This is it.....my 100th post for the year! Yes, I'm cheating a little by posting three times today, but who's counting.

I want to wish everyone out there happiness, health, and prosperity in 2009!

2008 was a tough year for many people. Many friends lost loved ones; many people lost jobs, homes, and more; and some folks have even lost hope at some point. But with a New Year here it's a great time to take some time and focus on what is important and what you do have. Lots of folks start anew with gratitude journals, dieting, prayers, or whatever they may choose to help turn a corner. However, the way I see it is that it doesn't have to be something huge. It's the little things.

So over the next few days......hug your loved ones a little more, call a friend or family member that you've been meaning to call, even let someone have the better parking spot at Costco. It won't put money in your pocket, but it will make your day a bit better.

My resolution is to NOT eat while I'm driving. Here's why: 1)because it's not safe; 2)it's not good for me to inhale food and 3)simply b/c NOTHING is so important that I can't take a few minutes to stop and eat. Don't get me wrong - it certainly doesn't mean I won't be eating fast food; it just means that I am striving to STOP and take the few minutes to eat. Whether it's sitting in the parking lot or eating while I sit at a sports event, I just want to slow down. Ideally, I'll even be packing a bag o' snacks when I'm on the run, but I'm not going to get delusional.

What are you looking forward to in 2009?

Ian Update: a little bit of Ginger Ale and back snoozing again. We're at about two hours since his last puke episode. I took a picture of his pure sweetness crashed on the couch but I can't upload it until I get home. Poor little guy.

I owe you a post about our winter break aka Christmas vacation.

1. alarm at 4:00AM
2. hustle out the door/through parking shuttle & LAX security mumbo-jumbo and make our flight with three carry-on bags and no checked luggage
3. SIX middle seats
4. no passengers wanted to trade
5. BEST flight ever for me, HA!
6. big hugs for Grandma
7. COLD, insanely cold temps.
8. Friendly's food tastes good when you are starving
9. why isn't there snow when it's THIS cold?(&$^@#
10. Go-carts rides with Collin
11. through the mud
12. and freezing rain
13. I took pictures from afar
14. Christmas Eve excitement
15. Kids still on Pacific time zone
16. GO TO BED ALREADY, it's after midnight
17. Nothing says Christmas morning like your 10yo daughter bursting into your room
18. "MOM, DAD - Sean just puked all over the bed"
19. Seriously? Seriously!
20. She wasn't kidding.
21. Dusting of snow while we open gifts -American Girl dolls for the girlies; DS for Sean; Power Tour guitar for Ian
22. My best little goodie Eat This, Not That book
23. Breakfast casserole for Christmas breakfast, YUM!
24. Sean attempts only grapes and then loses it again
25. Oh, lovely.
26. Proceeds to sleep for three hrs.
27. Merry Christmas!
28. Turkey dinner with all the fixins compliments of my MIL
29. So. freaking. good.
30. Sean is able to eat a small dinner. Woot!
31. Pecan pie
32. Scattergories
33. It's really fun and hilarious
34. My niece, Ann, has her own 'rules'
35. I like them
36. Nothing like an 'Annie answer'
37. It's a Wonderful Life and two versions of A Christmas Carol viewed in one day
38. The morning after - someone is puking
39. It's Collin!
40. Are you kidding me?
41. It's bad.
42. It's really bad.
43. And it's pouring rain and 35* outside.
44. My niece, Liz, a type 1 diabetic at age 11, is amazing and takes diabetes in stride.
45. My niece, Sarah, is SOOOO a teen-ager at 15-1/2 and she has a cute, friendly boyfriend too.
46. Leftovers are so good.
47. Puzzles and Scattergories fill a rainy day.
48. A sick husband is just awful.
49. Two loads of laundry.
50. Seek-and-find organizing of all the Christmas gifts.
51. What is going in the suitcase?
52. What is Gma going to ship?
53. Going home with minimal dirty laundry.
54. Fingers crossed as we head out.
55. It's 60* degrees.
56. This is crazy weather.
57. Lunch at BucaDiPeppo with all the family.
58. Lazy Susan in the Pope room!
59. Stuffed bellies head toward the airport
60. Everyone else heads to the mall
61. Checking in online is the way to go
62. Airport is crowded
63. No long lines for us :)
64. Collin is still under the weather, but putting on a good game face
65. Seats - two, two, and two
66. How did I end up with my daughter behind me?
67. Kicking my seat
68. Longest flight ever....but got through 380pgs. of Eclipse for the OH trip.
69. No baggage claim once again
70. Home and kids crashed by 9:30pm
71. Thankful for kind neighbors that fed the fish and the cat
72. Aaaaaah, my own bed
73. I love my bed.
74. I love sleep.
75. Except when awakened by puking.
76. Yes, Collin is STILL sick.
77. Sunday was all about relaxing; putting the house back together; errands; laundry; and spraying Lysol
78. Monday AM, Fritz returned home
79. Happy dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
80. Clean the kids bedrooms and pack for an AZ roadtrip
81. 6pm, fill them full of pancakes
82. 7pm, stop at home for pajamas & the dog
83. 7:30pm, hit the road
84. 370 miles
85. Sleeping children
86. Large cup of coffee/ CDs/ gum
87. five hour drive; 74mph average; arrive 1:30am(AZ time)
88. fall into bed
89. fun with friends
90. relaxing
91. Bedtime Stories movie
92. loved the movie
93. Ian says he feels like he's going to barf as we are walking out of the theater
94. Falls asleep on the ride back to Sandee's
95. Promptly barfs down my back as I attempt to move him to the couch
96. Oh yeah!
97. Frantically washing my hands aftering changing my clothes
98. Ian naps on the couch while we enjoy take-out Mexican, YUM!
99. Ian wakes and barfs again
100. Happy New Year!

