Yesterday was Father's Day. Thanks to my poor planning skills, Dustin's gift is on the truck for delivery.
Today.
A day late.
Normally, I'm at the top of my game. I usually purchase something fabulous, wrap it and have hand-made cards from the kids waiting for him, complete with a breakfast fit for a king. I managed to nail the breakfast, but the gift, not so much.
Hopefully it arrives today and he loves it.
Since I felt like such a crappy wife, I did my best to make it up to him. We got dressed and headed into town. The kids and I decided lunch at one of daddy's favorite restaurants would do just the trick. We dined on sushi at Kona Grill. To our surprise, it was happy hour all day! We ordered enough food for an army and every last bit of it was delicious. We spent the rest of the afternoon laughing and shopping, picking up a few last things for our upcoming trip.
After a long afternoon out, we came home and I made Dustin's favorite dinner.
Lasagna.
Everyone else in our house hates it. I hope he enjoys having the entire pan to himself! Good thing it freezes well!
I found time to call my dad late in the evening and the kids all took turns wishing him a wonderful day.
My kids are so blessed to have such a wonderful father in their lives every day. Dustin may not be the perfect man, but he's perfect for them. He's living, breathing proof that there are good men out there. He works hard for us, and stops at nothing to insure we have everything we need all of the time. He's constantly reaching for the next best thing, and bettering himself in the process.
Until next time. All my love.
June 16, 2014
June 13, 2014
Flags and Fireworks!
Today, I got a little ambitious. I agreed to let the kids do a craft, which then turned into two. And any time paint is involved, it takes twice as long to clean as it does to actually paint.
Go figure.
Anyway, we made flags out of old egg cartons (2.5 dozen size), some cheap paint and foam brushes. The kids had a blast, here is a picture of the finished product!
We also made "fireworks" with some leftover canvases, toilet paper rolls, and more cheap paint. The kids thought it was the coolest thing and made an even bigger mess with this craft than the first. I had to control myself from helping them (ok, doing it myself because it was a giant mess) but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Here's the girls final product!
A big "Thank you!" to the moms who pin all this stuff on Pinterest, so I can just copy it!
Go figure.
Anyway, we made flags out of old egg cartons (2.5 dozen size), some cheap paint and foam brushes. The kids had a blast, here is a picture of the finished product!
 |
| Left: Dustin, Top Right: Laila, Bottom Right, Kenadi |
We also made "fireworks" with some leftover canvases, toilet paper rolls, and more cheap paint. The kids thought it was the coolest thing and made an even bigger mess with this craft than the first. I had to control myself from helping them (ok, doing it myself because it was a giant mess) but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Here's the girls final product!
 |
| Left: Kenadi, Right: Laila |
Until next time. All my love
June 07, 2014
RAOK!
Random Acts of Kindness!
I decided this summer was not going to be wasted. No way. Not if I had anything to say about it! I've planned multiple activities each week, making it a point to include weekly Random Acts of Kindness (ROAK). As my children age, I hope they find it makes their hearts happy to love and give to others.
I dedicated Friday's to be our ROAK day, and yesterday just got away from me. Between baking and taking care of the kids, I forgot to get out and do something kind for someone. This morning, I made sure it was our top priority. The kids look forward to it each week, this being week three, they decided it should be something extra special!
I'll admit, I'm a sucker for five-bucks (aka Starbucks). It's one thing I indulge in that I rarely have to share with anyone. Even though it costs an astronomical amount for a customized coffee (venti cafe mocha, whole milk, no whip, 2 pumps vanilla and toffee nut drizzle-just in case you were wondering), it's my husband's equivalent of flowers "just because". He doesn't bring me coffee often, and when he does, it's like he has moved mountains. I don't spoil myself with shoes or clothes, coffee. It's the way to my heart.
Now that I've moved completely off track in a coffee-induced daydream, I'm back to reality. Sorry.
Not sorry.
Coffee is definitely dream worthy.
