Happy First Fathers Day! I Love You!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Vacation Update (Since I Still Have Service)
1. Many of you took the time to make Sydney personalized gifts. All of them were wonderful and very appreciated. One of my absolute favorites was a white cap with Sydney's name and ladybugs embroidered on it (with a matching onsie). It was made by Tami (Jane and Ruth's sister) and it was simply perfect. I had planned for her to wear it (for the first time) when we got to Glacier and on the way here it must have fallen out of the car when we were stopped and changing her. I am heartbroken! For all of you thinking this is out of character for me, let me validate, it is totally out of character but suffice to say, I am devastated. In fact, I would gladly give up my cell service in place of the cap......I didn't even get one photo of her in it.
2. How happy am I that Herston is here? Yeah! Congrats again, Ruth.
3. I had a Buffalo cheeseburger tonight with no bread. High Protein, Low Carb and Low Fat
4. We had a Sev 2 today with all of Sydney's clothes penetrated. That was fun.
5. We probably will not have cell coverage after about 2:00 tomorrow. Aghhhhhhhhh
6. Tonight when we were eating dinner at 9:00 James asked the waitress where he could get some ice cream. She proceeded to name off about 10 ice cream places and after telling us where several of them were she stated "But they all close at 9:00". Then she said, "we have ice cream too but the kitchen just closed and can't give you any".
7. Mom got her first ticket ever today! She was speeding through some town and got pulled over. The cop told her it was the first time he had ever cited anyone from out of state. She is soooooo upset.
8. We took a wrong turn because I thought the GPS was wrong (So did David) and it took us an extra two hours to get here. Nice.
9. I am getting a massage tomorrow!!!! I am so happy! When I get home, Becca and I are going for another one!
2. How happy am I that Herston is here? Yeah! Congrats again, Ruth.
3. I had a Buffalo cheeseburger tonight with no bread. High Protein, Low Carb and Low Fat
4. We had a Sev 2 today with all of Sydney's clothes penetrated. That was fun.
5. We probably will not have cell coverage after about 2:00 tomorrow. Aghhhhhhhhh
6. Tonight when we were eating dinner at 9:00 James asked the waitress where he could get some ice cream. She proceeded to name off about 10 ice cream places and after telling us where several of them were she stated "But they all close at 9:00". Then she said, "we have ice cream too but the kitchen just closed and can't give you any".
7. Mom got her first ticket ever today! She was speeding through some town and got pulled over. The cop told her it was the first time he had ever cited anyone from out of state. She is soooooo upset.
8. We took a wrong turn because I thought the GPS was wrong (So did David) and it took us an extra two hours to get here. Nice.
9. I am getting a massage tomorrow!!!! I am so happy! When I get home, Becca and I are going for another one!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Flashback Friday (4)
In honor of the first long (more than an hour) flight with Sydney tonight, we flashback to December 2006. (BUR to PHX) 
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Two Videos And A Thank You
1st Video-On Elizabeth's previous visit to our house she cried every time she saw Katie. On the last visit she laughed every time she saw her.
2nd Video-Jessica is at the beach performing "Our Song"
(Both videos lost alot of quality on the upload, not sure why)
The Thank You-Several months ago I received some bottles in the mail. They were a gift from Target but there was no card. If you purchased the bottles for us, please let me know and thank you very much. When we switched to formula this week it made it much easier to already have them here.
2nd Video-Jessica is at the beach performing "Our Song"
(Both videos lost alot of quality on the upload, not sure why)
The Thank You-Several months ago I received some bottles in the mail. They were a gift from Target but there was no card. If you purchased the bottles for us, please let me know and thank you very much. When we switched to formula this week it made it much easier to already have them here.
I Was Not A Math Major
The fact is, I suck at math. The fact is, David will be embarrassed by this post. The fact is, anybody working for me will be like "I work for her?" The fact is, some will "Just love me" and others will just think I'm an idiot.
