Happy Valentine’s Day!

Saw this online several places.  Before I took a picture of them with their hands out…

 

Added text in photo shop (edited to remove name)

Just for fun…

 

We had a great day!  Flowers and cute pictures from all the right people. Hope you did too.

Perspective...

This morning I woke up feeling down.

Woke up to arguing. Lindsey telling Jacob the weekly reader stinks. He's unlucky. Seriously? Sitting around the dirty dishes, shriveled up tomato's from last nights dinner. I thought of my day. Made another appointment to the doctor, for Lindsey. Sore throat. Possible strep. I was just there yesterday. Bad bad croup in both of the twins. Sad state for them. Missed the entire week of school. Emergency trip needed for orthodontist as a bracket has come loose. No time. Too many sick kids.

I felt a little overwhelmed and negative.

So I sat at the computer and read one of my favorite blog writers. About loss and life. Didn't have time to spare but it was well spent. Suddenly the illness doesn't seem overwhelming anymore. I feel lucky. Lucky to have doctors to heal and medicine to treat. Knowing the wellness will come. What I am experiencing is just life. Living. The good and bad. Life is full of good and bad and just regular. Some would give a lot for more days like this.

So I feel renewed and refreshed and actually lucky. The girls are playing with the barbie dream house coughing but happy.

We'll make our Valentine cards I saw online. May have to use a little photoshop to cover the dark circles and spots on their faces from all the coughing but it will be fun.

Today is going to be a good day. Maybe tomorrow we'll get to the orthodontist?

Groundghog day...

You know that movie Groundhog day? A lot of people love it. Not me. It drove me nuts to see the same stuff happening over and over. This week was groundhog day- the real one. But my life is starting to feel like the movie... this week I got a very sore throat, then I threw my back out and spent the week in bed. By Thursday I had just had it. My throat and back were getting worse and I finally went to the doctor. I got muscle relaxers and antibiotics. I had strep throat. No wonder I felt awful and wasn't getting better. Please tell me illness will leave for good because I really do hate seeing the same stuff over and over. Did I mention both twins just started a croupy cough and fever? We're home sick from church today.

So I have been stuck in bed watching a lot of t.v. I thought I would share two of my favorite netflix series. Friday night lights, which was recommended from my sister in law Lisa. This show is still running but I played catch up with netflix all summer. I loved it. The second is Chuck. I think they are currently airing season 3 but I just started season 2 on dvd. This is a fun light spy show. I also really enjoy a series on Mtv called Teen Mom. It started as a show called 16 and pregnant ( a new series of this starts in a week or so) and then followed the Mom's in the first year of motherhood (now called Teen Mom). I found this show addicting. I was so interested. It is sad to see the disfuctional relationships and family backgrounds but interesting to see the real drama and challenges they were facing.

SO there you have it. Last week was spent flat on my back watching good t.v. Do you have any favorite t.v series?

Oh and don't ask me how but I got all the girls stuff up on ebay. You can check it out here. Twins ebay

This week...

Saw the Young Victoria. Which was an excellent movie. Like 4 stars! Unfortanetely my viewing experience was ruined by rude people. Grown adults. Talking outloud. Slurping drinks, crinkling candy. The entire time. At one one point the cell phone rang. No they did not rush to silence. They actually said Hello and began talking out loud! Miserable really. At the best part (the end) they talked even louder. It was truly unbelieveable.

If you go to the movies...
* Do not bring babies.
*Loud Cell phones not silenced.
* Text with your flashlight of a phone. Ever at all. Your phone is distracting.
*Talk loudly or talk at all.
*Make noise with various other noise making things, ie candy or straws. If it exists I have seen it done.

Please remember it is not your living room. You are not alone! Uncontrolled children are my biggest pet peeve. Primarily because I have left mine at home. It is usually past 10pm when I go to the movies. So why are any decent parents bringing their children at this time? To a non kid movie? Oh yes... to torture me. I have had babies cry through an entire movie (patron did not leave). I have experienced a child running through the entire movie with light up shoes! You read that right. LIGHT UP SHOES in a dark theatre.

