San Diego!

We had an awesome time in San Diego last week. For now I'm going to briefly say what we did and show a bunch of pics, but I'll fill in the details later.
First we went to a place where my mom and step-dad were staying called Santee Lakes. It was so pretty! Mikayla played in the splashpad, fed the ducks and ran around like crazy with her cousins Nathan and Matthew. The next day we went to Old Town and then to the beach (we found out that Mikaya is not a fan of the beach). Then Friday we went to the San Diego Zoo where we went on a ski lift that was very, very high. That night we had to continue our tradition of going to Wahoo's Fish Tacos (mmm..yummy!). Then Saturday morning we wanted to go take pictures at the Temple, but there wasn't any parking and I didn't want to park a mile away and walk with the kids, so we bagged that idea and just went back to Santee Lakes and played around. Mikayla, Joel, Hunter and my mom all went on a paddle boat ride! Then we went back to Old Town for lunch, bought some t-shirts and headed home. We had a lot of fun...the last three hours of the car ride, however, was not so much fun (we forgot Hunter doesn't like to drive at night so he wailed the whole time).

Santee Lakes

(out of order) Sleeping at the Zoo

Mikayla and I in Old Town

Me and Hunter chillin' at the beach

Grandma getting attacked by grandkids at the zoo (man, they love her!)

Did I mention this was HIGH?

Wahoo's (sorry, we didn't get a good pic)

Helmet Hair

I'm supposed to be sleeping right now, and heaven knows I'm exhausted, but I can't because I am dreading tomorrow. Hunter is going in to get his DOC band (helmet). I know that it really isn't that big of a deal, and that there are so many other things that are worse. It's not that I'm embarrassed, I could really care less if people either stare or avoid looking at him. That's their problem. No, I'm sad that my favorite part of this phase of his life will be gone. I love snuggling with him and feeling his fuzzy head on my cheek...now instead of soft baby fuzz, there will be cold hard plastic. NOT the same effect. Oh-well. That's just the way it goes, and he only has to wear it 23 hours a day...you'd better believe that for that one hour I will be right there smothering the poor boy.

Poor little guy..

My little guy is sick. He has a fever and sores on the back of throat that make him not want to eat (Hunter not want to eat? It must be serious). This is how he spent the day yesterday (he went back and forth between sleeping and crying..a poor pitiful little squeak of a cry). I hate it when my kids are sick. The worst part is that it's viral so there's nothing I can do except wait it out and give him Tylenol. And this weekend, after he's all better, Joel will be watching them so I can SLEEP!!

* the tape on his back his part of his physical therapy. It's there to help the muscles "remember" where they need to be.

I want it all

Okay, my sister Liz wants me to post something..so here I go with some random thoughts (hey, maybe it will help me clear out all of the craziness going on inside my mind-most likely not, but here I go anyway). I'm trying to figure out exactly what I want to do. Now, of course my main priority is being a mom, but in true Mills/ Bobo fashion my mind won't let me "just be a mom"...no, no...instead I am constantly thinking about what I could be doing in conjunction with being a mom. I want to be a party planner/decorator (weddings, showers, birthdays..I have sooo many fun inexpensive ideas!!), I want to do photography and make distressed art with people's family/ wedding pictures, I want to open up a small salon where I can do my aesthetics and also go to people's homes and have spa parties where I would sell high-end makeup that's actually good for your skin and sell it at a discount, I want to be an author and am currently working for my father-in-law helping him write a book about the Sundance Kid. I truly am happy being a mom and doing all that goes along with it. I don't really want my mind to be working in overdrive thinking and planning making it almost impossible for me to go to sleep at night. How in the World do I turn off this mind of mine? Or better yet, how do I take all of this misplaced creativity and use it for something appropriate for what I need (like thinking of fun ways to teach Mikayla how to do things).

Well, I am setting up an Etsy account for my art work. I'll get that info on here as soon as I can. And if anybody needs any fun party and/or decorating ideas, just let me know! And if you need a facial or some make-up...well, I'm your gal.

Give me some TYLENOL!!

I LOVE this age! The crying-all-the-time phase is over, they can't crawl yet, and it's before the tantrums begin. I was looking at my sweet little boy yesterday and he's getting so big. I seriously almost started crying. Hunter is going to be our last and the thought of him not being my little baby just makes me so sad. I know they have to grow up, and I do love each phase of their lives...but he's just so sweet right now! Granted, "sweet" isn't how I would describe him at this precise moment, him teething and all (I saw a top tooth this morning!)...but most of the time he is all smiles and loves to flirt. He is so ticklish and any time you need a smile to lift your spirits all you have to do is tickle his tiny feet and you'll get the biggest smile and giggle to melt your heart.

Hunter was a big boy when he was born (8lbs, 9 oz..15.5" head) and I...well, I am not. And while I didn't provide much room for growth..he grew and grew nonetheless. Due to the cramped living conditions he was stuck in one position making it so his neck and jaw didn't develop correctly. Well, now my poor boy has to do physical therapy once a week (which insurance doesn't cover) and he might have to where a "power helmet" (as my friend so affectionaly calls it) to help reshape his head. The doctor said he was in the grey zone...he doesn't need it, but he could benefit from it. They are by no means cheap (nearly 4 G's) and I've heard many things suggesting that his head shape will fix itself...but I don't know what to do! What if it doesn't!? I want all of your thoughts and what you would seriously do if you were in my shoes.

