Little Wickies

weekend update

2012-02-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

Mo modeling my weekend find

Last weekend =

birthday party with cousins and a fun caricature artist

garage sale shopping with Jeni

pick up soccer

singing White Lines with Laura

Hairspray with Katie

good times.

angry bird

2012-02-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

angry Mo

conversations with a 6-yr old

2012-01-31T16:02:00.000-08:00

Katie with her flea market find: a dolphin for her charm bracelet

Katie was sick this weekend, so instead of attending a birthday party, I made her go to the flea market with me.

I was shopping when I look up and next to me is a girl who is impossibly skinny and way too pretty and flawless for a flea market. I look back and there is a large man with sunglasses following 4 feet behind her. Turns out it was Taylor Swift.

Me: Katie, see that girl with the cream colored dress on?

KT: Yes.

Me: That's the girl who wrote and sings the song that mommy is learning how to play on the piano right now.

KT: Back to December?

Me: Yes.

KT: Why are you whispering?

Me: Well, she's famous and I want to give her some privacy.

KT: How famous is she?

This is where our conversation faltered. I mean, how do you rank famous-ness in the world of a 6-year old? Less famous than Elmo, more famous than Cailou?

Our conversation descended into what other songs she sang (I only knew one other); how many people in the world know who she is; in what countries people knew her in; etc., etc.

a few of my favorite things

2012-01-25T14:08:00.000-08:00

It's easy to amass kitchen utensils in your drawer(s), some which never see the light of your actual kitchen.

What I love is when you find a kitchen utensil -- something not of the basic wooden spoon variety -- you start using it and think, how did I ever live without this?

My top 3 kitchen utensils from top to bottom: 1) Pastry scraper: except I don't use it for pastry, I use it to assist in picking up things I've chopped off my cutting board; 2) Garlic peeler: I have owned every type of garlic peeler and this is only one that really works; 3) Scooper: We do a lot of muffins and cookies in this house and this thing gets regular use.

My runner up for this list is my Silpat which I use at least once a week.

What are your top kitchen utensils? Always looking for something new to fall in love with.

tired

2012-01-17T13:09:00.000-08:00

This pretty much sums up how me and the hubs have been feeling lately.

It's like jet lag but worse it's holiday-lag. It's all the activities -- swim, ballet, choir, scouts, etc. -- starting up again. That combined with my work more than doubling in the last couple of months (don't get me wrong I want work) and the hubs putting in fairly regular overtime, it's been exhausting.

Oh, and we just got the second car back along with a HUGE bill.

The light at the end of the tunnel: we have a vacation planned for Spring -- just around the corner and already all saved up for...

in sew much need of help

2012-01-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

This was George, he is still a good little blanket. However, now he looks like this.

And, he is in dire need of some help.

He's developing tiny rips and holes so fast, I don't think he'll make it through another wash at this point.

What should I do?

One friend has recommended running a sewing machine back and forth over the parts that have opened up (we just opened Katie's Hello Kitty sewing machine this weekend, we'll have to get to that in another post).

Another friend recommended possibly patching the areas with material.

Seriously though, my dear friends who sew -- input PLEASE!

hot streak

2012-01-06T15:16:00.000-08:00

We've successfully logged two beach days in 2012, so it's looking like a good year so far.

We had a little hot spell (didn't have as many as we usually do the last couple of months) and took advantage of it.

Last weekend we took our leftover Chinese food to the beach for lunch. Then today, we headed over after school let out.

The water is COLD right now. But that didn't stop the girls.

Note: no one else in the water

Katie would do this every time the water hit her.

One of my favorite things about the beach is that it always has new things to explore.

First thought we were stepping on stones till we took a closer look.

And, found they were tiny little shells with little living things (technical term) in them. You could actually see some poking out of the shells when the tide pulled back a bit.

Today we met up with some friends for lunch who didn't bring their bathing suits for fear of it being too cold.

You can see how that ended up.

top 10 of 2011

2011-12-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

That's right 2011 is over already. Which left me to the task of trying to narrow down my top 10 pics of the year...

#1: Still BFF's -- The girls are closer than ever. I get teary-eyed every time I think of them being best friends throughout their life.

#2: "I can read the words on T.V. mom": If a single statement can make a mom feel awful and guilty, that's definitely one of them. Katie's world opened up this year with the addition of her glasses.

#3: Mo becomes a Papa's girl -- While Katie's been a staunch Team Papa member from the beginning, Mo turned the corner this year and discovered just how fun he is. Nothing like everyone squished on one side of the booth with dad while mom sits with plenty of elbow room on the other side...

#4: My babygirl goes to real school -- (cue violin) they grow so fast, what happened to my baby? Katie started Kindergarten this year, lost her first tooth and is doing so many big girl things it make me a little sad, but a lot proud.

#5: Nightly rituals -- Nearly every night we sneak in and peek on the girls before we go to bed. Sleeping kids are cute, but better than that are the wild and crazy positions they are always in. It's like sleeping Twister. What I love most is that they are always on their pillows, right side up and under the covers in morning when we go in.

#6: "I'm riding my own new big bike" -- Speaking of big girls. This girl can write her name (granted she writes "Mo"), rides a "big girl" bike and possibly best of all potty trained in record time... yes, she was almost 3-1/2 but it was a painful couple of days and that was about it.

#7: We heart music -- And, now in addition to singing in the choir and the at-home karaoke machine, we've added a piano into the mix. Perhaps lessons will be in store for 2012.

#8: Why did the chicken cross the road? -- Between the knock-knock jokes that make no sense to playing April Fool's Day jokes on them, they are as ridiculous as they are fun to watch as their sense of humor develops.

#9: My partner in crime -- Since Mo wasn't potty trained she didn't start preschool last fall which was honestly, fine with me. I love my Mo time. She can be so pleasant. She's my sidekick for everything from running errands to when we want boba drinks...

#10: Girl time -- I always thought I wanted a boy and a girl when I was, well, a young girl. But, I have to say even thought I'm not much of a girly-girl I love having two girls and have enjoyed immensely living in our predominantly girl world.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season!

Wishing you and yours a fantastic 2012!

snippets of xmas

2011-12-27T11:01:00.000-08:00

Lots going on in the land of the Little Wickies.

Katie taught Mo about her mantra "more is better" when decorating our gingerbread house.

Because even in Candyland, there are hoarders...

Katie sang at the Christmas Eve service.

Mo slept through the Christmas Eve service.

We visited huge Christmas light displays.

In the midst of the melee of the weekend, Katie lost her second tooth.

And, then there was Christmas day itself.

There was the inevitable chaos of kids ripping into presents

And, smiling faces.

