Wacky Wednesday Formerly Wordless Wednesday

i cannot go wordless...i TRY but i can't...so therefore my Wordless Wednesday is from this day forward Wacky Wednesday...feel free to change your Wednesday to whatever you like. You. Are. Welcome.

These are my nephews Garrett and Parker

is this a glimpse into the future? and who is going to wear the speedo?
Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly

stepbrothers

More Wordless Wednesday HERE and HERE

Cousin time Day FOUR

We had a blast at the Hilmar Cheese Company...the tour was pretty cool and the grounds were awesome. perfect for a picnic lunch and FABULOUS for picture taking. The kids REALLY loved making their own ice cream and the guide was wonderful. We had a couple PETA people on our tour and they were a little rude to our guide but other than that it was an awesome way to spend the afternoon! Enjoy the video of pics!

Tomorrow we take this party on the road back to Hollister where we will return the boys to their parents. We had such a blast this week and are looking forward to having them all again soon! When we get to Hollister we will find Auntie Meg and her two girls Reese and Quincy, who are visiting from Arkansas, as well as Taylor and Steven who stayed behind this last week. SOOOO all of the cousins will be together and i hope to get some great pics, don't worry i will most def share them.

In the meantime enjoy this little montage of pics...OH how i love these kids... L O V E big red puffy heart LOVE them! Thanks for sharing them with us Mark & Melinda and Josh & Amy! These boys were so much fun, J loved her cousin time!

Cousin Time Day THREE

Wow THREE days and sooooo much fun! The kids slept until 9:30am...AWESOME! Garrett quickly discovered that the tooth fairy had made a visit and a HUGE glittery fairy dust mess. She left a pretty funny but kinda snarky note...sassy little thing, but Garrett thought it was hilarious.

Once the kids were dressed (and the boys got mohawks, complete with color) they started in with games and puzzles right away and played VERY happily for 3 hours or so...long enough for me to take a nice long shower, do a little laundry and dig through the garage for crafty stuff. After lunch they got creative with the items i put out for them. Big Daddy woke up just as they were getting into it and said, "drop everything, we are going to the McHenry Museum...the Star Wars Exhibit is in town!" so they left the mess got their shoes on and hit the road. What a cool Uncle/Daddy he is! AND i got to take a TWO HOUR nap...YAY me!!

The kids came home and finished their projects and settled in for a movie and popcorn while i made dinner.

It was such a fun mellow, creative, day! OH i forgot to mention earlier this week that the kids are TOTALLY into the Cooperation Kid thing...they saw J earning cooperation kids and wanted in on the action. So everyone is being very positive and the sugar lipped "Sure, I would LOVE to's" are flying all around this place. i also have to say they have been FABULOUS about picking up their messes. My pretty "sit down and visit room" has turned into the boys changing room/closet and it's not looking too good, but i totally don't care...yeah i am cool like that (not really but this week it just doesn't matter to me...it is all about easy breeeezy fun).

Tomorrow we are going to a Dairy Farm/Cheese Factory to make our own ice cream and of course we will SWIM (we took a sabbath break from the pool today).

Cousin Time Day TWO

Today was a VERY fun filled day!! it started EARLY when Parker decided it was time to PARTAAAY at 6:30am and woke everyone up to play...ummm yeah he most DEF got the memo (this time) and it shouldn't happen again. The boys all played until around 8:30 when they realized Jordan was missing the action and went in to wake her up (she loved this).

Once J was awake the kids were ready for a deeeelicious and not so nutritious breakfast of Captain Crunch and Lucky Charms. The other night i asked the boys what i should get for them from the market. Their list was awesome...they are pretty much surviving on sugary cereals, corn dogs, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, chicken noodle soup and string cheese. Jordan is THRILLED!! She usually eats sugar cereal on the weekend BUT she is super excited to have all this microwavable magic in the house!! Though tonight she did ask for some broccoli with her mac and cheese with hot dog. Yeah, really!!

