A Spamtacular Mistake

So I am guilty of emotional eating. I eat my favorite ice cream (B&J's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch) practically every night as a means to treat myself after a grueling day with the kids.

Despite the torrential downfall of rain, I still had to run my usual errands, one of them being Costco. I have to say, it really sucked. I didn't strap Sam in because the safety belt was soaking wet. So the whole time, I was trying to keep him from taking a flying leap from the cart. Finally, I put him in the back part of the cart and he happily beat on the boxes of pull-ups like drums.

When I was at the checkout line, the guy who loads up the carts asked me to put Sam into the front part of the cart. He might as well have asked me to conjure up a two headed snake out of thin air. Both were impossible tasks, and the whole time they were ringing me up, I was wrestling a screaming Sam, trying to cram his feet through the leg openings of the front part of the cart. After the sadistic cart-loading guy watched me attempt mission impossible, he told me it was okay and let Sam stay in the back while he loaded up the cart. When I got outside, the rain was pouring down. I let Sam hold the umbrella while I tried to run and push the stroller. Sam thought it would be funny to hold the umbrella upside down so it would catch the rain more than repel it. Yeah, not very funny.

By the time we were on our way home, I was already done for the day, and it was only 11:30 am. I was soaked with rain and self-pity, so I drove to the nearby In-N-Out and ordered a cheeseburger (animal style), fries and a chocolate shake. I totally deserved it, right?

Well, that night, I lost it again. I mean, really lost it. So after we put the kids to bed, I made myself S'mores. It hit the spot and the world was good again.

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Do you ever get a craving for something and that desire to eat it just simply won't go away? Well, I have had a hankering for Spam for weeks now. Probably due to this blog post. Clearly, Spam is not the healthiest thing to eat and honestly, do I want to bring it into the house and raise up a new generation of Spam eaters? If we were extremely healthy, maybe I would have given in earlier, but as you can see, we're not. So it took all my willpower to say no to the Spam. But we were at a mall yesterday and there was an Ono Hawaiian BBQ place. The Spam Musubi was crying out to me like a muse and I could no longer resist. I got two Spam Musubi. You know how they say that there will be a big feast in heaven. Well, I have not doubt that Spam Musbi will be one of the many treats in the heavenly buffet.

Unfortunately, my body did not agree with the excessive intake of Spam, and I think I have been cured of my Spam cravings for quite some time. But God, please keep Spam Musubi on the menu in heaven because up there, we won't have to deal with indigestion, right?

I've Sunk to New Lows

I snuck away from where the kids were, to eat the last s'more (made over the weekend while up in the mountains) so I didn't have to share.

My Favorite Restaurant

At least that is what my BFF calls McDonald's for me. Whenever I am on the phone with her, I always seem to pulling into McDonald's for a snack. I know it is awful horrible food, but it is quick, easy, and yummy...and I only do it when the kids aren't around. =)

So today, Chang asked me to take the girls to school (yes, I am lucky. Chang usually takes them to school). I wasn't prepared to do it, so I had to quickly feed Sam breakfast and then get dressed. After dropping the girls off to school, I was going to swing by my "favorite restaurant" to grab some breakfast before Sam's music class but then BFF called. Drats! Caught again! So I made a u-turn and went to Colony Cafe (healthy, fresh, non-processed foods) instead.

I probably need to read Fast Food Nation or watch Supersize Me, but I refuse. Ignorance is bliss.

The Happiest Place on Earth (for me at least)

I really wanted to go to Lawry's this Christmas. It has been a while since we have seen the carolers (a quartet of singers dressed up in Dickensian costumes that go from table to table and sing Christmas songs by request). We haven't taken the kids with us to Lawry's since Elysha was born. I guess out of fear that the kids would misbehave, and not being sure if they would like the food.

Well, they definitely are my kids...all three of them gobbled up the prime rib, creamed corn, yorkshire pudding and baked potato. I am alone, however, in my love for the creamed spinach and baked potato with all the fixings and extra sour cream. Yum, yum! Either the kids ate a lot of my meat, or I was really hungry because I finished my entire Lawry's cut and sides (minus the baked potato which I like to take home and eat later). We then feasted on the C.C. Hot Fudge Sundae for dessert.

