A Little Slice of Life

Next Food Network Star In The Making

2012-01-27T06:51:00.000-08:00

If there's one thing Little A loves, it's helping others! She helps her friends at school, she helps me around the house, she helps her brother WAY more than he deserves, but last night she helped Grandpa.

She and Grandpa had the task of preparing salmon for dinner. She walked around the kitchen and gathered supplies, melted the butter, squeezed the lemon, and prepped the fish for cooking.

After the fish was in the oven she and grandpa sat down and had a discussion about cooking methods. He taught her about broiling, cooking in boiling water, etc. And she actually sat and listened! She LOVES helping in the kitchen!

"Who will be the next Food Network star?"

A Walk In The Park

2012-01-26T12:41:00.001-08:00

The weather here lately has been what Big A is now referring to as 'swinter'. "It feels like summer but it's actually winter."

A couple of weeks ago we took advantage of a beautiful swinter day and headed out to Howarth Park. Howarth Park is a pretty neat place and tends to be VERY crowded! During the peak season, along with the numerous play structures, one can enjoy a water play area, train, carousel, petting zoo, snack bar and boat rentals. It's a very popular place.

On this particular swinter day, the only ride running was the carousel. The kids enjoyed running through the 'old town' and hiding from the jail guard (painted on the wall inside this jail), climbing, swinging, sliding, shimmying, running, and just plain having fun!

The dark speck at the top of this climber is my son... Scares me just a little bit, and looking up at him from underneath made me sick to my stomach! Boys will be boys! (I know it doesn't look that high from the picture, but trust me... The picture doesn't do it justice!)

And of course we had to ride the carousel! Can't pass that up!

We ended the afternoon with Slurpees and Goldfish at 7-Eleven before heading home for dinner and to snuggle up together in my bed to watch The Smurf Movie (I highly recommend it!). Another great Sunday!

Wordless Wednesday - Aspiring To Be On Toddlers And Tiaras

2012-01-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

Where Has My Baby Gone?

2012-01-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

Wondering how my kids spent their winter break? Big A spent the time growing up right before my very eyes...

First he learned to tie his shoes. Yep! All four of them! Okay, so he only wears two at a time, but he practiced and practiced and practiced (Oh... And practiced) and now... Well... He's a pro!

And then he learned to cook himself breakfast. I'm not talking pop a waffle in the toaster or pour a bowl of cold cereal... I'm talking scrambled eggs (and fried now, too), toast and a cup of coffee! Or maybe that was milk...

Maybe next week we'll work on dinner and laundry! I'm telling you, my baby is G...O... N... E...!

Happy 5th Birthday, Little A!!

2012-01-25T10:21:00.001-08:00

Little A turned 5 on January 2. You know, ANOTHER one of those posts I didn't finish??? I know, I know... I suck! But she deserves a post, so here goes!

What Big A does, Little A does, so she also wanted her birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. I was hesitant to hold the party on New Year's Day, but it worked out GREAT! Chuck E. Cheese, which on the day of Big A's party was turning people away because they were so crowded, was D... E... A... D...! Little A's party was the only party going on and we pretty much had the place to ourselves! The adults could sit and talk without feeling like they had to constantly be checking on the kids... SO NICE!

The next morning, on Little A's ACTUAL birthday, Grandpa had donuts and chocolate milk all ready for her complete with a '5' candle. What a great Grandpa!

Little A decided to have her birthday dinner at Chili's ("Because that's what Molly did!") so Grandma and Grandpa and Molly joined us for some yummy food and Little A's new creation, "Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Cake". Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Cake is Chocolate cake with Chocolate frosting and Cherries and Chocolate Chips.

As you can see, the cake didn't fare too well... After frosting it we walked away for 30 seconds and came back to find a huge chunk of cake lying on the counter... GO FIGURE! It may not have looked pretty, but it tasted great!

When we got home from dinner, Little A walked in the house to find...

She was SO excited! She climbed right on and started riding in circles around the kitchen table and the island.

She was excited to celebrate her "Special Week" at school, too. She and I worked hard on her Special Week poster and I enjoyed helping her celebrate on her first day back to school after Winter Break.

I know I said this about Big A, too, but I just can't believe how quickly the time goes. It seems like just yesterday that my little 6 pound 6 ounce princess entered this world and now... *SIGH*

Happy Birthday, Princess! I love you SO much!

Happy 7th Birthday, Big A!!

2012-01-25T10:02:00.000-08:00

Big A turned 7 on November 21... You know, one of those posts I started but never finished?

This year Big A decided that he wanted his party at Chuck E. Cheese. Although it might cost a bit more, the time and effort that it saved was well worth the cost! And in reality, by the time you purchase invitations, decorations, food, goodies, and all that other party stuff, you've spent almost the same amount! I highly recommend it!

After the party we went back to our house with Grandma and Grandpa and Grammy and Papa and opened presents. I had dinner cooking in the crock pot so we ate and played and it was a fun ending to an exciting day!

The next morning was Big A's REAL birthday. He woke up to find a special treat at his spot at the table...

After celebrating at school with donuts and a special Slurpee treat with Daddy after school, I thought we should turn in early but.... Just kidding! Big A decided where we ate dinner (with Molly and Grandma and Grandpa) and then Grandma and Grandpa came back to the house for MORE presents and MORE cake!

I think Big A had a pretty good birthday! I can't believe my 'baby boy' is growing up so quickly!

Happy Birthday, Bud! I LOVE YOU!

Whale Watching

2012-01-25T09:43:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago (January 8 to be exact) we went out to the coast to see if we could see any whales. It was a beautiful, albeit C-C-C-COLD, day at the beach but the whales were close to shore and we all had our first experience with whale watching!

Okay.... So MAYBE you couldn't actually SEE the whales (You could see their tails if you looked in the binoculars) but we saw at least twenty water spouts. It was AWESOME!

There was a gentleman there who'd been out watching the whales for quite some time that day and was very knowledgeable about what we were seeing, where they were, where they had been, where they were headed, etc. Big A befriended him right away and they had a great conversation about Whale Wars and different whale species. It was neat to watch and a proud mommy moment when the man said, "He is SO smart!"

After we watched whales for a good 30 minutes, we headed down to the beach to collect shells and watch the sunset. There was a group of people down on the beach twirling some sort of balls at the end of ropes. I couldn't figure out what they were doing until I looked over and saw this...

After playing in the tide pools, watching the man twirl fire balls, and collecting shells, we posed for pictures, watched the sunset, and hiked back to the car.

We followed our afternoon with dinner at a local restaurant and then headed home to get ready to start back to school the next morning. It was a GREAT day!

When Life Gets In The Way...

2012-01-25T09:19:00.001-08:00

Ah, blog... How I've missed you...

It's been a LONG time since I sat down and wrote a post. I have started many (19 to be exact) but have completed none. I may go back right now and see if I can tie some of those posts up, but I just haven't been able to wrap my mind around blogging lately.

For one thing, I have been quite sick. I had a little run in with pneumonia which set my asthma in motion and attacked me with full force. That lasted about two ~~days~~ ~~weeks~~ MONTHS, right through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's! In terms of my health I seem to have fully recovered but now I am dealing with some of life's other curve balls.

It's been so long since I've posted, that people have actually stopped asking me when I'm going to update my blog. Now THAT is a bad sign! So, without further ado, I am going to tell you right now that I am going to *TRY* (No promises, people!) to start updating regularly again!

Thanks for reading!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:18:00.001-07:00

Presenting....

Our Halloween Season In Pictures!

Big A's Pumpkin Patch Field Trip (B was lucky enough to attend!)

Little A's Pumpkin Patch Field Trip (I got to attend!)

Rob Roy Boo Bash With Grandpa Jim and Sinda

Big A's Halloween Parade At School (I got to attend!)

Little A's Halloween Parade (Grandma got to attend!)

Trick-or-Treating With Grandma and Grandpa and the Sodens

Dr. Berger's Candy Buy-Back With Molly!

Happy Halloween! 1 Strawberry Shortcake, 1 soldier, 2 pumpkin patch field trips, 3 halloween carnivals and 9 pounds of candy... Another successfull Halloween, I'd say!!

A Quiz For People Who Know Everything

2011-10-27T09:32:00.001-07:00

There are only nine questions in this quiz for people who know everything... These are not trick questions. They are straight forward questions with straight forward answers. GOOD LUCK!

QUESTIONS

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3 Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters ' dw' and they are all common words. Name two of them.

7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter 'S.'

ANSWERS

1. The one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends: Boxing

2. North American landmark constantly moving backward: Niagara Falls - The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.

3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons: Asparagus and rhubarb

4. The fruit with its seeds on the outside: Strawberry

5. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle: It grew inside the bottle. The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.

6. Three English words beginning with 'dw': Dwarf, dwell and dwindle

7. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar: Period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation mark, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses

8. The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh: Lettuce

9. Six or more things you can wear on your feet beginning with 'S': Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

I found out in a hurry that I don't know everything... Darn it! I was CERTAIN that I DID know everything. HA!

Wordless Wednesday - Creepy Cross Eyed Cutie

2011-10-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

2011-10-25T08:01:00.001-07:00

I have a beef stroganoff recipe that I have used in the past and REALLY like. While this was not QUITE as good as my original recipe, it was still yummy and it's SUPER easy! There's nothing like having dinner ready for you when you walk in the front door. (And of course thank you to Molly for cooking the noodles!)

2 pounds beef stew or stir fry meat
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed onion soup
2 4 ounce cans sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
8 ounces sour cream
6 cups hot cooked wide egg noodles

In 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart slow cooker, mix beef, onion, soups, mushrooms and pepper.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until beef is very tender.

Stir cream cheese into beef mixture until melted. Stir sour cream into beef mixture. Serve over noodles.

Both kids ate two helpings of this meal so they were either "starving to death" or they REALLY liked it! The only think I would do differently next time is to add a bit of beef consume just to give it all a tad bit more flavor but overall? Two thumbs up!

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-10-24T18:04:00.001-07:00

I LOVE chicken pot pie and have wanted to make my own for a long time. I finally found a recipe and tried it out... SUCCESS!

Crust

1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling

1/3cup butter or margarine
1/3cup chopped onion
1/3cup all-purpose flour
1/2teaspoon salt
1/4teaspoon pepper
1 3/4cups chicken broth
1/2cup milk
2 1/2cups shredded cooked chicken (You could use turkey, but then it wouldn't be "Chicken Pot Pie"... I'm just sayin'...)
2cups Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 425°F. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.

Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

FYI - 15 points for 1/6 of the pie. Not a bad deal considering that a) 1/8 is PLENTY filling and b) it's a complete meal in one dish!

ENJOY!!

My Handsome Nephew

2011-10-23T15:33:00.001-07:00

Kids grow up TOO fast! See the cute, young, smiling boy on the right side of this picture???

LOOK AT HIM NOW!

Today that cute little boy is 6'3" and playing football for his high school! That's right, I said HIGH SCHOOL! I remember the night I got the call that my sister was in labor with this cute boy. I was sitting at my kitchen table doing math homework. I was in my senior year in college and so excited to be an auntie again. I can't believe how quickly the years have flown by!

His world has gone from Thomas and Duplo to football, video games and... GIRLS!

Wow, Bud! I love watching you grow up and seeing the fine young man you're becoming. Keep up the good work!

Beef And Spinach Enchiladas

2011-10-13T21:35:00.001-07:00

I kept seeing this recipe and finally decided to try it. It must have been a hit if B is asking me to make it again!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
9 oz frozen spinach
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles, undrained
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic-pepper blend
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
8 flour tortillas (soft taco size)
1/2 cup chunky salsa

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown.

Stir in spinach; cook, stirring frequently, until thawed. Stir in green chiles, cumin, garlic-pepper blend, sour cream and 1 cup of the cheese.

Spread about 1 teaspoon enchilada sauce on each tortilla. Top each with about 1/2 cup beef mixture. Roll up tortillas; place seam sides down in baking dish. In small bowl, mix remaining enchilada sauce and the salsa; spoon over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

FYI - 11 points PER enchilada.

ENJOY!

Albert J. "Al" Ziebell

2011-10-11T20:34:00.001-07:00

Albert J. "Al" Ziebell took his most beautiful flight, with angels as his co-pilots, on October 10, 2011. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, mentor, and friend who enriched the lives of all who were blessed to know him. Al was the essence of gentleness, love, strength, and humility.

