"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils"

I can't believe how long it's been since I've been on here. I'd very much like to blame it on a busy life, or some amazing event that took place, but I can't. Life is pretty much the same from where I left off last.

Work is good. I'm thankful that I have a job these days. I feel really bad for the people who call in every day that say their company just laid them off, or they went under. These are tough times, my friend. I personally don't see it, but you can definitely feel the affect of it just by watching the news or reading the paper.

I can't believe that I've been working where I've been for a year now. Okay, that's not entirely true. I started off as a temp on October 2, 2008 and got hired on full time on March 2, 2009. I'm sure that doesn't seem significant, but it's a huge deal for me. I think the longest I've ever held a job was 6-9 months. I think a lot has to do with my responsibilities now. I have a rent payment, utilities, a car payment, a cell phone payment and any medical things that come up for Mia or me. Being an adult is fun because you get to do whatever you want, when ever you want. But whatever you do, good or bad, holds a consequence. Unfortunately, everything I choose ultimately affects Mia. Once in a while, I'll look at my friends who are single without kids and I envy them. I envy their freedom to stay out until 2 am without having to arrange a sitter or are able to sleep off a hangover until 1 pm the next day. That envy melts away once I walk through the door from work and am welcomed by a squeal and a great big hug from my two year old.

Home life has been good. I've started to decorate the inside of the house with fall colored leaf garlands and decorative pumpkins. I've even decorated the front porch and around the door with the same garland. I bought to friendly looking scarecrows for the front of the house, too. I love this time of year. Our house smells like apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. That is the epitome of fall to me. The weather has started to cool down and the leaves on the trees are starting to change colors and blow off the branches. We're pulling out our long sleeved shirts and sweaters to play outside. If I could, I'd want this season to never end.

With the change of the season brings some sadness. It's this time of the year that my mom and I would start baking goodies for neighbors and family. Since my mom is in Tennessee, it's a little hard to do. Sure, I can make sugar cookies and brownies just like she can, but I'm afraid once I take a bite of those soft cookies with cream cheese frosting, it'll make me miss my parents more.

My grandparents are back in the state from their caravan. It's nice to have them home. I wish they'd stop traveling and settle down at home, though. I know they've waited their whole lives to travel and do what they're doing, but they're also missing out on a lot. They haven't been to one of their grand children's weddings. I think the only baby blessings they've attended was Mia's and my nieces'. I tease my grandma all the time that they're just waiting for me to get married to come home for good.

Speaking of relationships, I have none. Wow, that was simple, eh?

I'm not really ready to start anything with anyone right now. I'm not ready to worry about someone else's problems along with my own. I know it sounds selfish, but I'm only 23. I've got the rest of my life to be with someone. Sure, I'm envious of my sister and my friends who are happily married with kids. Maybe I'll start looking next year. Who knows?

Well, that about wraps up everything for now. I'll leave you with some new pictures of Mia. She's growing up too fast.

(Mia dressing up in a Tinker Bell dress)




(What the?! How'd Rob get on here? Anyhoo... )

(At the ER after she dislocated her left elbow.

I don't know who was more traumatized, me or her.

All's well that ends well, yeah?)

Rat

About a month ago, Mia became interested in make up and watching me apply it. She'd sit on the closed toilet and pretend to put "pretties" on her face with one of my bigger brushes. Sometimes I'd put light blush on her cheeks to make her feel like she had "Mama's pretties" on, too.

One morning, as I was reaching into my make up bag, I noticed a spoon in it. I had no idea why a spoon was in my make up bag. After rummaging through the bag, I realized I couldn't find my blush. I must've taken it out and put it somewhere else. No worries.

About a week later I was drying myself off after a shower and wanted to put some lotion on. I usually keep my lotion next to my bed where I can put it on before I go to sleep, but it wasn't there. A little red shoe was there instead. I thought to myself, 'The spoon in my make up bag and now a shoe where my lotion should be?' I must have a thief.

