You are a scrooge if you don't laugh:

Sean -- http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=9ec08866dea18df98dc04f1G06122208

Maggie -- http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=c77230c5fa002d00decbe58G06122208

Amanda -- http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=dfde0c465ba532558884b6dG06122210

Ian -- http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=8e6a56ed507c0978da6b76eG06122210

Merry Christmas!

Houston, we have a problem!

Poor little Ian just can't seem to get a decent nap in during the 'normal hours' of the day b/c we are at the height of holiday madness/school parties/etc. Recently he has taken to zonking OUT COLD around 5:30-6pm. (Excuse me.....did you just say 'well keep him up/wake him'? I didn't think so.) We've had pretty good luck SO FAR with putting him in his bed and he sleeps through the night. I'm pretty sure he's growing again b/c he ate TWO pb&j sandwiches yesterday afternoon.

Well, imagine my surprise as I came out from the computer area to discover my dear darling hanging out on the couch at 10:30PM!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippee, he thinks he just had a four hr. nap. I dozed on the couch until 1AM until I finally decided to move us to the guest bed. He could happily watch TV in there while I attempted to sleep with him. He DID fall asleep at some point but was UP at 5:30AM. ::::yawn::::

Think I'm gonna ask Santa for some sleeping powder, just in case this phase lasts too long.

What to say, what to say. It is true that if you don't blog on a regular basis you forget and then don't blog at all.

Let's see --
1) I need to trudge through laundry so I can pack before they wear the clothes again. We leave on Sunday; Maggie's stuff is pulled out. I'm working toward Ian's stuff, but :::::whine, whine::::: I hate packing for five people. Add to that the need to sort our winter/snow stuff and toss a few pieces of that in. :::: more whining from me:::::

2) We are opening our family gifts this Friday so hopefully the kids will play with the new stuff while dh and I take down the tree. Fire hazard and all that. Don't need a phone call in OH saying our house burned down.

3) We are hoping for snow at Grandma's. Ian is telling everyone he can that he is going to 'go-cart in the snow' so the Winter Warlock best pay central OH a visit. Pray that my box-o-Santa-gifts arrives safely at Grandma's or Santa has some 'splainin to do.

Haven't posted a LOVE Thursday in a while......
This is what you get when after 6yrs. of avoiding ANY sort of character (from Disney to the Chick-Fil-A cow) your oldest child sucks it up and decides to visit Santa b/c her baby brother wants too.

Go post on your blog about LOVE today too.

Yesterday was one of my favorites days of the year. It's the day that NBC televises the Ironman World Championships from Kona. I've watched it for many, many years; since before I was even married to a triathlete. It is a celebration of the human spirit and how amazing people can be.

This year it has become even more special. We went to experience the race last year to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We were there when the gun went off at 6AM and were there when the clock struck midnight. Breath-taking doesn't even begin to describe it; insane would also be fitting; right along with inspiring. Now, we even took a break around dinnertime and went back to the hotel for dinner and nap. I had a hard time thinking about all the athletes on the course while I swallowed my fine cuisine. I needed a nap simply from standing in the sun and being a cheerleader all day. Does that explain how out of shape I am?

In 2005, we were blessed to see Faris Al-Sultan and Natasha Bademan finish in 1st and were even more blessed to see 80yo Robert McKey [oldest to ever finish] and Jonathan Blaise, aka Blazeman, finish. That was in 2005 -- 2006 is a whole new race for Blazeman. Stricken with ALS, he is now in a wheelchair. Watching it all unfold on TV was just gut-wrenching. I cry every year, but this year's showing was extraordinary.

I urge you to watch it. I challenge you not to cry.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....
Her treasured 1st Christmas ornament

Birthstone angel from Grandma

Taking a moment to pose

His version of helping

Seriously; wouldn't this be the funniest Christmas card.

Wrong time of year to decide I have to do something about my weight. I'm at my heaviest I have ever been while not being pregnant. I'm uncomfortable in my own skin. I can't stand the thought of having to get dressed everyday. It's that bad. Elastic-waist granny pants from Walmart are my next purchase if I don't get off my butt and do something about it.

