Making Memories

Playing Dress-up with Baby Kate

2009-08-25T20:02:00.001-07:00

First Day of School

2009-07-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for my oldest girls to be off for another year of school - but I will miss them tons!

One Camera - Five Kids

2009-04-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

Random Baby Kate Pics

2009-03-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

Diapers!!

2009-03-11T19:57:00.001-07:00

Holy cow!! Today I bought three packages of Huggies Gentle Care diapers for $5.00. Here is how you can do it too:

* Walgreen's is having a sale on diapers - $10.00 a package BUT you get $10.00 back (for future purchases) if you spend at least $25.00.

* Go to coupons.com and print out the Huggies coupon for $5.00 off one package. I printed it at home and the neighbor's (thanks Lisa) so I could have three coupons.

* Call Walgreen's before you go so you can find out if they have any in stock. I just happened to get there right when a shipment arrived.

I hope that all will take advantage of this great price on diapers!

Kate's tanning bed

2009-02-27T16:57:00.000-08:00

Kate spent the first six days of her life in her "tanning bed". I was not surprised when the doc said she was jaundiced but was surprised when it happened to fast. The doc said that she was born jaundiced. Kate has the same blood type as Lauryn, who spent 3 days in the NICU for jaundice. A+ blood and mine do not get along!

Smoking update

2009-02-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

I sent a note to Lauryn's teacher and she agreed with me. She took that part of the book (see below) out so that no other child has to see it.

She also said that she is going to keep the story to share with the kids during Red Ribbon Week.

Smoking and 1st graders?

2009-02-20T08:41:00.000-08:00

Last night I sat down to read a book with my daughter and was quite surprised!! Here is a part of the book that she was assigned to read. Remember she is in the FIRST GRADE.

Why are there cartoon drawings of animals smoking?

They went someplace quiet to smoke!!

I do not think that any kid would catch the sarcasm at the end!!

ANY THOUGHTS?

Love you!!

2009-02-15T17:13:00.000-08:00

February 4, 2009

7 Lbs. 14 oz.

20 1/2 inches long

Kate Brooke

2009-02-15T17:08:00.000-08:00

I'm Batman

2009-02-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

Brock has really taken a liking to Batman (from the Wii). He will come up and whisper in my ear "I'm Batman" numerous times a day. Each and every time it puts a smile on my face.

Thank goodness for little boys.

Super Bowl Prep

2009-01-31T14:57:00.000-08:00

31 Days Left

2009-01-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

The day draws closer that I will be a mother of five children. Yikes!! The other kids are becoming really excited. They have all made a sock baby (filled with beans) that they constantly carry around with them. They practice holding the baby's head, wrapping it in a blanket and burping it. They even made a day care to take the baby to when they are at school. I am sure that they are going to be a big help when the real baby arrives.

Last Friday I had a doctor's appointment with an ultrasound. They doctor thinks that she is almost seven pounds (like they know) and that she will have a big head. The plan is to have me be induced between two to three weeks early - depending on my platelet count. I feel wonderful and keep telling myself that I am loving every moment of being pregnant.

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

2009-01-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-30T19:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2008-12-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas Eve the family acts out the nativity. It is one of my kids favorite things to do at Christmas time. We have to use our imagination when it comes to the costumes - but that is part of the fun. The tradition started many many years ago when I was young. I loved acting it out with my sibling and cousins. It was something that I always looked foward to! I loved being the inkeeper or an angel.

Decorating Dad as a Christmas Tree

2008-12-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

Snowman Party at Grandma's!

2008-12-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

This year Grandma and Grandpa decided to have a snowman party just for the kids to let PB and I go shopping for Christmas presents. It looks like they had a fabulous time!

They kids dressed up as snowmen - complete with scarfs.

Great Grandma Moon even dressed up for the party!!Dinner was served - A snowman made out of sandwiches, raisins, pretzels and carrots. Snowman cheesy puffs, and snowman cupcakes. There were even snowmen cups!

Grandpa was a good sport!! He let the girls dress him up as a snowman.Snowball fight in the garage using marshmallows! The kids loved it!!!!

Christmas Trains

2008-12-12T18:09:00.001-08:00

The past couple of years we started a new tradition of making Christmas Trains. It is amazing how the girls remember it ever year and expect to do it.

I guess that is how traditions are made.

Thanks Aunt Candice for the excellent idea. We talk about you every year while making them.

My favorite part is eating the cookies dipped in frosting.

WOW! We can sure make a mess!

Christmas Lights

2008-12-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

My fabulous brother Erik came and helped us put up our Christmas lights again this year. His specialty is the lights on the trees.

The kids love the lights!

It would not feel like Christmas unless we had lights on our house.

Mash Potato Man

2008-12-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

Lauryn and Ashlynn decided to be super creative one day at dinner.

Bye Bye Soccer

2008-11-07T17:21:00.000-08:00

I am so sad to see the fall soccer season come to an end. I love everything about soccer especially coaching and watching games in cold weather. I love going to my kid's games and cheering them on. There is nothing better than seeing the delight on my child's face when they score a goal or make a good move. I hope that all of my children will catch my love of soccer and play for many years to come.

Happy Birthday Babe-O

2008-11-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

Today is Lauryn's 7th birthday. Guess what made her birthday the BEST? She was able to go back to school (they have been off track). What would a great birthday be without school? She took her birthday treat for the class and a huge poster with tons of pictures of her.

I checked her out for lunch and we went to McDonalds for chicken nuggets. While there the manager gave Lauryn all eight of the Happy Meal toy polly pockets. She was in heaven.

Lauryn's grandparents gave her the American Girl doll named Ruthie. She loves her and they are inseparable.

Lauryn - I love you so much and am thankful that you are a part of my life. You are sweet, caring, cute, funny, smart, loving and great at finding lost things.

I LOVE YOU!

Halloween Birthday Party!

2008-11-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

This year for Lauryn's birthday Grandpa and Grandma hosted a terrific Halloween birthday party. Lauryn loved every minute of it!

We all ate at the Goblin Diner. Here is a sampling of our delicious dinner. Monster Toes

Bug Juice

Fingers

Bugs in a Bed

Worms

Slime
Eyeballs

Jack-O-Lantern

Spider Cake

Grandpa, Grandma, Great-Grandmother and Great-grandpa: Thanks for all the time and effort you put into this project. It was something that Lauryn (and the other kids) will never forget. You made memories that they will cherish for years to come.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Halloween was terrific this year (wasn't the weather great). We started off carving pumpkins. It was enjoyable to watch the girls attempt to clean out their pumpkins. They did not like having to get "dirty" reaching in for the guts.We went to a neighborhood trunk-or-treat (thanks Lisa!) where we were parked by the Thriller car. They played Michael Jackson's Thriller over and over again. It is a good thing that I enjoy listening to that song.

