THE SKY IS FALLING! THE SKY IS FALLING!

I've come here today to mock my neighbors, my peers.

Now, I live in Central California...or the San Joaquin Valley, as some would see it. We are known for agricultural stuff mostly. We are supposed to have some of the most fertile soil in the world. At least, that's what an old science teacher once told me. That's really funny considering this is also technically a DESERT, since we get less than ten inches of rain a year.

I guess I'm basically telling you this so that you understand that the weather here is pretty mild, for the most part. We whine about needing rain. But, when it actually rains as much as .38 of a inch, the streets flood and cars break down in them and every store will be lined with buckets to catch all the rain that our pitiful roofs cannot handle. And they will talk about it for HOURS on the news. We have 'storm warnings' interrupting our favorite shows every five minutes as if the world is actually coming to an end.

I think the wind might have actually gotten as bad as 25 mph or so. Yeah, people in other states are laughing their asses off when they see our 'meteorologists' running around like a bunch of Chicken Littles yelling as if they sky is actually falling all around them.

I honestly know that I, myself, have not actualy experienced real weather. We are pretty much protected from having any real seasons like the majority of the country might experience. It might snow here every ten years or so and it might last long enough for one to take a couple of pictures. Granted, snow is available to us several months a year if we are willing to drive an hour or two to see it. The ocean is also just a couple of hours away from us. In many ways, we are pretty fortunate. I like to say we're 'two hours from greatness in almost any direction.'

In the middle of winter, the temperature usually does dip below freezing a few times. Then, our 'Storm Watch' turns into our 'Freeze Watch' on our nightly news channels. That's when the farmers stay awake for days at a time to do whatever it takes to keep their crop from freezing. Actual weather really screws things up around here.

We do get a good amount of heat in the summertime. The thermometer will be well over 100 degress every day for days or weeks at a time sometimes. We are lucky to not have the humidity that many other places do. Then again, you need MOISTURE to have HUMIDITY, right?

I guess I just feel that it's gone too far when nickel-sized hail might pay us a visit for, like, 20 minutes or so and they actually interview one of their anchors on the news who witnessed a car break down.

Almost seems a little sad, dontcha think?

They are beginning this younger and younger, aren't they?

It's funny how often one likes to let their mind drift back to the days where they had no children, or only one child. I don't think so much about when I didn't have any kids, but the 'era of one child' feels more and more like it was just a dream. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change anything about my life now. My children each bring something special to our lives that we could not imagine living without. It's just so different to have three children when you start out with one.

For example, an only child is likely to get more stuff. You know, just because they're cute. Or just because. It doesn't really matter, because it's not so tough to agree to the extra dollar or two for that little doll or toy because they were good and behaved in the store. When my oldest began actually expecting this sort of royal treatment, I starting learning now to say, "NO." She caught on pretty quickly, for the most part. After all, she was on the receiving end of quite a few little presents from family and friends just because she was the only one.

Just before Christmas, when she was almost three years old, I took her up and down the toy aisles of Target to get an idea about what she might want Santa to bring her. It only took a few minutes to become apparent that she thought we were just there to look at the toys she already had.

Look, Mommy! I have that doll!

Yes, you do. Is there another doll you want?

It's as if she hadn't actually grasped the concept of picking out something new. Something she didn't actually own. She seemed to only want to look at the things she already had. (And she didn't have that many toys, she just didn't know that she could want more.)

Fast forward nine years and factor in two more kids. 11YO didn't waste any time at all to tell me she wanted a flat screen tv for Christmas. Since her mom and dad don't own a flat screen tv, we told her there was 'no way in the blue moon of Egypt' (David's words) that she would get one first. She then told us she'd settle for an iPod.

I know, how generous of her!!!

4YO has quite the list herself and it grows and changes everyday. Every commercial on tv seems to be geared toward her age level right now.

Mommy! I wanna buy dat!

Daddy, I want dat!!!