And of course, there were the surprise "big hit" gifts like the voice enhancers that no one seemed to be able to put down.

Hope you and your family had a Merry one!

a christmas greeting from california

2011-12-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

It's been almost two years since our friends Ellie, Lara and Luca left for Italy.

Hopefully we can do a third one of these someday in the future...

ignore the man behind the curtain

2011-12-17T11:26:00.000-08:00

My friend Jayne told me this morning she sometimes get mad when she comes over to my house because it seems "perfect and clean" (her words).

For those of you who might be disillusioned into thinking I am a neat or organized person -- above is the state of my dining room right now.

Other rooms in my house unfortunately follow suit.

I could make up excuses about work deadlines, holiday parties, etc. but the bottom line is I'm kind of a slob. I've always been one, and I'll probably always be one.

Thank you Song, for bearing with me.

mo and george

2011-12-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

Mo this morning telling me about George...

"I love my Georgie the best. I want him to stay forever and ever and ever."

a charlie brown christmas

2011-12-12T21:29:00.000-08:00

Mo was lobbying hard for a baby tree at the tree farm this year. We didn't get one, but she seems happy with the one we chose.

snow

2011-12-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

...well not really.

We do live by the beach in Southern California after all.

The other night we dressed our kids up as if taking them to North Pole (realistically it was probably in the 50s).

And, waited for snow.

Which ended up being wettish foam.

But the kids didn't care. They thought it was pretty neat.

katie's wish list

2011-11-29T13:47:00.000-08:00

Love that "chocolate" is on the list.

Apple didn't fall far from the tree.

What are you getting your little ones this year?

boys 2 men 2 dads

2011-11-24T11:52:00.000-08:00

circa 1996

September 2002

November 2011

While they still act like teenage boys together at times, these boys have truly grown up and are dads to a pretty cute bunch of kids (yes, I'm obviously biased here).

We finally met the new addition Justin this month. Boy, I forgot how much they sleep at this age!

I took pictures of his sleeping feet, hands, etc. while I waited to shoot him.

I always love the tennis ball head baby fuzz...

Finally he woke up. What a cute boy.

Maybe someday we'll get all the 2036 crew and kids together, or at least a couple more of them.

Note to self: work on indoor night time photography...

man crush

2011-11-21T07:33:00.000-08:00

Katie and I watched our team win the championship last night.

Katie: Which one is your favorite player?

Me: I'm going to have to go with Todd Dunivant.

Katie: How come? Isn't Landon Donovan the best player?

Me: Umm... well Dunivant is dependable honey.

Katie: How are you dependable playing soccer?

I then spent the next 5 minutes defending my choice, e.g., he is a solid defender, he has good positioning, etc. all while being peppered by my questioning daughter who was clearly skeptical of my decision.

Real reason: While he is dependable on the pitch, he's smart (Stanford grad), he's a professional athlete (my husband will make a joke here because he plays soccer), oh, and he's easy on the eyes...

introducing baby ariana

2011-11-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

Visited my dear friend Lyndsay for four days earlier this month and finally got to meet baby Ariana in person.

She is a cute little thing, very smiley (like her mom).

Of course, I had to stage a photo shoot. The more babies I take pictures of, the more I lament not having a dSLR when my kids were babies. *Sigh*

what's the fair market price for teeth these days?

2011-11-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

Katie has been hemming and hawing over whether to leave her tooth for the tooth fairy, or to keep it.

Last night she put her tooth in her tooth pillow along with a note.

"I wowa (would) like 3 dollars please."

Because apparently, the tooth fairy is open to negotiation.

Before bed she announced to us, "Okay, everyone line up to see my tooth one more time."

We each diligently fell into line, oohed and awed and said our appropriate farewells to the tiny tooth.

Oh, that girl...

first tooth

2011-11-11T14:13:00.001-08:00

little hiatus

2011-11-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

In the Bay Area right now sans Little Wickies visiting my dear friend and her new baby girl (pics of Ariana to come later).

Yesterday we took a walk through the cemetery in Piedmont which may seem odd with dog and stroller in tow but is apparently a popular place to take walks. The outing yielded some truly gorgeous panoramic views of the bay.

ideas please

2011-11-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'd like to do an advent calendar this year with the girls.

Do you do an advent calendar with your kids? What do you put in there for each day?

I'm certainly not going to be sewing anytime soon, but I'm loving the look of these advent calendars...

Source: sundayinbed.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Source: inmyblessednest.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

boo

2011-11-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

an afternoon with katie

2011-10-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today Papa and Mo spent some time together while Katie and I hung out at home. Seems like all I used to have was time with Katie, but now there isn't a whole lot of it when it's just her and I.

While watching a little P&P we finally finished the 300+ puzzle she had been working on for almost a week.

She was pretty fired up to put that last piece in...

And, yes that's a 'Painter of Light' painting. When it comes to thrift stores, there's not a whole lot of selection in the 200-300 piece puzzle range.

Katie initially asked if the puzzle was a photograph. When I told her it was a painting she was amazed. "Wow, it looks so real!"

(Flash to Katie's house 20 years from now: cheesy pictures of dolphins, bridges and light houses everywhere ... ugh.)

Katie then had the idea that we should draw the picture of the puzzle ourselves.

Katie's picture of the puzzle. Believe me, you don't want to see mine (so I guess I shouldn't be knocking Kinkade).

We finished off the afternoon with her teaching me how to make origami frogs and hats.

All in all, an afternoon well spent.

in preparation for the tooth fairy

2011-10-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

$12 from CuddleWumpkins

$11 from RainbowNest

$7.50 from foreveryoung

seriously?

2011-10-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

Something like childbirth, I had forgotten how painstakingly time consuming potty training was.

Here is a guide to my potty training day in a nutshell:

Green = underwear changes

Blue = failed potty attempts

Red = successful potty visits

Note 1: All potty attempts were prompted by Mo, not me.

Note 2: I've added uber cute pictures of the girl to keep a smile on my face.

9:30 a.m. Convince Mo to put 1st pair of underwear on; sits on home toilet to no avail

9:45 a.m. Mo sits on home toilet to no avail

10:00 a.m. Leave house

10:07 a.m. Enter Big 5

10:09 a.m. Mo sits on Big 5 toilet to no avail

10:15 a.m. Arrive in Target parking lot

10:17 a.m. Mo sits on car toilet in Target parking lot to no avail

10:20 a.m. Enter Target

10:25 a.m. Mo sits on Target toilet to no avail

10:40 a.m. Arrive at Japanese market

10:45 a.m. Mo sits on Japanese market toilet and pees!

11:05 a.m. Arrive at school to drop Katie off; Mo sits on car toilet in school parking lot to no avail.

