The Cool House
I'd always hoped we'd have THAT house.You know the one where everyone hangs out in?
The one where all your food is gone in one afternoon after a grocery store run that morning?
Where all the kids can hang and not be all, "ew your mom" or "I'd rather be loitering at Target."
Will it happen?
I'm not sure.
Right now, all our afterschool activities take precedent over any hanging.
My oldest turned down a birthday party of a friend and a PG13 movie because of dance.
My son plays Runescape if he has any free time.
All the kids K knows are still in carseats or boosters, so they have to be driven over.
We're not the family with the XBox or Wii or Playstation, or Atari.
....
Oh Atari?! You know that thing with the thingamabob, joystick thingy?
Right? Isn't that it? I don't know, I never actually had one, I think it was for boys.
Nevermind.
We don't have a pool.
Or a hottub (for the future: probably a good thing).
We still have Betamax and VHS.
LOL, no we don't. Just fun to write that.
So I don't know, maybe we can be THAT house when the kids get older?
Do I even really want it to be?
Maybe I just want to be cool to my kids, be that family that's all cool and not totally embarassing.
Impossible?
What do you think?
Vacation Guilt Already.
Guilt.We are going on our first week long adventure next month.
25 days from now.
To Maui.
We will be married 15 years in June and it's our anniversary trip.
We've been together nearly 20 years.
Whoa.
It still doesn't hide the fact that the week we are gone, we'll be missing alot.
A lot of kid stuff.
Like K's last day of preschool.
Ever.
Like all 3 kids went to this preschool and this is our last child's last day there.
Her teachers are like family to us.
We'll miss her graduation program.
Her cute end of the year program where they sing adorable songs and smile big when they see you in the audience.
Maybe a parent in the class can Facetime it to me. If I ever figure out how to do it on my phone.
Then DQ reminded me that it will be the first time in like 6 years that I'll be missing dance photos. Where I stand around while the girls change in and out of their recital costumes and get photographed for about 4 hours.
"Who will do K's hair?! I'll be busy changing, and doing my own hair."
Grandma I guess.
For sure I'll have to buy all those photos now.
Way to guilt me kids.
Coach Hubby and I will also miss My Boy's last scheduled baseball game of the season. One of his assistant coaches, Grandpa T will be missing it too.
Super guilt on who will manage the team, but I'm confident someone will step up. Probably one of the moms!
So sure, we go away and life will go on without us, and it will be just fine.
I hope.
I'll have to drown myself in Mai Tais to deal with the guilt, but I'm sure I will be okay.
Positive.
I mean, how often can you say you rode a bike down a volcano?
My Valentine's Day Wish
Today is Valentine's Day.I sent two of 3 children off to school with store-bought cards and Pixie Stix because, frankly, the other moms do too!
At the preschool level, there is a pre-arranged menu of healthy treats and milk, no need to show off your baking skills or lack there of.
I'm in the lacking department anyway so PHEW.
My son doesn't even know if they had to bring cards, so I'm thinking no big party at the 4th grade level.
So again, I'm not missing out trying to bake brownies in the shape of cupid covered in sprinkles, only for them to turn out looking like a pile of cupid's poop.
Double PHEW.
The kids nonetheless come home with ginormous bags of candy and cards, that sometimes are not even signed, and are way more interesting than krispy treats with googly eyes.
K and My Boy will do a candy trade, while DQ whines that being a middle schooler gips you on all the candy-related holidays.
Which it does.
But, to get even she'll go "oooooh, she loves you!" to all the cards My Boy gets from females in his class.
He'll then throw an open Pixie Stix at her, sugar will get in her eye, and then I declare all the candy is mine, the kids will all cry themselves to sleep at 6pm, and hubby and I will enjoy the Bachelor with a bottle of wine and all the candy we can eat.
Happy Valentine's Day to US!
Well, at least I hope it turns out that way.
Anticipation.
For what you might ask.School, of course.
Only 15 days left until the precious first day of school.
