Do you ever get jealous of your friends?

And then she said...

Do you ever get jealous of your friends? For having other friends?

You know... you're hanging out, chatting, enjoying the company. And then the conversation turns to, "My friend Samantha and I were at dinner the other night and were talking about the same thing" or "Audrey and I headed to a movie last weekend and LOVED what we saw! You have to check it out sometime."

Throughout your conversations with your friends these other people keep popping up. And that twinge of jealousy pops its ugly head. Why didn't I get an invite to dinner? I would have loved to see that movie too!

It's just natural to feel this way, right?

People we know are bound to have other relationships. It's just inevitable. We're social by nature. But sometimes hearing about the fun one is always having with another friend can get a bit tiring to hear. Then thoughts about if the other friend is more fun or easier to hang out with pop up.

Am I a good enough friend? Do I have to compete?

No, silly. It's not a competition. And your friend probably doesn't even realize that you are upset or jealous. Because, you know, you didn't tell them!  And there really is no reason to tell them unless it's causing friction in your relationship.

We just have to get over it and realize that there is a LOT more going on in life to worry about little things like this. Because really, in the grand scheme of life, it's not a big deal. Jealousy is natural as long as we don't allow it to consume us and it comes in small doses.

Then that day comes. The day you meet the other friend. And you realize why your friend likes them so much. So much so that you want to be their friend too.

These exact feelings and emotions are being felt by our children as well once they hit a certain age. Whether it be their school friends, neighborhood friends, church friends. They too can feel as you do sometimes. So remember to keep an open dialogue with them, talk to them about how they're feeling, and let them know that you feel this way sometimes as well. 

It might be nice to hear that they aren't the only ones going through this type of jealousy. That it's normal.

How do you deal with jealousy between friends? Between your child(ren)s friends? 

Jeepers Creapers! #NaBloPoMo

There are hardly any animals out there that truly make me nervous.

One of those would have to be large spiders. It's not that I don't like them, I do. I just don't like them in my house, on my person, or around my kids. They can stay camped up on our hill and eat our bugs and other small creatures.

I love that they keep the pest population down. But they just give me the heeby jeebies!

I think that this may have stemmed from watching Arachnophobia at too young of an age. I was in daycare and had to be in the first or second grade when my first crush, Michael S., introduced me to the many bugs and arachnids he loved.

And since he loved them I had to!

After that I was cool with all of the things girls my age were supposed to be squeamish about. I had no problem chasing and catching lizards, crickets, worms, and snails. I'd even give the morning snails outside my apartment a kiss or two before I left. And I'd dare my sister to do the same.

Then, and I have no recollection of where or why, I watched Arachnophobia the movie. And I was scarred for life. Now every time I see a large spider I feel my skin crawl, my heart beat faster, and my mind immediately goes to an image of a whole town covered in spider webs. Because, you know, that one spider I may run into more than likely has friends. And they're coming to get me...

Which animals make you jumpy and nervous?

Keeping the Blindfold On #NaBloPoMo

Have you ever just trusted your instincts and jumped into something without really looking first? Had full faith that whatever was to come was for the best and you'd be ok?

I think that instincts play a large roll in our lives whether we know it or not and I tend to lean on the side of following them rather than needing all the details up front. So I guess you could say I don't have to look before I leap if what's inside of me is screaming "do it!"

I've found that when I quiet myself and really listen from within there's always a little voice trying to be heard telling me what to do. Whether it's about the kids, daily life, or something major in our life that little voice seems to know what she's talking about!

But sometimes there's so much noise in my head that she gets washed out. I think I'm following my instincts when really... I'm just following what sounds good at the time. From the internet, to the radio, to the tv, to the people around me, the noise that follows can be deafening. Do you ever notice that?

This past weekend I attended a Nordstrom Cosmetics Trend show (which was a blast by the way! You must check it out the next time it comes to town) and Dr. Lancer came out onto the runway and one of the first things he commented on was the music.

"Isn't this loud music distracting you all from what I'm saying." he said.

And for a moment I thought about it. I hadn't even noticed how loud the music was and considered it adding to what was being presented in front of us. I heard the words coming out of the presenters mouths, was enjoying the music being played "in the background," and really didn't consider either interfering with one another.

But it was so true! Our culture and society today has so much external noise playing that no wonder the difficulty it takes to hear what's inside. I have to stop and really have a moment with myself (get your mind out of the gutter) in order to really hear the advice or reason being shared. Makes it hard to just take that step and leap off without looking, right?

Do you need to look before you leap?