Some of my favorite movies I have seen recently are:
The Blind side (saw it twice- took Alan)
Young Victoria
Avatar

I hated
Nine. It was terrible!

This week was catch up mode. We got the house scrubbed and not much else. Next week Ebay for the girls clothing. Wish me luck its a big job!

It started with a phone call...

You know the one we never want to get...

"Mom I feel sick".
Not sure you believe her you ask if she can wait a bit. After all you have a friend playing with the twins and people scheduled to arrive in 15 minutes to visit.
"no" she emphasizes.

So you call the friend and drop the three girls to her house. Cancel the visit. Still wondering if you were taken for a ride.

Pick up said child (who looks Grey by the way). To prove she is not faking she needs three emergency stops to throw up the whole way home. The stomach flu has invaded! If your like me this strikes fear in your heart. If you have four kids (or any kids for that matter) you know how it works. If it hits one it will hit all. You can look forward to many sleepless nights filled with violent puking and the washing machine working overtime. If your lucky you will get it too and no one will take care of you.

And so it goes.
Lindsey spent the day puking, and freezing and aching poor dear. Fast forward to the next day. As I am heading off to the gym (at 9pm) I hear Sydney cry and its all too familiar. She is sick too.

Now mind you I am no first timer with these kind of bugs and went in prepared. First I removed the comforters to all the beds (they are a beast to wash) and then each child sick or not sick was made to sleep with a bowl. They were also given instructions on what to do if they feel sick at all.


So back to my story (you may be wishing for me not to continue but I promise your kids won't catch it just from reading about it). Sydney was puking (my twins go more violent than most when they get this type of bug) every 15-30 min for over an hour when Hailey sat up and declared if she heard one more throw up she would puke too. So she did. It was at this time that Alan headed upstairs realizing the situation was escalating. So there we were two bowls, two pukers, it was going to be a long night. Except all the sudden I thought I felt sick. I barely made it the bathroom and realized I was quite sick (I'll spare you the details). So I spent my night in the bathroom miserable, achy and very sick hearing Alan spend his night waking every 15-20 minutes with two very very sick twins. It lasted non relenting till 7am. Mind you he is not trained for such feats as I go easy on him and always take that duty, but every time I would hear a cry and try to help it hit me worse. So I could not.


Sunday rolled around and the kids seemed somewhat improved though weak and tired. I, however, still could not get out of bed. The body aches and nausea were still overwhelming me. I spent the entire day and night without leaving my room. Monday at 4am I woke and realized the body aches were gone. I was left with weakness and a queasy stomach which was bad but an improvement. I slept a bit longer and at 7am struggled out of bed to survey the situation. I found Alan doubled over in the bathroom, three girls each who had thrown up again (probably from overindulging on a weak stomach) and a boy who looked quite fine but claimed he was too sick for school. I was too weak to care and scooped up the twins and went back to bed. At 10am I woke to find Alan, myself and the twins all in bed asleep. Lindsey in her room asleep and Jacob happily playing video games. It appeared he had missed school while still unscathed and again we were all too weak to care. The day was spent with Alan in bed experiencing my previous days torture. I slowly tried to do the basics. Wash what needed to washed, feed who had to be fed and that was it. As evening rolled around Jacob's day was ruined when he too succumbed to the beast that is the stomach flu. He brought in the tail end to the most horrible, violent, fast moving stomach flu we have ever seen. Thank goodness its over. I almost felt relief as he got it. Knowing that while it would be a long sleepless night it was the end in sight.

Today sheets are washing in hot water and small mild meals prepared.

Things I am grateful for while sick..
Mom's getting sick on the weekend!
Alan who took on the twins sick and all day Sunday when I was in bed.
Sisters who brought sprite and Gatorade.
Text messages to check if were still living.
Soup and meals dropped by Grandparents.
Good books. I read fire the sequel to Graceling in two days! Mostly Monday. Sunday I could barely keep my eyes open!
T.v and video games which entertained the children.
meals of just toast, toast and more toast. No one can eat.
and lastly but most of all the good health we have now its returned.

