miyo b.

It's a Jolly Holiday

2010-11-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

I had asked the little miss a couple of months back whether she wanted to go to a theme park or if she wanted a birthday party and she chose the later, saying that she wanted to have cake with her friends.

And so the party planning began. She had been watching Mary Poppins any time she got the chance so I knew that a "Jolly Holiday" was in store for us.

Guests were greeted at the door by the mini Mary Poppins and a sign that said, "To Enter: You Think, You Wink, You Do a Double Blink, and Jump!

There were kites on the walls:

I attempted to create a tape measure but it ended up more like a growth chart where all the kids could see how they measured up:

With the help of my husband, we made a bunch of little black hats with daisies for the girls and grosgrain trimmed top hats for the boys:

We ate a carousel inspired cake:

It was a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day filled with fun games and friends!!

Happy 5th Birthday to my "Practically Perfect" little girl!

Loose Tooth=Baby?

2010-09-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

I picked up Dylann from school today and she said excitingly, "Mommy, I have a loose tooth!"

Then the rest of the conversation went like this:

Me: Wow, really? That means your going to get a grown up tooth like me.

Dylann: But I don't want to have a baby.

Me: What?

Dylann: If I get grown-up teeth then I have to go to the hostible (hospital) and have the doctor take a baby out of my belly.

Me: No, no, honey. Getting grown-up teeth doesn't mean you're going to have a baby.

Dylann: First I have to find my prince, then have a wedding, and then I get a baby?

Me: Yes, if you want. But not until you're very old!

Dylann at 8 months old showing us her toothy grin

While I'm excited for her, a part of me is incredibly sad. My baby girl, now almost 5, is going to loose her 1st tooth!

Kindergarten

2010-08-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Today was Dylann's first day of "Kindergarten."

If you're wondering why I put the word in quotations, it's because she's in a class called Discovery Kindergarten. It's geared towards children who may be ready for kindergarten academically, but not emotionally or socially. They must also be turning 5 sometime between July and December. It's held at a typical, public elementary school and her class socializes with the other kindergarten classrooms, but instead of the 25:1 ratio, it's 20:1 and the children learn more hands-on with less worksheets to take home. She's also at school for a full day (7:55 - 1:30), 5 days a week. So, it's Kindergarten, but geared towards the younger set.

So here she is, my little 4.75 year old, with her big girl backpack on, heading to her first full day of school.

She kept telling me how excited she was to be going to "high school." I suppose that's how it must seem to her though - being 4 years old, going to the same school as 10 year olds.

hanging her backpack

I tried hard to hold back the tears, but as I gave her that final kiss and told her to have a fantastic day, the floodgates opened.

waving goodbye to me

I can't wait to pick her up later today!! I think Logan misses her too.

Rides and Candy and Toys - Oh Boy!

2010-08-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Don't ask what I'm doing on the first Wednesday in August for at least the next 5 years. It's opening day at the Ventura County Fair! And it's only $1 to enter (for me since kids under 5 are free). Added bonus this year - Ray stayed home with Logan so that Dylann and I could stay as long as we wanted (didn't have to go home to put Logan down for a nap).

This year we met up friends which not only made it more fun for Dylann, but less nauseating for me. I don't know at what age it happened, but just the sight of all the spinning rides makes me queasy. And just about everything spins. Some even float in one direction while spinning in another - ugh, just the thought of it is making me sick.

click image for larger view of spinning rides

Dylann did go on one ride that didn't spin, but as you can see

this ride goes up 20' and drops in 5' increments

it wasn't a hit.

Don't worry, the day ended on a high note - Dylann won a stuffed panda bear and got to have some cotton candy!

what? your kid doesn't hug their cotton candy?

And since we're heading out of town this week and won't be able to hit the fair for the next $1 day, we went again on Sunday - with Logan, Daddy and Grandpa - Yippee!!

Logan looks so excited, doesn't he?

