Missing camera...

We had a missing camera for a few days...I was stressed! Joe , of course, needs it for work, and I knew I had some cute pix on it. But, yay, it was recovered inside a vase with fake flowers...whew, good thing I haven't yet followed the decorating rule I saw on some show, no fake flowers! Hee-hee... Here is what I would have missed: these pictures of Coop, being the total 2 year old he is!!! He was wearing Spencer's underwear over his shorts, he did it all by himself! And "tasting" the pancake mix he discovered in the pantry...ones not pictured: found standing in the toilet with half a roll of tp around him yesterday, today dumping a half a bottle of water next to his carseat...augh! Love him! And if course, my Spence, looking serious...probably wishing the ice cream lady would show up..heehee...

Summer fun...

...enjoying our summer a lot. It hasn't hit the triple digit mark yet...very unusual for us...better be thankful while it lasts. It's nice, I can take the boys out for bike rides and walks and not be baking! We have been doing the typical summer stuff: swimming, BBQing, bike rides, playing...Spencer did say he was sad today because he misses school. I know he misses his friends. Some of his favorite friends "graduated" and are heading into kindergarten, so he is sad about that. We ran into Katelynne, his favorite, at the movies last week, and are planning a playdate for next week. He can hardly wait! Tomorrow we also have a playdate at Jenna's with our playgroup. Looking forward to some "mommy time"...

...OK, I"ll admit it...Stay at home moms...you have the hardest job! It is much easier to be a working mom! Even a part time working mom like me. BUT I would give it up to stay home in a flash. Even though, man, it is difficult! Maybe it is partly because I have boys, and busy ones at that? But you are on the go from the time you wake until the time they are down, and then some...but their hugs and kisses and love make it all worthwhile. Cooper has become quite attached to me this summer.

Today they had shots and Cooper was going crazy, running up and down the halls. I literally could not contain him...all 22 pounds of him! How can someone that tiny be so wild? Of course, he gets his big brother going then, and Spencer is running around, falling and skidding on purpose! And yes, Joe was with me! Thank goodness! But they survived their shots and enjoyed their Coldstone's ice cream afterwards.

Whew...now I am going to rest. I have been going to bed earlier than ever lately, usually by 9:30 because these little dudes take so much energy. Not getting much scrapping done, oh well....

Because he's so cute...and a new tradition

Jenny took these of my little man...can't believe he posed for her...can't get him to even look at the camera for me....she's very talented, isn't she? Hopefully she'll be opening up her own studio one of these days....

Also, wanted to share a new tradition I shamelessly stole from Jamie Waters (love her blog...she's is adorable and has 4 kids!). When it is your birthday in our house, from now on, I will make a photo display of favorite photos of that special person. I did it for the boys this year. Spencer enjoyed seeing himself in all the pictures, in fact, he was a little put out when I returned the original pictures to the frames. "Hey, where's my picture?" he wanted to know!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Random updates....

These are some of the cool signs my sister-in-law's business designs. So fun! Check out her web site: http://www.describedesigns.com/

Pictures also for Aunt Emese's viewing pleasure...so glad you like my blog! Miss you A LOT!!!! I will start saving up for my trip to Italy! (Pix of coop's mean face and the poster we made for Daddy for Father's Day!)

I have read 4 books so far this summer...yay! And Kim lent me two more, so can't wait to start those. Had to take a bit of a reading break..heehee...housework slides a bit when I am in reading mode....here's what I read: (Sorry the links aren't working...don't know why I can't get them to link up...)

The English Teacher by Lily King. started off really interesting, sort of some suspense in there, but ended up not being that great in my opinion. I didn't ever really like the main character, so I wasn't really rooting for her. I thought she was selfish and a terrible mom.

Literacy and Longing in LA. by Jennifer Kaufman. A fun read, but kinda dragged (I'm not brutal, am I?). Plus, I thought the main character was OK. If you love books, you'll find it very interesting because of all the book references, many I had never heard of! But it was fun to read the quotes. It takes place in LA, which is fun for me, since I can picture the places they describe. It's described as chick lit with an interesting twist.

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot. Loved this one, very fun and a quick read. Nothing deep, but perfect for summer lounging. I really liked the main character. She's feisty and fun, speaks her mind. Just found out there is a sequel, so will be reading that!

Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund...read one of her earlier books, Ahab's Wife (VERY interesting!!!!!), so excited to pick this up at the library. It's about Marie Antionette. It's a fictionalized account of her life. Thick, but goes quickly. Interesting, made me want to find out more about her life. Gave me a different view point to what she might have been life. Yes, she liked luxury, but was kind and giving, and a little clueless to what life was really like for the regular French citizen. Worth a read, especially for fans of historical fiction. I never really was until I read Ahab's Wife in my book club.

