Stuff Worth Noting

Things my kids have said in the last 6 months that I want to remember!

2009-02-11T23:49:00.000-08:00

Of course, since RORY is much more verbally advanced than Isabella, she's covered the most in this post. She says the funniest things. I wish I had written them all down. I always think that there's no way I'm going to forget some of the things that come out of her mouth, but I guess I just have too much to remember all the time. Here's some things that I actually did write down right after she said them:

One night we were having family home evening and we were talking about dressing modestly. I asked Rory what kind of clothes she thought were appropriate or modest.
Rory: "This dress (pointing to herself) is modest cuz it's not all boobs and stuff." (pointing to chest).

Rory and Seth were playing the copycat game. Rory was supposed to have copied what Seth said.
Seth: "Why didn't you copycat me?"
Rory: "I don't want to exturb you!" (meaning to say "disturb")

Rory and cousin Rosie hadn't seen eachother in a while. Upon meeting up with one another Rosie exclaimed: "Rory! Rory! I'm here! I'm here!
Rory: (arms outstretched) "Rosie! Come here! Come here!...you wonderful girl!!!!
They ran to each other and hugged as though they were long lost sisters.

ISABELLA: Last night, Glen was trying to get some loves from Izzy and she said: "No! No! Don mess wif Izzyboo!" (something we frequently call her) And if you don't read baby script, she was saying (don't mess with...)

I'm just kicking myself for not writing everything down right when they say it, because we all know that extraordinary things come OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES!

Princess Aurora

2008-11-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

I made this cake on Halloween night after trick-or-treating had come to a close. Yes, right after I had finished with the Halloween Wedding cake. It was an out-of-this-world crazy week! The skirt part is the cake, for those of you who may not have ever seen a cake like this. This was for a little girl, Emma, in our ward who was having a princess birthday/tea party. Emma requested a sleeping beauty cake. Rory was invited and dressed up as Sleeping Beauty, which is very fitting for her since she is also Aurora (Princess Aurora Ashlyn Leavitt).

Trick-or Treat!

2008-11-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

Here's some pictures of Halloween night. Glen and I had a lot of fun dressing up with the girls. Glen was Hercules. His costume was definitely the winner! I was a witch--cackle, cackle, hee hee hee hee hee. Rory was bat-girl. She saved our lives several times that night. Isabella was a ladybug. She's always my little buggy. We did the trunk-or-treat thing this year. Rory trunk-or-treated her heart out, but Isabella stayed with me while I handed candy out. She wouldn't leave my side, even though I was a scary witch! :)

Halloween Wedding

2008-11-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

Last week I made a wedding cake for a Halloween wedding held on Halloween night-something I never thought I would do. The wedding guests had to go through a haunted house to enter the haunted wedding. There were corpses, skulls, cobwebs (you get the picture) everywhere! It was pretty morbid. They had all kinds of drinks on ice in a coffin which I thought was pretty clever. Rory came with me and Glen to drop the cake off and she was scared. The funny thing about Rory is that she likes being scared. She went through the haunted house twice and was really upset to find out we weren't actually staying for the wedding. The bride and groom provided the lovely "love never dies" wedding topper.

I'm glad there are people out there that will do crazy things to give us all a good laugh, cuz I know I would never do something like this! But it was without question a lot of fun making the cake for such an occasion.

Rory's 5 Years Old!

2008-07-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

Rory's 5th birthday has come and gone. I can't believe she's already 5. Time flies and your babies grow up. I know 5 is still so little, but it was just yesterday when I held her angelic and bold little spirit in my arms for the first time. She has been such a blessing and joy in my life. We have our moments, but each day she has brought new and wonderful things. She puts a smile on my face at least 20 times a day. There's never a dull moment with her, and she consistently says very profound things for such a little person. It's been so fun for Rory to be in Boulder City near all of her cousins, especially on her birthday. She misses Walnut Creek and her friends there, but she has a lot of advantages being so close to grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins. I love my Rorykins!

My New Love Affair: Yum!

2008-04-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've found a new love in life, and you'll never guess what it is. Water. Yep, you heard me right. I said water. But this is not just any water. It's Chocolatemint Water from Metromint. Metromint first made (and still does) all kinds of mint waters like Peppermint, Spearmint, Lemonmint, Orangemint, and Cherrymint by using reverse-osmosis water, pesticide-free mint, and different essences (orange essence, lemon essence, cherry essence, etc.) which are basically essential oils. And now they've "turned water into chocolate". It basically tastes like the water version of Andes chocolate mints, if you can try and imagine that. It's not like eating chocolate, of course, but it's good-not to mention zero calories! However, it is pricey, so I don't get it all the time. But after a long hard day of chasing kids around, it's great to sit down, kick up my feet and quench my thirst with a nice refreshing bottle of chocolatemint water. Mmmm! What will they come up with next.

