My new hair!

I got my hair cut yesterday and finally got around to taking some Myspace-quality pictures of it. I love it! Yay! Bangs rock.

See how pretty my hair is?

Yay hair!

Anyway, here's a picture of something I meant to post a while back. Do you have any guesses as to what it is?

Well, I didn't, and still don't. All I know is: I moved the fridge to get some of Matt's toys and that was stuck behind it.
It looks like a really old rotted peach with mold on it. Really grossed me out and I finally got up the courage to grab it with a pair of tongs and a cooking spoon and toss it outside. Guess I was afraid it was going to burst or something. Sometimes my imagination gets a hold of me too easily, I guess. I had images of a big black widow colony waiting in there to burst out at the first sign on human contact and once I got that in my head I couldn't get rid of it.
Anyway, that's all for now. Going out to lunch with Joey today for an early birthday celebration, and getting Matt's hair cut again. Look, this is the only style I can do now with it!

Mowhawk Matt! Cutest baby ever!

Bang(s)! You're Dead!

So today I am getting my hair cut again, and I am going to go for bangs this time! I haven't had bangs since 6th/7th grade. I know my 7th grade I had begun growing them out, and they have been an equal part of my hair ever since.
But now their follicular status is getting cut! I hope it looks good. Probably going to go for this type of style:

Okay, I know, the lady is sorta weird looking, but I like her hair. Plus my stylist rocks so she can make it work. I am super nervous...but excited! And no, I am not going platinum blonde. Not my thing :-P
Well I will post more later. I am getting all excited about my birthday and my trip back east! Yay!!! Oh and yes, I will post pictures.

Driving, Goldendoodles and Achilles Tendons

So, today I remembered the fallen veterans by grooming. Not a typical remembrance, but it works! So, since I felt like it, I took some pictures!

This is the drive to work. Exciting, huh?

This is one of my request clients, Luke. He is a goldendoodle--a golden retriever/standard poodle mix. That is a very popular mix right now, along with labradoodles (labrador retrievers and standard poodles). This is him before his bath, brush and haircut.

Still before. Taking a picture was difficult. He is still kind of a puppy (16 months), so he is in constant motion!

And this is him after! I left the hair an inch all over, which took an hour long bath/blowdry and another hour and a half to brush and cut.

Isn't he handsome? He is a very good boy.

Anyway, somehow on my lunch (Sean brought Matt down to visit), I really hurt my achilles tendon (the tendon on the back of the foot above the heel). Really, really sucks. It hurts unbelievably bad. I can hardly walk and it is super painful. It goes all the way up my leg. :-( Hope it heals as fast as the pain came on! Soo lame...
Anyway, that is all for now! I am going to hobble over to the kitchen and eat something.

A Working Tv...for me?

Yes, we finally traded in our hand-me-down big screen tv for another hand-me-down big screen tv of the same variety. They are alike in most ways except one--our new one has a perfect picture...RIGHT WHEN YOU TURN IT ON!
WOW!
Let me tell you how ridiculous it had gotten with our other one.
It needed at least 3-4 days of being completely off before operation. During that time if you turned it on, the picture would jump and distort so violently it would make you sick. It wouldn't ever warm up.
After the 3-4 day waiting period, however, you could turn it on and it would warm up within two hours. Then we'd get a good 20-30 minutes of good viewing time, and the picture would begin to jump violently again. Then begins the cycle of waiting another 3-4 days. Fun!
My friend Jana's uncle took it, presumably to fix it and use/sell it. He can go right ahead! We paid $100 for a 52 inch big screen RCA tv that works perfectly fine for now. Everything is hooked up, and it's so nice not to have a big space waster in the living room now.
Anyway, everything else is going good. Looking forward to my birthday and my vacation. Yay!

Toddlers Are Wierd.

Today he woke up from him afternoon nap in an awful mood. Nothing would calm him down. Drugged him up, but still nothing. Still on an angry tirade. screaming, rolling around on the floor, hitting things (hitting himself which was actually sort of funny, because the pain really made him mad) ... (I know, I'm terrible). Etc, screaming like we were strangling him, the whole works.
Finally after about 10 minutes we decide to completely ignore him. Sean leaves the room. Matt stops crying in about 2 min (after screaming louder and throwing himself around more dramatically in an attempt to get my attention), takes a deep breath, grabs his sippy cup with milk, climbs up to the couch and snuggles with me, totally quiet. And gives me a kiss.
.....
ohh...kay...
Oh and he was fine from then on.

