Lil Vaca...

We needed a get-away. We had this little SF trip planned for July but couldn't quite pull it off. We were still waiting to hear final confirmation that Levi's job offer was going to come thru... and it finally did. He starts tomorrow actually. So thank you to all who kept us in your prayers. We felt the strength that came from every single one of them!!!!

We went over to the Bay Area and stayed with our lovely hosts: Chuck & Deanna. They were so kind to let us invade their house for so long. We out numbered them and they took it well. This trip would not have been near as great without the free place to stay and the perks of knowing "locals". Thru my sis in laws connections she allowed us to use a couple free memberships into some fun places. Like we only paid for one adult at the zoo, one of us were free. We went to the Academy of Science, normally $25 an adult- FREE for all 3!!! It was AWESOME! We needed this trip to be affordable and God provided!

Wesley love the zoo. He mainly kept asking to see the zebra and that pesky zebra kept hiding. We'd be like "oh I think if we go over there we can see it"... we'd get there and he would have moved. We didn't get a good look at him until we were on our way out. Wesley wanted to see the Meerkats too. He loved see real life penguins. It is funny cause he talks about the animals that we saw at the zoo and asks to go back... but when he was there you could tell he was happy to the see animals but not overly excited like I thought he'd be. I think it might have been a bit overwhelming too. We did my favorite thing as well. Visit the photo booth at the peir... it is great fun. I LOVE those pictures.

We went to a couple aquariums. We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium with Chuck & Deanna and that was a lot of fun- Huge but Fun! Here are a couple of my favorite artsy jelly fish pictures I took. The main draw to the aquarium for me was the jelly fish room.

My favorite part of the whole trip though was the 20 minutes we spent on the beach playing in the sand and the waves. Wesley was a crack up. He loves water so instantly he was interested in the ocean. The first time the water started to come back up and chase him you can actually see the fear and determination in his face. We were in a bay so the tide was just minor swells really but water has never chased him back before. I was at his level and as far as I could see was water and the water started to come towards me I guess I'd freak out a little as well. Soon all that turned into fun. Wesley and Levi played in the cold waves. I loved taking pictures. These are the type of pictures I enjoy... posed are nice but these type really capture the essence of Wesley and the day. So Fun! I already miss the ocean and long to go back. We might go over and stick our toes in the sand one Sunday. The ocean is really not that far from us, yet we never get over there... we have to change that soon.

It has been so long since I wrote I probably owe everyone an update huh. Well Wesley pretty much says anything and can articulate all his thoughts. He speaks in sentences more and more every day. He repeats what we say constantly... he doesn't repeat you right away he waits and reminds you of it later. Then you are like oh ya I did say that... We have to be so careful what we say or talk about. Many time we talk about cute things he did with him in the room and ya that isn't a good idea. Of course then he tries to recreate that moment and sometimes encourages the wrong behavior. He is way attached to Levi since Levi has been home with him all summer. This job thing will be interesting. Levi has been such a help. He always wants to hang out with Wesley and it is such a blessing. Wesley learns so much from him too.

Umm let me see what else. Oh Wesley is potty trained and that itself has its ups and downs. He has had hardly any accidents which is wonderful. Pretty much the one and only is when he went potty in the middle of Nordstorms... guess we know what he thinks of that store :). The most recent best story I have to share is from the other night. I was getting him ready for a bath. I stripped him down in the living room and told him I'd follow him into the bathroom to start his bath. Mind you I did not request he use the potty. I follow him in just seconds behind to see him STANDING on his stool at the BIG POTTY -- GOING! & GOING EVERYWHERE! It was a giant "S" pattern all over the place. I said "W-e-s-l-e-y!" which made him jump and made it worse. Just as he was finishing he finally was getting it in the bowl. What a mess that was. I had to mop, clean the whole toilet of course, wash the walls and wash the shower curton. The whole time I am biting back my laughter... I guess you can't blame a kid for trying. I just laughed as I cleaned it was one of the funniest things I have seen. We will stick with sitting for quite a bit longer. He just wants to be like daddy!

Amen

Wesley is practically speaking in sentences all the time now... it is funny and amazing. Of course they are not all proper sentences. He expresses his feelings all the time now and pretty much will repeat everything he hears- so watch out. Most recently he is taking a stab at praying :). It is so sweet. Levi and I often put him to bed together and pray as a family. The other night we asked Wesley if he wanted to say his own pray and this is what he said:

in a small whisper... "Jesus, Mommy Daddy...... Mommy Daddy................. Mommy Daddy"

It was super sweet to hear him pray for us. This morning he prayed for his breakfast and this is how that one went:

"Thank You- Gramps, Uncle Joe..... Gramps..... Cars (??)..... Daddy Silly." Then he enjoyed his pancakes. I LOVE IT!! Definitely a Boy... Thank You for Cars!

I am sure more adorable prayers to come. Hopefully this is the beginning of a great relationship with God.

We Did It!!

