Welcome To The Family

So the other day, our little town made the news for bullying and parent retaliation.  Which happened to happen to play out on both ends of our street.   So hubby got a little scared.  And wanted to get a watch dog.  So we got a watch dog.

Well, for right now, she's a chewing on everything, sleeps most of the day, watch puppy.  We named her Ziva.  Because "technically" she's hubby's dog.  And he loves the show NCIS.   However, the boys have taken her over.  And (we'll keep this on the hush-hush) so have I during naptime.  She takes her nap in my lap on the sofa.  And she's smart.  She knows when too much is too much with Jet.

So welcome to the family Ziva.  Here's to upping the female population in the house to 2.

3rd Annual 5k

Every September, our city sets aside a weekend to celebrate.  Not sure what they really celebrate.  I guess the city itself.  Anyways, there is usually a rodeo, a parade, a 5k, carnival, food trucks, fireworks.  Anyways, this is marks the 3rd year that the boys and I have done the 5k.  The first year that Jet has walked a bit.  We had fun.   My mother in law even came down for the weekend because it's that much fun.

Anyways, we signed in, got our shirts, and finish in under an hour.  And we had fun.

Jet even got to meet a new mascot.  And surprisingly he's not scared of those kind of animals.

Then we walked a half mile back to the car to get chairs and breakfast.  And then we walked another mile or so to find a good spot along the parade route.  My legs are still sore.  But  the kids loved it.

Then we headed home for naptime.  After naptime and when grandma showed up, we headed over to the lake for the evening.  The kids rode some rides.  And played some of the carnival games.  Then we ate some hot dogs.

Then half the city ventured out to the soccer fields and watched fireworks. The city puts on the best fireworks show.  All ages just sit there on the grass and ooohhh and aawwweee.  It's amazing how something so small as a fireworks show can bring so much happiness and camaraderie.

What Happens When You Get A Haircut

So I decided to start dying my hair to get rid of grays in April.  I didn't go back till last week.  It takes a lot of scheduling to get your hair done when you're a mom.  You go on the weekends.  Or on the husband's day off.  Or you get a babysitter.   My hair lady is only doing hair on Mondays and Fridays.  So I need to get a babysitter.  Problem is that we don't have family nearby.  And most of our friends work.  So I called my mom.  And she said that was fine.  Luckily, she has every other Friday off.  So I went and got my hair done.  And when she showed up to watch the little guy, my step dad was with her.

So I got my hair done.  And afterward, I sent this picture to my husband.  I asked him if he liked.  He was more worried about the cost. Then when I got my home, the grandparents asked me if they could take the big kid for the weekend.  So I texted hubby. It was his weekend off.  And he texted me back with "Only if they take both boys."  So I offered a counter offer.  And they accepted.  So they stayed till after our 4-h foods meeting.  Then after everyone left, Hubby started packing.  He told me that we were headed to Vegas.   Definitely a perk of living in Southern California.  Anyways we get up there.  And I had plans to sleep.  My husband wanted to play.  So we did a little of both. The first night we gambled a bit.  I won $40 playing the slots. Hubby made $8 at the tables.  Then the next day, we went shopping.


 And we went to see a couple of hubby's high school friends. They just had a new baby.  And it definitely helped with the baby fever.  Then we went back to the hotel and got dressed.  And then we literally walked the strip. We planned on watching the Treasure Island show and the Mirage volcano.  And after we missed all the shows on the strip.  We decided to get something to eat.  When you go away for the weekend, the diet goes out the window.  So I googled the best burger on the strip. And one of the top 5's was right across the street from us.  So we ate dinner.  Which was probably the best burger I've ever eaten. Then we walked back to the hotel.  And drank a little.  Gambled a little.  And then slept in till 8.   And yes.  8 for us is sleeping in.  Then we went to brunch and headed home.   It was a nice get away.  And we should probably do it more often.  I just hate to be away from my boys.  It almost causes anxiety attacks over having them gone.  Afterall, Rionn has allergies and Jet is my non verbal, small, stubborn kid.

We were doing really good with traffic until we hit state line.  My parents live 2 hours past us.  So when we hit traffic at state line I rechecked the navigation.  And it took us through the middle of the desert.  And saved us 40 minutes.

Maybe I should get my hair done more often.  Maybe.  But all in all, it was a good weekend.  And all reports from the boys indicate they had a good weekend too.

Just Another 3 Day Weekend

It's Labor Day weekend.  And surprisingly we had nothing to do.  The calendar was blank.  And since hubby is in the car business, he's working all weekend long.   From open to close.  So the boys and I got a little crafty.  Or as the big kid says, buildy.

 We started out by spray painting our garden table. It was a bitt lack luster and starting to get on the rusty side.  We had some black spray leftover from a school project.  It turned out really great.

Then I moved on to mending some clothes.  Hubby had several pairs of pants that needed rehemmed.  Then the big kid had some knee patched and the little kid had most of his pants and shorts taken in.  Apparently they are all too big without a diaper on.  

