Monkeyin' Around

My Baby is 10

2010-03-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

How could it be ten years already? Hayden made the transition to double digits yesterday. He is nearly as tall as me and until about 2:30 this afternoon, his hair is nearly as long as mine (well, not quite, but its pretty darn long). After school the hair comes off and I am hoping just a bit that he will look like my baby again!

It's All Here!!

2010-01-18T17:26:00.002-08:00

It's been a couple weeks, but finally getting around to this. Long story, I had a old single horse trailer that Brian left me. It was a serious pain to load Billy and that little single axle trailer didn't seem too safe. There was certainly no money for a bigger trailer. I'd priced them but the only thing that came close was a two horse straight load and that seemed like it would be hard to get the horse into also. A two horse slant load might as well have been a million. Then I get this phone call. It was incredible. I was out at the barn and my cell rings. Its the trainer. He asks how my truck is running and then asks if I have some money laying around. No. No money. But it turns out, he is hanging out with a mechanic friend (who had just fixed my Expedition which was on its last legs) and the mechanic had a horse trailer to sell. Cheap. A two horse slant load Logan that I had admired when he was working on the Expedition. I went to see it that night and the money appeared. I made a deal then and there and picked it up a week later. Could not believe my good fortune. Alas, good fortune only lasts so long. The Expedition heaved its final breath and I was forced (hee-hee!) to replace it. Got a pretty cute girls truck.... a 2010 Ford F150. I look at this and cannot believe its all MINE!
Take a look!

Billy before and after!!

2009-12-21T13:42:00.000-08:00

We took a ride through Henry Coe State Park yesterday. Perfect weather. Billy passed the brain-bending obstacles of having to walk past a salamander (scary!) and being passed two times by a gang of 4H goats and kids out for a walk. He also braved several water crossings. Here are some before and after....that winter coat sure makes for a sweaty and dirty horse at the end of the trail.

Santa's little secrets

2009-12-16T17:54:00.000-08:00

Well both of the kids are firm believers in Santa. We made our annual visit to Santa at Daddy's work this year. Always fun...the kids get photos with Santa and goody bags and cookies. Then we go to Christmas in the Park and follow that by stuffing ourselves silly at The Spaghetti Factory. I never ever get good Santa photos....but in this one, Santa was telling Willow something. No idea what. I am just worried what he might have promised to bring her.

Coming clean!

2009-11-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

I think its time I came clean about Billy. I only post and send pics of me riding him. Never with me on the ground. Its because I have a dirty little secret. He's not really a horse. Nope. Measured him and he's seriously a hair shy of horse height. I guess he would technically be a pony...maybe. But I can't admit it. So I did what any pony-fearing person would do. I coughed up the big bucks for horseshoes. Now, when you measure him....he's a horse. Just don't tell anyone how I did it. Was it worth it? You bet.
Here we are together. Me and my ~~pony~~ horse.

2009-11-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

Has it really been that long since I posted? Does anyone even read here anymore?
Well, looking back at my last couple posts, I can tell you this much:
Willow's front teeth finally came out.
Billy horse came home from training. He's a genius now.

In other news....Hayden got his braces on. I think he looks handsome. On a related note, I also feel broke. Silly dental insurance, why do I even pay premiums on you?
Made some major headway on the living room update. Need to get some pics of that. Which reminds me that its the time of year to start worrying about a Christmas card photo. Sheesh.

Just for kicks, the pic is Billy at the beach on September 13. The beach must be very relaxing...he is sound asleep. Yes, I know my jeans are too short. Will work on that!

Empty Nest Syndrome

2009-08-10T20:02:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, Dad and I loaded Billy boy into his little trailer and shipped him off....
The little fellow is going to Hollister for a solid month of formal education. He should be smart when he gets back! He will be smart and I will be poor. Maybe his smarts can buy us both dinner! He was pretty freaked out when he got out of the trailer and saw a kajillion other horses that he had never met. He also looked pretty freaked out when we pulled away...without him! However, the big freak out was when dad pulled up home with the empty trailer. Billy's horse friend Major kept trying to look in the trailer....looking for his friend. He seemed concerned, but not so concerned that he didn't want a handful of hay. What will I do with my free time for a month?!?!?!

Not my baby

2009-06-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

I fear that this may be one of the last photos of Willow with her baby teeth. Yes, she is 7. Yes, she should have lost them already. But I always tell her not to wiggle her teeth or she will get sick (is that wrong?) But they are wiggling! And she was eating corn on the cob and said that her teeth hurt. Uh oh. I better get her to a decent photographer, pronto!

