Life with Poot-n-Toots

don't bother me, I'm eating just a *few* girl scout cookies...

This afternoon I sorted through 1,758 boxes of girl scout cookies. This is my garage (after 351 boxes had been picked up).

This weekend I plan on eating a few too :)

AG store and a 'celebrity-ish sighting'.....

 

Yesterday Paige and I went down to LA to visit the American Girl store. It was her friend, Natalie's, 9th birthday. Natalie invited both Paige and Ella to come along in lieu of having a birthday party. Each of the girls had a bit of Christmas cash and some piggy bank money that they had saved. Neither Ella or Natalie have been to the store before (but they each have a doll), and Paige was SO excited to be going again.

We window shopped for an hour or so once we got there, took a 'thinking' break and had lunch out in the Farmer's Market (at the Grove) and then came back to shop and make final purchases. Here the girls are after our lunch break, each with a bag, ready to do some damage.

The girls loved the new McKenna set (the Girl of the Year doll is different each year and can only be purchased during that specific year). The bed and accessories kit were really cute.

Cecile and Mary Grace are the newest in the historical series. These girls are from New Orleans and their books are set in the 1850's. Paige got the book series for Christmas and was super excited to see them in person.

One of the things that I love about the American Girl store is that for Paige it's almost like a museum. Each of the historical doll's room has a bit of ephemera from that time period (all from the book as well). Paige practically narrates it...She stops to read each little bit..the signs, the plaques, etc.

This picture was taken just as we walked in the door...Paige literally gasped and put her hand over her mouth. It cracked me up to see just how excited the girls were...

The girls with their purchases from the day. Alexis (in the back with the black sweater is Natalie's older sister. She didn't buy anything, but is holding a GIANT bag for Ally. Ally sent us with her Christmas money from Papa with specific instructions to buy the BIG  chestnut horse.

Ella with the life-sized McKenna...

Just like our last two trips Paige gravitates towards Josephina. She ended up purchasing the dress that's featured in the case behind her.

Paying for her purchases with her own money (this trip only cost me lunch, ha!) She got a dress for Josephina (her feast outfit), Josephina's heirlooms, Josephina's accessories, and three books (one of Kanani's and two McKenna books). She was so pleased with her purchases. Like the last visit, I really enjoyed watching each girl select their items, do the mental math, weigh the options and then make a final decision.

Heading back to the car after a bit more window shopping in the Grove.

....and now for our celebrity-ish sighting (term used totally lightly). At one point, I was standing next to a case when I saw a lady come in with two cute little girls, one brunette and one blond, they looked familiar, but when I heard them talking I knew for sure that it was Sophia Grace and Rosie Brownlee (Nobody else in my group had any idea who these two little girls are).... I chatted with them for a minute and then went on my way. The girls were just adorable and so polite.

(this picture is a screen shot of their twitter page...this is the fountain outside of the store in the Grove, with their look alike American Girl dolls.)

For those of you that don't watch Ellen (I rarely do, but actually saw these girls on my yahoo home page on a story a few months back). These cuties are from the UK. Rosie's Mom had taken a video with her cell phone of her daughter and niece signing a Nicki Minaj song, that they then uploaded to youtube. It went viral and somehow Ellen Degeneres saw it and invited them to her show.

On their first visit Ellen had her sing the song (October) and on theirsecond visit she surprised the girls by having Nicki Minaj come out. Then, Ellen sent them out to do interviews on the red carpet for the AMA's back in November.They were on Ellen's show again this past week singing a new song, and tonight they are back on the red carpet doing interviews at the Grammy's.. I'm sure Ellen will have clips of this on tomorrow's show.

The girls, especially Rosie, are totally hysterical. Here's a few of their clips...

 

on the red carpet at the AMA's

 

and this week's show...

 

Happy day.

