The kids got LEGOLAND PASSES!!!

Well, after much finagling of funds, I was able to figure out how to get the two big kids LEGOLAND passes! I knew they would just love that new water park and just couldn't deny them of that this summer.
We live too close and Sophia and I have passes......so it will be a nice summer activity for me and the kids. It won't cost us much in gas to get there, we always pack our lunches....so this may actually save me from spending money elsewhere. We checked out the summertime free movies and there was nothing we were interested in and I am niot much for the beach on my own with the three kids, so this will be our thing this summer.
Marissa has her waterproof SPF hat and new long sleeve rash guard so she's ready to go as well. I am armed with cans of sunscreen that I purchased from COSTCO! We are so excited to spend our summer at the LEGOLAND Water Park!
If you have passes, we'll run into you for sure. Or please let us know when you'll be there, we'd love to hook up with you. Today, I took the kids so Kevin could continue his recovery at home. We had a wonderful time. It was crowded due to the Memorial Day weekend but lots of fun was had nonetheless!

Sophia on the First Legoland Waterpark Video

Sophia and I made LEGOLAND history by being one of the firsts to enjoy the new water park. We made the local news and then Sophia made this CNN clip. She is on for 2 seconds 13 seconds into the video! WOW, what a day we had. The water park is amazing by the way! We will be spending many days there this summer for sure.

Legoland water park opens to public today - San Diego, California News Station - KFMB Channel 8 - cbs8.com

Legoland water park opens to public today - San Diego, California News Station - KFMB Channel 8 - cbs8.com


This is fun! Sophia and I were at LEGLAND's new Water Park on Opening Day! We even made local news footage. Watch Sophia and I run into Jeff Zevely on the lazy river at the end of this news clip. We truly made LEGOLAND HISTORY!!

Disneyland

Oh Disneyland...HOW I LOVE that place! I have had so much fun with my children, family and friends there. Yesterday we went once again...this time we met two mom friends and their children. The kids all had fun. We did so much. We visited with the princesses, spoke with Goofy, went to Mickey's House for pictures, rode many rides, sat and chatted, ate a Mickey pretzel, and then went to the Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney and ate Beignets (pronounced Ben-yays)! Being that I am a native Californian, I have was told that I was missing out on these Southern treats. Yes, deep fried lil puffs of dough, placed in brown paper bag with a few tablespoons of powdered sugar. When you get the bag, you shake them up and then devour! How could i have NOT known of this French Donut until now??? Thanks, Stacy for introducing me to a new TROUBLE that I will always love! Our passes will soon expire, but until they are renewed...the memories we have made will always hold a special place in my heart. There truly is no place like the Happiest Place on Earth, a place where you can leave your worries and troubles and home and just enjoy and have fun!









As you can see, even Sophia loved the Beignets-
A New Orleans classic! French donuts deep fried and topped with powdered sugar

Mother's Day Fun and a BIG surprise!

