CHASE MAKES ME LAUGH

For a while I've been meaning to write down some funny things I think Chase has said. You know how everyone always says "don't forget to write that down or one day you'll forget." So, before I forget...

One day I was picking up Zach from school and we say a lady wearing a burqa (spelling?) Chase yells out, "look mom -- I see Mary" (meaning the mother of Jesus).

I got the kids some new toothpaste (bubblegum mint, if you can even imagine that). We brushed his teeth with it and he says "I love this new toothpaste, its so yummy". I said "Oh, good, I'm glad you like it, What does it taste like?" (thinking he's going to say gum) but instead he says "quesadillas" What?! I think he was just trying to think of something he thought was good.

A couple days ago we were driving in the car and we were talking about friends. He was telling me about his friends but then he says "Mom, you're my best friend". Now how could that not make my heart melt? Thank goodness for those little moments in a mother's life, right?

I will always say to him "you're so funny" or "you're so cute" or something like that and he always says "mom, you forgot...I'm Chase-y)" Just one more, one time we were driving and a driver ahead of me was doing something I didn't like (can't remember what). Anyway, I say outloud to the driver "What are you doing?" A couple seconds later I get an answer from the back seat saying "Nothing, I'm just in my seat."

He's a funny kid and I love that he makes me laugh each day! What would I do without the humor? I'd be crazier than I already am!

ONE LUCKY DAY!!!

I'm warning you that this may be a longer post than my usual but this is such a fun story for me to tell that I have to write it all down. It all started when my friend Annalee got these ticket vouchers for American Idol. It was for the Tuesday taping (the last night of competition between the "David's"). She asked Jessica, Christy and I to go along with her for this adventure...of course, we were all up for it! After finding babysitting for the 12 kids we have collectively we breathed a sigh of relief and headed up to L.A. The line seemed to go on and on and on yet we were optimistic since we knew the Nokia Theater could hold up to 6 or 7,000 people. But, after several hours being in line, we decided we were getting a little hungry. For those of you who know where the Nokia center is you know there is no where really within walking distance to grab something to eat so luckily Jessica had her iphone (which saved us so many times) and we called Pizza Hut. Jessica asked if they could deliver to a girl in a yellow shirt standing in a long line at the corner of 12th Street and Cherry in downtown L.A. Good 'ole Pizza Hut had our pizza there within a 1/2 hour. Now wasn't that genius?

Well, the time is going and there we are still waiting like nice patient people but we soon find out that we are #2100 in line and they are for sure giving tickets out to people up to #1700--so by 4pm we find ourselves out of the line looking for perhaps another option of getting in! First we send Jessica and Annalee to do some inital looking around, when they didn't come back soon I convince Christy to bail and find them. We find them, alright, sitting looking pretty gloom on some stairsteps too tired to move. They had asked several American Idol people and were shot down more than once. Well, we then decide we are not getting in but while we are there we might as well go see the red carpet and maybe get a glimpse of a movie star or something. We start walking and I see this box on top of a trash can with "American Idol" written on it. I normally don't go dumster diving yet this circumstance called for it so I open the box to find a ton of blue wristbands. We had seen some people earlier with wristbands so we decide to put them on and see if that helps us somehow. By the way, we have no clue what the wristbands are for.

We continue (with our wristbands) toward the theater when we see this "ticket guy" who we had talked to before (he dismissed us rather quickly then) but we said, acting innocent "Where do we go with these wristbands?" Well, that got his attention and he was saying "What?-- you have wristbands? You should be in the theater with those wristbands, those indicate you are going to see the dress rehearsal." Christy confesses that we found them and just really, really want tickets to get in. We then quickly abort our wristbands and he says "ok, follow me". We, at this point are as obedient as ever and I even think I was holding my breath as I watched him thumb through the left over tickets. He then gave us 2 sets of 2 tickets. And we were off running!

We make it through the theater (even with Jessica's iphone and Annalee's cell phone) and me in my flip flops (which was a no-no on the sheet of paper on what to wear). We head to our seats when we then discover we are in the VIP section. Can you believe it? We couldn't! Jessica and Christy were in row 6 and Annalee and I were in row 8. Just 2 rows ahead was Justin Chambers (aka Alex) from Grey's Anatomy, all the previous top 12 idols in the row ahead of that, Clive Davis just to the left, Simon's girlfriend on our row just over a section and I sat right next to a producer from FreeMantle (the co-producer of American Idol from London--super cool guy and friend of Simon's).