Born on December 5, 1915, in Oshkosh, to Harvey and Helen ( Frank) Ziebell, Al married Willetta Mae James in 1940 and together they raised six children. Survivors are his daughter, Mary (Rick) Bowman of Oshkosh; two sons, John (Donna) Ziebell of Winneconne, and Jim Ziebell of Cobb, California; and two daughters-in-law, Connie Ziebell and Peggy Ziebell. He is further survived by 15 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. Preceding Al in death is his wife; three sons, Mike Ziebell, Pete Ziebell, and Jeff Ziebell; his parents; and two brothers, Hubert and Ralph Ziebell.

Al attended Oshkosh Public Schools, as well as the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. In his early years, he worked for the Leach Company. In 1946, Al went to work for SNC manufacturing, where he worked for over 50 years. He retired from SNC as Vice-President of Methods and Equipment. An engineer and inventor, Al was well respected in his field for ingenuity and ability to fix anything and everything.

Hunting, Fishing, and all types of boating were among Al's pleasures. He passed on the joys and skills of these hobbies to his children and many others along the way. But, his real passion was for flying. His absolute joy in life was giving a kid (or adult) their very first plane ride. It was even better if it was in his seaplane! Al was a long time member of EAA and co-founded the Vette Seaplane Base in 1949. There, he volunteered endless hours and made life-long friends from all over the United States and Canada.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 14, 2011, at 3:00 p.m. in Seefeld Family of Funeral Chapels, 1025 Oregon Street, with Father Luke Ferris officiating. A time of visiting and sharing of memories will be held on Friday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the funeral chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Al's memory may be given to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, American Heart Association, or a charity of your choice…or simply do something kind for someone in honor and remembrance of Al.

A special note of thanks to the Park View Health Center aides and nurses for their kindness and loving care shown to Al. Please visit www.seefeldfuneral.com to send online condolences to the family.

I love you, Granpda. I'll always remember your ear and nose wiggling as well as flying with you in your sea plane and riding in the back of your van, rolling around on the bed with the curves in the road.

Columbus Day Or Conferences?

2011-10-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

The federal government told me today was Columbus Day but Big A's school told me it was conference day. Whatever the reason, Big A didn't have school today and I DID meet with his teacher for a conference. Turns out my little pill is somewhat of a super star when it comes to school!

The first thing out of his teacher's mouth was, "HE CRACKS ME UP! Some of the things he comes out with are SO adult!" Yes, yes... We've been saying this since he was two... A little scary at times, to say the least!

She showed me some writing he'd done at the beginning of the year and told me how impressed she is with his detail and how much he writes. Next she showed me a math assessment they'd taken at the beginning of the year that covers ALL of the math concepts they'll cover this year in first grade (basically things he's never seen before). He got 15 correct out of 20... 75%. She moved him up to challenge spelling words and challenge reading packets. All of this puts him as one of the top eight 1st graders in the school (There are 60+ 1st graders...) and qualified him for the new GATE (Gifted And Talented Education) program that the school is starting.

Now I love my son, and I KNOW that he's smart, but to hear someone talk like this about him kind of made my jaw drop. I had NO idea that he performed this way at school. It's not that I don't know he's capable of performing this way, it's just that I didn't think he actually applied himself. Boy was I wrong!

Big A, keep up the good work! I'm SOOO proud of you and I love you SOOO much! I can't wait to see all the things that you'll do and all the places you'll go!

Harvest Fair

2011-10-09T21:09:00.001-07:00

Today we attended a Harvest Fair/visited Grandpa Jim at a winery in Lake County. What a FUN day!

We had planned to take the kids up to visit Grandpa Jim as he was finally home and able to have more visitors. I was hesitant to take the kids up because I didn't want to do anything that may cause him discomfort or wear him out but I really wanted the kids to be able to see him and figured that it might do him good to see them as well. When we found out there was a harvest fair going on and that we should bring the kids, it sounded perfect! We'd go to the harvest fair then visit Grandpa for a few minutes before heading home. Weren't we surprised when Grandpa Jim showed up AT the harvest fair! He only stayed for a few minutes, but it was long enough to...

Watch the kids stomp grapes (and KICK BUTT!)...

Get their faces painted...

Participate in the hula-hoop contest (Not so much butt kickin' there.... They need practice!)

And gulp down some pie in the pie eating contest! (And by the way... Girls are too dainty for pie eating contests... That was left all to the boys in our family! But grown men against little kids is NOT a fair match-up... B won that competition HANDS DOWN! No pun intended...)

Little Aisms - Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

2011-10-08T19:49:00.001-07:00

While at the store this week... "Mommy, can we buy some of that square bologna?"

_______________________________________________

"Look, Mommy! EAR GLOVES!"

_______________________________________________

Last week I made an appointment for Little A to have her ears rechecked after her infections. When I got off the phone I told her that she was not going to see Dr. L (her regular doctor). "Honey, you're going to see Dr. Sloan this time."

Little A - "He's SLOW?!?!"

"No, Dr. S L O A N."

Ugh! Clearly her ears are still not right!

Creative Ideas For Coooking Corn On The Cob

2011-10-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

Do you like corn on the cob? Do you hate the mess that it makes when you're shucking it? If so, you might enjoy this... I can't wait to try it!

Having a party and want to serve corn on the cob? Camping with friends and can't figure out how to boil enough water on camp stoves so that you can have corn on the cob? Try this "Cooler Corn"!

If you have a large group of people over to your home for a cookout that involves corn on the cob, you can cook up a few dozen ears of it quickly and easily. Wipe an ice chest clean and fill it with shucked ears of corn. Pour in two kettles of boiling water and close the top of the cooler.

That’s it, that’s all you have to do. After 30 minutes the corn should be perfectly cooked!

Don't believe me? Google it!

Toothless Tuesday

2011-10-04T18:38:00.001-07:00

Tooth #6... GONE!

Burglars, Best Friends And Blue Grass

2011-10-02T10:34:00.001-07:00

*SIGH* What a day! Walked outside this morning, took one look at the van and wondered to myself, "Hmmm... I wonder how we set the alarm last night with Little A's door not closed all the way."

Big A had run ahead of us and was already at the van door. "MOM! Somebody broke your door!"
"BIG A! STEP BACK! DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!" Somebody had broken into our van. We realized immediately that they'd stolen our GPS and the DVD players and after calling the police and taking a few minutes to calm ourselves and the kids down, we reassessed the situation. They hadn't taken anything else but they'd completely destroyed the driver door and locking mechanisms....

AND they'd made us late for breakfast... Which leads me to the next item in the post title, BEST FRIENDS!

It was GREAT to see some old friends this weekend... They'd come down for Schmittoberfest and as per our usual tradition when they come down, we ate breakfast at our favorite local breakfast place. We never get to spend enough time with them when they're here, but it's always wonderful to see them. We miss them SO much!

After breakfast, pictures, hugs and tears, B left for work, the kids went back to Grandma and Grandpa's and I headed back to San Francisco to see my dad.

He was looking good, moving around the room by himself, and was even able to talk but he was also very tired. I visited for a couple hours and then left to eat dinner with the kids and my cousins at my parents house.

Julianna and Nate recently moved closer to us and it was great to have them come up for the night. They spent yesterday with us at Schmittoberfest and today they enjoyed playing with my kids (Or at least my kids enjoyed playing with them!). After dinner Nate took the kids out and let them play the guitar. They LOVED it! And you know what? He's not too bad himself!

Van mishap aside, it turned out to be a pretty good weekend. We hope we'll be able to see our friends and cousins again soon! We miss them already!

Wordless Wednesday - All Dressed Up And No Place To Go

2011-09-28T07:51:00.001-07:00

Quick Dad Update

2011-09-27T19:40:00.001-07:00

Things are looking up. Dad has been sitting up in a chair more often, and doing so willingly (They had him sitting up Saturday and Sunday, but he didn't like it). They are talking about bringing the physical therapist in to get him up and walking and are talking about moving him from ICU, possibly as soon as tomorrow. His blood pressure is a bit elevated but his heart rate is down. They stopped giving him the steroids that were helping to reduce the swelling, as they are not needed so much any more and were the cause of the elevated blood sugar levels. We know now that much of his anxiety is being caused by the fact that he is having trouble breathing through the trake. Hopefully this will come out soon!

Sisters

2011-09-26T13:34:00.001-07:00

Urban Dictionary defines sister as the girl that will always be there for you and may save you one day, whether you know it or not. Your sister may or may not be related to you and could just be an amazing friend, but either way your sister is always slow to judge and quick to forgive. She will always love you, she might just hide it from you.

Since Thursday I have had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with two of my sisters. In this case I mean sister as Merriam-Webster defines sister... A female who has one or both parents in common with another.

Yes, we have joined together to be with my dad during this time. It's interesting what kind of added dynamics this brings to the whole situation. You see, there is quite a bit of 'history' in our family. All three of us have different moms, all three of us have a different relationship with our dad, all three of us were raised differently... Basically, all three of us are at different places in life and are three COMPLETELY different people.

Before last year I didn't have a really close relationship with either of these sisters. In the past year I've become extremely close with one of them but am still not that close with the other. There's no reason we're not close per say, it's just life and I accept it. However, I've had chances to talk extensively with both sisters this week and it's been GREAT!

I guess I really feel like I'm rambling in this post and you know what? It's true... I am... But the bottom line is this.... It's been really great to have this opportunity to catch up with my Merriam-Webster sister and to spend time with my Urban Dictionary sister. From this point forward, I'd really like to consider both of my sisters to be Urban Dictionary sisters because we all need each other!

Now run out there and give your sister a hug! I love you, ladies!!

Little A's Apple Farm Field Trip

2011-09-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

Friday Little A's class went on their first field trip of the year. Fortunately I was able to join her class, as I'd taken the day off to spend at the hospital with my dad (Which, for the record, I did as soon as the trip was over).

This field trip was to a local apple farm where the kids were able to learn about apples from the tree to the store. They saw where apples are put when they're picked, how they get washed, polished and sorted, where they are stored until they are shipped to the store, etc. After a tour of the INSIDE of the facility, they were able to go out into the orchard and pick two apples to bring home.

While the kids feasted on homemade apple bread and apple juice, the moms shopped in the little store and stocked up on homemade apple pies, jellies, syrups, and cookies. I must admit that I did NOT leave empty handed. I left with a French apple pie and an oatmeal chocolate chip apple cookie. YUM!

The farm has a large grassy area with an old tractor that the kids love running around and climbing on. I think they could have stayed there for hours and never have gotten bored.

But alas, all good things must end so we packed up the apples and the kids and headed back to school. This may be our last trip to the apple farm (at least as part of a class field trip). We've had a good four year run!

DAD UPDATE:

My dad is still in the ICU. He's having ups and downs. Friday he looked surprisingly good for just having undergone MAJOR surgery. He was alert while we were visiting and was coughing up a LOT of gunk. The coughing was making him very uncomfortable. Saturday he had spiked a high fever (104.5) and his blood pressure was up so they working hard to get both of those things under control with medication, ice packs, and fans. Today he was very uncomfortable and agitated, probably the worst I've seen him. They're giving him medicine to control his anxiety. I think the anxiety is high because he doesn't like the trake. He continues to improve overall, but is having minor setbacks like low heart rate and high blood sugar. The doctors assure us that this will all stabilize.

Work Work Work, All Day Long

2011-09-24T08:20:00.001-07:00

This morning started off with scones and soccer games before dropping the kids off with Grandma and Grandpa at the church work day while B and I went to the city to visit my dad. Church work days happen 2 - 4 times per year. Church members and others gather to clean, paint, garden, plant, etc., and share a meal together.

Today's activities included 'rebarking' (for lack of a better term) the playgrounds, pruning rose plants in front of the church (and other gardening) and painting a building that the church rents out to a local art center. The kids got right in there and worked. They worked with Grandma, they worked with Grandpa and they worked with other church members.

I think it's great that the other members were willing participants and accepting of the 'help' that my children (who were by far the youngest workers there) offered. THANK YOU! I understand COMPLETELY how quickly that 'help' can turn disastrous.

Both kids worked SO hard and they ENJOY doing the work. I wonder what the chances are that they'll still be so willing when they're 16....

A Little Bit Of History

2011-09-23T12:27:00.001-07:00

Today has been an emotional day... Lots of driving, visiting dad in the hospital, heartfelt talks with siblings, lots of tears, etc. That being said, I don't feel much like talking so I'll share a little something with you that I've been saving for a day like today...

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:

* People used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot and then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive you were 'Piss Poor'.
Worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't afford to buy a pot. They 'didn't have a pot to piss in' and were the lowest of the low.

* Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

* Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it hence the
saying, 'Don' t throw the baby out with the bath water!'

* Houses had thatched roofs (thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath). It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs, etc.) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof hence the saying, 'It' s raining cats and dogs.'