The stomach flu really is miserable!

Christmas Day……

We had a great Christmas.  Lindsey was shocked

to not all only get the digital camera (she hasn’t put it down)

but also a American girl doll. Her very first one.  She got Julie.

Jacob asked for nerf elite for the wii.  Air hogs switch blade.  The

little girls each has specific requests. Hailey wanted dress ups. Sydney wanted Littliest Pet shop.  Jacob was surprised to find a psp go.  The twins got their

requests and were thrilled to find the Barbie Dream house. Hailey kept telling

everyone it was taller than she was!

 

 

Christmas is so much work and effort but seeing the magic and happiness in my kids eyes and feeling the spirit of giving was very special.  I am grateful we had all our family together.  It was such a nice day.

Christmas Eve Festivities…

We all met together at my house for family, food and fun.

We read the night before Christmas and the real Christmas Story out of the Bible.

Everyone loved their new p.j’s and were actually excited to go to bed!

Snowboarding

Every year Jacob has been learning more about snowboarding, he’s had several lessons and gone up with his Dad. This year he had the opportunity to participate in the after school ski and snowboard program.  When I heard his age group was allowed to participate I went into kind of a panic. I fooled myself into believing his was unsure too… he wasn’t.  I kept thinking when the first day came he would be scared and worried, he wasn’t.

He has learned so much and enjoyed every single lesson.  On Christmas Eve its tradition he go with his Dad, Uncle and Cousin. He is really enjoying it all.

2010

On New Years Eve we had a get together, we went to the movies, we played a game and we rang in the New Year.  The next morning I woke up and it was 2010. I felt the same.  A few more days past I began writing 2010 on everything.  I began thinking of goals. One night as I was falling asleep my mind began wandering…

  I became a mother in 1999. I have spent the last decade mothering babies.  Breastfeeding or pumping, changing diapers, Nap times, and play dates. At one point I had four children 5 yrs and under and three in diapers.

  As I begin 2010 I realized my twins will start kindergarten and I will have all school age children.  No more babies.

Suddenly it all felt so finite. It made me sad. I laid there thinking of ways to make my time count. I needed to find a way to enjoy it more.  I was blinking my eyes as the time was passing and it going to be over.

The next day I was determined to find more enjoyment in our time together but I had to do to orthodontist.  The girls were so bored they spend the entire time brushing their teeth at the sink.  I was okay with that.  Then we headed over to In and out.  Hailey asked me if was another girls night (the other night we had dinner together and declared it a girls night).  It was a good time.

Then I had stuff to return at Kohls.  It went bad there.  The girls ran amuck all over the store. They promised to be better over and over but were unsuccessful.  At one point they got a two person stroller.  With renewed energy I tried the store again only to discover they used their feet to push across the aisle and man handle all the goblets.  I left Kohl’s feeling frazzled and defeated. 

That same day I found my favorite beauty product broken and ruined.  Remember my Urban Decay?   Well its in a mushy plastic bag.

My goal to enjoy seeming failed.  I felt no enjoyment.

 

But when I look back at some of these pictures. I feel longing. 

 

Maybe I won’t ever enjoy running errands with them, having them break my make up or loose everything I own. But someday I know I will miss it.

So frazzled or not time is passing.  SO this new year one of my goals is to spend time enjoying them.  Picking something simple to do together.  Something I know they will like and will work.

 

Some of my other goals are…

BE more positive. Complain less.

Work out harder.

Stay on a schedule.

Read more books.

Be more frugal.

Spend more time with my Mom.

 

Happy New year!  I can’t wait for this new decade.  In ten more years my kids will be 20, 17, and 15 (x2).  So these years ahead might be the most important of all.

December wrap up…

Since we did so much I think I will wrap up December activities (except Christmas) in photos…

 

We attended a Christmas Concert with tabernacle choir and Natalie Cole.  It was absolutely unbearably cold that night and unbelievably crowded.  Alan had to drop us to run 5 blocks (in high heels) and we barely made it in before the cut off.  It was beautiful and festive and ultimately worth it.  The twins couldn’t go so thank you to my sister in law who watched them very late on a school night.

