More than a mom

A House of Order

2012-01-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a house without much order. There was always a lot of clutter, largely due to my mom running in far too many directions and trying to do too many things. Hmmm...sounds like someone else I know.

While I have worked hard as an adult to overcome that childhood model of living in a constant state of chaos, I still struggle with it on a regular basis. I do my best to create a (fairly) neat and clutter-free house. Most of our "living spaces", where we spend the majority of our time, are relatively neat. But step into a closet, my office, or open up a cupboard and you're likely to find things shoved in where they don't belong, just so they're out of sight.

I become close to paralyzed and almost unable to function, think clearly, or work productively, efficiently, or creatively when I am surrounded by clutter. I've been feeling a lot of underlying anxiety in the last several months. As I've been evaluating how I can reduce the anxiety, and free up some of the creative energy that is brewing in my soul, a scripture from the Doctrine & Covenants began replaying itself over and over again in my head:

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God." (D&C 88:119)

I know that the stirrings I've felt are God's way of nudging me along in the direction that I need to go to accomplish the goals and dreams I have for myself and my family.

Over the holidays, I cleaned out my closet. I got rid of 3 huge bags of clothes, including some things I haven't worn in 10 years. It felt good.

Last week, when I came home from church, I found that my sweet husband had added a shelf to the top of the pantry wall (without being asked, nagged, or bribed either!). This added about 5 square feet of shelf space, which doesn't seem like much, but it made a difference. I spent the last 3 days sorting, organizing, and cleaning my pantry and food storage cabinets. I don't have any "before" pictures, but here are they are "after":

While I don't have a lot of cupboard space in the kitchen (aside from the huge pantry), I do have almost wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling cupboards in the laundry room. While many of these are used for cleaning supplies, swim towels, laundry necessities, and the like, I also use the laundry room to house the less oft-used kitchen accessories, and as an additional food storage location.

I have one cupboard for "wet" food:

And one cupboard for "dry" food:

When I finished today, I stood back and looked at my efforts, and felt a huge sense of accomplishment. It was good to know that in an emergency, I could feed my family pretty well for at least a couple of weeks. In addition to the outward sense of a job well-done, I felt some of my anxiety dissipate. I have a long way to go to work my way through the cupboards, file cabinets, desk drawers, and closet spaces that clutter up my life. But I know I'll get there.

Just as I must clean out the tangible clutter of my life, so I must also clean out the clutter and unwanted occupants of my mind and spirit. There are shelves in my mind scattered with pieces of grief, anger, hurt, loss, and sadness that are blocking some of the beauty and creativity that is trying to make itself known. I'm feeling a tremendous urgency to write . . . and not just because Steve is counting down the years until he is able to retire on my dime. I've got several book ideas stirring in my mind, but making them a reality requires me to clear out the garbage before I can get to the good stuff.

Life is an interesting thing . . . so often we lose sight of those things that matter most, simply because they're covered up by a layer of junk. Here's to "creating order", both outside, and in.

New Year...New Goals

2012-01-06T15:11:00.001-08:00

For the last few years, we have sat down as a family on New Year's Day and set some goals/resolutions. For the last few years, they have been posted on my blog, and nowhere else, only to be forgotten about by January 7. Not this year!

We all agreed that this year, the resolutions should be posted somewhere where we would be reminded of them regularly, and be able to keep track of our progress (or get back on track, if needed!).

Here they are, posted above the "chore chart" in the laundry room.

Granted, I'm the only one that's in there every single day, but maybe if the kids decide to actually use their chore chart, they'll see them too. Steve will likely only see them if I'm lying comatose in a hospital somewhere and he has to figure out how to work the washer and dryer. But I think he has a better memory than me, so he shouldn't have too much trouble remembering what he's working on.

Without further ado, here's the Whitaker Family Resolutions for 2012:

Grant

Learn how to read.
Learn how to ride my bike with no training wheels. (He set this same goal last year, but didn't make it.)
Keep my room clean. (Doesn't hurt to dream, right?)
Be kind to my family and don't throw fits. (Parental input and suggestions are welcome when someone draws a blank.)
Not hurt my brother. (Brotherly input is also accepted.)
Improve all my swim times. (He's got his sights on a medal this year, not to be outdone by his older and much faster brother.)

Jack

Audition for at least one play, and if I make it in, be happy. (Olivia may have some competition in the acting department.)
Score at least five points in the season for my basketball team. (Last year, he scored one all season.)
Spend more time outside than watching TV.
Beat the Sharks' record for butterfly. (This could happen . . . this boy can swim.)
Keep my room clean. (Again, doesn't hurt to dream.)
Get better at golf and shoot at least a 45 for 9 holes. (This could be a reality as well . . . he's shooting consistently in the mid-50's—legitimately— for 9 holes.)

Olivia

Beat my personal record of 33 seconds in the 50m freestyle.
Finish a junior triathlon. (She's not a runner or a biker, this one may be a challenge. Maybe I'll be her coach!)
Do well in school.
Do some sort of exercise every day.
Complete two personal progress goals every month. (This is a program though the church youth program, aimed at helping young women grow and progress both emotionally and spiritually.)

Steve

Steve's goals are a word for word repeat of last year. He said the only one he did well in 2011 was #3. But he did lower his golf index by 3 points this year, which isn't too shabby.

Get under 200 lbs. by June and sustain it through the year.
Lower golf index to single digit handicap.
Continue for family to be #1 priority.

and now, my goals for the new year:

Read Book of Mormon 5 minutes every day as a family. (This was a challenge from our Sunday School teacher this year, one I decided to take on as a family challenge. So far, almost a week in, we haven't missed a day.)
Exercise 1 hour 3–5 days a week. (Last year, I said 5 days a week. That didn't happen once. Maybe 3 days is a more reasonable and realistic goal)
Reach a healthy weight and maintain it. (I turn 40 this year. I've heard it's near impossible to lose weight once you hit that magic number, so I'm hoping if I start that new decade of life at a healthy weight, I'll be off to a good start.)
Schedule 2–4 hours per week to write. (Last year, I set a goal to complete a book project. It got well underway, then life got in the way, and I've barely touched it in months. I want to complete that project, as well as work on a couple others that are festering in my mind. I figure if I start out with 2–4 hours a week, I should at least start seeing small progress.)

In addition, I'd like to get our house to the next stage in the "decorating" department. That means painting walls, adding accessories, and generally making it feel more lived-in than it does right now. This is a lofty goal, as I do not have a great sense of decorating style, so it will likely require some professional assistance. This isn't so much a "resolution", as it is a dream . . . but maybe putting it down in writing will help me to make it happen!

The Twelve Days of Christmas at our house

2011-12-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

On the first day of Christmas, my sweetie underwent a pretty gruesome ear surgery.

On the second day of Christmas, at the school concert, I heard some bells ringing, along with a bunch of kids singing.

On the third day of Christmas, our girlie performed in two showings of Sleeping Beauty.

On the fourth day of Christmas, I did some last minute shopping . . . online, instead of mall and crowd hopping.

On the fifth day of Christmas, I dropped our cards in the mail. My procrastination likely made the postman wail.

On the sixth day of Christmas, I was finally done with a quilt that I made for Grant's teacher - She's having baby number one.

On the seventh day of Christmas I did some wrapping, and when I was done, I really felt like clapping.

On the eighth day of Christmas when I awoke, my sinuses felt like they had been broke.

On the ninth day of Christmas, we visited the temple and saw the lights, and listened to a friend sing loudly and bright.

On the tenth day of Christmas, there was no partridge or pear. Instead we attended the school Science Fair.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, the kids got out of school. Whoever created the schedule this year is surely a fool.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, I spent the day on my feet, making all sorts of good things to eat.

And now that Christmas is really here, I'm finally filled with the holiday joy, brought about by the birth of a special baby boy.

Merry Christmas!

All I Want for Christmas . . .

2011-12-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

is time to finish all the projects on my list this December. Somehow, I think I'm not going to get what I want!

Making a list...and checking it twice

2011-12-06T08:55:00.001-08:00

December snuck up on me this year. I'm not sure what happened to September, October, and November . . . because I'm fairly certain that it was just August last week!

I had grand intentions of being well-prepared for the holidays this year, and sitting back and enjoying the month of December with crafts, home-baked goodness, and fun projects with the kids.

The reality is a whole different story! I've got a list a mile long of things that need to be done, and not just to get ready for Christmas!

In spite of the hustle and bustle, I am grateful that this holiday is upon us. Events in recent weeks have reminded me that life is precious. I must savor the everyday moments, even the ones that make me crazy. That goal is at the tip-top of my list right now, and I hope to never cross it off!

Our very own Cookie Monster

2011-11-09T16:21:00.000-08:00

Last night, I made cookies. I tried out the recipe for Oatmeal Sugar Cookies from the LemonPoppy cookbook "When Life Gives You Friends" (I won this set of cookbooks a couple of months back in a blog giveaway from my friend Ashley). The kids each gobbled one up last night before bed, and begged to have one included in their lunch today.

This morning as I was packing lunches, I was rather distracted. I ended up with an extra cookie sitting on the counter after closing up all the lunch boxes. I threw it in Olivia's lunch box, thinking it was for her. I then gave strict instructions that the cookies were NOT to be eaten for morning snack, rather AFTER they'd eaten their sandwich and fruit for lunch!

During Olivia's lunch break today, she popped her head in the library (where I work two days a week).

"Mom, there were two cookies in my lunchbox today at morning break. I went and looked in Grant's lunchbox, he didn't have one, so I put the extra in there."

I was amazed at her kindness and generosity.

On our way home from school today, Grant shared the following story:

"The strangest thing happened today . . ." (He used those exact words, I swear!)

"This morning at snack recess, I decided to eat my cookie. It was so yummy! But then, when it was lunch time, I opened up my lunchbox, and there was another cookie! I don't know how it got there, I think my lunchbox made it!"

Jack burst out crying "That is so not fair—I didn't get any cookies in MY lunchbox..."

Olivia and I looked at each other, realized what had happened, and burst out laughing.

I'm thinking a cookie-producing lunchbox is a million-dollar idea . . .

Things that go bump in the night

2011-11-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

About a month ago, I was awoken in the night by the sound of footsteps above our room. Steve was out of town, and I literally thought someone was on top of our roof. I freaked out. I sat up in bed, and was trying to plot my escape. How could I possibly get to the kids on the other side of the house before the intruder found us? What could I use to defend myself? After a few minutes, the noise stopped. I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, for what seemed like an eternity before I was able to drift off into dreamland once again.

The next day, on the phone with Steve, I recounted the experience. “There’s no way you could hear someone on the roof” he told me. “The attic is above our room, and all that insulation would block out any sound up there.” “Plus, how and why would someone be on top of our roof? There’s easier ways to get into the house. It was probably a mouse in the attic.”

“No way” I told him. “This sounded way bigger than a mouse. It sounded like a person!”

Fast forward a few weeks. No more noise, no more mid-night awakenings. Then, weeks ago, in the middle of the night, I heard it again. This time, it was coming from the wall underneath one of our windows. I got out of bed and crept over to the window. I peered out, fearful of what might be trying to get into our second story room.

I tried to wake Steve. He rolled over and mumbled something about it being the middle of night and what did I want him to do?

The next night, as I was brushing my teeth, Steve heard the sound for the first time. He started sleuthing around, trying to figure out where it was coming from.

“Maybe it’s a bird stuck in the vent.” He threw on some sweats and headed outside to see if he could see anything. Nada. So back to bed he came.

“ Maybe we should call someone” he said.

In the meantime, I had heard tales of raccoons taking up residence in attics. I became convinced that we had a family of raccoons, happily procreating and raising their young in the warmth of our walls and attic.

The next day, I got on the phone with the local animal control. “I think we have raccoons in our attic” I told the lady on the other end.

“We don't remove wildlife from residences” she told me. But she gave me the number of a company that could help.

I called the number, explained what we were hearing, and scheduled a free inspection for the next day. Then I started thinking of what color I wanted to paint our bedroom after they patched up the holes they would have to cut to retrieve the raccoon babies nestled in our walls. I was convinced.

The guy arrived promptly at his scheduled time the next day. He brought in his ladder, climbed up into the attic access in our master closet, looked around for all of a minute and climbed back down.

“You’ve got a rat infestation. Looks like they’ve been living there for some time based on the droppings.”

I nearly passed out.

He told Steve to set traps and gave some advice as to what makes the best bait. He also showed Steve where they were likely coming in, and offered some suggestions for sealing up the access. Then he went on his merry way.

That night, I could hardly sleep. I kept waiting to hear music from the party that seemed to be taking place above us. Images from "Ratatouille" were circling in my mind, complete with talking rats stirring pots in the kitchen. The thought that we had rats living rent-free in our house was more than I could take.

In the week since, Steve has trapped a total of 6 rats in the attic. There may still be more. One more met its demise outside, plus Steve recovered a petrified rat skeleton from the crawl space underneath the house.

I’m trying to find the silver lining in this whole experience. The only “good” I’ve discovered is that I definitely made the right choice in picking my spouse. There is no way in h*** that I would be able to handle setting traps and removing dead carcasses. He’s done it without a single complaint. I love that man.

Next time I hear footsteps above my room, I'm going to hope and pray it's an intruder. And not the four-legged-with-whiskers variety.

Stop this train...I want to get off and go home again...

2011-10-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is borrowed from a favorite John Mayer song of mine...and perfectly describes the way I'm feeling about my life right now. It's going too fast. I want it to slow down. I can't really say I want it to stop, but a slow down would be welcome right now.

Here are a few of the events of the past several weeks:

I gave up on my makeshift garden (a few potted vegetables scattered throughout the backyard) and decided a weekly trip to the Farmers' Market would be a better use of my time, energy, and money.

lllllllll

Steve and I each celebrated a birthday. He turned 44.

A day later, I turned 39. My last year in my thirties.

To celebrate, we had dinner at PF Changs, then went to Jack's first cub scout pack meeting. Jack earned his "Bobcat", and had to put the pin on me.

I was the only mom insisting on posing for a photo. I didn't care.

Then we came home and ate cheesecake, which I had made earlier that afternoon. I didn't care that I made my own cake, it was what I wanted and I savored every calorie-rich bite.

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Steve and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. On a Tuesday.

To commemorate, we left Olivia in charge of the boys and headed downtown for a lovely, quiet, dinner for two. We marveled that we had reached this milestone, where not only were we happily married after all these years, but we also had kids old enough to leave at home—alone!—for a couple of hours without worrying.

When we got home and tucked the kids into bed, we asked Olivia what she thought an appropriate pay scale would be for a big sister babysitting. This was her reply: "Well, I did do the dishes, and fed them a treat, and got them in their PJs and ready for bed. I think $3/hour would be fair." DONE!

