Trigger Happy

I guess I should update

but honestly, I don't feel like I have anything very interesting to say......the week's starting out nicely, and it's going to get better because tomorrow Drew starts his 14 day vacation!  Yesterday we went to Tanaka to do the watermelon tour, which I loved- first time for that one....had a nice park playdate last night with a lady I met through the Girl Scouts and her two kids who are the same ages as mine...think we'll be seeing them again in our future....today had a great morning playdate with the Adams gang- and as a bonus we saw the Lyons' and Bloom's too!  Tonight, Annie and I took our girls to see the Kitt movie, which I loved (so did Beth) and went to JoAnn's on the way home.  Again- altogether, a GREAT beginning to the week...but I feel a bit boring.  Must be the approaching gift Mother Nature is bringing to me....

Tonight, I am grateful for:

1. Annie for a fun new look in my living room!

2. my mom for giving Beth and I a chance to have some time together

3. Drew for working extra hard for our family this summer

4. Drew for putting up with my bitchy-ness about ever having to work ever

5. time for the 4 of us and our stay-cation!

*peace

a new easy favorite!

I love, love, love easy recipes that work out well.  I am no mean cook, I'll tell you- I am the scrambled eggs for dinner kind of cook, so I really need all of the help I can get.  My very favorite easy chicken from Trader's was pulled off the shelves for being made with the wrong kind of plastic bags that leech bad stuff into your system when cooked- perfect for my growing children, right?  I had to find some alternatives because Drew has been working so many days in a row that I can't get away with leftovers on the nights he works- I have to find things to cook!  He has also decided to eat dinner after he gets home to save some money and some calories instead of eating cafeteria food twice a day. So, the dinners need to be a bit better than frozen nuggets and carrot sticks too.  Tonight- we tried this:

  10 minute Gyros from the October 2007 issue of Parents Magazine.  I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but I did create something darn close.  Beth and I tasted some of these pre-cooked brisket strips at Costco last weekend.  I love this, because I just had to warm them for 20 minutes in the oven, I couldn't ruin them, you know?  I also bought some middle eastern flat bread and tzatziki from Trader's and we had crumbled feta, grape tomatoes and a cucumber.  I sliced the tomatoes and cucumber and put some seasons and oil in there to marinate (I wish I'd had some onion), warmed up the meat and the bread, and we threw it all together and yum!  The kids ate meat and bread, but honestly, it was their second dinner of the night anyway, because they ate at an earlier hour the first time around.  They did eat it though, so that makes it a hit!

Tonight, I am grateful for:

1. moms who trade playdates with me- I had three hours alone today!

2. dinners that have been working, and food going unwasted!

3. coming up with some good ideas for Brownies

4. trash TV

5. time out at Oasis

Oh- and because Julie Vasi hasn't seen any of this- I needed to find some for her.  Tuesday nights at 8, Julie- your family will never be the same....oh and pee first!

images of summer

The past couple of days I have caught some images that just scream summer to me.  I love when this happens- slice of life types of photos that really typify the everyday.

we had a friend over for dinner and play the other night.  This guy always takes great photos, and my guy always loves to be in there!

Matthew's always the littlest guy around- so the chance to have someone look up to him is great.

The girl was busy doing a dance show for the little guys.

Who were enjoying themselves....to the last drip of the pop!

Another super fun time we had was with the Adams gang.

We went to their waterpark, and the kids LOVED being there!

So...that's some happy shots for me tonight- they really, really show me what summer fun is all about!

Tonight, I am grateful for:

1. moms who like to exchange playdates- and shopping tips

2. the ability to change plans on a dime

3. an enthusiastic feeling for beginning  a Brownie Troop, because reading the paperwork is daunting.

4.Typepad is uploading super quickly tonight, but the link is weird, so if they don't work....I tried

5. library books you can renew online or over the phone!

*peace

So I had to try this also

 Because this is the BIG question with the Motta kids- who DO they look like?  Neither kid is "obviously" a carbon copy of either Drew or I.  I see lots of both of us in them, but I really think they are like a piece here and a piece there and it's really hard to tell someone that when they ask, "who does ____ look like?".  So, when I first saw this, I had to do it, but I didn't save it.  Let me just say- I used different photos each time.....the results are subject to change.  These results are most in my favor.  Last ones said Matthew was equal and Beth was 3% more Drew.  So- of course, I like these results the best- but that's not why I saved these, I just didn't realize how to save them before- nor was my week so boring (not really boring, just busy) that I needed fodder for the blog- this week I do! 

This week has been one filled with chores, and playdates- and we're excited about that.  Today is a playdate with water- woo hooo!  I may try to take my camera with a different lens or two and see if I can shoot without dumping it in the water.  I have been hesitating too much pool shooting since swim lessons ended because Matthew can't be trusted to have me that far away from him let alone with something I value in my hands.  I have already ruined one camera by running after him into the ocean.  Not cool.

Speaking of photography- I started my photography 101 class with Big Picture Scrapbooking and I am not so sure if I am happy or not.  ( I can't link them, I think their site is down, it's being re-built right now)  The first week's assignment is basically to shoot in front of a window ( I do that all of the time) and the inspiration is the word "blue".  You can post these things for critique, but the critique's she's been giving are no more than Drew would give me on a regular basis- or basically, something I can figure out as well- but not always that I can prevent while shooting.  Does that make sense?  Anyway, I am hoping it gets more in depth fast, because I wanted to take this class soooooooo badly.

