I Survived The First Day of Summer!

Well, it was the first day of summer in my Playhouse, since school is out. The Real first day of summer is on the 21st, I think.

So, with a house full of kids (Serena 5, Ginger Girl 6, Brandon 3 and Ginger Boy 3 and Kylie 16) we managed to have a great day!

First, the girls colored and cut out dresses all morning while the boys played...Oh and Kylie was busy playing a game. I had the wonderful task of getting Hayden registered for his classes for college, which was no easy task, let me tell you.

Then, after Ginger Boy napped for 2 hours, we went outside to play for the next 2 hours!

I read to the girls. We all played soccer. We all did summer-saults and tried standing on our heads! I showed them how to do a kart-wheel, yes, me! I am just that BA (bad-ass) at my age to be doing kart-wheels! We also had a water gun fight and got soaked. We had snacks and water to drink, all in all it was a great first day of Summer!

Going to the Dark Side

Going to the dark side for me would be eating meat, fish or poultry...yes I am a vegetarian for those of you who don't know...now you know.


It all started many years ago, when I was about 13 and had braces and couldn't eat ribs anymore...


That lasted all of a year or 2 and I was back at eating a little meat, not a whole lot. In fact, I can remember as a kid, we (my sister and I) would take a huge bite of steak and chew and chew and chew and then when our parents weren't looking, we would put it in our glass of milk or in our napkin, LOL

Then, I was about 17 and met this guy, whom I wanted to impress. Since he was vegetarian, I wanted to be one, too! He read labels on candy and different things that I never thought of to check for "animal by-products". Well, I never even dated this guy but the vegetarian thing stuck.

I got married and had my first child and continued to be vegetarian. I didn't raise my first baby vegetarian. I didn't think I knew enough about it to try and raise a baby one. I had my second child 2 yrs later and continued being a vegetarian and did not raise that one vegetarian either.

I do eat eggs (but I have to be in the mood for them or I gross out) and I drink milk and love cheese! Now, some folks out there are Vegan, meaning no meat and nothing from animals, so no dairy. My husband like to say I am a Cheese-atarian, LOL

I have continued to be a vegetarian. I divorced and later re-married and had 2 more kids. These last 2 I have decided to raise vegetarian, with the blessing of my ped of course.

The reason for this choice for the last 2 was this: They have a different father who has a bad digestive system. He is lactose intolerant, he can't have milk, certain cheeses (like ricotta) but he can have yogurts and cottage cheese, but not sour creme. He shouldn't have red meat as it really screws him up as does anything hot, spicy hot that is...and well let's face it, he is Mexican and has a pallet for spicy things.

So, fast forward: Serena 5 will turn 6 in July and Brandon 3 will turn 4 in August. They both know they are vegetarian and so far are ok with it.

I have been thinking I should start eating chicken...I don't even really know why I think this. It has been over 20 years since I have eaten any chicken, pork, red meats any kind of meat, so why would I want to start now? It has been so long, that I don't even really know what I am missing, LOL

I eat lots of different vegetables. So does Serena...Brandon not so much. But, they both take a vitamin daily and they are healthy and growing. Except for all the colds and junk they have gotten this year.

Do any of you have some advice for me? Just askin' what you all think!

Friday Fragments ~ Wedding, Swim Class and Laundry

Welcome to another addition of Friday Fragments!


Thanks to our wonderful host, Mrs. 4444's, you can get your weekly dose of randomness.





So, let me begin by saying: I really hate it when I have done a load of laundry....left it in the washer too long, come back and start the water before removing the load...thinking I had already removed it to the dryer, oops. Then I have to wash it again...This happened to me only 1 time and I vow it will never happen again...I hope!

Graduation: what a wonderful milestone to all the grads this year...Now they can start their lives...their young lives. They can write their story any way they want.

I just have to vent: that I really don't like crossing the streets in certain areas where I live. To get to our pet store, you have to park in the parking lot and then cross the parking lot and there is no Stop sign for cars coming into the lot and they go fast. So fast so, when I was crossing the last time, I had to swing my bag in front of me in hopes that the car booking in would see it before me and not hit me, as I was carrying Brandon because he had fallen asleep in the car.

