The Levanduski Family

Sugar Rush

2010-03-01T18:25:00.010-06:00

We had so much fun this past weekend doing a couple of things that have been on our radar, but we just hadn't gotten around to yet. First, we visited Eli's Cheesecake Factory. They do tours during the week of the bakery, but Blake didn't meet the age requirement. No worries! We enjoyed free bite-sized samples of cheesecake in the shop along with sharing a whoopie pie and chocolate-dipped macaroon. They were heavenly!! Thankfully, we left without purchasing anything.After that, we headed north just passed the Wisconsin border for a tour of the Jelly Belly factory! There was a little tour and history of the company on a jelly bean train, which Blake loved, with a free little bag of jelly beans at the end - which we all loved! The tour ended at the entrance to the store (of course) where we were giddy looking at all the candy. They even had a sample bar where you could try anything they manufacture. I asked for one from their "Beanboozled" line that tasted like dog food and slipped it to Brayden under the guise of it tasting like chocolate!! We all had a really good laugh! I didn't taste it, but it sure SMELLED like dog food! Yuck!

We made a few purchases and headed home on a sugar high!

Chicago's Museum Free Days

2010-02-04T14:22:00.006-06:00

One of the best things about living in a big city is taking advantage of all the opportunities available to us. Very often, the museums downtown offer free admission days so we took advantage! Our first visit was to the Shedd Aquarium. I got the same picture of Roger in front of the big fish when we were here 5 years ago. I was 6 months pregnant with Brayden at the time!We had a great time looking at all the aquatic animals. Brayden loved watching the dolphin show called Fantasea. Flashbulbs weren't allowed, so I couldn't get any decent pictures. She was happy to pose in front of the starfish for me!On a different day, we visited the Museum of Science and Industry. It was such a hit!! Blake loved the rockets in the space wing. Once this 2 liter got filled with "fuel," the kids could launch it with a very satisfying BANG!We came upon this sign in the agriculture section and HAD to get a picture of it!! Vernors is THE BEST ginger ale out there! I have extremely fond memories of sitting on my grandmother's living room floor drinking Vernors from glass bottles and munching on Power's hamburgers. YUM!Blake discovered this little hose that squirted out air at the press of a button while learning how to milk a cow. He thought that was GREAT fun and spent quite a long time playing with it!Another favorite area was a model of the city with a HUGE train, which of course held Blake's interest. All of the pictures of the day can be viewed HERE. More free museum days are in our future!

Holiday Recap

2010-01-14T15:39:00.007-06:00

I am so embarrassed with how far behind I am in my posts!! I will admit that I am more active (and up to date) on Facebook than I am this blog lately. My apologies to anyone not on Facebook! I promise to do better in 2010!Well, since my last official post was Halloween, I have some pretty big catching up to do!! The holiday season through Thanksgiving to Christmas was busy, like most. We had a very quiet Thanksgiving dinner - just the four of us. No turkey was cooked since most of it would spoil before it could all get consumed. A nice "Sunday" type dinner was prepared and the rest of the day was spent decorating for the upcoming Christmas season. The kids, especially Brayden, were SO excited to pull out all the decorations! Jenn's Mom flew in a couple weeks before Christmas to spend some quality time with us. It was so wonderful to have her here for some extended time! We were able to do some shopping, baking and even a visit with Santa Claus!Jenn's Dad was able to fly in the evening of the 23rd, despite a nasty ice storm. Pretty soon, it was time to prepare for Santa's arrival. We set out the special cookies, read "The Night Before Christmas" and it was off to dreamland.Blake was the first to wake up. Upon coming downstairs, he exclaimed, "Look! Look! Santa brought presents!" Are you kidding me?? He understood the whole concept and was able to articulate it THAT well?? I guess when presents are involved, communication isn't a problem!!Brayden came down shortly thereafter and surveyed Santa's leftovers. It wasn't too long before wrapping paper started flying and joyous shrieks were heard. Both kids got their coveted gifts this year...an American Girl doll for Brayden and a firetruck for Blake. Aunt Ginger brought the cutest dessert. Blake thought long and hard about how to get his hands on it!It was such a treat to have extended family join us for this special day. All of the pictures from Christmas can be seen HERE!

New Pictures

2009-12-21T19:22:00.001-06:00

Here ya go Dad...more pictures as requested! Click here!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-20T16:20:00.002-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Downtown Treats

2009-10-31T14:55:00.006-05:00

Last weekend, the Downers Grove shops held a safe trick-or-treating event for the kids. Much like we did in Jackson Hole, we went from shop to shop chiming the famous phrase in exchange for yummy treats. Blake caught on REALLY FAST to the concept. Even though he knows full well how to say "trick-or-treat," he also knew that people would give him candy whether he said it or not, so why waste the energy??

There is an old cemetery right in the middle of downtown as you're walking around and Brayden wanted to go investigate. I think it's pretty neat to see an angel in the middle of a cemetery!Blake was being his cheese-ball self by making this goofy face every time I wanted to take his picture. It's him saying, "Cheeeeeeeese!"A super-big thank you to my cousin Sandy for letting our kids borrow these costumes!

My First Book Give-Away!

2009-10-25T16:14:00.003-05:00

I have been fortunate enough to work periodically for the One2One network listening to CD's and then posting reviews. Recently, they came through with a new book by Eileen Goudge called "Once in a Blue Moon." I had grand day dreams of being able to curl up on our porch and read this highly anticipated book, but alas, reality smacked me in the face in the form of our two young children. Who was I kidding?

Well, my loss is your gain! The wonderful folks at One2One have asked me to pass along my book to one of my blog readers! All I ask you to do is post a comment by Friday, October 30th. Then I'll do a random draw and announce a winner! I wish I did have time to read this because the buzz has been exciting!

In the meantime, I'll stick to my CD reviews and I have a GREAT one for you soon! Remember, post a comment here before the 30th!!

Box Tops for Education

2009-10-08T10:38:00.002-05:00

I am hoping that you might be willing/able to help Brayden earn money and merchandise for her school without spending any extra money. Her school is collecting Labels for Education and Box Tops for Education from participating Campbell products and Box Tops.

Box Tops are an easy way to earn cash for her school with groceries you probably already have in your pantry. Clip Box Top coupons from hundreds of participating products and send them to us. Box Top coupons are worth .10 each when her school redeems them from Box Tops for Education.

The list of participating products is in the hundreds. Click here to see them all http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/clip/Brands.aspx. Once you look in your pantry, you'll start to see this wonderful little label everywhere.

Labels for Education is getting better with a new look and focus on supporting the Arts (yay!), Athletics and Academic enrichment programs that can spark children's successes. You can learn more by signing up for newsletters at http://www.labelsforeducation.com/.

Cut out the UPC label from participating products like Campbell's soups, Spaghetti-O's, V-8, Chunky Soups and Chili, Soup at Hand and Select Harvest. Other products include Franco-American Gravies, Pepperidge Farm and Prego.

Deadlines: We have 2 deadlines this year to turn in the labels. December 11th and May 14th. Brayden's class is competing to earn a pizza party or ice cream social. That aside, think of all the good you'll be doing for the children in her school!!

Any little bit can help!! We appreciate your efforts!!

P.S. If you're already collecting these for your own child(ren), please disregard and good luck with your school!! :o)

Fall Color 5K

2009-10-04T13:11:00.008-05:00

The big day finally arrived! The Fall Color 5K at the Morton Arboretum. I have been working toward this for the past 5 weeks, adding running on the treadmill as a part of my workout routine. I've never run before so this was a new experience.We got there about 7:30 on this chilly morning. My nerves grew as 8:00 approached. I knew I was ready. I was more curious about what time I'd end up finishing more than anything else. The one thing I didn't anticipate was a stiff neck. I woke up with that little surprise this morning, which added a challenging element. The route took us through a lovely section of the arboretum. You can barely see the outline circling to the right on the map. The first mile went pretty well. I was grateful that the largest hill of the race was at the beginning! The second mile seemed to stretch on a bit so I started thinking about how things have changed in this past year. When we lived in Jackson Hole, I scoffed at the notion of running in Old Bill's Fun Run. Now I'd welcome the opportunity to try it again. Before I knew it, the third mile marker was in front of me. The welcoming crowds started to thicken as I picked up my pace. I sped up as the finish line approached and I saw my wonderful family cheering me on. They looked so proud! As I crossed the finish line, I actually got choked up a little! I reconnected with Roger and the kids to celebrate. My results came in...34:38.2! I finished 957th out of 1562 overall and 494th out of 956 women. I never cared about what place I would come in. I felt victorious!!On the way out of the arboretum, we stopped to take some Fall pictures of the kids. We even got lucky when someone walking by offered to take a picture of all four of us. Best expressions EVER!! It is so indicative of their personalities!!The kids show off their favorite pumpkins. Can you hear Blake grunting? Ha ha!

Wheely Big Trucks

2009-10-03T15:42:00.006-05:00

Downers Grove Park District hosted "Wheely Big Trucks" today in town. Oh boy! Blake was in HEAVEN! There were all kinds of different vehicles to explore, climb on, in, and honk! The first stop was to his favorite...the fire truck. He knows the location of every fire house in Downers Grove and excitedly proclaims, "Fire truck!" as we approach in our car. This was a dream come true for him! Brayden loved it too!

They were both drawn to a little race car next. Blake kept saying, "I want to try it!" over and over until it was his turn! Believe it or not, this little car can go 110 mph!Both kids immediately found an opportunity to get ~~dirty~~ creative at a table with cars and trucks with paint on their wheels. This art table was meant to be inspired by Jackson Pollock. All I know is that I had another load of laundry to do when I got home.

Blake got to live out his "Bob the Builder" obsession by climbing into this mammoth bulldozer. He seemed quite at home behind the wheel!

Brayden didn't want to climb in, but tolerated Mommy's shutterbug by standing in the scooper. Blake wasn't impressed by the scooper at all.

After climbing in a jeep, school bus, RV and other various worker trucks, we headed off to Giordano's for lunch.

Grandma Rose & Grandpa Mike Visit

2009-10-01T16:50:00.000-05:00

Roger's Dad and step-Mom came to Chicago recently to celebrate the birthday of one of Rose's friends. As a bonus, they were able to spend a day with us! We got to hang out and watch the Alabama game and then go to Ed Debevic's for dinner. The kids had a great time hangin' with Grandma Rose and Grandpa Mike. Brayden especially loved the ice cream brownie for dessert! (OK, I'll admit...that was a highlight for me as well)

Blake was a fan of the brownie, but burst with excitement when the employees jumped up on the counter to dance!

Sadly, the day passed way too quickly and they had to head home. We all hope they can return for a longer visit soon!

Easy money...no kidding!

2009-09-28T17:36:00.002-05:00

OK, at the risk of sounding like an infomercial, I have found a way to make EASY money (not much, but every little bit helps, right??). The company's name is YouData (youdata.com). The concept is simple.....you should be charging advertisers to see their ads. And advertisers will pay you.

What I love about YouData is that you can fill out profiles and give as little information as you want......that you are a mom in IL, for example. Hardly any information is required. Log in whenever you want and they will tell you if advertisers are willing to pay you to look at a text ad....companies you recognize, small companies and organizations. I have found some great new companies this way too. My favorite one so far has been www.perpetualkid.com. So much fun!!They pay you to look at an ad - doesn't take but a minute or so. You earn cash. CASH. Every Friday, they deposit your money in your PayPal account. Safe and consistent. Every Friday. They won't send you emails....you just visit them whenever you want. I like that.

It's real. They pay. You should check it out!

