All you need is love

Friday afternoon Victor and I took a family day and drove down to Santa Monica Pier. They were having a Beatles Tribute weekend. We all have our Beatles Gear on!


V&A - Lonley Hearts club band!


Her favorite thing to do there was a whole 50 cents.

More to come this weekend with Victor's birthday weekend and videos of Alana. This girl can count and she can count in English and Spanish, she's so fricken cute!

Sweet from the heart!

Guess who turned red?? My very first tomato from my garden! I can't tell you how proud I was to pick my first red ripe sweet tomato! I've never grown anything before or been able to keep stuff alive before (minus Alana). So I was one proud gardener!




Isn't it beautiful?!?! It almost looks fake!




I cut it into slices and ate it! Nothing fancy, just ate it. It was sweet and perfectly ripe! I am happy to say that there are at least 3 more turning red right now so I may try and pick them and make something from them! YUMMY home grown organic tomatoes!!

Generation Z

What happens after generation Z. Do we just start over at A?

Today is my niece Hailey's first day of High School. Can you remember those days? Barely right? My first day of High School was so much fun, I was a cheerleader and we had a pep rally, I was in my uniform, it was a great day for me! I'm hoping for Hailey it will be a great day as well! I took her shopping this weekend for some High School clothes. It's hard to keep up with the times. I've always thought I dressed somewhat trendy for my age, but she wanted to buy these crazy a$$ shoes. I mean, I felt so OLD when I thought to myself, they look like something Michael Jackson wore back in the 80's. Moon walking shoes. That's something an old mom would think right? Kids and their crazy fashion these days. We finally got away from the moon shoes and she got some cute ones that me, her mom and Hailey agreed on. I can only be sad and excited for Hailey. I'm sad because High School means she's growing up so much. I do think she is a College Bound kid though and that makes me happy. She wants to be a Crime Scene Investigator. Can we say too much CSI watching? haha. I'm happy she has high hopes and I know that she can do whatever she wants to! She's a smart girl! My advise for starting High School to her? I told her she needs to stay away from boys. That's what ruined my High School years. It started early and went all through High School. I stopped being so interested in school and my friends. It was lame, I was lame. I pray that Hailey doesn't do the same and make the same dumb mistakes that I did. We always want better for our kids and our nieces right? I can't wait to call her today and see how her first day went! She took lots of time last night straightening her hair and getting all ready. Here are a few pictures from this morning on her first day of High School.

I don't know if they make a generation letter for Ellie yet! My big 5 year old started Kindergarten last week! She had her first day of school and then the following week turned 5. Lots of big stuff going on for her! To think that my little niece is now in Kindergarten is so exciting! Seriously, too much going on right now! All my little girls are growing up so fast!!!!

Jacquie has had the privilege of going to the school almost every day and spending some time helping out in the classroom. That is the stuff I have always dreamed of!!! I will get my day before I know it. Ellie is enjoying school. She's going to the same Elementary school that all of us went to. Stallings Elementary! We all had our first day of Kindergarten there too! I think that makes it extra special! Some of my teachers are still there! Crazy!

Ellie doing her first homework! I'm so proud of the little lady she is becoming! **Tears**

Grandma would be so proud of her girls.

