Day 30 - Cookies For Sale!

 Today, Girl Scouts across America 

started selling their yummy cookies!

Nina started her day by making phone calls to family across the state. 

Once the rain stopped, she started pounding the pavement!

She walked around our cul-de-sac, and down our street. 

She practiced her sales pitch with Danny, over & over again. 

He threw out different responses & questions to help prepare her for anything she might encounter on her 

cookie sale journey.

I went along for the trip, and thought she did a great job!

I was so excited when she asked if I could be her assistant!
Could this be my chance at playing 'Vanna' while I held up the cookie boxes? Or better yet, maybe I would get the important task of holding the money envelope for safe keeping?!
Oh wow, I thought to myself...
The possibilities could be endless!
Well, I'm here to say that I was neither.
I had the important task of standing behind the wagon, using my shoe as a wedge against the back tire, to keep the wagon from rolling back down a steep driveway! It was the best job ever 'cause I got to witness my Girl Scout sell her cookies! I'm so proud of you Nina XoXo

Day 29 - Making Girl Scout Memories!

Today my little Girl Scout & I went on a hike with her troop.

She was so excited the night before that she couldn't fall asleep!

Nina has wanted to join Girl Scouts for SO long - and we finally signed her up.

This is something that she has shown lots of interest in! 

It's really great to see her give this 110%

She has met a really great group of girls, and they're all born leaders!

In this short period of time, Nina has stepped out of her comfort zone - 

The confidence she's gained (on top of what she already has) is amazing!

The picture below is of Nina touching a lizard that we found on the hike.

Never in a million years would she have done this before Girls Scouts.

I had a great time joining her, the rest of the troop, and other parents!

I'm looking forward to many more fun outings with Nina, and the other Girl Scouts.

Day 28 - A Whack & Tears

I gave Nina's hair a good whack with the scissors last night.

Her hair is very curly, and it's very hard to manage.

Nina usually ends up in tears after every shower, when I try to comb out her hair!

Last night we both had had enough - so I chopped it...

I've never been to beauty school - that was obvious after we looked in the mirror.

I ended up cutting her hair a little... ok, a LOT too short!

What I didn't take into consideration, was that curly hair shrinks up when it dries. OOOPS!

She cried, and cried, and cried some more. I felt awful : (

I actually thought it looked cute. I don't think Nina was expecting it to be that short.

Luckily this morning, when she woke up, she had forgotten about my blunder. 

Hopefully when she combs out her hair next time, it will be a breeze,

and no more tears!

Day 27 - Brothers!

It's a rare moment when Brady has free time to spend at home with the family.

But when he does, we are all really happy to have him around.

He loves holding Jordan any chance he gets! And from the looks of this picture,

Jordan is just in awe of his big brother!

Jordan gets the biggest smile on his face when he spots Brady around the house.

Brady makes funny faces, and silly noises - anything he can to make Jordan laugh!

Your day isn't complete unless Jordan smiles at you.

Brady likes to bring the baby into his room, and talk about All Star cheer.

Brady wants to start stretching Jordan so he can start him tumbling at an early age!

My beautiful boys - I love you SO much Brady & Jordan : )

Day 26 - Tight Pants!

We took our family portrait tonight at church.

They are putting together a parish family directory.

I had all of us color coordinated for the picture, and everyone looked great!

When I was getting Jordan dressed this evening, I noticed his pants were a bit tight.

Somehow I managed to squeeze his tummy in them, and we were on our way!

I bought these cute little pin-striped pants for him to wear at Christmas time.

It's been a month, and I didn't realize how quickly he had grown...

The photographer got us situated, and was ready to start snapping away.

Within 3 seconds, Jordan had spit up all over his shirt, and Danny's hand!

Jordan doesn't spit up too much these days, but we figured he was just excited.

Our family pictures now have a reminder of what happened - 

we tried to hide the wet spot as best we could, but it didn't work.

Once we got home, we were getting ready to put Jordan's jammies on him.

Danny had the baby sitting on his lap and noticed how tight his pants were.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks... Jordan spit up because his poor belly was being

SQUEEZED into those pants!! I felt terrible.

Danny tried to release some of the pressure by unbuttoning the tight waistband.

These pictures were snapped as Jordan was trying to work the button. 

