We made it home safely. We spent the first evening doing LAUNDRY. LOTS AND LOTS OF LAUNDRY! I am still working on it, 2 days later! We have a lot going on this weekend and in the coming week, so we were "body slammed" back into "normal" life. Today we are off to the Discovery Center to play, and I have already ordered vacation photos! I am going to scrapbook tomorrow morning! I will write about our trip, a little at a time! We had a blast!
Gotta run, breakfast is calling!
Welcome!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Summer Vacation
The family vacation. A summer tradition. We ALWAYS took one when I was a kid. 2 weeks in the "wilderness", together. We never went in an airplane, or a train... just our family Suburban pulling the trailer. My memories of these trips are the best and strongest memories of my childhood. In the above photo, I would guess that these "hippie kids" ages are Me: 9, Carel: 6, Allen: 2. The year would have been 1977 and we were out on a hike. I could write a post for hours on the memories, but... I do not have time, we are packing and preparing for my family vacation with my own kids. I hope that I am helping them to build a stong bond with each other and with Andy and myself. We will be gone for 2 weeks!! We are heading up the 395 Hwy to Mammoth Lake, with lots of fun along the way. I can't wait, and neither can the kids, they are jumping around like crazy kooks in anticipation of our departure at 7:00 p.m. I have to attend to them before they destroy the freshly picked up house. I will fill you in on all of the details of the trip after we get back. A fellow blogger put her vacation day by day and I may just follow suit!
The motorhome is packed (to the hilt!), Andy just went out to get a McDonald's dinner (the only restraunt food we will eat during the trip), I am off to bath the kids and then... we will hit the road. If we actually leave at 7:00, we should reach our first stop by about 10:00 p.m. Red Rock Canyon at the start of the 395. We will sleep and get up early to enjoy the desert before the heat creeps in.
I am off. It may not be a trek in the Himalayas, or a boat down the Yangtze river in China but it is an adventure. 2 weeks, 2 kids, 2 adults, 1 BIG dog in a 21 foot motorhome. Wish me luck, wish me well. Bon Voyage!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
My latest obsession
I have a problem. I am obsessive. When I get something into my head, I can't get it out. Whether it is a song, a decision to clean a room, a project, a party or an item that I want. If I really can't have it (like a Mercedes) then I don't let it get wedged into my brain. But there is a lot rolling around in there that I feel I NEED to do, or have. My latest obsession (besides cleaning and organizing the living and family rooms) is CROCS. I have seen them on people for years and, being a Berkenstock/Clog kind of girl, I thought, "These shoes are for me!". I have watched them grow in popularity. I have seen the "fakies" come out at Wal-mart and Target. I bought some for the kids. They LOVE them. Usually, I am satisfied with my Target or Payless knock off, but this time...it's different. They are pricey, for a shoe made of rubber. $30 (plus $10 shipping if you get them online) seemed a bit steep for me. I am also a spendthrift. I don't spend a lot on clothing (especially for myself)! But I wanted them... I wanted them so bad that I would go online and look at all of the different colors and styles. I have a wishlist on Crocs.com with about 10 pair. I bought some new socks at Costco. They are low cut and came in a 10 pack of fun colors. I bought them, thinking about how great they would look with my Crocs.
I have talked about these shoes for about 6 months, and have been desiring them for over a year. Finally on Tuesday Andy said, "Hey, why don't you go online and order those. It could be your birthday present." My heart soared and sung a happy rubber shoe song of praise. Hooray, the shoes would be mine! At this point, you must understand that it is not only about the shoes, or whatever thing I have been obsessing about. It means a release. I can stop wanting and thinking and desiring. I can free myself. I went online and chose my shoes, only to have Andy decide that he too would like a pair. Great! Birthday gifts for both of us! When he saw the total, he pulled back and said, "Hmmm... I don't think that we can afford that right now." I was crushed... ugh... my feet were doomed to a life of Croc sorrow, and I to more longing and wishing and planning.
Yesterday, we took Gavin to Peace Camp and then Ella had her Read To Me Party at the library. I had heard about a new cafe in town and asked Andy he would like to go to lunch! We had a wonderful time with Ella and as the meal came to an end, I realized that we were just blocks from the mall. Blocks away from Nordstrom's. Blocks away from.... my CROCS!!! I asked shyly, "Do you think that we could go and see if they have the color that I want? We would save on shipping and handling!". I also pointed out that it was rather mean that Andy said, "Go online and get them" and after adding his own shoes decided that it was too much money. He agreed and off we went!