Friends

2008-03-31T23:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some great quotes on friendship:

Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.
GEORGE WASHINGTON

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

To find a friend one must close one eye; To keep him, two.
NORMAN DOUGLAS

Always set high value on spontaneous kindness. He whose inclination prompts him to cultivate your friendship of his own accord will love you more than one whom you have been at pains to attach to you.
SAMUEL JOHNSON

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.
WILLIAM BLAKE

A friend is one before whom I may think aloud.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON

I have no trouble with my enemies. But my ******(goshdarn) friends,...they are the ones that keep me walking the floor nights.
OSCAR LEVANT

It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.
MARLENE DIETRICH

I always felt that the great high privilege, relief and comfort of friendship was that one had to explain nothing.
KATHERINE MANSFIELD

Perhaps the most delightful friendships are those in which there is much agreement, much disputation, and yet more personal liking.
GEORGE ELIOT

When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it.
EDGAR WATSON HOWE

A sense of duty is useful in work, but offensive in personal relations. People wish to be liked, not be endured with patient resignation.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

"Friends are the chocolate chips in the cookies of life"
ANONYMOUS

How to Help your Child Avoid Psychological Scarring from other Snotty Kids

2008-03-27T00:13:00.000-07:00

Something has been weighing heavily on my mind lately. There's a little girl in our ward who is mean to Rory on a regular basis. She tells Rory that she can't sit by her and that she doesn't like her. She also ignores her on the playground at school, and won't say hi to her, etc. But every now and then she treats Rory like they're best friends. This then gives Rory hope, since, for some reason, she really likes this girl and wants to be great friends with her in the worst way. So, it's a vicious circle. Rory talks about it on a regular basis, so I know it's affecting her. I'm not sure I'm giving Rory the pearls of wisdom that I hope to when I have talks with her about it, and I don't want this to damage her self-esteem for life. I usually tell her that she should just play with Maren (her best friend) or the other little girls that are nice to her, and that she shouldn't care what this other little girl thinks. But I don't know if she really gets it. It's a simple concept, but complicated to a four year old. What would you tell your child if this were happening to them? It seems to me that this girl is a manipulator. She knows that Rory really likes her, and she uses that to her advantage. And I've seen her do this with other friends of hers as well. It's like she's the ring leader of all the little girls in her primary class. She's got all of them wanting to sit by her by being the mean girl. I don't get it. Help! What should I tell Rory in four year old language?

Easter Sunday

2008-03-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post some cute pictures of the kids' Easter egg hunt on Sunday. It was a beautiful morning, and that Easter Bunny did a great job of hiding the eggs! It was especially fun to watch Isabella, since she really had no idea what was going on. She just thoroughly enjoyed carrying her basket and following Rory around. Rory was a good big sister and put some eggs in Izzy's basket for her. It's so fun to relive my childhood all over again through my children!

Isabella Claire is ONE!!!!

2008-03-24T00:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. My little babe is growing up too fast! She's already ONE. They get big so quickly, it's scary sometimes to think about. Izzy's birthday was Friday night. We didn't have a big party, just the fam. We were going to go down to Boulder during her birthday, but at the last minute decided not to. For Rory we've always had a huge Woodbury/Leavitt family party, but it was kind of cozy having a little one. Although I'm sure Izzy misses all of her grandparents and aunts and uncles, she does have a tendency to not leave my side when we get around family that she hasn't seen for awhile. So, I don't think it was too disappointing for her to miss out on a big family bash. :) It suited her little home-body personality just fine.

First we had a little KFC dinner to start the evening out right.

Then we brought out the presents, which were a big hit!

And then we had some cake. The tradition is that I make the kids specialty cakes for their birthdays...
even though we just hack into them and destroy all the hard work within seconds. :) But look at those smiling, satisfied faces. It makes it all worth it!

And then into the bathtub they went. Then we all snuggled up together on the couch and put on a good movie. The kids were asleep within 5 minutes (SWEET!), we put them in their beds, and Glen and I snuggled up on the couch and finished the movie.

What a great birthday celebration for everyone.

Back Online

2008-03-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

Rory and best friend Maren
I've been meaning to post this picture for a long time! Aren't they so cool.

It's so good to have the internet again. We moved apartments about 3 weeks ago and we've been waiting to get our internet up and running. What did we do without the internet years ago? Probably a lot! Rather than sitting in front of our computer screens, we were involved in numerous activities that required more than finger muscles. Oh well, that's what aerobic classes at the gym are for, right? Well, it's so great to be back online. For those of you who thought I was ignoring your emails and blogs, I was actually awaiting the day that I could comment and email. You'll have to hold me to this. :)

Cute Pics of My Angels

2008-02-27T15:56:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken in Boulder City, NV.

Yeah, I know there's a shoe in her mouth! :)

These pictures below I already posted, but they are cropped so you can see their faces better.

