Hold me back.

Christmas has already started at the mall, which is where we were tonight. It's a good thing I have no house to decorate because this list is just a few of the fun things for the holidays that I noticed tonight.

















Restoration Hardware's Luxury Plush Throw Blanket


















C&B Ornaments




















C&B Stockings - Anne you need to get these.

















Hunter Wellington Boots















Mrs. Meyer's Peppermint Hand Soap & Lotion

















Pottery Barn's Glitter Santa Canvas

I am expecting Cohen to ask for a tattoo for his 16th birthday.

Cohen has made a habit, as of late, of coming into our bed around 5am only to fall back asleep until about 7-7:30. It drives me nuts but at 5 in the morning I am not about to get out of bed to put him back in his because I will 1. get a fight from him, 2. probably never fall back asleep myself, and 3. see him back in our bed within 10 minutes anyway. So the routine is that he comes in, sleeps for another hour or so, and then when he is done sleeping he shoves the remote in my face because he knows Eric and I won't fully wake up until about 8. This morning, we went a little past 8, so Cohen was roaming the house for who knows how long. I guess I have learned my lesson in letting him do this....





















... I have yet to find the marker. It's washable, which was a relief, and I haven't found any walls covered in black marker, but where the heck is the marker? Ethan would have never done this. He hates getting his hands messy.

Irvine Park Railroad

Today is October 15th. Some would say, the middle of fall. So, last night, when we thought about what to do the following day - what came to mind was a traditional fall activity, visiting a pumpkin patch/farm. What we didn't realize was that it would be 88 degrees during our nice fall adventure. Brutality. Anne, Mike and my mom met us over at the Irvine Park Railroad after Ethan got out of school and despite the heat we still managed to have a great time.














The kids don't get the concept of just putting their faces in the holes.









































































































My mom found these pumpkin face kits that are just like Mr Potato Head but for pumpkins. Ethan loved it. No knives needed! (Found at Target)

"Traditioooon, Tradition"

It's really stupid, but Halloween is kind of stressing me out right now. I should never have let Eric (and Diane) convince me that Halloween costumes are meant to be made instead of bought. This tradition of creating costumes every year has been fun up until now, but Ethan is giving me nothing to go on this year so who knows what will happen. This weekend is the trunk or treat at church and I have nothing prepared. I am thinking he will have to use one of his old costumes until I get something figured out. Do you think it would be appropriate for a five year old to be a can of diet coke? Cohen could be the lemon wedge...

Cohen's Birthday, part 2

Saturday night we headed over to the beach to hang out with my fam. Anne and Mike came down from San Fran for a week which was good timing. Cohen had a great time. Grandma planned a Nemo party for him. Nemo has become his latest obsession which is weird because Ethan had the same love when he was his age. We had a great bbq, cupcake, and too many gifts. Thanks mom for a great party!

Cohen's birthday, part 1

I prefer to call myself green, instead of cheap.

Last night we celebrated C's birthday with Diane & Ed because Diane is heading to Omaha today to visit Julie. We decided to go to the Irvine Spectrum for some dinner and fun! Dinner was at Johnny Rocket's. Cohen didn't sit still for the entire meal. He was jumping on the padded bench, sliding under the table to go to the other side, throwing the Splenda packets, creating a total scene. C has really embraced this idea of being terrible at age 2, Ethan waited until he was 3.

Then we headed over the to carousel. C was not diggin it. He cried the first two times around and then finally warmed up to it on the third go round. Ethan was enthusiatic enough for the both of them. What E was a little nervous about was the ferris wheel. C was all for it and E had to be convinced. Notice the nervous look below. He kept asking, when is this over and how are we going to get out?

On the way home I was trying to remember even the slightest detail of Cohen's birth. I couldn't remember if I had arrived to the hospital the night before the induction or just showed up the morning of the 11th. I also couldn't remember the time he was born. It was really frustrating me. I could remember his weight, but the rest was gone. Erased for some reason. My memory has suffered greatly since having kids. Too bad I didn't have this blog when C was born or else everything would be there for me to reference. If anyone remembers - I would appreciate it.

