Mission: Bring Back the Headband

Plan: By using a bottle I will trick her into wearing her headband.

...sigh...

Mission failed.

Ode to Alech & lil Mama

This is Alegra, aka Alechi.

 She is 13 years old and finishing up her 8th grade year. I can't believe she starts high school next year. She loves gymnastics, but when I ask her if she will want to be a cheerleader in high school she adamantly responds, "No!"

She loves clothes and rummaging my closet. I find myself buying her Vans at every birthday and holiday, the crazier the color the better. Her foot is rapidly growing though and pretty soon I will be loaning out shoes. We both have gray Toms.

She is a great student and just won an award from school for achieving high honors.

She loves to sleep and is a night owl! During summer break she stays up til the wee hours and then sleeps until 12 or 1pm!

She is my "go-to-gal" for a date to see the latest Twilight movie. She's Team Edward, I'm Team Jacob.

She once described herself to me as; "People who don't know me think I'm quiet, people who do know me wish I was." Pretty spot on. She was painfully shy when I first met her and barely spoke to me, now I can't get her to shut up!! (That's said with love).

She is a fabulous cousin and spends a ton of time with Avery. She says that she can't wait to meet her next cousin and has called dibs on holding him first!

You're a wonderful, intelligent and goofy young woman. I feel so lucky to say that you are my niece.

This is Skyler, aka: Sky, or Little Mommy.

 I think it was love at first sight for Skyler and Avery. They are inseparable. From changing diapers to giving bottles, Skyler does it all. If I announce that Avery has poop, Skyler comes running to handle the job. Avery has mastered her name and walks around the house yelling for her.  Skyler is responsible for the first ever, Avery giggle.

Skyler loves to play soccer and has a great foot. She is patient on the field and watches for opportunities to make amazing plays. We try to go to all of her games, and I love cheering her on.

She is 10 years old and in 4th grade. Also, a great student, who likes to be on time! She goes to bed early and wakes up well before her big sister.

It took her a little longer to let me in, but now we call and text one another almost daily.

She loves horses, clothes and wearing my lipstick. I am desperately trying to get her to watch Harry Potter with me, but she refuses.

Avery is so lucky to have her for a cousin. They are joined at the hip. Avery follows her around when ever they are together and screams if Skyler tries to set her down. Skyler is definitely going to be my "go-to-gal" for babysitting in a few years. She is an intelligent, kind and punctual little lady.

Alegra and Skyler are wonderful people, and I have enjoyed watching as they become young women. I used to refer to them as Jay's nieces, but now claim them as my own. One of the best things about marrying Jay was these two special little girls!!!
We love you SOOOO much!!
xxoo

gobble gobble

  We spent Thanksgiving in Lake Arrowhead with Jay's family. It was a fantastic time! From cooking, to fishing and card playing we thoroughly enjoyed our time together. I think Avery had more fun than anyone. It was wonderful watching her bond with her grandma, aunties and uncles.  She woke Jay and I up at 4:45am every morning and screamed until we took her upstairs to the main floor. She would smile as Jay carried her upstairs to the dark living room and kitchen. She would excitedly look around the room and then begin crying all over again, when she realized no one was there to greet her. Fortunately, for her, all the crying paid off and her sleepy family emerged from their bedrooms to begin the day around 6am. 

  Our cabin was very old and very small, but we enjoyed the confined space. While the women slaved away at Thanksgiving dinner, the men fished off of the dock.

 James, Jay and Steve were very proud of their catch. And it was very good! It took a lot of man hours to catch the little guy and they retired for the day content with their accomplishment.

  Yes, this is all the women in matching pjs!! We are that nerdy and proud of it! I will openly admit that the onesie is not a good look on a 6 month pregnant woman, but I swallowed my pride and joined in on the fun. Can't hide the tummy anyway!

  
The prom pose was my idea...

   Each morning I went outside with my cup of hot tea (and usually a little 1 year old) to enjoy the crisp cool air and the feel of the morning. I told Avery that Thanksgiving was about giving thanks and that beauty like this in the world is something to be grateful for. I feel so blessed to have been in a place of such beauty with people that I love. It was an amazing opportunity for Avery to bond with her family and I know that she is missing them since we returned home.

   Ok, in this coat I look more like 9 months preggers than 6, but it was freaking cold!! Our intention was to go to the village to shop and meet Santa, but when we discovered that Santa was running a half hour late, we took our  little girl back to the cabin and put her to bed.

 From wearing everyone's shoes...

  to playing Cadoo...

 we couldn't have enjoyed ourselves more.