11:10 a.m. Mo sits on school toilet to no avail.

11:25 a.m. Arrive at home, Mo sits on home toilet and pees!

12:30 p.m. Mo wakes from short nap during my run, sits on home toilet and pees!

1:00 p.m. Mo sits on home toilet to no avail.

1:15 p.m. I get out of shower, ask Mo if she needs to go, she says "no" I walk out of the room, she screams, "I'm peeing!!!" First accident of the day.

1:20 p.m. Put 2nd pair of underwear on Mo.

1:45 p.m. Mo sits on home toilet to no avail.

2:00 p.m. Mo sits on home toilet to no avail.

2:15 p.m. Mo sits on car toilet in school parking lot to no avail.

2:35 p.m. Arrive at home, Mo has small accident in underwear, sits on toilet and finishes peeing.

2:40 p.m. Put on 3rd pair of underwear.

3:10 p.m. Mo sits on home toilet to no avail.

3:25 p.m. Arrive at gymnastics; walk 3 feet into the door and Mo pees in the hallway.

3:30 p.m. Put on 4th pair of underwear.

3:35 p.m. Mo sits on gymnastics toilet to no avail.

3:40 p.m. Mo sits on gymnastics toilet to no avail.

3:50 p.m. Mo sits on gymnastics toilet to no avail.

4:00 p.m. Mo sits on gymnastics toilet to no avail.

4:15 p.m. Mo sits on gymnastics toilet and pees!

4:30 p.m. Mo sits on gymnastics toilet to no avail; leave gymnastics

4:45 p.m. Arrive at home; Mo sits on home toilet to no avail.

5:15 p.m. Mo sits on home toilet to no avail.

5:30 p.m. Mo sits on home toilet to no avail.

5:45 p.m. Mo sits on home toilet to no avail.

5:50 p.m. Papa arrives at home -- I immediately transfer potty training duties to him and stop keeping track of details. I believe he has two more successful pees in between a number of tries.

Note 3: I'm going to go ahead and categorize this post under "achievements."

someday

2011-10-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

Katie drawing pictures of coins for homework this week.

KT: Are there any girl presidents?

Me: No there haven't been any.

KT: That’s weird.

Me: Yes, I agree.

KT: You mean even over hundreds of years there hasn’t been a girl president?

Me: Nope.

KT: That's really weird.

nothing like a beach day in october

2011-10-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

our favorite guy

2011-10-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

The week's highlights...

-- Celebrating Papa's birthday this week with a surfing themed party for four.

-- Mo picking up a piece of cereal off the ground in the garage; eating it and proclaiming "that was tasty"

-- Katie volunteering to read passages at choir off the dry erase board. She may only know about 50+ sight words, but you have to give the girl credit for her gumption.

-- Mo doing her dolphin kick in the pool (note to self: need to get some video of this)

Have a great weekend!

everybody cut, everybody cut

2011-10-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

That's right they are remaking Footloose (see trailer).

I'm not sure how I feel about it.

I have a very strong feeling I'm not going to relate to it like I did the original back in the day. I mean, Ren and Ariel were everything I thought teenagers should be when I was 10.

This morning, me and the girls watched the final dance scene -- it being the only part that a) is appropriate for them and, b) they would want to watch anyway.

And like everybody, they cut footloose!

And no, that's not my camera making that reflective "light bubble" frame -- that is just the awesomeness of the filmmakers. That and the raining glitter throughout the scene makes for 80's perfection.

If you haven't seen it in awhile, you should watch it here, I promise it will take you back (and put a grin on your face).

the name game

2011-09-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Me: What's your name?

Mo: Maddie!

Me: What's your long name?

Mo: Moooooooooooooooooo

$250 goodness

2011-09-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

So, the story goes... a lady was finishing her lunch at Neiman Marcus with some chocolate chip cookies. She asked the waiter if she could get the recipe. He said yes and that they charge "two-fifty" for it. Later should found she was charged $250.00 not the $2.50 she expected.

The story then goes that she vowed in vengence "to give everyone she possibly could the recipe."

Whether the story is true or not, I don't know. However, I can vouch that the cookies are truly delish.

There are two key ingredients in the cookie, 1) ground oatmeal and 2) chocolate shavings

Mo really liked using the food processor to grind the oatmeal (and the chocolate as I was too lazy to shave chocolate with a grater).

Like her big sister, she is getting really good at handling the mixer on her own -- and, is quite proud of the ability to do so.

Mo also loved using the scooper to make the cookies, though they were a lot less exact and uniform with her at the dough-distributing helm.

I also caught her more than once eating cookie dough. I myself don't eat it, as the mere thought of raw eggs grosses me out. But alas, I could not convince her this was yucky.

And finally, the "can I have one more puh-lease" face.

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C. softened butter

1 C. sugar

1 C. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 C. flour

2-1/2 C. blended oatmeal

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 bag chocolate chips (12 oz)

1 (8 oz.) Hershey bar grated (I used 1 C. of chocolate chips and food processed them)

Blend oatmeal to a fine powder. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate large bowl cream butter and sugars together. Add egg and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Bake 12 minutes at 375 degrees turning once half way through.

mini bridesmaid

2011-09-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

When Mo was a mere 4 months old I left her for almost a week to be in Lyndsay and Roberto's wedding in Mexico.

Now, nearly 3 years later, the bridesmaid dress I wore is her favorite dress up gown.

Today we went to a Princess Tea Party and she insisted on wearing it.

I had to do some serious jerry-rigging (think safety pins), but she was so happy even though she had to hold the dress up in order to walk.

look out scouting world

2011-09-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

Here comes Daisy Scout Katie.

nine years ago...

2011-09-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

in a land way before digital photography I married my babycakes.

10 years ago when we got engaged in Paris.

sex ed: round one

2011-09-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy for our very dear friends Lyndsay and Berto who had their baby girl -- Ariana Noheme -- last week.

Kaitlyn: Mom, how did the baby come out? I mean, your body is all sealed...

weekend update

2011-09-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

Someone told me you were supposed to lay low the first weekend after Kindergarten starts as your little one will be tired both physically and emotionally.

Probably good advice.

Which we did not take.

We started with a birthday beach party Saturday morning.

Mo and Lo completing the Beach Luge course

Then after some quick showers we drove to San Diego to meet Greg and Betsy who were in town and we rarely get to see.

The next day we all went to Sea World.

Greg summoning Shamu

Drove home late that night and started the second week of school the following day. Good thing she has afternoon Kindergarten, right?

This weekend will also be busy, but hopefully not quite as crazy as last.

