WIDN

Instagram pics deserve an Instagram-like hashtag, eh? At this moment Chad and the kiddos are eating breakfast at Corky's with my the bro-in-law and their kiddos before they head over to turn in both familys' oldest childrens' birth certificates for AYSO soccer in the Fall for proof of age. (Anyone for complicated, run-on sentences?) At this moment, I should be filing away a hundred different documents, but I think my time is better spent during this rare alone time documenting our early Summer happy-moments. At this moment, I'm thinking about how amazing it is that Chad has had every single Saturday off since the first week of May - I mean, it's huge - freeing us to experience true weekend "vacation of the mind" modes thoroughly. At this moment I'm really digging this June gloom - weather here in the big LR could not be more enjoyable.

Currently I'm thinking about how I've been making a concerted effort lately to be more organized and on top of the household duties, mainly because these weekends have been so gosh darn awesome, I would rather spend them in cleanliness versus an ew-I-don't-want-to-enter-the-kids-room-because-it-will-remind-me-how-I-haven't-vaccumed-in-a-fortnight type thing. You know? I will say, closet organization is the most underrated activity in America. Also another cool fact about me sitting here among organization: I don't feel like I'm overwhelmed with toys and kid paraphernalia - a fact I never knew existed until I removed most of the junk! Woohoo to that! This should also include the REAL reason I've been organizing: one of my best friends from way back when I was Carter's age comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays to watch the kids while I'm at Purebarre, just until the end of the Summer, so... you know. Can't be having a filthy house! It has to at least APPEAR as if I was aware that there were at least three, jumbo sized EMPTY boxes of diapers in the babes' closet collecting dust...

This post is slowly turning into a I-really-don't-want-to-be-doing-what-I-should-be-doing-so-let-me-tell-you-about-cleaning-my-closets...

Anyhoo, I just got confirmation that we'll be heading out to Palm Springs to hang at the sister-in-law's house after this quick PB meeting I have, Target and running through Buy Buy Baby! Better get down to business lol or else I'll feel like a major lame-o all weekend. Don't you hate when you know you have something you SHOULD be doing but you just don't want to do it?? That's me right now. Motivation, Nicole, motivation! Anyway, woohoo to a great weekend and having a blast with our two sweet babes!

Some kids, man

WARNING: horribly mean, probably below-the-belt blog post.

You know what? Some kids are just little shits! Yes - what a terrible thing to say as a mother to two toddlers, both of whom may or may not be little poops themselves every once in awhile - but really. For some odd reason, I've been coming into contact with some seriously inappropriate children lately and have become ridiculously worked up due to my own kids not knowing what to do in the face of such absurdity (mama's advice? Smack them up side the head! Okay no, but... come on. My only form of solace is that Carts and Kots have no idea what to make of these little creeps because such behavior is not tolerated around here - proud mom!). An example, you say?

Okay. Yesterday at the little kiddie pool a block from home, there were these three little ones who kept calling a fourth little boy a zombie who was visibly frustrated that they kept doing so. After awhile, the boys parents took him out of the pool and left, probably because they were not happy about witnessing their poor child being picked on! Guess who was the next zombie? CARTER! I was so pissed because (I kid you not) Carter never has issues with other children. I know, I know - totally something a biased mom would say, but it's such a rarity to see my dude not getting along with someone that I can't even come up with one specific non-smooth social interaction beyond the point of being a baby. After a few minutes, Carter, completely innocently, told me that he didn't know why those guys were calling him "zombie" because that was not his name and he didn't like it. My heart broke at the same time my head screamed, "yeah, they're total brats - don't worry honey, I'll go give their mothers a piece of my mind!" I tried to explain to him what a zombie was and that maybe they were playing a game, so don't worry about it and play with sister, but he was just not getting why he wasn't playing with these like-aged children and not having fun! I told him to tell them to stop calling him that if he didn't like it - which he did forcefully but not rudely, woo! - to which the two little nicer ones responded but the bad-seed-ring-leader ignored. WHAT A BRAT! After SEVERAL glances towards the the two moms who must be responsible for these three (who were talking face to face without a glance to their babies who were just floating around an enormous pool), I extremely loudly and obviously told Carter and Dakota to get out of the pool because WE DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH KIDS WHO DON'T WANT TO PLAY NICE (and that we had to go make dinner).

WTH, brats?!

Rest assured there have been a few more situations where I've repeatedly thought, "Wow, you're a total shit, get it together," but I really can't think of what they are due to me getting slightly worked up from writing aforementioned pool situation. Anyway, the only thing I can do is make sure that my babies know how to handle themselves in such situations and that I, too, know how to handle myself in the face of some seriously lame parents. I mean, I'm not the type of person who would completely forget all forms of social decency and go screaming after a parent because their toddler is in dire need of some rules and boundaries, but sheesh, man. It's tough to not claw someone's face off when it comes to your kids!

Woo!

