New nighttime friend for Gabby...

I have FINALLY found a Yo Gabba Gabba product other than a play microphone from Target. Yo Gabba Gabba has been on the air for over a year now you think they would come up with more stuff. So Gabby and I were at Stoneridge after we dropped Alyssa off at school to get my BFF a birthday gift and a Christmas present that I wanted to get my little sis that was on sale.
I just wanted to run in and run out of the mall and not go over my budget... yeah right! First of all I thought there was a huge sale at Gap because there was a line of Mom's with strollers lined up around Gap. I asked a Grandma looking lady what was going on and they said that they were looking for model's for Baby Gap. She told me Gabby was cute and get my butt in line. I looked at Gabby and considered it for a mili-second and said no way because nap time was coming up and she would have a melt down in a two hour line and THEN have to take her pictures. She would not cooperate at ALL. I know my child. I wished the lady good luck ane went on my way to get the presents.
On the way out I passed by Hot Topic and they had a Yo Gabba Gabba bag on display. I ran inside and asked the lady if they had any other products. They had stuffed animals!!! I was more excited than Gabby to see they had Yo Gabba Gabba toys. But why Hot Topic?? I haven't shopped there since my "raver" days. The sales lady said Yo Gabba Gabba was very popular with teenagers... who knew? So I bought her Tootie. Tootie is now Gabby's new BFF... she has eaten with Tootie, brushed Tootie's hair, watched Yo Gabba Gabba with Tootie and most importantly sleeps with Tootie. Gabby's Backyardagins Uniqua toy and my old Monchichi that she sleeps with every night have been kicked to the curb for Tootie. Gabby literally threw those toys out of her crib. She still sleeps with her beloved dog but the other toys needed to go to make room for Tootie! I will not even get into how much I paid for Tootie. Highway robbery I tell you!! Is there such a thing as price gouging for stuffed animals????
Here is Gabby's new BFF Tootie:

Gabby's new "do"

I did this to Gabby's hair just to be funny. She took it out after awhile... then insisted on me putting all of the hair clips and hair ties back in. I hope she doesn't think she can go out in public like this!!! She just saw her pictures and said "Oh Mommy I pretty!" and then said "Jump, Jump" and started jumping around... it's something she does when attention is on her and she is excited because she looks "pretty". The hair tie isn't bad but maybe we can compromise with all those hair clips.

I finally update my recipe site:

Check it out for more new recipes! http://twotiarasrecipebook.blogspot.com/
I have not been cooking as much as I used to but I have been taking pictures of new recipes that I made and loved. Hopefully with the holiday's coming up I will have more recipes to share!

Gabby's and Nani's adventure

An email I just received from my Step Mom(The girls call her Nani) who watches Gabby during the day for me. Diamond is their dog:

Subject: Gabby's and Nani's adventure
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 10:09 AM

Guess what Gabby Goo just did? She locked me out of the house. I went to put some water in Diamond's bowl outside and she locked the door and couldn't get it back open. Good thing I'm small and was able to climb through the kitchen window. One for the books!!!


Gabby is such a stinker!! I could not help to LOL @ the picture of my Step Mom climbing through their kitchen window. Poor Nani!!!

Spray and brush... repeat as many times as needed.

I caught Gabby trying to do her hair. She sprayed and brushed, sprayed and brushed... and repeated a few times. The funny thing was that she was spraying so much that she was soaked. It was pretty funny so I had to take pics:


What's the big deal Mom?

I just need a little touch up on my hair.

Spray...
Brush...
Auntie Delia who was visiting this weekend was not immune to the spray bottle. Gabby wanted to do her hair too:

Neither was her sissy... who took off running after she sprayed her:

That's right no one messes me when I have the squirt bottle:

I can die happy now!

