Where does the time go?

Oh my goodness. Its been almost 2 months. The holidays have come and gone and tomorrow is 2009! Happy 31st Birthday to my brother - the New Years baby!!

Back in November it started. First it was the trip to Las Vegas to visit my parents for a week. The 4 of us drove down there on Friday 11/20. My brother, his wife & daughter also flew out from NJ to visit. We had all of us together the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately P had to fly home Sunday so he could get back to work. Stores need their chips delivered for Thanksgiving! The kids & I stayed f0r a week. We saw Santa, visited with friends and just relaxed. And then Grandma drove back with us to Northern CA. She stayed for a couple of days & flew back home.

The following weekend we did our annual trip with P & his sister's family & their parents to the Vacaville outlets. We went up there on Saturday 12/6 & all10 of us in a Marriott Residence Inn suite. It was fun & we finished most of our Xmas shopping!

The next 2 weeks must have just flown by because then Xmas was here before we knew it.

We spent the 20th in El Dorado Hills with my cousins, Aunt & Uncle and their families. The kids really seemed to enjoy playing with the other kids. That was a great dinner & day of relaxing. Thank you to all the Byards!

My parents drove in from Vegas on Tuesday the 23rd. K had a couple of practices for the Children's Tableau at our church. Originally she was asked to be an angel. There were at least 6-8 of them. But, they needed a drummer person and she volunteered. I think she wanted a part that set her apart from all the others. Sure enough, that's what she did at the Christmas Eve Mass. She was the last child to come down the church aisle "bearing the gift of music...pa rum pum pum pum." She had the biggest smile as she walked slowly to the beat of the music & her drum. The moment was just magical!

Christmas just seems to get better & better each year. The kids are at such a great age. They seemed to love every one of their gifts. And were excited for others to open their gifts. Some of my favorite phrases: "This is what I've wanted my whole life!" oh, really, all 4 years of it? "I asked Santa for this & he got exactly what I wanted." - Polly Pocket slides with water! Sorry, K, I don't think the water is in the box. I must say, she was a little disappointed that she didn't get as many gifts as Bubs. But I had to tell her, some of her gifts cost more money! Like her new Nintendo DS Lite. I'm not sure what Santa was thinking this year. She didn't even ask for one. Why start her so young? He wasn't thinking. Some of her friends had one & she was slightly interested. Now she's hooked! She got 5 new games & has been evenly rotating all of them. There is one about taking care of a baby. Its quite a crack up, but I must say she's learning all about how much babies just eat, poop, pee, & sleep!

I think one of the kids favorite presents were the gifts from my parents. Just like my mom did when my brother & I were young, I asked her to do a treasure hunt for the kids. She sent them 9 different places. Under the chair by her desk, in the coat closet, no, not there, where does Oscar the Grouch hide? In the trash can out back. On the way to the trash through the garage (since it was raining outside) we placed the 2 big gifts.

Bubs got a 2 wheeler bike with training wheels. He finally got to ride it the day after Xmas. H took off on it and went "really really fast." I literally have to run next to him to keep up. I'll have to take him with me on my walks! I think he may be off those training wheels before K. She's way more cautious!

K got her first American Girl doll with clothing! She's been dressing it daily & wanting to take it everywhere she goes. One night she went to bed, she said "its amazing how quickly these kids grow up." Really, I'm saying the same thing myself! I can't believe she's only 6 1/2.

The kids loved the treasure hunt. I even found papers Xmas night that K had worked on to put together her own treasure hunt for her cousin. We'll have to do that again, she really enjoyed it.

Christmas dinner went off without a hitch! I tried to relax and not worry as much as I normally do. Everything always seems to come together. I know we've managed to have everyone over for dinner in the past, so I know we can do it again. It just seems easiest to have everyone at our house, if everyone can help out & bring something. We had 16 people total. Our family of 4, my parents and my almost 91 year old grandmother, P's parents, his sisters & oldests family of 4, and my aunt & uncle. Turned out to be 2 tables of 6 and the 4 kids at their own card table. Perfect. I think we could have even squeezed a couple more if we had to. P cooked 2 great tri-tips & my mom prepared the 2 turkey breasts. We finished dinner by 6:30 & could sit back & relax after a busy, but wonderful day. Thanks to everyone who helped make it a memorable evening! We have been so blessed this holiday season. Here's to all of you! Happy New Year! Hope to see or hear from you in 2009!

I did it! I walked 10 miles!

My cousin & I walked in Monterey's Big Sur 10 mile walk in 2hrs 42min! We survived! My cold did not slow me down. We jogged a tad - down the hills & towards the finish line! At mile 3 I was not sure what I had gotten myself into. By mile 10 we talked about doing it again next year. It was a great weekend getaway. No drinking or partying involved. Just a girls weekend away without kids. We had a nice quiet lunch/dinner at Fisherman's Wharf with bowls of clam chowder. We went shopping at the Wharf & Cannery Row. We were in bed by 6:30 watching ABC Family's movie - Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. We read our books during the commercial break! Asleep by 9:30. Of course, that night is when my runny nose hit & I was up at 3 and 4 blowing my nose, tossing & turning. Not sure how I my body would handle the 10 miles. I put that all behind me though once we walked under that starting line. We walked in and out of the rain & the wind. We walked from the Naval post graduate school, through town, the tunnel, Cannery Row, the aquarium & along the coast beyond Lover's Point. We took lots of pictures along the way. Not sure how they turned out while we were walking, but I tried to capture all the wonderful views of Monterey & Pacific Grove. I wanted to remember this challenge. Hopefully my first of more walks/runs. I just want to get in better shape. Faster time & not so sore afterwards! I found a shirt on Saturday at the Expo that said "Will walk for wine" (or beer) & "Will Run for Wine" (or beer). I thought of that during the walk. They gave out tiny glasses of Michelob Ultra at the end & I was ready for one of those! And the free cup of Minestrone was so delicious (although I may have just been really hungry, wet, cold!) By the time we crossed the finish line - it was down pouring. We hurried on out of there walking another 1/2 miles or so, back to the car & headed home. Despite my soreness, it was a nice weekend. And even nicer when I got big hugs from the kids when I came in the door!

The Sports Tunnel

Mommy was asked to fill in on the RHI softball team for their Championship game last Thursday. The team needed to fill a female spot on their co-ed team. Its been years since I played (P & I played on a co-ed league together before the kids were born). I was excited though & a little nervous! It rained all day Thursday and I thought for sure the game would have to be delayed, but they did not want to push out the championship - especially with daylight savings the following weekend. I went out there in the drizzle & daddy insisted on bringing the kids out to cheer me on. We bundled them up in rain jackets & hats. It managed to stop drizzling, but everything was wet. My socks got completely soaked through my shoes. I hit the 3 times I was up, but one was a caught foul ball & the other 2 times I hit infield & the ball was caught. I could tell each hit was a little better than the last - thats what I really needed practice with. I played in Right Field & the ball only really came to me once - a pop fly & I caught it! P said the team on the bench look a little scared, like I might drop it, but I proved myself. Unfortunately we lost the game 10-5 because of a grand slam in the 6th inning by the other team.

