Anything but Ordinary

Santa Monica

2012-01-27T10:28:00.000-08:00

All i want to do, is have sum fun..i got a feeling, i'm not the only one...when the sun comes up on the
SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD.

Randy had to go up to Oxnard on business and i jumped into go with him and we were able to sneek away. He drove home on the Pacific Coast Hwy and we went on the most beautiful scenic drive down thru Malibu:

This is the view from my room:

and my view from the bar: (heehee)

it was such a relaxing couple of days...so unexpected...but so needed.

We took a walk at night down the Santa Monica Pier, when we got to the end of the pier there was this guitar player, all alone, playing our Wedding Song!!! how perfect was THAT!!!

i can't SEE!

2012-01-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

i can't see a darn thing in these 3D glasses..but hey...we look GOOOOD!
wait a minute...i think haileygirl got my glasses...haha...no wonder i couldn't see!

Stupid Ass Cat, Part 14.

2012-01-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

Put yer hands in da air like U jus don't care!!!!

Mountain Madness

2012-01-06T09:53:00.001-08:00

The Cox Family
~Whistler, Canada~

a family that boards together...

...plays together!

Things Learned

2012-01-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

TOP TEN things
I LEARNED IN CANADA:

10. THINGS I LEARNED IN CANADA: Snowboarding is WAY harder than it looks.

9. THINGS I LEARNED IN CANADA: Never get into a snowball fight with a Canadian.

8. THINGS I LEARNED IN CANADA: you cannot get rid of Canadian money....no matter how hard you try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7. THINGS I LEARNED IN CANADA: Canadian iced tea is really lemonade in disguise.

6. THINGS I LEARNED IN CANADA: falling off the chair lift NEVER gets old!!!!! Hahahahaa

5. THINGS I LEARNED IN CANADA: Canadians are actually Australians!!!

4. THINGS I LEARNED IN CANADA: no matter how many you try and buy...the $5 handwarmers do NOT work.

3. THINGS I LEARNED IN CANADA: never ever let husband sit with daughter in back of plane alone an fill her up with God-Knows-What Airline food and IGNORE the fact that she is turning green because she gets motion sickness.

2. THINGS I LEARNED IN CANADA: "poutine" is NOT what you think it is!!! Haha.

1. THINGS I LEARNED IN CANADA: if you ever want to know how out of shape you really are...walk up a snow covered mountain in full ski clothes while carrying snowboarding equipment. i was huffing and puffing harder than an asthmatic who chain smokes. :/

Tubing is SCARY!!! just sayin'...

2012-01-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

Ziplining is SCARY!!! just sayin'...

2012-01-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

Oh CANADA!

2012-01-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

Oh Canada???? more like a Question? We were going to go to Hawaii between Xmas and New Years, until Randy came home and suddenly announced he changed our plans and had the greatest idea: we were going to Whistler, Canada to go snowboarding!!!
let me remind you. we are desert rats from Arizona...haileygirl had never even TOUCHED snow before!!!
After weeks of ordering winter wear...we were off!
but not without delays. :(
We got stranded in LA for two days!!!! TWO DAYS!!!!! due to fog in LA.
we were soooo disappointed. poor kids really hung in there and toughed it out.

after finally getting DIFFERENT flights on an entirely DIFFERENT airline, (btw...do NOT fly Alaska Air)...we finally caught our flight.
Hayden CRACKED me up when he ordered Canada Dry because he was going to Canada. this kid kills me.

Haileygirl's FIRST time in the snow...getting snowed on even inside the car...she LOVED every second of it and even tried to keep 'saving' it in her pockets.

First Snowball fight of many...

oh don't let the sweet face fool ya...this gurlz got game!

our room with a view in Whistler Village:

We took the kids to the tube park one night and had a BLAST!!!!!

Oh Canada it is windy up here.

The Peak-to-Peak Gondola connects the two mountains:

1,427 ft in the air and travels 2.73 miles-1.88 of which is an unsupported span. should i mention i'm scared of heights?

The kids are all decked out and ready for their first day of SNOWBOARDING SCHOOL.

First time even SEEING snow...and she is already boarding.

no surprise that Hayden was shredding like a pro:

Janet on the other hand...wished that the ENTIRE mountain was a "magic carpet" ride...

another snowball fight:

and we have a winner:

all haileygirl talked about was getting to make snow angels:

one of the most exciting parts of our vacation was getting to ZIPLINE!!! It really was something awesome to experience and everyone enjoyed it. no turning back now kids:

WAIT!!!!! are you not coming with me????.......

NO...i don't wanna take the first step....

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........

of course, our "no fear" child just zipped right along...

the view was simply majestic!

such great memories made. can't think of a better way we could have started off our New Year. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

2012-01-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

Twenty Twelve. Really? already?
Guess there is no turning back...might as well ring in the New Year...

We went to the Q Casino for New Years and had Dinner with Jose and Sonia. Dinner was meh...and we got to the party a bit late.

but still managed to meet up with Scott and Val:

and ran into Ray and Annette:

and at LEAST we didn't miss our New Years K*I*S*S!!!!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T18:50:00.000-08:00

Santa was extremely giving this year, as always, and brought Hayden a Crotch Rocket.

and haileygirl a hot pink Electric Scooter.

now i just hope Santa left me a couple thousand dollars for the Emergency room bills. :(
But...this is what hayden REALLY wanted. MW3 has been on that boy's list for 6 months.