Click this link to sign up. My MeFile ID, levanduski00, in the "Referral Code" will tell them I sent you. I'm not embarassed to say that I get $1 for every referral so PLEASE sign up!! Then make your friends and family do it for you! LOL!

http://www.youdata.com/join/levanduski00

Harry Connick, Jr "Your Songs"

2009-09-28T13:40:00.005-05:00

I had it all planned out...Blake was down for his nap and Brayden was occupied with a movie. I was going to have a little "me" time with Harry and my latest magazine stash.

Thanks to the kind folks over at the One2One Network, I got to listen to the latest CD from Harry Connick, Jr. called "Your Songs." I've always been a huge HCJ fan, whether he's playing a mad serial killer or crooning the classics. He's dreamy!

"Your Songs" compiles an impressive list of songs from Frank Sinatra to Billy Joel. Check out this amazing play list:

All The Way - Frank Sinatra
Just The Way You Are - Billy Joel
Can't Help Falling In Love With You - Elvis Presley
And I Love Her - The Beatles
(They Long To Be) Close To You - The Carpenters
Besame Mucho
The Way You Look Tonight
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
Your Song - Elton John
Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So - Don McLean
Who Can I Turn To? - Tony Bennett
Smile - Charlie Chaplin
Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole

I will admit that I prefer his covers of the older songs more than Billy Joel, but Billy is a sacred cow in my book. The velvety smooth voice of HCJ makes me want to drop whatever I'm doing and sway with my husband right here in the kitchen. Perfect for a romantic evening!

Harry Connick, Jr. is quite the busy bee this week. Try to catch up with him...

9/28 - Today Show
9/29 - The View
9/30 - Imus in the Morning
9/30 - Letterman
10/1 - Today Show
Week of 10/5 - Rachael Ray

"Your Songs" is a must for your iPod!

Before and After

2009-09-17T14:28:00.001-05:00

The wonderful director, Rebecca, from Gaiam asked me to email a "before" picture to her so yesterday, I went digging through my files. I started crying when I found these.Yup. That's really me. Seeing that woman....I don't even recognize her anymore. In so many ways. It makes me even more proud of this chick...
And I'm not even done yet!!

Gaiam

2009-09-16T15:48:00.004-05:00

I was given an amazing opportunity to travel to Boulder, Colorado to participate in a new fitness DVD with Bob Greene, produced by Gaiam. They were looking for success stories from Best Life participants, which I proudly get to say that I am!I was flown in on Sunday and got to meet up with a very special woman, Susan, who has been an amazing source of encouragement and support on the Best Life boards and this blog. We got to spend a very fun afternoon swapping stories, tips, suggestions and laughs. It was so great to experience this with her!

Monday, we were driven to the Gaiam headquarters for the shoot. Make-up artist extraordinaire, Johny Saade, did our hair and make-up. That was especially fun! I was then mic'd up and interviewed on the balcony overlooking a majestically serene prairie with the mountains in the distance. I made it all the way through the interview without crying (quite a feat for me) until the director asked, "If you could say one thing to Bob, what would it be?" Holy smokes. I immediately choked up and squeaked out a "Thank you for changing my life."We were then taken over to their studio to have still photos taken. I am hoping to get a copy of one! Susan and I got to ham it up for the camera a bit.

Gaiam (and their employees) was amazing. We commented over and over again what a wonderful vibe the whole place had...even the cafeteria! They seemed to have more than just a "green" philosophy. It was a lifestyle. One that I would love to live.

Brayden Starts Kindergarten!

2009-08-21T13:13:00.002-05:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Me?!? In a fitness DVD?!?

2009-08-21T12:41:00.001-05:00

Life never ceases to amaze me. If you would have told me one year ago what my life would be like today, I'd never believe you. Let me back up...

Bob Greene (Oprah's fitness guy) has continued to email me since wrapping up the show (2-3 times) to see how I'm doing. Nice, right?? Well, a couple of weeks ago, he asked if I'd be interested in giving a testimonial on a new project he had in the works. Sure! You bet! Anything for Bob!

An executive producer called me a couple days ago to fill me in on the project. It's a new exercise DVD with Bob to be made available for purchase!! They don't want a testimonial, so much as an interview and then me exercising WITH Bob! Holy moly! They're flying me to Santa Barbara in less than 2 weeks, all expenses paid with extra for my time! OMG! AND! The taping is most likely going to be AT OPRAH'S HOUSE!!! Someone pick me up off the floor, would you!?!

Since that call, I had a follow-up email from the production manager asking for my contact information so she can book my flight. I wonder if it will be first class?!? Who cares! I'd fly in the cargo bay! It'll feel luxurious since I won't have a baby crawling all over me for the flight! I'll actually get to R-E-A-D! I can hardly imagine....

She also sent a size chart. It asked for all kinds of sizes for shoes, pants, shirts, dresses, hats, inseam and even bra size! Will I be involved with some kind of fitting??? Exciting!!

I have been checking my email with obsession waiting to find out more details. I promise to pass them on as I learn them!!

Mom and Dad's Visit - Part Two

2009-08-14T10:49:00.005-05:00

I am waaay behind on my posts!! Mom and Dad returned from Michigan where Dad attended his 50th high school reunion. They had a blast! Sadly, they brought back stories of a worn down Port Huron where they both grew up. I enjoyed so many summers there as a kid. I was wanting to get back there to reminisce, but now am thankful that I'm just left with my memories.My sister, Keri, flew up to join the festivities. It was so great to show her our new home! We whisked her away from the airport and immediately drove into the city. As a huge baseball fan, she couldn't wait to see Wrigley Field. It was our first stop.

After a quick return trip to the Oprah Store so Mom could buy some more favorite shirts, we went to Navy Pier. We were able to snap a few quick pictures before the rain started.
The next day, we went to the Brookfield Zoo. We had so much fun there! Blake had GREAT fun riding around with Grandma on her scooter!The kids had a wonderful time visiting all the animals and playing with Aunt Keri. The petting zoo topped the list as a favorite stop. This friendly goat instantly bonded with our family! I was even able to talk the kids into sitting in front of some lovely flowers for some pictures. I have to save this one for proof that they do indeed love each other to bring back out in their teenage years.

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa the next day. We can't wait for them to come back for another visit! Aunt Keri stuck around for one more night and we made the most of it! We got a sitter for the kids and went on a Haunted Bus Tour of downtown Chicago! It's no surprise that we didn't experience anything "supernatural" but we did hear some great stories! We topped the evening off with a cocktail at the Hancock Building's Signature Room on the 95th floor. It was a great way to finish off Keri's first visit to Chicago!

Unlocked and Uncensored

2009-08-13T09:48:00.002-05:00

Most of you know that I was lucky enough to do a weight loss TV show for the Discovery Health channel in this past year. It changed my life, to say the least. I documented the entire process in a blog called Living My Best Life. I locked it back in June but unlocked it just yesterday. This is my first public post since then. I hope you'll take a look...

Yes, I'm back. It's been a rough summer. Too many issues to discuss here. Besides, they're not really health and fitness related. But that's not entirely true, is it? Our entire life effects the decisions we make about food and exercise. At least, I know that's the case for me. I often turn to food when I'm depressed, stressed or bored (although I really try not to as much anymore). When I'm not feeling 100%, it's easy to talk myself out of going to the gym. That's why I go at the crazy hour of 4:30 am. My only excuse at that hour is that I'm tired. Yeah, well, I'll be tired at 7:00 too, but can't go due to other factors in my life....so 4:30 am it is.

I thought by locking my blog that I would be able to refocus and get my momentum again. Turns out, I logged even fewer entries. Plus, it really made me start thinking...isn't life messy? How we succeed in life is by making mistakes. We learn from them, we improve, we succeed. I was on such a successful path of weight loss and when the scale froze, I got embarrassed. It was as though I was no longer successful and therefore letting people down who had previously said I inspired them. I realize how ridiculous that thought process is as I type this, but that's how I felt. I'm getting over it!

This is about LIVING MY BEST LIFE! Sometimes it's going to get ugly. I shouldn't run and hide from it (which I am guilty of on more than one occasion). So I have unlocked my blog to share my successes AND my failures, for that is how we will all learn.

Some of my family members and friends have been asking advice from me lately on how to get healthier. Who knew that I would be the one people come to??? After lots of thinking, I decided a message board would be the best way to share what I've learned, gather what other people have learned and support one another. I have officially launched "Healthy for Life!" I will be sharing recipes, exercises, motivation (I hope) and even weight loss challenges. I hope you'll take a peek over there and even consider signing up (it's free). I'm back and ready to make this my BEST LIFE!!

I Scream! You Scream! We All Scream for....Cupcakes??

2009-08-05T16:58:00.004-05:00

Brayden's 5th birthday is tomorrow (OMG!) so sugary treats were the request for the day. She has been attending Vacation Bible School all week and gets to celebrate there with new friends. I was given permission to bring cupcakes, but didn't want to bring just ORDINARY cupcakes! I was reminded about this super cute way to bake them...in ice cream cones!

I found THE BEST vanilla cupcake recipe on the net (thanks to Martha Stewart's website!) and baked away! I did modify the recipe a little bit. It calls for 1 cup of whole milk. I didn't have any, but I did have Coffee Mate Vanilla Creamer. I put a couple of swigs of cream into a 1 cup measure and then filled the rest with 2% milk. I think that added extra yummy vanilla flavor to the cakes!!

To steady the cones in the muffin tins, I put squares of tin foil in the cup and then "scrunched" the foil around the cone as I inserted it. For extra weight (and a yummy surprise) in the bottom, we added 5 chocolate chips. This was Brayden's job!I then filled the cups up a little more than half way. I didn't have too many spill over. This seemed like just the right amount. It was time to whip up the Buttercream Frosting, also a Martha referral. The good news is that it is probably the best buttercream recipe I've ever tasted (I doubled the vanilla requirement, by the way). The bad news is that it melted pretty quick. I really wanted to give that ice cream "soft serve" effect with the icing, but it just didn't hold up very well. I fitted a gallon sized Ziplock bag with a large star tip and coupler (from my cake decorating classes, way back when) and then scooped the icing inside. This made clean up SO easy! Aesthetically, they didn't turn out as pretty as I hoped, but they're darn delicious so I'm happy! I can't wait to celebrate Brayden's birthday with her 30+ new friends at church tomorrow!

Join Me!!

2009-07-31T10:35:00.000-05:00

OK People! It's never too late to recommit yourself to a better YOU! Join me on this website to lose weight in August!! It's FREE and we can motivate each other! Click on "Browse Challenges" and find "Lose 10 Pounds in August." We can do this together! SIGN UP NOW!

Our New Addition

2009-07-31T10:05:00.003-05:00

For over a year now, Brayden has been asking for a hamster (thanks to former California neighbors who owned several). With the recent loss of Clara and Brayden's upcoming birthday, we thought this would be a perfect gift. Rosie has been a wonderful addition (not to mention, distraction) for all of us. I have never been a rodent fan, but Rosie is quite cute and lovable. Brayden is doing a great job of feeding, playing and cleaning up after her new friend.

Mom and Dad's Visit - Part One

2009-07-21T08:43:00.009-05:00

Mom and Dad are visiting from Houston. They started their vacation in Chicago and half-way through, drove to Port Huron, Michigan for Dad's 50th high school reunion (OMG). They return today for several more days before returning to Houston. We've kept them busy in the short first half of their trip!Their arrival was unknowingly good timing for we had lost Clara that very morning. It was a relief to have the wonderful distraction of family. We had Dad's niece, Sandy, and nephew, Phil, and their families over for a mini family reunion that afternoon. The kids had a fun time playing with their cousins while the adults had a great time catching up.I had to include 2 adorable pics of our kids! Brayden was fascinated with worms found in the garden while Blake snuck forbidden sips of Grandma's diet Pepsi.

