Ada-isms

"Mommy, I'm gonna eat your face. Then, I'm gonna drink your eyes!"

Ada was bouncing her feet on my chair at dinner. I kept moving them in front of her, and she kept putting them back on my chair. I said, "Ada, please stop kicking my chair! You're driving me nuts!" She goes, "Nuts on your faaaaaace! Hahahahhaaaa!"

She was singing a song she made up. It sounded like, "Douche-y, douche-y, douche, douche, douche-y!" Now I hesitated to share this, because I despise that word! I hate that it has become a socially acceptable nickname for jerks. Disgusting. We never ever say that word, so I know it was just a fluke made-up song with a word she thought she created. Let's just hope she doesn't ever sing it in public. Or at church.

We were walking in Target and passed a lady who was severely obese. Ada said, loud enough for her to hear, "Her's got a BIG tummy!" It was the first time I was embarrassed in public by one of my children. I whispered in her ear to not make comments about how people look in public and she innocently asked, "Why not?" We had a talk about being polite and not pointing, etc. on the drive home.

Eating oatmeal at the table for breakfast & Ada is wiggling her bowl around. I sang, "Danc-ing oat-meal!" and she sang back, "Oat-meal dance par-ty, with - the - spoon!"

Ada would not go to sleep last night. Matt and I said goodnight multiple times, took her potty, etc. She finally came up the stairs and said, "We didn't say prayers." She was right...we came home from the store late and rushed to get the girls in bed quickly. We then knelt down and Ada said a prayer of thanks for the day & that she and Lola would sleep well. She stayed in bed after that :)

In Sunbeams, they were learning about water and all of the things we need it for. Ada's teacher asked her, "Do you use water to help your mommy cook things?" Ada just stared at her for a second and then responded flatly, "I'm just a kid." 

Angry with Lola because she wanted something she had, "Lola, SHARE! SHARING IS CARING!" 

She had a cut on her knuckle and said, "Mommy! Look at my nickel!" 

Ones I already shared on facebook but will post for the sake of documentation:

Sitting here with a stack of Joe-Joes and a glass of milk. Ada comes over, eyeing the cookies and says, "OH! Family cookies!" I said, "Noooo. These are MOMMY cookies." She goes, "I don't know...those really really look like family cookies!" 

Listening to Justin Timberlake's new song Suit & Tie...he says, "Let me show you a few things" Ada asks, "Why he wanna show me the toothpaste?!"

Listening to the baby monitor, Ada is telling Lola to "cry a lot!" so that I'll come down and get them. :) "Cry, Lola, cry!"

Hyundai Santa Fe’s Epic Playdate Weekend

Hyundai is putting on an EPIC PLAYDATE on the beach in Santa Barbara, CA next month! I love Santa Barbara with all of my heart and know it will be a fun time. Some popular bloggers (Heather from Dooce, Jordan from Oh Happy Day, among others) will be there teaching things like photography for kids, hula hooping, and there will be an ice cream sundae station, too. Sold!

It's invite-only, so enter the sweepstakes here: http://clvr.li/X4rpgE and I'll cross my fingers & toes for you! I hope I get picked to go, any excuse to go visit the family and take a trip down to Santa Barbara is a good one! 

With my family, an ideal playdate is usually spontaneous. On Saturdays, we've usually spent the morning inside...eating breakfast, lounging around, cleaning, and taking care of chores. Then we get antsy and need to get out of the house and do something, so we go. We love going to the beach and can't wait for the girls to be old enough to boogie board and surf! For now, we just jump over the waves :)

I've been dying to try out the Whale City Bakery in Davenport, the tiniest little beach town just north of us here in Santa Cruz. We've driven by it a couple of times and I looked it up online...they have a great reputation for their fish n' chips and baked goods. Since our favorite fish n' chips place closed (Andy's on the wharf) :( I need a replacement!  

