old lady

This afternoon we were getting ready to go for a bike ride at a friend's house and Porter ran to the car while I locked the front door. I turned around from locking the door and this old lady was stopped in her car, on the other side of the road looking at Porter. I just stood there staring at her until she looked at me and started shaking her head. I wanted so badly to flip her off but because she was an old lady I didn't. Instead I said "fuck you" quietly to myself. I don't understand what she was shaking her head about? Porter ran down the sidewalk and was on our front lawn standing next to the car. Over a year ago a woman scolded me for letting Porter ride his little bike on the sidewalk. He was about three feet away from me and she said to me "he could go into the street". I just stared at her until she turned around but seriously if my child was the type to run in the street do you think I would let him be that far away from me? I wonder if the old lady that shook her head at me today would shake her head at a mom who is feeding her child a happy meal for lunch? We all get to raise our children the way we want to and that is one of the best things about being a parent.

cold

Today we spent most of the day inside the house trying to stay warm. It was cold outside but not that cold so I don't know why I was so cold all day. We just played and hung out until around 1:30 when we all took a nap. When we woke up I fed the kids and then walked up to Bird Park. Porter and Liesl had a fun time at the park but Liesl's hands were really cold so we did not stay for very long. Porter just went to sleep around 11:30 and he has school in the morning so it is probably going to be a rough morning.

Open House

Tonight was open house at Porter's school and it was really fun for Porter to play with Jason in the classroom. My Mom and Dad showed up late but the kids really loved seeing them there. We hung out in the room for a little while and then went up to the sanctuary so the kids could sing some songs. It totally threw me when Porter did not want to go up there so I picked him up and walked up to the front thinking we could sit down by the teachers. Porter threw a huge fit and only calmed down when I walked to the back of the room. After a few minutes he wanted to go back up to the front to watch, so we did and he enjoyed it. I know Porter has to observer new situations before getting involved so I don't know why I was surprised tonight. With circus class it took him a while to get into it and it was the same thing when there was a new teacher. I just thought because it was school and all his school friends that it would not be a problem. I wonder how old he will be before he decides he is ready to do it. Liesl was saying poo poo on the ride to the school and peed in the potty when we got there. On the way home she was yelling it again and went in the potty when we got home. I can't believe she is potty learning without much work on my part.
I made a cute little skirt for a birthday present for my friend's daughter. I am not sure if she reads this blog or not but I am going to post a picture if it anyway.

mystery flour

I was making some banana bread for playgroup yesterday morning and as I was adding the flour I could not remember what was in this little jar. It was a really fine powder and when I tasted it I could not tell what kind of four it was but I put some in the bread anyway. Last night my friend and I were talking about making seitan and as I was driving today I remembered the the mystery flour was vital wheat gluten.
Tonight we have an open house at Porter's school so it should be fun!

8:30

Yesterday was the first day that I missed a post but I fell asleep at 8:30PM and I did not want to get up to post. Yesterday Liesl woke up at 6:30AM saying she needed to go to the bathroom so I got up and she pooped and I fed her and then I went back to sleep.
Yesterday we went to OB to look at the waves, walk on the pier and eat some food. Porter did not like the pier and wanted us to carry him so we did not walk very far. Whenever we do something that we have not done in a long time we say "we should do this again" but it will probably be another 6 months before we do. We just do not take advantage of all the great things there are to do here in San Diego.
I have some banana bread in the oven and I need to get ready to go over to my friend's house for playgroup.

Welcome to Hollywood!

I was a little nervous to leave the kids overnight but once we got on the road that feeling left and we had an easy drive up to LA. We met Esther's friends at the Farmers Market for a drink and to hang out before dinner. Dinner was at a cute little Mexican restaurant with tasty margaritas and yummy food. A cup of lentil soup just like my mom's came with every meal and it was delicious. I have my own recipe for lentil soup but I want to try and make it like my mom does. After dinner we went to the Cha Cha Lounge in Silverlake. We had a great time talking, drinking and meeting new people. One of the coolest things about the bar was the old time photo booth where you could get a strip of photos for only $2. I think it is such a great idea and think it would be so cool if the Pink Elephant or the Casbah had one.

crazy kids

Porter was having a really hard time today but once we got to the park and my friend gave him a little toy pig and he stopped crying. He is sleeping right now and Liesl would like to sleep but I just can't nurse her anymore. I am off to LA in 20 minutes.

yellow

Yellow is the color of the crayon that ended up in the dryer with a load of whites. Fortunately most of our whites are socks, pajamas and underwear so nothing too great was damaged. Well this one dress that my mom bought for Liesl has a lot of yellow on it. I need to look and see if there is anyway to get it out of the dress.
I had to get up at 6:30AM to feed Liesl and I was not very happy about it. Liesl is definitely going through a growth spurt, today she ate a bowl of oatmeal, 3 bananas, veggies and rice, veggie chili, lentil soup and half a sandwich. She has also been going to the bathroom in the little potty and even took a nap this afternoon without a diaper. I did not do it on purpose but she fell asleep when I was nursing her and I did not realize she was diaper free until she woke up. I need to start working on it now but I am a little lazy. I am going to LA tomorrow for the night and I can't wait!

