Hattie turned 7 on Wednesday and we took the whole family to Knott's Berry Farm. She LOVES roller coasters. She LOVES thrill rides! So it was a very fun adventure. We decided in the beginning that Daddy and Mommy would switch off taking Hattie on the rides/babysitting the little ones. So first, I took her on Ghostrider. I immediately realized (once I got on the ride) that was a terrible idea. Seriously! I am NOT a big fan of roller coasters. This one was so big and so fast. Of course Hattie LOVED IT. She got off the Ghostrider passionately saying "Oh my Gosh, I loved it, that was the best ever. I loved it I loved it I loved it!" I was grimacing the whole way. Ick. Next it was Rick's turn and they went on Bigfoot Rapids. The line took an hour! (Did I mention we practically walked onto Ghostrider?) After they got off I KNEW that we had started in the wrong order! Next they went on Perilous Plunge (I was NOT going to handle going STRAIGHT DOWN full speed into a big pool!)
Screaming children call me away. Guess I'm not going to finish this today.
I forgot to post this so I'll post it now...
Friday, August 22, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Beach Party
We arrived at the Beach Party on Saturday at 4:30pm. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to start at noon, but I'm pretty sure we were right on time. The weather was perfect because the sun was far in the sky but not quite going down yet. The kids immediately started to dig in the sand (very dirty, fine, sticky sand). Breanna was so hesitant. I love watching babies try something new. (This is a new love of mine, usually I hate watching babies get dirty because that means I have to clean them up! But for some reason it was very cute this day...) They dug and played until they couldn't stand it anymore, and then they BEGGED Daddy to take them into the water. Well, Hattie did. She loves the water and the waves. So Daddy took all three of the older kids into the water. It was very brave and strong of him, but just about gave Mommy a heart attack to watch. He could only really hold two kids at a time, so Hattie was on her own - for the most part.
I sat back and followed Breanna around until she realized that there was an ocean nearby. She made a B-line to the water and I caught her up before she got her dress wet. Yes, the wrestling match getting her into a swim diaper and swimsuit was legendary, but worth every second. I let her run down to the water again and she went straight into the waves. She kept crawling and walking further and further with no fear. She even got knocked over by some waves (they were at my ankles, mind you) and she was not affected one bit. Fearless! About this time, Daddy (and Hattie, Jason and Derek) made their way back to us. I traded Breanna for Hattie (a totally unfair trade, since now he was stuck with the three babies, and I got the one big kid) and we all went out to get wet. After another baby swap, I ended up with Derek and Rick had the other three. The waves were quite big and we were not playing it safe one bit! I was amazed at how well all 6 of us were doing! Wave after wave came and this went on for about 10 or 15 minutes. Each one had me terrified that one of the children would get pulled under, or trampled, or scared by a wave. I'm pretty sure Rick did NOT have a hand on Hattie. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and decided it was time to head in to the beach. We let a few more waves hit us and then were able find our way back. Hattie and Jason both made very strong attempts at body surfing. Even Jason, believe it or not, did a great job going under the water and finding his way back up.
It was all smiles as we headed to our towels (too bad we only brought three!!) Derek was shivering soooooo badly! Daddy grabbed Breanna and headed for the van. I let the children devour chips and capri-suns until he arrived for us to get loaded up! Then it was drying and changing and drying and wiping off sand, and finding pacifiers and capri-suns and seat belts. I looked at the clock as we drove away and it was 6:30pm. Seriously, two hours. It was the PERFECT beach trip!
