Nah Nah Nah Nah, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye...

The boys are back in school...Jack in 1st grade and Logan in kindergarten. Logan's preschool was a half-day program and frequently he'd fall asleep in the afternoon. This wasn't a problem until last year when naptime coincided with picking his brother up from school. Frequently his naps were not planned and he'd fall asleep in the strangest places. Well, those days are over...with Logan in kindergarten we've got to do everything possible to keep him awake after school so that he's not going to bed too late at night.

Here is a photo collection of some of Logan's unusual naps over the past year as I say "Nah Nah Nah Nah, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye..." to Logan's naptime...

At a very loud airshow...

In his sisters' bed...

In the car...

In a laundry basket...

In a shopping cart...

On the sofa...

In the bookcase cabinet...

On a rock (yes, really...on a rock)...

I solemnly swear that none of these pictures have been staged. He is 100% asleep in each of them. I so wish I could have found the picture from a few months ago when he fell asleep on the grass in the middle of the back yard...too cute and funny!

Crashing...

Ever since saying farewell to naptime, in the late afternoons this is how I find Logan:




Not sure he was quite ready to give up his nap just yet, huh?

A Farewell Tribute...to Naptime

Oh, dear sweet friend...I will miss you so.

You have been a daily companion and meant so much to all in our family. From the first day we met, I knew that I wanted to spend quality time each and every day with you. And now our time has been cut too short. I feel such loss that you were taken from us so soon. You were a bright spot in my day. You were my sanity, my hope, my sanctuary.

I will always remember you fondly. Rest in peace, old friend.

Take a trip down memory lane with my good dear friend, naptime. Enjoy!

October 2009

May 2009

April 2009

December 2008

July 2008

March 2008, Jack

February 2008, Logan

October 2007, Logan

July 2007, Jack

November 2006

September 2006, Logan

April 2005, Jack

Farewell sweet friend...

"Not me!" Monday

By now, you all know that I am a perfect wife and mother. All who meet me IRL or through my blog are generally amazed and dazzled by my perfection. I am always confident, talented, forgiving, creative, thoughtful, patient, in control, kind, nonjudgmental...just to name a few of my traits. To prove my exemplary mothering, wifing and homemaking skills here is a list of things I did not and would not ever do...

I did NOT have to ask another women in the grocery store if she was a mom. When she said "yes," I did NOT have to ask her if she knew where the chicken nuggets were. I mean really! What kind of mama doesn't know where the chicken nuggets are?

I did NOT feed my boys our red velvet wedding anniversary cupcakes for breakfast one morning. I did NOT think, "Well, their crazy sugar rush won't be my problem since I'm not working at school today!"

I did NOT eat one of those cupcakes for breakfast myself.

I did NOT start a bad bedtime habit for Logan by taking him for a walk in the stroller to fall asleep. I certainly did NOT do this while wearing my pajamas...no matter what my neighbors say.

I did NOT gag when I noticed that there was mold growing in my toothbrush. I did NOT not have a spare so I did NOT use one of my kids' toothbrushes.

I did NOT think "Ha! Now you know what it feels like!" when Jack was trying, unsuccessfully, to get Logan's attention by saying his name over and over again.

Visit MckMama for more "Not me!" Monday posts.

The moral of this post is...I need to get the car detailed!

Carrie at Martin Manor Happenings wrote a cute post about the random sticky. noisy and sometimes smelly things that can be found in her family's car (which also holds some precious cargo by the names of Alex and Emily.)

I was a bit scared but I thought I'd take a little peek into the nooks and crannies of our car.

A bag full of change & dollar bills because we live in city that doesn't believe parking a car should ever be free

A bucket of Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars

Two leis

Two of the smallest screwdrivers known to man

A cup full of "treasures" (The teacher at the boys' school hides little shiny confetti in the sand box for the kids to find and they've made it everywhere...the laundry machine, the beds, the junk drawer, the bathroom counters and of course, the car!)

Cream of Tartar (wish I could tell you why but I truly have no idea!)

A goldfish cracker way under the seat (and a carpet stain)

Another two Goldfish crackers and some serious nastiness

A smooshed Goldfish cracker and more nastiness

A wrapped but very beat up present from who knows when

A tennis ball with a smiley face

A bag of $1 toys for Makes-Mama-Happy Meals, sand toys, a bag of towels and swimsuits (just in case), a bag of reusable shopping bags, a changing area with extra clothes and wipes and pull-ups

A very special bag of animal crackers

And what is so special about this big bag of animal crackers? When two cookies are eaten while listening to track 6 on this CD...

..my precious cargo does this neat trick:


And last but certainly not least, somewhere in my car is my camera lens cap which I managed to lose while taking these photos!