I have and will always have a sweet tooth. It's the exact reason I don't bake unless I'm bringing it to someone or the item will be consumed quickly (mostly by other people). The thought of making Christmas cookies with my kids just makes me grumpy. I guess I'll just be happy that I don't work in an office where people bring in holiday snacks constantly.(Amy, I left out the 't' word, lol)

Part of my problem is that I NEED someone to hold me accountable. WeightWatcher meetings would probably be good but I don't want to spend the money every week nor do I want to shuffle Ian weekly to attend them. Many folks can and do lose weight on their own; it doesn't work for me. I need someone pushing me. WHY?

My 1st couple of goals are to start doing sit-ups daily while I watch any nightime TV and to start drinking 64oz. of water a day. That's 2 -32oz. bottles; a healthy amount and easily attainable.

A moment of bliss-
Most days I think I'm not conquering this Mommy job very well. I yell too much; my kids watch too much TV; do I play with them enough; am I providing healthy enough food?; etc., etc. BUT there are moments that make me realize my kids love me perfect or not. They even like some of my little quirks.

My favorite little pajama clad superhero (aka Ian) crashed into the couch and bumped his head. (Apparently he needs some additional superhero training.) Tears aflowing, I scooped him up for some Mommy luvin'. And then one of my quirks submerged....as I sat there on the cold tile trying to comfort him, I started to sing. It's something I've always done. And it worked. His crying softened and he started to just listen. :*) I've sung to them (as most Moms do) since they were wee newborns. I've always sung to them; often ridiculous made up stuff, but still singing. I don't think I'm great at singing, but I did sing in high school for 4years; I can read music; I can carry a tune. And now, it's something that I see my kids love about me; as part of being their Mom. It's the smallest things that often go unnoticed.

Don't get me wrong -- I won't be singing at their weddings or anything.

Another assorted-topic post to keep you updated on the many adventures here b/c I know you can't stand the suspense:
1) The pie and cheesecake are finally all gone and my thighs can prove it :)

2) Clark's masterpiece:



The inflatable snowman is to the left of the candy canes. It's hard to see but the palm is also done and up the walkway to the front door.

3) Heater guys have come and gone AND not a darn thing is wrong with the heater. @@ It miraculously fixed itself and refused to play the on/off game for the repair guy. Grrrrrr.....on a good note, they checked and didn't detect a carbon monoxide problem. So, unless it starts to play the on/off game again I'll try to relax and stay warm.

4) Need I say more -

Ahhhhh, Sunday after Thanksgiving. It's easiest to provide you with a list style update since I have so many topics:

1) Thanksgiving dinner was AWESOME; one of dh's best turkeys ever. It was a perfect weather day so he, of course, started on the 3-story Christmas tree in the front yard. Quite a sight to behold, the neighbors simply chuckled and mumbled 'what is he up to now?' Everyone is in awe of his masterpiece and he puffed his chest as he moved on to the strings of lights. Dinner was quiet and I made it through the 'thankful' part w/o any tears. Quote of the day goes to little Ian after his first nibble of turkey skin......'mmmmmm, I want some more of dat!'

2) Clark vs. the Christmas decorations -- final tally: two full days of labor, 39 strings of lights; several net-style lights; three strings of candy canes; two lighted deer; a 60in. wreath; a HUGE holographic Noel; and one inflatable snowman. Clark wins again! (without hurt himself once)

3) Tip of the day: GET A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR. We've only run our heater a couple of times so far this year. We knew it was on the fritz so I was going to call home warranty for service this week since it's cooling off. Friday night/Sat. AM we were frighteningly awakened to the sound of our carbon monoxide detector. Nothing like a little moment of panic and adrenaline to keep you awake for hours. We immediately opened windows, stopped running the heater and are using the fireplace to keep a little warm until the heater is repaired. I'd rather freeze to death than even consider the possiblities if we didn't have the detector. Do everyone a favor -- PLEASE go and get one.

