Ranch boy

Jack is seriously addicted to Ranch dressing. I have even seen him dip a banana and some mandarin oranges in ranch on more than one occasion. It is hilarious to watch him eat because he just instinctually makes the dipping in ranch action no matter what he is eating (and no matter if there is even ranch on his plate!!)

I am happy to oblige as he is SO skinny and we try to sneak extra calories in him whenever possible, so ranch it up, Jack!

Aaahhhhh...

...another long weekend, and here's what it looks like so far:

I made blueberry scones from scratch

And then we feasted on Alaskan King Crab legs (the boys LOVE crab!!)

And last but not least the gas fire pit is now in working order and it is AWESOME. We made smores for breakfast this morning ;)

Snacking Alfresco

woo-hoo!

Congratulations to Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska! And to all women really...

She is very well liked in Alaska and will make a great Vice President!

Vintage Posts -- Installment #4

How we met...well we met in college, which is maybe not that atypical or exciting - except when you take into consideration that I was Bryan's teacher assistant (que the song hot for teacher) for a summer course in the Chemical Engineering department.

I noticed him on the first day of class and was impressed by his stature and humor right off the bat. It wasn't until the end of the Summer though that I finally flirted with him enough for him to get the clue that he should make a move. He claims he was going to anyhow, but I'm just not sure ;)

Anyhow, after establishing that he is in fact older than me despite being two years behind me in college, we were all set to go on a date! Our relationship continued to blossom that entire last year of college (I was finishing graduate school and he was in his last year of undergrad) and I even went to his home town to meet his family that fall (I've already fessed up to the hair color thing so don't act all shocked):


By the time we graduated that Spring we were already engaged and planning our wedding in August, exactly one year after our first date!

And, as they say, the rest is history!

What's Happenin'

Well, I had my exit interview at my current company since my last day is this Friday. It was harmless and I am just two more days away from being a "former Engineer." I am excited about the new job and role and very motivated to get started next week.

I have been going to the gym (can you believe it?). Trying for 2 days per week since that seems feasible and sustainable. I went just this morning before work, which I hope to do every Wednesday, and then I am aiming for going at least once on the weekends. I am not gonna lie and say that it just makes so much difference already and I am overflowing with extra energy, but it does feel good to know that I am doing something positive for my health and maybe getting more toned in the process.

The DNC is in full swing and I work downtown so it is a major crazy-fest, and that is all I have to say on that topic! :)

The boys are doing great. We had parent orientation at their school yesterday and got to meet their teachers and see the curriculum for this year. They were both excited to show us everything in their classrooms and all their friends -- too cute!

We don't have any big plans for the weekend, maybe just more landscaping work and I did pick out a paint color for the master bathroom that I may execute if the mood strikes. Other than that, just fun and relaxation are in order.

Weapons cache

Warren has taken to sleeping with this entire arsenal of toys and weapons at the foot of his bed. It is getting ridiculous, but he insists...not sure if he is preparing for the Apocalypse or what?!

All said, it currently consists of two light sabers, three star wars ships, a small jet, a large jet, and a random plastic bullet, but that is subject to change at any moment.

Favorite beauty gadgets/finds :)

Okay this is totally shallow and self-centered panderings of some of my favorite earthly things that I have come to love and rely on over the years. Just for fun I am sharing...

The Clarisonic...this thing is AMAZING! I use it religously and I swear the pores are tighter and cleaner/skin is brighter and more even toned and I just really can't say enough about this little gem!

Old Reliable: Oil of Olay's 'Olay Complete' facial lotion with SPF 15. It is so truly non-greasy and light and I like the way it smells too. I have strayed many a time to more expensive department store brands and just keep coming back to this stuff. It is very reasonable and can be bought at the super market, so it kind of helps make up for the cost of the Clarisonic. Sunscreen is an absolute must year round here in Colorado at high altitude.

Hmmm...not sure what to call this thing. It has actually been a relatively new addition -- the cellulite scrubber, massager thing sounds good. I got it at The Body Shop and have been using it in the shower because guess what?

*gasp*

I have some cellulite (I am not saying where, sheesh I don't need to point out my own flaws) that cropped up after having the boys. Now, to be fare I am not sure if the results I am seeing are actually from the increased circulation etc to the cellulite that this thing claims to deliver, or if it is just a result of calories burned from using this thing for 5-7 minutes each morning, rigorously massaging in circular motions...either way I am sticking to it!