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I co-chaired the Walkathon fundraiser at the kids' school. It was a huge success...breaking records of previous years. We brought in over $28,000...which for a school of just 260 kids is no small feat. It took weeks of time and effort and planning, but it all paid off, and I'm glad it's over.

The kids were glad it was done too! The local fire department came for the hose down!

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My daughter has turned into a pre-teen. She went to the first school dance of the year. Thankfully, she is still a bit disgusted by the boys, and far prefers hanging out with her friends.

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My boys turned into little men. I snuck in to peek at them sleeping before going to bed last night. I couldn't help but snap these photos.

Moments after capturing his angelic slumber, Jack started projectile vomiting, which continued every 30 minutes for nearly 8 hours. No sleep for either one of us, and a whole lot of carpet scrubbing and laundry.

Since there's no slow-down in sight, I'll take a deep breath, wash my hands (and the dirty clothes and dishes), and enjoy the ride.

Tough and Mean

2011-09-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

Steve's mom has this expression . . . anytime she has to do something hard, painful, or otherwise unpleasant, she says "Tough & Mean", meaning put mind over matter and get 'er done. This expression has carried over into our family on many levels, whether it's a scraped knee, exhaustion, or just something new and a little scary.

After a month in a cast, we headed back to the orthopedic doctor this week for Grant's follow-up. Steve and I are both firm believers in being honest with the kids. So when Grant asked us if it was going to hurt, we said it might, but that he was strong and brave, "tough and mean", and it wouldn't last for long.

While we waited, we did our best to distract him from thinking about it too much.

The cast removal went well.

Since they had to cut Grant's first cast off to put on a higher one, the rotating saw was no big deal. Grant giggled through the whole thing, saying it "tickled" his arm.

When they pried the cast off, there was his little arm, slightly shriveled, and covered in dead skin.

Next it was down the hall to get a new X-ray taken. Grant held his arm close to his body, afraid of moving it.

Dr. Schwartz, the orthopedist, came into the exam room, looked at the X-rays, and said that things looked good, there was evidence of new bone filling in the fracture, and he felt like it was time to remove the pins.

He gave us two options:

Option 1—take Grant back to the Operating Room, put him under general anesthesia, and pull the pins out.

Option 2—Pull the pins right then and there, with no anesthesia or sedative. He said it would be mildly uncomfortable, but that if Grant resisted, he could stop and schedule an OR.

The risks of general anesthesia (not to mention the expense and no food/drink for 8 hours prior) seemed a bit excessive for something that would only take a couple of minutes. The doctor asked how stoic we thought Grant would be, and then he looked at me, and asked if I thought I could handle it. Seriously??? After very little discussion, Steve and I opted that if at all possible, we'd like to try and have the pins pulled right there.

As the doctor was getting things ready, Grant laid back and with tears in his eyes, asked me "Why did you even make me play on that playground? I didn't want to play on the playground!" A little late for that discussion, I think. . .

I stood at Grant's head, with his little face cupped in my hands, trying to keep his eyes focused on me, instead of his elbow as the doc went to work.

He swiftly and deftly went to work, wiggling, prying, and then pulling out two 3+" nails from my baby's elbow. Grant barely whimpered, just said "ow, ow, it hurts!"

When it was over, and we saw the pins laying on the table, both Steve and I almost passed out. The thought that moments before, those had been inside his bones was just more than we wanted to imagine! Steve piped up and said "There is no way I could have done what Grant just did. No way. Knock me out."

They wrapped it in gauze for a bit to stop the bleeding and sent us out to the hallway to wait. As we sat there, Grant said "Well that wasn't so bad!" Maybe not for him . . .

A small bandaid later, and we were on our way. He's still favoring it a bit, and doesn't yet have full range of motion, but he's on his way. No PE, gymnastics, or monkey bars for another month to make sure things are completely healed, but he should be back to full activity in no time.

Both Steve and I are still amazed that Grant handled the whole experience as well as he did. Sure, there were moments of pretty intense pain, and the hassle, discomfort, and awkwardness of being in a cast. But through it all, and especially when they pulled out the pins, Grant has been the epitome of "Tough and Mean" . . . in a nice sort of way :)

Livin' the life...

2011-09-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

Now that all three kids are in "real" school, I find myself with a little more "free" time on my hands. I'm working two days a week in the school library, but have two full days and one half day a week all by my lonesome. It's true! The house is so quiet with the kids gone that I can literally hear myself think.

While I try and fill most of my days with productive "housewife-y" chores and duties, I am trying to spend a little more time on me, doing things that I enjoy. A good friend of mine suggested we take tennis lessons—a fun way to get a little fresh air and burn some calories. It is also a good excuse to buy some cute new clothes! Today was the first lesson.

Steve bought a golf cart a couple of weeks ago, and we drove that up the hill to the club today, laughing the whole way.

(I'm really hoping it was just the shadows

that make my thigh look so dimpled . . .)

Our teacher is a hard core Brazilian tennis pro. She worked us to the bone, we were both huffing and puffing by the end of the lesson. Amazingly enough, she said my new racket was actually "TOO Beginner" for me! Never thought that would be possible.

Don't hold your breath on seeing me in the US Open anytime soon, but I may have actually found a sport that I enjoy, and can actually play. Who would have thunk it???

Remembering . . . a decade after 9/11

2011-09-11T20:51:00.001-07:00

There aren't many days in the last ten years that I can recall with near perfect clarity . . . with the exception of 9/11/01.

I had just gone through a devastating miscarriage two weeks prior, and was still grieving the loss of that pregnancy and the hopes and dreams that felt like they had been lost as well. I was an emotional wreck, yet trying to still be a mom to a busy toddler.

On that Tuesday morning, I woke up, reached for the remote, and clicked on the Today Show. This had been my morning habit, and I quietly savored those moments until Olivia came toddling in asking for breakfast.

When the TV came on, I saw the gaping hole in one of the Twin Towers, and heard the incredulous voices of Matt Lauer and Katie Couric as they tried to make sense of what was happening. I picked up the phone and called Steve, who was riding BART into work.

"Something crazy is going on," I said. "It looks like a bomb went off in the Twin Towers in New York."

Seconds later, still on the phone, I watched in disbelief as a plane crashed into the second tower. It was like a movie, it seemed impossible that it was really happening.

I was glued to the TV all day, and in the days that followed, watching the images played and replayed over and over again. I listened to the stories of individual and collective heroism and loss. I cried. I looked at my sweet Olivia, who had just turned 2, and wondered how I could ever raise a child in a world where something like this could happen.

A missionary that I had served closely with during my mission to the Canary Islands was working at the Pentagon when the plane hit. He was killed, leaving behind a darling wife.

There were hundreds of images of the day plastered on the TV, newspapers, and magazines. Many were horrifying. Of all the images though, this one seemed to resonate the most with me—The American Flag, rising up out of the ashes.

In the ten years since this tragedy, much has changed in our country, and our world. It is strange to hear my five and eight year olds talk matter-of-factly about the "planes that crashed into the buildings". The events of that day happened long before they were born, and they'll never know how things were "before". Yet it has become an important event in the history of our country. I will never forget where I was that day, nor will I forget how blessed I am to be an American.

(heart) Broken

2011-08-30T20:26:00.001-07:00

When my mom used to tell me that seeing me in pain hurt her more than me, I thought it was a bunch of bologna. Not anymore...

Our kids have all gotten hurt, and we've had our share of ER visits through the years. We've even dealt with a broken bone (Olivia broke her ankle falling off the same monkey bars on the first day of first grade, six years ago!). But I think the severity and the nature of this injury threw both Steve and I for a loop, and we felt things that neither one of us had felt before.

We checked into Valley Care Hospital a little after 3pm on Tuesday, August 23 for a 5pm surgery. There wasn’t a whole lot of action going on in pre-op, I got the feeling we were the last surgery of the day. The nurses must have known a little guy was coming in. They had his bed all ready and waiting for him.

Grant changed out of his clothes and into a very small hospital gown. So small, in fact that his little boy parts kept peeking out. It gave me the giggles. Actually, pretty much everything was giving me the giggles—I think that was my coping mechanism throughout the day...

We spent the next hour and a half answering medical history questions while Grant happily watched a movie on the iPad (a godsend through this whole ordeal!).

About 20 minutes prior to surgery time, the nurses gave him a little “happy juice” to help him relax and make the separation from us a little easier for him when they wheeled him away into the OR. Steve and I jokingly asked the nurse what they had to make it easier for us . . . Before long, he had a goofy, lopsided grin on his face and was mumbling incoherently. That really gave me the giggles.

He didn’t even flinch when the anesthesiologist put in the IV.

We kissed him and watched as they wheeled him away, feeling like my heart was being ripped right out of my chest. It was hard to breathe. We wandered to the lobby to wait.

While we waited, Steve did a google search for a normal humerus bone. This is what it looks like.

This is what Grant's arm looked like.

The jagged gray line across the bone is the fracture.

The "ball" on the bottom bone is supposed to be in the "socket" of the humerus...

That huge gap in between the lower and upper arm bones is not supposed to

be there. The bones should fit closely together. When we saw this,

and compared it to the normal x-ray, we both felt sick to our stomachs.

After what seemed like an eternity (but was really only about 40 minutes), we saw our surgeon coming across the lobby toward us. We were anxiously watching for a thumbs up sign or smile, but got none. His face was stone serious, which gave me a fit of panic, wondering what had gone wrong...thankfully, he quickly reported that the surgery had gone perfectly, they had placed the pins without incisions, and he was in recovery.

When they took us back to recovery, he was still fast asleep. It took about another hour or so for him to slowly wake up.

He looked so tiny in the bed.

Because of his age, and the late time of day of his surgery, they kept him in the hospital overnight for observation. He hadn’t had anything to eat or drink for nearly 12 hours, but the kitchen was closed for the night. Grant’s dinner for the evening consisted of 3 cups of apple juice, a carton of chocolate milk, and a bag of Baked Lay’s potato chips. The dinner of champions!

We were in a private room, with our very own flat screen tv on the wall. And Grant got to call the shots on whatever we watched. In his world, that was pretty much heaven! When he couldn't find anything to watch on tv (after about 11pm, even Cartoon Network shows trashy shows), we switched to the iPad.

It was a rough night. With an IV in one hand, and his other arm immobilized and in pretty severe pain, he was pretty much useless. At about 4am, after close to no sleep for nearly 48 hours, I lost it and broke down sobbing. I just rubbed his little chest through the bedrail, silently praying for the strength to get through this.

When the sun came up a couple of hours later, he had turned a corner. He hopped out of bed and walked to the bathroom, ate a couple of pancakes and pieces of bacon for breakfast, and was ready to head on home.

Friday we went back to the orthopedist for his hard cast. They took an xray to check alignment, and things looked perfect!

He was a trooper as they put on not one, but two casts. The first cast didn’t come up high enough on his arm leaving too much mobility in the joint, so the cast tech had to cut it off and start over. Grant laid back on the table, closed his eyes, and went to his happy place.

He's now proudly sporting a super cool camouflage cast. He blends in very well with his surroundings.

By Saturday, he was running around, and pretty much back to his normal mischief-making.

It’s tough keeping him out of the pool and away from the water—the boy is part fish!

I look back on this past week, and it just seems unreal. My heart still jumps into my throat when I look at the photos of his bone, or him in the hospital, or think of his cry when he first fell. While it’s true that my physical pain might not have been as great as his, the emotional pain was pretty much off the charts!

The face of happiness at twelve

2011-08-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Olivia turned 12 years old today. (What???? 12???? What happened to the last 11 years???)

She's been dying for a new cell phone. (Apparently her cute little pink flip phone is soooo last year!)

She's also been begging for texting privileges (according to her, she's the ONLY one who wasn't allowed to text. I have a hard time believing that!)

After a whole lot of discussion and consideration, Steve and I decided it was time.

So, while we were waiting for our food to arrive at her birthday dinner, we handed her a small, wrapped box.

We laid out a few ground rules—no texting after 8pm on weeknights, 9pm on weekends, no texting at the dinner table, no texting when friends are over, we have the right to check her texts at any time without a fight, and the real clincher...no sassy attitude.

When I was 12, I got a cassette deck for my room. My, how things have changed...

Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Back to school!

2011-08-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

The kids went back to school today. Well, two of them did...

Olivia started 7th grade today...which freaks me out just a little—in 2 short years she'll be off to high school!

Jack started 3rd grade today. He has the same teacher as last year, whom he adores, and was up and in the shower before the sun came up this morning. He was ready!

Grant went to his class for about an hour...just long enough to hear a story, go on a little scavenger hunt around the school, and sit down and start to eat a cookie, which I promptly snatched away from him (but not before he took a bite...shhhh, don't tell!) since he can't eat or drink anything (even water) ALL........DAY.........LONG!!!!!

Now he's laying on the couch watching "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl" for the hundredth time (dumbest movie ever, but Grant thinks it's da bomb...)

We're going to venture out and do a little birthday shopping for Olivia before it's time to check into the hospital.

I think God knows what He's doing...while I certainly did not wish for a broken arm, this has put things in perspective for me. The distraction of the arm has taken my mind off the fact that my baby is headed off to school. When Grant finally and officially walks into kindergarten next week, I think I'll be breathing a sigh of relief instead of shedding tears!

Be careful what you wish for...

2011-08-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the first day of school. I was halfway dreading it, mostly because Grant is starting kindergarten, and I wasn't quite ready to let him go.

Today, we went to kindergarten orientation at the school. Grant got to meet his teacher, spend some time in his classroom, and get a feel for what school will be like. It was great. He was happy. I only shed a tear or two as he walked away from me, then I was happy too.

Afterwards, he raced out to the playground with Jack and Olivia. A little while later, Olivia came running and told me Grant had fallen and was screaming and couldn't move his arm.

We spent 4 long hours in the ER.

Grant was not a very happy camper, but was super cooperative, even in a ton of pain.

X-rays showed he has a broken humerus...which really isn't humorous at all. The ER doc set his arm in a temporary splint and sent us on our way.

We got in to see an orthopedic specialist this afternoon. Because of the location and severity of the fracture, Grant will need surgery to place pins in the bones to help it heal properly. We are scheduled for 5pm tomorrow.

I know I wished that he wasn't heading off to kindergarten quite yet, but this really wasn't what I had in mind!

Five

2011-08-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

This guy is now officially five years old. FIVE! How did that happen?

Where did the time go? I know that phrase is over-used. But I really feel it . . . five years have passed, yet there are moments when I can still smell his newness, feel his innocence, and taste the sweetness that accompanies a newborn baby. Of course, I also vaguely recall the sleepless nights, leaking body parts (his and mine!), crying (again, his and mine!), and the feeling that my body would never be my own again!

At five, Grant measures 42" tall and weighs 43 lbs. He is solid as a rock.

He is rarely seen fully dressed. He'd go naked all day, every day if I'd let him.