Mike and Tami Tied the Knot

2008-02-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

Last night Mike (Glen's brother) married his sweetheart Tami at her parent's home in Boulder City, Nevada. It was a beautiful ceremony, and it made me want to get married all over again, to Glen, of course! Glen and his brother Chris were the groomsmen, and Delaney, Mike and Tami's daughter, was the flower girl. What an adorable little lady in red. Rory, Izzy and cousin Olivia were no doubt some pretty additions to the wedding! Here are some pictures of this fantastic evening:

The lovely couple

Glen and Chris

Mike, Glen, Chris

Tami making her appearance with son Parker, and Delaney leading the way

Minutes before the union is official

Delaney the Great

Grandpa Charlie and Isabella

Rory taking her first drink! (of sparkling cider that is)

Olivia and Rory

Dad and Izz

Little Jokesters

Pretty Littles

It's official! Mr and Mrs. Leavitt

My Hawaiian Babe

2008-02-17T22:01:00.000-08:00

This post is about my sweet husband. I love you honey!!!!!

What is his full name: Glen Kaimi Leavitt

How long have you been married: 5 ½ years

How long did you date: Hmmm, this is a tough one. We’ve known each other since he was 10 yrs old and I was 8 yrs old. We did stuff together in high school a little and he took me to prom, but we didn’t date seriously. We didn’t connect again until about 9 years after high school. We hung out as friends (sort of) every day for about 3 months. And depending on my mood, we’d “hook up” off and on, until Glen gave me an ultimatum—more than friends or nothing at all. So after about a week without him in my life, I knew I wanted and needed to be with him. We then dated for about 2 ½ months before we got married.

Our favorite pizza place on our honeymoon (Hanalei, Kauai)

How old is he? Glen is 34 years old.

Who eats more? He definitely eats more. He likes very hardy meals, and I could live on yogurt, cheese and crackers, fruit, etc.—girly food.:) However, I can definitely put away some dessert!

Hawaiian shave ice with vanilla ice-cream-my favorite!

Who said I love you first? Glen did. We were at the Las Vegas County health fair where I had a booth set up for my nutrition business and he was there helping me. When we were at lunch, he grabbed my hand and looked me in the eyes and said he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. He wasn’t officially proposing, but at this point I knew that I was probably going to marry him.

Who is smarter? I’d say that he is probably smarter. I got really good grades in high school and college, but he seems to be able to retain information for a longer period of time than I do.

Whose temper is worse? His. He gets more worked up about things than I do (Polynesian blood), although I’ve been known to lose my temper.

An angry Hawaiian in Hawaii :)

Who does the laundry? I usually do, but since we moved to CA, we don’t have a washer and dryer in our apt., so he’s been helping me with it quite a bit because it’s much harder with two kids having to go to a laundry mat. However, we’re moving on the 1st of March, and our new place has a washer and dryer, HURRAY!

Who does the dishes? For the most part, I do. Glen has done plenty of dishes though.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do

Who pays the bills? I do

Who cooks dinner? Glen probably cooks dinner more than I do.

Who drives when you are together? Glen

Who is more stubborn? We’re both extremely stubborn, so I think we’re tied on this one.

Whose parents do you see the most? We see both parents equally because they live within 5 minutes of eachother.

Who proposed? Glen did. He took me to my favorite place on the strip, the Bellagio indoor flower garden, and attempted to propose there, but an unexpected acquaintance was there and aggressively nudged Glen right as he was pulling the ring out. This threw Glen off guard, and so he drove me over to a park area near my dad’s law office (which is minutes away from the strip) and got down on his knee and proposed. It was extremely sweet, and very unexpected. I think he wanted to shock me into marrying him. j/k

Honeymoon: Inside the famous Princeville Hotel

Outside the Princeville Hotel at a grand Luau

Who has more friends? I think Glen has more close friends than I do, but I have a larger number of friends spread out all over the world.

Who has more siblings? I do. I have 3 brothers and 3 sisters, and Glen has 3 brothers.

Who wears the pants in the family? Glen insists on wearing the pants—although my influence can be quite powerful.

He's quite a man, and I'm lucky to have him by my side for the long haul. I love you Glen!

P.S. The quality of these pictures are terrible because we both forgot to bring a camera to Hawaii and ended up buying the disposable kind. :)

Little Valentines

2008-02-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

Rory at Mary Jane's Preschool's Valentine's Day Sing-a-long

Skinnamarinkadinkadink, Skinnamarinkado,
I love you.
Skinnamarinkadinkadink, Skinnamarinkado,
I love you.
I love in the morning and in the afternoon,
I love you in the evening and underneath the moon,
Oh, skinnamarinkadinkadink, skinnamarinkado,
I love you...too... boop boop be do! Mmmaaa (kiss)

Waiting Patiently to Perform

May there always be sunshine,
may there always be blue skies,
may there always be Mama,
may there always be me.

May there always be sunshine,
may there always be blue skies,
may there always be Papa,
may there always be me.

Izzy's pre-Valentine's Day attire
(I didn't dress her in hearts or red on valentine's day-bad mommy!)