Baby!!!

2009-06-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

I was watering this morning and hummingbird kept attacking me. I looked up a teeny bit and realized that my head was inches from a nest that I didn't know was there. And there was a baby in it. She's sitting there with her baby now, it is so cute.

Neighborhood Safe House

2009-06-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid and kids actually walked home from school without a parent, there were these "safe houses" or block houses I think they were called. Basically, some mom that stayed home had a sign up in the window that you could stop there if you needed help. I think the idea was that you knew there would be someone there that could assist you if Chester the Molester was following you. We always got a big lecture on the first day of school that you shouldn't stop there for a drink or a potty break, etc...
Well, I was out front watering and I noticed a little sign in the window facing the street. I think its been there a while. Best I can tell, its some type of signal, or sign, that this a is a safe place. Any little Pokemon or Picachu's or whoevers, can stop here. This is a Pokemon friendly zone! I took it down, but they keep reappearing. Mental note to self: Ask kids why we are displaying Pokemon cards in the front window. Also, note to self...clean the freaking windows!!!!

Waiting for the verdict

2009-05-22T19:14:00.001-07:00

Well, the long holiday weekend has begun and no verdict on the Fontana case came in yet. Hopefully Tuesday? You can watch Justice for Jeffrey for news when the verdict comes. I am sure he will post right away. Also, its a very interesting blog from the inside of the courtroom where the debate went on over who murdered Officer Fontana on October 28, 2001.

Cannonball!!!

2009-05-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to beat the ridiculous heat, we went swimming at my parents house today. I had some fun playing with the continuous shooting mode on my new camera. I love this one, even though Hayden is totally mid-air it also looks like he is sitting on the rock wall.

Marquee Fail

2009-05-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

Good thing that sign wasn't for the school spelling bee.
Oh, the top of the sign isn't tagged...I just covered up the school name to protect the innocent. I am not sure if it is worse that there is a spelling error or that it took me about three days to notice it. Hmm...

WTF Wednesday....workout edition!

2009-04-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

I guess its that time of year, when you're supposed to freak about bathing suit season. I am taking part in this annual ritual and trying to get into better shape. But there's all these barriers. Total "what the....." kind of barriers!
For example:
WTF stinky man at the gym. If I time my whole day to avoid the morning crowd, the scary TV time (really, ask me sometime!) and then the lunch crowd, I get there at 1pm. There are maybe three or four people in the cardio room. There are 50 or so machines. Now, these three people will usually be older ladies, riding the bikes in the back and chatting. Then there's me, using a treadmill in peace and quiet at the front. Then IT happens. Old guy. Sweat. Cologne that is gross on its own and worse over sweat. 30 empty treadmills. And you KNOW where he's going. Next to me, every time! I need to figure out what it is about me that attracts stinky old men (not you Gary!)
So since the gym isn't working out for running lately, I gotta take it to the streets. Then there's that whole pesky stray big dog thing that gives me mini heart attacks (hey, do mini heart attacks burn any calories???Hmmm...). So in taking it to the streets, I have two more WTF issues.

WTF My shoes. I have pretty much always worn Nike Triax or Nike Pegasus. They work pretty good for my strange stride. I put a couple hundred miles on them, then go get a new pair, never had any issues. Now keep in mind, these run about a hundred bucks. I get my most recent pair and these things are terrible. They hurt my shins, my back and my knees. I need to replace them already. Ridiculous.

WTF Running skirts. These cute little running skirts have been popular the last year or so and I'd been wanting one but having a hard time justifying it since I have too many pairs of running shorts. Well, I found a cute one on sale and decided to give it a try today. HAHAHAHA! These are designed for anything BUT running! They are a teeny bit big on me, so my can of pepper spray was pulling them down (see: big dog phobia!). If you dare break the speed of a quick jog, the skirt part flops everywhere. So these are now relegated to walks with the girls and maybe some gym time, but street running? Never again.

Maybe getting in shape is too complicated.

