40 Days And 40 Nights

 It's been exactly 40 days since I have logged onto this sad little blog. 

 It's basically been one of those religious fasts where you give up something you love for 40 days so you can better appreciate it's value.  

(Except that it was nothing like that because, really, I just blatantly disregarded my blogging duties due to a total lack of motivation.)

But...fasting time is over.

So, let's play catch-up with a little game I like to call:

"THE 40 AWESOME THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST 40 DAYS."

#1: 

I was left hanging for an over-head double high-five on national TV.  There was no recovering from it.  But I did get to witness a bestie win big, so I'd call it a fair trade.

#2: 

We visited the worst zoo in the history of zoos.  The only thing worth seeing was a peacock.  Oh, the irony.

#3:

Luke feel asleep in the driveway.  Poor kid couldn't even make it up the front steps.  To show my sympathy, I snapped a few pictures, gave him 5 minutes and then sicked the kids on him.

#4:

We got massively photo bombed by a weirdo.

Also, we rolled around in an inflatable hamster cage for fun, so I can't say I'm too shocked. 

#5: 

We had parent-teacher conferences wherein I was informed that my daughters did, in fact, get their brains from my husbands' side.  Case in point: Brooklyn got 100% on her grade tests, and on the first day of Kindergarten, Aubrey tested past the level she should be at when she graduates.  

Holla.

#6:

I devoured this book in one day flat.  I only put it down when my kids cried for food.  

Even then, I read it with one hand and cooked with the other.

#7:

Cameron learned how to do a Minion voice and now I make him do it every 12 minutes.

#8 & 9 (it counts as 2 because there's 2 of them, so back off): 

We shipped my brothers off on their missions and cried our eyes out at the 2 best farewell talks ever given.  Honestly.  Best talks I've ever heard.  Hands down.  No question.  Final answer.

#10:

One of my oldest and closest friends (and his little brother - who I really want someone (ANYONE!) in my family to marry) came for the farewell and spent a very late night reminiscing and rehashing some very old and very embarrassing stories.

#11:

I carved an ornate flower out of a melon and created some magical caramel apples and hand-lettered missionary name tag cookies.

Actually, nope.  I didn't.

#12:

We discovered a pet boa constrictor roaming the neighborhood park looking for a quality spot to take a dump.  Possibly the creepiest moment of my life thus far.

#13:

Dragged my kids to work with me every chance I got + once in the pouring rain.

#14:

Replaced our dryer (it broke.)

Replaced our timing belt on the car (it broke.)

Replaced our stereo on the van (it broke.)

Replaced our computer monitor (it broke.)

Did not replace our hot chocolate maker (it also broke.)

#15:

I fulfilled my room-mom duties by helping to create a (not so) "mini Thanksgiving feast" for Aubrey's Kindergarten class.

#16:

We witnessed yet another quality performance at the Garden Grove 7th Ward turkey bowl.  Let's just say that there may or may not have been a few awkward minutes where Dave was crunched on the ground using only his flag to shield his manhood.

#17:

Grandma's Sugar Cookie Extravaganza took place.

#18:

We spent a day at "Grandma Great's" being grateful and giving lots and lots of thanks..

#19: 

I saw "Hunger Games 2" with the cousins, and did not get walked out on.  Yay!! (Remember when Luke left me in the middle of our date because he could. not. handle. Hunger Games 1? Classic.)

#20:

Deja vu.  

5 year-old me on the left.  5 year-old Aubrey on the right.

#21:

Experienced a temporary lapse in judgement where I was exploited into going Black Friday Shopping with Brittany and then spent 97% of the rest of the day standing in line.

#22:

Aubrey turned the big 0-6 + finally got her butterfly birthday cake.

#23:

Both girls received a camera for their birthdays and now feel the need to document every moment of every single day.

#24:

I hired myself out for 4 family photo shoots and 7 hand-made Christmas cards.  Honestly loved it.

#25:

Fall decided to grace us with her presence.  

#26:

Luke killed an entire family of unborn birds (accidentally) while trimming the palm trees.  Whoops.

#27:

Miss Independent and Miss Independent 2 have become little responsible adults in the last little while.  They make their own snow cones, help with dinner, walk to school, and almost change diapers.

#28:

We hosted a diving team dinner party and had a serious conversation when it was over about whether to clean the mess up or just burn the house down.

#29:

Our Elf on the Shelf, Zoey, made her delightful appearance at the beginning of December and has since been wreaking havoc all over the place.

 

#30:

Cameron developed a fatherly gene recently and demands 27 times a day that I come see his "baby sleeping."

#31:

We took 2 sets of family pictures (one with the extended fam and one just us).  The kids loved it, and no one wanted to kill me afterwards.  At. All.

#32:

In celebration of Aubrey's 6th, we took the kids to "Pretend City."  It's basically a midget city for kids with an art studio, doctor's office, dentist office, grocery store, deli, post office, police office, fake beach, marina, farm, construction site, performance stage and restaurant.  I paid 284 fake dollars for a taco.  

And I liked it.

#33:

We got the snowflakes out + added about 80 new ones.  It's a full-blown 82 degree winter wonderland up in here.

#34:

Our Taco Tuesday tradition at Cafe Rio continues on and we love every crazy second.

#35:

The sky did this.

(This is straight out of the iPhone camera.  I've never seen anything like it.)

#36:

We rang the Christmas season in right with the annual girl's night Christmas party.  We discussed completely inappropriate topics, laughed till we cried, exchanged gifts, and ate ourselves sick.

#37:

We went to Costco at 11 am on a Tuesday morning for a picture pick-up and a pack of goldfish and it took 2.5 hours.

#38:

This one "got her hair did" and it looks  d a r l i n g.  She thinks now that she has bangs, she's 18 years old.

#39:

When it's 74 degrees in Southern California and someone says "snow day,"  you come-a-runnin.  

And we did.  

Luke just about died when he saw the pathetic man-made snow, but by the end he was pegging 2 year-olds with snowballs, building 3 inch snowmen, and rubbing children's faces in the ice.  

We may have received more than one disapproving glance that morning.

(Also, please not that we went sledding on a boogie board.  Double win.)

#40: 

We kicked the Christmas season off right at the Anesthesia party with an epic Santa-induced melt-down in which Cameron almost kicked Santa in the head and managed to climb Luke's entire body in less than 2 seconds like a squirrel climbing a tree.

The End.