Sorry Mr. Bear, It Just Won't Work Out

 Saturday morning was quite an adventure.

After going out to the garden to snip off some broccoli, I came back in to wash and chop it for my omelet. When I started to wash it off I noticed a funky smell coming from the sink and just as I noticed it, the sink began to back up. So I switched on the garbage disposal.

And... nothing.

My husband, being the handyman that he is, immediately got to work. So I made my omelet, and left him be.

About an hour later he came back and announced that it was time to call in the plumber. I don't think we've called a plumber out in five years so I know something had to be going on. We quickly checked our home improvement envelope and made sure we had some cash on hand and then made the phone call.

Within half an hour the plumber as here and quickly got to work.

After a disgusting cleaning of the pipes and flush of dirty water our problem was fixed. Our only problem was the fact that after 5+ years, pipes do back up. We were told to use an enzyme cleaner (like Natural House's Sinky that I love) and make sure not to put any no-no's down the drain.

No-no's included basically anything not liquid save for a few bits and pieces here and there. Everything else should either go in the trash or the compost bin, not down the sink.

As the plumber was packing up he asked if he could use our restroom. I quickly looked at my husband and said to make sure it was decent before the plumber used it. I wanted to make sure that the trash was cleaned out so he didn't have to look at (or smell!) my son's pull up from the night before.

I didn't hear what the two of them discussed but afterwards my husband told me that he plumber told him that I meant to flush the toilet, "Because when someone says that they mean they didn't flush the toilet."

What!? Now I don't know about you, but I flush. Pretty regularly.

After the plumber was done using the bathroom he came out and said, "Now I thought we talked about toilet paper before."

Uh-oh.

I received a few awesome coupons at BlogHer'11 last year and quite a few from Charmin. I had finally broken down and picked up my free pack of Charmin toilet paper a few months back right before it expired. But I left the toilet paper in the back of my car since we're Kirkland and Scotts fans and we just didn't need any. I was going to donate it until we ran out of our Kirkland stuff and I didn't want to go to the store...

And of course I broke down and started using it right before the plumber came. After he hadn't been to our home in over 5 years.

I guess Charmin is a big no-no. Plumbers probably won't tell you this but stuffing Charmin down your pipes is like stuffing paper towels down there, or so my plumber said! I knew there was a reason why we didn't buy it... I just didn't remember why.

So now I'll remember to flush the toilet and hide the Charmin the next time we call the plumber!

Case of the Mondays

Do you ever have a day that just, well, sucks?

That was totally me this Monday. I don't know what was going on but on Monday the universe hated me. Sure, I tried to make the best of it and moved forward but I'm still feeling the impact and not in a good way.

Monday started out like any other day. Woke up to my son rubbing my arm and my daughter slapping my chest asking to nurse. We got up, I made coffee and fixed breakfast, and logged in online to check email, facebook, work stuff, etc while the kids watched Curious George.

And what do I see as soon as I open my email? An email notifying me that an order I placed online was cancelled due to an item being out of stock. Why in the heck would an online retailer, in this internet-crazed world, not be able to update their site with the correct availability BEFORE emailing a great deal? When you email something to your subscribers you want them to buy, right?

So I just left it at that and won't be returning to purchase the item when it's in stock. 

Then there was a last minute change to our planned playdate due to the weather and I had to deal with an upset 3 year old and try to explain why we couldn't go play. That was easily resolved when I made other plans with another mama friend. 

Of course, as I'm trying to convince my son that it's not the end of the world and we'd be going to the park at the beach instead, my egg cups burned. Who wants burnt eggs for breakfast? Not my picky eaters!

Three for three and it wasn't even 8am. 

Then as we're headed out the door to make it to our new playdate my daughter decides it'd be a great time to put her shoe in the toilet. It was dirty and needed a bath, right?

We finally got into the car, fed, dressed (minus the soggy shoe), and ready for fun when my cell phone started acting up. Now this isn't the first time my stupid phone started going on the fritz. But since I wasn't familiar with getting to the park we were headed to I desperately needed the Maps app to work. And work correctly.

When you need technology it just isn't there for you, right? But I figured it out and made it to the park.

But we made the most of our day and enjoyed the beautiful weather at the beach. It was overcast, but warm, and the kids had a blast in the sand and water. They shared toys, snacks, and I shared a moment of peace with the other mamas as our kids happily played in front of us.

The worst part about my day, though? The fact that I gained 3lbs and was over my starting weight from two weeks ago. How in the heck did that happen? Oh, did I mention I was back on Weight Watchers again? I'll have to leave the weight loss for another post.

