The Casper Family

Give it your best shot.....

2010-12-21T19:33:00.000-08:00

Go ahead. I dare you. Guess how much I paid for this stuff today.......

If you said zero dollars, you would be totally correct. That's right, completely free junk food. Highlight of my day.

On an unrelated manner.... want to know the low light of my day? Purchasing alcohol at the grocery store (for cooking purposes only people) and not being carded. That's right. I look so dang old the girl did not even ask to see my picture i.d. C'mon! Do I really look that old? (do not answer if you want to remain friends) I mean really, humor the almost 30 year old. Please!

After said incident, I went to my car, pulled down the mirror, and stared. Tightened my skin a bit by holding it back with my hands, and stared some more. There may have been one glistening tear as the thought of my youth going so quickly flashed before my eyes. (Literally. I was seeing some pretty gnarly parenthesis around my mouth) Good by twenties. It's been fun. Wish you could stay a little longer. Hello thirties. You scare the crap out of me! I'll start writing my obituary tomorrow.....

Well this blog post didn't go quit as planned. Apparently I'm busy trying to work through a few "issues". I promise to be better next time. (Or not. I may be 30 by the time I post again. It will probably be very grim. Apologies)

Fulfillment

2010-12-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

So this thought came to me today as I was getting all squeaky clean in the shower. (to much info?) My thought was this.... I often think to myself , "Is my life all that I want it to be, or that it could be? Am I fulfilled?" Yes I am an awful sort of person who occasionally thinks to herself "Is this it?" Kids, cleaning, kids, cleaning, kids.... you get the idea. I often feel, maybe I should have done more before all the kids and cleaning. Maybe a career. A college degree. A.... well, something, fulfilling. You know? So this is the thought I had. My house, FULL of stuff. My scrapbook cabinet, FULL of scrapbooking stuff. Closet, FULL of clothes, kids rooms FULL of toys, pantry FULL of food. My garage is FULL of crap, the couch is FULL of crumbs, and my trunk.... totally FULL of junk. (you know what trunk I'm talking about) My mind, is forever FULL of things that need to be done, and my facebook page is FULL of friends, well people, don't know how I know some of them, but they're there. My nail polish/makeup/hair stuff/lotion cupboard, way to FULL. And my dvr, FULL of addictive tv. Are you getting the picture here? Things seem to be pretty full over here. Don't really know what more is missing. Well, maybe one thing.... my tummy just told me it was lunch time. Better go FILL 'er up.

p.s. If you were waiting for the family full of love part of this, you'll just have to keep waiting. So not my style to go all mushy on ya. Lets just say it is implied....

good intentions

2010-10-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have the best intentions to blog. Really I do. It's just that, well, let's face it.... I'm too lazy. That's right, I said it. I'm to lazy to sit down, attach a picture, and come up with something clever to say. To be honest I didn't even start my blog. That would be my friend Misty. She kept telling me I needed one, and I kept telling her I never would write in it. So she created an account, blog name, and even "my" first post for me. What a good friend. Now I feel like I have to write something, at least once a year, or I'm letting my faithful followers (all 2 of you) down. So here it is. My first blog post in months. No pictures (I take plenty of pictures, many for blogging), no wit, just a whole lot of blah, blah, blah (totally stole that one from Ke$ha). So enjoy peeps. It may be a while before you have the pleasure to here a fantastic update from yours truly..... maybe I can get Misty to to my blogging, it was her idea in the first place.

Call me........

2010-08-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

So, I found this note on my car after I was done at the grocery store today. I find the fact that creepy men, not just my husband, find me fantastic. I mean, when's the last time I received a "call me later" note? However, I probably won't be calling this Daniel guy due to the fact that I'm married, have children, and am not interested in being the victim of a sexual assault any time soon. Thanks though.

P.S. You are the one who almost hit me!

Did you say what I thought you said?

2010-06-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

I find it so funny when people make mistakes.... mostly because I do the the same thing. Hey, I'm not perfect, try not to be so surprised. The "mistake" I speak of today is not a huge one, but funny none the less. Have you ever been talking to someone, try to say one word, but a whole different word comes out? The answer is yes. And I'm not talking about the whole squishing two words together thing like Lindsey Lohan's "grool" on Mean Girls. (great and cool mixed together) I do that plenty. I mean an entirely different word slipping out. Let me give you an example:

Car repair man says to me today. "We'll even take some pictures when we get in there so you can see what's going on. We're not trying to rape...... rip people off here."

Me thinking to myself. "That's good. I don't want to get ripped off. And the rape, if we could not have that happen either, that would be great. Thanks."

I'm still laughing to myself. It was funny. Maybe you just had to be there.

Field Trip

2010-05-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

Today I went with Gavin's preschool class to the Micky's Grove Zoo. It was a "great day", he kept telling me after we were done, I agree.

We did see some animals while we were there,

But mostly we did this......

Meet Megan, Gavin is completely smitten!

I think she feels the same way.

He can make her laugh. (pretending to make out with the old lady statue)

Lunch, and a little dessert......

Yes, my son threw her down a kissed her. I didn't know if I should take a picture or pull him off (people were starting to give me disapproving eyes). Where does he learn this stuff, hmmm.....

I might be a little biased, but how could you not love this little stinker?

Splendor

2010-05-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

Yep, Splendor. That was the name of our ship, and it was splendid indeed. (gag that I just wrote that.) The ship was huge, new, had a water slide, mini golf coarse, ping pong, and so much to do all day!!!!

This is only half of the hallway, it goes just as far the other way!

This was our dinner table for the whole cruise. We got lucky enough to be with a group of couples our age. So, Jason and I gave the couples all nicknames, easier to remember that way. From top left, mean girl and the cameraman (She told the magician the first night he came to our table she hated him because she didn't get the trick. She said it way mean! He is a cameraman for the reality show Ace of Cakes on the food network) Above us, potheads (First night she tells us she is going to school to own her on pot distillery. We "smelled" them in their room every night after that... from down the hall!) Us (The mormons, aka, the only sober ones) Next to us, our pals, the cop and his girlfriend. (no explanation, he's a cop. He didn't like the potheads. The end.) I looked forward to dinner every night, 3 appetizers, 5 main courses, and every dessert on the menu please...... I gained 5 pounds!

This last one is just because.... just because, who has naked butt statues on their cruise ship? That would be us.

Cabo San Lucas

2010-05-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

Why did I choose this cruise? Because I wanted to got to Cabo. Why did I want to go to Cabo? Because I wanted to see this rock. Why did I want to see this rock? I have no idea.... but I'm glad I did.

Cabo was our last port, and a great day to spend all alone with my hubby. We took a water taxi out to lovers beach. We saw a seal habitat, tons a pelicans, cool rock formations, whales, and then spent a couple hours on the beach. After, we walked around town, shopped, found an internet cafe because Jason was going through withdrawals I think, and rented a jet-skis. So much fun!!!!

There is a whale in this picture, i swear!

Funny story, or gross.... depends who you are. On a small beach, that is pretty much an island, with no place to um, pee, what do you do? Hello, you squat behind a huge rock! And what happens to sand after a steady stream of..... you know....... there becomes a little hole. And what lives in little sand holes? Yes, sandcrabs. Imagine my surprise after I pee and uncover this little beauty. I can definitely say I've never had that happen before.

So, I guess I should just start calling him superman now.

You gotta love Mexico. The beaches, the ocean, the children playing with beer bottles....

Umm, hello scary gun man. It truly scares the pants off me that the police in Mexico carry this kind of artillery. I won't be caught jaywalking around here. And why did I feel the need to take a picture with la policia? Don't know, but he was pretty happy about it, I wasn't sure if that was his gun or he was just happy to see me. Seriously, he was squeezing him some Brenda in this shot!

Matzatlan

2010-05-04T17:16:00.001-07:00

Now this is what I came for! Sunny, warm, beaches.... oh baby!

We made some new friends on our cruise, Adam and Serena, they were way cool and we did everything with them. It's nice to have some new victims for all of Jason's "stories", he has a lot. And I've heard each at least a dozen times.

The good thing about Mexico, someone is always trying to make a deal. The bad thing about Mexico, someone is always trying to make a deal. We did good with our cab here. We got a tour of the city for $25.oo total. Everyone else? $30.00 a person in a van!

Notice the Chargers logo? Just so happens our cabbie was born in raised in good 'ol San Diego, just like our buddy (and cop) here, Adam. We got along well....... he spoke perfect english!

View from our tour, enjoy.

For the rest of the day we laid on the beach, under a cabana...... And were only asked 500 times if we would like to buy a grain of rice with our name on it.

