Christmas Day

Since Brett had to leave to go to work on December 23rd, Katherine and I drove out to San Diego on Christmas Eve.  My mom and dad were going to be there to celebrate Christmas with my sister and her family.  It was perfect!

I am not used to driving for such a long time.  6 long hours!  I do not know how those that chose to drive 12 hours at a time.  I was the one that was getting antsy... not Katherine.

Anyway... we made it to San Diego about the same time as my parents.  Katherine and my mom made chocolate chip cookies while we waited for my sister to get off of work.

We then drove over to my sisters house and had dinner with her family.  Katherine had a blast playing with her cousins.  They ran up and down the stairs for a few hours straight.  It reminded me of the Christmas' that we spent at my grandparents house and having races on the stairs with my cousins.  We had so much fun and got so tired at the same time.  It's crazy how things come around full circle.

It was dinner time and we had spaghetti... Katherine's favorite.  After dinner the kids opened one present each.  Austin was counting down to the time to opening his present.  He received a present from Kayla and Kayla received a present from Austin.  It reminded me so much of growing up.  I would open my one present the night of Christmas Eve from Michelle and Michelle would open the one present from me.  Again... it's the little things that bring back fond memories.
Katherine opened a present from my mom and it was a Darbie.  She had fun playing with both her Darbie and with the present that Kayla received.

The next morning was Christmas day.  Katherine could not wait to go to Sea World!!  Being in California, we were an hour behind so it seemed like it took forever before we could get into the car to go to Sea World.  They opened at 10am and we were in the car at about 9:20am.  I was thinking that we could just wait if they weren't open yet.
To my surprise, they were open and let us in.

When we first entered, we made reservations for Dine with Shamu.  I was on the fence if we should do it or not.  It is a bit pricey but after debating, I went with it.  Katherine loves it and loves talking with the trainers.  Also, by the time that you add up all of the snacks, drinks and the cost of lunch, it pretty much evens out.  We didn't have any snacks and brought our own water.  So, I think that it was a good choice.

We ventured over to the killer whale observation tank.  It was awesome.  Not a lot of people there and there were three whales swimming around.  It was amazing.  The whales were swimming in a formation and would come up to the the side and look at us.  Katherine loved it.

We then went over to have Katherine's picture taken on Shamu.  There wasn't a lot of people in the park yet, so she got to take about 9 different pictures on Shamu.  She is such a little ham.  The lady loved taking pictures of her.  We chose two poses and then went over to see the Pet Rule show.  It was the Christmas show and fun to see something different.

We ran back over to the other side of the park to catch the Shamu show.  On the way, we picked up our pictures that Katherine took with Shamu.  After the show, we went and had lunch with the killer whales.  We got to see Corky, the whale from Marineland, and the new whale to Sea World, San Diego, Ike.

The park then seemed to get really busy.  We ventured over to the dolphin show and then visited the sharks and sea turtles.  We had fun playing the sea turtle game and then went to visit the beluga whales ~ another one of Katherine's favorite.

We then went to the snow...
Kids had to 5 years of age to go sledding so Katherine magically became 5.  She had fun!!

We then killed time and saw the rescued animals.  She amazes me.  She saw the truck and immediately said "Sea World's Rescue Truck".  How did she know that?  She can read little words but nothing like what it said on the truck.  She also pointed out the rescue team when we first entered the park.  Again, she cannot read, so how did she know?

I promised her that we would go shopping before we left.  She really wanted a big killer whale.  Looking at the price and the size of the whale, I was impressed.  Only $30.  So, the big sucker that I am, we bought her one.  I also bought her some new night, night Shaum clothes since she has grown out of her other ones.

We had some more time to kill before the last show.  We went to the killer whale observation tank again.  I whispered the names of the whales to Katherine and the girl next to us said, "I am so glad to hear that someone else knows their real names".  I stated that Katherine loved killer whales and hoped to be a trainer one day.  She said that she completely understood.  She said that she got to sit on Corky when she was two years old.  Then I opened my mouth and inserted my foot...  I said, "Oh, you mean in Marineland?".  She looked at me like I had two heads.  I then asked how old she was and she was only18.  Yep, it was here at Sea World, not Marineland.
It turns out she has done many internships with Sea World in both San Diego and San Antonio.  She received some college credit and is trying out to be a trainer in April.  Good luck to her.
It got me to thinking... I wonder if Katherine is going to stay with her dream... only time will tell.

We finally went to our last show... Shamu's Christmas.  After waiting for over 30 minutes and me asking before sitting, Katherine said that she had to go to the bathroom only 6 minutes before the start of the show.  OH, what to do... she said that she could hold it. 
The show started and it was beautiful.  They had a man playing the saxophone and a choir with a lady doing sign language.
The whales were gentle and their choreography was stunning.  The trainers really need to get back in the water with the whales.  It was relaxing ending to a fun day.
We did leave about 4 minutes before the end of the show so that I could take Katherine to the bathroom.  It was the perfect decision.  We saw the end of the show as we walked out and made it to the bathroom before there was a long line.

We then hit the road and went over to Michelle's.  The kids played together, we had dinner and opened presents.

We were back at our hotel at about 8:30pm.  It was an exciting day and the ideal way to spend our Christmas day.  It just might be a new tradition that we could start...

Christmas Day at the Tossell Home

Our Christmas day was celebrated a few days earlier than most.  It is something that we have to do every year due to Brett's job.  Let's face it... those that he flies, like to travel during the holiday season so we have adapted to his schedule.  Katherine is okay with it.  She gets to have two Christmas'.  One with Brett before he goes on his trip and another on Christmas day.

I don't mind celebrating a few days early, either.  My mom has worked in the cruise industry for over twenty years.  The ship comes in even though it's Christmas and my mom had to work at the ship on many Christmas'.  The first year was tough but after that we learned to adapt and celebrate on the day that we chose.

So, Christmas morning came and Katherine could only jump when she saw her new wetsuit.  Santa knocked it out of the park with all of the Killer Whale things.  She received a new killer whale pillow, slippers, calendar (so that we can count down the days until daddy comes home), and blanket.  Katherine was in heaven.
Brett and I gave her a few Darbies (Barbies) and accessories, a Strawberry Shortcake and a black and white lava lamp (it's a great night light).


As you know, Brett's gift to me and my gift to Brett was the kegerator.  When we sold the three kegerator when I was 6 months pregnant with Katherine, we always said that we would get another.  Well, the time came when we saw this one on clearance and then on sale.  Not only that, it came with it's own co2 tank and and one year warranty.  Oh, how could we go wrong?

Brett also gave me a digital frame and picked only pictures of Katherine and I.  There are a lot more than I thought since I am usually the one taking all of the pictures.  It was a very thoughtful gift. 
Katherine and I made a picture frame for Katherine with a poem and included a picture of her with him when she was first born and a picture that was just taken about a week before Christmas.  A huge difference.