So even though the day started out like crap it wasn't as bad as it seemed as I was going through it.But I think it created a chain reaction. Needles to say, I can't wait for this week to be over! Luckily I'll end my week with Mamafest and Legoland. Good friends and family time. Perfection.

Have you ever had a case of the Mondays? 

Is it Time to Break Up?

Source

When do you know it's time to break up with a friend? 

I think many of us have been there before. For one reason or another we grow apart from those we once called friends. Lack of common interest, our lives and kids and husbands get in the way, or there's a falling out. The relationship becomes one-sided and you feel like you're just trying too hard without any reciprocity.

I haven't had much experience with breaking up with people. Boyfriends and friends alike.

I've either moved away, gotten another job, etc. It was an easy separation that required no further action. But I've always left doors open for reconnection in the future. However after feeling like a friend just isn't interested anymore, I think I need to do something further.

I've been left out, cancelled on, and ignored. But as soon as I forgive and forget I feel like I get sucked in just to get hurt all over again. And admittedly shed a few tears. I thought this was all left back in high school?

So I'm asking now, how do you break up with a friend?


Talking It Out
In the past I've had great luck approaching a friend and talking everything out. Sure, it was awkward as heck but I just had to remember that the other person might not even realize something's going on. So unless the issues are discussed, the real problem might just lie with the fact that I was over-analyzing everything.

However sometimes talking it out can lead to even more gaps in the relationship. The friend didn't understand where the feelings were coming from or they just didn't want to make more of an effort in the friendship for whatever reason. So if this doesn't mend things, it might be time to take more action. Or take no action at all. 


Avoiding Communication
So we've tried to talk it out and things just didn't work. What do we do next? The next step might just be to avoid all communication. The friend might be doing the same thing. Happy Hour plans are no longer made, invitations to parties are forgotten, Facebook statuses and blog posts are ignored.

But this just doesn't seem like the right thing to do. Discuss together and move on, right? Talk about it, bring up the issues, and come to a mutual and mature decision.


Cutting Out Completely
So talking it out didn't work and avoiding communication just isn't the key. Now we have to move forward and face the facts. Both sides aren't willing to put the effort needed to continue the relationship so it's time to cut ties completely.

Of course all of this can be done in a civil, respectful fashion. If mutual friends are involved then maybe the relationship gets bumped from friendship to acquaintance. It's not that bad, right? And the sheer fact that we meet so many people in our lives means that we have to realize that not every friendship will last and stay strong. And sometimes some friendships are only meant to teach us certain things. The friendships that really matter are the one's that will stick.

So what do you do when a friendship has fallen apart and you just need to end things? 

Disclaimer: If you're reading this blog post, this post isn't about you. I've already discussed the issues at hand with said friend and we're working things out for a mutual break.

Preschool and Potty Training

Ever since my son turned 3 I've had a hard time figuring out what to label him as. He's not quite a toddler but isn't in preschool. Yet. He starts in the fall but is more than ready right now. He's social, loves to read and learn, and is obsessed with the idea of going to school "like a big boy."

But since he has to be potty trained before he can go, we're doing what we can at home to pique his interest. Since we've gone over this hump before I'm dreading starting again even more. But I know that if I just jump in as soon as he starts showing more interest then he'll pick it up right away. He understands the concepts; he just doesn't want to lose the control.


But once he's potty trained what's next? Preschool, growing up, lots of change.

This past weekend we went to an inflatable slide/jumpy place called Inflatable World. My son had been begging us to take him and invite his cousin to join us for weeks and finally I gave in. Most of the slides seemed a bit too big for him so he stuck with smaller jumpy areas that he seemed more comfortable with. But then he decided he wanted to go branch out and try a slide out.

With a little help from his aunt he got up the wall and after a bit more encouragement and maybe a little shove he went down the slide. Once he was down he was all smiles. But he did make it clear that he did NOT want to go on the slide again. He tried. That's all that mattered.

I don't see myself as the bawling mother waving good bye to her baby on the first day of preschool. But maybe I will surprise myself and be overcome with emotions. I mean this happy, energetic, amazing boy was once a teeny newborn in my arms not able to do anything for himself.

Now I have to put my faith in complete strangers to help raise him and teach him. Its like I'm the one with the control issues now.

Its not that I'm afraid or apprehensive about leaving him at preschool either. I am looking forward to a few days a week with only one child. For some reason I have fantasies of days filled with cleaning and working without constantly being interrupted. And naptimes. Naptimes that don't abruptly stop when one or the other child wakes up or has to be put down.