I am trying to explain that she cannot have all of those things she's asking for. Even if we did have all that extra cash lying around, no child should have that many presents at Christmas. Every year, we do seem to 'overdo it' a bit with the Christmas presents. Our kids are lucky to have grandparents and uncles and other family that remember them as well. As parents, we really shouldn't get them much at all. It never turns out that way, however. I either realize I bought too many things for one of the kids and end up picking up a few more for the other two to even it out or it just doesn't feel like 'enough' when it's all wrapped and under the tree. That's when I usually pick up some cheap crap that I wish I hadn't or wrap the sweatpants in a separate box from the sweatshirt.

Don't tell me you've never done that!

It always ends up the same way, though. Christmas Day ends up feeling like there was just too much. When they get more than two or three things they tend to lose track of them anyway. At least, the little ones seem to. The older ones remember everything they got and immediately want to separate their 'loot' from that of the others.

I never imagined how quickly my third child would catch on to the concept of presents, though.

The advertisers really do know what they're doing, don't they? 1YO has already started to point at the tv and scream, "Mommy! Buy! Daddy! Buy!" And they are never the same things that her sister is asking for, mind you. They are things that are for toddlers. Playhouses and dolls and Barbie Jeeps. Yes, she is a 'monster in the making' all right!

Now, if their mother could only shop a little smarter...

Nothing too serious, okay?

Seriously? Are they serious?


I generally have little problem with most commercials I see on television. Yeah, they can be annoying and repetitive, but they’re trying to sell you something whether it’s an idea or a product and repetition really does work. Sometimes it works a little too well, in fact.


HEAD ON! Apply directly to the forehead!
HEAD ON! Apply directly to the forehead!
HEAD ON! Apply directly to the forehead!
HEAD ON! Apply directly to the forehead!



Repetition works. Whether we actually purchase the product or not, some things just won’t get out of our heads!


I was half-watching TV last night while making dinner and I noticed a commercial that’s sort of been eating at me. It’s not particularly any more annoying that a lot of the others. At least, no more annoying than your typical fake-sounding enthusiasm about a car most of us haven’t even heard of. This woman was told she was swapping her car with another one for research. She traded her Honda for the Ford Whatever for a week.


“It’s really elegant on the inside and sporty on the outside, so it really reflects the type of person that I am.”


Sorry, I just threw up in my mouth a little.


I mean, who talks about themselves like that? Have you ever even thought about referring to yourself as ‘elegant on the inside and sporty on the outside?’ This is what’s wrong with the world; so many people just take themselves too seriously! I think if I were to have a car to reflect the person that I am, it would have to be beige and a very bad dancer. One of the windows would be stuck shut, while another would be stuck open. And the brakes would squeak and the heater would only work in the summer.


I want my children to think highly of themselves. I really do! I think confidence is a great quality and if you believe in yourself you’ll go far and blah, blah, blah. I just don’t want them to take themselves too seriously. The really confident people are the ones who can laugh at themselves. If you really believe in yourself, you don’t need to come right out and tell someone how ‘elegant’ or ‘sporty’ you may be. You just are.


I’m hoping this week is the start of my new outlook on eating right and maybe even some renewed confidence. We’re off to a great start and eating real food that I cook almost nightly. That’s huge for me, the one who used to burn KOOL-AID!!! Yeah, I’ve picked up a few things since then AND I haven’t killed anyone with my cooking….yet. I’ve taken the challenge set up by Mrs. Flinger at Weight Loss Wars. The competition starts today and lasts exactly one month. The winner loses the highest percentage of their body weight and there is a cash prize involved. Maybe the cash incentive will keep my focus! And the fact that the competition only lasts a month because who really likes to try to lose weight on Thanksgiving?


And when I lose a bunch of weight and get all ‘HOT’ and everything, I won’t need to tell you how ‘HOT’ I am. I’ll just be. In the meantime, I just wish the car that reflected me would fit into a compact parking spot! (Those jeans in the back of my closet that haven’t seen daylight in YEARS.)

