2 Years Ago

Elliot in his first Halloween costume at 2 1/2 months old.

Grateful for...

Seven years with the love of my life!

My sister who is a very fun and exciting Auntie who loves to babysit Elliot!

The fact that I have the opportunity to sleep in tomorrow.

A warm night.

My new teenage babysitter, Emily that Elliot loved.

Fun girls nights out, where I can take an hour to eat a cup of soup and half a sandwich and wander through Target, Michaels and Barnes and Noble with my lovely friend Carol. (Now Carol where is that picture of you and I in our beauty queen wigs? )

My friend who loves to try on wigs and sunglasses with me. I love that stuff. Next time we have to try on hats.



Lee and I five years ago in Venice for our second anniversary. 11/02/03

My top 5 favorite You Tube videos of the day

5a. Short unknown language version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTjx-9GYy1A
b. Long English version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE246RfrG58
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTXyXuqfBLA
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYxoeNl3XMM
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDD8DRAjPzc
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sNPwOEPlFw&feature=related

I know I'm a slacker

Okay, so it was only my second week of having a blog, that I vowed to keep up with on a daily basis. But I was really slacking this week. It was a busy on the go week. And when I finally had a chance to get on my computer, it always seemed to take me forever to get my pictures up. Or my computer would freeze for twenty plus minutes, and I would go bolistic, practically throwing my keyboard through my monitor. Why do these machines that we can't live without, torture us so much?

I promise to be more dedicated and vow to blog everyday!

Another Pumpkin Patch

This was my favorite. It wasn't a big carnival with pumpkins, but a pumpkin patch, with a bounce house and the nicest goats, sheep and pig running around a petting zoo, that I have ever seen. There was also a large 24 year old turtle and a very sweet and soft little bunny rabbit. So we've been to two pumpkin patches and one trick or treat party, and still haven't bought a pumpkin. So maybe we'll visit another one tomorrow. Anyway here are a few pics from Friday night at my favorite pumpkin patch on Yorba Linda Blvd. near Kreamer, in Placentia.

The Petting Zoo

The $4.00 tractor ride, that was worth every penny! Every little boy needs a John Deere tractor.

2007 at the Pumpkin Patch with Auntie!

Grateful for...

My husband being so helpful, organized and understanding.
Elliot's happy face when he wakes up in the morning.
New clients.
The most delicious frozen "Pubhouse Battered Halibut" from Sprouts.
Sirius radio.
Wonderful friends.
Fountains at shopping centers that kids can play in.

Halloween Everyday

I hear some people talk about how Halloween has gotten so out of control, and there are way too many parties and blah, blah, blah. But every opportunity that we get to wear those overpriced costumes is great in my book. So far we have been to the pumpkin patch twice and trick or treating once. Last night we were invited to the Floral Park trick or treat party in Santa Ana, which was very well set up. It was great fun, but we had to say goodbye to our friends Katie, Scott, Nicholas and Chelsea, who are moving to Boise on Tuesday. Elliot loved playing with Nicholas and Chelsea and I am really going to miss Katie. It was great to get to see them before they leave on their new adventure in life. And as sad as it is they are moving, I think it is very exciting. Below are some fun memories of the evening.

Katie opening her "My Publisher" album that turned out amazing.

Why is my kid always the one crying in the group shots?

Elliot in full costume. We had to take the hat and undershirt off. It was too hot.

Yes, I dressed up. I am the goofyball mom who wanted to get a matching costume to her little boy.

He was so happy, he finally got his "appypop" as he calls it.

Sprouts

My new favorite grocery store. I love this place and am so happy to find a grocery store that has everything I need, except Diet Coke. When Whole Foods took over my Wild Oats grocery store, I was heart broken. Prices went up and some products changed. Now a year later, I discovered Sprouts, and I love shopping again. Their fruit isn't necessarily organic, but it is locally grown and that is good for our environment, saving gas costs. They carry Cabo Chips, which are the best tortilla chips in the world. And they carry gallon sized milk that has no RBST hormone in it at an affordable price. My best deal was getting vine tomatoes for 69 cents a pound. And if you shop on Wednesdays, you get the previous weeks ad specials along with the current weeks.

