Melissa’s Blog

Everyone has been sleeping in lately. We will have to make sure the kiddos go to bed on time tonight since they have school tomorrow. We just took it easy most of the day. We read the paper this morning. Justin played Wii and Nikki and I went up to play doll house for a while. She had such a great time and so did I. We played in the backyard for a while. Dad and I moved the playhouse and table around. We want to make sure the pavers didn’t get too faded. The kids loved having the roof off on the play house and sprayed it with water. Dad and I tried to hide a few things to get rid of, basketball net and teeter totter. The kids found the picnic table and wanted to eat their lunch outside. We waited around for our new fridge. It looks really nice but now the rest of the kitchen looks even older. We are waiting for it to get cold before we load it up. The other fridge is just in the garage right now. The people that brought in our fridge pushed our coach way over. The kids got their blankets and pillows and made a bed. I then brought over the kitchen chairs and made a fort. The kids loved it and played in it for a while. They brought toys under there, snacks, and water. They played really well this afternoon, it was really nice. I have a little cold so I just took it easy today. Dad took the kids to pirate park for a while then I went over to meet them. When I got over there dad was teaching them tackle football. We all played in the sand for a while. It started to get cold so we came home. The fridge was ready to be loaded. The kids really wanted to help so I just decided I will work on it tomorrow. The kids were wanting to learn to jump rope so we worked with them for a while. So cute how happy they are when they do it! Justin and dad played Mario Cart for a  bit while Nikki and I went into my bed to watch TV. I ended up falling asleep. We did our usual night time routine and we are just waiting for Nikki to go to sleep. It is going to be a busy week for daddy as he has to go to training all week and I have a dentist app’t tomorrow, so not fun!

We put the kiddos Lego sets we got them together this morning. Dad helped Justin make his car and I helped Nikki make her dog house thing. This morning was supposed to be the kid’s last soccer game  but they now have extended it till next week. Nicole was very sad they didn’t have her trophy. Nikki looked like she was really having fun today playing. She ran so much she came over saying her belly hurt, probably just a cramp. Justin was a star too. He made a few goals. There was a kid on his team that was pushing and Justin started to push a little too. The kids played a bit after. The kids are really into bugs lately. They were looking for lady bugs and found a few. They also found a rolly polly and played with it for a bit. Nicole was heart broken we wouldn’t let her take it home with her. I think this is the first time they had held a rolly polly. On the way to the library we stopped at Lil Pickle for lunch. Then we went to Newport Beach library for a Sesame Street thing. It was really cute. It was a lot of activities, story time, and coloring. The kids played lots of games, musical chairs, red light/green light, and Elmo says. They also made some puppets. I am glad we went. The kids seemed to want to be home since we were gone all day yesterday. We got home and Justin wanted to play Mario Cart. Nikki wanted to play with her Legos. We all went in the back yard for a bit. The kids pretended their playhouse was on fire and used the squirters to put it out. Dad was on his laptop out there so the kids wanted to play on it, push keys, etc. The kids are really learning to spell words. They can spell hand, dog, mom…woo hoo. We did some gardening and the kids washed the windows. After dinner we went in the jacuzzi. The kids were loving it and were wild. They were pretending to be dogs and hanging all over us. When they got out they were hyper too. I am so glad Bret go the jacuzzi running as the kids have really enjoyed it. Nikki was really helpful today, wanting to help me with whatever I did. It was really cute. Kiddos are asleep and we are soon to follow.

Yesterday we went to Legoland. We took Grandma with us. I was told that Legoland you really needed an even number of people to go on rides. I found that to be true, it would have been really hard with me and just the two kids. The kids had a fantastic time. I think Legoland is their new favorite place. The lines for the rides were really slow and also the loading/unloading of rides. The kids were great waiting in lines. Nicole had so many favorites, she liked making trumpet noises with the musical water fountain, driving the boat,and driving the cars. Justin’s favorite ride was this sky ride where we pedaled together. He also really liked building a Lego car and racing it down the ramp. He would jump up and down as the car went down the ramp. We had a great day, but the park was only open from 10-5 so we missed some things. Here are some pics from our day:

I had a great time at Bunco. I so needed it but then went to bed too late last night. Today was a busy day for us. We needed to run out to get some stuff at Target. Luckily there was no line at the return counter since I had a return. Then we got bubbles for their last class for get ready for kinder and snacks for a friend’s baby shower. We had to stop at dad’s work to get the booster for the car. The kids were s excited to see daddy-they just kept hugging him, etc, It was sweet.  The shower was at a pool. The kids had a great time. We were a bit rushed though since we had to get to our get ready for kinder class. It was so hard to pull the kiddos out of the pool as they were having so much fun. Nikki put on a life jacket and loved the feeling that she was safe wherever she went in the pool. Justin was in a floaty just kicking back. We didn’t have much time for lunch so the kiddos had pretzels, crackers, juice box, banana, and cake. I was able to give the kids a shower there which was a huge life saver. I had no idea when else they would have gotten a bath. We were supposed to go to a library event but I was glad I changed my mind since we were already crazy. We were a little late to the class but not by much. I ran home to meet Roberta and T. I had TT (aka terror Tierney). But I love that she is being a terror in a good way. She is into everything and busy as can be. She loves showing off she can walk. Her and I had fun playing, she was into the kitchen and musical toys. I think she was looking around for N&J. We went to pick N&J up. The kids got lots of prizes in their class for reading so many books, etc. They came out with all this stuff. I loved looking at their journals. I will have to post some pics soon. We played outside the class for a bit in the play area. Nikki and Justin were riding bikes but Nikki was upset no one wanted to give her a ride. She was a little melty. We headed home and then grandma/pa came over. We didn’t even hear the doorbell since we were in the play room so T would stay in a safe place. I left to meet dad and some old co-workers at Red Robin. It was nice to catch up. Now it is all about the kids in conversation. It was nice to get out. The kids and grandma/pa went to Chick Fil A. Nikki seemed pretty tired when we got home but it still took her a while to go to bed. Now to get ready for Lego land tomorrow and relax.

I have had enough stress for one week and it is only Tuesday. Deciding whether to send the kids to kindergarten is a nightmare. Every time we talk to someone else we change our mind again. Anyway our morning started off good. I babysat for a friend from pre school and we all went to Blue Gum together. We met some of our play mate friends there too. The kids had a great time. There was a big hole in the sand and the kids just had a great time digging more and more. And pretending that it was their house. So cute. The kids played so nicely with their friends. This is one of the first times I have seen Nikki and Mikey play so well together-it was cute. They even kissed each other. After the park we headed home to eat lunch real quick then head to get ready for kinder. Bret and I had a meeting to see if they are ready for kindergarten. Our minds change depending on who we talk too. They are almost ready, just a few things we need to work on. I think those things just came about due to the kids being in their own classes. That dynamic has never occurred. The teacher asked Nikki what her favorite color and she said Justin’s colors. It takes Justin a little while to feel confident on his own but that is because he always has his sister. They both participate and do great at story time, just like they do at pre school. It sounds like though when it is something new they are a little reluctant until they get used to it. I even talked to the teachers more when I picked up the kids. They did mention when the two are together the confidence is higher. So Bret and I are back to square one not knowing what to do. But a lot could change in the next couple months too. I think we are going to proceed with the fact that they are going to kinder and see what happens. I am going to look into some pre-k programs just in case. I love ICNS but I think the kids would be bored there another year. During class the kids read a book called something like fill my bucket. It talks about emotions and how it effects other people. Justin came out and told me he loved me and that my basket was now full. They made baskets and Nicole’s said these things:

I will play with Jack (in her class), I will give my mom flowers, and I will give my brother a big hug

Justin’s said:

I can kiss people, I can cheer up a sad friend by making funny faces, I can say I love you

Also the teacher said Nicole has seemed to replace Justin with Jack in her class. She definitely needs her brother which I love and think is so sweet. The kids played outside after the get ready for k class. They made some baskets and rode bikes. After we were rushing around. We ran to Costco as I am snack mom tomorrow then we needed to get home to take a bath. However when we got home the kids saw some other kids playing football on the greenbelt. They came in and got their football. So we just did fast showers then dinner. The kids seemed tired again tonight. They must be busy growing again. We had a mellow night and the kids went to sleep.