We enjoyed Sunday over at Sandy's house when we returned her daughter, Amy, from a sleepover with Brayden the night before (a first for Brayden). It was a full weekend of family. Just what we needed! The next morning, we ventured into downtown Chicago for a Double Decker Bus Tour. Mom and Dad lived in the city for almost 7 years and had never done this before! In addition to seeing all of downtown, we also went to Little Italy, Greektown, Chinatown and the Oprah Store. The great Joe DiMaggio commemorated in this Piazza in Little Italy.
The beautiful entrance to Chinatown.The majestic lion guarding the entrance to the Art Institute of Chicago. Soldier Field, home of the Bears.

Mom and Dad return today with my sister, Keri, joining the fun on Thursday. We have lots more planned with more pictures sure to follow. See all of the pictures from the first half of their visit HERE. I promise to have more pictures of PEOPLE in my next set!!

Goodbye, Good Friend

2009-07-17T17:47:00.004-05:00

Quite suddenly, we had to say goodbye to our dear Clara. Last week, she stopped eating and began throwing up stomach bile. We took her to the vet for 2 days for fluids and medications. She was diagnosed with pancreatitis. It was obvious to all of us that she was getting worse, not better. On Saturday, July 11th, we ended her suffering.

She has been an amazing dog, family member and friend. I could not have wished for a better first pet for our children. She will be greatly missed.

Morton Arboretum with Friends

2009-07-05T16:38:00.004-05:00

Thanks to the holiday, Roger and his co-worker, Andreas, got Friday off from work so we decided to take the families to the Morton Arboretum for the afternoon and then dinner back at our house.

After getting sufficiently lost in the hedge maze, the kids (all four of them) decided to stuff themselves inside of this dog house. Owen can been seen peeking out from the back, but poor Robert is hidden from view. Sly little Robbie figured out how to squirt all the visitors to the frog pond by manipulating the water spout. How is it that all boys figure that out??I think this area is the kid's favorite out of the whole arboretum. Water, rocks and frogs. What could be better? Here I am sporting my new blonde(r) highlights! This was one of the rare pictures of Brayden smiling that day. She's not used to playing with older boys. They tend not to follow her bossy ways!By the end of the afternoon, Brayden had announced she was going to marry Owen. He seemed unaffected by this gesture. Rachel and Andreas have been good friends since our days in Jackson Hole. It's so good to be closer to them again and be able to plan fun days like this one!
Blake got very adventurous on this visit. He mastered the bouncy bridge and rope bridge within minutes of arriving. I love the look of concentration on his face!!

Both kids were hungry and tired by the time I forced this family photo on them. Oh well. At least Mom and Dad are smiling!! We all had a great time and delish dinner (if I do say so myself). Here's to good friends, good times and good (healthy) food!

Check out all the pictures from the day HERE!

Take Me (Us) Out to the Ball Game

2009-06-16T08:37:00.005-05:00

You're singing the song now, aren't you? Ha! Roger scored 6 amazing tickets to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field for this past Sunday. We were 5 rows up from the field, right behind the visiting team's dugout. The Cubs were playing the Minnesota Twins.

The original plan was for the four of us to go and we invited cousin Bob and his son, Kevin, to join us. When we arrived to pick them up, my cousin Sandy offered to watch Blake for us to we stood a chance of enjoying the game and staying the whole time. We hesitated (for about 2 seconds) because we really wanted Blake to see his first ball game, but then we got realistic. How much would a 2 year old get into a baseball game at peak naptime?? He stayed! Well, when Brayden learned that Blake was staying, she wanted to as well! All right. Now we had 2 extra tickets so Kevin brought a friend and his sister Sara.

It was probably the prettiest day we've had since moving here. Bright, warm sun and not a cloud in the sky. Yes, we got sunburned! The game was exciting (as baseball can get). We even had several pop flies land very close to us! Sara and I ducked every time we saw them coming! In the end, the Cubs won!

Click HERE to see all of the pictures from the game.

Blake's Birthday Lunch - All Aboard!

2009-06-04T13:18:00.006-05:00

Like most men, the way to our boy's heart is most definitely through his stomach!! Add some trains and you have paradise! After a little retail therapy, we went to the All Aboard Diner for lunch. I swear, Blake knew that's where we were going when we pulled into the parking lot. He started squealing "Train!" over and over again till we got inside the restaurant.

Just like our last visit to the diner, I was able to eat my salad in peace without too much worry of the kids. They shoveled in their food as the trains kept chugging by. Blake ate more than Brayden with 6 chicken nuggets and a bunch of fries compared to her 1/2 personal cheese pizza. I had decided to order 1 cupcake and 1 scoop of ice cream for the kids to share to keep the celebration going. I mentioned to the server that it was Blake's birthday and they played a song for him over the speaker system! It was a modified version of "Happy Birthday." All the servers and other diners were happy to sing and clap along. If you've ever wondered if there is a difference between a regular digital camera and a digital SLR camera, these pictures show the huge difference. For convenience, I took our little Cannon PowerShot to the restaurant. I am so disappointed in the picture quality. Just look at other pictures below to see the huge difference!

Happy Birthday Blake!

2009-06-04T09:00:00.007-05:00

WOW!! Our little monkey man is 2 years old today! Before writing this post, I went back on the blog and read about his birth. SO many changes is just 2 years! Already the kid has lived in 3 states (with Illinois being the last one for a good long while!). Since his birthday is on a Thursday, no big plans. I am going to take him to his favorite restaurant for lunch...the All Aboard Diner. He loves watching the food being delivered by train! We're keeping the train theme going from his birthday party this past weekend. Blake's fascination with trains has reached epic proportions so the obvious gift for him this year was a train table. Upon seeing it for the first time, he squealed "TRAIN!" and ran over to it! That's where he stayed for the next four hours! He didn't want to eat, drink, get changed...nothing except play with his new train table! OK! We let him!Friends and family gathered Saturday for some burgers, dogs and cake. We mostly just hung out, talked, ate, played Four Square, and ate some more! It is so nice to have family close by to celebrate these milestones!!Pretty soon, it was time for cake. Needless to say, Blake loved his cake!! The birthday song couldn't be sung fast enough so get could get his new Thomas toy in his mouth and lick off all that frosting!We laid out a blanket for all the kids to enjoy their cake. This is one of my favorite pictures from the day. Notice Robert (the little boy with glasses) looking at Blake in total disgust! LOL! Robert's not a fan of messy eaters and Blake is among the messiest! Too funny!Surprisingly, Blake wasn't pawing at the gifts to open them. Cousins Kyndall and Amy along with Brayden were all too willing to help. Blake didn't care about the ripping paper part anyway. He just wanted his new toys!

I wanted to document some things, much like I did for Brayden, to help us remember Blake at age two in later years...

* He has an intense love affair with trains, trucks and cars.

* He's become a very good sleeper. This is monumental when I remember how awful of a sleeper he was for his first 10-11 months. He now sleeps 11-12 hours straight at night with a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon.

* Curious George is his favorite character along with Mickey and Friends.

* His vocabulary is limited, but he babbles as though he's holding full conversations and knows exactly what he's talking about. When he wants you to go somewhere, he'll turn you by the knee and emphatically point in the direction he wants you to go (basement, outside, refrigerator).

* He is a LOUD child! He does everything loud....laughing, crying, playing.

* He is very passionate about his likes and dislikes.

* After not seeing us for a long period of time, he will squeal "Mommy!" and/or "Daddy!" and run full sprint toward us, wrap his arms around our legs and bury his head in our knees. It melts my heart every time.

We love you Blakey!! Happy, happy birthday!!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-06-04T07:50:00.006-05:00

We had an awesome day over Memorial Day weekend. We decided to make a whole day of being tourists. We started by going to the Egg Harbor Cafe for breakfast. It's my new favorite breakfast spot! The food was scrumptious and cheap!! The kids had HUGE breakfasts (green eggs and ham for Brayden!) for only $3.95 each!! Love it!Then we headed into Chicago for the official touristy part of our day...a tour on a double decker bus! We learned a lot about Chicago's magnificent architecture and history. This is a shot of Roger's new hotel, The Elysian Hotel which is still under construction. This beautiful church was in "My Best Friend's Wedding" with Julia Roberts and Durmot Mulroney. The guide said the stained glass above the front door is even more breathtaking from inside. I'll add that to my "must do" list for next time!I wanted to get a picture of the Chicago Theatre marquee but we were a little too close. I still think it came out pretty cool!The breeze off Lake Michigan was unseasonably cold that day. Blake found some comfort and warmth inside Daddy's pull-over!One of the great features of the trolley tour was the ability to get on and off the bus whenever we wanted to. We decided to jump off at Navy Pier and walk around. I'm glad we did because we ended up spending the rest of the afternoon there! The kids got to meet some Ninja Turtles (I don't know their names). Blake was less than thrilled with these guys. He knows and likes the Disney characters, but not the giant turtles!Our favorite part of the day was unplanned (those are always the best surprises). We were getting something to eat in a little courtyard as a local band was setting up on stage. We hung around for a while to listen. They ended up being awesome! It was 7th Heaven, who are apparently pretty big in the Chicago area. Blake LOVED watching the drummer. The roadies got a pretty big kick out of Blake's fascination and gave him a guitar pick as a souvenir. Just what every toddler needs...a choking hazard!

To get a good view of the band, Roger lifted Blake to his shoulders. This is also a great way to keep the little monkey from running away! Well, Blake thought he'd get his revenge by taking Daddy's hat over and over again. He thought he was pretty funny!Somehow, I didn't end up with very many pictures of Brayden this day. GUILT! So, here's one of her poses she asked me to take. She's not camera shy or anything...And finally...evidence that I was really there. Blake and I danced to the music as Daddy captured some pictures. We stayed for the band's first set (an hour) and then caught a cab to Ed Debevic's for dinner. This 50's-ish diner is known for their service...their BAD service! Their motto is "Eat and Get Out!" The kids didn't quite know what to think when the servers jumped up on the counter to dance. It was a fun and exhausting day!!

Where's B?

2009-05-19T15:39:00.005-05:00

The kids have been playing this game after meal time lately. Brayden hides behind Blake's chair and pops out to surprise him. If you can get past her annoying scream, it's darn cute to watch! Blake turns his hands up and continually asks, "Where's B?" his adorable nickname for her! They howl with laughter and then he asks for more. Ya gotta love sibling love!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Family Photo Session

2009-05-17T20:55:00.005-05:00

Part two of my Mother's Day gift happened today...a family photo session! We haven't had a formal picture taken since Brayden was a year and a half old! It was long overdue and SO much fun!The photographer worked well with Blake, who is less than thrilled to have his picture taken in a studio. We were able to get so many great shots of all of us. It was hard to pick just a few! Luckily, I didn't have to limit my choices because we got the CD of ALL the photos taken today. YAY!! I'll be printing a LOT of pictures VERY soon!

After we finished at the studio, we found a fun little restaurant in the same shopping plaza...The All Aboard Diner. As you can imagine, it was all about trains - Blake's new favorite subject! There were trains EVERYWHERE in there! The best one was the one that ran along the edge of the counter to serve us our food! Both kids were very excited to see that train appear each and every time! Roger and I haven't enjoyed a meal so peacefully in months!!

Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-12T06:23:00.012-05:00

For those of you that follow the events chronicled on this blog, I’m sure you’ve figured out that the contributions have all come from my better half, Jennifer! Considering these entries are about our family, I’ve decided to take an active role in contributing to this site. It couldn’t be more fitting than to make my debut sharing our Mother’s Day celebration.