Our team went out to shake hands with the other after the game & Bubs yelled, "Mommy, what about the tunnel? Where's the tunnel?" Both of them started chanting "Tunnel, Tunnel..." I had to laugh, because this is what they do after their soccer games. The friends & family all get together to build a tunnel for all the players to run through. They wanted to create a tunnel for me!

Here's the comments from the coach in a email afterward...
L made an awesome catch in RF and her kids provided what could have been the best cheer of the season.

I had a good time & let them know if they need me in the spring, I'd love to play!

Happy Halloween!

Here's the costume I made for Bubs this year. He's so excited! I showed him how to lift the trunk so he can see where he's going. We are crossing our fingers that the rain waits until tomorrow! K had a parade at her school this morning & luckily we all stayed dry outside. Bubs' parade is later today & we are all going to meet at his preschool for that. Its quite a fun filled day! HOPE EVERYONE HAS A SAFE & HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Thursday!

The way things went this morning makes me so happy! It was a smooth morning. I did have to wake the kids up - but this time I gave them enough time, so they didn't have to jump out the bed & hurry out the door. They got dressed easily (because clothes were picked out last night!). They had time to eat. I remembered vitamins, jackets, hats, everything! Everyone was happy & there were lots of hugs & smiles. I wish every day could go as well as this one. AND I made it to work 1/2 an hour early as planned. Way to Freak Show Family!

Bubs now really likes to sit next to K at the dinner table to do homework with her. I write down letters or numbers down the side of a page & he copies them right next to mine. He does a good job. I think he has my eye for drawing what I see. He can copy well. So well, that last night I gave him numbers to copy. Passed the paper back to him & he got right to work. By the time he said, "I'm finished mom." I looked at him finishing up & the entire page was upside down. He did the whole column of numbers like that! I'll have to pay more attention next time!

Bubs starts Kindergarten next year. I hope he's ready - he's got a few months to get prepared. K sees how much we want Bubs to learn his letters & numbers that she's even started to jump in and help. Wednesday night I came home to find them playing school together. She had a little chalk board & was writing out letters & shapes for him to recognize. Flashback to me & my brother! I remember those days - is that how he got so smart??!!

2nd tooth gone

The tooth finally came out Tuesday afternoon at Religious ed! I was a little bummed, because I never captured a picture of her backward twisting tooth. It made you cringe. She is now missing both her middle front bottom teeth. Too cute!

Tooth fairy forgot our house

Of course, so much was going on, the Tooth Fairy forgot to stop by our house. K was really disappointed & sad. Here's what she left the next day... With 2 Gold $1 coins & one 5o cent piece.

Score: 1-0 Little Brother

I thought we were having the best morning, everyone was up & ready to go this morning & it was 7am. One last trip through the house to grab dirty clothes from the bedrooms and move them to the washing machine. The 2 kids were ready and waiting by the front door at the couch in front of the window. I passed them with an armful of clothes & K started screaming - "Bubs punched me!" I saw that her mouth was bleeding & ran the clothes outside, grabbed a papertowel & ran back to her. She had already lost 1 tooth & the one next to it has been loose. Strangely enough, the tooth was now twisted completely around. It was ready to come out, but the pain to her was unbearable. I tried to pull it, but she barely let me touch it. I couldn't even get it to turn back around so it sat normally in her mouth. It was sticking straight forward and I wasn't sure what to do with her. She told me to take her to the dentist but I told her there's nothing he can do but pull it out. (Luckily we do have an appointment for the kids this Thursday!) That scared her & so she screamed & cried more. I couldn't seem to calm her down. How was she supposed to sit through school like this? The tooth was almost ready to come out - Bubs just seemed to help it along a little sooner than expected.

I managed to find out that Bubs was playing with something on the couch & K was bothering his stuff. So he felt the need to make her stop & hit her in the face. Lovely. He looked upset that he caused her to bleed & said sorry to her "after I asked him to." We'll have to have a talk tonight! Unfortunately, I focused on K all morning.

I gave her water & that soothed her mouth. I also gave her a small snack bag, so if she lost the tooth at school, she had something to put it in. We took Bubs to school first & to give her times to calm down. By the time we got to her school she was better but wouldn't eat anything. I convince her to eat her raisins. Throw them in the back of her mouth to use her back teeth to eat. I also let the teachers know why she may seem upset. Its 3pm now & I haven't heard from school. I guess she's OK now. I wonder if she'll have a tooth for the tooth fairy tonight or not... Poor thing.

In a routine...

I have Bubs well trained in the morning to get ready all by himself. We lay out all the clothes the night before. When he gets up, he gets dressed even before leaving his room. He's the easiest to get going in the morning. (K is the one that i have to ask over & over to just get up & out of bed!)

Bubs is so easy & I have him so well trained that he was dressed & in my room at 4:30 this morning. I think he came up to me in my bed & asked me to help him put on his shoes. I can't remember 100% because I was still asleep! I told him to put down the shoes & get in bed with me. It wasn't time to wake up yet. I couldn't help but laugh though. He had no idea what time it was. Its dark most of the morning that we get ready. And he was so darn proud of himself!

I did manage to have him go back to sleep on Daddy's side although he had to sleep so close to me that he kept me awake with his nudges & kicks. When my alarm went off at 5:30 I reached over & turned it off. He was sleeping - and he managed to sleep until 6:20! But by then all he had to do was get up, put on his shoes & go get breakfast. He was ready to go!

Happy Helpers

I had the best helpers last night. Both kids were so excited to help me put clean sheets on the bed & fold laundry. Once we finished folding a basket of laundry & putting all the clothes away, K asked me if there was more laundry. I said (with my sarcasm), of course, laundry never ends, there will always be more! But she wanted to do more right then and there. She got upset with me because I told her there wasn't any more ready. Darn, I hate to have disappointed her. I'll have to get more washed tonight - right away!

