Keys to a perfect birthday...

To name just a few...
A perfect day spent enjoying the fall and the beautiful leaves (pictures prove that).
Alan coming home early from a long week vacation and being home on birthday!!
Breakfast in bed.
Homemade cards.
An entire day spent relaxing, in my p.j's, napping, watching conference. No deadlines.
A clean house (never mind that I cleaned it).
Laundry done (never mind I did that too).
A birthday dinner with my family.
Presents
Money
Hugs and kisses from my kids!
A trip the vacuum store new oreck!
Another birthday dinner tonight (so I got out of making dinner again).
Birthday wishes with cards, facebook (love that place), phone calls even a few on my blog (how they knew who knows) etc...
Alan coming home a day early ending the longest week of my life and turning my birthday into a stress free relaxing day (I did say that twice on purpose)!

Here are some pictures from our day enjoying the fall colors (only the twins were not in school and Alan was out of town)...

Fun...

Making time for fun, just fun is hard for me. I always feel the things I need done weighing on me. I admit to needing to have some down time. I hate being gone every single day, deadline after deadline. Today I made plans to go to the discovery museum with a friend. I hated to leave the tasks I needed to do undone. To give up my only non scheduled day. I almost canceled and did not go. Yet somehow as I sat there watching my girls (who will soon be grown up) I realized its more important to take time to play to have fun then to always be getting stuff done. It's a balance and I am working on finding it. I just don't want to spend all my time cleaning etc that I miss the moments of enjoyment and fun I can have with my kids while they are young enough to enjoy it with me. I let others get that opportunity way too much. Last night we went swimming while Lindsey did swim team and today we played. I still had time for laundry and cleaning too. Thanks Hillary for helping me stop and do that today.

I know when I look back upon these years I won't remember how clean my house only the moments and memories I spend with my kids.

Ps-Please tell my twins to stop making play time at 4:30am. Yes they turn on the lights and begin playing in the middle of the night. A lot. See its all about balance and that is off balance.

The greatest show on earth and Tuesday's Tip...

Last week we did an annual trip to the circus. The kids were over the moon about going and did not leave disappointed.

My kids with cousins and a few friends who used our extra tickets (it was a lot of kids).

I, however, could have done without nacho cheese in my hair thanks to the drunks sitting behind us.

Tuesday's Tip...
Some one I love was recently told she had an irregular lump found during her mammogram . It was located where they could not do a needle biopsy so she underwent surgery last Monday to have it removed. It was very small and caught early. The doctor said it did not look malignant. Unfortunately when the pathology came back last Wednesday it was Cancer. We were all so shocked and sad for her. She underwent surgery again today (poor thing) and they were able to confirm good news in that it had not spread to any lymph nodes. We are hopeful and grateful this was caught early. But I know she has been through a lot and still has treatment ahead. I share all this for one reason though. Please get yourself and the women you love to get their mammograms done and when they/ you do insist on a digital mammogram one (its new) it makes a difference. None of this would have been seen this early if she had no been gone in on time (the lump would never have been felt where its located so exams were useless for her) and it was not visible on a regular machine. The best treatment for Cancer is early detection. I feel grateful for this being found early. It really wakes you up when those you Love get sick.

Ditching preschool...

The other day I dropped the girls off at preschool and came home to grab something before heading to the hospital for some work. I was upstairs and knew I missed a phone call. I was concerned when I saw it was "teacher Kathy". So on my way out I called her back.

She said she thought she heard me drop the twins off, and heard their voices. But after a while they still had not come downstairs so she went to check. They were not there. So she started to think that I had come and left because they had forgotten something but something told her to check more thoroughly. So after going around to her back yard she found my sneaky duo playing with her dog!

Mind you I dropped them off. They went inside and the door closed. I then drove off. If you are telling yourself this was an innocent adventure. It wasn't. When I saw the girls I asked them why they went to see the Dog and left preschool. They immediately seemed shocked and said, "Mommy we saw you leave and then we went to see the Dog, you never see'ed us". Hmmm...

Come to think of it I did hear a lot of chatter in the backseat about the dog on the way to preschool. I guess it was all being planned right under my nose.

Needless to say all preschool drop offs will be done differently.

PSF- Dirt Bikes...

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

The story goes that when Alan was young all he wanted was a dirt bike. One Christmas morning he woke up to his first dirt bike (he was young) he was so happy all he could do was cry. From the moment I married Alan I knew that he was going to have a dirt bike. I wasn't into that sort of thing but I knew it was just a matter of time. He has had one for a while.

