Happy 2nd Birthday Peyton!

We were able to celebrate Peyton's second birthday while we were at our family reunion. Peyton is obsessed with the Signing Time "My Favorite Things" which talks about the colors of the rainbow. She sings it all the time. So Tucker suggested that I make her a rainbow cake!

She loved it and every time she sees a picture of it, she exclaims "my pancake!". Ha ha.

We are all in love with our little PeyPey. I don't want her to be two years old. Not just because I'm not ready for the opinions and tantrums, but also because I really don't want her to grow up. I don't want any of my girls to grow up. I want them to stay little, and safe, and happy and under my care. I want them to stay innocent and fun and naive. I know that's not possible, but I can't help but wish it sometimes.

I also made a second cake for all the October bdays on our Maxfield side of the family. So we had one big celebration for all!

Happy Birthday Peyton! We love you so much!

Be Back Soon

Many of you have asked why I went private on the blog. And many more of you have said you've been thinkin' about it too. I guess I'm just to a point where I feel more comfortable knowing exactly who is checking us out!

Also.....we'll be back soon. We're finishing up a family reunion, which has included Disneyland, Sea World, Peyton's 2nd birthday and lots of cousin time on the beach. And of course lots of pics to post about, so stay tuned :-)

First Hair-Do

I've typically not cut any of my girl's hair until they are maybe 3 or 4 years old. Jordyn was the first to have a short haircut, and she was 6!

So Pey has set a record in our family by getting her first style just before her 2nd birthday! She had lots of snarly and scraggly sections in the back of her hair....so I started out with a trim to get it more even. Then a little more and a little more. For two days I stared at it and kept picturing how cute she would look with a little slight A-line bob. So this morning I chopped off the rest in the back, and she's got a little style now! She looks so cute ;-) The funny thing is....it wasn't actually a TON of hair I cut off, but it makes her look a little older.

BEFORE

AFTER!

My Therapy

$121 - TOTAL VALUE

$6 - TOTAL SPENT
(on all items pictured above)

I don't mean to turn this into a couponing blog. There are enough of those out there! But sometimes it's fun to post some of my deals.

I have recently started seeing a great therapist whom I've really enjoyed working with. It's been enlightening, insightful and hard. I highly recommend it.

But........my other form of therapy has definitely been couponing. It's a constructive way to get my mind off stressful thoughts, yet it is also productive. It seems like I do it one or two days every other week, on average. But it's really been a fun hobby.

The interesting thing is how my mind is shifting. I'm starting to get really critical on my coupon transactions. Like with the one above....the whole way home I kept dwelling on ways I could have spent less than $6. I almost felt guilty for spending $6 instead of $1. Strange, I know. Maybe something I should discuss at therapy sessions? ha ha - wish that was my biggest worry, huh?

H.A.G.S

When I was little, I remember my cousin Kelly asked me if I wanted to play 'hags'. I must have seemed confused because she said "You know, Hide And Go Seek?". Ahhhh, I hadn't heard that term for it, but it's always stuck in my head.

This is one of my girls' favorite games to play with Daddy (boring mommy doesn't participate much). They absolutely LOVE it. And anyone who comes over jumps right in. Lyric and Paxton had a blast with us this time.

Want a Good Deal? Go to RITE AID!

Okay, click to enlarge this ad. But here is an example of FREE stuff. This week (until Sat Oct 18) at Rite Aid, you can get $144 worth of stuff for FREE. Easy for beginners! No coupons required (but if you have them, then you could end up MAKING money). This isn't the typical number of free things, it is a little more than normal. But all you do is go to Rite Aid and buy any or all of the things in the ad above. You spend the money out of pocket, but then you go on their website and enter the receipt number (ALWAYS keep your receipt) and they send you a check in the mail within a few weeks!

Also, it's rumored that Super Kmarts are having double coupon days this week Wed-Sun. Call your local SuperK and ask. That is an AMAZING opportunity if you keep any coupons on hand.

I get so many questions on HOW I do this couponing stuff. I'll first say that it is NOT easy to get started. I mean, sure, you can do little things here and there. But the BIG loot I post in the pics takes some practice. Lindy and I do a lot of Walgreens, and there you have to balance Register Rewards (cash-like coupons that spit out when you buy certain products), manufacturer coupons, store coupons, and rebates....plus doing multiple transactions at each store. We started out slow and have gotten better over time (I say "we" loosely...really, she is the expert).