Halloween

Bubs loves Halloween and all the "scary" decorations. He rides in the backseat of our car, going down the street and points out all the "dead men" he sees (also known as skeletons). He gets so excited when he sees a big blown up Pumkin or a fake grave yard. But, if ever we actually get close the decorations - he freaks out. We get costume magazines almost daily now & he loves to look at anything that has decorations in it. He "talks" about going to the scary store & begs us to go. One day I took him & K to the Halloween Spirit store near our house. The 3 of us walked in the store and I almost had to hold him back from running back out the front door into the street. I tried to calm him by getting down to his level. Told him that I could carry him through the store and that everything was just pretend. He would not have any part of it. He froze up & started shaking. I didn't want him to have nightmares, so I convince K that Daddy would bring her back. He went home & told daddy that he got scared, but a few days later he convinced daddy to take him & K back to the store. He was ready this time. So Daddy and his friend Tom picked up the kids from school Friday and swung by the Spirit store on the way home. No chance. Tom had to stay in the car with Bubs, while Daddy took K in to look around. They captured a few cell phone pics of themselves trying on scary masks. K was brave (she said she was just a little scared). Now what do you know, Bubs says he's ready this time. He wants to go back. I think he's just all talk! We'll wait awhile now. I wonder how he'll be trick or treating???

Favorites

I got a sheet of paper sent home from Bub's preschool with some of his favorite items on it. Favorite color: and next to it he colored a blue spot. The part that made me smile was - Favorite food: next to it a bunch of yellowish green spots. I had to ask him what it was. I was thinking pasta. No, he said it was his favorite food - "PEAS." I guess I'd better serve more of those green balls! (thats what we used to call them for K)

And then there is K's writing journal. She gets most of her homework done at afterschool care (hurray for them!). Its so nice, not to worry about it with K after we get home together at 5. I review it with her. This is the first time she was sent home with her journal. I really enjoyed reading some of her thoughts. In the front of the journal was a list of ideas of things to write about. So far there are 3 entries. First one was about her favorite movie - anything with princesses. 2nd one was about her favorite animal - would have never guessed - horses. And the 3rd one was her favorite food - PASTA (with no sauce of course!)

Teeth

I should have been excited for her. The dentist warned me, but I was still not prepared. It has always been hard to floss her baby teeth. They are very small & packed closely next to one another in her mouth.

Instead, I started seeing dollar signs & years of retainers, bionators, and braces. Just like me. My poor child. I wish I could have gone back & controlled my response.

Last night K was so excited. She must have just realized that there was something coming in that gap where she lost her first tooth. She happily showed me her new big tooth is coming in. Unfortunately I freaked out. I’m so sorry! Her tooth is trying to find its way into her little mouth of tiny teeth. Now it means the tooth is coming in practically perpendicular to her bite! My response caused her to cry, & then I was practically in tears. And she told me she doesn’t want braces. I say it won’t be for awhile who knows what will happen when the other teeth start coming in. Luckily I calmed her down. Told her to look at my teeth (my parents can vouch for how bad they once were!). Dentists can work their magic but she has to wait for all her big teeth to come in. I had some really bad teeth & remember lots of trips to the Orthodontist. I guess I better win the lottery or find some way to save for not only retirement, college, but also orthodontics...

Daddy's Favorite Number

St. Patrick's Day

Happy Friday!

Not a whole lot of new things this week. Her's 2 things that stand out in my mind...

K was pretty excited on Wednesday. I got home from work & we decided to read a her school library book before heading off to soccer practice. She brought the book to me & hid her school photos underneath it. I asked daddy if he had seen them & he said no, she didn't even mention it. I guess she was holding off until I got home. It was very sweet & a little sneaky, but we all got a kick out of it. I was very happy to see the photo, it turned out great. It was taken right after she lost her first tooth - so there's a little gap in her bottom teeth, but she's smiling!

This morning, Bubs finally slept in - well, for him - until 6:15. The rest of this week he was averaging 5:30!! When he came into my room (I was already up getting ready) to my surprise - he was dressed & ready to go! I gave him huge hugs & said what a nice surprise. I didn't have to ask or remind him to go get changed. - THANK YOU.

FYI - Bubs is still on the same breakfast routine, waiting until everything is set before he digs in. But then this is the only meal he does that for, because his breakfast is pretty much the same from day to day. Then, after breakfast this morning Bubs says "You are proud of me, right mommy? I got dressed all by myself this morning." Of course I am! Hope he does it every day!

Daily Breakfast Routine

Now that we are in a weekday morning routine, I’ve noticed that Bubs is very specific in what he likes in the morning. And how he likes it given to him. He’s quite an eater in the morning. Once he wakes up, the first thing that he wants to do is eat. He sits at his seat at the table and rolls off what he wants to eat. Its almost always the same thing every day. I want…”Granola Bar, cereal with milk, and gogurt.” Now, because of grandpa, we also have Entemann’s Donuts, so he also wants a donut. I start pulling out his food. There’s the cereal with milk and gogurt. I get distracted & do something else, but he just sits there. I tell him he can start eating & he’ll say “I’m waiting for the granola bar & donut. So I give him the granola bar and he still sits. I notice that he won’t start until everything is laid down in front of him. So finally, I give him ½ a donut & he starts to dig into his cereal. Silly routine, but its his routine. I’ve learned to wait until everything is out before I put milk in his cereal. Nobody really likes mushy wet cereal do they??? Believe it or not, Bubs eats everything. And he even asks for a piece of toast on the way to school. He’s not even a teenager yet & he has quite an appetite! At least I don’t have to worry about him getting his most important meal of the day.

I just have to work on K eating a better breakfast on a regular basis.

Religious Education Classes

Last night K went to her first Religious Ed class up at our church. Its going to be once a week for 27 weeks. I was a little apprehensive about putting her through another afterschool activity for her already seemingly busy week. But this is the most important activity. Days before the class we talked about how she's going to learn about why we go to church, some new prayers and songs, do activities, & meet new friends. She met her teacher & the other students last night and I left her for her 1 1/2 hour class. We found out that she already knows 3 of the kids out of 10 in her class. 2 live down the street from us. Yesterday she learned about "Forgiveness."

This morning she woke up & out of the blue told daddy, "I wish I could go back to church everyday."

The words we really wanted to hear! Glad she enjoyed it.

Missing Daddy

Sunday morning, Bubs crawled into bed with me, too early for a Sunday! 6:30 am. Somehow I managed to lay in bed & rest until 6:50 when he just couldn't take it anymore. He was hungry & he wanted to watch TV. I said we had to get up & get ready to go to the A's game.

He asked if daddy was coming home.
I said no, sorry, Daddy's in Cleveland.
He then asked if he was going to go to the A's game.
I'm sorry Bubs, he's far away, he can't go to the A's game. He's going to the Steeler football game.
Oh, then who is goin' to cook our food?

:)

Daddy always grills when we tailgate. I said that Uncle S & Grandpa could cook his hot dog. Would that be OK?

And he smiled.

