In A Nutshell

it's like christmas (part 1 of 2)

I've been sneaky. I have to admit, that is one of my favorite things about Christmas. I get to lie and be sneaky and get away with it, because it's for the good of a fabulous surprise.  

Allow me to fill you in; Isaiah wanted a hamster for Christmas. This request was met with a resounding "no" from both his father and I. However, I thought, "What about a rabbit?" Rabbits are larger, less temperamental, more interactive, and can provide me with an opportunity to foster a greater sense of love, compassion, and responsibility in my children.

At the mere mention of this idea as an alternative, Isaiah squealed with glee. A rabbit it is.

I started with research. I learned all I knew about rabbits from when I was in elementary school and my day care had one. With that being said, I knew that they liked my leftover lunch carrots, and that was about it. Knowledge is my friend, and so is Google. My head is now exploding with information about rabbits. 

I picked out two breeds of rabbits that I thought would be the most compatible with my kids. Then I looked around for local breeders that had available young rabbits that met my long list of criteria. Then I called around to local vets to find out how much it would cost to neuter said rabbit. $320 + the cost of a check up? Are you serious? Holy crap. That's expensive. What are our alternatives?

An animal shelter. Smart. Why didn't I think of that first? I guess when I think of an animal shelter I think of cats and dogs, not rabbits.

So, I pack the kids in the car and we drive over to our local animal shelter. I wanted to check out the facilities, and find out how the adoption process works, which we did. We stayed well over an hour talking to the volunteers, petting lots of rabbits, and asking lots of questions. It was fun. 

Just as we were fixing to leave, one of the volunteers brings out this rabbit. It was one of my two breeds of choice, and it met my long list of criteria. I played it cool in front of Isaiah. I didn't want my excitement to unduly influence his thought process. We stay a little longer, hung out with the bunny, thanked the volunteers for their time, and make our departure.

On the way home I asked Isaiah which rabbits he liked the best. He said he liked the one the best. Oh boy. I wasn't planning on having a rabbit in the house for another month or two, maybe even longer, and Isaiah is well aware of that fact. I made it crystal clear that it would be a long while before we got a rabbit. However, because of this bunny's irresistibly sweet personality, I know it won't be around for us to wait. What to do? Talk it over with the hubby, get the seal of approval, and (if I can pull it off) plan a very sneaky surprise. After all, this will be an early Christmas present.

still around

Just so you know. I'm still around even though I have been neglecting this little space of mine. Fortunately, I don't think anyone has noticed. I'm sort of like the missing shoe you've been looking for for a month, then suddenly it shows up like it's been there all along. Oh there it is, and here I am... sort of.

my little prince

I have a deal with my eldest son. He reads a book, and when he is finished, I rent him the movie that is based upon the book. The movie has turned out to be a huge incentive, therefore making this an incredibly successful deal. It also opens up a dialogue of contrast and comparison; what gets left out, and what gets added in. It is interesting, and most importantly, fun. 

Isaiah finished reading The Little Prince about a week ago, and I rented him the anime series that was on T.V. when I was a kid. Ah, nostalgia. 

In this is stereotypical 80's anime rendition, the little prince is wearing a purple one piece jump suit, a white pilot's scarf, and a cute belt with a star on the end. I thought it would be fun to try and make a belt like that for Isaiah, then half way through the project I began to let the demons of self doubt creep in. I was hoping he wouldn't think it was totally lame. After all, he is growing up... but he's still my little boy, and I don't want him to grow up. You get it. 

So, imagine my surprise when I show it to him, and he genuinely digs it. I wanted to cry. He told me he liked it. He put it on over his pajamas and went to bed wearing it. Ah, he is still my little boy, but not for much longer. 

That little voice whispers demandingly in my ear, "Cherish these moments. Cherish them!", and I do. I love him so very, very much. My little prince.

 

today was filled with...

Today was filled with radish eating,

butterfly catching (more chasing them around than actual catching),

milk mustaches and dried up boogers,

wind in the trees,

and observing noticeably hairier little knees.

the big o-three

Phoenix turned three yesterday and I was constantly reminded of just how precious these fleeting moments of his childhood are. He's not a baby anymore; he's a little boy. Dang, that was fast. Too fast. I nearly cried several times today, but I'll try not to get all mushy on you.

I decided not to bake a birthday cake for him this year. With all the other stuff we had going on I felt it was justified. Instead, I put colored sprinkles on the tops of pan-cakes as they cooked, doused them in maple syrup, and topped the stack off with three star shaped candles. We sang happy birthday, and it was a great start to our day.

