House Log
Entry 1

Spent the last 2 days cleaning grout.
Feel a lot better about life being able to look at my tile without abhorrence.
Note: The Shark steamer is really as fantastic as the infomercial says...see if I can get paid to be on their commercial to endorse product.
Also, oxyclean rocks and Bissel wet vacuum.

Cleaned the shower.
Looked no better afterwards.
Need to figure out how to fix discolored caulking that our shower is covered in.
Thank you previous occupants who put in a white tiled shower which is currently the bane of my existence.
One should not feel dirtier after showering.
Fix nasty shower-tomorrow's goal.
Also tomorrow, hide half of Chloe's toys. Her room has doubled in size as well as the mess.

captain out.

We moved.
Finally.
When you move into a "new" house, you realize all the things that don't work.
And by golly there are a lot of things that don't work.
It makes me sad. : (
Our old house was a fix up too.
We gave it a new kitchen and new bathroom and a new backyard and front yard and new appliances.
I forgot what it is like to move into a fix up.
And my heart hurts a little for my cute little old house.

I have started a list of things that do not work. It makes me want to cry a few little tears. After I shed a few little tears, I will remember that there are starving children and children in orphanages and that puts things into perspective. So I will be grateful. I will. Nevertheless....
-water heater
-microwave
-2 burners on the stove
-dishwasher (thankfully that was figured out although it is archaic)
-oven has no racks
- decrepit bathtub that does not drain
-only one outlet in kitchen
-air conditioning in laundry room
-water/ice in refrigerator
-kitchen faucet
-cell phone
-Chloe's ear

Well that list does not look so long when I write it down.
But when 80% of your kitchen and 50% of your bathrooms don't work, it seems like a lot more.

And to end on a positive note...
uh...
Macie has a crib to sleep in now.
And she sleeps in it very well.

Summer colds should be illegal.
I hereby announce my petition to outlaw summer colds.
Please sign your name in my comment section and I will speedily turn it into the powers that be.
Course it will probably take years to become a law, but that's okay. At least I know that someday, summer colds will be illegal and one day our children will not have to suffer from the ravages of congestion.

My little Macie has had 2 colds in the space of 2 weeks.
The current one is a nasty little thing.
Poor Macie is feverish and has a goopy eye.
But she still manages to smile and be overall angelic.
I am sorry to inform you pregnant gals that I got the best baby from heaven and all you pregnant ladies out there are out of luck.

Of course I am just kidding as in all babies deserve an enthusiastic thumbs up.
But it goes without saying that I am a tad partial to my own posterity.

In Chloe news she has been saying some amusing things as usual.
*She found a hanger in the car and told me she had found a "hooker."

*One morning she woke up with her leg asleep, at least I am assuming that is what happened, because she told me, "Mommy! My leg is sparkly!"
By the way, it is really freaky when you wake up and a whole appendage is asleep. That happened to me recently. My entire arm was dead and it woke me up from my slumber and I had to take my other arm and use it to shake the other arm back to life. It was weird.

Well. That's all folks.

Does it seem like I am blogging a lot? Ya I think so too. That's because I have laundry to fold and dishes to put away.
So I am doing what a go get 'em ,type -A personality does-I am watching You Tube Videos.
Thanks to my friend Heather C. for introducing me to this guy's videos. He has a billion of them. These are just a couple of them that made me laugh.
Oh also, Don has scout camp this week. Hooray.
But good news. He is no longer the Scout Master. So I will be getting my husband back. No more monthly campouts or week long summer camp.
And this year, he is just going for one day to help get everything set up for the people taking his spot.
One time he went to scout camp when Chloe was 2 weeks old.
And I have never let him live that one down. (although with time, I have realized it wasn't entirely his fault being that neither of us were fully aware what it meant to have a newborn and that it is not a swell idea to leave a hormonal , post partum, first time mother alone for a week)
Ever since then, me and scout camp have not been on great terms.
But I love Don.
The end.

