Joli

Here are some pictures of Joli from the last few days. I won't write a lot since, based on my comment level, people don't really read it anyway. Here's Joli's first time playing with play-doh. I made it for her the other night so if she does eat it I won't have to worry. She pretty much kept the same "what is this" look on her face the whole time.
Then I let her play with my dry erase markers on the sliding glass door. She LOVES this. I think she thinks she's getting away with something.
She kept bringing my one and then taking another, over and over, while I made dinner.
Eventually she started coloring on her head. So after two warnings the markers were put away. (There's still a blue mark behind her ear.)
Later that night I decided to take the crib rail off Joli's bed, and put on these safety rails. She hasn't figured out how to climb out of the crib yet, but she climbs on everything else, and I just know she's going to fall out on her head.
Today we went to the science museum at Balboa Park. Joli had a good time, but since it was Saturday it was hard for her to play with what she wanted. She did take some time to call her daddy though.

Then she went shopping. Very healthy, mostly fruits and vegetables. There were a few pieces of styrofoam, maybe extra fiber?
After we played for a while, we then headed out to the fountain where Kacie took our picture. Yeah I know, I'm actually in a picture!
Kacie and I chatted while Joli chased the doves. They let her get pretty close, then they would open their wings and fly off. Joli didn't mind, there were plenty of them around.

This was the little irrigation stream from the fountain. Now I know you're thinking she's going to fall in...
But no, she just walked right through it. Big mistake though, we didn't get to look at anything else after that.

Candidate # 29

If I haven't mentioned it before, Joe and I are trying to buy a house. I have spent the past four weeks draggin my child, and sometimes other friends or family members, around the county to look at houses in all sorts of conditions. Joe and I are not too picky, but still have some things we would really like to have in a house.

1. It has to have a garage (or be cheap enough that we could afford to add one).
2. Three bedrooms or two bedrooms with a bonus room.
3. At least two bathrooms.
4. Backyard with enough room for a child, a dog, a clothes line, and a garden.

Now that's about it as far as requirements go. There are things that we would like to have but are not neccesary, such as; electric washer/dryer hook-ups, a place to put a swing (tree, play set, etc.), either very shaded or central a/c, lots of cabinet space in the kitchen, propane range top, close to Coronado, and then there's my dream of having a tub that is deep enough to cover my boobs when I'm soaking.

Today we looked at two houses in Lakeside. It is about a 25 minute commute to Coronado, but it's workable. I decided to take pictures to remember them better and to show Joe. Just click on them to make them bigger.The first one was like my dream house to fix up. It was built in the 40's, and had an addition on the back from who knows when. It had the original front door, and a couple fruit trees in the front. It was so adorable, and I just felt like I had walked into my grandma's house out in the country. There was just one problem...
A few exposed walls from the addition. Now this would not be a big deal, however the bank may not approve it unless it's fixed before we move in. But then there was this adorable room with the plantation shutters. So much sunlight!!

There was also the fact that it had property! I think you can see the fence back there behind the second shed.
Now the big problem comes in with the fact that there is not garage. There is plenty of room in the back to build a shop, but no place on the sides of the house to drive a car back there, and no place in the front to build the garage on to the house. It does however have a ton of storage, a nice big deck, existing fruit trees, and so much character.

Eventually we moved on to the next house, which is also out in Lakeside. Joli found her favorite part of this house.
The only strange thing is that there is no backyard access on the back of the house. There is a door on the left hand side of this picture on the side of the house. But we could always add a slider off the office.

Then there's the kitchen which is basically exactly what I want to do with a kitchen!
Look at all the cabinet space, and the stove, and it's already the color I want!!
The living room is also huge! I love the floors and the fan is a really nice one. Plus there's a/c and fans throughout the house.

There are two bathrooms. This one is next to the garage and as you can see is a full bath. Not the cutest tile ever, but that can always be changed.
The garage is only a one car garage, but certainly enough space for Joe to put all his crap, and work on whatever piece he may drag in there.
Obviously there were children living here before, and I'm guessing someone liked Spiderman. This is actually the room I would want to be the master. It's the biggest and has the most sunlight. None of the bedrooms are attached to the bathrooms, so I can do whatever I want!

This is the closet, which is oddly connected to another bedroom!
This would be that other bedroom! Those are only stickers on the wall, which is great because they're coming down!! After some paint I would want to make this the office. It looks like the smallest room and because it shares a closet we could just use that space in the master. Offices don't need closets.
This is the full pictures of the backyard, and you can't even see all of it. It's pretty big too. Plenty of room for a garden and clothes line. Plus the playground!