Matt Plays In The Tornado...er...Rain

Just a quick post, to say that today was really weird! It started off normally, sorta overcast and normal temperature, and progressed to rain, hail, thunder, lightning and...TORNADOES!
Yes, tornadoes in Southern Cali...and no, it's not the Day After Tomorrow. Unless it is the 22nd...hmm...through some strange time twist...maybe it is!

Here it is! It touched down less than 20 miles away. It tore up railroad tracks and flipped over an oil tanker on the highway. Amazingly, only one building was struck (see above).
I think that company said they are giving all their employees paid time off while it is repaired or something...? I don't know.
Anyway, I am sure the people in Kansas think that's baby stuff, but we literally never get tornadoes here. If we do (which I have heard of), they don't touch down!
Paired with a very unusual rain/thunderstorm in May, and it's some freaky stuff! So of course, I just had to go outside and take pictures of Matthew in the rain.

Matt is cute in the rain...and my font is weird and huge for some reason! Great!


Water...from the sky? I can finally get wet some other way than dumping the doggie water bowl all over me when mommy isn't looking...

The troubled clouds.."okay, so this IS Wichita, right dude? ...Um....let me check...ARGH I HATE YOU TOM TOM!!!"

lala....I am a wet baby...but I am drinking hot chocolate so it's okay.

Rain, I command you to halt!

This is Matt running around in the rain. Nothing amazing...okay except for one part. Let's just say...don't blink!

Goodnight everyone! Don't let the tornadoes bite!

Airlines Are Cheap Bastards

Sooo...in preparation for my trip back east I decided to confirm some things so I could plan ahead. I am flying on two different airlines, one to Hartford and one back. On both of their websites, they say that the first checked bag is free, the second is $25, and the third one is $100. That sorta freaked me out because I was planning on checking three bags. A piece of luggage, the pack and play and the carseat. So I wondered if the carseat counted as a personal assistance device (which are free to check), and called. US Air said yes, they are free, and United said no. I think the US Air rep was confused and thought Matt had his own seat. But maybe I can argue that in the airport and get it free. But either way I am now looking at $125 each way!!! Yikes!!! So, the carseat isn't optional, but the pack and play sort of is. I figure if I can find one back east for Matt to sleep in then that will certainly be cheaper than $100 extra each way. I can do $25. Not 100! That is so evil and ridiculous.
Anyway, just was frustrated and had to vent. Found some on Craigslist back there, so hope is there. Heck, it would be cheaper to buy one off the shelf there! Or send it via mail! Lame airlines...

Laptop!

This is my second post on a laptop, and the first on MY laptop! I love it! Okay, well I love it now that all the bloatware has been un-installed. And I will love it even more when it has more ram. It is so nice to post wherever I want to! And to be able to watch Matt and do necessary computer stuff. Yay! Now I just have to concentrate on not dropping it or spilling any drinks on it. Better concentrate REALLY hard because I have a bad feeling I will. Or Matt. Or both.
Anyway, not much other news to report. Should expect more posts because now it is a little easier to post. Have a good day, everyone!

Early Birthday Present!

Yay! Sean ordered my birthday present!!! I've wanted one for a long, long time...


A brain! Yay!

And he also got me a laptop!!! Finally! I have wanted one for a really long time, and this one can replace my current computer. It was the right price and everything. He also ordered 4 extra gigs of ram so that Vista could run properly (properly for Vista, which isn't saying much).
I am so excited!
Now I have a hope of making it to the east coast in a saner state of mind. Since Matt doesn't watch TV very often (not because we are excellent parents but because our living room tv is broken), hopefully if I put some hypnotizing brain melting toddler-aimed dvd on he will be happy and distracted for a bit so we can relax. Ah...to be able to surf the web AND watch tv...to be able to take my computer anywhere I go!
To have a cd rom drive that works...
Ah...
Oh and it comes with a carrying case...yay!
I know it isn't the biggest screen, but it doesn't have to be. It only has to be big enough to be visible at close range. Anyway, I have to go to bed soon. Just wanted to gloat about my present!