Puerto Vallarta

2010-05-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

We got to Puerto Vallarta on the third day of our cruise. It was nice to get off the boat after two days at sea. Unfortunately, the weather was pretty wet. The night before had been a major storm than caused mudslides and damage around town. We however did not let a little rain get in the way of our fun. I was so excited to go ziplining through the jungle. Our instructors/guides were super funny, and the views were amazing. The longest line was a mile long, and the highest one was 600 feet above the ground.

So, I didn't even realize we matched until I looked at this picture. I'm not really a fan of that.

Before

After

As if flying through a jungle, 600 feet in the air, over trees and a rushing river wasn't enough, I got to........

That's right, I'm holding a monkey!!!!! Hands down, highlight of the trip... well, maybe.

Jason? Not loving it as much!

I'm on a boat man.....

2010-05-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

First off, please tell me you know the "I'm on a boat" song, second, because we are always "on the boat" I may use this title again. Try not to get confused.

Jason and I find it completely necessary every January to take a "mental health" week. Alone, away from little people, who scream your name 20 times in a restaurant only to forget what it is they were yelling for when you finally acknowledge them. We've done Hawaii a couple of times, and just went on our third cruise. It was fantastic! Now, I'm not trying to brag here..... well, maybe just a little. But can you really blame me?

Christmas morning

2010-05-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know it's May.... you got a problem with that? No? O.k. then, feel free to keep reading.

Big toys like a Barbie Bus may seem like a good idea, until you realize there is assembly required, sticker application, and the problem of where to store this huge toy. Makayla loved it though. Thanks Santa.

Gavin had a blast playing with his Woody all morning.... (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Christmas candy for breakfast is an excellent idea for a 3 year old!!!

I'm pretty sure this kid did not get enough stuff! I couldn't even fit half of it in the picture.

Next, we were off to Fremont to celebrate with the Caspers.

Makayla loved her new Liv doll......

She however did not love the fact that her little bother emptied her new buildabear stuffing out all over the carpet.

I love the hollidays! I can't wait for next Christmas. Maybe I'll even blog about it while we're in the same season. What an idea. :)

"The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful." -E.E. Cummings

2010-03-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

So, this is what little boys do on Saturday mornings. Nice! And the boots, they are completely full of mud.

Cupcakes for breakfast?

2010-03-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

You better believe it!!!! I am a fan of the "pebbles" cereals. I love Cocoa Pebbles, and use Fruity Pebbles to make the most awesome rice crispy treats. So you can imagine my suprise/excitement when I saw a commercial the other day for new Cupcake Pebbles. Needless to say, there was a box in our cupboard the very next day. Now I'm not crazy about sugary cereals for breakfast, but for a mid day snack, you better believe it!!!! Curious as to how yummy they were? Now, a lot of things sound good in theory, so cupcake flavored cereal could wind up tasting, well, like cardboard...... but let me assure you, they were amazeing! Have you ever had the cake batter ice cream from Cold Stone? It's pretty much the cereal version of that! I am definitely hooked. Move over marshmallow Froot Loops, (another odd sounding, yet way too yummy cereal) there's a new sugar filled snack in town. Oh, and the kids thought it was good too.

A little something for the both of us.......

2010-03-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, March 10th, Jason and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary. We had decided that since we had just taken a week long cruise in February, and then another trip to Napa last weekend, we would just count those as our "anniversary celebration". It's a good thing my husband knows me and my "girl language", because he was totally able to read through the lines when I said "No need for gifts this year"..... and he bought me gifts :)

Oh how I love these pink bags. Who doesn't?! So, Jason hands me my gift, with a little smirk, and says "A little something for the both of us"....... in front of our children!!!!! Ummm, really? Now I have a 6 and 3 year old trying to tear into my "for the both of us" gift, and I'm not liking were this is headed. I can only imagine the questions and the damage that will be done. "Why are your panties smaller than mine mommy? Why is there a hole there mommy? What do you do with that mommy?" Seriously Jason? What were you thinking giving this to me in front of my kids?? Now they have begun chanting... "Open it. Open it. Open it." Ok, here we go.......

Oh, perfume and lotion! Thanks, hun! I love it.

Nice shoes... Thanks... The end

2010-01-28T13:23:00.000-08:00

Trying to kill time this morning before the mall opened I decided to treat myself to a tall non-fat hot chocolate with caramel at Starbucks. (yum) As I waited patiently in line for said beverage to be prepared, the young lady to my right looked down and said to me

"I like your shoes."

"Thanks."

I know what you're thinking. Pretty boring, definitely not worth blogging about right? Well, that's where you'd be wrong my friends. The conversation with this stranger continued....

"They look comfortable." (remember, we're talking about my choice of foot wear)

"Yup. They are."

"I have to wear comfortable shoes for my job. I'm working with kids all day so I can't be wearing heels. I had to go to an interview the other day and wore heels then went to work and the girl asked me can I wear your shoes and I looked at her and said, uh, no."

"What girl?"

"One of the kids, she wanted to wear my shoes."

"Oh." Notice my short responses.... usually this makes people uncomfortable and go away.... no such luck here.

"I like my job but I'd really like to pass my tests so I can become a real teacher. I'm good at the english part but the math is where it gets me. Math is not my thing, I can't seem to pass that part."

"Math is not my favorite either."

"My brother is pre-law at Brown and called me the other day to rub it in my face. He was like, I'm the smart one and the favorite one, how are you? And I told him, yeah well when is the last time you got laid? Sometimes you've just got to put them in their place, you know?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess." Oh please, please, please, let my drink be ready. At this point I'll take it cold, anything, just get me away from the crazy chick.

Oh that's me. That's my drink! I get to go!!! Yay!

I use this post as kind of a public service announcement of sorts. Complements to strangers are kind, usually any more than hat is just plain creepy. Oh, and also, pulling greasy hair back into a pony tail does not make the grease go away.... fyi.

Bang Bang

2010-01-24T12:29:00.000-08:00

Makayla's first gun holding/cleaning lesson........ Sure, I think this is an appropriate Sunday morning activity.

On the anniversary of my birth

2010-01-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

Wow.... 29! I still can't believe that I am 29 years old today. I don't know if I'm maturing and gaining these new adult emotions, or if it's just the p.m.s, but I am feeling sort of nostalgic. What my life was, what it's become, and what it holds in store for me. One thing I do know, there are a few people who were there 29 years ago and who are still here today....

Where would any of us be if it weren't for Mothers? True, my mom was not the on who gave birth to me, but she was the one who read to me, and sang to me. She cooked for me, cared for me, and gave up her own wants for mine. She has taught me so much, I am who I am because of my mother.

Dads are great for playing with! And mine is no exception. Wrestling, and laughing, lawn mowing, and hard work. My dad loves to play, and has always been a good example of a hard worker! I have great memories of park days and bike rides, and so do my kids thanks to him!

And then there's the sis.... Yes she was annoying, yes she stole my clothes, makeup, and anything else that wasn't on me at the time, yes she was in my way and on my nerves and way too emotional all the time, and yes she is one of my best friends now! (and yes, she is probably tearing up as she reads this) I am so glad she feels like she can call me for anything and I can call her. Separation definitely makes the heart grow fonder, and if it weren't for the annoying little sister stuff I wouldn't have such great stories.

Oh to be young and in love again........ so obviously Ben Affleck was never my real boyfriend (a girl can dream can't she?) I ended up with some one a whole lot better, he even helped me to bring these amazing little people who I just adore into this world! They are my new family, and one day I hope they can say the same things about me as I can say about mine! So here's to the past 29 years, full of learning, growing, wonder, and excitement.... and to 29 years full of more of the same!!!!!!!!

Happy birthday to me!

All I want for Christmas.....

2009-12-24T15:40:00.001-08:00

....... are my two front teeth!!!!

Passing the blame.... and a little something else

2009-12-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

So as I perused the isles of walmart yesterday, I came across this quit awkward/gross encounter. Now I live in Stockton Ca, I don't think I have to really explain to you the "walmart cliental" to much. Just try and use your imagination. So here I am, headed straight for an isle where a, lets say larger gentleman not very concerned with appearance or hygiene, is walking with his teenage son and infant baby in the cart. As I close in on them, disheveled W.T. father shouts to son (who is now out of listening range), "Baby's got gas today." It's to late for me, I'm a gonner. I am now standing where said gassy baby just was, and let me tell you, little baby's with their stomaches full of nothing but milk DO NOT smell like that. Ewe, ewe gross! I about died! Now, I must admit, I am not perfect. (shocker, I know) I have once or twice been known to blame my child for some rather embarrassing moments. But never, I mean never, have I smelled like slim jims and cheese...... Oh, and merry Christmas !