Then we moved onto houses for the tortoises.  The boys built them.  And then the toddler decided that we should paint them red.  So we have red houses for the Tubby and Turbo.  

And they actually love them.  They spend most of their sleeping time in there.  

Then I got on pinterest for a little break.  And I found myself on Ana White's website.  And then I found this great thing.  Jet's always asking to help.  So I decided to make one out the extra wood we had from making our bed.

So I did.  The only money I spent was buying paint, a 1X8 and some screws.  And it was a pain in the rear.  I had a lot of problems with the wood splitting.  It's a good thing we had extras.   I solved the problem by using smaller screws.  It wasn't in the plans.  And so far it seems to hold the big kid. Jet however, it scared to stand on it.  LOL.  So much for that idea.

I still have some painting to do on it.  I want to stencil some dinosaurs or airplanes on it.  He wanted green paint too.  So I bought a little sample.  But it's built and usable as is.  

And lastly, I made hubby a new wheelchair cushion.  It was kind of a pain.  But he does like it.  And it seems to work.  I made a sham like cover.  Most of his problem is the cushion itself breaking down.  So now we can just replace or even add more foam.


                        

                          

And that was our weekend.  Rionn even made his video and built a robot for his interview video for robotics club.  I still have to figure out how to send it to his school.  He's so excited about it.

County Achievement Night

Last night was our 4-H county achievement night.  And it was fun and great.  4 Kids turned in record books in our club.  Which is not a lot.  But 3 of those kids got awards and medals.

As a newly inducted record book leader, I made sure most of the kids were there.  In the end, 5 kids showed up.  Rionn was excited because they picked him to carry the clubs name in the parade of clubs. 

Rionn got a medal for his record book for arts and crafts.  He moaned and groaned and whined and complained for a week about doing his record book.


                             

And then they started handing out awards last night, he kept asking if he was getting one.  I told him if he hears his name, he will get one.  (I already knew he was getting one. I just didn't know which one.)    But I honestly think that his drive to succeed in 4-H doubled last night.  He wants a star.  And he wants an emerald star.  And he wants to be an all star.  I was like that too.  I was happy to go and compete.  And then I saw they were giving out jackets. And I HAD to win one.  And I did, several.  So now he wants his bronze star by the end of this year.  And he can get it.  But he will be one busy little boy.  

 Anyhoo, we had a great time. Talked with friends.  Won awards.  Ate a catered dinner and didn't have to clean up.  And there was cupcakes.

                                 

                                 

                                 

Now onto the 2015-2016 4-H year.  It's going to be a good one.  I just know it.

August Crafty-ness

August has been busy.  I've been trying to finish hubby's star trek quilt.  It's still a work in progress.  But I've been crafting a little too.  I have nap time to finish things up now that the big kid is in school.

So first thing I've done is rebuild the orca rocking toy.  I bought it when the big kid was 2.  Then I tried to paint it.  And it turned out horribly wrong.  So I took it apart and partial sanded it.  Then we moved and it moved.  In pieces.  And so it sat in our garage for the last 5.5 years.  And then I got that ultimatum from hubby.  Either put it together or give it/throw it away.  So without instructions or anything besides a thumbnail picture I found on the internet, I put that sucker together.  I still have to repaint it.  

And Jet loves it.  Although, it's a little big for him.  I guess I don't remember it being so tall.  And of course, I built it.  And now hubby decided that it's too dangerous.  LOL.  Men.  Go figure.

And I've been doing a bit of sewing to.  A friend from high school days asked me to make her some toddler pillowcases.  She found some she liked on Etsy.  And didn't want to pay the high price or the shipping.  So I made some. And they turned out incredibly cute.  Even though I had to applique.  I really need to replace my embroidery machine.  When I took it in, they pretty much said that they've discontinued it and whatever parts they can find is it.  So I guess I'm turning to applique until I can find an embroidery machine that I like.

Anyhoo.  Pillowcases.  She wanted minky fabric.  Every time I say I'm never working with minky, I'll get another great paying, easy order for something.  And then I'm off to the store to buy fabric.

So these are toddler pillowcases.  And since I didn't want strings or seams showing, I did french seams all the way around.  One was all minky with a flannel name and anchor.  The other was minky and flannel with a minky airplane and name.

They turned out really cute.  And since I had to order the fabric online and by the yard, I have enough extra to make the boys pillowcases.  

And lastly, I was going through my fabric I found a pile of tshirts.  Every once in a while hubby brings home a tshirt from a big car weekend that the dealership has printed up.  They are those big, box like tshirts that are the cheapest to have printed.  You know the wholesale buying.  So I spent an afternoon cutting them up to make into tank tops.  So I know have a bunch of workout shirts.  And summer shirts. It doesn't look like this is going to get cooler any time soon.  I'm tired of the heat.  

Tortoise Power

Every once in a while I google events near me.  There is always something new and exciting going on near us.  That's how I found the watermelon festi val, corn festival, celtic faire, and the turtle and tortoise convention.  This happened a few weeks ago.  I was trying to find something for the end of summer.  And we ended up the tar pits instead. But I found the turtle and tortoise convention and put it on the calendar.  I figured it'd be a good idea to see what was going on since we have a couple tortoises. 

