you don't know what cute is...

...until you've seen Arissa & Mariah on the floor doing yoga with me! I took a few pictures but they didn't capture the moment like seeing it face to face. Mariah, sitting cross-legged, hands in a prayer position, eyes closed......Arissa doing Sun salutations, arms outstretched, serious look on her face. She goes "is it supposed to be relaxing?" and I said "yeah, and it IS, don't you think?". She goes, "no, actually it hurts my back.". :o) They only stuck with it for a few minutes and then they got bored, and returned to doing other stuff, which made it hard for me to actually relax and find peace of mind and be centered, when they're running around me making messes and doing homework. But it was fun nonetheless.

(Mallory was spending the night @ Nana's or else I'm sure she would have been joining us....or trying to sit on my lap and prevent me from doing it.)

I'm so proud...

of this sweet girl!

Last night she had dance practice, and she won the "drill down"....again. She won the week before and got a cool ribbon too. In fact she wins almost every week! (A drill down is where her drill team follows the commands given by the leader, she goes faster and faster and calls more complicated commands and if you mess up, you're "out". Not smiling, flinching, looking anywhere but forward are considered "messing up".) I remember when Arissa joined the drill team.....I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, I didn't want her to do exactly what I did and then feel pressured at all. But she was the one who wanted to join, and I remember being so nervous for her, in this group with girls several years older than her, having to memorize complex routines. I wondered, she's only 6, can she remember a whole routine and do it while marching? But you should see her now, she has memorized several routines, plus 2 different "cheers" they do, as well as her tap dance for her tap class. And then not only is she able to memorize that stuff, but she performs it all better than girls in her group who are in middle school!

And, she is receiving an award at school this week....I'll post more details about it after it happens. But basically it's different than the district award she received last year which was for academic stuff, this award is for the stuff that in my opinion is much more important. The kids in her class voted which fellow classmate was the most compassionate, the most caring, the biggest and best peacemaker. She doesn't know she's won, and we're suprising her by being there at the ceremony. And anyone who knows Arissa, knows she deserves it....she is the definition of a sweetheart. I really don't deserve her, but I am so so so proud of her.

Couples Survey

1. What are your first names? Jesse & Kristen

2. How long have you been together? 8 years this June

3. How long did you know each other before you started dating? About a year

4. Who asked who out? Technically, he asked me

5. How old are each of you? He's 26 and I'm 27

6. What are your astrological signs? I don't know what his is and he's not here to ask.....but I'm Sagitatius

7. How tall are each of you? If you ask him, we're both 5-9. But in reality, I'm 5-9 and he's a few inches shorter.

8. Who's mother do you see the most? His

9. Who’s siblings do you see the most? His, since I don't have any.

10. Do you have any children together? Three!!!

11. What about pets? A siamese (Blossom) who is ancient and will probably outlive us all, and Bella a black cat we took in off the streets. Oh and a fish.

12. If so, what kind?See above...

13. Which bill is the hardest on you as a couple? Every bill is hard. But rent is the highest so I'll go with that.

14. How do each of you work? He is a Human Service Specialist and I'm a Legal Support Assistant....both for the county of SD.

15. Is that what you went to school for? Not quite

16. Did you go to the same school? Yes but I was a year ahead obviously, since I'm older

17. Are you from the same hometown? Yep and we were both born at Grossmont hospital in La Mesa

18. are you from the same town now?Yes

19. Who is the smartest? He is

20. Who is the most sensitive? I am!

17. Where do you eat out at most as a couple? Any and everywhere

18. Where do you shop the most as a couple? We don't usually shop as a couple, but when we do it seems to end up being Target

19. Where is the furthest you have traveled as a couple? We took a road trip to Northern Utah when I was 8 months pregnant w/ Mallory

22. Who has the best group of friends? I'd have to say I do.

23. Who has the craziest exes? Him

24. Who has the worst temper? When he loses his temper, he's worse, but I lose mine more.

funny girls

The other night Arissa and I weren't getting along. I wanted her to pick up her messes, she felt like I was making her into a slave. Finally I just said "go to bed!" and I picked up the stuff myself. Usually I lay down with her for at least 5 minutes but this time I didn't.