Christmas Sunday

2009-12-20T13:49:00.000-08:00

Christmas sunday already? That means Christmas is only a few days away..... what the heck am I doing on the computer? I've got stuff to do man..........

Winter Party

2009-12-16T11:58:00.000-08:00

Makayla had a "winter party" (winter, because there are a couple of kids who don't celebrate Christmas) today at school, and I was able to go and help out. They had lot's of fun singing Christmas songs with their music teacher, piano solos from a couple of the kids who take lessons, Christmas stories, yummy goodies, and Christmas crafts.... (sounds like a CHRISTMAS party to me, but whatever). After lunch, Makayla was able to hand out the treats we had made for her friends the night before. She even decided not to go home early with me so that she could hand them out personally, instead of putting them in the kid's cubbies. Me? I would of chosen to leave school early.

Santa's Magic Potion

2009-12-15T20:49:00.001-08:00

Tonight Makayla and I put together Christmas gifts for her classmates. We put a packet of hot cocoa, a peppermint stick, and a hershey kiss together in a little bag. The note on the front read " Santa's Magic Potion. Pour this cocoa in a mug. And with hot water mix: Then drop in the magic Kiss. And stir with the candy stick! From, Makayla." (by the way, I totally just typed that for memory) She is combined throughout the day with another first grade class, so we made 44 in all. She can't wait to pass them out at her class party tomorrow!

5 months in 5 minutes (more or less)

2009-12-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

So, some may wonder, "What ever happened to that nice Casper family? They had such wonderful blog entries. Full of wit and charm, not to mention those cute kids...." Well I'm here to say, wonder no longer, cause I'm back!! (For tonight anyway) My have the summer and fall been busy. I would love to spend hours on end catching up on all the wonderful things I have done, seen, and photographed, but lets face it, I'm just not that into it!!! So, how about a list? I'll use bullets and every thing..... here we go

July:

*Drove to Utah with Makayla, my friend Emily and her two kids.

- Visited my sis, Karen in Logan

- Fireworks, dinosaur park, four wheeling, shopping, Ice age 3, twine huts, swimming, fishing, gellato, horse back riding, hot dogs, hot dogs, hot dogs!

- Visited Christianne Casper (Jason's cousins wife... got it?)

- Movies in the theater room, way too much popcorn, glitter toes, laying out, permanent eyeliner done in front of a whole class.

*New Kids on the Block concert with Misty!!!! (and yes it rocked!!!)

*New Malones Lake for 5 days with the Collumbers. (lazy days on the boat, now that's a vacation!)

*Disneyland. Got home just in time for the next one on our list.....

*Makayla's first day of first grade. Yay for full days of school now!

August:

*Jason and his BFF Kurt ran a 50 mile race! And they survived!!!!

*Lots of boating!!

September:

*Rainbow Pools. Heck yes I jumped off that ginormous rock into the water!

*Gavin's first day of pre school. Awww, he's such a big boy now.

*Girls weekend in Tahoe!!!!!!

-Shopping at Galleria, s'mores at the village, snobby pilots, bike riding along the Truckee river, lots and lots of ice cream, tons of laughing, million dollar pizza, and maybe a little bit of gossip....

*Makayla starts soccer.

October:

*Disneyland. Love Halloween time there! (and any other time for that matter)

*Grandama Bergstrom's 90th birthday/ reunion.

-Wicked in S.F. with the girls, Karen here, family pictures, John's Incredible Pizza co., everyone at my place for Sunday dinner..... that's right, all 40 people at my lil casa, Apple Hill.

*Carving pumpkins, painting pumpkins, going to the pumpkin patch, (basically all things pumpkiny)

*Halloween (I will post pictures of my Corpse Bride and Dash shortly...... or not)

November:

*Decorating the Christmas trees at the car Wash.

*Won a trip to the Thunder hockey game, dropped the puck, and Makayla rode on the zambonie. (such a fun word to say)

*Saw Twilight New Moon at midnight with a group of friends all pretending we were 17 again.... late nights just aren't the same when you're almost 30 and own 2 small children.

*Gobble Gobble.... turkey day

*Jason's 10 year high school reunion and my high school reunion.... it seems like just yesterday that I was skipping class, doing cheers, and forging my parents signature. Has it been 10 years already???

December:

*Disneyland (don't act surprised when you read that, you had to see it coming.....)

*Jason's 29th b-day

And here we are. The middle of December. Probably the most busy I've been all year and I decide now would be a good idea to sit down and do some blogging. I hope no one fell asleep in the middle of this monstrous post, I nodded off only twice.... but I'm awake now and on a roll. Three cheers for blogging leading to the neglect of my children, husband, and home.

blog shmog

2009-10-09T15:31:00.001-07:00

So there was this time when I was posting a new blog entry every day. I was on a roll..... that roll stopped after about a week. I guess I wasn't as committed as I thought. We are alive and well here in the Casper house hold how ever. Headed out to Disneyland in just a few, and just maybe my vacation will give me some inspiration for future blog posts..... but then again, I'm willing to bet the only thing I will be getting out of this vacation is a whole lot of laundry.

till next time my friends

Funny Story....

2009-07-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

Makayla, who is just finishing her first week back to school says to me last night,

"I don't want to go to school any more. It's boring, I already know everything."

As a mother, I felt the best way to handle a situation like this was to throw out a question, easy enough for me to know the answer to, but maybe a little difficult for the six year old "genious".

"Okay Makayla, how many states are there in the United States of America?"

"50!"

She answered so fast! Now I'm concerned. Is it 50? 52? 51? Why do I always forget this one? I'm pretty confident it's 50.... moving on.

"Well Makayla, what do you want to be when you grow up? Every thing in life requires a bit more than a kindergarten education. (even Mcdonalds, but just barely)"

"I want to be a teacher."

A teacher? Seriously? This coming from the girl who is tired of school, now she wants to go to school for ever!?

"How are you going to teach your students Makayla, if YOU haven't gone to school?"

I've got her there right? WRONG.....

"I want to be a kindergarten teacher. I already know all that stuff."

I'm not sure what more can be said at this point.... her argument is fair. I get up to leave the room with one last thing to say,

"You're going to school tomorrow."

A busy June

2009-07-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

June came and went with so many activities and not so much blogging. My plan? Let's just highlight some of the big ones and move on with our lives. Sound good?

GAVIN HAD A BIRTHDAY, SHOUT HOORAY!

On June 12th Gavin, my sweet baby, turned three. He has since informed me that he is NOT a baby, he is BIG! We spent the day hanging out around the house and singing Happy Birthday almost every hour. That night we went to John's Incredible Pizza Company for dinner, and then home for presents and cupcakes. The cupcakes from WalMart pretty much take the cake ( lame joke right?) We Love them!!

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN.... DANCE!

Next was Makayla's dance recital. She had a Friday night show and a Saturday morning show. I love watching all the dancers! They are so talented, and the little dancers are way to cute for words. I think in a past life I must have been a dancer, since I leap, twirl, shuffle, and basically bust a move around my house all day! (embarrassing right?) I also loved Makayla's costume! Hot Pink? What's not to love!!

PARTY ON PARTY PEOPLE.......

Directly after Makayla's recital on Saturday, we had family and a couple of friends over to celebrate Gavin's birthday. It was a good time, with no stress. (That part was amazing, since I tend to stress over just about every thing. I may have a heart attack before I'm 30.) Taco salad, Yum! Water balloons, and an indestructible pinata, awesome! Homemade cupcakes, some words of wisdom..... If you put 2 tablespoons instead of 2 teaspoons of vanilla in the frosting it will taste amazeing!!! However, it will also be a murky tanish color. Frosting whitener will help, but not much. And massive amounts of red food coloring will only turn the frosting a dark pink kind of color. End result? Sort of pink cupcakes at a boys birthday party....... but they tasted stellar. Personally, that's all that matters.

75% OF THE WORLD IS WATER.....

If I was a dancer in a past life, then my kids were definitely fish. Good luck getting them out of the water! I thought it was time for Gavin to have swim lessons, and he couldn't be more excited about "having to" swim. He loves Miss Janie, his swim and Makayla's dance teacher, and did really well. (Even with her making him swim completely under water, which, by the way, was not his favorite.) I have a feeling by the end of the summer he will be swimming all on his own. Michael Phelps better watch out!

There it is, our June in a nut shell. July.... Here I come!

So funny.....

2009-06-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

.........And so true. Why just the other day I found myself using this same type of "screwdriver" to open up and change the batteries in one of Makayla's toys. Non-tools are so much more handy. If you only knew the things I used my teeth for.............

I'm reaching for the xanax.....

