elizabeth and rosie

i'd like to introduce you to elizabeth and rosie. ruby's babies.



we have had these pig hand-puppets for gosh, i'd say two years now...
so it's funny to me that ruby has just now discovered them.
over the past three days, she has taken a personal interest in their comfort and well-being;
and in fact, has hardly left their side.
she makes sure that their diapers are changed regularly, that they have food to eat, and that all other needs are being met.
yesterday she informed me that elizabeth had just thrown up, and that she had taken care of it already.
i told her she was a wonderful mommy.
on friday she and the piglets watched charlotte's web upon her request.
she told me that she thought her babies would like it since it was a story about a pig. you know? something they could relate to.
this girl kills me with her sense of humor and downright unimaginable...

imagination.

little helper

i experienced a brief moment of panic today when i couldn't find asher anywhere in the house.
i ran from room to room, calling his name.

and then i noticed that the back sliding glass door was open...



and there he was,
in his favorite pair of sister's boots,
pushing his trusty mower back and forth across our sad looking grass.

but hey, the lawnmower seems happy to finally be doing what he loves.

teacher

ruby just finished her 15th book this evening, meaning that tomorrow at school, she will become a 'teacher'. she has been talking about this for weeks, and is totally excited to receive her teacher badge and be able to help her classmates with their reading. she was a reading machine last week over spring break. she took home 4 books, and finished them all. in this reading program, each book must be read {to an adult} a total of 20 times. that means she read almost 80 times last week. whoa! that's a lot. at one point during the week, though, she had had enough. she announced to me that she no longer wanted to be a teacher, that she would rather just be a mom. actually, she said, i want to be an artist mom, NOT a teacher mom. i think what she really wanted, and most definitely needed at that point, was a nap. she woke up feeling good, and ready to read again. today, as she was finishing up her 15th book, she said to me, mom, this book is hard, but it is so funny. and then she asked, mom? why does ms. arlene use such old words? i wasn't sure i understood what she was getting at, and had to ask for some clarification.well, it's weird because ms. arlene puts all the old words in the books, like, nephi. ha. this girl is so funny. it's been such a joy being able to witness this learning process, and then to watch as she develops a love for reading. who knows, maybe she actually will become a teacher some day.
although, she's still pretty set on being an artist mom.

drab

what happened to the beautiful spring weather we've been having? saturday was the best. we spent a good portion of the day outside just soaking up the beauty of it all. the scent of the orange blossoms was overpowering. i couldn't get enough of it. i even blogged about it, but sadly, that post still sits in my drafts folder. i have way too many of those...you know, the ones that were started, but for one reason or another, never finished? it makes me sad. maybe one day i'll just go back through and finish them all, and then publish them. wouldn't that be fun. there's probably 20 or more of them. not today though. that rain makes me want to do one thing, and one thing only...get back into my bed, and snuggle with my rube. so that's exactly what we'll do. and i'm pretty sure the rain decided to come today, just because we had big plans to hit up a middle of the day spring training game.
just my luck.

i can cabay the mandments

We recently decided to split our family home evenings into two nights. On Sundays, we have a spiritual message or lesson; and on mondays, we go out and do something fun together. Tonight we were reviewing Ruby's primary lesson from earlier today -which was on baptism. We talked about the importance of baptism, we talked about Christ's baptism, we talked about John the Baptist, we discussed the significance of wearing white,and the symbolism in being immersed fully in the water.We talked about the importance of being baptized by one who has the proper authority. And we explained to her that once she reaches the age of 8 - which is the age of accountability - she, herself, will have the opportunity to follow the Savior by entering the waters of baptism. Her eyes lit up at that. We then proceeded to ask her a few questions, Ruby, what are some things you can be doing now to prepare for your own baptism?
Ummmm, well...
I can read my scriptures, I can say my prayers, and I can cabay all the mandments.
So befitting of such perfect childlike innocence.
I wish she could stay like this forever.
Plus I've been loving her pajama ensembles lately. Tonight she picked out a Christmas top, some Halloween bottoms, and a pair of Easter ankle socks.
I love her so much, I can't stand it.