Levi graduated Sacramento State with his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. I am so proud. I think back to the moment and it makes me smile. It has been quite the road to get there. These last 6 months have been some of the toughest we've seen. Losing his job... over extending himself with school and just being anxious for it all to be over. Well that day finally arrived. WOW! Life as we know it is going to change and I am excited to see what is next. When we got married 8 years ago we kept saying 2 year, 2 year, 2 years we'll be done. It always seemed just a couple years away. (Orginally we were going to wait to get married till he was done with school... good thing we didn't :)...) When we got married a AA was only 2 years away... The we thought Hey, We'll move to Sacramento for 2 years and get his bachlors... 6 years later we still find ourselves here. I am not complaining though. I am curious to see what is next these last 8 have been great though. We always play catch up during the summer and hang out a lot and BBQ, go for day trips. Being on a school schedule does have some advantages. Being off of a school schedule will have many advantages as well.

I took Levi out to celebrate on Thursday after his last class. We went to sushi (our favorite splurge). We didn't do much else because Levi had pulled an all nighter to get his senior project finished the night before, so he was TIRED! The next day my family came down early to help get things ready for the celebration BBQ. I couldn't have done it without them. I still had so many little things to do. I had been sick earlier in the week and unable to get started early like I had wanted.

Wesley was great during the graduation ceremony. He was really into it. He kept saying "YAY Daddy" when ever anyone would speak. This lady next to me was like... man he has a lot of daddies :)! Ha ha. He looked for any reason to cheer and clap. He loved the show. I had bought this party favors for the little ones to play with. They were a hit! I will have to remember these for outings. They provided endless entertainment.

The BBQ was nice. It was nice to have everyone there to celebrate. The weather was great so people could sit outside. Our place is small but with outside seating it all worked out.

I now just wish I could have had this weekend off to go off somewhere and celebrate. I am so busy in the next few weeks that it doesn't look like we will get that chance for awhile... so sad. We will have to figure something out. I feel the need to get away.

Now it is hard core prayer time!! Please keep praying for God to lead us to a job! We don't know what is next but we are willing to go... Keep praying!!

I Have Skills

Sometimes I think of random skills I have that would not benefit anyone but ME. I have refined these skills over the years but they would be mean nothing... on say a... resume.

1. I can quickly calculate the distance between two points. Ex: the distance between two clothing racks and the length of my toddlers arm.

2. I can move walls. Ex: at work we have a large movable wall that separate our two banquet rooms. It is old and hard to maneuver it took awhile to master the skill of moving the wall.

3. I can figure how many minutes a snack will last by the rate it is being eaten and shop accordingly.

4. I can make sad tears into happy tears in a matter of seconds.

5. I am paid to sing the Birthday Song... Does that make me a professional singer??

6. I can set down a serving tray using only one hand. It impresses :)

7. I can chase away scary crows in Wesley's room (pretend of course)

8. I have special power in my kisses

... I can't even come up with 10. I felt like I had a lot of skills, guess not :)

New New New

We have a new squirt gun, new boots and a new BABY in the family.

Brenton Craig was born a couple weeks ago. Welsey was way into him... he liked him too much. He was adorable with him. He wanted to hold him all the time. Cailee watched a cartoon and Wesley watched Brenton. He sat in front of his bouncy chair and was like "AWE.. Cute!!! Awe, Mommy... Look Et!!" He was so funny. He kept saying "Baby, Hold It" He tried to give the baby toys and tons or kisses. When we were driving home Levi said something about a baby and then Wesley started asking for his own baby. Really our own offspring is asking the "Baby #2" question :)!

Wesley loves to play outside and we don't have much of an outside. I am struggling to find something for him to play with on our porch. I saw this cute squirt gun and let me tell you money well spent. He loves it. He comes in and says "Momma, Yabby, Water?"... I put more water in and he goes out and squirts more things. These boots were so cute. I preferred the green ones but he was given the choice and confidently chose the blue ones. This outfit of training pants and boots is a normal outfit for us lately.

It was so sweet today Wesley was playing with some toys. Levi and I were both with in ear shot of him. He was giggling or something and then said "thank you Jesus..." It was so sweet. Levi was like did you hear that? He really loves the Jesus songs, like Jesus Loves The Little Children, Jesus Loves Me... and the B-I-B-L-E, also known as the "L-E Song". It is neat to watch him learn about our faith even at such a young age.

May Day

This blog has nothing to do with May Day but it is May Day and I needed a title so there you go...

I never knew exhaustion had a smell until tonight. As most of you know December is my busy season and is also the rainy season as well. Tonight when I emerged from the office to walk thru a full restaurant it smelt like "December" and the smell itself made me tired. The smell of steak, warm potatoes and the draft of rain air... it took me right back to my most tired days. One day I am sure I will miss the smell and it might take me back to memories of fun times... now it makes me want to go home and get a foot massage :)... Which now that I think about it today was like a little December, a little chaotic tonight and cold out.

***

3 weeks from today Levi will be graduating. This is VERY comforting to me so the end in sight so soon too... Still no job prospects, we haven't really looked though either. The 3 week count down provides no relief for Levi though, it is actually making thing worse. Knowing you have less time to get everything done is not comforting. He finished one class that was tieing up his evenings so Wesley and I enjoying seeing him a bit more. Soon very soon it will be over. He is not very happy with how his semester has gone but he has worked really hard. I have never seen him so busy and stressed in my entire life... so when it is over he will be relieved. Just pray that SOMETHING, ANYTHING comes a long. Also pray about the changes in store. It is sad to admit this but Levi has been going to college for 10 years, so all of our married life. A new lifestyle and schedule will I am sure be an adjustment for us. Life as we have always known it will change. Maybe he will find a job with spring and Christmas break with a long summer break that isn't teaching:)... Do you think that exists?