4) Shopping anyone???? I did it. I removed myself from my cozy bed at 6:15 and was out the door by 6:30. (This is after dh went out at 5:30 and was 'getting something for me' but they were already all gone @@) Armed with a list, I hit Target, Old Navy, Sports Authority and JCP. With a stop for a coffee and a muffin I was home by 10:30 and that includes travel time. AND..................I'm 95% done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How ya like them apples? Me -- world's worst morning person. All I have to get is a Dora Kitchen (blech!) and a Barbie house. Well, I still need to do the online order for Gma&Gpa's Harry & David package, but I don't count that as shopping.

5) And perhaps the best news of all, my darling Sean has lost both of his two front teeth this holiday weekend. THANK GOD b/c I couldn't look at him anymore and after he lost his 1st on Wed. we started calling him 'Mater in our tribute to the movie Cars. He's already been serenaded with All I Want For Christmas is my Two Front Teeth. Nothing says 6yo like a big ol' empty grin. :)

Well, Thanksgiving is tomorrow and for once it looks like we might actually have 'fall' weather; it's only supposed to be 70* tomorrow. Yippee!!!!

I'm making the pumpkin pie today since we have the smallest oven on the planet and nothing can fit into it besides the turkey. It's an insane dash to get the green bean casserole and bread baked while we the tent the turkey for a few minutes. I pretty much just stand back and watch while my dh works his kitchen magic. (He even uses his Weber grill to keep stuff warm, heehee) It's quite a spectacle to behold, BUT the meal is AWESOME! So there, I'm not claiming to make Thanksgiving dinner, but I can bake.

I'm once again going to scan the sale ads tomorrow with delusions that I might actually get up and grab a few deals. I have this utopia in my mind that even though it's busy, it will be fun and festive. Then reality blurs back in and I imagine people fighting over material things and parking places; add to that the long lines and I'm thinking my bed will be awfully cozy at 6am.

Happy Thanksgiving!

So.....where have I been?
Well, my computer got pulled down off the desk and it wonked the mouse connection. Therefore, I have had very abbreviated computer time using dh's laptop AND I haven't ventured to see if GeekSquad will be able to fix the other computer. I HAVE TO retrieve my Memory Manager software with all my organized photos; somehow THAT has to be recovered. Everything else would be lagniappe.

The hustle and bustle of the holidays is approaching. Can you even believe that Thanksgiving is next week? Where are all of your recipe suggestions?????? Hmmmm?

Since I'm married to Clark Griswald the much-anticipated prep of Christmas decorations has begun. It all started when he helped my neighbor unload her new Three Wise Men lights. (picture deer in the headlights; wheels spinning; WHAT? He will not be outdone!) This could get ugly. He is still trying to figure out how to decorate the monster tree outfront (it's taller than our house). He's chomping at the bit to hit Costco for MORE stuff. The kids don't help by saying 'we are gonna beat that guy' everytime we drive by one of the infamous/decorated/get-your-name-in the-paper houses around the corner. I'm thinking the new Danny Devito movie 'Deck the Halls' is going to hit a little too close to home (if ya know what I mean).

Random thoughts:
WOW....that was pretty much my reaction to last night's Desperate Housewives. I won't be a spoiler in case you have it saved, but trust me it's a good one! I think Desp.House has been dragging this season and almost lost me as a regular viewer. Yesterday's episode brought back the good stuff.

What have you organized lately? I've been striving weekly to get something new organized. Maggie and I tackled the tupperware/container cupboard yesterday. Didn't really have to toss much once we married the lids/bottoms but goodness it looks so much better and it is sooooooo liberating.

Thanksgiving -- I'm usually a procrastinator and I can't promise I won't be when the time comes, BUT FOR NOW, I'm asking you to share some favorite dish ideas. We are inviting over some friends (yes, Sandee that means you) and want to have some good stuff considering one of the guests is an executive chef.

SEND ME SOME MOTIVATION, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm never going to fit in my clothes beyond the holidays if I don't get some help. I got a fitness ball for my bday and dh installed a home gym in the garage (his anniversary gift) SO I really have no excuses. I have FitTV and Tivo so why isn't my lazy butt recording some good shows????? And then, doing them!