You have big plans for the weekend?

more muffin madness

2011-08-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

There has been a bag of frozen cranberries in my freezer for some time now (I would disclose the actual amount of time, but it's just embarrassing).

Rather than throw it away which is probably what Federal Food Safety Regulations would dictate, I decided to make some muffins out of them.

The girls didn't like the tartness of the cranberries, but me and the hubs liked them.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

1-1/2 C. chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

1-1/4 C. sugar, divided

3 C. flour

1-1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 C. butter

2 eggs beaten

1 C. buttermilk (I used lemon juice and milk)

2 eggs slightly beaten

1 C. toasted and chopped pecans or walnuts

Grated orange peel from one large orange

Toss cranberries with 1/4 C. of sugar in a bowl; set aside. Grease muffin pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and remaining sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine eggs with milk; stir into flour mixture until just moistened. Gently fold in nuts, orange peel and cranberries. Fill muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 min.

first week of kindergarten: check

2011-08-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

Katie on her first day of Kindergarten this week.

Being pregnant was difficult. Labor was tough. Mastitis sucked. Potty training an only slightly bumpy road.

But getting my 5-year old to school at 7:55 a.m on Friday -- for me, this was a near impossible feat. Now, before you respond similar to how many of us west coasters did in response to the "big" east coast earthquake -- "wah" -- understand I am not a morning person.

"Mama, your eyes are red," Katie told me this morning when she hopped over to me.

"Yes, well Mama's eyes don't' like being open this early."

Some (like my husband) might call it lazy, but I don't think the act of wanting to sleep in a little should be so villainized. I mean, it's my little pocket of "me" time before the day becomes, well, less about me. I mean if Jack Johnson preaches to "wake up slow," how bad can it be?

Oh yes, and Katie has been doing great at school. Where has the time gone, etc., etc. No seriously, I am sad -- my babygirl goes to real school now.

Also, I am glad no one was hurt in the earthquake... just like poking a little fun.

random wednesday

2011-08-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

If I had my druthers:

blue chairs for my dining room

Filter for my new 50mm lens

Red Funkis clogs

Calcutta marble counter tops (totally not practical, but just love the way they look)

50 mm lens + baby e

2011-08-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

After months of pondering and much discussion with a number of people I finally bought a 50mm lens.

I'm liking the clarity (prior muffin shots) and portraits you can do with it.

I took some picture of my friend Katie's baby the other day and was pretty happy with the results.

Baby E was not happy anywhere but on mama's lap, but with a low aperture setting I was able to get some decent shots without seeing too much of mom.

mini banana nut muffins

2011-08-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

Two reasons to make them mini.

1) They only take 13 minutes to bake so you can whip them up quickly for breakfast or a snack.

2) They are perfect for mini hands.

Banana Nut Bread

my adaptation of James Beard's recipe

1-1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. whole wheat flour

1 C. mashed very ripe banana

1/3 C. milk

1 tsp. lemon juice (or vinegar)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 C. softened unsalted butter

1 C. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 C. walnuts

1/2 C. mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease pan(s). Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl cream butter. Add sugar and mix thoroughly. Add eggs & banana. Combine milk and lemon juice in a small bowl. Slowly alternate mixing in flour mixture and milk mixture. Mix until completely incorporated. Add nuts and chocolate chips last. Sprinkle a little sugar on the top before they go in the oven for a sweet extra crunch on top.

Bake until toothpick comes out clean.

Loaf pan ~60 min.

Muffins ~20 min.

Mini muffins ~13 min.

truth lives in the mouth of a 5-yr old

2011-08-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

Katie: Can I draw you.

Me: Only if you make me skinny.

Me (observing the drawing): I'm a little hippy.

Katie: But you are hippy Mom.

quarantined

2011-08-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

Maddie has been sick for a couple of days now. While she seems to be recovering, she's at the stage where she sounds like she's a pack-a-day smoker.

So, we're laying low.

We've taken to "beautifying" the house today.

We filled my latest finds with flowers from our garden.

The hallway plant died, so we split off a bit of a plant that my friend Laura gave me which was doing really well outside.

We'll see how it does inside.

It's grey outside, so I'm thinking baking will be in order next...

running or shopping: hmm...

2011-08-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

This morning I asked Katie if she wanted to go with me running and then to play at the park, or if she wanted to go to a couple of garage sales.

She picked garage sales (that's my girl).

Ever since I picked up my blue suitcase awhile back, she has been lobbying to use it.

This morning, we found a blue suitcase for her.

It's heavier than mine, which might prove difficult for her when it's packed, but she "had" to have it.

And, when I saw the matching little case, I kind of felt the same way.

We scored both for $15 which I was quite pleased about.

Later we happened upon a lady who had a table full of thousands of broaches, clip on earrings (none of which matched) and other trinkets. She called it her 25 cent table.

I told Katie she could spend $1.

She picked four charms. We found a necklace on the table which worked perfectly to attach them to and with the help of some needle-nose pliers... voila!

Yes, there are only three charms on the bracelet. One was lost in the car as she was admiring them on the drive home.

Still, a very happy Katie.

the fair: back to back

2011-08-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

As what is fast becoming tradition we attended the fair on opening day this week. There were friends, games and more. Katie rode rides without abandon, Mo not so much. All in all it was a pretty exhausting day.

I however, forgot the battery for my camera, which made it very difficult to take pictures for a piece I was supposed to be doing.

Because of this, we headed back the following day with the aim of completing my interviews, and seeing the (perhaps) calmer side of the fair.

Bonus: when you interview 4H kids, they bring their animals out of cages for your kids to pet.

I don't know how those kids keep those all white outfits clean.

All the kids I spoke with were delightful. You can see some of them here if you're interested.

The girls wanted to take a picture with Willie the horse.

This is as close as they would get. Future 4H girls, I fear they are not.

From the baby animals, geese and pig races to the fish and frogs in the aquariums, the day was really nice, and almost leisurely compared to the day before.

Perhaps the best part of the day was the live butterfly exhibit. You dipped q-tips into nectar, placed them under their feet and they would climb right on.

And, in the end the Little Wickies were rewarded for being so patient with mama while she was working.

the baby is officially

2011-08-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

The only two requests Mo had were:

"Me want jump rope party," and "Me want pink and yewow party."

And, so it was.

The week before the party, the girls and I painted a bunch of frames pink and yellow which we hung from the tree in the front.

There was pink and yellow play-doh (easy recipe here).

There were bubbles and a pull-string pinata which rained candy down on the kids.

Mo was beat at the end of day. She straight passed out watching her show before bed.

Happy Birthday Mo!

a million different settings

2011-07-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

That's what my camera is capable of however, I mainly shoot in the auto and the "no flash" settings.

