Eclipse -- Twilight Book 3

Wow. Just wow. This series has me in more of a tizzy than Harry Potter did. And the best thing? All the books are out, so I can read them without delay!

I knew 2 days ago I would finish Eclipse yesterday (which I did) so I bought Breaking Dawn from Amazon.

By the way, with Christmas right around the corner, you can get a MONTH free of Amazon Prime, which will give you FREE 2-day shipping, or you can upgrade to overnight shipping for $3.99 per item.

Which is what I did. So I received Breaking Dawn yesterday from Mr. UPS Man. I started reading it this morning (I had obligations last night), and not even one chapter in, I'm hooked.

But since this post is about Eclipse, maybe I should be talking about that?

*****SPOILER ALERT*******











I love the connection between Bella and Jacob. While I think that Edward is the better choice for her, what girl wouldn't want a guy to pine after her? I also enjoyed the battle at the end, and the team work of both the vampires and the werewolves. Like Bella, I just wish they could all get along! Reading into Breaking Dawn, I see that Seth and Edward are friends, but I know nothing more than that (please, no spoilers in the comments for Breaking Dawn, only talk about the first three books).


If you have something more to say about any of the first three Twilight books, let me know, and you can be a guest blogger!!!

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta -- Borrego Days 2008

Last weekend, we had our big To-Do here in town. They call it Borrego Days. Starting on Thursday, the 23rd, we had something to do every night! Thursday's event was the Huell Howser meet and greet at the Performing Arts Center. Big Sis and I went because my grandma is a HUGE fan of Huell Howser and California's Gold. They also did an awards ceremony for one of the local park rangers. (Did you know I live in the heart of the Anza-Borrego State Park?) So, we sat through the whole thing, and after, Huell came up to Big Sis and asked if she was a fan of California's Gold. She said no! I then remembered that it's usually on in the evenings, when she's already in bed. Anyway, here's a pic of Big Sis and Huell Howser. I do believe this is her first celebrity meeting!

Saturday was the parade. The elementary school entered a float, and the principal asked students to dress up as what they wanted to be in the future. Big Sis came to me and asked me to get her a doctor costume. Well, that was last year's costume. So I told her, wear your Cinderella costume, and tell your principal you're going to work at Disneyland while you go to college. It seemed to make her happy. Little Sis was a "Pirate Princess" and is wearing her sister's pirate Mickey ears. The float won FIRST PLACE!!
So we walked in the parade. As we entered the main drag in town, I took this pic of the parade route. I would say it was probably a mile. Both girls (and all the kids) did great. No one fell or got tired, and best of all, no one stepped in horse poop!!! If you look closely, you can see Big Sis in her Cinderella costume.
After the parade, we went to the Kids Zone at the fair. It was made of up 5 bounce houses, and for $5 each, the kids could play all day. We stayed for about an hour and a half, then went home for lunch and potty breaks (I wasn't using the porta-potties!). The girls had a BLAST. Sunday was the same, but since we knew one of the ladies who was selling the bracelets, we got a 2-for-1, since we got there with only 2 hours left on Sunday. It's nice to know people, especially in this small town!

So there you have it. The recap of last weekend, and a sneak peek at the girls' costumes. I bet you're wondering where the pic of me is, right? Well, thanks to the handy-dandy web cam on the laptop, I was able to get one of me. It's not the full effect, though. But you can see the main parts: my ears and my lanyard. I've had a great morning already, since I've seen the only male teacher here at the middle school (there's only 4 teachers), and he's decked out as a woman! Make-up, nail polish, the works! Hilarious!!

I hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween! Don't forget about the candy recall!

Disneyland Countdown: 6 Weeks!

6 Weeks to Go!!

Since tomorrow's Halloween, I thought I'd post a pic from last year's Halloween Treat at California Adventure. That was our second year going. We had a blast, even though it rained. We met up with some LaughingPlace friends, and it was a grand old party!

Big Sis was dressed as a doctor. That costume came from the Dollar Tree and was a HIT! Little Sis was in a hand-me-down Cinderella dress that was given to me from a friend. E will be wearing that dress tomorrow!

Aloha Friday!

It's been a while since I've done Aloha Friday, so I thought I'd go for it again this week.

This weekend is the start of Borrego Days! This is a HUGE event here in town. It technically started last week, with a town clean-up. Big Sis went, since I was out of town. Last night, Huell Howser from PBS' California Gold was at our Performing Arts Center for a meet-and-greet. It was fun! Very informative and educational. Big Sis went with me was was somewhat bored. But, she got her pic taken with Huell, which Grandma will get a kick out of.