2009-06-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

I having blogging anxiety!!! It has been so long since I have done it, and I have so much to blog about..... Birthdays, recitals, party's, personal war stories. Well, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea. So, as soon as I can get the pains in my chest to stop every time I look at a blog, I will be back in full swing.

P.S. No one was injured in the writing of this blog entry. I think we're off to a good start.

Yay Me.......

2009-06-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Yes I totally stole my title from London on the Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and no I don't care...... Because I went shopping the other day, and had to buy a size smaller in pants!!!!!

Super yay me!!!!!!

Band-Not-Aid

2009-06-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

Silly me. I was under the impression that band-aids were meant to help owies, not create them! On both Makayla and Gavin, at the same time, the band-aid tattoos they were wearing were practically burned into their skin. On Gavin, he even got a bad rash that lasted over a week! Just a warning to all you mommies, it sad when your kid cries over what was supposed to make them better.

Chicken, Chicken

2009-06-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

Look closely and read the sign. Juan Pollo Chicken. I wonder, does Juan realize that Pollo is spanish for chicken? Or do you suppose he meant to name his restaurant Juan Chicken Chicken? Hmmmmm.....

ooh, the spontaneity

2009-06-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

On thursday Jason says to me, "We should do something together as a family on Saturday." I think for a minute, "How about going to Disneyland?" There was no reply on his part needed. In less than an hour the hotel was booked and the packing began. We hit the road 2 days later. We used the excuse, Makayla just graduated kindergarten (worth celebrating), and Gavin's birthday is in less than 2 weeks (also worth celebrating). But really, Jason and I are just big kids who love running around the same streets as Mickey Mouse. We had a great time!!!!! But how could we have a bad time? Do the words "Happiest place on Earth" ring any bells?

Last day of School

2009-06-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I'm a couple of weeks behind. But I am trying to catch up...... Friday May 29th was Makayla's last day of kindergarten. And I have to say, I was a little sad about that. I was all excited and eager for her to start, but now that it's over, I am feeling a little unsure about this growing up thing. She's on to full days of school, playing on the "big kid" play ground, and homework every night. I know everyone says it, but man how time flies......

On her last day of school, all the kindergarten classes walked to the park for a pizza party and playground fun!! I was able to stop by with Gavin, who wanted no part of me, but instead ran around with Makayla's classmates. I guess he thinks he's ready for kindergarten.
Makayla and her two best friends from class, Haley and Isabella.
Makayla had fun putting the "treats" we had made for her friends into their cubby's.
It's official. Makayla is a kindergarten graduate, diploma and all! Unfortunately they did not have any type of ceremony, I remember my kinder graduation so well. I guess I'll have to wait a few more years for that.
I am so happy with the school Makayla is attending. I know she will have a great time there as a first grader, even though everyday she tells me how she wishes she was still in kindergarten. (no worries, she did the same thing this year about preschool)

Fortune Cookies

2009-06-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

I had this wonderful last day of school gift idea for Makayla's teacher. The plan was to make fortune cookies dipped in chocolate and sprinkles, and have them in a chinese food to-go box. I found these great books online, the first was a children's book, for the classroom, called fortune cookie fortunes, the second a little book full of different fortunes for the teacher. Next, put it all into a basket with a clever little tag saying "I was so fortune-ate to have you as my teacher". Great idea right? Un"fortune"ately, my free shipping coupon was only good during the memorial day holiday weekend, and the books I had hoped would arrive on thurs. (the day before the last day of school), actually didn't make an appearance until friday around 3 or 4:00. After school, and too late. So instead of a basket full of all these wonderful ideas, she received the cookies in a to-go box, and Misty even made a cute little tag with a fortune cookie on it. I was a little disappointed at first, but it was fun making the cookies with Misty, and I'm sure her teacher was just happy it was the last day of school, books or no books.

Welcome to boating season!!

2009-06-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well, boating season is now upon us. There is nothing better than a day with the family out on the water, eating pb&j sandwiches (family tradition... wonder where that one started? Stef?), soaking up the sun, and being as lazy as possible!

So, out on the Delta there is this huge, what used to be a ferry, all rusted and busted up. I like to refer to it as the "ghost ship". It is kind of creepy, with broken glass windows and plastic curtains blowing in the air.

Now, a boys life just wouldn't be complete without exploring every floating hunk of junk they came across out on the water. So, yes, with shoes held high above their heads, Jason and his friend Kurt swam over and took a look inside. I only hoped everyone was up to date on their tetanus shots.
They look pretty tiny up on top of that boat.... told you it was huge!
After all the "fun", we headed to Garlic Brothers for dinner... yum!! Another favorite tradition! Oh, and just a warning to all of you out there in blogger land.... this is sure to be the first of many boating blog entries this summer. Hey, it's what we do.

Thank You Gift

2009-06-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

I can't say it enough, but I loved Makayla's kindergarten teacher Mrs. Roberts. She was so great, and Makayla is very sad she won't be with her next year. As a thank you gift for helping out in the classroom this year she had all the kids draw a self portrait with their name and had a notepad made. It is so cute I don't even want to use it!! I love seeing all the little names and how they think they look. What a sweet gift idea, and thank you!

Friday's Find... a day late

2009-05-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

I love that Regal Cinema does their Free Family Film Festival every summer. They show G and PG movies for, as stated in the name, FREE, starting June thru August, every Tues. and Wed. at 10:00 a.m. The best part, the theater is full of kids and nobody paid a thing, so it's no big deal if your 2 year old runs around like a sugar hyped crazy person. (not that mine would ever do such a thing) So go and enjoy! I noticed ours was playing several movies I wanted to see, so it's for everyone, not just the kiddos. You can check the schedule for your area at, http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx

Happy summer and movie watching!!!!

what a "TREAT"

2009-05-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

On my way home from picking Makayla up at school today it donned on me, tomorrow is her last day of kindergarten, and I had completely forgot to make gifts for the kids in her class. I had something totally elaborate planned, but now found my self with not a lot of time or desire for such an adventure. The alternative? A quick trip to Target, rice krispie treats on sale, ribbon from the dollar section, and a catchy quote. Tada! Done in less than an hour, and hello, who doesn't love rice krispie treats? Makayla had fun stuffing them into the goodie bags and signing her name on the back of the note. You know, if you wait until the last minute to do something, it only takes a minute!

You had to see it to believe it! (and I saw it)

2009-05-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

I awoke Saturday morning with visions of flip flops dancing in my head. Only a dollar, and every one could buy 5 pairs. That meant with Makayla, we would be bringing home 10 pairs. This time I wanted color, as opposed to my usual black and brown. I was thinking greens, blues, teals, maybe a red or hot pink. I hopped out of bed, showered and dressed both my kids in record time. My friend Emily called at 9:00 letting me know that there was already a long line at Old Navy, and to hurry up. I raced down Pacific ave. not hitting a single red light, if this wasn't a sign of something meant to be, I don't know what is. Parking lot, not too bad, considering the mall didn't open for another 45 minutes. We scrambled into the stroller, and moved our little legs as quick as we could to get into the mall. We rounded the corner, and WOW! so very many people crowded around one small store. (Emily's telling me about a "long line" was more than an understatement) I found Emily, and we waited...... The security guard came over and warned that if anyone pushed, shoved, or ran, they would immediately be escorted out. I am sad to say that the 60 year old mall cop did not give me the sense of protection from being trampled one would hope for in a situation like this. At two minutes to 10, a very thin, nervous looking, young sales associate rolled up the big old navy gate. And all (you know what) broke loose! Emily held on tight to Makayla, and I held on tight to the stroller, as we attempted to enter the store. I have not been that squished, pushed, stepped on, or covered in other peoples sweat, since I was in the mosh pot at a Limp Bizkit concert. It was unreal. Remember, we're talking about flip flops here..... I kind of made my way to the center of the store where the flip flops were, but only caught a glimpse of all the pretty colors as they disappeared in seconds! The only thing louder than the shouting was the clanking of the metal display racks, being destroyed and falling to the ground. I saw two men fist fighting (over flip flops?), a pregnant woman being helped out and in tears from being elbowed very hard in her stomach, flip flops literally flying 15 feet in the air in all directions, and sadly a 3 year old boy was trampled and his leg broken. I wonder, did some of these people think that their $1.00 flip flops would go up in value, like this was some sort of investment? Or maybe, sporting some red Old Navy flip flops would earn them some sort of street cred.? I don't know what the thinking was, but I just sat back and watched. (mind you, I live in Stockton, so imagine for yourself the crowd of folks i was in.) The line to purchase our victory, if you call more brown, black, and grey, flip flops that, wrapped around the entire store. I was lucky to get a spot some where in the middle, and waited an hour for my turn. (we came away with 8 pairs total) Was it worth it, no way. But, it was an experience my kids and I will not soon forget. I mean, we saw crazy people, the police, firemen, and even had a women ask Gavin to buy her another 5 pairs of flip flops, all before noon. What more do you want from a saturday morning? Cartoons and cereal are way too played out.......