SIX BIRTHDAY MEMORIES:

1. Calls, cards, and birthday songs from family/friends

2. Dinner at Chili's (at Ally's request)

3. Chocolate cake with one cherry on top

4. Paige's 'sister gift'

5. A blue horse shirt from Charlene (already set out to wear tomorrow)

6. Daddy patiently putting together his millionth pink plastic Barbie toy

six.

Ally turns six on Wednesday. I still can't believe that she's going to be 6. I try and savor every little bit of the girls...I take photos, I journal, I record the mundane and the magnificent...but...really...there's no way to get it all in.

It's impossible to remember it all... I don't know that I remember this exact moment that I see pictured here. But I remember the feeling. The feeling of holding this precious and very chubby girl, that came ever so quickly. I remember feeling as if I'd arrived. It seems silly, but somehow having 2 kids made me feel like my family was 'full'. Ally was the piece we were missing and her arrival was nothing short of one gigantic blessing. And, really, it's been that way ever since.

Somehow that round faced 9 pound, 11 ounce, baby has become a full fledged kid. A beautiful girl that continues to make me laugh and feel blessed beyond measure.

 

Like every year, Ally got a choice between a birthday party or a special 'something'. She chose to go horse back riding as a family. Since her actual birthday is on a school day, we decided to celebrate a bit early. On Friday night she opened up her gift from Jason and I. I'd say she was just a *little* excited about these 'real' cow-girl boots.

 

and nearly as excited about this 'Barbie can be a horseback rider' book...

  

Last weekend Grandpa and Grandma Nancy gave her this hat as an early birthday present. She has literally worn it daily and strikes her cow-girl pose whenever she can...

 

We set up a ride with a stable that runs out of Los Osos. It starts right next to the golf course in a residential area, and then you take a trail out to the beach (Montana de Oro). This stable is literally the only stable that didn't have a minimum age limit (most will only do hand-held 'walks' for kids 7 and under). It's also one of the few places that will let you trot/canter/run the horses on the beach. You're encouraged to do as you like once you get on the beach.

Ally was SO confident and told the guide that she wanted to ride 'by myself' (she was given the option to ride alone, or have her horse roped to the guides).

 

She looked SO cute sitting on her horse decked out in her new hat/boots.

    

right before we headed out, she changed her mind and decided that she wanted her horse to be led by the guide's horse (sounded good to me :)

 

 

The ride out was BEAUTIFUL and super relaxing. Paige was having fun, and so was Ally. When we came around the dune and saw the beach it was just gorgeous.

 
   

Our horses trotting down the beach...it made me a bit nervous at first, but was totally fun. Paige said this was her favorite part.

 

And this....well, this next picture is where the real adventure began. The guide, Fawn, had warned us that her horse was a bit 'excited'. He had recently injured his foot and this day was his first ride back out and he was antsy to get to 'play' on the beach. Before the ride even started she said "my horse likes to show off...he'll rear up, but don't worry your horse won't do this"

See where I'm going with this??????

Fawn's horse DID rear up (as in VERTICAL)...he did this twice...honest to God, I have NO IDEA how Fawn stayed on her horse, it was like out of a movie or something...

Naturally, Ally's horse (Sierra) is roped to the misbehaving horse, and has no where to go. Ally's horse is trying to steer clear of the misbehaving horse and starts to 'dance/bounce/run in a circle'. Ally hung on like hell for the 30 seconds that it lasted.  Fawn was able to jump off her horse, (while still holding Ally's rope) and settle both horses down. Fawn did a great job reassuring Ally that she did an FABULOUS job of not screaming (and further spooking the horse) and praised her for keeping calm-ish and hanging on.

Ally was visibly shaken but seemed to settle down pretty quickly. The guides horse got a swift 'talking to', but was continuing to misbehave so I took over and held onto to Ally's horse.

All was well, and we started heading back.