Chocolate Milk

Weekends usually mean the kids might get a treat of chocolate milk with breakfast. Sometimes when we pick up a kids meal from a fast food place, we pick the chocolate milk as a drink option. Then I usually 1/2 & 1/2 it with regular milk, because its so strong. On Saturday morning, Bubs knew there were 2 bottles in the fridge from earlier in the week. I said sure, he could have the chocolate milk. But for some reason I looked all over the fridge for it could not find it. I ended up calling daddy (who just left that morning to Cleveland for the weekend) to find out where it went. Well, uh, he took them this morning for he & his friend to take before their flight. I put Bubs on the phone & he said "I'm mad at you daddy." He was upset that his milk was gone! But mommy saved the day - luckily we had some Hershey's syrup in the fridge!

We will never forget...

No more TV before school.

One day after school started, K came home & told me that she shouldn't watch TV in the morning before school. Mrs. Brown said so. That she needs to get her mind ready for school & that she should read to warm her mind up.

Thank you Mrs. Brown!

At Back to School Night the teacher told us that the first day, she asked the kids how many of them watched TV in the morning before school. Over 1/2 the class happily raised their hands up high. Good, I was not alone! I've always hated having the TV on, but with a 4 year old who wakes up on his own before 6am, I was not sure what to do with him, while I was still getting ready. I always thought that was the easiest solution. But, as of last Friday, things have changed in our household. I told both of them no TV before school starting Monday.

So, the night before - I lay their clothes out in their room. When they wake up, thats the first thing they do - get dressed. Then they sit at the table & eat their breakfast while I turn on the Ipod to the K&Bubs playlist. When Bubs asks "What do I do now mommy?" I ask him if he has his hat & book for school. Please brush your teeth. If then there is still extra time - find something to do. I've praised them everyday for getting ready & out the door without any hassles. With extra time - I've found them dancing to the music, putting a puzzle together, & today Bubs colored a picture for his teachers at school. There haven't been any struggles. They have been getting a better more fullfilling breakfast. We've been early to get out the door every day. And we are all pretty much in a good mood!

I told K that I really like our mornings & thank you - its easier to get out of the house. She said "Yeah, because you don't have to do much anymore." That's RIGHT! She's a big kid now (a FIRST GRADER) and she should be doing these things herself. Bubs too!

Thank you again Mrs. Brown.

The Tooth Fairy Comes

After hanging on by a thread all day Saturday...Twisting it out & around & making me squirm - the tooth finally broke free while K ate a bagel w/ cream cheese for lunch on Sunday. Nonchalantly she said "Mom, my tooth came out." What, are you serious? Lets take a look. And sure enough I grabbed the camera & took a couple photos. Wouldn't you know. This was just after her soccer photos, but before her school photos Friday. She has the beginning of a new look. She was excited to be the first one in her 1st grade class to get added to the chart of lost teeth during the school year. She had me write a tooth to the tooth fairy & then she signed it & drew the cutest picture of a "Tooth Fairy."

And the tooth fairy was nice to her that night. One gold & one silver dollar coin & one bigger 1/2 dollar. The clanking of them all together was like magic to her! The tooth fairly also left her a note that said "Dear K, Congratulations on losing your first tooth! It looks like you have taken real good care of your teeth. Keep up the good work. Sweet dreams. Love, The Tooth Fairy." She was so excited she took the note to school to show some of her friends. One of her comments was "I didn't know if the tooth fairy was really real, but now I know it is!"

Of course today, Bubs asked me about fairy's and if they were all big or small & if they only came if he lost teeth. He says he's all ready to be grown up. I sense a little jealousy that he wants a surprise of coins under his pillow!

It hits again...

So, just when I thought all was well - Bubs came down with the stomach flu on Wed night. He also had a recurrence days later on Saturday. We thought he was well so we took the kids to their first soccer games. K at 10:30 - she won 3-1 and her ball into the net was just foot away from scoring another goal. Bubs game was at 1:30 and it was HOT - 97 degrees. His team was winning 5-0 when they stopped the game because of the heat. We came home & then he threw up. I tend to think that it was partly because of heat exhaustion.

Unfortunately that incident kept him home the remainder of the weekend to get well. He was so sad because that meant he had to miss Grandpa's birthday celebration. Both kids had been counting down the days until they could go to Grandma & Grandpa's house. See their cousins & play in the sprinklers. I just wouldn't wish this stomach flu on anyone. It seems to spread like the wildfires in California!

Except for P & I complaining about upset stomachs off & on all week, I think we have had the worst of it come & go. I am scared to find out what the rest of the year has in store for us. I pray that this is it!

Attack of the stomach flu!

K was unfortunately hit by the stomach flu Friday. I really thought I was passed the yucky throw up stage, but when it hits without notice, things get messy. K was woken up by the vicious flu at 1am Friday night. That kept me up most of the night, cleaning, doing laundry & waiting for it to attack again. And a couple times that night it did. She was able to recover & relax all day Saturday. When we thought all was better, it had been over 24 hours since the last attack, we went to the A's game on Sunday.

It was a fun day - backpack giveaway - so we got there early. We went all the way down to the first row & watched batting practice up close. The kids also got an autograph from Gio Gonzales. It was just the 4 of us and it turned out to be a relaxing day at the ballpark. Until the 3rd inning when the unfortunate flu hit again - all down the front of her A's white cheerleader dress. K apologized over & over again "I'm sooo sorry, I didn't know that was going to happen." I felt so bad for her, she was more upset than all of us. That was the end of the game for us & we headed home to rest another day.

Luckily, Labor day was Monday & the kids & I spent the day resting some more. (Daddy unfortunately had to work) She lived off a diet of toast & water, but really didn't each much. Tuesday morning she woke up & said her stomach hurt. I laid my head on it to listen & have never heard such grumbling! Her stomach was really doing a number on her. I was so afraid to send her to school & called Kaiser to talk to a nurse. They convinced me to come in - I guess to check to see if there was any dehydration. I did find out that the Dr. had seen 3 children earlier that morning with the stomach flu. No kissing on the lips for K! No sharing cups, food, etc. Let cross our fingers and pray that we successfully averted the rest of the family from getting this nasty bug.

Unfortunately the 4 days at home was somewhat enjoyable for her. Rest, do nothing, and watch TV. Right before going to bed last night she said, "Mom, I don't want to go to school tomorrow." I'm sorry sweetie but you have to go, you are better now. Don't you miss your new teacher & new friends? Just think, only 3 more days of the week, then its the weekend & we get to celebrate Grandpa M's birthday! That convinced her. Luckily she woke up this morning & did not mention not wanting to go to school again. Her appetite is back (although we are still taking it very easy) and she's back at school. Happy Hump Day!

Another first...

K's bottom left middle tooth is loose! She had both daddy & I wiggle it & we confirmed. She's a little worried about losing her teeth, but also excited for it to finally happen. If anyone knows of any great books about losing teeth, let me know. I think we need a trip to the library! We might be singing "All I want for Xmas is my Two Front Teeth" this holiday season.