***

Wesley is defiantly 2 lately. I am not sure what to do with this new child residing in our home. He is still sweet with kisses and stuff but laughing after a spanking well that is not the Wesley I am use too... The other day I said "What is your favoritest thing in the whole world?" His response: "NO!"... I think that sums up a 2 year old for you. "No, I will not answer and No is my favorite word"

***

I am REALLY sad my mom's group and church is coming up on it's summer break. I really enjoy the group of ladies I was with this year . I was even planning my plan of attack next year. Get their early claim the table I want... blah blah blah. Anyway I have come to feel like I need to see them and learn about being a good wife and mother... and the best ME, I can be. The thing that saddens me most is I am not done with the group, yet I might not return. We don't know what God has in store for us next but it is likely that we won't be here... I am happy to go wherever but not happy to leave that group or our church. It is a tough one for me. They asked if I would be more involved next year and I couldn't really commit... sad.

Easter

Oh Easter Sunday was such a great day. First off there are so many reasons to celebrate Easter. It is always a somber holiday for me... time for reflection. We went to church on Saturday evening instead of Sunday morning. There was still quite the crowd for Saturday evening service #2. We are usually not huge fans of the music at church but on that night: WOW it was awesome. Probably the best worship singing I have ever experiences. Great songs and hymns, choir and an orchestra... they went all out and we loved it. Don't get my wrong I love going to church on Sunday. Getting up and wearing your Sunday clothes, usually going to lunch afterwards, having a leisurely afternoon... But this time with such a special holiday there was something nice about already waking up in a mood of celebration instead of the morning crazies trying to leave on time... then getting into the right spirit after the day has already begun.

Wesley and I were up first like usual. We made breakfast for daddy. This was the first time I'd let Wesley help me bake. He LOVED it. He always wants to "hope cook" now. He just didn't understand the "cook" part... He wanted to eat it right then! As a side note it is really cute when he wakes up the morning he has started requesting "lunch?"... he is figuring out the meals but I think he gets confused because I make lunches for the day during his breakfast time... It is just cute to me... Anyways back to the day. After breakfast Wesley got his Easter Basket. Nothing too big. The only candy he got in his basket was a chocolate bunny. Wow was that a mistake. All day we kept hearing every 2 seconds "Bunny Bite?!" We'd walk in the kitchen he'd fun in after us and say "Bunny Bite!?" We let him eat the ears off but we figured that was enough sweets for the time being since he was getting eggs later. We are still hearing "Bunny Bite!?" in his defense he still has pretty much a whole bunny to go. We were just hoping he'd forget about it... we were dreaming.

When Wesley woke from his nap we did a mini Easter Egg hunt in our front yard... well not much of a yard... our front rocks and tress:). He loved the hunt and when he saw treats were inside he was even more excited. We tried to limit the sugar because he doesn't sleep well when he too much sugar... Well our efforts fell short. First off his nap was broken and short then that night he woke up like 3-4 times and was up super early. Yep, lesson learned. He isn't huge on the sweets, he wants candy and cookies but doesn't always finish them. I think when it was presented as such a prize and treat he felt excited and obligated to eat it, well it ended up being too much.

Levi stayed home that day and hung out with us which was NICE. He is so busy trying to stay caught up with school, we aren't seeing too much of him. It will all be worth it though... hopefully. Only 6 weeks to go. Yes I am counting down, this is the toughest semester yet and I am SO happy it is the last! I think it goes without saying Levi is happy it is the last also. Keep us in your prayers!!

A trip home.

I should have blogged my trip up to Redding awhile ago... I've just been busy. I took a few extra days off and spent time with Levi and Wesley during spring break. Then we went up to Redding to see Jeff before he moves to Hawaii. It was a great trip. I got see my friends a few times and almost all of my family (all my cousins too WHOOH) Usually trips are either friend trips or family trips... this was both and it was great. One of my favorite days was taking the kids to the park. My friend April and her fiance Ben came a long. Betsey brought the girls and my parents stopped by to join in on the fun. I love watching the kids play together. Wesley and Molly were so funny. Wesley wanted to Molly around and wanted to make sure she had enough gold fish crackers... he'd steal from Grace if needed. They has a blast on the tire swing together. Wesley and Grace were swinging by themselves for just a minute until Wesley insisted that Molly be put back on the swing:). Also the funny thing is the whole first year she was about double his size, now they are exactly the same height and weight. I love having a good friend with a kid sooo close in age (only 3 days difference).

It was also great to see Jeff and Wesley play together. Jeff was a favorite on this trip for sure!! He still is asking about him. Little does he know how far away he really is! We haven't seen Jeff is like 6 months so it was so nice to talk face to face. Shea was also a favorite. Maybe even a mini crush brewing. He kept giving her googely eyes:).

Here are just a few from the visit. I have a lot more but oh well...

See You In Hawaii Jeff

"Mommy ook et..."

"Mommy Ook Et!"

