If you ever see me in a crowd of people, RUN!

These past couple of days have kept me busy. It included a Christmas lunch with my old co-workers (miss you guys). We exchanged presents. Among the presents I got were Fraggle Rock season 1 and Wonder Woman seasons 1 & 2. I'm so stoked.

I have been in my kitchen more hours than I care to admit (what with 2 kids I've been neglecting). Over the last 2 days I have made Blueberry Hazelnut Biscotti, Cherry Almond Granola, Hazelnut Truffles, Orange Ginger Biscotti, Three Chocolate Toffee Bars and Cherry Chocolate Biscotti. Those are actually baked and done. Now over the next 2 days I will be busy with all the cookie doughs I have in my freezer. That will be 2 days of straight baking (at least Gabe will be home to look after the kids). But I love it.

Today I was able to get out sans kids and do some last minute shopping (thanks to our new babysitter who is available during the week to give me the chance to run more errands without the kids. She is my new best friend.). It was raining pretty hard at times, which made my decision to wear flip flops a horrible one. Today's outing would have made us complete in the Christmas shopping department except that I forgot that movie theaters only take cash. So the gift certificates I needed to buy were not bought, as I did not have any cash. So now I have to run back there tomorrow, again, to finalize the shopping. I hate last minute shopping. I just want to be done with the stores and the people and the going out in the rain. I am not a big fan of crowds. The only places I'll tolerate massive amounts of people are Disneyland, Chili's and Starbucks. When too many people congregate in one place brain power seems to weaken and common sense gets lost. And I am all for brain power and common sense. So for the sake of my sanity and the wellfare of others I try really hard to avoid the crowds. And you know, since Christmas is all about God sending His Son to save us all, I know I have to love these people. But they don't make it very easy.

You know you're hormonal when

You watch the video to Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" and have to fight back the tears.

The greatest compliment

Our church is having a Valentine's party of sorts in the beginning of February. A night out for all us adults, complete with a comedian, with a "bring your friend" sort of outreach flair. We're renting out the local VFW to accomodate all the people (since our church doesn't have its own facility). Our church probably has about 125 members. It will be a dessert only menu. I have been asked to cater it. Oh my gosh, did you hear that? I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO CATER IT!!!! Though it won't be my first official paying gig, it is my first OH MY FREAKING GOSH this is a big deal paying gig. When I was first asked to do it I started to get all jittery inside, like I had just smoked a big bag of crack. I was so flattered to be asked. I mean, people believe in me. They like me, they REALLY like me. Well, maybe not me, but they like my desserts. And I am so okay with that. So now is the task of deciding what to make. So far, on my rough draft list, are an assortment of cheesecakes, cookies, truffles and other sorts of cakes I really haven't decided on. The more I think about it the more freaked out I get. I really hope I am able to handle this and pull it off with grace and dignity. I have lots of planning to do. This whole thing has kind of been pushed to the far, cobwebby corners of my mind. I have been so busy planning all my Christmas baking I haven't thought much past the end of this year. But February is just around the corner and I better get my act together. Step 1 - Finalizing the menu. Step 2 - Freak out a little more as the time gets closer. Step 3 will be designing fun menus for each table. Step 4 involves me questioning whether or not I can really pull this off. Step 5, don't you know that the time has arrived? Sorry, New Kids flashback. But seriously, my mind is going to be one busy machine for the next couple weeks as I plan this all out and freak out in the process.

I'll keep you updated. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

My husband gets me

I unintentionally received an early Christmas present tonight. UPS made a delivery while Gabe was out. My present came in its own product box. There was no way I could have avoided seeing what it was. I was bummed knowing that I was just robbed of opening that gift on Christmas morning (and in that experiencing it with Gabe). I am so super stoked over this gift. This is my Taylor guitar of gifts (see previous post "It's better to give than to receive"). This gift proves to me that my husband gets me. He knows me. It is one tangible evidence of his love for me. This was the one gift that I was really REALLY hoping for this Christmas, but not actually expecting to get. And I know without a doubt that my husband knows that if I could have only one gift on my wish list this year, it would be this gift. I still have not opened it. I want to wait for Gabe to be with me when I behold it in all its glory. It actually is a blessing in disguise, receiving this gift early. I still have lots of Christmas baking to do. Now I can get an extra week's worth of use out of this, my precious Christmas gift. My sweet glorious KitchenAid Accolade stand mixer, in all its 400 watt magnificence. That is over ONE HUNDRED more watts than my current KitchenAid mixer. I can't wait to fire this puppy up. Sweet dreams my precious Accolade. Rest well, for tomorrow you start working for me.

While the merry bells keep ringing

My first attempt at making chocolate truffles was an amazing success!! I have always wanted to try my hand at them and this past week, I got my chance.

We had our annual Ornament Exchange party with the women from our church on Thursday. I was asked to bring cookies and other delectables. I decided the night called for chocolate truffles and some fancified cookies. I made Chocolate Candy Cane cookies. They were fabulous! Peppermint buttercream sandwiched between two scrumptious chocolate cookies, edged with crushed peppermint candies. Yum. I also made Lime Snowballs (if you like lime, you would love these cookies) and Chocolate Chews (the best chocolate cookies ever created). Those cookies, in themselves, were a hit. But, to top it off, I made an assortment of truffles. Dark chocolate with honey and lime, Chocolate and Raspberry (chambord liquer, mmmm), Dark Chocolate (slightly flavored with Grand Marnier) and Hazelnut truffles. It took me 3 days to make the truffles (what with 2 kids and a house to take care of), but it was 3 days of learning, growing and chocolate. I made about 200 truffles. I knew that was way too many for just 40 women and 2 hours, so I thought it would be nice to make little boxes to put the truffles in so everyone could take some home. That was nice. I'm glad I decided to do that.

I can now add the notch of truffle making to my pastry belt. That delights me. I will definitely be adding truffles to my baking repetoire. I have a few other kinds I'd really like to try (think Chocolate Caramel Peanut and Rocky Road).

Now I will get neck deep in my Christmas baking. Man I love this time of year.

Merry Christmas!

You can't make this stuff up

A phone conversation I had with my mom yesterday morning:

"Hey. I was wondering what you thought of avocado for a baby."