We went to one of our favorite picnic spots and the kids fed the ducks and fish. There are also a few farm animals there so the kids got to see and pet and Emu, Horse, Donkey, Pigs and a Goat. It was a whole lot of fun. They also enjoyed playing on the playground there as well as in the weeping willow trees.

Once everyone was good and sweaty we came back home and jumped in the pool. We swam for 4 hours...not kidding...the kids were good and tired and ready for dinner by around 5pm. So while the kids changed into their PAJAMAS i whipped up a delicious gourmet meal...it only took about 20 minutes...there is something to this whole microwavable magic stuff.

The rest of the evening consisted of playing games and watching 2 episodes of iCarly (cute show). i went to take a nice long shower and Paul loaded the kids up in their PJs for ice cream at (choke & gag) McDonald's. As you know what goes up must come crashing down so i waited out their sugar high and everyone was asleep by 9:30pm....oh YES! (but no one had a bath...does the pool count? J was the only one who cared and she took a shower straight outta the pool...how do you people with 4 or more kids do it?)

well here is another fun slide show...i took about 200 pictures today...not kidding. So i picked out some of the best...about 3 minutes worth...ENJOY! i am going to bed JUST in case i get another 6:30am wake up call...g'night!

Cousin Time Day ONE

Late this afternoon some of my nephews came to town. J is THRILLED to have some much anticipated cousin time. My sister Amy brought her 3 boys Parker, Tyler and Steven. And my sister in law Melinda brought her 4 kids Taylor, Garrett, Zachary and Brock. We all had fun splashing around for a little bit before Amy and Melinda too Taylor (who is a very busy 12 year old girlie) and Steven (who is a barely 3 yr old who won't use the potty...a RULE for sleepovers with out mama) hit the road and left me 5 boys for 5 days. So far it has been a BLAST!! Today was a short day so all we did was swim, order pizza and watch a movie. I took WAY too many pictures to decide which ones i would post here (mostly for their parents...HOLLA!)so i made a little slide show (you. are. welcome.)i also have some REALLY funny video but i have to get permission from Big Daddy to post them...cuz he is in them, perhaps something to look forward to hmmm?!

Brock has pretty much been J's shadow and is loving all the one on one attention he is getting from my girl who looooooves to babysit. It seemed like everytime i turned around i found them either off in another room playing a game or coloring...the girl even helped him brush his teeth. ADORABLE!

Anyway...enjoy the little slide show, there is even music. ooooh FANCY!

Photo Story Friday #2

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

She Walks ALL Over Him TOooo....

J and i had been away from home for a few days. We were in Hollister so she could attend Gymnastics Camp. Big daddy joined us on Wednesday. J was busy doing tricks and flips on the bars when she saw her daddy walk through the door. She ran to him and have him a big hug and kiss...she missed him sooooo much. i gave him a big hug and kiss too (after i pried the kid off of him) and as we turned to walk over to watch J show off some of her new skills...i saw...the evidence of her love for her daddy. Yep a nice chalky hand print proving she had been there loving on him. Daddy, the most important man in her life, the guy who surely hung the moon for her each night, yep...she is most def Daddy's little girl...always and forever. Their love is something to be admired...i can't wait to have babies with this man.

Gymnastics Camp

OK so i am finally getting the pics and video posted from Jordan's fun week at Gymnastics Camp and Grandma & Grandpa's house in Hollister last week. I know i am slow. I am in a bloggy funk, no worries i will find my way out of it!