OK, more book reviews to come later this summer.

Fun day!

Yesterday, the boys and I ventured to the East Bay to visit Kim and Amanda, and the Great-grandparents. Kim was my college roomie and a great friend! I miss her so much! She has a beautiful daughter, Amanda, who will be 1 in August, and I had not seen her yet! We had fun, letting the kids play and play, and hanging out at a neat park. My boys loved it! Wish we had some cool parks like that near us.
And then we ended the day having dinner at Joe's grandparents. Coop ate three bowls of Nana's pasta! The kid who doesn't eat for me...Nana, I need your recipe!!! Spencer had 2 bowls of dessert...A nice summer day and luckily my kiddos are good in the car! Give them music, their blankies and a few toys/books, and they are set!
Unfortunately, did not take any pics....just imagine our smiling faces. :-)
Now we are off the free movies this morning! Barnyard, here we come!

200 posts...and party pics!

woweee..my 200th post! Can't believe it! And ta-da, more pirate party pics for your viewing pleasure....

And in other news, we are sad to hear that our beloved babysitter, Margo, is moving to Iowa to be with her only child, Jake, who is married. We have adored her and better yet, our boys love her! She is one of Coop's favorite people. I am so happy for her, but sad for us and for Coop. He has one more year before pre-school, so he needs to be in daycare one more year, and he'll have to be with someone new. We will miss Margo terribly. I get teary eyed thinking of it...she comes to their parties and is just an important part of our life. We have about 3 more weeks to see her. I have to pay for daycare even though I am not working now, but it's kind of nice, to be honest. She lets me bring both boys a few times a week instead of just Coop. Yesterday they ate lunch and took their naps there so I could run errands, Target, grocery store, etc. in peace. Joe and I get a chance to go to lunch alone and actually eat at a restaurant, something that parents of small children rarely get to do and I miss! God bless our Margo! (Here she is with Coop last summer.)

Some pictures...

I didn't take many pictures, waiting for my sister to send the disc of pictures she took, but here are some of the party! I guess I should say before the party. My guests shots aren't that great. I didn't even get a shot of my two cuties together...waah!!!!

Also, beach book alert!!! Just finished another book...Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot, and loved it! Very fun! Perfect book for lounging by the pool or hanging at the beach. I read it in a day. While making dinner, while Spence and I rested....

More later!

100 things continued....

ok here goes...

69. Love to drive around with my music blasting and the windows rolled down.

70. Eclectic music taste...love disco, Maroon 5, some rap, Depeche Mode, Christian rock, 70's, etc.

71. Spencer's godmother is the mom of a great musician, the singer of Under the Influence of Giants...check them out!

72. Walked next to a rattlesnake on a backpacking trip and didn't realize it...heard it, but wondered what the rattle was!

73. Will never go backpacking again. Not a big camping fan, either.

74. Love pizza...Toppers, Woodstocks, Giovanni's, Pizza Villa...yum!

75. Putting tile in our house by ourselves soon...yikes!

76. My car has been for sale for over a year. I just have it listed on autotraders.com. Guess I am not trying too hard.

77. Want a minivan, never thought I'd say that, but I do!

78. Love to scrapbook and collect scrapbook supplies.

79. Took swing dance lessons with Joe. I am a terrible dancer.

80. Wish I was a stay at home mom.

81. Do enjoy teaching, though.

82. Wore "Just Do Me" shirt to high school dance with a group of friends. Can't believe mom let me, can't believe I did that.

83. Finished 2 fiction books already this summer!!!

84. Have kept a journal about my boys since they were born. They each have one up to 2, and then a family one.

85. Can't sew. Took sewing class in 7th grade, but not since then. Need to learn.

86. Not a morning person. Wish I was.

87. Never got a speeding ticket...knock on wood!

88. My birthday is in May...ok, i am running out of steam.

89. stay up too late.

90. Was the hospitality director for my MOPS group this year.

91. Am doing this at 7:14 AM. Been up since 6:20 with my earlybirds....

92. Love taking hot bubble baths.

93. Wish I would have said goodbye to my Grandma. Glad I got to say goodbye to my Nagymama (Grandma).

94. My dad died when I was 4.

95. Didn't like to drink milk until after I had children. Now I love it.

96. Joe and I are celebrating 7 years of marriage this summer!

97. Took sailing class in college because my dad loved sailing. I wasn't a big fan...I had capsize paranoia.

98. I think minnesota has the bluest skies I have ever seen.

99. Like writing. Have been a writer since I was a child. Started a class newspaper in 4th grade, wrote a play that we performed in 5th grade.

