:00.001-07:00

If you can't then I'll tweak it.

Writing

2010-07-23T14:34:00.001-07:00

Wow. Abby is writing sentences without my knowledge! She's almost 5
and not in Kindergarten yet.
To translate this message "Dad is the best!" Cool, huh?

New dresses!

2010-07-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Virtual pet

2010-07-21T21:09:00.001-07:00

This is very addicting! I downloaded a virtual pet app on our iPhones
and we couldn't stop checking it all day. Even Abby couldn't resist
checking it during dinner. She just has to be sure her pet is happy
and no poop.
I included a snapshot of mine. Her name is Jackie.

Collage!

2010-07-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

I made this with Collage Lite - on my iPhone. I may do more of these!

Messy kids

2010-07-19T12:21:00.001-07:00

This is what it looks like everyday after meals. My best investment is
my trusty little DUSTBUSTER!
But sadly, I think I may need a new one soon.

Dang!

2010-07-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate those little annoying moments? I've had lots of them today.

Kids whining for breakfast before I have a chance to make my own coffee.
Sami didn't want her cereal, so she pushed the bowl and it tipped over. Guess who gotta clean it up?
I cleaned one of the toilets, bent over to clean the base, and my long hair dipped into toilet water. Ewwww.
Got a knot in my shoulder while putting Sami down for a nap.
While I was cleaning the bathrooms upstairs, Abby managed to turn into a tornado downstairs.
Had a sneezing fit.
Transferred videos from Jon's iPhone and found out it isn't compatible with the movie maker on the computer. Had to find a program that converts. Found it. Converted all videos. Found out all the movies are all horizonal (gotta tilt your head to watch movies), so I had to search for something that will rotate the movies clockwise. Augghh.
Now saving movies and it has been 2 hours, and 50.3% complete as I type. (Sighs)
While doing all that, the kids decided to be tornadoes again.
It's now 8:33 PM and I still haven't had time to relax.
52.6% complete, and Sami just woke up crying. (I think she's too hot). Sighs... my day is a very long one.

Cute Princesses!

2010-07-15T10:35:00.001-07:00

1000 words

2010-07-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

First Attempt at Cake Pops!

2010-07-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here's our pictures of us making our Cake Pops, Idea from Bakerella.com

They have some beautiful ones!

2010-07-12T22:32:00.001-07:00

Looks like I gotta update my kids' pictures up above, eh?

Pics!

2010-07-12T22:26:00.001-07:00

LAST POSTED ON APRIL 8?!?

2010-07-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

Whoa.... I was usually good on blogging on this. Oh my gosh..... What happened? I was so busy at my other blog. I always think about this one but I didn't think it was so umm delayed. Until I saw this:
"Last Posted on April 8, 2010."

I'm sooooooooooooooo sorry guys!
I will certainly post more! And even add MORE pictures of the kids!

Easter Mosaic!

2010-04-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

Oops, I forgot I have this blog!

2010-04-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

I've been BUSY BUSY BUSY at my other blog. The Lady Wolf. I'm trying to boost my popularity there, but doesn't seem to be working very well. Hmph... I notice I get more hits if I show scrapbooking pages, so I might do that more often than making new designs for others to grab.

As for my weight loss -- it stalled! It has been what? 3 weeks and I still hasn't lost enough to give a new check on my chart. Grrrrrrr. I've been trying to exercise more. I blame Easter and all those birthdays recently....

Ok, gotta go to bed. I'm super tired. I spent too much time online today.

Sami is exploding!

2010-03-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

Errr. Excuse me... Her LANGUAGE is exploding right now. Sorry if you thought she will explode!

For the last few weeks, her vocabulary grew literally overnight. Her signing is becoming more refined and she can now ask for specific things instead of trying to gesture and throwing fits. She likes to mimic voices and learn new signs as she talks.

She's also SO into Hello Kitty stuff. The other day, we were walking through Kohl's and she saw Hello Kitty dining set (plate, cup, fork, spoon, etc.) and she grabbed it and wouldn't let it go. I had to bribe her to leave (cookie? come here, you want cookie? come here...). I know, I'm a bad mommy... But that's the only way to get her to leave the store quietly.

Today, we went to a dollar store (they got money from grandma). And Sami saw a chair, and absolutely won't let it go. It was only a dollar, and may only last 2 hours, but hey. It was her dollar.

After bringing the chair home, I took a closer look at it. AH-HA... that's why!!!! The characters printed on the chair reminds me of Hello Kitty again. Don't ya think?

I lost weight!

2010-03-09T15:46:00.001-08:00

I lost weight!

Guess where....

Yayyyy

2010-03-09T14:30:00.001-08:00

Another check! Let's keep it up.

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distracted and new information.

2010-02-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I wasn't blogging often enough here. I was busy on my OTHER blog- The Lady Wolf. I am trying to make it much, much more interesting to attract followers and see how far it can get off the ground.

As for my weight loss-- I think it stalled!!! Aughh...I don't eat that much junk anymore! Maybe it's muscles... (winks)

My friend told me that her weight was gaining FAST for no reason, so she had her thyroid tested, and it came back normal. So she had her blood tested, and showed that she's realllllly low in vitamin D, and doctor told her that vitamin D is VERY important role in weight stablizer/ weight loss. That's why they are pushing the "Drink Milk, Lose Weight" ads-- calicum also needs to be there for vitamin D to work. You can't just take vitamin D and no calicum. Also, vitamin D/calicum helps strengthen your bones. In a magazine, said most women aren't getting enough vitamin D AND calicum.

Interesting, isn't it? I might buy some vitamin D capsules and Tums, and see how it goes for a week.

Love,
The Fat Me minus 5 lb.

A little fun tidbit!

2010-02-24T18:25:00.001-08:00

A Little Known Fact:

The first testicular guard cup was used in hockey in 1874.

The first helmet was used in 1974.

It took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

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Yayyyyy

2010-02-19T07:56:00.001-08:00

Yayyy the ball is finally moving!

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Trigger

2010-02-15T22:49:00.000-08:00

Poor Trigger.
Last Friday, I cleaned the whole house. Put the kids down for a nap. After a good hard work, I plopped down on the couch to rest. And right in front of me, Trigger peed on the carpet!

But.... her pee was red. Wait.. Shouldn't pee be yellow? I quickly took her outside and she peed some more and it was port red. Hmm so, I texted my husband, he came home and took Trigger to the vet immediately.

She has UTI. Ugh... Poor thing. And also the vet found a hard lump on top of her head (nope, its not her brain!), so today, she went BACK to the vet to get a biopsy. She now have stitches on top of her head.

Right now, she's loopy and out of it. Half asleep all evening.