Looking forward to next year when I'll have to buy double the ride tickets because Logan will want to go on the all the glorious spinners too!

Lesson Learned

2010-07-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

I've been trimming Logan's hair for a little while now, but his head was starting to resemble the likes of a bowl so I thought it was time to get him to a professional.

Normally, I would have just called up Jack N' Jills and scheduled an appointment. But this week, I decided to find a spot that was a bit more wallet friendly. After a few different referrals, I decided to head over to a place on the west side of town. I called to make sure that they were experienced in cutting a small child's hair (I explained that he was 17 months old and very fidgety) and they ensured me that it would not be a problem.

We arrived at 10am and they propped him up in a chair with a child's smock so I thought, "Okay, they have a booster and a child's smock - they know what they're doing."

Then the stylist asked Logan to keep still as she started taking small sections of hair and cutting as if she were working on an adult's head. Three snips in, Logan moved. The stylist tried to straighten Logan's little head and I looked at her with a look that said, "Really? You think you're going to get this 17 month old to keep his head straight and still?!" I tried my best to keep Logan still, giving him snacks, toys, and even a lollipop (which he's never had) to keep him happy but again, he's only 17 months old! The stylist then looked at me with a smirk and said, "I can't do this if he moves" to which I responded, "I called and someone told me that this would not be an issue." She continued trying to work while huffing and puffing and Logan's little head was looking worse by the minute. Finally, I asked her to use the clippers because the scissors were giving him a butchered look. After 20 more minutes of absolute frustration (both ways I'm sure), his hair was finally even. Really, really short, but even.

I cried all the way home.

Was it worth saving $20 - nope.

Is Logan still adorable - yes.

July 4th Weekend

2010-07-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

Friends, BBQs, Jolly Jumper, Parade, Smores, and Fireworks - whew! What a great weekend!

Sorry, I forgot to take my camera out at all the events, but here are some of the moments I was able to capture

Hope you had a great weekend too!

Camping

2010-06-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

We recently took a little trip out to Kern County for a little camping fun with our friends, the Weisers.

It only took 2 hours to get there, but Dylann has recently been very impatient on the road. She was constantly yelling, "Are we there yet?" Didn't help that the majority of the ride looked like this

When we arrived at our final destination, Buena Vista Campground on Lake Webb, it was a balmy 98 degrees!!!! So we spent our days doing this

But once the sun would start setting, we would all get back onto dry land to enjoy views like this

It was hot, dirty, and uncomfortable at times, but I swear - I always end up having so much fun camping!!! And I don't think I'd ever seen Dylann have so much fun in her little life!

Preschool Graduate

2010-06-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hip, Hip, Hooray! You've done great things!

On Wednesday, June 16, 2010 Dylann's graduated from preschool. She's officially moving on and will no longer be a "monkey" in Ms. Stefanie's classroom.

The entire class celebrated by spending the morning at the park, then walking back to class to perform a song for the parents, reading Curious You, and giving hugs to their beloved teacher.

Congratulations to Incredible, Capable, Curious You - Miss Dylann!!!

Produce

2010-06-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

We were harvesting our carrots yesterday and look what we found:

You can't find produce like this in your local supermarket!

And by the way - it was delicious!

Pillowcase Dress

2010-05-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

A while back, I went down to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. I purchased a stack of vintage pillowcases with the intention to make something with them someday.

Well, someday finally came and this is what became of that pillowcase:

A sweet smocked dress with ruffled straps for my daughter. Perfect for the beginning of Summer!

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hope you're all enjoying your weekend as much as we are!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T12:46:00.001-07:00

In 3's

2010-04-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Becky at Little Wickies to give a little information about me in 3's.

me and my sister, Kelly, in Hawaii

So here it goes...

