having ourselves a merry little Christmas

Moving the weekend before Christmas can kind of put a damper on the holiday spirit, but we're trying not to let it get to us. It may not be decking the halls, but we got our tree and stockings up today. Santa Claus, we're ready!

First tooth to fall out!

Andy lost his first tooth! He was eating dinner and accidentally swallowed it (oops!)... but lucky for him, the Tooth Fairy still came and left him a present under his pillow that night anyway.

early presents with friends

The Magical Forest at Opportunity Village

We spent an evening touring Opportunity Village's Magical Forest in Las Vegas. Our favorite ride was the Forest Express train!

the Christmas before the Christmas

We had several "Christmas" celebrations with friends before we headed out of town. Here are the highlights from a fun party held with members of our play group.



Andrew & Hunter wait patiently to open their gifts.



Hunter collapsed with his new toy :)

Catching up...

Sorry for the lapse in posting - The picture above tells it all, the story of my life. Ha ha, a highway sign. I'm driving around in Las Vegas, in limbo. Go right and it's back to where I came from (Reno). Go left and go forward to our new adventures in Phoenix.

It's been a crazy couple of weeks as we prepared to move and finally did move to Phoenix. But, I'm back for now and ready to catch up! It might take a couple posts, but hopefully I'll get it all in.

holiday cheer from our family

a few more pictures from Thanksgiving

Hunter playing in the leaves in Santa Rosa



Mom caught Andrew & Dawn


Riding tractors at Grandma & Grandpa Moon's house

Andrew's Awesome Pet Show - Episode 3

Turkey Day Trip

Some snapshots from our trip to Reno for Thanksgiving. Andrew was so excited to see his Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Mark and Aunt Jolene. We went to cheer on the Nevada Wolfpack on Wednesday night and spent Turkey Day at Uncle Mark's house with family.


Now we are in Santa Rosa, CA visiting friends .... more coming on that soon!

new pictures!

Our 2008 Christmas Photos are here!

Second Episode of Andrew's Pet Show

This one had a rockier taping session and ended up looking strikingly similar to the first episode.

Andrew's Awesome Pet Show

If this doesn't get you rolling with laughter... ha ha ha
Andy is already planning his second episode.

dinnertime monologue

Happy Birthday Andrew!

My big boy turned 6 today! He was so excited to get his "big" present, a turtle that he named Emmy. Here are some of the sights and sounds.

The "alligator" cupcakes that we brought to school this morning



Andrew and Emmy




Andrew blowing out the candles (this is a movie file)




Hunter after the cupcakes and spaghetti (probably not Mom's greatest dinner combination)

Dear Santa

Where would we be without Toys R Us' "Biggest Toy Book Ever" this year? (On a side note, what a great marketing tactic! LOL) The other night Andrew thumbed through with a pen and circled all the toys he wanted Santa to bring him this year. We only made it through a couple of pages on camera, but I think you'll get the picture.

I just hope Andrew stays on the nice list until Christmastime. He gave Santa a TALL order.

the beat underneath

I went out for a run the other day and realized after I'd gotten down the street a little ways that I'd synced my iPod to the wrong playlist. Oops... so instead of my usual fast-paced, upbeat running music I was transported back to the late 1990s with vintage Alanis Morrisette and even some newer tunes from Nickelback and Daughtry. After a few songs, I found a beat. The beat underneath and that beat worked for me. I ran the longest I had ever run (10.7 miles!) and I realize that my mind and my breathing were following the tune of the song, rather slow and melodic (or maybe melodramatic too?), but my heart and my feet were following the beat underneath the tune, a much faster, steady and pulsing beat.

The more I got into it, the more I equated the beat underneath to what is going on in our country right now and it's part of the reason that I voted for Obama this past week. I love the big picture tune that he sings. The tune of "change" and "yes, we can". But underneath he is running fast and steady. He has a goal in mind and he's going to see us through to the end. And though sometimes it may feel like we're running in quicksand if we listen to the beat, we can keep going.

And speaking of goals, my sights are set on the Las Vegas Marathon on December 7th. My last day in Las Vegas will be spend running the streets like a madwoman! LOL, talk about leaving Las Vegas with a bang.

Andrew's first soccer game

I know it's a little late in the season, but after being sidelined by a broken wrist for the last month, Andrew hit the field for the first time this afternoon. His team, The Transformers (if you're wondering, YES, my son had a hand in naming his team) beat the Tigers.

