3 Niños

Three and a Half Weeks is a Long Time

Strides taken during our month long trip back to CA:
-Ruby learned how to blow a bubble with her gum
-May learned how to whistle
-Ruby lost her 8th tooth
-And her front teeth finally started to grow in
-I bought my first ever big-girl perfume: Joe Malone's Nectarine Blossom and Honey
-Olive finally started being able to be fed a bottle once in awhile
-Sarah Eaton is now my sister in law
-Ruby learned how to do somersaults in the water
-I body boarded and body surfed for the first time in a couple of years
-May doesn't scream on the side of the pool anymore
-Olive grabs and holds onto things
-I can run three miles without stopping


Steps backwards during our month long trip back to CA:
-Ruby and May have forgotten how to obey me
-Ruby and May have forgotten how to say "please" and "thank you"
-Olive wakes up every hour, on the hour all night long

THIS CALLS FOR BOOT CAMP.


























Or a straight jacket.

Week 22

Coming to you live from Crystal Cove.

Week 21

Shmooshy.

Dear Go

Wish you were here.

My Baby's Hair Accessory Can Beat Up Your Baby's Hair Accessory

A Conversation I Just Had

Ruby: I'm so glad I have a mole on my neck.

Me: ...uh...good. I'm glad that you're glad.

Ruby: Do you have moles on your neck?

Me: Yep. I have lots of moles. So does Daddy. So that means you'll
have a bunch of moles, too.

Ruby: Why?

Me: Because we passed our moley genes on to you.

Ruby: Really? Thank you so much, Mom. You have no idea how much that
means to me.

Sent from my iPhone

Yesterday's Visit

Olive stayed home with my Mom while the bigger girls and I went to Crystal Cove with my Dad. It was gorgeousimo and the girls were in heaven.

Goodbye Beach. See You Tomorrow.

Sigh. Again.

Letters Written After Helping Chaperone an Irvine Stake Dance

Dear Hall Rats,
Instead of hanging out in the hallway and texting the entire time, how about you go inside and do the Cha Cha Slide?

Love,
Me

Dear Cute Boy With The Curly Hair,
Even though you decided to accessorize with a red bandana hanging out of your back pocket, you're still really cute. It probably creeps you out that an almost-thirty year old mother of three would do this, but last night, I secretly dubbed you as The Boy I Would Have Kind of Stalked 15 Years Ago.

Love,
Me

Dear Tall Girl With The Perfect Figure, Perfect Hair, Perfect Teeth, Perfect Everything,
It would be so great if you went and asked a short little shy guy to dance and was sincerely nice to him. Oh, and before you did it, I would like to be notified so I could witness it. I've never seen a grown boy pee his pants before.

Love,
Me

Dear Girl Who Reminded Me of Myself 15 Years Ago,
Stop talking so loud and reinacting that SNL skit out in the hallway. You're just stalling because you know you're going to head back into that gym and eventually a slow song will come on. You may get asked, you may not. If you don't get asked after 3.5 seconds, instead going to the drinking fountain and standing in line to get a drink, swallow your pride and go over to that cute boy with the curly hair and ask him to dance. While you're there, yank that ridiculous red bandana out of his back pocket.

Love,
Me

P.S. - Don't be intimidated by The Tall Girl With The Perfect Figure, Perfect Hair, Perfect Teeth, Perfect Everything. You may not know it now, but you'll come to figure out later on that you're just as good as she is.


Dear Kid Wearing The Shiny Jacket, Gigantic Tie And Pants With The Huge Multicolored Polkadots,
Yes. We all see you. Mission accomplished.

Love,
Me

Dear Little Spazzy Girl,
Instead of striking poses alone in the corner of the room while everyone else slow dances, you might want to consider heading to the restroom for the duration of the song? Or how about just going and asking someone to dance? May I suggest asking the guy wearing the shiny jacket, giantic tie and pants with the huge multicolored polkadots? I think you guys would really hit it off.

Love,
Me

Week 20

Photo taken by Josie!

Tidbits from Irvine

Poor Go, home all alone. Here is what you missed today:

The girls running around in the sprinklers this morning and having a blasty blast.

This was one of the few times May wasn't using the sprinkler as a bidet.
Olive offering her foot to Papa's scratchy face.

This was always followed by copious amounts of belly laughs.

By both of them.

I found this gem in my dad's office today.

I laughed for like 10 minutes.

Me.