baking soda

Two friends told me a few weeks ago that they use baking soda and lotion as an underarm deodorant. It kind of freaked me out at first but I started using it a week ago and I love it. It is so easy and inexpensive I can't imagine ever going back to a deodorant stick. I just wonder if I can pre mix it and put it in a jar?

nothing

I have noting to write about this evening, I could talk about my day but I just don't feel like it. I guess this is what happens when you try and blog every day for a year. This photo was taken last Mother's Day in Saint George UT, it kind of makes me want long hair again.

teach me how to wrestle

Porter has really been into wrestling lately and he has asked me two times now to teach him how to wrestle. Today when he asked I told him that he needed his daddy to teach him. Jason said that he could not teach him because he did not know how to wrestle himself. I tried to teach him again but I don't really know how so it just ends with me running around the house tickling the kids. Porter does not realize that he already knows how to wrestle, check out this move.

Juno

Jason and I went to see Juno tonight at the theatre in Hillcrest where we went on our first date. It was such a cute movie, I loved it.
Earlier today we went over to my parent's house to watch the game and eat. Some of our friends came over too so we had a really nice time.
I had a friend tell me recently that I like to talk trash and it kind of bummed me out. I used to talk too much trash when I was younger and I really try to not do it anymore but I guess I need to try harder. I told a different friend this week that I did not like a mutual acquaintance. I hate that I said that because it is not that I dislike her it is just that we don't have a lot in common. I have a lot to work on.
Time to watch ER.

breakfast

We walked up to The Mission for breakfast today and the kids were great. Jason and I used to go out to breakfast every weekend with friends before we had kids. It was so much fun meeting up with our friends after a night of partying and chatting about the night. When we had Porter we still went to breakfast but it was hard, and the older he got the harder it was so we eventually stopped going. I think the kids are better now because they are older and got a lot of practice on our recent Utah trip. I don't think we will ever go to breakfast every weekend again but once a month would be nice. I am so happy we are moving forward in our parenting and not having anymore children.

A new photo.

tragic

Dennis Potts was my little sister's friend from elementary school through high school. He was her first boyfriend in 5th grade and he was just arrested yesterday for the murder of his ex girlfriend and baby. Max Corn was my mom's customer and also a good friend of my little sister. I was at my mom's store and all the customers are talking about it. I hope justice is served.

LA

All I can think about right now is my 24 hour trip to LA at the end of the month. I am so excited I could cry.

What this?

This evening when I took Liesl out of the bath she was looking at her water soaked fingers and said "what this?" She kept on saying it over and over again and was getting frustrated rubbing them together trying to get them back to normal. It was really cute to see her discover something new. I feel like I am in this cloud all the time that I hardy ever stop to appreciate and enjoy these little discoveries Porter and Liesl have on a daily basis.

A photo of little L walking down the street carrying an empty wine bottle.

a bad day at work

I knew today was going to be bad when I was getting frustrated this morning feeding Liesl. I want Liesl to eat and if I let her feed herself half the food goes in her mouth and the other half all over the place. I hate to clean so I am constantly trying to make as little mess as possible. Anyway, for me it is just easier to feed her and I was getting angry that she was not focusing on eating. The irrational part of my brain is saying "open your mouth and eat the damn food" the rational part is saying "she is only 22 months what do you expect". I decided that I needed to go to the book store before Jason leaves for Portland and we don't know when that will be so I had to go today. Porter was not listening to me and wanted to buy a $17 book and was throwing a fit when I said no. I told him we could go to the library and try to find it so he did calm down eventually. I was looking for a book and Liesl riped the plastic wrap off another book so I ended up having to buy it. I could have just put it back on the shelf but it was not the right thing to do. We left the book store and I got a call from a friend so, I went over to her house. Porter just wanted to play with the trains and was throwing another fit when I told him to just play outside. We went home and I decided to make a cake while the kids played in their room. I let them eat cake and ice cream for lunch. I was in an "I don't care" mood and they enjoyed the treats. I had my share of frosting and cake too so, I am doing really well with my resolution to eat better, cough. Porter wanted to ride his bike to the park so we did and it was a nice little ride. I have a rule that if you take a toy to the park you have to share it and he did not want to share his car so we went home. Porter cried the three blocks home because he wanted me to put my hand on his handle bars because he said his legs hurt. It was really fun pushing Liesl on her bike and Porter screaming on his bike behind me. Porter fell asleep on the couch 5 minutes after we got home. I made dinner and then had a totally unproductive night at knitting.

nope

Just a photo again, maybe a real post in a few days.

tonight

birthday

Today was Jason's birthday so we brought him some lunch from Influx. This evening we went to Urban Solace with some friends and then to the Pink Elephant for drinks. We rode our bikes there and it was cold but a fun ride. We ran into our talented friends Mike and Paula who we have not seen in over a year so it was great to see them again. I am off to bed now because we have to wake up early to pick up the cleaning lady, yay!

