Updates

LittleZabba is getting better. She has been fever free for more than 24 hours now. I think we are finally on the up-swing. We can take the quarantine sign off the front door and we can emerge from the hole we have been living in for the last few days...well not really but that is what it feels like! I know that I have felt a little in a fog since I didn't even realize that it was New Year's Eve until a little while ago!

All things considered we had a great Christmas. The top gifts this year were:

BigZabba's insane Polly Pocket set (it has something like 100 little pieces that will be eaten by the vacuum in record time I am sure)







LittleZabba's baby piano & wagon walker. DaddyZabba got some gadgets for his camera and I got a new camera.

Well all, Happy New Year! See you in 2007.

Thanks for the Comments

I am happy to be getting comments on my blog. It is nice to know that there are readers out there. One request - if you leave a comment please sign a name (maybe not your real name if you don't want to, just a name). I like to know who is out there. Thanks and comment again soon! =)

Ah Memories

An Airwolf marathon was on the Sci-Fi channel today.....
String Fellow Hawk from 8am - 4pm. Good times.

Zabba Family Christmas

We had a great day. DaddyZabba's family Christmas has been postponed until LittleZabba is totally better so BabyZabba doesn't get sick. I hope that everyone else had a wonderful day. More details will come later. For now, enjoy your day!

update - LittleZabba has pneumonia...so there will be no DaddyZabba family Christmas for us. bummer.

Merry Christmas Eve

Our Christmas plans had to chance a little due to LittleZabba's bronchitis (which is now only a cold/cough), but we will make the best of it and postpone seeing BabyZabba until all the germs are gone.

Have a joyous Christmas & see you again in a few days.

Croupy Days

Update - it is bronchitis. The doctor gave her some meds and wants to see her again on Friday. Since she had RSV as an infant he wants to watch her to make sure it doesn't turn into something worse.

LittleZabba has the croup. She sounds like she is breathing through mud. That is a bummer. I pray that it goes away and fast. We would love to spend time with the new BabyZabba over the holidays, but if LittleZabba is sick we should stay away. She is currently sleeping with a vaporizer in her room without too much wheezing. Maybe a few days of that will help clear it up.

Here's hoping!

Merry Christmas

We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas, full of sweet memories and cherished times with family and friends. May you be full of joy in remembering that our Savior has been born.

I'm an Auntie! (again)

DaddyZabba's brother & wife had a baby girl tonight!

After only 3 pushes, BabyZabba was born December 17, 2005, 5:00pm
8 lbs. 15 oz., 20 inches long

In keeping with my tradition of no names here, if you want to find out her name you will have to email me!

Happy Birthday BabyZabba!

Happy Birthday Baby!

Could it be? One year ago I was a Mother of an infant. How could time go so fast?

LittleZabba is now One Year Old! We had her birthday party on Saturday and she seemed to have a lot of fun. She enjoyed playing with the other kids, she loved eating, and she completely loved her cake! I made cupcakes for the kids, a small cake for LittleZabba, and a cupcake shaped cake for the adults (it looks more like a chef's hat, or a mushroom to me, but oh well). LittleZabba destroyed her cake, the kids ate all the cupcakes, but the cake didn't even get cut..so I have a large cupcake that still needs eaten.

She was too cute with her cake. She started by eating the sprinkles one at a time, then dipping her finger in the icing, and only after I cut bites for her did she start to dive in.

We had a super day. Happy Birthday LittleZabba!

Quote of the Day

This morning BigZabba and I were talking about how decorating Christmas trees became a tradition. In the midst of having a very adult conversation about Martin Luther decorating a tree with candles, BigZabba says...

Another important thing to remember about a tree is that if you look at one and decide you want it and it is too big for your saw, you should call a beaver.

The Christmas Dilemma

TweedyGirl's post titled "What It's Really About" got me thinking about how we can make Christmas more about Christ with our kids. I have gone back and re-read her post many times and have read the comments to gleen ideas from others. I spoke with a friend of mine about this and she had some great ideas. In her family (husband and 2 kids) they give 12 gifts total, so each person gets 4 gifts. One of those gifts is then given away. She said that in the past they bought gifts for a child on the angel tree, but that didn't really have much of an impact since it wasn't a sacrifice for her kids. This way the kids get a gift and then sacrificially give it away. I really like that idea and may do that in the coming years.

