Bathing Beach Beauties

Today was a beautiful San Diego day. We decided to head to the beach and called some friends to join in on the fun with us. The girls (there were 6 all together) had such a fabulous time playing in the sand and getting messy together. Maddy especially loved getting down and dirty in the seaweed! What a gorgeous day!

CPR on a lizard

I am not exactly 100% sure what this picture is all about, but I thought it was funny. I am also not 100% sure that this thing was even alive at the time... I just hope my brother Tom didn't have to give it mouth-to-mouth...YUCK!

Flash back to the 80's!!

On Saturday night, we went to a rockin' 80's party! It was totally awesome! We had just as much fun getting our costumes together as we did partyin'! There was a dance floor, fog machine, games, karaoke, tons of food, great 80's music, best costume contest, and lots of PARTYING!!! Check out our rad costumes!

Deb's Twin

I bought my entire outfit, minus jewelry (which I stole from Ellie's dress-up box) at Charlotte Russe in the mall--80's really have made a come back! Mark thought I looked like Deb from Napoleon Dynamite--my friend thought Jem (she was my Rocker).

Mark sportin' his sexy Mullet

Mark was really loving getting to relive his mullet days. When Ellie first saw Mark wearing this she started screaming and called him a "monster!"

Mullet Madness!!

Singing along to "Name that Tune"
The 80's Gang--What a gnarly night--Fer sure, dude!!

We are FAMILY--I got all my sisters and...TUBBY?

I found this old picture of Ellie and it just makes me smile! Tubby--the adorable mint green stuffed hippo (for those that have NEVER met Ellie)--joined our family on Christmas day 2004 and is the fifth member of our family. Ellie and Tubby were never separated for a full year and a half, as I am sure you all remember--and she still can't sleep unless he is nearby. He even went to preschool as show and tell the other day. We love you, Tubby!!

Two wild hippos--ready for the attack...

What are YOU going as for Halloween??

Last year Ellie went as a gorgeous Cinderella for Halloween-or "CinderELLIE" as she liked to be called

The year before that she went as a beautiful fairy princess

For Ellie's first Halloween, she went as an adorable Minnie Mouse

So this year, Ellie really wants to go as one of her other favorite Disney princesses--Ariel. Ariel is a good costume choice for a number of reasons, 1--because Ellie already has red hair, so we won't have to purchase a wig or hair dye, 2--we already own a couple of Ariel dolls, shoes, a phone, camera, crown, etc--all the Ariel accessories a girl could ever want to go with her costume, and 3--we already own a Disney store Ariel costume-- so we will be saving the big bucks by not having to buy a new costume or related items. However, I personally am not a big fan of the commercialized store bought costumes--I prefer the homemade ones. I grew up with these amazing homemade costumes and the 3 costumes Ellie has worn in the past are all handmade ones too. I think she should choose a more creative, less cheesy costume. Even though I am sure, just out of sheer ease (not to mention laziness on my part), she will end up in the already owned Ariel costume, I didn't want her to rule out some of these runner-ups. The costumes for consideration for our girls' trick-or-treating pleasure are as follows---

The girls can wear their pj's and mess up their hair and go as

DIRTY CLOTHES

A starfish trainer at Sea World

A professional Bocce Ball Player

A sea lion

The girls could go as a "sister-tandem-surfing-championship duo."

Maddy could wear my old baby clothes and go as me in the 80's

A kitty cat--MEOW!

A Mrs. Field's cookie tester.

Minnie Mouse--(again for Ellie)

Love-a-Lot Bear (A Care Bear)

(this costume is actually one my mom made for us when I was little--much cuter than anything you can purchase at the store)

A baby doll

My Little Pony's long lost twin

A giant spider

An angel

Fern from Charlotte's web

A Gymnast

An Explorer or Sea captain

A professional dirt bike racer

A diva

Beach bums

A farmer

A veterinarian

Or my personal favorite--Shrek and Princess Fiona (Just who would be who I am not sure...)

So what's YOUR vote??