I was changing my clothes in my room when Mia walked in with her teddy bear. She smiled at me, looked around my room and walked to my dresser. She stood on her toes, grabbed my necklace, put her bear where the necklace was originally, and walked out of my room. I followed her to her room and asked what she was doing. She squealed and ran in her closet and tried to shut the door. I waited a minute before opening the door. When I opened it, she was standing over a box of clothes. On top of the clothes was my blush, my lotion and my necklace. Again, I asked her what she was doing and she said, "Mama's pretties" with a huge grin on her face. I walked back to my bathroom, grabbed the spoon, the shoe and the bear and offered it to her for my belongings. She wasn't having it. She said, "NO!" and tried to shut her door again. I would've been fine with letting her hold on to the items, but she tends to do bad things with them. Like trying to stick the small end of the necklace in the plug socket, or lick the lotion off her hand, or put blush on the walls. I waited until she walked upstairs to snag my things back. I now shut my bathroom and bedroom doors when I'm not in there, and watch the sneaky little rat when she decides to visit when I'm applying make up or getting dressed.

Pros and Cons

The other day I was thinking about marriage and some qualities that I would want in a husband. As women, we always talk about what we want, what we're attracted to and what our future boyfriends or husbands should or shouldn't do in a relationship or marriage. It got me thinking about what I would bring into a marriage, if and when I get married someday. I'm not a perfect person and am, in fact, far from it. I have my flaws, my quirks and things that flat out piss me off. I've compiled a list of pros and cons.

Pros are the things I would be good at in a relationship.

Cons are the not so great things that the guy is just going to have to deal with I do.

Pro:

I can cook.

We're not talking about a box of Hamburger Helper, or Easy Mac that you pop into the microwave. No, I can cook a damn good meal from appetizers to dessert (yes, I bake, too).

This is probably why my ass and thighs are the size they are. I'm working on it. *Praise Turbo Jam and Buns of Steel circa 1987*

Con:

I hate dishes.

I think I hate everything there is to cleaning the kitchen in general. I'm not a lazy person, I just cannot stand doing dishes or sweeping and mopping the floor.

ALSO?! Do not EVER ask me to clean out the food trap in the sink or at the bottom of the dishwasher. Hell to the NO. I can't even be in the same room when anyone sticks their hands down there to scoop up the soggy food. Ugh. It's making me nauseous just thinking about it.

Pro:

I'm excellent at doing the laundry. Want me to Spray 'n Wash those socks for you? Sure! I'll separate, bleach, wash and dry those suckers. I'm also great at picking out yummy smelling fabric softener (Snuggle in Blue Sparkle is seriously the best smelling fabric softener)

Con:

I hate putting clothes away. It's just the clothes part, though.

{I'm a wicked towel-folder}

I'd rather throw all my freshly washed clothes into a wicker basket and flop it in the corner of my room than spend the 10 minutes it takes to fold and hang my clothes.

Pro:

I'm flexible. If you cancel the dinner date to stay in and watch a movie, I'm completely fine with it. You just better have a good back up plan.

Con:

If someone blows something off (a broken promise) I will hold a grudge and it's not easy to make that up. That may sound terrible, but if I get all dressed up to go out to a nice restaurant that I've probably been looking forward to all week and you blow me off, don't act like I'm the bitch by holding the grudge, mmkay?

Pro:

I'm easy going.

Seriously. With everyone. I'm the type of person that people feel comfortable around.

I have people, that I've only known maybe a week, come up to me and let me in on little personal secrets or problems that they're having.

Sometimes I wonder if I have a "Free Advice" sign around my neck.

Con:

I'm a woman and I get moody, especially around that special time of the month when all women should be cast off the island to do their "thing" in peace, away from the annoying opposite sex.

If I say I feel like crap and I look like crap and I'm wearing crap and my hair is crap, I probably mean it.

