I was just blog-hopping while my family plays the Wii in the living room and came across a friend's blog. She had tagged me with a challenge back in November. I know I'm completely late but here goes...
The rules are as follows:
1. Each player starts with eight random fact/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose people to get tagged and list their name.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and to read your blog.
So here are my 8 random facts:
1. I never dreamed I'd have 3 kids. I didn't even really know how many I wanted but I feel blessed every day by their presence.
2. I just discovered that I love to sew. I know my mom is thinking that it's about time since she tried to get my sister and me interested way back in junior high. It paid off, mom, even though it was WAY later!
3. I am finding that I love shopping for clothes, shoes, and purses, especially purses. This never used to be true of me.
4. One of my favorite foods is a perfectly cooked (pink and soft in the middle) prime rib steak. In addition to the steak, a side of creamy horseradish is in order. One of my favorite places to get said meal? The Summit House.
5. One of my weaknesses is putting high expectations on myself and then getting disappointed that I can't fulfill them.
6. I love competition, especially the days in high school when I played tennis. I miss the competition side of life quite a bit.
7. I have no regrets but do wish that I would take more risks in life.
8. My husband is one of my best friends, as are my parents and my sister. I couldn't ask for anything more.
Aly and Jenna, consider yourselves tagged
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
You Wanna do What?
First of all, I have to give a big shout out to my cousin Cheryl who not only has come over to keep me company a few days last week but is the ultimate playmate for my kids. For some reason, playing with kids comes naturally to her and I couldn't be happier! She even watched them the other night so Will and I could go out to dinner with friends. Words cannot thank you enough, Cheryl!! To be honest, I don't think my kids wanted to leave "cousin Cheryl's" house since they were having so much fun!
On to the big news of the week. The Talent Show. Now, I just want to tell you all out there that I don't know where my daughter got all of her "want to be in front of people" nerves of steel. According to my mom, I was so painfully shy when I was little that it's amazing I even ventured out from behind her skirt so that people could even see my face. I have come a long way, that is true, but to put me up in front of other people when I was 5 years old would have been a no-go. This is why, a few weeks ago, when I saw a flier for a Talent Show coming to our school in the coming weeks I thought, "ya, right, I don't think we're going to have to worry about being involved in that." How wrong I was.
Mikayla: "Mommy, mommy! RJ and Julia are doing the Talent Show! Can I do it?? Please?"
mother of friend: "oh, it will be so fun! What fun memories they will make. Does Mikayla want to do it?"
me: (under my breath"no" but what came out) "ummm, Mikayla do you want to do it?"
Mikayla: "YES, YES mommy!!"
So began the try-outs, which I had to attend, the dress rehearsal, which we all had to attend, and the final performance, which costs $4 each ticket to purchase. Initially, I wondered why in the world I was subjecting myself to such torture when there were other moms not even considering the extra, added effort of including their children in the extracurricular activities but now I'm kind of excited she's getting up there and doing something I never would have done. I'm proud of her, of the person she's becoming, of her confidence. I'm also happy for Julia's mom who lovingly coordinated the outfits and the song "Peanut Butter Jelly Time."
Here they are in the Dress Rehearsal, performing.
Lynnea was enjoying her new found freedom of walking everywhere and making smiley faces at everyone who watched her.
Oh, but let's not forget about rolling around on the gymnasium floor once we're sick of walking around. That was a highlight.
Tyler was content to sit RIGHT next to me, sucking his thumb. If only he was this subdued while potty training.
And here are the performers. Good job, guys! Can't wait for Thursday!
On to the big news of the week. The Talent Show. Now, I just want to tell you all out there that I don't know where my daughter got all of her "want to be in front of people" nerves of steel. According to my mom, I was so painfully shy when I was little that it's amazing I even ventured out from behind her skirt so that people could even see my face. I have come a long way, that is true, but to put me up in front of other people when I was 5 years old would have been a no-go. This is why, a few weeks ago, when I saw a flier for a Talent Show coming to our school in the coming weeks I thought, "ya, right, I don't think we're going to have to worry about being involved in that." How wrong I was.Mikayla: "Mommy, mommy! RJ and Julia are doing the Talent Show! Can I do it?? Please?"
mother of friend: "oh, it will be so fun! What fun memories they will make. Does Mikayla want to do it?"
me: (under my breath"no" but what came out) "ummm, Mikayla do you want to do it?"
