Up Before The Sun

I'm not sure how well today is going to go.  A little being woke us up at two-stinkin-thirty this morning.  The claim was that her bed was lumpy.  Later I found out that she had just had a bad dream (about a lumpy bed??) and was afraid to go back to sleep.

After waking us up to the report of a 'lumpy bed', instructions were given to 'go lay down on the couch and watch tv if you have to'.  Now, I admit that being woken up before the sun makes it extremely difficult to be a good parent.  I don't recommend giving a 5 year old instructions to watch tv at 2:30 in the morning.  IF, said child is able to turn on the complicated tv and cable system, then there's no telling what she'll end up watching.  Turns out King of the Hill was on - another score for parent of the year.  Good thing she doesn't know how to work the telephone, who knows what would have happened if she had landed on the Home Shopping Network!

I'm just glad that today is a school day for this little girl.  I think I'll say an extra prayer for her teacher.  And plan for a nap when school gets home. 

The Weekend Squall

I find it odd that all through the week I am able to maintain a somewhat clean and presentable house only to have it completely obliterated by gale force winds on Saturday morning.

The other problem is that it takes all Saturday and Sunday to repair the damages.

Oh the joy of raising whirlwinds.

Always - Little Word, Big Impact

Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

I've read this verse many times in my life, and most times I get the thought of "Yeah right.  Always?  It's hard to rejoice in every situation!".  But there it is.  A command.  On the other hand......maybe Paul didn't realize what it would be like to be waiting and sitting in the Department of Motor Vehicles.

I have about a month and a half to get myself down to the DMV before my license expires.  Oh the joy.  I could only wonder at the hours of wasted time spent waiting in line with a bunch of unhappy people in a dingy crowded building.  And so today, I packed two snacks and a book and took myself down to the DMV.  After going to the wrong location, I finally found the building and stood in the long line just to get my number assigned to me.  I was number G115.  And they were on G093 when I sat down.  I had no idea what the other letters and numbers were for.  The big screen in the building was flashing up numbers like B109 and C063, with an occasional 'G' number thrown in for good measure, I guess.

After getting my number, I found a seat in the middle of a pretty much empty row.  I sat down, updated my Facebook status (what else is more entertaining that letting others know that I am waiting in the dungeon of doom with the rest of my city's humanity?), then I opened my book and began reading.  Soon a lady and her husband came and sat right next to me.  I was a bit annoyed as I casually looked around the room and saw that there was plenty of empty seats around the room and yet they chose to sit right beside me!  Then the lady began to fan herself and wafting her perfume directly into my breathing space.  Seriously?  Sit next to me and make me smell you also?? *sigh*

That was when I checked my email and saw a response to my Facebook status - I would LOVE to be sitting in DMV reading a book right now!.  I sat and thought about that little statement.  My friend was right.  How often would I love to sit somewhere and have nothing else to do than read a book somewhat uninterrupted?  My days have been filled, for years, with little beings constantly surrounding me, asking me for things, as the household requires errands and cleaning and host of other things from me as well.  And then I realized what a blessed day I was having.  There I was, sitting in the DMV and my children were all safe and happy at school and I am able to sit down and relax and read my little book in somewhat silence.

God be praised!  In the middle of the DMV!  Who knew?!

And so I sat and continued reading.  And my next door neighbor stopped fanning herself.  Then my number was called and within 15 minutes I was done and outta there!

Rejoicing.  It's a matter of perspective.  And choice.

All That AND The Kitchen Sink

Isabel says she loves me. She tells me all the time. Often she'll say "I love you forever!". And I kinda like it.

Today we had another talk about how much we love each other. It went a little like this;

Isabel - I love you one hundred!

Me - Well, I love you a thousand.

Isabel - And I love you a thousand a hundred!

Me - Oh yeah? I love you a million!

Isabel - *silence, as her mind works to come up with her next line. then her little face lights up as she says* I love you a lotta numbers!

Me too, little girl, you have no idea.

One More Reason To Love Target

Today I am thankful for Target's plastic bags. I have quite a lot of them and I use them for many things. They make for great bathroom trash can liners. Also, the bags are good for when I clean out the kitty litter.

But today I am thankful for Target's bags because they don't have holes at the bottom, like most grocery store bags. I am thankful for the hole-less plastic bag today because Isabel got sick and I needed something that wouldn't leak as I cleaned up the mess in the garage.

Yep. Target's plastic bags rock!

New Recipe!

I attended a moms event at church the other morning and in the newsletter I found a delicious recipe for Tomato Basil Soup. Yesterday was a chilly day so I decided it was perfect timing to have soup for dinner. Although I had my doubts as I was making it, it turned out great AND everyone liked it! I'll definitely add this new recipe to my dinner repertoire. Next time though, I'll make some bread to go with it. Can't beat homemade soup and warm bread on a chilly night!

~ Tomato Basil Soup ~

1 onion, finely chopped

3 carrots, shredded

2 16-oz cans stewed or crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh basil

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp butter or olive oil

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp pepper

Saute onion and carrots in butter or olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes, basil, chicken broth, heavy cream, sugar and pepper until heated through, but no boiling. Next puree ingredients in a food processor or blender. Serve garnished with fresh bail and sour cream (optional).

Pool Table

On the other side of our pool we have a nice table and umbrella that came with the house. It may not look very big, but it seats up to eight people! The covered table comes in very handy when we have people over, either for a party as it gives extra outdoor seating, or as a nice far-away place for the kids to sit and eat as the adults enjoy their meal together. We have also used it a lot this summer for eating our nightly dinner.

When it gets really hot, having a place to eat outside has been great. The kids love it too. In fact, almost every night before dinner Mae will ask one of us if we will be eating outside. And if the answer is 'no, not tonight' then there is the inevitable disappointed sigh coming from her direction. (I have NO idea where she got that from!) But most nights will find us dining outside.

I picked up a nice-sized outdoor serving tray so I can stack plates and glasses and a side dish or two and carry it out to the table. Also, I have invested in some plastic plates and cups to help save our glassware and everyday dishes from the occasional drop off the table onto the concrete.

Having a place to eat outside has been so nice and it makes me appreciate the blessing of our house even more. So, if you're ever in the neighborhood, stop by and join us for dinner!

