What is that wet stuff coming from the sky?

Oh my gosh! It is rain. I mean real rain. Not a few droplets, but actually drive carefully rain. Measurable wet rain.
We get storm watches over rain like this. It is glorious. I love when it rains. Probably because it NEVER does. I mean, they write songs about how it never rains in California and they aren't kidding. I actually drove my son to school today because I didn't want him to be soaked all day.

Okay, so now it seems to have stopped, but maybe just maybe it will start up again. That is how it goes here. Off again, on again. One thing is for sure, lots of kids will have wet shoes and socks today. Our storm drains (in the streets) always get backed up when it actually rains. Which means the streets are wet all the way across. Poor kiddies walking to school.

Rain, Rain, don't go away. Stay until another day.

Mother/Wife of the Year?

I have prepared dinner two nights in a row. Yes, two! I know that sounds like nothing, but for me... you have no idea. Not only did I prepare (and I mean cook, not just heating something like usual), I have plans for about 3 or 4 more meals. I actually am serving three things I never make. Oh yeah. This is huge for me. The best thing, I feel like the evening goes so much nicer because I don't have to worry about what to eat. Usually around 7pm, I am thinking, "hmm, I guess I should get something for dinner", which is why I usually go out and pick something up.

Here is what we had tonight.

check out this recipe

If you try it out, let me know. We used the whole box of shells and it fed all six of us.

Me and my girls

something on your mind?

Mine seems to be blank. Driving in my car, I think of a million things to blog about. Sit down at the computer, nada. Weird how that is. Maybe I need one of those little recorders to carry around.

I think my iPod died. I have to take it to the Genius Bar and see if there is anything I can do. Maybe I should just get a little Nano. Eric said the video one's are on sale. ahhh

Family minus one

Yesterday (Sunday) we took the family except for Diego up to Hollywood. We were going to take him but decided that with all that walking, he was, well, going to be a pain. So we packed him off to Grandma's.

Our first stop was Audrey Hepburn's star.


Krystal was very excited. She LOVES all her movies.

After that we just walked around. We went to Graumanns where they are setting up for the Oscars. We did some shopping. Krystal bought a Audrey purse and the owner of the store gave Siobhan a Betty Boop purse for free! How sweet is that!

Siobhan was lucky enough to see the star of one of her favorites.


Perfect picture!

We went for lunch at a little pizza place. Siobhan wanted to know how they flatten the pizza crust. It was a great day! As we were walking back to the car, this guy offered to draw the kids. Okay, I know, toursity but still. For $10 the guy did a great job with a sharpie. I will post it after Eric scans it. So there we are, the guy is drawing the kids, he looks down at the star we are by. He tells me to look down. OH MY GOSH, it is fate! Greg, eat your heart out!

From Yahoo! News- Associated Press

Ramona Montoya, center, and her husband Manuel Munoz, left, kiss their daughter Marina inside the jail of the module F1 of Aranjuez prision, Spain, Tuesday Dec. 19, 2006. Welcome to a jail Spain says is the only the one in the world with cell units for families: Disney characters on the walls, a nursery, a playground for toddlers. The idea is for kids to bond with their imprisoned parents while young enough to be oblivious to their surroundings, and for inmates seeking rehabilitation to learn parenting skills. The prison in this town 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Madrid has 36 cell units for families, although now only 16 are occupied, most with Latin Americans. The units of the special F-1 section are known in jail jargon as 'five-star cells'. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

excuse the dust

Okay, not a great picture I know. I took it with my cell phone. It is a picture of Eric on the floor surrounded in plastic as he sands the cabinets.(Kinda like the bubble boy but not as sad!) Not fun (or so it appears!). Sorry babe!

Got tile?

Then I SERIOUSLY suggest you splurge and get one of these. We have white tile with white grout in the kitchen. We have tried everything to get it clean. Bleach, comet, using a toothbrush (sorry Bradley, hee hee) using a scrubber, using bleach pens and nothing worked. I thought, well, here is another $20 down the drain. (It was only $12.99, but I bought all the attachments too).

Of course I have had it for about a month. Yesterday I made a little comet paste and thought "Okay, let's give it a go". OH MAN! I kid you not, our tile looks great! It actually looks beautiful. I don't even want to put the stuff back on the counter because it looks so good it is a shame to cover it up.