This picture is very wierd but I wanted to show the pretty tile in the other bathroom. My camera was having issues I think.

Now this is part of the fron of the house. I'm not sure how I fell about the wooly mamoth bush there, but again that can be fixed.

There's also a big front yard behind me. So we'll see, maybe this one will be the one. After already putting in two other offers and seeing how competitive the market is, I'm not placing any bets on whether or not we'll actually get it. This house buying stuff is exhausting!

I did however decide to come up with the perfect house (withing reason), if it were really within our grasp.

Located in Coronado, this plantation style home has a nice big front porch that with front porch swing. There is a big 2 car garage attached to the side of the house and set back a little farther from the street. There is a nice size backyard with a big oak tree in the corner that already has a swing on it. A clothes line along the fence and a garden tucked behind the garage to keep any pets or children from tramping through it. As you walk in the home you notice the beautiful staircase leading up to the second floor, and gorgeous chandelier hanging from the tall open ceiling. To the right there are french doors leading into the office that has lots of sunlight from the two large windows. Next to the stairs there is a short hallway leading to the beautiful southern style kitchen with a black and white tile floor, white cabinets with a few glass pane fronts, and lots of cooking and cabinet space. There is a custom door leading to the back yard, and a nice size laundry room that also has plenty of cabinet space. There is also a small half bath off the hallway that has a cute little pedestal sink. If you walk through the kitchen you will come to the dining area that is surrounded by windows and perfect for a small round table or add the leaf and invite over some friends. As you loop back around to the front of the house through the dining room, you come in to the living room with a large stone fireplace and large bay window. The hardwood floors give it a nice rustic feel. Now headed upstairs there is nice soft carpeting. To the left there is a large master suite, with a huge walk-in closet and windows on three of the four walls. There is a large master bath that has a claw-foot tub under a beautiful bay window, a custom tiled shower, and his and hers sinks. There is also a water closet for a little extra privacy. Going back to the top of the stairs there is another bathroom with a tub/shower combo, and again lots of cabinets. The second bedroom is next to this bathroom and is fairly large in size. It has a standard size closet but a nice bay window that is perfect size for a crib. As you walk in it feels as though you are walking into a fairy tale, with the large trees on the walls and the flowers and animals surrounding them. The last room upstairs also has lots of sunlight and big windows. On the two inside walls there are built-in cabinets and shelves making it the perfect craftroom for any artist. This house perfect for any new family that is looking to grow and eventually retire in the same location. It is the perfect dream, and for only $275,000 it can be yours!

Now that I've come back down to earth I'm going to do a search on houses a little bit more within our means!

Future Florist of America

Every time Joli and I go to the farmer's market, I try to buy some flowers to brighten up our house. They usually last about a week. So the ones that I bought last week were starting to get a little droopy, and I decided that since Joli had been asking for one all week that I would cut off the bottoms and let her play with them. She was thrilled.
I found her a little basket to carry them in, and set them on the coffee table.

Now not only were there flowers, but there was a basket to take them in and out of, and to carry to different locations around the house.
She was so happy that I finally let her have the flowers, she didn't know what to do first. After she took them all out, she then started putting them back in, making sure to leave a few on the couch just to make it pretty.
Then she carried her basket to her bedroom and left a few on the slide. Then took her basket to the hallway were a few of the red ones were sacrificed in order to make a beautiful pathway of petals from one end of the hall to the other. Afterwards she carried the basket to the living room where she placed a few on her table, and then spread a few more petals on the couch. Now she is back in her bedroom sliding them down the slide. Who would have thought such a simple thing could keep her so occupied. Looks like I'm going to have a little helper if I ever get a garden.

Wild Animals

Joli and I met some friends at the Wild Animal Park today. My main intention was to see the butterfly exhibit, but the line was so huge that we didn't get to. Joli had a great time though. Besides running full speed ahead, I think her favorite thing was the Fisher Price play area. There were some stone animals to play on. Her favorite was the centipede because she could get on it herself. Unfortunately none of those pictures turned out. She also had me put her on top of the turtle.
Then she decided that the head was a better place to ride.
After she was done with the giant animals, Joli discovered the playground. Although she wasn't quite big enough to climb all the way to the top, I was right behind her to help. Once I would get her up the ladder part, I had to hurry and get up myself before she went head first down the slide.

She was a little tuckered after all that running, climbing, and sliding; so she rode in the stoller for a while.
We ended up leaving not too long after that. The kids were tired and so were we. Joli slept all the way, but of course woke up as soon as I got her to her crib. Her newest accomplishment is to climb onto chairs. Which means I have to once again, move things higher. She was very pleased with herself that she could climb up and start coloring all by herself.
Despite several reminders to sit on her bottom, she seemed to forget every few minutes. Eventually she was helped down and escorted to the living room.

After a few minutes there was some unspoken agreement about sitting in the chair, and she was aloud back at the table.
Obviously I take too many pictures when my child starts "working" the camera.
After another minute or so Joli realized she could carry several crayons in her hands, and I had to remind her that we only use crayons at the table. I suppose rebellion is also inherited.

Temperment or Environment?

For years scientists have studied the idea of temperment vs. environment. Which has the most influence? Are children born the way they are, or do their parents mold them into who they will become? Well I'm here to say that fearlessness is heriditary, and that Joli was born with it! Every time we go to the beach she gets more daring and less aware that she is not, in fact, a fish, and therefore cannot breath under water. She runs through the sand, tossing it here and there. Once we get to the surf she studies it for awhile to see if it's safe.
Then as soon as her feet get wet she decides that salt water is a magical substance that can only be enjoyed if she is surrounded by it.
So I follow her out into the waves to make sure she is okay.
She hangs out with me for awhile longer, examining the water coming towards her.

Then she decides that the water is obviously okay, as it hasn't bit her yet, and starts going out as far as the waves will let her.
Now this is right before she realizes that just because the waves have gone out, it does not mean they will not come back in. Although I had brought her back in twice already, apparently she didn't get the memo about how mom's know best.
Sadly I have no picture of the next moment, as I was getting totally soaked by pulling my child out of the ocean. My friend was very impressed at how I remained calm when we saw Joli get plowed by a wave and then rolled three times by waves that followed. By that point I was right there and pulled her out. She was completely wet, but smiling and chatting about her experience. I wrapped her up in a towel and she cuddled up to me like a little monkey all the way back to the car. So all this to say that my child has certainly picked up a few things from her daddy. I only hope she doesn't also have the same experiences with jumping out of airplanes.

Easter Fun!

Joe and I decided that we would make the little drive over Yuma to see my grandparents for Easter. It was nice to see them since we only do about 2-3 times a year. Joli loved their lot. As you can see it's mostly gravel, but it's completely fenced, and Joli ran and ran until we went to bed and as soon as we woke up. Here she is, off to check out the gate.
We had to keep an eye on her once she did get there because of the prickly cactus in the front. At one point I ran over and stopped her from touching them, so to thank me, she threw herself at my feet, kicked me and screamed.
I followed her around with the camera a lot. She just looked so cute in her little dress. I don't put her in them very often because they're hard to play in. But she wears them so well!

We decided that we would bring only what we needed this trip, which meant that since Joli chose not to nap at all on the way over, she was quite a bit cranky by the evening. Plus she didn't have a shirt on because her grandma let her drink water from a water bottle. It took what seemed like hours for that shirt to dry.
But of course mommy's always make it better.
Blankies and binkies help too I guess.

Eventually I just found her a sweatshirt and she took off running through the dark!
This is the basket the "Easter Bunny" brought for Joli. She got real flowers, Sugar-free suckers, and eggs filled with organic bunny crackers and organic cranberry-orange cookies. My mom brought plenty of candy, so don't worry she wasn't in any way deprived.
I think she liked what was inside the eggs, but she was mostly obsessed with opening and closing them.

She poured out all the bunny crackers.
She also had a good auntie to help her with the reclosing.
After Joli was done with her Easter basket, we both got dressed and went into the motorhome for some breakfast.

My mom decided to do the Easter egg hunt before it got too hot. Joli got a five minute head start, and did almost as well as my sisters. The only problem was that every time she found an egg, she would dump in out into the dirt and then I would have to scramble to pick up the contents while she looked for another one.
Nothing's better than a mouth full of jelly beans.
The only problem with hunting eggs first, was that by the time it was time to eat, Joli was full of candy. But it was pretty close to meltdown time anyway, so after Joe and I were done, Joe loaded up the car and I watched Joli walk around giving every one a kiss. Before we even got on the Freeway she was asleep and stayed that way all the way home. It was a good little trip!