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.
Oh Christmas Cow...Oh Christmas Cow...
HOW.Is.It.December 23?No, really, because it was just my 37th birthday, February, we were on a wine tour in a limo.
I got my favorite toy in the world as a gift, my iPod Touch.
I blinked.
Now it's almost 2011.
I'm almost 38, and we have a MAJOR road trip planned on Christmas day.
You hear that??
It's the thumping of my heart.
As it races at about 150 beats per minute.
Clearly not normal.
At least we did get a Santa visit in.
She was invited into his lap, but looked at me with her "oh hells no" eyes and I said, she's in just the right spot.
10 minutes prior to this she was a star in her preschool Christmas play.
By, star I mean she was a cow.
But the CUTEST ONE that ever graced a manger.
No lines, just stood there, looking adorable.
My Boy was the InnKeeper in this very same play 6 years ago.
His one line about there being no room at the Inn was dazzling.
DQ was Mary. No lines, but the "lead" no less.
Good thing we're done having kids.
I'm not sure there's anything lower than a cow in the program.
Well maybe the hay beneath baby Jesus.
Though we moved down the acting ladder this year, it was definitely a darling production.
Now that the big day(s) are just hours away, I'm rushing about looking for those last minute presents, trying to find all those hiding spaces I stashed gifts, and hoping they don't get shaken and then guessed before opening.
Where's the surprise in that?
From my family to yours, we wish you the happiest of holidays, travel safe, and remember those diets can all start after New Year's!
A Thousand Words Thursday
Memorial Weekend, 2010 Hub and DQ took turns learning (re-learning) how to skim board. The weather was perfect. The water a crisp 55 degrees (probably) and let's just say the road rash on the upper thighs, a learning curve.
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Eggs.
rainbow.
isn't 'dis the bunny's job?
hoppy eastuh!
Welcome to 2010, Now Where are the Mashed Potatoes!?
New Year's Eve.Generally like any other night, but we are a tad more lenient on the bed time.
I think the kids have made it literally to the stroke of midnight maybe once or twice before sacking out, but all the anticipation is just as fun.
Tonight we decided on a simple take out pizza, chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting, Pepsi, and wine for mom and dad.
I bought those mini explosives they dub "poppers" at Target and we're set.
Man setting off those little buggers at 9 in honor of our East Coast neighbors, I nearly burned my hand. Those things get HOT. Oh and you know the whole gun powder thing...I've introduced the love of poker and semi-legal fireworks to my children this week. Go me!
Routine things still happen around the house.
Showering and tubby time for everyone. It's Thursday for goodness sake.
Just a week ago we were anticipating Santa Clause, now "Twenty Ten" is upon us.
I'm not going to make any resolutions this year.
I'm sure I won't lose weight, get a tummy tuck, or give up pizza in 2010, or any other year in the future, and I've given up on the whole money tree delusion.
I would like to really up my veggie intake.
And, not eat out as much.
But, I won't promise it, that's setting myself up for failure right off the bat.
We watch the ball drop....see a little TOO much of J.Lo on Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve, and call it a night.
The wafty scent of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate dancing in our heads.
I feel a little high, is that possible!?
---
So 2010, here you are.
I wake with a hunger that already makes me think any resolutions are going to be broken by breakfast.
Breakfast leads me to think about lunch and dinner...bacon-wrapped anything and Pioneer Woman's mashed potatoes.
I'm screwed.
A drive out of town shakes my desire to eat my midday snack straight from the frosting tub.
A gorgeous 63 degree day in Silicon Valley.
As the last of my children's Christmas gift card stash is used, I think back upon 2009 and look forward to this new year.
If anything, this past week with our family has been lovely. Relaxing. Fun.
Here's to many more days very similar.
Happy New Year friends!
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.
The Big Guy is Almost Here
So Santa will be here in less than 14 sleeps.Are you ready?!
If the snow in our nearest hills at 2500 ft. is any indication, we may be graced with a sprinkle of white on Christmas day.
It hailed the other day!
That's usually as close as it gets, and that is as much winter as I can take.
Three places I'd rather be during our Californian winter...
Maui, Oahu, and Lanai.
Alas, I still haven't
At least my older kids are of the digital/gift card age.
That makes it easy.
Truly, their x-mas lists are simple...
1.Money
2. Gift Cards
3. Trip to Hawaii
We think alike.
And, because #3 is out, the two things left...a cinch.