He knows all the words to Bruno Mars' song "Grenade" and belts them out at the top of his lungs anytime the song comes on. He is especially good at the "For Ya" parts of the song.

He's even mastered the rock-star "faux-hawk" look!

He swims better than me. Seriously—and I was a pretty decent swimmer in my day. This kid has potential.

He tackles everything he does with incredible gusto. There are no half-hearted attempts at anything.

He has no fear. He'll be the one caught jumping off the roof, racing motorcycles, or crossing a tight rope between two sky scrapers. Steve won't let me watch him play outside anymore because I gasp and shriek too much at the stuff he does.

He is as stubborn as a mule. I've had to revamp my mommy-game to figure out what makes him tick, and I'm still figuring it out!

He starts kindergarten in 2 weeks. Bring on the champagne, and a case of kleenex. I have a feeling I'll be needing them both.

Lessons learned while underwater

2011-08-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

"Swimmers take your mark, get set . . ."

"And GO!"

We just wrapped up our fifth summer on swim team. I have friends (actually, lots of them), who think we are insane to dedicate 3+ months each year to swimming. Daily practices (now spanning 2 hours because of the kids' ages) and meets every Saturday from 6am to noon take up a good chunk of our time.

While we may be just a little insane, we have also watched our kids blossom through the experience. Here are just some of the things we love about swim team:

It teaches the importance of teamwork. Swimming is both an individual and a team sport. Every single swimmer helps contribute to the overall success and ranking of the team, yet with the exception of relays, swimmers are competing individually. Even if a swimmer doesn't "win" a race, they can improve their own personal time.

Jack's medley relay team worked hard to stay together,

and ended up with a gold medal at the league championships!

It builds endurance and personal strength. In addition to the increased physical stamina gained by swimming laps for 30-45 minutes every single day, emotional strength is gained as well. The kids learn to overcome fears, to push themselves beyond what they thought they could do, and are rewarded for their accomplishments.

Case in point, every Wednesday, kids in the 10 and under age groups are challenged to an "Animal Swim". Depending on age and ability, they swim varying lengths and strokes without taking a breath. For the kids under age 6 (that was Grant this year!), they must swim freestyle from the deep end of the pool to the black line (about 3/4 the length of a 25m pool) without taking a single breath. Once they reach that point, they can try for the whole length of the pool. Then, they move on to the butterfly stroke, again swimming the entire length of the pool without a breath.

Last year, Jack tried all season to make it to the end of the pool, and couldn't do it. He was sad, but determined that this year, he'd do it. The very first week of morning practice, the coaches asked Jack to "demo" the Animal Swim. He'd never made it before, and I could tell he was nervous about it, especially with all the other kids watching.

He made it on the very first try this year. When he got out of the water, he said over and over "I just can't believe I made it!"

Over the course of the next several weeks, Jack kept trying to make it in butterfly, and Grant tried to make it to the black line. Each week, they came a little closer, until the very last Wednesday . . . when both boys made it! Their reward? A bag of animal crackers at our end-season-banquet, thunderous applause, and a whole lot of pride!

The kids learn to take encouragement from others. Our coaches are unbelievable. They're the reason we haven't joined a team closer to home. The way they uplift, motivate, and acknowledge the kids is amazing.

Early on in the season, Grant had a bit of stage fright when it came to the meets. He did fine in practice, but come line up on Saturday morning, he wanted nothing to do with it. Coach Frank gently and firmly coached Grant along, cracking jokes, calming his fears, and getting him pumped up to swim. It worked.

A couple of weeks before the end of the season, the coaches pulled us aside and asked if we thought Grant would be okay swimming at championships. 1200 swimmers, and an all-day event gave us pause . . . but in the end, we agreed. He was the only 4 year old in the entire league swimming at championships. We weren't sure what Grant's reaction would be when he saw the gigantic pool with the sides lined by all the people. But with Coach Frank (aka The Jolly Green Giant) by his side (and the promise of chocolate when he was done), that little shark dove in and swam with all his might.

It gives us something to laugh about. Rarely a practice or meet went by that we weren't laughing out loud about something—most often something Grant said or did. Here's just a few snapshots:

Still not quite sure what Grant is doing here.

Maybe tucking in his swimsuit strings—or maybe something else!

This swim start was the photo winner of the season. I laugh every time I see it!

Grant's "snake eyes" goggles hid his eyes from view, and so we could never quite read what was going on in that mind of his. He loved them though, and said they gave him super powers. Whatever it takes!

It builds friendships. Both kids have made great friends through our association with the families on swim team.

Jack and his teammate Joe have swam together the last three years. They are neck and neck as far as times go, and both push each other to be better. At the beginning of the season, they weren't talking much to each other, or really even acknowledging each other's presence. When I asked Jack why, he replied "It's because he's my arch enemy." Jack didn't want to get too friendly for fear of losing his focus, and getting beat! As the season progressed however, these two were unstoppable. Not just in the pool, but out of the pool as well.

"I am Hans" and "I am Franz" and "We are here to PUMP YOU UP!"

We've known Jordan through a mutual friend for several years. But this was her first year on our team, and she and Olivia became fast friends. It was fun for them both to have someone to hang out with!

It's family-oriented. Coaches, parents, and kids all work together to make swimming a success. Meets are run by volunteers, and parental involvement is required. We got to spend 6 hours every Saturday morning together as a family. No TV, no distractions (except for the snack bar), just us (and 100 other families!) hanging out together, cheering each other on.

It really was about the snack bar—there was no end to the treats and junk the boys craved on Saturday mornings!

I should have made a sign for Grant to wear that said "Will swim for food..."

Congratulating Olivia after winning her heat and getting

her own personal best at Championships!

The kids are rewarded for their efforts. In addition to visits to the snack bar, the kids receive ribbons for each and every race at each and every meet. Over the course of the season, with three kids, we've amassed quite a collection!

Jack finished the season with two gold medals and a silver medal. His free relay team and medley relay team both took first place, and Jack won the silver for the 8 & under butterfly race.

Grant and Olivia were both heat winners, and helped score points for the team.

We've gone through withdrawals some this week, missing the daily drive to, and the time spent at, the pool. While it is nice to have a break, the kids are already asking how long until swim team starts again!

The rest of the story...

2011-07-07T21:05:00.001-07:00

Our voyage up north was timed around a short break for the kids from swim team, and my brother Shepard's return to the mainland. We road-tripped it, splitting the drive into two days.

Any hesitations I had in buying a car with a built-in TV/DVD player and rear entertainment center completely disappeared on this trip. The kids rotted their brains watching movies and playing on the iPad for the entire 635 miles each way. They likely used up their allocated "screen time" from now til Christmas.

On the way up, we stayed overnight in Grants Pass, Oregon. We got a cheap room in a hotel with a pool. The kids thought they were staying at the Ritz.

In addition to celebrating Jack's 8th birthday and baptism, we had several mini family reunion of sorts over the course of our stay.

My brother Shepard and his wife Breanne are home from their year-long dental residency in Hawaii, and are getting ready to embark on a year-long adventure to India and Europe. We hadn't seen them in 2 years, so there were lots of hugs and catching up.

Are they not the most gorgeous couple ever?

We had a great family dinner at my mom's house on Saturday night. Both my brothers were there, along with Isaac's in-laws, who were in town for the baptism. Great food, lots of laughter, and cousins playing like crazy!

While I may be the "oldest" sister, I am certainly not the "biggest"!

My mom and David, with her three kids, spouses, and 6 grandkids!

We headed down to Silverton to my dad's house on Sunday afternoon. Sunday night, we went to the St. Paul Rodeo. This small town has a population of about 350. More than 10,000 people were in attendance at the rodeo Sunday night! It was crazy! The kids loved it, and it was the real deal—bucking broncos, bull-riding, and calf roping.

On Monday, the 4th of July, Ike & Lisa, Shep & Bre, Bob & Hae, and Jahmez were all over. There was lots of lounging about and enjoying the sunshine.

Jack & Canyon took a break from the craziness to hang out on the hammock.

There was also a whole lot more great food, more laughter, and a Slip & Slide!

After an early dinner, the kids set out on a scavenger hunt to locate the hidden "treasure"—a big box of fireworks!

Although the sun wasn't even close to going down, at 7:00 the show began.

Then it was time for a one-man circus . . . starring Isaac.

The weather was perfect all week, and it was fantastic to spend so much time with my amazing family!

A Day To Remember

2011-07-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

Jack is 8 years old today. It doesn't quite seem possible.

He has grown by leaps and bounds in the last year. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. He is kind, thoughtful, helpful, and loving. He loves to snuggle, has a contagious smile, and is exceptionally strong, athletic, and coordinated. He loves Legos, playing Wii, and can't get enough swimming.

Jack and his cousin Canyon are just a couple of months apart in age, Canyon turned 8 in April. As we were planning our summer trip to Oregon, we started talking about how special it would be for the boys to be baptized together. As we tried to coordinate our travel plans, the only time we could hold the baptism was on Jack's actual birthday...super exciting for him, but planning a baptism on a Tuesday afternoon presents a few challenges. My amazing sister-in-law Lisa was a trooper and managed to pull things together.

All dressed and ready to go . . .

Both boys were baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by their grandpas—Jack by his Grandpa Davy, and Canyon by his Grandpa Paul.

Canyon's grandma Julie gave a talk about the Holy Ghost, and presented each boy with a super cozy, snuggly blanket—a reminder of how the Holy Ghost is our Comforter, and can keep us warm and safe throughout our lives.

Even in the 85 degree heat, the boys couldn't help but wrap themselves up!

Jack and his Grandpa Davy have a sweet and special relationship.

Grammy Deanna & Grandpa Davy love these boys!

I can't believe how grown up the kids are . . . and love Grant's "James Durbin" faux-hawk!

After the baptism, we all headed to Grandpa Kurt's house for a special birthday/baptism celebration dinner.

After dinner, it was present time!

Jack was excited to get his first pair of real golf shoes!

These 5 boys are all super close in age.

I can only imagine the adventures and mischief they'll create as they grow up!

We are blessed to have such an amazing and loving extended family. While all might not share the same religious beliefs, the warmth, support, and love felt throughout the day was overwhelming. I know this birthday will be etched forever in our memories!

When nobody's watching...

2011-06-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

Steve recently purchased an iPad...and it's tough to say who's having more fun with it—him, or the kids. I haven't put my hands on it much, mostly out of fear that once I do, I'll never want to give it back!

As I was loading some files onto it for an upcoming road trip, pictures popped up that the kids took using the "Photobooth" feature. They struck me so funny that I laughed to the point of tears.

Ever wonder where the term "button nose" came from?

Who could resist lips like these?

While an "hourglass figure" might be nice, when it comes to faces, not so much...

This one gives new meaning to the name "block head"!

While as adults, we all strive for the best possible head shot, it cracks me up that the kids find such humor and delight in unattractive photo shoots.

For all the blogstalkers out there thinking of snatching my kids and selling them into a world of child slavery, take a look at these photos and move on. With mugs like these, no one will want them!

You know you're really a housewife when....

2011-06-27T22:30:00.001-07:00

Twelve years ago, Steve and I bought our first house. I was pregnant with Olivia, and we found a new development out in Pittsburg that we could actually afford. We were so excited!

We watched the house go from concrete slab to framed to finished over the course of a few months. Every weekend, we'd drive out from our tiny rental house in San Bruno to check on the progress.

With a new house came the need for new appliances. We bought our first refrigerator, and our very own washer and dryer.

That washer and dryer have moved with us to 3 different houses, and done approximately 4,500 loads of wash over the last 12 years. Last week, I noticed a pool of water coming from underneath the washing machine. I mopped it up, and then did another load. Another pool of water. A few calls to friends and appliance repairmen made me realize that fixing the machine would not be worth it...so it was time to replace the old and faithful friend.

Even though the dryer is still working fine, we opted for a matching set, and I convinced Steve that the laundry room could use some color. After some consumer shopping, I decided on these beauties:

They were delivered today, and are even more beautiful in person. I actually want to do laundry! I smile just walking into the laundry room, and when the little chime song goes off signaling the end of the cycle, I'm jumping up and running in there. There are so many more options and bells and whistles than what I'm used to...it will be a while before I have them figured out.

The fact that I'm so excited about household appliances is a sign to me that I either a) need to get a life, or b) find great joy and satisfaction in the care and keeping of my amazing family, or c) a little of both.

Swimming with the Sharks!

2011-05-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's swim season again . . . which means that from now through July, our family will be spending about 15% of our waking hours poolside at swim practice.

For as long as he's been able to talk, Grant has been talking about being a Shark, being on swim team, and yearning for the day when he could join his big brother and sister in the pool. After taking swim lessons all winter, his swimming skills were strong enough that we decided to give it a try.

Last night was the first practice. As we were loading everything in to the car, Grant said "When I'm a Shark, I'm going to kill everybody!" I looked at him and said "That's not a nice thing to say Grant - we don't kill people." He looked up at me and said "No mom, that just means I'm going to swim faster than everybody else!"

We got to the pool, and when the coaches called, Grant got lined up and ready to go. When Coach Frank told him to jump in and swim his inaugural lap, he did just fine.

The nervous laughter you hear in the background is me. I couldn't believe my baby was swimming. Up until last night, he'd never swam a full 25 meters before, and I wasn't sure if he'd be able to make it. Not only did he make it, he swam nearly half the length of the pool without taking a breath! One of the assistant coaches was walking along the pool deck as he swam, yelling "Take a breath Grant!" I don't know if it was fear, nerves, or pure adrenaline!

For 30 straight minutes, that little body swam back and forth across the pool.

When he climbed out and got wrapped up in his towel, he had a grin from ear to ear.

While he may be the youngest and smallest Shark on the team, his determination is right up there with the big dogs!

My baby . . . she wrote me a letter!

2011-04-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Our girl comes home today—and I can't wait! I woke up this morning feeling almost giddy with excitement!

Yesterday, the trusty postman dropped a letter in the mailbox. He must have known how desperate I was getting to hear from her! This is what it had to say:

Guess the intimacy with slime is part of the curriculum and wasn't just my camp counselor playing a dirty trick. And while she may be growing up, here's hoping the "gross-ness" of that first kiss stays with her for a while . . .

Letting go . . .

2011-04-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

I sent my baby girl off to Science Camp this week. She's been looking forward to this week for months—maybe even years. It's a rite of passage of sorts . . . a week in the woods with her class, and no parents hovering about. No electronics (including cell phones) were allowed, so she's completely out of reach.

For months, I've known this was coming and I was so excited for her! I kept thinking back to my own version of science camp, called Outdoor School, when I was in 5th or 6th grade. I had the best time. At least I think I did. My only real memory of the week was having to lick a banana slug to test out the natural anesthetic properties of its slime . . .

As the day of her departure got closer, the realization of her leaving began to sink in. The thought of not seeing her, of not hugging her, or kissing her goodnight, of not hearing her giggle or talk (or even talk back . . .) for an entire 5 days started to fill me with a bit of sadness.