Over the past several months I’ve missed the “blonde” Jennifer, so I selfishly asked Jennifer if she would consider going back to that look. Little did I know that she was just as eager, if not more, to lose the red hair? She took the whole afternoon on Saturday to go through the transformation (who knew you could spend 3 hrs in a hair salon!), and we were not disappointed. Given the stresses of our move and not having the “family time” that was so desperately needed, this year was dedicated to give Mom (Jennifer) the ultimate family experience. We gave up the conventional Mother’s Day brunch or a day of indulgence at the spa. Instead Brayden & I planned everything to include the entire family in a manner that she would not have to lift a finger.

First on the list was a bouquet of flowers. Brayden really stepped up here; we each got to pick flowers for mommy. Mine was easy, a dozen red roses but Brayden surprised me by selecting white calla lilies. We selected the appropriate vase and Brayden directed the arrangement of flowers. Knowing mommy would be home soon we eager began working on dinner which included shrimp stir-fry and sushi paired with a glass of pinot noir. Kids had their favorite mac & cheese w/ hotdogs. When Jenn came home from the salon we were all in amazement on here new color & style… very non-mom!! While the color was not blonde, we loved the brown with blonde highlights and how the style framed her face. All throughout dinner mommy was thrilled at the prospect that she didn’t have to cook, clean, or worry about any of the meals this weekend. The evening ended with a family walk around our new neighborhood with discussions focused on our future and all the opportunities available to us in the Chicago-land area.

Mother’s Day arrives!!!
At 5:35am I was woken up by Brayden who was eager to surprise mommy with our plans. Needing more time to sleep I talked her into climbing into bed and getting more rest. However it was too late, she had me thinking of all the things we had to coordinate before mommy woke up and since she usually gets up at 4:45am, sleeping in could mean anything from 6am til 8am, so I motivated myself to get up. We went to the kitchen and wrote the card first. This included several discussions on how we felt about mommy and the best way to let her know. In the end we felt we had communicated effectively our love and appreciation. Next was breakfast, and not knowing when Jenn would wake up we decided to leave a note by the clock asking her to call us when she was ready for breakfast. This worked perfectly! We got the call at 7:30am just as Blake was waking up and quickly went to work assembling the fruit salad, potato pancake, quiche Lorraine, chicken sausage, English muffin, and fresh squeezed juice. As we entered the room, Brayden lead the way with breakfast followed by Blake with the card and then myself with the juice & tray table. We all climbed into bed where mommy was surprised to find a family photo sitting confirmation included with her card. Soon after, everyone was sharing in mommy’s breakfast feast.

That rest of the day was followed by time spent at Morton Arboretum where there was a great kid’s area, garden maze, and beautiful areas to hike and bike. As Blake’s nap time approached we decided to drive into the city and give the little man a chance to recharge his batteries. We took this opportunity to drive by the Elysian Hotel and show Jennifer the progress that has been made since last February. Just as Blake awoke we decided to have a late lunch in Water Tower Place. This was followed by a walk along the “Magnificent Mile” (Michigan Ave) to Millennium Park. We made sure to stop by the Hershey Store where the kids walked away with samples of chocolate and smiles. As we came upon the park, we were greeted with mounds of tulips throughout the park which provided us with a new welcome page photo (above). One of the most amazing pieces of sculpture was a piece known as the “bean”, which reflected the city skyline off its silvery exterior. By this time the temperature began to drop as the wind picked up off the lake, so we stopped into a Starbucks on the way back so the kids could enjoy Hot Chocolate and a cookie. Jennifer & I shared a Chai Tea (Thank s to Cousin Sandy for introducing this wonderful beverage to 2 non-coffee drinkers). The day finished driving back with two exhausted kids and enough leftovers in the refrigerator to satisfy everyone’s appetite. The family and myself are extremely grateful to have such a wonderful and deserving Mom such as Jennifer!!!

Chicago Drama

2009-04-27T14:34:00.000-05:00

Well, we've had quite a week with our transition to Chicago. We were most anxious about the flight and logistics getting from LAX to O'Hare, but come to find out, that would be the least of our worries!

We saw all of our house for the first time Saturday (4/18) afternoon. Up until then, we had only seen 6-7 pictures of the house in Naperville and none of them included the upstairs. We relied on our realtor to find us a house, which worked out beautifully for us in the past. When we walked in, our world crashed. Aesthetically, it was ok on the first floor and basement. The second floor was a completely different subject. The 4 bedrooms were incredibly small. There would be no way to fit our king sleigh bed so new furniture would have to be purchased. The walls were thin enough to hold a conversation through and the floors squeaked so bad we thought we were going to wake the kids. Not to mention the lack of insulation, small water heater, and more things I could list....Knowing we made a commitment to this place, we resigned ourselves to making it work. After all, it was only a rental for one year.

That all changed the next morning when Roger fell down the very steep stairs (he's ok) with no way to recover since the bottom 4 stairs did not have a hand rail. Moments later, Clara (our dog) fell too. We also discovered the laundry chute in the floor of the bathroom was the perfect size to fit Blake and was simply covered by a wooden tile. That did it. We re-packed our suitcases and left. We checked into a hotel and found a new realtor who would look out for our best interests. We informed the owners that we were not living there and anticipate a law suit for breech of contract. We've been in contact with a lawyer and are trying to work things out. The drama never ends.

By the next Saturday (4/25), we had found a new house and had moved in...suitcases only as our belongings have STILL not arrived (or our cars for that matter). We are much happier with the new house and have even started mentally decorating it in anticipation of our truck delivery in 2 more days.

So...there you have it! The good news is that we have a roof over our heads and are in the process of getting settled in. It's just taking a little longer than we hoped!

Deja Vu

2009-04-16T14:49:00.001-05:00

Not so long ago, I posted this entry about our move from Jackson Hole to Southern California. Now I am reliving it again! Allied (we love them!) is here today to carefully pack all our belongings for the journey to Chicago. Those three guys have gotten more done in 4 hours than I would have been able to accomplish in a week! Once again, my job is to just stay out of the way.

Allied returns tomorrow to load the truck. Unfortunately, the driver thinks it'll take close to 11 days for delivery. To save money, we decided to "camp" in our new house. We're borrowing sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, etc. from my cousin Sandy to get by. Thankfully, there is a refrigerator already there so we can stock up on groceries. I just realized that my coupons got packed in a box some where. Darn! I hate not being able to use my coupons!!

We fly out soooo early Saturday morning. After our last flying experience with Blake, we're really dreading it. I feel like I'm a little more prepared this time with new surprise toys, treats, movies and yes - Benadryl! At least it's a one way flight!

I have a feeling this will be my last post for a while. We'll be back with new stories and lots of new pictures just as soon as possible!

Good Bye to Good Friends

2009-04-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about moving to a new area is the opportunity to make new, wonderful friends. The worst thing is to have to say good bye to those friends. I have, once again, been blessed to have met some really amazing women. Shelbi (above), Eleanor and Marcie (in order, below) were even able to be a part of my TV show! I will miss them greatly!!

Easter events

2009-04-14T19:10:00.000-05:00

The weekend was filled with lovely Easter events for our family. My MOPS group met at a local park to hold an egg hunt for the kids. Wonderful madness! Brayden had no problem with the mission of the day. Blake caught on VERY quickly! As a matter of fact, he didn't want to stop! Each child had a 10 egg limit which he didn't seem to understand so as he added more to his basket, we discretely deposited another on the grass behind him. Easter morning, Brayden was up super early to see if the Easter Bunny had come. Sure enough, evidence was everywhere. She was pretty distraught when she learned she had to wait for Blake to wake up before she could collect the eggs and look through her basket. When "basket time" finally came, both kids were beside themselves. They tore through them with wild abandon. Blake was so enthralled with his new cars, he had no interest in gathering eggs. No worries. Brayden was all over it.I think Blake finally broke away from his new treasures long enough to pick up two eggs. Luckily, I was able to catch him in the act!I had to include this last photo of Blake and Daddy. Blake is about to receive a chocolate bunny. At 7:45 in the morning! Ah, holidays.

Weight Loss Update

2009-04-12T16:19:00.000-05:00

A few of you have been SO nice to ask, so I thought I'd post a little update about my weight loss progress. I have now lost a total of 60 pounds! My fantastic producer, Pamela, was asking for new pictures for the Discovery Health website so these are the ones I sent her. It's time to get rid of the "Mom Jeans" and tennis shoes!!

Brayden's New Haircut

2009-04-12T16:14:00.001-05:00

For a couple of months now, Brayden has been asking me to cut her hair short. I've resisted because she has SUCH gorgeous hair! It also makes it very easy to put into pony tails, braids or buns. I finally realized I was forcing her to do something she didn't want, so I gave in. I took her to a salon yesterday where she got to pick out her very own hair style. She wasn't kidding! She wanted it SHORT! The stylist sensed my hesitation and didn't chop it exactly like the picture, but close. The kid was right. She looks great (and it's SO much easier to brush!)!

CHEEEEESE!!

2009-04-12T16:12:00.000-05:00

Blake's newest obsession (besides the frog in his grip) is to flash a HUGE grin whenever he sees a camera and squeal, "CHEEEEEEESE!!" Adorable!!

Easter Egg-stravaganza!

2009-04-04T15:48:00.000-05:00

The Conejo Valley Parks and Recreation Department held their annual Easter Egg-stravaganza today! I was so excited to have Blake come along this year! They got to jump in bounce houses, pet goats, a pony ride for Brayden (Blake was too young and didn't understand why he couldn't do it like big sister), egg hunts, play games for prizes and hay rides. Blake loves playing ANY game that involves a ball!Brayden couldn't wait to ride the pony!The goats were a HUGE hit with Blake!! He kept going back to them again and again. I wish I could have captured his laughter in the pictures!!The egg hunts were done by age classification. Brayden helped hold the basket while Blake filled it with eggs. I was pretty impressed with her willingness to help. Blake got a beach ball with a monkey on it as his prize. Two of his favorite things! Monkeys and balls!Next it was Brayden's turn for the egg hunt. She went in solo and had quite a collection in under a minute. I guess all those "survival of the fittest" egg hunts in Jackson Hole Town Square trained her well for this event!After more games and one last visit with the goats, we climbed into a trailer for a hay ride around the soccer fields before heading home. Blake was more interested in his lollipop than smiling for the camera. Can you blame him?

My New Blog

2009-03-31T16:14:00.000-05:00

From the moment I found out that I was going to be on a lifestyle makeover television show, I started a blog that was for my eyes only. Several times a week I would update my progress, frustrations, ups and downs.

Since the airing of "What's Making You Fat? A Best Life Special" with Bob Greene, I have received an outpouring of love, support and appreciation. So many people shared stories of their own struggles and were so kind to say that I was an inspiration to them. Me! An inspiration?? I have been truly honored and blessed.

I decided to unlock my weight loss blog and make it public. Heck, I cried on national TV and announced my weight. Why shouldn't I just reveal it all!?! You can find my blog at:

My Best Life Experience

I hope you'll bookmark it and come back often. I am passionate about my new lifestyle. I love the fact that I could actually help other people out there that have struggled with their weight as I have my whole life. Become a follower of my blog to get updates regularly! Leave comments! Let's build a community of support to help lead healthier lives!

Windy City, Here We Come!

2009-03-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

The Levanduski family is on the move yet again! Roger has been recruited by a new luxury hotel called The Elysian. Their first property is in downtown Chicago with more to open soon. We are all very excited about this transfer. I have been longing to get back into a band hall and there are SO many more teaching opportunities in Chicago than here. One of the biggest perks is that I have cousins that live in the area. I can't wait to be closer to some family.

As always, the move will be happening very quickly. We plan on leaving Los Angeles the week of April 21st so our blog will be a little dark for a while until we get settled. Since I don't know where I'll be working, we don't know where to look for a house just yet. As soon as we have a destination, I'll let you know!

Here's to a new adventure!!