Then I had my first boy. I, again, knew that it was just a matter of time till he also had a dirt bike. I tried to avoid it. I have tried to delay it. The time came anyway...




Last Saturday I went along as he rode it (for the second time). As you can see the land was flat and nothing was out there at all. Jacob was in little boy heaven. Thank goodness I have three girls because this is hard (they came along to observe too).

Tuesday's Tip...

Sorry for my blog vacation. I don't know why but I needed one.


Today's tip is a great one. Do you constantly find yourself using directory assistance on your cell phone? I did. It gets expensive. Try 1-800 GOOG411( 1-800 466-4411). It's free and it works. Enjoy!


I know this has been posted on a lot of blogs but I feel compelled to post it too. I stayed up till 2am the other night reading all this. I left with such a sense of appreciation for life and for each day we live. I hope you will too! She is a great writer. She seems to put words to thoughts I can't express go here for the story. I love her entire blog too. I am surely praying for this family. What a great way to rally around and survive.

Today we have well child checks (let's see if the twins are on the charts) and girls night out. Today is a good one!

I hate wednesday...

Wednesday used to be my girls night. The beacon of light in a long hard week...
Now they begin with rushing Lindsey and Jacob off to school (like every other day).
Coming home and getting the twins off to preschool.
Picking the twins up at preschool.
Going to the gym.
One hour rest time for the girls (clean up time for me).
Ballet class for the twins.
Lindsey and Jacob home from school
Homework and start dinner
Swim team
Showers and bedtime

I'm exhausted and I hate Wednesdays!

Oh before you feel totally sorry for me girls night has been moved. Not deleted. With an activity every single night life is hard.

Ballet...

Gym Rant...

To all the men at my gym... (who will never read this)
Contrary to what you might think women are not at the gym for you. We do not go there to have you look at us or teach the right way to do everything. We avoid you there.

Grunting while lifting weights is never okay. NEVER.

The signs that state rerack your weights mean put the HEAVY weights back. Us women cannot possible lift all that crap. If you see us doing this, on every machine we use, please have the courtesy to help.

Cell phone use while on the equipment is frankly annoying. Other people are there to work out.

DO NOT TALK TO ME WHILE I AM ON THE EQUIPMENT, especially with head phones in my ears! I am not there to socialize with anyone.

You do not own the t.v. If there are eight t.v's and nearly all of them are on either ESPN or Monday night football it would be very very unwise to change the channel from the show on TLC At 7:50 no less (that all the girls are watching). When asked to turn it back you might consider someone other than yourself and refrain from being so rude and condescending to me. Then... after just ten minutes, when our show ends, changing to it Monday night football still seems mighty rude! Especially since as I was exiting there are 6 of the 8 t'v's playing the stupid game.

Whew I have BIG issues with all the Men at my gym tonight!

Changes...

The older I get the more I learn about myself...

I have come to accept that I don't like change. I like routine. It's comfortable, it's easy. It makes me feel relaxed. Change (even small ones) make me feel out of control. Summer comes and I am forced to develop all new routines. School starts and my whole life is changed. New schedule. New activities. Big changes like new jobs are always worrisome to me, and every time I adjust and see the good (in the end). Even the end of seasons bothers me a bit (especially cold weather). Every time I have moved, had a baby etc... I have had to establish routine. I thrive off of being able to plan, to know what to expect. You can imagine how hard it was for me to find out I was having twins, high risk twins, no way to plan, no routine to hope for, just day to day stress with no guarantee's.
What I have learned is that life is all about change. Change is the only constant. Growth can only occur through change.

When I look at life trials it seems they always force me to grow and change. I guess I should get over my fear and go with the flow. Then maybe I will stop having the challenges that force me to grow and change.

Hear me chant "change is good, change is good". Oh and no BIG changes to speak off (knock on wood). Just new school year, new activities, new routines. I am all out of whack. I hate it!

*Ironic I posted this on September 11th. That day ,which I posted about here, really put my security into a complete unheavel. I, like so many others, was changed forever.

Another great contest...

Just because I never win contests won't stop me from trying...

You can too...
Head on over here to find out how to win an Epson Picture Mate Portable Photo Printer. It's a lot of fun!

Rude Awakening...

Every morning...

It always starts with desperate pleas.
"Feed me".
"I am sooooo hungry".
"My tummy is hurting".
"I am starving".
Whine, whine, cry, cry, scream, scream. So I get the breakfast made and she takes one bite. Done. "Mommy I want waffles instead" or my personal fav, "Mommy I am too full" because one bite of anything might do that to you.