As I promote anything that Apple Computer makes, I am all for the Sonic Scrubber. It has a bunch of different heads that can be used for different things. A+

shhhh

Must have been a morning thing (my throat hurting) because I feel fine now. Today at Siobhan's dance, right before it was time to leave, there were kids there for the next class. Older kids. LOUD kids. I was seriously having sensory overload. They say people sometimes snap and kill over noise. I believe it. It was hot too. I was thinking, "I have to get out of here!" Finally she came running over. "Let's go!"

I know I have four children but our house is not really loud. The first time my friend Amber came over she said "I thought I would hear your family from the street". What the heck! Not us. Not that we are quiet either. When we aren't yelling at the kids, the music is off, we can sometimes hear things going on outside, ya know like the birds singing, a dog barking or the Jose next door working on a car.

Isn't it weird how sometimes you can tune things out. Like if I am playing a game they can be louder then if I am trying to hear the tv. Basically if it doesn't bother me, who cares. Uh, well, unless Eric cares of course!

I wanna blog

but my heart isn't in it. My throat hurts. We have a MILLION things to do. crap

Family

Today was Aunt Loy's funeral. It was sad but it was a nice service. I just wanted to say that I feel so lucky to be a part of such a wonderful HUGE family. Don't get me wrong, I love my family so much. I have three wonderful brothers, a SUPER mom and some cousins here and there and a couple of aunts. I love them all. But Eric's family is HUGE! I mean, his grandparents had NINE children. Those children went off to marry and have children of their own and those children had children. They are a really big bunch. They are all very loving and accepting. I have never seen such a large bunch of people love children SO much. They are ALL over the kids. It is just a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by so many people.

I am sad that it was a loved one's passing that got us all together this time. You want to see everyone all the time, but life gets in the way. Day by day we are all so busy. It is hard to plan something with so many people.

I just want to say "Thanks" to each and every one of those people there today. Not only did it make everyone feel good to have family and friends around to share the grief, it fills you with love. That love gets you through. That kind of love makes you who you are. Love, is what I get everytime I see any one of them. Thank you all!

God bless you Aunt Loy!

want a soak?

This is what our tub currently looks like. I was blown away when Eric said we had to get down to the studs. I thought we just had to remove the tile. I didn't know the whole wall had to go too. Geez. Soon that tub will be out and a new wonderful tub will be there instead. ahhhhh

water, acqua, eau, wasser, agua

No matter how you say it, we have it! We have water. No more going outside to turn on the water to wash dishes, shower or do some laundry. Woo hoo! It has been about two weeks we (Krystal and Bradley but I gave birth to them, therefore I lay claim to anything good they may do) have been tearing out the tile and the wall around the tub. Well all the tile is removed and we had the plumber out last night. He fixed the faucet. We are now regular people who can have the water on all the time.

We had such a bad leak that our water bill showed we were using (wasting) about three times the water as last year this same time. Man. Crazy. But now, all is well. We still have to finish the bathroom but having water, well, right now I feel like a queen. (A queen that can wash dishes and do laundry and wash her hands!)

oh my head

I have what I am guessing is an awful sinus headache. All night, now all day. Medicine isn't helping. I am trying to drink lots of water to help but I don't know. Maybe it is the weather. Whenever the weather changes around here (probably because it never does), sinus' act up.

Grrr, hope I feel better soon. I have had my wonderful little five year old here with me all day to make me feel better. She has been great. Playing so well by herself when I slept. Kisses make you feel so much better!

good-bye

Last night our aunt passed away. She was a wonderfully loving person. She had Ahlzheimers for many years but still managed to bring love to those around her. She LOVED children. She will be missed especially by her children, grand-children and siblings. I find myself with little words at this time.

I know she is enjoying herself up there with her parents, her husband, her sister and her son.

My beautiful girl is 5!

Yep, she turned 5 yesterday. Started off with getting cupcakes and party items for her to take to school. We picked her up early and headed to dinner at Chili Pepper. It was us and both grandma's. She opened her presents, they sang her Happy Birthday. Daddy made cool stickers for us to wear that had her picture on them and said it was her birthday and she is 5. After dinner I told her I was taking her somewhere special but I didn't tell her where.

We went to see the play Annie at The Orange County Performing Arts Center. It was great! I highly recommend it! We bought tickets last night at the door and we were in the SECOND row! (Andrea, I swear one of the kids looked like she might be related to you!) Everyone said that she was so cute all dressed up for the theatre. She was! She topped off the night by sleeping on the couch. She loves sleeping on the couch. (I don't know why!)

Happy Birthday baby girl. I love you so much!