A baby drinks 5 ounces of baby formula every 3-4 hours. If it takes 1 unpacked level scoop and 2 ounces of water to make 2 ounces of formula and it takes 4 unpacked level scoops and 8 ounces of water to make 8 ounces of formula How many scoops does it take to make 5 ounces of formula?
A baby drinks 5 ounces of baby formula every 3-4 hours. If it takes 1 unpacked level scoop and 2 ounces of water to make 2 ounces of formula and it takes 4 unpacked level scoops and 8 ounces of water to make 8 ounces of formula How many scoops does it take to make 5 ounces of formula?
I really need to get it right because the instructions say: "Failure to follow these instructions could result in severe harm". I think I will start using that phrase when I go back to work......in 16 days.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
New Operations Call: MMOC
This weekend, I had a couple discussions about how many status or daily operations calls there are in the IT industry. Yesterday, The Queen and I were discussing this and I decided that since I was going back to work soon I needed to start some shifting into work mode. The first step, a Mommy Morning Operations Conference Call (or MMOCC). Below are the details:
Time: Daily at 7:30 AM (This is PST time not AZ time)
Required Attendees: Carol Evans, Becca Krueger, Rachel Sauer (For Career Development), Kim Thomas, babysisters or any assigned individual responsible for remediation of a Severity 1 or 2.
Call Leader: Mom on Duty or designated representative
Agenda:
*Mom On Duty-Were there any severity 1's or 2's in the last 24 hours? (Severity levels are defined below)
*Mom On Duty-Were there any milsstones (or good news) that occured in the last hours (first smile, baby sat up, cooing etc.)
*Becca-Report out on how was Elizabeth last night?
*Mom On Duty-Review the schedule for the next 24 hours (Park visits, Kim's travels, location of babysitting, *Disneyland trips etc.)
*Kim-Review financials. Specifically, month to date costs for diapers, wipes and formula.
*Mom On Duty-Identify any negative trends or reoccurring events that require a problem review
*Group- Discuss any other open issues or topics
Severity 1's:
*A baby that has not had a bowel movement in the previous 24 hours
*A baby will not feed for more than 18 hours with a breastfeeding mother
*Crying for more than 1 hour without stopping
Severity 2's:
*A baby that has had a bowel movement so severe it has penetrated their clothing
*Unprepared mother (Example: I was at the mall and discovered I had no diapers with me)
*A baby will not feed for more than 10 hours with a breastfeeding mother
*Crying for more than 30 minutes without stopping
*The butterfly is missing
Please note the following: Severity 2's can be escalated to Severity 1's based upon the mothers discretion or other factors. For example if an unprepared mother lead to the baby not feeding for 18 hours that Severity 2 would automatically be raised to a Severity 1.
Time: Daily at 7:30 AM (This is PST time not AZ time)
Required Attendees: Carol Evans, Becca Krueger, Rachel Sauer (For Career Development), Kim Thomas, babysisters or any assigned individual responsible for remediation of a Severity 1 or 2.
Call Leader: Mom on Duty or designated representative
Agenda:
*Mom On Duty-Were there any severity 1's or 2's in the last 24 hours? (Severity levels are defined below)
*Mom On Duty-Were there any milsstones (or good news) that occured in the last hours (first smile, baby sat up, cooing etc.)
*Becca-Report out on how was Elizabeth last night?
*Mom On Duty-Review the schedule for the next 24 hours (Park visits, Kim's travels, location of babysitting, *Disneyland trips etc.)
*Kim-Review financials. Specifically, month to date costs for diapers, wipes and formula.