100. I did it! Wear size 6 or 6.5 shoes!!!!

Whew, ok, wanna see so more people try this!

100 things about me...

OK, so Sally and Kelli had this on their blogs and it was fun to read, so I thought I'd try...see how far I can get with 2 monkeys roaming around, one who is 2 and already unrolled half a toilet paper roll... here goes...
1. I was born in Chicago, IL.
2. Lived in the safest city in the US: Thousand Oaks, for a year and loved it!
3. Hiked down more than half of the Grand Canyon in a day...whew, soooo tired!
4. Got lost in Joshua Tree at night with dead flashlights and after having some wine.
5. Buy more clothes for my boys than for myself...gotta stop!
6. Acted in high school, was in several plays, including the lead woman in Dracula!
7. Met my husband in high school and actually left him "our wedding" in my senior will! We weren't dating.
8. We were both Brown's already, so I didn't have to change my last name when I got married.
9. We knew each other for 5 years before we started dating (some of that time we didn't talk), and then dated 5 years before we got married.
10. got engaged in Santa Barbara, my most favorite city!
11. I don't know how to drive stick! I can only drive 1 of the 2 cars we own!
12. I buy cheap eyeshadow and mascara, but like expensive lipstick.
13. I set my alarm for weird times, like 6:36, and 7:03.
14. Wanted to be a astronaut, archaeologist, ballerina, and doctor as I was growing up.
15. My first major in college was Biological Sciences. Graduated with degree in Law & Society.
16. Broke my first (and last!) bone last summer: my baby toe!
17. Giving birth was a nice experience for me. I chatted with my husband, the doctors, and nurses between pushes. Epidurals rock!
18. The recovery was the hardest thing for me! I sat on a "donut" for a while!
19. Preferred to babysit boys when I was a babysitter. they were more fun, so I guess it's fitting that I have 2 busy boys!
20. Taught every grade between 1st and 5th.
21. Eddie Money was Spencer's first concert. He was a parent at the school I taught at in LA, and he played at our Family Night.
22. My father escaped from Hungary with his teenage sister with only the clothes on their backs. A very interesting story!
23. Travelled a lot as a child because my parents worked for an airline. Not much travel lately. :-(
24. I would move to Maui in a flash!
25. Not a good cook, but trying harder!
26. Met Billy Corgan...love him! He was sooo nice! He asked me if I wanted to hug him.
27. Was voted "shyest" in high school.
28. Love getting pedicures, don't do it very often. :-(
29. I don't drink coffee, ok, cold coffee only.
30. LOVE to read!
31. Lived in 8 cities/towns, and 2 states.
32. I have a hard time with things ending: vacations, visits, etc. I get all mopey.
33. Favorite snacks: nachos, slim jims, beef jerky.
34. Wear contacts. Want the lasik surgery.
35. Love taking pictures...cannot wait to get my Digital Canon Rebel.
36. Have a lock phobia. I have to check the house and cars several times to be sure it's locked.
37. Make a good meatloaf, though I won't eat it.
38. Have a "brown" thumb...even killed a cactus once.
39. Someone tried to burn my house when I was a senior. Seriously. The fire chief came to talk to my roomies and me.
40. When we had parties in college, it was mostly guys. My roomies were really my only girlfriends. Had a lot of guy friends. Not anymore. Just my hubby!
41. keep lots of lists of things to do.
42. Graduated from UCSB and listened to the ocean waves crashing at night. Mmmm....
43. Don't care for salmon or most fish. Like shellfish and the halibut tacos at "Just for the Halibut" in rosarito beach, mexico!
44. Touched a real Golden Globe award at a producer's house (when he wasn't home!).
45. Think I am allergic to wasp stings.
46. Know a bit of hungarian, some Spanish and some French.
47. Took 4 years of French in high school. don't know why?
48. Got engaged on Sept. 11, 1999.
49. An OC fan (the show). Miss it.
50. Favorite show: Grey's Anatomy. Didn't like the season finale, though.
51. Watched Forrest Gump with director, Robert Zemeckis, at USC. Joe was taking a music video class there. It was a special screening.
52. I bought a house in LA without asking Joe (he was asleep). They didn't accept our bid, though. It was in a great location!
53. Got out of escrow for a house in Simi Valley b/c we decided we didn't want to live there.
54. My Spencer and Joe have been in popular videos on Youtube. :-)
55. Spend too much time reading blogs.
56. Can't tan.
57. Subscribe to Family Fun magazine and Scrapbooks, Etc.
58. Miss my sisters terribly. wish I could see them more often.
59. Have wonderful friends: Steph, Kim, Robin, Michelle, could go on and on...
60. Favorite color is pink.
61. A Republican. Worked on Democratic campaigns in college and attended a few Democratic Club meetings. Married into a Republican family.
62. Prefer the beach to the mountains, the warm to cold, and the city to the country. Cannot live in a town smaller than 60, 000. wish we still lived in LA.
63. Love pickles, except when i am pregnant.
64. Loved being pregnant!
65. Like fast food...I admit it....loving the wraps at McDonald's.
66. Am the strict parent, but not as strict as I thought I would be before having kids.
67. Picky eater.
68. Have a long wish list on Amazon.com.