As for my weight loss -- It's going slower. I lost 4 pounds... I am losing, which is in a good direction! I don't want to lose too much too early. 2 pounds per week is perfect for me. So, that means 8 pounds per month, that's a lot, I think. If I continue this, I will reach my goal target in about October. No, I'm not gonna tell you how much I weigh!

I might post before/after photos.

And also, we just found a new favorite show on TV, on the History Channel.
It's called "Pawn Stars" and wow, its soooooooooo interesting. You oughta watch it sometime. It's almost like Antique Roadshow but its a reality show when people come in their pawn shop and see if their stuff is really worth anything. Some fake, and the guy on there reminds me a lot like ummm whats his name? Shoot... It's on the tip of my tongue! He's from Die Hard, Sixth Sense, etc... Bald. BRUCE WILLIS!!! A little bit...

Ok, I oughta go to bed.

Love,
The Fat Me

Sobs!

2010-02-11T21:03:00.001-08:00

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Day....10? 11?

2010-02-11T20:22:00.001-08:00

I lost track of how many days I've been "dieting". Felt like 8 weeks already. Ha.

I did pretty good today. Did some workout and serious house cleaning. Ate healthy. And in small amounts.

My laptop broke so I'm now in grieving. Because for the last 6 weeks, I've been distracting myself by throwing in playing and learning some new computer program and experimenting with my Cricut machine. Now I can't do that. What can I do? When I am not busy, I get bored too easily and eat. I really do eat when I'm bored. My hands need to be busy!!!

Love,
The Fat Me

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Yet, another bleech

2010-02-10T21:29:00.001-08:00

My aunt flo is here and making me miserable. I just had to have lotta chocolate lately but tomorrow-- I'll be better! I promise!
But good news is that I lost 3 pounds this week.
I vow to exercise more tomorrow. I vow to keep myself busy and not do mindless nibbling.
Love,
The Fat Me.

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Bleech

2010-02-07T21:26:00.001-08:00

Really really not a good weekend. Bleech.

Woke up Saturday morning sick as a dog. I tol Jon he has to watch the girls and I crawled back to bed and slept more than half the day away. Woke up at around 3:00 PM and was starving. Needless to say, I couldn't eat as healthy as I wanted to.

And now today's Sunday. My parents came! Jon's parents came! We had a small Superbowl party with lots of junk food. (sighs)

Tomorrow WILL be better. Just two lousy days. And also, tomorrow will be my 1 week mark. I will post how much I lost (or gained). Stay tuned.

Love
The Fat Me

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2010-02-04T20:59:00.001-08:00

Day three/four;
Did I forget to blog yesterday? I was busy being sick. Yup- a full blown cold. I didn't do squat. I felt horrible. I didn't eat much. By night time, I was STARVING! I had had had to eat something. I ended up having cereal. Hey, better than oooh 3 candy bars.

I'm feeling better today. I cleaned house (good workout!) and still didn't eat much. I'm still HUNGRY.

(sighs) but I did distract myself by doing Abby's Valentine Day "cards." She just went back to preschool, and the Valentine Day party is next Thursday. I think she has 10 classmates.

"Cards" is paper flowers with a lollipop in the center. Let's see if I can take a quick snapshot....

Aren't they cute?!? The cricut sure saved me lots of time. I wouldn't want to cut or punch out 60 hearts. It's hard to see but the inner heart has scalloped edges.

Oh, I want to share a goofy pic of Abby and my fake lighted up candles. (no persons or pets were harmed in this picture)

Off to bed I go.
Love
The Fat Me
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Day two

2010-02-02T20:16:00.001-08:00

Day two:
Toooo sore to exercise! I am surprised I haven't gotten a Charlie horse in my leg. But it feels quite close!

I took it easy today. I will exercise tomorrow.

Breakfast was same as yesterday.

Lunch was chopped celery, chopped granny smith apple and walnuts mixed with little mayo. It was yummy but Abby's peanut butter sandwich looked better.

Dinner was teryaki pork with salad.
Boring

That's all for now.

Love,
The fat me.

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Day one

2010-02-01T17:39:00.001-08:00

Day one:
I went up and down the stairs 10 times, played with Wii Fit Plus for half an hour before Abby kicked me off. Ate scrambled eggs and glugged V8 (bleech).

Took a shower and we all went around the block.

For lunch I had low fat cream cheese stuffed celery stalks. A cheese stick and a nice spoonful of peanut butter. Yum. I wasn't that hungry.

Dinner-- had beef & broccoli stirfry (no rice).

My biggest concern is nighttime. It's when I tend to be VERY hungry!

And for exercise-- I will abide this motto I just heard and is very helpful.

"Do your best and forget the rest."

So what, if I can only have 15 minutes to exercise?it's better than n-o-t-h-i-n-g. And if I can only last 2 sit-ups? Phht there's always tomorrow.

Baby steps up a gigantic mountain.

Love
The fat me

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Great Wolf Lodge

2010-01-31T18:03:00.000-08:00

Fresh start!

2010-01-27T20:45:00.001-08:00

I will go on a diet on Monday. I will exercise more, at least 30 minutes everyday. I will take my girls outside as much as possible. No more Spongebob. I will try to post my progress every night. I may fail, I may not. But I will try my best.
Love,
The Fat Me

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This is SO true....

2010-01-26T21:05:00.001-08:00

Whatever you give a woman, she will make it greater..

If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.

If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.

If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.

If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.

She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.

So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of s**t."

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Just one more week...

2010-01-21T23:03:00.000-08:00

Until I am a domestic goddess. Wow...
So, my biggest question is: How the heck can I pay for the papers I play with? :-) I sure love playing with my Cricut. I could spend hours using it, but sometimes the girls will kick me out of the room.

I also would like few more new Cricut cartridges, not the ones with fonts. Those shape cartridges. Especially Disney ones. Spongebob. Everday Paper Dolls. Tags, Bags, and More. The newest cartridge got me drooling! "Once Upon a Princess"
Fonts are easy to find online for SCAL, but pictures/shapes are harder to find. I tried to find Cinderella for SCAL but none to be found.

Anyway, enough of that!

I seem to be staying up later and later due to anxiety. I can't just fall asleep easily. I don't like the transition between jobs/major events.

Would anyone donate papers or cartridges to me??? :-)

Too cute.

2009-12-31T13:20:00.001-08:00

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New art!

2009-12-31T13:07:00.001-08:00

Go check out my other blog, I added more projects! I love winter break!
Www.wolfsolympia.blogspot.com

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2009-12-28T14:53:00.000-08:00

Another blogspot

2009-12-28T14:40:00.000-08:00

http://wolfsolympia.blogspot.com/

I am creating a new blog -- solely about my craft projects I have been doing lately. And this one will be just updating my daily life thing....

