ABCZ

Meet Chili. A 210lb mastiff and a 10lb Pom weren't enough. Atleast Chili listens to me. You can click him and make him do funny stuff. OK - I'm obviously getting punchy. Time for bed.

adopt your own virtual pet!

I smile, because you are my daughter.
I laugh, because there is nothing you can do about it.

We both laughed. I can think of worse things....my mom's pretty great. :D

Anna turned a depressing venture (finding an Over-The-Shoulder-Boulder-Holder big enough for my post lactation mammaries) into such an entertaining time tonight.

While I was trying to struggle into a mammoth contraption (which ended up being too small anyway), silently thanking the man who made the doors on the dressing room low enough to the ground that Anna couldn't immediately dodge under them and run out into the store when I was conveniently half naked...I foolishly succumbed to a false sense of security. When I turned around, Anna had her shirt off, and was putting on MY old bra. Let's just say she's not a 44DD yet. So, thus robed, she proceeded to march around the dressing room and yell, "Grandma!!! Look at my boobies!!!"

Ahhh....good times. And, as neither my mother or I can laugh without peeing our pants at this post-baby traumatized point in our nether regions, I'm sure we made quite a picture laughing, crossing our legs and hunching over with tears streaming down. It's no wonder nobody ventured in to bother us.

Our boo-bear keeps us constantly entertained. Here's a few recent conversations...

On the way to my cousin Stacy's bridal shower:
A: Are we at the rain?
ME: The what?
A: The rain. Auntie Stacy's Rain?
ME: Ohhhhh....her SHOWER. It's like rain, but different.

While getting a piece of fruit for breakfast:
ME: Would you like a banana?
A: Apple or banana. Those are the options. Pick one. (Oh geez...my own oft used words coming back to haunt me.)
ME: So you'd like a banana.
A: That's the deal. Take it or leave it. (OK - I'm just going to quit saying anything from now on....she's like a mini recorder with really bad timing but that redeems herself with awesome snuggles.)

We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium this week with our good friends The Romans. Actually, Tracy and I have been friends since I was 2, which makes it about 28 (ummmm....that's a damn long time) years. Their son Anthony is the "coolest" thing in Anna's book. Anything he does, she wants to do. They are so cute together. The aquarium was fun. The tanks are absolutely amazing. They are just huge, and if you stand close, it really feels like you're under water in the middle of all of these huge fish. Really cool.
And of course the otters were adorable.
There was indoor pool at the little hotel we stayed at, and we took the kids swimming that evening. They had a blast. Anna had only been swimming once before - and that was about 2 years ago. She had SO much fun. All in all - a great trip. It was fun hanging out with Tracy and Steve. Anna ADORES her Aunt Tracy.
If she's around, she's rather be with Aunt Tracy over us, half the time. And she and Uncle Steve snuggled up on the hotel bed to watch Thomas the Tank. Too cute.
And when we went to dinner, Anna had her own cocktail. Milk, in a fancy glass, with a twist of lime. I guess you're supposed to take a drink of milk, then then bite the lime (kind of like a tequila shot - but different). At least that's how she was doing it. Eeeewww!!!

That's what Anna calls PetSmart. Because, that is where we take Rigby to get his haircut. Ahhh....the simple reasoning of a toddler. You can't argue with that. But tonight we took Rigby to "The Rigby Haircut Place" for his first obedience lesson. Curtis has taken to affectionately calling him The Spawn of Satan, so it was time to take action. So far, only 2 other dogs have tried to eat him. (Incidentally, there were only two other dogs in the class.) And we learned some good commands that we may be able to use with Anna as well....like "Leave it!" when they're supposed to leave something alone that is not theirs to destroy. Then, when they (hypothetically) leave said object alone, we're supposed to reward them. I wonder if Anna likes Beggin' Strips....