*Mom On Duty-Identify any negative trends or reoccurring events that require a problem review
*Group- Discuss any other open issues or topics
Severity 1's:
*A baby that has not had a bowel movement in the previous 24 hours
*A baby will not feed for more than 18 hours with a breastfeeding mother
*Crying for more than 1 hour without stopping
Severity 2's:
*A baby that has had a bowel movement so severe it has penetrated their clothing
*Unprepared mother (Example: I was at the mall and discovered I had no diapers with me)
*A baby will not feed for more than 10 hours with a breastfeeding mother
*Crying for more than 30 minutes without stopping
*The butterfly is missing
Please note the following: Severity 2's can be escalated to Severity 1's based upon the mothers discretion or other factors. For example if an unprepared mother lead to the baby not feeding for 18 hours that Severity 2 would automatically be raised to a Severity 1.
Monday, June 09, 2008
The Triathlete
We have a triathlete in our family! For those that don't know a triathlon is a 3 part race that consists of running, swimming and biking. It's really hard and it requires serious commitment and training to compete. This weekend, my brother-in-law, Kevin, competed in his first triathlon. He swam 1 mile, biked 25 miles and ran 6.2 miles. He ran a 6.40 mile and finished the triathlon in less than 2.5 hours!
Great Job, Kevin! We are so proud of you and the hard work it took to compete! Congratulations, you did really great!
Great Job, Kevin! We are so proud of you and the hard work it took to compete! Congratulations, you did really great!
Sunday, June 08, 2008
An HCBC Weekend
Here are some photos of the HCBC members I hung out with this weekend:
Our fun included: Playing at the beach, bowling in Hollywood, people watching, going to the park, eating cupcakes, shopping at Walmart, securing Sydney during dinner, buying pajamas, trying to feed Sydney, playing Mastermind, following Jane's car and meeting blog friends.
Our fun included: Playing at the beach, bowling in Hollywood, people watching, going to the park, eating cupcakes, shopping at Walmart, securing Sydney during dinner, buying pajamas, trying to feed Sydney, playing Mastermind, following Jane's car and meeting blog friends.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Flashback Friday (3)
Everybody knows I wanted to be MOD, everybody knows I wanted to be in charge of the keys, everybody knows I wanted to be a trash collector but before all these things I wanted to be a firefighter/paramedic.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Some Hodgepodge
(1) A public apology to all of you whose emails were finally returned yesterday. I finally caught up (Yeah!)
(2) Thank you to Queen B and Jenn Ann who brought us all Google Reader. Blog reading is so much faster now.
(3) Love is: Coordinating DMV visits with your partner so you can be together.
(4) The other day I got an email about Starbucks and coffee from a woman with the last name of "Brew"-how cool is that?
(5) A cool video about a playoff softball game (It's about 5 minutes) Video
(6) I just earned my 3rd companion pass in a row from SWA
(7) Congratulations to Andria for joining the Blackberry Pearl family this week!!!
(8) I have become addicted to two new shows on "E". Keeping up with the Kardashians and The Girls Next Door. Two thumbs up on both
(9) Congratulations Red Wing Fans on the Stanley Cup
(10) Doesn't this truck look like the one that Teri's son bought a couple months ago?
(2) Thank you to Queen B and Jenn Ann who brought us all Google Reader. Blog reading is so much faster now.
(3) Love is: Coordinating DMV visits with your partner so you can be together.
(4) The other day I got an email about Starbucks and coffee from a woman with the last name of "Brew"-how cool is that?
(5) A cool video about a playoff softball game (It's about 5 minutes) Video
(6) I just earned my 3rd companion pass in a row from SWA
(7) Congratulations to Andria for joining the Blackberry Pearl family this week!!!
(8) I have become addicted to two new shows on "E". Keeping up with the Kardashians and The Girls Next Door. Two thumbs up on both
(9) Congratulations Red Wing Fans on the Stanley Cup
(10) Doesn't this truck look like the one that Teri's son bought a couple months ago?
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Happy Birthday, Andrew!
You are so cool! You are so hot! and You are so much fun! I hope you have a great 22nd birthday! Remember, you are only 22 once!!!!
