Even educated fleas do it...

Papa Z has a few quirky attributes.  One of the most endearing ones is his need to run a song into the ground!   Meaning if he finds a song that catches his attention he will play or sing it over and over and over and over until you can’t stand it!  Despite being an innocent bystander, you have no control over the inevitable outcome; the song will be burned into your brain forever and will continuously play on an endless loop in your head.  Fortunately this only happens about four or five times a year.  Usually he picks current songs that I actually like, but he has recently found a little gem that I would be willing to go out on a limb to say no one could ever guess in a million years what he has latched onto.  You might as well not even attempt to guess because you will be wrong!  He has latched onto “Let’s do it, Let’s fall in love” by Cole Porter dating back to 1928!  With words like:

Birds do it, bees do it

Even educated fleas do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

And a catchy tune, I guess I can see how he was allured.  So if you hear me murmuring about educated fleas under my breath you now know I have not actually gone off the deep end.

Zany thought of the day:  Do you have songs that get stuck in your head?  Which ones?

Oh, the webs we weave!

I always wonder what stories my kids tell other people, particularly the teachers at school.  What stories about our life do they share and which ones do they keep to themselves?  We don't really have any deep dark secrets that if shared would totally destroy our family, but we sure have countless embarassing things that happen to us on a regular basis and I'd rather not have to explain to a teacher about them.  Then there are those stories the kids just completely make up.  There's not a thread of truth to them, but they can tell it like it's the 100% truth. 

Wacky Zacky's class just started a new unit on families.  He was given a worksheet and asked to draw a picture of his family.  I think Wacky Zacky started to blur the fine line of truth/make-believe when he drew the picture of our family and explained it to his teacher. 

Yes, he depicted all five of us in the picture.  No, Zany Janie and I don't have Mohawks, our hair is just pulled back in pony tails.  No, I'm not technically taller than Papa Z, but that's not the part of the drawing that toes the line of fact or fiction.  Do you know what it could be?  Take a closer look at Silly Jilly.  According to Wacky Zacky he is twirling her in a circle by her feet.  Yes, Silly Jilly is a tough cookie because she has had to tolerate bumps and blows from her two older siblings, but we draw the line at carrying her around by her feet!  I'm hoping the picture didn't give him any good ideas!

Zany thought of the day:  I must say I do like how skinny Wacky Zacky made me!  Maybe stretching the truth a bit in a drawing isn't so bad...

Never succumb to "pee" pressure

The minutes were ticking away and the count down was on for nap time.  It has been a crazy day and I was really looking forward to a few minutes of peace and quiet.  Silly Jilly was already sawing logs and Wacky Zacky and Zany Janie were getting themselves ready for their nap, while I continued working on making a banner for our soccer team.  Zany Janie came into the computer room for what I thought was a hug and kiss before her nap when she nonchalantly told me she had peed on Wacky Zacky's floor.  I was 100% sure I had not heard correctly so I asked her to repeat herself.  She said it again and walked out of the room as if it were no big deal and I wouldn't have 100 questions about it.  I charged down the hall still in disbelief, hoping they were just kidding.  Wacky Zacky confirmed that Zany Janie had indeed peed on his floor because he had told her to do it.  After further questioning, I became 100% sure without a doubt this had happened.  As that realization hit, my blood pressure skyrocketed and I calmly told them to go to their rooms because I had to think about what to do about the situation.

I walked downstairs to calm down and called Papa Z at work.  We discussed the issue and after I was calm I went back upstairs to talk about what had happened.  I found both kids huddled together on Wacky Zacky's bed.  They both looked scared and finally Wacky Zacky asked if the police were coming.  They thought I had called the police instead of Papa Z.  Wacky Zacky was sure Zany Janie was going to do hard time for her crime. 

So we talked about the issue and how we don't pee on the floor.  Zany Janie still claims she didn't know she wasn't suppose to pee on the floor~she's 4, she knows!  We had a discussion about how it's not nice to tell people to do something they know is wrong.  And finally we discussed peer pressure.  As I started talking about peer pressure Wacky Zacky stopped me and told me he already knew what it meant.  I was surprised, but thought maybe there had been discussion about it at school and I let him explain it.  He said, "It's when you're not suppose to pee hard on the carpet!".  Um, no sweetie that's "pee" pressure not "peer" pressure.

Lesson of the day:  Never succumb to "pee" pressure!

Summer recap

Some may say I've been slacking, I'd like to refer to it as just enjoying the summer.  For those of you that have been curious as to what my Zany family has been up to over the past few months, enjoy this long summer recap!

