A Few Pics...

On our way to see Shrek!

SHREK! The Musical

A blurry shot of the stage. We were in the nosebleed seats, but there are no bad seats in the 5th Ave Theater.

Juju's first day of school.

I had to throw in a couple shots of Nikki Sixx, (YUM), that I took while at the Cruefest concert. He really does look hotter in person. *swoon* I was in the mosh pit the entire concert...about 5 hours worth... Incredible!

"Ogres are like onions..."

I had a few spare moments this morning so I thought I would shock you all with a blog entry! *GASP*

First on my mind is Shrek The Musical. Only because Jubilee is bouncing off the walls reminding me every 3 seconds that TODAY is the day. She woke up at 6am making sure I knew, "THERE ARE ZEEEEEEEERO SLEEPS LEFT!!" We are piling in the car with Makayla, Dylan, and my mom and heading to the the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle to make a day of it. We'll hit the Market, eat some homemade donuts, grab lunch at EYE-vars, and catch the show. Im very excited, however, not as excited as Jubilee. She is right now quoting Shrek, "That'll do Don-kay, that'll do."

So, whats the news since I last blogged? Well, Im not sure how many of you actually do not know this yet, but Troy and I are separating. Im sure most of you who know us well do not find this a surprise. However, its still difficult when it comes to Jubilee. We have not told her as of now, but that is coming in the next couple weeks as Troy prepares a place for himself and Jubilee for when she visits. Please pray for her - we are doing everything we can to make this as stress-free for her as we possibly can. She is a smart little girl, and processes things in that mind of hers very well. I know I wont be able to get away with a simple explanation to her that might satisfy the typical 4 year old.

The goal for Troy and I is to make a happy life for her despite not having both of her parents in the same household. Even though our efforts failed in providing a happy household for her together, we are optimistic that we can be better parents, and good friends separately. Obviously there are many details Im not going to publish here for public consumption. But Im a very open person and will answer any questions you may have...just drop me a line!

Other stuff...
*Work is great. Ive been with Westport for over a year now and Im settled in working for a big company. The people I work with are GREAT. Its the best part of my job to be able to interact with such a diverse group of individuals every day. About 240 of our 1200 employees fall under my HR responsibility realm. I deal with a huge range of HR, (and sometimes not) related issues every day.

*Weight: My weight is stable. Im no longer losing, and Im maintaining just where I should be. I fluctuate between 155 and 165. My goal was to be a size 14 and Im a size 11-13. Im very happy. I still dont get as much protein as I should have everyday, but vitamins are where they should be. My hair as grown back...boobies did not.

*Jubilee started a new pre-school. She loves it. In fact her new teacher said she had no problem with the transition and that Jubilee could probably teach the class in her absence. HA! I will post some pictures of our trip to Shrek later on.

Overall I feel like Im rediscovering who I am. Who I will be outside of a marriage that dictated I change who I am at my core. Im looking forward to finding her again. I just need to peel away those layers... I guess Ogres arent the only ones that are like onions.

Vegas, Baby!

I just got back from Vegas. Best. Trip. EVAH! Why? Three things... Patron, CR3-16-78, and NEW INK! Vince Neil Ink ROCKS.

HOLY MONKEY!!

Oh my,... Could it be?... YES, Im blogging!!!! Muahahahahaha! Did it scare you to come to this link and see new words!? WOOHOO!! I cant believe some of you have been so faithful. My visit report says I still get 10 or so hits a week. Maybe just spammers, but I rather believe you LOVVVE me! HAHA!

So what excuse can I give you that I havent blogged? LOTS of good ones. None of them truly as honest as... I am lazy. But sooooooo much has happened the past 9 months, I had to decompress by spewing it out of my fingers as they fly across the keyboard.

First of all... Jubilee. Wow, has she grown. She is still just a tiny thing, but getting taller every day. She is about 39 inches and weighs just 26lbs. She is in the older kids class in preschool and does very well. Her teachers say what a joy she is to have and has spent no time in the naughty chair. (Surprising considering we have a well-used naughty chair at home.) Jubilee is always cracking me up with the things she says and does and hopefully as I blog more I can pass those stories onto you in time. But for now, catching you all up on the past few months will be a full blog for today!

Im still working at Westport and Im having a blast doing it. HR there isnt what HR means in a lot of the rest of the world, but I like it. My office is always full, dealing with different issues. If confidentiality wasnt a factor, I could tell you SCADS of hilarious and odd, scandalous and fun things I get to deal with on a weekly basis, but just trust me when I say the content runs the gamut. Westport as a company is growing like mad. Currently we're #1 in North America when it comes to Megayachts. If you have an extra 35 million in your pocket and want a sea-fairing playtoy, you get a Westport. Its very exciting to be part of a company like this. Im so used to the human services field where its always bad news about finances, and red tape. I work with some great people too. Since I blogged last they moved me to the Interior Plant. I was at the 50 meter plant where they build our 164' yachts. The Interior Plant is where all the cabinets, upholstery, and design is created for the interior of the yachts. Its booming place! Since I started there the Interior Plant has gone from 180 people to 245. Does that give you an idea of the growth? Its amazing! I also got a new boss, who is fabulous, (and doesnt know about this blog so dont think Im sucking up!) and we have talked about some badly needed HR projects that I will get to head up. Im looking forward to getting BACK to work. ....did I not mention that Im not working at the moment... OH?? I'll get to that!

