HAPPY EASTER!!!!

Easter Eggs

Today was all about the eggs.  It's Easter!  So against my will, crafts were involved.  My kids did this crafty project all on their own.  It's an eggshell family of course.

Our second project seemed easy, but did not turn out like These.  Nonetheless we had a good time.

I am not sure what we did wrong.  Possible my ties weren't 100% silk.  Next year I'll be more prepared.

I noticed Lila reading a cupcake book to Ethan so I had to get a pic.  When the kids can be sweet with each other and entertain themselves for more than 5 minutes without me doing a song and dance it must be captured on film.

 I put a few of those eggs to good use in my lunch.

More crafts from school that Lila had "just the perfect spot" for.

And finally Emry needed to put those eggs (from the egg family) to good use and make brownies.  She did this all by herself and did a   great job.  I consider her a computer genius since she printed out     these bunnies all by herself.                                                                                                                                                                              Now we just need to put out our baskets and hope the Easter Bunny fills them up.  Although I did tell Emry she would be getting matchbox cars for Easter, her Birthday and Christmas since she fought with Ethan multiple times the other day about his cars.   In a much raised voice I told her what her Holiday future held since she loved the cars so much. 

I try not to say things I don't mean but I was tired of hearing               **Ethan cry. 

I wonder what the Easter Bunny will do??????                                         

**He is definitely the baby of the family and even asked for someone to feed him tonight at dinner.  He's Six.  My parents were eating with us.  I acknowledge the morning oatmeal feedings, even though we're in a hurry, must stop asap. 

-I also acknowledge the fact I have no idea why all of a sudden the printing is centered.   I am just thankful I can get a post up at all. The other day I tried to email my dentist at his website address.  When Glenn saw I had typed www in the address box, I think he just felt sorry for me.                                      

Made Your Way

We don't eat at McDonalds.  Correction - we don't eat anything other than ice cream cones at McDonalds.  If I am forced to get a salad (or a milkshake) on a road trip then I will, but I just don't enjoy their food.  I much prefer eating at home to pretty much anywhere.  Everything is made to order and it's fresh.  My kids however have found a way to have the best of both worlds.

 So what's in the homemade Micky D's bag.  Happy meals that Emry made for Ethan and Lila.  She didn't think my distaste for fast food should mar their childhood memories. 

 Ethan's lunch consisted of roasted chicken pieces with A-1, grapes, chocolate crisp cookies and sparkling water.

 Lila's lunch consisted of roasted chicken with A-1, apple slices with peanut butter, chocolate crisp cookies and sparkling water.  


Just like fast food there was a lot of annoying wasteful packaging.  But it was crucial to the whole 'feel' of fast food.  So I held my tongue even though I would be the one washing all those little containers

Ethan and Lila enjoyed their 'McDonalds' lunch on the patio. 


In the future this memory might just morph into them thinking they really did once upon a time enjoy a happy meal.

Therapy averted.

MegaMinds

My kids are genius'.

Legos are the best.  I played with them many many hours growing up.  I really wanted to watch The Brady Bunch or The Love Boat, but with 11 people, no DVR and usually a sports game playing with my Dad saying  *"look, there's only 6 minutes remaining on the clock" I was left to play alone.


*6 minutes in game time translates into about 45 minutes T.V. time, and that's not counting overtime.  Somehow my dad got away with this for years.  To this day I loathe televised sports.

So back to the brilliant minds that reside right here in my home.  I thought this was too cute.

There is a movie screen, seats, a control center with projector, a game with prizes next to a drinking fountain, oh the details!


                

Concession Stand complete with Freezers for ice cream, Happy Meals, and Display counter in front.

The gated area is a kid play place.  Ethan said it was for when the grown ups watched PG-13 movies.

 Of course all parents think their kids are highly intelligent, it's what we do.  I don't expect them to rule the world or anything.  I'd totally settle for President of the United States.  Have you seen the Lego creation?                                

Photos from my Trip......

So I am back!  Every year I go on a girls trip with my girlfriends.  This year was as great as years past and I want to get every little detail down so I can remember all the fun that was had.  My best girlfriend Shauna has a Saint for a husband who offered to take their 5 kids and stay with his parents for the weekend so a group of us could use their home for our little get together.


First up was waiting an hour in the arctic SJ weather at the airport for Shauna to pick me up.  Coming from Southern Ca. it seemed like I might be caught in a snowstorm (just sayin').  Shauna my love just had her sixth baby a few weeks ago and we all know that somethings gotta give.........that day it was me.


The night was spent hanging out, eating, catching up, playing games and of course going and getting yogurt.  I shared a bed with Shauna while baby Summer slept peacefully in her walk in closet.  I couldn't believe Shauna had the energy to nurse throughout the night and still be bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning.


We shopped, we ate out, we got yogurt again.  We stayed up late playing games (again) with me being the first one to bed.  We went on a gorgeous hike where Thira was on binky patrol and had to backtrack every time we noticed baby Summer had lost her pacifier.  Thira has eagle eyes and found it every time. We shopped Los Gatos and changed plans according to baby schedules.  Between the 6 of us we have 18 kids (2 of them with us that day) so it was par for the course and we just went with the flow.