To learn more about SLR basics I attended a workshop last weekend.

Now, I've been told about the basics of my camera before by my husband who knows a lot about SLRs and has taken classes for work.

But, I think I needed to learn from someone (like Jen) whose aim was more in line with mine e.g., to make things -- like my Little Wickies -- look pretty and fun.

That's not really my husband's goal when he takes pictures for work.

The workshop set up was ridiculously cute (if you follow Ruby and Danni's blogs this is not a big surprise).

Not my best shot of the day, but these were our lunches, and I had to show you.

The food and goodies were as good as they looked.

I know I ate way too many macarons which were really, really good.

Outside of what the hosts brought for us to take pictures of, the location itself was really beautiful.

The old craftsman house was super cool. I have a penchant for wrap-around porches. If I had one, I would paint its ceiling just like this one.

And, of course the goody bags were fun inside and out.

Among the goodies, I'm loving my new camera straps from iMo and knitty bitty (yes, two - I had decide which one to put on first!)

More pictures here, here and here.

To more pretty pictures in "M" mode!

summer reading

2011-07-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

While I have a stack of books in my "to be read" pile under my nightstand, I generally have an audio book or two on my iPod for when I go running, or when performing something mundane like dishes.

I tend to download classics, because they are free.

I just finished Orlando by Virginia Woolf. Before now, I had never tackled anything by her. To be honest, I was a bit intimidated. But, I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and interesting.

To sum it up it's about a man named Orlando in the 16th century. He lives a very quirky life, oh, and he never grows old. And, then about a hundred or so years in, he wakes up as a woman -- and his/her life gets even quirkier. The book goes through "present day" (which is 1928).

I need some more classics to download on my iPod.

Do you have a favorite classic novel?

today the beach looked like this

2011-07-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

But this girl didn't seem to care too much.

Mo drawing whiskers on a cat.

getting patriotic - redux

2011-07-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

what big sis learns, mo knows too.

old haunts

2011-07-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Just got back from an extended weekend trip to the City. Funny to see the what was once every day through the eyes of a "tourist" now.

first high rise I ever worked in.

ferry building

I ate lunch at Justin Herman Plaza all. the. time. and never noticed people walking through the fountain there.

Oh, the things that go unnoticed when you're busy dressing in suits, worrying about "the market" and such.

Last week, we walked through the fountain at Justin Herman Plaza.

Specialties didn't have my beloved almond chocolate chip cookies anymore, but the peanut butter chocolate chip was pretty good.

I read the Tales of the City series after a guy I worked with told me those books were the reason he moved from a small town in Massachusetts to San Francisco.

If you haven't read them they are great, fun -- really fun -- reads.

Me and some girlfriends saw the musical this weekend which is based on the first two books. To be honest I was expecting to be disappointed but ended up really enjoying it.

If you're going to San Francisco anytime soon, this should definitely be on your "to do" list.

the ceiling of the A.C.T Theatre

laura + daddy

2011-07-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

My friend Laura visited this weekend.

Katie: Mama, I'm glad Laura is not going to sleep with Daddy.

Laura, who is sitting in the room begins to choke with laughter.

Me (trying to stay composed): Why's that honey?

Katie: Because daddy snores so loud, she wouldn't be able to sleep.

Me: Then it's a good thing.

Me and Laura at the 4th of July parade downtown

happy fourth!

2011-07-03T18:51:00.001-07:00

out and about: hiking

2011-06-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

We've gone on a couple of hikes recently.

The key to a successful hike with the Little Wickies?

1) Friends

2) Snacks

Yesterday we checked out a little creek and swimming hole.

super tiny lizard we found on the trail

Katie still talks about the "amazing" heart (yes, yet another piece of glass) we saw on one of our hikes.

Ah, nature at its best, right?

what? you didn't know annie was part korean and chinese?

2011-06-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

So, I've been meaning to post this for the grandparents.

Here is Katie with choir singing songs from Annie. Unfortunately they couldn't get the microphones working for the show.

jammin' on the one

2011-06-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

This year I combined the blueberries we picked with the strawberries from the farm behind our house to make a mixed berry jam.

I've been jamming for a couple of years now, and if you're going to do it, I would recommend investing minimally in these three instruments:

1) Ladle; 2) Jar Lifter; and 3) Funnel.

You can buy canning sets for under $15 which include a variety of tools, but I found these three the most important.

The recipe I adapted makes a small batch, but can be doubled or tripled if needed.

Strawberry Blueberry Jam

3 cups of strawberries (I slightly smoosh them as I like chunky jam)

1 cup of blueberries

1-1/2 cups of sugar

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/2 package of pectin (plus a little more if you like yours extra thick)

1. Mix pectin with 1/2 C. of sugar in a small bowl.

2. Mix berries with pectin/sugar combination in a medium saucepan. Cook to a full boil.

3. Add rest of sugar and bring back to a boil. Boil hard for 1 minute.

4. Test thickness.

5. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir.

5. Can and process* your jam.

Tips:

- Wash jars and lids in the dishwasher the day before.

- Start boiling your processing water first as this will take awhile.

- Microwave some water in a shallow bowl and heat lids in the bowl while making the jam.

- Put a small bowl in the freezer before you begin. Use it to test your jam's thickness. The jam should thicken quickly in the cold bowl so you know it's ready.

*How To Process Your Jam

1. Fill jars leaving 1/4 inch from the top. Tighten lid.

2. Place jars in boiling water (jars should be covered by at least 2 inches of water). Boil 10 minutes.

3. Cool overnight without touching or bumping.

i can see clearly now

2011-06-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

maddie meets monet / katie covets chagall

2011-06-14T19:24:00.001-07:00

Today I took the girls to an art museum for the first time.

Mo had little interest, she kept walking around saying "me no touch da art, right mama?" in a sort of Rainman way.

I'm thinking of taking Katie back as she seemed to really enjoy it.

She was able to describe to Papa in detail later that night her favorite piece of the day -- floating fish, painter in the background and all -- which I was surprised by.

Blue Angel by Marc Chagall, Katie's favorite piece of the day

Now, don't get me wrong while they did fine in the museum the stairway back to the car provided WAY more fun. We spent at least 15 minutes playing on these.

"Did you like the museum girls?"

"Yes, mama."

Two minutes later going down the ramps in the parking structure, "Wee!!!! Mama, this is fun, do it again!"

And later, "Mama, can we come back so we can go down those ramps again?"

the fingerprint kid

2011-06-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

Picked this book up the other day at the flea market for a quarter.

I remember this book from when I was a kid. Did you have one?

Katie gets a little messy with the ink pad, but is really loving the step-by-step directions.