3 names I go by:
1. Miyo

2. Michelle

3. Mommy

3 jobs I have had:

1. Competitive Research Analyst

2. Junior Broker

3. Nightclub Manager

3 places I have lived:

1. Hawaii

2. New York

3. Japan

3 fave drinks:
1. Grande Vanilla Latte (extra foam please)

2. Water

3. Diet Coke

3 tv shows I watch:
1. Lost

2. Glee

3. Modern Family

3 places I have been:

1. St. Lucia

2. Iowa

3. Massachusetts

3 places I would like to visit:
1. Italy

2. Australia

3. Indonesia

3 fave retro TV shows:
1. Family Ties

2. Cosby Show

3. Facts of Life

3 fave dishes:

1. Chinese Chicken Salad at Fresco in Santa Barbara

2. Baguette with Rondele and thinly sliced roast beef (red onion optional)

3. Shabu-Shabu

3 things I am looking forward to:
1. Going out with the girls on Sunday
2. My hula performance next month

3. Summer

3 people I am tagging:

1. Christie

2. Aubrei

3. Jennifer

The Best Gifts

2010-04-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

are those that are homemade!

cake made by Ray and Dylann

This was the first time Ray has EVER made a cake.

Thank you honey - I love you!

one year later

2010-04-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

a year ago this month, logan had his first trip to the beach:

april, 2009

and here he is, just yesterday, a year later:

april, 2010

all i've got to say is - WOW, time flies!!!

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T11:41:00.001-07:00

click image for larger view

Bruiser

2010-03-29T14:15:00.001-07:00

That's been Logan's nickname for the past week.

He took a spill and landed on the crossbar to one of our dining chairs. So this is what I've been looking at for the past week.

Day 1 - I cried every time I looked at him

Day 2 - It looked the worst

Day 3 - At least the swelling has gone down

Day 4 - Tough guy

Day 5 - I guess he's doing fine

fresh

2010-03-11T14:43:00.001-08:00

Every time we go to Underwood Family Farms, I think of how lucky we are to live in an area where we can be outdoors most of the year and go to places like this to pick our own fresh produce.

Today it was strawberries.

Doesn't get any fresher than this.

success

2010-02-27T14:49:00.000-08:00

today was logan's first swim class!

he loved the water - it was a complete success!!

Go Dylann, Go!

2010-02-26T14:23:00.001-08:00

Today was the annual Children's World Jog-A-Thon.

You've got to stretch first.

Then they were supposed to run 3 laps around the courtyard (they were so excited, I think they actually ran 4)

Logan and I cheered

After the running and cheering we needed to replenish those little bodies with some water and oranges

And the big surprise - Gold medals for everyone!

Great job monkey class!!

Snow!

2010-02-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

We've been wanting to head to the snow for a couple of years now, but the timing just wasn't right. This year we made it a point to go and it was so much fun!

We rented a cabin about 1/2 mile from Bear Mountain and went with a couple of other friends with children so that we would all pretty much be in the same situation (naps, beginner skiers, etc.)

Our view:

Day one was all about getting settled in and of course, checking out the icicles all over the cabin! It was also the day of trying to get the girls to sleep in the bunk room. It was their first sleepover so they were up way past their bed time!

Day two. The Dads took the girls skiing - or at least they tried. After getting somewhat used to wearing their equipment, the girls were insisting on heading up the slope via the ski lift.

Maybe not a great idea. The Dads ended up carrying the girls down.

Oh how I wish I were there to witness this fiasco (I was in the cabin with Logan and Maddie while Logan napped).

Day three we woke up to a winter wonderland! Over a foot of fresh powder covered everything!

We went sledding in our own private area only steps away from the cabin - so fun!

Then Becky and I headed to Snow Summit for some beginner/intermediate skiing. "We rocked" that green and blue run!

Day four was pack-up day but we still managed to head out for some more snow fun. Our intention was to go tubing, but since the girls decided it was much too frightening, we built snowmen instead. Ray whipped one up in a couple of minutes - he's a New Englander - no wonder.

Great time - great friends!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

Apparently...

2010-02-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

icicles are delicious!

