=go out and play=

The type of play kids are engaging in could be harmful? There is a play crisis? I'm home sick...again..today and I watched the Today Show this morning....this being their main topic. Did anyone else see it? Anyways, I found it to be very interesting.

Pop Quiz: What is better for your kids? Playing with the latest educational toys or blowing bubbles?

A: bubbles

My initial reaction....what? You think that it would be the educational toys, however, studies have come to show that those toys are actually hindering their ability to develope their own imagination and creativity. Kids have lost up to 12 hours of free play time a week! How crazy is that? Some schools have decreased or completely elimiated recess! Thinking back to my elementary school days, I can't imagine not having recess. Those contained some of the best times with my friends. In fact, I remember more about what happened are recess than actually in the classroom.

We haven't really hit the age with Hailey where we are using a lot of the electronic educational toys. The only thing I can really think of would be Baby Einstein and a few toys that say colors and such. Nothing else major. We play with blocks, puzzles, books, and her baby doll. Kids need to play...and it's so sad to live in a world where parents are too busy or overwhelmed to take the time to play with their kids or not give them the time to play at all. All I remember from my childhood is play time. Sad. Hopefully the show today opened up some parents eyes.

If you didn't happen to see it, here is the link below.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26421059#26421059

On a side note....they are showing the gadgets that kids need when going back to school. (funny isn't it after my last couple paragraphs lol) But serousiously...a chrome calculator belt buckle? What the heck? That's all I have to say about that....

http://www.krunker.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/villagestreetwear-1974-105032615.jpg

=sand in the city=

Saturday, Hanna, Jack, Hailey and I, packed lunches and headed downtown to the Port Plaza for Sand in the City.

(I, of course, forgot my camera)

Sand in the City is a community event sponsored by the Hands on Children's Museum downtown. Any group can sculpt sand into a magnificent scene. From a movie, story, or real life. The kids had a blast. They got their faces painted, dug in some sand for some seashells, played in buckets of water with toys, made jelly fish, bracelets, necklaces...and it was all for free. Well, it was donation, but neither of us had any money. :o) It was a blast. There was live music with Irish dancers, bubbles, it was fabulous! A great way to spend our saturday morning/afternoon. Hailey loved it. She even sat there, while the girl painted flowers on her check. She's all about being "pretty" right now. I love it. So of course, she had to look in the mirror, or as Hailey says, mirra. She saw them and said, "pretty". :o) She's so cute! Next time, I'll bring my camera.

Well, I've been sick now for a while...and I'm pretty tired from it all...5 days of it, so I'm going to head to bed. G'night!!!

=anothing boring update=

So, I'm sick...again. But it's not a normal cold. It's just my throat and my voice. My voice is basically gone. I sound like a frog. A girl at work today thought I was crying when I was on the phone with her. Lol....nope...just my frog voice. I shouldn't be allowed to talk. Everytime I'm on the phone, or not, people are like "are you okay?" "are you sure something isn't wrong?" URG! It's just my voice people! Just call me froggie.

Last weekend, we had another wedding. It went great...except for the catering. Long long story. It was a gorgeous day, about 98-100 degrees out, no breeze what so ever. We got heat stroke a few times working. It was a long, hot, tiring day, but turned out gorgeous. Pictures will come when I get them back. (I forgot my camera...ugh).

Melissa came home to visit. I was so glad I was able to see her. We had a few hours to go out for a strawberry mojito with Meg and it was great! I miss my girl time....Mel, tell Jesse I demand that you move back just so we can have our girl time! lol. *sniff sniff* Next time...stay longer. :o)

Our good friend and neighbor Curtis Buschor, which some of you know, left last night for a year long tour in Bagdhad, Iraq. He's headed to Missouri for a while and then off to Iraq. It was really hard to say goodbye to hiim last night. He knocked on our door around 10:15pm and said, I'm heading out. Then, Hanna and Jack (his fam) and Michael and I walked downstairs to say our goodbyes. So please, say a prayer for him and his family. He is one of the sweetest, most gracious guys I've ever met...and it pains me to see him say goodbye to his wife and most of all, his son. Keep him in your thoughts, prayers and heart.....Lord....be with him.

