Guess Who I get to Spend Saturday With?

I cannot tell you the last time I was able to spend an ENTIRE Saturday with my baby. Usually I'm up at 4:30am and into the bakery by 5:00am. When I get home he's usually asleep for his nap.

Looking forward to having some quality time together. Which will most likely involve churros and or nachos in some form.

Fluffy Penguin Kicks Some Bootie

After the first few days of training, the intimidation factor has gone down. Who knew these amazing people would really stink at driving big trucks and giving tours about animals. I'm REALLY lucky to have this job and I think I'll enjoy doing it. Once I get over how INSANE this zipline is.

We drove up to the launching platform today. Indescribable. The line is like 3,700 feet long. About the length of TWELVE football fields. And it's a positive line meaning it's constantly at a downward slope. We're supposed to reach speeds upwards of 65mph. They're not sure yet since it hasn't been tested. They send the sandbags down it tomorrow and then on Sunday we train on the line. Sunday of all days. If anyone is dying that day it'll be me. I'm pretty sure when I go down that thing I'm going to shower the rhinos with barf from above and pee in my pants a little bit.

In other news, Choob has been spending a lot of time at Grandma & Grandpa's house while I go through my two week training. He has loved every minute of it. The amount of fun he has is directly proportional to the amount of dirt I see on his hands, face, and clothing when he gets home.

This little boy loves being outside. Today when I picked him up, he showed me a little caterpillar he caught and fed. I couldn't help but think to myself, "Awww. My own little wildlife warrior." Then he picked up a pillbug and ran over to the air conditioning fan and dropped it into the blades. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.I miss the boys so much while I'm gone. This two weeks can't go by fast enough.

[March 23] One of These Things is Not Like the Others...One of These Things Just Doesn't Belong

I feel like the fluffy brown penguin.

Today was my first day of training at the WAP. I was a nervous nellie the night before. There was a lot of sweating and pulse checking. Apparently, I had good reason to be stressed. Let me introduce my co-workers and the nicknames I call them in my mind:

1. Steve Irwin- This guy is an Aussie fresh of the boat. He ran a koala sanctuary. Not just any koala sanctuary, no no. THE koala sanctuary. All the koalas at the "world famous san diego zoo" are from his koala sanctuary. He fell in love with a girl from san diego and gave up his zoo for her. They get married in May. Plus his accent rules and once he's in khakis all the guests will love him and his friggen cute koala stories way more than me.

2. Mt. Everst McGee- She is like 40+ and runs a trekking company in Nepal that focuses on ice climbing and "extreme mountaineering" whatever that is. Needless to say, she had no problem with the pull-up test.

3. Cirque du Soleil- Former gymnast and Airialist. What's an airialist? Don't worry, just those mokey like human beings that climb up and down fabric or rope and spin around in it really fast. She also runs her own business involving various circus performers. She showed up in spandex capris. Not an ounce of cellulite on this chicky.

4. REI- She works there as an instructor. Not just any instructor. She's THE california regional instructor of rock climbing, free climbing, ice climbing....blah blah blah climbing. Plus she runs her own company that teaches people how to rock climb.

5. Ahoy Matey- He has spent the last two years on a boat in Costa Rica doing extreme tours ranging from cliff jumping to surfing to jungley zip line-ing. I'm pretty sure he's not scared of anything.

6. Red Haired Nerdy Girl- Me. A mom with a large fattle that used to work at the Wild Animal Park six years ago.

What have I gotten myself into? I told Dan I felt way out of my league the entire time. I'm really intimidated. Dan said that they hired me for a reason so I must be just as cool as my co-workers in my own way. I just can't help feeling like the fluffy brown penguin in the crowd.

[March 19] It Totally Worked!!!!

A few weeks ago my ultra hip friend Stephanie sent us a "non chain" chain letter in the mail inviting us to participate in a book exchange. I sent out one book to a little boy in New York. Well actually I haven't sent it yet but I finally bought the packaging for it last night. Then I sent the letter out to six friends (You know who you are) in hopes of the Choob receiving 36 books back in the mail.

Well, thanks to one of my oldest and dearest friends, it totally worked! He got his first package in the mail and there were two books inside. He was so excited to open it. Jumping around and wanting to make an event out of it. One was even a book by Eric Carle which he adores.

Look how happy the book exchange was for us. So if you have that lovely letter from me sitting on your kitchen counter, pop them in the mail so you can get some awesome books too. Even if these are the only two books he gets, it was worth it. Thanks to Stephanie for starting the fun.

The Big Fitting

Today I go in for my uniform fitting. I plan to look much better in "the Khaks" than I do in "Big Red" for ralphs. In fact, the only red on my new uni is the awesome patch below. Love it.

I missed the owl

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Testing

[March 8] The Happiest Day of My Life

My son:
a) In the water
b) On his first WATERSLIDE
c) Enjoying Himself!!!

I have always been a water lover. Everyone knows this. Truth be told, when I'm swimming I imagine myself as a dolphin. However, a little known fact about yours truly is that I am also passionate about water slides. Yup. Love em. Been to a bazillion water parks in my lifetime and they never get old. If you ask me about a water park in Southern California or even the Wet n' Wild in Vegas (may she rest in peace) I can still tell you all the names of each ride and which ones are the best to go on and in what order.

When Choobers was born, I had visions of us spending our days splashing in the ocean, pools, and whizzing down waterslides galore. Choob had a different idea involving the extreme fear coupled with mega hateness of any type of water element.