Lastly (for now) is the Fish Oil supplements I take absolutely every day. Two tablets to be exact. I started taking these as a precaution because of all the heart disease that runs in my family. And I noticed such a nice result in hair, skin and nails too, so now even though I have had my cholesterol tested and my doctor assures me I do not need to take any medication or supplements, I am hooked. I did some subsequent research and found that there are many potential benefits to the Fish Oil, including lots of prenatal ones -- just in case!

Patio-oh yeah, oh yeah!

The patio is done! It is fabulous and we love it! It is another living space only cooler and outdoors (aka totally washable) It is so rewarding to be able to enjoy this as a family. They still have to come and finish the gas fire pit by installing the "log" and such but at least we can finally go out there and run around. I think we will have breakfast outdoors today for sure!! :)

Gymnast-Jack

Jack loved Gymnastics! It was maybe the cutest thing I have ever seen to watch him bear crawling across the parallel bars and attempting somer-saults.

Warren took this picture of me and Jack getting ready to leave today:


And after gymnastics, Jack was famished and begged me to take him to taco bell and he proceeded to eat two entire chicken soft tacos and then he took a three hour nap! ;)

The nerve of some people

Dear Rude Lady at the Movies last night,

Lucky for you I am the most non-confrontational (aka wuss) in the universe. Because when my 2 year old accidentally pulled the straw out of his sprite last night at the Star Wars: Clone Wars movie after sitting there like a complete angel for 45 minutes straight and a few drops landed on your arm, your reaction was really worthy of a good brawl. To quote you "OH! This is really unacceptable, perhaps you could move!"

So, being the self-declared wuss that I am, we did just that. And then I ACTUALLY sat their feeling guilty that my 2 year old had subjected you to such an atrocity as sprite on the arm...even though it couldn't have been more than half a straw volume of sprite.

And then, you know what you big bully? This morning at the gym (yeah I go to the gym now so watch out!!) when I was doing a 10 minute warm up on the elliptical machine before my big debut at Yoga-Pilates Fusion class, the guy next to me finished up. He walked over and grabbed a spray bottle of what must be pure Pine-Sol to wipe down his machine and then *gasp* when he sprayed it it came out in a sharp spray instead of all misty and it hit my left shoulder and ran down my arm.

Did I freak out and cause a scene?

Did I jump off the machine and make him wipe if off me?

No, I conducted myself like an adult and when he apologized I accepted his apology and indicated that it was NO BIG DEAL.

So, then the entire time at class each time I did the downward dog and could smell pine-sol on my arm I was reminded of what a severe creep you were last night.

And I would have been frozen there in time feeling guilty thinking that maybe I should have held the drink for him or perhaps bring a sippy cup and transfer some drink into that for him in the future...until I was sprayed with Pine-Sol and realized, nope I am not the problem here. So, I take my apology to you back! And instead thank you for helping me to realize that I really should have asked YOU to move after your blatant over-reaction and display of rude-ness in front of my little boy, whom I am trying to shape into a descent, polite adult.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Not Going to be a Wuss Any Longer Thanks to You

I'm a Karate mom

Here is Warren right after his first karate class. He did so well, really surprised me how well he listened and participated and really enjoyed it. Jack has Gymnastics today so we'll see how he does.

Why we have a dog

Don't worry, this cat, which we had named Truman, ran away months ago...

This picture was taken for Warren to bring to preschool to show his favorite pet. I had asked him to find the kitty while I went to grab the camera and when I entered the living room, there he was proudly displaying his favorite pet.

So, here is the second picture after I had asked him to hold truman in a different position:

Pati-oh! Part II

Here is the latest fast moving patio news -- the entire patio is poured and stamped. They will be coming back tomorrow to seal it and do the finishing touches.





Yeah, then we have to actually landscape the rest of the yard.

Dreaming...

Infiniti FX35 in Midnight Mocha.


I'm sure if I hadn't been impatient in the parking garage downtown and totally scratched the crap out of the driver's side of my Odyssey I could totally trade it in without breaking the bank...I'm sure of it...