Big Girls Don't Cry

This song has been on my itunes playlist for a few months now. I've never been much of a "Fergie Fan" until I saw this performance on American Idol. I LOVE her now. She has an amazing voice and I just love the passion she sings with in this performance! Although I don't think I've EVER been in the situation she's singing about, I somehow completely identify with her when I listen to this song!!

YES!! I'm so jealous that you get to listen to this right now!

Did it really have to come to this?

After SCOTT LINEBRINK and his great partner CLAY MEREDITH gave the Rockies a big fat "W" tonight, the Padres have managed to lose 4 games straight. I've realized that this losing streak is playing a big part in the status of my emotions. So... as a discipline and precaution to not offend anyone with my negativity, I will be fasting from this blog until the Padres start winning.

I'm sorry, friends. I really didn't think it would have to come to this.

Spoiled Plans Redefined

At about 3:30pm today, I started my Spaghetti with Italian sausage meat sauce. Steve started packing diaper bags and dressing the boys warm. We headed out to Petco Park to watch our Padres play the Mets! We packed all our own food and drinks and got there 2 hours early to find a free parking space. We also still needed to purchase our "Park Pass" which is a pass to get inside the park, allowing us to walk wherever, but only sit in the "park" picnic area. What a PERFECT summer night!

Steve dropped me off in front of the box office where I asked for 4 tickets to sit in the "Park at the Park". The man working immediately informed me that the Park was sold out, and the next cheapest seats were 14 dollar bleacher seats. I had enough cash on me to buy the bleacher tickets (the boys are free), so I said "I'll just take the bleacher tickets". The man then gave me a pen and asked me to initial the tickets stating that I understood that those particular bleacher seats were "obstructed view" seats. I said..."hmmm that's ok, are there at least monitors for us to watch?" He said "no, not right there". So...before I paid to give him my autograph, I told him I had to ask my husband. Long story short...we nixed the idea, and Steve decided we should take our dinner and blankets and have a picnic at Seaport Village.
I was definitely bummin' on the way to Seaport, knowing we were going to miss the game. But I'll have to say that our dinner picnic at Seaport Village was definitely a special time for the four of us tonight. I don't think we could have planned it any better! It was sooooo worth all of the preparation, and I hope we can make it a scheduled outing for us in the very near future.

I love Petco Park, but I'm not sure we would have been able to eat our corn dogs and spaghetti while being serenaded by the peaceful cultural music of "Tinku".




And I'm not sure we would have had the chance to experience these unsolicited smiles!









And we wouldn't have had the chance to talk about how amazing the boats in the water were.









Daddy would've missed out on this kiss.







And we definitely wouldn't have been able to embrace Cameron's pure joy in this moment.



Tonight, I think we re-defined "the perfect summer night". And now we're home in enough time to put the kids to bed, and watch the game together in the "best seats of all", the couch.

Sweet.

FREQUENT FIVE

Tara had a great idea to post the most recent five photos on her digital camera. She tagged me, so I'll present mine. What Tara doesn't know is that my fourth photo is actually of her in her bikini. And though she does sport it well, I'll spare her the discomfort. So...here are my FREQUENT FIVE minus Tara in a bikini.



An almost 1 Riley James, hanging out with dad at the beach! So much fun!





Sweet Emmie enjoying sand.








Garrett, Cameron and Rhett playing in the sand and chasing waves!









RJ doing who knows what! Can you see his scar?







Becky, being...Becky!

The GREATEST Reunion EVER!

Well...it seems as though this month, for me, should be named as the "month of reconnecting".

Ever since I started in our Co-Ed Softball League a few months ago, I've been almost FORCED to reminisce about and rekindle a LOVED time in my life, that was my much missed Softball travel team.

This group of about 14 girls was more than community to me. Even the word "family" seems too trite to describe the deep impact our relationship would have on the rest of our lives.

The "Da Bomb" travel ball team derived out of a young East County All Star team. We were all ten or eleven when we started playing together, and we continued to play and travel around the country until we were out of high school.

Our team was very competitive and our "no nonsense" coaches rarely let us go a day without practicing. After practices and games, we'd inevitably end up at one of our houses to sleep over (usually Jeannines), and we'd basically stay up ALL night toilet papering eachothers houses, Making cooking videos, dance videos, and even sorting fruit loops out to designate each color to a different container!

It's been about 7 years since we've been together, and a handful of us make an effort to keep in touch. My friend Stephanie is one of those who really understands how important we are to each other. I would have fallen off the face of this planet by now if Steph didn't keep me connected through the years.

After Steph and I talked a week ago, I thought it would be really cool to coordinate a bonfire for all of us girls who haven't seen each other in so long. So we looked through old rosters and made phone calls. We decided that this first reunion on Wednesday, July 11th would be just for us girls. No kids or hubbies for this one!

All week I had been anticipating our time together, and was trying to think of questions I wanted to ask all of the girls. As each girl arrived...I threw my prepared questions out the window and experienced something really cool. It was like time rewound and we had NEVER lost touch. Like we saw each other just the day before Each of our lives have changed in crazy ways as we've grown up, but I was overwhelmed by the sense of how much I ABSOLUTELY KNEW...KNOW each one of these girls completely...no matter how much their surroundings have changed. I almost didn't want to "catch up". I just felt like we could have began right where we left off!! That moment...that feeling is one I hope I NEVER lose.

