Yo shorty, it's your birthday

Wait, I'm shorty. Oh well. For my birthday I thought I would post some of my favorite things. Not like any of you (3 or 4) readers need to get me any...its just a list. In no particular order...that would require too much thought. I have to shower before Ryan wakes up from his nap...I don't have all day to blog. Geez.

1. CO Bigelow Lipshine from Bath & Body Works
2. Cucumber Feta dip from Safeway/Vons
3. Roasted red pepper hummus from Safeway/Vons
4. Kidopotomus stroller shade
5. Good Earth tea
6. Whiskey River Burger & Chocolate shake from Red Robbin
7. Hair detangler
8. Lean Cuisine
9. Our sleep consultant - she should be president
10. Gardenia bath stuff from Bath & Body Works
11. the swaddle blanket
12. books by Jane Austen
13. massages & pedis
14. purses & shoes
15. diamond earrings (Hello??? Ethan. Where are you?)
16. Origins whipped body butter
17. Tivo
18. Netflix
19. eating out in general since i hate to cook
20. sleeping in

Well, I was gonna try to get to 32, but I'm running out of time. I'll add on later.

I keep forgetting the movie post & Ethan's girlie drink

Something to add to my list of changes. Ryan is now obsessed with movies. First of all, it should be known that my child poo-poo'd any and all toddler related TV/movies that I turned on for him--until a few days ago. He wouldn't sit to watch anything (except certain vides on VH-1 he watches in the morning with his daddy--he loves Fergie, and cannot get enough of the Umbrella-ella-ella song). I digress. No Baby Einstein, no Little Einsteins, Jo Jo's Circus, etc. NOT INTERESTED.

Then HOLY MOLY its all about the TV. He wants it on all the time...then he points to the dvd remote and begs. I had to create certain times that it was ok to watch, like during snack, after we come back from the park. Or after nap when he always wakes up cranky. I do like that I can actually unload the dishwasher without help...I just don't understand what happened to make him so fascinated so quickly. He is addicted to 3 of the Baby Einstein videos about animals, and the Meet The Letters by Preschool Prep. He sits in his frog lawnchair (w/ cup holder) and totally zones.

I just don't know what to make of it. And by the way, the voices on Meet the Letters are driving me insane!

Now, for Ethan's girlie drink. Sunday night we went to Red Robin to celebrate my birthday early. I haven't been there since we moved, and I was in desperate need of a whiskey river burger and chocolate shake. YUM. Ethan ordered...drumroll.....a hawaiian hearthrob smoothie. Thats my man! And it came in a curved glass w/ a pineapple on the side. He doesn't drink alcohol, but if he did, it would not be beer or hard liquor. He's be a hardcore umbrella drinker.

Well, a Lean Cuisine is calling my name. I hate trying to lose weight. I'll save that for another post.

Things are a' changin

It seems like nothing much has been going on, but when I look back and reflect I remember little things. And now it seems schedules are changing, and for some reason I haven't adapted like usual. Maybe I'm just tired. Who knows. We are a very schedule oriented family, so I don't like this stuck feeling.

About a week ago Ryan slept in til 7am. While that is still early for some of you, that is almost lunchtime for us! He usually wakes up at 5/5:30am. 5:30 we didn't mind since Ethan's alarm goes off then anyway. And previous to that, we had 2 months of 4/4:30 wakeups which seriously still feels like midnight. So, we had a lovely schedule of 5ish wake-ups, Ryan hangs out with Ethan til he goes to work, then I take over at 7am when he leaves. We do our 2 mile walk and play at the park, have a snack and then NAP. I LOVE NAPTIME. I did not realize how much I like being alone until I became a mom. But you really can't blame me, I shared a room until I was 19 and went to college. Then I shared apartments, except for one year I lived by myself. I thought I would be terrified but I loved it. I went from sharing a room with my sister who is 4 yrs younger than me (not a good mix), to roommates, to a husband. I can actually count the times I've been alone in the house since I had Ryan....which I should say I'm alone now because Ethan took him to the store.

Anyway, back to the point I might have had when I started. Ryan's new wake ups (which are now about 6:00) are great, but I just haven't gotten into the flow. Lunch before nap or after????? I can never tell. I'm used to him napping at 11:00....yesterday it was 1:00. I think it comes down to the fact that I hate not knowing.

Then I realized (with help from a friend who is a wise mom of 3) that one of the reasons Ryan doesn't eat alot at mealtime is because he snacks too much--as in all day. His days are like 24/7 buffets. If we forget to lock the fridge he is in there pointing at everything, even stuff he doesn't like. And the pantry has no lock. Cabinets w/ no hardware. Why oh why would they do that? So he acts hungry all the time. He could be bored, I just don't know. I'm trying to re-start the 3 meal, 2 snack day.

