Music

Songs that have caught my attention from commercials, t.v. shows, elevators, stores, etc.

"Generator Second Floor" by Freelance Elephants (HGTV House Hunters Commercial)

**not on audio**

"From the Morning" by Nick Drake (AT&T Commercial)

"Decode" by Paramore (Twilight Soundtrack)

**not on audio**

"Faithfully" by Journey (I think I heard this in the grocery store)

"To The One I Love" by REM (heard on the radio this morning)

"Eyes On Fire" by Blue Foundation (Twilight Soundtrack)

"Dawn" from the Movie, Pride & Prejudice

"Say Hey" by Michael Franti & Spearhead (Corona Light Commercial)

If you hear something on T.V or a movie...go to www.whatisthatsong.net, to look it up!

What have I done?????

Little Man is OBSESSED...I mean COMPLETELY OBSESSED with Star Wars!

It all started with one Star Wars shirt:

He was 2 and really didn't know what Star Wars was.

Then 3 more t-shirts, underwear, a mini Lego set, The Clone Wars animated movie, the Star Wars IV, V & VI DVD's (gifts from Uncle E), the Darth Vader costume for his Build-A-Bear, a big History of Star Wars & Legos book and the kid is officially OBSESSED. Hmmmm. Maybe I went overboard.

NOW, he wants a light saber but I know we have reached our limit and The Husband and I REALLY don't want to get whacked with it.

I can see it now...the kid is going to grow up to seem like a normal person, good job, family but every year when Comi-con rolls around, he'll sneak off, put on his Star Wars costume of choice and join thousands of fans who meet every year to celebrate their love of Star Wars, comic book characters, etc. Here's an explanation of Comi-Con that I found online.

**Every July, Comic-Con turns San Diego into a frenzied fanboy orgy. Alpha Nerds descend upon the city’s seaside convention center in costumed droves. They come to quench their thirst for collectible blood, waiting hours in lines for sneak peaks, giveaways, and valuable face time with the creators of their favorite alternate television/film/comic universes. Hollywood, knowing full well to kiss the hand that feeds it, proffers sacrificial celebrities and exclusive footage in hopes of reaping the benefits during the next summer’s blockbuster season.**

Even now, when he's "in character", he'll get mad if you call him by name. He'll yell, I'm not Little Man! I'm Boba Fett! (mommy rolling eyes and thinking, Oh Lord help me). Then he'll march around the house humming Darth Vader's theme song!

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he's got such a vivid imagination. We could just do without the shooting of blasters and fighting with imaginary light sabers.

This will be Little Man (Boba Fett on the right) and his buddy Earl from accounting, greeting the Comi-con visitors exiting the bus. :D

Say Hello to my Little Friend...

O.k., Let me set up the story for you.

We moved into a new place and it came with a stray cat named Licorice (Licky for short). :)

I told the owner not to worry, that I would feed her. I've got a soft spot for animals, especially strays, and when we sold our home back in Oklahoma, 7 yrs ago, I asked the new owner to feed my strays for me. Luckily she's an animal lover too! (Thanks "L"!)

SO

I've been feeding Licorice every day and we recently noticed that her water dish had little bits of dirt in the bottom of it in the morning. I just figured we had a visiting raccoon stopping by to eat the leftovers...seeing as they wash their food before they eat it, and we back up to a wooded area. And, Licorice wouldn't eat out of her bowl until I washed it out REALLY well. Apparently doesn't like the smell of raccoon in the morning.

This goes on for a few days.

WELL! Last night I was waiting for The Husband to get his snack so we could watch our movie and I hear a noise coming from the front porch. And I'm thinking to myself, "that's kinda loud for a cat, maybe it's that raccoon!". So I sneak over and peek out the glass but the porch light isn't on ... I think I see something that looks like a small white cat but then I squat down to get a closer look and realize.....THAT'S not a cat! By this time The Husband comes in and says, "What are you doing?" I shush him and run to get my camera (of course). Then I whisper, "o.k., hit the lights".

This is what we see! A little possum! I was worried that it might try to hurt Licky but she's just sitting there...chillin' on the doormat like it's no big deal! They must have a special arrangement when it comes to her leftovers.

Licorice (black cat) and the possum.

Closer shot but blurry.

Didn't want to scare him/her off with the flash.

The possum finishes it's snack, gets a drink of water and toodles off into the darkness. So we turned the light off and started the movie.

But! No more than 5 minutes later we hear Licky growl and hiss so I'm running for the front door thinking, "What now!" Flip the porch light on and it's Patches, the neighborhood Cat Bully (longhair tortoise shell cat), either trying to get what food is left or up on Licky's doormat! So I'm knocking on the glass, trying to shoo Patches away, "Bad Kitty, Go Away!" But of course, she blows me off and sits there having a face-off with Licky.

