Phony Photos

Over the long Labor Day weekend, the boys and I went for a trip to visit my parents.  The girls and Scott had a staycation.  It felt a little weird to split the family but it was nice for Jack and Logan to get more attention than normal.  Then, the girls started back to school and are so happy to be there.  Nearly everyday they tell me they like "Cinfia's school."  We've been keeping very busy trying to figure out our new normal.

1. Jack playing with my brother's old Legos at my parents house  2. Felt nice to bundle up and snuggle with Logan due to some chilly weather  3. Logan and Nana working on a motorized robot  4. Jack  5. a really funny poem (see below)  6. Logan asleep on my shoulder in the car  7. Great Dona reading stories to the boys  8. At the aquarium  9. More Lego creations by Jack

1. Shopping with Papa to pick new school dresses  2. It's a bear!  (Family joke from the book Going on a Bear Hunt)  3. At the zoo  4. In Papa's new bike trailer

1. Jack in his soft blanket  2. Des is ready for the first day of school  3. Bri getting an afterschool hug from Jack  4. Picnic dinner on the front lawn when the kitchen is too messy  5. A beautiful beach morning  6.  asleep with Mama after a colossal tantrum  7. Headed to the Ethiopian New Year festival  8. Enjoying non-traditional slurpees on a really hot festival afternoon  9. Jack and his future ride

1. Sometimes Mama has to get in character to help Logan do homework  2. Scott's first race and his adoring fans  3. Finally back at school  4. Logan, a very proud Tiger cub

1. Formal wear for a scooter ride around the block  2. While Jack karate chops imaginary ninjas  3. Logan's literal greater-than-sign (the alligator eats the bigger number)  4. Bri's new dress form Nana  5. Playing at the water playground  6. Jack and Mama staying cool in the shade  7. Papa stops by to bring us lunch and pose for photo opps  8. Jack, the avid reader  9. More photo ops with Papa



Funny poem mentioned above:

Regurgitate

It's been one whole hour since I ate.
Why is my dinner always late?
While you and Mom procrastinate,
I might become a featherweight.
You know what I'd appreciate?
Cough it up, Dad!  Regurgitate!

My Favorite Spots

I have several spots that I would consider my 'happy places'.

First off is my bed.  I have had a long standing relationship with my bed.  Happy, sad, exhausted...whatever I am feeling my bed is there for me.  It holds me up...literally.  I read books and magazines, watch TV, nap, get lost on the web.  I could stay there all day...if only my family would let me.

Another happy place is my parent's house because it's the closest thing Scott and I get to a vacation.  My parents help watching the kids and my mom cooks delicious meals and my dad does the dishes.  It doesn't hurt that they have a nice house and an amazing view and a town with plenty of family friendly stuff to do.

It's almost embarrassing to say but Target is a favorite spot of mine but only if I am alone.  I can get a little of this and a little of that.  I can find a nice treat or surprise for my kids.  I can find a nice treat for myself.  I think about all the things the kids need for whatever activity they have coming up...new school year, soccer camp, friend's birthday parties, etc.

Scott and I were married on a Southern California beach and we are very lucky to live close to a few great beaches still. It is a free activity that makes the whole family happy.  Since our family started on a beach and we only ever go there with all six of us, the beach represents family to me.  It's definitely a happy place as there are rarely tantrums at the beach.

Last but certainly not least, there is a park that is very special to the kids and me.  It is a public space but our co-op preschool is located there.  All four of my kids have learned to climb and swing and imagine themselves as pirates or princess on the jungle gym.  And every afternoon when school is done they play and let me have my daily grown-up conversation with moms with like-minded parenting ideas.  Even in summer, like today, several of us meet and let our kids play while we talk.  I was reminded today that I likely only have one more year being at this playground daily.  I will miss it when the girls move on to kindergarten.

And that is my list of my happy places!

Summer so far...

So far I am surviving summer...but my sanity is on the line every day!

So far, the boys have had one week of half-day soccer camp. All four kids have taken a weeks worth of swim lessons. The boys have weekly karate class and the girls have weekly hair appointments. The whole family (with Nana and Granddad) have had a vacation to a nearby mountain lake. Add in a Fourth of July weekend and a few playdates and you can tell that my plan has simply been to keep everyone busy, busy, busy!

Here are some of the highlights thus far (in photos):

Hair appointments:

New pets:

Karate:


4th of July (the girls' first!):
Soccer camp:


Vacation:

Christmas in Photo Review...No, Really...

Every day that I don't do my Christmas recap it gets further from the holidays and more ridiculous that I still haven't posted a recap. It's a viscous cycle and I've just decided to put a stop to it. Better 6 weeks late than never, here is Christmas 2009 in a nutshell:

Every year we trade off Thanksgiving and Christmas between Scott's and my parents. This year, Christmas was at my parents' house which is about 5 hours away from where we live. My mom has two sisters and one of them (including her husband and my two cousins) live near my parents. This year, their other sister and her husband decided to come for a holiday visit so all three sisters were together for Christmas.


Busy beach boys:

Busy boys in the kitchen with Nana making cookies and a gingerbread village:

And the finished product:

Relaxing with Nana and Granddad and a holiday movie:

A bi-annual Christmas Eve tradition (Great Dona reads The Night Before Christmas):

Christmas morning:

Jack asked Santa for Bakugans

Logan asked Santa for cookies ;)

Jack would not put down his new Star Wars figures...and oh, the noises he constantly makes!

Logan building a race car out of pillows and "trash" that Mama gave him for Christmas

A little downtime:

The whole gang took an amazing water safari:

Our whole crew takes up half the boat!

After returning home several days later we headed out for our second Christmas at Scott's parents house:

The boys got beautiful shiny bikes from Grandma and Grandpa

And that finally concludes Christmas 2009!

October in review

I used to be a rather dedicated blogger, writing 5 or 6 nights a week. But then I started having lapses... Somehow I'm a one month on, one month off kind of blogger now. And this is my month on but I'd still like to document the past month.

So, here it is in a photo nutshell.

What October would be complete with a trip to the pumpkin patch?

Let's not forget my favorite time of day...naptime!

After all that rest it's time to play! My little athletes:

We were lucky enough to have a visit from my parents. Ever patient Nana is always good for reading a book or yet another game of checkers.

Introducing...Super Granddad!

What trip from the grandparents wouldn't be complete without pony rides, mini-trains, beach picnics and a planetarium visit.

If it's October then there must be costumes and candy. Logan was a fireman and Jack wanted to be Batman. But because I don't think that character is age appropriate for a 4 year old and I'm too cheap to buy licensed character costumes, I encouraged Jack to invent his own superhero. Here he is as Super Lava Boy!
Whew! Now it's a fast moving train to Thanksgiving and Christmas...hold on tight!