Catching Up!

OK...I admit it, I am a terrible blogger. I can't help it, I sit down to write a blog and then I get distracted by other things that I have to do. So, here I am playing catch up.

The end of the year is always so crazy busy, starting in October it's my husband's birthday and Halloween, then in November it's our anniversary, my birthday, and Thanksgiving then onto December it's preparing for Christmas and Kailyn's Birthday. It may not sound like much but it is because I am in no way a party planner and it stresses me out beyond belief. In addition to all that I am preparing for our move to NC in April, getting quotes from movers etc...

We attended the Dicken's Fair this year in SF and it was so much fun. It takes me back to where I'm from, Jolly ol' England :). It really was like walking down in London, their costumes were fantastic, the decorations; ah-mazing! Their accents...well, that's something to be desired. They tried, they really did, but some tried a bit too much but they were SO cheery and friendly. I loved it!

Live Mannequins.
The one on the right kinda freaked me out with her tiny waist.


Me, Mike, Kailyn, and Richie.








Father Christmas. Kailyn checking out the high wheel bicycle.


Lady Auction, showing their goods.

it's that time of year again!

The holidays are always so hectic for us because not only are we getting ready for Christmas but Kailyn's birthday is the following day. Her birthday party is coming up on Sunday and I am really excited for it. We are having it at Pump It Up and I am thrilled I don't have to do much except bring in the decorations that we want. They help set it up and they clean it all up. Ahhh...that's a huge sigh of relief for this mama. I know a lot of moms that LOVE planning parties and decorating; I don't. I am not a party planner, I don't like it, not one bit. I guess I'm missing the party-planning gene.

I am looking forward to Kailyn turning 4. I am usually really sad about her getting older but I am SO ready for her to be out of her 3 yr old phase. This last year has been a tough one on me because she is growing up, becoming more independent and opinionated. While I like the fact she is growing as a person there are some things I could do without: she doesn't listen, she's bossy and thinks she can get anything she wants, even though she doesn't get everything she wants. We try and teach her manners and to appreciate everything she has, but the fact is she watches tv, she goes to school and is around other kids, so no matter how hard we try she is still going to learn things from others. She is a pretty funny kid though, some of the things that she comes up with makes me really scratch my head but nevertheless, she is funny and has us laughing a lot. No matter how naughty she can be sometimes, she can also be a sweet, loving girl that I love more than anything.

Aside from that, our move date is getting closer: 4 months now! And while I am stressing out on the idea of packing up this house, I am really getting excited about our move. I can't wait until we're there. I just wish I could close my eyes and wish for everything to pack up itself and just appear in NC. Ahhhh...where's my magic wand when I need it?

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas this year!

Kailyn, nearly 4.

Melt My Heart

So, my family and I took a little road trip this weekend down to Moorpark to see some friends of ours and we got back late last night, Kailyn's third late night in a row. She was tired to say the least, so we went upstairs, put her in her jammies, got her face/hands washed, teeth brushed and got her into bed. We turned off the lights and said goodnight. She rolled over and said goodnight, and Mike and I left her room. We went downstairs to watch a little tv to wind down.

Kailyn must have been in her room for about 10-15 mins, then she comes out and says, "mommy, I want you to lay next to me". So I oblige, and while I'm laying next to her in her bed, I have my arm over her snuggling with her and about 5 minutes go by, then out of nowhere she pops her head up, looks over at me and whispers in my ear, "you're the best mommy in the whole world." Awww...that made me melt into a puddle. At that moment I could literally feel my heart smile, the best feeling in the world. I love this girl with every fiber of my being!!

There are moments of parenting that can be really rough but then you have moments like these that make it all worth it.

My heart.

Big Girl Bed

I am so behind on blogging but things have been a little hectic around here. Kailyn has been needing a big girl bed for a while now. As you know we purchased her Fairy Princess bed last summer, thinking she could sleep in it for a while, but that is not the case. (See here for that post.) This little girl grows at least an inch every 3 months or so, so needless to say she outgrew her toddler bed. SO we finally bought her her own twin bed, fully equipped with a trundle bed for when the time comes for a sleep over. We're thinking ahead :)

She loves her new bed and has been sleeping much better seeing as she has more room to stretch out. Yay for big beds and more sleep!! This is one happy momma!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful mother!

The picture above is the first picture we took together after finding out that I was going to be a mom. I was 14 weeks pregnant with Kailyn here and could not be any happier.

I have always loved and appreciated my mother more than anything (I am a mama's girl after all!) but only after having Kailyn did I truly understand what being a parent was all about.I have a better understanding of why she did the things she did or didn't let me do the things I wanted, I know it's because she loved me so much and wanted to the best for me.

I was never a "bad" kid but was still a pain in the ass sometimes and mum, for that I am sorry. You are the best mother anybody could ever ask for and I am so thankful to have you as my mum and Kailyn's grandma. I hope I can be half the mum to Kailyn that you have been to me! Thank you for being there for me through all the tough times, the happy times and everything in between! I don't know what I would do without your guidance, your words of wisdom, or sometimes nothing at all, you just being there for me, no matter what, means the world to me. I want you to know how much I truly appreciate everything you do for me. I hope Kailyn grows up knowing that I, too, will be there for her, no matter what because she is my daughter, my heart, my life. I love you mum and I wish I could be with you on this Mother's Day!

The day my mum met my daughter, she was 5 weeks old.

My daughter, the cannibal.

So, I was upstairs having some good, quality, cuddle time with K.

It was dark, quiet and I was getting my little powernap in (hey, I get them when I can).

Then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere...

...she effing bites me! On my stomach! Wtf???

Me: "Ouch! Why did you just bite me?"

K: "I'm hungry"

Me: "So, what, you try and eat me?"

K: "Yeah"

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have a little cannibal on my hands.

Who Knew?

I received this in an email and thought it was so useful that I thought I would share with others. Who doesn't have at least one of these going on??




Did you know that drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately - without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional pain relievers?




Did you know that Colgate Toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns?


Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.



Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 tablespoon horseradish in 1 cup of Olive Oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil for instant relieve for aching muscles.




Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.





Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly - even though the product was never advertised for this use.



Home remedy for skin blemishes...cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.





Listerine therapy for toenail fungus: Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine Mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.



Easy eyeglass protection...to prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear Nail Polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.




Cleaning liquid that doubles as a bug killer....if menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.





Smart splinter remover: Just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.





Hunt's Tomato Past boil cure: Cover the boil with Hunt's Tomato Paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.






Balm for broken blister: To disinfect a broken blister, dab a few drops of Listerine, a powerful antiseptic.





Vinegar to heal bruises: Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.




Quaker Oats for fast pain relief: It's not for breakfast any more! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.