Pony Trail

We met my sister and her kids at Griffith Park yesterday. The kids went on the train ride and on the pony trail. Porter rode the medium fast horse twice and the slow horse once.
Liesl kept on saying that she wanted to go on the "pona" but I tried four times to put her on and she did not want to. We went to this great playground at the park and let the kids play for a bit before we left. It was a fun trip and our way home today I drove by my Grandma's old house in Downey. My Grandpa and Grandma bought it new in 1950 for 18K and she sold it about 5 years ago before she moved to Utah. It is in an area where people are buying houses and tearing them down to build mic mansions. There are three on the street now and one is going up right next to her old house. It was nice to see that her old house had not changed and it brought back a lot of great memories.

Check out this funny blog Jason just told me about.

here we go

We are off to LA for a couple of days to visit my sister. I am not sure if we will come home tomorrow or Thursday. Porter was so excited to see his cousins he did not want to go to school today so I didn't make him. We are meeting at Griffith Park to ride the horses, train and play at the park. I just hope the traffic is not bad and we have an easy drive.

Party In My Tummy

Jason and the kids love Yo Gabba Gabba. I sing this little song to the kids when they eat and they think it is funny. I don't know if they are laughing at the song or my singing?

Bar

Today we took the kids on a bike ride around the neighborhood and Porter saw a car pulling out of a driveway. Porter asked me where the car was going and I said "I don't know, where do you think they are going" Porter turns around and said "bar, Pink Elephant" I laughed and asked him if he knew what the Pink Elephant was and he said it was the place where "Mommy and Daddy go when someone comes over to watch us" . I asked him if he knew what the Pink Elephant was and he said "no" and so I told him it was a restaurant and Jason said "a restaurant that sells what Natalie" and I said "drinks" I hope this all went over Porter but I know he knows a lot more than we think.
We went to Costco today and came home with this

milk

I was nursing Liesl this afternoon after she threw a huge fit because I had initially said no. How am I ever going to ween her? I said I would nurse until two because she in not vaccinated but I thought that we would be down to one session a day at this point. I have not been doing anything to try and ween her but I am going to start trying to cut it down to three times a day and see how it goes from there. I asked Jason to take a picture of me nursing today.
I made some vegan peach cobbler tonight using frozen peaches from my parent's tree. I just used a Betty Crocker recipe and veganized it.
My parent's came over after their steak dinner at Hungry Hunter for dessert and it was nice. Porter loved the attention because Liesl was sleeping he did not have to share them.
I also made some tapioca pudding with the tapioca pearls I bought from the co-op this month. I used coconut milk, rice milk and oat milk and it turned out really good.

vegan tacos

I made some yummy vegan tacos tonight with shredded tempeh and seasoning.

MNO

Mom's Night Out is about to begin and I can't wait!

gosh

This is the first time in a while that I seriously don't know what to write about. Oh wait I do have something going on right now and it is a little embarrassing. I am addicted to Meerkat Manor. We were almost late for circus class on Tuesday because I wanted to finish watching the show. The only sad thing about the show is that almost every episode someone dies. Liesl really likes to watch it but Porter is not that into it.
We walked up to the North Park Farmers Market today for the first time in months. There was not much produce but we did buy some raw cinnamon rolls that were amazing. I think I would like to try and make some raw treats but I don't even know if I can with just an old blender. I think I would need a food processor or a stronger blender.
We have no plans for the weekend and it is nice.

pajama party

I am not a huge fan of wearing pajamas or any type of lounge wear outside of the house. I own one pair of pajamas and two pairs of yoga pants and I almost never wear them outside the house. When I used to practice yoga and take classes I would wear them but that was it. So anyway tomorrow is wear you pajamas day at Porter's school and I am not thrilled. I know this might be weird but Porter is not sleeping in the pajamas he is going to wear to school. I thought about it but when Jason suggested it I went with it. Porter has some lounge pants that he wears to circus class so I think I am just going to put him in those and a shirt. Do other moms think this much about something that should be so simple? How hard it is to just let your child go to school in their pajamas? You would think I'd be happy to not have to deal with getting Porter dressed in the morning but no. I can't wait for the morning.

underwear

A few days ago Liesl found her panties and put them on her head. I thought it was funny so I took a picture.
Today when I was folding laundry Liesl spotted her panties picked them up and put them on her head and said "hat". Liesl then said "take a picture" and went to get Porter's camera. She wore the panties on her head for a while but it really bothered Porter and after a while she gave in to his repeated requests to remove them.


