Life With Our Brown Eyed Girls

This Week

2012-02-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

This week I am here ....

Luckily there is no snow, but the weather is a little bit chilly ...which is ok with me - as long as there is no snow and/or ice.

Thank goodness for this:

Because that means I can skype the girls everyday while I am gone. It's awesome to be able to see them ... however I hate seeing myself in the picture at the bottom of the screen ... especially after I have showered and put on my pjs ... good thing my girls love me no matter what I look like.

Before I left I did a little bit of decorating (Casey this is for you) ...

after which my neighbor's kid came over and told me it wasn't fair that we had Valentines decorations and they didn't ... Target $ bin last year.

And just because she's cute (although she had a fit right before this picture was taken and then wouldn't smile normal) ..

Random Monday Musings

2012-01-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

I am so not a fan of Mondays ... not sure who is, unless you have the day off ... good thing it is more than half way over.

This weekend I skipped Chatty's soccer game to work out or should I say get my a** kicked during a workout. I felt a little guilty but Chatty assured me it was fine if I miss the next 4 games since we just had a tournament a few weekends ago and we sat through 4 games. Speaking of Chatty, I ate all of her Skittles and threw the bag away so she won't notice!

Bia's bestie's Mom (got that?) texted me last week about throwing a shared birthday party for the girls. Bia's bestie's birthday is the day after Bia's. The best part - her Mom already booked the place. I love having friends who are as Type A as me!

There were 15 kids in Chatty's Sunday school class yesterday. They had to recite the 12 Disciples in front the of the congregation. They did great but when they got back to class it was chaotic. I kept praying the sermon would be short ... I am switching to Bia's class next year, they are easier and calmer.

I made homeade salsa yesterday and my hands are still burning from the jalapeno peppers. I was too lazy to put on plastic gloves ... lesson learned again!

Bia is wearing a navy and white gingham checked dress and navy and white striped leggings ... I told her to tell everyone she dressed herself.

Only a couple hours left of work then soccer practice, exercise class, homework and all of the other things I am forgetting that have to get done tonight.

A Night of Notes

2012-01-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

I woke up yesterday not feeling too hot but shook it off and came to work. Got progressively worse and headed home - 24 hour stomach bug. This morning when I woke up I found the following note on my vanity in the bathroom ....

Needless to say she (Lacey - aka Chatty) is my favorite today!! BTW - she had to do an oral presentation yesterday on a famous person and she chose Mia Hamm. I got her a USA soccer shirt and she wore her bright green cleats for her presentation! Her teacher took pictures of everyone in costume and thought Chatty's cleats were so wild she had to get them in the picture too!

Since I wasn't feeling too well I went to bed early (very early) and was woken up by a ringing phone at 8:30 pm. Mr. ESPN answered and I could hear him talking (although not anything clearly) but figured out who was on the other line. So when Mr. ESPN came to bed I asked him and he told me about the conversation - well as many details as guys give you. Since he thought I was asleep he left the following note next to the coffee maker ....

In case you can't read his handwriting (i.e. he should have been a Dr.) it says due date Sept 1, 6 weeks 4 days along, Gina is pregnant. I have to give him props because details are not his sort of thing and he really put a lot of effort into this one.

And on a completely unrelated note (no pun intended) ... a picture of my soccer player champ ... her team took first place in their division last weekend.

Sorry for the odd size - I cropped her friend out of the picture since i didn't check with the mom about posting it on the blog.

Since the competition wasn't too stiff the coach was able to rotate players quite a bit (making Mr. ESPN and the other parents very happy). Chatty took advantage of it and scored 5 goals in one game ... I think she was trying to send a message! LOL! We had a great time with the other families and the girls had a blast ... so much so I have been in recovery mode all week!

Why I am HAPPY

2012-01-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

Since my last post was a rant I thought I would do the opposite here. I am going to tell you why I am happy today .....

It's Friday ... enough said! Plus I have a half day and am working from home (shhh .. don't tell anyone).
Soccer resolution - Mr. ESPN spoke with the Director of Coaching and then there was a big team meeting with parents and coach and Director. Lucky for me I have a 4 year old so I couldn't attend. But the results were good and other parents stood up and a consensus was achieved. Thank goodness in small miracles!!
We are heading to Tucson today for a soccer tournament ... girls are excited (Bia told Mr. ESPN she loves Tucson more than Disneyland because last time we went with our good friends the Cottrells) ... wish Mr. ESPN and I could sneak off and see our Alma mater play tomorrow but of course the scheduling people scheduled the ZONA game the same time as Chatty's soccer game. What were they thinking ... do you think Chatty would notice if we missed 1 game????
Bia climbed into bed with me to cuddle this morning ... love that kid!
Words with Friends ... I am addicted! Plus I love beating Mr. ESPN at it! So funny I have a game with my aunt, my Mam-ma, a couple with Mr. ESPN and some friends.
I nagged Mr. ESPN enough about running a full marathon that he had a stress test done in November and they found something. They are going to rescan in 6 months but for now he can't run at all per doctor's orders. Needless to say I am so HAPPY I nagged him enough mention it to our family doctor and that our family doctor was proactive enough to order the stress test (see nagging can be good!!). I am truly blessed.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Soccer Mom

2012-01-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

This is my rant - I have contemplated posting this for a couple weeks and decided I just need to vent. It probably won't interest most of you but it's my blog and I need to post it.

Chatty plays club soccer (yes I know plenty of people out there think she is too young to start in a club league - but she loves it and would play everyday if we let her and she has learned so much). Chatty adores her team and coach, we love the other families on the team - we have a great group of parents. I am the team accountant for her team. Needless to say I put in my fair share of time doing stuff for the team and making sure coaches get paid, etc.

Our league says we are developmental at this age group, however players have been slotted into positions and don't rotate much, if at all. In addition the substitution during games is not very fluid. Mr. ESPN and I vowed we would never be those parents who complained about the coaching. Well something happened and Mr. ESPN got so frustrated (which is a fairly rare occurrence) he sent an e-mail to the coach asking about her coaching philosophy and why positions and players aren't rotated. He also discussed it with her over the telephone. The coach had several reasons none of which Mr. ESPN or I agreed with (i.e. some parents only want their kids playing certain positions). I want my child to develop and learn all aspects of the game as I firmly believe this will help her (as well as the other players on the team). Yes I am competitive and yes I want to win and so does my child. But I want my child to learn all aspects of the game and positions, develop her skills and have fun. Is that too much to ask? How do I accomplish this - anyone, anyone, Bueller???

Being a parent is hard work and this is piddly stuff compared to what some of you are dealing with.

Back in the Routine

2012-01-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

This week has been a little tough on all of us ... Mr. ESPN went back to work Monday, I went back to work Tuesday and the girls went back to school yesterday. Needless to say the early morning alarm clock ringing is not music to my ears after two weeks off. The only one who had no issues adjusting back to the routine is Chatty, who bounced in my bathroom yesterday morning at 6 am dressed and excited for school. Well I guess 1 for 4 isn't horrible. Oh how I wish Bia and I had her enthusiasm in the mornings!

Anyway - back to soccer practice and games and tournaments and dance and homework and all the other stuff that seems to occupy so much of our time. Add to that a little congestion and cough to 3 out of 4 of our family members and there it is - our normal routine! Now if I could just nail down some healthy meals my kids will actually eat, time to exercise, more sleep, etc. my routine would be even better! Maybe it will happen this year ... I can always hope right?

Year End Catch Up

2011-12-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

Even though I am a terrible blogger these days, I figured I would try and recap all the Christmas festivities before the year ends. We had a busy month and while it was enjoyable, I have to admit I am kind of glad it is over. My in-laws left yesterday morning (Chatty cried ... a lot) ... Mr. ESPN went to work ... I think he strategically plans it that way so he doesn't have to help get the house back in order. All of the Christmas decorations are down and back in the attic ... courtesy of me. My arms look like I got in a fight with my tree and the tree won. But it is snugly in it's box in the garage cabinet so I am happy. So back to the festivities ... warning - picture overload - I am too lazy to separate into more than one post.

The girls saw Santa at Boys and Girls Club - with Bia acting her normal shy self.

We decorated sugar cookies with Nana

We decorated our reusable Gingerbread (plastic) house.

The Godfather stopped by for a visit with his mom and sister.

We attended Christmas Eve services and our kids were better behaved than most in attendance (that's what I call a Christmas miracle)

Santa and Grandparents brought lots of great gifts to the family including an iPAD, soccer goal, camera, soccer clothes, Just Dance 3, puzzles, movies, etc.

That's wrap ... time to go play Just Dance 3 with the girls ... I hope you all had a great holiday!!

How Do You Do IT??

2011-12-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

Seriously I don't know how you all do it ... have a life ... blog .... jobs ..... family .... kids! Ugh I just can't find the time or motivation to blog these days. Maybe it is because I sit on a computer all day at work and don't feel like getting on when I get home or that by the time I get home I am just too tired or have too many other things to do.

OK - so what have we been up to??? Birthday parties, soccer, Thanksgiving, soccer, dance, soccer, decorating, soccer ... do you see a theme here?

Birthday Party with Face Painting

Soccer Ball and #11

Of course she wanted a Puppy - her favorite

Falling asleep in the car on the way to the

USA vs Sweden Women's Soccer Game. Drool much?

Lunch at Oregano's ... mmmm good!

Tonight it Bia's dance performance. Hopefully she doesn't have stage fright! Nana and Poppa are joining us for her tap debut! Can't wait. This weekend Chatty has a soccer tournament half way to LA - seriously it is on the other ~~freakin~~ side of town. Oh well the things we do for our kids!

We decorated the house for Christmas, although I must admit I am not really in the spirit and Christmas songs are kind of annoying me, not sure why. Maybe because I have done very little (almost none) Christmas shopping, no baking (my new oven is being delivered next week - Merry Christmas/Happy Anniversary/Happy Birthday to me!) and we haven't even put the ornaments on the tree yet. Hopefully the spirit will give me a swift kick in the rear this weekend!

My still undecorated tree - it has lights and pinecones and an angel

The kids ~~tacky~~ sweet little tree

Have a great weekend!

Run Like a Girl

2011-11-08T07:37:00.000-08:00

As many of you know I participated in the Women's Half Marathon supporting the Komen Foundation. Our team was Mamas for the Tatas (I can't take credit for the cute name). Through the support of our family and friends we raised almost $5000! For those of you who supported me, I can not thank you enough! You truly are ROCK STARS!! Your support is what kept me running until the end and helped me shave 8 minutes off of my personal best!!

A special thanks to Mr. ESPN and my girls ... even if Chatty thought it was boring to come watch me run!

Gotta love Bia and her constipated/fake smile

Strategic Planning and Other Mishaps

2011-11-03T07:07:00.000-07:00

Strategic Planning - Coordinating a business trip to NJ to coincide with my Aunt's visit to NYC for a girls' weekend.

Mishap - Locking the keys in my rental car just before I head into the city to meet my Aunt and her friend.

Yes it did happen ... it was raining and took over an hour and a half to get someone to unlock my rental car. Then I had to drive to the airport, catch a train to Penn Station and then walk/run a mile to the apartment (in the rain). The worst part was we had tickets to Wicked that night and I was afraid I would miss it. Luckily we were only a few minutes late to the show. At the time it wasn't funny ... but looking back now it is pretty comical and makes for a good story.

After an eventful Thursday night, I woke up to this view Friday morning (btw - not sure what is up with my camera but all of my pictures are hazy ...)

