XyLoCoPa

What can clear a room in less than 10 seconds?











A BIG BLACK BEE!!!

This picture was taken while I was standing outside on my back patio. That "thing" is in my living room trying to penetrate two panes of glass. I eventually trapped it in a cup, then we got it wet so it couldn't fly (and kill me), then I put it in a glass jar. After a little research on the internet, I discovered that it was a "Xylocopa" or Carpenter Bee. The males have no stinger, so they are basically harmless, just a bit aggressive and like to fly right at you. Shortly after discovering this, I let him go. By let him go, I really mean, I threw him outside while I hightailed it back in the house!

Viva Las Vegas

To celebrate 10 years together, Brock took the little fam to Las Vegas last week. It was nice to get away for a few days. We stayed at the Golden Nugget. The pool at the Nugget has a cool water slide that at one point actually goes through an aquarium filled with sharks! Brock, being the super cool dad that he is, took Sam down the slide. When I say took, I actually mean he put him on the slide by himself and sent him on his way since there are no trains or lap-ridding allowed. Sam came shooting out the bottom head first, huge grin, and floaties in place. The head lifeguard was not too pleased. #1 you have to be 48" tall, #2 you have to be able to swim without floaties. Sam does not fit either description.

We also walked the strip a little while we were there.
Hope Wonder Woman likes getting felt up. We went through the M&M Factory- 4 floors of very cute stuff, all M&M, all over.
We checked out the LIONs at MGM, very cool.

The male lion was huge, at one point he was buggin' the female and she did not put up with him! Even though he was at least 2x her size, she was like--
"O no, u di' n't" (that's my African lingo). After their little Lovers Quarrel, they went and layed down above one of the walk ways. It was cool to be able to get so close to them.

Don't the kids just look so happy!

Thanks for the trip babe, I needed a little vaca.

The Sniff Test

On Monday afternoon I made some chocolate cupcakes. On Tuesday morning, while I was getting ready to go to an all day class for work, I kept getting a wiff of poop. Sam had had the poops Monday evening and had crawled into bed with us during the night. So since I keep smelling poop, I start sniffing. I smell the bed, his pjs, everywhere I can think to see where this smell is coming from. In the meantime I take a tide pen to a stripe of chocolate that is on the front of my jeans- stain resolved. Okay...I can not figure out where the smell of poop is coming from so I have Brock do the sniff test on me before I leave just in case. He smells my shirt- no poop, he smells my back pockets- no poop, we are just about to give up so I can get to class, and I have him smell my chocolate stain.


Chocolate or poop. Chocolate or poop.


Yup, it was poop.

I quickly changed my jeans and left for class. Thank you Brock for the sniff test and Thank you Samson for getting poop on me. I wish it had been chocolate.

Cali ART Trip 2010

My mom and I just love to travel. This year we took the college art trip down to LA again and we took Allison and Christian with us. They were both surprisingly well-behaved! We went to several places and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. We visited:
The Huntington Library
The Norton-Simmon
The J. Paul Getty
LACMA
Redondo Pier
The Getty Villa
Disneyland
Forest-Lawn

Here are some highlights from the trip!






We bought Alli her "Jesse Friend" that she has been asking about since Christmas when Buzz and Woody came to play. Alli was finally tall enough to go on Splash Mountain ( a moment of silence please) and she "tolerated well" as we nurses would say. She was scared but felt safe with me. The reason you can't see us in the pic is cuz we are in the very back- that is her leg in the upper left corner. Alli's favorite place was probably the beach at Redondo Pier. She kept saying, "Mom, I gotta stay in this dirt." Instead of satisfying me with a little vaca- this trip made me just want to go again. I think that is what seeing so much art does. You get a taste and then you want to take another bite. There was an exhibit on Leonardo Davinchi (spelling?) and it was just amazing. That man had some talent. The Chinese Gardens were open at the Huntington, which we had never seen before- beautiful water feature. We really had a great time and Alli was such a good girl. She is turning out to be such a good little traveler- hallelujah!

Playground built by Grandpa Bartell

As most of you know we received some $mula$ the end of Feb, for well...a little service project I did. We decided to buy a playground for the kiddos and Costco had an awesome one on for $999.99. We bought it and brought home the 5 boxes and found that we had to completely assemble it down to the screws and shingles and all. Grandpa Karl was totally awesome and came down on his days off to build the monster and yes it took several days. Now it is all finished, the kids love, love, LOVE it. They play on it everyday, weather permitting. Thanks so much Pop, I love ya.



There is a slide, a swing set, a rock climbing wall, and more. The older girls love to play on it as much as the little ones do. Jordan has had several sleep-overs out in the club house. We are so glad we bought it, and so happy Grandpa helped us (or did it all basically) put it together.

why I need a sitter after I work

So, Alli and Sam have had colds this last week. Runny nose, cough, fever=no daycare! Wouldn't want to spread the disease. So I figure I'll just keep them at home. This worked the first 2 days. I got off early one night and the kids slept a good portion of the day, two days in a row. Now comes day #3...Mommy "napping" on the couch, Alli and Sam entertaining themselves.




And this is why I need a sitter after I work. Yes, those are pads a strewn. Again yes, those are staples all all over the floor. One more yes, Alli and Sam were both stripped down to their birthday suits and had colored all over themselves with black pen.

Gotta love being a mom.

Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas!!!

I can't figure out how to get rid of the underline!

So, anyways. What happens when the whole family is awakened by 7AM to open Christmas?

Mass exhaustion!!!

After I slept, I had worked the night before, this is what I woke up to that afternoon:

!!!

Taylor was asleep in her room and Brock was is our bed, both asleep too.


The kids had a great Christmas this year, and I didn't break the bank. I think I will shop this way every year from here on out. I did one big gift, stockings, and an outfit. Much more effective. Taylor got a camera. Jordan got a gameboy DS. Alli got a Leapster. Samson got Buzz and Woody. The kids did meet Santa this year too. When you ask Alli what she wants for Christmas she says, "Presents!" I think I can handle that, so easy to please.



I hope all of you had a great Christmas too!

Happy Halloween 2009

For Halloween this year we went with a theme. I have to use up the themes while the using is good. Alli and Sam aren't old enough to figure out that they might (yes I said might) have a say in what they are for Halloween. This year we went with...












Did you guess it yet?

Yes we were the Wizard of Oz. Alli was the girl in the Ruby Red Slippers, Dorthy, complete with a little grey puppy named Toto. I made her shoes from old Sunday shoes.


Samson was the Brave little Lion, and I was the Witch ..Wait no, I'm confused- that is everyday, I was the Tin Man. I had a nice big heart. Yes, that is a "sweat suit" and yes I did sweat.

I took the kids out all evening until they were begging to come home...that was @ about 8 pm. When we got home I let them gorge themselves on candy. The more they eat the first night the less I have to hide later!













Jordan also went out this year with her cousin Taylor. Jordy was a cat. We pulled her costume out of the old dress-up box. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! I have no idea what Taylor is, besides pale!

Updates Coming Soon

I, Nicole Renee Rawlings, do solemnly swear to update my blog with new pictures and stories until it is current so that you all may laugh at my stupidity and feel like your children aren't so different after all!

Check back soon!