Well, that's all for now. Nothing too exciting, but really, nothing has been happening here. I promise, next time, it'll be a better post. :o)

=eh=

Saw a great movie the other day. The Other Boleyn Girl. Really good...I recommend it.

Also, I have a new favorite artist....Missy Higgins. I'm in love with her music and plan on getting her cd tomorrow. Look her up!

That's all for now. Life has been....eh...it's been better. I'm pretty tired and will have a better update soon...I promise.

=my project=

I have decided to do more things that I enjoy. Things that I have enjoyed for a long time, but have since stopped doing because life has become so busy. So, Sunday, I decided to pick up some canvases and paint again. I've been trying to find some art work for our bedroom. I really like those paintings that are continuation paintings....but I thought to myself, why buy something I can do myself? So, project #1 has begun...

There are still some touch ups to be done, but here is the first canvas. The other two, they are drawn out, not sure if you can see it or not, but I'm hoping it'll all be as good as I hope...and something that I can actually feel good about hanging on my walls. hahaha!

On a side note, Hailey was cute in her bath tonight....

That's it for now.

Night!

=first wedding of the summer=

Saturday, Jen and I had our first wedding of the summer. We have three more to go, possibly four, and then one more in the winter time. Things are going great for our business.

Ashley and David's wedding was amazing. Everything went smoothly, almost too smooth. It was a gorgeous day, no rain, sun shining, water sparkling and a great time had by all. here are a few pictures.

Inside the tent:



We decorate their room too...



It was great. When we get the professional photos, I'll definitely share!

Night guys...sorry for the short post, but I'm tired. More to come soon!

=blessings=

When everything is going wrong, there's always that one thing that breaks the streak....a blessing. I had my blessing today after a few days of disappointments...

As you all know, I spent the weekend in California. It was a good weekend overall. A few family disputes, some hives, puke and cranky kids, but the pool, sun and starbucks kept us alive. My weekend started off with an arguement with my dad. It was a...not so good start to an okay weekend. My grandma's wedding reception was good but incredibly HOT! Imagine, 90 people in 100 degree weather under a tent...yeah, that's right, a tent. Who would rent a tent in that hot of weather in a backyard full of shade already? My family...that's who. It was hotter than hades out there. The tent just kept all of the hot muggy grossness inside of it. It was icky. About 20 minutes into the reception, Hailey takes a pretty nasty spill, killing her knees, poor thing. That left me with a cranky almost 2 year old the rest of the day. After the reception, it was off to the pool. The pool was our saving grace all weekend. :o) The next morning was the morning before the BBQ in honor of my grandpa. That was the morning that was filled with hives and puke. It was a whirlwind of events. My sister went to starbucks and about 10 minutes after she gets back, we realize that the little one, Maddox who is 8 months, has hives all over his body...and they were rapidly spreading. Not just any hives, but big welts. My sister in-law headed off to the emergency room with him. About 5 minutes after that, Hailey pukes all over my brother's couch pillow...and Michael. That leads to both Michael and I not feeling well, neither of us can really handle puke. Hailey cries for about 15 minutes and then is up running around playing just like nothing happened....while mommy is laying down upstairs still feeling gross. Lol. The baby comes back...fine...and full of benedryl. :o) My grandpa's BBQ, well, it was what it was. Tears, laughter and food.

Now here comes the big event. The night we left, we lost our computer and our portable DVD player....within a matter of hours. Michael had carried our computer out to the car and sat it on top of the car to open the door.....it was forgotten. We drove off and it flew off. He realized that he forgot it there about 15 minutes into our journey home. We back tracked and searched for over an hour. We were unable to find it. The computer I saved up for, paid cash for and contained ALL of the pictures I have ever taken of Hailey is gone. Ugh. On one of our stops, rest area or gas station, our portable DVD player must have fallen out. No idea where it ended up.

Where is the blessing in all of this? Well, I had just about given up on my computer when someone answered Michael's Lost and Found add on Craigslist. A fellow UPS employee in Cali. He found it on the 65, on the side of the road. It's only a tiny bit scratched on the top but everything else is fine! How amazing is that? It's now in my brother's hands and will be shipped to us soon. :o)

Well, that was just the great ending to my somewhat crappy weekend. Hope all is well....