Maybe I really am allergic to exercise.

And another pic since it's LOVE Thursday......celebrate who you love; why you love them; what love is all about.

I LOVE that Ian is my last kid. He's mostly hilarious, but still challenging at bedtime. I heard the floor creak and went upstairs to find him like this -- playing with Dad's laptop. Another tube of lipstick down the drain and I didn't even get mad. (in fact, I had to stiffle my laughter)

Happy Halloween!!!!! (a little late - how am I supposed to take pics. of them dressed up and wish you a Happy Halloween on time?????) Hope you all got your favorites picked out of the kids' loot. Where are the Bit O' Honeys and Mary Janes????

Beyond cute!
It's so darn cute and I can't bring myself to even attempt to fix it.

Ian is starting to dig animals as much as Sean did (Sean still does!). He is playing with this old jeep & animal cards thing. I asked him what each one was.....he called the gorilla King Kong. [never seen the movie, but Sean has one of the toys] Yes, that's funny but the other giggle is even better. He calls the zebra a RACE HORSE! I think he's brilliant b/c he has correlated STRIPES (the movie) to his cards. If you tell him it's a zebra he says 'no, it a wace horse!' Yep, little dude, you're right. :)

A little late for LOVE Thursday but a little early still....11 years on Sat!

Busy week here --- it's Red Ribbon Week at our school so the kidlets have assorted things going on each day with the big event being the Jog-a-thon today. Awesome fundraiser that beats selling gift wrap ANYDAY and it earned twice as much money. Sean ran 22 laps (the boy loves to RUN) and Maggie ran 14 laps (hey, she beat last year's number by 2!). It's fun to be able to participate in a few things at school; I was a lap marker for Mag's class. I survived the stampede.

One of the best parts of this week -- it's my first week of having a DVR/TIVO. It's AWESOME; still getting used to lots of details but my shows are in there and I'm diggin' it. Got any must watch suggestions for programming???

Scrapbooking is many things to many people; whether you come to my house to actually get some albums done, organize some old photos, shoot the breeze or just sit and eat, it's ALL good. Having a wide age range of customers always makes things a little more interesting. Yesterday was a lesson in how much of a cocoon I live in. Conversations a plenty ranging from 'how blind are you?' to 'yes, pregnancy will change your shoe size' to the always popular 'anal bleaching/pubic lipsuction'. Yep, you heard me; don't make me repeat it. Those two plastic surgery procedures were seen on Dr. 90210. PLEASE tell me that this is an all fiction and not based on any sort of reality show. People really do this??????? Ugh, I need to find a bubble to put my family in.

LOVE is reading together when neither child knows HOW to read.

Now the gut-wrenching sad part of my New Orleans visit
It was my 1st time back post-Katrina; it has been almost 14mos. since the storm. However, from what I saw, not a lot has changed in many, many places. Empty is a good way to describe it all. I sample a few photos:
This is West End Park -- the former location of Jaeger's, Bart's and other bar/restaurants.
Just one of the thousands of homes in the Lakeview area. The horizontal lines on the pole are water marks. The slow steadying markings as the water subsided. You can still see the family's couch in the front. These poor, poor families.
Yes, that is a boat in the middle of the street. Miles away from where water is now. Still there after all this time.
Breach now fixed, but if you can see the large piece of grassy land -- completely washed away homes.
Touching.

HOME.............
Still here, just wondering around with several blog topics in my head and I can't seem to get any of them out of my brain.

What a difference a week makes.....all of a sudden I'm magically older AND did a quick visit to New Orleans (compliments of my brother). In recent years as my bday approached I found myself having to figure out how old I was turning. It's not that I can't do math, it's just that now the bdays just seem to melt into one another and they are just another day. Don't get me wrong; I love my the gifts/hugs/cards. It is just that it's a reminder of my wrinkles and slowing metabolism.

