Funnier Note:)

OK, so now I realize that my last post was a downer... sorry. Usually when I post, I write, edit, re-read, ect. That last part of my post just came out. That's not to say that I didn't feel that way... I did. But it's gone, and I meant what I said: I am VERY thankful for everyone and everything in my life. And by the way... couldn't you tell I was sensitive? I teared up over every comment:)

All you women out there will appreciate my honesty for this post...

I am sick and tired of being overweight. Has that changed anything? NOPE! Will I continue to munch on Cheeto's as I pass them out to my kids? Yes. Will I continue to to take 3 or 4 bites (ok, maybe 10) of mac n' cheese when I feed the girls dinner? Yes. Will I continue to add cheese to my lean cuisine to add flavor and eat carrots drowned in ranch to fill me up for lunch? Yes. Will I still make myself a mimosa when I get home? Absolutely! What I can do is exercise. I am surprised I even know how to spell that word! But seriously, I need to do something. Having two children 21 months apart ravished my body. Strictly dealing with numbers, I really only need/want to lose 20 pounds. And, to be perfectly honest, I weigh almost 20 pounds less than the day I found out I was pregnant with Abby - god I must have been REALLY fat and no one told me??!! Thanks! J.K. The problem is my tummy... does anyone know of any charities that offer lipo and a tummy tucks to poor working mothers who just want their body's back? Please nominate me if you do. Today is May 29 and the following is a current list of things I want to lose weight for:
1. June 14 - Ruby's birthday party - I don't want to overhear anyone asking if I am pregnant - the mimosa in my hand should be a DEAD give-away:)
2. June 22 - Stone Temple Pilots concert - just what I want to do, be around a bunch of skinny concert girls.
3. June 27-30 - Mexican cruise - I don't need to explain this one.
4. July 4 - just because every year this seems like a good goal point.
5. July 23 - Anthony's birthday - we will probably go to sushi with his friends that we only see about 2-3 times a year and I don't want them asking Anthony behind my back if I am pregnant. Again, the Saki shot and the Asahi should be a dead give-away.
6. Some time in August - Dave Mathews Concert - every girl there is skinny and cute (sans the old hippies). We go every year and the only time I wasn't fat was the year before I had Ruby and when I was pregnant with Abby - ok I was "fat", but I was pregnant.

That is just the short list. I am probably forgetting something, but whatever it is, I have room on my list for it.

P.S. I am not sad. I am happy. I am fat, but I am facing the reality and that is the first step in overcoming any problem, right? :))))))))))

Happy Birthday Papa and more

Me, Kim, and Kelly... not shabby seats:)
Rain delay
This is Abby's perch. She watches tv and looks out side.
One day she is going to figure out how to get out of the house through this window!


Happy Birthday Dad! Yesterday was my Dad's birthday and we had a bbq with friends and family. My Dad enjoyed himself and Ruby was so excited about the cake. I love you Dad! Thank you for being such an awesome Papa to our girls! They sure do love you!

Friday night we went to the San Diego Padres game. The seats were awesome, especially because it rained and we were under cover. Thanks Uncle Dave for the tickets... we owe you!

My dear friend Kim has a terrible back!!! She was in so much pain that she had tears in her eyes. I'm not kidding when I say that she is the toughest person I know. I met her at the park on Sunday morning and she could hardly move. We packed up the kids, went to her parents house, and her dad took her to urgent care while Kelly and I watched the kids. After checking in, they told her it would be a 3 hour wait, she headed to my house to get some vicoden (sp?) to relieve her pain. The best part of the day was when her dad called her mom who was in Colorado to ask her how to turn on the dishwasher... come on Bud! That was hilarious. He said "what??? It's brand new!". Yeah Bud, about a year ago it was brand new:))) You got to love men, and you know I love you Bud, but that was way too funny!

I love Abby! She cracks me up with her goofy personality. I have to really get use to her strong personality, though, and remember that she is just a baby, not a three year old. Her new thing is climbing: on the couch, the coffee table, the picnic bench, the window sill - anything she can swing her chubby leg up and catch her foot on! If she can't get up something, she gets p-oed and through a little hissy fit. She puffs out her chest, pounds the floor, yells. Come on, you are 14 months old. At the park this weekend she fell off the playground, landed on her butt, and just got back up and climbed the steps again - I do love that about her - she is NO wimp! And please advise to anyone who comes over my house: do not go in and out of the house. Whatever is in your car is not that important. In addition, do not even walk towards the door. Avoid it all together. It will seriously through Abby in to a full on, crocodile tears, pull on her hair, slap whatever is near by melt down. Her other new "thing" is food. This morning she woke up at 6:30 and she drank an 8 ounce bottle. I put her in the highchair at 7:00 and gave her a scrambled egg and crackers. To get a head start on dinner, I boiled spaghetti noodles, drained them, and put them in a large zip lock bag. I also put a handful in a small to bring to my mom for her lunch. When we walked over there at 7:30, she was on the verge of a melt down if I did not open that bag and give her some. Another notice to all guests, please feed the wild child to avoid a hissy fit, especially if you are eating Cheeto's or noodles!

Lastly, sometimes it is really hard not to lose faith in people. I include myself in that statement. There are a lot of things that I like about myself. I think I am a good mother, or rather, I try very hard to be a good mother. At the same time, there are a lot of things I don't like about myself. At the end of the day, I just pull up my boot straps, look at my darling girls, and am thankful for everything and everyone in my life.

Good Times

Sorry, no pictures. My batteries died and I didn't realize it. We had a fun weekend: pools, the nature center, pools ad more pools:). Tuesday night Anthony, Kelly and I went to the Dodger game! They actually won, yippee, the game was over early, and we were in bed by 11:00pm. My normal work week is to have Wednesday off, but it seems like I have been working most of them lately. Yesterday I decided to stay home with my girls. I ended up putting Abby down for a nap at my moms and taking Ruby to Disneyland. The saddest and cutest part: when we went to leave my moms, T.T. came up to me with those big ol' blue eyes and the sweetest look on her face and said "Jeana, Jeana. T.T. go Disneyland". I about died! I didn't realize that she would understand... she is one smart cookie! As we were leaving, she said "Jeana, hold you" with her little lip curled out. I was sad enough to not take Abby, now I had guilt for not taking T.T. Kim, I think she needs a Disneyland fix! We had so much fun! It was way too crowded, but we just went on the rides that had smaller lines, although Mr. Toads Ride scared her to death. There should be a warning sign: Note to all parents, this ride is loud, has scary people yelling at you with big red eyes, and ends with explosions! Ruby survived and just asked me not to take her on any more scary rides. We went home and had a relaxing evening. The Dodgers won, the Lakers won, and David Cook won! Tomorrow we(me, Anthony, Kelly, Kim, and Don) are leaving at noon to go to San Diego to see a Padre game (THANKS Uncle Dave) and we are staying the night at the Omni for a much needed 24 hour break. I hope everyone has a great Memorial weekend! p.s. Paige how does September 13-15 sound?

Where did my baby go????

I miss you!
Look at that chunck!
So Sweet!
Ruby's new "big girl" bed!

Still such a sweet baby face!

I can't believe Ruby is going to be 3 in a month! We finally moved her to a big bed on Tuesday night. No more crib - I know - she was/is way too big for that crib, but it was her safety zone. She has always loved her crib - minus those days when she fought tooth and nail over a nap. She was so excited about her "special delivery" Anthony and my dad put it together and she was so excited about it. I was so nervous, sad, and scared to put her to bed at night. When I tucked her in she looked like a little pea in a big pod. She asked if I was going to sleep with her like in Oregon:(. I said no, sang her a few songs, kissed her good night, wished her sweet dreams and shut the door. She slept through the night and woke up at 7:00am calling my name. When I went in her room she was in the same place I put her the night before. Wednesday she took a 2 hour nap - no problem - and went to bed at night - no problem. Last night she asked if I would sleep with her, I said no. Then she patted the bed and asked if I would lay with her for "just a little bit". I wanted to soo bad. She looked so sweet and her bed is very cozy. I wanted to climb in and let her fall asleep snuggled in my arms. I wanted to smell her breath and hold her little hands. But, I didn't. I tucked her in and did our good night routine and closed the door. I want her to feel safe in her new bed, and in order do that, I have to make it seem like I think it is. It was so hard to close that door and right now I shed a tear because my little baby is growing up way too fast. I can't hold on to her tight enough. I don't want her chunck to go away or her voice to change. I don't want her to ever stop calling me mommy. I know she is still so young, but I am so proud of the little girls she is becoming. She is sweet, most of the time she is polite, she is loving, she is caring, she is sensitive (I wonder where she got that from:)), she is funny, she is kind, she is silly, and I love her.
p.s. have I ever told you what a sap I am????
p.p.s on some days and at some moments she is definitely naughty - I am not one of those parents who think there kids are perfect - TRUST ME!
p.p.p.s. I know it is early and I will probably post some frustrating comments about how she won't stay in bed, or that she cries, or that she fights over bedtime, but for now, I will enjoy the early success!

Isn't she so pretty???
These are a must have!

Does this look familiar to anyone????

