Getting Pumped!

The male trainers on Work Out are doing the Mud Run tonight. Just seeing the commercial got me pumped for my race. I haven't run in over a week because of my bursitis but tomorrow I am going to plow through through the pain! This is us celebrating with a beer right after the race last year. I want to look less exhausted this year!

My Aching Heart

There are times when your child takes a step into the future that really tug on your heart. First Christmas, first word, first step, first day of Kindergarten, first lost tooth…

Lately I have found myself choked up by the smaller things. The things that I never even realized mattered so much to me.

My children brush their own teeth. We no longer sing the Raffi “Brush Your Teeth” song every night.

My children can plug can plug things in and legitimately understand the dangers of sticking anything else in the plug. No more outlet covers in our house.

My children can make their own breakfast. The selection is limited to cereal, toast or waffles with juice or milk but they can do it!

My children can put away their own laundry.

I no longer have a use for a double stroller. Or a car seat.

My children can open the garage door, call their friends on the phone and find something to watch on TV without my help.

My children can read.

My children can wipe their own tushies.

We don’t use training wheels.

My children understand saving their money and can budget to buy something for themselves.

My children can open a game, read the directions, set it up and play together without ever needing me.

My children can feed the dogs, walking sticks, caterpillars, silk worms and water their plants.

My children can put on their own sunscreen.

My children say words like sweet, awesome, cool, dude and my least favorites, butt and fart.

My son put a note on his door that says “please knock”

My daughter doesn’t want to play sports, just dance dance dance.

My children can get their own snacks, put on their shoes and socks and brush their own hair.

My children take showers, not baths, and no longer need me to wash them. Or their hair.

We’ve had “the talk” with my son.

My children can swim.

My children can make their beds and clean their rooms.

My children have their own library cards.

My children sleep through the night.

My children can tell time.

My daughter wants to paint her toenails and wear lip gloss every day. I won't let her.

My children Pray.

These are some of the things that make me stop and wonder where the time has gone. I can remember the moment I found out I was pregnant with both. I remember the moment I told my husband. I remember the song that was playing when each was born. I remember our first nights together. I can remember every birthday and Christmas. I can remember import milestones along the way, yet the details of the hundreds of days in between have somehow blurred together. I know there are many, many reason my children still need me. It just seems that each day they need me a little bit less.

Raising children is bitter sweet.

Damage Control

I am going to head this one off...I know my hubby is waiting for me to get in the shower so he can post this.

This is me singing American Idol on the Wii at 1am. I had been rattling the windows for 3 hours. I am not ashamed of this behavior!

I Love Sundays!

I really truly love Sundays. Today was no exception. We always start with Church, best way to start the day. I love our Church and am so grateful we found the perfect fit for us on our first try! Early afternoon we did a few maintenance projects around the house. The kids watched a movie and went to the neighbors while I went to my game. Jon napped and went to work.

We lost, but it was a great game 19 to 20. We are now leading only by one game with two left in the season. After the game I took my kids and a neighbor friend to the small skateboard park by HBHS. This was our first experience there and it was awesome. Dylan was fearless jumping right in there with the twenty-somethings that were "shredding". The neighbor was more timid but I still think he had fun.

My favorite part of Sundays is always from 5-8. The kids and I get to have Kids Choice for dinner and wind down early. We read some books and got settled in bed. I did a quick run through of the house and now I am ready to work and watch my shows! I love having a quiet house by 8pm!

Here's some pictures from the skate park. My son amazes me!

My Sheltered Children

My children are so sheltered.

Jon and I are both in need of new sandals so we decided to go to the swap meet. Jon bought his there before we were married so the time was way overdue! I was just looking for some cheap flip flops. The adventure was really for our kids since they had never been to the swap meet. They grabbed their wallets and were very excited! At one of the booths there was some skate boards, punk shirts and what I can only refer to as alternative jewelry I guess. Let's just say it was jewelry my kids have never seen before. So after looking at the skateboards, the kids were looking in this case of tongue rings and had the following conversation:

Dylan: Megan, wow look at those!
Megan: What are they (whispering with her eyes really wide)
Dylan: Those are little tiny wheels and trucks for tiny skateboards. SWEET!
Megan: WOW!