"see mom...this is the one...this is the one that i wanted"
"yes hailey...i know...you only told me one billion times".
heehee
but i got the best gifts of all...

Stupid Ass Cat, Part 13.

2011-12-21T17:02:00.000-08:00

and....
we have our answer...

Killer Kitty Attack!

DONE with DISNEY

2011-12-17T16:19:00.000-08:00

this year we took FOUR...yes FOUR trips to Disneyland...and believe me...we are all DONE WITH DISNEY for awhile.
in all the years i have been to Disneyland, i have never seen it during the holidays. so we bought Annual passes this year so we could finally commit to going to see it during the Christmas Season all decorated.

psst...hey kid...got any apples?

Since we had already been 3 times, it was SOooooo hard convincing ourselves to try and go again, plus with the holidays approaching it was the LAST thing we had time for, but we squeezed it in anyway.
The park was decorated really nice, but it rained for 2 days...which subsequently caused hayden to catch a cold and come down with bronchitis the following week. errrr.
but the GREAT news was that haileygirl got to go on CALIFORNIA SCREAMIN' for her very first time on an UPSIDE DOWN roller coaster. i don't know HOW we even squeaked her on...but we did...and our little thrill seeker had her hands up the WHOLE time. haha.

O' Christmas Tree

2011-12-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

i was absolutely, positively, without a doubt, 100%...in LOVE with my Christmas Tree this year!
We have ALWAYS had an artificial tree...for as long as i can remember. So, we thought it would be fun for the kids to be able to go to the 'lot'...and pick out a REAL FRESH tree.
After going to several (rolling eyes) lots we finally found THE PERFECT TREE EVER at Lowe's.
we told the kids to GUARD IT WITH THEIR LIFE while we pulled the truck around...

and i was so excited about the tree i think i scared the poor lowe's employee...

i was actually sad when i had to take it down this year.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Angels are Heaven Sent

2011-12-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

This was Haileygirl's FIRST NUTCRACKER performance for the Ballet. We have eluded it for years, due to scheduling and the tedious rehearsal schedules etc. but this year we committed in letting her do it, and she was selected to be an ANGEL.

I have to say, although i was EXHAUSTED by the end, and was completely stressed out for those couple of weeks during rehearsals and performances...it made up for it all when i saw my beautiful girl perform so elegantly that i even got tears in my eyes.

She had the most darling partner, Victoria, and they were actually told that they were "PERFECT" on more than one occasion...which is a term not loosely given from Miss Kathy the director.

It was a PERFECT way to start the Holiday Season.

Stupid Ass Cat, Part 12.

2011-12-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

Windy has been LOVING all the Christmas Decorations...but she has been freaking us out a little with all the REINDEER!
she lays by them ALL day and just stares at them. I'm not sure if she thinks they are her friends or if she is guarding her territory as if to say "you better not move".

Dear Santa,

2011-12-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

Pretty Please....

Where Dreams are Made of...

2011-11-14T13:17:00.000-08:00

in New York...
concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
There's nothing you can't do...

NEW YORK CITY

2011-11-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

The Big Apple.
Gotham City.
The City that Never Sleeps.
The Concrete Jungle....
it's NEW YORK CITY!!!

Since i was 15 i have dreamt of going to New York. had my itinerary all planned out in my head, and just hoped that one day i would get the chance to see it for myself.

my dream came true.

For my birthday this year...i made it happen. booked my ticket:

Packed my bags:

grabbed a girlfriend:

and just DID IT!
Small town girl meets subway!!!!!!!!

Ice Skating at Rockefeller Center:

A little Slice of Heaven:

but NOTHING compared to my first New York Hotdog...errr...STREET MEAT!

squeezed in 2 Broadway shows (Chicago and Sister Act):

Walked the Brooklyn Bridge:

errr....almost!

i love this city. i love the sights, the sounds, the people, the culture, the feeling like the city is actually ALIVE.

i LOVE new york.

We're on a ROLL!

2011-11-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hayden worked REALLY hard his first quarter to bring his grades up to make HONOR ROLL!
i am so very proud of him...it took a lot of effort.

Haileygirl was chosen as MUSTANG of the MONTH for November! Way to Go!!!

Stupid Ass Cat, Part 11.

2011-11-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

Windy will sit and cry to be let in, ummm hello, you have a kitty door r'ight there, but she will only use it to go OUT, not come IN. stoopid cat.

Ballet Observation

2011-11-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

Haileygirl and Miss Kyndra her Junior Ballet 2 instructor.

Cookbook Crook

2011-11-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

What child checks out a COOKBOOK from the School Library and THEN highlights all the pages of all the things she would like for me to cook for her. That would be HAILEYGIRL of course! sheeesh...guess that is why she has the nickname "munch".

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2011

2011-10-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

Tricks n Treats

2011-10-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

The kids and i always have a fun time decorating for HALLOWEEN.
we have a:
Graveyard
Pumpkin Patch
Lotions and Potions Lab
and so much more.
this year we added and made a few goodies...

CRAZY HAIR

2011-10-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

oh how we just LOVE CRAZY HAIR DAY!!!!

calling all BOOKS!!!!

2011-10-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

this was such a sweet moment. Haileygirl signed up like such a big girl for her first very own LIBRARY CARD!!!!!
her first book:
Junie B. Jones of course!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a GRAND ol' time!

