Shoe fetish

I know girls around the age of 2 like shoes,

but Sweetie REALLY likes shoes. I mean really.

All of these photos were taken

in about a 1 hour time frame.

In a day she goes through about 20 pairs of shoes.

She is talented enough to go up and down the stairs in

adult size shoes. This may not seem like a talent to you,

but we are amazed by it.

Being a little too honest

For my 500th post, I have decided to tell you something that I have been holding on to for a while. Very few people know this about me, and I think it is time to let the cat out of the bag.


I have REVERSE body image disorder.

I look at myself in the mirror and I think, "Man, I look gooooooooooood!" It is not till I look at myself in a photo or see my belly hanging out a little too far when I am slouching in a chair that I come back to reality. Serious, I walk down the hall at church (most of the time) with my head held high and confidence streaming out my little walking strut. I know this is going to be TMI (too much info) for some of you, but I even like to look at myself in the mirror right before I get in the shower. Yep! You guessed it. I am naked and I think again, "Man I look good!"

(ALTHOUGH I AM NOT A MAN - this was the best image I could find to describe my "disorder".

I guess all men have this "problem". I must be one of the boys.)

Most people think this is a great disorder to have, but although I have NEVER been professionally diagnosed it makes it really hard to want to lose weight. The last 3 weeks I have really tried to lose some weight and I lost 11 pounds. I am happy, but I still want to eat 3 Costco chocolate chip cookies after dinner. Oh! Darn portion control and weight loss. I settle for no cookies and eat a 60 calorie pudding instead.

Do you have a favorite weight loss trick? Please share.

Why I hate facebook...

It is simple really. I don't like that my family, friends, school associates and old HS friend find out everything at the same time. I wish I could put my friends in one groups that finds out this much. I wish my family was in a different group that could find out this much. And finally I wish my HS friends didn't know my day to day life, just the big important stuff like when I am in town to visit (which will be in May).

Other than that, I am happy with facebook and waste lots of time on it daily.

Three cheers for brainless time wasting. Hip, hip, hooray!

Here is a funny I found about facebook politics. It is political, just like most things in life. Darn politics!

Hiking and Little League Opening Day

I watched a hot air balloon inflate and take off after my hike this morning. It was glorious.

RHM is in Coach Pitch baseball this year. It was opening day today and I know he had fun. He has tons of candy to prove it. Our team did an ice-cream booth. Good times. I have extra ice-cream treats in my freezer. Anyone want to come over for an ice-cream party? All invited.

I wish this was more of a journal...

Lately my posts seem to be about things and events that I am doing and not about real life. Although I am really busy and haven't been able to blog a lot, really I wish this blog was more of a journal.

IF THIS BLOG WAS MORE OF A JOURNAL YOU WOULD KNOW:

• I had a great time on the field trip to the Phoenix Youth Symphony, but I wish I had more time to hang out with Oldest's friend's moms. I really love the moms in his grade(and in Princess' grade too- no worries). I feel like being a part of VAPO has me on the outside. I wish I belonged.


• I had a pit in my stomach during and after and still today about Pinewood Derby. I hate rules and want everyone to be happy. I worry about the one more than I worry about the 99% that had a great time.
  
• I had a busy Thursday with field trip and Pinewood Derby - and today FRIDAY - I have ice-cream to buy for Opening Day baseball downtown where the ice-cream van buys their ice-cream AND 3 VTing appointments. I love being busy, but I miss Tuesday when I was stuck home with no Internet waiting for the repairman. That was a good day. I need to remember to take it easy MORE!
  
• I know I am busy, but I HATE it when people tell me I am busy. I guess I can't handle the truth. (name that movie)
  
• If this truly was a journal, I would tell you how I love being in VAPO and how much I will miss it next year. I need to get a church calling that keeps me busier or find somewhere else to volunteer. My husband will kill me if I stay on the parent council next year. He is ready to support a homeroom and done with supporting a President.
  

SINCE THIS ISN'T A JOURNAL - IGNORE ALL OF THAT and let me tell you how wonderful everything has been. Umm. On second thought, maybe next time...

On Your Mark ...Get Set ...GO!

Pay it Forward

So, here's how this game works-the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or be lazy and copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Well isn't this fun?

