mamasraspberry

Small Joys Friday!

Here are some things that have brought me JOY this week :-)

1. Caleb having quality time with his Aunt Jana.  Thanks again Jana for babysitting Boogie yesterday!

2. Scotty's Donut's.  OMG!  They're sooooooo wrong.  Yet soooooo right!

3. Playing at Chuck E. Cheese's this afternoon with my MOMS Club friends.  Caleb HAD A BLAST!
 
4. Gearing up to host a baby shower for my friend/co-worker Melissa from the dance studio.  She's due in June and Susan and I are throwing her a shower at yummy Cafe 225 tomorrow.  I just love doing nice things for friends.  I've been getting everything together all week (games, prizes and gift wrapping..) Can't wait to dote all over Miss Melissa!

5. Finishing a Sudoku puzzle.  Ahhh so fulfilling!

6. Kickin' it with Mom this afternoon in the backyard.  Caleb just loves his G-Ma but I think he loves his G-Ma's backyard better!  HA!  Oh he played with her hose and helped her water the flowers, he chased after bubbles, squealed at the wind-chimes, played with Rascal The Cat and after he soaked himself with the hose he ran around in just his diaper singing and exploring.....oh he can't get enough of the outdoors.
*Plus I needed to get my G-Ma quality time too :-)  LOVE YOU MOM!

7. Laughing with my Mom on the phone the other day.  We chatted about this and that...I'm so lucky!  I got me two moms!!!  LOVE YOU TOO MOM!!!

8. Teaching Caleb new tricks :-)  He can now pat his head and say cricket (although it sounds like kick it...doo doo)!

9. Craisins. 

10. Setting up Boogies room  The paint is dry in the perfect shade of dreamy blue.  Thanks Michael! I love it!

11. Orange toe nail polish.

12. Snuggling up to my sleeping babe and stealing kisses.  I love to watch him sleep.  I love to kiss his baby lips when he sleeps.  And sometimes he smiles.  Precious.

13. Meeting a new friend.  A new member joined MOMS Club this week and she's really nice and easy to talk too.  Yeah MOMS Club!!

14. My I-Touch

15. Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

16. Fun comments from friends & family on my blog!

17. Survivor, American Idol, The Office, Dancing With The Stars.  And as always COPS and Cheaters.  Sorry but you know you watch it too!!

18. The beautiful weather.  Spring has Sprung!

19. An email from my sister.

20. Family Movie Night!  Tomorrow night the fam is coming over and we're going to watch...drum-roll.................Uncle Buck!  HAHAHAHAHAaaaaaaAAA!

21. My husband.  You are my guy.  I love you as high as the sky.


***What's been bringing you JOY?

Have a grrrrreat weekend!!!

Small Joys Sunday!

Here are some things that have brought me joy this past week!

1. Painting Caleb's room!!  Well, Watching Michael paint Caleb's room ;-)  Boogie's new pad (walls & ceiling) is now a happy light blue.  I LOVE IT!! 

2. Having "Movie Night" at our cozy home again on Friday :-)  We watched The Burbs.  Um...hysterical!!!  Thanks to Mom, Dad, Mace, NoPo and Katelyn for the laughs!!

3. Blowing bubbles, digging, picking flowers (and sometimes eating them), watering our garden, pointing to birds and laughing at the turtles (duh of course Michael has several box turtles out back) with Boogie in our backyard. This boy LOVES to be outside.  So much so that he will cry when you bring him inside.  He's such the outdoors man (just like his Daddy).

4. Making muffins & getting the house ready for my MOMS Club playgroup in the morning :-)  Oh I just LOVE being a stay-at-home-mama!!!!

5. Listening to music on I-Tunes with Michael.  He's so cute the way he snaps and wiggles his shoulders to the beat.  His new theme song is the Chris Brown song "With You"..awwwww!

6. Talking to my mama on the phone.  I love knowing that I am the only one who can truly crack her up!

7. My girls at the studio.  Love love love them!

8. Taking pictures of Boogie with my way to big for him sunglasses.  Too too doo doo!

*****

BIG JOYS BOOGIE!!

Caleb Can:

Clap his hands (especially if you sing "If You're Happy And You Know It Clap Your Hands")
Wave Bye Bye & Hi
Do The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Show you his tummy (he will lift up his shirt at pat pat pat his tummy!)
Turn round in a circle over and over and over again until he falls down
Dance.  Duh Of course!
Will sometimes say Dad and Mom
If coerced will shout Turtle and Cricket
Turn the pages in a book (he LOVES books)
Put objects/toys in a bin or drawer
Climb on top of our coffee table and give you a "table dance" while smiling and singing.  So dangerously adorable.
Caleb can tell you exactly what he wants without speaking a single syllable

Caleb LOVES:
MILK - OMG
Craisins
Bananas
Apples
Cereal (raisin bran, corn flakes, coco puffs)
Any kind of meat
Raisins
Broccoli
Grapes
Nutrigrain Bars
Oatmeal (maple brown sugar)

HATES:
Cheese
Mac n Cheese
Yogurt
Kix

*What's been bringing you joy?


