rough night

funny how they sometimes chose to be

themselves for Halloween sometimes.

Mo is constantly pretending to be a cat, and has in real life, quite a few cat-like traits.

Kaitlyn not quite a surfer yet, is an avid boogie boarder and lover of all things water.

Both made it exceptionally easy for me this year.

Hey, even moms get luck sometimes.

the hills/car/bathroom/backyard are alive

You know how Maria in the Sound of Music can't help but sing even though she's not supposed to sing as a wanna-be future nun?

That's kinda like KT (minus the nun-to-be part).  She's always singing.

self-portrait with her iPod

This summer she was belting out Adele in the car with her earbuds on a long road trip.  It was so fantastic, but we had to stop ourselves from laughing out loud because she would be none. too. happy.

oh, go boo someone

Yesterday KT had her last soccer practice.  I've been coaching this season and frankly, was somewhat relieved that the season is coming to a close.

KT who loves soccer + Mama who loves soccer = surprisingly little love during practice.

The majority of our practices have been well, frustrating.  There has been a lot of whining and crying, whining and crying that I don't believe would have taken place if I wasn't coaching.

After a somewhat painful afternoon/early evening we went out to "Boo" some friends with treats and I have to say -- it was the BEST remedy for us all being irked at each other.

I have not laughed with my kids that much in awhile.  Yes, they regularly say/do something funny, and I chuckle but this was in the all-three-of-us-pointing-at-each-other-laughing-so-hard-we-were-almost-crying category.

This morning Mo told me, "That was fun what we did last night."

So thanks T, A & E for boo-ing us.

remembering the 80s: tales of side ponytails, crimping irons and more

KT had a "crazy hair day" this summer during camp.  We braided her hair the night before and did a little half pony on top of her head.

KT:  Mom, does it look too crazy?
Me:  I used to actually do my hair like this when I was a kid -- and, not for a "crazy hair day."
KT:  Really?!

I didn't even tell her about the ponytails phase I was beholden to for the greater part of 1986-87.

sometimes I feel like we are playing

Here is the Little Wickies card for 2012.  I think we're doing good, no?

My apologies to the man

who pulled into the parking space after me at school today.

He probably stepped in a puddle of puke. 

It was like any other morning.  I pull into the school parking lot.  I open the door to let Mo out. 

“My stomach doesn’t feel good.” 

Then, she does that telltale cough/burp sound.

I pull her out of the car and she pukes.  And, pukes.  It would be the one day that she had a big breakfast. 

I grab the phone and call Miyo.  She’s pulling into the parking lot.  I ask her if she can walk KT into school since Mo is now naked after having pulled her pukey dress off her.  She says yes. 

I start working to bag up Mo’s pukey dress and the wet wipes I used to clean up her hands and face.  KT starts yelling from in the car “I have to go to the bathroom.” 

Of course you do. 

A happier Mo.

the band

Katie and her friend Parker have been talking about starting their band for awhile now.

They've discussed playlists, literally drawn out who will be playing what instruments and where they will stand.  A litany of friends will hypothetically be "in" the band in any given discussion.

They've done just about everything except actually play together.

The other night they test-drove some instruments at Parker's house.

"I think I should still play the ukulele and Parker play the piano though," Katie told me later.

Can't wait for the first time they "play out."

In the meantime, here are some "performances" for you fans (a.k.a. uncles, aunts and grandparents) out there.

Father's Day song.



Video from her school's variety show.

performances galore

This year has been filled with a number of stage performances.  (This post will probably be most appreciated by the grandparents).

Most recently Katie played Annie (again) in a talent show.

Unfortunately she didn't wear the wig during the performance (she thought people would laugh at her).



In a milestone performance Katie actually talked her sister into performing with her which was huge as Maddie seems to shy away from the stage.

Here is their rendition of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from the Lion King.



I also realized I hadn't posted her talent show performance from earlier this year for those of you following Katie's career closely...

mo and her fighter

I was quite the tomboy growing up, always playing with my brother's G.I. Joes, watching Transformers, constructing spears out of bamboo in the backyard.

I've been realizing lately that we have a very girly house.

We recently received purple swords at a friend Jake's ninja party and these are recent tidbits of conversation from Mo.

"Mama, you hold onto this part, and boom with the other purple part."