Rory's Valentine Sing-a-long was the day before Valentine's Day. We didn't do anything too exciting this Valentine's Day. This is how our day went: I wanted the house all sparkly for when Glen got home so I cleaned up a bit, the kids and I went to the park with some friends, Isabella had a dr.'s appointment (check-up and shots- YUCK), Rory had gymnastics-YAY, we all got each other cards and candy, and the girls each got a singing/talking Valentine's stuffed animal. As with all the noisy toys we have gotten our children, Glen and I are getting really sick of listening to them over and over again!!! Valentine's Day ended fairly early for us, because we didn't get much sleep the night before, so we were utterly exhausted. There's nothing better than going to bed early, right?!

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day, and may all of your Valentine's Days be full of LOVE!

Beach Bod

2008-02-12T23:00:00.000-08:00

Rory--Summer 2007

Today in my circuit training class, the teacher was talking about if we were ready for summer. I've been going to the gym everyday with my friend Angela, and my goal is to shed some pounds before swimsuit season. However, the weight is just so darn stubborn. It doesn't matter how much I exercise or watch what I eat, it just wants to stay put.

When the exercise instructor was asking us if we were ready for those swimsuits, a wave of nausea came over me. First of all, those exercise room mirrors are "fat mirrors". Second of all, ever since puberty there hasn't been a time I felt ready for summer and swimsuits--even at my skinniest. And finally, I can't even stand what I look like in clothes right now, let alone a swimsuit!

Now, I'm not trying to be down on myself or anything, but don't you just wish we could go back to those days of childhood where we could run and bounce around in our swimsuits all day without a care in the world. My aim this summer is to revert back to those childhood ways, and just prance around carefree in my bathing suit. I'm just preparing everyone for this, since I know I don't have anything close to a "beach bod". Watch out world. If people don't like it, they'll just have to deal! :)

I've Been Tagged TWICE!

2008-02-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C. At the end of the game the player tags 5 people, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Where were you 10 years ago: That would be February 1998 and I was in Rennes, France (la Bretagne). I was extremely trunky at this point in my mission, I admit it! I only had a couple months left before coming back to the states, and before I had to say goodbye to les patisseries francaise (the fabulous french pastry shops). They are still awaiting my return!

Five things on my to-do list today: 1. Register Rory for Kindergarten 2. Contact life insurance and health insurance companies to change our bank account info because they're on autopay 3. Prepare and send out some products to several of my BioFit clients. 4. Pay some nasty bills 5. Finish folding the laundry that I hang out to dry. Exciting life I lead, I know!

Five snacks I enjoy: 1. Peanut Butter Cookie Luna bars 2. cheese and triscuits 3. clementines 4. peanut m&m's 5. chocolate chip cookies

What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire: 1. Pay off all of Glen's student loans and our car 2. Buy a huge house and invest in other properties as well 3. Buy a Range Rover for Glen and a fully loaded Denali for me (sorry mom-not environment friendly cars) 4. help as many in need as possible 5. NOT stress out about money ever again!

Four of my bad habits: 1. taking forever to get going in the morning 2. making comments under my breath yet loud enough to be heard when irritated with Glen 3. making my family late 4. Ice Cream

Five jobs that I have had: 1. Legal Receptionist 2. Lifeguard @ the Mirage Hotel 3. Receptionist/Clerk for an architectural/construction management group 4. Naturopathic Dr.'s assistant 5. Holistic Nutritionist: Electro-Dermal Screening Technician

Five things people don't know about me: 1. I was born with a club foot 2. my parents call me their dream child because they knew (even before they were married) that they would have a daughter with dark hair and blue eyes named Rebecca 3. I wanted to be the Incredible Hulk when I was little 4. I tend to rebel when people tell me what to do 5. I played basketball in High School.

I am going to TAG these people: ASHLEY, DANIELLE, VALERIE, JANEL, AND COURTNEY

I Should Write a Book!

2008-02-04T22:28:00.000-08:00

People have told me that I should write a book with Rory as the main character, because she is such a character! Here's some funny things she's said and done recently:

When we were in Boulder City over Christmas break, we were driving in the car with Grandma Rose. Grandma came to a really quick stop.
Rory: "Grandma, you drive fast!"
Grandma: "Well, I wasn't really driving fast, I was just coming to a quick stop."
Rory (very seriously): "Then why am I saying "weeeeee"?"

Here's some other funny things she has said:

"Does cheese be from cow poo?"

"Danielle let me see her eye-tacts." (in reference to contacts)

When we were at church yesterday the bishop set me apart for my new calling. Glen, Izzy and Rory were all in the same room, and during the blessing Rory put her Strawberry shortcake doll up to my nose so that I could smell it. :) It was really hard for me to concentrate on what was said in that blessing!

There are so many more funny things that she says and does on a regular basis. I really need to keep a notebook nearby at all times so that I can write them down as they occur.

The Lazy Blogger

2008-02-02T22:37:00.000-08:00

After a few pathetic months of “blog laziness”, I’m going to try and make a comeback. With Thanksgiving and Christmas vacationing getting in the way, I have not been able to focus on my blog. I have no excuse for January. However, I have continued to read everyone else’s blogs even if I haven’t been commenting as much—again due to my recent “blog laziness”.