We pulled it off!
I took the kids to breakfast this AM while Collin 'ran a couple of errands'. He hustled to TRUs to pick up three bikes and retrieved the other from my neighbor's garage. He then set them up in the living room and met us for cup of coffee.
We were coming home to open presents so they decided to forego the visit to Santa until later today or tomorrow and dive into presents. (which works out nicely b/c Amanda was going to ask Santa for a bike; now she has to think of something else --hint-hint: maybe ask for that Look-Alike doll you wanted)

To say they were shocked is an understatement - the squels and shrieking could have burst our ear drums. Perfect! They had a blast opening and have been happily playing all day.

Let's see...
Ian's favorite - his Hot Wheels car hauler/truck
Amanda's favorite - her doll stroller and/or her camera
Sean's favorite - the pogo stick and his Tech Deck stuff
Maggie's favorite - her Barbie house stuff

Now, if we have snow at Grandma's there Christmas will be complete.

Marking things off the checklist........
gifts for family wrapped AND shipped - CHECK!
finish shopping for the kids - CHECK!
arrange for Fritz/pet sitting - CHECK!
work on a few more Christmas cards - CHECK!
get babysitter for while I'm in play & Dh is working tonight - CHECK!

Eat something..............I'll get right on that.

Just in case you are counting that's FIVE for one day. So I did accomplish something. Next on the top of the list is to WRAP, WRAP, WRAP!

I have to admit that I haven't really been in Christmas 'mode'. I'm usually 95% done with shopping by Thanksgiving. This year it just hasn't happened. Mostly b/c I can't take anyone with me now that they are all aware of what is in the cart and I've been busy working in their classrooms and such. With regular errands to run, Tues. & Thurs. morning with Ian in school doesn't leave me with much time to spare.

BUT after our winter storms this week AND the cold weather and SNOW that it brought AND the fact that we will be traveling for assorted times over the holidays, Christmas slapped me in the face and I'm in hustle & bustle frenzy. A good frenzy. I've got gifts to wrap, boxes to ship, and Christmas cards to finish. Kids have a Christmas gingerbread train to do.

In the mean time we've got Christmas with Scrooge shows to finish. And all Maggie really wants for Christmas in the lead in Annie. (fingers crossed: she's in the final 8 of those called back and the director is picking 6, eeeeek!)

It's raining. Not spit-drizzling the SoCal way. RAINING! and quite chilly. That means a few things to me: 1) insane traffic at school, 2) soup for lunch, 3) slippers, 4) SNOW in the mountains! and last, but not least, 5) neurotic Fritz will only go out to pee if I force him to.

I love Christmas decorations. Some of my fondest memories were of driving around during the Christmas season looking around at the decorated houses. Then came Christmas in the Oaks in City Park. It was a winding journey through the monstrous oak trees decorated with lights galore. One of the funnest dates that Collin and I had was spent shivering our way through the walking portion.
So, I couldn't have been happier than when I got to share Christmas in the Oaks with Maggie during our whirlwind trip to New Orleans last weekend. Complete with Mr. Bingle that used to hang on the Maison Blanche store many moons ago.

.
We rode the Christmas train but sadly the monstrous oak trees are barely decorated post-Katrina. It was mostly a cold, dark ride but my butt was warm squeezed in-between two cute girlies. I realize I look like a polar bear, but it was COLD out there. Remember, it snowed there this past week. Yes, snow in New Orleans - only the 3rd time in my lifetime.

I am still completely bogged down with life. I'm thinking that THIS is just how it's going to be - BUSY, but currently I hab a code in my nose and it's making my head foggy and sleep necessary.