Sorry babe, but even your little innocent voice that is trying to get on my good side is just annoying the crap out of me and I don't want to be talked to right now.

I'll probably hurt your feelings and ask for forgiveness in a day or two, but don't get too offended. I can't help it.

Pro:

I'm a monogamist. I feel that, if and when I find the right guy, I will be with him forever.

You know how penguins mate for life? Yeah, I want that. I can see myself with someone forever who will raise kids with me, support each other in our careers, uplift each other spiritually and love each other unconditionally. I really want that someday.

I'm not stupid or naive when it comes to relationships and marriage.

People change.

People grow apart.

People have new goals and sometimes they don't include the person they married.

I get it.

I don't want to look back in ten or twenty years and tell my daughter that I didn't get married or have a lasting relationship because I was too set in my ways or picky. I believe you can be picky with the person you chose to spend the rest of your life with, but you have to be flexible.

Birthday Party Wrap Up

Well, we did it.

The girl's birthday party came and went.

I'm tired and hot and I would love nothing more than to sit in a nice cool bath.

The turn out wasn't so grand, but I think everything came together pretty great.

The girls got some cute outfits, sand toys, coloring books and bubbles.

Mia's dad brought the cake and helped me bbq the burgers.

(I secretly think he is so willingly to stand outside in the 100 degree weather, over a smokin' hot grill, so he doesn't have to socialize with my friends and family)

Thank goodness I've got Monday off.

I think I need Sunday and Monday to recoup from the stress building up to this event.

Here's to the next year with Thing One and Thing Two!

Birthday Wishlist {for Mia}

I wish I had a few hundred dollars to spend on Mia for her birthday tomorrow.

I know that throwing the birthday party is pretty big, but by doing that, I can't really afford presents, you know?

If I had that kind of money, these are just a few things I'd get for her:


Elmo's Favorite Sing-Alongs






Mia loves to dance and it's hilarious to watch her do it


AND she loves Elmo

Floral-Print Jersey Sundress

She is SUCH a girly-girl with her purses and baby dolls and dresses

I love these because they're so light and comfortable for her to run around in

(Plus, they're easy to wash and cheap if they get ruined)

Toddler Princess Light-Up Flip-Flop

Nicole and I took the girls out last week for some retail therapy and dinner

We stopped at Payless on our way home and tried on shoes.

While we were there, Mia and Alisi ran up and down the aisles, acting like wild girls while Sani crawled around trying to gnaw on shoes

Mia spotted these shoes and LOVED them

Not entirely sure if it's because they light up or if it's because they're pink, but she loved them. She tried them on and, instead of putting the sandal in between her first and second toe like normal flip flops are worn, she insisted on putting it between her third and fourth toe

I had to pry the shoes away from her and her bread-loaf sized flippers while she cried, but there's no way I'm spending $17.99 on shoes she'll grow out of in 6 months

Little Miss Flyer



We have a few riding toys that my mom has given us for the daycare, but they're pretty beat up and a little too big for Mia

This cute (and girly) trike is SO cute and is something that she's have a blast learning to ride

Play purse

Okay, Mia got a really cute purse for Christmas that laughs and sings with really cute things in it
This NEW purse has a CELL PHONE
Mia LOVES cell phones, and her auntie hates it
Nicole has gone through a few cell phones in the past 6 months because she leaves them sitting around where little fingers can grab them and throw them in the toilet is picky about what type of cell phone she uses, and Mia is usually the one who throws it down or gets sticky gunk all over it hands it to her nicely
Yay for new phones!


BOOKS

Mia loves to look at books and likes to be read to

Of course, she's just like any toddler where she gets impatient and flips through the pages to the ones that are her favorite (usually the ones with pictures of animals where she can imitate their sound)

I love these pop up books because they're so colorful and they keep her attention

We have a few pop up books that have been ripped apart because they get so excited to open the next page to see what pops up

I know I material things aren't how you show anyone love, but it's fun to get new toys and clothes for your birthday. I'm sure she knows how much I love her already.