100 Things About Me - Installment #3

I enjoy reading bloggers' 100-things-about-me posts. However, by the 32nd thing I usually have forgotten who's blog I'm reading. (Who am I kidding? By #11 I've forgotten!)
I thought it might be fun to try and write one but in the interest of anybody-who-might-actually-read-its sanity I was thoughtful enough to break up the list. In 10 easy installments you can learn everything you ever wanted to know, didn't want to know and could careless about regarding me.

I think it's customary to do this list as your 100th post. My 10th and last installment will be my 100th post (if I can remember).

Here is the third installment (#21-#30):
21. Nothing makes me happier than my two boys being sweet to each other.

22. I love my bed.

23. I love to sleep.

24. I love pajamas. (Are you sensing a theme?)

25. I thought I lost my eyesight while snorkling in the Cook Islands.*

26. Coke Zero is my drink of choice.

27. My parents are my greatest role models.

28. Kiwi makes my lips and tongue go numb.

29. I have a congenital heart defect.

30. My husband and I sleep European style (no flat sheet or blanket, just a fitted sheet and a duvet). (TMI?)

* A funny story for another day...

If you are interesting in reading more:
Installment #1
Installment #2

100 Things About Me - Installment #1

I enjoy reading bloggers' 100-things-about-me posts. However, by the 32nd thing I usually have forgotten who's blog I'm reading. (Who am I kidding? By #11 I've forgotten!)
I thought it might be fun to try and write one but in the interest of anybody-who-might-actually-read-its sanity I was thoughtful enough to break up the list. In 10 easy installments you can learn everything you ever wanted to know, didn't want to know and could careless about regarding me.

I think it's customary to do this list as your 100th post. My 10th and last installment will be my 100th post (if I can remember).

1. I have ridiculously small feet. In length my feet are a children's size 2 1/2. Honestly, its a miracle I don't fall over.

2. I have ridiculously wide feet.

3. Which is why I ALWAYS wear flip-flops.

4. So it's a good thing I live in sunny Southern California.

5. I hate bats.

6. I secretly love my Honda Odyssey minivan.

7. I not so secretly love my husband.

8. I have to sleep in a bra. (TMI?)

9. I secretly play with my boys' Legos.

10. I've swum with sharks in Belize.

100 Things About Me

In honor of my 100th post, I put together a list of 100, mostly quirky, things about me. In it's original form, it was 10 installments. The final installment was my 100th post, published on April 9, 2009. Here, I have recompiled the list and sorted it into a couple of different categories.

Here you can learn everything you ever wanted to know, didn't want to know and could careless about regarding me.


Regarding my feet:
1. I have ridiculously small feet. In length my feet are a children's size 2 1/2. Honestly, its a miracle I don't fall over.
2. I have ridiculously wide feet.
3. Which is why I ALWAYS wear flip-flops.
4. So it's a good thing I live in sunny Southern California.
75. One of my toes doesn't touch the ground so I only leave a four-toe footprint.


Regarding my mind and the rest of my body:
29. I have a congenital heart defect.
38. I am directionally challenged.
54. I had laser eye surgery several years ago...
55. And can't imagine my life without it.
60. I have a horrible memory.
65. I have asthma.
71. I am a world class procrastinator.
76. I wish I liked to exercise.
78. I inherited my blue eyes from both my grandmothers.
85. I'm all about efficiency (cost efficiency, time efficiency, etc.).


Regarding my husband, Scott:
7. I not so secretly love my husband.
77. I am so thankful that my family eats dinner together every night.
91. My husband and I were best friends...
92. And then roommates...
93. Before we were ever a couple.


Regarding Jack and Logan:
9. I secretly play with my boys' Legos.
16. I think Matchbox cars are one of the best inventions of the 20th century.
21. Nothing makes me happier than my two boys being sweet to each other.
37. I love the smell of sunscreen on the warm shoulders of my nearly-nekked babies.
44. The piece of furniture that I've racked up the most hours in is probably the huge wingback leather rocking chair in my boys' room.
52. I was in labor for 65 hours with Jack.
53. Luckily, Logan's labor was much shorter.
58. I wish I had more time (and more agreeable subjects) to study photography.
61. The only lullaby I sing the boys is Slumber Boat.
81. My sons are 15 months apart to the day.
87. I taught both my boys some sign language when they were little. I still use the sign for "potty" when I don't want to embarrass them (or myself).
90. I "wore" both my boys when they were babies (and I still wear Logan sometimes when he's sick). I plan on being cremated with my sling.


