a meme for me(warning--lots of photos)

I was recently tagged by The Things We Do. Thank you!

1)What were you doing 10 years ago?
Oh boy!
I was a bleach blonde that wore ridiculous short-shorts...



as a science geek at CSUF...



as a newly-wed...



that loved puppies(Olive in particular)...



and babies(holding Jessica's firstborn Tacy).



2)Things "to do" list for today.
I really need to finish editing a bunch of photos of my friend's baby girl. Here are a few.










and I need to iron-on Calvin's Luv E. Lamb patch for Cubbies.

and I need to go to the post office. I think I can, I think I can. Who am kidding? The likelihood of me dragging 3 boys into the post office today is slim-to-none.

3. What is your favorite snack?
Fresh home-made salsa with warm restaurant-style chips. Or home-made bread.


4.If you were a millionaire, you would....
Probably not tell anyone, LOL! Ok, that is a loaded question. Of course I hope I would do something extremely selfless and worthy with the proceeds. Truth be told, I am glad I am not a millionaire, because there would be so much temptation involved. I would probably buy some new curtains and some nice-fitting clothes too and that wedding ring. And, and...see, my list is already growing.

5) List 5 places you have lived.
First, I was born and raised in a red house near the mountains.


Second. I lived in various housing arrangments while a student at APU, ranging from dorms with roommates to married housing with John. Here is our first real place as a couple. I just became interested in decorating, and somehow thought sticks and blue foiliage were appropriate for sprucing up the place???




Here are some checkered valences that John sewed, since I did not know how to sew yet. And we stuffed them with newspaper for oomph. LOL! Don't ask about my hat. I have no idea if I actually wore that out in public, with my high-waisted shorts.



Third. Right after graduating APU, I became a *high-powered career woman*, teaching high school. With our combined incomes, John and I were able to afford this cute apartment in Glendora...



...where I soon discovered that I would be forever cursed as a "frequent decorater". Here is our kitchen, with John's little curtains, and lots of daisies. I was obsessed with daisies.

It wasn't long before I hated daisies. I found some new fabric, and it was a "dawing of a new era." Gone, were John's curtains(which I will forever cherish, by the way). Sister Jessica helped me sew my first project ever: slip covers for my folding chairs. Because that is what every new beginning sewer starts with, right?

I was completely overwhelmed by the awkwardness of the project and secretly became very scared of sewing. Jessica helped me sew the first slipcover and I made the rest. She also helped me sew my very first curtains ever.



My old sticks in my new digs...not for for long though.



I soon discovered that I did not like teaching naughty high-schoolers and so I retired after just 1 year of teaching. There went my pay-check, and my beautiful apartment.

Fourth. We moved across the street to a cheaper apartment and I started attending CSUF as a grad student. I figured we would be here for a while and wanted to paint my apartment, but there was a "no painting" policy.

So, I presented the lady/landlord with a laminated petition of my paint swatches and coordinating fabric swatches. How could she say no? Nobody can resisit lamination. We painted the walls perriwinke. Omigosh, I know. Well, John painted, while I studied for qualifying exams. I was devasted that my new kitchen had NO windows for my new curtains that Jess and I slaved over:



So someone got the bright idea(not sure who) to put up some mirrors as fake windows.

Clever, no?

I was back in business, and re-decorated the living room as well. Hideous, I know:(


It actually changed even more when I discovered painting wood, but have I have no photos of this. We were very happy here... aside from the puddle we had to jump over every day to get to our door...and the treacherous parking lot. We lived there till we bought our very first house, which we still live in today.

Fifth. We hooted and hollered the whole drive up to our new house. We were so excited. I have lost count of all the decorating phases this house has been through. Here is our current abode. For now.

























The floral curtains gotta go! I am trying to sell my pool table, so I can convert the area to a music room for the drum sets.


Then I can reclaim my space!


6. Now tag 5 people.
Sister Jessica
Lorieloo
CeCe
Talia
Megan

mighty fine day

Yesterday I awoke to sea-lions barking, from a condo on beach-front property.