Saturday

I thought I had posted this. Woops. Even though this is a crappy
iPhone pic, doesn't my new SIL look beautiful? I'll go ahead and
answer for you. Yes.

Olive Meets Uncle Joe

A Sling For Her Buddy

This is for my haircut-skeptical husband

No. I'm not stoned. I'm just concentrating on taking a picture of my
new wavy air-dried hair. It takes a lot of focus, as you can see.
Mostly because my hands are shaking from excitement as I'm about to
attend the long awaited sealing of Harry and Sarah. That, or my Dad
drives like a maniac.

Hallelujah!

This is my new head. Shaggy! It always takes me awhile to get used
to a new cut but that doesn't mean I don't love it--i totally do. I'm
particularly excited about the low maintenance factor. This has been
flat ironed the heck out of which Natalie is oh so good at but she
also gave me some tips on how to style it messy, which I'm really
looking forward to. Natalie, you are a doll, a peach, a smarty
pants, a Twilight fanatic and I forgive you for that, and the best
stylist and buddy a girl could hope for. After being in such a
transiant position and being surrounded by other transiants, I've
realized more and more how seldom I find people who truly get me. But
you do. You always have and I love that you still do after all these
years. I wish you were my next door neighbor. Even though PA would
seriously drive you insane, I don't even care, I'm selfish like that.

Week 19

Boeing 767s are HUGE!

A.D.D.

I have like a gazillion other things I should be doing but I couldn't leave town without putting up some samples from the shoots I've done in the past couple of months.

Skeleton Boy

I meant to post this video a long time ago...but then I had a baby.

This video is rad. Such a good idea. We watch this all the time at our house. We particularly like 1:20 through 2:00, even though it is well after that you get the full vision of the video. I think it would be really fun to make music videos. It's a shame they're a dying art.

Brandon the Monkey

May: Mom, Brandon is coming with us to the gym.
Annie: You mean Daddy?
May: (looks at me like I'm an idiot) No. Not Daddy. Brandon.
Annie: Who's Brandon?
May: My monkey.
Annie: You named him after Daddy?
May: No! He's not Go. He's Brandon!

Apparently she has no clue what her father's given name is.

Things That Are Hopping Around in My Brain Rendering Me Sleepless

1. All the crap I have to get done in the next 3 days.
2. I really like Mos Def. He is one cool cat.
3. I can tell that Conan O'Brien really likes saying Sonia
Sotomayor's name.
4. I had to let Olive cry for awhile tonight because as much as she
would like it to be, 1 in the morning is not the time for playing and
smiling and face-grabbing and face-sucking and kicking and laughing
and wriggling; she finally fell asleep about 30 minutes ago but I keep
thinking that I'm hearing her cry--but she's not. It's just my brain
making junk up.
5. My father-in-law said to me once that he hoped that heaven would
be a big, comfortable room with shelves filled with books from his
favorite authors. At the time, I thought that sounded pretty good. It
still sounds great. But how about this idea? All of your children,
you get to hold them and have them at whatever age you wanted, all the
time. I'd like that. Actually, while watching the Gilmore Girls season
finale, I saw what heaven would be like I think: when Rorie is led
through the rain and gets inside the tent and everyone from Stars
Hollow is there, smiling and clapping and shouting that they love her
and how proud of her they are. The camera scans all the faces of the
townspeople and they're all jam packed in there under that tent Luke
made. Everytime I've watched that scene, I've cried and thought
"Thats what it's going to be like." I think I get emotional because I
insert people from my own life underneath that tent. Ok, maybe I
wouldn't mind if Kirk was there too. Or Lane. Zach and Brian could
stay, too but Taylor can take a hike. He's not invited to my heaven-
tent. And yes, I am so very lame for having thoughts like these and
then actually blogging them. I really shouldn't blog at 2:30 in the
morning. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm actually going to post this.
Good night.

Sent from my iPhone

Gah!

I have SO MUCH to do before I leave, it's crazy.

I have nothing else to say. I'll just leave you with the picture I showed Ruby when she asked what type of dog we'll have someday.

Aw. Right now this Boxer puppy is reminding me of Olive. Why do baby animals always remind me of my own babies? This only happens when I have an child under the age of one. Does this happen to anyone else? Weird.

Open to suggestions

I want to take a good book to read on my trip. Something great.
Nothing lame. Nothing stuffy. Nothing poorly written. Something well
written. Something with well developed characters and an interesting
plot. Something you think about days after you finish reading it; you
miss the characters like old friends. I am yearning for a book like
this.