Seriously, they are way too sheltered. They didn't even believe us when we told them what they really are! So Jon got his tongue pierced to convince them!

A Lesson Learned From Laurel!

After Dylan got out of school we went to the library. When we came home, Megan asked Dylan to read her a book. I sat down on Jon's chair at 3:45 to read the paper. At 5:00 I was startled by my neighbor knocking on my door. Yes my friends, I had fallen asleep! I was embarrassed by the lines of the rocker indented into my cheek and the drool in my hair. He felt it was payback since I have many times woken him up from a nice nap on the couch. I cannot believe I did that. My children played a game right there in the living room, then were in Megan's room putting on a play. They were so sweet. Dylan just said "you looked so tired so we let you sleep". I am so proud of them for not fighting for over and hour! They were really good to me today!

Chatty Cathy

Thursdays are Mommy/Megan days. It is the one day she is home with no daddy and brother. We spend the whole day together while the boys are at their respective "jobs" I love having the one on one time with Meg. Sometimes we go someplace fun, sometimes we run errands, sometimes we stay home and play games, dance ballet, whatever strikes us! I truly love this time, HOWEVER, the girl wears me out with the TALKING!! She does not stop, EVER!!! She is just talks talk talk talk talk talk talk......!
It is exhausting!

Earlier when we were in the car I finally got a sentence in. The conversation went like this:
Me: Megan, do you ever just sit and think?
Meg: No mommy. I don't ever do that!
Me: Why not? Sometimes it is nice to just relax and think.
Meg: Because when I am thinking I can't be talking and I have a lot of important things to say!
Case closed!

We came home a few minutes ago and I was very in need of a few minutes of quiet. Thankfully she announced she had to poop which would mean I get 10 whole minutes without talking! I skipped over to the computer smiling from ear to ear, so grateful for the quiet. No sooner had my butt hit the chair when I hear Crash, "Mommy!" "Bark!" The crash was the stool tipping over and the bark was Serafina getting scared. The only thing is, once Serafina starts barking it is going to be 10 minutes before she starts. So I spent my 10 minutes of quiet listening to the dog bark.

Now Megan is happily coloring a picture in the other room and yes, she is talking to me across the house while I type this. She is s super sweet little girl, however I will be grateful for a bit of quiet when she goes to bed tonight!

Deep Thoughts

I have very few memories from 1st-4th grade, I can however remember these random things from my eaarly childhood:

Exactly where I was and who I was with when I ate my first Pop Tart

My first visit to Chuck-E-Cheeses

My favorite Books:
Bugs Bunny and the Carrot Machine
A Monster at the End of This Book
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

The Gingerbread Man escaping from the oven on my first day of Pre-School

Anyone have any random memories?

I'm On My Way!

So it seems we are all online checking each other's blogs like crazy people. Can't we just get together and have an actual conversation? Where are we meeting? Starbucks on Main? I am putting on my bra now. See you there!

Good Day

Today was a good day.

Went to Church, taught in the 4 year olds. Didn't get to go to service but my hubby bought me the CD so I will catch up before Bible Studay tomorrow. That's two weeks in a row...I really need to be filled up next week! At all costs.

Came home, ate a quick lunch, went to my game. Jon took kids to Cub Scout Nature Hike.

We won. I scored the winning run. (Not "hit" but "scored") We are in first place by 2 games. It feels good!

Came home, washed Jon's cars, showered and had a snack. Rest of the family came home.