That is until we were passing by the dunes on our way back. There was a family running down the dunes. The guide called out for them to stop (so as not to spook the already jittery horse). Everyone listened except for one women who continued to jog down. At this point Ally's horse (that I'm holding onto) starts to 'dance' she's not quite bucking but she's scared and has no where to go. Ally freaks, and starts to scream which startled the horse even more. The horse starts to run, I can't hold on and Ally is screaming 'MOM, HELP!!!!!!!!''

She hung on for a few seconds and then ended up on the ground (Ally says she 'jumped off', it looked like she was thrown). Jason was pretty funny...he said that he wanted to have a 'Far and Away' moment with the horse (remember when Tom Cruise punched his misbehaving horse?)

 

She cried for a few minutes and then rode the rest of the way back with Jason on his horse. The guide felt TERRIBLE. It ended up being quite an adventure to say the least. Thankfully, when it was all said and done, Ally and Paige both said they had a good time and would do it again (whew! no permamnent traumatic scars).  

Here she is in the afternoon, with her thumb-verdict for the day.

...oh, and I forgot to mention one thing...we saw a naked man.

No joke! There were about 30 'boys' (must have been in a frat) that were on top of one of the dunes, yelling 'chug, chug, chug!' and then snow boarding down the sand (some had boogie boards). That is, until one 'boy' when down naked. Um, yeah, I can't even begin to think of the little exfoliating treatment his parts got. Somehow these thirty or so poeple didn't scare the horse (maybe because they were so far away?)

 

my, my, how time flies...

**Santa reportedly purchased the ipod used from a friend for $35 and he got the pretend iphone for FREE from the display case at Target

looks can be deceiving, part 2 **EDITED**

First of all, I have to say that it's 1:30 PM on Saturday. Each member of our family is sans a shower or clean clothes and is happily wearing pajamas. Jason is facebooking', I'm eating my breakfast, and the girls are happily playing barbies. Or are they????

Look again... they are actually playing Little House on the Prairie!

The hamper on its side is the covered wagon, the various horses are oxen, Ken and Flynn Ryder are 'Pa' and Barbie is standing in for 'Ma'. Of course once they realized I'd snapped a photo with my phone they were totally embarrassed and told me to go away. I lingered outside the door for a bit and listened to them playing...I head lots of stuff about measles, a broken axel, and Ma yelling 'time for supper!'.

Paige just finished book 7 of the 9 book series, and we've heard ALL about the happenings of each book.

***total side-bar... I have NEVER read these books (I do remember the tv series... I had a big crush on micheal landon...and who could forget Nellie..that girl freaked me out!)..but Jason...Jason read EVERY BOOK. He and Paige have been totally funny lately. They talk about the characters and what's happenning and I generally have no idea. Of course Jason has a freaky memory and can remember all the tiny details.It's been fun to listen to them talk about the books

I begged them to let me take this next photo and they allowed it so long as I didn't 'put it on facebook'. Bwa-ha-ha-ha... ya didn't say 'not on the blog' did ya? What they don't know won't hurt them, right?

Thirty minutes later Paige came in and said 'look Mom, the Ingal's are on the move'...sure enough they'd fully completed the wagon. Look how nicely Ken and Flynn are getting along as Pa-1 and Pa-2 (Ally and Paige each have a full family) Carrie, Laura and Grace are in the back.

the back was even packed with all of their belongings...

I LOVE that they play this way, and use their imaginations. Now I just need to find a brunette Barbie and make her into Katniss Everdeen and maybe the girls and I can play The Hunger Games ...now *that* would be fun!

***EDITED TO ADD***

Kaleena sent me a text saying that if she were 8, she'd totally play Barbie Hunger Games with me....well looky, looky, what I found here. It's on, sister!!!!

 

and if you want to take a trip down memory lane from FOUR and a half years ago..check out 'looks can be deceiving part one'...ah, sweet, sweet, Ally. How I miss that round face and tiny pig-tails

 

Just one.

Just one picture that sums up Christmas for me.

