Random Thoughts Produce Results Again

I am still trying to put together the blog for my Lufkin Adventures....so hang in there.....however..I am in the mood to ramble....so good luck to you if you finish this blog.

I sit here...eating scooby-snacks graham crackers.....they are good....Graham crackers reminds me of being a kid, trying to find something sweet to eat in the house and then eating them with peanut butter....
Peanut butter.....also reminds me of eating waffles....why do people think that I am weird when I eat peanut butter on my waffles? You should try it....make sure that you do not forget your syrup
Syrup....reminds me of my grandma telling me that I eat my waffles just like my grandfather...and the way that is...is.....make sure that every inch of the waffle has syrup on it, and then make sure there is a pool of syrup around the waffles just in case the syrup is soaked in..
Soaked in...reminds me of nothing.
Nothing in my head makes me listen to the cool music on my current playlist....this exact moment the song is "The Part Where You Let Go" by Hem

Tomorrow Ainsley is spending the night with me...yay...I love baby snuggles....and she is good at it.

I am making Chicken and Rice....but not in the Chicken and Rice kind of way....it is going to be like my dad's with potatoes and tomatoes and onions and stuff....don't judge it....

Okay....

The End....

Lufkin adventures

I went to Ladies Conference with the women who go to Jason's church. It was a very different experience for me.

I grew up Mormon, very quiet and reverent church worship. Well Jason's church is pentecostal,  VERY loud, lots of music and active hand raising worship. I am not used to it. I have learned a little bit, I have felt very uncomfortable in my skin. And I don't think it was because of the actual conference I think I was uncomfortable because I am changing.... It was weird. A bit undescribable. Life changing. I am not sure what I will end up knowing or beliving at the end of this journey, I just know that I now have a lot of soul searching to do.

 

My friends, Jenna and Kim

 

 

The got me all "pentecostal" looking and stuff.

And then there were three.

Dear Shayda,

You are amazing. You were born on March 20th. The Iranian New Years, one of the first days of spring time. It is very fitting that this was the time of year you were born. You are a ray of sunshine in my life, and I know in others too. You are as cheerful as a spring day, and you are innovative to create newness and as the new blooming flowers.

From the day you were born you made me so happy. Veida and I would sit up at night holding you, playing with your little hands and feet and chin as you slept, we would dream up things for you. We would sit and calculate how old you would be when we were a certain age. We even did the calculation of "Layla will be 28, Veida 25 and Shayda will be 16" calculation. And now it is here.

Last week you turned 16.

16 is a magical age. It is the age where a car turns into job responsibilities. It is where high school graduation is so close you can smell college freedom. It is where you begin to think that no one really understands where you are in life, and it is your life you want your own mistakes. It is all understandable....we have all had it happen to us.

Sweet sixteen does not mean your childhood expectations are gone...it just means it hurts worse when you realize you don't get things the way you dream them up....and you have an adult like mind that leaves you a bit disappointed. But I want you to hold on to the expectations no matter what. Still believe in Santa, love the Christmas thrill and magic. Love your hardest at Valentines, and still hunt for eggs at Easter. Dress up at Halloween, and Gobble it all down at Thanksgiving.

....expect yourself to be happy. Demand it.

There is a world of people out here who love you. Use the love for good. But make sure to use it.

I love you, and no matter what, you will always be my baby sister who I love with all my heart mind and soul.
Love,
Layla

Dressed to the 9's

We bought Alyssa a few new dresses from Costco, and then got Aaron his first suit.....they both prance around knowing they are cute...but boy do they like to hear how cute they are. ha ha....I wish Aaron would let me dress him more often.

Climb Every Mountain.

Ainsley has learned to crawl during the month of February. Not only is she crawling, but pulling up and standing.
The following pictures are her playing on the floor, then crawling to me and climbing to a stand.
She is getting soooo big.

Taiko the bodygaurd.

Here is proof that Taiko and Ainsley are as thick as theives......Taiko is never far away from his little buddy.

Mr.Clean is Mr.Mean

So I bought the Mr.Clean Magic Eraser.

I had not used them for a few years, and kept reading peoples blogs who said that the eraser is the best thing ever.

I have never been one to use gloves when I clean.

But one afternoon using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, has caused me a few weeks of jacked up hands.....

It was first my fingertips peeling, and now it is my whole hands, and I can't get the dryness to go away.

Then Carol at church told me about a story she heard about a little boy burning himself with the eraser to the point he lost nerve endings.....

Okay, so I look at the box, and no where on the box does it mention I need to wear gloves....nor about any danger, except for a "don't scrub on skin" mention.....I think they need to put it bold on the box "WEAR GLOVES".....sheesh, anyone want to give me a manicure? Exfoliate? suggestions????

Messy messy

Ainsley had her jarred food for lunch....and it was spaghetti's. Don't you just love her little messy clown face...the picture was taken a few moments into the meal.....she was way messier, and had to have a bath after lunch.

