Santa doesn't Like BRATZ!

We happened to see Santa and Barnes and Noble the other day. Abby patiently waited her turn in line. The little girl in front of her happened to ask for a BRATZ doll. (For those of you who do not know what a BRATZ doll is, its the Barbie type dolls that are scantily clad, and talk with an attitude.) So when Abby got to the front of the line, she decided to ask for the same thing. And do you know what Santa said?....."Ho! Ho! Ho! Those are popular this year. However, Santa isn't sure he is going to have any in stock this season. I dont really like those BRATZ dolls."

Yes! Way to go Santa! He must have magical powers to have known that I have told Abby time and time again that I dont like the Bratz dolls and I dont want think we will ever own one. The next night at our church Christmas party we saw Santa again. Both kids asked for bikes this time. Santa seemed to like that idea much better.

An Upgrade

Here is the new rental we will be moving into when we move to Prescott, AZ. It is a 3 bedroom house, complete with laundry room, huge master-bedroom, and a fireplace. It is quite the upgrade from our tiny California Condo (which was 700 dollars more a month)! Less than 2 weeks left until the move.

From Our Galaxy to Yours: Happy Halloween!

“I’m Luke Skywalker, I’m here to rescue you.”

"I dont know who you are or where you come from, but from now on you'll do as I say, okay."

May the Force be with you.

Leia and Luke with Mom (aka Queen Amidala)

For those that requested...

More talent show video footage can be found....HERE.

What does your child learn from Sesame Street?

Now I know how they keep those clouds away....
A conversation I had with Abby this week:

Abby: Mom, do we have any weed in the house?
Me: Huh?
Abby: Do we have any weeeeeeed in the house?
Me: What? I'm not sure what you mean? Where did you learn that word?
Abby: They taught me about it on Sesame Street.
Me: I am not sure they would say that on Sesame Street. What do you know about weed?
Abby: You know you can grow it.... and then grind it up and put it in cookies and stuff.
Me: (Confused look on my face)
Abby: And in bread and stuff.
Me: Oh! Do you mean, wheat? With a "t".
Abby: Oh yeah, that's what I meant to say. Do we have any wheat in the house?

Nelsons Got Talent

This last Friday was our ward talent show....(David this post is for you.)

Abby's routine was to Eileen Barton's If I knew You Were Comin' I'd Have Baked a Cake...a tribute to my older viewers out there...(geez.....I'm going to get in trouble for that one.) She remembered about 80% of her dance, to my surprise. Its really getting ridiculous how much she reminds me of me. She really likes to perform. (We shall see if that is a good thing, or bad when she is a teenager.) Before she went on she begged me to let her have the microphone so she could sing and dance while the music played. I decided she had enough things to concentrate on with the mass amount of people watching her, not to mention the fact that our family isn't really known for its vocal stylings.

Sarah (my friend from church) and I had secretly hid our act from all of our friends to surprise them. We wanted to do some sort of 80's throwback dance, and eventually decided on Michael Jackson's "Thriller". For the performance we painted our faces white, teased our hair to look like zombies, and performed a 3 minute full-on dance routine. You should of seen how many times we rewound the youtube music video while we were learning it. It was so fun! I guess I should be embarrassed trying to relive my childhood again....oh, well.

Anyway, the night was awesome and I think our friends enjoyed laughing at us too. Here are some videos that Taylor took with his Blackberry of both of the Nelson acts. I hope you like fuzzy blobs moving around on what might be a stage. ---- Love ya babe!

Abby's solo performance

Interviewed by the MC

Thriller Anyone???

I'm the short black zombie

The Stud Muffin----

Parker and his "girl" Keirsha Moon (my friends daughter)..... I'm in so much trouble in a few years.

A little arm action.

Yeah....Im the man!

Sunsets are sooo romantic.

Goofin' around--- Goggles and Clothes are totally in this fall.

Hair today....Gone Tomorrow.

I finally chopped it. When you have to style your boys hair in the morning...its time to buzz.

Before

After

Surfin' Safari

"At Huntington and Malibu
They're shooting the pier
At Rincon they're walking the nose" -Surfin' Safari, The Beach Boys

As the reality hits me that our California adventure is coming to a close I have completely mixed feelings. I am excited to finally settle down in a place we can call home, but I am sad to leave all of my Cali friends behind. We have been so blessed to meet such wonderful people and leaving both them and the ocean will be very difficult. I am happy that I have been able to "shoot the pier at Huntington and Malibu," and "walk the nose at Rincon" but I am saddened that these opportunities won't be so accessible in the future. Why did I not take surfing up 2 years ago when we first arrived?!!!!

