Goodbye Pepperdine

Friday was my last day at work. I made some great friends during my time at Pepperdine and learned a lot.

Things I will miss about work:
1) My best work friend Mary Jo. We sat across from each other in the deans office and were forced to stare one another down all day. Usually that's a recipe for disaster, but in this case it made a beautiful friendship.
2) Office Birthday parties.
3) The ocean view lunches.
4) Believe it or not, JRW's stories.
5) All the nice people I met along the way.

Things I won't miss about work:
1) Eating breakfast on the run.
2) Catalog Season.
3) Emails... although I do appreciate technology, I am still a fan of the old-fashion face to face chat, or occasional phone call.
4) Getting dressed up everyday.
5) Forwarding the phones. :)

Here are some photos from my last day.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Food for thought....

Does your child watch too much TV when....

You drive by a subway on the road and your daughter shouts in the appropriate accent--- SUBWAY: EAT FRESH! I guess we need to start regulating.

To a wonderful nanny

As we approach our upcoming changes, I have mixed feelings. I am excited to finally have some time to really enjoy my children, to be the first one to see them do new things, to be the first to hear first words, and to be the one they see when they wake up in the morning. However, at the same time I am sad to say goodbye to the woman who has really stepped in to help raise the kids in this very busy part of our lives.

Isabella, our nanny, is not only one of the sweetest people I have ever met, but she has become one of my very best friends. She has litterally been one of my biggest blessings since moving to California, and has not only been there when I couldn't, but has raised my children exactly as I wanted them to be. She has taught me to really enjoy life, to remember the many many blessings I do have, and to relish every moment I have with my children.

Gracias Isabella por todo de su trabajo. Eres una buen amiga. Buenos suerte en su trabajo nuevo! Voy a extranarte. -Sheri

Clash with the Terrible Two's

I think Parker might be starting into the terrible twos. Lately getting him into the car seat is literally a fate worse than death. It turns into a battle of wits and strength. Once he realizes he has to get in the car he either climbs into the front seat forcing me to drag him back or he clenches to the safety loop holders (what are those things called?) on the ceiling of the car in the back. Once I pry open his death grip, he retaliates by tightening his entire body so that I cannot put him in the seat. Imagine all of this while he is screaming bloody murder and kicking. My only reassurance is that I am still stronger than him and can muscle him in there, although I wont say its easy. In addition he has taken to beating on his sister.

Oh dear...my sweet, darling little munchkin-man is starting to test the waters of authority. Here we go...I am officially being forced to learn to parent a boy...ah!

This is a call for all of you experienced mothers of boys out there...any tips?

Looking Back...March 23rd 2008

Abby's birthday fell on Easter this year, which made it extra special.... and to add to that we celebrated with Fireworks, Surfing, and the Beach in Mexico. (If you remember, my digital camera had broken, so I had to go the old fashion film route and then scour LA to find a place who would make them digital for me.) But better late than never...
Here are some additional photos of Abbys Mexican Fiesta and the coolest Eater Egg hunt the Easter Bunny has ever left us...on the beach! Thanks again to the Van Slooten family for inviting us on this way cool adventure.

Our Big Announcement---No I am not pregnant!

Okay, so I should have posted this weeks ago, but I am lazy. I have put in my notice at work because.... We are moving to Costa Rica this summer! (May 10- July 17).

Yes, that is right. I know it sounds crazy, if someone told me this 3 months ago, I would have laughed---but it is true. Taylor got into a law program in Costa Rica which transfers back to Pepperdine, allowing him to graduate in December. So, we have decided that if he is going to have an adventure...we all are. We have sublet-out our apartment, and are packing our bags.

We will be staying 3 weeks in the town of Jaco, (which happens to be the surf capital of the world...hmmm...can you guess who picked this location?) and then we will be off to live for 2 months in San Jose (the capital) for school. The kids and I will hang out and enjoy the culture. We are going to try and enroll the kids in school so that they can be completely immersed. Since Abby can converse basics in Spanish and understands about 70% it should be not too much of a shock for her, and as you know, Parker speaks about as much Spanish as English, so he should be fine as well.

We are both so excited. I think it will be a great adventure, before we settle down into real life next year. After we return, I will live my dream of actually staying home with the kids. Ladies and gentlemen...we are on the home stretch.

The Most "Beautifulest" Dress Ever

In late July, my cousin Karen is getting married and has asked Abby to be the flower girl. So today, was girls day (+Parker) as we went to the wedding dress store to try on flower girl dresses. Abby looked absolutely stunning. She let us know multiple times that she is going to be the best flower girl ever to wear a "green and white dress"---she was really in heaven. The best part of the day was the moment when Karen mentioned that she was going to be able to wear a crown of flowers. I hope I remember that expression years from now. The only way I can describe it is that it was about the same as my expression would be if I won the lottery. We look forward to the big day in only a few more months when she can wear, as she would say, "the most beautifulest dress ever."