Emma joined J for 3 days in Hollister. Here they are all packed and ready to go!

me (no makeup no sleep) and the girls ready for the drive over the hill
Emma and J BFFs ready for Gymnastics Camp day one
this is them ready for the fun go HERE to see them one year ago
the morning i worked on my Mother of The Year nomination by driving through Jack in the Box for breakfast and dropping them at the gym to eat it (hangs head in shame) J was shocked, this has NEVER happened! It wasn't my proudest mama moment...oh well.
my dad let the girls join 2 of his rock climbing classes
they both did really well and went up about 10 times each

just hanging around...oh sooo punny
J showing us her handstand
on the last day the kids each put on a presentation of the skills they had learned. This was a super major for J; she has a genuine fear factor of things that are new and unknown. She really put in a HUGE effort and did so many things. She was pretty sore at the end of the week and discovered new muscles along with her new found skills. We are super proud of her for trying everything. If you know anything about this sweet girl and her struggles then you know this was a really big deal and a major accomplishment for her. Another thing to add to her growing list of "I DID IT"!!!

here J is on the beam...Grandma "woo hooed" a little too much so take two is below.

the vault...awesome!

They also had to create a mini floor routine...J rushed through hers, she said later is was "nerves". Whatever it was we thought she was super brave. What a silly kid.

J with her super cool Gymnastics Medal...AWESOME!

we can't forget to mention Grandma and Grandpa. TWO weeks in a row of grandparent goodness, what a lucky kid she is!! She was NOT ready to go home and is looking forward to going BACK to Hollister on the 29th to have more cousin time woooo hoooo!!

Jordan wanted me to add: "Thanks Uncle Mark and Aunt Melinda for letting me go to Gymnastics Camp at your gym. USA Sports is a really awesome place for kids. Thank you Grandpa for letting us go to your rock climbing class, I can't wait to go again. Thank you to Grandma for taking us to ice cream and for the cool stuff you got me from Target. I had fun learning that new game, and keeping score too. I can't wait to see you in a week. Oh and to see my cousins too. Does anybody need a baby sitter?"

Anticipation...

My sister Meg is going to be here in 7 days. We are super excited to see her and her 2 girls Reese and Quincy (my nieces are ADORABLE). I recently found this list that J has been making in anticipation of her two cousin's visit. I am hoping Meg will carve out a nugget of time to spend here at our house so that J can cross a few things off of the list that can only be done here (did you read that Auntie Meg?). Anyway i thought the list was too cute not to share. I am also adding pictures of J and her cousins Reese and Quincy from the last time they were together, last summer (has it really been that long Meg?) Both the girls have more hair now...tee hee. I went to grab some proof from your blog Meg but that post was gone...what up?!

J has horses painted on her face

We can't wait to see y'all....have fun in Disneyland (without us...boo hoo)!!

Home...YAY!!

well i am home. it was a fun week at my folks. J had a blast at Gymnastics Camp (we found out Monday morning that there was no Fun-n-Fit Camp at the gym that week) she learned lots and lots of new things and was super brave trying new stuff. My dad let the girls join 2 of his rock climbing classes and they LOVED that. Plus J got lots and lots of grandparent time which is always fun.

i have about a million pictures to go through and will post them in the next couple of days. right now i am super tired and need a few days of just being home and and catching up on laundry.

my google reader is loaded with over 200 posts, y'all have been busy. there is no way i am going to be able to read them all AND comment...so i might just skim over them via reader and start fresh by dumping them all (and try really hard not to feel guilty about it). IF there is something on your blog that you think i MUST read pleeeease let me know, i hate missing stuff.

i DID get a google alert that i won a contest on my friend Cecily's blog...wooo hoooo!! i never win stuff i am super excited...even though i am not sure what i won! i can't wait to find out!! YAY!

MORE Randomness!

J and i head over the hill today to spend a week in Hollister. We are super excited. J is bringing her BFF Emma and the two of them will be going to Fun-n-Fit Camp at my brother Mark's gym, USA Sports. The girls went last summer and had a BLAST!! You can read all about that HERE ! Big daddy will join us on Wednesday when Emma's dad comes to get her. J is REALLY looking forward to cousin time. I am looking forward to a little family time myself. Any of my south bay friends who wanna get together send me an email or give me a call...i am gonna have most of my day open for shopping or lunch or whatever, i would love to hook up!

We went to the mall yesterday and did a little shopping. J picked out a couple of new webkins (are your kids obsessed with these too?). We got some super awesome deals at Gottschalks. and Limited Too (i am cheap i refuse to pay full price at Limited Too). Big Daddy was feeling really generous and we were able to get really cute stuff for back to school, for FABULOUS prices!