Friday's Find

2009-05-22T08:35:00.001-07:00

Oh yeah! You know where I'll be on Saturday! Buying flip flops for only $1.00 at Old Navy!!!!! (I thought of you Stef!)

Hit and Run

2009-05-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

I was the unfortunate participant in an automotive hit and run today. As I was cruising down Devries road, on my way home from Lodi, **SMACK**, bird to the windshield!! I looked back in my rearview mirror only to see the lifeless little fella fall from the sky and hit the pavement. I'm sorry little birdie, but I do believe you are headed to that great big bird bath in the sky. Oh, and little bird, I apologize for scaring the crap out of you..... literally!!!

Another Milestone

2009-05-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I realized something....... my daughter is now six years old and still has the training wheels on her bike! This needed to change. I took her out, stripped the bike of it's two extra wheels, and away we went. Well sort of. While she did an excellent job (I think I let go for a whole 30 seconds), we decided it may be best to try another time, when some of us were not so frustrated. That brings us to today. Once again we pulled out the now two wheeled bike, and got down to the nitty gritty. To my surprise, after about 30 seconds of me holding on (a complete opposite of our last try), she had it!!! Makayla is officially free of her training wheels! Of coarse she had to run into the house to tell daddy, who came out to cheer her on, and be in ALL the pictures. Umm, hello, was I not the one out here in 100 degree weather doing the "teaching"? It was a great feeling of accomplishment for every one...... and of coarse it is all she wants to do now!

Old Mother Hubbord

2009-05-20T14:33:00.001-07:00

Last week the kindergartners at Makayla's school put on their annual Mother Goose Play. It was seriously the cutest thing ever!!! Makayla had he part of the Hatter in Old Mother Hubbord. (as you will remember from my "fancy hat" post a while back) She did such a great job and had a ton of fun!!

One of Makayla's future jobs for when she grows up is being "a girl who sells stuff at a shop." Look at that customer service as she sells Old Mother Hubbord a hat. She doesn't even ask why the crazy old lady is buying a pink cowboy hat for her dog. I think she'll do just great in her occupation choice.

So, honorable mention has to go to Jack and Jill. One because they are so stinking cute, and two because I just love the way Jack is "falling" on his crown there. Not exactly how I've imagined it all these years, but a delightful interpretation.

The finale consisted of all the kindergartners singing I'm a Little Teapot. One problem.... they were so crammed in there like little sardines, there was not enough room for the arm motions. We ended up with a bunch of handleless, and spout-less teapots. But nice smile Makayla!

Makayla and her friend since preschool, Haley. (from Hey Diddle Diddle)

Makayla and Isabella (she also goes to church with us.)

Mrs Roberts has been the most amazing Kindergarten teacher!! Makayla absolutely adores her, and I'm glad I was able to work in the classroom, seeing first hand how great she is with the kids!!

It was a fun day, after the play we stopped by Makayla's class for an open house, and after that.... because we are such cool parents.... we took Makayla out of school early and went to John's Incredible Pizza Company. I mean nothing says good job like all you can it pizza....

Tortilla Monster!

2009-05-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

I totally think playing with your food is acceptable. I am no stranger to the "what's left on your plate after you're done eating tower", and the ever so famous "silverware skyscraper", and apparently my kids enjoy playing with their food also. Case and point, tortilla masks an taco night. Gavin actually came up with this one on his own..... silly kids, but we may be on to something here come Halloween.

Friday's Find

2009-05-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

Soooo FUNNY! I love that it is universally known that big letters = big emotion. How does that work if you're blind? Do the blind have a braille version of Caps Lock? I might just have to look into this.......

For Karen, with Love

2009-05-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

Some weirdo sent me this, guess I should respond.

Spouse Tag

♥ What are your middle names? What do you call a girl with one leg standing next to a tree?

I-lean. Haha, get it. Mine is Eileen, his is Duncan
♥ How long have you been together? Almost 10 years. But it only feels like 10 minutes.......... under water!
♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating? I don't know, probably a couple of minutes......
♥ Who asked who out? The guy did, I'm no fool. But I did come to his town, so I think that counts for something.
♥ How old are each of you? 28 & 28. Very old!
♥ Whose siblings do/ did you see the most? His. Logan is just not on my way to anywhere.
♥ Do you have any children together? Yes. And they both look just like him..... all I got were these lousy stretch marks.
♥ What about pets? I don't do pets. Too messy, stinky, and needy. I have kids for that!
♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? Deciding who's going to do all the chores, cook the meals, and take care of the kids 24 hour a day. No, wait.... I've pretty much got that covered. I guess we are all smiles over here!
♥ Did you go to the same school? Nope, and if we had we probably would not be together today. Lets just say we had different ideas of "cool".
♥ Are you from the same home town? He's Fremont, I'm Stockton. So close, yet so far away.
♥ Who is smarter? Really? And how do you think I'm going to answer this......
♥ Who is more sensitive? Oh, him for sure!!! I'm pretty much the dude of the relationship. I don't believe in all that emotional crap. Put a smile on and get over it, please!
♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple? We don't eat out too much, I love to cook. (I know, be jealous. I also love going to the grocery store) It depends on our mood I guess, CoCoRo, CPK, BJ's, Don Luis.......
♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Hawaii. It may not be far, but it is awesome!
♥ Who has the craziest exes? Did you mean Axes? Because we aren't lumbermen, and really don't have any axes around our house. Sorry. We have some squeegees though.
♥ Who has the worst temper? Jason for sure. Then he goes into silent treatment mode, and I've forgotten what happened, and when I ask he gets all pissy.
♥ Who does the cooking? If you want food, come to me. If you want some tasty eggo waffles, you should see Jason.
♥ Who is more social? I'm seriously laughing right now!!!!! I would die of shock if we went somewhere and Jason did not know some one, or didn't strike up a conversation with a stranger as if they've been friends for years!
♥ Who is the neat-freak? Me. These dang people I live with can't seem to pick up a thing behind them. The spouse is the number one offender!!!!
♥ Who is more stubborn? Not me.
♥ Who hogs the bed? We share quite nicely...... just don't touch my feet with yours and I'm good.
♥ Who wakes up earlier? Me, I think Jason turns off his hearing in the morning.
♥ Where was your first date? Downtown Pleasenton, then to Lake Elizabeth. Little did I know the Lake was a favorite for Jason and ALL his first dates.
♥ Who has the bigger family? Same as far as immediate family. If we look at the bigger picture.... he wins!
♥ Do you get flowers often? I used too...... hmmmm, wonder what happened.
♥ How do you spend the holidays? We split the holidays, his family one year mine the next. That's all I'm going to say on the matter.
♥ Who is more jealous? I think I'm missing that part of the DNA make up. So the prize goes to him.
♥ How long did it take to get serious? A couple of hours.
♥ Who eats more? I was affectionately told at the begining of our relationship that girls aren't supposed to eat more than boys.... ooops, news to me!!!!
♥ Who does/ did the laundry? No one. If you run out of clothes you buy more. Right?
♥ Who’s better with the computer? I am definitely better than Mister hunt-and-peck.
♥ Who drives when you are together? Jason all the way. If for some strange reason you find me behind the wheel while hubby's in the car, it's because he was trying to sleep and drive at the same time. Bad habbitt of his.

What the......

2009-05-12T10:08:00.001-07:00

When your 6 year old daughter puts her play dresses on your 2 year old son, I think a good word for the situation is FUNNY. But what word do you use when your 2 year old son comes to you dressed in his sisters dresses while she is at school?????

Friday's Find

2009-05-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

So, I tend to find a lot of stuff on the web. Some interesting, some random, and some just down right hilarious. So goes my new bloggerific idea..... Friday's Find. Every Friday I'm going to post something I've found. Pretty self explanatory, and yes I'm doing it on friday just because I thought of such a "catchy" title.

Now that's just an awesome name.... I don't care who you are!!!!