Here are some reasons for the “lazy blogger syndrome”:

1—Children: Children cannot stand for their mothers to do things that don’t include them. They will be happily playing and then you get on the phone or turn the computer on and they immediately long for your attention. So not only do they want your full attention on them most of the time, but they need you to feed them, bathe them, clothe them, clean up after them, diaper them, drive them to and fro, discipline them, etc., etc…. not that we don’t love every minute of it! ☺

2—Lack of sleep: Many late nights blogging and bloggers need some time to catch up on sleep. This is a result of kids not letting us blog in daylight—refer to “Children” above.

3—Husbands: I don’t know if it’s this way for everyone, but my husband doesn’t like the time I spend blogging. He wants me to spend my late nights with him. And he doesn’t want to chat, if you get my drift ☺

4—Mental block: Take a long day of taking care of children after getting no sleep the night before because of a late night blogging and then add an unsatisfied husband and you get “mental block”, cuz you just want to block it all out!

5—Low # of blog posts: Yes, the number of people that comment on our blogs affects our motivation to continue blogging—not to say that the few people who do post comments aren’t important. They are “the loyal bloggers”. Although I aspire to one day having a huge number of posts regularly from friends and family, two or three comments are better than none! For those of you that do read my blog and post comments, your posts are tremendously appreciated and I get a rush of “blog exhilaration” when I read them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Regardless of these few reasons that might cause “lazy blogger syndrome”, I am determined to overcome my “blog laziness” and get on board the “bloggwagon” again. I’ve missed it and can’t wait to hear from “the loyal bloggers” again.

Izzy Update

2008-01-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

Little Izzy is making her parents proud. She has been able to say dadadadada and mamamamama for a while now. Mamamamama came first.:) Over the Christmas break she began saying some new things. She loves dogs, and as I was pointing to a picture of one she said "doggie". She'll also say "da" and "goggie"--in reference to dogs of course. When I say "ruff, ruff, ruff, ruff..." she tries to mimic me by saying "ba, ba, ba, ba...".

She got a baby from her aunt and uncle for Christmas, and she loves it! For baby she says "baba" with a huge smile on her face as she's hugging it.

Her big sister and dad like to tickle her while saying "tickle, tickle, tickle tickle..." and so she's started saying "ticka, ticka, ticka, ticka."

Her biggest advancement as of late is that she's taking steps--1 to 2 at a time. She can also stand up in the middle of the room without holding on to anything for support.

We sure are proud of our little Isabella!

Baby Blooms

2007-12-12T22:29:00.000-08:00

My friend Lenore and I have just officially started up a business together. We specifically sell what we call "Baby Blooms", which are adhesive flower hair accessories.

The adhesive is truly a wonderful thing for the fact that it actually stays on the baby's head. Also, because these "blooms" are so lightweight, the baby doesn't even notice they're there. We are also selling what we call "Paci Lassos". These are sparkly beaded pacifier holders to add a little extra bling to your baby, while serving the functional purpose of keeping the pacifier from falling on the ground and getting dirty or lost. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of these to post, and it's too late at night for me to try and get one, but they are super cute! Check out our website www.mybabyblooms.com and do tell all your friends with baby girls about it! You can order directly from our website. These also make great Baby Shower or Christmas gifts. :)

PATHETIC!

2007-11-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have now been home from my vacation to Vegas for a week. I've done many things since coming back, most of which has been my normal routine--kids stuff, cleaning house, carpooling, seeing friends etc. Even though I have a certain level of organization in my life, there's also that side of me that puts certain things off til I just can't stand it anymore. Yesterday I was in the kitchen doing dishes, and Izzy was in the living room playing with her toys--so I thought. I came out to check on her and, lo and behold, she was in the suitcase that had been sitting by the couch and that I had been rummaging through for the girls' and my clothes everyday since I got home a week ago. This procrastination to unpack has happened on numerous occasions. I hate unpacking my suitcase! Although it was adorable and hilarious, Isabella’s adventure in the suitcase made me realize it was time to unpack. Maybe one day I’ll actually unpack the very day I get home from vacation.

Deja Vu

2007-11-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

Since we've moved to Walnut Creek, Rory has made a new best friend--Maren Isom. Maren has a twin brother named Wells. They are both so adorable! It has been really fun to see these kids play together. It brings back so many good memories of my childhood with my best friend Mindy and her twin brother Eric.

Maren, Wells, and Rory

Me, Mindy, and Eric

I don't think my mom brushed my hair the day she took this picture. :) In contrast, Rory and the Isom twins had school pictures in the photo above, hence the well-groomed appearance of all three of them.

P.S. For those of you who may be worried that Rory might be reliving my childhood, Maren doesn't have a manipulative bone in her body, and most importantly, Tanya (Maren's mother) is nothing like you know who. :)

Stirring and Stirring and Stirring our Brew, Whooo!...Whooo!