We then came home and ate the best cheesy potato soup in the world. Thanks Holly!

Next was trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Brock enjoyed it the most and did not want to stop. When we were home for the night and people would come to the door trick-or-treating he would reach into their bag and get himself a candy.

In our family we had a HSM cheerleader, 2 glitter witches and a Spongebob who did not want to have his picture taken.

Grandma even stopped by for some fun.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-10-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

Yes! Finally High School Musical 3 hit theaters today and we couldn't be more excited. We even made our own movie to get in the spirit. Click on the photo below to watch it and Get Your Head in the Game!!! (Thanks Adam)

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

I just love this time of year. I love going to the pumpkin patch and having the kids pick out their own pumpkins. I love the search for the perfect pumpkin. I always find it entertaining to see what their pumpkin of choice looks like especially when it is so big that their dad has to carry it.

SNOW!

2008-10-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

I want food!

2008-10-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

Feed me.

Fine, I will do it myself.

Yes! I did it!

Back to school (2 months ago)

2008-09-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

I am a little bit behind! Here are some of the pictures from the first day of school last August. The first picture of Makell is her first day at her new school. She has been there for three weeks and loves it! It has been a little bit hard having kids at different schools, I really have to pay attention to my schedule. Lauryn and Ashlynn go off track in a week but Makell in on a traditional schedule. It should be interesting to see how it works out.

Fire alarm

2008-09-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went on the kindergarten field trip to the Fire Station. I was so impressed with the presentation. They went over and over some great points like:

1. When you hear the fire alarm, go outside.

2. Don't hide, go outside.

3. Fall and crawl.

4. Stop, drop and roll.

Last night at about 2:00 am I was awakened by the dang fire alarm going off. I think that I actually had a heart attack, my hearted stopped, and then restarted. I thought for sure that the house was on fire. I was thinking about how I was going to get all of the kids out of the house safely. Of course, Brooks slept though the whole thing.

The alarm lasted about 2 seconds. It was just a reminder that we need to change the batteries. Why? Why? Isn't there a better way to inform people that they need to change the batteries? Maybe a red flashing light or a small quiet nice sounding beep? Or maybe a subtle text message?

The funniest thing about the whole situation is Cutie had a dream the night before that our house was on fire and we all had to get out. I am so glad that she slept through the whole thing. Those of you who know her well will agree with me.

Happy Birthday Brooks! (11 days later)

2008-09-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

I Love You!

It's a girl!

2008-09-12T08:31:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday I had a quick ultrasound that showed that Baby #5 is going to be a girl. That will make our family have four girls and one boy.

After the doctor's visit Brooks and I took pink water bottle with a pink note attached to the girls at school. Babe-O was the most excited when she found out. She has been wanting a girl the whole time. There could not be a happier kid. Cutie was a bit disappointed, she had her heart set on a baby brother. I do not think that Peach and Bubba caught the whole concept of it being a boy or a girl, so they are both excited.

The due date is February 18 (which is my mom's birthday).

Brave Cutie

2008-09-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Cutie got her ears pierced today! It was a spontaneous decision on her part. Yesterday she said, "I want to get my ears pierced," and I said "OK". We had not talked about it before then.

She was worried about it all morning long - wondering how much it was going to hurt. Sometimes her imagination gets away from her, so I was very proud of her that she went through with her decision.

Her uncles tried hard last night to scare her into not doing it. They told her that sometimes the person will miss and hit your neck instead. Then a bucket has to be held to catch all of the blood that gushes out of your neck. I guess uncles are suppose to tease their nieces.

This is her right before. You can tell how worried she is. Ready or not.

There was only one employee working so she had to do her ears one at a time. This is right before the second ear. Look at those beautiful brown eyes.
She said that it hurt for only a minute. She loves these earrings, they sparkle in the sun.

Happy Birthday Peach!

2008-08-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Peach's birthday. What a great day! She started off the day by having breakfast in bed and then going to kindergarten. After school we had a birthday party for her with her friends.

I then took her shopping to spend her own money. Her grandparents gave her money as part of her birthday present. She thought that was the best thing in the whole world. While we were shopping I was surprised to find that she had a hard time spending her money. It seems like when we go shopping and she is spending my money she wants everything in the store. Yesterday she could not decide on one thing. We were not sure if she wanted to "waste" her money on a toy. I guess that she is learning a great life lesson, but it was frustrating for me. It took an hour for her to decide on a $1.00 bottle of glitter spray.

We then went to the Olive Garden for dinner. I was so impressed with how well behaved all of my children were. We actually sat through the whole meal without having to get up once! What a great time.

The day ended off with us watching the new Little Mermaid Beginnings movie. I really liked it and recommend it to everyone (but I have always liked the Little Mermaid best).

I am so thankful that I have this sweet little girl in my life. She is so much fun to be with. She loves to clean, learn, read, and be with her friends and family.

I Love You!

New York, New York

2008-08-17T16:13:00.001-07:00

Something Old (soon to be Old Yankee Stadium)...

Something New (the new Yankee Stadium opening in April 2009)...

Something borrowed (my Dad's camera)...

and something blue...

THANKS AMY!!

Lucky Number 5

2008-07-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

Yuck!

2008-07-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

My creative (or crazy) brother made this at our last family party.

Cookie dough Mountain Dew Float anyone?

School's Out For Summer!

2008-07-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was the kids' last day of school (we have year-round school). My kids are sad to see the year come to an end and will miss their teacher and classmates a lot. They both had an excellent year.

I am excited to sleep in and stay up late!! It is time to party!

Today we went to Lagoon with PB's cousins. They live out of state and come for a visit each summer. They are such terrific girls! I hope that one day my girls will turn out just like them. We will miss them a lot while we wait for them to visit next summer. My girls adore them, you can see it in their eyes as they gaze up at them.

I Love Lagoon! I love the rides, atmosphere and even the smell. Lagoon brings back such wonderful memories for me. I could spend all day there and then wake up and do it all over again.

Happy Birthday Cutie!

2008-06-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

Cutie when she was three years old. Look how she has grown up!

Today is Cutie's 8th birthday. She has grown up to be such a kind, talented, beautiful, smart girl. I love that she is part of my family. I do not know what I would do without her. Today I have spent a lot of time looking back and thinking of her. Here are some of my random thoughts about Cutie:

Sometimes I like to call her mini-mom when she is doing far more than any child should do around the house. She just loves to help out.

I love that she is so kind to others all of the time. Even if that means that she has to play with a friend that she does not like or just smile when her sister says something mean.