The night before she left, I sat down to write her a few letters to send for her to open each day. As I told her how much I loved her, how happy I was that she got to have this amazing adventure, and how lucky I was to be her mom, I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. I figured I'd get all the tears out and be done and ready to send her off with a smile.

Monday morning, I got up early and came down to make pancakes for a special breakfast. When Olivia walked in the kitchen, the floodgates opened up. Between my quiet sobs, I managed to squeak out "I'm sorry if I cry honey, I'm not sad . . . I just love you so much."

She came over and gave me a big hug. As she looked up at my teary eyes, she smiled and said "Geez mom. If you're crying like this when I'm just going to Science Camp for a week, what are you going to do when I leave for college?"

We lugged all her stuff to school, underwent some last minute instructions and direction from her teacher, and then it was time to go.

As she passed by me walking out to the bus and saw me with my camera aimed and ready to click, she shot me a look of death and said "Come ON Mom, seriously?"

I wasn't the only one snapping photos!

Bags were packed with a week's worth of clothes, sleeping bags and pillows rolled together, and there was a mad dash to get on the bus.

Olivia waited patiently with her best buddies—they were the last ones to get their bags stashed below the bus.

I watched her line up with her class before boarding the bus, all of them equally filled with excitement and anticipation of what was to come. I wondered how we got to this point.

When did this little person who filled me with so much joy and love . . .

become this big person that gives so much joy and love to everyone she meets?

The house feels a little empty this week. My heart feels even more empty. It's amazing how the dynamics of our family change with one person gone. I frequently find my thoughts turning to her. Wondering what she's doing, if she's warm enough, if she likes the food, if she's remembering to brush her teeth. And then the tears start up, and I have to distract myself with something else for a while.

The boys both miss their big sister. Grant keeps saying funny things like "I can't believe Olivia is old enough to go Science Camp. I miss her . . ." Jack has said several times "I really miss Olivia. I can't wait til she comes home."

I know that no matter how many times I watch my child drive away, I'll feel that tug in my heart. And yet, letting them each go is a necessary part of life. And when that day comes in a few years when Olivia drives away for good, she'll be ready.

I wish I could say the same for me.

In her words . . .

2011-04-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

When I woke up my computer this morning, I saw an essay Olivia wrote for school this week. She's become quite independent in her homework, which is wonderful! She was working on it last night before bed, and I didn't see it when she finished.

Apparently, at least in her mind, life isn't easy at 11.

"In my family, I am the oldest. There are some advantages and disadvantages about being the oldest. There is no one older to pick on you or make you feel like a “kid”. Being the oldest makes me feel older than I am. It also gives me more responsibility. It can be cool but can get uncool so fast.

An advantage is there is no one to pick on you. I think if I had an older sibling, they would make me feel like a “kid” because I’m not as old as them. Luckily though, that isn’t my case.

Another advantage is that it makes me feel older than I really am. My two brothers always look up to me for advice, which could or couldn’t be a good thing. It stinks because I am the role model for my brothers and I have to be pretty much on my beat behavior when I’m around them. It is mostly a good thing though.

A disadvantage is that it gives me more responsibility. I probably have 3 times more chores that I do and I probably have 10 times more homework than them. I could list my daily chores and homework but that could take a while.

Being the oldest comes with a lot of responsibility (and chores). Everyone has an important part in their family, no matter how much they love it or hate it. I always keep in mind that things are the way they are for a reason so just stick with it and things will turn around (hopefully)."

It's funny to me how she thinks she has so many chores. We have a housekeeper that comes every two weeks so there's no real scrubbing of toilets, floors, or showers. We have a gardener that does the yard, so she doesn't have to mow the lawn, trim trees, or pull weeds. I do the laundry, though I do ask the kids to put their own clothes away. Her chores literally consist of unloading one rack in the dishwasher, keeping her room picked up, feeding her rabbit, setting the dinner table, and a few extra odds and ends. But to hear her tell it, we're running a child labor camp.

"Extreme Room Makeover" - Teenage Style!

2011-04-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

When Olivia turned 5, we had just moved into our house in Fremont, and I wanted to decorate her room. I bought an adorable quilt from Pottery Barn Kids, painted and hung a wallpaper border. It was darling.

This was the day we said good-bye to our house in Fremont,

and the only picture I could find of her room!

Fast forward a few years, and she started begging for a makeover. She wanted something "more grown up . . . more teenager-y". When she turned 10, we ditched the cutesy quilt and replaced it with a bold polka dot comforter set, but the walls still screamed "little girl"! I kept promising her we'd paint.

Then we decided to move!

Olivia picked out her room in the new house. Her choice?

She opted for a smaller bedroom and closet than the other options, because this room had its own bathroom attached.

When we first saw the house, we thought this room had a 1/2 bath, not a full.

It's an itty-bitty bathroom—when the door is open, the shower is out of view.

But it's all hers, and she loves it!

We promised her that we'd redo her room this year, in honor of her turning 12 and graduating from Primary at church into the Young Women program—a big step for her. But we told her that whatever we did to her room now had to last her until she leaves for college in 6 years (did I just say that? Is she really leaving for college in 6 years????)

For almost a year now, she's been poring through PB Teen catalogs, trying to picture various bedding sets and room designs. Some seemed too trendy, others too bright, others were still too "young" to last through high school. A few weeks back, she landed on this.

The set seemed to be the perfect combination of fun and bright, and something that she won't outgrow too quick.

Then came the task of picking a paint color. She wanted something bright. I wanted something tasteful, yet feminine. We brought Steve in on the planning, and he quickly came up with a color scheme that sounded perfect.

Over the weekend, we transformed the room.

Three walls are a blue-ish lavender color. The wall where her window and mirrored closet are is a chocolate brown.

We splurged on a plush brown rug for the floor, it looks great!

We bought the mirror to hang above her dresser, filling up a blank wall and adding some style.

We still need to hang a few pictures and re-cover a bulletin board to break up the wall between her desk and bed.

Her bathroom is a bright pink. And I mean BRIGHT!

We may do away with the monkey artwork. . . a remnant of younger years.

She'll have no trouble feeling cheerful being in there as she wakes up early in the morning, although she may have some trouble when it comes time to learning to tastefully apply makeup . . .

When all was said and done, I couldn't believe how beautiful it turned out. The pictures don't do it justice. It literally looks like it belongs in a magazine. I have to give Steve a lot of the credit here - he has such an eye for colors and design, and is able to pick out little detaily finishing touches to tie it all together (he picked out the pink lamp on the nightstand . . . it ties in the bathroom color and the pink on the quilt perfectly!)

Olivia is floating on Cloud-9, and has promised to keep her room as neat and tidy as it is today for the rest of her years here.

I won't hold my breath!

The Great Outdoors . . . in our own backyard!

2011-04-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

Over spring break last week, we took a quick weekend trip to Yosemite. We've wanted to take the kids there for the past few years—ever since Steve and I visited for our anniversary three years ago. But we knew a fair amount of walking would be in the plan, and didn't want to be lugging a toddler on our backs. Grant is finally old enough to walk on his own (most of the time), with only minimal complaining.

We weren't sure if we would be able to get there—the week prior, everything had been shut down due to record snowfall and a power outage. We closely watched the weather forecast, and sun and above-freezing temperatures were in the works, so we decided to go for it! We were not disappointed.

We had an early morning breakfast at McD's and hit the road. It was our first real outing in the new car, and we tested out the REC (Rearseat Entertainment Center). The kids watched a movie in the backseat with their wireless headphones, while Steve and I listened to the XM Top 20 countdown over and over on Sirius Radio. It was awesome.

The incredible amounts of snow this year have resulted in absolutely spectacular waterfalls. We pulled over several times to check out the views.

We asked some random guy to take a picture of us.

We'd intended to showcase the waterfall behind us.

Instead, we ended up with mostly the road.

Oh well—you get what you pay for, right?

Our first stop in Yosemite Valley was Bridalveil Falls. A quick 1/2 mile hike took us to a bridge below the falls. We were roughly a quarter mile from the base of the falls. But from the water showering down, we may as well have been standing underneath!

We checked into our hotel later Saturday afternoon. We stayed at the Yosemite Lodge, right in the heart of the Valley. The kids love staying in a hotel. Our room was nothing spectacular, but the kids were ready to move in for good.

An afternoon rain shower gave us a good excuse to lay down and take a nap.

Or pretend to . . .

I figured this was a perfect opportunity to fool around with the

"Hipstamatic" app on my iPhone, with some fun results!

We had a lovely dinner at the upscale restaurant on-site. We had an amazing view of Yosemite Falls from our table.

Honestly, I think the view from my side of the table was equally as glorious.

Sunday morning, we woke up early and fueled our bodies for a hike up Yosemite Falls. We had intended to hike the trail to the Upper Falls, but because of all the snow still on the ground, we got a little off course.

We ended up exploring gigantic granite boulders.

"Help Mom and Dad . . . this boulder is going to crush us!!!!"

Jack harnessed his inner mountain goat and literally scampered over and around boulders and rocks alongside a stream.

Before Steve and I even blinked, he was out of sight. I had to bite my tongue to keep from freaking out, although I did manage to yell out several warnings like "Slow down!", "Be careful!", "Don't go any farther!", and "Jack—STOP RIGHT NOW!!!!"

I need to work on my ability to keep my mouth shut and let my boys be boys (and my girl too!). Testing physical limits and abilities plays an important role in their development, and I don't want to be a heli-mom (you know the ones . . . that hover about their kids like a helicopter). We didn't have a single scraped knee or elbow. Not sure if that was because I was praying nonstop, or that my kids are more competent, agile, and coordinated than I give them credit for. The only real casualties of the weekend were some very wet shoes from scampering through the snow!

When we crossed the bridge at the lower falls, a vibrant rainbow was shining through the water. It was breathtaking.

As we were wandering around the Lodge, tour bus after tour bus arrived full of visitors from all over the globe. I couldn't help but marvel at how people come from around the world to visit something that for us, is practically in our backyard. Cameras were snapping like mad at creatures that we often consider pests. Dozens of tourists were circled around a little chipmunk in the parking lot nibbling on a discarded Cheeto. It occurred to me that in many parts of the world, high rise apartment buildings and skyscrapers fill the landscape, leaving no room for the creatures that we see on an almost daily basis!

The time together made both Steve and I realize that we need to do things like this more often. No electronics (except the movie in the car, and my iPhone of course . . . aka "My Other Half"—hey, I used it to take lots of pictures!). The kids got along famously, but of course I couldn't capture a single picture with them all looking at the camera and smiling angelically . . .

As we were leaving the Valley Sunday afternoon, the sky was a brilliant blue. As we passed El Capitan, it literally took our breath away.

Yosemite is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and is only a 2 1/2 hour drive away. I foresee many more adventures!

The Big Catch

2011-03-29T13:27:00.001-07:00

Last week, a good friend of ours took the boys on a fishing expedition. They'd been looking forward to it for weeks, and even though the forecast was grim (read wind, rain, floods, etc.), their outlook was sunny.

Jack caught the first (and biggest) fish of the day. He was shocked, thrilled, brave, and strong. He reeled it in all by himself, with great care and thought.

When the next line tugged, it was Grant's turn. He bravely reeled the line up into the boat, guided by Steve.

He then stood by watching Alan hook the fish on to the hand-held scale. He held the scale and posed for a picture.

As soon as the camera went "click", so did Grant. He dropped the fish—scale and all—and ran into Steve's arms sobbing. I'm not sure if he was scared of the fish, or bothered by the fact that the creature who moments before had been happily swimming through the water was now flopping around on the boat gasping for air.

In all, six handsome trout met their demise that day.

The highlight for both boys was the fact that there was no "mom" on the boat. When they were hungry (which was about 5 minutes after they left the dock, and every 5 minutes for the rest of the day), Steve and Alan told them to grab something out of the cooler. They ate whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted for the whole entire day. When they got home, I asked what they had for lunch. "Oreos and Ritz crackers, chips, and juice pouches."

Jack couldn't wait to eat the fish. We made fish tacos when we got home. Grant wanted nothing to do with it. Who knows if he'll ever eat fish again. Heaven help us if he figures out where beef, pork, or chicken come from . . . we may have a future vegetarian on our hands!

One Liners

2011-03-25T12:00:00.001-07:00

It seems that I've forgotten how to speak in complete sentences. At least when it comes to getting the kids ready and out of the house to school. This is how our morning conversations have been lately. . .

Change the names, and it's like I wrote it. Or at least am living it. No wonder it's tough for kids today to write a complete sentence. They never hear one!

Ages and Stages

2011-03-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that Steve loves cars. We've gone through our fair share of wheels in our 15 years together.

When we met, Steve had a Toyota pickup truck with one side smashed in, and had just totaled a Porsche. I drove an Audi. Steve replaced his Porsche with a sleek black BMW 525.

We got married, sold the Audi, and I drove the BMW.

Then I got pregnant. We decided we needed a more family-friendly vehicle, so we sold the BMW and bought a Ford Expedition.

Just weeks after buying the Expedition, we bought our first house - and spent every weekend driving out to check on the building progress!

Then Steve decided it was time to upgrade his beat-up Toyota, so we bought a Ford F-150 truck.

Steve rode BART to work every day, so the truck didn't get used much, and the Expedition was our main mode of family transportation.

He soon realized that the truck drove exactly like the Expedition, and even the interiors were almost identical. It didn't take long before he wanted a fun car to toot around in on the weekends, so it was time to sell the F-150 and replace it with a BMW M-3.

It was a super fun car to drive. So fun in fact, that I got two tickets within six months driving it.

Then, I got pregnant again. There was no fitting a baby seat in the back of the M-3, and with gas prices going up (to like $2 a gallon . . . remember those days?), we decided I should have a more economical everyday car than the Expedition. So we sold the M-3, and bought a VW Passat. We kept the Expedition for road trips and such, but my main drive was the VW.

One day shortly after Jack was born, I was in bed with the flu and Steve decided to take Olivia out for the afternoon to give me some time to rest. I woke up to the phone ringing.

Steve: "Honey, can you come down and open the garage?"

Me: "OK . . . but why? What happened to the remote?"

Steve: "Uuhhhhh, I just want to see if it will fit . . . "

I dragged myself out of bed, walked downstairs, and opened up the garage. There in the driveway was a full size GMC Conversion Van.

(This is almost the exact van, minus the raised roof)

Steve had found a deal he couldn't pass up, and thought this was the greatest set of wheels ever. I was too sick to protest, so we traded in the Expedition for a gigantic van. Complete with a fold-down queen size bed in the back. The kind of van that you'd see with a bumper sticker reading "If the van's a rockin', don't come a knockin' . . ."