Ready... Set... Party!

It's about that time again. Mia will be turning two in a few days and we're throwing another combined birthday party for her and Alisi. This year we've decided to wait until it was closer to Mia's birthday to throw it. Alisi has been two for about a month now, and things haven't really changed. I think the terrible two's gradually hit around 18 months, or at least that's when it did for Mia and Alisi. Some close friends of mine keep telling me that if I think two is bad, wait until they hit three. If three is worse than two, I might be putting a toddler up for sale. Place your bids now, people!

This week will probably be filled with stress and chaos as we get ready for everyone to come over for the birthday party on Saturday. Not only do we have the inside of the house to worry about cleaning, we've got a jungle of a backyard to try to weed-whack out. We live on a lot and a half and absolutely nothing has been done to the backyard. It's pretty uneven and has railroad ties that hold up a portion of the different levels. If I could afford it, I'd hire someone with a backhoe to level it out and put in sod, but seeing as I don't have a few grand laying around (trust me, I've looked) I'm going to have to do it myself.

A few things I've got to do to get ready for the party:

Get a head count of everyone that's going to be there. I love how you send out email invitations and people reply that they might or might not come. Don't people RSVP anymore?

Clean every room in the house including (but not limited to): the laundry room, my bedroom, the daycare room and all three bathrooms (yes, the one in Nicole's room, too). The majority of people coming over haven't experienced the "grand tour" of the house, so they're going to want to see every room. Note to self, make sure ALL drawers are shut in your bedroom. Nosey people.

Price and purchase inexpensive decorations. We did a few balloons last year along with some matching table clothes that worked just fine. I think the balloons were a little pricey, though. If anyone knows of a good party store in Salt Lake, let me know!

Make sure that Mia's dad follows through with buying the cake. I know the guy means well, but seriously, when he says he's going to do something I have to constantly remind him to find time to actually follow through with it.

Don't freak out on Nicole. We're doing this together and we both know I'm a little obsessive when it comes to throwing things like this together. I freak out over the tiniest issue. This year, I'm not going to freak. Promise.

Breathe. I know that, come Saturday morning, I will have experienced a few stress migraines. We're having a low-key barbecue and party for the girls. The Queen of England isn't coming (and neither is my mother), so I just need to chill. Can anyone spare an extra Xanax? How about a bottle of Vodka? Raspberry flavored, please.

Hopefully things flow seamlessly this week leading up to the big day. I'll be sure to post some pics of the party after. Wish me luck!

June 19th

I can't believe it's already halfway through the year. Is it just me, or has this year gone by way too fast?

I haven't really had much to write about in the last little bit. Work, family and home is about all I ever do.

Family: We've had some ups and downs with Nicole and her husband, but things are okay. I think Nicole and I are at a point in our lives where we're okay to be on our own, but together. I feel that I'm more secure and safe when I'm with her and her girls. We've got a big house and lots of bills to pay, but we're taking one day at a time.

Mia, Alisi and Sani are growing up fast. Sani is crawling around the house and yelling at the dog. Alisi is a chatterbox and is bossy as ever. Mia is just observant. I think she's going to be a very smart little girl when she gets older because she watches everyone so closely. We celebrated Alisi's two year birthday at the beginning of the month. I can't believe these girls are two. Mia's birthday is in a few weeks and Sani will be one in a little over a month. Mia's started to throw temper tantrums and is testing my patience every day. She throws herself on the floor, kicks her feet and holds her breath. I know she's just testing her independence and she's frustrated that she can't communicate efficiently with me, but this has got to stop.

Work: I'm very content to be at work and I actually look forward to it. This may have something to do with someone there. A friend of mine and I have kind of started dating. I really don't want to say too much about it because it's so new and I'm so superstitious about talking about things that haven't happened yet. I will say that I'm happy, and it feels good to smile and look forward to things again.