Soft Addictions and Playing with Food

So, in addition to my latest herbal tea addiction (which is still going strong, by the way!) I have also starting feeling the urge to bake again. Cool weather means it feels really good to stand next to a hot oven and watch batter and dough grow into something edible. Actually, the batter and dough are all quite edible in my mind…but we’re not supposed to encourage that sort of behavior, are we?


My kids love cornbread. I love cornbread mix where you just add water. Someday I’ll bake cornbread from scratch. Someday. That’s somewhere on the list of things to do in between ‘clip coupons and actually use them’ and ‘stop buying things I don’t actually need at the moment.’ You know all the things you think you’ll do when you grow up!


My kids also like beans. I made cornbread muffins and dropped spoonfuls of baked beans into the batter before I popped them in the oven. I tried it a couple of different ways to see how they would bake up the best. (Yes, the baked beans were from a can. Who do you think I am, Betty Freakin’ Crocker?) The girls loved them and they were much cleaner than having bowls of beans and cornbread crumbs to dispose of. I will definitely make something like that again. The rest of the batter was spooned into a mini muffin pan and we now have little bite-sized cornbread muffins.


The whole ‘Jessica Seinfeld cookbook thing’ has sort of got me thinking; maybe I should be trying to hide more good stuff in my kids’ diet. Now hiding beans in cornbread isn’t exactly any healthier of a choice nor is it really necessary. Not for my kids, anyway. But, I could easily steam and puree veggies and stash them in all sorts of things, couldn’t I? I do use oatmeal and wheat germ in my meatloaf, but who says I can’t add veggies too? We don’t have meatloaf too often around here, but we may have it more with the weather cooling down.


Cooler weather means crock-pots, chicken and dumplings, pot roast and anything else I can bake. Mmmmm….comfort foods! I guess that means I have to actually start buying more veggies, eh? I have a love/hate relationship with produce. I hate the commitment of it all. This stuff will go bad, and quickly sometimes. I am so much better off being able to buy something in a can or being able to stick it in the freezer until I need it. Or, until I remember I have it. I usually remember I have fresh tomatoes in the fridge when they are no longer fresh. Or even resembling tomatoes. Okay, so they have been known to stand up and tell me we’re out of milk! Since I don’t particularly care for most fruits and a lot of veggies anyhow, I only buy them because I know they are good for us. And that’s all the love I have for them. Fresh produce is just too much pressure for someone who likes to buy things in bulk and forget about needing them for a month or two.


I guess I remember I actually have veggies about as often as I remember to water my plants. Wait! That’s almost never! I can’t keep plants or fish alive to save my life! (Or theirs, I guess you could say!) Unless I do something on a very regular basis, I forget about. I honestly wonder if I could take some sort of medication to stay focused. I could use produce more regularly, feed my fish, water my plants…I might even resemble a grown-up!


But, do you think it could help me balance my checkbook any better?

I May End Up NEVER Having to Actually Potty Train Someone...

What I overheard from my girls this morning:

4YO: Hey! Do you want to go potty? Do you need to go potty? Let's go into the bathroom and try to go potty!

1YO says nothing, but follows her down the hall.

I never really felt like I did much to potty train my first two girls. I was working full time and my mom kept my oldest for me. She took care of her Monday through Friday and did most of the work. Evenings and weekends were easy to deal with, once Grandma got the ball rolling. My second daughter pretty much decided she was ready to be potty trained when she was 2 1/2. She could wear panties during the day and became diligent about going potty in the toilet. She didn't control herself at night as well as her big sister did, so we put her in Pull-Ups for another year or so after that.

And now, it looks as if she wants to potty train her little sister who's not even two yet! I wonder what would happen if I just sat back and LET HER. Seriously, I wouldn't do that. It does feel good to know she's on board with helping though! Believe it or not, my 4YO is way more disciplined that I am!