1st Day of First Grade

K was ready & excited this morning. She had set aside new clothes that she got for her birthday. We painted her nails last night to match the outfit. A little dark but she loved the new color – purple! She had a new (non-princess) pink camouflage backpack & matching lunch bag. Both kids went to bed early last night. 7:30! They were well rested this morning and even I got to sleep in a little. Felt great to have a nice relaxing morning where the kids got to sit and eat a little breakfast before we headed out the door. Its not that they don’t eat, they just take it with them to their school or before school program.

Bubs even had something to look forward to today. His longtime friend, our playgroup friends that we’ve known since both boys were born, was starting at his preschool today. He was so excited. Daddy & I are a little apprehensive though. This could mean trouble having them together. They are 2 boys with LOTS of energy. The teachers have been warned that they might need to sit on opposite sides of the classroom. I just hope I don’t get “that” call from them!!

Today, I dropped off Bubs first and then took K to her school. I felt like it was my first day too! I wasn’t sure where to go, but we both quickly found out. We went out back to the playground to find the classroom. That is where the kids drop off their backpacks in large bins, lunches in another bin, & school supplies in another bucket. And then they stand on their number and wait for the teacher to open the door & welcome them in. Of course, today we were early so K played with her friend Hannah who was sad to find out that K wasn’t in her class. Apparently she had talked to a number of kids that was in K’s class. I am pretty happy with who we got for her 1st grade teacher, so far I’ve heard a lot of good things about her. We found out that her teacher wasn’t there today, she unfortunately had to go out of town for a funeral. K will get to meet her on Wednesday. At 8:30 the door opened up & the sub invited all the kids into their new classroom. K always has such a smile on her face. The parents stayed for about 5 minutes & then I gave hugs & K wanted Eskimo (nose) kisses. Then the parents were off for coffee & muffins in the multi purpose room. This year I actually new 2 other moms there & we chatted for a few minutes before I headed off to work. It was a good morning. I can’t wait to hear how K’s first day of 1st grade was. Here’s to another new school year!

Easiest Bedtime Ever...

Last night before 8pm, I was down the hall & over heard Bubs talking to daddy. He was in the family room and he said, “I’m tired, I want to go to bed.” I took him to brush his teeth and then he climbed in bed. I pulled up the covers and kissed him good night. And the great thing was that both kids were in bed & P & I were back on the couch shortly after 8 to watch a movie. Not once did Bubs come out of bed after that. It started to become this habit of his that he would come out 1-3 times with a reason. (I’m scared, I heard something, I’m not tired) I wondered if he was feeling ok? This morning, he was so proud of himself. “I stayed in bed last night. I’m a good boy. I’m going to bed tonight when I’m tired.” I’ll cross my fingers and hope that its before 8!

Bubs' new phrase...

Bubs woke up early Saturday morning - 6am - and I tried my hardest to get him to go back to sleep. He came in bed w/ P & I, tossed & turned and kept me up. So then I took him back to his room, turned on his music & laid in bed w/ him. Still, no sleeping for either of us. He wanted to to watch TV. He also always wakes up hungry and wants to eat right away. What finally got me out of bed was, "Mom...my mouth is hungry...." I couldn't stop laughing. Once again last night he said it again. He is always hungry & always wants a snack before dinner. We are never ready to eat when he gets that instant hunger pang. I suggested he eat a Mandarin orange & instead, he suggested to me "what about carrots?" Most definitely! Carrots it was. And the carrots helped fill his hungry mouth.

Happy 8.8.08

Congratulations to my brother's wife's sister & her husband on the birth of their twins today!

Boy - 6 lbs 15 oz

Girl - 4 lbs 15 oz

Almost 12 pounds of baby. The boy was bigger than both K & Bubs each who were each a day late. Amazing & beautiful.

Also - today, the start of the Beijing Olympics! Happy Friday. Have a great weekend.

1st Soccer Practices

K in action!

Bubs on the ball.

Our little tough guy isn’t so tough at times. Wednesday night (8/6) Bubs had his first ever practice for an organized sport – Soccer. It was a clinic for Under 6 & 7 year olds. He made the cut off by a few days so he’s probably one of the youngest guys out there. It was a clinic so there were probably 50+ kids & some coaches out there. They divided the boys up into smaller groups close to their ages, but it was still very overwhelming.

Here's a picture of him on the field. Daydreaming? Trying to figure out what he's supposed to be doing. There is the freeway off in the distance, maybe he was mesmerized by the cars racing by. It was frustrating to watch. The boy who is so full of energy at home. Running around the house at a hundred miles a minute, comes to the sidelines after 3 minutes of being on the field. "I'm thirsty." Here's some water, now get back out there & go after the ball. And so he goes. Until he runs, trips and falls down. Stands up & starts bawling in the middle of the field. Of course, the 4 & 5 year olds keep playing around him & Daddy tells me to let him be, he'll be ok. The coach on the field comes to his aid & I feel like the mean parent. (meanwhile, the pack of kids around the ball end up in another direction all on the baseball field!) We take him off the field, he wants more water & then convince him to go back out there. More tears come. "Nobody will give me the ball" Of course not! No kid at that age really passes do they? And then the next complaint "My sides hurt" I think he might have had cramps from all the water he drank. So he didn't want to run around anymore & wanted to stand by the goalie. He doesn't quite get it that there is only one goalie on each team. The little goalies told him that he had to go out after the ball - and once again, bubs had more tears. I've never seen him sob & cry so much. It broke my heart & only frustrated daddy. I had to remind daddy that he's young. Hopefully we will look back at these moments in a couple months and see how he's grown & learned more about the sport. I just hope & pray that we have not traumatized him to the point that he doesn't want to get back out on the field. Once practice begins with a smaller group of kids, hopefully he'll be more comfortable.

On the other hand, K went out the next day, Thursday, & met her team of 12 girls in the Under 7 group. This was also her first time playing soccer & surprisingly, she seemed to enjoy it. She's learning & trying all the skills. P & I were really proud of her. We had also tried to pump her up to show Bubs how much fun soccer can be. They are the Precious Gems. How fitting is that for our little princess. I had to borrow some big shorts from Bubs for her to practice in. I wasn't sure it was appropriate to go out on the field in skorts. I'm sure there will be more exciting info to come. Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday, Bubs!

Today our little man turns 4! It took him 6 months to remember what age he was at 3. I was shocked to hear him announce that he was 4 today. And to my surprise, the first question he asked me, "Mommy, does that mean I get to go on the tree house today?" Yes! There is a tree house at his school up a little ladder. Only the kids 4 and older are allowed to go on it. He remembered & today he gets to go up! It's really surprising what is important to kids & what they remember. I'll have to ask him later, how it was!

Bubs, We hope you have a very Happy Birthday! Mom, Dad, & K love you very much!