Naughty birthday boy.

Terrified!

Chillin on the wheel

Not so chill

Yesterday's mail had this in it...

A refund check addressed to me that was sent to my old address in WI. It was put in this clear envelope from the USPS in order to be transferred to my new address in CA. Apparently, it was half eaten by a very hungry postal worker and then regurgitated. Mid-chewing the worker must have looked over at her stack of clear envelopes which reminded her that "she cares", thus feeling obligated to live up to her code of caring, she spit out my delicious check and sent it to me. Why she couldn't have eaten one of the twenty pre-approved credit applications I get on a daily basis is beyond me. I guess real money tastes better than make believe money - and I totally agree.

KC's Parable of the PB&J Sandwich

An excerpt from KC's parable of the pb&j sandwich (for the full post see here):

Behold a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was prepared to be made into a delicious morsel of satisfying grub for lunch...or maybe dinner...or maybe even breakfast. One piece of bread was laid upon the counter and in a few swift motions was smothered by delectable smooth peanut butter whilst the other slice of bread was smothered by mouth-watering raspberry jam. When the bread with the peanut butter and the bread with the jam were placed together as one it was approved of God and called a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Now behold there were some who were absolutely in love with peanut butter and had no interest in jam so both slices of bread were covered with Skippy. And then there were some who couldn't resist the mouth watering taste of the jam therefore both pieces of bread were soaked with Smuckers. WHO HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR. And those reading this blog post said unto K.C., why speakest thou unto us in parables? And K.C. quoting Jesus said, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." And it came to pass that for some odd reason those who made peanut butter and peanut butter sandwiches along with those who made jelly and jelly sandwiches wished with all their heart that they could call their sandwiches "peanut butter and jelly sandwiches" and fought and fought and fought (I could go on forever) for the right to call their sandwiches "peanut butter and jelly sandwiches". I say unto you all ye ends of the earth, WO WO WO unto ye residents of CA...and all ye ends of the earth... who wish to call those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!!! For they are not so! If ye make a "like" spreaded sandwich ye are not permitted to call it a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. To you it may be delicious and you can enjoy the benefits of the sandwich thereof but IT IS NOT A PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICH! "They seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they UNDERSTAND....For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I (the Savior...not K.C.) should heal them." (VOTE YES ON PROP 8)

MAN AND WOMAN

For the past few months the leaders of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and other Christian faith groups have joined forces to spread the word about the upcoming vote on Proposition 8. A vote YES on Proposition 8 would secure that in the state of California, marriage, would be defined as legal between a man and woman only. And I plan to vote YES.

I believe that marriage is a sacred commitment made between a man and woman. It is a deeply religious word that should remain as it is depicted and defined in the Bible. I also believe that all people are created equal and should be treated as such. California already performs civil unions that grant homosexuals the same rights as married couples and I feel this is sufficient based on my religious beliefs.

Eight years ago California voters passed Prop 22 (with 61% of the vote), which prevented California from recognizing same-sex marriages. In May of this year, the California Supreme Court overturned Prop 22, legalizing same-sex marriage. It is now up to the voters to determine one last time, that marriage be defined between a man and woman only.

Vote Yes on November 4th!

Thankfully Eric had a small amount of scruff happening which made these pictures even better.

Was 1998 just a bad year? Why did the model's body all of the sudden gain 100lbs?


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Another poll

ADDITION:
*****FOR SOME REASON POLLPUB ISN'T WORKING. LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU WOULD TELLING ME WHICH ONE YOU WOULD VOTE FOR - I DON"T CARE IF YOU ARE A BLOG STALKER! I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU*****

So, you all probably know I live with Eric's parents at the moment. I have an amazing relationship with both my MIL & FIL. They are the most easy-going, fun, generous, caring in-laws EVER. At this point they are going to have to kick us out because I'm not sure it will be very easy to leave!! But on to the poll. Regardless of our great relationship I have only ever called them by their first names (mainly because if I ever started calling them mom & dad I think Dean would get a slight bit offended) and it hasn't really been a big deal. I am wondering if this is becoming the norm. My older sister calls her in-laws mom & dad and I know my parents and Eric's parents call their in-laws mom & dad as well, so has it all gone by the wayside for our age group? Please indulge me by voting, I have always wondered if I am the only one doing this.

