30 Day Mom Challenge

I found a wonderful pin on Pinterest today (For those of you who haven't checked out Pinterest, I HIGHLY recommend it! I'll admit that I was intimidated by it at first but now... I'M HOOKED!) and I want to share it with all of you moms out there.

It's called the 30 Day Mom Challenge: Mom's Ultimate To-Do List. It encourages you to find the correlating day of the month, read it, and do it. I like it so much that I want to print it, frame it, and strive to live by it!

1. Ask: "What's one thing we can do together this month?"

2. Go the whole day without yelling at your children.

3. Hug your child three times today.

4. Kiss your child while they're sleeping.

5. Tell yourself, "He's only ____ years old. He's still a child." Then treat him that way.

6. Bake, make, or buy them their favorite food.

7. Leave a sweet note for them.

8. Calculate how many more weekends are left until your child graduates high school.

9. Picture your self at your child's age. Try to remember how you felt.

10. Today's mom focus: JOY!

11. Tell your child, "I am so glad you're my son/daughter."

12. Pray for wisdom in mothering your child.

13. Do not criticize your child today.

14. Remember that being a mother is a gift.

15. Be firm when needed but not harsh.

16. Picture what you want your child to be like at age 25. Mother with that in mind today.

17. Laugh with your child today.

18. Who is a mom you admire? What quality of hers can you live out today?

19. Teach your child one thing he can do on his own today.

20. Today's focus: PATIENCE!

21. Forgive yourself when you mess up.

22. How do you want your child to remember you? Be that mom today.

23. Replace sarcasm with kindness.

24. Do not interrupt your child when he/she is talking.

25. Ask your child's opinion sometime today.

26. Make it a point to encourage your child today.

27. Do one thing that is good for your health: Walk 10 minutes, eat a piece of fruit, get a good night's sleep, etc.

28. Teach your child a new word.

29. Turn off your phone, computer, or TV today when your child is with you.

30. Today's focus: LOVE!

You know, as I read through these I don't see why I need to focus on only one a day. When it comes down to it, most of these are things I should be doing EVERY day!

I'm off to hug my kids and tell them how much I love them!

When The Adults Are Away...

...The kids will play! And I mean all three of them (Grandpa included!).

This weekend my mom and visited my cousin in Turlock. While we were gone, the kids got to spend time eating junk, being spoiled and not following rules hanging out with Grandpa (definitely one of their favorite past times!). Grandpa always has the most fun plans and of course this weekend was no exception!

Grandpa and my munchkins spent the day in San Francisco seeing the sights and enjoying the exhibits at the California Academy of Sciences. They had a BLAST! They followed the day's events with a dip in the hot tub and (MORE) ice cream.

The next day they were going to head to the Maritime Museum but halfway there my little cowgirl got sick. I'm certain she was just carsick, but they turned around and came home nonetheless. She spent the rest of the day on the couch watching Toddlers and Tiaras.

All in all it was another fun-filled and action-packed weekend! Wonder what's in store for NEXT weekend!?!?

I'm Watching You!

Tonight I met my mom at Target after work to do some shopping for a my cousin's baby. When we came out of the store and walked to the car, I saw this...


I looked at the glasses and initially thought that they were my sunglasses but upon further inspection I realized they were not mine. We figure that someone must have seen the glasses lying near my van and thought they were mine so they put them on my bumper. It was a little strange, but had they been my glasses I suppose I'd have been quite appreicative.

Since they were NOT my glasses, I flung them off of my bumber (I didn't want to touch them!). We loaded the cars and I got in my mom's car with her so we could go get some dinner. After dinner we returned to my van to find this...

Okay... The first time it was odd, but the second time it was downright freaky! I don't know why, but it just was! My mom and I both sat and stared at the glasses hanging on my door handle and wondered if it was ANOTHER good samaritan, or if someone was playing a strange joke on us...

I got out of her car, flung the glasses off of my van (AGAIN!) and we drove home... VERY ODD! I feel sorry for the woman who lost her glasses!

Next Food Network Star In The Making

If there's one thing Little A loves, it's helping others! She helps her friends at school, she helps me around the house, she helps her brother WAY more than he deserves, but last night she helped Grandpa.

She and Grandpa had the task of preparing salmon for dinner. She walked around the kitchen and gathered supplies, melted the butter, squeezed the lemon, and prepped the fish for cooking.

After the fish was in the oven she and grandpa sat down and had a discussion about cooking methods. He taught her about broiling, cooking in boiling water, etc. And she actually sat and listened! She LOVES helping in the kitchen!

"Who will be the next Food Network star?"