Isabel's First Day

Yesterday was a great day! Isabel was so excited to go to her new kindergarten class. In fact, here she is the night before as she was making her sandwich and packing her lunch. Can't you just feel her excitement?


I half expected Isabel to have either a hard time going to sleep the night before her first day or that she'd get up super-early the day of. I was wrong on both accounts. In fact, Ryan had to wake her up at 7:00 so she could get ready to leave. However, it didn't take her long to be WIDE awake and ready to leave!

Here she is as we were about to leave the house.


Then again walking to her class (I just love these shots!)


And here she is lined up with her class and rest of the school before the day got started.


Then she went with her class into the classroom, where she found her desk, put her stuff down, then came to the door to wave goodbye. I was strong and didn't cry. I wanted to. But I didn't.

When it was time, I went back to Isabel's school to pick her up. Where she had had a great first day!

Isabels says "I love kindergarten school!". I'm so glad that she does, but I hope she still likes homeschool days with Mom.

Top Ten Tuesday - All By Myself!

Isabel went to her first day at kindergarten this morning. She was beyond excited! And me? Well, I'm quite excited as well. In fact, here's what I am looking forward to doing today, my first day of all the kids in school!!!

1. have coffee with some girl friends

2. Go to Target. By myself

3. Go to the grocery store. By myself. No little hands touching things they shouldn't, feet running when they should walk, and no voices getting louder than they should!

4. Go to Costco. By myself. I'm especially looking forward to leaving the giant store without a smiley face being drawn onto the back of my receipt.

5. Maybe grabbing a Jamba Juice and not having to share.

6. Fixing only one lunch today. Or better yet, maybe the Jambe Juice will be my lunch.

7. Go to the post office. By myself.

8. Read some chapters in my book. By Myself.

9. Clean something. Maybe, if I feel like. No promises with that one.

10. Take a nap and not feel guilty about the kids fending for themselves or them watching too much tv while I do so.

Oh yes, there is plenty on my list of things to do and enjoy while all the kiddos are away at school today. But if I don't get it all accomplished today, well, I can always pick up where I left on Thursday when Isabel goes back to kindergarten! Yep. This is going to be a great year, I can just tell. :)

It Should Be Mae, But It's Not

The other week, after I returned from my weekend trip to San Francisco, I heard Caleb tell that his favorite drink was Dr. Pepper. This was news to me. Especially since we don't really let our kids drink soda, like hardly ever. If we go out to eat, I usually allow the kids get lemonade or, if I'm an exceptionally nice mother, root beer. But hardly ever ever Coke or another like-soda. But Caleb insists that Dr. Pepper is his favorite soda. Which only brings me to the conclusion that while I was gone, Ryan took them out to eat and let them get real soda.

He did.

And, he did.

Now, if you ask Caleb what his favorite drink is, he'll tell you - Dr. Pepper! (the world is coming to an end....my children have had real soda with CAFFEINE!!!! consider yourself warned.)

Out of all the kids, I would figure it would be Mae that would love it. You see, when I was pregnant with Mae, Ryan was borderline obsessed with my sugar intake. He tried to limit me. However, that Thanksgiving, after having one glass of my choice drink, Dr. Pepper, I wanted another. But I was seated at the table in such a way that I couldn't get up without three other people having to get up out of their seats to let me out, then back in. So I asked Ryan, since he was up and refilling his glass, if he would please refill mine as well. He refused, and offered to get me something else. Well, I didn't want 'something else', I wanted more DP! So my cousin, who also has a love for the drink, got up and refilled my glass. Much to Ryan's chagrin.

So, one would think that my Dr. Pepper desire would travel down to the child within. But I guess it didn't. Or maybe it did, but skipped to the next? Oh well, one less person to share my beloved DP. with. :)

A New Year, Another First Day

My kids went back to school yesterday. I can't believe that summer vacation is over. It feels like it went by quickly, or maybe it just seems that way from this side of it. However, I think we all have been looking forward to school resuming these past couple weeks.

To prepare for going back we got all our school supplies weeks ago (before the rush on supplies really hit, no crowds AND everything was stocked up!). Then over the weekend the kids picked out a new shirt to wear on the first day.

So, come Monday morning, the lunches were made, shirts were donned and backpacks were loaded and ready to go!

Wow. I have a 4th and 2nd grader. Time flies!

Next week will be a whole new beginning for Isabel and me. That's when we will start Isabel's kindergarten homeschooling. But until then, I only have a 2nd and 4th grader, oh, and I pre-schooler. (yes, I live in denial. don't spoil it for me) :)

A Curious Find

I was on the computer looking for a specific group of pictures when I came across a bunch of pictures that Mae had taken a few years ago. There were several shots of her stuffed animals wearing sunglasses and 'reading books', as well as an occasional self-shot. All were very random but not too surprising since Mae was exploring her inner photographer. However, I was a bit baffled when I saw this one....

....until I realized that she had spelled her name in pretzels. Ha! Of course, how genius! It's all clear to me now. I should not have been so baffled, no?

My New Favorite

Mae loves to draw and color. She always has. I don't think she really had a choice seeing how creative her parents are. And Ryan and I have enjoyed seeing the things she's made over the years.

Recently, Mae drew a picture of a bunch of pac-mans (pac-men?) going in a bunch of directions all over the page. I thought it was such a random thing for her to draw, and there was just something about it that I liked. So I took a picture of it, then decided to make it the wallpaper for my phone. Mae loves that I have her picture as my wallpaper. I think it makes her feel proud. She has since had me show several people my phone and newest wallpaper. And to be honest, I don't mind showing it off. I'm kind of proud of her too!

So here it is, my new wallpaper, or, rather, Mae's newest piece of art.

Top Ten Tuesday - SF Weekend

I haven't participated in Top Ten Tuesday in a very loooooong time. Seeing how I just came off a fabulous girl weekend in San Francisco, I feel like I can use the Top Ten as a recap. I'll try to be brief but still share my highlights (with out boring you all to death).

So, a good friend I and I flew into to San Francisco for just a couple days. The best things of our time included, but were not limited to, the following;

1 - Flying with no children and only carrying a backpack (no suitcases, just the clothes on our backs and a few necessities).

2 - Taking BART around the city with ease and not getting lost, turned around or ever going in the wrong direction.

3 - Having brunch at Neiman Marcus on Saturday. We had not eaten much for breakfast so that we would be hungry for our early lunch reservations. I ordered a delicious crab sandwich that looked waaay bigger than it actually ended up being, and it was fabulous!