What's Making You Fat? A Best Life Special

2009-03-26T16:03:00.001-05:00

Today is the day! My show hits the Discovery Channel air waves tonight! I'm so nervous and excited! I can't wait to see how all those days of taping come together. Friends are joining us for a viewing party.

Let me know what you think of the show!

Kindergarten Round-up

2009-03-19T14:06:00.000-05:00

Cypress Elementary School held pre-registration for all Kindergartners who will be going there in the Fall. I can't believe Brayden's about to enter elementary school! I filled out a ton of paperwork and had her do an evaluation packet. I don't know any better, but I was really impressed with her letter recognition. She missed naming only 4 or 5 of the letters. She correctly identified all of her numbers, colors and shapes. I was so proud!

The principal walked us all the way through the school. I got to see the classrooms where she'll be learning. It was so hard to imagine her there! I know she's ready. Goodness, she asks to go to Kindergarten every day!

I've been Googled!

2009-03-05T12:41:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine said she Googled the name of my show ("What's Making You Fat? A Best Life Special") and look what she found:

Since being introduced to the world on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Greene has changed the way people eat, exercise and live. An exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer specializing in weight loss, metabolism and fitness, he has touched countless lives by providing the keys for leading a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. In the upcoming BEST LIFE SPECIALS, WHAT'S MAKING YOU FAT and I'M FAT AGAIN, Greene offers easy-to-implement steps for improving everyday routines that will help audiences shed winter pounds and prepare for warmer weather.

WHAT'S MAKING YOU FAT: A BEST LIFE SPECIAL, premiering Thursday, March 26, at 8 PM (ET/PT), counters the widespread misinformation currently confusing the public about effective fitness and weight loss. In this Discovery Studios production, Greene looks back at his career and counts down his personal Top 10 Diet and Exercise Myths--busting each one. Greene helps two people--36-year-old Jennifer and 46-year-old Kabin--in their attempts to lose weight. Jennifer is working toward shedding her image as the "heavy kid in class" to regain both her own happiness and her physical well-being. Kabin, an "emotional eater," aims at changing his sedentary lifestyle, knowing that his current weight could lead to high blood pressure or even a stroke. From Myth #10 through Myth #1, this is an hour of information that will help put an end to viewers' dieting frustrations and failures.

OH! MY! GOD! This is really happening!

Awesome new product for your dishwasher!

2009-03-04T15:43:00.000-06:00

I thought I hated my dishwasher. I always had to clean my dishes in the sink before I load them in the dishwasher to be washed. I recently received a sample of Finish and it works!! My husband is the WORST about pre-rinsing the dishes and they even get his clean! It’s such a relief to not have to re-wash my dishes after they’ve gone through a cycle. I don’t have that kind of time!

You can find more details about it and enter to win their "Everyday Perfection" sweepstakes at www.FinishDishwashing.com/newdishwasher. Finish is the #1 brand out there! It'll be sold at most grocery stores around starting in March.

Questions for Brayden

2009-03-04T15:06:00.000-06:00

I found this on Facebook and thought it would be so much fun! I was curious to know what Brayden would say and she didn't disappoint! These are her answers exactly how she said them.

1. What is something mommy always says to you?? ummmmm...I love you.

2. What makes mommy happy? When I make my bed and brush my teeth and make my hair.

3. What makes mommy sad? Not doing those things.

4. How does your mommy make you laugh? Tickling me.

5. What was your mommy like as a child? ummm..butterflies?

6. How old is your mommy? I don’t know.

7. How tall is your mommy? ummm, maybe 13,000?

8. What is her favorite thing to do? Play games.

9. What does your mommy do when you're not around? Go away.

10. If your mommy becomes famous, what will it be for? Being fancy.

11. What is your mommy really good at? Playing games.

12. What is your mom not very good at? Cooking dinner. (Gee thanks!)

13. What does your mommy do for her job? Cleaning up the kitchen.

14. What is your mommy's favorite food? Salad.

15. What makes you proud of your mommy? Playing games so much.

16. If your mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be? Cinderella.

17. What do you and your mommy do together? Go walking, playing something.

18. How are you and your mommy the same? Because we have the same skin.

19. How are you and your mommy different? You have earrings and I don’t.

20. How do you know your mommy loves you? Because you like me so much.

21. Where is your mommy's favorite place to go? To the park.

22. Where do you play? At the park.

23. What will you be when you grow up? A princess.

Farewell to Disneyland

2009-02-10T18:19:00.001-06:00

Despite a rather sketchy forecast, we went to Anaheim on Sunday for one last visit to Disneyland and California Adventure. Our annual passes expire in one week and sadly, we can't afford to renew them. It was a perfect last day!Sometime between Christmas and now, Blake decided that the characters were pretty cool and it was OK to go up to them. He was a man on a mission! Every time he saw a character, he wanted to go say hello! He even let a few of them hug him! No tears or screams! Triumph! While Roger was off riding Tower of Terror, I stopped to feed the kids some lunch. I didn't realize I stopped right in front of an invitation-only character meet 'n greet. I guess Blake charmed the cast member because we were invited in to see Pluto! We got to spend several minutes with him. Then, much to my surprise, the cast member gave us a voucher for a free 5 x 7 photo!! I was floored!From there, we went across to Disneyland and rode several of our favorites. Brayden even rode Space Mountain TWICE!! Brave girl! Here she is showing off her muscles. This is probably my favorite picture of Roger and Blake to date. We were just hanging out in Goofy's play yard when Roger picked him up. I started snapping away. My men!Brayden has been begging to meet Tinkerbell ever since they opened Pixie Hollow. The wait wasn't too bad and she got her wish! Blake was pretty enthralled too! While waiting in line, I played with my new zoom lens and captured this awesome photo of one of the fairies. I can't believe the detail I was able to capture at 10+ feet away!We ended our day with a fun visit into the Hundred Acre Wood to see Eeyore, Pooh and Tigger. It was a wonderful final visit filled with lasting memories!There are LOTS more pictures here.

I've been keeping a secret!

2009-02-03T16:30:00.000-06:00

For over three months now, I've been keeping a huge secret. NO, I am NOT pregnant! LOL! Back in September, I answered a casting call from the Discovery Health Network. They were looking for people who needed to lose 30-100 pounds and take on a lifestyle makeover. I was chosen!! Due to confidentiality, I have not been allowed to say anything until now!

I've been working with a world renowned fitness expert (not sure if I'm allowed to say who just yet) since November to get fit and healthy. It's been a life-altering experience!! We're wrapping up taping next week and the show is set to air on March 12th!!

I promise to send out all kinds of reminders so you can watch my national T.V. debut!

Muir Woods

2009-01-23T13:28:00.001-06:00

Before we left San Francisco on the last day, we went to Muir Woods to see the beautiful redwood trees. I hope my pictures do it justice because it really was breathtaking! These amazing trees were well over 1,000 years old. I couldn't believe the span of this one behind Brayden!As impressive as the trees were, I think Brayden remembers this day as the day she befriended some ladybugs - one in particular she names Rollie. We were amazed to see all of these ladybugs on a fence post only in one part of the forest. Here are Roger and Brayden inside of of the redwoods!This collection of trees was enormous! See all the pictures here.

What were we thinking?

2009-01-23T11:50:00.000-06:00

During our day at the Wharf, we kept seeing people on rented bikes. After lunch, Roger went into Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals to inquire further. We thought, "What a great idea! Let's bike across the Golden Gate Bridge!" Here is our map of our journey.We got there at 10:30 in the morning. It was a perfect day - sunny with a cool breeze. We loaded the kids in the trailers and off we went! The ride went really well at first. I got some great pictures of the bridge and other scenery.

Then we had to start the climb. Oh. My. God. I had to get off and walk my bike (with trailer in tow) up the hill. It was pretty brutal at times. Finally we made it to the entrance of the bridge. The wind was, of course, blowing against us at what seemed to be hurricane strength. In typical fashion, Blake screamed the whole way while Brayden slept.

I thought we were in the home stretch when we made it across, but noooooo. We still had to go to Saucalido, several miles and hills away. By the time we got there, I was DONE! We originally thought how cool it would be to bike to Muir Woods but there was NO way I could do that. Especially after seeing just how far (and hilly) THAT was the next day by car!We walked (limped) around Saucalido and came across a wonderful street performer. I was just pointing out the bird to Brayden when he took me by the hand and put it on my arm! We were hooked after that! He gave Brayden some food to feed her (I can't remember its' name) and then he took some pictures for us! He even let Brayden hold her. It was awesome! He never asked or hinted for money, which I appreciated. This was the first street performer that I felt truly earned it. I happily added to his collection in his hat. We caught up to Roger and Blake playing on the rocks and then went for some lunch. We enjoyed more delicious seafood at a great place right on the water. We were all famished from the ride. Luckily, there was a ferry to take us and the bikes back across the bay. I almost wept when I realized where we docked - at the (duh) Ferry Building. That's at Pier 1. We had to get back on those darn bikes and ride all the way back to the Wharf, around Pier 41. Oh my.

I'm writing this 5 days later and finally sitting comfortably once again! Lots more photos are here.

Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39

2009-01-22T23:29:00.000-06:00

On our second full day in San Francisco, we took a cable car to Fisherman's Wharf. As luck would have it, a ferry was just about to launch to go out into the bay, under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz. We jumped at the opportunity and boarded.

The kids enjoyed being on the water. They didn't realize the significance of what they were seeing. It was a hazy day so my photos didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. It was a great opportunity to use my zoom lens though! It was awesome to see the Golden Gate Bridge in person. It was smaller than I imagined it to be, but still impressive. I thought it was interesting that the bridge is being painted year round. When they finish at one end, they turn around and go back the other direction!Alcatraz was surprisingly beautiful. It was a very lush island and the structures were fascinating. I loved seeing this piece of history!

From there, we entered the Wharf and walked around a bit. The seafood there was AMAZING! We enjoyed delicious seafood all weekend.

On the ferry. we learned that people liked to swim laps in the freezing bay waters. As we walked along the shore, I couldn't help myself but take a picture of these gentlemen about to go in for a dip!

We finally made our way to the infamous Pier 39 and got to see the sea lions. They were noisy! The kids cracked up every time they heard them bark.

From there, we walked all the way down to the Ferry Building and then back to the beautiful Four Seasons for the night.

The Exploratorium

2009-01-22T23:15:00.000-06:00

We took the kids to San Francisco this past weekend to get away for Roger's birthday/MLK holiday. Our first stop was to the Exploratorium. Brayden is used to going to museums and hearing me say "That's a 'no touch' Brayden!" so it was nice to tell her she could touch everything!Blake was ALL over the place. He of course loved touching and exploring everything as well. He especially loved displays involving water, balls and bubbles. See all photos here.

Everything's Coming Up Roses

2009-01-03T20:29:00.000-06:00

For as long as I can remember, I have loved the Rose Parade on New Year's Day. Any band that was able to march in said parade earned bragging rights for years (decades, even). When we moved to California just after the start of the year last year, I knew this parade was at the top of my list of "must-do."

Well, there was no way in you-know-what I was going to wake the kids before the crack of dawn and jockey with a million and a half other lunatics to find the perfect curb-side perch to view this grandeur. No sir, I TiVo-ed it and watched it in the comfort of my own (warm) living room!Both kids enjoyed the parade on TV, so the next best thing to being there was to go a couple days later to get up close and personal with the floats. Brayden was interested for a while, then just wanted to eat. Blake was just along for the ride, also wanting food. Once bellies were filled, I could look more closely.
I wish my pictures could do justice to the beauty we witnessed today. The detail was nothing less than spectacular. I had to keep reminding myself that the decorations were all flowers and other natural materials. This magnificent elephant (and the rest of the float) was by far the most beautiful. I took lots of pictures of this one!