Matt and the "Other" Baby

I finally found the connector cord! Yay! I have lots of pictures I have been meaning to post, but never could (and that's part of the reason I haven't really been posting). Now I can! I am going to start with some shots of the baby shower that I promised but couldn't deliver a while before:

Matt pumps up to go with a Rockstar energy drink.

Three of my friends: (from the left) Tina, Kim, and Annie. Kim is the pregnant one :-)

Matt plays with a cute little girl who really seemed to love having someone littler than her to boss around.

Those energy drink crashes are horrible! He was so tired and fussy he had to take a bath with his pacifier (he doesn't get it during the day usually), AND his balloon. (see the red around his eyes?)

Sort of off the subject, but this is Nostromo's newest sleeping spot.

Well, anyway, that was a fun day. For us, that was. Matt got really fussy towards the end. Anyway, I have been watching my friend Lorenza's baby, as I mentioned before, so here are some pictures. He is 7 months old, but only 8 lbs, so he is newborn size. Read on for the shocking side-by-side comparison!

Here he is about to fall asleep on my bed last time I watched him. He is so cute!

Smile!

Matt loves the baby.

"Jeez, you're so little!"...."Oh my god, you're Gigantasor!"

And, the infamous side-by-side comparison!!!! Matt used to be that little! I can't believe it! SO ridiculous. How fast they grow!
Well, now the two are napping, so I am going to be productive and relax! I took a walk to Target today with both of them, Robert (the baby) in the baby sling and Matt in the stroller. Fun, but tiring in the sun.
Alright, hope you enjoyed the post! Be sure to check out my new poll!

Free Time

Just had a bit of free time between Matt's nap and a shower and thought I would post again. The connector cord is still MIA which is pretty lame.
I worked on Mother's Day yesterday, which kinda sucked, but I made good money so I guess I can count that as my present. Also, I logged on to my Sprint account today and it looks like I have a credit. Yay! I haven't been able to afford to pay my whole bill recently, so I have been just paying $50 once in a while without looking at the total, and apparently I overpaid. So I got some stuff I wouldn't normally, like a few song ringers and a call tone (you know the one that is really irritating and plays instead of a ringer when you call?). I got a song called 1985 by Bowling For Soup in honor of my impending birthday. Tried to get one that wouldn't make everyone in a crappy mood by the time I picked up the phone.
In other news, Brenda got the tickets for my trip back east, and it's official! I am going to visit ALL my family (which is the joy of going for two weeks), and finally maybe get some relaxation time in between! I guess I will have to rent my own car so I can easily facilitate trips between the two sides of the family. Hmm...I am really trying to think of a way to NOT rent a car so I can have some free money for the trip. Well, car or no car, everyone is getting a visit and the itinerary will be planned soon and I will let everyone know what's going on! I am excited for the trip and REALLY REALLY dreading the flight.
Poor Matt, it's not his fault he's a toddler. I love the one part of flying with him--he is an amazing people repellent. It is a guarantee the seat next to him will be the last to fill up.
Anyway, lots more time to worry about that later. Today is my last day of work before my days off. Yay! I always look forward to today.
Off to my shower!

Time Flies

...When you're not posting! I am really sorry, I have just been busy as usual and haven't been online much. Nothing much is going on out of the ordinary except that Sean is working (and he loves it, by the way), and that means things are a little more stretched around here time-wise. He did get offered the full-time position, so he will become full time after his AT (his mandatory two-week training) in June. I am taking my vacation during that time, then when he goes full-time, I will be able to go part time, which will be wonderful. And that means...school! Yay! That's going to be really hard. Since we will both we working and dealing with childcare, I will probably start out with only one or two classes a week. Then when Sean is able to completely support the family and I can quit work altogether, then I will be able to go full time in school and get it done faster. Probably just going to take out student loans--we are up to our necks in debt from Sean's school already and be paying that forever, so what's more? It'll all be worth it in the end, hopefully.
Other than that, everything else is going well. I'm working on Mother's Day and Sean will be at drill, so it's definitely going to be a no-celebration day. Maybe I'll get a "Happy Mother's Day" bite from a dog. :-P My mom did send me a package, so I can't wait to open that. I sent her something too, but I can't afford much (Sean has only gotten paid once and we still had to draw massively out of savings to make rent plus we are paying for childcare). Hope she likes it anyway! One thing that is helping with childcare is my friend Lorenza. She has a really cute baby that I am starting to watch for her, and she watches Matt if I need her on her days off. It's nice, and it gives me a taste of what it's like to have a very young baby and a toddler (not too fun). But Matt LOVES the baby. He stares, and baby stares back, and they both smile and it's really cute. Today I am going to take both of them on a nice walk. Baby in the sling and Matt in the stroller. I would post pics but I can't find the connector cord to the camera and I don't know where our external hard drive is. Those darn external drives. Give them an inch of cord and they take a mile!
Well, you can guarantee more posts once I become part-time, I promise! Things will be less hectic. Well--we are moving in August into a house (hopefully), and then I can see which colleges are around and pick one.
Well, if I find the cord, I will post pics of Matt and the baby later! Bye!