We would grab food to go and then continue to drive up the coast, looking for the perfect beach to claim as ours for the day. We'd spend our time exploring and pretending, unplugged, and enjoying each other's company. 3 and 1-year-olds love looking for rocks and shells, building sandcastles, writing in the sand, and running around. Who am I kidding? So do 27 and 28-year-olds! I imagine our day winding down at sunset, with sandy, tired little children being carried back to the car. Chubby feet brushed off with beach towels, and girls buckled in their carseats for the drive home...where they both fall asleep clutching their favorite treasure from our epic playdate. 

Also, if kayaking down a sand dune is available...we're doing that too! 

That little guy looks SO happy. 

Hyundai’s Epic Playdate Weekend (http://clvr.li/YYVZKY) is on April 27 from 9 AM-5 PM in Santa Barbara, CA. You have to have a Pinterest account to enter (go here: http://clvr.li/X4rpgE for complete details)
Important: When you are asked “How did you hear about us?” Make sure and choose Clever Girls Collective! GOOD LUCK! :)

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

My First Ragnar Relay!

Last April, I ran the SoCal Ragnar Relay! While nursing! It's one of the most incredible things I have ever done. It is a 200-mile relay race from Huntington Beach to Coronado Island. You are on a team of 12, in two giant vans, and one member of your team is running at all times! You have 3 different legs, and my legs added up to a total of 14.5 miles.

I drove down to Santa Maria on Thursday to drop my girls off at my mom's house. Thank you Mommy!! I was so stressed out by many things...I had a stress (ha) fracture on the top of my right foot that wasn't completely healed, I had to pack all of my girls' things to leave at my mom's, then pack all of my things separately for the race to take down to Huntington Beach. Matt had just graduated and was in the middle of interviews and work so stayed up here in Santa Cruz. I ended up with a stiff neck and am grateful for Rach and Tiana for rubbing it so I could run! I made granola bars and we had lots of good snacks for the road. We spent the night at one of Elise's friend's house...thank you friends!! Tiana, Rach, & I ended up sleeping in a closet converted into a bedroom with Bob Marley flags and a bong it it. It was comical :) I had to pump in the bathroom during the night and people kept asking, "What's that noise?" haha 

Here is beautiful Tiana, ready to run her first leg. Our team name was Run Like an Egyptian, hence the flashy costumes. It was already really hot at this point in the morning!

Here is my gorgeous cousin Rach, who ran right before me. It was SO HOT here! We were resting up in the shade. She had a really rough time, and I was worried when she wasn't at the exchange in the amount of time she told us she'd be there. There was a saint of a man who helped her along, and she finally made it through the 110 degree heat and to hand off the bracelet to me.

Game face on. Nobody recognized me without my smile :)

Cousins!

What happened during my run was the worst run of my entire life. It was 110 degrees out, in the middle of Corona, CA. There was a heat advisory, and I was running 5.65 miles straight up a canyon! I could feel the asphalt burning my skin. It felt like a giant griddle on high heat under my feet. See the CamelPak I'm wearing in the picture above? I ripped it off my back and gave it to my teammates around mile 2 because it was BOILING. I went for a sip and it was so hot I just spit it out.

The only thing that kept me going up that cursed canyon was knowing that I would see that big white van pulled over, with my team cheering me on. Bringing me water, pouring it down my face to have it dry seconds later, and offering words of encouragement. 

What really surprised me about Ragnar was how supportive other teams were. A random team gave me water during a long stretch. I caught up to a woman and stopped to commiserate about the heat, and she and I stayed together for most of the leg. We ran a minute, walked a minute. It kept us going. I really appreciated the camaraderie between teams!  

I have never experienced heat exhaustion like that. I trained in 60-70 degree beach weather in Santa Cruz, my body was in complete shock! It was strange, my legs and everything felt fine, it wasn't a soreness or pain. It was like the energy and life had just been sucked out of me. Getting to the top of Temescal Canyon and seeing Mary ready to run was one of the best feelings in the world!