2007-11-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is a line from one of the Halloween songs that Rory and her class sang at their Halloween sing-a-long yesterday. I was very impressed at how well the children knew those songs. I was a proud mommy! The one bad thing about it was that we discovered that our video camera's battery needs to be replaced. Unfortunately we were unable to record the preschool show, but we got pictures.

We had the opportunity to spend Halloween night in Danville--where people only give out GOOD candy! Rory's bucket was full by the end of the night, and there was no gross candy. It was all good--except for maybe the rock hard popcorn ball. :) There was also a small yet spooky haunted house, which Rory conquered. I was more scared than she was. After we went through, she kept asking me if I was proud that she didn't get scared. :)

These girls are just too cute! I am such a proud mommy! And Mimi, Izzy's little best friend, was the cutest little skunk I've ever seen. Her mom, Nor was little red riding hood. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of her cute costume. Dax was the big bad wolf. I didn't dress up. I know--boring! Glen's costume was him in normal dress holding a skull. He wanted to see if everyone could guess who he was. Have you guessed yet? Yep, he was Hamlet.

Our Trip to Boulder City

2007-10-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Boulder City yesterday. We were there for a week, and we could have stayed longer. We did so many fun things. It was such an eventful week for us to be there.

Rodney's wife Leslie birthed her seventh baby (a girl) on Tuesday the 22nd. They named her Naomi Clarice, and she is soooo cute! Rodney got to name her because he won their family bet by guessing most closely what she would weigh. She was 9 lbs 2 oz even though
she was two weeks early!

Ashley and Izzy

Another fun thing was Ashley's birthday on the 27th. She had some wonderful birthday news. Yes, Ashley is pregnant! And I was the very first person to know--even before Jordan. I dreamt that she had a boy. My dreams are always right when it comes to my own pregnancies, but I've never had a dream for someone else. We'll see if I'm right. We had a Woodbury famiy party at my parents house and went out another night to the cheesecake factory--both in celebration of Ashley's birthday. She is eating for two now you know. :) One of Ashley's favorite things to do is watch scary movies, so she talked me and Jordan into watching "1408" with her. That was my birthday present to her. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.

Ashley and Izzy at the Cheesecake Factory

Mom (Rose) and Benj

Benj, Dad (Bruce) and Rory

Jordan, Ash, and Izzy

Me and Izzy

Isabella chowing down

Benjiman had surgery on the 26th, so we were all praying and worrying over him. He's had a recurring ear infection over the past 3 years, and finally they realized that the infection had spread to the bones in his ear. They had to go inside his ear and grind the infection out of the bone (not a pretty picture--I know). When they got inside his ear, they realized that there was a tumor that was not malignant, and so they were able to take care of that as well. Everything went well, and hopefully Benj won't be in pain anymore. His pain medication was working really well for him--so well that he stayed up all night laughing rather than sleeping. I woke up a couple times in the middle of the night to hear giggling coming from his room. It was a riot!

We went to the Clark County Heritage Museum for trick-or-treating, and Rory had a blast with all of her cousins. Isabella didn't know what to make of all the costumes. She just looked around with a puzzled look on her face the whole night. After the festivities at the museum we were able to continue the fun at the Leavitt family costume party.

Little miss Rory as "pink" tinkerbell

Conner, Rory, Isabella, Wyatt, and Olivia (uncle Chris is hiding behind Izzy) :)

Grandpa Charlie and baby "pink" tinkerbell

Grandma Peggy, Leanna, and Conner

Garrett, Delaney and Tami

Delaney and Izzy

It's always so hard to leave good old Boulder City. What a fun family I have been blessed with!

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate...

2007-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

"Beauty is Truth, Truth Chocolate" - that is all ye know on earth and all ye need to know.

Ode on a Chocolate Urn
John Keats and Peter Mansbach

For those of us not from the bay area, here’s a little bit of history. In 1852, Domingo Ghirardelli established his first chocolate factory in San Francisco. I had felt pleased to live in the bay area already, but now that I know this tidbit of history I am PROUD! I really didn’t know.

About two weeks ago we went with some friends (Nor, Dax and Mimi) to Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. It was very chocolaty! Now all can share in my true feelings about chocolate. I love it. And who doesn’t? I suppose there are some that don’t (I'll never understand). This is from an article that I recently read that explains everything:

“Now you know why they're called "munchies": Scientists in today's edition of "Nature" magazine think that chocolate, the dusky brown substance of our dreams, harbors a chemical within it that mimics the effects of cannabis. Which is to say, pot, grass, wacky tabacky -- marijuana. You may never look at a brownie the same way again. So when you eat chocolate, your brain gets more or less the same sensations it would get if you were locked in a closet, breathing in the second-hand smoke of a guy nicknamed "Reefer Bob." (John Scalzi)

Ha! This is really true. Now it’s clear why Mormons consume so much chocolate! :)

