Sunday, December 21, 2008

Pictures

Brooklyn's 5th grade Fall Picture
Ava's 1 yr picture

Naliea's Christmas Picture



Ava's Day Care Christmas card picture



Monday, December 15, 2008

Happy Hanukkah

Last Friday night Brooklyn helped one of her best friends, Dagen, with his Hanukkah project. The last 2 years instead of getting presents for Hanukkah, he donates time and services to worthy causes. This year he needed a little help packing up hygiene kits. Brooklyn was more then willing to help. The good deeds also graced the cover of the Sunday paper. I have attached that article. http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20081214/NEWS/812129952&parentprofile=search

Saturday, December 13, 2008

I admit it!!

I am guilty of sometimes pretending that I don't speak English to avoid talking to people!

I guess the dark hair and eyes and everyone always asking me if I am mexican or something more exotic then just plain white has started to pay off.

Example of how this plays out:
Scenario #1: The other day, ok a month or so ago, I was at Walmart and the checker had asked me to hang the "closed" sign on the back of my cart and then tell anyone who lines up behind me that she is closed. I didn't want to do that - - that makes me feel uncomfortable, so I didn't answer her, she handed me the sign and repeated herself --so I got the "I am not sure what you are saying look" on my face and shrugged my shoulders. I hung the sign up on my cart but didn't tell anyone who came behind me to go away - she can tell them if they can't read my sign.

Scenario #2: The parking lot solicitors that chase you down and want to sell you a magazine subscription or something. I just pretend I don't hear them and when that doesn't work I again stare at them blankly and then they repeat and I shrug my shoulders and shake my head and turn around and when I have to I will say, "No Habla" I only bust out the "No Habla" when I am pretty sure the other party doesn't speak Spanish!

Also, I can only do this when I am not with my whitey Husband and Kids!

Technical difficulties

I know I promised more pictures from November and they are coming!

My computer crashed! I had a boatload of viruses on there most-likely from Myspace, good thing that I converted to Facebook! Don is in the process of trying to salvage all of my pictures and music and then he has to earse everything. So anywho -- as soon as I start getting some disks with relevant pictures on them I will post them.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

I am very tired. I still have an entire month of pictures to post and 3 finals to cram for - check back in a day or 2 for more pictures
I am very tired. I still have an entire month of pictures to post and 3 finals to cram for - check back in a day or 2 for more pictures

101 Dalmatians

Anita, Nanny, Spot Opening song
Opening conga
Enter Cruella De'vil
Cruella trying to buy puppies and Nanny protectin them


This was my favorite part of Brooklyn's at the end they sing a song about how happy they will be and they will snuggle up by the fire and Brooklyn cuddles with her duster


Naliea and Rick came the last day and so did Brooklyn's best friend Dagen


Both posing







In case of emergency press this button

So for those of you with in home security systems this is for you.

We have an alarm system for the house and it came with a key fob that allows me to set and unset the alarm from the front door or the car. It also has a blue emergency button that sets off a silent alarm you know in case you are getting attacked or something, and in case you have ever wondered if it works....it does.

2 weeks ago, of course on a Tuesday night when Don isn't home I get a phone call at about 10 o'clock pm from the Carson City Sheriff Dept. telling me that I have an officer on my front door and they are responding to a silent alarm call from my house. I ask for 5 minutes to get dressed - I was not permitted that time. I was told to throw a rob on and open the door. That's what I did.
Ava my very very active 1 year old had been playing with my keys that night and had evidently pressed the silent alarm button.
The officer wanted to walk through the house and make sure that no one was here holding me against my will. It is nice to know that they system works - but I it was rather embarrassing!

Random pictures from Oct.

Freezing at the soccer game
Look how bundled up she is
Pam's Birthday
Pam on her birthday

Ava giving Mario kisses
Evan playing cars
Evan, Mario and Brooklyn
Mario
Brooklyn

Auntie Shannon trying to win the favorite Mom/Aunt award and carving pumpkins

Brooklyn for Halloween
I hated Ava's costume - but I waited till the week before Halloween so this is what I was stuck with


