Cash & Ash getting their groove on....

I just uploaded my pictures from the "Worlds Largest Sunflower" event. Cash and Ash were groovin' to the music...so cute!


a pic of our crew...

I ran for a girl I've never met....

I've never met Chelsea King....but last weekend I ran my first 5k for Chelsea....Yesterday I took the kids to RB park and we were part of the "world's largest human sunflower" in honor of her!! It's amazing how close of an attachment you can feel to a person you've never met.

First...we'll talk about that 5k that I didn't intend on running! I was asked last minute to join a couple of girlfriends at the race. I haven't worked out in a month, but what the heck...I'll go...I'll just walk it! I woke up extremely early (like no person should ever wake up that early...early)...and went to Balboa Park for the race. We got there around 7am. Spending an early Saturday morning in March in Balboa Park makes you realize exactly why we pay outrageous amounts of money for our homes here in Southern California! The skies were blue, the birds were chirping and the park was packed with over 5,000 people there to support the Chelsea's Light Foundation and run/walk the 5k! I have an overwhelming attachment to Chelsea King...I never met her, but the man that took her life was living in my townhouses...YES...the EXACT same townhouses that I live in!! He had been staying at his moms house and she is the one that lives here in my neighborhood. I never had met or even saw him, but knowing he lived around the corner was the creepiest thing. Chelsea went missing from a park just down the street from here. When we had dogs, we were at that park several times a week. So...needless to say....it hit REALLY close to home...TOO close!
Back to the 5k! My friends and I all had "timed" numbers because they had been training a little and were ready to actually run the race...Me...not so much....Oh well...I started off running with them and made it to about the 1/2 mile mark and decided I either needed to pick up the pace and run a little faster or give up and walk....I'm SO proud of myself for picking up the pace...I felt bad leaving my friends behind, but I take REALLY long strides so running slow is way harder for me than running at a faster pace. I ran non-stop to the 2 mile marker...walked for about 2-3 minutes...then ran to the bottom of the hill at the 2 1/2 mile mark. I WALKED the hill...That hill was a killer...then at the top I ran to the finish line. I finished in 35:34!! My first 5k ever!! Although I haven't gone out running since...I want to go do more 5K's and beat my own time!! I kind of "get" the whole running thing now! I'm not...never have been a runner, but being with all of those people gave me the adrenaline that I needed to get out there and run! I felt SO great!

I even made it into the online version of the San Diego Union Tribune! Well....the back of my head is in the paper! See the post here. My ponytail with a sunflower is about half way down.


(photo from Sign On San Diego)
I've never let Chasey know about what happened here in our neighborhood...I never told her about Chelsea King. I never fully explained to her why the helicopter told us to go inside and lock our doors the day after Christmas when the kids were riding their new bikes. (the first attack on a runner that the "creep" made...but she got away") I've never explained to her why we have sunflowers and blue ribbons on every light pole in town. She's too young...I don't need her to worry about living here. She's been taught about strangers, etc, etc....but there are some things she doesn't need to know. We don't even watch the news at home. I read it online or watch before the kids wake up in the morning.
Yesterday...I DID feel it was important for her to take part in the "World's Largest Human Sunflower." My friend and I took our girls out of school about 20 minutes early so we could all participate. It was a great event! We ended up being out in the sun for 2 hours and the little ones (the 3 year olds) got a little antsy...and FILTHY playing in the dirt....but when it was all said and done, I couldn't be prouder that I took my little family to this amazing event! Someday I will show Chasey this picture and she will know about Chelsea and she will know that she took part in something great!


My heart goes out to the King family. They were at the race on Saturday and I wanted to hug them. I feel like I know them.

This mom loves a good deal!

The kids and I have 2 year passes to Sea World so we are frequent visitors at the Shamu show! It's so nice to have passes because we can just run down there for the afternoon and not feel like "we didn't get our money's worth" if we don't stay the whole day and see each and every show! Our normal routine is that I tell the kids we can see TWO shows...which always turns out to be the "Shamu" show and the "Pet's Rule" show....which is the dog & cat...now turned dog, cat, pig, ducks, emu's, kangaroo and macaw's show!

Both shows are good so I enjoy them just as much as the kids. I'm bummed that the trainers don't get in the water with the Whales anymore...but who can blame them. It's still magical seeing those large mammals following directions and jumping so high out of the water! Amazement every single time!

I took the kids down on Saturday afternoon and they each had $10 to spend. Money that they got from their Grandparents for Valentines Day. Chasey picked out a small (like the size of my hand) penguin with big eyes. It was adorable, but I told her to wait and we would come back to that store to get it before we left if we did not find anything else.

As we were headed to the Shamu show we passed a store called Trader's Cove...I've seen it a thousand times, but never went in. I thought what the heck, let's check out this store...The sign outside said "Nothing over $10"...Perfect!

We walk in...and what do we see? Sea World's Clearance Department!!! HOLY COW! Clothes, toys, trinkets, stuffed animals...ALL marked down to under $10....Guess what my kids got?! For $9.88 each!! I'm still amazed!

Mr. Independent wears "Surf Pants'

I'm struggling to get through the mornings these days! (No...I'm not pregnant!ha) I remember this feeling all too well from a couple of years ago when Chasey was about 3 1/2 or 4 years old. I was a frazzled mess walking in to work at least 2 or 3 days out of the week. Since I've been off work, things have been a lot less stressful and getting Chasey to school by 8am each morning is not so bad...we rush out the door EVERY morning regardless of whether we have 90 minutes to get ready...or 30! Doesn't matter...somehow we are always rushing at 7:50am!