Just got back from a few days in Big Bear. Lots of fun in the snow - I'll be posting more details soon!

he's 1

2010-02-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

sounds cliche, but this past year flew by! my little man just had his 1st birthday and i truly can't wrap my head around it. he still feels like a baby to me - probably because he isn't walking yet (dylann was walking at 10 months) and he's still pretty little (wears 9 month clothes).

i began planning his party about a month ago trying to decide on a "theme" but i just wasn't inspired by anything until i found this website. i decided on a slightly off primary color party. i know he won't remember his party, but i felt that since i had a pretty nice party for dylann's 1st i wanted him to have the same. lots of photos were taken (thank god for friends with nice cameras) so that he'll be able to look back at the evidence.

it started with the banner

then everything else fell into place

it was a great weekend!

happy 1st birthday logan!

safety first

2010-01-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

Always my cautious little girl - ever since she got this package of knee pads, elbow pads, and fingerless gloves she doesn't get on any of her moving playthings without them.

Hopefully this will continue well into her adult years!

when i grow up

2010-01-06T13:25:00.001-08:00

Here we are in 2010, I'm now almost 40 and I still don't know what I want to be "when I grow up." And it seems that at the beginning of every year, I struggle with the thought that I'll never find my passion. The beginning of this year was no different, until my husband had enough of hearing the same speech. He said something to me that made me realize that I've known about my passion all along, but just haven't had the ability or confidence to do anything about it.

Crafting. Creating. Planning.

Over the years, I've done some crafting here and there, I've also been very diligent about researching and planning out the little details of things that interest me - like party planning. Since Dylann was born in 2005, and since I've been a stay-at-home mom, I think that I've been able to do a bit more of that and I really enjoy it.

Here are a few of the creations I've put together in the past few years:

Pettiskirt

Flower Hair Clips

Tutus

Fruit Flower Bouquets

Barnyard Party

Little Bo Peep and her Sheep

Now, if I could just figure out a way to market myself and start making some money!

little lovie

2009-08-11T14:52:00.001-07:00

so, i think everyone knows that dylann carries a security blanket around, right? if not, she does and has been since she was about 6 months old. she named it "pink" and it goes everywhere with us. EVERYWHERE!

since logan is now 6 months old, i thought i would go out a purchase one for him, but i just couldn't find one that i liked. so i made one.

went to fabric towne usa last night and found this cute flannel print

pinned it together with a soft yellow flannel and some wide satin ribbon

and ta-dah!

a small, security blanket for logan - we'll see if he gets just as attached as dylann did to hers. wonder what he'll name it?

princess for a day

2009-08-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

dylann was invited to maxine's 4th birthday party this past weekend.

what an event! it was held at olivia's tea house in ventura. if you haven't seen the place, it's a bright pink little house on main street, near downtown.

as all of the little princesses arrived, each got to pick out their gown of choice - there must have been 100 different outfits and shoes to choose from!

after picking out their gowns, accessories, and shoes each little girl was pampered with an updo, nail polish, and lip gloss.

here is dylann checking her "look" in the mirror - i think she is a bit stunned.

after all the little ladies were coifed to perfection, lunch was served. each setting included a tiny little teacup and teapot filled, of course, with pink lemonade.

here is the guest of honor, queen maxine, picking from her own tower of tea sandwiches, mini pizzas, and hotdogs.

here are all the girls at the giant heart shaped table surrounded by dolls and all sorts of girly, over-the-top art.
and for dessert - cotton candy, tiny cakes, chocolates and gummy bears. what else would a princess want?

fair fun

2009-08-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

the ventura county fair is in town - and wednesday was $1 day (meaning admission was only $1 as opposed to the normal $10 fee).

i was a little hesitant about taking this day on without the help of ray as i would be carrying logan while making sure dylann didn't get lost in the mass crowd of people.

i explained to dylann that she would need to be my big helper if she wanted to go to the fair and she obliged. we packed her little, pink, hello kitty backpack with water, my camera, and a bottle for logan and we were on our way.

this year she was able to get on a lot of the rides by herself because she had reached the height requirements; that, and she is a self proclaimed "big girl" now.

here she is all proud of herself controlling the helicopter ride all by herself

and riding the racecar
and on the jumpin' star
she then asked if we could go on the ferris wheel together. i really didn't want to go on it because of my fear of heights, but i just couldn't say no to her. she kept pointing things out in the distance and rocking our seat and asking me, "this is so fun, right mommy?" to which i would answer, "yes, it's fantastic" with my quivering voice.

what a great day we had together! i think we may go again next wednesday!

can we play now?