I'm getting good ... compared to a kid

2011-06-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying having a piano and been reteaching myself some music.

I'm about half way done relearning a Sonatina and was feeling pretty good about my progress. Here's a sample of me playing (on our untuned piano with an with a sticky A that doesn't always play).

Like I said I was feeling good... Until I saw this 11 year-old playing the same piece.

Oh, and this is how it's played by a a 6 year-old.

In the end, it's like art. You perform the act because you enjoying doing it, not because you are necessarily very good at it.

Oh, and if you're interested (totally understand if you aren't at this point) this is how it's really supposed to be played.

do 5-year olds think blondes have more fun?

2011-06-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

At Katie's end-of-the-year open house she tells me, "Mama, I drew a picture of you and me, come see!"

I have to say I was excited. She is a Papa's girl. And, I am often reduced to the status of chopped liver when he is around. So any time she singles me out in his presence I have to admit I do feel special.

She guides me around the corner and there we are...

Both blonde with blue eyes. And, looking like we just came from a mother and daughter tanning salon.

Don't get me wrong I LOVE this picture. I'm trying to get her to paint me a tiny version so I can slide it under the glass of my desk.

We just got her class journal and I really like looking at all the different pictures she's drawn throughout the year.

I'm trying to cull down the artwork I keep, taking pictures of the stuff I like but it is difficult as I have two art-producing machines and I don't want to slow them down!

mixed up

2011-06-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have a guest post over at Ricebabies today where she is beginning a series on mixed race families. Check it out if you're interested in learning some random facts about the Little Wickies.

Hope you're having a good Monday!

folding madness

2011-06-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Fact: Katie is getting good at origami.

Fact: Katie loves to mass produce things once she figures them out.

Mama's solution: Put this skill set and passion together and transfer it to something more beneficial for the culinary needs of our family.

Wontons.

Mo was not happy watching us, and ended up joining in.

Her start was commendable, painting water on the edges very carefully.

Then she would just scrunch the whole thing up. And "fold" it over a bit.

"Ta da!" she would proclaim.

The meat tended to slip out of the Maddie creations a bit too easily after being boiled, but they were all edible.

Usually wontons are made with shrimp and ground pork, but I often make them with turkey because it's easily available at my grocery store and is a tad healthier.

Turkey Won Ton

1 lb. ground turkey
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. sherry
8 water chestnuts diced
4 large Chinese mushrooms diced
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 green onion stalk chopped
1 egg
2 packages of wonton skins

Mix ingredients well. Make wontons using 1 tsp. of filling per wonton.

You can check out YouTube for some tutorials on folding wontons.

in the bushes

2011-06-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Blueberry picking season has officially begun at one of the farms near us.

We tagged along with some friends this week to gather some bounty.

The girls are actually really good at picking berries now.

And, at only $3.75 a pound -- well, it isn't really child labor, right?

We ended up picking more than 5+ pounds of blueberries.

I'm going to make breakfast for dinner tonight and I'm going to try this recipe because it looked so good.

Part of the berry-picking crew

time with friends

2011-05-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

My friend Laura lives in Scottsdale and my friend Lyndsay and I went to visit with her last weekend.

Laura had to work Friday morning so I slept in, then headed down to her pool and read my book.

She kept apologizing for having to work.

I kept trying to explain the act of sleeping in alone was vacation enough for me! Add in hours poolside with a book uninterrupted... well, I think I could have just done that all weekend.

We did a mini road trip to Sedona one day. It's so picturesque there.

Laura, Lyndsay (now 6 mo. pregnant) and I used to live in the Bay Area. We were among many other things, theatre buddies. Great theatre is one of the things I do miss about the City.

We saw everything from the pre-Broadway production of Wicked and Movin' Out (they aren't going to talk are they?) to the Producers, A Doll's House and more.

I love how kitchy everything is there. From the availability of maps to the Vortex to palm readers to the abundance of mystical crystals Sedona is a hodgepodge of spirituality.

Forgive the horrible picture quality but I loved the "scientific" explanation of how this particular crystal improved chakras (note the "quantum technologies" statement in the right hand text)

I'd actually love to go back with the family to hike around some more and explore the areas caves and caverns which have always fascinated me.

Next time.

in the car

2011-05-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

Katie (from the backseat): Dada, what’s your favorite thing to do with mommy?

Papa (driving and grinning): Oh, I just like being with her.

Katie: No, what’s your favorite thing to DO with her?

Papa (still grinning): I like to play with mom, you know wrestle.

Katie: I don’t think mom likes that.

Song: No, I don’t think she likes it either.

up next: 1,000 cranes

2011-05-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

Miyo made Katie a paper swan last year. Katie's eyes lit up and she has been filled with origami thoughts since.

Later, our friend Lyndsay got Katie some origami books and paper as a gift and Katie was plain giddy.

The problem: I pretty much suck at origami. Katie wanted to make things like an elephant that involved 40+ steps and I was at a loss.

We checked out some new books at the library that looked like they might be more promising for two uber-novices.

I attempted the first project in the "Origami for ages 4 and up" book... and FAILED.

The books sat around until Katie found a DVD in the Trash Origami book (awesome concept by the way).

And, it was like (heavenly) "Ahhhhh!"

I set her up on my computer and she was off to the origami races.

She's actually getting pretty good. Making little envelopes and her new favorite: jumping frogs.

Katie and her fleet of jumping frogs

So, in the end the key was not to get an easier book for mom, it was simply to bypass mom altogether.

why it's dangerous when your wife has a blog

2011-05-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

because old school buddies can be crafty.

Got this in the mail last week from our friend Greg. The photo is from the post on Maddie's birthday party.

What he wrote inside was actually incredibly sweet and nice (thanks Gregory).

The best part was when the girls saw the card.

"Who dat?" Maddie asked.

"Who do you think it is?"

She answered, "Dada," but didn't seem entirely convinced.

Oh, I do miss you boys and your antics (sometimes).

guess where we were this weekend

2011-05-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

a day like today

2011-05-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Warning: This post is way wordy, but being performed as a therapeutic exercise.

Today was one of those days. There was so much crying, I ultimately had to laugh because it was so ridiculous.

Crying Fit #1

The Culprit: Mo

The Place: Early morning, the house

The Scenario: Mo wakes up cranky demanding to watch a show (told you I jinxed myself). Papa tells her to stop crying and to ask mom nicely as he is leaving for work. She continues to scream and cry for a long time. Finally out of nowhere she stops and comes over to cuddle with me.

The Ending: Eggs are made, no show is watched.

Total Crying Time: 15 minutes.