Ahhh, let me take that in for a moment.
....
Moment's up, someone is screaming in the other room.
I'm pretending I'm asleep.
But, that never works, at 7am and especially 2:45pm...*sigh*
Two thirds of the children will be gone, so two thirds of the noise is going with them to seventh and fourth grade.
Let's face it, I don't want them growing up. It's hard enough cycling with the tween (oh yes). I want them to be non-tantruming little kids forever. But, alas another thing I'm not in control of.
Who knew I was a control freak? Don't answer that.
So it's school shopping time and DQ is an XS in the women's department. Oh how I long for those days to be a size XS and a 0....like my mom used to tell me, "enjoy it now because after kids...." She was right. She's always right.
My Boy on the other hand tells me he just needs a new sweatshirt and we can call it good.
Sounds like his dad, who seriously has shirts from our college days in the closet. We graduated 15 years ago.
He is loyal through and through, though I did make him get rid of some god-awful racing shirts from H.S.
Honey, the tour de France look never works unless you are ACTUALLY on a road...in France...on a bike.
He gave me the pouty lip and now some 13 year old who shops at Goodwill has a sparkly new tight shirt in florescent yellow and green. You're welcome.
Anyway, Wednesday August 18th you'll find me first in line at both schools with the kids at the dropoff loop giving them a gentle nudge out of the car.
I'll grab a coffee and come home pop in a movie and start the countdown until K's first day at preschool. She gets 3 days this year. Equalling 9 mommy-hours a week. A 25% improvement from last year baby!
But just to bring me down to earth and balance out my utter joy on the way home from dropoff, I'll switch on my iPod and "You're Gonna Miss This" will start.
I'll shed a tear, feel my mommy guilt and then curse, damn you Trace Atkins!
I gotta delete that song!
Catching Flies.
I don't understand it.Sibling rivalry.
I'm not an only child, my brother is 7 years older than me.
We were not super close growing up, hence, not so much fighting.
My 3 children...cannot.keep.away.from.eachother.
In the fighting department.
Summer is torture to most stay-at-home moms.
Seriously, today at the beach, no different.
There is enough sand, water, space...for thousands of beach-goers, but nope there they are on top of eachother.
Whipping eachother with kelp ropes.
Throwing sand at eachother.
Not sharing sandcastles.
WHAT THE WHAT...
They even each had a friend with them, but still like a crazy magnet, found themselves in eachother's space.
I hate being the mean policeman every single day.
And who yells at the beach?
Me.
The beach is a sanctuary.
The waves crash. The seagulls squawk in a more relaxing than annoying way.
I'm just trying to get my tan on.
But, no, how many times do I have to say, "YOU over here. YOU over there."
To your dang corners boxers.
Geezus!
Sometimes you dream, oh I'll have my kids close together, they'll get along so well.
Sometimes you say, oh my gosh why didn't we spread these kids apart by a few more years?
They are best friends, in my heart I know this to be true.
But, seriously, the competition factor is amazing.
They constantly try and outdo eachother to get our attention, to be the best, to beg us to choose favorites.
Which is maternally impossible.
WE LOVE YOU ALL THE SAME.
And will forever.
Don't compete. Just love eachother.
We love you and always will, equally.
And, please learn that you catch more flies with honey instead of vinegar.
Not that anyone wants flies, so that saying is messed up.
But, anyway. Be Nice to Eachother. Dammit.
Life Was Simpler in the Age of 8-Track Tapes
Midway through our 7 hour trip to Rancho Mirage, I pull out my trusty laptop to write.A fairly new concept, thanks to my in-laws, the laptop goes with me everywhere now, just in case I have a brain twitch and need to get it in print before my mind swallows it whole and I forget about it 3 seconds later.
Where was I?
Oh yeah. Limo windows.
I will give you full royalties if you just name it after me.
The Jen Window.
The invention I NEED to have made is for regular-non-stretch variety cars to offer an electronic window between the front of the car to the back.