A shirt I made/altered for a friend of mine. I made one for myself a while ago and she liked it so I made one for her too.

MCA

Sunday I took Liesl to Brides by Demetrios where we met my sisters, Mom and nieces. We needed to have the girls measured and try on the flower girl dress. It was an interesting experience and made me even more happy with our decision to elope. The whole wedding industry is pretty crazy and it makes me sad that my sister and Mom are so wrapped up in it. My older sister called my younger sister a bridezilla and it pissed her off but it was funny. After that we met up with Jason, Porter, and our friends at the MCA downtown to check out the exhibits. It was fun but the exhibit Thom wanted to see was at the La Jolla museum so they went up there and we went home to nap. Today we went up to the MCA La Jolla and really had a great time. If you get a chance to go up there you should it was really amazing. We walked down to see the seals and to the tide pools after. Porter and Liesl wanted to take their shoes off but I did not have a towel or extra clothes so I said no. I feel bad about it so I am going to take them there later this week and let them walk around and explore. I can deal with the sandy and salt water mess if I am prepared but when I am not it is difficult for me to just let go. We went to Ranchos for an early dinner and the kids were really good. Liesl went pee in the potty at the restaurant so that was pretty cool. She is going to the bathroom a lot more and I know if I was on top of it I could have her potty trained. I need to wean her and get her out of diapers in the next 6 months, that is my goal anyway.
Liesl looks like such a big girl in this photo.
Porter will not smile for the camera anymore.
I tried to get a photo of the both of them but this is all I could get.

almost vegan

This week I made a meal plan and it was so great to have everything planed out and not have to think about what was for dinner.
Sunday started out with a Leek, Potato, and Bean Cassoulet that my friend vegan momma recommended. It was yummy and I will definitely make it again.


Next we had Minestrone Soup from the Nov. 2007 McDougall Newsletter. I really liked it but Jason and the kids did care for it.


Wednesday we had the Sloppy Lentil Joes also from the Nov. 2007 McDougall Newsletter. They were really tasty but again I was the only one who loved them. Jason was expecting more of a meet type filing and the lentils did not cut it for him. I think the kids would have liked it if they were hungry but by the time I served them they had filled up on fruit and muffins.


I made a veggie pot pie on Friday but it was the only meal I made that was not vegan. The crust had butter in it and I just used a can of cream of mushroom soup for the sauce. It is a favorite with Porter and Jason so I make it once a month at least. I am going to try and make it vegan next time though.


Tonight we had Potato Chowder from the December 2007 McDougall Newsletter. It was really good and the kids both liked it. the only thing I would change is I would add some carrots and kale to add a little chunk to it.

no kids

Just dropped the kids off at their Grammy and Papa's and we are off for a night without kids.

from the past

I like this photo from our Luna photo shoot in November 2006.

adventures in vegan baking

Today I made some Perfect Vegan Sugar Cookies for Valentine's Day. I used a banana for the egg and some rice milk for the tofu cream cheese. They turned out really good and tasted almost like the ones I used to make with butter and eggs. I ate four already and am slowly putting the 6 pounds back on that I lost last week being sick. Oh well the cookies tasted so good it was worth it. For the frosting I just mixed up some rice milk with powdered sugar and vanilla. I tried to color it with some red wine but that did not work out so well as you can see.
Two days ago I decided to make some of these chocolate chip cookies. The recipe was simple but I felt like something was missing. I tried to make them anyway and they were horrible, but I still ate 4 or 5 of them. I thought that if I kept on eating them they would magically start to taste better. The kids still ate a few of them and asked form more today. I took a photo of them right before I threw them in the trash.

Valentine

Today we went and bought some paper, glue, glitter, balls and photos to make Porter's Valentine's Day cards. Porter did not like that I cut the picture into a heart but he had fun decorating the cards. At first he was very careful with the placement but at the end we just put everything in a box and he just shook it around. It was fun and we probably have one more year of home made valentine's before he wants to buy some cut out Dora cards. I am off to The Pearl.