I know, I know... total fantasies.

Preschool is right around the corner. Potty training is inevitable. And eventually both of my children will be taught by people other than myself and my family. It'll be hard to get used to but it's something that's coming up quite soon.

Prayers and Good Thoughts Needed... and some Chocolate Pie

When I'm happy I eat. When I'm sad I eat. When I'm upset I eat. When I'm mad I eat. See a pattern here? For the most part I've been able to curb this addiction but lately I am thinking about food all the time. My grandma is in the hospital. Has been since last Thursday.

Congestive heart failure, renal failure and pneumonia.

Not a fun trio. For the most part she seems herself although she's hating the whole hospital thing. And if she can get her oxygen levels up and breathe on her own again she might just be able to work on everything else going on.

But for now she waits. And waits.

So we wait with her. I find other family members willing to watch the kids while I visit. The visits aren't all that exciting and for the most part I just sit with my aunt, uncles and mom while reading a book. I haven't read this much in a long time. But every once in a while I'm able to visit with her alone. And we chat. Small things, big things. It's nice.

I haven't really thought that it's impacted me much but I think it is. The other day I went into the pantry, went into the fridge and checked out the freezer. Nothing sounded good. Nothing looked good. Ugh.

So I figured I'd check out a few of my recipe books and I grabbed one of my favorites, Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours. And I happened to open it on a recipe for chocolate pie. With a chocolate shortbread crust. I already had some pie crust in the freezer so I grabbed that and let it thaw. Now I should have stopped right there. If I had time to thaw crust I had time to realize that this was just a bad plan all over.

I am losing weight, on the right track, just got over a 6-week weight loss challenge.Why sabotage these efforts? Because I could. 

So I made Dorie's chocolate tart filling.

Added some diced macerated strawberries and waited for the mix to chill in the fridge. As it was chilling I baked up the pie crust and let it cool. Once it was cool I grabbed the chocolate/strawberry filling, poured it into the crust, and smoothed it all down. If I had any whipping cream in the house I probably would have whipped that up and layered it on as well. But lucky for me I didn't. And I was out of chocolate.

Half of the pie was gone the next day. Oy...

So I ask for your prayers. No, not so that I stop eating. Only I can work on that. Prayers for my grandma. Prayers that she finds peace, gets better, makes it to her 60th high school reunion later this year. She says she's ready but I know she wants to do just a bit more. Let her visit with her sister at least.

I thank you in advance for any positive thoughts or prayers you have to offer. I truly appreciate it!

Oh, and the pie was amazing.

I'll have to make it again. And maybe isntead of strawberries I'll throw in a swirl of peanut butter. Yum!

The Important Things in Life

When I imagined myself having kids I always thought I'd share with them all of the things I love just like my parents did. And so far I think we're doing a great job. The best part about parenting with my husband is that we share the same passion and love for certain things. For one, we're both huge Disneyland fans. Both of us have very fond memories of our trips there and the fun we had. Another would be our childhood TV shows and cartoons. Seriously... what better way to bond with your kids than over a good classic cartoon? And third is my love of doing fun things outside and inside the home. I cannot wait for the days and years to come when we can continue sharing our passion and loves with the kids. And finding out what they love as well.

Disneyland has always been near and dear to my heart. My dad would take us at least once a year and we'd always get to do the same thing... each of the three of us (for a long time I only had 2 siblings... now I have a whopping 6!) would take turns choosing which ride we'd go on next. And every once in a while we'd let Dad decide. We'd also get $20 to spend as we please. I was the smart one and would allow my siblings to purchase their tasty treats and than ask for "small" bites or drinks so I wouldn't have to spend my money. Then at the end of the trip I'd have $20 to spend on a cool toy. I know, I was the cruel older sister.

I would love to start doing that with my kids but with the frequency that we go I don't think we can quite afford $40 for each kid unless we give up the passes. So for now we let our 2.5 year old decide what rides to go on. And believe me... he knows ALL of the rides! My husband is just waiting for the day he's old enough to ride Big Thunder with him. And the hubs always gives in to letting E choose one treat to munch on during the drive home. That may or not be related to the fact that my husband enjoys buying a box of cookies to munch on himself! We are definitely blessed to have passes to the Happiest Place on Earth and love enjoying the park with the kids.