So here's my cheater post -- A little MeMe......
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? both - I love wrapping gifts.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real - 10-1/2ft. this year.

3. When do you put up the tree? Weekend after Thanksgiving -It's a tradition.

4. When do you take the tree down? Before New Years b/c my MIL said it's bad luck to leave it up. You have to be rid of the old year and start the year anew.

5. Do you like eggnog? Maybe one cup.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Baby Beth doll.

7. Hardest person to buy for? It varies from year to year.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Sean, my 8 year old.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, but I want a NICE one.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. It's so fun to get something that isn't junk or bills in the mail.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Don't remember - it must be blocked from my mind.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation (b/c I live with Clark)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually I do it year round. I keep a running list of stashed stuff.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Coke Jello Salad and lots of cookies/chocolate.

16. What decorations are on your tree? All sorts of ornaments; no theme.

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Traveling this year (we alternate)

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes, yes I can.

20. Angel on top of tree or star? Angel

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas morning (although when we travel they only get Santa & stocking and then small things from Gma & family)

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The commercials.

23 What theme or color are you using when you decorate? Lots of green with red, gold and white.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Prime Rib

25. What do you want for Christmas Honestly? Snow and the Eat This, Not That book.

MUNDANE MONDAY

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it's the Monday after! I've cleaned out my car; done two loads of laundry; sweep the downstairs; cleaned the cat litter; set the self-clean on the oven; done Team Mom email for basketball; ordered some Christmas gifts for the girls; responded to a few emails and it's only lunchtime.

I'll empty the dishwasher when I get back from the carwash (& returning the RedBox movie, love that thing!) and from retrieving the kids from school. Tacos for dinner; Dress rehearsal tonight.

That about answers the random 'What did you do today?' -- looks like a bunch of nothing I guess.

For the record, I'm only pg. 210 of New Moon now. It's still slow but getting better.

Tapping the microphone......is this ON?

Lots to update about since the last time I posted --- I sorta got caught up in the Twilight zone, literally. I channeled my inner high-school girl and jumped through Twilight, finished it in a week(HUGE for me), and saw the movie last weekend. I'm crawling through New Moon, but I'm not diggin' it as much and it's slow-going.

Since it's late, I just want to let you in on my little gift find. I'm soooooo excited about it. I got THIS at Kohl's today for my dh (aka Mr. Griswold). It's mostly a silly gift that I know he will enjoy playing with Sean but my brother had one as a kid and we LOVED IT! We played it for hours. I laughed out loud when I found it today.

I REALLY need to go to bed. In my quiet home, that is almost fully decorated outside thanks to Clark.

The week in review ---
we've all been battling colds in one way or another. I still have a lingering cough that is just plain annoying. Now tonight, Maggie is throttled on the couch with a fever (????) - no one else got a fever and such. UGH! (apparently the Motrin is working b/c now she right this second she is making music with her straw and annoying the heck out of the others)....fingers crossed....

The girls and I had assorted rehearsals and there was tons of sports practice(s) as usual. However, next week will be different b/c Sean's football team LOST this afternoon. It was a smoke-filled, ash-laden game that was miserably HOT and we could just see that our boys weren't there. It was a hard fought game but in the end our season was done. As parents, we were so proud of the League Champs, but that didn't make them feel any better as many of them sobbed through the coach's game speech. Moving on to basketball.

On the book-reading front, I'm happy to say that I'm 240 pages into Twilight. I did complete 3rd Degree, so this has got to be some sort of reading record for me. Somebody flip me a fish? Anybody? Fine, I'll just grab some chocolate and go read some more.

And, last but not least, I am happy to report that I have begun Christmas shopping. Got any good suggestions because you know time keeps on tickin'.

Like most households with four children it's mostly all drama all the time. Now, we have DRAMA for real. It's Christmas time in Londontown, again!

The latest.........Christmas with Scrooge (basically a Christmas Carol)......Amanda is Melissa (Fred's daughter) again; Maggie is Ghost of Christmas Past (that would be pronounced p-ah-st thankyouverymuch); and I am Ghost of Christmas Present, Mrs. Crachit, and Mrs. Hackett (crazy lady looking for donations).

Having a blast.
Combo it with football practice & playoffs and basketball practice, Collin and I are like ships passing in the night.

So I've been trying to read a lot more lately. A long time back I got the first four of the James Patterson series starting with 1st to Die. After finishing a couple of other fun chic/mom books I started them in summer. I'm almost done with the 3rd one and am going to break to jump into Twilight. I'm mostly reading b/c many people have told me they are really good despite being labeled 'teen' AND I would like to read it before seeing the movie (if I get that chance).

