Take your credit

(this picture doesn't do this justice)
Yesterday in the mail I got a package. I was so excited when I saw the return label from The Vintage Pearl, a website I have loved and coveted for a stamped mother necklace ever since Ben was born. I was hoping that inside was just the tags to get me started or something even close to that. So you can imagine my sheer joy when I found this perfect little necklace with my babies names and a little pearl. The kids helped me open it and Amelia was so exited to read the names and put 2 and 2 together that it was them. She had a list of guesses who she thought it was from, but there was no card or info or anything on who sent it. We searched the labels and packages over and over and nothing. This person obviously knows my kids names, knows I wanted one of these and knows it's my birthday. I waited until the mail came today thinking maybe an explanatory email or card would come, but it hasn't and the suspense is killing me. Sooooo, step up and claim your thanks. I love this gift and it is killing me to not know who I should be thanking. I have been wearing it ever since I got it and every time I move it makes this soft little tinkling sound and I smile because it reminds me that I am wearing a cool necklace, that I love my kids, and that someone loves me enough to give me such a sweet personal gift. So thank you for putting a smile on my face.

Kindergarten

I took Amelia to get all her doctor stuff done to register her for kindergarten. She needed a hearing test, eye test, 4 shots, a TB test, urine sample and blood sample. If you know anything about Amelia, that is way too many things for her to cooperate on. I negotiated the doctor down to 2 shots and everything else and come back in 3 months for the other 2. She wouldn't pee in the cup, waited about 10 minutes until she got literally a teaspoon. Next, she wouldn't cover her eye for the eye exam. She kept saying, "I don't like this. Why are you covering my eye, I can't see". Tried to explain that's the point of the tests. Then on to hearing. Doesn't want to wear the headphones. Too big, bugging her, blah blah. So I agreed to hold her and the headphones, done. Now, 2 shots and the TB test (basically a shot just under her skin on her forearm). She actually nervously laughed for the first one until the nurse started actually pushing the medicine in. Then the screaming and kicking (she has gotten much stronger). She wouldn't get her other arm out for the next one. I had to hold her down and got it, then quick do the TB but by then, Ben started screaming because he was scared and wanted us to "stop hurting Amelia". Did I mention I had to do all this with Ben. Now done with those and go across the street to get blood drawn. She was holding the seat belt in so I couldn't unclick her to get her out of the car. Then holding the door, anything she could drag. Just making a scene like I was taking her to the slaughter. Get in the office and told them they will need 2 people to hold her down to keep her from moving while they draw blood. 4 viles of blood to be exact. Midstream first one, it stops working. They figure it out and get going, but it took literally 2 minutes which is a lot when 2 people are having to hold her still. When all is said and done we are heading home and she is holding a grudge at me so I am feeling guilty so I thought a kids meal at Wendy's was a good peace offering. She keeps telling me she doesn't want to go to kindergarten now. Hopefully she forgets all this and changes her mind by then because she is going!!! Now we have to convince her that the dentist won't be so bad. HA!!!

Santa Barbara Sledding

This is what we do for sledding when it's 80 in January.

We ate this

I made the mistake of saying Ojai had no good burgers. Philip brought this home. Bacon, avocado, grilled onions on a monster burger. Yum.

And because I think my kids are pretty cute

Pics

I finally have put my pics on my computer and thought some were worth posting. This is Ben smelling Christmas lights and insisting that, "mmmm, smells good".

remember

This is so I won't forget the funny thing Amelia said today. At Phil's new job he doesn't get wined and dined every day so he comes home for lunch. Today, he didn't come home. Lunch came and went and about 2pm, after asking many times if dad was coming home yet, Amelia says, rather angrily, "why didn't you let dad come home for lunch today?I'm angry at you!!"