Santa also filled up BJ and Lucky's stocking.  BJ had a blast opening the presents... Lucky not so much.  He just wanted the bone unwrapped so that he would start chewing on it.  He actually buried it before he started chewing on it.  BJ on the other hand, just guarded her bone.  No one was going to touch it. 
They were very happy doggies.

So, those were our big presents to one another.

Our Christmas dinner was pizza and it included having the neighbors over.  It was very relaxing.  Lots of stories and laughs.  We had a fun night. 

It was a perfect Christmas!!

Katherine's Christmas Wish...

Proud Parent Moment

It has been awhile since my last entry.  Sorry for the delay but it has been crazy busy between work and home.  I promise I will catch up.  For right now though, I must brag a bit...

My four and a half year old little girl is riding a two wheel bike.  On Wednesday she asked for Brett to take her training wheels off.  I was doing a little last minute shopping and he waited until I got home.

I was so impressed.  Katherine got the tool out and started to take the training wheels off.  She needed Brett's help to start but after that she took the bolt off.  It was pretty amazing (just my opinion).

So, Brett took her out to the cul de sac and they started to go.  She was really wobbly and then I remembered a friend of mine told me about the "towel trick".  You take a beach towel and put it under their arms.  It is suppose to help with their balance and you can catch them quicker.

Her and I did that for about 30 minutes and I told her that she wasn't going to get this in one day, it was going to take time and practice.  Well, she showed me. 

We went in and then went out for lunch.  When we returned, she wanted to go out again.  This time she went with Brett and after about 15 minutes, she was riding the bike on her own.  Crazy kid!!  I cannot believe it!!

I remember when my dad took the training wheels off of my bike when I was 5, I made him put them back on ~ several times... on... off... on... off...

Anyway... in less than 1 hour of practice time, Katherine was riding the bike on her own.  Oh where has the time gone? 

Today we went out for a forty minute bike ride and she didn't fall nor run into any parked cars.

So... that is my little bragging moment.  I am really proud of her.

Next, I will post about Christmas.  We have already celebrated and our tree has been taken down.  I will explain later.

Cyber Monday

 

As you all know, I sell Dove Chocolate as a side hobby. For something fun this year, I am going to have a Cyber Monday sale. FREE Shipping on all orders placed on 11/28/11.

Visit www.aloveofchocolate.com for an online catalog under Irresistible Products.

To order or if you have any questions, email me at suzanne@aloveofchocolate.com
This is something that is fun for me so order something fun for you!

Thanksgiving

We kicked off Thanksgiving week with grandparents lunch at school.  Gary and Sherrie visited Katherine's school and had lunch with her class.  While waiting for our Thanksgiving feast (it was about 45 minutes late), Brett read the kids a story.  It was quite cute but I guess that he was nervous as his palms were sweating.
Our food finally arrived and it was soo good!  I could enjoy it for about two minutes and then it was back to work. 

Once I finished work on Tuesday afternoon... it was party time!!  Woo Hoo!  No school for 5 days!!

Wednesday was the day of swimming.  Katherine swam at the Camelback Inn for about 3 hours and then went to swim class.  She has a new instructor and with it being the day before Thanksgiving, she was the only one in class.  A private class for group price.  I'll take it!
Katherine was pretty much done and ready to fall asleep after her lesson.  We had dinner and then it was time for bed.

Thursday ~ Turkey Day!  Although in our house we have Roast Beef on Thanksgiving.  I am not really a turkey fan and one day I looked up the recipe for Lawry's Prime Rib and haven't looked back since.  It feeds the same amount of people and by the time that you add in all of the fixin's for turkey dinner, it's about the same price.

Our roast beef cooked fast and we had dinner about an hour and a half early.  Hey, it's Thanksgiving... anything can happen.  We had Brett's parents, Lillian (a Tossell family friend), Brett's uncle Bill and his girl friend along with her three kids.  It was a full house considering about two weeks before Thanksgiving I thought that it was only going to be Brett, Katherine and I.
At about 6pm, we had more people come over to our house.  All of the neighbor kids and their parents.  It was tons of fun.  We had the XBox going, the fire going, laughter through out the house and sharing stories. 

Friday was SPA DAY!  It was a nice and relaxing day for me.  I hung out by the spa pool and drank a very refreshing Cucumber Mojito before my relaxing massage.  Ahhh!!

Saturday was just another relaxing day while we wrapped up Sunday with decorating for Christmas.  Wow!  Christmas!!  It's almost here!  Yea!  My favorite time of the year.  I love the decorations, music and lights.

So, another Thanksgiving has come and gone and now onto the next holiday.  Brett will be working on Christmas and I am going to be taking Katherine to see Shamu.  Gary and Sherrie will be spending their Christmas with David, Heidi, Dylan and Ryan in Texas.  Considering I was thinking that it was only going to be Brett, Katherine and I for Thanksgiving, it was really nice for Gary and Sherrie to come on over and share the holiday with us.

Now onto Christmas...

From Pink to Black

Little Katherine is very much a girly girl.  Barbies, My Little Ponies, Princesses... anything girly.  Her room is painted pink and her bathroom is decorated with butterflies.

She has found a new love... a love for killer whales and dolphins.  She wants EVERYTHING to be either black or blue.  No more pink.  She even asked for her room to be painted black.  Her room could be a closet (a nice size walk in closet) so painting it black would make it look so much smaller.

We watch two videos... Believe (Shamu Whale) and the Dolphin DVD, both from Sea World.  We watch the shows as well as all of the bonus features.  I think that I pretty much have both videos memorized.  I think that it awesome that Katherine has found a love for marine life.  It's just crazy how obsessed she has become.

Before this stage, I had to BEG her to wear long pants.  Now it's very simple.  She has blue jeans (like dolphins) and black jeans (like killer whales).  She wears black and white shirts and every now and then I can get her to wear a pink shirt.  Brett wants her to wear pink again.  He keeps telling her that pink looks much better than black.
 
I know that Brett is done with this "black phase" and I wasn't so excited to hear that she wanted her fingernails painted black.  Maybe we are dodging a bullet, though.  Maybe she is going through her "black stage" now and we won't have to go through it again during the teenage years.  Yep, I know that this is wishful thinking but for now it's kind of cute.

While explaining how dangerous it was working with killer whales, I showed her the trainer that was killed by the killer whale.  I didn't show her the video of it (duh).  I pointed her out in the behind the scenes chapter in the Believe video.  I was trying to make a point and I am not sure if Katherine understood my point or not but we did go have three inches cut off of her hair.

For Halloween, Katherine was a Orca Trainer.  Yes, she understands what a Orca is.  She spouts out random facts about killer whales.  Finding a costume for Halloween, it wasn't the easiest but we made her a very fun and comfortable costume.  She received a lot of nice compliments about how unique she was.  

I do miss the pink but I think that it is great that she has found such a love for marine life.  She loves it all ~ fish, seals, sea lions, sharks, pilot whales, dolphins and above all killer whales.