Well the weekend of it all about me is over. I had a great birthday and mom’s day. The kids woke up this morning and played in Justin’s room. We had to call them down for breakfast. That never happens and unfortunately it happens on a pre school morning. I dropped the kiddos off at school. I hated to leave them after a great weekend with them. I did stay for a bit and read books to them. I came home while they were at school, did laundry, and hung out with dad (he is working from home). Grandma/pa were supposed to come over today. Grandma was supposed to babysit while grandpa and I went to the movies. However, both are feeling under the weather today. I hated breaking the news to the kids that they weren’t coming. But I decided to take the kiddos to CA Adventure instead. We came home and had lunch then the kiddos watched a little Blues Clues on daddy’s computer. Of course they pretended they were characters from Blues Clues. Justin really wanted to take the shuttle to CA Adventure. Since the stroller line wasn’t too bad we took the shuttle. It was fun exploring CA Adventure. When we first got there we went to the pier. The kids rode on the carousal there (under the sea theme). Justin got on a dolphin and Nikki on a fish. Then we headed over to the ferris wheel. The kiddos met a little boy and we ended up going in the same car thing. The kids all had a great time together. N&J weren’t too into trying new things. At first they said they didn’t want to go on the ferris wheel but had a great time. Justin wanted to ride the little roller coaster but I needed Bret with me to be able to do that as Nikki didn’t want to. We explored a bit and went into the tortilla and bread factories. The kids just loved looking around at the big roller coasters, the roaring rapids, etc. We saw some characters, Brother Bear and Koda (too scary for the kids) and Minnie Mouse. Nikki gave Minnie a hug and Minnie gave her a kiss, so cute. Then we headed over to see the animation area. The kids watched Crush’s show. I was so happy that they called on Nikki to ask Crush a question. She asked if the water was warm or cold? He asked her the same thing about the temp. She said it was warm. He asked her about Buzz Lightyear but Nikki doesn’t really know about him too much, so she says he goes to outer space. I was sad that Justin didn’t get to ask a question too. They didn’t seem to take as many questions as last time but the kids still loved the show. We looked around the animation area and the kids watched some things on the screen, they were so excited when they saw Lady and the Tramp. However, some things were scary for Nikki. We got a smoothie after. The only reason I mention this smoothie is the kiddos were nuts for it. I can’t believe how much they loved that thing. The kids wanted to see the parade, so we went and got a good spot. The parade was great and the kids loved it. Then we headed home. Nikki kept on complaining she was tired. We had a late dinner and then the kids got wild. They were acting out the parade. But they did go to bed once we turned out the lights.

Happy Mom’s Day to me. I am so grateful to be mom to my two beautiful kids. They make everyday an adventure, for sure. And I wouldn’t trade this life for anything. This morning dad made me coffee and brought me the paper. I enjoyed reading the paper and drinking coffee. Dad kept the kiddos entertained while I relaxed. After reading the paper we went outside. Dad put in the new malibu lights with the kiddos help. The kiddos were all into helping daddy. I got some gardening done. Then the kiddos came to help me while dad went inside and fixed out downstairs toilet. Look at this I got new lights and a fixed toilet for mom’s day-HA! We took it easy at home and played. I read the kiddos some books, we played with blocks, and colored. The kids made grandma a flower bouquet out of paper-it came out really cute. We were just busy doing things at home. The kids played hungry hungry hippos and we listened to music. After lunch the kiddos watched some Curious George and Clifford. Then we headed out. Dad got called for work, ugh. So the kids and I went and did some errands. We got our fridge straightened out and then we ran to Target. We met the family at a park near Uncle Alan’s house. The kids had a great time. We ran down the huge hill. I carried Nikki up it-very challenging. The kids went in the swings and played on the play structure. They fought over who was going to push Tierney. And of course they had to be monkeys on the monkey bars. It was a nice park with beautiful scenery. I hope someday the kids and I can go for a walk on the paths. Great place to take pics too, I think. After we went to a place named Corkey’s for dinner. We ate way too much. The kids got breakfast and loved it. Alan and Roberta surprised me with a beautiful Louis Vutton clutch, purse. My first LV purse, now I am spoiled. Can’t wait to use it on a night out with Bret. We got home and the kiddos were tired. I caught up with dad while the kids played a few games of Wii. We headed upstairs and only read one book. We just cuddled with the kids an extra long time. Both fell right to sleep.

Happy birthday to me. Nothing too special about birthdays anymore. We had a regular fun family day. The kiddos had soccer this morning. Our neighbor Andree came to watch. We also discovered that a neighbor plays on Justin’s team. The kids both did great at soccer and seemed to have fun. Nikki loves when we all cheer for her. Justin and Nikki both got a few goals. It was so hot out there today and the kids were troopers running around. After we got some lunch then decided to head to the lagoon in RSM. Since we were so confused on the plans today we invited my parents to join us. The water was so cold. It didn’t stop the kiddos though. Justin was a little apprehensive, I had trouble getting in the water too. Nikki pretended to be Shamu and went under water. Once you got in the water it was probably warm but it took a while. The kids had a great time, playing in the sand too and making holes in the sand. They filled the holes with water. I can’t wait until the lagoon warms up, summer is right around the corner. We got home and realized we had no idea what was for dinner. We decided to go to the pizza place. Justin and Nikki were so excited. The pizza place=games. They could have stayed in the game room the whole time. Justin barely eats there since he would rather play games. Guess swimming makes Nikki hungry as she ate so much pizza. At the pizza place we let the kids get something out of the quarter machines. Nikki wanted a care bear. She got the yellow care bear and apparently Justin wanted one too. He got the pink one. Nikki cried and cried as she wanted the pink one. I was surprised Justin didn’t just give it to her. We tried to explain to Nikki that Justin will grow tired of it quickly and give it to her soon. Dad had to do a little work tonight. We came home and all had cupcakes together. Then it was upstairs time. I tried to distract Nikki by telling her the care bear needed to meet all her animals. She has so many animals that is took a while. She still had a hard time getting over the fact that Justin got the pink one. We did pretty good getting the kids to bed on time. I have a feeling Nikki will be up sometime to go potty. Dad is doing some more work. I am going to play on the computer and relax. Looking forward to another day being all about me (mother’s day) tomorrow.