Regarding travel:
10. I've swum with sharks in Belize.
15. I've never giggled as hard as when I zorbed in New Zealand.
25. I thought I lost my eyesight while snorkling in the Cook Islands. (Read the story here.)
40. I've been taken OUT of a Vietnamese hospital by ambulance. (Read the story here.)
45. I love to travel to exotic places because...
46. I love to soak up different sounds, tastes, smells, customs, art.
50. I've slept under the stars on the sands of the Sahara.
51. I have petted a rhino on the Kenyan savanna.
59. I totaled a moped on the island of Naxos and luckily walked away without any major injuries.
66. I lived in Salzburg, Austria for several months.
72. I have hiked the world's most beautiful trek, the Milford Track; 35 miles in New Zealand.
83. In Guatemala, I've climbed Temple IV and the Pyramid of the Lost World at the Tikal ruins.
95. I have chewed on cinnamon bark straight from a tree in Zanzibar.


Regarding sleep:
8. I have to sleep in a bra. (TMI?)
22. I love my bed.
23. I love to sleep.
24. I love pajamas. (Are you sensing a theme?)
30. My husband and I sleep European style (no flat sheet or blanket, just a fitted sheet and a duvet). (TMI?)


Regarding animals:
5. I hate bats.
31. We have a cute mutt named Marley...
32. Whom I wish didn't drive me so insane.
88. I'm not afraid of snakes, spiders or sharks.
89. But I'm terrified of bats because one flew into my hair in the Philippines when I was little.


Regarding books, music, movies and TV:
11. I cry when I hear patriotic music.
12. I wish Gilmore Girls never went off air.
39. Oh, The Places You'll Go is my favorite book.
42. The Goonies might just be my favorite movie of all time.
43. I love to read books.
70. I watch TV every night to unwind.


Regarding food:
18. I am a vegetarian...
19. And have been since I was 8 years old.
20. Chili's makes the best veggie burgers, in my opinion.
26. Coke Zero is my drink of choice.
28. Kiwi makes my lips and tongue go numb.
36. I love potatoes.
56. I don't like the taste of coffee...
57. Or beer.
79. I love, love, love Mexican food.
84. I scream for ice cream.
86. I could eat air-popped popcorn for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
94. I have to have something sweet to eat in the evening.


Regarding my previous life:
33. In a previous life, I worked in advertising.
67. I was a practicing Buddhist for a year...
68. But in typical fashion, I rarely stick with anything.
82. When I was young, I wanted to be a Navy Blue Angel when I grew up.
96. In a previous life, I used to go the movies a lot.
97. I was born in California...
98. And though I grew up living in various places...
99. I always considered myself a California girl.


Regarding everything else:
6. I secretly love my Honda Odyssey minivan.
13. I wear t-shirts...
14. And capri pants everyday.
17. I've been skydiving.
27. My parents are my greatest role models.
34. I had a younger brother...
35. Who I miss very much.
41. I can't stand cleaning my kitchen. If I never saw it again, I'd be perfectly happy.
47. I rarely wear makeup because I usually forget.
48. I never wear perfume because I always forget.
49. I've been know to crochet but can only do blankets and scarves.
62. I hate to admit that I'm not a very good friend.
63. Being a military brat, I prided myself on being able to make friends easily as a kid.
64. But I'm not very good at maintaining the relationships that I form.
69. If I do say so myself, I'm a great party-planner.
73. I'm very organized but...
74. My house is messy.
80. Though she isn't born yet (or even conceived), I think of our daughter everyday.
100. I can't believe that I stuck with blogging long enough to make it to my 100th post.


These were the original 10 installments:
Installment #1
Installment #2
Installment #3
Installment #4
Follow-up to questions from #3 and #4
Installment #5
Installment #6
Installment #7
Installment #8
Installment #9
Installment #10

"Not me!" Monday

I did NOT mutter my stress/crisis mantra, "I will survive this day. I will survive this day. I will survive this day.", while my children acted like whirling dervishes in the crowded checkout area in T@rget. I did NOT receive alarmed stares from others as they heard me.

I did NOT eat a cookie while looking up info on a weight loss website. I am NOT eating another cookie right now.

I did NOT tell an irrational and sleepy 2 year old that if he didn't use his indoor voice he'd have to go outside. I definitely did NOT do this at 2:30 AM when it was frigid outside. I definitely did NOT go outside with him twice in in the middle of the night an effort to snap him out of his 2 hour long hysterics.

I did NOT sit on my butt and read in bed while Scott took the boys out one morning this week. I would NOT have done that when I had (and still have) 153,872 things I should have been doing.

I did NOT roll my eyes and hang my head in the grocery store while trying to explain to Jack for the 34 time what a demolition derby was (as he recently saw one in a Herbie movie). I did NOT get weird stares from others as I explained that some grownups think crashing their cars is fun but it's not a safe thing to do.

I did NOT let Logan eat yogurt while peeing in an effort to help along our potty training. That would have been disgusting!


For more "Not Me!" Monday posts visit MckMama's site.