The crowds made it very difficult to get too close to the floats. I have so many more pictures over at SmugMug. I hope you'll take a look at them all. Each holds something special to view!

Christmas Aftermath

2008-12-25T22:50:00.000-06:00

What a completely lovely, exhausting day! I wondered if this year might be the year that Brayden would take after her mother and wake up before the crack of dawn with excitement about Santa's arrival. Yup. I got a tap on my shoulder at 5:30 am. Luckily (for her), I was able to coerce her into snuggling with us for a while longer and got some more shut eye. Her patience ran out at 7:00 am. I could live with that.The next couple hours were filled with ripping paper and squeals of delight. Brayden's phrase for the day was, "It's just what I always wanted!" Blake was more understated. He would have been perfectly happy playing with the first gift he opened (blocks and a shape sorter) for the rest of the day.

Roger really surprised me with a new 55-250 zoom lens for my digital SLR camera. I know you can't tell, but I took the next 2 pictures from 15-20 feet away from my subject. Fun!
The big "family gift" this year was a Wii. I've never really been into video games but this one is F-U-N! We also got the balance board to go with it. We spent most of the day playing baseball, tennis, bowling, golfing (Roger) and snowboarding. Brayden really loves the bowling! She got several respectable scores over 100! All of the pictures from the day can be seen on SmugMug. We are all so blessed to have our health and family with us. Merry Christmas to all and a very wonderful New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T23:02:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Visit with Santa

2008-12-22T14:47:00.000-06:00

We saw Santa at the most unlikely of places on Saturday - a local storage facility! They also have a postal depot inside so I went there with the kids to mail some last minute packages. Surprise! The kids got to sit on Santa's lap! Blake wanted off there as quickly as possible but Brayden lingered long enough to fill Santa's ear with her wish list.

Cookies for Santa

2008-12-21T23:10:00.001-06:00

Our tradition of making sugar cookies for Santa continued today. Brayden and I spent the afternoon making a delicious batch of the best sugar cookies ever. Blake became suddenly interested in the process when it came time to decorate/eat them. I love seeing Brayden's progression from 2006 and 2007. Our little girl isn't so little anymore!

Holidays at Disney

2008-12-21T22:51:00.001-06:00

Roger took a MUCH deserved day off from work this week and we went to Anaheim! Our first stop was to California Adventure. We saw lots of characters and rode a ton of rides. We attempted to see Playhouse Disney and Aladdin, but Blake refused to sit still (imagine that). One of us stayed behind to let Brayden finish the show while the other took Blake out to blow off some steam. Mid-afternoon, we walked across to Disneyland. It was a little more crowded, but we were still able to ride things we've never done before like Nemo's Submarine Voyage and Autopia. Blake LOVED that one! He adores anything with cars! In true Disney fashion, they had the park decorated to the hilt. I loved it! "it's a small world" had just reopened after being closed for refurbishment for about 10 months. What a difference! It was beautiful inside and out!The parade was all new for the holidays as well. We saw all our favorite characters and all new floats. It was wonderful! Of course, Sleeping Beauty's castle needed a little decoration as well! It appeared to be dripping in icicles. After the transformation, it started to "snow!" We wrapped up our day with a visit to the "Big Cheese" (ar ar ar) himself - Mickey Mouse! Visit our Smug Mug album for tons more pictures from the day!

SNOW in Houston!

2008-12-11T13:05:00.000-06:00

The unusual happened yesterday in Houston - it snowed! My mom sent me this picture of the front of her house. Dad, the lights look beautiful!

Blake's Vocabulary

2008-12-10T14:13:00.000-06:00

My mommy brain will not remember this in years to come so I thought I'd post all the words that Blake says right now at 18 months of age. I remember Brayden got REALLY verbal at this age, but I don't remember what she was saying. I wish I would have written her words somewhere.

More (with the sign)
Down (and points down)
Please (with the sign)
Sorry (just the sign)
Water (just the sign)
Tree (points to our Christmas tree)
Car/Plane/Motorcycle and any other motorized vehicle (makes an engine sound in his mouth)
Ball
Mama (says this one A LOT)
Kitty
Oink (makes a strange sound in his throat)
Mo (Elmo)
Bye (complete with a wave)

I'll add more as I think of them!

Too Close for Comfort

2008-12-09T20:41:00.000-06:00

As I was leaving the house today to do a little more Christmas shopping, I noticed a big black cloud of smoke close to the freeway. As I drove closer, I could see FLAMES! I'd say it is about 8-10 miles from our house. Way too close for comfort. The winds here have been blasting, sometimes up to 40-45 mph. Luckily, the wind was blowing in the right direction and is pushing the fire back on to itself. We can't rest totally easy yet, but it looks like all will be OK.

Click here to see a news video of the fire.

The Four Seasons Kid's Party

2008-12-07T20:11:00.001-06:00

Each year, The Four Seasons holds a wonderful party for all the employee's children. They had games, balloon artists, treats, crafts, cookie decorating and of course, Santa. We tried several times for the perfect smiling portrait, but the kids had a different plan.It was especially fun this year because Blake was able to walk/run around and participate. This stunning gingerbread village was just off the main lobby as you enter the lounge. Brayden was VERY impressed!

Roger was teasing Blake with an ice cream Popsicle.

Feeling Festive

2008-12-07T19:54:00.001-06:00

Traditionally, I make Roger pull out all the Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving and spend the next 2-3 day decorating the house. MUCH to my surprise (and delight), Roger put lights on the outside of the house as well this year. Here is a little taste of the Levanduski family's holiday decorations. Merry Christmas!!The NINE foot tree!
This nativity scene was made by my mother for her mother. After Grandma died, it came to me. It's my most treasured decoration at Christmas.Stockings hung with care.Garland and more garland. There's even more along the railing at the top of the stairs.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T16:16:00.000-06:00

I'm not a huge turkey fan, so since it was just the four of us for Thanksgiving this year, I planned on roasting a small chicken. When Brayden learned of my plan, she pitched a holy fit. Needless to say, I made a turkey! (If it looks like she has been crying in that picture, you're right. She has been pulling some pretty good attitude with us lately and it won't be tolerated. She was in time out just before dinner. Great timing!)I tried a bunch of new recipes this year. A big risk for a holiday, but it paid off! Everything was delicious. We had an herb-rubbed turkey with au jus, whole wheat stuffing with cranberries, barley and wild rice pilaf with pomegranate, green beans with red pepper and garlic, Jell-O cranberry-pineapple minis and a lite pumpkin pie with a whole grain crust. Delish!Blake woke up not feeling so well Thanksgiving morning. Before 9 am, he had thrown up three times. After dinner (in which he did not partake) he projectiled twice more. It's rare to see him sick and it's obvious when he is. He demanded to go to bed at 6:15 and woke up at 7:45 the next morning! He's better now, but has passed it on to Brayden today. She agreed to a nap (which she NEVER does anymore) and threw up volumes when she woke up. I'm now off to disinfect the entire house. What a way to kick off the holiday season!

Look Mom! No training wheels!

2008-11-25T12:18:00.000-06:00

First, I KNOW it's been a long time since my last post! Sorry! I've been SUPER busy with the day care and a new work out schedule.

A couple of weekends ago, Roger took the training wheels off Brayden's bike. She was all gung-ho about trying it, till she realized how hard it is! She tried for a long time. It was the first step toward a big girl bike!

Roger got a little silly after helping her and tried riding her bike to show her how easy it was. She DID NOT like Daddy on HER bike! I thought it was hilarious!

Surprise!!

2008-11-08T11:28:00.000-06:00

Brayden's schedule has been adjusted to accommodate her early arrival at school. She woke up about 6:30 this morning all on her own (figures). Luckily, she played for a while in her room and let us sleep a little longer. Soon Roger got up to see what she was up to. I heard some whispering and drifted back off....

Before I knew it, breakfast was being served to me in bed!!! That has NEVER happened!! Roger gave Brayden the idea and then she said, "Wait! I have a good idea too!" and got the wooden stool that Uncle Jack made for her this summer to use as a breakfast tray!

All four of us piled in bed and enjoyed some scrambled eggs, waffles, Asian pear and raisins (Brayden's addition). It was a wonderful family moment!

The Morning Struggle

2008-11-06T09:57:00.002-06:00

On Brayden's first day of pre-school, she came in to our room fully dressed right down to her shoes announcing she was ready to go. At 6:30 in the morning. We hadn't even opened our eyes yet and she was ready to go. Now!

Well, here we are three weeks later and I am understanding all of the articles in the parenting magazines that I read about how hard it is to get your kid(s) out of bed and ready for school in the morning. I read about preparing the lunch the night before along with picking out the outfit for the next day to avoid conflict. I thought to myself how lucky I was to have a cooperative child and didn't foresee this issue in our future.

That's when God laughs. When you think "not my kid" you get a big ole kick in the ass! Sure enough...Brayden is a NIGHTMARE to get out of bed! She actually told me that she needs an earlier bedtime because she is so tired! You betcha! I'm on board for that!!

The silver lining is that she really loves it there. She is disappointed to see me in the afternoon for pick up time. While that stings, it's a good sign. Her teachers tell me that she is a good listener, likes to get involved and has a great vocabulary. Tell me more! Tell me more! I love hearing things like that!

Roger has threatened a cold glass of water over her head as inspiration to get out of bed. He's good on his promise! I bet it'll happen soon! As for bedtime, it'll be earlier tonight!

Heritage Organic Milk

2008-11-05T15:16:00.008-06:00

I have signed up to be a representative for M.O.M. (Miles of Marketing). They are geniuses! They know Mom's talk about products they like and encourage other moms to give those products a try.

Well, I have such a product to recommend to you! I have been listening to the hype about organic products, specifically milk, for quite some time. I really thought it was a ploy to get us to spend more money on the food we already eat or drink on a daily basis. Boy, was I wrong.

I recently tried Heritage Organic Milk. It was DELICIOUS!! They are the proud recipient of the 2008 “#1 Tasting Organic Milk in America” award. I can tell the difference!

Heritage Organic Milk is a locally-produced environmentally-friendly product that is produced 100% from California dairies.

Although I'll never be able to find this out since my kids go through a gallon of milk in 3 days, Heritage Organic Milk is produced using a special flash heating and cooling technology, that keeps the ultra-pasteurized milk fresh and healthy up to three times longer than other milk products—with no preservatives added!

I could go on and on about other health benefits in the milk like omega-3 DHA, but all my kids care about it how it tastes. Brayden keeps asking for the "yummy milk!"

For more information about Heritage Food products, go to www.stremicksheritagefoods.com. If you are interested in a coupon for some milk, click HERE! Try it! You'll NEVER want to go back to non-organic milk!

Halloween Fun

2008-11-02T11:05:00.006-06:00

Holidays are SO much more fun with kids! Especially when they get into the spirit as well! Brayden woke up Halloween morning ready to put on her costume for the DAY!
A good friend was hosting a party at her house that morning so Brayden got her wish to put her cheer leading costume on right away.She was doubly excited to discover PONY RIDES at the party! Blake just wanted to give the pony carrots! I was able to get him on there long enough for a quick photo. I didn't even have time to get my finger out of the shot!We took the kids trick-or-treating on our street as the sun went down. This is the first time we've done that since past Halloweens were spent going to shops in Town Square in Jackson Hole. Blake caught on FAST! He eagerly took the candy from the neighbors and dropped them in his bag. Toward the end, he was getting tired so he would take the candy and sit down on their doorstep and attempt to open it! I told Brayden about the "Switch Witch" who comes on Halloween night to exchange candy for toys. She left over half her candy out for the Switch Witch and was rewarded with a new Cinderella doll! I continue to be impressed with her. Here we are, three days after Halloween and she has only asked for some of her candy once!

