Ella's Ruffles & Dots Party

We had so much fun with a bunch of our friends who had little girls in Ella's nursery class. Sidney S., Audrey, Reese, Sidney I., Anna and their siblings came to the secret gate park to have a Big Bash! Each girl got a hand-made apron to help decorate their very own cupcake. We ate cheesey Pizza (ella's fav) and had delicious and beautiful fruit (THANKS Kari!) Also thanks to Margaux and Brady for being my wing men. It turned out so pink and lovely!

Why I can't stop bragging about Kate!!

This is Kate & Dan's amazing work. Seriously, I want to cry I am so happy about the way they turned out. Can you blame me? Kates...... You seriously ROCK! For a few more of us and thousands of beautiful photos click here to view peekaboophotos.

The Party!

My friend Margaux and I have been entertaining the urge to create a seriously cool party business. And on our journey, our good friend Evelyn asked us to help her with her sister's 30th. Check out her sweet carnival bash!! We are open for custom business and will also be working on party themes you can choose from. Party on people!

"You just decide and make a change!"

Sounds like it came from a 35 year old? Well, Alec is 3 going on 35 so I guess that's about right! He had wet his pull-up for 6 months almost EVERY night. I tried everything until three weeks ago, he woke up dry. I made a huge deal and said "If you wake up dry for 7 days in a row, you'll get fingerpaints" (A coveted medium never before tried. Mysteries are so irresistable!) He looks at me as if with a giant epiphany and says

"So, you just decide and then make a change?"

Quite intelligently I reply with "Um...da...yeah, I guess so!" The kicker here is, he NEVER wet his pull-up again. Is he a kick in the pants or what! I keep glancing over at Brady and whispering "I gave birth to that thing ya know!" How LUCKY am I.

Stop me. I must have one.

Check out this amazing display of sugar from the cakegirls for Real Simple. How can anyone resist these insanely perfect designs.

Ang Senior Pics

This is my darling and crazy little sis. Isn't she a little hottie!

Oh my dossshhh!

It's so funny to hear Ella's little high and very soft but scratchy voice say something like this.

"Oh my dossssh, Oh my dosssshhhh. Eme see (Let me see). Eme seee. Iss Awshum (Awsome)."

She is Awshum!!!

Baby Kendall!

I'm so lucky to have three of the BEST sisters ever. My older sister Jamie and her husband Travis had their baby girl yesterday and we are so excited for them. After two cute boys, they get to cross to the pink side!! YAY! We can't wait to meet the sweet little dark haired Kendall. We hope she keeps her grandma Elsie's colored locks!

I didn't hear you pour me some milk mom!!

My mom and I have gotten into a habit of telling Alec stories every few days. And if anyone knows my mom, you know my siblings and I have spent most of our lives sitting on her bed trying to make her laugh. Which isn't hard. Grandma Elsie thinks everything is hilarious. It's hereditary as her aunts used to sit around and laugh themselves silly. My sister Lisa said we all grew up thinking we were comedians...sadly we happen to not be as funny to everyone else. So I thought I'd sit here on my bed and tell a few of the good ones that have made Grandma Elsie laugh the hardest.

1:Everytime I remind Alec to flush I say "I didn't hear a flush!" So yesterday after asking me several times for a glass of milk, he finally came up and said " Mom. I didn't hear you pour me a glass of milk!"

2:Our friend Kari seems to bewilder Alec since she is the only one who gets in his face the way he does everyone else. We mentioned going to Disneyland with her on friday and Alec said "Kari is my friend......she's my sister. She's one of my Babes!" (His nickname for Ella is "Babes".)

3: I was trying to make a cake for some event and Alec decided he was going to help out. He dragged a chair into the kitchen stood on it and said "Mom, take a seat. Take a seat. I got it. Now let's see here....how we gonna do this!"

Of course I can't think of anymore right now so I'll add to this post the next few days. Check back...he's here all week.

Terminal Illness

Seriously, I'm STILL SICK. I kid you not, the past months are a blur of dragging kids not only into the pediatrician but to my doctor as well and having everyone say "wow, you sure have your hands full." Hasn't anyone ever seen two kids before? Furthermore, I'm on my second antibiotic and dang it...I'm going back to the doc tomorrow. I'm going to go get my own little ear flashlight thing and my own fingernail file and call myself in some drugs that will cure me. Living in Chicago - Not sick. Living in sunny, beautiful, warm & luscious Southern CA...dying a slow death. I think someone is secretly planting chemical warefare on our deck. Did I mention I've been taking Vicadin for my recent root canal?

