GuVac 2010

Hey there, lets look at a lot of photos shall we?
The time: Sometime last week.
The place: San Diego
The photographer: Sometimes pushy, sometimes sneaky Sean

Why, no, I'm not exhausted and yes, I'd love my photo with this strange moosezebra!

Gracie the lion tamer. If the glass were not there, this would be a totally different story.

My little, lovely pests.

So, Gracie gets the cool ride and I get foam blocks? Just checking.

For her non-existent portfolio.


See what I mean about Sneaky Sean. . .

And Pushy Sean . . .

The photo in which my eyes look like green laser beams. Don't mess with me. I'll shoot you with my glare.
Sort of climbing, sort of looking thoughtful.

My loves.

Umm. . .too much non-dairy frozen yogurt? I think yes.
Sean is hysterical!

See you GuVac 2010! It was fun and we've got the photos!

Thirty things before thirty?

Maybe its because I'm turning the big 3-0 in five months or so, but I keep seeing lists of what other ladies my age want to do before they turn thirty. What?! (Their lists are way ambitious...so goes the blogging world.) This would never even occur to me. Maybe because turning 28 shook my world. I now feel okay with things. Anyway, why don't I make a list? Sounds fun-ish and the TV is watching my kids.

0. Umm...take more pictures of myself - seriously. The above picture is about as good as it gets.

1. Get up every morning.

2. Try to shower three out of five weekdays.

3. Pretend I'm a runner.

4. Go to the gym and embarrass Sean with my complete lack of knowledge concerning those crazy weight lifting machines.

5. Hoard the thigh machine at the gym because its the only one I know how to use and men don't seem to like it.

6. Annoy Jared by kissing his face.

7. Annoy Gracie by not giving her cake for breakfast.

8. Give in and give Gracie cake as her dessert for breakfast.

9. Raise the picture in my bathroom up four inches.

10. Find a way to store giant train toys.

11. Resolve to not make any more lists.

12. Constantly watch the new PBS version of Emma I got on DVD from hubby.

13. Let others know I'm watching the new PBS version of Emma on DVD as that is the only groovy thing I've got going on.

14. Try not to sing so loud while running. People find it startling.

15. Plant a garden.

16. Water said garden.

17. Make my new favorite food-Asian spinach salad-thirty more times.

18. Veganize lemonade cookies, so the J can eat them.

19. Go to the beach.

20. Try to stay calm when both kids are wildly clinging to me because they saw a dog wandering in the next yard.

21. Get a cat? This one is not just my decision, so we'll have to see.

22. Pretend like I have style.

23. Drive Gracie to preschool.

24. Remember to pick her up.

25. Put J in the corner 9 million times.

26. Flirt with the idea of becoming a vegetarian. For the past three years, I've been flirting with the idea. I've no doubt the flirtation will continue for the next 50 years. I sometimes NEED a hamburger.

27. Buy organic and feel a wee bit superior about it.

28. Try to find an agent.

29. Finish first draft of third novel.

30. Go shopping for a new lipstick!

Phew, the list is long, but I think I might be able to do it. No promises and the chances of me ever looking at this list again or updating its status are very slim. Here's to me!

Ready to Roll...Finally.

Here he is, the man of the hour, the almost two year-old looking ready for his upcoming San Diego vacation, but it wasn't always that way... One Saturday morning, not too long ago, the sweet J woke up and wanted pancakes. Not too much to ask is it? Well, according to his stomach, yes, yes it was way too much to ask.Soon enough he was sicker than anything I've ever seen in my life with a stomach virus. After blacking out on his changing table and having four EMTs surround him for a good half hour, Jared was on his second ambulance ride of the year! Years from now we'll be able to joke that he took an ambulance ride every year to celebrate his birthday...years from now.

The above photo was taken when we got home from the hospital and pretty sums up J's past week: wanting to "play please", only to end up resting his head on the couch.
And this is the Squish at the hospital. Looking at this picture makes me want to cry, so I will stop looking and simply say that I'm very grateful to everyone that helped us through this. Thank you.

Strangeness of it all...

So, I know you are dying to know why I don't blog much anymore. Admit it. Well, for one, I've been running twice this week and now I can't move my body. I know that doesn't explain my blogging lag, but I wanted to get it in there.

I've been working on a new novel and am in a very nauseating third round of edits. Really...I, don't, know, how, to, use, commas. It's a time killer.

To the fun part! I googled: Can I bury a person in my backyard? That is exactly how I typed it in. I looked over my shoulder because it made feel all creepy. It has to do with my novel. Eleanor's (my main character) grandma is buried in Eleanor's meadow. After my little Google search... turns out that's ILLEGAL! Apparently a lot of people want to be buried on a beach and no one wants a surprise when gardening. Kudos to my mom for picking that guffaw out. Only a million more to go...boo.

Anyway, it's not everyday a gal gets to type something so dark and gross into google. Lucky!

Carry on...

Last January Day...

I don't know if I'm coming down with something...or if I'm so hideously tired of the grey and cold...either way, I can't seem to bring myself to the momentous chore of unloading the dishwasher.

At least my kids are occupied!

Here's to brighter days! Hopefully!

Spotted!

Two exlporers on a daring quest to find the...Polar Bear!

Which they found...in our backyard. She was quite nice.

And very arctic.

The ones that got cut

Its that time of year where I smother my lips in way too much red lipstick/shine gloss and look unnaturally blissed out: The annual Christmas photo. Below are the ones that didn't make it. In fact, if we're being honest, which I am (maybe a little too much), we photo shopped the final result. Once I figure out how to find it, I'll have to post it. Our final photo looks similar to the one above. This one might have worked, but Sean decided to contemplate the afterlife and had a few questions. Do you have any idea?

Certainly not, for many, many, many reasons (mostly involving me).

Only if we want to show everyone what I look like while smiling and annoyed. Someone is going through a major daddy phase.

Same reason as above.

Really now?

Despite Sean and I looking thrilled, we were a little alarmed that Jared looks like he could handle a full grown basketball. Okay, then.

I don't think you should use a photo when you have to yell "look at me like you love me," three seconds before the flash explodes.

I personally think this should be the winner, but alas, Sean thought we should all be in the photo.

May all your Christmas prepping be as inspiring as ours!