Cheapskate's Guide to the Universe

2009-04-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, I covet organization. Yet it mysteriously eludes me and chaos reigns. Looking at cool websites and magazines doesn't help. And the best ideas cost real money. But the homework situation was getting out of control when the kids start fighting and whining about crayons. Its a never ending cacophony of "I can't find blue" then "but she has the only sharp brown" and "I can't do this without red, all the reds are broken." I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that the crayon box looks like this.
I am constantly buying new boxes of crayons but it always ended the same way...the crayons were sentenced to a sad life in the crayon box. So I start thinking that I can use a crayon organizer. A kinder teacher at school has the coolest ones, but her husband made them out of nice wood and it apparently wasn't cheap. So the next stop, naturally, is the web. Lakeshore Learning and a couple of other places have some really nice ones. For $20 plus dollars! Like this one. I am way too cheap for that. So this is what Frankenstein Mommy comes up with....a $1 plastic shoe box from Target and a set of $2.99 acrylic purple glasses (they came in many colors, but the fighting over that is a story for another day!). You can even put the plastic lid that comes with the box on to keep the whole thing from getting out of whack! Throw in a cool sharpener, and all my troubles are over, baby!Next stop......the shed. Its a tomb for broken, sunbleached and cracked outdoor toys.

Easter fun

2009-04-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

Ahh..Easter has come and gone. I did my part to get all the Reese's eggs out of the house. In keeping with traditions, the kids would not cooperate with photos of their cute outfits and they had chocolate on their faces most of the day anyhow. Here's a couple quick ones. Attitude supplied by Willow.

Cowgirls Don't Cry

2009-03-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

It's not true. Cowgirls do cry. Let me narrate this for you.
Mom: Willow, you can't ride him today. Let's walk him back inside so we can go.
Willow: NO! You said I can ride Billy. NOO!!!Willow: No, I am not leaving. I want to ride!
Mom: Quit crying, let's go.

Willow: Stop taking my picture! You better delete that! STOP!
Mom: Ok, I deleted it, let's go.

hee-hee. Guess I forgot to delete it!! :)

Finally...the laundry

2009-03-04T17:54:00.000-08:00

I will never ever admit to how long this took, from start to finish, but the laundry room is DONE. It is complete with white cabinets, new washer and dryer, peg hook rack, clothesline, folding counter, framed photos and overflowing odd sock basket.

I am sad to report that the laundry does not do itself in this new and improved situation.

The Mystery of Diada

2009-02-27T20:43:00.000-08:00

So this week we are getting out of the car and walking into the grocery store. Its after school. Hayden is hungry, I have to pee and Willow is yap, yap, yapping along. She keeps asking me what a Diada is. I say to her that I don't know. She asks what it means then. We're still walking through the parking lot. I ask her where she heard it and she tells me at school and then starts pestering me to tell her what or who Diada is. I cannot explain to her that I have no idea. She just doesn't accept that. I keep asking for more information on where SHE heard it. She says it wasn't from a friend, that it was in the classroom but she doesn't tell me more. Exasperated, I pretty much start ignoring her but she won't let up. A few minutes later she said, well it was in a song. I ask her what song and she says "the one that goes Boom Diada Boom Diada Boom Diada Boom Diada". When it clicks what song she is singing, I crack up like a maniac and everyone in Nob Hill is judging me as such.
At any rate, she has a new favorite song and sings it all day. She's been out in the yard serranding the flowers with repeated lines of "I love the daffodils". Too bad she sings it to the tulips.

Tahoe...in photos

2009-02-22T16:07:00.000-08:00

Ahh...back from Tahoe and its time to face the laundry. Sigh. But here are some photos of the trip. We had some smiles:And some blood:And some pretty good crashes:

And even Dad got in on the fun and caught some air himself:

Alas, the muddy laundry awaits and school starts tomorrow. Maybe we should just buy new clothes??

Who you callin' fat?

2009-02-13T22:37:00.001-08:00

I walk into my bathroom last night and there's this Post-It note above my sink. Hard to see but it says No Breakfast with a little drawing of a sad face. What?! No breakfast? I love breakfast! It's one of my three favorite meals! Who could have left this note? And why? I turn around for a quick glance at the rear view...things are no bigger than yesterday. Why the note? My jeans are fitting O.K. Still wondering who could have done this and why in the world they think I do not deserve my morning meal. It can't be the kids...they write like serial killers and this note is totally legible. The animals clearly didn't put it there as their lack of opposable thumbs would make this a difficult task. The only option left is either a: My husband or b: a strange intruder. I would almost prefer to think its an intruder. Gary certainly values our marriage far too much to suggest I skip breakfast. This had me perplexed til Gary walked by the office and mentioned not to take his note down off the mirror. Because he had to get up at 4 and be at work early. For that physical he told me about. For a blood test. A fasting blood test. And he didn't want to accidentally eat.
Oh.
Um, yeah I remembered that. Right.

