Eating...

No matter what I make I can't get Laneya to eat whatever we eat at least 75% of the time.

Here is how the convos go down (totally not kidding)

Mom: Guys get the table ready for dinner, clean it off
Carina and Neya: Okay...man it's messy...
Mom: Yep it's your stuff, so clean it up and get the table set

**multiple sighs and laughs and then the table is just about clean...and this is where the "fun" begins**

Neya: What's for dinner?
Mom: Grilled Cheese and Soup (I will pick something she LIKES...just as an example)
Neya: OH. Can I have it in triangles
Mom: Sure.. (just excited that Neya will be EATING)
Neya: Mom that looks different
Mom: No it doesn't
Neya: yeah it does, and it smells different, I don't want this, can I have cereal
Mom: It's exactly the same

**mom normally just goes silent here and lets the whining fade into the distance**

Neya: MOM, I dont want this

**pouts, throws a fit and then cries as if I have put MUD on her plate**

Mom: Then go to bed

(right or wrong this is the only thing I can do to NOT strangle her)

Neya: NO it's scary
Mom: Then eat, Eat a few bites and you can stay down here and be with the rest of us
Neya: It's different, it isn't the same, I don't want this, can I have something different
Mom: We already went over this, eat what is on your plate or go to bed

**She is either still gonna pout and not go to bed, or she will go to bed with no supper, and no bath (of course) but in the off chance that my little satan child (she has everyone tricked into thinking she is "cute") decides to stay downstairs here is how it plays out**

Mom: Neya, eat, we are all done
Neya: I don't want to

**We clear off the table, she cries but STILL refuses to go to bed, yes I should be the parent here, but guess what that doesn't always work so we let her THINK she is making the choice here**

Mom: Okay well we are getting up, you sit there and eat or go to your room
Neya: I DON'T WANT TO EAT, I DON'T WANT TO GO TO MY ROOM...WAHHHHHHHH

**Mom Laughs or Screams, depends on the night**

Neya sits at the table, pouts then she eats, and at the end of ALL of that she says...wait for it...wait for it...

Neya: That was good, thanks mom

Goodness why do kids have to be so difficult. Mind you this only happens 25% of the time,the other 75% she would refuse to eat, go to bed and eat a huge breakfast. Is this right. Who knows, but goodness, all my other parenting tricks are not working so we are going a new route. HOPEFULLY Rian takes after Carina and likes to eat, or else I might go TOTALLY insane (No, I am not there yet...haha)

Gross or Yummy...can't decide...

Hello. Anyone out there.

So. I am pretty sure no one REALLY looks at this. So the outcome of all my hard work is never noticed, our pictures are never looked at and the stories are never read. Shucks! I did however, just realize this morning, that this could be a plus. I mean. I can write about virtually whatever I please. I can write about "cake" which in our house is the secret word for well...YOU KNOW. Wink Wink. Or I could write about my frustration with myself on how my parenting is going or I could just write about absolute nonsense.

So here I am to write a story to you...well. To me I guess. Haha. It just goes to show that even when a mom has nothing to do but be a mom she can still find time to harass a family member :)

Yesterday we set out to go to the pumpkin patch. The funniest part was that this is QUITE seriously how the morning thoughts went.

I was going to let my hubby sleep in as he was tired from the week and what not and I was already up and at'em nice and early, which only happens on HIS day off as I liek to rub in what a "better" and more "responsible" and "involved" parent I am. I know what a punk. I would normally sleep in until the baby wakes up on, but NOPE not on his day. So as I am downstairs this last Sunday I also find myself gritting my teeth at how lucky he is to be sleeping in while I prepare waffle mix for the fam. THEN down he walks. SHUCKS. That means he is still a good dad, up early and NOW how am I supposed to show him up. Ha.

So we start to get ready for the pumpkin patch. I let them eat, while he watches TV or does whatever and then I get the kids to hop in baths and as I am rushing about I all but snap at him to give the boy a bath but ACK to my surprise he is already doing it. MAN this guy never stops. Always beating me to the punch. Of course we head out a little late, and as we get to the store to pick up our deli sandwhiches for our picnic I realize I can get him on one other thing...the diaper bag. SO what question do I ask.

Me:"did you put extra clothes in the diaper bag for the boy"

I grin.

Hubby:"no I didn't"

Ha. I giggle and then frown.

Me:"well let's just hope he doesn't get dirty"

The funny thing is that I wouldnt have packed him an extra outfit, there hasn't been an extra outfit in his diaper bag since FOREVER. I know how mean. The point here is that a moms work is never done...even if the only task at hand is to pick on Daddy. Hehe.

Love you Hunny. ha.

Pumpkin Carving 2009!

Chicago. Luau. Pumpkin Patch.

Chicago Visit for Work

Holy Moly when I planned my trip to Chicago for work it was actually supposed to be a month earlier (when it was WARMER) but when I got there it was a mere 44 degrees on my first night and a LOVELY 37 degrees when I left. The funny thing, is that the week after was in the 60's. Of course. While I was there I only had a couple things I TOTALLY intended to do and that was work...of course...and then EAT EAT and EAT some more. I was told gaining 10lbs was not going to be hard! I won't bore you with the details but here are some pics of the places I saw. Enjoy.

Chicago Skykline

Buckingham Fountain (You know it from the intro of Married with Children)

Entrance to the stadium that houses "Da Bears"

Oldest Building in Chicago

Wrigley Field

Luau time!

