Happy Fathers Day!

Ok, first, I want to say Happy Fathers Day to all the special Daddy's out there...

Especially mine...

He's a pretty special kind of Dad. I haven't had a lot of super great role models in my life growing up, but my Dad definitely is. He's a hard worker, a good parent, and a good husband. Everything I strive to be in my own life. I may be a McCarthy, but I'll always be a Miller.

And Grandad...

I've always adored this man, and even more I've always adored being his favorite. Since I was tiny he has loved to spoil me with chocolate sundaes and shoe shopping. And now that I'm grown-up, I love watching him with my kids, his great-grandkids. They are lucky to have a relationship with him, and they have officially taken my place as "favorite". His motto is "You're at Grandads, you can do whatever you want over here...even if that means chocolate for breakfast!

And my Cody...


I'm glad I chose him. He's special. He didn't have the option to just be with me & date & have fun before we got married...he had to jump right into my crazy world of parenting...and he did without ever looking back. And to top it off, he gave me the most beautiful baby girl I've ever seen!!

Since Cody had to work on Father's Day, we went to visit! Well...Maddie & I did, and Dylan spent the day with his Dad. Cody loves showing Maddie off to all his friends, it's the cutest thing.





And another of the many reasons I love my Cody...
This Fathers Day he gifted himself...tattoos!!





I was touched by the whole thing, but mostly that he would get both of their names. I can't say that I know many men that would get a child's name tattoo'd on their body if they didn't share any genetic traits. Did I mention what an amazing Dad he is?

New Blog!

I designed it all by myself! This experience has taught me...I have 2 children and I really have no time to be doing things like this. Ha! But I love it, and I hope you do, too!

An Eventful Day in the MacHouse!

Dylan lost his other front tooth! Yay! He was very excited...and even more excited that the tooth fairy left $5 under his pillow!



And, the moment we have all been waiting for...Little Maddie is finally walking!! She is clearly very motivated & determined (she gets it from her mother), because she hasn't stopped since!



THIS is what life is all about! These kids are simply amazing!!

Bench Warrant for Lindsay Lohan's Arrest

Bench Warrant for Lindsay Lohan's Arrest

Lindsay Lohan has had this alcohol monitoring ankle thing on for like a week, and she can't even get through an award show without drinking. Obviously she has a problem, so I'm not sure why she keeps getting let off the hook.

Seriously...what has to happen for this girl to finally have some consequences for her actions? Maybe get in an accident while drunk driving and kill a person? I think she needs to spend some time in jail. It's just so blatantly obvious that she has a problem...she's not even good at hiding it! Pictures of her with lines of cocaine less than 2 feet away...the ankle monitor thing...oh wait, the TWO ankle monitoring things...the crazy highway chase. I mean, honestly. Her career is in the toilet. She needs to hang out with Courtney Love and Janice Dickinson. She's just gross.

Vacation!

I didn't really go anywhere, but my little sister Heather was in town for almost a week, so it felt like vacation!!

The kids and I picked her up at the airport on Thursday afternoon.
Friday morning we left for Disneyland, for 3 whole days!! I know you all think I go there WAY too often, and I will tell you again...It can never be too often...it's the Happiest Place on Earth!!

I also had to make sure before she went back to Arizona's 105-degree days, that she spent a day at the beach! So on Tuesday we headed down to Paradise Cove. It was a beautiful day, and the place was practically empty! We started with breakfast on the patio, and then parked ourselves in their beachside adirondack chairs & played in the sand!
















It was a great week with Auntie Heather! Madison just adores her, and will really miss her! When we took her back to the airport, Heather leaned in the back seat to give Maddie a hug goodbye, and Maddie reached up for her to pick her up...it was the sweetest, but saddest thing!! We'll miss you Heather!!

End of School Year Activities!!

The last week of school is always an eventful one!

First was Dylan's Martial Arts Graduation. They gave him a certificate and he got to break a board with his foot!


Next was the Dance Festival. Every grade does their own dance on the playground. This year Dylan's grade did "We Go Together", from Grease, of course! I couldn't have been more excited, because this is one of favorite movies ever!! Dylan asked me to see the movie, and decided he was over it within the first 5 minutes. He did, however, ask me to download the song on iTunes and put it on his iPod. He has been listening to it repeatedly for the last 2 weeks!


Last, but definitely not least, was the Classroom Museum. Every student picked a person to do their biography on, and Dylan picked Milton Hershey. It was so cute. Among the 28 students, we had a Dalai Lama, a Mother Theresa, an Amelia Earhart, a couple Kobe Bryant's, and so many more. All the parents went into the classroom one morning to see all the work they did. They each made a poster of their person, with the face cut out, and they put their own little faces in. Just about the cutest thing I ever saw!!