A silk eye compress
+ A handy zipper on one end
+ No inner sack to hold the aromatherapy schmoo
+ Mommy trying to do something else for 2 nano seconds
________________________________________________________
= One very Anna-inspired mess

Well, I think my Anna-bear is finally getting better from her ear infection, but I'm wiped out. She's been tough to get down at night, but once she's asleep, she has slept until after 9am the past 2 days. That has NEVER happened in the past 2 and half years!!!! But even after all this time, when she sleeps so long in her bed (OK - she only slept until about 6:30am in her bed, then another 2-3 hours in ours, but still...) I wake up thinking, "Is she OK? Should I check on her. Maybe she got hurt and I didn't hear her." What a freaker.

So, it's 12:15 am. I can see Curtis and Rigby are curled up next to me in the bed (our computer is in our bedroom for now). Kodiak is sleeping on the floor behind me, and although I can't see him, I occasionally hear a soft whisper of toxic dog fart before it gases me away from the keyboard. Not to be graphic, but when a 210lb
dog farts, it seriously pollutes the air. But I digress....

It's 12:15 am and I'm working on Kaleidoscope stuff. Ugh. I feel so guilty for getting so behind, but it's so hard to stay focused these days. Oh well....I'm getting caught up. Anyway - enough distractions, I need to finish my IEC update. Good night all. :)

This is what Anna said to me this morning while I was giving her Augmentin (the antibiotics for her ear infection):

"Mommy, I still love you, but I don't like that."

Could she be any cuter?

.....to her Daddy, that is. And with THESE flowers, she tells us, carrying some pretend ones around. What a cutie. She has such an imagination. I told her if she was going to get married, I didn't think there was anyone better than her daddy to marry - I picked him myself. :)

We spent last night at the ER in Roseville, because Anna (we now know) has an ear infection. After we got through triage, the nurse sent us on to the "treatment unit". I told Anna that we were going to find a doctor. She replied, "Is he hiding?" hahaha I love things through her perspective....so sweet.

Last week my Dad and my little brother (geez....he's almost 16 and he's my "little brother" - can you hear my bones creak) came out for an unexpected visit. I seriously did the happy dance all over the restaurant supply store that we were in when he called and told me that they were coming.

Other than my husband, my Dad is one of my closest friends. Well, my mom too - but they are such different relationships. But my Dad lives in Colorado, and especially now that Anna is here, the distance is hard sometimes. We talk atleast once each day - but I still miss him so much. There are very few people in the world that
understand me as he does. And there are very few people in the world whom I admire and look up to as much as I do him. Well...."very few" is understating, I suppose - he knows me pretty damned well (for better or worse).

Anyway - there was a cabin that we went to every summer when I was growing up that was owned by some family friends. It's at a place called Snow Mountain. It is so removed and quiet. As a kid I loved exploring and finding animals and playing with my friend (more like sister) Tracy (who we always took with us). As an adult, I can see the attraction of the quiet and the peace there. So, we took a visit while my Dad and Will were here. The cabins have been completely rebuilt (since the 1900's ones were lost a few years ago in a forest fire), so it doesn't have quite the same "rustic" charm, but they are beautiful.

It was so special for me to be able to see Anna do all the things with my Dad that *I* did with him when I was a girl. Chase lizards, look at snakes (from a distance, however, for me....and Anna too it appears), watch the deer in the yard, ride the tractor to mow down the weeds with my Dad. It was just such a special time to have up there with him, and I'm so glad that Anna got to share not only in the place, but to share it with my Dad and I. Ahhh....what a sap. Anyway - here's a few pics.

Anna and I drove up to Truckee today for the funeral of my uncle. Let's see...my step mom's brother in law. We weren't especially close, but it was kind of a shocking loss. He was just 60 or so, and one of those healthy, active, always fit people. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 10 months ago. Very fast. He had grandkids Anna's age. Soooo very sad.

But, the service was nice, in that everyone that spoke really emphasized how much he wanted people to realize that you JUST SHOULDN'T WAIT. Don't wait to tell people you love them, or play with your kids, or take time to be silly, or take time to get straight with your faith. Many of the people there were wearing the yellow "Live Strong" bracelets, and they said that it reminds them not to get bogged down with the pettiness and gripes that we sometimes fill our lives with. Enjoy it.

So, tonight I gave an extra hard hug to the love of my life and our little angel. I truly DO thank God every day for each of them...now I'm going to work on showing them that every day too.