It's been awhile

time flies when you are having fun. really I am not sure where or why I haven't been blogging just the other day randy found this guy outside

and for me that is a whole entry. it is the stick preying mantis I was talking about before. and there was this bluebird that must have been stalking it because while I was out there he or she kept close by and yelling at me. Randy allowed him, the mantis to run off in the our huge hedge and I think he was safe there.
We also took a trip up to see our Amy, Noah and Layla. Andi and Mia arrived here and off we went for a great visit. Amy even had lunch AND dessert for us, she rocks.
Windmills on the way!

The dutch clogs were a huge hit.


We had a fondue wednesday night that was so yummy. I love cheese. I was shocked though dakota, who loves cheese, even the funky ones was not into the fondue.

And my dad had surgery. We did a trek down to ucla for a chin lift HA! just kiddin. It was to help his chin heal if that makes any sense, surgery to help the area heal but that is the long and short of the surgery. Dad was awesome as he always is. I love my dad!
We had a park day with the yummy chocolate caramel shortbread Ha that was my last blog.

This weekend we went to the pumpkin patch and picked out our winners and carved them. Dakota had a blast playing with the pumpkin insides. She really wanted a white pumpkin while we were there and then when we got home she wanted to give it to her friend, always a giver that one.





Things have been good. I am going to try to get back on to blogging more often I missed it.

friday picnic, saturday birthday party, sunday mellow

I love my life. I really do even when I feel like I am about to lose it I can still dig deep and remember that I love my life, it may not help my immediate mood but still.
We started the weekend with our friday picnic at arroyo verde and it was a beautiful day. I made the chocolate caramel slice
and it was yummy, there are a couple things I want to tweak about it, like milk chocolate instead of dark and then the crust I want to be more like shortbread.


The crust to me was a little to crumbly, that didn't stop me from gobbling it down.

Andi and Mia, and Jenn, Kai and Dax met us there and everyone had a good time. Dakota was having a blast not letting me take her picture and the camera

I have is on the slower side so I kept missing her.

On Saturday it was Noah's pirate beach party. It was a bit on the windy/chilly side but it was a lot of fun.
Amy did this awesome treasure hunt and dakota has been carrying around the map since we left yesterday looking for buried treasure in the house. Dakota has developed a real concern for seagulls ever since one took a snack cup away while we were at the track one day. The morning at the track we had walked away from our stuff and not covered our snacks and in came the birds and when we came running back the silly bird took off with the whole cup so now dakota gets really concerned about seagulls and as you can imagine a birthday party at the beach is sure to attract some flying visitors and then really through her off poor little love bug.
So then today we had a nice mellow day at home watching football. Not dakota's favorite thing but I thought we needed a mellow find things to do around the house kind of a day.
Last wednesday we did our usual to the parents and it was my turn to cook, which means no wednesday night cooking for two weeks yay. I made these stuffed peppers with black beans and cornmeal and cheese, quite tasty and then a healthy salad. We lost dakota and this monster kept wanting to come to dinner instead

Goofy girl. But we had a nice time as always. My parents got some new chairs for the back yard they looked comfy but these two guys didn't seem to want to let anyone else try them out...

And to add to the fun dakota found papa'a mallet, good times.....

Long time no write

Last week I was all excited to blog that I found spiders "doing it" (yes I am 30+ saying doing it) and I took pictures and now days have gone by and I never posted so here to start off what I believe is spiders doing it...



sometimes I laugh at my own maturity level but it was really something I had never seen before and as all who have read previous posts know there is something about the insect/arachnid world that I am drawn to.

So we have been having a nice couple of days. Last friday dakota and I went for our friday picnic. Aubrei and Maya were there and it was really just a lovely day. I think I may have mentioned this but the friday potluck thing I am so loving just because I enjoy baking new things and this way I get to have friends enjoy as well and me and randy don't wind up eating the whole thing. So I made cream cheese swirl blondies with dakota as my sous chef






I think they turned out pretty good but I think they were even better a day later. This friday I am going to do chocolate caramel shortbread, yummmy.
Also on friday my friend tisa arrived in town with her two little ones, joey, who is dakota's age and violet who is just over a year. I have known tisa's family for years. I actually met her and her family through her brother who I used to work with. Then while living in berekely tisa and I were housemates and we just love each other. So dakota and joey have known each other there whole lives and they are pretty funny. Tisa has been making joey super hero costumes and they brought them down and joey and dakota got all dressed up pretty darn cute.

Dakota felt pretty darn spiffy in her batman costume.

Saturday dakota and I trekked out in the rain (wouldn't be considered rain by all but for us venturians it was rain) to what I think was ventura's first birth fair. Trying to draw attention to the fact that ventura's hospital big wigs are trying to take away women's right to choose how we want to birth our babies. Tisa was down helping to organize the event and while it seemed to be a success but there was not a single mention of it in our ventura star, very sad and disheartening.

So we hung out with tisa and family through out the weekend and today we said our goodbyes as they are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning. But we got some beach time it before and the kiddos had a blast. We love you bowser family and we will see you soon hopefully.