Marvelous Macie 5 months

Have you seen this man?
25% white 75% Hispanic male
175 pds (6 years ago, current weight undisclosed)
Goes by the name "Don."
Please call Phoenix Police.

I think I have decided that I need either 1. patience pills or 2. I need to start pounding the pavement. As in running, not like pounding it with my fist. That would not be too smart. Then I would break my fist. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to be a Mom, but man....some days I ask myself, "is this what I was born to do?"

We have been taking swimming lessons but chloe decided this week for some reason, that she is terrified of jumping off the side into the water.

This throws a wrench in our plans for her to become the female version of Michael Phelps.

So every morning our conversation goes something like this:

Me: Yay! It's time for swimming lessons. Let's get ready!

Chloe: But Mom, I don't wanna go to swimming wessons. I don't wanna jump in da pool. I just wanna swide in.

Me: How about an ice cream cone afterwards!

chloe: No...I just don't wanna jump in! You tell my teacher I not going to jump in!!

Me: But Chloe, you've done it before...it's not scary!

Chloe: No! No! No!

....

Me: Well which bathing suit are you going to wear? How about your pink one.

chloe: No!! I wear my Dora swimsuit! My fwend in my class, she not wear her pink one anymo.

Me: Just cause your friend doesn't wear her pink one, doesn't mean you can't wear yours. And Chloe, the Dora one is dirty.

Chloe: You go wook in da dirty cwothes for me? c'mone Momma. Les go.

....

Me: Chloe let's put sunblock on.

Chloe: No. I do it myself.

Me: Okay. Let me help you.

Chloe: No! I do it myself.

Me: Okay. Make sure you put it on your face.

Chloe: I did.

Me: Uh....no you didn't.

.....

On the flip side, she is also very endearing.
She has found a kindred spirit in her friend Bella.
They are what I would describe as rough and tough princesses.
It has been really nice because my friend and I have been switching off hosting.
And the girls just play and play and we are able to get some stuff done.
My friend and I are both in the process of moving (uh yes, we are still moving)
Don't ask.
I had Bella over the other day and they played for 8 hours straight.

Oh and on a completely other topic...here are some more pictures of my Reunion Choir Concert.

Dear whomever-
I don't think whomever is a word, but nevermind.
Could whomever is in charge, please, PLEASE stop reporting on Kate Middleton and the Prince. And also Pippa.
I am tired of looking at her gorgeous legs. And her never ending supply of expensive dresses.
And her long flowing hair.
And watching her step out of a private jet.
And I am tired of hearing about her sister's fantastic backside.
And pray tell, how is that fair, that not only do they have long brown hair, but also tan skin? Especially since they live in England.
I want to be a Princess. I want to embark on a "good will tour", or rather a vacation where I have everything paid for and get to go to a party every day and have a new party dress for every party.
I want to be a size 2 and have legs the length of California.
I want to be able to get away with wearing little hats.
I want to have a fancy little accent.

Also, I want to stop hearing about Victoria Beckam having a baby girl and how much money she is spending on clothing and housing that poor child.
Again, enough with the English already.
I thought we broke away from them years ago.

That is all I have to say on this matter.
Sincerely,
Boring old American Melissa

It took me an hour to download these pictures. This is a new computer too. I am very confused. But darnit, I was determined. Chloe is at her grandparent's for the week. I miss my Chloe. But I intend to do some deep cleaning while she is gone. I have been finding little drawings on many of my walls. All of the same thing. A person that looks like an alien. Oh to be inside that child's head for a day....

Yesterday was the 4th of July and I forgot to take any pictures. But I am somewhat grateful because that would have probably taken another hour to download those. we had planned on going south for a small town fireworks show, but the state of Arizona is on fire so it was cancelled. Boo. But we had a great day nonetheless. We went to our church's pancake breakfast and I was extremely grateful for shade and a breeze. My friend and I sang a little "My Country Tis of Thee" and started out on the wrong notes. I sure love embarrassing moments like these. And by the end of the song both of our children were standing in front of us.