Our summer has been jammed pack full of several fun play dates with friends.  On one play date, at a fire station, I somehow got suckered into putting on fireman's gear-oxygen tank included-in the 100 degree heat.  It did give me an all new respect for firemen.

The kids were in several camps throughout the summer, which made me feel like a full time taxi driver.  In addition to an eight week Mega Sports Camp, the kids also participated in:

Swim Lessons:  Zany Janie and Wacky Zacky both took swim lessons.  Unfortunately for Wacky Zacky he had to miss the last few lessons due to an ear infection.  He also missed the last day where after waiting two whole weeks the kids got to conquer the water slides!  Zany Janie made sure to rub it in-just a little.

Wacky Zacky participated in a British Soccer Camp.  In addition to playing several fun games and building on his soccer skills, he got to learn a few new words/sayings such as "Loo" and "Don't be a donut".

Wacky Zacky and I continued training in karate.  Papa Z had to take a break from it for the summer, not after breaking his finger from chopping through a board, but from slamming his finger in a door.

Princess Zany Janie danced among other princesses at a Princess Ballet Workshop.  She learned four new dances and got to perform a little recital for the parents at the dance studio.  She was upset when she found out the recital was at the studio and not on "The big stage"-I see a diva in the making!  It has taken six weeks, but I think the song "Friend like me" from Aladdin is FINALLY out of my head-Wait I take that back-Auuuggghhh!

We went camping at San Onofre State Beach with some good friends.  After getting over our camp site being practically a parking lot conveniently located next to the busy interstate with a weight station for trucks directly in front of us, it was a good time!  A good time until we realized we would be awaken every 20 minutes throughout the night with Amtrak barreling through! 

 Despite the facilities, we did have a great weekend.  It was fun because our friends have kids the same age as our kids and they all had a fun time playing together.

While camping, we hiked the beach everyday.  I may have gained a few more grey hairs watching my kids attempt to boogie board.  I was sure they were going to be swept away with the waves and my adrenaline raced the whole time we were at the beach.

I think Zany Janie won dirtiest camper of the whole campground-hands down!  She was covered head to toe in sand and dirt the whole time.  It didn't help they only had outdoor freezing showers, but I'm guessing the 50 buckets of dirt she poured over her head on a daily basis pushed her into the winning circle.

The final biggest event of the summer was our two week trip to Indiana to see family and friends.  We had not been there in over two years and it was good to go back.  For some family, it was the first time they got to meet Miss Silly Jilly. 

While in Indiana we got to experience not only the humidity of the summer, but we were fortunate to be there to experience record high temps and humidity!  Yay for us!  It was quite an adjustment to go from dry heat to 100% humidity.  It's quite refreshing to always feel like you've just stepped out of the shower.

To keep cool the kids got to learn how to play on a slip-and-slide.  They have been deprived of the experience because our backyard isn't big enough for one-unless they want to smash head first into the fence.

On what I believe was the hottest day of the year, we went to the 4-H fair.  The kids say they loved seeing the animals, but as you can see Wacky Zacky wouldn't be within a few feet of 'ol Tom the Turkey and if you look really closely you will realize Zany Janie is cowering behind her brother using him as a shield, just in case 'ol Tom tries any funny business.

We drove past one of Indiana's little "hidden gems" numerous times-The Pink Elephant!  If you are ever in Indiana it's a must see!  It's located directly in front of a liquor store.

Because nothing says "Come buy your booze here" like a pink elephant wearing glasses and holding a martini glass!

We went to Mounds State Park where you can see the biggest hills in Indiana:

Well, maybe not the biggest hills, but I'm guessing it's fairly close! 

Silly Jilly had a first while on our trip.  She got to feed herself Spaghetti without any help.  I'm sure Olive Garden appreciated being a part of the experience!

The highlight of the trip for the kids was being on a farm and feeding the animals.  Grandpa had three little helpers every morning and night to help him.  I'm not sure how he manages without them.

While in Indiana Wacky Zacky found a new passion.  At the young age of five, he has decided what he wants to be when he grows up:  A cowboy!  And not just any cowboy, he wants to be a bull rider.  Since his proclamation he started wearing a teal bandanna with animals-just like a real cowboy!

You can imagine his excitement when we flew into the Orange County airport and he saw the biggest cowboy of all time-John Wayne! 

I'm guessing living in Southern California may set up some obstacles on his dream, but if that's what he wants to do then I say shoot for the stars! And Scooter (our dog), you'd better watch out because there's a little cowboy that needs a practicin' pony to ride and you may just turn into that pony!