Now - the visit to New Orleans. It was nice to spend time with my family by myself. Not having to worry about what my kids are doing and what they might get in trouble for is always nice. Plus having undivided attention to play with my nephews is an added bonus. I was able to surprise a couple of friends that didn't know I was coming in town and I even scored a nice dinner out of the deal. Just to enjoy a grown-up dinner with friends is quite a treat. I even got to pop in on a family bday party for my 80yo Uncle Jesse. I saw cousins I hadn't seen since my wedding (almost 11yrs. ago). The Cantrelles sure know how to make me remember home: comfort food, Saints football, and lots of fun. Stepping off the plane in New Orleans, I felt a feeling of 'aaaaaahhhhh, it's good to ge home' even after being gone for 16yrs. BUT then, stepping off the plane in OC to a gaggle of screaming kids 'Moooooommmmmmmmyyyyyy's here!' also sent into the mode of 'it's good to be home.'

Home is where the heart is; very true, but don't forget that your heart has many chambers!

LOVE is finding your favorite place in Dad's lap no matter how old you get.

Like most things in life when major changes happen the event usually means good & bad things happen. For example, when it rains in SoCal --good=we NEED rain; bad=people can't drive in spit drizzle. Need another example, teens start to drive--good=your taxi service is slowing; bad=you add MORE worry onto an already full plate. See what I mean.

SO......Ian is heavy into learning to dress himself & potty training; doing really well; about 95% there! Yeah, right???? Well, let's talk GOOD = no more poopy diapers; easing the budget from the diaper cost; mastering milestones; interesting clothes choices and this:



Now, here's a little BAD = visiting every toilet in every store we go to; wiping another child's butt; toting extra clothes wherever you go; and the dreaded plugging the toilet and holding the flusher so water flows continually and non-stop while you scream for help.



I stopped counting at 12 towels.

Pull up a chair and enjoy a little Pete's Pond.........
http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/wildcamafrica/index.html

I just got lucky and sat here watching a herd of elephants (at least three of them babies) for 10minutes. The elephants moved back into the brush. And suddenly, look here come assorted deer type creatures.

Many thanks to Amy@thefoilhat for linking me to this. Nature in it's truest form.

Over the years I've mostly found magicians annoying; meaning, they mostly just piss me off b/c I want to know 'how do they do that?' A couple of years ago, we were given tickets to see David Copperfield. His show was really amazing and he was very personable (as opposed to the plastic guy I envisioned him to be). His tricks were awesome. Then came David What's-his-name/failed drowning stunt guy Blain?....he is good, but I'm over him now. He seems wasted all the time and he lost his appeal. Along comes Criss Angel. You GOTTA see this guy. First you have to get over his grundge look, but it suits him well. This guy FREAKS ME OUT; CREEPS ME OUT and makes my jaw drop.
His TV show is amazing. The stunts he does continue to captivate me and I can hardly tear myself away. Check him out.

LOVE is picking THE perfect Halloween costume and wearing whenever you want, even if it's 80 degrees outside.

Beyond being incredibly cute, I think Ian is either going to be high maintenance or a metrosexual. His favorite thing these days is "creamy, clean, & mint". Translation for this toddler speak would be: I would like some lip balm, purell, and a tictac. The boy will stop playing at the park and has even bee-lined over to my purse during a Mommy&Me class to do this. I know part of it is the allure of my Mom's mysterious purse, but I laugh every single time he does b/c I thought for sure he would be 'over' it by now.

I even find myself double-checking for these items occasionally b/c I am trying to avoid a random meltdown.

Maybe he needs his own man-purse.

While I slowly drudge toward becoming a Mom of four KIDS, kids as opposing to newborns/nurslings/toddlers (b/c for the 1ST time in 8-1/2 yrs. I'm NOT doing anymore diapers or always toting a stroller), there are still things that I enjoy with my little Ian even though he's plodding toward being a big boy. I love children's music. I always have since I was teaching.

I guess I should clarify -- GOOD children's music; FUN children's music. I did allow some Barney for my first-born, but the purple thing got OLD really fast. One of my classroom favs. was Red Grammar and I still play him in the car. Amanda was playing on the computer and came across this http://disney.go.com/disneychannel/playhouse/choochoosoul/index.html
If you're feet aren't movin' and/or you butt isn't groovin' you must be dead. I don't know which one I like better ABC or 123. Now that I have those fun little diddies stuck in your head my work here is done.