Since I have no pictures for this post, I thought I'd post one that makes me laugh instead. But I have to tell the story that goes with. Our preschool group now has 4, but has had 5 WILD and fun boys. One particularly hard Monday, I couldn't gain control for a good 20 minutes. The next day I came up with this beauty of an idea. Check it out. They were SILENT! It was beautiful.

Holidays....WARNING....CONTAMINATED!

We spent most of the holidays sick due to the family pea-tree dish. But we did have so much fun. We were at the doctor 4 times in one week in Utah for Thanksgiving and from there we've had at least one or ALL of the following. Flu, strep, double ear infection, croupe, ear infection again, croupe again, sinus infection and bad cold, and HUGE, freakishly wierd, oh-so-sore cold sore blister on Alec's thumb. Warning to the healthy and the well, don't venture here! We might be contagious!!!

Ditto

I just had to repost this from my aunt Laurie in Northern CA. She totally nails it.

"I am Yes for Prop 8. No matter how many times you steal my sign, or vandalize it, I will still be yes on 8. Replacing my beautiful yellow sign with your No on 8 sign will not change my mind. Nor will it change the minds of any of my neighbors who you have targeted also. Tiptoeing up to my front door, going behind my planters where I have stored my signs for the night, to steal them will NOT CHANGE MY MIND!!! It is stealing. They are my property, not yours. Did your mom ever teach you not to steal?

You are asking for tolerance. Are you so blinded that you can't see that you are not being honest, true, or tolerant? You are denying my rights to freedom of speech. Are you so afraid of what I might have to say?

It is unclear to me how you could possibly think bullying is OK. That is what you are doing. I do not like it. You are not playing fair.

I want my kids to grow up in a world where a religious ceremony has significance. Real significance. It is different. I want to give them the same world that I had. One where we can be free to speak our minds, vote our conscious, and declare war on evil. One where we can choose what is taught to our impressionable young children. One where parents are not arrested for refusing to allow their kids to be taught about homosexuality in early elementary school. Isn't that what America is based on? FREEDOM?

You can't squash me, or my opinion.

My pretty little yellow Yes on 8 sign has already been replaced.

Halloween

Alec and Ella sat for .5 seconds to take a few photos. But aren't they the cutest kids in america!!! I call I can be biased. We had so much fun trick-or-treating with Reese. Alec decided he liked handing out candy at Margaux's moms house way better than walking all the way up to each door and saying trick-or-treat. Such a waste of time. The whole bucket was sitting at our own front door for the taking. Duh mom.

Reese's Party

We have been so lucky to make great friends down here in CA. We love our Kropf's and hope Reese had a wonderful first birthday. We had a Blast at Margaux's bash. Decked out to the nines. She is the master party inventor. She had beautiful food, and great decor. She had me do the cake and it was so much fun we hope we get to do another soon. Anyone who is in the market, we are in business. Happy Birthday Reese!

Personality!

If any of you have had the opportunity to hang out with Alec at all, you'd fast notice his large personality bursting from his little three year old body. I have been compiling these stories for way too long now. I just have to share.

Me: Alec, do we push Ella?
Alec: No.
Me: Do we shove Ella?
Alec: No. (A little annoyed)
Me: Do we Karate Chop Ella?
Alec: No, but I don't want Ella anymore....I want a new Ella!


Trying to tide Alec over till we got home from church, we gave him some seriously salt deprived chips from the mexican joint we had the night before.
Alec: Mom. These chips are NOT RIGHT! They are NOT GOOD!


After asking for the 10th time for more fruit snacks and I again said NO. Alec says after a few minutes.
Alec: Mom. I don't want to be big and strong like Steve. I just want to be little. Now can I have some fruit snacks?


I can't remember exactly the situation here so I'm sure you can conjure up something similar.
Alec: You go to your room mom. Right now!
Me: Alec. Only grown-ups get to send people to their rooms.
Alec: Mom! I AM a grown-up. I'm a LITTLE grown-up!

Preschool

Alec was way more excited to go to our academically souped-up joy school than I ever imagined. He surprised me by not even whimpering when I dropped him off for his first day. The all-boy, all high-energy group seemed to fare well as we found Miss Kristen still in one piece when we came to pick them up. I am in heaven. Thanks Kristen. We owe you big time!


Cupcakes

Check out our new monogram cupcakes. I literally had a dream about these about a year ago and finally made them this summer. The cookies take twice as long as the cupcakes, but I think the outcome was totally worth it.