Pre-pancake making, I realized we were out of maple syrup. I ran over to the grocery store to get some and nabbed the monkey balloon while I was at it. It's about the same size as he is (Awesome, right?), and everywhere he went this morning, the balloon went too. 

Presents were opened and played with. 

My dad and step-mom have a penchant for buying my children ridiculously loud and/or obnoxious sounding toys. I consider it an act of well deserved retribution.

On my way back home from the above mentioned maple syrup run, I crossed paths with our neighbors. I mentioned that it was Phoenix's birthday and 20 minutes later they were at our doorstep making a personal delivery; a gift bag filled with an automatic bubble blower and three big boxes of candy. Isn't that just the nicest thing?

This photo only tells half the story. After the bubbles came the hose war with Logan. Both Phoenix and Isaiah were both soaked from head to toe, with smiles from ear to ear. After having them dry off and change their clothes I tried to get Phoenix to take a nap. That was a definite no-go, so we just headed over to the beach as planned.

We went to Doheny which is a great location for a number of reasons, numero uno being that it parallels the rail road. I don't know any three year old boys who aren't completely fascinated with trains. 

Logan built a fire that made the children from the neighboring campsite flock to us like we were Egyptian gods descending from the heavens. I think it was the popping of the seaweed pods in the fire that piqued their curiosity. Nothing like a little snap, crackle, and pop. Fortunately, they quickly made friends with our children and they had a great time together.

We made s'mores and had ourselves a little picnic. That's two things I can tick off our summer to-do list. Woot!

However, Phoenix didn't want to have anything to do with the s'more I made him. Apparently, blackened marshmallows are not his style. He pointed a condemning finger to the scorched mallow and declared, "I don't want to eat this mommy, it's disgusting." Um... okay. So I made separate piles of grahams, un-toasted mallows, and chocolate which he ate happily.

It's all you little man. Happy birthday.

real life

In my real life I watch the Rachel Maddow show every week night over the internet. I say we don't watch T.V., but I wonder if perhaps I am cheating? 

In real life I see my Iranian friends and neighbors grieving for their families in their home country.

During the commercial breaks I clip my coupons and work on crocheting a big batch of cookies & muffins for Phoenix's birthday. It's a week away!

This little guy is always taking naps on my lap; he is my lap cat. He is wondering what the heck I am doing taking his picture. He gets the scowl from me. 

southern california wild flower of the week - yerba mansa

This week we are crunching the last bits of the third grade into the next three months, and gearing up for fourth. 

Swimming classes have begun and I am truly amazed at what has been accomplished by my boys in just the four classes they've had so far. 

I am considering Spanish classes at the local college for the eldest, but am hemming and hawing over the schedule and weather or not we can make it work.

I'm crocheting cookies for the middle child when I should be doing the dishes. 

summer

While summer is about a week away, we are experiencing what is known around here as "June gloom". The sky is overcast and dreary more often than not, and we are kept on our toes because it always looks like it could rain at any second. But will it? Usually the answer is no, but you never know.

With all this cloud cover and all the time I have spent indoors to avoid it, I have had a lot of time to think about what I'd like to do with my family this summer. Here's what I have in mind:

~ have a picnic

~ have a bonfire on the beach & make smores

~ fly a kite

~ hike the holy jim trail

~ go tide pooling

~ participate in our library's summer reading program

~ make shadow puppets

~ visit the arboretum at uci

~ go on a train ride

~ family bowling night (going out for pizza & ice cream included)

What are your plans for the summer? I would love to hear your ideas! And for my friends down under, what are you looking forward to doing this winter? Do tell.

feeling special

My Mom and Step-dad came down to visit us for my birthday last weekend. We took them on our nature walk, which turned out to be pretty awesome. 

We saw our first rattler...

and after many attempts were finally able to identify the mystery moth.

My Step-dad cooked dinner for all of us and introduced me to sauteed beet greens, which are now my most favorite vegetable ever. I could have easily eaten a whole plate of them. Yum.

I bought this cheap California wine because I thought the label was cool. I'm such a sucker. The label promised heavy fruit flavors and it delivered. It's a pretty decent wine for only six bucks.

Mom put together the strawberry shortcake birthday cake.

I quickly engulfed it in whipped cream. The kind out of the can. <3

I had such a great time, I didn't even mind doing the dishes the next morning. In fact, I enjoyed it because they reminded me of what a wonderful time I had and how special my family made me feel on my birthday. I love you guys!

new specs

After dealing with these for nearly a year and then losing them sometime mid January, I finally got my arse over to my optometrist. 

I have graduated from my reading glasses which I have been wearing since the third grade, to full on "multipurpose" glasses. This means I can wear them while driving or while reading, and everything in between. 

Yeay me.