I should have expected this...

Me: Zoey, How many times do Daddy and I have to tell you to stop doing that?
Zoey: Ummm, fourteen?

Ta-Dah!!

We attempted to go to church tonight, but when Max left after only 8 minutes, we decided to just give up and try again tomorrow. Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow I guess. So, we went to dinner and then to Barnes and Noble for some Saturday evening fun. In the kids section of the bookstore there is usually a side that has trees from Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood and a little platform and a stage. The only organized thing I have seen happen at this area was a story time. Never any production of any sort... that is, until tonight. I pulled Max away from the train section to go find some books, and he went running up on stage, turned around and said (very loudly), "TA-DAH!!" He then started dancing, (he's got some moves) and singing the ABCs. He was so loud that you could here him downstairs throughout the store. Although it was disturbing to other readers nearby (it was adults in the kids section anyway, so they quickly left) I let him go for a couple of minutes because it was so funny. And then Zoey joined in until we had to go. I don't know where he learned the whole "Ta-Dah" part... just a natural performer I suppose.

The EDGE Pan

I know I am a big dork, but I think this is cool... I am one of those people who loves the corner/edge pieces when you make brownies, and apparently am not the only one...

The Spanish Word for...

From very early on, Zoey has been making up words to add to her ever expanding vocabulary. Some have been good enough to actually land a permanent spot in our household. For instance, those body scrubber-sponge things that you put body wash on are "FUVEEs." She comes up with words on a daily basis as she is playing and chatting away. Well, recently Max has been learning some Spanish words for colors and body parts and Zoey has been helping him. Tonight,we discovered that not only is she an early Webster's Dictionary for the English Language, but bilingual as well. Yes, that is right, Zoey now makes up Spanish words as well. We were at the playground tonight when she handed us something and said it was "Andredada". We said, "What is that?" Answering, with a giggle, "That is Spanish for CAKE."
Good to know.

No Teeth -- Can't Eat

Zoey will lose her second tooth any day now. We were explaining to her that all of her teeth are going to eventually come out and be replaced with "big girl teeth." She thought about this for a while and then exclaimed, "If I lose all my teeth, how am I going to eat?"

WANTED: Missing Gingerbread Man

We have been playing the game Candy Land a lot lately. To quickly refresh your memory of the game, you pick cards with colors on them that follow a path and lead you to a party. Throughout the path their are "candy spots" and cards that correspond. The kids know if they get Abuela's Ice Cream (we have the Dora the Exporer version) that that is a good card and you may win. The Gingerbread Man, however, is really early along the path to the party, so if it is not one of the very first cards you draw, then it just sends you back to basically the beginning. Zoey has quickly learned that this is not the card you want to get... and yesterday I discovered that he has mysteriously disappeared. Now I am not pointing any fingers, I mean, the cards get scattered all over on a daily basis... but, how convenient that it is this card that has gone MIA. Let me know if you see him.

*Update: He has been found. Looks like no foul play was involved.

All I can say is...

...EEEWWWW

Warning: Not to read while eating... may destroy appetite

I have this great gift... almost daily, when driving around (or as a passenger, it doesn't matter) I see someone pick their nose. I know, how lucky am I? Seriously though, all of my driving is in stop-and-go, city-type traffic where I wait at stoplights a lot. It happens so much that it is no longer a surprise to see. It is like one of things where you don't want to look, but you have to keep looking to see what is going to happen... the whole time I know I have this look on my face that just says, EEWWWW, but still I can't turn away. Well, today, I had one of the funniest sights ever. I am sitting at the light when I glance over at the car to my right, and the driver (a male, which is typical, although I have seen a female which was way worse for some reason) was going at it... I had sunglasses on, which is key to being able to continue watching without getting caught. So, said male continued on and then reached in and started pulling out hairs. I KID YOU NOT. You could see him grimace each time and then check to see if he was successful!! So as my "eeww" face was forming, I, in my Jeep, noticed the driver of a Suburban on the other side of Mr. Nose-Picker's car also watching the action. Because Suburban and I were both higher than Nose-Picker, we had a good view of him and each other. Suburban and I noticed each other and couldn't help cracking up at the situation and each other for staring... Mr N-P... well, he was oblivious.

my little copycat

I haven't ever been one to say cuss words. Not for any reason... even when I was younger, I just didn't use them. I have to be really, really angry or upset for the words to enter my brain and still then leave my mouth. Because of this, watching my language around kids hasn't been an issue. What I didn't realize was that kids pick up on all kinds of things you say, and how you say them. Just today Zoey said some things that made me laugh because it sounded just like me...