The Hudson River

After some NY bagels we ventured to the Upper West Side and walked and walked and walked ....

Love the fall colors in Central Park

Then we hopped on the subway and headed down to lower Manhattan and Wall Street. I had to bite my tongue when we passed the protesters but I did say to my Aunt "I hope they freeze their a**'s off!". We had tickets to the 9/11 Memorial. Before we went to it we headed into Trinity Church. It was very emotional to see all of the items on display.

After that, we got in line and headed into the 9/11 Memorial. Very beautiful and tastefully done. A lot of people were taking their pictures at the sight. I sort of felt like it was sacrilege to take a photo of myself in front of the memorial.

No words ....

As we were leaving they were raising the flag outside the memorial. Even though they said the tickets were sold out for months, I was able to get some online two days before we went. I highly encourage everyone to go see this. Very moving.

The next day we were part of a Once in a Lifetime Event (according to the NY news). October snowstorm in the northeast .... I guess that's what happens when a someone from central Florida, South Beach and the Desert spend a weekend in NYC! We bring the crazy weather.

The view from our apartment on Saturday afternoon

Making the most of the weather-chilling our beer on the balcony

Luckily the weather cleared on Sunday ... one last photo before we headed home ...

Thanks Aunt Susan and Fran ... I had a great time!!

Halloween

2011-11-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a great Halloween. To be honest this really isn't my favorite holiday. I do enjoy hanging out with my neighbors and seeing the kids get excited about their costumes, however I am glad it is over. I am ready to move on to the other BIG holidays ... but before then a ~~ton~~ few pictures from our adventures last night.

Yes Chatty was a soccer player - not much of a costume but she couldn't make a decision and it didn't cost me any additional cash so I went with it.

Bia has mastered the fake smile

Bia and her BFF

Chatty and her Knight in Shining Armor (our neighbor Jack)

Bia, BFF and BFF's lil sister

Riding in style

Mr. ESPN's creation

Enjoying her stash

As usual we had a great time with our neighbor's. We were so glad Bia's BFF's family could join us this year - they are so much fun! Stay tuned for a post on my NYC adventures!

Where Did All of the Candy Corn Go???

2011-10-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

I am having some serious issues with my local grocery store. They don't have this:

Specifically this kind:

I have searched high and low in the candy aisle and the Halloween aisle and can't locate it. Don't they know it isn't Halloween if you don't have Brach's candy corn? Chatty tried to get me to buy the cheap generic stuff - little does she know that the generic kind tastes like wax. She must get that from her dad. Mr. ESPN has been know to buy generic candy corn. It's kind of like buying Pepsi (ugh!) instead of Coke!

Favorites

2011-10-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

Gotta love a morning when you succeed in making 2/3 of your family mad at you before 6:00 a.m. Success?! You tell me. You would never guess the one person that was happy with me ... the one who is usually the most unpleasant in the morning ... Sweet Little Bia. Let's just say she is my favorite right now - but don't tell the others!

But seriously how could you not

think this one is my favorite???

Ordinary Life

2011-09-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

I keep trying to think of stuff to blog about and I don't have anything exciting. My life is pretty ordinary for a working mom .....

Spending countless hours on the soccer field
Making lunches and dinners for kids who either don't eat them or complain the whole time they are forced to eat them
Trying to work with a teacher who doesn't e-mail (even though she has a school issued MAC) and isn't the most communicative
Trying to teach a 4 year old that she isn't in charge and that screaming will not get her what she wants
Painting cabinets in my free time (uh - what's that)
Trying to train for my half marathon that is 4 weeks away and raise a few more dollars in the process (thanks to everyone who donated - you rock!)
Wishing my house would clean itself
Listening to countless stories about a girl in Chatty's class who can speak Chinese (umm... duh - she is from China)
Wishing for cooler weather
Enjoying Sunday evening dinners on the patio (or the porch as Bia refers to it)
Trying to spend more time as a family ....

So that's pretty much it. Nothing extraordinary, just our ordinary (but good) life!

Life As I Know It

2011-09-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

I'd like to tell you all I have been galavanting across France, sitting in cafes drinking chilled wine and eating pastries with Mr. ESPN and that is why I haven't blogged in a couple weeks, but no that is not the case. In reality I have been working, volunteering, chauferring, baking, painting, cooking, making lunches, disciplining and oh yeah sweating (because it is still over a 100 degrees here). Basically living my life as I know it. Nothing different from any of you other moms out there ...

But for as tired and worn out as I am, I am thankful I have so much going on and that I really have a very good life with a great family and wonderful friends. I oftentimes forget this and start to wallow in my own self pity, but then something happens. For me it happened yesterday when I found out a co-worker lost their FIL. My co-worker and his wife are my age. It's sad that it takes an event like that to make me stop and really look around and see how blessed I am.

So in between the parenting, volunteer meetings, Sunday School teaching, soccer games, dance, fundraisers, work and everything else that seems to run my life these days, I will stop and remember to be grateful for all that I have (even when Bia is throwing her third tantrum of the day and it isn't even 7:00 a.m.).

The Life of a Soccer Mom

2011-09-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

Yep that's my life these days. Last weekend I experienced a whole new level of soccer mom status. Chatty's team was in a tournament (hosted by our league). That meant a Friday night game, Saturday morning game, working as a volunteer Saturday, Saturday night game and Sunday morning game. Chatty's team played very well - won on Friday night and Saturday morning and tied on Saturday night. Which meant they were in the championship game on Sunday morning. The Sunday morning game was a nail biter and with a final score of 4 to 4. Normally for this age group if you tie it ends in a tie, but someone in our league forgot that when they set up the tournament and according to the tournament rules, they had to go to penalty kicks. Ummm - guess who is one of the goalies and was asked to step in and perform a Hope Solo? Yep - Chatty. Guess who was a nervous wreck? No, not the goalie, the mom of the goalie - ME! Chatty had never done penalty kicks but was up for the task. She stopped all but one kick! She did an awesome job. I have never felt more relieved and excited at the same time. Our entire team and coach have worked so hard and it was so fun to see it pay off!! Chatty loved how all of her team ran out to hug her after the kicks were over!! So sweet!!

The whole team (minus one player missing that day)

Sporting her medal

We also squeezed in lunch with Chatty's Godfather, Uncle Greg! It really was an amazing weekend!

Oh and we also celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary

Picture courtesy of Photographer Chatty

Quotes of the weekend:
"I have to protect my house, I can't let anyone in my house!" - Chatty on defending the goal. Mr. ESPN's response - "Maybe we should buy her some Under Armour."

When asked to set the table Sunday night, "I am a Champion, Champions don't set the table" - Chatty. My response "You are part of this family and I am in charge of this family and you WILL set the table."

As if all of this excitement wasn't enough, Bia is starting dance class today! She is beyond excited and I can't wait to watch her dance!!

Conversations with Chatty - The Wii Version

2011-08-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

We just got Wii Just Dance 2. The girls are obsessed with it. We have had several family dance nights and needless to say it is great entertainment in so many ways, as you can see from my conversations with Chatty.

During a dance ....
Chatty: "What kind of music is this?"
Me: "Indian music"
Chatty: "I love Indian Music!"
Chatty: "I love Indians!"

After the little safety message comes on showing how to hold the remote ...
Chatty: "You always want to have safety in this house"
Me: "Why?"
Chatty: "Cause if you don't and you break the tv you pay for it!"
Me: "You got that right."

After she finally beat me at a dance:
Chatty: "Boo Yeah!" - can you say she watches too much ESPN???

It's Almost That Time of Year

2011-08-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite times of year ... COLLEGE FOOTBALL!! Can you feel the excitement (if not just humor me people)??? While I am an avid sports fan, I am still a girl (duh). Which means I understand the importance of looking good while watching a game and/or tailgating. I wanted to share something I am loving these days .... Original Retro Brand .... cool styles and super super soft and comfy! No they are not paying me to endorse them (although I would gladly accept some free apparel) I just love their stuff and oh yeah their founder is an ARIZONA alum (me too)! Here are a few things I like ...

I have this shirt ... bonus it makes my boobs look big!

I think this would look lovely on Dee and Casey

I might need to get this one for my brother ... or me

Anyway - browse around! The t-shirts aren't cheap but they are worth it, especially if you like soft t-shirts with a vintage vibe!

**All pictures courtesy of http://originalretrobrand.com/**

Just Another Morning in the ESPN House

2011-08-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

It was a ~~fabulous~~ quotable morning in the ESPN house ...

Bia - "I don't want to wear that skirt it doesn't spin well ... MooooooooooooooooooM, don't leave!!"
Chatty - "I don't want to wear that outfit! I don't like it!"

Mr. ESPN (after tantrums by both girls and lots of tears) - "I can't believe it is going to be worse than this when they are teenagers, there is so much drama right now."
Me - "Oh you just wait dear ... we are in for it!"

Chatty -"Mom, Bia told me I have to get her shoes for her, but I don't! I feel like I am her servant!"
Me - "Nice use of the word servant Chatty. All I can say is welcome to my world."

Me - "Lord help me make it through this morning, please!"

School, Fashion and Boys

2011-08-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

What a week it has been. I am happy to report that Bia is loving her new school (thank the Lord) and Chatty is having an awesome start to 2nd grade. Some tidbits from our week:

Bia is buying hot lunch for the first time today. Mr. ESPN said we didn't let Chatty do that during Pre-K. I looked at him and said "Times are changing dude!" Plus who could turn down the option of mini corn dogs or cheese pizza especially when big sis is buying hot lunch?
Chatty is not a fashionista by any means. Yesterday I picked her up and she was wearing a black shirt with navy shorts ... all together wrong. I asked Mr. ESPN why he let her wear that to school and he states "I thought you picked it out." I informed him if she ever doesn't match please assume she picked it out not me!
I think I know what the next versions of Real Housewives should be ... Real Soccer (or insert your sport here) Moms of the Desert. Seriously the drama and politics of sports leagues is all together annoying!
In the car Chatty mentioned how her friend went to Hawaii. I casually mentioned that I wanted to go back to Hawaii. Chatty said, "I want to go to Hawaii too" and then Bia pipes in "I want to go back to Tucson - I love Tucson!" Nice - I love Tucson too (home of my alma matter) but not where necessarily where I want to vacation ....
I signed Bia up for a dance class once a week. I need to get her a leotard and tap shoes. I may secretly buy some tap shoes for myself - I have always wanted to learn and we have lots of tile in our house!
I am going to see The Help tomorrow. I have a half day. When I mentioned this to my family, Chatty responded by saying, "That's not fair!" To which I wanted to respond - "Get used to it, life isn't fair!"
Last but not least ... Chatty's friend who went to Hawaii, is a boy. He brought back gifts for her - seashells, necklace and a postcard. I think he is sweet on her. Every time I see him he asks "When can Chatty and I have a play date?" Yesterday he did it in front of his dad, so I asked his dad for his e-mail (what else could I do). After we got home Chatty gave me a paper with her friend's dad's phone number (apparently before I got to B&G to pick her up her friend asked his dad to write down his telephone number to give to me). I asked Mr. ESPN what we should do. In typical Father of a girl fashion ... "Put it off as long as possible" - Nice ... maybe I should avoid eye contact with him too ... what do you think?

First Day of School

2011-08-11T20:18:00.001-07:00

So Thursday was the first day of school. In true ESPN family tradition we were all up in plenty of time. But as usual in the end I was running late, resulting in Chatty yelling to me to "Hurry Up!" I almost shouted a profanity back at her. I was so frustrated because I was the one responsible for making sure they looked picture perfect, brushed their teeth, etc., but I bit my tongue. It didn't help matters that is was hotter than you know what outside and super humid (well for us anyway).