 

  
 

Small Joys Saturday!

Here are some things that have brought me joy this week!

1. Growing Rascals: Playgroup on Monday at my friend's house.  I love to watch Caleb play and interact with other little people.

2. Maci joined MOMS CLUB!!! She had her first event on Thursday - lunch at Vahallas!  She and Po had a great time getting to know her new MOMS CLUB mommies.  YEAH Mace!  I'm sooooooo thrilled that we can do mama things together with the mama club!! :-)  You and Po are going to have so much fun!

3. Co-Pilot:  The Powells are ridding yo!!  Michael installed a kiddie seat on his bike for Booga!!  on Thursday night we went bike ridding around the neighborhood and Caleb LOVED it!  He sits behind his Daddy smiling and singing!  Sante Fe Trail here we come!

4.  The Potty!!!  We got a Potty for Caleb.  Yes I know he's only 13 months old but hey it doesn't hurt to get started right?  Well, so far he he loves the box it came in.  HA!

5. Lift The Flap :-)  Caleb LOVES to read!  He will pick out the book he wants and bring it to me with a great big smile on his face.  Then he sits on my lap and we read.  ADORABLE!  His new found joy?  Those Lift The Flap books.  Oh he is so proud of himself when he lifts those little flaps!  So much so that he wants to read the same book over and over and over again.  Sometimes I have to hide the book!

Oh our little man is growing up so fast.

I have more JOYS to report but my son is insistent upon climbing on top of me and the computer so.....

to be continued...

Small Joys Monday!

Hi All!  It's Small Joys Friday on a Monday! :-)

Here are some things that have brought me joy this week:

1.  Hosting a MOMS Club playgroup at my house this morning.  Since the weather was so nice we had our playgroup, called The Growing Rascals, outside at our playpark.  And Caleb was a perfect little host to his friends!  Thanks ladies for a lovely morning!

2. Jello Pudding - Mmm mmm mmm

3. Mommy & Daddy on a date? Yup.  Michael and I went out for dinner and a movie this past Friday courtesy of Mom and Mai Mai.  Sweet Maci, NoPo and Mom came over to our house to babysit Caleb so me and Michael could have some alone time.  We had dinner at Chili's and saw the movie I Am Legend.  Ahh grown up time :-)

4. The studio is open!  Winter break is over and the it's time to dance!  Felt so good to see my girls/students and shake my money maker ;-)

5. Handfuls of M & M's

6.  Tricycle Time!  Oh Caleb just love love loves his Radio Flyer Tricycle (from Melissa & katelyn).  We push Booga around the neighborhood while he holds on with one hand and sings and laughs. He's so cute.  Thanks you guys!  It's our new favorite family thing to do!

7.  Thrifty Shopper. Caleb and I explored Tulare's thrift stores this afternoon and snagged some good finds.  Oh I just love other people's clothes ;-)

8. Watching Jackass 2.5  - Stupid, ridiculous, obscene, retarded and I can't believe I actually laughed at that crap!

9. Taking a nap with my bug on the couch.

10. Diving into a new book.  I'm almost finished reading "I Am Legend" (soooo goood!)

11. Getting pictures via email from my mom of our trip back east.  Even though we got sick we still had a really really good time with my family.  Miss you and love you Mom!  We'll see you in a couple of months :-)

12. I'm a BIG by now! Caleb weighs 19.6 lbs and is almost weened off of formula!  He is a toddler ya'll and it's like it happend over night.  He just loves to eat table food ALL the time.  He loves milk.  He loves to feed himself.   And he loves to stomp his feet when he doesn't get his way.  Yeah.  he's a toddler.
**We took down his crib and we're buying him a big boy bed from IKEA!!!!  My raspberry...all growed up ;-)

Those are my good things.

What's been bringin' you joy???

BIG Joys Monday!!

-Caleb's 1st birthday was awesome!! He had a blast eating cake, playing with new toys and entertaining his family.

-The Powell Christmas Jankey Yankee Party was a success!! The whole family partied hard at our house for our yearly chirstmas gift exchange extravaganza!!! Good eats, good treats, good laughs!

-Mama got an I-Touch for Christmas!!!! Hey Ho!! Go Tiff Go Tiff!! Yup. Daddy hooked Mama up with the BEST gadget EVER!! The I-Touch. I AM SO COOL.

