I'm Moving!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to
Janet &
Kathryn for helping me create my pretty new blog. You can now visit me
here or soon directly through
everthingnicole.com (hint, hint dad). I know you have to change your bookmark or blogroll, but I'll try to make it worth it! xoxo
We'll Be Living Here Soon
dining room, entryway & office
entryway looking into living room
kitchen
Wake Up Slow
GracieGirl and I have a ritual where we make pancakes every weekend. We've made pumpkin pancakes, banana pancakes, blueberry pancakes, cornmeal pancakes & strawberry pancakes. But this weekend we're out of pancake mix (and I haven't had enough coffee), so we made banana french toast - yummy! Next week: chocolate chip pancakes. xoxo
The Fortune Cookie Says, "Do not take things that don't belong to you."
Go ahead. You can call me shifty, or conniving. But after waiting til my hair turned grey in the drive-through at Panda Express, I
could not tell the lady that she gave me way more food than I'd paid for. I had only ordered a one item combo (no drink), but was handed a large bag of glorious Chinese food which included two 2-item combos, a side of teriyaki chicken & an extra large root beer.
On the drive home, I was thinking about Karma & what my pay back would be. I had planned on sharing the one-item combo with Gracie, to control my portions. Karma's payback: Sneak in a few thousand extra calories, in exchange for all the ill-gotten free food.
GracieGirl and I ate like queens for lunch today, and will probably do so again in a half hour. xoxo
ps - In case you're wondering, I did have to go to my kitchen to figure out how to spell teriyaki.
Where's The Wiggles?
I haven't been writing lately, 'cause I haven't had anything exciting to say. Gracie's growing like a weed, we're picking out cabinets & flooring for the house, going to Havasu April 1. But nothing terribly exciting. Until
this.
That's right. The Wiggles are coming to LA. I was totally excited & wanted to take GracieGirl (I know she'd love it), but then I saw the price tag: about $50. PER PERSON! If anyone has an in with The Wiggles, I wanna go! xoxo
Girls' Nite
My 13 year-old cousin spent the night last night, to keep me & GracieGirl company while Randy was at work for three days. We had such a nice time, but we didn't do any of the fun stuff she usually does at sleep-overs (bra-freezing, truth or dare, etc.). She made me realize, nicely, that I am getting old[er] and
so uncool in the world of a teenager. It is nice not to be at that awkward age anymore, but a little sad at the same time. How neat to have so many possibilities ahead of you.
I have such great memories of Marissa's dad, my Uncle Jim when I was growing up. It is so nice to see what a fantastic daughter he has. xoxo
PB & Banana
Since we are into crazy sandwiches lately, GracieGirl & I had an
Elvis with bacon yesterday for lunch. Yummy! xoxo
Staying Up Way Too Late. . .
. . .Downloading songs from iTunes. Especially
Bow Wow - Fresh Azimiz. You try saying "azimiz" three times in a row. xoxo
Simon Says Give Your Daddy a Kiss
Just finished playing a competitive game of "Simon Says" with Randy & GracieGirl. Turns out Randy can do a ballerina twirl with the best of them. xoxo
Mmmmm
GracieGirl & I had
fluffernutter sandwiches for lunch today. Life is good. xoxo
The Queen and I
Did you know that we are royalty? This little known fact would have never been discovered without GracieGirl's help. She has revealed her true princessness by only talking in the third person: "Gracie's toy!" "Gracie do it." "Gracie no like naps!" xoxo
Did You Notice?
That there is a new button in the column on your right? This is a list of books I would like to get rid of. I've read them. Some were great books. Some not so great. Good or not, I hate to see literature go to waste. In the spirit of
Bookcrossing.com, if you see a book that interests you, leave a comment or drop me a line (nicoleglancy at yahoo dot com) & I'll send you the book.
Be forewarned: my books are well-used. I like to fold them up a lot while I read, but they're still clean. Except for the occasional booger. That's a joke. Really. xoxo
[EDIT] I just started looking through my books. This is harder than I thought it'd be! Please don't judge me by this list, these are the books I'm willing to part with. xoxo
Katie
Katie is coming to visit this weekend! We were in the sorority together, so of course I had to buy
this wine for the occasion. xoxo
Like A Bad Dream
Randy leaves for work at 4:30 in the morning. I'm usually barely conscience when he leaves. For some reason this morning, I actually woke up enough to hear GracieGirl wake up with him. Here's what I heard:
- Gracie wakes up.
- He puts her back to bed.
- He quietly leaves.
- The front door opens & his truck starts at exactly the same time.
I ran out of bed to find Gracie on her way to wandering around outside in the dark. This morning, I'll be buying some kind of child-proofing kit for the doors. xoxo
Funny
Gracie went #2 in the potty today, so we took her for ice cream. When I told my friend Kristal, she wanted to know if we'd take her for ice cream if she went potty too. xoxo
Snow Day!
Gracie & I made a mini snow village. In the picture, she's eating the raisins we were using for the snowman eyes. Reminds me of a cartoon where the kid makes an elaborate city in the snow & then pretends to be Godzilla. xoxo
Kids Say the Darndest Things
Gracie's little friend Kennedy has been in & out of the hospital this week with a bad virus. While this is very sad & I feel terrible for her momma, Kennedy is going to be okay & will probably come home today.
There is a bit of laughter in all of this, though. While taking Kennedy back to the hospital earlier this week Kennedy's brother, Troy asked his momma if Kennedy was going to die. She explained to him that everything was going to be alright, but some people do die. His response was, "That's okay, I've got some good memories." xoxo
Dirrty
I signed up for the World Famous Mud Run at Camp Pendleton in June. I will be running this 10K “up hills, through tire obstacles, rivers, and two 5-foot walls with mud on both sides. There is also a tunnel crawl, a slippery hill climb, and a 30-foot mud pit.” Joining in on all this fun will be: Kimi, Kristal, Karley, Randy & most of the guys at his station, along with 3,500 other crazies. Anyone want to join in? I can’t wait! xoxo
Valentine
- Went to a Valentine Open House on Saturday.