As the summer officially ends here in a few days, I am posting these pics in honor of the best summer of my life. Thank you to God, our friends, and my family for this amazing opportunity. Goodbye endless summer, I will miss you. I will never look at a wave the same again.

Here is me surfing at the infamous Rincon! Maybe someday I will be brave enough to ride the bigger waves!

Just some of the many friends we have made.

The Gymnastics Nazi-----No Gym for you!

Disclaimer:
I am using this blog to vent once again about what annoys me. Expect to find the rude, prideful comments that I would only blog to my friends and family about. Cheers!

So when it comes to Abby and her clothes, most of my friends know that I usually let her pick out her clothes for the day, and then we roll with it. She really enjoys putting outfits together and I figure whats the harm in letting her express herself that way (unless it is completely embarrassing or inappropriate of course.) Anyway, so for her first day of gymnastics Abby got herself ready in a leotard with a puffy tutu. I had the thought that maybe she should put on a less "ballet" type dance out fit, but she looked so beautiful and was so excited that I just let it go. "Its only the YMCA," I told myself. I later regretted that decision.

When we arrived at her class, it was apparent to me that the teacher was not there yet, so we waited along with the other children. 10 minutes into the class she finally showed up slightly annoying me since the class is only 50 minutes long. The teacher was older. Looking at her, she reminded me of Goldie Hawn with ratted hair, spandex, and messed up lipstick. Immediately as she walks in she gives Abby a quick look over and says to me says, "excuse me mom, but we must have a talk." I guess she meant a talk in front of the whole class and their mothers because she started lecturing me right then and there. "You see MOM, what she is wearing is NOT gymnastics attire. This is very inappropriate for gymnastics." At this point Abby is looking down at herself wondering what the heck she did wrong. "Gymnastics is a sport of agility and strength, and this promotes neither and quite frankly presents a large safety hazard here. I realize its your first day and you wouldn't know what gymnasts wear, but for now on I expect her to wear a leotard with no skirt. Do you understand?"

Biting my tongue, I said nothing. (I only did gymnastics my whole life, and worked my way through college coaching at much better institutions than the hardwood floor YMCA multipurpose room. ) I also apologized assuring her that this catastrophe would not happen again. She seemed satisfied and let Abby stay.

About 10 more minutes into the class as she is "spotting" Abby on a backward roll she said, "uuuuhhhh, this skirt makes it very difficult to spot. You see MOM, you see what troubles her attire is causing. Please do not bring her back in this again or she will have to sit out. Oh and headbands can be left at home as well."

I was so embarrassed, but not half as embarrassed as poor Abby who removed her headband. This was not the last time she said something to me either. The comments proceeded about 2-3 times more throughout the class. What the heck, lady? This is the YMCA....not some 4 year old Olympic training camp okay! Is it really that hard to spot a tiny 4 year old wearing a tutu when they are only walking on a floor balance beam. Give me a break!

As mad as she made me I am very proud to say I said nothing the whole time. I did not want to ruin Abby's day by getting into an argument with a "coach" (did I mention she insists all the girls call her coach?) who obviously thinks she is really hot stuff because she teaches the 3:00 beginner gymnastics class in the multipurpose room of the YMCA.

So, are we going back next week? Yes, yes we are. Abby had a wonderful time and came home to tumble on our living room floor....something that melted this ex-gymnasts heart. I am just going to have to make sure we dress appropriately, I guess.

Oh, and I forgot the best part....as we were leaving class the girls from the 4:00 class were walking in. One poor little girl was wearing regular shorts and a t-shirt. I wanted to say to her mom...."run...run for your life." And as I walked out the door of the gym I hear from the white-trash voice I am sure I will grow to love...."excuse me mom....we need to talk...this young lady here needs to dress...." CLASSIC!

P.S> I just looked at the roster for Parkers class. You would never guess who is the coach for the mommy and me class. Yep...you guessed it the gymnastics nazi.

Cute Pic

So I stole this picture of Abby and her cousins from my cousin-in-law's blog. Cute, eh? Megan (my cousin-in-law) is an awesome photographer who specializes in kids, families, etc.... so if you are interested in photos go to www.holdsworthphotography.com.