Obligatory Cheesy Smile Pic

This was probably the happiest Bia was all day ...

Family Picture at the bus stop ...

check out Bia's face ...

Chatty and our neighbor and best buddy JR

So the bus came and Chatty couldn't even turn around and say bye to her mom ... yeah she is so over us already and she is only in 2nd grade! Then the waterworks began (for Bia not me). Bia didn't understand why she couldn't ride the bus too. She is attending Pr-K at the elementary school (full day) but bussing doesn't start until Kindergarten.

We took Bia to her Pre-K orientation (she knows 2 kids in her class) and as we left she said - "I don't want to come back tomorrow." I looked at Mr. ESPN and said "It's all you babe - I am heading to work!" He dropped her off this morning and she seemed to do ok.

Outside her classroom in front of her apple

2011-08-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hi - my name is Cindy and I am the world's worst blogger! Seriously I have been so busy and not motivated at all to blog ... it has been several weeks. So here's a quick recap of what we have been up to.

We spent the last two weeks in NJ/PA - the girls attended Grandma/Grandpa Camp 2011 in PA while I worked in NJ. Chatty enjoyed it so much she requested to stay an additional week. Bia not so much. Girlfriend had a great time but was ready to come home or at least be with me! Mr. ESPN joined us for one of the weeks and vacationed at the hotel while I worked (rough life huh). Here are a few pics ..

And this is what Mr. ESPN does when he vacations at a hotel - he turns the sink into a cooler.

Staye tuned for First Day of School Pictures ....

Summertime

2011-07-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

So I keep reading all of these wonderful posts about how much everyone loves summertime. While I enjoy various aspects of summer (swimming, hanging out at the beach, vacations, etc.) I do not enjoy the heat. I am so over it. That's what living in the desert will do to you. I went running this morning at 5:00 a.m. and it was 90 degrees outside and humid (well humid for here). Needless to say I thought I was going to die!

Good thing I didn't die running this morning, otherwise Mr. ESPN would have to pack for the girls (just imagine - red shirt orange skirt, striped top and polka dot shorts). The girls and I are headed back east on Saturday ... The in-laws are picking us up and the girls are going to spend a week with them while I work in NJ (they live about an hour away in PA). Mr. ESPN will be home enjoying the peace and quiet (and hopefully cleaning and doing some other small projects) for a week before flying out to meet us.

Guess what ... they are having an extreme heat wave on the east coast (well pretty much everywhere) right now. So much for my infinite wisdom and planning this work trip/vacay for us to cool off a bit!

I'll be back later - if I don't melt!

Just Another Day in the Desert

2011-07-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I got up at the crack of dawn (i.e. way too early) to go for a morning run in my neighborhood and what do I see:

A pair of these (javelina's) trotting across the street into the wash. I almost high tailed it home (I had just started my run) but they didn't see me and were going a different direction. Just another day of desert living!

Random Encounters and Copy Machine Talk

2011-07-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

So I moved back to my old office about two weeks ago. However this time I am on the complete opposite side of the building from where I used to sit, so I don't know many people over here. I was walking down the aisle the first full day I was here and ran into someone I graduated high school with and probably hadn't seen since grad night 19 (oh my I am old) years ago .... small world I tell ya!

Last week I was waiting at the copy machine returns to print and another employee approaches.

Him: "Waiting for some stuff to print?"
Me: "Yes" - duh why else would I be here dumb a**
Him: "So dark brown hair there and dirty-blonde here" (looking from my employee badge to my current hair color)
Me: "Yes ... it's called a good stylist" - what the heck ...

Seriously what guy notices the difference between your hair color on your employee badge and the hair color on your head?? Especially someone who doesn't even know you?

Remember Me???

2011-06-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

I am that slacking blogger who blamed my last blogging hiatus on getting ready for vacation. It seems that I always have some sort of excuse (now I know where my kids get it from). Rather than listing my excuses for not blogging, I thought I would give you a recap of what we have been up to around here ...

Trying not to melt in the hotter than Hades temps here ... 116 (no that isn't a typo)... yeah I know it is a DRY HEAT but it's still hot in an oven!
Bia's been making the grocery list which includes raisins, apples, pool toys and Bud Light for Mom. Love my mini-me!!
I moved offices ... back to my old building - 10 minutes from home!! So happy but will miss my buddy the KingstonQueen.
Speaking of her we had a fabulous 30th Birthday party for her at the ESPN house. I think Chatty enjoyed it the most because her husband kept giving Chatty cookies and cupcakes!
My computer crashed at work - why is it that the Help Desk moves at a snail's pace???
Swimming and lots of it - refer back to the 1st bullet point
Trying to decide what to do on our trip back east ... Statue of Liberty, American Girl Store, etc.
Looking forward to a long weekend hanging by the pool with our neighbors!!

Vacation 2011

2011-06-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

So this is going to be a long, massive, picture filled post (thank me now for warning you). So here you go ...

New Smyrna Beach, FL -

ESPN Family Vacation 2011

Where we indulged in Mr. ESPN's favorite beverage

We swam and built sand castles with cousins

We gave lots of hugs and kisses

We didn't smile for many pictures

We learned to fish from our Uncle

We proudly caught lots of fish

We refused to go anywhere near the fish and instead stayed on the other end of the dock

We ventured to the top of the lighthouse

(some of us had to be carried by dad)

We posed for pictures at the top of the lighthouse

We enjoyed the view from the top

We went on evening walks along the beach

We ate lots of fresh seafood by the water

(some enjoyed it a little more than others)

We watched the boats

We visited with Great-Grandmas

We hunted for bears

(and did so in an 80's Prom Dress - Bia)

We visited with Moose

We met a shark out of water

And visited with Yogi (the dog - not the bear)!

Needless to say we had a pretty busy week with most of it spent at the beach and/or eating! Thanks to all of my family for everything, we had a great time with you all!!

Slacking and Packing

2011-06-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

I have been completely slacking on blog posts - and I have plenty of excuses but the best one being I am super busy at work and on top of that we are getting ready to go on vacation. So needless to say my spare time (whatever the heck that is) is spent packing for our family, because in case you didn't know, they aren't very good at it.

Bia started packing last week. Her backpack includes a large entourage of lovies and blankies and random ~~crap~~ toys. Then there is Chatty whose only real concern is that we remember her I-POD Touch (assuming she isn't grounded from it again before Saturday), bathing suit and goggles. Priorities people! Plus she figures mom will take care of it. Then there is Mr. ESPN who only has to pull out his clothes. I asked him nicely to pull them out his clothes this week. He said he would do that on Friday. Our flight leaves at the crack of dawn Sat so I may or may not forget to pack his stuff!
Anyway we are all looking forward to going back here:

It has been far too long since we have been back as a family - 2 years! I am not sure who is more excited - Bia, Chatty, Mr. ESPN or me?! I can already hear the waves crashing against the shore ...

Dinner Time Conversations

2011-06-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Last night at the dinner table the girls were talking about when they were in my tummy ...
Chatty: "Mom how did we get out of your tummy?"
Me: "The doctor"
Chatty: "No really tell me the truth how did we get out of your tummy?"
Mr. ESPN: "Mommy threw you up!" - Nice one dear!
Chatty: "No way, that's not true, your mouth is too small, how did we get out?"
Me: "Mmmm"
Chatty: "Did the doctor cut us out of your tummy?"
Me: "Yeah that's what he did"
Chatty: "That doesn't sound like fun"
Me: "Are you rethinking you desire to have 11 kids?"

Note - I did NOT have a c-section with either of my kids, but I figured this was an easier explanation than the truth. They can't handle the truth right now ... especially after saying my mouth was too small!!

Weekend Recap

2011-05-31T16:10:00.000-07:00

Like everyone else we spent most of the weekend outside. The weather was fabulous - cooler than normal temperatures here in the desert so we have been enjoying it! Mr. ESPN took Friday off and painted our guest bedroom (grayish blue) and our master bedroom (greenish khaki). I assisted with our bedroom and quickly remembered why painting isn't my most favorite project - I love the results but it is hard work and we have very high ceilings. It turned out well and lucky for me Mr. ESPN enjoys doing it.

Saturday my friend Brooke came over to help me put together this cake for my neighbor's 8th birthday:

Can you tell what it is???

Someone wanted to pose with the masterpiece

Brooke and the girls with our model -

Chatty's I-Touch.

As you can tell we started making up our own applications. It took us awhile to make the first few. No we didn't have an Angry Birds icon as I forgot to make brown fondant!

Between baking and painting I think I am ready for another three day weekend so I can relax! Good thing we are headed to the beach in less than two weeks! We can't wait. Between now and then - work, soccer and more soccer!

Memorial Day

2011-05-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Enjoy your weekend and remember to thank a Soldier and/or Veteran for their service to our country!

Conversations With Bia

2011-05-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

Bia is sounding more and more like me with her comments lately ..

"Momma - Momma - Moooommmmaaaa!" at the top of her lungs until I answer her in the morning.
"I organized the toothpaste drawer."
"No I need to take the toys out of my drawer and organize it before I go to bed"
"Momma is it church day? After church can we take a nap together in your bed?"

Thursday Thoughts

2011-05-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

Just some random thoughts this week ...

Mr. ESPN did lovely impressions of our children this morning ... "Blah, blah, blah, blah" and "STOP DOING THAT, I DO IT MYSELF." It doesn't take much to entertain us at 5:30 a.m.
Chatty told me this morning she wished she had something Mexican to wear ... I told her we're not Mexican, go eat a burrito.
Bia's school had the cutest Mother's Day presentation yesterday. Cute songs and dancing. I left work early to see Bia in action. Guess what - she was the ONLY child who did not perform! But she did eat several cookies during the after party.
Friday is Muffins for Moms and Donuts for Dads at Chatty's school. Since I left work early yesterday for Bia's ~~performance~~ no show, I told Mr. ESPN it's his turn.
Chatty learned about atoms, neutrons, protons, etc. the other week in school. She was looking at a bottle of vitamins and asked if the picture on the front was atoms. Good grief I won't be able to help her with her homework after 2nd grade at this rate.
Bia asked if it was Bud Light Time when we got home one day. It was 6:00 p.m. on a Friday .. so indeed it was (yeah not helping with the Mother of the Year Award).
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to everyone! My mom and I are spending Saturday together ... some lunch and a little retail therapy!!

A Few of My Favorites

2011-04-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

All of you moms know what an ordeal it is to get your kids ready for pictures ... outfits, hair, attitudes, etc. It usually makes for one stressed mom. Last weekend was no different for me - let's just say it wasn't our finest moment in the ESPN house! Lucky for us our photographer is so good with my girls. He manages to make our children look like the cutest most well behaved kids around (which we all know isn't true - well at least in the behavior department)! So hear are a few of my favorites ....

BTW - I purchased the outfits on Etsy and when they came in the mail I had Chatty try hers on and it looked pitiful ... it was a dress and it looked horrible on her - seriously! So I shortened it and made it a shirt and it looked so much better.

And just to keep it real ...

Sneak Peak

2011-04-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

Annual birthday pics ...

(Ignore Chatty's slightly dirty feet!!)