- Went to a King's game where Mike & Natasha got engaged on Sunday.
- Spent Monday with my Valentine ooh-ing & aah-ing over the fact that we have walls!
- Made Gracie heart shaped pancakes.
- Made Randy cookies & surprised him at work.
- Did I mention that I changed my hair? (That's the only picture I have of it, thanks Janet).
- And because you haven't see enough pictures already, here's me (sans makeup) & my Girl playing dress-up.
xoxo
I'm the Mother Who. . .
Took my girl Gracie to a Valentine's Day Party in which:
- I let a friend of a friend (who I had just met) take her and another little boy for a walk.
- I told people that my daughter is a little bit of a slut (most of her little friends are boys).
- I thought she had wandered into the kitchen, but had actually wandered outside toward the [fenced off] pool.
- I let her party until 10:30, and then finally decided to leave when she puked from an overdose of sweets & an underdose of rest.
I'm such a good momma. If there is such a thing as karma, I'm in trouble. xoxo
Paaarrrtay
Did I mention that
Kathryn &
Janet came to GracieGirl's party? They totally spoiled her. One of Gracie's favorites was the ever so girly & pink fairy princess dress-up dress & matching stick horse that they got her. Janet was also our professional photographer for the event & gets credit for most of the
pictures. xoxo
Photos
To see the photo albums, click on the pictures.
Two Years Ago Today. . .
A 5lb. 11oz. baby girl was placed into my arms. My life has never been so full. These have been the best two years of my life. Thank you, GracieGirl. xoxo
Ass-vice for Those Planning to Cruise the Mexican Riviera
- Scuba dive in Puerto Vallerta. 40 feet under the water is the most amazing feeling. ever.
- If your cabin only has a shower (no bath) in it, get your legs waxed. That teeny shower can be a nightmare, especially if you have an unnatural fear of shower walls.
- Definitely get a room with a balcony, that way you can sit lose count of the whales & dolphins.
- Gentlemen (that's what they'll call you on the ship) - don't take your wife into a jewelry store, unless you plan on buying her a really beautiful diamond ring (that she's still trying to figure out how/why she deserves it).
- Order the lobster as often as you can, unless you're creeped out by the whole water-bug thing.
- Just give it up from the start & realize that you're going to gain ten pounds on this trip. That way you can really enjoy all the fantastic food & eat dessert with every meal like you want to.
- Wear sunscreen, even in preparation for the cruise (did I mention the sunburn incident of 2006? Soon followed by the peeling incident of 2006).
- One way to clear a spa: get in while you look like a leprosy patient.
- Do your absolute best not to piss off the guy who cleans your cabin. He will confiscate your comforter.
- Give the guy a comment card singing his high praises & he will tell you where he hid your comforter (laundry is his story).
- Immediately after he tells you your comforter should be back tonight, go in your room, close the door and laugh hysterically about how he thinks your are dirty Americans and about his name.
- Thalerngsak. Really. He said we could call him Sak. When the door was closed, we called him Thundersack. Pretty sure he heard.
- Never see your nice warm comforter again.
- Don't bother getting off the boat in Mazatlan, it feels just like Tijuana.
- Spend as much time as possible in Cabo, it's beautiful.
- Speak spanish to as many Mexicans as you can.
- They always like it when you ask in spanish where the bathroom is. It's even better when they point out two different bathrooms & you ask who is cleaner.
Pictures & more ass-vice tomorrow. xoxo
As We Finish Packing. . .
. . .my heart is slowly breaking, knowing that I'll be away from my GracieGirl for a whole week. xoxo
Kindergarten Not
It takes a special kind of person to teach kindergarten. I am definitely not that kind of person. So not. xoxo
ps - Happy Birthday, Dad!
ps - We're leaving for our cruise today, be back next week. I'll try to post!
A Few Things
- We're leaving for our cruise on Saturday.
- I've been called the E.O.F. If you know what that is (& you/your spouse don't work with Randy), I'll send you a dollar.
- Tomorrow will be my third day subbing this week, which is three too many.
- It hit me tonight - I'm gonna miss my girl Gracie so so so very much.
- Firemen are great cooks.
- I'm teaching a kindergarten class tomorrow, which is slightly scary to me.
- We had our tax appointment today, which always stresses us out.
- Our new furniture was delivered today, also stressful, but very exciting.
Oh Yeah!
Did I mention that we're going on a
cruise to the Mexican Riviera for our 6th anniversary? Did I mention that we're leaving GracieGirl with my inlaws for a week? And that I can't wait to sleep in as long as I want for a whole week? And that two days after we get back we're throwing Gracie her second birthday party? xoxo
Chippen-who's?
Today I subbed for a sixth grade class. In true sixth-grader fashion, the boys were trying to shock me. I had to laugh out loud when Harrison said to me, "I went to Las Vegas last week. Have you ever heard of the
Chipmunks? You know, the strippers?"
Oh yeah,
Alvin, Simon, Theodore - they're so hot. xoxo
We're One of Those Gross Couples Who Share EVERYTHING
Since Randy works (and shares a shower with) a bunch of men, it's no surprise that he has athletes foot. But when he brings it home to me, that's another story. While bleaching our shower, I was complaining to him about the itchy feet he's caused me when he put it all in perspective: "Some men bring home VD to their wives, you got athletes foot. You got the better end of the deal." I'm pretty sure some men bring flowers home, rather than fungus. xoxo
Ch-ch-ch-changes
It is a big day in the Land of Everything Nicole. Thanks to my Dear Old Dad (aka anonymous), you can now reach me at
www.everythingnicole.com. From there you will be redirected here.
