Do you remember....?

When my back used to "slip out" once or twice a year and then I'd look like this?

All side ways and stuff is cute, ....for a minute.  This time was so awesome cuz I was camping at the time.  Good memories.  Good stuff.

Do you remember when my BMFF (best mature friend forever) lived here in town?  No of course you don't.  Roxie wasn't known to this blogger world very long before she deserted me and moved to Le Boise.  RIP "Bakersfield Roxie".  RIP.  

Do you remember when Cracker was exactly 100% obsessed with Zelda and dressed up as Link daily?  No. You wouldn't remember that either. He was just itty bitty and I made him a Link costume that Halloween.  During the ward party I officially became the most popular mom of the moment among the 12-18yr old boys demographic.  That lasted approximately 1.3 hours.  At least it's more than the usual "10 seconds".  

What about when Aunt Visor ran that marathon in Vancouver?  Wha?!  I never told you that?  She's was definitely the least sweaty and most stylish of all the runners.  I'm pretty sure the race security team would let us back onto Victoria Island now.  83% sure anyway.

How about if you remember Beebs EVER being this wittle.  

She's mean!!  Why does she hurt me so!

Wait, do you gize remember when I thought I'd try surfing out as a hobby?

::insert hysterical laugh here::

 And in other news, do you remember when Shed decided to participate in "Twin Day" at work?  It's like high school all over again.

::shaking head::

Even funnier is that he works on a desert LAKE, right? 

Most importantly do you remember when I used to blog about the day to day goings on in mine and my families life?

Yeah.

Me neither.

Hearts Day

I did nothing special or extraordinary for Valentine's day.

I'm an overachiever that way.

Come 2:30 or 3pm I was starting to feel guilty, ergo (that means therefore)...I decided to make pink heart shaped pancakes for dinner.

I finished and presented my family with a platter of deformed, and pink-ish looking hearts astride a bottle of ::whispering:: store bought syrup.

There was a pause of approximately 200 years.

I gave them the I-just-made-you-a-special-themed-dinner-and-you'd-better-like-it mom face.

To which they proclaimed the dinner delicious and glorious and they've never been so impressed.

I had multiple Valentine's this year. I'm a two-timer like that. Actually a thrice-timer. Part of me feels like that's the right number but the other part tells me math is hard, so I'm torn.

Here's my first Valentine: He single-handedly installed two ceiling fans in our house this weekend. He made 6th chair in the Kern County honor band for trumpets. He has flatulence issues to which he will readily confess.  And he got his first anonymous love letter in his locker today. It said something about being "admired from afar" and that his "eyes were like a frozen lake".  I officially declare him my favorite.

Second Valentine: He does his homework first thing every day after school without being asked.  He could eat an entire loaf of bread and butter if I let him in one sitting.  He is the cutest chess tournament player you've EVER seen.  He walks knock kneed just like his dad and will cuddle up to you any time of day as fast as you can say "go".  He is still obsessed with Pokemon.  I officially declare him my favorite.

Valentine #3: Still has no qualms walking around nekkid.  He is quite popular among the first grade crowd but insists on being called "Charles" at school.  He declared recently that he felt like a teenager because he and his three friends "hang out together" on the playground.  He is physically incapable of putting his dirty clothes into a hamper.  I officially declare him my favorite.

My last but not least Valentine is this particular dood.  He makes me laugh every single day.  Bought me some pretty awesome roses and slippers to go with my very matronly robe that I will never part with.  He accepts me and loves me despite my Golden-Girls-ish robe as well as my other idiosyncrasies that may include watching marathons of "Say Yes To The Dress" and sucking my thumb for 5 hours, oooh, approximately, ......once a month.  I officially declare him my favorite.

Hope your V-day was good.

A list of 10

1. This is one of the few times I can brag about where I live.  While the whole of the East Coast is under Snowpocalypse I went out running today in sunshine and a........wait for it....................tank top!  It's these small victories that keeps me from cursing B-town.  Bravo Bako, bravo.  ::slow clap::

2. I have a strange attachment to these new chips.  Jespy first introduced to me their heavenly flavor around Thanksgiving, particularly when paired with hummus.  Have mercy.
 

3. Do you think it's wrong that I only shave my legs once a week?  I mean, even tho it's gorge weather here relatively speaking during the winter, I only wear pants.  No one is seeing the sasquatch legs I'm sporting under my jeans.  Not until Sunday, when I promptly become a respectable, hairless woman again.  I'm thinking, no.  It's not wrong.  In fact, if it is I don't wanna be right.  That's settled then.  Thanks for your help!

4. There's something you should know about me.  It's common knowledge that I have an unnatural love for diet soda beverages.  What's not so well known is my, er, particularishness about such things.  Diet DP sits in my fridge.  I pop open those cans and fill my HARTS mug I've had since 1994 and drink.  No straw.  No Diet Coke.  No Diet Pepsi.  However, if you happen to be driving in my car with me and we are at a gas station and you run in to get us drinks while I fill up the tank (totally hypothetical)......only get me Diet Coke.  If that's not available then Diet Pepsi is fine.  But only under the most dire circumstances should you fill up my cup with straw from the fountain with Diet DP.  I can't really explain it,... that's just how it is.  Sorta like why Michael Jackson had that high voice in public but not really in private.  It doesn't make any sense but that's just the way.