2011-10-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

After the cocktail party i was really tired and stressed. Randy surprised us with a VERY last minute...throw us in the car and tell us where we are going...kind of surprise. We escaped to the ARIZONA GRAND Resort in Phoenix for a relaxing day of fun in the sun, relaxing poolside, and floating in the lazy river. it was a nice get-a-way, and we all had a nice time for one 'last chance' in the summer fun!

Cocktail Party

2011-10-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

some say i am the "party goddess" and can throw a party together within minutes. well, i don't think it actually takes MINUTES...a lot of planning and small, yet intricate details, make it LOOK like it was effortless. My 2nd Annual Ballet Yuma Cocktail Party was no exception. I had a nice tropical array of delicacies and party decorations to go with a beautiful outdoor evening.

sometime's you feel like a NUT!

2011-10-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

and so it begins. our FIRST ever Nutcracker Ballet rehearsal. i have dodged, swayed, hid, and excused myself from the NUTCRACKER for years...but this year...haileygirl will be starring as the most beautiful angel the ballet has ever seen. heehee.

it's a PILLOW...it's a PET!!!!

2011-09-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

sometimes, when you least expect it, someone comes along and brightens your day when you really need it, when you think nobody is really listening, when you start to wonder if you are too old to make new friends. and then the doorbell rings and the UPS driver is standing with a package with THESE inside, and you SMILE sooooo big knowing that there is someone out there that totally GETS YOU!!! Marianne Espino Muha i {love} you!!!!

Halloweentime

2011-09-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

HALLOWEENTIME at DISNEY!!!!

in all the years that i have been to Disneyland, i have never been during the holidays. neither HALLOWEEN nor Christmas. i have heard that it is SPECTACULAR. This year i decided to buy ANNUAL passes to Disneyland--knowing that it would FORCE me to go during the holidays.

This year...Sharon and her family decided to take Sydney for her first time AND celebrate Wayne's 50th Birthday AND it just happened to fall during HALLOWEENTIME at Disney so we all decided to go.

I, also, never realized there was a 'petting zoo' at disneyland! who knew!!! and the cutest thing happened with a Goat and a Girl:

The kids noticed this goat that wasn't even blinking. it literally looked like a statue, and people were asking if it was real. it stayed motionless for a very long time...until we went to take it's picture...then it noticed Haileygirl and started staring at her. it was the CUTEST thing...they had a 'staring contest' that lasted for several minutes...err...until haileygirl got the giggles. haha
It really was a MAGICAL time of year!

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend we snuck away with Emma and Cam Cong for a nice adult weekend in San Diego. We took the bikes and rode along the boardwalk and stopped in at a few little dive bars along the route.
Emma was freaking out about riding a bike...she said it had been forever since she rode one and she was worried she would fall. i was more worried about her hitting someone on the boardwalk than her falling off!!! tee hee but...we were pretty good lookin' Bike Babes:

it was so pretty that weekend...we stopped along the beach for a R&R:

"Look Ma...no hands!!!"....

"hurry up Emma...you know i am scared of the ocean!!!".....

Emma "my skirt is about to get soaked" Cong:

the boys hanging out:

Summer Luvin':

Octopussies...hee hee:

Well hello sir...what a mighty big...beak you have:

DB's in da house:

so much fun...can't wait to do it again next year!

Football!

2011-09-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some fooootballlllll????

Haileygirl is quite the character. riding with miss emma out to the river in their car...she puts on a complete show i hear...they are always sending me pictures and video from their phone.

it cracks me up that she is so comedic. who knew!!!!????

Hello, my name is Steven Urkle.

2011-09-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

At school it was dress as a bookworm/school nerd at school.
it was a very last minute throw together costume...and...well...i think he pulled it off just a little TOO WELL!!!! hahaha

water water water!

2011-08-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

Let's Blow this School Year Out of the Water!!!!

Oh...just made a mere 150 water bottles for the kids at school to kick off the new year. Oye!

light as a feather

2011-08-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Shake your "HAIR FEATHER" gurl.....

{all the new rage...these little feathers that come in different colors and then are attached to the hair...i surprised haileygirl by taking her into Amy and getting a pink one put in!}

Tooth Trouble.

2011-08-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Poor hayden complained his tooth was hurting. i got him into the dentist at noon and the xray didn't show anything...but she prescribed him pain meds and an antibiotic anyway. by 3am in the morning...he woke me up begging me to help him. UGH...my heart hurt so bad hearing him say that.
by 9am he woke up and this is what he looked like:

after getting ahold of the dentist and getting ready to leave to go to the urgent care...this is what it looked like:

getting to the parking lot it ruptured and puss and blood were spewing everywhere. ACK. but he was finally getting some relief.
he had to get a BAD shot of antibiotics and it hurt!!!! sniff.
This is one tough kid.
even with an abscessed tooth into his jawbone...he was still trying to cheer up his mom by making me laugh after the nurse gave him a shot in his butt:

Tree Hugger!

2011-08-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

"george george...george of the jungle...WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREEEEEE!!!!"

Hayden gets in the car after school and was all banged up. when i asked what the heck happened he said he was turned around in PE talking to a friend and he smacked right into a tree and laid himself out! LOL

"he was outnumbered...TREE to ONE" heehee

First Day of School

2011-08-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

S. Hayden Cox
Age 11
6th Grade: First day of Junior High!!!! ACK

Hailey Cox
Age 7
First day of 2nd Grade!!!

RAT BASTARD...part deux!!!

2011-08-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows i am a KLUTZ! so i am walking my bike up a big hill and i trip and fall over something. at first i thought i had dropped a towel or something out of my bike basket...but no...wait for it...IT WAS A RAT BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!