I was dreaming of this Dr. Pepper the whole run...that server was my best friend because he kept 'em coming :) 

After our van finished up our legs, we were able to head over to this crazy little place in the middle of a valley, the Lawrence Welk Resort. Who knew such a place existed?! We busted out our sleeping bags, grateful for the cool evening air, and got some much needed rest. 

We also equipped the vans with lights and all things LED!

Elise sliding down the front of the van:

We got word from Van #1 that we were almost ready to run. So we all met up and cheered our team on! Then off to the next exchanges. Thank goodness for Carly & her Garmin! That thing got us everywhere we needed to be on time. Carly's mom was our driver and she was a hoot! So full of energy, she gave us little tokens along the way to lift our spirits, and she was just so fun. She filled in for us last minute and I am so glad it was her! 

Tiana finishing her night run!

Night runs are my FAVORITE! I have always been a night runner. I used to run with my dog, and just love being outside in the dark and cool air. If Matt will go with me, I will run every night. My run was through the city of San Marcos and I will NEVER forget it! I passed (killed) three people and felt like I was flying. I ran 3.75 miles in 38:42 which was a PR for me :)

...

We rented a hotel for the night and each took turns "sleeping" (it is so hard to relax when you're waiting for the text that runner #6 has begun and you've gotta get in the van and go!) and showering. I may or may have not timed people's showers on my phone so that we all got a turn :)

Rachel's glowstick legs!

Our vans were AH-MAZING!!! Kandie constructed these pyramids that were feats of engineering. Everyone watched our vans as we drove by and we were notorious by the end of the race!

Aren't they beautiful? 

Rach showing them off in all of their glory :)

Everyone gets crazy on little sleep, add in exhaustion and adrenaline from running and it's hilarious.  I get really giggly and crazy and Tiana gets sleepy and quiet. Nothing's changed since we were kids! I just found out on this trip that she asked her mom to take me home from her 7-year-old birthday slumber party because I wouldn't go to sleep! hahaha :) We had some fun times on this trip, all of us laughing and talking. 

My third run was the next day, and it wasn't good. I never expected to talk so openly about bodily functions with a group of people. But, pooping is very important to how well you run, so there you have it. I had to go so bad my whole run and then when I was done running, I couldn't go. It was so frustrating. I was the second to last runner, so I was really grouchy at the finish line. But sooooo happy to have completed the race and to receive my medal!  

Team Run Like An Egyptian!

Advice & lessons learned:

- pack all clothes & underwear for your legs in separate giant Ziploc bags, your van will thank you

- bring baby wipes and face wipes

- pumping in a hot van without tinted windows is not fun, I'll never run a Ragnar again while nursing

- next time, I want to wear my costume/have time to do make-up/get more into the party part of it all (see above)

- Shot Bloks are awesome

- The Stick saved my calves! With no time to stretch after your run and before jumping in the van, this was a lifesaver, thanks Elise :)

- you will become addicted. I want to do another one so bad, and was on a backup list for next month's...but the team dissolved :( 

- you will make life-long friends

Best part of it all?

Coming home to these faces :)

Can't wait for the next one...who's in?!

Stats

The girls had their check-ups this week, and they are both "thriving" in their doctor's opinion.

Ada's 3-year-old Stats

Height: 38 inches (3 ft. 2.74 in.) - 74th percentile
Weight: 35 lbs. 11 oz. - 82nd percentile

Lola's 18-month-old Stats

Height: 33 inches (2 ft. 9.07 in.) - 81st percentile
Weight: 28 lbs. 3 oz. - 95th percentile
Head Circumference: 19.4 inches - 99th percentile!