As of today I am starting a list to keep in my car so I can grab whatever the library has without waiting for things on hold and such. My list so far --The Shack; The Secret Life of Bees; and Peeing in Peace.
What 'cha readin'?

Wordless Wednesday

(#20 in the center

I'm here to serve of course. So I'm officially reminding YOU to set your clocks back so you too can join me in 'fall back' misery. It simply means my kids will be up earlier; get cranky early b/c it is dark out & they can't be outside while I make dinner; and all of us will just be dragging for the next week.

On a happier note - enjoy our October in the form of pictures.......

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Big events pictured - Amanda turned seven; we went apple picking up in the Oak Glen area and I made a killer apple crisp recipe from Jane; and Collin and I had our 13th anniversary.

The girls and I find out tomorrow how we are cast for the Scrooge play at our community theatre. Fingers crossed.

At the risk of getting too political, I really feel the need to put this out there.

http://americaschoicenow.com/

I'm not a one-issue voter, but his really strikes a cord with me. I'm adopted so I am very opinionated about this.

Craziness! This is my life.

It's overall good insanity but I am just tired all the time. (that is probably b/c of the random 'iron-deficiency anemia' that I have now [happy 39th b-day] @@ I have never had low iron, even when I was pregnant - ugh!) I have tons of pictures to share from Amanda's birthday, apple picking, Halloween and such but no time to get it all uploaded and organized. For the record, the kids were a farm-girl (sorta); a skeleton; Supergirl; and a Linja. That's not a typo-- Ian insisted he was a linja although he looked like a ninja.

In sports news, Sean's team finished 8-0 so they have a bye for the 1st round of playoffs this weekend. WOOT! He also is starting basketball in a couple of weeks. He has never played before, but is really excited to play. At this point, he doesn't want to play baseball. (I'm tellin' ya -- being screwed all summer during All Star ball ruined it for him)

I'm terribly behind on my TV watching so no real editorials from me other than I'm glad to see that Ace is gone. I can't seem to stay awake long enough to get through one TV show.

And, last but not least, Tuesday cannot come quick enough for me. I'm not a huge fan of politics to start with but this election has driven me over the edge. My phone won't stop ringing with random recorded messages; my mailbox is FULL of retoric daily; and there are even people out on street corners rallying around issues and candidates. The messages and mail are par for the course, but I don't ever remember all the other madness surrounding elections. Maybe my head was buried in the sand before.

As a small business owner 'family' we are very anxious about what is to come in the very near future. Although at the moment my immediate future involves going to straighten up the Halloween chaos (and stealing some chocolate, of course) before I fall into bed.

So you came for the funny .....

compliments of Ian -- What do you get when a kitten drinks lemonade?



A sour puss! (ha, ha! get it! --- Ian even says this part too)

AND...
this afternoon Sean all of a sudden started screaming. A piercing 'something-is-wrong' dreadful scream. I raced down the stairs to find his lip stuck in a container that I had put some salami slices in. SNORT! Seriously...it was pinched closed on his lip. Collin and I reacted the same way; hysterical laughter.


At least I grabbed some ice for Sean and his poor lip. For the record, he didn't want the salami anymore.

There's something about Nicole!
Today just seems right to tell the world about how fabulous my friend Nicole is and how blessed I am to have her in my life.

Nicole just has a way about her. She is friendly, funny, smart, beautiful, talented and so much more. She is an amazing mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend and support system to many. She has a flair for drama and dancing too, so it is ALL good.

I feel like I've known her all my life. She's the closest thing to a sister that I have in my life right now. Sure, I have great friends (waving to Patricia, Kathylnn, Sandee, Jenin29, Heather, etc.) but Nicole is involved in my life daily. Our kids are friends, but we would be friends anyway I'm sure of it.

The saying 'it's the little things' applies to how thoughtful Nicole is. She has been there with random flowers for a quick pick-me-up; she has shuffled my kids when I don't have last minute babysitting; she is just THERE. Yesterday for my b-day, she arranged a small luncheon. It couldn't have been more perfect. Just 5 adults, but it was filled with wonderful conversation, laughs, and delicious food. All of my gifts were so ME and I love them all, but the CD Nicole made for my car is just priceless. Assorted tunes that she picked b/c they are inside jokes, representative of our friendship, or just plain fun. It can be a serious song that I will just laugh to b/c of what it means to us. (Kelly Clarkson's Because of You isn't supposed to be funny.............hmmmmmm, wonder why she didn't put RedNeck Woman on my CD?)

And to top it all off, she is my tap-dance teacher on Tues. mornings.

Thank you for being my friend.

FALL.....where for art thou?

Sure, you have come in the form of Santana Winds and HEAT(!), but I was hoping for something a little different this year. I'll even take highs in the 70s as opposed to the 50-60s that normal people experience.