"What?"

"What do you think of avocado for a baby?"

"Avocado?"

"Yes. Avocado. Do you think it's okay for a baby?"

"Well, I guess. I don't know."

"Because Sabrina's giving it to Miles and I thought maybe it would be a good thing to put in that mesh bag for Addie."

Long pause. "Ooohh. Avocado as food for a baby. I thought you were asking how I liked Avocado as a name for a baby. I thought you'd gone crazy."

It's better to give than to receive

Last week I surprised Gabe with an early Christmas present. A Taylor 514ce acoustic guitar. Now, to the layman such as myself, this does not mean much. But to the schooled out there, you know that this is a big, nay, GINORMOUS deal. This is a guitar that Gabe has dreamed of, drooled over, thought he wouldn't be able to own for many more years. I knew I needed to make it happen.

Last Sunday, Brian and I set out to test drive some Taylors. See, when shopping for a Taylor, one must play it to know whether or not it sounds good. And, as I learned, unlike shoe shopping, you want the guitar that everyone else has tried on. So as I am not one that would know which guitar sounded the best, I brought Brian along to help. He was the one person I could think of that Gabe would trust with such a task. Plus, I think it made it even more special to have Brian be a part of this epic moment in Gabe's life. So after trying just two guitars (a 514 and a 614) we found THE ONE. I had Brian take the guitar home for safe keeping, since there is nowhere in our tiny dwelling that I could have succesfully hid it from Gabe. Now, I intended this gift to be a Christmas gift; one that is given on Christmas. I had already planned it all out in my head. We would invite a ton of people over on Christmas, as this is a gift that is to be received in front of a crowd. A little more than 24 hours after I purchased the guitar I broke down, I was so excited for Gabe to have his new Taylor, I was not gonna last till Christmas. I called Brian and asked if he could bring it with him to band practice on Tuesday night. (I had decided that Brian really needed to be there when I gave the guitar to Gabe, since he had played a part in the picking out of the guitar). Those 2 days of having that guitar and not giving it to Gabe, not being able to say anything, knowing how bad he was going to FREAK OUT when he saw it, those 2 days killed me. Sheer torture.
When Brian showed up Tuesday night (before Gabe got home from work) with IT, I almost couldn't contain my excitement. After those agonizing days of waiting, it was finally going to happen. Gabe was so close to having that puppy in his hands. So we set the guitar up in their practice space (our garage) on a guitar stand, in the middle of the floor. Gabe arrived home and we all ate dinner. I was so giddy inside I was almost squirming. And I couldn't look at Brian, because I was afraid I was going to burst, knowing what we knew, and knowing it was going to happen soon. I followed the guys out (I just happened to have to carry a plate of cookies out for them), and when the light came on, there it was, in all her glory. Gabe was mighty confused at first, thinking it might be Brian's, but then realizing it looked much different. He looked at me and I said "Merry Christmas".. When he finally realized it was his guitar, his Taylor, his baby, he was floored. It was seriously one of the best moments of gift giving in my life. I was so thrilled to give him something that he so badly wanted and never expected.
Giving him that guitar, seeing the sheer joy on his face and knowing how much he loves the gift, it was a glimpse into Christmas day. And I thought of Christmas morning when I was a kid, how jumping out of our skins excited my brothers and I were. So excited that we would wake up at 4:00 AM and sit around the tree until my parents got up. I CANNOT WAIT until Christmas. London is going to pee himself silly. Heck. I'm going to pee myself silly.

Taggerific

Okay, so it happened. I've been tagged. And though I'm still not exactly sure what that means I do know I have to now tell you, my dear reader, 20 things that I've never blogged before, I think. So here we go.

1. The smell of ketchup makes me want to vomit.

2. I love the smell of skunk.

3. I once peed my pants in the 3rd grade, during Creature Teacher, while class was in progress.

4. I desperately wanted to be a Fly Girl on In Living Color.

5. I love to watch gymnastics, ice skating and ballroom dancing.

6. I would love to be a contestant on Ballroom Bootcamp on TLC.

7. The worst thing I ever threw up was hot and sour soup while I was 32 weeks pregnant. I managed to get it all over most of the bathroom; then I had to clean it up.

8. When I was little I used to choreograph roller skating routines to Madonna's Like A Virgin album.

9. The first cassette tape I ever bought was Madonna's Like A Virgin. I think I was 8.

10. I've only ever told one boy that I love him. He is now my husband.

11. I have given birth twice with no drugs. I plan to do it a third (and possibly a fourth) time too.

12. When I was little I tried to unscrew the metal part of a light bulb. It didn't work and I have the scar to prove it.

13. In 5th grade I got in trouble for kissing a boy, let's call him Tim, during recess. I got sent to the principal's office, reprimanded for my inappropriate actions and a call was made to my mother. The next day at school our class had a special assembly about the physical happenings that shouldn't happen between boys and girls. Everyone knew it was because of Tim and me.

14. When I was in high school I decided I wanted to be a marine mammal trainer. My senior year I got to work at the Maritime Center in Norwalk, CT. One of my responsibilities was feeding the sharks. I had to stand over the open shark tank on a tiny little plank and throw fish into the tank. Every time I did this I just knew it would be the time I fell in. One of my most favorite things was working with the harbor seals. I got to feed them, play with them, get kisses from them and clean their dirty, poopy tank each week. It was one of the best experiences of my life.

15. I am deathly afraid of heights.

16. When I was little I wanted to be Puerto Rican when I grew up. Don't ask, I don't know.

17. My brothers named me after the Bionic Woman.

18. Growing up my brothers found great amusement in tickling me till I peed my pants. They'd also hold me down and fart on my face.

19. In the mid-80s I had the HUGEST crushes on Lars Ulrich and Eddie Van Halen. Had? Who am I kidding. I still think they're cute.

20. I detest tomatoes. I am not a huge fan of chocolate. I refuse to eat lamb or veal (for cute baby animal reasons). I do however highly enjoy brussels sprouts, asparagus, beets and artichokes.

I am a robot. I am talking like a robot.