She loves to read! Right now she is reading the American Girl books (currently Julie's series). For her birthday she received the American Girl doll, Mia. I think that they look quite a bit alike.
I love that she is so forgiving.

I love that she tries her hardest in all that she does. Nothing is going to stop this girl!

She is a peace builder.

I am proud that she is a great, well behaved child. I could not ask for a better eight year old daughter!
I love you!

YEA!

2008-06-08T16:13:00.001-07:00

Today I found my car keys!
They were in my church bag.

Dance, Dance, Dance

2008-06-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the annual dance recital for my girls. I love going to the recital to see my kids perform. I love to see the concentration on their faces as they remember the moves in their dance. I am so proud of them. It makes me happy to see them do something that they enjoy so much.

All three of them LOVE their costumes! They love to get dressed up, put makeup on, have their hair done extra fancy and have glitter sprayed all over them. They dream about it for months.

Cutie did a ballet dance to the song, Once upon a December, from the movie Anastasia. It was beautiful and I loved the perfect arabesque she did. Next up for her was Boot Scoot Boogie by The Chipmunks. It was the typical line dance with tons of moves added in. Her class practiced for months to get it right, it was a tough one.
Babe-O also did a ballet dance to Winnie the Pooh and Heigh Ho from Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. She is my girl that does not like to be on stage in front of a full auditorium. It takes a lot of bravery for her to get out there. I am so proud of her that she conquered her fears! GOOD JOB! I was so surprised when Peach announced that she loved to be on stage. She said that it was the best part of ALL of dance. She danced a ballet song to Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid and Much More Friendly with Pooh. I think that she looks adorable in her outfit with her blue eyes.

DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!

HELP!

2008-06-02T13:20:00.001-07:00

I lost my dang car keys a week ago and still can not find them!

Painting Grandma's House

2008-06-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the whole family was at PB's parents home painting the house. The last time it was painted was about 15 years ago and as you can see the paint color is a little out dated. Crisp Khaki was the new color and I think that it went on beautifully! Two coats later and a little hard work and it looks fabulous!

BEFORE

AFTER

Grandpa was in charge of the prep work. It seems like the prep work always takes longer than the actual painting. Then Grandpa was the babysitter (and that is a hard job). On Saturday he painted the garage ceiling. What a hard worker!

Great Grandmother and Grandpa

PB's mom even joined in!

Lookin' Good!

The kids helped with "cleaning up" the side of the house. I do not think much real work was accomplished but they had a great time picking berries and finding cool rocks.

Happy Birthday Bubba!

2008-05-25T18:17:00.001-07:00

Today is Bubba's 2nd birthday! Happy Birthday! We celebrated his birthday yesterday by taking the train to Gateway for the day with PB's parents. He thought the train was awesome!
We then went to the planetarium for a light show. It was so exciting for Bubba that he fell asleep five minutes into it. Thank goodness two and under are free.
We then went to Applebee's for lunch and did some shopping. We ended the day back at my house where he received a golf set from his Grandparents. He loves to golf! I think that PB hopes he will be the next Tiger.
Bubba loved the frosting on his cake! He is such a cute little boy. I love that he is so sweet and kind. He loves to give hugs to his sisters making them feel better when they are crying or having a hard time (this should be good training for when he is married). I am so thankful that he is a part of my family.

He makes my life happy.

I LOVE YOU BUBBA!

Peach's Graduation!

2008-05-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today Peach graduated from preschool! She had a great year and learned a ton. I just love the preschool where she (and my other girls) attended. What a great learning environment with a marvelous teacher who cares so much about her students. I am so grateful for the opportunity for her to learn and grow in this classroom setting.

Peach will really miss the awesome backyard where they have their recess. What a great year!

Crafts

2008-05-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

My fabulous sister (in-law) and I are starting our own little craft business. Our plan is to hit the fairs and boutiques this summer. Today we finally got together and took pictures of our booth and craft projects. What a lot of hard work and it took months to prepare for. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to the project!

Painting the garage

2008-05-14T22:43:00.001-07:00

I just finished painting my garage! Yea!! It took a couple of days and a lot of hard work but I am happy with the way it turned out. I still have to put all of the bikes, golf clubs, etc. back into the garage. Anyone have any tips for organizing all my family's junk?

Viva Las Vegas

2008-05-05T21:26:00.001-07:00

We're in Vegas again this week. Come see what we're up to at the Mobile Blog.

Edward and Bella

2008-05-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

Those of you out there that know me well will be surprised to hear what I am going to say. I just finished reading a series of books that I LOVED! The surprising part is not that I read some books, it is the books I read.

I could not put these books down and when I was forced to I was continually thinking about the amazing characters that had come to life in my imagination. These books consumed my thoughts! Every moment of the day! I devoured all three books in less than a week (thanks to PB and my kids for not getting too mad at me). I adore these books: Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer.

My mom and sisters discouraged me from reading these books because they were sure that I would read them, hate them and proceed to make fun of them for liking the books (which was a good possibility). A wonderful friend of mine told me that I HAD to read them. She read them quickly while laying on a couch healing from a knee injury. She sold me on the idea of reading the books and THANK YOU!

I even cried (can you believe it Missy?) over the books many times but especially at the end, thinking that I was not going to follow Edward and Bella's love story any more. Right now I am in the process of reading them over again. I do not want the story to end. But good news, I did some research and the fourth book is going to be released in 91 days! I can't wait! Visit http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/ for more information.

So to my mom and sisters, I love the books and will not poke fun at you. It is possible that I adore the series even more that even you do.

Stephanie Meyer has created a whole generation of girls that will be looking for their own Edward to fulfill their dreams. I am glad that I have found mine.

Corndog and a sucker

2008-04-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

Babe-O's two front teeth finally came out! Yea! Yea! Both teeth have been loose and crooked for weeks waiting for the right moment to pop out. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to remove them from her mouth. Her imagination runs wild and she thinks the tooth removal will be painful.

Monday while eating a sucker the first one was knocked out and the following day biting a corn dog forced the other one out. I think kids missing their two front teeth are adorable!

Later that night Cutie decided to read a book to Babe-O called Junie B. Jones, Toothless Wonder. I hope that as they get older they will still enjoy each other's company. They are such good friends!

The Nervous Traveler

2008-04-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've spent a lot of time traveling over the last seven months. Enough to know that there are certain nuances that make my heart skip a beat and some that quite frankly make my armpits a little moist.