Anniversary

Our anniversary was last week.  It's hard to believe that six years has gone by.  I actually thought that it was seven... time flies when you are having fun.

Anyway... we saved up and just as we did last year... celebrated our anniversary a week later.  Katherine went to Splash n' Dash (her favorite) and we went to dinner.  We made reservations at a restaurant that we look forward to each year as we savor over their popovers.  The restaurant is at the resort where we had our rehearsal dinner.

We dropped Katherine off and she never even looked back.  She loves going to Splash n' Dash as her favorite swim coach of all time is there... Coach Aaron.  This time, she did ask if he would be her boyfriend.  It was quite cute.  :)

We got to the restaurant about a half an hour early and so we sat at the bar and had a drink.  All I could think about was the popovers.  Yum!!  It was finally time and we were seated.  The restaurant was a bit cold as they had the doors open.  It was cold for me as anything below 90* in my opinion is cold.

The waiter closed the doors and the food began to arrive.  First the chicken pate... not a favorite of mine but Brett really liked it.  Then it was time for the popovers.  OMG!!  They still rock!!

Our food came next and well, it wasn't as good as before.  The steak didn't sizzle and the veggies were underdone.  It was a bit of a disappointment.  We agreed that the food that we had the night before was much better and 1/5 of the price.  It was a let down.

Our dinner was such a let down, that we didn't even stay for dessert.  We had about an hour and a half to kill before it was time to pick up Katherine.  So, where did we end up?  At Michaels!  I love that store.  We walked around and just looked at everything.  They were even playing Christmas music.  I love Christmas music but I still think that it's a bit early to start playing it.

We hopped in the car and went over to get Katherine.  It was a little early but I knew that she was tired.  She was really happy to see us and didn't fight to go home.  It was the right choice.

At the end of the night... the dinner was a bit of a disappointment but the company made up for it.  Six years have come and gone and it's crazy to think the next six will come even faster.  I do think for our next anniversary, we will be going to a little place where you enter through the kitchen and eat in a little red booth.

Hello, Again!!

Oh, it has been awhile since I have posted anything.  It's life... just way too busy!  Busy in a good way, though.

Katherine is doing well in the pre-k program at school.  We had our parent/teacher conference that took all a three minutes to complete.  I guess I pretty know what is going on since I do talk to her teacher on a daily basis (a little perk for working at the school).

Katherine is out of the pink phase and has moved right into black.  Oh, and white.  That would be because Shamu Whale is black and white.  She is obsessed with killer whales.  She wants to be a Shamu trainer when she grows up.  For now, she is going to be a Orca Trainer for Hawgoween.

She only wears black and white.  It's been amazing because I have been able to get her to wear shorts.  Before, it was like "pulling teeth" to get her into a pair of shorts or jeans.  Now, if they are black, she wears them without any argument.  I did draw the line, though, I would not paint her nails black.  I think that we should wait on that one...

Pre-K Picture

She keeps getting older and I keep staying the same age (hehe).

So... that is the long and short of Katherine.

I have made the decision to go back to school to get my master's degree in education.  In high school, I had a school counselor tell me not to even apply to any colleges.  She said that I would never get in.  I had okay grades, B's and C's, but my focus during the first two years of high school was gymnastics.  After all, I did get to go to Romania and work out with Nadia Comanchi and the Romanian Junior Olympic team.

So, by my junior year, I was burnt out ~ school and gymnastics.  I quit gymnastics and took the "backseat" in school.  I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up, anyway.  By my senior year, I took the "advice" of the counselor and did apply to any college but Harbor College.

I started my first year and it wasn't as hard as the high school counselor made it out to be.  I pretty much got straight A's and then applied to Chapman University.  I wanted to get into the education program but it was impacted so I went the Sociology route.
I stopped going there because I ran out of money.  I worked three jobs to pay off school and when I finally did about 5 years later, I had nothing to show for it.  I was living in Las Vegas at the time so I applied to UNLV.

In my head it was the perfect time to get into the education program.  Nope.  I was accepted into the program but it would have dropped me down to a first semester sophomore (needed to make up the prerequisites).  So I stuck with Sociology and graduated three semesters later.

Oh, I wanted to go back to my high school and let that school counselor know my accomplishments.  She had passed away many years earlier.  Oh well.  At least I knew what I had done.

Working at the elementary school now, I have made the decision to go back to school and get my master's degree in education.  It's been a goal of mine for many years now and I am going to obtain it.  It is a one year full time program.  It is hands on and I am really ready to do this.

So... in a nutshell... that is what I have been up to.

Brett... he has been busy.  Not flying the big airplane but has started flight instruction again.  Something to fill his days with.  I really think that he is enjoying it but missing flying around to the exotic places.  I know that Katherine has really enjoyed having him around.

If I had to do it all over again, I don't think that I would have changed a thing.  Yes, he was gone a lot when she was a baby but I would rather have that than him gone as much as he was back then, now.  He gets to spend so much time with her now.  They have a very special bond.  It is so much fun to see. She loves going to the airport and Home Depot with daddy.  They build projects together and I think that she knows her way around the garage better than me.

Sorry for the delay in updates.  With the holidays coming up (yep, I am done with all of my holiday shopping), I am hoping to update more and add a few more pictures.

Fundraiser Update...

So, all of the numbers are in and Katherine made her goal.  She sold 7 entertainment books!!  She gets to go in a limo to Peter Piper Pizza with all of her friends.  Not only that, Brett has been volunteered to ride in the limo with her and 25 of her friends (hehe).  I know that he will have a great time.  I will probably need to have adult drinks waiting for him when he gets home.  :)

A Full Circle

My grandmother was the attendance clerk for Malaga Cove for thirty years, plus or minus a few years.  She retired and then started to work as the attendance clerk for Dapplegray, the same year that I went there.  She then moved over to Miraleste High School... again, the same year that I started high school.  I could not get away with anything.  She knew exactly why I was out of school.

Fast forward about twenty years and I am now doing the attendance for the elementary school that I am now working at.  My grandmother passed away when Katherine was about 6 months old but I know that she would be so proud.

After talking to my mom, she stated that she also worked in the attendance office at a high school, many moons ago.  My mom looks like my grandmother and I look like my mom.  I guess that we are all following in her footsteps.

Everything is all computerized today in the class room environment, including the attendance.  I wonder how my grandmother did it back then.  It must have all been done by hand.  I had a hard time receiving all the information that I needed without making any phone calls into the classrooms.  I wonder what she had to do to make sure that she had all of her information without the ability to call into the classrooms.

Anyway... it's a full circle.  As I have said in the past, I really never knew what I wanted to do when I "grew up" and I am so excited to have this new opportunity ~ another little tick on my life experiences.  I am really happy to be able to work at the school in which Katherine is attending and now "carrying the torch", tradition of attendance clerk.

A New Sport

Katherine asked to be signed up for soccer. Before doing so, I had to make sure that she understood that in soccer they do not wear dresses nor do they wear pink. She said that she was okay with that and so I started to look up clubs since AYSO isn't up in our area.