Day 25 - Little Goodnight Kisses!

Nina was giving Jordan tender little smooches before bed. 

Although he seemed more interested in his hand, I know he loved every kiss!

I'll admit that I was a bit nervous about making Nina the middle child.

You always hear horror stories about how 'different' the middle child turns out.

Well, I'm here to say, so far - so good!

Is there still a chance for Nina to act like the attention craving middle child?

And if so, will I see these changes? Or will I be too busy?

I make it a point for Nina & I to have some mother/daughter time.

We get pedicures together, stay up late on the weekends to watch a movie,

we go out to dinner (just the two of us), and we plan fun things w/her friends.

Nina loves to help out with the baby, and she's very loving towards him.

She's even planning for his financial future! 

She has designated one of her many piggy banks for Jordan. 

She told us that she plans on helping Jordan open a bank account. 

How sweet is that?!

Tonight as I was snapping this picture with my iPhone, she kissed him,

rubbed his little head, and turned to me and said:

"When Jordan gets his 1st Student of the month award, 

you need to keep me home from school so I can be there to see it". 

Middle child syndrome? I think we're safe! 

Day 24 - Happy Little Facebooker!

Tonight Nina was rewarded for her good report card!

Instead of money, or the usual celebratory dinner, 

Nina asked for her very own Facebook page!

I asked myself, 'what happened to the days of getting $1 for each good grade'?

(Little did she know, Danny & I were already discussing the FB idea)

She's wanted an account for over a year, and several of her friends have one.

You can bet I was nervous, and a bit hesitant to allow this...

It's scary how these kids know so much about technology, and

we should also realize that kids today are way different than we were at that age!

That being said, Nina signed her life away, and agreed to our rules & regulations.

No guidelines, or restrictions could mean BIG trouble later on... 

It's up to us parents to protect our kids!

Danny & I sat down and came up with a set of rules.

WE will monitor the emails/messaging.

WE have control of the email address, and password.

WE also control the friend requests being sent, and coming in. 

Nina understands that hese rules will remain in place for a long time.

And Danny & I will remain a united front!

It's up to Nina to prove to us that she can remain respectful, and responsible.

My picture captured her excitement as her friend requests were being approved.

We can't stop our baby girl from growing up, 

but we can certainly set rules that help guide her, and give her 

the confidence she'll need to make wise decisions.

Happy Facebooking Nina, and good luck :)

Day 23 - The Pampered What?!

The Pampered Mommy? No. The Pampered Wife? No.

I'm talking about The Pampered Chef!

Sometimes I like to get pampered, 

but I'm NOT a chef by any stretch of the imagination!

But you don't have to be pampered, or a chef for that matter,

 to like the Pampered Chef kitchen items!

I hosted a kitchen/cooking show today and had some wonderful ladies over.

We had a great time oogling at all the neat kitchen items,

sampling some easy & delicious recipes, 

while catching up, laughing, and sipping our margaritas!

A great time was had by all.

Some would even say that baby Jordan stole the show!

I'm so grateful for my friends that came by, shopped, and spent $ at my party.

I'm happy to announce that I have joined The Pampered Chef team (again).

Just let me know when you're ready to book your kitchen show!

Day 22 - Exploring The Outdoors!

The weather today was just GORGEOUS! 

It was just too pretty of a day to stay indoors.

I set out a blanket on the grass, and let Jordan explore his yard!

He loved looking around at all the trees, grass, and the neighborhood kids playing.

It was a great day, and I look forward to many more sun-shiney days with Jordan!

Day 21 - A New Discovery!

Tonight Jordan discovered his feet! He was fascinated with his little piggies...

He still needs a little practice when it comes to sitting on his own.

Tonight we had lots of fun playing together on his rug!

I'm so happy I bought it - it's been working out perfectly.

Day 20 - Party Planning Fun!

Lately I've been giving Jordan's upcoming 1st Birthday a LOT of thought! 

This is a picture of my computer as I'm brainstorming. 

Yes... yes... I realize he's only 5 1/2 months old right now, 

but it's never too early to start planning for that perfect 1st Birthday party!

By accident (or not) I set my standards high when I planned Brady & Nina's 1st party.

Brady's 1st Birthday was held in a conference room at the 

MGM Grand Hotel, in Las Vegas. Crazy, I know.