We spent most of our time reminiscing and re-telling stories of the past. We started a bonfire AND grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. I was very impressed with myself and my "manly wisdom" that graced our evening!

We arrived at our spot at 6:00PM and left at close to 11PM. We coordinated another reunion and will include families at this next one!

Here are some pictures from one of my favorite nights of the year so far.


Here's me unloading wood. Everyone was completely amazed at my incredible strength.


And here we are! From Left to Right: Erin, Deanna, Jeannine, Nicole, Stephanie, Lauren, Pamella, Roxanne and Jennifer.



Jeannie, Me and Steph



Pamella, Me and Jen






















Rox, Baby #2 and Me
























Nicole "Tino" and Me














Me and Erin "Coyner". And...if you're wondering...the answer is YES. The sunglasses are REAL. Dolce Gabana.





Let's get this party started!!



Dad...is this the way to start the fire with the lighter fluid?




The PERFECT summer night!


Me and Pam - an ENFP for sure!




Smores in process.




In my element...for sure!


I thought I'd throw in a few pictures of us 10 years ago. Good Times.















Girls, if you're reading this, I love you like CRAZY. That about sums up what you already know!! More good times to come!

(Da Bomb Bonfire Reunion - Wednesday, July 11, 2007)

MmMMmMmmMm!

You want one, don't you! Get one FREE at any 7-11 today, and celebrate July 11th!
(Note: Some stores are giving away bigger sizes than others, so call and ask which size your nearest store is giving away!)

A Beautiful Beginning to a Beautiful Day

As I opened my eyes this morning, I did my normal routine of lifting my head off my pillow to see how bright it was outside, and sat up to listen for which boy was up whining for breakfast. It was...well... pleasantly quiet at 7:20am. I layed back down knowing that the craziness of the Faiai house would begin at any moment. Sure enough, Cameron walked in my room, climbed up into my bed next to me. I closed my eyes with the unrealistic hope he'd honor my sleep for a few more minutes. He started saying my name, "mommy? ... mommy?" and after about four times, I answered: "Yes, Cameron?" I opened my eyes and looked at him next to me. He put his hand on my head and said "You're so pretty, mom." I pulled him close to me and gave him a kiss and thanked him. He then started singing one of his Psalty The Bible songs (thanks Fran): "Jesus put the song in my heart, and turned my life around, He gave me a treasure, the heart of a servant!" over and over. I totally felt Cameron's sincerity in the compliment he gave me, and as he continued to sing, I hoped that someday my sweet boy would experience and be sincere in what He sang about; a life change, and a genuine desire to be a servant of God's. I can only be honest with myself to know Cameron doesn't know what a relationship with Jesus looks like yet, but I do believe that for the three minutes we layed in my bed, he truly thought his mommy was pretty!

On that note, I think I'll get up now and start my day!

Do you even know who I am?!!

I took a personality profile test at the request of a good friend who's been discipling me for the past couple of months. I almost fell out of my chair when I read my results. They were pretty dead on consistent at describing who I am. I'm sooo glad I'm not crazy. There's more of you like me. I think...I hope.

<---- Yes, I know...Pretty Awesome Picture!

Here are my results. This may clear up some confusion!

LAUREN FAIAI = 100% ENFP
"'Journalist'. Uncanny sense of the motivations of others. Life is an exciting drama. 8.1% of total population."

I highlighted in BLUE the major characteristics of me, the "Extroverted intuitive, feeling perceiver".

ENFPs are both "idea"-people and "people"-people, who see everyone and everything as part of an often bizarre cosmic whole. They want to both help (at least, their own definition of "help") and be liked and admired by other people, on both an individual and a humanitarian level. They are interested in new ideas on principle, but ultimately discard most of them for one reason or another.

ENFPs are deeply committed to their friends and will sacrifice their own needs for them. They are usually very cheerful, but withdrawn when hurt or overwhelmed. ENFPs love being around people, and will talk to and feel sympathy for most everyone. In their speech, ENFPs use many metaphors and humor and speak very quickly. They swear more than most of the other types and use many colorful, if irrelevant stories to emphasize their points. They are very eloquent and can convince anyone of anything. They also know just what words to use to motivate different people. ENFPs ask many questions, especially when they first meet a person.

ENFPs often have strong, if unconvential, convictions on various issues related to their Cosmic View. They usually try to use their social skills and contacts to persuade people gently of the rightness of these views; his sometimes results in their neglecting their nearest and dearest while flitting around trying to save the world.


Work Environment: ENFPs are pleasant, easygoing, and usually fun to work with. They come up with great ideas, and are a major asset in brainstorming sessions. Followthrough tends to be a problem, however; they tend to get bored quickly, especially if a newer, more interesting project comes along. They also tend to be procrastinators, both about meeting hard deadlines and about performing any small, uninteresting tasks that they've been assigned.


