Not herself ...

Proving that anyone can have a bad day, our daughter is toughing out the remnants of a cold.

For the last two days B has had a fever but, today, though her fever was gone, her cough was worse than ever. Having a terrrible cough is such an awful feeling and, I know, so confusing for this 14 mo. old girl. I actually had to cut her dinner off early because I was afraid that she would choke on her PB&J samo.
I am just grateful that she is getting over the sickness (not running a fever), though there still may be a tough road ahead.
While Kim was over for dinner this evening (Mike cooked out pork chops, delicious!) B was such a good girl, as usual. She attempted to do some things on her own. She walked around with her corn popper, ate PB&J and crackers, smiled a lot and told us about her sickness. The photo above represents a much needed break that she took between activities.
Mind you, it was her choice to crawl/walk around in the 1st place. If it had been up to me I'd have used this opportunity to hold my independent girl for as long as possible. She did lay on my chest with eyes closed for quite awhile. I'm so heartbroken that she is sick but, I do cherish that time I was able to spend with her. It's nice to have that validation of the comfort she feels with her mom (esp. on Mother's Day).
So, though she's not herself, she's still the most amazing daughter I could ever ask for.

Enjoy These Recent Pics!

Uh- Oh...Where's My Daughter?

Peek- A- Boo!

Big Top Imel

Recently, we got a free kid's ticket and a buy 1 get 1 free adult ticket for the circus here in town. Mike and I decided that would be a really cool thing for all 3 of us to see. We considered going multiple times over the weekend since I had three of each kind of ticket. Ultimately, we didn't have enough time to see it more than once but, when we went today, what an experience!

The show, run by a gypsy- like group of travelers, got started late and B was pretty antsy. I think that Mike and I were both worried for a while that the whole effort was going to be a bust. I was walking around with B ( B also walking and holding my fingers, her fave thing to do) and worrying that this would not last much longer. She would literally do this for hours in a row if allowed to do so. But, if I try to pick her up or get her interested in something else she gets really angry. So, time is passing and I'm appeasing her. Finally, I decide to take a walk to the car to get the stroller and kill some time at almost 2 pm. I was hoping that this would be like when you go to the bathroom at a restaurant and you come back to find your food on the table. As B and I were heading out, the music started playing. I looked across the crowd to see Mike waving us back. So, we returned. I was so excited to see how B would react.


Now, of course she responded well to the music right off the bat. Bobbing her head and waving her arms, we hurried back to our seats. And, to make a long story short, she loved the show! It was awesome. She of course loved the animals, which we figured would be the case based on our frequent zoo visits. But, the coolest part was how in tune she was to the tricks being performed by the people. She liked the clowns and dancers most of all, laughing and dancing whenever they were out. She was intrigued by all of the goings on the entire time. Her pre- show restlessness was completely cured by the entertainment. We even got her a lighted souvenir that she waved while clapping and hollering at all of the appropriate times.

What an awesome little person.

And...

though I know you all really enjoyed my story, here are some photos of our daughter enjoying the show.

Wahoo!

Well, wish me luck. I got the promotion that I was vying for. I feel an extreme sense of relief. I know that I deserve it and that I am capable of doing a better job at my new restaurant than what I am able to do now. I was told by my regional that all of the selling points I had used to describe myself in my interview with him he had already been told by both my incoming and my outgoing General Managers. This really made me feel very good and confident about my future in this field.
I think that the other location will be suited really well for me. I'm looking forward to going back there as that is where I started when I first moved to Tucson. The sales are a lot higher, which is the right kind of 'stress' under which I like to work on a more frequent basis. The location is WAY closer to the house, more time with B and less $moo-la$ on gas ($3.00 gal.). And, it's a promotion which will guarantee me a raise when review time comes, and virtually guarantees that I'll get hired wherever I apply come next year.
I'm kind of nervous but very, very ready so wish me luck!

Self Sufficient

Anna is more and more independent. Lately, I've been giving her a spoon while I spoon feed her. Today, I failed to do so and she repeatedly asked me to give her my spoon. "Please, Please, Please..." You get the idea.
So, I got another spoon so that I could share mine while still working on the task at hand, actually getting some food in her tummy. As you can see she was very grateful and really had a big time "feeding herself." Soon, I'm sure some food will make it on the spoon from the bowl, all the way to her mouth.