UGH...i am going to need therapy!!!! :(

2011-08-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

This girl was meant to be a Cali girl!

Haileygirl~Beach Babe!!!

This boy....This boy has stolen my heart! ;)

San Diego VACAY '11

2011-08-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Summertime just wouldn't be the same without a trip to the BEACH on Mission.

We've been so busy and have taken so many other trips, as well as, buying the new boat...but we just MISSED going. So very last minute we decided to hustle the kids over the weekend there and back before school started.
so glad we did!

Haileygirl's FAVE thing to do at the beach is dig and dig and look and look and search and search for SANDCRABS!!!

hayden LOVES to skimboard..and this year daddy spoiled him by going to the surf shop and buying him a $200 board. ACK!! well, he never did sit down the entire weekend...so at least he got the use out of it!

Hailey "sno-cone" Cox!

(Mmmm,,,,yours tastes better!)

Evil Torture Device Contraption!!!

"Squatters in the Shade" eating our ice-cream.

the kids thought it was funny on the trip back i would come in 'last' and they would all start cheering LOUDLY for everyone to hear "c'mon mom...you can do it....almost there...c'mon!!!".
Such a great VACAY!!!!

WORM...WRONG!!!!

2011-07-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

after a long day at the river, haileygirl got home from fishing and baiting Nightcrawlers like she had done it for years, it was real dark outside and she came up and asked..."did hayden dump the worms in the driveway"?...she was scrambling trying to catch this "WORM" that was slithering in the cracks of the driveway. well.....it wasn't a worm. IT WAS A SNAKE!!!!!!! Capital S....N-A-K-E!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ACKKKKKKKK...... i need a valum!!!!

somethin's fishy around here!

2011-07-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

All you need is a Rod, some Nightcrawlers, and the river...and you've pretty much kept him occupied all afternoon. ESPECIALLY when he kept catching these litte blue gills. don't worry hayden...it may be small...but just ask "what did YOU catch today"?

haileygirl really liked playing with the worms...so the next day we went out and got her very own fishing pole and let her take a stab at it. she was SO CUTE sitting there in her pigtales fishing like such a big girl! :)

NEW BOAT

2011-07-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Introducing: The S.S. Mistress

We've had our other boat for over 10 years and it has been nothing but fun and faithful to us. but recently, it started 'acting up' and we felt like we had 'outgrew' it since it was so small. no storage and nobody could ever come out with us. i sat only us four, and ice chest and 2 chairs. so...it was time. i convinced randy (yeah...totally twisting his arm) to start "looking" for one. Two days later...he found his boat...made the deal...and drove to L.A to pick her up.

i have lovingly named her the S.S.Mistress haha...because i have a feeling she will be taking up A LOT of his time. :)

Puzzle-time

2011-07-12T12:29:00.000-07:00

Haileygirl: "mom, i'm bored".

Me: "Go play with a puzzle or something."

Haileygirl: "look mom! i can make my own puzzle pieces!!!"

SHADES

2011-07-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Found the perfect pair of shades...ordered them...and then they stayed on backorder for 5 weeks! ugh.with an upcoming trip i HAD to have a pair of sunglasses, so i bought these:

wouldn'tcha know the day i got back...guess what was waiting in my mailbox:

which ones do you like best? hmmm...yup...me too! think i'll keep both! ;)

VEGAS BABY 2011

2011-07-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

We went to Vegas with the Congs and Donnelly's and had a FAB-TAB-U-LOUS time!!!!

We started out our evening at N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms. (randy's fave place to eat) and had a delicious 40oz. rib eye with all the fixings. although, i was most upset about having to leave this gorgeous basket of bread behind. :( sniff. The brioche was to DIE FOR...and emma sneaked one in her purse and carried it there for 2 days forgetting to surprise me with it until we were leaving Vegas...awww...good friends. haha

After dinner we had tickets at the Mirage to see Beatles: Love.

Emma, Val and I all dolled up for a night on the town!

Could we get wheelchair assistance for the drunk please? heehee

we stayed at the HardRock Hotel and managed to make it to the Rehab pool the next morning to nurse our hangovers with $25 bloody marys.

Janet with Janice.

Night two. We went to the Aria and ate at Julian Serrano's for tapas. the sangria was UNBELIEVABLY delish!!!

We had good times...with good food...and good fun...with good friends...so many funny things happened...but like they say..."what happens in Vegas...stays in Vegas"...

Toodaloo MuthaF*ckers!!!! (heehee)

Celebrity!

2011-07-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

everytime i go to vegas i try and take my pic with a celebrity...gonna make it a tradition! ;)

A little Bogart.

Sum Keith Richards.

ALOHA

2011-07-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

Auntie jean and nicole sent this BEAUTIFUL hawaiian dress with necklace and bracelet from Hawaii for haileygirl's birthday present. WHAT A HIT! she absolutely loves it...and wants to wear it every day!!

Such a thoughtful gift, and perfect for my Island Girl!!!!

ALOHA!

Meet DUKE

2011-06-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

After losing Hammy-Down, our beloved Beta Fish...we decided to go get another one. Meet DUKE. the newest addition to our family:
DUKE: he is a CROWNfish...CROWN=ROYALTY=DUKE. Scary how my mind works isn't it...hahaha!

Hello Kitty

2011-06-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

There is nuttin better than da kitty!!!

WE LOVE HELLO KITTY!!!