green grub

One day, when my kids are older, and have {hopefully} developed an appreciation for fine foods - our St. Patrick's Day dinner menu might read something like this:

emerald-isle green on greens salad
blarney soup
glazed corned beef, carrots, parsnips, and cabbage
irish brown soda bread
dubliner cheese tart

But because they are kids - and would just as soon eat chicken nuggets and macaroni & cheese every night for dinner - our special st. patrick's dinner menu, in reality, was a far cry from anything irish, and more of just a giant green spread:

fruit platter - granny smith apples, green grape clumps, sliced kiwi, cubed honeydew
green fruit dip
veggie tray - celery sticks, cucumbers, broccoli florets, green bell-pepper strips
green veggie dip
green and white glass block jello
dad's white irishman and jones sodas to drink
and key lime tarts for dessert

added bonus: mini pot of gold place settings for everyone.

The kids {and john} thought it was the coolest...which in mom's book, translates to - SUCCESS.



And also, in honor of St. Patty's day,

An Old Irish blessing
for all {five} of my readers:

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

lucky

i'm the luckiest.



big big plans for today. stay tuned.

extraordinary

this little boy is the best. i seriously love him more and more every day. he's quirky, and fun, and adventurous, and full of more life than anyone i know. he's happy, and funny, and good natured, and just so completely unique...sometimes even downright crazy. but that's exactly what i love about him. today i told him we were going to the river with some friends. he ran into the garage, and came back with this snow hat (woven by yours truly) atop his little noggin', and his favorite pair of hot pink vampire teeth inside his mouth. i'm ready, he insisted.and so off to the river we went. it's 90 degrees out there, for cryin' out loud. you see what i mean? he turns every ordinary moment into something extraordinary. i'll tell you one thing...my life turned far from ordinary the moment he entered it, and i thank my Heavenly Father every day for trusting me {and blessing me} with such an extraordinary gift.

blackmail

i'm hanging on to these. they may be of great use to me at some future point.

a little piece of sunshine

the world lost a little piece of sunshine today


we just found out that our dear friend and "grandpa" george passed away this morning.

our poor little hearts can hardly handle it.

so many memories and so much love.
may God bless and keep you, sweet george...
'til we meet again.

the whole live long day

does anyone else loathe ironing as much as i do? i doubt it. i guess if i wouldn't let it pile up like i do, then it wouldn't turn into such a daunting chore. but alas, this is what i did all day long...



...while the children watched episode upon episode of charlie and lola. when they started speaking to each other in british accents, i concluded that they had viewed one charlie and lola too many.
on the plus side, i should have a pretty happy husband tonight when he takes a peek into his closet - which has been completely destitute of work attire for...well...probably months now.


rango for family night tonight. hip hip.

the joys of sharing

john and i are down to just one car right now. the one i usually drive has been sitting in our driveway for a week now, with either a bad battery, or a bad alternator. hopefully we can get it taken care of soon, because i feel like i am now spending more time in the car, than i am at home. makes me realize just how much john does for me when we both have a car to drive. just the fact that he takes ruby to school every morning, i've discovered, is HUGE. already today, i've backed out, and pulled into my driveway, probably more times than i have fingers to count. to bootcamp and back, to the grocery store and back, to drop ruby off at school and back, to pick ruby up from school and back, to the grocery store and back (you'd think i'd just go ahead and get everything in one trip...but no, i like to complicate things), and finally, to pick ruby up from playgroup and back.
all before 1:15 in the afternoon. phewww. i'm ready for a nap.

and i'd like my car back.

a minimalist...

i am not.

but i'm trying to be.

about a month ago we took a very quick and very last minute trip to disneyland.

we had been talking about going for a couple of years, but couldn't ever pin down a date to go.

we finally just did it...on a whim.

that's the best kind of trip if you ask me. just super last minute and spontaneous.

i didn't like the fact that it was so short, but hey, it was an adventure that i would do all over again in a heartbeat if i could.

while we were there we stayed with my brother and sister-in-law.

they live on this cool peninsula in long beach.

picture this.

if you walk out their front door and go to the left, there's the ocean. and if you walk out their front door and go to the right, you'll run right into a beautiful bay for swimming.

it was a dream come true.