P.S. This method actually got more food in her mouth than the "correct" way. :)

Dinner for 2

Tonight Molly and I were both off of work for the first time in a week. We enjoyed thick pork chops that I soaked in a homemade balsamic/garlic marinade then cooked them outside on the grill. Also we had creamed spinach and a side salad Molly brought from work. It all turned out DELICIOUS! Now we are going to enjoy some cocktails and watch some t.v while Anna sleeps.
(1 leftover chop..... any takers?)

RANDOM THOUGHTS...........

I've lived in Tucson for a little over 2 years now and have yet to taste cactus of any kind. I was watching the Food Network(of course) the other day and they had all these recipes involving cactus. This is a picture of a "prickly pear magarita". I cant think of a better way to enjoy cactus for the first time ...can you? So it is my new goal to try this mysterious fruit so many have been talking about, have you tried it?

CAR IS FIXED!!!!

Well we got really lucky, the car cost us $0.00 .It was still under the original factory warranty!
As I and acouple others expected it was the thermostat stuck closed. And also they told us about a re-called fuel filter that they would replace when we had more time. So everything turned out great and life in the "fast lane" goes on. Thank you for your support!

Car Trouble!!!!!!

Well the day had started out great, Anna and I went to a company bowiling party and I beat everyone I played with a high score of 183. Then we left the bowling ally when I noticed the car was over heating...SHIT! luckly we made it home, I'm now Im trying to get ahold of the dealer to see if our warranty covers this .They said they would have to tow it in and look at our coverage to see if it qualifies. Molly is in Pheonix today in a managers meeting ,thank God she didn't take this car!!!so until she gets home or calls my hands are tied, I had to call into work and tell them I would'nt be there so I can get all this resolved. Damn this day is not turning out how I had expected.
Send your best for a cheap fix ...HA!

CLOSE UP

 

Tucson Zoo....again!!!!

HERE SHE IS!!!!!!

Family Day!!!!

Hello peeps, today we went to the Tucson Zoo and fed the giraffe (sorry theres not a better pic,we used my phone) and the polar bear was swimming around which is always sooo fun to watch. After the Zoo we went to eat" frisco" burgers at Claim Jumpers.
Oh and we bought a new memory card for our camera so there will be new photos to veiw real soon .

MEMORY CARD BUSTED!!!!!

Hi folks! sorry there has not been any new photos latley. Our camera memory chip is on the wack? We will try and get it fixed ASAP. But for now ....CHECK OUT THOSE CHOMPERS!!!!


ps: Thanks for the great photos kelly!!!

Best Egg of 2006!

This egg is the official winner of our unofficial cascaron painting contest, of which I am the only participant (probably because others are scared to compete).
Also, Anna and I are the only judges.

Shout out!

Shout out to my niece T because I did not mention her in my post "This is my life." We had an awesome visit and you are dearly missed. Love you!

What does the cow say?

B is learning to repeat when we tell her stuff and answering some questions, too. So, lately (I've had a couple of days off) I have been tring to teach her animal sounds using the Learning with Leap Frog books. Some she's already known and likes to try to answer even though her response is not perfect. For example, when asked "What does a duck say?" B promptly responds (assuming she's in the right mood for Q&A) "Duck! Duck!" so, I continue to repeat Quack! Quack! and she keeps trying.

So, yesterday, we were talking and I was telling her what a cow says. She wasn't quite understanding me. No big deal, so we moved on. But, as I kept talking to her about other animals she was not paying attention. She just kept going, "MMMMmmm..." over and over. Next thing you know she's saying "OOOOoooo" (Long U sound) and smiling. So, I went back to the cow and sure enough she was just teaching her self to say Moo. So, I chimed in also Mooing like crazy and she just stared at my lips. After a minute or two of this she was a pro. It was sounding a lot like she was saying Mmmm. Oooo. Two words. Now it's coming together really nicely and we're so proud.