Which leads me to complain about his eating....again. Now he won't eat pasta. First of all, no kid of mine would ever EVER turn down pasta. I mean really. He used to down that stuff. He is also totally over milk. The list of things he will eat is getting smaller and smaller by the day--and it wasn't a long list to begin with. Am I a bad mom because he eats sandwich meat all the time? Isn't it better than not eating at all? Shouldn't he be bored of the same stuff all the time? (Well, i could eat pasta and veggie burritos for weeks on end, so never mind that). It seems like the approaching age of 2 is bringing lots of changes and I feel not ready and ready all at the same time.

To finish on a happy note, he loves fruit. Sleeping in til 6/6:30 on a weekend is way better than 5:00.

I'm here

I really am here. I keep thinking I have nothing to blog about, then I'm up all night with my head spinning. I sat down tonight to write about all the stuff we've been up to, but there are a few things stopping me:

1) Ryan went ballistic at the outlet mall today and frayed my nerves
2) I'm mad at myself for eating a burger & fries
3) I spent way too much time on Ryan's monthly update e-mail. For some reason Yahoo wouldn't let me insert addresses from my address book
4) We are working on transitioning to a nap AFTER lunch and it ain't workin right now so I'm in a time crunch during the day...shower or blog?
5) I have the house to myself tonight (Ryan is here but sleeping) and I should be watching some chick movie

So...it will have to wait for another day.

Catching up

First of all, thank you for all the congrats on our anniversary. Ethan was impressed with the blog-- dare I say misty eyed? He really appreciated my writing skills, often mentioning he couldn't come close to my prose (though I'm sure he would still clasify my English degree as "financially useless"). When I asked "where is my blog with fabulous things about me?" he asked if he could give me a spreadsheet instead. Gotta love him. He conveniently hasn't given me my card either. I'm thinking he is worried that his card will come nowhere close to my blog (which ofcourse it won't) but I STILL WANT MY CARD THAT IS SUPPOSEDLY IN HIS TRUCK. Ok--and if he is reading this, if I don't get the card, I will do a post about the 8 things about you that drive me insane!!!

We went to dinner at a local Italian place for our anniversary. I love we can put Ryan to bed, then go out. Not sure what happened the rest of the week.

Our friends from San Diego were here this weekend. We went to San Francisco on Saturday and Ryan stayed the night at grandma's so we got to sleep in today. YIPEE. We gave them a tour of the town, so that took about 2 seconds. Ryan took a very short nap today so by about 5:00pm Ethan and I were losing our patience with the little man. We put him to bed at 6:30 and he was asleep by 7:00. I'm hoping the early bedtime will be enough to counter-act the bad nap and we'll be good as new!

Happy Anniversary

8years ago this evening, in Modesto, California, we were married. 8 years is alot, but we've actually been together for 15 years. We've grown up a lot together. When you know you've got a good guy, you need to hold onto him. I'm glad I knew that at 17...I saved myself a lot of trouble. There are many characteristics about Ethan that make him a great husband, so in honor of our anniversary I thought I would highlight 8...in no particular order.

1. Ethan is a family guy - He doesn't mind sacrificing for his family. When we moved back home it was for the family. He sold his dirtbike because he would rather spend weekends with Ryan and I. He had $ saved up to buy a corvette, but sacrified that so I could be a SAHM. Ethan puts a lot of time into the family finances and planning for our retirement and Ryan's college. Because of him we don't live beyond our means. And still with all of his forward planning, he can concentrate on the "here and now" of his family. He has breakfast with Ryan every morning. They have daily wrestling matches. And its not just about our little family. We are in contact with his family and mine all the time. Moving here was the best thing for our family, and though we miss the beach, we have so much more here.

2. He is hilarious - At first meeting him you will think he is pretty quiet and conservative. But once you get to know him, he is truly funny. He makes me laugh everyday. Laughter was key for us in the first year of being parents. There were so many times I thought I was gonna lose it, but he could always make me smile. I love when he imitates Ryan or tries to sing a song he doesn't know the words to. And the stories...stuff he did as a kid cracks me up.

3. He is ridiculously smart - So smart that its annoying. We joke that he is "borderline genius." Apparently he was tested as a kid--whatever. He went to a great school (UC Davis) and studied hard ALL THE TIME. After living apart for over a year I thought it would be great when he was in Davis and I was in Sacramento. Wrong. He was studying all the time. I remember him complaining if he didn't get the highest score or didn't set the curve. Meanwhile I'm at my state college, feeling really dumb. I seriously think he was just born extra smart and his need for information just took him to another level. He is also practical and literal, which can be a bit irritating (ok...alot irritating). If he doesn't know the answer he will find out. And, his genius is not one-sided. Some people are "book smart" or "common sense" smart...nope, he got both. He can go on and on about thermodynamics (boring!) or something he saw on Animal Planet. He can fix a car, and design an entire computer program to test batteries or work with zinc fuel cells. He can put a sprinkler system in the backyard and do an hour presentation in front of PhDs about laser targets. That is my husband. I am lucky because if I say "can you fix this"...he usually can. But watch out if you ask him how something works. He'll start drawing...did I mention the pie graphs? And, I'm not the only one to notice this. In the past few months he's had two previous employers ask him to come back to their company. He is a good employee. He has a true work ethic. Ethan has even taken a sleeping bag and spent the night at work before, just to be there when a test finished. He spent nights out in the pouring rain, in the middle of nowhere, checking on a fuel cell.

