Vacation!!

I had to take a vacation since Danica's sitter "Nana" took a vacation. And Danica and I have been super busy on this vacation.

Friday we went to a party for a friend's kid's birthday. Danica went into the bounce house--and loved it. Which is why this picture is not so good--she was moving way too much for the camera on my phone to be effective. :)

As we were trying to leave she saw a cupcake. I am thoroughly convince that she is addicted to cupcakes--she doesn't even care what the flavor is. But we couldn't leave until she got her cupcake.

We went bowling on Saturday with friends--well I bowled and Danica played with the younger kids and teens watching them in the arcade. Apparently Danica's favorite game is Skiball. The teen would hand her the ball and she would run it up to the end of the alley and then try to get it into a hole.

Monday, my dad smoked a corned beef (yummy homemade pastrami) and a pork butt. We have had the best sandwiches ever. And Danica steals pieces every chance she gets. I made myself a salad with pastrami on top--I only got about half of the pastrami. :)

Tuesday we ran errands.

Wednesday, I took Danica to a splish splash pad. And she made a lot of friends. Although she wasn't as sure about the water coming from over her head. She liked to splash more than she liked to be splashed. :)

More updates to come. We have a full schedule for the rest of our vacation. :)

Party Time

Danica and I went to the Nana School Reunion, where all the kids that Nana (Danica's sitter) has watched all got together. There was a pool and games and lots of fun to be had.

Here is Danica at the start of the party. Aren't those the cutest flip flops ever:

And Danica's favorite game was drop the balls into the tub of water the other kids were using to fill the balls up so they could squirt water on people...until she figured out that she could also squirt water on people. Then it was no holds barred. :)

Let the Good Times Roll

This weekend Danica and I got to meet up with friends from New Mexico at a surprise birthday party. Danica had a ton of fun throwing birthday balloons in the air and then saying "ut-oh" as they came down. She giggled even more if they came down straight onto her head.

After eating a little pizza we went outside so Danica could get some of her pent up energy out. She immediately found the broom and started trying to help with sweeping the patio. And she quickly made the broom the prized toy to play with. :)
Now if only I can get her to do that for the kitchen and bathroom at home, but something tells me without all the other kids trying to "play" too she won't be nearly as interested. :)

Weekend fun

Work has been crazy all week--by all week I mean Monday and Tuesday. Monday I had to run a workshop on campus for new students, and it ended up being larger than anyone anticipated. Than Tuesday I had to MC an event on campus--which went well until the closing when I suddenly said it was 2005. Huh? Where did that come from? :)

So I have not had a chance to update everyone on the weekend fun. My friend and I took our kids to the Salsa Fest in Tempe. It was a blast!! I got to try like 50 different salsas. Some were great. Some I am not sure why those people were in a competition--but to each their own.

My friend and I were not really big fans of paying $7 for burritos, particularly for the kids who were probably not going to eat much anyway, so we went to Chick-fil-a. This was the first time I had taken Danica into Chick-fil-a. We had always gone through the drive-thru, so I knew she loved their food. But I had no idea how much she would love their play area.

She had so much fun that she did not want to stop to eat--which if you know Danica really is a feat. She usually can't wait to eat. She also got to go on her first slide ride with on of my friend's kids and seemed to love it.

And yes I finally had a chance to post a picture. Aren't you all impressed? :)

Busy Day of Fun

Yesterday was definitely a busy day of fun.

First, Danica and I went to Jen's house to get my hair cut and colored. I don't have a good picture that just shows my haircut yet--but just trust me it is great. I love it!!

Then Danica and I went to Danica's first friend's birthday party at Peter Piper Pizza. She had a little bit of pizze and cake. Since it was a Cinderella party, Danica gave her friend a really cute Cinderella tea party set. And as a special surprise the birthday girl and her mom gave Danica a big pink plastic ball. Danica loves it. She loves to sit with Corey and have him tap the ball and then she tries to copy his pattern. So we hear a lot of tap-tap-tap then a lighter tap-tap---tap. But it is so cute. The only tough thing is that she is trying to use the ball to stand up.

Danica and I at her first party:


After the party we came home for a little bit. Then my sister called and told me that she was playing softball at a park in Tempe. So Corey, Danica and I went to watch her play and hang out with Delfina and Jessica. Danica had a lot of fun, but we could tell she was getting really tired so we ended up not going out to dinner with everyone.