Until recently. It all started with the water squirts at the Wild Animal Park and Sea World. Now at Disneyland, he made my dream come true. At that moment, it really was "the happiest place on earth" for me. Even though it was FREEZING outside, Dan had to drag the both of us, blue lipped and shivering, from the pool. Us dolphins were having too much fun.

See look how happy I am. It doesn't take much people.

[March 8] The Happiest Day Of Choobs Life

Stabbing Darth Vader in the Fattle

No Time For Losers......

I am the Champion! Who can do a pull up and hold it for ten seconds? ME!!!! Granted it wasn't pretty, what with all the full body quivering, the shrieking, and the bicycling of the legs in mid air, but I passed.

How you ask? I am chalking it up to a modern day miracle. Seriously, had you seen my pull up progress (or lack thereof) at the playground two days ago you would agree. Jaime doing a pull up is nothing short of Miraculous.

Today was the first time I had ever done a pull up. First and most definitely last. Plus I had to do it after I'd been fasting for 9 hours for my blood draw. Talk about shaky mcgee. Mahalo for all the prayers. I know it was the angels lifting me up for those extremely long ten seconds.

So now as long as my blood and urine come back clean I get the job! Wahoo! Couldn't have done it without you all.

Praying for a Pull Up

Guess what? I got offered a job at the Wild Animal Park! Yup. They are going to have the worlds longest zip line and I will be a guide for it. My job will consist of me giving a schpeal about the animals I love and then strapping people in and sending them screaming down a zip line and then me going down after them. Awesome right?

Here's the catch: I have to pass a physical which includes me having to do a "pull up and hold".


Can girls even do pullups? Seriously. This guy looks like he's in good shape and appears to be struggling. Even when I was in great shape in hawaii and surfing and kayaking every day I don't think I could've done a real pull up.

I tried to do a pull up on the playground yesterday and it was HUMILIATING! There is no way I can hoist this butter ball of a bod up with these scrawny arms. I mean really. I was pulling with all my might and no upward movement. Just me hanging on the monkey bars swayin' in the breeze.

I have a feeling this might be one of those humiliating/devastating experiences that reminds me I am in no way the athletic person I used to be. Let's all have a moment of silence for the ill fated 4th of July Paddleboard race.

I have been doing push ups and sit ups every night but I have to do the pull up on TUESDAY!!! I REALLY need this job. It's like a dream come true plus no more RALPHS! I am willing to try out any tricks you recommend for making pull ups easier.

My last resort is to pray for a pull up miracle. Is it wrong to pray for a pull up? I mean, I only need to do one. Is that too much to ask?!!!

[Feb 10] Sesame Street 4D

We've never taken Choob on the Sesame Street 4D at Sea World before. Since Jeff was leaving us we thought it might be nice to try it out before he left for boot camp.

While waiting for the doors to open, Choob thoroughly enjoyed his 4D glasses. It was hilarious to see this little boy wearing these things like an adult.

This is him enjoying the 4D effects. It was really funny to watch him try and grab at the characters that popped out of the screen. Not sure what this face is about. I guess he enjoyed the show!

Good Job Ralphs

Look what I won in a raffle from Ralphs. A neon beer sign. That's right. A beer sign. How appropriate. My question is this: Does it really need to be three feet tall?

Good job Ralphs. You can't afford a decent microwave and TV for the break room but you can give away neon beer signs to employees who don't drink. What? I'm trying to sell it on craigslist but if I can't, guess what the next white elephant gift I'm bringing to a party is gonna be.

[Feb 28] Balloons A Plenty

So every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening just before sunset you can look to the skies and see dozens of hot air balloons at any given time. They take off and land near our neighborhood. There is even a panda shaped one, which is my favorite. Obviously.

We were headed out to get some groceries and were almost side swiped by a balloon. Seriously, I have never seen one come so close to the cars. These pictures don't do it justice. By the time I wrangled the camera out of the diaper bag in between the shrieks and glances upward, the balloon had already started to rise.

But the point is, this balloon was floating like ten feet above the cars on a busy street. If I were the people in the basket, I would've been peeing my pants. Or jumping out of the basket toward the safety of the sidewalk.

It was really exciting. I promise.

The Stats

Height: 36 inches
Weight: 29 lbs
Teeth: All except lower 2nd molar are in

Favorite movies:
Star wars
Kung fu panda
Harry potter
Pirates of the Caribbean
Flight of the navigator
Dennis the menace
Willow
Princess bride
Nims island
Jumanji
Yo Gabba Gabba
101 Dalmations

Favorite foods:
Cheetos
Doritos
Lays
Mints
Chicken nuggets
Cheese

Favorite books:
Go Away Big Green Monster
Buz
David Smells
Go Dogs Go
Hand Hand Fingers Thumb

Favorite Places:
Disneyland
Legoland
Sea World
Zoo
Souplantation
Dino Park

In His Crib:
2 Silver Nanas
1 Dadas Nana
1 Fuzzy Nana
1 Goldfish Nana
Stuffed Animals
Binkies
1 Sippy Cup

*Carries around his light saber and luke skywalker doll
*Is potty trained
*Can gargle Star Wars Theme Song
*Still wakes up between 5:00am and 5:30am
*Has his favorite books memorized word for word
*Can recognize letters: A,B,C,U,Z
*Loves to jump in puddles