Here is my friend Caty and her new husband Eric. They got married last month in Hawaii where they both live. I had the honor of going to one of the many parties they had to celebrate their wedding. This party was in California, real close to me. I was so thrilled to go and see my friend.

To meet her new husband was a joy. He is a keeper and I am so glad she has married him. He is military, and will be stationed in Guam in the next few months...sadly taking his new bride with him. Well, of course he should, duh! But, now that she will be that far away, I am not sure how our Christmas will go...see she usually will fly out here for a week or so during the holidays to see her parents and family and well, me! So, keep your fingers crossed she will again be able to come and visit me!

Here is Brandon. He started swimming classes as a Turtle I think. This was a Mommy and Me type class, where I got to go in the water, too...such fun. Not. So, the instructor said he should move up to the Guppy class, the one where I don't have to go in the water, yay! So, he is a Guppy and Serena is a Dolphin.

Did you love my page dividers??? I sure did!

Oh and today is the last day of school for my girls. Yay! Next week: jury duty, yuck, and then we can start to enjoy our summer!

Be sure to head on over to Mrs. 4444's blog and read on every one's random thoughts!

My Graduate Part 2

ok, I promised more so here goes:

Here is Hayden and his Aunt Lisa

Hayden and Lewis again

Hayden and his cake

The entire fam damily

with Whiskey's butt, the dog that is!

Hayden's cake from Coldstones

Hayden and his Grandma Dee and Pop and Blake (I think)

Hayden and his Uncle Marshall

Hayden and his dad and Serena

Hayden and his mom!

We had a wonderful time yesterday...a day I will remember forever!

I know my pictures are out of order, but this time I just don't care!

as promised, My Graduate, Part 2

My Graduate!

My son, Hayden, graduated today, he is the class of 2011.

Here is the cake they had at graduation.

Here he is, getting his diploma.

Afterwords, with Ponch

...and Lewis

and Aunt Karen

...and his sister, Kylie

He was also awarded a scholarship for $500.00 to continue his education!

The actual ceremony was wonderfully done. They had a part where they showed pictures of the graduates that the family's gave...of course I cried like a baby when they showed Hayden's pics.

I have more pics to post, but these will have to do for now, I am tired!

I will post My Graduate part 2 tomorrow, promise!

Student of the Month

Here is Serena and her teacher. Can you tell Serena is just bursting with happiness???


Here is my big girl, with her Student of The Month Award. She is so happy! I am so proud!

Serena, her teacher and 3 other boys who got awards for Most Improved. They are all so proud.

She received her award, a sticker for my van, a pencil with her school's name on it and a bracelet that says Student of the Month! YAY for Serena!

Amoxicillin Allergy

Serena got sick with an upper respiratory infection in May 16th and was given Amoxicillin to get rid of it. She took it for 10 days and then after 2 days of no meds she gets this rash...


The belly shot was the first day and then the second day she was worse...so much worse her face was swollen and so were her ears

This was so hard for her, she kept looking in the mirror, saying she is ugly and then crying.

I took her back to the doctor and she needed a shot with an epi-pen type thing for severe allergies, then she gave her some allergy meds, Zyrtec. Told me to get her Aveeno Bath and calamine lotion and the Zyrtec and then steroids for 4 days and to put cold wash clothes dipped in ice on her cheeks and she will be better by tomorrow....I did everything she said and she was so much better the next day.

My poor kid. Not to mention she was out of school earlier this year for bronchitis.

She is finally almost 100% healthy as of today. YAY! :)

Poop Toys, Poop Books and Underwear

Just wanted to say that Brandon is finally potty-trained!

I tried potty-training him back last year, when he turned 3, for 2 weeks I ummm put him in pull-ups and that didn't work.

I tried again at the beginning of the year, again for 2 weeks and that didn't work.