For the first year we decided to MAKE SURE we had parties for each of the kids and their friends. HONESTLY we are NORMALLY really bad about this but this year wasn't so bad, now if only the turnout was a little better :( Either way Carina had a great FRIEND party (we do the fam thing ON their actual birthday) and the pics were lots of fun. We did a limbo contest, a balloon toss and of course did the usual cake (well cookie cake in Carina's case) and present thing. All in all it went REALLY well.

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

We normally go to the same ol' pumpkin patch each year and take the same pics on the same hay bails, but TODAY we went to a pumpkin patch a little further, and got to ride ponies, go into a petting zoo, walk through a hay maze, ride on a trailer that was horse drawn and hang with friends while ALSO having a picnic to fill our bellies. It was GREAT times. Totally worth it.

Leaves

Oh how the colors of changing leaves can make you smile...despite the fact that it's so cold that your smile may just freeze into position!!!

Fly. Sleep. Drive.

Thursday October 8th

We dropped the girls off at the neighbors and headed to the airport where we were off for a quick trip to CA to pick up a new car and visit with friends and family...VERY quickly! We had a 45 minute delay and only heard "oh his hair is soo cute" like a million times. I must admit, although he is adorable with it I ONLY consider cutting his mohawk off when it draws so much attention. If only the mohawk didn't TOTALLY fit his personality and of course, look SOO adorable. Either way, with a 45 minute delay and a 1.5+ hour flight we figured the best thing to do was wander the airport and take some pics!

Friday October 9th

We woke up, at 8am which is AWESOME, considering at home we wake up no later than 630 am. haha. Then off we went to Kohls in Downtown Napa for some late b-dcay shopping for Carina and Rian. We also picked up an outfit for Noah and Aaden, after all who can resist shopping for baby boys! NOT ME! So we shopped and then dropped off my mom at home so she could go grab my brother from UC Davis with my dad and off we headed to visit with the Snooks for an afternoon visit at Mary's for lunch and and evening BBQ. Man I forgot how nice it was to hang out with friends. Tiff and I FINALLY got to do our traditional Tequila shots, with some REALLY expensive Tequila (thanks Jaime) that is actually meant for SIPPING, but hey, when you have a tradition you use the best stuff on the shelf! Hehe. Needless to say that was ALMOST the only drink I took, outside of a Mikes Hard Lemonade and the rest of the time I hung out outside, inside, outside, inside...well you get the point. That night we sang some Karaoke (well RC and Gabe did) we heard Gabe sing with his Father In Law who looks like my boss, we heard Tegan and Peyten play the drums as well as use the harmonica (both of which made my ears ring) we ate yummy food (that Gabe and Tiff were so gracious to cook) and we chatted about sleeping babies (or the troubles we have all had trying to GET them to sleep) and we also took a few pics to remember that we are still able to have good times. I think the hardest part for me and RC was getting out of parent mode and it seems that it's harder than it seems. I mean, gooodness, we were telling other folks kids to not play by fires, not throw rocks, not run to close to the beers and then at the end of the night we also questioned if we were "stiffs" or "prude parents" and maybe we are but at least we know it. To bad for our kids I guess. haha.

Saturday October 10th

We knew we had to head home Saturday so the plan was to lay low. We got to sleep till 8 again!! I think Rian was making up for the LACK of sleep he gave us in Sedona, and so we took total advantage! Then we headed off in seperate directions. Grandpa Pete, Uncle Gabe and RC headed over to Highway 29 for some YUMMY denver omelettes and greasy food. Grandma Debbie and I headed over to Starbucks then Target, did some shopping and then off to Grandpa Rudys house to hang out with him, Grandma Jackie, Melody and Peyten. Ya know, if there is one thing MOST people miss about their hometown it's the yummy food and that is FOR SURE what I miss. I ate Mary's twice and had Taqueria Rosita. YUMMY. STuff you can only find in norcal! Anywho, we visited with them, the SUPER manly boys played on pink powerwheels, tried on football helmets and practiced being daddies. haha. Yep, Rian LOVES to push strollers. Its soo funny. He doesn't care for the doll to be inside the stroller but he loves to push the stroller (minus baby).

Funny moment that day:

Melody and I were going to run to my parents house to get laundry I had put in and I was trying to convince her to leave Peyten with RC and this is how that went...

Melody: RC are you sure you can handle this...
(kinda looks at Peyten and you could tell she wasn't sure what to do)
RC: Sure I got this!
Melody: Uhm...
(she looks at me)
ME: He will be fine, he's got this!
RC: Yeah watch...
(Rc looks at Peyten)
RC: Peyten. SIT!
Melody kinda laughs as do I and within moments Peyten is sitting on the ground.

I was convinced before that RC was a fun dad but for him to convince Peyten that he is a good guy is a HUGE feat. Haha. He loves kids so it was a huge ego booster than Peyten stayed with him. Either way, that was our entire weekend because after hanging out at Rudy's house we went back to Mary's with my parents and Bro and RC's mom Jackie, then back to Gabe and Tiff's to drop off the pack and play, give hugs to them and the boys and then off we went! Phew. Although it all went WAY to fast we decided it was totally worth it. We had TONS of fun and now we have a sweet new car. Well new to us!

P.S. My "new" ride! Yellow isn't as bad as I thought, I am actually LOVING IT!!