Valentines and the sad takeback

So the whole month of February I spent sick as a dog. I went to the doctor, and all he could say was I was "infected".....some say they thought I had the flu.....but I say, I wanted to die....

During February, we had Valentines. Or what should have been a romantic day......turned out to be a sickly sucky day.

I got a box of chocolates and a card from Jason (who was just as sick if not even worse, than I was). The card, which made me laugh....and made me appreciate the fact that he was actually reading through cards to find the perfect one....had a picture on the outside of a man giving a valentine to his significant other and it said "Love is...". And on the inside the woman had a disgusted and annoyed look and the man was happy.....and it said "Love is not having to say I am sorry for farting".

This comes from me getting annoyed for Jason farting on the couch all the time, I call it his invisible poop...and I saw the result of this as I cleaned the couch with the carpet cleaner one day.....

Now a few days before Valentines, Aaron was a sweetheart, and with some money that Jason gave him to spend at CVS, Aaron chose to buy me a box of chocolate and a fake rose. VERY SWEET. I have been saving the chocolates for when I feel better (and after I blogged about it)

Well last Wednesday, Aaron saw the box of unopened chocolates, and got irritated that I had not eaten them yet....then after a little while, he threatened to take them back. I told him if he was going to be that way, then he should take them back.......next thing I know, he has eaten all of the chocolates but one.

I looked at him and said "I can't believe you ate my candy" Jason told Aaron that my heart was broken....

Aaron had remorse, but thought it was a bit funny as well. So all night, I made reference to him eating my candy.

The next day, walking home from school Aaron found this rose

and thought it was a perfect gift for me, to reconcile him eating my Valentines.......*sigh* I get someone elses dried up rose.......but he was sincere about it and really wanted me to feel better about the candy.....sweet boy.....*sigh*

High Chair

We went to lunch at Little Mexico, and Ainsley sat in the high chair for the first time. She got the hang of it quick.

(I am a little late posting this.....and these pictures are pre-haircut)

Touche

I once had this super rad apartment. It was perfect. I loved it. Nice Khaki colored high vaulted walls, nice trim, lots of closet space, garden tubs.......beautiful and perfect. And to celebrate this apartment I wanted to buy it something fancy.

My cousin Libby and I worked together at the time, and she introduced me to the wonders that was William-Sonoma. Now being the meager woman I am, I knew I couldn't afford to buy my new apartment something too expensive...so I went to William-Sonoma, bought hand and dish towels, soap and lotion for the kitchen in Persian Lime (because we all know that I am in constant attempts to get in touch with my roots) but this was not enough....I knew that I needed salt and pepper shakers, so I headed to the back of the store to rummage through the choices.....all of them are gorgeous. All of them but one were out of my price range. But thats ok, because the $15 salt and pepper shakers I could afford were stream lined, and cute. I could imagine having a dinner party in my new apartment passing these shakers across the table to the guests....I was sold.

Immediately upon getting home, I filled the salt and pepper shakers and used them. I was quite content.

The very next day I headed over to the more frugal store called world market.....there I was looking for some kitchen essentials.....but, I found something else instead. the $15 s & p shakers were sold there at world market...for $1.99 each......so for $4 I could have got the same shakers, and saved $11 that for me was a lot of money.....

But it doesn't stop there.....

At almost every restaurant I go to, I see MY salt and pepper shakers.......I could have stolen the shakers from tons of restaurants, little dives, chilis. Italian joints, burger places.......lots and lots of places.....even as I was in Los Angeles last month, I saw my shakers at their table......my exact pair.......

So I guess I should feel special that my salt and pepper shakers are so cool that some Beverly Hills restaurant uses them....

It still me mad that I was sooooo vain as to buy $15 salt and pepper shakers......God sure does know his way around teaching me a lesson in the oddest of ways........touche.

Here are the exact shakers in Beverly Hills......sigh.

California.part eight.What was learned.

My California posts are over....this is the final one....I have no pictures for this....and it will not really be funny to anyone but Veida....so enjoy if you want...

1- L.A. does not serve Dr. Pepper ANYWHERE.
2- Belts must be worn wrong....not with belt loops.
3- Take a left, you get to the beach.
4- Hold on with both hands.
5- Do NOT eat phonebooks
6- Do NOT talk to strange strangers
7- Do NOT act lost
8- Do not lick your fingers until you wash your hands first.
9- The water in Beverly Hills, is fresh, clean, and surprisingly free.
10- People on Rodeo Dr do not eat, however, the next street over they eat everything.
11- The only reason a truffle is $50 is because there is Belgian chocolate in it.
12- People want to eat people who belong to PETA
13- You can only shop duty free if you are leaving the states...not state. Not even for the cool bag...

If you followed the California blogs, would you believe that it was only one day long??? I learned a lot in a few hours.

Thanks again Veida.