"Where is my fighter!?" (referring to the sword)

"Mama! (crying) Sissy says this isn't a gun!!!" (waving the sword around for me to see)

angry bird

angry Mo

cold weather wear

It's raining and cold outside.

When we go to school all the kids are bundled up in their jackets.

And, my kids are wearing this.

I'm sure I look like mom of the year with my kids wearing sundresses and skirts.

Hey, you have no idea how much negotiating I did to get Katie to trade in the tank top for a shirt with sleeves this morning.

storm watch 2010

My husband and I always joke that whenever it rains in So Cal it's big media news, e.g., you'll see a reporter holding a piece of hail on the 5 o'clock news as if she found a dinosaur bone.

I do have to say it has been raining a lot.

It's a good thing the Little Wickies never get tired of jumping in water - ocean, stream, rain or otherwise.

Yes, that's this hat that Katie used to wear all the time.

This is Katie peeking under my umbrella. Gotta protect the point and shoot.

We brought out some plastic fish and the girls loved chasing them down.

Katie would let the fish get a 15-foot start.

And, then go tearing down the street to catch up to it.

Multiple people slowed down as they drove by to wave at the girls. A couple people rolled down their windows to say things like, "Ah, to be young again" which I thought was sweet.

As I type the sky is clear, but rain is forecasted again this weekend and there is another storm rolling in the following week as well.

Hope the boots dry out by then!

knock knock

happy friday!

arg, matey

Each day when I pick Katie up from school she hands me the tiniest paper cup.

I placed a crayon there so you can see just how small the cup is

Inside of it...

Treasure.

Apparently the school scatters colored rocks and other such little things in the sand.

She is now always on the hunt for treasure in and out of school.

The other day we went on a hike. I told the girls we could collect some pine cones or other pretty things to make a wreath.

Katie kept picking up -- well, trash -- little pieces of plastic, broken bits of glass, etc.

"Treasure!" she'd yell each time she found a strand of plastic Easter grass, a piece of metallic confetti or a sequin.

She even has her sister looking out for "treasure."

Excellent.

what happens

when Papa supervises a craft after dinner.

The three of them blew through $10 worth of glitter in about 12 minutes.

But, the girls had fun (and then, a bath).

i am a robot

it's coming

Today me and the Little Wickies headed over to the flea market that takes place every Wednesday in our town.

Katie was excited because she had never been before and wanted to "know about flea markets" because that's where Mama shops (without her).

We walked through a lot of garage sale-type stuff and shared a burrito from the roach coach.

Everything was good.

Until it went to great.

Katie stopped dead in her tracks to see...

sorry about the poor picture, I (gasp) didn't have my camera and took this with my phone.

a bunch of newly arrived fair rides in the corner of the parking lot.

We ventured closer.

She walked through carefully studying each collapsed ride, looking for ones she might recognize.

Man, that girl is excited about the Fair.

a sampling of her collection

When we were in San Diego Katie raided the brochure rack in our hotel and made some major additions to her collection -- of brochures.

She'll sit and pour over each one. She's always liked maps, so the combination of a map plus an amusement park is proving to be beyond riveting to her.

In recent weeks her obsession has reached new heights. Instead of choosing books at night before bed she chooses a brochure.

The process goes something like this:

Step 1: You chose how tall you are going to be.

Step 2: You chose how old you are going to be.

Step 3: We start the adventure using the map as the guide, choosing rides in accordance with the height and age requirements detailed for each ride. We discuss which will be a fast ride, which one spins too much for Papa to go on, etc.

This morning she was getting all fired up about the upcoming summer fair proclaiming "I want to go on all the rides this time with Dylann and Lia and Hayley and Jake and Amelia and... (there were a ton more names mentioned but you get the idea, right?)"

like devito and schwarzenegger, right?

"We should dress like twins mama," Katie says last week while we're putting away clothes in our respective rooms.

"Umm okay."

A game of clothing "go fish" followed.

Katie (shouting from her room): Mama, do you have a pink sparkly skirt?

Me (in my room): No honey.

Katie: Do you have a rainbow skirt?

Me: No babygirl.

Katie: Do you have a brown skirt with apples on it?

Me: Sorry hon.

Alas, we found a match.

Katie: Do you think Papa will know who's who when he gets home?

Me: I don't know sweetheart, I guess we'll see.