Seriously, and we think driving while talking/texting on a cell phone is dangerous!
How about a four year old’s squeals of “I’m hungry, my turn on the DS, give me your iPod, and get your feet off my head!” piercing my eardrums at 2000 decibles??
Nevermind that she packed her own backpack of toys to keep her busy on the trip.
It’s still on the floor, zipped.
I’m not even driving and I want to stick the keys in my eyes.
And I forgot my earplugs.
I thought I’d be beyond this stage by now. But it gets worse with the tweens. Just wait. They will eat you alive.
I remember driving to Oregon when I was little, all I needed was the Grease Soundtrack on 8-track and I was good.
Grease was the word you know, and I loved me some Frankie Valli.
Bee-yoo-tee-school dropout….I can’t believe I never questioned what a hooker was when I heard that song at age 9. (hindsight glance into space)…
I loved that green Audi we had too, everyone thought it was a Mercedes.
I didn’t tell them different either, not my fault they couldn’t read.
Sigh.
Oh hey, it’s sprinkling. And it’s 88 degrees out.
Chances for a cool down to about 109 in Palm Springs is possible people, keep your fingers crossed for us.
Hold on my phone….
Apparently the Grapevine doesn’t accept calls, I have no bars.
Sorry mom. Call you later.
It smells like wet pavement and McD’s pancakes now.
We just rolled down the windows so K could feel the rain and giggle.
Aw. See just when you pull the keys out of your eyes, the cherubic toddler does something completely adorable.
It all may go back to hell in a handbasket, I give it 10 minutes.
As we pass Six Flags Magic Mountain, a collective “awww!” comes over the car.
No we can’t go there, we’re going to fry in the desert and that’s final!
I will now stuff some leftover pancake in my ears and take a little nap.
Dude, Surf's Up!
Project after project.This guy has a list a mile long of what he wants to create in his
Right now it's the skim board.
When we went camping at the beach last month, our aunt and uncle brought along theirs and Hubby has had his mind set on one ever since.
You know its not a surf board or a boogie board, you ride the shallow slick of water as it rises up the beach before pulling back to the ocean.
Sorta like skateboarding on the sand.
Or just another way to break a body part.
Anyhoo.
The kids and Hub made two, because there is 5 of us and we are all really good sharers?!
No, just because that's how much wood he had.
So a few coats of polyurethane, and we're ready for Beach Fridays.
If he isn't going to work, then he's going to hang 10.
Dude.
Totally.
Are you nuts?
I watch Wipeout, I know it would HURT BAD if I bailed, and lookyloos would laugh.
I'll be happy to sit on my towel and snap photos, thank you.
Someone has to be ready to drive to the ER.
Your Job This Summer...
Two nights home.In a row!
Two Monterey weekends, Friends, Drama, 2 lovely hotels, Monterey Bay Aquarium, a week in Sacramenthell, 1 crusty hotel, A's/Giants game, Papa's birthday, Pool Party....
Crazy busy.
Now the challenge this week is to really sink into a home routine now that school's out.
Juggling an 11 year old, a 9, and a 4 year old is freakin' WORK.
The 11 year old wants a car, a phone, and money. The 9 year old wants to be outside on his bike, scooter, or swimming. The 4 year old just wants to play dolls and house and birthday party and needs someone to play with her. Every. Single. Second.
How do you solve this impossible equation?
I'm not Einstein, or that curly-haired guy from Numbers.
Did you know that guy was also in The Santa Clause, as the head elf.
What was I saying?
Oh yeah, I'm not a magician.
I'm just a mom. Who needs an activity co-chair.
Inquire within.
There's no pay involved, only being a very special part of my summer sanity.
Anyone?
Okay, a slight reprieve, you can start next Monday.
Because this week is recital week and I've got a few days filled up. Then there's Father's Day on Sunday.
And studio movie day tomorrow.
So your job is to keep me sane and the kids from burning down the house.
Because our neighbor may do that all on his own.