It is a good thing I was treated to my favorite meal last weekend. The warm memories of the happiest place on earth will have to carry me through these next two weeks of having all three kids home with me. So far, they have been behaving well. I have also brought out some arts and crafts stuff to get me through this time. A friend told me about Family Fun Magazine website. I'm going to try to be a good mom and figure out some craft ideas for the girls and just pray that Sam doesn't eat too many glue sticks.

Current Soundtrack for My Life

Jaws...the music from this movie is very fitting for what is going on in my life. Small foreboding signs of the imminent danger. I feel like we are on the verge...of insanity (though some may argue that I have gone over that point a LONG time ago).

Sam took two steps today. It is hard not to be excited for him. Whenever he stands, he claps for himself and has the biggest smile on his face. Sometimes I think it is the force of his laughter that causes him to tumble down in a heap. I think I might still have a few more weeks before he is walking full time. And I promise that I won't swipe his feet when he is standing to hinder his progress. Even I would not stoop to such lows just to un-complicate my life.

Joey is able to read small books on her own and can spell words too. Today, she read the Dora sippy cup she has been using for years. It finally occurred to her that she can read the words, "Let's go!" The other day as I was packing for Thanksgiving, I was asking Chang whether or not I should pack a fancy D-R-E-S-S for the girls. Joey was in the other room, eavesdropping on our conversation, and suddenly yelled out, "Dress!" Great. I mean, wohoo, I am really excited that she has reached this incredible milestone. However, I am soon going to have to alter the manner in which I exchange top secret information with Chang (or other literate adults). Like, "can you go to See's and get me some C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E?" I guess we can speak Korean around each other but I don't know how to say dessert in Korean, and chocolate and ice cream is essentially pronounced the same way.

Elysha is also learning the sounds of the alphabet so she is well on her way to ending my sneaky sweet consumption completely. I never give the girl enough credit. I assumed she didn't know any sounds and that she wouldn't want to be quizzed by me. After our parent-teacher conference, the teacher encouraged Chang and me to go through the sounds with Elysha. Sam got these dinosaur flash cards for his birthday and we started using them with Elysha. We've created a monster (or two). Now, every night, the girls have been begging me to quiz them. Damn my nerd gene! It appears to have been passed down to both girls.

It is the beginning of the end for me. I am probably going to get all skinny now because I will be chasing after my walking son and I can no longer sneak in See's behind the girls' back.

Cookie Monster

I was starved the other day when I picked up the girls. I meant to grab a piece of chocolate from the kids' Halloween stash but totally forgot in my rush to get out of the house in time.

These days I have been packing some snacks into the girls' lunchboxes because they are always whining that they are so hungry when I pick them up from school. I also packed another lunchbag of snacks, including microwave popcorn which is Joey's favorite. Knowing how much Joey loves popcorn, I thought (mistakenly) that she would not miss her bag of chocolate chip cookies that I packed into her school lunchbox but found uneaten. On the way to Elysha's gymnastics class, however, Joey asked me for the cookies. I distracted her with the popcorn, verbally drawing dramatic pictures of the delicious morsel she would dine on soon. She smiled contently as we drove to class. I mentally pat myself on the bag for avoiding the whining and meltdown that would have occurred had I confessed to eating her cookies.

I left the popcorn in the microwave a little too long so some of it was burnt and it just didn't taste very good. So Joey started asking me for the cookies again. I panicked, I didn't know what to do. Should I tell her that I ate them and deal with another dramatic episode in front of other moms? Hoping to avoid public humiliation, I told Joey that the cookies were in the car and we would get them in a little bit. Yes, that's right folks, I lied to my child. I spat in the face of morality to satiate my growling stomach. As we were walking to the car, she began to ask me for the cookies again. Damn, these kids with their single-mindedness! So I told her it was getting too late to be snacking. Whining commenced. I offered her other options but to no avail. Animal crackers? Goldfish crackers? Brownies? Nope, nope, nope--she just wanted her cookies...so I just said, we'll see...I was trying to buy some time to think of something I could tell her.

As I loaded up the troops into the car, Joey scrambled up front to grab her lunchbox. Dead woman walking, that's what I am. I expected her to open up her lunchbox, notice the missing chocolate chip cookies, and just start bawling. I could see her in therapy, 20 years later, discussing all the deprivation she experienced at the hands of her mother.