I know just a little about soccer. After all, my best friend played for San Diego State. I did go to a game or two. I am just not too sure about this age. I guess I am going to find out.

So, on our Fun Friday Family night, we went shopping for soccer things. The only thing that she really needed was a size three ball. Other than that, we could have improvised but with Katherine, it is all about the fashion.

I found her some soccer cleats with pink on them (on sale), pink shorts and a pink shirt that were both on sale and then some very tiny shin guards and socks (no pink). About $50 later, we were ready to start soccer. We still needed a size three ball, though.

Driving around on Saturday afternoon, we found a soccer store. We walked in and when the man asked what we were looking for, Katherine blurted out, "A pink ball". There are some days that I really wish that she would just burst out of her bubble (just kidding). She is not afraid to say what she thinks and she knows what she wants. Hmmm... where does she get that?

Anyway... getting back to topic. Yep, the store had the pink ball and we were now set. We just needed to wait until Tuesday for soccer practice.
When Tuesday finally came, it was a rainy day. It looked like it was going to pour. We went to soccer practice anyway. There was no way that we were getting out of it. She is a smart little girl and she knew what day it was.
So, we got to the park and right away, Katherine started talking to another little girl. The little girl could hardly get any words in, Katherine was talking so much. Again, I wish that she would just break out of her shell. :)
The coaches finally get the practice stated and they are teaching the girls had to dribble. That was all good until the coach wanted her to dribble another ball. She could not dribble her own ball. Fine. So, she found another ball with pink on it. Then the coach said, "Switch" and that is when Katherine was lost. There was a bright yellow ball right in front of her but she was not going to touch it with a ten foot pole. She wanted a pink or purple ball. When she finally found the purple ball, she had to switch again and right in front of her was that bright yellow ball. Again, she ran the other way, hoping to get her own pink ball back. No luck. She didn't dribble a ball that round because she was not going to dribble a ball that was not either pink or purple. In the next round, she found the other ball that had pink on it. And this went on until the rain.

So, when we have a game and if Katherine is goalie and they are using a ball that doesn't have either pink or purple on it, we are going to lose. She will not touch that ball. But if she is out on the field, at least we know that she will not try to pick the ball up. So, it could go either way...

Anyway... I am so proud of our little girl. She wants to try new sports and it is so much fun watching her. She loved dance but really didn't have the focus at the time. Maybe now that she is a bit older, I will sign her back up.
I cannot believe how much her swim lessons have paid off. She is a little fish in the water. She loves to swim and to dive. Katherine has also excelled in karate but had to give it up for now for soccer. Hopefully, she will go back. I would really like for her to know and how to use self defense.
Finally, Katherine does enjoy her gymnastics class. She hops along the beam with ease (hmmm... I wonder where that came from). All in all, I am so proud that she wants to try everything. She gives it her all and she comes out successful.
Coming from sports myself, I think that all kids should do some sort of sport. It helps with their self confidence. Let's face it... being a kid is hard work. It's always nice to get a little bit of an ego boost ~ a "great job" from the coach, a "awesome job" from a team member, and a little medal at the end of the season. It's the little accomplishments that help us through this thing we call life.

A Little Girly, Girl

While I was pregnant, I never thought in a million years that I would have a little girly girl. When I was little, I hardly ever wore dresses and never had tea parties. I wanted to play sports and dresses just got in the way.

Katherine has proved that you can play sports and wear dresses. She only wears pink (sometimes purple) and it has to be a dress. She will wear tights only if it is cold outside. The last time that she wore jeans was when they were doing water safety week at her swim school. I had to beg her and probably bribe her to wear them. It was torture for her, I am sure, since they were not pink.

So, here we are and she was invited to a party called Girly, Girlz. It was in Scottsdale. I knew that I was going to be spending some money in order to get out of the birthday party... just how much was the question.
We walked into the store and pink was EVERYWHERE! It was Katherine's Mecca. Flowers, tutus, feathers, etc. You name it, they had it. Ugg! It was very cute, though.

We entered the "tea room" in which the birthday party was to take place. It was a surprise party and the little girl was very surprised. The "hosts" of the facility took each girl to have their hair, make up and nails done. Katherine was in complete heaven! Nothing could have burst her bubble.
Then they had lunch on cute little tea plates along with pink tea in breakable cups. Yep, breakable and of course my daughter was the one that put it to the test. Her dress got caught on the chair and when she went to reach to get her balance, she pulled down one of the plates. It broke. She told the lady, "Sorry" I don't know how many times.
At the end of the party, the girls did a little parade around the store and then it was time to shop. I was very impressed with Katherine and shopping. She picked out one item which was $4.95. I was expecting to spend so much more money. I did pick up a few books... two to be exact. One for each grandma.
They are books for grandma's to fill in. Hopefully they will as the books ask for them to write down stories from their childhood. I think that it is a great resource for Katherine as she gets older to really know who her grandmothers really were. I knew my grandmother (my mom's mother) but really got to know her just a few years before she passed away. I wish that I had some stories from her written down. The same goes for my great grandmother. I was very lucky to have her around until I was about 27 years old. I would have lunch with her at least one Sunday a month and loved to hear her stories.

Anyway... getting back to my little girly, girl. Katherine and my great grandmother, really would have gotten along well. My great grandmother was always "dressed to the nines". So, looking back, maybe, the girly, girl really does come from me and it just skipped a few generations... Whatever the case maybe, I am really learning a lot from my little girly girl and even asking for her advice on my fashion. :)

September 11th

I was a flight attendant in 2001, working red eye flights to New York. It was the only line that I could hold but at least it was a line and not on reserve. After awhile, I really enjoyed the red eye flights. Don't ask why, I just did.

My best friend was pregnant in September, 2001 and it was the second weekend that we celebrated with her baby shower. There were fun games, lots of laughs and awesome food. She didn't know what she was having but I had a feeling that she was going to have a boy.

Two days later I was still in L.A., waking up to the news that a 757 had just hit the World Trade Center. I was stunned. The airline that I flew for only flew 757's and my crew was flying that day. The only reason why I wasn't flying was because I had dropped the trip to go to the baby shower.

I watched the news, crying. I called our crew scheduling and the line was busy. All I could think was that it was my crew. I would have been on that plane if I hadn't gone to the baby shower. When I finally calmed down, I looked at the time. My crew should have been in the air at least an hour before any of the events took place. All I could hope for... their safety.

I sat and watched T.V. the entire day ~ just in a daze. I was just in the World Trade Center the week before. Crazy.

I finally got word at the end of the evening that my crew was okay. They had to land in Chicago. The captain landed at a small airport that he knew and they were in and out of security pretty fast, compared to those that landed in O'Hare.

The crew had to dump all of the food and dress in their regular clothes. They had to dispose of their uniforms. Police officers came on to the airplane and inspected it before ANYONE could get off. I guess that it was a pretty scary situation.

