Cha cha CHING

It's always fun to daydream, it's a nice little escape from reality, not that reality needs escaping but it's nice to let your mind wonder. This morning I was cutting up currens bagel after I applied the correct amount of cream cheese, and NOT butter because that's "NATY MOM"... I glanced up at my first lotto ticket taped to my calendar...so I don't forget to check it, cause I forget everything these days.

I pictured my dad shoveling trenches to lay pipe for the Ventura county water district, he has worked there since he was 18 and won't be retiring for another 5 years or so, he had worked hard labor his entire life and I have never heard him complain. His back hurts him so bad sometimes he walks bent over for most of some mornings. I picture my mom who has always been home taking care of my brother and I. Always kept a beautiful house, and yard, is always so organized and working hard on her family. She worked at our school cafeteria since I was in second grade to earn extra money for us. When we got home from school she was there, always making sure our homework was done correctly, driving us from one practice to another, and was a hard working mom! Ryans dad has worked hard his entire life too, and since Bev's passing has had to deal with a mountain of medical bills looming over him.

"MOM MY BADLE PWEESE!!! Water too! I watch TARLIE N LOLLA wite now."

Right, bagel. Here buddy, yes Charlie and Lola, got it. Here is your water little Lord Fauntleroy. Give him a few little head pats.

Back to the kitchen

....I would love to be able to tell my parents and Ryans dad that they don't have to work anymore and that they are debt free. Can you imagine what a relief??


I would love to help out each and every family member that is being hit hard by our economy's downfall, especially my Aunt Julie & Uncle Ron, Aunt Brenda & Uncle Bob, they have always been there for Ryan and I, and I would love to hook them up with a fatty check to boost their small businesses that they run, and pay off any debt!

Hook up our friends by paying off their mortgages

Take the ENTIRE family to Italy

Buy a house, in Somis or Ventura...or both

Put a DVD player in my car so it's not a battle EVERY SINGLE TIME for Curren to get in his seat!

Buy a diet plan and hire a personal trainer so I can lose WEIGHT

Tell Ryan he can take that surf trip around the world he always dreams about...with me and the kids in tow of course :)

Pay off Finley's Hospital Bill

Fly my grandma to Washington D.C. so she can see J.F.K's eternal flame


KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK, UPS.

"Giggs SHUT UP!!"
"Ziggz TUT UP" "
"Curren don't say shut up, mommy shouldn't have said that"
"Turrnin no say tut up....dat!"
"Don't be a copy cat"
"I not topy tat"

Finley cries and the day dream is over!

They say money can't buy happiness, and I dont think it can. But I do think it could relieve some stress. I'll let you know tomorrow how much I won! HA!

What are the first 3 things you'd do if you won the Lotto? post on here or comment on the FB.

Magical.

I have to write, right now. FYI i'm not a "writer", I have always been a solid B-C english student, so get over all the errors you're about to come across. A few different things I have to get off my chest.  I was telling my friend Kara today, how I feel so lucky to have such great friends in my life. TRULY good people, that have my best interest at heart, and I have theirs.  We may differ in opinions from time to time but that doesn't mean we can't be friends- we are good people, honest people ( most of the time) and we all do things differently in raising our kids, and in our marriages and thats OKAY, it works for each of us.  I feel like the people I have close to me now are people I really want to have in my life, it's not an effort to be friends, it's just natural and genuine and I would do anything for them, and I know they (all) would do the same for me. Not to mention all of my family, Grandmas and Grandpas, cousins, brother, mom and dad...aunts and uncles they are all my rock and I am so lucky to have them.  This may be a bit of a ramble by my brain is a whirlwind of thoughts right now.

I just watched The Family Stone.  I am sitting in our living room with a fire going, nursing my baby...sort of wishing I was out with Ryan and our friends having drinks, but I looked down at Finley and her long eyelashes pressed against her cheeks.. and really there was nowhere else i'd rather be.... and scanning through the channels this movie was on.  It couldn't have come on at a more perfect time. 

 Have you ever smelled a scent, seen a picture, or heard a song that instantly time warped you back into a great memory?  This movie does that for me.  Living in So CA we don't get real seasons. I have spent time back east visiting our great friends and also Curren's Godparents- Travis and Jyll, for 4 winters in a row, and waking up to snow falling is seriously something so magical, the cold air floating through the windows wakes you up and to look outside and to see everything kissed with snow is so beautiful! The last time we were out there we were really hoping to get pregnant, I had a feeling I was pregnant but it was too early to tell.  Ryan, Travis, and I went for a walk one morning at a park in Rhode Island and it was hands down the most beautiful morning I have ever experienced in my life, it really was breath taking....and during this walk I knew I was pregnant with Curren, I could just tell, sure enough I was.