3

Porter just wrote the title of this blog. Three is the only number he asks to push and I keep on wondering if he will move on to 4 after his birthday. Porter stayed for lunch bunch today and he had a good time but I don't know if he is going to ask to do it again. The teacher said that he was sad when he found out that she would not be staying for lunch. The aide stayed for an hour and Porter cried again when she left so if we do it again I will pick him up at 1 instead of 1:45. This morning when I asked Porter what he would like for lunch and he said that he wanted whatever everyone else was having. Porter makes me smile.
Liesl was difficult today and she just wanted me to hold her. We were Porter free for almost 5 hours but I don't feel like we got much done. Liesl and Porter passed out in the car ride home from school and both slept for 2 hours. Porter skipped circus class for the third week in a row because he was sleeping and I could not wake him. I hate to waste the money but I will not make Porter do something he does not want to do. When I was 12 or 13 my sister and I did not want to go to swimming so my Mom did not take us. When my Dad got home he was furious and made my sister and I take $1 of our own money and put it in the toilet so he could flush it down. His point was that us skipping swimming was like flushing his money down the toilet. I just remember thinking that my dad just waisted more money and that it was a stupid thing to flush money down a toilet. My Dad still tells that story like it was this great lesson he taught us.

lunch bunch and tricky dick

At Porter's school they call the after care "Lunch Bunch". Porter has never stayed for it but about a month ago he started talking about it. Some of his friends stay for it and he would really like to stay too. Last Thursday he got his little backpack and and told me that he wanted me to put his lunch in it for "Lunch Bunch". I think I am going to let his stay for it tomorrow and I hope it goes well.
Porter is totally into cars and can spend hours playing with them, naming them and talking about them. Sunday we walked up to the farmer's market and then to Robucks for a smoothie. While we were waiting for the smoothies Porter asked Jason to name one of his cars and for some reason Jason called the car "Tricky Dick". When I asked Jason why he said that he said "it's a real name, that is what they used to call Nixon". Jason tried to change the name but Porter would not let him and he plays with Lightning Mc Queen and Tricky Dick all over the house.

a wedding

My little sister is getting married in June and I am not thrilled with who she is marrying. I can't say I like the guy or hate him he just is what he is but my sister really likes him and she is happy. We all get to choose who we marry and she has to live with him so if she is happy that is all that matters. I just have one huge problem with the guy and because of it I don't trust his judgement. When he was 20 his girlfriend was 14, she lived with him and his family and they dated for 4 or 5 years. I just think that it is so wrong and that there is seriously something wrong with with a 20 year old who thinks that is okay and a family that supports it. Those are not people I want to be hanging around with on my free time. Anyway, like I said it is my sister's decision I just feel sad that I will never be able to allow my children to spend the night at their house. I honestly don't think that my future BIL would harm my children but I don't trust his judgement. I am sincerely happy that my sister has found someone to love even if he is her second boyfriend, first boyfriend to live in our town. I have realized that I wanted more for my sister than she wanted for herself.

it's working mommy

When Liesl goes to the bathroom now she will either say "it's working mommy" or "it's not working mommy". I think it is cute.

Jason took the kids to the zoo today so I was able to clean the house. It is amazing how much I can do around the house when the kids are gone. I am so tired right now I need to sleep.

better

I felt so much better today so I took the kids to the park for playgroup and we all had a fun time. I went grocery shopping this evening so we have food in the house now and we are starting to get back to our normal life. Liesl just woke up and she felt warm to me so I think she is sick now. I just hope that she does not get it as bad as I did. Porter had a cough that does not sound very good but no fever yet. We have a friend coming in from Seattle on Sunday so we have to try and get the house in order tomorrow.

Day 4

Today I actually felt a little bit better and was able to take Porter to school. I still feel like crap so I took the kids down to my parent's house this afternoon so they could play and I could rest. Porter came running in the house crying and my brother followed him with Liesl. Apparently Porter punched Liesl in the face and pushed her down so my brother hit Porter. Porter was really upset and I told my brother that he was wrong to hit Porter and that two wrongs don't make a right. My Mom and Dad both defended his actions and said that Porter needs to learn that when he hits Liesl that my brother will hit him. I was so angry that they could not understand that you do not hit a child. I ended up just leaving and going home I could not argue with their backwards logic. My friend came over this evening and gave the kids a bath and she cleaned the kitchen. She is a great person and I am so thankful to have her as my friend. I hope I feel better tomorrow.