Another story. Another time.
Bonus to you if you can find me something to do too.
On your marks, get set, go!
Homesick.
Bored.Just hanging at the hotel where my hub is attending a work-related conference.
We've swam, and swam, and swam.
We've eaten, and eaten, and eaten.
We've watched TV, used the free wi-fi.
Called maintenance (clogged pipes), housekeeping (not enough TP), switched rooms (ants!), and endured an old shabby hotel amid renovations.
I'm done.
It's been years since i've toodled around these parts, when I was in college. We're close to a ton of stuff but far enough I need a map and directions and don't feel like getting lost.
Our only great meal, last night at Cattlemen's for our anniversary dinner.
The hotel does not have a microwave in the rooms, nor a fridge. Every meal is out to eat and BLEH, i'm ready for home cooked!
My arteries hurt.
Home again tomorrow.
I'm stopping at Safeway, picking up some french bread, pasta, sauce, salad fixin's, and fresh corn.
I'm homesick.
Plus I think the UPS and FedEx guys miss me.
Our cat too.
A Thousand Words Thursday
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Merry Christmas, Love The Mom Jen
Wishing you and yours the Merriest Christmas ever!
I'm blessed to have my wonderful family, many loving friends, and all of those new friends I've met in the blogosphere.
So Where is "Evan?"
My hubby's grandfather passed away when I was about 4 months pregnant with K.I remember at his funeral, I felt the first kick in my belly from her.
I knew she was going to be his little angel.
So my children have one living "Great" grandparent, and it's often that we talk about great-grandpa and that he is passed on.
This has made a huge impact on K.
Frequently she talks about great-grandpa, though she didn't know him, but that she's aware "he's died."
Yesterday, out of the blue K asked me, "Is great-grandpa okay?"
Taken aback, I stuttered a bit, then came up with an answer for a 3-year-old.
I told her that he was okay and that he lived in heaven and that's where you go when you die.
"But, why did he die?"
He was sick and his body was tired.
"Where is EVAN?"
Heaven is....in the sky. (I'm going to blow this I know it)
"Can we fly there?"
No, you can't.
"Are there stairs? Magic stairs?"
No, you can't get there by magic stairs.
How do you get there? Has daddy been there?"
Gulp! Um...no daddy hasn't been there. You can only go when you die. (please stop asking me these tough questions, can we talk about Strawberry Shortcake instead?!)
Luckily at that moment, my son jumped into the car and I started talking to him about his day.
Hopefully, the rest of the week I'll be spared discussions on sex, death, or politics with the kids.
Can't Put the Camera Down!
It's one of those weeks.Everyone and everything is getting photographed.
It's pumpkin carving time!
DQ's kitty cat.
My Boy going for the original Jack-o-Lantern face.
K chose a moon and stars theme.
That had her favorite letter on the back.
Big sis and her favorite logo of all time. PEACE.
My favorite part of the activity, roasted seeds!
My party dip needed a "hand."
The winning card!
Happy Halloween everyone!
A Thousand Words Thursday
I want to write out my weekly
It's kinda crazy, but I'm sure if you're a mom, you probably do it daily too!
3 kids, 3 schools...throw the nephews into the mix and add a 4th school.
Thanks to hubby working in our small town, I only take the kids to school maybe once a week, so that part adds to his schedule before work.
Monday
7:40 My Boy to school
7:55 DQ to school
1:50 Pickup Nephews
2:08 Pickup MB
2:57 Pickup DQ
4:45 DQ to Dance
5:00 Home
7:30 Pickup DQ
Tuesday
7:40 My Boy to school
7:55 DQ to school
9:00 K to school
12:00 Pickup K
2:08 Pickup MB
2:57 Pickup DQ
4:15-6 Soccer
Wednesday
7:40 My Boy to school
7:55 DQ to school
10-11 K Dance
1:50 Pickup Nephews
2:08 Pickup MB
2:57 Pickup DQ
4:45 DQ to Dance
5:00 Home
7:30 Pickup DQ
Thursday
7:40 My Boy to school
7:55 DQ to school
9:00 K to school
12:00 Pickup K
2:08 Pickup MB
2:57 Pickup DQ
4:15-6 Soccer
6:00 DQ Dance
8:00 Pickup DQ
Friday
7:40 My Boy to school
7:55 DQ to school
2:08 Pickup MB
2:57 Pickup DQ
Please send gas cards!