Monday, June 02, 2008
Buzzing Flies
Today, I was on the phone with mom and a fly who had gotten into the house kept buzzing around her head. She commented that she hates flies that buzz around you and won't go away. I agreed, they are the worst. She couldn't get up because she was holding Elizabeth and the fly kept coming back and landing on both them. Since Elizabeth was sleeping, mom would quietly shoosh the fly away.
At one point the fly returned and mom said "that fly better be enjoying himself because as soon as she wakes up it's going to die". I laughed (that was funny). We kept talking....a few minutes later mom says "I wonder why some flies buzz around you like that? Maybe it's because they are sick" LOL! This followed by 10 minutes of my laughter and unrelentless mocking. "Mom, if you get the fly some medicine maybe he will go away".
Kim to Mom: "You do know this is going on the blog"
Mom to Kim: "Please, don't"
At one point the fly returned and mom said "that fly better be enjoying himself because as soon as she wakes up it's going to die". I laughed (that was funny). We kept talking....a few minutes later mom says "I wonder why some flies buzz around you like that? Maybe it's because they are sick" LOL! This followed by 10 minutes of my laughter and unrelentless mocking. "Mom, if you get the fly some medicine maybe he will go away".
Kim to Mom: "You do know this is going on the blog"
Mom to Kim: "Please, don't"
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Bumpers Should Be Bigger
I want to start a petition to make car bumpers bigger. Current size bumpers are just not that functional. Sure, they usually do their primary job which is to minimize car damage during an accident but beyond that they are lacking functionality.
A couple of weeks ago I had gone to Starbucks (amazing) and I had purchased 3 drinks. (One each for me, mom, and Becca. Note the extra is a cup of ice for mom-don't ask) While trying to get Sydney into the car I was stumped as to where to quickly place the drinks. It was at this moment that I thought how great it would have been for the bumper to be three inches deeper.
I have now thought of additional reasons for deeper bumpers. Deeper bumpers could be used as a mini table or seats when tailgating. SUV's and mini-vans are now coming with cool features. Some have tables inside, others have built in coolers. How about a bumper that has an automatic table that slides out the back? I could use that as an instant diaper changing area or it could be an instant table for my laptop. That would be useful when I am driving from one location to another and I am suddenly assigned a project that is due in 15 minutes. (Seriously, that never happens ;) )
The bottom line here is we need bigger bumpers.
A couple of weeks ago I had gone to Starbucks (amazing) and I had purchased 3 drinks. (One each for me, mom, and Becca. Note the extra is a cup of ice for mom-don't ask) While trying to get Sydney into the car I was stumped as to where to quickly place the drinks. It was at this moment that I thought how great it would have been for the bumper to be three inches deeper.
I have now thought of additional reasons for deeper bumpers. Deeper bumpers could be used as a mini table or seats when tailgating. SUV's and mini-vans are now coming with cool features. Some have tables inside, others have built in coolers. How about a bumper that has an automatic table that slides out the back? I could use that as an instant diaper changing area or it could be an instant table for my laptop. That would be useful when I am driving from one location to another and I am suddenly assigned a project that is due in 15 minutes. (Seriously, that never happens ;) )
The bottom line here is we need bigger bumpers.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Space Station Has Broken Toilet
Here is the article if you want to read it: Broken Toilet
Bottom line of the article: The toilet is broken, the space shuttle Discovery is going to take spare parts up today (they have a scheduled trip, they aren't just sending Roto Rooter via space shuttle)
Anyway, my point in bringing this to your attention is one line in the article that says "The space toilets vent waste matter into space". I am completely grossed out by this. Crap just flying around in the air, or I suppose more accurately, floating around in space? Yuck!
Also, who knew that if they married an astronaut they would also get a plumber?