ALL ABOARD!

LOVE is having a brother to learn everything from whether it's skateboarding, silly faces or simply to have a hug!

This post confirms that I truly am a Mom who's lost her mind. Here's a little piece of sunshine in my day; insert black mascara raccoon eyes b/c I had tears rolling down my face. It was Sean, Amanda and I sitting in the family room.

First, Amanda chose The WorryWarts by Pamela Duncan Edwards as one of her stories. It's like one giant 'W' tongue-twister. What a hoot! Hard to get through b/c we were laughing so hard.

Next, came a few selections from Tinkle, Tinkle Little Tot )It's a library book - thank goodness b/c owning it would send me over the edge. Potty humor is just beyond funny. Try this one:

The Tushy Pushy (to the tune of Hokey Pokey)
You pull your undies down,
You take your potty out,
You sit your bottom down,
And you push the poopy out.
You do the Tushy Pushy
Till the poop is in the pot,
That's what it's all about!

Can you hear the howls???

We all have pet peeves; some big (DO NOT leave yer trash, especially diapers at the showers, on the beach)/ some small (put the toilet seat down, thankyouverymuch). Overall, I try to let most things roll off my back and not get in a huff over stuff. However, one thing that I've noticed more and more recently is GRATING ON MY LAST NERVE.......Moms who walk around [more like chasing] a kid with bitefuls of food at the park. For the love of God, PLEASE make a freaking choice: 1)eat at home and let the kid play 2)set some boundaries like 'eat 1st, then play' 3)at the very least, sit HERE when you come to get a bite of food; DO NOT walk around & climb when you are eating. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not hard people! I have four children so I've been there/done that with rules and I am still doing it. If you are THAT concerned that your child consume some food maybe you shouldn't be at the park for crying out loud. Is applesauce by the spoonful necessary? Do you really thinking shoving a mini-carrot in your 3yo's mouth while climbing a ladder is smart? Look at me while I speak slowly and clearly 'Get. over. yourself. Leave. the. kid. alone. Back. away. from. the. playground.'

Stepping off my soap box; back to the regularly scheduled program.

Need a laugh???

Ya know when you are eating a soft bread (think hot dog bun or pizza crust) and it sticks in your teeth or on your upper pallette, you use your tongue to just kind of get-it-off. WELL, try teaching that to your 2yo. I just giggled every time he took a bite of food b/c the bread seemed to get stuck in his teeth everytime. Nothing funnier!

Seriously!

It's my new favorite phrase; compliments of the BEST SHOW EVER - http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/ If you haven't watched, get the DVD and catch up already. I watch lots of assorted stuff but this is my new MUST-SEE-TV (sorry NBC). Patrick Dempsey has surpassed Mel Gibson on my HOT list; Mel has been lookin' a little tired lately. Patrick has come A LONG way from the movie Run (1991). The phrase "you've come a long way baby" certainly applies.

Here's to Season 3!

LOVE is endless piggy back rides (even better naked) from your sister!

What??? is up with late night television. It is REALLY bad!

As part of my usual weekend evening ritual, I was scrapbooking last night after the kiddos went to bed. Once Monk and Survivorman were over it all went downhill. Ferpetesake, do I really need to see ONE MORE girls gone wild video/advertisement. Don't these programming people have daughters???? I'm mortified everytime a commercial comes on; AND that would be every 30sec. once 11pm hits.

From one extreme to another......so to avoid the GGW insanity, dh started grasping at straws and checking every random channel. Something special caught his eye. That would be the Porter Wagner show. What's really sad? I KNEW who it was before he did. Now, did he change the channel? Nope. We spent a good 10minutes admiring the songs, clothes, etc. He had nothing on Lawrence Welk.

You will be pleased to know that we did find a Starz channel preview weekend and promptly switched to the movie Hitch. Gawd, we need Tivo.