The Doctor said it...not me.

Finally, there's another outlet for my hypochondriacal (yes, that's a word..I googled it) tendencies. The Doctors. It's a new tv show with a panel of, you guessed it, doctors. They talk about all sorts of fun health conditions for me to stress and worry about. However, today they talked about something that I am personally very familiar with: tantrums. As some of you may know, I happen to be living with the Queen of tantrums herself. You can imagine my suprise when on the show they said (and I quote with all of the modesty I can muster) "You know this is a sign of intelligence, right?". Ahem. Why, yes...yes I do. (don't mind me as I brush my shoulders off). And because a doctor on tv said it, then we know that this must in fact be a true statement. So, next time I have to drag my daughter out of the store kicking me in the face, clawing at me, and screaming like a banshee because I wouldn't buy her a Spongebob Squarepants party hat, I know that the looks I get will be only those of pure unadluterated jealousy. Don't hate me because my child is smarter than yours..oops, did I just say that?

(I hope all of you can tell that this post is dripping with facetiousness..yes they did say it was a sign of intelligence- to which I let out an involuntary laugh- I think perhaps they were saying that to make us a feel better. However, sometimes I think the only thing that could cheer me up in the middle of a tantrum is a shot of something very, very strong...however, I don't drink.)

* I seem to write a lot about Mikayla's tantrums, and well...that's because she is exceptionally talented in that department and it seems like the majority of my days are spent in either trying to discipline her for her outbursts or trying to avert an oncoming fit. However, her temper is an extremely small part of her. She has the best imagination I have ever seen in a 2.5 year old, she loves to laugh and it's so contagious that you can't help but join in. She is so silly and so full of life that I wouldn't have her any other way...tantrums and all.

Knoch Knock

"Knock, knock"
"Who's there?"
"Chicken!"
"Chicken, who?"
"Yummy chicken!"

"Knock, knock"
"Who's there?"
"Orange"
"Orange who?"
"Orange banana!"

Funny, right? hmmm...well Mikayla thinks she's absolutely hilarious. I personally find the way she cracks up at herself to be the best punchline I think I've ever heard..well, at least the cutest if nothing else.

She's been doing these random knock knock jokes for about a week now and she'll do about 20 in a row before she gets tired of it. It looks like the Mills/Bobo sense of humor runs in her blood as well..poor girl.

Dance Recital

Mikayla had her first dance recital on Saturday (May 16th). It was so fun! Okay, so I'm pretty sure it was just fun for me...and maybe her. The little kids didn't do a dress rehearsal, so when they got on stage and the lights came on you could see how scared she was. She didn't do the dance, but she was dancing (that's something, right?) she just moved her little hips to the music clutching her little fairy wand staring at her teacher on the sidelines..who, by the way, was the only one actually doing the dance.

Angel?

It turns out that my sweet angelic daughter is turning out to be quite the little imp (and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible-okay, so maybe that is a slight exaggeration). She is just so sweet one minute and then so mischievous the next). She'll kick her brother and then go running down the hall laughing with little squeals of delight, her frizzy curls standing on end making her look like the lead singer of a bad '80's band. I can almost see the pyrotechnics shooting up from behind her. I'm at a loss of how exactly I should be disciplining her. I'll send her to her room- okay, I'll carry her to her room kicking and screaming- and then after a couple of minutes of her throwing things against her door, I'll go to talk to her. I open the door and kneel down to her level with a stern look on my face (ready to be the jury, judge, and executioner) when she comes walking over to me- head bent down in shame- and as she looks up at me with her big blue puppy dog eyes, she reaches for my face, stroking it lightly ending with her tiny little fingers just under my chin and in the sweetest little voice she says," I'm sorry mommy" and proceeds to give me a tearful hug.
What, may I ask, am I supposed to do with that?
I'll tell you what, this whole being a mother stuff is quite draining. There's nothing too physically challenging, even though I do have to carry a large sack of potatoes, er I mean baby, around all.day.long while vacuuming or lifting two year olds out of closets they shouldn't be playing in- but I'm not out in the 110 degree heat digging trenches all day. And yes, while I do have to figure out how to outsmart a rather perseptive two year old, it's not like I'm figuring out quadratic equations all day long (and yes, dad, I know you'd argue that that's not difficult). I think it must be the hours. Up all day and most of the night just sucks all the life out of a person, leaving them drained. However, I must admit that while the hours are long, the benefits package is GREAT! Who needs a hospital when you have a sweet little girl there to kiss away your owies?

Nothing but the Tooth...

Yea! Hunter has his first tooth! He had been putting everything in his mouth and gnawing on it (not to mention all the drool), but he's only 4 and a half months so I didn't really think he was teething...I was wrong (I'm woman enough to admit it). I don't think you can really see it in these photos (poor kid) , but it's there!

*sidenote- he can also roll over from his tummy to his back. Not consistently, mind you, but he has done it.