California Adventure & Disneyland

2008-10-24T15:59:00.004-05:00

Roger was feeling much better so on our way home, we stopped in Anaheim to play at the Disneyland Resort. We always have great luck spotting characters as soon as we enter either park and today was no exception. In California Adventure, we saw Chip, Dale, Minnie, Goofy and Max! Goofy snuck up behind Brayden and waited for her to see him. Blake saw him right away and took off screaming in the opposite direction!In Disneyland, we saw Cruella DeVille. I was amazed at Brayden's willingness to be photographed with her. She usually HATES being next to any of the villains. She even played it up by making a mean face for the camera!In C.A., we went into "A Bug's Land" since it's always so crowded with kids. We've never been able to get on any of the rides due to such long lines. We were able to get right on with no waiting at all! Brayden's favorite thing about this part of the park is the ability to get wet. They have a section that has water shooting out of the ground at various intervals. I initially thought that Blake would hate it, but he surprised me! He had a blast! He laughed hysterically as the water danced around him. Roger and I laughed until our sides hurt!

San Diego Zoo

2008-10-23T23:12:00.006-05:00

I took the kids to the San Diego Zoo on the second day of our vacation since Roger unexpectedly fell ill during the night. It's a good thing that he stayed behind because he NEVER would have been able to walk the expanse of this zoo. It was GINORMOUS!

I was really impressed with Brayden's ability to keep up with me. She never once complained about being tired. She did however ask to go back to the hotel every 15 minutes! She just wanted to be with Daddy!Of course there was another kid's petting area. This goat got a little too close for Blake's comfort!

This beautiful mountain lion was looking at us like we were his next lunch!

Koala's have been a long time favorite of mine. I couldn't wait to show them to Brayden. All of them had their backs facing us until we were about to leave the exhibit. This little guy turned around to say hi!

Wild Animal Park

2008-10-23T22:43:00.007-05:00

Our first stop in San Diego was to the Wild Animal Park, a sister park to the SD Zoo. As you would expect, it was beautiful and HUGE! There were many exotic animals in African-themed surroundings. The main attraction was a tour through the Savannah (at an addition cost, of course). On this tour, you are taken up close and personal to the animals. From what I observed, the only animals you could get that close to were the giraffes and we got VERY up close and personal with one at the Santa Barbara Zoo this summer. There was a lovely petting zoo area. It always amazes me how these wild animals tolerate children so well. This was Blake's first real experience in a petting zoo with more than just goats. He loved it! At one point, he just sat down next to one of the deer!

It seemed like every time we turned around, there was another display of meerkats. Both kids could have spent all day watching these little guys. So cute!

Weekend in San Diego

2008-10-19T21:10:00.008-05:00

Now that budget season is over, Roger was able to take a few days off so we drove to San Diego. We are staying at the Four Seasons at Aviara, which is a beautiful property (aren't they all??). Blake has been doing much better in the hotel this time around (versus the NIGHTMARE stay in Westlake).

We arrived Saturday after spending the day at the Wild Animal Park. We enjoyed some time in the pool before touring the property. Brayden would have loved more time in the game room, but we needed to get some dinner before Blake melted down.

There were lovely amenities waiting for us when we checked in. Both kids had child-sized robes with slippers and a puppy beanie baby on the bed. On the desk were two plates with yummy goodies. When we returned from the pool, there was a cheese and cracker plate with a bottle of wine for the adults. By then, we were starving so I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it!

Our plan was for all of us to go to the San Diego Zoo on Sunday, but Roger was up sick all night Saturday. He continued to be sick into the day so I took the kids on my own.

We returned to a some-what better Roger and spent the rest of the evening in the room. Both kids seemed thrilled to play on the bed and around the room so we obliged.

Our plan for Monday was to head to Disneyland on our way back home. That remains to be seen since we're not sure how Roger will be feeling by then. I hope we can make it. I love going there (obviously), but even more so on a weekday when it's not so crowded.

Despite Roger not feeling well, it has been a nice weekend!

The Getty Museum and Paradise Cove

2008-10-18T00:33:00.007-05:00

There is amazing culture in this town. We finally got around to seeing some of it last weekend by taking the kids to the Getty Museum. This profound structure is set on the highest hill overlooking Los Angeles. From every balcony, we had breathtaking views of both the city and the Pacific. The art was nothing short of spectacular. What was even more amazing was Brayden's fascination with all of it. Blake could have cared less, which is why he fell asleep in his stroller! Brayden completely understood why she couldn't touch anything and even reprimanded Roger when he absentmindedly leaned on an antique dresser!Thankfully, there was a kid's area where they could do a few craft project and play around. We spent quite a bit of time in that building!The last area we toured were the gardens. We spent close to an hour just lounging on the manicured lawn, enjoying the sun. I'm glad we can expose our kids to things like this, even if only for an afternoon.

After the museum, we drove up the PCH to Paradise Cove for dinner. This is the same place where Matthew McConaughey got in a fight with a paparazzo and threw his camera in the ocean.

We finished our delicious meal right at sunset and went out to enjoy the spectacular views while the kids played in the sand. Blake was feeling affectionate and blessed Roger with a kiss just as the sun went down.

Brayden's Starts Preschool

2008-10-17T15:41:00.005-05:00

Brayden started her first day of preschool yesterday!! Just as I feared, she ran to the classroom without looking back and shouted, "Bye Mom! I love you!"

I guess I should be happy and proud that she feels so confident to leave me so easily, but I couldn't help but get choked up! She had a wonderful first day and told lots of stories about crafts they did, new friends and new teacher - Miss Lucy. She can't wait to go back! I wonder how long THAT will last?

Wildfire Season

2008-10-14T16:40:00.003-05:00

We're at the beginning of wildfire season and I'm already a nervous wreck. I looked out our back windows yesterday to see an orange-ish glow in the backyard. The clouds from the Porter Ranch fire made their way all the way to us. Thankfully, everything cleared up by late afternoon. A friend sent me a great Google map to let me know the proximity of the fires to us. Newbury Park is halfway between the dots for Thousand Oaks and Camarillo. Keep a good thought for all those involved with these fires.

"Mo!"

2008-10-13T16:58:00.003-05:00

I have been trying to teach Blake a little sign language. Not much, because I only know a little myself!! During this past weekend, he started using the sign for "more" a LOT! If you're not familiar with the sign, you tap your fingertips together in front of you, like the top photo. The cutest part of the whole thing is that he says "mo" along with the sign! Brayden's lollypop was the inspiration in these photos!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-04T17:38:00.006-05:00

I took the kids to Underwood Farms to their Harvest Festival. Being a weekday, it was like we were the only ones there! They had every size and variety of pumpkin imaginable. The kids had fun climbing all over the Big Boys and attempting to pick up the others.

We went through a corn field maze and successfully got lost. We had to follow the flags from the entrance to backtrack and find our way out. There were pumpkins as far as the eye could see. If Brayden had her way, we would have brought them ALL home! We actually came home with 3 tiny ones. I love this time of year!

Click here to see more pictures!

Halloween at Disneyland!

2008-10-03T13:13:00.007-05:00

It's official...I'm addicted! I can't get enough DISNEY! I took the kids to Disneyland this week to see the new Halloween decorations. We were barely through the front gates and I felt a lump in my throat and tears come to my eyes! It was awesome! (How pathetic am I, by the way??)Up and down Main Street there were autumn colored banners hung from the windows with Jack-o-lanterns peeking out from the curtains. A HUGE Mickey pumpkin was in the center of Main Street. Right away, we saw Mickey Mouse and Goofy dressed up in costumes. We were able to go on a Wednesday, which meant it wasn't very crowded (but it was BLAZING hot!). We were able to ride on rides we've never done before like Peter Pan, Dumbo, Circus Train, and Pinocchio. As always, we were able to see some of Brayden's favorite characters (check out the foot). Now that Blake is walking, it was a much different (and more fun!) experience. He was able to play in the Goofy playland, roam around the Fantasy Faire area and walk through Mickey and Minnie's houses. Several areas of the park were decorated for Fall. Woody's Halloween Roundup was filled with autumn colors and pumpkins. My favorite decorations BY FAR were at the Haunted Mansion. It was Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas meets Disney. I couldn't believe how different it was. I wish I could have taken more pictures! You can see all of the pictures by going here. I can't wait to go back for Christmas!!!

Reading Enthusiast

2008-10-02T20:23:00.003-05:00

Blake has discovered the joys of reading! Well, sort of. We have a couple of farm animal flap books and he LOVES lifting the flaps to reveal the different animals! To my amazement, he will sit quietly and look at these books over and over and over....for upwards of 15-20 minutes at a time!!

Open for Business

2008-09-26T17:05:00.002-05:00

I was granted my child care license this week! That was 4 months in the making! I have been doing interviews with families and already have 1 part-time infant! As I type this, I am waiting for another family looking for full time care for their 7 month old! While we're far from out of the woods, I can feel the financial stress we've been under lessen ever slightly.

I scalped our kid!

2008-09-15T19:38:00.003-05:00

Blake's hair grows like a wild fire out of control. No kidding. He is 15 months old and has had at least 10 necessary haircuts. The last one was 3 weeks ago and already he needs another. The stylist used clippers last time and it sparked a thought....I can do this myself!! Before investing in a trimmer, I borrowed one from a friend. I did it! I think it turned out pretty good. The pictures make it look like he has some bald spots, but I promise it's even! At $15 per haircut, I will save a bunch doing this myself!

Ike

2008-09-12T14:39:00.013-05:00

As I'm sure you know, the Houston/Galveston area is bracing themselves for the onslaught of Hurricane Ike. My sister and her boyfriend evacuated to his parent's house but my parents aren't leaving. They keep telling me that they are safe from this "Monster Storm." I can't help but be nervous. Please pray for their safety, along with the safety of all of the area residents.

Update 5:35 pm CST, 9/12

Mom and Dad are without power. They did not anticipate it this early. Luckily, they are prepared with a gas grill, lots of propane and a generator. They do have phone service for now.
Update 7:55 pm CST, 9/12

Just talked to Mom. They have power - for now. It keeps coming and going. They're battening down the hatches for a long night.

Update 8:30 am CST, 9/13

Talked to Mom. Power is out but they are FINE. No flooding but there are limbs and trees down everywhere. She said the top of the garage is covered in debris. Luckily, nothing has punctured the roof. Dad and Uncle Jack were working on draining the pool as another rain band was coming through. The eye passed over them early this morning so now they have to deal with the "dirty" side of the storm. It's going to get worse before it gets better. Dad happily remembered a battery-powered TV that Mom got for him back in our high school football traveling days so they have a TV to watch and keep updated.
Update 5:15 pm CST, 9/13

OK, so my mom is tired of me calling every hour for updates! LOL! This will be the last post for a while. The good news is that they are ok, the house/property is ok and they still have phones. There is a helluva mess to clean up. She said she took pictures, but with no power, it'll be a while before she can share. They got the driveway and rooftops cleaned up today which wiped them out. Now they're gathered around the little TV to maintain some sanity. I'm so relieved it turned out ok! Now let's hope they get power back soon. Many reports have said it could be up to a MONTH before it can be restored!!

One more update

The day after the hurricane proved more dramatic than the day of. A huge thunder and lightening storm woke the folks up at 3:30 am. A bolt of lightening had hit a neighbors house around the block and caught fire. Pretty soon, sirens filled the night air. Luckily, the family escaped but it looks like the house is a total loss. A couple hours later, an ambulance was needed at the house across the street. The parents were unable to wake their little girl. Come to find out, she and 2 other family members succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning due to their generator not having sufficient ventilation. They are getting better in a hyperbaric chamber in a downtown hospital. Mom, Dad, Keri and Uncle Jack continue to clean up the mess at the house. They ran out of gas this morning but Dad was able to borrow a couple gallons from his boss to keep the generator going (the fridge is plugged into it). He then spent and hour and a half in line at a gas station for more. There was a $35 maximum, cash only. This is all really wearing on them. I sure hope they regain power soon.