Here is my top ten list of things that make me nervous when traveling:

Airport terminal renovations. Just when I’m starting to get comfortable they go and change things on me.
Middle Eastern passengers (yep, I am a racial profiler) that abruptly stand up and move to the front of the plane to use the lavatory.
Hearing the TSA (airport security) agent yell “Bag check. Sir, is this your bag?” Great, I hope everyone enjoys the free show again.
When the captain comes on the speaker and says, “flight attendants take your seats.” And this right after they have given me a glass of cranberry juice filled to the brim. Gee, thanks. Do I just give you the dry cleaning bill or how does that work?
The early morning flights. Is the flight crew even awake yet? Because I know I'm not. How come they only offer juice or coffee on those flights? I need a cranberry juice and a bag of gourmet peanuts. There goes my day.
The moment at the gate when the lady says, “We’ll now board flight 1797 to Omaha.” Hmmm, is that on the way to Las Vegas?
The plane is almost completely full. (Except for the seat right next to me) In walks a 350 pound Tongan that plays on the University of Utah’s offensive line. Does he see the other seat at the back? Please, do you see it? Don’t make eye contact. C’mon, look its right there next to the nice old lady…
Guys that stand right next to me at the urinals when the other fourteen are vacant. Yeah, I know this is one of my pet peeves but it also makes me very nervous. Stay out of my bubble.
Figuring out that the college kid I am sitting next to on the plane has ADDH and a full blown case of Tourette’s Syndrome. This becomes the longest 1:20 minute flight of my life.
Airport security screeners that wear latex gloves.

Not so bad for 4.6 billion years old

2008-04-22T22:10:00.001-07:00

In case you were stuck in a minivan running kids around all day (thanks Amy) or were visiting your Amish kinfolk in Pennsylvania, today was Earth Day.

Happy (Belated) Earth Day! Its hard to believe that you are so old. Many Scientists believe you are 4.6 billion years old and some Christians believe you are 6,000 years old. Wow, And I thought this lady was old:Here's to you Mother Earth. May you enjoy your remaining years as we continue to take advantage of all you have to offer. Here's to 6,000 (or 4.6 billion) more!

PB

Exercise night

2008-04-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

The school my girls attend is currently doing a contest for all students to participate in.
No TV week!
Yes, that means that we have turned off our TV, computer, and Leapsters. We are having a great time thinking up creative things for us to do. Today when Cutie came home from school she decided we needed to exercise so she made stations with a different exercise at each location. What a great time! We spent the night in the basement playing hard. The kids were so tired from all of the exercise they were all asleep before 8:30!

This is the chart that Cutie made listing each exercise station. Each one was set up with the needed items.

Bowling!

Push-ups

Cartwheels (even I did some!)

Headstand

Jumping on one foot (Peach is wearing another one of her great clothing designs. Lookin' Good!)

Sit-ups

Playing soccer (Bubba put the purple headband on himself)

What a great night!

I want my strawberry shake!

2008-04-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

I have a thing for In-N-Out burgers. I am not usually a fan of beef patties, but last year I experienced a cheeseburger there that was actually good and left me wanting more. They also have the most heavenly strawberry shakes to wash the delicious cheeseburger down. So you can just imagine how excited I was to be in Vegas where there are numerous In-N-Out burgers.

On Thursday night PB and I took the kids to a Panda Express for dinner (they share my dislike of cheeseburgers). PB decided that the Chinese food looked great and ordered for himself. I sat patiently waiting for the family to finish their meal. We then took off for In-N-Out.

I ordered my cheeseburger and fries with a strawberry shake. I specifically asked PB if he wanted to get a shake for himself or the kids. He declined. I decided to wait until we got to the hotel to eat. I have found that eating fast food quickly in a car leaves me feeling like I have not eaten at all.

As we are walking to the elevators at the hotel PB asks me: Do you want any of this?

I say: Any of what?

He then shows me an almost empty cup that at one time held my strawberry shake. What do I say to that?

(My cheeseburger was still great!)

On Sabbatical

2008-04-08T23:21:00.000-07:00

We decided to jump on a plane and head to Las Vegas for the week. Come see us over at the Mobile Blog for daily photo updates.

Final Results for March Madness: Barack did not bring his A-Game

2008-04-06T21:33:00.001-07:00

Barack, you really let me down this time. I mean, North Carolina for National Champs? I'll let you slide this time but you better use your "sound judgement" when it comes to making decisions down the road. For example, are you really going to answer the phone at 3 AM?

March Madness is over! That is weird to say now that we are going into week two of April.

Congratulations are in order to the big winner, ERIK. Attaboy, Gimp. Even with only one good leg you pulled through on this one. You fought a good fight (and probably cheated). No poor sports here. ERIK, YOU ARE THE MAN.

Here are the final results from our "office" pool:

Erik

Ryan

Missy

Steve

Grandpa S

Candice

Nortanicus

Paellaboy

Timmy

Oh yeah, and congratulations to the Kansas Jayhawks. I guess you guys played a great tournament too.

PB

Going for the Gold

2008-04-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

I am usually not one to brag. Besides there's a big difference between bragging and blogging, right? I'm so proud of Cutie....

Our school recently held a reading fundraiser. The kids collected pledges for each hour they read. Cutie's goal was to read the most hours out of all the second graders. Her total for the week was 1,315 minutes read!

Our school read a total of 60,000 minutes and earned $14,000. Thanks to all of you who contributed and helped my children be inspired to read.

Whose turn is it?

2008-04-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

Amy and I have been back and forth on this so I decided to be the bigger person (literally and figuratively) and post something on the blog today. Its been a while so there may be some catching up to do...

ST PATRICK'S DAY

BUBBA'S CUTE TOES

(He finally won. I swore I'd never give in.)

EASTER

Ok, dear, its your turn next.

Honey Mustard and Fries

2008-03-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Is there anything better tasting than french fries dipped in Honey Mustard sauce? I'm sure there is, but to this day I have yet to find it. Let's just say this delicacy is among my favorites.

Amy got me hooked on this years ago. The thought of it repulsed me until I tried it. I have been on a quest ever since to find the perfect combination of French Fries and Honey Mustard. Last week in Vegas I enjoyed them at TGI Friday's. I would put them among my top ten:

Here is a list of other foods I have since grown to enjoy thanks in part to Amy.

Cucumbers
French Fries in Sweet n' Sour Sauce
Chex Mix
Multi-Grain Cheerios
Key Lime Yogurt
Kettle Corn
Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi
Bit O Honey's
Tootsie Rolls
Funeral Potatoes (Amy has the best!)

Barack and Paellaboy have a lot in common

2008-03-20T23:05:00.001-07:00

I was watching 360 Anderson Cooper on CNN tonight and found out that presidential candidate Barack Obama is a huge basketball fan. Barack was studying some papers and making notes when Anderson Cooper decided to go over and ask him what he was doing. Come to find out, Barck was filling out his NCAA bracket. Finally, some news worth talking about. Want to see his picks? Read the AP story here.