My Crocs were waiting for me! My size, my color. At long last, as I put these magical shoes on my feet, I felt a weight lifted from my chest. I did not have to hold on to this obsession any longer. FREEDOM. But wait... these shoes are AWESOME!!! I had never had a pair on before! I felt as if I was not wearing a shoe at all!!! No, my feet did not sweat. No, they do not feel funny. I wore them home, I wore them all night. I wore them with my socks, just to try them out. No, I did not wear them to bed. I love my shoes. I love my husband for understanding, that I don't often get to have something that is just for me, let alone something cool and name brand. I love him for accepting my obsessions and giggling along with me, at how silly I can be!
You might laugh at the boring color that I chose... out of all the fabulous colors, I chose Chocolate. I chose these, because they will look great with my SOCKS!! They match every color that I have, and with fall approaching I know that I will want to wear socks. In the spring, my plan is to get some in "celery". Glad that I can postpone that obsession for later.
I have talked about these shoes for about 6 months, and have been desiring them for over a year. Finally on Tuesday Andy said, "Hey, why don't you go online and order those. It could be your birthday present." My heart soared and sung a happy rubber shoe song of praise. Hooray, the shoes would be mine! At this point, you must understand that it is not only about the shoes, or whatever thing I have been obsessing about. It means a release. I can stop wanting and thinking and desiring. I can free myself. I went online and chose my shoes, only to have Andy decide that he too would like a pair. Great! Birthday gifts for both of us! When he saw the total, he pulled back and said, "Hmmm... I don't think that we can afford that right now." I was crushed... ugh... my feet were doomed to a life of Croc sorrow, and I to more longing and wishing and planning.
Yesterday, we took Gavin to Peace Camp and then Ella had her Read To Me Party at the library. I had heard about a new cafe in town and asked Andy he would like to go to lunch! We had a wonderful time with Ella and as the meal came to an end, I realized that we were just blocks from the mall. Blocks away from Nordstrom's. Blocks away from.... my CROCS!!! I asked shyly, "Do you think that we could go and see if they have the color that I want? We would save on shipping and handling!". I also pointed out that it was rather mean that Andy said, "Go online and get them" and after adding his own shoes decided that it was too much money. He agreed and off we went!
My Crocs were waiting for me! My size, my color. At long last, as I put these magical shoes on my feet, I felt a weight lifted from my chest. I did not have to hold on to this obsession any longer. FREEDOM. But wait... these shoes are AWESOME!!! I had never had a pair on before! I felt as if I was not wearing a shoe at all!!! No, my feet did not sweat. No, they do not feel funny. I wore them home, I wore them all night. I wore them with my socks, just to try them out. No, I did not wear them to bed. I love my shoes. I love my husband for understanding, that I don't often get to have something that is just for me, let alone something cool and name brand. I love him for accepting my obsessions and giggling along with me, at how silly I can be!
You might laugh at the boring color that I chose... out of all the fabulous colors, I chose Chocolate. I chose these, because they will look great with my SOCKS!! They match every color that I have, and with fall approaching I know that I will want to wear socks. In the spring, my plan is to get some in "celery". Glad that I can postpone that obsession for later.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Piano Recital and a Private Meeting
Last week was really great. We slowed down. A LOT! We went swimming at Gramma & Grampa's house and had dinner on the patio and the only thing going on was that Gavin had a ceramics class every afternoon from 1:30 until 3:00. He had a great time and made some really cool sculptures. They are being fired and will be picked up next week. I can't wait to have "art" to decorate with! Gavin also had his Book 3 Piano Recital! He did a great job playing 2 pieces and he has now graduated to book 4! This will be his last book for the Jr. Music Course! It was a 2 year program and he is almost finished already! Gavin plays really well and impreses his teacher and our friends with his natural ease on the keyboard! (he is a bit of a goof ball however, as the photo shows!)
Friday was a fun family adventure! We headed out to the House of Mouse (Disneyland) early so that we could beat the heat (but not the crowds). Our first stop was the Princess area (can't remember it's "real" name) to try to see the "Coronation". We have tried on our last 3 visits to get there, but something had prevented it. We were there with plenty of time to get a seat only to discover that there would be no Coronation's that day! "Awwahh.. Bummuw!", declared Ella! It was a bummer, but we sat down to decorate some crowns and do some color pages and wait for the Princess storytelling that was coming up shortly. After a while a "page" came by, a handsome young man (wearing tights and a funny hat with a feather in it) to chat with the kids. He asked them all sorts of things and wanted to know who Ella's favorite Princess was. Ella piped up "Cinderella! Cinderella is my favorite!". The page then produced a special decree which entitled us to a private meeting with ... none other than ... CINDERELLA! We were to meet the page at a special area in just a few minutes! I think that I was the most excited of our clan, followed by Gavin and Ella tentatively agreeing that she "might" say hi to Cinderella. We arrived at our meeting place and the young gentleman came and led us into 
a private sitting room at the palace where we had 15 minutes or so with the Princess herself. The only people there were us, Cindy, a photograper and the page! She knew the children's names and asked them questions about themselves. She and Gavin had a lively conversation about the Buzz Lightyear ride and how Prince Charming loved that ride as well! Ella is very hesitant with people in costume or with fancy dress so she really held back and was not very interested in getting too close, but Cinderella commented to Ella that they had the same name and the ice was broken. 