While you are waiting to be sent to my blog you will see a series of four pictures. These are not some of my favorite pictures (one is of Randy, Gracie & me hours after I gave birth). But as they were put there by my dad who probably thinks they're all lovely (being a dad and all) they'll stay for a while.
Unfortunately, the look of my site is not changing at all. I would desperately like to personalize my blah-g, but I just don't have the time to go through it all right now. In other words, I need help (hint, hint)!!!! xoxo
Super-duper
Have you met Super GracieGirl? She also likes to call herself
Stooper Grace! I am also known as Super Mama, able to do laundry in a single bound. xoxo
Easy Money
I'm subbing today. Only, I'm not really subbing. I'm a
roving sub which means that I'm filling in for teachers while they go to a 20 minute meeting. I have five classes I have to "teach." This adds up to 100 minutes of actual work. I'm getting paid about a dollar a minute for babysitting today! How fun is this!?! xoxo
WHACK!
I've had to spank GracieGirl four times now, and each time my heart breaks & I cry (real tears). Now, I do realize that spanking is un-P.C. & all, but I will not raise a child who doesn't know that there are consequences to her actions. Besides, Randy says that the police will warn you twice before they shoot you, so a spanking is just readying her for the real world.
I do warn her lots before I smack her cute little bottom (Gracie, I really mean it this time, do that again & you're getting a spanking). Her little mouth turns down & her eyes start to water. She cries for a few minutes & then moves on to some cool toy she has. Me, on the other hand, feel the need to cry & write about it FIVE HOURS LATER. xoxo
UPDATE: In all of my well-spent time this morning, I made a scarf & hat for my cousin & finished a hat for Randy. xoxo
Happy De-lurking Week
Thank you,
paper napkin! xoxo
He Got What He Asked For
When Randy is gone at work for a few days in a row, Gracie always acts mad at him once he gets home. Before she finally warms up to him, she'll sit next to him on the couch & say, "Excuse me please!" while trying to push him off the couch. She'll also randomly point her finger at him and say, "No Daddy! Nonononono!"
Today Randy got home from a 96 (hour shift). Randy tried to bribe a hug & kiss out of Gracie with popcorn. She looked at him, stuck her finger in her nose, pulled it out & with a snotty face went in for a smooch.
I'm the Jackass
who bragged about GracieGirl's successful pottying
yesterday. She started off the morning going #1 & #2 in the potty. Then she peed on the floor & later pooped in her pants. Guess we didn't deserve that ice cream reward yesterday. xoxo
GracieGirl. . .
. . .went all day today in
Big Girl Panties with no accidents!!!!!!! One of us totally deserves a prize, I'm just not sure if it's her or me. xoxo
Exciting for Me, Not So Much for You
We picked out our plumbing fixtures for the house the other day (which is funny, since we don't have foundation yet). I was trying to pick pieces that I would be happy with years from now.
Here's what we picked out:
Guest & Garage Bath Sinks
The Potty
Roman Tub Faucets
Shower Faucets
Master Bath Faucets
Kitchen Faucet - I wanted one with the spray-thingy on the side.
Island Sink
Everything including the Kitchen sink.
Some bathroom slate tile I like.
xoxo
ps - Yes, "spray-thingy" is a technical term.
Uh Oh! Potty! Help!
We've been potty training GracieGirl again. She's been doing really well - big girl choanies & everything, except on long car rides. The other day we were driving to a party when Gracie said, "Poop!" I thought, good she's finally getting the hang of this.
I told her to try & hold it, to which she replied, "Holding!"
We continued driving in search for a potty when all of a sudden she cried, "Uh Oh! Potty! Help!"
Seems the poop got the better of her. xoxo
Stay Outta My Way
Since I've had Gracie, I've become the worst driver around. When we bought my
Pilot, I was a little disappointed because I wanted something super-snazzy-nice (read:
Beemer,
Acura,
Lexus). Today, I am so glad I didn't get the super-snazzy-nice car, because I would have freaked out every time I curbed it (which happened again yesterday).
Just in the past two months I've hit orange lane markers, scraped the side on some branches & curbed it twice. You know I'm driving extra well when GracieGirl yells
wheeee. I blame my crappy driving entirely on my daughter. She's so darn cute that I
have to have the rear-view mirror positioned on her at all times. Honestly, It's all her fault. So if you see me on the road, turn around & run for cover. xoxo
Holiday/New Years Updates Coming Soon, but Not Now
My dad came with me & GracieGirl to get new cell phones today, because Gracie tore off the top half of mine. While talking to the salesman about plans, my dad mentioned that they might give a discount through his work, but I told him not to worry about it because they give a fireman discount.
I'm not sure which is funnier, that the salesguy thought my dad & I were a couple, or that he thought I was a fireman. xoxo
How Come?
While driving in the car today, GracieGirl was getting sleepy, so I told her to put her head down & go to sleep. In her tired-dazed voice she said, "Why?"
"Because you're tired, baby."
"Why?"
"Because you didn't sleep well last night."
"Why?"
"I don't know, honey. You tell me."
"Wh-[sleep].
xoxo
Christmas Past
Ok, so I know I took a break, but my creativity has been channeled into other things lately. I've been so Betty Crocker this season, that I haven't had anything exciting to say. Among the things that entitle me a Miss Domestica:
- Made Christmas Jam (Strawberry-Cranberry) for the neighbors.
- Made gingerbread cookies for the neighbors.
- Knit many scarves for many friends & family members.