Jam On

2009-05-07T08:51:00.001-07:00

When strawberry season rolls around you can be sure my family will be hitting up our local stand almost every other day (seriously). It's only a minute from my house, and oh so yummy! I realized it had been a while since I made freezer jam and I needed a couple of gifts, so I decided to go for it. Now, as everyone knows, freezer jam is so, so, good (almost like candy) and verry easy to make. I've had a couple of friends say "I don't know how to do that" so let me tell how........Clean, cut, and mash strawberries until you have 4 cups. (measurements are important here)
Mix 1 1/2 cups of sugar with 1 packet of fruit pectin. (again, measurements. level your sugar with a butter knife.)My all time favorite is Ball brand Freezer Jam fruit pectin. It uses half the sugar as sure-gel, and taste better too!
Mix it all together and stir for 3 minutes.Ladle into jars and store in your fridge for 3 weeks or freezer up to a year.

I made a gift basket for Makayla to take to her teacher for teacher appreciation day. It was a pretty amazing thing, since I only had an hour to make the jam, wrap it up, and get to Makayla's school. See, it is too easy... mash, measure, mix..... not to complicated right?

Crafty hat

2009-05-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

So, I put on my crafty hat (pun totally intended) yesterday to make a hat for Makayla. All of the kindergartners at her school are putting on a Mother Goose play next week, and Makayla will be playing the part of the Hatter from Old Mother Hubbard. Apparently I am not as well versed in nursery rhymes as I had thought, since I didn't even realize there was a hatter in Old Mother Hubbard. Anyway, her costume is to wear a nice dress with a fancy hat. Well, I don't know about you, but when I think fancy the first thing that comes to my mind us tulle, ribbon, and fake flowers. So away we went. All I can say is, well..... its pink. :)

Fro Yo

2009-05-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a funny story. About 8 years ago while in San Luis Obispo my cousin, sister, and I stumbled upon this neat-o frozen yogurt place. The idea; self service, pick your flavor load up any toppings you want, and at the end you pay per ounce. Super fun and super yummy!!!! Ever since that blessed day 8 years ago I have longed for a similar experience. You can imagine my glee when Jason came home the other day and told me such a place existed, in Manteca, a mere 25 minutes away from where we live. So what did I do? Packed up my family (this was around 5:00 and we hadn't even eaten dinner) and headed to Yogofina, my sure to be new favorite place ever!!!! Was it good? The yogurt was superb. Will I be back? Probably not....... but only because the very next day I found out that one had just opened right here in Stockton! Like 5 minutes from my house! What's even better? The next day after that I found out another one has been open here in Stockton for several months now! How could all this self serving of yogurt and toppings be going on right under my nose! Well, no worries, in the space of 3 days I had frozen yogurt from 3 different places. All were delicious, (Yogurt My Way in Lincoln center is my fav) and all can expect to see me quite a bit this summer! Hey, a girl needs her frozen yogurt..... right?

no catchy titles here

2009-05-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

I was doing so good with my blogging. A new post every day. Some with pictures, some crazy stories, some with no meaning at all. But like we have heard before, "all good things must come to an end." And so is true with my blogging. I just can't seem to find anything in the last few days that is truly "blogworthy." So, here's to next week. Let's hope it turns out to be a little more interesting. (but not too interesting. wouldn't want people to be jealous of all the fabulousness.)

in the middle of the night

2009-04-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough last night to have my 6 year old daughter, Makayla, wake me up some where around the 2:00 time period. Why you may ask? Let's just get right to that....

"Mom. I'm scared to go back to bed."

"Why Makayla?"

"Because there's some one in our house."

"What! Why do you think there is some one in our house?"

"Because, some one farted in my room."

"What?!"

"Some one farted in my room, and it wasn't me! Really, I heard it."

"Makayla, go back to bed. Now!"

he ate what??

2009-04-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

This next blog entry is truly news worthy!!!!! For those who don't know, my almost 3 year old son Gavin does not eat what I like to call "people food." He lives on yogurt and cold cereal. Once a month, maybe a piece of fruit. Sometimes pretzels, graham crackers, or gold fish, but THAT IS IT! He's never had meat, or bread, and vegetables only a few times when he was a baby. His eating habits seriously suck!! And believe me, I have done everything I can think of to get him to eat, but he won't even give food a try. Until last night that is. In a strange turn of events, Gavin sat down to the plate of food I served him, (I always give him a plate "just in case") and............ wait for it................. he ate chicken!! He ate chicken I said!!! It was completely unexpected, uncoerced, and made my entire week! Not only did he eat the pieces I cut up for him, but he wanted a whole piece for himself, just like a good little carnivore. Um, yes I got pictures. This was most definitely an event I want documented! I feel like I can breathe a sigh of relief, my son is capable of eating like a human being. Fingers crossed for our next meal, lets hope he doesn't forget how great it was!

Jumping Jacks

2009-04-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

I am trying to work out lately, eat right, and all that good stuff, since summer and all that it has to offer (namely swim suits) seems to be in my very near future. Oh winter laziness, comfort food, and layered clothing, you were not kind to my....... *ahem*. This brings us to last night. My day was very busy, Target, working in Makayla's class, doctor appointment, Target again. I had no time to burn any of the those pesky calories waiting to turn into fat cells and subsequently dimples on my rear. I read online that doing about 780 jumping jacks should burn 100 calories. I was up for the challenge. I tucked my kiddos in bed for the night, turned on the Kardashians, and started the jumping. The first 50 flew by. The second 50, well I wouldn't say they flew, but they did leave me with this incredible feeling that I may indeed pee my pants at any moment. Took a bathroom break. Started jumping. Had to pee. Almost peed. Squeezed to hold in my pee so hard I am now doing kegals with my jumping jacks. ( 2 birds 1 stone right?) Arms are sore, thighs are sore, (witch I love because that means they are getting worked), calves are hurting. Uh-oh, calves are getting tight.... seizing.... cramping..... I think 300 jumping jacks is plenty. At least it felt like I burned a million calories! We'll just pretend I did. Tomorrow, back to walking, that doesn't make me have to pee my pants!!

Santa Cruz

2009-04-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we were able to spend the day in Santa Cruz with Mike and Melissa Parker (that was weird to write), and no kids!! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to go since I was sick the day before, but I made a miraculous recovery. I guess the beach will do that to a person.

We started our day in Capitola, my most favorite place to be. And a trip to Capitola would not be complete without shopping at Panache. It's a local lotion and body store for those who aren't fortunate enough to know. I stocked up on my fav, vanilla mango tango, and the boys even found something they enjoyed. It's called Man Hands, pretty much just your average exfoliating scrub, but its the "manly" name that sold them. Jason's new favorite phrase.... "feel how soft." Sure babe, very "manly!"

The all day ride pass for the boardwalk..... now there's a story. How is it that my husband always seems to be singled out as the one most likely to; buy a $30 all day ride pass for $10 from some shady character covered in who knows why tatoos behind a building in cash only and watch out because there's a security guard watching. Needless to say, we got a dang good deal and had a ton of fun. Once we were sure we weren't being followed. :)

ummm, fighting while on the swing ride?? Your guess is as good as mine. I think they might still be 12.

Oh the Shadowbrook restaurant. If you have never been, go! It's the most beautiful restaurant, and the food is always awesome. We go when ever we are in Capitola, usually covered in sun and sand, while the other dinners obviously got dressed for the occasion. And no, the order of my pictures is not off. We went to Capitola, the boardwalk, then back to Capitola. What can I say, when there are no kids with us I tend to do crazy things. (ooh, so crazy) Our day was so fun that we decided not to end it until 2:00 the next morning.... needless to say, Sunday was most definitely a nap day!

FRIENDS

2009-04-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

So, we may not be so glamorous, live in New York, or have every line of our lives scripted out out for us, but I have to admit...... I have some pretty amazing friends!!!!!!

It just makes sense... right?

2009-04-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

When my kids are hungry we go to the kitchen, get some food, and they eat it. The result? Not hungry any more. When they are bored, I send them to get a toy. When they are tired, they go to bed. When Gavin has to go pee I tell him to go to the bathroom..... no Gavin, not in your underwear, I said to the bathroom... no Gavin, not on the tile, go to the toilet. No Gavin, that's not the toilet that's the lawn.... seriously?!! I hate potty training!!! I feel like I'm being "punk'd" with this whole process. It's really not that complex. I'm not asking the 2 year old to perform brain surgery, just simply walk to the bathroom and sit on the toilet when you've got to go. It makes sense to me!

LUSH

2009-04-22T13:14:00.001-07:00

This is my friend, (well my friends sister... but I love ya too Kimmy) on the news this morning. She did a great job, and LUSH is an amazing store!!

Earth Day

2009-04-22T09:26:00.003-07:00

....now go hug a tree!!!!!

I can see your horns.....