Crying Fit #2

The Culprit: Katie

The Place: Late morning, the park

The Scenario: I peek at the treasure Katie has been collecting and see a broken piece of glass amongst her finds. She tells me it looks like Cinderella’s ice skate. I agree, but inform her that sadly we can’t keep a broken piece of glass. Crying ensues. I am called a bad mom. She tells me she loves this piece of glass more than white bear, that I’m mean, etc.

The Ending: It’s lunchtime, I tell her I’ll take a picture of her treasure before I throw it away. She continues to sob all the way home.
Total Crying Time: 15-20 minutes

Cinderella's Ice Skate taken hastily with my phone

Crying Fit #3

The Culprit: Mo

The Place: Lunchtime, the house

The Scenario: I get lunch ready – I offer turkey and cheese or leftover tortellini. Katie begins to eat. Maddie demands soup. I tell her that we can have soup for dinner. She begins to cry. Katie finishes her meal, serenaded by Mo's screaming. Mo finally comes over to me and rests her head on my leg. I ask her if she wants turkey or tortellini. She says tortellini.

The Ending: She eats 8 pieces of tortellini (huge for Mo), takes her sippy cup half full of milk and leaves. I go looking for her a couple of minutes later and find her in bed.

Total Crying Time: 15-20 minutes

Crying Fit #4 - Part 1

The Culprit: Mo

The Place: After nap, the house

The Scenario: Maddie wakes up and Katie and her cuddle in her bed. I get Katie’s snack ready. Katie tries to leave to have her snack. Maddie cries when Katie tries to leave her.

The Ending: Food trumps her little sister, and Katie eats her snack.

Total Crying Time: 5-10 minutes

Crying Fit #4 - Part 2

The Culprit: Mo

The Place: After nap, the house

The Scenario: I tell Mo its time to get ready for ballet. She tells me she doesn’t want to go, she in fact wants to go swimming. Katie and I proceed to get ready to leave the house. Mo decides she wants to change (not into ballet clothes, mind you), but starts screaming when Katie attempts to help her. She lays down and cries. I go in to help. She demands a dress. I get one down, she says “no, I want dress with one button.” I show her another one, she says no “dat have three buttons, I want one button.”

The Ending: We find a dress with one button, go to ballet and everything is fine.

Total Crying Time: 10 minutes

Crying Fit #5

The Culprit: Katie

The Place: Late afternoon, the house

The Scenario: I walk over to find Katie, brown marker on her fingers and marker in hand writing directly on the craft table. She immediately says, Maddie did it (really?! I think, that's what you're going with on this one?). Words are exchanged, she tells me she doesn’t want me to be her mom, that she only wants dada, and screams to the point of coughing. I let her cry in her room. I try to talk with her where I explain that everyone makes mistakes, that the important thing is to admit when we make poor choices and apologize. She tells me she doesn’t even know how to do that and she won’t. As I’m leaving she is yelling “I’m going to cry for the rest of my life.” Sweet.

The Ending: Katie comes out and apologizes for writing on the table.

Total Crying Time: 25-30 minutes.

And in the end? It's now 9 p.m. and Mo is yelling about being hungry in the other room...

give me some mo

2011-04-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

So loving this little girl these days (I know, I've officially jinxed it now by typing that sentence).

I love how when she jumps around she either says, "hopscotch, hopscotch" or "salta!"

I love how she only calls Katie "sis," and never refers to her or calls her by her name.

I call her my little anime girl -- big 'ol round eyes on a little tiny face.

I love how all "L's" are pronounced as "W's." She calls her little friend Logan "woggie."

I need to take more video of her talking these days, because she's a crack up, and I know in a blink that little voice will be gone.

My brother has proclaimed she sounds like an elf.

Chapstick that has been "Maddie-ized"

Part elf, part robot, often sentences will start and end with the word "Mom," except it sounds like "Mam."

"Mam, you got big knife, Mam," she will say flatly as I'm cutting up her strawberries in the morning.

No, she's not practicing to be an Asian tourist

-- she's letting me know that's she's in fact, 2 years old.

Okay, enough gushing. I'll be sure to look back at this post another day when the girl is a teenager and driving me crazy.

what must go on in that little brain

2011-04-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

Katie: Can I ask you a question dad? You may not know the answer but since you’re a scientist I thought I’d ask.

Papa: Yes?

Katie: When a doctor looks in your eyes, ears or your nose... can they see what you’re thinking?

Papa: No honey.

it's loud in hear right now

2011-04-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

While I do enjoy thrifting, flea markets and the sort, garage sales usually aren't my thing because -- well, to be frank I'm not a morning person.

Last weekend we somehow ended up at a garage sale and on a whim, bought a piano.

Now, while the purchase was definitely a spur-of-the-moment thing, a handful of conversations had taken place about getting one. We knew exactly where we'd put it, etc.

We had been thinking about how to incorporate music in a fun way into our house. All the stars aligned that morning: Papa was with us, the price was right, it's perfect size for our tiny house, the guy selling it had a truck and was uber-willing to bring it over.

I need to get it tuned, but so far I really like having it. I've been fingering out old sonatas that have been lingering in my mind for years.

I put little post-its on the keys so Katie can finger out some tunes.

But I can't seem to play without ending up with sticky notes all over my fingers. I don't want to put actual stickers on the keys, so I may have to brainstorm another solution.

Needless to say the Little Wickies love it.

Would love to hear any tips you might have regarding how you incorporate music into your family's lives, if you teach your kids music yourselves, etc.

biker chicks

2011-04-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

Big things happening over here in Little Wickie land.

We took Katie's training wheels off about a month ago and she's zipping around (frighteningly fast).

Mo has her "own big bike," as she sings repeatedly when she rides it.

today's finds

2011-04-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

I love the local flea market we have here on Wednesdays.

Armed with fortune cookies (story behind that to be told another day), Mo and I shopped through people's wares.

Today we picked up these cool pink metal chairs, two jars (for our save-$-to-go-to-Hawaii fund) and a Sesame Street puzzle which is not pictured because Mo was playing with it when I snapped the photo.

If you haven't been I recommend checking it out -- it's free and fun to peruse. (Another plus: the roach coach there has pretty good carnitas tacos.)

tease

2011-04-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago Mother Nature teased us.

We made three trips to the beach in a short 2-day span of warm weather.

One night we packed up our dinner last minute (a non-beach friendly dinner of teriyaki shrimp, fried rice and stir-fry broccoli) and headed out.

"Mo, what are you doing?"

"Me a sand crab!"

After all that rain, the hills behind our beach are covered with their signature yellow wild flowers right now which I love.

Papa pretended to throw each of the girls in the water repeatedly -- a perennial favorite game.

The next day remained warm.

These two crack me up together.