4. He has never mentioned my weight - Ethan started dating a really skinny 17 yr old, and married a skinny 23 yr old. I'm now almost 32 and not skinny. I did have a baby almost 2 yrs ago, but that is no excuse. He has never ever ever said I was fat or needed to lose weight. I'm not sure I believe him or not, but he did say if I stayed this weight forever he wouldn't care. Nice to know. I beat myself up enough about my weight, I'm glad I don't have to hear it from him too. He compliments me almost everyday. I've realized (and its a shame) that most women don't get that from their husbands so I'm thankful.

5. Long ago he said it was fate - I'm not gonna argue with him now. Wether he was joking or not, he was spot on.

6. He didn't shy away from fatherhood - Ethan was in there changing diapers like a pro! He is kinda squimish, but there was nothing that was gonna get in the way of him seeing Ryan be born. I think it took him some time to feel comfortable when he was alone with Ryan, but he is a terrific dad. He has turned into Ryan's jungle gym. Every Saturday morning they walk to the pool and park together. It is great to know he enjoys his time as a father, and its not a chore. He has so much more patience than me. Ryan is a lucky boy.

7. He doesn't hold a grudge - And I do, so thats good. He can get mad at me for something, and he's over it 30min later. He also doesn't yell...which again is good cuz I do. He has forced me to really say what I mean. I don't do it all the time, but I try.

8. He can cook - Be jealous ladies. Now, he usually only cooks on weekends cuz he gets home late during the week, but he doesn't mind it at all. He doesn't clean up which is a bummer, but he makes the best hamburgers! And he doesn't half-ass it like me. I just do an entree and I'm done. He makes side dishes! Lately, I've been cooking more and he has appreciated that, which makes me happy.

Those are just a few reasons why I have a fantastic husband. There are other things like when I said I wanted to buy the house across the street and told him to "make it happen" and he did; or how cute he is with our dog Nikki (his favorite); or when he let me pick my car and i chose a Passat, eventhough he knew it was gonna be a nightmare; the Friday nights he would stay up with Ryan as an infant so I could sleep; when he took me to Urgent Care cuz I punctured my foot and he had to remove the icky thing I stepped on; when he goes to cultural events with me and though he says he doesn't really like them, i secretly think he does, etc.

He made me a mommy, and for that there is nothing I can write to make him understand what that means to me. I would marry him again in a heartbeat. Happy Anniversary!

p.s. I said we would do a couple's blog for Dad Said..Mom Said. Surprise.

p.s.s. Happy Birthday Paisley!

PICS: wedding, prom, MORP, 8th grade graduation, 10th grade

How we met

Leading up to my big post tomorrow, in honor of our 8 yr wedding anniversary, I thought I would tell you all how we met. Give a little Brandi and Ethan history, then finally let Ethan read the blog. What a gift!!!

We actually met back in 6th grade. Since our last names both started with "A" our lockers were near eachother. I'd say we were friendly, but didn't hang out with the same crowd. I don't think we had any classes together in middle school, but I was the TA for his 8th grade math class. The funny thing is that I was grading tests for a class I was way too stupid to take! Then, in 1989 we sat next to eachother at our 8th grade graduation. Cap & gown...in the parking lot of our school. So tacky. I remember my aunts pointing at him and telling me he was cute. I never thought of him that way, and he had the beginning of a mullet so I'm not even gonna go there. He will tell you he was quite the ladies man at that time.

In highschool we were still friendly. We were lab partners in 10th grade biology. His girlfriend hated me! We disected things together, and he copied my homework and the teacher was "disappointed" in me...but didn't say crap to him. No other classes together. I ended up dating someone he worked with at Longs and our Junior year we actually triple-dated to the prom. Kinda weird to look at the pictures now. We managed to be around eachother from time to time, and he would say things like it was fate, and we were supposed to be together. Um...strange. He was a nerd (and he knows it!) and I was too busy being a ra-ra and dating a football player. I GUESS WE ALL LEARN.

After being friends for years, we both happened to be single at the same time. It was the week before school started, and we were there picking up our senior schedules. A group of us made plans to go to the mall later in the day. He said he would drive. When he came to pick me up he was alone. Everyone else mysteriously cancelled and off we headed. I was coming off a bad break-up and was trying to get back to normal. We had a great time together, eventhough he was amazed at my ability to eat a Carl's Jr western bacon burger combo. I was about 95lbs back then...

All I remember after that is walking through a store and we were holding hands. I was dating a friend--which really is the best person to date. That was August, 1992. We've been together 15 yrs this month, 8 yrs married. Never even broke up or took a break...not once. And here we are.