Off To Work

I do have lots to post, including pics from a recent baby shower and a very insecure Matthew. But right now I am about to head out the door to work and thought I would just post for a bit and say hi! Hi!

Wondertastic News!

Sean got a job!!!! Yay!!! He went in for the interview yesterday and got hired on the spot. Apparently it's the "real deal"--no Cutco stuff. He will be working for a plastic surgery company in Rancho Cucamonga, maintaining this website, search engine optimization on that website, and other super cool job skills. He works with a couple other people, and he'll have lots of help and hopefully a promotion to full time is close at hand.
I am now especially planning on taking my vacation and going back east from about June 10th-24th. After going part time, I lose all my vacation time (and benefits). So if I didn't take it, that's two weeks paid vacation I missed out on. It'll be enough time to go visit everyone on both sides of the family.
I'll tell them I am going part time after I get back. Sneaky, but oh well.
The pay isn't awesome, but the experience will be! Plus I will be full time for a while yet, so we should be ok financially. The interviewer pretty much offered Sean the full time position, but stopped himself and said that he'd just see how part time went first. When he goes full time, I can go part time. In August we will probably move somewhere closer, probably Lake Elsinore or somewhere close. I just learned how to link with words, how cool am I? The real question is, what took me so long?
Okay, I'll stop.

Matt's First Painting!

This will be a short post, just wanted to post and say that Matt did his first painting this morning!

All by himself! This one is titled: "Toddler's Mood Before Naptime"

Here's him making the final touches.
And as always, here's a video!

Anyway, nothing else to report. Everything is normal here! Will probably post again soon, I have some really cute pictures to put up.

Matt...Is...Human? Impossible!

Well, not much going on here still, everything is normal, etc. So what this means for the blog is:
MASSIVE MATTHEW MANIA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whenever I don't have any news to report, or have nothing to talk about, it's always nice to have a living conversation piece to draw inspiration from.
This conversation piece has had the light bulb in his head turn on, and now he has full grasp that things do have names. It really was almost like the scene in The Miracle Worker, when his eyes lit up and he began excitedly pointing at things and naming them (in his own baby-talk way).

Here he is, playing with his cousin Evelyn

And him and the infamous wagon (whose cupholders don't work, by the way!)

See? Taught him how to use chopsticks before a fork. It's all the rage according to Neurotic Parent Weekly.

Matt "helps" Sean with cleaning blinds. I wonder how long it will be until I feel comfortable dropping the quotation marks from the word "help"? Probably a long, long time!



Me and Matt at a park. I can climb higher than him--yay!

Matt goes to get his haircut.

He just loves it!!!! No crying at all! In fact, he took the clippers from the guy and began doing it himself!
(april fools)

In a distorted space-time continuum, the ball is three times the size of Matt, Matt is a flower and the fountain is a symbolic reference to the universe.
(at least, that's what Matt said)
And lastly, here is Matt this morning.
Just thought I would take a video of him going about his daily discoveries of the world. As corny as this is, it really is amazing to watch. Also amazing is how much of a daddy's boy he is! Watch his face light up when he sees Sean!