As far as the rest of the details surrounding Christmas Eve and Day, they are foggy, it'll work out, I'm sure.
Needless to say, December gives me the shakes.
Or it's the 4 or 5 cups of coffee I drink each morning.
Either way, I'm overwhelmed.
But, thanks to K and her sweet little quips, I'm smiling...
K: Mommy look what I made at school
Me: Oh they are beautiful, who are they?
K: Baby Jesus, Mary, and JOHNSON!
K: Mommy, there are still no presents under the tree...
(this is said daily and a reminder that I need to get into gear and start wrapping!)
How are you on your holiday plans...calm/stressing? Done shopping? Ready to go, bring it on?
The 3-year-old's Christmas List
Despite all the giggling, I finally got DQ to print out K's dictated Xmas list.Here it goes in no particular order...
1. Barbies
2. Reindeer Dolly
3. Wand
4. Crown
5. Princess Dress
6.Wig (or Wick...either way, weird)
7. Guitar
8. Necklace
9. Cat Doll (or CatDog)
10. Cake
11. Ariel Book
12. SPACE SUIT (uh...yeah)
13. Darts
....
....and here's where it gets out of control...
14. Tigo
15. A Dot
16. A Bed
17. A Cage
18. A Dolly
19. A Band
20. K's
21. Peanut Butter Sammich
22. Kagoes
23. Clowlows
24. A Pony
...and many other things I'm pretty sure she made up.
But, if anyone knows where I can find a Kagoe or Clowlow, email me.
NOT a "Q" Again!!
Be jealous.Instead of waking at the butt-crack of dawn to shop amid hoardes of people...
We all slept in until 9am.
But, something you probably didn't get to experience was your youngest child having a tantrummy kind of day upon waking through midday.
And, tons of 8 and 11 year old fighting.
Alas, after a turkey-free lunch at Super Taqueria with extra hot-sauce, chill pills were passed around and it got significantly quieter.
Yesterday's Thanksgiving weather was a mild 70 well past 3pm which was so lovely.
Per usual, I stuffed myself silly and both my mom and I were a tad hungover last night and this morning.
Blame the Gewertzeminer.
But, today the weather changed and it was a cloudy, chilly fall day.
Still having had enough turkey for 364 more days, we went for salad, spaghetti, and bread tonight.
Plus a Scrabble-marathon continuing over from yesterday.
Hubby still gets haunted by that "Q" and never getting a "U" to go with it.
Dammit, why aren't there more words with Q in it!?
I usually get the "J" and the "Z" and often AIOEIOU, then have to redraw.
It's serious Friday night party action, I'm telling you.
Yesterday Yaya claimed that after a few glasses of wine, she got smarter in the game.
It's true. It happens to me too.
Diehards.
Gone are the days of Friday night poker, and bingo.
Scrabble championships here we come.
We've been talking about gifts for eachother and as romantic as it sounds, I think I may be getting an official Scrabble dictionary.
That definitely spells L-O-V-E.
A Thousand Thanks Thursday
HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I'm thankful for all of the people who stop by and read my blog. I hope you and your family have a wonderful day!
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If It's November, Christmas is Around the Corner...AHH!
November?! Already?!Well, I knew it was coming.
Yesterday was October 31 for pete's sake.
It's all going to be a blur for the next few months.
Food, turkey, mashed potatoes, candied yams.
Only 54 days until Christmas...oh mah gawd!
I'm not ready for it.
I'm going to hibernate, I'll be back March first.
I walked by the workers in Target putting out the Christmas lights and whispered, "this is nuts!" and I didn't think she heard me, but she replied, "yeah and it'll be 75% off on December 26th."
Have I done any Christmas shopping yet?
That's a big fat no.
Anyone who shops for Christmas in July can just take their brownie button and ...well...wear it.
I'm last-minute-lucy and dang proud.
Haven't made anyone go, "uh...thanks" with a disgusted look on their face yet.
Oh and now where do we go for our family Christmas photo?
Fireplace has been the locale for too many years now.
We need to get outside, jeans and red and green shirts (girls-red, boys green).
But, even before the best food holidays approach I have a sleepover to plan for 7 11-year-olds!
Talk about hard to please.
I've got to find alternate housing for My Boy and K that night.
Hubs and I may get banished to the garage.
Don't mind me these next few months...I'll be the one huddled in the corner.
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!
The Candy is Whispering My Name!
What's your favorite Halloween treat!?This year, mine are...
I can't get enough!
