butterflies alive

We went to a place in Santa Barbara today called Harry's Plaza Cafe

on the menu was a banana split for $25 and if you ate it all it was free.

I was so so so tempted but decided that I needed to plan for it so instead I ate lunch and ordered this

the cookie monster

and I am sad to say with the help of everyone we still didn't finish it.

We were up in Santa Barbara at the natural history museum

checking at the butterflies.

I was amazed at the patience dakota had,

one landed on her dress for a half a second and then it became her goal to have another one do the same.

So she sat for more than ten minutes waiting and waiting and waiting

it didn't happen again but it was so neat for me just to watch her.

We also ventured to the museum's back yard where anyone can push boats down a stream,

make mud pies, dig in compost it is awesome.

Little miss Leela loved it all, especially the hall with the birds

she was a little bit nervous in with the mammals too big for her.

We will be heading back soon.

too much

Do I even remember how to do this.

Just talk and post some pictures right.

Well summer is in full swing for the more girls

dakota is learning how to swim

leela is learning everything

and i am still learning

patience.

We started off the summer with a camping trip with some good friends

up at lake san antonio.

dakota went tubing for the first time and loved it

leela loved jumping off the boat into the water

the long lasting story of the trip though

(along with good memories)

is the song Party Rock by lmafo?

something like that

every time the kids went in the tube that was the song they wanted

the kids were on the tube a lot

we listened to that song

A L O T

and then being the brainy mom I am asked my friend to make us a cd of some of the

music we listened to including but not limited to "party rock"

to make a short story that could be longer shorter

leela is now singing

"pary rock in house too nye eweryone have good tine"

pretty darn cute

and in some ways so not okay.

That is all for now but I really miss this

so hopefully I will be back soon.

in the mean time here are some random pictures.

fooo fooo

that is leela's word for santa or hoho.

(thanks for the adorable jacket titi)

Sunday we went to Oxnard for their candy cane lane.

We went with randy's cousin's family.

Mr. M is about the same age and dakota and they have some wild fun together.

It is fun to see all the different ideas people come up with

but it is really fun to see dakota and mr. m and leela awe-struck.

Running from house to house and so excited that they can't stand still.

Leela was awestruck as well she is not so sure about fooo fooo but from afar she like to look.

Before we headed to oxnard dakota and i went to skating plus for some birthday fun.

Dakota has been three times now and she loves it.

It is funny to think that a million years ago skating plus was my friday night hang out, me and sierra thought we were so cool. How times have changed, not only the thinking we were cool part but also our parents would drop us off and we were only in the 5th grade, but we certainly were not the only kids our age there without parent supervision, it was just a different time, different rules, different concerns.

As for the rest of the week it was filled with days at the park

and fun in the backyard.

Lets try this again

Once upon a time I started a blog to journal me and my family and one day I stopped and I don't like that. I enjoyed my little online journal I enjoyed making time for this. So here I go to try again. We have been a busy bunch starting kindergarten

and turning 1 and making our house a home. We have been busy having our wednesday night dinners and going to the park with our friends.

Me and the girls took a trip up north to visit our good friends, we had a blast. We have had our share of visitors as well.

Things have really been good in our little world.

Dakota is LOVING school. She wants to go on the weekends. I had my concerns but they are no longer there she is loving it and learning what more could we want. I still think about homeschooling and hope that someday we will but for now we have found our place.

Leela is a funny feisty little lady. She tells these amazing stories where she uses her hands and really gets into it, I so wish I knew what she was saying. She has some words like bur for birds and ball and dog dog and abby for just about anyone dakota's age, all of dakota's friends are abby. She says sissy and bube for brother. Our little family is pretty awesome.