Gabe made London's robot costume for Halloween this year. It came out awesome. He was the hit of the night. We even had a car full of people stop us and take a picture of London (I must admit I feel as if he was a bit exploited and my motherly instincts shouted DON'T YOU DARE OR I WILL CUT YOU! when the person asked to take his picture). London loved his robot costume. Gabe did such a great job (thank you, from me and London). Adelaide was a duck. She of course made a cute duck. Here are some pictures from trick-or-treating.

Outside perks

This is a crape myrtle in our back yard. One night at dusk, the sky, the air had an unusual pink hue. It illuminated the pink crape myrtle. If you look at the small patches of sky in the background, you can see it's pink.


We get to experience an amazing sunset out our front window each night. It is a great way to end the day. Gabe and I are HUGE fans of the sky and its awesome beauty. It has always been a thing in our relationship, so it is very appropriate that we have these sunsets outside our window.

God's creation is mind blowing!

Sweet morsels of goodness

Chocolate chip
Caramel/Milk chocolate swirl chip
Peanut butter-oatmeal-chocolate chip
Oatmeal butterscotch
Oatmeal raisin
Cranberry oatmeal white chocolate chunk
Chocolate chews (the BEST COOKIES EVER)
Chocolate anise biscotti
Cranberry oatmeal cinnamon scones

These are the cookie doughs I made so far this week to put in my freezer for future use.

I must be stopped.

Little Miss Addie

Adelaide is now 6 1/2 months old. She has 7 teeth. She is in the 97th percentile for height. She still looks just like her Dada and yet amazingly resembles London. She adores her brother and squeals anytime he gets near her. She is expanding her noise repetoire and likes everyone to know it. She loves to smile and bounce in her exersaucer. She can go days without crying. She loves to watch people. She also likes to torture her Mama (as if pregnancy, labor and delivery weren't torture enough) by frequent night wakings, staying awake for hours on end. But she also loves her naps (probably because of her night waking enjoyment).

All in all, this girl.. She's a keeper.

Long overdue

Finally. For anyone who hasn't partaken in the cuteness that is Owen Barber, here you go.



He is a perfect blend of his three siblings, which in turn is a perfect blend of his parents. He is now 3 1/2 months and getting cuter every time I see him.

The joys of motherhood

There are times as a mother that I am just blown away by my kids. Moments (sometimes few) that erase all the crying and screaming and tears and sheer defiance I am faced with on a daily basis. We had one of those moments yesterday. A moment that still overflows my heart with joy. Let me share the back story before you witness the moment.

Gabe was sitting on the couch playing his guitar (a common occurrence in the Searles household). London was sitting on the couch next to him. He quickly got down off the couch, went over to his toy box, grabbed something and came back to the couch and resumed his position next to Gabe. What he picked up was his harmonica (which he loves to play). As Gabe was playing London joined in on his harmonica. A total freestyle jam session! I quickly grabbed the video camera (I am so thankful that thought occurred to me) and began recording. The session lasted probably about 10 minutes. It's almost indescribable the emotion that ran through me watching my little boy playing the harmonica. It instantly aged him. I was no longer looking at my 2 year old. I was looking at my 13 year old. It was by far one of the best moments of my life. I know even more so for Gabe; sharing something he so deeply loves with his son.

So we want to share it with anyone who cares to partake. Check out the video at homepage.mac.com/searlesbunch. Enjoy.

Sixteen candles

I wish. Sixteen was a good age. Sophmore in high school. Got my first car, a blue '77 Toyota Corona wagon, which never made it on the street (legally). I shortly thereafter got my second car (a family hand me down), an '84 Datsun. I loved that car. I had great friends. And I had not a care in the world (except how my hair looked and if that certain boy actually knew I existed). I lived with my parents. I spent my money on gas, car insurance, clothes and eating at Duchess. Oh sweet Duchess how I miss you.

Tomorrow I turn 29. 29. That's one, two, three, four, TWENTY-NINE. One year away from the big one. And my cares are now too many to count. I now spend my money on the house, the kids, the cars. But I have awesome friends. I now live next door to my parents. And the best thing(s) of all.. The worth in my life.. My husband and my children. They keep me going. They make me smile. They make me feel loved. And that's the best feeling of all.

I am one blessed almost 29 year old.

Bittersweet at its best

So, it's official. Britney's new baby is named Sean Preston. I must say I am vainly tickled silly that they didn't go with London. BUT now I will feel like a sheep if we had another girl and named her Sean. I guess we'll burn that bridge when we cross over into white trash land and live amongst Britney and Kevin's people.

I am now just asking myself WHO CARES? Why should I let the famous of this world dictate what I do or don't name my child? Plus, I can rest easy knowing I have cuter kids than most of them. Not that it's a contest.. But if it were, we'd clearly be the winners.

Waiting patiently

Britney Spears (I hate to even devote blog space to her, but this must be said) has infiltrated our lives. I haven't quite figured out how she's doing it, but I know she MUST be watching us, listening to our conversations, digging through our trash. Saturday night a good friend broke the news to me. If Britney's child is a boy, they're naming him London. If it's a girl, Addison, and they'll call her Addie. WHAT? Dost my ears deceiveth me? I had always heard she wanted the name Preston (for a boy). Now, Gabe and I have chosen our children's names very carefully. My goal was for our children to have unique but beautiful names (you will not find a Pilot Inspektor or Audio Science on our list of possible names, though I have to admit I think Apple is a cute name). But, the point is UNIQUE. Not an every day name. While I was pregnant with our first, we narrowed down our names. London for a boy and Adelaide for a girl (we didn't find out the sex while I was pregnant). It was a boy, and we bestowed upon him the name London. But we adored the name Adelaide and knew if we had a girl, that would be her name. Some time after our son was born we learned that Slash (yes Slash, the guitarist from Guns N Roses) had a son, not much older than ours, named London. Stink. So then, fast forward a year. I am pregnant with a girl. No discussion needed. We will call her Adelaide. 3 months after Adelaide was born, an actress (one Rachel Griffiths) has a girl. My Aunt breaks the news to me. "Some actress just had a girl and named her Adelaide." WHAT? You have GOT TO BE kidding me.

