October Rundown - Week 1

There was the usual: Jessica's dance, Jessica's Encore Choir, Jayson's Playschool, James' after basketball camp, Jacob's Cubs, James' Scouts, Volunteer in Children's Classrooms for an hour and a half, & Mom's OCMCO rehearsal. And also Jon commuting into LA and me coordinating the Stake Baptism for Saturday morning (sounds so simple in one sentence, but it's LOTS of behind the scenes work).

Then there was the pleasant surprise: My friend Hyla popped into town for a whirlwind visit. I didn't even have 24 hour notice before she was knocking on my door to stay the night. What an absolute delight. Oh how I miss her living here!!!!

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY: Weather dot com predicted morning clouds with increased chances of showers around 1 p.m. I figured that Jayson and I would need to leave Disneyland around then anyway, so we went. It was POURING rain upon arrival - thankfully I grabbed a couple ponchos. It all cleared up just as it was time for us to go home. Does anybody use a RELIABLE forecast system???

Perhaps I haven't mentioned that I've been secretly going to Disneyland with Jayson. That's because I'm the only one with an annual pass and Jayson is free. My other kids are going to be sad that we are going without them. But I took each of them when they were Goose's age, so I owe it to him :)

We went of Buzz Blasters - TWICE. Jayson got so upset when we reached the exit of the ride. He wasn't sure if he could believe me that I was leading him around to the front of the line so he could ride it again. Then we bought him a blaster and he convinced me that we needed Goofy Sour Balls too - LUCKY!!!

The Nemo line deceived me so we waited much longer for that than I would have liked. Then we rode the train across the park so we could ride Winnie the Pooh TWICE. Jayson is always so relieved when I tell him we can go again. At the end of the ride he says, "don't want to off."

FYI - my camera does not get to go out in the rain. I borrowed Jacob's point n shoot.

On top of all that Disney Fun I took the kids to LA Zoo - well two of them anyway. When my older boys get a day off school, they'd rather play video games. So we went with friends instead. Kids were happy. Mommas happy.

Jessica was mad at me because I wouldn't let her use my camera. I might need to get my hands on another point & shoot.

Happy Week!!!!!

Blog Marathon - Mile 24 - Wonderful Wednesday

It's come to my attention that I'm not very good at running marathons ;)

So look out for a photo loaded entry:

I took Jayson to Santa Ana Zoo. It's a smaller zoo on level ground, so it was a good location to go with a toddler who is not fond of staying in the stroller. We first went on a little exploration through a maze. Then Jayson drove the jeep.

There are not a lot of BIG animals there. The biggest were the camels - you can actually ride them on weekends. They can pee for like five minutes straight. I know this because all the toddlers were mesmerized by this and it just didn't end.

There are lots of varieties of monkeys. Most of the day Jayson was standing on fences looking at monkeys.

It's kind of cool to go with mom when you are the only kid. It's WAY easier to get her to buy carousel and train tickets ($5 combo ticket + $3 for mom's train ticket since she HAS TO stand along child on carousel). Since Jayson gets free admission and mom got half price admission with her LA Zoo Pass, it was a rationalized sale. Oh, mom bought a popsicle too.

Then we wandered over to the farm section. This little zoo is like a 3-in-1 (animals, ride, farm). Oops - make that FOUR. They have a little playground and concession stand.

Jayson enjoyed feeding Bonnie the goat. The bully goat kept trying to get all the grub, but we liked the sweet goat.

I had to give Jayson the food tablets one at a time or they'd be dropped and slurped up immediately. He had to learn to hold his hand flat like a plate. We spent a few quarters on food because he loved it so much.

I loved spending time with my Goose.

What Happened to Wonderful Wednesday?

We no longer live our lives from Wednesday to Wednesday. It's a good thing. It was fun when I was taking the kids on field trips, but then Jacob went back to school. That was a good thing.

Summer came and it seemed that in the heart of a child everyday was wonderful that involved video games, television reruns, and cool treats.

I moved taco night to Wednesday because it seemed to be a favorite meal. It was wonderful for me not to worry about what to cook. Now taco night is kind of crazy because we have the soft taco eaters and crunchy taco eaters. I prefer the taco salad style so I can get my veggies. I also try to make guacamole because it's so yummy, but really only Jon & I enjoy it.

So why is Wednesday wonderful now????

I have my young friend Anna come and help me get my house in order. I totally get points with the hubby when the house is all clean, so that's wonderful. I appreciate the help so I can move beyond the bathrooms and get into the closets and junk drawers.

Kindergarten gets in the way of big field trips and the heat has scared me away from the parks and even the splash fountains. Jayson is hoping that I won't be scared for much longer. He doesn't care about fancy field trips, just about getting out.

What was wonderful today?

I tried a new homemade bread recipe. Yum. I also made peach freezer jam. I sat down for a bit and talked with my sister on the phone. That was a treat.

The rest of it was loaded with crazy - children competing for attention, Jacob at the clinic, salt shaker contents dazzling my counter and tile floor, computer ink cartridges not performing at an acceptable level, the fan going out on the portable A/C unit, picking cherry tomatoes from the vines before they rot, finding the fly swatter to greet our dinner guests, loading the dishwasher and still having a sink full to wash by hand, wishing I was a better mom, wishing I was a better friend, putting away the pantry items Jayson got out for me, using a rolling pin to massage my sore leg muscles, eating an extra cookie because I didn't go to the gym again, and on and on.....

Jon & I are both on maxed out mode with this season of our parenting career. High demands. Infrequent returns. Lack of energy. Hopeful lists of things we'd like to do, but having to take care of the family first. Feeling stuck in the chaos.