Gee, what else have I done in the past few months? ...hmmm.. OH YES... I went to NYC!!!!!!! WOOHOO! For those of you who know me well, know this has been a dream of mine for years. Since I discovered Grease and theater, oh yes... NYC and seeing a broadway show was the top of my to-do list. So, we did it! We took my Mom as the well-paid babysitter, hopped a plane and flew to New York. ...Or as Juju calls it, You Nork. Seems like it took FOREVER to get there with the anticipation. But once I got in NYC it was FABULOUS!!! I was in culture shock for about two mins, then I was HOME. I will never be able to afford to live in Manhattan, but I sooooo totally could. I LOVED it. Usually when I go, well actually anywhere for any extended period of time, I am ready to go home to my own house, bed and shower by the 4th day. After 4 days in New York I was ready to see how much it would cost stay another week! I was sad to leave!! Thats after of packing TONS of stuff into 4 days. We were not in the hotel room except to sleep! (Which was only about 5 hours a night.) I was worried about Jubilee and how it would be dragging a 3 year old around NYC, but it was wonderful. She was a trooper and loved it as much as I did. She kept calling it "her big city" and called our hotel room her new house. We stayed right in the heart of Times Square and spent the first day walking around, taking pictures, shopping and just being in awe of it all. Then that first night we went to the Lunt Fontanne Theater and saw The Little Mermaid.

Juju and Mommy are ready for The Little Mermaid!

The performance was amazing just as I had expected. The special effects and costumes were outstanding. The cast (or at least all characters that lived under the water), did the whole performance on heelies!! So it always looked like they were gliding gracefully under the water. Jubilee was in a trance! She LOVVVED it. She sang along with the songs she knew and was so excited when Ariel made her entrance onto the stage. During the play, when the Sea Witch was making her watery demise, the music was loud, at the fullest crescendo, thunder and lighting was everywhere, the Sea Witches tentacles were stretching out toward the audience from the sides and top of the stage, Ariel was singing loudly...getting her voice back and then in a swirl of fog, with a crash and boom, the Sea Witch fell through a trap door in the stage as she died. Everything was quiet and dark for dramatic pause. In that quiet moment when everyone was transfixed, Jubilee yells, "THE SEA WITCH DIEEEEEEED!!!!!!!!!" The entire theater full of people CRACKED UP laughing. OMG... Here I am, my first time on broadway, trying not to look like the Ghettosville bumpkin, and all of a sudden all eyes are on us! ACK! I was between embarrassed with my head in my hands and cracking up with everyone else!

On the second day we went sightseeing on a guided bus tour. If you are a first time NYC visitor, I HIGHLY recommend this. Its a hop on/hop off double decker bus tour and you get to go EVERYWHERE. We did it in two days. One day we did the uptown loop and the 3rd day we did the downtown loop. We saw it all and even tho it wasnt nearly enough time, we at least got to go everywhere for a little bit of time. We went up into the Empire State Building, saw the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Central Park, and every little cool neighborhood in between. On the fourth day we started by going to the Today Show where we met Matt Lauer and Al Roker. They were very taken with Jubilee who engaged them in conversation. Then we went ice skating at Rockefeller Center just across the street from The Today Show:

The weather was bitterly cold but that wasnt stopping us from doing anything! We had a BLAST!

Then Friday night we went to Grease. It was so wonderful to actually get to see my favorite production live FINALLY! However, they did water it down from the original format and the production was no where near The Little Mermaid, but certainly not a let down. I cant wait to go back and see the others on my list like The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Wicked. Im ADDICTED now! (Elizabeth, if you read this, we should meet up in NYC someday and see a show!)

We also saw a taping of David Letterman. If you happened to watch it on Thursday, Feb 14th, then you saw me in the audience mouthing the words, "Hi Juju!" to the camera. I looked like such a dork! While we were in Letterman, Mom was walking around Times Square with Juju and ran into one of her favorite soap stars! I forget his name, but he plays Cole on One Life to Live for those of you familiar. She was quite star struck.

We started our trek home on Saturday by checking out of the hotel, *sniff*, and shopping for souvenirs before hopping a plane. I neeeeeeeeed to go back! Soon!

Which brings me to the most recent excitement in my life and the reason Im not working right now. Surgery! Yes, more surgery. I think Ive blogged before about having Gastric Bypass and how sick I got afterwards. Because I was so sick and throwing up almost hourly for 4 months, that resulted in an incisional hernia. It was quite large. It made my tummy stick out so people thought I was pregnant! I lost a total of 170lbs just to have people think I was preggo. HA! Anyway, I needed to have that fixed. So on February 26th I had that repaired AND a tummy tuck done at the same time. Im two weeks out of surgery and feeling GREAT! As long as I keep pain meds in me, Im golden. It hurts a lot more than the first surgery did, but no where near as miserable because Im not sick all the time. Pain, I can handle. Im also walking hunched over because my new tummy is soooo tight. This is normal and I should be able to walk upright in about 3 more weeks. My back is not liking this part of recovery, but DANG my tummy is F-L-A-T!!! Ive not ever had a flat stomach except maybe as a baby??? Very strange. So now, Im just home recovering. Jubilee is taking good care of me. My mom was very direct with her in being careful not to jump on me or do anything to my tummy area. This is how that conversation went:

"Well, ... can I tickle her?"

"No Juju, you cant tickle Mommy."

"...can I tickle her leg?"

"No."

"...her arm?"

"No!"

"...Can I tickle her face?"

"No Jubilee!"

"....What about the BACK of her face?"

HAHA... When I heard about this I started laughing...which HURTS like mad to laugh. But couldnt help it.