Remembering that walk is something the movie reminded me of.  As I watched on I kept thinking, I want to be the type of mom Diane Keaton's character is in this movie.  I want my son and daughter to know I will love him NO MATTER WHAT and to know they will get no judgement from me at all, all I want is for them to have true happiness.  I want them to feel comfortable in coming to me and talking to me about anything.  The dinner scene in that movie is intense, and you can just feel the support that family has for the son that is feeling judged by Sarah Jessica Parker's character.  I hope to create a family that has a tight bond like that, and will know that we have each other's backs and are a unit that no one can break. 

It also made me appreciate my marriage to Ryan.  I know he and I are going to grow old together, we hit hard times and we get through it, marriage is WORK and we're in it for the long haul, and that gives me a very secure feeling. I so look forward to the memories that will be created and cherish the memories that we already have. When Keaton's character shows her mastectomy scar to her husband- I doubt ANY wife could keep a dry eye.  I just love that movie! 

Ryan and I were pretty bummed thinking about how we really won't be buying any Christmas presents this year, we just don't have the funds, but really, REALLY we have more than we can ever ask for. We have our family, we have our 2 healthy kids, a house, and food in our kitchen.  That's a LOT more than most of the world will have this Christmas.  I have delivered shoe boxes full of toys and goodies to kids in Mexico that literally have NOTHING, they live in a little shack and all sleep on one mattress on their dirt floor.  The looks on their faces is something you can't even describe, they are the ones who need gifts! We had rice and beans and oil to give to the mothers of those kids and they were equally excited, I know they love their babies just as much as I love mine, and I can't even imagine not being able to give mine the basics. We all are so blessed here in the U.S.

Well, thanks to the Family Stone for reminding me of what's important and giving me some inspiration, now I can sleep.

Farmers Market = lies...ALL LIES!

I have been consistently going to our local Camarillo Farmer's Market since my son Curren was 6 months old, (so for about 2 years now) and I began making him pureed fruits.  My husband and I grew most of his veggies in our garden but we picked up some squash here and there at FM.  Wanting the best for him each week I went through and hand picked all his pears, apples, peaches, avocados, nectarines, blue berries...etc.  I always bought from the "organic" vendors cause I didn't want this new source of food to be laced with pesticides and GMOed fruit.  Week after week I began to see the same vendors...strike up a convo, and I ended up always going to the same people (in the back on the right, an Asian couple) they had a huge selection and EVERYTHING was organic, or so I thought. I would always wonder how they grew such beautiful fruit with no spray or anything. I have such a hard time in my garden with snails, birds, slugs..and not using any spray. their stuff is plump and huge and each piece of fruit is always perfect. SO flash forward 2 years later, and each week I have gone to these people and buy their stuff for $2.00 a lb, which is a decent price but not dirt cheap. 

Then I read this article on CHOW.COM (my new fav website) Don't Get Suckered at Farmers Market



if you don't want to read it, here's the basics--

-Farmer's Markets are a huge booming business, numbers almost doubling across the U.S.

-People are lieing about where their produce is coming from

The article suggests this--

-Ask if the people working are the ones who are actually doing the farming

-Where they are from

-Do they offer a CSA

-What their harvest season is

-Make sure what they are selling is what's in season

Having being suspicious I started asking so the first week
Me: "all of your produce is organic right? No sprays or anything?"
Them:"oh yes everything we sell is organic"
great.

The next week I notice their GIANT ORGANIC SIGN is down, hmm thats weird, I asked about it, and they said they were up for rectification and couldn't post it until they were certified. ok...

The next week the GIANT ORGANIC SIGN is back up. I see them putting boxes of grapes out, coming out of cardboard stack ables that say California grapes and nothing about them being organic.  So I proceeded to ask
Me:"are you the farmers for this produce?"
Them: "no we are just hired to sell it"
Me: "is all of your stuff organic?"
Them: "oh yes, everything is grown organically"
Me: "ok perfect because my son is highly allergic to any sort of pesticides or spray and it could really cause him harm" (which he's not, BUT I HAD TO GET THE REAL SCOOP FOR ALL OF MY 17 DEDICATED BLOG READERS HAHA)
Them: "oh well most of our stuff is 75% organic"
Me: "what is that supposed to mean"
Them: " well some of our stuff does have spray"....rambles on about some BS as his forehead starts beading sweat
Me: "well that really pisses me off because I've been buying from you for 2 years under the impression your food doesn't contain any pesticides"
Them: "well it's just a little bit here and there"
Me: "WTF???"