Halloween Pictures!

Our Halloween fun started with pumpkin carving on Thursday with our friends Veronica, Willie and Ricky. Andrew carved up a mean jack-o-lantern and mom carved a spider web on her pumpkin and a skeleton on Hunter's pumpkin.

Friday was trick or treating. Andrew was a soldier and Hunter was a lion (costume hand-made with love by mom). We went to Safe Street by our house and also hit the streets with some friends from our playdate group. All in all we walked away with more candy than we could possibly eat in a year. Woo hoo! I think I know what Andrew will be getting for treats in his lunchbox for the next couple of weeks.

web brained

As I was clicking through my blogs and RSS feeds this morning... I found a pair of rather amusing headlines. Well, independent of each other they are rather plain, but together I couldn't help myself from ROTFL. :P

The first one a wire copy story from Reuters headlined: Is surfing on the Internet altering your brain? An interesting read about how use of the Internet and cell phones is making us more skilled at decision making, especially under pressure. Hmmm... food for thought.

The second one was a small mention in the AdWeek blog entitled "Doing drugs can impair you web browsing". Sounds like no-duh, right? I highly encourage you to click on the link and see if you don't end up ROTFL too.

on second thought

Hunter "graduated" this week from high chair to kitchen table. Oh, my baby is getting so big!

But, on second thought, maybe it was too soon?

After this pic was taken, Hunter decided to be really wild and dumped his plate on his head.

On the one hand, I didn't have to clean spaghetti sauce out of the crevices of a high chair. The kitchen table was flat for easy cleaning. On the other hand, my kitchen table chairs aren't exactly machine washable.

Ahhhh, the joys of being mom.

purple polka dots

Blogging from Borders Bookstore at Town Square today... where I have just purchased a new purple polka dot pen. I know, I know, it's a silly thing to blog about. But after a few days of dragging, fighting off a new cold and headaches from digging into some rather complex research for my new client (it's intense stuff, but I'm seeing a lot of potential!), I needed a break with some lighter stuff. Think vanilla latte and InStyle - with a window shopping trip through Ann Taylor LOFT.

Back to the pen, I normally don't buy funky pens (give me a Bic and I'll be fine), but this one grabbed my attention. Not just because it was purple - my new inspirational color - but because it was polka dotted. How fun! Random dots, doing as they please. Like me? I hope.

It has been 5 weeks since I left the structured office atmosphere and kind of like a lost kids blankie, I'm missing its warmth. But part of me is glad for the freedom. When I hit a mental block I can go for a run. When I need a coffee break, my kitchen is downstairs... and when both collide at the same time, I can jog my way to Starbucks! (ha ha, try that in a suit and heels!)

I am not bound by any strategic plan to spend my days thinking about some of the worlds gloomiest subjects (methamphetamine, domestic violence, identity theft... to name a few). Instead, I am working on plans to help families and communities. What an inspiration.

And I'm also working on plans for me. To do the things I love to do. To be creative, to inspire and help others. And, best of all, to be me. After years of being silenced as a journalist (always tell both sides) and a political flack (only your boss' opinion counts), I am ready for my voice to be heard.

I can write subjects of my choice. I can be random, like the polka dots on my new pen!

Do you freecycle?

In preparation for our move, I decided to clean out the boys drawers and closets for clothes that don't fit. But when I was done, I was a little shocked to realize just how few clothes my boys have that actually fit. Since Andrew is going to private school, he really hasn't worn much other than his uniform and Hunter, well, he gets his clothes dirty five seconds after I get them on him, so I wasn't really paying all that much attention.

Oh, what to do what to do? The weather is changing and my kids need clothes.

But, thanks to a friend whose son is growing faster than mine and a woman on Freecycle -- I am now SWIMMING in boys clothes ranging from 12M to boys 8 - and today is the day I chose to sort through the mess. I have several piles. The wash for use now pile (winter clothes in 6 for Andrew and 24 Mo for Hunter), the summer clothes wash for saving pile (clothes that are a little big now, but its too cold to wear them), the too big clothes wash for saving pile (clothes that won't fit next season but I want to save for later), the too-small Freecycle bag (clothes that don't fit Hunter or won't fit next season that I will "pay it forward" and post on Freecycle), a donation pile (clothes that are in good condition but that I wouldn't like for my kids to wear - I'll drop them off for the local kids shelter) and a trash pile (clothes that I wouldn't wish on any other mother for the life of me!)