- Crocheted a baby blanket.
Aren't you impressed!?! Now onto the important stuff:
Gracie's favorite presents: Horse bouncy & Schwinn trike.
My favorite presents: all of them, of course!
Randy's favorite present: my birth control pills.
xoxo
L'Office
I know I've been a little MIA lately (Tis the season & all that), but I feel I need to offer an explanation. Since there isn't room for my computer in our cozy (700 square ft.) home, we put it in the laundry room. Thus creating L'Office [laundry room-office].
L'Office is attached to the garage, which is detached from the house. This means that inorder to check an email, post a comment, or anything fun like that, I have to put my shoes on, get bundled up (I don't do well with the cold) & go outside. So, with the cold weather (for me that means anything below 50) I've found that it's just been easier to stay inside.
I probably won't post much until Christmas, but here are some photos I've recently added to keep you busy:
FS39 Christmas Party - Las VegasFS39 Christmas Party - Wilshire
Our House ProjectChristmas (cookie making, Santa visiting).
xoxo
ps - I can't wait to tell you what I got Randy for Christmas!
This Morning
Randy hid my birth control pills from me. He wants a baby that bad. This so means war. xoxo
Seasons Greetings, Happy Holidays, Etc.
I'm finally mailing out my Christmas cards tomorrow. If we are acquaintances & I have your address, you're probably getting one. I love sending cards out. It's the one time of year that you can send a note just to say "I'm thinking of you." Also, I've found, the more Christmas cards you send out, the more you receive (and I
love getting them).
This year I have discovered the one thing I really miss around the holidays, now that I'm not teaching. Yes, I miss the fantastic students & challenging them to learn something they may find difficult. But the one thing I really miss this time of year is my Student Aides. My last year teaching high school, my T.A.'s (Vanessa, Kelly & Jaharri) addressed all 100 (no joke & the list keeps growing) of my Christmas cards. Don't worry, I still signed them myself, but they did the addressing, stamping & envelope licking. Yes, I was a great mentor to those girls, and yes they all earned their
easy A's. xoxo
My Conversation With Toby Keith In Las Vegas
ME:
(taps Mr.Keith's shoulder) Hi, um is your wife here? 'Cause, since
the rodeo is in town, if I were her, I'd want to be here.
[I swear this was not meant to be anywhere near the line it sounds. I really wanted to know.]
TOBY KEITH: (
smiling) No, is your wife here?
ME: No, my husband's at the bar getting a drink.
KIMI: (
walking up & assuming I've just asked for his autograph) I'm sure you get this all the time.
TOBY KEITH: (
more smiling) Yeah, but that's the best line I've heard yet.
(
the small crowd of Mr.Keith's friends starts laughing. I've known his wife for years someone says.)
ME: But, I um, really wanted to know (
trailing off). . .
KIMI: My dad's a huge fan, can we have your autograph?
TOBY KEITH: Sure.
xoxo
So much fun stuff to tell about Vegas
Just still recovering & too tired to tell right now. xoxoxo
Vegas, Baby. Vegas.
Leaving for Vegas in the morning for the first of Randy's two work parties. In case of emergency, you can find me gambling in small amounts or relaxing by the pool at the
Green valley Ranch. Be back Monday-ish. xoxo
Ho Ho Ho
While out at lunch today, Gracie noticed a fat guy with a white beard & Santa hat. "Santa!" she said. Santa looked at her for a moment, then came over.
He leaned in close (Randy & I both stiffened) and said, "Is Santa coming to your house this year? Tell your mommy & daddy to buy you some ice cream with this." He then handed GracieGirl a dollar bill & walked away.
"Gracie," Randy asked, "How's Santa going to buy his forty tonight, now that you took his last dollar?" xoxo
Blogging Boycott
Randy told me tonight that he's thinking of boycotting the blog. Because
every time he appears in the blog,
he says I'm making fun of him.
I asked him how I learned to be so good at making fun? He replied, "From the best [Randy], of course. I just want
the donkey removed."
xoxo
Edit: While discussing this, Randy just asked, "Can't you just blog that I'm the smartest man you've ever known?" Followed later by (while reading this), "You stink." xoxo
XOXO
I don't know if you've noticed (how could you not), but I have a tendency to sign each entry with an
xoxo. I also sign many emails & comments to other blogs this same way. I have two reasons for doing this:
- I figure that if I sign something with a pleasant xoxo, then there is no way what I've written can be thought of in a negative way.
- I know it bugs the crap out of some people, being so cutesy. Probably about the same way I feel about i's dotted with hearts. That is my main motivation.
xoxo
Hi-ho Hi-ho. . .
Did I tell you I've gone back to work? I've decided that although real estate is a great tax write-off, it is just no fun. This morning, I am getting ready for my second day substitute teaching at the very same elementary school that I went to. It is also the same school that GracieGirl will probably go to.
It's seriously different than the other schools I've taught. One of the teachers was shocked when a parent was late picking their kid up from school. She really has no idea. xoxo
Fabulous Friends & Family
I had a really nice holiday weekend. Got to see lots of out-of-town friends & family.
- Thursday: Great diner with the family where I drank a little too much wine & announced to the dinner table that I'd like to get my tubes tied. "Oh, no, um I was just kidding." seems to peel people of the walls after that apparently horrid remark. (Heather - I'm so missing you right now!)
- Friday a.m: Kristal kicked my butt at the gym. It was so very obvious that she's running a marathon next weekend & I am not.
- Friday p.m: GracieGirl & I went to Wendy's house & spent the night. So nice to see Wendy & catch up.
- Saturday: A very small amount of Christmas shopping & decorating.