We were driving to meet Ross for lunch, so I quickly called him on my cell phone to let him know we were on our way. Zoey asked for the phone to talk to him, so I handed it to her. She was telling him what we had been doing and then their was silence... and then she says, "Do you have anything else to tell me or are you done?" I had to laugh because that is what I say to Ross when he calls me on his drive home. It sounds a little mean I guess, but it is not said in a mean way or with negative thoughts... I just sometimes can't tell with Ross' cell phone if he is done talking to me or if it is a bad connection or if one of us has lost a signal. Anyway, I thought it was funny how she picked up on it.

On the same drive, we passed a playground...
Z: Look at that great playground, Mommy. We should go there sometime. The playground in Hermosa Beach.
Me: Oh yeah, I see it, Zoey. How did you know we were in Hermosa beach? (as opposed to Torrance, Redondo beach, Manhattan beach... all the cities here just run together)
Z: (with much drama) I have NO IDEA.

Diet... Simplified

I just thought I would share... with all the diet and nutrition books out there, this simple statement sums it up when thinking about our diets...

Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

To My Love...

Because of the numbers, a lot of people are getting married on our anniversary this year (7/7/07). I guess they think the luck will help them. When choosing a wedding date for us, luck was not a factor or a thought at the time...honestly it was things like chapel availability and vacation time. I do think ease of remembering (the 7/7 part) has been good for Ross, though. Anyway, be it luck or venue availability, a special day this has become. Sometimes I feel like we've been married a lot longer than our six years, other times, it feels like we have just begun. Either way, I am blessed to be married to my dear best friend, who makes me laugh each and every day.

I thought I would take a moment to share our story... Although nothing spectacular, we have found the hand of God has been very evident in leading our lives toward each other. It seems the decisions we made or that were made for us were leading us towards one another from early on. Ross and I were born in the same year. I grew up moving all around, Ross was in Denver the whole time. Ross went to the Air Force Academy for college and I went to Texas A&M... He had no big military influence in his family to lead him there and I had never even been to Texas! While in college, I dated a guy who's parents eventually play a part in our story. Ross was selected to go to Ohio for a special position as his first assignment, but there was a mistake in the numbers, so they called him to tell him he was heading to LA instead. I went to teach in Dallas, had a horrible experience, ran into my ex-boyfriend's dad one day,who told me to call him about a job. I got a job working for the Air Force, so I decided to pack up and leave for a job at Edwards, just north of LA. Because I was getting paid for the entire summer, I didn't want to start my new job until August, but they made me start in July. Because of this, I crossed paths with a girl, Paige, for two weeks (she was leaving). Although we only new each other for two weeks, she kept in touch with me and invited me down to meet her boyfriends roommate, who happened to be Ross. I guess the rest is history. I know everyone has a story, I just think ours is a bunch of funny "coincidences" that we can very specifically point to in our actual physical meeting. So to celebrate our day... here is my special montage:

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Zoey's Loose Tooth Picture

Here is a picture of Zoey and her missing tooth:

Base Sports Day

Sometimes, this is what Ross does at work.



(photo by Joe Juarez)

Zoey Logic

Church-going has been a struggle for us since Zoey was born. We would always see families with babies sleeping soundly in their car seats and just shake our heads. Even if Zoey fell asleep on the way, she would wake up the second we placed the car seat in the pew and it stopped moving. And when she woke up, it was with a scream! It didn't get any better. We spent many a time in the play room or outside. Max was a little bit better baby, but once he began moving, there was no keeping him still either. At least not for an hour long. It is getting better. Sometimes we last a good 45 minutes to our amazement, before Max declares loudly he is done and just runs out of the church. Zoey is required to stay the full time with me, though and has been doing very well. One thing that has worked lately with Zoey is to actually get her really dressed up. She picks out her dress or very pretty "church outfit" and it just works as another reminder to behave. I also try and tell her what is going on so that she pays attention and she now has very good days. Well, yesterday she was dressed and ready, but just hanging out in her room not wanting to go. Her cousin Rachel went in to see what was going on and talk to her. Rachel came out and gave me the report... Zoey had a plan and she needed Rachel to help her out. Zoey's logic...
"Rachel, you can go tell my mommy that I am not being good. Then, I have to stay in my room and we won't have to go to church."

I know, we are in trouble. She is not even five and plotting already.

Vacation Fun

We have some family in town and have been doing some fun things. One day we went to the Long Beach Aquarium. I didn't have my camera, but go to my sister's Blog and check out the pictures. Some of Zoey are cute, especially because she wanted to hold her Cousin Josh's hand the whole time.