So hows that for an update? WHEW! Im just sitting at home with my drains, (I call them my hitchhikers.), so give me a call if any of you feel like chatting. I have cabin fever BAD! ...Look! It even has me reduced to BLOGGING! HAHA!

The First Week is Over...whew.

Remember back when I said that if I got this HR job I would be jumping in with both feet, as opposed to easing my way back into the work force with a stress-free part-time job? Wow, I couldnt have possibly understated that any more. My first week with Westport was fun, intense, interesting, fast-paced, stimulating, stressful, mind-numbing, and oh, did I mention intense? With the exception of Monday, every day had me looking up at the clock to notice, "Holy monkey, its 5pm already." Thursday and Friday were especially fast paced and filled with learning different processes of my job. I got to spend those two days working with my direct supervisor who is normally stationed out of our Westport, WA facility. The duties are your basic HR functions but with a huge amount of employee relations. That is my favorite part of HR, so Im okay with that. On average we hire about 10-12 people per week, with about 20 interviews per week. Every Monday I will be facilitating an orientation for those new hires. Its really too much for one person to do, and the second HR guru will be joining me July 9th. Im looking forward to that. Once he gets here, I will be working with our Interior Plant, (the huge shop that makes all the interior woodwork and furniture for the yachts), three days a week. Im not sure how it will all shake out - time will tell. There is just so much to do, and I can already tell so much has fallen through the cracks while they were going through an HR crisis for about a month. I already have identified about 10 projects that I want to undertake given the time to do so. One hurdle that needs to be addressed is the high turn-over rate. Westport is a great company to work for....lots of perks and bennys, and they pay well, (for Ghettosville). So I need to figure out why the revolving door is spinning so quickly. Many of the entry level jobs are labor-intensive - having to wear tyvek suits and respirators. "I get to help build a yacht!" sounds way more exciting than, "what I really do is sand fiberglass all day long in a plastic suit with a mask on my face." I think reality sets in once they are on the dirty hull with all the equipment on...wondering how they are going to do it day in and day out. If you can stick with the job though, you can move up fairly quickly in position and pay. Anyone need a job?

On a personal note, going back to work hasnt been as heart-wrenching as I thought it would when it comes to Jubilee. Maybe its because I did all my stressing about it before I actually started. Having Meema's Juju Care Inc. helps a lot too. Plus, it just doesnt seem like she misses me. Which hurts and heals at the same time. One morning as I was saying goodbye she said,
"Where you going Mom-mom?"
"Im going to work."
".....AGAIN!?"
Thats about all shes said about it so far. I miss her like crazy though and cant help feeling like Im missing out on something. In fact, my very first day she ended up vomiting at my moms house. I missed a barf! Not sure if she just had a little bug or what...seems fine since then.

So this weekend I hung out pretty close to her and we did much of nothing. I think we are in the process of phasing out naptime. *sniffs and holds a small moment of silence for naptime* Since weaning from the binkie, Jubilee has had a horrible time going to sleep at night. She plays and basically throws a party for her babies, mermaids, Diego and Dora for about 2 - 3 hours. If she does not nap during the day, she is usually asleep by 8pm. However, today I attempted to keep her awake all afternoon while playing cards at my parents house and it didnt go so well. I left her with my mom to go pick up my Dad and by the time I got back she was VERY soundly asleep in the chair. Party tonight in Juju's room!

On another note, as of this morning, I have lost 125lbs. Dangggggg that is a lot of freaking weight. I feel like I should be a LOT smaller than I currently am having lost that much. 125lbs in 7 months. I know that seems really fast and unhealthy, but its a very good pace for RNY patients. Plus, Im getting in protein drinks and vitamins every day. Still not as much protein as I need, but Im working my way up. I also have a god-awful hernia as a result from the surgery. Whenever I sneeze, cough, or laugh, it squishes out and my tummy looks like something from Alien. I need to have it repaired badly, BUT....if I can hold out until I finish losing all the weight I want to lose, my surgeon will do a tummy tuck at the same time as the hernia repair. WOOHOO! Im not sure how much I want to weigh as a goal. My goal is to be comfortable, to feel good.... I think I would feel great in a size 14. I never had the desire to be a skinny-mini and when I see a woman who I think is gorgeous, she always tends to be on the curvy/round side. If you look at a clinical chart that states what you are supposed to weigh, my "healthy normal" weight is between 104-118lbs. I think I would be skin and bones at that weight. ew. I think no matter what my size is, I wouldnt like to lose more than another 50-60lbs. A drop in the bucket compared to what Ive lost so far. And I would like to be finished losing all the weight by the time my anniversary for my surgery date gets here in November. That would be about 10-12lbs a month. Think I can do it?

Operation Binkie: Update

All is well in the binkieless world! She has hardly mentioned her binkie with one exception and I will explain that in a minute. Naptime is the same as before, she pretty much puts herself down for a nap, telling me when she's tired and falls asleep quickly. Bedtime is a different story. Jubilee has always been easy when it came to bed time. We get a bath, a few scenes of a movie in my bed, bedtime story and prayers in her bed, then lights out and shes asleep within a few minutes. The routine now is still the same, however, after I turn the lights out and leave the room, apparently a party ensues. Theres singing, bouncing, tapping and knocking on the walls, and when I go in to tell her its time to sleep, the bed looks like wild horses ran through it. It now is taking her a solid two hours to fall asleep at night.