We also hit Icing and Claire's for new earrings (J just got her ears pierced again, 3rd try, we are hoping this time she is actually able to wear earrings without any infections, so far so good). Since J isn't going to change her earrings until her birthday (August 30) we bought a super cute earring holder and she had lots of fun putting all of her earrings on that and hanging it on her wall last night.

OH i almost forgot!! While we were out we ran into Miley Cyrus and Zac Efron so of course we had to get pictures. It was reeeeally weird though, neither of them responded when J asked them for their autographs, i guess they have gone totally Hollywood now, bummer. (;

wow...Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus...cool!

i am not sure what her face is all about but i love it!

Oh AND i got a new Pineapple Cilantro candle for my kitchen from Illuminations yum! Yep i splurged oh and i got a new hands free for my cell phone, oh joy! New California LAW came into effect on July 1st and J was getting tired of holding my cell phone so i could talk on speaker while we tootled around town...sheesh like i ever ask her to do anything. oh and i also got 2 new bathing suits on clearance at Target i am in love with these boy shorts and got them in both black and brown to go with this and this. CUTE huh?! What do you think CrazyMama ...wanna go swimming!?

Speaking of teenage attitude, y'all know i never have any complaints when it comes to this child of mine. J is pretty much perfect in every way. However, she came home from her week of total SPOILAGE with a new little snarky attitude. Nothing major but a few little eye rolls and subtle huffing whenever she was asked to do anything. We decided we needed to nip it in the bud ASAP. So we started something i have been reading about on other blogs; The "I'd love to..." jar. So far she is totally digging it. We love her goofy grin, cocked head and sugary, "Sure, I would love to help". anytime we ask her to do something. So every time she answers with an "I'd love to.." she gets this little plastic "cooperation kid" to put in a jar. She can save her kids for something big or 'spend' them on little prizes as she earns them. AND she can ear bonus kids for coming back after a task and asking, "is there anything else i can do to help?" Ya know, as i type this i am thinking that J is a pretty reasonable kid, we probably could have just put her in check and had the same result...hmmm...but we might not have gotten the cool 'sugar lipped' response. yeah it's a win/win.

well this ended up being a pretty random post...if you read this far congrats, i kept remembering things i wanted to share with y'all. i am pretty sure i forgot something but i am going to try and find time to blog while we are away for the week (lucky YOU!)

Cooking with Jordan! episode 10 Baked Rigatoni

Time for another episode of Cooking with Jordan. You can view earlier episodes by clicking on these links Preview, OneDishMexican, GrilledChicken, Cooking(?) with Daddy, TortelliniSoup , TeriyakiChicken, BuffaloChickenBites, ParmesanChickenPastaWithBroccoli, GarbageCasserole, Cheeseburger Pie and GoldenCrustedChickenAsparagusLasagna. The whole point of the cooking lessons for J is to show her some basic easy meals, plan a menu, learn how to follow a recipe and help her become more comfortable in the kitchen...this is not anything totally gourmet or culinary school worthy. On the menu tonight, Baked Rigatoni. J made this for a potluck/math lesson for her summer school class...it was a HUGE hit and the teacher took home the leftovers!

Baked Rigatoni

boil noodles approx 8 min till tender

spread 1/2 jar of Pasta Sauce into bottom of panmix in one 15oz container skim Ricotta cheese
add one cup mozzarella to ricotta and pasta mixtureadd spices (garlic powder, salt, pepper) and pour mixture over sauce in pan
pour remaining sauce over the pasta
sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella over top of sauce
sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes
I forgot to get a picture of the finished product and it was REALLY hard to send this off with Jordan to school without getting a few bites myself, but J has made it for the family and WOW is it ever so yummy...and SUPER easy.