Well...Cash has recently found his streak of independence! He can do EVERYTHING himself! Although I think it's great that he's growing and changing, there are some things that mom should just do for you at this age!

Number 1...getting dressed in the morning when you have to do it quickly!
Cash REFUSES to let me dress him! I learned this the hard way the other morning when he ran and ran and ran from me and Chasey was over 10 minutes late for school and got a "tardy." UGH! It's kindergarten...but still...no reason she should have been late. I almost took him to school naked...but it's a little chilly outside! The past 3 mornings I lay his clothes out at 7am and tell him he can do it himself. 10, 20, 30 minutes go by and he hasn't done it and he still refuses to let me. It's a battle that I'm losing and it's driving me up a wall! Bribery is the only thing that works these days...but candy is the last thing he needs that early in the morning!
Number 2....he hates to let me wipe him! This one is REALLY bad! I have to physically restrain him so that I can wipe him. He tried to do it himself the other day and got it all over his hands! Then....came up to me and grabbed my face! Blech...i want to throw up just thinking about it! He was being sweet and trying to kiss me, but still...blech!
Number 3....If I tell him he can't have something...or do something...he does (or at least attempts) it himself! Example below...I REFUSED to put batteries in this train because I was warned by the friend that handed it down to NOT put batteries in it because it is so obnoxious.....he decided he was going to do it himself! I thought it was cute enough to take a picture of it...but I still didn't put batteries in it. Well...he sweet-talked James into that very night! Now we have an obnoxious train that makes annoying animal sounds AND train sounds roaming around our floors all day!


All this is just "growing pains"....Growing pains for mommy that is...Cash is cool with it all! But as much as I want to strangle a 3 year old some days....I want to hug and kiss and squeeze him tight the minute that he says "I love you so much mommy!" over...and over...and over! It's music to my ears and makes my everyday struggles disappear into thin air!

and....Mr. Independent wears "Surf Pants"....because he now refers to his swim trunks as his "Surf Pants"....because he surfs in them...so he says! If given the choice each day to pick out his own clothes...he will most likely put on his "Surf Pants!" Thank God we live in Southern California where our "cold" days are in the 60's!

just a random picture from last week of an everyday Cash antic! The boy can really make me laugh!

"Winter Break"

Chasey had a week off last week...It's "Winter Break" or "Presidents Week"...whatever they call it, It's nice to not be tied down to a school schedule for a week!...We slept in most days...did a lot of lounging...and had some fun in between! Here's one or two...or so...pics from the week!

It was my "Every other weekend" for the first part of the break and I took a trip to Big Bear with 15 girls!! Yes...15!!! We stayed in a huge gorgeous cabin and had so much fun just having some girl time! This picture cracks me up...It's the 2nd one that was taken and Carolina was getting in the hot tub and jumped in the pic behind us. We didn't know until she started laughing!

Since I'm having a "rotating issue"...here is the 1st pic!



Then the girls left and James came up for a day!



Spent a nice Valentines Dinner at home with my 3 favorites!


Met up with some old friends at the Long Beach Aquarium. The Lorikeets there are SO friendly! They would get on your finger even if you didn't have food! Loved them!



Had a "Bowling, Bieber and Sushi girls day!"







A nice big Fat Lip...



A little bit of "SingStar"



And finished it up with some Motorcyle Racing at the San Diego Supercross!! It was Cash's first race and he loved it! It poured rain, but luckily we had seats that were covered...so we stayed completely dry!



As much as I loved a little break...it's nice to be back on a schedule...but I am looking forward to summer vacation! :)

A sign? I think not!

I pinched my finger in the corkscrew opening a bottle of wine the other night...I even got a blood blister!

James says "I think it's a sign"

I say...."I think I need more practice!" haha

My new FAVORITE wine! Worth the blood blister! :)

"You can make new friends...but you can't make old ones!"

One of the...well...maybe the only reason I love facebook! Reconnecting with old friends!


It's seems crazy to me how much I lost touch with some of my BEST FRIENDS! Through our twenties we all kind of went different directions and completely lost touch. There was a group of us in high school that was together constantly...for years on end! I did stay in touch with about 4 of them...but there were a few that were just as much a part of the group that we lost touch with. I'm still amazed that we were not at each others weddings!! Now that we've reconnected, it's like we haven't missed a beat! Yes...we spent about 15 years doing "other things" but now we are all mid-30's...have husbands (or have had them at some point), have kids and really, truly appreciate great girlfriends!

I can't even express how thankful I am for great friends!! I was at Marshalls the other day (one of my favorite places!) when I saw a sign that said "You can make new friends...but you can't make old ones!" I should have bought it! But now it's my new motto! I love to make new friends...but I will NEVER EVER take for granted the lifelong friends that I have!

James even tells me how much he appreciates the fact that I have great friends and I make such an effort to see them! His ex only had 1 friend...He says that should have been a warning to him! Live and learn...another motto of mine! :)



The five of us...have created all of this...plus 2 more that are missing from the photo!


There's a couple more that live out of state...Emily, Bridget...I can't wait until they come visit so we can all get together and cause some havoc somewhere!