And here we are to present day. I am waiting not very patiently to discover the name of Britney & Kevin's son. The funny (not funny ha-ha funny, but funny they seriously are listening in on us scary funny) thing is, the latest I read was the names they picked out if it was a boy were Sean Preston or London Preston. Here's that funny thing.... Gabe and I had just decided we really liked Sean for our next girl (that happens to be my brother's name and I have just always liked that name for a girl). Now tell me CONVINCINGLY that the famous of this world don't listen in on us commoners' daily lives. They are everywhere and they are watching us. Just waiting to steal our children's names and take them as their own. Curse you celebrities. Curse you all.

Where happiness abounds

Friday night we returned from a 4 day trip to Disneyland. Disneyland.. The happiest place on earth despite the screaming kids. There is an awful lot of crying at the happiest place on earth. I think someone's lying.

We spent 2 days driving and 2 days at the park. It was our first family vacation ever. And Gabe and I haven't been on a trip since before London was born. This was well overdue. We know London most likely won't remember this trip and Adelaide definitely won't remember this trip, but we needed a FAMILY friendly vacation. Disneyland is what we came up with. It was great. Gabe and I haven't been to Disneyland since before we were married (over 5 years ago!). A lot has changed. They have since added California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and some new rides in Disneyland. London LOVED Disneyland. A few days before we left we started talking to him about Disneyland and all the magical wonder that he was going to experience. When we arrived at the hotel, I went inside to check in. I came back to the car and London yelled "WE'RE HERE!!!!". That ignited the Disneyland excitement.

We went to the park the next morning. Standing in line to get inside the gate I got goose bumps. There IS something magical about Disneyland. I seriously felt like I was 5 years old on Christmas morning, knowing I was about to unwrap the greatest present ever to exist. I almost couldn't contain the excitement. We got through the gates, to the first photo-op place.. And that's when the crying ensued. Well, after we got London out of the stroller to take his picture; when we tried to put him back in the stroller. That was the first of MANY crying fits.. I don't think he got the memo about Disneyland being the happiest place on earth. He has much to learn.

But seriously folks, we had a great time. London got to see his first fireworks display. He absolutely loved it. He watched Fantasmic on Dadda's shoulders. A couple parts scared him, but overall he was enthralled. A few rides scared him: Pinnochio, and because of that, Small World (the first half of the ride he spent looking down. Halfway through he finally allowed himself to look up and highly enjoyed the rest of the ride), Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland.. A few rides he liked the most: Autopia, the merry-go-round, Dumbo. At California Adventure we visited Bug's Land, got to see some BIG Tonka trucks (which he loves). He got to meet JoJo, Stanley, Goofy, Flick and Flick's chick (I can't remember her name). He got to see some princesses (all the rage with the girls, but London has no clue who they are) and Mickey walk by. We were in a store, Mickey walked through, I yelled (very, very excitedly) "LONDON, THERE'S MICKEY!!!" As he whipped his head around to see, so did the rest of the store.. I was a little louder than I had intended to be. And apparently crazy by the looks on people's faces. The highlight of the trip for London (right up there with the fireworks) was the Playhouse Disney show. He got to see IN PERSON characters that had up till then only existed in his TV. That was the most thrilling 20 minutes of his life. I have never seen him enjoy anything else as much. That was awesome.

It was amazing to introduce our son to the awe that is Disneyland. We can't wait for next year!

(I'll post pictures by this weekend. And if you're wondering where Adelaide was this whole time, wonder no more. She was in her stroller pretty much the whole trip. She was one of the few kids not crying. She gets the whole "happiest place" thing.)

Never got to say goodbye

We received the message none of us wanted to get. Kurt Mathews passed away at 9am this morning. A gloom has been cast over our hearts. We mourn with our friends at the passing of their husband and dad.

Now as we continue with our day of various errands and family gatherings, our hearts, thoughts and prayers are fixed on the Mathews family as they endure this horrible, life altering time.

Kurt has gone before us. His family has said goodbye to his time on earth. But there is hope. This is not the final goodbye.

Kurt Mathews is survived by his wife, daughter and son. And a church family who will miss him dearly.

Sadness

One of our good friend's dad (who we also know pretty well), is at this moment, dying of cancer. He was diagnosed just one month ago with lung cancer. At the time he was diagnosed the cancer had already spread to his liver and bones. Since starting treatment, one month ago, masses behind his eye and ear have also been discovered. He has been hospitalized since this weekend. He just recently lost the mobility in his right arm. The family was just informed there is nothing else that can medically be done. Now they just have to stay by his side and prepare for his passing. I can barely type those words without crying. We have seen a family crushed. A man, a physically fit, healthy man in his 50s, brought to his end by cancer. A wife, losing her best friend, her love, her life. A son, watching his father fight for his life, now taking care of his mother and sister, having to be the man of the house. A daughter, no doubt daddy's little girl, having to see her strong, hero dad, being defeated by his greatest enemy. This is devastation to the fullest. My heart is so heavy for this family. We are grieving with them.

The man that lies dying of this horrible disease, joyful, for he knows God is in control. The family that lies in ruin can rejoice. This is not the end for them. Praise God for that hope! And as a church family, we will mourn the passing of this man, but we will rejoice and praise God knowing He is the creator and sustainer of life. God is in control and is calling home one of his own.

Some kind of wonderful

Okay.. So let me put everyone's mind at ease. I AM NOT PREGNANT. I mean really, I'm not that crazy. Though, hopefully within the next 6 months I'll be announcing that kind of news. So be patient. But please, no triplets.