- Sunday: Pumpkin pancakes in the morning. Dinner at my Uncle Jim's in the evening (He calls Gracie - Gracie James).
With the end of Thanksgiving weekend comes the end of Nicole's Birth Month. Followed appropriately by the birth of Christ. xoxo
Birthday
You say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too--yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.
Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party.
I would like you to dance--Birthday
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance-Birthday
I would like you to dance--Birthday
Dance
You say it's your birthday
Well it's my birthday too--yeah
You say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.
Let the Festivities Begin
It's my Birthweek! In true Chanukah style, I've already received presents on the first day of The Celebration. Thank you
Randy &
Dad! xoxo
Thankful
GracieGirl made fingerpaint turkeys today for Thanksgiving. I'm pleasantly surprised that they are half-recognizable! The fingerpainting was a mess, but SO worth it. xoxo
R-A-N-D-Y
Randy got XM Radio put in his truck today. He's been working a lot lately & gets almost no radio reception on the way to work.
He was on the phone getting the XM hooked up, when I heard him say, "Yes that's right: R-A-N-D-E-L." I quietly tried to correct him:
isn't it r-a-n-d-a-l-l? He waved me off & repeated the spelling of his name for the lady on the phone: R-A-N-D-E-L. When I gave him a questioning look, he got out his driver's liscence. Oh crap, I'm thinking, I've been spelling his name wrong for ten years now.
Turns out, I'm not the one with the spelling problem. My brainiac husband spelled his own name wrong. This shouldn't be a surprise, seeing as he once wrote on a card to me, "You are my angle." Totally appropriate for a math teacher. xoxo
ps - Please know that although he's not much of a speller, he
is a total brainiac & the one I always go to with "how come. . ." questions.
Yes, I Know I Really Do Watch Too Much TV
I love TiVo. No, I really love TiVo. So much, in fact that I've come to expect all of the niceties of TiVo to be present in real life.
Listening to talk radio (my favorite) & miss something? I'm instantly looking for the instant replay button.
Having an important conversation & later think of something snappy to say? Rewind, please.
Out at lunch & my cell phone rings? Wait one minute. Let me pause this.
They say that once you've tried TiVo, real television just isn't as good. Now if I could just pause the real life version so that I could sleep in one of these days. xoxo
Just a Few Minutes, Please
"Mommy, knocka!"
"Just a minute, Baby. I'm in the shower."
"Mommy, knaw knaw!"
"One minute, Gracie. Mommy's in the bathroom."
I will not feel guilty for planting my kid in front of the TV while I do the things most people do without having to lock the bathroom door.
I will not. Will not. Will not. xoxo
GNI
Had some friends & their kids over for a
Girl's Night In. Picture this: Me, Kimi, Karley, Trisha and all of our kids (Kayla, Riley, Troy, Kennadee & Tavie) all piled into my tiny 700 square-foot-one-bedroom house. It was chaos. Pure chaos, but so much fun. You can click on the pictures to see more of the craziness.
One thing that was productive for me that evening: It has been confirmed that I have no fashion sense. First was the shoes. I pulled out some white tennies that are a few years old, but still kinda cute. "Hey, are these still in style?" Pure silence. Followed by laughter and some very serious, "No, Nicole. No. No. No."
Then I tried on the dress I'm wearing to Randy's station's Christmas party. The girls approved the dress. I then said I was thinking about wearing it with some leopard print shoes [I've seen this in the
JCrew catalogue, so I
know it would look good]. Apparently, that was a fashion fo paw as well. Moral of the story: Don't ever ever ever let Nicole shop alone. xoxo
ps - I also
love love love these & don't care if they're not as adorable as I think!
The Day in Which My Mother Should be Honored, But I'll Celebrate Anyway
November is the month of my birth. Since there are only 14 shopping days until my birthweek (I do celebrate the entire week, you know), I've made a very small "wish list" of
Great Gifts For Nicole. Included in the lists are things like Monopoly, the ipod Nano, a riding lawnmover, and some over-the-top jewelry.
Disclaimer: This is not a solicitation for gifts, just a fun way for you to see some material things that make me smile. (Unless your name is Randy. Then you should definitely check out the jewelry.) xoxo
Stinky
Yesterday, while pushing GracieGirl in the stroller, we came across a terrible smell. Just as we began discussing the stinkiness, Gracie blurted out, "Uh-oh, Daddy poot!" xoxo
Simply Bootiful
Halloween was fabulous, right up until GracieGirl was put to bed screaming from the pain of a sugar-hangover. She was the cutest bumble bee alive. You can see the pictures from our Halloween Adventures
here. Please take special note of all the chocolate stuffed in her mouth in just about every. single. picture.
Sorry the blogging has been lacking lately. More to come soon! xoxo
Watching Sesame Street at 6am.
Sucks. xoxo
Think Pink
Janet, you'll love this:
GracieGirl is learning her colors. Just so happens that every time she names a color, it's pink. She'll hold up her orange purse, or a red ball and proudly say, "Pink!"
This is appropriate because Pink is one of her many nicknames. When she was growing big in my belly, I couldn't wait to find out if she was a boy or girl. When I found out & told my dad, being the proud Pop-pop that he is, he called his parents (my Granny & Papa) right away. Granny squealed when he simply said, "Think pink. The color for the season is pink." The name Pink has stayed with her (along with pumpkin, munchkin & tatertot). xoxo
Pre-pre-pre-pre-teen
Apparently, clothes are no longer
cool with the younger generation. By younger generation, I mean the 1 to 2 year-olds. Lately (i.e.
every time), when it is time to get GracieGirl dressed or ready for bed, we are confronted with The Worst Temper Tantrum Ever. This includes kicking, screaming, yelling, screeching, tears and a terrible gritting of the baby teeth while trying to pull off said clothing.
