So while I have been finding time to gripe about life. . . my life has been growing up faster than I thought possible, and ever wanted. Damon is already 2 months old! Smiling and talking so much sooner than I remember the other two reaching those mile-stones. I have tried to make sure that the moments when the smiles come and the sweet baby talk gurgles from his round little face are the moments I take to slow down and listen. I want them to be the moments I use to look in his sweet blue eyes and tell him I love him. This moment will only last a flicker of an eye lash and then the world that seems to have slowed down for a millisecond will jump back into full speed, with a forward moving momentum, much to brisk for my liking.
Alaina seems to know that fleeting is the time she has with a little brother who won't try to take over her room, steal her toys, or antagonize her for the sheer enjoyment of it all. She is a gentle and loving big sister. Damon is lucky to have her. She definitely has a maternal instinct. She has already told me that she wants to grow up to be a mommy like me, to work for Pappa like I do, and when she gets married she is going to live in the same house as me! Well I guess we'll take the good with the bad. I tell her she will change her mind about some of that, but she disagrees. But then again, when doesn't she disagree with me, and all the while she wears that sweet grin on her face. She really is getting much to skilled in the debate and negotiating forums. But no debate about it, she loves her "beautiful Damon!"
Matthew is still busier than a bee on a pollen buzz! But he finds an ocassional moment to kick it with his little bro. Tonight they tried to settle down for a private screening of "Cars" courtesy of Matt Riddle Theaters, complete with a cushy perch to view the rip roarin' movie on Matt's "Cars" bed. Damon lost interest quickly, but not before I could snap a pic of the two of them just bein' boys. Sure there are lots more nights like this to come!
He can't seem to get enough of the pool. Loves to chase the girls around the perimeter with the hose. Squeals of laughter are his end goal!! His favorite is to jump on the tramp with the girls and the hose. . . what a BOY!
Alaina, well cute as she might be, she is always always up to something. Formulating some new system of logic to convince me that she is older than 4 1/2 and that she knows better than me. Scary thing is. . . she is very persuasive!
Part of the reason I am feeling a bit stressed is the twenty pounds I have put on in the last 4 1/2 years. I hope it won't take me as long to take it off. Granted, I will give myself the fact that I did just have a baby, but the acceptable time frame for using the word "just" is rapidly running out.
I feel exposed, naked, and grotesquely out of shape. At the beginning of a long road, but at least back on the saddle right?
So if you read this you have been tagged. Let's see how much we can learn about eachother!
Then at the end, tell us which of these things that you haven't done but really really want to. If there isn't anything on the list you really want to do that you haven't done tell us what it is.
(X) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been lost
(X) Been on the opposite side of the country
( ) Gone to Washington , DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Been to Europe
( ) Been to Asia
( ) Saved a life
( ) Saved an animal's life
(X) SCUBA Dived (at night, with sharks! talk about a rush!)
( ) Pilot an airplane
(X) Walked on a frozen lake
(X) Drank too much (Powerade. . . turned my pee neon yellow!)
( ) Hitch Hiked
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only?
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(X) Made prank phone calls
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone you cared about
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone roller skating
(X) Gone to the movies
1. Any nicknames? Nauni
2. Mother's name? Denise
3. Favorite Drink? Pepsi with a lime
4. Tattoos? No
5. Body Piercing? Just my ears.
6. How much do you love your job? Huh?
7. Birthplace? California
8. Favorite vacation spot? Hawaii
9. Ever been to Africa ? No
10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Yes, and for breakfast or lunch :)
11. Ever been on TV? Yes
12. Ever been in a car accident? Yes unfortunately.
13. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 doors
15. Favorite Salad Dressing? The Outback's Spicy Ranch
16. Favorite pie? Strawberry Rhubarb
17. Favorite number? 5
18. Favorite movie? Goonies (Hey you guuuuys!)
19. Favorite holiday? Christmas
20. Favorite dessert? Mint Oreo Cookies
21. Favorite food? Spaghettie
22. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
23. Favorite brand of body wash? Dove
24.. Favorite toothpaste? Crest with the Minty Thing
25. Favorite smell? Gasoline (weird huh?) or night blooming Jasmine (my neighbor has some growing
26. What do you do to relax? Read or watch a good movie
27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? A bit more fit, a bit more organized, a bit more relaxed
Nothing like a trip to the beach at sunset. The feel of damp cold sand on your feet, between your toes. That briny breeze brushing your sunset blushed cheeks, whisping your loosely tied hair wild. There is no beauty that rivals the sound, the scent, the scene of the sea. Especially when enjoyed Bare-Foot.