5 year anniversary in which the bucket list is recorded

Well, for heaven's sakes, it's been 5 years since I married my man! How did that happen? Time has seriously whooshed by - it's no joke when people say it flies when you're having fun. He's been such a hunk of a hubby. Who would have thought that when I married my 20 (TWENTY!) year old guy he was set to be such a sexy dad? That sentence sounds wrong, but hey! It's true!

(...And by the way... Marrying was the only large life event I will allow to have happened when I was occupying the "older" state of our 6 month difference. Children-having, house-buying and any other significant life event must be done when we are both of the "later" end of the years' spectrum... Haha!)

Anyhoo! What was the haps on our glorious, highly milestone-ish anniversary? Well! It was my year to plan, per the odds and evens planning scale we put in place way back when, so it was going to be a big, BIG surprise in which we jet-setted off to a super, ridiculously amazing location. Here's how it was to go:

I mysteriously (bluntly) told Chad that I needed him to transfer x amount of dolla bills into my super secret Stroller Strides business account, so that way I could make all the accommodations necessary on our massive, Caribbean or Fijian-filled vacation destination. Shortly after the drop was made, I made a few changes with Stroller Strides and Chad started at an awesome new company, so we decided that it probably wasn't the best time in life to take off for 7 or so days, especially because I kept having weird anxiety about leaving the kids and/or not taking them with us - I'm totally a person who thinks travelling with your kids is a great idea. Who cares how old they are and if they will remember it or not? YOU'LL remember it and it will be awesome! Anyway, we decided that a fabulous weekend getaway would suffice and be more enjoyable in the end because I would feel great about where the kids were: at the most awesome Aunt Maggie's house!

So off we took on June 30th (a day after the actual BIG day) down to La Jolla where we stayed at an awesome resort (hey-o for never staying at resorts and mainly opting for cheapo options! It really made me appreciate the bell hop, man! Hahahaha). But really, it was the bomb. The first night we did absolutely NOTHING, then went down to one of the restaurants for some nachos around 11:00. The next morning we left to get a few breakfast burritos and to grab a little bit of cashola for the poor bell hop we had to stiff the night before (woops!), then we again resumed our NOTHINGNESS at the pool where I creeped on a massive wedding group. Saturday night we went down to Gaslamp for some amazing sushi and then went to a country western bar (that was CHAD'S idea to attend! It may have taken me 5 years, but I got the guy to like country. A true win if there ever was one)!

Sunday was another morning of nothingness, but not after the missed-breakfast breakfast we had at 11:45 am. We both had burgers after our bar night. The waiter even asked us (rudely!) if it had been a long night! What the hell, man???! Anyhoo, it was funny, but yeah...

We took off to pick up the kids around 2:00, but not before we made our official "BEFORE 30 BUCKET LISTS!" Woooohoooo on these things! I'm pretty stoked about them. I have to write them down here because a) they're awesome, b) I have to remember these things and c) who knows what our "Before 35" bucket lists will look like? And then beyond that, what will our LIFE, LIFE bucket lists look like? No matter what any list looks like, I'm very lucky to get to do it all with this guy - truly a blessed lady. Beyond the amount of fun we have together, something which I talk constantly about here, he's just the all-around best guy for me. I enjoy him, love him, like him and value his opinion, his take on things and what he has to say. He's a dedicated dad and family member to his mom, dad, brother, sisters and on from there. His values are held in high regard when making decisions, and above all, I just treasure him! Lucky people, Carter, Kota and I are - lucky people.

Anyhoo, here are the "Before 30" lists!

MINE:
- Buy a house
- Go on a family vacation to Hawaii
- Do at least one weekend getaway a year with the fam
- Do one weekend getaway with Chad per year
- Be completely debt free except for a mortgage (diiiiiiiiiie.)
- Fully research and decorate bought house exactly the way I want it even if that takes a few attempts
- Join a specialty club and consistently participate (gourmet cooking club or something like it)
- Run a half marathon
- Read/understand the Bible
- Take an international trip
- Start savings for the kids beyond the ant-mound amount we have at the moment
- Send kids to VBS one time per year minimum
- Visit all best friends who live out of state for leisurely purposes (3 people at the moment)
- Go on a girls' trip with my mom and sister, even if it's just for one night
- Get... Augmented.
- Get family bikes
- Get our kids baptized/religious ed going

CHADS:
- Get a tattoo
- Go on a tropical vacation
- Get 2 new (to us) cars
- Buy a house
- Buy another house
- Have a man space of some kind
- Teach Carter how to play sports
- At least once a  month take each kid out by themselves for daddy date time
- One date a month with Nicole
- Take the family to at least 3 musical theater performances
- Host Thanksgiving
- Host Christmas
- 70" TV
- Get baptized
- Baptize kids

So woohoo! Some are goal-like versus bucket list-like, but hey! They're still pretty prevalent, eh?! Pretty excited about how awesome the last 5 years have been and how much more awesome the next 100! Gooooo team Cisneros!!! I love you, lovah!