Haileygirl got to go to Build-a-Bear Workshop and make her very own special friend...

DISNEYLAND, Part 2.

2011-06-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

we took our 2nd trip to Disneyland for Haileygirl's 7th Birthday.

This time we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel for the first time, and the kids and i really enjoyed it, although dad was homesick for the California Grand Hotel. The kids favorite part was this beautiful built in headboard for the bed that twinkled as a nightlight and sang a lullaby before bed. it was amazing!

On Saturday we went to the Pool to have a 'down day' from the theme parks. crazy time with all the tubes and shoots!

(mom and dad's favorite part of the trip!)
Of course...there is the FOOD at Disney:

Haileygirl eats one of these every day!

Cookies for breakfast...MOMMY FAIL! (but it is Disneyland after all)

Mmmm,,,Turkey Bone!!!!
and what would disneyland be without the RIDES:

What a bunch of CHARACTERS:

(ladies man...heehee)

when i came back from the bathroom look who was watching after the kids!!!!!
and no trip to Disney would be complete without the schnazzy glasses:

Happy 7th Birthday Haileygirl!!!!

2011-06-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

i dreamt of you. i wanted you. i prayed for you. and 7 years ago today...i got you. i love you hailey grace cox!!!

Mad Hatter Tea Party

2011-06-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Queen of Hearts hereby summons you to attend Hailey's Very Merry Un-Birthday!!! Don't be late for this very important date...or...OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!!!!!!!!!

down the rabbit hole you will see...

a Mad Hatter Tea party is where you'll be!!!!

Invites:

To the Cox House from 12 until 3...

With sandwiches, cookies, tarts...and TEA!!!

This Way,

That Way,

Wrong Way,

BIRTHDAY!!!!

make a wish birthday girl:

i hope they all come true!

{for your 7th birthday you wanted to be Alice in Wonderland and have a tea party with a few of your friends...mommy went a 'little' overboard with this very merry un-birthday indeed! but your smiling face made it all worth it!}

Etudes Ballet Recital 2011

2011-06-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

Junior Ballet 1

Haileygirl did such a B*E*A*U*T*I*F*U*L job performing on stage. it simply wows me each and everytime seeing how graceful she is, and what stage presence she has even so young.

First Lost Tooth!!!!!!!!!!

2011-06-02T16:04:00.000-07:00

after finally getting a wiggler...haileygirl couldn't WAIT to pull out that tooth!!!

I've never seen someone SO excited to be standing there, bleeding down her chin, with a tooth in her hand. she was absolutely GIDDY!!! and she yanked it out all by herself!

sigh...my baby doesn't look like a baby anymore. sniff

the tooth fairy brought her a silver dollar, a gold dollar, a paper dollar, and a chocolate dollar along with a pack of sugarless gum!

problem you ask?

only that 2 days later she yanked out ANOTHER tooth...and i'm not even quite positive it was loose.

you get an "A"!!!!

2011-05-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

S.Hayden Cox~ Straight "A" Honor Roll all 4 Quarters this year!!!! Sniff...Mommy moment...

in Rememberance...

2011-05-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you Boy Scouts of America for placing the American Flag in our yard. It is Beautiful!

haileygirl made this on the iPad for Memorial Day. love it!

Field Trip Video

2011-05-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

i made a video collage to music of Hayden's 5th grade field trip. it turned out AWESOME!!!!
turn up your speakers:

SEA WORLD FIELD TRIP

2011-05-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hayden had a 5th Grade Field Trip to SEAWORLD this year, and i was "lucky" enough to be selected as a chaperone!! hehe

i was a bit worried i might not survive...we had to be at the school at 5AM to board the buses which put me waking up at 3:45 to get ready and out the door. This is going to require some serious caffeine intervention!

i actually believe the the BUS ride is more fun for the kids than going to Sea World itself!

4 times on the Atlantis Ride and 3 times on the Shipwreck Rapids...gonna require MORE caffeine!

the kids absolutely had a blast on the rides...

but i have to say...i literally in all my years...have never laughed so hard, or almost pee'd my pants when i came off this ride and saw this pic:

it was worth every cent of the $15 it cost just to capture their traumatized faces...hahaaaaaa!!!!!!

so glad i got to share this day with my boy. it is one i will never forget.

Mustang of the Month

2011-05-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hayden was selected as Student (Mustang) of the Month! Good job dude!!!!

BUNCO Reunion

2011-05-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

it was a BUNCO turned GNO reunion!!!!
Chardee had organized to get the "old" Bunco gang back together for an evening of fun. All of us "old" momsclubbers only get to see each other every so often...but getting us ALL back together under one roof..well...ws just FANTASTIC.
we even convinced Tina (teeny) to come down from Phoenix for the night!!!

The CRAZIEST thing happened. while we were playing Bunco in walks TRACI...from MASSACHUSETTES!!!!! she hopped on a plane, flew ALL DAY changing planes...and completely and totally shocked us all by waltzing in unexpectedly!!! it was her birthday, and she decided she couldn't let us have a Bunco Reunion without her!
so...we decided to all go out and celebrate!

THE CLAW:

only funny to all of us...we laughed so hard tears were rolling down our faces.

This shot was taken only moments before i was thrown out front as a human shield from a guy that was gyrating and attempting to dance for all of us girls on the patio of the bar.

what's a little cock...errr...chicken amongst friends! haha. everytime i go downtown i always get my picture with this dude. ;)

Such a great night...such great times...such great friends. so thankful.