The hardest part of a vacation...

...is getting back into every day life.

We just got back from this family of 4's best vacation ever - a 7 night Disney Cruise to the Mexican Riviera! One week away from cell phones, computers, work, school, everything! Even Daddy, who didn't really have anything positive to say before the trip, had a blast! We have already even mentionned one day trying to do it again. Like 3-5 years from now when the kids are a little older. There is so much to do on the Disney Magic - for all ages.

I don't have a lot of time right now, because of my 300+ emails, but I do want to mention the part I'm having a hard time with right now.

Bubs has come out of his room 3 times crying because all he wants is to go back on the cruise. He is so sad it breaks my heart. As I was putting both kids to bed, they each mentionned something they already miss.

K misses our servers. Addy from India, our head server would try to bring us anything we asked for. The first night she asked for pizza without sauce but unfortunately it was already pre made. But, the 2nd night, he had some brought in special just for her. Every other day he brought her pasta without sauce, just butter. Last night when she didn't like the Mickey shaped ravioli's, he brought her raw carrots with ranch. Unfortunately she won't be seeing that type of service in this house! He & his assistant Marijya (from Croatia) were wonderful. She remembered every night to bring the kids their new favorite (chocolate milk) but only 1/2 a cup per mom!

Bubs misses the towel figures placed on our beds every night after turn down service. By some Disney magic, our hostess placed an origami like towel figure on bed. They were shaped like a monkey, stingray, swan. Amazing figures and the kids got a kick everynight seeing what would be left! Unfortunately I can't re-create that one either!

Its 8am. Time for bed. Going to schools & work tomorrow is going to be so difficult.

Fireworks

After the ceremony there were fireworks & my tough little boy, who never seems to have a fear of anything - turns out, is afraid of fireworks. Here he is, laying down on the ground(still next to his new friend), looking away from the firework show. Poor guy, all he wanted to do was go sit in the tent. He did not get to enjoy the beautiful sky filled with lights! - While Kealy enjoyed every minute of it!

Relay for Life in Dublin - a success!

I just had to show everyone a screen shot of our successful Relay for Life - for the American Cancer Society. All the totals are not showing up online just yet, but our Team is #1 - TEAM OASIS, and I personally made it to #5 by raising $1425 of my $2000 goal.


I would like to thank everyone for their support & donations.


Although the weekend was HOT, the kids, Grandma & Grandpa S. & I cooled off with water guns & water balloons. There was some wind, so that helped circulate the air & cool off our wet bodies.


There was a Luminaria ceremony in the evening to remember those who have lost their lives to Cancer and to honor those who currently battle the disease. As we were preparing to sit down to watch the slideshow, we looked around for Bubs. Not a single person around had seen him sneak off. I looked up to find him where we were headed (cement steps/stairs) to sit & watch the presentation. He was already there, sitting between 2 young girls around 10-12 years old. He had a big smile on his face, just chilling between his new friends. I walked up to let him know we were looking for him. Apparently he had pointed & told the girls that his mom was down there by the tents. He knew where we were, but we had no clue about him! And then when it was time for the slide show, we made space for him to sit by the family, but he went right on back to sit between the girls. What a flirt! At almost 4??? What are we in for?

K is moving on!!

To first grade! Her school held a Kindergarten promotion on Friday the 13th. Grandma & Grandpa M, 2 cousins, brother, & mom & dad all came to watch. All the kindergarteners sang songs & one by one they walked across the stage to receive their certificate. It was also 3rd trimester awards & she received a Citizenship Award. Congratulations, K! We are all so proud of you.

Happy Birthday, K!

6 years old yesterday. I'm having a hard time believing that we have a 6 year old. My age so far has not affected me, but this has been in my head all the past week. SIX! Unbelievable. Yesterday it was even more clear when someone asked her how old she now was. She always likes to show it with her fingers & she put up 5. Realizing she was short, she had to put her cup down & put up one more finger from her other hand. She's moved on to showing her age with 2 hands! I guess the next milestone will be double digits!

She had the birthday she asked for yesterday. A Chuck E Cheese party. The first party outside of the house. Also the cheapest place around. I just thought for age 6, lets invite her friends. So we invited our playgroup & neighbors - the playgroup she's been in since she was about 6 months old. Her friends, her best friend, & siblings. That totaled 18 kids! No way could we have pulled that off in our house. This was the best, no preparation required party. I feel bad, but I didn't even make the cake. For the kids & parents, I bought a cake from Costco. I didn't feel too bad though because it tasted good & she got to pick it out. Chocolate cake, chocolate filling with white frosting topped off with of course, a Princess. For an hour she was off with her coins & friends playing games. The last 1/2 hour she ate pizza, had cake, danced with Chuck E Cheese & took some photos. She had a smile on her face the entire party. That is of course until we had to leave. Tears because 1. we were leaving & 2. she just got kicked in the face climbing behind someone up the play structure. (No marks today though - she's fine!)

Her birthday carried on all day with another party from 3pm-5 for a 4 year old friend (who also attended her party!). We got to ride the caboose of the Sunol Train from Sunol to Fremont & back (20 min each way). It was fun for the kids, but with all the excitement of the day - we were exhausted!! I must say it was pretty easy getting them to bed last night.

Today K woke up and went to school for the first time as a 6 year old. Is it possible that I actually see her older in my eyes? She is definitely growing up!! Sometimes I'm afraid its just way too fast! Wasn't I just holding her in my arms in the delivery room? She was only 5 lbs 13 ounces (a day late too!) how could she now be 43 lbs?

And reading her own birthday cards! Way to make us proud!

Happy birthday, K!
We love you, Mom & Dad

Where has my princess gone?

Up until last week, I could probably count on my 2 hands the number of days that K has worn pants this school year. She's always been a little "princess" getting all dolled up on a daily basis. Only dresses, skirts or skorts. Every time she wore pants everyone made a big deal about it. And one day she went to school in tears because I asked her to wear pants. I'm such a mean mommy!

Its been 4 days now - and she's only worn pants! What has happened? She seems to like attention. I'm wondering if all the attention about her wearing pants is what she enjoys! I can't seem to get anything out of her. I asked her if she'll ever wear a dress again. She doesn't know. I wonder if someone said something about her wearing dresses? Kids can be mean. I hope thats not the case.

Her 6th birthday is next week. I told people who asked for ideas that they can't go wrong with a dress. Oh no! Hopefully when the weather gets hot again, she'll realize that pants are not comfortable in the heat. I'll let you know how this progresses...

Piggy Bank

Just when I thought I had nothing new & fun to write about, my son gave me a big laugh this morning.

As we get out of the car this morning at his school, he asks me if I have money for the piggy bank, "my school's piggy bank." I had to think about it. What was he talking about?