2009-08-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

although we purchased our home nearly 1 year ago now, we rarely spent any time in our back yard. probably because it used to look like this:

for the past month now, we've been working on removing the old, cracked concrete and the dead, fox tail-ridden yard.

first thing we did was rent a kaboda. ray used this thing for an entire weekend, ripping out the concrete and then removing the dead grass, rototilling and then leveling the yard.

the following couple of weeks were spent leveling and grading the yard some more and then installing irrigation.

then, because we are infested with gophers and moles, we decided to roll out some rodent wire before laying our sod. there will NOT be any dirt hills in our yard - may god help those poor suckers if they manage their way through.

lastly, instant grass! oh how i love sod!

now we just have to wait 10 days until dylann can invite her friends over to run and play in our new back yard - but she asks every day, "can we play now?"

deja vu

2009-06-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

although logan is only 4 months old, he loves to stand upright (with help, of course). so yesterday i thought i would prop him up in his crib and take a picture:

after looking at this photo, it occurred to me that i had taken the same shot of dylann when she was a baby. after looking through my digital files i found it. and get this, it was taken at exactly the same age - 4 months, 10 days old

i just love how they both have the same crazy hair veering off to the right.

how does your garden grow?

2009-06-10T13:37:00.001-07:00

With little green tomatoes

great big lettuce

and pretty strawberries all in a row

art & roses

2009-05-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today I ventured into Santa Barbara for I Madonnari - the Italian street painting festival. I tried to convince Ray to come along, but he and Dylann wanted to ride their bikes to the playground instead. So off Logan and I went.

It really is amazing what these artists can do with a little chalk.

After strolling through the artwork for a while, I decided to go and sit in the rose garden for a little quiet time. It's one of my favorite places in Santa Barbara - I remember going there often when Ray and I lived up there.

tadpole adventure

2009-05-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a friend of ours invited us to take a hike in Meiners Oaks to search for tadpoles.

Even though we started out around 4pm, it was still pretty hot out there. Mind you, I was carrying baby Logan on my chest inside a black Ergo - whew!

When we finally reached the water, it was as if the angels were singing (at least for me). I was hoping that the watering hole would be a bit larger so that we could all cool off a bit - well, at least there was some shade.

We scooped up a few little guys and brought them home. Our mission is to keep them alive until they turn into frogs, at which time we plan on taking that hike again and returning them to Meiners Oaks.

organic mother's day

2009-05-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

For a long while now, I've been thinking how nice it would be have a vegetable garden. I can imagine going out there with my kids, watering and watching the harvest grow and then picking them for our dining pleasure. I also secretly hope that this will encourage my daughter to eat more vegetables.

Well, today, my wonderful husband and daughter built a container garden for me!!!

Here is Ray sanding the edges of the posts that he had cut at 45 degrees to make the container more esthetically appealing

Dylann helping Dad - she is soooo strong!

Here it is, almost done. They are going to build 2 of these. Each one will be 4' x 6'.

And here are some of the vegetables we will be planting

Stay posted - we'll continue this project next weekend. Buying soil, planting the veggies, and getting dirty.

baby hats

2009-05-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

Near the end of my pregnancy, I couldn't seem to keep my hands off of anything sweet so I decided to keep my hands busy knitting instead of shoveling fists full of chocolate biscuits into my mouth.

