First Day of School

Growing up, I remember summer vacation feeling nearly endless. It seemed to drag on forever, and by the time the new school year rolled around, I was itching to get back to school and my friends. Now that I'm a mom, summer vacation seriously feels like a blink. Or maybe a week. In reality, it lasts nearly 2 1/2 months. But this morning, when I walked the kids onto the school campus to start their new year, it felt like I was just here yesterday!

New clothes, new shoes, and new backpacks filled with new school supplies!

We brought in doughnuts for the class for Olivia's birthday, and her best buddy Katelyn brought her a special balloon...making her first school-day birthday a lot of fun!

Through the window of Jack's class, his darling teacher Miss Cusenza isn't much bigger than the students! But she packs a lot of punch...

It's a big year for both kids. Olivia starts 5th grade, meaning real letter grades, honor roll, band, and big growth spurts. For Jack, it is his first year with all-day school, packed lunches, and a full day away from me. I know that it's going to be a great year - with amazing teachers for both Jack & Olivia, I have high hopes to continue the positive school experience that they've had thus far.

A Decade Ago...

Ten years ago today, we became parents. Ten years ago today, our lives changed forever...for better....for good.

When Olivia was born, we had been married less than 2 years, which at the time felt like a lifetime. We knew we wanted to be parents, but really had no idea what that would mean in our seemingly simple lives.

My due date was August 14. When August 25 rolled around, we were more than anxious, having tried nearly everything to get things started and get this baby girl out! Early in the morning on August 25, just hours before I was scheduled to be induced, I woke up with a start. Ouch. I went back to sleep, only to be woken up a few moments later with another pain. After watching the clock for about an hour, I woke up Steve. "Honey, I think I'm in labor." Both of our moms were in town for the birth, so we all got up, dressed and headed out to the hospital.

After about 9 hours of drug-free labor (with just a brief dose of a pain-killer right at the very end), and just a few quick pushes, out came this amazingly perfect little person...with the sweetest, softest cry the nurses had ever heard! We were in awe of what we had created, and the love that instantly filled our hearts and souls.

Now, ten years, two more kids, two more houses, a few more wrinkles and gray hairs later, we are still filled with the same awe and love that we first experienced ten years ago today.

Now, Olivia is a capable, independent, confident, helpful, loving, beautiful young girl...on the cusp of entering the most exciting and influential years of her life. A bright future lies ahead, and I am happy to get to be a part of it with her.

Happy Birthday Olivia...we love you!

Almost Famous

The phone rang this afternoon. I answered, and this is how the conversation went:

Me: "Hello, this is Alyson" (I answer this way when I don't recognize the number on my cell. Might be someone important.)

Caller: "Hi, this is ____ from Peak Performance Physical Therapy." (giggle, giggle) "You were here earlier today?" (why I was getting physical therapy is another story)

Me: "Yes"

Caller: "Well," (giggle, giggle) "We were just eating lunch, and saw the Tri-City Voice" (giggle, giggle) "There is an article on the front page that says it's written by Alyson Whitaker," (giggle, giggle) "and we were wondering if that was you."

(My article on the Hayward Zucchini Festival made the front page this week)

Me: "Yes, that is me. I write for the paper."

Caller: "Oh my gosh! That is so cool!" (giggle, giggle) "We just had to call and ask if it was you!"

Me: "Yep, it's me..."

Caller: "OK, we'll see you at your next appointment. That is so cool...I can't believe it's you! OK, bye!"

Me: "OK...bye"

This was my first glimpse at what it feels like to be famous, even just a little bit...and I have to say, it was flattering, and more than a little amusing!

Things I Learned On Our Latest Road Trip

We just returned from a 10-day trip to Portland to visit my family. With 3 kids, golf clubs, and suitcases, it's easier (and a whole lot cheaper) to drive.

In a perfect world, the drive should be about 9 hours. In my world, add about 3 hours to that.

Over the course of our round trip trek, I learned a few things that will come in handy for future road trips:

1. Always carry a spare fuse for the DVD power cord. Radio Shack's aren't always accessible, though we did manage to find one in Medford, OR that was not too far off the freeway. I would have detoured several more miles, had it been necessary.

2. A newly potty-trained 3-year-old boy has approximately 7 1/2 minutes from the time he cries "potty" until there's a puddle.

3. In a pinch, a Propel bottle is the perfect substitute for a rest stop or gas station bathroom. Works well for little boys. Not so well for a girl. Just make sure it's empty.

4. Snacks are requested approximately every 23 minutes. That means over 12 hours, I need to have 36 snacks per child, or 108 total each way. Candy was the preference. A built-in vending machine would be nice.

5. Audio books are a nice deviation from movies, though they are read so slowly that I nearly fell asleep. At the wheel.

6. In order to avoid the above disaster, I guzzled far too many extra-large Diet Cokes. I couldn't sleep for 2 days after arrival.