OK, I know this isn't that bad, but by the time I grabbed my camera, she began to give up the fight. Abby is into everything and has a serious listening problem! I know she will be 14 months old tomorrow, but you can tell by the way she looks at me that she knows EXACTLY what I am saying. In the video, just before she opens the door, she stops and looks and me with that "and what are you gonna do about" look on her face. I really feel like I am battling a baby:-. Maybe I have amnesia, but Ruby was never like this. To this day, if I yell at Ruby, she is so sad. When I yell at Abby she puffs her chest out and grunts or yells back! WHAT??? Even when Abby is happy and showing me love, she is slapping, grabbing, and yelling. I must say that about 70% of the time her "vibrant" personality is very cute and charming... it's that remaining 30% that kills me.
On a better note, I finally got a Kitchen Aid mixer!!!! I have always wanted one. Between coupons, sales, a gift card, and some birthday money: I only paid $70! I LOVE it! She looks so pretty on my counter (don't mind the brown tile - we rent:)). Ruby and I made cookies last night and I must be rubbing off on her because she was so excited, too. It was so easy to use and clean. I can't wait to find new recipes so I can make more than just baked goods in it. I also got a rebate coupon to mail in for a free attachment, so I am getting the meat grinder... fresh burgers anyone? This is a must have for all you mothers out there that like to cook!

I've been Tagged!

The rules:

Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some weird, some random.Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

I also don't know 7 people, so I am tagging those of you who read my blog to post 7 things on my comments... here it goes!

1. I am secretly, or not so secretly :), extremely sensitive. I am one of those people who can cry over a commercial. My coping mechanism is to act like nothing bothers me, that way I convince myself that my feelings aren't hurt.

2. In another life, I would like to either be a travel journalist, a chef, or run a plant nursery.

3. I am obsessed with reality t.v.: Survivor, Amazing Race, Hell's Kitchen, Biggest Loser, the Bachelor...

4. I knew Anthony was the one for me from the moment we first kissed.

5. My girlfriends have always been and will always be my safe haven from life's harsh realities.

6. Without my family, I would be lost. My parents are my constant and Jason and Jessica bring out the best in me. Ruby and Abby are my soul, my sunshine, my moon, my earth, my everything.

7. Last: you really don't know me if you don't know how much I love the Dodgers and I love to travel! Kelly and I only have a small amount of baseball stadiums left to see: sorry I had kids, Kelly, I kinda threw a wrench in our plans... but I promise that we will do it! As for travel... I lie in bed at night and think of all the places I want to go with Anthony and the girls: Belize, Lisbon, Rome, New Zealand, Palau, Hawaii, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone... on and on!

That's enough... I'm tagging Aunt Lori, Karen, Fa, Jessica, Shannon(wasn't sure if you were tagged), Christy, and Patti.

I hope you all participate!

Our good friends Chad and Richelle got married on Saturday! Congrat's!
Dave, Kim, Anthony and I at the wedding.
Ruby at the Carnival... she LOVED this tractor ride.
My mom, Dad, and Abby at Mother's Day brunch.
Anthony, Ruby, and Grammy at brunch.


Dance Party USA!

We had such an eventful weekend, although that seems typical these days. Friday night Kim and Kelly came over with the kids. Kim had the great idea to have a dance party!!! Brilliant idea! The kids loved it, they burned energy, and NO BABY TV! We ended the night with make-your-own strawberry shortcake. Trevor only wanted the strawberries, Ruby only wanted the whip cream, and T.T. loved the bread: go figure! Saturday was our friends Chad and Richelle's wedding. It was so beautiful and they were both beaming! Thanks for letting us share in your special day! Saturday night we went to Kim's to have another dance party(see video). The Allen's came over, too. I think Trevor takes the gold metal for technical and creativity. Ruby just spins and jumps and Abby just watches: her bottle is way too important! The best part of Mother's Day is just being with the girls. When Ruby said "Happy Mother's day mommy" I seriously got tears in my eyes. Motherhood has been the best thing to ever come into my life. I love my girls so much that it hurts sometimes. We went to Brunch and then to the Carnival by our house. Ruby loved it and Abby just ran ragged. They are at the age right now that Ruby is getting so easy and Abby is so hard. She doesn't EVER want to sit still, or just sit for that matter. 14 months old and a strong will can be a powerful combination! My mom was so sweet... she got my a cute summer dress - thanks mom! p.s. that was my only gift and we will just leave it at that:-! Thank you to all the wonderful mothers who have touched and influenced my life. I would name names, but I'll forget someone and then feel really bad: you know who you are!!!! p.p.s. I will answer my "tags" soon!

More Wedding!