But the most unexpected thing happened. She pulled out her organic, salt-free, brown rice cracker, smiled, and went back to her car seat, happily munching on styrofoam. I don't understand exactly what happened here, but disaster was diverted, and I learned a valuable lesson; always keep a secret stash of cookies in the car for me.

Recipe: Pumpkin Bars

I am glad to hear that some of the recipes I post are used so I thought I would post another.

I LOVE pumpkin. When I was single and making the big bucks (well, more like small to medium bucks), I would buy a pumpkin scone everyday at Peet's coffee. I would buy pans and pans of pumpkin pie and eat it in a matter of days. Ralph's Supermarket here in LA, makes an excellent pumpkin chocolate chip cookie which I buy by the dozen and gobble up by the handfuls.

We had some friends over tonight for dessert so it gave me a reason to make something. I was ambitious and wanted to make the pumpkin bars and a chocolate bundt cake but I had the girls home with me today and a school mate called and made a spontaneous playdate. So my time was limited.

Paul's Pumpkin Bars (from Allrecipes.com)


Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined.
3. Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10x15 inch jellyroll pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. Cool before frosting.
4. To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioners' sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut into squares.

I made a few alterations based on the reviews and doubled the pumpkin to 30 oz and reduced the oil to 2/3 cup. I also used one tsp of cinnamon, one tsp of allspice, 1/2 tsp of cloves and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg. I also used a smaller-sized pan (don't know the exact measurements) so I had to let it bake for 35 minutes. I also had some batter left over so I made 8 mini muffins too which were perfect for the girls.

They turned out very moist and the cream cheese frosting was a great compliment. A great dish to bring to a potluck or to Thanksgiving dinner!

Pumpkin Patch

I uprooted my zucchini plants last week since they were diseased. I researched the white powdery mold that decimated my veggie garden and it so happens that this mold appears on gourds towards the end of its life cycle. Good to know for next year.

My friend, Rhiannon's mom, and one of my inspirations to start becoming a more serious gardener, told me that she was going to plant pumpkins in her garden for the fall. How cool is that? Apparently, you need to plant your pumpkins now if you want them to be orange by halloween time. So this is on my never-ending list of things to do.

I have always wanted to try to make my own pumpkin pack for baking. I tried once but it was more trouble than it was worth. Maybe if I can grow some smaller pumpkins, it would be easier to boil. I LOVE pumpkin in baked goods--pumpkin pie, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin scones, pumpkin bread. Love love love it!

My Olympic Qualification

As I have often boasted on my blogs, I have been consistently exercising for the last four weeks. This is big for me. Huge. I'm talking, big like my bicep muscles. Yup, that big...well, maybe a little bigger.

However, I was hoping to have more weight loss to show for it but perhaps the exorbitant intake of food prevented me for posting "Biggest Loser" numbers. I'm not sure...is eating ice cream and Ghiradelli chocolate caramel squares every night not good?

Anyhow, though I was feeling a little dismayed after weighing myself last Monday, I thought to myself that it is okay. After all, when I put on my jeans, my muffin top is only hanging over 4 inches instead of 8 inches. I am no longer a Glamour magazine "don't".

btw: not my arse...

What does this have to do with the Olympics? Well (cue dramatic music), I was looking through my closet and found a pair of pants that I forgot I owned. I looked at the size on the pants and thought, has hell frozen over? Have pigs grown wings? In other words, there was slim chance (no pun intended) that I would be able to get these pants past my birthing hips. But then I saw that magic word "stretch"--oh, what a wonderful, benevolent word. It is like my pants have exonerated me for my over-indulgent sweet tooth. "Yes, I saw you when you snuck in that extra cookie, but you have been forgiven. Go forth, my child, and snack no more."

I pulled on the pants, sucked in my gut, and buttoned. They fit! Hallelujah! I did what any mature mother of three would do. I called my fellow mommy girlfriend. "Guess what?!?! Like, OMG! I am wearing a size # pants! Well...my stomach might be hanging out on top, and they are stretched out to the max..." Suddenly, I wasn't so sure if I had truly accomplished an amazing feat.