Buy this time, I'm done, they can sort it out themselves! So I switch off the light and sit back down to watch the movie with The Husband.

I'm sure he thinks I'm a complete Nutter with all this cat / animal drama. :D

Picture Catch Up...

Thought I'd post some pics that I've had on my phone for a while as well as the ones from Little Man's first Day of School.

Little Man loves eating at "the rice place", Pei Wei.

I think its because he gets to use chop sticks (with the kiddie assist).

"Honey Chicken" (Honey seared chicken) is his fave!

Trying to get all Kung Foo on Mommy,

OR heaven forbid flashing gang signs at the age of 3! :D

Running to school! Can't wait to see his friends

and play on the BIG playground.

The Husband and I trying to keep up.

One of his teachers, Ms. D and his friend "W", greeting him at the door.

All wound up from an exciting first day of school!

See Food! Aggghhh!

(giggles)

I did get a little misty-eyed after dropping him off. sniff sniff. He's growing up so fast, and becoming too cool to kiss Mommy bye in front of his friends. Good thing I'm still pretty fast and can grab him and plant a smooch on him before he can get away. ;)

Give and Get is Here!

Give and Get is Here!: "Enjoy 30% off from August 26-29 at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy and we'll donate 5% of what you spend to a non-profit."

R-E-L-A-X

How do cats just lay around all day?!?!?

Recently The Husband and I were watching House Hunters International (we're HGTV addicts) and the featured couple were selling their home in Dallas, TX and moving to Belize. The man said that all he needed for work was a computer and a phone.

At first this seemed ideal to us...then after "the move" the couple explained how they wake up and spend the day by their pool or going into town or snorkeling or some other stress free activity.

The Husband and I looked at each other and said, "we would get so bored!"

After that, I got thinking...I don't think we know how to relax and do nothing! We've been on vacation before (pre-child) and we were still pretty active although sleeping in was nice...which now seems like an indulgence. :)

Even when we go to the gym, I can't sit in the steam room or sauna for more than 10 minutes because I get bored! Ya know...that's just sad! :D

SO!

It's my goal for our family to learn how to R-E-L-A-X (ahhhhhh) and do nothing from time to time.

And in case you need some instruction on how to RELAX, this is what I found on the internet:

Missing your joie de vivre? Knowing the importance of relaxation and knowing how to relax are vital for ensuring your ongoing health and well-being, as well as restoring the passion and joy in your life. Your is your responsibility. Allowing life's stressors to impact your health negatively will end up with you feeling under par in everyday activities and could eventually lead to illness.

Learning how to relax is a key to good life balance and self respect. Restore your faith in the worth of including relaxing as a permanent part of your lifestyle.

How to Relax

Life can be overwhelming and tedious. With a job, children, mortgage and car payments, it can all seem endless and relentless. But instead of working yourself into a frenzy, it may be best to relax. Take a little time to decompress and clear your mind. Only at that point will you be able to really focus on life's challenges and overcome them. Here are some tips on how to relax and decompress!

Instructions

1. 1

   Define your stress. Relaxing is about finding out where the stress lies in your life and being able to walk away from it for a moment. Take a rest. For all of us it's different. This step may cause you to also be blunt with yourself. Sometimes achieving the new promotion is what's putting the greatest stress on you. So, take a pen and paper and physically define your stress. By writing it, you will understand it and be closer to controlling it.

2. 2

   Realize your bliss. All of us have things that make us truly happy. It could be the smile of your loved one or climbing Mt. Everest. Your bliss is something that is such a pleasure, such a joy for you to do, the worries of the world simply fall by the wayside. Ask yourself what your bliss truly is. Then on that same piece of paper where you defined your stress, turn it over and write the things down that you love doing. They may not all be realistic due to time or monetary constraints, but find at least one thing you can do a week that forces you to relax.

3. 3

   Cut off communication. We are so "connected" in this world, many of us are reachable at every moment of the day either via Internet, PDA, cell phone, home and work phones. Being reachable is a source of stress in that it is not allowing you to relax, decompress or get away from the rest of the world. Shut off the cell phone, turn off your PDA, log off the Internet, unplug the phone and simply just be quiet in the moment. This may seem sort of hard. You may find yourself being consistently pulled to those devices that we've all become so accustomed to.

Storytime Live!!!

The Husband and I just got home from taking Little Man to see Nick Jr.'s Storytime Live! show. Woo Hoo! Seriously, kids show are really pretty good! And to see the look on Little Man's face was priceless. Here's some pics from the outing.

Little Man waiting in line at the souvenir shop.

Little Man's face when he saw how close we were to the stage. :)

He's still getting over a fear of life size fuzzy characters but the costumes were

designed where you could see the actors faces...so he was cool with it.