This is his favorite thing now. He will try and accomplish things by himself and want to show off. Sometimes his "Ook Et"s are just his fingers turned funny or something on his hand. The phrase is a product of his curious world. The "Ook Et" that tops it all was when he came up to me when I was sewing and was giggling a "Ook Et" and he was buck naked! Little nuddy standing there laughing. I was scrambling trying to find his diaper before an accident happened. Too funny! This look it, is Maggie's harness around his neck, my sunglasses on his leg and one shoe that he put on by himself... funny funny boy! So proud!

Sadly he is vocabulary is getting better. He is saying sentences at times. It is amazing how fast they grow. One day he said to Levi "I'm gonna say hi to mommy". A sentence out of no where. The other day I said something about his mickey and he corrected me and said "No Mommy Blanket"... I was sad, I liked that he called his blankies "mickeys". I actually told him that Wessie calls them mickey's... bad I know, but it is so cute! I like it when he says things wrong or has his own words for things. One the other hand you can have conversations with him. He is growing too fast!!!

Stages come and go quick. For a little bit he was repeating everything over and over and over again. It could really get frustrating, already he is doing better and not repeating everything all the time. Right now we are working on obeying right away... not a fun lesson.

Also we have started potty training. We started awhile ago but stopped. He is really into it right now and will even go on the big boy potty. Levi is doing an awesome job helping! He is very proactive in the training. It is new and I am trying to be more consistent... that is where I am having issues.

The Day Jessica Went Crazy

The day that people called me "Crazy" started like any other. Crazy frustrating morning trying to get lunches prepared. Dress 2 bodies, pack bags for work and play... yes it was like any other day.
While driving the thought crossed my mind "What if I don't do anything I said I was going to do today?" "What if I kept driving??"... Awe how nice would that be. I am 99% sure I'd still have a job, 100% sure I'd still have a husband. I had packed lunches so we would not starve. Think of all the possibilities.
So I did, I kept driving. I work off Hwy 50 a clear shot to Tahoe. So I just kept going. Wesley and I drove thru the beautiful foothills. We sang at the top of our lungs. The "La La Song" as Wesley calls it, was well played the whole drive. We bobbed our heads, I played the steering wheel drum and rolled the windows down. The fresh mountain air felt so nice to breathe.
We got lost a little in Tahoe but I get lost in every new place I go... who doesn't? We did find a nice little beach. For once it was sunny and actually warm enough to be outside. The clothes we dressed in for warm Sacramento were just fine for the mountiany beach we had found. We found odds and ends to make sand castles. Of course Wesley was never patient enough to complete a whole castle. It would get distorted when he was test the strength of the structure. With in seconds he would regret that powerful blow and want to build another. I guess each sand castle seemed stronger than the last because he was try it again... Boys!
Since this trip was on such a whim we had no sun screen and the thought didn't cross my mind until we were OUT of the sun. We had funny tans line that would eventually tell on us... Who would believe I got a wild case of Strep & lost my voice so I couldn't call... and was highly contagious... when I showed up at work with this crazy sun burn/ tan?! Oh well, no use worrying now. What was done was done.
By this time our lunch was not cutting it, we needed some dinner... and something cheap! We found a little stand that sold fish taco's My Favorite. Good thing Wesley likes fish also. We has the best dinner. We went back to the beach with a blanket (we keep in the truck, I didn't want to think about how dirty it was...) and snuggled and watched the sun set and moon rise. The moon is a fascination lately. It must have been the clean air, the tiring day, the peace and quiet of a empty beach because Wesley feel asleep in my arms. Those who have attempted to put Wesley down for a nap know he does not fall asleep in any one's arms. I cherished this moment holding him while I saw the stars again. We don't see many stars living in a city... none in fact.
We drove home, Wesley slept the whole way. Levi wasn't even home from school yet so he was not aware of my adventure. I soaked up every minute of being "AWAY" no demands from a small wonderful child, no phone ringing, no meals that need to be made, no house that needed to be picked up. I listened to my favorite play list about 4 times on the way home.
It was good day!!!



Now reality. Wouldn't that have been grand? I had this thought the other day... "What if I didn't go to work?" "What would happen?" On that particular day my driving schedule was as follows:
Sacramento to Elk Grove. Elk Grove to Orangevale. Orangevale to Roseville. Roseville to Rancho. Rancho to Orangevale. Orangevale to Sacramento... Home for the night then. I was all over the city and it was non stop.
Then I dreamed how wonderful my day could actually be if I forgot it all. I wanted so badly to keep driving to find this beach I dreamed up... and have a "Crazy" day. I went to work instead! My responsiblities got the better of me. I did think of all these little detials about my day dream. Good thing I have a mini vacation coming up... I need it!!! Sadly my vacation time is already planned so much that I can't even have a crazy day like this. I will have to one day... just keep driving. Anyone up for a mini road trip? I would love company on the day I actually go crazy!!!
OK now back to work...