Like the Wind, Bullseye....

2009-02-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

So this is Major. He's the big guy where our little Billy lives and it goes without saying that Major is everyone's darling. He is the sweetest guy and hopefully his manners rub off on Billy. And this horse is HUGE. Here's a shot of Major making a run around the arena. Too bad he has a blanket on, he is gorgeous. Did I mention huge???

Happy Hound

2009-01-28T20:08:00.001-08:00

So, I don't really like dogs. Sure, I like my dog. And I like other dogs I've had. And I like dogs that belong to people I know. I absolutely love my dog, Elleigh. She's the sweetest dog. I HATE strange dogs. I hate that half the town thinks the park next to my house is a dog park. Seriously, I carry pepper spray just to walk MY dog there. Everyone else lets their beasts run off leash. Doesn't help that BOTH the kids have been bitten (more on that later, Willow, now known as DogChow, got seen by the doc today about her scars. All good news on that front). As usual, I digress. Here's my oaf of a dog...and yeah, she likes to run, believe it or not. No matter that the judges on the Purina Dog Show said that you can time a basset with a calender. NOT NICE!
Here she is, all the way from Alabama....Elleigh

Super Cute Valentine's Day Swap

2009-01-15T22:44:00.000-08:00

In a fit of late night surfing (rather than laundry folding) I found this cute Valentine's Day Swap and just had to jump in. So here are my answers to the quiz. So looking forward to getting to know the other participants!

What is your idea of a romantic Valentine’s Day? Any dinner that I don't have to make myself. It could be mac n cheese...as long as I didn't cook it.
In reality, what is your Valentine’s Day really like? Usually its dinner at a decent place, jsut the two of us, but a couple days before or after Valentine's Day. It is just so much nicer without the crowds but then again we do miss out on staring at the "date people".
If you could have a lifetime supply of your favorite sweet indulgence, what would it be? Warm chocolate chips cookies.
Is there any sweet treat you absolutely do not like? Candy hearts, licorice, gum.
If you fell into a pool of chocolate, how would you get out? I would stay in a while and um, think about it?!?! Maybe have a bite or two while waiting!

Welcome WTF Wednesdays

2009-01-14T22:19:00.000-08:00

Well, the time has come for me to jump on the WTF Wednesday bandwagon. I mean, why not? There's always something applicable going on around these parts. Here we go..

WTF... substitute calling system. Why do you have to be like a bad boyfriend, only calling when you're desperate, late at night? Why do you only want me when I have plans, but when I am broke and bored, I can't seem to find you? Seriously.

WTF hoodlums at the basketball court. Don't you see little kids waiting there for hours just to shoot some hoops? And if you're gonna hang out there, maybe just cut back on the outright swearing in front of kids and if you could lay off the dope too that would be great. Sheesh, we get the munchies after walking past the basketball court. And this is the good neighborhood??!

You too can join the WTF Wednesday bandwagon. I got all hooked up at Charming and Delightful.

http://charmingdelightful.blogspot.com/

Boiler Plant

2008-11-09T20:40:00.000-08:00

When we were kids, we'd go with my mom all the time to pick up Dad's check before the bank closed. Dad worked at the Veteran's Administration Hospital for 39 years, running the steam boiler plant. He provided power to the whole hospital. It was always neat to go there, the door had an alarm that was LOUD when we went it and the boilers are huge, hot, loud machines. Not really child proofed. On the way out, Dad would open the little hatch and let us see the fire in the boiler. Good times. We took Dad and the kids up today to see the whole operation. They were duly impressed and learned a lot about how electricity is made. They even learned about condensate return and generators. Hayden thought it was just like being on the Science Channel. Willow thought it was loud and Dad just thought it was great having the kids see it all.

Halloween Cuties

2008-11-06T21:51:00.000-08:00

Well, the big day has come and gone. Hayden wanted to be Ash Ketchum, the legendary Pokemon trainer. Problem: They don't sell Ash costumes at Target. They do however, sell them on Ebay. For about $50. Not happening. Thanks to Grandma, we got a one of a kind Ash costume. The photo doesn't do it justice, his arms were blocking the vest, but she made it just from looking at a picture. Willow was a little simpler...she wanted to be a cowgirl. She already had jeans and boots and Hayden had a hat to loan her. A quick trip to the Boot Barn turned up a cowgirl shirt (from the boys section...ssshhh!) and she was set. She used Hayden's stick horse and pranced along the sidewalk. They aren't much for trick or treating, but we covered a few streets and got lots of candy. I had to eat it. Candy is bad for kids, you know!!