My dear mommy friend replied, "It doesn't matter. It's like qualifying for the Olympics. It doesn't matter if you just eeked in by a nanosecond. You're in!" Yes! As only another mom can understand. Thank you God for the miracle of synthetic fabrics that allowed me to squeeze into a smaller size. Amen.

Mmmmm...thank you mommy!

Words I never thought I would hear my daughters utter while eating ethnic food. Of course they eat Korean food. But that's not ethnic to them. It's just food. Bap and geem. Gook bap. For my kids, it's like mac 'n' cheese (which, btw, they eat all the time too. I guess my kids are korean-american in every sense...well, maybe not, but I'll blog about that some other time).

But the other night, I broke in my new crock pot (I love it) and made Thai yellow curry with the Trader Joe's sauce aptly named, Trader Joe's Thai Yellow Curry. I marinated chicken with half the bottle the night before. And the next afternoon before I picked up the girls, I put the chicken and onions and the rest of the bottle into the pot. It was clear that there wasn't going to be enough sauce so I added some water. Then right before I left for the afternoon, I threw in some potatoes and carrots and turned it to low heat. It cooked for five hours. When I got home, the sauce looked a little thin so I threw in some flour to thicken it up. I also added some hon-dashi to make up for the watered down sauce. The kids loved the curry and declared that they loved Thai food. Chang even willingly agreed to take the leftovers to work the next day.

I also made pad thai with the Trader Joe's box labeled, you guessed it, Trader Joe's pad thai. I didn't have the peanuts or bean sprouts, but the noodles were chewy and the sauce was flavorful. I did stir-fried it with sesame oil to give it some extra flavor--Elysha LOVED it.

There have been days when the girls come to the dinner table and the following conversation occurs:

"Ewww...I don't like it," Elysha declares after looking at her plate.
"You don't like what?" I ask her.
"This!" she screams, pointing at her plate.
"Well, what is it?" I ask her for my own amusement.
"I don't know but I don't like it."

This is when super daughter makes her appearance. Joey will sit down demurely at the dinner table, eat her food with loud "mmm's" and say, "I like it mommy. I am a good eater, huh! I like to eat all different kinds of food, just like you." Man, the girl knows how to work it.

The Third Child Syndrome

Ask me if I care, but don't ask me the last time the floor has been cleaned...

Size: Sam XL

Drool Bib

My friend makes these beautiful bibs, burpies and other baby accessories. I wanted to get some stuff for Sam but when we tried to put one on, it could hardly go around his tree-trunk-for-a-neck neck. So she had to make a special size which she called Sam XL!

Food Bib and perhaps, the next face of Baby Gap?

Food Diary of a Breastfeeding mother

When I was still nursing Sam, I was eating enough for two. I was always eating whenever I was on the phone and one day, Touko (my BFF from childhood) thought it would be funny for me to do a food diary. I was talking to someone recently and she wanted me to post it because she also thought it would be humorous. I only managed to do two days but here they are:

Day One:

One Raspberry Scone
One fried egg with slice of Cheese
One cup Soy Milk Coffee
Two servings Meat Lasagna
One package Spicy Ramen
One cup Chai Tea Latte with soy milk
Handful of cashews
Handful of grapes
Chinese chicken salad with one and one half breast of chicken
Two slices of chocolate chip cookie pie
one bowl of honey bunches of oats cereal

Orange juice, milk and water for beverages

Day Two:

One fried egg with cheese

One cinnamon raisin bagel with plain cream cheese

One cup soy milk coffee

One Carl's Jr Famous Star Cheeseburger

Medium fries

Bulgogi

Rice

Kimchee

Spicy beansprouts

Seaweed

Two pieces of chocolate chip cookie pie

One Bowl of honey bunches of oats

Orange juice, milk, water and root beer for beverages

I have been thinking a lot about body image and having a healthy relationship with food. It really sucks that women in particular struggle with it so much...If you ask any woman what they would like to change about their appearance, 99% of us would be able to tell you in a heartbeat a whole laundry list of things we would like to nip, tuck or suck. I am trying to be careful about saying F-A-T around the girls because I don't ever want themselves to think that way about themselves. But I guess that means that I also need to not think that way about myself too. Easier said than done...

Ramblings, rants about being a mom...