While John was at home wrestling the boys out of bed to make Finn's 8am soccer game, I lay buried beneath a mound of blankets on a king-sized bed.

My cell phone finally brought me to life, at around half past 9. 

It was Finn's faint voice, squeaking "I made 3 goals today".

"WHAT??!!", I shrieked. I could hardly believe it. Finn had never made a goal before. And of course, I had to be away for this momentous occasion. I was so happy for my little squirt. John said Finn had a little confident bounce to his step after that. (sidenote: John said that 2 of the goals were completely legitimate, but the other one was not, because a whistle blew during a foul of some kind.)

I could just die, over this twerpy love-of-my-life.

Next was brunch, in a quirky shanty, and we had the most delicious hot chocolate.

And then came the shopping. Ring shopping. I lost my wedding ring a while back, while pregnant with one of the boys. My fingers were swelling, so I put my ring in a baggie for safe-keeping. Bad idea. I never saw it again. We think we may have accidentally thrown it away.

Yesterday I found "the one" in an antique store. The appraiser was even there that day. It's a 1920's white gold band with a champagne-colored diamond. I can't stop thinking about it.

Unfortunately, you can't see the detail in this picture, but hopefully you get some vague idea.

And sadly, I don't have enough money for it. Hopefully it will still be there for a while.

We stopped at one last shop on the beach for some loot for my boys. It was my first time away from Ollie, and my first time purchasing souvenirs. Ever. I tucked my treasures away in a plastic bag. I was so excited.

No trip is complete without a photo-shoot or 2.

On our way home, we were ridiculously delayed at Lorie's favorite house. We could hardly tear ourselves away from all this fabulous rubble.

It was so exciting to come home, knowing I had a surprise for the boys. Ollie hopped right onto my lap...

                      ...gagged on a noodle

                                                      ...and yacked ALL over me.

Welcome home mommy!!

Oi.

After cleaning up, I wrapped the presents, and brought them to the boys.

A Nemo-fish for Finn.

Finn now insists on wearing his "Nemo shirt" and is currently playing the part as Nemo's daddy, Marlin. I'm not sure which is worse--the soccer jersey or this orange striped shirt. Finn keeps hugging and kissing me saying "I love you so much for getting me Nemo".

A sea-turtle for Calvin.

And a pelican for Ollie.

I think this was my favorite day ever as a mom--sleeping in, eating out, shopping,photog-ing with 2 pros, coming home with Nemo knock-offs, and my kids thinking I'm the greatest thing on earth. 

The story of Nemo

according to Finn.

It all starts with Nemo and his daddy Marlin, in their comfy sea anemone(note Nemo's small "lucky fin").

I am so glad that Finn spared me the opening scene with the shark killing the mommy and baby eggs. The very first time I watched this movie, I was completely horrified by this massacre. But apparently Finn did not even consider it important enough to include in his feature film.

Nemo and his friends swim to the drop-off, where they spot the intriguing "butt" off in the distance.


Nemo is feeling particularly naughty that day, and goes to tap the "butt" with his lucky fin.


"Oh no, Nemo, watch out", everyone screams. But it is too late. Nemo is captured by a diver.


Daddy Marlin meets up with a forgetful fish named Dory and they go and search for Nemo. They get to ride the sea turtles.


After riding the sea turtles, they are a bit lost and Dory decides to ask for directions."Come here little buddy", she says to the small dark object in the distance.

Which ends up being a whale.

Meanwhile, Nemo is making friends in a fish tank.


Nemo is determined to escape and swims up the tube, to stop the filter.


Nemo stops the filter and the entire tank is filled with green disgusting algae.


Marlin and Dory make it to Sydney, where a nice pelican swoops them up, to save them from the seagulls. During the escape, the Pelican flies sideways through a sail and all the seagulls get their beaks stuck in the sail(The pelican is the object to the left...I had to ask Finn what it was. Let's just say it looks very abstract!).

The end.

No happy reunion. Nothing.