Mikayla: "YES, YES mommy!!"
So began the try-outs, which I had to attend, the dress rehearsal, which we all had to attend, and the final performance, which costs $4 each ticket to purchase. Initially, I wondered why in the world I was subjecting myself to such torture when there were other moms not even considering the extra, added effort of including their children in the extracurricular activities but now I'm kind of excited she's getting up there and doing something I never would have done. I'm proud of her, of the person she's becoming, of her confidence. I'm also happy for Julia's mom who lovingly coordinated the outfits and the song "Peanut Butter Jelly Time."
Here they are in the Dress Rehearsal, performing.
Lynnea was enjoying her new found freedom of walking everywhere and making smiley faces at everyone who watched her.
Oh, but let's not forget about rolling around on the gymnasium floor once we're sick of walking around. That was a highlight.
Tyler was content to sit RIGHT next to me, sucking his thumb. If only he was this subdued while potty training.
And here are the performers. Good job, guys! Can't wait for Thursday!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Sharing a Birthday with my Best Friend
One of my friends brought up a good point the other day. You know that "get into Disneyland Free on your Birthday" deal? Well, the only people who would really benefit from that deal are twins. Everyone else would have to pay to have a friend come with you on your birthday and my best friend gets a free pass like I do-what a deal.
Thanks to Emily and my mom, Cara and my kids were taken care of for the morning so that Cara and I could take advantage of Disney's generosity and we spent an entire morning and afternoon at the Happiest Place on Earth. Unfortunately, I only took about 4 pictures and they all look somewhat the same so here are a few.
This was us in the parking garage as we were walking to the Park.
...and this was us after we experienced the 3-D Bug show. Yes, we did scream at some point-it has some scary parts!
Later, we rode the Toy Story ride after it was broken most of the morning and each shot as many targets as we possibly could. Eerily, this was the outcome...
We are more alike than we thought we were.
Thank you, Cara, for being my best friend, someone who knows me better than anyone, has lived life by my side and can understand what I'm thinking without me even saying a word. We've had 33 years of memories together! Can you believe it? What a blessing God gave me when he gave me you. Happy Birthday!!
Thanks to Emily and my mom, Cara and my kids were taken care of for the morning so that Cara and I could take advantage of Disney's generosity and we spent an entire morning and afternoon at the Happiest Place on Earth. Unfortunately, I only took about 4 pictures and they all look somewhat the same so here are a few.
This was us in the parking garage as we were walking to the Park.
...and this was us after we experienced the 3-D Bug show. Yes, we did scream at some point-it has some scary parts!
Later, we rode the Toy Story ride after it was broken most of the morning and each shot as many targets as we possibly could. Eerily, this was the outcome...
We are more alike than we thought we were.Thank you, Cara, for being my best friend, someone who knows me better than anyone, has lived life by my side and can understand what I'm thinking without me even saying a word. We've had 33 years of memories together! Can you believe it? What a blessing God gave me when he gave me you. Happy Birthday!!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Valentine's Fun
Valentine's Day was another average day in the Lee household but, instead of daddy being gone to work, he ended up going to a friend's house to help them move. That left me with the 3 little ones so I took them outside for a little playtime. Here they are, new rainboots and all, enjoying the outdoors.
Lynnea enjoyed the car that Mikayla got a few Christmases ago. Eventually, everyone had to have a turn because it just looked way more fun than what they were doing (the story of my kid's lives).
Then I took a turn on Mikayla's bike and rode up the street, barely, feeling the wind in my hair. Ok, so it wasn't that exhilarating and my legs hardly fit the bike but it was fun while it lasted. It's hard to steer a bike that has no brakes. Thankfully, the bike is still intact.
That afternoon, Will returned and, for dinner, he cooked for me our traditional Valentine's dinner, crab legs and steak. They were so good, especially dipped in a butter/herb sauce. Of course, it's not just the 2 of us any more so we had to share the fixin's with the kiddos. Tyler was a little intimidated by the crustaceans but Mikayla enjoyed tasting it. 
She enjoyed playing with it even more...
So did mommy..
We let the kids drink out of "big" glasses which Tyler thought was pretty fun. We all celebrated with sparkling cider (2 glasses each) and went to bed with full bellies.
Love to you all this Valentine's Day!!