4 - Seeing Wicked!!!!

5 - Staying at my friend's relative's house in Berkeley. Not only did it keep our travel cost down but I also got to see a part of the bay area that I'd never been to before. I loved the cute bungalows and craftsman houses, made me think of Portland.

6 - Dropping off our backpacks at MOMA on Sunday so we could walk unencumbered before checking into the airport and heading home. (which was totally free, by the way. we followed the don't ask, don't tell philosophy since we weren't actually going into the museum....they didn't ask, so we didn't tell.)

7 - Completing our 'things to do in the city' list by having a chowder bread bowl for lunch on Sunday. There's nothing quite like a San Francisco sourdough bread bowl filled with white clam chowder yumminess!

8 - Having extra bandaids in my backpack. I needed one after walking around the city for two days. My shoes were cute, but rubbed a bit too much.

9 - Having a great time with my friend, and taking silly pictures.

10 - Coming home to my family, whom were all happy to see me. It was the best ending to a fabulous weekend.

~~~~~~~~~~

Interested in more Top Ten's for this week? Go to OhAmanda and check out the list!

It's My Thing

I'm not much for cooking. It doesn't excite me. I cook only for nourishment, because it's needed. Now baking, that's something I can get into. That excites me.

At Thanksgiving I make a fabulous crumble top apple pie. And at Christmas I make snickerdoodles. Then there is always pumpkin pie, those are made during both holidays. During the other times of the year I like to make cookies and cakes and ice cream! However, I have not made meringue, and consequently, never a lemon meringue pie.

Until now.

My in-laws were visiting and I had lemons on the tree and I felt the need to make something delicious while they were here. So I decided to try my hand at the infamous lemon meringue pie. After a failed attempt at baking an empty pie crust (which is necessary for this kind of pie, but something I've never done because my previous pies have always been baked at the same time as the filling), I had a decision to make. I could scrap the whole idea of a pie altogether OR buck up and try again.

I bucked up. For I didn't want a baking failure on my record.

And wah-lah, made a super-yummy lemon meringue pie. Which received high praise for it's appearance as well as taste.

I love baking!

Conversations

Tucking Caleb into bed tonight, this is a snippet of our conversation:

Caleb: I have a hard time being nice to my sisters because they're a part of my family.

Me: (trying not to laugh, and not succeeding) What? What about Me and Daddy? Do you have a hard time being nice to us?

Caleb: Yes.

Me: Well, can you pretend that you don't know us? It might be easier for you that way.

Then we both couldn't contain our laughter any longer. That kid! He says the silliest things sometimes.

I'll keep you posted on how this theory plays out, but I have a feeling we'll be back to square one come morning.

Tips For Boogie Boarding

When one goes boogie boarding, there are a couple things that have proven to be helpful.

1). Wear a hat. This will keep the water from getting in the eyes. Now, don't blame me if some water splashes up into your face and therefore getting in your eyes, for it will happen but the hat will certainly keep most of the water at, ahem, bay.

2). An extra pair of sunglasses should be worn instead of the everyday pair. I have prescription eye glasses with transition lenses, but I also have at least one extra pair with the transition lenses and those are the ones I wear when boogieing on my board. :) The glasses not only keep the sun out (and help me see clearly) but they also help keep water out of my eyes also.

3). I love my board shorts. They give me more coverage in modesty as well as make boogie board riding more comfortable. Board shorts are a must.

4). And if you wear board shorts then a good tankini is a good option for the top half (of course!). When I shop for a tankini I am always looking for one that is longer than average because of my long torso. And because I get tankinies that are longer, this also means that I don't get a rash from the board rubbing on my tummy. I love my long tankini top!

5). A water-proof watch. When a mom hits the waves while her kids are at VBS, it's important that she keep track of time so she can be on time to pick them up*.

6). The boogie board. Maybe I should have mentioned this first. It's pretty essential to boogie boarding. But maybe that's just me.

*disclaimer - this doesn't necessarily mean that she will be on time, it's not the watch's fault if she's late, and she may get a talking to from the VBS ladies working the registration tables.

AKA - Boogie Boarding Week

Today is the start of VBS for my kids. Every day they will go at 9:00 and be done at 12:00. Whatever shall I do with myself for 3 hours???

Go boogie boarding with a friend, of course.

It's going to be a great week! And I bet I'll sleep great AND get good exercise. It's a win-win all around!

I love VBS week!

A + + +!!!

Ever find yourself on the freeway, just beboppin' down the road, and realize that there is a highway patrol car behind you? You have no idea how long he's been there and panic sets in! But as your eyes dart to the speedometer your pulse returns to normal and a smile crosses your face. You just passed an on-road test, you weren't speeding and therefore pass the pop quiz by the policeman that's been tailing you.

That's how I felt the other day when my babysitter showed up.

Ryan had been gone on business for a week and the kids and I were trying our best to not kill each other. We'd survived the loooong lonely weekend and it was now Monday evening and time for me to leave for my ladies bible study group. The kids had been running around the house off and on all day, and consequently I'd been telling them to 'stop running in the house!' off and on all day. So as I was in the bathroom getting ready to leave, I heard them running, AGAIN! Inside I felt like yelling and screaming at them, but instead I walked out of my room and calmly told them to go to their rooms. Not two seconds later the doorbell rang. It was the babysitter. She had rang the doorbell once already and I didn't hear it. The kids had been trying to quickly find a place to hide (hence the running) after they heard it the first time.

As this bit of news hit me, I realized that if I had chosen to lash out at the kids with pent up anger of day-long frustration then my babysitter would have heard me. No doubt. And so I feel like a passed a parenting pop quiz! By the grace of God, I did not yell or scream at my kids. I chose to speak calmly to them. Therefore I was rewarded with the satisfaction that I was not embarrassed when I opened the door to my babysitter!

Praise God, I passed!!!!

Late Night Potty Training

When your five year old runs out of night time pull-ups, you may decide that it's time to be done with them completely and begin waking up the child in the night so she can go potty in the bathroom instead of her bed.

If you wake up your five year old in the night so she can go potty, a few strange thing may happen.

For instance, she may be harder to wake up than you thought.

When she does wake up enough to walk, it'll be kinda funny, a bit on the drunk side of walking.

Once she stumbles from bed to the bathroom, you may just stand outside the door to give her some privacy.

This may not be a good idea since she's not all that aware having just been awoken from a deep sleep (if not sleep walking/peeing).

You may have to remind her to flush the toilet.

In doing so, you may then see her walk out of the bathroom without flushing.

But she won't be wearing any bottoms. At all!

You'll ask her to stop, as you go into the bathroom to retrieve the necessary pj bottoms and underwear.

Once inside you might see the missing articles inside the toilet.

Then you'll wonder how effective this 'training' is as you walk the sleepy five year old to her room to clothe her bottom half and put her back in bed.