definitely a life i could get used to.

their place was perfect, too. not huge. not fancy. but very clean, and organized, and completely devoid of clutter.

in fact, at one point, i asked my sister-in-law where all their stuff was.

were they renting a storage unit? i wondered.

no, she told me, this is it. we have a couple of boxes out in the garage, but no, this is everything.

i decided then and there that i needed to make some changes in my own life and home.

i have a confession to make.

i might be a borderline hoarder.

i just have this problem of hanging onto things - thinking they will serve a purpose, or be of good use to me at some future point.

somewhat counterintuitive is the fact that i also like being organized...

so rather than getting rid of things that i don't currently use, i am constantly buying bins and organizers to stash my junk in.

it's getting ridiculous, and really starting to cramp my style.

we have so much stuff, but no more space to put anything.

let me just tell you, it's not easy keeping a clean house when it's filled to the brim.

and let's not even discuss our garage situation.

i'll just say that both of our cars have been kicked to the curb, and leave it at that.

today i decided that i had had enough.

i grabbed some trash bags and headed to our master bathroom.

seemed like a good place to start.

i went through the linen closet, and the cupboards under the sinks, and the drawers...

and i just went crazy dumping, and throwing, and purging.

it felt oh so good.

i filled two huge garbage bags with trash, and another couple for goodwill.

i laughed when i came across this...

a giant plastic IHC bag filled with medical supplies.

for a couple of weeks after i had isaac, different nurses frequented my home to administer iv antibiotics.

a medical supply company had delivered everything these nurses would need for my home care. don't even ask me why i have held onto this stuff for nearly 6 years...and through two moves. seriously, i wouldn't even know what to do with this stuff if i needed it.

i have an influx of iv starter kits, iv catheters, sterile syringes for iv flushing, heparin syringes, gauze sponges, alcohol prep pads, and 1000 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride irrigation USP (whatever that is?).

so anyway, if you have a use for any of this stuff...it's all yours...you'll just have to dig through my trash can to get it.

aren't you proud of me?

i'm making strides towards minimalism.

and it's empowering.

i feel like i need to be completely honest by mentioning the fact that after all that dumping, and throwing, and purging...

i took a trip to walmart for more bins.

correction: i'm taking baby steps towards minimalism.

and it's empowering.

laundromat

this boy makes everything fun


even the three hours we spent at the laundromat.

9 lives

today ruby chose to take her little cat for show 'n' tell...for the 2nd time. she gets to bring something for show 'n' tell everyday, so on occasion, we get some repeats. this little cat has quite the history. she comes all the way from china-town in san fransisco. john picked her out especially for ruby when he was there on business a few months back. and even though we're not really a cat family, it was love at first sight for ruby as she first held her miniature, and very life-like kitten. the next day, she took her little kitty to show 'n' tell at school. she came home and told me that all her friends loved her kitty cat, and that everyone wanted a turn to pet her.
we hadn't been home more than 10 minutes, though, when she came running into the kitchen (where i was preparing lunch) in complete hysterics. she was just sobbing. she informed me that dix-d had pooed all over her little kitty. what? i thought. i followed her into the playroom, where kitty was lying on the floor - completely defaced...and skinned. what ruby thought was poo, was actually kitty...without any fur. and yes, it was dix-d who had gotten to her. it really is true, dogs don't care much for cats, do they?
i did my best to patch her up. she was far from perfect when i was finished, but ruby did not even recognize the difference, and i became her hero that day. if it's also true that cats have 9 lives...i guess this little one has 8 to go.

family prayer...

can be challenging down right impossible at our house.


please tell me we're not the only ones.