We got some great photos and some wonderful memories! It was very magical! Later, Ella shopped a bit, and of course it was the blue dress that she went straight to!
a private sitting room at the palace where we had 15 minutes or so with the Princess herself. The only people there were us, Cindy, a photograper and the page! She knew the children's names and asked them questions about themselves. She and Gavin had a lively conversation about the Buzz Lightyear ride and how Prince Charming loved that ride as well! Ella is very hesitant with people in costume or with fancy dress so she really held back and was not very interested in getting too close, but Cinderella commented to Ella that they had the same name and the ice was broken. 
We got some great photos and some wonderful memories! It was very magical! Later, Ella shopped a bit, and of course it was the blue dress that she went straight to!
The rest of the day was fun, but nothing could compare to the way it started out! We rode Small World and Alice and the Tea Cups. We went over to Ca. Adventure so that we could go to the Playhouse Disney show. Ella hadn't seen that before and was delighted with Bear and Tutter (her newly found friends!). We headed out around 3:00 p.m. before anyone (including Mom) could have a major meltdown!
Our weekend was busy but with time to relax too. My brother, Allen has just opened up his own gym in So. Pasadena and I went out to "help" with his Grand Opening on Saturday. I mostly chatted (big surprise?) and got "worked out" by a very sexy Brazilian trainer! He worked me HARD and I paid the price the next day and was barely able to walk! Sunday was a true day of rest...we did NOTHING! AHHHHHH!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Nothing to say?
O.K. so I haven't writtend in a while. Beleive it or not, I have had nothing to say! At least, nothing that I thought was interesting enough to write down! It is 6:00 a.m. I woke up at 5:30. Some things just work better than alarm clocks, a child falling out of bed in the wee hours is one of them! It was Ella, poor baby...that must be really unsettling to be sound asleep, then feel a falling sensation and then, to hit the floor! Andy rescued her, but I felt really wide awake, so... I got up! I am boiling some eggs, making some coffee, checking email, and blogging.
Well, my "friend" has stuck around, but aparently she is not as inspired a writer as the moping me! I feel like I have taken back some control of my life and this is GOOD. I decided that I am truly tired of this 10 pound spare tire hanging around my middle and I am going to rid myself of it! I am going to be more active! (of course I will watch my food intake as well!) I told Andy that maybe, "If I act like an active person, I will feel more like an active person, and then I will BE an active person!" So, I have gone swimming with the kids (and done laps while I was in there), I have taken walks and bike rides with my family and I am making a greater effort to go to the gym. (today will make 3 days in a row!) Andy is off this week, so that helps...but don't ooh and ahh too much, I don't think that I will be able to keep up my gym schedule once school starts... we'll see.
I have done some cleaning and that makes me feel better. I cleaned the kids' room. I dusted and vacuumed and organized toys and took out a bunch of "junk". Don't tell Gavin that I refer to McDonald's toys and trophies as junk! The closet is next on my list, but I will wait until we get closer to the beginning of school for that job. I cleaned my room. I emptied my nightstand and straightened that out. I decided that when you find something, and you don't even know what it is, you definitely don't need to keep it! I also sorted through some of my scrapbooking stuff and got rid of some things that I will honestly never use. We cleaned up the garage on Saturday. We got rid of some more "baby stuff", the gates, the big stroller (sniff), some toys and some old bedding. We dusted and wiped things down and put things away and it has been restored to organizational bliss. As much as a garage can be! My next big challenge is the family room! I am making a bold statement here, but... we ARE going to hang the pictures up in here! We have been here a year now and the pictures are still hiding behind the couch! I have a lot of toy sorting to do in here! I really have trouble getting rid of stuff, and most of it Ella is still playing with. I have a designated area in the garage now, for toy rotation, so that will help! You know, you take some things away for a while and then bring them back, removing others of course. The kids then celebrate and play vigourously with their old toys like they are the best and newest toys in town! The unfortunate thing is that now, the kitchen and bathroom are starting to look dirty again and I haven't even made the full curcuit through the house!
I am up early and I am going to finish entering that pesky checkbook into the computer. I would pay bills, but Andy won't get his summer school check until the 10th! I want to find my "bar" in my kitchen today. It has been covered with papers for 2 weeks now, but I think I have almost gotten that under control.