I'm sure when all is said and done, Ellie will still choose to be Ariel this year!!

Our BIG night out!!

Call me crazy, but I have had a harder time leaving my second-born child than I did with my first. Please don't misunderstand me, I love both of my daughters the same. I just mean that when it comes to babysitters, Ellie had been left more often , than Maddy at her age. Because our girls are "fairly" well-behaved, we always just end up planning activities that our whole family can enjoy together.

So, when grandma and grandpa suggested coming down to San Diego last weekend to watch the girls for my belated birthday treat so that Mark and I could go out, it was like unleashing a wild beast inside me. Of course we jumped on the offer! (Mark can always read Priesthood session in the Ensign later, right??) SO where to go??

Mark asked around work for suggestions and kept hearing that the "Triple Espresso" comedy act in the Gaslamp District (downtown San Diego) was a fun date night. So we decided to check it out for ourselves. First, we grabbed a bite to eat at this trendy little restaurant called Red Pearl Kitchen, where we sat on a couch and ate off this little barrel which served as our table. The food was good, the atmosphere exciting, and the company entertaining, but the appetizer was the best part of dinner--Strawberry cinnamon ribs. Those who know me well, know that I don't much care for ribs, but let me tell you this, I WILL be going back for more... After dinner, we then headed over to the comedy club. The act started out a little slowly, but picked up quickly and we were laughing hysterically all night long! The show was really clean --We had a great time!

We finally drug our feet homeward bound, to find out all was well at home--grandma and grandpa had survived the evening with our two little "wild things." They had even bought the girls pumpkins to carve, but the girls had fallen asleep before they were even able to carve them!!

AHHHH! It's nice to get away sometimes and remember that you do have a life outside of your children and that you and your husband can still have fun together! Thanks grandma and grandpa!!

WE'RE BACK!!!

Thanks for all the concern, we are all doing well. Sorry about the brief absence, but I think we have gotten things worked out on here and we are now back up and running! Even though we have been down for a week, I have still being keeping my "online journal" up to date, SO...Enjoy catching up!!

It's a sweet trip to the candy shop...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes from Sprinkles. One word--Yummy!! My new favorite temptation! They are definitely worth the wait...(and the $3.25!)

The difference between boys and girls

Last night, as I was putting Ellie to sleep, we were discussing the day's events. It sounded something like this....

Mom: So, you really like playing with Pineapple the turtle from preschool?

Ellie: Yes he is so fun and cute.

Mom: I thought your teacher said Pineapple was a girl.

Ellie: No--it is a BOY!

Mom: Pretty sure she said girl.

Ellie: BOY

Mom: Girl

Ellie : BOY

Mom: Ok. Why are you so certain Pineapple the turtle is a boy?

Ellie: Because Pineapple doesn't have a bow on his head!

So, according to Ellie, the way to tell boys and girls apart, is to look for the presence of a bow on their heads. If you find one with a bow, it's a girl--either that or a very disturbed little boy...

Why OH WHY must it be this way?!...

Why OH WHY?!... Why does your neighbor just HAVE to ring the doorbell when you are mopping the kitchen floor in nothing but your underwear?? And why does your 3 year old INSIST on answering the door, even though you are hissing at her through clenched teeth to wait while you rummage through the dirty clothes basket to throw on something decent to wear so that your aforementioned neighbor does not know that- even though it is 10:45 in the morning- you still have not showered, dressed, or taken any other personal hygiene steps for the day??

Why OH WHY?!... Why is it that when you are foolish enough to stay up until 2 am, that your 3 year old-- who is normally the poster child for Serta mattresses-- decides to wake up at 3:15 am AND then again at 3:45 am?? And why does my 10 month old have to wake up at 5:45 am the same morning???? And every morning for that matter???!

Why OH WHY?!... Why do I waste the precious and way too short--45 minutes I get while Maddy naps surfing the internet instead of finishing the mopping that my neighbor so rudely interrupted earlier?? Better go--I have 15 minutes left to finish up!! (This time I will be sure to "bundle up!")