The New Color!

Here it is...the new color. It's called Clivedon Sandstone and boy, did I agonize over this one. Do you know how many beige's there are out there? I'm hoping this one will do since we won't be painting again anytime soon.

And here's the messy kitchen. I'm sure some of you are saying you'd have it much more organized but in a house as small as ours, this is about as organized as you get. I can still find things pretty well, except the ranch dressing mixer. It'll all be over at the end of next week!!

My House is a Mess!

Here is the one of the two men who tore out our kitchen. It was kind of disconcerting because it took a total of 30 minutes to rip out all of the cabinets and countertops. They came in a black van, ripped it out with hardly a hello, and drove away. If I didn't know they were coming, it would have seemed kind of suspicious...



Here is where all of my kitchen items went. In boxes on the floor and table. Let me tell you, it's hard trying to dig through all the things you've packed to try to find even a crumb to feed your starving children. At least the refrigerator is still in the same place. We're living on microwaveable meals and boxed snacks. At least it's only temporary.

The kitchen with no cabinets. It looks so weird to have bare walls. We just painted it tonight but I'll have a new picture soon. The kitchen seems so big with nothing in it.

Since there is no kitchen, we can't hang out indoors at the table so we've played outside most of the last few days. On this afternoon, after attempting to empty the sandbox of all sand, their focus turned to the succulent worms in the garden. Each one of them chose their victim and proceeded to "play" with them. Mikayla just made shapes with hers but Tyler's worm suffered greatly. He wanted to hold onto it tightly while he played. After a little while, I wondered where the worm was and opened his vice like grip. There it was...actually bloody! Mikayla was, of course, horrified that her brother could kill one of her favorite things but I told her he doesn't really know how to be gentle to worms. He's just a baby. She still thinks her brother is a worm killer.

My kids are the greatest! They make life so much fun. Difficult at times, yes, but they make me look at the world with an entirely different perspective.

The Joy of Living

Watching my kids play outdoors I become more and more grateful to live in Southern California, where the sun shines 364 days a year...ok, some years it's 363. One of the things I've realized, letting my kids play outside, is that Mikayla has picked up my childhood love of anything that moves. These poor, defenseless snails, slugs, and caterpillars instantly become "pets" and she carries them around to all of her destinations. One particular day, Mikayla had latched onto a "really soft" caterpillar that was trembling and coiled in a ball to fend off the attack of the giant human. Unfortunately for him another, smaller, human named Tyler took a particular interest in petting his "softness" and practically squished the poor thing onto the patio table. Mikayla screamed (which seems to be normal whenever Tyler is in her vicinity) and told Tyler not to kill her caterpillar. Placed under a bucket over a patio table with holes in it, the caterpillar made a narrow escape to freedom while Mikayla was forced to come inside and eat lunch. I'm sure she'll find another victim the next time we play in the yard.

So this was the last batch of cupcakes our O'Keefe and Merritt oven produced before it was ripped out of the wall and placed in the garage to wait for someone to take it away. It served me well, even though it was well over 50 degrees hotter than it needed to be and squeaked enough to wake the dead every time I opened the door. I'll miss the retro look and the large window but I'm looking forward to the new model. Mikayla of course had to sample the cupcakes but after she ate the frosting off, the cupcake itself was no longer desired.

Our kitchen in its stripped down state. We removed the oven and the cooktop and took off all of the handles. Tomorrow morning, the guys will produce the dust of 10 carpentry shops as they haul off the old and get ready for the new. Let me tell you, trying to find a piece of tupperware or a cutting board in all the boxed up kitchen items is like trying to find a coin Mikayla misplaced somewhere in the house...impossible. I can only hope it lasts a week, as promised.

Well, we're still celebrating Mikayla's birthday. If you sign up on Coldstone Creamery's website and give them your birthdate, you get a free cup of ice cream. We decided to use it the day before it expired and told Mikayla that it was her choice. As always, her first choice is Mint and Chip but they don't really have that flavor so we had to go with mommy's first choice...cookie dough with caramel and chocolate chips with fudge swirls. My daughter can't read yet so I just read off the ones that looked good to me and I knew she liked cookie dough so it was a winner. We all dug into the mound of calories and completely indulged. It took both kids a little bit longer to get to sleep that night but, to get Coldstone, it's worth it!

