Ode to my Crazy Life!!

Sept 10th...My morning in a glimpse...

I swear today is just been crazy and it is not even 11:00 am yet. I think I am an embarassment to parenthood.

So check this out. I was giving Ethan a bath and got a call from a neighbor that she had our dog Biscuit. Ethan apparently let him out the side french doors before his bath. So I met the neighbor at the door, Ethan naked, to get the dog. My neighbor is super nice, and mentioned she had never been in my house. So I invited her in to take a look, even though it was kind of messy. We went upstairs for a few quick minutes, came down and I could not find Ethan anywhere. I ran in the back, back upstairs, out in the front, where my dog started to sneak away again, grabbed the dog, yelled all over the house, started freaking. Then finally found Ethan hiding in the pantry with a stolen lollipop, quiet as possible. He was within a few feet of me the whole time and did not say a word.

My neighbor was like, "Maybe I should let you go." So far I have lost my boy and my dog. I called Dad and we found out that Countrywide loans has had some issue with an employee selling info, and we both have loans through them. I was on the computer for about 5 minutes trying to get more info, while on the phone. Ethan was watching a show (well so I thought), apparently he let the dog outside again (man that boy can unlock anything!), and the dog ran away (not sure why the dog is doing this today), and Ethan came running in and said "Biscuit go Bye-bye". So I am outside again yelling for my dog. A somewhat scary looking construction worker is walking down the street carrying him. He brings him to me, and said "I think this is the second time I have seen your dog today, and him and he points to Ethan". He is slow to give the dog to me, I am wondering "What does this guy want a reward?!" Yeah, now I am even more embarassed, grab the dog, grab Ethan who is still in just a diaper, and go home. Biscuit is locked in his crate for the rest of the day, Ethan is in timeout for letting him out. I am seriously like AHHH!

Lost my dog twice, lost my naked kid, found out our credit may be comprimised, and thinking to myself. Hmm, am I an unfit mother? Yet I still feel mostly happy today, and almost unphased. Yes, I am definitely losing my mind.

Family Trip to Sequoia National Forest

This weekend we took a family trip to the Sequoia National Forest. It is only 1 1/2-2 hrs from our house, and it was such a fun escape. It is really impossible to grasp how huge these trees are without seeing them in person. If you ever have the chance, I highly recommend going. They are the biggest trees in the world!! It made me wish I had a camera fit to take pictures here (guess what I am asking for 4 Christmas)

We saw 3 bears, one was only within feet on the kids and I. Of course we were eating our food. I said to the kids "Grab your food and RUN!!" and we ran the other direction. All the time the kids food was flying out of their boxes, leaving a trail. LOL!




3 kiddos by the base of one of the giants...



Abby and Ethan inside one of the trees that has fallen



Love this pic of Ethan and daddy (he is such a daddy's boy) by the overturned tree



Look how tiny we are compared to this tree!




Anna and Abby in the middle of a double tree

You don't get that in Colorado...

Since we moved to CA, we have missed a lot of people and things in Colorado. One thing that we really love in CA is our house and yard. I mean seriously... you don't get this in CO...
















Everything is SO green, even in the Winter!! And it is no wonder that when we visited last April we liked it, it is the prettiest month of the year. The flowers are gorgeous. I can just sit and read in the sun or shade while Ethan plays, even in February and March. It really is fabulous in the Spring.

EE vs The Water Toy

Over the weekend we bought Ethan a new water toy. I was outside with him playing for about an hour and then I asked Anna to watch him for a few minutes while I worked on the laundry. Well, Anna apparently went inside to go the bathroom and I went out to check on Ethan and this is what I found...









That's right. Ethan completely naked (swimsuit and swim diaper no where to be seen), sitting in the corner of the toy. :) LOL! Oh BTW when I went to grab the camera he said "Pee Pee, Wa wa"

The Many Sayings of EE

EE AKA Ethan has some very cute sayings. I am going to list a few so I don't forget them.

Keep in mind that Ethan is one of the loudest kids I have ever spent time with. Most things are yelled at the top of his lungs. Of course, I think he is just a sweetie, loud mouth and all.

BTW He insists on being called EE not Ethan and will often say NO Ethan, EE!!!!
And don't dare call him: love, pumpkin, or little friend. LOL

My personal favorite.

"Pr'etty Cool" this can be used in reference to anything from the boring to the exciting.

For instance I will be brushing my hair, and Ethan will say
EE:"Wha' Doin Mommy?"
Mom: Brushing my Hair.
EE: "OOOH Pr'etty Coool Mom, pr'etty cool"

EE:Whas that?
Mom: A rolly polly
EE: Ewww Gross.