Photo Story Friday

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Jordan just got back from a week of total spoiling! These are her grandparents, Paul's folks. They. Are. Amazing. J has been jabbering on non stop since she got home...oh the adventures! The played putt putt golf, they drove go-carts and motorboats, visited the Charles M. Schultz museum, went bowling, saw 2 movies, LOTS of shopping and ate out EVERY night (J planned on cooking for them, it just never happened) including Dim Sum...yep J was in heaven.

These two take being grandparents pretty darn seriously. Grandma and Grandpa are their names and S-P-O-I-L-I-N-G is most def their game! I am seriously impressed with how they are able to make it ALL about J when she is visiting. They have their own business and still had to work everyday but they made fabulous use of their time with J, i am sure they feel like they could very well sleep for a week and still be tired!

I am so thankful for them in our lives. They are wonderful, generous, FUNNY, loving, kind people. They have treated me like a daughter, they love me and i love them. i have felt like i was part of the family from the first time i met them. They welcomed me with wide open arms and i feel very close to both of them. They appreciate me and i really appreciate them.

SO, thank you Carla and Jim for not only being wonderful to me but for being FABULOUS Grandparents to my little girl, she is sooooo blessed to have you! I can't wait to have more babies so they too can be blessed by your L-O-V-E!

Random stuff...

it's pretty quiet here this week. J is gone visiting my in laws in Petaluma. i miss her, but i know she is having a lot of fun with them. So far they have seen 2 movies, gone bowling, visited the Charles Shultz (Peanuts) Museum and have dined out every night. J has plans to make dinner for them at least one night, but that kid does love "going out and being waited on". I just got off the phone with her and they are shopping now. The goal of their outing today is to find board shorts, swim shirts, another pair of saltwater sandals (the girl already has 4 pairs) and some other summer clothes. So she is being properly spoiled and having a great time. They still have plans for putt putt golf, go carts and beach time...yea she is having a blast!

We went to dinner with my inlaws before they packed up our kid to spoil for a week...here are some pics of her cuteness!

awesome strawberry lemonade in mason jars...love it!

Shrimp and Chicken and a HUGE baked potato...WAY too much food!

next week she and i are going over the hill to stay with my folks for the week so that she and her BFF Emma can go to Fun-n-Fit Camp at my brother's gym there. she is really looking forward to it, she and Emma had a great time there last summer. i am looking forward to seeing my family and spending a little time with them. it will be the first time since Big Daddy got his transfer closer to home that we will be apart. i am not looking forward to that, at all, but i guess i can handle a few days.

it's HOT here today...hotter than 10 hells. it's 113. THAT. Is. Just. Not. Right. i actually took an umbrella into the pool with me today so i could cool off and not get too much sun. my face is kinda dry and peeling from a burn i got over the holiday. not fun, or attractive.

i am super grateful for my AC...i am skeeerd to see my electric bill because i have had that baby humming at a wonderful 72 for weeks now. oh well...Big Daddy can't complain, no REALLY he can't i told him when he asked me to move here that if we did he could never once complain about the electric bill during the summer and that in the winter i would make up for it by wearing sweaters and blankets so as not to run the heat.

i am loving the fruit from the local growers. we discovered a darling little fruit barn in the next town over and i spent $15 and got a TON of fruit; apricots, peaches, plums and a few "fused fruits" plumots, peachicots etc. YUMMY! oh and the watermelon right now. i am in a dreamland of delicious fruityness (i make up words)!!

hmmm what else? oh i have a friend who started a blog to sell her adorable crafts. she is super talented. you should check her out: SawdustDaisy !! our moms use to craft together when we were kids (she is actually like 12 yrs younger than me so she was a kid...i was a teenager) and she most def got the craft gene from her mom...cute stuff!

