OMG- I am in the 30's Club

Okay so maybe not technically yet.......5 days and counting. But pretty much this weekend sealed the deal.....I have one foot in the door. Thanks to everyone who made it out for weekend. We had a blast......and for many they saw me WASTED for the first time. (I didn't know that I was such a closet drinker?) Lots of people helped out with the drinking mission.......two drinks in the hands at all times.......Mission Impossible was accomplished within the first hour (not kidding). And as you can imagine......as the night wore on things got a wee bit fuzzy. It was hilerous rehashing the nights events over breakfast with everyone. Lots of funny stories.......lets just say my dress slipped down several times on the dance floor without me realizing it for quite some time. No....my ta-tas did not made a debut, but it was close....real close. Beyond that story......the rest of the stories are safe with the crazy people who created them this weekend.

I've been tagged........

Six things about me........hmmmmmmm......what information do I want to disclose????


1) I am addicted to checking the following news websites daily (several times daily actually):
cnn.com
king5.com
seattletimes.com
perezhilton.com

And it's totally morbid I know......but I seek out horribly sad news stories about kids!!! Why? I simply don't know.......I like torturing myself I guess. And sometimes I like to remind myself of how good I have it. It also helps me realize that our kids have a very easy life.....as one less barbie or polly pocket won't kill Madison.

2) I love my job!!! As most of you have read over the last several weeks I have come to the starteling conclusion that staying home is for saints. And I ain't one of them. Even though I don't make crap for money & every year I think about leaving for a higher paying job, I love going to work every day (well almost every day). Not many people can say they love what they do and I love it!!!



3) I have the BEST network of girlfriends. I feel like each of them are in my life for a different reason. Each serves a purpose for keeping my life sane and in check. Jen & Kate for example make work & life in general fun.....they mock me to no end......make up rumors about me having a beanie babies collection.....still, at the end of each work day I can laugh or sometimes cry with them in their classrooms. Alecia gets the concept of the craziness of motherhood and being married with kids.....so her and I have some pretty nice bitch/vent sessions together. I always feel better......and now that she has three.....I feel like life with two crazy kids can't be as insane as life with three. Xylona is my girl......she gets me. I tell her everything and know that no matter what comes out of my mouth I won't be judged. She tells me how it is and I love her honestly. Mercedes has been in my life for the longest. No matter how different our lives.....I know we will always remain friends.







4) My family is gorgeous. Helloooooo.....just look at them.








5)I am addicted to shopping for clothes....for ME. I know....I know.....this is really news to everyone. But had to throw it out there. Favorite places to shop: Target, Nordstrom Rack (b/c who can really afford the real thing?), Value Village (don't you dare knock it until you try it), and Old Navy (great clothes for fat teachers on a budget).


6) I FIRST thought blogging was so weird and now I am offically addicted. I mean...I take pictures just for the purpose of blogging. I read everyone blogs every day and when my husband asks, "Why do you read people blogs?" I give him the middle finger.

Party Bus

Last night we went out for Amber's 26th Birthday (Little Nicky's girlfriend). They rented a party bus and wow........didn't quite know the extent to the whole concept. Imagine, 30 or more crazy 20's something party people on a bus, drinking & dancing like rock stars while driving 70 down the freeway. Really.....words don't capture just how hilerous it was to see. It made me feel old.......like really old and really burnette :) Because I was almost the only one.....there was another one...but she was like 6 foot and about 100 pounds- so technically she did not count. Brian and I kept laughing at each other because we both felt the same: not able to keep up. Let's just say that there were about three bottles of Mad Dog being passed around even before the first stop in Kirkland.

Professional Blueberry Pickers- see below for a first timer

Every year we go to a "U-Pick" blueberry farm in Burien. It's tradition and has been for as long as I can remember. I remember times where I ran around the fields hiding from my brother and there were, of course, a few years I just simply didn't go at all because picking blueberries was just not a cool thing to do when you're a teen.