I forgot to put that Lola says, "Whoa!" whenever she tumbles or regains her balance after stumbling. It sounds just like Joey from Blossom...anyone remember that show? :)

This is how Lola kept herself (& us) entertained while waiting for the doctor:

6 Year Wedding Anniversary!

Last July, we went to Sacramento for our anniversary! It's funny, people were like, "Ohhh, Sacramento?" when we told them. But it was because the Oakland Temple was closed for renovations and Sacramento was the next-closest one. Also, Matt had never been to our state capital, so we thought it would be a good time for him to check it out. We'd originally planned to take a tour of the capitol building, but that didn't happen. He saw the outside & we just enjoyed being kid-free thanks to my mom :)

We stayed at The Citizen Hotel downtown. It was beautiful! It used to be an old law office building, and they still had tons of law books in the foyer.

Actually did my make-up instead of slapping it on while fending off two little ones!

He's so smart, he needs a mustache.

For breakfast, we went to Tower Cafe on the recommendation of a friend. Thank you Ben! I got the Custard French Toast and it was like a dessert. Everything was HUGE and our bellies were so happy when we left.

We went to the Temple and it was perfect. Peaceful & rejuvenating.

I loved being in the Temple 6 years to the day that we were Sealed for time and all eternity! 

We did some Sealings and it was awesome. I was proxy for a mother being sealed to her daughter, and I was overcome with such strong emotion! I could feel how long this mother had waited to have her precious daughter sealed to her forever. 

So happy that we are each other's forever :)

Afterwards, we went to the mall to shop. I picked out some cute earrings at Nordstrom Rack & still wear them all the time. People compliment me on them and I say Matt got them for me on our anniversary ;) Technically true!

We went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner...mmm!

I look way too excited to dig into the Red Velvet Cheesecake! It is my favorite there, which is surprising since I am such a chocoholic.

I love you Matthew Miller & and am so happy to have shared the past 6 years with you! Thank you for laughing with me every day :)

Lola is 18 Months Old!

How can this be?! My baby is 18 months old! I almost forgot and didn't put her in Nursery until halfway through the second hour. She was perfectly happy to go in during singing & snack time :) She kept happy on the rocking chair with no tears at all. Matt said when he went to pick her up, she whined a little fake cry, like, "Awww you leeeeeft me!" 

We lovingly refer to this as her Chris Farley face.

Lola is such a crack up! Her little personality is so funny. She loves to give raspberries, kisses, and hugs. She's our little snuggle love!

This picture was taken by Ada. Lola has toothpaste on her face. I can't leave them alone for 2 minutes!

Loves the rocking chair our friends are loaning us :)

LOVES to dance!

She used to be strictly a Mama's girl, but since being weaned she sure loves her Papa a lot more :)

 - Loves her stuffed animals and blankies. 

 

 

 

- Starting to give sassy looks...dramatic eye-rolls already! 

- Realizes when she's being funny and keeps doing whatever is making us laugh

- Says, "Eeeeeee" for Please

"Iiiiiiii" for Ice (frozen Gogurt)

"Day Dew" for Thank you

"Day-Duh" for Ada
"Huh" for Yes

Papa

Mama

Uh-Oh

No
Heya
Ello
"Balah-la-la" for Banana
YAY!
And many other, indistinguishable, words.

She is such a fun, sweet little girl. Sometimes she gets a crazy streak and just wants to steamroll everyone and wrestle...it's wild! She loves to watch people at first. Ada will run out and say hi to every single person while Lola hangs back and observes until she is comfortable with the situation. We are so glad that you are ours, Lola Jennie! 

On Being A Good Friend

I have come to a realization. I am not a very good friend. Well, I guess I mean to say that I'm not good at making friends.

I used to think that I was really good at making friends! And I was, er, good at having lots of friends. I think. I guess it turns out I was just a big flirt and good at making lots of guy friends :)

Since being married, I haven't been able to make friends the way I used to. It's just so different. You have your family who wants to see you more because you are not living with them anymore. You have a spouse that is your built-in date and companion to everything. So you lose the need to call a friend unless your spouse is busy. Also, I am paranoid about the appearance of anything inappropriate with someone of the opposite sex. Probably because I was such a flirt in the past! I don't ever want to have anyone think there is anything inappropriate going on. Once you throw kids into the mix, forget about it! Unless you have a friend with a child that is around the same age, or you have a nanny, you probably won't be spending much time with them.