You like that Meg.... can I collect an advertising fee? :)

Mama's Little Rascal

Now that Taylor and I are over this traumatic experience I feel like I can now post without having a nervous breakdown. You see since my little boy has turned two, he has come to be very independent. You know how two year olds are....wanting to get into the car themselves, wanting to put their shoes on themselves (despite the fact that they cant do it)... and you know....taking midnight walks through the neighborhood by themselves. Oh wait, did I startle you with that last one? Let me explain.

So two weeks ago, at about 10:30 at night Taylor was sitting on the couch in the living room when all of a sudden our little man came running through the front door. Taylor completely confused---since Parker had been put to bed hours ago---stood up, only to hear a knock on our partially opened door. It was a security guard and a little old lady. Apparently, Parker had somehow unlocked the bottom of our door and stealthily escaped the confines of our apartment to find the freedom of the night sky. Let me reiterate the fact that we thought he was safely sleeping in his bed.

The little old lady had found Parker playing near the parking lot of our building. I guess he was out there for over 20 minutes. She called security, who tried to talk to him and ask him where he lived. Parker...apparently kept saying...."mama....mama" but eventually he led them back to our apartment as if he knew what he was doing the whole time. However, this was not before the little old lady and security had called the cops on his neglectful parents!

So when Taylor answered the door, not only was he shocked to see Parker, and was feeling so horrible as to what had happened, but he proceeded to get an earful from the little old lady about what type of parent would let something like this happen. When the sheriff arrived to talk to us, he was quite nice, obviously this thing happens more often than you think. He just made sure we were all okay, that we indeed were not neglectful to our son, and recommended we get extra locks on our door. Parker did not seem at all bothered by any of this. I am sure he thought he was only going for a quick stroll before bed and could not understand the big deal.

I wish I could say that was the end of the story, but the next day another little old lady saw me taking out the trash and she had to lecture me about the whole situation leaving me in tears. (Apparently word travels fast from one little old lady to another around here.) As a side note... I must say thank you little old ladies of our neighborhood for your advice. I had no clue it was inappropriate to let a two year old go walking around an apartment complex by himself in the middle of the night. Next time I will make sure not to let him go outside. I know it has been 65 years since you had a two year old in your house....but you're right....you know best! ( Can you see the sarcasm dripping from my words?)

The most important thing is that Parker was okay. I dont even want to think about the possibilities of what could have happened. For many nights after these events I had a hard time sleeping. Taylor and I had been sick to our stomachs about it all, especially since only days before this Parker ran away while we were all on the beach at our family reunion. However, we are now recovering from these parental traumas, and I have learned that I just cannot take my eye off of Parker for one second and must keep all doors locked at all times. Parker has a mind of his own, one of no fear and a love for adventure...something that I love about him but worries me at the same time. Despite the fact that when he is not running away, he is relatively easy to handle, I think Parker has officially earned the title of "mamas little rascal."

The Most Beautifulest Dress Ever Part 2

Abby has fulfilled her dream. She was a gorgeous flower girl a couple of weeks ago. My cousin Karen finally had her wedding and it was beautiful. They had it in San Francisco at a cute wine tasting place with an amazing view surrounded by redwoods.

Abby was so adorable walking down the aisle. First I don't think she had ever been so excited in her life. She walked the whole way down the aisle in deep concentration with her tongue sticking out. The funniest moment was when she accidentally dropped the petals on the cement instead of the grass and she started picking them up again. ( The wedding coordinator had told her specifically to only drop them on the grass portion.) He, he.

Here are some photos of this wonderful day. Congratulations Karen and Chris. We love you guys and thank you for making my daughters year!The beautiful dress

My stud muffin

The happy couple

So handsome!

Us in our finest!

Walking the aisle with the ring bearer. Notice the tongue.

The ever- so-anticipated crown of flowers.

The wedding party

Father and bride

Back Home

As many of you know...we are BACK in the land of the free! We have spent the last three weeks in a whirlwind of travel from Costa Rica to San Francisco for a week, to San Diego for another week, and now home to L.A. ....but it is over, and now we can take a deep breath and somehow return to a life of normalcy. Looking back on Costa Rica, here are the things that I will miss and the things that I certainly wont. I hope you enjoy.