Entropy. I have always been fascinated with this word and this concept. The dictionary gives this definition: "A measure of the capacity of a system to undergo spontaneous change...A measure of the disorder in a system..." And then there are some crazy equations that go with it. But... man... all you gotta do is clean a house to prove the validity of this theory! You clean it, straighten it, fix it and then: it falls apart, and then you do it again! I think that I will treat each "area" of my house as it's own universe. That way, when one is in collapse, at least I will have one stable universe to retreat to! I do worry that someone might find me curled up in the bottom of a despicably clean coat closet one day however!
Alright, enough of my blibbering. It is 6:30 and the gym opens in half an hour and I need to eat before I go. Wish me luck on my day! I have big dreams and high hopes! My resolve: to "finish"my paperwork, to play with the kids, to put away the laundry, to read a little and to enjoy Gavin's piano recital and dinner tonight. If I can get this done, I may enjoy a full 24 hours of calm before I see the results of "entropy" on my home. I know that it is falling apart, right now, as I type, but I will try to beat it... I will try..... I can make it.... ugh.... no I can't. I guess that I will have to accept this...as part of my struggle, as part of life.
Well, my "friend" has stuck around, but aparently she is not as inspired a writer as the moping me! I feel like I have taken back some control of my life and this is GOOD. I decided that I am truly tired of this 10 pound spare tire hanging around my middle and I am going to rid myself of it! I am going to be more active! (of course I will watch my food intake as well!) I told Andy that maybe, "If I act like an active person, I will feel more like an active person, and then I will BE an active person!" So, I have gone swimming with the kids (and done laps while I was in there), I have taken walks and bike rides with my family and I am making a greater effort to go to the gym. (today will make 3 days in a row!) Andy is off this week, so that helps...but don't ooh and ahh too much, I don't think that I will be able to keep up my gym schedule once school starts... we'll see.
I have done some cleaning and that makes me feel better. I cleaned the kids' room. I dusted and vacuumed and organized toys and took out a bunch of "junk". Don't tell Gavin that I refer to McDonald's toys and trophies as junk! The closet is next on my list, but I will wait until we get closer to the beginning of school for that job. I cleaned my room. I emptied my nightstand and straightened that out. I decided that when you find something, and you don't even know what it is, you definitely don't need to keep it! I also sorted through some of my scrapbooking stuff and got rid of some things that I will honestly never use. We cleaned up the garage on Saturday. We got rid of some more "baby stuff", the gates, the big stroller (sniff), some toys and some old bedding. We dusted and wiped things down and put things away and it has been restored to organizational bliss. As much as a garage can be! My next big challenge is the family room! I am making a bold statement here, but... we ARE going to hang the pictures up in here! We have been here a year now and the pictures are still hiding behind the couch! I have a lot of toy sorting to do in here! I really have trouble getting rid of stuff, and most of it Ella is still playing with. I have a designated area in the garage now, for toy rotation, so that will help! You know, you take some things away for a while and then bring them back, removing others of course. The kids then celebrate and play vigourously with their old toys like they are the best and newest toys in town! The unfortunate thing is that now, the kitchen and bathroom are starting to look dirty again and I haven't even made the full curcuit through the house!
I am up early and I am going to finish entering that pesky checkbook into the computer. I would pay bills, but Andy won't get his summer school check until the 10th! I want to find my "bar" in my kitchen today. It has been covered with papers for 2 weeks now, but I think I have almost gotten that under control.
Entropy. I have always been fascinated with this word and this concept. The dictionary gives this definition: "A measure of the capacity of a system to undergo spontaneous change...A measure of the disorder in a system..." And then there are some crazy equations that go with it. But... man... all you gotta do is clean a house to prove the validity of this theory! You clean it, straighten it, fix it and then: it falls apart, and then you do it again! I think that I will treat each "area" of my house as it's own universe. That way, when one is in collapse, at least I will have one stable universe to retreat to! I do worry that someone might find me curled up in the bottom of a despicably clean coat closet one day however!
Alright, enough of my blibbering. It is 6:30 and the gym opens in half an hour and I need to eat before I go. Wish me luck on my day! I have big dreams and high hopes! My resolve: to "finish"my paperwork, to play with the kids, to put away the laundry, to read a little and to enjoy Gavin's piano recital and dinner tonight. If I can get this done, I may enjoy a full 24 hours of calm before I see the results of "entropy" on my home. I know that it is falling apart, right now, as I type, but I will try to beat it... I will try..... I can make it.... ugh.... no I can't. I guess that I will have to accept this...as part of my struggle, as part of life.
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