I made dinner tonight with zucchini that I grew in my garden. It was almost ridiculous how happy it made me to be able to put my own organically grown veggie into my meal. As I stirred my Trader Joe's organic pasta sauce, with my free range chicken and homegrown zucchini, I thought, I am a housewife. And I should have fun with it. Be the best damn housewife out there! I've been doing pretty well with making healthy, minimally processed meals meals. Okay, I confess that my aunt has been cooking for me for three days a week and we used to eat out every weekend. But now I only have my aunt for a day and I have been cooking our meals on the weekends too. So cooking, gardening...I would like to try and make a dress for Joey and Elysha. I think it would be fun and a good memory for us. So we'll see how that turns out...to be continued...

I have also been working out because I am about 15 lbs heavier than normal. Not to brag but with Joey, I was back in a size 0 by 4 months. With Elysha, I was back to a size 0 by 8 months. Granted, things shifted, shrunk, and jiggled, but it happened, with little to no effort. But this time...dude...I don't know if it's cuz I am over 30 or if it is child number 3, but this is so haaaard!!!! I have reduced my food intake (which for those who know me, is like shooting myself in the foot. Scratch that, it is like giving birth without drugs--yup, that difficult and painful). I have succumbed to exercising which is even harder than reducing my food intake. Exercising is so painful that for a month, I couldn't bring myself to do it more than once a week. But after a month of less food and a little exercise, I honestly thought I would just get back into my old clothes. So I was shocked when I jumped on the scale for the first time and saw that I was about the same weight as when I was 38 weeks pregnant!

My one consolation with each workout is an ice cream sandwich. It used to be Diddy Reese each time, but clearly, I need to downgrade to skinny cows. I already have a list of foods that I am going to celebrate with when I put on my pair of skinny jeans when Sam turns one. Yup, I am going to look even better than before because this time, I am going to be toned, muscular, and fabulous!



Picture of us when Elysha was 8 months...and our surrogate son for the day Ryan Kang. Sigh...if only I could squeeze into those jeans today...

Yummy avocado!

Of course, I have to post the photo of messy marvin Sam eating avocado.

The Happiest Place on Earth

We just got back today from a mini family vacation. Chang had to take his mom to the doctor on Thursday and we promised Elysha to take her to Disneyland once she mastered potty training. Since Chang had to be in OC midweek anyway, he decided to just take two days off work so we could go to Disneyland.


On Thursday, I decided it would be easier to take all three kids to California Adventure by myself while Chang took his mom to the doctor. I survived most of the day all by myself (pat myself on the back). The girls were so excited about being there that they were very well behaved. We watched the Playhouse Live show, ate lunch, rode a few rides and then watched the Aladdin show before Chang showed up.


On the Ladybug ride--Chang and I had a deal before we even got married. I do the roller coasters and he does the spinning rides. Unfortunately, he wasn't around to save me from this spinning ride. I had to close my eyes to keep myself from puking. The girls kept asking me, "Why are you closing your eyes Mama?"



Since we decided to do this vacation last minute, I wasn't able to get us reservations at Ariel's Grotto. I'm glad that I wasn't able to because it gave us an opportunity to discover another wonderful character dining option--Breakfast with Minnie Mouse and friends. It is usually all about the princesses for Joey, and Elysha generally follows suit. But the breakfast was a lot of fun. First of all, it's buffet (which the whole family loves), and secondly, we got to see a lot more characters this way.



This picture cracks me up because Elysha and Eeyore have the same expression. As much as Elysha loves seeing the characters, she is always a little scared.



After we finished breakfast, the girls wanted to see the princesses.

Since we couldn't get into Ariel's Grotto, as a special treat, we let the girls get their face painted. I even paid an extra $2 for glitter. They were so ecstatic. Elysha rubbed hers off as the day progressed. Joey was so careful to not touch her face. Whenever she had a little itch, she would ask me, "Is my makeup still on?"

Three princesses...

And my prince...

If only I had one of these cages at home.

We had a lot more time at Disneyland this time since we didn't have to go over to California adventure for Ariel's Grotto. So in all the times we have gone to Disneyland, we have never set foot in Toon Town. It's a cute little area where Joey and Elysha rode their first real roller coaster. Elysha was hesitant the whole time we were in line. But after it was over, she said, "I want to do it again!" Joey has been an adventurous rider for a while now--even at Knott's--she wants to ride the big rides.