So that's our action packed summer in a nutshell.  I'm hoping things slow down just a tad as fall approaches us!

If a tree falls in the forest...

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"  If I was the philosophical type, that may have been what I asked myself right after Papa Z announced we were going to go hiking in Forest Falls.  But alas I am not and I think my immediate thought was, "What?!  It's 10ish we will need food!  We will need to eat!  Will there be food?!  I need food in my belly if we are going on mountain roads!  You know how I get car sick on mountain roads!  Hmmm....What do I feel like puking up in the car today?"-or something to that effect.  I am happy to announce the mountain roads were not as curvy as I had  imagined and I got through the trip with minimal dizziness. 

Prior to this trip, I had never heard of Forest Falls.  Papa Z was drawn to it because he wanted to take the family on a hike and the web page for Forest Falls proclaimed  that "Many refer to Forest Falls as "little Yosemite".  Really?  That's a big proclamation!  We shall see!

So we packed some snacks, food, and drinks and began our journey.  But not without a stop to KFC for some finger lickin' goodness. 

Forest Falls has a beautiful area with day camping sites.  We enjoyed our pre-hike meal under enormous trees while listening to rushing water. 

Feeling energized from our energy packed meal of KFC, Cheetos, and watermelon, we began our hike.  I assumed since we were taking three young children-two of whom were hoofing it and one which was tethered to Papa Z's chest-it was going to be an easy hike.  It wasn't too bad at the beginning, it was a dirt/sand path.  Then the path became sprinkled with boulders you had to climb over or go around.  This wasn't even too bad as long as you kept the thought of rattlesnakes out of your mind.  I didn't become concerned until I saw the log we had to cross to get over to the other side. For those of you that don't know, I am probably considered an anxious mom.  I'll admit it, I can look at a situation and immediately gauge all the things that could possibly go wrong.  So you can imagine the scenarios going through my mind as I watched this little scene: 

Wacky Zacky being pulled across while Silly Jilly dangled helplessly from Papa Z's chest. It did get my adrenaline flowing and raised my anxiety level.  I will admit I did have the camera ready to capture any missteps causing one or all three of them to take a swim in the creek. 

Then we came upon a beautiful area with a small waterfall.  This was just a bonus one because the "Little Yosemite" fall was further up the hill!

After a very terrifying hike (for me) we made it to the look out point for the bigger falls.  The hike consisted of me attempting to keep Zany Janie from falling off the cliff just inches off the path.  I don't know why she turns into Mr. Peepers at the most inopportune times!  While the falls were not exactly like Yosemite, it was beautiful and worth the hike.

The kids were not impressed with the waterfalls, but couldn't keep their hands out of the water and would have spent the whole day there playing.

Overall, I would recommend this hike to anyone who plans to be in the near vicinity of Forest Falls. 

Zany thought of the day:  So back to the original question-If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Hmmm....That's a tough one, oh wait!  What's that shiny thing?

One zany free for all!

It was a wild weekend at our house!  I wish I could say it was from a crazy, fun and wild party, but unfortunately that is just not the case.  Papa Z was lucky enough to escape town and miss all the fun, he was camping in Yosemite throughout the weekend.  There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary until Friday night when I had a hard time staying asleep.  I rarely have problems falling or staying asleep, but for some reason I kept waking up feeling "a little funny".  I attempted several times to chalk it up to Papa Z being gone and would roll over to go back to sleep until yet again I found myself awake.  Then I began to feel that odd little lump in the back of my throat.  You know the one you can barely feel and are unsure if you are imagining it even being there, that is until you begin tasting that odd metallic taste dripping in the back of your throat.  I found myself playing the "if I just stay in bed and don't move it will all go away" game pretending like I have any control over the situation.  Waiting until the last possible second, holding onto all hope that it won't actually happen, I had to run to the bathroom and get sick.  I will spare you the details, but will say I had a long night of tummy problems that unfortunately did not end at 6:00 AM when the kids came sauntering into my room ready for an action packed day.

I'm sure they were speaking at a normal level, but at the time it seemed like both Zany Janie and Wacky Zacky were talking into megaphones at the highest possible volume.  Each shrill tone pounded into my head and made my stomach lurch.  Thankfully the remote control was within reach and I knew the number of the one channel which could possibly make this all stop....Ahhh....Sweet silence....That is until Silly Jilly woke up and began crying. 

I hobble down the hall to get her, open her door, and am permeated with the rancid smell of vomit.  Guess who else is sick?  Really?  It's not enough that I'm barely able to function with three little ones in my care, but now one of them is sick too?

