Throw Momma on the Train

Jeff had a campout this weekend for Scouts. This gave me a rare opportunity to have "Girls Night" with Cara and Natie. So I was speaking with my mom Friday afternoon and since she was off work and dad was studying for midterms, she decided to come down for a quick visit. She was hesitant at first (my guess-because gas is almost $4 a gallon), but then I suggested taking the train. So she hopped on the metrolink train and was here by 4:30. It was a fun time just relaxing and spending time with just us girls. Thanks for coming down mom--hope you had fun!

Wooo-oooh...Living On A Prayer!!!

MMMM....Bed of Roses

So my dear Jeffrey surprised me and bought me awesome tickets for the Bon Jovi concert on Wednesday the 9th at Staples Center. For Easter, in a moment of weakness, I bought him a year subscription to XBox Live. He said that he had gotten me something too, but wouldn't give me any details. I had asked him a couple of times the weeks following, but he would just give me a weird smile. I figured he had lied to me because he felt guilty--but that was strange for him--being Mr. Honesty and all. So on Monday (two days before the concert) he gave me the tickets. He said that he didn't want me to be too excited for such a long time about it and drive him nuts.

Daughtry opened and Chris sounds just as good in person as he looks :) Now I won't go into details about my feelings about watching Jon Bon Jovi dance around on stage--Jeff might read this and regret taking me to ogle hot, sweaty, rock stars:) but I thought I'd post a couple of pictures. Many turned out blurry or too dark...

A couple of things that I did love about this show--they had these amazing 2 sided screens that came apart like horizontal and vertical blinds (while playing video) as they moved around above the stage. The other cool thing was that it was a pretty clean crowd-meaning that I wasn't surrounded by drunk/high losers :)

These are the cool screens. But my camera for some reason makes things look farther away than they really are. So he didn't really look like a black and red speck from our seats.
Chris Daughtry and Jon singing together.


Needs no words... :)

Take time to SMELL the Flowers

So I got a message today from the school. If I could figure out how to post a voice message I would. But here are the basics: "Hi this is Dori from Natalie's school, I was just calling to let you know that Natalie is up here in the office. Her teacher sent her because they were reading out on the grass and Natalie decided to eat some of the flower petals. When her teacher asked her why, she said it was because she was hungry. We have her sitting with the nurse and she says she doesn't feel sick, but we just wanted you to know."

So, I had a little laugh...funny huh? Well, when I got there to pick her up after school, I find that it wasn't just the school nurse who was concerned. Apparently, the nurse form the district office had to come down to the school and had been on the phone with poison control to make sure what she ate wasn't poisonous. As for Natalie, of course she was unaffected by the incident and actually seemed like she couldn't see what the big deal was. This adds to my theory that I have a child who is very in touch with her animal side...

Not-So-Boring Performance

Cara and Natalie's school puts on a variety show every year. Students can put on a 2 minute act about whatever they want and Cara was insistent that she wanted to participate.

I racked my brain and found this little song that I remembered from like 5th grade, called A Not-So-Boring Minuet. I found the music and words and taught it to them. The practices (every week for like 2 months) were painfully boring to sit through. But the girls did great-except for the regular monopolisation of the microphone--they would both insist on being directly in front of it. So how did everything go the big night? I think I've figured out how to upload video so you can see for yourself. Hope it brings a smile.

Sorry for the far off shot--I wasn't behind the camera. When I get the official video, I'll try to post it.

The Best Spring Break

Eventually I may share this blog address with my friends and I don't want to seem like a total bragger. But I want to remember what a fun week this Spring Break was--for all of us!

My mom and dad, the best grandparents in the world, took Cara and Natie all week. The girls had such a great time. Among their activities of playing and having fun, they went to the Aerial Tram in Palm Springs, Camping in Calico with Uncle Ian, Aunt Desire, Grandma & Grandpa Moody and they went to the movies. They told me all about Horton Hears a Who. When I called to check in on them during the week, they didn't seem too interested in speaking with me, which I took as a good sign that they were having fun.

It was actually a busy week for me too. I kept occupied with work and catching up on a few things, but my house actually stayed clean!! That alone made my week. Jeff and I went to the movies, played tennis without having to rush to get kids in bed, paying a babysitter, or worrying about the girls running around in other people's courts. It was kind of weird, almost a preview of what it will be like when the kids are grown.

On Saturday we went over to Hollywood and saw Wicked again. We didn't have tickets but we showed up 1 1/2 hours before the show and put our names in the drawing. We got front row orchestra seats for $25 each! If you get the chance to do this, I highly recommend it. The experience is so different at that angle. I was mesmerized by the conductor who was about 5 feet away. You also see the amazing details on the costumes that you miss when you are further back. It was worth the gamble of not getting tickets, but then again, I would probably be happy watching paint dry in the Pantages Theater. It is one of my favorite places--that ceiling just amazes me every time I see it.

Mom and Dad seemed to survive the week and Cara and Natalie had a super time. I have to say that I am grateful to have such awesome family and parents who love being with their grandchildren--even when they fight with each other :). It is almost strange hearing so much noise in the house again. I need to go now ... I have a house to clean!

Can't slow that girl down...

So on Tuesday, Feb. 5th, Natalie was in her room (would you believe that she was on a time out??). She took down her ladder from her bed and was apparently using it as a balance beam when I heard her blood-curdling scream. She had twisted her ankle and was not walking on it. Now she would not let me put ice on it--I don't know why, but for some reason, this child will not let me ice anything on her when she gets hurt, so I found an ace bandage to wrap it up and that seemed to appease her. I did call my mom to make sure that I wasn't a neglectful parent and she confirmed that the doctor wouldn't do anything for a sprained ankle, so I just let her hop around on it and sent her off to school the next morning. Her mouth, brain and hands worked great. She was happy and not complaining. She did ask me for crutches and I gave her the only reason that seems to satisfy when my answer is "No"...I told her they were too expensive.

I felt fine with my decision, until I got a call from the school. They were wondering what had happened to her (translation: what kind of mother sends their kindergartner to school hopping on one foot, without a doctor's note...and by the way, did you have something to do with this injury?) Apparently her teacher had sent her up to the office for recess and Natalie wanted the helper in the office to carry her back to class.
Of course this phone call was enough to send us to the doctor right after school. And like I had figured-- it was just a sprain. The doctor looked at her ankle, re-bandaged it and offered to give her crutches. Natalie was elated at the prospect of crutches--those which mom had said were too expensive. And the doctor seemed a little puzzled when Natalie informed him of this fact. When he presented her with the crutches, you would have thought she had just been given a pony. She spent the rest of the day practicing walking on them so by Thursday she could really move using those things.

How is she doing now? Well, by Friday, she had given up the crutches and was running everywhere she went again!

The Garth

Last night I went to the Garth Brooks Concert with my sister Sara, my brother Geoff and my Dad. It was so great. I loved how much he seemed to truly love playing to the crowd.

My brother threatened to beat me for singing and dancing, but after a while, he stopped rolling his eyes at Sara and me and got on his feet too:) It was one of the best concerts I have ever been to.

He is a great entertainer and you can't help but believe how genuine he is. Trisha Yearwood came on stage and sang "In Another's Eyes" with him. Either he is an amazing actor, or he worships her. They also did a cool tribute to the firefighters since this was a fundraiser for them and the victims of the fires last year. Huey Lewis also made a brief appearance. I got a few pictures so I'll share. I love cowboys...