7. After a long 10 days away, there is nothing more beautiful than pulling into the driveway and being home!

I never thought this day would come...

Last night, we experienced a family first: taking a bike ride as a family, with only one child on the back of a bike!

Jack got a smokin' hot new mountain bike for his 6th birthday. I swear, his bike is nicer than my everyday bike. Leave it to Steve to pick out the coolest, fastest, bike available in Jack's size!



Anyway, he's been practicing on our street, riding in circles for hours. Last night, we put the skills to the test, and rode around the neighborhood as a family after dinner. We live at the top of a rather steep hill, so braking ability is a necessity to make it down alive. Jack and Olivia opted to walk their bikes down the street to flatter ground.

We only had a few mishaps—while Jack is awesome at balancing, he's not completely proficient at steering or turning yet, and he doesn't always pay close attention to where he's going. He is easily distracted by his surroundings. He hasn't figured out that it's best to slow down before turning a corner, so there were a few wipeouts. He caught his handlebars on a post at one point and his bike stopped but he didn't...thank goodness for knee and elbow pads, gloves and a helmet!

As we were riding through the neighborhoods, I was reflecting on the past 10 years as a "family". We've been in the "baby" stage for a very long time. Now, we've reached the "kid" stage, where we can begin to do activities together that don't require a stroller, diaper bag, breast pump and bottles. Honestly, I wasn't sure we'd ever get to this stage. Now that it's here, I'm looking to the many adventures that lie ahead!

The Next Best Thing...

Olivia has made it clear over the years that she feels gypped by not having a sister. While she adores her two brothers, she longs to share clothes, dolls and dreams with a sister. Since we can't deliver on demand (nor are we planning to!), she is having to accept the fact that she is, and always will be, the only girl in the house.

Today, she and Jack were upstairs playing quietly for a very long time. She came down with an extremely mischievous look on her face, and excitedly introduced me to:

Jack was more than content and pleased to be wearing one of her dresses, a pair of her shoes, and carrying a sparkly purse.

They then proceeded to put on a little show:

While it's fun playing dress up, I know Jack will be back to his grubby, sweaty boy clothes in no time, and while Olivia longs for a sister, having a brother who is willing to play along for the afternoon is the next best thing!

The First Vacation of Summer

Why summer vacation is called "vacation", I'll never know. Perhaps it's a vacation for the kids...no school for 10 weeks. But for a stay-at-home mom, it hardly feels like vacation. Entertaining three kids and keeping my sanity is more than I can handle most days.

For the past year, Jack has been requesting a trip to LegoLand for his 6th birthday. We made arrangements to go down to So. Cal., stay with Steve's mom for a long weekend, and make that request a reality. About a week prior to our departure, Steve had a last minute request to be in the Orange County office on the days leading up to our mini vacation...so we all hopped in the car and headed south together. For me, this meant added days of not cooking, not cleaning, minimal laundry (which I'll explain later) and a whole lot of R&R.

While Steve and Joyce worked on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the kids and I played at the park, read books and swam in the pool. It was heaven. My mother-in-law insisted on doing all the cooking and cleaning up, while I laid on the couch and read 2 entire books in 4 days. That doesn't happen often (the reading, not the great MIL taking great care of us!)

Early Thursday morning, we headed south to Carlsbad for a fun-filled day at Legoland California. Crowds weren't bad...especially given that it was a holiday weekend.

Steve and I each got a little cozy with our Lego counterparts...

We had fun watching the Bob the Builder 4-D movie. What's 4-D you ask? It incorporates all the cool effects of a 3-D movie with real effects as well. Like wind blowing, snow falling, raindrops spattering, etc. Very cool!

Most of the rides were pretty mellow. Olivia and I went on a "Bionicle" ride, and got CRAZY!

There was a Lego workshop, where you could build your own race car and test it on the ramp. Not sure who was more intense...Jack or Steve!

We went out to dinner, and celebrated an "Almost Birthday" with Jack. He loved the crazy mexican singing...though he'd never admit it, and he barely cracked a smile while it was going on!

We spent Friday at Newport Beach, sunning in the same spot which has hosted Steve for all 42 years of his life, and his mom for the past 60.

The kids each had a turn being buried in the sand, which they mostly loved...

Jack and Grant each had a nap under a makeshift shade. Steve is amazing, and while this is only a minor example, his nickname of "MacGyver" suits him perfectly.

Saturday, we celebrated the 4th of July by setting off some legal noisemakers and watching fireworks on tv. No crowds, loud noises and rowdy hooligans (except our own) to contend with.

Sunday marked Jack's 6th birthday. The family came to help celebrate. Jack loved the extra attention, and had "the best birthday ever!"

Monday morning, we woke up at O-Dark-Thirty and hit the road. It was great to get back home, and once the laundry was done, I actually felt renewed, refreshed, and like I'd actually had a vacation!