Things I will miss about Tico life:

1) There is no one to impress, and no one looking over your shoulder about how you parent.
Latins are awesome when it comes to this. If your child is misbehaving in a restaurant, like climbing under the table, no one cares, they all understand. In addition, I cant tell you how annoyed I get when I have other people comment here in the U.S. about my parenting. I cant tell you how many times I have heard "you know it really isn't safe to have your child stand in the shopping cart" or "isn't he a bit young to be climbing that high." Really, people mind your own business. I know my child's limitations and would never put them in danger! Trust me for goodness sakes. Costa Ricans trust you and that is a large bonus.

2) Materialism is non-existent.
I have to say that overall people are happier in Costa Rica. Taylor and I have come to believe it is because everyone is concerned with just providing for their family and no-one is concerned with keeping up with the Jones's. They are happy just to be. This is something I need to remember in the future.

3) Fresh bread.
You have never had real fresh bread until you have gone to Costa Rica. There is nothing like waking up and walking a few meters out of your house to the bakery. Man, I dont know what they put in it....but my mouth is watering thinking about it right now.

4) Random animals walking in the street.
I know this sounds weird but I am going to miss the random bulls, chickens, goats, etc walking through our sub-urban neighborhood. It was always entertaining!

5) A life of adventure.
For the first time in my life I felt I was living an adventure. This is something I never really felt I had to do....but now I am so glad I did it. I will miss that.

Things I will not miss about Tico life:

1) Hard beds and loud noises all night long.
Ticos really need to invest in comfortable beds. Every bed we slept on was rock hard....and was accompanied by weird noises outside. Come on people....have you ever heard of a pillow top!

2) Taxis
Read my taxi post for more information. I love my car!

3) Daily trips to the grocery store.
Every single day I had to walk to the store for our food and could only bring home what the kids and I could carry. Not to mention I had to walk on dangerous busy streets with two young kids and arms full of groceries. Talk about a moms worst nightmare. The first thing I did when we got home was make a mad dash for Costco.

4) Toilet paper in the trash.
The pipes are not developed to handle toilet paper in Costa Rica. Everywhere we went (besides our own home) we had to throw the toilet paper in the trash receptacle next to the toilet. It was so gross and smelled horrible! I kept thinking...if I was president of Costa Rica, this would be one of the first things I would change.

5) Rice and Beans.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I certainly had my fill and would be happy never to see them again. Too bad Taylor still wants me to cook them for him now that we are home. Yuck!

Overall, Costa Rica was an amazing experience but I am glad to be home. God bless the USA.

Running from the Bulls

During our last day in Tamarindo we decided to leave the town to explore some of the smaller towns around and to grab a bite to eat. We stumbled upon an area where an entire small town was gathered together for a rodeo....bull riding only. People were sitting on the fence watching the riders, so we joined in. We began to notice that the bull riders were very different from what we know back home. First, they wear helmets, second, they can ride as long as they want, and third, anyone can go in the ring with the bulls...yes, anyone. If you had the guts to step in the the ring with the angry bull, then you were allowed. After a rider was finished, random people would go and have the bull chase them for an adrenaline rush.

After a while, Taylor and Tom decided that there was absolutely no way they could see something like this and not go inside with the bull. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. So, they climbed in and got a first hand view of the action and even were chased by the bull once! Needless, to say I was a little nervous about it, but in the end they came home safe and sound, so I guess it turned out all right. I'm just glad they don't let you do that here at home, considering we saw two separate people get trampled by the bull (both of whom were fine in the end.) It was crazy!

Surfs Up!

In the last weeks of being in Costa Rica, Taylor started really laying it on hard (guilt trip...that is) that I gave up on surfing after one bad experience. So I finally gave in and signed up for surf lessons with my friend Allie. Well, I was so glad he talked me into it because in just one day everything finally clicked, and surfing turned from scary to fun. Now I am hooked and cannot wait to go in Cali. Here are some photos of me....hanging ten.

Happy Birthday Bud!

While in Tamarindo, we celebrated Parkers 2nd birthday. He decided to spend the day playing on the beach, swimming in the pool, and painting his nails like his big sis. Of course I got a pic of that for future blackmale!

For his "party" I made a home-made cake with a toy car on top. His presents included a soccer ball and a tow truck that broke about 2.5 seconds after taking it out of the box. Then we all blew party favors. He loved it! Happy birthday bud....we love you.