My Computer Station...

Auntie Beth finally got her butt in gear and dyed her hair...there were just too many white hairs starting to show:-) Have you ever avoided a chore for a long time but when you finally did it, it seemed like no big deal?
I dyed my hair right before bed so here I am fresh out of the shower on Wednesday night...
Let's change subjects!
My tax clients can not believe that I have never shown you kids my keyboard and mouse...I keep forgetting to take photos of them and post them but finally here they are...

HELLO KITTY! Yep, my keyboard and mouse are Hello Kitty and are made for a little girl...I may not be little but I'm a girl...and they make me happy so I bought them right at the beginning of tax season in January...shall we take a closer look????

How cute is my keyboard with the Hello Kitty face and the purple keys? Notice how it says "Hello, Kitty" on the upper right side...and did you also note the multi-color stars on the pink outside part of the keyboard? Sooo fun:-)

My mouse may be the funnest part of all...that yellow gleam you see in the center of the mouse? That's really a flashing light which flashes in red, blue and green colors while I work...and the bottom blue part of the mouse? It's a blue liquid where Hello Kitty floats around in her bathtub...Hello Kitty taking a tubby is right under the bubble...and those words on the pink part of the mouse on top? "Hello Kitty" of course...see, everything matches!

Auntie Beth at her desk, happy to be in my Hello Kitty world! This all started because I had a Hello Kitty watering can sitting next to my printer, and everytime I looked at that Kitty face, I smiled...so as soon as I saw this mouse and keyboard, I had to buy them.

The other day, the girl who punches me in the VW spot came over for her taxes...and her 3 year old Addy was competely fascinated with my computer area...yep, she kept trying to rescue "poor Miss Kitty" from being stuck inside my mouse all the time...too cute:-)

I love you lots, and I miss you more-

xoxoAuntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS

Sunday Playdate with Ben-SplishSplash

Ben calls bathtime splishsplash...and because Auntie Beth keeps calling it a tubby, thank you H-W kids, he is starting to understand me when I say "let's take a tubby"...I always correct myself and say "oops, I mean let's go splishsplash" but I never get it right the first time!
Notice the frog cover on the faucet...so Ben doesn't hurt himself...

The entire bathroom is done in frogs...notice the lillypads on the shower curtain...and of course my cute Godson wondering what the heck Auntie Beth is doing...

Ben has many toys in the bathtub but Auntie Beth sprayed him with this ear suction device the first few times I did bath time with Ben, and now he grabs for it the minute I put him in the bathtub! Ben can now put the suction ball under the water, squeeze it until it fills with water and then spray it...at me:-)

O.K., this is the smile I got in response to my request for one big smile and then I'd let him go back to playing uninterrupted...how good is my Ben??? This natural, huge, amazing smile the minute I asked for it...my cup runneth over!

Yeah, you gotta take a closer look...amazing!!! And look at all those teeth...gotta admit they scare me a bit:-) Ben turns 2 today, May 21st...and I'm going to his birthday party on Saturday at 11 a.m. Randal's parents will be visiting from Montana, as well as Randal's brother & family from Las Vegas...can't wait!

I wasn't kidding about the frogs in the bathroom...look at the frog soap dispenser, the frog toothbrush holder...the frog handtowels...and the frog wastebasket which must be put up out of Ben's reach...although Ben has never been a "throw it away" toddler, he did throw his Mom's wedding ring away in the kitchen garbage a few months back...yikes!!!!

and finally, notice the frog handtowels behind me...and Auntie Beth's orange t-shirt said "rainbows make me happy"...because they do.

Ben's favorite thing to do is read and his favorite toys are animals, so we read alot of books about animals...can you believe it? Ben's mom, Lurene, left out pajamas for him and they happen to have rainforest frogs on them...in keeping with our frog theme of this blog entry, I got Ben to put the book down, stand up, smile for the camera, and...

off he goes...laughing hysterically...took me 3 minutes to get him back into his room for his bedtime books...yep, he fooled me-he is almost 2 , you know:-)

I love you lots, and I miss you more-

xoxoAuntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKY

Let's Catch Up, Shall We?

Auntie Beth got back to CA from the H-W house in CT on Tuesday April 25th and promptly slept for a day...tried to sleep at KK's and then on the airplane but no such luck!
It also took a day to get my life back together in CA...do the laundry, pay the bills, all that grownup boring stuff...
On Thursday, I met with tax clients and their daughter Adeline gave me stickers...she loves animal stickers!