Many of you are probably asking yourself, "Who cares?" Well, I do. After all Barack Obama picked the University of North Carolina to win the Tournament this year and so did Paellaboy. Barack Obama, a wise man of sound judgement. Psychic? That is yet to be determined.

Good luck to everyone on your picks tomorrow as Round 1 continues and...

GO NORTH CAROLINA!

Patrick Day?

2008-03-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

My kids were confused with the color green used on St. Patrick's day. They thought that the color should be pink. Oh wait, he has green shorts.

Missy has a blog!

2008-03-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

My adorable little sister just started a blog. I am so excited! I will be able to see more of the happenings in her life. She lives about an hour away and has a full time job. Sometimes we go a week or two without talking to each other. :(

Yes, she is the sister who previously poked fun at my blog (see the post on January 25). What will be next for Missy ... ?

Update - Logan and Christa won the Studio 5 Ultimate Wedding ($40,000 value)! Thanks to all that voted for them.

2008-03-18T19:22:00.001-07:00

March Madness is here!!

2008-03-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

Who are you picking this year? The brackets are out and PB and Amy's league is formed. Let's see who knows their basketball. It seems like every year someone in my office pool wins it based on the pretty team colors and mascots. Come join my league by clicking the link below and then submit your brackets. I'll do all the rest ;)

WiiHappyFamily

Click on "Join a Group"
You'll need a Yahoo! username to login

Group ID is wiihappyfamily (Group ID# 110725)
Password is bigblue

Need to study or review the brackets? Click below to enlarge the bracket and get your game face on.

The madness starts in just one more day. Good luck!!

PB

Bubba's Breathing

2008-03-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

It would not be winter without Bubba having to get a breathing treatment. All last winter and this one it has been a daily thing (except when I forget). I even switched from a nebulizer to an inhaler so that it would be faster and more convenient. At first he would cry and fight, but now he tolerates it and knows how to take deep breaths.

Notice a binky in each hand. He loves his binkies!

Celebrities

2008-03-14T16:42:00.000-07:00

Vote for Logan and Christa

2008-03-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

My crazy brother just called and asked me to do a post for him. He has a good friend at work who is about to be married. The friend is in a contest with Studio 5 to win the Ultimate Wedding valued at $40,000. If you are reading this please go and vote for his friend Logan.

http://studio5.ksl.com/?sid=2803424&nid=76

Click on Vote for your favorite couple on the bottom right and vote for Logan and Christa.
Voting ends March 14 at noon.

Thanks!

Giant rats, cheese and pure fusion

2008-03-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

First things first. This posting is not for the faint of heart. It involves a real photo of a giant rat that was in my hotel room today.

We are on day #2 in Phoenix and our hotel room became home to a giant rat. Dad "cut the cheese" (quite literally, not figuratively) and forgot to put it back in the fridge. Here is a photo of the cheese:

In order to keep my train of thought in order I will show you the rat at the end of the post.

Today was another great day of baseball. Here we are beofe the game started. Notice the empty stands and lack of players. We got there before some of the usher's showed up. We love getting there early to take in the sights, smells and sounds.

Dad and I agreed today's game may have been the best we've been to in years. The A's came back to win the game in the bottom of the ninth with 2 outs. They hit a walk off double that brought in two runs. The crowd went wild.

I had a nice lunch. I couldn't remember what I ate then I looked on the ground and was quickly reminded:

We just finished dinner tonight and it was great (and cheap). One of my favorite places in the whole world to eat, Chino Bandido. It is a fusion of Chinese and Mexican food. This dive is in a strip mall but all the locals rave about it. Set your DVR for April 7th when The Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" will be airing their Chino Bandido experience.

Oh and the best news of all? I found my favorite Maria's cookies at the local "Food City" or Little Mexico grocery store:

Well, its getting late and we've got another packed day of baseball and exotic food tomorrow. Better get sleeping before the rat comes out again. Hopefully he doesn't smell any cheese tonight. Here is the photo I mentioned. This is one ugly rat:

Baseball in March?

2008-03-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

Why do I love you so much baseball? It is because you start in March and keep going until October. What is there not to love about that? (Rhetorical)

My dad and I are in Phoenix, Arizona for our annual Spring Training pilgrimage. So if you don't want to see baseball, you probably better stay away from this blog until Wednesday of next week. But for those of you that can't get enough, here is a sample of today's festivities. Keep in mind these are from my below par (above par?) cell phone camera.

Amy, do you like my new Angels jersey? It was dirt cheap and I think all the proceeds go to some childrens charity or something ;) I promise, no more souvenirs.

Leaving the game...

And look, it wasn't all baseball. We stopped at the Mesa Temple to check out the sights. Here is my self portrait. Someone needs to shave. Nah, I can wait a few more days...

2008-03-06T18:12:00.000-08:00

2008-03-06T17:51:00.001-08:00

Influenza's latest two victims

2008-03-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

Disneyland at Home (The Happiest Place on Earth?)

2008-03-03T22:18:00.001-08:00

PB and Bubba both have influenza. Bubba has Croup on top of that and has had a difficult time breathing (especially during the night). I am sad but relieved that we did not go on our vacation. Disneyland would have been a real challenge had we gotten on that plane.

Canceling the trip did not stop the fun! We started our weekend with the kids packing their own bag for our pretend trip to Disneyland. They packed all the essentials - Polly pockets, reading books, combs, swimsuits, Leapsters and their own Build-A-Bear.
They then boarded their own personal airplane, piloted by PB and took a flight to California. They flew over Lake Powell, Las Vegas and the ocean. The flight was complete with the Flight Attendant (me) serving a snack, drink and showing a movie.
When we landed they took their luggage and unpacked at the hotel. Before going to bed they rode the Disneyland rides, which meant PB threw, twisted and bounced each girl around the basement. The girls then went back to the hotel and were tucked in for the night.
The next morning they ordered Room Service for breakfast (ramen, oatmeal and a turkey sandwich) and headed for the swimming pool (our over sized jetted tub). Later they made a huge fort around the ping pong table and played the Wii.

Our oldest even commented that this weekend was more fun than Disneyland would have been!

Disneyland cancelled

2008-03-02T10:46:00.003-08:00

We took Bubba to the doctor the night before we were supposed to leave for Disneyland. He tested positive for influenza and the doctor recommended to not get on an airplane. Looks like I might have it now as well. I'm sure we will all get our turn on this one. Anyway, No Disneyland but we are trying to do fun stuff with the kids. Surprisingly, the kids took it pretty well.

More to come later...

Missy, Crazy Uncle and Kids in Disneyland

2008-02-28T08:14:00.001-08:00

Artwork by Missy

Curly Hair

2008-02-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

I babysit my friend's daughters once a week. When her three year old is here I like to attempt to do her hair. She has the curliest hair I have ever seen! It is so different than doing my girl's straight hair. Sometimes it turns out looking great, other times not. Here are a couple of my latest attempts.

