Our Excursion to Pump It Up

There is a place here in Vegas called Pump It Up where you can go and have birthday parties or just come and play with the kids. It has two rooms of huge jumpy inflatable slides and things to climb on. It is really fun. So me, Katie, & Tricia decided to hall all the kids over there to goof around. All the other kids were at least 3, and Clover only being 11 months I thought she could handle it but she was really scared and held onto me for dear life. I held her and went down the slide and climbed up the mazes with her but she wasn't too sure what was going on and didn't like it too much. Well, a lesson learned I guess. She did like the little push around car. So, besides the little freak-out on Clover's part we all had lots of fun.

Hair DO or Hair DON'T!

Ok, I get bored a lot and like to change up my hair, what girl doesn't. This time I'm not sure if I went overboard or not. I got my hair done today thinking I just needed a shorter easier cut for the summer. Then my hair dresser talks me into doing an all over warm brown color. (Something about we need to do this color now so in the fall we can add low lights and high lights, don't worry in a few weeks it will fade to a light brown bla bla bla...) Well, me being the sure I'll try it kinda person I said go for it. When she finished I was like holy cow, that is freaking dark! I don't even look like me. I love the cut. It is really short for me, but I think it's cute. It's the color that is a little shocking. When I came home my dad just laughed at me and Roger said what did you do! (That's never a good sign.) So I'm not too sure about it yet. I think I like it, and it will fade so hopefully it won't be as shocking as these pictures I took in a few weeks...... Comments.... Oh, and I'm not wearing any make-up in these pics so please excuse the just woke up crusty look!

Stuck Indoors

This stupid heat is getting really old. We can't go outside until the sun starts to go down and even then its almost unbearable. Clover wants to go out and play in the sunshine so bad and I feel like I have to keep her prisoner in the house because its just too hot for a baby to be going out in 110 degree heat so we have to come up with new ideas for playtime inside. My dad bought her a toybox and this is the card board box it came in. Roger decided to turn it into a tunnel/fort. See, kids do love the box more than the toy in it! Creative fun activities are key in this horrible Vegas summer! I can't wait until it starts to cool down!!!!!

Getting Some Fresh Air

Isn't it a "rule" of mommy hood that you have to have at least one picture of your child running around with no diaper and flaunting their bum proudly? Well, I've got my famous naked butt shot! My favorite picture is of Clover outside on our balcony holding on to the bars like shes in jail! Could it get more white trash than this, Ha! I don't really let my child just go naked all the time, she has had a little bit of diaper rash so I figured some fresh air would do her bum some good. So enjoy, and I know Clover will enjoy these pictures when I whip them out on her first date!!!

Baby Steps

Clover is walking, well sorta. She can take about 5-6 steps but she is getting better and braver everyday (and she's not even 11 months old yet, i have a super baby, but I'm bias of coarse!!!) I still have to bribe her to come to me with a pacifer or her precious puff snacks but once in awhile I will catch her out of the corner of my eye letting go of the couch or table and taking a few little steps on her own. She will be running in no time. Then we will be training her to be a world class athlete so she can become rich and famous and take care of her parents when we get old!

Walking Soon

Clover is so close to walking. She is getting around great; standing up on everything, walking around objects, she can stand alone for long periods of time, and if you coax her with something she wants she will take one little step on her own. She will take steps when you hold her hands but she just hasn't quite got the courage to walk all on her own yet. I think in the next month, before she turns 1 (yeah, she is turning 1 in august if you can believe it, this year has gone by so fast) she will be walking like a champ. i can't wait!

Friends

Me, Katie and Tricia (of whom I've been friends with since junior high) took our kids to the park to play. Here are the little monsters... They look so cute when they sit there nicely and smile for a picture...... (But surprisingly they are all pretty good kids)

(from left to right) Ryan 5, Raigan 8 months., Cole 4, Revyn 3, Skye 3, Clover 10 months

Artsy Fartsy

I have been trying to become a more artsy mom. I have decided that I am going to start to make stuff. I don't know what kind of stuff I'm going to make, just whatever tickles my fancy. One of my first projects was this family sign. I just went to Michaels and got all my supplies, which pretty much consisted of wood and spray paint. I am not very creative so i had to repaint my wood a few times before I was happy with it but I think it looks pretty darn good. It is a sign with our name, our marriage year and our names below. I plan on hanging it up next to the front door. If I decide to get real ambitious I want to make cute little crafts for the house for every holiday..... We'll see...

Summer Time Fun in the Sun!

Family Vacation to Oregon Part II

For the second part of our trip we head to the coast where my mom lives in Newport, Oregon. We ate lots and lots of good food, including fresh sushi, oysters, clams and berry cobbler. (I think I gained 10 pounds on this week long trip.) We sat in the hot tub, looked at out at the ocean and went to this little community seafest deal the city does. Roger took his test and interview for his possible job at the jail (waiting on word from that now) and looked at some houses in the hope we are moving up there soon. The weather was great, around 68 degrees during the day, I even had to wear a jacket, which was a nice change from the over 100 degree weather we've been having here in Vegas. It was a nice trip, and now we wait for a job offer for Roger.