We are just recovering from a super busy weekend and I have done NUTTIN today! This feels good! I did, however, do a little catching up with blogs. Jessie at I Am David's Doll is always a good read. I know I've mentioned her once before but she's definitely worth mentioning again. Another blog I have more and more regularly is one by the wonderful Mrs. Flinger. Her take on weight loss and kids and everything else is just awesome! Her sense of humor rocks and she has even set up a little weight loss blog for members. Also, she is pulling quite a few of us (from what I can tell) into a weight loss challenge on WeightLossWars.com. This is a new approach for me and I really think that a little competition could get a lot of us motivated.

If you happen to sign up, let me know and I'll send you the link to my page. Right now, I just ate a really large bowl of pasta and feel like I need a nap.

I'll start my diet tomorrow.

*giggle*

What the hell happened???

David and I, sometime around our wedding day. Right after, I think.

Five years later. Yes, it's had its ups and downs. But what kind of pure hell could we have gone through to have aged so much in five measely years? Sure, I had two more kids after this. In fact, I may even have been pregnant with 4YO in this picture. But, I don't think I was THAT much thinner than I am now. I just look so.....well rested! Sure, I only had one kid at the time. But, I was also working full-time (and then some!) at a dental lab and I really thought I was exhausted at the time.

I guess I didn't really know what 'exhausted' was, huh? Maybe I still don't.

I guess you could say that we have just aged. It's natural, right? A few more pounds, a few more laugh lines; they should be seen as badges of honor to wear with pride. How lucky we are to smile enough to leave marks on our faces! What great fortune to have had so many meals that have increased our girth!

Instead, I'm just grateful for Weight Watchers, my gym membership, and that night cream I need to start using on my face again.

Where the sun don't shine?

Apparently, that's not always the case!

David had given 1YO a flashlight to play with the other night. I guess she just sort of tucked it between her legs when she was finally tired, because I walked into the room and found her like this in the floor. She landed on her blanket and fell instantly asleep...with the flashlight as it was.

Definite 'Kodak moment.'

Dumb Luck or On The Right Track?

Is it WRONG to be jealous of a 4YO's ankles?

I’m not sure if I can blame this on dumb luck or maybe I’m actually eating less, but I’ve lost five pounds in the past week. Actually, more like five days.


Yeah, I weigh myself every day. Don’t you?


Every single day I am about a pound lighter. How? I guess you could say that I’ve traded one habit for another…and this one’s less fattening.


I’ve become hooked on hot tea. Although I do own and drink a fair amount of green tea, I also drink sugar cookie flavored tea, gingerbread flavored tea, peppermint tea, etc. It’s all yummy to me right now! When I want a sweet snack, I just whip up a hot cup of sugar cookie tea. It has no calories in it and smells just like I’m eating a sugar cookie, even though it’s not actually very sweet! With the weather cooling down, it just feels so good to sit around and relax with a hot cup of tea in my hands. It smells so good too!


Even though I think Kevin Trudeau is a quack, there is a little bit of method to some of his madness. I’ve given cold beverages up for hot ones. It’s easy to do this time of year and there are so many flavors of tea to choose from! I no longer drink cold beverages with meals. I’ve actually noticed that I tend to eat more when I have something cold to wash it down with. Also, there is something to be said for the theory that cold liquids slow down digestion and solidify fats in your gut.


Now, I didn’t actually start doing this to lose a bunch of weight, because I haven’t actually changed the way I eat much at all. As a matter of fact, I made some yummy chicken last night that wouldn’t’ have been considered ‘healthy’ or ‘low fat’ at all! I took some leg quarters (Yes, bones and skin and all!) and brushed them with melted butter. Then, I tossed them in a Ziploc bag with breadcrumbs, rosemary, and a little Mrs. Dash. I’ve been using Mrs. Dash in pretty much everything I’ve cooked for the last couple of years since extra sodium won’t help David’s blood pressure or my edema at all! No, I’m not pregnant. But, as a result of bad breeding my ankles and feet pretty much swell up every day of my life.