A Walk In The Park

The weather here lately has been what Big A is now referring to as 'swinter'. "It feels like summer but it's actually winter."

A couple of weeks ago we took advantage of a beautiful swinter day and headed out to Howarth Park. Howarth Park is a pretty neat place and tends to be VERY crowded! During the peak season, along with the numerous play structures, one can enjoy a water play area, train, carousel, petting zoo, snack bar and boat rentals. It's a very popular place.

On this particular swinter day, the only ride running was the carousel. The kids enjoyed running through the 'old town' and hiding from the jail guard (painted on the wall inside this jail), climbing, swinging, sliding, shimmying, running, and just plain having fun!

The dark speck at the top of this climber is my son... Scares me just a little bit, and looking up at him from underneath made me sick to my stomach! Boys will be boys! (I know it doesn't look that high from the picture, but trust me... The picture doesn't do it justice!)

And of course we had to ride the carousel! Can't pass that up!

We ended the afternoon with Slurpees and Goldfish at 7-Eleven before heading home for dinner and to snuggle up together in my bed to watch The Smurf Movie (I highly recommend it!). Another great Sunday!

Wordless Wednesday - Aspiring To Be On Toddlers And Tiaras

Where Has My Baby Gone?

Wondering how my kids spent their winter break? Big A spent the time growing up right before my very eyes...

First he learned to tie his shoes. Yep! All four of them! Okay, so he only wears two at a time, but he practiced and practiced and practiced (Oh... And practiced) and now... Well... He's a pro!


And then he learned to cook himself breakfast. I'm not talking pop a waffle in the toaster or pour a bowl of cold cereal... I'm talking scrambled eggs (and fried now, too), toast and a cup of coffee! Or maybe that was milk...

Maybe next week we'll work on dinner and laundry! I'm telling you, my baby is G...O... N... E...!

Happy 5th Birthday, Little A!!

Little A turned 5 on January 2. You know, ANOTHER one of those posts I didn't finish??? I know, I know... I suck! But she deserves a post, so here goes!

What Big A does, Little A does, so she also wanted her birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. I was hesitant to hold the party on New Year's Day, but it worked out GREAT! Chuck E. Cheese, which on the day of Big A's party was turning people away because they were so crowded, was D... E... A... D...! Little A's party was the only party going on and we pretty much had the place to ourselves! The adults could sit and talk without feeling like they had to constantly be checking on the kids... SO NICE!


The next morning, on Little A's ACTUAL birthday, Grandpa had donuts and chocolate milk all ready for her complete with a '5' candle. What a great Grandpa!

Little A decided to have her birthday dinner at Chili's ("Because that's what Molly did!") so Grandma and Grandpa and Molly joined us for some yummy food and Little A's new creation, "Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Cake". Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Cake is Chocolate cake with Chocolate frosting and Cherries and Chocolate Chips.

As you can see, the cake didn't fare too well... After frosting it we walked away for 30 seconds and came back to find a huge chunk of cake lying on the counter... GO FIGURE! It may not have looked pretty, but it tasted great!

When we got home from dinner, Little A walked in the house to find...

She was SO excited! She climbed right on and started riding in circles around the kitchen table and the island.

She was excited to celebrate her "Special Week" at school, too. She and I worked hard on her Special Week poster and I enjoyed helping her celebrate on her first day back to school after Winter Break.

I know I said this about Big A, too, but I just can't believe how quickly the time goes. It seems like just yesterday that my little 6 pound 6 ounce princess entered this world and now... *SIGH*

Happy Birthday, Princess! I love you SO much!

Happy 7th Birthday, Big A!!

Big A turned 7 on November 21... You know, one of those posts I started but never finished?

This year Big A decided that he wanted his party at Chuck E. Cheese. Although it might cost a bit more, the time and effort that it saved was well worth the cost! And in reality, by the time you purchase invitations, decorations, food, goodies, and all that other party stuff, you've spent almost the same amount! I highly recommend it!

After the party we went back to our house with Grandma and Grandpa and Grammy and Papa and opened presents. I had dinner cooking in the crock pot so we ate and played and it was a fun ending to an exciting day!

The next morning was Big A's REAL birthday. He woke up to find a special treat at his spot at the table...

After celebrating at school with donuts and a special Slurpee treat with Daddy after school, I thought we should turn in early but.... Just kidding! Big A decided where we ate dinner (with Molly and Grandma and Grandpa) and then Grandma and Grandpa came back to the house for MORE presents and MORE cake!

I think Big A had a pretty good birthday! I can't believe my 'baby boy' is growing up so quickly!

Happy Birthday, Bud! I LOVE YOU!