ENFPs hate bureaucracy, both in principle and in practice; they will always make a point of launching one of their crusades against some aspect of it.

ENFPs are friendly folks. Most are really enjoyable people. Some of the most soft-hearted people are ENFPs.

ENFPs have what some call a "silly switch." They can be intellectual, serious, all business for a while, but whenever they get the chance, they flip that switch and become CAPTAIN WILDCHILD, the scourge of the swimming pool, ticklers par excellence. Sometimes they may even appear intoxicated when the "switch" is flipped.

Most have a natural propensity for role-playing and acting.

ENFPs like to tell funny stories, especially about their friends. This penchant may be why many are attracted to journalism.

Friends are what life is about to ENFPs, moreso even than the other NFs. They hold up their end of the relationship, sometimes being victimized by less caring individuals. ENFPs are energized by being around people. Some have real difficulty being alone , especially on a regular basis.

Take Your Test HERE
email your results to lauren@journeycom.org

Potty Training and... Torture

There were no more #6 diapers at the store when we went shopping with our miracle gift cards this past Monday (You might hear about the miracle gift cards in another post). So instead of buying a smaller size for Cameron, we decided to buy the store brand pull-ups. These training diapers were three dollars cheaper than the actual pull-ups brand, so since we are trying to potty train Cameron, on a budget of course, we purchased them.

We got home and Cameron started wearing the training diapers in hopes of earning a special treat if he told us when he had to go potty. Little did we know... these cheapo diapers are the tool we've needed all along to transition our boy into his Bob the Builder undies.

See how it works in exhibit 'A' pictured here:
If you look closely, you'll see that the side of this diaper is threaded together to enable the training pant to stretch and be able to tear apart easily for quick emergency access. This is where the store brand beats name brand. The little piece that holds the sides of this diaper together is made out of a nice piece of wirey plastic, almost like a plastic trash bag tie. Cameron started complaining that this little piece was "scratching" him. I immediately went to his diaper bag to try to find a better diaper, when I had a great epiphany! I went back into the room and told Cameron that these were the only diapers that mommy could buy (which was true), and that unless he could wear his "big boy pants", he had no other choice but to wear the "scratchy diapers". So now he's wearing his Bob the Builder undies, and is doing a great job at telling me when he needs to go potty. He had one little accident at grandma's house last night, but has been doing pretty well ever since. When he woke up this morning the first thing he said was "Mommy, I'm a big boy, I don't want to wear scratchy diapers."

Woo Hoo! Praise the Lord for store brand crappy, pull-ups. They are truly the perfect tool for Cameron's transition!

Ode to Sawgrass Street...

When I was 4 years old, My mom, dad, sister, and I moved from Lemon Grove to a wonderful house on a cul-de-sac in Rancho San Diego. 2678 Sawgrass Street to be exact. We lived at Sawgrass from 1985 until 1994(Somewhere in there my brother was born). Needless to say, we made great friends on that street.
Days were safer then. After I would get ready for elementary school in the morning, I'd meet just about all the neighborhood friends in the cul-de-sac for a quick game of four square or spot ball. We'd all rush off to school and then meet each other back in the cul-de-sac when we got home. By 5PM, the Sawgrass moms and dads would be coming home from work, and my dad would often have our garage door open with the margarita machine running and loud music playing. Naturally the neighborhood eventually gravitated to the smell of lime and triple sec in the evenings and everyone would just hang out and chat until after dark.

Almost EVERY weekend we'd play street hockey, sell lemonade and sometimes snails to anyone who was interested! We did trips to Yosemite and to the desert often, and just loved each other like crazy.


As us kids grew older, it seemed like everyone kind of got busy and each family, one by one started leaving Sawgrass. We always tried our best to keep in touch, but life's complexity made it hard.

We moved to Crest for my middle school and high school years, and then after I was married, my parents decided to move to a neighborhood in Vista Grande. It just so happened that 3 other families from Sawgrass Street ended up moving to the same development in Vista Grande.

My parents have reconnected with some of our Sawgrass neighbors and we all decided it would be awesome to call everyone and have kind of a reunion. Everyone still lives close except for Leo and Calice who live back east. They agreed to come out to see everyone this summer. We're trying to talk them into moving back to SD. We'll see.

Jan and Marty had us all over to their beautiful home and we had an AWESOME time reconnecting. It's been almost 13 years since some of us have seen each other so we all had a lot of catching up to do. It was sooo fun introducing my babies to everyone. Cameron was sweet as ever. Riley was a PILL the whole time. I was pretty irritated with him.

(side story- When Riley woke up the morning after the party, we had to rush him to the doctor because he had green goop dripping from his ears. Come to find out, his eardrum busted because of a bad ear infection. I was so frustrated that Riley was so fussy at the party... When I was going through the pictures today, I realized that he's tugging on his ear in EVERY picture that I took of him. OOPS.)

Anyway... I definitely miss Sawgrass and the community of our cul-de-sac. But I do know that if I ever do move into a house of my own, I'm going to pray for a street like Sawgrass.























Lot's of memories in pictures!

Sorry Riley James.