42 hours in Vegas

Viva Las Vegas

This is what we did with 42 hours in Vegas

We dined

We danced

We shopped

We laid by the pool

We played a little BlackJack

We walked around and checked out the many Resorts

We saw two fantastic shows

O by Cirque de soleil

and

Danny Gans-hilarious and so entertaining.

(thanks for the show suggestions from my newly reconnected friend Anne through blog world who lives in L.V. and said these were the two best shows and she was right, my next trip I am coming to see you, Anne!)

We ate at Jasmine which is a gourmet Chinese Restaurant in the Bellagio that over looks the water show at the resort and I got surprised by a little birthday bling....from my boyfriend aka Mark.

We stayed at Planet Hollywood, which was okay, but not fancy. It kind of had the frat house scene while we were there. I'd like to think we were with the young and hip crowd, but then Mark would tell me not to get young and hip confused with frat- house- college- spring- breakers. Oh well, next time we go I'd stay at the Bellagio, Venetian, Wynn or Encore which are pretty impressive. It's been over 10 years since we have been to Vegas together and it's like a whole new world there then what I remember, so I think we will have to go back in the future and take in some more shows and entertainment.

P.S. I came home to 3 sick kids and a fantastic babysitter Aubrey who held it all together so I didn't even worry a second.

P.S. S. I also came home to a little 11 month old who thinks he is hot stuff because he can stand on his own....

Good friends

Pre Birthday Lunch.....Don't you just love Birthday lunches? I do!

So my friend on the right of me with the dark hair is currently fighting Breast Cancer (and she is doing a great job too.) Doesn't she look too awesome to be sick? She starts her Chemo on Monday and she is constantly on my mind right now. So one of my other friends is doing the Avon 2 day Breast cancer walk and so I told her I wanted to do it with her. I am nervous, I think it's like 40 miles. Anyway if you get an email from me hitting you up for donations (because you have to raise like $1800 in order to participate) you will know that I am doing it for someone I love dearly and someone I know who is going to beat this thing 100%, thanks to early detection, lots of prayers and awesome Doctors. I also happen to live in a county that has one of the highest breast cancer diagnosis. Which is such a scary mystery !

You know your friends know you well when you get duplicate gifts. Seriously, aren't they the greatest? Can't wait to clock in my running time, mileage and pace.

Sorry Natalie that I didn't put in the picture of the freakishly adorable apron you got me, but it looked like I had like 5 chins in the picture and you can't expect me to post a hideous picture of myself on my own blog, right? Denae everytime I walk by my island smelling candle I feel like I just took a mini vacation, thanks. And Audry we missed you, hopefully you will get to leave your house one of these days, sick kids are no fun. And Karen hope you are having fun eating your way through New Orleans.

Thanks girls for a delicious lunch and gifts, but most importantly for the great friendship and good times!

Dear Regis and Kelly

Dear Regis and Kelly,

I was disappointed I didn't hear from you. Actually I forgot to watch your show the past few weeks and then happend to be on the treadmill watching the other day when you had your 5 finalist. And then I remembered that I was suppose to be on your show with my adorable, smiley, happy baby. Okay yes the babies were cute, but I thought they were suppose to be babies, they looked like toddlers and preschoolers to me. So next time don't call it a baby contest okay. I know, I know, I have been calling Carson my baby for the past 6 years and I finally realize he is no longer a baby, but I am not advertising contest for cutest baby awards. And one more thing my baby would have smiled at you and you wouldn't be able to resisit him. Oh well I am over it!

Derby boys

Here are my Pinewood Derby boys....yes it's all about the Dad, because we all know who makes 95% of the car.

I don't know who gets more excited and into it, the father or the son. Here's how we roll. Dad and son talk and discuss about design of the car weeks before. Son draws up plans and father uses his tools and creates car. Son sands it smooth. Then mom spray paints it and messes up and now she is fired from touching the car. Dad orders obscene abouts of paraphernalia, weights, graphite, special extra weights, stickers, other special stuff that needs to be rushed delivered in order to get here on time for the race. Minutes before the race dad and son our fine tuning and putting weights on car.

Here he is, we called him the Green Dragon---Yes, we name our cars!

The Green dragon and Jacob made a fine showing at this years Pinewood Derby. It was Jacob's first and he was so proud and excited.

He got Third place overall.... Dad and son were delighted.

Mom is wondering if we can just spray paint it a different color and use it next year?

Oh and by the way only 11 more cars for Mark to make until his pinewood derby career will be over. That doesn't include the 4 he made while Christian was a cubscout. I am sure by the 16th car he makes we will have a first placer.

What do yo do?

What do you do when the last 100 pictures on your camera are mostly of your baby, with only a few of your other kids?

You make a collage!

What do you do when your blood pressure hasn't gone back to it's low normal number since the birth of this sweet little boy?

What do you do when you are doing everything you know you should to help lower your blood pressure, like exercise everyday, eat low soduim/low calorie, finish losing the last of the baby pounds? etc.....do you take the blood pressure medicine that you don't like taking? Do you go and talk to a cardiologist?

What do you do when your eardrum has ruptured and your are waiting for it to heal so that you can finally hear out of both ears and are dying to go back to the pool to swim laps?....which also brings up the question. Do I have to wear one of those dorky earplugs now to protect my ear? As if I am not dorky enough with my swim cap on to protect my golden locks.

What do you do when you get nothing done and have countles projects incomplete because someone in this house is trying to stand and walk and do all kinds of dangerous stuff?.....do you just decide to wait to get your life organized when he is like 5?

Mommy guilt

Sometimes I find myself dripping with a huge dose of mommy guilt. It isn't pretty and I know all mom's suffer from this dangerous infliction. Thinking of the things we should or shouldn't be doing..blah blah blah!

It's like a broken record, right? Thoughts like....

Have I taught them everything they need to know?

Are they going to be prepared to be adults and live on their own?

How are they ever going to live on their own when they can't even find their shoes?

Am I too strict...or not strict enough?

Have I fostered confidence and love in them?

Have I helped them develop their talents?

Why is it that I love it at night when everyone is asleep and I can just relax?

Why do I get so excited when I send them all off to school in the morning?

Why didn't I help him brush his teeth better, so that now he doesn't have 500 cavities everytime we go to the dentist?

And so I decided that mommy guilt just isn't good and gets me no where. So I need to just come to grips and realize that what I am doing is going to have to be good enough. Even if it's not perfect or I am not doing everything I think I should be doing. I will make mistakes and I do make mistakes and such is life, right?

But what I can do is love these boys!!! So I will...

Here's one remedy to cure mommy guilt: Watch an episode of Supernanny and then think to yourself "Okay now I am doing an awesome job. Wow! It could always be a lot worse. At least my kids don't scream and yell obscenities at me!"

Baby contest

I must confess



I've never done this before



I am a little embarrassed



I feel like one of those annoying moms


I got this idea while running on the treadmill


watching a morning show



So I sent in this picture


to Live's Regis and Kelly's baby contest


and will we see what happens....

pretty sure nothing, but hey it's worth a try


You see I just couldn't resist

because our little family

has fallen deeply and madly in love with this guy


It's not so much how adorable he is


because he is....


It's just that he is so dang smiley and happy all the time


He's got a dimple in his cheek that will steal your heart


so call me a narcissist


call me a stage mom


call me what you want


you may laugh


you may mock


but hey I wouldn't mind a $100,000 college scholarship for him
(especially since we all know what the stock market has done to all of our children's 529 college accounts)........wish me luck!