I must admit, it was comfy for long trips. But for everyday driving, it was not so good. Hefting a 30 lb carseat up and in was no easy feat. But again, I drove the Passat for everyday, so it wasn't too bad.

Then we moved. Steve was now driving to work everyday instead of riding public transportation. He obviously opted for the more gas-friendly wheels, leaving me with the van that wouldn't even fit in a standard parking space at Safeway.

After a few weeks of that, I had had enough. That very weekend, I got a minivan. I swore I would never be "one of those moms". Minivans weren't cool, classy, or stylish. But once I saw the very many convenience features for moms with young kids, like power sliding side doors, a power lift gate on the back, and all the cargo space in the trunk, I was sold!

I drove the minivan into the ground, and converted several "unbeliever" friends along the way (to minvans, not my religion!).

We've had a couple other cars in the meantime - Steve missed having a truck, so a few months after we bought the minivan, he traded in the Passat for another F-150. Then, a few years later, he missed having a car, so added a leased and luxurious Infiniti M-35 to the fleet. All the while, my minivan kept on chugging along.

Last November, the service technicians discovered a leak in the cooling system and a cracked transmission. We bit the bullet and repaired them . . . to the tune of over $2K. Not so fun anytime, but especially just before the holidays. But we figured it was cheaper than a new car!

Last week, during a routine service, several other big ticket items were discovered and diagnosed. It was time to say goodbye.

While I contemplated getting another van, Steve convinced me to try something different. Like this . . .

Just kidding (okay, not really . . . in Steve's dream world, this would be his car of choice, though maybe not this color!)

All the kids are now capable of buckling themselves in the car. We aren't hauling strollers and other baby paraphernalia around any more. There's not as much need for the easy in/easy out features of a minivan.

We are now the proud owners of a Buick Enclave. It seats 8 (one more than the minivan did!), but feels like a car. I love it. It even has a DVD player (which wasn't intentional - we just couldn't locate an 8-passenger one without it). Road trips are gonna be a dream.

While this may be our 12th set of wheels in just under 14 years of marriage, I think we set a record with both our minivan and Steve's truck. Seven years, 130,000 miles, and hundreds of memories. It was time to let go of that stage of life, and move on to the next one. I can't wait to see where this one takes us!

Who you callin' heavy?

2011-03-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

I spent last weekend up in Seattle at my annual girls' scrapbook retreat. After a month of intense writing with my mom (update on that coming soon), it was a much needed respite.

I flew up late Wednesday night, leaving my husband and kids in the capable hands of my amazing MIL.

Thursday morning, we headed up to the retreat location, an isolated house on 20 acres on a hill overlooking Seattle. It was snowing like crazy, creating a winter wonderland. We got settled in, and spent the next 3 1/2 days eating, laughing, being creative, and eating some more. The food was amazing, plentiful, and served hot every 4-5 hours. In between, there was an assortment of sweets and snacks available.

While I choose to do my scrapbooking digitally, I still lugged my full scrapbook with me in my suitcase. I wanted to be able to page through it as I worked, looking for "holes" in my record-keeping so that I don't leave things out. The book is heavy. It weighs close to 15 pounds.

Sunday evening, it was time to head back to reality. My suitcase was packed, and heavy. I felt bloated and full from three full days of eating easily twice my normal caloric intake.

As I was checking my suitcase, the Southwest Airlines clerk looked right at me, and said "You'd better watch your weight." It took me a full minute to realize he was referring not to me, but to my bag.

It's time to get serious about getting back into shape, and ready for my summer wardrobe. No more messin' around. Stay tuned on my progress.

In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at what I accomplished over the weekend:

Eruptions

2011-02-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

For the last 18 months or so, we've been looking at a toothless grin on this cute face.

He knocked the teeth out during a camping trip in August 2009. Fortunately, they were baby teeth, and his permanent teeth were so far from growing in that no damage appears to have been done. He's gotten used to talking with a slight lisp and gnawing his food with his other teeth.

He's since had a spacer put in the roof of his mouth to correct a cross-bite and create some room for the gargantuan teeth that showed up on his x-rays. Judging by the size of the teeth, I'm guessing (and secretly hoping) he'll be 7' tall.

About a week ago, he came running in the kitchen with a semi-scared, semi-thrilled look on his face, and said "Mom! Look!!!! My tooth!"

Now, a week later, this baby is almost fully erupted. And let me just say, the tooth is HUGE! It's growing in at an angle, almost completely covering up the tooth next to it.

The snaggletooth stage has officially begun. Can you spell B-R-A-C-E-S??? Good thing the rest of him is so darn cute....

Heredity...a funny thing!

2011-01-12T15:14:00.000-08:00

Genetics are an interesting thing. We pass on physical, emotional, and mental characteristics, some from generation to generation.

There's little doubt my kids are mine. They all have my blue eyes. They all have Steve's ears. They each inherited some unique mannerisms and characteristics from both Steve and me, easily identifiable to those who know us.

My side of the family has passed down something a little less visible, but equally "hereditary"...which I will share with you here.

My grandparents often told the story of my dad, who as a young boy climbed out an alcove onto their roof...to "relieve himself" in the middle of one chilly winter night. He was fast asleep.

My aunt, and my dad's younger sister, sauntered into a formal dinner party in the family living room late one evening. She lifted up her nightgown, pulled down her unmentionables, and copped a squat right on the living room rug. She was fast asleep.

Both my brothers, at various times in their childhood, emptied their bladders while sleeping into a kitchen cabinet, my mom's dresser drawer, and a garbage can in the kitchen. They had no recollection of it the next day, and my mom was only able to guess who the culprit was.

I have also been known to sleepwalk a time or two. In high school, my mom was awoken late one night by the sound of pots and pans banging in the kitchen. She stumbled in and found me stirring a pot of top ramen over the hot stove. Fast asleep.

Olivia wandered into the family room a few years back looking disoriented, and Steve caught her as she was pulling down her jammies and sitting on the toy box. Luckily, he intervened before the damage was done.

Last week after dinner, Grant crashed out on the couch. After about an hour, he got up, looking completely awake and alert, got off the couch and walked away. He came back moments later and climbed up on the arm of the couch for a snuggle. I put my arm around him, and discovered a naked little bum.

Perplexed, I asked him where his pants and underwear were. He responded with a confused look...he had no idea he was naked from the waist down. That was my first clue that there might be a problem.

Steve got up and went searching...and it didn't take long before he called to me and told me to bring the camera.

I walked into my office, where Steve was standing at my desk, laughing. I glanced over, and this was what I saw.

Just before he fell asleep, Grant had asked if he could play on the computer (his new favorite pastime). I had said no, it was too close to bedtime. With visions of his favorite websites dancing through his head, he drifted off to sleep.

That little stinker had climbed up on my office chair, dropped his drawers, and peed all over my desk. All while fast asleep. Needless to say, I had to buy a new keyboard.

No Boys Allowed!

2011-01-11T11:40:00.001-08:00

In early December, we discovered some warm, blackish ooze coming from the wall in my office/project room.

The plumber wasn't sure what it was. His exact words were "I've never seen anything like this before in my life. If I didn't know better, I'd think maybe your house was possessed." Great...just what every homeowner wants to hear. We suspected it was another broken pipe...we've had several since we moved in.

When they cut open the wall, this was what they found:

Who knows how long it had been spewing hot water into the wall...at least a few weeks. It was a wet, soggy mess in there.

The black goo was a combination of mildew, glue from the baseboards, and hot water. Yuck. After fixing the leak, we waited a while to patch up the wall so that it could dry out.

Since that wall would need to be painted after patching, Steve suggested we just paint the whole room...something I'd been wanting to do!

I wanted a bright and cheerful color - something other than the off-white that was currently on the walls. I went to Home Depot and picked out a few samples and brought them home and put them on the wall. I wasn't crazy about any of them.

Steve has an eye for color and said I needed something more feminine than any I had chosen. He got online, went to the Home Depot paint website, and pulled up some design ideas. This color combination popped up.

I wasn't sure about the pink...I didn't want it to look like a baby girl's room! But the design center online looked beautiful, and we decided to go for it. And while I have disagreed in the past with Steve when it comes to paint colors, I've learned that his eye is better than mine and I should trust him.

Here's the "before" pictures:

It turned out absolutely beautiful—the perfect combination of sophisticated and feminine.

The window wall is a deep plum, while the other three are a much softer pink. The pictures don't do it justice.

I still need to find a few things to accessorize the room...but I absolutely love it! And the best part of all is that because of the color, I can declare it a "no boys allowed" zone and lock myself away for days!

Remembering Christmas 2010

2011-01-11T08:54:00.000-08:00

Less than two weeks into the new year, and Christmas already seems like a distant memory.

Here are some of the highlights:

A Christmas "Pixie" delivered this gift to us on December 1st.

We named our elf "Rockie" (after the name of our street - Rockford). The kids had a ball finding him in a different spot every day.

Jack had his holiday piano recital. He really rocked it. He loves the song so much that I have a feeling we'll be "Decking the Halls" for months to come!

My brother passed through town with his darling family on their way to Arizona for Christmas. We decorated cookies. I made the kids do it outside in the freezing cold so I wouldn't have to clean up the sprinkles in the kitchen.

We got the requisite picture with Santa.

But we didn't wait in this line.

Instead, I took the kids to the mall over Veteran's Day weekend. In mid-November. Olivia complained that she was getting too old for this. I insisted. And won. As long as she's living in this house, she'll get a photo taken with Santa—whether she likes it or not!

The kids all celebrated the holidays at school. Well, except for Grant. I had the days mixed up for his party, so we missed it altogether. And I was in charge of bringing all the paper goods and a gallon of milk. Oops! Grant didn't seem to mind too much—he celebrated on his own the next day by dressing up as Mrs. Clause.

Christmas Eve brought our family tradition of clam chowder for dinner, followed by the reenactment of the nativity. Olivia is becoming quite the director!

The kids all got new jammies on Christmas Eve, set out cookies for Santa and went to bed early.

Christmas morning brought a whole lot of excitement.

Santa managed to sneak a trampoline into the backyard!

Jack spent hours building his new Lego sets...Steve even set up a "Lego station" in the empty bedroom upstairs (formerly known as Grant's bedroom...we didn't get rid of Grant, he just didn't like being in his own room!)

Grant is learning the art of drifting on his new Big Wheel.

This year, I did much better at not over-scheduling myself during the holidays. I truly enjoyed the kids' time off school, we did fun things together as a family, and I felt like I captured the joy of the season. For that, I am thankful.

Out with the old, in with the new!

2011-01-01T19:50:00.001-08:00

2010 was an eventful year for our family. Last January 1st, we had no intention of moving. Here we are, a year later, in a brand new town! The stress and hassle of moving twice in two months is a mere memory.

We sat down as a family tonight to set our annual goals/resolutions. We fell a little short in some areas, but it's a new year and time for a fresh start!

So, without further ado, here they are!

Steve:

Since he didn't master his goals last year, he's doing a solid repeat of 2010.

1. Get under 200 lbs. by June and sustain it through the year.

2. Lower golf index to a single digit handicap.

3. Continue for family to be #1 priority.

Olivia:

1. Do a kids triathlon

2. Stay healthy

3. Keep my room clean and organized all year long.

4. Continue my acting career.

Jack:

1. Do good in school.

2. Help mommy by keeping my room cleaner.

3. Get better at basketball, then join baseball in spring and be the very best swimmer.

Grant:

1. Keep my room clean.

2. Listen to my mother.

3. Learn to ride a 2-wheeler with no training wheels.

and last, but not least....my goals for the new year:

1. Lose 20 lbs. by June. (This includes the 15 I didn't lose last year, plus the 5 extra I gained in 2010. Ugh. Depressing, isn't it?)

2. Exercise 1 hour/day five days a week.

3. Read 15 books. (I surpassed this goal last year and have enjoyed discovering new authors, subjects, and writing styles.)

4. Branch out with my writing, and complete a book project. (I think I'm done writing about art exhibits and school board meetings)

5. Dedicate 1-2 hours a week on creative things. (I've got unfinished projects up the ying-yang. Some are holiday specific, which I had intended to complete this year. Didn't happen. But it will!)

6. Do a better job at keeping things tidy. I have a tendency to just dump when I'm in a hurry. Then things accumulate, and I get irritated with myself. If I can keep on top of it, I'll save myself (and my patient husband) a whole lot of irritation.

I will try and not beat myself up with unrealistic expectations. But I also feel the need to be a better person this year, and know that I can do it!

Our home for the holidays

2010-12-16T16:47:00.000-08:00

It's been fun getting ready for Christmas in our new home. Somehow, even our same old decorations seem to have gained new life being in a new place.

We got a slightly bigger tree this year. When we got it home, it wouldn't fit in our old tree stand.

A new industrial-sized one was required. Steve had to use a sledge hammer to get it into the tree trunk.

I have no idea how we'll get it off when the holidays are over.

(Tree skirt is new this year, from Pottery Barn)

I bought the NOEL stocking holders years ago from Pottery Barn.

At the time, we only had Olivia. I couldn't imagine us having more kids than hangers. When Grant came along, I bought a cheapo snowflake from Target. I wish I'd have thought ahead and bought the PEACE set instead!

It looks so pretty at night!

The staircase garland was my big addition to our decor this year. It took several attempts to get it to look like I wanted, but in the end, I love it!

I was so excited to unpack my nativity this year. Last year was the first year we had it, and I had to pack it up before I was ready when we decided to put our house on the market last January. I walk by this dozens of times a day, and just love it!

Our family room mantle is huge. Everything appears dwarfed on it.

Especially this nativity.

But I love it all the same. It was the first nativity I bought after we got married. In spite of its simplicity, I just adore it, and it will always be special to me.

Steve was in charge of the yard. The pictures don't do it justice.

I love December. I love the Christmas music playing and the smell of cinnamon candles burning throughout the house. But come December 31, I'm done and don't get in my way as I'm packing up. You're likely to end up stuffed in a box in my attic.

Stress-free holiday baking

2010-12-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

About 9 years ago, a friend of mine was telling me about these "Cookie in a jar" gifts she was making. It sounded perfect to me...I had a toddler in the house (yes, it was Olivia, if you can believe that!) and was not into watching the timer or thermometer for perfectly browned cookies or soft-ball stage candy.

They were a huge hit, and have been my gift to friends, teachers, etc. ever since! While I wish I could make and give one to every single person who happens upon my blog, that is simply an impossibility. So instead, I will share the "recipe" with you, and you can make your own...to give, or to keep and enjoy as your own!

Both the cookie recipe and brownie recipe require a 1 quart canning jar. I've discovered wide mouth is easier to fill than the standard, but either will work.

Cookies in a Jar

Makes 1 gift jar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup quick cooking or old fashioned oats

1/2 cup peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or holiday M&Ms

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

Layer ingredients in a 1-quart glass jar in the following order (bottom to top): granulated sugar, 1 cup chocolate chips, brown sugar, flour mixture, oats, and other chips last. Tap jar gently on the counter to settle each layer before adding the next one. The jar will be very full at the end!