Go check out my newest craft project! The mirrors-- I think I will do lots more of glass frosting. :-)

She likes it too!

2009-12-26T13:44:00.001-08:00

We were kinda bored this morning so I wanted to play with my new "toy" and Abby wanted to watch. Sami was taking a nap. I made a butterfly, an owl and realized I could even cut out a paper tiara! Abby became SOOOOOO excited so I tried to figure out the size for a tiara. This thing can cut anywhere from half an inch to 24 inches!
Anyway, I gave her stickers and markers to decorate her tiara.

Note her choice of stickers-- I haven't had the heart to tell her what the stickers say! :-)

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My VERY first cricut card!

2009-12-25T12:36:00.001-08:00

Got my cricut expression!!!!!
Loooooooove it.

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Is Christmas over yet?

2009-12-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

I was so ready for Christmas before Thanksgiving began!
When Thanksgiving was over, we dragged everything out, decorated the house, put up the tree, decked the halls! Stapled lights outside. Baked tons of cookies.

Now... I'm so ready for Christmas to be OVER! I'm done. I'm burnt. Feels like MONTHS until Christmas is finally here. I.AM.TIRED.OF.RED.AND.GREEN.

Maybe next year, I should not put Christmas stuff up until maybe a week before Christmas....

Bah-humbug.

Testing something

2009-12-19T22:41:00.000-08:00

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Did I do this right?

2009-12-19T22:17:00.000-08:00

A new beginning is approaching!

2009-12-19T21:17:00.001-08:00

BEWARE:
You'll see more of me in upcoming few weeks!!!

Sadly, I will be out of a job after January 29. I am still exploring my possible options. I may need to take an afternoon/evening job somewhere. Maybe I can try to earn some money from home (crafts? Babysitting? dog walking?)

I am anxious but also a little bit excited to see what's in the store for me.

I just watched "Julie & Julia" last night and I really liked it very much. I can identify myself like Julie Powell. A bit lost. But I ain't gonna cook everyday like she did! Sheesh... I'm a good cook but not EVERY SINGLE DAY! And over 500 recipes? No thanks.

But I can post something everyday... That's easy. I hope... Then I realize, I have kids... hmmmm.

Ok, I gotta go and do some more internet surfing.

Love you guys.

Thankful

2009-12-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

Sorry if I don't seem to be blogging anymore! I've been wanting to write everyday, but life goes on, and I've been doing quite some soul-searching lately about what is my passion, what do I really want to do.

As some of you know by now, my job is in limbo right now. Nearly 3 years ago, I was hired by my school to be one-on-one instructor for a student with special needs. Then three weeks ago, an incident happened and the principal did an emergency expulsion, which basically means he is expelled but he can come back if the doctor/psychologists says he is safe to do so.

So, for the last 3 weeks, I'm just doing some odd and ends, catching up on some big time-consuming projects that nobody seems to have time to do for. I do miss teaching this boy, one-on-one, because it does keep me busy (and interesting).

I'm also anxious and nervous because I do not know if I will still have my job in the near future. I wish I knew the future so I can prepare for it accordingly. On the same hand, I do not want to know when because I want to enjoy what I have NOW. Should I start feeling around for possible jobs? Refresh my resume? Take a long look at our finances to see if Stay-at-home-mom is even possible?

I've been diverting my anxious-ness by doing research online on a new hobby, probably will start in 2010. I really want to start making greeting cards, maybe vinyl shirts, aprons, whatever.

Ha... instead of crying over spilled milk, I'll let the milk sour up, and I will try to sculpt the lumps into something interesting.

Thank you for lending a ear. :-)

I think a bug bit me...

2009-11-30T21:21:00.001-08:00

Thanks a lot Jill!

Thanks a lot informicals!

Thanks a lot Shannon!

Thanks a lot YouTube!

Now I think I've been bitten by a bug. I've been trying to convince myself that I don't need it. But when I do internet surfing, I'm awed... I'm drooling... I want to do those!!!

I wonder if I'll get one for Christmas? I did give a hint to Jon....

(sighs) I just gotta find ROOM in this house to do those.

:-) :-) :-)

Olympia

2009-08-25T10:01:00.001-07:00

Reasons I love Olympia:
1. Close to the ocean
2. Small town, easy to get around
3. Trader Joe's
4. Waterstreet Grill
5. Sand in The City
6. Lake Fair
7. Art Walks
8. Pet parade
9. Taste of the Market
10. Farmers market
11. Beaches
12. Quiet neighborhood
13. Awesome Christmas bazaars
14. Hertiage fountain
15. Thai Garden
16. Mild weather
17. Great job
18. Great friends
19. Great family
20. Not toooo far from more great families
21. Great hubby and kids
22. Tasha Nicole
23. Wagners
24. Tea Lady and Wind up Toys
25. Drees
26. Drive thru Starbucks
27. Drive thru bank that has awesome stickers for my kids
28. Big Tom's
29. Great babysitters
30. Movie theaters that has captions
31. Free movies for kids in summers
32. Free lunches for kids in summers
33. Mall playground
34. Not so much traffic
35. My kids were born here
36. Antique shops
37. Archibald sisters
38. Popinjays and Compass Rose
39. Scholastic book fairs
40. Big Lots and dollar stores
41. Peppers Mexican restaurant
42. Priest Point Park
43. Tumwater Falls
44. Old brewery
45. Historical districts
46. Normas for breakfast
47. Ranch House BBQ
48. Views at Bayview Thriftway
49. Has an Automall
50. Cost Plus Imports
51. Phoneix Inn
52. Annnnddd MEEEEEE!

Disney Princesses -- GO AWAY

2009-08-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

Now I'm officially insane.

I have whole summer to actually think about Abby's upcoming birthday (Sept 3)... I have more time on my hands so I have time to be on a quest for specific things for her birthday.

I went store to store looking for specific cake toppers. I MAY just give up and buy a castle cake from the food store that Abby wanted. It depends.

Blah... I'm sick of Disney Princesses now.

Other updates??

Let's see, Sami is cutting 5 teeth right now. But she's being a good sport. She's about 25 pounds, and Abby is about 33 pounds. So, Sami is really catching up to Abby! I won't be surprised if in few years, they'll be about the same size.

I go back to work on September 8. That's about 3 weeks from now. Yikes. I hate myself because I didn't really do ANYTHING this summer. I am BUSY but on the other hand, I felt like my time wasn't used wisely. No camping. Little swimming. Most of our time is spent at home, playing with dolls, puzzles, movies (Yes, DISNEY ONES!), and didnt' really take adventage of the nice weather. Back of my head, it's because I don't want to expose them too much sun and packing up a preschooler and a toddler in a car is well, rigious activity itself. I get worn out fast. And timing our trips between their naps / cranky moments. It was just easier to stay home.