2008 Family Vacation to Oregon Part I

Finally, it's that time again... vacation time!!! Thank goodness, because this year we really needed a nice break out of the heat, this town, and from work. Well, part I our 1 week trip started at Roger's aunt and uncles farm in Rogue River (which is in southern Oregon). We hung out there a few days, sat and relaxed in lawn chairs and took walks around visiting the neighborly animals. Roger's family has a 12 acre piece of land almost about a mile from Rogue River and it is very pretty. We love visiting there because it is so relaxing and peaceful and its just a slower way of life down there. You can just sit in a chair in the yard in the evening, stare out at the beautiful view, and picture what country livin' is like....... Clover enjoyed the animals and playing in the grass (which she hardly ever sees in vegas).

Father's Day Present

Me and Clover made our Father's Day gift this year. I thought that since it was Roger's first father's day that I should get something that he could keep and remember. We went to a pottery store where you pick an item and paint it yourself. I picked a plate, which I thought we could put on a stand or hang on the wall and enjoy. I picked my colors and tried my best to paint this thing while holding Clover and telling her that she had to help mommy make a present for daddy. At first I wanted her hand print, we tried twice to paint her little hand and push it down on the plate but she wouldn't keep her hand flat and it just turned out to be a blob so plan B was to do a footprint. (My kid has huge feet by the way) So i got her foot painted with ease and then I wrote out our little saying, and yes, even though it looks like a child wrote on this plate, it was really me. Hey, its hard to write in paint ok. I am not Martha freakin Stuart. So here are the results. I think this kind of thing is a good idea for birthdays, fathers, mothers day etc. for kids to do because its something they can make and it lasts for years to come.

Clover Updates...

Let's see, I have to update everyone on Clover's accomplishments to date. Her newest thing that she just figured out how to do this week is to wave. I've been trying to get her to do it for awhile but she finally got the skills to do it. It is really cute. She likes to do it at random now, but we're still working on waving bye bye to daddy when he leaves for work. Clover also reaches out for you to hold her, she's done that for awhile. She sticks out her arms like she's pointing at things but her little grunts don't really give me any clues to what she wants. Oh, she has also figured out how to shake her head no at you. (Gotta love that one). She has figured out that there are buttons on the x-box and if you push them lights flash and things open. Clover has just discovered music and has started bouncing and bobbing to songs and her toys. It is quite funny. I have started putting on XM Kids and XM Disney on the radio while we play. The most exciting one for me is that she is starting to stand on her own more and more and for longer periods of time before she plops down on her butt. I hope next she will work on moving those little feet one in front of the other and taking some steps. (Yeah, I know she's a bit young to be walking but a mom's gotta have a dream right). Something wonderful that I have recently discovered are those little gerber puffs. She LOVES those things. They are like crack for babies. Sometimes I bribe her with those things if I just want her to chill out for a few minutes and just sit and entertain herself for a bit. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes! Since I got laid off we have been going out in the morning as a family for some exercise. Roger runs and I rollerblade while I push the stroller around the block. We are going to become the "fit family". I am getting some good running shoes so I can start getting back in shape like I was before I got pregnant. Me and Clover also go out in the evening by ourselves while Roger is at work and take a nice leisurely walk around the neighborhood before bedtime.

Stay At Home Mommy

well, it's official i guess. I am now a stay at home mommy. i got laid off from my job today. It's not really that big of a shock. They have been kinda talking about it for a few months now but it was a little bit of a surprise today that they said hey, guess what... Well, it's kind of bitter sweet because I liked my job and I've been there for over 2 years now. I have had a lot of fun and have grown a lot in those 2 years. I am going to miss my friends there but now I get to do my real job of being a full time mom. Taking Clover to the babysitter has been getting to me lately because she has started to want to go to the babysitter and not me sometimes. That killed me and I started thinking about how much time the babysitter gets with her in the day and how much I get and it made me a little depressed. Who wants someone else raising their kids ya know. So getting laid off wasn't all that bad. I get to be home with my baby and actually see my husband other than a hello when he crawls into bed at 11pm and goodbye when I leave in the morning for work. I guess unemployment is going to have to do the trick for awhile until we figure out a plan. We are really really hoping Roger gets this sheriffs department job in Oregon. Does this ever happen to anybody else that just when you think things are going smoothly and you're getting ahead something comes and knocks you back a step and says hey, don't get too comfy. Here's another hurdle to overcome. That seems to be our life. Things never seem to run smoothly for very long before another trial comes our way. Well, I was going to hire a maid to help me keep up with the cleaning but now, dangit looks like I'm the new maid. Well, I guess if I've learned anything in life so far it's that you just gotta roll with the punches and have faith that everything is going to work out for the best.

Wobbly Wanna Be Walker

Clover got a new toy today. It is one of those walker toys that helps them take their first steps. She is obsessed with standing up and hanging on everything so hopefully this will help her to figure out how to put one foot in front of the other and start walking. I think she is going to walk early because she is very coordinated, and very daring. She is not afraid to hold on to anything and she is starting to let go a little bit too. She has been able to stand up all by herself with no help for a few seconds a couple of times. She just has to get the stepping thing down.