That night we grabbed some take out and watched Papa and Chris surf.

What's better than this little face?

These teeth.

It was in the low 60s again this week, but I know you'll be back again warm weather.

I just know it.

b.f.f.

2011-04-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

I have to admit when I first learned we were going to have a second girl there was a tiny part of me that was disappointed.

But, the more I thought about it the more I got excited. Now, I don't know how well I would have fared with a boy.

I love the dynamic of having two girls (I know, remind me of this post when I have two teenage girls).

While my brother and I are close I feel like with two girls, there is the real possibility of them truly being best friends. I really like seeing how they play with each other, enjoy each other's company and are learning to respect each other when figuring out how to play together.

Awhile back we moved them into the same room. They are loving it. If one wakes up before the other the first thing she asks with sleepy eyes is "where is sis?"

Sometimes they hold hands in bed which is the cutest thing (note to self: need to take a picture of that).

Every night we sneak in to peek on them.

Funny thing is while we often find them in a state such as this...

In the morning they are always back in "normal" positions, heads on pillows with the blankets pulled to their chins.

april foolio

2011-04-03T21:35:00.001-07:00

The Little Wickies fully embraced the April Fool's "holiday" this year.

At first Katie didn't quite grasp what kind of jokes you're supposed to play.

"Mama, how about when Dad's not looking we tickle him?! Wouldn't that be a good joke to do?!"

We ended up changing the contents of his drawers and stuffing his closet full of balloons.

At breakfast I froze their spoons in their cereal bowl.

This actually delighted Katie who loves eating ice.

I also froze Katie's milk.

Dad was also totally on board with the joke-playing that morning. I had sugar in my coffee (yuck).

A total tip-off, Katie asked me all while giggling hysterically, "Mama? Are you going to get dressed now?" I found the contents of my drawers to be switched around.

Rushing everyone out to go to school I hastily grabbed my running shoes to find my laces backwards.

In the afternoon I utilized my little project on them.

I laid it down, called them over and asked sternly, "Girls, what happened here?"

"I didn't do it!" Katie called out immediately.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Chocowate," replied Maddie examining it more closely.

april fool's day prep work

2011-03-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

Last year I performed a series of pranks on Katie on April Fool's Day. They were in fun, harmless and Katie loved them.

I did some homework this weekend and went out this morning and got some supplies (above).

This cracked me up -- I think I'll see if the husband wants to perform this trick on Katie.

Do you have any fun plans? I'm still looking for some fun and simple ideas.

my little warrior

2011-03-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today, after a long week of combat with mini-me, we had a wonderful afternoon without the taint of nasty words, timeouts or a battle of wills.

We climbed into bed together read stories, chatted then settled down for a little snooze.

Perhaps it's because I'm with her all the time being a SAHM, maybe it's because we have similar personalities, but we can really get to each other. Patience and constant communication are the only weapons I yield.

Three things I try to remember when it comes to Katie:

- Show her the respect I want her to show to me.

- Don't be afraid to be wrong or apologize when I am in fact wrong - no one is infallible.

- Repeatedly tell myself "she's only 5."

My little cherub.

thrifty finds

2011-03-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

Found this cute little number at the thrift store this week. It kind of reminds me of the Sound of Music play dresses Maria makes from drapes.

Mo loved that it had pockets.

I also hit a little jackpot of milk glass.

There were 9 of the smaller goblets. And, yes I bought them all. I think some are destined for eBay, but a couple will stay with me.

The girls were such good little shoppers.

I even let Mo get a grab bag of books.

The front book was a Diego book, and for $1.39 for three books, I figured why not.

little tokyo

2011-03-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

I hadn't been to Little Tokyo in ages when I invited myself along with Miyo and her mom during a recent shopping trip.

It was a trifecta of fun -- Fun food. Fun shopping. Fun people.

We enjoyed "appetizers" before lunch including fried shumai and fried shrimp balls (which I'll pass on next time).

I'm still lamenting we didn't go back and get these when they were done.

Literally dozens upon dozens of pocky and pocky-type treats to chose from.

I love the nonsensical use of English on foreign wares. I think I giggled at almost every turn in many of the shops.

I ended up buying this because I mean who wouldn't want to "enjoy a time with me?"

An entire wall of bobble-head clocks.

I'm not sure if the thinking was to make clocks more fun, or to make bobble-heads more functional. Either way, loved them and might seriously shop though them next time.

And, then there was all the people watching.

I wasn't quite bold enough to take pictures of all the people we saw, but suffice it to say it was an eclectic mix of folks.

This green guy was collecting money for the Japan crisis.

It was all enjoyed, of course in good company.

Thanks for letting me tag along!

ushering in spring

2011-03-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

If you've been to our house the last couple of months, you probably saw our Winter Wreaths.

It was quite the crafting adventure for me and the Little Wickies.

The girls collected pine cones at the park and then I went out and purchased my very first glue gun. I then diligently glued all the pine cones to the wreath.

The next morning I picked it up, and all the blasted pine cones fell off.

I resorted to tying the pine cones down with twine. Then we sprayed it with mass amounts of glue and had at it with glitter and beads.

This week we "Spring-ized" the wreaths by painting the pine cones.

Our wreaths are like the ghetto version of Dana's beautiful acorn wreaths that she painted and then repainted.

the tiniest dancers

2011-03-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

Kaitlyn had a little ballet performance last Friday, so you can imagine her surprise and elation when we received a package yesterday in the mail from the sweetest lady over at RiceBabies and found this inside.

Katie pointed out that they looked just like her and Dylann (who is practically an honorary Little Wickie) one with a single bun like Dylann, and the other with two like her.

"Did she know that's how Dylann and I were going to wear our hair?" Katie kept asking.

This morning I came out to the living room to find them performing for The Little People.

Thank you!

i am not a great reader, and I have pleasure in many things

2011-03-03T13:14:00.001-08:00

I frequent two different book clubs.

I have to admit I almost force myself to participate in them because while I enjoy reading, I tend to gravitate towards authors that are -- well, dead.

The book clubs read more current literature which I feel I would ignore almost completely if it weren't for their picks.

I just finished Sandition by my perennial favorite author Jane Austen. It was a version that was completed by an anonymous writer since Austen died a mere 11 chapters in.

Not my favorite Austen book, but I did enjoy it.

I also just finished the audio book version of North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I mostly listened to it while working out.

However, as I got engrossed I found myself ignoring my family completely as I listened to it while performing such tasks as dishes after dinner.

The BBC film version of this movie is excellent.

I picked up an Edith Wharton book at the library and am going to tackle that next, but am looking to take up a more current novel as well.

What are you reading? What are your favorites?