EASTER Recap

2011-04-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

Wow what a weekend. Easter seems to be a memorable holiday for our family ... let's see Chatty was born on Easter Sunday 2004 ... last year the girls lost their Easter baskets (i.e. they were taken away from them due to bad behavior) before we left for church ... this year the girls were behaving so badly I seriously didn't think the Easter Bunny would show up and so badly I put myself in time out on Saturday afternoon. It improved Sunday morning ... the Easter Bunny left some goodies ....

And he hid some eggs full of candy and coins ....

Not sure why they aren't using their Easter baskets ...

And then an Easter miracle occurred on Sunday (in addition to the main one - He is Risen), the ESPN family got to church early (7:40 a.m.) and we were all smiling! The girls behaved fairly well during church although it took sticker books, goldfish, fruit snacks and a post church donut bribe to keep them entertained. Don't judge!

After church we tried to get some pictures - they had tons of Easter flowers which made for a nice backdrop ...

Someone wasn't too thrilled ..

An then a nice elderly lady in the congregation offered to take a family picture and this is what she captured:

She took two photos and chopped my face off in both of them. Yes my face is on the pudgy side, but not so bad you couldn't fit us all in! I didn't have the heart to tell her she chopped me off. Oh well! So when we got to Nana and Poppa's house we had them snap a family photo ...

When I put the girls to bed last night I asked them if they knew why we celebrated Easter ... Bia had no clue nor did she really care. At least Chatty knew the story (she better since we have been studying it in Sunday school). I guess 1 for 2 isn't bad. We'll work with Bia this year so maybe we can be 2 for 2 next year!

ESPN House Happenings

2011-04-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

So you would think after the birthday hype things would slow down around here. Yeah not so much. Let's see - last weekend we all got haircuts (well the girls anyway). Chatty's hair is so thick and she hates having it brushed (just like me at that age) so we went to the short bob.

And then there is my mini me. She has curly hair like her momma and screamed on Sunday morning she didn't want to wear it curly ... oh my so much like me. Looks like she will learn to use the flat iron at a young age!

But her curls are so stinking cute!!

We dyed Easter eggs this week. Bia only broke 2 so that wasn't too bad. The whole making sure each kid has the same amount to color, etc. gets real old real quick. Ugh everything is a competition.

Yes they are in ROYGBIV order .. Type A anyone??

Lucky for me my mom is super crafty and makes great holiday decorations for me. This one is probably one of my all time favorites - plastic egg garland (yes she rocks!).

Close Up

Full view - we needed one just a bit longer but I think it looks cute

Ok so back to egg dying ... sorry for the scatter brain thoughts.

Lucky for me and my Type A tendencies my kids didn't double dip their eggs in multiple colors!

Oh and just because these are cute. Nana and Poppa took these when the girls were at their house a few weeks back.

Chef Bia

Birthday Recap and Picture Overload

2011-04-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

Since we went to Disneyland over Spring Break, Mr. ESPN and I decided we would not be throwing a birthday party for the girls - that was their party. But somehow Chatty seemed to get a whole weekend of celebrating. I'm still trying to figure out how she accomplished that.

The festivities started on Saturday. Chatty requested ribs for dinner. So her lovely servants (aka Mom and Dad) got busy and grilled some ribs and made some cupcakes. It wouldn't have been a celebration if our favorite neighbors weren't there ...

Chatty and JR

After dinner Chatty requested to go to Dave and Buster's. If you don't know what Dave and Buster's is, think over sized arcade with a bar in the middle. It was loud and expensive (both the games and the adult beverages), but the kids seemed to have fun when they weren't fighting over who got to play what.

Air Hockey Ace

The parents aka Chatty and Bia's servants

Chatty took this picture

Bia loving the air hockey

Chatty surfing

The next morning we headed to church with cupcakes in tow. Because what's Sunday school without cupcakes right? Afterwards we met Nana and Poppa at our favorite pizza place (yes this is a birthday tradition at our house) for lunch and birthday pizzookie.

Birthday Girl

Birthday Girl with Nana and Poppa

So was it over yet? No - now time for her actual birthday ... Monday. Here she is bed head and all opening up a few small presents. She received an I-Pod Touch from Nana and Poppa, Grandma and Grandpa and Mr. ESPN and me (we gave it to her on Sunday at lunch with Nana and Poppa). She is obsessed with it! Kind of like Mr. ESPN and his I-Phone!

Lovely hair girlfriend

Dress from Grandma

Are you all tired yet? I was - I volunteered in Chatty's class and stayed for lunch and took cookies in for a treat. After school I took the girls to the pediatrician for their well checks and Port of Subs for dinner (Chatty's choice). Monday night our favorite neighbors came back over for Peeps birthday cake.

Easiest Cake Ever

Make a Wish

My little peep eating a peep!

Remember how I said in my last post I hadn't eaten sugar in the past week or so ... didn't even lick my fingers when I made the cupcakes or cake ... well I couldn't help it I had to have a small piece (and it was oh so good - moist yellow cake and homemade chocolate butter cream frosting)! Now I feel like I am starting all over! Good thing birthdays are done in our house for awhile, now if I can get my kids and Mr. ESPN to finish off all of the leftovers I will be good!

Look Who's 7!!

2011-04-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

7 years ago it was Easter Sunday. Mr. ESPN and I were supposed to be hosting Easter dinner for my parents and our friends. However those plans were changed because this person decided it was time to make her first appearance!

1 month old

You were kind enough to your dad to wait until the Master's Tournament was over to arrive - much to his delight!

Chatty you keep us on our toes every single day. You are a loving, smart, talkative and stubborn (so much like your mama that it is scary sometimes!) and your dad and I love you more than anything in this world. Thank you for teaching us that being a parent is the hardest and best job in the world! We love you Lacey Lou!

excuse the goofy grin ...

Birthday pics coming soon ....

Hello Friday ...

2011-04-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Oh how I have missed you. It has been another long week here in the ESPN house. Here's a recap ...

Chatty lost her library book again - this is her second one this year. She has been informed she will be paying for it with her own money if she doesn't find it at school today.
Bia is a HOT MESS .. extremely demanding and so adorable all at the same time. Lord help me!
I mailed a soccer refund check to the wrong address (Yeah Dumb Me!). I went over to the house I accidentally mailed it to, to try and explain (I even took Bia so I would look more legit) but they weren't home. I guess I will try going over tomorrow.
I haven't had any sweets in over a week ... but I have inhaled mass quantities of almonds and spinach salads! They're not nearly as good but the scale has been much friendlier.
Co-irker as my co-worker aptly named Clipper Guy got his clippers unglued when I was in NJ the other week. So when I got back in town last week I threw them in the garbage (in the women's restroom). On Tuesday he was rummaging - actually it was more like a dog rooting through his drawer looking for them. So far he hasn't brought another pair in but if he does they are heading straight for the trash.
Chatty turns 7 on Monday ... every day she gets up and tells me "Mom my birthday is in (insert number) days!" And I respond "Really?" Some day when she has kids she will realize it is very hard to forget the day they were born ... that and it was the final round of the Master's. Chatty was sweet enough to stall her arrival until after the Master's ended that Easter Sunday so Mr. ESPN wouldn't have to turn the television off too early!
Speaking of which Mr. ESPN will be watching the Master's this weekend in between family birthday celebrations.
Bia snuck silly bands into school yesterday and when Mr. ESPN confiscated them she had a royal fit!
Chatty lied to me about syrup on her shorts. She has this habit of ordering breakfast at school, which Mr. ESPN has instructed her not to do (he can see it on her online account) because she eats breakfast at home, takes an early morning snack with her, plus she has a snack in class during the late morning. So the other day I noticed she had syrup on her shorts (and she had eaten her breakfast at home in her PJ's) and she lied about how it got there ...
So right now we have a petite thief with a tendency for tantrums and a liar who likes to talk back in our house. Is that why they invented wine?
I am thinking of making this cake for Chatty's birthday. I think it is super cute.

Courtesy of http://www.tasteofhome.com/

OK - that's about it. Next week I'll post birthday pics ... have a good weekend!

Spring Break Part II - Disneyland

2011-04-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

OK here we go - Part II - Disneyland. Below is a pic of the kids in our group (pre-Casey) - 8 kids 7 and under! Can't you tell how excited Bia is??? It was a recurring theme to our visit to The Happiest Place on Earth. Obviously she didn't follow her dad's instructions!

And then there was Chatty - who was true to her nick-name and really had a good time. We heard a lot of "This is the best day ever!" from her.

Note - she uses that line frequently, even when we aren't at Disneyland.

I love this picture even though Connor isn't smiling. These two cousins had never met before that evening and loved hanging out together! It was so cute!

Try not to smile Bia! Not sure what was up with my camera - maybe the humidity? And nice reflection off my backpack!

The next morning I tried to get a picture of the newest 4 year old and you can see how well she complied (even though I let her eat cake for breakfast)! Good thing she is cute!

And at the Princess something or other photo op and she still won't smile!

This has to be one of my all time favorite pictures - the cousins sacked out in our bed after a full day at Disneyland!

On our last day at Disneyland we ran into this guy ...

And headed over to California Adventure. Bia was sort of enjoying herself ..

OH MY - is that an actual real smile????

Of course we didn't get that until we ran into Casey and her crew! I seriously thought it would never happen ... the day before we kept missing each other. Somehow I ended up in the middle of this pic and look extra wide - hot and sweaty after a long day at the park. Casey looks great - of course! Wish we could have had more time together. I seriously want to plan a girls trip (sans little people) so we can really hang out... anyone else in???

Our cute little blondies! Love Lainey - she was so sweet and Bia loved her new friend (even though it doesn't show in this picture)!

I didn't get any good group shots so you will have to go to Casey's blog to see those. Carter is such a cool kid - we discussed basketball, surfing, hovercrafts, etc. He is an awesome big brother even if he does wear skinny jeans. And Jack - the middle child who was doing anything and everything he could to make his mom mad! Casey has the patience of a saint! She was so good with him. Jack made me feel like my family is just as normal as everyone elses! Thanks Jack!!

All in all a good trip - but glad to be home. Now I have to prepare for another birthday. Chatty turns 7 next Monday! Where does the time go??

Spring Break Part I - Bia's 4th Birthday

2011-04-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

Ok - so here is Part I of our Spring Break ... Bia's Birthday. Well actually it was Mr. ESPN's birthday but I didn't get any pictures of him opening his cards/gifts. Great wife I know! We met Nana and Poppa at our favorite restaurant - Oregano's for a birthday lunch.

Bia and Nana

Bia and Poppa

Enjoying some pizzookie!

We were all decked out for the Arizona game that afternoon

Look who's 4 (the morning of her birthday)

Lots of princess stuff

And then we left for Disneyland. After we checked into our hotel, picked up a birthday cake for Bia. We celebrated again late that night in the hotel room!

Next up our visit to Disneyland ...

Quotes from our Spring Break

2011-04-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't had time to download my pictures, but will this weekend. Until then I will leave you with some of the memorable quotes from our trip.

"This is the happiest place on Earth - You Will Be Happy!" - Mr. ESPN to the girls on the way into the park
"I go back to the hotel!" - Bia multiple times each day at the park.
"I'm sure glad I don't have this many to watch all the time" - Me to Mr. ESPN while watching 7 kids so my neighbors and my cousin and her husband could ride Space Mountain.
"That's not fair!" - Chatty
"We have the most ungrateful children" - Me to Mr. ESPN after our kids complained incessantly the first night in the hotel.
"I ride Dumbo" - Bia over and over again - in between wanting to go back to the hotel.
"Anywhere that serves beer" - Mr. ESPN when I asked him where he wanted to go for lunch.
"This is the best day ever!" - Chatty every day at the park
"Tell him to make a freakin decision - I am tired of making all of the decisions!" - Me to Chatty when Mr. ESPN sent her over to ask if he should by her a toy.
"Where's Cousin Connor? I want to ride with Cousin Connor" - Chatty whenever Connor's family wasn't with us.
"I need a drink!" - Mr. ESPN multiple times during the trip.