I shoot in front of the windows all of the time- this is one of my recent favorites, because I woke to a quiet house, and found her here, reading new library books.  Technically- a snapshot, emotionally, a WOW to me.

I thought about submitting this one for "blue"

but really, what kind of critique could it get- it was a LUCKY shot- you can still see the crayon in her hand- one second either way- heck, a millisecond- I'd have missed this moment- the light, the face, the crayon from her ear.  Not even close to a "great photo" but couldn't have been better if I'd have planned it for what it is.  It does say "blue" to me though.

Okay- Typepad is acting weird.  I am going to sign off- scroll down for our LOOK A LIKE meter results!

Motta Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Motta Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs - Collage - Morph

good stuff

we had a nice weekend together as a family.  Well, Saturday was nice and Sunday was productive- but we did have a wonderful dinner out back on Sunday- yummy bbq and the four of us together!

Saturday, we went to the Birch Aquarium at Scripps.  Drew and I went there on our first "real"- day long date- the one where we realized we had met "the one".  It's small, so we took our time getting down there, not freaking out trying to get out the door and make the most of the time.  We stopped by the outlets and got some "summer shoes" for the kids, and even a pair to save for school time for Beth.  I am slowly aquiring some "back to school" stuff for her (and my classroom) so that it doesn't hurt so much next month.  Much easier this way- especially when all of the summer stuff is on sale, and it will be hot through October at least.  There is a Gymboree outlet now in Carlsbad, so I am going to have to make another trip out there in the next few weeks!

At the aquarium, we spent some great time together checking out all of the tanks, touching in the tide pools and splashing around in this little "flow pool" that they had where the kids could change the flow of the water with some plastic parts.

The environment in this area is just so gorgeous, sitting outside was beautiful!  My favorite animal that we saw was this giant octopus.  I couldn't get a really good picture of it- but you can get the gist of it's size.

I really wanted to get a nice picture of it, but couldn't get something to brace myself with well.  Oh pickles.

For dinner, we went to a friends house, where the kids had an absolute blast.  They have some big kids- and it was nice to play, play, play for the kids.

The kids were so happy and tired and itchy from rolling around the grass.  Good stuff.

Today, we are having some quiet time- TV, toys, reading time, some "homework" type of books I got at Costco yesterday, and some laundry, computers, and reading for mommy. We may go out and stick some stuff in the mail.  That's about it.  Some days (especially humid ones) are perfect for that.

Today, I am grateful for:

1. an actual workout

2. plenty of food and dinners

3. Drew, for working so hard

4. great friendships

5.air conditioning

*peace

a new favorite

From the weekend.....more tomorrow....

thank goodness for overcast skies

because we spent 5 hours at the fair yesterday!   That's a looooooooooonnnnnnnnggggggg time!

We started out at this little circus where the kids (ages 5-12) were performers.  Guess who really wanted to do it?

Guess who is not 5 yet?

Well, you can guess how the rest of our day went.......!  He cried through the whole show, I made him stay anyway, and wear sunglasses, because I told him that we'd do it again next year, and we still had to be good audience members even when we were disappointed.  I did buy them each a $2 coloring book though.  Life totally stinks when you're 4 and a half!  :)

Since we didn't have daddy with us, we didn't do any rides or games, so we stuck to the "indoor" crafts, animals, and exhibition areas.

There were skateboarders doing an exhibition on a half pipe.  That cheered this guy right up.  Figures, huh?

 

we also got our big treat for the day, yummy ice cream scoops!  They were COVERED in ice cream.  It was comical.  For some reason, these cones dripped more than not.  I was glad Drew wasn't there, it was pretty yucky, and he hates that with a passion.  The kids loved it.  That made it all worth it :)

Today, I am grateful for:

1. weekends together

2. a good night's sleep

3. no arguing (yesterday, we had a'plenty)

4. possible time with friends tonight

5.finishing some things off of my to-do list!

*peace

a little of this...a little of that....

this is my messy girl...a regular day in her room, not unusual to find it like this AT ALL.  She complains for sooo long when she has to clean, but gets it this bad on a regular basis.  We were counting allowance here to go out shopping for Webkinz.

We have been enjoying a more "summer" type of schedule this week, since swimming lessons are over...later mornings, plans that change to suit our moods, and time together.  Of course, that includes some whining and fussing, but also lots of laughs, TV, time outside, and even some time with friends for both moms and kids!  Good stuff. 

Drew and the G got some work done on the "new" Alfa.  He was really happy about that.  That was the day I took the kids to the lagoon and Matthew decided to tour the "deeper end".

we got out and bonded with nature too- always one of my very favorite things to do.

so nice to be outside in the fresh air together. 

Also, had a brainstorm after our playdate and threw my craft table in the front room.

pretty funny.  Able to finish a few things, and watch America's Got Talent.  Scrapping in my kitchen works well, but isolates me from the "family" TV, if we're watching together.  Sometimes that's good, sometimes not so much.

Now I have to pull the kids away from the millionth viewing of this show to eat breakfast if we're going to the free fair today.

This morning I am grateful for:

1. coffee

2. cooler temps (in case we do make it out - it's only supposed to be in the 70's)

3. baseball caps

4. new stick sunscreen/and spray on too

5. 10 cent prints

*peace