A Happy Day

I was off on Thursday since it was Levi's Birthday. Well Levi has school ALL day. We didn't really get to celebrate his day at all. It was a bit sad. Wesley and I had the day to spend together though. I took him down to McKinely Park to feed the ducks and play at the park. I am not a huge bird fan in the first place but these birds are a bit bold. They are fed all the time by people so they were getting a little too close for my comfort. I kept trying to throw the crackers further and further away so they would go away... One started to charge at Wesley. He was freaked out. I would be too. So then we moved to a part of the park where they were behind a fence... he was much happier with this arrangement. He was more interested in nature than the park playground really. We were attempting to play and this other mom was there with her daughter. She asked if I was there for the music class going on in the library... No I wasn't but I was interested. She told me they have an 1/2 hr toddler music class that was a lot fun. Best part of all it was FREE!!! We joined the large group. A lot of the songs I have never heard but Wesley LOVED it. I also got a few fun things to do with him. As you all know anything music he loves. It was a blast. Great little outing for him and I. I found out they have a toddler dance class on Mondays. I am going to try to make it to that pretty soon. That sounds right up our alley too. It is cool they offer neat free programs like that. I was so happy that I went to the park that day. They don't have these classes advertised anywhere. I looked and the other mom told me it wouldn't be online or in any program guides. It was a large group that apparently has grown by word of mouth... imagine if they advertised it would be crazy!

When we were leaving he saw some "flowers". After he was done admiring them like a true boy he tried to destroy the flowers. Then he was crying when we left the flowers... the whole way to the car actually. Then I tried to set him on this step to take his picture. He cried when I put him there, he cried when I too him away. Clearly it was nap time!! Anyways by the end of the day he was in the corner like 3-4 times, multiple disciplines for multiple things. I wondered how such a fun perfect morning could turn into a never ending battle in the afternoon... even after a nap. He is 2 that is how. 2 year olds have special powers.

I enjoyed Levi's Birthday even though he probably didn't. We are celebrating tomorrow. I am making his favorite dinner and I wish it was going to be nice so we could have family outside time.
P.S. So far Wesley is not a big bird fan either. Anytime he sees crows he has nightmares that night. He wakes up crying about birds on his shirt... I feel so bad for him. He wakes up so scared. How do I explain that even though it seems SO real, it isn't?

The Musician & The Waitress...& the Moon Too!

So Wesley may have already found his calling at the ripe old age of 2!!! Wesley LOVES music. He always has. He will dance to anything that can carry a tune. Recently he was watching American Idol with me. He was so into it. Later when we were getting his pj's on and he grabbed this yarn spool that doubles at a toy, he used it for mic. He started dancing and singing like we just saw on TV. It was so cute and soo good. He surprised me. He wasn't doing his crazy all over dance he was dancing slower and so cute. Next time we were watching A.I. he had to run and get his "tar" (guitar) and was cheering and playing right along with the TV. I guess you'd have to experience Wesley and his music to totally understand. Like today after church we went to have lunch. There was an elderly couple sitting having lunch also. They were watching Wesley. A catching song came on and he started to dance while eating. After we finished, they asked if we went to First Baptist Church. Well yes we do... The lady had looked familiar. She works in the nursery for my Mom's Group. That room is jammed packed with kids, they have about 17-20, 2 year olds. She said she thought she recognized him but when he started dancing she knew it was "Wesley". She said that he always does a dance when they turn on the bubble machine :). He requests to have music playing often... or says "dance". Anyways I was telling my mom and she said if he is anything like me he will be a musician. See when I was about 2-3 I started taking people's orders. I guess I was rather bossy about it also. It was very a surprise to my parents that I choose a career in the food industry. I knew around 2 what I was going to be good at... Maybe Wessie does too?! I guess all I can do is nurture any talents I see and see what blossoms from it. He is starting to sing songs, maybe he will have good vocals too.

So today he noticed the moon for the first time, or the "Moom". We were driving and it was early evening. The moon was hanging in the sky very clear. He gasped and said "Look! Ball!!" Pointing out the front window. I was like "Oh that is the moon." He was mesmerized with it during the whole drive. It would seem as if it would shift but of course it was us moving. He was trying to understand, he was trying to learn. When we got out of the car he was desperately looking to see where the "moom" had gone. I showed it to him the sky again. By this time it was starting to glow... We said goodnight to the moon and came inside. It is exciting to see him learn and observe the world around him.

Domestic Days

I love my Domestic Days... I rarely have my two days off in a row. Having split days has it advantages and disadvantages. Advantage: My work week seems shorter. I don't have to wait so long to have "me" time if it is particularly rough week. Disadvantage: When you have a lot to do, caring for a toddler and a house can be a bit much for just 1 single day at a time and it leaves not time for rest. I had worked a couple of 6 day weeks lately also so I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Just busy enough to not get anything done at work and at home. I am lucky to have understanding bosses and got to have Thurs & Friday off! It was so nice! I did my domestic duties that I love to do (well love most of the work, not all of it). I Finally got the house clean after weeks of barely touching it. Plus it is hard to have a messy house with a toddler. It just isn't fair to him that everything is not where it is suppose to be... and he can't touch. Too many pointless battles when the house is a mess. Anyways Wesley loved me being home too. Thursday morning when I went to get him out of bed I told him I was saying home with him and he said "Home!!!" and was really excited. It made me happy and sad. I had a blast with him. This photo is from kitchen dancing. He loves this blanket, it is a frog with hands... he thinks it is so fun. If he sees it he insists on wrapping up with "Ribbit". He actually loves all blankets right now. So far no pacifier has been going ok, he is just obsessed with his mickeys. I think he is afraid they are next to leave! I feel sad for him. He needs like 3 different blankets to sleep. If he sees a blanket that isn't in bed with him he is insists on sleeping with it. He will ball them all up and lay on his stomach and stuff them under him. The key is to keep the blankets away.