I'd love to tell you about my day, I'm sure it was a riot to watch safely from the outside looking in, but it's just a blur of trips to the bathroom and views from the couch.  While Silly Jilly and I cuddled on the couch, Wacky Zacky and Zany Janie had free reign of the house and they took full advantage!  Those two little turkeys would sit at the bathroom door making heaving and retching noises as I got sick, giggling and cackling about how they hoped I'd never get better!  They also got to have their fill of candy and were somehow able to reach it from shelves we thought were "unreachable" to them. 

Thankfully the next day I was feeling a bit better and was able to take back the little control I had to begin with!  I definitely don't recommend getting sick when your hubby is out of town!

Zany thought of the day:  Is it just me or do you not fully appreciate a clean toilet until you are praying to the porcelain gods?

Wet 'N Wild at Whitewater

This weekend we went on an adventure to the Whitewater Preserve.  We had heard others talk about it, but had never ventured there for ourselves. Unfortunately for me once you get off the interstate you have to drive down a curvy road for several miles.  Luckily for both Papa Z and me I didn't get carsick, but was dizzy and felt like I was staggering around for a little while.  Once we stopped we all jumped out and started exploring the area. 

                                             

It was a beautiful area and I felt at one with nature until I saw the menacing sign which warned of Bears, Mountain Lions, and Rattlesnakes!  Nothing like the fear of venomous hungry animals to put your mind at ease!

There were several crystal clear pools throughout the area filled with what appeared to be huge trout.  I say they were trout because I'm no fish expert and trout are one of the few "freshwater fish" names I know.  Sorry people, but no fishing!  Come on, it's a nature preserve!

The nature preserve claims the canyon has a robust population of bighorn sheep.  Trying to see any of them was just like going to the bighorn sheep exhibit at the zoo-None of those "mythical creatures" were to be seen!

We hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail for a few miles.  Somehow I always get stuck being the follower and never the leader...But that's okay, I was busy keeping a keen eye and ear out for bears, mountain lions, and rattlesnakes.

The highlight of the trip was playing in the river.  We had to walk a long way, but we finally found an area without rapids that would take out the children.  After the initial shock of feeling wet cold squishy mud between their toes passed, the kids were happily splashing and playing in the river.  Zany Janie even learned how to pee in the wilderness.  I'm hoping she doesn't decide to try it at our pool this summer!

Overall, it was a great experience and I'm sure we will be back to visit again soon.  Maybe next time if we come across a nasty rattlesnake, a bighorn sheep will gallop down a sheer cliff and come to our rescue!  Maybe, but I doubt it!

Please say "I Do"!

Yesterday was quite the day in our house.  A typical day in our house can be quite chaotic with three kids under the age of 6 running about, but for some reason yesterday I felt like I was refereeing a featherweight MMA (mixed martial arts) match.  It was mainly Wacky Zacky and Zany Janie in on the action with Silly Jilly cheering them on.  There seemed to be armbars, anaconda choke holds, guillotine choke holds, and headlocks galore going on throughout the day!  Unfortunately they both refused to tap out so I had to be the referee to make sure no bones were broken or blood was seen.

So what could possibly cause such barbaric behavior in these little angels?  The answer is simple!  Ken would not marry any Barbie dolls unless they had blond hair! 

Yes, you read it right, your eyes did not deceive you.  There were MULTIPLE, not just a few, blow-ups in our house because Wacky Zacky would not allow the Ken doll to marry all of Zany Janie's Barbies.  He would only allow the holy matrimony to take place with the blond dolls.  By the end of the day and after what seemed like the 20th blow-up, I was ready to scream, "For Heaven's sake Ken!  Just say I DO!"

Zany thought of the day:  Is it just me or has the Ken doll gotten more and more flamboyant over the years?

Celebrating Dr. Seuss

“Look at me!
Look at me!

Look at me NOW!

It is fun to have fun

But you have

to know how.”

~The Cat in the Hat

Dr. Seuss

We are big fans of Dr. Seuss.  When I was younger I collected Dr. Seuss books and now enjoy sharing them with my kids.  In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday we went to the Public Library where they had a Birthday Bash honoring Dr. Seuss.  Zany Janie and Silly Jilly dressed up in these adorable dresses from Aunt Ju Ju:

At the party they got to make hats and go fishing:

Play pin the green egg on the ham and make fun creations:

And of course read and have fun with Dr. Seuss books:

All the fun inspired me to make some new things for my baby boutique, Two Zany Zebras.  Currently my shop has six fun new Dr. Seuss Hot/Cold OUCHY BAGS for when you have a monster owie:

I also made six sets of ZANY MUCUS WIPES for runny noses or drooly pools of goo:

Zany thought of the day:  What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

A Giant Birthday Sandwich!

