This is what I was greeted with when I picked up Matthew and Dominic at daycare today:


Let me guess? You are asking the same question I did when I finally realized that someone actually meant to color on his face. For a few moments I swore Dominic allowed one of his friends to color all over him.....nope! Ms. Pat proudly stated that Dominic couldn't decide what he wanted, so she painted a pirate Spiderman on his face. I suppose if you put your creative thinking hat on you can see both characters represented? I scrubbed as best as I could in the bath tonight, but Dominic still has the faint mustache and beard as the black did not wash completely off. Oh well, guess he will enjoy another adventure tomorrow.

My favorite place to shop while in Santa Barbara is Gymboree, since there isn't one anywhere close to me. I usually tear through my magazines before I make a trip and find a coupon good for 20% off. Their clearance racks always have a good selection, and their clothing quality is second to none. Here's what I splurged on today in all three sizes for the boys. I guess we will get some VERY cute pics on Christmas morning! Thanks to Matty Moose, I have a new favorite animal!!

An Early Christmas Surprise for the Boys

Every year I visit the Fisher Price website looking for the latest holiday play set, and every year they are sold out before I have a chance to buy one. This year, I beat the odds and logged in rather early. I found the new nativity set with the wise men and Bethlehem play pieces for a package price....and in stock!! The boys will be excited to play with these during the holiday season each year. Truth be told, Mommy is looking forward to playing with this set too!

A Day at the Zoo

Nana "Mickey" visited with me and the boys on Sunday as she returned from her annual trip to Pismo Beach with her best friend Kathy. The boys were so excited to see her! We had lunch at the Cowgirl cafe before heading over to the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero. The cafe has the best food and nana enjoyed her usual "breakfast for lunch." The zoo was all decorated for Halloween which was an added treat. Joshua and Dominic especially enjoyed the Meerkat exhibit, and Matthew just enjoyed being outside.

Joshua and Dominic peer in to look at the Meerkats...

...and then join them.

Mommy and her favorite little guy!

Mommy poses for a photo opp with the boys.

The boys pose outside of the owl exhibit.

Mr. Photogenic

Joshua and Nana turn into turtles

Joshua and Dominic unearthed a dead body!! Clearly the zoo was decorated for Halloween

Camping Out

On Sunday, Joshua and Dominic expressed interest in sleeping in a tent. I have no clue where this desire came from, but they insisted that we get a small tent for them to camp out in. We went to Target with Nana and found a 2-3 man tent for a reasonable price. Little did I know that once we popped up the tent, it would take up a giant spot in our family room. After moving the furniture around, we found the perfect spot in front of the fireplace, and the boys setup their sleeping bags and lanterns for a night of fun. Joshua spent the entire night "under the stars" while Dominic quickly found his way back into Mommy's bed. All is well, and the tent is now packed up and back in the garage. Daddy has promised to camp out in the front yard once it warms back up next year. How fun!!

An Early Christmas Gift

I finally did it! I've been complaining about my dinosaur of a desktop computer for years. Besides the fact that the darn thing won't read my camera anymore and is outdated and won't allow me to install new software, it now has deleted the anti-virus software and has at least 100 spyware on it. I give up!! So.....I called Dell on Friday and ordered a new laptop for me! I'm so excited!

Six Quirks

Directions: Tell six unspectacular quirks about yourself. I really hate these kinds of things, but what the heck…

1. I am a perfectionist, which drives my husband nuts. He can go through and clean the house while I’m at work and then I will re-clean the next day. It drives him nuts!! For some reason it just doesn’t look right unless I do it.

2. I sing to myself when I’m driving in the car. Yes, I know everyone does, but I get in the groove and put rhythm to the words. I suppose other drivers think I’m nuts.

3. I love the way clean sheets feel. Each week when I change the sheets I can't wait to get in bed that night so I can rub my feet all over them. (Thanks Pattie – we are so much alike!!). I will add to this, however, and say that I hate it when my husband climbs under the sheets the first night I after I change them in his dirty, stinky underwear and t-shirt.

4. I take two showers a day, every day. I have no clue why. I like to go to bed clean and then need another pick me up to get my day started.

5. Ear wax grosses me out! My kids have clean ears, as do I, but I wish I could carry Q-tips around and hand them to strangers. YUCK!!

6. In the winter, I love lighting candles. The first thing I do in the morning is walk around my house and light them all, even if I have to blow them out 30 minutes later.

I tag anyone who wants to play along, so as not to put undue pressure on you.