Just a photo depicting the voracious appetite of my son. Yes, he has his own pop tart covered in frosting yet he's eyeing his sister's equally delicious pop tart wondering whether he should swap or just grab it and run. Looking at the sweatshirt, yes, he does still drool once in a while. On another note, the two of them played on this stepstool for at least 1/2 an hour. It's enough for me to pack up all the toys they aren't playing with and getting back the space in my living room again.

Kitchen Dreams

This is my kitchen. It doesn't look bad right now but it is stained with nicotine from the previous owner that I never really scrubbed off completely. The stovetop is so encrusted with rust I've just decided it no longer needs cleaning and the oven has a dead spider in it probably from Nixon's presidency. Well, I've lived with it for 5 1/2 years and decided now is the time to upgrade. Will and I found this great deal on a kitchen and we're excited to start the process of remodeling. They're tearing out this old, retro kitchen next Wednesday and replacing it with oak cabinets and a granite countertop with ALL NEW APPLIANCES!!! That's the part I'm overjoyed about. However, it's half a week away and I'm already starting to sweat. How can you cook a week's worth of meals using a microwave alone? My kids are already picky about food and this could put them over the edge. I guess it's eat what mommy nukes or eat nothing at all? Supposedly this kitchen will be installed in a week but we'll see about that. Pray for my sanity but pray for my kid's safety as well. I can just see Tyler deciding that now is the time to start a career in carpentry...

What Happens in Vegas...

Little did I know when I decided to make the trek to Las Vegas for 2 1/2 days, I'd have enough insight to put together a little top 10 list of what to do when you take your children somewhere at the ages of 4 and 17 months and without your husband half the day. (Will was at a convention). I guess the part of my brain that needed adventure won over the logical, "you're crazy" side and we packed the fam up for a "fun-filled" few days in sin city.

The first sign of regret came when we arrived in Vegas only to find out that the convention building was a TRAM ride away from the parking lot. Do trams carry strollers? No. Was I crazy to want to drive home at that minute? No, I don't believe so. I proceeded to walk back to the car with a good attitude, folded up the stroller, fought with the luggage of half our earthly belongings to squeeze it in the mouse-sized hole it belonged in and then started to settle into the fact that I would be here for a while. Until... a still, small voice from the interior of my already steaming minivan tweeted, "mommy, I have to go potty." I don't know about you, but those few words strike fear in the heart of any mom who has a potty-trained toddler in the middle of a desert full of "iffy" people and who are a parking lot away from civilization and any sign of a restroom. We know that from the first spoken word to the first tinkle, we have a span of approximately 30 seconds to find a bathroom, cart all belongings there and help the wee one use the potty. So the stroller remained folded in the car and I hefted my 29 pound "baby" for the cross-country walk to the convention center while my daughter walked and chatted beside me. As I made it over potholes, through lines of parking traffic and onto the crosswalk to reach the safety of indoors, I noticed a familiar face STILL standing on the sidewalk, waiting for the tram. My husband. All of you moms can feel me, can't you? Since I had already been through so much in the first 30 minutes since my arrival in Las Vegas, I treated myself to a Starbucks which was overpriced since they knew that all of those Pizza Conventionists needed coffee and needed it NOW. I became one of those suckers... I hoofed it back to the car and there I sat, in a minivan, in the middle of HOT Las Vegas, with my 2 children, for 45 minutes while Will set up the show. I had to call Cara for sanity. So here is my top 10...

10. Be sure to smile and enjoy your children in the beginning of the trip because by the end, you'll need those happy memories to guide your safe return home.

9. If you're by yourself in Vegas with 2 children, you'll be spending a lot of time in the car. Boy, am I glad we got a car with a DVD player in it.

