033111: I know I'm late, TV Land....

So yes, again I am re-iterating that I am behind schedule.  But who cares.  So on to my update of my TV watching.

  I crack up cause as a pre-tween and tween I hated music that I thought wasn't modern.  So basically if it wasn't RAP or ROCK, I thought it was old people music.  Wow, how I'm glad those days are over. A.I was last night and they did their tribute to Sir Elton.  I hearted it.  I loved singing along.  And loved that the contestants, with the exception of one, did not mess up his songs.  (Looks like years of listening to Mixx96 paid off, mom.)

Top Chef had their season finale.  (Have I mentioned this show before?  Sorry if this is the first time, and yet will be the last until next season.)  It was great.  Trav and I have been following this show since season one.  And this particular season, they did the all-stars (picking "almost winners" from previous shows) to battle it out in the kitchen.  Not only do they cook, but they always have quickfire challenges like "make an amuse bouche (one bite appetizer) out of vending machine food in 20 mins. with only one hand."  Needless to say, its great.  


So in the finale, it was down to 2 guys out of 25.  They both had to create the restaurant of their dreams.  And if theirs is the best they win $200,000 dollars and a whole lot of other stuff.  (I'm sure the other stuff was just as important, but obviously the $200,000 kinda took the thunder.)  Anyhoo, to make my long story short: it was down to the wire, I wanted both guys to win, their families came out, and the guy with the kid on the way won, tears of joy, tears of sadness, tears and champagne.  My play by play doesn't sound too exciting, but it was great.  I was almost in tears.  Well not really but I could of been if I wasn't exhausted.


So this part has nothing to do with TV watching, but I'm late with Pic of the Week.  Here is mine from last week:

From left to right: Ray, Ry, Pa (my dad, Raymond), Rayne,  Gamy (my mom, Janis),  Amaya and Saraya

So last week we went to visit my Lola (grandma) and my mom and my second oldest sister and her daughter, Rayne was there.  And then my youngest sister and her 2 daughters, Saraya and Amaya showed up.  And then my dad stopped by for lunch. We decided to make it a Kodak moment.  As great as this pic is, it is still incomplete.  My oldest sister and her boys were not there.  Here boys are literally the big boy cousins:16 and soon to be 13.

Of course, I wish all the kids were smiling, but it was a feat to get all the kids to sit down.  Oh well, still a great pic.

032911: My 'Lifetime' Movie opening quote....

"I cannot play it by ear!!!!  We are not on a Hawaiian holiday.  This is my life!"

Dramatic enough for you?  Although the quote usually changes daily,  this one has been the running statement for the last month.  I figured my "Lifetime" or "Hallmark" movie will be for the most part light hearted (basically no battered women).  Lucy Liu will play me (She did a "Lifetime" movie already.  So its not asking too much.).  And my house will, at times, look like the cover of a Pottery Barn magazine.

So as dramatic as I am, "life" is good.  Just hectic.  

'A' started school today (Yay!!!!)  And she absolutely loved it!  She already made a few friends.  And even shared with them her gymnastic moves.

Ray is such a character and is getting super smart.  Which obviously keeps me on my toes.  He recently just discovered Disney Pixar's: The Incredibles (such a B-O-Y movie).

Ry just went through a growth spurt.  She is officially 29" tall.  So she can actually fit into some of her 12 month clothing.  And she's getting sassy.  Which right now, I think is adorable.  But I know I'll regret saying that when she's 12.  Her new thing is saying, in context, 'hi' and 'bye'.

So that's where we are.  Like I said, not on Hawaiian holiday.  But still pretty lovely.

032511: Choosing to blog....

I am one kid less on this wee hour of a morning.  ('A' is visiting with her parents.)  And yes I realize I should be sleeping.  And don't get me wrong, I am exhausted.  But 5 mins. ago I realized that I didn't eat anything for dinner and that my stomach was screaming for food.  So here I am, eating a bowl of cereal and catching up on the blogs I follow. 