Want to join me in A Thousand Words Thursday, read and grab my button from HERE. Then write in your name and the URL(permalink) in the new MckLinky below.
Please link only to "A Thousand Words Thursday" posts, and check out all the other participants and leave them some love!
First Day Butterflies (Mine)
I admit it, I miss the kids a little.Today was the first day of school.
I scooted out a 3rd grader and a sixth grader out of the house into the world of education.
Both, still half-asleep, but excited nonetheless.
Me, I'm okay.
My son has a class full of his best buddies, a great teacher and a familiar school.
DQ, not so much.
She is at a new school, middle school!
Not so familiar faces, although she knows a couple (like 3) people.
New schedule, new teacher, new classes (welcome to real P.E. where it's a mandated jr. high subject and not just dodgeball and monkey bars).
So i'm nervous.
For her.
The usual, hoping she fits in, makes friends, is happy.
She doesn't need me to worry, but I do.
Middle school is different, kids are different, life changes for girls during these years (if you get my drift...).
For once the butterflies in my stomach are nerves rather than acid.
2 hours until pick up.
Soggiest One, Wins!
What's summer without a water balloonWell, it's fun until someone cries. Of course.
Pack of 100 with spout, Target, one dollar!
A "bid peent one" for K.
"Can I shrow dis one?" Yes, just not at me.
A simple game of toss.
Rut Roh, fail.
Dude, air ball. I mean balloon.
SPLAT.
Game over, someone is soaked!
Operation: "Me in a Picture"
Mother's Day, the perfect opportunity.I'd mentioned before that I'm going to start challenging myself to get into some of these photo memories.
I have to.
The scrapbooks are missing me, and it's time for a change.
So no better time than Mother's Day.
After a long full day at an amusement park, I come home to download all the pictures.
I'm in 3 of 70+ pics.
That's what happens when you go for the food instead of the rides.
By the way, I'd like to commend myself for not making myself sick with "carnie food."
But, dang are those Dippin' Dots good!!
So before bed, sweaty, sunburnt, and exhausted, hubby shot a few pics of me and my sweet kids!
That's a double "I love you" sign, not my boy being a punk!
So there, it's my pic of the week.
It might be pushing it, but maybe I can get one in once a week.
Now that I have my new
How about you, are you constantly behind the camera and never in the family memories?!
Are you up for the challenge?!
The Early Days of Motherhood, part four
Part OnePart Two
Part Three
My Boy was born March, 12, 2001. From the beginning I knew in my heart I was going to bottle-feed.
My Hubby knew it too. He wanted me too. He knew what my past experience had done to me.
I didn't even try to nurse.
I had some very pro-nursing nurses in the hospital that questioned my decision and tried to get me to change. I didn't budge.
After about 3 weeks home with our second child, something new began.
COLIC.
No sleep for baby. No sleep for mom and dad.
Crampy, gassy, fussy, sleep-deprived baby. Crazed mom.
For the love of all that is good in the world, why didn't you nurse? See what YOU've done?!
At this point there was no way I was going to attempt to go backwards and take my son off formula and try and "charge up" my breasts to nurse.
It can happen. It's about supply with demand. Breast economics.
Not going to happen for me.
We tried soy, Nutramigen, Alimentum, lactose-free. Burping over the shoulder, burping across the knee, burping bent at the stomach.
Swirling the bottle vs. shaking it. Burping after 1 oz. Burping after 1/2 oz. I even burped a few times, but it didn't help him.