One snap shot on a simple point and shoot.

Uncle and Niece holding hands while on a hike.

Simple joy. Simple peace. Simple love.

This is why I love photos. Why I'm totally thankful that they remembered to take a camera...this meant that although I wasn't there, I get to *be* there now. The day that the girls and Jason went on an adventure hike with Uncle Jon. The same day I helped my Mom pick out her wedding dress.

This holiday season might have just been the best yet.

Full of family...... chaos and calm, zoo afternoons and knitting evenings, music n' marshmallow wars, wedding dresses and hikes, cookies and caroling, new babies and growing bellies, giving and receiving, tiny pink and maroon boxes, gingerbread men and peppermint blossoms, mimosas and 'north pole mai tais', fake nails and fake teeth, gingerbread houses and gingerbread 'dinner's, an 8 year old slouching on the couch listening to her ipod, and the 5 year old that dances around 'texting' on her 'fak fon'.....This....this is Christmas.

Next week I plan on finishing up my December Daily and hope to post photos soon

Sam.

This is Sam.

Sam takes care of the girls Mondays-Wednesdays. She picks them up at the house each morning at 7:05 and has them until 4:30 pm. Sam has been the Nanny for Paige's good friend Ella's family for the past three years. Ella has 3 siblings- Cooper (in Ally's class and totally Ally's best boy buddy), Copeland (3) and London (2). Each day Sam manages to care for SIX kiddos AND be a taxi. She picks my kids up, drives to the H's house, drives them all to school where the kinders and 3rd graders are dropped off, picks up the kinders at noon and then drives back to pick up the 3rd graders. Not to mention the to/from basketball practices, the fun outings, activities, etc.

I was having MAJOR stress this summer trying to find a 'replacement' for Charlene. I finally had to let go of the fact that I couldn't find another Charlene. Charlene was and is so special to our family. Thankfully we found Sam. It's been a learning experience for me. Learning to trust someone new. Learning that the awesome relationaship (1/2 friend, 1/2  parental mentor) that we had with Charlene wouldn't be duplicated. Learning that someone can't 'love' my kids immediately.

But, when I have learned is......is that different is ok. That it's possible to start over with a care-giver and trust a new person. That my kids are HAPPY and so am I. That although I may not sit on the floor and chat with Sam for 30 minutes, it doesn't mean I'm not interested in her life, but just that it's different now. By the first month it was clear that Sam was invested in my kiddos. She understood them and could anticipate their needs. She's kind and patient with my sensitive Ally and is able to rein Paige in(and her 'tude).

To top it off, she's CRAFTY, she LOVES to take pictures (and doesn't think I'm nutty) and she's always up for an adventure. Today was the last day that we'll see Sam until the new year. She had gifts for the girls (the adorable hat/scarf/mittens) and the most awesome gift for J and I.....  A CD FULL OF PICTURES from August-December. There were over 100 images. It was SO fun to look through them and see my girls having fun, crafting, playing, etc.

        
 
   

and here's Sam with all the kiddos today....so, so, sweet.

December Daily, year 4...

It's been a little quiet on the blog in regards to the holiday season,but I assure you, we're in full swing 'round these parts.The Noah tree and mantle (stocking's and all) were done the weekend before Thanksgiving, and the big tree went up the weekend after.

This year I'm completing a December Daily Album again. It's really one of my favorite albums; A daily peek into all that is December. I waffled about doing one this year because I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with life, it takes a bit of work to sit down each day and get the day documented.... I decided to 'just look' at a local store and see if any of the Christmas papers caught my eye. I saw a really pretty new line by Theresa Collins and it jumped into my cart (Thanks Nonnie, for the birthday money). What I find that's REALLY been helpful this year is that we have a new printer.

