A Few Things

Who uses Redbox?  It's my favorite thing.  One dollar DVD rentals... who can beat that?  We love it!

My second favorite thing... Slow Melt Mini Popsicles.  Do you buy them?  If not, you should.  Especially if you have kids under the age of 3. They're amazing.  James and Jillian can have them and there is literally no mess.  They're so small and they eat them up before they melt.

And my third favorite thing right now....  The new park in Corona.  It's a big sports complex and whoever designed it must have kids.  There is no sand or stupid wood chips (hallelujah)!  It's the soft cushioned ground.  It's sort of gated so the little ones can't run into the parking lot.  It has shade, and lots of it!  Why doesn't every park have shade?  Anyway, it's pretty much the only park I'll take the kids to right now.  You already know how much I hate the park, but going here makes it a little more bearable.

I wish I could design a park.  It would be so mom-friendly.  The little kids park would be gated so those that have multiples wouldn't have to worry when one runs off.  They couldn't get out without an adult opening the gate.  There wold be a ton of shade, a ton of trees and grass.  No wood chips, but the soft cushy rubber ground.  A separate shaded sand box.  I have so many more great ideas.  It would be so popular.

Anyway, after we picked up Derek from Summer Camp today, we went to Sam's Club.  Everything was perfect until James grabbed the raspberries and threw them.  They flew everywhere.  A little girl stepped and slipped on one.  Her mom gave me the dirtiest look.  I was so upset with James.  Derek's yelling, 'Mom, mom look what James did!  He's being a brat'... SUPER loud.  A woman came and helped me clean them up and said, 'Don't worry about it, I remember those days'.  I was so thankful for her.  And get this... this was the 2nd time this has happened.  But the first time was in the back of the store and no one saw (or slipped on them)... so I didn't even pick them all up.  Now I've learned my lesson:  keep the raspberries FAR away from James.

Happy Thoughts

I decided I shouldn't blog unless I have something nice to say.  I think too many of my posts have negativity.  And it's usually about my kids.  I think I come across as, poor me... I have twins, when it shouldn't be that way at all.  What are James and Jillian going to think when they read this as they get older?

So one positive note.  These are my new sunglasses.  My aviators broke and good old Nordstrom exchanged them for me.  So I decided against replacing them and exchanged them for these Marc Jacobs.  I thought I loved them, but now I think I only like them.  Now I want some new aviators.  But on the plus side, these hide my crows feet.  (My 29 years of sun exposure is really starting to show).  And ya know what else? 

I like how long my pony tail is in this picture.  I've never had my hair this long... and I love it.

Happy Friday!

It's been weeks since I've blogged... and I've loved not doing it!  I don't know where my passion to blog went, but it's gone and I don't think it's coming back.  Blogging is a chore to me.  Writing a story and uploading pictures to accompany that story is a lot of work, and I just don't enjoy it anymore.  The ideal time for  blogging is when the twins are napping.  But since that time is only about 2 1/2 hours a day, it's very precious time for me.  I have to choose my 'nap time' activity very wisely.  The amount of laundry that my household accumulates is amazing.  I really don't know how it's possible.  Jason is worse than the kids, too.  Half of it is his.  Derek doesn't take naps anymore, so it's hard to be on the computer while he's awake.  When his brother and sister are napping, he usually requires my full attention.  This is the time when we swim together or cook/bake something. 

Then we have the evening time... after these wild banshees go to bed, blogging is the absolute LAST thing I want to do.  I need a shower (yes, I never get a shower in the morning), I have laundry to fold, a house to clean, a work-out to get in (I try), and many shows on my DVR to watch.

So, in as few words and pictures as I can manage, here is what has been going on in the Castellon home these past few weeks:

My parents bought a house in Big Bear.  They have been up there every weekend for the past 2 months working on it.  They are like king and queen of buying 'fixer-uppers'.  But my dad is pretty talented and loves working on houses.  He's changed the location of the front door, put in new windows, knocked out walls and added a new back door, torn out the kitchen and fireplace, added a wall and closet... and the list goes on.  I can't wait until  the construction is over and we can enjoy it with the entire family.  Jason went up with Derek one weekend to help.  I went up with Derek another weekend to help relax.  Hopefully soon it will be safe and baby proofed enough to bring James and Jillian up.  It's just a little dangerous for toddlers right now.