*note: asher did start out on his knees like the rest of us. he just has an extremely short attention span. and, fyi, before you deem my behavior blasphemous, i did wait until after the prayer to take these pictures.

family time

i love spending time with my family. of course, i don't know anyone who doesn't. it's just that, with everything john and i have had going on lately, we haven't had much time to spend together as a family. much quality time, i should say. today for fhe, we caught a matinée showing of gnomeo and juliet in 3d (very cute. and a miracle, i might add, that asher actually sat through the entire movie), and then we headed home to roast hot dogs over a backyard fire. it was the best. we listened to music, laughed, sang songs, took silly pictures, and just relaxed. ruby asked questions like why is the fire pointing up to the sky? and why is the fire so colorful? she had both of us stumped. we gave her some pretty ridiculous answers like...well, that's just what fires do, and that's just how fires are. man do i need to go back to school, or what?

it was nice to finally be able to take a deep breath, and just enjoy.

enjoy everything.

my family, my surroundings, and the simplicity of life (at least for today).

happy valentine's day

*mini shoot done by my good friend scarlett.

i rest my case

in my last post, i mentioned that maybe i sometimes have a little problem of biting off more than i can chew.
well here's some further evidence to support my case.

Exhibit A:


this is my binder for the church callings and responsibilities (aside from wife and mom) that i currently have. on top of my main, full-time calling as the first counselor in the primary, i am serving on a stake committee responsible for planning and carrying out a women's conference (just a week away) for approximately 400 rs sisters in the stake. i'm also a 1st year ycl leader for stake girls' camp (end of may), and together, john and i have been called to go on the trek with the youth of our stake (first part of june). it's a lot for me right now. in fact, if i think too long and hard about it all, i get overwhelmed...sometimes to the point of tears even. i'm not trying to be negative, because i love serving, i really do; and i absolutely love serving in each of these capacities...but (you saw that coming, didn't you?) my plate is so full right now, that some days i don't even know where to start. i can't even figure out something as simple as taking a bite. john's calling right now as 2nd counselor in the stake young mens, is also pretty cumbersome. maybe that isn't the right word. it's definitely manageable, and he totally loves it, but it does exact his time. time that he could be here holding the fort while i serve. ha. i guess what gets me through and keeps me going is knowing that 3 of these 4 callings are temporary; and by mid-june, i'll be back to just one.maybe by then i'll be able to stop and...well...just breathe. but then again, i know myself all too well.i'll be so sad with only one calling, that i'll happily and hungrily start loading my plate up again.ha...such is life.my eyes have always been bigger than my stomach.
i now rest my case.

* side note: i decided to refrain from submitting exhibit b...which would be a picture of the inside of my house. believe me, if you only knew what it looked like right now, you'd thank me for renouncing any further evidence.

good intentions...but

i have a problem of biting off more that i can chew sometimes.

i have the best intentions, but sadly, i often fall short of those.

this morning i slept through my alarm, and thus didn't make it to my morning boot camp.

i even slept through the text my friend sent me (15 minutes into the class) telling me to get my buns out of bed and come work out.

like i said, i was really, really, like abnormally, tired last night.

i started feeling bad about the fact that i've been such a slacker with my workouts, that i had this brilliant idea of putting asher in the stroller, and going for a jog to pick up ruby from preschool...which is just over three miles away.

three miles is nothing, right?

right. if you're in somewhat decent shape.

but i am constantly being humbled and therefore reminded of how extremely out of shape i am these days.

can you see where this story is headed?

i gave myself plenty of time to run the three miles...ensuring i would not be late in picking ruby up.

what i did not consider, however, is what if i was not able to run the entire way, and had to actually stop and walk from time to time? i'n fact what if i ended up walking almost the entire first mile, and then had to run a six-minute-mile for the next 2.5 miles to make it on time?

let's just say when i realized my predicament, i ran like the wind, determined to be there when the kids filed out in their perfect single-file line to meet their parents.

but alas i had to come to terms with the fact that i'm just not what i used to be.

i stopped and called john.

he just laughed and said he'd be on his way.

he's my husband, he knows me and my lofty ambitions all too well. he mostly just laughs at me, but then always comes to my rescue.

i believe that every post deserves a photo, but i know better than to post something as ridiculous as how i must have looked huffing and puffing my way down the street, pushing a double stroller - occupied by only one child, sporting a pair red chuck taylors and goofy purple sunglasses.

rather, i will save myself (and all of you) the embarrassment, and just leave you with an image of my sweet little ruby. she had her valentine's party today, and here she is holding the darling box full of cards and candy, that she made at school.

isn't she a little lovey?
here's to a new day and hoping i can at least accomplish one thing i set out to do.