AGH!!

I went to the bathroom to do my hair, turned on the hair straightner, waited for it to get hot.
In the mean time; wash my face, brush my teeth, get dressed,
chase Christina out of the boys bedroom.
Okay, it has to be ready. Well it was COLD! I check the plug, red button thing, make sure the ON button is ON!
Nothing! I couldn't fix my hair today. I'm waiting for my Hubby to come home and hopefully fix it. He usually says,"You've gotta be smarter than the iron"! At least that's what he better say, because I hope I don't have to go buy a new one. I've only had it for two years and it cost a lot of $!
So if anyone has a brand that they love and saved $ on let me know!

It's Amazing...

What you can find out!
I've been wanting to start our family history/tree for awhile. Last year we had a family get together at my In-Laws and we asked tons of questions; Who's-Who, Where did they live, etc...
I finally got an answer of where they originated from; Germany, Norway and Okinawa, Japan(already new that one-given).
My husband comes from a 2 brother family, along with his Dad (2 brothers). Then we found out that great-grandpa came from a huge family. My Mother-In-Law comes from a large family as well. Why'd they stop the big family tradition, who knows!
I'm glad I was able to keep my hubby away from the 2 brother tradition!
I recently found out that I had a great-grandma that's name was Christina also. Meant to be!
I found out that Ken has a cousin named Mariko, in Japan, that I'm now emailing to. I almost named Christina that!
It's been so much fun learning about the other side. My Mom's side has been worked on for awhile and now I'm going to help my Dad work on his side.
Kenny recently went to the Oakland Temple and did some family work! He said it felt great!
Now I just need to work on that journal. So that one day my grand-kids will and can read about me and my past. Grand-kids, wow, that'll be the day!

Feelin' Good!

Conversation between cashier and myself;
Cashier: "May I see your Id please"?
Me: "Sure"
Cashier: (staring for a long timeat card-looks at me)
"Did you lose weight"?
Me: (laugh) "why, yes I did, thanks for noticing"!
Cashier: "Well you look great, good for you"!
Made my day! I'll have to find an old pic of me, 30lbs heavier, and scan it!

Memories

So I was watching ICARLY(on Nick) last night, I just love that show! I crack up through the whole thing! It's about two BFFs and they got into an argument. They eventually made up and remember when and how they became best friends. They were in elementary and had an argument. It was like deja vu. My friend Jan and I became friends in the 3rd grade. My family had just moved to Louisiana and my English teacher put me in her chair. Jan came over and said,"Get out of my chair", I said, "No the teacher put me here"!
We had a little disagreement and soon became BFFs! We've continued to keep in touch. Even though we don't get to talk much we sure do appreciate our long lasting friendship.
Wow, that episode brought back memories for me!

Banged Up And Bruised

So let's talk about my Thursday afternoon...
It all began when we(Christina & Mateo) were enjoying the warmth of the sun. We decided to play ball, ride scooters/bikes and just enjoy being outside. We finally decided it was time to eat lunch, so I get up and go to the door and it WON'T OPEN! We've locked ourselves out!
NO, are you joking?!
(I'm thinking; I know I left it unlocked, who locked the door, why would I have keys on me-I'M IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE!)
I call Hubby @ work and he's in a training class.
I call my SWEET Brother-In-Law and ask him kindly to come help.
I call my Son @ school to see if he has his key-he doesn't!!
AGH!
So my brother-in-law tries to find a way in but no luck. (Now it is my security screen door)
He decides that if his friend pulls the door far enough he can get his arm in.
I say,"You better just go get the key from my hubby"!
Amazingly they get me in!
So how did I get banged up and bruised?
Well I was riding the kids scooter as I waited to get in my house and hit a crack.
Crash, Tumble and Slam to the ground!
Okay, so the bruise I'll make short. I played volleyball that night up at church and pulled a muscle in my forearm and got smacked in the face by the ball!
Can you say, Loser, Old Lady!!
Sorry for the long story! It had to be told!