Long story short, none of their stuff is organic, nor has it EVER been.

Pissed off I headed over to the "farmers market office" ( an easy up with 4 people under it and a cash register) and tell them everything I just told you, and they were like oh he was supposed to take that Organic Sign down he didn't pass certification. UUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH

sweet i've been feeding my kid this (*&%^ for 2 effing years.

So, since then I have found a few vendors that are the actual farmers, and know their stuff and checked them out and they are indeed, free of spray. So do your homework people if this is important to you.

Here's some babyfood pics for ya

Guess what happens if you put HOT PEARS in a food processor and fill it to the top? It blows up.

Curren's Garden

Curren enjoying his beets with a side of pesticide spray.

At least I knew his veggies were decent!



Rejuvenation.

Thursday after Ryan got home from work he packed up the car and headed up North. Everything was ready in a nice little pile, with my shoes and sweater on top, and also Fin's playmat ready to go. Ryan swiftly unpacked everything I packed for him (insert me being pissed...silently as i watched him pull it all out...and that it took me all day to pack and do laundry with a  2 year old unpacking everything here),  he then repacked...ggrrrr... loaded the car up and we were on our way. Somehow my sweater and shoes and Fin's playmat didnt end up in the car, but thats neither here nor there (love ya Thomps :)) oh and  I forgot my deodorant, so I smelled like an Old Spice man all weekend.  I cried till we got to Ventura, cause I already missed Curren SO much, and I just felt very very guilty only taking Finley.

7 Hours and 3 pit (tit) stops later we arrived. The hotel was really gorgeous, had 3 restaurants, a spa, and just really really nice. Our room was supposed to have a crib in it, and didnt so i called down and asked them to run one up, I was thinking, wow I bet it's going to be some beautiful Pottery Barn crib with Shabby Chic sheets or something, then this metal cage arrived. With a bumper circa 1991, whatever, she slept just fine in it!

The next morning we slipped Fin into her bathing suit for her first swim in a pool!

 It was chilly but she LOVED it!

 Homegirl and Daddy had the whole pool to herself, she just lights up with Ryan

 I was trying to not think about how much FUN Curren would be having in the pool :(

 Ate at cheesecake factory..yuumm.  Its always interesting eating there since I used to work there...I think niiiice hit the 1 minute bread out mark...and drinks within 2 minutes and I totally act like i'm the manager lurking over the waiters every move. So ridiculous. Our waiter was really great.  During this dinner I realized it would have been very stressful to have Curren there with us. We had just called him and I missed him sooo much and was crying so my eyes were puffy and I didnt want to be in any pictures. He was having a rough time at home and I was sure it was because he was confused as to where we were at.

 The next day Ryan had conferences all day from 7am to 6 pm so I waited..and waited for Fin to wake up so we could go be tourists in San Fransico!

 and waited...

 at 10 am housekeeping knocked on our door and woke her up! Thank God! You may be thinking...why didnt you just wake her up? I NEVER wake a sleeping baby, lesson learned.

 I was kinda nervous driving up there solo, I sort of get lost easily...luckily we had our trusty GPS to depend on. Except as I was approaching this sign...and taking a picture the nice lady inside the GPS was yelling STAY TO THE RIGHT STAY TO THE RIGHT....RECALCULATING YOUR DESTINATION. oh crap. I ended up in the middle of some neighborhood where they were doing construction (of course) and it took me 1/2 hour to get like 5 streets down. The houses there are so effing cute and original, i loved every color and detail each one had. Luckily Fin (the best baby in the world) slept through the whole damn thing.

 I took pictures of myself in traffic. The trusty GPS got us to our location, Golden Gate Park. On my other trips to SF i never ventured this way, we always stuck to downtown by the Wharf..China Town all that, so it was really nice to see this side. My goal for the whole day was to get a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge, sometimes you can see it here but today, it was foggy.  I was expecting Golden Gate Park to be a huge open green on the side of the GG Bridge...you know like on the beginning of Full House, where they're having a picnic? Yeah totally not that, waaay better! I found this observatory that was FREE and we strolled up and got a great view of the city. We cruised around, the park is huge like MASSIVE there was lots of lakes, buffalo (what?? yes buffalo), a carousel 3 museums, and tons of really lovely gardens.

 Finsteree was getting hungry so we had a little tit stop and drove down to the coast, I saw a little hiking trail so I grabbed her and a diaper and headed up, I knew we were getting close to the bridge but I still couldn't see it! We finally got to the top (shoulda put her in the Ergo) and we were so lucky to have this view! The flog literally cleared as we were walking up. People that were there, (locals) said this sight from this particular point was SO rare, so we felt very very lucky!