* There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. People had beds with big posts and a sheet hung over the top which afforded some protection. That' s how canopy beds came into existence.

* Floors were dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt hence the saying, 'Dirt poor.' The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when they were wet. They spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance way to keep the thresh in, hence a thresh hold.

(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

* In those old days people cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold
overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while hence the rhyme, 'Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.' Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When
visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, 'Bring home the bacon.' They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and 'chew the fat'.

* Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

* Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the 'upper crust'.

* Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would Sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake
up hence the custom of 'holding a wake'.

* England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. They would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. They started tying a string on the wrist of the corpse, leading it through the coffin and up through the ground then tying it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night to listen for the bell hence 'the graveyard shift'. People buried alive were then 'saved by the bell' or was considered a 'dead ringer'.

And that' s the truth! Now, who ever said history was boring!?!?!?

Surgery Day

2011-09-22T07:24:00.001-07:00

Today was a big day... Or maybe it was a long day... Perhaps it was both. Yes, definitely both!

Today was the day my biological father underwent surgery to remove the tumor from his mouth and the lymph nodes from his neck. The 10-12 hour surgery stretched into a 16 1/2 hour surgery with an amazing outcome.

Going into this surgery we fully expected (as did the doctor) that my dad would loose a portion of his jaw, teeth, tongue and possibly worse. Call it luck, call it a miracle, call it an excellent surgeon... Call it whatever you want, but the outcome was nothing short of amazing (Even the doctor thinks so!). My dad is still ONE HUNDRED PERCENT WHOLE! His face doesn't look any different tonight than it did this morning when he went into surgery (Well.... Unless you count the swelling, bruising, writing and tubes...)!

Those of you who know my dad, know that the outcome of the surgery will make the healing process tolerable for him and will give him the will to continue living and fighting. I can't even imagine how he would have dealt with any other outcome.

He is resting comfortably in the ICU where he will stay for the next 3-5 days. After that he will be moved to a 'regular' room where he will spend another few days. The next step is to wait for the lab results from all of the tissues and lymph nodes that were removed and tested. The surgeon feels certain that he was able to get a 3/4 inch margin of clear tissue but he's not sure if there are minuscule fingers of cancer hiding in there. Please pray for cancer free test results!

It's been a long day, and I'm exhausted to say the least.... Good night!

Homework Hell

2011-09-21T07:47:00.001-07:00

Homework... Kids can't wait to have it and once they have it they can't stand it. This week has not been a good homework week.

Big A does not have a huge amount of homework. He has 4 math sheets, 12 spelling words, some reading and a journal entry. That's it... It doesn't take him long to do it and this year he's much more willing to sit down and focus than he was last year but last night he snapped. He had an absolute meltdown.

He was willingly and eagerly writing about his new bunk beds in his journal. He wrote 4 perfect sentences, thinking clearly though each one before writing, making sure the whole thing made sense, using correct capitalization and punctuation, etc. And then it came time for the 'detailed picture'.

I didn't say a word to him about the drawing but for some reason he got a perfection bug up his... Well... I won't go there. Anyhow, you would have thought he was being asked to use drafting tools to create a blue print. He kept making lines on the paper (for the bunk bed sides) and erasing them then getting frustrated because they weren't straight. I tried telling him that I can't draw straight lines either and to just do the best he could. He wouldn't have anything to do with that and this went on and on until he was in tears. I held him... I talked to him... I tried to comfort him... I offered him a ruler... And he continued to draw, erase, yell, cry, repeat.

I finally told him, very calmly, that he needed to take a break and walk away from it for awhile. This made him even more upset.

After a few minutes he returned to the table and finished his drawing. The evening ended with a smiling Big A and a completed journal page, but YIKES! While I'm happy he was concerned and cared about his work, I hope this perfection trend (at least to this degree) doesn't keep up!

Two New Recipes

2011-09-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

I'm getting back into my routine of cooking meals on Sundays and Mondays so that we have enough dinners to last the entire week. Here are a couple of new ones we tried this week that were both big hits. I was concerned about the chili as I was making it, thinking it was too 'Mexican' and that I wouldn't like it and the kids CERTAINLY wouldn't like it but I was wrong, they REALLY liked it!

Sorry I don't have pics... Next time!

Kickin' Chicken Chili

* 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
* 2 teaspoons cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
* 1 jar (16-ounce size) green salsa
* 1 package (16-ounce size) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetables (yellow, green, and red sweet peppers)
* 1 can (15-ounce size) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
* 1 can (14.5-ounce size) diced tomatoes with onion and garlic
* sour cream (optional)
* shredded cheese (optional)

Boil chicken until it's done (about 20 minutes). Cut it into 1 inch cubes. Place chicken in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. Stir in cumin, salt, salsa, stir-fry vegetables, beans, and undrained tomatoes.

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

Top with sour cream and cheese and serve with corn bread muffins... YUM!

Chicken Tortilla Casserole (Modified from a Betty Crocker recipe)

* 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
* 1 can chopped green chiles
* 1 container (8 oz) sour cream
* 1/2 cup milk
* 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
* 8 yellow corn tortillas (6 or 7 inch), torn into bite-size pieces
* 1 large tomato, chopped
* 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix soup, chiles, sour cream and milk until blended. Stir in chicken and tortillas. Stir in tomato and 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon and spread mixture in baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes.

Monday Monday

2011-09-19T17:23:00.001-07:00

Well, it finally happened. The kids are back in school, the camping season is pretty much over, B is back to working toward his teaching credential, and I have my Mondays back! That means coffee with the ladies, pedicures, shopping sprees and massages! Okay. Just kidding. It means working on projects, working in classrooms, and preparing meals for the week!

This morning I did carpool and then came home to a QUIET house and worked on that picture project that you saw spread out all over the desk a couple of days back. That took up all of my time until it was time to pick Little A up from school.

After lunch (and before picking Big A up from school) Little A and I got dinner in the crock pot and made a pudding pie. It was SO FUN! She's getting bigger and easier to have in the kitchen. She even does dishes... And LIKES it!

When I was a little girl my mom had a poem on the kitchen wall titled, "When Amy Helps Me Cook." If I knew where it was, I'd share it with you but cooking with Little A reminded me of that poem. Hopefully in the years to come there will be many more Mondays spent in the kitchen with my princess.

I'll share recipes with you soon!

Movie Night!

2011-09-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Movie Night at Big A's school. Movie night is sponsored by a group at the school that functions like a PTA and it's FREE! Hot dogs, Caesar salad, potato salad, chips, soda, popcorn, candy, cocoa and a movie, ALL FREE! People bring their chairs, blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, etc., and set up out on the soccer field to enjoy the show.

Tonight's movie was Gnomeo and Juliet. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, it's fashioned after Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but instead of the Capulets vs. the Montagues, it's the Reds vs. the Blues. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it! Cute movie!

Anyhow... While movie night is lots of fun and the kids have a blast playing with their friends and then laying out under the stars watching a movie, there always seems to be a few problems. Last year there were problems with the sound and it took them fifteen minutes to get the sound working. This year, they forgot to bring the remote control. I'm not sure why they weren't able to simply press play on the machine itself, but they weren't. After 20 minutes of waiting for them to start the movie (and finally learning that someone had run home to get a remote) we decided to pack up and call it a night. It was cold, damp, late, and Little A's ear was hurting.

We were halfway packed up when the movie actually started so we decided to tough it out for awhile and told the kids we'd stay until 9pm (half an hour). Now remember I said that I love this movie? And remember I said it's about the Reds vs. the Blues? Well it's EXTREMELY difficult to watch a movie that makes continuous reference to reds and blues when what you're watching is pinks and greens! Let's just say that the color was ~~slightly~~ VERY off!

Oh well! We still had a great time (Thanks, Koenigs and Sharps for making it such an eventful and fun night!) and will definitely go back next year. Thanks for a great night, GSF!

Unfinished Projects

2011-09-15T20:06:00.001-07:00

Projects... Never ending projects...

You know how it is when you start one project and that project leads to another project which leads to another project and so on? Yeah, that's where I am. It started with getting ready for bunk beds and there's no end in sight. I'm now surrounded by projects. Everywhere I turn there are signs of unfinished projects.

The garage is 100 times better and the kids' room is back in order but now I'm working on conquering the rest of the house. In the meantime it looks like this...

* Photos in stacks waiting to be put in frames. This can't be done yet because I still need to print about 10 more pictures.

* Recipes stacked all over the place waiting to be put into the recipe binder. I need to get some dividers first and then I need to sort through all of the recipes and decide what to keep and what to toss, what we've tried and what we have yet to try, etc.

* Boxes of pictures that need to be sorted and put in some sort of order, frames that need to be filled (make that 14 pictures I need to print), rolled coin that needs to be taken to the bank then deposited in the kids' 529 accounts...

* Coins that I need to finish rolling so that I can complete the last part of the unfinished project above...

And of course after one dumps dirty coins all over one's bed, one must change one's sheets! BUT... There's one project that HAS been finished!

Wordless Wednesday - Randoms

2011-09-14T05:13:00.001-07:00

Life In The Hood

2011-09-13T06:59:00.001-07:00

I ran across this video and had to share it. You may remember this post where I shared Anita Renfroe's "The Mom Song". Here is another 'mom hit' by Anita Renfroe...

Yep... I live in the hood and I'm proud of it! How about you?

Cheesecake And Blow Dryers

2011-09-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

Today I enjoyed a day in the city with my mom. The day involved great conversation, much laughter, good food and... Well... Cheesecake and blow dryers, of course! The worst part?? I didn't take ONE. SINGLE. PICTURE. BOO!

My niece recently got her cosmetology license and landed a job working at diPietro Todd in San Francisco. She is an assistant at the salon four days a week and spends one day a week 'training'. As part of her training she spends Mondays practicing on people and has to get 4 or 5 models to come to her every Monday. If she doesn't find her own models by using family and friends, she has to 'beat the pavement' handing out fliers and getting people off the street. She's been asking my mom to come down, so today we went.

This rotation she's doing blow dry and style, so not much can go wrong with that. If she were practicing color or cut I may be slightly hesitant! (Just kidding, T!) Actually, it would probably be fine. The entire salon is taken over by students and teachers on Mondays and the students can't make a single move without first consulting the instructor. That makes my hair feel safer.

Our appointments were at 1:30 and 3:00 and as part of my ongoing birthday celebration, we were going to have lunch beforehand. When mom asked where I wanted to eat, I was at a loss. I'm not familiar with the restaurants in Union Square so I really had no idea where to go. Mom suggested Cheesecake Factory and I was in! Twice in three days! (I've heard from many of you that you are jealous... SORRY!)

If you're not familiar with the Cheesecake Factory in Union Square (which I wasn't), it's located on top of Macy's and they have patio seating where you can look out over Union Square. It was a BEAUTIFUL day in San Francisco and we spent almost two hours out on the patio eating and talking and just being together as mother and daughter. I CHERISH these moments. Thanks, Mom!

After lunch we window shopped our way to the salon. I'm not used to this type of salon. For that matter, I'm not too used to salons in general. I typically get my haircut at Great Clips. Anyhow... This place was hopping! There must have been at least 40 people in there at all different stages of cuts, colors, blow drys and styles. It was craziness! I was WAY out of my comfort zone and while I enjoyed chatting with my niece, I must say I was relieved to get out of there when it was over!

We made one last stop on our way home (Because when you're enjoy yourselves so much and have so much to talk about, you don't want the day to end!) to get coffee and eat our desserts from lunch. YUM!

Mom... I enjoy our time together SO much! I want to say thank you for today and for being my mom, my best friend and a beautiful person... I LOVE YOU!

Building Bunk Beds!

2011-09-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, deep in a majestic redwood forest stood a grove of towering redwood trees.

One day a team of men arrived with chainsaws and heavy equipment and they slaughtered that beautiful grove. Large trucks carried the trees away to the lumber mill where they were milled into redwood boards. Eventually the boards were taken to Home Depot where they were purchased by a family who wished to build themselves a new deck for their home. When the family moved out of the state, the new home buyers decided they preferred the concrete jungle look, and tore out that old deck.

Enter Grandpa...

Grandpa got his hands on that old wood. He smoothed and shaped, sanded and stained and turned it into something wonderful!

Thanks, Grandpa! We LOVE LOVE LOVE our new beds and our reorganized room!!

Continuing My Birthday Celebration(s) Just A FEW More Days!

2011-09-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

I'm turning into one of THOSE people... You know, the ones who celebrate their birthdays for like... THREE MONTHS? (No, Jeri... Not talking about you at all! *SMILE*) Just kidding! I don't mind those people at all! And really, it's only been a week... I should have at least another couple of weeks to milk this, right?