If you've never done Freecycle, you should! It's easy. You can read through posts of things people are giving away and respond if you'd like to pick up the item, you can post things you want to give away or you can post items you are looking for. Earlier this year I posted that I needed some planting pots for a little garden I wanted to plant in the backyard. A lady on the other side of town answered my post saying she had several and I was able to pick them up. Some people give away things like washing machines or televisions, others are as small as unused makeup or clothes. Save money, save room in the landfills. Good for you, good for the environment and excellent for the other person not wanting to spend money to dump things

When you have boys, the clothes are going to get ruined anyway, so why spend a lot of money on them! Of course, I do buy a couple sets of nice things for special occasions.

For a garage sale junkie like me, Freecycle is a dream come true and I am completely indebted now that my boy's drawers are brimming with fall clothes.

Thank you!!!

Back on the weight loss bandwagon

Since leaving the AG's office, I've somewhat fallen off the weight loss bandwagon. While I haven't gained any weight back (woo hoo!), my weight has been stagnant for the last few weeks. Since the beginning of the year I have lost more than 30 lbs! So this weekend I attempted to jump-start my weight loss journey again while walking in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for the Cure at UNLV. Andrew walked about half the walk with me and rode with Hunter in the stroller the other half of the time. Afterwards we hung out in the grass for a little bit and jumped in the bounce houses (okay, that was more Andrew than Hunter or I). During that time, Hunter got the camera away from me and took a couple rather funny pictures. I can't believe how thin I look in this picture. WOW!!! So inspirational!

new adventures

I have a new job, of sorts! YAY! And its one that will give us that extra push to move to Phoenix, as we've been planning to do for about six months now. I'll be doing freelance work for a small PR firm KWPR. It's a mother's dream job and I am so excited to start. I'll be working 10-12 hours a week from home to help the group with a new account. Eventually, I may be able to take on more accounts once I get my feet wet and show off my skills.

What this means for me professionally is that I'll get to slow down for a little bit. My career took off like a rocket ship and yes, while I am aiming for the stars, I'm okay with this side trip to the international space station. We'll dock there for a little bit and then readjust our aim when we're ready to move on.

Personally, I'm hoping for a lot less stress. I'll be able to focus more on the boys and keeping our house in order and also focus on me. Reevaluating what I want out of my life, where I want to go, how I want to get there. I'll be able to continue my weight loss journey and continue working to trading my old somewhat unhealthy habits for new healthier ones. I'll be able to do some more writing at home and work on hobbies like reading, scrapbooking and sewing.

Whew! I can't wait!

my heart is breaking for him

I think becoming a mother has made me so much more sensitive to the pain of others around me, especially when it is my child who is hurting. Andrew broke his wrist tonight. He was horsing around and it was an accident, but even knowing that doesn't make it any better. He has two "bubble' fractures on either side of his right wrist and we have to make an appointment for him to get a cast for it. Poor guy is in so much pain and I am sitting here crying right alongside with him. My, what a pair we make. You know the saying about mothers? That they let their heart walk around outside their bodies. It is so true. I wish I could just hug him and hold him and make all the pain go away for him, but I can't. He can no longer participate in swimming lessons or play soccer or even write out his own homework. My heart is breaking for him. These next few weeks are going to be a tough struggle for him. Please say a prayer for my little boy tonight. He's going to need all the help he can get.

morning commute (this one is for Grandma)

Hunter took his morning sippy cup of soymilk for a ride around the backyard in his newly rediscovered "Flintstone mobile". The toy car had been hiding in our garage but was uncovered when I recently did a fall cleaning for a yard sale. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.

keep on truckin'

Our friends Jamie and Caden had an extra ticket to a truck race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway last night so they invited Andrew and I to come along with them. It was the first time either of us had been to a car race before and it was really loud and fun! Andrew was rooting for the "blue truck" and loved getting to see some of the cars up close in the parking lot.

Have you seen me?

Rocky decided to bail on us earlier this week and the boys are missing him fiercely. He is just about a year old, Basset / Lab / Shephard Mix (I know, that's funny!). He is mostly black but as you can see has some shephard brown in his face, ears and undercoat.