The Girl seems to think that the only clothing necessary when going somewhere is: a pair of ugly blue sandals, The
Purse, and maybe some undies. Anything more than that and we've got a war on our hands. She'll fit in quite nicely at a nudist colony some day.
ps - After one of the many tantrums, I was making a grocery list. Randy wanted to make sure I put Baby Midol on the list - not such a bad idea! xoxo
Quote of the Day
While on the phone to my dad:
"No, no, Gracie. Get your feet out of the potty!" xoxo
Too Much Fun
We went out last night with Kimi, Dane, John, Katrina & baby Tyler. Had lots of fun. Drank margaritas
by the pitcher. Randy drank
way too much. See how well I took care of him?
Looking back, I should have put something much sweeter, like a heart or smiley face. Really though, he's lucky it's lipstick & not permanent marker. xoxo
Half Naked Thursday
Randy getting GracieGirl ready for bed. . .
xoxo
Cheaper Than. . .
Went to the 99 Cent store today. I haven't decided if I'm in love with that place, or totally repelled by it. Granted, there were some great deals (bags of candy corn: 2 for 0.99), but the quality just isn't the same. After much research (half a bag of candy corn), I've determined that although a great deal, it's sometimes better to pay the full $1.19 for candy corn at Target, rather than save a few pennies.
The reason I went there in the first place was for two all-important items: A coupon holder (not sure where else I would find one) and a new purse for Gracie. I didn't find a coupon holder. I'm guessing that's because you can't use coupons at the 99 Cent store.
The Girl's purse on the other hand, has become somewhat of a sore subject for me. She insists on taking it
everywhere. That alone wouldn't be such a big deal. I know kids get attached to random things, but this purse happens to be very orange and very plastic. It's hideous. So, I was looking for a cheap alternative to the nasty orange purse.
Things I wasted my 99 cents on:
- Bootiful plastic silver purse for the Girl
- 2 plates and 2 bowls for GracieGirl
- Box o' fake Oreos
- Hand soap, which I can't open
- Lotion that I'm now afraid to try
- Foil.
Isn't shopping fun!?! xoxo
Moving On Up
Dear Internet,
It seems I'm moving up in the world of blogging. My dad (knowing that it would
so make my year), has purchased the domain name
everythingnicole.com. I can't begin to explain how cool (and phat, rad, tight, etc.) this is. For the moment there is just a picture of me & GracieGirl there, but soon, very soon big changes will be coming. Thanks, Dad! xoxo
I'm Sure It's Going In Her Mouth Next
Phone etiquette
In case you ever call me on the phone & GracieGirl answers, here's a preview of her phone conversations (they're almost always the same):
"Lo. Lawloo. Mistoo. Trickytree. Lawloo. Bye bye. Done!"
Hello. Love you. Miss you. Trick or treat. Love you. Bye bye. [pushing phone away] Done!
xoxo
Half Naked Thursday
Taking Tinkling Too Far
Warning: This blog will be taken over with Potty Training topics for awhile. Please bear with us as we are under "construction."
Potty Training has been going great. We even went to the mall yesterday & wore
real undies with no accidents. Knock on wood for me, because we haven't had any accidents in the past 48 hours & I'm bragging about it!
I said things were going great, but they may be going too well: GracieGirl has watched Randy pee before & she is an observant girl. I shouldn't have been surprised to find her standing in front of her potty (standing up), trying to do it the way her daddy does. xoxo
Pooty Bliss
How proud am I of my girl for going #2 in the potty?
More than words can say.
How grossed out am I at the prospect of cleaning out her
Royal Potty?
More than words can say. xoxo
Going Bad, In a Good Way
Turns out, I'm spoiled. This isn't some sudden revelation that I just had, more like an accumulation over the years. If you know me, then you probably know that I've always been spoiled. My brother refers to me as our parents only child. My dad's advice for Randy when we got married: Just don't ever forget that the world is always traveling somewhere around Nicole. I don't think Randy took that advice for granted, because he is the main cause of my spoiledness.
I'm not bragging about the spoiling (although, I do love it), I'm just letting you all know that I am aware that I am so very spoiled. Now that I've come clean, my question to you is: what do I do with this knowledge? Can I use it to better the world?
Being in the spoiled state that I'm in, I'm having a hard time thinking of others. xoxo
Reason #993 That She's Ready
GracieGirl has learned a new word: Poot. She came in the other day saying, "Mommy. Poot! Mommy. Poot!" She then grabbed my hand, "C'mon," and lead me into the bedroom where I change her diaper. Sure enough, she'd "poot."
Looks like as soon as The Cold From Hell leaves us, we'll be "Pooty training." xoxo
Cough, Cough, Sniff, Sniff
Gracie & I have been suffering from The Plague a.k.a.
The Worst Cold Ever a.k.a.
The Reason I Haven't Left the House (or couch) in the Last Two Days.
Tomorrow is another day, though. Maybe I'll feel well enough to actually brush my teeth. xoxo
Some Like It Hot
Randy & I have one major dilemma. I'm usually cold and he's usually hot. It's the reason we have heated seats in both vehicles, why my car is cluttered with coats, and why he owns very few long sleeved shirts.
Said to me last night when I turned the heater on:
"It's the perfect temperature in here for domestic violence." xoxo
Nada
Dear Internet,
I've got nothing. This is a rare moment. Enjoy the silence.
xoxo
Our House
Came home from the lake Thursday evening and this is what we saw. It may look like a disaster, but it actually means that we've broken ground! Our house-project is finally under way. Only another year or so until we move in! xoxo
You can see more photos
here.