I just had an epiphany.  (Well maybe not that dramatic.  But still I just realized something.)  The majority of blogs I read are from moms like me.  Moms who are artsy, stay at home-ers.  Or are working moms (which I use to be), that some how figure out how to do it all.  But I feel like we all have a common thread through our blogs.  What I realized is that it doesn't matter if the content of our blogs our similar, or totally the opposite.  We, as women, are all carving out a small amount of time that is precious to us, that is only ours if we choose to have it.  And that is to blog.  Whether it be about our latest project.  Or our kids latest and greatest performance.  Or something that we saw or heard that struck our fancy.  We decide to share it on our blogs.  It may sound a little like Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman", but in this 1:50 wee hour in the morning, I feel special being apart of this group of women. 

So, next time you can't sleep and decide to blog instead, just know that you're not alone.  Now get to bed :-).

032211: Hello. Is it me your looking for?

So not only did I fall of the band wagon, but I completely rolled off the trail, stumbled into a bush, started a journal about buffalo, fell asleep and when I woke up, realized that I was taken in by Indians and couldn't speak the language.  All of that I kinda took from the movie 'Dancing With Wolves' (you know you all remember it).  But seriously, I know I've been M.I.A.  But with good reason.  Hear me out......

My house guest has now become temporarily permanent (oxymoron intended).  'A' will be living with us until the end of the school year.  So we've grown from 4 to 5.  And although numerically that does not seem like a huge jump, it feels like it to me.  

'A' is great.  She loves it here.  And the kids love her.  And we adults love her too.  She is 10, so she is pretty self sufficient.  But it is still a transition for me, being 'mommy' of 3.  (I guess one of the plus sides is that I wasn't prego for another year in a row to get the third. Hahaha)  So that's why, I've been "gone". 

Currently our days consist of not only getting to know each other, but also trying to regulate everyone's schedule, temporary homeschooling, making sure that there are fun, safe and age appropriate activities for everyone and oh, yeah, eating.  We've been doing a lot of eating.  All my kids are going through growth spurts. 

So that's that in a nutshell.  I'm hoping to get back to "normal" here and start blogging and crafting again.  But until everything gets there, in the melodious words of good ol' Lionel, "Hello.  Is it me your looking for?"

031511: Ay-yay-yay!!!!!

For all those that read that and think it phonetically says A-YAY-YAY!!!!.  I say it: EYE-Y-EYE-Y-EYE!!!!  Did you get all that?  Anyhow, I say that cause I realize that I once again I missed a day of blogging, which was yesterday.  I apologize, but quite honestly, yesterday I was in a HUGE funk.  Trust me, you didn't want to read what was on my mind.  It was one of THOSE days.  But after much needed talking with my sisters, I'm better.  

So on to better things.  I finally got a chance to check out some of my fave blogs. One I follow is called iammommahearmeroar .  I heart this one, cause she has 2 sons, so alot of her projects cater to boys.  Which I love cause you all know I have Ray.  (As I say this, don't think I'm leaving out Ry.  It is just so much easier to come up with things for girls.  And to find things for girls.  Lets face it, its suppose to be a man's world.  But it's really only made for girls)  

Anyhoo, she did a superhero room for her oldest son Rex, which is the bomb.  I have decided once Ray is old enough, I'm totally stealing some of her awesome ideas.  When you get a chance, check her out.  You'll completely see why this room would be the coolest thing in my little man's life.  

What did you think?

031311: Catching up....

Here's to catching up!!!

'A's' sleepover:

Ry's Birthday Pics and Party:

Biggs and Bobo, our dogs (I don't know why this pic is here, but its a good one.):

Pic of the Week:

031211: Ugh! I fell off.....

I was doing so well, too.  But alas, yesterday was the day I fell of the 'blog everyday for a year' wagon.  I just got too busy.  This was and is because we had our first official slumber party sleep over.  'A' had Mackie over, and it was a crazy 10 year old night of the wii 'Just Dance', gymnastics, making stuffed animals, eating too many sweets, and yes of course, multiple pillow fights.  I am way tired and can barely keep my eyes open.  So tomorrow I will catch everyone up with pics and events.  And also post the 'pic of the week' manana.  So until then, TTFN.