Some of my favorite moments were our adventure walks on the trail. I would get us bundled  up and we would walk to the dock to visit daddy while he fished.  It did take us a very long time to walk a very short distance, but we had a blast collecting rocks and sticks.

I am so grateful for my in-laws and am happy to know them better after this trip. Maybe this should be our new tradition???

Living Life

Life is not a race - but indeed a journey. Be honest. Work hard. Be choosy. Say "thank you," "I love you," and "great job" to someone each day. Go to church, take time for prayer. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. Let your handshake mean more than pen and paper. Love your life and what you've been given, it is not accidental - search for your purpose and do it as best you can. Dreaming does matter. It allows you to become that which you aspire to be. Laugh often. Appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them. Some of the best things really are free. Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming. Forgive, it frees the soul. Take time for yourself - plan for longevity. Recognize the special people you've been blessed to know. Live for today, enjoy the moment.

Bonnie L. Mohr

Opposites

This is Lucy. Don't let this sweet lil face fool you. She is nothing short of constant shenanigans and trouble making. She is a 1 1/2 year old purebred brindle Boxer, Jay's dream dog. We decided to get a puppy when I was 4 months pregnant with Avery. We both felt that a puppy before a baby would be easier, and help us grow together as a team, as well as work on our parenting skills. We had no idea what we were in for.

Jay was insisting on a Boxer and I agreed as long as we got a female. I have never owned a male dog and wanted to be in a familiar world with our puppy. We were both so excited as we brought her home. She was 6 weeks old and adorable. I immediately named her Lucy, in honor of my favorite actress and TV show, I Love Lucy. I shouldn't be surprised that she is living up to her name. A constant trouble maker. From getting on the couch, shredding diapers, digging, chewing and barking she keeps us busy. Within the first month of having her she quickly obtained her nickname, Lucifer.  Jay has a few other choice names that I won't mention here.

 On the opposite end of the spectrum from Lucy, is Madison. Madison is my little buddy. I got her when I was 19 years old and we have spent the last 12 years growing up together. She is a 12 year old Australian Shepard/Collie mix, aka a mutt.

I got her on a "Last Day" sale at a pet shop in YL. My sister called me and frantically told me that she was on her way to pick me up and that she needed $150. I had no clue what was going on. I arrived at the pet store and saw this sweet little face, the last of her brothers and sisters, and 1 day away from the pound. The store even had her on clearance, trying to get rid of her. She was 3 1/2 months old, and beautiful. An instant love connection.

There will never be another dog that will mean to me what Madi does. She has been with me through college, heart breaks, moves, a marriage and a child. She loves the water and swims in the Pacific, a swimming pool or a lake, anything but the bathtub.

Her front right leg is slightly crooked, she is not meant to be a runner, but she was by my side as a trained for a 1/2 marathon. I would take her on the first 3 miles of my run, drop her off at home and then continue on without her. She was always very upset when I left, but her 65 pound body is not meant for long distance. She is an incredible ball player and has made some amazing catches in her lifetime. 

She has slept on the floor next to me every night until recently. We discovered that Jay is allergic to dogs and Madi's fur is particularly hard on him. She now sleeps downstairs and seems happy to have the solitude. I know Lucy exhausts her, but she doesn't complain when she snuggles up to her at night. 

I love this dog! Her age is showing in her face and body, but not in her heart. She is still a die hard ball player and ready to go at moments notice. We always take her with us on our hikes around our house, and have started to cut them short so that Madi can keep up. Neither Jay or I have to heart to go without her, and have decided that our exercise routines can be a little  shorter to keep this dog happy and heathly. You're my best bud Madi Padi.

We are very lucky because both dogs are great with Avery. I give Lucy a bad time, but she adores our little girl. Lucy is constantly looking for love and affection, and is ready to cuddle at anytime. She lets Avery pull on her ears, poke her in the eyes and yank on her collar. I know that she is going to be Avery's best friend. Madi, on the other hand, keeps more to herself. I have always described her as indifferent. If she doesn't know you, she doesn't care to, but if you are in her life, you are fiercely and loyally loved. As she has aged she has become more tolerant of cuddling, but only from me. I spend my evenings lying on the floor with her scratching her chest and ears.  She is also great with Avery and simply walks away if it becomes too much for her.

We love both of our dogs. Their unique personalities only add to our growing family. I feel so blessed to have had a relationship with a dog like the one I have with Madison. She is my best friend. I can only hope that Lucy will mean to Avery, what Madison means to me.