When Jesse got home at 9:30 he went into the room, came back out and told me had fallen asleep with her notepad & pen in her hands, and showed me what she had been writing:





I miss you, Mom


I miss your smile


And I still shed a tear every once in any while


And even though it's different now


You're still here somehow


My heart won't let you go


I miss you, Mom, I miss you





So of course, I instantly felt like the biggest jerk in the whole world. Jesse says "go give her a hug!", and I did and I started thinking right away "that's it, I'm not going in to work tomorrow, I'm going to spend the whole day with Arissa and do whatever she wants to do..."





then I thought, sure she writes a lot but I didn't know she could rhyme that well. Then I had an idea.....I went to the computer and googled what she had written. And sure enough....





it's a Hannah Montana song.





Had nothing to do with me! In fact she probably fell asleep thinking how I'm a horrible slave-driver and she wishes she a mom more like Hannah Montana's. :0) But it softened my heart just the same, and I went in and cuddled with her.

All 3 girls have big, soft, comfortable blankets that they keep at my Grandma's for naps or cuddling....Arissa has Hannah Montana, Mariah had Dora, and Mallory has a Princess one. Mariah wanted to bring hers home when we went over there for dinner last night, and my Grandma said "are you going to bring it back tomorrow? everytime you take something home, i never see it again". Mariah PROMISED she would bring it back.

This morning as I was dropping them off, Mariah hopped out of the car and gasped in horror "i forgot the blanket! I promised Nana I'd bring it back!!!" and then she goes "I better hide for this one!" and she ran behind the couch to hide from Nana. :o)


As Mallory was getting out of her carseat this morning, she avoided stepping down, she hopped over and got right out and said "Don't want to step in THAT stinkhole!". I said "hey! I know it's a little messy but where'd you get the word 'stinkhole'?". Apparently it's a phrase from the character "Tula" from her new favorite movie "Island Princess". :O)

Like my Grandma says, she loves when she's babysitting the girls and she can just sit back and watch them play and interact.....they always have her cracking up.

This past weekend Jesse & I saw this:

BODIES: THE EXHIBITION, in La Jolla. http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com

I've been wanting to go see it since last May, but Jesse wasn't enthused. It was supposed to end in September last year but I saw that it had been extended till 1/13/08, so I begged and Jesse agreed to go.

It was.....something else. Of course it's all stuff you can find a plethera of pictures of on the internet or in books, but to see it up close and in person was pretty amazing! And of course, while myself and everyone else was walking through, amazed and intrigued and whispering, Jesse was "that guy" who made comments like "look! That's where babies come from!", etc. :o)

7 random things about myself...

I read Cula's blog http://culaparker.blogspot.com/ often, so I guess I'm "tagged". :o)



1. I love hydrangeas. I have some in our front garden, and they make me so happy!!!



2. I can't stand NOT to wear socks. Unless I am showering, or swimming, or some other activitiy where it would be plain ridiculous. Otherwise, I have them on. Even in summer. Even with sandals (I know, it's not a good look, Jesse makes fun of me constantly).



3. I have a passion for Mexican food. I honestly would eat guacamole with every meal of my life, if I could. I don't understand it, but it makes me happy!



4. I laugh a lot. Probably more than the average person. Probably a little too much, if you ask Jesse. But I'm counting on the studies that say laughing adds years to your life, and I'm hoping that my random unexplainable fits of laughter will counteract the fact that I don't eat very healthy.



5. I'm loud. Which is kind of weird because I'm a shy person, yet my whole life I've been told that I'm loud. I also tend to scream when I'm surprised or scared. It's kind of a blood curdling scream, and as far as I'm concerned it's involuntary!



6. I speak French! Well, it's more accurate to say "I read French", because although I can understand 99% of what I read, I am only a high beginner/low intermediate speaker. But I love everything French, I have a French penpal who I've been emailing now for several months and am learning a lot from, my favorite songs are French songs, and sometimes for fun I watch my favorite dvds dubbed in French.