Last Hurrah
Good bye, dear Blogger. Leaving for the Lake. Be back Thursday-ish. xoxo
What A Difference A Day Makes
Everything is back to normal, as far as my computer goes. The first tech guy I talked to was the kind that just reads from their database & tells me what to do. After half an hour, he had completely confused himself & me, so he transferred me to the
real tech guy - the tech man. Who promptly walked me through the problem & had my mac back to normal within five minutes.
After I got off the phone, I then spent the night face to face with the potty. I'd like to blame it on the apple fiasco, but I think it's something I actually ate.
Feeling much better this evening & looking forward to the weekend:
Sugarland (free) concert tomorrow night & the last lake trip of the year Sunday. xoxo
If I Had Tourette's it Would Be in Full Swing
I'm currently on hold with Apple tech support. Everything on my mac has disappeared. It's like the computer is brand new, my settings are gone, my tunes are gone, and most importantly, my photos are gone. I do have the pictures backed up, though. Please pray that when my head explodes, there isn't too much of a mess for Randy to clean up. xoxo
Yummy
As Mother of the Year, I try to get GracieGirl to eat her veggies & all that good stuff. But she now will only eat the good stuff: Purina. She's very good at sharing, though. One for her, one for the dog. One for her, one for the dog. Such a sweet girl.
She's also taken to barking every single time the dog barks, which is a lot. We own multiple "bark collars."
Who needs siblings when you have man's best friend? xoxo
Gracie's New Favorite Song
"Shay shay shay. Shay shay shay. Boobie. Boobie!"
[Shake shake shake. Shake shake shake. Shake your booty! Booty.
- KC & The Sunshine Band] xoxo
Ten on Tuesday:10 Weird Things About You
- I can't stand to touch the walls in a shower - even if it's my shower.
- I always, always have chapstick within arms reach.
- My toes are pretty long.
- I make my bed almost every day. Something I never used to do.
- I could eat a lot of string cheese in one sitting.
- I don't really like dogs, even my own.
- I love to floss my teeth. One of my first thoughts after having any kind of steak is generally, "I wish I had some floss."
- I blow my nose very loudly. My students used to think it was a joke.
- I get very crabby if I don't run or go to the gym in the morning.
- I hate going to the dentist so much that he now prescribes me valium before I go.
xoxo
Randy's Favorite Part of the Zoo
Randy was sorely disappointed that I didn't mention the elephant's "fifth leg" in my blog about the zoo. I think he was permanently scarred. xoxo
Going To the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo
It was an absolutely beautiful Southern California day, so the three of us went to the
zoo. There weren't very many photo ops, but GracieGirl blew kisses to pretty much every animal, including the
Komodo Dragons.
My favorite part was Gracie singing the zoo song with me:
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How 'bout you, you, you
You can come too, too, too.
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo.
We also sang the
Jungle Book song when we saw the orangutan. xoxo
Photo Friday: Massive
Me & GracieGirl. Unbelievable.
A Snail's Pace
I often refer to Randy as "The Slowest Man Alive." He likes to take his time & hates to be rushed. It is one of his traits that drives me crazy, yet is endearing at the same time (usually).
So, I am not at all surprised to find that the fire station has a new pet named after him. Apparently, they now have a pet snail, who is red with a white stripe and the words F.F. Randy painted on one side. xoxo
Date Night
Randy, Gracie & I went to our first family movie the other night. For me, it was the first movie I'd seen in the theater since I was 8 months pregnant (more than two years ago). For GracieGirl, it was her very first movie ever.
Off to a good start, GracieGirl fell asleep on the drive to the theater. As I paid for our tickets, we laughed at the fact that we were not only paying $5.00 for a 18 month old, but a sleeping 18 month old (they start charging after the kid hits one year). We also paid $7.75 each to see
Valiant, a movie neither of us have heard of or were dying to see. So much for my great debut back into movies with some Oscar-winning film.
Halfway through the movie, Gracie awoke from her nap, sat on her daddy's lap, watched the movie for thirty seconds, then started wailing. As I took her outside, I was smiling at her crying over a cartoon. But then I started to think about it: If I woke up from a much needed nap & found myself in a large dark room with a bunch of gigantic pigeons covering an entire wall, I might cry too.
I went to the counter to ask for a refund. Surprisingly, they gave it to me. I think the screaming baby (who was charged the ticket price of child) convinced them. I'm not sure which was more funny: paying $20.50 to see a movie you don't want to see (for Gracie, who was sleeping), or getting the entire thing refunded.
Gracie continued to cry, so we decided to bribe her with ice cream (Mother of the Year). Turns out Gracie has a new philanthropy she enjoys. As we all sat outside & ate our ice cream (which cheered her up immensely), she walked around picking trash up off the ground, saying "traaassshh" & taking the nasty items to the trash can. I refuse to think about the nasty things she picked up. I figure if I don't think about it, maybe it didn't really happen. xoxo
Good, Clean Fun
Gave GracieGirl a bath in her kiddie pool this afternoon. This was not the first time. Thinking of changing the name of my blog to "Mother of the Year." xoxo
Tragedy
You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned the Gulf Coast tragedy. This is only because there are no words to describe how heavy it makes my heart. God bless those people in their time of need. And God bless the human condition, it sure does need it. xoxo
Fairly Good Time
We went to the fair last night. Randy bought me a beer. Me, being the Mother of the Year that I am spilled half of it all over Gracie's stroller. Now, I'm sure that whenever we take GracieGirl somewhere in the stroller, people will be thinking to themselves, "I wonder why that cute baby smells like beer?" and "No wonder she's such a happy baby." That's why she slept so well when I was nursing her, you know.