Friday Spring Break - zoo trip

Travis took the day off and we all went to the Wildlife World Zoo. This zoo opened a new aquarium. The first one in AZ. This new aquarium caused the price to go WAY UP at the zoo. We still had fun. With the aquarium, a new ride was added at the zoo - LOG FLUME! It starts outside and goes through part of the aquarium. This zoo is very different from the St. Louis zoo that I grew up around. One - it cost money. St. Louis Zoo is free. Two - It has rides besides the typical train ride. There is a boat ride, train ride, sky ride (my favorite - like a ski lift), and lastly the log ride I already talked about.

There were camels, tigers, and rhinos.


We got to feed the giraffes. Here is RHM doing that.
We ate a picnic lunch in the playground/petting zoo area. SO FUN! I only wish Sweetie would have lasted longer than 3 hours. Maybe next year.

Thursday Spring Training

My friend, Pam, has lived in the valley her WHOLE LIFE and NEVER been to a Spring Training game. Well, I decided to solve that problem, but I took no pictures of her and her kids. Maybe she could send me a picture or two from her camera.

Gotta love baseball...

We went to the new spring training stadium in Glendale. It was large for a spring training facility. The stadium had these rock fences everywhere.
Princess got to bring a friend.
Oldest was sick of getting his picture taken and enjoyed napping in the sun. He also enjoyed rolling down the hill with his friend.
I love going to baseball games, but I LOVE watching basketball on TV or in person.
Today was the first day of the NCAA March Madness tournament. (I think I am gonna win this year, Travis!)

Tuesday and Wednesday

Spring break continued...
Monday I made the kids work for their keep.
Tuesday I finished painting Princess' room. It all started with this design. She drew this around Christmas time. Isn't she a good designer? I thought it was cute, so for her birthday I bought her the paint. She had been talking for a year about the next design for her room.

If you have been to my house, you would know I am not afraid of color. I love the colors in Princess' design(so no comments), but I just wish the waves would look more like her drawing. The waves turned out like snakes and I wanted gentle waves. Oh well. Life goes on. The important thing is that we had fun doing it!
Wednesday, Princess moved back into her room. Sweetie now has a big girl trundle bed. When she learns to sleep in this, I will set up the other day bed. Princess and Sweetie are just glad to be back in their room. They were sleeping in the guest bedroom for 2 months, while I tried to figure out the WAVES! (I think I will "fix" the waves when she goes back to school. Ugh!) At least I tried to make her vision come true. "E" for effort.

Wednesday was also play date day. Oldest had a friend over. Princess and RHM went to a friend's house. Sweetie took a nap. Princess also had a photo shoot with my friend who happens to be an awesome photographer, and boy did she have fun!

Can you guess what her favorite color is? Check out more shots here. Amy Lee Photography has all the information if you want to book a session. (Never hurts to plug a friend, right? Right.)

Great St. Patrick's Day ideas...

A friend of mine, Jennifer Ferniza is the Phoenix Diets Examiner writer. She writes articles about food and how to eat healthy. SHE IS AMAZING. She had some great ideas for this St. Patrick's Day and even though it is past dinner time, I thought I would share her link, here. She gets paid by how many people click on her site, so go to it and CLICK AWAY! She would love it!

Also, my cousin had a simple and cute idea with cupcakes. I hope to remember this and do it next year. ADORABLE.

Monday = Mom day

This is the first day of Spring Break. The kids and I had deal. One full day of work (10 jobs each) and then I would let them play the rest of Spring Break. So they worked and worked and worked and transplanted and stained and programmed laptop for up coming Pinewood Derby and decorated for Easter. I am sure you are wondering, "Why is she taking a picture of the front door?" Well, mostly because I want my mom to see what it would look like if she came to visit this time of year. I miss having family nearby. This beautiful plant is on the walk way to the front door. We also had fun on this Mom = Monday. Princess drew with chalk a picture of her and her baby sister, Sweetie. This is a self portrait of Princess. Loverly. RHM even had some time to shoot hoops.

Now, that they have helped Mom, it is time to have fun!!!
(Dad started the fun early and took RHM out for ice-cream and Oldest and Princess out to a movie - lucky ducks.)

Spring Training baseball is the best!

We went to a game Saturday! IT WAS HOT OUT,
even for Phoenix.
RHM really watched the game. Princess and Oldest were just taking it all in,
but having fun.
Sweetie had a blue snow cone and turned into a Smurf.
It was a great afternoon.