Chloe's little friend to which I am referring is "Mo." And the two of them are the most hilarious pair. They are like an old married couple. Chloe is the bossy, domineering wife, and Mo is along for the ride. Literally. Most times I find them, Chloe is pulling in him in a wagon, or doing all the work on the teeter totter. And both of them are quite happy with their roles.

The other day I was babysitting and this was their idea for entertainment. It started out with this conversation:
Mo: "She's naked! She needs some clothes!"
Chloe: "Let's tape her to the wall! Then she won't be naked!"

Something like that. It was in 4 year old language.

And then they taped every toy they could find to the wall.

That night as I was laying in bed, I kept hearing a kerplunk. And I kept thinking someone was trying to break into my house. Silly me. It was just the toys falling off the wall. One by one.

Dad's Birthday was on July 2nd, and I asked him what he wanted to do. He said "oh, well we could maybe have a bowl of ice cream."

Before or after we watch CSPAN?

I said, really? That is all you want to do? So then he said maybe we could have some sandwiches or spaghetti.

Well my brother and I tried to think of some way to sparkle things up a bit because eating a sandwich for your birthday sounded really, really lame.

Well my brother saved the day and brought me back some groceries and we made a spaghetti dinner. And by the way, not to toot my own horn, (okay I am going to toot it) but my Dad said it was the best spaghetti he had had in a really long time.

My brother made a pineapple upside cake and Chloe was his sou chef. She insisted on doing everything and my brother was oh so kind to oblige. It took twice as long to make but Chloe loved it.

I think my Dad enjoyed his Birthday dinner and I think it was celebrated in proper Birthday fashion.

June 29th we celebrated Adam's birthday, and where in the world is Adam the birthday boy in this picture? We went out for....wait for it....spaghetti!! sigh.

And then came back to my house for cake.

And here are some catch up pictures:

Dear Macie, you get your thighs from me. you're welcome.

Chloe at her gymnastics "Showcase for the Stars." More like "Showcase of indifference towards following directions."

Chloe's very last minute Birthday party.

Clearly to her, a party is a party, no matter how last minute! And this is why I love children.

I had to take a picture after church because I had inadvertently put us all in coordinating colors. And Don matched too! But he refused to get in the picture. Also, we needed someone to take the picture. I am glad we took a picture because as you can see, it came out really well.

Today it is supposed to be 117 degrees. I stepped 2 feet out of my house to get the mail, and decided right then and there that I would not be setting foot outside my house until most likely October. So if you would like to see me in person, please call and make an appointment. Or you can just drop by. Because like I said, I intend to not leave until Halloween.

Today is my Dad's birthday. He is the big 7-0. I can't believe it. My Dad is perpetually 40 in my eyes. I am always shocked when I find out someone I consider to be uh, elderly, is the same age as my Dad. Like the wonderful little old lady I know who is the samples lady at Costco. She is the same age as my Dad! How is this possible? But my Dad does not act 70, he likes naps, but he has ALWAYS liked naps so I don't think that is an age thing. He also still has brown hair. And he also still goes to work, doing surgeries and working at the County Medical Clinic, working 8 hour days. Don's parents are the same way. Don's parents work harder than us, hands down. Well harder than me. Don amazes me too. He is literally hauling dirt right now. 3 tons of dirt to be exact. But I couldn't go help. Because I have a lot to do. Like blogging. Someone's gotta blog, you know! Blogging doesn't just do itself, now does it?

My little Macie Moo is almost 5 months. And she is a dream baby. She hardly cries. You just look at her and she smiles.

And my Chloe continues to amuse and bewilder me. It seems she changes her obsessions daily. Now it seems she has found a liking to making forts in her bedroom and choosing to sleep on the floor instead of her bed. Yesterday I took her to Target and she wore blue stretch pants, a hot pink skirt, a purple polka dot shirt, a dark pink shrug, and two hats. And under one of the hats she put 2 small bottles of hand sanitizer. Also she found my bra yesterday and told me she had found my boo boo shells.

Well I tried to download some pictures but I give up. I shall try again later.