SAHM

What is a SAHM you ask?? It stands for Stay at home mom... Although I wasn't a SAHM for that long, this morning I have to admit I cried thinking about the things I'm missing out on. When I was still pregnant Victor and I made the decision that I would stay at home with our new baby so that no one else is raising our child, it’s what best for her, It was a great idea!! I started watching Kali when Alana was just 3 months old. It was great because I got to be a SAHM but also had some income coming in and enjoyed being with the girls all day!
But anyone that stays at home knows what a really hard job it is. Not only hard, but all I had to talk to all day was a new baby and a 2 year old. Trips to the parks, mommy and me classes and outings every day were great, but it started to get to me! Sure my best friend would call me every day at lunch to chat because she knew I needed an adult to talk to, but I needed to get out of the house for my own sanity! I've always been very independent and made my own money. I needed to find a job, having the extra money was nice, but for my own good and the good of my family and the girls... I needed to find a part time job! So when Alana was 8 months old I started to work part time. 10 months later...staying at home during the day with the girls, then going to work at nights and weekends, that got really old. I didn't have time with the hubby and I could never do anything with friends and family anymore. Kali had started Kindergarten so I didn't get to watch her anymore. But I just needed a break from the nights and weekends. I wasn't happy at that job anyway so I quit in December. In February I got another part time job, an Administrative job, Monday through Friday part time. Ideal right? Alana goes to Grandma's house, I work for a few hours and come home! After a few months I LOVED the money and knew Alana was well taken care of so with things changing at work I had the chance to start working full time! I hadn’t had insurance for 2 years so this was all going to be such a good thing! It's just been 1 month now of full time and boy did I miss those full time paychecks!! Most of the time I feel like I have best of both worlds. My mother in law, who is the most amazing woman every and loves Alana with all of her heart, is taking care of her. She does such a great job with Alana. I don't know I could ever trust anyone the way I trust her with Alana. Which brings me back to the reason I'm blogging today... Or should I say venting?
The last month or so Alana has been talking so much about the potty, so we've been trying to just keep her interested. I haven't really thought she was 100% ready for pull ups and the whole 9 yards yet so I didn’t want to push her. But she tries to go potty all the time, it's fun for her. She says all the time she wants to go potty so she pulls down her pants and I help her take off her diaper and she sits on the potty. She LOVES to sit on the potty! She hasn't actually gone in the toilet yet, but any day now she will! I'm so very proud of her!! This morning when we get to Grandma’s house, Grandma says, Did I tell you that Alana went Potty yesterday? I thought I was going to burst out with tears. In asking a few more questions I came to understand that she didn't actually go potty in the toilet but she almost did! I was so excited but also so sad. She told me that she was going to go to the store today and buy Alana some pull ups. I realized standing there in my mother in laws house dropping my baby off so I could go to work that I'm not home with her anymore. I'm not the SAHM that I wanted to be. I most likely will miss the first time she goes potty in the toilet. I'm only going to be the part time potty trainer and my mother in law will be the full time one. It made me so sad. I held it together and walked out, got in my car and cried. First of all to think that Alana is really getting that big to where she is going to be wearing pull ups and going potty.. WHAT? When did that happen. And then secondly the thought of me not being there for a lot of it. I was there when she said mom and dad, I was there when she rolled over and sat up, when she took her first steps... I was there, and now I'm not and that makes me so sad! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my job and the people. I love being able to do more things because we have the extra money. I love that Alana gets to spend time with her grandma and cousins. I'm just jealous and thinking selfishly. I know that... How do working moms do it that don't have a choice? This is so hard. Anyone who doesn't have a kid might think I'm crazy but until you have a baby that you leave with someone else, it's hard to understand. I know how lucky I am to have the most amazing Mother in Law that takes care of Alana. But I'm still jealous... and a bit sad today.

Where in the world?!?!

are you??

I haven't seen you in a week!!!!! Where have you been?!?! It's very RARE we go an entire week without seeing each other! Although we talk every day, I MISS YOU!!! Where is my Crystal??

I heart Family pictures

Last month when we spent some time at the beach house with Aunt Ashley, her sister Amy has the most amazing camera. It's the one I want and need to buy soon!! She took some super cute pictures of us that she just sent me so I could get them printed! Thought I'd share them with you! They are my favorites from this year so far! Thank you, Thank you Amy!!!!

Flashback Friday

Just because I miss you like crazy and I can't stop thinking about you. Almost an entire year has gone by and I still don't understand God's plan. Why me? Why my best friend? Why my mom? Not sure I'll ever understand the plan.

I wish I could just pick up the phone and call you.
I wish I could hug you one more time.
I wish I could feel more comfort without you.
I wish it was possible to be ok with you gone.
I wish this wasn't so hard.

I could really use a wish right now...

Sunday Fun!

Sunday daddy had to work so Alana and I hung out at the house (as I recovered from the long day at Raging Waters) But also needed some alone time with my Alana Rose. I miss our days together!! She loves just as much as I do the Plumeria flowers in the yard, she is always going to pull them off the tree and stick them behind her ear! Then she tells me she wants a picture... who am I to say no to a picture? So again, super cute pics of her with the flowers!


My new favorite picture!!

She always wants me to wear one too!

Then we headed into the kitchen to make some meatballs to go with our dinner!

Alana helped me mix everything together! She loves helping in the kitchen!

Between me and her grandma, she should be a great cook and baker some day!

Loving my weekend time with her. She's getting too big TOO FAST!

It's the Freakin Weekend baby

I'm about to have me some fun!

Friday night we were kid free so we decided at the last minute to head out to Laguna Beach where my cousin's band was playing!

Whisky River ROCKS!