I sat back and followed Breanna around until she realized that there was an ocean nearby. She made a B-line to the water and I caught her up before she got her dress wet. Yes, the wrestling match getting her into a swim diaper and swimsuit was legendary, but worth every second. I let her run down to the water again and she went straight into the waves. She kept crawling and walking further and further with no fear. She even got knocked over by some waves (they were at my ankles, mind you) and she was not affected one bit. Fearless! About this time, Daddy (and Hattie, Jason and Derek) made their way back to us. I traded Breanna for Hattie (a totally unfair trade, since now he was stuck with the three babies, and I got the one big kid) and we all went out to get wet. After another baby swap, I ended up with Derek and Rick had the other three. The waves were quite big and we were not playing it safe one bit! I was amazed at how well all 6 of us were doing! Wave after wave came and this went on for about 10 or 15 minutes. Each one had me terrified that one of the children would get pulled under, or trampled, or scared by a wave. I'm pretty sure Rick did NOT have a hand on Hattie. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and decided it was time to head in to the beach. We let a few more waves hit us and then were able find our way back. Hattie and Jason both made very strong attempts at body surfing. Even Jason, believe it or not, did a great job going under the water and finding his way back up.
It was all smiles as we headed to our towels (too bad we only brought three!!) Derek was shivering soooooo badly! Daddy grabbed Breanna and headed for the van. I let the children devour chips and capri-suns until he arrived for us to get loaded up! Then it was drying and changing and drying and wiping off sand, and finding pacifiers and capri-suns and seat belts. I looked at the clock as we drove away and it was 6:30pm. Seriously, two hours. It was the PERFECT beach trip!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Bowling
We took the kids bowling last night. It was so much fun! We spent way too much money because we ate dinner there (diet blown!!) but it was really great.
The kids had never bowled before, and Jason seems to be a natural. Well, he enjoyed it the most, anyway. Hattie is highly competitive and couldn't stop complaining that she was losing. Daddy helped her figure out how to get a little more control of the ball, and that calmed her a bit. Plus Jason was very supportive. It was two thumbs up for everyone! Derek would not bowl because he didn't like the sound of the pins dropping. He walked around most of the time with his hands covering his ears. It was so cute. And whenever we would ask him if he wanted a turn he would say "No!" with his hands over his ears. Hilarious! Breanna just wandered around getting in everyone's way and practicing walking in her shoes. This is her new skill - well, she's working on it anyway!
It is so amazing watching Breanna and Derek both learning to talk. These are such fun years of development. Breanna is a screecher and a babbler. She will talk and talk and talk about nothing and screech all of the time - mostly in the car. Derek is much more deliberate with his speaking. He always has something to say. We can't always understand him - especially with that stupid pacifier in his mouth - but he is always saying something. "Come with me, Mommy. Let me hold your hand."
We're going to Oceanside today for the Ward Beach Party. We're already running late, but I'm sure we'll get there eventually. And our kids LOVE the beach. What a fun weekend!
The kids had never bowled before, and Jason seems to be a natural. Well, he enjoyed it the most, anyway. Hattie is highly competitive and couldn't stop complaining that she was losing. Daddy helped her figure out how to get a little more control of the ball, and that calmed her a bit. Plus Jason was very supportive. It was two thumbs up for everyone! Derek would not bowl because he didn't like the sound of the pins dropping. He walked around most of the time with his hands covering his ears. It was so cute. And whenever we would ask him if he wanted a turn he would say "No!" with his hands over his ears. Hilarious! Breanna just wandered around getting in everyone's way and practicing walking in her shoes. This is her new skill - well, she's working on it anyway!
It is so amazing watching Breanna and Derek both learning to talk. These are such fun years of development. Breanna is a screecher and a babbler. She will talk and talk and talk about nothing and screech all of the time - mostly in the car. Derek is much more deliberate with his speaking. He always has something to say. We can't always understand him - especially with that stupid pacifier in his mouth - but he is always saying something. "Come with me, Mommy. Let me hold your hand."
We're going to Oceanside today for the Ward Beach Party. We're already running late, but I'm sure we'll get there eventually. And our kids LOVE the beach. What a fun weekend!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Off Track/Weight Loss
I am totally loving off track. Sleeping in is in no way over-rated. Seriously, it is nice to relax in the morning! Even today, I had to be at the gym by 8:30, but it was NOTHING like having to get the kids to school by 7:40! Not to mention the pick-ups! MWF I am picking up and dropping off like crazy with preschool! Holy cow!
I had my last session (evaluation) with my trainer today (sniff!)...
The official count, after 6 months, is as follows:
I have lost 26 pounds and (overall) 23.75 inches (10.5 are from my waist and hips!)