So one day at a friend's house Alaina discovered a hidden talent! The kids were putting on a 'fashion/dance show' and Alaina, dancing to some rap song sprung this face! It has since been labeled her "Gangsta Face". When ever we need a good laugh we ask her to show us her Gangsta Face. . .complete with hand signals that mean something only to her! And there are very few people alive who can master the Gangsta Face in all it's glory and peculiarity. Apparently it runs in the family!
Alaina's Gangsta Face:
Matt's Gangsta Face:
Da-dum! Damon's Gangsta Face:
(No I did not poke him in the bum or stuff his mouth with marshmellow's! I just got incredibly lucky)!
Stacy Rocks! I saw this on my cousins blog and couldn't resist joining in Here is what you do!
1. Add a comment of a memory you have of the two of us together. It doesn't matter if you know me very well or just a little, it can be anything. It can be a recent memory or from way back. Once you leave a comment I will assume you are playing too.
2. Add these instructions to your own post and wait for the memories to start rolling in.
I think the easiest way for me to write these days to pick some pictures of our recent goings on and then narrate. It has been a long time since I have written. But, sadly that doesn't mean there are a ton of pictures to catch us up. Lets see what we can do.
Don't you think they have great colors. What a sharp couple. I can't believe that my ninja turtle loving, chubby cheeked, blue eyed little brother is growing up so fast. 
After Matt realized that we weren't going to take his football challenged little brother back to the hospital he decided he would be fine with keeping the little one. There isn't a waking or sleeping moment that Damon can escape from his big brother's kisses, caresses, and his odd ear nuzzle. Matt likes to stick soft things in his ears to soothe himself; his monkey's tail, his monkey's ear, and now it appears he has taken to nuzzling his ear up to the top of Damon's head. I guess the soft baby hair is just what the doctor ordered. I am glad Damon's head is too big to fit in Matt's ear, we might have a problem then. I wish I had a picture of it. . . I will have to wait for the right moment!
When Alaina isn't demanding to see Damon's 'beautiful eyes', and Matt isn't trying to shove his little brother's head in his ear, the two older siblings play together rather nicely . . . 50% of the time. The other day I convinced them to go outside and jump on the trampoline to burn off some energy. The breeze was blowing and it wasn't hot yet. This is what I found instead.
Alaina is hardly ever found without a book in hand, or two or three. And Matt is more and more discovered sitting next to her, or jumping around her, while she attempts to read to the both of them. . . Matt and Chaino that is. Ever the faithful audience to her masterful story telling capabilities!
When the Twister game turns wrestling match we fold it up and put it away for another day. On rare occasion I will hop on the slippery surface to show off my "prowess", but most times I use Damon as an excuse not to get on and fall flat on my face.
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Damon is steadily adding the fat roll under his chin, and adding rings to his legs, ankles, and wrists. All my kids are nice and fat. . . all the better to love them! These last two months seem to have passed much more rapidly than it did with the other two. I guess that along with the confidence and familiarity of a third comes a much more hasty passage of time. I try to enjoy the few moments alone with him I can get each day.
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My cousin who just had a baby mentioned how she has already forgotten what it was like without her new one. I feel much the same way. Funny how that works. . . you spend sleepless nights wondering if you have enough love, enough patience, enough wisdom to give to one more, and then almost imperceptibly you settle into the newness of it all with a serenity and instinct you never perceived was there before. Oh the mercies of a loving and tender God!
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