TAXI! Did someone call for a taxi?
That would be the new service I've started now that school is back in session. Along with the school & preschool shuffle, we have dance (two days x 2 kids); soccer (1/wk. overlapping times with dance); religious education (still waiting on that schedule addition); and Brownies (so what if it's right after school, it's another pick-up time).
HOW ON EARTH do the superMoms out there do it once everyone is in activities? I know my kids are still little, but even though I'll be able to 'drop them off' at things as they get older I see MORE things being added. Remember, the little guy is still only two. I think he's a bit young to start piano or violin even though many in my local community beg to differ @@
As it stands I feel like a heathen b/c I have the kids choose two things each. I have to have SOME sanity and really want them in bed at a decent hour; not to mention, I would like a family dinner meal more days than not.
Things I will be thankful for: 1)my husband likes to cook 2)three out of four kids can buckle themselves in safely and 3)CARPOOL starts next week.

Excuse me while I go to bed. The taxi driver has to get up early.

Readin'; Writtin'; 'rithmetic!!!

It's that time of year again. How can it be that I have a 1st grader and a 3rd grader? Up until last Wednesday, I was still saying K & 2nd. Maggie seems to be liking 3rd grade so far (hey, 3 full days and no complaints); Sean thinks his classroom critters are cool (bearded dragon, tarantula, spotted gecko), but overall 1st isn't too exciting. Amanda is anxious to start Pre-K on Thursday of this week. As a family, it's our 5th consecutive year at the preschool with one more child to get through after Amanda. I think we'll hold the record for longest attendance without a break, lol!

Stay tuned for the tear report. Will Amanda get through her 1st few days w/o tears? If so, when will they start when her 2-day-a-week reality starts?

LOVE is the magic you feel when you discover your FOURTH child is the 1st child to adore his 1st visit to Disneyland..........

So we went to the beach for the 3rd time in one week (and we have plans to go on Tuesday too). We get around --Sunday it was Newport Beach; Wed. it was Newport again; today it was San Clemente and Tues. it will likely be Corona del Mar. So many beaches so little time.......

My kids really have NO CONCEPT of what it's like for some folks. I tell them that many people in this world have never been to the ocean; can you say "huh??" 'Yes, darlings. Unless you live near a coast line, chances are you haven't been to the ocean. That's why people vacation. If you live in Oklahoma, where's the ocean?' Again, more "huh??" 'Do you think people who live in the African desert just drive to the ocean?' I'm thinking my kids aren't very worldly.

They might not be worldly but they sure look like cute beach bums.

It's LOVE day again. LOVE is exploring & appreciating the little things in life.

I find myself a bit sad today with all the constant reminders of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Part of my childhood is gone. I'm hoping to get back there this Fall to see my family, but I'm not sure I'm ready to really comprehend what happened there.

I didn't actually live in the city; I lived on the west side of New Orleans in a small town called River Ridge. We used to ride our bikes to the levee; I could see the boats passing by on the Mississippi from my Grandma's house in Harahan. However, I've always called New Orleans my home. I went to the University of New Orleans (where I met my husband) and grew up picking up my dad's paycheck off Carondelet St. downtown/ riding the street car through the Garden District/ attending productions at the Saenger (sp?) theater/ Saints' games at the Superdome and MANY, MANY, MANY nights of fun in the French Quarter. My husband's high school in Slidell is completely gone and where he lived no longer exists.

I count myself lucky that no one near and dear to me perished in the aftermath of Katrina. My Mom and brother got some damage. Many of our friends lost A LOT (one specifically lost everything in her Lakeview home; another two warehouses worth of product for his business), but their spirits were not lost. This spirit is what keeps them going when you think that much of the area isn't up to 100% on hospital care and smaller things like grocery shopping are still diminished.

I pray for all those poor people who are still trying to put their lives back together. May this anniversary give them the strength to press on with their lives and hope to gain back some of what makes New Orleans special.

GO SAINTS!