I know we've all heard it before, but it's important not to forget the HIGHLY POSITIVE ASPECTS OF CHOCOLATE CONSUMPTION (YOU MUST READ THESE REALLY INTERESTING STATISTICS!):

Chocolate consumption has been scientifically linked to longer life. A few pieces of chocolate every month may make your life both sweeter and longer, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. A survey of healthy 65-year-old men revealed that those who ate sweets containing chocolate reportedly lived longer. Surprisingly non-consumers had the highest mortality of all. As with most things in life, moderation seems to be paramount. Chocolate is considered a major source of dietary copper, which is required for a healthy lifestyle. Cocoa and chocolate are also rich in minerals, such as magnesium and iron. Chocolate is a short-term source for energy due to antioxidants and phenolics it contains. This energy source was even utilized by soldiers during heavy combat situations. A 40 gram chocolate bar contains the same amount of phenol as a glass of red wine and can be a positive source of dietary antioxidants. These anti-oxidants have been proven to reduce the risk of developing cancer or heart disease.

“Hickory, chicory, choc, the mousse was in the wok, the brownies rose, the ice cream froze, Hickory chicory choc.”
Nursery Rhyme and Peter Mansbach

Four Year Olds: the Hard and the Easy

2007-10-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

Rory at soccer practice in Walnut Creek, CA (Fall 2007)

Things I find hard about four year olds:

1. It’s hard to be a human encyclopedia. They ask tons of questions. And “Why?” accompanies each and every thing you say.

2. It’s hard being the “ok” and “mmhmm” mommy auto response robot. They need a response for everything! Example: Rory has to tell me every time she needs to go potty, and I must give her my “o.k.” before she will go.

3. It’s hard feeling like you need your ears checked because you can’t hear anything above the noise they create.

4. It’s hard hearing the frequent nagging that is coming from your own mouth because they need to be told to do something at least ten times before they’ll actually do it.

5. It’s REALLY hard to wake from a dreamy sleep at 6am to hear, “I need help wiping the poo!”

6. It’s hard to feel the remorse that comes after scolding them for things that they didn’t purposefully do. (Examples: going #1 and/or #2 in their pants and on the floor because they couldn't make it to the potty on time , big spills, etc.)

Things I find easy about four year olds:

1. It’s easy to listen to the tender lullabies they sing to their baby dolls and baby sister.

2. It’s easy to peak in their rooms and watch them acting out parts in their little fantasy worlds.

3. It’s easy to feel their loving little arms wrap around you as they say, “I love you mommy.”

4. It’s easy to proudly watch their delightful sports/dance/music performances and witness your little ones' growing talents.

5. It’s easy to laugh at all the funny and adorable little things they do and say. Example: the other day Rory was flossing (with what appeared to be floss), then brushed her teeth and got in bed. Later, as I was cleaning the bathroom, I found the used floss, which just so happened to be a strand from her pink hula skirt. :)

6. It’s easy to have your little princess give you regular spa treatments: brush your hair, help you put your lip gloss on (and then help herself to some), bejewel your face with her special sparkle star stickers, and give you back rubs and/or scratch your back.

Isabella and Mommy with her dazzling star facial! (Fall 2007)

Here's some Total Momsense

2007-10-10T20:50:00.001-07:00

This clip is so funny! The lady can't sing, but I got a kick out of it.

Gun Shots in the Night

2007-10-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

The night before last, Glen and I awoke to the sound of gun fire right outside our window. There were two shots fired. I was freaking out and told Glen to call the police. He went to the window to try and see what was going on. He saw a Latino man walking away from our complex. The police arrived before he even had a chance to call. They were looking around the complex, and Glen had seen the guy leave so he wanted to go out and talk to the police. I wouldn’t let him! So, he yelled down from our window to the police what he had seen. We have no idea what exactly happened--if someone was actually shot or what? The guy was probably drunk and decided to fire off some shots for fun. We’ve joked about this apartment complex being the ghetto. Well, it’s officially GHETTOVILLE! No wonder the sign always says "NOW LEASING". Hopefully we’ll be able to find a nicer place that’s comparable in price once our contract is up. Aahhh, a day in the life at Kingston Place Apartments, the Hood of Walnut Creek.

Granny Rose

2007-10-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

This last week granny Rose came to visit us. It was so fun! We wished that she could stay forever. It always takes me a while to adjust to not having my mommy around after she leaves. Why do we have to grow up! Unfortunately she was only here for two days, one of those days being my birthday (Oct. 3rd). We did lots of fun things. We ate out, shopped, ate out, shopped and ate out some more. Isabella loves her grandma! They really bonded. Rory loved all the extra attention she got. Rory found a friend at the fountain downtown near the "Betsy Johnson" shop. The fountain is one of her favorite places to play. She was doing some ballet moves and this cute little boy began dancing with her. Several people commented on how coordinated she was and that I should definitely get her in dance lessons. I haven't enrolled her yet this year. One memorable event was that she actually fell in the fountain and was absolutely drenched from head to toe. She kept jumping back in the fountain since she was already wet. It was definitely a fun time for her, and a great laugh for me and grandma. We went to the Creamery for ice cream both nights grandma was here. We've become quite the regulars there and the staff knows us now. This is not a good thing for dropping baby weight! Anyhow, mom, we miss and love you. Come back soon!