Outdoor style cooler: it worked out great until Kelly noticed that Kevin and I were throwing pebbles at the champagne trying to see who could hit one first. She picked up a bolder and smashed 2 bottles and then we all just had a confused look on our face :-. What happened Amiga!
Bean Bean by the river.
After all that make-up at the wedding, I had to go au-naturel! - is that a word?
Jason and Kami
My Dad caught a snake eating a bullfrog.
The McKenzie River: pictures don't do it justice, it was so beautiful!
When Ruby had bursts of energy this is all she wanted to do - through rocks in the river. Trevor and Brady would have LOVED it!
Kelly and I - a couple of my only wedding day pictures.
My sis and I. She looked so stinking beautiful. Kinda J-Lo style!
My brother fly fishing. Ruby was so funny. She kept yelling at him to get out of the water.

To be honest, day two and three were a blur they went by so fast. Kelly, my sis, and I headed out early Friday morning to the resort to drop off a minivan full of stuff. On our way back to Eugene we picked up Kevin (Kelly's cousin and the photographer) from the airport. We went back to Jess's house to pick everyone up and head back out to the resort. After getting unpacked and getting the kids settled, we all to a much needed break by the river. Jess and Dan cooked the rehearsal dinner and I am glad I don't date a chef because I would weigh 500 pounds. The food was amazing and we all had a great time. The day of the wedding was a tailspin. I barely got dressed. Ruby was at her sickest point. She was pail, was listless, would hardly eat, and her eye was disgusting. We were so close to leaving before the ceremony even began to take her to urgent care, but luckily there was a doctor present who, thank god, gave us a good old fashioned house call and said that he thought we could wait. By the way, I took her in yesterday: they gave her a stronger oral antibiotic and a stronger eye antibiotic and she already is a million times better. Back to the wedding: needless to say, the girls barely made it down the aisle, me carrying both of them. Anthony took Ruby and Patty took Abby. The ceremony was such a tear jerker. I have never seen a man stair more lovingly and genuinely into a women's eyes like Dan. Between looking at him and looking at Ruby sitting on Anthony's lap(who looked so handsome in his suit), I could hardly stop the tears. My sister could not have picked a more perfect person for her and I am so happy I have a new brother! Speaking of brothers, my brother Jason and sister-in-law Kami were soooo helpful and fun to hang out with. My mom and Dad were workhorses! There were so much family and friends. Jess looked so amazing and they both worked so hard to pull off such a perfect wedding. Thank you so much to everyone who helped make the weekend so wonderful for my sister. Kelly you were a life saver and Kevin your pictures were amazing! And, of coarse, thank you so much Patti for helping out! p.s. Sunday was relaxing: we fished, sat, drank, put our feet in the water, ate pizza, drank, fish, sat:))) you get the picture! Last note: my dad seriously caught a fish, a bullfrog, a salomander, and a snake eating a bullfrog-pollywog!

Jessica's Wedding - the first day!

Me and my girls on the plane... thank god for portable dvd players!
You know you are in Oregon when a guy rides down the street on a three wheel bike and a huge rainbow flag that says PEACE! I'm surprised he wasn't smoking a joint:)
I LOVE this picture! Jess and Ruby at PF Chang's.
This is Dan's new restaurant - he is the head chef - we even heard him go a bit "Ramsey Style"!
You got to love Anthony's face on this one. Our table was in a special room where we sat on the ground on pillows.

Really, I don't know where to start. I was so excited to see my sister and Ruby was too. She talks about her all the time and it is really cute how they connect. This was one of the most memorable and crazy weekends we have had in a long time... to back track: Ruby has been sick for over a week now. So, getting up and out of the house, let alone packing and getting on a plane was stressful. It is hard enough to be home with a sick child, but traveling is a whole new adventure. Luckily, the girls were amazingly good on the plane. Portable dvd's are a must! The only downfall was #1 - Alaska Air does NOT serve milk. You can have wine, beer, water, 4 different juices, and 10 different sodas!!! On top of that, you can't bring any liquids through that exceed 3 ounces. I asked the flight attendant and she thought she was clever when she responded: "how are we supposed to fit a cow on the plane?" I seriously almost said "well you fit!". #2, we had a "stop over" in Bend. At that point Ruby was ready to get off. She couldn't understand why everyone was getting off - so future note: only direct flights! She recovered quickly and we arrived in Eugene excited and ready to start our adventure. That night we all ate at PF Chang's where my sister is a manager. The food was delicious and we were out on the patio - the only ones - which is great for the kids. After an early dinner, Patty (Anthony's mom - who was a life saver the entire weekend) took the girls back to my sisters and we went to Dan's restaurant. I wished I would have saved room for more food because everything looked so good! Dan was able to visit a few times and then we went home exhausted. I slept with Ruby and had Abby in the port-a-crib and I think between the 2 of them I maybe got 3 hours sleep. Ruby was feverish and Abby was fussy and I was beat. That was day one! Side note: #1. we are taking Ruby back in today to be seen. Her fever is gone, but her eye is still yucky. #2. Does anyone ever read there own old posts and notice misspelled words and get bothered???