Anyhow... When I got home from work on Thursday I was pleasantly surprised to find a frozen (and yes, this time it was frozen) chocolate pie in my freezer. Mom and I have joked all year about the fact that she still owed me a pie from last year's birthday since we'd been at the cabin and had no way to transport a frozen pie. She didn't let me down!

Friday night we went to my birthday dinner at my in-laws house. My mother-in-law is a great cook and last night was no different. Chicken Divan and always the freshest salads! And chocolate cake... AWESOME chocolate cake! Thanks, Grammy and Papa! I love you both!

Last night Christine and Lisa took me to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. It was great to catch up and to just talk, laugh and relax with NO KIDS! Thanks, ladies, I had a great time! I highly recommend the White Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake... YUM! The horrible thing about Cheesecake Factory (Or maybe it's a great thing...) is that you're always too full for dessert. I say maybe it's a great thing because you order it anyhow (How could you pass it up?!?!) and then you get to bring it home because you can't finish it!

So... It continues to be an excellent birthday. Let's hope the year that follows will be full of as much love, laughter and fun as the past week!

Thanks again for all of the birthday wishes! I sure am a lucky girl!

The 'C' Word

2011-09-08T16:20:00.001-07:00

I called my biological father to tell him we were coming up to meet him for lunch. The phone call started like this... "Hey, Dad! What's going on?"

"Not much. How about you?" That was followed by some blah, blah, blah stuff in between and then, "I found a lump in my mouth."

Being a frequent sufferer of salivary gland stones, my first thought was that. The conversation continued with, "I've had an ultra sound and MRI. They're doing a biopsy on Thursday."

Okay... Clearly NOT a salivary gland stone.

Fast forward one week... "I got my test results yesterday, it's not good."

The rest of the conversation was kind of a blur. Big words... Scary images... How will I tell the kids... How will we all deal with this... Will he die... What will he look like... How will I tell the kids...

There were tears. Lots of tears. At the craziest times. A song on the radio. A totally unrelated conversation.

I didn't share this right away. I didn't feel that it was my place to make this public knowledge. I felt that it was up to my dad to decide when he wanted to start talking about it. People know now. Other people have mentioned it to me. I guess that's my cue that it's okay to start talking about it. And you know what? Talking about it helps. I'm coping better. I've had the simplest of simple conversations with the kids regarding the issue... "Grandpa Jim has a bump in his mouth. It makes it difficult for him to eat and talk and breathe. He needs to get it removed so that he doesn't have trouble doing those things anymore."

Yes, my dad has cancer. Oral cancer. He's scheduled to have surgery at the end of this month. I'll keep you posted.

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Birthday To Me!

2011-09-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

A Camping We Will Go...

2011-09-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

We spent Labor Day weekend camping at Richardson Grove, the same spot we camped over the July 4th weekend. This time we were joined by Grandma and Grandpa which always makes for a better trip. It's not that camping with just our family is bad, but camping with other people is always more fun.

We drove up early Friday, set up camp, and relaxed all afternoon waiting for Grandma and Grandpa to arrive. We really couldn't do much else, as they had all of the food with them. Well... We did have SOME food, but they also had my kitchen box so while we had a stove, we had no pots and pans. We had sandwich stuff, but no bread. We had cereal but no milk. You see where I'm going with this?

They finally arrived around shortly after 8pm, having turned the 3 hour drive into a four and a half hour drive. It seems they didn't account for holiday traffic when trying to get out of the house. It turned out okay. They set up their tent while I hustled to get dinner on the table and B ran back and forth between the two jobs helping where he could.

Saturday morning the kids played with Grandpa and Grandma as well as with the friends they'd met in the campground (There were about 8 running around between the various campsites...) while I showered and Grandma got ready and breakfast was cooked (Not by me... They insisted I not cook since it was my birthday!) and I relaxed.

We hardly made it through breakfast before the kids started planning their trip to the Bigfoot store so once the breakfast dishes were done and the camp was cleaned up (Once again, not by me...) we headed up the road to the Bigfoot store so the kids could check out all of the 'treasures' then headed back down the road the other way to 'get a treat'. After treats we went back to camp to enjoy some more play time, nap time, rest time, reading time, you name it...

When we were up at Richardson Grove last time we'd found a yummy pizza restaurant in the nearby town of Garberville so we went to dinner there Saturday night. My mom surprised me with my favorite birthday dessert, Frozen Chocolate Pie. You might be wondering how one keeps a pie frozen while camping... Mom made a valiant effort and the pie tasted the same but this year it was more like Chocolate Mousse Pie. Thanks, Mom!

After dinner we hurried back to camp in order to attend the group campfire where we learned about bobcats, lynx and mountain lions. The kids enjoyed the program with two of their new friends and glow sticks galore then we headed back to camp and turned in for the night.

Sunday turned out to be another beautiful day. Big A and I attended the Junior Ranger program where we learned map skills while Little A and B took naps. Grandpa isn't one for sitting around relaxing and enjoying nature so when we all gathered back at camp he decided we needed to figure out something to do and we headed off to Confusion Hill. We rode the train, checked out the old logging equipment and then Grandpa and B headed through the Gravity House while Grandma and the kids and I played at the playground.

Playing hard all day in the fresh air will certainly tire you out. By the time dinner was finished the kids could barely keep their eyes open for s'mores. Camping is about the only time that I find my kids ASKING to go to bed. Maybe we should camp more often!

Monday morning we packed up at a leisurely pace and said goodbye to Richardson Grove. We had decided we'd stop at the Drive Through Tree on the way home and then eat lunch at Lumberjacks Restaurant (aka "Where The Big Boys Eat") in Willits.

We arrived home around 5:30pm leaving us just enough time to unpack, shower, eat a bowl of cereal and head to bed so that we could get up this morning and get back to the real world. It's sad that this trip seems to officially mark 'The End of Summer', but I've promised the kids that while summer may end, our camping season has not. I'm looking forward to AT LEAST one more trip this fall (but thinking two is more like it!)!

Happy Birthday weekend to me, and Happy Fall!

Life In The Country

2011-09-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

My parents live in the country. I don't mean like 'America' country, I mean like dead, brown, rolling hills away from the city where your nearest neighbor wouldn't hear you if you were screaming inside your house kind of country.

Some people, my parents for example, LOVE country life. They love the beauty and isolation of, they love working on their property (Okay... Maybe not so much that part), they love the peacefulness, etc. Those same things that some people love, are the ones that drive others away. Some people can't handle dump runs and the fact that it takes a minimum of ten minutes to drive ANYWHERE.

That being said, there are certain things that come with country life that us city folk don't have to deal with on a regular basis. You know, things like mice... And LOTS of 'em! My parents must have caught at least 10 mice in the last week. For the record, this usually happens when the farmers start cutting their fields and the mice run for cover. It isn't a daily, weekly or monthly occurrence that there are so many!

Mostly they've been caught in traps, but they had one in the laundry room sink (You should have seen him trying to get out of the sink... My parents took a video!) that they caught in a coffee can and took outside to the field, and one in the dining room that was so stunned it didn't move when it saw my dad so he bopped it in the head with a shoe and it keeled over.

The mouse problem has become so bad that Dad must have started setting multiple traps in the busy locations because last night he founds this...

YEP! THAT is life in the country!

Wordless Wednesday - Mini Mol (Agree or Disagree?)

2011-08-31T16:52:00.001-07:00

Take Time To Smell The Roses... And Give One More Kiss Goodnight...

2011-08-30T06:42:00.001-07:00

I recently read a book called Choosing To See by Mary Beth Chapman. If you're not familiar with the Chapmans, Steven Curtis Chapman is a Christian music artist and Mary Beth is his wife. They have three children of their own and they adopted three children from China. In May of 2008, the youngest child was hit by a car driven by her older brother and was killed. Choosing To See is the about the Chapman's life and about the tragic accident that their family has been struggling through.

Something that really stood out to me in this book was when Mary Beth was talking about how busy their lives were and how looking back she wishes she'd spent more time playing and less time working, more time snuggling and less time worrying about the house, one more kiss, one more hug, one more...

I've really been thinking about this a lot lately as I go about my busy life running kids here and there, throwing dinner on the table, rushing through showers and bedtime routines, etc. I get so caught up in the day to day stuff that I don't take time to stop and smell the roses or to give that one more snuggle, one more kiss or hear one more story.

I've been making a conscious effort at bedtime every night to try and slow it down... To make sure that both kids get all of their kisses, hugs and snuggles and all of their 'mama kisses' and not just to go through the motions, but to actually ENJOY those moments. Those are moments that could be taken away at any time (although I pray every day that they're NOT taken from me) and moments that I can never get back.

I'm not moving mountains or stopping the Earth from spinning but I *AM* trying to capture more and more of those moments a little bit at a time. Every time I find myself rushing, the words from Mary Beth's book fill my head and guilt overcomes me. I'm trying... I'm trying...

Who Is God?

2011-08-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

This was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista, CA . He wrote it for a third grade homework assignment, 'Explain God'. I wonder if any of us could have done as well?

EXPLANATION OF GOD:

'One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.'

'God's second most important job is listening to prayers An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off.'

'God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have.'

'Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista... At least there aren't any who come to our church.'

'Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him. But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said okay.'

'His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. He's like a secretary, only more important.'

'You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.'

'You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!

'Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.'

'If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.'

'But... You shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.'

'And... That's why I believe in God.'

AMAZING! I couldn't have said it better if I'd tried... And believe me, as a Sunday School teacher, I'VE TRIED!

Blessing Of The Backpacks

2011-08-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today the kids had their backpacks blessed. Yes, they're being sent back to school with big blessings on their backs.

Our pastor has everyone (adults and kids alike) bring their backpacks to church. He calls everyone with backpacks to gather around him at the front of the church. He gives a short lesson (almost like a children's sermon) then has everyone put their backpacks on the alter. He then says a prayer and gives every backpack a sticker.

It was a bit chaotic with kids and backpacks flying everywhere, but it was cute and the kids were all excited.

After the Blessing of the Backpacks we had our first day of Sunday School. There were thirteen kids there yesterday. I know that doesn't sound like many to a lot of you, but to me it was an army! We're lucky if we have six.

The unfortunate thing is that I won't be there to teach next week which means there will be no Sunday School. It's a bummer to start off so strong and then have to skip the next week but all last year I taught Sunday School and put on all of the Children's Youth Group events with very little help and I'm not in a place to be able to do that this year. For one thing it's too much work and for another thing it makes me begin resenting church and the activities and that's not good.

So... At this point we're taking it slow and we'll see what happens but I'm hoping that in the next week, someone new steps up. Any takers??

Growing Up TOO Fast!

2011-08-27T16:21:00.001-07:00

Here's what happens when you let your almost 7 year old go shopping with daddy....

If you can't tell, it's a 12 pack of beer and two bottles of beer. Lord, help me!

Zucchini Boats

2011-08-26T20:58:00.001-07:00

This time of year brings a bounty of fresh fruits and veggies up for grabs at my work. People have gardens and orchards and can't eat all of the produce they harvest. This is GREAT for me, because we love the garden fresh zucchini and tomato!

Tonight I tried something new with zucchini... ZUCCHINI BOATS! They were a hit! The kids didn't eat the 'boat' part of the zucchini boats, but I didn't care because there was zucchini cut up in the filling as well. Sneaky, I know!

Zucchini Boats

* 1 largish zucchini, cut in half and then halved lengthwise

* 1 lb ground turkey

* 1/4 c onion, chopped

* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 Tbsp butter

* 1 medium tomato, chopped

* 1 can of corn, drained

* 1 Tbsp parsley

* 1/2 tsp salt

* 1/4 tsp basil

* 1/8 tsp pepper

* 1/2 cup bread crumbs

* Parmesan cheese

Remove pulp from zucchini pieces; chop and set aside. Parboil zucchini boats in boiling water for 1 minute. Spray a shallow baking dish with olive oil. Drain the zucchini boats and place them in the baking dish. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute turkey, onion and garlic for two minutes. Add zucchini pulp, tomato, parsley, salt, basil and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes longer or until the zucchini is tender and the turkey is completely cooked. Add the corn and breadcrumbs. Spoon the mixture in to the zucchini boats. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake an additional five minutes or until the cheese is melted.

YUM! And yes, my kids ate it! I wonder what tomorrow night will bring...

First Days of School

2011-08-26T06:31:00.001-07:00

First days of school... Again... ALREADY! I can't believe how fast the time passes. Before I know it my 'babies' will be off at college.