Oh Christmas tree Oh Christmas tree

    If this picture leads you to believe that we are having fun, oh how wrong you are! This was Jay's attempt at over enthusiasm to spark interest from Avery in decorating our tree. Last night we learned the hard lesson of trying to be festive with a feverish, sick and teething 1 year old.

   While Christmas music played in the background and I excitedly opened tubs of decorations, my poor child walked around the house crying and screaming. When her fever once again struck 102 for the third day in a row, in spite of antibiotics, I was convinced something else must be wrong. I felt around her gums for teeth and discovered a hard, puffy spot where a molar will eventually be. I immediately texted my gal pal, Kristi, for moral support and received the response of, "Let the nightmare begin!" Umm, thanks, I think.

    After an evening that felt like it would never end, we placed our feverish child to bed and collapsed on the couch. We both agreed that decorations, Christmas movies and cookies could wait! We were exhausted. Unfortunately, Avery's fever lasted all night and most of the following morning. Jay has rushed off to the pharmacy to receive the new and stronger prescription for our little girl. And, in the end, our evening of fun preparing for Christmas turned into, me, decorating by myself at 7am this morning, while Jay and I took turns handing off the screaming child. We love you Avery, get better, SOON!!!  Please...

102...nothing to do

Avery spent the majority of the day in this position. We watched Baby Einstein and the Wheels on the Bus dvds over and over again, while she HELD STILL! It was very weird watching my baby girl lying on the couch, since I am used to her running around all day.

I have to admit that I enjoyed our time yesterday. While I am sad to see her sick, I loved cuddling her all day and felt sheer joy when she fell asleep with her head on my chest. My little girl has a strong independent streak and our days of cuddling are long gone. I relished the moment.

Today, she is moving a little slow and insisting on watching her videos, but I can feel the usual shenanigans of the day are on their way.

I'm a cupcake

I bought this hat while Avery was still in the womb. I couldn't wait until it fit her little head. It's still a bit large, very often covering her eyes, but after a trip to the grocery store and all the positive feedback she received, she was determined to keep it on the rest of the day.

My dad is buff

Last week Jay decided that he needed to do some push ups. Avery thought she should help her daddy get buff! To Jay's credit, he did a lot of push ups with her on his back, I was impressed. But he definitely was worn out before she was.

And.....he's done!

Avery is done too.

 

Shortly after we put Avery to bed and Jay hit the couch for the rest of the evening.



yum yum yum

   Jay has spent the last 6 years on a quest to expose me to FOOD! Since we started dating I have been in restaurants that I cannot pronounce the name of, attempted to read menus written in a different language, and eaten foods that I didn't even know existed. Jay was not gentle with his introduction to all these cuisines. I remember eating Pho for the first time. He ordered the Pho Special and was annoyed by me when I couldn't stomach the idea of tripe. I "lovingly" told him that the broth was great, but that I was NOT ready to eat stomach lining. Today, my love of Mexican cuisine has been replaced by an obsession for Vietnamese, Korean and exotic fruit. I cannot believe that I ever lived a life where Pho, mangoes, persimmons, and Kare Kare didn't exist. I now crave Pho on a weekly (almost daily) basis, search the web for boba places, and always have a mango in the house. I still do not venture into the tripe, but quickly order a large rare steak Pho and a thai tea with boba.

   Last night I actually attempted to cook Persian food! Jay happily ate it, but then proceeded to tell me to text our friend (whom I was bragging to about my cooking skills) and tell him that it was a Mexican/White version of Persian food and that he could of never guessed what it was that I thought I had made. His friend very cordially responded that Jay needed to "Just shut up and eat it!" Thanks for the support Dip!

   Jay's love of food has heavily influenced me and we now pass this love on to our daughter. She is 16 months old and has had Vietnamese, Japanese (real sushi, raw yellowtail with a dab of soy sauce), Filipino,  Korean, Mexican, Thai, Indian and American. She has tasted kim chi, devoured fish dipped in vinegar, sucked down Pho, and eaten a huge amount of Kare Kare. Her Mamita calls to find out when we are in need of a fresh batch for our little eater.

   We feel so proud exposing her to all different cultures and expanding her palate. And I am proud of how far I have come. If you would have told me 6 years ago that I would serve a roasted pig at my 30th birthday party, I would have laughed my a$$ off! Now, by the time the big 3-0 rolled around, the pig was my idea!

Thanks baby, for sharing food with your family. We better hope that our little man doesn't come out of the womb a picky eater!