Here is to keeping you and me and this going. Love to all

ps I shaved my head

I was tagged

But I have been awful about getting online for anything lately. But here goes things in 3's about me

Three names I answer to
Kristen Kris mama

Three jobs I have had
baskin robbins (gained some weight) masse's (a pastry shop in berekeley gained a lot of weight it is so so so so good if you are ever up that way I highly recommend stopping. I would start my day with a warm out of the oven croissant followed by some cookies. I would then have lunch at this place called cheeseboard pizza again so yummy. I would end my shift with a fruit tart or lemon tart or some other yummy cake. so so so good) coffee bean and tea leaf (got really hyper)

Three places I have called home
sacramento morro bay berkeley
Three drinks of choice
root beer green tea frap that blood orange sparkling drink from trader joes

Three favorite tv shows
biggest loser project runway top chef

Three places I have visited
Boston, MA South Carolina Yuma, Arizona (sierra and I went on a road trip when we were 18 and that was one or our stops they have a proving ground in case you were wondering. We drove through las vegas and went to planet hollywood and we were able to order alcohol so then we thought we were cool and in yuma we tried to do the same thing and no dice)

Three places I would like to visit
Anywhere everywhere all over
favorite retro tv shows
the cosby show (was that not just the best show) threes company facts of life

foods that make me happy
ice cream ( I recently came to the conclusion that I have a dairy allergy which is just mean mean mean) pizza ( again mean) cookies, cakes, crisps, cobblers, pies (all with ice cream)(mean)

things I am looking forward to
my house being painted on the inside (randy you are awesome thanks love) summer stone fruit (yummy)
three people I am tagging
jenn rebecca (how are you?) jessica

Ode to

My husband.
and happy birthday too.
So the man I married almost nine years ago and met nine years ago turned a year older today.

He had me the first night I saw him.
I went home and told sierra all about him
and less than a year later I was a Moore.
(dakota took this picture)

Sometimes I watch him when he isn't looking
and I smile at his goofiness with his girls

or I hear him talking to his son
man to man
and I am proud of him.
Proud that he loves his family so very much.

Nine years ago this month we had our first kiss
and
I
did
get
weak
in
the knees.
I am not an easy person
I even call myself crazy
He even calls me crazy
but he loves me.

Happy Birthday to my husband, my friend, my meal ticket, my water getter, my girls daddy, my softball coach, my sugar daddy, my handyman, my mechanic, my gardener, my psycho usc fan.
Thanks for all that you do.
(dakota a day old)
I love you!

*I can't find any photos with randy and i together, well just the two but that is not good.

Ode to

My Brother
You know how the saying goes something about 'you can't choose your family but you can choose your friends'
(derek and dakota)

Well if I wasn't related to him I would hope to be his friend.
All my life I have adored him.
When he was nine or so and I was 6 my parents thought that we would buy a boat and sail around the world.
We lived in Morro Bay for almost four years.
(there was a joke there, did you miss it we never sailed around the world we stayed docked in Morro Bay)
It was two adults and two kids on a thirty foot boat.

To me I hit the jackpot my brother and i shared the berth at the back of the boat and our parents were a mere five feet away. I was the child who always sneaked into my parents bed or derek's.
So not only did he have to share his room with me and his bed with me he had to share his one friend with me.

Not many kids down on the docks in Morro Bay, there was one, Casey and as luck would have it he and derek were the same age and they became the best of friends.
It seems that no matter what stunt they were up to or what adventure they were on I was tagging along
and
derek let me.
My memories all seem pretty positive, I think he might share a different perspective but really we got along.
I do remember a time when we got into a "fight" and I was so sad I cried and wrote about it in my diary.
Throughout our lives he has been a person I look to for support, a person who makes me laugh, a person I listen to and a person I value.
Don't get me wrong he had his fair share of older brother moments,
you know the ones,
the ones like sitting one me thumping my in the chest
yes he had his fair share of those moments.
But lets be honest if he didn't he wouldn't be human.
He and I have had some good times
A couple years back I somehow talked him into running the LA marathon with me.
We spent some serious time together
and made some memories.

Lots of jokes about bowels because let me tell you when you are running that much your feet aren't the only things having issues, if you know what I mean.
I love you der,
thanks for being a great brother and a great friend.
I feel lucky that somehow our paths crossed and I get to have you on this "life" journey with me not only as my older brother but as one of my best friends.


as a side note I know I have pictures with derek and leela but for some reason I couldn't locate them, because not only is he an awesome brother but a great uncle as well. the list could go on and on because if you haven't noticed I think the world of my brother but I am going to bed now. love to all.