I bought two new books on Amazon.com the other week.  One is a cook book that is all the rave... and I love it as much as I thought I would.  I didn't realize how funny it looked until the books came in the mail.  A cook book by someone who loves butter, and a book by fitness guru Jackie Warner.  I love this book! 

Our dog puts up with a lot from my kids.  Eye poking, horseback riding, tail pulling...

A lot of time is spent in the backyard in our bathing suits...

Two weeks ago Jason went to Vegas for a few days during the week for yet another trade show.  He's SO busy with work he claims he didn't want to go, but he had to go with his customer.  It must have been hard going to nice dinners and watching the NBA Finals in Vegas... sounds tough, huh?  I can't say enough how I appreciate my parents and my in-law's help when Jason is away.

So to be fair (everything has to be fair, right?) this past Thursday I had the opportunity to get away at the last minute.  I went with my mom to visit my sister in Seattle.  She's lived there for almost 3 years and I've never had the chance to visit.  I was so excited to get away.... I needed it very much! 

Our tour guide

Seattle was beautiful.  I would never want to live there, but it's nice to visit.  Sara lives right across the street from the water... very pretty!  I was there 2 days and the 2nd day was sunny and gorgeous outside.  The morning we left it was raining... what a surprise. We shopped, we dined, we walked and walked, we saw downtown, Pike's world famous fish market (if you know me and how much I hate seafood, this wasn't really the highlight of the trip), we had the best doughnut I've ever experienced at Top Pot Doughnuts.  Mmmmm.  I also had the best mexican I've EVER had at a place called Pesos in downtown.  Better than anything I've had in Mexico.  Two days wasn't enough... yeah, I missed the kids and Jason, but I could have stayed another two days!

Taekwondo has become a chore.  It's every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-4:00.  James and Jillian are usually still asleep at this time so I have to wake them up, change them, and get out the door.  Derek has been giving me a hard time about going lately.  But once he's there, he loves it.  I'm really glad the six weeks is almost over.

Yesterday was the first day of Lil' Explorer's Day Camp through the city.  Derek was so excited to go and it was nice having a break from his [cute] exhausting self for a few hours.   So for the next 5 weeks on Monday and Wednesday I have 3 1/2 hours sans Derek.  The whole dropping and picking him up deal is already a bother for me... another thing that would be much easier if I only had one baby instead of two.  I can't carry both of them on each hip anymore, and they don't do so well holding my hand.  So I have to get the stroller out just to run in for literally 2 minutes.  Ugggghhh.

Jason was busy this past weekend while I was away doing a clubhouse remodel.  He enclosed the lower part of the playhouse in the backyard to make a fort for the kids.  He put some peep holes and benches inside and filled it with rubber mulch so it's nice and cozy for them.  He also made a cute little gate so they can go in and out as they please.  I never knew it would be such a hit.  They spend a lot of time in it!

James just finished his third dose of antibiotics in the past 4 weeks.  First it was bronchitis and an ear infection.  After being on Amoxicillin for 10 days it didn't go away.  So then came the Augmentin.  The side affects were so horrible I stopped it after three days.  The poor kid was so sick from it.  So a third antibiotic, Omnicef, was prescribed and it worked great!  He seems so much happier. 

And guess what?  Jillian's hair can finally fit in 'real' pigtails.  I'll have to get a picture to prove it.

I think I need to take more pictures of Derek.  Poor guy didn't make it in this post.

So that's what's been going on around here.  

Until next time...

Summertime

It feels like Summer.  It's almost here.  Derek's last day of school was last week.  You want to know how bad I wish I had signed him up for the Summer session?  It's only been a week and I'm struggling having him home everyday.  When I'm alone with him, he's wonderful.  When I'm alone with the twins, it's pretty good too.  But when they're all together it's hell on wheels.  It's hard.  They fight over everything.  One goes this way while the other two go the other way.

We met these cute girls at the park today. 

I can't take more than an hour at the park... and neither can Genny.  That's why I love her so much.  She HATES the park as much as I do.

We've spent a lot of time swimming this week.  This little lady loves her big sun hat.

Remember I told you I was going to see Sex And The City 2 last Friday night?  Well, I was actually a little disappointed.  It was good, but nothing like the first one. 

We were pretty excited for this movie, too.

Oh well...

Happy Weekend!