And then it dawned on me! It had to do with events from yesterday when I had to pay K's tuition for after school care. Hers is due before month end, so I wrote the check & asked her to remind me to turn it in. Well, there I was asking K for something & Bubs was feeling left out. He said what about me, mommy? I'll get yours (I think I said tomorrow), but I really meant later this week, because its not due & late until the 5th of June. Remind me tomorrow, I asked. Ok & we got on with our morning.

He was reminding me to "pay his school's piggy bank!" I said no I'm sorry kiddo, I don't have it today. Thank you so much for reminding me. We will pay it, I promise. Just let me just transfer funds first!

My kids are COLD?!

So when I wake up this morning and decide to make the kids yoghurt, strawberry, banana, milk & ice smoothies. They drink them all up quickly & ask for seconds. I have all the windows open in the house to bring in the cooler morning air. Then K complains about being COLD. I say no way, enjoy the cold. Its going to be hot real soon. And sure enough, its 9am & I'm ready to close up the house. Window, shades & all. We are about to head to the park! Have a great weekend.

It's HOT!

2 days of triple digits & now evenings that don't cool off. Its HOT! We've managed to cool off during the week, at work & school. I'm not sure what we'll do over the weekend. Our house is hot! We need to get out. Unfortunately we don't have A/C. Every year we talk about getting it & then we manage to survive the handful of unbearable days. Maybe next year..? I am planning to take the kids to a local park with water play tomorrow morning. But plan to be home by noon. After that, we need to find someplace cool to hang out. I'm off to try to cool off!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the mom's out there - Hope you had a great Mother's Day! This was one of my favorite's! Both kids were so excited to give me their presents. They made their priceless gifts at school. Bubs - painted a flower pot & it came w/ 3 pen flowers. He brought that home Thursday & had to open for me that night because he was so excited. It's perfect for my desk at work. He also painted a popsicle stick frame & they put a picture inside. He was so excited to have me put it up on the wall. K made me a placemat & a small step stone that says I "heart" U. We took it right out front where she helped pick the spot & we put it right next to our walk. All her cards were handwritten & she was so proud of herself. She's reading & writing more every day. She is so excited w/ each new word.

We met at a park this afternoon w/ Daddy's side of the family. The kids played in the sand & on the structure most of the afternoon. We BBQ'd & relaxed. Weather was nice - a little windy, but I guess we are lucky it was nothing like next weekend is supposed to be - 90's! We even all got in a little football game. I impressed myself with a few catches! K even got into it. It was a mixed game of guys, girls & kids. Lots of fun. We should get that going more often. I realized how really out of shape I am! Daddy says he doesn't want to hear me complain about how sore I am tomorrow. I think I'll be ok! Better get the kids off to bed. They look like zombies right now.

I wish my Mom & Grandma a very happy Mother's Day. I miss you guys! Hope to see you soon. Goodnight.

Back from Las Vegas!

Every time we get out of town, or have company, I really slack on blogging. Sorry! I was on vacation -physically & mentally. Last weekend we drove the kids to Las Vegas to visit my Parents. It was the biggest family gathering/reunion that I can remember. The occasion - my dad's 60th birthday! And of course everyone else that was born in the year ending in 8. We had my cousins daughter born in 08, my brother in 78, my cousin's son in 98, my dad & his friend from Germany in 48, my uncle & another friend 38, & my grandmother in 1918. Not sure if I missed someone. I'm sure I'll hear back if I did. I think we all had a blast. I know I did. Lots of family, fun & food. It was a real quick trip though - arriving on Friday & leaving Tuesday. I already want to go back again & actually get in some sightseeing. The Hoover Dam, the Lake, some shows. Right now, I'm just recovering from all the partying & getting back into the daily grind. Mom & dad - we had a great trip, thanks for everything, (including the corrections)! See you soon!

April Fool's Day!

I’m not one to tell jokes well & I can’t even lie w/ a straight face. Yesterday someone at work got me good. A single friend/coworker told me she was moving & putting her 2 week notice in on Monday. It was completely believable & I was bummed. One of the few people at work I confide in was leaving! April Fools. When someone plays a joke on you, you just want to go out & get someone else!

K has dance class on Tuesdays, so I leave work & pick her up. Although yesterday I called daddy to ask where he was – he picked up Bubs & was just about home. Well, would he mind getting K? I was stuck at work & I wouldn’t be able to pick her up in time. What was the big deal? Well – the Mets game was on & he says “I’m trying to watch the game!” April Fools! I had to sneak that in fast before he got mad. I got him & yes, I would go pick up K.

After I picked her up, I asked her if they talked about April Fool’s Day at school. And if anyone had played a joke on her. She said a boy told her inside the classroom that there was a ladybug on her shoulder. He said "April Fool's" but she said she didn't believe him anyway because they were inside! And then she asked me if we had a whoopie cushion. Now how does a 5 year old find out about that!? They read a book about April Fools at school & she wanted to play a joke on her dad & brother. Sorry, no whoopie cushion in our house - I'll have to think about that one.

We did it!

K & I cut our hair today to donate to Locks of Love.

http://locksoflove.org/

K got her hair cut by someone other than mommy for the first time! We went short! Its going to take me some time getting used to - at least for me. K already loves her new do. She can't wait to go to school on Monday to show it off.

The kid's are celebrities!

The kids made the front page of the March 20, 2008 Independent! I don't think the link will be good next week, but you can look up the past issues.

http://www.independentnews.com/

Happy Birthday Daddy - Happy St. Patrick's Day

K picked out her clothes today. Of course, it was the skirt & vest that Grandma S. made her. She wore it to the parade & then to the festival. Last night I put the kids in the shower early, so I could wash all their St. Patrick's Day clothes. Of course when she walked into school this morning, the first thing everyone said was look how cute. A 5 year old can pull off that outfit! And she loves the attention! Her first response though was this..."I'm wearing this outfit 3 days in a row!" I had to laugh and then tell her that she shouldn't tell people that!

Happy Early St. Patty's Day!

We went to the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival today. Luckily the weather held out for us. It was a little chilly now & then, but at least it was dry! Have a great weekend.

Time change

Its been a busy week and so it did fly by pretty fast. As every week has lately. Monday though, I did not think we would make it through the week. After the time change Sunday night, you would have thought the world was going to end! Both kids had the worst Monday morning. K wanted to draw a picture on the car window in the dew, Bubs messed it up & it was all over. There were tears all the way to school - of course thats really not that far! But we drove to Bubs school first, just so she could shake it off. Once we got to school she raced me to the front door. But once inside, she started to cry again. This was the only time I could remember her crying when I dropped her off for school. She wanted mommy to stay & play. Miss J had to pull her aside so I could leave. Once I got to work, I called to check in on her. She was quiet, but no longer crying. I think "Springing Forward" really threw her off!