PollPub.com Vote

How do you all address your MIL/FIL?

I call them both mom & dad.
I use their first names only.
I call my MIL mom, but call my FIL by his first name.
I call my MIL by her first name but call my FIL dad.
I have no in-laws.



View Results

Poll powered by PollPub.com Free Polls

*****FOR SOME REASON POLLPUB ISN'T WORKING. LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU WOULD TELLING ME WHICH ONE YOU WOULD VOTE FOR*****

MOD SQUAD

Last weekend we hit up a restaurant in Ladera we like to go to every once and a while.  We were almost finished eating so I asked Ethan to come here so that I could dose him.  A few seconds later a woman came over to our table and introduced herself and her son because she saw that we were using a pump and had to say hi.  Her son, who is about 10, also uses a pump.  She went on to tell me all about this group in Orange County that is affiliated with the Orange County chapter of the JDRF called the MOD Squad.  

I am assuming that at it's beginning the MOD stood for Mother's of Diabetics, but people have started to freak out about saying "he IS diabetic"... instead they think it is better to say " he has diabetes".  Personally, I don't care either way.  So, when I attended the meeting of these mothers this morning and saw that the MOD stands for Mother's of Children with Diabetes I had to laugh a little.  Anyway.

The meeting was super informative.  There were about 30-40 women there, all with children who have type-1.  The majority of the women had kids in middle school but there were a few with kids Ethan's age.  It was impressive.  In attendance were the head nurses from the three surrounding school districts and the Health Coordinator for the entire OC Dept of Education.  She gave a presentation on the frustrating issue of obtaining a 504 plan.  A 504 plan is a legal document that spells about what type of accommodations a student requires due to a physical or mental disability.  Let's just say there were only 2 women in the whole group that had one.  School districts and certain principals make it very difficult to have one of these drawn up.  Mainly, because they feel diabetes isn't a severe disability.  The discussion got pretty heated at times.  The nurses kept saying "if we have met with you and everything has been discussed and laid out so that we know what we should be doing, then there is no need for a 504".  I wonder if they are paid to say this.  Well, there is a need, especially when this document could hold the school liable if something were to happen.  

The women at this meeting were so eager to share what they have gone through with their school.  I heard some of the craziest things...

- they made my daughter eat lunch in the nurses office

- they limited the amount of times my son could go to the bathroom

- they wouldn't let my kid test himself in the middle of class if he was feeling low/high

- snacks had to be eaten in between classes

- PE participation was mandatory and missing activities resulted in a lower grade

I couldn't believe it.  I mean come on.....the kid is feeling low, but he needs to wait until the bell rings to eat.  Isn't this all common sense?  Exceptions need to be made.

I felt the need to blog about this because I will probably be venting on here a lot as I try to get one for Ethan.  It seems so odd to me that a document that is guaranteed and more specifically, a legal right for all people with a disability to have, is impossible to get.  I am hoping that having Ed (FIL, lawyer) on our side will help.  

Guess what I did today...

I crossed #11 off the list.  I went to legalzoom.com and applied for a patent search for my little invention.  Once the search is completed, assuming there isn't already a patent for my little invention, then I will be able to file my own.  Bada bing, bada boom.  

I should have done this before my hair appointment

Ok, here you go Karen. Here are the pictures I made at yearbook yourself.


















I am positive I have seen a picture of my mom that looks
just like this one.













BUTT















I think this is my favorite.




























Shoulder pads













I had this hair, but with about half the volume
and no hairspray.













Kelly Taylor

These make me smile!

Ethan's school proofs are here! I like #2. I am so relieved he actually smiled this year. I can never get him to give me a normal smile.