 As we headed back down the trail I totally started tearing up.  I just felt so lucky to have this beautiful little girl, who was so calm and so up for anything. Everywhere we went people stopped and would just comment on how beautiful she is, and how blue her eyes are, and how sweet she is. I just love her so much and I'm really happy I got to have this experience with her.  It was then that I really started to enjoy this vacation and I realized I need to soak this time up with her, and with Ryan and know that Curren is OK, and is having fun.  It's so easy for some people to part with their kids and have some time away, I just felt so bad and guilty at first, but from here until we were leaving I really enjoyed my time relaxing and doing whatever I wanted...not to mention the sleep, the sleep was really amazing!!! If you're a mom you know what i'm talking about!!!!!! Sleeping is such a treat.

 Real, working Windmills, another part of GG park

Finley started to get sleepy again, so I thought I better head home and take advantage of her sleeping on the drive...so back on the 101 SOUTH and then........ I saw it........the GIANT BLUE building with YELLOW letters...YESSSSSSS IIIKKKEEAAAAAA!!!!!! I exited that freeway so fast it wasn't even funny. We picked up some goods...and then headed home.

This was our view from our room. I got so freaked out cause planes would come by so fast, right in front of our room and all I could think about was 9-11 and those poor people in the twin towers seeing the planes headed right towards them, I can't imagine the horror. I wish I could have gotten a pic of the planes they were SO close.

We are now heading home and I am writing this blog before we leave cause I know I wont get a chance when I get home, cause i'm going to be holding Curren for the next few days!! It was nice to have a break, to  talk with Ryan, go out to dinners, to sleep, and travel around, meet some new people, and get to know my Finster a little more but I am all rejuvenated and ready to see my Curren! I have to also say we are so lucky to have my mom and dad who watched Curren all weekend! Along with  my sister in law and nephews so gave my mom a break! AAANNNDD our great friends Brett and Heather and their baby Evan came by to help out too, we are so lucky to have so many helping hands!!

Why couldn't the Witch have babies? Because her husband had a Holloweenie.

Had ourselves a nice little Halloween, sort of a picture overload so I won't write much! We had a party at Curren's school, and did the trick or treating with our cousins, aunts and uncles, grandma and grandpa, and neighbors Curren had a blastie.

Had to put this one in...Curren's first Halloween 08

 This is Curren and his buddy at school, they are big fans of the play doh table and racing Tricycles outside

 The Gnome...unfortunately he wouldn't wear his hat or beard....so most people thought he was a lumber jack! I just started saying yeah he's a lumberjack, so cute.

 This is Curren and his teacher...he LOVES school, just about every morning when I ask him what he wants to do today he puts his arms up and says "i go to soooool!!" They always have a few fun arts and crafts tables set up, play doh table, dress up stuff, kitchens, little library area, and an amazing little toddler land outside where everything is their size, it's a great place and we both love it!

 Curren is the first kid to always initiate "clean up time" cause after clean up is outside time...so he usually starts running around yelling "keen up keen up errybooty errywhuur" and the teacher reminds him that we just got there and clean up time isn't for another hour.

 after outside time we had a little halloween party.

 this is about 1/2 the kids listening to teacher tell a story...Curren is getting so brave here, he used to be clung to me and would never leave my side, now he is the first kid up there and he sits still and listens to the story! He's doing great there

 Nammie hooked up the pumpkins this year and grew them all in her garden! My kids are so lucky to have grandparents so involved with them.

 Yes! Puntins!

 Curr Dirt

 Curren and his Cousin 8 months apart trick or treating

 Finley and her cousin, 6 weeks apart trick or treating

 The Flower passed out

thats just not right

 giggs got in on the mullet action

The Gnome and his Flower

Debating

In a few weekends Ryan has a conference in a beautiful part of Northern California, and the kids and I are going to tag along and make a vacation out of it, figured we might as well- free gas up, and free hotel room, and Ryan is going to be reimbursed for his food....and we're 99% sure a vacation is out of the question this year, unless we hit the lotto.  We have a friend up that way and she said there are lots of great things to do for toddlers..children's museums, and a little amusement park that's just for little guys.

But then last night I had a very selfish thought that I feel guilty for.

What if we left Curren at Grandma's house and we up with just Fin?

The longest i've been away from Curren is when we were in the hospital with Finley, and it wasn't even 2 days. Before that we left him one other time over night and I was a mess. I missed him sooo much I could hardly look at the pictures our family was texting us of him.

Ryan will be at conferences most of the days (3).  So it will be me with two kids in a hotel room, trying to keep one quiet so the other can sleep most of the time, and the one day Ryan has a break we can go do the fun stuff.