Today is a minimum day for the kids, since the festivities kick off tonight. There's even a Miss Borrego Pageant tonight, where several Senior Girls compete for the much-coveted title of Miss Borrego. Tomorrow is the parade, which Big Sis will participate in, dressed as Cinderella. The theme is "What I want to do in the Future" or something like that, and she wanted to go as a doctor, but that was last year's costume. So I told her to wear her Cindy costume, and tell the principal that she wants to work at Disney while she went to college to be a doctor. HAHA. Clever mom, huh?

So, my Aloha Friday question is this:

What do you enjoy most about fairs? Your local fair, county fair, or state fair, what's your favorite thing?

I don't know what to expect...rides? Funnel cake? I have NO idea...so it's hard for me to get super excited. But, I'll post a FULL report on Monday!



Also, head over to Nothing But PURPLE for a chance to win Mabel Labels. I won some from MomDot over the summer, and they are AWESOME little labels!

Disneyland Countdown: 7 Weeks!

7 Weeks to Go!!!

In April last year, Big Sis was finally tall enough for Indiana Jones! Well, techinically, she wasn't, but I put her in platforms to raise her the 1/4 of an inch she needed. She was so proud! Once we got in line, she practically ran to get on it!

This trip, Little Sis will finally be 40" -- so she can ride Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and Soarin' Over California! I can't wait!!

Disneyland Countdown: 8 Weeks!

8 Weeks to go!

Wow, time's sure going by fast! These countdowns are helping ease the pangs of Disneyland withdrawals.

This weeks pic:


This pic was taken, obviously, on January 5, 2007. This was one trip where I had Little Sis but not Big Sis. Big Sis was visiting her dad. This trip was actually my second date with an ex-boyfriend. Little Sis had a blast being the center of attention. This was taken on our way to Mickey's Movie Barn and is one of my favorites.

Ways to Know You're Obsessed with Disney

1. You say things like "Oh bother" (Winnie the Pooh), "Oh pickles" (Twinkle from Higgley Town Heroes), "Oh snap" (Raven from That's So Raven), and other choice catch phrases coined by Disney characters. (leave a comment and add your own!)

2. You have the song "Best of Both Worlds" stuck in your head, and you wonder what it would be like to be a secret rock star.

3. You can talk to your 7-year-old about the characters from her favorite Disney Channel TV shows/movies like they're her best friends.

4. You dream that the song from Enchanted actually won the Oscar for Best Song in a Movie.

5. Even though you have a 5 day trip planned in 9 weeks, you are jealous whenever you hear that someone else has gone to Disneyland.

6. You get annoyed when the Disneyland commercials show Cinderella's Castle from Walt Disney World.

7. You throw your kids' birthday party at Downtown Disney because you can't wait 9 weeks for your Disney fix, but don't want to spend the money on the tickets just yet.

8. You have more friends from your online Disney message board that you know in person than you actually met in person.

9. You create a blog specifically for planning information pertaining to your Disneyland vacation, hoping that others will benefit from your knowledge. (be patient..blogger thought it was a spam blog. I'm working on getting it restored)

10. Your iPod is set to wake you up with your Disney songs playlist.

11. Even though you're not going into the park, you camp out on top of the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure with your iPod and portable speakers so you can still enjoy the Remember...Dreams Come True fireworks...with music!


Feel free to add a comment with your own Disney Obsession...or your "friend's" Disney Obsession.

Disneyland Countdown: 9 Weeks!

Whoo-hoo! 9 Weeks to Go!


This pic was taken when I took the girls for my first annual birthday trip in December 2006. This was a total surprise for the girls. I told them we were going for a drive. They ended up falling asleep during the 1-hour drive from my grandma's. When I got off the freeway, Big Sis woke up and I told her we were lost. I asked her to look around, to see if she could tell me where we were. She saw the Matterhorn, and she said "Mommy! We're at DISNEYLAND!" Probably my best memory ever. I can't wait to take them for Mommy's 3rd Annual Birthday Trip!

Happy Birthday, My Sweet Little Girl

Well, I was going to post pics of my younger daughter, who is turning 4 today.

Due to circumstances at home, I've been unable to get to use the scanner. I promise I'll post them as soon as I can.

Until then, let's get to the real reason I'm posting.

On October 8, 2004 at 9:59pm, Little Sis was born. I had been in labor all day, but didn't know it until 2pm, and didn't feel it until almost 5pm. I had no epidural, and she came out screaming, with a full head of hair like her sister, weighing in at 9 pounds, 5 ounces.

Today, she's the sweetest thing. She has her moments, but she loves to cuddle with me, especially in the morning before we're both fully awake. She's just NOW staying asleep through the night on a regular basis, but I chalk that up to constant drama we're dealing with. Plus, Big Sis sacrificed the top bunk for her little sister.

We'll be going to Downtown Disney this weekend to celebrate. I'm excited and can't wait! I've got a few surprised in store for them. I'll be sure to post pics then, too.

Happy Birthday, Little Sis. I love you, Mama's Girl!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

On October 6, 2001 at 4:13am, my baby girl was born.

Today, she turns 7. I can't believe what a beautiful young lady she has turned into. She's so smart and sassy, sometimes, I think she's more like 13 or 14. But, she's only 7. She still loves all things Disney. She still loves her teddy bear and baby dolls. She still loves playing Candyland with her sister. She still loves watching cartoons in the mornings, but can enjoy watching BH90210 with mommy (which is what we're doing now).

Here she is today, in the new sweater and skirt that Ya-Ya (my mom) sent her, and new shoes that I bought her for running club.

Happy Birthday, Princess!!

Update on "Why?" and an RSVP

So, I had to email Little Sis' teacher anyway today to get a head count so I could buy enough stuff for the goodie bags. I mentioned that her birthday is on Wednesday, not Friday, and she replied with "OH MY GOODNESS! I'll change it on the bulletin board right away!" No harm, no foul. The situation with Big Sis' name on the homework pass still bugs me, but I'm going to guess it wasn't her teacher who did it, it may have been an aid who doesn't know her well. Everyone I know who knows her knows her by her nickname, not her full name. And there are no other kids at the school (besides her sister) with that last name, so it's not like she was confused with someone else.

So today, I went to the Post Office. Have I mentioned that our town is so small that we don't get our mail delivered to our houses? Anyway, I received my sister's Wedding Invitation in the mail today! I opened it while I was in line to mail out my rent check (they round stamp it and put it in the landlord's PO Box), and she had a custom photo stamp on the RSVP card!! Everyone in the PO loved it! I filled it out and mailed it back right then.

So, December 4, I'll be on a plane to Colorado Springs. In December. A week before my Disneyland trip. Possibly snow. Fun, right? :) Also, I think I'm the new Maid of Honor, since her best friend from Florida, who has known about this engagement since the day it happened, doesn't have the money to go. (Nope, no bitterness there!) I see my dress hanging on the door here at my grandma's house, and I have to keep reminding myself that it's not finished. HAHA. It looks HUGE! I'm going to join Weight Watchers with the hope of losing some weight before then. Of course, eating an Extra Long Chili Cheese Coney with Tots and a Vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper from Sonic didn't help. I think I'll just drive back to grandma's every Friday night to make it to the meetings on Saturday mornings. I'm just not doing great online. I also have no food in the house, so eating right is hard when all you have is frozen fries and frozen pizza and tons of sweet bread.

Oh, and don't you just love wireless internet? I brought the work laptop to grandma's tonight. I'm tapped into a neighbor's wireless. Whose? I don't know, but it's working! Whoo-hoo!

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta 10/3/08

These pics are from our Disneyland trip last October for the girls' birthdays. We were sitting just to the right of the Castle as you walk towards Fantasyland. If you see in Big Sis' hand, she has a "dinglehopper." We were sitting with a good friend, Marty, who is friends with many of the Cast Members in the parade. This is why the Fairy Godmother stopped to give the girls hugs! When Ariel passed us on her float, Big Sis waved her "dinglehopper" at her, and Ariel was THRILLED!

Also, notice Big Sis' hair? We had gone to Libby Lu the day before and she got her "rock star" makeover. We managed to keep her hair like that for 3 days, until she went back to school. This was a great trip, and I'm bummed we aren't going this year. We're counting down until December, though!

Disneyland Countdown: 10 Weeks

10 Weeks and Counting!!


This one was taken when I went with the girls, my mom, sister, brother, SIL, nephew, and 2 cousins. Man, was that trip a nightmare. It was the first trip after the 50th Anniversary started, and was my worst trip I've ever experienced at Disneyland. After this trip, I was adamant about having the best time I can have every time I went. After this trip, I became an Annual Passport Holder. This was also Little Sis' 2nd trip to Disneyland.

Little Sis

Today, I had to stay home for an extra hour because my babysitter quit on me. So, I have no one to take care of Little Sis from 7:30 til 9:00, until she has to be at Pre-school. Today, I'm going to take her a little early, then jet on over to work.

As we're sitting here watching old re-runs of Beverly Hills, 90210, Little Sis is writing at Big Sis' desk. She brings me her paper, and she had written her NAME!!!

She's been working on it lately. She had the first letter down in capital, but was slowly getting the other letters, out of order.

This morning, she managed to put them all in order, AND tell me the letters!!!

This is a proud mommy moment!!! I just wish I could scan it to show you all!

Wordless Wednesday 10-1-08

Girls' Birthday Trip to Disneyland
October 2007