Papa Z recently celebrated his birthday.  In his old age he must have been feeling adventurous because he chose to forgo the traditional Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream cake from Baskin-Robbins and asked me to make a cake for him with the help of our kids!  REALLY?  You want the kids and me to make your cake?  You do realize I'm not the best baker and I'm guessing with the help of the kids it won't get any better!  He added even more pressure to me by not giving any input on what kind of cake he wanted.  So that is how Papa Z ended up with a Giant Birthday Sandwich!    I found the recipe through the Taste of Home. 

Giant Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwich

Ingredients:
2 packages (16 ounces each) ready-to-bake refrigerated peanut butter cup cookie dough (good luck finding
 this, I ended up using Peanut Butter dough with chocolate chips in it)
6 whole chocolate graham crackers, crushed
1 cup cold milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1-1/3 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
1/4 cup Nutella

Directions:
*Let dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. Press into two ungreased 9-in. springform pans; sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until set. Cool completely. *In a large bowl, whisk the milk, cream and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. In another large bowl, beat cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Add pudding and ice cream; beat until smooth.
*Spread over one cookie crust. Remove sides of second pan; place crust, crumb side down, over filling. Cover and freeze for 4 hours or until firm.
*Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving. Place hazelnut spread in a small microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave at 50% power for 1-2 minutes or until smooth, stirring twice. Remove sides of pan; cut dessert into slices. Drizzle with Nutella.
*Enjoy!

And the Oscar goes to...

Wacky Zacky?

Well, not an actual Oscar...Surprisingly he wasn't formally selected this year, but based on his ability to act, Actors far and wide had better keep their eye out for this little Thespian.  His best work was just the other day when Papa Z was belting out a song from The Lion King:

"In the jungle, the mighty jungle

The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle the quiet jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh
A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh"

At that exact time Wacky Zacky moved from the couch to the table to eat dinner.  The next thing we knew Wacky Zacky was screaming and crying while holding his ears.  This wasn't just a little whimper, it was the drool hanging and snot spewing kind of crying.  Just the kind of crying we've heard when he had a severe ear infection.  Papa Z quickly picked him up and started rocking him trying to get him to calm down while I quickly heated up the Boo Boo pad for his ear.  After several minutes he finally calmed down enough to effectively communicate with us. Apparently he didn't actually have pain in his ear from an ear infection, his ears hurt because of Papa Z's singing!  I know it was a bit off-key and pitchy, but it definitely didn't warrant that kind of reaction!

In the future, Papa Z, may I suggest The Beatles "Find a little help from my friends":

"What would you think if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me.
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key."

Snow in Sunny Southern California?

You can imagine my surprise as I log onto Facebook and start reading posts about how it's snowing in our city!  We live in sunny Southern California.  How could we possibly have snow?  I moved from Indiana to California to get out of that yucky stuff.  So I ran outside to see the snow and all I saw was cold wet rain plopping down from the sky.  The next day I logged onto Facebook and again was shocked to see pictures of snow from friends who live only a few miles from me.  I quickly peeked outside and just saw wet pavement...Feeling left out of the excitement of snow we decided to scrounge up as much "snow clothes" as possible and head for Oak Glen.  It was Zany Janie and Silly Jilly's first time in the snow and Wacky Zacky's first time in the snow since he was under the age of 2.  On the way to Oak Glen Wacky Zacky was a little worried about melting if he touched the snow and asked a few times what would happen to him if the snow touched him.  He is sweet as sugar, but come on!  Once we got there we realized we weren't the only ones with the idea to drive to the snow, but the whole family was excited!

Well, I guess I shouldn't say the WHOLE family was excited...At least four of the five members were excited.  This was the one exception:

She basically tolerated the snow.  I can't be certain if she didn't really care for the snow or if she was completely and utterly embarrassed of her outfit.

The whole family had fun having a snowball fight and surprisingly no one cried when they were hit in the face or when snow went down their coat-including Silly Jilly who took one to the face and a few which went down her back!

                                                    

Zany Janie, the master manipulator, even got Papa Z to make a snowball for her and once she got it in her little hands, she threw it at him as hard as she could!

Zany Janie had fun making her first snow Angel:

And Silly Jilly and Zany Janie made their first snowman:

Minus the eyes, nose, mouth, arms, hat, and scarf.

As much fun as it was to play in the snow, it was a lot of fun to drive away and leave it behind!  I sure don't miss dealing with snow and ice all winter long!