Bon Voyage Nielsen's

So now that you have met my fabulous girlfriend Karly, it is time to say goodbye. I met Karly our first Sunday in the Short Hills Ward, and there was instant sparkle (sorry Karly, I stole that word from you, but I love it). Since then it has been nothing but laughs, shopping like crazy people, kitchen and car girl talks, and chips and salsa. She and her beautiful family are now off for a new adventure in California. You know I already miss you chick. Thanks for being so wonderful!!

Our kids had one last play date before we had to say goodbye. Ryder asks me everyday now if we can go to Gavin's house. I tell him Gavin moved and he says he knows. He wants to go to Gavin's house in California. Naturally. He also mentions quite regularly that he wants to give Maddie more squeezes. These two really are destined for one another.

Even though we have moved tons and have had many many friends move away from us, I love it all. I feel that all of these different places and experiences have blessed me and my family with so many wonderful friends for life! And hello, free places to stay and eat all over the US :) Disneyland here we come....

Dynamic Trio of Duos

Check out this awesome group of people. Last weekend we went on a triple date with two of our most favorite couples, the Nielsen's and the Ure's. It was such a perfect evening, complete with yummy Mongolian BBQ, a 45 minute lecture/speech/palm reading by the owner of the restaurant, then topped off with Coldstone. Thanks for sharing in our memory making!

PS- Let's try to ignore my bad posture and really really hope that my mother doesn't notice so I may avoid lectures about how sitting like a monkey does not do anything for me.

Pool Daze

Whenever I hear the words, "community pool," gonorrhea infested waters immediately enter my mind. Then summer hit us pretty hard a couple weeks ago and I realized I would do anything to keep the children cool and entertained. So, the family joined the Summit Aquatic Center. Holy mini-water park. No STDs floating here. Well, probably there is, but it is too much fun to care. There is a humongous pool with two awesome water slides, and then the most fantastic kiddie pool I have ever seen. It was perfect. I feel completely ready and excited for summer. The kids were in heaven. Equally. We seriously live 4 minutes away from sun-shiny bliss. I might get a tan this year after all. This place just keeps getting better and better.

Erica the Modern June Cleaver

So there are rare moments on rare days where I feel like I am doing pretty decent as a wife and mother. This afternoon was one of those prized moments. The kids were at the dining table happily rolling out their Play-Doh while I was in the kitchen rolling out my homemade egg noodles for tonights chicken noodle soup and checking on my rising loaves of bread. There are few things sweeter in life than having all the dinner food prep done before 4 pm. My world does not get any more picturesque than this. Oh, except for the fact that the cops came by this morning to check on our household as someone had dialed 9-1-1 and hung up from our location. Which still seems strange to me since little Linley and I were playing in her room and Ryder was watching a movie and the phones hadn't been touched. Still, that will make for some great neighborhood stories I am sure. "Did you see that police car parked outside of the Zimmerman's this morning......" Fabulous!

My rustic egg noodles

Erica the A-lister

Do any of you recognize this boy? His name is Ben Gourley and he is a movie star. Okay, so he's no Brad Pitt, but he wrote, starred in and produced Moving McAllister. He was also in Pride and Prejudice and Saints and Soldiers to name a few. Movie starrish.

I know this boy. Sort of. Met him at the Omni, played at the Nicklecade, then kissed him. Well, he kissed me. I don't kiss boys. Freshman year. Hello, I have kissed a movie star. This totally ups my status in life. Too bad Moving McAllister looks fully retarded and I don't think Allen will ever rent it fearing that I would be reliving his tonsils for two hours. Which I wouldn't. I barely remembered the kid. But who can forget a boy with the last name of Gourley???

Fabulous Father's

Just a quick Happy Father's Day to the two most amazing dads I know before I get started on the man's dinner.

First to my dreamy husband: you are such an awesome daddy. Your kids worship you and never want to leave your sight, which is pretty swell for me as well. You do such a fantastic job at daddyness....wrestling with them, teaching them, directing them, playing with them, loving them, making them feel so special, the list goes on. I love you and the kids and I are both so lucky to have you.

And next, to the man who not only aided in giving me life, but showed me the meaning of life. You are the best daddy in the world. Thank you for always "eating the back of the chicken."

I love these two men. Hope you both have a fabulous father's day (okay, so I know Allen will since I am in charge, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for you Billy boy).

Potty-Brained

I'm Done. Finished. In a good way. She's got it. She tells me when she needs to pee. If two hours have passed without her telling me, I throw her on the potty, she goes and we move on to the next 2 hours of the day. Throughout the week of training, we had only one poopy accident on day 2. Since then it has simply been, "Mommy, go ewww." And away we go. Fabulous!! I am actually going to be able to spend at least (emphasis on at least here folks) the next nine months without having to change a stinky diaper. I am so in love with my life. Not to mention the additional sixty bucks a month I am now saving. Perhaps that money should go into my shoe fund....what do you say sweet hubster of mine?? I love this girl! She never fails to impress me!!

Holy Old!!

I love you old man! Hope it is fabulous!!

Linley Linley Bo Binley

Miss Linley Brooke is officially terrific, I mean terrible, I mean, adorably almost two and all that comes with it. She is a screamer. And dramatic. And fully hormonal. Except minus the hormones. "No" is her favorite high-pitched-loud-enough-to-scare-the-neighbors word, and is used often. Like at 5:45 this morning when she thought she should begin her day and I thought otherwise. She is a biter, and a slapper. I am generally the recipient. She spends more time in time-out than her monkey brother. And her latest and greatest is her refusal to wear a diaper. Which can only mean one thing:

A crappy (I mean this literally) next week, or two weeks, or month (I will be suicidal if it takes that long). I can no longer deny her desire to be potty-trained. We started this afternoon. So far, 4 pees in the potty, two little splatters on the floor. I'll take those numbers. For now. We'll see what happens when poopy time rolls around. I do have to admit I think it is cute seeing her naked bum running all over the place (I am a huge proponent of naked bums during the potty-training process, should you be at all interested).

Continuing with the "Linley is adding a bit of difficulty to my life" theme, the kids and I headed to Costco for the big first-of-the-month grocery shopping trip. I got the kids loaded up in the cart, gave them their snacks, and began my mad dash to grab everthing as quickly as possible to avoid meltdown. Ten minutes into the trip, I bend down to grab the vanilla, then look up to see sweet Linley puking her guts out. This continues, for 20 minutes. I clean her up, she pukes. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Fully nightmarish things going on right there in the baking aisle. Have you ever cleaned puke off of a grocery cart? Not my shiniest moment. As a consolation prize for the Costco trip that ended up taking two hours instead of 30 minutes, I bought the kids churros. Because what is better for a kid that just finished puking her guts out than fried grease covered in sugar? She didn't puke again, but I almost did

Still, this girl is the cutest thing in the world and manages to keep a smile glued on my face almost all of the time (I'm her mother, I have to say that).

Here she is vocalizing what she thought of me filming her during the urination process.