The one exception to her even talking about the binkies occurred yesterday when I was watching Camden. Camden is Troy's brother's baby. He is six months old and CUTE as ever. Jubilee was the perfect little mother. She wanted to help in everything we did for him. At one point while I walked to the kitchen to get Camden a bottle, I turned around and saw that Jubilee had piled toys on top of Camden. If he didnt play with what she brought him, apparently she just put it on his lap and kept bringing him things, (including a standard-sized Garfield basketball). So I unburied him and she got to help me feed him lunch. She was thrilled. Then it was naptime for both of them. We got him settled into his seat.....with his binky. Oh boy...was that a mistake. When Jubilee saw Camden with his binky - she wanted hers back. "I want my binky baaaaaaaaaaaaack!" Crying and wailing ensued for 10 minutes until she was just too tired to cry anymore and fell asleep. I know I cant let her have a binkie back now after days of success - but boy did I feel like a mean mommy!

After that little melt-down, there hasnt been another instance of mentioning the binkie. I think it really has become a situation of out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

She Works Hard for the Money

Or at least I will be starting Monday, June 18th. Yesterday I received a call and was extended a job offer which I accepted.

I will be the HR Generalist for Westport. If you go to their website here, click on "careers", you can see the ginormous list of job openings they have and why they are in desperate need of HR help. Plus, you can learn a bit about the company there. The product is exciting - this job will be so different from working in the non-profit, human services field. Westport is the largest employer on the Olympic Peninsula. Along with a second HR Generalist, which they have yet to hire, I will be responsible for the HR needs of over 400 employees. MUCH different from a small social services agency with 50 employees.

The waiting period from my interview until I was offered a job was about 8 weeks. Both the lady that interviewed me, and the first HR Generalist they hired for the job I applied for, quit within a week of each other. So they went from having to fill one position, to having to start the process over twice. Plus they did some strategic planning for the HR positions - hence the wait. In the meantime they still had to keep hiring 10-12 people a week to keep boat production on schedule. Im told it was quite a mess.

Im very excited, but still sad about leaving Juju everyday, all day. I do realize there are perks for her of me going back to work. Not the least of them me not getting annoyed by being alone with a toddler all day. Plus, there are activities like dance classes, piano lessons, and sports that I may not have been able to afford otherwise. And I get to dust off the cobwebs from my brain and use it for something other than strategic maneuvers in Diego checkers. But still, I will always miss our daily morning snuggles until she decides its time for a bowl of "Honey Butt Cheerios".

Now that Ive actually been offered the job, I have to focus on my career wardrobe. The problem being I dont have one. After losing 118lbs, I dont have much that fits in the way of business casual. If it were appropriate to wear baggy t-shirts and Garfield jammy bottoms to work, I'd be set! Who wants to go shopping with me?

Operation Binkie: Night One

Last night was more successful than I imagined. We put Jubilee through her night-time routine with reminders of where her binkies were headed: To help Baby Jaguar. She was fully prepared to go to bed with no binkie because, "Im a big girl!". It all seemed too easy. I grabbed the monitor and sat down to watch TV. After an hour of listening to her play, bounce, sing, and generally have trouble settling down, I went back into her bedroom and reminded her it was bedtime, not playtime. It was at this point I realized she is much too smart for this binkie plan I concocted.

"Mom-mom, I need my binkie."

"Where are your binkies? Do you remember?"

"Yes, with Baby Jaguar. He's still a baby and Im a big girl."

"Yep! So now its time to close your eyes and go to sleep." *edging my way to the door...*

"....waitwaitwaitwaitWAIT WAIT WAAAAAAAAIT!! ......I have an idea."

"Whats your idea?"

*using her hands to emphasize her points* "After Baby Jaguar has all my regular binkies, we go to the store and get NEW binkies!!!"

*wondering why I hadnt come up with a toddler-proof Operation Back-Up Binkie Plan* "Well... um.... It doesnt work that way." ......Lame, I know. I just didnt know what else to say to her.

"How come?"

"Because youre three years old now. You are a big girl and you dont need a binkie anymore. Binkies are for babies and you arent a baby, right?" *hoping this makes sense and I wont be guilted into running to Walmart for new binkies."

"WAIT WAIT WAIT! I have another idea." *holding her hands out in front of her as if stopping me in the name of love* "Baby Jaguar got my binkies, I get Litte Mermaid binkies!!!"

I said, "Juju, I dont think they make Little Mermaid binkies."

"Nooooo, I give Baby Jaguar my binkies, and now The Little Mermaid will give me HER binkies!" Afterall if she is going to share her binkies, the only polite thing for the Little Mermaid to do would be to share her binkies also! This girl REALLY wants her binkie.

"The Little Mermaid is a big girl too. She doesnt have binkies anymore either!"

"Oh. Okay."

After this conversation, it only took her another hour of singing songs from The Little Mermaid and Aladdin to fall asleep. When all was quiet and she was asleep, I went in to find her sleeping sideways in her bed, her babies, little mermaid dolls, a carebear, blankets and her pillow were strewn all over, but.....she was soundly asleep.

This morning she woke up at her normal 6:30am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. ....No mention of the binkie yet.

Binkies. Baby Jaguar- 4, Jubilee- 0

Right now, sitting in my mailbox, is an envelope addressed to Baby Jaguar, care of Diego in The Rainforest, with four beloved binkies inside. "Rawr-rawr!"

