The Christmas Season has begun with Black Friday

I had another bout with insanity today. I woke up early and was at Walmart by 6:15 am. That is like two hours before I am normally even out of bed. First I couldn't find a parking spot at my nearest Walmart so I decided to go to the Long Beach Town Center, and there I had more trouble finding a parking spot, but I persevered, and finally found one. When I walked to the back of the store to pick up a Flip, so that I could go stand in line behind, 100's of people, I learned that I first had to stand in line in the electronics department behind hundreds of other people. So I turned around and walked out. Never again, and I seriously mean, never again will I even attempt to go to Walmart on Black Friday. Since, I was out, I did manage to find a few things in much smaller lines at Old Navy, Linens and Things and Carters.

Luckily tonight, we got to finish off the day with Christmas decorating. It was the first time in years that I was really looking forward to it.

Elliot is fascinated by this snowglobe, he sat and looked and sort of played with it for about half an hour tonight. I fear for the Santa Claus though, so we will have to put it up someplace high!

What do you do...

when you go to get in your car to do a morning load of errands, and there is no car seat in the car? First you scream or say "oh D#%&" or something like that. Then you call your husband to say, look in your backseat, there is something there, that doesn't belong there. Then you walk to Carls Jr., since your two year old was promised McDonald's, and that is the next best thing. Then you spend the day, chit chatting with neighbors, and hanging out wishing you could go somewhere, anywhere.

when you need your husband home early, but he has a serious meeting to attend, and can't miss it? You eat a tv dinner, then cry a little, because you have a million things to get done by tomorrow at 8:30am. Read and sing to the kiddo and put him to bed.

when your blu website isn't doing what it's supposed to do? You scream some more. Email blu and hope they respond in a decent amount of time, since you marked your ticket URGENT. How come when I have a minor problem that is no big deal and marked normal, it is fixed in less than 10 minutes, but when I have a serious problem, that I need working for a client and it's marked Urgent, it is still not fixed after an hour. I don't understand that.

when you have had a more complaining than you would like to do day? Eat a half gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream, with a warm piece of brownie.

So that was my day. On a more positive not, I will give a shout out to my super cool and fun neighbor Sharon who Elliot and I love having around on these kind of days. We love having her around on any kind of day, but most especially on these.

We like to move it, move it!

Okay, I have become the mom I never imagined I could be. I have totally caved to commercialism. McDonald's Happy Meal Toys have been the animals from the Madagascar Movie. And since Elliot loves animals and that movie, we have eaten at McDonalds at least 10 times in the last two weeks. Up until yesterday we had 2 Alex the lions, Marty the Zebra, Melman the giraffe, 2 Skipper the penguins and Gloria the hippo. We still needed Moto Moto the hippo, King Julien and Mason the Monkey. I can't tell you how many times we left McDonalds with Elliot in tears because he wanted the Monkey. So yesterday, with Lee laughing in the background I was calling every McDonalds in Long Beach to find out who had the animals that the little prince still needed. To my surprise the nearest one said they had King Julien. But when we got there they told me they only had Gloria. Now it wasn't going to be Elliot in tears that time, it was going to be me. So the man went to dig around for Julien, and he came back with Moto Moto, Mason the Monkey and King Julien. So for $7.00, I had a diet coke, and Elliot had his collection complete. Okay, so I had a week or two of total insanity, but I think I am over it, and we will never, never, ever eat McDonalds again. I promise. Unless I get a craving for one of their $1.00 hot fudge sundays.

All of the animals singing, "We like to move it, move it"

Except that I just realized Alex is not in there.

Watching the cars drive by in the drive thru. Yes, easily entertained.

But what kept him most entertained was saying "hi!" to Mommy under the table.

One from last week when we went with Danny and Carol!

A Super Cut and a Perfect Day...

I call Tuesdays (yesterday) my domestic day. I get the grocery shopping done at Sprouts, take Elliot to Rubio's for lunch, and then tidy up and do laundry in the afternoon. So yesterday we added one extra activity and Elliot got his haircut at Supercuts. This was his first official haircut, so it was somewhat exciting for me, especially since I had to wait 2 years and 3 months for it. I have trimmed the back a couple of times, but both times left a few spots shorter than the rest so I decided it was time.

Before

After

And in between
How perfect was it, that they had an African animals cape for Elliot to wear.

Monkey See, Monkey do...

Elliot absolutely adores his friend Danny. He talks about him and his dinosaurs non stop and cries when we have to leave. Here are some pictures of Danny teaching Elliot to pose at Peters Canyon Park. What a perfect teacher and very enthusiastic student.

First you put your hands on your knees...

Then you put your hand on your cheeks...

And last but not least, you lay down and put your chin on your hands...


And another favorite of the day...

Wildfire Weekend

We had some last minute guests staying, Mom, Dad, and Jennifer, due to the wildfires in Yorba Linda. It was all prety crazy. In the end 2 buildings in an apartment complex burnt down and about 110 homes. It's seems that everybody knows somebody who knows somebody whose house burnt in the Yorba Linda fire. It's really sad. Fortunately the Bell houses were all still standing after it was all said and done. Elliot thought it was a party while everyone was here until Auntie's cat attacked him in his bedroom. Now the fires are out and the air seems clearer, but my allergies are raging. I wish the itch would go away in my throat.

Pictures to follow later.