Ooooohhh welllllll.... Maybe it'll be easier next summer.

Should go and clean up a bit.
Lall la la la la

Kids are funny.

2009-07-17T10:05:00.001-07:00

Last night, I turned on the TV and it was on "mute."

Anyway, here it goes!

Abby: Turn it up!
Mom: Well, maybe you're deaf (snickers).
Abby: No, I'm not!
Mom: How do you know?
Abby: Because I'm not a mom, I'm a kid.
Mom: (almost fell off couch laughing)

OMG, she thought all moms are deaf?!?

Psst... Hello... Are you still there?

2009-06-30T21:17:00.001-07:00

1. Jon's birthday's this Thursday, July 2... pssst... (he'll be 35... shhhhh!)
2. My sis's 15th wedding anniversary is tomorrow! WOW.
3. 4th of July -- No plans, probably stay home and have a nice BBQ and listen to fireworks all around us, and oh yeah, trying to keep Trigger calm.
4. Sunday, we're going to Church to see Abby's camp's performance.
5. Probably take Abby to see a free movie at the movie theater on Tuesday, "Horton Hears A Who." Did anyone see it? Was it good?
6. Still addicted to my iPhone and all the cool apps.
7. Trying to declutter but it's hopeless. *(see #11 and #12)
8. Need to see friends more often. I'm getting tired of staring into Trigger's big brown eyes.
9. Baked sugar cookies today.
10. Wished for rain.
11. Sami's going through a rough patch with FOUR molars coming in.
12. Sami is just getting over her bad, bad, bad heat rash.
13. Kept getting lame movies from Netflix.
14. No new magazines in the mail yet.
15. Vowed to cut down on TV viewing during the day.
16. Wants to go outside more often but can't.
17. Because I have severe grass pollen allergy.
18. Delaying calling the doctor for allergy meds.
19. Vowed to not shop so much.
20. Enjoying my new car, zoom-zoom.
21. Addicted to watching "I Love Lucy."
22. Had to explain to Abby why "I Love Lucy" has no color...
23. Looking forward to staying at a hotel in Westport and spend the day at the car show with my family in July.
24. Abby's friend will have a birthday party -- a pool party -- Me in a swimsuit? ACK!!!
25. Kept finding Abby sleeping in our bed when we go to bed.
26. It's priceless when I sneak in a nap now and then when my kids are sleeping.
27. Hopes I still have my job next fall.
28. Kept forgetting to water the plants.
29. Wants to go for good long walks but see #17.
30. I think I'm finished for now.

Sorry

2009-06-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

Been falling behind on my blogging. I know couple folks who stopped blogging (yes, YOU!)

Anyway, I've been pretty busy wrapping things up at school, cleaning up, having a sympathy ear, and working on finding a full-time childcare for my girls next fall.

Tomorrow's my last day at work then SUMMMMMMEEERRRR, HERE I COME! (SCREAMING LIKE A 16 YEAR OLD FAN IN A CONCERT!)

Ahem... I am really enjoying our new car. We drove to Aberdeen today, and had lunch at Top Foods (tradition for us), and played at the playground nearby, then drove home. Sami wasn't very happy on our way home. I suspect another molar is popping in. She has three coming in at the same time.

Abby's doing good. She just visited her friend yesterday and played ALL day. She is SO into Disney Princesses, and Fairies. I think for her 4th birthday cake, it'll be "Tinkerbell" theme.

Hmm what else? Not much though... Ok, off to bed I go! Hi-Oh!

Voicing for me

2009-06-07T20:38:00.001-07:00

I found a wonderful 'app' on my iPhone tonight!!!

"Type To Talk."

I can type anything (in English, of course) and press 'done' and my iPhone will voice out what I typed.

"I want menu number 67 with no tomatoes." etc....

Awesome!!!!! So if I meet someone I need to talk to but he/she doesn't understand me. I can type and have them listen to my speaker phone.

If only, it could also work the other way... (sighs)... Ha, instead of "talk to the hand," I would say, "talk to this!" (holding up the phone to their faces.) who knows. Maybe someone out there is working on it!

Mazda 5!

2009-06-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

Jon brought home a new car! Our 2001 Ford Escape was getting old. Well, it still ran perfectly, but I was tired of it... I wanted a car that can fit more passengers. Our Ford only can seat 4 with two massive babyseats.

This one! It's a MINI-MINI VAN! Or my friend just called it Mini (squared)!

A Mazda 5!!!

If you don't know what it is-- Google it up.

It's compact, which is good for a short person like me, and good for everyday commuting. Good for small kids. (which is PERFECT right now)

It's dark, dark blue with black leather seats. Seat warmers. Powered windows, locks, cruise control, A/C, 6 CD player (Yay!), automatic temperature control, and so on, and on and on...

It can seat 6 people. Sure, we lose some cargo area if we have 6 people, but hey, I don't haul 6 people everyday. It's good for occassional carpooling trips (IKEA, anyone!?)

I'm SO excited! Abby said she wants me to keep the car forever, even if it's not PINK.

Hopelessly addicted

2009-06-02T22:06:00.001-07:00

I decided to count it. No way! I counted it again.

110 Apps on my iPhone. OMG.

Scratching my head, should I delete some? But which ones? Ack...

Wait. Do this have an App? (blogger) went to check it out. Yup! .........
Now it's at 111.

I can easily play with my phone for hours and hours. I even found a hilarious video on Youtube on my phone. Go to Youtube and type in "sneezing panda".

By the way, we may buy a new car in couple days to replace our dear old beloved Ford Escape. We're thinking of a Mazda 5.

Ok, I gotta go to bed! Only 14 more school days until Summer!!!!!! Yea, baby!

Busy, busy, busy bee

2009-05-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not blogging as often as I'd like to. Been a very busy bee due to summer fast approaching!

My mind is already in "summer-mode." I'm already thinking ahead about what I need/should/could do all summer long.

Let's see:
1. DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER
2. Work on photo albums (I'm about 1 year behind!)
3. Set up a schedule for my kids so they won't get too bored. Like, libraries every Monday, park every Tuesday, etc.
4. MORE DECLUTTERING!
5. Put up shelves in kids' room for their stuffed animals.
6. shampoo the entire carpet.
7. Visit my good friends more often.
8. Hit IKEA at least once...

That's what I have so far..... Good eh? I'll be lucky if I get past number 1.

Awesome!

2009-05-03T09:55:00.001-07:00

Sorry for not checking in! My iPhone lets me check my emails, surf the websites, etc.

90% of the time, I don't even need a computer!

That 10% is me right here, blogging away. :-) And I just checked out www.hulu.com, just to see what's the hype is about.