I have gone from 34% body fat (at 173 lbs) to 26.7% body fat (at 147 lbs)!
Whoo hoo! Yay for me!
Now I am working on another 10 lbs and a flat stomach (then my life will be perfect - ha ha!)
I had my last session (evaluation) with my trainer today (sniff!)...
The official count, after 6 months, is as follows:
I have lost 26 pounds and (overall) 23.75 inches (10.5 are from my waist and hips!)
I have gone from 34% body fat (at 173 lbs) to 26.7% body fat (at 147 lbs)!
Whoo hoo! Yay for me!
Now I am working on another 10 lbs and a flat stomach (then my life will be perfect - ha ha!)
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Other Half of Today
Rick went sailing today with my stepdad, a couple of his friends from work, and an old friend of my dad's. They sailed to Catalina Island (Emerald Bay) for some snorkeling fun, and then sailed back. I know Rick had been looking forward to this trip for a while. Just the guys. A nice LOOOOOONG sail. (Too bad for them that there was a lot of motoring!) But, it seems like "the guys" had a great time and were very appreciative of the opportunity... I'm glad it all worked out!
Reunions
I love a reunion. Seriously, something about seeing people I used to know, catching up, hanging out - it is so much fun to me! Take today for instance... I took my kids (and my mom) to a "Flag Team" reunion from high school. That is, a reunion of people who were on the flag team at our high school, all kind of around the same time... Now, I was only on the flag team my 1st two years of high school, but I did make some very close friends (some with whom I am still very close) there and OF COURSE had some great times. But many of these are people I only knew through flags, did not really hang out with then or afterward. Do I really care where these people are now? (No offense anyone!) Maybe not, and I'm sure many of them didn't or don't care what my life became. But I LOVE a reunion. And I will tell you, I had a blast. I brought my kids (totally obnoxious of me since there are so many of them) and they got to swim (and swim and swim and swim and swim). It was kind of surreal. The voices were tripping me out because they were all so familiar, but everyone looked different (but the same too). And I got to catch up with people that I never would have imagined having the opportunity to catch up with... And I got to see people that I have been wanting to see and needing an excuse... And I got to develop new respect for people I used to know - seeing where their lives ended up and what they made of themselves. It was so much fun. And my kids had so much fun! (No really, Jason and Hattie swam for like 4 hours straight.)
Soooo... point is - don't knock a reunion, however small or insignificant it may seem. Choose to have fun and not judge. It can be quite enlightening. Seriously. And even if you're not enlightened, you should at least be entertained. It was so great to see everyone! That sounds cheesy, but it's true.
Soooo... point is - don't knock a reunion, however small or insignificant it may seem. Choose to have fun and not judge. It can be quite enlightening. Seriously. And even if you're not enlightened, you should at least be entertained. It was so great to see everyone! That sounds cheesy, but it's true.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Monday
A quick post to say that I wish I had more time for this. It's been a week already and I haven't been able to get on here again! Grrr...
Sometimes I will think about what I could be writing (it is very clever, mind you) but I just don't get the chance to sit and type. Even now I am cutting into my shower time in order to bust out a quick post!
Anyway, this is the last week of school before "off track". For those of you without the experience, off-track is both a blessing and a curse. It means sleeping in as long as you want - no getting Hattie to school by 7:40am! But it also means 4 kids 24/7! Holy cow!
This moring Breanna woke up at 5am. Fortunately, no one else woke up, so I just sat and rocked her back to sleep. As I held her I pondered the miracle of the sleeping baby. When the family drives in the car, I have a game I like to play with the kids. It's called "Mommy's Favorite". It's kind of like the "Mouse Game" or the "Quiet Game", if you are familiar with these... The gist is that "Whoever is sleeping is Mommy's Favorite!" So, they all pretend to be sleeping. It totally cracks me up. They cock their heads to one side, close their eyes and lay there with big grins. A little sick, I know, to have converted the mouse game into a competition for mom's love, but welcome to my children's world. My parents always told me that if your kids don't need therapy, then you've done something wrong. Hah.