We leave for Maryland TODAY!!! We three are homeward bound to Mama's old stomping grounds. Can not wait to see my family, friends and favorite MD/DC sites :-) We'll be gone for a week of fun and love!!

I've got TONS of pictures to post but that will have to wait til we get back to Cali.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL
HAPPY NEW YEAR
AND BE SAFE!!!

Small Joys Friday!!

Here are some things that have brought me JOY this week:

-Watching my husband delight in setting up a tent (yes a camping tent) in the house for Caleb to play in

-BIG FAT JOY! Reconnecting with my mom

-Breakfast with my guys this morning

-Homemade sugar cookies with lemon icing & sprinkles (YES I made them!)

-Warm showers with my bug when he's sick

-Coming up with new nicknames for Caleb like Oogie. Doo doo

-My husband encouraging me to take a leap

-Caleb playing, past his bedtime, with his new toys that his Grama (my mom) sent him

-Being excited about Christmas gifts for Michael

-Eating handfuls of M&M's

-Booga/Boogie/Oogie crying his eyes out seeing Santa Claus for the first time. Soooo cute yet so sad. Poor guy was scared out of his mind. Oops sorry Santa maybe next year?

-Spending time with Mom, Mai Mai and NoPo today. We've not seen them in a week cuz we were sick. It was so good to see them and kiss them and hug them and and and laugh and dance.

-Addressing Christmas cards to friends and family far away

-Once again night-times with Caleb. They're my new favorite thing. He is just so cuddley and mm mmm sweet!

-Planning for Booga's birthday party (He'll be ONE on Sunday!!!!)

What are your small joys?

Happy Weekend All!!

Small Joys Friday!

Here are some things that have brought me joy this week ;-)

1. Shopping at Super Target with my guys tonight. Caleb squeels in the cart and we egg him on. Wow. I'm so cool. I'm 32 and I shop at Target on a Friday night--ha! BUT so sorry Super Target ROCKS!!!

2. Putting little booga to bed. We layed on his bed (yes Caleb has a twin bed in his room) and sunggled up tight. He sang quietly and tugged on my ear and patted my arm. Oh he is just so sweet. I love night-times with my baby.

3. Seeing Joyce at Anna's Linens. And she was so excited to see Caleb. She scooped him up and kissed all over him. The checkout girl said oh he's sooooo cute. And Joyce said "NO! He's GORGEOUS!" :-)

4. Napping with Boogie

5. My new house...still smells like new. Mmm mmm mmm.

6. Miracle On Main went on without a hitch! The show was awesome!!! Thanks Michael, Mom & Dad, Juli & Breezy, Diana & Manny, Todd & Jennifer and Theresa & Debbie for coming to the show and supporting me and my girls!!! Felt grrrreat to perform again (it's been almost three years!!) and for such a good cause :-)

7. A voicemail from my Aunt Teena. Miss you Teen!

8. Having breakfast and lunch at home with my husband today. Ahh I love days like that!

9. The rain. Don't know why but rain reminds me of Maryland...and I like that.

10. Eating a homemade ice cream sundae with M & M's. YUM!

*Side Notes*

-I have a nasty cold :-(

-We're having this years Powell Christmas Party Gift Exchange at OUR house!! The whole family will be here to celebrate in our new home!!!! Mom is helping us decorate and Abby & Lindee are doing the invites. It's gonna be soooo much fun! 'Tis The Season!!!

-Caleb will be ONE YEAR OLD!! On Sunday December 16th!!! WOW you guys. One year old.

-MOMS Club is having a Christmas Party tomorrow morning! Santa will be there along with all my MOM's friends and Caleb's kiddie friends. AND.....Michael is coming with us so I'll get to show him off to everyone!

-I got a teaching/performing gig on Tuesday night. I'll be teaching Salsa to Remax employees for their Christmas party! HA! It's going to be a riot! Hopefully after they've had a drink or two....I'll get them to shake their booty's on the dance floor with my latin flavor! Ha hahahahahaaaa!!!!

****What are your small joys?

Small Joys Saturday!

Here are some things that have brought me joy this week!

1. Thanksgiving with my family
2. Talking to my Grama
3. Playing at the playground at our NEW house. Caleb LOVES the slide
4. Watching little man climb our stairs
5. Sleeping in this morning with my guys
6. Completing a Sudoku puzzle
7. Jared & Andrew :-) Those boys just love to play with Booga
8. Justin Sweet. THANK YOU Justin for being such a BIG help for the move
9. Turkey--yum
10. Caleb saying Mama :-)
11. Cable TV
12. Our new Cal-King bed..ROCKS!!
13.Michael made a tent for Caleb to walk and crawl under and to watch the two of them play "I'm gonna get this baby" is THE BEST!!!
14. Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies
15. Laughing way too loud on the phone with my Aunt Teena
16. My Husband (thanks for your love and for this amazing house!!)