I was really meant to be royalty, I think. I was meant to be carried around on a big velvet pillow and for my feet to never touch the ground. Does that really sound like too much to ask?


So, I no longer drink ice water. In fact, I haven’t really had any water in its natural state since I’ve begun this latest experiment of sorts. And my ankles haven’t been smaller in years. Isn’t that strange? I think I’ll be able to keep this up for quite awhile because I still eat whatever I want and don’t feel like I’m missing a thing.


Wait…I’m missing something…I’m missing five pounds to date!!!


I’ve been eating eggs and toast and brownies and….okay. I’m done here. All this typing about food is making me hungry and there is some leftover chicken and rice pilaf in the fridge that’s calling my name!


OH! And another cup of tea to wash it down with!

Welcome to Hell: Shopping With Kids

The funny thing is, she downright refuses to sit in her stroller or a shopping cart when we are actually shopping!

Does anyone actually like shopping with their young children. Older children?


I didn’t used to mind it when I only had one, or even two kids. My first two children were pretty mellow and easy to shop with. Even though my middle daughter had quite a few more opinions than her older sister, she didn’t like the idea of people looking at her in stores. Therefore, acting up in public wasn’t something I needed to worry about from her.


Then, I had another child. When you already have two, what’s one more right? WRONG. The third child brings an entirely different set of rules and makes it feel more like you have four or five children to maintain. At least, that’s how it was in our case! The third child is a busy one. Her natural instincts are to wander and fear nothing. Plus, she is enticed by the look of fear or stress in my eyes and it triggers even more bad behavior. She thrives on it.


When 11YO is in school, I sometimes drag the younger two out to run errands. Some days are more difficult than others. Have 11YO with us makes the journey easier. And tougher. You see, it’s really great to have another set of arms and legs to chase 1YO down and grab her. I can focus a little more on shopping so we can hurry up and get the heck outta there before every person in the store knows my 1YO’s name. Trust me, so many people get the chance to learn her name when we are shopping! As helpful as 11YO is, she has the attention span of a gnat. From observing most of her friends, I’m discovering how normal she really is.


Another extra challenge when my ‘helper’ is there is the fact that she points things out to her sisters that I do not intend to buy. These are things that they probably might not otherwise notice. I’m not even sure if she’s doing it on purpose…it’s never actually ever worked.


“Look, Mom. Oreos! YUM!”


(This is the part where 4YO starts repeating that she wants to “BUY DEM” and 1YO just points and screams as if that should trigger them to fly off the shelf and into their grubby little hands.)


Before we could go to the Mexican Mormon Samoan wedding on Saturday, the girls needed new outfits and shoes. They have outgrown most of the summer dresses and none that still fit seemed proper for a wedding. And of course new dresses means new shoes. It took two stores to get it all done. It took me awhile to find an outfit for 1YO that would suit the occasion. Most of the summer stuff is gone now and what’s left is either too casual or just plain ugly! I did manage to find a few to choose from and they were on clearance. (YAY MEE!!!) On the way to 11YO’s section, I spotted a little dress set that would be perfect for 4YO. SCORE! 11YO…that is an entirely different story. You see, the clothing they make for girls her age either look like ‘grandma clothes’ or something that ‘Hooker Barbie’ might wear to go ‘clubbin’. Needless to say, it is not easy to buy clothes for her. As much as I want to drape a large burlap sack over her to cover every square inch of her, it’s just not reasonable. That being said, how do some people live with themselves when they let their sixth grade daughters look like little pole dancers?


Just where is the happy medium here?


I’m not expecting her to walk around in long sweaters and baggy skirts. (However, if that look ever comes back in style for my girls I would totally embrace it!) I just think that the selections for the 7-14 girls’ sizes are disgraceful. At least, they are when it comes to dressier clothes anyhow. You can always find something cute and classy in the area of casual clothes. When it comes to 4YO and 1YO, they are still pretty easy to shop for. (TOO EASY if you ask my husband!)