What a cute little girl!

Global warming is here (oh wait, I mean Spring)

2008-02-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

I read an interesting article in the National Post yesterday. It appears that snow cover across North America (and many other parts of the world) is at its greatest since 1966. I sent the story over to Al Gore but haven't heard back yet. Sounds like he is pretty busy since winning a Nobel Peace Prize. The Smoking Gun reported in July of 2007 that Al Gore was charging $100,000 per "Environmental Lecture". This got me thinking ~ maybe I can profit by instilling fear in the hearts of my fellow citizens. Here's my list of "theories" that are sure to make it big. Hmmm....

Do I smell a Nobel Peace Prize in my future?

Global cooling. We sure got a lot of snow this year. If we don't stop eating ice cream the world will freeze over. Please help your fellow man, eat more Hot Pockets.

Earthquakes are becoming more frequent. Recently there was one in Nevada and the UK (today). These are caused by obesity. Too many overweight people moving at once causing a shift in the tectonic plates. Fast food is prevalent and there is no regard for what we put into our bodies. Stop earthquakes. Eat more vegetables.

Hurricanes are increasing in force. This is caused because of yawning. Everyone knows that yawning is contagious. The more people yawn the higher the Category of hurricane. Please cover your mouth when yawning.

Tornadoes are a direct result of poor plumbing. Tornadoes are caused by over stimulation of sewer lines. When too many people flush their toilets at the same time, the "funnel effect" is released into the atmosphere. Trailer parks have antiquated sewer lines and are hence more prone to tornadoes. Stay away from trailer parks and only flush the toilet if your home was built in the last 5 years.

Alright, I was going to go on but this rant has already served its purpose. I feel much better than I did ten minutes ago.

And yes, I know that there is a cause and effect to all things. I just like making fun of people that seem to take advantage of their public profile. I mean, come on, you already gave us the Internet.

Build-A-Bear

2008-02-25T19:20:00.000-08:00

Amy's parents gave the kids each a Build-A-Bear gift card for Christmas. We finally got everyone together (including Grandparents)last weekend. Everyone had a great time. Here is a photo of Cutie after she stuffed her bear. She was really excited. Hey, what is that blur running by the bottom of the picture? PB

Crazy Brother

2008-02-24T06:54:00.000-08:00

Today is my CRAZY bro's birthday. My girls say that they love their uncle because he teases them, is nice, funny and wonderful.

Here are a few reasons why I think my brother is wonderful:

My bro is unconditionally loving. He will always love you and be supportive of the decision you make. This is a great quality his future wife will love!

He will spend hours if necessary playing the Wii with his nieces and nephews to entertain them (even if he doesn't want to) and he even lets them win every time.

Growing up he was known as the Finder Boy. When something was missing around the house he could find it every time. I wonder if he still can? (Babe-O is my Finder Girl)

Every time he sees my kids he pretends like he is going to eat their toes. They giggle and run away, but if he forgets they remind him every time. This is something that my kids are going to remember for many years to come.

He is willing to come with us to Disneyland! I am so excited! He will make some great memories with my family.

LOVE YOU!

Is Peach a Republican?

2008-02-22T18:41:00.000-08:00

Peach, who is four years old, asked me how a person gets red dots all over their body. I explained that they are called the chicken pox and that she will not get them because of the shots she has had at the doctor's office.

She thinks for a minute and then asks, "Can a Democrat still get them?"

Peach's Perfect Day

2008-02-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

It was Peach's turn today to go on a date. She picked to go to the arcade and out for ice cream. Her favorite game is air hockey. Peach beats me everytime. I think she may go pro someday:

This was her second round of her favorite treat:

Peach told me she wants to marry ice cream some day ~ I'm fine with that. Hopefully, legalized marriage to consumables will be right around the corner.

Date Week

2008-02-20T18:34:00.000-08:00

The kids all go back on track next week so I decided to make this week DATE WEEK. Babe-O and I went on our date today. She picked to go miniature golfing and play at the arcade. Then she wanted to go out for pizza and ice cream. She begged me to let her take a picture of me in the car with my cell phone. Here it is:

We had a lot of fun and played games while we ate pizza. My favorite game is paper, rock, scissors and Fire Dragon. Fire Dragon beats paper, rock and scissors every time. It is my secret weapon and I only use it as a last resort.

Here is a picture of a smiley face that Babe-O made from her pizza crust and miscellaneous items:

And finally, here is a real smiley face:

Will there be sushi in heaven?

2008-02-19T20:58:00.000-08:00

I really hope there is sushi in heaven. I met some colleagues of mine for lunch at my favorite restaurant, Tona's on 24th street today. This place always leaves me with a big fat cheesy grin on my face. Here is a sample of what I ate:

Oops! Sorry about that. Wrong picture. Hopefully there were no small children or Disney fans reading this. Here is the real sushi from today:

Good stuff and good for you. Unless you eat as much as I did. But hey, that's what treadmills are for.

PB

My faceless friend

2008-02-18T23:45:00.000-08:00

It is a good friend's birthday today. She loves to have her picture taken when she is pregnant and has no makeup on (ha ha).

Hey new mom - Happy Birthday to you! I am so thankful that I have you in my life. I remember back to when we first got to know each other. We had such an interesting time serving together in the primary. Remember our crazy teachers and primary kids? We tried so hard to do a good job! Looking back I think that we had a positive influence on some of the kids. I will never forget that experience as long as I live. I am thankful for it because I was able to meet you!

I love that you are such a postive, uplifting person. Everyone that knows you would say that you are a sweet person with a strong testimony. Maybe after knowing you for an another ten or twenty years some of your sweetness will rub off on me.

You are a great mom that loves your kids so much. I am so excited that you have four kids now. Isn't life great! I also think that it is AWESOME that your hubby gave you your first flower 18 years ago. You two were meant to be together.

Thanks for being my friend and putting up with my crazyness. Love you!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2008-02-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

Today is my mommy's birthday. Yea!! We spent the day with her going shopping and having fun. For Christmas my parents gave all of their grandkids Build-A-Bear gift certificates. We redeemed them today with my mom, dad, sister and brother-in-law. What a great time we had watching the kids pick out their bears and then personalize them with sounds and clothes. I love that each kid has a bear that fits their personality.

Thanks for the great present!

Here is a short list of some things that are great about my mom:

She loves It's A Small World at Disneyland and has been on it countless times with my kids. I am sad that she will not be going with us this year. Peach will definitely miss her!