My boyfriend at the time (Brett), was in L.A. at the same time for the baby shower. He was supposed to get back to El Paso but after 9/11, there weren't any flights. Crazy company that he worked for at the time, called it vacation time. Even though there weren't any airplanes allowed to take off. There wasn't any way for him to get from L.A. to El Paso ~ even by bus. They were sold out.

Oh well. Vacation time.
We took Brett's parents boat out and there was security everywhere in the harbor. It was a beautiful day but we were totally being watch. Not really relaxing, if you ask me.

When we could finally get back to our bases, I was on the very first crew to go back out to New York. Oh, it was the very first time that I looked at each and every passenger. We didn't have a very full flight but I memorized everyone. They all watched the safety briefing. That was a bit weird in itself as just a week prior, I had a man shake his newspaper at me while doing the safety briefing ~ like I was disturbing him.

All of the passengers were very quiet but very nice ~ unusual for New York travelers. I grew a backbone doing New York flights. This flight, however, was quiet different. It was erie. All of the passengers listened to our instructions and nobody argued. When we finally arrived in Newark, at about 6am, the passengers even thanked us for getting them their safely.

We got the plane ready to go back to Las Vegas and we got off of the airplane and into the van to take us over to New York. As we came out of the Lincoln Tunnel, the city was still on fire. You could see smoke everywhere. You could smell the burning city. There was still soot falling from the sky.

We finally got to our hotel and we took a short nap. Then we took a walk over to the World Trade Center. The city totally had a different feeling. Everyone's head was down and lots and lots of tears. We finally arrive at the towers, or what was left of them, and there aren't any words to describe what we saw. It was so tragic. It was so devastating. You just sat there with your mouth wide open.
I will never forget the one lady with tears in her eyes asking for the police officer to find her son. Or, the group, just standing in silence, praying.

As we walked back to our hotel, there was silence. There wasn't anything that anyone could say. It just took our breath away. It was one thing to see it on T.V. It was another to actually see it with your own eyes.

As the 10 year anniversary is tomorrow, I went looking for the pictures that I had taken that day. I did clean out a closet of ours that needed to be cleaned out but I didn't find the pictures. I know that I have them somewhere and they are put away in a safe place. I just need to find that safe place. Or maybe, I put them away somewhere where I would "forget" on purpose. It was such an emotional journey, that trip, that I still get goose bumps just thinking about it.

I think of myself as very lucky to have seen the city just a few days after that tragic event. But, each year, I also wonder if that lady ever found her son or if those that were praying... did they find their missing family members?

I know that September 11, 2001 will be a tragedy that my daughter will read about, just as I read about Pearl Harbor in school. But, I will have the pictures to show Katherine and the stories to share with her one day, that hopefully she will understand it a bit more than I ever did with Pearl Harbor.

**Hugs**

Katherine's First Fun Fundraiser

Katherine has started Pre-Kindergarten and is having a lot of fun at her new school. She went to her very first school assembly and they introduced the fall fundraiser ~ 2012 Entertainment Guide!

In this economy, it is a great way to save money... savings on travel, groceries, movies, dining, entertainment, sports, and even retail shopping. Savings on things you do every day! The Entertainment book membership is packed with $1,000's in savings on things you do every day. The book quickly pays for itself and you support the local economy every time you use it.

You do not need to be in Phoenix to order the book. Out of town editions are available at www.entertainment.com/support
*Seller ID: 82289
*Sale date: 8/31/11 - 9/14/11
*All checks due to the school: 9/14/11
*Make checks payable to: *Boulder Creek PTO

Katherine is really excited! If she sells 7 books, she will receive a limo ride to lunch at Peter Piper Pizza and if she she sells 10 books, she gets to invite a friend to go with her!!

Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, give me a call.

Back to Work

I was very lucky to had to have the opportunity to stay at home with our daughter for the past four years. When I started looking to go back to work, I really didn't think that it would be hard to find something. After all, I didn't know what I really wanted to do when I grew up, so I had many different jobs... Retail (The Disney Store, 7 years), Wedding Coordinator (coordinated close to 600 weddings), Banking (worked myself up from a teller to operations supervisor before I was 25 years old), Flight Attendant (until Sept. 11, 2001) and an Administrative Assistant (7 years experience).

It was tough out there. I was told that I didn't have "current qualifications". Really? I know how to answer a phone, Excel forwards and backwards, Word, and Power Point (even though I am not a real fan). In this day and age, everyone has a home computer and so it's not like you get "rusty" or anything.

So, I while I was looking day in and day out for a job, I found that the school right down the street from us was looking for Duty Aides. It was just for 2 hours a day but the perfect opportunity to get my "foot in the door" in case something else popped up.

I started at the school in the middle of March. I was totally out of my "comfort zone". This was a job that I had never done (yes, I have had a lot of different jobs and experiences). It was nice, though... just 2 hours a day and it was fun.

When the year finished out, I said my good byes but I was going to be back the following year as it was the year that Katherine was going to start at her "big girl school" in the pre-k program. I just happened to be at the district and I asked if I would receive a discount on her tuition. I wasn't expecting anything, after all, I only worked two hours a day. Low and behold, I do receive a discount and it's a nice one, too.

So, August rolls around and we start back up. As the ladies are running around the office, I mention that if they needed any help in the office, I would be more than happy to help them. Not thinking anything of it, a few days later, the principal calls me into the office and says that a new position has opened up and they would like to know if I would want it. It would be working in the office to help out the two ladies in the morning, lunch duty during lunch time and then back in the office for the afternoon.

Wow! What a great opportunity! They even work around Brett's schedule!

We have just finished week three and I think that I finally have the "new routine" under control. Before while I was working, I only had to get myself ready. I didn't have any little ones. This is a whole new experience. I need to get myself up and ready to go as well as Katherine. On top of it all, I need to pack lunches for the both of us. I see what they serve at school and none of it really looks appealing (just my opinion).

Anyway, now I need to find the way to work in going to the gym. I could do it after school but I am so exhausted that I just want to rest. By the time that I am done resting, it is time to take Katherine to either swimming or gymnastics. It's like I have a never ending day. At least she isn't taking karate anymore ~ that was two more days out of my week, gone.

Oh well, I know that I will find a way to get to the gym. I do miss it. I am really liking my new job and being able to get back into a office environment at a slower pace. I think that it has really helped me out. I know that Katherine also enjoys seeing me at school. Not sure if she will think that it is still "cool" when she is in fourth grade. I guess that we will just wait and see.

I am also going to start doing the attendance at school. I know that my grandmother would be so proud since she was the attendance clerk at Malaga Cove for 20 years and then up at Miraleste for another 5 or so years. I didn't think that was so cool when I was in high school but looking back, it was pretty nice having her at school with me. I hope that one day, Katherine will enjoy it as well.

Thank You Cards

This post will probably sound like a vent and maybe it is. I was reading a post on a moms website asking about Thank You cards... are they out of date?