2009-04-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

This picture should have been my first clue. Gavin, who had just turned 2, decided to go into the fridge and get a drink for him self. But not milk or apple juice like most other toddlers, he was headed for the good stuff, chocolate syrup... straight from the bottle! Of coarse I found the whole situation kind of funny and got some pictures. I mean, lets be honest, who doesn't want to suck down a bottle of chocolate every now and again. Unfortunately I am laughing no longer. In the past week, and I am talking every day this week, Gavin has managed to get is hands into the following: Vaseline, globs of it all over the carpet, clothes, my full length mirror, and himself. Chapstick, broken up all over the carpet, and drawn with all over the sliding glass door. KY, (lol) in his hair, on his whole body, again on the mirror, on my dresser, and smeared all over my black satin comforter. Cool whip, hair, body, face, carpet, and tile. A&D ointment, on the binky, and all over him. (this one was especially nice, as it was at 4:30 IN THE MORNING!) That same night, as I went to bed, I found 8-9 hershey kiss wrappers in the hallway. Sunscreen spray, well, my walls and tile won't be getting burned any time soon. And this brings us to today.... Gavin does not like the cookie part of an ice cream sandwich, so I usually take it off for him.. I suppose he felt confident that he could do it himself. Not so much!!! Now he has ice cream sandwich on him, the tile, two different counters, and the cupboards. Need less to say, it's been a messy week! Were did my sweet angel of baby boy go? Apparently, for the time being, he has left the building!

Easter

2009-04-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

The first thing we do on Easter morning is "hunt" for Easter baskets. (the easter bunny hides them when he comes at night) The kids found them super fast this year, so I think the Easter Bunny is going to have to start getting a little more creative.

Since we have early church this year, and we hunt real eggs, the Easter bunny was cool enough to come back during church and hide the eggs. That way they don't spoil over night. What a cool bunny!! Very smart! (not to mention, talented, funny, good looking...... you get the point) So we did our hunt, took some pictures in our Easter clothes, and got to cookin. My family joined us for Easter dinner this year, and it was YUMMY! I'm ready for some turkey and stuffing though..... is it thanksgiving yet??

Easter eggs

2009-04-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

I am definitely a fan of holiday traditions, and dying Easter eggs is no exception. The kids had a great time, this was Gavin's first year to try his hand at it, and they all came out beautiful! Note to parents..... do not buy the glitter kit! Let me just tell you, the idea of colorful eggs covered in sparkles may sound appealing, but the stuff is far from great. Not only does it mess up the egg dying you just did, there's glopping, and running, and a whole lot of other nonsense. Get the point? The glitter free ones..... more my style!

Disneyland

2009-04-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

For Makayla's birthday in March we decided to go to Disneyland. She's been able to spend her last 3 birthdays there, and who am I to mess with tradition?....
Our first stop was Disney's Soda Fountain shop on Hollywood blvd. We had the yummiest ice cream ever!!! (Makes you kinda want to lick the screen right?)

This is the first time my parents were able to come with us, and they had a blast. Every time I turned around they had bought something new for Makayla. (tiara, churro, ice cream, camera, candy, and other things I'm forgetting) Makayla loved being spoiled... but hey, who doesn't?Part of Makayla's birthday present (because being at disneyland isn't enough) was going to build-a-bear workshop. She loves that place, and the one in downtown disney is 2 stories and amazing!!! Not to mention our friend Mercedes works there and gives us a sweet hook-up! Makayla made the cutest pink unicorn, which happened to have just come out on her birthday.

At build-a-bear Makayla was also able to have the whole store sing her Happy Birthday. She was so excited!!

Makayla had requested Rainforest cafe for dinner, and who could say no to that yummy lava cake explosion thing!!

Gavin loves Handy Manny. Can you tell??
Gavin had fun taking pictures with me while Makayla went on Tower of Terror with Jason for the first time. That's right, brave little girl went on tower of terror.... but never again!

We rode the monorail so many times this trip. I'm not sure why, we just used it to get around a lot.

So, Disneyland was a blast like always! I can't wait to back for Halloween time, It's my favorite!!!

Pink Party

2009-04-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Makayla had her 6th birthday party at our house on Friday March 13th. The theme.... Pink! The invitations were pink, The decorations were pink, all the treats and cake were pink, her friends even wore pink. (Any guesses as to what Makayla's favorite is??) We had a great time! Nine girls were here for pizza, movie, and lots and lots of playing. At the end of the party, after putting on the makeup Makayla got for a gift, the girls put on a "fashion show." (I was at the end of the runway taking pictures.) All in all, a fun night, and very easy going. No stress, just how I like it!

26.2

2009-03-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

Jason and I were lucky enough to go to Napa for a couple days - minus the kiddos. What a nice idea, relaxing in one of the most beautiful country sides in California. A perfect opportunity to dine, shop, and just spend some quality time together........ But no such luck! We were actually there for Jason's first Marathon. The trip was more like, check-ins, course studying, early to bed, even earlier to rise, waiting, waiting, and a whole lot of rain!!!!!!

Jason's good friend Kurt decided to join him in the craziness, so they ran together for the most part. (I envision hand holding and a little skipping)

It turned out to be a pretty fun day, I was able to see Jason at the 16 mile mark and then again at the finish. He did a great job, finishing in 3 hours and 47 minutes, a PR. He came in 432 over all and 30th for his age group out of about 2400 runners. Not bad for a first timer. And did I mention the rain.... It didn't stop, not once. Needless to say, he was a little tired, kinda sore, and extremely wet at the end of it all. I am very proud of him! He's worked hard for this..... unlike his lazy wife, running and I just don't see eye to eye, so I'll leave that to him. You can find me on the couch watching American Idol!!!

tooth fairy time

2009-03-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

As you can see, it was time for the tooth fairy to visit the Casper home. After plenty of wiggling, Makayla lost her first tooth last week. It was sort of funny how it happened too. She was bouncing on her bed, did a face plant, came up and looked at me and said "my tooth". Sure enough, instead of a wiggly tooth there was a little hole, that went a lot deeper into the gum than I remembered. (ewie!) So, we searched the bed, found the tooth, and Makayla spent the next several hours in front of the mirror sticking here tongue in and out of the hole where her tooth used to be. The tooth fairy came the next night and brought Makayla a one dollar bill, she was thrilled!! (I used to get 50 cents, so apparently this economy thing isn't hurting the tooth fairy) Now the 2 teeth next to the missing one are on the move, so it's only a matter of time. I hope the tooth fairy doesn't go too far, we're going to need her again pretty soon.

Y.M.C.A

2009-03-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

Introducing the newest member of the Village People, my son, Gavin casper.... I mean really, did he have to be wearing a tool belt while naked? He has a couple pairs of carpenter jeans that would have gone very nicely. O-well, I still think he's a cutie!!

C.S.I Brenda

2009-02-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

The other day I had a fire going in my fireplace and one of the red candles next to it apparently got too hot and exploded all over the carpet. So, did I get mad, shout profanities and rush for cleaning supplies to take care of the mess? Of coarse not, what fun would that be? Instead, I turned it into a crime seen for one of Makayla's Bratz dolls (she hasn't seen these photos, not sure if it would be a good idea.) Those little dolls freak me out anyways, to change the shoes you remove the whole foot..... weird, but it worked for the situation.

Uh-oh, as I'm writing Makayla walked in, saw what I am doing, and had this to say "WHAT and Why?". I guess I have some explaining to do.

My to 10

2009-02-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

If Oprah can have a top 10, I see no reason why Brenda can't. So here are my top 10 beauty products (in no particular order),

Wow! I smell so good... I just want to lick my arm! I love this line of Pink (victoria secret) splashes and body washes. My Fav is the Fruity and Bright. All I can say is Wow!
Who new that lip gloss that only costs a dollar could be so great? E.L.F. lip gloss totally rocks, it's not all sticky icky, and did I mention it only costs a buck?!

Oh tweezerman, you made the worlds best tweezer in pink and slapped a rhinestone on it. Thank you tweezerman, plucking those brows has never been so glamorous!
If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then I say the eyelashes are the curtains! And you better believe I want them looking good. I spend the most time on my eyelashes, and the Shu Uemura eyelash curler makes them perfect! Really, it's amazing! Crystal got me hooked.

So, I went through to many years of eye shadow smudging, not staying put, and never the same color as it was when applied. Until I found this little treasure. Mac's eye paints totally keep my eye shadow in the same place I left it... all day! That's right, I said all day!

Thank you Drew! So who didn't see Drew Barrymore's add campaign for this mascara? Well, it sold me. Remember what I said about eyelashes and curtains? Holy thick lashes batman, this stuff works!

Can you mary a hair tool? No? That's to bad, because I'm in love with my chi flat iron. Straight, curly, what can't you do with it? I did accidently iron my hand the other other day, that sucked, but we've kissed and made up....