Thursday and Friday night this week I got to see one of my hero's Joyce Meyer speak at the HP Pavillion in San Jose. Joyce Meyer is a preacher who is on cable television and goes from city to city preaching. She is to me like how Oprah is to some people. She has not been to the Bay Area for SIX years. I was less than a month away from having Alyssa and was too miserable with pre-eclampsia to go see her last time she was here in October 2002. I watch Joyce every morning before work. She always has something inspiring to say to help me through my day. To make things even better my favorite singer Darlene Zschech from Hillsongs sang to get things started with praise and worship. She is my FAVORITE singer!
Thursday nine of us went to the HP Pavillion and Joyce preached on "How to Overcome Depression". My friend America and I vowed that on Friday night we would be there early to get good seats in the front.
Friday we got to HP Pavillion three hours early so we could get as close as we could. We ended up getting 9th row sort of center which I thought was pretty good for being there 40 minutes before the door opened. We saved seats for my BFF Lety and our friend who is also like family Jill. This time Joyce preached on "Why am I in a bad mood?" Both words were really good and something I am going to buy once she sells the CD's on TV.
Here are a few of her books that are really good if anyone is interested:

Battlefield of the Mind - My friend America won this book on Friday by spinning a wheel.
Me and My Big Mouth
Beauty for Ashes

Here are also some pictures from Friday!

Darlene Zschech from Hillsongs. Here is one of my favorite songs that she sang...



Me really excited to be there, LOL!
Joyce:
Joyce and her husband Dave Meyer:

Jill, Lety, America and Me:

Soccer update...

Finally!
Alyssa's first game was on 9/6 as of today we are 0 wins 3 losses. But they don't count wins and losses until the kids are a little older. It's really cute the way the kids play. I heard at the first game the kids on both teams ran the wrong way to the goal. Alyssa has played goalie twice. The coach tries to get all of the kids to play all positions. I love that the kids are all getting along and Alyssa is building new friendships and playing with Amber.
Here are some pictures from the past few weeks:

Alyssa & Amber:

Alyssa hanging out with the team before the game:

My soccer star:
Gabby demanding Alyssa share her half time snack:
Team meeting:

Getting ready to play:
Chasing the ball:
Alyssa the goalie:
Go Rugrats!

Our team banner made by Stacy and her Mom:

Oh NO she did NOT go there...

Alyssa was just playing with Wiki Stix. Wiki Stix are these color wax sticks that you can make into flowers, planes, houses, etc. She got them tonight when we ate dinner at PF Changs who instead of giving kids crayons they give them these sticks. So she was I guess trying to build a house with the Wiki Sticks and proclaims "My house is GHETTO!" as serious as she could be.
Wonder where she got THAT saying from.... argh I am so guilty of saying things are ghetto. I always forget to watch my hecka, hella's and that's weak's. I guess I will stop using ebonics and start speaking English.

Kindergarten Lunches

Are VERY stressful!
I helped out with Alyssa's teacher on Friday morning and asked to stay until lunch time to see why Alyssa was not eating her lunch. She said it was fine just to get a visitor pass. So I go into the office to get a visitor pass and head out to the cafeteria.
First of all the lunch room is LOUD. Then they have the class sit together very closely. I dont know how kids can eat like this. They are squashed like sardine's with no elbow room. Alyssa starts to cry as soon as she sits down. I tell her it's okay just eat your sandwich. The lunch lady comes over and tells me that Alyssa has been crying every lunch saying that she wants me. Of course that breaks my heart. Then I see a boy in Alyssa's class who was sitting at the table just bawling his eyes out. I go over to him and tell him that it's okay and his Mommy would want him to eat his lunch. He says he just wants his Mom. He cried the whole lunch and was crying when I left. I had to coax Alyssa to eat her lunch. Her classmates were amazed at the heart shaped sandwich she had in her lunchbox. I just used a cookie cutter to make it that shape so she would eat the dang sandwich!
Alyssa ate all of her lunch and I walked her out to the playground. She started to really cry then because I had to leave. I had her wait in line for the teacher to open the gate to the playground with Erika and her preschool friend Arianna. Arianna was very concerned for Alyssa and told her it would be okay. Once the gate opened the kids waiting in line went in to play and inside the playground Alyssa's friend's gathered around her saying it would be okay. It was really cute. They were all really concerned. I am glad she had a little support system.
As I was watching one of Alyssa's classmates gave me a hug and said good bye. I thought that was cute since I only met her once.
Volunteering in class was really fun and I got to see what they did on a daily basis. I now know all of Alyssa's classmates by name and they all seemed to like me! I want to volunteer at least once a month. I can't wait to do it again. I am really hoping today Alyssa ate all of her lunch!
I have more to update on but we have been so busy with soccer, church and school. More later this week!

Oh yeah… we are in trouble!