He had a Sesame Street theme, and it was a great party! 

My mom made a darling cake, and the decorations were adorable.

Nina's 1st Birthday party was held at the La Habra community center.

I don't remember the exact number of guests that attended but, 

all I know is that we needed to rent two joining rooms to fit everyone!

She had a Classic Pooh theme, and it was simply adorable!

Winnie the Pooh walked around, visiting with all the party guests.

There was a framed picture of Nina on every table. 1 lucky guest got to take it home.

For the past 2 months I've been scouring the internet for inspiration, and ideas. 

I've settled on a theme, but only a select few know what it is.

Now it's time to start putting all those wonderful ideas together. 

Jordan's 1st Birthday party will definitely be an event to remember!

Day 19 - Happy Birthday Daddy!

Tonight we celebrated Danny's Birthday! (Day 19 of my project 365).

We were very excited for Danny to get home so we could start the festivities.

It was a small celebration that was BIG on love, cake, and family time!

Earlier today, two of Danny's best friends, Mike Westbrook & Greg Johnson, 

took him to lunch to celebrate his 49th year!

When he got back to work, he was greeted by a Snookies Cookies basket!

And when Danny got home from work, 

he found a very festive dining room waiting for him!

We were able to enjoy a nice family dinner, followed by cake & presents.

Everyone put on their Birthday headbands, and we all had a great time!

Danny read the homemade cards from the kids, 

and a very mushy store-bought card from me :)

He really liked the Home Depot gift card from the kids!

Once it was time for Danny to blow out his candles, Jordy wanted to help out.

Happy Birthday Danny, may you have many more!

XoXo

Day 18 - Jordan's Tummy Time

 I've come to realize that Jordan could use more tummy time! 

Because our entire house is made up of wood floors, 

I hated the thought of him playing on something so cold & hard. 

So tonight I ran to Target in search of a 'tummy time' rug! 

It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but... As you can see, he enjoyed it very much! 

I'm not sure what we'll do when Jordan starts crawling around the house! 

Knee pads maybe? I think I've seen some out there... 

I wonder what day of my project 365 will have a picture of him crawling? 

I can't wait to find out! 

Wait a minute... What am I thinking? Scratch that - I can wait! 

His first 5 months have already gone by WAY too fast. 

Until then Jordan, enjoy your 'tummy time' rug. Mommy loves you!

Day 17 - Jordan's Auntie Arlene

It was another "1st" for my little Jordan! 

Today he stayed with somebody other than family, while Danny & I were at work.

Was I concerned? Not any more than usual.

Was I nervous? Not at all.

Did I call, text, and/or email her all day? You betcha! 

Jordan is a pretty easy-going baby, who hardly cries, and loves to play -

I knew his "Auntie Arlene" (and cousin Daisy) would be perfect for the job!

(Her adorable dog Toby happens to be our dog Jordy's brother) 

While we were at Choc hospital with Jordan last week, 

Arlene sent me a text, offering to watch Jordan while my Grandma got over the flu.

A very generous offer indeed, and we gladly took her up on it!

They watched Sesame Street together, and even took a stroll in the backyard.

It felt great to be able to trust someone, other than our family. 

Arlene did a FANTASTIC job with one of my most prized possessions! 

I'm very grateful for such a wonderful person in my life!

Thank you for everything Arlene ~ XoXo

Day 16 - Jordan Rolled Over!

My little Jordan turned over for the first time this evening! 

I am so thankful that I was able to capture this milestone for my project 365! 

I'm a little sad at the same time... Danny wasn't here to witness it.

 Nor was he here to share in the joy that I felt as I was coaxing Jordan to do it! 

Danny is in Arizona on business. Doesn't that just figure! 

I've added captions below as Jordan makes his attempt at a successful turnover! 

Grabbing anything he could find for assistance.

Almost...

Getting closer...

Just a bit more...

He did it!! Great job Jordan : )

Day 15 - Sweet & Silly Nina

Today I'm highlighting my adorable daughter Nina.

I couldn't decide what picture I wanted to use, so I posted both of them!

These pictures are a perfect example of her personality - Sweet & Silly. 

Nina's is sandwiched between her 2 brothers on our family totem pole.

This little girl definitly knows what she wants!

 Once she makes up her mind, there's no stopping her! And I think that's great!