Folded laundry while kids played with neighbors. Took kids and a few neighbors to the park to skateboard and play. Came home. Washed my car. Had dinner, Jon went to board Meeting. Got kids showered and to bed. Had a margarita while working. Watched all my shows. Now my hubby has opened a bottle of bubbly to celebrate his raise and we are watching The Soup. Time to turn in soon! I love days with no drama!

A Sign?

Is it a sign? I tried to update my Facebook "status' today. On 3 different occasions I tried to say the following "Gina is trying not to reflect on her past, yet God keeps calling her to do so". All 3 times, it would not post. I tried, I really tried to post it, 3 times. It simply would not post! Soooo...does God want me NOT to reflect, or does God want me TO reflect? I am confused. So here I sit trying not to reflect about reflecting while reflecting on whether God wants me to reflect of not! It's troubling!

Problem Solved

For some reason for two days I had no editing tools on my blog or account. I couldn't spell check, change fonts or add colors. Even the photos on my American Girl day were showing up as HTML not photos. This morning it all magically reappeared. No more typos for me!

Am I Strange?

Am I strange because:

I lock myself in the bathroom and pretend to be going potty so that I can do Sudoku in peace. It is my new obsession.

I LOVE forensics and think Dr Baden is hot.

OK...maybe not hot.

A perfect dinner for me is a bag of burnt popcorn and a glass of red wine.

My LONG day!

I dropped D off at school and set off for my "girly" day. Anyone who really knows me knows that I am not a girly girl. Sure, I wear lipstick, but it is only on the ball field. I dread girly girl things. But God has BLESSed me with a Girly Girl! She has been saving her money for months for a trip to the American Girl Store. (ironically at the Grove, exactly where my so called friends were going to see American Idol). So we went today. After telling me he didn't want to go, then rearranging my schedule a few days before so he could be there, my husband backed out 20 minutes before departure for a golf outing for a bachelor party for aguy he doesn't even know that well)


I am not going to be bitter, I am just going to post pictures. My daughter had the GREATEST day of her life.
I know it is not about me but MAN...I was so out of my elemet!


Having Tea with "Katie"



















Katie having her hair done (Don't even ask what mommy paid for that!)



















Just paid for my own doll! I saved for a lONG time!































At home in matching exercise/ballet clothes.



They also got matching jammies!










































Nana, Kathryn and Megan at realxing before lunch, LOOK! In the background you can see Kristi going in to the Sushi restaurant for lunch! (I wasn't invited!)


















Just a cute pic of my amazing daughter. I hope I can become more feminne before her wedding!

Livin' On A Prayer

I had to use this song as my title since it is only of only two songs I know of that use my name. (The other being "Gina" by Blues Traveler which was actually written about me I am sure!)

So long story short (since it is almost 1am)...my step mom took me to the Bon Jovi concert tonight as her back up date when my aunt got diarrhea and didn't feel like she could go. So what if I won only because of diarrhea, I am OK with it. So we went...and I had a blast. I just cleared my head, forgot I was with a parental unit, and did my thing! I wasn't feeling 100% so I didn't bring the house down, but I did shake my hips, raise my hands above my head and even sing a few times!. Let's just say that my step mom got her groove on for sure!

So you know I am long winded. Therefore you get the whole scoop!

First off...I just have to say Chris Daughtry is hot. OK, I know I am a married lady, but can I defend myself by saying the following:
I have always liked the rocker type. Rockers have always represented a life that is appealing in some ways, yet so repulsive in other ways. Chris was my AI fave his season. I was more excited to see him than Bon Jovi. Part of his appeal is that he is a good person. He is a dad who worked as a mechanic to make ends meet to support his kids. His dreams of being a rock star were on the back burner because he needed to bring in money for his family. That to me is sexy. A man who gives up his dreams to go to a job that is day in and day out unstimulating and unfulfilling is absolutely amazing! I love it! my hubby has done this for us. Even though I know he hates his job on most days, I still LOVE him for sacrificing for his family! I will be truly disappointed of he lets his rock star status go to his head and ends up divorced. I have faith that he is a good man and this will never happen!