IT'S AWESOME! Wow, I can watch my missed TV shows. No hassle of signing in, registering, etc. And no long downloads. ANY show is on there! I checked "The Office" from last Thursday, and it came right up.

And it's all captioned. Yayyyyy, I just need to turn the CC on. Most movies or shows I download or try to watch on the computer is almost never captioned.

Now, iPhone needs to work on getting more captioned shows on iTunes!

Technology is getting better and better everyday.... (dreamy sigh)

I'm excited!

2009-04-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

I just found out a friend of mine is moving CLOSER to me. YAYYY... I googled it up and she'll be living exactly 1 mile away. That is absolutely perfect.

I planned on walking more this summer. And sorry, gal, your place will be a perfect reason to go walking. (winks)

~PAUSED~ (Had to pick up Sami, plop her down in her high chair, throw some handful of Cherrios on her tray so she'll let me type some more!)

Anyway, I'm so in love with my iphone! I must have downloaded 20 free games on it. Some are meant for Abby. She can play on it too. She knows she has to be careful not to drop it (or throw it).

I even have an application on it that "will should would must" help me shed some pounds. I can keep track of foods I ate (diary) and exercises I did (log) and it'll keep track of calories I ate/burned. At dinner time, I can check and see how big dinner/dessert I can have. Last night, it showed that I can have 544 calories worth of food left. So I tweaked my dinner so I can still have my chocolate for dessert! That thing's amazing... Otherwise, I would have had a big dinner and chocolate (which will put me over the limit and gain more weight). I've been SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO lazy with my eating habits. I did gain a lot. (shame on me) So I'm doing something about it. Sorry, friend, I'm gonna visit at your new house often!!!!

Our back porch is all painted now! Our new deck furniture is out sitting there. It looks really good! Before, our deck was all grey and dull. Round glass tempered table with plastic white chairs, and an umbrella. NOW the deck is richer reddish-brown painted, with black sleek chairs and bench with red tropical pillows. We also have a metal box fire pit. Our backyard's pretty much complete. I just need to buy new sand for the girls' sandbox.

Sorry about the dog's butt in the picture, she just wouldn't move! I think she's proud of her booty....

2 1/2 Milestones in Less Than a Week!

2009-04-10T15:54:00.001-07:00

We got here in Maui on Saturday afternoon...

Sunday: Sami finally decided that she wanted to roll over. She has been rolling and rolling ever since. I have a hard time keeping her down for a simple diaper change.

Wednesday: She finally decided to crawl. Discovered it is faster than butt scooting.

Today: Almost pulled herself to a standing position.

What the world is happening here? Why didn't she do that at home couple months ago? I guess the new surroundings, the excitement, the curiosity got to her and she's doing all these things.

I wouldn't be surprised if she starts walking before we leave for home!

ONE WEEK LEFT BEFORE SHE BECOMES 1 YEAR OLD. WHOO-HOOO!

More Pictures

2009-04-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

pictures

2009-04-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

Snorkling?

2009-04-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

Did I spell it right? Snorkeling? ah I just used spellchecker.

I remember very well that my friend once told me that she spent all week in Hawaii, and decided to snorkel on her last day. BIG MISTAKE. She really regretted not doing it on her first day.

So, I don't know what's the hype is about. So you see few fish, big deal.

Jon asked me if I'd like to join him snorkeling. I said, sure, why not... I don't want to be one to regret not doing it. You live once, right?

Ah! I wasn't used to it!!!!! HOW can I breathe through that tube? Will the water seep into my goggles? Again, I CAN'T BREATHE (Panic sets in).

So, I spent some of my time dunking in and out of the water. Breathing a bit longer each time. The water looked murky and brown. Yuck...

After a while, and lots of practice, I didn't think I like snorkeling...

I said, 'Where's all the fish? This is boring..."

Jon said to go where all other snorkelers are. So, I swam over to the crowd.

OH MY GOSH!!!! Yellow fish, blue fish, white with stripes, red fish... Corals, lava rocks... cobalt blue water. My breathing is doing better. I just need to remember to breathe in and out of my mouth! I'm a blonde :-)

I want to post a picture of similar sight I've seen today, I don't have an underwater camera, but this is quite close! I'M SO GOING AGAIN TOMORROW!

Our Condo in Hawaii

2009-04-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

Hi, (or AHOLA!)

Here's our quick video capture of our common areas in the condo. More pictures soon to follow! Come back and check often.

Our plane ride was about 7 hours. The kids did pretty well. I brought lots of stuff to keep them entertained, but I didn't bring enough food. Oops. On our way back, I'll make sure they do have enough food.

We checked into our condos, then went to Costco and Safeway to stock up on food. By the time we got back, we were allllll tired. We had quick sandwiches and went to bed.

It is morning, and I haven't even went to the beach yet. Ahhhhh... It's on my To-Do list. I will let you know how it is like...

MAHALO

Sami's quirky.

2009-03-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of Sami, showing how she gets across a room. She simply REFUSES to crawl. This is her way of getting around!

First: She raises her arms like Superman to "point" where she wants to go.

Second: She'll attempt to move but gets distracted by other objects.

Third: Eventually gets to her destination!

Updating...

2009-03-19T19:26:00.001-07:00

Hi!

Not much is happening right now. All is quiet!

Busy at work with kids and trying to come up with new Spring craft projects that they'll like to do. Tomorrow, they'll be painting lady bugs on oval rocks. Good way to celebrate first day of Spring!

Jon is getting ready to power-wash our deck and porch, and stairs. I'm SO not looking forward to that because then Trigger will be wrapped around my legs all day due to the noise.

Not much new... Jenny, the kids' new babysitter is still sending me more pictures of the kids! I sure love getting them.

Here's another one!

So Blessed!

2009-03-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

This is a blessing in disguise!!!

Remember, my last blog about kids' daycare terminating their care? It was a very, very tough week because I was also sick with a terrible, I mean, terrible cold. I missed two days of work. Stress could have attributed to it.

I sent "need help finding someone to babysit my kids" email through the school email. The wonderful staff responded. An interpreter from high school suggested me to contact the sub interpreter's wife. I figured, why not.... No harm, no foul.

We met Jenny-- wow~... A god-sent!

We visited them, and the sub intepreter, Jim, is also an apartment manager, so they live in an apartment, and they have three ADORABLE little dogs.

The kids immediately loved it there. So, they started going there the very next day. Of course, I was nervous, and my stomach was in knots the entire day. When I went to pick them up, they were smiling ear to ear. They LOVED it there better than their last daycare.

And get this, they live mere 1/2 mile away from where I work! Whoo-hoo.

And also get this, Jenny's an avid photographer too as well! She's just like my sister, Jill. She takes tons of photographs. She likes taking baby pictures. Haven't done any weddings. And she was thrilled to do photography work and gave me a CD full of pictures. WOWWWWWW. I'd like to share few pictures of them. :-)

All is GOOD!