~~~this has been the musings of a nighttime potty training mother.

Note To Self

When making an orange julius from freshly squeezed oranges, always taste the juice before taking the next julius step.

I am watching a friends house while they are on vacation. My duties include feeding their kitties and playing with them (this is the bummer part of my job! *wink wink*) as well as watering the garden. I was told that I could glean any fruit or vegetable that is ripe. While I was there yesterday I couldn't help but notice that the orange tree was heavy laden with very ripe oranges. After texting for permission (I still felt I should ask before cleaning out the tree) I put a dozen or so oranges in a bag and headed home. My mission was to make orange julius for the kids and I as we bummed around on the couch watching The Next Food Network Star and Design Star (one of my tv highlights of the week, next to So You Think You Can Dance, of course).

So, after using my handy dandy juicer machine on all the oranges, I went to work on adding the necessary ingredients to complete the julius. Once the drink was all put together, I filled the cups for the kids and handed them off with a 'come-n-get'em!'. As if I really needed to holler to get their julius attention. They promptly took their first swig and reported that it 'its good but it's kinda sour'.

What??!?!

Well, I had to do my own taste test. And when I did, I, too, concluded that the julius was sour. I poured it all back into the blender and added more sugar.

Still sour.

Hmm! I added a little more sugar. Then grabbed some frozen blueberries and peaches. And some frozen whipped cream for good measure. The julius wasn't so much a julius anymore, but it was going to taste ohsoyummy with all the goodies inside. No doubt.

Again, sourness still there. *sigh*

I added more sugar, fruit and whipped cream.

Again, still sour.

I gave up. There was no more that I could add. The orange juice was too overpowering. So I threw it all out. Then I tasted just a bit of the orange juice, just to be sure. Ugh!!! Ever taste bile, as a drink? That was the orange juice in its natural, unvarnished state. Ter-ir-ble! To say the least.

And so I've learned a great lesson. Don't be too excited or overly confident about your julius making skilz that you fail to test the oj.

We had popcorn with our shows, instead of a lovely beverage. *sigh*

Today Was The Day

Two years ago Mae sat in the chair at Claire's and waited to get her ears pierced. But the store got suddenly busy and the store girls who were about to do the deed had to leave to attend the other customers. This gave Mae time to sit and think too much about the impending pain. So Mae changed her mind and we left the store. She said she'd get them done when she was 10. Or 12.

The other day, somewhat out of the blue, Mae told me that she was ready to get her ears pierced. I cleared it with Ryan and made plans to take her back to Claire's. But just when we were about to go yesterday, she changed her mind. So we planned to go this morning. Again, she backed out. *sigh*

However, after an inducement of a Jamba Juice afterwards, she finally agreed to go. So I jumped on it and soon found ourselves looking at the earring selections and waiting for the store girl to get her stuff together. And Mae was a trooper this time. She sat there as the girl made perfect little dots with her ink pen on Mae's ear lobes, making sure the holes would be perfectly placed. Then Mae endured the two 'shots' as the earrings made their home on each side of her head.

And wah-lah, Mae has beautifully pierced ears!

No tears were shed. But there was a wee bit of nausea after the fear and stress of the moment had passed. I think the Jamba Juice helped, it always makes my day!

What Do You Think Of Them Peaches?

Look what we've had with our dinner the past few nights!

Mmmm.....peaches, freshly picked from our tree. Washed and sliced, just sitting on my plate. It's almost like having desert with my dinner!

My only wish? Is that I had a fabulous cobbler recipe.

Camping 2010

We were able to go on a small camping trip this past weekend. It was great to get away, even if it was only a couple nights. With the heat wave we had last week the timing couldn't have been more perfect (especially since our a/c wasn't working!).

Here are a few pictures;

Mae, coloring and passing the time before our friends arrived at the camp site.

Caleb, happy.....and dirty (maybe that's why he's happy?)

We celebrated Isabel's 5th birthday the first night. I had made cupcakes, but they melted in the heat and got ruined before we even left the house. So we picked up a pie on the way to the campground. It's a birthday pie!

Caleb and me - why can't we just have a normal picture??

You know it's been a camping success when the kids are totally out! They didn't even stir when the flash went off. Sweet silence at night.....niiiiice!

Five

Happy birthday to my sweet baby girl! She's five today and I'm having a hard time thinking that she was ever this little....



But she's gone and done it. She grew up.



The next thing I know she'll probably be starting kindergarten or something equally as crazy.

Journey Down The Isle

(play the music as you read along)

When the movie Dances with Wolves came out I fell in love with one particular song, Journey to Fort Sedgewick. It's just the kind of music that moves me, moves my heart. I sit back, close my eyes and let the strings and wind instruments sway across my soul. I had the soundtrack and I would listen to the song over and over and became familiar with every part of it. Long before I had a wedding to plan, and maybe even before I had a guy to think about marrying, I had this song selected as my wedding march. It was perfect. I was so familiar with it that I knew the timing of how my bridesmaids would walk down the isle during the first part of the song, then I'd use the small break in the middle to pause the procession and just as the music swelled and burst again, then my dad and I made our entrance. It worked out just the way I wanted, just the way I pictured it during my many listenings of the song.

Today is our fourteenth wedding anniversary. Fourteen years ago today I walked down the isle to this beautiful song, to my wonderful man, both of whom I'm still in love with.

Shaking!

Living in California has its advantages. Good weather, beaches near by, and lots of sunshine. But I'm not sure where earthquakes fit in. I used to think they were fun (the kind where there's just some shaking but no loss of life or damages). When I was a kid we'd have earthquake drills in school. The bell would ring and all the kids and teachers would crawl under the desks. One time I was on the playground when an earthquake hit. My teacher freaked out and called us all back inside the building. Um, yeah, not the greatest course of action.