What are your small joys?

Small Joys Friday!

Here are some things that have brought me joy this week...

1. Making cupcakes for a MOMS Club potluck lunch.  (I'm a really real mommy!!)

2. Watching Michael & Caleb snuggle together.  (So sweet)

3. Feeding the ducks at Mooney Grove Park this morning.  So fun to see Caleb take life in.

4. Laughing with Mom & Dad this evening about couches in dinning rooms.

5. Kissing Noah ( Oh He jsut loves to be kissed.  Little kissing bug)

6. Lunch at Red Lobster (Mmmm gooooood)

7. Beautiful Fall weather

8. New ballet shoes

9. Napping with Caleb in the afternoons

10. Talking to my girl Jazz

11. Uncle Pat calling to say congratulations on our new home

12. Taking a mega bubble bath with Caleb (He tries to eat the bubbles-doo doo)

13. My BRAND new house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ***WE SIGN TOMORROW MORNING AND GET KEYS ON WEDNESDAY!! :-)

14. My husband.  Marrying you and moving to California was the BEST thing I ever did (next to Caleb). I LOVE YOU MICHAEL.

God is so good.

I am so blessed.

My dreams are coming true.

What things have brought you joy this week?

Small Joys Friday

Merry December All! Here are my small joys for the week :-)

-BIG Joy Daddy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLYDE!! my step-dad is celebrating his birthday today by hitting the party scene with his beautiful bride (my mommy). We love you Clyde have a GREAT birthday!!!

-My Guy

Before my husband left for work this morning he tip-toed in our bedroom kissed my forehead and asked if I needed anything before he left. Then he bent down close to my tummy and whispered, "Now Caleb you be good to mama today." and then he kissed my belly. I'm sorry but it doesn't get any sweeter than that. Thank you baby. That was my favorite moment of the week.

-Safe Return

I'm filled with joy that my in-laws got back to Visalia safely from their 41st Anniversary vacation in Hawaii. Mom & Dad had a blast with The Kalamas cavorting in gorgeous Hawaii. Welcome back you two we missed you! P.S. Thanks for the great gifts. I loove my bracelet :-) And Caleb will look too too cute in his Hawaiian Outfit.

-Stretch It Out Mama

I am trying my best to find joy in my stretch marks. Yup I got 'em. They began to appear about two weeks ago but I didn't want to believe it. Well believe it mama they're here and they're stretcherific! Michael smiles when he sees them telling me to be proud of my mama scars. Thanks baby for the support. It's a symbol of my body growing to accomodate our baby. It's beautiful right? :-) Well beauty or not you can best believe that mama will be slathering on twice as much coco butter! HA! Here's to stretch marks!

-Wedding Bells

I am so excited for my good dance friend back in Maryland/DC. Melissa is getting married this weekend in Key West. Congratulaitons to you and Peter!! I know you and your wedding will be beautiful!

- Lamaze is La-Over

Unfortunately for us our Lamaze classes taught us nothing but the life history of our teacher. Our instructor was HORRIBLE. All she did was talk about her and her four kids. I mean LONG winded stories about her labors, her friends and other insignificant things. We leanred NOTHING. What a waste of time and money. We absolutely dreaded going ever Monday. We did maybe 10 min of breathing and learned maybe a half hours worth of valuable informaiton. It was dissapointing to say the least. We were expecting to have a competent teacher, to learn the breathing techniques of Lamaze, see videos of live births, LEARN about everything and anything about labor, delivery, and all that in between. BUT nope. We got shafted and I can't tell you how thrilled we are that we don't have to go back to the hospital and listen (I mean zone out) to that awful instructor. Here's the kicker. SHE'S THE ONLY INSTRUCTOR!!! There are NO others. She's it. My new small joy? Taking her job. I've started to look into Lamaze Intruction. I think I'd be great at it.

-Week 36 almost over

Yes!! This is a great joy because it means I've got three weeks to go til I see my baby boy. Oh! And he's about 5 1/2 pounds, head is down, I'm 50% thinned out and a fingertip dialated :-) My body is ready and so is he!! Woohooo!!!

-East Cost Ties

My Mom & Clyde will be here in 19 days!!!! :-) I can't wait to see you guys!!

Those are my joys for the week...what are yours?

Small Joys was created by my super awesome blog friend Andi. Look for her blog to the left under Tales of A Crafty Mama :-)

Have a great weekend!