Auntie Beth with her animal stickers...I couldn't get the camera far enough away to get a better shot, but they looked magical!

Then I thought, why not send a kiss to my babies in CT? I had been 3 whole days already since I'd seen them, so they could use an Auntie Beth kiss!

This is for Molly because she loved my crazy look a few months back...

Right after this photo session, I began the task of cleaning up my apartment for the Friday night arrival of Auntie KK and Auntie Meg...I don't like cleaning!

The sisters 3 did not take many photos on this trip-we are definitely not as good as Kasey with remembering we have a camera-but here's Auntie Meg outside Jamba Juice at the West Hollywood Gateway shopping structure...lots of outdoor seating and sun...

and here's Auntie KK on the other side of me...KK loved Jamba Juice! Meghan really liked Baja Fresh, a mexican food place, which was also in the courtyard...so Auntie Beth was very proud that she could offer happiness to both sisters:-)

After eating/drinking/shopping, we went for manicure/pedicures at AllStar Nails...we all picked pinkish purple nail polish because great minds think alike:-)

Here's Auntie Meg and Auntie KK in the spa chairs...the chair masssages your back as your feet get a whirlpool massage...

I love Auntie Meg and Auntie KK but the one thing I couldn't embrace fully was their blackberry/iphones...it was always "checking my iphone"...my tax clients do it all the time too...see KK checking her iphone? Are you even supposed to do that near water?

Auntie Meg & Auntie KK left 2 days ago, and things are so different without them...but Auntie Beth has lots to do so she can come back in 4 weeks so I gotta get to work!

Love you lots, and miss you more-

oxxo Auntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS

Haircut, Pilates Part Two and BEN!!!

Auntie Beth got a haircut today...if there is one thing that Auntie Beth does not like, it's too much hair! I hate hair on my neck, hate lots of hair everywhere...so I asked for it short short short!!!

I had just gotten back from pilates---my 2nd pilates session this week and I was so proud of myself!-- so my hair was a bit of a mess but you can see from the side how short I got it cut...can't wait to show you in person on Friday!!!

Upon entering the Grimm house, Ben greeted me without pants:-) His shirt was long enough that I did not notice at first, but rarely is this kid without pants, a shirt and socks unless it is bathtime...it was adorable!

Ben was running away from me so this is an action shot...apparently, Ben's new thing is to run from getting his photo taken...he does so with a gleeful squeal and laughter and a big smile of course!

I caught Ben on his way around the hall and through the kitchen...could he get any more beautiful? He gets those dimples from his Dad...Ben's Mom, Lurene, says Ben is a mini-Randal...I don't know if I'd go that far...but yes, those dimples are definitely from Daddy:-)

Notice the sign language lady on the screen behind my Godson...we watched that video 3 times tonight...I learned the sign language for all kinds of animals but my favorite was the kangaroo...Ben is squatting to get at my laundry bucket...

If only I could be so fascinated by my own laundry...Ben ran around with that grey shirt on top, throwing it on top of every chair in the living room...not sure what he was doing exactly but I think he was showing me his version of doing laundry...too cute:-)

I cannot wait to see my AnnieBoo and Kasey at the airport on Friday morning...and I'm serious when I say I am not leaving Molly's side all weekend, People...except of course when she goes to her Irish StepDancing event with Daddy on Friday and to Abby's party...but even then I'll be waiting for her at home when she gets back...so plan accordingly and try to get on our schedule, My Beloveds...we are such busy girls:-)

I love you lots, and I miss you more-

oxoxAuntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS

Auntie Beth is UNSTOPPABLE!!!!!

Auntie Beth had a hard tax season but after sleeping for only one day after it was over, I am back in good shape! I slept on Friday...and on Saturday, I did all sorts of errands like the bank, the post office and the store. I also tried to return Annie's phone call but she was not available!

Today Sunday was a big day for Auntie Beth who was trying to get her life back to normal!

First, I went to my pilates class for the first time in 3 months...Molly, that's like when you go back to Irish StepDancing after you had the whole summer off...so tiring the very first day...

Then I went to visit Ben and his parents--yipppeeeeeee!!!!!!!