She loves to read and learn new things. She has instilled that love of knowledge in all of her kids and we are in turn passing that on to our kids. I think that it will continue on into many generations.
My mom is very supportive.
She is someone that I can call for advice on topics ranging from potty training to cooking healthy food. I call her for advice quite often.
My mom loves me just the way I am.

My mom is a positive person who will not speak ill of other people. She does not gossip.

I asked my girls why they love their grandma. They said they love her because she is nice, sweet, smart, pretty, and exercises. But most importantly ... just because.

Mom, you are truly wonderful and an inspiration to me. I hope that I can be as great of a mom as you are. Thanks for all that you have done for me! I Love You!

Paellaboy's Bucket List

2008-02-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

There is a fairly new movie out called The Bucket List starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. I haven't seen it yet but I've heard it is pretty good. The premise is that the two men are in a cancer clinic and only have a short time to live. They leave the hospital and set out to do all the things they've always wanted to do before they "kick the bucket". I thought it might be fun to make my own bucket list and invite all of you to do the same. These are the top five things I would like to do if I found out I only had one year to live. No surpirses here, there is something involving the Yankees on the list.

Return to my birthplace (Honolulu) and visit some of the places my parents often talk about.

Learn to drive a stick shift. (Yeah, I know)

Attend the Masters at Augusta National in Georgia. A few days after the tournament, play Augusta and walk in the same footsteps as some of the greatest to ever play.

Go to a game at Yankees Stadium (I've never been). Before the game, I would like to hang on the field during batting practice and throw a few pitches to my favorites: A-Rod, Jeter, Posada and Johnny Damon.

Live everyday like my last. Tell every member of my family how much I love them and show my gratitude towards them daily.

Ok, that's my short list. I'd love to hear bucket lists from all of you!

Tagged (Stuff about Amy)...

2008-02-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

What were you doing 10 years ago?

PB and I were both going to school and working full time at an amusement park. It was a great time in my life. Just PB (who is my best friend) and I spending all of our time together. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

5 things on my "to-do" list today...

* Make dinner
* Play the Wii with all 8 kids at my house
* Help kids do tumbling tricks and have a handstand contest
* Watch Hannah Montana with kids
* Finish this post

6 Snacks that I enjoy…

* Cookie dough
* Blimpie sugar cookie
* Kettle popcorn
* Tootsie rolls
* M&Ms
* Diet pepsi

3 Bad habits...

* Eating too many M&Ms (I love sugar!)
* Breaking things
* Staying up late at night

If I were suddenly a billionaire I would...

Have PB quit his job and spend all of our time playing. Nothing sounds better that playing with the family. I would also have a LOT more kids (sorry PB). I love being a mom!

3 Places I've lived…

* Alberta, Canada
* Texas
* Utah

5 Jobs I've had…

* Making copies, etc. for customers at the Copy Center
* Babysitter (I was the best)
* Games department at amusement park
* Marketing at amusement park
* Applebee's server (aka Crapplebee's)

5 Things people don't know about me…

* I hate country music.
* I would love to have many more children.
* I have my elementary teaching degree.
* I flew first class to Spain with PB and stayed for 10 days. I have also been to Egypt, Canada, Mexico, and France.
* I am going to Disneyland in 2 1/2 weeks and I just planned the trip last night!

5 People I'm tagging...

* Uhh... I don't know anyone that has a blog (that has not been tagged already).

Tagged (Stuff about Paellaboy)...

2008-02-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

What were you doing 10 years ago?

I was a newlywed working at an amusement park. Those were fun times. Walking to the dollar theatre from our $300 a month hole in the wall. I was just finishing up school and really enjoying the quality time to just hang out with Amy. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

5 things on my "to do" list today:

Call dad to make sure Spring Training accomodations are secure
Check on transportation from Orange County airport to Disneyland
Confirm tomorrow's appointments with Las Vegas customers
Set up lunch appointment with new Cisco Account Manager
Check movie times for tonight's shows at the South Point

6 snacks that I enjoy:

Sweet chili flavored brown rice chips from Costco
Laughing cow on crackers
Key Lime Pie yogurt
Amy's chocolate chip cookies
Spicy hot wings
Yogurt parfait

3 bad habits:

Air-typing (like air-guitar)
Rolling my socks up into a ball and throwing them into the dirty clothes
Buying Yankees hats for my collection

If I were suddenly a billionaire I would:

Buy the New York Yankees. My family would be well taken care of and I'd have the most coveted job in the sports world. And a dream job at that.

5 places I've lived:

Honolulu
Las Vegas
California
Spain
Utah

5 jobs I've had:

Parking lot clean up boy at the Texaco gas station
Tasty Donuts door to door salesman ("Hi would you like to buy some nice fresh delicious tasty donuts today?")
Roto-Pugs (don't ask)
Manager of games department at amusement park
General Manager of movie theater

5 things people don't know about me:

I have two adopted brothers that have disappeared
I was born in Hawaii
Went to Cairo, Egypt for two weeks with my wife to celebrate our anniversary
I vehemently despite all professional sports teams from the Boston area (Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots)
I enjoy going to the movies by myself

5 people I'm tagging:

Stay tuned...

Puketastrophe (the sequel), Plastic spoons and Paella

2008-02-09T03:06:00.000-08:00

IT IS SAFE TO READ. THERE WILL BE NO PHOTOS OF PUKE.

It's 3 am and once again another puketastrophe. It was Bubba and Amy's turn. This brings the official family cookie tossing count to 12. Right now everyone has "whistled beef" except for me. I am holding out for more money and hoping to renegotiate my contract. We'll see how that goes. I'm starting an office pool. Yet strangely enough I don't have an actual office, just an airplane and this laptop. Here's today's poll question: how long will Paellaboy last before puking? Anyways, leave your bet in the comments section and cast your ballot ~ winner takes all.

Akward transition...

I played a fun game with my kids in the car today while waiting for Amy at the Michael's Craft store. (This is the one place I have boycotted. I'd rather shove plastic spoons into my eye over and over again.) We started making up questions and they each had to answer with their favorite. Here were some of the questions and their responses---

Favorite french fries: Carl's Jr, Mcdonald's and tater wedges from Wal-Mart.
Favorite toy: Leapster, iPod and Lucy from Las Vegas (Polly Pocket).
Favorite dessert: Mom's cheesecake, Mom's cupcakes, Mom's chocolate cake (I'm seeing a pattern here).
Favorite restaurant: Golden Corral, Red Robin, ABC Mandarin
Favorite food: Chinese rice, Domino's pepperoni pizza (twice)
Favorite beverage: water, lemonade, Dad's orange juice (Sweet, I made the list).

In case you were wondering , I played along too. Here are my favorites...