I seem to have become the Wesley translator of the house. So many times Levi is saying "I am sorry I don't know what you are saying... ?" and I fill in the blanks. So much so that sometimes if Wesley is not being understood he looks to me for help. Right now I am constantly hearing:

"Me Do It"

"I get it!"

(this is if he drops something or insists that it is a great idea that he has a particular item :) )

He is becoming independent and such a cute little helper. It still amazes me the instructions or requests he understands. I don't think people give children enough credit.

He also will report to us if he feels something is broken or dirty. He still has this monkey music thing on this crib. He likes to play the music sometimes and it seems to help him sleep on those tough nights. Well tonight was one of the tough nights with the rain, wind and all. Well the batteries were dead and we didn't have replacements. So Levi told Wesley is was broken... BAD idea!!! Oh he was so upset! He was balling, he seriously was mourning the loss of his toy! He was not happy. He kept balling saying "Broke It" "Broke It!!". We felt bad but there wasn't much we could do. We learned though don't say something is broken unless it is really broken!

He is still calling me "Ca Ca" and did so tonight. We correct him each time but it is also kind of funny.

As for me, those 2 days off were such a blessing. I am looking forward to having more time free to take care of my family. I do enjoy my job don't get me wrong. If I have to work this is the job to have. Like today for example it is almost 11am, I have already put in some work time. I am sitting on my bed with my pj's still on listening to the rain... so nice!! The only problem I have with my job is the inconsistent work load, so weeks it is a lot and stressful. Others I can sit in my pj's... I am blessed with a great job though and that is what I always have to remember! I work for a company who values me and has made a point to keep me around during these hard times. I am now the only full time Banquet Manager in the company... I have a lot to be thankful for! So even though my days at home are few I treasure them and look forward to the day when that is what I get to do. Until then I will take one day at a time!

Levi graduates in less than 3 months and goes to a career fair on Friday. Keep us in your prayers!!! We pray that he finds a job, and hopefully find a job near our family and friends! This is a tough time to look for a career. He is stressed about all of this. Someone came and spoke to this class and told them in all her years she has never seen the job market like this. He will be up against people have had a lifetime of work to show for themselves, graduates who have been out of school for a few years and haven't found a job, then them... students with little experience. Every new turn has it's challenges but it is even harder if you feel defeated before the battle... that is where prayer will come in. Thanks!

A Very Late Valentines Report

Well this blog is a little late but oh well. I spent Valentine's Day with my new Valentine. Levi absolutely despises Valentine's Day and I do too. Working in a restaurant really ruins those holidays. Plus despite several years of trying to celebrate Valentine's Day and having like the WORST day ever we gave up... I am fine with that. It is fun having Wesley to treat special though. This Valentines Day my S.I.L. was in town so we went to go visit my other S.I.L. in SF (enough abbreviations for you?!)... We had a very fun time. We first went to Pier 39 a must for tourist like us. Poor little Wesley has like 3 pairs of mitten but did I bring any with us to SF... NO. So the poor kid had to wear bright blue and white gloves with fairies on them... so odd! At least his fingers were warm. We also ate lunch at Bubba Gumps, we must have been starving cause the food was OUTSTANDING. Later I heard it isn't really that good, I would have to disagree after that meal, the fish was yummy. Plus Wesley loved his first jello.

Here is Wesley is Forest's Shoes with a Box of Chocolate and All!

I was so excited that I got to do the only thing I really wanted to do at the pier... get our pictures done in the photo booth. For those of you who do not know there is an arcade museum towards the end of the pier, in there they have old photo booths that produce B & W pictures. They are neat. Wesley and I's turned out cute. Levi and I got adorable photos taken on our anniversary one year, sadly we lost them somewhere in the city, I was so upset. So this time I kept them really safe. You can't replace those pictures, they only happen once. Also photos are really the best souvenirs.

We walked down to Ghirardelli Square and shared a scrumptious hot fudge sundae and then walked back. I'd like to think we burned the sundae off but the walk wasn't that intense :). Funny though while we were in Ghirardelli we were looking at the chocolate machine inside. Wesley was disgusted He kept saying "dirty water". He also didn't eat any ice cream. I scooped the whip cream off for him and that was all he had or wanted... weird kid! We honestly didn't do much we were tired.

Recipes I Owe People.... Sorry

Such a simple task of recipe sharing has ended up way way down on my list of things to do and I apologize. Some of you have been waiting VERY long for a copy of these recipes.

Mini Meat loafs

Pre-Heat Oven 400 Degrees

1/2 C ketchup
1 1/2 Tbls dijon mustard
1 lb. ground sirloin
3/4 C finely chopped onion
1/4 C seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 large egg lightly beaten
Cooking Spray

Combine ketchup and mustard stirring well with a whisk. Reserve 2 1/2 Tbls. ketchup mixture.

Combine remaining ketchup mixture, beef & next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine

Divide into 4 equal portions. Put in a small 2 1/2 inch x 4 inch loaf. Top the loafs with the reserve ketchup mixture evenly.

