My Pet Spider

So....I have a pet spider. Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but its totally true. She lives in the corner of the ceiling in my shower....and she's dying...and I'm sad. Every morning when I shower I look up and there she is. She used to drop down on her spidery web and look at me and now she's hardly moving.

I'm losing my mind because I actually have grown to care for this spider and now she's dying.

The Next Best Thing

I’m the daughter of a working mother. When I got out of school I didn’t come immediately home. Thankfully my “babysitters” were pretty much always family members. Sure, my mom didn’t have fresh out of the oven cookies waiting for me, but looking back I realize that I had the next best thing. I will always remember watching Channel 7 Soaps with my Grandma and I will always have fond memories of my Aunt Patty driving her minivan like a little old lady (Oh, and I’m pretty sure she still drives like that). Heck, I even have fond memories of my bossy Aunt Bonnie belting out “Dancing in the Streets” by Martha and the Vandellas.

Its memories like these that remind me that despite the fact that I’m not a stay at home mom (SAHM), my girls will turn out okay. I won’t be the sole person memory maker with them…and that’s okay. I know Irelyn and Ellie are in good hands with Granny and PopPop. I know without a doubt, that like me with my grandma and aunts, having their grandparents with them during the day is the next best thing.

But today…just for awhile there…I was totally and completely jealous that I’m not the parent at school with Irelyn today. The Lizard Wizard is visiting her classroom and he’s bringing all sorts of critters! Scott will be there though and at least I know he’ll capture plenty of pictures for me! Anyways, its lunch time and this is what is currently on my mind.

Laundry, lots of Laundry…

I’m a full time working mother to two young girls. I also happen to cloth diaper. What one word sums up a good chunk of my free time? Yep, you guessed it, LAUNDRY.

I’m off of work today (thank you Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) and rather than doing something fun (that was the previous couple of days), today I’m buckling down and tackling the heap of laundry that is chilling in front of my bathroom door. If you’ve been to my house, then you know exactly what the hill, um mountain, of dirty clothes I’m talking about. Oh, and no, the dirty diapers aren’t in that pile! (just throwing it out there in case your mind went there)

I’m estimating (by the height of the mound) that I have about, oh, um, 7 loads of laundry to do today. Envy me much?

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

We rode the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway today! Definitely not your typical trip to the mountains. 

I'm terrified of heights, but surprisingly I didn't freak out on the tram. I did stay in the center of the tram car and I did NOT look down.

Irelyn LOVED seeing snow! A bit of a back story...one morning around Christmas Irelyn woke up and ran out to the living room and looked out our front window. She looked at me exsaperated and asked, "Where is the snow Mama?" I was like, "huh?". She explained that on all of the Christmas cartoons she's watched she's seen snow. I was amused and felt kind of sad for her. I explained that we live in California near the ocean and it doesn't snow in our part of California. So...when I told her we were visiting snow today she was like, "But Mama, we live in California!" Too cute!

Today was also Scott's first snow adventure! :) 

Here are a couple of memorable pictures from today.

Excited Snow Bunny

Trying hard to make a snow ball

Ellie didn't seem to thrilled about the snow...

Slightly freaked out....trying to smile through it

Great view of the back of Ellie's head :)

Rossmoor Park

We are experiencing unseasonably warm weather right now. Its been in the high 70 to low 80s at my house, absolutely PERFECT weather to be outside. I decided that I wanted to take the girls to the park this afternoon to blow off some steam. When Scott came home from work off we went!


Scott decided to switch things up and visit a new park. We were going to go to Target after our park adventure, so Scott looked for a park near the Target in Seal Beach. As we pulled up I just knew we discovered a park that we'll revisit over and over again. Its beautiful! The playground is large and partially shaded, the families were friendly and I just overall loved everything about it.

Irelyn went on the TALLEST slide!

And swung like a monkey...

Look at how Ellie's grown! 

Ellie discovered sand for the first time!

Pretty Ellie

Mama people watched. (there was an interesting group of Muslims having a family bbq not too far from where I was sitting. I loved noticing each of the beautiful scarves the women wore)
Daddy pushed his girls on the swings.


There was a light breeze and it reminded me of my childhood. Kids these days don't spend nearly enough time outside being kids. Everything is digital, requires a game control and batteries. Irelyn loves her "adventures" outside....I really hope Scott and I remember to foster those feelings in our children.

Queen Mary

Earlier this evening Scott and I took the girls down to Queen Mary to walk around. Irelyn loved being on the "big boat". Ellie just loves being outside and the weather was absolutely perfect for a short little jaunt. Granny gave Irelyn $2 earlier in the day. Irelyn got thirsty and decided to wanted to buy a bottle of water from one of the vending machines. I showed her how to use the machine and she thought she was so cool!


Off in the distance the water sparkled.


These are the kind of memories I never want to forget.

When I'm Gone...

Slightly morbid, but I love this enough to share. When I die I want the below shared at my "Life Celebration". Oh, and I like the term "Life Celebration" way more than the words funeral or memorial.

Oh, and I don't have an author to attribute this too. I'll have to google and see what I come up with.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.