In the Focus on the Family magazine there was an article about this very thing and they also had some good ideas. Their focus was on teaching children to be more grateful and generous. They suggested taking old or "forgotten" toys to a charity or homeless shelter the week before Christmas, sponsor a child in another country, and to have your child write, or draw for the younger kids, thank you notes for each gift received.

I know it is a process and each year more and more will sink in with my kids. My goal is to start now in teaching them these things so they will be grateful and generous kids and know that Christmas is a celebration of Christ and not of new stuff.

Me vs. The Can

I never knew how important a can opener was until the day came that I needed mine and it did not work. My can opener came to me as a wedding present and it has served me well for 9 1/2 years, but it has seen it's last can. Today I was happily preparing to make some fudge...getting out the ingredients, beginning to melt the chocolate, getting out the can of condensed milk, getting the can opener..oh no! The can opener isn't working! The chocolate was already melting so I had to somehow get the can open. So I got the other kind of can opener (the poke a hole in the can kind), and the milk was so thick it wouldn't come out...so I did what I had to do, and I destroyed the can. In the end, I won the battle of me vs. the can, and the fudge was made.
An interesting p.s. to this little drama is that I was on the phone with Lola later in the day and I told her that the one thing I wanted for Christmas was new can opener. She allowed me to rant for some time about my troubles with the can opener, then revealed to me that my Christmas present from her is a new can opener! My dear sweet friend had heard me complain one too many times about my lame can opener and decided to put me out of my misery. Thank you Sweet Lola. I'll make some fudge for you!

Journey to Bethlehem

This weekend we went to Journey to Bethlehem. A local church transforms their parking lot into Bethlehem during the time of Christ's birth. The town is complete with Roman soldiers, shepherds, camels, peddlers, and Angels singing of Christ's birth, you also see Mary, Jospeh & the baby Jesus in the stable. We were given sheckles at the entrance, and throughout the town there were things we could buy with our money, and occasionally a tax collector would come to collect the tax. BigZabba was wide eyed when Joseph & Mary passed by on their donkey, when the Angel Gabriel announced Jesus' birth, & when she saw baby Jesus in the stable. It was a fun & memorable evening.

1/2 Marathon Stats

Interesting fact - the top 3 female finishers in each age group, from ages 24 - 69, finished before me. The fastest 69 year old woman finished in 2 hours 9 minutes. So my claim to fame is that I finshed the race before the fastest 70 year old woman. Go me.

I Did It!

Lola and I ran that City of Angels Half Marathon today. I did well, & Lola was awesome. She finished in under 2 hours! My goal was 2 hours 30 minutes and I finished in 2 hours 18 minutes. BigZabba crossed the finish line with me! (I am feeling the pain now though...I am walking like an old woman!!)

Enjoy the photos.

Clever Shirts

While out shopping I saw two children's shirts at Lil Bogies that were just too funny..

"I take the joy out of shopping"

"I make eating out miserable"

I am no expert

After being at Sea World this week I was a little surprised to read that one of the killer whales (actually it was the jumping whale that I posted a picture of in my last post), "attacked" a trainer during a show. All the articles that I have seen about the event use the word "attack" many times, I even saw one called 'Revenge of Shamu'. Now I am no expert on orcas but I don't think that what the whale did to the trainer can be called an attack. She pulled him down and held him in the water with his foot in her mouth, & she swam around the tank with the trainer's foot still in her mouth, but she did release him. The trainer was taken to the hospital and had a broken foot. If this was an attack I think there would have been something more dramatic. Not to say that being pulled under the water by a whale isn't dramatic, but an attack...I am not sure. I saw a video of the alleged attack and the guy videoing the show didn't even know what was happening. He said, "I think the whale is being stubborn." A startling event, yes; a reminder that orcas are wild animals and not tame pets, yes; an attack..I think no.

So Much To Say

We just got back from a fantastic weekend in San Diego and a super trip to Sea World. I have lots of fun things to write about, but those things will have to wait until tomorrow. For now here are a few, actually more than a few, pictures of our adventure at Sea World.

BigZabba and a beluga whale

BigZabba petting and feeding a dolphin

BigZabba was picked to be the helper in the dolphin show!

The killer whale was actually playing with the kids. When they would run in front of the tank she would swim along side them and blow bubbles at them.