long story made not-so-short. The weekend after thanksgiving we headed to office max to buy a new printer cartridge, so I could send my Christmas cards through the printer- I'm lazy. Imagine my SHOCK when a combo pack of color/ink was 69.99 (WHAT!!!!!!). Apparently our 12 year old DINOSAUR printer is so out of date it's practically obsolete. The sales clerk said that they had printers cheaper than what the ink would cost me. He showed me an all-in-one printer (April finds it hilarious that I had NO IDEA what this meant..what? it can copy? scan? fax? it's wireless? AND a photo printer? Who knew- apparently I'm waaaay behind the times). Imagine my second shock that this printer was only 49.99. HOLY CRAP!!! No lie- I walked out of the store with a new fabu printer, 2 extra black and color ink cartridges AND 150 sheets of photo paper for 100 bucks. (thanks Bev and Tim for my birthday money!)

It's been fun to print out my photos each night and have the instant gratification of having it done *right now*. It's certainly not cheaper to print all my photos this way. But for small projects and non standardized sizes, it's fantastic.

Anyhoo, enough about my new toy. Here are the first 11 days of my album.

The cover. I'm lovin' my hand-made flowers (for the scrap-girls- the new glubers by cosmo cricket that we got at the Bakersfield store are SUPER- they are so easy to use)... I also love the vintage-y feel of the glitter letters.

 

An introduction and a quick little letter to the girls...

 

Since we had our tree up prior to december, I did a collage of these images on the left side of the layout.

Day 1. North Pole breakfast.

  

Day two. San Luis Christmas Parade.

 

Day 3. The story of Mike putting up our lights. We haven't done this for a few years, and I certainly missed my lights.

 

Day 4. Letters to Santa (or shall I say 'novels' to Santa)

 

I scanned the front and back of each letter and printed them out on 2'x3' inch cards, and them glued them together and strung them with a string before putting them in this pocket).

 

Day 5. Ally's Daisy Scout fieldtrip to J's station. Likely the last little tour he'll do.

 

Day 6. Paige's 3rd grade awards assembly.

Day 7. A little math worksheet of Ally's and a sarcastic quote about how calm and bright it was. Total sarcasm- my day sucked, and ended with Paige puking (all told in the journaling below).
 

Day 8. Jason's uber fun 24 hour trip to Fres-yes to see his man crush Adam Carolla.

  

Day 9. Random photo of my cell phone wallpaper. It's been the same for the past year. The girls with Santa. Still love it. Still makes me smile daily.

 

Tiny little rolled note from Paige's student teacher (it was her last day...Paige cried.... and then asked her for her phone number- too cute.)

 

Day 10. Holiday craft party at Natalie's. They made 101 scarves for the homeless shelter...and a few treats to keep for themselves (the card on the left was the invitation- journaling by Paige)

 

Day 11. The princess trees are up.

  

Day 12. Ally's Daisy Troop made 100 cards to hand out at the old folk's home next week while they do some caroling (I forgot my camera- the troop leader will be e-mailing me a photo from this evening)

and there ya have it. The first 12 days of December. I'm nearly half-way and excited to see how the rest of the month comes together.

I'm voting for...

Mitt Romney....

ok, only kidding (Auntie Marcine, I heard you gasp right through the computer).

But really, he almost had me convinced now that it's been confirmed by the Washington Post that Mr. Romney has officially chosen Kid Rock's "Born Free" as his official campaign song.

Read Article Here

I love what Kid Rock had to say about it

He and anyone else who wants to use my song do not need my permission. I said he could use it and I would say the same for any other candidate. I have to have a little faith that every candidate feels like he or she can help this country. Without faith, we got nothing. I make music to have it be heard. Merry Christmas folks! Rock on.

-Kid Rock

PS: Any candidate who makes "So Hott" their theme song has a good chance of getting my vote

Ah....my heart swoons. I do love me some Kid Rock. And for those of you that won't be following Mitt's campaign, I'd hate for you to miss this great, great song.

Enjoy.

 

and that ends my political commentary.