So the big news is I AM OFFICIALLY GOING TO BE A STAY AT HOME MAMA. That's right. Gabe got a job (day job) at our church (office manager type thing). We found out Wednesday and when he told me, I could barely contain myself. If I were a dog, I would've peed myself. I gave my 2 weeks notice on Friday. I was anxious about that. You must understand, I actually really like my job. I get to go hang out with 2 really good friends for 7.5 hours a day. The work is tolerable and I spend a good amount of time shootin' the breeze with my co-workers. I was also a little apprehensive about telling my boss.. She's not your average boss. She rocks the boss world big time. She and her husband have broken bread with our family a number of times and we try to get together for poker games often. I mean, come on people, WE'VE GAMBLED TOGETHER. That is some serious bonding. I was so nervous the professional dealings would put a strain on that personal friendship. I just didn't want her to feel like I was abandoning her. AND OH MY GOSH. Continuing in her cool bossness, in a totally geniune "I'm so happy for you" attitude, the first words out of her mouth were "I'm so happy for you. I know this is what you wanted". That situation couldn't have gone better. And so a super big SHOUT OUT to Trixie. You are the coolest boss EVER. And I will miss being bossed by you. And to my partner in crime, a phatty shout out to you. A shout out so big it comes complete with a ghetto-slammed pick up truck with phatty tires and dub spinners (and the guy driving has a peg leg). You have helped make this past year of work so bearable. I have never had a better co-worker. And I certainly have never laughed so much at work. I'm sorry to leave you alone with the Czech and Fonzeki. Ahuh, ahuh.. Ahuh, ahuh, ahuh. :) And I'm sorry you found out about me leaving the way you did. You deserved to hear it from me. Yea you did. Now granted, you both have two more weeks to work with me, but I just wanted to take this opportunity to show the love. Because even though the co-worker thing stops, the friend thing keeps going. So you definitely won't be rid of me.

So PRAISE GOD for providing that job for Gabe. We have been working towards me being a stay at home mom since we found out I was pregnant with London.. So now, after 3 years, it is finally happening. And it feels a little strange. I've never quit a job without having another job lined up (not counting being layed off and having to move in with my parents). So my first inclination is to be all wigged out and wonder how we're going to survive with me not working, what with 2 little mouths to feed and 2 little butts to diaper. But then, the skies open and I am quieted with the fact that God has provided enough income for us. Gabe, my wonderful, amazing husband, is going to work 2 jobs. TWO jobs people. That's two. One. Two whole jobs so I can stay at home with the kids. And we're not talking for 5 months while I'm on maternity leave. This is an indefinite amount of time thing. Man alive God is good! I don't think I can proclaim that enough. Hey, speaking of which, did you hear the one about God being good? Can you tell I'm really, really thankful for what God has just done in our lives? Are you sick of hearing me say God so much? Because none of this would've happened had it not been for HIS awesomeness and provision (see, I didn't say God in that sentence). So two more weeks of work. And Gabe starts his job tomorrow. And then, to celebrate all that God has done, we are going to Disneyland. No, really. We've had this trip planned for months now and it couldn't be happening at a better time. (Must be a God thing). Because the very next week after my last day of work, we're going to Disneyland. Our first family vacation. London is definitely going to pee himself. He has no idea the magical magic that is waiting for him. Gabe and I haven't been to Disneyland since we've been married, and we haven't been on a vacation since London happened. So this will be a great trip. And did I mention when we get back from that trip I won't have to leave my babies to go to work? I get to STAY HOME and work for 2 of the best bosses that ever lived (under the age of 30).. Poop, tears and all.

Muchas gracias

Well, anyone who reads the comments posted to this site, knows that Kristin gave away the big news.

Thanks Kristin.

Big news a-comin'

Wait for it....

WAIT. FOR. IT.....

London calling

So, as if it's really any sort of big deal or milestone, London Thomas Garrison Searles, the son that I brought forth into this world, my first born, is today officially 2 1/2 years old. What does this mean? Oh, just your average "MINE" and "NO" and "STOP THAT" and "NAH" (his new favorite).. All wonderful phrases that it has taken him only 2.5 years to master and will take me approximately the rest of my life to undo. And the crying that ensues when he is denied something that he MUST HAVE AT THIS VERY MOMENT OR HE WILL CEASE TO EXIST. But it also is a lifetime of those "Iwahyou"s that just melt my heart. Those hugs and kisses that I couldn't live a day without. The bedtime rituals of saying "na-night" to everyone and everything (na-night guitar, na-night dump truck, na-night tv), and those sweet kisses he insists on giving Addie. Excuse me as I tear up.

This day means that I couldn't let it go by without acknowledging his existence and sharing my thoughts. Acknowledging that despite his 2 1/2 year old behavior at times, he is the sweetest, cutest and most adorable little boy I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. A little boy who mirrors my image so eerily, but balances it off so perfectly with his Dada's eyes. And with a face like this, how could you not smother him with kisses and praise God each day for bestowing such a perfect gift?

A thousand firsts

Today was my first day back to work after a 5 month maternity leave. The struggle within started about midday yesterday. As the night drew closer, the struggle intensified. I had to fight back the tears a few times last night. Every time I'd think of leaving my babies I would get very emotional. I was up with a fussy Adelaide around 5:30 this morning, just trying to get her to stay asleep. I was successful and she eventually fell back asleep around 5:45 am. My alarm went off at 6 am. I got up and got ready for work. Adelaide woke up about 6:30am so Gabe got up to give her a bottle. I was unable to say goodbye to London, as he was still asleep. I kissed Gabe and Adelaide goodbye and BOY HOWDY were the emotion warriors ready for battle. I was able to get out of the house with just a few tears shed. I quickly focused on something else... Starbucks. I had only a few minutes to decide what I was going to get. The next bought of emotion hit when I got to work and checked my email. My coworker had sent me one in regards to me being back at work and away from the kids.. Great.

I probably thought about the kids a thousand times today. But I made it through. Now the difficult thing is going back tomorrow. Luckily I have quite a bit of work waiting for me, so when I get in I can get right to work and keep busy. Keep my mind off the fact that I'm missing London and Adelaide terribly. Work, have lunch, chat with some coworkers, and think a thousand more thoughts of my children.

Sweet Adelaide Magnolia

In honor of Adelaide's 4 month birthday today, I decided to take her to the doctor. What a way to celebrate!!

So seriously, she had her 4 month check up today... As if anyone who has looked at her doesn't know, she's a chub-a-chub. The girl doesn't eat as much as she should each day (close to half as much). And yet she weighs 15 1/2 lbs (that's the 90th percentile) and she's just over 26 inches tall (also 90th percentile). So she's a growing machine. She got 2 shots today and was such a trooper. She made me proud.

And now, as I reflect back on these past 4 months and wonder where the time has gone, I look at my beautiful daughter and wonder why me? I still am amazed that God has blessed me with my children. Two beautiful, healthy, sunshine to the darkness children. 4 months ago I labored painfully and brought forth an 8 lb bundle of goop. And now, here she is, 4 months later, one of the most precious things I have experienced. I am a better person because of her.