Baking directions: Heat oven to 375. Empty contents of jar into a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter, 1 slightly beaten egg, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Stir until well mixed. Drop spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Brownies in a Jar

Makes 1 gift jar

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 cup peanut butter chips, or chocolate chips (I tried mint & dark chocolate chips this year...yum!)

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (I've also used peppermint chips or Andes mint pieces...you can get creative here!)

Layer ingredients in a 1 quart glass jar in the following order (bottom to top): sugar, cocoa, 1 cup chips, flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 cup chips. Tap jar gently on the counter to settle each layer before adding next one. Attach baking directions.

Baking directions: Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 8x8x2 baking pan. Combine 1/2 cup melted and cooled butter and 2 slightly beaten eggs in a large bowl. Gently stir in jar contents. Spread in prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Enjoy!

I like to get creative in the packaging. I add a circle of holiday fabric under the screw band, tie on some ribbon, and sometimes even a bell. Whatever I happen to have in my stash at the time! For the baking instructions, you can either print it and cut into a tag to tie on, or simply use packing tape to stick it directly onto the jar. This seems to work the best, as there's less chance of it becoming separated from the jar contents!

Happy Holidays, from my neck of the woods to yours!

Letting go of perfect, and finding perfection

2010-12-13T22:40:00.000-08:00

Around November 1 every year, I start scheming our holiday card. I set the bar high a few years back when I penned a custom poem about our annual happenings. I've written poems or a letter of some sort, and designed our card every year since then...and just can't go back to the standard drag & drop card.

Last year, a friend/photographer took an amazing candid shot of our family. It captured the essence of the love we feel for each other, and is now hanging as a 20x30 canvas in my family room.

This was our card last year - the canvas is just the b&w print. I love it!

This year, we didn't have time to do a professional photo shoot. But I figured it would be no big deal to get the kids gussied up and do a photo shoot of my own. So two weeks ago, I made the kids get dressed for church extra early and step outside for a few poses.

I had visions of perfection, with my three angels all posing willingly and happily, flashing authentic smiles and complete cooperation. I got the cooperation from two of the three.

This is how the pictures went:

With each click of the lens, I was getting more frustrated and irritated, yelling at Grant.

"Stand still!"

"Stand up straight!"

"Look at the camera!"

"Open your eyes"

"Smile normal"

He wasn't following any of my directions.

I finally gave up. I was thinking "How the heck can I put a card together?"

When I plugged my camera into the computer, and watched the photos upload one by one, I couldn't help but laugh. It was like watching a slow motion movie, with Grant as the main character.

Watching the film roll, all the irritations I was feeling behind the camera just disappeared. I saw him, for who he really is, and the pictures seemed to capture the essence of him completely. I knew then that the original idea I'd had for our card just wasn't right.

This is our life. These are my kids. And while they may not be "picture perfect", they really are absolutely perfect for me, in every single way.

And I know that years from now, when Grant is all grown up and cooperative, I'll be so glad that I didn't go for perfect this year. Because what I got was so much more...

Thanksgiving 2010 - Better late than never

2010-12-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

I realize I'm almost a month behind, and should be recording Christmas memories right now instead of Thanksgiving. So this will be quick so we can get on to the holiday happenings.

We spent Saturday through Tuesday of our Thanksgiving week camping in the desert.

The kids got dirty.

Steve did too.

The dune buggy provided some good adventures.

And even caught a little air.

The kids rode miles and miles on the quad...around the campsite slowly, and a little quicker out on the dunes. They're getting braver!

Grant would ride with whomever would take him. He's itching for the day when he can handle that thing on his own. I'm dragging both feet in terror of that day. That boy knows no fear.

We enjoyed the respite from responsibilities, technology, tv, and modern conveniences. Though in the interest of full disclosure, we did rent a 26' RV trailer with running water, heat, and a flushing toilet. And the campground had full facilities a mere twenty yards from our campsite. So we didn't really rough it. But close enough.

On Wednesday, we hit Disneyland, along with about a million of our closest friends.

This was a milestone adventure for us. The last time we went to Disneyland, Jack screamed riding the tram from the parking lot to the park. This time around, all the kids were big enough to ride all the rides (except for Indiana Jones, which had a line 2 years long and no one wanted to wait that long anyway).

We filled up three cars on Autopia.

And yes, that striking man 2 cars behind me is Steve...

the same one that was covered in dirt just a day prior.

That guy knows how to get dirty. But he cleans up well.

We all rode Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Matterhorn, and Thunder Mountain Railroad. Even Jack. Though he did close his eyes the whole entire time. But not a single tear was shed!

Grant somehow managed to doze off while on Pirates of the Carribean.

We went on the Nemo Submarine, and saw the Haunted Mansion all decked out as the "Nightmare before Christmas".

We took the crowds all in stride, and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Goofy even wished us Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving Day was spent with the wacky and wild Whitaker clan.

Steve with his mom, brother, and sister

Joyce, aka "Nan" with all the grandkids except Chelsea,

who was with her mom. We missed her...

While it was a whirlwind week, it was great to be together as a family. And a great opportunity to remember all that I am thankful for.

We booked it home on Saturday, unpacked, did 400 loads of laundry, and were ready to get back to the grind by the time Monday rolled around.

Wake up call

2010-11-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

One morning last week, I woke up and realized that there were no more babies in this house. I felt a little like Rip Van Winkle, waking up from an extended, deep sleep and seeing the world changed around me.

For the past 11 years, we've had a baby or toddler in the house. We've changed thousands of diapers and woken up countless times for mid-night feedings. Not to mention all the other duties, stresses, responsibilities, and joys that come with a baby.

I looked out the front door on Wednesday morning, and saw this:

Grant was headed down the walkway to jump into the car for his ride to school. Somehow, the bald little baby who was born just yesterday (it seems) turned into a boy. A real boy.

A boy who dresses himself for school.

A boy who rides the school bus on field trips.

A boy who goes potty unassisted.

A boy who feeds himself.

A boy who entertains himself and can communicate his needs and carry on an entertaining and attentive conversation.

A boy who sleeps through the night. (Most of the time)

A boy who now only rarely wants to be held. And almost never wants kisses.

It is a strange feeling to know that the baby stage of our family is officially over. It makes me feel old. Like somehow not having a baby anymore has aged me into a middle-age person instead of a young mom. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

While I know that at some point, everyone has to be done having babies, there's a part of me that aches to go through it all over again. I miss the newness of life, so perfectly perfect and full of wonder. I miss being so solely needed and being the one responsible for the sustaining of life of a tiny, helpless being.

But then, just when I consider begging and pleading Steve to try for one more, that same four year old, who at times is so grown up, reverts to his near-forgotten baby ways, and throws a fit like this:

And in that moment, I am content to be moving on to the next stage of life.

The Great American Cover-up

2010-11-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

The mural on our staircase wall has been the "elephant in the room" (actually, it's much bigger than an elephant) since we bought the house.

I'll never forget the first time we saw the house. Olivia was at a friend's house. Steve and I walked through the front door with the boys, and there it was. Larger than life. Naked statues. Kissing. With a leopard watching from above.

(The view from the front door/entry)

(The view from above)

Jack's reaction was priceless. He took one look and said "Ewwwwwww—that's so gross!"

It's been almost 6 months since we moved in. While the mural bothered me a bit at first, I then sort of forgot about it. I know...how can one possibly forget about a 16' wide painting up the staircase I climb numerous times every day? But it's true. I just sort of put it out of my mind. That is, until someone came to visit. They'd take one look at the wall and then look down at their feet or fidget with semi-embarrassment. I always found myself jumping to explain..."It wasn't exactly our taste or style, but we knew that it had been an incredibly costly addition to the house, and we felt a little guilty about not loving it and wanting to keep it as part of our decor, yada yada yada." So, the mural stayed, and we just figured when the time was right, we'd know what to do.

In the 6 months since we've been here, we've also had issues with the boys being frightened in the house. Jack was afraid to get out of bed in the night. If Grant was left upstairs, or downstairs for that matter, by himself, he would freak out screaming that he was scared. No amount of reassurance seemed to help.

Last Friday night, we were discussing our weekend plans. A birthday party for Saturday morning had been cancelled due to the weather, and although we had a Halloween party Saturday evening, our day was wide open. Steve asked Jack "What do you think we should do tomorrow?" Jack's response was immediate "Can we paint over the mural?"

That did it. Saturday morning, we woke up early and headed to the paint store. On our way, we took a detour to the donut store for one of these:

When we got home, we gave the kids some Sharpies and let them go to town on the wall before we got to work. This is likely the only time in their life that they'll be allowed, let alone encouraged, to tag a wall.

A heavy coat of primer went on first.

A few hours later, the final coat of paint went on.

As Grant was supervising the paint job, he said "Now I won't be scared anymore". Steve and I really had no idea that the boys were so bothered by what to us was just a bit of tacky art.

It's amazing what a couple of coats of paint can do. We still need to figure out something to put on the wall (or some things) to break up the vastness of it.

In the meantime, the boys are adjusting superbly to the blank slate. Grant actually carried his laundry basket upstairs today. By himself. And didn't shed a single tear.

Days of the dead...

2010-11-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

Halloween came and went without much fanfare this year.

We decorated the yard a bit more than in year's past. It looked good.

My favorite inside decoration was the spider I made a few weeks ago. I added some web candle holders to the table as well.

When it came to costumes, I took the easy route. I had a discount coupon for an online costume shop, and let Jack and Olivia pick what they wanted.

Olivia chose a "tween" version of Alice in Wonderland. It was actually pretty cute.

Jack chose a cheap plastic getup.

Grant didn't get a choice when it came to his costume. I had a hand-me-down firefighter costume that Jack wore when he was 4. No sense in buying a new one, right?

He really wanted to be Wolverine or Harry Potter. So I drew a lightning bolt "scar" on his forehead, and told him he was Harry Potter pretending to be a firefighter. It worked like a charm.

(He looks thrilled, doesn't he?)

The kids enjoyed their annual Halloween celebration at school. They wore their costumes and participated in the parade through town.

Olivia marched with the band.

On Halloween morning, I woke up with strep throat. I wanted to die. Literally.

We had not yet carved pumpkins. We hadn't even bought pumpkins (except for the little one Grant got on his field trip to the pumpkin patch). Steve took the boys to the (fake) patch at the fairgrounds, and came home with one of the last pickings of the season.

The kids walked with Steve around the neighborhood begging for candy, while I stayed home and answered the door. 4 times. That's right, we only had 4 groups of trick-or-treaters. And I was armed with 10 pounds of candy, expecting the little goblins to come in droves.

I'm still on the couch, 4 days later. The DVR is empty. I've moved on to On Demand. The only benefit of not being able to swallow is I haven't even been tempted to touch these:

or this:

or this.

Here's hoping I'm back among the living soon.

Exercising my civic responsibility

2010-11-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

I've been a registered voter for almost 20 years. I distinctly remember the first presidential election I voted in, when Bill Clinton was elected in 1992. I took the first few elections very seriously, really learning as much as I could about the issues and candidates. Then, life sort of got in the way and I became a bit complacent. My votes ended up being for those whose names sounded the best, or whose titles seemed to give them experience and expertise to fulfill an elected position.

This year, however, my feelings about voting changed. There has been a hotly contested school board election in the small town where our children attend school. Two seats are up for grabs in a three-person panel. Four candidates are running. The two incumbents have done great things for the school, bringing it from country bumpkin to a strong academic status. But in a small town, there is also the chance for a few disgruntled folks to really stir things up. Rumors and untruths have been circulating among residents, only a few of which have students at the school. These rumors and misinformation led two community members to put their name in the hat for a seat on the board, and their platforms are such that the school stands a good chance of being literally dismantled if they win.

On paper, these two candidates appear highly qualified. One is a former principal/superintendent of the school, serving more than 16 years as the leader of this one-school district. The other is a former school board member and high powered executive.

The most frustrating part for me, is that because we live just outside the city limits, we are unable to vote in this election. Only 15% of the students in the school reside in town, the remaining 85% of the students come from neighboring cities and school districts. But only residents of the town where the school is located have voting privileges.

As I've watched the campaigning over the last couple of months and seen how important it is to make a fact-based decision, my need to be an informed voter grew. When it came time to cast our votes, Steve and I took the time to read candidate statements and both sides of issues and propositions. I was a bit surprised...some of my initial thoughts on who I would vote for changed as I read about the candidates' experience and priorities.

Now it's time to sit back and watch the votes come in. I'm anxious to see the local results as well as statewide results. Above all, I'm anxiously waiting on the school board election, which has the potential to drastically impact the environment in which my children spend most of their days. And I sincerely hope that all 700+/- voters in the small town will take the same initiative as I did, and not base their votes on appearances or the sound of a name, but will dig a little deeper and vote on what is best for the school.

A hidden benefit of having an engineer in the house

2010-10-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

Being married to a civil engineer definitely has its benefits. You never know when bridge construction experience might come in handy.

The previous owners of our home took down a few light fixtures before they listed the house for sale. They left us with nothing but wires.

We knew that we'd have to replace them, and our realtor was kind enough to buy the entry fixture and dining room fixture for us as a housewarming gift.

Steve installed the dining room fixture months ago. It is beautiful.

The entry fixture was on backorder...first for a month, then two, then 4. It came in this past weekend. Because of the ceiling height (28'), we faced a small problem when figuring out how to get it up in place. Steve is just over 6' tall and has an arm reach of approximately 8'. We have an 8' ladder. Add those together, and you're about 12' too short for where he needed to be. That, coupled with the weight of the fixture, posed a slight dilemma.

So for the last few months, Steve has been scheming in his mind how we would get the light up. Pully systems, circus clowns, and trapeze artists were all considered, but quickly shot down due to logistical issues.

Saturday morning, Steve looked at me, looked at the entryway, and said "I think I'll build a bridge."

He went to Home Depot and bought (2) 14' long 2"x8"s and (1) 2"x4". He guided them from one side of the second story landing to the other, feeding them through the banister railings for support.

Then he screwed down plywood onto the framework, added the 2x4 as a hand rail for support, and was ready to go.

(The naked mural is next to go...)

I was a nervous wreck. Just looking at his contraption made me queasy. It certainly wouldn't win any awards for architectural design. But when he stepped out on it the first time, he gave a little bounce. The bridge didn't even budge.

I handed him pieces, and methodically and carefully he first got the electrical wired, then assembled the fixture.

When it was complete and working, he carefully dis-assembled his bridge.

When he was safely on solid ground again, we both breathed a sigh of relief (I think mine was louder).

The light is stunning and a perfect accent to the entryway.

I can sleep easier at night knowing that if ever there is a river to be crossed (or entry height to be overcome), Steve will get us across. One way or another.

