Haa... I sit here trying to type a post about my soon to be two year old. The little girl who was so quiet when I met her and now has spunk and a set of lungs.
Even with the battle of croup that has made from not only long nights but days..
So I took a moment to read a friends blog and she puts my name down and tags me. Seven things wow...

1. I have not eaten meat in 31 years. Do not miss a hamburger and have no memory of eating one. In the old days before chicken or fish at mc Donald's I ordered a Big Mac without the meat. The guy behind the counter would yell "Big Mac hold the cow".

2. I am a boob specialist. Gee wont be telling my kids that anytime soon. Working at Victoria Secret and run the front desk. Not my calling boobs are.

3. My house is a wreck. Trying to organize things has lead to a major mess. You inspire me Nicole. I have enough fabric for dozens of quilts. Time to put one together.

4. I love to bake hate to cook. Will attach my pumpkin bread recipe at the bottom. Make pumpkin pancakes at preschool that the kids love.

5. We are done expanding our family. Tough words but so right for our family. Sierra is meant to be the baby.

6. My dream has always been to live out in the country. A farm with animals.

7. I have 5 wonderful (ok they can be brats) kids and 2 step kids. My step kids have children the same ages of my kids.

Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Bread

3 cups suggar
3 ½ cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
2 c canned pumpkin
½ cup chopped dates
½ cup chopped nuts
Chocolate chips
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well and place remaining ingredients into the well. Mix and place in well greased pans. Bake at 350 degree preheated oven for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Makes 3 small or 2 large loaves. 12 juice can.

We bid you goodbye.

What a sad week. It actually started over a month ago when our obnoxious neighbor called animal control. See we are abusing our dog the one we love. Let loose in the house and whom the baby think is a big stuff animal. His weight loss came fast and with kids under tow and teenagers I noticed it but did not find the time to run to the Vet. We did take him in and spent $500 to learn little. He had lost weight (since we told them first do they charge less?) and they took blood that did not look awful at all. We went home and spoiled him. Hot dogs, puppy food, love and care and more weight loss. I panicked and asked Chuck to take him in. See he can manage the kids and do and any news much better so why not? Back to the vet and $500 more and still nothing. They tried to x-ray him but he got to excited so they asked us to bring him in early and let him relax before they tried the next day.

I took him in Friday morning and she wanted to just take an x-ray. I said no he needs to relax first as the doctor ordered so please don't stress him out. I am thankful I did as when the call came I was with my kids and able to fall apart in company. They said the cancer was everywhere. I was asking about worms in his stools and if that could be it how could it be cancer and we were losing him. How long? and it only gets worse. It was time now. We asked if we could take him home and say our goodbyes ( this is with huge tears as I type this) and we did. We a family of loving children held, cried, red and just enjoyed our last hours. Our sweet baby is gone. At peace but gone... He passed 16 years to the day that I lost my sister. What a tough day...

Do children know? She is wiping his eyes did he know? We bid you goodbye for now but we will one day be together again...

Shake me baby...

So a little reminder is always good right? I have shopping to do tomorrow. Seems we are low on can food, diapers and a few basics that we need to survive what 5-7 days on our own. My husband better have thick skin and patience because I HATE earthquakes. So yes today is a reminder to get our shit together. Be prepared and buy what we need for so we wont need them :).

I Quit

So two weeks ago today I quit my job. Yes put in writing that I no longer would be working there as of today. Why am I still on the schedule then one would ask. Do people not take me serious. Ok so that is a dumb question as my children seem to follow the same path. Clean your room is one example. Put your dirty dishes in the sink is yet another.
Well the two weeks are up and they bought themselves a few extra days but two more weeks? See I agreed to take on more responsibility but I hate my boss. He is the typical Ambercombie guy with the attitude. Cute ok but stop dead in your tracks? NO. He is rude to customers and less then friendly. With this change in position came more money. Oh but wait I told you about a raise but I made a mistake over a month ago your not getting it. Thus the notice but it seems I must be doing ok at my job as they are trying to convince the district manager that I should get it. Now we are taking minimal and way below what I should be paid so give me a break. Like they are doing me such a huge favor.
So the real reason for posting my adorable kids I know. Wow how they grow. My son asks all the time. Mom is this healthy will it make me grow? He got so upset the other day saying that no matter how much he eats he isn't growing "look" he proclaims as he points to himself. The whole adorable package of cuteness.
His sister on the other hand is determined to drive everyone nuts. If she wants it its hers. If you have it she wants one. So all day we get "I want one" or "Mine".

Sunny days with dark clouds

We enter summer with all kinds of plans. The best is laying in bed in the morning and not having to rush off to anywhere. This has been the best part of summer so far. I will not question why my youngest is the best at snuggling for hours on end. Given a bottle and a bag of chips she can lay in bed (on dads side) all morning. This will teach dad not to buy potato chips.
Our four year old is at camp two days a week. He can choose one of so many things to do while there. They teach the kids knitting, sewing, beading. He can spend all his time in the clay room making what ever his hands want. What does my son do? He digs in the sand box and rolls down the grass hill. And with the best smile on his face and giggles that just make you want it to last forever.
Is there something about sand and grass that little boys cannot get enough of?
We are seeking a solution to screaming. Yes she at 20 months old screams if she does not get what she wants. You cringe with each shriek. It is ear piercing and it gets anyone and everyone staring at you wondering why you cannot control your child. I resort to bribing my 4 yr old to be on his best behavior, using inside voices no running you know the normal. I think we need to remain indoors for awhile till she stops screaming.
What else has she learned.. She rolls the windows down on the car with her tow. This is my second child that has figured out how to bend their toe to roll up or down the window. So triple digits and the window is down.
So the dark lining. It has been a tough few months but got worse the last few weeks. I finally pushed my insurance for another opinion. I have a lot left to see and do and I figured it was time for answers. What I got typical hmo style sorry we cant fix your ankles here try this brace oh and by the way your insurance wont pay for it. So I did to only learn it make my ankles worse. Walking is getting harder each day and still no fix. Only that what they say is causing it will also affect my heart.

Where did it go...

A month passes and again no entry no matter how much I promise. From little ones to teens and then work it just never gives a moment to journel.

Work moved into a new store that is 3 times the size of the old one and the largest store in California. That makes more mess and more annoying kids who do not get what work means. Is it that hard to ask them to do more then just stand around and stare? Or complain they did not get a 15 minute break at exactly the two hour mark?

Teens are good the normal being teens.

So my issue a screaming 19 month old. Where did that quiet child who made not a t peep when we got her go? She has this screech if she does not get her way. So what do you think happened? Yes you got it she was given her way to make the screaming stop and we created a big monster. So now we suffer as we fix our mistakes. Think I should warn our neighbors.

So today my neighbor asked if we lived on Whisteria lane. Our tiny dead end street that is impossible to find has a weekly visit from the sheriff. Not that any one house gets the call it is spread pretty evenly. Some are just dumb calls while others seem more interesting. So why was the crime investigation unit on our street the other night? No one knows still. The house is rented and the owner has no clue. The house is closed so you cannot see inside are they hiding?

How sweet they are

I decided to bake today and my little one decided today was the day to get a chair and find out what is on the counter.

Yes life is good when mom is to busy taking pictures and lets you eat powder sugar. Yummm