To get an idea of what I'm talking about, here are some books I've
loved:

Special Topics in Calamity Physics
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Peace Like a River
The Kite Runner
Shadow of the Wind

I'd love any suggestions. And hurry!

Sent from my iPhone

This is Mainly for You, NatD

Dear Natalie,

You are the bomb dot com, org, net, gov, edu.

I can't wait to sit in your chair and gab it up while you restore my hairs. Because you are basically a rock star, a rock star since I've known and loved since like middle school, this makes me excited. It will be well needed fun after flying across the country with my raccoons all by my little self. I am already resigned to the fact that at least 5 strangers will see my boobs after I try nursing Olive in those tiny, squashed together airplane seats. Can't wait!

Awhile back, you asked me to send to pictures of how I would like my hair. Instead of clogging your inbox, I thought I would clog my blog.

This is how I got my hairs cut the last time I got them cut. I was growing out my bangs or fringe, as it were, so it was a good style for me. This was also a fitting style for my hair type.
It was a very sleek and polished cut. Though cute, it wasn't me. I am not a sleek and polished girl. On the rare occasion that I look put-together and polished, I feel like I do when I wear lipstick, which is a liar. I'm pretty disheveled most of the time but I feel it works for me and am comfortable that way.

Let's try to figuratively capitalize on this fact.

I present to you Alexa Chung. I like her. You probably do, too. And not just because she is 50% Chinese and you are 100% Chinese, but because she is cool, as are you. She pulls off looking shleppy yet stylish and cute all at the same time. At this point of my life, this is what I aspire to. I've got the shlep part down so far. Working on the style portion. Cute?...that's where you come in, my dearie.
I like how her hair looks like she slept on it or simply air dried it. This would fit into my lifestyle perfectly. Would my hair do this? It has a sliiiiiight wave to it when it's air dried and when I go to bed with it wet, but not this much. I'm wondering if razored layers would help achieve this look? Or some sort of product? Or is this like trying to pass a bill to put diet root beer in all of the drinking fountains instead of water? Was a curling iron or some other sort of heating device involved with this particular style? I hope not because I would rather not have my children see me throw a hissy fit and send styling products and devices careening into walls and crashing through windows.

I like it. But I think I want bangs again. Excuse me, fringe. Maybe. I can't decide. And blonde of course. I also would definitely go with a side part, not a middle because I'd rather not have my nose looking like the size of an RV, thank you.

I'd like to be able to grow it out to look like this, but again, my hair might be too straight to do this without much effort:
Oh, and if you could make my body look like her's while you're at it, that'd be really fantastic.

Also, it would be nice if I didn't end up looking like this:
Your pal,
Annie

P.S. - I can't get this peacock headband I've been working on to not look ridiculous. I feel like a failure. I really wanted to do this for you. I'm losing faith.
P.S.S. - The outfit you sent Olive was seriously the cutest thing I've ever seen. I've become THE WORST thank-you-card sender-outter in the past couple of years, which also makes me feel like a failure...could this be why I want a sloppy hair cut and not a sleek, presentable one? Hm...so much pyschology behind styling...
P.S.S.S - Every time I hear Skee Lo's I Wish or eat a Reisen, I think of you.

Week 18

And I Felt Like a Fool

Today at the grocery store, this lady sidled up beside us and started commenting on my girls--how cute they were! Look at those blue eyes! And all that curly blonde hair! And so well behaved! She completely won me over. We small talked while I picked out produce and she surprised me when she said "I can tell you're someone special." Well, yes. Oooobviously. When someone is grocery shopping all sweaty and wearing spandex cycling pants with a padded crotch, of course they're special. Like Don't-eat-the-paste-special. But truly, in reference to her comments of my adorable and miraculously at-the-moment well-behaved children, I was flattered. But I also thought it was funny. I laughed and said something charmingly self-depreciating and then she blurts out "I'm looking for special people like you to expand my business. I have several employment opportunities I think you or someone you know might be interested in."

And it was then when I realized her empty shopping cart was just a prop in her ploy to rope me into her crazy pyramid scheme. Pfffff.

I just found this on my phone from the other day

This is so my girls. I cannot stop laughing.