Cook @ 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
255 Calories
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Florentine Dip
(The dip from Christmas Dinner)

1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
12 oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
1 C mayo (best foods recommended)
1 8oz brick of cream cheese softened
2 Tbls. lemon juice
1 C Parmesan Cheese (shredded recommended
Bread crumbs & extra parm. to sprinkle on the top.

Combine all ingredients bake in a greased dish
Bake 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Make sure it is not too thick or split into 2 pans... it always takes me longer than 25 minutes for it to bake!

Recipe suggests to serve dip with triscuits or think tortilla chips. I personally like fresh cut veggies and Melba toasts.
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If you aren't one of the people requesting these recipes PLEASE still try them. They are a hit! The Florentine dip won at a bake off we had at my Mom's Group at Church and has been a huge hit every time I bring it to a party!

The mini meat loafs are the exception to the "No Meatloaf Ever" rule that was in place at our house (see blog from 10-08 to get the whole story). I have put them on a french bread sandwich role.... yummy sandwich! That is the way I like it best.
I've also made the mixture into meatballs mixed some BBQ with the ketchup mixture and made yummy meatball sandwich's. Possibilities are endless.

Enjoy

Ca Ca & Other Note Worthy Quotes

Ca Ca, You ask?? That would be me... just a piece of crap, just kidding. My name is very hard for children to pronounce, it comes out "Ca Ca" 99% of the time. Well Wesley started to say "Ca Ca" randomly. We couldn't figure it out. Then it was like a light bulb went off, we asked him to say "Jessica" and sure enough "Ca Ca" came out. He is calling me my real name!!! Weird! Then I asked him "Where is Levi?" and he didn't even hesitate and pointed to Levi. We asked him where Jessica way and he pointed right to me. He has been saying "Ca Ca" occasionally today though was the most deliberate. "Ca Ca! I need show". My response "Uhh... it is MOMMY and you don't need to watch TV." I wanted to laugh... This now is not just limited to me. He has called Levi "Vi Vi " or "E... I". We just have always used our real names. We don't do "babe", "honey", "mom" or "dad". So I guess it makes sense he is picking up on those names.

***

The other morning, I am sound asleep. A loud "Momma!! Momma!!" wakes me from my heavenly slumber. I go into his room and no smile at all he says "Momma, I need Daddy!!" All business, like that was the soul reason to get me up out of bed was to go fetch him his beloved "Daddy". I was like you have got to be kidding me, you made me get up out of my warm comfy bed to request your father... Of course I didn't say that, I just took him to Levi.

***

Wesley is saying "I Love You" a lot clearer. When we leave he will say it in return. Yesterday out of nowhere he said " I love you " I said "Awe I love you". He said " I love you More"... we don't say that so I was surprise he knew what to say... it was so sweet. It was marvelous to hear you child claim that they love you more than you love them- so not possible but nice try :). This was all ruined by him saying he loved the guy at church and the lady at the grocery store... thanks kid.

Wessie Happily Helping With The Laundry

***

Here are some pictures from this weekend. We decided to go play up in the snow. Well snow wasn't as close as we thought it was going to be. It ended up being a beautiful drive. We had a nice time together regardless. We finally found snow to play in. Wesley didn't want to walk cause the snow was "icky". Levi had brought a tube up and he and Wesley went down this little little slop. We seriously were in the snow for like 15 minutes... it look longer to suit up and undress :). It was a nice drive and nice family time. I wouldn't have wanted to do anything else.

Locked Out

Or should I say Locked In. I made a rookie mom mistake today... well kind of. Our house is weird. There are somethings about it that don't make sense. Like why we have a lock on the bathroom door. The mechanism is there but it is unable to be locked. You have to pass through Wesley's room to get to the second bathroom & office/ storage room. The major thing that doesn't make sense is our bedroom door. The lock is on the outside of the door and the key hole is on the inside. I remember taking note of this years ago thinking "that is weird"... well it just one of those things you kind of forget about. I actually just assumed that like the bathroom door... it didn't work. Well get back to that in a minute.

I have been trying to work at home an extra day a week. To save money and spend time with my awesome son. It is getting harder and harder to be away from him. He is so fun and loving. You just wanted to be around him all the time. Well we usually spend time together in the early morning and around 10 am he use to take his first nap. Well that first nap left us awhile back so sadly that time has been replaced with either Jungle Book or Sesame Street... some sort of distraction so I can work. I am still not happy about the "working" part of working at home :). I usually shut all the door and shut myself in our room with my laptop. This way I am super close to him and yet I can still try to maintain some professionalism without a toddler singing in the background. I have recently found out that even thru our door you can hear Wesley on the phone. So today when I was talking to Fox 40 News and telling them how awesome we are I had to run to our bathroom to escape the Wesley cries (he wasn't crying, crying... he wanted me for something). I finished up my conversation and went to exit my room to see what my little guy wanted. Go to open the door and nothing!... "What is going on, why can't I turn the handle?" I look down at my hand and there resting in between my fingers is a key hole... Oh No!! I am locked in. I was trying to explain to my toddler how to unlock the door, that was fun. Finally the word "button" got to him but he never moved it enough to free me. Now he was a bit upset were as before it had been playful. I called Levi a few times, I tried jamming several berets, bobby pins, pens... I couldn't find something to work. Finally while talking to Levi is picked the lock and freed myself. Wesley had already lost interest again and was back to do something else... so when he saw me he ran and gave me a hug :) So sweet. I think we will be fixing that soon, or I will have to come up with another arrangement so that I can work from home.