I suffer through this never-ending saga, just so I can see Nemo and Marlin hug, in their happy reunion. But this little scene did not seem to make any impression on my Finn-boy.

The scene that my boys loved most?

The scene where the diver captures Nemo.

Here is diver Calvin, in his cap and goggles. The sock hanging out is the bubbles.




And here they are hard at work, capturing their sea kitties...



Because we all know how much kitties love swimming around in the ocean!

Oliver's kitty

I've been calling Ollie by the name of Oliver more lately. I don't know when this happened. I think that it all started with his temper...and me having to sternly lower my voice a few notches, calling him Oliver when he's throwing fits. Either that, or looking through the miniboden catalog too much lately. I think they have at least 3 different 'Oliver' models this season!

Moving on. Last spring I searched the ENTIRE town, high and low, to find the proper stuffed kitty for Oliver's Easter basket. I did so on the insistence of Finn and Calvin, who though it was crucial that Ollie have his own kitty. He kept trying to swipe Calvin's orange kitty.

At first, Ollie did not seem too interested in his new tan kitty. He would hold it for a minute and then cast it aside. I don't think the bean-bag ratio of the kitty's intestines were sufficient. Now, orange kitty is blessed with the most amazing innards ever. Regardless, Finn and Calvin were determined that Ollie should love his kitty with the unconditional love they had for their kitties. Every time Ollie would take a nap, or go to bed at night without his kitty, the boys would patiently place the kitty at the door to Ollie's room, like such.

Months of this. I cannot tell you how many times I have happened upon the above scenario. I pretty much thought it was hopeless, but Finn and Calvin never lost faith.

And then around a month ago, John started to notice something. At bed time, Ollie would start to say "mau"...for his kitty. And it started happening more and more. Now it is a regular occurrence to see Ollie holding his little kitty, meowing away.

After feeding him his milk sippy each night, I tuck Ollie in with his kitty, and he gives me the biggest grin ever.

Of course, each morning, I see kitty recklessly strewn on the floor. I did not say he was the most natural of mothers, but he is definitely taking steps in the right direction.

And I think his brothers are awfully pleased with the progress of their trainee.

a vow

On cheerios.

When I was in college, I babysat for a family that had 2 little boys. Their house was pretty wild looking and there were ALWAYS cheerios on their wooden floor. For some reason, this really traumatized me, and I vowed that when I had children there would never be cheerios on my floor.



This little Oliver thought he could break my stiff vow on cheerios.

No such luck little guy! We were running late to Ollie's 15 month appointment, but I just could not leave my floor with so many cheerios on the loose. So I swept, and swept, and ended up being late to Ollie's appointment. 

Thankfully they were running behind and we were still able to get in. Ollie is in the 50% for weight and 75% for height. That's pretty big, for one of my offspring. He got some shots, along with the flu vaccine. Can you believe it's already time for the flu shot?

Finn and Calvin both got the flu mist vaccine, and both of them bawled like babies. I just kind of had to laugh. It was just a tiny squirt of mist up their nose. Very upsetting, I guess. As soon as we got home, they were very busy vaccinating their kitties.

At 15 months, Ollie is quite obsessed with balls. Nothing makes him happier, at this point in his life. Actually, now that I think about it, his most favorite thing is a juice box. He will do anything, anywhere, to anyone to get that juice box in his possession. 

I was trying to get Ollie to sit still for a second, so that I could take a picture of him for a class I am taking.

He got so upset with me that he started to cry. He kept standing up saying, "uuuu--ppppp".

I had absolutely no luck with taking photos of Ollie. I ended up not even turning in my photo assignment yesterday, because I have been so ridiculously busy. This, is a first for me. In all my life as a student, I don't think I ever missed an assignment. Ever. I am usually such a stickler. However, kids change everything. It felt so wonderfully freeing, to just...skip...an assignment. I am wild! 

Of course, now it's the next day and I'm feeling a smidge guilty. 

So, sorry for the lack of blogging, but I figure you are all very busy too, and will understand, right?