Apart from the beer spilling incident (I promise I'm not a lush), we had a pretty good time at the fair. I ran into way too many old friends and students - all of which I'm sure were wondering about the suspicious beer-smell. Gracie rode a camel & a horse. Each time smiling for the camera. That kid is a total ham. She calls a horsie a "uhh-uhuhh!" She patted the face of many "moo's" & "baa's" and even a pig for which she makes a grunting noise. She uses that grunting noise for just about any unexplained animal.
We also took Gracie on
one of the rides. It was a huge slide. We weren't sure if she'd like it or not, since she's been such a scaredy-cat lately. When she came off the slide, all she could say is, "Moooore!" "Moooore!"
The "uhh-uhuhh!" Ride
The Slide
Gracie & Randy are behind the guy in purple who got in my way. The Camel Ride with Kimi & the Kids
xoxo
I am Only a Little Geeky & Need Help from a Bigger Geek
I am currently moving my blog from blogger to
typepad. Since I paid for the typepad account, I figured I better use it. I also might upgrade the account, so that I can have my own domain name (shh, don't tell Randy - I've spent to much already) (Crap, I forgot I tell him everything anyway - can't keep my mouth shut!). So far, so good, except it didn't transfer the pictures that go with by blog entries. Any suggestions? I'll let you know when the move is complete.
Also, my Bluetooth mouse does not run smoothly. I'm having a hard time pointing at things on the screen.
Turns out, I am not the geek I would like to think I am. I just have quite the fondness for geeky gadgets. xoxo
It's a Bug's Life
Good Times
Sent a letter to a bunch of my old students earlier. Of course, half of their email accounts have expired 'cause that's how kids are.
It's such a love-hate relationship a teacher has with her students. I keep thinking, man I miss those little hoodlums. The freshman I had when I first taught high school are seniors this year. It makes me a little teary. I keep looking back at all the fun times I had with my students. Times when I'd be blown away by something they would say or do, but then reminded that I was (gasp!) in high school once too. Times when the whole class would be laughing at some shared joke. Once, the whole class threw wads of paper at the kid who was habitually tardy.
As I drift though memories of who was dating who & whose mom was gonna kill them, I always drift to the sour ones too. Like the kid who I sent to detention every day for the first 15 days that he joined my class. Or the time I had to call a kid's dad because he wouldn't take his hat off in my class (That one's kinda funny, though. The dad came down right away & yelled at the kid in front of the whole class). It's crazy, even the not-so-great memories make me smile.
Memories, misty water-colored memories. . .
I may have been a hard-ass, but I was always fair. We had fun & I think the kids appreciated that. I'll probably go back to teaching when Gracie goes to school. I'm pretty sure it's what I'm meant to do. xoxo
WTF?
Can someone please tell me what
these comments are about? I didn't think a blog could get spammed. I feel quite violated, please tell me what's going on. xoxo
I Can Do It!
We're back from the river. Had a great time playing in the sun (110 degree heat). One of my favorite memories will now be floating down the river in the dark, drinking cheap wine, chatting with Randy while our baby girl is sleeping soundly next to me in the boat.
More importantly though, I CAN NOW
JUMP THE WAKE!!! This means that when wakeboarding, I can jump from one side of the "V" the boat makes in the water to the other. It's probably about 6 feet across & 3 feet high, but it's enough to feel scary, in a good way.
I have been wakeboarding on & off since 1998, and I've been trying to jump the wake for the last 3 summers (pregnancy did slow me down a little). It really shouldn't have taken me so long, but I didn't always have the guts to try hard enough. Be excited for me. Be very excited for me.
It should also be noted that I have been a cripple for the last three days because of all the wakeboarding & crashing.
Next up:
Buena Vista in September. xoxo
Flies
As I'm getting GracieGirl ready for bed tonight, she grabs my face with both hands and says, "flies!" I can't think of anything better than the giggles that follow giving that girl butterfly kisses. xoxo
ps - leaving for the river in the morning. We'll be back Friday or Saturday. Sorry for the lapse in blogging, maybe I'll find some WiFi in Needles (yeah, right. . .)!
Odd Photos I Just Had to Share
These boots were made for walkin'.
Got them today @ Target.
Teeny frog sitting on top of the molding around the front door.
Sipping soda
without the straw.
Smallest lizard I have ever seen. Cute, huh?
No, she's not just hungry. She's doing some serious raspberry playing.
Our dirt (with a fancy sign).
GracieGirl soup.
xoxo
dining room, entryway & office
entryway looking into living room
kitchen
Have you met Super GracieGirl? She also likes to call herself Stooper Grace! I am also known as Super Mama, able to do laundry in a single bound. xoxo
Guest & Garage Bath Sinks
The Potty
Roman Tub Faucets
Shower Faucets
Master Bath Faucets
Kitchen Faucet - I wanted one with the spray-thingy on the side.
Island Sink
Everything including the Kitchen sink.
Some bathroom slate tile I like.
Halloween was fabulous, right up until GracieGirl was put to bed screaming from the pain of a sugar-hangover. She was the cutest bumble bee alive. You can see the pictures from our Halloween Adventures here. Please take special note of all the chocolate stuffed in her mouth in just about every. single. picture. 
Looking back, I should have put something much sweeter, like a heart or smiley face. Really though, he's lucky it's lipstick & not permanent marker. xoxo
Came home from the lake Thursday evening and this is what we saw. It may look like a disaster, but it actually means that we've broken ground! Our house-project is finally under way. Only another year or so until we move in! xoxo
xoxo
These boots were made for walkin'.
Got them today @ Target.
Teeny frog sitting on top of the molding around the front door.
Sipping soda without the straw.
Smallest lizard I have ever seen. Cute, huh?
No, she's not just hungry. She's doing some serious raspberry playing.
Our dirt (with a fancy sign). 
GracieGirl soup.
xoxo