The insane winds make me crazy. So that's where I have been the last week; busy living a chaotic schedule topped with weather of 10-15% humidity, crazy wind, DRY skin, chapped lips, electrified fingers, and a wind-blown yard that looks like we've had a small hurricane.

Pass the lotion please.

It's hard to believe today she is SEVEN! There is something about Amanda that you can't quite put your finger on; people just love her to pieces. It's been that way for years. I remember my friend Sandee saying "I love all your kids, but Amanda just steals my heart." Yeah, mine too.


(pictured here in 2005) She still takes tap and now acro-jazz, but she is mostly a 'tom-boy' at heart. Can't you just see her guns.

She and Ian have always shared a special bond.
She has grown up so much in the last year. She took to the stage twice, improved greatly in swimming and is doing great in first grade (SO GLAD we did the bonus year)
She reminds me of my niece Ann --- beautiful, smart, funny, sporty, quirky, and independent! She even looks a lot like Ann; she's got Ann's silly face NAILED.
Happy Birthday Miss Amanda - we love you!

So let's talk TV shall we.......
with the help of the DVR, I'm watching House, the Biggest Loser, Survivor, Amazing Race, Desp. Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice. Well b/c of a programming snafu, I missed Private Practice - GAH! Really, really bummed.

Survivor --- not sure what to think this season, other than that Marcus is yummy (Charlie thinks so too, but "that's not how I roll" says Marcus, HA!). I'm not sure how Mr. I-Hate-the-World Randy is still around; he is masking his stupidity well. I'm hoping Bob sticks around b/c I'm thinking he could be a good MacGyver.

Amazing Race --- meh. A bit disappointed so far. I'm sad to see the bee keepers go; they could have made it a lot of fun. I can't say that I'm rooting for anyone at this point; although I laughed really hard at them trying to maneauver the little truck carts in Brazil. For the record, I would have likely fainted if I had to do that net thing......sweaty palms just thinking about it........I still think it would be an awesome thing to do.

Desp. Housewives -- good stuff! Just when I started to wonder about where "Bree's" baby was and then they toss in a twist. Awesome.

All hail the DVR!

I know I posted about this eons ago and I never got around to actually renting it. Well, guess what is recording on my DVR right now! WOOT!

I knew what it was by the music and ran into the living -- PEE WEE! Sean actually watched the first few minutes before I shuffled him off to bed. Seeing his reaction and his fits of laughter just sealed it for me. It's so much fun to share this with my 8yo especially. It's the perfect silly for him, but he did think Pee Wee's bike was really cool.

Of course, there's me tucking him in Pee-Wee style with "I don't make monkeys I just train 'em". He said he was going to say it at school and everyone would laugh without knowing where it came from. I told him he was probably right although his teachers WOULD and would likely crack up as well. I'm such a good influence sometimes.

I'm now trying to convince him to be PeeWee Herman for Halloween -- the character, no relation to the real human that is creepy.

At this exact moment, I AM NOT HAPPY...........it's 102*. It's freaking October 1st. If I wanted to live in this heat I would live in Arizona. Gumble, gumble, growl.

Here is where I complain about the cost of food. I've been stewing on this over the last few months and have finally decided 'enough is enough'. $3.49 for a loaf of Sarah Lee whole wheat bread; $6.79 for a gallon of organic milk; .79/lb. for bananas; even $1.99/lb. for apples seems crazy when just a couple of months ago they were $1.49 or cheaper/lb. (even CRAPPY school lunches are $3.25 this year, I'm not even kidding. Thus the reason my kids are only buying on 'pizza' days)

For years I've done the grocery game (and if you don't do it, you should be!). I've always clipped coupons but this just made using them more efficient. I also am not name-brand loyal so if Wishbone Ranch is on coupon & sale then that is what I get; sorry Hidden Valley, I've got kids to feed. They even know -- if ain't on sale AND I don't have a coupon, don't even ask.

I do use Costco for some things ---example: I usually get ground meat there, but last week Ralph's had ground sirloin for $1.99 so that was even better. I always buy butter, milk, and eggs at Costco but I don't make a special trip just for those items; I also do Costco to stock-up on juice packs for lunches/ gatorade for sports/ cheese/ trash bags/ laundry detergent/ assorted meds.&vitamins. Things like toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, and 'lady supplies' are grocery game items that Costco can't touch the price on. I DO buy organic milk and thank goodness we aren't using four gallons a week anymore. I'll hit Trader Joe's when I need to grab just a few items, but overall I shop at Ralph's.

I don't spend my time or precious gas money driving around town store hopping with the assorted ads. I DO save money ($87 this week specifically) but I'm curious about what else I could be doing. Feeding 6 people (Sean could almost be counted twice sometimes) is HARD when I'm trying to be creative, healthy, and thrifty. When I see whole wheat bread on sale, I grab two --one to use, one for the freezer. Same goes for bnls/skls. chicken breast, etc.