Broken Glasses

2011-05-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

know what is worse than sitting on your favorite pair of Arnette Sunglasses? Realizing they are discontinued and no longer available. :(
funny part? i was wearing an old pair of sunglasses that i found in the console of my car that were obviously from 1972. i turned to hayden after picking him up from school and was trying to go over a few details about some paperwork with him when he bluntly said "Mom, stop, i just can't take you seriously when you are wearing those glasses". LOL

Day 6...I SMELL A RAT!!!!!!

2011-05-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

Woohoo!!!
final score!!!!!
thought he could out-smart me 5 nights in a row. sheesh!!!
i got the RAT BASTARD!!!!!

Day 5...

2011-05-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

OPERATION RAT BASTARD is now getting serious. i am exhausted...i'm not sleeping...i.must.catch.rat!
RAT: 5 JANET: 0

It is time to break out the big guns...STICKY PAPER!!!we heard it is the fastest way to catch a rat...but it could be sorta cruel...cuz they stay alive.
Kids: "mom...what happens when they get stuck on the paper"?
ME: "you hear them screaming and whimpering and then you watch them die a slow deliberate death while smiling!"
oh...don't judge!!!!! you didn't have Speedy Gonzales run up YOUR leg at 3am!!!! :(

DAY 4...

2011-05-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Day 4 of OPERATION RAT BASTARD:
RAT: 4 JANET: 0

i am one step away from getting a stick of dynamite!!!! :(

DAY 3

2011-05-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

RAT: 3 JANET: 0 i think it is time to retire Stupid Ass Cat. :( not sure WHAT she has against RATS...she eats everything else!!! She better start earning her keep!

Lazy Cat!
She PLAYS with the field mice out back. actually toys with them and she wags her tail like a dog she gets so excited. as a matter of fact...it was probably Stupid Ass Cat that brought the darn RAT in my house in the first place!. UGH>

OPERATION RAT BASTARD

2011-05-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Day 2: Operation RAT BASTARD has commenced!!!!

AAAAaaaaaaack....A RAT!!!!!!!!

2011-05-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

After having kids i have not made it through the night without getting up at least once to go potty. i can literally do it in my sleep. sleepwalk there...tinkle...sleepwalk back and i am out. sometime's i'll be so sleepy i actually nod off on the potty.
so i am sitting there last night and i felt something crawl all the way up my leg and down. at first i thought maybe i had dropped the toilet paper...but when i blinked open my eyes...i saw that it was still in my hand. just about the time i realized that...the damn thing crawled across my foot...IT WAS A FREAKING RAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
needless to say, i didn't fall back asleep...i was pretty shaken up...and the damn thing RAN back into the pocket door opening and was probably hiding in the walls laughing his little butt off. :(

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

the reason i get to celebrate Mother's Day:

we're gaga over LALALOOPSY.

2011-04-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

What's a Lalaloopsy you ask? just one of the craziest doll crazes ever! Haileygirl got her first one for Easter: JEWELS SPARKLE.

Let the craziness begin....

EASTER '11

2011-04-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

22 Large Eggs, 227 Small Eggs, 9 Mini Eggs, 26 Hard Boiled Eggs, 8 Candy Carrots, 3 Chick Shaped Eggs, 3 Carrot Shaped Eggs, 1 Jelly Bean Shaped Eggs, and 2--count them 2...GOLDEN EGGS for a grand total of 301 EGGS for the EGG HNT!!! On your mark, get set, Goooo.....

Easter 2011...Hail Hail the Gang's all here!

Laura and Chuck were the big winners of the INFAMOUS GOLDEN EGG. Every year the Easter Bunny hides a lucrative GOLDEN EGG with cold hard cash in it. This year...we had the WORST.EGG.HUNTERS.EVER!!!! nobody found it at first...hints and more hints had to be given, then after Chuck found the egg...it was announced that there was a "SECOND GOLDEN EGG" to be found!!!! it was mayhem and madness, people literally dumped out my drawers and turned my cabinets upside down in order to find it. complete chaos and mess! :(

but, my traditional CARROT CAKE made up for it. Mmmm...Cream Cheese Frosting...nothin' better!!!

Hayden

Haileygirl

MONTEREY visit

2011-04-19T16:02:00.000-07:00

Took a trip back up to Monterey, Ca with Randy who went for business. was a GREAT get-a-way in the middle of the week, and i realized that i had really missed it up from when we used to live there.

One of my favorite things in the world to do...sit on the wharf in Monterey and have a Clam Chowder bowl. i could do that every day.

while there, i got to meet a friend from Facebook and her husband. Marianne and Steve Muha. FACEBOOK STRANGER DANGER!!! haha we are like soul sista's...so much in common...friends from the very start!

i mean...who couldn't love a gal that still has Air Supplies greatest hits on TAPE!!!!!!!!!!! ahahaaaaa.

i love you kitty!!!!

gotta love a place that provides me with my Starbucks in the morning!!! BEST HOTEL EVER!!!!!

setting the BARRE high!

2011-04-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Haileygirl JUNIOR BALLET with Miss Kathy.

she finally made it to the BARRE!

It's not FAIR!!!!!!!!

2011-04-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

YUMA COUNTY FAIR 2011

Hayden had a broken arm this year, and he wasn't allowed to go on many rides, one time they would let him on, and the next time not. he was so sad and frustrated.