I couldn't believe how big and busy San Jose was (is).  I refer to it now as the big city, which it is.  It was weird to be back and experience all the action and congestion.  I loved being there, but I much prefer being a country bumkin here in little ol' Temecula.  


I love my friends.  I love forgetting about the kids for a few days and solely focusing on having fun.  Let's see what my pictures have to say about my trip......

 So as you can see I took out my camera once.  Yes, once for about 5 minutes.  This is at Valley Fair mall in San Jose and when I saw this little dog boutique I just knew the girls would have loved it, so I had to take some pictures for them.  (So much for forgetting about the kids)  It was so over the top.  Gourmet everything for your precious little dog.  So where are my friends?  Where are my priorities?

The truth is I like to just live.  I like to go out to dinner without whipping out a camera and hike without a camera on my hip.  If that makes me a bad blogger than so be it.

On my last day there Shauna, Thira and myself were dressed in our best and all done up for church.  I wanted to get a picture then but in all the hustle and bustle of trying to get 6 kids and 4 adults out the door on time, it didn't happen.  Once home I quickly changed out of my beautiful dress and forgot all about the picture.  Kirk took one just before I had to go catch my flight (with me dressed in my travel clothes - sweats) and eventually I will have that one picture to remember my time with my girls.  

I hope I look good.                            

Squished

I am the 5th of 9 children. Right smack dab in the middle.  4 older 4 younger.  I am used to waiting my turn, sharing, being forgotten, sleeping with one or 2 of my sisters, eating fast, wearing hand me downs, hearing the word No, getting yelled at, playing make-believe for hours, washing 20 sink fulls of dishes and following my sister to the bathroom in the middle of the night because heaven forbid I ever be alone.

Ethan must sense how much I miss sleeping in a twin bed with Jeannette (which we did up until we were teenagers), because when he wakes in the middle of the night because of a 'nightmare' he cuddles right up to me, never to Glenn.  I moved to take this picture and you can see just what little space he gave me to sleep.


This bread is just like my night last night, Squished.  It is so good!  

Here is the recipe.  Joy's blog is all kinds of Drool.

Oh, I even had kids on top of me as I was taking this photo.  This is how they thought the photo should look........

Rewarding

Ever since I was young I knew I wanted to be a mother.  I loved to play dolls.  Jeannette was  a good sport to play with me, but at almost 4 years older she outgrew dolls much quicker than I.  She would  often ask me to 'babysit' her doll and then proceed to take off for hours to play with her real friends. 

 This past week with the children on Spring Break we had So. Much. Fun!  There were sleepovers with their cousins, pool days, beach days, movie nights, mall trips, library outings, painting, cooking, staying up late, sleeping in, and lots of togetherness.


I am like all mothers in that my kids annoy, exhaust, infuriate, confuse and just plain wear me out.  But for every headache there are a thousand sweet moments I wouldn't want to miss for the world.  I feel extremely blessed to be at home reminded of what it's like to live in a child's world. Taking occasional snapshots , but more often mentally clicking away hoping my memory will serve me well. 

The other night as I was tucking Ethan in I felt my heart break a little.  He was just so cute and sweet lying there in his rocket pajamas with a smile on his face.  What came over me?  I don't know.  But I am sure it has something to do with knowing how fleeting this time of my life is.  My kids won't stop growing.  It's great because each new stage is wonderful, but it's hard to watch.  Clothes no longer fit, youthful toys get discarded, homework gets harder, clothes and style suddenly become important.

The troupe went back to school today.  Emry came home and worked on a project with her dad.  Ethan practiced for his  report on jaguars.  Lila worked on her times tables.  I see them all going in a good direction.  Many of my friends with older kids say "just wait until they are teenagers".  

Well I am not waiting.  I am enjoying every moment that I can until they turn on me.  At least I'll have Glenn on my side.  And the kids listen to him.  They need to be on his good side.  He drives a motorcycle.  In this house, that apparently trumps everything.

Living with RA

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Running don't go together.  When I hear the word Arthritis I think frail, slow, old, tired and of course misshapen joints. 

Putting my running shoes on this morning took everything I had.  I remember the good ol' days when I bounded out of bed at 5:45 excited to get out into the fresh air.  Those days are gone.  But it's just the way it is and I am not crying about it.  I may not be at my top speed but 6 miles is still 6 miles. 


The absolute worst thing about having RA is the fatigue (Everything else can be remedied with a steady cocktail of drugs and infusions).  I already resemble an old person in that the dinner dishes are done by 6, I am always telling the kids to turn down the radio, I call technology 'New Fangled' and  my outfit is always dictated by comfort.  


My mother grew up on a farm and brainwashed me into believing 'Early to Bed, Early to Rise', but I've taken it to the extreme with the sleep lately.  I am ALWAYS tired.  That to me is the worst effect of having RA.  


As tired as I am I forced myself out the door and I am so glad I did.   This is what I saw..........

                                      
It makes getting up and at em' easier.  I love running in Temecula.  It's beautiful.   And I noticed I said the good ol' days......typical.