Here is my question -- HOW do you do it? What can I improve upon? Tonight dinner was white beans with rice/ cornbread&greens casserole thing (so good! and I didn't lie when they asked me if it was spinach - it wasn't) and fresh mango with raspberries. Example: I had gotten one HUGE mango and cut that for the kids and then the pack of raspberries got divided by six (poof-it's gone!). I have leftover casserole & beans that I will eat for lunch this week or as a quick catch-can dinner. Tomorrow is marinated london broil; homemade pasta salad; steamed green beans; whole wheat hawaiian rolls. [It looks like a lot but when you know that the meat is starting out at 1-1/4lbs. before grilling for six, that is a smallish portion of meat]

Come out of lurkdom and toss me some suggestions......sorry, with all due respect, vegetarian isn't an option.

Things that make me happy today:
my new favorite breakfast --- oatmeal made with skim milk and sprinkled with 1/2 banana; a few crumbled walnuts; and a tsp. of brown sugar.

the Amazing Race started last night!

I just purchased tickets for family fun at Christmas (not happy about the $$, but oh well)

AND it's currently raining outside. I don't know where it came from but we were awakened at 6:30am to the rumble of thunder and rain. We don't get much rain here so I really appreciate the little we get (and it will hopefully help a little bit to ward off the crazy wildfires we see in Oct.). I wouldn't mind one bit if our 'rainy' season started early.

A little taste of Fall is so refreshing.

I really, really wish you could see the dude play. He just loves it.

This weekend will be week four of our football season. We have yet to lose; and have only had one touchdown scored on us thus far. We have a great group of kids and a lot of talent.

I just hope it cools off a little. Yesterday it was 90*; still searching for fall here.

When I found out I was pregnant with Maggie WAY back in Aug./Sept. 1997, I was quick to grab What to Expect When You Are Expecting and received The Baby Book (Sears) as a gift quickly thereafter. Like many expectant Moms, I wanted to do the best for my baby and try to prepare for what was to come. I was gearing up for sleepness nights, teething, babywearing, sore boobs, and unending love for my growing baby.

Collin and I have been very blessed with four healthy children. Sure, each had their challenges when they were a baby: Maggie was our guinea pig and managed to survive us being 1st time parents; Sean was crawling at 4-1/2 mos. so he emerged quickly as a busy, busy baby; then came Miss Amanda, the 3rd child in 3-1/2 yrs. and HOLY GUACAMOLE did she have colic. I was toast. I can hardly remember how I got through my days when I look back on those days. Thanks goodness for scrapbooks to help me remember the good stuff. Then along came Ian....a shock and a blessing. I think my biggest challenge with him was just hoping he wouldn't have colic (he didn't, phew!) and to keep him alive despite his siblings wanting to "carry him & play with him." Over the years, the difficulties we've have had truly seemed minor when you look at the big picture.

I've always been told "Wow, you must have your hands full" and "Geez, four little must be so hard." I'm really learning quickly that they are actually easy when they are little. I know, I know --- parenting littles IS hard and challenging and exhausting, but lately I (we) are facing the reality of parenting four kids that all have activities/friends/homework/etc. The schedule we shuffle is basically insane. We don't HAVE to do these things, but we want the kids to be in activities. It's just that we have so many kids (lol!).

And the schedule isn't even the hardest part. They are four individual children with completely seperate needs (and it is always fluctuating). Maggie's latest is that she is in tutoring to help her struggle less in school. She is a challenge anyway (at 10-1/2) but I don't want her to fall behind any more. Sean is starting to have some incredible anxiety issues that we are desperately trying to deal with. We have been amazingly patient and met with the school today to figure out how to help him get through his day. It is just gut-wrenching to know that I just can't completely help him so we are going to seek some outside counseling for him. Amanda is mostly on an even keel right now, but she remains incredibly stubborn and independent which doesn't always match well. And then Ian, well he keeps me sane most days by making me laugh except when he digs his 4yo heels in and won't get out of the car.


I love them with all my heart, but .....sigh.....who took the parenting manual? (What kind of rubber room with I need when I have the ages of 17, 15, 14, and 11? that was a RETORICAL question!)

Found in my camera. Along with video instructions of 'how to brush your teeth [don't forget the toothpaste]' and 'how to brush your hair'.


Apple doesn't fall far from the tree and all that.

School is off to a great start. I think we are on our 10th day and my kids have been on time everyday so far, so I'm patting myself on the back. Here are the some assorted pictures from August.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ian starts our last year at the preschool tomorrow. We've been there since Fall 2001 consecutively. He has one of my all-time favorite teachers so I couldn't be happier. He can't wait.

