MY OPERA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR79ESMOVW0

Enjoy!

3 1/2!!!!!!

Chloe is officially the big 3 1/2!!!!!! Time is just flying. I decided to look at some pictures of her that were taken this time last year and I was floored by how much she's grown and changed!!!
Chloe then:

Chloe now:

Not only has she changed so much physically she is just so amazingly smart and funny.

I really couldn't ask for a cooler kid. Love you baby koala!!

I THINK I'M IN TROUBLE.....

Chloe: Mommy, how do I look?
Me: Really cute!
Chloe: (pause) Adorable?
Me: Yes! You always look adorable.
Chloe: Like a model?
Me: What does a model look like?
Chloe: You know, all stylish.
Me: Then yes, you look like a model
Chloe: Thanks!





Chloe is quite the girl. I tell ya, this little lady lives for fashion. I documented one day all of her different changes. She changed before I could get her in her morning pjs, so I had her hold up what she had worn (aka the Dora night gown). Here ya go!!











Just your typical day. Now, I have to go do laundry...;)

OOMPA OOMPA

WOWIE ZOWIE its been so long since I posted on here!! I felt the need to after the fun fun weekend we have had. The highlight has been Oktoberfest in Addison. It was super hot but super fun. Lots of interesting people and enough Polka music to last a lifetime. Chloe hit up all the cool kid activities. First stop - the Bungee Jump (I just made that name up). It's a place where kids get strapped in and jump on a big ol' inflated thingy. They were afraid they weren't gonna be able to get the harness tight enough, but alas, all worked out! She just kept wanting to go higher and higher and higher!

Next we headed to the Spiderman Bouncy House. WHile there I ran into a friend from high school! Totally random. It was so cool to see her. We hung out a bit and then the fam hit up the carnival. Ahhhh, the carnival. It was exactly what you think. Dad and Chloe rode the carousel and afterward mom and Chloe rode the tea cups.


So, the last stop at the carnival was the crazy ride that takes you up super high and then drops you down. If you know me, you know - I HATE RIDES. However, after some pressure from the hubby and kiddo I decided to give it a try. Try not to envy my white legs in the pic.

Chloe didn't really like seeing me up that high.

The day ended with a great surprise. We ran into a friend of ours from Austin. We haven't seen her since the day before we moved to LA. It was so fun to catch up!!

It was such a fun day!!! Here are some random shots from our adventure:




PS - That pic of Chloe sitting in the tree is my favorite that I've taken in a long time!! She looks like such a big girl.

;0

EVIL ASPARTAME!!

So, I normally like to keep it light on here and talk about cute stuff that Chloe does. I am compelled today to pass on some info that I find completely disturbing. I have recently cut out diet sodas and while it sounds like no big deal I have been drinking them pretty much on a daily basis since the 6th grade. It was tough!! I took a 2 1/2 month break and one day decided to have a Diet Dr. Pepper. About 30 minutes later I had a horrible headache (that lasted a solid 24 hours), my back started hurting, I had awful stomach cramps.... it was bad! I told Kendra about it and she sent this link to me. I was shocked and saddened. I can honestly say - I will NEVER drink another diet drink again. It's just not worth it. I'm not trying to be preachy, I just wanted to share this info.

From 10,000consumer complaintsthe FDA compiled a list of 92Symptomsreported fromaspartameuse, including death.

FDA list of 92aspartame-relatedsymptoms:

• Abdominal Pain
• Anxiety Attacks
• Arthritis, Asthma
• Asthmatic Reactions
• Bloating
• Edema (Fluid Retention)
• Blood Sugar Control Problems (Hypoglycemia or Hyperglycemia)
• Brain Cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals)
• Breathing Difficulties
• Burning Eyes or Throat
• Burning Urination
• Can't Think Straight
• Chest Pains
• Chronic Cough
• Chronic Fatigue
• Confusion
• Death
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Excessive Thirst or Hunger
• Fatigue
• Feel Unreal
• Flushing of Face
• Hair Loss (Baldness) or Thinning of Hair
• Headaches/Migraines
• Hearing Loss
• Heart Palpitations
• Hives (Urticaria)
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Impotency and Sexual Problems
• Inability to Concentrate
• Infection Susceptibility
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Itching
• Joint Pains
• Laryngitis
• "Like Thinking in a Fog"
• Marked Personality Changes
• Memory loss
• Menstrual Problems or Changes
• Migraines and Severe Headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake)
• Muscle spasms, Nausea or Vomiting, Numbness or Tingling of Extremities
• Other Allergic-Like Reactions
• Panic Attacks
• Phobias
• Poor Memory
• Rapid Heart Beat
• Rashes
• Seizures and Convulsions
• Slurring of Speech
• Swallowing Pain
• Tachycardia
• Tremors
• Tinnitus
• Vertigo
• Vision Loss
• Weight Gain.