Focus Gina!

So Chris was awesome! That's about all I can say!

So Bon Jovi was amazing also! I think he is a very spiritual and passionate person! He is extremely charitable and has continued to be a good family man to his high school sweetheart! I just love good people!

Highlight: he sang Hallelujah during the encore! IT WAS AMAZING! He followed it up with livin' on a Prayer which is my personal fave! WOW!

(Kristi-I wanted to call when he sang your song but it was after 10pm and I was worried about waking up the girls (or you!))

Disappointment: Last night (did I mention my step-mom went last night too?) Chris Daughtry sang Blades of Glory with him, tonight he did not. BUMMER!

Mulling it over: I was reflecting back on the concerts of my yest er year. I have been a huge concert goer all my life. Sadly my husband had never been to a concert before we met. So we met in the middle and go to the occasional concert. Nonetheless, I was reflecting on the fact that it used to be lighters flickering in the crowd all night long. Now it is the glow of cell phones trying to capture a photo or sound clip!

Shoes: I love the difference in shoes between the two groups. Daughtry wore a pair of boots while his band mates wore Vans. The entire Bon Jovi band wore black reeboks. Love it!

To top off the night, I heard an old General Public song "Tenderness" on the way home (formally known as The English Beat). That was perfect end to my evening. My first concert was at 9. My dad took my brother, myself and my step mom to see David Bowie as the headliner (my parents had only been on a few dates at this time). Opening for him was the Go Go's and General Public. Interesting!

So it was a good night, I am tired, but I am already planning my next concert adventure. I need another fix soon!

I can't believe I am still doing this! Somebody save me from myself! I am only posting the ones that are right on for me!

Your Inner Muse is Melpomene

You are most like this muse of tragedy. While you aren't depressed, you don't shy away from sadness. Although you do tend to be gloomy, you have a sensitive side. And this sensitive side helps inspire and help others.

What Muse Are You?

You Are 68% Republican

You have a good deal of elephant running through your blood, and you're proud to be conservative. You don't fit every Republican stereotype, but you definitely belong in the Republican party.

How Republican Are You?

You Are 64% Good

You are a good person. You do the best you can to be ethical, fair, and moral. And as you know, being a good person means making hard decisions... and following them through. If you're confronted with an ethical dilemma, you will usually do the right thing. Of course you do slip up. No one's perfect. But you do your best to correct your missteps. You are also probably: incredibly honest, especially with yourself Right now you are on track to being: A respected leader To be a better person: Be kind to someone who is not very kind to you

How Good Are You?

My husband hates that my favorite color is brown but I think this isn't so bad!

What Your Favorite Color Brown Says About You:

Solid - Stable - Dependable Masculine - Comforting - Responsible Unwavering - Mature - Realistic

What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?

Amusing...considering he did it in the middle of the slots at the MGM Grand in Vegas.

Your Ideal Marriage Proposal Is

Spontaneous, on a tropical vacation, when he realizes he can't be without you.

What's Your Ideal Marriage Proposal?

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything. You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life. You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you. Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace. You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life. Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times. At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you. You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others. You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

What Temperment Are You?

I do not consider myself energetic but otheriwse this is right!

People Envy Your Energy

You've got the drive and determination to keep your life in order, and you are on track to be a huge success. People tend to envy all you've got in life, but they don't understand the work that goes behind it!

What Do People Envy About You?

This is just too funny not to post. This used to be my jam!

Your 80s Theme Song Is:

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham!

What's Your 80s Theme Song?

The Part of You That No One Sees

You are compassionate, caring, and soothing. You like other people to depend on you... In fact, you don't feel right unless you are helping someone out. Underneath it all, you feel the burden of everyone's problems. Without your guidance, you fear that many people's worlds would fall apart. You like to feel in charge, even if it brings you a lot of stress.