So this morning. Coffee was an absolute must. Any time I'm up before 7 am it's practically a given. Yes, even 6:59am. I promised the kids chocolate milk and donuts if they got ready fast enough. Nothing like an ultra non-nutritious breakfast promise to light a fire under their butts. We decided to try the new Starbucks in Fry's since we frequent the one in Basha's at least twice a week. We grabbed a few things, fruit, cereal, and the promised donuts and milk and headed for the checkout. After paying, I separately purchased a $25 gift card to Starbucks and got in line to order. I ordered my drink and paid. Despite the rather unfriendly woman behind the counter, I explained I picked up this gift card and would like to leave it for the few customers behind me, but the deal was she could not tell them who paid for their drinks. Easy enough.
The kids were giggling and could hardly contain their excitement! My heart was pumping fast as we waited for my mocha (which, in case you care, tasted like burnt ass). I could hear the lady explain to the next person in line their drink had been paid for. The woman in line kept staring at me. I ignored her. I sat my kids at a table and got their so-called breakfast ready and pretended to be absolutely clueless.
We watched as another person came up and received a free drink. And another. And another. The girls were trying so hard not to stare, but watching the looks on the customers faces followed by a smile made it so much fun! I should have brought popcorn, it turned into quite the show! One lady told her daughter all about it. Another man told his son he couldn't believe it. My heart almost exploded right then and there.
It.
Was.
Amazing.
My hopes for the future are shiny and bright. I may not be able to do much. Some days more than others. But today, today was awesome. One day these sweet babies of mine will grow up. Move out. Move on. And hopefully these RAOK have not been lost on their hearts.
Until next time. All my love.
I decided this summer was not going to be wasted. No way. Not if I had anything to say about it! I've planned multiple activities each week, making it a point to include weekly Random Acts of Kindness (ROAK). As my children age, I hope they find it makes their hearts happy to love and give to others.
I dedicated Friday's to be our ROAK day, and yesterday just got away from me. Between baking and taking care of the kids, I forgot to get out and do something kind for someone. This morning, I made sure it was our top priority. The kids look forward to it each week, this being week three, they decided it should be something extra special!
I'll admit, I'm a sucker for five-bucks (aka Starbucks). It's one thing I indulge in that I rarely have to share with anyone. Even though it costs an astronomical amount for a customized coffee (venti cafe mocha, whole milk, no whip, 2 pumps vanilla and toffee nut drizzle-just in case you were wondering), it's my husband's equivalent of flowers "just because". He doesn't bring me coffee often, and when he does, it's like he has moved mountains. I don't spoil myself with shoes or clothes, coffee. It's the way to my heart.
Now that I've moved completely off track in a coffee-induced daydream, I'm back to reality. Sorry.
Not sorry.
Coffee is definitely dream worthy.
So this morning. Coffee was an absolute must. Any time I'm up before 7 am it's practically a given. Yes, even 6:59am. I promised the kids chocolate milk and donuts if they got ready fast enough. Nothing like an ultra non-nutritious breakfast promise to light a fire under their butts. We decided to try the new Starbucks in Fry's since we frequent the one in Basha's at least twice a week. We grabbed a few things, fruit, cereal, and the promised donuts and milk and headed for the checkout. After paying, I separately purchased a $25 gift card to Starbucks and got in line to order. I ordered my drink and paid. Despite the rather unfriendly woman behind the counter, I explained I picked up this gift card and would like to leave it for the few customers behind me, but the deal was she could not tell them who paid for their drinks. Easy enough.
The kids were giggling and could hardly contain their excitement! My heart was pumping fast as we waited for my mocha (which, in case you care, tasted like burnt ass). I could hear the lady explain to the next person in line their drink had been paid for. The woman in line kept staring at me. I ignored her. I sat my kids at a table and got their so-called breakfast ready and pretended to be absolutely clueless.
We watched as another person came up and received a free drink. And another. And another. The girls were trying so hard not to stare, but watching the looks on the customers faces followed by a smile made it so much fun! I should have brought popcorn, it turned into quite the show! One lady told her daughter all about it. Another man told his son he couldn't believe it. My heart almost exploded right then and there.
It.
Was.
Amazing.
My hopes for the future are shiny and bright. I may not be able to do much. Some days more than others. But today, today was awesome. One day these sweet babies of mine will grow up. Move out. Move on. And hopefully these RAOK have not been lost on their hearts.
Until next time. All my love.
June 04, 2014
Late Night Ramblings.