A great thing about my husband and I is the fact that we love childish things. We watched cartoons and went to the theater to watch kids movies long before we had kids ourselves. I love playing fun games and he has boxes of Legos and action figures boxed up in the garage. So when we're able to introduce our kids to the fun movies and TV shows we loved it's exciting. My son's current favorite is Duck Tales. We bought Season 1 and 2 on DVD. He puts them on repeat. And when he wants a change he gets Tale Spin. I find myself singing along to the theme songs with him and dancing around the house. It's quite fun! And I know my husband is chomping at the bit for the day our son is old enough to bust out the little legos. Oh the things they could build together. With a little help from sister, of course. 

We are so excited for what we have and whats to come. And we're thankful for this perfect little family of ours. It may be crazy and hectic but it's perfect for us. The memories we're excited to make and share with our kids will be priceless. Each day we have with them is a blessing and I need to remind myself a bit more about that. It's time to rearrange a few things, get some perspective and enjoy the life we have together. You only have one childhood, right? I want to make sure my kids have a chance at a good one!

Fixing, Building and Re-purposing

My vacuum is dying. Like it'll power off and on randomly as I'm trying to clean. Sometimes it loses suction at random times. And the hose from the canister to the wand is cracked (hence the lack of suction). I'm not sad. I'm secretly cheering on it's death. Why, you ask? Because if it dies... I'm hoping to purchase a Dyson vacuum. I've heard my friends talk about their Dysons like they were their children and I want in on that action!

But I have a problem. My husband can fix just about anything. You'd think that would be a good thing but let me tell you... it's not. Sure, it allows us to stretch our dollar and saves us from paying more than we need to on services for our car. But when your husband can fix just about anything in your house that means that those hand-me-down items you got when you moved in are still being used and abused 10 years out.

A 20 year old fridge lasts 10 more years, a 30 year old washer still has life and is agitating like it did when your mother in law first bought it, and a vacuum that is only kinda sucky gets a few more years of use. Luckily the fridge did finally kick it and we were able to buy a new, energy saving model to replace it. It's pretty nice and I LOVE the newness of it all. And I'm pretty sure that the washer will give out on us any day now. But more than likely there's a part to fix it.

For the most part I love how handy my husband is. It really is amazing how he can fix and build so many different things. He's handy in the garage, out in the yard and on a computer. And I still am surprised when he can build something out of nothing whether it be putting together a garden planter or re-programing a computer. And his knowledge and abilities help us out tremendously when doing home repairs and mini remodels. But I'm still rooting for the vacuum to die. I know it's expensive to replace but I really want a deeper clean. 

Starbucks Shirts

A snippet of the conversation I had with my 2.5 year old son this morning: 

"I have Starbucks on my shirt"
"Starbucks?"
"Yeah, see the light sabers?"

He's wearing his starWARS t-shirt. This is what gets me through my day. Seriously.

For the love of coffee and morning routines

I didn't drink too much coffee before having kids. Sure I'd have the occasional cup of joe every few days or so and I'd indulge in a frappacino once in a blue moon (until I realized how many WW points are in one) but I never quite needed coffee that much. Yes, I did enjoy it but it wasn't a part of my routine. Now that I have kids? I have to have a cup, or two, each morning just to get through the day.

A bad picture of my favorite Peets Coffee in my Got Milk mug

I'm not quite addicted yet. I can go a few days without coffee and wont get a withdrawl headache (but I know friends who do!) but I just drag on the ground on the days I don't have my cup first thing in the morning. So I have a routine. One that is practiced every day and that my kids know about. As soon as mommy wakes up it's time to make coffee. Some days my son helps out but most of the time he's still in bed and my daughter tries to lend a hand. She loves trying to take the coffee scoop out of my hand when I'm putting grounds in the filter.

Once the coffee is brewing we can start the rest of our morning routine. I take my son to the restroom and then change my daughter's diaper (unless Daddy has already done so) and than we get dressed. By the time we're all dressed it's breakfast time. Mommy has her cup of (hot) coffee and checks her email while the kids eat yogurt or oatmeal and fruit (breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know!) and watch a show on PBS Kids. If I didn't give the kids their breakfast while I enjoyed my coffee  I'd be left with cold coffee. And that just wouldn't cut it.

I never thought much about this routine but realized over time that it helps us get going on our day. If I don't start the coffee right away I find that we are all slacking in the morning. We end up running late to whatever was planned for the day or don't even make it to our activities. When mommy sticks with a routine a lot more gets done. And the family, as a whole, is a lot happier.

What routines help your family get going? Have you found that having routines help your family as a whole?