Some of my other favorite products there are...
Fresh garlic naan
Alexia frozen french fries
Alexia frozen Whole grain dinner rolls
Micheal Angelo's natural frozen food dinners
As I think of my other favorite products from there, I will add to the list.

Hot Day at the Pumpkin Patch!

I think it was 90 degrees at least.

After a week trying, we finally got to a pumpkin patch. Since when did going to find a pumpkin turn into spending $20 at the carnival. Elliot got to go on his first pony ride, ride on the carousel, drive in the front of the train and ring the bell, and ride in an elephant (not a real) one. So when Elliot and I do these kinds of activities, I never know if he is enjoying himself, because he is so serious. On each and everyone of these rides he never looked at me or cracked a smile. But he talked about it all afternoon and wanted to go back. He kept telling me how he "petted the horses pony" and went"ding ding" on the train. I got one cute picture of him looking and sort of smiling at me and that was so he could go on the carousel. Then on the way out he climbed behind one of the painted wood scenes and stuck his head through. I think he thought I would let him go on another ride, if he posed for another picture. So maybe we'll go find another pony ride with Daddy this weekend, but not at the pumpkin patch in Seal Beach. The dudes were really ornery, and seemed as if they didn't even like children as they plucked him out of my hands and practically tossed him onto the horsey. And they wouldn't let him wear his cowboy hat on it either.

He's only looking at me, because I told him I had boogers on my head

A day at The Calico House!

First, I must say I can't believe it was 90 degrees in Long Beach (4 miles from the beach) at 6:30 this evening. I love hot weather, but this is just crazy.

Grandma has been in Santa Clara for a week and got home yesterday, so we got to have lunch with her and Auntie and play in fabric afterward. Elliot missed her and was happy she was back. He loves to play hide and seek in the quilts.

Today, I am grateful for cowboy boots and cowboy hats to fit little two year olds. Pictures to come tomorrow.

Here is a shot of Elliot with Grandma on her birthday, to celebrate their fun day together,today. Next time, I'll have to remember to take my camera.

Two pictures of Elliot a year ago taken at a Halloween flickr mixer, hosted by the Rice family...

Help!!!

I can't find my credit card. Has anyone seen it, because I really wanted to go grocery shopping. Today is my domestic day of the week. I had plans of getting our groceries for the week, and having an afternoon of cooking. On the list was Tomatoe Soup, because I know Lee loves this. And Chicken Tikka Masala for tomorrow night, along with tonights Asian stir fry. Looks like we will be having fish and chips for dinner, unless anyone has a clue to where my credit card is. I had it at my computer before dinner, last night, placing an online order, and it is no where near my computer or in my purse, or in the shredder. I checked. Elliot likes to put things in there. So now I am off to finish some laundry and sweep the floor.

Grateful for happy days again! Here are some fun pictures of Elliot and me at The Orange Block, with Auntie, on Saturday.

I Have Been Inspired...

By my dear friend Carol at http://inkyblack1.blogspot.com/ . I love and look forward to reading her blog every day. She is a fantastic write who has a wonderful way of telling her daily life stories. I can only hope that I one day have one person who looks forward to reading about me and my daily ho hum, as I am to reading about Carol's.

It has been a computer kind of day for me. I am finishing up my new website, which I am super excited about, and also editing a photo shoot I had yesterday with my beautiful friend Michele.

Here's one of my favorites from yesterday


And this is what Elliot has been up to today...
He found an old pacifier, that he probably used 10 times when he was a newborn and decided he was going to be a baby today. The funniest part of it all was watching him try to figure out how to keep the paci in his mouth and take a drink at the same time.