miserable

I am at the end of day three of being sick and I am so ready to feel better I could cry. I have cried a few times already today because I don't really feel any better than I did on Monday. I did not have the chills today but I did have the headache, soar body, soar eyes, stuffy nose, scratchy throat and cough. The poor kids just want to play and go to the park but i took them to the park on Monday and Tuesday and I think I over did it so we stayed home today. Our bathtub and toilet were not draining today so my brother came over to fix it and the kids really like to see their Uncle. Jason had been really good about taking over when he comes home from work but I can tell it is wearing on him too. Tuesday Porter did not go to school because he had a runny nose and I did not want to expose the other children to what I have. I was not feeling up to taking Porter to school and he said he did not want to go so I just let him stay home. I forgot that it was picture day at his school so I am really bummed that I did not have Jason take him. I paid for it on Thursday because I knew I would forget the money on Tuesday and I was really looking forward to having his first school picture. I wish that the director would have called me or my friend or the teacher because I would have brought him but, it was my fault for not remembering. I have just been totally out of it these last few days and the house is a disaster.

funny

This is seriously on of the funniest videos I have ever seen.

sick

I have been sick for the last 24 hours and just want to feel better. Jason took the kids to Borders when he got home from work and came home with In Defense of Food so that was pretty cool.

Oliver

My niece was acting in Oliver so the whole family went to see it. We made it up to LA with just 15 minutes before the show started. Porter was great, he sat on Jason's lap the whole time and really liked it. Liesl was a handful but she really liked it too and was singing and dancing in her seat for at least half of the show. It was nice to be up there and hang out with everyone and it was an almost conflict free trip so I am okay with it. The only thing I am not okay with is having to sleep on the floor with no air mattress. I am exhausted and think Liesl and I got the sickness that Amelia had last night. I feel like crap and just want to go to sleep.
Porter got this hat at the birthday party and insisted on wearing it like this.

The Pearl

Last night Jason and I wet to The Pearl for dinner. The server was a little off but the food was good. I had the Organic Vegetable Plate and it was really tasty but I wonder if all the vegetable were really organic. There was a portobello mushroom in it and I have never found organic ones at the store. I ordered a Cosmo at the bar that cost $10 and I had two more at the table that were $14 each. When I questioned the server she said it was some computer error after trying to tell me that they used premium vodka that is why it was was more even though I ordered the same thing. Anyway she "fixed" the bill and made them $11 each, still don't understand why the same drink wound be more at the table. I ordered some desert and after 15 minutes she came back to tell us the kitchen was closed. A kitchen should not close at 10PM on a weekend when the restaurant is full of people. I really liked the place and will definitely go back.
Today we have to stop by a birthday party at 10AM then we are off to LA so watch my niece as a pick pocket in Oliver. The show starts at 2 so we are going to try and be there by 1:30, pray for no traffic! We might spend the night so I need to go pack the bags.

dress

I made a dress for myself but it is a little big and I don't know how to fix it. Porter told me how to pose and took a picture of me in it.
Porter was following me around taking pictures.

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.

Bike

I have been looking for a bike on and off for about 6 months now. Most bike stores are closed on Sundays so we only had Saturdays to look for one and for some reason it was hard to get our act together. We went to about every shop in San Diego that sells used road bikes, we even went to Santee with no luck. Well yesterday we went to this store in La Jolla called Veloculture and I found a bike that I really liked. They did not have it put together so we went back today (they are open on Sundays now) and I rode it around for a bit and bought it. I can't wait to go on bike rides at night with Jason well, maybe when it warms up a little bit.

Balloon Parade

Thursday we went down to the waterfront to watch the Big Bay Balloon Parade, "America's Largest Balloon Parade". Jason has told me about it for the last few years because it is close to his work but this is the first year I took the kids. We got there late but we did see some great balloons like Thomas and Jay Jay. Liesl kept on pointing and saying "see, see" and Porter was just fascinated with all the balloons. Porter was really sad when it was over and wanted to see more so I will have to make sure we are on time next year. After the parade we walked back to Jason's office and hung out there for a little bit before we went grocery shopping. My latest food cravings have been cabbage and tofu stir fry, last month it was cauliflower.

Wood Christmas

I was trying to write a Christmas post but it just sucked so I erased it. Christmas was fun, we had a really nice time and the kids toys were all made out of wood or cloth. Yay, I am done with that.

We are all well and looking forward to the New Year. My parent's offered to take the kids overnight on New Years Eve but they have never been away from us and I am not sure how it would go.

Wednesday morning I met my sister at my favorite children's store The Lily Pad because they were having a 50% off the entire store sale. I bought way more than I should have and Jason kind of yelled at me for it. Well he did not yell but he told me very sternly that I should have not spent the money. I got some great stuff thought so it was worth it.