AspartameDisease/Toxicity MimicsSymptomsor Worsens the Following Diseases:

• Fibromyalgia
• Arthritis
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Parkinson's Disease
• Lupus
• Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS)
• Diabetes and Diabetic Complications
• Epilepsy
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Birth Defects
• Chronic FatigueSyndrome
• Lymphoma
• Lyme Disease
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
• Panic Disorder,
• Depression and other Psychological Disorders.

I don't know about you but, this freaks me out. I'm stickin' to good ol' fashioned tea and water.

THE POTTY CHRONICLES

Ok, this is kind of old news but, I still wanted to share. This whole potty training thing is so weird. Chloe was doing really great and then out of nowhere she just sorta stopped wanting to use the potty. So, I created what we called a "Potty Chart". Every time Chloe used the potty she'd get a sticker. Miker thought of the magic number of 20 to be her goal. Once she hit that she got to pick something to do. She immediately said she wanted her prize to be a trip to Chuck E. Cheese's. As soon as this "contest" started she didn't have any accidents and to Miker's surprise she hit her goal in 3 DAYS!!!! So, the minute she got her 20 stickers we loaded up and hit the pizza place.



It was so much fun. We played SO many games, ate gross pizza and Chloe walked away with some sweet cheap jewelry and a Tinkerbell purse.

Now we have a new potty chart but we haven't really set a goal number yet. Chloe's not sure what she wants her prize to be but I'm sure she'll think of something cool.

AWWWW, SHUCKS!!!

Chloe helped prepare the corn on the cob that we put on the grill last night. MMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!

LET'S GO TO THE MOVIES!!!!

We took Chloe to the movie theater for the first time this past weekend. I got a little teary when we pulled into the parking lot and and Chloe could not contain herself. We walked up to the ticket counter and I said "3 for Nightmare on Elm Street". I am SO funny!!! I corrected myself as the ticket girl looked at me horrified. We got our tickets to the newest Shrek movie. It's in 3D so we all got cool glasses to wear while we watched the flick. We got all the fun stuff - popcorn, drinks and of course, candy. We waited in the theater with all the other little kids waiting for the movie to start. I loved over hearing all the little chatter of excitement. When the movie began Chloe was glued to her seat. The 3D was so awesome. She kept reaching her hands out to try and touch the characters. She got a little spooked a few times because the movie had some "scary" moments. Over all she did amazing. It made my heart feel so good when, in the middle of the movie, she turned to me and loudly exclaimed " Mommy, the is the greatest adventure ever in the whole wide world!!" I agreed...having this little love in my life IS the greatest adventure in the whole wide world.

SMILE

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing ~ Mother Teresa




Happy Sunday!

HIPPIE CHIC

PINKARIFIC!!!

I've always thought that the stereotypes of " boys like blue" and "girls like pink" were because that's what they were taught. Well, NOPE!!! (at least not in Chloe's case) I've tried to force Chloe into rocker concert shirts and the occasional pair of camo shorts but...This chick can not get enough pink. I can honestly say she will not wear anything other than pink ( I can get her in an occasional purple shirt but VERY rarely). Now, I know this sounds cute and feminine but it can get VERY frustrating. She has a closet full of cute clothes but refuses to wear anything if it's not her favorite color. I finally had to bite the bullet and make the decision to do some summer shopping for her and all I bought was...PINK. Luckily, I have found an awesome kids consignment shop up the road. I got Chloe tons of stuff and didn't pay more than $5 for a single item.

Sometimes the "pink thing" can be really cute. Miker and Chloe hit the grocery store last Saturday and when they returned they announced that we were making cupcakes. As they pulled the frosting and mix and whatnot out of the bag I was not surprised to find...Pink cake, pink frosting and pink hearts. I must say, this really worked in my favor. I am not a chocolate lover but I can dig on some strawberry cake!!! They turned out so cute and we all had a blast making them.







Cheers to my little girlie girl.

THREE AMAZING YEARS...

AGE 1:

AGE 2:


AGE 3:

GOING GREEN

It's been so beautiful lately. Every weekend we find ourselves spending the entire time working outside. All 3 of us really enjoy it. Miker's main project is the veggie garden and the grass. He's planted carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and all sorts of different types of lettuce. He's growing some from seeds and some he bought already grown a bit (which I think is the way to go). They are just getting started but here is what they are lookin' like:


My project has been an area in the backyard. The people that lived here before had a huge bird atrium in this area so when they moved out and removed it left was a big area of dirt. This has been the first opportunity for us to do some planting so I decided to turn it into a mini jungle. Here are some before and after pics:


I've planted some beautiful succulents, lilies and a variety of shrubs and other greenery.
We also discovered we have a gardenia bush!


We are really diggin' this home owner stuff!!