Little A is in Junior Kindergarten this year. She goes to school three hours a day, five days a week and is loving every minute of it. Hopefully this year she will make huge progress in her writing and letter recognition. My girl is a little backwards... She knows the sounds, but not the letter names. She'll probably be reading proficiently before her brother.

Big A is in first grade this year. He was excited that 3/4 of the kids from his kindergarten class are in his class again this year. My hope for him this year is that he will work hard on controlling his actions and being a good listener, and also become a SUPER reader. I'm not sure if he gets bored, or what, but he can be a handful.

I'll say it again because I still can't believe it... They're growing up TOO FAST! *SIGH*

Here's to another great year!

Confessions Of A Slacker Mom - Blogging

2011-08-17T07:19:00.001-07:00

All right, all right... I'm a slacker. I'd rather catch up on mindless reality TV at night after the kids go to bed than stay up and blog. I'd rather read books or play Words With Friends. Our computer is painfully slow and I hate doing just about anything on it. We're gone camping every other weekend. The dog ate my homework. I can come up with a million more excuses if you want to hear them!

I'm getting a lot of grief about not updating my blog. Thank you to my loyal 'fans' (Hahaha.... You know who you are!) for keeping me on my toes. I must confess... This is TOUGH! I have the ideas and I know what I want to write about each day. I usually even start the entry so that I can go back and REMEMBER what I wanted to write that day.

But... It takes me forever to go back and FINISH the entry, and I apologize. I will TRY to do better. Maybe if I put it out there for the world to read, I really WILL do better. (Hey... It's worth a shot!)

Thanks for sticking with me, even if I'm a slacker! You're the best!

Fun Times With God Mother And God Father

2011-08-15T05:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had a visit from God Mother and God Father! God Mother and God Father are my Aunt Marilee and Uncle Larry from Southern California who also happen to be Big A's God Mother and Little A's God Father as well as the bringers of all things gooey, sticky, sweet and made for spoiling. I can't imagine WHY the kids get so excited about their visits!

They arrived late Thursday night and stayed until Saturday morning and we had a blast hanging out, catching up, swimming, shopping, laughing, eating (lots of eating) and just being together. And don't forget the trip to the car wash... I'm SURE that was the highlight of their trip!

Thanks for coming to visit us, guys! We're glad that you did and can't wait to see you again! We hope we don't have to wait until Laughlin to see you. That's a LONG ways away! Love you!!

A Smattering Of Kidisms

2011-08-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

Big A saw this jar on the kitchen counter and said, "OH, MOM! You bought CHOCOLATE JELLY!?!?"

_______________________________________________

A couple of the local movie theaters in our area do a summer movie program where they show kid movies at 10am on certain days of the week. This is the first year that we've participated in this program but B took the kids to 3 or 4 of the movies this year. When telling me about their day they excitedly said, "Today we saw Diarrhea Wimpy Kid!!"

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While driving home from a particularly long car trip I had heard enough bickering from the backseat so I said, "Let's play a game. Who's the first person that can find a horse?"

Big A replied, "That's easy! And when I see it I'll say, "Hey, I see a horse!"

Maybe you had to be there, but it was SO funny!

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We were driving through a neighborhood where one of our friends lives and we had just passed their house. Little A asked, "Where is DF's house?"

At the same time Big A and I answered, "It's back there," then I said, "Jinx, you owe me a coke," and explained to Big A that when two people say the exact same thing at the exact same time, you say, "Jinx, you owe me a coke."

It was quiet for a minute and then Big A asked, "Who's Jinx and why does he owe you a coke?"

I'll tell you, these two keep me laughing and keep me on my toes! I love them SO much!

A Little Day Brightener

2011-08-07T14:29:00.001-07:00

I've been going through some tough times lately... A lot of 'stuff' going on in my life. It's difficult for me, because I'm usually the one who is so together and with it. I'm upbeat and things are usually going well. But we all have those times in our lives where things seem to be sort of crumbling around us, right? (This is where you agree with me because to not agree would make me feel even worse...)

Today we were out running errands and I didn't feel much like going in and out of stores. I opted to stay in the car and read a book on my Kindle. As B was getting the kids out of the car, Big A said, "I'll stay here and take care of Mommy." Talk about one of those 'melt-my-heart' moments.... He and I stayed in the car and snuggled and talked and enjoyed each other's company.

And to aid in the cheering process, B and Little A returned to the car with a beautiful bunch of brightly colored flowers...

I LOVE MY FAMILY! Thanks, guys! I needed that!

Let The Games Begin!

2011-08-04T20:47:00.001-07:00

Soccer season is here again, and this year both kids are playing!

Little A plays in the U6 division. Games are played four on four with no goalie on a small field for 4 five minute periods (or something like that) and the focus is a little on learning and a lot on having fun. Big A plays in the U8 division. I'm not sure how the games work, but I do know that they have goalies and referees and they are starting to learn the positions and what it means to be 'off sides', etc. The focus is a lot on learning and not as much on having fun.

This 'not as much on having fun' thing is a bit of a problem for Big A. He commented to me the other day that, "I really want to play soccer when it's sign up time but after I start playing I wish I hadn't signed up." Oh, kid... Welcome to life!

I can't wait to see these guys in their first games! Good luck, Shooting Stars and Black Cobras! Here's to a great season!

Another One Down!

2011-08-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Tooth number 5... GONE! While I knew that Big A had 4 loose teeth, I didn't think any were loose enough to come out... Guess I was wrong!

The darn Tooth Fairy REALLY makes Big A work hard and use his brain. This time the Tooth Fairy left $1 in all mixed coin. Call me mean, but I LOVE watching him count the money and I think it's a great math lesson! Keep those teeth coming!

You've Heard Of Blackberries?

2011-08-01T19:31:00.001-07:00

You've heard of blackberries...

But have you heard of new smart cookies? The new chocolate chip appears to be the favorite! They have all the capabilities of a regular phone... Talk time, texting... You name it!

Yes, my children DO have great imaginations!

Camping Queen Camping At Ocean Cove

2011-07-31T18:28:00.001-07:00

This weekend we went camping with some friends at Ocean Cove. While we visited Ocean Cove three or four times last summer, this was our first visit this year (and probably our only seeing as how abalone season has re-opened!). We headed up Friday and were surprised by the number of people already there.

Ocean Cove is kind of our stand-by campground, the place we go if we want to camp and can't get reservations anywhere else. When it's not abalone season it's usually easy to pull in and find a site or two and you usually have your pick but not this time! It was very crowded and by Saturday they were using the group campgrounds as overflow camping. And it was not even an abalone weekend... CRAZINESS!

Once you have camp set-up, you get settled in, and you're having fun, the sites don't really matter. We ate, plated, relaxed, and just enjoyed spending time with friends!

The kids made trains...

'Board'walks...

Hideouts...

And boats! Creativity is DEFINITELY their strong point!

And here's the view from our campsites... BEAUTIFUL!

I've been dubbed the "Camping Queen" by a good friend of mine. When she first said it I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but I've been assured it is very good and they can't wait to go camping with us. I guess six trips in one summer will earn you a title like that!

Stay tuned for our next adventure to Hendy Woods!

Healing Up

2011-07-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

This is a post for those of you who are wondering how my dad is doing after his bike accident...

He is currently on his bike ride in Iowa. I talked to him this morning and he said that he's feeling great and that the wounds are almost healed. They are not hindering his ride progress at all.

I must say, the human body is an AMAZING (and intricate) piece of machinery!

Keep up the good work, Dad! See you in a few weeks!

Lazy Sunday

2011-07-24T16:42:00.001-07:00

Here's to lazy days of sleeping in, going to the movies and hanging out!

Yep! That pretty much sums up our day!

Handy Everyday Tips

2011-07-21T19:47:00.001-07:00

Here are a few handy ~~tips for those of you wanting to read your neighbors mail~~ everyday tips that I know I can sure use! And hey... If I can use them, you probably can too! So... I'll share because I'm nice like that. You're welcome.

* To open a sealed envelope put it in the freezer for a few hours. Slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.

* Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to. (And they're a heck of a lot cheaper than those handy cord strap thingies!)

* To prevent icy door steps in freezing temperatures, get warm water and put Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze.

* To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out.

* Got kids? Got crayon marks on walls? Dip a damp rag in baking soda. The marks come off with little effort.

* To remove permanent marker from appliances and counter tops use rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

* Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads , I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad in half. After years of having to throw away rusted, unused, smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get 'sharpened'' this way!

* Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Pour hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time! (Okay, this one is a little odd...)

* Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows.This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak. (And... THAT would imply that I was windows!)

* Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in every room to create a lovely scent in each room when the light is turned on. (Hmmm.... The kids' room HAS been smelling a little funky. I think I'll try that!)

* Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.

* Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.

* To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm! (Interesting idea, but easier to just buy a new arrangement!)

* To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top. (I do this ALL the time, even when I'm camping. This one DOES work!)

* Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains. (I've heard this one before, too. I've not tried it (probably too lazy or forgetful or something) but I've heard of it.)

* Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

* When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.

* Got a headache? Cut a lime in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away. (That's AFTER you've finished the margarita, obviously... I think in reality you're just too drunk to realize that rubbing a lime on your head won't really make your headache go away... But hey... It's worth a try!)

* To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.

* Ants are said to never cross a chalk line so get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself what happens.

* Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell with the shine.

* When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily. Duct tape works even better.

* Check out what you can do with Alka Seltzer! Use it to clean a toilet... Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill it with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets. Use it to polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes. Use it to clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let it soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary). Use it to unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then run the hot water.

Okay, gotta run! Sounds like a trip to the store for dish soap and Alka Seltzer is in order!

Foiled Again!

2011-07-18T20:06:00.001-07:00

I always struggle to come up with fun and different ideas for camping meals. We tend to eat the same few things... Hamburgers, meat and potatoes, and soup. Don't get me wrong, all of those things are great... But sometimes I just want something different.

This trip we experimented with foil dinners... Chicken foil dinners, to be exact! Talk about YUM!!

They even received a thumbs up from LIttle A! What can be better than that? Okay... Two thumbs up (one from each kid) would have been better, but for some reason Big A didn't like them. Not sure why, since there was NOTHING in them that he doens't like.

Anyhow, not only did they taste great, they were EASY! I prepared them at home, cooked them at the campsite, and there was NO CLEAN UP!

Chicken Foil Dinners

* Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks

* Veggies of your choosing (I used the pre-cut saute veggies from Trader Joe's. I had one pack that had zucchini, crookneck squash, onions, carrots and garlic and one pack that had asparagus, onions and mushrooms)

* Cooking spray (I used my new olive oil sprayer)

* Garlic salt

Spray large sheets of foil with cooking spray (1 per person). Place chicken and veggies in the middle of each sheet of foil. Wrap the chick and veggies with the foil then wrap another sheet of foil the opposite way so the packets are double wrapped. Place the foil packs in a Ziploc bag and put them in the ice chest.

When you're ready to cook them... Get a good fire going. If the fire pit has a grate, I suggest using it. If not, just put the foil packs directly into the coals around the edge of the fire. No matter where you have the packs, turn and rotate them often. I believe it took about 45 minutes to cook them completely but it would have been a lot less if my fire had been better. There's not really a good way to tell they're done except to open them up and check the chicken.

Dump them on plates and enjoy! Best part? NO DISHES!!

Camping At Van Damme

2011-07-18T13:24:00.001-07:00

This weekend we went camping at Van Damme State Park near Fort Bragg. This used to be my absolute favorite place in the world. I must say that I still really like it there but I've found many places that I like more.

Van Damme is across the street from the ocean so there tends to be very little sunshine and lots of fog and it can get quite cold and windy. The afternoon we arrived was one of those cold, foggy afternoons. We immediately put on sweatshirts and fixed some hot cocoa.

We were camped on the upper circle of the campground and took many walks 'around the circle' scoping out campsites for future trips, counting banana slugs and just enjoying family time.

I don't know what it is about this area, but banana slugs are plentiful and the kids loved playing with them and collecting them. Who knew that banana slugs eat paper?!?! The papers hung on every information board had big, ragged chunks out of them.

One good thing about Van Damme is that there is quite a variety of activities available in the area. We drove checked out the other campgrounds in the area (If you ever want to check out my camping binder or get information about campsites, let me know!), walked the boardwalk at MacKerricher State Park and saw the tide pools, seals and squirrels,

Check out all of the squirrel holes in the side of the cliff... They must have one fancy house going on behind those walls! And who knew that squirrels eat flowers? That astounds me about as much as the paper eating banana slugs!

On Sunday we were blessed with AMAZING weather! The skies were bright blue and sunny and it was warm. I didn't put a sweatshirt on all day. Even sitting by the fire that night the skies were clear and you could see a million stars. I had been a bit worried about the fog and the mist and how wet everything would be packing up Monday morning, but with this sunshine and clear skies at bedtime, I was convinced that we'd be able to get up the next morning and leisurely pack up our DRY gear.

