In her words . . .

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!

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!

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

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

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

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?

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: