Ada-isms

"I wanna make a bungo couch." - referring to when we push the ottoman up against the couch and call it jumbo couch.

While listening to music in the car, she always asks what the name of the song is and who is singing it. Last night it was Taylor Swift's, "You Belong With Me." She listened to the song a minute then said, "Mommy, I just belong to you." I was fighting tears back so I could keep driving!

Handing me a paper shaped like an oval, "It's a Bolbo. Just like our car." (We have a Volvo.)

Putting laundry into the dryer and Ada's helping me. While wearing her Google hat. I say, "Put it in soup boy!" She says, "I'm not a soup boy!" - pause - "Yes, I'm a scoop boy. Cuz I got my hat. I'm a scoop boy all day long."

"Is that Heavenly Father?" - Ada while watching Lebron James speak. (Maybe she knows something we don't?!)

Where Does Papa Work?

Early morning ragamuffin Lola. One of her first words...training 'em young!

Disneyland!

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Matt & I took Ada to Disneyland for the first time! It was 5 days before her 3rd birthday, so she was still free. Yeah! We dropped Lola off with Nonnie in Santa Maria and continued down the road in terrible traffic to Long Beach, where we stayed the night with Matt's college buddy Steve. He treated us to dinner & his mom runs a regular B&B! She had little water bottles & snacks out for us, then made us crepes for breakfast, and made sure that we had snacks in our bag to get us through our day. Thank you so much Williams! We love you guys!!
So it turns out that their neighborhood is where Ferris Bueller's house is! I freaked out a little bit and had to have my picture taken in front of it in true geek fashion :)

Ada was so excited! She had played the Disneyland Explorer app on Matt's iPad so she was excited to see everything in real life! It's free & fun, great marketing Disney ;)  

 She thought the tram was a blast...we were joking that we could go home after that!

We brought the stroller for her and told her that was the only way she could go on rides, if she rode there in the stroller. She really wanted to walk but we knew she would get way too tired and might get lost in the crowd. We are so glad we brought it! 

I definitely recommend getting there early. We were at the park by 8:30 AM and it wasn't even crowded. We were able to go to City Hall and tell them it was Ada's first time. They gave her that cute button and she wore it with pride! Along with the two pins Steve gave her :) She was one accessorized little Cinderella! We saw Chip first and got a picture with him. Ada immediately had to wrap her little arm around him like they were old pals. She says he was very soft :)

Our only plan was to stay calm and relaxed so that we didn't have an overwhelmed, crying child on our hands. We just walked leisurely around and let Ada decided what looked like fun, instead of pointing at every single thing and trying to get her on every ride. 

The first ride we went on were the Astro Orbitors in Tomorrowland! Don't watch the video if you get motion sickness, I'm talkin' to you Aunt Lizzie!

 Then we made our way over to the Teacups because word is that Fantasyland gets really busy the later it gets. I used the app Mousewait on my phone and it told us which rides had the shortest wait. The only bummer was that it sucked my battery dry.

 This picture is right after Matt accidentally bonked Ada in the head with the camera :( She took off running and he reached out to grab her and forgot the heavy camera was around his neck.

She was not happy about it!

Poor girl!

Once we got into a giant purple teacup, she was magically healed!

Then to try and pull out the Sword in the Stone:

She gave it her all!

Look at the tongue action! 

She ultimately concluded that she needed Papa's help and that it was just for big kids to pull out.

Ada's #1 favorite ride:

It's A Small World! 

Look at the wonder in her eyes!

She was singing along with the Christmas carols and waving to all of the dolls: 

I must say that the Christmas version is much more enjoyable than the original. This was the first time I'd ridden it since I was a little girl...I think my parents took us on it once and that was it! While in line we saw Meridia from Brave and Ada got to wave to her. We also passed Cinderella and she waved but Ada was disappointed that she was in such a hurry. We told her Cinderella needed to go potty :)

...

Enter Frontierland around noon! We laid the stroller flat and put the shade down so that Ada could take a nap if she wanted. She ended up just laying back because Billy Hill & the Hillbillies put on a fun show she couldn't sleep through! It was perfect for her to decompress and relax as we hung out. Frontierland is incredible at Christmastime. They had a huge area for kids to play reindeer games, make Christmas cards, do crafts, meet Santa & Mrs. Claus, and listen to the show. This is where I found these little nuggets of fried goodness:

MONTE CRISTO BITES! I was so happy. The best Disneyland lunch in bite-size form!

...

Now over to California Adventure. The only ride I cared about going on was Tower of Terror, my all-time favorite! Ada & I waited for Papa to go on the ride and had a snack. The child swap is incredible. The second Matt got off a ride, I was given a pass and went to the front of the line. Genius!  

While we were waiting for Papa to get off the Cars ride...

suddenly a dance party began in the middle of Cars Land, and the cast members were trying to get kids to come out and dance with them. A ton of older children around us said no, and when she got to Ada, she just ran out and danced her little heart out with no hesitation! 

So happy (note the glass slippers have been traded out for comfy shoes)!

Then, Lightning McQueen cruised right in front of us! He was talking and thanking everyone for being there. Ada was big on waving to everyone :)

Getting into the evening (notice the little bags under her eyes), we asked Ada if she was still having fun. Her response:

She made friends all over, in every line we waited in. This was for Mater's Tractor Ride and we all laughed SO hard on it! We were heavy with the 3 of us so it whipped us around really fast! Ada giggled the entire time.

Her second favorite ride was Ariel's Grotto in CA Adventure. After riding it, she said, "The Sea Witch was SO mad! She was like, grrrrrr!" And made the expression below:

Last ride of the night for Ada girl...King Triton's Carosel on the Boardwalk.

After all of that, I was ready to head home. Matt insisted that we stay for the World of Color show so we did & it was brilliant! Like the waters of Bellagio in Vegas x 1,000,000. 

All day long, I went on any ride that spins with Ada. Matt says he can't handle them, so I did them all. After World of Color, he says, "Babe! The line is so short for California Screamin'! You have to go on it!" I said no, I was ready to go home, but he talked me into it. I do love that roller coaster...normally. After splitting a churro with Ada and being so tired, I wasn't really feeling it. But I went against my better judgement. It was awesome until I got off the ride. I said we are going home now! I had the worst headache and decided that I just needed sleep. We get to the car and Ada falls asleep immediately. As we're pulling out of the parking structure, I tell Matt he has to pull over NOW. He pulls straight into the AMPM and I run inside looking for the bathroom. No bathroom to be found! I ran into a room that turned out to be a closet and threw up on the floor :( I hear a teenage valley girl's voice behind me say, "Uhhh ma'am, what are you doing?" I turn around, mortified, and say, "I'm so sorry I couldn't find the bathroom in time...do you have any napkins?" She rolls her eyes at me, no doubt thinking that she's the one who has to clean it up later! She brought me some towels and I cleaned myself up and RAN to the car. We continued to an Albertson's where Matt went inside to buy me Saltines and 7UP. I threw up again in the parking lot and a random lady is sitting in her car and asked if I was okay. It was just easier to tell her I was pregnant instead of, "Oh, I just ate a churro and went on a roller coaster and don't have the stomach I used to since having children." She was very sympathetic with the pregnancy claim ;) 

So: aside from the last events of the day, Disneyland was a raging success! Ada loved everything and still talks about it.

My Packing List for Disneyland:

- baby wipes

- Purell

- change of clothes (she was not about to take her princess dress off, but you never know)

- comfy shoes

- extra panties (she's been potty trained for a year, but excitement can get the best of any kid)

- sweatshirts/cardigans for everyone

- blanket to hang over stroller during nap time & to keep warm at night

- water bottles

- snacks for waiting in line (clementines, grapes, fruit snacks, crackers, Steve's cookies!)

- Advil, Excedrin, etc. for mom & dad :)

It was so much fun sharing the magic of Disneyland with my daughter! I can't wait until Lola is old enough to appreciate it too, I think we'll go again right before Lola's 3rd birthday. 

Ada's 3rd Birthday!

20 Questions for Ada on her 3^rd Birthday

1. What is your favorite color? Pink and green

2. What is your favorite toy? Babies

3. What is your favorite fruit? Grapes 
4. What is your favorite tv show? Fresh Beat Band & Blue’s Clues

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut Butter Sandwich (PB&J)

6. What is your favorite outfit? Cinderella Dress 
7. What is your favorite game? Hide & Seek

8. What is your favorite snack? Fruit Snacks

9. What is your favorite animal? Lambs

10. What is your favorite song? “Peanut Butter & Sandwich” (an original song by Ada Miller) and I am A Child of God

11. What is your favorite book? Waddle 

12. Who is your best friend? Lydia Richardson

13. What is your favorite cereal? Cheerios 

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play Shock (Sidewalk Chalk)

15. What is your favorite drink? Orange Juice

16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? My doggie

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Toast with Nutella

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? My pink princess cake 

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Cinderella 

On the Saturday night after Thanksgiving, we celebrated Ada's birthday with my mom & Nana & Bobba. Ada loved the, "Sparkle Cake!" 

 It tastes good to be 3!

 Nonnie gave her the cutest coat & hat! Perfect for the trip to Utah.

 And an umbrella & matching boots!

She was just a little excited to try them out :)

Ada had a Princess Party up here since all things are princess with her right now.

Capturing the madness that is a 3-year-old's birthday party! Complete with moms & baby siblings! So much fun. 

We invited some of her friends over and had snacks, pink punch, and PINK PRINCESS CAKE! Ada was obsessed with the cake. It was so good! I made this yellow cake with a brown sugar frosting. Mmm! 

 Ada chose all of the paper goods...pink tablecloth, green runner, yellow silverware, pink napkins, pink AND blue cups, and multi-colored straws. :) Love the dollar store! 
I had everyone fill out a tag saying what they thought of Ada. We hung them on the tree and have loved reading them and seeing them all month. Lindsay & I made those tags (next to the tiaras) for Ada's baby shower! They were for advice to me as I became a mother. I still look over those and hope to do the same with these.

Ada & Kate, so excited for cake time!

Thanks Melissa for taking a picture with ME in it! :)

Cute little princesses and knights!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl. Mommy loves you so very much!

Dry Shampoo & Scheduling

I've talked about dry shampoo before and how much I love it. My sister-in-law introduced me to it years ago and this brand is what she used and I've used it ever since. Smells like a lemon cookie on your head :)

 I just started doing something with it that CHANGED MY LIFE! 

Instead of putting it on in the morning, I put it on before I go to bed at night. This lets the powder soak up the grease and absorb it all so that in the morning, it looks like new! Here is a poorly lit bathroom self shot...my hair isn't red, promise. Self portraits are so awkward. 

This was Thursday night after washing my hair on Wednesday morning and putting dry shampoo in it that night.

It's like doing preventative work versus damage control. Give it a try & see for yourself! I gave a talk in church with 3-day old hair, and it looked good (I think...)! It also helps my slippery hair curl better. For Halloween as Minnie I curled it and it held for much longer that it would have with freshly-washed hair.

Moving on...I have a question for the moms. I used to get ready when I just had Ada during her morning nap. Now that I have two, they nap 12:30-2ish and I get ready then (most days). We have our fair share of lazy days around here :) It's so hard to get ready with my Lola because she has to be wherever I am. Which means she opens the shower curtain and gets soaked. When do you get ready? Shower at night? During naps? I'm curious to know what your routine is. 

Have a happy Thanksgiving! We are heading down south and I can't WAIT! :)  

PG&E & Opower Luncheon

I was recently invited to attend a luncheon for bloggers in SF hosted by Mom Central. PG&E and Opower were there and taught us about our energy usage and the new tools they have to help us monitor how much we use in our homes.

It was held at the Presidio Social Club which was lovely. The whole presidio is gorgeous and it was fun to drive around and see the historic buildings. 

I'm pretty sure they chose this butternut squash soup based on the fact that it matches the PG&E logo perfectly.

Here is the adorable Abbie from Opower who was out of breath during her presentation because she's due with baby #3 next month! She sat with us after her presentation and taught my friend Lynda & I about the new features that Opower is integrating with PG&E. I love that they are using technology to connect customers with our energy usage! We had a Smart Meter installed about a year ago, and I saw no difference other than it was digital. And I could see the numbers turn off and on when I had to go flip the circuit breaker :)

What you can do now is sign into your account and compare your energy usage with your friends and houses that are similar to yours. Nothing like a little friendly competition to get you to conserve energy! In studies that Opower has done, people were most responsive and apt to change when they heard that their neighbors were doing it. Not to save money, not to help the earth, but because their friends and neighbors were doing it. So - Opower & PG&E have the right idea by using social media (a huge part of most of our lives) to integrate energy usage with technology.

Here is my delicious Chicken and Arugula Salad with Candied Pecans & Avocado Dressing. I want to recreate this at home!

This German Chocolate Cake was killer! Instead of the coconut frosting on top, it was sandwiched in between the layers of cake. Then the whole cake was frosted with chocolate buttercream! More chocolate in a chocolate cake = awesome. 

I am more focused on the saving money end of things, so I am always turning off lights and anything else that uses electricity. In our energy report, it shows that we are higher than other homes that are similar to ours. I think it's because we live in Santa Cruz and those other homes have solar panels or something! Also in your report, you can look at the energy usage throughout the day. If you have a spike at a certain time, think about what was being used at that time and if it could be lessened or eliminated completely.  

I definitely feel more connected to our energy usage in our home after attending this informative luncheon. I am so glad that PG&E and Opower are reaching out to consumers to connect with us instead of just receiving a bill that is foreign to us every month.

Thank you Nikki at Mom Central for having me, and thanks to Darleen and Abbie for your wonderful presentations. It was great to meet you all and learn so much over a delicious spread of food! 

Connect on Facebook: 
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Twitter:
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"I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of PG&E and Opower. I attended an informational luncheon and received a promotional item to thank me for my participation."

On Fasting

Yesterday was Fast Sunday. In our church, we fast (or go without food or drink) on the first Sunday of each month, and anytime we need to draw nearer to Heavenly Father.  Our Bishop asked us to dedicate this Fast Sunday to missionary work and finding opportunities to share the gospel with others.
It was really difficult for me. I haven't fasted in over three years because I've been either pregnant or nursing!

I prayed for strength to not focus on my physical needs but to be able to fast with purpose. I really struggled because I woke up thirsty and have a water bottle on my night stand at all times. I reached for it out of habit and then remembered it was Fast Sunday. The thought came into my head, "Just one sip, then you can start your fast." But I put it down and walked away.
The time change combined with Halloween candy sugar high made for a very rowdy bunch of children at church! Primary was out of control & when I went to pick Ada up from Nursery, she was running full speed and throwing herself onto the table. "WATCH ME, MOMMY!" Ughhhh
Poor Lola was so tired and was wrestling with Matt. He finally took her for a drive and she fell asleep.
I thought I was imagining the smell of food during third hour, but the Singles Ward has a break the fast meal after church. Torture for everyone else in the building!
I had a throbbing-behind-the-eye headache on the drive home and Matt and I were talking about going without food. I was telling him how I hear of moms who forget to eat because they're so busy. I will NEVER be one of those moms! How do you forget to eat?! I'm always snacking especially since I'm constantly fixing snacks and meals for the girls. If I don't eat I become such a grouch. And I'm always sipping on water or something (Dr. Pepper) :)
It got me wondering if it's something with our genetic makeup...do men have an easier time going without food and drink than women do? That's how it is with Matt & I.
I felt so good after completing the fast and breaking it with a prayer for more missionary opportunities.

First order of business:

Nutella S'more :)

I'm hoping that I can work every month to get better and better at fasting. I know there is great power in fasting and have been a part of fasts that have resulted in miracles! The alternative is getting pregnant again, and that's not happening ANYTIME soon :) Is it hard for you to fast? Are you grouchy without food or just fine until you notice your stomach grumbling?