Now school is over, and we have almost 3 months of fun!!

Dylan's REAL Birthday

My baby isn't a baby anymore!! He's 8!! Since I made the Mother's Day blog so sappy, I will try to spare you the emotions today. Seriously though, I can't believe I am the mother of an 8 year old. A smart, gentle, loving, sweet, funny, and gorgeous 8 year old.

Have I mentioned that I am blessed? He couldn't make me a happier mom. Even on his worst day, he is the best kid ever. Fact.

Since his birthday falls on a Tuesday this year, and it just so happens that I volunteer in his classroom on Tuesday morning, I got to spend the whole morning with him! Last night he helped me bake cookies as treats for his whole class. His teacher let him make a crown and decorate it with stickers, and then he got to pick out a story for Mr. Spence to read to the class.

After class, he came home to find his birthday present...which was a new flat screen TV for his room. Not a big one, but perfect size for a boy. He loved it.

Then we went out to dinner with my Grandparents and his cousins. He had a great time! When we got back to Grandma's, we sang Happy Birthday, and had cake...delicious cake that I made!!

Happy Mothers Day!!

Every year, this day reminds me how lucky I am to have 2 amazingly perfect children, who have changed my life in ways that I cannot even begin to explain.

I definitely think that a parent is responsible for how their children turn out...for the most part. And excuse my language, but I work my ass off every single day to make sure they are happy and well-balanced. However, I think their perfection goes way beyond my parenting techniques. Simply said...I'm so blessed.

Dylan was born when I was 23 years young. I say young, because I was really not in a place where I was settled and ready to have a baby. He was a surprise. After he was born, my life changed in so many ways. I was back at work full-time when he was only 6 weeks old. And he was 4 months old when I moved back home with my Grandparents. I didn't keep in close contact with my friends, and I never went out without him. Nope, no dates. For almost 3 years. I don't regret it, ever...not even for a second. Then we moved into our own place, and shortly after that, we met Cody. I never would have married Cody without Dylan's blessing. He loved him from the moment they met.
Then we were a family. For the first year of our marriage, I was convinced that I didn't want anymore children. Cody did, but wasn't pushing it. Then one day, we were on a little family vacation, and just somehow decided that we wanted another little one around. The next 19 months were some of the hardest, emotionally, in my life. We had a hard time getting pregnant, had miscarriages, and just went through a lot. It could very well have taken its toll on our relationship...but we leaned on each other. And just when we were exhausted trying, a miracle happened. When they told me our little miracle was a girl, I cried. I couldn't have been happier. Our miracle was born in January 2009, and we named her Madison.
And now I am a mother of 2. And of course a wife. And they've changed me...for the better. I couldn't imagine my life without them. I am happy here, right where I am. I've never been happier. This is it...and it's SO worth it.










I'm sure I'll tell this story again next year...but at least you have 364 days.

So to celebrate...Cody made reservations at The Farm at The Grove for brunch, and then we did one of my all-time favorite things ever...SHOP!!! I think we all got a Mother's Day gift...I just couldn't resist...ANYTHING!! Cody bought me new Gucci sunglasses...Dylan bought me new perfume...and I bought clothes...for myself and Maddie. Mostly for Maddie. It was a wonderful day. The best ever.

Happy Birthday Dylan!!

To celebrate Dylan's Birthday, we took him and his best friend Aidan to Mountasia...the funnest place ever! (yes I know, totally gramatically incorrect.)

We started with lunch, which of course was pizza, followed by a spacial birthday sundae! They seriously do their best to embarrass the birthday boy...by ringing an alarm & banging the biggest drum you've ever seen. It worked. He was super embarrassed!




We let him open a couple presents today...






After we had lunch, we headed outside to start the fun! The boys did the bumper boats...I elected to skip this one, because the boats come equipped with water squirters, and, well you know...a girl just can't mess up her hair so early in the day!




After the bumper boats, we did the race cars. Both the boys wanted t ride with Cody, because he's just so cool. They played rock, paper, scissors to decide...Aidan won. The whole time I raced the car around the track, Dylan was yelling in my ear..."Mom, this isn't Sunday driving!!", and "My Grandma can drive faster than you!!" Yea, he's definitely growing up!

Then we golfed, and went inside to play video games, which might have been the best part of their day. Cody & I let them have their fun, and I whipped him at air hockey. Don't let him tell you otherwise!

On our way home we let them listen to whatever music they wanted to. You've always wanted to know what an 8 year old listens to? Well let me just tell you...Black Eyed Peas & Linkin Park. Awesome, right?

My story ends tonight with them staying up till midnight playing video games. Of course.