Yesterday we had another earthquake. It was the third one I've felt in as many months. But this one freaked me out. I heard it before it hit. It sounded like a semi truck was coming near the house, then I felt the ground begin to shake. I shot out of my chair and started for the doorway. I was thinking that the doorway was a safe place to be, but then there wouldn't be enough room for the kids and I. I also thought of instructing the kids to get under the dining room table. But then I had heard at one time that getting under things isn't the best solution either as they can collapse on a person, but that the better place is to be next to a large piece of furniture. However, I'm not sure how solid that advise is. All this went screaming through my mind in a matter of a half second, or so it felt. After those thoughts flew through my consciousness, I decided it was best to just get out of the house. So I yelled at the kids to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, NOW!!!! Poor Isabel, she was in the back part of the house so it took her longer to get out. By the time we were all outside, the quake was over. Our poor hearts were beating so fast!

I'm not sure what freaked my kids out more, the earthquake or my yelling at them to get outside. I think it was the quake, for they spent the following hour playing 'earthquake' and running drills to the outside. *sigh*

Camping Memories

Next week we are going camping. This naturally makes me think of past camping adventures we've had. Like the time we went with friends to the Lassen area in Northern California.....

It was the summer of 2002. Mae was 13 months old and Caleb was a new bun in the oven. At the time we had a small 4-man tent which held our family of 3.5 just fine. When little Mae needed a nap we put her on our air mattress with a few toys and zipped up the tent and sat near by. She could be heard playing for a little bit, and then it was quiet so we assumed she had gone to sleep. I peeked through the mesh air vents at the top of the tent to check on my sleeping babe, and I saw that before she succumbed to sleep she had found Ryan's wallet and had a good ol' time pulling everything out! I took this picture to capture the moment.

Why We Watch

Ryan and I have enjoyed watching So You Think You Can Dance since the very beginning of the series. We love watching the dancers being pushed to try new dance styles as well as simply watching some dance routines. Before watching the show I would have never thought I'd say things like "Hip Hop is my favorite dance to watch" or "Wow, that dancer has really grown in his dance" (like I am one to judge! ha!). But overall I just enjoy sitting on the couch with my husband and watching a show together.

However, Ryan recently told me that he's just not into the show like he used to be. He still watches with me, as he plays games on his iphone or catches up on work on his laptop while sitting in front of the tv. I was a bit baffled, but a part of my understands why he would say that. I'm not sure if it's because we are just used to watching it that it no longer feels special anymore or if the dancing truly isn't as amazing as it once was.

But......as we were watching the show last night (gotta love the dvr!!!) we saw an amazing performance! So amazing that we went back and watched it a second time. This is why we watch the show, to see people like this ballet dancer totally nail a hip hop routine (something that really shouldn't be possible). Because of routines like this, we tune in each week, and sit and watch in hopes of seeing brilliance on the dance floor.

This is why we watch......

to watch the video, click HERE.

The Powers That Be

As the kids and I were driving away from a friends house, Mae's friend could be seen wildly waving and saying goodbye. At that, Mae said "She's crazy, it's her superpower".

Ha! So, Mae, what is your superpower?

Mae: I'm the same as my friend, I'm crazy!

Caleb: My superpower is smartness!

Me: What is Daddy's superpower? And what about me, what am I?

Caleb: Daddy is nice and yours is cooking!

I'm so glad that my kids can look past my faults and see a strength in my weakness. Makes me think that maybe my superpower is really distortion. :)

Swim Lessons

Yesterday was the last day of swim lessons for Caleb and Isabel. For this summer anyway. I like getting them in there and ready for the swimming season right from the start. Anyway, Isabel did great. It was my hope that she would learn how to swim better and get stronger. I'd like her to be completely done with swim aids before the end of summer. And I think she will certainly get there!

Isabel was telling me about the things she learned in swim lessons. She said to me "I learned how to do the back scrub and the tummy scrub". Well, um, ok I guess. As long as she can swim and be safe I suppose that's all that matters. Right?

**update** she is now saying 'back scrope', she is no longer doing any 'scrubbing' in the pool. Just goes to show how quickly she changes!

The Dark Side of White

White kitchen cabinets, while nice, are rarely completely white.

This is a problem I have found since living in my white-cabineted kitchen for the past 8 months. Think of it this way.....the golden gate bridge gets painted once a year. They start at one end and work their way down to the other. By the time they reach the other side, it's time to repaint where they started.

The same can be said about keeping white kitchen cabinets clean.

For My Dad

Happy Father's Day, Dad. Thanks for your leadership in our family. For your encouragement along the way. And for your sense of humor.

I love you!

Summer - Day One

Yesterday was the kids last day of school. Which made me the proud parent of a 2nd and 4th grader (seriously?? are they really old enough to be in those grades?? I think I'll hold them back, just this once).

So today is the first day of summer vacation. The first day (for me) to not wake up to an alarm clock. Bliss.......until the sounds of rambunctious kids jolt me from my slumber.

On second thought.....maybe year around school is something I should look into. Or, maybe boarding school. Do they have summer boarding schools?

Words To Live By - part 2

Don't doubt your mother.......

I would not describe myself as being an outgoing or extroverted person. I had heard or read somewhere that an extrovert is someone who is energized from being with people. I am definitely not that kind of person, I value my solitude. This is not to say that I don't enjoy being around others, on the contrary. However, stepping outside my comfort zone to talk with people I do not know is not something that comes easily to me, and in most cases, I avoid. So when my mother suggested that I might make a new friend at an open house we hosted recently, which consisted of only Ryan's co-workers (ie. people I don't know!), I doubted her to the 'enth degree.

Who am I to disagree with my mother? And yet, I did. I prepared for the gathering of strangers in my home and steeled myself for an afternoon of awkward and or short conversations. However, when it was all done with and the last guest had said goodbye and driven away, I found myself with a possible new friend.

Strangely enough, I had a couple nice conversations with one of the wives at our gathering. I'm sure it helps that she is a more outgoing person than I. Turns out that her two kids are the same age as mine (well, Mae and Caleb) and they lives just minutes away.

It's been two weeks since our open house and I have followed up with an email containing hellos and a recipe (gotta start a friendship off on the right foot!), and we've also talked on the phone, set up a play date for next week and our girls are signed up for at least one summer activity together.