Saturday Paul's cousin in law Heather and her girls came by for a swim. My mother in law actually picked them up at the airport in SF to deliver them to Heather's folks who live here in town too. Actually Heather was Paul's sister's BFF growing up and she went everywhere they went as a family. It is pretty cool that she ended up marrying her BFF's cousin don't ya think?! now they are family!!

so i guess that's it for my randomness today. I am off to go jump in the pool again and cool my core before figuring out what i am going to make for dinner. I am thinking a big fruit salad and a turkey sandwich sounds good...i wonder if Big Daddy will think that sounds good too? Maybe tonight will be our first "do it yourself" night of the summer...it was bound to happen sooner or later.

oh i got a sewing machine. my in laws brought me Great Grandma Georgia's machine. It's pretty new and very nice, and i feel special since it came from such a special woman...who we miss so much!! Now i need SuperCoolMom to come and teach me how to teach J to make dolls and other fun stuff. OH you should do a tutorial on your blog...that would be awesome. OR just come to California...that would even be better!

LOOK it's all THREE of us!!

We are a Happy Family!

False Alarm?

this post has been sitting in my draft folder...i can't believe i forgot about it, but here it is now.

OK you remember this post I am NOT ready! ?! Well friends, it may have been a false alarm. Today i walked down the hallway and found J happily cooing and singing and talking to her dolls. She wants to be a baby nurse when she grows up, she says "Just practicing being a baby nurse. OH and we are almost out of preemie diapers, can you pick me up some more the next time you go to the market?"

I remember feeling 'stuck' in the middle of wanting to stay a little girl but wanting to grow up. i remember being like 12 or 13 (maybe 14) hiding with my friend Amber in her dad's den (cuz we could lock the door) and playing Barbie's for hours. I told myself it was more "styling and fashion and stuff" than really playing Barbie's. It was also FUN!!

I know J sometimes gets too much pressure from some of the other adults in her life to hurry and grow up, to "act her age" and crap like that. WHY?! and who determines how anyone should act and at what age? J likes her pink walls, she adores her Lovies, she likes playing...all that stuff makes her happy. i LIKE my kid happy...seeing her happy makes me happy. I KNOW she appreciates that we ask her what her interests are, instead of telling her what they should be. This kid is more than a trip to the mall...she is still a young girl, a girl who wants to PLAY. i love that, i respect that...hey whatever, i am not ready for padded bras...it's all goooood with me! i will try really hard to be ready when SHE is...but in the meantime, you won't be finding me forcing her to grow up.

Yesterday we did a little rearranging in her game room. J and I consolidated toys, put away some of the stuff she didn't use anymore etc. We talked about it, made decisions...together. She wanted to make sure she had a few "little kid things" for when she was "baby sitting or my cousins come over or something". We put a few of the bigger (space sucking) items (little red rocking chair, baby high chair, kids dirt devil vac, etc.) in the garage. Well, TODAY, like a few minutes ago i hear the alert that the garage door opened and closed...a few minutes after that i heard it again...then i saw J walking with her arms loaded with the things we put in storage.

Soooo it looks like i am not the only one NOT ready!...phew THAT was a close one.

PS. she wanted the pics taken...another sign, Hallelujah!

Happy Fourth of July

Jordan's BFF Emma spent the night last night (more on this later) the girls have not seen each other since school go out, busy summer. Today we enjoyed spending the holiday with Emma's family. We had a great time. good friends, good food, good fun, and even good fireworks!! Emma's family lives close to the spot where the city does their fireworks display, so we had front row seats right in their front yard...AWESOME!

BFFs with matching patriotic headbands

more cuteness
Emma's little sis C, Emma and J in the pool
yep she is a FISH!
trying out some tricks on the slide
J, Emma's brother S, Emma and C
J painting C's face
awwww cute!
Emma having a GREAT time making J look SILLY!
J getting a little silly revenge!
S let me paint his belly!! FUN!
the girls baked and decorated a patriotic cake, awesome!

the cake was YUMMY!!
J and Mamarazzi before the fireworks!perfect spot for the firework show!!
J writing her name on the street with a sparkler
sparklers!

We had such a fun day. Big Daddy was able to join us for food and fun but had to leave before the fireworks...boooo! Thanks for inviting us over B family!!

so how did you spend your Fourth of July?

does your family any special traditions for this holiday?

what was the best thing that happened today?