We had a great time ... got to hang with my cousin's family! Loved it - we need to do it more often!! Got to meet the ever fabulous Casey and her gang! Will post more when I get my pictures downloaded ...

Hello ... Is this Thing On?

2011-03-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

Yes I am here and alive and bad about blogging ... sorry life has been crazy busy. Here are some updates from the ESPN household ...

Annoying co-worker somehow got his nail clippers unglued and started using them Monday, lucky for me I was on a plane to NJ and wasn't there to here it. Next week I will be taking those clippers and putting them in the trash. Maybe he will get it, then again based on who I am dealing with I doubt he will and it may take several pairs in the trash before he gets it. Stupid people!
Speaking of NJ - I have been here all week and got to experience a spring snowstorm! Pretty but cold - I am ready for some sunshine!
Tonight my Wildcats are playing in the Sweet 16 - BEAR DOWN ARIZONA!! Beat Duke!

Saturday is Mr. ESPN's birthday - he is picking me up from the airport tomorrow and then we are going to enjoy a nice kid-free lunch to celebrate a day early! He is probably more excited that I am bringing him his beer than our kid-free lunch!
Sunday my little Bia turns 4!! She is so excited because on her birthday we are heading here:

Yep we are heading to Disneyland with our neighbors! We are meeting up with my Favorite Cousin and Casey ... can you say chaos at Disneyland ... my 2 kids, my neighbor's 3 kids, my cousin's 3 kids and Casey's 2 (of 3)? They won't know what hit them ...

I'll be back late next week to fill you in on our adventures ...

Resolution for An Annoying Co-Worker

2011-03-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

Remember when I posted about a co-worker who clips his nails at work all the time? I would link to the post, but I can't find it. Anyway my other co-worker, The Kingston Queen, and I have been debating how to handle the situation - leaving a note on his desk, approaching him, etc. While I was in Atlanta at a tax conference earlier this week I mentioned my dilemma to some friends. One friend suggested we superglue the clippers together. So today I brought in superglue and attempted to glue them together. Unfortunately there is only a small portion of the metal that completely closes together on nail clippers, so the glue wasn't adhering. Luckily for The Kingston Queen and me, we have several other cool co-workers who are bothered by this lack of etiquette and one suggested we glue the clippers to the inside of the guy's desk drawer. I love people with great ideas! So we glued them to the inside of his drawer where he keeps them. Stay tuned - I will be sure to let you know how it turns out. Right now I have to scrape superglue off of my hands ....

This Week

2011-03-03T05:55:00.000-08:00

Bad Hair Day + Nothing to Wear = Grumpy Me!

Ugh - I have been in a funk/bad mood all week, much to the delight of my family I am sure! There are just too many commitments, not enough sleep, etc. Something has gotta give, but what I am not sure. I am so ready for this week to be over. Thank goodness it is Thursday. To top it all off I leave for Atlanta on Sunday for a conference. Maybe a few days away is what I need since part of my funk/bad mood is caused by the other people in my house (what can I say, I am honest)!

Speaking of those people, Chatty has a report to do on an animal and their habitat. They were able to choose an animal from one of the following habitats: prairie, forest (not rain forest though), underground and pond. So what does she choose?? Bet you will never guess ... CATFISH! Random yes but she swears she loves them since my parents have a small one in a a fish tank at their house (long story). So we started researching and all we could find was stuff on mammoth catfish that can eat people whole ... ummm no. With much discussion and argument (she's a stubborn one like her mamma), we finally helped her choose a different animal ... the Bald Eagle! Way cooler and much easier to research. She has to write a report, cite her resources, make a poster/diagram/etc. and present it all in class next week (all in 1st grade). I don't care what the stupid polls say, she is getting a top notch education and it is a public school!!

She completed her outline and wrote her report (I was so proud of her - she worked so hard on it). We even sketched how she wants the poster to look. I told her I would help her get her poster completed on Saturday so Mr. ESPN doesn't have to worry about it next week while I am gone. He and Bia can just listen to her practice her presentation (can you picture it??? I am sure Bia will be interrupting every 5 seconds).

Ok - off to get a Diet Coke ... that will surely improve my mood!!

A little Behind

2011-02-24T06:21:00.000-08:00

I can't seem to get ahead this week - or any week for that matter. It's Thursday already and this is the first time I have posted this week. Not sure what I have been up to (work, sick Bia, soccer, etc.) but I haven't had much time to blog and/or post pictures.

Last weekend we were supposed to have our good friends (AZCottrells) over to watch the GO CATS (as Chatty refers to them) pound the Huskies. Unfortunately Bia woke up with a fever on Friday that lasted through part of Sunday. So instead of getting together for the game we cheered them on in separate places and Mr. ESPN and Matt texted each other during the game! Afterwards we had a family night of Wii bowling.

Chatty started out happy and dressed for I am not sure what

Then she started losing and looked like this

And this

This is how Mr. ESPN bowls

Bia can now bowl (yes another fashionista in the house)

"Come on Strike"

"Woo Hoo I got a strike!!"

Puppy played too

Sunday we celebrated our neighbor's 3rd birthday ... the weather was a little cool (for desert standards) but we had a great time. Luckily Bia was feeling better and was able to join in on the party ...

Self Portrait

Chatty Played some hoops

Check out that concentration

Bia showed her silly faces

All in all a pretty good weekend - especially since we had Monday off! This weekend - lots of soccer practice and a Girls Night for me on Saturday night!

QUOTABLE QUOTES

2011-02-18T06:15:00.000-08:00

I read so many blogs that have all of these inspirational quotes or Bible verses and I always think - wow I wish I knew those by memory and could put them on my blog. Yes I know it wouldn't take much effort, with the internet and the Bible APP on my phone (thanks Mr. ESPN - maybe that's a hint I need to read it more), but life gets in the way. So instead I decided I am going to try and remember to write down quotes I hear at work and home and post them. My favorite quote from work this week (which I posted on FB):

"I can't fix STUPID!" - Love it!

Some others I heard at work this week:

"I am a MOG, part man part dog. I am my own best friend."
"It doesn't matter what she wears he will find something to say about it. She's got curves, it's kind of hard to hide them."
"Sorry I have cerebral flatulence today."
"You can work with the people in Bangledoor." (really they are in Bangladore, India - not Bangledoor)
"We make sh** fly!" (The company I work for makes avionics, wheels, brakes, etc. for aircraft - we are on most commercial flights and yes one of our slogans is We Make It Fly)

Let's see what next week brings ... maybe Chatty and Bia will supply me with some material!

Back to Life ....

2011-02-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

Back to Reality, Back to the Here and Now (you can thank me for having this song stuck in your head all day) ... I am back in the desert after a long - long - did I mention long - cold week in NJ or as I refer to it as Tax He**! It was that good people - not! 11 hour days of tax with people who like to hear themselves talk! This resulted in breaks and lunch being delayed and shortened almost every single day (not good for a girl like me who enjoys eating). As if that wasn't enough we had two group dinners too! Ahh it was like the gift that just kept giving!

After two weekends in a row being cut short due to travel ... I was in bed by 8:15 p.m. last night. Pretty romantic for Valentine's Day! In my defense I picked up Pei Wei for dinner and brought Mr. ESPN beer back from NJ (his favorite) and thanks to the Kingston Queen for packing some of his beer in her suitcase too!

Mr. ESPN survived last week and didn't need to call in back up support, although I think he was just as excited to see me as the girls were - or maybe it was because he knew I had beer in my suitcase! Whatever it was he was happy! Funny comment from Chatty at the airport.

Chatty: "Mom I learned how to shoot tonight!"
Me (dazed and confused): "You learned how to what tonight?"
Chatty: "I learned how to shoot!"
Me: "Umm what?"
Chatty: "I learned how to shoot a goal at soccer tonight!"
Me (relieved): "Oh that's great!"

Note to self remind Chatty using the term shoot at an airport isn't the best idea in the world.

Happy Birthday to my Granny yesterday! The girls and I called her last night and both sang their own rendition of Happy Birthday to her. It was cute!

OK - is it Friday yet???

Dinner Table Conversation With Kids

2011-02-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have been following this blog for awhile know we are very good friends with our neighbors across the street. We hang out with them ALL THE TIME (and even vacation with them). Last night my neighbor e-mails me this:

Tonight at dinner, Dad smacks (not hard - don't worry no animals were hurt) one of the pups down because they were jumping up and yapping at us. One of them whines a bit at being smacked and the kids laugh and the following conversation ensued.

Mom: "Its not funny."
Dad (to the kids): "No one does that to the pups but me."
Kids: "Why?"
Dad: "Because I am the Master."
A pause ...
7 year old Son: "And Mommy is the Master of you - the master of all?"
3 year old Daughter: "Yeah!"
Dad: "Is Chatty telling you that stuff?"

Mr. ESPN and I were dying of laughter!

Thoughtless Thursday

2011-02-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

Not much going on around here (hence the reason I haven't posted all week) - just the usual chaos that is our life.

Yesterday we had a high of 42 degrees with 20 mph winds. Needless to say soccer practice was COLD for us here in the desert! Speaking of which, one kid shows up in shorts, t-shirt and thin little hoodie! For pete's sake - can't her parents figure out how to dress her warmly - a little common sense people!
Another note from soccer - I was so cold I took my scarf and wrapped it around my head and then my neck. I looked like someone from the Middle East ... my friend was cracking up (it was quite the site)! You do what you gotta do right?
I have to go to NJ for work on Sunday ... nice right? Lovely, snowy, cold NJ in February! And I won't be able to thaw out until Friday when I return to the desert (yes I know some of you live in cold places but I am from FL and have only lived in FL and AZ ... my body isn't programmed for extended bouts of cold weather).
My kids were up and dressed by 5:45 am this morning. The early rising gene did NOT come from me!
Karma will bite you in the a**. In the middle of the night Chatty came in complaining she had a nightmare. I told her she was fine and go back to bed. Then I fell back asleep and had a nightmare! Note to self - next time Chatty has a nightmare at least offer to tuck her back in bed.
I took my first Zumba class on Monday night with my friend L. It was fun and funny! I mean really funny when I looked at myself in the mirror during class!
I asked Mr. ESPN if he wanted me to make any food for he and the girls to eat next week while I am gone. Chatty answers and says "Brownies", I say "OK, what else?" Chatty says "Cookies!" She's my kind of girl!
Bia has no concept of time. Last night I told her I was leaving on a plane on Sunday and two minutes later she says, you leave tomorrow? (mmm ... depends on how you and Chatty behave)
I don't think I took any pictures during the month of January. Note to self - take some!
Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday ... I am bailing out early so I can get some provisions for my adventure to the blustery northeast!

Honestly ...

2011-01-27T06:44:00.000-08:00

(yes I copied this idea from someone else's blog)

Is it possible for your child to be described as an Angel at school and then be ~~the complete opposite~~ anything less than angelic at home? I had a wonderful parent teacher conference with Chatty's teacher. She was gushing about how smart, sweet, eager, etc. she was. Her first words to me were "Chatty is an Angel in class!" Honestly?
Was it necessary to to make our new Children's Hospital look like the Rio Hotel in Vegas on the outside? The red lights change to different colors of the rainbow as they go up and down (you can see the purple on the bottom). While I am all for spending money on a top notch children's hospital, I have a slight issue with the excess that was undoubtedly spent on this part. Especially since this is the same hospital who at one time sent me a letter saying they no longer accepted our insurance even though they accept people without insurance! I am not bitter - Honestly!