I think I knit about 5 hats that last month. Here are a couple of them:

I made a really cute hat for Dylann too, but I can't seem to get her to put it on for a quick photo.

First Beach Day of 2009

2009-04-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our first trip to the beach in months. Yes, we could have gone to the beach before April, but the weather was either too cool or I was just too pregnant, or baby Logan was just too little. It was also my birthday (yes, I'm 29 again).

Here is Dylann loving the beach and visiting me in the shade for a moment:

And here is Logan enjoying his first trip to the beach:

I swear, he does smile - I just can't seem to get it on camera yet.

love for baby brother

2009-04-18T15:57:00.001-07:00

dylann has always been a very nurturing little girl, and now she has her own little real live baby doll.

sometimes she wants to help out a little bit too much, but i guess i can't complain - she loves her baby brother!

and baby makes four

2009-04-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Wow - has it really been 5 months since my last blog? How sad.

So much has happened, but the most exciting news is the arrival of little Logan. Dylann has baby brother! He came into the world on Friday, January 30th.

Here is my birth story:

First, let's just say that I wasn't the most pleasant pregnant woman. I was uncomfortable all the time - hot, swollen, and miserable. So by the time January rolled around, I was done being pregnant - even though my due date wasn't until February. And to top it off, during the last few weeks of January, Ventura got a heat wave. The normal 50-60 degree weather was nowhere to be found, only 80-90 degree, not good for me, weather - UGH!!!

I had my regular appointments with my midwife, Kathy Wingland (the best btw), and the Thursday before Logan arrived, I asked her if there was a way to get things progressing. She offered to strip my membranes, to which I said, yes, PLEASE!!!

That night I started having contractions at around 11pm. First every 10 minutes, but by 12am they were 3 minutes apart! My husband was in a panic thinking I might have the baby at the house or in the car on the way to the hospital - it was pretty funny.

After arriving at CMH, labor was progressing steadily and my midwife showed up at about 3am. She stayed by my side, as did Ray, until Logan was born at 7:32am.

I had the birth I had always wanted - drug free and allowed to move freely without an IV holding me down. Amazing what the human body can endure.

My Baby Turned 3!

2008-11-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Can't believe it's been 3 years since life without Dylann!

She turned 3 on the 7th and had a fabulous princess castle birthday party on Saturday. What a gorgeous day! I was ready for the weather to be on the slightly cooler side with some cloudy skies, but it was easily in the mid 70s with bright blue skies! Perfect weather for my little princess' party!

I had been planning her party for nearly a month and felt like I was running my own little sweatshop as I made tutus and knight tunics for all of her invited friends. But it was sooo worth all the effort!

Free the Monkey

2008-10-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

I hear my daughter screaming "MOOOOMMMY!" from her playroom sounding like she's in a panic so I rush to her side to find this:

a 1/2" plastic monkey shoved into her baby doll's bottle.

Really, little girl? I thought she had fallen off of something and broken a leg.

Then, of course, she NEEDS me to free the little plastic guy. So off I go to get the tweezers to free him.

She was so pleased. I was her hero for at least 30 minutes.

semi sweet tooth

2008-10-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

yesterday a friend of ours invited us and a few other toddlers to her house for a fun afternoon activity. she had prepared a kitchen full of halloween cookies for the kids to decorate as they wished. sugar cookies + frosting + sprinkles galore = MESS!!!

although most children delight in the idea of eating sugary treats, my daughter would rather play with babies. i finally got her to the cookie decorating table and enticed her into creating a design of her own. lots of black sprinkles and chocolate frosting and i got the following picture.

she only ate half and decided she was done.

just starting

2008-10-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

so a few friends of mine have a blog, and though i still don't get the meaning, i thought i would try to get going on one of my own.

since i'm a stay at home mom with a 2 year old and a baby on the way i thought i needed to add one more challenge to my weekly routine.

i hope to post something atleast once a week so that family and friends can stay up to date on the goings on of the breton family, but i'm not promising anything.

here goes...