7. I am a lover of grapefruit! (I'm writing this at lunchtime, which is why there's 2 items regarding food!) When I was pregnant with Arissa and had horrible morning sickness for 3 months, I pretty much subsisted on grapefruit. It was the only thing that didn't make me want to throw up. I've been known to sit down and eat 3 at a time. And I don't put sugar or anything on them. When Henry's has their "5 for $1" sale, Jesse will go down there and load up for me. :o)

8. Yes I know it's "7 random things" but I just thought of this one:
I watch QVC and HSN for entertainment. Yes, sometimes I buy something, but most of the time I watch the daily just for fun. I know all the hosts/hostesses, Shannon on HSN is my favorite.

Resolutions

I wasn't going to make any, because it depresses me when February arrives and I've already failed at everything I resolved to do or not do. It's easy enough to feel like I've failed at various things, I don't need another reason to feel bad about myself!

But then as I was sitting here crocheting on my break at work, I came up with a few that might be do-able and that have nothing to do with losing weight. So here they are:

1. Be in more photos. I take TONS of photos. I take photos of important things, random things, silly things, ordinary boring things that I just don't want to be forgotten. Of course, 95% of my photos are of the girls.....lots are of Jesse......many are of Jesse and the girls. But only a handful are of me. Granted, that's because I refuse to be in most pictures and I won't share any that I'm in unless I approve of how I look....which happens rarely. So I would like to resolve to be in more photo.... let Jesse take more, maybe even buy a cheapie camera so Arissa could take some. Even if my hair isn't done, and I'm in my jammies, or if I would never in a million years want anyone to see how I look, I want to be in more of my pictures.

2. Journal everyday. I used to be really good at this! I used to write more than once a day even. When I used to go out and not get home until 1 or 2 in the morning (several years ago), I still never went to sleep without writing. But I haven't even looked at my journal recently, because I know I'm going to feel guilty....I haven't written in months. This blog eased the guilt a little because it IS a form of journaling, but obviously this isn't the right forum to say alllllll that I need to say! Plus, I'm the kind of person who likes to remember and bring up ordinary, random, silly facts from the past......and without journaling, there's no way I can. So be it one sentance or several pages, I want to open the darn thing and write SOMETHING everyday.

3. Be in the moment. So this is probably the hardest one for me, but also probably the most important. By "be in the moment", I mean this: Not always doing 5 things at once....FOCUSING on what I'm doing now, not worrying about what I SHOULD be doing, or what I'll be doing next. Actually playing with Arissa Mariah & Mallory instead of knitting and just watching them play. Reading just the book I'm into, without a stack of books & magazines beside me that I need to hurry up and read next. Watching tv because I'm interested in what's on, not just to have noise or take my mind off something. You know what, this one might be too hard!

4. Do one thing every day for me, and two things or more for someone else. You might say that since I have three little kids and a husband, that I should just resolve to do something for myself each day because I must do enough for everybody else. But if you knew me well, you'd know I'm pretty selfish. I may not have a lot of time, but I do a lot and spend a lot of time on ME. Even if that means that I didn't have time for ME, and I go to bed fretting about all the stuff I wanted to do and didn't. But there are only so many hours in a day, so I hope I can satisfy myself with one solitary selfish thing. And for the second half, of course I do stuff for others everyday....but most of it is because I have to. I've always known that it feels good to do stuff for other people, and the best way to solve one of my own problems is to do something nice for someone else. So if I could stick to this resolution, I bet I'd be a much happier person. Some days there won't be time to go out of my way to make someone feel special, but on those days I resolve to at the very least: do the necessary things I do for others, and not do it all begrudgingly.

Well I thought I was making a simple list, but I have a feeling even these 4 little things will start to feel overwhelming after a few weeks!

If you're reading this and you made a resolution, post yours in the comments!!

Bonne annee! (Happy new year)