(this was the best pic I could find since I didn't whip my phone out

while I was driving on the freeway this morning at 6:15 am)

It is possible for you to not lose weight while training for a half-marathon and in fact you can even gain weight while training. Honestly!
Can one kid leave school early two days in one week and be completely healthy? Earache on Monday - 1 1/2 hour doctor visit later = nothing wrong. Vomit in dance class on Wednesday - go home = nothing wrong. Bia are you looking for some attention, honestly (Bia loves her school - honestly!)?
I may be more excited about going to Disneyland than my kids. Yep - Honestly I am! Probably because I get to see one of my most favorite cousins and hopefully meet Casey!
I told Chatty I needed a 4 day vacation from her bad attitude. Honestly! (not sure why I said 4 day but in the heat of the moment it sounded good).
I wore jeans to work today (we're only supposed to wear jeans on Fridays). But because my boss is in another state and no one in my department works in this building I decided to do it (and because secretly I am a rebel). Honestly!

Sweet Little Biaisms

2011-01-25T06:45:00.000-08:00

Yeah so I know Biaisms isn't a real word but it is my word

Yesterday after work Mr. ESPN picked up Bia and Chatty. As they were riding in the car Chatty is talking (non-stop - nothing new here). Bia turns to her and says "Chatty STOP - you talk too much!" Oh my sweet little Bia - you are sooo smart!

For anyone out there who doesn't know, Bia is 4 years old now (according to her anyway - but according to her birth certificate she is actually 3). She moved up to the 4 year old classroom at school and now insists she is 4 years old. Since she has a birthday in March, she thinks she will be turning 5. I keep telling myself Pick Your Battles, it is not worth it!

Bia and Chatty were supposed to stay at Nana and Poppa's house the other week but Nana and Poppa were sick. I told her we would reschedule. With that in mind she packed her two little backpacks for Nana and Poppa's house (blankies, stuffed animals and two pairs of flip flops - just the necessities for her). I kept telling her it would be several weeks before they were able to have their sleepover but she kept insisting everything stay packed and ready to go. She got mad anytime I pulled something out of her backpack. Then she convinced her big sister to pack her backpack too!

Chatty the Author

2011-01-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

Chatty brought this home from school today. She wrote it last week. Please excuse the grammatical errors and lack of periods (I copied it verbatim).

"One day mommy and I went shopping. I had to go to the bathroom and my mom was going to be very mad at me. Then I told my mom she was mad at me and she said no I told you to go at home you can not go here at all and you can go when you get home OK Lacey. OK mommy. It took so long that I did not go in my pants and I almost went in my pants. I told my mom I have to go so bad I almost went in my pants and my mom said OK and do you know where the girls bathroom is yes mommy I do know where it is mommy it is down the hall."

Lovely huh? And parent/teacher conferences are next week! I guess it's better than her writing about how I like to drink Bud Light, right??

PF Chang's Rock and Roll Half Marathon

2011-01-17T06:44:00.000-08:00

(Cue the Rocky theme song or Chariots of Fire because in reality I felt like I was running in slow motion... )

I completed my first half marathon and have pictures to prove it. Sara - unfortunately there were too many people for Mr. ESPN to capture me crossing the finish line so we had to settle for this:

and this - our self portrait from his I-Phone.

Some things I learned yesterday:

People are annoying - not that I didn't already know that. For races they start you in "corrals" based on how fast you run. If you are going to be walking in mile 1, you should not be lined up before me! It was so annoying having to dodge slow people! I blame them for not making my goal time!
Bring toilet paper to the next race - port-a-potties run out quickly when there are 30K runners ...
Although I may despise my alma mater's arch rival - there are times when I am thrilled to see it. The race finished next to my arch rival's stadium. I have never been so happy to see it! Good thing I wore my Arizona hat (Mr. ESPN wore is Arizona shirt)! It was also great that we beat them in basketball the day before the race!! Go Arizona - Bear Down!
People cheering you on as you run is awesome! Especially when they are nice looking guys from Arizona who shout "BEAR DOWN - Go Wildcats" when they see your hat!
You can never put on too much anti-chafing stuff!
New play lists with suggestions from your friends is great motivation to keep running (thanks ladies!)!
The food and drinks post race are awesome!! So much stuff for the runners!
We have the most amazing neighbors! They kept our kids for us while we were at the race (we dropped them off at 6:00 am and didn't get home until 1:30 pm) and then heated up their spa so we could relax our sore muscles!! Love them so much!!
I can RUN an entire half marathon and it is kind of addicting! Mr. ESPN and I are already looking forward to next year. He is even debating doing the whole marathon! I don't think my feet can take 26.2 miles .... I think I will stick to the half. Anyone want to join us? It was 70 degrees here yesterday!!

Yes Dear

2011-01-13T06:31:00.000-08:00

My FIL is infamous for his response of "Yes Dear" to my MIL ... he says it's what every good husband needs to learn early in a marriage. Unfortunately he didn't teach Mr. ESPN about this, as evidenced this morning at 6:00 a.m. as I was leaving for work ...

Me: "Mr. ESPN, no more turning the heat on at night, I am sweating to death every morning when I do my hair."
Mr. ESPN: "I don't think it is hot in the bathroom."
Me: "That's because you don't have any hair and don't use a blow dryer and a flat iron every morning. I spend twenty minutes straightening my hair only for it to look like crap because I am sweating so bad."
Mr. ESPN: "Are you going through menopause?"
Me: "Are you going through a jacka - - phase?"
Mr. ESPN: "Aren't I always?"
Me: "Yes Dear!"

Tuesday Tidbits

2011-01-11T07:15:00.000-08:00

I am dragging this morning - even after two cups of coffee and a diet soda ... don't judge, my alarm went off at 4:45 a.m. this morning!
Booked our trip to Daytona Beach!! Hallelujah!! I am so excited to see my family and hang out at the beach. We scored our friends beachfront condo for a great price, let the countdown to June begin! Chatty already asked who gets to sit by the window on the airplane ... unfortunately for her, it will be her sister since she will be in her car seat. I can already here the whining from Chatty ringing in my ears!
Speaking of trips we are thinking about taking a couple days at spring break and going to Disneyland. We never do anything at spring break and this year it is over Mr. ESPN and Bia's birthdays, so we thought this would be fun.
T-minus 5 days until the race. I still haven't put together my playlist - hopefully tonight. Thanks for all of the suggestions ... I am anxious to get on I-Tunes and download some new songs - oh wait who I am kidding, I am anxious for Mr. ESPN to get on I-Tunes and download some songs for me.
Chatty has moved up to the Bonus words for spelling (she aced the first 100) and some of her words are pamphlet, astronomy, continents, electricity ... please note - she is only in 1st grade ... makes me wonder how our schools are ranked so low when they seem to be learning lots of advanced stuff ....
Bia has been doing very well with her manners and saying "yes maam" ... she still screams "NO" at us all of the time but at least she is progressing in some areas.
Mr. ESPN is finally completing some of the projects I wanted him to get done prior to his parents visit (at Christmas). Better late than never.
It was a sad weekend in the desert, specifically in Tucson. As most of you know Mr. ESPN and I went to school in Tucson and it will always hold a special place in our hearts ... please keep the victims families in your prayers and know that Tucson is an amazing place full of great people!

Music to My Ears

2011-01-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

OK Ladies - I need some help! Music Help! The half-marathon is 11 days away (insert total freak out by me) and I am in need of a new play list for my I-POD. I like lots of different types of music - currently on my I-POD I have country, pop, rock, classic rock, Christian, you name it. Some of the artists currently on my play list are Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, DMB, Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Black Eyed Peas, Jack Johnson ... wide assortment.

So here's where you come in - I am not a music buff by any means ... basically I have had the same play list for a LONG time ... can you give me the names of some up tempo - good music that I can run to? One note - I do not like Techno music and prefer longer songs (I tend to count songs as I run - so if it lasts longer I feel like I am running faster - dumb I know but it works for me). Anyway any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I would like to give Mr. ESPN a list and have him download them for me this weekend (yes he is my Play List Man!).

As far as the actual training part of the half-marathon - I successfully completed a 12 mile run on Christmas Eve and proceeded to slack off the following week (I can't even begin to tell you how bad my a - - hurt afterwards)! I have been running twice this week (4 and 5 miles) and hope to run a 10 miler this weekend as my final pre-race long run. Is it bad that I am really looking forward to the post race Beer Garden??

Holiday Recap

2011-01-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

My two week vacation is coming to an end. On one hand I am looking forward to a little more adult time and less access to food and beverages but on the other hand I will miss sleeping in! This is my quick recap of the past two weeks in the ESPN house ...

We did lots of snuggling in Christmas pajamas

We made lots of bribes before church to get a good family photo ... as you will notice there isn't one of all of us because everyone wouldn't cooperate!

But I do love this one ... even if I was ready to strangle ~~one~~ three people in my family by this point

We received two cute puppies from Santa along with lots of other good stuff ... not as cute as our neighbors' puppies but a better fit at our house!

And low and behold it even snowed in the desert!!

We had a nice visit with Mr. ESPN's parents, although it was nice to have another week off after they left. We visited with lots of friend over the break - Uncle Greg, Angie, Kendra, Aunt Beth, etc. We were on the go a lot! Back to reality tomorrow morning for all of us! Glad I will be at the office when Mr. ESPN has to get the girls up -

I have a feeling it won't be pretty!

2 Days In ...

2010-12-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

OK - my kids aren't behaving any better and I even took them to the park and even decorated cookies with them and our friends. Good thing this little treat came in the mail ...

and I had this little bottle open, so I could put it to use! Thanks Mrs. Fitz! I love it!!

Miscellaneous Merriment

2010-12-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

Is it bad that today is the first official day of Christmas vacation and my kids are driving me nuts? It is going to be a long two weeks!

Last Friday Bia had her winter "pee-formance" (as she calls it) at school. She was so excited for it. Nana, Poppa and I were excited to see Bia in action. So much anticipation and then this ....

She stayed like that the entire time the class sang! At least she didn't bust out crying like several of the little boys did.

Santa came to visit Chatty at Boys and Girls Club. They always have the best looking Santa ...

Here are a couple shots of how I ended up displaying my photo Christmas cards ... I nailed a ribbon on the wall and glued the cards on the front in my archway leading to the kitchen ....

and the other side ....

a close up

I am heading to the airport shortly to pick up the in-laws ... wish me luck this week ... it is going to be a long one and at the end I will he hosting a grandparent detox session! Tis the Season!

Baking Service Announcement

2010-12-17T06:54:00.000-08:00

Since it is Christmas and I am nice ~~most of the time~~ I am going to give you my recipe for the most fabulous chocolate chip cookies ever. Seriously - these are the best chocolate chip cookies! You can thank me later. The secret to these cookies - butter flavor Crisco (all good southerners know Crisco makes everything better) and brown sugar!

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
OR 3/4 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

HEAT oven to 375ºF. COMBINE shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. DROP by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet (I use parchment paper instead). BAKE 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.

recipe courtesy of www.crisco.com

That's right, no butter and no white sugar!