Laid off... wait, that's not right...

2009-03-01T18:23:00.001-08:00

We got laid off... from the daycare! We only use the daycare on Mondays and Fridays.

We got an email from "her" and she said she'll no longer watch Abby and Sami. She don't want part-time families anymore. HELLLLLO!!! Part-time families are the most profittable! With this sucky economy, she should be grateful that there's part-time families. She even told me some of her full-timers went to part-timers because of the economy.

So, we only had Saturday and Sunday to search for a new one! ACK! Most daycares are closed on weekends, so we can't just call up few.

We were mad. We were upset. She had no right to drop us like that, without any advanced notice. We shot an "professionalism" letter back to her. She replied back, rambling on and on why she stopped. It did not help any. We're still angry.

I tried emailing everyone I know who "could" watch the kids on Monday. Too busy. Can't. (LONG SIGHHHH).

Jon will have to stay home. I'm hoping we'll have someone by Friday.

Girls...!

2009-02-19T19:13:00.000-08:00

"Okay, Abby, it's time for you to go get ready for bed."

And I found this:

And now, here's a snapshot of Sami. She's now 10 months old!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-12T19:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day.
Let LOVE triumph over Friday the 13th!

Memories!

2009-02-12T15:28:00.001-08:00

HI,
A friend of mine recently re-posted her very first Blog, and said wow, how much have changed since then. It made me realize when was my first blog?? So, I had to look back. Interesting!

* Summer of 2007, I just started working at an elementary school that February, and this was my first summer off since I graduated from college in 1998.

* NO SAMI! I wasn't even pregnant!

* We did not have a big screen TV.

* We had an "Actual" guest room upstairs.

* Look how YOUNG Abby looked back then. She was few months shy of becoming 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Hello there...
My first blog aside from those on MySpace. I just think maybe, JUST MAYBE this will be easier to access and I won't get too distracted from other ads and profiles. Wish me luck on updating my blogs more often! You're more than welcome to encourage or gently remind me to update my blogs. :-)
Here is my sweetest picture of my hubby and
daughter.
I just adore this picture so much.

Posted by "Amandier" at 9:53 PM

How Do I keep Track?

2009-02-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

How do I keep track of all the hilarious stuff our kids say? I try to remember and try to write or type them down. But I forget!

Let's see.... The latest:

This mornig, I was driving the car, and Abby was in the back seat, and we just left the grocery store. She was eating some M&M's. She started coughing. Frantic, I looked at her, asking, "Are you OK? Are you OK?!?"

If someone is choking, they can't talk. So I immediately asked "WHAT' IS YOUR NAME? TELL ME NOW."

Annoyed, she piped up: "TINKERBELL!"

-------------------------------------------------------------

I know she said something cute the other day, and it's on the tip of my tongue... Aughh... Trying to recall....... Oh! I remember now!

We went to Target last week to pick out Valentines Day cards for her classmates in preschool.

She immediately found Tinkerbell ones, and wouldn't even look at others.

As I paid for the cards at the checkout counter, the cashier asked me if I wanted a bag (it's just a box of cards) so I said "Nah...." And handed the box to Abby.

On our way to the car, and as I was opening the car door, Abby looked at me and said, "I'm glad you said no to a bag." I asked why.

With the biggest grin: "Because I get to hold this box! I loooooove Tinkerbell!"

Almost There!

2009-02-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

This is a small video of Sami attempting to crawl. Almost there!!! I tried to get the best video for it but Abby was being too helpful... Picking up toys and bringing them to her, so she doesn't need to crawl. What a nice big Sister, but Sami gotta learn at some point...! :-)

Then this second video, I thought was too cute to keep it to myself. We were at Ocean Shores and the grandparents, Sami and I were at the water. Abby was far away with daddy flying a kite, then Abby really wanted to come to the water. You could see her little legs running, and she was on a roll, that she did a quick u-turn and kept on running.

Frozen Peas

2009-01-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here I sit here with two ziploc bags full of frozen peas resting on my breasts. Jon walked by, took a double glance and chuckled.

"MY BOOBS HURT. SO WHAT?"

You see, I decided to stop pumping milk. I'm so tired of pumping on a strict schedule. I don't have breaks at my work because it's all about pumping sessions. I come home with the kids and it's chaos, and I stress out because I need to pump. I get up at 2 o'clock AM, (YES, AM!) every night for the last 8 months to pump. I'm sick of it!!! Sami's 9 months old. My milk supply was steadily slowing down, so I decided it's not worth it anymore.

For the last two weeks, I've been cutting down on pumping sessions slowly... Today's the first day I went over 24 hours. And I'm in pain! AUGH.

I googled up how to get rid of engorgement pain and it said frozen peas. And also it mentioned if I went "cold turkey," I would have abrupt hormonal shift. No wonder... I was extra cranky at work. Duh...

Anyway. To describe the engorgement pain -- Imagine breaking a bone, would you want anyone or anything to bump where you broke your bone? NOOOO! It's painful. It's funny, I didn't realize how much I bump my chest until I can feel every pain. Pushing a chair, picking up Sami, hugging Abby, carrying a laundry basket.

I sure hope I feel better tomorrow. When this episode is over, I will say "Hallelujah!" because it means "FREEDOM!"

I'll have my real breaks at work.
We come home and I can focus on the girls.
SLEEP ALL NIGHT. Oh my gosh... oh my gosh... oh my gosh... A dream come true.
No more sneaking away to pump.
No more changing 5 AA batteries every 1.5 weeks.
No more washing pump parts.

I'm smiling while my boobs hurt.

Smell the Roses...

2009-01-22T19:27:00.001-08:00

I admit it. I was FRAZZLED this morning. I was in a "rush-rush-rush" mode. Pack my lunch, pack diaper bag, dress Abby, dress Sami, feed Sami, get breakfast ready for Abby, let dog out, clean up kitchen, put bags in car, blah blah blah. I was so frazzled that I was yelling at Abby to get her shoes and coat on.

I opened the garage door and we all went to the car. Abby said something, I thought she said "dark." I said, "yes it's still dark." She was upset, and said something else. I didn't quite catch it, so I assumed "Yes, it's foggy." I couldn't understand her because I was buckling Sami in her car seat.

Abby YANKED my coat, and was very upset. I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and sunk down to Abby's level, and looked in her eyes, and asked "What?"

She said softly, "it's pretty." Pointing to the street.

It caught me off guard. Oh my gosh. It IS pretty. The fog was lingering under the streetlights, giving it a soft glow everywhere. Light yellow and pink hazy glow.

It helped me relax for a moment. Thank you, Abby. Thank you for stopping me in middle of my tracks. Thank you for making me "BREATHE." I felt better.

