For my birthday DZ gifted me with Seasons 1-4 of Alias.  I was thrilled to get Season 5 for Christmas.  I just finished watching the 4th and final disc.  It is silly how much I like that show.  I would have no trouble starting over with Season 1 right now.  I got an email from Lola today that pretty much sums up how much I like the show.  The title was, “You know you’ve watched way too much Alias when…”

Here are some of my favorites from the list…

• You watch other Lost, the other JJ Abrams show, and call the characters by their REAL names on ALIAS. Locke is Kendall, the pilot is Weiss, one of the “Others” in the Looking Glass station (the blonde chick) is really Elsa Caplan.
• You CRINGE in the middle of “Pop, goes the weasel” because you have visions of Emma blowing up in your head.
• You look for homeless men with earpieces when you’re jogging at the park.
• When you meet people who say they work at a bank, you say, “Riiiiight. Suuure you doooo.”
• You plan to take up hockey, secretly hoping to run into Vaughn.
• When someone throws a crumbled piece of paper in the trash can, you suspect a dead drop, and consider reaching in the trash can and grabbing it.
• Every time you hear the Nokia ringtone, you get excited even though there’s no way it could be Vaughn.
• You think having no first name is a perfectly acceptable thing.
• You have a codename that people actually call you by. (actually i don’t, but sometimes i wish i did)

BigZabba was thrilled with her Christmas gift.  She has wanted a pet for, well forever.  It is going to be a fun, and exciting few weeks around here as we try to adjust to life as a family of 5.  Let the house training begin!

Merry Christmas!

Baby D

Born: December 19, 2008, 1:29am

8 lbs. 3 oz., 21 3/4 inches long

Merry Christmas Lola!

This is our second year of using our Advent Calendar.  The girls have really enjoyed participating in the activity of the day, whether it is reading a part of the Christmas story from the Bible, singing a song, or reading a book.  In thinking about advent today,  I had a funny memory.

I think I was about 7 years old, maybe 8, and my Mom and I were at the home of one of my classmates, who happened to by my first “crush”.  Our Moms were friends, so they were chatting about something so Kent and I played in his room.  Hanging on his door was an advent calendar.  There was a little pocket for each day and in each pocket was one of those candies wrapped in the red and green paper to make it look like a strawberry…I can’t remember what those are called.  Well I wanted a candy so I asked Kent if I could take one.  I guess without thinking he said yes.  So I grabbed it and popped it in my mouth.  At that moment he realized that I had taken a candy from the calendar and he panicked.  He really started to freak out and I thought I was going to get in trouble.  I told him that we always had candy in the car so I would go get him one to replace the candy that I ate.  I went down to our Buick and started searching frantically for a butterscotch candy.  We seemed to have those in the car for some reason.  I couldn’t find one.  I remember he was crying now and he ran to tell his Mom.  I really thought I was going to get in a lot of trouble.  His Mom quickly calmed him down and showed him that she had more and she gave him one to replace the one that I ate.  I so vividly remember the panic I felt that she was going to be mad that I ate the Advent candy.  Everytime I see those strawberry candies I think of Kent and the advent calendar incident.

Looking for some fun stuffers?  Here are my top picks for girls:

Francie Pants

Let them kick, twirl, cartwheel, play without worry about showing their panties!  They come in super cute prints.  My girls love love love their francies!  They love them so much they often hike up their dresses just to show them off!

Libby Dibby Spinny Skirt

Now that they have the francies, they can twirl all they like in Libby’s super spinny skirt.  LittleZabba refuses to wear a skirt or dress unless it twirls.  She is getting this one from Santa this year…shhh…don’t tell!

Mi Bazaar Latino

These hairpins are just too cute!  What little girl wouldn’t look darling in them.

Happy Shopping!  Enjoy!

Here we go….

What’s a favorite restaurant?

I don’t have a favorite.  I have recently realized that I really love Chinese food.  Put me in a Chinese restaurant and I am happy.  I also really love California rolls…that is as sushi as I get.

What were the other name options you had for the girls (both girl/boy names.)

Emily was my top choice, but DZ wouldn’t go for it.  We also considered Michelle as a middle name for BZ.  For a few weeks (before she was born) we had named LZ, Madelyn. For boys I liked William, Caleb and Reid.

What are your favorite and least favorite things about parenting?

I love the hugs and kisses, the spontaneous gestures of love.  I love it when they run to me and hug me like they haven’t seen me in years.  I love the snuggles before bed, the funny things they say.  I love the conversations that BZ and I have about God.  I love seeing them develop their own relationships outside of me.  I love seeing them work together on a project, I love seeing them love each other.  I love seeing the light click on when they understand.  I really don’t like the whining and the complaining.  I don’t like having to teach the same things over and over again. (it really isn’t smart to run crazy in the parking lot…you should probably pay attention)  I don’t like the discipline part.  I don’t like having to explain the hard things in life…why some people say mean things, why some friends do mean things, some things aren’t fair.

what are you gifting this year? and how much do you miss me????

Erin, if I told you that it would ruin the surprise for those getting the gifts.  =)  and I miss you all the stars in the sky and all the sand in the sea, all the bones in my body, all the hairs on my head, all the grass in all the yards between CA and IN…need I go on?

Name an author you enjoy reading.

I have enjoyed Francine Rivers, but it has been a long time since she wrote a new book.  It has also been a while since I read a book just for fun.  Any suggestions?

What’s something you enjoy about Allyzabba?

I have really enjoyed getting to know other women with businesses.  It is a crazy learning process.  It is fun to see their businesses grow and change.  An added bonus is a whole new set of stores that I love to shop in!

Thanks for playing along.  I really didn’t think anyone would have anything they wanted to know.  I will work on the post about the difference in BZ and LZ’s personalities.  I have to put some thought into that one.  Good night!

I know it has been a while since I posted.  I am in a blog funk.  I don’t know what to write about.  I could write about the mundane details of each day, but I sure you don’t really want to read about who ate what, where we went, and what chores need done.

Anyone have any thoughts?  Any questions for me?  Like who was my first kiss?  (it was Hi-Lut when I was maybe 6)  My favorite article of clothing?  (new socks, in case you wondered)  I have read lots of blogs lately that have an “ask me anything” post.  I guess this is mine.  Anyone want to play along?

From today’s Parade magazine in the LA Times:

Q - Tyra Banks lives and breathes fashion, so why do her clothes look like they come from a rummage sale?

A - Because some did, as well as from thrift tores and flea markets.  “It’s one way Tyra is going green and giving back - by wearing recycled clothes,” says her stylist Yaniece Piper Thomas.  Yaniece is so fond of the vintage look, she’s launching her own line.  (emphasis mine)

Last night we were driving home from ShaSha’s house after a fantastic Thanksgiving day.  The Zabbas always need a snack bag from ShaSha to have in the car on the way home.  She filled their bag with goldfish crackers, dried fruit, and peanuts.  LittleZabba asked if her cousin G could have nuts like she was having.  We said, no she can’t have any nuts at all.  Her response,

Well, she can have donuts of course.