Ever since Jubilee came out of her drug-induced sedated state in the NICU, she has had a binkie. She lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvves her some binkies. I knew all along I would have to break this habit, and Im not sure why Ive let it go on so long. I even hate seeing other kids over 2 years old with binkies in their mouths at the store! But Jubilee only has hers at night and when she's sick... Plus I felt like I could justify the binkie-usage knowing she let go of other vices so early and easily. She weaned from the bottle at 11 months, she slept through the night in her own bed early, she potty trained early, ....she doesnt even use sippy cups anymore. So whats a little binkie now and then, right? Well, I think three years old is my limit. However, knowing how attached she is to her binkies, (usually going to bed with one in her mouth and one in her hand), I came up with an idea to make getting rid of the binkies more....acceptable. I want her to not have to rely on a binkie, but I dont want to be the big mean mommy monster that took them away!

Dylan and I talked at length about Operation Binkie. We came up with a plan that seemed fun and would let her feel like a "big girl" at the same time. Jubilee digs getting the mail from the mailbox. She also digs Diego. He's an animal rescuer. So "Diego", (Dyl and Mak), wrote Jubilee a letter from the Rainforest:

"Dear Jubilee,
Hi, this is Diego! We need your help! Baby Jaguar lost all of his binkies. He doesnt have ANY! Can you help him and send him all of your binkies?? Youre a big girl now and you dont need your binkies anymore.

Love,
Diego"

Since we were all assembled at Mom and Dad Botts's house for a BBQ today, we let Jubilee retrieve her letter from Meema's mailbox. (I know its sunday and usually no mail is delivered today...but it was from THE Rainforest...it was special delivery.) Jubilee's face lit up in that HUGE surprised way with her mouth in a gigantic "O". She ran back to the house and brought me the letter. As I read the letter to her, I dont think she understood the total consequence of saying YES. I re-read the letter to her and explained that if she sent her binkies to Baby Jaguar, that she wouldnt have them anymore. She nodded and said she would give all her binkies to Baby Jaguar. She gathered up her one binkie she kept at Meema's house, ( and you better not have any in hiding Mom!!), and put it in the envelope to send to Baby Jaguar. Nap time would be the test.

When it was time for her nap and as I was taking off her shoes, she said, "I need my binkie." I said, "Remember? You said it was ok for Baby Jaguar to have your binkies. He's still a baby and needs a binkie. Youre a big girl who's three years old!" She thought about it for a minute and said, "Ok." I layed her down expecting some tears, but instead she sang herself to sleep with a couple of loud renditions of "A Whole New World".

When we returned home from the BBQ we went through the house letting her put her binkies in the envelope to Baby Jaguar. She kept saying, ...as if to convince herself, "Im a big girl and I dont need a binkie! Baby Jaguar has all my binkies. He's still a baby." We colored on the outside of the envelope, taped it shut and we walked together to the mailbox to send off the binkies. As she shut the mailbox door she said, "Bye Bye Binkies!"

Tonight is Binkieless Night Number 1.

A Few Pics From The Trip

Jubilee and Dylan chillin' in the sun.

Jubilee totally loved the bowling. Especially the teeny sized bowling balls she got to use.

Juju and D on the train in Silverwood.

Dylan and Chewpee going for a swim.

I actually found a bikini that fit Juju this year....

...Unlike the previous year.

Camping, RollerCoasters, and Thunderstorms, Oh My.

After 6 fun-filled days away - we're back to our humble abode. I always forget how much I love my own shower and my own bed until I cant use them for a few days in a row. Its good to be home. Zoe thinks so too. I can tell by the way she is following me around the house and planting herself in my lap if I seem to settle in one place for more than two seconds. If she happens to lose me in the house somewhere, she will howl until I answer and let her know which direction I can be found. Its good to be missed! ....even if its just the cat. HA

SATURDAY: Woke up at 3am - in the Grocery Getter by 3:30 with a very tired but excited Juju Bean, and we hit the road. The van was stuffed to the gills with camping equipment, 3 suitcases, (one for each of us... I habitually overpack for Juju. Never know with a toddler what youre going to need....and I never let Troys socks or underwear touch mine.), and various toys and attention grabbers for Jubilee since we'll be spending so much time on the road.

We caravaned with Holly, Jason, Dylan, Mak and Tyler, (known as The Wick 5 on the Walkie Talkie), and hit the 5:10am ferry with time to spare. Once boarding the ferry we went upstairs to enjoy the view and eat some breakfast. Jubilee stared out the window the whole ride exclaiming that, "The Little Mermaid is in the water!!! Theres Flounder! Theres Sebastian! OOOOH The Sea Witch!" She entertained, (or annoyed) all who sat in the same section of the ferry as us. She was quite excited, and even if I reminded her to use her "quiet" voice, she pretty much just had one volume: LOUD.

We got back on the road and made just a few pit stops on our way to Lake Chelan. Jubilee slept for a couple hours and we hit the campground by 10:30am. Once unpacked, all the kids went swimming, including Jubilee. She only swallowed 1/4 of the pool and choked it back out. I made a mental note to look into swimming lessons as soon as possible. We spent the rest of our time at Lake Chelan taking it easy, swimming in the 100 degree weather, and visiting with family. We left Chelan early monday morning. Destination Idaho!

MONDAY: We woke up early after a night of spotty warm rain and lighting with yummy thunder and hit the road. The Wick 5 and the Grocery Getter caravaned while Mom and Dad Botts got a bit later start. We got to Idaho a few hours ahead of them and we spent the time at Raptor Reef. A small waterslide park located right inside Holly and Jason's hotel! It was sooooooo much fun. I hadnt been on waterslides in YEARS. Dylan and I shot down the double slide on inflatable tubes. It was like being in a cannon. It shot us out into this toillet bowl-like swirly pool and eventually you ended up getting shot down another dark slide. I screamed like a gore queen in a b-flick movie. Soooooooo fun. Raptor Reef also had a whole section just for Juju Beans! Jubilee had a total blast going down her own waterslides, standing under waterfalls, (ok, she didnt much dig that part, but it was really funny to watch), and turning off and on water spouts with the valves she could control.