Kids are so smart, smarter than we all realize.

Talking to a 3 year old...

2009-01-17T16:22:00.000-08:00

Me: How are you liking your Tinkerbell Balloon?

Abby: I love her sooooo much!

Me: Hey, I have an idea, when you go see Grandma today, tell her, "Tinkerbell is my B-F-F!"

Abby: (annoyed) NO, SHE'S TINKERBELL!

Me: I know, but B-F-F means Best Friends Forever. Tinkerbell is your friend, right?

Abby: SHE IS NOOOOOTTTT B-F-F! She's TINKERBELLLLLL!

Me: Okay, sorry. Hey, B-F-F can also mean Best FAIRY Friend... how about that?

Abby: (ANNOYED) SHE'S TINKERBELLLLLLL!

Me: (muttering under breath) Ah, I give up. Okay, time to go get in the car.

We all walked into the COLD garage.

Abby: Tinkerbell's going down...!

Me: Uh-oh, I think she may got a hole. (Feeling the balloon)

Abby: (cries) Fix Tinkerbell.

Me: I can't... Maybe Grandpa can find the hole?

Abby: (sniffles) Let's go see Grandpa.

Me: I'm sorry.

We entered in the car, and I put the heat on full blast. By mircle, Tinkerbell balloon rised and was full of air again.

Me: Ah-ha! Tinkerbell's fine! She was just cold. She doesn't like the cold. (WHEW)

Abby: She has a hole!

Me: Looks like she doesn't. She just don't like the cold.

We arrived at grandparents' house, and got out of the car.

Tinkerbell balloon started losing air again.

Me: Hurry!!! Tinkerbell doesn't like the cold, remember!

Abby: (standing still outside, dumbfounded) Tinkerbell got a hole!

Me: No she doesn't, just take her inside, she'll be fine. (long sigh)

Of course, the balloon's fine.

Couple things...

2009-01-15T17:06:00.000-08:00

Sami had her 9 month check-up yesterday:

*20 pounds, 4 ounces!
*27.75 inches tall.
*Everything is on target, and all looks good.
*Not crawling yet, but she's getting good at "butt scooting." She'll go from Point A to Point B without you realizing it. It's like watching water boil. It doesn't boil if you're watching it.... Sami doesn't move if you're watching her, but if you take your eyes off her for a second, there she goes!

The entire doctor stay, Sami took her shoe off, and started gnawing on it. Doctor said she can feel her fourth tooth coming in. NO shots this time! Yayyy... Her next check up will be right on her birthday. 12 months. Wow.... Time sure flies.

As for Abby, she's crazy as ever.
Today: She wanted to wear her yellow bike helmet this morning. So I let her. Later when I went to pick her up from her grandparents', my mom-in-law informed me that she wore the helmet the entire time she was in Preschool. She wouldn't take it off. She got mad when a boy came up to her and started knocking on her helmet.

Grandma bought her a big Tinkerbell mylar balloon and she's all smiles, bopping it up on the ceiling.

What else is new? We all have mild colds right now. It's nasty when Sami sneezes. Ewww! Good thing we have Kleenex nearby.

I've been religiously entering our name in the Dream Home 2009. I know it'll be a nightmare if we actually win the house (Tax, property taxes, utilities, etc!) but we can always rent it out or sell it if necessary (still profitable!). This house is in the perfect location where we'd like to live or retire to! Sonoma, WINE COUNTRY!

Anyway, I should go. Sami's cranky (cold or teething, you pick....)
Hugs to all.

Updating...

2009-01-12T21:46:00.000-08:00

Gosh, January 12th already?!

Time sure went by fast.

*Went back to work after Winter Break.

*Got into a steady routine with work, kids, and chores with no break.

*Sami is teething so she has been extra grumpy.

*Weeding out old clothes, realizing they are extra frumpy.

*Been meaning to exercise and eat healthier.

*But I seem to be getting lazier.

So, here's few pictures to keep you updated on the girls.

Best of 2008

2008-12-31T14:35:00.001-08:00

Let's see... My Best of 2008:

1. Birth of Samantha, just mere 10 days before my birthday, and on same day as my bro-in-law's birthday. And being able to recover quickly from my c-section.

2. Abby "grew" overnight! Her intelligence, her sense of humor, her independence, it's like having a KID instead of a toddler. And she's only 3....

3. My job at school. I love working with deaf kids and that they are learning something new. Sense of accomplishment by teaching them a thing or two.

4. Having a wonderful husband, who really do help out with two kids, keeping house clean, yard neatly trimmed, cars washed, minor repairs here and there, and still cook us dinners once in a while. I thank heaven for him.

5. No car accidents this year!

6. No broken bones, no serious illness, no deaths of closed ones this year.

7. It was a nice quiet year with a new baby and a kid. No major trauma! :-)

8. Got to see "Nutcracker" with my daughter. A newly found tradition.

9. Saved LOTS of money with food shopping by stocking up on sale items.

10. Looking forward to our big trip to Hawaii in April!

What's your BEST OF 2008?
And by the way, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let the new changes come...

Poor Dog!

2008-12-21T16:18:00.000-08:00

I captured this short video of Trigger in our back yard! Remember, my previous post said a crispy crust of ice on top of snow.

Needless to say, she wasn't that happy...

By the way, it's STILL SNOWING!

Guess what we got last night!

2008-12-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

This was taken last night. Well over a foot of snow fell overnight! Then I got up at 3:30 AM and saw that it was raining.

So, this morning, we have over a foot of snow with a crispy crust of ice on top. It cracks with every foot step.

Not a real fun snow to play in though....

Snow and more snow!

2008-12-20T19:09:00.001-08:00

Ohmygosh... Snow kept falling and falling. It started around 1:00 and going nonstop. No winds though (YET).
I was watching the length of snow on our outdoor table. This morning, it was about 5-6 inches. Just now, I walked into the kitchen and glanced and it looks like a foot or more on the table!

My school was canceled since Wednesday. So, our Christmas vacation actually started early. I'm sure we'll have to make up the days in the summer...

We went to Tacoma Mall this morning before the snow came. I fell in love with Uggs slippers and I got them!!! Yayyyyyy. I know, the name's awful, but SOOOOO comfy and WARM.
http://www.uggaustralia.com/ProductDetails.aspx?gID=w&categoryID=181&productID=5125&model=Coquette

I guess I just like shoes with odd names: Crocs, Uggs, Ahnu, Sloggers, and Sketchers.

Ok, I'd better go... I'm fully prepared in case power goes out. And it's Abby's bedtime so I gotta tuck her in.

Hope you're safely at home and the snow brings NO problem for all of you.

Her First Snowman!

2008-12-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

I don't really need to say anything. This video pretty much explains it all.