Happy 4 month birthday sweet girl. Mama loves you.

Siblings

I am amazed how much London seems to love Adelaide. Really, she is the invasion to his perfectly happy, only child life. He has taken to her better than I imagined. When she's not around he asks for her. When she cries he immediately tries to comfort her (either by rocking her or giving her kisses or telling her it's okay). Today Addie was chilling in her bouncy seat, sucking her pacifier. It fell out and London stopped what he was doing and put it back in her mouth. That was sweet. Now I know there will soon come a time when I will hear "Addie stop crying" and "Stop looking at me" and "Stop touching me". And there may even be assaults and wrestling matches. And the sharing... Once Adelaide is mobile and touching London's toys, well, I just don't think he's going to like that. But maybe by that point he'll be a little better at sharing.

Above all, one of our biggest hopes for our children is that they grow up to be the best of friends. And that they are always there for each other, no strings (or judgements) attached. That is one of the things we will teach them. To always love and respect and watch out for each other. Family is the most important thing.

I think they're off to a good start.

FREEDOM

This is the vine, ripped from its lifeline. It can no longer hurt anyone.




I fought the vine... And I won. Though the tree did suffer a loss.




The fallen comrades. A moment of silence, please.

In the beginning

This is a before shot of our front yard. And so the evolution begins.

What once was a picture of beauty

This is the plant that was planning to take over our front yard, back in its glory days of beautiful flowers. They didn't last too long. I should've known better....





Here it is in all its death grip glory. This is actually a combination of 3 things. A tree, the vine and another grass type plant that was also accosted by the vine.

And so it begins

Gabe and I have officially started the landscape renovation on our yard this morning. We had done little plant killings here and there, but this morning was some hard core, sweat filled ripping out of plants in the front yard. I wrestled with a particular vine that we didn't realize was alive and thriving and suffocating a poor defenseless tree. At one time, this alleged vine boasted beautiful purple flowers. It brought a very welcomed burst of color to our yard. Little did we know it was just luring us in, waiting to unleash its fury. It was so subtle we didn't even realize what was happening. I couldn't even believe how big and crazy that thing had gotten. The tree it was planted near is a good 8 feet tall... And this little plant, it vined its way all the way to the top of the tree. It even entangled a weed (as tall as me) that was growing nearby. This thing showed no mercy. As I hacked away at it (Gabe helped me free the tree from its grasp) I realized this plant had also grown over some sort of grass plant. As I started to remove the grass plant, I realized it had become a home, a haven, to many gross and disgusting creatures. The only good thing is the ladybugs it harbored (no doubt because of the nasty creatures). I tell you, there were white spiders, tiny spider-looking bugs (maybe aphids?), rolie polie bugs, and the nastiest of all plant dwelling creatures.. The Nasty Catepillar (as we explained to London so he wouldn't think it was a kindly bug). I want to say it was maybe a centipede, but I am not 100% sure. All I know is it was about 3 inches long, had oh so many legs, and was the spawn of Satan. Oh the horror. They were everywhere. I kept my cool (on the outside) so that I wouldn't completely freak London out (he's just learning about bugs and I don't want him to be scared of them). But on the inside I was SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER and my skin was crawling. I knew my life would end if one of those things touched me. I tried to get a picture of one, but it isn't too visible. Being the spawn of Satan, they kept burrowing deeper into the ground when I finally ripped the plant out. *As a side note, London let a ladybug crawl on him for the very first time today. He loved it. The ladybug had only 1 wing and it couldn't fly. I felt bad. But then it excreted some orange liquid on London's hand and I immediately flicked it into the tree. I'm not sure what orange excrement out of a ladybug means....

I have quite a passion for this gardening thing (I'm no Bob Villa of the gardening world), but I am learning and I love getting my hands dirty. So I have been chomping at the bit to get the MASSIVE project going (the 100 degree weather has been quite a hinderance). The previous homeowner had the entire yard landscaped just 3 years ago.. There are a ton of plants, bushes and trees to take out.... They are not to my liking. It is now my yard, and I want to plant my favorite flowers and trees in my yard. I want it to look exactly how I want it to look. Now we know this project will most likely take us until next summer as we don't have a ton of time to devote to it (what with jobs, kids, lives) and we have the front and back to do. But I am okay with that now that we are underway. I am going to post some pictures of us this morning. Some before shots... And then, if you stay with me, you will eventually see the after photos. Alluring isn't it?

The saga continues

So, Adelaide has cut her second tooth (it actually happened a couple days ago). She turns 4 months old in a week. I think that means in a couple more months she'll start PMSing. This poor little girl (who looks ultra cute with her one big tooth sticking out when she smiles) shouldn't have had to deal with teething this early. Life is hard enough. She's just starting to learn how to chew on things other than her fingers. I don't know what is in our genes that makes our children grow teeth so early. Since London cut his first 2 at 5 months and Adelaide now at 3 months, maybe that means the next one will start at 1 month.. Sheesh. And then if there's a 4th baby, maybe that kid will be born with teeth. That's not even funny.

Other than that, in light of the recent Jude Law scandal, I am very sad. I highly enjoy Jude Law (did you see Cold Mountain?!). What a tangled web we weave Mr. Law. What on earth were you thinking?

Belated

So I totally meant to post on Friday, July 8th... Gabe and I celebrated 5 years of marriage. I really wanted to post that day to wish him a Happy Anniversary (since he didn't let me buy him a gift) and give him a big SHOUT OUT for putting up with me for 7 years. Through the ups and downs (and believe me, after 2 kids, there are plenty of downs), Gabe has held my hand and loved me through it all. And on top of that, he is an amazing father. It is so evident how much he loves his children. And watching him grow in his love for our kids has deepened my love for him.

So Gabe, even though it's late.. Happy anniversary. I love you.

Just the other day

Okay, so here's what happens to me when I finally find an affordable fridge, very close by, that I can purchase for our garage....