After everyone was exhausted from hauling our booties up the 74 stairs, (Dylan counted) over and over again to ride the slides, we went back to the room to get cleaned up for lunch. The waterslide park had a connected arcade that included not only the obligatory arcade games, but bowling, laser tag, indoor and outdoor mini golf, go-carts and bumper boats. Holly got this great deal with her room that came with tickets to play on all the fun. We all got to try everything several times. I have to say the go-carts were my favorite. Even tho I got in a bit of trouble from the go-cart boys, I enjoyed running into other people...sorry Dyl! HAHA After watching Jubilee for me while I rode the go-carts once, Mom Botts, (they caught up with us while we were in the water park), decided she needed to give it a go. Holly watched Jubilee for me while we jumped back onto the carts. This time we up graded to the single-rider, double the power carts! Dad, Troy, Mom, Jason and myself chose which cart we wanted based on which we thought was fastest....this was, after all a race to the death. I was in the lead for quite a while, but Troy would NOT have me beating him at anything so I was soon over taken. After a couple laps around Mom I realized she was going reallllllllllly slow. It was like she was on a sunday drive from the old folks home. I kept my attention on Dad and Troy - trying desperately to catch up. Then just when I was about to pass him, Troy spins out on the corner, I hit him - Dad Botts zooms past me once again to win. So I didnt win, but Troy spun out and I got to crash into him which was very satisfying.

We stayed at the waterpark/arcade until closing then went back with Mom and Dad to the campground. The campground was right across the highway from Silverwood Theme Park. Its not as big as Six Flags or Carowinds, but the first thing you see as you drive past it is a HUGE wooden roller coaster. Just seeing that got me all excited for the next day. Well that, and the fact that Silverwood's mascot is Garfield....and well, the thought of actually seeing him the next day got me all tingly.

Actually, the tinglyness may have also been caused by the massive thunderstorm! It started mildly at the waterpark. But by the time we were driving back to the campground, it had gone full force. There were two systems, both shooting lightning into the sky with pounding thunder following right after each double strike. It was AWESOME. I loved every second. Troy, on the other hand, was a big wuss and refused to sleep in the tent for fear of being struck down. And me, being the good wife I am.....just laughed and made fun of him.

TUESDAY: The storms lasted pretty much all night, but by the time the park opened at 11am the storms were gone and left just a little drizzly rain behind. This did not deter me at ALL from my purpose of riding roller coasters and meeting Garfield so I donned my Concho and we all walked over to Silverwood. Our first stop was the merry-go-round. Jubilee lovvvvvvvvved it. Since leaving on Saturday everyone would exclaim, "We're on vacation!" and Jubilee would say, "nooooo...not yet!" In Chelan while in the sun, swimming and having fun we would ask her, "Jubilee, are we on vacation yet?" "Nope! Not yet!" While we were having fun in the water park and playing games in the arcade we asked her again....and she would reply, "Nope! Not yet, I dont see a merry-go-round!" So finally while on the merry-go-round I asked her, "Jubilee, are you on vacation NOW?" She just grinned and nodded her head.

After the merry-go-round we hit a couple other little rides and the Corkscrew. It was Silverwood's only upside-down roller coaster. I loved it! It was a short ride, but DANG fast! Plus it sent you through two loop-da-loops! I loved every second, except being the shorty shrimp I am, the top of my hard plastic shoulder harness settled around my ears and temples. So going so fast around that track, I got jostled side to side while my head and ears slammed into the harness. This hurt, and being the resourceful problem solving genius I am, I held onto my shoulder harness, putting my hands right next to my ears hoping to soften the blows. This only resulted in my face hitting my hands at gravity defying force. It was like I was punching myself in the face so I gave up and let my head bounce around the shoulder harness. Yes, it hurt - but I rode this ride 3 more times.

We spent the rest of the day running all over the park riding everything that was open. Not all the rides were open due to the off and on again rain, but it made for really short lines! Tremors, the HUGE wooden roller coaster was just amazing. It has long steep drops that send you 8 feet underground and make you feel like youre going to be decapitated as you enter the tunnel. WOOHOO! I lost track how many times I rode this one, but I will not forget the ONE time Mom Botts rode it. She had a few choice expletives for us as she staggered off the ride. Dylan convinced her it "wasnt that bad". HAHAHAHA Dad told Mom to be happy...that for about 15 seconds she was wrinkle-free!

Because Jubilee is only 35 inches and you had to be at least 42 to ride even with an adult, she didnt get to ride anything but kiddie rides. Not that I would have taken her on a roller coaster, but Mom Botts did manage to sneak her onto the Scrambler. She giggled and "weeeeeeeeeeeeee'd" her way through it....she is fearless!

Throughout the day I kept my eyes peeled for Garfield. This, afterall, was my destiny. To meet him face to face. Finally when our day was almost over and I had not seen even a hint of orange fur, we asked a park employee, "Where is Garfield???" She said, "Oh I dont think he's coming out today. Its a bit rainy and cats dont like water!" *blinks* WHAT!? I drove across the state, endured HOURS in the Grocery Getter with Troy, and I dont get to meet GARFIELD?! WHAT A CROCK!!!! I was sad...shed a tear....and hit the roller coaster again.