(Souvenir light stick in hand)

The cast of the show.

I would have liked to have taken some live shots of the cast but the usher informed me that we weren't allowed to take pictures. :(

Looking forward to the Yo Gabba Gabba! show in December!

He's a Pro!

Today was Little Man's first dental appointment...ever! Dr. J greeted us in the waiting area and walked us back...explaining to both of us what he would be doing today. Very professional, very informative...while Little Man managed to find the x-ray room and wanted to play with the cameras. :) Dr. J explained that some kids "freak out" when the hygienist starts brushing their teeth and also on some of the x-rays but I reassured him that Little Man would do just fine....which he later told me ALL mom's say and it turns out to be the complete opposite.

Miss M, his hygienist was great! Very sweet, explained everything before she started and let Little Man touch everything that she was going to stick in his mouth so he'd know what to expect.

Well, he was great! Kicked back with his headphones on and watched a Dora video like it was no big deal! Probably helped that he has a rotating Tigger toothbrush, loves to wear his headphones at home and is generally curious about everything.

Dr. J said his teeth looked perfect and that we were doing a great job....I even received a Great Mom certificate! ((pat pat patting myself on the back)).

Looking forward to more positive visits to the Dentist for Little Man!

Running Crazy!

With Fall Semester quickly approaching, I've been skimming the local Recreation Center's Fall Action Guide for classes Little Man might be interested in taking. Also spoke to the office at his school about "Enrichment" classes being offered and then looked up KinderMusik to see what schedule our favorite teacher, Ms. Becky, would have.

Then I saw it. An article titled, "The Four People that Get a Vote in Afterschool Activities". 1st-The child in question. 2nd-The sibling (if applicable), 3rd-Your Husband and 4th-You. In the first paragraph the author jokes, "My name is Karen, and I'm an over-scheduler." "Everyone, let's say hello to Karen and welcome her to group."

This could be me.

Little Man had school Tues & Thurs through the summer, swim lessons on Tues & Thurs after school, playgroup on Wednesdays and Tiny Tots Golf every Friday during July. Very busy.

But this is the way it's always been. When he was born we had a lactation group and a new mother's group once a week. Then we added Gymboree Play...so we then had 3 days a week of activities and he was 3 months old!

I think I was always worried about him having interaction with other kids since he's an only child and thought he would get bored easily. Well, I think it's starting to back-fire on me. I've noticed recently that he can't play on his own for more than 20 minutes before coming to look for me. Or it's because, I'M THE BEST PLAYMATE EVER! just kidding.

My Mom has always said, "You were always able to entertain yourself". But I had an older brother and there wasn't Gymboree Play, Mother's Groups or Mother's Day Out back then. You were home with Mom (and siblings) until you started Kindergarten.

SO! I've decided to limit him to one activity, other than school, for the next couple of years. He said that he wants to play sports, so I think he'll do Tiny Tots Golf again....at least he says he really likes it...and of course we can't give up playgroup because Mommy needs grown-up interaction. :)

Just asked Little Man, "Do you get tired when we run around a lot?" He said yes. When asked what would he do if we were home more he said, "I'd balance on one foot!" and proceeds to show me how. What do you expect?! He's 3! :D

Kids say the darndest things.....

Last night while I was putting Little Man to bed, we started talking about babies...

Little Man: I want a baby.

Me: I don't know if we can have one.

Little Man: Why can't you go to SpoutOnline.Com and pick one out? (very concerned look on his face). You can throw it in the cart.

Me: (me trying not to laugh) Well honey, you can't just pick one out. And you can't throw babies in a cart, they're very fragile, you have to be very gentle with them. Do you want a baby brother or sister?

Little Man: Baby Sister. Baby S (our former neighbors daughter).

Me: Well, Baby S already has a mommy & daddy. You know, if you had a baby sister, you would have to share all your toys with her.

Little Man: (very excited) I'd teach her how to do the boxing game! (on the Wii).

He LOVES babies and every time he sees one, he tries to make him/her laugh. So sweet.

We'll see........

Little Man after bath time!

Last Day of Golf Lessons.

Today was the last day of Little Man's Tiny Tot's Golf Lessons. He seems to "get it"! The importance of the grip, maintaining balance and follow through. "Keep your hotdog in the bun", "Hands high, thumbs to the sky", "Your belly button should face the flag when you're done", "That back foot should be pointing down at the end of the swing". Yes, I was paying attention too!

Coach M was great with the kids and we will probably sign up again next summer. Just need to see if he wants to try the driving range with Daddy. :)

Pre-swing stretching

Little Man to the left, Navy shirt/khaki shorts

Focus

Look at that form!

High Five!!!

And the best part...picking up the balls in the tubes! :D

Hope everyone is having a great summer!