 

We saw Princess and the Frog (which we all enjoyed).

With my mother in law just recovering we couldn’t leave Christmas for just her to do.  So…we wrapped a lot of gifts. This project took me and my sister in law (bless her heart) 2 nights 3-4 hrs each.  That is with two of us doing it.  Who am I kidding we usually help every year but this year we did it alone. I am telling you I never knew how much my mother in law was doing!

 

We made a lot of cookies! These are just a few of the neighbor gifts.

We went out to dinner.  We have a tradition where you have to quack jingle bells to get your dinner. 

We attended more Christmas Concerts…

Why does it always snow when you have somewhere to go? Oh wait we had somewhere to go every day.  There is shopping, errands and activities till everyone is sufficiently tired.

Around here…

I  have avoided taking down Christmas. One week without that worry seemed worthwhile.  At the time… except now I have to do it this week. Not as fun. It’s all in piles in my house as I type.

 

We headed out to the orthodontist. Jan 7th last year I got my braces. It’s been one year.  Did I tell your my orthodontist that was five minutes away moved like 40 minutes away?  The new office has no kids room either.  It stinks.  But what can you do?   After our appointment to reward ourselves we have been stopping at “in and out”.  The franchise recently opened up here and its been a nice reminder of my home California life.

 

Have a I told you lately how life changing my playroom has been for me?  Honestly the twins can play house down there for hours, I have to check and make sure they are still okay.  I didn’t notice it as much in the summer  because we hadn’t loaded all the toys in there yet and it was warm outside.  A few weeks ago I cleaned and organized the room before Christmas and bam my life changed. Just in time to survive Christmas Vacation.  It isn’t decorated all cute yet but it is serving me quite nicely right now!  Alan got an xbox 360 for Christmas which can now play movies down there too. 

 

On girls night we took the mom’s out or tried to. We aimed to see Avatar. Unfortunately it was sold out to a company and we saw, “Meet the Morgan’s instead”. I’ll admit I didn’t want to see that one and found it a pleasant surprise. It won’t win any awards and the chemistry between Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker wasn’t really there for me but I really enjoyed the movie.   Once a week (if we go to earlier movie, which is rare) we get a chocolate shake at the theatre, we have learned to love our shakes.  Last week, however, all of us agreed the shakes were off tasting so I went and complained. The teen at the shake booth told us that they only clean the shake machine once a week and it probably tasted a little sour (yeah that was the taste I couldn’t identify).  Anyway, with new years etc… they got behind and so it worse than normal.  Uh hem. I think I won’t ever be getting a shake there again.  Just lost five pounds, thank you!

 

I’m reading DreamQuake book #2 in the series. For some reason I can’t get through the book. I guess its bad to start a book around the holidays. I am also listening to Shannon Hale’s Enna Burning at the gym.  Did I tell you I was surprised and gifted a new Purple 16gb Ipod for Christmas. Now I have all my music and books on one thing.  Since I need music for cardio I had removed books from my small ipod a long time ago. I was missing it.  So bigger ipod,   I am loving it.   Speaking of the gym…

 

New years resolutioners have ruined my gym.  I can’t use the kids club and all the machines are really crowded. Sadly (and happily) it won’t last long.  It’s such a weird phenomenon.  I wonder how many last every year?  You see I have to admit to being one of them 3 yrs ago. I lost a lot of weight, kept it off, and here I am still going.  So some will last. 

 

We’ll let’s hope this week is less busy.  I am trying to get caught up on my blog and to begin staying mostly in the present. We’ll see…

Visiting the lights…

Every year our friends host a holiday party.  Invited are all our friends that my husband grew up with and their children.  It’s been so fun to see each other especially as we didn’t  grow up around here and don’t see many of these people often enough. This year instead of a party she (Lanae Taylor) arranged for a trolley ride around the lights display.

Mike was pretending to be the ticket taker.  Lanae below with her grandchildren.

After the trolley ride we went inside for cookies and hot chocolate. Yummy.

                 

Here is our group all together. We had a wonderful time.