Madison first started going when she was in my belly and every year since has returned with me. She is getting quite good at picking and quite competitive I might add. Uncle Nicky put her up on his shoulders so she could get the biggest ones. When she checked in with me to see how many blueberries I had racked up, she quickly saw that I had about 5 times as much as her. That's when she started grabbing my berries by the handful and sticking them into her pale. I told her it didn't matter because they all end up in the same place- our freezer. She then informed me that she was going to have a separate area for hers that no-one was allowed to touch. Maybe she is entering into her teen years early? God help us if she is!!!!






By the way......this pic of my brother and I is hilarious. Not a cute picture of me at all.......quite funny actually.....and then check out my little bro's glasses.....ya.....even funnier!!! Sorry Nick.....have to bring you down with me on this one.

First Time Blueberry Picker

This was Grayson's first year picking blueberries. He did rather well actually. But much rather preferred squishing them between his fingers vs. eating them or picking them for that matter. He did however love to run between all the bushes, nearly giving me a heart attack a few times because I lost him.

Cookie Monster

I love treating Grayson to home-made cookies......but often afterwards I wonder if it's even worth it? It's typically right in the bath after something like this.

The Boy has hair

When I imagined my kids I never imagined that I would have one VERY curlied hair little princess and a little boy with a blonde mane of curls. We can't go very many places without someone mentioning Madison's curls or Grayson very full head of blonde hair which by the way....we don't plan on cutting.......unless it grows into a mullet. Brian and I have a definite consensus on the whole mullet issue. Regardless....I've got cute kids....really cute kids......with really cute hair.....and they both look nothing like me.

Saturday....it was kinda like being in hell

Ummmmmmmmm......anyone else think it was a bit toasty on Saturday? Or was it just me? Maybe I thought it was so hot because I was that lucky mom who got to trek her two kids to a wedding reception...... in the park..... in the middle of the freaking day....without Brian. I say "trek" because it was kinda like hiking, but only way hotter and I was totally (I mean COMPLETELY)unprepared. Once again I was that unprepared parent (which I have no excuse for....I have been at this for 6.5 yrs now!!!) and forgot to bring a stroller. Result- Me carrying Gray all the way to the middle of the park after parking two miles away. Madison also wanted to know I was an unprepared parent and "why didn't you pack me a swimsuit mom." I know.....I know....what the hell was I thinking right? I mean don't ALL moms pack swimsuits to wedding receptions? So after three hours of hell....and I do mean hell, I didn't get to socialize with any adult because I was chasing my children around, we decided to make the long journey back to the car. Thank god Jen (teacher friend in crime) was with me to help me with the kids. By the way, that's her in the picture- the one getting a cookie smooshed in her face. She is Grayson's girlfriend......literally he is in love. When bathing him early that day I was trying to lure him out of the bathtub by telling him the work PARK- not budging. So I say...."Hey Gray.....Jen is coming over. Jen's here." The kid leaps out of the bath. He's got good taste.....Mom approves. But I am a bit jealous at his love of another woman besides his mommy.

Can we say "MESS!!!"

Ummmmmmmm........this is what I walked into the other day when Sofia the sitter (my cousin) watched the kids while I ran errands. I almost walked straight back out the door and told her that her shift was over once he was cleaned up. I dare someone to make clear liquid Popsicles......wouldn't that be lovely.......ya.......one can only dream.

And.....Yes......he went straight into the bath!

Good Morning Madison

Poor Little Miss Madison........cursed with REALLY bad morning hair. She has the most gorgeous curls whether she has accepted it or not (secretly I know she prays every night for straight hair!!!). Mornings are hard.......During schools months this is what Daddy gets to style every morning......We are working with him on more styles because the ponytail is "so last year." I snapped this pic the other day when I woke up and found her next to me in bed. It was really hard not to laugh because her hair was.....well.....BIG!! This picture doesn't even quite capture how crazy it was that morning. She hid under a blanket when she saw me bring out the camera.....

Naked Stud

Who can really get enough naked pics of little Gray........He'll kill me later for these I am sure. In the mean time I plan on publishing them often to very often!!!