It was so amazing to see her decide that she wanted to learn to say this word, sound it out, practice, and then finally bring it together. What an awesome accomplishment!

SO FAR SO GREAT!!!!

My new job at Olive Garden is going really great. The people I work with are really helpful and the management seems to really know what their doing. I've been working there about 6 days now and i'm already finished training for my station. My station has about 25 items on it and I was working alone after the third day...they were sooo pleased. I'm due for a review in 20 days...hopfully they will give me a raise. Wish me luck :)

A Price to Pay

With B seeming to be so far ahead of her little age group, I'm learning that she may be entering that age with the forbidden name, the t#**&ble 2s. Even though she has such great manners, she says "please" for everything all of the time, she's having a little trouble understanding "No, Ma'am," "Sit down,"and "Please, don't stick your finger in that light socket." Today, I noticed, after spending the whole day with her, no work, and no friends or family around, that I was having to impart many more rules on her than I feel I ever have before, and she refused to take a nap all day. Of course, she's still a doll and every moment spent with her is a true blessing. This is just an observation.

Enjoy!

Here is a link to some awesome pictures for those of you who need a fix! When you get there, just scroll down and look on the right hand side of the page for some photos of Ks recent visit.

Informal Survey

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

This is My Life

We went to the pool yesterday. Ks, my friend KC from Indy, Mike, B, and I had such a fun time. We swam, talked, relaxed, ate cookies (mostly B), and most of us got a little too much sun (not B). The weather was sunny and eighties, perfect for swimming and we had great fun.
Afterwards, on the way to work, I was thinking about what a great day it had been. And, when I talked to Mike later, we both agreed that we are so fortunate to have so many vacationers around as it keeps us in a good frame of mind, or "vacation mode" as my Dad would say. We decided that we can keep this same frame of mind throughout our lives even without being on vacation, or having vacationers around. This could be just a regular day for us, if we could just remember to take a deep breath sometimes and enjoy a great day with nice weather, sometimes friends or family, and always each other.

Every Little Bit Counts

I went for a five mile walk today with two of my sisters K&K. It's my first walk in a long time (I walk a lot at work). It was totally refreshing and I really enjoyed being outside for that amount of time. I feel particularly good about it because I ran part of the way. It was such a SMALL part that I feel embarrassed to even mention it. I think the total of the two times that I ran during the outing was probably only a tenth of a mile. But, it felt good and I feel good that I was burning at least a few more calories than I would've been walking. Every little bit counts.

Not keeping up my end of the bargain...?

Mike has recently expressed to me that I am not posting enough for what would be considered "my end of the bargain." Also, I talked with Kelly and she gave us some advice on the freedom of blogging. I feel good about what I have to offer about my opinions and stories about my life. So, I will be blogging much more often "moving forward" (as the corporate posers at my work always say). So, you all have something to look forward to.

Going To Phoenix!!!!

see you in a few days!

ok, the job search is ON

GOT BABY FOOD ?

Fun With Banana And Her Freind

How does it feel?

I've been asked this, or some variation of this, many times in the past couple of days. How does it feel to be a married woman? Do you feel any different? How's married life treatin' ya'? Typical questions, I'm sure. You get the picture. Anyway, I always respond that it's great, and it is. But, the truth is, and I suppose this is a good thing, I don't feel much different than I did before.

I do like that people see me as a committed person who is happy with her family and the choices that she's made in life. Also, one difference is that I really enjoy being able to call Mike my husband. As a twenty- something (round to thirty) Mother who is already beginning to build her career, it always felt a little silly to call Mike my boyfriend and I never cared for the word fiance.

All in all saying that it feels great is the correct answer to these questions. Although, I don't think this means I feel any different.

Good Morning....

Banana misses her breakfast buddy :( 

One Week Anniversary

Sorry, no picture of Anna yet but, What a great day! I asked Mike, where's my anniversary present? He got me a kiss. How thoughtful! We are so fortunate for everyting and Anna is soon to to be 1 year and 1 week. She's so old. Hope all are doing well. Can't wait to see Kel and Toria out here soon.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!