It's the end of an era. Since the 'big' kids are in school for a while, Ian and I have time to spare. He is such an easy going little guy that he will happily play beside me if I'm doing something like cleaning out a closet. Yesterday I worked on finishing the boys' room. The beloved Tupperware shape-sorter is moving on; it is in the donation bag for the preschool along with the peg-style puzzles for toddlers. I have given away all of our little people stuff except for the garage b/c it's the only one left that Ian still loves. ....sigh... And some of the board books. Although I kept Goodnight Moon/The Big Red Barn/and Barnyard Dance b/c I can't part with them. Ian is more into 50pc. puzzles/trains/legos/and picture books now.


He just made a bed on the floor out of my bed pillows. And he is content and asleep right where he lay when he stopping talking for more than one second. We are enjoying our one-on-one moments before he gets lost in the land of school-aged kids.

The Dude! Sean is loving football as much as I love watching him. He is handling the transition to tackle well. They had their first game on Sat.; they won 34-0. Sean played middle linebacker for a bit and some quarterback.
here he is recovering his own fumble and then he advanced the ball 10yds.

GO #20!

I'm currently sitting here laughing so hard that I have tears streaming down my face. It's because of Ian; and Maggie's Ipod. The boy loves music and is taking the opportunity to jam to Maggie's Ipod while she is at school (muhahahaha!)

I'm guessing he is listening to Push It to the Limit from Disney's High School Musical. It goes like this.........."uh, oh, eeeeeeehhhhh, ah, eh, to the limit, limit, oh yeah." (some garbled mumbling that I can't even type) "work it now, eh, uh, uh, uuuuuuh, push it" complete with dance moves.

a SCREAM I tell ya.

And the best part, he just says loudly to me WITH the earplugs in "What is so funny, Mom?"

Man, I wish I knew how to video for YouTube.

aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh........can you hear the angels singing? The heavens parted and school started yesterday! Maggie is in 5th grade; Sean is in 3rd grade; and Amanda is in 1st grade.

WOOT! Ian doesn't start his T/Th. Pre-K routine until next week, but I am loving the quiet of my home. Ian is happy to do playdough/puzzles/watch TV and help with stuff like cleaning his closet. There isn't a constant hum of children bickering or wanting something to do. Just the hum of my fingers on the keyboard at the moment.

More photos to come of our end-of-the-summer chaos and pics. of the 1st day of school, but I'm currently having trouble uploading. Stay tuned.

Trying to squeeze in one last post for August --
whether you pray or just want to think good, positive thoughts, please take a moment to think of my Mom, brother & his family, and all of my extended family along with numerous friends who live in the New Orleans area. Hurrican Gustav is looming large and I hope that the area gets minimal damage; they truly can't handle it. The city is really just getting rolling again, but many people were still living in FEMA trailers. 14mos. post-Katrina there was still so much emptiness and work to be done.

You can never be fully prepared whether it's packing and evacuation or coming home with fingers crossed to see what kind of damage was done.

I hate hurricane season.

One of the best movie quotes -- Matthew Broderick from Biloxi Blues "it's hot; it's Africa hot; I don't think I'm going to be able to stay here if it's this hot"

That about sums up how THIS family of SoCal a/c spoiled folks feels.

Our a/c pooped out yesterday so we are on our 2nd night of open window suffocation. During the day it's over 80* in my house. Blech.

Downstairs is bearable in the evening; upstairs is just gross until about 3am when it finally cools off.

As I was 'tucking' Sean in bed, I had to toss out "I'm sure people in India or Africa don't have a/c and they sleep" b/c his whining was just incessant. I'm sure I won some Mom points with that.

Shhhhh, don't tell anyone - I'm thinking about sleeping on the cold tile floor.

I am grumpy today.

I am doing procrastinated girl scout paperwork. I am working on bid sheets/organizing/prepping the football silent auction that my husband is in charge of. I have had a neck ache for two day since I slept on the couch listening for the dog in case he needed to be let out in an emergency while he was sick. (how's that for a run-on sentence?)

Other than their commitments of football and/or dance and/or tutoring, my children haven't been anywhere in three days. I KNOW -- poor deprived souls. I fear that their brains are melting though b/c if they aren't in front of the TV or the computer, they are arguing about something stupid. (like who get's to be Spongebob/Patrick/or whoever b/c they act out the show while it is on b/c they have seen it so many damn times) How many times can they watch High School Musical 2? GAH!

I AM taking them to the beach on Friday. I WILL take them to the Science Center at some point next week.

But for now, I'm going to take a shower since it is 11:30am.