What's the Part of You That No One Sees?

This has me confused with my husband. Totally NOT me!

You Are New Year's Eve

If there's one thing about you, it's that you really know how to party. You enjoy being the center of attention, and you love to dress up and go out. Friendly and fun loving, you're always up for another toast... or another cocktail. You definitely get a party started. And it's really not a party if you're not there. What makes you celebrate: The promise of a few free drinks and a wild party. At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The bartender On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Wake up the next day not knowing how the night ended

What Holiday Are You?

I have to end with this. Considering I loved him in the 80's and what his life has become, I have to say that these quizzes might actually know what they are talking about!

Your 80s Hunk Is

Kirk Cameron

Who's Your 80s Hunk?

Chandler is my friend

I feel like Chandler in that episode where he takes the career profile and it tells him to do exactly what he is doing now. Below is my career profile. It is exactly what I am doing now and EXACTLY the types of things that BORE ME TO PIECES! Clearly those jobs are not for me since I am avoiding them by doing silly blog quizzes! I do agree with the "worst" career part though. I am not funny, and I can only dance to disco!

Your Career Type: Conventional

You are orderly and good at following a set plan. Your talents lie in working with written records and numbers in a systematic, orderly way. You would make an excellent: Bank Teller - Bookkeeper - Court Clerk Mail Carrier - Post Office Clerk - Secretary Timekeeper - Title Examiner - Typist The worst career options for your are artistic careers, like comedian or dancer.

What's Your Ideal Career?

For Diane!

Yes, I am really bored. I am babysitting my 9 year old sister. She is watching Harry Potter and I am lost. So I will gladly play Diane's Game!

What was I doing ten years ago?
1. Living in San Diego
2. Student Teaching
3. Planning preschool, afterscool and educational programs for Coronado Rec. Dept.
4. Drinking a lot of beer
5. Wondering when Jon and I would get married

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Chips and dip, any kind of dip. Dip Dip Dip!
2. Cheese, any kind of cheese. Cheese Cheese Cheese!
3. Popcorn, slightly burnt
4. Peanuts in the shell
5. Devilled Eggs

Five things I would do if I was a billionaire:
1. Be very charitable...maybe even start my own charity. There are so many causes I am passionate about, yet I have too little money to support right now!
2. Adopt two more kids
3. Home school all my children while traveling the world
4. Drink expensive champagne with cold pizza
5. Finish the next Wave project for FCC!

Five of my bad habits
1. Staying up way too late!
2. Picking my scabs.
3. Cramming too much into one day.
4. Not cleaning out my car.
5. Leaving unfolded laundry on the floor in the garage until the pile is so big I can't get through to the trash cans anymore!

Five places I have lived:
WOW! Only 5? No way, can't pick just 5
1. La Canada, CA
2. Pasadena, CA
3. Dana Point, CA (my second favorite!)
4. Costa Mesa, CA
5. Santa Ana, CA
6. San Diego, CA (my favorite!)
7. Newport Beach, CA
8. Huntington Beach, CA (my current love!)
9. Melbourne Australia
10. Thousand Oaks, CA

Five jobs that I have had:
Again...so many...I'll be brief!
1. Teacher/Substitute Teacher/Storytime Leader/ Recreation Coordinator
2. Professional scanner ( HA HA HA! My current boring job!)
3. Property Manager/Bookkeeper (I just pretend to know what I am doing!)
4. Waitress/Cocktail Waitress/Restaurant Manager//Restaurant owner
5. I used to mow lawns in the neighborhood for Popsicles!

Can you tell I am bored?

Take the Quiz

My life as a comma

This is me in a nutshell, except for the optimistic part.  That is just not true with me!

You Are a Comma

You are open minded and extremely optimistic. You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything. You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests. You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time. Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to. (But with so many competing interests, your friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.) You excel in: Inspiring people You get along best with: The Question Mark

What Punctuation Mark Are You?