I love my Chasey...

I love my girl...

A friend of mine recently had a miscarriage...and the only advice I had to give was that I did understand what she was going through...and nothing anyone tells you will make you feel any better...but the ONE thing in my life that makes me feel so much better about that miscarriage and about that baby that I lost.

If I had never lost that baby....I would NOT have my Chasey!! My sweet, loving, curly haired, beautiful little girl!

This morning I was in the shower and Chasey came in and asked me something..I couldn't really hear her so I peeked my head out and asked her again.

Chasey - "Mom, Can you teach me how to read?"

Me - "Of course!!!" (me...also wondering what prompted the question...I bet she saw one of those "your baby can read" commercials! haha)

Chasey - "Ok...when you get out of the shower?"

Me - "Well, it's going to take a little longer than that, but go pack those books that Mary gave you and well take them with us for the week" (we are going to stay at a timeshare with my dad, step-mom and little sister...Just a few miles up the road, but still a mini-vacation! :)

Chasey - "ok" (and totally convinced that she's going to learn how to read this week)

So...I guess we are going to work on learning to read! I have NO idea how to teach a person how to read...?? This whole Mom thing is hard sometimes!

Guess where we were all weekend?
Lots and LOTS of pictures to post...I have to weed through them first.

I learned to SEW!!!....

So...I learned how to sew!!! YIPPEEE!! I keep seeing cute tutorials online and borrowed a REALLY old sewing machine from my aunt...No instructions..no one to tell me how to even turn the thing on...Needless to say I got frustrated and put it away!

The next weekend my "ex" mother-in-law let me (long term) borrow one of hers! Newer...with instructions and she gave me a quick lesson on how the machine works! It took a few hours and definitely used my seam ripper a few times....but VOILA!
My FIRST skirt!!

And my SECOND skirt!!

The first one...I followed a tutorial...kind of! I thought I could do my own thing...It's best to LEARN how to sew before making your own patterns....It's still cute and it has a tie in the back (that's the part that I was "winging it" on).
The second skirt I actually FOLLOWED the directions and what do you know? It all worked! It has an elastic waist and it's WAY too long...but once again, still cute! I have the cutest little model so I really can't go wrong!

Stay tuned for many, many more sewing projects! :)

edited...to add link to tutorial that I used
Note-I did NOT use Moda pre-cut strips...I cut my own out of fabric that I liked and I made the stips a little wider (3") in the pink and black skirt.

The Dentist....

I took the kids to the dentist this morning...It was Cash's first visit. He wasn't the best patient...but he IS only 2 1/2!

Chasey has been a few times before, but i just took her to my dentist. I decided not take her there after the butchering I had done there recently...Can I just say OUCH!!!...and it was just a cleaning!!! I got a referral to a pediatric dentist. I will recommend to ALL my mom friends...Take your kids to a pediatric dentist!!! Don't even bother with a regular dentist. This place was so cool! There were video games in the waiting room, TV's on ceiling in each room and the kids got to pick their own movie to watch...AND jars of toys on display for for them to pick one when they were done! The only way I got Cash to sit still was to keep reminding him that he could get a truck from the jar if he just sat still for a little bit!

Didn't have my camera...only my phone...

"THUMBS UP!!" No cavities!!


staring at the TV on the ceiling


Scariest picture ever!! Swollen eyes this morning! I felt like CRAP!

St. Patricks Dinner...and a visit from the Leprechauns?

The picture is not the best...but the food was oh so yummy!!

Our family is not a big fan of the traditional "Corned Beef & Cabbage"...so this is what I came up with for our "Green-Themed Dinner!"

Baked Chicken....topped with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, avocado and Pesto sauce
Asparagus
Green Mashed Potatoes

I had green jello for dessert too, but Chasey informed me that she no longer likes jello, Cash was being a stinker and was in time out and was NOT going to get dessert...so I didn't bother to make it!



And another thing...Do Leprechauns visit your house?? I know they never visited mine so I really didn't know about this...

Chasey came home from school yesterday and apparently Leprechauns came into her classroom the night before and made a little mischievious mess and left candy for the kids! A few of the kids were talking about how the Leprechauns had been to their houses too.

Needless to say...my sensitive little Chasey was so upset that the Leprechauns didn't visit our house...I made up a story about how they are so tiny that they couldn't get around to everyones house in one night...they aren't Santa after all! I figured I would do something...I have no idea what...but something...after the kids fall asleep.

Fast forward to 4:20am....OH CRAP! Having one of those can't sleep for an hour in the middle of the night moments....and realized the Leprechauns (well...me) forgot to stop by our house!

So...at 4:20am...I went into the kitchen...got out the girl scout cookies...took little bites out of them and left crumbs all over the counter....Got out the art stuff...found the glitter....sprinkled green glitter all over the mess...and left 2 small 100 grand candy bars for the kids (leftover from Halloween!)....It was a small effort...but worth every bit of middle of the night panic when the first thing Chasey said when she woke up was (in a whiny voice) "the leprechauns didn't come"...I said..."I think they did...go look in the kitchen!" I had one very happy, excited little girl.

It doesn't take much!

Happy St. Patricks Day!!!....

We love holidays around our house...all holidays...big and small!

After our pink themed Valentines Dinner Chasey now expects a "Green-Themed" St. Patricks Day Dinner. Not a big fan of traditional "corned beef & cabbage" so...I'm going to figure out another "green" dinner...I'm sure there will be green mashed potatoes and green milk involved...Oh...and Green Beer for Mommy and James!

Hope everyone has a great day!


I asked Cash to go hug his sister...and this is what he did! Silly kid!

So True...

If you do have kids...Read this...it will give you a laugh...