Poor Fritz Pup --- had his first trip to the advanced critical care last night. He appears to have colitis. Not fun for any of us. He's been a bit droopy and not eating for a couple of days and I was going to take him in today, but after detecting bloody stools (icky, sorry) I had to take him in.

I thought he might have eaten a stuffed animal eyeball or one of the green army men. His x-rays were clear and his bloodwork was good so they think it is a random illness. Let's hope.

Mini-schnauz. are prone to pancreatinitis so we have to be careful. He does get weird and won't eat much along with accidents when I go to AZ and such, but I'm hoping that is just stress and not something bigger.

He is our spoiled baby dog so he is digging this extra pampering.

It seems a bit cliche, but the saying 'good friends know your faults, but are still your friends in the end' really is TRUE. Friends come and go but true friends see you through it all.

My life-long friend is Patricia. We were neighbors growing up; three years apart in age but that didn't stand in the way. I remember the day she got her dog, Chi; Chi is long gone now. I remember talking endlessly especially while each of us hung on our backyard fences until the moment our Moms called us in for dinner. I remember one day playing 'Little House on the Prairie' and how we could never recreate that day. I remember Skate Country 1-4 on Sunday afternoons. I remember the insane car accident my freshman year of high school; to this day, I can see the 'spider webs' on the windshield from our heads & faces and can feel the glass in my mouth. I remember how intimidated we were by each other's fathers (may they rest in peace). I remember her LONG insane labor and the birth of my godchild, Jennifer. That is only a sample of the fabulous memories.

We haven't lived near each other since 1990. It's almost 1/2 my life that we've been apart. But we've stayed connected. Patricia and Jennifer were able to come for a visit recently. I hadn't seen them since March of 2002, Amanda's baptism. They came from their quiet mid-western home to my crazy CA home with four little kids.
Me and my beautiful godchild, Jennifer. She was a wee 6yo girlie in my wedding; look at her now - a college girl.
The girls -- Amanda, Jennifer & Patricia (Amanda is Patricia's godchild)
Laguna Beach, a reminder of one of the benefits of living here

Too short of a visit.
I'm pretty sure I saw them pulling ear plugs out of their ears as I dropped them off at the airport.

So, along with the rest of humanity, I've been watching the Olympics. Or should I say staying up WAY TOO LATE watching the Olympics. Or should I say falling asleep on the couch b/c the Olympics are fun but really long.

BUT it's the Micheal Phelps show - that's a good reason right.
Thank goodness I have a DVR b/c I'm missing the last hr. every single night. It's not as fun b/c I usually hear the results before I watch but at least I can watch the magic over-and-over if I choose.

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE!

The top picture is the 'play clothes/curtain' costume and the 2nd one is the Kaltzberg festival costume. There are seven "families" of kids; this is the girls' in their group. Such a nice group of talented kids for my girls to look up to.

We are having so much fun.

Saturday, August 2 was a big day in our house. It was the day Sean got his first helmet and shoulder pads. He thinks it is the coolest thing. I have to admit it is pretty cute.

although getting his helmet off is a learning process and his ears are sore.

Last week they only made contact with pads and blocking dummies. Today they start full contact. I'm sure I'll have a tick by the end of the week.

So another week of summer has come and gone. We've since gone to the county fair; had my best childhood friend and my god-daughter out for a visit; visited the SJCap. Mission; hit the beach; and done more football and theatre stuff.

I thought I would share a few pics. from the fair.
Amanda checking out the huge sand castle that was structured around the theme of 'Say Cheese'. It was unbelievable.

What's a trip to the fair without a visit to the piggies? The little white one was so content.
They also had deep-fried cupcakes and oreos. For the record, I stuck to my favorite potatoes.
now THAT is some good eatin' (Australian fried potatoes)
this photo is especially funny if you know the love/hate relationship Maggie & her buddy Justin have

It took my crew about 35 seconds to inhale a monster funnel cake. I think I got a bite.

MY GIRL
Miss Maggie is off to Girl Scout camp tomorrow AM. Real camp. Overnight. Without her troop and/or leader. It's at a location that she has gone to previously with her troop. It's about two hours from here; she will take a bus. She doesn't come back until Sat.

It's really good timing b/c honestly she is making me crazy right now. She is just difficult and I'm having a hard time with it all. She will argue about ANYTHING and is just not nice a lot of the time. I had a talk with her tonight while I was helping her pack. I hope she will take this time to enjoy being on her own and making some of her own decisions. I hope that she will come back appreciating how much her Momma does for her. (ya know, little things like laundry and cutting the crust off her sandwiches.)

More than anything else, I hope that she has a great time and that she knows her Momma loves her no matter what. I WILL MISS her, but the timing couldn't be better. (and I hope that she at least changes her underwear and combs her hair)