Clash

This has not been a very good night and I don't want to write about it so I will just post a cute video of Liesl dancing with her doll to London Calling.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Skinny Bitch

I started reading Skinny Bitch yesterday and it has made me seriously think about switching to a vegan diet. I have read a lot of books in the last four years and I know that a vegan diet is ideal I just never thought I could seriously do it. I know I could easily be a vegetarian but that really is no better than an omnivore and if I am going to do it I should just go all the way. My only concern is if I should make the kids go vegan too. I know Jason will not change but he is not picky and will eat what I make. I have a lot to think about and I will have to have my vegan friends come over to my house and go through my food and tell me what is okay and not.

Whole Foods

I am a frequent Whole Foods shopper and some weeks if I have not planned well I go more than once a week. In all the years I have never had a rude bagger until today. I was pushing the "kid cart" with a coffee in my hand, Porter and Liesl were running around the store with their superhero capes on and smoothies in their hands so, I was a mess. I spilled my coffee on a display of chocolate when I was trying to put the lid on and I just wanted to get out of the store. I went to check out and I gave the bagger my bag but, all the food did not fit in it so I just told him to put it in the cart. I thought he would put the bag in the cart and then put the few things that did not fit in the car around it. Instead of doing what was the clearly logical thing he put the extra items in the cart and left the bag on the counter. I thought he was going to offer me help, like he offered the woman in front of me but he did not. How did he think I was going to carry a bag, push the cart and carry my coffee? I then had to take out the items from the car so I could put the bag in it while the bagger just looked at me and never once asked me if I needed help.

fence or plants

The dog or dogs that have picked the nice grass right by my driveway are driving me crazy. Wait that is wrong, it is the dog owners that are driving me crazy. I had to park on the street today because there is so much dog diarrhea right by the door I had to be careful not to step in it when I put Porter in the car today. I want to put up a fence but that costs money we don't have so I am thinking of taking out the grass by the sidewalk and putting in a row of spiky plants. It sucks that we would even have to do that but seriously it is disgusting and not my responsibility to pick up after dogs.

a funny photo

Luci and I on Friday night. I don't know what the hand is all about because I know I was not on drink number five.

Dumbing Us Down

My sister came over today to lend me a book she just read about public schools. It is called Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto and I am scared to read it. My older sister read it a year ago and said that you can not read the book and then send your child to public school. I am already on the line about pulling Porter out of preschool and I am afraid I might take him out after this. I guess at this point I am not prepared to make the homeschooling decision and I am still not sure what we are going to do. I really feel that when you know better, you must do better and I am not sure I am ready to start reading and researching this yet.

good night

This was just what I needed.

New Years Resolutions

Okay so I made a list a few years ago but never really stuck to it so here is my attempt at making some resolutions/goals for this new year.

1. eat better
2. get in shape
3. do more with the kids
4. learn to sew better
5. fix the foundation
6. keep up with car maintenance
7. knit more pole warmers
8. watch more movies with Jason
9. distribute mors bags
10. read more books
11. set up a sewing room
12. clean the house more
13. buy a retainer so my teeth don't move anymore
14. buy new glasses
15. the nutcracker
16. landscaping
17. make curtains for the kids room
18. make more kids clothes
19. cook more vegan meals
20. have friends over more often

That is all I can think of right now

day three

It is late again and I am trying to make my daily post. Today ended with an impromptu mors bag sewing party. It was fun and I can't wait to do it again. Tomorrow if Friday and maybe I will get a really post in here sometime this weekend. I still want to write out my resolutions.

day two

Day two of the 365 challenge and I finally got the computer away from Jason. At this point I am too tired to get a real post in so I am just going to list some things that I wanted to write about. Hopefully I can get to them tomorrow sometime if Liesl takes a long enough nap.
1. boy at park today
2. new years resolutions
3. preschool

I know there was more but I can't think of them right now. I leave you with a picture Jason took this summer on our porch.

New Years Eve

The kids spent the night at their Grammy and Papa's house so we could have the night off. It was the first time we have ever left them overnight and they both did really well. Sara, David, Josh, Jessica, Tommy and her friend came over and we drank 4 bottles of champagne before we went to the Pink Elephant. We had such a fun night listening to the Bowie cover band and dancing afterwards. My feet were killing me by the time we left but it was all worth it. We went to Jack in the Box afterwards and the line was so long it took forever. I found Jason's pipe in the glove box so Josh and Jason shared a bowl of tobacco. There was so much smoke blowing out the windows we were laughing so hard, the people behind us probably thought it was another kind of smoke. We got home and I turned on the Karaoke machine but I was booed off the stage. The neighbors came over and they were drinking whisky with Jason until 4AM. I went to bed a little before that but I was so tired this morning that we just slept all day. I did not drink that much so I was not hungover this morning, just tired.
Check out some more photos on my profile over at Jason's new site whatcouldit.be.