That night, the kids were just bouncing off the walls, fighting over toys. By 7:30 I told them it was time for bed. (Really, with the hopes of getting them both in bed by their normal time - 8!) Bubs had something to say though. He looked outside & said "Its not bedtime mommy, its not dark outside." Its only March! I just can't wait until summer when its still light out at 9pm!

Disney on Ice

Last night we went to see Disney on Ice. It didn’t matter one bit to the two 3 ½ year olds boys that it was called “Princess Wishes.” They all had a blast. We went w/ our playgroup friends - a boy Bubs age & a girl K’s age. We also met up w/ another mom, husband & 2 girls. Our 2 girls chose to wear their princess dresses, so we took Aurora (K) and Cinderella to the ice show. Daddy bought all 10 tickets for us for a good price & we had great seats. (Thank you!) It was a cute performance that was even entertaining to boys. Who doesn’t like to watch a Prince fight off the evil Dragon & its fire! There were pirates (Bubs favorite) in the Ariel part of the show. The 2 girls sang along to every one of the Princess songs. And they knew better than their moms what was coming up next. This morning Bubs woke up and asked if he could go see it again!

A little bit of history...

Mom & A- I hope you don't mind me using this, but here's just a little bit about me. Some interesting info & pictures. A letter from my mom to an old friend! Hopefully one day we'll meet again. http://homestate.blogspot.com/
A,
Keep the blogging coming - We love it! We so enjoy hearing about your life and family in Alaska. We were there in Babbitt, NV, the day you were brought home from the hospital. We were also there the day your parents packed up the Ford Bronco and trailer with all their possessions to drive up to Alaska for the first time. Boy that was a LONG time ago - 1973. After you left with your family for Alaska, L was born and we moved to Taiwan in 1974. A few years passed and we again met up in Germany. We came in November of 1976. I'm not too sure when you actually arrived in Germany, but I do remember meeting all of you in a hotel room in Worms after your arrival. I remember it because we actually got a 10 Mark ($5) parking ticket for not having our parking sign in the car window that day. Here's one of the first pictures I could find with you in it. It was taken at Christmas 1978, in our apartment in Laudenbach. I'm sure you know all the kids - T, L, W, A, & C.

We all had a lot of good times when the families got together - Going to fests, parades, or just hanging out at each others houses. We even found some home movies of all the kids in a small pool out in back of the your house. There was another family - the Feitshans - from our Hawthorne

days who was also in Germany at the same time. We spent a couple of Thanksgivings all together in Germany. Here are a couple pictures of the entire crew. It was taken in 1980, but not at Thanksgiving because we left that year in October. It must have been a farewell dinner at your house.
1) Left to right - L, C, A, SF, T, and W.


2) The WHOLE crew - Left to right - Bottom Row: GS, C, GS, J, LF, S, C, & WF. Top row: SF, L, A, W, & T

A lot has happened in all our lives since those days. We even spent another 13-1/2 years in Germany from 1988-2001. It's amazing that you and L have managed to find each other and keep in touch. L was six when she actually last saw you. Maybe some day you'll be able to meet again.
G and I are retired now and living in Henderson, NV. Back in Nevada again! We have lots of free time to read your blog so keep it coming. If you have a chance, pass our email address on to your father. G would love to hear from your dad. Who knows - we might even make it up to Alaska some day.

All the best to you and your family,
G & G S

Look Chip Truck!

Its amazing how seeing Daddy & his truck first thing in the morning can change the kids moods! Just as we were leaving the house today, the kids fought over who could turn off the TV. Amazing what they fight over! K was mad at me because I put her hair up on the side of her head & not the middle “like I should have.” There were tears. We all made it in the car though. Then I realized I forgot my cell phone so I ran back into the house to get it & drove off.

I used that cell phone to call Daddy to see where he was at. Sure enough he was not far from us since his route is in Dublin. We pulled into the Big Lots parking lot & their eyes lit up when they saw the “Chip Truck.” He came out of the store to greet us & within minutes we were off to their schools. But now they were in a better mood & there were no more tears! I got my hugs & kisses from each of them and the morning ended much better than it started.

Until that is – I got a call while pulling into my work parking lot. My dear neighbor called me to say I left the garage door open! I knew it as soon as I saw her number on my phone. That just sums up my Wednesday morning! She helped close it for me & we all got on with our day. Yeah hump day is almost over!

Power Outage

Around 7am yesterday (1/2 an hour before we head out the door) the power went out in our house. It attempted to come back on quickly & then stayed off. For a minute I thought I blew a circuit, but I really wasn't doing anything to cause that to happen. I ended up calling PG&E to confirm that there was an outage & that electricity would be restored by 9:30. The kids were watching a little morning TV while eating their cereal when it went out. They didn't know what to think. This hasn't happened too often that they really know what was going on. Bubs stated the following that had me cracking up... "Mom, maybe the batteries went out in the TV."

Good guess. I then showed them how the light was out in the fridge & that everything else was out too. I tried to explain that something caused the entire houses electricity to go out. And then K proceeded to tell me a story about a bird on a power line caused it to break... Such imaginations. I love it! When the power is out though, kids are not themselves. I took them to K's daycare where the power was also out & all the kids there seemed a little wired themselves. Something new & different happens & their behaviors change!?! Weird.

Science Fair Project - Kindergarten!

Thanks Aunt Shell for the Science Fair Project idea. We had fun on Saturday mixing colored frostings! Both Bubs & K got involved & I tried my hardest to relax & let them do it. I just didn't want the dye all over the place! K learned how we could create all these colors from just Yellow, Red & Blue. And then the best part was the end - they dipped mini vanilla wafers into the frosting to eat!

A real treat of a day!

Yesterday was a very busy day for us. Daddy & Bubs dropped us off at great grandma's while they went off for a haircut. Bubs got a new buzz! Check it out in the photo.

They came back & we took her out for lunch. We decided on Val's Burgers right down the road. http://www.yelp.com/biz/vals-burgers-hayward For more info. I was craving a burger & it hit the spot! We also introduced the kids to an old fashioned milkshake. You should have seen Bubs face when they delivered it to out table. His eyes POPPED out, I wish we had the camera. It was priceless. One milkshake was enough to split 3 ways. The kids & I had it while Daddy & Grandma had a taste. I had to have them set it aside though until they ate their hot dogs! Sure enough they gobbled up their food so they could drink their "treat!"

If the morning activities weren't enough, we came home & played outside while daddy mowed the lawn. And then it was time for the spa. Another treat for the kids. It was a beautiful day for a dip!

Testing website

So, I'm thinking of changing my blog to this site. It seems easier to use. I can easily add photos. Not sure why I didn't switch back in 2005. Here's my new favorite photo. Daddy watching his princess.