So, I decided to wait a while. I thought he was ready back when he turned 3 but wasn't ready to stop playing to go.

Then, a friend of mine told me a trick she did with her kids, Poop Toys. She got some small toys and had them out so the kids could see them and told them if they pooped on the potty they can have a Poop Toy. It was working like a charm for her, so I thought I would try it with Brandon. Haha he did poop on the toilet one time and got a Poop Toy and then he crapped in his underwear.

On Easter, he decided to pee in the toilet all morning but by afternoon he was done.

So, about 2 weeks ago, I woke up and said no more diapers, period. oh and no pull-ups either. I got out the Spider-Man underwear and the Toy Story underwear and put him in them. He peed in them every time the first day. The second day, I got smart and took him to pee every 30 minutes or so. He did great!

Then came the poop thing. He went in his underwear again. So, I emptied the dirty drawers in the toilet and gave them to him while he stood in the tub. He cleaned them and himself. He has not had to do that again! He goes #2 every time in the toilet. I give him a Poop Book to read and leave him alone to do his business and it works like a charm!

He has had only a few accidents and he has woken up DRY every morning, oh except that one morning when he was running a fever...so, I am almost done with diapers at night! YAY!

Just wanted to share some good news with ya'll!

Camarillo City Limit

First, let me tell you this: I moved to this city way back in 1978. I have been in the same county since then and I moved back to this city in 1998...and I just love living here.

About a month ago or whenever it was, I went to the bank for my usual business and on their back counter was this wonderful picture.

I asked about it and was told that someone had donated it for a raffle...for The March of Dimes for Babies...something I know nothing about...so I said, well it is a great picture, I would love to have it. So...

I bought ONE stinking ticket for ONE dollar and I WON! I was so excited when I got the call...I left right away to pick it up.

So, now here it sits on my wall, I am so proud! I am not sure why so much, but I was happy to win something that I wanted so bad and my donation went to a wonderful cause. I now know:

When you walk in March for Babies, you give hope to the more than half a million babies born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in your community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies. We’ve been walking since 1970 and have raised an incredible $2 billion to benefit all babies.

This information is from the website, http://www.marchforbabies.org/why.aspx.

Braces Anyone?

My teeth were crooked when I was a kid, so I got braces. Wore them for about 2 years and then had a retainer and wore it most of the time...until I lost it or my dog ate it, LOL


My husband's teeth are perfectly straight, no braces. All the people in his large family have wonderful, straight teeth, no one needed braces.

My older 2 kids (they have a different dad who has crooked teeth...) they both had braces...ok Kylie STILL has hers on...and some of their dad's family had teeth that needed braces...

So, that being said...I am guessing that Serena and Brandon get the crap end, my genetics and they will have a use for braces, right??

As her dentist told me, she has Cadillac teeth in a VW parking lot! Can we say CROOKED?!?

My poor kids...they have overcrowding, in a huge way...

My Mother's Day

This was the special card Serena made for me~the inside says, "Happy Mother's Day! Thank you for taking me to the purk. Love Serena" the purk is really the park. We go to the park every Tuesday, unless we are under the weather, and one week we went like 3 times or more!

This is the beautiful card Kylie picked out for me. It says, "Mom, I love you with all my heart. When I think back over the years and remember all the special things you've done for me, I realize how lucky I am to have a wonderful Mom like you." Makes me get tears when I read it!

Here is the colorful card from Hayden and Serena. This is special to me because now that Hayden and Kylie are older, they usually don't make cards for me anymore, so this was a great surprise!

I got these for Mother's Day, I love them. Sketcher's Shape Ups.

We got my mom Crocs and a small pink cowgirl boot, which you really can't see in the pic. These are my crocs with the Mystery Machine, Serena's pink crocks with Sleeping Beauty and my mom's on the end with her pink boot. We love our crocs and the cute little things you can get for decorations. Brandon has a pair with Spider Man.

I hope all you mom's out there had a wonderful day, I sure did. I know I am way behind in my posts, but I promise to catch up soon!