Gas drops in the bottle. More water. Less milk at a sitting. Sleeping propped up.
Short from standing on my head while feeding him, nothing helped.
Deep within me depression reared it's head. Post-partum or not. Because of the bottle feeding issues or because of the colic, it began...again.
Mother-failure.
Time went by and finally, thanks to Yaya and going against all that was right with child-rearing, we put My Boy to bed on his stomach.
GASP. That's not right, all the books say.... all the experts say..... everyone knows that that is taboo. Well, my mom's view was that I grew up sleeping on my stomach and I'm okay. We tried it.
Just that slight pressure on My Boy's tummy worked wonders. Of course our crib monitor was nearly tucked in his diaper every night to keep tabs on his safety, but he was sleeping. He wasn't as whiny, and less gassy.
So I'm the non-nursing mother who puts her kid to sleep against the rules.
Rebel.
Will all of this continue to affect my life 10 years later. Yes. And no.
Am I different from normal moms? Yes and no.
Am I worse than a normal mom? No.
Did I go against the grain? Yes and no.
Will I always feel judged? Yes.
Do I care anymore? No, not really. I cared enough to write about it. To heal my heart. To possibly connect to someone else who felt the same way. I worried about the comments. But, I shouldn't. This is MY story. It can't be told any other way.
Did I nurse my 3rd child? No. And, finally I don't regret a minute of it. It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. My love for them always has been the truest of feelings that cannot be affected by something so trivial.
Gambling and Kid Parties Totally Mix
I over-do parties.I can't help it, I love the look on the kids faces when they have all their party supplies out decorating the house.
The cake is on the table, the balloons are everywehre.
The best snacks are out, pizza's coming.
There's a jump-house on the lawn and the weather is threatening.
Did I mention that every year we've gotten a jump-house the weather is threatening?!
We get that call first thing in the morning telling us, "if we bring it, you pay for it." Otherwise I can cancel, it rains, and there's no monetary loss.
But, every year, I say "bring it!" and every year it ends up drizzling and we have wet jumpers.
They don't care, it's more fun that way. But then they come back into the house, wet and cold like dirty little puppies. Eew.
But, I sacrifice my carpets and the week later when they're all sick, all for the sake of fun.
It's our fault. We didn't plan ahead to have summer babies.
This year we're having a double-party again. By accident, but none-the-less, 2 parties for the price of....well probably 2 parties.
K's 3rd birthday party is on Super Bowl Sunday. You might remember my anti-football post.
Well last year the party also fell on the same day, but I didn't realize it. Whatever, people hung out longer, we put together an impromptu football pool, all was good enough, I pretty much ignored the game until the last few minutes of each quarter.
Did I mention I won 3 quarters of the pool, that rocked, so this year when the dates coincided again, I didn't fret.
This time i'll be prepared. After the party, I'm making my favorite chili recipe and getting my gambling on by preparing the pool.
Like I said, nothing like over-doing it for the sake of a party.
PS. I still don't like football, but any excuse to gamble, i'm in.
Kid's CD Giveaway!!
If you love music, and your kids love music, here's a giveaway for you!Janet Sirett's Creepy, Crawly, Slimy Things
A former preschool teacher, turned Chemistry major, turned mom, just like any other,came up with a CD that both you and your kids will love.
What kids don't love superheroes, pirates, and animals? Queen Bee Linda's jazzy hand-jive song is adorable and even I found myself grooving to it!
Check out snippets of her CD on this site http://cdbaby.com/cd/janetsirett. Then come back here and leave a comment with your favorite song. One comment per person. If you don't have your email enabled with Blogger, include it so I can contact you if you win!
The winner will get Janet's CD, with plenty of hours of music, dancing, and fun for you and your child(ren).
Even if you don't win, Christmas is coming up and this would make a great stocking stuffer! She even offers 30% if you purchase more than one CD. Also offered for purchase are MP3 downloads of the CD. Check the website above for more details!!
Contest ends October 8, 8pm PST.
Good luck!