But here are a few websites that help us a lot (if you have the patience). I don't really have the "time", but I do this as a hobby now. Maybe before we would have had a night out to go to Target and dinner and spent easily $50-$75 each on the outing.....now we'll go out and come home only a few dollars poorer with lots of (crap) stuff! We have to be careful not to become horders. But really, with three girls plus myself in the house, we go through shampoo and conditioner like water! Okay, on to those sites. Here are just a FEW:

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/index.php (go to drug stores, or grocery stores)
http://scavengerhuntoncrack.blogspot.com/ (they have links to several stores on the side)
http://forums.slickdeals.net/forumdisplay.php?sduid=0&f=38 (scroll through the postings and there is lots of great stuff in there)

My Getaway (Updated with more NKOTB details)

Every mom needs a break now & then. And I'm so happy to have had one! Tucker took great care of the girls (as you can see from his outings) and I had a blast.

Shana and I have been friends for over 20 years, and we are lucky enough to see each other once or twice a year still. Shana lives about three hours north of me with her husband Derek and dog Griffin. They are expecting their first baby (girl) in February. (Check out her new blog! I swear, Google/Blogger should give me a small commission for my recruiting efforts over the years!).

Shana and I were pampered at a Spa on Friday morning. This is our second time doing this together. The Claremont is all-inclusive and a very nice spa/resort. Once we got there, I realized that in my "other life" (pre-motherhood), we had a fancy event there when I worked for Siebel. Very nice. Shana had a prenatal massage, and I had a body wrap/scrub.

In the early evening, we met up at a restaurant "7" in San Jose for a pre-concert dinner with Jammie and Melinda. We had such a yummy dinner and fun time laughing and talking. I have known these girls since I was 10. There is something special about being with people who know such a big part of your childhood/history and were there with you during special times. First crushes, first kisses, dances, concerts, sleepovers, heartaches, fun and every school day for years and years! Even though we've all grown up, married, and been quite initiated by life....there is a core essence about each of us that is the same as when we were young. These are special friendships, and they were the PERFECT girls to go with to such a flash-back concert as the New Kids.

After our dinner, we walked over to the HP Pavilion arena for the big concert! We were so excited and felt just as giddy as we did 18 years ago! I don't remember the last time I felt that excited and actually WANTED to scream because of it! And I wasn't alone. The entire arena was PACKED with 30 year old women who felt exactly like I/we did. It was like seeing your first crush again. The show was SO fun, very well done, and a total blast from the past. We still knew every word to every song! They have a new CD out, so they played those songs, but they also played tons of old ones from their previous three hit albums. My ears were ringing non stop that night from the non-stop screaming all around me! Shana was a good sport - not an easy thing for a pregnant woman to endure....a loud and late night!








Good times. Good times. Thanks girls! Had a blast! Who'd have thought? What a great reunion!

UPDATE: OK, so Tara asked for more info and I figure that there are lots of you "blockheads" out there that were avid fans like me.....and you'll like the details. OK, so they all looked great. And sounded almost exactly the same.....maybe better. Obviously Joey sounded a little older, so it made songs like "Please don't go girl" sound a little lower, but still good. They didn't pull anyone up on stage, but in the middle of the concert, they showed up on a spinning stage in the middle of the arena with a piano on it, and sang from there. That's where they were given a few bras! They changed outfits like 6 times. Danny did an awesome break-dance routine. Jordan did a solo where he had his shirt unbuttoned and billowing in the wind showing his cut body while he sang. Jordan's falsetto was just as good as ever. Jon seemed shy still, but the crowd went wild whenever they showed a close up of him on the screen. And my boy Donnie was as cool as ever, led the show and had lots of energy. They opened with "The Right Stuff" and did their second finale with "Hangin Tough". The two biggest hits, but ironically my two least fav songs. It was so fun when they sang "Tonight, Tonight" because it starts out "Remember how we traveled round the world? We met a lot of people, and girls. Talked about Hangin Tough. As long as you got the Right Stuff, didn't we girl?" the whole song is so nostalgic and perfect to sing NOW, but they wrote it back then. They involved the crowd a lot with their singing. They were very enthusiastic. And they would often just stand there and say "Is this really happening?" And of course that would make the girls scream even louder. They had a screen up front of the concert and before the show started, you could text a message to the screen. So all the messages said "I left my husband and kids home tonight just for YOU" or "I'm legal now". Ha ha ha ha ha. So funny. Awesome show. It was really fun. I'd recommend going if you liked them at ALL back in the day. They are touring until February. They were even selling big buttons again at the merchandise stand! I wanted to get one SO bad because I had one of Donnie when he was like 16 (he's late 30's now), but the line wrapped around the arena! The shirts were like $45-$50 and I swear they were $15-$20 when I was young. Too funny.