Yep. Mom was right. I think I have a new friend.

**Mom, I'm sorry I doubted you. I promise I'll never do that again! :)

Words To Live By - part 1

Never say 'never'. And, don't doubt your mother.

Both of these are things that I have done. And I think God laughed. Then things happened.

Never say never.......

I used to hear other moms talk about homeschooling their children and inevitably I'd say or think something like 'that's great for you, but I will never homeschool my kids'. I kind of like taking my kids to school and dropping them off. It's fun to help out in the classroom, and it's also fun to be at home and get things done with a little less distraction and whine. However, I said I'd 'never' homeschool my kids. I also said that it would take the Lord moving in my life to make it happen. Well, hear me now when I say the Lord has moved me! Beginning this fall I will be homeschooling Isabel.

Back in March when Caleb was in soccer, I met a mom who home schools her children through a local charter school. We talked a little about it and how the school works. This school is a bit different in that it offers part homeschool and part classroom time at the school. The next day I was thinking about Isabel and how she's just not quite at the same level that Mae and Caleb were upon entering kindergarten. Some of it I feel is my fault since she is the third child and has not gotten the attention with reading books and writing as Mae and Caleb received from me. As I was thinking about Isabel's development, I thought that maybe doing the partial homeschool thing would help her get more attention and help as she begins her elementary career. The thought of homeschool her in this way was not overwhelming to me and I actually thought that it would be possible for me to do it.

And so began the moving of the Lord in my heart on behalf of my little girl. As of this coming fall Isabel will begin kindergarten and I, in part, will be her teacher. Amazingly enough, I am excited about it. Now I know that there will be times and days that we will struggle or have a difficult time, and a part of me is still freaking out that I'm actually doing this. But this was not my plan, this came from the Lord, He has brought me to this point, so I know that Isabel and I are not alone as we begin this homeschooling journey together. Who knew that something as huge as this would happen in my life? I certainly didn't, for I thought it would never happen!

Changing Things Up

Our church offers a Saturday night service, and lately we have attended that service in lieu of Sunday morning. And I gotta say that I am loving it. It has taken me some getting used to, but so far it's pretty great.

I have always gone to church on Sunday morning. It's been a way of life since, well, since I was a wee babe (now I'm just a big, grown up babe) :) But now this Saturday night service has changed my life! I now get not one, but two weekend mornings to sleep in! No more rushing around on Sunday mornings to get all the people in our household ready for church and out the door in time. Instead, we have two leisurely mornings around the house. And it is soooo nice.

So, we went to church last night. Then I stayed up to watch a movie. And now we are talking about what to do with our day. I think we are going to the park and then get some ice cream.

Yep, this Saturday night church stuff is pretty great!

Snapshot of Daily Life

I took the kids to the library today to sign up for their summer reading program. While we were there, the kids picked up a few books to get started.

I sure hope Isabel can curb her enthusiasm. She's a little out of control!

I'm Telling Myself Not To Cry

Tomorrow puts me fully into a new stage of life - being a mom of school-age kids. For tomorrow is Isabel's last day of preschool. The last day, as in no more, that's it!, done, finito!, and the one that sticks in my mind, forever.

No more will I have a toddler in my home. No more taking a small child to the fun-filled hours of preschool. As of tomorrow at 3:30 pacific time, my last child will be moving on to greater things. Elementary school.

I'm not ready and I'm steeling myself for what is surely to overtake me as I take Isabel into her last day of preschool. Tears. As my baby moves from one stage of life to another. And takes me with her.

Open Season

It's ice cream makin' time!!!!

Tonight we're going to a potluck and I signed myself up for desert. And because it's getting warm and the official Summer season is almost upon us, I have decided that I need to bring home made ice cream to this event.

And the flavor shall be (insert drum roll please).............banana cream pie!

Never made it before, but I have a feeling that my guinea pigs, ahem, friends won't mind being the first to try it. I foresee no complaints.

But I'll keep you posted.

New Motivation

The girls are super-excited about their newly arranged room. They're so excited, in fact, they even made their beds this morning! And I didn't ask them too.

Turns out I love the new arrangement also. I hope their excitement never wears off!

More Trash?

I got the girls a new/larger dresser to share. They both had their own, until now, but Mae's dresser has been too small for her for quite some time. Anyway, since I'll be moving the new dresser into their room after I've freshened it up with a coat of paint, Mae has decided that she'd like to rearrange the room (she must get that from me, I've always liked moving my furniture around!).

So, this is a good time to clean up the room and go through the unwanted stuff. I gave the girls a trash bag to use as they make their way around the room and into crevices not seen in many months.

And I just want to note that I have thrown away one very-full trash bag and they are not done!

Did we not just move and go through this process seven months ago? What's up with all the garbage???

I Wanna Rock Too!

Mae earns money for doing certain chores around the house. Right now she's saving up for a pair of legging shorts, which will only take her a few unloads of the dishwasher (according to Target's pricing). This evening I happen to have a dishwasher in need of an unloading, so I turned to my in-need nine year old to help me out. Afterwards, I thanked her, and this was the conversation;

Me: Thank you Mae!

Mae: You're welcome (inwardly thinking 'where's my money?!')

Me: You totally rock!

Mae: I know.

Isabel: I wanna rock like Mae too!

Isabel doesn't like to be left out. She has always wanted to be just like her big sister and brother. Good thing is....she does, she totally rocks! Even if she doesn't unload the dishwasher.

500 - Triple Chocolate Cookies

Yesterday I made my first recipe from my new 500 Cookies recipe book. I chose the triple chocolate cookies for the maiden baking expedition. They did not disappoint (but really, I'm not too surprised).

The triple chocolate cookie is not a super-sweet cookie, as one might think with there being chocolate in there three ways. But a cookie doesn't always need to be sweet to be enjoyed and called delicious.

The only thing to do now is to pick the next recipe. Hmmm.....shall it be the peanut butter cookie? Or the variation thereof, the peanut butter chocolate? Decisions. Decisions.

Something New!

Recently, I was at the bookstore and came across a recipe book that I felt I 'had to have'. But it cost more than I was willing to spend. That always happens to me. So I turned to my ever-helpful Amazon. And was not dissappointed. So I ordered the lovely book. Then waited for the mail man to hurry up and bring it already!