Danica and I at the game:
Playing with cousin Jessica:
Playing with Aunt Tammy:

We got Danica into the car and about halfway home she fell fast asleep. When we got her home she barely woke up when we got her out to put her to bed. Overall her busy day tired her out.

The Great 8 Tag

So, I got tagged:

8 THINGS ABOUT US.

Here are the rules:
1) Post rules on your blog--done :)
2) Answer the six "8" items (they are in no particular order).
3) Let each person know by leaving them a comment.

8 Favorite TV shows
-Bones: who doesn't love Booth!!
-NCIS: Gibbs smacking DeNozo on the back of the head--hilarious.
-Ultimate Recipe Showdown: I think Corey's brother's wife and I are going to do a dinner testing recipes from the show--how fun.
-Diners, Drive-in, and Dives: Refer to my quest. :)
-Cash in the Attic (BBC version)/Antiques Roadshow: I love to watch them value things--and then generally say I would sell them if I had them. hehe
-Emeril Green: good ideas without the annoying BAM!
-Iron Chef America: Corey likes Bobby Flay so we tend to watch it when he is challenged.
-practically anything else on Food Network. I am addicted. :)


8 Things I did yesterday
-gave the baby a bath.
-gave the baby decongestant.
-helped the baby fall asleep.
-woke Corey up before he wanted to get up. :)
-put dishes in the dishwasher.
-watched TV while rocking the baby in her bouncy chair.
-took a nap with the baby.
-did some shopping at Sprouts.
*baby has been sick all weekend--so it wasn't a fun weekend to list for everyone. :)

8 Things I look forward to
-the economy improving so I don't go to work everyday worried about my job.
-Corey finding a new job that makes him happy.
-finishing my masters.
-saving up for a house.
-the baby feeling good again.
-Corey finishing dinner--I can hear him cutting up everything for dinner.
-Vacation--we are hoping to see the family at the reunion this summer. :)
-Cousin's dinners--especially since school shouldn't conflict anymore this semester!!

8 Favorite Restaurants--in no particular order
-Macaroni Grill--this is where Corey and I met.
-Joe's Farm Grill--big with work for birthday lunches. :)
-Red Lobster--yumm seafood.
-LoLo's Chicken and Waffles--yumm smoothered fried chicken.
-Bobo's China--one thing I miss about not living in the west valley anymore.
-Burrito Express--or really any Mexican food...ask Corey. :)
-YC's Mongolian Grill--although we don't get to go as much with the baby.
-Logan's Roadhouse--Santa Fe Tilapia...yummy.

8 Things on my Wishlist
-a pay raise
-a maid
-happy, healthy family
-a baby who is not sick
-more time to do fun things with the family
-more opportunities for vacations
-money to buy a house
-to be successful

8 people I tag
-Concho Dandy
-The Bouchard Family
-Believe it to See it
-Bumps, Bruises and Kisses (if she is finally back...hehe)
-Julie and Stephen
-Caleb Keoni
-Moore Ravings and Cravings (if you do this before the next cousin's dinner maybe my dad won't give you grief for not posting...hehe)
-To Eternity and Beyond

A List

My cousins have both been doing lists lately--so when I got this email from my friend I thought it would make a good list for my blog (what can I say I don't want to be left out). :)

The object of this list is to answer every question with one word:
Where is your cell phone? Couch
Your significant other? Funny
Your Hair? Short
Your mother? umm no comment
Your father? Knowledgable
Your favorite thing? Danica
Your dream last night? Sleep?
Your favorite drink? Lemonade
Your dream/goal? Success
What room are you in? Den
Your hobby? Blogging
Your fear? Fire
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Successful
Where were you last night? Home
Something that you aren't? Boring
Muffins? Chocolate
Wish list item? Sleep
Last thing you did? Errands
TV? NCIS
Your pets? Brandy
Friends? Fun
Your life? Happy
Your mood? Nonchatlant
Missing someone? Nope
Drinking? Water
Smoking? Yuck!
Your car? Cavalier
Something you're not wearing? Jacket
Your favorite store? bn.com
Your favorite color? Red
When is the last time you cried? Delivery
Where do you go to over and over? Work
Five people who email me regularly? Students
My favorite place to eat? Restaurants
Place I'd like to be at right now? Joe's

So now I encourage you to do it--its fun and some of them are harder to answer in one word then you would think. hehe

Tag--I'm It

Okay my friend just tagged me--and since now is not the time to put things off I thought I would do it now.