Brian Black 1975 - 2008

2008-09-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

We miss him so badly. Ride on, Bucky.

Is this normal???

2008-08-21T23:52:00.000-07:00

I doubt many people would stick a first grader on a horse that is still being broken to ride. We must be really "special" people because indeed, this is Willow sitting high atop Billy. Moments later, Brian rode Billy for the first time ever. You can tell how happy he is in this photo....not so sure about the horse though!

Skank Baby, Skank!!

2008-08-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Retailers,
My six year old is not a skank. Please stop dressing her like one.
Thanks!

Sigh....Willow just jumped to the next size. Apparently size 4-6 is normal little girls clothing. The next section is 7 -12/14. See a problem? I do. Twelve and 14 year olds WANT to show off their booties. On the flipside of the backside issue is that first graders are generally horrified if anyone seers their skivvies. Her bottom is sticking out of the jeans! Poor little thing tried on about 40 pairs of jeans this week to find something that doesn't show off her Princess panties when she sits down. All the cute jeans with embroidery and sparkles are too low cut. Finally after much dragging around town we found some basic, no frills jeans that somehow cover her backside. Unfortunately the no frills part is also no thrills....she wants the sparkles. SO, it looks like I will be sewing this weekend, adding a little something to those jeans. I figure I will have them done in time for her to be growing out of them! Off to find my thimble.....

Summer Fun Photo Contest

2008-08-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

There's a great photo contest over at 5 Minutes For Mom.Com
Here's my entry...Willow leaping off the back of the boat in August, with a look of pure joy. Make sure to enter your own summer photo in this great contest!

Milestones

2008-08-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

When you are raising two little monkeys disguised as human babies, its all about the milestones. I realize most moms anxiously await the traditional milestones. You know, the big stuff. Sleeping through the night, walking, talking, potty training. Those might be traditional, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. I count the more meaningful milestones. Like being about to give me more than 2 seconds notice when they are going to throw up. Being able to climb in the car and buckle themselves up. Being able to run to the fridge in the garage and get me a cold Diet Coke. A great day is when your preschooler can run outside solo and get the newspaper (especially good on cold winter mornings...besides, little kids love to see their breath in the air)!

Over the summer we've reached three big milestones. First, I can send Hayden all over Nob Hill when I am in line and forget something. And now, after years of working on this ~~trick~~ milestone, he consistently comes back with the right item! He'll even ask for help reaching it. This is a milestone that works for me!

Willow reached a big one too. She can whisper to me in the morning "Can I go downstairs"? She can set herself up with T.V for a good 30 minutes while I catch some more sleep. I think with work, she will be able to pour cereal this year. :)

And then there's the one negative milestone. Willow has memorized my cell phone number. And she knows how to use the house phone. What this does for her, is she can now call me on those Sunday afternoons that I use to go the gym and run errands while her Daddy is home. It's great, she keeps me up to date on the instances that Dad sends her to her room FOR NO REASON (this is usually accompanied by many tears and a muffled voice as she tries to keep Daddy from realizing she is on the phone upstairs). She can also give me a holler to let me know that Dad has apparently up and walked out leaving her home alone...no, it never occurs to her to look as far as the backyard.

Milestones, people, its all about the milestones.

Speaking of school

2008-08-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

Here's an annual tradition the kids inflict upon me.
So, we spend the whole summer acting as cruise directors for these monsters, um, darlings. We've done Mexico where they swam with dolphins, body surfed, swam played mini golf and much much more. We've used our boat....they tubed, knee boarded, went fishing, more swimming. We went hiking and to the beach more times than I can count. We went to the Oakland Zoo. You name it, we did. We're going to the Monterey Aquarium this week.

So what is the tradition you ask? Well, when the teacher has them do their first journal entry about what they did this summer....Hayden is going to write about video games and Willow about T.V. Guaranteed.

Welcome to my world.

School Countdown Starts!

2008-08-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

School countdown starts now. We are back in 13 days. Of course this means a return to homework, a schedule, bedtime and that fun stuff. I really prefer to let them run wild. They are so tan and lean from summer. Wish I could say the same!!! At least they will both be on the same daytime schedule for the first time ever!