To make them even yummier for the holidays substitute this:

for the chocolate chips. I have to give props to Mr. ESPN because he found these chocolate chips last year (he is my Chief Cookie Tester). They are only available during the holidays so stock up! Go get some now and start baking - your BIG and little Cookie Monsters will thank you!!

The Countdown is On

2010-12-14T06:40:00.000-08:00

4 more days of work and then I am off for 2 weeks! Awesome, it can't come soon enough. The inlaws are arriving next Monday so there is a lot to do to get ready. My house is a mess - shocker I know - but I have been putting off the deep clean until this coming weekend because my little elves create havoc wherever they go. I snapped a few pictures of our decorations and thought I would share:

Family Room

And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

I got a little crafty and made this sign:

I took Sarah's idea at Clover Lane and made

ornaments from our past Christmas Cards

Since I have a fake tree, I always get a live wreath

Apparently the girls were acting out Daniel and the Lion's Den

According to Mr. ESPN the lion got drunk and fell over.

Our Advent Calendars courtesy of Casey

(this picture was taken last week)

Our Big (candy holding) Advent Calendar

And because I like my other sign so well I made one with our name

But now I need some trees or something on each side of it

One of my most favorite things about Christmas -

Photos and Photo Cards! BTW I hate this card holder.

Every time I put a new one in another one falls out.

And just some random thoughts ... Chatty now wants a laptop, I-Touch and an I-Pad for Christmas in lieu of the 2 cute puppies. Bia named off random things including Dora doll house and Little Einsteins movie in addition to two cute puppies. Sadly neither of them are getting any of that! Well I did find two cute stuffed puppies that will be in their stockings but that's as close as it is going to get this year. 5 weeks until my 1/2 marathon - I (slowly) ran 10 last weekend and was hurting all day! Mr. ESPN just called me on his way to work to tell me the Phillies just signed Cliff Lee (pitcher) ... seriously is that not the lamest thing to call your wife about at 7:15 a.m.? Sad part is I already had heard it on sports radio on my drive into work this morning.

Is it Friday yet???

Bia and Chatty's Christmas List

2010-12-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

Now if you know Bia, you know she loves her (stuffed) puppies. On Thanksgiving she told her Daddy she wanted a real puppy. A few days after that conversation we received the LL Bean catalog in the mail. I was perusing through it and saw some photos of the following:

and showed them to the girls. Chatty and Bia decided they wanted those for Christmas - two in fact - one for each of them. Anyway on the way home from school yesterday Chatty announces that she doesn't want two cute puppies (when they requested puppies they requested cute ones) for Christmas.

Bia: "Why? I want two cute puppies!"

Chatty: "Because it will be a lot of work to take care of them."

Bia: "I take care of two cute puppies"

Chatty: "Mom I want a laptop instead"

Me: "Um OK"

Chatty: "You should really get me a laptop"

Me: "We'll see"

Next thing you know she will be asking for an IPAD and an IPhone ... and she is only 6 1/2. I told her she needs to ask her Poppa for the laptop!

As a disclaimer - Mr. ESPN does NOT want a dog - cute or not - he claims he is allergic to them ... I think that is just an excuse personally! Because really who could resist those two sweet puppy faces???

Tis the Season ...

2010-12-08T06:22:00.000-08:00

For fights at our house. Seriously, my girls can argue over anything and everything. Not that this is anything new, but you would think with Snowball the Elf watching they would try a little harder. Here are a few of the things they fight over:

Who sits in Daddy's chair
Who sits next to Mommy
Who opens the door
Who turns on the Christmas lights
Who sits in Mommy's chair
Who takes a shower/bath first
Who uses which bathroom
What television show to watch
Who puts the forks versus the napkins on the table - because did you know forks are so much cooler than napkins? Me neither!
Who hugs Mommy first
Who sits next to Nana and Poppa
Who sits on what chair to skype Grandma and Grandpa
What movie to watch
Who sits next to Mommy on the couch

Seriously they fight about all of these and more on a daily basis. It is driving Mr. ESPN and I insane! Can you imagine how they will be when they are teenagers (God help us)? The one good thing - 5 minutes after arguing about these things they are loving on each other.

BTW - thanks for the comments on my last comment on my last post. The whole drop kicking someone for complimenting Mr. ESPN on how skinny he is was based on my MIL. God bless her she is a sweet woman and I love her dearly but every time I talk to her recently all she can talk about is how skinny her son is and even referring to him as the Incredible Shrinking Man (no I am not even kidding!). They are spending a week with us at Christmas and I am not sure I can handle those kind of comments for 7 days straight! We all love our husbands dearly but doesn't it get a bit annoying when people compliment them over and over and over again (even if they are great husbands and look good)???

Random Rants and Observations at the ESPN House

2010-12-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

A bunch of randomness

It is supposed to be in the high 70's here in the desert. For the love of winter could we actually get some cooler daytime temps?
Why does Chatty insist on waking up at 4:45 am today and want to talk and eat? These are the moments I seriously think she is not my child.
Sara Evan's version of Go Tell It on the Mountain is one of my favorite Christmas songs ever.

Our elf, Snowball, isn't doing that good of a job. My kids are wild and misbehaving like they are getting paid for it. I feel like Super Nanny is going to show up any minute and shout "Gotcha!" If she could help, it might be worth the embarrassment.

My Christmas cards will be in the mail tomorrow and once again Mr. ESPN's only contribution is dropping them off at the post office. Oh and he licked a couple envelopes.
There are presents under the tree - even though I have threatened "Santa won't be coming to this house" more times than I can remember over the last few days.
Being at the soccer field that is an hour away at 7:15 am in 46 degree weather isn't how I prefer to spend the second Sunday of Advent. We told Chatty God would understand she had a tournament and it was OK to miss church last week.
It's lovely when people stare at you in the grocery store parking lot when your kids is screaming "That hurts Mommy!" I had escorted Bia out of the store and she proceeded to throw a fit in the parking lot when I held her arm (so she wouldn't run through the parking lot).

These are really good and addicting!

If another person tells me how skinny Mr. ESPN is and how good he looks (as if I don't already know), I am going to drop kick them and then I am going to eat some chocolate and drink a glass of wine! Just a warning ...

R & D

2010-12-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

For my accounting friends, you might think this post is about Research and Development but in reality it is about my breasts. I went for my first mammogram ever last week. It was a little painful and awkward but overall not too bad. I got a call from my Dr.'s office today saying I need to go back in because my right breast is very Dense (D) and they need to get a few more scans of it (no need to worry Nana and Poppa - very normal for young women - ask Beth!). So I call the center to make an appointment and the receptionist reads my report and says "Oh you only need additional pictures on your right breast and here it says your left breast is Remarkable (R)!" I called Mr. ESPN and told him and he asked me if I told the lady that my husband agreed with the "Remarkable" comment! And that's how they officially became R & D!

Parenting is Tough

2010-12-01T06:47:00.000-08:00

We had one of those moments last night where Mr. ESPN and I felt like we were failing as parents. I know my kids are young but you try to instill values and morals in them at a young age. For the most part I think they get it but then last night I was snapped back to reality. Chatty's school sent home a note. It said the first grade teachers had decided to adopt three boys from our district for the holidays. They were asking for donations from the families and encouraging us to have our kids donate their own money (or do chores to earn money to donate) so they could experience the meaning of the holiday. I thought this was a great idea and thought Chatty would excited to contribute.

We donate toys and clothes all the time and we discuss why we do it. We also contribute to the offering at church and talk about who it helps. Last Sunday we purchased items for some families our church "adopted" for Christmas. As we picked out the stuff we explained to Chatty and Bia who it was for and why we were buying it.

So I went in Chatty's room and talked to her about the note the teachers sent home. We emptied her piggy bank (girl has some serious cash) and talked about how if all of the first graders donated a little bit of their own money these three boys could have a wonderful Christmas. Reluctantly she agreed to donate $6 (mind you she never has to spend her own money on anything ... maybe that is part of the problem). So we put the money in the envelope to send to school. When I went to tuck her in bed I noticed she was teary eyed. I asked her what was wrong and she said "I don't want to give away my money" and starts crying. I was shocked and mad and disappointed, but what could I say? We talked about the meaning of Christmas - Jesus' birth - and what God teaches us - to be kind and helpful to others, etc. She seems to get all of these concepts but then she says to me - "I don't get anything back from giving them my money." WOW! I tried to explain the feeling of helping others and doing what God teaches in the Bible is your reward, however that is a hard concept for a 6 year old. After we talked more about it I told her if she didn't want to give her own money to help these boys she didn't have to, but that I would be disappointed because Mr. ESPN have tried to set a good example of helping others. Yes I did give her a bit of a guilt trip but I wanted her to know it was her decision to make.

When I went in the kitchen I told Mr. ESPN about the discussion Chatty and I had. He was frustrated and said we need to find a way for the girls to really see how blessed they are. We would like them to see in person how many others in our community do not have much. Unfortunately a lot of the programs I know about require you to be older than 6 to participate. I am going to contact our church's Children's Ministry Director and see if she knows of any opportunities (a group of us were discussing this very thing a few weeks ago at church).

Let me know if you know of any organizations that might work for us.

It's Not Christmas Yet

2010-11-30T10:39:00.000-08:00

I know everyone says it is the Christmas season but to me it doesn't officially begin until December 1 (however with that being said I already decorated my house) ... because today is my birthday! I had grand plans to write a nostalgic post about turning 36, but no one wants to hear that crap - plus who has time?

Seriously I have never seen my phone buzz so much - between texts, phone calls, e-mails and facebook messages. Thanks to all of you who sent me one! I really appreciate the love! But one question for you .. don't you think it's weird when random people from high school or college send you HAPPY BIRTHDAY notes on Facebook? I think it is a bit odd, especially from those people who I barely talked to in high school and are friends with on Facebook but never correspond with. Maybe it's me but it's a bit weird! It does make me look super popular though!

Mr. ESPN wanted to make me cake balls for my birthday with the assistance of his two little sous chefs. We discussed it briefly and I told him (very nicely) that cake balls were a little advanced for the three of them and suggested the box of funfetti cake mix and frosting in the pantry. I could sense the relief in his voice. Anyway Mr. ESPN and the little sous chefs made 19 funfetti cupcakes (which I iced b/c well Mr. ESPN isn't so good at that part). Yes the box makes 24 - I am not sure what happened! In addition to that lovely dessert, my buddy the Kingston Queen made this for me (from my post last week):

(although her white chocolate snowflake broke!). Can't wait to dig in - she is an awesome baker!

OK - I better get back to work because unfortunately I can't slack all day, even if it is my birthday!! Enjoy the last day of November!!

A Strange Obsession

2010-11-29T09:21:00.000-08:00

Who starts drinking coffee at 35 (almost 36)? Yep that would be me. I never liked coffee, maybe an occasional Starbuck's flavored drink but that was it. Until I saw this:

I became obsessed with having one and I don't really no why. I just thought they were so cool (and I like cool kitchen appliances). I kept checking the ads for them and looking for the best deal. On Friday I found a decent deal on it at Kohl's plus I had two additional coupons and decided to finally buy it. Then I found this:

and this:

and I think I am hooked!

Holiday Eats

2010-11-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

Have I ever told you that my favorite magazine ever is Southern Living? I have had a subscription for at least 10 years. They have some of the BEST recipes ever (especially if you like good comfort food and great desserts). I use my trusty Ultimate Southern Living cookbook all the time, and it never disappoints. I received my December issue of Southern Living in the mail yesterday. I grabbed a glass of wine and proceeded to read it from cover to cover (as Bia and Chatty "did" my hair - i.e. brushed and put an assortment of barrettes in). I may or may not have drooled quite a bit while I flipped through it. Some of my favorite recipes from the issue (all photos courtesy of southernliving.com):

Cherry-Pecan Brie

10 minute recipe!!