Bottom line of the article: The toilet is broken, the space shuttle Discovery is going to take spare parts up today (they have a scheduled trip, they aren't just sending Roto Rooter via space shuttle)
Anyway, my point in bringing this to your attention is one line in the article that says "The space toilets vent waste matter into space". I am completely grossed out by this. Crap just flying around in the air, or I suppose more accurately, floating around in space? Yuck!
Also, who knew that if they married an astronaut they would also get a plumber?
Friday, May 30, 2008
Flashback Friday (2)
Me, Dee Dee and Christie at one of our favorites stops from Pasadena to Grants Pass. I believe this cool restaurant is/was in Redding.Thursday, May 29, 2008
Sydney's First Trip To The Valley of the Sun
Not only was it her first trip to Phoenix it was her first plane trip. Sydney was great on both flights. We had a wonderful lunch at Richardsons with Laura and Diane. After lunch we were able to hang out and catch up with quite a few of our Phoenix friends. (At what better place than Starbucks?) Thanks for visiting with us today! After Starbucks we had a very special visit with Brittney, Melody and Jessica. Girls, Sydney wanted me to tell you that she loves you so much and can't wait to see you again!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Happy Birthday to the Police Trainer 2 Champion!
Several years ago, James went to Laughlin and he found the video game "Police Trainer 2". He played it and soon he was the Champion on the game scoring board. When he went to Laughlin a year later somebody had beat him but he was still listed as the high scorer in spots 2-7. When he left Laughlin, last summer, he was listed on the scoreboard for spots 2-10.
Last week, James returned to Laughlin and immediately went to the Arcade to check the scores. He was thrilled to see he was still listed on spots 2-9. Now he has returned to Champion status:
As a former Ms Pacman Champion, I am very proud and I will count on you to always protect me. Oh, yeah.......HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love you!
Last week, James returned to Laughlin and immediately went to the Arcade to check the scores. He was thrilled to see he was still listed on spots 2-9. Now he has returned to Champion status:
As a former Ms Pacman Champion, I am very proud and I will count on you to always protect me. Oh, yeah.......HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love you!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Happy 1st Anniversary Matt and Kim!!!
Congratulations on making it through your first year of marriage! Your first year was full of challenges and you came through them all! We love you! P.S. Hope you got rich in Laughlin...... and you share ;)
Visiting The Old Stomping Grounds
Thursday, Sydney and I went to visit my old stomping grounds, San Gabriel Valley Medical Center. We had a great time visiting with all our old friends who were always asking if I would ever have a baby. Everyone agreed that she was adorable and worth the wait.
Marian came through with a couple adorable knitted hats, yeah! It was great seeing everyone!
Marian came through with a couple adorable knitted hats, yeah! It was great seeing everyone!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Cooking For Causes
The latest craze:
I did a search for cooking for a cause and a page came up that is selling a cookbook with recipes used in the South during the Civil War. Is this book really an example of cooking for a cause?
I did a search for cooking for a cause and a page came up that is selling a cookbook with recipes used in the South during the Civil War. Is this book really an example of cooking for a cause?
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Cooking Spices (2 of 2)
I stated in Cooking Spices (1 of 2), today I cleaned out my spice cabinet. After tossing a bunch of spices in the trash I got to think that there is someone living in Arizona that might want to use my spices when making their special meal. This person likes to combine different sauces together when cooking. For example mixing leftover A1, ketchup, teriyaki and mustard together. So I dug the following out of the trash:
Dry Mustard, Parsley, Old Bay, Parmesan Powder, Lemon Pepper (x2), Pepper, Allspice, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Herbs de Provence, Red Pepper Flakes, Cumin, Chili Pepper, Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Grillmates Hamburger (Third Photo)
I then proceeded to pour the contents of each spice into a large vase. The spices filled the vase all the way to the top and when I was done I thought it looked like a work of art. (First Photo) Next I realize that this would not be practical as I needed to combine the spices better. (Second Photo). The consistency turned out perfectly. (Fourth Photo). When I was done, I realized that since this was all the expired spices I should just throw them all away. Oh Well, it was a fun exercise.