Blah

Today is a blah day. Don't feel too good, been drinking the generic Walgreens version of Airborne, "Wal-borne". Sounds like some sort of redneck disease spread by spending too much time at Wal-Mart.
Just paid registration for the Corolla. That poor car needs to be gently laid to rest by being driven off a cliff. Can't wait until Sean gets a job--then we're getting a better car! Been looking at things on Craigslist--nice cheap tvs, homes for rent within our price-range...made me really wish the lease was up now instead of August!
Well, not much else to report really. House is a mess and I'm hungry and really don't feel like cleaning the kitchen just to dirty it up again.
Matt has officially learned to climb, and that's all he does. He hasn't climbed on anything dangerous yet, but it's coming! Sean and I are letting him figure out how to get down by himself, so he learns both ways. It is working well, he can slide neatly and safely off our bed/couch. He has also been playing with the idea of climbing out of the crib. I have a feeling that if we waited long enough in the morning, he would climb out.
Went to the park yesterday and Matt was playing with a two-year old boy whom he was bigger than! He was running around and climbing like a pro and talking and Matt was just staring, bewildered (which is part of the reason I take him to the park--he needs socialization!). Poor Matt--he is so big, but so little at the same time. I make a point of telling anyone who asks his real age and to accentuate the fact that he's only a very young toddler.
He is so cute though. He loves to imitate the older kids, and he is starting to say "hi" reliably now. We ran around and chased each other and he climbed all over the equipment and went down the slide. Still iffy on the swing though, he will only tolerate it for a few seconds. Maybe I'll drink some more Wal-borne sickness and go again today.
Oh by the way, thanks again for the Netflix suggestions. I am slowly but surely plowing through the movies. Doesn't help that our main tv is now officially broken (it takes 3+ hours to "warm up"), so once we switch the dvd player my viewing should go a lot faster. That poor, geriatric tv. Turned it on at 7:00 last night, and the picture didn't stop violently jumping and being line-y until just after 10. This morning, turned it on just before 8 and finally turned it off at 11:30 when the picture was no better than it was.
Calling Dr. Tvorkian!!!

Yay for tax returns!

Got our tax return and paid off some debt and got some desperately needed grooming tools. I have been using my bosses stuff and that can only lead to me breaking her stuff, which can only lead to no good.
The next door neighbors gave us their wagon that their kids grew out of. It is a two-seater and the seat back fold down to make a flat surface so it can be used as a regular wagon. Also has cupholders--(what's a wagon without cupholders?). Heck, here's an official picture.


Oo..red and spiffy. Matt LOVES it. He loves pushing it around and riding in it. Haven't tried the cupholders yet. They better work or I'll have a few things to say to my neighbor! How dare she give me a wagon without working cupholders! Then I will throw it through her front window.
Anyway, not much else happening here. My brother is getting discharged from the Marine Corps due to some unsatisfactory psychiatric evaluation. Come on people. Really? Days of tests before getting cleared to go and no one bothered to make sure he could mentally handle it? No they just sent him far away from home with false hopes and made him go through hell before they bothered to check. Shame on his recruiter!!!
Sorry, it makes me mad. Almost as mad as dysfunctional cupholders.
Well have a good day everyone! Will post soon with cute pictures of Matt in super cute clothing my Aunt Hillary sent him and the wagon.

Newer and Hopefully Better

Just got my new phone! It is sooo cooool!!! Maybe I will marry it...

Simpson Park (again?!)

So we did go to Simpson Park again today, and we all had lots of fun and I even forgot about my mouth for a while (until I looked at the pictures). I promise to not always post pictures of the same stuff every time we go, but I did get some good ones.

Here's Matt drinking some pomegranate Jamba Juice.
Interesting story, matter of fact. When he was all done with it, Sean put Matt's smoothie in the side pocket of the diaper bag. While I was carrying it, it broke and spilled all over my pants (see picture below)

and more importantly, my phone. It worked for a while then completely went crazy and conked out. When I got home I managed (after cleaning it with rubbing alcohol) to get the contacts list off of it, but just barely. Luckily, I have phone insurance, and even luckier, they were out of stock for my "old" phone, the Katana II and so they are sending me a Katana Deluxe (the new super-awesome version). Yay! Unfortunately that means going without a phone for a couple days, but oh well.
Other than all that we had a good time. We hiked for a while,

Mai ran around off-leash having a total blast,

And when we were all done, Matt fell asleep cutely in the backseat.

So it was a balancing day. Woke up with incredible pain and a cheek that looked like part of a fatsuit, had fun at Simpson Park, broke my phone, found out I was getting a better one, and after that everything was normal.
Oh also, I am regretting to report that I think Matthew is starting to climb. Watch out!!!!
Well, goodnight everyone!