Straight talk with Claire

The setting is Claire's room. I'm helping her get dressed after her bath and looking around at the huge mess of toys, dolls, pajamas and sweaters.

Melissa: "Man, you need to clean your room."

Claire: "Man, I don't want to."

Wedding dress photos

Here are the wedding dress photos I meant to take last July - wow I really got sidetracked. I have done this every year since Audrey was 6 months old. Just thought it would be a nice tradition and also justify hanging on to my giant dress. Audrey thinks it's really fun but Claire has never been so sure. They want me to try it on but I know it's not going to zip up, so I say I'm too busy or some other lame excuse. It's OK, I was just really, really skinny when I got married and would have to get the lap band or become a Zumba instructor if I wanted to be that skinny again.

Tidbits from January

Lemonade stand


Don't take my picture when I'm in curlers!


I slept in those curlers and it was worth it for this hair


No one had to teach her to do that - it's genetic


That's mom under the pillows


When one sister cooperates for pictures and the other just lays on the floor


Where's the rest of me?


When dress up turns into Polly Pockets


When dress up turns into Tinker Toys


Hyper ballerina hanging on the ledge


Serious bed head but still smiling


Finding a new use for bloomers


When toys take over


The pressure finally got to her

Things my Nana taught me to love

My Nana taught me to love many things, but these came to my mind today when I was eating a gorgeous juicy orange picked in Hemet.

1. Elephants
My Nana had about 25 elephant figurines throughout her house. I know this because when I stayed with her I had to dust - everything. I counted those elephants every time I was at her house just for something to do. I also had bubble baths, my hair braided, homemade refried beans with chunks of cheese melted in, homemade tortillas and many other wonderful experiences. I often asked her why she had so many elephants and sometimes she would say "Well, so-and-so got me one and I liked it so much that everyone else started giving them to me for birthdays and Christmas and now I have all these elephants, shrug." And if I asked why she liked elephants she would say "because their eyes look so sad."

2. Having the "nice" side of the sheet closest to me
She was helping me change my sheets, I must have been around 10, and I was putting the nice side up so it would look pretty for the 30 seconds it would take me to lay down the bedspread. Probably everybody else was born knowing which way to lay the sheet besides me. And she said "Don't you want the nice side close to you?" And I said "No, it looks pretty this way" and she just shrugged and that was the end. Later I thought about it and I realized she was right.

3. The tiny orange sections stuck in the middle of the orange. I thought those little orange sections were just little parasitic twins, half-formed mutant orange rejects. We were having oranges but I didn't want to eat the little losers and she said she would eat mine and that she liked them the best. I asked why and she said "They are the sweetest." Later I thought about it and I realized she was right.

4. Granny Smith apples with Tillamook Cheddar. She said apples were good with cheese and served them to me and right away I knew she was right.

Things my Nana loved that I do not love:

Cow brains
Cow eyeballs
Cow tongue
Cow intestines

New Years Eve

We spent New Years at my parent's house so we could take advantage of their good food, fun company, proximity to snow, and free babysitting. Also, we love them. And my nephew Josh was visiting them so it was a houseful, and we like that. We took the kids up to Idyllwild - their first time seeing snow. I thought they were going to enjoy it for 5 minutes and then say it's too cold I want to go home, but they loved it. There was no hesitation and no stopping them from sliding on their fannies, making snow angels and snow balls. Claire even tasted some. We couldn't have asked for a better time. When we finished playing we - Nanie and Papa and Josh included - ate by the fire at a delicious little bakery - huge peppermint hot chocolates, sandwiches, and an unbelievable tropical fruit/chocolate bread pudding. That evening Mark and I went out for the first New Years Eve in many years - to my cousin's house where she fattened us up even more with stuffed jalapenos and all manner of fabulous finger foods. We stayed to count down the New Year. It was a sweet day from start to finish.

Christmas day

Just a few of the highlights - a before shot, Audrey's American Girl doll, Claire's pillow pet, gifts of candy and canned goods for mom and dad from the girls, and my favorite, the aftermath.

Christmas merrymess

We decorate sugar cookies every year and did some gingerbread houses, too. Lots of icing and candy, sprinkles and messes.

Audrey's birthday

Audrey at her bowling party with friends Angelina and Soschy. Celebrating, celebrating, celebrating, posing, opening presents. And at home, she got a new bike - a purple beach cruiser - and a giant, three-layered cake that mommy made and could not frost completely. But it was still lovely. She had a fun day with parties and cakes and grandparents visiting and calling. That night she got to go to her mom's chorale concert and stayed for the whole thing. We just can't believe how grown up she is - it seemed to happen overnight.

My children want to be fabric

We have a cool close-out fabric store close by and when I take the kids they play hide and seek, show me their favorites and distract me from my shopping. Last time we went they pretended to be fabric and wanted me to pick them out and take them home - so I did. Best fabric I ever bought!

Family portrait

My dream came true and we finally took a family portrait at the beach. These are just a few we took with our own camera after the photographer finished.