Caffeine, anyone?

8. When your daughter wants to see dolphins at "Sea World" and can't stop talking about it, you'd better shell out the $13 it takes to go to the Mirage and watch the dolphins at play. Yeah, it will take all of your lunch money but who needs to eat when you can use up ONLY 30 minutes of the 8 hours you're alone with them before the kids get bored and want to go eat...with the $13 you now don't have.

7. Make sure you walk to the front of the "Ariel" statue in the middle of the hotel lobby before agreeing to take your daughter's picture in front of it. That way you'll realize that it's naked and say "no" before you make a scene getting your daughter to stand still so her heart isn't broken when the picture comes out blurry. Also, so that the bystanders won't think you're "that" kind of mom whose morals aren't as high as theirs (before they go gamble away their life savings...)

6. Don't have lofty ideas about your children sleeping in a hotel room just because you got a suite and your children are "exhausted." What baby would rather sleep on a piece of foam when they can be rocked by the hour by their worn-out mother. 10:00pm became the new bedtime and we didn't have to worry about Will being late to work. 6:00am remained wake-up time. Also, the only naptime was to and from shopping in the car. Try telling Tyler that he needed to rest a while.
5. Forget about your diet or your gym routine. Desserts like this miniature tiramisu were enough to make me think of getting 2 desserts. GASP! The horror! The Mandalay Bay Buffet and the Rio were our buffets of choice. I think I ate a tankful of snow crabs on my own but also polished off everything else creamy, laden with butter, and dripping in chocolate. Las Vegas is the city of sin and one of them is definitely gluttony. I've got to pray for forgiveness on that one.

4. NEVER drive down Las Vegas Blvd. in the middle of the morning, middle of the afternoon or middle of the evening...that pretty much means at any time. It may be beautiful and full of lights but it will take you an hour to get somewhere that should have taken you 2 minutes. Also, have your DVD player running at all times to avoid the sightings of other various things you don't need your 4-year old viewing.

3. Know the locations of every outlet, strip mall, and shopping center within several miles. When you're by yourself with the kids, any toy anywhere will make the time seem shorter and the fun seem...well, endless?? Fun wouldn't be the word I'd use to describe 3 tired, hungry people in the middle of an outlet mall in Las Vegas but the coin-operated machines scattered throughout at least gave me a break from chasing them.

2. If your children are becoming out-of-control shoppers, they will find endless entertainment in the wilds of nature, throwing rocks. At this point, you won't care what they're doing as long as you can see them and they are enjoying themselves. Sitting on the ground in the middle of the sidewalk while they throw the rocks is not beneath you either...

And the top tip is this:

1. Have money with you at all times. Nothing is as embarassing as running out of cash, wanting to buy your children some "penny candy" at a candy stand and not having the money. It was only $1.95 for a 1/4 pound and yours truly only had 25 cents. The candy lady lookd at me like I had a disease. This was after I scraped together change to buy lunch at Burger King. In Las Vegas, people carry cash...and lots of it. It is in your best interest to conform to the social habits of the society. Be able to afford $1 worth of candy.

Needless to say, the 3 Lees aren't going to be returning to Vegas any time soon...

A Painful Loss

I wanted to dedicate today's entry to one of my favorite people. My Aunt Lynette is someone who has colored my life with laughter, joy, love, and her awesome sense of humor. It was heartbreaking when she passed away last month of a very rare cancer and I miss her every hour of every day. I have so many memories of her that will stay with me forever. She was one of my favorite people on this earth and I miss her more than I can express. Every moment with her was filled with laughter and honesty. I could tell her anything on my heart and she would be there to listen and encourage me. I still talk to her every day and I know she hears me. Aunt Lynette, I love you!!

Me, my Aunt Lynette, and my sister Cara at Point Defiance in Washington a loooong time ago. Look at our High School hair.

Aunt Lynette with Bogart, one of her "kids."