Hayden would get SO TICKED at Haileygirl. they would go up the slide...to "RACE" down...and before he could get ON his mat she would take off before him...he would yell at her everytime at the bottom...oh we couldn't help but just LAUGH our butts off...which only ticked him off more! LOL

Her favorite. the swings. only because last year she wasn't tall enough and they wouldn't let her on. she thinks she is SO sass for getting to ride this year. haha

Who would like to volunteer to hold a tarantula? oh...haileygirl, of course!!! our non-scaredy-cat-child!!!!!

Is there anything better than Meat-on-a-Stick??? i think not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

$30 to get into Fair

$50 on Games

$75 on Food

$100 on Ride Tickets

but did you come home with THIS little gem:

PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAMMY down!

2011-03-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Last year we were given a Beta Fish from Hayden's friend Grant who was moving. We (meaning I) reluctantly took him, but he seemed harmless enough. We named him HAMMY because he was a "Hammy-Down" fish from his friend. (ie: Ham-Bone, Hamster, Ham-boy, FAT -BOY) This little dude was so awesome. everyone loved him. he was like a Piranha to feed...would practically take your fingers off!!! he would also follow you around the tank...always fluttering...seemed excited to see ya.

One night we came home and HAMMY was floating in his tank. he was a goner. it was late...so we said we would 'take care' of him in the morning. but...when we woke up...HE WAS ALIVE...damn thing was playing dead!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was the craziest thing ever!

He seemed to get sick...and i seriously nursed him back to health...did everything but give him mouth to mouth...and he made it again...survived another 2 weeks. but, alas, our dear Hammy-boy passed. :( R.I.P. hammy...the bar top will never be the same.

Chicks Dig it!!!!

2011-03-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

Scars heal. Glory Fades...

and all we're left with are the memories made.

Pain hurts. but only for a minute...

Yeah, life is short, so go on and live it.

Cuz' the Chicks Dig It!

BMX BREAK

2011-03-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

He has been riding a bike since he was 2 with no training wheels. jumping curbs and ramps in the neighborhood since he was 3. racing BMX since he was 4 years old. it was inevitable. but i still wasn't prepared.

his first injury.

a broken arm. :(

his two forearm bones broke off the wrist plate.
i got the dreaded call late friday night and met them at the hospital.
Hayden was SO brave!!!! he didn't even cry.
he was manually over a hill and the bike flipped out from under him and he placed his hands down to brace his fall and SNAP.
One of the gals at the track got to him first and he just looked up at her and said "i think i broke my arm"...Dad was 2nd to the scene and he looked down and said "yep". hayden lets go. Dad picked up the bike, the walked to the truck, and they left. no tears. so brave.

Mom on the other hand is a different story. after a loooong exhausting night of hassle and problems at the hospital, i started to cry. it was hayden that comforted me by hugging me and saying "Mom, it's ok...i'm going to be alright". LOL

We sat in the ER for 2 hours before anybody even SAW him. he just sat there with an ice pack on it. ugh. finally, they called an Orthopedic surgeon in to do the reduction. good thing! They decided to sedate him and then do it...so much better for him. (more expensive...but better).

Hayden's first broken bone. :( and hopefully, his last.

TOWER of TERROR

2011-03-05T17:58:00.000-08:00

Hayden: Mom, i don't want to go on the Tower of Terror becuz' it makes my nuggets tingle when it drops. ::

Haileygirl: yeah, i'm just going to hold onto mine.

DISNEYLAND 2011

2011-03-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

This Year we bought Annual Passes to Disneyland and decided to go for Both Hayden and Haileygirl's Birthday's this year. (not sure this was the SMARTEST idea we've ever had)!

We decided to try and go on short mini-vacations instead of one long one and we hadn't been to Disneyland in a few years.

We rode every ride at least 3 times each. Haileygirl was tall enough (and brave enough) to go on EVERY ride but the big roller coaster at CA Adventure...and she WOULD have gone on it if they would have let her!
it was an exhausting trip to say the least...GO GO GO!!!

What do you mean there isn't an Elevator???

Ahhh...this is more like it!!!

California Adventure Park

Overall, we had Magical Memories...and can't wait until our next trip in June!!!!

ROCKBAND Sleepover

2011-03-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

For Hayden's Birthday we gave him ROCKBAND and let him choose 3 friends to come sleepover. They Rock'd the house ALL night long!

His guitar cake came out AWE-SUM...but it was a pain to make and took me all day. :(

The ALL-U-CAN-EAT junk food bar was a real hit and kept them going 'til the wee hours of the morning!

The Band:

Ira, Hayden, Bryce, and Noah.

My Favorite Rockstar:

Dominos delivery...this should push them past the Midnight hour!

Our nickname "Punk" seems to be accurate!

and it's morning...and they are still rock'n out!

Happy Birthday HAYDEN

2011-03-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

11 Years ago...the world became a much happier place.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYDEN!

Willy's

2011-02-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

Hmmm....should i really trust my Jelly Filled from a donut shop named WILLY'S???

Bridget Orta Martinez

2011-02-24T13:52:00.000-08:00

Today we lost a dear friend, a brave woman, a loving sister, a comforting mother, a warrior for the cause against cancer. Today, is a sad day.

Today, we will stop and remember.

Rest in Peace Bridget. I love you.

GOT PUDDLES???

2011-02-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

Will you Be MINE?

2011-02-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

This Valentine's i made a ton of little goodies for teachers and friends to show them some LOVE!