I make sure that I write (handwrite) thank you cards for all of the gifts that Katherine, Brett and I receive. I look at it as though, the person giving the gift really didn't have to go out of their way to give a gift to us. They spent the time thinking of us and we need to thank them. That is just my personal opinion.

It does burn a bit when I make a special trip to the store to buy a gift (or gift card), a card and wrapping and never receive a thank you.
I am just as busy as the next person but how hard is it to sit down and write three sentences on a note card and throw it in the mail? Okay, yes, you have to first you need to find a thank you card (plain paper works as well), then figure out what you are going to write, write it, put it in the envelope, address it and then put a stamp on it.
So, you cannot find any stamps, send an email. Let the person know that you appreciate their efforts, even if you don't like the gift. Regift. That's all I am saying.

The point is... it's the thought that counts and let the giver know that you appreciate the thought.

So, in todays technological world... call, email, text or even snail mail your thank you's. I have sent out many Mother's Day gifts, birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, baby gifts and it's a bit of a let down not to receive a thank you.

Getting back to the original post that I saw about Thank You notes. At the conclusion of the post, Thank You notes are not out dated... people are just getting lazy and not sending them or even calling to say "Thanks".
I am not going to be a lazy person and I am going to continue to send out my thank you cards. I will probably rethink who I send gifts to as if I take the time to chose a gift for you, you should take the time to at least say, "Thank You". If not, there may not be a gift waiting for you in the future from me.

Emily Post on Thank You Notes:
http://www.emilypost.com/communication-and-technology/notes-and-letters/99-thank-you-notes-to-send-or-not-to-send

It’s never wrong to send a written thank-you And people always appreciate getting “thanks” in writing.
Why? Handwritten notes are warmer and more special than other forms of thank-yous. The rule of thumb is that you should send a written note any time you receive a gift (even a ‘thank you’ gift) and the giver wasn’t there to thank in person. But notes are not always necessary. If, for example, the gift is from a close friend or relative (and it’s not a wedding gift) you can email or call instead if you prefer. Below are some other note-writing guidelines:

Shower gifts.
Even though the gift giver attended the shower in your honor and you had a chance to say thanks for her gift, you should still send a written note.

Wedding gifts.
Each wedding gift should be acknowledged with a written note within three months of receipt of the gift. It’s best to write the notes as soon as possible after gifts arrive, however. Write a note even if you have thanked the giver in person.

Congratulatory gifts or cards.
Anyone who sends a present, or a card with a personally written message, should receive a note in return.

Gifts received when sick.
Thank-you notes should be written as soon as the patient feels well enough—or a friend or relative can write the notes. It’s okay to call close friends rather than write.

Condolence notes or gifts.
Everyone who has sent a personal note, flowers or a donation should get a written thank-you. A close friend or relative can write the notes on the recipient’s behalf.

Thinking of Christmas

We are at the end of August and I am really looking forward to fall and winter ~ my two favorite times of the year. I am also really looking forward to the weather cooling off. I like hot but it has been HOT! HOT! HOT! here. Hopefully we will be under a 100* by Halloween.

I think that Katherine is ready for the weather to cool down as well. She asked when we could go play in the snow again. So, I have started making Christmas plans. Since I am working now and can only go on vacation when school is out, I think that we celebrate Christmas here in Phoenix and then go up to a cabin where there is snow for a few days after. Not sure if we will fly or drive. Brett says that the airplane likes the cold but then we would have to rent a car.

I also have all of my Christmas shopping done for the cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Yea! I guess that I was at the right place at the right time ~ lots of sales. Now, I have four months to wrap. I really am not a fan of wrapping and if I can predict the future, even though I am done with shopping, I will wait until the last minute to wrap.

The past two years, I have had wrapping parties and they are wonderful. You get all of your wrapping done in one night with all of your friends. They bring a few rolls of paper, you bring a few rolls paper and poof! you don't need to do any wrapping paper shopping. It's awesome! You are also talking so much and sipping on a hottie tottie, look down and you are done. All done with all of your wrapping. It's a very productive and fun night.

Not sure how I ended up on that tangent but I guess what I am trying to say is, I am really looking forward to the end of this heat and ready for Christmas music on the radio. My husband has different views on this subject. :)

What's In A Name?

My first name is pretty easy but rarely is it pronounced correctly. I usually hear, "Susan" and when I correct the person, most times they have a blank face. The name Susan is not the same as Suzanne. Two totally different names. Crazy, I know. And then throw in the mix of having a cousin named Susan ~ talk about messing up an entire family.

Anyway... and then there is my maiden name. Probably shouldn't go there but I am. Dumbolton. Wow! I don't miss spelling or typing that name. It's long and not many want to even try to pronounce it.
So, going through school with a first name that was pronounced incorrectly more times than correctly and then a last name that nobody want to even touch with a ten foot pole... not so easy.

Fast Forward A Few Years...
While I was pregnant with Katherine, finding the right name was one of the most important things to me and one of the hardest. Yes, I had a tough pregnancy getting sick from the moment that I got pregnant until the moment of the eviction but finding the right name was worse.
When we found out that we were having a girl, each name I came up with, Brett would say, "Amanda to the main stage. Grace to the main stage", etc. Yep, he called them all striper names. We could not agree at all.

I wanted for her to have a classic name ~ not a trendy one or one that every third child had. I also wanted a name that she would not have to correct ~ Suzanne not Susan. I know that it's crazy that I put so much thought into her name but growing up with a tough first name and a difficult last name, I didn't want to put my daughter through the same as what I had to go through.

About two weeks before she was born, we decided on her middle name ~ Anne. It is the last four letters of my first name. Easy. Done. Then, about a week before she was born, Brett and I agreed upon Elizabeth and Katherine for first names.

In the middle of her eviction, I thought about her initials and they were either going to be EAT (Elizabeth Anne Tossell) or KAT (Katherine Anne Tossell). Not much do I remember of her birth but I do remember that. It was solved! I was not going to have a little girl with the initials EAT ~ it could go in too many different directions.
Her name was going to be Katherine Anne! I told Brett once we got back to the room and then I fell asleep.

That night, Brett started to fill out her birth certificate and I remember him asking how we were going to spell it. He wanted to spell it with a "C" and I wanted "K". I told him that I gave birth so it was going to be with a "K". :)
My reasoning for a "K" though, if she wanted to go by Kate, Katie or Kat, it would be a lot easier with Katherine than Catherine ~ Just my opinion.

So, we have a little girl with a classic name. Not one that I thought was very popular name until I heard two other moms today, at her gym where she takes gymnastics, call their little girls over, Katherine. I also noticed on the class rooster that there are two girls in her class named Kaitlyn ~ hence the blog post.

It's only going to get more popular ~ I think. Kate (Catherine) Middleton. That is all I have to say.

Yes, her name is going to get even more popular but she is Katherine. There is no question. It is a long name for a little girl to learn to spell but it is the right name for her. She is her daddy's Katerino and mama's Kitty Kat Katherine. It is a name that she can goof around with as a child and a classic/professional name as an adult.