Point being, I do love a sleeping child. They are so cute and sweet and vulnerable. And quiet. Can't forget quiet now, can we...?? Especially when they are little babies and they rest their heads on your chest. Breanna is 14 months now and almost out of that baby stage. ALMOST makes you want another one. ALMOST, but not quite.
Right now I have 2 kids at school and 2 babies taking naps. It is my "favorite" time of day. :-)
Sometimes I will think about what I could be writing (it is very clever, mind you) but I just don't get the chance to sit and type. Even now I am cutting into my shower time in order to bust out a quick post!
Anyway, this is the last week of school before "off track". For those of you without the experience, off-track is both a blessing and a curse. It means sleeping in as long as you want - no getting Hattie to school by 7:40am! But it also means 4 kids 24/7! Holy cow!
This moring Breanna woke up at 5am. Fortunately, no one else woke up, so I just sat and rocked her back to sleep. As I held her I pondered the miracle of the sleeping baby. When the family drives in the car, I have a game I like to play with the kids. It's called "Mommy's Favorite". It's kind of like the "Mouse Game" or the "Quiet Game", if you are familiar with these... The gist is that "Whoever is sleeping is Mommy's Favorite!" So, they all pretend to be sleeping. It totally cracks me up. They cock their heads to one side, close their eyes and lay there with big grins. A little sick, I know, to have converted the mouse game into a competition for mom's love, but welcome to my children's world. My parents always told me that if your kids don't need therapy, then you've done something wrong. Hah.
Point being, I do love a sleeping child. They are so cute and sweet and vulnerable. And quiet. Can't forget quiet now, can we...?? Especially when they are little babies and they rest their heads on your chest. Breanna is 14 months now and almost out of that baby stage. ALMOST makes you want another one. ALMOST, but not quite.
Right now I have 2 kids at school and 2 babies taking naps. It is my "favorite" time of day. :-)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to my first attempt at blogging. I've decided that it's about time to try this...
Life in general is rather ordinary at the moment. Hattie (almost 7yo now!!) just started 2nd grade (they have year round and she is on B-track, although they will be switching to a modified traditional school year next year...), Jason (4yo) is in his second year of Preschool, and Derek (2yo) and Breanna (1yo) get to spend all of their days with mom. We do hit the gym every morning for a couple of hours (school days only), so they get to play and mom gets in shape...
This week Aunt Sally is staying with us while she attends a soccer camp nearby. We are so excited to have her around (I'm pretty sure she'll be regretting it soon!). The kids are thrilled she is here to play play play with them, and mom is pretty stoked to get a bit of a break (and maybe run some errands ALL BY MYSELF, whoo hoo!!)
Daddy is working hard, preparing to take over as FOREMAN of his current jobsite. We're pretty excited about this "promotion" as he's been waiting for advancement opportunities FOR-EV-ER! He's actually getting a performance review TODAY, so cross your fingers for more $$$ along with the more responsibility... hee hee.
Well, that should just about catch you all up to date.
Until next time... (hopefully soon!)
Life in general is rather ordinary at the moment. Hattie (almost 7yo now!!) just started 2nd grade (they have year round and she is on B-track, although they will be switching to a modified traditional school year next year...), Jason (4yo) is in his second year of Preschool, and Derek (2yo) and Breanna (1yo) get to spend all of their days with mom. We do hit the gym every morning for a couple of hours (school days only), so they get to play and mom gets in shape...
This week Aunt Sally is staying with us while she attends a soccer camp nearby. We are so excited to have her around (I'm pretty sure she'll be regretting it soon!). The kids are thrilled she is here to play play play with them, and mom is pretty stoked to get a bit of a break (and maybe run some errands ALL BY MYSELF, whoo hoo!!)
Daddy is working hard, preparing to take over as FOREMAN of his current jobsite. We're pretty excited about this "promotion" as he's been waiting for advancement opportunities FOR-EV-ER! He's actually getting a performance review TODAY, so cross your fingers for more $$$ along with the more responsibility... hee hee.
Well, that should just about catch you all up to date.
Until next time... (hopefully soon!)
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