Just call me Maria

These are a few of my very, very favorite things:

1) Girls Weekend Retreat to Bodega Bay. In April a bunch of girls rented a beach house in Bodega Bay for three days.

We were still waiting for Kera, Megan and Jamie

2)The crafts Rocia made to welcome us:

The darling place settings. I always say I want to be Rocia when I grow up.

3) Eating nothing but junk food until 3 am

4) Having Rebecca and Regan make crepes and eggs benedict for breakfast. Heavenly.

5) Going out to a nice dinner at the Duck Club.

Jamie and Kera had just left.

6) Shirley Temples. Apparently, lots of people like Shirley Temples.

7) Peaceful babies at dinner so their mommies can eat their yummy bacon wrapped fillet mignon. Here they are, Dane and Simeon sleeping at dinner. They were the only two boys lucky enough to come on our trip. These little friends are four days apart.

8)Eating a yummy dessert that Regan made and making crafts.

We were all very proud of our crafts:

9) Watching Megan show us her gymnastics skills (she was a BYU gymnast!), and watching everyone else try their gymnasts skills. Just picture ten mommies trying to do cartwheels. Laughed. my. face. off.

10) This one might not be considered one of my "favorite things" but I guess I'm quite good at it:
Being a freak show with Megan. We go on tour next month.

Oh, and Ladonna is going to be our opening act. Here is her version of the body roll:

11) Realizing I can still do the splits.

12) Last, but certainly not least, bonding with my baby.

13) Getting away for a weekend with fabulous friends and coming home feeling rejuvenated (not rested however) and ready to be a better wife and mom.

All about Audrey

My sweet Audrey has a been champion big sister, as least when it comes to Dane. She loves him so much (sometimes too much-she wants to give him very tight squeezes- I can't blame her, he is so squeezable), and she has never done anything to hurt him (except knock heads with him once, but she was trying to be funny). When it comes to me, however, she has been pushing the limits. She won't listen as well as she used to, she throws more fits (see previous post), and just wants her Daddy all the time. On Mother's Day, my in-laws were here, and Audrey didn't want to eat, was whining, and Dave said, "Audrey, if you need some attention, I'll give you some, just don't act negatively to get it." A light bulb went off in my head. My poor Audrey. She has been so good during this transition, and all she wanted was some more attention and didn't know how to get it. So I made this week "All about Audrey" week. We went where she wanted to go (Discovery Museum, her favorite parks, her friend's house, and the beach twice), read what books she wanted to read, when she wanted to read them, played games all week long, and let me tell you, I have a new child. She has been an angel. We have spent hours laying in my bed reading books (Dane is now very well versed with all the princess stories), have put on more princess dresses and danced around the house more this week than we have in a long time. We just got back from going to Chestnut St to get a bagel and Jamba Juice to finish off our week, and I have never been so in love with my daughter. She is listening like a champion again, she is more helpful, and she is much more delightful. My house looks like a bomb went off in it, I have only done one load of laundry all week (we were all out of towels, Dane had to use a hand towel), my fridge is empty, but I have a happy two year old. And that, is everything a mommy can ask for.

Oh Audrey

Last week Audrey was a little out of sorts. She wasn't listening very well, she had to go to time out 10 too many times, and I didn't know what to do. One particular morning she was throwing a royal fit, so I told her she couldn't leave her room until she was acting like a big girl. Once she stopped crying she could leave her room, come find me in the kitchen, and then we could talk. She stayed in her room for about ten minutes, crying the whole time. Finally I heard silence and I came out of the kitchen to find her standing in the doorway with one hand up on the frame, and one knee popped. She looked so sassa-frass. I didn't say a word, I just knelt down and put my arms out. She came running to me and gave me a big hug. Then she pulled back, looked and me, and said, "Do ew (you) want to say you're sorry to me?" It was all I could do to bust out laughing. I did apologize, had her say she was sorry too, and then we went on about our day. I love that crazy girl.

Riding the heat wave

This week it was SO hot in San Francisco, so our playgroup and park day were both down at the beach. Lovely times.

I love these kids.

Audrey eating her "sand"wich. I crack myself up.

May 14th. Dane's first time at the beach.

Record breaking heat in San Francisco, and of course we don't have air conditioning. My hot little baby.

My Buddha baby, sitting on his sister's princess dress.

Why I blog...

"You will have significant experiences. I hope that you will write them down and keep a record of them, that you will read them from time to time and refresh your memory of those meaningful and significant things. Some may be funny. Some may be significant only to you. Some of them may be sacred and quietly beautiful. Some may build one upon another until they represent a lifetime of special experiences." ~Gordon B. Hinckley, 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's go fly a kite...

For our Friday night picnic on April 25th, we went and got sandwiches at Safeway and then went to Chrissy field to fly a kite. At first Audrey was afraid of the dragon, but once we explained it wasn't going to "get her", she loved it. I love San Francisco.

Dane just hanging out in his car seat. He is such a good boy.

Mother's Day

"All I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother."
~Abraham Lincoln

Christmas, 1982. I was 2 1/2, Audrey's age

Happy Mother's Day Mom. Thank you for the way you continue to teach and inspire me to be the best I can be.

June, 1974. Dave was two weeks old

Happy Mother's Day Marianne. Thank you for raising such a wonderful son who makes my role as a mother that much more enjoyable.

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Love, love, love Mother's Day. I think I must be a selfish person, but I love a day that is all about me and what I do. Being a Mother is the hardest, most rewarding thing I have ever done, and I love to celebrate it! Our celebration weekend started with a fun BBQ with friends on Friday night. Then Saturday night we did what every San Franciscan loves to do...drove 30 minutes to the nearest drive through! The Steakhouse burger from Burger King looked SO good, so we ventured down south to try it, and it was disgusting. Very disappointed. I only ate two bites, and I can usually eat about anything, so don't waste your money. Then we headed to the mall and I got to go shopping... all. by. myself. I can't remember the last time I actually tried things on in a dressing room. Heavenly. After two hours of shopping bliss we headed home. Today I slept in while Dave got the kids ready for church, and then after church I napped while he made a very yummy dinner...shish-ka-bobs (sp? how do you spell that word?), rice, pot stickers and egg rolls. Memor, Fafa and Aunt Alli came to help celebrate and we ended the night with yummy berry cobbler and angel food cake with berries. It was a great day and I felt very loved.
Happy Mother's Day to the many women in my life who have made me a better woman and mommy to my sweet kiddos.

Priceless...

Thank you Kelli for such great pictures (kellinicolephoto.blogspot.com). Kelli is graduating from BYU in photography. Her final BFA project was about the bond between a mom and her baby. I think she captured it perfectly.

My little family...

"A happy family is but an earlier heaven."
~John Bowring

The big 1-0-0

This is my 100th post. Thought that was pretty cool. That's it.