We're Totally Friends

Julian Casablancas of the Strokes--pretty funny song.


Here's Susan and I on stage with him on Mad TV ~2002:


I'm getting old now ya know, so it's fun to look back on all the cool stuff we did. We got to hang out with them and Drew Barrymore in their suite in Las Vegas too. All thanks to Matt Sorum. Yes, I will be old and gray telling that story to my grandchildren :)

La Roux

I heard this from my sister Susan, who heard of her from my sister Michelle :) I like it. I actually like the music, but after watching this video, there's something attractive about her. I don't know why, but I really like her Tilda Swinton-esque look.

Scary Spider

Probably just a garden spider, but it's huge and always out at night waiting for it's bug dinner. There was this huge web on our front porch--got rid of it yesterday while pulling weeds and putting my new flag up. I've wanted to get one for a while, and decided to since John's mom sent me an email about having one out for 9/11.







Here's our neighbor Lincoln--he generously gave Lucas his old back pack since he bought a new one, and he also gave Lucas some really cool cowboy boots---Lucas had to break them in with his trick:




Thanks!

Lucas Misses You dada...

I was packing some miscellaneous things in our kitchen drawers and found this expired I.D. card of John's. I let Lucas have it and now he carries it around with him! He's so cute---giving dada a kiss!



And here's sleepy Olivia this morning:

The International Market

Susan and I took the babies to the "Emart", an international (mostly asian) market that was huge in Newport News today. It was worth the trip because I found those really delicious and thin lumpia wrappers. Lucas enjoyed looking at all the bright animated packages, and so did we! Fun trip. Olivia was laughing so hard because Lucas was slapping the head of cabbage I bought. :)


These colorful candy/cookie/cracker snacks reminded me of working in Canoga Park CA at the Sam Ash...It was right next to an Asian market and all us guitar salespeople would buy wierd stuff and try it out. I remember lots of jokes about 'Pocky'





Mexican Candy! but no mango pops..

Then we got to the REAL interesting part of the store:

Hmm...Noodle Road. Sounds like a drama:



Susan's a bobblehead :)

SOLD!


I also bought special rice noodles to try and make pansit with. It's a delicious filipino noodle dish with whatever meat (or egg) you like in it, stir fried with soy sauce and cabbage and carrots. I am going to L + O's godparents house in Toano on thursday to learn the real way to make it, as well as Vikki's, (Eileen's mom) recipe for lumpia. But I had to make some lumpia tonight, so mom came over and we made it with ground turkey, cabbage, carrots, water chestnuts, and I even tried some of the rice noodles in it--after soaking them. They were pretty good in them! I gave some to my neighbors, and I hope they like them. They are delicious with this sweet chili sauce.





Norman brought over his electric drums and Lucas whined that he couldn't play them as soon as he got up from his nap. Then we let him have a turn to drum to what else..Jonas! lol. He was so excited. Guess we have another drummer in the family. Then Olivia was almost crawling---she was holding herself up on her toes and hands--strong! Any day now...



" Bye Nommie!" (he picked up a phone once and said "hewo? nommie?"

By the way, Lucas LOVED the Lumpia!

Sorry you couldn't be here daddy--we'll make you some lumpia and pansit when you come home! :)

I love Unicorns

And Greg Gutfield. :)

tired....very

I've wanted to post so many things and cute L + O moments and house updates, but i really have been painting non-stop. It's so much more work than you think...patching the holes, sanding, taking off plate covers, taping a perfect edge, getting the paint ready, painting the edges/perimeter, using the roller, repeating for second coat, and then comes all the clean up which takes forever. Most the downstairs is done, but i have yet to attempt the kitchen...lots of tape and its going to be hard to get around all the stuff we still use. I also installed a new digital thermostat (at the request of our prop manager). I feel (and look...) manly.
But here's some pictures of the last few days. John left thursday and will be gone 2 weeks.
Here's the finished deck:

Lucas climbed up to sit with Norman--so cute:

Me hiding behind pretty Olivia:

A bunch of kids playing Rock Band at our house while I made more albondigas soup---SOO good when you use the "Hot" rotel :) John liked it too!

The first part I finished (the little breakfast nook area)-- I like this "cream yellow" paint color:


Here's Lucas having his special breakfast..banana, raspberries and waffle:

Olivia sleeping while I painted:

The big wall i finished yesterday:

Happy Hodge's altogether...we miss you dada:

Here I am showing off my Reebok Easy Tones--I was first insulted when John told me he wanted to buy them for me...I said "I'm not going to look like those girls in the commercials with the butts walking around in them just because I wear shoes!" but we got them anyway :) I had a dr laura moment and realized my husband just wants to want me more which is good. Unfortunately, I haven't been wearing them lately because I dont want to get paint on them! I will wear them though.
Giving mama a kiss:


And here's video from yesterday when I noticed Olivia really excitedly dancing and trying to sing the "Olivia" theme song, which is a song with only one lyric over and over...OLIVIA! I have sung it to her since she was born, so she better know it by now :)

The Downstairs Bathroom

hmm..sounds like a good name for a band.

Well, we are almost done with the bathroom. Took out the old sink and toilet. Repaired the walls. Fresh coat of paint. New floors, baseboards and quarter-round. New ($34) sink vanity, new mirror, new towel racks/toilet paper holder, and new dual-flush toilet installed!

It was a lot of work and with constant obstacles, but we have done almost everything, and all we have left is to hook up the sink.
Yesterday, we ran into a wall with the toilet wax ring seal. The new flooring caused it to be higher up. After numerous trips to Ace hardware and Home Depot, wax rings and plastic/rubber seals, we finally layered 2 wax ring/flanges together and sealed the toilet. It has a button for pee, and a button for poo, to conserve water. Here are pictures of the whole tiring process:











John leaves thursday for a few weeks...i have to start the daunting task of painting the whole house...i am already tired and achey! but i wouldn't pay $2000 for someone else to paint it (which is what I was quoted). Wish me luck.