We saved the water rides for last. We made good use of our Conchos and strategically placed them so we wouldnt get wet. That is until Tyler put a quarter in the machine that lets you shoot spouts of water onto the ride from the sidelines! REVENGE WILL BE MINE TYLER! After staying nice and dry all day inside my bright yellow poncho, (nacho-concho for those of you in the know), Tyler had drenched me head to toe in one shot.

At closing time we headed back to the campground and got warm and dry. We ate a little something, Juju got to talk to Jack on the phone, and I got my booty WHOOPED at golf....three times in a row. We dropped exhausted into bed early so we could make the 3 hour drive to Blue Lake the next day.

WEDNESDAY: We drove to Blue Lake only stopping once while Troy got pulled over for speeding. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the slowest man on earth got a ticket for speeding. His first by the way. *snickers*

Blue Lake Resort is very rustic. The lake is calm, it was warm but windy, and there was nothing to do but relax and fish. For the next two days we did lots of both. Jubilee had fun throwing rocks and wading into the water. Very relaxing two days after a fun-filled week.

FRIDAY: We headed home early yesterday morning. We stopped several times for potty breaks and had lunch at Hooters with the Wick 5 in Tacoma. The Hooters Girls loved Juju and gave her a balloon. We also stopped at the Silverdale mall on the way and picked up Jubilee's 3 year portraits. It was a relaxing ride home. I have to say I am so proud of Juju on this trip. There were no melt-downs, no problems, no potty accidents, no incidents of sick of being stuck in a car seat... besides a few whiney moments where a nap was needed, and a couple moments in a naughty corner, she was an absolute joy. Im a lucky mommy. For being so good on the trip, Jubilee got to pick out a prize at the Disney store, (no I didnt spontaneously combust upon entering the store...but I did feel like I sold out a bit). She chose a Little Mermaid lantern and a Little Mermaid car. I was surprised she didnt pick out something Jasmine since Aladdin has been her movie of choice lately, but apparently Ariel is still queen or..err... princess.

I have some pictures from the trip and will post those soon.

The Never-Ending Job Interview

So remember WAYYYYYY back in April I interviewed for an HR position for a yacht building company? .....still waiting to hear whether or not I have the job. This is the strangest job interview process Ive ever seen. Although, the company has had a string of bad luck when it comes to their HR dept which has slowed down the process significantly. Im told they are very interested in me, but cannot extend a job offer as of yet, and I should hear from them by the end of this week. They are doing what they can to make sure they have the best individual for the job, and I can appreciate that. I will write more about this whole process, but probably should wait until its all said and done. Its quite a story. Im still apprehensive about leaving Jubilee and going back to work, but lets face it - there are some good points to having money too. Plus, now that Ive gone through the process of interviewing, reading policy, and hearing more about the day to day operation of the company, Im kind of excited about being in that HR hub that is the center of an organization.



Saturday we're leaving on our annual camping trip to Eastern Washington. Usually its just a weekend stay at Lake Chelan then relax the rest of the week at Blue Lake. However, this year Holly and I convinced Dad to drive the extra couple hours to Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho. Jubilee, (and the rest of us) is sooooooo excited. I should have some good stories to share when we get home. We are fully prepared for a cross-state trip with a three year old. I have various activities and books for boredom, snacks, and even her old little potty seat so she wont have to crouch behind scotchbroom on the side of the road. Jubilee does really well on long car rides, so Im not anticipating any problems 9 hours in the car- but the portable DVD player with The Little Mermaid in it ready and waiting eases my mind.



Here's a pic of Rachel and I.... we went out and saw The Nasty Habits the other night. Girls night out!

The Birthday Girl

First of all let me start by making the feeble promise of trying to be a better blogger. Im so lame! But I really do like the idea of having this little place to archive day to day events in Jubilee's life - so I promise I will try to write more.

Whats been going on? Well the biggest news, at least for today, is that Jubilee is 3! It doesnt seem that long ago that we were finally bringing her home from the hospital after a 10 day stay in the NICU.





One Day Old














Three Years Old





















Jubilee is super excited about her birthday. Today the plans include making cupcakes, a special field trip with her school friends, and she gets anything she wants for dinner. The birthday party itself will take place on saturday, complete with a Little Mermaid cake and roller skating. (Hopefully not the two combined.)

Her great-grandmother sent Juju a cute birthday card with some money in it. I told Juju she could pick out a present at the store. We spent lots of time wandering around the store until she settled on the DVD Aladdin. (As much as I loathe Disney, I have to admit this is one of my favorites.)

Im off to cover 30 cupcakes in pink frosting for a gaggle of three year olds!

At Least Jubilee Isnt Pearl

I love Will Ferrel.

HOLY Culottes Batman, A BLOG!

(Yes, I had to look up the correct spelling of "culottes".)

Ok, ok, ENOUGH with the emails...Im blogging again. And NO Aunt Jan, I wasnt blogging because I dont get enough protein. Im going to start calling you Mom Botts #2 and we'll start making fun of your hair.

Not a lot has been going on since I last blogged. We had the first camping trip of the year over Easter weekend. It was too cold for us tent-campers, but Juju spent the night with Meema in the trailer. There was also some great sand candle-making, easter egg hunting, and concho-wearing. (Concho= The Condom-Poncho....you had to be there.) Juju spent much of the weekend jumping in puddles with her lady bug boots. She loves to be outdoors and is a true camping kid.