Dirty Secret dry shampoo, what's the secret?..... I don't have to wash my hair every day, and you can't tell! It absorbs oil and smell good too, I may never shower again.

I have used this for years, and plan on it for the rest of my life. Keeps my frizzy hair not so frizzy, and hello, it's all sparkly! (you cant tell in the pic)

Spray this stuff on, then flat iron your hair! Smooth and straight every time. What would I do with out my bed head products? Probably walk around with some funky bed head right? (bad joke, sorry)

So there it is, my top 10... until next week. I seriously love beauty products, can't get enough of them, and buy something new like every week. It's a sickness really. I am addicted. But things could be worse, I could be addicted to crack.

Creative Writing?

2009-02-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

If you were to ask me what my favorite subject was in school, without a doubt I would say creative writing! History, Blah. Government/Economics, wtf. Math, numbers aren't my thing. But to be given a subject and the freedom to express myself through words is something I have always enjoyed. So this leads me to my problem.... I can't thing of a dang thing to write in my blog! So this blog entry is merely an un-entry of sorts. Make sense? I feel like I have this unpenitrable fog around my brain that makes the thought/writing process near impossable, though you can ask me a question about anything disney and I somehow manage to be driving 90 mph through the fog to deliver the correct answer. So this "fog" I speak of, I believe it settled in some were around 2002-2003. Not surprisingly, my first child was born in 2003. Hmmmm, I think we're on to something. Another thing standing in the way of my brilliant blogging may be the fact that two seconds after I sit down in front of my computer, I have a two year old climbing all over me like I'm some sort of jungle gym, (last time I checked I did not have monkey bars, though I have noticed a "tire" swing settling in around my mid section), and a five year old with more questions, well, more questions than I have the time or patience for. So, moral of the story.... I would love to blog, truly. Will I? Maybe not as much I would like. So, for the two of you who actually read my blog, hang in there, more blogging will come. Just as soon as I'm done watching this episode of Dora the Explorer, for the 500th time........

Good bye youth.....

2009-01-28T09:33:00.000-08:00

Another year of my youth lost, and another year closer to the big 30!!!! Hello wrinkles, gray hair, poor vision, loss of hearing, memory, bowel control, and all those other things I've taken for granted the past 28 years. It didn't hit me until a couple months ago (seriously) that I no longer can pass for a 19 year old. My butt is just not the right size and my boobs are not nearly in the right spot. I am sad, a little bitter, and definitely not ready to get old. And I'm sorry, 30 is not the new 20. That is something someone older than you says so they can feel good about, well, being old themselves!! On a positive note, I was able to spend my birthday day in reno. We stayed there overnight on our way home from Utah. The breakfast was incredible at Peg's not so Famous Ham and Eggs. I see why all the awards and magazine articles!!! And then my favorite, dinner at the Melting Pot with Danny and Misty. This is the second year in a row we've gone for my birthday, and I love the tradition. Nothing say's "happy birthday ya old fart" like some good fondu! So, I'll be 30 in two short years...... wonder what I'll rant about then? We'll see......

Rat Man!!

2009-01-28T09:25:00.000-08:00

So, I totally forgot to mention Jason and Casey's creation..... Rat Man. Now some may say "why does the scary rat, monster, snowman have a cone on the top of his head?" And to that I would answer, "I have no freakin idea!" You know boys, they aren't satisfied until they show just how big of balls they have, er, can make. So came the creation of rat man, a "huge" success if you ask me.

Once there was a snowman....

2009-01-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

The last thing we did while in Utah was visit my sister Karen and her husband Casey in Logan. As we left the house to grab some lunch, the guys thought it a great time to play in the snow. My hungry stomach had other ideas, but I wasn't going to be the mean mom who tells everyone to stop having fun and get in the car. I love that before we left on our trip I ran around target like a crazy person (several times), and spent more money than should be legal on snow clothes, only to have my kids out "playing" in the snow once. And to top it off, except for Makayla's bright pink boots, they wore none of it. Hmmm.... lesson learned. I was however proud of the awesome snowman that came to life, and glad to see everyone having such a great time. (especially Jason, since he hates the snow and all things cold!) What a fun trip!!!

New Years Eve

2009-01-10T08:12:00.000-08:00

For New Years Eve this year we had an ugly sweater party at Sabrina's house. The girls all went shopping at the DI the day before to find these beauties, while the guys took the kids sledding. It was hidiously fun!

To bad boys didn't think it was so great of an idea. In fact they were pretty grumpy about the whole thing, thanks for the fake smiles though guys!!

Utah

2009-01-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

So, the day after Christmas we decided to make a trip to Utah. My old moto "If you can't afford to fly to utah, you can't afford to go to Utah" was out the door once I saw the prices for airline tickets that time of year. Plus now I have to buy tickets for four. So we packed into the car and begun our 10 hour drive, which turned into a 17 hour drive, because apparently my husband has the bladder of a pregnant woman in her third trimester! We had a great time with ALL of our family who we only get to see about once a year. One night we decided to take all the kids on a train (more like bart) to temple square in Salt Lake to see all the christmas lights and nativities. It was beautiful, and the kids had a great time being around so many cousins. It definitely felt like the holidays being in all that snow. Love it!!

2009-01-07T11:06:00.000-08:00

Something funny about me.... I love to buy cleaning products! Notice I did not say I love using them? Just buying them. Whenever a new product comes out, I have to have it!! Well, this is my latest find. It's called Holy Cow, it only cost $2.00 at walmart, it's all natural organic, and it's PINK. Let's be honest, I am very susceptible to advertising, so the cute bottle is what sold me. As it turns out, not a bad product. My kitchen is sparkling.... don't get used to it!

Christmas morning

2009-01-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

So, I really didn't get to many pictures on Christmas morning (this is about it). I decided, instead of trying to get "a good shot" the whole time, I would just sit back and not worry about it. Plus, there were presents with my name on them. I couldn't just let them sit there while I took pictures now could I?

Cookies for Santa

2009-01-07T09:09:00.001-08:00

Makayla made sure to leave out cookies and milk for Santa. She even left the riendeer some carrots because "they do all the flying". What a thoughtful girl!

Christmas Eve

2009-01-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

This Christmas Eve we spent at my parent's house, like we do every year. It was a small crowd this year, but we had a good time.
The kids usually get jammies for a present on christmas eve, but since they had them earlier for our christmas card pictures, they felt it was a great idea to WEAR them on christmas eve. I tried to get a picture of them before they changed.... no such luck!

Makayla enjoyed Grandma Swain's new "cat"

While Gavin enjoyed the piles of wrapping paper!

Christmas Sunday

2009-01-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

The kiddos looked great in their Christmas outfits this year. I especially loved Makayla's dress, she looked so big in it, and $10.00 at ross, who doesn't love that?!

I'm a freakin blogger....

2008-12-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

Well kinda. This whole thing is Misty's grand idea, so we'll see how it goes. My cherry has been popped!!

Our Christmas Card..

2008-12-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

The Casper Family

Give it your best shot.....

Fulfillment

good intentions

Call me........

Did you say what I thought you said?

Field Trip

Splendor

Cabo San Lucas

Matzatlan

Puerto Vallarta

I'm on a boat man.....

Christmas morning

"The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful." -E.E. Cummings

Cupcakes for breakfast?

A little something for the both of us.......

Nice shoes... Thanks... The end

Bang Bang

On the anniversary of my birth

All I want for Christmas.....

Passing the blame.... and a little something else

Christmas Sunday

Winter Party

Santa's Magic Potion

5 months in 5 minutes (more or less)

blog shmog

Funny Story....

A busy June

So funny.....

I'm reaching for the xanax.....

Yay Me.......

Band-Not-Aid

Chicken, Chicken

ooh, the spontaneity

Last day of School

Fortune Cookies

Welcome to boating season!!

Thank You Gift

Friday's Find... a day late

what a "TREAT"

You had to see it to believe it! (and I saw it)

More Posting to Come

Friday's Find

Hit and Run

Another Milestone

Old Mother Hubbord

Tortilla Monster!

Friday's Find

For Karen, with Love

What the......

Friday's Find

Jam On

Crafty hat

Fro Yo

no catchy titles here

in the middle of the night

he ate what??

Jumping Jacks

Santa Cruz

FRIENDS

It just makes sense... right?

LUSH

Earth Day

I can see your horns.....

Easter

Easter eggs

Disneyland

Pink Party

26.2

tooth fairy time

Y.M.C.A

C.S.I Brenda

My to 10

Creative Writing?

Good bye youth.....

Rat Man!!

Once there was a snowman....

New Years Eve

Utah

Christmas morning