It was a terrific show! But the fun doesn't stop. We are still on our "high" and decide to go find a fun, trendy place to eat in L.A. As we are driving to this place we are of course talking about Idol and who should drive up right next to us? Fantastia from a couple seasons ago. We roll down our windows and start yelling for her and saying how we "love her and her song" (which just minutes earlier we had discussed that some of us liked it okay but others really hated it). Oh well, she seemed happy to be noticed and she even stopped traffic for us to take a picture.

What a fun day for this pregnant desperate houswife! Thanks to Annalee for getting us the tickets, thanks to Christy, Jessica & Annalee for making those 5 hours go by so quickly, a big thanks to Pizza Hut for delivering to the corner in L.A. and a thanks to the "ticket guy" for those awesome seats and of course to my mom who watched my kids ALL DAY!

Lets plan for next year...

A LITTLE COWBOY

Chase on a pony ride at The Irvine Park. He and his cousin Paige were the only ones short enough to ride the ponies, the other kids were all too tall! So he had a great time being the only lucky one on the horse that afternoon!

HAPPY EASTER

Chase, Megan and Zach in their Easter outfits. Chase insisted upon wearing his tie outside of his vest. He was really quite proud of having a tie.

I LOVE SWEATPANTS

Yep, you guessed it...we didn't want our house to be a bore so we are adding number 4!!! I'm 13 weeks pregnant and due October 6th. We are all pretty excited about adding another little chick-a-dee to the bunch.

So today I went to this sequential screening thing. It's basically a big diagnostic study to help determine if your baby may have any chromosomal disorder. I went because a couple friends have done it and really liked the cool, detailed ultrasound done. I told the doctor that if he should "see anything" to let me know. So we went through the measurements of the baby and all the important stuff and then he said "I think I see something". I started looking more closely at the ultrasound and didn't see anything so I thought maybe it was a girl then I said "Oh, I see something" and then Alex says "I see something" and the nurse said "Oh my gosh, I totally see something" and tadaa...there it was 100% BOY!!

I'm going to admit I was a little disappointed, I was kinda hoping for a girl but now I'm getting to used to the idea of another little boy. I do love my little blondies!!

My jeans and pants are definitely getting a little snug (okay...tight) so luckily there are sweatpants. I'm just dreading getting out that box of maternity clothes since I know I'm stuck in them for the next 6 months.

By the way, I'm open to boy name suggestions...

HONEST ABE

Here's Megan dressed up like Abraham Lincoln. She had to do a biography in school and she chose to do it on Abe. After the biography, she did an oral presentation on him and had to dress up for it. Luckily, we borrowed this cool beard and hat from our friend. The good news is that she ended up getting an A+ on the biography and the presentation. Yeah!

Too Hard to Say Good-bye

Well, this is not the greatest picture of my Grandma but it was a recent one I had. Grandma got into a car accident a few days before Christmas and unfortunately never was able to fully recover and return home. She was 91 and lived a great life yet I still few she was "robbed" of years. I was already making plans for her 100th birthday. Although the past 2 months of watching her in the hosptial and going through lots of ups and downs was difficult, I feel it was a blessing for us to be able to be with her so much during the end of her life. My family decided it was time for her to come home and stop trying to make a body stay alive that was ready to die. She came home on a Friday under hospice care and died early Monday morning. I was lucky enough to be with her that weekend and was able to see how peaceful and calm she looked that Sunday prior to her death. The one thing I learned through this process is hospitals are great at keeping people alive and we just don't let people die anymore. Medical help has come so far that it is now easy to keep a body living, but the question comes is it really living? I guess because I believe I will see her again it doesn't seem as sad to let someone go. Although I say this, I admit this has been the hardest death I've yet to bear. I cried my eyes out and still whenever I pass by the funeral announcement that says "Passed Away on Feb 25, 2007" I tear up.

Having said this, I do like to remember all the good times we shared. I had the unique opportunity of living within minutes of her. I went to her house every Sunday after church. During those years, we would make up dances to "Skip to my lou" while Bob played his harmonica. She also helped me learn to cook and to draw (although I can't really draw anymore). She was the one I would call when I was running away from home (yes, that happened more than once and I even had a suitcase packed). I also remember her taking me to the Pasadena Mall to go shopping and going to Twohey's for hot fudge sundaes. Its hard to write down a lifetime of memories but seriously she never missed an event in our lives; graduation, birthday's, blessings, baptisms, holidays, baby showers-- it really didn't matter how big or small the event she was always there. That is what will seem the hardest, going to a family party without her. I am happy for her and the reunion I know she is having with other loved ones passed on. I'm sure as much as we wanted her to stay they wanted her there more!

She was such a great example of living life to the fullest! She loved life and loved her family and friends. She was always ready to go and enjoy. I guess what I want to say is I truly loved her and am forever grateful to have had her in my life and in my children's lives.