It came yesterday!

I flipped through the pages and found many a delightful cookie. I am perusing it again this morning, for Mae needs to take a treat to an event tonight. My only problem, I think, will be choosing just one to try. I'm giddy with anticipation!

Casts And Socks

The funny thing that happens when a child has a cast on their foot is that it cuts down on the laundry of socks. By about half.

But then it gets weird, or maybe annoying.......do I take the clean/laundered unpaired socks and just throw them in the drawer? Or do I take the time to match them up only to have them taken apart again so one of them can be worn?

Nine

Happy birthday Mae!!!

Wow. Nine years goes by fast. Never thought I'd say that! One day I'm large with child and making my way to the hospital, and the next I'm blowing up birthday balloons for a nine year old.

Another strange thought is that in 365 days, we'll be celebrating the big 1-0. Which also means that this is the last year of being a single digit. But I'll hold onto nine as long as I can, for it will slip through my fingers just as quickly as the past eight years have.

This Time He Choose Camo

I have a son. He's seven. And is now breaking in cast number two. This makes me wonder how many he'll have in his lifetime.



It happened Saturday night, at church. Caleb says he was running and twisted his ankle. He got a good-sized goose egg of swelling on the injured ankle and had to hobble around a lot. I figured it was just a sprain and put ice on it, but I had no plans (or desire) to take him to the doctor. Ryan insisted I take him in anyway. He said that a break could still be there even if it appears to get better. So, being the ever-dutiful wife, I took Caleb to the doctor yesterday. Sure enough, there is a teensy little break. And that calls for a cast for about 3 weeks.

The moral of this story?

*don't run in church

and.....

*listen to your husband (even when you don't want to)

Can I Get An Amen!

I woke up feeling oh so much better this morning. *whew* The flu is no fun, but it does make me appreciate how great feeling normal really is! It makes me appreciate other things too.....things like good friends willing to help out. Friends who take my kids to and from school. And entertain and feed my youngest so I can rest. Lovely ladies that come and bring me get-well food and drive from far away places to provide dinner for the healthy (and hungry!) people in the house. And for all the others that I may not have known about that prayed for me.

God is good. Even when I feel like crap. Because even though I prayed for immediate grace, He gave me love and provided for me and my family.

So yes, God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good!

Amen!

My Thought For The Day

....the flu is a terrible weight loss plan.

'nuf said.

Lost and Found

I vacuumed the couch last night. I did the usual take-off-the-cushions deal and then proceeded to get the usual suspects; crumbs, stray raisins (was it a grape when it first made it's decent below the cushions?), and not-too-surprising-whatnots. My next step is to put the angled hose into the cracks of the couch, but this time I decided to go a step further, just in case. And the things I pulled out were amazing and at times embarrassing.

Here is what I found, things that would never have been pulled out by the vacuum (which makes me wonder how long they've been hiding out in the bowels of my couch....but maybe I don't want to know);

2.5 pairs of socks
A necklace jewel in a little ziplock baggie
Hair band
Business card (from Portland!!)
Game piece
Wadded up Capri Sun
An extra Capri Sun straw
Puzzle piece (that's been missing since Mae was TWO!!)
full-size pencil
Wii sports booklet
2 combs
Reciept
Candy wrapper

My only comfort is knowing where that missing puzzle piece went! (I wondered where that was!!!) Ok, fine, my comfort lies in knowing that my family can now sit upon a couch that is throughly and utterly devoid of any clutter and/or junk. We can all wear clean matched-up socks and have nicely combed hair.

Ahhhhh.......peace, at last.

Playlist

I have Ryan's hand-me-down iphone. He's done well showing me how to use it. And I've learned the ropes of itunes and how to download my music to my iphone (hello 21st century, I have finally arrived!).

Now, I intend to use my newly uploaded music for the gym, to help me power through a few workouts. I've tried to keep the music upbeat and pumpin'! There's a little bit of everything in there. I've got some Stephen Curtis Chapman, and Dc Talk. Then there's a snippet of Coldplay along with some Michael Jackson. A little of Brooks and Dunn and Need To Breathe. See....a little bit of everything!

But I only have a few songs, really not a whole lot. Would you like to add to my playlist? If you did, what would you suggest???

He's At It Again....

Edward, he's playing with his food again. My only hope is that he doesn't feel the need to share any with us. I don't think I'll like rabbit. My tastes are a bit more distinguished (even if it does taste like chicken).

On Household Tasks

Changing sheets on mattresses needs to be done. It's just a given when trying to care for your household. It's a thankless job....and mom has to do it.

But putting clean sheets on the top bunk is just plain tiring.

Period.

Gooooooooal!

Last Friday was Caleb's last soccer game. He has enjoyed soccer so much and since this was his first season to play, he was quite sad about it coming to an end. On the way to the game I reminded him to play and enjoy his last game. Caleb's response to me was, "I'm gonna kick some goals today, just for you Mom!". Well, that was a nice thought, but since he hadn't kicked any goals this entire season I just encouraged him to play his best and enjoy the game.

Despite my encouragement to just play and have fun, he went ahead and scored two goals! Once he kicked his first goal, I could see not only his excitement over what he had just done but also there was a fire in his eyes that wasn't there before. It was his first taste of victory and he kinda liked it and wanted more.

Again, this was Caleb's first season of soccer, or for any sport for that matter. Timing and cost have kept me from signing him up for anything prior to this. And frankly I haven't really seen the need for it. Sure, it would be fun for Caleb to learn a sport and make friends, but I told myself that he got some of that at school. But now I get it! It was so great to see Caleb learn how to play soccer and to do well. And it felt great to sit on the sidelines and cheer for my son as he scored his first goals. I'm so proud of my son! Too bad soccer is over. But I'll be signing him up for other things very soon.

And as Isabel often said throughout the season during Caleb's games......Go Caleb! Go Caleb! Go Caleb!!!

My Husband Loves Me Because I'm Cheap

It's true. I'm a sucker for paying a low price. Or a reduced price. Pretty much any price that isn't the full deal. And I'll to great lengths to pay a lower price, even when I shouldn't. But it works out in the end, most times.