So I grabbed my best hubby

and my best friend

And headed out to Hennessey’s!

I know if I tell you this story it won't do it any justice at all.... but I thought I'd try!

Hennessey’s! was having a "High School Reunion" upstairs where my cousin was playing. Little did we know that would be the best thing to happen to us that night. As we stood and watched my cousin Jeremy kick some butt on the drums, I noticed everyone around us was wearing name tags with the year they graduated on it. I happen to look down at the table next to us and see one sitting there. So I took it and stuck it on my shirt!

Hello my name is Christine Burke, class of '85! You would not believe the people who were looking at us, kind of weird, but then believed it. Hello people, I was 5 in 1985!! We even had their photographer come up to the 3 of us and ask to take our picture... I' m pretty sure that everyone was so drunk they didn't even notice! I wish I knew what HS it was because I would love to look on their website and see my picture on there as class of 85!

On the way home we had to stop at Del as always for some drunk food! Victor reached out the window to pick me a beautiful yellow flower!

Oh how I LOVE the ride how from a night out of drinking, especially when I'm the one who sobered up to drive home! Drunk people are crazy on the ride home.... every ride home...

Up early Sunday morning to head out to Raging Waters to celebrate Donovan's birthday! Happy Birthday D!!

I have to brag for a second... when I was younger, my older sisters birthday is in August and she used to go to Raging waters every year for her birthday. I'd always get to go and take a friend. I was super young, some what fearless... until it came to Drop Out. That was this crazy ride that was sooooo scary to even look at. I promised myself if I ever went back I'd do it.... well I haven't been back since I was a young teen... I kept saying I was going to go on it, and then we walked up to it and I saw it... Yikes... Everyone else chickened out on me.... so I decided to do it myself! The 4 of them went and sat down in the viewing area and waited for me to do it. I climbed 7 stories of stairs up to the top BY MYSELF, and waited in line. There were 2 little boys, maybe 11 years old in front of me waiting to go on. I thought "what the heck am I doing??"... Although we left the camera in the locker all day, so no one could actually get a picture of me... these are a few I found online showing what Drop Out is... Pretty crazy! But it was my turn and I got on the slide and freaked out a little, but crossed my arms and legs and they pushed me down! It was the scariest thing I think I've ever done before! But so amazing!!! I'm so proud of myself for doing it! Not sure I'll ever do it again, by myself at least... but boy oh boy.... that shit was crazy!!

This week in review

This week has been pretty busy so I decided to update one week in one blog. Totally unlike me... but working full time, trying to keep up with life and a blog has become challenging!

Alana received a late birthday present from Martha that we've all been able to enjoy! Believe it or not we all fit in here! It will be that good present that keeps on giving in this hot weather!


Alana has been soaking up EVERYTHING lately! She talks and talks and talks so much! It's amazing to me sometimes to hear what comes out of her mouth! Her motor skills have also improved greatly! Her hands are steady and she really tries so hard to get done what she wants to do! These little blocks she has, she's never really been able to stack them as high. She has such a steady hand, she was able to stack 4 of them on top of each other, and they are pretty thin around so it wasn't easy. She was so proud!


She's always been really big into drawing and coloring. She's an expert at making circles. Daddy busted out the paint this week. She loves it and concentrates really well!

Like Father like Daughter!


My friend Leah just had her baby last month so Alana and I went to visit! Her name is Tatum, she was soooo tiny!!! Alana loved to touch her and make little coo-ing sounds, it was so cute!


At the baby shower there were lots of little boys out back playing around. Alana ran around with them for hours.

When it came time to throw water balloons at each other she was a little apprehensive at first. But once she knew it was ok to throw them at each other, she had a blast, she had pretty good aim at those boys too!

Mr. Potato Head was taken out of the closet this week! It's the Disneyland one. She learned really fast where to put everything and how to have fun with it!

She finally came around to liking the nose from the circus and wanted me to put it on her nose.

This week Alana has decided to question everything we say now... I knew this day was coming.

Alana: Mommy can I have Ice Cream?

me: Not right now hunny.

Alana: Why not?

me: Because I said so!!

Who knew I'd be saying dumb stuff to her that I hated when my parents said to me?? I can't wait to see what else she comes up with these days!

Hanging out with her cousins this summer she has picked up so much... this morning she was running around the house holding her blanket up saying "Superrrrr Mannnnn"... She doesn't have a clue who Superman is, but Victor and I both started cracking up! Such is life with a 2 year old sponge! Can I keep her this age forever please??