So yesterday Alyssa had soccer practice and the Coach’s wife asked to talk to Brian. She pulled him aside and said that Alyssa was kissing her son and the other boy from her soccer team that was in her class at recess!!! Brian was shocked! The little boy even asked Brian if he could talk to him after the Mom talked to Brian and then he told him that Alyssa kissed him. Alyssa thought she was in big trouble because once Brian started talking to her about it she started to cry thinking she was in huge trouble. I am telling you this girl does NOT like to be in trouble.
So they come home and I was getting Gabby ready for church so Jill could pick the girls up and take them since Brian and I had back to school night last night. Alyssa just kept crying and Brian told me what happened. So I just didn’t say anything for a few minutes until she settled down. Then I told her that people need their space and do not liked to be kissed. I also told her that kissing was only for when you are married. So I tested her a few minutes later asking “So when do we kiss boys???” She would say “When I am married”. Hopefully that will stick!!!
Anyway Brian and I went to back to school night and we talked with the Coach and his wife more. I guess a few girls were going around kissing the boys not just Alyssa. But we were laughing because we think the coach’s son really does like Alyssa. They were holding hands in soccer practice the other day too…. So the boy’s Mom said that Alyssa will probably have to watch out because he is going to want to be her boyfriend!! Alyssa was really embarrassed about the whole situation so we are letting it drop. Brian just told her this morning no kissing boys and she said okay.
I am scared… Alyssa is five and has had two “boyfriends” so far. I am considering homeschooling becoming Amish and making her stay in the house at all times. Just kidding… sort of.

My future Nastia Liukin's

I meant to blog about this awhile ago but I didn't have the time.... The girls absolutley loved watching the Olympic gymnastics. Gabby would say WOAH WOAH WOAAAAH when the girls tumbled and would put her arms in the air as if she was landing from a tumble. It was really cute and I took a few pictures. Alyssa is going to kill me for this, lol.

Gabby balancing... I think she is almost old enough to compete for team China:


Getting the landing down:
This picture cracks me up... I love her....

Getting the tumbles down:



P.S. Don't ask about Alyssa's outfit... she dressed herself, lol. She loves that skirt.

Labor Day Weekend

This weekend we had lots of fun in the sun. Friday after Alyssa got out of school I called up my Mother in Law and asked if we could swim because we were melting in the 90 degree heat with no AC. We go over there and swim all afternoon.
Saturday my in laws have a BBQ. We all swam and ate some really good food. I made the Pioneer Woman's sheet cake and it was gone by the end of the night. That cake is a huge hit. The guys played poker later that night and guess who won again?? Brian!! 100 dollars!!
The money came in handy because we celebrated our 8 year anniversary by going to the movies and dinner.... by OURSELVES. We haven't done that in a long time. We saw The Dark Night which was really good. Uncle Roy and Auntie Lety (my bff) watched the kids and brought over their dogs Ace & Deuce. When we got home Lety and I went to rent a movie at Lucky's $1.00 rent box but of course the movie we wanted was all rented out. We ended up renting College Road Trip with Martin Lawrence which was okay a good kid movie I guess. We called our friend America and her daughter Jade to come over and watch the movie with us.
Today my Dad barbecued and the girls played with my sisters outside with water toys. I have noticed that Gabby acts older than any other 21 1/2 month old that I have encountered. She likes Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, tries to play Barbies and can sit down to watch the whole Camp Rock movie. My sisters and Alyssa have a major influence in what she likes. She tries to be like them but it scares me because she is not even TWO yet! I think she will always try to act older... but I am hoping it isn't the case.
Anyway the weekend is over and I am tired. At least I only have to work 3 days next week. We are getting stuff ready for school this week right now. This school thing takes a lot of getting used to. Some mornings I am running out of the house with six bags in my hand (Alyssa's backpack, lunchbox, my lunch, my purse, Gabby's diaper bag and soccer bag for practice!) I am already ready for Christmas break!!!
Here are a few pictures from Saturday. I took the camera to my Dad's but Brian said he didn't bring the camera but then said just joking but I didn't hear the just joking part.... grrrrrr...

Alyssa showing Uncle Roy and Auntie Lety her Michael Phelps moves.

Daddy and Gabby having fun!
Higher Dad!
My bathing beauty
Alyssa teasing her sister... "Ha ha I'm in the water and YOUR not!"
Alyssa and her cousin Talore who just moved yesterday back to Redding =o(

Gabby drawing a masterpiece.
Playing with toys at PaPa's.
Gabby getting in on the poker game.
Yummy!