Unfortunately I awoke Monday morning to the drip, drip, drip of rain or a VERY heavy mist. I jumped out of bed and realized what was going on. Not knowing how long this rain/mist would last and not wanting to pack our gear in the rain, I woke B and the kids and we rushed to dry stuff of and get packed up. We had camp dismantled, packed up and were on the road in record time, just under an hour!

We still had some drying out to do when we got home, but I know it was MUCH better than it could have been!

Skunk Train

2011-07-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

Today we rode the Skunk Train. Since we were camping at a nearby campground, we had to get up early, eat breakfast, get our camp cleaned up and closed up for the day, and head into Fort Bragg to catch the train. This was the kids' second trip on the train, but it was our first trip with the steam engine (as opposed to the diesel engine or the motorcars). They loved it just as much this time as they did last time. The difference between this time and last is that this time we went in the summer and were able to spend much more of the trip in the open-air car rather than inside the train.
The trip takes about 4 1/2 hours from start to finish. This includes a 45 minute lunch and refilling stop at Northspur Station (the turn around point) as well as stops along the way to pick up and drop off passengers. When I say pick up and drop off passengers, I don't mean at regular train stations like you might be thinking. I'm talking about these little platforms right along the track. This one is actually quite fancy. Most of them are nothing more than a small wood 'deck' in a dirt clearing.

These stops are designated for people who come out to the middle of nowhere to spend time in rustic cabins (no heat or electricity) that were build hundreds of years ago by the loggers and railroad workers who owned the land. We learned on this trip, that when the cabins were given to the railroad employees with the condition that they were to remain in the family and could not be sold or rented out. It was really neat to see people getting off the train with all of their gear and heading to these cabins. Other train riders include large groups of boy scouts headed to or from Camp Noyo or inner-city kids headed to the Boys and Girls Club camp. On our way back to Fort Bragg we stooped to pick up 140 scouts and their gear. Talk about crowded!

Many of the cabins are along creeks and it's not uncommon to see the cabin goers floating down the stream in inner tubes or kayaks or other fun flotation devices. Other cabin goers stop whatever activities they are in the midst of when the train goes by, and wave to all of the passengers. There's a real sense of community out there, even in the absolute middle of nowhere!

Northspur Station is the turn-around point for the train. Here you can purchase lunch, beer, ice cream and other random trinkets while the train turns around and refills the water tanks.

Even though you spend the day sitting (or standing), for some reason it takes a lot out of you. Chalk it up to fresh air or the relaxation that is brought about by the rhythmic rocking of the railroad, but you get off the train feeling exhausted!

I've taken this trip five times now and would do it 100 more. It's a beautiful trip through untouched, undisturbed natural beauty and I highly recommend it!

Can You Say Road Rash!?!?

2011-07-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Well, the inevitable happened today... My dad finally had a serious bike accident. I say finally because it was bound to happen sometime, right? I mean after all... He rides his bike hundreds of miles a year, how could it not? The timing couldn't have been worse (Not that there's ever a good time for a bike accident!) as he's finishing up his training for RAGBRAI.

If you're familiar with this county, you know that we have some of the worst roads in California and probably some of the worst roads in the US. Our roads are filled with cracks and pot holes and are lined with high weeds. The county claims that they can't afford the upkeep, but don't get me started on the county. (For the record B and I both work for the county, so we see some of what goes on behind the scenes.)

Anyhow... My dad was riding down a hill on one of our chunky country roads when he hit a pot hole. My fear was that he'd gone over the handlebars, but he actually fell to the side and continued sliding down the hill with his right side acting as a buffer between his bike and the pavement. After a few seconds his head hit the ground which actually stopped the forward motion, and he tumbled into the weeds on the side of the road. Scraped, bruised, bloodied and in shock, he managed to gather himself and his bike and make his way across the road to a more visible and open area where he could assess the damage to both himself and his bike.

He was in the middle of nowhere with few cars passing and no cell service so after a few tweaks to his bike he determined that it still worked and he was able to ride to the main road. He made it to the main road without incident and the bike was riding fine, so decided he could make it home and kept right on riding.

If you're interested, he tells the story much better than I do (I can't imagine why!). You can read his account of the story here.

All in all.... The bike is fine and Dad is in pain but handling it like only my dad can. All can say is THANK GOD FOR BIKE HELMETS!

When The Kids Are Away...

2011-07-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

THE ANIMALS WILL PLAY!

Or get dressed... Or something crazy like that!

And the kids will sleep in the most awkward positions!

Yep! That's what happens when the kids are away!

Wordless Wednesday - When Life Gives You Lemons...

2011-07-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

MAKE LEMONADE! (Okay, I lied... It wasn't QUITE wordless!)

Our Day In iPhone Pictures

2011-07-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

I think Monday has become our new "FUN DAY". When we're not camping we're cramming in as much time as we can with playdates (for both mommies and kids)!

We started our day at Great Clips. Shhh.... Don't tell Chris that I let someone else touch Big A's hair, but I couldn't help it. Chris isn't open on Mondays and all of a sudden I'd had it with Big A's hair. I swear his hair goes from fine to shag muffin overnight! Here he is 'rockin' his new do!

After Great Clips we met up with Molly, K and C to do some bowling. The kids were having fun bowling, but it went from good to great when the bowling alley turned on the disco ball and crazy flashing lights they use for cosmic bowling! Between turns they were getting down on the 'dance floor'. TOO FUNNY!

Bowling wore us out so we went home for a short rest before heading out to a local pizza place to meet up with Kimmy, Seanny, Emmy and Fi! The Pruitts are our friends who moved to Boston two years ago and who we miss like crazy!

Kym and I got together after getting our kids settled in for the night and spent four hours chatting. I stayed up WAY too late talking to Kym, but I wouldn't have changed it for anything! We love you guys and miss you already!

Wanna Race!?!?

2011-07-10T08:26:00.001-07:00

When I lived in Lake County as a child, I remember going to the car races many weekend evenings. Twenty-five years I've lived in or near this town and I've NEVER been to the races. Can you believe it? We can even HEAR the races from my parents' house and we've tossed out the idea many times, but we'd never acted on it.

Well that lack of action ended tonight and we packed up our warm clothes and headed out to the speedway. The speedway in this town is a 3/8 mile dirt track that is home to Winged Sprints, Wingless Sprints, Dirt Late Models, Dirt Modifieds, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, and ALLPRO Dwarf Cars. When you put 30 cars on that track, there's not a lot of room. You basically watch a pack of cars go around. From the front of the pack to the back they take up about half the track. It makes for interesting races because there are quite a few spin outs and wrecks. I think the most consecutive laps we saw between caution flags is 6. When you're watching three different races with 25-35 laps each, this makes for a LONG night!

We weren't sure how the kids would handle the noise, but once Grandma and Grandpa showed up with the ear plugs they were fine. THEY LOVED IT! The only time they showed any emotion other than pure joy was when the ambulance had to come out onto the track. This happened twice but both times word came from the ground crew that the driver was fine before the ambulance could get very far.

We all had a great time and can't wait to go again! Anyone care to join us??

Feeling Blue

2011-07-08T13:24:00.001-07:00

Okay... Here goes...

I try to stay very positive on my blog. I mean why shouldn't I? I have a terrific life! I have a great family who loves me and cares for me, I have many friends, I have a secure job, we have a roof over our heads and food on the table, etc. But lately I've been feeling blue... I just want to put it out there because it's especially overwhelming to me today and sometimes saying it out loud (or typing it for the world to read) helps me feel better.

Why am I feeling blue? My life has been full of change lately, mostly at work. These changes are proving to be quite challenging for me. For one thing, our office has moved. The new location is nice in that it's right downtown and within walking distance to shopping, coffee, and restaurants, but our office as a whole is being forced to adhere to the practices of the group that occupies the upstairs of the building. It's frustrating being forced to move to a new location that we're already not happy about and then being forced to change our practices. To top it off, I was turned down for a promotion that I felt sure I would get and I'm really struggling to accept it and move on.

I'm feeling taken advantage of in many areas of my life. Feeling taken advantage of makes me feel weak... It makes me feel like less of a person. I know it's ridiculous and my rational side is kicking me in the butt saying, "GET OVER IT," but the angel and the devil on my shoulders are fighting a fierce battle and unfortunately, the devil is winning!

That being said, I'm going to put on my happy face (or at least try to) and keep plugging along! Thanks for listening, and if you feel moved to send hugs or prayers my way, I'd graciously accept them!

More Conversations From The Backseat

2011-07-06T21:27:00.001-07:00

I'm sure I've mentioned before that Big A loves to watch all shows History and Discovery. He watches Whale Wars, Ice Road Truckers, Ax Men, Deadliest Catch, you name it... His new favorite is Swamp People. I don't mind him watching these shows except for a couple of things. First of all, his language has started slipping and every once in awhile he'll slip a damn or crap into his conversations. This bothers me, but at the same time I realize that all kids will experiment with bad language. The other thing that bugs me is his new found "Swamp People" accent. Yep! Big A suddenly thinks he's from the swamps of Louisiana.

Tonight I heard the following conversation from the backseat (in a lovely swampy accent) after coming to an agreement that they'd play boyfriend and girlfriend...

Big A - "I gotta go out gator huntin'."

Little A - "Okay, I'll come."

Big A - "Okay, but let's take ma' boat."

Little A - "No, let's take MY boat."

Big A - "No, ma' boat's better."

Little A - "I know! Let's take BOTH boats."

Big A - "Okay. We'll use mine for sleepin' and yours for huntin'."

Little A - "Okay."

Big A - "You going to Mary's pizza?"

Little A - "Yea, let's go."

Big A - "It says beer drinkers only on this side."

Little A - "Do you like beer?"

Big A - "Yeah, that's why I'm sittin' here."

Little A - "Me too! I'm having a beet party. Wanna come? I'm turning 18."

Big A - "You mean 42?"

Little A - "Yeah, whatever."

I LOVE conversations from the backseat... They are always so entertaining but at the same time they're often quite eye opening and all too often they slap me in the face once again with how quickly my babies are growing up.

Tea For Two Seven

2011-07-05T20:34:00.001-07:00

Today Little A wanted to have a tea party. She insisted that she and I were not enough people for the party, and insisted that other guests be invited.

The guest list included Little A, Mommy, Shara Tiara (I had to share my cup with her... I told Little A I'd only share with someone who wouldn't spit in my tea), Max, Lambie, Green Bird and Rabbit. We had tea, pizza, and all of the other imaginary food you could ever think of. YUMMY!

Little A fixes tea JUST how I like it! :)

Happy Birthday, America!

2011-07-04T15:31:00.001-07:00

Whew! What a day!

We arrived home from our trip about 3pm, unpacked, showered, started laundry, and took naps. I had set the alarm so we'd be sure to get up in time to get to Grandma and Grandpa's and then get downtown for the fireworks. It's a good thing, because we were all pretty tired and probably would have slept through the night if we'd been given the chance!

Grandma and Grandpa had stocked the truck with chairs and blankets and taken it downtown earlier in the day to stake out our usual 4th of July fireworks watching spot (Kudos to you, GREAT idea!). We went to their house and picked them up, hit the In-N-Out drive-thru, and headed to the truck. We picnicked in the pack of the truck, the kids did fireworks on the street corner, and then we snuggled in our blankets and enjoyed the show over the fairgrounds!

Happy Birthday, America! Thanks for another great year!

Camping

2011-07-04T15:30:00.001-07:00

This weekend we went camping at Richardson Grove State Park in the California redwoods. Talk about beautiful!

We weren't sure how camping on 4th of July weekend would play out, but despite a full campground, it was great! Everyone was respectful, noise was kept to a minimum, there were plenty of playmates for the kids and B and I had an opportunity to relax and enjoy family time with our kids.

The State Parks in the area often have campfire programs on the weekends. We missed the campfire Friday night because of our late arrival and subsequent trip to Garberville for pizza (Bummer, because it was about camping Ike Bigfoot and Big A would have LOVED it!), but we did attend the campfire on Saturday night. The topic of the program was birds of the area. The park interpreter who put on the program was a bird lover and was quite knowledgeable about the topic she was presenting. She showed us a PowerPoint presentation with pictures and sounds. The rest of the weekend Big A would see birds and tell us, "That's a male because of the color of it's chest."

Sunday evening we hiked through the actual 'Richardson Grove'. It was a short, level trail, but beautiful! Tall trees, informational signs (which Little A insisted we read), a bat tree, and a huge tree that had fallen many moons ago that now provides an awesome climbing place for the kids and a great place for a photo opportunity!