At the end of the day, I wasn't very happy with my name as a child (just like my eyes) but growing up, I am pretty fond of it now. It is different and I know if a solicitor is calling because they cannot pronounce it at all. Easy fix. "Nope, nobody by the name of Susan here". (hehe)

A name is a name no matter how you look at it and how much time you put into it. It is just a name. We named our daughter the right name and had fun naming our dogs... Little Ms. BJ and Lucky Dog.

The Start of School

We started back at school on Wednesday and the ladies in the office were running around trying to get everything ready for the first day of school. I let them know that if they needed anything, my last job before I had Katherine, I was an executive admin and I would be happy to help them out ~ answer the phones, making copies, fax, etc.

Thursday was the official first day of school. The kindergartners and pre-k didn't start until Friday.
So, lunch time on Thursday went really smooth. It was fun to see everyone back at school.

Friday... a very different story ~ Kindergartners.
They were so small and so lost. I showed them to their tables and their teachers took those that needed hot lunch, through the line. The teachers went to have their own lunch and these little guys ate so slow because they had no idea what was going on. My favorite was those that tried to hand me their trash. When I told them that they had to throw their own trash away, they looked at me like I had two heads.
Watching the three tables of kindergartners, there were also three tables of sixth graders and four tables of third graders. It was a bit busy in there and I was the only duty aid with help of the principal.
It was a bit overwhelming. After those kindergartners were done, it was time to switch ~ three tables out and two tables in. Time to do it all over again. There was even one little boy who came up to me and said that he was lost. He didn't know what color hair his teacher had and none of the kids looked familiar. We finally found his class all at the same time making sure that all of the other grades were behaving.

So, it was a bit busy. Finally when the kindergartners were done and it was just the first graders, the principal asked for me to see him after I was done. Ugg! Oh no! What did I do wrong? It was busy and crazy!

I just went on with my day, trying not to think about having to "see the principal". I don't know why that fear is still in me after all of these years.

Katherine's class came into the lunch room at the same time that the first graders were there. She didn't see me because I was on the other side of the room. Once the first graders were done with their lunch, they were dismissed and went outside to play. Katherine's class was still eating and I finally got to go and say "hi" to her. She was so surprised! Lots of hugs and she looked like she was having fun with her new class.

I was finally done with my day and it was time to see the principal. My heart was racing.
He called me into his office and said that they need to find someone with office experience to help out in the office. Oh, I could breathe again. He was offering me a position with more hours to help out in the office. I can totally do that. It's during school hours so I don't have to have before or after school care for Katherine when Brett is working. They are going to work around my schedule. Yea!!

I was on the fence if I was going to go back to school next semester to get my masters in education but it's so expensive ~ $17,000. Crazy! I also wasn't so sure if I would even be able to find a job after finishing school and I would have to start paying on the loans right away (thanks Obama) without a job and still in school. So, this is the best opportunity to happen. It is just an assistant to the administrative assistant right now but next year, they are hoping to have a third admin position and I would be the first to be considered.

What I have learned that in this economy is that patience works. No, I am not making the money that I was making before I left the workforce but starting back at the bottom and working your way up, works. I can walk to work (when the weather is cooler) to save gas, see Katherine through out the day and have the same schedule as Katherine and not have to pay for childcare. So, as I said before, I am not making the money as before but I am saving on gas and childcare which at the end of the day, can be very expensive. So, I think that it all washes out at the end. Woo Hoo!!

Past, Present, Future Friendship

There are those that come into your life, leave and then return...

Facebook has helped find friends that you may have lost contact with due to moving, going to a different school, or when you enter/left college.

I have had a grand time finding old friends on Facebook and reconnecting with them ~ from my grade school that I went to until the 6th grade, high school friends, old roommates, girls that I did gymnastics with, to those that I worked with.

In the past four weeks, I have seen three people that I didn't think that I would ever see again. Modern technology is pretty amazing.

I saw on Facebook that a friend of mine from high school was here in town. She invited me over to where she was staying as they were having a 4th of July party. I was hesitant to go but I am so glad that I did. It is crazy but we pretty much caught up where we had left off. It wasn't weird, it was comfortable. We talked for hours. It didn't seem like almost twenty years had past by.

When Brett and I went to Vegas a few weeks ago, I sent a message to a friend of mine that I used to work with at the bank. While I lived in Vegas, I rarely went down to the strip but she made a special trip down to see me and my family. It was so special. Then again, her and I caught up like no time had passed by.

Finally, a friend of mine in grade school was coming into town to stay with her mom for a few weeks. I suggested that we get together and she came over to our home with her family. Wow! This again, was so easy just to get right back to where we were thirty years ago. It was kind of like we were kids once again but grown ups. Not only did we talk for hours, we continued talking over lunch and into the early afternoon a few days later.

My mom gave me a poster when I was a kid that said:
"Make new friends but keep the old,
One is silver and the other is gold"

I am really looking forward to catching up with more friends. Life takes each of us down different paths with different experiences ~ what an exciting adventure!!

Tutor Time

First day at Tutor Time

Katherine started Tutor Time in June, 2010.

It was a hard transition for both her and I. After about three or four months, everything was good. She was happy with her teacher and I could drop her off with out any tears (from either of us).

Today was her last day at Tutor Time. I think that I was more teary eyed than her. They taught her so much. Maybe not so much with education but she learned how to be in a classroom environment. She learned how to think for herself and to be able to give her opinion when needed. She learned how to participate in a group activity but she also learned that it was okay to play by herself if she wanted too. She loved her friends and her friends loved her back. Dropping her off every morning was kind of like Norm from Cheers ~ everyone said her name when she entered the classroom.

I am very grateful to have found such a wonderful place. Now it is time to move on. She will be going to the Pre-K program offered through the grade school in which she will be going to next year.

It is crazy to think that she will be starting kindergarten in Aug, 2012. Where has the time gone?


Last day at Tutor Time

Our Dogs

MS. BJ's Nap Time

When I finally talked Brett into getting a dog, I was told that we would need to follow the three rules...

1. Dogs are not allowed on the furniture.
2. Dogs do not eat people food.
3. Dogs do not sleep on our bed.

Those rules went out the door the minute that little Ms. BJ came home. Brett let her jump on the (back of the) couch, sleep on our bed and gave her table scraps. Three years after we got Ms. BJ, we found our Lucky dog. We rescued him and just by his reactions to certain things, you could tell that the poor dog was beat by his previous owner. It didn't take long, though, for Lucky to get used to his new home.

He takes his naps on the couch, sleeps on our bed with us (yep, that is 5 bodies some nights sharing 1 king bed), and cannot get enough of Katherine's left over Mac n' Cheese.

Looking back, I wouldn't have it any other way.

MR. Lucky Chewing On A Bone

Prepared for the Monsoon

Las Vegas

Our family was invited to a birthday party out in Las Vegas. This was a party for a child of a dear friend of ours. We were thinking about going and then another family invited us to join them in Las Vegas as they were taking their two girls to see the Lion King.