In the past, I would put all our leftover candy into my oldest daughter's birthday pinata to "get rid of it!"
But, now that she's almost 11, the pinata thing isn't cool.
The temptation of it all just makes my thighs thicken as we speak!
Not to mention I'm in charge of fundraising at DQ's school and we have a Chocolate Bar and See's Candy event coming up all before Christmas.
Later today My Boy will come home with TONS of stuff from school.
My pre-schooler has a cavity-inducing bag of treat from yesterday.
They haven't even Trick-or-Treated yet!!
AHH.
I have no self-control.
I WILL eat it all.
I can smell it from my bedroom.
Or that might be the crumbs by my pillow.
Chocolate helps you sleep..or something.
I'm feeling a bit like Willy Wonka, only fatter and with boobs.
HALP!
What a Treat!
Luckiest girl in town!K gets to wear her costume to dance class today.
Tomorrow, she gets to wear it to Preschool and trick or treat to our local downtown businesses.
These little ruby feet are too adorable for words.
She's worn the shoes everyday for a month.
Little red glitter about the house.
Dorothy, and her little dog too!
A Thousand Words Thursday
October, 2003--What could My Boy have been thinking at age two? Daddy is this how you put your goatee on every day!? Daddy, why do Pirates need makeup?
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Happy Father's Day!
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.
Spent the day, you guessed it at the Boardwalk!
This was at Hubby's request.
Yaya, Papa, Uncle M and Aunt B, Cousins T and B joined us.
We had a nice picnic lunch on the beach, then made our rounds on the rides.
Props to cousin B who took on the Log Ride like a champ!
*Note, Bonine is not Dramamine and doesn't work the same--Hubby
---
How did you celebrate the day?
Of New Years, Firecrackers, and Sugar-Rushes
New Year's for us is always pretty low key.Usually the kids try their hardest to stay up until the ball drops and it seldom happens.
They normally are sawing logs by 9pm on school nights, my bet was they'd crash.
After a trip to the pizza place, my almost-8-year-old son proclaims, "I'm going to eat a bunch of candy and the sugar-rush will carry me through the New Year!"
Um, should I tell him the crash after the rush could allow you to sleep through a tornado?! Nah. Knock yourself out.
They ate sugar and blasted off these little fire
Crazy kids, they kept saying, "EW this stuff stinks!" all the while, inhaling all they could of that gunpowder smell.
9pm our time they were hooting and hollering for the East Coast's new year celebration. Could they make it another 3 hours?
Nearing in on 10 pm, Central Time's big show, K passes out on the couch. No nap today, we thought she wouldn't make it past 7.
11pm my eyes are glazing over and the house is cold. I cuddle up with a blanket watching Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve and i'm ready to hit the hay. Oh and woo, Mountain Time!
The older kids are slowing down, the crash is imminent.
11:30pm and i'm heading to bed. My Boy and Hubby join me and we watch the last minutes up to the ball dropping. DQ pops in to hear premature firework blasts out our window.
11:47 is the last time I remember seeing on the clock. I've lost all bets.
I'm shaken awake at midnight just in time to give kisses to all and bark orders, EVERYONE GO TO BED!
Happy 2009.
Stick a Fork in Christmas
Now that the holiday season is over and the stockings are becoming un-hung, we can relax and look forward to another year of health and happiness.
Now get out to all the stores and buy up all the clearance
A Thousand Words Thursday
December, 2004--Disneyland/California Adventure. Surfin' Santa.
December, 2006--Poipu, Kauai--Sand in every crevice would be heavenly right now!
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Um, What Did I Just Wrap?
I've been a wrappin' fool the past few days.No, i'm not beat-boxing and rhyming, but yo shiz, I can work dat biz....(spitting profusely into my cupped hands).
Ooohkay....
So i've been wrapping presents, lots of them.
I have 3 rolls of paper that i'm alternating.
This post is so boring.
Tape, tape is good.
Scissors, yes you need those.
Labels, pen, bow. Done.
No, but wait.
Have you ever wrapped a present, taken care that you folded the sides in just right, and then it hits you!!
....you go to write in the TO: space and POOF! Just like that, you forget who the hell the present is for?!?
Or what it is!!!
Crap. Was that the perfume for Kim, or the lotion for Jessica, or the first season of Sex and the City for Lisa?
Do you unwrap and then re-wrap? Do you search the paper and check if you can see-through-it? Do you guess?
Today I wrapped and unwrapped. Dammit my first guess was right. Damn second-guessing-freak-mind!