So I take a trip just down the street to a tag sale I hear has a side-by-side fridge for sale, $100. I figure I'll go, offer $75 and that'd be a great deal. So, as I'm checking out the merchandise with the lady seller who barely has any teeth (she's easily in her 30s) and can't stop moving her hand (withdrawal maybe?) a Folsom police officer pulls up behind my Jeep. He comes up the drive, a man comes out of the house with a bandage on his nose (with just as few teeth as the woman) and the officer begins his questioning. He's asking for ID, do they live there?, have they ever been arrested before?, what was the situation? Now, as I'm perusing the fridge I start to ask myself "What is the proper ettiquete in this situation?". Do I stay and try and buy the fridge that I really, really want? Do I leave and come back later and hope that the tag sale is still going on? I really didn't want to miss this opportunity to buy the fridge. So I awkwardly stood looking at the fridge and talking with the woman (the cop was more interested in the guy with the bandage). Turns out a neighbor of there's called the cops on them for some sort of assault.. (I saw the said neighbor standing just behind his garage, watching what was going on as I drove by after I made my purchase). I also heard that the said neighbor was tormenting him earlier in the day. As the bandaged guy would put up his tag sales signs, old said neighbor would follow behind him pulling them out. Not sure what's up with that.. But sounds like one of those annoying neighbors who has nothing better to do with his time but fill it with what everyone else is doing. Granted, I'm sure the couple who sold me the fridge was no picnic in the neighbor department (word on the street is they are heavy drug users) but still.. Following behind him tearing down his tag sale signs, when it's not even in front of your house?

So that's my story, for what it's worth. It was quite an experience. Please don't get me wrong, I happen to live in a very nice, secluded neighborhood. Not one known for drug problems. These people happened to be renting that house.. And lucky for me they were. Cause now I have my lovely fridge and freezer out in the garage. And I am happy about that.

Woah Nelly

I really never thought it would happen. My poor little 3 month old daughter has gotten her first tooth. THREE MONTHS OLD and she already has to deal with the torture that is teething. London got his first 2 teeth at 5 1/2 months, so I was hoping Addy would hold out for a little while longer. I love gummy baby smiles. And soon, those will be a distant memory. My little girl, with a tooth. She is not old enough! Not to mention the constant stream of drool, the chewing on her hand (she's not even old enough to want to chew on a toy or teether), and the screams.. Oh the screams......

And so starts the 2 year teething journey.

Only the lonely

I must say, most of you (the possible 3 that actually read this site) are about to think I am the sorriest loser out there.. Today is a happy, happy day for me. I recently purchased a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer this past weekend (during the arrest of the sellers, that story will follow in another post).. And today (here comes the happy part) it was moved into it's permanent home in the garage and plugged in. Happy happy joy joy!! I have pined for years to have a garage to put a fridge in. 6 months ago I got that garage.. And now, my dream is fulfilled. Even though it won't really be cold enough to be filled for 24 hours (at which time the ultimate joy will be reached as I will be assured of it working properly), I couldn't help myself and I put a ton of drinks into the fridge. And I loved every minute of it. Sad, huh? Joy in my life is cultivated in the form of a fridge and freezer in my garage. I don't care. I am in the throws of the benefits of being a homeowner.

A HUGE thanks to my wonderful husband who worked for hours in the hot, stifling, 100 degree Sacramento weather garage (in the afternoon!) to move stuff around to put the fridge where I wanted it. And to boot, he went way above and beyond and did an amazing job clearing out the garage too.. It's so uncluttered, and coupled with the grandeur that was plugging in my fridge, I fell in love with having a garage all over again today. It's a lovely thing.

Okay.. Now, get ready for the story of buying the fridge and the arrest that occurred during my purchase.....

Sweet justice

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1436854.html?menu=

If only it were medically possible to make that the punishment for a man anytime he utters the words "It must be THAT time of the month" or "Is dinner ready yet?" or "You look fine" or "Oh, sweetie, it's not THAT bad" or "I was going to do the dishes but then I started playing ProSkater" or the time he forgets your name when introducing you to an ex.....

If only it were possible....

Owen Michael

I met my newest nephew on Wednesday. He looks just like his sister, Olivia. He has black hair (and for this family of hair-challenged newborns), quite a bit. He has long toes and fingers. I didn't get to see much of him (there were 5 other kids there sucking every last ounce of my energy). But I did get to take one close-up look and he is just darling. There is something about little tiny newborn babies. Though my daughter is just closing in on 12 weeks, Owen totally makes me want another one. It's funny, Adelaide is only just 12 weeks old and yet next to Owen she looked like a big chubba-chubs. She looked so huge compared to him and yet she was that size just a short time ago. Man.. How time does fly and how fast little ones grow.

Anyway.. Another congrats to my brother and sister-in-law (who seriously deserves some sort of recognition for going through it 4 times). Owen is beautiful (and the name rocks big time!).

Pictures ARE worth a thousand words..

To all who have asked several times to get pictures of the kids... We are finally answering. Check them out (often) at homepage.mac.com/searlesbunch. You can see both London and Adelaide and get your fill.

:)

Welcome to the family

My sister-in-law delivered a boy at 12:50 am this morning. Owen Michael, 8 lbs 7 oz, 20 1/4 inches. I guess he technically delivered himself. She pushed when she wasn't supposed to, and in 2 pushes, he was out, on the bed, water in tact (Owen eventually broke it with his arm). The nurses scurried to do something, while my brother freaked out and yelled "Somebody help him!". The doctor showed up 10 minutes later (there's gotta be some sort of discount for that). Mom and baby are doing just fine. I cannot wait to meet him on Wednesday!

Owen makes grandchild # 8, great grandchild # 23.

Congratulations Sean & Heather (and the 3 that came before him - Isaac, Lily and Olivia).

And Owen, Welcome to this crazy family.

-Auntie Jaime

Babies babies everywhere...

My sister-in-law is in the hospital right now getting ready to have her baby. How exciting! She should have it by tomorrow night (for her sake I hope sooner!). We don't know what "it" is.. So I cannot wait to hear if we have a new niece or nephew.. A little Audrey or Owen. This is my brother and sister-in-law's 4th child. God bless 'em. The kids and I are traveling down on Wednesday to meet the little one (and to visit the rest).

I'll update as soon as things happen.