French Fries: Garlic fries from Safeco Field (home of the Seattle Mariners). My Yankees jersey still smells of them more than a year later.
Favorite toy: Golf clubs
Favorite dessert: Yogurt parfait from Starbuck's.
Favorite restaurant: Ra (Sushi) and Cafe Ba-Ba-Re-Ba (Authentic Spanish cuisine) in Las Vegas.
Favorite beverage: Cranberry juice. I get this every time on the plane. Nothing washes down the Honey Roasted peanuts better.
Favorite food:

Yummy. Seafood paella at 3 in the morning still sounds good. And that's with the smell of fresh puke wafting in the air. Amy and Bubba finally fell to sleep. Guess it is my turn.

PB OUT

Welcome Baby!

2008-02-07T17:47:00.000-08:00

A great friend of mine had her baby today. Yea!! He was 7 lb. 5 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long. He came a lot earlier than expected but both mom and baby are doing well. I am so happy that he is breathing fine and should not have to stay longer than usual in the hospital. She is now the mother of 2 girls and 2 boys. What a wonderful family. I love this family!

Hey baby's Daddy - Happy Birthday to you too! What a great present!

Happy Chinese New Year 2008

2008-02-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

I'd like to be among the first to wish you all a very Happy Chinese New Year! I hope you all enjoy this very special day. Please celebrate safely and enjoy the festivities. Remember to think twice about what you are eating this year when you go out for Chinese. After all, 2008 is the year of the rat.

TOP TEN REASONS PATRIOTS LOST

2008-02-05T19:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, last one about the Superbowl (until next year). I was wondering what it must have been like to be in the Patriots locker room after they lost. Do you think they made a list of excuses for why they ended their perfect year with such a horrific loss? Well, my good friend the janitor pulled this handwritten list of excuses out of the garbage can.

TOP TEN REASONS WE LOST SUPERBOWL XLII

1. Bad Karma (for cheating that is).
2. Our bodies coudn't adjust to the warm desert air in Arizona.
3. Our fearless QB (Tom Brady) hurt his toe during a recent photo shoot.
4. The undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins used voodoo dolls to poke Randy Moss in his eyes.
5. We are over rated.
6. Our head videographer ran out of video tape after the first quarter making it impossible to record the Giants sideline.
7. Our baseball team (Red Sox) already represented.
8. We watched the movie, "Almost Famous" the night before when we should have been watching tape from our extensive video library. (The one the NFL commissioner thought he destroyed).
9. Our offensive line was too busy grooming their lumberjack beards in preparation for the upcoming Campbell's Chunky soup commercial.
10. Arrogance

PB OUT

Cheaters Never Prosper (Paellaboy's rant...)

2008-02-04T22:31:00.000-08:00

Yeah, you guessed it coming to you live from Las Vegas...

Unbelievable! I was awestruck and giddy Sunday night. Honestly, that was one of the best Superbowls that I can remember in a long time. Maybe it was because the media was constantly talking about how great the Patriots are: "The best team of all time", they would say. HA! Here's a large slice of crow pie baked fresh from my oven. In fact, maybe you guys would like to eat the whole pie in one bite.

Much has also been said about the Patriots and their cheating over the course of who knows how long. You may remember that the NFL busted them a few weeks into the season this year in what was known as "Spygate". For those of you that were stuck on a desserted island, let me
recap:

"NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Thursday night that he would fine Belichick the maximum amount and dock the team $250,000 and a first-round draft pick next year (or a lesser pick if the Patriots miss the playoffs). It was the biggest fine ever for a coach -- it represents 12 percent of Belichick's scheduled 2007 salary, which is believed to be $4.2 million -- and would be the first time in NFL history a first-round draft pick has been confiscated as a penalty.In doing so, Goodell branded the Patriots as cheaters." (For complete article on ESPN.com click here).

Ok, give me a second while I jump down off my two-story soap box.

Good, I'm back. So as I was watching the end of the game Sunday night a thought came into my head for what might be an appropriate headline in the New York papers Monday morning: "Cheaters never prosper".

And one more thing. All this talk about Tom Brady being "dreamy and a total hunk" is making me nauseous. Sure I'm a happily married man but come on, does anyone else see this----

Is it me or does he have a second butt on his chin? This gives new meaning to the term buttface. Hey Tom, why don't you go home to your girlfriend and cry yourself a river. Don't worry about where the tears go. They'll end up in the large crevasse located at the end of your buttface.

Greatest team of all time? NOT

Greatest QB of all time? DOUBLE NOT

Man I feel better ~ sometimes it can be theraupetic to get these things off your chest.

Lookin' good #2

2008-02-04T14:59:00.001-08:00

Peach created this adorable outfit today (notice the three different patterns).

Puketrastrophe

2008-02-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

Caution! This post has pictures of throw up.

Last night Babe-O was complaining that her stomach hurt (usually that means she needs to go to the bathroom). I put a puke bowl right by her head before she went to sleep, just in case. During the night she woke up ready to puke. She forgot that the puke bowl was there and could not wait until she reached the bathroom. There was a steady trail of puke from her bed to the toilet. The color was atrocious.

Paellaboy and I tried to clean it up with some carpet spot cleaner. It did not work. I thought that we were going to have some serious stains on our hands. We still have our house on the market and I was picturing our agent explaining to people where the gross stains came from. So around midnight he went to Wal-mart a rented a Rug Doctor.
What a great machine! I was amazed at how easy and efficient it was. There is not even a trace of puke left on the carpet. I always thought that carpet cleaning machines for rent were a joke. Why have I been paying professionals to clean when I could have done it myself? I would dare say that it even looks better than a professional cleaning.

I now have two kids throwing up but I am prepared with extra puke bowls, towels, and blankets. With a little bit of luck I should not need the rug doctor again today.

Building a snow fort

2008-02-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day to play outside in the snow. Paellaboy and the girls had a great time building a snow fort in the backyard (I think he did most of the work). The girls love to run around in the snow. I can not imagine living in a place that doesn't have snow. I love the weather in Utah!

Lookin' Good!

2008-02-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

Our third daughter, Peach, loves to pick out her own clothes. She loves to mix patterns and colors. She always says that she is "lookin' good" even if her older sisters tell her that she dosen't match.

Peach also enjoys designing her own hair styles. I have done many unusual things to her short hair (three pony tails in the back, braids everywhere, crazy ribbons and side pony tails). Sometimes she just does not want anything done to her hair.

She also loves to design her nail color and patterns. She loves having them painted by her dad. They could sit for hours talking and doing nails.

Sometimes I even let her go out in public dressed in her own designs. I think that it is important for her to be able to express herself and feel confident about the decisions she makes. Will she be a future fashion icon? Probally not (unless mixing patters becomes the hot thing to do). Regardless, I love this creative little girl!