Because I'm a cheater and am using Amy's
http://www.thefoilhat.com/insidethefoilhatblog.htm idea:

FOUR JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE:
1) Wendy's (four yrs. & two scholarships!)
2) cust. serv. at a label company
3) Kindergarten teacher
4) Creative Memories Consultant

FOUR MOVIES YOU WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER:
(I have a ton more but these quickly come to mind)
1) The Sound of Music
2) Shawshank Redemption
3) Grease (yes, I'm really a dork)
4) Tombstone

FOUR PLACES YOU HAVE LIVED:
1) River Ridge, LA
2) Anaheim, CA
3) Costa Mesa, CA
4) Irvine, CA

FOUR TV SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH:
(do I have to pick only 4?)
1) GREY'S ANATOMY
2) Amazing Race
3) Survivor
4) House

FOUR PLACES YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION:
1) Italy -- specifically Rome, Florence & Venice - wonderful honeymoon!
2) Newport Beach, CA -- family condo rental-- so relaxing and fun.
3) Hawaii -- Waikiki and Kona; I could visit there annually.
4) Ohio (gotta visit family, ya know) and the water parks & amusement parks are fun.

WEB SITES YOU VISIT DAILY:
1)my mommy board for Sean's age
2)Amy's blog (foilhat)
3)http://www.themommyblog.net
4)my weight loss board

FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:
1) Seafood - hot boiled crawfish, shrimp, catfish, etc.
2) My husband's grilled baby red potatoes & bbq'd ribs
3) Chinese
4) DESSERT...I'm not that picky.

FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW
1) The beach
2) scrapbooking
3) sleeping
4) Asleep at the beach (good answer!)

The REAL OC

For those of you who have an imagined version from television about what living in Orange County, CA is like, I'm here to say the weather is GREAT (and unlike the drama on tv) most days are pretty boring. Yesterday we just bummed about cleaning, gardening and doing laundry. Do they show that on tv? I'm thinking not.

HOWEVER, we did hit the beach today. Newport Beach that is. Yes we did see lots of BMWs, Mercedes, and a random Porsche or too, but overall it was JUST the beach. Ya know, waves/sand/boogie-boards/snacks/sand/too much junk to haul/sand/sunscreen.....the beach just as you would envision a family of six treking across the sand. Grabbed some corndogs and burgers from the local food joint, the Stuft Surfer, and soaked up some rays.

School starts on 9/7 so our beach days are numbered.

Because Chris at Notes from the Trenches shared the idea --- this is from Thursday, so it counts for me. Love is being reunited with an old friend!

Ahhhhhh....a day in the lovely desert of 29Palms! Couldn't have been better. We were off but the crew didn't know where we were going. (I'm not stupid; I don't like 'is it Monday yet? when are we leaving?' questions for days on end) I endured the many 'give us a hint' pleas and the "Mom, we are in the middle of nowhere" comments and kept driving. It was a surprise to my kids as we arrived; 'who lives here?' Out walks our dear friends relocated back from NY. Maggie nabbed the quote of the day with her reaction "YOU ARE KIDDING ME!" Truly priceless. The kids got along fabulously and we were fed lunch & dinner, who could ask for more. It is always fun to visit with them and exchange plenty of 'dudes' to welcome them back to SoCal. They reminded me of one of my favorite words too -- JANKY.

Bonus: I found a gas station before running out of gas at 11:00pm with four sleeping children in the car.

And for my 1st trick, I will attempt to add a photo. Here's my little guy today. We are starting the underwear experiment since he asks to be changed and will tell me when he is peeing in his diaper. He picked Thomas the train and Elmo. Here he is modeling the Thomas one. Yes; he did try on all six. Surely I'm jinxing myself just typing about it.

The great earache mystery.....so Mag wakes me at 12:45am crying that her ear hurts. I dose her with Motrin for pain and some Hyland's earache drops. She was pretty droopy today and even NAPPED! on her own accord. No fever. Things that make ya go, hmmmmm.......She is currently next door attempting the much anticipated and planned sleepover. On a happy note, I got the Wicked soundtrack at Tar-ge' today. A very happy camper I am!

This could take a while to learn. It looks easy, but all this lingo about dashboards, links, and settings might make me go crazy.