:)

Happy Birthday Isaac

Today is my oldest nephew's 8th birthday (he's also the oldest of the grandchildren). I still remember when my sister-in-law told me she was pregnant... Doesn't seem like that much time has passed.. Isaac holds a very special place in my heart. I was at the hospital when he was born, I was his part-time nanny for the first 2 years of his life.. And I spent a lot of time over at my brother and sister-in-law's back then, so I was always around him. When he started to refer to me as something it was "on" (we're from CT so we say Aunt properly, not like the little black insect that scurries about), then he matured his vocabulary and he called me "onnie" for the longest time. He seemed to save all his "firsts" for when I'd be with him. I was the first one to see him roll over, sit up, crawl and walk. I doubt he did that on purpose, but I'll keep believing he did.. :) I cried at his Kindergarten graduation. He is now 8 years old! And he has become such a smart, caring and sweet young man (he is very sensitive to other people's feelings). Two years ago we had to move 2 1/2 hours away from my brother and his family (for 6 years I lived right around the corner from them). I have tried hard to catch soccer games, birthday parties and just plain old Auntie time. I definitely have missed these past 2 years of watching him (and my 2 nieces) grow. Though I know my nephew most likely has no recollection of all the time we spent together, I do.. And I will hold those memories so close and smile (and probably shed some tears) as I watch him grow and recall the day he was born.

Good times with Fondue

How good is fondue? If you don't know, I implore and beseech you to give it a try this weekend. It makes for a really fun dinner party with friends. Gabe and I had a very yummy chocolate & rum fondue this past weekend with our friends Scott & Kate. We hadn't had fondue in way too long (I think the 2 years we've been living here we've never had it). We used to fondue with our friends all the time in San Jose. And I'm talking appetizer cheese fondue, grilling our meats on the table (with our indoor electric grill) and dessert fondue. There is nothing better than fresh raspberries dipped in melted chocolate (or the marshmallows, cheesecake, strawberries or pineapple we had this weekend). Having that fondue inspired us to break out our pot and plan a fondue party with some of our new friends up here in Folsom. We've been away a long time, but my dear friend fondue, WE ARE BACK.

Enjoy some fondue this weekend. You won't regret it.
(For all things fondue, check out www.gourmetsleuth.com/fondue)

Have a great, fondue filled weekend.

In rememberance

Today is Memorial Day (and my dad's birthday.. Happy Birthday Dad). Please take some time today to reflect on why we all have the day off, filling ourselves with way too much food and alcohol.

A lot of brave people have fought and died for this country. My Dad happens to have served as a Marine back in the 60s. He was fortunate to not get shipped off to Vietnam, but has a lot of friends from the service that weren't so fortunate, and most never returned home. I feel people who serve in the military are very special people and deserve way more recognition than they get. We have 2 dear friends who are currently serving in the Air Force (you know who you are), and we thank you for your bravery, service and selflessness. So today, we think of you and your fellow soldiers. We hold you in the highest regard. And Gabe and I pray for you often.

Everyone, be safe today.. Have fun but don't be stupid. It is a day to enjoy family, friends and good food. I know we will certainly be doing that very thing.

Baby-tastic

Congratulations to our dear friends on the birth of their son, Miles! I just received word tonight that Miles was born Thursday!!! We are so excited for you guys. We hope to get to meet him soon!!! I can't wait to hear all the gory, amazing details of his arrival.

Other than that, we traveled to Turlock today for a family function (my husband's family). It was a rocky start (traveling somewhere new without good directions doesn't make for a good time for us) and we threatened each other to not go... But we ended up making it there (2 hours late) and we had a very nice time. It was the first time for most of them to meet our daughter. I think she was a bit overwhelmed from being passed around from person to person for 2 hours straight. At one point I swear she looked at me with utter desperation and said "Please mom, SAVE ME!!!". So of course I did. And within minutes of her being back in my arms she was asleep.

I got my hair cut today. That makes twice this year already.. That is a record for me (I only got my hair cut once last year). It was with a new stylist. I didn't so much like her. But I like how she cut my hair and I had her color it too (with a demi-permanent color, just a tad lighter than my normal color). And even if I hated it, I enjoyed an entire 2 1/2 hours of me time. No whining, no diapers, no "Mama. Mama. Mama. Mama. Mama" incessant utterances. I will not be going back to this stylist. She was a bit peer pressurey and had an unfriendly sense of humor. But, the time spent was well worth the insance price I paid!

If anyone even reads this and you need something to waste some time, check out For Steven. It's my husband's band and they are quite good. Just two acoustic guitars, a cello and some heartfelt lyrics. www.takeodesigns.com/fs. Let me know what you think. If you are in the Sacramento area, they have some shows coming up in June. You should really check them out. They rock the coffee house scene.

Various rants

Okay, so here it is. No rhyme, no reason.. Just jumpin on the blog bandwagon (ALL ABOARD). Seems to be the new craze so I figure, why not? I am very much inspired by my most favorite blogger out there, Dooce. Those of you who know who that is I'm sure enjoy her as much as I do. She rocks the blog.

So that's it. We'll see where this leads. I'm not sure if I'm at a point in my life that I want a serious relationship. I'll have to test the waters and see. Maybe the waters won't be so nice.

What did my day consist of? Thanks for asking. Basically, being a mother of 2 children (my son is 2 years old and my daughter is 2 months old today) I am very well acquainted with dirty diapers. We're old friends. I spend most days doing just that.. Changing diapers. I also feed them when hungry, console them when crying, entertain them when bored and make sure they don't hurt themselves (this takes a very watchful eye with my 2 year old).

My rant for today is this.. Some magazine (Details or something of that caliber) recently named Tom Cruise as the ALL TIME best actor. Now folks, don't get me wrong, Tom Cruise is a great actor (one of the best of all time). But I must disagree. The BEST actor that ever was? I think not. Now had they crowned Johnny Depp with that title, I wouldn't have even batted an eyelash at the thought. That guy is amazing.. (Have you seen Secret Window?). The depth of his portrayals of such unique and varying characters is mind blowing (and he is very, very easy on the eyes). I have been thinking for days who I think is the BEST ACTOR OF ALL TIME and I haven't come up with an answer. But I am certainly uneasy about Tom Cruise having that title. I will have to ponder that some more.