When we moved into our house last year, I noticed that the silverware basket wasn't the one that originally came with the dishwasher. In fact, it was a small metal basket that barely fit all the silverware (if you call jamming the silverware into any available crevice a 'fit', that is). The worst part was that it was metal and it was rusting in areas and therefore starting to get rust on my some of my silverware. So I called Sears with my dishwasher part information to order a replacement. Should have been easy enough, right? Well, it was, actually, but the price that was quoted to me was something I was not willing to pay. The lady on the phone said it was going to be forty bucks!!! And that did not include shipping. After her insistence that she wasn't kidding me, I told her I wasn't willing to pay that much for such a part, and quickly (and gracefully) ended the call. The funny part was that Ryan was willing to shell out the forty-plus bucks for the simple little plastic piece of dishwasherness, but I was not. And so began my quest for a cheaper part.

And I found it! Gotta love the internet and it's ease of searching for stuff. I was able to locate a dishwasher basket that would fit. Would you like to guess how much I paid for it??

Twenty bucks. Including shipping. Wah-lah! I just saved us twenty-plus dollars!!!! Not much could make me happier.

And that is why my husband loves his cheap wife.

Then End.

Too Much Of A Good Thing

On my nightstand is usually one book and my One Year Bible, my teeny alarm clock and a bedside light. But I'm a bit behind in reading and a few books have gathered beside my bed, all wanting my attention. Then yesterday at a ladies gathering at church there was a table of donated books and they were free for the taking. And because I must like to have lists of unfinished 'things to do', I grabbed a set of four books. Yes, I know, I'm crazy.

And what once was my nightstand has now become a bookshelf, apparently.



Currently, the books that are gracing my bedside are;

The One Year Bible (God)
The Note (Angela Hunt)
The Girls (Lori Lansens)
Captian Wentworth's Diary (Amanda Grange)
Take Three (Karen Kingsbury)
The Yada Yada Prayer Group - all four in the series (Neta Jackson)
Conspiracy In Kiev (Noel Hynd)

When I am finished with these, I plan to pick up some of the books mentioned here. And after that, who knows!

So what's on your nightstand?

Getting the Second Round of Shots

A few months ago we got the kids vaccinated for H1N1. Well, they got the first round of it due to their age. If you recall, I was sneaky and didn't tell the kids that they were getting a shot until we were pulling into the parking lot. When they heard the news there was all kinds of cries protest and tears. While there, they learned that they would need to get a second shot in a few weeks. But I refused to tell them exactly when. However, I made a different plan.

Mae was asking me when the next appointment was, and still I wouldn't tell her exactly when it was. I asked her what she preferred, but I had her think about her answer before she told me. My question was this, "would you like me to tell you the morning of the appointment, or just before we get to the doctors office?". After thinking about it, her answer was that I tell her the morning of, but I made her promise that she wouldn't worry about it all day.

When the day came, before school, I pulled Mae aside and told her that after school was the vaccine appointment. In addition to telling her the event, I also gave her a bible verse. The verse was Philippians 4:8, which says;

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I explained to Mae that when she had thoughts about getting the shot and started to worry, that she could go over this verse and focus her thoughts on things that were good and not worrisome.

In the end, Mae did not fuss or complain at any time before getting the shot. Hallelujah, praise the Lord!

Again, His word does not return void!

Keeping The Peace

The kids and I recently made a trip to Modesto during their spring break. Typically on road trips I get snacks to help everyone make it between pit stops (of which I limit to only one, to the best of my ability). For this trip I got a box of wheat thins, goldfish crackers, and tootsie pops and usually I dole them out when requested, but this time I did something a bit differently. I gave them their snacks before we left.

I had an idea to divvy out the crackers between three ziplock baggies, and wrote a child's name on each baggie. The idea was that when they got hungry they could eat and not bother the driver (me!). And it worked out perfectly. No one bugged me with announcements of hunger or wanting more, and therefore, I was able to focus my attention on the road. It was one of those moments where I say to myself "why didn't I think of this sooner?".

The tootsie pops, however, were kept near me in a safe place. We can't have kids going willy nilly with sugar. Not is a confined space, that is.

Ultimate Blog Party - Sometimes I Pretend to be a Good Cook

Greetings! Welcome to my little corner of the Ultimate Blog Party! Feel free to mosey around and make your self comfortable. Now, if I was having a real-life party or a small gathering of friends, I'd have a few snacks on hand and I'd probably have a big ol' bowl of tortilla chips along with some guacamole (my favorite snacky snack). And I just got a recipe for iced coffee, so I'd most likely serve some of that too. If I was a true proficient in the kitchen then I'd probably whip up something more elaborate and exciting. But alas, I am not. When I cook it is only to survive. Although, I've been known, on occasion, to get a little creative and produce a dish of delight....

Like the time I was assigned to bring a potato dish to a bible study social event. I had no idea what to make! None. So I asked around and was given a recipe for what was called Funeral Potatoes. I don't recall too clearly how I made it or what was in it (aside from frozen hash browns) but as I was making it I decided to sprinkle some curry on top to help give it a little more taste. And the potatoes were a hit!

Then there was the time that I accidentally opened the wrong can wile I was making dinner. I was supposed to use cream of mushroom soup for my dish but instead I opened cream of chicken. So I put the cream of chicken in a plastic container and into the fridge it went, where it would wait until the next day when I would use it creatively, somehow, because I didn't want to waste it. After consulting my mother, I put some frozen chicken in the crock pot along with the cream of chicken soup (which I mixed with some curry, not too much, just enough to add some flavor) then I added some broccoli that was had been sitting around in the vegetable drawer of my fridge. After several hours, when dinner was served.....wah-lah! we had a fabulous dinner that was raved about! A called that one my happy accident (which I have served more than once).

And there have also been a few times when I just throw a couple things together and it consumed as though it was a bonafide dish. Like when I threw in some salsa from a jar into a pot of kernel corn. And the time I fried up some canned sliced potatoes with green onion, spices and cubed tomatoes (although I must admit that my husband helped with that dish, a little).

So sometimes I amaze myself. But other times I'm just throwing things together so we can live. I'm not a marvel in the kitchen, but there are times I pretend that I am and my family lives to tell about it.....and asks for more.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For the prize drawing, if I win, my choices would be;

* US39 - the 2 night stay at a Hilton Garden hotel
* US75 - $100 gift certificate to Summit Camping Gear
* US7 - Tupperware prize pack
or - any Amazon or Target gift card (I'm easy to please ;)