Lynnea enjoyed the car that Mikayla got a few Christmases ago. Eventually, everyone had to have a turn because it just looked way more fun than what they were doing (the story of my kid's lives).
Then I took a turn on Mikayla's bike and rode up the street, barely, feeling the wind in my hair. Ok, so it wasn't that exhilarating and my legs hardly fit the bike but it was fun while it lasted. It's hard to steer a bike that has no brakes. Thankfully, the bike is still intact.
That afternoon, Will returned and, for dinner, he cooked for me our traditional Valentine's dinner, crab legs and steak. They were so good, especially dipped in a butter/herb sauce. Of course, it's not just the 2 of us any more so we had to share the fixin's with the kiddos. Tyler was a little intimidated by the crustaceans but Mikayla enjoyed tasting it. 
She enjoyed playing with it even more...
So did mommy..
We let the kids drink out of "big" glasses which Tyler thought was pretty fun. We all celebrated with sparkling cider (2 glasses each) and went to bed with full bellies.
Love to you all this Valentine's Day!!
Friday, February 13, 2009
I Need Some Sleep
I know it's been a while and my blogging has been slacking lately. If you knew the way my week has been going, you'd understand completely. On Tuesday night I got a sudden flu complete with all 5 symptoms (you can figure them out yourself) and didn't get more than 1 hour of sleep. As soon as I got over that, I got a small cold or allergies. I couldn't tell which one it was. As if that wasn't enough, Lynnea woke up at 11:00 last night crying and wouldn't stop until 2:00am, when she emitted a large amount of gas. We finally crawled into bed only to be awakened at 6 in the morning by my loveable boy. So, now you can understand the lack of posting on the blog.
On to the happenings of this weekend. My brother-in-law, John, who works at Disneyland had gotten 4 tickets to the Happiest place on earth for the opening of It's a Small World. We had debated going but eventually decided to cart the brood over for a day of magic. We got there and it was cloudy but clear. As soon as we entered the park, the rain poured. Mikayla and I were going to a birthday party anyway so we left Will and Tyler there (it stopped raining pretty quick) and went to Brent's birthday party. We got back to Disneyland at 7:00 and spent the rest of the night seeing the new Small World and riding the kid rides. We learned that Snow White will never be a favorite of the Lee kids. Here are a few shots of our time there.
With Uncle John-thanks!!!
In the parking structure wondering when the rain will stop.
The castle at night.
Lynnea, entranced by It's a Small World.
We also indulged in our See's Chocolates. Here is Tyler's face after he finished a particularly good Bordeaux. Below is a picture of the kids in the backyard. It has been a while since we played back there due to the weed overgrowth and my nightmares of Lynnea covered in mud. The faces and actions on my kids are so "them" in this picture.
And here's the face on my youngest in the position I see her most often, at my feet, crying and looking up at me asking me to hold her.
On that note, I'll say goodbye-to go pick up my baby and hold her and love her (even though she kept me awake all night).
On to the happenings of this weekend. My brother-in-law, John, who works at Disneyland had gotten 4 tickets to the Happiest place on earth for the opening of It's a Small World. We had debated going but eventually decided to cart the brood over for a day of magic. We got there and it was cloudy but clear. As soon as we entered the park, the rain poured. Mikayla and I were going to a birthday party anyway so we left Will and Tyler there (it stopped raining pretty quick) and went to Brent's birthday party. We got back to Disneyland at 7:00 and spent the rest of the night seeing the new Small World and riding the kid rides. We learned that Snow White will never be a favorite of the Lee kids. Here are a few shots of our time there.
With Uncle John-thanks!!!
In the parking structure wondering when the rain will stop.
The castle at night.
Lynnea, entranced by It's a Small World.
We also indulged in our See's Chocolates. Here is Tyler's face after he finished a particularly good Bordeaux. Below is a picture of the kids in the backyard. It has been a while since we played back there due to the weed overgrowth and my nightmares of Lynnea covered in mud. The faces and actions on my kids are so "them" in this picture.
And here's the face on my youngest in the position I see her most often, at my feet, crying and looking up at me asking me to hold her.
On that note, I'll say goodbye-to go pick up my baby and hold her and love her (even though she kept me awake all night).