The Kids Get an "F"

2007-10-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

The other night we went out to eat with Nor and Mimi while Dax (Nor's husband) was out of town--sorry Dax. However, Dax didn't miss much, despite these pictures that deceive one into thinking the dinner was all smiles and totally easy going. Ha! The kids definitely got an "F" as Nor put it. Both babies were totally fussy and would not be consoled. Izzy was grabbing my hair, my water, my plate and anything else that was NOT baby friendly. Rory was crying and whining and definitely did not have her listening ears on. And Mimi wouldn't let Nor eat until Glen took her on a little walk after he was done with his food. Well, we tried to have an enjoyable dinner, but there was one word that kept coming to my mind that night--Babysitters!

Little Crawler

2007-10-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of cute pics of Isabella trying to crawl. She's also now starting to get up into sitting position all by herself.

Girls and Boys

2007-09-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last night Rory's friends Owen and Aven came over to play. Their parents went to a football game and also left their baby girl Vila with us. While Glen and I were taking care of Vila and Isabella, the other kids were playing (unsupervised, as you can see) in Rory's room. Glen went to check on them and they had all put Rory's princess dresses on. Luckily the boys' parents didn't care that we let them play dress-ups. It's totally normal and natural for little boys to want to play with girl stuff, but in this day and age people are a little more cautious. This reminded me of the time when Seth, Rory's cousin, wanted to dress up in one of her princess costumes and Rory said, "you're not a princess, you're a boy." And Seth heatedly replied (yelled), "I am a princess!" I couldn't stop laughing. Ashley told me a story about Joseph when he was little. Whenever she would paint her nails, Joseph would want her to paint his too--he must have been about 2 or 3 years old at this time. After a couple times of Ashley painting his nails, Leslie (his mom) made him take it off and explained that nail polish is only for girls. He was in tears and wailed, "Girls are sooo lucky!" Well it's true, girls are so lucky. We get to spend so much time (that we don't have) painting our nails and faces, shaving legs and underarms, and fixing our hair. How fun! I'm speaking for myself when I say that I would much rather be able to jump in the shower, jump out, run my hands through my hair and come out looking hot without having to do all that other stuff! But I will say, we do get to wear very pretty clothes (clothes that remind some of us that we've carried and born children). Wait, maybe I'd rather wear loose pants and baggy t-shirts. Boys are sooo lucky!

Izzy and Mimi

2007-09-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

Isabella has a new best friend named Miranda--Mimi for short. My friend Lenore is holding them in the pool of balls at this kids play place called the Jungle where we went a couple days ago. Nore always tells people that they're twins cuz they kind of look alike. They both have asian blood. Izzy, Rory and I love to go on excursions with Nore and Mimi. In the other picture Rory is playing with Nore's niece. She's a cutie. They had a lot of fun.

Changing

2007-09-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

We've lived in Walnut Creek for 2 months now and the girls are changing so much. Rory decided that she wanted to get her hair cut about shoulder length. She will every now and then say "I'm a girl that loves her hair!" It's so funny. Most kids freak out when they get their hair cut, but not Rory. She was telling the hair dresser to cut it shorter, but I stopped her from cutting it too short. Rory's made quite a few new friends, so it's been a lot easier for her to adjust to the move.
Isabella is getting so big and has lots of personality. She is so smiley and is making lots of fun noises. She is also beginning to try to crawl. She can scoot herself around somewhat, but she's not all over the place YET. I'm in for it really soon. She loves her big sister, and is easily drawn to laughter by the silly faces and noises Rory makes when trying to entertain her. She is also eating solid foods and loves it! We can't eat anything without having to include her too.
I took the picture above at Civic Park here in Walnut Creek. The parks are much prettier here than in Southern Nevada.

Grandpa's Visit

2007-09-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Bruce and Uncle Rodney came and visited a few weeks ago and Rory and Izzy just absolutely had a blast. On our way to pick them up at the train station Rory said that she wanted to go back to Boulder City with them. She was already preparing herself for the time when they would have to leave. I was tempted to send her back with them just so she could experience actually missing her mom, dad and sister. When we arrived at our place, Rodney had some work to do and so he went in Rory's room (the guest room when company comes) to do it. Rory followed him in there and kept him great company. She was telling him stories and showing him books and other treasures of hers. The next day she loved showing grandpa how she can do 50 piece puzzles all by herself. Grandpa played along with Rory's every desire that day. He also helped me out by taking Isabella whenever I needed free hands. He took us out to lunch (California Pizza KItchen), and then he was able to see Rory's preschool when we dropped her off for the first day of school. We had dinner in San Francisco that night and then grandpa and Rodney went to the 49ers game. It was sad for Rory to say goodbye, but she loved every minute of it while they were here.