We ate lunch with Shamu!

The kids were wiped out after our day. The didn't even wake up when we carried them to bed.

Things Change, but are the Same

BigZabba August 14, 2003

LittleZabba November 24, 2006

Personalized AllyZabba's

Personalized AllyZabba's are up. If you would like 15% off your order, just enter allynews at checkout to receive your discount. This coupon code will expire on 11/29. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I always enjoy this time of year. I love the extra time with family, the traditions, the spirit of the holidays. (it would feel more like the holidays if it were cooler!) One of my most favorite parts of Thanksgiving is our tradition of decorating Christmas cookies. All of us bring cut-out cookies to my Mom's house, and then after dinner we sit in the garage with the kids with the table full of colored frosting & sprinkles and decorate for hours. Then we take our decorated cookies home, stick them in the freezer and have one less thing to do for Christmas. (this is us last year)


Today was BigZabba's Thanksgiving feast at school. She was an Indian & I was a pilgrim. We feasted on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes & pumpkin pie at 9:30am. Yummy.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The Dedication

Tonight was a special night. We had LittleZabba dedicated to the Lord. Our prayer for her is that she will one day grow to love and serve the Lord. As her parents we are commited to providing a Godly home for her to live in and teaching her how to live as Christ did.

The Castle

For those who care.. I have been to the castle where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got married. In October 2000 we spent about one month in Bracciano at the castle while DaddyZabba worked on a film. It is a great little town, and the castle was fun to explore & had great stories. We were especially entertained by the story of Princess Isabella. The town is so small that when we told people in Rome where we were staying they said, "Where?" I am sure the town is well known now, after the big celebrity wedding.

7:30pm on Saturday Night

I must be the oldest 30 year old out there...it is 7:30pm on a Saturday night...I am in my pajamas wondering what is the earliest I could go to bed and still sleep all night. Gone are the days of clubbing and late nights at the bar...oh wait..I never did that, I guess those days are really gone now. How sad and pathetic.

Where Has Time Gone?

My baby is 4!! How did that happen? She is so grown up now. BigZabba is now attending Pre-School and is finally loving it. She recently went through a challenging phase of not wanting to leave me, but we pushed through it and now all is well. She is becoming very interested in all things school...reading, writing, etc. She is often found "reading" books and "writing" letters. She enjoys showing off her spelling skills, she knows how to spell her name, and the all important n-o and y-e-s. When she doesn't know what to do, she asks if she can have "learning time". So we get out the pre-school workbook and learn stuff. One of her favorite car pastimes is playing find the car. She can point out any color taxi, a mini-cooper, a beetle, and a pt cruiser. Her current career choices are; veterinarian, sewing lady, car painter, house painter, house builder & artist.

BigZabba is a very special little girl. We love her very much and cannot imagine our life without her. Happy Birthday Baby!

It's Over..I Think

I hesitate to say it, but I think BigZabba's fear of pre-school is over. The last 3 days she has been perfect when I dropped her off. She has been giving big waves, yelling "Bye Mom!" as she walks happily down the hall to her class. The other parents looked as shocked as I was. Ah, another hurdle crossed.

Interesting Spam Quotes

A man came home from work, sat down in his favorite chair, turned on the TV, and said to his wife, "Quick, bring me a beer before it starts."

" 'Look here!' I cried. 'You say he was. You speak as if he were dead. What is all this mystery? What has become of Godfrey
"Well, he was within his rights."

"certainly, sir; and it has the advantage also of being in vogue amongst the less polished"you are joking, lizzy. this cannot be!-engaged to mr. darcy! no, no, you shall not deceiveand poorly, to be thwarted so in my own family, and to have neighbours who think of themselves"it did.

Someone has way too much time on their hands.

The Boring Post

This post is so boring I almost deleted it, but I am keeping it and warning you in advance that there is nothing exciting or even funny here. You have been warned...