We decided to go. I had not been back to Vegas since I graduated from UNLV. I saw it in my rearview mirror and had not been back since (except for one night when I got my Lasik surgery in 2004). I really had no desire to go back but I was missing my friends out there.

It started out different than what we planned but turned out great. We got the airplane packed and ready to go, we taxied out and then everything on the instrument panel went black. Not a good sign. So we taxied back to the hanger, packed up the car and drove for four and a half hours. If we would have been able to take the plane, it would have been an hour and a half trip. Oh well, that's the way the cookie crumbles.

We missed the birthday party but were able to visit with Kim and the family and meet the twins. The twins were so cute and so little. It's crazy how much you forget when your child is older. I got my baby "fix", Brett caught up with Kim and Katherine played with Andrew.

Later that night, we took the kids to see the Bellagio Conservatory. It was beautiful. Totally different than when lived there. Actually, the entire strip was completely different. All of the hotels that I knew, were dwarfed by all of the new "sky scrapper" hotels. All I can say is "Wow"!

After going into the Bellagio, I now remember what I don't miss about the casinos... all of the smoke!

So, we said our good byes as it was a very long day with the drive and we headed back to our hotel. The next morning, we woke up and I wanted to see the Wynn hotel as it was in the process of being built when I moved. I also called a friend of mine that I had worked with to catch up.

The Wynn was a beautiful hotel ~ very Chinese. Lots and lots of reds and butterflies... Katherine's favorites.



Breana and I chatted for about an hour and then we were on our way to the Mandalay Bay. We met up with our friends from Palm Desert and the girls had a blast in the pool. We had lunch and then took them back to the room for naps. The boys went out to play and we got some rest for the night. When we woke up, we got ready for dinner and The Lion King.

I bought Katherine a cute skirt that was perfect for Vegas. It was even more perfect because I only spent $4 for it. She looked adorable and the girls were ready to see the show.

The Lion King was different than what I expected. It was nice that even though our seats were up higher, the cast came up and included us in the show. Katherine loved the entire show except for the ended, which was to be expected. She wants to go to more stage shows and I think one day she will be one of the ones up on stage dancing and singing.

The next morning, we left the hotel and went by UNLV. I wanted to get something for Katherine from there. The campus has changed a lot since I was there about 10 years ago. Many new buildings and the Student Union was awesome!
I ended up getting Katherine a pink (yep, her favorite color) UNLV bag in which she could use for school. I also got myself a new pink (I think she is wearing off on me) UNLV sweatshirt (on sale).

We then got in the car, prepared ourselves for another four and a half drive back home. We made home in time to pick up our two favorite dogs and we all crashed pretty early in the evening.

All in all, we had a fantastic time. I am happy that I lived there but do not miss it at all. I want to do something fun and exciting for my 40th birthday and I will not be spending it there.

Blog Posts

I deleted a post on my blog because of an email that was sent me. I was told that the post was "unflattering" and "one sided".

Blogs are one sided. They are an open journal of thoughts, feelings, stories and observations.

The post was taken off out of respect but I still stand by the truth. Nothing in that post was untrue. I am very passionate about children learning to be water safe. It is very important to me since there are so many children that drown and we as parents can prevent that.
In my opinion (yes, this is my opinion because this is my blog), a parent should never leave a child in the pool without any supervision. This includes children that can swim and children that cannot. There should always be someone out watching, even if they have friends over. A parent needs to be in eye contact with their child(ren). A drowning child never gives advance warning such as screaming... they kick and keep their heads above water for as long as they can and then sink.

I believe that no parent should "hand over" their responsibility of watching their child(ren) to another parent for any extended periods of time. I have been on the other side and it's not fair to that parent nor the child(ren). Watching my own child in the water is stressful enough and then you throw another one or two children more children in the mix, is that really safe?
Now, I am not saying that you cannot turn to a friend and ask to watch your child for a minute or two while you run to the bathroom or grab the phone. I am talking about those parents that go into the house for an extended amount of time and when needed, they are nowhere to be found.

I also believe... ALL parents need to put their children in swim lessons. Water and swimming are totally out of comfort zones of children and for adults that cannot swim. If they fall in and don't know how to get out, they panic and that is when drownings occur. Parents need to teach their children how to get out of pools. Pool fences are a deterrent, not a solution to keep kids out of pools. Kids will always find their ways around the pool fences.

Kids and swim lessons are not easy. As stated in the past, Katherine has been in swim lessons since she was 6 months old. There have been many lessons in which Katherine screamed the entire time of the lesson. I had to excuse myself and walk away so that she couldn't see me. It was tough but totally worth it. Katherine got used to being the water with her swim instructor which in turn helped her be successful in water safety.

Now that Katherine is older and a stronger swimmer, I know that she is fully capable to getting out of the water if she were to fall in. That scenario just happened a few months ago...
We were at a get together and all of the parents were outside with the children enjoying the nice weather. The children were playing tag, playing house and riding tricycles when Katherine fell into the pool while not paying attention while riding a bike. Yes, she had a shock look but she was able to get herself out of the pool without any problems.

So, you are more than welcome to agree or disagree with me and my passion for kids learning how to swim. If I am around a pool with a parent and they are not watching their kids, you will hear me call them out on it. I also don't tolerate parents that do not give their children any positive reinforcement. All kids look to their parents for their support and if you do not give that to your child, I will call you out on it. Children have tons of fears and it our jobs as parents to help them through their fears, such as swimming, and show them that there is nothing to be afraid of.

I am not saying that I am the "perfect" parent. I am simply saying, respect and have fun with your kids. Teach them about fears ~ good ones and bad ones and ones that could save their lives. Teach them and learn from them.

Fun Friday Night Family Night

Our family fun night... we saw the new Winnie the Pooh movie. It was a cute movie and it was nice to see hand drawn animation, not just computer animation.

After the movie, we had dinner and then Katherine wanted to Jump! There is a place in the outdoor mall that Katherine was wanted to jump at but she has always been too small. When I say "too small", I mean doesn't her height but weight. She is FINALLY over 30 pounds and could jump.

Katherine had a blast and a smile the entire three minutes. I couldn't believe that they charged $8 for only three minutes but it was money well spent. She bounced and bounced and bounced. She even bounced up to the trees. I do have to teach her how to do a flip and then I don't think that we could just walk by the Jump place without having to pay.

It was a fun Friday Night Family Night!!

Prescott, Arizona

Last Sunday, we decided to go to Prescott for lunch. It was about a hour and 40 minute drive and the weather was about 80* when we got there. I looked up where we should go on Yelp and the restaurant that we chose was pretty good. For the most part, Yelp does give some great reviews.

After lunch, we walked around the park and enjoyed the cooler weather. I am looking forward to go back up in the fall to see the leaves. It is one of my favorite places to go for fall. Maybe we will make it there this year during the winter to take Katherine to the snow...

Riding in Daddy's "Office"