May I have this dance?

2010-10-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, Olivia attended her first middle school dance. Steve and I debated about whether or not to let her go. In the end, we decided it was okay. Her school is very small. The middle school has approximately 60 kids, and we figured only about half would show up. She's gone to school with most of these kids since kindergarten, and the relationships are more like siblings than anything else. We figured it was pretty harmless.

Two boys had asked her to "go with them" to the dance (by go with them, they meant arrive and leave alone, but maybe dance together once). She responded that her parents wouldn't allow her to go with them, but that "maybe she would see them there". Smart girl.

She went to a friend's house after school to hang out and get ready.

I was stunned when I saw this photo of her. She seems to have grown up in an instant.

I'm not entirely ready to have a daughter this old. There are all sorts of roads ahead that we will have to navigate together. But at the same time, it is exciting to watch her, on the cusp of stepping over the ledge of childhood and into the next stage of life.

The best choice I ever made...

2010-10-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

Thirteen years ago today, I made the wisest decision of my life. I said "I Do" to Steve.

It's been a wild ride, with lots of ups, and a few downs too. We've shared sadness and loss, we've shared joy and success. We've disagreed (though not too often), and compromised. We've said "I'm sorry", and we've forgiven. We've gained weight, lost weight, counted gray hairs, and gotten older together (though I'll always be younger!).

To commemorate this day, here is a chronicle of our life in numbers:

4,745 - The number of "I love yous" spoken (this might not be accurate...as there have been many days where we said it more than once)

11 - The number of cars we've owned. This is even more impressive (or depressing, depending on how you look at it) when you consider that we've had our two current vehicles for 6 years.

6 - The number of homes we've lived in together

3 - The number of children who've joined our family, and we now love with all our heart.

0 - The number of time's I've regretted my choice.

Happy Anniversary honey...I love you!

Lighten up world....Really!

2010-09-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

This morning on the Today Show, there was a clip about the uproar over this Sesame Street clip, set to debut this week on the new season of the decades old kids' show:

Parents across the country came out in protest of this clip, stating it was "inappropriate", "seductive", and "provocative", and demanding the clip be pulled off the show. I watched the clip this morning. Seriously????? Katy Perry is a controversial mega-star right now. Her upbeat music does have provocative lyrics...I've found myself on more than one occasion belting out the lyrics in the car to one of her songs, catching myself when I realize what I'm singing about. But in this case, she's tuned it way down, changing up the words to be completely innocent. She's obviously dressing up, she admits it. Yes, a little cleavage is showing. But have you walked down the street lately? Preschool teachers dress more provocatively than this.

As a longtime fan of Sesame Street, I've watched them struggle in recent years to keep up with more enticing programming like Dora, Diego, Imagination Movers, and the like. Grant has never been a big fan of Sesame Street - it's not exciting enough for him. I've tried endless tactics to get him to watch the show, to no avail. However, he's a huge fan of Katy Perry (censored, of course), and knows some of her songs by heart. Putting more clips like this on the show would most certainly garnish his viewing vote. For pete's sake...it's a kids show. And 3–5 year olds will most certainly not get the wrong impression watching this. Lighten up world!!!!!

Creating...A Balance

2010-09-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

This is how I have been feeling lately. Too many balls in the air, and my feet starting to slip. I have many commitments and responsibilities, all of which add value to life. But, finding a balance where I don't feel overwhelmed is a challenge.

This past weekend, Steve was away on his annual guys golf trip. I decided that it was time for me to "get away" as well. Three kids made it tough to actually get away...but I put all my "to dos" aside, and decided to spend the weekend doing something I love.

My good friend Kayla came for the weekend, along with her daughter Cassidy (Olivia's best bud since birth). She brought her sewing machine and some unfinished projects. For almost 48 hours straight, we holed up in my project room and stitched away.

My goal was to use up some of the fabric that has been sitting in my closet for far too long. I finished a few projects, and started several more.

I finished 4 baby blankets. I have three more cut and ready to sew.

This cutey was an afterthought. Kayla made one, had some leftover fabric, and offered to share. I finished it and it's now sitting on my dining room table, ready for the rest of the Halloween decorations to come out!

I cut out and started 8 fall place mats.

I pieced 12 Christmas place mats. Now they need to be quilted and bound.

We came across a cool cutting technique online, and I just had to give it a try. The result? A holiday table runner that now needs to be quilted and bound.

When she left Sunday afternoon, we challenged each other to finish this weekend's projects by October 16 -that's 4 weeks away. We each have roughly 28 things left to finish, so it should be doable if we spend just an hour a day. We promised a nightly check in, and are holding each other accountable for this goal.

When I woke up this morning, I felt renewed. Also, a little exhausted...but I attribute that to staying up past midnight 3 nights in a row. But mostly, I felt ready to tackle my day and face my "list" head on.

Commitments are a part of life. Some of us have a few, some of us have too many. But finding a balance between responsibilities and the fun stuff is important. Hobbies and personal interests not only build our skills and talents, but they also provide a much needed respite from the busyness of every day life. Looking at this pile of projects that I need to finish in the next month is a little overwhelming...but it also motivates me to set some time aside each day to let my creativity emerge and evolve. And that is pretty exciting!

Stay tuned for the progress updates!

Taking shape

2010-09-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

The last several months have been filled with the chaos that surrounds moving. LOTS of home improvement projects, both inside and out. While our house is only 10 years old, very little was done to maintain it during those 10 years—which translates into a whole lot of weekends for us spent working on it!

We've (well, actually Steve, but that rhymes with we've) tackled many of the essentials, like getting sprinklers back working, fixing water leaks, and other necessary repairs. Now we're on to the cosmetic projects, like patching holes in the walls, painting, etc. It can be overwhelming, but we really are trying to take it one step at a time.

Over the weekend, Steve decided to take a shot at reshaping the topiaries in our front yard. We knew they were there, but they really had no distinct shape and it was hard to know what they were originally intended to be.

Steve got out his electric saw/trimmer thing and went to work on the big one at first. Keep in mind, he's had no formal artistic training in topiary shaping.

Before long, there was a pile of trimmings on the ground, and this friend gracing our front yard:

The littler one was a bit more challenging to identify. At first, we thought it was a rabbit.

But as Steve worked on it, and worked on it, and worked on it some more, he found this:

The baby deer is a bit bare right now, it will take some time and work to get him filled in and plumped up a bit.

Now if we could just find a way to keep the REAL deer from eating all the bushes in the front yard, we'd really be in business!

An observation and an apology

2010-08-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

So for all you readers out there (you are out there, aren't you? Why don't you comment?), I must apologize for the abundance of doting birthday posts lately. As you've likely noted, all three of our kids have birthdays in a 7 week period. And since I was busy having summer fun, practically every other post is birthday-related.

We did not plan to have our kids in the summer months. Come to think about it, not much about our kids was planned, period. They came when they came, and what we wanted didn't really have much to do with it.

The good news is that we're done with birthdays in our house. At least for a month. Then Steve and I will turn a year older, a day apart. But since I don't know if I can come up with 43 and 38 things about each of us, you'll likely be spared the agony.

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go polish off the last birthday cupcake.

And tomorrow, while all three kids are at school ALL DAY LONG, I'll head back to the gym.

The day my life changed forever

2010-08-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

Eleven years ago today marked the end of life as I knew it . . . and the beginning of a whole new life for me. Eleven years ago today, I became a mother.

Olivia's birth was an adventure—I was 11 days past my due date, and scheduled for an induction early on the 25th. My mom had been in town since my due date, and was nearing the end of her two week stay. I was panicked. How would I know what to do on my own?

In the wee morning hours, I woke up with a cramp that wouldn't quit. It didn't take long before I realized that it wasn't a cramp, but rather a contraction and I wasn't going to have to be induced after all—I was in labor!

We arrived at the hospital around 6am. I was gung ho on going natural, so we spent the next few hours going b from bed to shower to rocking chair to walking the halls and back to bed, all the while trying to breathe. It hurt like heck.

My mom and Steve's mom were both with us for her birth.

About 11am, I decided I couldn't take anymore. I was dilated to a 5 and thought I had hours ahead of me. My midwife approved a quick-acting narcotic to ease the pain. Within minutes, I was floating in another stratosphere. Minutes later, I suddenly snapped out of my drug induced coma and said it was time to push. Sure enough, it was. A couple of quick contractions later, and out popped this little beauty.

She had the softest, sweetest little cry, and all the nurses commented on it.

The days following her birth are a bit of a blur. We learned how to give her a bath, breastfeed, burp, do midnight diaper changes in the dark, and get by on not nearly enough sleep.

We also learned how it felt to love someone more than life.

The eleven years since have been filled with lots more learning as we've navigated the road of parenthood.

Today, Olivia is a beautiful and exceptional young woman.

In honor of her special day, here are eleven facts about her:

1. She is always happy. Well, maybe not always...but almost. When she laughs, it's contagious.

2. She is remarkably capable. I could leave her in charge and run off to Vegas for the weekend. The house would be clean, the boys fed and bathed, and she'd probably rearrange the pantry while I was gone too.

3. She is super smart. She grasps math concepts as quickly as her dad. Glad she didn't get my genes in that department.

4. She loves her brothers. Even though they sometimes drive her nuts, her eyes light up when she sees them at the end of the school day.

5. She is musically gifted. She can sing, play the piano, and last year took up the flute. Our home is filled with music when she's around.

6. She thinks about her future. Last night, she asked about college scholarships. She said she thought it would be good for her to work toward getting one, because it would make her feel proud.

7. She gives great back rubs. Her business "Olivia's Rub Place" is open for business at our house. Steve is her number 1 customer. Most months, she more than doubles her allowance by giving back rubs.

8. She gets more beautiful every day.

9. She doesn't let fears get to her. Whether it's crushing a spider or singing in front of a huge audience, she faces her fears and conquers them.

10. She likes to be organized. She takes after me, and loves containers, sorting, grouping, and organizing everything!

11. No matter what, she will always be the one that made me a mom!

Happy Birthday Olivia—you are a joy to us every single day. We love you!

It's that time of year once again...

2010-08-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon doing this:

It was the first really hot day of the summer . . . you know, the one where it's too hot to do anything other than lay by (or in) the pool. Today is even hotter. It's also the first day of school. Go figure.

We hustled about this morning, packing lunch and snacks in the new lunch boxes, putting on new clothes, and I even took the time to flat-iron Olivia's hair (a side note on that one...it won't be happening again until picture day. She's got a lot of hair, and it has a mind of its own!).

We set out on our drive, enjoying the view along the way.

We now live a mere 4 minutes from school. After 6+ years of a much longer commute, this is heaven.

Jack and Olivia obliged my request for the annual "back to school" photo on the front steps of the main building.

They then ran off to greet their friends and play on the playground.

I managed to find Jack lined up before entering his Mrs. Henderson's classroom.

He let me hug him and give him a kiss. He was a little nervous.

I never got to say goodbye or good luck to Olivia. Apparently, she's too old for those youthful practices now. But I did manage to snap a picture of her in her classroom without her noticing.

For the next 2 years, all three kids will be in one school. How lucky is that? Tomorrow, Grant will begin preschool, and I'll be child-free for 3 full days a week. What will I be doing with my time? Stay tuned for the update...

17 Again? I don't think so...

2010-08-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

High school was a rough time for me. I was insecure, had no idea who I was or what I wanted out of life. I had plenty of friends, but didn't associate with any particular "clique". On numerous occasions, I didn't stand up for what I believed to be right, simply because I didn't have the personal strength or conviction to set myself apart from the crowd.

I didn't apply myself as much as I should have academically, which then impacted my ability to get into college. I went through all the rehearsals for the high school Rhythm B's dance team, then chickened out on audition day . . . because "what if I didn't make it?". I dated boys who didn't bring out the best in me, because I didn't believe in that "best of me". All in all, I don't have great memories of high school, and if I could do it all over again, I would do things entirely differently. But alas, there are no do-overs in life.

The 20 years since high school have been a time of tremendous personal growth and change for me. I am not the same person I was when I graduated. Although in many ways I can't believe it's been 20 years, in other ways, that seems like a different life altogether.

Over the weekend, I attended my 20th high school reunion. I flew up to Portland sans hubby and kids, and met up with a good buddy from 7th grade on through graduation. Neither one of us were attending with spouses, and we didn't want to walk in alone. We met up with a couple other friends for some "liquid courage" before the event began. I had a Diet Coke.

It was great catching up with so many people I used to know. I was amazed at how different so many were, and how some seemed still exactly the same.

As the evening progressed, it became more and more apparent how some of my classmates had not made the most of their life opportunities in the years since graduation. Many were crowded around the bar all night, drinking to the point of stupidity. Some who showed the most promise in high school have wasted the years since in silly shenanigans, never reaching their full potential.

Still others, who were perhaps misfits and outcasts 20 years ago, have gone on to great things. I spent a good portion of the evening talking to a few of those, marveling at how they had changed, grown, and matured. While they may not have been part of the "cool" crowd then, their choices in the years since have put them at the top of the food chain now!

As a rule, the women seemed to have aged better than the men.

(I went all the way from elementary school through graduation with these two!)

I didn't recognize many of the men, who had gained weight and lost their hair, and didn't even resemble the stud muffins they used to be.

I saw my first high school boyfriend, Jonah Elliott. We went out for about 2 months at the beginning of our sophomore year.

Here we both are...aged, and happy with where our lives have taken us!

He was, and still is, absolutely adorable. He is now happily married with a little boy.

The highlight of my evening was a conversation with a casual friend who lived in my neighborhood. He pulled me aside midway through the reunion. Here's how the conversation went:

Him: "You know, we went to school together all the way from grade school through graduation. You flew under the radar in high school. You kept to yourself, you were cute . . . but not really a stand out."

Me: "Uh huh..." (All the while thinking to myself, "where the heck is this conversation going?")

Him: "But I remember saying Junior year 'That Alyson DeLong is going to grow up to be the hottest girl in our class'. And seeing you here tonight, you've proved me right. You have aged beautifully, and you look happy, and it shows."

He wasn't hitting on me—he's happily married with a family of his own. But the fact that he took the time to pull me aside and pay me that greatest of compliments meant the world to me.

And he's right. All things considered, I think I look pretty good for 20 years out of high school. I know who I am, I'm better at sticking up for what's right and not giving in to the majority just to fit in. I'm married to an amazing man, who thinks I'm great. And after all these years, I tend to agree with him!

When 3 turns 4

2010-08-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

On this day in 2006, this little man rounded out our family.

He was completely bald.

Today, he still rounds out our family.

We celebrated at Goofy's Kitchen, in the Disneyland Hotel

And he has a full head of deliciously curly hair.