Girl's Night Out

2008-09-11T23:06:00.005-05:00

I have a WONDERFUL group of girlfriends that I met on CityMommy. I laugh so hard until I cry when we get together. Last night was no exception. A bunch of us got together at Saddle Ranch at the Universal CityWalk.After a few hours of laughing and drinking and laughing some more, a couple of brave (crazy) women agreed to ride the bull. I was NOT one of them! Our waiter even agreed to get up there! He was great fun and even treated us to a shot of some raspberry yummy something. It was 1:30 am when I crawled into bed. It has been a LONG time since I stayed out that late and it was SO worth it!

On the move!

2008-09-09T18:00:00.003-05:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo BooksFor over a month now, Blake has been teasing us by taking a step here and there. A few weeks ago, he even strung a few of them together. Last night, he walked the farthest ever - from the kitchen to the family room. The footage is kinda grainy. I know better than to zoom on my little digital camera but I did it anyway. I love those wobbly steps!!

Not feelin' the love...

2008-09-09T11:00:00.002-05:00

I must admit that I'm jealous. I keep up with so many blogs out there and notice they get all kinds of comments about their posts. I never do. I'd love to hear from you readers out there. I've also added a new feature to the sidebar called "Followers." Add yourself! I've always wanted my very own fan club! Hee hee!

Rough Weekend

2008-09-07T17:15:00.012-05:00

What's that saying...anything that can go wrong, will? That pretty much summed up this past weekend. Roger was the manager on duty at the beautiful Westlake Four Seasons and we were so lucky to be able to stay there with him. Or so I thought.

Within 10 minutes of arriving to our (stunning) room, Blake slammed his ring finger in the very heavy sliding door to the bathroom. Mere moments later, his finger was all shades of purple from the tip to the first joint and swelling like a little bulb.A whole mess of stuff happened after that (deliveries, phone calls, door bells, etc). I finally got the kids to sleep and we settled in to watch a movie. I fell asleep shortly after midnight. All was quiet...or so I thought.

At 2:30 am, Blake woke up screaming bloody murder. There was no consoling that kid. Roger and I were both concerned that there would be complaints from other guests, so I took both kids home. I got them back to sleep around 3:15 and went back to bed. With all the excitement, I could not fall asleep. Probably a good thing because Blake started screaming again at 4:30 am. I'm guessing he hit his hand on the side of the crib or something and it woke him up. He soothed himself back to sleep eventually but was up for good at 6:30 am. For those of you keeping count, that made a grand total of 4 hours of sleep for me.

After his morning nap, we went back to the hotel with the intentions of packing everything up and going back home. We decided to give it another try instead. I wanted to get his finger checked out by the doctor. That's another long story but I'll summarize to save time. After 3 LONG hours, we found out that it's not broken. Good news! By that time, Blake had missed his afternoon nap and was beside himself. He immediately fell asleep in the car. I was even able to get him out of the car when we got back without falling asleep - till I tried to put him in the crib. More crying but he succumbed to sleep quickly.

I had made arrangements with a friend to come to the hotel with her son to babysit so Roger and I could enjoy a peaceful meal at Hampton's, the fine dining restaurant. Blake woke up in a massively foul mood that continued 30 minutes after I left the room. Thankfully, my friend is experienced in tantrums so she handled it like a pro.

We were just finishing our meal when I got a text: "Blake is kind of freaking out." Sigh...I quickly went back to the room to see a sobbing child and a frazzled friend. Luckily, that's when the bad weekend ended and things started to look up. Blake slept through the night and woke up happy. He stayed that way the rest of the day.

I thought his temperamental side would subside by now. He is quite a challenge. Good thing he's so darn cute! It will be a LONG time before we join Roger for another MOD weekend!

National Night Out

2008-08-29T19:19:00.008-05:00

Above, Blake took a ride on the wild side on the back of a sweet bike. Below, Brayden hangs with McGruff the Crime Dog.
Earlier this month was an annual block party held on our street for National Night Out. I was really impressed with the number of city workers that joined us. We had officers on motorcycles, horseback, BMX bikes, speed boats and squad cars. There were also rescue officials, firemen and bomb squad. The chief of police and the mayor even made an appearance! Above: Let's hope this is as close as Brayden EVER gets to the inside of a squad car! Below: All of the kids on the block play tug-o-war with a rescue worker. His rig made it no contest!There was a bounce house and unlimited ice cream for the kids. Boy, they were in heaven! The moms got all excited when Target representatives showed up. We were all hoping they would hand out gift certificates! No such luck, but they did give everyone frisbees and flashing target buttons. Brayden and her friend Lexi ham it up on the back end of a fire truck. Below, Brayden models the gear from some sharp shooters. The vest alone weighed 25 pounds!

Santa Barbara Zoo

2008-08-29T17:02:00.006-05:00

Well over a month ago, we took the kids to the Santa Barbara Zoo. It's a lovely zoo, just small enough for Brayden to walk without getting tired. We saw lots of great animals and Brayden even had the chance to feed a giraffe! We walked out on to a platform and were looking eye-to-eye with a beautiful giraffe! Brayden was given several pellets to feed him, but she kept dropping them. Finally, she was given a special giraffe treat and, amongst lots of squeals, handed it to him successfully! As a thank you, the giraffe stuck out it's tongue to give her a big kiss! Brayden wanted none of that!We went over to a little kid's area to let Blake get down and wander. He found gigantic eggs to climb into and play in. I took TONS of cute pictures of that!! Kids are always figuring out a way to have fun...there was a big hill covered in an astro-turf type material. All the kids in the area were using their zoo maps to slide down the hill at lightening speed! Some kids even found some cardboard to use. After all this excitement, the kids crashed hard on the drive home!

So very far behind

2008-08-29T16:19:00.002-05:00

It is actually INTIMIDATING to know how far behind I am with all my posts this summer! I have hundreds of pictures to upload and easily a dozen posts to type in. Sigh....I'll try to get going!

Are you a Fanzel?!?

2008-08-27T14:04:00.002-05:00

Like a good book that you just can't put down, I am TOTALLY hooked on the new CD from Idina Menzel called I Stand!!! She is a Tony award winning singer of Wicked fame (and Rent and Enchanted for all of you who have little girls enfatuated with that movie like my daughter is!). If you're not familiar with her, check out her website http://www.idinamenzel.com/ and take a peek! One listed to "Brave" and you'll be hooked like I am!

08.08.08

2008-08-08T20:49:00.003-05:00

I don't really have anything special to write about today except for the very cool date (not to mention the start of the Olympics). I don't have a checkbook to write the date for a purchase (does anyone use checks anymore?) so I had to write it at least once here. There. I'm done.

All dressed up and no where to go

2008-08-06T22:07:00.006-05:00

Since Brayden already had a party, today was a "Girl's Day" with just the two of us. A friend recommended a place called Club Libby Lu. I had never heard about it, but after going to the web site, I knew Brayden would love it. She got her nails polished, "make up" applied (light pink eyeshadow and lip gloss - she does more damage in my make up drawer) and hair done. When she was done, her consultant (for lack of a better term) gave her a backpack and let her pick 5 goodies from a pretty good selection of fun stuff. My favorite part was when they did the "Hokey Pokey" in the middle of the store. The consultant made a VERY big deal about her birthday and made her feel so special. I had read a few controversial sites condemning this store last night. It kinda put a dark cloud on this for me until I saw how excited Brayden was about it. She thanked me over and over for a fun birthday. To me, that's all that mattered.

When we got home, we made a birthday cake. I let her decorate it with all her favorite sprinkles. Daddy made it home from work in time to sing "Happy Birthday" and watch her blow out the candles. It was a very fun birthday which I hope Brayden remembers for a long time!

Happy 4th Birthday Brayden!

2008-08-06T12:25:00.004-05:00

Our "little" girl is four today! Where, oh, where has the time gone??? The other day, I was looking at old videos of her from when she was 2 and I can't believe the change. I'm proud and sad at the same time!

We had a lovely party for her with lots of friends a few weeks early so Grandma Levanduski could be with us. Just like last year, we went to a local park in our neighborhood and set up. This is my favorite kind of party - no house cleaning!

We had a very "homemade" celebration. I got crafty and made the favors to look like cupcakes, Grandma helped us make a pinata, and I got really adventurous and made a Barbie cake. I was really thrilled with how everything turned out!

We filled 200 balloons with water to make a most awesome water balloon fight! I couldn't believe how fast those kids (and dads) went through all of them!

After the cake, we let the kids loose on the pinata. It took a pretty good beating, but soon gave in and candy went everywhere. It was a free-for-all!

Brayden opened her gifts surrounded by friends. We all had such a good time. Brayden and I are having a "Mommy and Me" day today. I'll be posting more later today.

Under the Big Top

2008-08-06T12:11:00.003-05:00

One of our many excursions this summer took us to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. I was curious to see if this would hold Blake's attention since it wasn't happening directly in front of us (our seats were kinda far back). After a short nap in the first half, he was very alert and paying attention for the second half. Both kids really seemed to enjoy it! It was fun to see the circus through the eyes of the kids! Ever since, Brayden says she is an acrobat, but I think she's more of a clown!

Ventura County Fair

2008-08-05T12:34:00.004-05:00

I loaded the kids in the car and went to the Ventura County Fair yesterday. It was exactly like the fair we attended in Jackson, but BIGGER! Tons more animals, vendors, rides, food, etc. We had a great time looking at all the animals. Many of the 4-H kids were nice to Brayden and Blake and allowed them to pet their goats, sheep, bunnies, and pigs. I wish we could go back more often, but unlike in Jackson, it costs money to get in and park. In any case, we had a great time!

Dreadfully Behind

2008-08-01T12:57:00.002-05:00

July is my all-time lowest month for posts since I began blogging 3 years ago. I am finding it harder and harder to sit down at the computer with 2 kids running around here. We have been SO busy with all sorts of stuff this summer. I promise to start knocking it out as soon as I find 2 minutes (or 20) to myself. For now, enjoy the newest picture of the kids!

Innovative Baby

2008-07-16T16:36:00.003-05:00

I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging (but of course, I am), but from the time Brayden was 2 months old, people have been telling me that she should be modeling. Since most of those people were related to me, I politely said "thank you" and went about my business.

I regularly read a great website called CityMommy (www.citymommy.com). There was an open casting call for a clothing company called Innovative Baby. I submitted 2 pictures of Brayden and then thought no more of it. Monday evening, I got a call - they wanted her! We went to the shoot this morning. She did great! She wore and ADORABLE polka dotted halter dress (that she didn't want to take off). She will be in the Spring 2009 catalog! I can't believe we have to wait so long to see the result!

They also use the pictures on their website so you can go to www.innovative-baby.com periodically to see if she is there. You can also register with the website to get on the mailing list for your own copy of the catalog (I'm referring to family members, of course).

Does this mean I'm a "Stage Mom?!?"

A Boy and His Dog

2008-07-14T11:14:00.003-05:00

Blake has developed true affection for our dog, Clara. His face lights up when he sees her. He giggles uncontrollably when she "kisses" him. He will crawl over to her and lay down on top of her. He is truly smitten!

I was trying to clean the kitchen and Blake was getting pretty demanding for a snack. I put some cereal in a bowl and gave it to him. Not too long after, he started sharing his snack with Clara. She's never too far behind when Blake has food! Today, it paid off!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books