She was a mime - not a bank robber or burglar





Tuesday, December 2, 2008

November update

November has been an incredibly busy month.
Lets start with well....my birthday of course! My birthday is the first of November and I had told Don that all I wanted to do for my birthday weekend was clean the yard, we have 13 trees in the back yard that all shed and then several more in the front so by the first of Nov we had boat loads of leaves that needed to be cleaned up. He agreed.
We were just planning on trick or treating with Brooklyn and her friends and then yard work for the weekend. So I thought. Don has class Thursday night and doesn't get home until after 10 usually and usually he doesn't care what I do on Thursdays, this particular Thursday Brooklyn had her play practice until 5:30 and then soccer practice immediately afterwards, she changes in the car, then after soccer I had a few errands to run. During this time Don kept calling me ,"Where are you at? What time do you think you will be home?" etc etc. I was beginning to get annoyed. "Why do you care? It's a Thursday evening! I will be home way before you! Don't worry about it!" We get home. I get Ava's diaper changed and I go to change my clothes, I had been pooped on, and then the doorbell is ringing. HOLY CRAP, who the heck is here it's nearly 8:00!? I have Brooklyn go and see who it is, she comes back to my bedroom and tells me that it's trick or treaters. WHAT!? That's not until TOMORROW. I through on whatever is handy, not matching and no bra - it's a great look. I stomp to the door preparing to tell some punk ass kids to come back tomorrow. I through the door open - scowl plastered firmly on my face so that whoever it was on the other side of this door will know I am in no mood to be toyed with. I hear Trick or treat! It's my Mom and Dad! They had come up to surprise me for my birthday! And of course they weren't empty handed. If you are a blog reader of my sister or sister in law you know that my parents gave us Wii Fit and Guitar Hero for our birthdays.
I was shocked! It was all making sense at that point, that's why Don was so crazy with the nonstop phone calls! Evidently he had been planning it for some time.
We had a great weekend, they got to sit through a bit of the Nevada Day Parade. Then we went to breakfast, haha Don had the group over and had brought home Olive Garden for everyone. Isn't he sweet?
About those games though - I suck royally at Guitar Hero, you have to have hand eye coordination. I lack. Here is my impression of the WII fit lady, it is better if you heard me do it, just imagine. You stand on the table thing and it weighs you. Then it blasts your BMI across the TV screen then it says, "Erica you are ...." the options are obese, overweight etc you get it-
but mine says, "Erica you are a lard ass" Now why in the world do I want a TOY to tell me I am fat every time I play it? Except it is super duper fun and I ROCK at the ski jump!
This game is the future cause anorexia among little girls, that thing says that Brooklyn needs to loose like 6 pounds!
Then the next weekend I went to Chicago to visit Stacie and to use my free ticket that none of you losers wanted to use to come and visit me. :) I am disappointed to report that I didn't take any real pictures, just a few of her apartment. I wish I could go back and take tons of us doing nothing. We shopped and ate and shopped and ate. It was so nice that we were able to shop at one store and try everything on and on again, we stayed in one store for like 2 hours! It was awesome! All in all it was a great trip. Minus the drunk kid who decided to sit next to me and kept getting up to throw up.
While I was gone Brooklyn had the All star soccer tournament, that all went off without a hitch even without me here to make sure.
The following two weekends Brooklyn was in the children's production of 101 Dalmatians. She was GREAT! I am so proud of her! We went to all six shows and Ava loved the music and dancing. Then last Monday, 1 day after her final play, she had her tonsils removed. She stayed home from school last week and seems to be healing well. She was bummed because she could not eat Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, even though we did our Thanksgiving Sunday night so she could eat with us. Thursday all we did was go to a buffet so she could load up on pudding and mashed potatoes. She has requested pizza, tacos, hamburgers, chips and salsa and apples when she can eat hard food again.
What we have going on now is: Brooklyn is playing basketball this season we are only into the practices, games don't start until after Christmas. She is going to try out for Annie this weekend. And then yesterday she received an invitation from PEOPLE to PEOPLE organization to be a Youth Sports Ambassador to play in the Youth Friendship Games this July in AUSTRIA!
I am looking into the organization and they seem legit. Roxi said she went to DC with them in high school. I just don't know if this is once in a lifetime opportunity or will she get these invitations every year? I am going to the parent meeting in January to learn more then we will decide.
I have finals next week. I can't believe that my first semester back to school (again)is finished!
We got a little economic stimulus package from my parents before Thanksgiving and I am proud to say that I have all of my Christmas shopping done and shipped off. All except our old folks - we are adopting grandparents this year from the senior center.
Ava is walking and running. She is into EVERYTHING!!! I don't know how we are going to put up our Christmas tree. She and the puppy are double trouble they buddy up to wreak havoc! She pulls stuff down from tables and he takes off with it.
As for Don, he is still working that we are grateful for. We are in another budget cut scenario and are hoping that he doesn't get laid off. I am not particularly thrilled with all of the government bailouts that have been happening. HOWEVER - if the President is going to be giving trillions of dollars away bail out the States! Bail out Nevada so Don doesn't lose his job!
Hmm I think that's about it for November?

After the cake and ice cream

Brooklyn was feeling a little in need of attention. Don had to teach her how to "walk"

Brooklyn gave Naliea and Evan piggy back rides.



Sorry

I am too tired! I posted all of these pictures backwards and don't want to fix it! The hand prints across the floor! I loved these prints!
So we moved the cake to the mat on the ground - that lasted only a second. She doesn't like being dirty

Still hating the cake!


REALLY hating the cake, all the people standing around singing to her, watching her ect Not sure what to do with this cake

Tossing the hat off
Not thrilled with the birthday girl hat


Ava and her little cake. I had to hold it because she kept trying to grab the candle.



Ava's First Birthday ... OCT 3rd! I am a slacker! Ava had a great first birthday. Pam, Don's mom, came up for the week she stayed with us. It was nice having her. Don's brother Jeff and his wife Julie and their 2 kids also came up for the weekend of her birthday. That was the most awesome considering that their baby was like 10 days old! Lets see who else came? It was 2 months ago....Sean and Mandy, Lori and Ryan and Jase, Rick and Deidra and Naliea, oh and our friends the Heaths. I think that was it! She made out!
I am going to close this post out so that I can start fresh. And maybe post the next batch of pictures in the right order!