Eat. Live. Be. + Small Scoop

This week's topic: "What's your favorite healthy change?"

I think I'm enjoying the stretching more than anything. Walking has always been my favorite form of exercise, but yoga has made me feel good and hurt in ways I haven't in years! I do mean that in a good way.

***Weight loss: perhaps 3 pounds, but it's likely due to the bug I acquired from the kids. I'll quote Emily Blunt from The Devil Wears Prada......"I'm just one stomach flu away from my ideal weight." Love that.
***Exercise: yoga, yoga, yoga

Scoop:

*My life is about to change again. Carpooling, peeps! I'm teaming up with a neighbor for Carter's school run and then a friend for Preschool. So, rather than my usual 4 drives each day, I'll cut back to 2 and have even more time to myself. Note to self: Stock up on champagne and bon bons.


*I'm reading The Hunger Games series and enjoying it. On book 2. Carter is reading the first. Love sharing books with my son.


*My Kindle is acting up. The screen freezes often and then it doesn't hold my last page after I re-boot. Anyone have one and have you encountered this issue?


*I just learned that our town, Oceanside, has the #7 best climate in the United States. Not too shabby.


*Sass and Merrilee are coming for lunch tomorrow. There will be wine. Can't wait!


Off to straighten the casa de Starnes for our guests. Blake is en route to Los Angeles with Carter to pick up a desk for his new office. He is finally moving in his own space and out of his car/my desk at home. This is good for everyone.

Back soon!

A Little Sweetness On Saturday

Not funny or all that exciting.......but a special 30 seconds captured on film. Lainey wants to dance anywhere and everywhere.....and Pa happily obliges.....even while waiting for a ride at California Adventure.

Clockwork

Remember this post?

Where I bragged about how rarely our kids get sick?

They are now. Carter was briefly Sunday night. He begged to go to school on Monday (who does this?), but I kept him home just in case.

Jack was grumpier than his usual grumpy self at Holly's last night and then started throwing up when he got home. Lainey, at 11:30pm. No school today, just in case.

I'm not entirely sure these are legitimate illnesses or if Blake fed them Castor oil to prove his point of my "jinxing" them.

What do you think? Please vote on the poll......on the sidebar to the right of this post.

Let's settle this once and for all!

Video Update

A few good ones for this lovely Wednesday.

First, Lainey Caroline in all her wacky glory, talking about the demise of Fishy Fish and Jack the Fish and introducing our new one.



That girl is crazy, yall.

Next, I'm sad to say we arrived in California 2 years too late. Look at what we missed:


After finding the pardoned turkey at Disneyland last weekend, I scanned the internet for more deets. Transporting the turkey in a pope-mobile-type contraption via parade and major hoopla for Thanksgiving each year? Yes, please. But, alas, they've ended this tradition. Explanation here. Pretty sure we're moving back to Kansas now.

Finally, I'm currently obsessed with Jack In The Box commercials.

My favorite:


I love when Jack tears through the yard after the guy. Blake has challenged me with suggesting there is another one better than this......something about shopping and Jack comes home with a dog collar. I can't find it. Anyone?

Off to assign the fish beater for the day. Later!

Disneyland, Pa's Visit and A Table for 12

A whole lotta Starnes today, peeps. Fair warning.

How cute are those little piggies? Love Laine's relaxed manner as we approach the happiest place on earth.

Did you know that the happiest place on earth has the best corn dogs on earth? Yes, even better than the Texas State Fair. Promise.

Hand holding as we enter the kids' favorite.......Jungle Cruise.

Disregard the typo here and enjoy the little tale. (I'll have a letter out this week to HR.) President-pardoned turkeys often end up at Disneyland.

For Coco. Some Fort Worth lovin'!

Casey's Circus Train is Jack's fave. Shocker.

Lainey enjoyed it, too! Love her little hands up here.

Disneyland, in general, is picturesque. This ride has some of the best landscaping.



Punkin Carter does look younger with his hair shorter. Which makes me happy.

Cookie time.

In her little 3 year old mind, this castle belongs to Lainey. Even Jack will chime in with, "Wook, Wainey. It's your castle!"



Fairy Godmother sighting!

Laine did a little dance while she signed her princess autograph book.





We took the ferry over to Tom Sawyer's Island. Hadn't been since 2003. Super fun and lots to do.

It's like a whole other world.



More hand holding. Melts my heart.

The sun started to set and we prepared for Pa and Daddy to join us after they finished work for the day.

He's here! He's here!

Since Pa is now a card carrying Disneyland Passport holder, we headed over to California Adventure for a few of our favorites. Bug's Life 3D movie was on the list. Soarin' Over California, too. Pure awesomeness.

Lainey and Pa danced before we went in. Precious.

Carter convinced us to go into the Tiki Hut.......such a weird, weird place.



We ended the evening with Buzz Lightyear's ride.

Lots of fun.


Carter went with Pa to a condo near the beach for the night, and then we all attended Carter's basketball game Saturday morning.

Donna brought the kitty ear headband for Lainey. Perfect! Glad they came. Carter had a great game with 13 points scored, no turn overs and 2 qty 3 pointers!!!!!!!!!!!




That evening, we ventured into Carlsbad Village. Love this place.

For Ryan! Caroline, bring him on your next visit.

Lovely old buildings and lots to see & do.

Had dinner at Las Olas. Seriously good Mexican food.

Pa snuck in a picture with grumpy Jack. Awesome.

The Davidge family joined us for dinner. Later, after ice cream for the kids, their oldest lost a tooth! Pretty exciting.

Pa and Lainey. These two are so goofy together.





This is what it looks like when our families get together. 7 kids and 5 adults. Fun, crazy chaos!

The boys, outside. Such a mess.


Pa took the Starnes kids to his condo after ice cream and the Davidges headed home. Blake and I stayed out. Our first date since July, I think. Had a great time bar hopping in the village!

Back to routine this week.

*Basketball practice and a game.

*Thank you notes. (Doing them right now! Still can't find Carter's school pictures, but I'm sending them out anyway. What kind of mother loses a kid's pictures?!)

*Work. Had fun at the studio on Sunday for our Valentine shoot. More to do from home now.

*Bunco with Holly, hopefully.

*Meeting at school for Carter's Spend-The-Night Field Trip in February. How cool is that?

*Valentine's Day prep.

*Wreath making.

*Painting 2 walls in the house!

*Preparing for 2 upcoming visits......Sass next Monday and then her sis that next Saturday. Cannot wait!