Have to stop here, my kids need me!

Happy birthday, Cooper!

It's my little man's 2nd birthday today! Yay! He's a great little boy, so clever and cuddlely, and all boy...obsessed with balls and cars. Loves his mama lots! Kind of a loner. Always climbing. Likes The Wiggles. Starting to get into books. Can't sit still very well. Loves chocolate! Carries a blue blanket with him everywhere. Says "uh-oh" a lot. A man of few words. Wants to be outside all the time. Adore that kid!

catchin' up...

Whew, where did this week go by? Did a lot, though. Spencer finished his first week of swim lessons, I am reading a fiction book, so happy about that! Had my family over for dinner last night, though Mom rocked and made and brought the food, guess I didn't really do much...thanks, MOM!!!!! Meg was in town, as well as Jenny and Justin, so it was fun to be together. We all watched a really raunchy movie together afterwards...can you guess? No, not Borat. Lots of laughs, though! :-)

Now, I am relaxing a bit. Our wonderful friend Stephanie threw a party for our boys today...a joint pirate swim birthday party! So much fun! Her parents' backyard is perfect for parties, so we had the pool, a monkey lagoon with a small pool for the babies, a Mt. Tiki Soaki sprinkler area, and several areas of pirate loot and skeletons set up in the gardens. There was also a tent filled with fish streamers and balloons that the kids had to crawl through to get to their pirate booty gift bags. It was incredible! steph is SO talented in party planning, and decorating, and directing, and singing, and acting...our boys adore her, too! I will post the pictures when I get them dowlaoded onto the computer. For now, I'll post some fun ones from last night (no one is 3 this year, but that was the only candle we had on hand!) and cousins this week. Lovin' Meg's fun shirt! Ha! Those rugby players don't have any clean sayings! Hee-hee! Have a super summer day!!!!

Happy Birthday to Spence!

Yesterday was his 4th birthday! How is it that my baby is 4??? He was so excited that he woke up at 6:15 AM, coming in to tell me he was 4! He had a fun day. We played all morning, and Grandma came over to give him what he really, really wanted: The Polar Express train set. He is obsessed with the Polar Express. He threw his hands up and shouted, "This is what I really wanted! I love it!" Too cute.

He also started swim lessons yesterday. And had McDonald's for dinner, his dinner pick. Then we had family over for cake and ice cream. And we tried to get a family picture, but boys don't pose...love 'em anyways!

Last DAY!!!!

Last day of school...yeah! So happy...my car is FULL of my boxes...do you know, I have packed up my classroom every year for the past few years???? I am learning not to be a pack rat....
Next year I will be teaching 1st grade (gulp!) at the school I was at before. I am very happy to be back there, especially since I will be registering Spencer for K in a year...yikes! And he will go to that school! But, I gave away all of my 1st grade stuff last year, even ebayed some of it, because I didn't think I would be going back...God has a sense of humor! Ha! But they have a great 1st grade team, so it will all be good.

Summer Plans:
1. teach spencer to swim
2. put tile in kitchen and family room
3. choose paint and paint accent wall in kitchen
4. organize office/scrapbook room/guest room
5. clean oven (seriously)
6. simplify my life, weed out knick knacks...I sense a garage sale coming on
7. read FICTION books...so anxious to do my own, not school related, not parent related, reading....any suggestions?
8. San Diego trip...Sea World, beach. etc.
9. Day trips: Monterey (Dennis the Menace Park), San Fran (Golden Gate Park, walk over the Golden Gate...always wanted to do that), baseball games
10. ENJOY every moment with my boys...soak in their 2-ness and 4-ness...will be interesting: bike rides, play dates, backyard play, art, books, library story time, picnics
11. LEARN how to cook healthier meals and feed my kids healthier foods and me, too :-) bought a book on Amazon on healthy eating for kids...i'll tell you what I learn...

What about you???????????????