I have a new name for my clothing/hair clip venture but I am not going to tell you yet. I am going to go down and get a business license and all that so I can order wholesale fabric and shirts. I am excited.

Phantom Pregnancy

Can you guess which picture was taken last week?
A

B

C

sick

We have all been sick this week but we are all healthy now. It was not fun but I am so happy Jason and I were not sick on the same day. I am still having some neck pain and head dizziness so I hope it goes away soon.
We went and bought the kids christmas presents and let them pick them out. We are kind of but not really doing the whole santa thing and they are so young they did not care too much that they did not get to play with their gifts right away. Jason is on his way to Carmel Valley to pick up some trains and track from a Craigslist listing. Porter is still really into trains so I think he will really like it. Belinda Carlisle's Heaven is a Place on Earth just came on the Big 80's station and I can't tell you happy that just made me. I remember my sister had a dance to this song, she was a big fan. I was more of a Madonna fan and made up dances to her songs. I have a sweet potato, pecan pie in the oven and when it is done we are going to my dear friend Elaine's house for her annual solstice party.

Check out this interesting Craigslist listing I found today.

Gala Foods

I went over to the Gala Foods market in South Park tonight to buy some tamale supplies. I bought 4 different types of dried chilies for the sauce, some corn husks and some Peruvian white beans that are kind of like pinto beans but better. They don't sell them in any of the stores I usually go to and they are not organic but they are so good I had to buy them. I love walking down the isles and looking at all the different kinds of food. The food is ridiculously cheap, a 7oz. bag of elbow macaroni was $.39. I wanted to buy it because it was so cheap but then what would I do with it?
Today was not a very good day but we are surviving. Liesl threw up 6 times today, the last time was at 12PM and she has nursed quite a bit, drank half a smoothie and some juice. I hope she is over it now but Porter did not eat very much today and has been complaining that his stomach hurt. I don't know if it is hurting because he is hungry or he is sick. He did not take a nap today so he feel asleep on his bed at 7 but woke up at 8:30 and he felt a little bit warm to me. If is laying on the floor watching The Grinch right now so i hope he falls back to sleep soon.
And I just have to post this not that shocking news.

Blanket

Porter has a special blanket that he likes to hold when he is sucking his thumb. I don't think I have ever seen him suck his thumb without his blanket. I let him have it in the house, car and stroller. Well this morning we were running late for school and he forgot to bring his blanket. About two blocks from our house he asked for it and when I told him we did not have it he started crying and yelling "I want my blanket". He asked me to go back to the house to get it and cried more when I said no. We got to school and he was still crying and so I told him we could go home if he wanted to. He said no but that he still wanted his blanket and so we walked to the school and he was sad. Porter hid behind me when the teacher said hi so I went and played with him for a minute and them I said by and walked away. I was doing something by the classroom and Porter came running up to me crying and saying that he wanted my to play with him. I ended up staying there playing with him for 20 minutes until it was time for them to go inside the classroom. I know Porter is attached to his blanket but I did not realize how much. I wonder how long he is going to want to sleep with it and suck his thumb.

Sandy's Workshop

Porter's school had a Santa's workshop where he went to pick out presents for Jason and I today. The presents are under the tree and when Jason came home he asked Porter where they came from and he said Sandy's workshop I said "where?" and he said it again. I thought it was cute.

North Park Dog Owners

Please be responsible owners and pick your dog shit up off my lawn. I am so tired of having to deal with dog shit when I don't even own a dog.

happy day

I woke up today really happy. I did not realize that I was that off until today when I was so happy. Anyway, I hope I have another happy day tomorrow because I like to be happy and not get so frustrated all the time. I started a new pole warmer today and it is almost done so I might be able to get it up tomorrow. Jason has been working on his project for the last month and that is all he wants to do so I don't get to use the computer at night anymore unless I want to go upstairs. I don't really like it up there so I just watch tv and knit or sew. I am tired.

Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas tree how lovely are your branches. Those are the only words I know to that song but that did not stop me from singing that line over and over on our walk home from the Christmas tree lot. Today I decided that we would pretend we were city folk without a car and we walked up to buy our Christmas tree. We put the kids in the stroller and brought along the wagon for the tree. At the tree lot they said they could deliver it for free but I said no because I was really fixed on the image of us pulling the wagon with the tree in it. I brought my camera along to capture the moment. It was fun and it made me feel like I am not so suburban after all.