3 Names You Go by...

Umm pretty much its only Shanan


3 Restaurants

Joe's Farm Grill--which luckily my coworkers love too when we want to celebrate something
Rubios--which my coworkers love when we just want to have lunch (that was where we went when they wanted me out of the office to set up my surprise baby shower.) :)
Anything Mexican Food--which is particularly hard for Corey because that is not his favorite type of food. :)



3 Trips to Plan on This Year

Honestly who gets to take three trips in a year? If I get to leave Phoenix it will probably be to go to the family reunion in Northern AZ. And that is really the only plan I have. I know its sad.



3 Things I Want Badly

A healthy baby
A painless (or at least less painful) delivery
The economy to get out of the toliet



3 Pets I've had

Actually I grew up with a lot of pets--most notably Zorro (my grandparent's dog).
Wishbone (my dad and my dog)
Brandy (Corey and my cat--you have heard a lot about her though if you have read anything on here).



3 Things I did Yesterday

Work
Ate
Slept
(yes my life is really that exciting now--if I make it to 8pm thats a long day for me).



3 Things I Ate Today

Cheerios (my current favorite breakfast)
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Strawberries...yum



3 Fears

Bugs (okay maybe not a fear but really something I would rather Corey handle)
Having the baby at work (one of my coworkers will kill me if she is born at work)
And I can't think of any others--I know what a boring cop-out



3 Things I Plan on Doing Today

Work
Go to Evening with ASU program (sounded like a much better idea 2 weeks ago when I was asked)
Sleep
(again my life is so interesting right now)



3 Things I Plan on Doing Tomorrow (I know you will all be shocked by this)

Work
Take my friend out for his birthday lunch with my coworkers
Sleep
(but this weekend I might get my hair cut--I put might in front of everything now).



3 Favorite Holidays

St. Patrick's day (anniversary of when Corey and I met)
Thanksgiving (its always fun to have dinner with the family)
Christmas (especially when my cousins come from Portland) :)


3 Favorite Beverages

Since I got pregnant--
water
yellow snow from QT (really not as bad as it sounds)
lemonade with a little sprite

Before I got pregnant--Diet Coke was practically all I drank.


3 People I Tag

umm I will leave this open. If you feel like playing along then I just tagged you :)

Friends and Registries

My friend and I have been trying to meet for lunch for a couple of weeks--but it was one of those things where Murphy got involved and showed that anything that could go wrong would. But Friday Murphy stopped messing with us and we were able to get together. We went to Joe's Farm Grill which was yummy. My friend--who for some unknown reason does not obsessively watch the food network--had never heard of Joes. So she was all about trying everything. It was fun.

She also brought some gifts. What she told me about was the gifts for Brandy. One of those circles with the ball that the cat can swat round and round. Since we have already established that Brandy is a little camera shy and consequently does not like to play with her toys when the camera is ready--I decided not to try this time. But let me tell you that she has a blast with her new toys. All Corey and I heard for hours was that ball going round and round.

The gift she decided to surprise me with by just putting them in the bag and waiting for me to find them was clothes for Danica. And the shocking thing is that this friend bought very girlie clothes--with lots of pink. She is not big on the pink for girls and blue for boys, but when I told her about being the poor baby who was bald for almost 2 years (which meant I got confused for a boy at times), she figured I had good reason for getting lots of pink things. :)

Then Saturday I got to talk to my sister--actually we were all going to have lunch together but that plan didn't work out. But I got a little scolded for not having started a baby registry--again back to the list of things that needed to get done. So Saturday I went and started them at Target and Babies R Us. And I got to take advantage--for the first time--of one small advantage to being pregnant:

Now I will admit that there was other parking that was just as close to the door--but really I don't have that much more time to take advantage of the special parking. So I decided to enjoy it. Plus this was after I started the registry at Target (which is apparently going through a season change--I didn't realize there is a season change on baby stuff like strollers, but apparently there is) so everything was limited quantity which means it is not a good idea to put on the registry because people may not be able to find it. So I needed a lift.