I am also pretty selfish. I think of my dirty house and don't invite people over. Or I don't think to invite someone to something because I am doing it with my family. I want to stay in my yoga pants and be lazy instead of pulling on a pair of jeans and looking presentable. But then I think, "Wouldn't it be awesome to have a friend who could stop by and I don't care about any of that?"

Marina & I walking West Cliff

I get so frustrated sometimes because I miss having a good friend to be around. I started a moms group for our ward, but with our kids it feels like we can't talk more than 30 seconds before having to run and save a child from falling in the pond. And it's always too short when I get together with a girlfriend and we have our kids with us. We take 2 bites of our lunch and have to tend to our kids. I always get home and realize we started a ton of stories but never finished them! Or I've come home from hanging out with a friend and realized that I did most (if not all of) the talking. Sorry ladies : /
My closest girlfriends that I talk to on a regular basis are my mom, Nana, my sister, and Tiana. Tiana and I have been best friends since we were 3 years old. We met in Sunbeams at church and bonded over shoes. We schemed up a plan to get our moms to buy us "big girl shoes" by telling each of our moms that the other girl had shoes with no straps on them, when in fact neither of us did! I've been a terrible friend to her at times. Mostly when I was in high school and boys were #1 priority. But, she stuck by my side and we still call each other (well, she calls me - see...bad friend) and have such a deep friendship because of everything we've been through and know about each other. She likes to tell my mom stories about us in the past...it's hilarious :) Every time I go home to visit, we lament the fact that we live so far away from each other.

Tiana & I in High School (pic from Natalie, thanks!)

I admire people like the aforementioned (along with Brittni) because they are such good question askers! They think of such thoughtful things to ask me and others. They really make people feel important. I think that I'm too busy trying to make everyone laugh or too concerned with myself that I need to shift and think about who I'm with more.

I was talking to my mom about being sad that I couldn't participate in a book club. She said, "It's just not the right time for you now. You will have plenty of years to be in book clubs." She's right. Wise momma :) I think the same thing applies here. Life with young children comes with so many joys, but some of the changes and sacrifices that we make as mothers leave us feeling guilty.

On a date with our hubbies

I think that this season of my life is just all-consuming. Gone are the days of leisurely lunch dates where I got to hear all of the details of my friends lives. Or double dates that could go late into the night because there wasn't a babysitter that needed to be paid and driven home waiting at home with your children. Being a mother can be very isolating. It's good, and I appreciate this time of young children. I would not trade being these girls' mommy for anything! I had a moment the other day, where the girls and I were holding hands and walking outside in the warm sunshine. My neighbor and I started talking and she said, "Do you just love watching them grow?!" I said, "Yes! It's amazing!" And I really was thinking how awesome my life is. I get to spend my days with two little people who trust me entirely and fill my heart with the biggest love I've ever felt!

Tonya shared this quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley today and it made my heart ache and my eyes fill with tears. He said, "You have nothing in this world more precious than your children. When you grow old, when your hair turns white and your body grows weary, when you are prone to sit in a rocker and meditate on the things of your life, nothing will be so important as the question of how your children have turned out...Do not trade your birthright as a mother for some bauble of passing value...The baby you hold in your arms will grow quickly as the sunrise and the sunset of the rushing days."

I guess the point of all of this was for me to get this out in the open. I needed to see the things that I do in order to correct them. I realize that I put up mental barriers that prevent me from being a better friend. Like thinking that someone works & wouldn't have time, or that someone's kids are older than mine so they wouldn't want to hang out. Even if that's the case, an invitation is always appreciated, right? Here's to being a better friend. I've been working on it, but there's always room for improvement! I hope I'm not the only one who has felt this way. Please let me know if you've found a way to remedy the bad friend syndrome!