Monday Night Dinner

I'm not sure how to make this pretty, but it is our favorite dinner of the week.
Fish and Chips with Heinz beans. And we've got to have our malt vinegar, tarter sauce and ketchup to go with it. Yummy, yummy!!!

It was a busy weekend and a busy day, more to come about today, tomorrow.

The most delicious cookies!

These are the nicest cookies, and they would make the perfect accompaniment to a warm mug of Godiva hot chocolate! Pure heaven...

Building the Immune System

Elliot has his third cold, since he started preschool September 16. I have come to terms with the fact that this is going to be the norm through the fall and winter. Is it really true that the more a kid gets sick the better his immune system is? This has always been a mystery to me and one I haven't necessarily agreed with, but I am hoping it is.

Relieved and Happy...

that is how I feel.

What a day it was yesterday and the day before! Obama is our president elect and I couldn’t be happier! There are so many amazing things about this. First off it means Bush is on his way out. How amazing is that. And people were cheering around the world when it was announced that Obama won. That says a lot to me. So many countries have been so angry with us after going into Iraq based on Bush’s lies. We can finally get some respect back.

Secondly, we elected the first African American as president of the United States. This is a true historic moment, probably one of the most that I will see in my lifetime. Just as Elliot will never understand the impact that I feel from it, I can never understand the impact that so many older African Americans feel from it. My friend Adrienne said, “i never thought i would see this day and i only wish my parents and grandparents were here to experience it with me...i remember when the civil rights law was passed...i remember sitting in the back of the bus...i remember the first time a child and an adult called me the "n" word (i was 5 years old and i didn't understand)...i remember sitting in the balcony of the movie theater...there were no signs in nebraska you just knew...knew you weren't welcome and i remember when i would have been discouraged from talking with so many of you on flickr...tonight represents so many things to me and the rest of the world and i'm proud of this country. i hope we can all come together to make this place work for everyone...not just for a few... my heart is full...” I am blessed to know Adrienne, she is a true inspiration. As I think I said in a previous blog, I am happy for the Obama family, for my family, for this country and for African Americans in America. We are all one. And we all want what is best for our country.

I do not wish to inflict my views on anybody, but I do wish people would at least give Obama a chance, before they talk about him as if he has already ruined this country. The Bush administration has done some serious damage to this country and our economy, and I think the only way to go, now, is up. It is such a glorious feeling to know, we actually have a chance at America doing better. Obama is going to deal with some mighty big issues and I think it will take some time before we will see true positive changes, but he is our president elect and by bad mouthing and making assumptions, we cannot support or help him with the struggles this country is up against.

Smash!

More excitement than I needed today. After being tailgated by a woman in a minivan, down my residential street, I got a nice big dent in the back of my car. She was obviously in a hurry, and my 30 mph on Lime Ave. wasn’t fast enough for her. Then when I didn’t make my right hand turn, because a car was coming, she smashed into me. Yes, we are fine, and not hurt, but after taking somebody’s name, car insurance and license number down, is saying “thank you” the appropriate thing? I appreciate that she gave me all of her information, after yelled at her for tailgating me, but I don’t really have any thanks for her, now that I have to spend time on the phone with insurance companies, and worry about getting my car repaired before I drive it. There could possibly be some damage to the wheel or suspension underneath. Anyway, let’s hope the rental car is a nice color.

Happy Birthday to My Sister

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

It's a New Day... It's a Happy Day!

Change, change, change...

I am excited about our future, and so happy that America voted for Obama. After the disaster the current administration has created of this country. This is exactly what we needed. I am thrilled for the Obama family, my family and for America. And what a surprise that we knew before 8:00 in the evening. I thought it was going to be a late night.

I have so much to say about the election and my feelings, but I want to focus on the fact that I am so excited for something new and different. I will get deeper tomorrow. Wednesdays are always a long day for me, so I will sign off.

Vote!

I Believe...

I believe both candidates truly care about America.
I believe we need change. Who doesn’t?
I believe John McCain made a huge mistake choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate.
I believe whoever wins this election has more challenges than any president has had in my thirty seven years alive.
I believe that if people of the same sex can marry, there will be no negative affect on me and my family.
I believe that most people voting in Tuesday’s election are more passionately against the man they are not voting for, than how passionate they are for the candidate they are voting for.
I believe voting in this election is more important than any other election I have voted in.
I believe in Freedom.
I believe in Choice.
I believe in Peace.
I believe in The United States of America.

7 Years!

Happy Anniversary, to my love, Lee!

I know, it's pretty blurry and grainy, but it was the best I could get on 1600 iso and 1/30 shutterspeed. And I like it!

One from our wedding...

One from our honeymoon...

Finally Halloween!

I doubt Elliot could have cared less, but he did love his Pumpkin flash light, that he was so proud of, that he showed it off to anyone who would look at him in Carl's Jr. We went trick or treating in my old neighborhood with Bailey, Becky and Grandma Sue, and even took pictures on the front lawn like my mom always made my sister and I do. I think Elliot was the luckiest of all being pushed around the neighborhood in his car.

My top 5 favorite halloween candy list

5. Mike and Ikes

4. Charms lollipops

3. Laffy taffy

2. Almond Joy

1. The Giant king size kit kat bars one house was giving out

Mickey and Minnie in the front yard

Come on Mom. I'm ready to go!

Mickey and his buddy Alice in Wonderland

Dracula-toothed Bailey, with her sweet loot!