Welcome to the PTA.....

NO, I haven't been devoured by some rare West Coast disease...

I have taken a position with the PTA.

My new title for the upcoming year is Volunteer Coordinator. Translation: Chief Cook and Bottle Washer. It's my job to get already overextended parents to VOLUNTEER their precious time for the good of our school. And when they don't show up, I get..... to do the work.

All jokes aside, it's a perfect job for me. In spite of the fact I am already exhausted, and my term hasn't yet officially started, I am loving every minute of getting to use my brain and big mouth for something so very worthwhile. Funny side story, I actually volunteered to be the treasurer, because I thought it would be painless. Oddly enough, when an accountant stepped up for that job, they didn't want to let me off the hook. For some strange reason, they thought I would be better suited to a job that involves repeatedly approaching complete strangers and politely talking (browbeating) them into donating their precious time for the good of the school. I cannot imagine what possessed them to think I would be well-suited to this position. It's funny, those of you who have known me since before children know my last professional job was in PR for a non-profit blood center. I am fearful it was easier to talk people out of their blood than it will be to get their time....

Anyway, I am already loving every minute of it! C may not be quite so thrilled as he is suddenly getting LOTS of "quality" time with a certain toddler angel.

Yesterday's 7 hour shift included prepping, serving, and cleaning up after we served 450 grilled hot dogs, and 400 grilled hamburgers to the entire student body and their families. In theory, I should have been walking around greeting parents and schmoozing them into positions for next year. In reality, I never want to handle another hamburger or hot dog, and my hair still smells suspiciously of charcoal. Also, never wear Target rubber flip flops to stand for many hours on blacktop...... And still, I loved it all! Maybe I have a future as a professional volunteer, sounds incredibly lucrative.

Here are a couple of recent shots of the girls who have especially bonded recently. They really are two peas in a pod. Of course, there is no shortage of shrieking and squalling but neither can stay out of the other's business for 5 seconds, so all is GOOD!

Party Time!

Last week was a GREAT week!

Thursday, C and I went out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary, sans kids, WOOOOHOOOO.

We got to eat Japanese food and finish entire sentences without interruption. Does it get any better than that?

Friday, Princess M and I got to spend the whole day together, without our favorite tagalong. She's stinking cute...but sometimes it's hard for my big girl and I to get any togetherness time with "little jealousy" along.

I chaperoned M's class field trip to see my favorite things.....NOT!!!!!

Later in the day, M's favorite boy, you remember the one, had his Bday party at the pool. Fun was had by all. They got to swim, I got to take pictures, and not wear a swimsuit....

What a Day.....

So, here's how we spent last Saturday. It was a much appreciated family day of fun in an absolutely gorgeous place.

Check out Pfeiffer Beach, just down Big Sur Highway from us.

There's a freshwater stream that runs down the beach to the Pacific and the girls had a blast playing in the water and catching tadpoles by hand. My, how things have changed for Princess M.....


Things have also changed for this one, who, when we first arrived did not care for sand....

Trying to get the sand out of her bum after this day made Mom not so crazy about it either....

It's a Good Thing.....

Yes, I am giving a shout out to "Martha" today in honor of my Great friend K over at One Crazy Adventure

Thanks to her creative abilities, Princess M is now a very happy camper with this...

This shot is just to show Princess L and her "coaching" M with her modeling... That's all I need, another perfectionist with bossy tendencies....

Thank heavens I have friends with such skills and talents so my girls can enjoy such lovely things, otherwise they would forever be deprived as my artistic abilities are completely nonexistent. The other great thing about this beautiful gift is that M's buddy Princess E has one just like it and of course having a best buddy twin all the way across the country makes it all the more awesome!

I do have one other quick thing to share.

I want to introduce the new "loves" of my life...

What more can I say. Life is sweet. I have almost forgotten how much I hate technology (or how much it hates me rather) with these new beauties. Who knew laundry could actually be fun?

Ahhh, Success....

Yes, This picture represents a smashing success in our household.

As most of you know, oddly enough, C and I have incredibly food-averse offspring. How does this happen to two people who truly have a love affair with food? Don't get me wrong, as the mother to two girls in today's world I am extremely grateful that likely my girls will never have weight and body issues. However, I cannot understand how they can have absolutely no interest in food. They simply eat when we insist, which we do, three times each day, just to keep the screaming meanies to a minimum. The "screaming meanies" for those of you not in the know, are the beings that replace our otherwise lovely girls when they are so hungry they can't function, but would never consider simply asking for a snack...

So anyway in this picture you see Princess L indulging in 4, count em four, separate foods. Now, as adults, you and I know that Chicken fingers, Mac and Cheese (yes, the devil in the blue box kind)corn on the cob, and an apple does not necessarily a well-balanced meal make. However, for us this is HUGE! The first of you to point out to me that corn, pasta, and a complex carb are no substitutes for something green and leafy are officially off the Xmas list and the Blog roll, so if you ever wanted to run us off, now's your chance!

And IT Begins.....

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to my friend G at Princess M's school. We were discussing our surprise that her third grader was going to be allowed to participate in an after school dance....

In third grade????

We were both surprised and somewhat shocked as a boy had already invited her Gorgeous (yes, with a capital G) girl to said dance. G had explained to her daughter that although she would be allowed to go to the dance, she could expect to see her Mom there as a chaperon, and her date would be strictly her girlfriends, not any boy!

Since this conversation it has come to our attention that it is an all school dance... I am still not sure if that is better... Kindergartners through 5th graders at a dance? Should be entertaining at least.

Skip to this morning when G stops me as I am dropping off M. She mentioned she overheard a very interesting conversation between two of her children. It seems that Princess M's buddy B had said to his sister "It's too bad you can't go to the dance with a boy, because I am going with...(you guessed it) M!"

Here is the object of our affection, who coincidentally just yesterday M told me was the cutest boy in her class, and asked if I agreed. (I do...)


So it appears on Friday, I am going to a dance!

Lest We Forget....

As a proud military family, it's very easy to consider our assignment here to be akin to one big vacation. It's not that C's workload isn't taxing and difficult to say the least, it's just that we are together everyday and....Safe. Having no possibility of deployment sometimes gives you a false sense of security, like what's happening over there doesn't really exist for this moment.

Then along comes a real life reminder of why we are here in the first place. We are here for C to get more tools and resources to help protect all of us. We have met some fabulous people here and many of them have already graduated and moved on. One such family we were lucky enough to meet on a few occasions has now moved on and are in the midst of a tough deployment. He is doing some wonderful things to help the people of Afghanistan and would love help.

I am including a link to his new blog.
If you can help, please do so. We are all lucky to have such a caring (and very funny) man out there protecting us and helping them!

www.navygoesarmy.blogspot.com/

Thanks Craig! We'll be praying for you!