Seriously annoying.

Wonderful giveaway...

Angie (my really good friend in real life) who has a wonderful blog!
Is having a awesome giveaway. Post before tomorrow (hurry) and you can enter to win a wonderful jewlery piece from Twisted Silver. Just click the picture below to take you there:
Oh and tell her I sent you!

Thursday's Thirteen...

1-Back to school night tonight. Left feeling totally happy. Teachers both seem great and homework seems reasonable. After last year with Lindsey is was like a breath of fresh air (although no one could argue that she learned a lot for all that pressure and homework but it took over all our family time).
2-Sydney told me she wanted to marry me today. I told her that would not be possible. So she said she would just marry her favorite boy then, Jacob.
3-Made it through my first week with Swim team (3 times a week), Ballet, soccer, and BMX. WOW! Thank goodness for my sister in law and Grandpa who help out and can carpool with me.
4- Saw Traitor on girls night. Loved it.
5-I am finally unpacked from last weekend (me and the kids). Yeah it took four days.
6- Washed the twins sheets today. When Hailey came home from preschool she was confused as to why her sheets were gone. She asked me, "Mom did you throw up on my sheets"? I suppose she doesn't see another reason to wash sheets. After all throw happens so often it is the main reason sheets get washed.
7-I used to think life would get easier (or less busy) as my kids got older. This week with Activities and stuff it feels like the opposite.
8- Missed the gym a lot this week with a head cold.
9-Jacob is still adjusting to lunch at school. Yesterday he said he was first out on the playground and had the most time to play. I asked him how much he ate of his lunch and he told that he ate none. I asked him where it all was and he said he threw it all away. I had told him to stop bringing home the trash. Hmmm.
10- I received the cutest backpacks with the twins names on them from my cousin. So cute. I bought them and sent them to her to put their names on them (thus the HUGE ones on the first day). Second day of preschool...
11-My new favorite color is green. Not dark green. I tend to like one color for a while and buy it more. I never have a favorite for that long.
12-I am dying getting up early and getting every one going. The twins just like to relax in the morning (they were always very early risers). Getting them dressed and out the door is so tiring. When I catch one the other runs off.
13. Getting girls ready is 10 times longer than boys (if you are me and obsessed with hair and grooming). Problem is I have only one boy and three girls.

Second day at preschool.

Wordful Wednesday...

Wordful Wednesday
You can visit more Wordful Wednesday posts from Seven Clown Circus!



The saddest pictures you have ever seen ...
I cried dropping my girls off at their first day of Preschool.


Then I went to run errands. Alone. I started to feel less sad. Maybe even a little free. It wasn't long. I think after the drive time I had an hour or so alone. It's just three days a week. The girls were over the moon. Dressed with "pack packs" and feeling like big girls. Kindergarten is still eons away (right)?

Whirlwind weekend get-away...

Without kids.

We decided to not give gifts on our anniversary and to take a weekend get away instead. Without much planning we decided to head to the L.A area. We had a great weekend away without kids. It is so amazing to wake up in the morning and just get yourself ready. To go places without going to every bathroom. Eat when you want to and where you want to. Reconnect with your husband and remember who you both were before you were mommy and daddy. Limited Internet really helped too.




Thank you to every one who watched my kids. It was truly a group effort. My sister, Alan's parents, followed up with my parents and my other sister. My kids didn't miss us much at all with all the fun sleep overs and people giving them attention. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
We headed to Laguna Beach, The Queen Mary- loved that tour (dare I say Long Beach is kind of Yucky?), Hollywood, Disneyland/California Adventure without kids was a blast(thanks to Alan's brother and his wife), the last day we rode bikes by the beach. Which was actually a lot fun. Hot but fun. I have to say after visiting this part of California. I am truly a Northern California girl. I am sure its because I know where things are better etc ... We still had a blast. The weekend went fast and I was so happy to see my kids smiling faces (way too early) this morning.

Fourth Grade

It's no secret that Lindsey is a social girl. So it surprised me that for the first time ever she was NOT ready for school to start. I can't say I blame her. Summer is a lot better than homework, early bed times etc...



When I took Lindsey on our school shopping date it was pretty clear that she wasn't the same girl I took last year. Just walking in Gymboree gave her the chills (she claimed). It was all about Limited too and Justice although she did compromise on a few Gap items.

Lindsey I can't believe you are entering fourth grade. You are still social and happy and excited about meeting new people. Lindsey has never met a person she did not think was a friend. What a great quality to have. I know you will have a great year! I can't believe you turn 10 in the spring. WOW!