 

Spaphile presents Wine & Spa at Fifty Seven Degrees

A few weeks ago my friend, Joann, sent me an invite to a Wine and Spa event. As soon as I saw these two words together I knew I wanted to go. Then she mentioned that I would also have a chance to meet some wonderful ladies she knew and I RSVPed right away. You see I'm finally starting to realize how important it is to network and get my name out there.

Yes, my blog is a personal family blog but I also like to have input and comments when I have a question or need help with a solution to a parenting (or life) problem. I have known for a while that while I or one of my friends might not know the answer there are a LOT of people out there who may. Plus I also want to learn more about blogging, networking and branding so that I can improve my blogging skills not only for this blog and my food blog but for the blog I run for my husband's cousin.

You see, I really like this blogging thing. I LOVE to get out and socialize and "getting out" doesn't always mean getting in the car and driving to meet people. I can stay home with the kids and still play with my friends at the same time. So with all that being said I was very excited to attend this Spaphile event at 57 Degrees wine bar. I made plans to leave the kids with Grandma since the hubs was at Comic Con, threw on some chap stick and headed out to have some fun.

The lovely Heather of Baby Bump & Beyond - Photo Courtesy of Laura Lohr

When I first got to the event I checked my email first and found out that Joann would have to miss the event. Ok... now what do I do. I was on my own for a bit. So I made the most of it and grabbed a glass of wine and then signed up for all of the mini-services being offered. Let me tell you I was very excited to have a few of these things done. Not only did they have one masseuse chair, they had two. And I could sign up for a chair massage at both! So that's what I did.

Stephanie Lee of Stephanie Lee Massage was there and not only did she do a wonderful chair massage, she also scented the cover she used for the face pillow so the whole time I was being massaged I would breathe in these wonderful scents. Oh it was heaven in 5 minutes! Definitely something this tired mama needed to keep her going! The glass of wine might have helped with the relaxation too but we'll talk about that later...

Heather, Me, Mandy, Kari and Ali - Photo Courtesy of Laura Lohr

After my first massage I got a facial cleanse from ASerenity and an eye treatment. Basically they take a rotating brush with some cleanser and the brush moves around your face allowing for a deeper penetration of the product. And the eye cream made me feel fresh and hydrated. They even gave me a sample of the cleanser (Vital C by Image Skincare) to try at home. How awesome is that?

Once my face was all hydrated and the kinks in my neck were taken care of I made my way over to The Beauty Bar's booth for some hair care. When asked by Desiree what I was looking for I said to do anything. And she turned my hair into a gorgeous updo of curls and tangles. I think it took her all of 15 minutes to make me look even better than I did on my wedding day. I really want to go back and get my hair done for some fun special occasion whenever should occasion come about. I'm hoping to have some good pictures of the back of my hair soon :)

After I got my hair done it was time for some mingling. I had seen another mama friend I met at Signs class and went to find her. After a bit of talking we decided to grab another glass of wine. This is where the fun began. When we went up to the bar to order there was hardly any room to squeeze in and grab a bartender. So we had to lean in a bit and talk in between two people (they weren't together, there was a chair empty in between them). I asked to order a glass of the wine I had before and he immediately asked for all of our IDs. Not a problem, we all got them out and showed him we were well above the legal limit. Then I told him what I wanted again and he replied back that they were all out of it but were subbing something else. Fine, we'd go with that. We're easy.

And then the woman next to us made some snide comment about us watching our volume (later I found out she was just playing words with friends on her phone... why be so rude when we weren't even interrupting a conversation and it was obviously impossible for us to order any other way) and the bartender replied back to her with something the two of them laughed about. Fun. Not only are they out of the good stuff, the bartender has a bit of an attitude as well.

Then when he told us our total we paid. Separately. Because we wanted to order separately but the guy just didn't want to listen to us. Or help us much for that matter. After I gave him my money I told the ladies I was going to sit down to wait for my next service. I gave him more than the total so he could keep the change as a tip. My friend came back and gave me my change explaining that if he was going to have that hard of a time helping us and if he was going to share rude comments about us with his customer then he wasn't too worth of a tip. I felt bad for a split second (I have never not given a tip before...) and than went on chatting with the girls I had met in between all of this.

We chatted a bit and sipped our wine before it was my turn to get some airbrushed color on my eyes (again by The Beauty Bar). After my makeup was done I got to know a few of the gals who sat down with us. And they ended up being part of a Mommy Blogging group that I joined online. How awesome! I got to meet them anyway. For a few more pictures of the event check out Laura's post on the event here. After a bit I was starting to get hungry so we braved the bar again to order some food. And we thought we were in luck. The other bartender was coming over to help us. Then he gave us a menu and left. Leaving our favorite bartender to help us again. And there was no denying the disdain in his voice. He did not care for us at all. What fabulous service!