5. I am a slave to pop music on the radio.  There.  I've said it.  Your welcome Avril, Ke$ha, Taio Cruz, Taylor.

6. I'm pretty sure I'm shrinking.

7. My children are also slaves to pop.  Example: my youngest hooligan's obsession with Justin Beiber



8. I've been eating lots of fruit lately.  There are pros and cons to that.  That's all I'll say.

9. We get to go out of town with a couple of friend families for the long weekend to Indio, CA.  I'll just let you look that up.

10.  I'm going to run another one of THESE this year.  Maybe two if I get lucky.  Jealous!!

I've been known to get sentimental

It's not like I'm sitting around the computer for the last two hours going through old photos on my hard drive or anything.

It's also true that I did not have to go get some tissue to wipe the tears away.

Where has my life gone?!

I would like to take this moment to apologize for my little ones overall.....situation.  I'm pretty sure Brains didn't care at the time but still.  It's my duty.

Speaking of Brains, he's interested in growing his hair like "all the guys" do these days.  I keep showing him this picture and have suggested the "bowl" option instead.

He walked away silently.  Accept I could hear his eyes rolling after he turned around.  I have GREAT hearing!

And it's a little known fact that Cracker had a thick head of dark brown hair as a little.

It's more commonly known that he was a fatso baby fatso!!

^^The last part of that sentence should be said with a low, raspy and intense voice.  

I'll wait while you try it.

Now, doesn't that sound....delicious?

Another fact that I feel you should know is that I'm biting my knuckles so hard right now I just tasted blood.

Sentimental indeed.

It's almost like my computer hard drive was plotting against me today.

She (cuz we all know computers are girls) called up Father Time and said, "Let's mess with Memzy today.  She could use a good flush of her tear ducts".

 

I cry, "Rude!  No fair.  And I had other stuff to do these past two hours that did not involve my reproductive system to lament and dispair!"

They didn't listen to me.  

In fact, Father Time never returns my texts.

But then I am reminded of moments like temper tantrums...

 

Growing a watermelon inside your abdomen and then respectively.....uh....getting it out.

 

Nutrition concerns or lack thereof, which includes and is mostly accompanied by......mess.

 

Diaper doody.

^^pun toooootally intended.

 

Potty training

 

And then I think to myself...

Yup, I'm good.  

I'm off to do some kid free errand running!!

Take THAT Father Time!!!!

6 months today

Como se dice.......vacation?

Two solid weeks of vacay.

Can you believe it?!!?

Me neither.

Until now.

2010 was nasty.  And we decided that to make it through the holidays this year we needed to get away.

Good choice.

Viva la 2011 !!!!!!!!

I'm getting off track.  Just to let you know, I took about 350 pictures while down in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  And up until this point I've been paralyzed by posting a concise yet,....Memzy-like.....recap of said two weeks in paradise.

Don't worry, I figured it out.  I narrowed it down.

::collective sigh of relief::

Here are a list of activities we enjoyed while in Mexico over Christmas:

* sleeping in
* zipline (see HERE)
* snorkeing
* Go carts
* movies
* ice skating
* ATV's
* beach/sand/water/etc
* bowling
* eating out....a lot
* swimming pool
* whale watching boat tour
* swimming with dolphins
* reading/watching TV/general slothfulness
* bungee swing

We will see pics of some and others not, but just trust me on this.  AV, am I missing anything?

As I look back on this vacation of a lifetime I realized what a good mom I am.

::crickets chirping::

::nervous laughter::

Actually, a more accurate statement would be what a good mom I had and how I'm luckily smart enough to replicate her ways.

I'm no dummy.

So, I present to you "MY MOMMY TAUGHT ME GOOD...and other various thoughts"

Mother's wisdom rule #1: Never take your eyes off the road

They don't always listen tho.

Mother's wisdom #2: Bathe daily (accessories optional)

Mother's Wisdom #3: You can make anything look fashionable, even headgear 

(see further evidence HERE on my mom's blog)

Mother's Wisdom #4: Always eat your favorite food on your birthday

 (even if it's Italian and you just happened to be in Mexico)

Wisdom #5: Slow down and simplify your life

(Christmas eve dinner)

(Char Char spent no less than 3 hours in this exact spot humming and feeling this sand)

Wisdom #6: Nature can be fun

You see the whale right?

Wisdom #7: Confidence will take you places

Wisdom #8:  It's ALWAYS more fun when Gramma's around

Wisdom #9: Stick with dad and you'll be safe

(though some of these pics might be argued differently)

(notice the itty bitty Brains and Shed falling thousands of feet at 100mph)

Wisdom #10: Use the buddy system

Wisdom #11: Smile often

Even if you're nervous that your dad and biggest brother might die while jumping off a gondola

Looks like my kids are listening.  ::pats self on back::

Best.

Vacation.

Ever.