I made homemade chocolate chip Muffin baskets for Ms. Hachtel and Ms. Hutchinson, the kids teachers to simply let them know "There is MUFFIN in the world like them"!

i, also, made these mugs of cocoa goodies for the staff and friends.

and then over 75 individually wrapped Rice Krispie treats for the kids to pass out to their class...ummm...yeah...ask me if i will ever do THAT again!!!

Lil' hair clip for haileygirl:

Randy surprised me by making me a FROM SCRATCH ALL ON HIS OWN HOMEMADE German Chocolate Cake for Valentine's Day. he went to the store, looked up the recipe online, and spent 5 hours baking in the kitchen to surprise me. It is my favorite childhood cake, and nobody else likes it, so he says he felt bad that i never get it. awww...he is so sweet...and so was the CAKE!!! YUM!!!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

2011-02-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

Just tack it onto my total...

oh wait...i think the rules state that if the mirror was in PINK plastic then the 'bad luck' doesn't count! whew!

GNO

2011-02-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

which stands for Girl's Night Out!

Always have a good time when Amy and I go out.

plus, i make all the girl's look good. (heehee)

And the Award Goes To....

2011-02-07T13:24:00.000-08:00

I love Alice Bryne School and the fact that they put on little Award Ceremonies at every Report Card. I think it gives the kids incentive, and also gives them some recognition to try and keep working hard for next time.

Hayden made Straight-A Honor Roll for the second quarter and also completed the 5th Grade A+ Reading Modules which earned him a certificate AND the honorary selection of a Snoopy Mug that all the kids covet. ;)

Haileygirl earned a Reading, Math, Homework, and High Frequency Word Awards.

GOOD JOB COX KIDS!!!!

SUPERBOWL

2011-02-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for sum FOOTBALL?

Had a few friends over to watch the game and BBQ.

Couldn't have asked for better weather in February, and even bought new patio furniture so we could have another TV outside to watch the game.

Maynard lost a "bet" that his team would have a better undefeated record and had to wear a moo-moo the entire day. SO FUNNY!

We had two football pools going...and i won a majority of the quarters AND the final score win. Some of our friends were really poor sports about it and thought we 'cheated', even though it is total random and luck. no worries...i laughed all the way to the bank! ;)

Stupid Ass Cat, Part 10.

2011-01-31T11:05:00.000-08:00

we went away for the day, and Windy missed me so much she decided to bring me a present...to my BED!!!!

UUuuuuuuuuggh!

the worst part...the thing was laying over...feathers everywhere...playing DEAD!

when i went to scoop it up to clean up the mess...

the damn thing shot up at me, came alive, flapping all around scaring the last thread of sanity i had left right out of me!

EEErrrrrrrr! damn cat.

Excuse me...

2011-01-31T10:14:00.000-08:00

Do these glasses make me look smart?

i hate wearing glasses. i never tell anyone i wear glasses...cuz' i don't. i wear contacts. but, every once in awhile i have to take them out and put on the ACK...GLASSES. when people see me and say "oh janet...i didn't realize you wore glasses"...i always reply: "i don't...they are just a figment of your imagination". ;)

What's the SCOOP?

2011-01-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

The "SCOOP" of the story.

For years i have teased my Mother-in-Law about wanting to steal her sugar scoop. it is this beautifully crafted hand-dyed and laminated together rainbow wood scoop that i just love.

People gasp when they hear me tell her "you know...when you die...i am going to get the scoop".

but between her and i--we just crack up over it.

SO...after years of teasing...she got me my OWN scoop!!

and then...subsequently...

the collection of Scoops...

the collection of Spoons...

the collection of Bowls...

haha...guess i won't be needing her scoop after all!

i scream, you scream, we all scream...

2011-01-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

FOR "THRIFTY" ICE CREAM!!!!!!

Mmmm...there is nothing better than Thrifty's Mint Chip Ice Cream Cone!

Featherina

2011-01-22T10:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Bloggers...let me introduce you to my friend "FEATHERINA".

created especially for me and my office door by Hailey Cox.

Hello Friend!

2011-01-20T10:55:00.000-08:00

There are so called friends...and then there are REAL friends!

(thanks Mitch!)

Little Stitches BABIES

2011-01-18T10:40:00.001-08:00

so many friends having babies...so many onesies to make and stitch!

I LOVE IT when i see pics of these precious babes wearing my 'lil onesie designs...

caution: the following pics might make you kiss the screen and try and pinch their cheeks!

announcing Braydon Christopher born 12*30*10

Introducing Miss Stella born 12*31*10:

Introducing Hank James Auza born 1*10*11:

BLOG INFO

2011-01-02T16:20:00.000-08:00

Hello! If you are new to this BLOG...due to my insert in the Christmas Card...here is some general info:

If you scroll down on the right hand side...you will see a list of Archives that you can click on to see previous months or even YEARS worth of posts and pics. So sit back, grab yourself a beverage, and enjoy reading endless info about the Cox Crew in your spare time. LOL

Next, keep scrolling down on the right hand side and you will see a place where you can sign up to be a FOLLOWER of this blog. Click on the "FOLLOW" icon...and you can sign in using an email address etc to become an OFFICIAL "Anything But Ordinary" fan and get notified when i update the blog, which is very rare...haha!

Thank you to my loyal 7 blog followers thus far...(wink)...you guys are the BEST! ;)

1.1.11

2011-01-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR TWENTY-ELEVEN!!!!

We rang in the New Year with...

Good Friends:

Good Food:

Good Drinks:

Which made for Good Times:

Wishing you the best 2011 has to offer!

***CHEERS***