Thanks for coming for a visit Amy, Noah and Layla

pre-dance class attire

I talked to Amy last night and she was on the fence about coming. Amy and family used to live here and then earlier this year they moved to tahatchapi and we are still sad about it. Anywho Amy was on the fence but hooray they came. But the morning started off with dance class, at the beginning of each month the parents are invited to sit in on the class. Dakota cracks me up as I apparently crack her up. Before class I took her to the bathroom and I was unaware that of the two bathrooms one is for "boys" and one is for "girls" (they look exactly the same no signs) so I went to take her to the boy bathroom and she quickly corrected me. Then midway through class dakota says teacher teacher, teacher gives this little talk about only asking questions during class that pertain to dancing or individual needs and then answers one little girls question and then she goes to dakota and dakota tells her that I tried to take her to the boys bathroom and she(dakota) starts cracking up, the teacher unfortunately was not as amused. I was though.

Once we were done with class we got home made some lunch and we headed to Marina Park to meet up with Amy, Noah and Layla as a side not jenn kai and dax came too.... hahahahah just kidding jenn I love how much we have been seeing you guys lately.

Amy also brought a friend all the way from tahatchapi, stacy with her two little ones quinn and kellen. We all ate lunch and then we were off to the ocean. It was a blast.

I haven't mentioned this on the blog but dakota is going to marry noah or so she says anytime his name is brought up and I am totally okay with it and I will tell you why. Noah is wonderful and his parents are pretty great too. The time that sealed the deal was one day at the park dakota and noah brought their bikes and they were riding around this path around the park. Dakota was still working on her bike skills and so she would get stuck in the grass or going up a slight hill. So she gets stuck in the grass and is calling for me and I start walking over when who should ride by ever so gallantly on his bike with a gentle hand gesture he says "I got it kwisten" and I was sold, it was the sweetest most gentlemanly thing I had ever seen and he is only three. Amy I am so happy you came down, thanks for making the trek. It is our turn next for sure. OXOXOXOOX

What a beautiful Morning

This was as we were leaving for our "track workout" this morning. So nice. Dawn I didn't mention this on your blog but there is something about the sky that changes in the fall that I just love.

Dakota didn't want to go in the jogger so she and I ran ahead. She ran the whole way to the track, I think it is a good 1/3 of a mile.

It looks much darker then it actually was.

The sun rays were just awesome.

Once we got there the girls (dakota and mia) got set up and Andi and I took turns doing our sprints. It really works out so nicely. The girls get a day off in the jogger and Andi and I get a break from pushing. We were doing a combo on stadiums and then track sprints, now when I say sprints keep in mind my fastest speed is a jog really, but lately we have just been doing spints I think we are going to start alternating doing one or the other everyother week. The girls cheer us on it is pretty darn cute.
After we got home Marie arrived and we were off to trader joes. Last time we were there dakota noticed a pregnant woman and of course had to ask/tell her she had a baby in her belly to which the woman responded that she had two... the look on dakota's face was priceless she was awestruck by the idea that there were two babies in there. Dakota and I proceeded to have a conversation about twins and all that. Well today guess who dakota spots across the store and then says loudly that is the lady with two babies in her belly. The woman was very kind and impressed that dakota remembered her, she has a daughter that is maybe a little younger than dakota so I am sure she sees that same curiosity and wonder everyday.
I made this yummy thing today caramel apple bars the have good flavor but a little too gooey. And by too gooey because really in my mind there is no such thing but the form is not so much a bar as it is hmmmmm meltyinyourhandy. I don't have any vanilla ice cream in the house as I should but they are still very good on their own with some milk. I saw a picture on here from here I wish mine looked like hers but ther do not. Something to work on

Cranberry Pasta Tea.

That is what dakota made for randy after dinner tonight. They were having some nice tea as I was cleaning the kitchen and when he asked what it was that was her answer, very interesting. Then he asked what she did today and she told him that she ran 10 miles (I was lazy today and didn't go sorry andi) but apparently she did and according to dakota's conversation with randy she was running "pretty fast" but at "half speed" her miles take about "1 minute". If only I were at here level.
I made an awesome dinner tonight that I have to share. My neighbor recently gave me a ton of different cooking magazines and so slowly I have been going through them and pulling recipes or just tagging them if there are several within. It has been great because I have been in such dinner doldrums and coming up with new yummy meals can be so difficult. I hate arriving at 430 with no dinner plans spins me right into a bad mood. I have found cuisine at home
to have some really great speedy meals. Tonight I made sun dried tomato crusted chicken and it was gooooood.

and then this yummy sauce.
Just a touch of butter, HA!
the picture doesn't do it justice my food photos are hit and miss.
Here is what I was thinking at dinner tonight, are you ready for the deep thought, I don't remember ever telling my mom that I didn't like something she cooked, that thought or those words were just not there. Dakota is an awesome eater and she will try anything for the most part but she doesn't hesitate to say that she doesn't like something and I don't know how I feel about that. Part of me thinks well that is fine we have a one bite rule so at least she is trying it. But the other part of me thinks no this is dinner this is what we are having it is not up for judgement. When I was a kid we ate what we were given and if we didn't like it well fine but you still ate it. I really don't know just thinking out loud as the title states! Hahahah.
Moving on we met up with our friends at the park today and it was so nice to see everyone and I think we are going to get back into the swing of things. We used to have a play group and we met once a week and we were really good about it but over this last summer new babies were born, and then sickness so it feels like ages but I think we are back on. Yay