Random Thoughts

- I think in downtown Sacramento we have the ONLY cemetery with a playground... yes I repeat a cemetery with a play ground. Gives new meaning "From the cradle to the grave" huh? East Lawn Children Park or something along those lines. I think it is just creepy, looks like a cute little park though.

- When shopping at the Natural Foods Co-op it is very hard to tell if people are panhandling or just simply walking to their car after shopping. I have made this mistake a few times.

- There is one spot in our bus station at work that if you stand there guests can not see you nor see that you are having a refreshing beverage. Sometimes there are several of us trying to share this square foot of space :). Of course it is right in the middle of the path way.

- Dread Lock hair is nasty.

- I love working in a restaurant. I am such a dork and people love it. I was born to do this work- well maybe not really but... With that said here is my next thought -

- One of my most embarrassing moments was when I was passing a guest in the hallway at work and made a baby noise for no reason at all!! I do not know what possessed me to do such a thing. I was laughing so hard I was crying when I told my boss. Another time I also was laughing so hard I was crying when I told him about tripping in the middle of the dinning room and throwing a chair... Loud gasps could be heard all over the dinning room as I fell. Good Times. Good Times. I avoided those sections for quite a while. I laugh in awkward painful situations.

- When driving around downtown it is apparent that Starbucks is the new Donut Shop... if you know what I mean. So don't park wrong near a Starbucks you are sure to get a ticket. Take my word for it!

- My speedometer is broken (how does that happen?? anyway...). Good thing everyone goes Way too fast down here. I can just go a little slower and be safe.

- For working at Cattlemens as long as I have, you would think we could fix AWESOME steaks... I should work on that. I don't even BBQ, Levi does.

- A lady at the yogurt shop the other day told Levi & I "You have that look... like you are going to have a lot of kids". Ever since then I have been wondering "What does that "look", Look Like??!" She also told me Wesley looked just like me I said "Thank You" then realised: that might not have been a compliment.



Sorry but this blog was not about Wesley and there are no pictures... I am a little rebel today :)
Thanks for reading.

"Hello" & Uhhuh

Meet "Hello" the newest member of our stuffed animal family. He got attached to in the store and I kind of did too... it was so cute. This child does not need another toy but I couldn't help myself. Well he has named his adorable Elfum "Hello". I am not sure where the name came from but it cracks me up. We are referring to the Elephant as "Hello" now too. He bounces it around on the ground and plays saying "Hello Hello Hello...". Just like when he plays with his beagle puppy and bounces it around and says "Woof Woof". I love the pretend play that is developing right now. Finally not every toy and person is named "Abby"... it was cute while it lasted. Abby bear is still Abby Bear. "Maggie" is his stuffed beagle doggie, "Roars" is the lion.... "Mickey" is his blankie. I love these names. He is starting to combine words to make one word. He has done this a few times the best example is "Mickey"... I think it came from "My" & "Blankie". Sometimes he is proud of his hybrid words.

The other new thing is "Uh Huh". He will tell you a story, explain a situation or just express his thoughts. You can understand about 20% of it. Very clear words pop out and the rest is who knows what. He will say these thoughts over and over again, which leaves us to fill in the blanks. The fun part is you can turn anything he says into something and he says "Uh Huh" (with a tone like "can you believe it?!"... so funny). I wish I could think of an example. He will spill out tons of words and sounds and you can say "You think Maggie wants a shirt on?" His response will be "Uh Huh!!" Lame example but you get the point. It cracks me up.

He has been trying to sing for quite a while now, but now finally words are coming out. Not necessarily the right ones but words. He loves music. He asks to "Dance" all the time.

Till Next Time...

Photo's & Updates

Well like I mentioned we went to Redding. I thought I would share a few photos non-birthday related. I saw this picture of Wesley and I and I thought "Wow I look like Wesley"... when really it is the other way around.

I took some time off a couple weeks ago, to recover from the holidays. What did I do? Day One: Sick As A Dog! I spent the rest of the vacation on the couch and nursing myself back to health. Wesley was really wonderful while I didn't feel well. He looked and books with me and played quietly if needed. Mind you I still was the main source of entertainment but I think he could tell I wasn't myself and to best behave. He is so sweet. I had the hardest time going back to work after my week off. It was so nice to be home and to take care of him... well kind of, I didn't do much. He and I had a good time together. One afternoon I did try and take a few pictures of him since he is 2 now. I got a few cute ones. I got lucky... As much as I enjoyed my time with Wesley, on the other hand frustrated that I didn't get anything done... I mean NOTHING. Oh well. I am still trying to get well also!Oh before I got sick we did get to go to our friends annual "Ugly Christmas Sweater Party". We buy awful sweaters and make them worse. Levi actually got a tree skirt instead of a sweater. We had a lot of fun. Here is US:

Well some great news. Levi made the Dean's Honor Roll Again! YEAH! Monday is the beginning of the end... Levi is scheduled to graduate in May. It will be a trying road to get to the end. Levi is losing his job at the end of the month... well was losing it at the end of the month. They are allowing him to work a couple extra weeks. That is so nice of them. So pray that a job will come our way or that my salary will miraculously increase:)... either one we aren't picky.