Nina has a very big heart, and she really loves to help others.

She once contacted an animal rescue (nonprofit and no-kill pet welfare organization) 

and asked them if she could hold a bake sale to raise money for the animals in need.

They were very grateful to have her help, and even invited her back.

Nina is always trying to raise awareness for The Fuzzy Pet Foundation or TFPF.

This is truly a great organization, with amazing volunteers, and it's worth a look! 

Check out their website: http://www.tfpf.org  

When Nina isn't making a difference in her community, she loves to:

 have sleepovers with her friends, write stories, play angry birds on her iPhone, 

record funny moments with her flip camera, ask for a pet shark on a daily basis,

and enjoy a mani/pedi with her Mom. I love you Nina!

http://www.tfpf.org

Day 14 - Daddy & Son's Bond

Day 14 of my Project 365 was a very stressful one. 

We had our baby Jordan at Choc Hospital in Orange, CA

A couple weeks ago, he came down with RSV. This is also known as bronchiolitis.

His condition didn't seem to improve after giving him breathing treatments, 

and sleeping with a humidifier. His cough got worse, and worse...

After getting a chest Xray, and a very scary night of coughing & choking in his sleep,

his pediatrician strongly urged us to take him to Choc for further assesment.

Long night/story short, Jordan is on the road to a successful recovery! 

The nurses, and doctors were amazing, and they treated Jordan (and us) like family.

I captured this picture while we were waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more.

Danny was so comforting to Jordan. And Jordan really liked snuggling with daddy.

Everyone knows that a Momma's touch can never compare, 

but Jordan really has a beautiful bond with Danny at only 5 months old.

It's so heartwarming. 

Danny is a wonderful father to our 2 older children, 

and he's continuing that gift with Jordan.

Day 13 - New Year, New Me!

Tonight I attended a cardio kickboxing class at a martial arts studio near my house. There were a lot of people that attended, all with the same goal in mind - to get in better shape! 

The class was really fun, and I'm already feeling sore... 

I just hope I'm able to get out of bed in the morning! 

I made 3 new year's resolutions for 2011. 

I'm proud to say that I've followed through with 2 of them. 

Resolution #1 Exercise more.  Resolution #2 Start WeightWatchers.

Resolution #3 Get more sleep. 

(This is the one that pretty much flew out the window).

I've been on this new diet plan for 2 weeks now. So far it's been a success! 

Tonight, fter my kickboxing class, my daughter Nina & I went out to dinner at Applebee's.

What's so great is that they have special WeightWatchers items on their menu. SCORE!

For starters, I munched on a delicious green salad mixed with spinach, tomatoes, 

a surprisingly tasty fat free dressing, and unsweetened ice tea - ZERO POINTS! 

After that, I got to enjoy a savory cajun & lime tilapia fillet, a small portion of rice, 

corn salsa to add a bit more kick, and a pile of steamed brocolli. (pictured above)

My entire meal was only 8 points. You can't beat that!

Who knew dieting could taste SO delicious, and fill you up?!? 

Day 12 - Addicted To Jordan!

Jordan & I were having a little play time on my bed today. 

I snapped this great shot with my iPhone. 

That phone holds some of my best memories.

I've got a serious problem that I should probably share with all of you. 

I'm madly, truly, deeply addicted to Jordan! And what's worse? 

I can't stop kissing his chubby cheeks, hands, feet, tummy, and multiple chins. 

But... I guess there are worse addictions out there, right?! 

The latest thing Jordan does is reach for my face when I'm near him. 

It melts my heart to see his little chubby digits reaching up to my face. 

And the look of determination in his eyes is just adorable! 

Once those little hands of pudgy goodness reach their destination, 

I flood his little face with a million kisses! 

Day 11 - My Son Brady

For the 11th day of my project, I decided to post about my handsome son, Brady.

What can I say? He's a teenager. And if you've ever lived with a teenager, you'd know that there is NEVER a dull moment when they're around. 

Colorful language, mood swings, and an occasional temper tantrum... 

And I was just talking about me! lol 

I took this picture of Brady as he was leaving for work this evening. 

He's a tumbling coach for the Starlite allstars. 

He is also an all star cheerleader for the California All Stars! 

His team is amazing, to say the least! 