In honor of his birthday, here are four facts about Grant at four years old:

1. He is more coordinated than any child I've ever seen. He can jump, climb, skip, and run higher and faster than most 5 or 6 year olds. He throws a ball long, hard, and fast. He can balance on a skateboard and swing a golf club. I have a feeling that all seasons will be filled with sports for this guy...and I'm banking on an athletic scholarship to pay for his education.

2. He has the attitude of an over-indulged teenager. I don't know where he gets it. As an example, driving in the car last week, he was debating a subject with me. He was insisting he was right. I looked at him and said "Grant, stop arguing with me." He looked right back and said "Now you listen here...YOU don't argue with ME!" What do you say to that????

3. His favorite shows are not the typical 4-year old shows. No Sesame Street, Dora, or Diego for him. He prefers Harry Potter, Star Wars, and iCarly. Chalk it up to having older siblings...but I miss "Elmo's World".

He's been talking for months about wanting a "light saver" and a Star Wars watch for his birthday. Thanks to Nan (grandma), he got both!

4. He has the language skills of a six-year old. I sometimes forget that he's only 4 (or 3, until today). He has an amazing vocabulary, and uses words like "inappropriate", "appreciate" and "prefer" in the proper context.

Grant adds amazing energy to our house. He's loud, smart, rambunctious, adorable, and all boy. I know that if that energy is properly channeled, he's destined for greatness.

Happy Birthday Grant...we love you!

iSharks Revealed!

2010-08-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

For the last month or so, I've been working on a top-secret project for our swim team coaches.

Every year at the league Championships, our coaches dress up in some sort of themed costumes. The theme is always kept quiet until the morning of Champs when the coaches come on deck for the team cheer all dressed up. Everyone on the team—parents included—eagerly awaits the big reveal! One year it was Batman & Robin, another year, it was Ronald McDonald & In 'N Out...you get the picture. Sometimes their costumes coincide with a recent hit movie, or other current theme. Last year, they recruited my help in assembling their "UP" costumes, which seemed to fit the duo perfectly.

This year, they approached me again to assist in the process. They threw some ideas my way, I threw some at them, but nothing seemed quite right. That is, until the new iPhone 4 was released. One of our coaches is a huge iPhone fan, and had parents on deck calling every Apple store within a 100 mile radius trying to track one down. Suddenly, a light went on...they should be iPhones for Champs!

This is a screen shot of my actual phone

Figuring out how to construct a man-size iPhone was no easy task...Plexiglass was too expensive and too heavy. Yet it needed some weight and substance to hang right on their bodies. So we called around to appliance stores, and tracked down a refrigerator box. After covering it in black felt, and wrapping the edges in silver duct tape, the body of it was complete.

Then came the apps! I used some of the real iPhone apps - either recreated in Photoshop or pulled from online sites. Then, I created apps of team-related activities. There was an app for each age group of swimmers, apps with photos of our coaches dressed up from previous meets, apps representing our team special activities (Thursday Thunder & Animal Swim) and a "secret" app for each coach—thought up by the coaches.

I created each app in Photoshop, then printed them out on photo paper and laminated them to withstand splashing and wet hugs on deck. I used a super-strength adhesive to attach them, and crossed my fingers that they would hold.

I attached the fronts and backs together with a strong webbing and staple gun, and put a piece of elastic across each side to keep them from flapping around too much.

I used my Cricut to cut white vinyl for the back. Instead of calling them "iPhones", I aptly named them "iSharks", with the "model" represented by the number of years each coach had been with the team.

It took more hours than I can count to put them together, and I was giddy with excitement the morning of the race to see the big reveal. When they walked out on deck, they had their hands waving in the air "for better reception" and everyone went crazy!

I love projects like this—taking an idea and figuring out how to make it a reality. Now if I could just figure out a way to get paid for it...

This one says it all...

2010-07-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

Someday I'll realize that my success as mother does not directly correlate with my creativity and home-baked goodness. In the meantime, I'll just suck it up and deal with the curse.

With Jack's birthday falling around a holiday, he's never had a real party. We've celebrated with family multiple times, and once even took a trip to a little water park with two buddies. But never a party with games, food, cake, and goody bags. Until this year.

Walking through JoAnn's one day, he spotted a pirate ship cake pan and that did it. He was dead set on a pirate theme, and there was no going back...

I set about creating invitations, and was thrilled with the finished product:

We made goody bags, full of pirate gear I found on ebay (gotta love the internet!): a skull & crossbone bandana, pirate eye patch, pirate pencil, mini pirate beachball, and a few gold nuggets (aka chocolate goodness) for good measure.

Jack picked the menu, and nutrition was ignored for the day: Mini corn dogs & chicken nuggets (they were the right "golden" color), pineapple (we threw in some strawberries, watermelon, and grapes for good measure, Pirate's Booty, and some Pepperidge Farm Goldfish. To drink, it was "Pirate's Blood" (otherwise known as Kool-Aid).

As moms dropped off their boys, they jumped in the pool and swam until their fingers turned to prunes.

Then, it was time to eat.

After lunch, we played a single game - Stick the Treasure Chest on the Treasure Map.

Then it was time to open presents...Jack was well mannered and said "Thank you" after opening almost every one -

And then, it was time for the big cake reveal. I do not claim to be a master cake decorator. I'm content to either make a plain cake with plain (albeit delicious) frosting, or to buy my cakes pre-decorated from a bakery and deal with the mediocrity of the cake itself. But this time, I did it myself, from start to finish.

After I baked the cake, I was trying to figure out what to put it on. It was too big for my cake plate, and a plain pan seemed to blah. I decided to create an ocean around the cake using Rice Krispie treats...dyed blue!

I had never used decorating tips before, and didn't know how much frosting would be required. So I took the easy route and bought colored frosting in tubes, with a screw on tip. Don't tell Martha...

It wasn't quite as hard as I had expected, and within a matter of an hour or so, it was done!

I used food spray paint to darken up the "ocean" from the "sky" - Steve's suggestion.

Jack was thrilled with the party, and said it was "the best party he'd ever had!" I didn't remind him it was the only party he'd ever had!

Now if I can just get him to finish his thank you cards....

Lucky Number Seven

2010-07-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago today, this little guy joined our family.

He didn't do much other than eat, and lie around looking adorable (which, I must admit, he was pretty good at.)

Now, he can scale tall poles in a single bound,

and fuels up with Top Ramen while lined up for his swim race.

He makes us laugh on a daily basis.

and even when he pulls a face like this...

I think he's still the most adorable thing I've ever seen.

Happy Birthday Jack...I love you!

Rolling the tape...

2010-06-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

I'm a sap for anything sentimental. When I was pregnant with Grant, I would burst into tears anytime the Capital One commercial came on, playing Five for Fighting's "100 years". The thought of time passing so quickly immediately brought me to the verge of hysteria.

Today, I took the boys to see Toy Story 3.

(While I did get a few laughs out of the movie, I don't know that I would classify it as the "Breakout comedy of the summer". Maybe for the hard-hearted...)

The movie opened with footage of Andy, as a little guy, celebrating early birthdays and playing with beloved toys. Then the camera panned out, and you realized that this was video footage being replayed as Andy was preparing to leave for college. I should have taken that as a sign, and got up to leave right then and there. Instead, I stayed in my seat, and began hoarding the napkins. I knew I'd need them.

When the first Toy Story came out in 1995, I was single, young, and carefree. Some friends and I went to see it because we had nothing better to do on a Friday night. A touching tale about friendship, it took us all back to our own childhoods, full of hope and imagination.

Fast forward 15 years. The young boy in the first movie is all grown up. And so am I. I have three kids who are growing up right before my eyes. My oldest is preparing to enter middle school, and I know that in just a few short years, we'll be cleaning out her room in preparation for college. How does that happen so fast?

I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't seen the movie yet, but suffice it to say that I was sobbing, almost uncontrollably. Jack climbed on my lap, turned to me and whispered "Are those happy tears or sad tears?" I could barely answer...just sobbed out something resembling "A little of both". In his young mind, life drags by and his days are marked by when and what he'll eat next and how many times a day he gets to swim...so I can't possibly expect him to understand why I held onto him so tight.

I'll be pulling out the video camera a little more often from here on. I just wish that as director of my life's movie, I could yell "CUT" and stop the film from rolling quite so fast.

Going Overboard...A Blessing & A Curse

2010-06-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love crafty projects. Not like the kind you buy in a kit, but coming up with my own. I feel very blessed that I have a creative mind, but sometimes it is a huge pain in the *** because I can't just do something halfway and be done with it.

Our swim team assigns team buddies to all swimmers. An older swimmer is paired up with a younger one, and they are supposed to encourage and cheer each other on throughout the season. From time to time throughout the season, buddies also trade gifts.

This Saturday's meet is our first home meet, and has a "Beach" theme. I came up with the clever idea of making personalized beach towels for Jack & Olivia's buddies. Sounds easy enough, right?

I bought a couple of $3.99 solid towels from Target, and tried out writing on them with a bleach pen. I was sure it would do the trick and look super cool with the color bleached out in the shape of each swimmer's name. Four hours and a wash load later, nothing had happened. I guess the cheap Target towels are also bleach proof...a good thing if you're using them in the house and want them to stay color safe...a bad thing if you're actually TRYING to bleach them!

I started thinking of other ways to accomplish what I wanted, and searched the aisles of the craft store for fabric paint that wouldn't be scratchy on a towel. I didn't want to freehand it, since I wasn't sure how wide the spray nozzle would span. I saw stencils next to the paint, and thought "Hey, I could do that!" So, I bought the paint and decided to give it a try.

First, I created a name stencil using old shelf liner paper and my Cricut. It took multiple tries to get the letters sized right, the blade depth just right, and the stencil placed in the center of the contact paper.

Then, I took the towels outside and placed the stencil on.

Using the Spray Stencil fabric paint, I lightly sprayed the stencil opening.

I let it dry for about an hour, pulled off the stencil, and voila! Success!

I contemplated trying to do the outline of a shark on the other end, but managed to restrain myself and leave well enough alone.

All in all, the project took about 6 hours. I messed up spraying one towel and had to make a second trip to the store for a new one.

I love that I'm creative and want to use that talent to benefit others. But sometimes—like today, when I'd rather have been just laying on a lounge chair with a book watching the kids swim—I wish that I could be satisfied with something less than original. Chances are, the kids' buddies would have been just as happy with a plain old beach towel.

Top 10 Things I Love About Summer Vacation

2010-06-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

School's officially out for the summer. To commemorate, here are the top 10 reasons I love summer vacation:

10. The lunch boxes can gather dust in the cupboard, unused for weeks, except for the occasional outing or picnic.

9. I can work out in the morning without worrying about rushing, or then being too stinky to show my face on school campus.

8. There's time for these in the afternoon, giving me a couple of hours of quiet bliss.

7. It stays light until nearly 9:00 (I actually have a love/hate relationship with Daylight Savings Time. It makes the 8:00 bedtime hard to enforce, but I love saving on our electricity bill).

6. My kids can substitute swimming for a bath. This creates some awesome hairstyles.

5. I get to show off my cute pedicure and get a tan line from my flip flops.

4. No homework to supervise, Thursday folders to review, fundraisers to participate in, or research projects to do.

Jack with his recent report on Humpback Whales.

This project was due two days before our final move.

It was not my best work. But Jack thought it was awesome.

3. I can drag my laptop outside and write my weekly newspaper articles from a lounge chair with this view...

2. I can slack off and let my kids do all the chores, with only a little bit of bribery.

And the number 1 reason I love summer vacation...

1. It will eventually end!

Just like childbirth...only different!

2010-06-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

Moving is a lot like having a baby, I've decided. Months of preparation lead up to the big event. The preparation is followed by several excruciatingly painful days. Then you spend several days not knowing which end is up and not remembering where you put anything and spontaneously bursting into tears. Then one morning, the pain is gone, and you wake up and think, "Hey, maybe that wasn't so bad after all..."

The last 5 months have been filled with all sorts of uncertainties and chaos. When we decided to put our house on the market back at the first of the year, it was with a specific house in mind. When that house fell through, we were pretty much devastated, and wondered if we were making a big mistake. The next several weeks were spent house hunting, praying, and trying not to panic.

In mid-March, we took a look at a house that had been on the market for a couple of months. The price had been significantly lowered, was in an ideal neighborhood, and we pretty much fell in love with it. It was everything we were looking for, and more. It was a short-sale situation, so we didn't have high hopes for a quick response when we submitted an offer. We had secured a month-to-month rental, had put most of our belongings in storage, and were ready to live lean for several months if necessary.

The day after we moved into the rental, and just two weeks after submitting our offer, we received the phone call that our offer had been accepted and approved by the bank. We had some hurdles to overcome with inspections and such, but one by one, things fell into place, and we finally closed escrow on May 21.

Two moves and 200+ boxes later, we are finally settling in. We still have a long ways to go in the decorating field, but it is feeling like home. We have amazing new neighbors, who welcomed us to the neighborhood with a gift certificate to a local restaurant (seriously...how awesome is that? We never even met most of the neighbors in our last house, and we were there for 6 years!). They have 2 sons, and our kids have already made friends.

After just 2 weeks, it already feels like home and we are thrilled with our decision!

Everyone has been asking to see pictures...so here you go!

Front of the house

View from entry into dining room

The kitchen doesn't have much counter space...or cabinet space, but we have a big pantry and laundry room, which makes up for what the kitchen lacks. At some point down the road, I want to level off the bar and make one giant island.

This was the kitchen the morning after the move...

This is the kitchen now!

The kitchen dining area has a great view of the backyard.

The family room adjoins with the kitchen, into a "great" room.

I love being able to watch the morning news while packing lunches!

There is a larger-than-life mural on the wall going up the staircase. I'm still not sure about the nudity and passion displayed here (not to mention the leopard looking on...), but even more unsure what to do to replace it. We'll have to take some time to figure this out...

The view of the entry/living room from the second story balcony.

The high ceilings create some pretty cool acoustics for the piano.

We've got a playroom upstairs, and this is the kids' domain.

It's great having a central place for their toys, video games, movies, etc.

The biggest challenge is not having it turn into a "Disaster Zone"!

Our guest room is downstairs, away from the noise of the rest of the house.

Visitors are welcome!

There are lots of home improvement projects on the "to-do" list right now.

Steve has been busy!

The kids are having a ball with the pool.

I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time in the backyard this summer...

Goin' Ga Ga

2010-05-15T21:47:00.001-07:00

Whenever we get in the car lately, it seems a Lady Ga Ga is playing on the radio. If I had a dollar for every time I heard her sing, I wouldn't have a mortgage payment...

The songs are a little suggestive, yet upbeat, catchy, and stick in the brain. My brain, and my kids' brains as well. Case in point, here's Grant . . . singing "Paparazzi".

His lyrics? "I'm your babysitter, follow you until you love me...Papa...Paparazzi"

Not quite sure how he got "babysitter" in there. Sounds like a stalker to me.