Monday as we were packing up, the kids came and told us that we needed to come see the butterfly they'd found. Apparently a butterfly had flown into the tent at their new friends' campsite and it had actually spent the night in the tent with them. The kids were all in the tent watching the butterfly and the butterfly was letting them hold it. It was pretty amazing!

We had a great trip and can't wait to go camping again in two weeks. I keep telling the kids that I'm going to be a camp host when I retire and just spend my life in the state parks... We shall see!

When Your Four Year Old Gets Your Phone...

2011-06-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

What is it with my kids and their fascination with the camera on my iPhone? Every time they get their hands on my phone they take a million pictures! They save pictures from their games, they take pictures of everything under the sun, and they figure out things that I've never even heard of!

Here's a sample of what happened when I used my phone to occupy Little A while Big A got a haircut...

Happy Birthday To My Godson!

2011-06-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated my godson's 16th birthday! I can't believe that my cute little Jofus is now well on his way to becoming a man... A very TALL man! AMAZING!

The kids had a blast playing with their cousins and I must say that for 14 and 16, they sure do a great job playing with my kids! They pulled out some of their old toys for them, they pulled them around the house in blankets, they played outside with them... I have the greatest nephews in the world! Thanks, guys!

Joe showed us his awesome fire making skills (puts me to shame!), we visited, the kids played on the tire swing and then we feasted on pizza and had Coldstone Cake... YUM! Nothing beats pizza and strawberry ice cream cake!

We didn't end up leaving their house until around 10 and we had an hour and a half drive home... It was SUPER fun but boy are we beat!

Happy Birthday, JOE! WE LOVE YOU, and are SO proud of the man you're becoming!!

Life's Not FAIR!

2011-06-24T23:00:00.002-07:00

But in life we can GO to the fair...

And that's just what we did tonight after a LONG week at VBS. Call us crazy, but we did it.

We had told the kids that we weren't going to be able to go to the fair this year because of the timing, but Friday afternoon we decided that we needed to get out and enjoy ourselves. We met some friends there (who'd also worked at VBS all week) and did what you do at fairs... We ate ~~healthy food~~ fried fair food, rode rides until almost midnight, laughed, and and just plain had fun! It was a much needed break with some much needed time with good friends!

As much fun as we had, there was also a little sadness as we realized that Big A is now too big for the majority of the kiddie rides. You're going to laugh, but he doesn't meet the height requirement. Yep... TOO TALL! You can imagine his disappointment at hearing those words!

Thanks For A GREAT Week!

2011-06-24T23:00:00.001-07:00

Chalk up another successful VBS! The kids had a blast, the volunteers were awesome and the comments from parents were that this was one of the best VBS weeks to date. There were quite a few tears at the fact that the week was over. Sorry, kids! We can't wait to see you next year!

Every year we raise money for a charity that is somehow related to the VBS theme. This year with our beach theme we raised money for The Marine Mammal Center. Our goal is to raise $1000 for the charity and if that goal is reached there is some sort of special 'event' that takes place. Two years ago a couple of guys got mohawks, last year a couple of guys got slimed and this year.... Well.... This year a couple of guys....

Yep... That's what a couple of guys did. One of them may or may not be my husband... I'm just sayin'...

Thanks for a great week!!

Be Bold, Be Strong...

2011-06-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

I HEART VBS WEEK!

I can't tell you how many times this week the kids have been playing or riding in the car or just hanging out and the whole time they're singing VBS songs. I love it! As I type I am hearing the words to "Be Bold, Be Strong" over the clanking of Legos. Music to my ears!

But what's greater than singing VBS songs? Listening to what they think the words are and listening to the discussions that ensue. Remember this post about 5 loaves of garlic bread? Well this year it's a battle about the song "J-E-S-U-S" and the lyrics "Meet up with Jesus." My kids are absolutely convinced that they are saying "Beat up with Jesus" and really, it's not a battle worth fighting. They're going to sing it how they want to sing it, especially Little A.

Oh well! I'll continue to revel in the fact that the word of God is getting through to them through music (Well... Kind of...) and I'll leave it at that! Wonder what next year will bring...

A Nun Grading Papers

2011-06-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

My aunt sent this to me, and seeing as how this is VBS week, it's quite appropriate to share...

Can you imagine the nun sitting at her desk grading these papers, all the while trying to keep a straight face and maintain her composure??

Pay special attention to the wording and spelling. If you know the Bible even a little, you'll find this hilarious! It comes from a Catholic elementary school test. Kids were asked questions about the Old and New Testaments. The following statements about the Bible were written by children. They have not been retouched or corrected. Incorrect spelling has been left in.

1. IN THE FIRST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, GUINESSIS. GOD GOT TIRED OF CREATING THE WORLD SO HE TOOK THE SABBATH OFF.

2. ADAM AND EVE WERE CREATED FROM AN APPLE TREE . NOAH'S WIFE WAS JOAN OF ARK. NOAH BUILT AND ARK AND THE ANIMALS CAME ON IN PEARS.

3. LOTS WIFE WAS A PILLAR OF SALT DURING THE DAY, BUT A BALL OF FIRE DURING THE NIGHT.

4. THE JEWS WERE A PROUD PEOPLE AND THROUGHOUT HISTORY THEY HAD TROUBLE WITH UNSYMPATHETIC GENITALS.

5. SAMPSON WAS A STRONGMAN WHO LET HIMSELF BE LED ASTRAY BY A JEZEBEL LIKE DELILAH.

6. SAMSON SLAYED THE PHILISTINES WITH THE AXE OF THE APOSTLES.

7. MOSES LED THE JEWS TO THE RED SEA WHERE THEY MADE UNLEAVENED BREAD WHICH IS BREAD WITHOUT ANY INGREDIENTS.

8. THE EGYPTIANS WERE ALL DROWNED IN THE DESSERT. AFTERWARDS, MOSES WENT UP TO MOUNT CYANIDE TO GET THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

9. THE FIRST COMMANDMENTS WAS WHEN EVE TOLD ADAM TO EAT THE APPLE.

10. THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT IS THOU SHALT NOT ADMIT ADULTERY.

11. MOSES DIED BEFORE HE EVER REACHED CANADA THEN JOSHUA LED THE HEBREWS IN THE BATTLE OF GERITOL.

12. THE GREATEST MIRICLE IN THE BIBLE IS WHEN JOSHUA TOLD HIS SON TO STAND STILL AND HE OBEYED HIM.

13. DAVID WAS A HEBREW KING WHO WAS SKILLED AT PLAYING THE LIAR. HE FOUGHT THE FINKELSTEINS, A RACE OF PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN BIBLICAL TIMES.

14. SOLOMON, ONE OF DAVIDS SONS, HAD 300 WIVES AND 700 PORCUPINES.

15. WHEN MARY HEARD SHE WAS THE MOTHER OF JESUS, SHE SANG THE MAGNA CARTA.

16. WHEN THE THREE WISE GUYS FROM THE EAST SIDE ARRIVED THEY FOUND JESUS IN THE MANAGER.

17. JESUS WAS BORN BECAUSE MARY HAD AN IMMACULATE CONTRACTION.

18. ST. JOHN THE BLACKSMITH DUMPED WATER ON HIS HEAD.

19. JESUS ENUNCIATED THE GOLDEN RULE, WHICH SAYS TO DO UNTO OTHERS BEFORE THEY DO ONE TO YOU. HE ALSO EXPLAINED A MAN DOTH NOT LIVE BY SWEAT ALONE.

20. IT WAS A MIRICLE WHEN JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND MANAGED TO GET THE TOMBSTONE OFF THE ENTRANCE.

21. THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED THE LORD WERE CALLED THE 12 DECIBELS.

22. THE EPISTELS WERE THE WIVES OF THE APOSTLES.

23. ONE OF THE OPPOSSUMS WAS ST. MATTHEW WHO WAS ALSO A TAXIMAN.

24. ST. PAUL CAVORTED TO CHRISTIANITY, HE PREACHED HOLY ACRIMONY WHICH IS ANOTHER NAME FOR MARRAIGE.

25. CHRISTIANS HAVE ONLY ONE SPOUSE. THIS IS CALLED MONOTONY.

Now I'd like to add a couple... These are things that I have heard this week in VBS related discussion...

The A's were asking B about Jesus and how it was that he died on the cross and then came back to life. B started telling them the story and said, "Jesus was crucified on Black Friday...."

A friend of mine asked her daughter what she'd learned in VBS that day and her daughter replied, "We learned that the drinking bone's connected to the party bone and the party bone's connected to the stayin' up all night long." If you're familiar with country music, you'll recognize the lyrics. It seems that one of the stations had music playing but we're still not sure if that song REALLY played or if another child was singing it. Funny, nonetheless!

It's Finally Here!

2011-06-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Yep... VBS is FINALLY here! This year's theme is SonSurf Beach Bash from Gospel Light. The VBS team as been meeting and planning since January, decorating and prepping for weeks, and now it's time to see all of that hard work pay off! We have 140 kids registered and about 40 youth and adult volunteers.

The A's are SO excited about the week. Big A has graduated from the PreK/K group into the older group that rotates to different stations. Little A is excited that Grandma and Molly are her teachers. And me? Well... I'm leading VBS this year so I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off and loving every minute of it!

Day 1 went off without a hitch... I wonder what Day 2 will bring...

Happy Father's Day!!

2011-06-19T17:52:00.001-07:00

And Happy Day-Before-VBS Day! Yes, our pastor DID preach from the lifeguard chair today. LOVED IT!

Not to diminish the fact that it's Father's Day in any way, but having VBS begin the next day makes me SO tired and SO not wanting to do anything on this day. BUT... Becuase I love the men in my life, I pulled myself together and headed out for a day of celebrating.

We started the morning with phone calls to Grandpa Jim and both A's godfathers. We ended up leaving messages for all of them. Apparently they were all out celebrating! After church we met Grammy and Papa for lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. We enjoyed good food and good company and spent a long time talking and visiting. It was a nice afternoon.

I headed back to church after lunch to help my mom finish her craft preparations for the next day. We worked for an hour before I had to head home so B could go to work (Yes, he had to work on Father's Day... Boo!). I COMPLETELY dropped the ball on dinner, so Grandma and Grandpa ended up meeting at our house and then we went out to dinner. Poor Grandpa had to buy his own Father's Day dinner... Sorry, Dad!

(How horrible is it that I don't have a picture of B with the kids??)

I want to say Happy Father's Day to all of the DADs in my life (B, Papa, Grandpa Jim and Dad). You guys rock! I love you all SO much and wouldn't be the person I am today without

Fun At Trader Joe's Day!

2011-06-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today the kids and I stopped at Trader Joe's on the way to a meeting. We don't shop at Trader Joe's too often because it's not the most convenient place for me to shop. It's unfortunate, because I DO like their products, but for now I'll have to stick with Safeway.

Anyhow... We were in the check-out line and the kids saw some colored pictures on the wall. Big A said to the clerk, "Where did they get those pictures?" The clerk showed the kids where the coloring sheets were and told them to 'take a couple'. You'd have thought he just gave them candy! They were SO excited!

When they returned with their coloring sheets he said, "Would you like some stickers?" Imagine his surprise when both kids answered with a 'yes please' and then thanked him, both without being prompted. Needless to say, he was very pleased at their politeness.

I must admit that I often jump to, "What do you say," before even giving them a chance to respond on their own. This time I made a conscious effort to NOT speak and they made me proud!

As they walked out of Trader Joe's with their coloring sheets and stickers in hand, Big A said, "WOW! That was a FUN TRADER JOE'S DAY! Can we go again!?!?"

As Little A climbed into the car with her treasures in her hands she said, "We're rich now!" It was too cute! Then she was looking at her coloring sheet and asked, "Mommy, is this Joe?"

As I looked at the picture, all I could think of was my nephew Joe because he likes to skateboard. I said, "Joe who?" Then it dawned on me... She was talking about TRADER Joe.

Dang! Who would have thought that Trader Joe's could be so much fun!?!?

New High School Exit Exam

2011-06-14T20:04:00.001-07:00

New High School Exit Exam: You only need 4 correct out of 10 questions to pass...

Are you ready? Are you SURE you're ready? Okay, here goes!

1) How long did the Hundred Years' War last?

2) Which country makes Panama hats?

3) From which animal do we get cat gut?

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of?

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?

7) What was King George VI's first name?

8) What color is a purple finch?

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?

10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane?

Remember, you need only 4 correct answers to pass. Check your answers below . . .