It would be so wonderful to get 3 full nights sleep! (Finley sleeps through the night, Curren does NOT) sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't it's a hit or miss.

But I know we would be up there thinking 'ohhh Curren would love this' to everything!

It would be nice to spend some time just Ryan and I. Before we know it Fin will  be crawling and as you moms know, it's a whole different ball game when that happens.

Plus Finley is so little she can be transported everywhere in the Ergo Carrier and we can do things late cause she can just sleep in there, she is great everywhere we go. Plus homegirl doesn't take a bottle so she's gotta come along for the ride!!

so hmmm what to do what to do

Meet the Familia

I thought, perhaps I should introduce the characters that will be talked about on this blog!

Welp, I'm Sarah. Let's start at the beginning but make it brief! Grew up in a small town here in CA lived next to almost all my family, majority of them were on my street. Italian/Portuguese/Basque/Scottish/ and American Indian make up my mutt of a DNA strand.  Stayed in this town till I graduated high school, moved to Santa Barbara for school, did some traveling, and met the first man i've ever loved-RYAN! We got married when I was 21 moved around..and 1 1/2 years later found out we were expecting our son, Curren. Moved BACK to that small town...back to the exact house I grew up in to make it even more interesting, and now my family has monopolized this street and we are all over it! 2 weeks after Curren turned 1 we found out Finley was on the way! I am on a wait list for a Nursing Program here, and as long as I stop popping out babies I will hopefully graduate in a few years, right now my focus is my kids and spending the few short years I have them at home, with them.  Here we are living our small town life, and trying to keep our passions alive.
I LOVE
being a stay at home mom
gardening
going on dates with my RYNITO
socializing
finding great textiles for my home
researching everything baby/toddler
cloth diapers
breastfeeding
pretty much sums me up.





                                                

Curren James Urbain...oh Curren Curren Curren. My boy, he is a character. Almost always laughing, climbing, running, jumping..non stop! We joke he is probably just a blur to Finley cause he is never sitting still! He just brings so much happiness to us and we are always cracking up at him. He is very loving, and if others are sad, he is sad...he can't stand even handle when characters on cartoons are upset, he will cry with them, which I find very sweet.  He has that stubbornness that Ryan and I have, and can give me a run for my money sometimes, but no one has a deeper love for him than we do, we'd do anything for him and Fin in a second. As i'm sure most of you moms feel you would do for your babies. Curren loves all food, esp spicy things. He asks to go to the beach on the daily, he is a really good athlete, even now he's super coordinated, and is very much a mama's boy. (which i secretly LOVE) hehe

Finley Sage Marie is our little doll, she's new to the fam so we're still getting to know her a bit :) so far, she is an angel she is the happiest baby i've probably ever met, and she just goes with the flow. I take her everywhere...partly because she DENIED the bottle hardcore..so when she's hungry i'm all she's got..but also because she is just happy to be doing anything with me, and I'm happy to have her with me! She sleeps through the night, and has been since week 4, lights up at Curren and cracks up at Giggs, melts Ryan's heart and my attention is hers.

Ryan is my husband, and is the most hardworking man I know, he will hold down 3 jobs if he has to, to provide for us. He is an amazing man, and an even more amazing Father. I knew he would be great with kids, but really...above and beyond what any wife could ever hope for. He is so into our kids, and wanting to do the best for them, and give them so many experiences. Ryan and I are very similar in personality, we butt heads hard sometimes, and we are both so stubborn so when we fight we fight hard, but when we love we love hard too! I think in the back of our minds we know right now(...two small kids...tight money...trying to buy a house....) is lots of stress, but we're keeping our eye on the prize of growing our family and one day traveling all over again and just enjoying each other and our family more, when things calm down. Ryan's a studly surfer, and can excel at any sport he tries his hand at. He teaches at a local high school and is very passionate about it, the students love him and the parents love him even more, he's doing big things at that school and they are very happy to have him..and we are so happy he is there! He also coaches soccer and loves to play guitar when the kids aren't climbing all over him

Giggs Bartholomew Cornelius. Our first baby, got Giggs when we got married, he was our child..and poor guy has been slowly pushed down the totem poll with each kid. He still sleeps with us, and gets walks, and we try to take him on our hikes and beach days. He's a great dog, cleans up under the high chair which is GREAT, slightly neurotic and gets very nervous..which goes with the Boston territory.  He was never protective, until we had kids, anyone at the door he will now bark, and when on walks if someone gets close to the kids he gets in between then, and we appreciate his loyalty very much. He's so good with the kids and Curren loves him to death, they seriously play all the time, it's great.

I'm new to blogging and old to facebook so thanks for reading!