This is me and my Uncle Dannie, Aunt Lynette's hubby. Let me say, he is one of the most selfless, devoted, loyal men I know. He took care of Lynette in every way while she was sick and was by her side until she passed away. I have so much respect for this man and I love him so much. Thank you, Uncle Dannie, for remaining close to us and for leaning on us to get you through. You are an inspiration to me and to the family and you will be loved deeply, forever.

Funny thing...

When you're a stay-at-home mom, snacks sometimes become binges, at least in my kitchen. I bought this tortilla dough that cooks in only a few minutes and is even great uncooked (ask my cousin Cheryl). For some reason today, since I only had a Lean Cuisine for lunch, I was unusually ravenous at around 4:00pm so I decided to have the world's greatest snack; a tortilla coated in butter and "sprinkled" with cinnamon and sugar. Now, my kids LOVE the dough by itself so I ended up giving them pieces of one tortilla while I cooked another. I lightly buttered it and sprinkled it with the required cinnamon and sugar, cut it into bite-size pieces and proceeded to eat it daintily with no plans to eat another. Somehow, the bag was re-opened and another one started cooking. Here's where the binge happened. With the second one (which was really the third because I had eaten some of the dough with the kids), the buttering and sugaring was equivalent to that of a Cinnabon cinnamon roll which we all know top the caloric intake for the entire day, and then rolled instead of cut for maximum eating speed. With the butter dripping out of the tortilla, I inhaled it in record time. I don't usually eat this way. If I do, I wait until the kids are asleep or I have to share. In short, being around your kitchen ALL day, EVERY day, leads to some impulsive and downright scary behavior. Just a warning for those of you who don't think this can happen to you....it can.

By the way, Tyler fell on his lip again....I think this is the beginning of a long relationship with Dr. Chon...

The Birthday Girl

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY MIKAYLA!

This is the cake Mama and Yeye (Will's parents) got for Mikayla's birthday. Of course I indulged in the fresh mango and whip cream concoction AFTER the highly caloric dinner I made of spaghetti drenched in butter and mizithra cheese. And we still have a coupon for a free ice cream at Baskin Robbins and Coldstone. Oh, did I say WE? Mikayla will definitely have help finishing them...I don't say no to ice cream.

Will and I always decorate Mikayla's door with streamers and balloons the night before her birthday so that when she wakes up, she knows it's her special day. However, last night it took Mikayla until 11:00pm to go to sleep. Every time I passed her room, she would wave at me. I was exhausted by the time we taped them to her door but it was worth it this morning when she came running into the living room saying, "I LOVE my things that are hanging from my door!" I did put 4 balloons on her door....the fourth one is...

...taken by Tyler. One minute later, he sat on it and it exploded under his ample tush.


Here's the birthday girl!

This year mommy bought her 2 small Barbies with snap-on clothing. I couldn't picture her having the bigger ones and this seemed like the lesser evil. Where did the days of Princesses go? She still loves the Disney princesses but Barbie's sneaking in there. Of course, the shorts and shirt I bought her almost disappeared in the pile of wrapping paper but her underwear didn't go unnoticed. Makers of children's underwear did us all a favor by putting characters on them so that when Mikayla got Ariel and Flounder on hers, she actually LIKED the gift. I can't believe my girl is already 4 years old! We whipped out the video of the day she was born (I don't even want to comment on the image of me laying in the hospital bed, in pain, and so pale the sheets looked off-white). That's something we definitely don't need to bring out every year.

The funniest thing that happened today was when Mikayla woke up and said, "am I four years old?" and Will said, "yes, Mikayla," and she returned that response with, "yeah!! I'm gonna be five!" My daughter, the "big girl."

Sugar and Spice

As lovely as this shot is, it's pretty rare. Our kids love each other but it's usually in the form of getting in each other's space. Unfortunately for me, it's most often accompanied by the "banshee" scream from Tyler at the first sign of toy stealing and the giggling of Mikayla as she tries to "play" with Tyler. Don't get me wrong, there are the Rockwell moments when Tyler hugs his big sister and when Mikayla returns the hug with a stranglehold. It's fun to watch their relationship grow.