As the girls and I chatted we indulged in some yummy focaccia bread with different fun toppings. The last service I received was an eyebrow shaping by the amazing Josue. Seriously... my brows haven't looked this good in a while. I have to come to him for all my eyebrow waxing needs in the future! I forgot how fun it is to look so put together. And if you head to The Beauty Bar make sure to ask for him! They're also having a happy hour event in August that I'll post more info for soon. 

So to make a long story short I am truly grateful and thankful to Spaphile for putting on this great event! I really needed a night out with the girls to relax and indulge in a bit of adult conversation. And while I wish I had better things to say about the service at 57 Degrees, the wine and food were great.

*** To any of my local mamas who are interested in getting a $1 off Pretzel Crisps purchase please email me and we'll get in touch! These coupons expire at the end of the month so I want to get them all out this week ***

An Update to Our Potty Training Breakdown

So it's been a little over a week since I went off about our potty training journey. And I really think that we've hit the worst of the worst. Since then E has only had 2 accidents with me. And one of them was totally my fault. We were at the zoo,  I saw him dancing around and didn't take him to the potty right away since he said he didn't have to go. Well... he didn't WANT to go because he was with his friends looking at cool reptiles. Lesson learned. Again.

He's filled up his sticker chart and was able to pick out his prize from Comic Con (he got a plush Woody and Buzz)! Way better than choosing a prize from Target although Daddy gave in and bought him two dinosaurs tonight while we were at Target. And while I thought we were a ways off from him completely turning around and getting back on track he's even started TELLING me when he needs to go! Seriously. I will ask him if he needs to go and sometimes a few seconds or minutes later he will tell me he needs to go potty. This makes outings amazingly easy.

And the biggest thing I'm proud of is that he's been working on trying to go poop on the potty more than once. He is starting to realize that sometimes things take time. And he's starting to realize that his body will help him and let him know when he needs to go. He still isn't back to his "regular" self but he's starting to go poop on the potty every other or every third day. I hope we get him back to his every day routine since that seems to be best for all of us (he gets grumpy when he doesn't go!).

All in all I am so proud of my boy. This potty training drives me crazy but I know that he was ready. I didn't push him into this. Sure, he's not yet 2 1/2 and he's a boy but that doesn't automatically mean he's not ready to potty train. And now I know he's one smart cookie who likes to push boundaries and see what I'll put up with.

Comic Con 2011 - Fun Times Wearing A Baby and Carrying a Toddler

We had another wonderful year at Comic Con International. We went in with a plan and got to see everything we wanted to see. Now that's success! We started off the morning by finding a great parking garage just a block from the convention center (only $12 for the day vs. the $20 a day signs everywhere else). Then we headed out to wait in line to get our Sunday passes.

We were greatly surprised by the number of people already waiting in line and weren't expecting how long it was already. We passed my cousin and her family on the way to the end of the line but wanted to be courteous of the other people who got there earlier than us and we didn't ask to sit in line with them. But when we got to the end of the line we almost went back to ask. Though the view from the end of the line wasn't that bad :) That's San Diego for you!

Once we got our badges it was off to Hall H to wait in line for the Glee panel. My friend, Amanda, was already in line so we were able to sit with her in hopes of getting in to see the panel. Once the line started moving and we saw how many people there really were we were almost certain we wouldn't get it. Especially when it got down to us being two queues from being let in to the hall and there being a break in the time it was taking for the line attendants to come get another queue.

But we were super lucky I guess. We got in! It was standing room only by the time we were let in but that was fine with us. E hung out with Daddy and enjoyed seeing all of the people while M slept for the first half. We got to listen to the panelists answer questions about the upcoming season and the changes they have in store for the cast of Glee (Curt's boyfriend is sticking around!). Pretty exciting stuff!

After the Glee panel we headed off to the main exhibit floor to see what was going on at the different booths. We got stuck at one booth in particular. Lego may or may not have just dumped a whole ton of yellow bricks in the middle of the floor for the kids to play with. And that's all E wanted to do the whole time we were there. So since we're super cool parents and were basically there for him anyway (J went alone on Saturday) we sat down on the floor and built together. It was quite fun!