Andrew prays to St. Francis every night (that's who his Kindergarten teacher said he should pray to) and Hunter walks around the house saying "woof woof" looking for his four-legged pal. If you've seen him, please email me. He disappeared on Tuesday morning. We haven't seen him since. He does not have his leash on as I had taken it off to brush him that morning. He does have a microchip implanted so hopefully that will help in identifying him and returning him home. In the meantime we are keeping our eyes open and checking the animal shelters regularly.

Rocky, come home! We miss you!

White after Labor Day

It's a slow Friday night here and I've found myself sucked into another edition of TLC's What Not to Wear. I must admit I have a tiny fascination with fashion, but wouldn't dare wear half of what I think looks stylish or hip.

Every time I catch the show I sit there and take stock of what I'm wearing and how it stacks up to the participant on the show. Tonight I definitely win! But I wore white shorts today and it dawned on me that it's after Labor Day - oh my, what a faux pas? So I'm curious, just what is the reasoning behind this strange rule? So, like any curious soul, I headed over to Yahoo Answers to find out.

Originally, the rule was more along the lines of "Only wear white shoes between Memorial Day and Labor Day." Furthermore, it mainly applied to white pumps or dress shoes. White tennis shoes and off-white boots seem exempt, as are any shoes worn by a winter bride. "Winter white" clothing (e.g., cream-colored wool) is acceptable between Labor Day and Memorial Day too.

The only logical reasoning we could find cited temperature. Image consultant Nancy Penn suggests that because white reflects light and heat, wearing white would make you cooler in winter, and thus should be avoided. But others suggest the rule stems from a class issue. Acting Director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology Valerie Steele notes that in the late 19th century and the 1950s, more people were entering the middle classes. These nouveau-riche folks were often unaware of the standards of high society, so they were given specific codified rules to follow in order to fit in.

Several sites quoted a charming refrain about G.R.I.T.S. -- girls raised in the South. This bit of folklore states, "Southern girls know bad manners when they see them," and a clear sign of bad manners is wearing white shoes before Easter or after Labor Day. Because fashions in the American South can be a little more formal than elsewhere, perhaps the no-white-shoes rule came from south of the Mason-Dixon Line? Even Star Jones (an otherwise fashion-forward Southern lady) admits that white shoes "are for Easter Sunday and not the dead of winter."

We can only surmise that the point of this rule is to ensure that people only wear summer fashions during the actual summer months. The opposite probably applies as well, but people generally don't need to be reminded to avoid wearing a goose-down parka in 100-degree weather. If you live in a locale with summer temperatures year-round, we can't see the harm in wearing white shoes or a head-to-toe white outfit in October.

I guess that makes sense - and since I find myself in 90-100 degree Las Vegas heat, I'm going to assume my white shorts are okay. Okay, back to my boring Friday night.

Depression?

There's no doubt that the United States is in a recession fueled by rising energy costs, the ailing housing market, the credit crisis, and now financial institution turmoil. This recession has been building for a while and has become fodder for headlines and lead stories every day. Everyone is impacted in some way, shape or form by the tumultuous state of our economy. As the word recession becomes a dinnertime staple, a new buzz word is starting to pop up. Depression. Are we really in a Depression? Not yet.

We are so eager to slap "worst case scenario" on everything bad that comes along, but hold your horses folks. Compared to the 1930s we're not even close. Our unemployment levels, though up, do not rival the 25% unemployment rate of that decade. The bottom fell out of the stock market then. We still have a floor to stand on. Economically, we are less secure than we were a year ago.

What we're going through is an economic episode much longer and more significant than a standard-issue recession. It started with the stock market collapse of 2001-2002, was temporarily shoved aside by the housing bubble, but is now back and may stick around for a while. It's not a Depression. But it may be a depression.

And so it begins...

This is the start of my blog here on Blogspot. Everyone has one, I might as well join the crowd. I’m guessing that I will be including all kinds of tidbits of information on subjects that interest me... everything from professional PR and communications/politics buzz to parenting, pictures of me and the kids, traveling, and most likely some crafty vibes. Please feel free to comment on anything and everything. I enjoy the feedback and the open communication.

Past Blog Pages

Link to the old blog here... for some of our pictures etc!