Ben has discovered the joys of the sliding screen door...his Dad put a gate up to block the pool from the patio-the pool is to the right of Ben...Randal has done a really great job with the backyard, and Ben LOVES having Daddy around all day---"House" is currently on hiatus...

Ben's current passion is animals. He has a bucket of animal figures borrowed from a neighbor...we asked Ben to gather up his farm to bring inside because it got coldddddd...

Notice the sippy cup with Dora's buddy on it...Ben's hair is adorably wispy right now---his Mom left it that way so I could see it before she cut it, just in case she "messed it up"...her words!

Ben gave me an Annie smile...scrunched up nose, trying too hard, being adorable...the two of them would get along so well...what's 2800 miles between soulmates? :-P

Ben carefully places all of his barnyard friends in his bucket...and at other times, he'll hurl a zebra at me...go figure!

Now Ben's just showing off...strutting his stuff to my animal song...I make them up all the time...he seems to get it so I keep doing it...

The zebra, rhino and other animal on the table were carefully placed...Ben likes things just so...and then demands that I keep them that way...until he tosses a giraffe at me-joking:-)

Look at my little angel trying to give me his lamb....he's actually trying to get me to make the lamb sound...because he knows I stink at it...I'm not a good animal noise person...I try, I fail...oh well...but at least I put my heart into it!

Mom & Dad after a long day of running after a 23 month old dynamo...and tackling the two-person chores saved up until Randal goes on hiatus...

The Grimms are in love with Costco...

Randal spent Saturday putting together their new patio tent and table set...it is gorgeous, the backyard is amazing...but who woulda thought Costco would carry all that?

The Grimms offered their home to us if Auntie TayTay and Megs want to sleep there instead of in my small one bedroom when they visit LA...Ben, Mom & Dad will be in Disneyworld, FL for that weekend---I am so bummed that my sisters won't get to meet Ben!!!

Auntie Beth and Ben...still holding his farm animals in a bucket...he is attached to those animals!

Auntie Beth watching Ben...I always smile when I watch you kids play:-)

Once he brought his bucket inside, Ben laid his animals out on the couch so Auntie Beth could make the animal noise as he handed them to me...Ben's favorite tonight? The alligator who kept trying to chomp my pretty pink toenails...Ben does a great chomping noise!!!

Next, Ben wanted me to hold his animals in my hands and keep them standing upright even as he added far too many for me to hold at once...yes it did not work, and yes Ben kept trying...

Mom told Ben to give her a big smile for the photo, and he gave it to me instead...I actually love this photo because I can see that Ben adores his Godmother...and I love my Benjamin!!!

This is by far Ben's favorite place to sit...the Grimms spent their money well when they bought this chase lounge chair...I had such a great time with my "family away from family" today...we ate out on the new patio setting, caught up on stuff we missed while we were all working so hard, made lots of animal noises together, watched Ben take a splishsplash and read books to our little man together...I am so blessed!

And in 6 days, I will be with you guys...so excited...my heart is bursting with joy...

I love you lots, and I miss you more-

xoxo Auntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS

My Volkswagen Commercial is on youtube!!!

Just click on the link below to see Auntie Beth on tv!


(updated link on April 2nd-video was removed and relocated to new youtube address!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMRf0aWyYxg

I love you lots, and I miss you more-

oxoxAuntie Beth/Bethie/Beppy GBAKYS

Molly Dolly!!!

Auntie Beth got a very important call today from Miss Molly...it was so important that when I listened to her voicemail message, I asked my tax client if she could wait while I called my niece right back...

Molly asked me if I would answer some questions for her Girl Scout/Brownies project-how cool is that??????

Molly, you had me thinking alot about what I like and don't like...I didn't even know what my favorite flower was when you asked...thank you for including me & reminding me about all the things I love, including you:-)

My tax client had to wait for me to get off the phone then had to wait for another 5 minutes while I went on and on about my niece Molly...

But then my client took some time to ask me to see photos of you, Molly, because she says you must be wonderful to have Auntie Beth smiling so much after we talk on the phone!!! I told her to just look up because there are all sorts of photos of my nieces and nephews on my desk and fridge...but I also let her have a sneak peek at the H-W blog for a recent Molly photo:-)

Thank you for being my sunshine, Molly!

I love you so much. ox Auntie Beth