I have a similar dilemma when it comes to shopping for myself. I am 32 years old and stay at home with three kids. I just don’t feel like they make things for people my age. Am I that uncommon? I don’t think so. So why is it that I seem to have to choose between looking a little older or looking a little younger than what I am. I’m not ready to raid my mom’s closet just yet, but I feel silly when I’m wearing something that could be seen on a 19-year-old. I am not 19 anymore, nor am I trying to be. This must be why jeans are sweatpants are so popular. Nothing else really seems to fit.


Having the kids with me while shopping for myself is even more fun. I’m already frustrated from the beginning because I don’t see anything that I’ll feel good about. 11YO is just pacing and whining about going to her clothing department. 1YO is either locked in the cart and screaming about it or on the loose. I’m trying to distract 11YO by getting her to keep 1YO close by. All the while, 4YO is grabbing every sequin-covered sparkly hooker dress she can find. I don’t know what else to say; the kid likes bling. I think she also secretly (or not-so-secretly) wishes I were a stripper.


Hey, I wouldn’t mind having the body of a stripper and I blame the fact that I don’t on my kids! Don’t you?


Speaking of clothes, I will need to buy more of them if I don’t get the ones we have washed. Unless you live in a nudist colony, your laundry is NEVER DONE.

That's it...I'm moving to a nudist colony!

You can't review a book you've never read. Can you?

True, I have never read this book. However, my BIL purchased it..probably out of curiosity. He stayed up the other night and read most of this book. He called me in the morning to give me the gist of it. Simply fascinating.

Apparently, flourescent lighting and microwave ovens are making us fat. Also, we are supposed to be getting injections of HCG on a regular basis. This HCG is harvested from the urine of pregnant women. Since your skin is the largest organ on your body, you are only supposed to shower with a special filter and never put any sort of lotion on your skin.

Evidently, this 'cure' also makes you immune to UV rays because I can't think of any other way to protect your skin from the sun other than some sort of LOTION OR CREAM. Or covering every inch of your body with clothing. I wonder if there are restrictions on the kind of clothing you should wear....and what about fabric softener?

I understand that flourescent lighting can make you depressed and maybe even eat more after long periods of time. But, we just bought five of those energy-saving light bulbs and are doing our part to take 4 million cars off the road. There goes that theory, eh Kevin Trudeau? Oh! And we can't forget the fact that he wants you to get a colonic just about every other day for a month.

This is a way to lose weight without doing a lick of exercise. Frankly, I'd rather spend my entire day on a treadmill than have a tube shoved up my rear end in order to 'cleanse me.' Maybe it's just me.

I actually think I might still want to read the book. It's not all kooky. He does mention eating organic food and staying away from trans fats and such. This is all stuff I agree with, even if I don't live by it everyday. Our family is gradually making better choices but this will not be an overnight process. Not in our house, anyway.

Yeah, I really do think I want to read that book. If nothing else, I can tell you whether or not you should be able to find it in the 'humor' section of your local bookstore.

Insight and Temporary Solutions

4YO woke up a little early this morning.

We have a deal around our house when it comes to taking out the garbage: 11YO takes it out and 4YO replaces the bag in the trash can. 11YO was throwing something away and noticed the garbage was full. She promptly started to pull the full bag out of the can. I turned to 4YO as she sat at the table and reminded her that she needed to replace the bag.

"There's something wrong with my feet."

This is not something you really want to have to think about at 7:00 in the morning; there's something wrong with my child.

"What's wrong with your feet?"

"Well, I know there AREN'T ants crawling on them...but it kind of feels funny like that."

Her feet were asleep. Too stinking cute! I had never been aware of any of her limbs falling asleep before. This was the first time she had ever been able to verbalize it.

In other news, I've been able to find a temporary solution to the problem I have with 1YO taking her diaper off. Thanks to Jessie, putting the diaper on backward was actually a lot of help. Even though the little stinker has figured it out with time, she doesn't always take it off right away. That trick has bought me a few hours at a time here and there! However, another thing I've found that really helps is a gymnastics leotard. I have one that was 4YO's when she was about two. It even has a little skirt around it so it looks like a little princess dress, which scores huge points in our house! It's all one piece and stretches over her shoulders to stay on. Not only has she not figured out how to get this one off but I don't think she really wants to! She actually seems to prefer this leotard over nudity. It's amazing!