Yesterday I had a pre school board meeting that went until almost 11:00, ugh, so I didn’t blog. But I did have to mention the kids gave me awesome mom day presents that they made at get ready for kinder. Justin did a handprint with a sweet poem and Nikki gave me a picture of herself holding a baby chick. These things made my day yesterday. I felt like the luckiest mom ever.

This morning I dropped the kiddos off at school. I came home and did lots of gardening. It seriously took me all day to hedge. I picked the kiddos up and they had more mom’s day gifts for me. They made me shrinky dink heart necklaces that are so cool. Even hedging today I wore them. They also made me cards and the kids answered questions. These are the questions and answers (Nikki’s answers are first):

-My mom is 28 /46 years old. Then Justin said I don’t know maybe I should ask her. It doesn’t matter what number, 46 is good

-My mom likes to eat salad/hangabers (hamburgers)

-My mom always wears black clothes that matches her pants/she wears all her clothes sometime

-Her favorite TV show is Hannah Montana/cars and mommy shows

-She cooks the best mac and cheese/pizza, Apple pie (with the apple pie Justin was referring to the German baked apple pancake I made)

-These things make my mom mad if I push someone/hitting Nikki

-What I like to do with my mom get my nails done and alone time/race, play cars

-These are the things that my mom does she plays with me, she plays doll house with me, she picks me up and does the happy dance/I ask her to race and she said yes

-What my mom likes best about me when I won a medal in ice skating class/hugging-she loves hugs. If I love her she loves me

I had some laughs at some of the answers. I have the best kids ever. So we stayed and played outside of pre school for a bit then came home. Grandpa came over so we could be with him on his birthday. Grandpa played with the kiddos a bit, swung them on swings, gave them cupcakes, played Wii, then the kiddos helped me pick up all the leaves from hedging. They were super fast and really helpful. The kids were pretending to pick apples and collect some thing that grows on the ivy. They were also sweeping and using my clippers to trim the ivy. We had so much fun outside that we were pretty much out there all afternoon. They did show grandpa the Wii and did come in to take a shower. Right before the shower the kids had fun soaking themselves with the hose. They took a shower together and had a great time. They have been playing nicely today. We had dinner then dad and the kiddos went to desert night at the pre school. Weird here without anyone at night. I decided to put my ipod on and go for a walk. I walked to pre school so dad could drive me home. The kids had so much fun at pre school tonight. They were having fun being naughty and staying up late. They did a scavenger hunt too, Justin found a motorcycle and Nicole found a journal and pencil. Even outside pre school they wanted to play. With flashlights they were running around, it was fun. However it is 9:20 and we just got the kiddos to bed. I hope they sleep in tomorrow morning.

Off to pre school the kiddos went this morning. They got on the bikes there and wanted me to go away so they could bike. They still gave me great big hugs. I ran to the grocery store to get a few things. I figured since it was cinco de Mayo I should make something Mexican, so after looking around I came up with nothing. I think I will order food to go tonight. I stayed home and made some calls for pre school and watched a little TV. I picked up the kiddos and we headed to the park to meet some friends. First we went to the wrong park, so we didn’t get much time with our friends. The kids ate lunch real quick then were into playing. Mostly playing in the sand and Justin wanted to swing. We weren’t there that long but we had fun. We came home and the kids were so fighty, ugh.  I ended up giving the kiddos a bath. Justin actually took a nice fast shower and Nikki took a bath. Justin stayed naked for a while and raced the cars in the living room. Both picked out their clothes then we were off. We went to yogurtland for a one yr celebration. We got free yogurt and balloon animals. Well balloon swords with belts around their waists. The swords didn’t last too long and started to pop while we were playing on the greenbelt. Dad came home and the kids played on the greenbelt a bit, soccer. Then we went for a family walk. Nicole took her doll stroller with Chip/Dale, Rainbow bear, and Lucky bear. Justin took his dog on the skateboard. Nikki has a cat one but someone is borrowing it. She was so sad about it but Justin shared his doggie. Nikki is in love with the dog and wants to sleep with it. The walk was nice but we were stopping so much so the dog could do tricks, ugh. Dad and Justin came home to play Wii while Nikki and I walked a little further. I have a love/hate relationship with that Wii-I know the kids love it but somehow they forget to listen. I am wanting to get them to bed on time and they were just wanting to play Wii. We read a few books. Justin named his dog on the skateboard, Drinky because he drinks a lot. We had the dog stuffed animals play.