I guess the biggest thing for me to report about at this point is going back to work. I love being a stay at home mommy. Dont get me wrong...there are days that by 6pm I want to pull out my hair if I hear the word, "Mom-mom???" one more time. But I really do love the fact that I get to teach my daughter what she knows, I get to decide what to teach her, and I dont have to have someone else raise her for a whole 3rd of the day. I like that she isnt in a day care situation, (that I would have to spend much of my income on anyway), where she would be exposed to increased sickness and questionable disciplinary techniques that I probably wouldnt agree with. I like that we get to be creative with our time and how she gets to socialize. I like that I dont have to rush home from a job and try to spend quality time with her while I rush to make dinner, bathe her and put her to bed.

However, Mom Botts retired. She retired and OFFERED to watch Juju for me if I went back to work. This means no day care, and she'll be with someone who loves her and dinner could be done by the time I pick her up. And its FREE!

So obviously some of my concerns about going back to work are alleviated. Plus, there are benefits....like having some moolah. With Jamie and Jeff living in San Fransisco, Im bound to buy a plane ticket or two in the near future. I also like the idea of using my brain again besides just figuring out new ways to entertain a 2 year old.

Just around the time I was thinking about all this, what seems to be the perfect job for me is advertised in the classifieds. I got an early heads up from my sister who pretty much runs the ad department of our local paper. Its a Human Resources position for a local yacht building company. I would be responsible for all the HR needs of a large company with over 400 employees. This company has sites in Westport, Port Angeles, and Seattle. Its a big position. And, yep.... I turned in my resume and got a call yesterday. We had a mini-interview over the phone and I will be going in soon for an interview. I have not secured this position by any means yet, but if I do - it wont be like Im easing back into the workplace. It will be like Im doing a giant cannonball into a gigantic pool.

However, I cant help feeling a bit sad and bitter. Although there are many things in the "pro" column of me returning to work, my heart truly is with my daughter and being home for her. I feel its important for her development and for what I envisioned for her life. If I go back to work will I regret it for years to come? Once I get used to that income it will be hard to give up again. Honestly, I may have never considered going back to work if I hadnt felt a bit pressured by Troy. I think he wasnt completely honest about his feelings of me staying home. He obviously is bitter about having the pressure of being the sole breadwinner at this point. I think I will like working again....and all the benefits that go along with having a job....and a job in a field I enjoy and do well. But I like being only a Mommy more. Its a harder job. More frustration. More work than any other job Ive ever had. But its truly the only thing that means anything. So, if its meant to be, and I get this job, I will work even harder at making my time with Jubilee count.

On a lighter note - here is your Cuteness Allotment for the day. Some pics of a baby miniature pony named Knee-high who belongs to my friend Joe's family, and some pics of Juju camping and on Easter. ENJOY!

"And dont under-estimate the importance of BOBBY LANG-GAUGE!"

Its all about The Little Mermaid. Every where we go, anyone who comes into close proximity of Jubilee gets to hear about The Little Mermaid. "Ihavelittlemermaidmovie.Sheloseshervoice...ahhhhh ahhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhh." (As she imitates Ariel's singing.)

Im not a huge fan of Disney. I think its an evil corporation that will one day take over the world and make us slaves to the mouse. However, I do enjoy The Little Mermaid. I like Aladdin and the Lion King too....but thats as far as I go! Dont ask me to like any others....you might as well set me on fire. But, I digress...

Jubilee lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvves The Little Mermaid and being the parrot she is, she has picked up a few lines from the movie. I guess watching it every day will do that to a toddler. When she learned the words to "Part of Your World" I was impressed. When she imitates Ariel singing to Prince Eric as she splashed in the bathtub, I was amused. When she used her fork in her hair and demanded that it was a "dinglehopper" and not a fork, I dutifully agreed. However, when she learned to put her hand on her hip, shake her booty and say, "dont forget about BOBBY LANG-GUAGE!", I was disturbed. Ok, yes....seeing her little tooshy shake and talk in such a provocative tone such as Ursula does was funny as hell at first. But as she does it more and more Im thinking....maybe thats not the most appropriate thing for a two year old to be doing. I wish I could put a video here for you to see. Its quite a sight!

Tequila, Dancing, and Poo-Poo Rockets

Mom Botts' retirement party was a success! She had a great time with LOTS OF VODKA! Oh..and an upside down tequila shot too:



And after the shot.....

HAHA! She is soooo going to kill me for posting this pic. Dylan took the picture so Im not TOTALLY to blame.

She even got Jack to dance with her:

...so she could feel up his booty again.

Juju sang a song....

...and flopped (danced) around a lot.



We all had a really good time. Thanks to everyone who came and who helped us. It was awesome having everyone honor my mama!

Moving On - Time to Party

Ive kind of been avoiding my blog since my mind has been almost completely consumed with Aunt Donna's passing. As sad as I am and as much as I miss her, I know her as well as I know myself. She would want me to happy for where she is right now, and live my life with joy. ....so Im going to try and do that.

This weekend is the BIG retirement party for my Mom. She has worked for 20 years at the Peninsula Daily News and now feels its time to let go of that stress and chill out! YAY! My sister, my cousin Janet, and I along with some of Mom's co-workers are throwing her a big retirement party. Complete with a band and a stripper! (HAHAHA.... just kidding Mom Botts! ....kidding about ONE of them anyway.) Im really looking forward to seeing family, having fun and honoring my Mama! Even Jack is coming which I think made Mom Botts pee with excitement.

Holly and I are spending some of today and all of tomorrow in prep for the party. We're hitting Costco tonight to clean the place out of food, napkins and utensils. In addition to the food we're buying, we're also each cooking something. Holly is making something we lovingly call Poo-Poo Rockets. Dont know what that is? Come to the party and find out!