My need for a lift also led me to get Danica the first clothes I have bought her--well my need for a lift and the fact that they had a huge clearence on clothing (I understand clothing having a season but really strollers?). So I got her a cute dress with a hat--it will look good with a white long sleeve shirt if it is chilly when she is able to wear it. And a pair of pants and a white shirt. And a pair of capris with a yellow shirt.

Those outfits almost made the pain of starting registries worth it. I swear the lists they give you to help plan your registry only make it worse--really are we supposed to put baby shampoo on the registry? I know we need it but it seems weird to register for it. And how many different strollers do you really need? The list has at least 5. I think that is crazy. Where are you supposed to store 5 stollers?

So that was my Friday and Saturday--I hope you all got a good laugh. :)

Party to Say Farewell

One of my good friends is moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico in just about a weeks time. I am very happy for her because this move will end a rather long period of time that her and her husband have been living apart while he was working in New Mexico while she was working here at UOP while he finished his bachelor degree. It seems like they are finally getting to mark off many things on their list of goals--and for that I am incredibly proud of both of them.

But I will miss Julie. She was one of the first people I met at UOP. We happened to be in the same training class and really hit it off from almost the first day at UOP. When I left UOP for ASU--working with Julie was one of the things I sincerely missed. Julie also stood up for me at my wedding as a bridesmaid--for which I was incredibly grateful.

So I wish Julie all the best and thank her for inviting me to her super fun farewell party with swimming and wonderful food (of course the pregnant one would notice the yummy food). But it was nice to see some of the group from UOP that I haven't seen since I left.

First ASU T-shirt

My work friend gave the baby her first ASU T-shirt. Isn't it the cutest?

I do have to say that it feels more real to be able to say her than to just say the baby. And the baby has been moving a lot lately. Her favorite time to go crazy is about 2 or 3 in the morning. She just starts tossing and turning like crazy--which for the record makes it very hard to sleep.

A Day Out With the Girls

One of the only downsides to my job at ASU (have I mentioned that it is really my dream job), is that I ended up moving further away from some of my friends. And I had to leave a few of my friends at UOP (and for that I am sorry because I really don't wish that place on anyone--but that is a post for another day...hehe). So yesterday was the first time my friends and I had been able to get together since like December.

So we went to lunch at Macaroni Grill off of the 101 and Tatum. Usually this is a nice centrally located place to eat--which is easy for everyone to get to because it is right off a freeway. But yesterday no. The 101 was undergoing a major construction thing that involved going down to one lane before closing completely.

Luckily I had decided I wanted to make some stops at other stores on the way (namely USA Baby--since now the only store is in Scottsdale...not cool). So I took the 51 and I got off before it got too crazy. Poor Jenny. She was on the 101, and it was taking her 30 minutes to go 2 exits. Not fun. Luckily I got a hold of Colleen in time to switch from the 101 to the 51 and so she didn't get stuck. But we all ended up arriving late.

We weren't able to hang out as long as we planned--thank you construction...grr. But we did get to walk around Desert Ridge Mall after lunch and my friends spoiled me. Jenny got me a bunch of onies and a full outfit and a cute blacket. Colleen got me some cute socks and a toy that her kids picked out special for the baby.

Overall it was a fun and exciting afternoon. I can't wait to find out whether the baby is a boy or a girl so I can really decide on a theme for the room. There was some very cute stuff for a cowboy themed room if we are having a boy--which is what I think we are having. Corey thinks we are having a girl--but I haven't settled on a theme for a girl. :)

The Celebrations Continue

Third-My friend and coworker celebrated her 28th birthday today. She is horrified at how much closer she is to 30. And I am shocked to find out that I am really the baby of the office--I thought we were the same age but alas no. Anyway I have a little bit of a reputation for setting up the parties on birthdays. This reputation may come from the fact that I completely covered my other coworker's office in over the hill things for his birthday--I wish I had pictures because you would laugh at the amount of over the hills stuff I found to cover his office. It was great.

Anyway, I had to keep it up. But not quite to the same degree, afterall I have to leave myself something to do when she beats me to 30. So I bought balloons and gave her balloon animals for her birthday, and maybe some banners that say happy birthday and a few streamers and some cupcakes. But really it was subtle--hehe

Here are a couple of pics of the birthday girl:

After the morning of cupcakes and milk (we had to have something healthy), we decided to go to the new Sweet Tomatoes for lunch. Have I mentioned how nice it is that all of these restaurants are moving out to the boonies where I live and work. :)