5 Things

I was bored so here ya go! I took this from Elise's page (some of your answers fit so they stayed)
5 things I was doing 10 years ago:
It was 1997
1. I spent most of the year pregnant
2. Gave birth to my second son
3. Moved from one side of town to the other
4. I worked as a sales/cashier supervisor at the carwash (should I break out in song-
At the carwash...)!
5. I also sold House of Lloyd products/Christmas Around the World

5 things on my to-do list today:
1. Clean the bathrooms
2. Do Laundry
3. Go to the bank
4. Drive to VV to check out park for a photo shoot
5. More cleaning

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. M&Ms
2. Ice Cream sandwiches
3. popcorn
4. M&Ms
5. Ice Cream sandwiches, etc...

5 of my bad habits:
1. Not doing dishes till last minute
2. Not picking up clothes in my room
3. Spending $$$
4. Not using a tissue-ooh! (you know you do it sometimes,too)!
5. I think #4 is enough!

5 things I'd do if I were a millionaire:
1. Put away enough for our kids' college
2. Build and design my dream house
3. Pay for boys mission
4. Help my family members out with expenses
5. Retire Early!

5 things I will never wear again:
1. Spandex
2. Hyperactive T-shirt
3. Jellies- they make your feet SWEAT!
4. Short Shorts, not unless I lose 15lbs!
5. Sailor lookin' outfit! AGH!

5 things I want to do in 10 years
1. Own a house
2. Have oldest son back from mission
3. second son on mission
4. Watching Christina become a pre-teen
5. No more mini van!
I will not be tagging anyone but feel free to tag yourself (I like that idea better)!

Bad Mom Alert!

Note: Mom don't read this!
Caller: Mrs. Rayna, this is the nurse, Kenny is sick. Can you pick him up?
Me: What? (thinking; I just walked in the door, he has a game tonight, maybe I can make it to mutual, too sick to stay at school) Okay, I'll be right there!
So I got the other two back in the car, put lunch on hold and drove. While I'm driving, hoping that he's faking it or he better be super sick!
*See Kenny calls a lot for me to pick him up. Usually I can talk him into staying because the boys know if they come home there's no games (video or baseball).* Well I get there and he has throw up all over him! Poor guy! My poor baby is REALLY sick! Tell me why then four hours later he's at his game! BAD MOM, BAD MOM! I broke my own rule!

Free Rice.Com

So I kept hearing about Freerice.com I just didn't have the time to check it out, till today.
My son Mateo used two words today that you wouldn't normally hear from a 10 year old.
Don't worry they weren't bad, they were just a great use of vocabulary. I told Mateo about the site and we decided to check it out. We are now hooked!
What is it you say? This website has you play a vocabulary game and as you get words right you earn grains of rice. The rice is then given to needy families.
Play a little game, learn something new, help needy families...plus,Plus,PLUS!
Check it out!

Opening Day!

Is finally here! Let the games begin!
Today we start our little league games. Kenny 12 (second and last season in the majors) is playing for the A's, first game at 12:30. Mateo 10 (third season in the minors) is playing for the Sidewinders, game at 3pm.
Starting today we will be living at the baseball fields, literally! If there's not a game there's practice. Not to mention Ken's games in between. Monday thru saturday we live and breathe baseball.
You'll usually catch me complaining about all the practices, driving, etc... But I love to watch my guys play ball!
Kenny has been doing great at pitching! I love to see him strike a batter out!
Mateo is an amazing ball player. Every year he is improving. I love to watch them grow!
Everyone and I mean EVERYONE loves to watch Ken play ball! He can show anyone how a real ball player should catch, hit, slide and take out the catcher! Oh, yeah he gets dirty!
Well I'll try to post pics soon! So if you can't find me, guess where I'll be!
PLAY BALL!

Outside Fun!

Park Days!

Spring Is Here!

Please enjoy our fun in the sun!