What a wonderful Mother’s Day! I’m so thankful for my three incredible children and for a loving and God serving husband. We had a wonderful weekend. The kids decorated a cake for me at VONS, Joshua had a baseball game that he truly shined in, and Marissa had an eye appointment in which she ordered her 1st pair of prescription glasses.
This morning we went to church and the children’s choir sang one of my favorite songs from when I was little, “Pass it on.” After church we met my mom down in Fashion Valley at the Cheesecake Factory. We had a lovely brunch and got to relax and catch up. Then we were in for a quick trip over to UTC, to once again look at the Pottery Barn Kids bedding. I’m in the process of moving the girls in together. I think we are going with a Hawaiian Theme. So hard to choose, but we finally came to agreement and the bedding was purchased. Painting will be in the near future. Joshua’s room with be next, after we get rid of the crib.
Last year I entered a contest from a local newspaper and didn’t win, so this year when I saw that they were running the contest for the 4th annual year, I decided to enter once again. I got word that I was one of two winners. So, I am now officially one of North County’s Surf Mamas! This is what I have won:
Private surf lessons
Custom bikini from Sunny Sky’s Bikini’s in Cardiff (can they make on that covers me all up? )
A rash guard from Hanson’s surf boards
A basket of free groceries from Albertsons
One 1 hour of housecleaning with two workers.
Bruch at Bellefleur restaurant in Carlsbad
Box of chocolates from Allie’s Edibles
Spa treatment from La Costa Resort & Spa
Massage at Massage Envy
Concert Tickets from the House of Blues
Spa Package at Ocean Day Spa in Carlsbad
Tickets to the So Cal Open Woman’s Tennis Championship
Spa treatment at Transcend Spa in Vista
Teeth whitening
And a face wax treatment in Encinitas
I can hardly believe it! I feel so blessed and so very lucky to have won this amazing prize package.
Here is the essay I wrote to the local newspaper:
I am very excited that this newspaper is once again holding the Surf Mama Contest for the 4th year. Being a mom is one of the most important jobs, and it often goes unrecognized. Your paper is not only recognizing local moms, but also giving them the opportunity to win a prize package with many perks, that they might not otherwise be able to splurge on.
My name is Denise. I live in San Marcos and I am a stay at home mother to Marissa-11, Joshua-7, and Sophia-3. I gave up my full time elementary school teaching career when Marissa was only 5 months old. My husband works downtown and is usually gone from home 12 hours a day. During the week I am pretty much on my own with the three kids. Our schedule is very hectic and busy with dance class, choir practice, baseball practice and Saturday AM ball games. Not to mention the endless cooking, cleaning, and homework that needs to be done in between.
My oldest daughter, Marissa was born with a genetic disorder called PKU. She is on a very low protein diet. Most of her food cannot be purchased at the grocery store and the low protein ingredients are bought through our medical group’s pharmacy so that I can bake for her at home. All of her cookies, bread and muffins are made by me at home. This is a very time consuming task. I love doing this for her and wouldn’t have it any other way. I am glad that I can make sacrifices in order to stay home, so that I can provide her with the food she needs to grow and thrive. I am also thankful that I am home and able to educate her about her disorder so someday she will feel confident and be able to maintain her diet on her own. Right now she is very interested in cooking and baking. I am grateful that I am able to help her in these areas.
My last baby was born in November 2006. After she was born I was determined to get down to my wedding weight. I had 40 pounds to lose after I had lost the baby weight. I did not have the financial means to join a gym, Stroller Strides or a weight loss program, so I started to do it on my own. I put the two little ones in the stroller every morning and walked 2 miles every day. I watched my diet and after 6 months I had lost that 40 pounds, and made my weight loss goal.
I am very blessed that my husband provides for our family so that I can stay home with the children. However, we have to be very careful with how we spend our money. Our one income does not include a budget for family vacations, babysitters, pampering, , etc. We give up a lot so I can be home with them. We get by because I clip coupons, follow grocery ads, shop sales for the children’s clothing and I resell my children’s outgrown clothing on E-bay. There is usually no room in the budget for frivolous or fun spending.
I would love to be pampered and spoiled with your INCREDIBLE prize package. Being that I do not indulge on myself, winning a package like this one would be appreciated more than words could ever express. It would make this Mother’s Day a very special and memorable one…a dream come true!

I am thankful for winning this package but most of all that I get to be called Mom, Mommy, Mama. Being a mom is something that I have always longed to be. It is one of the most difficult jobs, but also the most rewarding.
Happy Mother’s Day to all my mommy friends. I learn so much from you all and am so incredibly blessed to have you in my life.


Psalms 113:9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, [and to be] a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.

Cake Decorating

This kids were so excited that we signed up to decorate a Mother's Day cake at VONS. VONS has always made the best buttecream frosting around(in our opinion)...we could all eat it by the bowlful. The kids got to work behind the counter and decorate their very own cake. They each got to choose a frosting color, and as you can see they went to town! They had so much fun making me the most PERFECT cake ever. Now they cannot wait to dig into it.
Wishing all my Mommy friends a very Happy Mother's Day! I know we are all just exhausted....but I will miss this age someday, I know it.







Oh, doesn't the final project look delicious???

Cast off

Sophia's cast came off a few weeks ago. Believe it or not, she was NOT happy to get her cast off. She moped like this for a whole day. She is still not using her finger that was broken. She went back to her BONEY Dr. today (as she says) and he wants to see her in a month. What a long drawn out ordeal. We have to count the blessings that she is going to be OK, and it's only a broken finger. If she never has full motion again, it will be OK. It could have been much worse. We are counting our blessings that we have three healthy children that bring us much joy and make us really nutty at times.


As you can see, our lil Princess was NOT happy one bit after her cast came off.

All I Really Need To Know...........

I read this often and find it quite heart warming. It's so true. If only people would live by the little basics in life and show respect for one another, then maybe there would be a lot more love & happiness and not so much hurt and hatred. The Pastor that married Kevin and I read this 15 years ago at our Wedding, it will always hold a special place in my heart.


All I Really Need To Know
I Learned In Kindergarten
by Robert Fulghum

- an excerpt from the book, All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten



All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do
and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not
at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the
sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:


Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life - learn some and think some
and draw and paint and sing and dance and play
and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic,
hold hands, and stick together.

Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup:
The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody
really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even
the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die.
So do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books
and the first word you learned - the biggest
word of all - LOOK.



Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any of those items and extrapolate it into
sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your
family life or your work or your government or
your world and it holds true and clear and firm.
Think what a better world it would be if
all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about
three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with
our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments
had a basic policy to always put things back where
they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you
are - when you go out into the world, it is best
to hold hands and stick together.