Mom gives EE a kiss
EE: Ewww gross mom (he also wipes it off)

Yucky piders (yucky spiders)... (anything with an s, he puts the s at the end)
carys nakes (scary snakes)

Eggo (Diego- one of his favorite shows)

When he smells anything that is nice (flowers, food, etc)
EE: MMM.. Good Grapes!!
(We have no idea where he got that but we all love it)

Sad but true he still takes a bottle at bedtime. We tried to switch to a water bottle to no avail,
he now clarifies "Milk Bo'll, no wawa Bo'll" He also will say "No Baby Bo'll, EE bo'll"

Mom says "Monkey Up, EE" - he will jump up to be carried. He wraps his legs around my waist and hangs on like a monkey.

Bikiss -(Biscuit)
Chaddy Boy-Chad (his best friend)
Collie- Holly my friend, we practiced the H, now he says "Hu-Hu-Collie"
Gearls - Girls

Anyone with white hair or a beard is SANTA- HO HO HO

We were at Chevy's for Dinner, Ethan saw an older lady a few tables away with white hair and Screamed "SANTA HO HO HO"
He also does this to an Indian old man at the bus stop with a bright orange turban and a long white beard (who looks nothing like Santa)

I often go running in the morning with Ethan in the jogging stroller. Whenever I stop running he says like a broken record... RUN MOMMA RUN!, RUN MOMMA RUN!...

Thanks- sanks
love you- luv vu
His blue blanket- Boo blanken

And one of his most common phrases... NO WAY!
This is used more than no. Ethan do you want to take a nap- NO WAY!!
Help mom- NO WAY! Say sorry to Abby- NO WAY

This of course goes on endlessly.

Abby, the Horse, and the Broken Arm

Abby and Anna take weekly horseback riding lessons a few minutes away. Usually they alternate (Anna on Tuesday and Abby on Thursday). Well a few weeks ago, in early March, their instructor called to have both girls come on the same day. Anna rode Rebel, their usual horse and Abby rode Kelly (for the first time). Well, after 30 minutes Anna called me and told me Abby fell off the horse and I needed to pick her up. I rushed over (it is only 4-5 minutes away), and Abby was on the porch swing crying, and saying her arm hurt. I looked at her arm and it looked fine, I carried her to the car, took her home and gave her a bath (she was covered in dirt and leaves from falling).

Meanwhile Anna told the the story of the fall...

Abby was on the horse (Kelly). At first Kelly was walking, then trotting, then running, then galloping, then bucking. Abby was hanging on the horse by the hair of its neck, while it was trying to buck her off, then Abby went flying off. Anna was amazed how long Abby stayed on before flying off.

After her bath, she calmed down, and then I went to put her nightgown on and she yelped out and then cried. We figured something must be really wrong. Matt took her to get x-rays at the ER and sure enough she had a broken arm, a complete break about 1" down from her shoulder.

Okay, the crazy part of all of this. Did you know that you can break your arm and it does not swell or bruise or show at all? Abby's arm looked identical to her other arm. It never was swollen or discolored or anything. If it wasn't for the x-ray (and the pain of course) you would never have guessed it. Just a FYI in case you ever think your child is faking it...LOL.

Anyway, Abby was put in a sling and actually they did not cast it because of the location of the break. A cast would be more likely to pull apart the break with the weight of the cast, then to help it. So she missed a few days of school and then wore a sling for 3 weeks. She had it x-rayed again and it was healing very well. After another week or so, she took off the sling but still had another month of no high impact/risk activities (bikes, trampolines, slides, monkey bars, Etc). She still has 2 more weeks, and is getting restless about it. She has been a real trooper about the whole situation. Only complaining a few times, and being extra brave.

Thank goodness kids can heal so quick!

Oh BTW, yes Abby does want to keep doing horse lessons. She says I will ride horses, but just not that horse.

Let the posting Begin!

Time is passing by so quick with the kids, and we want to share it with our friends and family. Anna is already 9, Abby is 6, and Ethan is 2. We moved to Clovis CA in early June of last year and it has already been almost a year!! We have learned to be happy here, and realize if we are together, we can get be happy almost anywhere. That is not to say we want to stay in Clovis forever! We miss our family terribly and all of our close friends in Colorado, Zacky Boy in NY, and Tim & Family in Denmark. The girls have made new friends and enjoy school, but still get teary eyed thinking about their friends and family in Colorado. I have to say though... I do not miss the snow, not even a little. The weather today was in the high 80's and yesterday was in the low 90's. Our yard was green all winter, and now the flowers are bloomin' and it is gorgeous.



I finally captured a picture today of all 3 kids, together, smiling, and looking at the camera at the same time. It is a major feat. Ethan is always on the run, and I can rarely get him even in the same frame as the girls...

Well, I thought the best way to start off was with a few pictures from the last few months....

We miss you all. Come BackSoon, I will be posting the many daily adventures of Ethan... the escapes, the destruction, and all of the fun!!