Some time down the road I'll post more about Brady, and his team.

Until then, I'm posting a few words that I think describe Brady in a nutshell ~

Hilarious, moody, obnoxious, honest, fogetful, messy, vain, 

passionate, lactose intolerant, crazy, surprising, strong, clean, bossy,

loyal, flexible, determined, a born leader, and obnoxious. 

Ooops! Did I list obnoxious twice? Good.

What would our home be like without Brady? 

Very dull, I'm sure of it. I love you son.

Day 10 - I'm Still Hungry!

I couldn't resist snapping this picture! My little piggly-wiggly, aka Jordan, was very upset when I told him we were all done eating. I don't starve the kid by any means. He was really, truly done with his food. He finished 4 Tbsp of rice cereal, followed by 1 entire container of Gerber sweet potatoes. 

Day 9 - A Baby & His Toys

Sunday afternoon we opened a new toy that Jordan got for Christmas. I was so excited to sit down on the floor with him while he played. He really dug this speedway track! Here he is sitting with the help of his boppy pillow. 

Day 8 - My Furry Child

Jordy was freshly groomed the day this picture was taken. Such a sweet little face. Along with loving stuffed animals, he has a passion for fashion! I like to dress him up in shirts, scarves, and in this particular picture, a hooded vest. 

Day 7 - Jordan Loves Veggies!

My little guy really enjoys eating. This is a picture of the 1st day he tried vegetables. He tried sweet potatoes, and loved them. It's so cute to hear him slurp the spoon. And don't even think about missing a beat as you're shoveling it in his mouth - he'll let you know if you're taking too long!

Day 6 - Nina & Jordan

This is my daughter Nina. Sweetest little girl you will ever meet! I'm sure I'll be posting more about her later. She LOVES her baby brother Jordan. And Jordan loves her back! From the day he was born she's wanted to change his diaper, feed him, burp him, you name it! She's a GREAT helper :)

Day 5 - Feel Better Baby!

Poor little Jordan came down with RSV. The pediatrician ordered us to give him breathing treatments, and to sleep with a humidifier. As sad as I was about having to give him these treatments, I still wanted to capture another memory. Hopefully there won't be any more pictures, or postings of Jordan getting a breathing treatment!

Day 4 - Jordy & Monkey

This is Jordy. He loves to play with his stuffed animals! He doesn't chew them up like some dogs. He plays with them, walks them around the house, and even cuddles with them when he's sleeping. He sleeps in our bed with us. And when Jordy is up in our bed, so are at least 5 of his toys!

Day 3 - Walking With Daddy!

This particular picture is one of my favorites. Jordan's little face is so cute, peeking over the backpack. 

We often refer to Jordy, our dog, as our furry child. You'll be seeing LOTS of pictures of him in my blog. And then there's my husband. Being his goofy self, and walking "the boys" around the house on a rainy afternoon. Very cute indeed.

Day 2 - Too Small!

I snapped this picture so I could send it to my Mom's cell phone. She gave these jammies to Jordan for Christmas. I had to laugh because they were too small! Notice the opening where the snaps don't come together.

Day 1 - Jordan & The Greats!

Here is my very 1st picture of the new year, taken New Year's day at my grandparents' house.
Needless to say, this is the very 1st picture to my Project 365.
My baby Jordan with his great-grandparents. I love them with all my heart, and then some.

Project 365?

I've heard so much about this project 365, and didn't fully understand what it was about. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I had to Google it for more info.  I've enjoyed scrolling through other 365 projects that my friends & family have started, but I didn't give it any thought to start my own... Until now!

I read that you're supposed to take your camera everywhere. And they mean EVERYWHERE! Well for me, that's not a problem; except for the fact that all I have is a cheap digital camera, and an iPhone. But I do have something that every other project 365 creator has, and that is a picture subject! I must tell you, I've got 3 beautiful kids that put the spark in my day, the light in my life, and the shot to my heart. I already happen to take pictures every day of the week - I just never documented them in this nature before. I'm sure there are more elaborate picture projects out there, but this one is my very own. A Laura Aguirre original if you will.
Every month I will play around with a new editing feature on my iMac. January is the 'antique' month.
Not sure what February, March, or even April will bring but I guess we'll just have to wait & see. 

So here it goes... My very own Project 365!