Friday, February 6, 2009
Like a Kid in a Candy Store
It had been gathering dust for 7 years, sitting in the mail slot for almost a decade. It even lived through a kitchen remodel and numerous mail "weed-outs." Finally, I decided I could wait no longer and I redeemed it...it was a 1 pound gift certificate to See's Candies. I'd bought it from the child of a fellow employee for a fundraiser while I worked at the Register a loooong time ago.For some reason, I had a bad sweet tooth. I needed to taste that chocolate bliss. So I entered the "adult" candy store with my children in tow. Needless to say, they almost went crazy with the smell of chocolate in the air. Keep in mind, I haven't set foot in a See's candy store since Whittwood Mall was still a happening place ( for those of you who don't know, it has been torn down, rebuilt and renamed. It is very much improved since the "mall" days. It even has a Target!!).
Anyway, on to the moment of true joy. My gift certificate was for a pound of chocolates. In my opinion, that would be DARK chocolates, the only real kind. The older lady at the counter (why do they always have older employees at See's Candies?) told me that I could pick any chocolates I wanted to fill the pound box. What a dangerous option! As I walked past the window of chocolates, each placed on their own platform and surrounded by their own paper "bed" I felt like I was cheating on a diet I'd never even been on. I kept choosing chocolates and the lady kept telling me that I could choose "more, more, and even more!!!" I almost giggled with delight and chose only the ones that would sit in my veins long after the indulgence had passed. Only the buttercreams and truffles will do, thank you. So, after making those behind me wait as I chose carefully, letting my children walk the length of the store unattended, I finally chose my 22 pieces. Here they are (well, most of them).
...and here's a close-up of the bordeaux, one of my favorites.
As the lady wrapped my own box of "gluttony" she made sure to remind me to come early for Valentine's day. She didn't ask me if I was coming to get chocolates for V-day, she wanted to make sure that when I came, I did so before Friday. Did my wide eyes and all-too-exuberant expression at the store make her think I'd be back? I think I started something and it might be a difficult habit to quit.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
What a Weekend!
This weekend was definitely full of accomplishments! For quite a while, I've wanted...wait...NEEDED to weed the garden bed in the back. There are a few reasons I've been avoiding it. One of those would happen to be the fact that I couldn't see any of my original flowers through the 2 foot weeds. Who wants to get up on a 4 1/2 foot tall planter box and rip out weeds? Gardening is not therapy for me. I wish it was because it sure does take up a lot of time. Secondly, sweating and bugs and exerting significant effort with a shovel are not things I categorize as "fun." Fortunately, my dad came over to help out which Will and I appreciated very much! Dad helped Will put in the trellis's for my climbing rose which had taken over the bed. I think all of us came away with scrapes and scratches from old "Joseph" (the name of the rose). The most embarrassing part of weeding was when I got to the end and realized that, through the weeds, our orange tree had grown about 20 oranges that I hadn't even seen. They're quite delicious even without love and care.
Here's a shot of Dad installing the trellis's to hold up the climbing rose. At this point, all of the weeds were gone. I should have taken a "before" picture. On Sunday, I went to the "Surf City Marathon" to watch my amazing sister run her first 1/2 marathon. My cousin Cheryl and Mikayla went with me.
We had to wake up pretty early and try to figure out where the best place to see the racers were but we ended up seeing Cara for approximately 5 seconds as she ran past us near mile 11. She is such an inspiration to me! As we were standing there (after drinking our Venti Starbucks drinks laden with sugar), both Cheryl and I decided that it would be pretty cool to run a 1/2 marathon. Cara tells me that I can do it. I've only run about 4 miles at a time so right now I'm pretty tentative but I'd love to be able to run alongside my sister. She is absolutely amazing and I'm so proud of her.Frankly, I'm kind of surprised I got this shot. I believe I was jumping up and down and screaming as I was taking it...pretty steady if I say so myself.
This was what the beach looked like during the marathon. I love living in California!!
Oh, and one last milestone of the weekend-Lynnea is now an official walker!! She finally decided that she did not need to hang on to anyone's fingers to do a perfectly fine job of walking. As excited as I am with this new revelation, I'm having to relive the days of chasing, blocking valuables and restraining while in stores. *sigh* With every new thing, there comes a challenge. I welcome the challenge with open arms. Way to go, Lynnea!
Of course, now that she's mobile, everything is more interesting and she bends down to see something just because she can.
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