And for you REALLY die hard fans, here are two videos for you from my digital camera. One is short, from the opening "The Right Stuff", and the other is longer....and from their new album "The Block".

Happy 36th Tucker!

Before I rave about the New Kids on the Block concert, I wanted to officially wish Tucker a Happy Birthday today! We had a little celebration last night, complete with a chocolate Batman birthday cake, homemade cards from the girls and a Tri-tip steak on the BBQ. Thanks to Lindy and Mike for coming over to share with us.

Three years ago, when Tucker was just a young chap of 33, I kicked off our blog for the first time with a birthday post for him. (You can see that here). So, in a way, this is also a Happy 3rd Birthday for my blog. Double birthday celebration!

Here we sit like frogs on a lilypad..waiting for mom to come home.

To all Dads - the park is a great place to create memories w/ your kids. This is Tucker one last time telling you about the great picnic we had today.

The girls helped me pack their lunch, each one making their own sandwich and picking out their treats. Then we were off to slides, swings and grassy hills...we ran all over the place and had a great time!

We are glad that mommy made it home safely and enjoyed her concert. (I'll let her address that mayhem )

Our picnic food. Lots of healthy junk.

A modern day teeter-totter Don't make fun of their hair...Dad had to do it.

This is the look that Lexi while running down the hill,

gave me right after she tripped, fell, and rolled. Classic.

Daddy's Day With His Girls

Since Mommy is up North watching Donny, Dorkie, and the one who thinks he is a rapper, but never was or never will be.

Daddy took the girls out to play at the park and on the way we found this cool waterfall so I stopped and took some pictures.

Mommy this is also to tell you that we love you and miss you VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pey Loves to Swing.

Jordyn was looking at a small puppie

Lexi wanted her own pic in front of the waterfall.

Just What I Need

For a few months now I have been the proud owner of tickets to the New Kids on the Block reunion concert. And now that weekend has arrived, and the timing couldn't be more perfect!

Back in 1990, I went with my friends Shana, Melinda and Jammie to see the New Kids in concert in Los Angeles. I will never forget the level of anticipation or excitement we felt for that concert! Our parents even let us get out of school early (7th or 8th grade) so we could spend a couple hours getting ready for the big show! Shana has the pictures somewhere....so hopefully we can find those....but I distinctly remember getting ready at Shana's house and curling my hair just perfectly. As I put on my navy blue rayon top with matching MC Hammer style pants, I envisioned how fun it was going to be when Donnie saw me and just KNEW he had to invite us backstage to hang out with them (I was 13, mind you). We drove three hours just to get there, and sang every word to every song and just basked in the love.

Corny? YES. Fun? YES

So who would have EVER thought that nearly 20 years later....the New Kids would re-unite and that somehow me, Shana, Melinda and Jammie would gather to re-create this memory?

Not me.

But I am SO excited. Both for the concert....for a weekend away....and for time with these girls.

But there will be a few differences from last time. It's in San Jose. I'm getting ready at Shana's house again, but this time her husband Derek will be there (making fun of us), and her little baby girl will be kicking in her belly to the beat of the music. Jammie's mom won't be driving us. And I won't be wearing rayon in any form OR MC hammer pants. My hair won't be curled even a little. And I won't be envisioning Donnie asking us to hang out back stage (ok, maybe just a little). I will be wondering how my three kids are doing at home. And hoping my husband remembers to feed them (just kidding).

But fun? YES. I'm so excited.

One question. Should I wear this cool shirt that I bought at the last concert?