So I packed a lunch, and grandma came and we headed into Orange County for the convention.   I'm not sure what I was expecting.  But it was fun.  And educational.  And touchy feely. 

So what we actually did.  It was in a community center. And there were 2 rooms of shelled creatures.  And you could touch almost any of the animals on exhibit.  We learned the dos and donts of raising tortoises.  We also got the proper permits for ours since they are now old enough for them.  We also saw all kinds of turtle houses and outside terrariums and feeders.  There were also raffles, and things to buy.  There was also games for the kids to play, photo opportunities, balloon animals.  and turtle snacks.  

So here's a bunch of pictures of our day.  Good thing is that it made the boys nice and tired.  

The Day I DIDN'T Get Stuck, But My Kid Did

When mother's need to get a break, or talk to another adult, they often set up play dates at the park or at a fast food place with an indoor playground.  In the desert, it's always the fast food place because it's hot.  So when my best friend called and asked to get together for coffee, I knew we were heading to Mc Donald's.  Coffee and a playground.  What could go wrong?  

My baby is a shy one.  He doesn't like people looking at him, talking to him, or being around him.  So I figured that this morning would be a great morning to take him since school has started here.  And well, after an hour and a half, he decided that he could go up there.  And he did!  I couldn't be more proud.  

There was just one problem.  He's been battling constipation issues forever.  And today was the day we were going to start medicine again if he didn't go.  Well.  He did go.  Right when he got to the top.  And then because he hates a dirty diaper(but refuses to go in the potty this week) he didn't want to move.  And who could blame him.  Only he was at the top of the playplace.  He wouldn't come down.  And there were no kids or brother there to help coax him down.  He was too upset to come down.  Or to scared because it was high.  I'm not sure which.  So up I went.

Today was supposed to be a relaxing day.  A little house cleaning, some laundry, and coffee with a friend.  So I wore a knee length maxi skirt and flip flops.  I was not preparing for the next American Ninja Warrior- Mom edition.

I made it up there.  And I didn't get stuck.But man, that playplace was definitely not made for plus size adults.  I've lost a lot of weight. And while I didn't think I have been, I've recently bought a smaller size (the skirt I was wearing today) and I didn't get stuck.  It didn't break.  It didn't come crashing down.  I made it to the top.  And I made it back down with a very upset toddler in tow.

We then said our good byes and headed straight to the car.  It was bad.  He's been holding it for a few days.  So I changed him, fed him, and we headed home.  Both tired.  Maybe a little sore.  And we both accomplished some pretty big things today.  I say that it was a win-win.  Even though it was a bit stinky and in a tight space.  We survived.  And both were smiling by the end.

5th Grade

5th grade!  My baby started 5th grade this week.  It doesn't seem like he's old enough to be in 5th grade but he is.  This will probably be his most trying year.  His teacher will be gone the entire first quarter on maternity leave.  So he'll have a long term sub.  And hopefully he fairs well.

So here's to my baby growing up. And even though he's almost as tall as I am, he'll always be my baby.

The Last Day of Summer

We hadn't done much over the summer.  Yet we seemed so busy.  But I think it's because we skipped out on the theme park passes this year.  Instead, we did the usual karate class, my gym class, park, mini golfing, beach, playdates, etc.

And then hubby said that I should take the boys on one last adventure of the summer.  So we headed down to Los Angeles to see the La Brea Tar Pits.  I've never been.  And since school was starting, I figured we'd end the summer with something educational too.

It was a day of adventure too.  To get to L.A., it's a bit of a drive.  And when we got to the city, the big kid had to go to the bathroom.  And not knowing where I was, or what part of the city was safe.  So I asked my navigation to find the nearest Target.  I had to get the toddler an extra set of shorts in case.  We are potty training after all.

Well, we found it.  But I drove around the block twice trying to find the parking lot.  Only to find out that it was in a parking garage at the back of the building.  I think that was the highlight of the day for the big kid.  All he talked about was how it was a parking garage with shopping cart stalls and elevators.  And once in line, I forgot that L.A. has a plastic bag ban. So I had to pay for a paper bag.

Then we drove a few more blocks to the tar pits.  Both the boys were amazed by the buildings of downtown.  So we walked around the museum.  Jet loved it.  He also loves elephants. And all he saw was "elephants" since they have lots of mammoths.  They even had a robotic type mammoth.  Then after we walked around the museum, we saw a short movie about project 23.  And they explained about the tar pits a bit more.   After that, we went to the gift shop.  The hardest part of the day.  I gave them a $6 limit.  According to Rionn, it was the end of the world and might have well been a penny.

After the gift shop we walked around the tar pits. It smells.  And well, there is tar everywhere.   And then we left. We tried to beat the rush hour traffic.  Didn't quit make it.  But it wasn't too bad considering all the construction going on.

Now onto the new school year.