I guess she needs to have at least a couple of those things, eh?

The girls are playing with their toys so well right now. Yes, they are spreading them around the house with reckless abandon, but they are being so nice about it! Even though I haven't found affordable locking storage containers, I've still put the toys away in a way that makes it hard for them to open them. They have to ask me to open them and I get the chance to make sure they have put away the fake food, baby dolls and all their accessories, and Legos before they delve into the container full of dress-up dresses. This gives me a small sense of control over the clutter, but we still have a long way to go.

Still running on this treadmill of life...

My Big Fat Mexican Samoan Mormon Wedding

I can still smell the fragrant flowers that were the centerpieces at the reception

…or at least my husband’s cousin’s big, fat Mexican Mormon Samoan wedding!!! Needless to say, it was a blast!


You see, two of my husband’s aunts married Samoan men. They raised their children with a lot of the Samoan customs. And these people really know how to throw a party, let me tell you. Lots of food, lots of dancing, and they throw lots of money for the bride and groom. I am beginning to think that David and I should have had a Samoan wedding too!


One of his cousins got married on Saturday. This is the branch of the family tree that is actually Mormon Samoan. Their family actually goes to a church that is exclusively Mormon Samoans. His cousin married a girl that is Mexican. The ceremony was short and sweet, and Mormon. It took place at a country club where golf carts would pass by regularly. It really was a beautiful place to hold a wedding.


First of all, they had hired Polynesian dancers to perform at the reception. This seems to be typical for Samoan weddings. The music and costumes are really impressive and it’s so great to see the culture embraced and carried on the way it is. There just seems to be a real loss of traditions in so many different ethnic backgrounds. Aside from my grandma’s famous fried chicken, I can’t even really tell you much about my own family traditions when it comes to food or music or anything. My roots are many and I know very little about them.


I can’t tell you how awesome it was to see Polynesian dancers performing in between Mexican music and mainstream songs as well. Then, when all of them were out there together doing the Electric Slide, I almost choked on my pink lemonade! It was such a special day that the mother of the groom even wore her teeth. Indeed, it was a special day. They wrapped up the evening with the father of the groom giving the bride and groom his best wishes and saying, “May your coconut be fruitful!” I really do adore David's family! They are some of the most open, loving group of people I've known.


It seems that every time I spend time with David’s family, I learn a little more about the world. And there is no better place than the melting pot that is Southern California.


Meanwhile, 4YO and 1YO are just so happy to be home and back to their regular routine. They are playing like they haven’t seen their toys in weeks. They have, but life finally feels like it’s almost back to normal now. Provided no more family members pass away or get married, things should remain calm around here. Of course, the holidays are just around the corner so I can’t get too comfortable with things this way.


On another note, McDonald’s has those new Angus Burgers and they are yummy! Just when I resolve to try to eat better, McDonald’s has to come out with a new, yummy burger! Isn’t that just the way??? We hit the McDonald’s in Bakersfield on our way down to the wedding on Saturday. We initially stopped there for breakfast, but we all hit the restroom before we ordered our food and we missed the breakfast menu by about three minutes. Man, those people don’t cut you any slack when it comes to their menu!!! So, at 10:30 in the morning we were eating burgers and Happy Meals. UGH!


We also stopped by there on the way home last night. At least we knew which menu to expect! I got another Angus Burger and fries. I can’t remember the last time I ate McDonald’s two days in a row. In fact, my pee actually smelled like McDonald’s French Fries by the time we got home last night!


TMI? You’re welcome!


Anyhow, I still need to go back to McDonald’s sometime soon. I never did get my McGriddle and feel a little ripped off! And I think another Angus Burger may be calling my name…