This blog has been weighing heavily on my heart lately. I used to update it frequently, and then as my children grew, it became less and less. I found myself wrapped up endlessly in them, and the amount of time I had for myself has slowly dwindled away to next to nothing. What little time I do have alone, I ponder over the idea of blogging again. Would I be any good at it? Would anyone want to read it? Maybe it's time for something new...
Where have I been? Well, I'm not sure that really matters. I'm here now. It's just after 10pm on a Wednesday night and the whole house is quiet. I can't sleep. Hell, I can't even relax. Not at a time like this. We're on the brink of huge changes around here. But before I dig deep into the depths of my soul, I digress.
An entire school year has passed since my last blog. Kenadi has completed kindergarten, to say she did great wouldn't quite do her justice. She received more awards than I can count on my two hands, I'm the picture of a proud mother. My sweet girl adapts to anything with grace and beauty, she's a true middle child. I couldn't love her more for it even if I tried. Laila, my sweet sugar baby, has completed her 3rd grade year. I'm ecstatic to report she made honor roll three of out of four quarters, and Principals List the last quarter. I know how challenging dealing with diabetes is for all of us, but she makes it look easy. Straight A's, another soccer season under her belt, and she's glad it's summertime.
Looking back, my last post was sometime in August. Whew, August.
We had a stellar birthday and holiday season, Dustin was actually home for the first time in years, and celebrating Christmas as a family was everything I hoped it would be. Snowflake made her debut December 1 and wreaked havoc on my household yet again. I know I complain sometimes, but I don't know that I'll ever get tired of seeing the smiles on the kids' faces every morning of December when they find her and laugh over her silly antics. It's not easy, coming up with 25 new ideas each year, but it's certainly worth it.
No, I haven't forgotten about my son. That boy of mine, he sure gives me a run for my money. I'm pleased to announce Little Dustin has been potty trained for a few months now, including overnight. It makes for a much happier Dustin, and not having to pay for diapers makes for a much happier bank account, too. I won't lie, I left the unused pull-ups in his underwear drawer, not because he needs them, but because I can't bring myself to rid the house of the last shred of baby left in it. Yes, there's one last diaper in there, too. Don't judge me. Would I have done things differently if I truly thought he was my last one? Maybe. Probably.
Changes. I did mention things were changing around here. Starting with me. I decided settling for "good-enough" wasn't "good-enough" for me. It has been 12 years since I graduated high school, and 11 years since I dropped out of college after barely completing one full year. I have a husband that supports me and our family, but the "what-if's?" kept taunting me. I bit the bullet and enrolled in an online college. I laughed, cried, and persisted. I'm now 4 classes in and have declared a major. Wait for it.
Addictions counseling.
Seems fitting.
Changes. We're not finished. Our house, our home. We're in the process of selling it. In fact, we have less than a month to be packed and moved out. Where will we go? Your guess is as good as mine. We are staying in Maricopa, we just don't have an address yet. This is where the stress begins to creep up the back of my neck, behind my ears, and rushes down my chest. Don't you worry, we're house hunting again on Monday.
Dustin and I are just days away from celebrating our 8 year wedding anniversary, and I'm about a month out from my big 3-0. We decided now is as good a time as any to do all the neat things we've always waited to do for no real reason. For example: I shot a gun! We went to the shooting range. We've been both beer and wine tasting. We have been to a couple concerts and have bought tickets to a handful more. I'm checking things off my bucket list like there's no tomorrow. Isn't that the point? No more letting life pass me by.
This summer has proved to be a lot less hectic than last summer. Ok, that was a lie. It's ridiculously busy. We have plans almost daily. It would also be a lie if I said I didn't love it. Crafts. Random Acts of Kindness. Movies. Play dates. Family visiting. It's only a few weeks into summer and we've barely had a day "off" yet.
Just how I like it.
Did someone say Disney? Oh, yes. We're surprising the kids with a trip to Cali in just 19 short days. They have no idea we're going, and keeping it a secret has proved harder than either Dustin or I had ever imagined! Did you catch the part where I have to be moved out of this house in less than a month? Yep. Disneyland and moving in the same month. Because I'm a glutton for punishment.
Am I rambling? I'm rambling. Boy, does it feel good. The Counting Crows are blaring in my headphones and my neck is sore from the way I'm sitting, but I don't even care. It feels good to do something for me. I've decided I need to break away from this blog and make a second one just for me. I can't promise to keep this one updated with our family shenanigans. I can't even promise to keep the other one updated. But I can promise to try.