Joey has grown up so much. She is a wonderful older sister to both her siblings--most of the time. We had a great time on our vacation and I am so grateful that we can do such fun things. Chang and I were talking about it while the kids were napping in the car--we are so immensely blessed. We hope that we never take it for granted, and the kids do not feel entitled.

Yummy!

I decided to give Sam a taste of rice cereal today. Mmmm...yummy! He had no idea what to do when the spoon came close to his mouth. So I touched his lips, he opened up, and he was so happy to have a little bit of food in his mouth. I kind of don't want to go through the trouble of feeding him solids everyday. But I suppose it is inevitable.

Speaking of yummy, Chang brought home these cute Cookie Monster cupcakes to celebrate Elysha's potty training. The girls loved them and gobbled them up!

Two down, one more to go...

Elysha is potty-trained. It literally happened overnight. On Monday, she said she wanted to wear underwear. By Friday, she was in underwear all day with no accidents. Plus, she was playing mind games with us for so long that the girl can hold her bladder for 5 hours. What finally got her to go consistently on the potty? A goodie bag from which she could pick a prize each time she went on the potty. The girl was holding out for more than cookies.

To add to my excitement, Sam slept 12 hours two nights ago and only woke up once last night. Despite being sick with bronchitis, I am feeling so refreshed these days. Unfortunately with my sickness, I completely lost my appetite. So my milk has diminished. I am thinking of just letting it go...the thought of eating like a teenage boy on steroids to get my milk back exhausts me. So another milestone, the last time I will ever breastfeed may be closer than I thought. It actually is making me cry. =( Sam made the most adorable sound when he nursed at nighttime. Everytime he swallowed, it almost sounded like a sigh...like the sound of bliss and perfect contentment. I always wanted to record it but never did...and now he doesn't make that sound anymore.

Judge me by my size do you?

That's what Elysha's little Yoda beanie says--"Judge me by my size do you?". It cracks me up because Elysha is a lot of person in a little body. She is starting to potty train a little bit these days. She definitely knows how to hold it. Bribery with sugary treats helped the first two days but she has lost interest again. On the second day of P.T., at 8:30 in the morning, I was sitting with Elysha. I told her that if she pee'd on the potty that I would give her a "special treat" like the other day. She immediately got up, sat down on the toilet and took care of business. With her Dora underwear still around her ankles, she asked for her special treat. So she was eating chocolate cookies for breakfast.

I was gone for an Arbonne conference last week so I took Sam with me to Atlanta. Chang took two days off and had a good time with the girls. They met my brother's family at Legoland...

Picnicked in the backyard...

They also stayed at a hotel and swam in the pool. According to Chang, the girls missed Sam more than they missed me. Surely, he is mistaken...

I love this picture because all three kids are doing their thing--Joey with sucking her thumb, Elysha with pressing the back of her hand to her mouth, and Sam with grabbing his toes. And of course, both girls are petting Sam's head with their free hand.

As painful as life can be with three kids, Sam completes our family and I have no regrets. Before Sam was born, I never felt that I was done having kids. After Joey was born, I hadn't even left the hospital before I was thinking of number two. After Elysha was born, I distinctly remember coming home from the hospital and while I was taking a shower, I was thinking about having another. But now, I have a lot of peace saying that this factory is closed!

The Next Generation

First of all, it was my man's birthday last Friday. The big 3-8! On the verge of a midlife crisis. But he's got so much to show for the last nearly 4 decades.

We also went to visit my mom this past weekend. My brother's family also came. The grandkids all got together for a picture. Ages ranging from 6 years to 4 months. I really love that the kids are so close in age. They play so well together and seem to understand that they are more than friends.

My mom got the girls matching dresses about which they were so excited.

As you can see here, Elysha was none too pleased that I kept asking her to smile for the camera, distracting her from her ice cream. Whereas Joey and her cousin are total hams.

The sign says, "free entertainment." The kids decided to provide that free entertainment by dancing on the stage for a good half hour.

A very happy grandma.

A cute picture of my little man. He had fun watching his older siblings/cousins run around. He almost rolled over today. I'm very nervous about this development. I'm going to have to throw a lot of the girls Polly Pocket toys away. Either that or Sam is going to have a lot of itty-bitty tiny high heels in his poop.