If you don't have kids...and you just don't "get it" when your friends with kids are too busy for you....Read this...(and really...if you don't "get it" as to why your friends are too busy to stay in touch...You should make the effort to go spend the day with them and to see what their life is actually like! If it's anything like mine...if I get a spare minute to myself...sometimes I just want to spend that moment alone!)

Just a little of our weekend...

First off…I signed up with some friends to play on a softball team….I haven’t played softball (without alcohol involved…aka: Sloshball) since I was in high school…and even then, it was only in PE. We had practice the Friday night before…and we Suck…with a big capital S! WE SUCK!! It’s ok…its just for fun, so who really cares! It’s just a fun night with my girlfriends and the kids run around and it’s going to be fun….
At least that is what I thought!... Me…and the other 4 girls that I know (it’s co-ed…I just don’t know the rest of the people) were planning on having a fun time together. Recap of our first game…the other team is SO SERIOUS and we got our asses kicked!! They were REALLY good and made it not fun for us at all….I guess whoever signed our team up signed us up in the last spot available in the league…In the Upper division!!! So stupid! I really don’t care if we win or lose…I just want to have a good time. It was so bad that the other team was pissed that they had to play against us! I don’t blame them…what fun is that for them? So…we will be playing every Friday night…well…THEY will be playing every Friday night…I will play for a few more weeks and if they don’t switch our team to another level then I will not be making the hour drive just to stand there and get my ass handed to me! I’m not a quitter…but even the umpire told us we didn’t belong there and we would be having a blast on the other fields! (the lower levels). UGH! I really really want to play…but for FUN! I’m not trying to relive my childhood years!

Ok…that rant is over…the rest of the weekend was really fun, rainy and mellow! I went to a sample sale early Saturday morning…I mean EARLY…get up at 5am early…just to go to a SALE! But…it was worth it for sure! James watched the kids for me....I snuck out at 5am…Cash woke up at 5:30!! It’s normal…but James was really hoping he was going to sleep in! Haha…I told him “welcome to my life!” He sent me this picture while I was shopping…I can NEVER get my 2 crazy kids to both look at the camera at the same time….but HE managed it! With his phone nonetheless! It’s cute…they were being really good for him!


The kids…trying on one of my sample sale finds!

Don't mind that dress! Chasey was playing dress-up!



Just a couple more random pics from the weekend….

Cash imitating the picture James drew of him!


Chasey getting tossed around and loving every second of it!


Cash…looking like that kid in peanuts that always plays the piano!
(How bad that I can’t remember which kid that is? Help me people…which character is it?)


Then…deciding to play with his feet!

Got me thinking...

I got this email from a good friend today...just wanted to share it.

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore". No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say "good-bye", say "I love you."

So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage.....And old cars... And children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special.. And so, we keep them close!

I received this from someone who thought I was a 'keeper'! Then I sent it to the people I think of in the same way... Now it's your turn to send this to all those people who are "keepers" in your life, including the person who sent it, if you feel that way. Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?

I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said.

Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do. And just in case I'm gone tomorrow.

I LOVE YA!!!

Live today because tomorrow is not promised..

Sometimes they fight...

I almost burned the house down...

I was crafting away all afternoon Saturday...with CNN on in the background just WAITING for the tsunami to hit Hawaii....and all of a sudden I heard a loud POP and flames shot out the front of my glue gun....then the back..I had to blow them out!! James was napping on the couch and jumped up!

My poor little overused glue gun....


I went out Sunday and bought a nice fancy "cordless" one! I haven't gotten to use it yet...I'm SO excited! Sheesh...I can't believe that the purchase of a new glue gun is what makes me happy these days!

I'm sick to my stomach...

On December 27th I took the kids outside to ride their new bikes that they got for Christmas...This outside playtime was cut short because of the helicopter that was flying overhead telling me that a woman was just attacked and they were looking for a white male, 6 foot about 220 lbs wearing a blue jacket...and to please go inside and lock our doors!

REALLY? I couldn't believe it! I live in Suburbia!! Nice, calm, comfortable, quiet neighborhood! This is nuts! And even more nuts that I have to explain to Chasey that she cant ride her new bike right now because there is a bad person in our neighborhood and we need to stay inside.

Since that day, I NEVER leave the doors unlocked.

Friday morning...February 26th...The damn helicopter is out again. I thought there was NO way they were looking for someone AGAIN? Poor Chasey asked, "Mom, did they ever catch the bad guy? Why are there bad guys?" It's so hard to have to explain reality to her.
I called James to tell him that we live in the ghetto and there is a helicopter out again. (We live FAR from the ghetto...I was joking with that reference). He had heard on the radio that morning that a 17 year old girl was jogging on Thursday and was missing. Great! Just Great!

Fast forward to Sunday....the search is still on...there are police everywhere, a volunteer center has been set up and this is all happening in MY neighborhood.

I read online Sunday night that they arrested a 30 year old sex offender and he is being charged for rape and murder. He is from Lake Elsinore...about an hour north.

Fast forward to Monday morning...Details emerge...this guy was living IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD!!! IN MY TOWNHOUSES....I could throw a rock at his mom's house where he was staying!!!! His mom's condo is 1100 feet from the elementary school....He is a registered sex offender and cannot live within 2000 feet of a school. They are 90% sure that he is responsible for the attack in December as well...luckily she got away by punching him in the nose with her elbow.

My stomach is a mess...knowing that this guy was living right next to me. I don't remember ever seeing him, but he was there. I have 2 little kids and he was living by us.

Chelsea is still missing...I have an extremely bad feeling that they will find her body and she is not alive...but just in case, please look at her picture.


Hug your babies, never run alone, take self defense classes, carry pepper spray with you if you do run, always lock your doors...because you NEVER know who could be living next door!