Bacon-Grits Fritters

Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust

I think I may may serve this Christmas Day

Pancetta-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin

Bacon makes everything better!!

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

They even provide instructions on how to make the white chocolate snowflake

Caramel Italian Creme Cake

Isn't this cake gorgeous?

And for my Cousin J - they even had an article on tamales! Go pick a copy up!!

Self Esteem

2010-11-22T06:44:00.000-08:00

Bia to Poppa on the phone last week: "Poppa you come watch me dance (she takes a class once a week at her daycare - dance and yoga)."
Poppa: "I would love to see you dance, tell me when."
Bia: "You get in your car and take me to school and watch me dance. The you tell me I great!"

Chatty had a double header this past weekend. She scored one goal in the first game and two in the second.

As you can see we don't have any self-esteem issues in our house!

Another Day at the ESPN House

2010-11-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

My friend Robin and her family were in town this week and came over to visit last night. Robin is my oldest friend - I met her in 4th grade when we moved to the desert. Even though we have lived in separate states for most of our adult life, we still keep in touch. It was great to see her, Trent and her twin daughters. They also got to witness a normal night at the ESPN house which included Bia throwing a royal fit about what she was wearing and running around in her underwear refusing to put on her jeans, Chatty losing a tooth and leaving her bloody paper towel on the ground (yes she lost another one!), the girls pretending like they were WWF wrestlers with each other (I thought only boys did that), etc. But the highlight of the night was when Bia told Miss Robin she should go in Mommy's bathroom because Daddy always poops in his bathroom. Classic huh? Robin - I hope you, Trent and the girls will come back again and that my family didn't scare you away!

And no I didn't take any pictures - I was a total slacker.

Life at Our House

2010-11-15T13:50:00.000-08:00

People always ask what we have been up to and I always say - not much - just the usual chaos that is life! Seriously, that's how I describe our life - see below for a recap of the last few days....

Thursday - Mr. ESPN bought I-Phones for him and me ....

Friday - took the day off and packed for the family - headed to Tucson to meet up with our good friends the Cottrells for a U of A football game .... Mr. ESPN becomes addicted to his I-Phone.

Saturday - drag our kids all over campus, tailgaited with the Cottrells, froze our butts off at the football game, Mr. ESPN can't hardly put his I-Phone down

(some pics from Saturday)

At the hotel before the game - all of our Mini-Wildcats

Bia wanted Daddy in her picture ... who enjoyed it more?

Chatty and Ainsley join the group

These two are like "peas and carrots" (Forrest Gump)

Bia, me and Wilbur

And an attempt at a family shot ...

Sunday - breakfast with the Cottrells before heading north, lunch and then Chatty's soccer game and finally home ... then back to the phone store to exchange my phone. I know, I am probably the only person on Earth who didn't like the I-Phone ... got a Blackberry instead and still don't know how to use it.

Monday (today) - ran 9 miles, volunteered in Chatty's class and did more laundry - does it ever end?

And now it is almost time for Chatty to get off the bus and I still have a ton of thing left on my to-do list!

Veteran's Day 2010

2010-11-11T06:17:00.000-08:00

Take some time today to thank a Veteran for their brave service. If it wasn't for the men and women who have served this country and continue to do so, we wouldn't be able to enjoy the freedoms we have today. My sincerest thanks go out to my grandfathers, fathers, uncle and my big brother! I appreciate all that you have done for your country! Mr. ESPN, Chatty, Bia and I are PROUD to be a part of your family!

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." -Elmer Davis

Sneak Peek

2010-11-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend we met up with a friend of a friend who took some family photos of us (for a great price). He was so patient with the girls. Between Chatty's fake smiles and Bia's total lack of cooperation, I was wondering if we would ever get a good one. Needless to say we got several good ones and now I am trying to figure out which one(s) to use on our Christmas card ...

It's amazing how in one split second you look like a normal, happy, sane family! 5 seconds later it's back to reality!

Like a Good Neighbor ...

2010-11-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

Mr. ESPN and Mr. Jim are there. I came home from Chatty's soccer practice the other night and noticed Mr. ESPN's car was in our neighbor's driveway with the lights on. I thought this was odd and then noticed my other neighbor, Jim and Mr. ESPN were over there with shovels. I get out of the car and ask what's going on.

"Rattlesnake in their garage, Jim and I killed it" (no he didn't try to run this one over with his car - he brought his car over so they could see it better since it was getting dark). WTH - don't these things hibernate for winter? I guess they are all screwed up too since the temps here hit the 90's this week.

Here's to cooler temperatures and no more snakes!!

Halloween Recap

2010-11-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge fan of Halloween. Mr. ESPN and I don't dress up ... and most of the Halloween decorations we have are courtesy of my mom. I do enjoying dressing up the girls and they love everything about Halloween - the costumes, candy, you name it. We celebrated with our neighbors with a pre-trick or treating potluck in the street. Afterwards the dads took the kids out and the moms passed out candy.

Speaking of which, I am not too thrilled with the large quantity of candy in my house. I was off today and officially lost count of how many pieces of candy I ate. Needless to say it wasn't pretty and negated the 6 miles I ran this morning.

Since our kids are always in such a rush to hit the streets as soon as they get their costumes on, we decided to do a trial run after church to get some photos in their costumes.

Tinkerbell & a Phillies baseball player

In case you weren't sure who Chatty was ...

her favorite player Chase Utley

Ready to hit the streets

With the neighbors

"Daddy my bag is too heaby!!"

Mazel Tov, Pumpkins and The Godfather

2010-10-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend ... Mr. ESPN and I attended our triplet (yes triplet boys) neighbor's bar mitzvah on Saturday (we have known them since they were about 4 and have lived next to them for the last 6 1/2 years). The service was very sweet (all of the women were teary eyed listening to the sweet words by the boys and their parents) and the reception that evening was a lot of fun. We got one picture before the service and my bra strap was showing so I am not posting it. I forgot to take my camera to the reception - so no pics! My neighbor took one of Mr. ESPN and I and it looked like the flash was reflecting off my boob! Lovely - needless to say I am not posting that one either! Lucky for us, the girls spent the entire day and overnight with Nana and Poppa so we were kid free! WooHoo!!

On Sunday after we picked them up, we headed out to the pumpkin patch. There were lots of fun things for the girls to do ...

Don't you just love Bia's face here?

Daddy and his girls

On the hay ride

Our loot

Pony Rides

After the pumpkin patch we headed over to see Uncle Greg who was in town for the weekend. By this time the girls were WILD to say the least. We tried to get them to slow down for a few minutes to snap a photo with Uncle Greg and this was as good as it got ...

I love Bia's smile in this one - so her!

Conversations with Chatty and Bia

2010-10-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Chatty: "I want to go to Disneyland"
Me: "Disneyworld is so much better, if you and Bia behave we are going to go there next year."
Chatty: "Cool, I want to go to Sea World too. I have never been there."
Mr. ESPN: "Yes you have, you went with Mommy, Nana, Aunt Susan, Aunt Mary Jo, Cousin Jack and Chenera when you were almost 2."
Chatty: "Cool Bia - I have been to Sea World"
Bia: "Yeah that is cool"
Me: "You have been to Disneyworld too. We went when you were 2 1/2."
Mr. ESPN: "Bia was in Mommy's belly when we went to Disneyworld."
Bia: "Mommy - you eat me and swallowed me so I was in your belly?"
Me: "Mmmm ... no not quite."
Chatty: "How did Bia get in your belly?"
Me: "Mmmm ... God - God ~~and Daddy~~ put Bia in my belly."
Chatty: "How did she get out of your belly?"
Me: "Mmmm ... God - yep God got her out. I'll explain more when you turn 13."
Chatty: "OK - I am going to have 10 kids when I grow up."
Mr. ESPN (to me): "She says that now but just wait until she finds out how they come out. Once Chatty knows the "exit strategy", I am not sure she will be having 10 kids!"

What We've Been Up To ...

2010-10-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

We've been busy here in the desert ... in between the ER visit and my trip to the east coast we have ...

Celebrated Columbus Day by making Nina, Pinta & Santa Maria hats and treasure chests.

Played with our food ...

Worn our winter PJ's

(even though it is still 90 degrees outside)

Ridden bikes a lot

Spent many hours at the soccer fields

Played at the park while Sister plays soccer

Visited with the Kingston Queen after the game

(and getting yummy cookies from her!)

What have you been up to?

4 States in 4 Days and Another Trip to the ER

2010-10-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy week here - I will have been in 4 states in 4 days this week. I flew into NJ on Monday amidst a lovely lightning storm. I thought I was going to have to use the barf bag on the way down, it was that bumpy. Not to mention some sliding on the runway. Yesterday I spent almost 6 hours in a car driving from NJ to CT to meet with some people from one of our businesses. Needless to say I am not a fan of NY traffic! But the cooler temps and changing leaves were awesome! Tonight I am having a family dinner with my in-laws, Mr. ESPN's aunt and cousin. Too bad Mr. ESPN and the girls aren't here with me! Speaking of the girls they haven't been behaving real well for their Dad while I have been away ... so much for those bribes I gave them.

All of this after a crazy Sunday night where I spent 3 hours in the ER with Bia. She fell and hit her head and then started throwing up so we loaded up the car and headed to the hospital. They gave her a cat scan and it came back clean. To make things a little more hectic, Mr. ESPN was at the Jack Johnson concert across town when it happened. Thank goodness for cell phones (texting) and awesome neighbors. Mr. ESPN stayed at the concert and we checked in periodically. Bia stayed home the last two days with Mr. ESPN due to the fall (just wanted to make sure she was OK). Then she proceeded to get a fever yesterday. Nana and Poppa to the rescue! They are coming over today so Mr. ESPN can go to the office (thanks guys - you are the best!). Hopefully the rest of the week will be a little smoother.

I head home tomorrow night. Of course they are calling for rainstorms tomorrow evening. Here's hoping I get out on time!

The Things They Say ...

2010-10-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

I have several posts about Chatty and the things she says. However her little sister Bia gives her a run for her money in the chatty department. It is so bad most days that they argue over who gets to talk when!

Some things to note about Bia - she talks LOUDLY. Even her whispers are loud. She is small but mightly and likes to make sure everyone hears her.

"I WANT BREAKFAST!" - this is a common occurrence around 5:45 to 6:00 am at our house
"Dr., Dr., Dr., Dr. Come HERE!" - this week while we were waiting to see our pediatrician
"I WANT A MINT NOW!" - this week while I was speaking to the nurse about Bia's pink eye
"I CAN'T SEE!" - 11:30 pm and again at 4:00 am because her eyes we crusted (sorry for the visual) over.
"Tomorrow my buddies come over - Michelle, Addison, Sophie, Spencer, Collin and we have a play date at our house, OK?" - she is constantly trying to plan play dates.
"Tomorrow you buy me .... (insert - movie, toy, snack, etc.)?"
"What is this/that?" - a million times a day
"I WANT MOMMY" - when Mr. ESPN makes her mad.
"I WANT DADDY" - when I make her mad.
"I WANT PUPPY" - when we both make her mad.
"NO!" - this is a daily occurrence
And my all time favorite .... "I Love you too Mommy, I give you a kiss and a hug" - she likes to say this when you begin to scold her for doing something wrong! She is a smart one!