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years

2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador

3) From which animal do we get cat gut? Sheep and horses

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? Squirrel fur

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs

7) What was King George VI's first name? Albert

8) What color is a purple finch? Crimson

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand

10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange (of course)

What do you mean, you failed? Oh... Wait.... SO DID I! And if you try to tell me you passed, you are not telling the truth!

First Camping Trip Of The Year!

2011-06-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

YEAH! Our FIRST camping trip of the season!

Because it was the last day of school for Little A and we knew we couldn't get out of town until afternoon, we decided to stick close to home and headed out to the coast with our friends. Despite the fact that it was SUPER windy and therefore quite cold, we had blast!

We did a LOT of sitting by the fire and snacking... Even quite a bit of sleeping, although most of us preferred to sleep in the tents rather than in our chairs.

We checked out the sandy areas when the tide was out and collected shells. We watched the pelicans dive into the water and saw an osprey fly by with a fish in it's talons. We played ring toss and baseball and rode bikes.

We climbed trees. We ate some more and we ate s'mores. We played with kids in the next campsite.

And then we ate some more and we played with our food. The kids bonded over cantaloupe...

And the men bonded over meat eggs!

It was SO much fun and we can't wait for our next trip!

Little A's Last Day of Preschool

2011-06-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

Today was Little A's last day of preschool. Well... At lease for this year! The truth is that she has one more year before she starts kindergarten.

This year was the first year that her school (which is preschool through 3rd grade) has done an all-school BBQ on the last day of school. It was a good idea! Of course practice makes perfect and maybe next year they would not do the water fight BEFORE the little ceremony, but it wasn't a big deal. The only problem is for anal mom's like me... Wet kids = Wet certifciates... But like I said... I'm anal!

Thanks for a great year, Miss Jenny! We love you!

Toothless Boy

2011-06-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

Big A has had a mouthful of loose teeth for quite some time, but he wouldn't pull 'em. He TALKED about pulling them... He even tried sticking a ribbon near a couple of them and giving them a little tug but he was never really serious about it.

That all changed yesterday morning. He was laying in my bed saying, "Look, Mom. I can put my whole finger under this tooth," (Yes, they were THAT loose!) when one of the teeth popped right out of his mouth. Boy was he shocked!

Losing the one tooth was just what the one next to it needed (I think they were kind of holding each other in). Tonight at dinner, he was upset because he couldn't eat. His tooth was too loose, hurting too badly, and bleeding a bit because it was so loose. I asked him if I could pull it out but he refused, saying that it would hurt. I tried to reason with him, asking if it had hurt when any of the other three had come out. He assured me that it had not, but still wouldn't let me pull it.

After a few minutes of him pouting in utter frustration because he couldn't eat his dinner, and me trying very calmly but very persistently to let me pull the tooth, he agreed. It didn't take much... One napkin and one TINY tug, and he'd lost another tooth!

Being that this was the second tooth in as many days, he was convinced that the tooth fairy would bring a little extra money, and she didn't disappoint! The first night she brought $1 in quarters.

The second night she filled the tractor with $1 in dimes and sprinkled $1 in nickles around the outside.

Big A was THRILLED, and can't wait until the next three loose teeth fall out as he'll then have enough to head to Auto Zone for the toy car he wants! Ah... To be young again!

One More Graduation!

2011-06-08T20:50:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's true! Big A graduated from kindergarten today! I have to admit that I've always been skeptical of preschool and kindergarten 'graduations' but it all changes when it's your own kid. They had a ceremony complete with black caps, Pomp and Circumstance, singing songs and sharing their favorite kindergarten memories. The kids were SO cute!

Thank you to his AWESOME teacher, Mrs. H, who we love dearly! Mrs. H, you rock! You taught Big A so much and made his first year of school a complete success. THANK YOU!

Celebratory cupcake!

Yes, I saved the best graduation for last! Truth is I love all of you graduates, but admit it, Big A takes the cake! And the cupcake, for that matter!

Congratulations, Buddy! Have fun in first grade!

Congratulations, Graduates!

2011-06-07T20:15:00.001-07:00

This was a year for graduations and I'd like to give a few shout outs!

First I want to congratulate my cousin, Christian, who graduated from high school in Southern California. Christian is planning to go to community college and become a fire fighter/EMT. Congrats, Christian! Keep up the good work!

Next I want to congratulate another cousin, Caitlin! Caitlin graduated from a community college in Southern California with an Associate Degree in Social and Behavioral Studies and is planning to continue her education to become a speech therapist. Congrats, Caitlin! You can do anything you set your mind to!

And finally... Our Molly graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in American Multicultural Studies. Molly has been accepted into the teaching credential program and starts in August. Congrats, Molly! You'll be the greatest teacher!

I am so proud of all three of these fine graduates and I know that they will go on to do bigger and better things!

Wait, I think I forgot someone... Oh, yes! There's ONE more! But you'll have to wait to find out who...

Mirror Mirror On The Wall...

2011-06-05T19:06:00.001-07:00

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

Who is the fairest one of all?

Work Days And Birthdays

2011-06-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

This morning our family participated in a work day at our church. Being June and all, one would expect that the sun would be shining and the weather would be perfect for doing outside work... HA! No such luck! We woke up to grey skies and pouring rain but that didn't dampen (no pun intended) the spirits of a group of hard workers!

With some quick thinking and rearranging on the part of the work day organizer, a list of indoor projects was compiled (and some people just sucked it up and worked outside in the rain) and we got to work!

The work day was followed by a yummy BBQ lunch and then we all went off to do the rest of our Saturday things. For our family this meant that Big A and B went home to veg and watch TV while Little A and I braved the rain to attend a birthday party at a local horse stable.

Little A was SO excited to ride a horse!

After the party Little A went back to the birthday girl's house for a play date and I went home to hang out with my guys. While I love my kids more than anything, it's always a treat to get to spend time with just one of them because they act totally different when they're alone than they do when they're together. We had a nice dinner with Big A and treated him to frozen yogurt before picking Little A up and heading home for the night.

Rain and shine, we had a great day! I loved seeing my kids get so involved in the work day and loved the pride that they showed at what they accomplished.

Just In Case You Ever Get These Two Environments Confused...

2011-06-02T17:59:00.000-07:00

PRISON vs. WORK

In prison you spend most of your time in a 10 x 10 cell.

At work you spend most of your time in an 6 x 6 cubicle.

In prison you get three meals a day, fully paid for.

At work you get a break for one meal and you have to pay for it.

In prison for good behavior you get time off.

At work for good behavior you get more work

In prison the guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.

At work you must carry a security card and open all the doors yourself.

In prison you can watch TV and play games.

At work you could get fired for watching TV and playing games.

In prison you get your own toilet.

At work you have to share the toilet with people who pee on the seat.

In prison they allow your family and friends to visit.

At work you aren't even supposed to speak to your family.

In prison all expenses are paid by the taxpayers with no work required.

At work you must pay all your expenses to go to work, and they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners.

In prison you spend most of your life inside bars wanting to get out

At work you spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars.

In prison you must deal with sadistic wardens.

At work they're called 'managers'

THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS SCENARIO.

Now get back to work. You're not getting paid to read blogs!

Wordless Wednesday - Sibling Rivalry LOVE

2011-06-01T21:38:00.001-07:00

You Park, You Preach!

2011-05-30T19:14:00.001-07:00

Today we took the kids to the church parking lot to ride bikes... Little A thought that parking her little bike in the pastor's parking spot was pretty funny!

The sign reads:

RESERVED FOR

LEAD PASTOR

ONLY

AT ALL TIMES

YOU PARK, YOU PREACH

Friends, Food And Fun

2011-05-29T22:54:00.001-07:00

Today was filled with friends, food and fun!

After church Big A and I went to the mall to meet a friend of mine and her son for lunch. We walked around a bit and it was neat to watch the boys just be boys. Neither of them had their little sisters around to bug them, we were in an open place where they could run ahead a little bit and we could still see them, etc. I don't know how to describe it other than to say it was 'neat'.

After the mall we went home and rested for a bit, wrestled on the bed with Little A, and got ready to head out again after dinner. This time we met a different group of friends for mini golf and a few arcade games. I'm not sure who had more fun on this outing, the kids or Rich!

It was a good day spent with GREAT friends! I wonder what tomorrow will bring (besides MORE RAIN)....

Hot Dogs Pizza, Baseball (Awards) and Apple Pie Frozen Yogurt

2011-05-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight the kids had their baseball awards party at a local pizza parlor. Seven little boys and two little girls (plus a handful of siblings) running loose through the restaurant! That's the great thing about this particular restaurant... They're used to it, and they don't mind! Combine that with the fact that they have very reasonably priced food and great coupons, and it probably has quite a bit to do with why you can almost always find a sports team there on any given weekend!

The adults talked while the kids played and then the coaches passed out the awards. Each child received a certificate (which doubles as a coupon for a free child's steak at a local steakhouse) and a medal. My kids could care less about the certificate, but LOVE their medals!

They were SO excited! And do you know what the best part is? They can't wait to play again next year! This year was iffy since Big A had decided after his first year that he didn't want to play anymore but both kids had a FABULOUS time and they actually cried when we finished out last game!

So... For the time being we'll wait patiently for soccer to begin... But thanks for a great season, Coach!

(And in case you're wondering about the frozen yogurt part... Well... We MAY have gone to our favorite frozen yogurt shop AGAIN tonight. Because... You know... We weren't there last night or anything... And not Monday night, either!)

Home Of The Free And The Brave And The Cutest Kids You've Ever Seen!

2011-05-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the Spring Show, "Red, White and Blue and Other Colors", at Little A's school. The whole school walked in and walked up to the front.

The kids were asked to wear red, white and blue, and of course Little A HAD to have a new dress for the occasion. I mean we wouldn't want her to be seen in LAST YEAR'S T-SHIRT, right?!?!

All of the school kids together sang three or four songs and then the preschoolers and toddlers were ushered offstage to sit in the choir loft with their teachers. With the ~~distractions~~ three and four year olds out of the way, the elementary school kids performed a skit and recited bits of US History for the audience.

They sang a few more songs, as well. There were two boys in the group who sang their hearts out (at the TOP of their lungs) in COMPLETELY the wrong key. It was pretty cute! They certainly get an A for effort!

It was another great show... I can't wait to see what's in store for us NEXT spring!

Through The Years...

2011-05-24T19:27:00.001-07:00

Just because I've been thinking a lot lately about how quickly the kids are growing and changing...

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Makes me a little sad sometimes! It's all happening TOO FAST!

Field Trips And Fire Stations

2011-05-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

Today I accompanied Little A's class on a field trip to the fire station. Talk about fun! They showed the kids the fire house, all of the different equipment, let them climb through the fire trucks, raise a car up on inflatable blocks, look through a special camera used for finding people in a fire/field/darkness/etc., and spray the hoses.

After all of the kids had been given a turn at spraying the hoses, they let the parents have a turn. For us they turned the pressure up full blast so we could feel what it REALLY felt like. It was so powerful that one mom lost control of the hose and water sprayed EVERYWHERE... Imagine letting go of a blown up balloon that's shooting water everywhere.... It was actually pretty funny but could have been dangerous! Good thing the firefighters were quick!

Did you know that the fire station will do birthday parties?!?! I wish I'd known THAT fact a few years sooner! Big A thinks he's a little old for that now, and Little A is into more 'girlie' things. Bummer!

Always Good For A Laugh

2011-05-22T19:34:00.001-07:00

I know, I know... I've posted these before. But I have to tell you... They never cease to make me laugh because they're just so me! After all, I may be the one who went into a local restaurant and upon seeing the GIANT animal pelt on the wall pointed to it and asked, "Is that a beaver?" I may have ordered a Big Mac at Cinnabon once, too. And finally, I MAY know something about people running past the gym on the main drag in a neighboring town waving their arms in the air yelling, "THE BEES! THE BEES!"

So, without further ado, here are a few ways to maintain a healthy level of insanity...

1. In the memo field of all of your checks write, "For Marijuana"

2. Order diet water whenever you go out to eat and do it with a completely serious face.

3. Specify that your drive-thru order is to go.

4. Sing along at the opera.

5. Five days in advance, tell your friends that you can't attend their party because you have a headache.

6. When leaving the zoo, start running towards the parking lot yelling, "Run for your lives! They're loose!"

7. Tell your children over dinner, "Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go." (Okay, so MAYBE this one isn't funny, nor would it help with your level of insanity... Unless your kids are in high school or something...)

And the final way to keep a healthy level of insanity...

8. Pick up a box of condoms at the pharmacy then go to the counter and ask where the fitting room is.

What crazy things have YOU done?