The smile I love. This smile came from throwing my fake fruit across the kitchen.

Now I know there are those moms out there that would look at this picture and cry, "how could she give those kids sugar at 8 at night!!" Let me reassure you that these are Healthy Choice Fudgesicles and that I have no problem giving my children at least one sugar-laden snack every day. This includes those horrible fruit snacks that the most pure moms wouldn't dream of letting their children ingest. I also indulge them in more than the regulated 1 hour of tv some days (especially when I want to actually enjoy my shower in the morning) and, since I'm confessing, I actually bring them to Target for FUN and buy popcorn and coke to keep them happy while I window shop in the scrapbook aisle. Mothering is so much fun and I wouldn't trade it for anything. However, as a mother and a woman, I believe life is for living, not perfecting. It's ok to let them watch tv, it's ok that they sing the words, " I want to move it, move it" from a cartoon even though it's not Christian lyrics, it won't kill them to drink a few sips of Pepsi at Target and it's a treat to have fudgesicles at 8:00 at night. Live life to the fullest!

Is it Wrong?

Is it wrong to purposefully pop your child's balloon when it has outlived the party by about 2 weeks? Was taking a pin to it really THAT bad? Or throwing away their weekly Sunday school lessons that consist of a coloring page with a total of one color in one squiggly line? I guess it's bad when your child sees it in the trash and wonders why it's coated in that morning's eggshells and bacon fat. I've only had that happen a few times and I feel so bad but if I kept every piece of paper mache and glitter art that came from church, I'd have to rent out a storage unit. I try to explain that there are so many more pieces of art that mommy HAS kept but to Mikayla, I don't think it goes over too well. I'm quite sure she believes that I don't keep anything she does. I can name a few, really!! It's just one of those things about motherhood that one could feel guilty about. After thinking it through though, I don't believe it will scar them for life, just maybe for a few days. About the balloon, the death comes when the kids are asleep. They just wake up to the absence of it and we pray that we won't have to explain why their favorite toy suddenly disappeared. Just my thought for today.

Tyler and mommy at NBC Seafood, one of our weekly
traditions with Mama & Yeye (Grandma and Grandpa Lee)

At another Chinese place with Mama & Yeye

New Toilet

"New Toilet" is a Chinese saying that describes when you get something new and have to use it over and over or purposefully go out of your way to use it. That is how I'd describe our new sandbox. It is such a "new toilet" that when Mikayla woke up from her nap today and walked out of her room, she walked directly to the sliding glass door, hair a mess, no shoes, eyes half closed and said, "mom, I'm going to go play in the sandbox." It was money well spent.

You know, the thing with 2 kids is that the youngest always wants what the oldest has and the oldest always wants what the youngest has. We bought Mikayla 2 pairs of sunglasses (because, sooner or later, pair #1 will be broken or disappear) and Tyler decided he needed a pair if Mikayla had one. Since I hadn't bought any for him, I had to let him wear Mikayla's second pair. They may look black in the picture but you can't see the glamorous princess sparkles around the rims. Ah, my son. At least he's playing with balls and trucks. He'll have to try hard not to get caught up in the world of Barbie. The joys of having an older sister.

I was told by a friend of mine to be honest on this blog and not let it be a "here's how perfect my life is" diary. I'll try to be as honest as possible but probably the days I'd be most honest are the days I won't get a chance to write. All I know is that, as a mom, I try my hardest to be the kind of mom that my kids admire and hope that they'll remember all the fun times and not the "mad mom" moments that seem to prevail in the toddler years.

Uncle Joey's Birthday

Strangling each other at El Torito Grill. Amazingly, the picture came out.

Everyday Life

Tyler's new thing is walking around brushing his teeth. Of course, we have to go around mopping up drool but he thinks he's accomplishing such a big boy task.

Here's Mikayla's "weird" face. She loves giving her "funny face" when you want her to smile for the camera. Note the Christmas lights on our bed...what can I say, I love the ambiance? What wonderful kids we have!