And when they all go to sleep.... finally. I savor the quiet. I give thanks that my life is bustling and nearly bursting at the seams with four children and one amazing man. I love each one. Each of my days is wonderful. My biggest fear is that I'll miss it even though I'm standing in the middle of it.

Sunrise...Sunset. Quickly go the years.

Walkin' on Sunshine

Jessica:  Mommy, what's for tomorrow?

Me:  Nothing.  You just get to be with your mom ALL DAY....  What did you want to do?

Jessica:  How about you take pictures of me and then take me out for ice cream.

Talk about a FUN Wonderful Wednesday for ME!!!!  I love this pic and she loved her bright pink bubble gum ice cream.

We Eat Tacos on Wednesday

Before I ever discovered The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner, I had a loose meal schedule of my own. Monday - pasta, Tuesday - chicken, Wednesday- fish & brown rice or bean dishes, Thursday - beef (usually our favorite meatloaf), Friday - chicken, & Saturday - pizza night. Jon used to try new recipes on Sundays - this was especially nice after he bought The Barbecue Bible.

Saturday remains our family pizza night. Jon has experimented with several whole wheat pizza crusts and we've found one we all enjoy. Tuesdays turned into pasta night or crock pot meals because of the rush of preschool carpool, Cub Scouts, and basketball practice on that day. I started trying new recipes again and the kids were up in arms.

When we have salmon, everyone is happy but James. He takes it as a personal assault when I put it on the menu. Tilapia is still a newer entree at our house. It regularly gets mixed reviews. Jacob has changed his mind about many foods - one week he hates lasagna or meatloaf and the next he claims it is his favorite.

But we've found one dish, that pleases all six of us - TACO NIGHT. They used to prefer soft shells and now favor crispy shells. Often I serve myself a taco salad instead of the traditional taco. The kids love it simple - just meat & cheese in the shell. They don't actually know or care that I use lean beef & add TVP (textured vegetable protein). It makes the meat go further and it's healthier for them.

Since I declared "Wonderful Wednesday," I decided to move taco night to Wednesday. Everyone loves dinner - no whining over that menu. I get to watch LOST. So it's a win win.

(What's the big deal about Wednesdays? See THIS post.)

Wonderful or Not, It's Wednesday

Last week our whole family was packed in a minivan and driving on I-15 ALL DAY to visit our family in Utah. Being all together - being well - not tons of quarreling - anticipation of playing with family - super Wonderful!!! And the Wonderful lasted all weekend long.

This Wednesday - I'm totally sick. Lost my voice completely. Totally sleep deprived, SOOOOOO achy, and stuffy. Somebody gets sick EVERY time we go to Utah. Congratulations TO ME.

Jacob is back in school. You should have seen the grin on his face and the spring in his step on Monday morning. Or maybe I'll show you if I ever get around to posting the photos I insisted on taking.

I've been resting all day, now I can't sleep even though my body needs extra. But I'm too sluggish to write anything fancy or open the hundreds of Utah pics. So, goodnight for now.

My, How Handsome

Wonderful Wednesday was really wonderful for MOM. I got to take my handsome boy out to take photos. He was very cooperative too. The bribe about going to the bakery after seemed to help.

Fun Friday

I've tried to be committed to Wonderful Wednesdays - especially since we are sending Jacob back to school in March and I won't have this special time with him. When he was in treatment, we didn't venture out much because it was safer to keep him in a bubble. He didn't feel like himself either and it was so much easier to take care of him at our house.

But life is still chaotic and it's not always easy to follow-thru with great ideas. A couple weeks ago we postponed Wonderful Wednesday to FRIDAY because James was off of school also. I dragged the kids on my Sam's Club run instead. They were also invited to help me sort through the 8 loads of laundry too - no takers. They should count it as Wonderful because I bought them a churro. That Friday we were rained out from the zoo (rained out AGAIN on Monday), but I took them to Chuck E. Cheese. That was A TON of work to go there with busy body Jayson, but the other kids were delighted. Seems like it takes a lot of effort to get out with the kids, but I feel like it is worth it. At the end of one of these marathon days, I find MUCH satisfaction in remembering that a new episode of LOST is on TV. Makes Wednesday all the more Wonderful for me!!!!

Here's our most recent adventure. This activity was nearly cancelled due to the extreme level of arguing between a certain pair of siblings. Simple mother requests such as clearing the desk or putting toys away were not acknowledged making for a frazzled mom. Can you hear my brain saying, "we only have a couple more weeks. I'm going to all this work so we can have fun together. Why are you making this so difficult? Don't you know that I'm doing this for you? for us? If I cancel the activity, we won't have time to do it again. Why can't these two kids just be nice to each other? I don't know if I can stand listening to them fight all day. Why is the baby so grumpy. I've got to get out of here so he can snag a nap in the car. Am I just expecting too much? Why am I so exhausted? Won't it be nice for me too to sit near the rolling ocean waves?"

Jessica acknowledged that James doesn't get to come to Fun Friday. I do feel bad about that. I know that I need more special time with him too.

Laguna Beach, CA

KidSpace

Doesn't this look like a Wonderful Wednesday?


Just one for now. Hope to share more about our adventure, but first I need to:

Get kids sent off to school and preschool with Valentines
Take Jacob to Physical Therapy
Drive carpools
Confirm babysitter
Return call to Make a Wish Foundation
Schedule Jacob's baptism in Utah
Take kids to birthday party
Pick up babysitter for little kids
Attend James' 4th Grade Class play
Take Jacob to hospital for CT scan - check in 30 minutes early
Take Jacob to oncology appointment for labs and to flush line

AND note to self-
still haven't taken January birthday pics for James or Jayson