Snow Baby

2008-12-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

Hi!

I just had to capture this short video! Too funny to pass up.

As of 2:39 PM, we have about 6 inches of snow on the ground. It has been falling steadily all day. Jon's work was canceled. My school was canceled. Everyone gets to stay home. Jon and Abby went outside to play!

This video was taken about couple hours later after Abby came in.

Note: it has some nudity! The house was warm by the way.... :-)

Signing Santa!

2008-12-06T16:22:00.002-08:00

We went to see Signing Santa last night! It was held AT MY SCHOOL. How convenient was that?! Saw a lot of new and old friends there. Some of my students. Some people I have never seen before. Abby was EXCITED! She was SO looking forward to sitting on Santa's lap. She has been afraid of Santa since... birth. (mere 3 years ago). Even last year, when my brother-in-law dressed up as Santa, she was still afraid of "Santa."

She asked for a guitar. There were tables full of toys for kids to pick out after sitting on Santa's lap. Abby picked out "Mommy and Baby Barbie" set. It came with a small crib, changing table/dresser, chair, and lots of those pesty little things not bigger than your pinkie nail. Milk bottle, rattles, toys, etc. The baby isn't even bigger than my own thumb. I'm sure I'll step on those tiny toys at two in the morning. *ouch*

Sami was sooo tired that she was in "I don't care" mode. Abby thinks she wants a Remote Control from Santa. HA, it's because everytime I hold Sami on my lap on the couch, she's always reaching for the remote.

It was fun. Snowman, Reindeer and clown were there, entertaining.

It's ON!

2008-12-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving was a nice one. Sorta... On Thanksgiving morning, Sami was sick with a terrible cold. Day one. And she never was sick before so she was kind of freaking out when she doesn't feel good. I had to give her lots of TLC.

We drove up to Marysville and spent a nice Thanksgiving dinner with my folks. Jon's folks joined us too. Then spent the night up there and went to the Outlet stores for some bargains the next day (didn't find any..).

But I was SO looking forward to CHRISTMAS! I just wanted to get everything out and start decorating!!!

This was taken on Saturday morning, right after Thanksgiving. All the girls were having fun with daddy! Even Trigger *must* be in the picture, due to some itty bitty jealousy... :-)

Later this afternoon, I whipped out the camera and told them to look at me. Sami flashed her biggest smile at me! Wow! I barely even have to tell her to smile. She's now 7.5 months old.

Our Christmas tree is up! I wanted the ornaments to be mainly just red and white. "Peppermint Tree" I call it... It gets rearranged every 15 minutes by a three-year old mystery girl....! Somehow, I cannot seem to get the tree to stay up straight.

Yayyyyy

2008-11-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

Went to Seattle Children's in Olympia, and saw a doctor, gave him a copy of Sami's hip x-rays.

He peered over the x-rays, and examinated Sami's hips. Sami was crying because it was past her normal naptime, and didn't like being handled like this!

Anyway, after a careful examination, and measuring her bones on x-rays, the conclusion:

Short-term - NO PROBLEM WITH HIPS!

Long-term - Doctors will always be checking her hips until she learns how to walk, and they'll let us know if they feel worried.

Bottom line- NO PROBLEM FOUND!

Sami finally found how noisy the paper lining underneath her... stopped crying and started playing with the paper. CRINKLE, CRINKLE!

Then we went to Tacoma Mall for a nice day of shopping. Jon carried Abby on top of his shoulders and I just had to LAUGH! I took a picture.... Here it is!!!!

Pictures of homemade leg warmers

2008-11-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

See my new leg warmers! I love them, my legs stay warm!

Thrifty Girl!

2008-11-09T20:40:00.000-08:00

Thrifty Girl is at it again!

Still saving over 50% on grocery bills.

My friend was over and we were chatting about 1980's stuff (i.e. Leg Warmers)... Then it led to baby leg warmers. She was telling me about a product called "BabyLegs" and it made a lot of sense. It's like stockings but only up to hip line. I can still change diapers. It's less bothersome. And when Sami's pants are too short or rides up, the leg warmers are there to keep her calves warm. Perfect for winter.....

So, I looked it up online, and realized how expensive they were! $12 for ONE pair!?! So I checked out Ebay for them... Still pretty expensive!

Then a light bulb dinged....

HANDMADE? Is it possible? So, I googled it up.

Ah-ha!!!!!! Buy knee-high socks or trouser socks, clip bottom off, hem it. Then voila...

Went to Goodwill to look for socks. Doesn't have any... Went to dollar store next door, and they had many good socks! So I bought 4 pairs. You know, if I screw up couple times.... I can still work on more socks.

Pulled out and blew dust off my sewing machine. And managed to get two "Handmade Baby Legs" out of those two pairs of socks. I screwed one up, so I threw it away. As I was working on third pair, my sewing machine went Kaput. I think it is overdue for a tune-up. So, I just gave up. At least I have two good pairs.

So, to buy "real" one pair =$12
Money I spent to make two pairs =$4.32

Whoo hoo!!!!

I love it when I save money like that.

I'll try to remember to post pictures of Sami with her BabyLegs on. :-)

2008-11-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

Someone behind me is singing. Ahh--aAHHHHA---ahhh--aaaaaammmmpppppppppphhh-Ahhhhh.

I hear 'mmmmmmmMMMMmmmmmmmaaaa' Is that her first word?!? "Ma?" Did you say "MA?" Say MAMA! Mama!

(silence)

(staring at me like I have a bowl full of pasta on top of my head)

'coo.'

Say MAMA!

"mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmppphhhhhhh" then stared to complain/cry.

(sighs...) Maybe next time.

ANYWAY, I had my MRI this afternoon. My medication for hip burisitis didn't work, so my doctor sent me to get an MRI. My first one. Ack. I was nervous.

Went there. Waited in a waiting room.... Sent me to another waiting room. This one was a bit better because it had a TV (but no captions). Waited some more. Then got called in, changed my clothes to a gown. Then led to a room where MRI is done. The tech explained to me how MRI will feel, and I can back out if I'm clausphobic. I AM but not that severe. I agreed to go ahead. If I felt too uncomfortable, I can wiggle my fingers and they'll stop it.

Said there will be vibrations, and it's VERY LOUD, he offered me ear mufflers. I told him, I'm deaf, I don't need those. Ended up the noise was barely a whisper to me. The MRI will take 30 minutes. WOW, 30 MINUTES! And I can't move. I can breath but no big movements like moving my fingers...!

Guess what I did in the MRI capsule?

I FELL ASLEEP!

Yes, I was that tired. I was on Vicodin, and had a rough day at school due to not feeling too good.

Ohh it was total bliss!!!! I could do that everyday, if I could. Tee-hee.....