3's About Me

3's About Me!
Three jobs I have had in my life:
theatre concession, food server, photographer
Three places I've lived:
Cali, Louisiana, back to Cali!
Three shows that I watch:
American Idol, Jon and Kate plus 8(hilarious) and Lost
Three of my favorite foods:
Anything Mexican, Anything Japanese and Anything that taste good!
Three places I'd rather be right now:
on vacation, ON vacation,ON VACATION!
Three things I am looking forward to this year:
baseball games, Christina's 3rd bday and next year!
I'd love to hear 3's about you!

Birthdays, Gotta Love 'Em!

We just celebrated my nephew Francisco's birthday. It was his first birthday, what fun! There's always a lot of hype about a child's first birthday. You've got to throw the biggest, bestest (I know it's not a real word-it just fits) party ever!
We all know that Moms love to go crazy for the first party and Dads... they'd just rather celebrate it like any other birthday. Well come on, we've got to give it some kind of special recognition. After all, this small child just spent their first year on this wonderful place we call EARTH.
It's a time to remember that these small children are such special, sweet spirits, that are now in our care! That each one brings something new and unique to our families. So go on and give them a wonderful "Welcoming Party"!
We all know that birthdays come and go.
Most Memorable To Me:
8th birthday-baptized
12th-a young woman
16th- lil' misses
18th- graduated
25th- "quarter of a century"
30th- finally getting somewhere!
Well I turn 32 this Thursday and it's just reminding me that I AM GETTING OLD!
I'm starting to feel every bone and muscle in my body (even the ones I didn't know about) ache. Someone please explain to me why we need to be reminded of how old we are once we turn "1"!
I think we should just enjoy life and each other each day. Let's not think about how long YOU'VE been here longer than me!
Sound good! Good, from now on "I, Rayna, promise to never ask someone their age again"!
I do promise to recognize another wonderful year with my family and friends!
For that is what it is all about!

No More BABA!

I thought this day would never come! In case you don't understand baby talk, baba is pacifer. Christina is now 2 years old and we never thought we would get that "cute little thing" away from her.
It all happened one night......
I believe it was Sunday March, 23rd. We were putting Christina to sleep and she kept playing with her "baba". I told her she better stop or it's going to break. Well it broke! We showed her and told her she couldn't use it anymore. I thought she was going to throw a fit.
Amazinling, She didn't and we've been baba free since then! I think it also helped because I had her throw it away, it made it more real for her!
I remember a couple times for nap, she was asking for it. I felt so bad and wanted to go out and buy her another one. I did go buy her a new Dora coloring book, she deserved it!
Milestone!

Call It A Come Back!

I guess everyone is into blogging again, maybe I'll try it out! I stopped writing 2 years ago because I just didn't have enough time to sit at the computer. I still don't! Everyone keeps telling me, "Oh it doesn't take that much time!" Well I don't know about your house but I have a (now) 2 year old tugging at me every time I get on the computer or phone. I have 2 "pre-teens", 12 and 10, wanting to be on also. Not to mention my husband who likes to check out his softball sites, frequently. I remember a few months ago vowing to watch less tv and stay away from the computer. I've been doing really good! I've cut back on tv shows and I've chosen to not surf the internet. So thanks ladies for helping me stick to my goal! Ha! J/k!
I also don't like to write a bunch of gibberish. I'm very anal about things I do. They have to be done "just so"! I over-think everything I do. I make list on top of list, re-read everything and of course I'm sure you'll find some misspelling or grammar error. That is going to be my goal, try not to take everything so seriously. Just go with the flow! My new motto!
So you can either enjoy my writing and life events or pick out every misspelling and grammar error. It's up to you! But please do enjoy and let's all realize together we're not perfect "in any way"! My self included!