4 Months Old!

Chicken Artichoke Crepes

Here is the recipe for the Chicken Artichoke Crepes my pal Camie made me if you ever feel like making something completely delicious:

Chicken Artichoke Crepes

2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon sugar

3/4 cup condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 dash ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1 chopped canned artichoke hearts
1/3 cup chopped fully cooked ham

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
1/3 cup mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS
For crepe batter, beat eggs and milk in a small mixing bowl. Combine flour and sugar; add to egg mixture and mix well.

Heat a lightly greased 8-in. nonstick skillet; pour 3 tablespoons batter into the center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to evenly coat bottom. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed. When cool, stack crepes with waxed paper between. (you'll make around 8 total)

In a small bowl, combine the soup, Worcestershire sauce and nutmeg. Set aside 1/4 cup. Add the chicken, artichokes and ham to remaining soup mixture. Spoon 2 tablespoonfuls over each crepe; roll up tightly. Place seam side down in a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Spoon reserved soup mixture over crepes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

Gradually fold cream into mayonnaise. Spread over crepes. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Broil 6 in. from the heat for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

Oh. And This Birthday Hat May "Made" For Me.

Twenty-Niner

I am officially in my last year as a twenty-something. Weird, since I still feel 18.

I had a really great birthday yesterday and as usual was showered with love, which I appreciate since I'm often in need of all varieties of showering, whether it be hugs and kisses or soap and water.

My bday got started a early when my buddy Camie made me a delightful birthday lunch on Thursday: Pea and Parsley Soup with Bacon and Chicken Artichoke Crepes. Sooo delicious.

Things calmed down until my actual day of birth, which was yesterday when I received breakfast in bed made and brought to me by Ruby: she handed me some buttered bread and yogurt with a spoon. She thought of it on her own without any coaching from her Daddy. What a sweetie.

I had to teach spin that morning and was very tempted to do a HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEE! mix, featuring all forms of birthday songs and songs with my name in it but decided not to since you can't spin to John Denver. But I did make a new mix and included Sean Kingston's Fire Burning, to which upon hearing I was downloading it, Go hollared from the kitchen "Are you serious? That song is going to give me a rash!" But let me tell you--just like I knew it would be, it's SUPER FUN to spin to. You should have heard all the whooping and hollaring going on in my spin room when it was blaring through the speakers.

After I was showered with soap and water, I was showered with gifts: a new camera bag from Go, an external hard drive from Ruby, a new iphone cover from May. Those gifts did include some coaching from their Dad. Then we all hit the Banana Republic summer sale where I made a killing. Nice.

My buddy Chrissy offered to watch my girls, though Olive stayed with us since she refuses to take a bottle. Little stinker. Go took me Devon, a fancy new sea food grill here in Hershey and it was amazing. Since we had a babysitter, we figured we'd go see a movie as well, which as seldom it is that we get to see one in a theatre, it was really poor timing since there is NOTHING out right now. Basically, I had to decide between The Proposal and Transformers, two movie genres I'm really not into: romantic "comedy" or sci-fi action blockbuster. I went with the action blockbuster because I like to watch Shia Lebeouf act, but ended up playing Word Warp on my phone for the last half.

So aside from getting over the disappointment of Megan Fox not getting blown up at the end of Transformers, it was a fantastic birthday. I think my last year in my twenties is going to be a great one.

Week 17

Olive went to the doctor's yesterday. She weighs almost 14 pounds and is in the 95% for height. What a big girl.

This picture was from like 2 weeks ago but how funny is this hat? She doesn't quite fit into it yet.

Who wouldn't want to sit next to this bunch on an airplane, I ask you?
Just two more weeks!

She has started giving kisses--big, open mouthed slobbery ones. This isn't quite it but almost.

And I don't know what it is about the turkey baster but my kids love it.

What Ruby Did During Her Nap Today

It's a drawing of a toy she has: a little stuffed bulldog wearing a sunflower headdress.
Her drawing looks so much like her toy.
When I saw it, I screamed--but like a happy, good scream. It still scared her nonetheless. I really envy those who are naturally soft spoken, but I'm just not. I'm working on it, though. Especially when it comes to children. So, I screamed/squealed and gushed and oohed and ahhed all very sincerely because I just love this little drawing and asked how she did it.
She said "I just kept looking at Bobby (the toy), and then down at my drawing and then at Bobby and then my drawing and this is just what I drew. Except for the paws. They were just little stubs and it looked weird, so I added some stuff."
Pure joy.