Friday I got up early and went to the beach with Lola to run. She ran faster than I did, so she got a bit ahead, but that was ok. I ended up running 8 miles in 1 hour 24 minutes, finishing only about 10 minutes behind Lola..not too bad. Sunday the family went to the beach for a little family excercise time...DaddyZabba & BigZabba on the bike & trailer, Me & LittleZabba in the jogging stroller. BZ and DZ had a great time, me and LZ not so much. She doesn't like the jogging stroller. So I could only stand the screaming for one mile, then turned around and walked the mile back to the car while pushing the stroller and holding LZ. Not too successful. Monday DZ surprised us by taking the day off and we spent the day at Disneyland. That was a blast. We had a great day. After Disneyland DZ & BZ made a kite and attempted to fly it. I had high hopes for my run this morning, but going to bed late and not eating before I went got the best of me. I didn't feel good and I was slow.. 7 miles in 1 hour 14 minutes. This afternoon BZ & I go the dentist. Last time it was a disaster so I am hoping for the best.

I am putting myself to sleep with the "hum-drumness" of this post so this is where I stop.

They've Thought of Everything

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Healthy Food

Update - I finally got the photo in here. Here are my two cute Zabbas on Halloween. BigZabba wanted to be a veterinarian, then Cinderalla, then decided on a bride. LittleZabba was Tinkerbelle. Too cute!

I think that BigZabba prefers healthy food. When we are in a rush many times our food is the first thing to go. During those times it is a fight to get BigZabba to eat. Pizza, french fries, hot dogs..she will eat them, but it is not a serene eating environment. Today at lunch we had such a nice time, there wasn't any fighting or even prodding to get her to eat. Her menu was...pears, strawberries, cucumbers, carrots, tomato slices, & a hard boiled egg. What kid would fight about pizza, but willingly eat all those veggies? BigZabba often says, "Mommy we need to eat healthy food first, then dessert." She is the voice of my conscience.

Name that Tune

BigZabba's version of a Sunday School song...

"I've got beef side the river, I've got beef side the river, I've got beef side the river in my doll"
"I've got joy on the mountain, I've got joy on the mountain, I've got joy on the mountain in my doll"

City of Angels Half Marathon

I just registered for it...I think I am crazy.

Yummy

BigZabba's pumpkin seed recipe...

"They are yummy with honey and vegetables. You stir and stir and put a cherry on top."

We Have A Winner!

Congratulations to Lola! The "First to 20 Miles" Champion!!

Updated Leaderboard

I am sure Lola and Jen haven't updated their runs over the weekend so this probably isn't a true update, but oh well. At least it makes me look good for the moment!

Good TV

Why is it that there are reruns of Knight Rider, MacGyver, even The A-Team, but no Airwolf. Now that was good TV.

Leaderboard

The Challenge

Since I am a running geek again, with my new iPod Nano Nike+, anyone up for a challenge? Starting today the challenge is first to 20 miles. My friends Lola and Jen have accepted the challenge...will you?

This Date In...

1987 - Went to Chung King with my class.

1989 - Today nothing really "big" happened. At 9:00pm (insert boy name here) called and he kept saying that he knew someone who likes me. It turns out that it's him! I already knew that, but I figured that it was over. I really don't know what to do about it! Should I pursue it, forget about it or what! I don't know if I am over (insert different boy name here)! He's cute and all but he lies, and well I don't know. Life's just rough! I guess I'll let nature take it's course.

1991 - I don't know what made me pick up this journal today. I guess I should just write. (Insert girl name here) is really bugging me lately. She really knows how to get on my nerves! Something about her REALLY bugs me! Who knows! For my birthday (insert boy name here) sent me a bracelet. It's really pretty! I miss him so much. Sometimes I think that this will work out and we'll be together and other times I feel like it's useless cuz' he lives so far away! I just don't know.

1993 - Lately I've been talking to (insert boy name here) a lot. Tonight when I talked to him we started talking about dances at school & to make a long story short he's going to winter formal with me! He said that he'd go with me if I went to his.

Crazy Lady

While in Costco today....

BigZabba - "Mommy, that lady is crazy."
Me - "Why is she crazy?"
BigZabba - "She bought a big bag of dog food and I don't think she has a dog."

I'm Back

After a much needed vacation I am back. I know that everyone was starting to go through withdrawls, so before the shakes got too bad I came back. Everyone can breath a collective sigh of relief now.

We spent one week on the south side of Kauai. My Mom was kind enough to come with us and be our nanny for the week. (Such a sacrifice I know.) We were able to go on a tubing adventure and a few dinners out sans children. It was great. We spent many hours by the pool relaxing, sunning & swimming. Good times.

Enjoy the photos.