After we were done with exploring we decided to go out of the convention center in search for lunch. E was already asking for food so in order to avoid any meltdowns we stopped at the nearest place we found. . As soon as we crossed the street we saw two food trucks and made a b line for them. Luckily there were choices for all of our different tastes at both.

E had a yummy hot dog from Ms. Patty Melt. Sadly they were all out of ketchup but luckily E doesn't eat any on his. They only take cash so J and I headed over to Super Q. OMG! Seriously the best BBQ pork sandwich I've had in a long time! I had the Super Q Pork Melt. It came with bbq pork, mac-n-cheese, sauteed onions and lots and lots of cheese on sourdough. I can still taste it and am already craving more! The sandwich was huge. Definitely more than enough for two. And it also came with a side of potato salad that was equally delicious (but you could get cole slaw or chips instead). Joseph decided on a duo of sliders. He got the beef and pork and seemed to enjoy them. He didn't leave a crumb when he was done.

Once we got our food we headed across the street to a park to eat. E loved the location because he got to chase pigeons and stare at the water. We may have had to take him away from the water a few times because he looked like he was going to jump in! Once we were done we bribed E with the promise of going for ice cream at Ghiradelli's if he left with us. And although the allure of running away and finding a new family was strong he decided to stick with us.

The walk to Ghiradelli's was comical to say the least. Being the pushover, er, great Dad that J is, E got a vanilla cream soda with his hot dog. The soda was in a brown bottle that definitely didn't look like a soda bottle. So every block or two there'd be a comment from a passerby (or someone sitting at the outside patio of a bar) that we were starting him young. What can I say! When he's walking down the street trying to drink he doesn't quite walk in a straight line. He even stopped every once in a while to sit on the side of the sidewalk whenever a ledge made itself available.

Once we got to Ghiradelli's he was more interested in the cherry on top than the ice cream itself. That may have had something to do with the fact that he ate both mine and J's sample Ghiradelli square before we got our ice cream. M enjoyed her fair share of whipped cream but didn't quite care for the ice cream. I'm not sure if she really is my daughter... ;) So after only eating 1/2 of our sundae (we split it) we packed it up and headed back to the car. Of course as soon as we left the table to go outside E announced that he would have preferred a cone. Oh well! We tried.

As soon as we got into the car and out of the parking garage he was fast asleep in the back seat (M had fallen asleep on the walk over to the car). He slept for a good 3 hours! There's nothing like walking all around Downtown San Diego to get your toddler thoroughly exhausted.

Next year we plan on coming on Friday and Sunday but only going to Comic Con on Sunday. That way Friday we can just walk around Downtown San Diego looking for fun free stuff to do. Hopefully Suzette will post another 10 Things to Do Outside Comic-Con for next year so we can be sure and check out all of the cool things to do! We passed Ciro's Pizza and were tempted to come check out the Cartoon Network takeover but just didn't have the time (or energy) to do so. We're looking forward do doing it all over again next year! Well.. if we don't have any problems getting tickets :)

Last NASA Shuttle Launch

Today is a sad day in our household. I honestly never thought this day would come in my lifetime and hope that this isn't really the end. Today is the last NASA space shuttle launch. So please tune in to watch this historic event! There is a possibility that due to weather it will be postponed. I'll be watching with Ethan and Molly.

A good friend of mine, Helene, has written (in colaboration with a few others) a few tributes to this last launch. Check them out on GeekMom. She also has another cool project under wraps to come out soon so I'm sure I'll be mentioning her in the future.

A Typical Sibling Moment

My two beautiful children love spending time together. Even if it's just hanging out on the couch watching Saturday morning cartoons and eating breakfast/playing.

Family Reunion 2011

This past Saturday we partook in some family fun and set out for Mission Bay in celebration of our 21st year meeting up as a family... a very large family! Here are a few photos of our day...

Excited to be on our way!

Nom Nom Nom! She loves bread

Aunt Carly hanging out

This one just might be going in a frame :)

Grandpa loves me!

Enjoying the view

Being silly!

Grammy, Grandma and Miss M

I found a friend, Mama!

Trying to play with the big kids

Ok, now you put it in my net!

It's so much fun at the bay!

First taste of watermelon

100th taste of watermelon :)

His shirt was literally drenched from all the watermelon he ate

Volleyball! An annual tradition.

Go to sleep, Grandpa!

Daddy and Miss M... passed out

A close up on the cuteness

Waking up

E & Grandpa ready to do the sack race

We're gonna win! We're gonna win!

Hanging out with Daddy & Brother after the sack races

Saying goodbye to Aunt Carly