Dry Mustard, Parsley, Old Bay, Parmesan Powder, Lemon Pepper (x2), Pepper, Allspice, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Herbs de Provence, Red Pepper Flakes, Cumin, Chili Pepper, Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Grillmates Hamburger (Third Photo)
I then proceeded to pour the contents of each spice into a large vase. The spices filled the vase all the way to the top and when I was done I thought it looked like a work of art. (First Photo) Next I realize that this would not be practical as I needed to combine the spices better. (Second Photo). The consistency turned out perfectly. (Fourth Photo). When I was done, I realized that since this was all the expired spices I should just throw them all away. Oh Well, it was a fun exercise.
Cooking Spices (1 of 2)
When it comes to spices I am a terrible shopper. I either assume I have the spice and get home and don't have it or I assume I don't have it, buy it and then I have two. I can never get it right and I spend so much time standing in front of the spices only to almost always make the wrong choice. Today, I remedied this problem once and for all.
I cleaned out my spice rack and created a note file in my blackberry. The file lists every spice and the date I opened the container. (Spices generally have a shelf life of 6 months to 2 years) If you have spices that are over 2 years you need to toss them and buy new ones.
My favorite spice is probably thyme. (Because I know you were all wondering-lol)
I cleaned out my spice rack and created a note file in my blackberry. The file lists every spice and the date I opened the container. (Spices generally have a shelf life of 6 months to 2 years) If you have spices that are over 2 years you need to toss them and buy new ones.
My favorite spice is probably thyme. (Because I know you were all wondering-lol)
Friday, May 23, 2008
Flashback Friday (1)
New Series: Flashback Friday. I have adopted this idea from the Braun Family Circus blog.
Observations about this photo: (1) Mom is hot (2) I remember we all had those shoes mom is wearing (3) Becca looks like I have been kicking her butt all day (4) I look like I am about to do it again.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The Binder Assembler
Today, I logged into Facebook and observed the queen's current status. Her status said: Queen B is working on binder assembly. I initially went to leave her a Facebook wall message but then thought that my comments were blog worthy not just wall worthy.
It is important to note the following supporting facts:
*For the 5 people that don't know, Queen B and I work for the same company.
*Queen B is an American
*Queen B is on assignment this week in Mexico
So let's go back to her status. She is assembling binders. We are now spending money to send Americans to Mexico to assemble binders. What?!?!?! I wonder what she will be doing next?
Three Questions for the Queen:
(1) What else are you working on?
(2) Why didn't you assemble the binders in Texas and ship them?
(3) Did you buy the binders in Mexico?
(3a) And if so did you negotiate the price?
(3b) Or at least barter for them?
Can't you just see Queen B at the Guadalajara Staples buying binders: Yo soy la Reina y tengo que comprar algunos aglutinantes. (I am the Queen and I need to buy some binders)
It is important to note the following supporting facts:
*For the 5 people that don't know, Queen B and I work for the same company.
*Queen B is an American
*Queen B is on assignment this week in Mexico
So let's go back to her status. She is assembling binders. We are now spending money to send Americans to Mexico to assemble binders. What?!?!?! I wonder what she will be doing next?
Three Questions for the Queen:
(1) What else are you working on?
(2) Why didn't you assemble the binders in Texas and ship them?
(3) Did you buy the binders in Mexico?
(3a) And if so did you negotiate the price?
(3b) Or at least barter for them?
Can't you just see Queen B at the Guadalajara Staples buying binders: Yo soy la Reina y tengo que comprar algunos aglutinantes. (I am the Queen and I need to buy some binders)
Monday, May 19, 2008
Share The Joy (Yes, I Stole That Saying)
Congratulations, Mom and Dad on your new car!!!! Who would have thought that they would be the first owners of a car with an installed navigation and DVD system? (James-Congratulations on getting the old car)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
11 Years Later
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