<3 p="">
Where have I been? Well, I'm not sure that really matters. I'm here now. It's just after 10pm on a Wednesday night and the whole house is quiet. I can't sleep. Hell, I can't even relax. Not at a time like this. We're on the brink of huge changes around here. But before I dig deep into the depths of my soul, I digress.
An entire school year has passed since my last blog. Kenadi has completed kindergarten, to say she did great wouldn't quite do her justice. She received more awards than I can count on my two hands, I'm the picture of a proud mother. My sweet girl adapts to anything with grace and beauty, she's a true middle child. I couldn't love her more for it even if I tried. Laila, my sweet sugar baby, has completed her 3rd grade year. I'm ecstatic to report she made honor roll three of out of four quarters, and Principals List the last quarter. I know how challenging dealing with diabetes is for all of us, but she makes it look easy. Straight A's, another soccer season under her belt, and she's glad it's summertime.
Looking back, my last post was sometime in August. Whew, August.
We had a stellar birthday and holiday season, Dustin was actually home for the first time in years, and celebrating Christmas as a family was everything I hoped it would be. Snowflake made her debut December 1 and wreaked havoc on my household yet again. I know I complain sometimes, but I don't know that I'll ever get tired of seeing the smiles on the kids' faces every morning of December when they find her and laugh over her silly antics. It's not easy, coming up with 25 new ideas each year, but it's certainly worth it.
No, I haven't forgotten about my son. That boy of mine, he sure gives me a run for my money. I'm pleased to announce Little Dustin has been potty trained for a few months now, including overnight. It makes for a much happier Dustin, and not having to pay for diapers makes for a much happier bank account, too. I won't lie, I left the unused pull-ups in his underwear drawer, not because he needs them, but because I can't bring myself to rid the house of the last shred of baby left in it. Yes, there's one last diaper in there, too. Don't judge me. Would I have done things differently if I truly thought he was my last one? Maybe. Probably.
Changes. I did mention things were changing around here. Starting with me. I decided settling for "good-enough" wasn't "good-enough" for me. It has been 12 years since I graduated high school, and 11 years since I dropped out of college after barely completing one full year. I have a husband that supports me and our family, but the "what-if's?" kept taunting me. I bit the bullet and enrolled in an online college. I laughed, cried, and persisted. I'm now 4 classes in and have declared a major. Wait for it.
Addictions counseling.
Seems fitting.
Changes. We're not finished. Our house, our home. We're in the process of selling it. In fact, we have less than a month to be packed and moved out. Where will we go? Your guess is as good as mine. We are staying in Maricopa, we just don't have an address yet. This is where the stress begins to creep up the back of my neck, behind my ears, and rushes down my chest. Don't you worry, we're house hunting again on Monday.
Dustin and I are just days away from celebrating our 8 year wedding anniversary, and I'm about a month out from my big 3-0. We decided now is as good a time as any to do all the neat things we've always waited to do for no real reason. For example: I shot a gun! We went to the shooting range. We've been both beer and wine tasting. We have been to a couple concerts and have bought tickets to a handful more. I'm checking things off my bucket list like there's no tomorrow. Isn't that the point? No more letting life pass me by.
This summer has proved to be a lot less hectic than last summer. Ok, that was a lie. It's ridiculously busy. We have plans almost daily. It would also be a lie if I said I didn't love it. Crafts. Random Acts of Kindness. Movies. Play dates. Family visiting. It's only a few weeks into summer and we've barely had a day "off" yet.
Just how I like it.
Did someone say Disney? Oh, yes. We're surprising the kids with a trip to Cali in just 19 short days. They have no idea we're going, and keeping it a secret has proved harder than either Dustin or I had ever imagined! Did you catch the part where I have to be moved out of this house in less than a month? Yep. Disneyland and moving in the same month. Because I'm a glutton for punishment.
Am I rambling? I'm rambling. Boy, does it feel good. The Counting Crows are blaring in my headphones and my neck is sore from the way I'm sitting, but I don't even care. It feels good to do something for me. I've decided I need to break away from this blog and make a second one just for me. I can't promise to keep this one updated with our family shenanigans. I can't even promise to keep the other one updated. But I can promise to try.
<3 p="">
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