Chores, Allowance, Budget

I am here to say that these three things; chores, allowance and learning to budget, can never start to early. I started a couple of years ago with the chore list. Then I added the allowance and recently I've taught them to budget (save) their money.
I came from a large family of six children. We definitely had chores to do. We use to complain and complain about washing the dishes! Now I look back and should be happy there were so many kids cause dishes only came around once maybe twice a week. We sure didn't think it was fair then!
My kids are on a year round school. Every three months they are off for one whole month. One track off session they were driving me crazy and I called my mom and asked her what to do. She said put them on a schedule and give them chores! What a great idea!
I jumped to the computer and started typing out their"Track Off Schedule, "Chore List" and "Budget Chart". I even have a "Good/Bad Chart", where they can earn points and buy items from my goodie bag.
I thought I would post them in case some of you are interested. This is the best thing I have started with them. It also relieves me of some house duties while keeping them busy!
So here they are, remember you can adapt this to your household and ages.
Track Off Schedule
8:00 Wake up (no sleeping in)
8:30 Eat breakfast
8:45 Get dressed, brush teeth
8:45-10:00 TV time
10:00 Chores
11:00 Snacks
11:00-12:00 Reading, journal time (quiet time)
12-1:00 Lunch time
1:00 Family errands
3-5:00 Free time (games, outside,etc)

Chore List (we pick #'s out of a hat)
1. Bathroom (wipe down sink, add toilet paper, sweep floor, etc.)
2. Dishes (empty dishwasher) (They didn't like the idea of loading)
3. Trash (gather all trash and take outside)
4. Vacuum
5. Laundry (yes, I taught them how to do laundry-wash and dry)
6. Dust

Budget Chart
I use a 4 column graph. They enter the amount they received, subtract 10% (goes to church), subtract 40%(they chose the amount-goes to savings), The rest they get to play with.

Good/Bad Chart
They each have their own chart with their name, three columns-one for good
points,badpoints and total points. Each day I start them with 5 good points. It's up to them to keep them. They lose points for not listening, arguing, not cleaning up, etc. They can also earn good points for doing things without be asked. We bring the points over to the total at the end of the night. They have to have at least 5 good points or they don't get any for that night. We use this for one month and then they get to use the points to buy stuff- toys, pencils for school, etc.

Well I hope you guys find this interesting! Good luck!

"Dadda"

September 8th
Christina said her first word! Dadda! Wouldn't you know it! I have been trying to get her to say Momma for weeks. There have been times when she's gotten really close, too.
Ken came home from work Friday and started playing with Christina. He kept saying "Dadda" over and over. Then all of the sudden you hear, "Dadda"!
No way! We couldn't believe it! That's all we heard ALL NIGHT!
No, I'm not jealous! I'm MAD! (joking)
Don't worry, I'm over it! Yeah, cause this morning (Sept. 9th) she said "Momma"!
I'm a happy Momma!

Have You Heard Of Freecycle?

I found this really cool site! Do you have anything you want to get rid of or are you in need of something specific? Well this site will help you with either. It's like going to a Garage sale but online! All you do is find your city and join. It's that easy! You can check it daily or just when you need something or want to get rid of stuff.
One weekend I had posted three items to give away. The stuff was gone within days! You should check it out!
http://freecycle.org

The Nosy Lady!

When to speak up and when to mind your own business!
I went shopping the other day and Christina is now sitting in the basket. She also loves to eat the basket. Gross! So I told the boys to keep her from licking the metal. They tried covering the metal with their arms but wasn't working so well. Then they just tried to hold her back. That's when the trouble started.
I was talking to the lady at the bakery and then I hear, "NO, don't do that"! I turn around and some lady is telling me that the boys were pushing her (Christina's) head back. I knew exactly what they were doing, hence, the paragraph before. I told the lady, "It's okay I know what's going on, thanks".
That wasn't good enough for her.
Now I know that she was concerned.
I know that there are times when I see stuff in stores.
Now most moms will turn around and teach, scold or correct their children.
(If you give them a chance)
So unless the child is crying, mind your business!
Not this lady. She got mad and copped an attitude. She demanded that I explain why I wasn't worried and why that was okay!
I thought I would ease her mind and explain what they were doing! That didn't even help! She continued with the attitude and finally I just got fed up.
"Lady, I've got it under control, You need to mind your business"!
That's just the short version! I was so mad!